Show and Tell

So, Friday was show-and-tell for Jaden at kindergarten. He was so excited.... and I forgot to help him find something, so he went empty handed. He was supposed to bring something that began with E, F, or G, (the letters that they had been working on that week). While other kids in the class were showing their stuff, Jaden sat there thinking. When his teacher asked Jaden what he brought, instead of just telling her that we forgot, he got up in front of the class and introduced them to his show-and-tell item --- his imaginary friend, "Froggy". His teacher was great and asked him to tell the class a little bit about Froggy. Jaden told them that Froggy had the body of a zebra, the head of a yak, and the running power of a cheetah. His teacher noticed that that description had nothing to do with frogs and asked him why he chose the name Froggy (other than the fact that show-and-tell needed to start with e, f, or g). Jaden just responded, "Because it can jump as high as a frog." I asked Jaden if his teacher thought that was kind of funny and he told me "yeah, she laughed. And I made some of the kids laugh too." I asked if he thought it was fun to make them laugh and he said yes. That was the highlight of his day. I am just so glad that he was creative enough to come up with something like that for show-and-tell, instead of taking the easy way out and being sad because we forgot to get something picked out. He did great and is so fun with that crazy imagination of his!!!

Prussian Blue and a Question for you

I don't know if any of you saw Primetime last night. I was watching and it made me sick. They were speaking of Outsiders that are in the U.S. They talked to and about these adorable 13 year old blonde blue-eyed twin girls. They have a recording contract with a White supremacist label and call themselves Prussian Blue after there German heritage. These poor little girls have been home-schooled by their white-supremacist mother. She has taught these girls that all other races are lower than the white race and that Adolf Hitler had some "really good ideas" (quoting from one of the girls). Their grandfather wears a swastika on his belt and has it printed on his truck. These girls are used for propaganda and trying to recruit young 12 and 13 year old girls. These twins don't believe the holocaust even happened or at least not to the extent that it did. This segment just made me sick! I feel so bad for these girls, they don't even have a chance. They have been groomed for this ever since they were tiny and do not know any better. I just hope that someday they will be able to get away from their mother and are able to form their own opinions about race.

Anyway, sorry about my ranting.... Here is a much lighter subject/question for you. Why is that when your child is learning to talk, you can't wait for them to say "mom" and then when they turn 3 and above you can't stand the sound of it?

I love my kids, but sometimes, I wish they would say mom without the whine!!!!

KIndergarten is Great...

Not only for Jaden, but for me as well. It is just amazing what I can get done with one less child in the house for a few hours. It was so nice today when Jaden was in school and both Kaylee and Austin fell asleep......... at the same time........... and for 1 1/2 hours. What did I do? Not what I should have..... I sat down on the couch and read a book. I haven't been able to do that during the day, while it was quiet for at least 2 years!!! Probably longer! It was great!!! I just hope that it will someday happen again.

Success!!!

Jaden's first day (and second) was definitely a success. He just loved it! He got on the bus without a fear in the world. I asked him if he wanted me to meet him at his school to help him find his class, his response "I think I can do it by myself!" It was the hardest thing for me to do, but I let him go... alone. I picked him up from the bus stop and he came running towards me with a huge smile. He had had a wonderful time. He has grown so much and has become so independent. Sometimes, I must selfishly admit, I wish he needed me more. He is such a great kid and can't wait to go back to school next week.

While Jaden went to school yesterday, Guy and I took Austin and Kaylee to the zoo. It worked out great. This way Austin felt special as well and got a little extra attention. While we were there, Austin did say "I hope Jaden's school is over when we get home." I'm so glad he loves his brother and missed him. I'm also glad that for a few hours he was the "older brother".

Jaden Meets His Teacher

I know, I know. I have been completely lazy with this whole blogging thing. That said, I just hadn't had much to write about that anyone would in the least bit find interesting. Well, today Jaden went to his new school and met his new kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hayes in room 10. He had to wear his backpack to take in his school supplies. There is something magical about the first backpack. I guess it makes starting school real, and it has a really cool Spiderman on the front and cool pockets on the inside that hold two pencils and a big one that can hold his cool lion and hippo erasers.

Anyway, back to meeting the teacher and seeing the school.... We walked in the amazingly crowded front doors and paid the $6 registration fee and then went to another table to meet his bus driver. She was an older lady with greasy short hair and a raspy voice, who seems nice enough, but my son gave me a funny look as we walked on to find his classroom. As we walk down the hall, my son looks at the room numbers 1, 2, 3, ... 7, 8, 9, and then he finds the long awaited 10!

We go in and see moms and kids walking all over and putting together their kids supply cubbies and signing up to volunteer. His teacher sees us and walks over to Jaden and asks him his name. She is very sweet and will be just wonderful for my ever sensitive little boy. She showed him where the coat hooks and the cubbies are and he ever so anxiously found his name. We put together his supplies and while I signed up for volunteering, he drew a self portrait and wrote his name. She took his picture and tried to talk to him. My shy little Jaden said very little, but she was very good about it. This is her first year at this school so I don't know anything about her and it makes me a little nervous.

I hope she will be patient with my little perfectionist, and comforting and careful with my little sensitive boy, and challenging with my smart little boy who can already read (very well) and do some addition and subtraction. All these hopes and worries can make me insane. I hope he finds his classroom and doesn't miss the bus on the way home. I hope he makes new friends (all his current friends are either in the 1st grade or in Mrs. Ishino's class). As a mom, you worry so much. You don't want your child to be lonely or sad, and I know I'm just being paranoid. Kids make friends so easy and fast.

Anyway, school starts on Thursday. Yes, just two days away and I'm a wreck! Doesn't August 17th sound so early to start school? He's so excited it is finally here.

A Trip to the Dentist

So I've been kind of lazy with my blogging lately, haven't had much to blog about, I guess! Well, today I took the kids to the dentist. I was, of course, prepared for the worst, but to my pleasant surprise, they were WONDERFUL!!! They were very cooperative and happy. I always remember, as a child, being nervous and apprehensive at the dentist. My kids were excited to go. They love the new toothbrushes they get and the toy from the treasure chest! I was worried how they would act while I was getting my teeth cleaned. The wonderful ladies there, as well as the dentist, were great with them. They just let them kind of wander in the back where we were (it's kind of an open dental office with only partial walls between the different rooms) and turned on the TV for them. The ladies entertained them and they were great. They loved getting the pink stuff on their teeth to see where the sugarbugs are and watching it disappear with the cleaning. Anyway, nothing exciting going on here, just a trip to the dentist!!!!

TMJ...That Miserable Jaw

I have TMJ and have been going to the orthodontist for four months now to try and get it corrected. For the past4 months I have had to wear what they call a splint. It is a hard plastic mouthpiece that I wear on my upper teeth. This allows for my lower jaw to move to its more natural position. I don't quite understand how it works, but it does! My teeth no longer meet, except for in one spot. I went in to my orthodontic appointment today and was told that I would only have to wear it for two more weeks. Yippee!!! The splint is terrible. It's hard to talk with and even harder to eat with! The next step..... braces. That part I'm not to excited about. But, boy, will it be nice when we are all finished. No more jaw pain, and much better looking teeth!!! I must thank my husband for this. He talked me into going in for a consultation. I was so against getting braces. I didn't see the point now that I'm older and have kids that the money could be going to. He did all the checking into it and found that our insurance would pay for TMJ work - which me that they will help cover the splint as well as the braces!!! This was pretty exciting for us because our insurance doesn't pay for adult orthodontics. Anyway, thank you Guy for talking me in to going to the consultation and getting the work done!

We're Back!

Well, we are back from our trip to Kirkland (near Seattle). We had such a great time and I had a hard time leaving. The kids were so sad to leave Grandma and Grandpa and wished that they could stay. We had fabulous weather and were able to do some fun things. Our favorite thing was going to NorthWest Trek. It is a great place to go with families of all ages. The young kids enjoyed it as well as we did. When we first got there, the kids were able to do a fun "critter craft" for free. They made frogs with those funny noise makers for the tongue (even better - they really didn't make noise!) After that, we boarded a windowless tram and set off through the wildlife park and saw all kinds of animals that are from the Northwest area. There were Roosevelt elk, bison, mountain goats, beavers, deer of several types and others. After we were done with the tour we were able to see grizzly bears and cougars and such. It was a lot of fun. and we all really enjoyed it. I'll have to post some pictures of it later.

The 4th of July was also a lot of fun. My brothers were able to come up and have a little barbeque at my parents' house and, boy, did my boys have fun with those crazy brothers of mine. (I have three older brothers) They especially enjoyed watching their Uncle Kelly do his monkey routine! After the barbeque, Guy, the kids, and I went to Bellevue to watch the fireworks there. The park was jam-packed with people and it was a great place to be if you enjoy people-watching. The fireworks were fantastic and the kids - much to my surprise - were fascinated. I was worried that they, especially Kaylee, would be scared of them and the noise they make, but they all loved it. Kaylee sat on my lap and just kept saying "wow, wow" and trying to reach up and catch them. It was great.

We had such a great vacation. It is hard to come back home and get back in to the routine of our regular lives. But, here we are and we are happy to be home.

Works For Me Wednesday

I know, I know. It's not really Wednesday, it's Tuesday. However, I think I'm going to be to busy tomorrow for our vacation to be able to get on the computer. So here is my WFMW a day early.

Another use for baby wipes: They are great for removing lipstick (or any other make-up) stains. There is nothing worse than trying to get lipstick out of your shirt. After you get a stain - before you wash it, just take a baby wipe and blot at the stain and you'll be surprised how it disappears.

They also work great for those awful deoderant marks left on black shirts. Give it a try!

One final use: washing your face when camping. It is so hard to try and wash your face while camping and so easy to carry some baby wipes with you. I can't stand all the dust and dirt that collects on your face (and arms and legs) while camping. I seem to continually be taking a baby wipe to my face. It always feels so good. They also work good to remove make-up from your face at home for a quick cleansing before bed!

I will probaby be gone from the blogging world for the next week or so while I am visiting with my family in Seattle!

Getting Ready

Well, we are trying to get ready to go for our trip to the Seattle area to visit my family. We leave on Thursday and, boy, are the kids excited. We are driving to Sun Valley and then flying the rest of the way. Austin has never been on a plane, and Jaden can't remember we he had flown - so this is a pretty exciting thing for them. I'm constantly being asked "Is today the day we get to go on the plane?" and "If the cars will look like ants, - what will the houses look like?" It's been difficult to try and answer all these questions when I'm trying to get 'caught up' on laundry. Whatever THAT means. I don't think it is really ever possible. There is always something dirty! It is just completely never-ending.

The other thing about trying to get ready for vacation is that you can't pack until the night before or the morning of. For example, you can't pack make-up, toothbrushes, hair combs... until that morning because you need to use those. I don't know about you, but I don't have enough clothes to be able to pack those much in advance either. I always have to do at least one load of laundry the day before. And then there are toys. What do you pack for the kids for the car ride, the plane ride and to have at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We are trying to pack light and it is so easy for me to over pack. I have a very hard time making decisions!!!!

Anyway, those are our "getting ready" woes. I'm sure Wednesday will be a busy day and a long night, but we are sure excited to go visit home and family.

Works For Me Thursday!?!

I know I'm a day late getting this out. I didn't get a chance to get on the computer yesterday - The woes of having only one computer... which is my husband's laptop which is for work... at least we are lucky enough for them to let us use it for personal use as well.

Anyway, back to WFMW (or WFMTh). I don't know about you, but whenever I am finished putting my make-up on in the morning, I end up with a thin film all over my counter and sink. All my make-up is in powder form, from my foundation to my eyeshadow. It can make a real mess. That's where my most beloved invention comes in.... Baby Wipes. Yes, baby wipes. I keep them everywhere. Including my bathroom. I find it very helpful to just take a baby wipe and wipe down the counter and sink after I'm done. It makes it easier to keep the bathroom clean. I have also found that they are also very good at getting rid of your husband's unsightly whiskers he left in the sink. Anyway, it works for me!

Baby wipes are good for so many things. I'll have to write about some others for later WFMW. I highly suggest for everyone to by a tub of baby wipes whether you have kids or not. You will find many uses.

Diet Coke and Mentos

You might be wondering what someone can do with Diet Coke and Mentos. Well, this is the answer. My husband saw this on Yahoo! and I just thought it was hilarious. If anyone has been to the Belagio in Las Vegas - or even if you haven't - I think you'll enjoy this. I hope the video works. If not got to eepybird.com.

(I tried to embed the video, but I just don't want to take the time to figure it out right now!)

I don't think the video will work. I'm still trying to figure out all this blogging stuff. However, I did finally figure out how to use links!!! Give me some credit. Anyway, go to the site - it's worth it.

More Strep and Something Cute

Well, Kaylee is feeling so much better - back to normal - no more sleepless nights!!! That was until last night when Jaden woke up with a fever! We took him to the doctor this morning, and yes, he does have strep. He seems to be taking it better than Kaylee - maybe we caught it a little earlier. He is on antibiotics, so he should be feeling better soon. He had to miss his T-ball game today which made he feel pretty bad. It was his turn to bring the drinks and treats. I assured him that he will be able to take them next game since we traded with another kid. Well, that's the more strep part - now for the something cute....

Yesterday, I walked in to Kaylee's room where she had been playing quietly for a few minutes. I sneaked up on her so I could see what she was doing when she thought no one was looking. I peeked through the door and saw her sitting on the floor with her little baby doll (completely naked) on the floor in front of her. She had found a baby wipe and was cleaning the baby while she repeatedly and dramatically said "ewww, ewe, P.U." and "gross". When she was satisfied the baby was clean enough, she took one of her diapers and attempted to clothe the doll. It was so cute!!! I think it is the most fun to watch kids when they think no one is looking. Anyone else have any similar stories? I'd love to hear them!

Here's the right link

Sorry, that link didn't work, let me try again!!! Chilihead.

Monday Memories

I got this Monday Memory idea from Chilihead to write about how my husband and I met.

I was at college - my very first year - and he came by my apartment that very first week. I had previously met a couple of his roommates who seemed nice enough, but from the moment I met my future husband I knew I would be seeing more of him. My roommates and I were all in our pajamas and watching While You Were Sleeping when we heard a knock on the door. In came Guy with one other roommate and they finished watching the movie with us. Guy and his roommates were our Family Home Evening brothers and so we got together with them once a week to do something fun. Guy, being such a social person, organized many of things we did. Some of the most memorable was hiking in to hot springs and going to Mesa Falls. It took a while for him to actually ask me on our first date. It was a great first date however. We went to a Clay Walker concert. It was great and we had a fabulous time. Consequently, we don't have a song we have a singer.

It took him a month longer to actually hold my hand. It was on Halloween and we had gone to the Haunted Forest (I know it sounds really cheesy!!!) and it was a cold night. That was officially the day we started dating. We had so many wonderful memories and some not so great ones that helped us become stronger and better friends. Maybe on another Monday, I'll share some more.

Visiting Teaching

Kaylee is back to normal... almost! Her fever is gone, her throat is still hurting, but she seems to be doing great. She is playing and having a good time. Now, I have to clean house and it's really bad. I haven't been able to do hardly anything while she had a fever, she was so clingy. It feels good to be able to walk around the house without her in my arms!!!

On to things other than my kids - I have a hard time blogging about anything different, they are my life after all! Anyway, the other day my visiting teacher came (she comes alone, her partner is very busy and they have a hard time getting together). My VT is great. She is having a very hard time right now, her husband got into some trouble and she has actually been living in Utah for quite a few months. However, she still makes a point to come visiting teaching to me every month when she comes up to check on things here. She has never missed a month. She is just so wonderful and caring and thinks of nothing else but me when she is at my home - even with all the hard times she is going through right now. I, on the other hand, have not been so good with my visiting teaching and have decided to commit to getting it done. I was just given a new partner and it is a good time to make sure we go every month. It's not that hard, yet seems to be sometimes. Anyway, I know it's important and I promise to get it done. It's not fair that I have such a great visiting teacher and I am so terrible about getting it done. My ladies deserve to have one as well.

Strep Throat Nightmare

Hmmmm... let's see. Where do I start? The past four or five days have been a complete nightmare! Kaylee came down with a fever Sunday night and has had one ever since. When she didn't get better, I took her to see the doctor Tuesday and she was diagnosed with strep. She was given an antibiotic and I was told just to keep giving Tylenol to help with the fever. They had to give her a different antibiotic since she has had to much amoxycillin for all her ear infections. This one doesn't seem to work nearly as fast! I took her in to see the doctor again today. I'm just so worried about the fever. I can't seem to get it to go down past 99.5 degrees. The doctor just told me to keep up on the fluids and he increased her tylenol dose a little bit. If she doesn't seem to be better by Saturday, I'm to bring her in again. It sometimes takes 4-5 days for the antibiotic to take control. Anyway, I'm just so tired. I haven't had any sleep since Sunday night. Even when Kaylee is asleep, I'm still half awake listening for her. I'll just be glad when this is over. If anyone has any ideas on reducing her fever besides the medicine and luke-warm baths, I'd love to hear and try them out.

Nursery Frustrations!!!

Aaaaaaggggghhhhh!!! It seems that there is major drama between the nursery leaders and the primary presidency. Luckily, I've been able to stay out of it pretty much, although it is driving me crazy. In the nursery, we have four leaders when really two would be sufficient, although I really like having three. One of the leaders is 8 months pregnant and is asking to be released. I don't blame her!!! Poor girl is having a hard time sitting down on the floor with the kids and she is just super uncomfortable and is getting no sleep. Also, it is very difficult to be in the nursery with a newborn. Which brings me to my next point. They just put in a mom who had a baby 3 weeks ago. This mom is so great, but is having a very difficult time right now. She is not sleeping and her beautiful new daughter has not been easy on her. She ends up having to nurse her baby most of the time during nursery and the other time she is so tired. She has told her visiting teacher (which is also another nursery leader) that she just doesn't think she can do it, but is too embarassed to ask to be released. Her VT talked to the primary president about this and she responded by saying "What do people think? That if they have a baby, they just don't have to have any church responsibilities? A baby is no excuse - besides, nursery is the best place for them!" I was told it was said rudely and I just feel so bad for those two nursery leaders. I had been bummed I had been asked to be in the nursery, but I don't have nearly the issues as these two moms. I just feel that the primary president needs to be compassionate with them. We would be fine in nursery with just the two of us and they could get another to make three. I just don't know what to do for them. I feel so bad. We have been telling the one with the newborn to go ahead and go to Relief Society since we can handle it. The pregnant leader has not been showing up. It's just going a little nuts and the primary president is losing a lot of respect from people. I just feel helpless.

A good thing though is that a little boy who is having a hard time in the nursery and doesn't let his dad leave is doing much better. I suggested to the dad to just go and leave him last week because I thought he might do better if his dad wasn't there. Sure enough, we were able to calm him down and he did do pretty good. He has a hard time being nice to the other kids, but without his dad there, he listened to us more and we were able to separate him from the rest of the kids when he was mean. He decided he didn't like that as well and decided to go back and play. He did great the rest of the time. I think that his parents try hard, but they have different parenting styles and are never home together with him. Recently they have started to discipline him by squirting him in the face with water from a spray bottle when he misbehaves. I think this is a terrible idea. It reminds me of what someone might do with a cat or a dog. I can't imagine this helping him at all. She even told me that if he doesn't do well in nursery, she'll bring it for us to use. I told her that we wouldn't need it, but don't know her well enough to tell her I didn't think that it was good plan for her either.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings about nursery. This blog is just a good place to get out my frustrations.

Welcome Home

MomRN2's daughter is home!!! What a relief for her and her family. I hope she continues to get well. I hope she knows of all the prayers that went out to her and how loved she is. If you would like to tell her welcome home as well, visit
she-lives.typepad.com/she_lives/2006/06/she_celebrates.html.

Once again, sorry about the link.

Camping Trip

I didn't know what to write about. Nothing exciting has happened, but I haven't written anything for a while so I thought I would talk of our little camping trip over memorial weekend.....
We had a great time. We packed up the kids and met my husband's family south of Pocatello. We had a great camping spot with lots of room and even a little meadow for the kids to play in. The weather was wonderful and the kids were having a blast with all their cousins. We even got a great nights sleep in our tent with the kids. We woke to a slightly cold, but beautiful morning. The kids continued to have a great time playing, as did my husband and I. By evening, it started to get a little bit colder and continued to do so. When we went to bed, it was quite chilly, but still bearable. By morning, it was cold.... and snowing!!! I couldn't believe it. We were camping in the snow. What a miserable morning. I am not a die-hard camper, never will be. I never went camping growing up (not counting Girls Camp - which wasn't really camping anyway) and couldn't stand the cold. My mother-in-law and also my sister-in-law each had campers. The adults went to one and the kids went to the other. Guess which camper I was in. That's right - I was stuck babysitting everyones kids in the one trailer. Not very fun! The kids were actually pretty good and still had a great time. After two days of yucky, rainy, snowy days the weather actually cleared up and became nice again - just in time to pack up!!!
The weather may not have cooperated, but we had a good time. One positive thing that came out of it - my husband now agrees with me that we need to find a trailer (even a small one) that we can escape to. We are now searching for one. It may take a while to find one we like in our price range, but we will do it!!!!

A Prayer is Needed

I don't have anything exciting or interesting to tell about us today. Life is just about the same. I did hear about a family who can use our prayers. Please visit momrn2.blogspot.com (sorry I don't know how to put in a link and didn't feel like figuring it out). Her daughter has been vomiting for 9 days and can't eat or drink anything, not even ice chips. They can't figure out what is wrong with her and they are asking for all the prayers they can get. Please leave them a comment and pray for them. They could really use the support!

Kids at the store

My kids hate strollers, grocery carts, or anything that requires them to sit!!! We went to Target today so I could look for a wedding gift for an old roommate. I stick my 1 1/2 year old in the cart and then try to put my 3 year old in the basket of the cart. That was a definite no go! To avoid the screaming I allowed Austin to walk, along with my 5 year old, Jaden. That was a huge mistake. Th eboys just kept running around and chasing each other. Kaylee, seeing all the excitement and fun her brothers were having started to quietly, but insistently, say "I want out. Out. Out." I tried to ignore her as I rallied the boys together so we could go look at other stuff. Kaylee began to get louder and pretty soon started screaming!!! There was nothing I could do to get her to stop. Toys didn't work, food didn't work..... nothing! I let her down and then had the three running around. It was so embarrassing, especially getting all those looks from the mothers who had the perfect children, sitting in the cart, looking at my kids and getting ideas of their own. Anyway, do you think I was able to find a gift for my roommate? NO!!! I had to throw all 3 screaming kids into the cart and leave the store. It was the most frustrating and embarrassing moment I've had for such a long time.

I told Guy about it when I got home. I had asked if he would watch the kids while I went shopping and didn't understand why he couldn't just go with me. (If he does, I still end up watching all the kids! He tries to help, but just doesn't!) Speaking of my husband, on Sunday - Mother's Day, we had our 7th anniversary!!! We went out on a great date and had such a wonderful time. We were able to go to dinner and then take a leisurely walk by the river. It was so much fun. When we got home, we came in to find the house so much cleaner than we had left it. The babysitters (we had two sisters watching the kids) had decided to clean up the kids' playroom downstairs as well as Kaylee's room upstairs! It was such a nice end to our day. We will definitely have these girls come again. Besides the house being so clean, the kids just had a great time with them. And yes, we did give the girls some extra cash for the cleaning (which they at first wouldn't accept!)

Does it ever end?

Well, nursery doesn't seem to quite as overwhelming right now. Mainly because I feel so awful for the other nursery leader they just put in. She has one child in nursery, but get this, she just had a baby 2 weeks ago. I don't know how she is going to do it. Anyway, I think I will be okay. Thanks for the comments. It's always helpful to hear other's thoughts about things.

Well, the weather is great and we have been trying to get everything outside (landscaping, sprinklers....) fixed up and it just seems that it will never end. Everywhere we look we see something else that needs to be fixed. Our deck needs to be stained, the steps need to be fixed, the paint around the back door needs work....blah...blah...blah! Meanwhile, since all our efforts are going on the exterior of the house, the inside is getting neglected. Laundry is piling up, vaccuming isn't getting done as often as it should be and you can forget the mopping and the dusting!!! It just never seems to end!

Nursery Blues

Okay, so I haven't had a job in the church for a few months now since I was released as the Primary Secretary. They kept me on the primary board, but had not given me anything else to do and consequently I wasn't available to go anywhere else. It has been very nice being able to go to Relief Society, which I've felt I had really needed. The other day, I was asked to be in Nursery considering I have two children currently in there. I definitely have mixed feelings about this. I want to be where I am needed and am determined to do the best I can. However, that has been the one time during the week I get to escape from my children. I looked forward to Relief Society to be able to be enriched and to have adult discussion. Why is it that they always ask the stay-at-home moms with nursery age children to be in the nursery? It's so hard to be at home with the children with hardly any adult conversation. I love children, but feel like I deserve a break. I also have a hard time with the primary presidency. Having served with them before, I have witnessed how they call someone to positions in the presidency. It is usually who they like, what looks convenient, and, honestly, what would be the easiest. They rarely pray about callings, unless it is an "important" one. This was something that I had struggled with when I was in the primary presidency. I have always felt the all callings are important, especially ones that deal with the children. Knowing what I have seen and how they call people to these jobs makes me wonder about how I was called to do this. Was it merely out of convenience because of my kids and knowing I wouldn't say no, or was it because that is where the Lord feels I need to be? I guess it doesn't really matter, I will do the best I can and try to be upbeat about it either way. I just wonder. I just worry that they will forget about me in there (as they have a tendency to do with those in nursery) and that I won't be able to look forward to a break from the kids. When the kids are young, is when the break is the most needed and the lessons in Relief Society are so important. The other ladies in there have so much to share with the younger moms. And I have so much to learn. Maybe that's why I'm in nursery. Who knows? I would love to hear any thoughts about this. I am really struggling with this.

Fun Road Trip

We had such a great time today. My husband had the day off today for Cinco De Mayo, as he works for a company that serves mainly (but not limited to) Mexicans. We decided to take a drive up to a hot spring a couple of hours away. We piled the kids in the car and took off. They did so good and had a great time looking at all the cows and horses we passed by. We also had a great time at the hot spring. The boys brought their squirt guns and had fun trying to aim for the ants on the ground. Their aim wasn't the best! The water was awfully hot, so we didn't stay too long. It was just a lot of fun to be stuck in the car together with no one else. My husband and I were able to talk while the kids slept. It seems so hard to be able to talk with each other without many interuptions most days that this just seemed like a real treat. When the kids were awake (which was surprisingly most of the time) we had a good time talking about all the stuff we saw outside. It was such a gorgeous day and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. It seems so rare that we are able to do this kind of stuff! Long car rides can sometimes be so stressful, however, today was great and the kids did so well it ended up being a great bonding time.

A Fun Meme

I know, I know, I already posted today, but then I saw this meme that I wanted to post from donttrythisathome.typepad.com. Here goes:

I AM: first and foremost, a mom... a dreamer.... a worrier.

I WANT: my children to be happy, to be more outgoing and to come out of my shell.

I WISH: I lived closer to my parents and my mortgage was paid for.

I HATE: staying up all night and getting no sleep.

I MISS: those care-free college days of no worries and spontanaity (spelling? Apparently, I didn't spend enough time studying!)

I HEAR: my children...constantly!!!

I WONDER: how my oldest is already five and going to start kindergarten, if I'll ever have a truly restful night ever again.

I REGRET: letting myself go and forgetting about myself.

I AM NOT: perfect.

I DANCE: with my children when I should be cleaning!

I SING: with the kids in the car.

I CRY: too much, when stressed, during movies, when happy.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: as patient with my kids as I should be.

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: crafts with the kids, jewelry, scrapbooks.

I WRITE: very rarely.

I CONFUSE: my life with reality.

I NEED: my kids, my husband, to laugh and play.

I SHOULD: keep house better and play less.

I START: and hardly ever finish.

I FINISH: what is truly important.

He Finally Did It!!!

I can't believe it! I have been trying to get Austin, my 3 yr. old, potty trained. It has not been easy, he has been refusing to wear anything buy pull-ups and diapers. Then just two days ago, he came over to me and asked if he could were his Superman underwear that he picked out, and never worn, 3 months ago. I was so surprised, I about fell over. However, not wanting to make a big deal about it, afraid he would back off from all the attention, I played it cool. I went downstairs to his bedroom and picked out the pair for him. Much to my surprise, he put them on himself and never had an accident!!! I couldn't believe it! I guess he was just finally ready. He has been wearing big boy underwear for three days now and is doing fabulous. I keep telling him how proud I am of him making the decision to become a truly big boy and the look of pride on his face is just the most heart-warming look ever. It is so exciting to be able to watch your children grow. The satisfaction of watching them is overwhelming! They are truly a blessing.

Spring is in the Air

The weather is getting warmer, resevoirs are beginning to fill.... spring is definitely in the air. It is so nice to be able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. The best part is, of course, letting the kids go out as often as they want to get their wiggles out. My husband and I are trying to get the yard cleaned up and make some improvements. Anyone know how to get rid of the thatch (or dead grass) laying on the lawn without raking? We are also going to haul in some bark to go in the flower beds and create a new flower bed in the backyard. We also want to put a garden, but may have to wait until next year. It will be so nice to get the yard looking pretty. It's also nice to be able to do something as a family (although the kids mainly just play and pretend like they are trying to garden or mow the lawn with their toys.) I can't believe how good it feels to own a home and be able to do what you want to it!!! This has been a long time coming.

The kids are all doing great. We were outside playing with sidewalk chalk (or as the boys call it "hopscotch" because I will usually draw a hopscotch for them) and had a great time. Jaden is finally feeling confident enough with himself to draw his own pictures and make his own stuff up instead of always asking me to do it for him. Austin made some cute little pictures and even drew the temple "the one mom and dad were in". Whenever we go past the temple we tell the kids "that's where mom and dad were married." So we thought that was pretty cute for a 3 year old to draw. Children are just so amazing to watch and see what they come up with. They are so much smarter than are given credit for.

Well, my husbands parents are coming tomorrow to help us. Our underground sprinklers had a pipe that froze and broke this winter. Guy's dad is going to help us fix it and his mom will be coming as well. That means lots of cleaning for me tomorrow and getting caught up on laundry. I always feel like my house has to be unusually clean when they come, Anyone else like that with their in-laws? kinda crazy, because I know they wouldn't care!

Measles Scare

My good friend and I took our kids to the mall the other day. Her little 10 month old had been sick, but was looking great and if his little illness had gone away. We had a great day, the kids were pretty good and we each bought a new pair of shoes!!!

Today, I get a call from her and she tells me that her little boy has gotten worse and she did some research on the internet and finds out that he most likely has the measles!!!! Children aren't given the measles shot (MMR) until they are 12 months. She had called to warn me. Luckily, all of my kids are up to date on their vaccinations, so they probably would be just fine. However, we have a mutual friend who does not believe in vaccinating her kids. She thought she better give her a call and let her know. Our friend's response was not what she had in mind... She told her that her kids would not get sick because their immune system is high because she does not get them immunized and that her son got sick because of his previous immunizations. That is so contrary to our beliefs, my friend didn't know how to respond. What do you think about child immunizations? They are required for school and when our friend was asked about that , she said "By the time they are 5, I won't have a problem and will get them immunized". Don't you think that goes against everything she was talking about? Anyway, I'm just not sure how to take that. I really think that every kid needs to be immunized to be protected from these health issues. My friend and I were talking and hoping that this little measles scare would shock her in to getting her kids immunized. Apparently not.

Another topic of the measles: my friend took her baby to the doctor and the Dr. told her that he is 99% positive that the baby has measles. He wanted to do a blood test just to make sure, however the treatment would be the same no matter what. The test is just done so they can monitor the number of cases and the location of the cases to warn the public in case of an outbreak. That is just fine, however, the test would cost my friend a pretty sizeable amount. Should she have to pay for this even if it won't help her child? Should the state or county pay for it since it is for the good of the community? My friend opted out of the test because of finances, but feels as if she should have it done if it would help others. Her question was: should she really be responsible for it and couldn't they tell the community that there is a case of the measles and inform them of the symptoms anyway?

Side note: the baby is doing fine and is towards the end of the illness, he will be treated at home and kept comfortable!

Easter Fun!?!

Easter fun?!? What a weekend!!! A little stressful and crazy at times, but a lot of fun. On Saturday, we decided to take the kids to the city egg hunt. It was at the city park and they had roped off the grassy area for the designated ages. My husband went with my oldest son to the 5 year old section and I took the two younger ones to the one-three section. They had two sections for the 1-3 yr. olds - one where parents were allowed to help and the other where parents were to stay behind the line. I decided to go to the unassisted section knowing that when parents help, the kids don't get to find any and are almost bulldozed over by the over-zealous parents. Anyway, as soon as the word 'go' was shouted, kids swarmed the grass. My daughter being only 18 months was a little bit cautious, but was able to get a couple of eggs by herself. As she was heading for her third egg, a parent on the sideline started screaming to her 3 year old "Over here, over here". The child ran there and almost knocked my daughter down as he grabbed the egg she was reaching for. Just a little annoying! I don't understand why parents feel like they need to make sure that their child gets the most or does the best. Anyway, I'll get off my soap box. The egg hunt probably lasted no more than 30 seconds. Kids had fun though!

On Sunday, we got up and went to church (the Easter Bunny comes while we are at church since it starts at 9 a.m. and I have 3 kids to get ready) and came home to a fun indoor egg hunt since I live in Idaho and the weather was awful! Apparently, Idaho hasn't received the word yet that it is Spring. The kids found the eggs and their baskets and were given a clue to their hidden Easter present. The boys each got a bike from the Easter Bunny. We were lucky enough to have the rain stop just long enough to give the bikes a try before we left to go have dinner with Guy's family. The weather was so crazy, we had sunshine, rain, hail, and even snow!!!

Well, I guess you could say, despite the weather and over-zealous parents, we had a fun Easter. However, we are still dealing with the after-effects of too much sugar!!!!

A Great Vacation's End

We had such a great time in D.C. We spent a whole day walking around all the monuments and memorials in the National Mall. It was a ton of walking (especially with a sprained ankle!!! I am such a clutz!). I really enjoyed the Washington Monument with the WWII memorial, reflecting poot, and Lincoln memorial. It was such a beautiful day (72 degree weather) and a gorgeous walk. The Vietnam Memorial wall was amazing. It just left me in awe of all those who sacrificed their lives for the country, despite all the political disagreements. Anyway, it was beautiful. The next day, Guy and I rented a tandem bike and rode down to the Tidal Basin to look at the spectacular cherry blossoms. We were lucky and hit it just at the peak of the blossoming. Remember, all this was done with a sprained ankle! I am definitely paying for it now, but I wasn't about to let that ruin my vacation!

On Friday, we decided to take a little trip up to New York. We went to the Statue of Liberty, which was fascinating. We took the ferry out to it and had a great time. We then drove to Ground Zero. I can't believe how big of an area and that it held two such huge buildings. Right across from Ground Zero was the Fire Engine 10. They lost 6 firefighters on 9/11. They had a fire truck painted patrioctically for the public to view and a firefighter answering questions. It was interesting.
Anyway, that was our trip. We were gone 8 days. It was a long time to be away from the kids. I missed them so much!!! It was great to get back to them and give them hugs and kisses.

Washington D.C.

Guy and I have been in Washington D.C. for 3 days now. It is so much fun! Our first day here we went to Arlington National Cemetary. That was so neat. It is such a reminder of all those who have fought for our country. I had seen pictures of the endless rows of gravemarkers, but they do not do justice. It was so much more awe inspiring to see them in person. My favorite part was watching the Changing of the Guards. The respect, the discipline, and the exactness were amazing! The peacefulness there was great and allowed us to be in our own thoughts and to reflect. It was a fun, interesting, and reflective place. We had a great time there.

After we left Arlington we took the metro to the white house. That was also very neat to see in person. There was a makeshift tent there with a couple of people who had set up camp there to protest nuclear weapons. There has been someone at that tent 24 hours a day since 1981. I didn't know whether to think - good for them for being there for so long for something they believed in - or - do they not have a life? It was interesting either way.

That was the end of the day for us, we went back to the hotel where Guy had to go to meetings, as for me, I went to the room and rested from all that walking!!!

Yesterday, Guy was in meetings all day, so I decided to take the metro to the National Mall to visit the Smithsonian. Another day of a lot of walking! It was a lot of fun. I first went to the American History Museum. That was great, I especially enjoyed seeing Old Glory that inspired the Star-Spangled Banner. I then went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. That was informative, reflective, but most of all disturbing. It is something I will never forget. My favorite part of it was a section devoted to teaching children called "Daniel's Story". It shows the life of Daniel and how his life changed once Hitler came to power and follows his life from his nice home to the ghetto to the concentration camp. He lives. After the Holocaust Museum, I headed back up to the Smithsonian and went to the Natural History Museum. That was a lot of fun, and I wished I had my kids with me. The boys would have loved to see the dinosaur bones and the animals. I made sure to take pictures for them. Anyway, it was a long, but fun day. It felt great to be alone and do my own things at my own pace.

It has been great to have time by myself, although I really miss the kids. My parents are staying with the kids, so I'm not worried. Austin and Kaylee have been sick and throwing up and I do feel like I should be there for them. I also feel bad for my parents. It is not fun to have sick kids.

Not Much Going On

I haven't posted anything for a while, so I thought I would do a quick update. The kids are all doing well and growing fast. We are going to pre-register Jaden for kindergarten next year. It's amazing!!! I can't believe he is already 5. I've already been having nightmares about him not being able to find his classroom and not catching the bus home. I guess I worry about him not being old enough, but he is. He'll do great. He is so excited to start and is already reading and doing some math. He really enjoys it. He definitely gets that from his dad and not me. It's amazing how similar Jaden and Guy are. Austin keeps growing and is busy as ever, as well as Kaylee. Her hair is finally growing and I'm able to do things with it. It is so fun to have a daughter (sons are fun too!). I hope to get a couple of pictures posted within the next few days. Well enough of my rambling. Not much is going on!!!!

Austin's 3rd Birthday

It was Austin's 3rd birthday yesterday! We all had a great time. We let Austin choose what he wanted to do for the day and he decided he wanted to go to Leo's Place for dinner. Leo's is a pizza/arcade place that the boys love. After we did that, we picked up Austin's dinosaur cake and went home to open presents. Austin had a great time being the center of attention and can't wait for his next birthday. He wants to turn 5 so that he can go to school! Right now he'll settle for being 3! He's a great kid and we sure enjoy playing with him. Here are some pictures that we thought were fun.

Jaden and Austin with Friends

Jaden and Austin sure love having their friends over to play. I thought that this was a real cute picture of them with their friends Bryce and Brenan (twins). The twins are right between the boys in age and get along with them great. It is so nice to finally live in a neighborhood where the kids can have friends over to play! We lived in the strangest places before where they weren't able to do this. We just really love our neighborhood!

Christmas 2005

Christmas was a lot of fun this year!!! The boys had a great time Christmas Eve getting things ready for Santa. They left him cookies and chocolate milk. They also had to make sure and leave Rudolph some carrots. Their excitement made it hard to get them to sleep, but they eventually did and actually slept in until around 8:00. They got a lot of toys and really enjoyed playing with them all. They especially enjoyed the T-Rex Mountain and the "car race".

Jaden's 5th Birthday

I can't believe Jaden is 5 already. He had a great birthday. We decided to go swimming at Green Canyon Hot Springs and have a small get together. Some of Guy's family was able to make it as well as some friends from our neighborhood. Jaden had a Madagascar cake and loved it. He also had a great time opening his presents. The pictures are a little foggy because of the humidity inside the building, I had to keep wiping the lens of the camera to try and get a good shot. Here are some of them.

Welcome!!!

Welcome to our blog. I thought that this would be a good way to let everyone know what is going on with our family and to post pictures. Today is Austin's 3rd birthday, so I hope to get some of his pictures posted within the next couple of days. Hope all is going well with everyone and their families!