Service and Burnout

We did so much that first week of December. I wanted to get things in before the tradition of being sick during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Actually, nobody was sick for that this year. Yay. We did enjoy watching it together.

In Sacrament Meeting that morning, our bishop talked about doing simple acts of service, which as you know I've been thinking about and trying to do lately. He shared an experience where he offered to throw away somebody's trash for them because it looked like they were done eating. Simple acts of service. I offered to take someone's cart back for them in the Costco parking lot. I was already taking mine back and he had one arm already full. Simple acts of service. At church, I complimented a couple men on their ties because the Christmas season brings out some awesome festive ties. Simple acts of service.

I also took some time Sunday afternoon to make paper bag puppets with Jet. He loved it. 

So I tried to do service. I tried celebrating. Then Monday and the burnout came. I had my nice little breakdown, feeling the overwhelm. I managed to clean and vacuum the living room. I did not manage to catch up on dishes. Did you know baking uses a lot of dishes? I still haven't caught up on the dishes. I'll just admit that right now. And I want to do more baking (read that with a whiny voice).

I still managed to do service when a couple people asked me to help with things. I mean, when someone needs a balloon blown up and you have access to balloon pumps... 

Monday evening, I dragged the kids (a couple were grumpy and didn't want to go- everyone's feeling the burnout and overwhelm) over to the mall for something new. 

They had a live nativity. Students from one of the local high schools were the performers. I knelt down with Jet to explain who the different people represented. When we get to the different groups (shepherds, wise men, etc.) in our family scripture study, I'll be able to remind him of what we saw. 

We also got hot chocolate and brownies there which we were excited about because December 8 was National Brownie Day.

Jet wanted to go inside the big Christmas tree while we were there. It is so cool looking inside.

 

We enjoyed the holiday lights (including the lights of the fountain). 

Here's a funny story. We sat down by the fountain to let Jet eat his brownie because he was just carrying it around for a while. While we were sitting there, Lucky handed me his napkin which he had shaped like a flower and said, "Here's a pretty flower for the lady." Awwww. When Jet finished his brownie, he handed me his crumb covered napkin and said, "Here's a napkin for when you finish your brownie." Ha Ha Ha Ha. I think he did it in a similar voice to what Lucky was using which is what made it hilarious. Have I mentioned I love my kids?

 

We got to see live animals as we walked back to our van, including a camel.

The weather was so good that day. We were really fortunate. I think the student performers were also really fortunate because when Nichole went to the mall just a couple days before that, it was so cold.

The grumpy kids didn't stay grumpy very long which I am grateful for and Jet was very well behaved.

We talked about how many years ago (November 2017), most of us got to ride a camel, so when we got home, Jet got on his brother's back and told us, "I'm riding a camel."

Since it was also Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day, we had "fish fingers and custard" at home.

Huh. I guess going to a live nativity also works for that holiday because we went back more than 2000 years to when Jesus came to Earth as a little baby.

 

Yesterday, December 9, was National Llama Day so my mom said I could share a couple pictures she took of her neighborhood llamas. She shared some llama thoughts with me as well. I love that my mom helps me celebrate. 

Catch of the Day

Skyscraper Day 2012

Today, September 3rd, is Skyscraper Day.  We started off our celebration last night by reading a book called, "Just Me and 6,000 Rats: a tale of conjunctions," written by Rick Walton, illustrated by Mike Gordon and Carl Gordon.  In it the main character and 6,000 rats take a trip to the big city and see the skyscrapers. 
Around here, the big city is Salt Lake City, and we don't go there very often.  Jeremy does more often than we do for shows.  Well, it just so happened that he was scheduled to twist balloons today at City Creek, the new mall in downtown Salt Lake City.  He'd been wanting to show us the mall anyway and since today is also Labor Day, the kids didn't have school.  So... we all made the trip to Salt Lake City to see the skyscrapers on Skyscraper Day.

The mall is neat.  Besides the normal shops you would find at a mall, it also has a creek running through it and different fountains, some of which were designed by the same people who created the Ballagio Fountains in Las Vegas. 

Every hour on the hour one of those fountains shoots water in time to music (like the Bellagio Fountains do). 

 (See the skyscraper in the background of that first picture?  Yep.  It helps the celebrating when the mall is surrounded by those buildings.)

Another of those fountains is like a splash pad encouraging kids to play and get soaked, and help Mom be creative when she is not properly prepared with enough clothes for them to change into.

Next time, I need to remember to change them into bathing suits before sending them into the water (and bring an extra pair of shorts for Nichole).  I think I underestimated how wet they were actually going to get.

Nichole was bummed when I made her get out, but Jr. was shivering from being so wet and I really wanted to get him changed into something a little warmer.

Jr. Jr. was too intimidated by the water so he had fun climbing up a side that was slanted and sliding back down.

 He also had fun just being cute while Jeremy made balloons nearby.

 

The kids and I also did some wandering around the mall, but the water was the highlight.

When we got home, we watched some of Batman: The Animated Series because Gotham City has skyscrapers and we watched The Muppets because Los Angeles also has skyscrapers.

Yeah, fun celebrating.