"Hey Santa, Hey Santa"

Cameron was happy for just this long.

This was as close as Addison would get

Archer would not sit on his lap.

Mitchell was very into the specifications of his wish

p.s. I hope you now have the Wilson Phillips song stuck in your head. I have for a week.

Fine, And You?

We're all good, just staying in. Although, I really need to go to the post office. I think it finally stopped snowing, maybe I will be brave.

"U.B.'s Home"

"If the object of this game was to get the ball closest to the pin you would be champion of the world."

Matt didn't get it and said no one else would either. So, I have to ask: Can you name the movie off the top of your head?

Around the Clock

12:04 a.m. ~ Child #4 wakes up crying.
12:06 a.m. ~ Start watching The Amazing Race from Sunday.
12:57 a.m. ~ The Amazing Race is over, put child back in bed.
3:17 a.m. ~ Child #3 starts crying.
3:18 a.m. ~ Find Child #3 covered in barf.
3:24 a.m. ~ Clean the tub with bleach from two days ago when said child pooped in it.
3:31 a.m. ~ Wash barf out of Child's hair, get clean p.j.s and put back in bed.
3:49 a.m. ~ Get back in bed, but wonder if I should go to the store for milk since we are out.
5:30 a.m. ~ Child #4 starts crying again.
5:31 a.m. ~ Check on Child #3, she hasn't fallen back asleep yet.
5:32 a.m. ~ Get Child #4 out of bed and bring into bed with me since husband has already left.
7:15 a.m. ~ Alarm #1 goes off. Hit snooze button.
7:30 a.m. ~ Alarm #2 goes off. Hit snooze button.
7:55 a.m. ~ Wake up panicked since school starts in 25 minutes.
7:57 a.m. ~ Be grateful that husband ran for a half gallon of milk. Pour cereal for kids.
8:03 a.m. ~ Get Child #1 and #2 upstairs to get dressed, hair done and teeth brushed.
8:15 a.m. ~ Tie Child #2's shoes, help with coats and back packs.
8:21 a.m. ~ Leave to take #1 and #2 to school.
9:00 a.m. ~ Good friend drops her Child #3 off.
9:25 a.m. ~ Leave to take said child to preschool for my friend.
9:31 a.m. ~ Home. Finally can finish hanging lights on tree.

License and Registration, Please

I got pulled over today a few blocks from my house. Yep. Not yesterday on the freeway on my way home from Odgen. Oh wait, that happened too.

Today I was minding my own business on my way to the store for a few things to make pumpkin bread as a thank you to my friends who watched some of my kids while I went to California over the weekend. I am coming down the hill when I see flashing lights following a car ahead of me. I think, "wow, I've never seen a cop on this street pull someone over, I better slow down, I'm going 45. Oh look, there's a cop sitting on that bench and there's one turning the corner and is now right behind me. Crap, I didn't put my new tags on, well, he won't pull me over, it's only been a week and a half since they expired." "Ohhh crap!" (Wait, I think I swore when the lights went on behind me). I pull into the exact same gas station where the first car was getting a ticket. When the cop asked me for my license, registration and insurance I knew I was in trouble. I gave him my license, told him my new tags were sitting on my counter, and rummaged through my glove box pretending to look for the current insurance card knowing full well I didn't have it but I had all sixty-three others. He tells me to wait in the car. (Because I'm a flight risk with two of my kids with me??)

In the end he brings me back my citation for going 46 in a 35 zone, and failure to carry insurance. What? Nothing for an expired registration or a 5-year-old sitting buckled without his car seat or texting while driving? (Just kidding, Numismatist)

Total: $191.50
Going too fast (I refuse to call 46 mph speeding) = $75
Failure to carry insurance = $116.50 However, this will be removed when I provide proof of insurance at the courthouse.

And on the way home from the store, just up the same street, there were two cops standing on the corner with a radar gun and three cop cars lined up beside them. I think they were hoping to catch all the high school kids trying to get back to class before lunch was over. But seriously, that was 5 cop cars and 6 officers on the same 2 blocks in one hour.

Oh, and yesterday? Here' s how it went down:

Cop: "Do you have a front license plate?
Me: "Oh, this is my husband's car, I'm sure he does."
Cop: "OK, just get it mounted on the front. Have a safe trip."
Me: "Thank you, I will."

I think Mr. Policeman was hoping to nail a 16-year-old punk kid racing down the freeway in a 1991 Honda Civic Hatchback (with a tweaked muffler so it makes extra noise) and instead he got a mom in her mid (I mean early) thirties with a baby in the backseat.


Sure am glad Matt saved me from that cop I dated just before him.

Use the Force...

I know, pre-light saber Anakin, but for an 8-year-old it's all about the light-saber.

"Doot doo doo bleep blip bleep"


"Go Yoda! Use the force!" (I know, random costume. We couldn't talk her into anything Star Wars related. There are just not enough little girl characters.)


"Candy on the floor I see."

"Aren't you a little short to be a Storm Trooper ?"

All the Star Wars characters at our Trunk or Treat. You can't see Matt very well, but he was dressed as Luke Skywalker on Dagobah and he carried Yoda in the backpack all night.

Finally...

I finished Breaking Dawn.

Warning: This may contain spoilers. Only scroll down if you have read this book or don't care if I ruin it for you.
















All I can say is, wow, this was a struggle for me. It took way too long, and I thought she was never going to have that baby!

It ended way too happy for me. Am I the only one who wanted a fight at the end so everyone could use their wicked awesome powers?

For Those Who Care

It's all over now.

OK, I'll Play Along...

I'm supposed to pick the 4th picture from my 10th picture file. Well, I have pictures from my old camera in one file, from my new camera in another, and then a lot of them have been imported into Adobe Photoshop. So, I'll pick one.

This was taken on March 6, 2005. A two-year old Archer crashed hard after church while playing with marbles.

Don't Rock the Boat, Give Him Your Vote

How come no one told me about this?

I need to quit watching the news.

For Nicole

As part of my repentance process I am asking for your forgiveness by giving you this. Enjoy. I miss you. I need to visit.

MST3K

Since my husband has been gone all week, I've have fully caught up on all my tivo'd shows. Of course this doesn't count the 26 episodes of the original 90210 that I finally deleted because I was missing 5 from the first season and my OCD won't allow me to watch them out of order (and neither of our 3 video stores had them).

So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this while channel surfing last night at midnight. I've already set it to record the next episodes.

And, yes, it's now in my T9.

50 ODD Things About Me

(If you dislike these tagging lists, then stop reading now. This one seemed completely random so I liked it.)

1) Do you like blue cheese? Only with celery while eating hot wings.

2) Have you ever smoked crack? No, but I've eaten what we call coconut crack (call me if you want the recipe. It entails 3 kinds of chocolate chips, coconut, graham crackers, butter, condensed milk etc. You get the picture).

3) Do you own a gun? I do not personally own a gun but my husband has something in a gun case that I've never seen.

4) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? Ideally, it would be a vanilla Dr. Pepper, but since I don't like to consume that much sugar in one sitting, it's vanilla Diet Coke.

5) Do you get nervous before doctors appointments? Depends on where they are probing me.

6) What do you think of hot dogs? They have to be black from the BBQ or from Pink's in Hollywood. That was seriously the best hot dog I have ever eaten.

7) Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night

8) What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Orange juice, but I usually just drink water sometimes with a Crystal Lite stick.

9) Can you do push ups? Just girly ones. I'm working on "real" ones.

11) What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My charm bracelet and Denver Broncos watch.

12) Favorite hobby? Photography, making cards, organizing something.

13) Ever been in a car wreck? Yes, two.

14) Do you like thunderstorms? When they are not super close to my house.

15) What's one trait that you hate about yourself? Lack of patience when I am hungry. And my jiggly arms ("I'm working on it!")

16) Middle name? Damn (I mean Dawn, I used to transpose the "w" when I was little).

17) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 1- Is it time to pick up the babysitter yet? 2-When should I order the pizza for the kids 3) When am I going to get ready to go?

18) Name 3 things you bought today? Nothing yet, but we are going to the D.I. later on our date. (I know, I know)

19) Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, Diet Coke and my recent love of Diet Code Red Mtn. Dew

20) Current worry? Will I survive this week without a husband?

21) Current hate right now? The name Renesmee (seriously? Renesmee? I even liked Nessie better) And, no, I'm still not done.

22) How did you bring in the New Year? Eating 7-Layer Dip

23) Where would you like to go back to? Newport Beach, or any beach for that matter!

24) Name three people who will complete this? Sandi, Jen, April, Cydnee (just taking a stab).

26) Do you own slippers? Yes, Olive green Acorns that I only wear when my tile floor is cold.

27) What shirt are you wearing? T-shirt from the Orange County Swap Meet.

28) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I never have, but I think I would hate it.

29) Can you whistle? Yes, but it's pretty pathetic.

30) Favorite color? Pink.

31) Would you be a pirate? Arrrrrgh, Matey!

32) What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is stuck in my head, lately it's been Erasure.

33) Favorite girl's name? Addison, of course

34) Favorite boy's name? Mitchell, Archer and Cameron.

35) Whats in your pocket? Wing nuts for my quilting frames (I know, completely random).

36) Last thing that made you laugh? Playing Uno with my kids.

37) Best bed sheets as a child? The colorful flower ones that my sister and I used as "paints" for our flower headboard.

38) Worst injury you've ever had? Old football injury. I broke the first 3 bones in my foot. (OK, I jumped off the 13 foot fence in our backyard.)

40) Favorite flavor potato chips? Tostitos Hint of Lime (Although they aren't potato chips)

41) Who is your loudest friend? My husband when he's talking about disc golf.

42) How many dogs do you have? Zero, and there will be none until we have a fence across our backyard.

43) Does someone have a crush on you? A little boy in Archer's Kindergarten class who said I was pretty.

45) What is your favorite book? The Giver Trilogy by Lois Lowry

46) What is your favorite candy? Chocolate covered jelly rings, or anything I can eat by the handful.

47) Favorite Sports Team? Utah Jazz and Denver Broncos

48) What song do you want played at your funeral? I don't care as long as Dave Markel sings.

49) What were you doing at midnight last night? Watching the new 90210 trying to get the baby to sleep.

50) First thing you thought about when you woke up? Crap! Cameron's diaper leaked on my sheets!

p.s. I filled this out on Saturday, just so you don't think our D.I. is open on Sunday.

One Is Black, And One Is White. Life's An Eskimo Pie, Let's Take A Bite!

I finally installed Photoshop. I'm having fun playing with all the pictures. This one turned out cute.

The Older I Get, the Better I Was...

I've been talking up my waterskiing skills to Matt for the last 10 years. He hasn't believed I could actually do it. Until now...




and, yes. I. am. sore.


Click on my title to see more pics from the lake

Major News!

No. I'm not pregnant. I'm sure that was everyone's first thought.

Matt updated his blog. Check it out.

Olympic Spirit

While I'm not one for writing down every little thing my kids say, this is gold medal worthy.

The boys were picking out tie tacks to wear on Sunday as part of their getting ready for church regime. They love to dig through all the pins in Matt's jewelry box (yes, I called it a jewelry box, even though it houses all kinds of cr...stuff). This particular day, Mitchell chooses an Olympic pin that Matt got while serving his mission during the Barcelona, Spain Olympics in 1992 Here is the conversation:

Mitchell: "Wow, is this an Olympic pin, Dad?
Dad: "Yep, it's from when the Olympics were in Spain when I was on my mission."
Mitchell: "Oh, did you compete?"
(copious amounts of laughter from me in the other room)
Dad: "I love you, bud. No, I did not compete in the Olympics."

Does every kid think his Dad could compete in the Olympics?? I still laugh when I think of it. I'm not sure how that helps Matt's ego, though.

I go on vacation and come home to this...

We did have a few that weren't so ginormous that we will actually be able to eat. You can't eat them when they're this big, they taste nasty.

I Should Be Mopping the Floor While the Baby Is Sleeping...

Tagged by my friend Rachelle.

Here are the rules: you link back to the person who tagged you, post the rules, and share 6 unimportant things about yourself. Then tag 6 people at the end of your post.

Six Very Unimportant Things About Me

1. I have a fetish with the goop in my baby's eyes. I am constantly sticking my fingers in his eyes to get it out. Unless it's pink eye of course, then I use a tissue.

2. I hate to unload the dishwasher, but I don't mind loading it. At least when I load, it empties the sink and I feel like I accomplished something. Unloading just goes from dishes hiding in the dishwasher to dishes hiding in the cupboards.

3. I never write with a pen that is missing it's lid. It bugs.

4. I can sing all the words to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air verbatim. Yeah, I know. And I'll still watch re-runs on Nick, Nick, Nick-at-Nite.

5. I have not eaten sugar for seven long days. I'm sort of saving myself.

6. I love organizing stuff. I recently re-housed all of my spices and put them on nice metal tiered shelves. They are alphabetized, but some still need to be re-labeled. It's driving me crazy. (I know Eris and Athena can appreciate this.)

I don't tag, sorry.

Mem'ries light the corner of my mind...

Scattered pictures of the way we were.
(but sung like Tom Hanks in "Big")

I guess I needed a place for all those to come and leave a memory about me.

So, in case you haven't seen this on someone's blog, you can say you saw it here first.

Leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember!

Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It is pretty funny to read the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. On your mark... get set... comment!

I know, two posts in one day, what are you going to do.

His Hair and all...

Mitchell was invited to participate in the Jr. Jazz clinic with Kosta Koufos (the Utah Jazz's first round pick this year). We (when I say "we" I mean mostly Matt) was interested to see what he would be like. So imagine our surprise when Kyrlyo Fesenko (otherwise known as "Fess") walked in. I enjoyed it a little more because I actually got to see someone who I actually watched play last year (granted, only on TV), so I was a little star-struck even though he is just a big, white, doofy-looking Ukrainian (no offense, Fess).

They started by having all the kids shoot a free throw. Mitchell was one of only ten (out of about 50) who made their first shot. Those ten then shot a second free throw. Mitchell came close but missed that one (only two made it). Those last two got to shoot against Fess.

When the guy from the Jazz office was introducing Fess, he told the kids that he was going to ask them three questions about Fess at the end and whoever could answer one of those questions would get to play a little one on one against Fess. He asked the kids how tall Fess is (7 feet) and where Fess was from. Mitchell raised his hand and was called on. Everyone got a good laugh when Mitchell's answer was "somewhere in Ohio". Now I have to explain why he answered like that. As we were driving to the gym at ISU, Matt was telling Mitchell a little bit about Kosta Koufos. (He was 7 feet one and played at a college in Ohio.) Mitchell didn't really pay attention to the fact that it was a completely different player that showed up. Mtichell asked Fess what player he always wanted to play against. Fess's answer? Shaq (I guess I won't hold it against him).

So it was fun. I think Mitchell had a good time. I took lots of pictures. Click on the title, which reflects on Fess's hair (not Mitchell's lack of) to see more. I understand Jerry Sloan had some words about his new do.

Dad is great, He gives us chocolate cake!

Bill Cosby said it best, but this time it's Mom, and it's waffles and ice cream for dinner. Am I the coolest or what?

Don't worry Sandi, chocolate waffles and vanilla bean ice cream are planned for next week.

Six Months Old

Click on the title to see more pics from an impromptu photo shoot.


And yes, it's an Old Navy shirt from 2003. Maybe I'll find the picture of Archer wearing it at almost the same age so you can see how much they look alike. (Update:I found the picture, Cameron looks much more like Mitchell)

Pictures

Update: Thanks Numi (that word is too long and I always have to look how to spell it). I created a new blog. Everyone will now have the option of enrolling in English 101-02. Uploading as we speak, well, type.

So, I have a googillion (I love Ben Stillercabulary) pictures that I want to post. How do you prefer to see them? Do I post them and just make you scroll through them all? or Do you want them in slide show format? or Do you want another collage? (Numismatist: I'm asking you)

I'm working on them really...(ok, actually I was working on the rename and redesign)

Mindless Ranting

Update: I went into the video store to return Disc Two and pick up Disc Three. The clerk gave me my total of 84 cents. I then asked about the late fee I knew I owed. He had already waived all fees. I guess I am that cute.

OK, before I post some pictures I have to get this off my chest:

Gas prices. I know, I know, they are high everywhere. But seriously, $4.06 in Pocatello, Idaho?? Ridiculous. That's all I have to say about that.

OK, the real reason for the rant:

Besides a couple of mom and pop video stores in the area we have two Hollywood Video locations. Obviously one is a little closer than the other. Matt and I caught the end of the third season of "How I Met Your Mother" in May. Now with the lack of good summer programming except "So You Think You Can Dance") I went to the closest Hollywood and rented the first two discs of the first season of HIMYM. It cost me a whopping 84 cents tax included for five days for each disc. I rented the third disc when we were done.

Grand total for Season One= $2.52.

Last Thursday I went to the "other" Hollywood Video for Season Two (only because the preferred store didn't carry it.) Each disc there cost the 84 cents. Each day. When I voiced my opinion the clerk said "yeah, that store is different than ours. They're running a test". I asked which store was running the "test" she replied "they both are". I decided to only get the first disc, she tried to talk me into the fact that it would still be cheaper to get all three now, bring them back as we finish and then just pay the late fees (only 84 cents) on the ones we keep longer. I conceded. Only because I hate finishing one disc and not having the next to start right away. We finished Disc One and after doing the math I took Discs One and Three back at 11:00 pm on Saturday night. Assuming it will take two more days to finish Disc Two:

Grand Total so far for Season Two= $8.40.

How is this a good deal???

This kind of marketing makes perfect sense for movies that you are going to watch once in a night. Sure, pay the 79 cents (where is the cents symbol?!#?) But for television series? I mean, we're a TV family, but I cannot watch the 9 episodes on a disc in a single night.

Now I wish this show was syndicated and I could tivo the whole series (like I have done with Scrubs, That 70's Show, Charmed and most recently the TBS version of Sex and the City where I'm on the 4th season).

And, yes, I have e-mailed Hollywood Video already. No response yet.

Happy Father's Day

I wanted to get a picture before church, when everyone looked so cute, but with rushing out the door, the kids being trained to change out of their church clothes first thing when we get home, and a baby who had a blow out, it didn't happen. Here they are watching the "Sunday Movie" (Monster's Inc.) together.

How old is he? 35
Who eats more? He does.
Who is taller? He is
Who is smarter? He is, especially now, when I'm going through a "dumbening" phase.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? If you're in the bed than it's him.
Who pays the bills? I do, with "our" money.
Who mows the lawn? He does.
Who cooks dinner? I do, unless it's barbecuing, than it's him, most of the time.
Who has more siblings? He does. Youngest of ten.
What are his guilty pleasures? "So You Think You Can Dance" (yes, he might divorce me for airing that in the open).
What are his hobbies? Disc Golf, video games, books.
What is your favorite thing about him? There are a ton of things I love about him. He is such a good person and is a workhorse in the yard. He works so hard to do well in school (whe he is in school). He gets excited to talk about his Thesis (even though I tune him out smile and nod sometimes). He is a great dad and loves to play UNO with the kids. He will always share his fries with me and will usually give me the best one. He will get caught up on TV shows with me. (We're currently watching "How I Met Your Mother Season 1).

I love you Matt! Happy Father's Day. Thanks for being such a great husband and Dad.

Twenty-Nine Years

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad. In going through the boxes of 30 years of photos, I picked out a few of my favorites.

 

And, yes, if you've done the math, we kids were 5, 5, 3 and 1 (respectively) when they got married (not many kids can say they attended their parent's wedding reception.

(If you don't know the story, e-mail me, I'll be happy to oblige)

Chicken Little

Who will help me make this bread?

I am now the proud owner of this. It's awesome.

Now I can finally start using the 900 pounds (and, no, that is not an exaggeration) of wheat that we acquired last May. I knew it would be a great addition to our food storage and I calculated the amount we would need for our family of six for one year. I guess just having it sit in the basement isn't going to help us out in an emergency, is it?

Does anyone have a great recipe for whole wheat bread? If I can master it and my kids will eat it, then we will have something.




Note to self: Now purchase this for when the end of the world comes and we have no electricity.

In the words of Alice Cooper...

School's Out For Summer!

I was walking to pick up Mitchell today, and from down the street I hear the Principal on the intercom:

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...HAPPY SUMMER!"

I started to get choked up during this count down.

Why? I ask.

Is it because my baby just finished 2nd grade?
Is it because another one of my babies will start Kindergarten in three short months?
Or is it because now I have to keep them all entertained this summer or all I will hear is "Can I play (insert your choice of video game here) again?"

My Talented Kids

So, in all the school year end melee, we had a plethora of talent shows to attend.

I was thinking that our kids really don't have any talents that can be showcased by performance. I think we are the only parents who haven't gotten our kids into piano lessons, as evidenced by how many kids played for their talent. Mitchell has expressed interest in learning to play, so we'll have to figure t hat one out, since we don't own a piano).

First, was our annual Primary Talent Show. Here is the conversation I had with Mitchell prior to the night of many talents.

Mitchell: "I want to play the piano for the talent show".
Me: "Mitchell, you don't know how to play the piano".
Mitchell: "I know I just want to make up a little song".
Me: "Um, no you can't really do that".

So what does Mitchell want to do?
Be a stand up comedian.
"How does a lamb get to the hospital?"
"By "lamb"-bulance."

"What do you call a fish without an eye?"
"A fsh."

He also told a couple other jokes and embarrassed us with his behavior at the microphone.

Archer showcased his portfolio of artwork. He wants to be an artist when he grows up.

Addison helped me make peanut butter bars and brownies.

Second, was the Second Grade Talent Show. Since I vetoed his wanting to tell jokes again, I suggested that he show how to throw discs (as in disc golf discs). I think we found ourselves the next infomercial actor.
"This disc is perfect to throw a "Scooby". Let's say you are stuck under a pine tree or another obstacle. Then this is the shot for you".

Lastly, Archer's Preschool Graduation featured all the kids performing their chosen talents. He also wanted to demonstrate how to throw a disc. He performed his favorite shot: the "Roller".

TTA ~ One Word

Saw this on my friend's blog. She got it here. I know it's Wednesday, I didn't get to it yesterday. I thought the whole Tuesday Tell All sounded interesting. I might start doing it. It guarantees something to blog about each week. However, I might do it every Tuesday or I might just do the weeks that I feel like it. So there.

Answer the following with only one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? ....................Hoody
2. Your significant other?.......................Tired
3. Your hair?....................................Ponytail
4. Your mother? .................................Jetblue
5. Your father?..................................Geezer
6. Your favorite thing?..........................Camera
7. Your dream last night?........................Weird
8. Your favorite drink...........................Diet
9. Your dream/goal?.............................Education
10. The room you're in?..........................Computer
11. Your children?.....................................Asleep
12. Your fear?............................................Money
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........Here
14. Where were you last night?...................Idol
15. What you're not?.............................Fit
16. Muffins......................................Poppyseed
17. One of your wish list items?.................Cell
18. Where you grew up?........................... Sandy
19. What you read last........................Cristo
20. What are you wearing?........................Jeans
21. Your TV?.....................................On
22. Your pets?...................................None
23. Your computer? ..............................Old
24. Your life?..................................Children
25. Your mood?...................................Frustrated
26. Missing someone?.............................Always
27. Your car?....................................Minivan
28. Something you're not wearing?................Belt
29. Favorite Store?..............................Non-Kids
30. Your summer?.................................Baseball
31. Like someone?................................Lots
32. Your favorite color?.........................Pink
33. Last time you laughed........................Neighbor's
34. Last time you cried?.........................Argument

Is It Just Me?

Tonight for Family Night we were minus one family member, Matt, who is attending a conference in Sun Valley (why didn't I go with him, again?). Since he was in charge of the activity, I decided to do something that he would have enjoyed. We went to the D.I.

All four kids and myself.

The kids were all getting along and being happy the entire afternoon so I thought this would be something I could handle. I even prepped them before we went in about how they needed to remember their manners and if they starting acting out we would leave, no questions asked. Well, it happened, they started fighting over a toy ("Hey! I had it first", "No, I had it first!"), and whining, and crying and complaining. I left my two items in the cart grabbed the baby's carrier and had to drag one out literally kicking and screaming "NO! NO! OWW! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" while the other two trailed behind in a chorus of "NO, NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO!" I think the people in the parking lot (who weren't in the store to witness the entire thing) seriously thought I was kidnapping these children. (Do I have masochist tattooed on my forehead?)

Now, this isn't the first time this has happened to me with one of my kids (Sandi can vouch for the time we were at Robert's in Idaho Falls), but all of them at the same time? I give myself some credit. I didn't yell at them (even after we got home). I did talk sternly for a second in the store, and then I didn't talk until we got home. Sometimes this is more effective when they think I'm never going to talk to them again.

Someone please tell me it's not just me and my parenting. I need to hear some of your horror stories to feel better about myself.

Maybe a good dose of watching "The Supernanny" would help. And I never watch that, but somehow my kids always seem more well-behaved when I see the kids she deals with.

As Political As I Get

I stumbled across a blog that linked me to information about two bills that are coming up before the House and Senate: H.R. 5889 The Orphan Works Act of 2008 and S 2913 The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008. If these pass, any company will be allowed to use pictures posted anywhere on the web (think digital scrapbookers and bloggers) in their advertisements. Imagine if your cute kids showed up in and ad for who-knows-what-who-knows-where. Please visit this link and send letters to stop this before it's too late. Of course, I just sent a letter to Sen. Larry Craig and I'm not sure what he's doing these days. Hopefully, someone is filling in for him since his time in the airport restroom.


I promise, this is the only time I will ever post about anything political. I have others who do that for me.

Sunny Days, Sweepin' the Clouds Away

Then, it totally rained today.

I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See?

Snowflakes falling from my apricot tree.

Seriously? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It is Idaho after all. Hopefully, the bees did enough work on Monday that we'll still get some fruit. Last year we got a whopping two apricots off this tree.

My Favorite Sister

Happy Birthday Sandi!

I wish I could have surprised you and flown to Texas, but, well, you know...

I'm sure you had a great time anyway.
I hope you said "Hi" to Buddy Holly for me.
I love you and miss you.
See you on June 24th!

Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere (but not a drop to drink)

He rolled over last night.

I know. He's not even 4 months old yet and already at the top of his class.

We tested to see that it wasn't a freak roll.

He did it three times in a row.

Dictionary Definition

buf*fis (be'-fis)
n.

1. A word made up by 4-year-old Mitchell in a knock-knock joke.
i.e. "Knock knock. Who's there? Buffis. Buffis who? Buffis you! (Don't ask, we still don't know.)

2. A day in which a birthday is celebrated if said birthday falls on a day in which it cannot be celebrated properly.
i.e. We celebrated Matt's Buffis Day on Saturday.

[Old English buffase]

Randomness

OK, so this first thing isn't so random, but...

Happy Birthday Matt! I love you!

I'm trying to be positive about this, because he is in Boise attending a conference, and I am not. Not that I want to be at a boring conference, but I would rather be anywhere than at home with 4 kids who are yelling, fighting, whining, crying, complaining, making messes, etc. etc. etc. (I guess there are only 3 kids doing most of that, the fourth is just crying, pooping, and spiting up). I'm throwing myself a pity party tonight and will probably eat whatever chocolate I can find in the house (which unfortunately isn't enough) while watching Lost.

Back to the randomness:

~I made the call to get our garage door opener fixed. It took all of twenty minutes for the repair guy to replace the gear kit. Why did we wait so long to have this done?

~I had a whole list of random things to ramble about. Now I can't think of another one.

Edited later in the night: Lost was a total disappointment. Rerun. What happened to the entire season straight through with all new episodes? After waiting out the fall season I got a few new episodes I now have to wait until April 24th for a new one?

and

I have no chocolate in the house. How pathetic is that. I seriously had to settle for Betty Crocker frosting left from Archer's birthday cupcakes. Oooh, I just remembered I have some Quik. I could make chocolate milk and toast.

Tagged By Rachelle

Rachelle was my roommate for two years while we were attending SUU. We had such fun times together. I just ran into her again through this wonderful world of blogging (maybe that should be a Disney special).






1- Favorite pair of shoes right now......My olive green Acorn slippers

2- New years resolution.....See this post

3- Are you listening to music right now? Nope, just my 3 year old daughter watching Dora.

4- If you had 200 dollars to spend on yourself.....I would buy a membership to somewhere with fun fitness classes and hope for immediate results.

5- Favorite place in the city that you live in.....In Pocatello? Ha ha ha ha. Seriously though, Ross Park is fun when it's warmer. But in a couple of weeks it will be the soccer fields watching two of my boys playing, then the baseball fields, then the soccer fields again, then the basketball court, well you get the picture.

6-I just finished reading...Sanditon by Jane Austen (ok, I didn't finish it) moving on to The Giver (again) by Lois Lowry (my turn for book club).

I tag Sandi and Jen (because they haven't updated for a while)
Edit to clarify which Jen. Jen Knee Fur. If you don't know what that means, then you're not the one I meant.

"It's Smiling At Me"

Blurry camera or not, I thought I'd better document the fact that I do indeed have a fourth child. And look at his cute dimple! Thanks for the reminder, Jeny.

Taking No Chances

Archer was a little worried about being pinched on St. Patrick's Night (as he called it). So he came up with this.

Red Headed Step Child

I know, I know, there haven't been any pictures of the baby since he was born. My reasoning is simple...I need a new camera. As soon as that tax return check is in my hand (and don't ask why we didn't do direct deposit, our tax guy didn't assume we had the same bank account and didn't ask), I'm off to buy this. (unless anyone can offer any other suggestions).

Now, which retail establishment will get my patronage?

Happy Birthday, Charlie, Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it's been 5 years. Happy Birthday, Archer Marcher! I love you!

Hap Hap Haparoo!!!

Snoddatoomah

But it was, essentially.

Matt went into the ISU Student Health Center on campus to have them look at a "growth" on his finger (thankfully, not the same finger he had surgery on after the tug-of-war fiasco) and was diagnosed with Pyogenic Granuloma. Basically, his finger suffered trauma of some kind and in the process of healing he kept regenerating cells and they were weaved in and around every which way.

Hmmm, could he have super powers? I wonder if he could grow a new pinkie toe.




p.s. click on the title if you don't understand the movie quote (but there better not be a Webb/Seastrand who doesn't)

Da Funk

I don't know what it is, but I am in a cooking funk. It all started just before I had Baby #4. I was tired of making dinner and I used my pregnancy as a good reason not to have to for a while. Now almost two months later, I cannot bring myself out of it. In addition, I am tired of making the same old things. So I am issuing a call for help. I plan to scour my cookbooks and recipe sites for some new ideas and am asking you all to post your favorite meal idea. Maybe one of your recipe will make our family's top ten list, and if so, I will be eternally indebted (is that a word? my spell checker didn't catch it if it's not).

Muriel you have been "blog-jacked" for your birthday...

Happy Birthday Muriel.
I love you...
Matt

Important Breaking News!

Hey Eris check this out!

Only Fair

It only seemed fair to update this with an additional photo of my sister. We spent many afternoons together outside the orthodontist's building waiting for mom to pick us up. Subsequently, we had very nice pointy, shaved on the cement ends of our toothbrushes.

Don't we look so much alike?

I wore my retainer religiously until I misplaced it years ago. It doesn't seem to have done much damage that I can see. However, I have one permanently affixed to the back of my bottom front teeth.

Click the title to see why in the world I posted this. I gave my husband four brace-faced school pictures to choose from and his comment was "oh, you have to post this one" (of course this was after he told me he would have found me attractive when he was a teenager, so I forgive him for choosing this one). Who has a seventh grade picture they like anyway?

New Year, New Goals

Well, it's been a year since I started this blog with my first post about my New Year's Resolutions for this past year. I decided to take a minute and review those goals and see how I did and set some goals for this year.

Personal:

• Take time weekly (at least) for myself. I didn't do very well at this goal last year. My guitar still hangs on the wall and my scrapbooking has not gotten much further. I have read a lot though. So I guess that's something.
  

Physical:

• Run a 5K in the Fall. There is a great program called "Couch to 5K" that I started just before I got pregnant. I can't wait to resume that training in a few weeks.
  

• Drink 72 oz. of water every day. I stopped during the last couple weeks of my pregnancy because I was sick of being in the bathroom every fifteen minutes. Since I've started again it has been heaven.

Family:

• Be More Healthy and Active Together. We have been doing our part in keeping Little Caesar's in business as we have not been eating very well since right before the baby was born (who wants to cook when you're that large anyway?). I have started compiling a list of healthy snacks for my kids (and hubby!). I have got to bring them down from their holiday sugar high and find something besides white bread for my four year old carb addict to snack on. I'm trying to be creative here.
  

• Read the Book of Mormon Together. At least tell all the stories with the pictures from the Gospel Art Kit for the ones who aren't able to read yet.
  

Spiritual:

• Read in the scriptures every day. I should do this while I'm nursing my baby, instead of watching TV. (What do they say about kids who eat in front of the television?)
  

• Read the Ensign Every Month. Again something I could do while the little one is suckling.
  

Financial:

• Become self-sufficient. We've been relying on savings and student loans to supplement my husband's income. Hopefully this year, with him finishing his thesis and graduating, he will be able to find a job (that he likes) that will allow us to stay here in Pocatello (I know, we must be crazy, but we really do like it despite the snow, wind, ice and lack of snow plowing).

Watch for updates and additions as I think of them. But I thought I better get this up before I forget that I have goals. (I blame everything on the brain cells I lost while pregnant and the lack of sleep.)

A Shout Out

Eleven years ago, I married my best friend. Happy Anniversary, I love you!

How long have you been together?
Married 11 years today.

Where did you and your husband meet? ...

In a singles ward in Sandy, UT. He says he stole me away from a cop that I was dating at the time. Which is true, although I was bored of the cop anyway.

1st date..
On the 4th of July. We went to see "Independence Day" with his parents and sister, and then to Frontier Pies for lunch. He dropped me off at home for a few hours and then picked me up later for a BBQ at his oldest sister's house (he is the youngest of ten and they were all there, no pressure or anything).

1st kiss...
In his driveway standing next to my Jeep.

Who said "I love you" first?
He did, in my driveway next to his Mazda RX-7

How long did you date?
Started dating in July, engaged in October, married in January.

Where did you get engaged?...
On Conference Sunday (after the session and watching the Broncos game on TV), at the amphitheater at South Mountain in Draper.

Where were you married?
Salt Lake Temple. Everyone was late due to the 2 feet of snow we received that morning. The matron wanted to start without his Mom.

How did the reception go?....
I don't remember any major catastrophes. He got sick close to the end and his mom wanted him to go to the hospital. My brother-in-law at the time (who is a surgeon) said there was no way he would go to the emergency room on his wedding night.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Jackson Hole, WY. Stayed in a little cabin, ate awesome BBQ, snowmobiled to Yellowstone (when they still allowed it).

Finally! He's Here!

Cameron Thomas
January 2, 2008 3:33 p.m.
9 pounds 20.5 inches

Too Little Too Late

Well, we missed our chances at both another tax deduction and the first baby of the new year.

I will be getting up at the crack of dark in the morning to call Labor and Delivery so I can be told what time to come have a baby. Hopefully it won't be too early. I guess if we get to schedule I'd like to get M. off to school and drop the other two off at friend's houses. It seems strange to have to arrange for someone to watch the kids while we have a baby. We've always had family close enough to be at our house to take care of things. My mom tried. She flew in and stayed for 3 days just waiting for me to go into labor. Not to mention she cleaned bathrooms, floors, walls, appliances and did laundry.

Thanks Mom you are the best! I'm sorry you didn't get to hold the little guy. Hopefully soon!