Prima donna of Culinary Arts (not me - Dona, of course)

It happened! I did it! I finally did it! After 25 years I baked a cinnamon roll worthy to swim through shark-infested waters for. A cinnamon roll for which any red-blooded American man would marry for. I have insured my own husband's love for me forever. Praise be to the Relief Society Enrichment Activities and Dona - the prima donna of all culinary arts. Last night, Dona did it - she wove her magic and somehow this magic dust settled on me and I did it this morning. Before anyone else was up I began my attempt. I had planned to time it so Neil would get one before he had to leave for school. That didn't happen and I'm afraid he'll be in torture all day until he can get home and have one. I told him they would be so good he could be late and take one to his teacher and all would be forgiven. They mound up in the center and everything. What? You couldn't be there last night? No worries - recipe included on a side bar (the bottom one, actually).

Move over Miss Binney . . .

We are reading Beverly Cleary's "Ramona The Pest". I'm delighted to discover that Mark and Kyle enjoy these books as much as I did. Well, Ramona is a Kindergartener and even though she's a girl the twins are experiencing great sympathy for this character. One chapter says, "Ramona loved Miss Binney so much she did not want to disappoint her. Not ever. Miss Binney was the nicest teacher in the whole world." I stopped because it was the end of the chapter and they were both quiet. Then Kyle said, "I think Mrs. Meacham is the nicest teacher in the whole world." Mark said, "Me too." So, step aside Miss Binney, Mrs. Meacham now holds that spot.

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'Tiz a puzzlement! Kyle asked me a doozer - We just drove in from school and he wanted to do something and I said, "After you get your school work done." He said, "If we do school work at home, how come we don't do home work at school?" Good one, Kyle. I don't know.

Musings of a Mother

Mother's Day doesn't necessarily happen on the second week of May for me. Today was Mother's Day. In my busy Saturday I passed the living room couch and noticed Kyle asleep amongst a heap of new library books. It was 4:30 and a very rare thing for him to succumb to a nap when there are still books to be explored, and legos castles to be built, and so much left for a 5-year old knight to do. I stopped and scooped him onto my lap and held him to me for a long time. All of him. He still fit, barely. I recalled reading an article by some other sentimental mother like myself who wished she could have known the last time her child would sleep with their favorite teddy bear, or come to her bedroom in the middle of the night, or call out for her comfort from a bad dream. If she had known, she reasoned, she could have savored that moment and somehow capture it forever. I hope today was not the last time to hold my sleeping twin boy on my lap, but it is one of the last. It has to be - he is too big, too busy, and too old to tolerate it much longer.

Someday, when you're grown up tall

And you're no longer small,

I'll remember it all,

Just thinking of you . . .

And the way you look tonight.

Today was Mother's Day.

About 4:00 p.m. yesterday Neil comes into the room with a brilliant glow accompanying him (if 17 yr old guys can "glow"), and I know that he has been accepted to the BYU School of Music. Hurrah to him and the Amazing Nan for countless hours of capable instruction, scales, drilling, metranome climbs, recordings, practice concerts, accompanying, trips to Master Classes, competitions and dedication uncommon!

Kyle and Mark are busy learning to read and other Kindergarten things. The snow is piling high and the winter is marching on. Wa-hoo.