Thankful journaling

2 weeks into the school year, or is it 3 now? 4?

We are all adjusting to Elijah's new homework schedule. By 8 or so he becomes exhausted and finds it difficult to swallow homework. Last night it was right around 9 that we finished. But we keep on trucking. Truthfully, the game is more about time management than homework load, although homework load is quite large too. Is pre-algebra normal for fifth grade? I can't remember that far back. Last week he caught a nasty parasite or something and was having severe stomach cramping. I was scared to death my nagging had finally given the poor boy an ulcer.

Another reason I haven't been blogging as I should is because I have this new app: the five minute journal. It sates my journaling thirst and forces me to write positive things, so even if I've been in a bad mood, I have to twist the nasty into beauty.
Backhanded gratitude.

A note from a few days ago, "I'm grateful God made babies so cute, because it sure is hard living with them." The Sybil is a little tyrant.
This morning she chased Iris around the house trying to draw on her. Iris wasn't amused. The world is Sybil's canvas. So are our walls, shelves, floors, books, and most recently, my missionary scriptures. At church, I noticed a large orange line going up my leg. No, it wasn't my fake tan cream. It was the Marker Tyrant. I find markers in about every corner of the house. She put some through the dishwasher cycle last week.

She looks innocent. It's a ruse.

Also on the app, you take a picture every day like this one from last week which was the most pleasant surprise I've ever gotten while doing laundry, besides the one time I found a flashlight that had been washed in Elijah's pants and still worked.

In case you didn't get that: "Claire pees in deb...from Iris."

This picture commemorates Claire's first pair of Madonna gloves that she bought with a gift card from her birthday. She also bought her first watch which died a few days later when it jumped into the pool while on her wrist.

Other thankful notes:

• "This is our first pet, Ticky the house cricket," the kids said. They created a complete habitat for him (Claire is convinced it's a boy). 
• Hearing Elijah's beautiful voice very clearly in the ward choir. 
• My dad telling my girls stories as we lay on my bed. 
• Secretly tickling Elle's feet with a pipe cleaner and laughing harder than she did. 
• Running next to my bike-riding girls. I used to have to wait for Iris, but now she waits for me. 
• After picking E up from school, instead of sitting in the front seat like usual, he crawled to the back seat and made Sybil giggle the whole way home. 
• I love the cold feeling on my legs and feet when I move them to another place between the sheets. 
• So grateful we changed soccer teams and practice is a few blocks away instead of in North Scottsdale. 
• Went for a run when it was way too hot, so I sat on a bench and enjoyed a few minutes with my baby. I'm grateful the sprinklers were on and that they were aimed at the sidewalks. 
• Swimming with my kids in our pool after school. 
• Peeking at David attempting to read to Sybil. She closed the book repetitively. 
• Using visualization in my prayer. I prayed for service opportunities and visualized what I should do. 
• David picked Elijah up from school so I could go to the gym with the girls. 
• Temple date with David tonight: doing family names. David taking the kids to get ice cream so I can take a nap. 
• A friend commented on the nice weather. It was 102. Arizonans. 
• And from this morning: Sybil's first puddle splashing experience