In the last week:

I haven't posted much in a while because nothing is really going on around here. It's just regular school days and weekends. I think spring has FINALLY come, though. Every day this week we've been outside all afternoon long enjoying the 70 something degree weather. Luke wants to be outside all of the time and gets quite disappointed when I drag him back in to do menial stuff like cook dinner and fold laundry. I think my arms and face got a teensy weensy bit of color from all the sun. Gramma Sue watched the kids for me this week so that Matt and I could take his brother out to dinner (He's moving to Oregon and we're all going to miss him. Especially Paul who cries when he says Uncle Dave won't be around to give him foot rides anymore). We got back and Gramma said Paul entertained her with a story about three nervous female pigs. I didn't even know he knew the word female. That kid cracks me up. Luke thinks he's pretty neat, too. All this week he's been mimicking his brother. If Paul drags his hand along the school wall as we walk down the hallway, Luke has to also. When Paul says, "Mom, look at that." Luke yells, "Mom, da!" You'd think Paul would get annoyed by it because it goes on all day long, but I don't think the kid even notices. Miracles, of miracles, we made it through two whole days of Luke not hitting Paul. I think the no hitting lessons are finally beginning to sink in. It's been hard to be consistent because his hits are more like experimental taps to see what me and Paul will do and I've been bad about ignoring them. No more! I've really been on his case this week and we're finally seeing some improvement. Yesterday I taught a workshop at the annual Stake Enrichment activity, and let me tell you, I am glad it is over. They had me teach from a book by Linda J. Eyre: A Joyful Mother of Children. Great book with helpful tips, so it was easy to put the whole thing together, but I don't think I've ever talked for a straight 45 minutes before in my life. And then they had me teach it three times in a row. I felt less nervous each time, but seemed to sweat more as the day progressed. By the third workshop I thought I could have drunk a gallon of water in 60 seconds flat. The third group looked pretty stone faced and tired, especially the pregnant ladies trying to find a comfy spot on the metal folding chairs. All in all, I don't think I failed, I even got a few laughs, and it was a great growing experience for me. My sister in law said I didn't even sound nervous. Ha! I guess it's good to stretch yourself, but I'll happily go back to sitting behind the primary piano in the coming weeks. Thanks friends for the pics on your blogs. I love watching your children grow and seeing what you're up to. It's great that the world is a little smaller with all this technology.