Franco's a Doctor!

He did it!

We're so, so happy. And relieved. And happy.

He had one more section of boards to pass, part 2, and then he could receive his license. He was working at Lenscrafters in Ventura, a job he found while searching last August.

...

"Clarkie Boyo"

Clarke has been changing lately. I heard someone once say, "Terrible Twos or Terrible Threes don't exist. They become terrible whenever the next baby arrives." Now that Everly's older than one and she's becoming much more independent and interested in Clarke's things--namely, toys--he's definitely found his angry side. Though I shouldn't call it "angry" more than "temperamental" or "touchy" or "argumentative" side. He's still obedient, but only after fighting both his parents and saying "No!" a lot, sometimes even adding a threat to the end--"I'm going to throw this..." or "I'm going to hit you with this..." etc. It seems like it just came out of left field one day, it's really caught me off guard. I usually ignore it, because arguing does nothing. It's all about that "power struggle" thing, right? Toddlers should not think they won an argument! And Clarke is quite the master negotiator! I tell him to eat his food. He says, "How 'bout..." and adds a series of options neither acceptable or in any way implied in whatever I had just told him to do. I'm afraid! I know it's probably only a phase and that he'll grow out of it, but meanwhile, I feel so nostalgic for my perfect angel! On top of it all, we had to cut his hair really short a couple of weeks ago because we found lice in it (NIGHTMARE) and gone is my handsome angel boy, in his place is an angry, frowning, foot-stomping bully with the haircut I swore I'd never give him. It makes me want to cry, and I do, on the inside.

I know the answer. I know the only way to get through this phase without losing it too many times is love. I love him with all my heart. I know I love him because I would get up earlier than I had planned to get up because I hear him whisper, "Mama, I peed in my pants," get him out of bed, bathe him, change him, wash the bedclothes, and pretend it didn't happen. I know I love him more than anything because when he is happy and his smiling eyes are shining at me with this secret twinkling in them it fills me with wonder that he's my son, that I am his mother! I know I love him because something inside melts over and over when he and his sister get close, hug, kiss, and go Hmmm...and it's something I can't even explain. I know I love him because Heavenly Father loves him, and my heart aches and I can't even think what I would do if anything happened to him. I would rather endure this hard phase every second of the day than the alternative...life without my Clarkie boy...it would take a piece of my heart away.

I don't mean to be so negative. Of course I don't dwell on things like that. My boy is perfect. He's perfectly amazing--and I can learn so much more from him than I could ever teach him.

"Everlise"

walked her first steps on purpose on August 3rd, right after Papa left to Pomona to take his Boards Part 1 again. She pulled herself up on my shirt, walked a step, then let go and walked two steps toward Tia Ruth and threw her arms around her!

Then just a few days ago, she started getting up to a standing position from a sitting position all by herself! She does this over and over to get applause and Hoorays! from anyone watching, and giggles to herself all the while.

Returning to Faith

Sascha Bramwell spoke today in sacrament meeting. There was a point in her life when she had low-self-esteem and was comparing herself to her husband's success in career and life. Then, this scripture came into her mind: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) Words to live by. She found strength and personal revelation in scripture.

Returning to Faith

“Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.”⁹

Archbishop Périer responded: “God guides you, dear Mother; you are not so much in the dark as you think. The path to be followed may not always be clear at once. Pray for light; do not decide too quickly, listen to what others have to say, consider their reasons. You will always find something to help you. … Guided by faith, by prayer, and by reason with a right intention, you have enough.”⁵

Some other wisdom from scripture reading this week:

“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9).

President Hinckley:
Little flaws are magnified into great torrents of faultfinding...It is the cycle which is repeated again and again in thousands of cases. It is tragic, and, as I have said, it is in most cases the bitter fruit of anger.
I plead with you to control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak out with words of love and peace, appreciation, and respect. If you will do this, your lives will be without regret. Your marriages andfamily relationships will be preserved. You will be much happier. You will do greater good. You will feel a sense of peace that will be wonderful.
(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/slow-to-anger?lang=eng)

Because a wrench slips and we bruise our hand is no reason for throwing the wrench halfway across a wheat field. Having a flat tire on a busy downtown street will not be remedied by a tirade of words.

Anger against things is bad enough, but when it is directed against people and it flares up with white-hot fury and caustic words, we have the makings of tragedy!

Even in our families, situations may arise that could cause irritations. It is then that parents must be calm and exemplary. The man with an uncontrolled temper is like an undisciplined child—he expresses his emotions explosively or by sulking, and disregards the feelings of those about him. In the home, anger should be controlled and love should abound. When, in his most impressionable years, a child experiences ugly situations that result from uncontrolled tempers, when he hears unkind words exchanged between his father and mother, and when he sees contention crowd out an atmosphere of kindness and mutual respect—when these conditions make a child’s environment, what chance has he to become refined and noble? The minds of children are like the sensitive plates of a photographer; they record every incident, good and bad. Our children may forget what is said, but they never forget that which they are made to feel.

“Parents may tell

But never teach

Unless they practice

What they preach.”

Frustrations often offer us the means of progression, for by overcoming them harmoniously, we grow and become more Christlike.

(https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/04/be-slow-to-anger?lang=eng)

Clarke's Funnies

"Don't roll anymore, ok, carrot? You fall off and bonk your head!"

Before saying our goodnight prayers: "Papa was born. Papa is alive. He is a father. Jesus loves me. Belito loves me. Tia Ruty loves me. Tio Lev loves me. Mama loves me, too."

3-11-2015: "Look Mama." Clarke shows me the piano music for The Corpse Bride with the main characters, Victor and Victoria on the front. "Oh wow! What are they?" I ask. He says matter-of-factly, "Oh, they're probably just robots."

"What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?"
"No cake for you. Only carrots and vegetables." -sometime before his 3rd birthday

During our walk, Clarke was sitting in his stroller acting like he was grabbing things out of the air. "What are you doing?"
"I'm catching cars."

After Papa came back from living in San Diego for a few months, Clarke offered this in his prayer: "Grateful Papa doesn't have to go to San Diego anymore..."

4-16-15: "Be careful with the dragon, he might burn your shirt."

7-6-15: "Where (How) does Mama grow? Do you have seeds in your belly?" "Seeds? What kind of seeds?" "People seeds!"

7-7-15: "Can I have some cereal Belita?" "Is it okay with Mama?" "No, but it's okay with Belita..."

7-13-15: "I don't love crabs. They're sneaky."

I want a gorilla bar.

8-25-2015: Clarke says any phrase, whether it be "Are we going to the park" or "Is this cup of milk for me" and tags "or something?" at the end of it.