all now mysterious shall be bright at last

Yesterday we were singing "Be Still My Soul" in church and I started crying. I didn't do it on purpose, it's just "Finlandia" is a really beautiful song, and it's all tied up with sad and happy memories. I couldn't help it!

On our way to Lehi last night to have Sunday dinner with Sandi and Kerry we played numerous games of mash, which were illuminating. For example, Ike wants to be a server at the Cracker Barrel. Emmett wants to be a long-distance trucker. Grant wants to be Captain America. Willa wants to be a caker maker. I want to be an otter trainer. John wants to be a career guidance counselor.

I cut all the boys' hair on Saturday so they wouldn't all look like they were convicts wearing Incredible Hulk wigs. Grant was ordained a deacon, so I wanted everybody to look sharp. Of course he's very excited that he gets to go to two extra hours of General Conference next week.

I hate PTA. Not because it's a lot of work, but because there is this one lady who I think is confused about how important her job is, and I think she maybe thinks she's President President, not PTA President. I had a meeting with her last week, and she is exhausting. It's not the lady I work with, thank goodness. My president is very chill. But that other lady is a trip.

I'd rather be a hammer than a nail

Willa has started sneaking away again.

Ike is having trouble with a kid at school. This kid does not who he's fooling with. I have given Ike my permission to punch the kid in the face. Diplomacy is not always the right solution. I'm not trying to be flippant; it's the truth. You can't reason with unreasonable people.

Emmett and Grant like to play piano duets--the same song on different octaves.

I am having substantial difficulty getting people to agree to help with PTA. I hope they like it next year when a bunch of stuff disappears, because I refuse to be the doormat who did everybody's job who was too lazy to help.

John has started playing basketball on Saturday mornings to keep himself from dying of a heart attack. So far so good.

merrily on our way to nowhere in particular

Baaaah, look what we saw yesterday!

I was gibbering like a nincompoop. They are only my favorite animal in the whole entire world.

We went to the Living Planet Aquarium because the kids didn't have school. It was a little expensive for what you got, but we did see a lot of very cool things, and everybody got to touch a stingray. I would like bigger displays and more critters.

truly scrumptious, you're truly scrumptious

Some highlights from our trip to FHE tonight.

1. We forgot Willa, and were just about to the freeway entrance when Ike said, "Where's Willa?" She was wandering around in the garden, and didn't even know she'd been left behind.
2. I kept shouting at people to be quiet and listen because we were reading the scriptures.
3. We learned a new game that I like very much, and better yet, it doesn't involve being hit on the head while your eyes are closed.
4. We had a thought-provoking discussion about whether or not Cro-Magnon peoples will be a servant class in the hereafter; whether or not that would be fulfilling their divine destiny.
5. I read the story of "The Sleeping Beauty" to the children, and was reminded that in my copy there is a lovely addendum to the story that involves the prince's mother being an ogress who tries to eat Sleeping Beauty (who is never given a name) and her children, but is prevented from doing so, then perishes horribly in a vat of toads, vipers, snakes and serpents. It's very thrilling!

We don't have school tomorrow, and I'm not prepared. I'm pretty sure we're going to waste the entire day. Maybe I'll take them to a matinee.