Early Fall Re-cap

I love that Josh and Danny work together on 'man projects.'  And without being sexist, the girls actually did not want to help Josh and I preferred mopping the floors in the other room.  Danny did get one could hit on Josh's thumb.

First weekend in October is a joyful relaxation as we join to listen to the living prophet.  On Saturday the kids were totally tuned in and making notes.  It did not last all the way through to the last session on Sunday, yet I count it as an amazing triumph that they are now take notes!

We got our first scholastic book order through the kids' school.  Since it was delivered through Danny's class (my most trusted child) he couldn't help but notice a very cool StarWars lego book that was meant as a Christmas present.  He is such a good boy we just let him enjoy it.  Danny and Daddy spent at least 15 minutes each night reading and following the instructions to build several different fighters or cannons and such.  It was well worth the early Christmas sneak.

I did some fall weather clean in the yard and cut out the sunflowers that had been harvested by the squirrels.  This sunflower was our largest, and they harvested most all the seeds out of it!  Larger than my head.

The kids had a day out of school for teacher inservice (who knows what those days are really for) which we celebrated by taking a bike riding trip to Pokagon State park to enjoy the early fall colors.  Daddy took a half day off work to join us and we enjoyed a full afternoon of running, biking, and enjoying nature.

Good thing it was a State park and not a national park - not only was it open, but the naturalist was there to feed the catfish and snakes live worms for us in the nature center.

She is only smiling because there is glass between them.  This rattler was ready to strike, all rattling and everything!

I always love this sloping tree grove down to the water's edge.

We got as close as you can to swans with small children.  

The next day was "Fall Festival" at the kids' school.  Mostly it was an event for families to get to know each other and the kids to play in the woods with their friends some more.  They did sing a couple of songs they have been learning during music time, including the school theme song "tall oaks, from little acorns grow..." I don't know the rest yet because those are the only lines that Viv will repeat.

While waiting for the hay-less ride we played on tire swings and had dutch oven cooking.

We then rode behind a horse around the school campus.  

Yep, that field is part of the campus.

So is that field.  The title does not deceive, it is Oak FARM Montessori.  

Magic Playhouse

October 5th 2013.  A slightly gray and rainy day.  The weather was trying to switch between summer and fall, but the air still held onto the sweet warmth of summer fun.  It was Saturday, and the indoors were already boring the creative and amazing three Button children.  

Mom released them to the outdoors, realizing that a little rain couldn't hurt and you don't honestly catch a cold from getting your feet wet.  It seemed they had disappeared for a bit after some jubilant dancing in the falling downpour.  

Mom watched from the indoor kitchen window as the little people disappeared one by one into the small playhouse.  Although she knew they were safe in their little world, and being in the playhouse was most likely the most dry place to play outside on such a rainy day, Mom was curious.  She snuck out the door to see what was holding them in their little house.

As Mom arrived within ear shot she heard the familiar phrase : "The wind began to blow.
It blew harder and harder.
The house started to spin.
Faster and faster!
Danny squeezed his eyes shut.
Then everything was still.  Absolutely still."

As some may recognize, the children had just replayed the very sequence from "Magic Tree House" reading series.

As they stepped out of the house, the described to each other their new surroundings and the adventure that lay ahead for them.  They were in Easter land!  There were colorful eggs all around.  And danger!  There was danger there....over there!

Mom slipped back indoors, knowing that adults create only the safe bounds in which children are free to imagine, but when they encroach, the magic dissipates.  Mom could wait until they pointed at the picture of Fort Wayne and whirled home in their magic playhouse.

Fort-4-Fit 2013

This year for Fort-4-Fit was way better than last year!  First, I did not attempt the half-marathon distance with very little training.  Nor did I care to do the half-marathon course with its oh-so-discouraging uphill in the last three miles.  I did the 10K distance.  It was a lovely course.  I felt fantastic and met my goal.  I had been training with my wonderful friend Naomi and we ran the first half together.  Naomi is a budding runner and did fantastic.  We have slightly different paces but I wanted to make sure I didn't dart out the gate so was happy for Naomi's steady pacing in the beginning. I

There are several points in the race where there is just enough of a slope that you can see the sea of runners ahead of you.  Because I was just hanging with Naomi for the first few miles I enjoyed rolling along with the flow and could pull out my phone to take some photos en route!  I did feel strong enough to pick up pace around mile three.  It felt great knowing I wasn't going to bonk and I was able to pass all those people.  Considering I am a competitive person, this strategy was perfect for me, although it may have been disheartening for others that I jetted past on seemingly fresh legs.  I hate being passed.  Didn't get passed at all this year!  So very juvenile of me, but it was good for my ego. 

 I especially felt good (and this is the meanest part of my character coming right through) at the juncture point of the half-marathon course and the 10K.  At that point it is 4 miles in for 10K runners and mile10 for the half-marathoners.  I remember distinctly how much I hated that very unfair joining of races when I did the longer course last year.  I hated that I had just suffered up a hill and was getting a bit of mental capacity back just enough to want to keep a rabbit goal ahead when -WHAM!!- happy little skippy fresh 10K runners start to zoom on past.  It was no fun last year.  As the tables were turned this year, it was AWESOME!  I even merged right with a person from my Church who was plodding along.  I felt great, left him with some words of encouragement and skipped right along.  Fun race.  I met my time goal, which was based on the guessed pacing needed between running with Naomi and what I could make up on my own.  It felt fantastic, which is another good result.

Josh and the kids met me at the finish line. I could pick their little cheers out as I came down the home stretch to homeplate despite the large crowds.  There is a tuning very fine in a mother's ear that can hear her children through anything.  I loved it.  Then it was home and to making a new computer desk.  We shall see how Fort-4-Fit fits me next year!

The quality of equality OR no need for the knee-jerk reactions

As part of my recent critical academic research I have realized a deeply embedded truth of my own.  Happily, this truth is supported by a great many smart people, people that I revere and hope to 'fit in' with in a professional way.  The quality that runs oh so deep in my belief is:

There is no reason to fight when you have truth on your side.  And more importantly, it is only through respectfully understanding both sides of the issue can you positively affect others of either persuasion by your own stance.

Here are a few statements from very different genres that have enjoined the 'Hallelujah" chorus of my soul in some of my recent readings.
From Jennifer Cruise, a New York Times best-selling author in the romance genre: (full article here)

So what do we do about this? How can we win in the face of this unfairness?

Well, we can calmly point out the intellectual dishonesty of those who criticize the entire genre instead of individual books. We can argue that romance fiction is maligned because it’s so threatening to rigid political and academic structures. And we can show that it’s actually one of the more honest forms of fiction being written about women today.

But the truth is, that’s all probably a waste of time because the critics don’t matter, the readers do; we don’t write to please establishments, we write to reach women. And by writing good books, we counteract decades of pessimism with narratives of realistic optimism, we break through knee-jerk limitations on women imposed by both the political right and the political left, and we refute the sterile elitism of current literary criticism. We entertain, we enlighten, we empower, and in the end we influence far more people than any of our critics ever will. As much fun as it might be to bring the critics to their knees, we really don’t need to. In every way that matters, we’ve already won.

Written about Terryl Givens, a dominant Mormon Studies professor and co-author of "The God Who Weeps":

Grant Hardy, a history professor at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, said there is no one he would rather argue with than Givens.

“He’s articulate and he’s sharp; very prolific,” Hardy said. “I don’t always think he gets everything right, but he gets things wrong in interesting and provocative ways, and that’s useful for scholarly dialogue.”

Givens doesn’t believe in separating spiritual commitments from his professional vocation, thanks to a statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith, which reads, “It is our duty to concentrate all our influence to make popular that which is sound and good.” The LDS professor was determined to integrate his faith and professional life.

“It behooves us both as scholars and disciples to find that which is praiseworthy and celebrate it,” Givens said. “Whether that’s in the spirit or in the mind, intellect or culture, that’s what I’ve sought to do as a professional and a disciple.” (article here)

And a bit from Joanna Brooks, also know as "The Book of Mormon Girl," a scholar that has been a dominant voice for Mormon's in mainstream and contemporary conversations:

Perhaps there was a time when the dominant patterns of economic and family life and the infrastructural demands of growing a worldwide church made it very pragmatic to map the entire administration of the church onto a gendered division of labor. But surely that time is past.  Gendered divisions of labor make less and less sense in the context of emerging twenty-first century patterns of economic and family life.  All around me I see working Mormon women—wage stagnation (and increased corporate profit-taking) since the 1970s makes the two income family basic reality for all but more affluent LDS people.  And all around me I see Mormon men profoundly involved in the parenting and nurture of their children.  Some men are outstanding nurturers, in fact, and some women are not; some women are incredible analysts and administrators and some men are not.  Why should these capacities not all be honored as sacred and useful, regardless of gender? Put-your-shoulder-to-the-wheel egalitarianism in Church administration and leadership seems more in keeping with the pragmatic spirit of Mormonism than a biological essentialism-driven folk doctrine that would prioritize the performance of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Euro-American gender roles over the work of salvation.

For me, the questions about priesthood, gender, and authority outnumber the answers.  I have faith the day will come when the questions will have answers.  I do hope that day will come sooner than later.  But without waiting, with no theological change at all, there is so much that can be done to manifest a greater commitment to gender equality in a faith that teaches that all are alike unto God. (full article here)

What each of these excerpts illuminates is a willingness to engage the conversation from an equally respectful point of view, hum over it for a bit, and then stick your ground.  They each convey a simple commitment to what they believe without having to "put on the gloves."  To be able to discuss things having been informed of both sides and  be useful in the dialogue is my hope.  So wonderful to feel the truth in many different avenues (as you can see from three very different sources above!).

Saucing with a little sassing

Oh my, the loveliness of autumn!  

Apples are ready for the harvest just as my little people are ripening.  I love both canning and caring.  My little crew and I set out to a friends' mini-orchard for some free apples.  The kids picked the low hanging fruit.  Faith was determined to fill her lid, Danny to fill his whole box, and Viv her belly.  We were able to pack it all home to make some all Indiana applesauce.

 This season has been a bit different for all of us.  Each of the children has been coming of age in a different way. I have been grateful that school has been a positive support for each of them and a positive way in which they are separate from each other most of the day.  For then, when they come back together, they are much better at being siblings.  Turning six is crazy amazing.  With six has come a new level of sass.  We are doing our best to mash it out of them and turn it into something sweet.

Cheering us on

I feel as though I am not a very consistent person, but I have consistent desires to be one of those people.  Writing falls under that category; I feel as if I loose the vibe than I am too far behind to catch up.  However, recent events have taught me to appreciate even the less inspired entries in the life of the Button Family.

To begin, I feel as though there is great need to send out some more joy and rejoicing!!

Applause for Blogger!
Now this blog contains some of the most precious things to me - pictures.  Within the last month our Mac had a pretty severe heart attack, or stroke, whichever mainstay body organ you would equate the hard drive of a computer.  It died.  We saw some warning signs, but did not take it to the doctor before they called the time.  Within that oh so dead hard drive are ALL our photos.  I know, backup and so forth, and we tried, just not often enough and this was before the invention of iCloud.  Now, all I want for Christmas is my pictures back, which may be possible in a clean room environment by some highly trained specialist, and to me, it is worth it.  Thank heavens I have been putting at least some snippets of life here, with photo evidence.

Hooray for Housewives!
I have had a bit of a showdown with my feminist teacher in my Women's Literacies course.  Some conversations were unpleasant, but I was bold in a way I felt I must (and feel very relieved to have heard echoed sentiments in the 183rd semi-annual general conference) and in a small way, triumphant.  Through persistence I have found a way to make sure feminist theory not overshadow the authentic feminine voice and have determinedly shown a true representation would be more humble and reflective of the sensibilities that make women excellent housewives!  I have felt so inspired that I have decided to formulate a whole years work on the subject, in the form of a master's thesis.  Ah! Finally to be inspired by a cause that speaks so clearly to who I am and what I stand for in an academic community that has been misrepresenting authenticity!  High point: my professor admitted to the class that if any woman were to suscribe to a feminist view point they must admit that feminism, as a body of theory and movements associated with it, has made some pretty harsh mistakes which still hold the name under a wicked lens. Own up to it, and then you are able to really understand what the third wave movement is all about.  And yes, I consider myself a feminist activist, and I will more than likely explain more about that as research continues.

Hats of for Dental Insurance!
We did our before-school-check-ups on the kids' teeth.  After our last multiple procedure visits in AZ for Faith and Danny we had decided to pay dental insurance - and hooray we did!  Faith had swallowed her crown and Danny's two front teeth were rotting at the roots.  Again, Viv gets high honors for having the world's wonder enamel with no needed dental attention beyond a bit of plaque.  End result, three removed teeth.  Faith had the rotted crownless tooth removed and Danny, well, we shall say that hearing the 'original' version of "all I want for Christmas" is delightful.

Last time with front teeth for years to come.

Two small treasures at one big price.

Small and strange perks of Indiana, what fun!

In the small quiet town where Josh practices medicine, the world's largest historic car auction happens yearly!  I think all the citizens of the town also own historic cars, for not only are there lots full of cars for auction prices, every house in town has a beautiful car sitting out in the front yard with a for sale sign.  I can't wait until we have money....I have my eye set on a few beautiful models.  It is a car lovers dream, and here we are in the middle of it!

And three cheers for finding what you don't need!

This is the house that Josh and I had envisioned as our forever home.  In the country with a wrap around porch.  Bonus for being in the correct location.  Naturally, when I saw a for sale sign in the front yard I convinced Josh that it would be worth our while to go walk through it, just to make sure that we didn't miss our opportunity.  Turns out the house is dreamy.  We did our research, and in so doing found an even dreamier home.  We tried to hurriedly get our ducks in a row to put an offer on our dream home, that was for real and for sale.  Turns out, ducks don't like being rushed or herded.  Although we did eventually round up enough of the appropriate ducks, our dream house had already floated out of our reach.  This house is still there.  We see it daily.  But we now know what ducks are ready and which are not and are happy to just stay in our own little pond and keep dreaming.  Dreams are useful, but it makes the most financial sense to live in what you can afford right now.

The sunflowers were incredible and made the house so quaint.

Our neighbor put up the picket fence and I like how nice it makes our home look.

As of Sept. 2nd we had put in a lot of work into this home, and it shows.

Backyard particularly has transformed with grass, fencing, 

and the almost finished garden.