Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I am not mentioned nearly enough

My father's journal

-- November 1988

I enjoyed kneeling by 4-year-old Susannah's bed and discussing life's issues (popsicles and picnics) with her while Carole got Meridith ready for bed. Susie wanted to get into bed with Deborah and Elizabeth until Meridith stopped fussing. I told her that Elizabeth was practicing her violin and that it would be hard to go to sleep there, too. She said ever-so-innocently, "That's alright, Dad. I like music and can sleep with it." She is just so cute.






 -- April 8th 1989 [still 4-years-old]

Susannah kept telling me that she was planning that we would make sandwiches at home and go to the park for a picnic. When we finally got back [from the office], of course, we were all starved. It was nearly 2:00 p.m.
I came into the house, made a sardine sandwich and started to eat. I invited Susannah, but she refused. She said that she was going to have her mustard sandwich at the park when we go over for a picnic. I told her that it was probably too late for a picnic now, but that I would take her and Meridith during the week sometime. She went ahead, totally undaunted by my negative response and made her mustard sandwich, put it in a plastic bag, brought in a picnic jug from the backyard and began to wash it out. (I told her that it would need soap and helped her finish it.) She asked me to help make some orange juice for the jug and found some plastic tumblers. She then told me that her work was all done, i.e. she had made her bed and straightened her room, and that she was now totally ready for a picnic, and asked that I please take her right away!
Seeing her desire and her faith, I had no choice. I took her and Clarke over to the park where I could watch them play while listening to some Mozart and reading my European travel materials. We stayed for about an hour.



--April 15th 1989

Susannah is standing by my side telling me that she wants me to take her to a park where there are "...trees everywhere!" She is about as obsessed with playing at the park as I am with Mozart lately.


--December 1st 1989

Could I just say one more thing...how much I am enjoying my children. Last Monday I took Susannah with me to Salt Lake to pick up inventory and then to South Towne Mall to look things over and maybe get in a little walk. She is such a sweet child, and smart, too! I enjoy being her dad so much.

December 18th 1989

The other day, Susannah was watching television and came suddenly to find Carole and me to tell us that the "Cracknut" ballet was on.


also December 18th 1989

Susannah was my hand partner while we were looking at the lights. She is really so cute. Quite independent...she knows exactly what she wants, but she is also sensitive to others and is very affectionate. She fell on the slick sidewalk up on the hill where I parked the van and hurt her little legs, but soon she was better and playing happily with the other cousins.


--January 24th 1991

I think Susannah is such an interesting person; a combination of stubbornness, strong will, and sweetness. She has a talent for art. Her work is innovative. She has been constantly delivering love notes to Carole and me for the last several weeks. She has discovered our family computer this week and has spent a lot of time on it creating little works of art with MacPaint.

(emphasis mine, hahahaha, I was 6.)

--March 6th 1991

Susannah, who had just joined our early morning reading group, refused to read her verse. Carole coaxed her, but still, stubborn as Susannah is, she wouldn't read. I finally had to put my food down and command her to read. Susie fussed, but finally read.



My brother Clarke's journal

--November 19th 1989

Susannah is five. She likes playing with her sisters and brothers. She's nice. She's smart because she knows the meaning of things. She looks good in a lot of colors.


I haven't changed all that much, have I? haha
I love this one, hahah, oh my.

My father's journal

--January 13th 1992

[we were playing a marble game my dad had made up.]

Susannah was either the most talented marble flipper or the luckiest, she just kept winning.
At one point Deborah had lost all her orblets to Susannah and was sitting only as a spectator. I gave her the leader's job and stood up to talk with Mom in the kitchen. Immediately there was a commotion in the living room. Susannah was crying. Clarke was smirking. Deborah was gritting her teeth.

"Her hand went over the line," Clarke said "and she hit me, so I am taking all of my marbles and putting them away."
Clarke had usurped Deboarh's authority as judge. He ruled Susannah's flip as unqualified and confiscated her winnings. At that Susannah whacked him in the middle of his back with her fist (That's my spunky Susie!)  ...thats when Clarke took everyone's marbles away.



--January 1991

Susannah is such an interesting little girl. She is very stubborn. She is her own woman, but she is also quite reasonable. If you are patient and explain things to her, she understands and usually accepts what you are trying to teach her. It's her stubborn streak, though, that drives you mad sometimes!
Tonight for example, I knelt down with her for her prayers. Her prayers are very sweet and so sincere. When she was finished I said, "Now, right into bed!" She got right up and walked out!
I found her in the kitchen getting a drink. I said, "Don't drink that whole glass before bed." She promptly guzzled the whole thing! Really, she can be a challenge sometimes. I think her strong will will serve her well in later years, though. She will be a leader, not a follower.



Nope. Haven't changed a bit.

3 comments:

Sariah said...

It is SO COOL that you have these journal entries! It's great that your dad kept a journal and wrote down these little memories and impressions.

Deborah said...

Oh my gosh. You sound exactly like EZ. So gp and yet so lovey.

Sheesh.

Elizabeth said...

I think the marble story is just a classic. I could totally see the same thing or variation happening today.