uncontrollable itches via lovely dreams

I’m just not feeling it today. The crunch that is always felt prior to our annual family vacation is upon us. The need to get so much done… in so little time. It is even worse this year, due to a certain little one. And as the laundry piles up, the dust heaps up, the dishes mass up into an irrepressible mess – I ask myself, "Do I really want to be a homemaker?". The answer is undoubtedly “yes” – but it is overwhelming nonetheless. That will never change. I am reminded of a quote by Jeffrey R. Holland: “You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.”. How wonderful it is to know that I have someone pushing me when I can go no further.

And our lives get more complicated every day it seems. Sunday we learned that Brian has been called to be the new Elders Quorum President of our ward. A very lofty calling – one that affects both of us tremendously. Even though Brian has a big job ahead of him, I know that our family will be blessed for his righteous efforts. Ammon and I support him whole-heartedly, and we are so very proud of the man that he is. So very grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder – and that he is ours to love.

Ammon is growing like a chicken on steroids – his personality is really, really, really starting to show. What a silly, stubborn, strong-willed little boy he is. And so smart – he is grasping cause and effect at an alarming speed. He loves the remote – he has his own now to play with – he pushes the buttons while watching the television… like we do. Like I mentioned before, he is putting two and two together extremely quickly. After seeing me do something only once, he is trying to mimic it... usually coming close. We will definitely have our hands full… sooner than we think, I’m afraid.

Ammon can sit on hard surfaces (i.e.: tiled floors, counters, tables… with someone right there, of course) for several minutes at a time, unassisted. He still has a hard time finding his balance on softer surfaces like the couch or carpeted floors. He is also sleeping through the night – without even waking up for his bink – from about 7:00 to 6:00. Hallelujah.

He graduated from peas last week and moved on to sweet potatoes. Instant hit. Inhaled them. Begged for more. Now he is trying carrots. Hates them. Won’t swallow. Gags up a lung. These responses are very similar to those we received after trying green beans, only this time, mixing them with cereal doesn’t fool him. What to do? Try again tomorrow.

Back to me: We are slowly being pushed to the breaking point as far a space is concerned. I am having to be more creative as to where to house/hide things. It isn’t working. It will be a while before we can leave this little hovel that we call home, but it is fun to think about a real home of our own. I often think about it. I often dream about it. One dream in particular occurred a week or so ago. I envisioned our home – painted in lush, simply divine bold colors. I was finally able to get my hands dirty and make real changes – and it showed. I remember telling Brian about it the next day – him giving me that oh-my-goodness-you’re-so-weird look. I tried to describe each color perfectly, but it was difficult to imagine in his color-blind mind. “Not a cherry red, but a burnt orangey red.”. “Not a lime or sage green, but a celery green.”. “Not just a turquoise blue, but an turquoisey-aqua blue.”. As I heard myself unsuccessfully trying to paint a picture for Brian, I was immediately reminded of an old film that is on my long list of favorites: Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. A good one to grab when you are craving some Cary Grant. One that I just recommended to a friend in fact.

Of course, I watched it as soon as Ammon would allow me to. Never in all my life – in all my years of watching this movie – have I ever felt closer to Mr. Jim Blandings and his family. You have to watch it to understand – living in a crowded New York City apartment, not being able to turn around without causing a ruckus. What was once just a clever film, is now a ode to my life. And what a life it is.

Below is one of my favorite scenes from Mr. Blandings – not one that shows the consequences of tight quarters, but one that mimics my “color scheming”. I actually persuaded Brian to watch this movie with me once… and this was one of the many times he gave a sideways that’s-exactly-what-you-would-be-doing glare. So go over to the right and pause the tunes… then enjoy some classic black and white.