Dear Richard
Some pretty big events this past week, but
for the rest it was pretty normal.
I spent a lot of time during the week
trying to help Caleb get comfortable in the Penguin class at school, because
today was his first day! So in the morning and afternoon I took him into the
class either to just see the class, or interact with the kids, and twice he
even at breakfast with the class! By the end of the week he was even willing to
leave me very quickly to do something and then come back to me. And then today
was the day… Over the weekend we helped him to get fairly excited, and then
this morning he was fine while we were getting to school, but then he did the
normal crying when we then had to leave. But the teachers said that within a
few minutes he was completely fine, and he got involved with dancing to music, and
apparently he talked a LOT during the day, which is a sign of a settled child!
So we’re really happy so far J
It was quite hectic saying goodbye to
Aunty Wendy on Friday though… I’ve been going to her house every school/work
day since October 2009, so she really has been a huge part of my life! But what
a blessing she has been to us, and now my children all move over to the care of
the teachers at the school. And my experience so far at the school has been
largely positive, so I’m glad that I can move them over completely with
confidence J
Then we found out about Granny with all of
the health problems she’s been having, including the minor stroke in the end.
I’m glad Mom has gone up to be with her now though, and she is doing better J
And pretty hectic was when we went over
the road one day and Hannah went to the toilet and locked herself in! She’s
just learning how to turn keys, so she wants to lock and unlock everything she
can… But although she managed to lock the door she couldn’t unlock it, and she
couldn’t turn the key to the right position to take it out either! I was
peering through the key hole trying to tell her which way to turn, but that
didn’t work. Eventually I stuck my head sideways through the fanlight window
and was able to direct her exactly how to turn it to unlock it. But once we
managed to get it unlocked she just collapsed backwards on the floor absolutely
exhausted from the whole experience! Hopefully she’s learned a good lesson
though!
We had a SUPER hot day last week!
Thankfully it worked out nicely to be Friday, so we had everyone over. I love
how my kids so enjoy having the family and cousins over. In their prayers on
those evenings they’ll say “Thank you that Granny and Aunty Colleen and Amy and
Saffie and Aunty Annie (etc) came to swim with us today”. It’s one of their
most regular prayer items ;) I love how they enjoy spending time with the
family so much, and it’s been so nice having Shawn here – it just feels right J
And then yesterday I was called as the YSA
Sunday School teacher! I’m so excited!!! There’s a really nice group of YSA in
the ward right now, and I’m also just so excited to be able to study and teach
every week! My first class next week… So if all things stay constant I’ll be
your teacher when you come home J
In the Sunday School class yesterday we
were discussing Enoch, and in my preparation for the class I was really struck
by Moses 7:32 (“The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are
the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the
day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency”) I
was struck by how we’re having that kind of experience already as parents.
Although Josh and Hannah are so young we’ve tried to teach them the right
things, but in the end, if they really want to do something naughty there is
actually nothing we can do to stop them – they do have their agency, and they’re
already using it! (Not to say that they’re really naughty – compared to many
other kids they’re angels!) It makes you feel very helpless and frustrated,
because all of your efforts do nothing… And that is really how Heavenly Father
feels as well, but how many times over because of how many children he has
across the universes, the magnitude of what some of them do, and just because he
is a god! I think it’s something that you can’t understand, even as little as I
do now, until you are a parent. And as
Bro Alan, our teacher yesterday, said, there is a good reason why parenthood is
such an important step in becoming exalted – because there are lessons you
learn as a parent that you don’t learn in any other way… But that being said,
there are so many wonderful lessons and experiences as well, and I wouldn’t
trade my children for anything!
Well, that’s the main stuff… So quite a
momentous week in some ways… And hopefully this week ahead will be good with
Caleb settling quickly and Mom being up in Joburg with Granny…
Keep well
Shelly
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