Some Day

Some day I will be able to decorate my Christmas tree exactly the way I want it.  I won't have to use plastic ornaments, or string popcorn and cranberry garlands, and I will use any color scheme I so desire.  The ornaments won't be bunched up with big patches in between, because kids want to keep their special ornaments together.  There won't be a loud train constantly being turned on and then knocked off the tracks from the excitement of watching it go.
Some day I will be able to do holiday baking without interruption.  No one will cry because they are getting some orange slices with a cheese stick instead of the gingerbread girl with all the sprinkles.  Nothing will burn because I am dealing with baby drama.  Holiday treats will go out to the neighbors on time, instead of sporadically throughout the winter season and maybe even March.
Some day I will have to decorate my tree all by myself, without small hands to help.  I will be the only one to sing with John Denver and the Muppets; I will be the only one to see if all the lights are working.  It will be quiet and maybe even a little somber, instead being full of voices and joyful  impatience and life.  Ornaments will go up without the excitement that only comes from a child unwrapping a welcome surprise.
Some day all of my holiday baking will be done with efficiency and some degree of cleanliness as well.  There will be no small and warm body pressed against mine and the counter while we try to measure together. I will have to figure out what to bake by myself, without the help of strong and loud opinions or promises already made to teachers and friends. Instead, there will be rows of naked gingerbread people and no ideas as to what they should wear.
Although I may at times wish for Some day, I need to remember the little joys that I can be a part of today.

Thanksgiving and Lots of Other Stuff

I am angry.  Oh, I am absolutely furious.  And I am to blame.  I lost our camera's memory card while on the way to the store to print out pics.  I even had a little nagging thought that I should upload the pics to the computer first, but didn't because I am lazy.  So I lost everything on that card from our trip to Delta.  Sigh.
This first pic was going to be of all the snow we have received, so you could see how incredibly brave/crazy/delusional/stubborn we were to attempt the drive in the first place.  In fact, after it started snowing on Monday and didn't stop, we were all prepared to have Thanksgiving up here instead.  Then we got a phone call Thursday morning and were persuaded to try.  The roads were ice until Pocatello, where they miraculously started to clear up.  I swear there is an invisible weather line there, and up north things must stay icier and colder than down south of this line.
The next picture I wanted to show you was of Brandon and Braedon playing Wii basketball together.  Brandon dominated the game.  Not my word.  Braedon is getting a very fine BYU sports education.
Nadia had some toe drama and had to be driven from Delta to Springville.  I did not take any pics of this, either of the toe or of the drive.  That toe is something that not even a mother could love, and the drive is just kinda meh.
We started Brandon's birthday early, since we were with lots of cousins and grandparents.  We went to Nickel City and let the kids loose with bags of nickels for arcade games, and they also got to play laser tag.  This is where I could really kick myself.  I had pics of the kids playing and getting ready to unwrap presents and even of the little confectionary delights that go by the name of cupcake from Deseret Book.  Those were bites of heaven, my friends.  And pics that just can't be replaced.  Ugh.
We then went and saw our good friends the Styers, and had a great time visiting with them.  That should have been the end of the trip, but it wasn't.  After getting back on the road and merging onto the interstate, Cliff got a call from his high school best bud.  He and his family were currently in Salt Lake.  We couldn't miss that chance, and so we went to Temple Square and visited with them as well.  It was so well timed, and so wonderful to see them again!  I love to see Temple Square at Christmas time, and love to see old friends even more.
It was perfect.  The roads on the way home were okay, and we did have to take it slow from Tremonton UT all the way home, but I am so glad we left when we did.  The next day one of the big news items was how many cars were sliding off the road from Provo to Salt Lake. It would have been a miserable trip if we had waited!
So this week I am going to continue to hunt for that card, and then probably buy another one next week.  And I'll find the lost one right after that.

Sibling Revenge

Now that I have talked about all of my sibs, I thought it only fair to reveal a few embarrassing and maybe funny stories about myself, before any one hacked into my account and did it for me.
So what was I like as a child?  Well, my dad used to call me his "Stepford Child", referring that I was perfect.  Unfortunately, this isn't too far off the mark, and it makes for some creepy home video watching.  While some of my other siblings would sit for a few minutes and then start to spin the chair or suddenly do a cartwheel, I would sit in the chair, ramrod straight, with my arms folded. I was so still it's hard to tell if I was breathing.  My parents were "Mother" and "Father", and I enunciated every word like I was on an ESL program.
Did you know I used to be a hoarder?  Oh yes, I was.  And it was those little Pillsbury layered biscuits that I simply had to have.  I would gorge on them at dinner, and when no one was looking, I would slip a few onto my lap for later.  Then I would hide them in between the bed and dresser, or in my sock drawer.  See, Krista, it could be worse.
I used to have that Dorothy Hamill pageboy/bowl cut.  Look it up on Wikipedia and see the disaster that was my hair. I hated how short it was, especially compared to my sister's divinely lovely hair that went at least halfway down her back.  My parents finally let me grow out the back, so I had an almost mullet.  But being the incredibly serious child that I was, you can be sure that even with business in the front there wasn't a party in the back. Maybe a pleasant chat between friends, but never a party.
Did you know that I used to cry while reading a book or watching a movie?  And it didn't even have to be that good?  What am I saying, I still do that. You don't want to know how many tissues I went through when Dobby the house elf died in the last Harry Potter book.  J.K. Rowling is a monster.
So when did I become the incredibly chic, cool, suave and witty woman that I am today?  Ha!  I will tell you: I am the world's best actress.  It is all a front. I am still that little geeky girl just waiting to be exposed.  Which is why I find it amazing that people talk to me on a regular basis and actually invite me to things. 
And now you know more about me. 

Sibling Memories, Pt 4

John, John, John.  Tonight it is your turn.  Not that you even read this blog, but I certainly could never leave you out of all the fun. 
To start, I must make a confession: I am not, nor was I ever, that interested in The Tick cartoon.  But you were, and I wanted to do something and have something in common with you.  I mean, as great as it was to order Taco Bell with you, you can only talk about how good the bean burrito is for so long before you need another subject.  It was a great tool to get to know you better when we were getting older and didn't have the same friends or same interests even.  Okay, and maybe there were one or two parts that actually made me smile.  "Homer?  The Odyssey?!  Read a book!"
Steven once told me I was so nice that he could demand, not even ask nicely, but demand a million dollars and I would figure out a way to get it for him within a week.  Or maybe 24 hours.  I can't remember the time frame, but it was ridiculous and I am glad he never asked you, because you are really the one who would have done it.  You have always been "The nice one" in our family.  You always got up and made sure every one's soda or popcorn was topped off instead of just taking care of yours, like this older sis so often did.  You are still teaching me all the little ways it's possible to serve others.
Your comedy skills, on the other hand, have needed just the tiniest smidgen of help.  Like the time you told a boy I was dating that I was going to break up with him.  While he was making dinner for our family.  I had no idea what was wrong, other than that he looked a little ill, until after I had sent him out the door.  Of course when your comedic education is based on UHF, Dr. Demento, and Monty Python, there may not be as many people who get the subtlety you strove for.  It has improved with time, and you definitely make me laugh.
Do remember when you didn't like chocolate or anything green, not even green jello or kool-aid?  Let's just say you made dessert interesting.  And Saint Patrick's Day?  Forget about it. But as you grew older, you decided to give things a second or even 5th chance, and you are now quite the adventurous eater.  It's one of the many things I admire about you.
With all of the strong and opinionated people in our family, it would have been easy for you to just follow the path one of us had already set.  You have never done that, not when you were little and had your own language, and not now that you have become older and dj dances.  You were always calm and set in what you wanted to do, not what some else was telling you to do. It's a wonderful quality to have, and you definitely possess it.
So here's to you, my youngest brother who is now a menace to society: if only real menaces were like you, then the world would be a truly wonderful place. Now go and date that girl.

Sibling Memories, Pt 3

When my dad was a little boy, he often told people he would have thirteen little girls.  Little did he know they would all be rolled up into a tiny little ball and named Lauren.
I hated Lauren when we were young.  She was cute.  And I mean she was goldurn stinkin' cute.  I never was.  She had gorgeous long hair and looked amazing in those little frilly Sunday dresses.  I never did.  And she got everything.  You remember Cabbage Patch dolls?  She had two.  Me?  None.  Doesn't matter that I was too old to play with dolls, she got two. When we did home videos, she was the star, even when it was my turn.   
She was a Houdini growing up, and simply couldn't stay still.  But even when she climbed out of her crib and fell on the radiator, she was cute.  When she ate Dad's black licorice and had the juice all over her face, she was still cute.  Incredibly wrong for liking that nasty stuff, but the Licorice Monster was cute. The only time she wasn't cute was when we had to share a water bed and kicked each other.  And that is as far as I will concede on the kicking in bed front, Miss L.
I hate to admit it, but I am still a little jealous of her cuteness.  I have come to accept that she is the cute little kitty and I am the giraffe in the animal kingdom of our family, and that giraffes have some good qualities too, but man, there are days when I really wish the cuteness fairy had sprinkled just a little bit my way when she came and showered my little sis in cuteness.

After high school, Lauren suddenly became fun as well as cute.  Or more likely, I finally matured and realized she was a great sister and we had a lot in common.  We both miss European, especially German, Christmases.  Christmas in the States just doesn't compare. We are both chocoholics and love hot baths and reading.  We like spicy food, and are game to try just about anything once.  Shoes and purses call us by name and speak to us.
We did some pretty crazy stuff and still laugh about it.  There was the time I was driving after we had finally found some chocolate coins for Christmas.  The coins fell on the floor, and Lauren went after them, only to get stuck between my leg and the steering wheel.  Just a little awkward, and of course there was no shoulder, just two giggling girls. She could beat any boy in a belching contest with just one can of A&W root beer.  I'm also pretty sure she was the one who came up with the nickname for "Rainbow Brite", a guy I dated twice.
She grounds me.  I can't go longer than a week without talking to her on the phone. She still makes me laugh and giggle like we're about to do something silly and crazy again.  And I am sure we will.

Sibling Memories, Pt 2

Oh, Steven, where shall I begin?  With the time you shoved peas up your nose to get a laugh, only to discover they were actually stuck?  You always could make anything fun, even when it was kinda scary like not ever being able to breathe out of your nose again.
Or the fact that I now know why mom skipped the gray and went straight to white, because I have a 3 year old Steven of my own and the hair dye to prove it? And what is it with the two of you and always always ALWAYS hurting your heads?
You were always making us laugh and smile growing up.  Unless you were out taking another trip to the ER for stitches.  I remember one summer when you seemed to be making a trip a week there, and of course it was when we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa Soelberg, so not only did it look like you had crazy abusive parents, but that we had fled the country before any of the staff could get the police involved.  I will tell you, I often wondered with all of your head injuries why Mom didn't just do your stitches herself, since she had a sewing machine, because then it wouldn't take so long and maybe the thread would match better.
Do you remember when you almost killed John?  Of course you do.  I don't think that story will ever leave the family story tellings.  But then, you have never doubted yourself or your abilities, even when they involved you being Batman and flying with Robin (John) on the pulley swing.  I have never seen dad run so fast as when you lost your grip and landed on that skinny red headed brother of ours.
Or how about the time you decided to leave the house and take a walk by yourself?  Right after we had moved to a foreign country?  And when dad finally found you, you were eating ice cream by an old man in front of a little shop?  Absolutely no fear.  It is something I have always been a little jealous of, because I second guess and doubt myself all the time.
You could also be incredibly giving.  There was one day when I came home from work in tears because I had lost some money in the till.  My bosses didn't really care all that much about it, but I took it incredibly hard.  You gave me a little stuffed dog that you were going to give to a girl you had a crush on.   A girl who had really bad hair and skin, and was basically black mailing Steven to like her, just in case Sarah his wife is reading this.
But one of my favorite memories is when you were a news anchor in elementary school.  You read that news and turned to face the cameras like a pro. The other kids were lost the whole time, but never you. Boy, there are some guys who never get that professional even when they are paid for it.  And that comb over you had that started right over your ear was the icing on the cake of news announcing perfection.  
I think I will end this now, before the warrant for my arrest goes outside of California.  Oh yeah, being in the sheriff's dept in LA gets you a lot of pull.  Seriously, Steven, I think you are swell.  I'd let you write me a ticket anytime.  But not really.

Sibling Memories, Pt 1

Remember how I am keeping a gratitude journal on Facebook?  Well, it has finally decided to haunt me.  Or at least, my sister has.  You see, I recently wrote on there something about how I am thankful for siblings and all the crazy memories and love I have with and for them, and she called me out by asking me to expound. 
I take the challenge.  All week, I will be writing memories I have of my siblings, and seeing as how none of them live close, except the youngest who I am positive doesn't read my blog because it doesn't have anything to do with Halo or Mario, I can say anything.  Mwah hah hah hah hah!  (Evil laughter)
Tonight, I begin with my brother Jacob, who is currently in Afghanistan, and can not kill me.  At least not for another 10 1/2 months.
Things I remember about him...
I remember when he had braces.  He was the first in our family, and I remember thinking what a cry baby he was on tightening day, especially when there was no more yogurt or ice cream in the house.  Then I got braces on my bottom teeth after my mission, when I was working in the military dental clinic in Germany. Easy peasy, I thought.  Later that evening, I went to institute, where we would have a meal before starting class.  I had taken several bites of soup when the spoon barely tapped one of my teeth.  I calmly but quickly made my way to the bathroom to see how many of my bottom teeth had fallen out from that spoon incident, only to discover they were all intact, even if I had never felt such agonizing pain in my life.  I have never doubted that my brother has a high pain thresh hold after that.
He is a fantastic athlete.  He did cross country in high school, and played on a special "talented" basketball team..  After we moved back to the States, both ice and street hockey were added to the mix. He now runs 6 minute miles, 4 miles at a time, for his regular workout, with some other things thrown in to keep it interesting.
Then there were the times we played GI Joes and Star Wars together (what a nice brother!).  Even after I was done with Barbies, I had a hard time letting those little figurines go, and it was because Jacob made it fun. He was so creative with Legos and came up with awesome spaceships and guns, and had all the cool sound effects to go with them. He let me drive around with him in the trunk of my car (in my defense, there were 9 of us in front, and he simply would not fit),  and he was dragged out of bed like me to watch scary movies with my dad.  Oh, and how many times were we thought to be an incredibly handsome couple when we went to institute together?  Or the lady who took our missionary pictures and I swear pulled out a wooden spoon because we weren't sitting close together?  "Sit closer!  Pretend you like each other!  CLOSER!!!"
Good times, good times.  Keep safe, Jacob, and Ah luff yew.  

The Little Things

I have been thinking of things to be thankful for this month, in recognition of Thanksgiving.  I think it's a holiday that gets the shaft, being squeezed in between the costumes and candy of Halloween and the Spiritualness and presents of Christmas.  It should be less about the Alka-seltzer and over eating with a football game thrown in and more about how thankful we should be for all our blessings.
It has been in this vein that I have posted something on my status every day on Facebook about something that I am thankful for.  It's been pretty easy so far, and it makes me think more with the "Attitude of Gratitude" mindset during the day.
Something I am very grateful for that I haven't yet mentioned is the humor I get every day as a mom.  I love some of the things my kids say.  They don't always know it, but boy, do they make me smile.
Benjamin asked me the other day if he could have a drink of eggnog.  Oh, we party hard in the Sharp household and have eggnog from October to February, or whenever the store finally runs out.  I told him there wasn't enough for every one, so he needed to find something else to drink.  He sat at the table, started rubbing his chin, and thought.  Then he came back at me with, "I think I would like something that tastes like eggnog." "Like what?"  I asked. I was thinking something sweet, like maybe hot chocolate.  "Like eggnog."
Brandon was complaining to a friend that he (the friend) was better than Brandon in everything.  The friend replied, "That's not true, Brandon.  You are a better reader than me.  Much better."  I was very impressed, and waited for Brandon to thank him. Brandon smiled and said, "What else am I better at?"
Nadia is learning colloquialisms and those little phrases we all say but don't necessarily understand or even get right.  My favorite from her was when I answered a question quickly and she said, "Wow  mom, you got that right off the back."
All the snot, drool, and worse is worth it for those little nuggets and the smiles I get from these four amazing children.

Halloween 2010

 This is Nadia's costume for Halloween.  She was an angel, with glitter in her hair and wings on her back.  I wouldn't let her have a trumpet, though.

 Brandon was a ninja.  So was Ben.  I was going to make ninja stars for them, but then realized that my two boys +  ninja stars = trouble. 

 Ben only wore his whole costume Halloween night.  But he loved putting on the little ninja shirt I made for him.  Uncle John dressed up as a GI Joe.  Ben couldn't leave his gun alone.

This was another costume that Ben's been wearing lately: the knight costume.  He has been fighting me on nap time the last few days, but apparently this dragon mom knows better than the nightie-knight boy.

Nadia is Nine

 Nadia turned nine last Monday.  I can't believe she is so old!  We went to Leo's Place for pizza and the play area, watched "Despicable Me", (very cute) and had a birthday dinner with the family.  Dinner of choice?  Spaghetti with meatballs.

 She just wanted a simple chocolate cake this year.  Maybe she's getting old enough to realize I just make wrecks out of the cakes, or maybe she was more interested in chocolate this year.  I am not asking.

 This was the big present this year:  her very own boombox!  Now she can close her door and listen to music all afternoon and ignore the rest of us.  Wait, isn't that supposed to happen in a few more years?  Are we really getting to the "Tween" stage with all its drama?

Well, at least Caleb is still small.  For now.

Totally Awesome Is Totally Gone

 I must make a confession:  one of the biggest reasons why I haven't posted very much recently is because we just got a new computer.  I am still figuring out what is on here, what programs need to be reinstalled, and how incredibly stupid I am because the programs that are already installed are so incredibly different than what we had before.  I sometimes think that computer programmers hate us normal people and are getting their revenge on us all for not saying hi in the hallway back in school by changing everything they possibly can while still keeping the name of the program the same.
On the left is the new hotness.  On the right is the totally awesome, totally old tower.  It was about 7 years old, which is 3,876 years for a computer. 

 
Funny story- when we went in to stores to look at new models, Cliff told one of the guys that he couldn't tell how much memory the tower had.  It just said something about an eye-teebee.  Come to find out, that means one terabyte.  1 TB.  We knew we were way out of our league after that.
This is the external hard drive that holds all of the memory on our old computer.  ALL of it.  Our new computer has over 10 times the space that our old one did, even with upgrades over the years.

And now that I know my pictures are no longer lost in cyberspace and are posting in a regular manner, let the blogging begin.  Again.

Rant on Wednesday

A long time ago, there was a little rhyme that told you the days of the week and the chore (or chores) to be accomplished on that day.  I think it went something like, "Bake on Monday, mend on Tuesday, wash on Wednesday"...and of course I can't remember the rest.  After this past week, however, I am certain that ranting went right along with the washing.  It would take some serious motivation (or frustration) to wash all the clothes on an old scrub board, and let me tell you, I have it right now.  Maybe that's why I bake so much and still haven't gotten a mixer-I take it all out in the mixing and kneading.
So what am I all worked up about?  Here's the list:
I took the boys to the store with me to finish getting Halloween things and look at present ideas for Nadia.  They were pretty excited to come with me, until it was time to look for stuff for Miss N.  Brandon asked why couldn't we just get her a card and be done, because there were toys for boys to look at the next aisle over.  I almost told him that it was a great idea, and we'd do it for him, too, but he'd already had one meltdown in the store.
What was that from?  From me telling him I wasn't buying Caleb a Star Wars Clone costume for $20.  He was a little upset, and then decided that maybe it was okay if Caleb went as an elephant or pea pod instead.  Umm, no, those were all still $15 to $20, and why am I spending that on something Caleb will wear for MAYBE 3 hours one evening?  He has a pair of overalls, and pair that with a good plaid shirt and one of the dress up hats, we have a cute little farmer.  Apparently, this wasn't good enough, and thus was born the first meltdown.
Not to leave anyone out, I must confess that I also had a meltdown when I realized how much we were spending on Halloween.  Who knew that an angel, 2 ninjas and a farmer would be so spendy?  And time consuming?  Or am I just being the Grinch of Halloween since we just finished off paying the children's dental bill?
That of course left Ben being the only mature one of the group that evening.  So now I will tattle on him.  What is the deal with 3 year olds cuddling up to you when they are sick?  And then whispering in your ear, "My mouth is hot," just before the tidal wave bursts the dam?  Huh?  What did we ever do to you (besides the whole potty training debacle) to deserve that?  And why do they always always ALWAYS eat or drink something red right before they spew?  Fortunately, this time it was Cliff and not me.  Hey, I call it like I see it, babe, and I still had to clean up the whole mess, so we're at least even on this one.
Family Home Evening this week was a painful experience as well.  I thought we would talk about Moses freeing the Isrealites, and how when we do what the prophet says, we stay safe.  Unfortunately, I went way too far in the background story, and they lost attention until the Angel of Death came around.  Then we got all kinds of questions.
"So the blood was on the door or on the door frame?  'Cause that would be confusing if it was on the door."
"Does Jesus kill us if we don't obey?"
"Is there a real Angel of Death?  Does he still look around doors?"
"But if it's night, how does the Angel know if there's blood or not?"
I kid you not, these were all questions asked and then answered.  But not by me, because at that point, I was just trying to wrap it up and not kill any one after being either interrupted or ignored the entire lesson.  I will not stray from the Gospel Art Kit lesson again.
Well, I just heard the timer.  Time to take another loaf out and punch, er I mean put another loaf in the oven...

M is for Masochism

As the mother of 4 children, I am asked the following question:  "Why?"  I know, that surprises some of you, but people do ask me why I have 4 children, and if they are truly brave, cringe as they ask the follow-up, "Will you have more?" 
There is just one answer to both questions:  I am a masochist.  It is the reason I became a mother in the first place.  Why else would I purposely decide to go through at least 10 years of short hair and write "Not Tissue"  on the lower half of all my pants?
I have joined a preschool group.  Or more accurately, I have volunteered to help teach 5 smiling terrors once a month, with a 3 week reprieve between torture sessions.  Now, those of you who have not fallen off your chairs laughing at this are probably wondering what the big deal is.  Well, it's pretty simple: I am not a teacher.  I am an excellent enforcer, as my children will all tell you, but I am still learning how to teach.  Except for the whole slow neck roll with lots of cracking noises, I could probably teach that, but once again, that's because I am an enforcer. 
Monday was my first teaching experience.  We did F is for Fire Fighter.  I was going with F is for Fish or Frog at first, but couldn't find enough stuff for younger children.  The boys came over at 10, and were slated to leave at 11:30.  I was trying to not get too nervous and convince myself it would be like educational babysitting, and that it would go by in a flash.
At 11:45, all the boys were out the door, and it was safe for me to curl up in a ball and cry.  In a different room than Ben of course, because he had a great time.  We played Smoke, Smoke, Fire (Duck, Duck, Goose), read books about fire fighters and fire safety, and watched a video about a fire fighter and his equipment. At the end, the boys got fire fighter badges and free time to just play.
Sounds like a pretty normal, somewhat educational preschool experience, right?  Now remember that there are FIVE of them, and they are all BOYS.  I also had a little screamer named Caleb who wanted to be held the entire time.  I had to hide the trains, keep attention focused, make sure no one cried (too hard, anyway), and  keep them all in a similar condition to when they arrived.  That is EXHAUSTING work!  I don't know how teachers do it!
So, in two weeks I am in charge of the letter H.  Any ideas? Or ways to keep my sanity that don't involve chairs and duct tape?

A Few of My Favorite Things

Nadia has become quite the mama's helper.  She wants to help me make dinner every night, and not just set the table.  She wants to brown the hamburger or cut the tomatoes.  I'm having a bit of a hard time telling her she is still helping me even if it's just putting the frozen broccoli in the microwave, but I love that she wants to learn and help.

Brandon had a lesson on Sunday about our talents.  He told us all about it after church, as well as how he wants to work on some talents this week.  What does he want to work on?  Shooting marbles and card shuffling.

I killed a spider this morning.  After the carnage was over, Benjamin asked if he could flush it down the toilet.  I said yes.  Then I heard this:  "You're going down, Spider!"  "I will flush you!"  He was respectful at the end by refraining from any evil/bad guy laughter, but it still made me giggle.

Caleb has decided that yelling is very good entertainment for the rest of us.  But he is such a cutie with that little tooth that it doesn't matter.

24

Have you ever seen the show "24"?  Cliff is watching it during lulls at work right now.  He tried to get me interested as well, but I can't get over the president being the All State Insurance guy.  I keep waiting for him to be in some tense meeting and ask everyone at the table if they are in good hands.  Not the best thing to be thinking during a prison breakout that includes the man who you tried to kill before he plunged his country into anarchy.  Anyway, the show is about a guy named Jack and all the crazy things that happen to him during a 24 hour period as a member of some CIA/FBI/security thingy.  The other reason I can't watch it is because even though Jack may have a bad day now and then with a possible nuke attack on LA during the Oscars, my days are much more challenging in general.  Take yesterday, for example.

0600-0700  Sleeping and then waking up.  Okay, so maybe this hour wasn't the most hectic, but while waking up and going over my to do list, I realized it was going to be a busy day. On the other hand, since I am NOT a morning person, this is probably the most panic-filled hour for the rest of my family.

0700-0800  Get kids and myself ready for the day and out the door for school.  Get the boy I babysit every day.  Plan a trip to the library, and do the dishes sooner rather than later because there is a smell in the kitchen.  I bet Jack never has stinky dishes.

0800-0900  Realize that Caleb may not be cooperative to any plans I have set for the day.  We are on the 3rd feeding of the morning, and have had pears with oatmeal.  Hope the boys don't mind watching Backyardigans while I take care of the baby.  Wonder what is upsetting my allergies so much.

0900-1000  Discover that the boys are puppies named Bolt and Mcgowski.  Don't ask.  Become a puppy trainer and feed them fruit snacks for properly performed tricks.  Is that weird?  Get the library books and a few of ours ready to return to the library.

1000-1100  Get custody of my parents' dog, Sampson, who is part Basset Hound and part drooling vulture. Put dogs in back yard, buckle kids up, and head to library and park.  Go to story time, where we hear stories about owls and make owl faces.  Find books not related to owls in any way and wonder if Jack has tried hooting repeatedly like an owl to get info from terrorists.  It could be a great way to do a "safe" interrogation.

1100-1200  Finish up at the library, retrieve the books from home (thank you, observant library lady!), and come home to start lunch.  Wonder why the kitchen still smells funny after dishes are washed and floor was mopped just yesterday.

1200-1300 Eat lunch with boys, some of whom are more patient than others.  Yes, Caleb, I am calling you out. Wipe down counters and cook top to see if that gets rid of smell.  Read new library books and get ready for quiet time.

1300-1400  Quiet time.  Not that it is, really.  Ben refuses to lay down.  Boy's mother comes to get him and my youngest two so I can take the dog to the vet.  Try to think of ways to pay for vet visit if over $200, and is dog really worth it if it costs $2,000?  Hear pres/All State guy say that she's not in good hands.

1400-1600  Take dog to vet.  Feel like a terrible person for not loving my dog enough, but let's face it, we have a LOT of other expenses and the dog is way at the bottom of the list.  Fill out forms, wonder if I am bad because I don't know if she's allergic to anything, and try to get her to step on the scale.  Visit goes down hill really fast after that.

1600-1700  Get back from vet.  Had no idea the dog could shed that much.  On me.  She just has a cyst, probably nothing serious, we just need to keep an eye on it.  Pick up kids, get them started on homework and chores, am amazed they ask for a snack after seeing them eat popcorn at friends' house.

1700-1800  Benjamin is not potty trained.  Wonder if Karma is blog-stalking me, or if Ben is just trying to get even after I fed him peas last night.  Caleb soldier crawls to the lamp and knocks it onto himself.  Take care of Caleb first because he has a possible head injury and is crying louder.  Ben falls asleep on the couch.

1800-1900  My hero arrives.  It's not Jack.  He takes care of dinner, asks why the kitchen smells funny, and moves the fridge to see if there's anything behind it.  I clean up Ben and the bathroom.  After eating, I start to get a fruit plate ready for Book Club.  One of the dogs vomits.  Cliff cleans it up.

1900-2030  Book Club.  My darling husband takes the kids downstairs and distracts them for me.  Except for Ben, who decides that the ladies upstairs must be pretty bored without him.  Wonder if Jack plays Halo or other violent games after wrestling with mass murderers and other crazies at work.

2030-2100  Get kids in bed and try to keep them there.  Watch a show on Hulu.

2100-2200  Wonder why on earth I am still awake.  And why don't I have a Cherry Coke and some chips? Watch another show.

2200-2100  Finally go to bed, but not to sleep.  Already starting on tomorrow's list.

2100-0600  Try to breathe, try to sleep, realize the two will not work together. Oh well. Now understand why Jack never looks rested. He has allergies, too.

Pros and Cons

Clifford is on a diet.
Pro: a diet change will help his medication help him to lose weight and get healthier.
Con:  a low-carb diet does not fit well with my lactose-free diet and new idea of adding more vegetarian meals like the Word of Wisdom suggests. Any suggestions for a week of meals consisting of only spinach, lettuce, and cauliflower, anyone?

Sarah has a broken filling.
Pro:  being a former dental assistant, I automatically knew what it was.  Okay, so just about anyone could have seen the huge hole in my tooth and known there was some sort of issue.
Con:  being a former dental assistant, I have a rough idea of what it will cost to fix it.  Sigh.  And we just finished paying off the kids' dental work.

Nadia wants to be home-schooled.
Pro:  homeschooling would be a great way to keep her ahead academically.
Con:  she is still a little nervous about the changes with a new school year, and would hate to be home every day for school.  So would I, to be honest.

Brandon got a haircut at home.
Pro:  he didn't cry this time or tell me that Lance does a MUCH better job.
Con:  he has a bald spot in front where he had been twirling, then pulling his hair.  Very noticeable now.

Benjamin is potty trained.
Pro:  no more diapers or expensive pull-ups to buy.
Con:  he has to take a trip at least twice during Sacrament meeting.  Usually when Caleb is about to fall asleep and Cliff is up front because he needs to direct the music.  And one of these trips will be a false alarm.

Caleb is still nursing and refuses a bottle.
Pro:  we don't have to buy any formula. And I'm hoping he sucks all the fat right out of me.
Con: he is back on a 2 hour feed schedule even with the cereal and baby food.  The boy better have a serious growth spurt soon.  He probably isn't sucking out any of my fat, either.  The little turkey.

Twisted Correction

I take it back.  Benjamin is not potty trained.  Entirely.  He gets the idea, and usually does what he is supposed to, but tonight, he decided to let Daddy see what it is like in the life of Mommy.
While I was running to the store to get some food for dinner, since the kids really weren't in the mood for twigs and bark or my jokes, Benjamin had an accident.  I tell you this with a a sort of half smile and lots of compassion for my husband, while at the same time, my heart is doing a happy dance and singing, "It's not just me, it's not just me..."
My sister and I were just having this discussion, you see.  Why is it that it seems so easy for Daddies to put kids down for naps, help them eat their veggies, or go potty?  Why do children give Daddies so many breaks?
Then something like today happens, and while I am very sorry that it did, it makes me feel better.  Unless you are Cliff and reading this, in which case it just makes me very very sad.    :(

Disgusted and Amazed

Benjamin is potty trained.  I am not disgusted by this in the least, but the story of how it happened is way up there. 
You see, I have been working with him for a long time.  I mean a LONG long longlonglong time.  And the boy has the knack.  It is not a good thing.  I would sit him down, wait with him for something to happen, and within 5 minutes, something would indeed occur.  Unfortunately, it wasn't anything to do with the toilet.  It was always some one else who needed my attention, and so I had to go help.  Or answer the door or let the dog out or you get my point. 
Those three minutes when I had to grab Nadia a towel because she forgot one, or Brandon couldn't find any pants, or I was telling some one I really wasn't interested in weed prevention for my lawn unless it included a potty training program, were the three minutes he would jump off the porcelain (or, in this case, plastic Froggy) throne and make a run for it to do his business somewhere else. 
On Saturday, Cliff was home.  He saw that there was a need to go and sit with his son in the bathroom.  So, he did.  And something miraculous and absolutely mind blowing happened.  In the toilet. 
I asked him later what he had promised the Smiling Terror in return for keeping his pants clean.  World Peace?  A million dollars?  Pie? 
He shrugged and replied, "I saw that he wanted to get off, and just told him it would be fun if he stayed on the toilet and finished."  Benjamin stayed on and has now joined the potty trained club.  Absolutely disgusting.  And amazing.

Not So Happy Camper

Caleb just got a new tooth.  You can barely see it in this pic.
 He hasn't been my Happy Camper because of it.
Too bad #2 won't give him a break in between.  It's starting to erupt right now.

Poor little boy.

4 Wheeling Fun

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Saturday Is a Messy Day

Saturday was the day of mess.  Not just one, but many, and ALL DAY.  And, of course, it was the day I had put all of my procrastinating hopes and desperate errands into. 
It even started out fairly well.  The kids and Cliff went camping for the night with my dad, and we all met up for breakfast the next morning at my parents' house.  It was wonderful, and I was glad that everyone was coming back home.  It was just too quiet without them, and it didn't help that I decided to watch Veronica Mars find the body of a girl in the ratty hotel ice machine.  Just the thing to help me go to sleep.  All by myself.  In my big creaky house.  At least Cliff talked me out of buying that huge body sized ice machine and putting it in the basement.
Anyway, after every one was home, I went downstairs to start some laundry and found the first mess.  Water was dripping from the ceiling in the laundry room.  I told Cliff, who was trying to sleep because he and a stick decided to fight all night over who had the right to sleep on a certain piece of ground, and he came down to stare at the huge ceiling paint water balloon that was forming and still dripping ominously. 
I ran outside to where Nadia was both drowning and washing our dog, and told her to turn the water off.  Back inside, Cliff found a bucket and poked a hole into the first big water balloon before I could take a picture of it.  Yeah, I told him next time we have a house catastrophe he needs to take a picture of it first so I can blog.  And maybe show the insurance people later.  The man really needs to look at his priorities in a crisis. 
The ceiling was still leaking, so Cliff turned off the water to the house and went online to check to see what we needed to do insurance-wise.  Good to see that we would be covered, but we still weren't quite sure what was causing the leak.  No laundry happened.
While this was going on, I went on to vacuuming.  Hey, chores still needed to get done, right?  I started on that and also started to wonder what would happen on Sunday and Monday if the water was still off.  We had stinky camp people, piles of school clothes to wash, and small bladders.  More small bladders would be joining us on Monday, as I have agreed to some babysitting during this new school year, and if the water was off in order to fix a pipe, what was I going to do?
So, we now have a water mess, a babysitting mess, and a floor mess because the vacuum was just moving the dog hair into neat little lines.
I was too angry to cry.  We were just barely getting ahead of our medical/dental bills, and now this.  I angrily tore the vacuum apart to find the problem.  I checked all the filters (there are 3) for clogs, the belt, the canister, and then the entire length of the hose.  Do you know what I found?  A sock and a bouncy ball. 
While reassembling the monster, Benjamin came up and asked me if I had seen a ball that he had "put away" in the vacuum.  I think I need to have another talk about how we help with cleaning up and chores.  It did give me a good laugh, though.
I came up to the kitchen to make lunch when I found the next mess.  Brandon had decided to get some koolaid, and spilled.  I am okay with that, but not with the whole leaving it on the floor until some one finds it with her foot.  He had to clean it up. 
We found out that the laundry room mess was caused by Nadia washing the dog and the house at the same time.  There is no caulking or sealant underneath the sliding glass door that goes to the back yard.  Hmmm.  Maybe that explains the frozen laundry room water pipes every winter.  Water was turned back on in the house.
I decided to rinse up any sticky residue in the kitchen before we left to go to the Chukars baseball game.  This was the final mess.  There was a pinhole leak in the water line to the fridge.  Brandon had spilled very little, and the rest had been from this leak.  We turned off the water to the fridge and will get a little coupling piece to fix it.  In the mean time, our ice maker is off.  Which is just fine with me.

War of the Wills

I am currently in a major battle with my children.  Mind you, if you see us, it will look like everything is normal.  But it is not.  We may be going through the motions of every day and the carnage may not be visible, but my dear friends, looks can be deceiving.  Let me tell you about it.

Nadia and Brandon are getting ready to go back to school.  Now, depending on the day or what disaster has recently happened, I am either very happy or very very happy about this.  Yeah, that's right.  No sadness at all.  These two have decided that the cool thing right now is to ignore Mom and just do what they want, and I am pretty sick of it. 
I think part of the new problem is that they are nervous about school starting, who will be in their class, who the teacher is, etc.  We find all that out on Thursday night.  School starts on Monday. 
This does not give them the right to ignore me or pull attitude, however.  How shall I engage on this battle front?  With the sneak attack.  I have agreed to watch some good friends of theirs in the afternoon.  Plus, I don't think they realize how much fun time will be cut with the beginning of school.  There are only so many hours left after school, chores, and homework.  What a shame it will be to let friends play with their toys or ride their bikes while mine are left to wallow on their beds.  Oh, and I will make sure to rub it all in.  Yeah, I checked, the Geneva Convention is cool with it.  Perfectly legal and perfectly evil. I am going to break them.

Benjamin is the bane of my existence right now.  Do you know why I call him the Smiling Terror?  This story and the background info should clear it right up for you. 
We have been potty training for about a month.  I tried to get it done before my trip out to see my sis in VA, and we had made some good progress.  It went a little down hill at grandma's, but really, can you blame a 3 year old who is getting spoiled every day for not always remembering to use the facilities? 
When I came back, we started back up again full time, and things seemed to be going well.  Until I realized that Ben will not go #2 on the toilet.  I have tried bribery, treats, shown him the cool big boy underwear he can have as soon as he keeps dry all the time, and have even gone so far as to give him cold showers.  This is what we had to do with Brandon, and I hated it.  But it worked. 
What I am really worried about is that none of these tactics have yet proved to be effective, and the other Sunday, he was quite insubordinate.  Let me set the picture for you:  it was the last 5 minutes or so of Sacrament meeting, and I was starting to clean up the crayons and such.  Cliff was up front, since he is the new ward chorister, and Benjamin started to help me put things away.  He picked up a crayon, then turned and smiled at me.  Then his eyebrows went red.  For anyone without fair children, this is the sign that business is about to occur.  Like, within the next 15 seconds.  What was I supposed to do?  Oh, and did I mention Caleb was sleeping on my lap at the time?  And the last speaker was still bearing his testimony?  I was stuck.  So instead of grabbing him by the arms and yelling, "HOLD IT!!!" as I ran down the aisle and out the door, I had to quietly watch my defeat.  It was over in under a minute.  We went quietly to the rest room, where we had yet another talk about how appropriate places to go do not include in your pants. 
I am still stumped on a line of attack for this one.  All I know is it is ON.

Tiles

 Oh, I am finally back.  Don't ask me why, maybe it's the strain of trying to potty train a stubborn 3 year old, but I just haven't had the energy to blog lately.  Until I realized that none of you have seen my new kitchen tile, and what a truly rude and selfish thing it would be to not let everyone see it.  This first pic is of the tile and everyone helping to clean it, which will never happen again.  It is a definite go in the "I will scrapbook everything we have ever done...some day" pile of pics.

 This is the before pic.  Can you see why I didn't ever want to spend time in my kitchen?  Do you know how depressing it is to try to clean this, have the floor eat your mop, and after all your hard work, it still looked dirty?

 This is the close up.  I chose a 20 inch tile with a thinner 1/8 to 1/4 inch grout line. Yes, I like flirting with danger.  In alabaster. It is the same color as the lighter shading in the tile.  I really worried about those choices and whether or not they would all tie together with what we currently had in the kitchen, and almost went with a different colored tile and grout scheme.  Or theme.  Or thing. Or whatever.  Hey, I'm a stay at home mom, not a designer.

Look at that.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Now if only I had the same luck with my hair coloring choices.  But that is a different post all together. 

And There Was Light

From the Book of Sarah:
Chapter 7
1: There was, in a far off country, a kitchen with much darkness even in the summer. And lo, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the darkness of the kitchen, even with many curtains opened, and Sarah did cry out even unto her husband and father about the darkness thereof.
2: And Sarah was much in luck, for they did hear her many cries and whinings.
3: There was also a wise brother-in-law who did suggest the use of canned lighting, and the husband and father did go and find and even put in the canned lighting.
4: And there was light.
5: But no new cool floor. Yet.

Is It Really Only July?

Boy, have we been busy the last few weeks. We had a 2 week vacation down in Utah, and got back last week. I have been cleaning ever since, but let's face it, when all the kids are home the best you can do is current damage control. Getting ahead has to come later.
So what have we done on this wild and wacky 2 week adventure? Well, to start, we stayed in Santaquin with Cliff's bro and his family. We left I.F. after Brandon's morning T-ball game. He got all three outs during the inning he played catcher, by the way. He has really enjoyed playing. Cliff helped his bro put up some dry wall in their unfinished basement, and we let the kids play. Later on, we went up the canyon by their house and roasted hot dogs and Smore's over a fire. They hiked around and threw things in the little river, and then it was time to head home. We went to church with them, except for Cliff, who sang with his mother in Delta. He headed back up to I.F. with his dad and the dog, and they all came back down that Wednesday evening.
While Cliff was working for a living, we had fun with the cousins. We broke out the Slip and Slide, went to the Red Barn for ice cream, made crafts, and had a picnic and swam at Spanish Fork Reservoir until Aunt Jennie cursed us with thunderstorms. Thanks, Jennie. No, really, it was a lot of fun to be there, and thank you for keeping us for a whole week.
Wednesday afternoon the kids and I drove over to Delta to wait for everyone else. Cliff and his Dad arrived around 11:30, and the next day cousins started to show up. We were pretty busy riding bikes, especially Brandon, who had to learn to ride a bike without training wheels in order to be in the bike parade.
He made it, and on Friday night Brandon and all the others took their decorated bikes and rode in the Children's Bike Parade. They were all so excited to participate!
Saturday came, and with it, all the 4th of July festivities. Cliff sang the National Anthem after the parade and before all the talks, and then he sang again that afternoon in the talent show.
My batteries died after the first pic of the parade, so no videos of Joe dancing to the marching bands or of the kids riding on horses. They had a lot of fun going to all the different booths and playing games. They went to see the fireworks that evening after we did our own perfectly legal small show with lots of water and supervision. My bro who works in the Sheriff's dept. in CA reads this blog.
Oh, the food, the food! We had carne asada, grilled by the grill master himself, shish kebabs, a great BBQ with Cliff's other bro, a flag cake, and I better stop now before I ruin all the hard work I've had to put in since then to make sure I still fit in my britches.
So why haven't I posted about any of this earlier? I have been exhausted. While on vacation, I had a nephew and then a niece born. I am still recovering. Whew!
Here's what's up next on the list of summer fun: the kids are going to take swim lessons, Ben is getting potty trained (we've already started and it's going MUCH better than I thought) and then at the end of the month, I am flying out to see my sis in VA. Yahooo!!!
Below are 2 slide shows to show you all the fun.

Fish Lake

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Delta and Santaquin

Scrapbook design made with Smilebox

Concrete Countertops

Another milestone reached in the kitchen remodel: WE HAVE COUNTERTOPS!!! I can actually use my kitchen again! I can put things and clean things in the kitchen!

Cliff and I decided to go with concrete countertops and backsplash. Here are the results.

I really like it; it's a granite stone wash look done in chocolate with white, ivory, and black. On Tuesday we priced out tile for the floor. We are getting so close to being done! :)

Daddy's Great

Ah yes, the third Sunday in June has come, and with it, the chance to treat those fathers we hold dear to wonderful gifts and treats. This year Cliff asked for a new set of scriptures and a bag with a handle. Done and done, although there is a bit of a funny story with the bag. The kids originally found another one, with a little cargo mesh pocket and compass on front, which Nadia thought was perfect since daddy gets lost at church all the time. Then Brandon saw this basketball bag and all discussion was over. Even though he prefers baseball, the kids knew he would love it and use it. And he does.
Now besides the scriptures and new case, Cliff also got beef jerky and a nap. These are required to make Father's Day an official holiday. I don't know which one he liked more, but they were both enjoyed greatly. We love you, daddy!

Cars and Camping

The boys recently had two Father and Son outings: one in our ward, and the other with my dad. The first one was a derby for the the males to show how creative and crafty they are with tools, paint, and decals. This is the Sharp car, which Brandon named the Pirate Racer. Arr.
He wanted to name it Speed Racer, but Cliff convinced him to think of a name that went with the pirate theme. Brandon was disappointed that daddy couldn't make it look like the Ferrari picture he found online, and also when it didn't win every time. But he did still have fun.
Cliff was also supposed to make and bring a treat to share, and I am sure that if we looked on a chart, the results for treats would have looked a little like this: 50% chips with some kind of dip, 10% assorted grilled meats, and the rest would be something that the husband had begged and pleaded his wife to make for him anyway. We fell into the last category because I am a sucker, and made banana pudding.

My dad's ward had a Father and Son campout, and since all of his sons are in different states and he likes Clifford the best anyway, he invited him and our boys to come. Brandon was a little worried when I told him he was going on a campout, because it would be in the woods. I told him it would be all right, but he started to get a little scared again after seeing all the trees. Wild animals live in the woods, you know.

However, there were lots of fun games to play, and I am going to brag a little bit now. They decided to do a Highland Games theme, and had a caber toss (a very long and heavy log), boulder throw, etc. Cliff was the champ. And he even has the legs for a kilt, if he wanted to wear one.

Brandon was nervous until he made a friend named Johnny and found some good sticks. Then it was all okay. They arrived in time to eat ribs, made S'mores after games and dinner, and had a lot of fun. He got a little scared during the night when the wind really started to blow, but cuddled up with DanDan which helped.

Hey, I am not the one with the camera here. I just post the pictures. Maybe this was an exceptional port-a-potty. I don't know.

The next morning they had a traditional heart attack breakfast, went for a hike, and then packed up and headed home. Amazingly, Benjamin had no serious accidents or head injuries up there, and really liked camping. Brandon left the sticks there at the campsite for the next little boy to use and play with. And yes, Clifford did come up with that line so Brandon would leave them. Which he did.

Mammoth Cave

Huzzah, the camera is found! Hooray, I can post with pictures! Yippee...oh my goodness, do I have a huge back load of pictures to put on here. Yikes. Good thing someone invented Mountain Dew. But don't tell my new bishop I said that.
Well, first on the list is the visit to Mammoth Cave. This occurred when Jenny and Beaner and their cute kids were here for Caleb's baby blessing. Yeah, that little tiny hole is the opening to the cave. Not named Mammoth Cave for it's size, let me tell you.


This is Braedon right inside the entrance to the cave. The kids hung out in this area quite a bit, especially after the flashlight batteries decided to die after the first 3 minutes. One of the reasons why you go for the name brands in batteries-life support machines have to run longer than 3 minutes.

This is why it's called Mammoth Cave. Apparently, some teenage Neolithic vandals kept telling their parents they were bored and there was nothing to do. The parents grounded them and to take up some time they drew animal pictures on the walls of the cave. Here's Clifford looking at one that says, "For a good time call..." WAIT A MINUTE!

The kids really did have a good time exploring. Afterwards, Brandon told me he'd like to explore caves when he grows up. Only they have to be light. And not have any animals in them. And no, I did not laugh and say "Good luck". Well, maybe just a teensy weensy little smirk of a smile.

I just had to end on this picture. I also need to let Auntie Marlene know that at every prayer there is some variation of "Please help Aunt Marlene to get better". We love you!

Late Night Musings

So it is 11:30 at night and this is the first time since my last post that I have had time to sit and write. This is because school is out and I now have to parent all of my children all of the time, and because Caleb has decided to be like the others and grow.
I have a big problem with both of these things.
Now I have to devise some kind of schedule for all of us that will keep everyone alive and sane until school starts again, because I've already paid the fees which means they have to go back.
The other issue is a bit harder to deal with: how do you keep a child from growing up? Caleb is back to eating at least every 2 hours and will go to sleep at 11 and wake at 4 because he is starving. The obvious thing to do is suck it up and just buy some baby cereal, but then what? Let him grow more? Who will be my little baby then? And why does he think it's okay for him to get bigger, even if I've let the others?
To get off of that depressing subject, I do have a great pic to show next time of Nadia's Sunday dinner. And another of Brandon's wooden derby car. And hopefully by tomorrow evening, I will be able to post all of this and the latest kitchen update from our own house. Cross your fingers and a little nagging wouldn't hurt either. ;)

Books and Reincarnation

I just finished reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. It is a fun and sometimes sad account of a dog and his master, who are both obsessed with cars and racing. The whole book is about the life lessons this dog has learned from the race track, and using them to the best so he can be reincarnated as a human in his next life. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me think and look differently at my dog. Until she passed gas and totally ruined the moment.

But it also reminded me of a conversation I was part of back when I was sassy and single. We were on a big group date, and one of the guys asked what we all thought we would come back as or what we were before. It was a fun question and a pretty good way to break the ice. So what did I choose? I kept going back and forth between a giraffe or ostrich. They both have gorgeous eye lashes like me, are tall, and hate to be cold. I think. The giraffe and I also look pretty graceful until we start moving, and running can kill us. Seriously. Ostriches and I share the same skin color of WHITE and our thighs look the same.

So now I am curious: what will you be or what were you? And what are you reading right now?

The Carnage Continues

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I am waiting for SOMEONE to finish up his turn with the camera, and he is just taking his own sweet time about it. So this will just have to be a regular old post without any pics to liven it up.

You remember how I told you about Nadia's used coupon book? Well, lucky me, there are coupons that go with it! I just got them! As I was looking through to see what kinds of wonderful little gifts awaited me, I noticed a theme: a coupon for cleaning her room, one for practicing piano, several for cleaning up after the dog outside. In other words, they sound exactly like her chores. Hmmm. On the positive side, she also wrote and sang a Mother's Day song for me. So now I know when she is a famous singer/songwriter, not to expect any fancy or expensive gifts. I'll probably get a coupon saying one of her people will be doing her chores instead.

Brandon has freckles on his nose, and they are ADORABLE. There would be a picture here to show you , but we already discussed this problem. And yes, his name is Cliff. Anyway, the summer really brings them out, along with little girls who think he is cute. I am just thankful that he doesn't understand why all the girls chase him during recess yet. And that he is a very fast runner.

Benjamin and I are having a hard time. He has a hard time deciding, and I have a hard time making time stand still while he is deciding. Yesterday, we went to the store to use the rest of his birthday money from Aunt Marlene. He told me he wanted a Gordon train that was smiling. Then he showed me the Gordon smile several times, while saying, "Yike dis, Mama, Gordon need smile yike dis." Once I get the camera back, I will take a picture and show you. We found the Gordon trains only to discover that while they were all smiling, they were all smiling the wrong smile. "No, Mama, not yike dat. Yike dis," and there was Ben's Gordon smile to compare it to. He was right, the two smiles weren't the same. So what did we do? We sat there for half an hour while Ben looked at other trains, and decided they weren't right, either. Thomas and Percy were in the running for less than a minute, but James was right out of competition. Not that I blame Ben for that, James is a little vain and smug for my taste. The rest of the time was spent just sitting there, I think in the hopes that the right Gordon with the right smile would come puffing by at any moment, and say, "Hi there, Benjamin! Sorry I'm late, but here I am! Buy me!" We finally had to leave, and exited the store with the wailing of, "I want my Gordon! I want my toy!" Walmart has very good acoustics, by the way.

There should be another picture right here to go with Caleb's little blurb, as well. He has just found his toes, and you need to see the look on his face when he is watching them. His smile keeps getting bigger and better every week, too.

Well, that was a pretty good recap of the last week or so. I will try to do better about updating and nagging Cliff, so there will be a few more posts on here. That's it for now!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's how Mother's Day went down at our house. Every gory little detail.

It started the night before with me waking up every time the neighbor's cat meowed in our yard. This cat hates me, and knows that we open the window in the bedroom when it starts to get warmer. Yes, I know some of you are laughing at this sentence, but just remember that "warmer" is relative. Moving on. Every time I hear this cat, I snap to attention, and quickly try to figure out who is crying. Then I realize it is just the cat, and mumble ways to get even with it while I try to fall back asleep. Skipping to the end, I woke up with a monster headache, and Cliff telling me the kids were fed and getting dressed and he needed to go set up chairs for church. I love that man.

So I skipped church and tried to reason with myself that it was okay to take more than 2 tylenol for nasty headaches, but didn't do it, because I am nursing and feel guilty. It was a good thing that I stayed home because Caleb had sour stomach all day, and Brandon wasn't feeling well, either. We stayed in my room and watched a movie, then had quiet time until the others came home.

Oh, the presents. I loved this year's bootie. Or is it booty? This year's haul. How about that.

Nadia made me a used coupon booklet, so I now have a place to store all those coupons I've used at various places. I didn't have the heart to tell her most places keep the coupons so you won't use them again. She also made a mug at school, with a packet of hot chocolate in it. Too bad she forgot to tell the teacher I'm lactose intolerant. Eh, the kids and Cliff enjoyed it, so it worked out just fine.

Brandon made me a recipe card holder. It holds about 5 cards, and he showed me where he wrote his name on it, and how he made it look CRAZY.

Benjamin gave me a flower, and then took it back so he could sweep with it. Yes, it did make a very good broom.

Cliff made me scrambled eggs and toast for lunch and fed the kids. Very sweet. Later, we got a call from my dad that dinner was ready, and headed over to visit with him and my brother who is done with school for the summer. Dad made a lovely beef stew in the crock pot, and my bro made brownies. Then everyone else went for a walk while Caleb and I had some quiet time alone, and then we just visited until it was time to come home.

I loved this Mother's Day. I love being a mom. Even when it means I wake up 7 times a night because of a stupid cat that I think is a crying child, even with sour tummies and cranky toddlers, I love my kids and all the things that being a mother to them entails.

And here's to all the great moms I know who put up with craziness and noise and messes because that's part of the package, and do it with grace and a smile. You are wonderful, and I am glad to know you all and learn from you!

Sweet, Sweet Memories

The other night, this is the happy picture I saw: Cliff and the two boys playing a game together. I thought how wonderful it is that Cliff takes the time to play with them both inside and outside, and what wonderful memories the boys will have of their "Daddy Time".
Then I hear this little nugget:
"Do you see what I did here?" Cliff asked Brandon. "This is what's called a 'Kill Zone'."
Now doesn't that just warm the cockles of your heart?

Patience and Pillsbury

I have just decided that I am sick and tired. Let me tell you why.
My kitchen is now clean. But does it look clean? No. And it is not because of children, either. It is because my kitchen is half torn up and half put together. This is a very confusing look, and a very hard one to clean.
I have naked counter tops that can't come into contact with grease or water, because the particle board will soak them up and we won't be able to lay down the final counter top surface. So what can you put on a counter top that can't get greasy or wet? NOTHING.
My floors are made of textured laminate covered with glue ridges. How do you keep that clean? You have to sweep, then vacuum, then mop, and hope no one needs the kitchen for the next few hours while it dries. And then clean up any residue left by your sponge mop from staples pulling it apart. It's a very vicious cycle.
Now, before I go any further, I need to make one thing clear: this is not Cliff's fault. Okay, maybe it is, but it's because he's responsible both spiritually (his calling) and financially. Cliff has no time to put up what we do have and we have no money to buy the rest of what we need. When we do get what we need, there are often miscommunications about it. Like how I said a spice cabinet would be nice, but just as long as the upper cabinet fit, I wasn't very picky. This turned into, "You WILL make a spice cabinet and have it done YESTERDAY!!! I WANT MY SPICE CABINET!!!" They were too scared to call back and tell us one wouldn't fit.
But fear not, dear readers, this is not a venting session. I have found a solution.
Do you remember a few years ago when people were talking about sponsored events? Like having a wedding paid for by Tylenol or Rubbermaid and they paid for everything? That's right, I am going to find someone to sponsor my kitchen!
I even know how we can make the most of it: they can write their name or little mascot image into the counter tops, back splash, and floor. Can you imagine a kitchen done by Pillsbury? I will wear their colors for the next 5 years and constantly insert their name into my everyday conversation...
Okay, so maybe that's going too far. As much as I like blue and white, the doughboy could be creepy at 2 am. And really, how easy would it be to (Pillsbury) insert their name (Pillsbury) all the time? Guess I just have to be (Pillsbury) patient.