California McMillans

At the end of kindergarten there are a handful of kids that are pretty good readers.  Really good readers in my opinion for kindergarten.  They love it.  Scott was not one of those.  He really didn't like doing any homework let alone something as hard as reading.  It didn't bother me and was very evident that his mind was just not ready to learn in that way.  All I cared about last year was Scott enjoying school and getting along with kids which he did.  He loved his friends.  He learned social skills and confidence for which I am so grateful for!  In some ways I think the American school curriculum needs to go back to how it was when we were kids.  We push these little kids to do these advanced things at such a young age and half the time half the class is just not ready or mature enough.  I feel like we think the younger we start them, the better they will be when that isn't always the case.  I tell parents with a crying 3 year old that if they wait a year there 4 year ol

I am coaching very part time.  I have mainly 6-7 year old boys.  Scott is in the group.  It is a smaller group so we really get to work on stroke technique.  I love it!  They are eager to learn and we are having fun and hopefully going to help these kids get proper technique down.  They are 4 days a week for 45 minutes. My next group is a pre-team and they are so dang cute.  They are mostly 4-5 year olds who can swim a lap but need to work on gaining more confidence and learning straight legs, side breathing, etc.  They are 3 days a week for 30 minutes.  It started out as a really small group but has really grown this week. Tyler did the group yesterday and had fun. He was a good listener and eager to swim.  After about 20 minutes his classroom friend who is also his swim buddy came over to play with him so he was off to play which is just fine.  I am still unsure how he will fit into the swimming mix.  He loves to play with his friends at the pool and is at the point that he can s

K Conferences were this week.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE Tyler's teacher.  So far my kids have gotten the best teachers for the She said he is doing great.  She met with me briefly in the beginning of the year to go over his heart condition.  In that meeting I told her he was somewhat delayed, generally monitors himself on the playground and gets agitated when he is tired. Well...she said that she is so impressed with how he is doing and none of my concerns have really been noticed. She said socially he is always playing with other kids.  He both initiates playing and other kids come to play with him.  She said he is never alone and kind to his friends. In the classroom he does his work.  He listens very carefully and wants to do what she asks.  She said he uses his time to do his work and is not a distraction to others.  She did say that towards the end of the day he gets tired.  They do learning tubs toward the end of the day and often after he does one he just wants to

Lately, I have been trying to exercise early.  Sometimes I go to the gym for a 530 class or go running in the morning.  I love it if I am not too tired.  If I run I listen to conference talks which is such a great way to start the day. I always come away with two or three wonderful reminders for the day and for life.  Words that inspire me to be a better person.  I need to start a journal with these simple impressions.  For now, the blog will just have to do. President Eyering spoke about service and acting upon those simple impressions to go and do.  So often I postpone simple acts for a better time.  That time never comes.  He talked about President Kimball coming to the hospital to visit his dad.  He greeted him, sat in a chair an didn't say much but just sat and comforted.  I need to learn that.  I can be a better listener. President Monson talked about decisions.  He spoke of the decision of someone choosing not to play in a big game on Sunday and how that decision molded

I see facebook posts about the 90 day challenge.  It got me thinking about what my personal challenges should be and all the things that could make a better Heidi.  I decided to set some goals and do my very own challenge. 6 points of focus.... Filling my Spirit.  30 minutes a day of reading, reflecting and living it. Strengthening my Marriage.  Listen, Love, Lift. Being a Good Mom.  Love. Patience. Using my time Wisely. Writing. Genealogy. Planning. Healthy Living.  Getting up early.  Family Dinners.  Excercise Early. Strengthening my Relationships. Kindness everyday. Love Languages. Somehow I need to quantify these points.  Maybe set one goal for each.  Any suggestions!  I will sleep on it and set my goals tomorrow.

We have gotten back into the routine of piano now that school has started.  Phew.  I needed to get back into the routine in order to be able to teach scott.  He is way more advanced then me in suzuiki so that is Danny's thing but I can still keep up with him a little in reading.  It is amazing how much he can learn when he is consistent.  Go Scott! Soccer is going well.  It has been so hot.  Scott has the best buddies on his team.  Such nice kids and great coaches.  Danny is helping out and it makes Scott feel loved and special.  Grateful for such good friends.  Scott wanted to stay and play but I needed to get home because Danny was going out with the missionaries so his good friend brought him and his bike home.  Grateful he has such great friends and parents that help us with this parenting thing.  He was so grateful he got to play and I was grateful for good friends to help. Had our swim meeting today with the other coaches.  We discussed drill progressions, doing little in

The boys have been in school for three weeks and I feel an immense amount of gratitude. Gratitude for their wonderful teachers.  Both the boys got teachers who are perfect for them and are soo good at what they do!  Teachers are compensated so little for what they do monetarily yet in my opinion have one of the greatest impacts.  I am grateful they chose to be teachers. Gratitude for good friends!  I am grateful for the friends that my boys have.  Scott has some great friends who he loves to see each day.  They are a great group of kids.  They are kind, loving and helpful.  They have great parents who I have grown to love and consider great friends.  They are helping him become a successful little man.  Tyler enjoys hanging out with friends.  He talks about the kids he plays with.  I don't know if he has any good friends yet at school.  His best friends are doing one more year of pre-school. He is so much more social than he used to be.  I am hesitant to invest time and energy

 I made a quiche for breakfast yesterday.  Kira liked it.  Tyler liked it.  Scott liked it. Tyler asked for seconds.  So did Scott. And here's a shot of the kids with the little didge. Scott is into photography.  Not too bad for a first grader.  I did the editing, though. Kira and Blakey rode in the bike trailer to drop off Tyler at school. And they're chilling in the swings.

We took a stroll through the golf course on Sunday night.  Scott brought his camera and we got this nice photo of Kira, Tyler, and Scott.  Note the conflict of interest on their T-shirt teams.  

This was the first summer I didn't coach since my mission.  It came with mixed emotions. LOVED spending all the time I wanted with my kids and not have a baby in a bjorn all day.  I played at the pool with Tyler and Kira. I got in shape. I was able to be mom which I loved.  I took a needed break from coaching to recognize how much I love it and am ready to go back to it very part time. Brentwood is a soccer/baseball culture instead of a swimming culture.   I helped a little bit for my parent hours which was fun to be with the kids and took a back seat the rest of the time.  I am going to help coach (almost volunteer) the fall clinic 2 days a week.   How I learned to coach is very different than the way the team is coached.  One isn't better than the other, just different.  That makes me excited because blending the best of everyone's background equals success. The team has 300+ swimmers so there is potential for the team to be really good. A lot of families wer

I have always needed to be better at routines and I am improving.  I wake up early and fill my days with productivity.  I read to get a desk and foster independence with homework.  Scott is young to be totally independent but he can do some things on his own and we used a desk today which helped him have quiet space.  I need to actually get a desk in their room.  I have gotten up at 5:30 to workout a couple of days lately and really like it.  Danny is a champ and takes the kids early if I am sleeping or awake so I might as well take advantage of the time. Having the boys at school gives me time to work with Kira and clean the house.  We started music time again which is soo fun and I started a womens church group tomorrow which I am excited about.  I wasn't involved in a bible study last year so I am excited to do that again.  I pick up the kids, they usually play in the 100 degree heat at school, we come home for down time and snack and it is homework until swimming or soccer an

Every year I just feel like Scott and Tyler get exactly who they need as teachers.  I don't request teachers but put down their needs and pray that the Lord will place them with the perfect teacher for them. Scott is somewhat a perfectionist so I always want him to have someone nurturing and positive.  I also really wanted him to have a good reading teacher.  We got a teacher who is so kind and gentle, teaching forever and a great reading teacher.  She does plays and art that reminds me of when we were kids.  I feel so blessed!  I was so impressed at back to school night how organized and great his teacher is at what she does.  It is also incredible the resources these kids have.  They watch these fun animated math clips and have electronic books they get to read at home.  No wonder they are so much smarter than we were at this age (and that parents are pushing their kids to be superkids which don't agree with and hope will eventually shift trends). Tyler's teacher is p

Today we had a great lesson today in Relief Society given by Jill.  She talked about the difference between the gospel and the church.  The gospel being the doctrine of Christ.  The atonement, the ordinances and covenants we make (baptism, gift of the holy ghost, temple, sacrament etc), scriptures, etc.  The Church being the Sunday meetings, auxillaries, fellowship, leadership, etc. There is a distinct difference between the two.  We go to Church to build our testimonies of the gospel. The church is imperfect, run by imperfect humans that help us and act as a vehicle for us to gain a testimony of the perfect gospel and perfect God and Lord whom we worship. It was a great lesson that helped me recognize the importance of the two in my life.  I am grateful for the Church which I belong, filled with brothers and sisters, that are helping, guiding, teaching and leading me to better live the gospel.  It helps me feel the Spirit to more fully follow Christ and the Gospel in my life.  So

These two boys successfully completed the first week of school.  Phew! Scott has the kindest teacher who is known for fun, creative projects including a play.  None of his besties are in his class but plenty of good friends.  His teacher said Scott is the leader of the class, so kind to others, such a good listener and she is so happy he is in her class.  Scott is a good kid.   I wish he listened to me like his teachers.  I am sure I am not as consistent and patient as his teacher.  I am grateful he enjoys school.  Today in primary, they asked who was excited to go to school tomorrow and Scott and one other person raised hands.  Scott was a minimalist in reading last year so we shall see if a year of maturity gives him the patience to work on things that are hard for him.  He was so well liked last year but was a tid-bit emotional if kids weren't kind or made a poor decision.  He would be much better off if he was able to brush things off and move on.  So we shall see how tha

Tyler made it through his first week of kindergarten.  It went about how I expected:  two of the four days the teacher had to call us because of "incidents."  Here he is, enjoying a hot dog and watching TV.  I don't let the kids sit on our bed and eat, so this must have been his idea. Scott's pretty into the movie, too.  The boys got their hair cut but can still make mohawks. Blakey still wakes up at night and Heidi usually feeds him, but I've been giving him bottles of formula and they seem more satisfying.  Heidi has an emotional battle about whether to stop nursing him. Kira always seems to be dirty.  We dress her cute and I do her hair and it always ends up in a rat's nest with food on her face and clothes. Kai and Scott painting their nails blue at the Scottsdale invitational.  Scott got two medals. Second place in 25 yard fly! Blakey did pretty good at the meet.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the blog are the heart moms I have met along the way.  I haven't met most of them in real life or met there kids, but I love them.  I pray for them through there surgeries and rejoice with them in their accomplishments.  There kids are going through the journey of HLHS or another heart condition and I know I am not alone.  They fill me with insight and hope and an assurance that it will be alright. Cici and Andrea are two of those people.  This post was inspired by the comments they just left that made me filled with gratitude for friends who care and encourage and tell me it will be alright. They are always there to give me advice and assurance.  I always appreciate that advice because it is always meant with such love and encouragement.  It is interesting when you go through a journey like having a heart kid together, you grow in love and empathy for each other.  I feel that love in every comment. I have been tipped on finding super duper expensi

Have you ever been to small claims court?  I hope not, but if so, you are not alone.  I had to go to small claims court today...not a fun process, but super super grateful for the country we live in that allows us such liberty.  On my way I couldn't help but think of the many people who live in countries where they are not given such liberty or whose government and leaders are corrupt.  I was filled with gratitude for America and the freedom that our founders set up for us and that so many men and woman have given there life for. Long story.  Our condo had a toilet flood in December and we were told that the downstairs tenants didn't want to do recommended dryout in there bathroom for a month.  They claimed they were happy with the bathroom but wanted a kitchen spot on their cabinet fixed which they claimed was mold spreading.  We got someone in to fix the kitchen and lo and behold the spot they swore wasn't there prior to the flood and they could visible see spreading ea

My in-laws are serving missions in Las Vegas and started a blog which I think is super cool.  I suggested that they should add a mormon.org link to there page for those interested in finding out what we believe.  Then I realized I can't give out advice and not do it myself.  I went here to find a link in case you want to add one for your blog.  For those of you not LDS, mormon.org is a site where mormons talk about what they believe and why.  I think it is super cool to see such unique testimonies and the many ways we come to Christ.

School is back in session.  Scott is in first grade with Mrs. Shirley.  He was a little bummed he didn't have any close friends in his class.  Luckily Scott is good at being a good friend and making friends.  I told him he would know at least one person from last year and it was a great opportunity to make even more friends.  Sure enough Hunter and Elisia are in his class who he was good friends with last year and he is making new friends and gets to play with his buddies at recess. Mrs. Shirley seems so nice.  She has two older kids and I know will be a great teacher for Scott.  Parents have told me she does a play and a lot of fun, creative projects. and is "old school" whatever that means. Today when I picked up Scott she said he was such a great friend, good listener and such a leader.  Scott is so good in class which I am grateful for.   Most importantly, I just want him to be a good friend and enjoy reading more this year.  He doesn't love to do anything that