Stages

In my many child development classes we have talk about and learned of the stages of development. Though I no longer have the details memorized I am aware of these stages still and I love watching the children around me go through them. In my brother’s family I have watched their first son go through many of these stages and followed by his two younger brothers. Even though these stages are basically the same for each child I am more fully understanding that each child goes through them and finds joy. Joy to be had from each and every child entering and succeed in these stages.

My youngest nephew is an expert crawler now and  you can see such pride in his eyes now that he has the mobility to keep up with his older brothers to some degree. They run into a room and off he goes crawling as fast as he can to follow by the time he gets there he is so pleased with himself that he does not even care that his brothers have already moved on and out of the room or area.

Watching him do this over the last while has gotten me thinking more about the stages, we all go through. Sometimes as adults we take it for granted and just expect it of them I noticed myself doing this. Instead we as adults should find joy also in each child that reaches these stages for the first time, because after all it is their first time!

Second Hand Flower

This past month was recital time, the children get to show off to whomever they wish to invite that which they  have  learned in their dance classes. As part of the dance, or it’s roots may have come from somewhere else, nonetheless it is customary to give a dancer flowers at the end of a recital. As a teacher I as well get flowers, yet not as a rule. Last year I received my first second hand flower. It took place like this: A dancer of mine just finished her very first dance recital and was given a bouquet of carnations. She was so excited she brought them up to me to show them off with radiating well earned pride. I congratulated her and showed her my flowers too, that another student had just given me. She smiled and asked who had given me the flowers. I told her simply one of the dancers. She looked at the flowers I was showing her and then to her own flowers. I figured she was thinking that she was lucky that she had flowers just like her teacher. Then what she did next surprised me and I almost didn’t accept it. She took one of the stems from her carnation bouquet and handed it to me. I opened my mouth to refuse yet something in her eyes stopped me she had thought this through and in her selflessness she wanted to give them to me. Stopping her would be denying her blessing of her selfless service.

This event almost slipped away from me forever until this almost exact event took place a couple of weeks ago. When a little dancer of mine brought me a carnation and it look like it had come from her bouquet. I recalled last year and grabbed at this memory. Learning once again from two children about observing those around you and making selfless decisions that helps another person.

I also learn from this experience that we as caregivers of children need to allow children opportunities to service and sacrifice, otherwise they will miss out on great learning and character building moments.

Grandma's Validation

Thanks to a few small events that have taken place over the last few weeks I am back at it. I am finding joy in my Mommy Moments I hope the same is true for you and that what I have to share might help in some small way.

I put my whole heart and soul into teaching dance and in its turn the recitals. Therefore one of the causes or effects of putting so much of myself into these children is that I call my dancers my children, and receive a lot of Mommy Moments from them.  This being the case it is wonderful when validation is given to me in this area.

My Mom came out this year to see my dancers perform in their various recitals and support me in it. I am so grateful not matter your age you want your parents to be proud of you and how you chose to live your life. The fact that she traveled a day to support me, in and of itself  gave me great joy. I introduce her to as many of the parents and other teachers as I could in the chaos of after dance recital. After introducing her to someone my attention was drawn away in another direction I heard my Mom say something to the effect of, “For her; her dancers are her children, so I needed to come and see my grandchildren.”

Simple words with a power punch effect on me. When your heart aches to be a mother, love and be loved by children, it can be quite a burden to carry. Even as I have come along this journey for and now am finding my Mommy Moments and have become a Moment Mommy. Negativity is all around waiting to come when our defenses start getting tired. This statement from my Mom, the grandma of over 50 Moment Grandchildren, validate me in my efforts to make the most of what life has given me. My strength is renewed and my hope restored.

A little late for Mother's Day however still as true. Thank You Mom for being there for me and supporting me and always helping me find the strength to keep going and becoming more!

What my Copy Cat Taught Me

We were all sitting around my friend’s kitchen bar with her little boy. Something was said and I laughed really hard just before this moment ended this little boy put his hand over his heart throwing his head back and laughing with exaggerated effort. This made me laugh more and then I realized that I too had my hand pressed to my heart as well. I continued laughing at how cute he was being, I then look over at my friend she was not doing the same as the two of us. She confirmed that he was indeed copying me and the way I laughed. I had no idea that I did this. He kept it up for a few more minutes seeing the reaction we gave him. He was very proud of himself and really so was I. I learned something about myself, that I had not realized. I suppose it takes a little copy cat child at times to really take a look at your self. Also helps me realize once again how much children are watching and learning from us, and that I better be living a life I want copied. Since this night I find how often I laugh this way.  

Seeds of Such Potential

This past weekend was General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and all others that want to hear, where we a global church get to hear the world from the mouth of prophets in our day! This is broadcasted in many different ways and languages so anyone that wishes can be a part.  I spent one of the days with my brother’s family, my three little nephews. Most of the time the boys played while the adults listen, which is to be expected at such a young age they don’t have the attention span for four hours of messages.

For a little while my oldest nephew came and snuggled up next to me on the couch and after seeing me take down some notes asked me what I was doing. I explained to him that when I heard words that touched my heart I wrote them down. This satisfied him and he settled back down next to me for the next few moments. I then wrote something down and he wanted to know what I wrote so I read it to him. He followed my response by asking what that meant. I explained the principle the best I could so he might understand. Then once again settled in next to me. A moment or two later he said something to the effect of, “ He said love; write it down.” So I did, for his four year old mind there are so many words he has no idea what they are so for him to pick out a word he understood is so amazing. He continued listening and picked out a couple more words like repentance, this time wanting to know what it meant, along with a few others. I turned to him and each time explained the best way I could that he might find some understanding, at some level. I did not get too much out of the message that was intended at the time but simply what was being taught to me by  my nephew, his willingness to learn and record what he was learning.

Children are always surprising in their ability to pick up on things and really just their desire to learn what they can. They are so full of potential to grow into something amazing if we guide them on their way, like that of a small seed that will grown in to a great plant. If we open our hearts we can learn from their learning as well.

Golden Egg

Last year for Easter I was with my nephews for their Easter Egg Hunt, along with my parents and siblings. They started a new tradition in their family that my sister-in-law grew up with so I was unaware of it. We were simply told that if we found ‘The Golden Egg’ we were to stop the hunt and gather together for a moment. The hunt began and after sometime the hunt was paused as we all gathered together around the golden egg. My sister-in-law then sat in front of her three boys and had the oldest open it up and show what was inside. There was nothing inside and this worried him. His mother went on to explain that this egg is like that of the tomb that Jesus Christ was buried in and on the third day He was no longer there. That he had risen and because of that we all can live with our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ and our families again. Because it was Empty!

It was a very short little lesson but after that my oldest nephew reverently closed the egg back up and respectfully gave it back to the finder of the egg, another aunt, with one more glance the moment was gone and it was back the the fun of the hunt.

This child perhaps did not grasp the whole meaning of what his mother said or maybe he did regardless he felt the spirit and understood something -if only children could tell us- and through his example my own testimony of Easter was strengthened. That Jesus Christ my (and your) Savior died for us and then on the third day rose again and reaches out to me (and you) we simply need reach out to Him.

They Say…

Children say things that are simply so cute that they must be shared, here are a few for your enjoyment. They do not contain a lesson or even a profound thought attached to them, these stories simply bring a smile to the face and lighten the heart.

Polka Dots

Sitting around our Learning Mat in one of my dance classes. I had a tap on my arm I look over at her and she said, “Miss Camilla I like your polka dots.” I thanked her out of reflects but then looked around me; I was not wearing anything with polka dots or did I bring anything with polka dots. I was about to ask her what she meant, when she touched my arm and point out my freckled covered arm, “These ones”! In my whole like I never thought of my freckles as polka dots.

Excuse Me

As a teacher assistant  it is my job to dance and demonstrate the moves correctly so the children can learn through example and the teacher can focus on how the class is progressing. Doing this I must be very aware so as not to crash into any of them. The children are still learning their own spacial awareness so naturally there are little bumps. With a quick sorry class does not miss a beat. This one time I had a near miss with a little girl and she declared in great surprise, “oh excuse me”.  She was so grown up and proper about it I had to chuckle and she repeated herself any time she got in another dancers way. Afterward she just kept dancing as though there was nothing out of the ordinary about a little 3 year old girl excusing herself when she was in another's way.

Smarty Pants

This final one took place when I was teaching in the BYU-Idaho’s preschool labs. (I have wanted to share this but couldn’t figure out how it was a Mommy Moment.) We were sitting down for circle time where mini lessons are taught. Another teacher was giving the lesson of the day and she told these children that she was going to ask them something hard so their better have their ‘Smarty Pants’ on. This little boy cried out in pure delight as he patten his own pants, “Smarty Pants!” He then proceeded to laugh his head off, like it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. For me and the other teacher it was something we would joke about the rest of the year.