December
6, 2017
Hello Dear Friends and Family,
My Dad
was most definitely correct when he used to say time goes by faster and faster
the older you get. It’s a bit
overwhelming to think how quickly the year flew by. I think this is the first year that the
magnitude of having five children has hit me with full force. Life is full of driving carpools, going to
games, teaching sometimes unwilling participants how to help make a house a
home, more driving people places, lots of eye rolling (mostly the kids but
sometimes me), and LISTENING to lots of important
things including not just the daily heartaches and triumphs of youth but also
deep questions about life, details about characters in books, and, sadly, poop
emoji jokes. It’s a mixed bag around
here.
Let’s
start with ME since I am the writer. I
have had a frenetic life this year, at least mentally. Last year I wrote and wrote and this year I
sewed and sewed. At the beginning of the
year I even applied and was accepted into a masters program for SLP (which I
didn’t end up doing). I’m not in love with
my job and want to do something more fulfilling, so I have tried a lot of
different things, brainstormed and researched what I might do instead. I was so frustrated because nothing felt
right. The funny thing is that, for the
time being, God keeps steering me back to focus on motherhood. I can dislike my job, be grateful for it, still
do it, and just pour my energy into our home, our children and my hardworking
husband. When I embrace this situation,
I feel happier and, consequently, so does my family. It doesn’t mean there isn’t something else
that will be added in my future, but it is what needs to happen now. I am trying to have a good attitude about it,
and we will see what the future holds when the future gets here.
Lucas had
a year of growing and stretching as he took on a new role at work, still at
Clearwater Analytics. It meant he is on-call
every three to four weeks for a full week.
At first, it was pretty bad, and we never saw him as he was locked away
working when home, but he has gotten into a groove and has learned so much, and
his coworkers appreciate the incredible value he adds to the team. Apparently he got bored with learning a
million new things at work because he signed up for two classes plus the whole
on-call for work/husband/father gig as he works toward a new CIT degree. I think we learned two classes at once may be
a bit of a stretch. It’s like he’s in
the house but also a stranger. I have to
say he has handled it remarkably well, trying to ace all his classwork, building two complete websites, never disappoint
his employer, and with what energy he has left he spends some time with
us. I am looking forward to having him
all to ourselves-ish at Christmas time.
He is probably looking forward to turning his brain off for a few
days.
Together,
Lurianne or Maricas, let’s just call us Lucas and Marianne, had what felt like
a once in a lifetime (hope not) chance to go on a Western Caribbean cruise with
our friends, the Draises. They kindly
arranged all the details as they were relative experts. We were so grateful they kept encouraging us
to go as it was a blast. Personally, I
was worried maybe we’d not get along or run out of things to talk about as
husband and wife because it’s a lot of kids, kids, kids around here, which I am
totally okay with, but there was that concern maybe we’d grown apart. Nope.
It was absolutely fantastic. We
relaxed and adventured in Honduras (not really any driving rules, the bus
driver could have killed us but I was smiling giddily the whole time), Belize
(a country I knew hardly anything about where we went tubing through a cave in
the rainforest), and Playa del Carmen, Mexico (where we visited the ruins of
Tulum). The cruise itself was amazing as
well, even with Lucas finding his super alter-ego as Lobster-Man (all it took was 10 minutes in the sun to cook his legs!) . The food! The fun!
The food! The service! It was a great time. I think that’s the closest I will ever get to
being treated like royalty. The kids
were safe and happy at home with Aunt JaNiece (who even wrote up a post
childcare report) and then with their Grandma Laura and Grandpa Jim. Wow, were we SO thankful for their help. The logistics of leaving the kids were
intimidating, but once we were gone it was great. While on the cruise we walked and walked and
walked so we could see everything which helped us not gain a bunch of weight
because THE FOOD! , and since then, until the whole two-classes-kidnapped-my-husband
event, we have enjoyed many walks which allow us to think and talk
uninterrupted while enjoying the outdoors.
We also
did what was for us a big project in the midst of all this school/work
tomfoolerly as we changed our parlor (if you will) into an office/adult hangout
for Lucas and I, changed our old office into Matt’s bedroom/guest room, and
dealt with the all the domino effects of upsetting the household status quo.
Ohhh,
you wanted to know about the children?
Well:
Lily (14)
spent the spring trying basketball for the first time. I know, at 5’11’ you’d think her parents
would have done something about that earlier.
She was in a drama camp and was in a production of Cinderella during
spring break. She enjoyed that, so we’ll
see if she ends up doing more or not. She
played volleyball again this fall. Near
the end of the season she got a ball to the face from the strongest middle
school server I’ve ever seen. A mild
concussion ensued. Next, she was having
a great zero loss basketball season as post until she rolled her ankle, and now
she is using crutches and letting me marvel at the ever-changing swelling and
bruising on her foot and leg. She is not
in love with sports currently, but hopefully once she’s healed she’ll be game
for more. She gets several opportunities
to babysit in our neighborhood, and she is proactive about her education. She is growing up so fast. She’s hardworking, helpful, responsible, and
sometimes acts like a teenager.
Snarl. But she is definitely a
keeper. We have to start thinking
about…high school. Gulp.
Matt is
in his first year of middle school.
That’s been an adjustment. We knew it would be. I was worried about teasing and bullying
which hasn’t been an issue, but the first part of the year was a bit
bumpy. Our ultra-smart kid kept getting
bad grades on his reports. Every week
brought a new surprise from a different class.
Once he realized we were watching and teachers knew he could do better,
he has straightened up and is being pretty responsible now, even opting to
leave his reading books in his locker when he knows it would be too tempting to
take to class. Matt is 12 which is a big
deal as he will be ordained with the Aaronic Priesthood at church and will be a
deacon. He will be able to pass the
Sacrament each week and will collect fast offerings once a month. Matt is not so sure he is feeling this
growing up thing (all the responsibility at home, school and church), but I
think he’ll do great. He also has been
playing piano and, gasp, practicing. His
teacher found a really silly but really effective thing that has gotten him
excited about playing, and he is making great progress at last! As an 11-year-old Scout, Matt has a few
campouts under his belt and can set up his own tent which is pretty nifty.
Ben. What can I say about Ben (8)? What can I not say about Ben? He is simply A HAM. He does death scenes all the time, even when
he is actually hurt and/or bleeding. He
got a concussion playing Indiana Jones last spring (hint: towel racks are not super sturdy swinging
apparatuses), and even during that horrible event, when his body was going all
haywire, he was acting (and freaking his mom out). I’m pretty sure he is thinking “the play’s
the thing” every second of every day. He
and I have gotten along much better since I have figured this out. I was a slow learner. Ben is master of avoiding work. He works really, REALLY (like you have no
idea how much) hard to avoid working.
It’s comical, unless I’m in a hurry, then it’s frustrating. Ben was baptized a member of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in April, which was a pretty exciting
time. He joined Cub Scouts as a Wolf,
and, unlike Matt, who could take it or leave it, he LOVES Scouts. He freaks out if we are going to be late or
miss any activities. It’s just his
thing, I guess. Of all our children, Ben
has been most devastated about how little we have let the kids play technology
this school year. Poor, poor Ben. He is a real
character but a complete joy to have in our home.
Shawn,
who we are trying to move into a bedroom with Ben now that Matt has his own
room, is feeling unsettled about all the changes. He is a great student at school but at home
has had a tricky time trying to figure out if he’s a big kid who likes to play
with Matt and Ben or if he’s a little kid who likes playing with Daphne. Hopefully he will learn he can be both. There are no rules about growing up, but he’s
felt a little gloomy lately, so I think he must be imposing some rules on
himself. Shawn still asks a ton of
questions. I think he can’t wait until
he catches up to his brothers in known facts.
He has really taken off with reading.
It’s hard to believe he is not even 6-1/2 and such a good reader. When he isn’t feeling gloomy, it is the best thing
ever to watch him play pretend with Daphne or sleep on the top bunk with Ben,
talking and talking at night until I have to go rain on their parade.
Daphne
(3) hasn’t given her mama two minutes’ peace since birth…or so it feels
like. She is much more than my little
shadow. She is the “voices in my head”,
the taskmaster cracking the whip, my mini-me according to Lucas (yikes!), and
the best little surprise fireball we could have gotten. She does not let me rest, rather it is
physically, emotionally or mentally, when she is with me which is all but 3
hours on Mondays when my awesome friend watches and then 2 hours on Tuesday for
Joy School (preschool) co-op. The mental
exhaustion is real, REAL I tell you! But
Daphne is the most beautiful, most sweet, most loving little girl. She makes us a million books, cards, and
letters every day. She tells me amazing
stories. She gives the tightest little
hugs, the best cuddles, and, if she thinks you aren’t listening, she sings the
sweetest little songs (okay, sometimes they are morbid and about death but
mostly sweet). I think she has made my
heart grow two sizes too big. She loves
her time playing with friends. She has a
killer imagination, taking care of her baby dolls, doctoring her stuffed
animals, and having me join in the fray, and she will never allow herself to be
read just one book at a time. Thank
goodness Matt has really taken on the role of giving her some extra attention
as he has tea parties with her, tells her stories, etc., because this girl
needs a lot of love, probably because she is always giving so much.
So that is us. No picture perfection here. We do well to try our best to love each other
and those around us and to make it through each day. We love our Savior Jesus Christ and all the
hope, light, and purpose he gives to each member of this family. I can personally say He has made all the
difference for me this year as I was driving myself nuts for most of it, but
through Him, I find peace, comfort, the realization of my worth and the worth
of all those around me. May you each
feel your personal worth as the ONLY YOU there is on earth, and might I say you
are each doing this life thing so
well. Keep on keeping on!
Love
(if only we were all as good at it as Daphne),
Marianne,
Lucas + Our Nicholes Brood
