No Stress November.. ya right!

May I regale you with a few funny stories?

'Tis the week before Thanksgiving and the kids have all been busy wrapping up the trimester. Parker is still on lock down and is feverishly trying to catch up on assignments. Ella had a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast with the most wonderful preschool teacher in all the land! I spent a glorious few hours shopping for teacher gifts and "favorite things" for our annual Bunco party. I was seriously filled with so much joy as I perused the aisles and created the perfect little packages. 

Friday, Rayleigh had her final in person speech assessment so we decided to come bearing gifts and bring a some cheer to their teachers on the last day before going off track. While Rayleigh met with her speech teacher, Jack and I toured his kindergarten class and dreamed of the day he can attend in person. His teacher, Mrs. Kliss, is absolutely amazing and I love her so much. When we were done and heading back down the hall, we ran into the Speech teacher, Mrs. Ozier. She was frantic and totally beside herself because she LOST Rayleigh. She'd taken her to use the bathroom and waited right outside the door but after what felt like too long, she called out to Rayleigh to inquire if she was done. No response. So she opened the door. No Rayleigh. At this point she started to really look around for her and shout out her name. This is when we ran into her. I was not the least bit worried but I can attest to being fully and completely humiliated. After what felt like an eternity searching all over the school, we found her tucked away under the nurses desk which was RIGHT next to the bathroom. She'd snuck under there in a grand attempt at one sided hide and seek. I'm hoping the school allows us to come back, ever!

Shall I tell you another tale with regards to one sided hide and seek?

This week, with the kids out of school, I didn't feel the need to wake up as early to get to the gym and Tanner and I ended up heading out the door at the same time. Parker was doing school work while the younger kids were upstairs watching TV. I went to the gym, did 30 minutes of cardio, a few minutes of stretching, and then walked back out to the car where I found Rayleigh sitting in the passenger seat excitedly waving at me. I was shocked! But let's be honest, probably not as shocked as one might expect. I opened the door, which was clearly locked, and asked her what she was doing. She'd hid in the trunk of the van when I left the house and didn't think to pipe up during the drive or when I exited the car. She explored every nook and cranny of the car and found a pack of fruit snacks. Hey! Life is good! She said a guy on a treadmill waved at her.  At this point I felt it prudent to let the front office staff know that my daughter snuck into my car and was in there the entire time I was working out and that she's fine. Well, we had a good chat about safety and about the fact that if someone had seen her and called the police, it would be Mommy going off the jail, not her. I'd like to say, "I don't think she'll be doing THAT again..." But that's not something I can promise in good conscience. 

Would you like to hear a sad story about a sad man? Tanner found out that his quarterly bonus totaling over $60k was not getting paid out. He completely lost it. He came home in the middle of the day and informed me that he was "going away" and that he didn't want to talk about it. He apparently drove up to the mountains to clear his head. I called him around 6pm and asked him if he was ok. He was not. He came home and was still extremely upset. I don't know why he tortures himself with this job. No amount of money is worth it. I came to my own realization that I can't ask him about financials anymore. It causes too much stress and contention in our relationship. Out of desperation, I texted the stake president and he was kind and encouraging. The next day Tanner got word that he will collect the bonus on one of the other buildings he runs which seemed to perk his spirits. But man, it's a rough ride.

The girls and I went to dinner the next night and it was nice to get away and clear my head, too.

Due to Covid, every restaurant had a 3 hour long wait so we ended up at PF Changs eating outside in the cold because the heaters were out of propane. But it was still so nice. These women are a balm to my soul and I don't know what I'd do without them. I also had ZOOM book club with my mom who led the discussion. Carol Oldroyd asked my opinion at one point and said I was "intelligent" which made me feel good. When someone who's known you since before birth still has nice things to say about you, it's a special honor.

To end the week on a high note, we were privileged to hear a beautiful and uplifting message from our dear Prophet. He said our world is suffering from a devastating pandemic and while doctors are diligently working on vaccines and other remedies to the physical ailments we are dealing with, the one and only remedy for our souls (that is also scientifically proven) is gratitude. He challenged us to spend the next 7 days focusing on what we are thankful for and sharing those thoughts on social media. The internet was flooded with positive messages with the hashtag #givethanks It was amazing! He also led us in a wonderful prayer. I am so thankful for a living Prophet, President Nelson, for his wisdom and guidance and for the unlimited access we have to him. Right at our finger tips and at any time of day, we have access to a never ending stream of faith promoting messages and hope. Jesus will never play hide and seek with us! He is always there ready to hear our cries and answer our calls!