Moms R Us

These are from Mother's Day 11 years ago.  It must have been really bright and sunny out, hard for the kids to keep their eyes open.

And their heads up and turned the right way (love Emma's hands on Roxie's head!)

I got teary finding these old Mother's Day photos.  This is what it is like, in the trenches!  

I think of my daughters and wonder what they think it is like being a mom. 

Being the oldest in a big family gives you lots of chances to feel the frustrations of being a mom without the benefits of having a husband to help and the joy of seeing your children grow, learn, and love you back!

(yesterday at DC Temple with Suzanna)

I want my daughters to look forward to motherhood.  Not to feel rushed, but positive about the potential, possibilities, and the promises.

(Flour Baby Mahonri was a lot of work and good practice for Roxie, but real babies are more rewarding, more work, but easier to love as you serve them.)

 (Fairy Festival in Darlington yesterday!).

Double Baby Shower (FLOUR BABY)

 We had a baby shower for our 12-almost-13 year old's baby boy.  And for another newborn baby boy of a 13 year old father.  Mahonri and Leo, each held by their single parents below.

When I invited her brother Max, out of context, his eyes widened...

(Roxie with GREAT GRANDPA John!)

And I had to quickly explain it is an English class assignment, to carry and care for a 5 lbs sack of flour, dressed up in baby clothes, swaddled.  Be a parent for a week and a half, 24 hours every day.  Unless you contract a babysitter, which you have to pay in chores.  Not a class on human development (carry an egg) but a writing assignment, similar to the experiment that takes place in the book, Flour Babies, by Anne Fine.

Roxie says Mahonri is getting heavier.  He goes everywhere in her arms.  No stroller or baby carrier allowed (although a health teacher is doing project as well, and he has baby carrier).  No babies in backpacks or grocery sacks.  Forbidden to keep in your locker or home alone.  Protect your baby from the weather (we had a crazy storm yesterday and it was tough to keep him dry!) She has been very faithful and sweet with him, and says, delightedly, that he takes lots of naps, so she can read.

Grandma & Grandpa brought presents:

One of my favorite games we played:  guess the correct popular baby names by decade according to Census information.  (I only used the top 20 names, for years 2000, 1990, 1960, 1940, 1910, 1880, put them out of order on sheet and let them circle correct decade).  Grandma Sandy and Laura both got them all correct. 

Smell/taste/guess 10 bottles of unlabeled baby food. GROSS!  The Texas Tacos and cupcakes made up for it!

Make as many words as you can from the baby's name.

NOT say "baby" "boy" or "son" or your corsage (tissue paper glued to clothes pin) gets taken away by whomever caught you saying the word.

Carry/waddle with a ping pong ball between your legs and drop it successfully into a cup.  Balloons under shirt makes it so you can't see your knees or the cup--we didn't do that detail with a mixed gender guest crowd.

Blindfolded undress (baby doll, not REAL flour babies!) and change baby's diaper!

Write down wishes/blessings for baby.

So far Roxie has been a great mom!

And this gives us a good chance to pass on what we learned as parents:

(Yes, that is a MAM pacifier, hot glued in place & GRANDPA John showing off his burping skills!)

I am a grandma of a flour baby, and we have had fun with outfits, trying not to give too much advice. I am surprisingly protective and fiercely loyal to this little guy, and it is comforting holding him, rocking him with that dance/rhythm that comes back with a baby in your arms.  There is power in role play.  I look forward to reading Roxie's project at the end of the week and a half.

She has already told me she would like to find Sunday clothes for him for Church, maybe a bow tie or something...