I like to think of the childbearing years as standing at the entrance of a diamond mine. You have only a few short years to gather as many precious gems as you can before the time's up. My [time] is up now and I'm so glad I was able and willing to have each of my children. It's hard to see the harvest when you are still in the planting season...but I promise you...it will come.

-Janene W. Baadsgaard, email Jan.31, 2005

I was singing "Honor to Us All" from Mulan when Anna announced, "I want to hear that. The John Wayne one." I went to iTunes to play the song, and clicked on the song I was singing. "No, I want the John Wayne one." "Do you mean 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' ?" I asked. YES! She replied. I guess that is pretty much what John Wayne tried to do, right?

Eliza: "Mom, guess what I'm reading at school? It's calledSomething, Something [she couldn't recall] but it's notCaptain Underpants."

Me: "Stop bouncing that ball and clean up!"

Child: "I can clean up and bounce a ball at the same time!"

Sarah and I were folding laundry together one late Saturday night. I pulled out a pair of Peter's PJs that had a hole in the knee. "Another hole? One more thing to mend! I think my lot in life is mending." I stuck the PJs on a pile, went back to folding, and starting singing a song that popped into my head. "We are sowing, daily sowing...." Sarah started cracking up. "What?" I asked, not getting the joke. Sarah kindly clarified: "We are sewing, daily sewing!"

"How long ago did that happen?" Sarah asked me when an event occurred. "Ten years ago? Wow. That makes me feel like an old woman." (!)

I handed Anna her piece of toast. "Is it toasted?" she questioned. "Yes," I answered. "Is it burned?" she furthered."No," I defended. "I wanted it burned, like Joola's [Julia's] and Lauren's!" 

In our family, we have some pretty funny memories of talking in our sleep. (Some of us are more famous than others for doing this. I won't mention who that is...) This morning, I woke up early after Peter came and crawled into our bed. Soon I got up to read in the closet where I could turn on the light without hearing him. As I was reading, I heard him say, "Blah, blah, blah." !

Eliza was reading a coupon for flavored popcorn: "Caramel corn,...white cheddar, jalapeño...." she didn't know how to pronounce "jalapeño," so I said it again for her. "Is that some kind of coffee bean?" Julia queried. 

Yesterday Nathan asked me what I would do during the day when Anna was in school--if I would work at a job. I told him I didn't think I would unless I had, because there are other things I'd like to do, like volunteer work and being able to go help when my children start having babies. "I want to have children," Anna piped up instantly. "I want to have children and play little games with them." Pause. "And they will help me work all day. And they will do everything I say."

Grandma called today, and Anna HAD to talk to her. "I have to tell you something," she announced soberly. "I have an owie on my finguh." (Finguh was her emphasis pronunciation.). I think that listening to little children talk on the phone (when they get past the just listening or breathing stage) is one of the PURE DELIGHTS of motherhood.

I love the individual personalities of my children and how they reflect what I have said to them at various times. Since I had forgotten to start the hard-boiled eggs this morning, Rebecca came to remind me. "I leave [in 18 minutes], so you have just enough time to get it done. Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"


"Share with one another, for that is the happy way. That's what my step-mom's nanny taught her, and she taught it to me, and now I'm teaching it to you," I told Rebecca this morning. Julia piped up, "Jenny taught us something. I am a long, tall Texan. I ride to Texas on my big, white horse, and people look at me, and they say, 'Yeehoo! Is that your horse?' 'Yeah, that's my horse.' "


Rebecca was practicing her piano and singing at the same time. She announced to me that her class would be having a talent show. "This time, I'm not going to be afraid to sing. I'm gonna sing my heart out!"


I asked Sarah if she would put her camera in her purse before we jumped out of the car. "I'm not bringing my purse," she explained with perfect teenage disdain. "It doesn't match."


"TIME FOR SCRIPTURES!!!" Anna yelled at the top of her lungs, followed immediately (in a very normal, satisfied, conversational tone) by, "That will do."


Peter wanted to finish watching the army movie he and Lane started last night. "It's called 'Bridge at Remagen,' " Lane inserted. "I know," Pete said, condescendingly. "You told me last night." "I know, Lane retorted, "I'm telling you again."Those smart children! (P.S. I don't recommend this movie.)


I worked on a special French dinner tonight which included roast chicken (see food blog). Julia walked in and asked, "Is that Top Ramen?"

It is not the number of hours you put in but what you put in the hours that counts.

As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us. (See footnote 6 in this link for the story.)

President Thomas S. Monson

On Sarah's driving, chipper encouragement from Rebecca: "[It was] not so jerky this time!" and, after getting out of the car, "No dents, no scratches--High Five!" And from Anna: "You're a good driver, Sarah!" and "Sarah, slow down on the bumps!"

"I have had enough camping to last me my lifetime." Sarah, after attending her 4th year hike, Young Women's camp, and Youth Conference (which was hiking and river rafting). I just had to put that down for the record. Let's watch her be a YW president for 20 years.

Anna to Peter: "Guess what?" "What?" "I love you."

"I wish I had my own horse. Then you wouldn't ever have to drive me to school!" Peter, (who has heard stories of Grandpa Doug riding his horse to school from his earliest days). Dream big, Pete.

"My dream is to have a baby like Jane. I cry sometimes I miss her so much." Eliza, when she was looking at photos. She really got close to her name-sharing cousin in June.

Eliza was spreading tomato sauce on some pepperoni slices. (It is 9:38 pm). I asked her what she was doing. "I'm making homemade pizza bites for my dinner!"

Eliza was teaching Peter how to play "Yankee Doodle" on the piano. Peter excitedly reported, "I can play 'Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pone. I can't play pon-y yet.' "

As I eyed the pieces of Eliza's meat up that I cut up for her, as per her request, I encouraged her to cut them smaller since the pieces were a little large-ish. "That's OK," she replied. "I have a big mouth."

"Mom, can I count the stars tonight?" (Anna)