After a bit of deliberation, I've decided to share my talk from Sunday. Why? Cuz I kinda like it. I promise that the next few posts will be shorter since this one is rather long.
We’ve been asked to introduce the theme for the youth curriculum next month. My remarks will be directed at the youth, though everyone else is welcome to listen in. The question that the youth will be discussing this month is, “Why do the choices I make matter?”
I have felt impressed to answer this question in the context of grace. Thus, my talk will be about the principles of agency and grace.
First off, what are agency and grace? In his General Conference address in October 2010, Elder Robert D. Hales said, “We teach that agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and “to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon.” Agency is to act with accountability and responsibility for our actions.”
In other words, agency is the ability to make choices. Most importantly, it is the ability to choose to follow God.
What about grace? We say things like “we are saved by grace” or “but for the grace of God, X would have happened.” But what is it? On lds.org, it says “grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace is a gift given out of love.
So on one hand, we have agency – a principle seemingly all about self-empowerment, about choosing for oneself and acting for oneself. And then we have grace, a principle about letting God take charge, about accepting His help and letting Him take control. What on earth do they have to do with each other?
Everything. Agency without grace is hopeless, and grace without the choice to accept it is wasted.
Why do our choices matter? Why does it matter if we serve others, stay pure, and live good lives? Without grace, all of it would be for naught if we sinned even once. The scriptures make this clear. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:31, we are warned, “For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance.” Based on that verse, without grace, we would not be allowed back into our Father’s presence.
Grace is real because of Jesus Christ’s atonement. He took upon Himself every single one of our sins and paid for them with His blood. He answered the ends of the law. He suffered for our heartaches, our pains, sicknesses, temptations, disappointments, all of it. In Alma 7:12, we read “he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”
He suffered so that He can succor us, or, help us. This is what we mean when we talk about grace – His goodness, His compassion, His healing power.
It is because of Him that our choices do matter. Perfection is still the goal, but no longer the requirement that none of us could meet. A new standard is set in Doctrine and Covenants 137:9: “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.”
Or, as it says in 2 Nephi 2:6-7, “Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”
To me, a broken heart and contrite spirit means accepting Jesus Christ with joy and gratitude and wanting to follow Him. However, with His new standard come new challenges. It may still be hard to choose the right. There are many commandments that we are asked to keep, for as Christ said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Preach My Gospel gives a good list of commandments: obedience, pray often, study the scriptures, keep the Sabbath Day holy, baptism and confirmation, follow the prophet, keep the ten commandments, live the law of chastity, obey the word of wisdom, keep the law of tithing, observe the law of the fast, and obey and honor the law. And then there are additional things we are asked to do – temple worship, family history work, being a member missionary, doing service, forgiving others, magnifying our callings, and so on and so forth. That list can be overwhelming for everyone, from those investigating the church to the prophet. How can we do all this? How can we choose the right when there’s so much right we’re expected to choose?
The answer, again, is grace. Remember that grace is the help and strength given by God. His grace enables us to accomplish what He asks, and He will make up the difference for what we lack.
As Elder David A. Bednar said in his first conference address in October 2004,
“Thus, the enabling and strengthening aspect of the Atonement helps us to see and to do and to become good in ways that we could never recognize or accomplish with our limited mortal capacity. I testify and witness that the enabling power of the Savior’s Atonement is real. Without that strengthening power of the Atonement, I could not stand before you this morning.”
In addition to helping us choose the right, Jesus Christ’s grace helps us to not choose the wrong. After a few years in the church, you’ve probably heard all the commandments. As President Monson said in the 3 R’s of choice, “Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices.”
But even with knowledge and tools, sometimes it’s just not that easy to make the right choice. I remember a talk given by a young man in my home ward who compared life to taking a standardized test. I’m guessing there are several in this congregation who have taken the PSAT, the SAT, the ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, OAT, DAT, or even just state tests or end-of-year tests. They can be grueling, stressful, draining, and unpleasant. He said, “Sometimes in life we know the right answer is A, but we still choose E.” That would be absolutely ridiculous to do on a standardized test when so much is at stake. Why would we do it in real life?
But you know what? It happens. We all have those times where we absolutely know the right answer is A – to control our temper, or to read our scriptures, or to do our home or visiting teaching. But instead we choose B, C, D, or E – to gossip, speak unkindly, idle away our time, or wallow in self pity on the couch eating a microwave brownie watching the Lizzie Bennet Diaries instead of working on our talk. In this case, we know our choices matter, and we know what choice we ought to make, but it’s still hard.
And grace can still help us out. In the book of Ether, chapter 12:27, Christ promises us, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
Christ suffered all of our temptations – not just our sins and sorrows, but our temptations, too! In Hebrews 4:15, we read, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He knows what it feels like to be tempted, and He knows how to withstand it. Furthermore, He knows how we are vulnerable to that temptation with our genetic makeup and life circumstances, and He still knows how to withstand it. Thus, if we turn to Him at those moments we feel our weakest and our most vulnerable, He will give us strength. He can help us overcome any temptations – from the choking grasp of addiction to the somewhat hidden struggles of an easy life. He can change our hearts, as He did for the people of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, who
cried, “because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”
Thus, through grace, we are given the strength to use our agency correctly.
The final thing I wish to discuss is why using our agency correctly is vital to accessing grace. Or, in other words, why do our choices matter?
After all, you could say, my choices don’t matter. I can make lots of wrong choices and repent eventually. Or as they say in 2 Nephi 28:8, “eat drink and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin . . . if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.”
If this were really the case, then yeah, our choices wouldn’t matter eternally. We could do anything bad and then be saved in the kingdom of God.
But the scriptures make it clear that this is not so. To repeat 2 Nephi 2:6-7, Christ answers “the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.”
Well, can’t we just get the broken heart and contrite spirit and accept God’s grace a little later? Why does it matter to choose the right this minute?
Here’s why. When you sin, you get tunnel vision because you do not have the Holy Ghost to guide you. Your view of the world changes without you even realizing it. Often you think you are justified in whatever you’re doing, and if someone tells you you’re wrong, then either they don’t know what they’re talking about or they just don’t understand how rough your life is and how you’re the exception. It is a dangerous path to embark on and one that can only be cured with a dose of humility.
Point is, if you don’t think you need to repent of anything, then you’re not going to repent. And if you don’t repent, then you are refusing Christ’s grace, thus it does not profit you.
Additionally, sin opens us up to a multitude of vulnerabilities. I offer an analogy. The human body is pretty good at preventing infections. The students in med school could probably tell you about the layers of protection the skin provides. But once you get a cut, infection can enter, and all the square inches of protection everywhere else don’t matter. Another analogy – a fortress could have walls so high, walls so thick, that you may think it impenetrable. But like Helm’s Deep in Lord of the Rings, all it takes is one vulnerability – one sin, so to speak – and all can fall apart, crumbled and compromised.
Brothers and sisters, this is why our choices matter. As President Monson said, “Whether you wear a green T-shirt or a blue one makes no difference in the long run (unless, I add parenthetically, you’re going to U of M versus Michigan State game). However, whether you decide to push a key on your computer which will take you to pornography can make all the difference in your life. You will have just taken a step off the straight, safe path. If a friend pressures you to drink alcohol or to try drugs and you succumb to the pressure, you are taking a detour from which you may not return.”
Why does he use such strong language? I believe it’s because certain choices limit our agency. I remember as a youth having Stake Standards nights all the time it seemed, or at least once a year. In fact, last week, my youngest siblings and parents just went to one, so I know they still exist. The first few years, it was new and exciting. But then I noticed that practically every fireside talked about the same things – stand in holy places, Word of Wisdom, sexual purity, choosing good friends, wholesome entertainment, etc. Even when the illustrious John Bytheway came to speak to all the youth in the Logan area, he said the same things! What is this, I thought? Why is it always the same stuff over and over to the youth? Don’t they think we can handle a different message?
What I realize now is that what they teach at Stake Standards nights and in For the Strength of Youth and Young Men and Young Women’s lessons is what we need in order to maintain our capacity to choose. If you have an addiction of any kind – for instance drugs, alcohol, or pornography – then you are not completely free to choose. Additionally, you do not have the Spirit with you to guide you through some of the most important decisions coming up in your life – education, missions, marriage, family, career, to name a few. And let me tell you – those are hard, hard decisions coming up in your life. That is why it is crucial that you make good choices and repent daily, so that you will be willing to ask for His grace and His guidance.
I testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to have our agency and want us to be delivered from the chains of sin. I testify that Christ will rescue us from the bondage bad choices place us in when we turn to Him. I can think of no better example than that of Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon. He was a man who found great pleasure in leading the people away from the gospel. Despite Alma’s wickedness, his father prayed that he would repent. One day, an angel came and told Alma to stop seeking to destroy the church. In Alma chapter 36 he tells us what happens. As I read some of the words from his account, listen to the contrast between the chains of wickedness and the deliverance and freedom that comes from Christ.
And the angel spake more things unto me, which were heard by my brethren, but I did not hear them; for when I heard the words—If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself, seek no more to destroy the church of God—I was struck with such great fear and amazement lest perhaps I should be destroyed, that I fell to the earth and I did hear no more.
12 But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.
13 Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.
15 Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
16 And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.
24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.
In closing, I want to bear my testimony that if you do struggle with any sin large or small, with any wrong choice, if you turn to Jesus Christ, He will heal you, for He is mighty to save. He will change your heart and fill it with the desire to do good continually. He will share His strength and goodness with you and increase your capability to love and serve. I am so grateful for His Atonement and for the many, many chances He gives, for the many, many times He’s rescued me from the detours I’ve taken. I testify that He lives and that this is His Church.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
One giant leap
Joseph hadn't slept well for weeks. If it wasn't a cold or cough to keep him awake, then it was teething or traveling or ear infections.
But by the second week of January, all of that seemed to have dissipated, and yet he still wasn't sleeping well at night.
To be honest, it was a little demoralizing. We had been so proud of ourselves for getting him to sleep through the night at 7 weeks. We would tell friends our formula that we had adapted from The Baby Whisperer -- always respond when the baby cries, but put him back as soon as he was calm, and repeat as necessary. Once he got a little bit bigger, we told ourselves that he was big enough to sleep through the night, and so we would still respond -- but always with the pacifier first (assuming he just wanted to suck). If he didn't accept that, then and only then would I feed him.
And it worked for us. One morning in July, I called my mom in excitement. "He only woke up twice in the night! And both times he took the pacifier!"
The next night, he didn't wake up til 6. We felt like champs. The next few months went fairly well in terms of sleeping through the night. It was a difficult adjustment to Eastern time for him, but once he went down he usually stayed down, except when he had a cold.
Yet here we were again, with a 7 month old baby who hadn't slept well at night since November. He seemed perfectly happy in the daytime, most of the time. Naps hadn't suffered too much. He didn't seem sick anymore. He just wasn't sleeping like he used to.
In fact, he was even eating at night again -- 3 full meals, even. Once I realized that, I thought, "Oh, of course! He needs solid food!" But he wasn't loving it. Rice, oatmeal, pears . . . you had to sneak it into his mouth, and he rarely swallowed it.
One day, in frustration I went to the Wonder Weeks book. The idea in the book is that babies go through "leaps" in which the world changes dramatically. I estimated how many weeks old Joseph was and tried to find that section. To my dismay, he was at an age where he was supposed to be quite pleasant by any calculation. Fine, I thought. Maybe they calculated wrong. Are there new skills he's supposed to have developed? As I went through the checklist, I saw that very few of the skills from the previous leap had been acquired. "Stupid European babies . . . they're more advanced than American babies at this age," I thought. Problem was, the book had assumed that babies were crawling by 5-6 months. And Joseph was nowhere near that. He could scoot backwards on his tummy and could move around sitting up but had shown very little interest in crawling.
I was at a loss. He was eating like a newborn, sleeping like a newborn . . . what was up? I would talk to mothers of younger babies who were sleeping just fine. I would tell myself, "Sleeping through the night shouldn't be a goal, anyway." But it still bothered me that I had gone from an expert of sleeping babies to utterly clueless. I assumed he was going through a growth spurt, but when would it end?
Finally, two weeks ago, I buckled down. It was time for solid foods. I decided to give oatmeal a third try. To my amazement, he ate it! More miraculously, he liked it the next day! When we introduced bananas, he gobbled them up. He would open his mouth for more, something he had never done before! My heart leaped. Would I finally get to stop nursing around the clock?
Yes. After a few days of solid foods, he would take the pacifier rather than the breast when he woke up at night. Between that and him rolling onto his tummy and needing us to turn him back over, he still kept us up a bit at night, but the night feedings were over. And gradually, he started sleeping longer and longer stretches again. Thursday morning, he didn't wake us up until 6 (and then after his feeding, slept til 9). I was full of milk, and I was happy.
And within a matter of days, things started to turn around. Little teeth started to poke up. He started to seriously try to crawl and watch us as we crawled. On Thursday he crawled on his feet rather than on his knees. On Friday he crawled on his knees rather than on his feet.
And just like that, we had a mobile, solid-food-eating, considerably heavier baby than the Joseph of just a few weeks ago. One small step for man, one giant leap for Baby Moon.
Now, if only those teeth would completely break through . . .
But by the second week of January, all of that seemed to have dissipated, and yet he still wasn't sleeping well at night.
To be honest, it was a little demoralizing. We had been so proud of ourselves for getting him to sleep through the night at 7 weeks. We would tell friends our formula that we had adapted from The Baby Whisperer -- always respond when the baby cries, but put him back as soon as he was calm, and repeat as necessary. Once he got a little bit bigger, we told ourselves that he was big enough to sleep through the night, and so we would still respond -- but always with the pacifier first (assuming he just wanted to suck). If he didn't accept that, then and only then would I feed him.
And it worked for us. One morning in July, I called my mom in excitement. "He only woke up twice in the night! And both times he took the pacifier!"
The next night, he didn't wake up til 6. We felt like champs. The next few months went fairly well in terms of sleeping through the night. It was a difficult adjustment to Eastern time for him, but once he went down he usually stayed down, except when he had a cold.
Yet here we were again, with a 7 month old baby who hadn't slept well at night since November. He seemed perfectly happy in the daytime, most of the time. Naps hadn't suffered too much. He didn't seem sick anymore. He just wasn't sleeping like he used to.
In fact, he was even eating at night again -- 3 full meals, even. Once I realized that, I thought, "Oh, of course! He needs solid food!" But he wasn't loving it. Rice, oatmeal, pears . . . you had to sneak it into his mouth, and he rarely swallowed it.
One day, in frustration I went to the Wonder Weeks book. The idea in the book is that babies go through "leaps" in which the world changes dramatically. I estimated how many weeks old Joseph was and tried to find that section. To my dismay, he was at an age where he was supposed to be quite pleasant by any calculation. Fine, I thought. Maybe they calculated wrong. Are there new skills he's supposed to have developed? As I went through the checklist, I saw that very few of the skills from the previous leap had been acquired. "Stupid European babies . . . they're more advanced than American babies at this age," I thought. Problem was, the book had assumed that babies were crawling by 5-6 months. And Joseph was nowhere near that. He could scoot backwards on his tummy and could move around sitting up but had shown very little interest in crawling.
I was at a loss. He was eating like a newborn, sleeping like a newborn . . . what was up? I would talk to mothers of younger babies who were sleeping just fine. I would tell myself, "Sleeping through the night shouldn't be a goal, anyway." But it still bothered me that I had gone from an expert of sleeping babies to utterly clueless. I assumed he was going through a growth spurt, but when would it end?
Finally, two weeks ago, I buckled down. It was time for solid foods. I decided to give oatmeal a third try. To my amazement, he ate it! More miraculously, he liked it the next day! When we introduced bananas, he gobbled them up. He would open his mouth for more, something he had never done before! My heart leaped. Would I finally get to stop nursing around the clock?
Yes. After a few days of solid foods, he would take the pacifier rather than the breast when he woke up at night. Between that and him rolling onto his tummy and needing us to turn him back over, he still kept us up a bit at night, but the night feedings were over. And gradually, he started sleeping longer and longer stretches again. Thursday morning, he didn't wake us up until 6 (and then after his feeding, slept til 9). I was full of milk, and I was happy.
And within a matter of days, things started to turn around. Little teeth started to poke up. He started to seriously try to crawl and watch us as we crawled. On Thursday he crawled on his feet rather than on his knees. On Friday he crawled on his knees rather than on his feet.
And just like that, we had a mobile, solid-food-eating, considerably heavier baby than the Joseph of just a few weeks ago. One small step for man, one giant leap for Baby Moon.
Now, if only those teeth would completely break through . . .
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Travel bug
The air's definitely not gross here in Michigan, but it's been just as cold the past few days. Factor in the humidity and the wind, and suddenly you've got me not leaving the house for a few days.
And then there are the books. Last Saturday, we went to a few thrift stores with ultra cheap books. 25 or 50 cent books. And we managed to find good books, too -- Ella Enchanted and The Boxcar Children and books like that. So about $7 later, we have 20 new novels and picture books that I've been rereading nonstop.
The last one I read was Bloomability, which is about a girl who lives in Switzerland for the school year. After I finished, I went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. And then while I was brushing my teeth, it all hit me. That slight bit of cabin fever and the descriptions of Switzerland and thoughts of friends who've gone to tour England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, etc.
I came back into the bedroom and told Kevin, "Let's go to Europe this summer for a few weeks."
And now that it's the morning, when I'm a little more realistic, I still want to go! Kevin has no major responsibilities during the summer. This would be by far the best time for us to go, at least in the next decade.
There's just one big issue -- how do you tour Europe with a 1 year old??? (I'm beating myself up now for not going 2 summers ago when we were just doing research and for never even considering study abroad, but that's another story.)
Talk to me about it. Convince me that I shouldn't make any life plans at 10 at night. Or convince me that it's the best thing ever and that having a toddler will only add to the experience. Or, if you are my parents or Leslie, consider coming along. :)
And then there are the books. Last Saturday, we went to a few thrift stores with ultra cheap books. 25 or 50 cent books. And we managed to find good books, too -- Ella Enchanted and The Boxcar Children and books like that. So about $7 later, we have 20 new novels and picture books that I've been rereading nonstop.
The last one I read was Bloomability, which is about a girl who lives in Switzerland for the school year. After I finished, I went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. And then while I was brushing my teeth, it all hit me. That slight bit of cabin fever and the descriptions of Switzerland and thoughts of friends who've gone to tour England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, etc.
I came back into the bedroom and told Kevin, "Let's go to Europe this summer for a few weeks."
And now that it's the morning, when I'm a little more realistic, I still want to go! Kevin has no major responsibilities during the summer. This would be by far the best time for us to go, at least in the next decade.
There's just one big issue -- how do you tour Europe with a 1 year old??? (I'm beating myself up now for not going 2 summers ago when we were just doing research and for never even considering study abroad, but that's another story.)
Talk to me about it. Convince me that I shouldn't make any life plans at 10 at night. Or convince me that it's the best thing ever and that having a toddler will only add to the experience. Or, if you are my parents or Leslie, consider coming along. :)
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A Story About Leslie
Joseph is napping right now, and I have found myself in the rare and amazing position of being bored. It's incredible. That is what happens when you deep clean the living room on Wednesday for company rather than on Thursday.
To dispel the boredom and my free time, I decided to spend time on gchat. Then I decided to write a blog post, and the following exchange occurred:
me: anyway
what should I blag about?
Leslie: me?
And after a few minutes of thinking, I just came up with a story about Leslie. Once upon a time she was my teacher and I was her pupil. She would teach me everything she learned in the afternoons or on weekends. We had a big green chalkboard whereon she would teach me spelling and math and social skills, and I was usually a willing participant.
However, there was one time that we were playing school that she decided to read me a book just like elementary school teachers did. So she pulled out Peppermints in the Parlor and began to read. I didn't like the voice she used for Aunt Twice -- it was too desperate and shrill. I didn't like how dangerous it seemed just for them to come home with a cab. I thought it was the worst book ever.
"Are you done yet?" I asked impatiently.
"I'm only on page 13!" she responded, and I just about died. Luckily it was time for dinner and she never finished reading the book to me.
Hrm. That story wasn't as interesting as it was in my head. I feel like I ought to say more, but I just remembered something else I ought to clean.
Endings are hard.
and ps: I did eventually read the whole book, and was kind of obsessed with it. The sequel was terrible, though.
pps: here's a better story about us as kids if you didn't get your fix today.
To dispel the boredom and my free time, I decided to spend time on gchat. Then I decided to write a blog post, and the following exchange occurred:
me: anyway
what should I blag about?
Leslie: me?
And after a few minutes of thinking, I just came up with a story about Leslie. Once upon a time she was my teacher and I was her pupil. She would teach me everything she learned in the afternoons or on weekends. We had a big green chalkboard whereon she would teach me spelling and math and social skills, and I was usually a willing participant.
However, there was one time that we were playing school that she decided to read me a book just like elementary school teachers did. So she pulled out Peppermints in the Parlor and began to read. I didn't like the voice she used for Aunt Twice -- it was too desperate and shrill. I didn't like how dangerous it seemed just for them to come home with a cab. I thought it was the worst book ever.
"Are you done yet?" I asked impatiently.
"I'm only on page 13!" she responded, and I just about died. Luckily it was time for dinner and she never finished reading the book to me.
Hrm. That story wasn't as interesting as it was in my head. I feel like I ought to say more, but I just remembered something else I ought to clean.
Endings are hard.
and ps: I did eventually read the whole book, and was kind of obsessed with it. The sequel was terrible, though.
pps: here's a better story about us as kids if you didn't get your fix today.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Thanks, Dad
After I sent out a plea for help regarding the interpretation of some wooden blocks we recently purchased, I received this email from my father:
I do remember there being an expectation that the blocks displayed everyday objects, which most of these are not, but perhaps I never checked the cupboards properly growing up. At any rate, thank you, Dad for enlightening us. And thank you, Mom, for ascertaining that these blocks will make Joseph a creative genius. I have hope for the future again.
Kyra –
Please allow me to set the record straight on some of the blocks.
- Exhibit A is obviously a member of the “long legged lemming” species.
- Having just read about Sampson (I am also doing Old Testament, so I appreciated your comments), I am pretty sure that this is the jawbone of an ass, or a lion, or something. We could call this block “Lehi” and be etomylogically defensible. It obviously can’t be a dragon or a sea monster, since they don’t exist.
- C is obviously a pair of dissimilarly-sized cherry bombs, with an arrow indicating the net direction of the blast if they are detonated.
- D was correctly oriented the first time. It is the symbols of an offshoot of a Zorastrian sect, which later influenced early soviet-era planners.
- A baby long legged lemming. They are born with ears, but they are absorbed as they age.
- A PN junction with a little bit of polysilicon trace. (Jeesh! What do they teach down at BYU?)
- Clearly a tram. You got that one right.
- TV’s never have legs like that these days. This is a little girl microwave, with a bow.
- H: It is turned sideways. This is a jet-powered jet.
- Lumiere. Or Alley Oop sitting in a boat (he always had thoese weird-shaped arms.)
- J: It is upside down. It is one of those sleek aluminum campers, with elongated elliptical wheels.
- A pensive Joseph. I got that one.
I am impressed that you have selected such a culturally and linguistically diverse set of blocks. Nothing but the finest for the education of our little one.
Blocks
Now that Joseph sort of plays with toys (thus occasionally allowing me up to 5 minutes of free time, woohoo!), we decided to get some wooden blocks. We decided to splurge on a $3 dollar set from Walmart which was made in China. So, you know, not exactly the heirloom type, but they work well enough.
Except, they don't. Oh, they stack just great and have the letters of the alphabet on them like they're supposed to. But on the non-lettered and non-numbered faces of the cube, they have bizarre pictures. And how am I supposed to be a good educational mom when Joseph's blocks have abstract art that I can't decipher on them?????
Here, let me show you.
Exhibit A:
Now what is that? A seal? An ermine? My guess is a cat, but where are its ears?
Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Say what? Are these billiard balls? Men with only mouths, expectorating onto a triangle? This one seriously took me a while. But once I turned it the other way . . .
Oh. Heigh ho Cherry-O. That is a weird looking stem holding those cherries together, though.
Exhibit D:
A bow and arrow? An arrow stabbing the moon? Hmm, let's rotate it.
Is it some kind of umbrella? That's still not right . . .
Oh, it's a tulip! With the weirdest blades ever.
Exhibit E:
My guess is a bunny, but your guess is as good as mine.
Exhibit F:
An RV with a satellite dish attached on the left? A camcorder?
Oh, it's a jar!
You might be thinking, of course it's a jar and that other one was a flower. You might think I am being deliberately dense since the blocks are going to show everyday objects.
Well, I then retort, what is a
TRAM doing on the blocks then? Not a helicopter -- there's another picture that's definitely a helicopter. Nope, this is a tram. That doesn't seem like an everyday object to me.
So when you look at this and say
"Of course that's a TV!", I say, "You never know. That could be an oven with horns."
(Although, I am pretty sure it's supposed to be a TV.)
Now onto Exhibits H, I, and J. I really don't know what they are. Based on other blocks, I can tell you what I guess their orientations are supposed to be, but I'm stumped. And this is where you, dear blog reader, can be of assistance.
So, without further ado,
Exhibit H:
To me, it looks like a man in a boat trying to send out distress signals. But remember, we're thinking everyday objects here (except for a tram). (ps I don't think it's candles, so I won't accept that answer.)
And finally . . .
Exhibit J:
What the . . . ? And this is the proper orientation, we're pretty sure! Any ideas?
If you can figure these out, that would be fabulous. I'm despairing that Joseph's education will be lacking because his blocks are too ambiguous for me. Or worse, he won't even know what a proper horse looks like.
And that would be sad.
Except, they don't. Oh, they stack just great and have the letters of the alphabet on them like they're supposed to. But on the non-lettered and non-numbered faces of the cube, they have bizarre pictures. And how am I supposed to be a good educational mom when Joseph's blocks have abstract art that I can't decipher on them?????
Here, let me show you.
Exhibit A:
Now what is that? A seal? An ermine? My guess is a cat, but where are its ears?
Exhibit B:
Is this some kind of saw? The remains of an eaten fish? I suppose if you turn it another direction . . .
Then it's a dragon. Or a sea monster. Or is it a horse? Am I supposed to teach Joseph that this is what a horse looks like?
Exhibit C:
Say what? Are these billiard balls? Men with only mouths, expectorating onto a triangle? This one seriously took me a while. But once I turned it the other way . . .
Oh. Heigh ho Cherry-O. That is a weird looking stem holding those cherries together, though.
A bow and arrow? An arrow stabbing the moon? Hmm, let's rotate it.
Exhibit E:
Exhibit F:
Oh, it's a jar!
You might be thinking, of course it's a jar and that other one was a flower. You might think I am being deliberately dense since the blocks are going to show everyday objects.
Well, I then retort, what is a
TRAM doing on the blocks then? Not a helicopter -- there's another picture that's definitely a helicopter. Nope, this is a tram. That doesn't seem like an everyday object to me.
So when you look at this and say
(Although, I am pretty sure it's supposed to be a TV.)
Now onto Exhibits H, I, and J. I really don't know what they are. Based on other blocks, I can tell you what I guess their orientations are supposed to be, but I'm stumped. And this is where you, dear blog reader, can be of assistance.
So, without further ado,
Exhibit H:
It's a house, that much I can tell. But what's sticking out?
Exhibit I:
And finally . . .
Exhibit J:
What the . . . ? And this is the proper orientation, we're pretty sure! Any ideas?
If you can figure these out, that would be fabulous. I'm despairing that Joseph's education will be lacking because his blocks are too ambiguous for me. Or worse, he won't even know what a proper horse looks like.
And that would be sad.
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Toys
When I was 9 or 10, I realized I hadn't played with some of my toys for a while. I went down to the playroom and got out the farm toys - the farmer, his wife, the horse, the fence, and began to make a story up.
But something snapped in my brain less than a minute into my play. I instantly realized that I didn't like playing with toys anymore. I immediately cleaned up the toys and walked away, never to play with them again.
And that was that. Oh, maybe I played with Barbies a bit longer (can't remember), and I was still fine with making marble contraptions, but the actual making up stories with toys lost its appeal in an instant.
Until now.
Yep. I play with Joseph's toys now. I play with them like I'm 4 years old -- making up stories with bad guys and good guys, all the while singing the plot to Joseph. I never do it unless he's playing, too, of course -- he's at the age where toys are actually kind of fun to knock against each other, which means he can help the story move along a bit. But for the most part it's just me singing and moving the animals and vehicles around. Kevin is highly amused.
You know, someday Joseph will be aware enough to know how cool I am not. But I am grateful that that day is not today.
But something snapped in my brain less than a minute into my play. I instantly realized that I didn't like playing with toys anymore. I immediately cleaned up the toys and walked away, never to play with them again.
And that was that. Oh, maybe I played with Barbies a bit longer (can't remember), and I was still fine with making marble contraptions, but the actual making up stories with toys lost its appeal in an instant.
Until now.
Yep. I play with Joseph's toys now. I play with them like I'm 4 years old -- making up stories with bad guys and good guys, all the while singing the plot to Joseph. I never do it unless he's playing, too, of course -- he's at the age where toys are actually kind of fun to knock against each other, which means he can help the story move along a bit. But for the most part it's just me singing and moving the animals and vehicles around. Kevin is highly amused.
You know, someday Joseph will be aware enough to know how cool I am not. But I am grateful that that day is not today.
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