I have a children's literature class right now in this my last semester and I am loving it.  It is so much more to me than just reading books with pictures.  It's a way to spend time with my kids, an opportunity to reflect on my childhood, a way to learn something new and fascinating, it's a way to hear what someone wants to express in a beautiful way.  I gravitate towards children's books that have a sentimental meaning, not needing to be sad, but something that shows children something good about the world.  In relationships or adventures, dreams or ridiculous-ness, or just the wonder of the possibilities, opportunities and beautiful things around them.  There are a lot of categories of children's books, which is something I'm learning about in the class, and the category of "picture books" has a lot of sub categories of it's own as well.  I have grown in love for all the different categories...but picture books are my favorite.  They just speak to me!  Mostly because of the pictures.  Even if the story is amazing on it's own...if the pictures don't match it, doesn't speak to me half as much.  I picture can express how someone feels about something.  I often choose books based on the pictures.  Maybe that is shallow....but I just cant help myself!  

My favorite children's book illustrators right now are Julie Morstad and Julia Denos and Erin Stead.  I also love Oliver Jeffers, Suzy Lee, Kenard Pak and Alexandra Boiger. 

Right now Erin Stead, though....she is my favorite: 

Julie Morstad:

Julia Denos:

There are probably literally hundreds, maybe even a thousand or two, pictures of the last several months that I am dying to blog about.  It's a monumental task.  I will do it slowly, but for now I am actually going to put it off a little bit longer (one semester's worth longer) so that I can use my blog to share about my last semester of college! 

(...for at least the next ten years.  Who knows?  A master's degree??  The door is not completely closed...)

I loved my last two semesters.  I took a Middle Child Development class last semester that I talked about all the time.  I even keep my textbook from the class next to my bed for some light evening reading!  I feel so passionately about this subject and that feeling is such a good one.  The semester before I took a class called Family Stress and Coping which gave some amazing insights and tools into families as systems, the value of unexpected resources, and how to analyze and help them deal with crises.  There were other classes I had to take alongside these ones as well.  I have found such fulfillment in this learning I've been doing and using.  

This semester is shaping up to be the best one yet.  I have three classes:

Children's Literature

Family History

Eternal Family

All things I just adore.

As I said my last two semesters were so satisfying in how much I feel like I increased as a person.  But it was A LOT of work.  Splitting myself between school and family is not something I have taken lightly and we have all been coping with it because we knew it wouldn't be for very long.  Those classes, though amazing, were time consuming and not easy in the slightest.  

Now this semester, though.  These classes are going to be pure enjoyment for me!  I'm so excited that I can complete some of my assignments just by doing my favorite daily task- reading to my kid!.  I think they will appreciate this semester as much as I will.  One of my first assignments is to make a list of my top ten favorite children's books.  They are each going to make their own lists as well!  And that is just the beginning of the happiness I'm looking forward to for the next four months.  I'm very excited and I tried very hard in that last paragraph not to end every sentence with an exclamation point.  

I'm going to try to post a little bit about my classes periodically throughout the semester.  Simply because I want all of the writing that I will do and insights I gain to go somewhere out into the little part of the world that I have contact with.  

To start here are some family history quotes from my studying today:

“You will be tempted to stop and leave the hard work of finding to  others who are more expert or to another time in your life. But you will  also feel a tug on your heart to go on in the work, hard as it will be.    “As you decide, remember that the names which will be so difficult to  find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and  whom you will meet again in the spirit world. When you were baptized,  your ancestors looked down on you with hope. Perhaps after centuries,  they rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find  them and to offer them freedom. In your reunion, you will see in their  eyes either gratitude or terrible disappointment. Their hearts are bound  to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own  strength as you choose to labor on to find them.”    —Elder Henry B. Eyring. “Hearts Bound Together.” The Ensign May 2005, 77

“We should understand that in the work of redeeming the dead  there are many tasks to be performed, and that all members  should participate by prayerfully selecting those ways that fit  their personal circumstances at a particular time...Our effort is not  to compel everyone to do everything, but to encourage everyone  to do something”  

(Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, June 1989).

“Shortly after the death of Sister LeGrand Richards, I was assigned to  be Elder Richards’ junior companion to assist him in creating the  Atlanta Georgia Stake. As we were flying toward his beloved Southern  States Mission, he said to me, “Brother Ballard, I am not afraid to die;  the only thing I worry about is, will I be able to find Mommy over  there.”    I was impressed to say to Elder Richards that in his case that could be  a real problem.    Immediately, I had his full attention. He looked me directly in the  eye and said, “What do you mean by that?”    With my emotions near the surface, I answered this great missionary,  “Elder Richards, when you die, so many people there will be anxious  to greet you because you introduced the gospel to them that you might have difficulty 
finding Mommy in the crowd.” His response was, “Oh, you don’t mean that.” 
We all might ask ourselves the question,
 Who will be there to greet us?”

(Elder M. Russell Ballard)

That last one is one that touches my heart.  When I read it I thought of what my own experience will be.  Who will greet me?  I know that Grandpa Chandler will.  I think we all in my family know that surely in our hearts.  And I knew and loved my great Grandpa Stowell and will plan on seeing him.  But now with recent family history we've learned about, I also think maybe Chang Akana my great-great grandfather on my Dad's side could be there.  Apolonio.  Mada.  Jessie Silva.  Rhoda.  I feel like I know them now.  And I want to know more.  

I recently found out that my great-great grandmother Rhoda's half brother Oliver Henry Bybee served a mission in the Hawaiian islands in 1904!  Here is what was written and posted to FamilySearch.com by someone named Jana Steed, a relative of Oliver's mission companion:

https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/83009925

This brings me such joy!  

I don't even know why.  

I just grew so much in love for this distant relative. 

I hope I can meet him someday- someone on my mom's side who spoke more Hawaiian than any of us every have!  

I do love family history.  This is why.  

And also...this is why:

With Audrey going to school every day now and Eli napping for almost the entire time she is gone, Hannah and I have had some amazing quality time lately.  This is definitely a special period.  Hannah as the middle child right now has never gotten such consistent one on one time with mommy beyond those newborn years.  She hasn't seemed to mind, but she definitely seems to love the idea of no one else around but us two for a few hours everyday.  It has given me the chance to notice some things about her, her talents and interests.  The chance to tune in to just Hannah.

We have done a lot of fun stuff- preschool, projects, chores and things like that.  Her favorite thing though has been baking!

Everyday when we are walking home from dropping Audrey off and I ask Hannah was we should do when we get home and she says without hesitation: "Bake."  Our new first day of school tradition is to make pumpkin bread for our after-school snack and that is where it started.  Every day since then that is what Hannah wants to do.  I love it.  

On days that we don't bake we do preschool things.  I have the week broken down to give me some direction in making the most of this one on one time with her.  Last year I had tried to put together a whole preschool curriculum to do with my girls everyday but it was too big a task.  What I've been doing now has been working much better, it's more flexible and low maintenance just to help me remember to do something good with her in those few hours.  Here is our light weekly plan:

I like this little system because it just gives me an idea of what to do everyday.  Nothing is rigid or planned.  In the beginning we did really well for a few weeks.  Now I'd say we stick to it about half the time, combined with errands, my own school work, and some random activities.  

Basically though, this Hannah time has been magical and quite precious to us both.  She is an intense little girl sometimes but surprisingly she is also quite low maintenance.  Audrey and Eli seem to have similar personalities to each other.  In the show Avonlea, Janet says that Felix and Felicity are like squeaky wheels, but Cecily doesn't ask for a thing.  Right now Audrey and Eli are our squeaky wheels (not in a bad way)- talkative, curious, enthusiastic.  And Hannah is our Cecily, content to do her own thing most of the time.  It makes this time with her even more special because she is not demanding it from me.  

These pictures are gold to me!

Here is a perfect example of the unmatchable focus and steadiness of this girl.  She sat here by the little basketball hoop for a long long time.  When I finally came over to see what she was doing I had to laugh.  She was trying to balance this tiny Katerina Kitty doll in the net- and she would not rest until she had done it.  She didn't even care that I was taking pictures of her.  She just gets in the zone when she sets herself a task!

And then look at this face once she succeeded in her ever task!  It was so important to her and accomplishing it made her SO happy!

One of the random activities we did was a little fairy garden!  One reason Hannah is a great companion is because she sticks right with me through the planning and setting up phase of an activity.  We gathered some fairy size things around our house, got some dirt from our big flower pot, and put it all together.  The best part was the fairy house from Uncle Ross for Christmas a few years ago and the little furniture from other gifts gone by as well!  

It made for a magical time for us.

Happy days at home with this Hannah girl.