Preschool Graduation

Nathan graduated from Dixie College Preschool Wednesday. The kids looked so cute in their caps and gowns. He has really enjoyed the "red preschool" since he gets to learn and play and have fun. He liked it all -- learning the ABC's, listening to stories, playing outside, making crafts, and pretend play. He really liked being the birthday captain recently. The class put on a program, and Nathan did the color song but didn't get into the other songs; he just sat back and watched like a cool kid. Nathan got to go through a red "D" and received his "diploma." He didn't like the tassel touching his face or the sun getting in his eyes, but he did a good job in the ceremony. The kids enjoyed juice and cookies afterwards.
#1 cutie pie moment: When we put away Nathan's Nintendo DS because he's played enough for the day, he'll tell us, "It's not nice to hide little Star Wars!"

Sophia turned 19 months old on Monday, and she has started to say "no" to me more when I tell her to do something (already?!). An email from Parenting said that at this stage whoever the main caregiver is will receive the brunt of her anger, and she has shown more temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants. However, she's still easy to distract and is happy most of the time. She likes to stand up in her booster seat and stick her tongue out when I tell her to sit down. What a character! She is definitely a Daddy's girl. Dan read to her while I was gone to a young women's activity, and he said when there was a cow, she'd look up at him and go, "Moo!" I try to read with her, but she'll just grab the book and want to read it herself; she'll finally sit still for me once she's trapped in her crib for a nap.
#1 cutie pie moment: Sophie will come up to her Papa and say, "Get you!" because she wants him to "get her" and chase after her around the house. She also said, "Where Papa go?" a few days ago.

Dan and I went to a sci-fi pops concert performed by the Southwest Symphony. One of the violinists works in the young women's program with me. It was fun to hear all of the movie classics like "Star Wars," "Superman," and "2001: A Space Odyssey." Dan said it made him want to watch all those movies again. They had a Star Wars fan club come out in costume during the "Star Wars" theme music; Dan liked the storm troopers, but I thought the little jawa and ewok costumes were cute. What a fun combo -- music and science fiction.

Weekend retreat and kite festival

Pine Valley Church

I had a night away from home this past week. I left for Pine Valley Friday morning with the young women and other leaders from church and returned Saturday afternoon. We called it a "camp kickoff" because it was in preparation for Young Women's camp this summer. However, we stayed at a nice cabin and the leaders slept in beds, so it wasn't exactly roughing it. It was more like an enjoyable retreat. We did take care of some of the camp requirements, though, such as cooking tin foil dinners and learning how to start a fire without matches (watch out "Survivor" contestants) and how to extinguish the fire. The girls were champs. It was fun to play outdoor games at night and to chat with everyone. We had a spiritual message in the morning and then headed back.

I realized it was the first time in nearly two years I had spent a night kids free. My brother and his wife watched Nathan overnight so I could attend a dinner at Dan's law firm retreat in Midway the summer of 2006. I was pregnant with Sophia at the time. It was fun to have a girls' night out. I saw two miniature ponies next to the cabin, though, and right away the Mommy in me wished the kids were there to see the ponies. Sophia especially likes animals. When I arrived home and opened the door, Sophia looked up from the kitchen table and happily cried, "Mommy!" Then Nathan looked at me and had a curious expression on his face, as if he were saying, "Where were you?" Then he said, "Mommy, you didn't sleep last night!" I think he meant I didn't sleep HERE last night. I guess one night away can send a young one into a tailspin. I told him where I had been, and he said, "You weren't here." I said, "I'm here today." Then he said, "OK." So we worked it out, and he forgave me for being gone from his life ever so briefly.

Speaking of forgiveness ... I gave a talk today for the young women about forgiveness. I asked if the girls could think of a definition of forgiveness. They didn't offer one, so I thought one up. I said that forgiveness is when your love is bigger than your hurt. Now that I'm writing it out, though, I'd say officially: Forgiveness is the choice to love and let go. You have to forget your own pain and focus on the person who wronged you and step inside their shoes in order to forgive them. This may not be the best definition, but I think it applies to lots of offenses. One of the best examples of forgiveness I've read about is from Corrie Ten Boom's book The Hiding Place. She forgave the Nazis who kept her in a concentration camp and who killed some of her loved ones. The greatest example I know of is Jesus Christ. He taught us to love our enemies and to bless those who hurt us. We are still spiritual infants on this planet; this seems impossible for many nations and peoples to attempt at all. However, Christ's counsel is really the only way to achieve "world peace." Such an idealist.

Speaking of ideals ... What is the ideal way to spend a Saturday in the springtime? Why, flying a kite, of course! We went to the kite festival yesterday evening. We brought a dragon kite, and it dominated the skies. It was very windy, so the kite came crashing down several times; I launched it up most of the time, and Nathan tried it out a few times too. He liked holding onto the string with his Papa and then by himself. He also liked chasing after his sister; Sophie wanted to run all over the hills and play with other people's strollers and in the dirt. Nathan also went for a ride in a little "car train" pulled by a tractor. He had a blast. Kite flying is one of the most carefree activities; it makes you feel like a kid again.

#1 cutie pie moment: Nathan told me and Dan separately, "Mommy didn't sleep last night!" It's nice to know he missed me. Close second: I asked Nathan, "Who's your best friend?" He answered, "Sophia!" Third: Nathan called out, "Bye Mommy and Papa!" when he headed off for his ride behind the tractor, grinning from ear to ear.

#1 cutie pie moment: Sophia saying "Mommy!" when I came home yesterday. Close second: This past week she said "let's go," "all gone" after a package was empty, and strawberry in such a cute way -- "stwah-BERRY." Third: "{M}ilk is good."

Hit the trails

Snow Canyon

Dan and I hiked the Hidden Pinyon Trail and part of the Petrified Dunes Trail at Snow Canyon State Park yesterday. We thought of hiking in Zions, but since I had a writing conference until 1 p.m., we went to Snow Canyon to celebrate our seventh anniversary, which is officially April 14. It was a great day to hike -- sunny but not blazing hot. (St. George weather in April is perfect; I'm glad we got married in the springtime.) There were only a few hikers in the late afternoon, so we enjoyed relative solitude other than the occasional lizard that scampered across the path. The sandstone formations are incredible; one cliff had nearly even layers of white and red sandstone as if it had been painted in stripes. I like the precarious lava rocks perched on rock edges that will eventually fall. As much as I love the beauty of tropical islands and dense woods, I will always regard this area of sandstone cliffs and red sand dunes as one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The writing conference went well. I won free folders in a door prize drawing! I especially enjoyed Gary Christian's presentation on writing narrative poetry. He delivered an engaging address as he talked about how to define poetry and read some of his poems. He made the process of writing narrative poetry sound less intimidating by telling us to simply write a short story, chisel it, sand it, and turn it into a poem. I'm inspired to try it now. Another bonus of the conference: Costco muffins and yogurt (which I brought to help out the organizers).

Dan's friend and brother stayed at our place this weekend; they were playing golf, and we ended up watching some of the Masters golf tournament last night. I thought it would be boring, but it was fun to watch the hot shots play -- Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and an Argentine player. Trevor Immelman of South Africa was the champ. I liked the civility of the fans sitting at the holes -- classy clapping, nothing more (they make most sports fans look barbaric). I was impressed with one player who got his ball out of the sand trap and into the hole in a single stroke. I guess it just goes to show that you can enjoy many things if you have an open mind and allow yourself to get into it.

Nathan has become so addicted to these video games. I had Dan hide the icons on our computer/tv, and Nathan has complained that it makes him "sad" that Lego Star Wars isn't there. I keep on telling him he can play the "little Star Wars" on Nintendo DS if he'll eat a bite of fruit or bread, but he refuses. This will be an uphill battle, my friends. He likes going to Grandma and Grampa's house because they have Mario Kart, and he'll race in the room to play it. I hope that swimming lessons and swim parks and other activities this summer will balance out his fixation with video games. He's doing great with reading; he can read many lines from Sun Up and likes to spell out words with magnets in his latest book from Grandma Drake.
#1 cutie pie moment: He told me as he got out of the car today that he could carry his blanket inside because he has two hands. He said, "I have two hands, and Mommy has two hands, and Papa has three hands." He's such a jokester.

Sophia is saying more words -- house, boo, "ilk" for milk and "ca-dy" for candy. She has a cute voice, and it's fun to hear her "talk." She likes to draw a lot with ball point pens on any paper and, unfortunately, sometimes in books. She uses her left hand a lot, so she may be a leftie like her Mommy (and Grandma Rogers, Uncle James Rogers, and Great-grandpa Drake).
#1 cutie pie moment: She makes the cutest expressions in the car; I turn and smile at her during red lights, and she rewards me with big, toothy grins. It's a love fest.

Road Trip and Birthday Captain

Conference Center in SLC

Auditorium in the Conference Center

We went to Provo and Salt Lake City this past weekend to see conference. Dan's parents got the tickets and we went with them and Dan's brother, Michael, and Jill. We attended the Sunday morning session at the LDS Conference Center. Well, Dan and I went to conference, but since our kids are younger than eight, they hung out at Uncle Adam and Aunt Kendra's place and played with their cousin. The choir sounded amazing; I'm glad we were there for Music and the Spoken Word. We sat kind of in the wings on the first terrace, so I had a view of the men in the choir and the profile of the speakers. We had a great session with President Dieter Uchtdorf, the newly ordained apostle D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Packer of the quorum of the twelve apostles, and the sixteenth prophet of the LDS church, President Thomas S. Monson. I was touched by President Uchtdorf's story of President Monson visiting a sick member in his limited time in between meetings. I was impressed with Elder Packer's talk about how he and the others in the quorum are not extraordinary men, just as the original apostles of the Lord were ordinary men, but that one quality qualifies him for his role: He is a witness of Jesus Christ. President Monson will be a great leader of the church.

Conference sessions took up most of the weekend, but we had a fun time with family too. Kendra and I took our kids to Jumpin' Jacks during priesthood session, and Nathan loved the inflatable slides and bounce houses. He went down a slide meant for six-year-olds a bunch of times. Sophia and Braden were pretty little for it, but there was a cute area for kids five and under. Sophie liked to crawl under the rainbow and grab the inflatable flowers. I went down a bigger slide with her, and she got so excited she just took off running and almost hit a pole. I think she'll be more ready for bounce houses in a few years. Nathan had a good time in the car ride thanks to his Lego Star Wars game, but Sophia had a harder time. She HATED sleeping in the pack-n-play; this was our first family trip in almost a year, and she likes her crib. She cried and finally slept, but then she rocked back and forth throughout the night. She had fun jumping on the bed with her brother and playing with Grandma and Grandpa Rogers. We arrived home last night, and Nathan said he wanted to stay at the "big house" -- the hotel. He already missed his grandparents because he prayed that night, "Bless that I can see Grandma and Grampa Rogers tomorrow."

Nathan enjoyed being the birthday captain at preschool today. They're celebrating it today since he has a summer birthday. He got to wear a birthday crown and the kids sang "Happy Birthday" to him. We showed the kids a poster with pictures of Nathan, and he liked pointing them out and talking about them ("I went 'whoosh' down the slide!"). He got to present items that start with letter "I" since they're learning about insects, and they made a butterfly for a craft project and put together a ladybug book. We brought snacks for all the kids, and he got to feed the goldfish. It was a good day. The hard part was I decided to bring Sophia. I thought she'd have fun, and she did, but she ended up running around, colored on her pants with purple marker, and colored in the teacher's I Love Bugs book with a black pen. There was way too much for her to get into! She liked looking at the goldfish, and I got some paper and crayons to keep her occupied. What a little rascal!

#1 cutie pie moment: Nathan kept on calling out, "Hi, Mommy!" with a huge smile while he sat in the captain's chair by his teacher. He liked having Sophia there too. Close second: While I tried to pick out sunglasses last week, I'd put them on, and Nathan would ask, "Does it work? Does it work for you, Mommy?" Then I'd face him, and he'd say, "No, it doesn't work" or "Yes, it works." Then he tried one on too for fun.

#1 cutie pie moment: Sophie running down the hallway and tearing off into different nooks at the hotel; she liked to explore and had fun on the elevator. She also now says "is out" when we go outside and had fun making faces and blowing raspberries at her grandparents.

World Autism Awareness Day

April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. On this day, there is a Walk on the Web and events to help make everyone more knowledgeable about this disorder. My favorite is a performance by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in Madison Square Garden in New York City; they're setting aside a room for kids on the spectrum who need a break from sensory overload. Here are a few wake-up calls:

Did you know…

• Autism affects as many as 1 in 150 children and 1 in 94 boys
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer, & AIDS combined
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes
• Autism does not discriminate by geography, class, or ethnicity
  
  Watch for these Red Flags
  
  
  • No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
  • No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
  • No babbling by 12 months
  • No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
  • No words by 16 months
  • No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
  • Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
  
  
  It is difficult to deal with an autism spectrum diagnosis for your child. I recommend the Autism Speaks website as a great way to gather information and to feel connected to other parents dealing with autism. It is reassuring to know you are not alone. Go into Community and select Resources to find books, blogs, and DVDs that can give you more knowledge and thus more power in those first trying months. I highly recommend the book Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph Over Autism by Catherine Maurice. It helped me come to grips with the benefits of ABA therapy for Nathan, and he has triumphed as well. There are many other great book selections as well.
  
  April is Autism Awareness Month. So, how can you make a difference? There are 500 Barnes & Noble stores hosting readings of Since We're Friends: An Autism Picture Book throughout the country. Take your kids or get the book so your children can understand what it's like for kids with this disorder. There are Walk for Autism events at various times of the year in cities across the country, including a virtual walk to raise money for research. Toys R Us is the national walk sponsor for 2008. People who want to contribute to the cause can donate at this site made possible by Toys R Us; they accept anything from $1 to $100 and have nearly raised one million dollars so far. Check out this really cool way to help out: Take a virtual tour of a Chevy Malibu, and Chevrolet will donate a little to Autism Speaks. Now, everyone can handle that! Let's all do a little something to support a worthy cause. Here's to solving the puzzle of autism.

April Fools' Day is Angie's Argentine Anniversary

la Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires

el Teatro Colon

Happy 10th Anniversary, Argentina! I arrived in Buenos Aires as a missionary on April 1, 1998. I can't believe it was that long ago! I'm happy I had the opportunity to serve in "Little Paris." There is so much diversity and action in el capital. Me encanta Buenos Aires! I think back on my mission as a time of adventure when I learned so much and really lived each day to its fullest (well, most of the days -- preparation days weren't as productive). Even though I got homesick and missed the USA, it was an incredible experience. In honor of my time in Argentina, I'm making a list of five things I miss -- and don't miss -- about its vibrant capital.

Top Five Things I Miss About Living in Buenos Aires

5. The whistling and catcalls from the men (it's hard to explain, but after a while you get used to it and almost expect it -- of course, I was 21-22 years old at the time.)
4. Watching the dog walkers who would have a dozen dogs and somehow manage to keep all of their leashes untangled. It's actually a well-paying job since you get paid per hour per dog; this video showing a typical dog walker said the average person in Buenos Aires gets $1000 pesos a month, and a dog walker averages $3,000 a month.
3. Soccer. More specifically, noticing a bustling city become as quiet as a mouse in the streets during the World Cup soccer tournament in 1998 (especially when Argentina is playing), and hearing the roaring cheers echo from the buildings when they scored a goal. We were told to stay inside when Argentina played England in case there were riots. They beat the Brits 2-1, but they lost to the Dutch in the quarterfinals. France played Brazil for the championship, and the underdogs (the French) won.
2. Buying fruit from the local fruit stands, eating pastries from the bakery shops (me gusta facturas), delicious Italian food and empanadas de jamon y queso y acelga. Que rico!
1. My former companion, Claudia (Gina) Gutierrez, and all the wonderful friends and families who opened up their hearts and homes to me. Les quiero un monton.

Top Five Things I Don't Miss About Living in Buenos Aires

5. The whistling and catcalls from the men. (How dare they? I'm not a piece of meat!)
4. Getting poop on my shoes since I walked and walked and walked on the same streets the dog walkers used.
3. Hearing the phrase, "Soy Catolica Apostolica Romana" (I'm Roman Catholic) time after time. Sometimes these ladies would add "chicas."
2. The cold, humid winter and the hot, humid summer. (The humidity killed me when I spent so much of my day outside.)
1. Knocking on doors. Although there were some really cool, colorfully designed doors in the city, and sometimes the person behind the door became a friend or was a cool surprise, like a painter or a soccer player. The adventure of "what awaits behind this door" was kind of fun. I just didn't like those who turned me away instantly (see #3). So I guess this one really should be "having doors practically slammed in my face."

Don't cry for me, Argentina. You were good to me overall. Thanks for the memories.