Grandma Ethel would have been so proud…

True to our heritage we strutted and paraded and laughed it up. This year’s Hat parade was AWESOME! See Meg’s videos at Keep on Keepin’ on for more proof. Good times. Side note: Contrary to popular belief, Brig & Kenz's hats are not Muslim themed. They are supposed to be, er, Carrots.

In my Easter bonnet

Easter hat parades got their start in New York City in the mid-1800s, when the lower and middle class would watch a spectacle of cosmopolitan socialites drifting down the avenue after Easter church services. The elite wore their Sunday best, including bonnets, top hats of all styles, colors and embellishments, and began a tradition known as the Easter parade. The tradition was immortalized in the movie "Easter Parade" with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, and today, people from all walks of life stroll down fifth Avenue on Easter wearing flamboyant hat creations.

Easter hat parades in our fam originated with Grandma Ethel. For as long as she taught, she instigated and organized an annual Easter Hat Parade for her school. Complete with music, a script and cool prizes it was the Spring Happenin’.

So, in keeping with family tradition we are bringing it back. The deets:

What: Arnett Fam Easter Egg Hunt/ Easter Hat Parade

When: Saturday, April 11, 2009

Where: HB and Penee’s backyard, natch

Time: Lindsay said around 10:30, (but Meg and Kody can’t come until later so can we kick it back a bit to say 11:00? Pretty please.)

Just like last time there will be prizes for all. Categories include: Loveliest, Prettiest, Cutest, Most Cerebral, Best use of theme from TV show, Most Eastery, Most Jane Austeny, blah blah blah, make up your own category if you will.

Bust out some of that Arnett creativity, rellys and come join us all on Saturday for a hoppin’ good time. What? You say you won’t be in town? No problemo, consider participating by posting your hats on your blog. That’s right, a virtual cyber Hat Parade. Good times.

If your kiddies need some ideas to get them going, here’s a few:

http://www.hatsmade.com/paper_hat_patterns.html
http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/easter/eastbon.htm

http://www.emommies.net/hats1.htm

everyone share their fav poems. Now

ld and I spent the trip down in companionable silence. I engrossed in sewing a little house out of a pillowcase and he soaking up oldies from his ipod. It's good to get away, but the weather down here (Zions, btw) is just as crazy as home. Yesterday lovely and then today the cloudy glooms. Very mean. Which reminds me April is National Poetry Month! You didn’t forget did you? Go see, go see: http://www.poets.org/index.php

T.S. Eliot:
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.

(the above lines, of course, taken from the Academy of American Poets poster promoting National Poetry Month.)

How’s that for a bit of synchronicity, eh?

babies, babies

To my darling, baby-producing nieces: Well done, ladies!

Studies show that women who are mothers believe their lives have greater meaning... It’s difficult to measure the value of unselfishly giving of yourself to a child who depends on you. In the words of lawyer and mother Jennifer C. Braceras, "Mothers' reap extraordinary rewards that are impossible to quantify” (p. 2) And as researcher Ellen Galinsky (1987) points out:

Taking care of a small, dependent, growing person is transforming, because it exposes our vulnerabilities as well as our nobility. We lose our sense of self, only to find it and have it change again and again…We figure out how we want to interpret the wider worlds, and we learn to interact with all those who affect our children…In the end, we have learned more about ourselves, about the cycles of life, and humanity itself. (p. 31)

Yup. All of that. And more. Again: Congratulations, lovely nieces.

holy dishes, batman!

I am contemplating a major Spring Clean around here. Ld has been after me to ‘clean up my act’ and get to the sinkhole that is our garage. Just the thought alone has overwhelmed and depressed me. But, for me, today, it goes way beyond that. I have pronounced myself a degenerate loser. Challenges and failures in my mothering and my total ambivalence for day-in- day- out chores and tasks that do not ever energize or excite me confirm this. Ahem. Anybody else need to ‘reel in the crazy’ and do the self-talk; the kind that usually calms and soothes negative, distorted and defeatist thoughts? Anyone else need a bit of encouragement and big ‘mo today?

Some fav quotes that nearly always help:

From Kathleen Norris, The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy and "Women's Work"

"Our culture's ideal self, especially the accomplished, professional self, rises above necessity, the humble, everyday, ordinary tasks that are best left to unskilled labor. The comfortable lies we tell ourselves regarding these 'little things'--that they don't matter, and that daily personal and household chores are of no significance to us spiritually--are exposed as falsehoods when we consider that reluctance to care for the body is one of the first symptoms of extreme melancholia. Shampooing the hair, washing the body, brushing the teeth, drinking enough water, taking a daily vitamin, going for a walk, as simple as they seem, are acts of self-respect. They enhance one's ability to take pleasure in oneself and in the world.”

And then later she says:
…”I was slow to recognize that combating sloth, being willing to care for oneself and others on a daily basis, is no small part of what constitutes basic human sanity, a faith in the everyday."

I love that: faith in the everyday. I love the whole book, only like 88 pages, but very insightful. A reminder that domestic rituals are not just trivial mindless activities. There can be a kind of spirituality associated with the repetitive and mundane, like doing dishes or laundry. (By this measure ld, you are the Dalai Lama)☺ In fact, considering their enormous life-giving importance, the feeding and clothing of a family and maintaining of a household can be done in a contemplative, spiritual way and can provide the motivation needed to, say, clean out the garage. Yup.

Which leads me to another quote I love, sort of ‘be not weary in the whole motherhood thing even though it never ends and you’ve totally screwed it up’:

“The family circle is everlasting,and so are its responsibilities and blessings. It is an act of greatness and heroism to hold a family together, to set before them an example, to teach them in ways of truth, to live a life of consistency…,to counsel, to love, to understand, to pray, to be patient, and to do the thousand other unnamed things that it takes to rear a family, to make a house a home—and to do it everyday, sometimes without seeming gratitude—and to lead a family righteously unto eternal life.

And since it is our Father’s purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children, what could better be our purpose as parents? And what if it takes 20 years—or 40—or forever? What can life better be used for? Keeping a home, a family, going and together, is heroic.”
-Elder Richard L. Evans, October 1964 General Conference

To all the above ‘persevere in dishes and children’ quotes I will also add:

“The only time we fail in the home is when we give up on each other.” 

- Marvin J. Ashton

I feel better.

Zoo Party 2009

Seems the concensus among young, educated and hip parents today that birthday celebrations for children should be kept low key. Parties should be less about the child (and I’ve even heard of some parents having the child do a service project for their birthday to combat the days’ self centeredness, not a bad idea really). It’s fashionable to protest nowadays (and with good reason) against over the top, crass, self centered and commercialized parties.

I get their thinking. I really do. These parents are oh so wise.

BUT……

If you are a Grandma who has spent many years in Primary, Cub Scouts (where cardboard crafting reigns supreme), Young Women (where nearly every activity revolves around a theme, a theme!), and dare I add Relief Society with all it’s events, conferences, workshops, and funeral dinners, if this is your life experience then it is not possible for you to be a party planning pooper. Add in the mix a slightly obsessive personality to boot and it all stands to reason.

Therefore, I make no apologies or excuses for Cate’s birthday party. I simply get a kick out of the whole thing. I know you are all thinking, Doesn’t she have anything better to do with her time?

Nope. I don’t.

I love, love little birthday parties and I love, love cardboard and I love, love my little grandbaby. So there.

The Invitations
Kenzie painstakingly cut and glued adorable little animals on some cardstock (maybe she’ll post a pic on her blog, hint hint) with the following saying:

Friends of the Zoo
Have gathered to say
“Hey, Swing on over”
for…
Cate’s 1st Birthday
We’ll have a roaring good Time!

The Games
Made my favorite way: on the sides of cardboard boxes. It’s great painting on them because you can fold them up and store them, they are all contained, and you can crawl inside of them to actually conduct the game.

Pin the Tail on the Zebra’s Rump


Let’s Go Fishing
(you climb inside the box to attach the prize to the fishing line and throw it back out over the top)


Going Bananas Photo Op


Feed the Animals Ball Toss


Puppet Show
(the script uses the song by Peter, Paul and Mary Daddy’s takin’ us to the Zoo tomorrow, remember that album?)



Giraffe Ring Toss
Much harder than it looks


Caged Animals
For the wild animal in us all


On the last side wall, you can’t really see, is a giant Flannelboard, made with some felt and glued directly onto the cardboard.
One of the books we purchased for Cate was Dear Zoo and Polar Bear, Polar Bear. I made a flannelboard story out of Dear Zoo (I found the patterns for free on a children’s website and she loves this. I’m going to make one for Polar Bear too when I get some time. Flannelboard stories are my latest obsession)

Another game, was Zoo Escape. Here’s how to play: Set out plastic animals all over the floor and cover them with a cloth. Then say excitedly, Oh no, the animals have escaped, where’d they go? The child looks and uncovers the cloth as all exclaim, “Peek a Zoo!” Remember people, Cate’s only 1.

The Decorations
Some vines twisted out of brown paper bags. A few streamers and some jungle leaves. Probably could have used some more monkeys swinging around.


Notice the sign lovely Meghan made. It turned out adorable.


The table is covered with some zebra fabric I got on clearance and some old tablecloths I had around the house. We just pinned the green cloth up with safety pins for a swag. Oh, and the Zoo Choo we made out of old Diaper boxes. So save those diaper boxes, ladies☺


For more details about the cake and party food, you’ll have to visit The Humble Pie. We had a lot of fun with the Zoo Theme food.

For our gift to Cate Grandpa ld and I gave her this sweet little rocking chair that I found online. You can’t really tell from the picture but it has a precious little poem stenciled onto it about Reading Happily Ever After, has a little clock, a chair cushion and attached to the armrest a little bookshelf built in. Needless to say she received some books, too.


For more party pics check out the Grandparentals. My next event planning will be….yup, you guessed it…the upcoming Arnett Reunion. Because I have nothing better to do.

Gracious : characterized by charm, good taste, generosity of spirit, and the tasteful leisure of wealth and good breeding

There's an early episode of The Andy Griffith Show, the one where Aunt Bea is out of town for an extended stay (can't remember why). Malcolm the Englishmen comes to help out and introduces the family to his more rigid, formal and refined lifestyle. Opie doesn't know what to make of all this, but for a while goes along. He even encourages his Pa Andy to dress up for supper as it's all a part of 'gracious living'. It's a hoot.

Graciousness. What does this look like, exactly?

When I think of gracious living I think of, er, I mean I don't think of Martha Stewart. Bleh. I don't think overachieving hyperactivity is gracious. Her lifestyle would exhaust me. I think it's more of an attitude, sort of Blanche DuBois-ish, minus her delusions and scars and sluttiness. Okay, maybe not her either.

I don't know what it is exactly except you know when you are in the presence of a truly gracious person. They make you feel valued, and somehow through their gentle manners, at peace.

From a place somewhere deep in my computer, and I'm sorry I don't remember the source, comes this:

10 Characteristics of a Gracious Person

1. A gracious person is slow to take credit and quick to lavish praise.
2. A gracious person never seeks to embarrass another. Humiliating another is not in this person's vocabulary. (They don't say something to humiliate another and then try to escape responsibility by saying, "I was only joking.")
3. A gracious person is always thanking others. Do you go through an entire day without thanking another?
4. A gracious person doesn't monopolize the conversation. Someone else has something to offer.
5. A gracious person doesn't play "one up-manship". (That's nothing you should have seen what I did.
6. A gracious person pays attention to people. Sometimes people come away from such conversations saying, "He made me feel like I was the most important person at that moment."
7. A gracious person desires to say what is appropriate. He doesn't just say what is on his mind or whatever he might be thinking. (There is no redeeming value in emptying one's mind of whatever fleeting thought has happened to land at the moment).
8. A gracious person looks out for the comfort of others. Would you like a glass of water? Can I get you a newspaper while I am out? What can I do for you?
9. A gracious person understands that he is not indispensable. You've seen this person, he desires constant attention. He has a way of constantly focusing most any conversation back on himself. There is a humility in realizing that you are dispensable.
10. A gracious person constantly points out the good that he sees. Maybe you are visiting a friend who lives in another place. Instead of pointing out the inadequacies of your friend's community, you are constantly finding things that are good. "This restaurant has outstanding peach pie! That was delicious." "I just love the way you have planted your garden. It is beautiful!" Gracious people look for the good.

Where does it hurt? There, and there and there?

I have watched the Baby Signing time DVD with Cate, oh, say, a gazillion times. I know it all by heart. So much so that when I was asked by the nurse yesterday what brought me in to see the Doctor I wanted to put my two pointer fingers together, twist them and point to my throat. And then I wanted to do the same thing with my head, and then to every other part of my body. Instead I mumbled something about a ‘killer sore throat’ and then finally dramatically exclaimed, “ I feel like death!” A line, of course, borrowed from Mary Eliot Musgrove in Persuasion.( I love our fam’s fondness for inserting book and movie dialogue as it relates to life’s little occasions.) Only I really did mean it. And still do, ‘cept the antibiotic is kicking in and I feel only slightly less than death now. Which is starting to cheer me.

I’ve just spent the past 3 days moaning and miserably reflecting on how good I had it when I had health and didn’t notice. Conclusion: My ordinary, day-in-day-out life, without the bacterial crud, is pretty good and gracious and gentle to me.

From “The Riddle of the Ordinary” by Cynthia Ozick:

The ordinary by making itself so noticeable ... has got itself in a bad fix with us: we hardly ever notice it. The ordinary, simply by being so ordinary, tends to make us ignorant and neglectful; when something does not insist on being noticed, when we aren't grabbed by the collar or struck [on the side of] the skull by a presence or event, we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.... And this is the deepest point concerning the ordinary; that is DOES deserve our gratitude ... the ordinary is above all what is expected. And what is expected is not often thought of as a gift.

No one enjoys a bad day or a bad cold, certainly not me, but sometimes it can serve to remind my take-for-granted heart, what a gift an ordinary, feel good day is.

valentine nostalgia

Years ago, when the kids were still in elementary school, it used to be the thing to decorate a Valentine mailbox and bring it to school. Meghan reminded me of this a couple of Sundays ago. Remember that one year when we made a little stove? I loved that. I did remember. It's hard to explain what got into me this year, guess I wanted to recreate some memories. Whatever. Voila, a 2009 Valentine stove, a Treasure chest for Cate, and a Mailbox for Kenz. Ld and JLW were not the recipients of any mailbox creativity this year, as let's face it, they simply would not appreciate it. They snarfed down their valentine candy in nothing flat.


This is a side view. Note the felt egg in the frying pan. This is in tribute to Kody (who grew up on an egg farm:) and to Meghan, too. The egg is sunny side up, signifying her sunny nature. Deep, huh? I made the frying pan from a bouillion cube lid and some toothpicks (there is no deep meaning attached to that.) The oven door opens to hold some treats.


Opposite side view. A new dish rag. Because it's cute.


A treasure chest made out of a Saltine cracker box for my little baby friend, Cate. And a mailbox for Kenz. I cut up an old Victoria Secret bag to cover it with. I love, love mailboxes.


A sweet Valentine from Cate. An actual tracing from her hand. Precious.


Oh, and this baby Meghan commissioned me to make for her ward's Valentine's Dance. ld and I tried it out. You would never guess from his pained expression that he is quite the romantic suavo dude.

a middle child has a birthday

It's not true what some social scientists say about the middle child. They are lost in the shuffle, unrecognized. Passed over. For this middle child, it's baloney. Although, okay, maybe a good case could be made after viewing the old movies posted on HB's blog. If Larry ever did strive for attention as evidenced by his attempts to scene steal, well, he outgrew it as an adult. Everyone in our fam recognizes his achievements, his good heart, his consistency, his steadiness, and his great example of so many things.

One thing special, and that continues to be, of the HMA and Ethel Rose family is that everyone was and is valued for their own unique self. Because of this I have never been anything but proud to be the sister of such a great brother and man. Happy Birthday, Larry Dee. Love you.

sister arnett and those who love her

Lexi did a great job speaking in Sacrament meeting yesterday. She will make a fine, fine missionary. So proud of her, 'cept now I have to find a new Hair Artist. Boo. Here are a few pics from the 'after Sacrament Meeting Brunch'. The Hendrix's, Arnett's and Lex's many friends (sorry no pics of them) were out in full force to show love and support.

baby boomerang

Aunt Laurene called early yesterday morning. "You're coming aren't you?" Of course, of course. We made a family outing out of it (minus the 2 FSILS who had to work). The occasion of course was the premiere of the Baby Boomerang, cousin Mark's film documentary showing at the LDS film festival.

Here we are in front of the official movie poster. I made Larry & Kathy pose with me for this photo, just to prove to Jeff that we were there.

More of the fam.

Cousin Love.

Some Uncle Love.

Penee wondering where HB went to. Oh, yes he is over there hob nobbing with other film lovers.

The movie was a beautiful tribute to Uncle Charles. What a great, gentle man. After hearing so much about it when it was shown in Arizona, I was very happy to finally see it. Afterwards, we talked ld into buying us all lunch. Here Cate shows her enthusiasm for the chips and salsa.

NannyJanny

Chubby Hubby Love.

Cate waiting for her Mango Fruit Delight, er, whatever.

I love drinks with paper umbrellas, almost as much as hanging out with the people I love. Thanks 'lil fam for a great day.