Kid Quotes

My husband Brandon says "I've had it!" Immediately, we hear a little cute female voice (Miss Maddie) imitating him, saying, "I've had it!" Everyone starts laughing!

"I don't like girls, but I love you Mommy!" -Benjamin

"Daddy, Daddy, I burped." -Maddie (so proud of herself!)

Benjamin: "Mommy, I really like your watch." "Thank you," I said. Benjamin (pointing to his wrist): "Mommy, I don't have a watch. Will you buy me a little watch?"

I was telling the kids about how their Dad had proposed marriage to me. I talked about the carriage ride through SLC and how romantic it was. Ethan's response, "He should have proposed to you at Chuck E. Cheese."

"On my birthday, I get to be King for the day!" -Ethan

I mumble to myself: "I am feeling a little sick today." Ethan, overhearing me, says: "Then you cannot use the computer today!" (the other day when he stayed home sick from school I wouldn't let him play on the computer as I didn't want to encourage him to "stay home sick" from school! Don't you hate it when kids use your own words against you?)

I say to Benjamin: "Get off the computer." Benjamin: "But Mom, I am just going to check your blog." (Maybe I spend too much time blogging if my 3 year old knows what a blog is!)

I was telling Ethan to do something, and he asked why? And I said sarcastically, "Cause I'm freakin' mother of the year." Ethan's immediate response: "You are not the freakin' mother of the year, if you were you would give me every toy I want."

"I want to bear my testimony every month, but Dad won't always let me. I have borne my testimony every month but one." -Little Brandon (Little B was filling me in on Testimony meeting since I missed church today!)

Movie Review: Dan in Real Life

I took Bon's suggestion to watch the movie, "Dan in Real Life". I LOVED it, such a witty, warm, fun movie! So, thanks for the suggestion! Add this one to your list if you have not already seen it!

Referring to the movie, as my sis in law Krista said, I hope I am not a "murderer" of love when my kids are teenagers---but who am I kidding, Brandon will be the "murderer" of love---he already talks in depth about how he is going to gather up all our boys and himself to intimidate Maddie's future boyfriends---I am sure they will all be murderers of love!!! That should be my next post "How to be a murderer of teen love!"

Orange Tic-Tacs

I was looking up anemia on google, and it talked about some of the weird symptoms of anemia. One is that people often have "pica" meaning they like to eat non-food items such as paper, dirt, etc. No, don't worry, I am not there---at least yet, although, it would be helpful for weight watchers as I am pretty sure that dirt and paper don't have that many points!

Anyway, it says that often people with anemia crave ice. They love to crunch their teeth against hard food items. I had to laugh, as for the last couple months, I have been ABSOLUTELY obsessed with orange tic tacs. My poor husband brings them home for me all the time, as they make my day. Pretty pitiful, I know. Anyway, I had to laugh, because I love to crunch them with my teeth. I have never, ever been addicted to tic tacs before, so I can't help but wonder if this addiction is not related to the anemia. If you are anemic, you might want to try the orange tic-tacs. They just have a fabulous flavor and a great crunch for your teeth, if you are in need of that. Much better than dirt or paper in my opinion, although, I had to laugh. Of course, I couldn't be addicted to crunching ice. It would have to be an addiction involving calories!!!

Or maybe Juno had a greater subconscious effect on my life than I would've thought possible!

Young@Heart Performance on Ellen

Brandon and I just LOVED this performance when we watched it on Ellen, I just had to share it with you! I just love their rendition of "Hey Ya" by Outkast! It is TOO FABULOUS! I can only hope that when I am in the AARP, I can be a part of this group! Only in my dreams!

Anemia

For the last 4-6 weeks, I have been feeling like total crap! I have felt exhausted, lethargic, and have just wanted to rest 24/7. I figured this was the toll of having five kids so close in age. Hey, don't all us Mom's feel exhausted most of the time? We often wear ourselves out!!!

This last Friday, my husband had off work, so I went to the Dr. and had some blood tests taken to check for a variety of things. I was a little concerned I might be diabetic, or have a thyroid problem!

Aren't we always secretly hoping it is our thyroid? Then we can get something to boost that metabolism. And maybe have a reason for weight gain? (But who am I kidding, I have had this weight problem for so many years!!!)

I felt much better on Saturday and for most of Sunday. However, by Sunday night, I had that same super exhausted feeling. I just feel like I could lie in bed for 30 days and still wake up SOOOO tired. I have absolutely no energy and strength whatsoever. So, my husband took off yesterday and today, and I have just been resting in bed, hoping that I would feel better & recharged. Can I tell you how dreamy it feels to lie in bed all day? I am achy and exhausted, and rest is such my best friend right now.

In fact, just a couple days ago, I was fantasizing about going to a spa for 30 days where I get to rest all day in a bed. The bed would sorta' be outside and inside at the same time. There would be a stream nearby and lots of flowers! I could go on an occasional visit to the stream and to the flowers, but the rest of the time, lie in bed and relax. See, normally, I cannot stand to "stand still". I always am on the run and love to be moving. I get bored easily, so normally don't like to rest. I also don't usually like spending much time alone! That is why this fantasy is so random for me.

My normal fantasy would be going on a trip with my family, having tons of various fun field trips throughout the days of the trip. So, to want to be isolated and resting all day is SOOOO not me!!!

So, I couldn't have been more thrilled when Dr. Poor called today and told me I am anemic. (Well, I guess there are many things that could make me more thrilled! What I am meaning to say, is it is nice to know that there is a reason for all the exhaustion!) My iron is super low, so that is why I have been so exhausted. So, I get to take 2 iron pills a day. Not a big deal, but it may take me several weeks for my iron level to go up.

Anyway, it is so nice to know that there is a problem that can be fixed. I was starting to wonder if I was always going to feel this exhausted. Anyway, now that I know why I feel SOOOOO thrashed, we can work on improving the situation. So, if you are feeling even MORE exhausted than normal motherhood makes you feel, go get a blood test! There may be a reason for it!!!

Texas Update!

Update on April 30th: Family and Protective Services told lawmakers 41 children from the FLDS compound have evidence of broken bones. Medical examinations have revealed numerous physical injuries, including broken bones in "very young children." They are also investigating sexual abuse among many of the male children. Apparently evidence through their journal entries and verbal admissions are leading in that direction. Again, evidence is quite strong and very tragic. It seems as though this raid was a Godsend for many of these children who have been abused and are at risk for future abuse.



31/53 of the teenage girls taken away by the State, from the "Yearn for Zion" compound, ages 14-17 are pregnant or have given birth to babies. Talk about twisted!!! How dare these sick men rape little girls. Little girls should not be having babies!!! It is an outrage, and I am grateful Texas is doing something about it. Due to the fact that over half these teen girls are pregnant or have had babies, Texas should be able to prove systematic abuse within the compound. It's all over for this polygamist group. A little FYI to other polygamist groups: The girls need to be at least 18 to participate in "spiritual" marriage! Sorry! Keep your hands off of little girls! Hopefully, this example sends a strong message to groups everywhere, that you cannot hide abuse behind religion!!! That is the other interesting thing. Where are all the men? Very few have come forward to defend themselves or their families. Talk about cowards! It will be interesting to see how many of the men actually gave DNA tests! My guess is not that many, as they knew it would lead to their arrest for statutory rape. There will now be 31 criminal cases of statutory rape----if they can find the men involved. My guess is these men have fled and it will be very hard to find them at this point. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

My Maddie!

I just love my little Maddie! All of a sudden, she is looking more like a little girl, and a lot less like a baby! I love to see her grow up! She is such a joy & light in our home!!! Today I took some pictures after church, and she could not resist getting a hold of the basketball and playing some ball!

Yeah!

Yeah! I finally got a new cell phone. I happen to be a little deaf anyway. (Ask my husband who forced me to get tested once at Sam's Club--before I changed religions, to Costco. Anyway, my hearing test turned out OK, but my husband and I both know I do suffer from some hearing problems; especially if I am on a phone, or someone is talking quietly, or trying to whisper something to me.) Anyway, my phone has been on the fritz for a while now, and I was postponing the purchase. Instead, I sorta' stopped using my cellphone most of the time. My husband finally suggested I get a new one today. So, we went to get one. Don't you just love this color green? It was fun, and now, if you call, I should be answering it most of the time---just in case you gave up on me!!! Best of all, I can hear people on the other end, and I don't have to feel so embarassed by continually asking "what?" So, consider me back up and running in the communication department!

A Likeness!

So, my cousin Janet's husband, Erik, commented a while back that my little Dylan reminded him of a past prophet, Howard W. Hunter. I had to laugh and agree. I think the likeness is in the ears! What do you think?

Brandon & Dylan
President Howard W. Hunter

Garage Sale Fun!

Well, today I went to my first garage sales of the season. Besides kid clothing, I also found this nice framed stitchery. I talked the lady down from $5 to $4. I probably could've gotten it down more, but I wasn't feeling particularly brazen today. I wasn't in the mood to do too much negotiating. The stitchery reminded me of my favorite little store in Springville, "The Porch". It looks like another stitchery I bought at the Porch for about $40. I definately prefer $4. (If you are ever in Springville, you will have to stop by "the Porch" on Main Street. It is decorating heaven.) I also found all of the Work & Glory books for $1 a piece, so I guess I have quite a bit of reading for a while. Anyway, not the most exciting garage sale day, but fun nonetheless!!!

Not bad for $4


This is one way to handle insomnia---at $1 per book, I figured this might help me fall back to sleep at night, or give me some good historical fiction relating to the church!!! Just a little light reading. Ha!

Gardening thought of the day!

In Springville, in front of my wall of roses!

Roses bring romance! Try not to vomit! Clearly this is before a newer, better camera!!! Maybe we should be grateful for the lack of clarity!?! This may have been pre-digital! I know, can you even remember what life was like before digital cameras?

Now you can see how dated these pictures are---three kids ago!!! How frightening that this was only about four years ago. Wow, time flies!


My new John F. Kennedy roses!



I am in love with John F. Kennedy roses!
One of the things I miss about my home in Springville---are all the roses I planted. I LOVE roses! I had a wall of roses on the side of my home that I loved! I also had beautiful roses outside our back bay window. They were full, beautiful, and growing tall, so we could almost see them outside the window. Loved those roses. Those roses were John F. Kennedy roses. They are white/off white, and are extremely fragrant. They are so beautiful. So, I am trying to start the same thing here on our back bay window. It takes a couple years to get the effect I want, so I have to be patient. Anyway, if you are looking for a beautiful rose to plant around your home, I would strongly suggest the John F. Kennedy rose. So classic, so beautiful. Just my gardening thought of the day!!!

Silly Kid Pics

Ethan and his fake smile!

Maddie Pie (I just love her skin color, a perfect tan all year round!)

Benjamin

A Dirty little Dylan!

How to go to the store with five kids!

OK, I am writing this post because my friend Sally wrote a post about how she needs to learn to not take her kids to the store. I also should learn my lesson, and not take my kids to the store. However, I get cabin-fever quite frequently, need to get out, and be on the run. (I am a DASH! (see link for more details) I also need my kids to sometimes make a mess in another location other than our house. Unfortunately for stores, they sometimes fit the bill! So, here are my comical suggestions:

How to go to the store with five kids:

1-Choose Costco!

2-Costco has two buckle seats up front which make it all so much easier with five kids. (Other stores have a couple of these type of carts but they are usually very hard to find; which can be a nightmare when you have five kids in tow!) The two youngest (ages 1 & 2) go in the front of the cart. The 3 and 6 year old sit in the cart, and only the 7 year old is allowed to walk beside the cart.

3-Go in through the out door. Rather than get snacks, food, and drinks on the way out, you purposely wait for your excursion till lunch time, and then get food for during the excursion. Hopefully, they will be hungry, so they will be focused on the food. This can easily buy you 10-20 minutes of more happy shopping time before the kids begin wailing, throwing fits, and being "fun". Maximize that 10-20 minutes.

3-Order five hot dogs. They each come with a drink. Talk about the best $1.50 you have ever spent in your life. Do not feel the need to fill all the drinks. One or two drinks should be plenty for all the kids to share. Save the other cups to fill on the way out. By the time you are on your way out, you will need more cups and those other three will come in handy.

Just remember, germs are your friend. The more germs your kids are exposed to, the less likely they are to be sensitive to germs. That means less sickness for you and your family. That means less puke messes to clean up. So, expose those children to germs. By sharing drinks you are adequately fulfilling this "requirement". Talk about maximization---two for the price of one (less mess, and better health)! (BTW, if you are looking for other validations for "survival" mode parenting, you are looking at the right blog. I have many solutions for "the harried mother" as that is exactly who I am.)

This is not the time for you to eat. You literally will have enough on your plate wtih five kids, five hot dogs, two drinks, and attempting to shop all at the same time!

4-OK, now is where the fun REALLY begins. Give them all their hot dogs in the cart, and have them eat as you shop.

5-The key to eating on the run is being very aware, but pretending not to be aware. As you see little chunks of hot dog, falling on the ground, pretend not to notice. Speed up and move in the opposite direction of the hot dog chunks. Remember all the while that you are helping with job security. In this day & age, jobs can be hard to come by. Thanks to you and your crew, they will not be letting go of any employees of Costco anytime soon. So, just keep that in mind as the hot dog chunks are falling to the floor, and the drink has it's occasional spill. You are providing job security for Costco employees! What a giver you are! (I know, I am excellent at the reframe!)

6-If you are feeling a bit ashamed, embarassed, and mortified as you are traipsing through the store and making quite a mess, here are some coping strategies.

A-You can pretend in your mind that you are playing Hansel & Gretel. All those hot dog chunks are really the path showing you which way you came if you have to return to find a lost bottle, binky, keys, or a cell phone. What would you do without the path? (See, it is all about the reframe.)

B-Just remember, one day you will miss these "beautiful" kid moments. So, try to enjoy them. Have a laugh at your own expense!

C-As people stare, you can always pretend you are "the babysitter". That always helps in handling the shame. Or, if people dare ask if they are all yours, this is when you say "no".

D-Just remember, your kids may be mortifying you at the store, and making a mess there, but it could be worse. They could be destroying your house and making a mess at your house. So, just remember, in that way, this is dreamy. You are a prevention specialist. You go girl!

E-If all else fails, remember you are in a warehouse. The floors are cement. You aren't exactly in a posh, elegant locale. You are in a warehouse. So, pshah!

F-Remember that even if you get glares, these people will not remember you or this situation. Everything can seem so big at the time, but realizing it really does not matter in the eternal scheme of things, is very helpful!

7-Stop for all the samples you can. They buy you more time and are a great distraction for the kids! Thanks Costco for those samples!

8-Don't worry that you aren't able to find much space for your purchases. Let's face it, with four kids in the cart, it can be a bit of a challenge. Just remember, buying less makes it possible for another BLESSED field trip SOONER rather than later. And with Costco, you never know what new product you may have missed if you didn't go so frequently! So, that limited space is actually a blessing in disguise!

9-When you have finally found the incredible few, necessary items that you can fit in the cart, make sure to let the kids help you put all the stuff on the conveyer. They think it is SOOO fun. Another distraction. It is all about the distractions.

10-Don't forget to fill up drinks on the way out for the ride home. Finally you get to drink something and forget all the turmoil of the trip. Ahhhhhhh relief! You made it, you are super woman.

11-Smile and laugh as your kids fight over who gets to keep the Costco receipt. Who knew the smiley face drawn on the receipt was such a reward? You can use this as a reward for the best child on the trip. (Only works for kids six and under!)

12-Enjoy! You had your field trip. Now you and the kids are exhausted. They are ready for naps. Take them home, have them help you unload the food, and be glad you got some time out!

13-Never go on the Costco field trip with friend Laura. You will be mortified and never want to return to Costco again! Also, never try this on a Saturday! Saturday at Costco is never a good thing!

I just don't understand why Sally doesn't enjoy trips to the store with her kids. Do you? Just kidding!

Fringe Benefits!

The Cub Committee Chairman

Some of the cars for the Pinewood Derby

The Brandons' work of art!

So my husband is the Cub Committee Chairman in the Cub Scouts. My son Brandon is not yet 8, so he is not in Scouts yet. However, since his Dad is the Chairman and was weighing all the cars for the Pinewood Derby yesterday, he got to make one last night just for the fun of it. Little Brandon and Ethan are excited to go to the Pinewood Derby to see the races. How fun for little boys. Here are some of the cars that my husband has been weighing. As you can see, there is a wide variety of cars. Can you guess which one my husband and son did? As you can see, we are SUPER competitive! NOT! The Brandons' car is the black block of wood that wasn't sanded down at all, with the two very attractive battery weights on top. I know, they shouldn't have gone to so much trouble!!! Some of the cars are works of art and quite impressive!

Evil Smile!

OOPS, too much blogging today. While blogging cheerfully away, Maddie must've found some mascara. Who knows where! That's what is scaring me, I cannot find the source! Anyway, like with the lipstick earlier, she is at least getting the right product in "almost" the right place. She is only two. We need to stop with the makeup fascination already. Again, I will blame the bad weather. The kids are also sick of being inside and are VERY bored. That means they are more likely to find trouble. Not so fun for the Mommies! Hurry Mr. Sun, we are really needing your return soon, for all our sanity! Look at that naughty smile Miss Maddie is displaying! Yeah, she has a lot of remorse as you can see! She is being such a little, sneaky thing today!!!

Un-freakin-believable!

OK, it may not be a word, but seriously, the weather today was unfreakinbelievable! Just this morning, I took some pictures of the tulips in my yard, and then on our way out of McDonald's there is a blizzard in the land! Seriously, it really is getting silly. Please good weather, please come, and please come soon! I am sick of the bad weather. It is getting a bit depressing. I mean, how am I going to go garage saling in this type of weather? No, but for real, the dark looming clouds are getting a little old. I need Happy Mr. Sunshine to come back AND stay for awhile!!!

The Results Are In!

I had many questions about how I did in the "Hilltop Methodist Consignment Sale". I was not ignoring the questions, but rather waiting till I got the results back!!! Today was the lucky day!

Before I tell you the results, I will tell you, I was thinking I hadn't made too much money. I thought I had probably sold about half the clothing, but wasn't sure. I got all the clothes back in bins, and wasn't about to look through them all and try to figure it out. That would take math skills! And who wants to sort through an inventory of 423 items to find out which ones sold and didn't.

After the sale, and seeing all that came back from the sale, I was thinking I should have taken it all to DI as my husband had suggested. He would rather just get rid of it all! However, for a maximizer such as myself, it is hard to just get rid of all these cute clothes without benefiting in some way. I mean hey, it has taken me hours of garage saling and thrift shopping to accumulate so much junk. So, you have got to get something for all that work, right? (Don't worry about my thinking errors, I am aware of them, just unable to work past them!)

Well, I had hoped to make $400 from all the work. I fell short of that, but overall, I feel it worked out pretty well! I got a check for $321.24. My stuff at the sale came to $458.86, and then they take 30%, so $321.24 was my take! Pretty good! That should help replenish my garage sale budget so that I can have some fun this summer!!! So, sometimes maximizing works out. But I can't lie, it was quite a bit of work over that week!

The sale lasts for 3 days: Thursday night (a preview sale for volunteers), Friday all day, and Saturday where everything is 25% off.

My breakdown was as follows: Thursday night total: $189.50
Friday total: $223.50
Saturday total: $45.86

Anyway, I think I will be working toward the Fall sale! Let's face it, it is nice to get some cash, nice to get rid of stuff, and nice not to have to sit outside at a yard sale with five kids running around. This is a pretty good alternative!

Other random info: they ended up with 139 sellers and sold over $27,000 worth of merchandise. Not a bad fundraiser I would say, when they get a third of that!!!

Tulip Time!

My favorite thing is getting up every morning and taking my daily morning "Serenity" time to look at the flowers. I love to see what flower has bloomed up to greet me! Often, if life is getting a little hairy during the day, I will just spend a little more time greeting the flowers. It is a great mini-getaway (at least for the mind) and gives me a little more coping energy for the day. I live for my Spring blooms. I love this time of year, and have to really enjoy it as the tulips and daffodils are here for such a fleeting time!

All the Spring blooms always remind me of Easter. As the flowers are coming up, I think of resurrection & renewal! This is about the time when we should be having Easter egg hunts among all the flowers! Doesn't it seem a little crazy that Easter was about a month ago? I guess the one good thing about having Easter before all the Spring blooms is that the flowers are not trampled in the rush for Easter candy.

Sneakin' Around!

I think it is so funny when kids are trying to be sneaky-----here is our latest example. Maddie comes walking down the stairs, as if nothing has happened. Clearly, she has been sneaking into my lipstick!!! I just had to laugh!!! She didn't do too badly for a two year old. In the past it would've been all over her face. At least she now knows the "lipstick zone" and is sticking to that!!! Luckily, this was more amusing than messy!

All Day----Outside!

I just love days like today! The sun was out and the kids spent most of the day outside playing!!! DREAMY! They are out of school right now, so they really enjoyed playing together. Even though little Dylan is only 18 months old, he knows how to kick a soccer ball and it is SO adorable. Brandon loved kicking the ball to little Dylan and letting Dylan kick it. SOOO cute. Dylan also was trying to push Maddie on her trike. Anyway, it was a great day! Also, the county had the Spring Clean dumpsters out, and Brandon and I had fun tonight getting rid of MORE crap. Such a great feeling. Good times!

Bye-Bye Crib!

All five of our kids have slept in the same crib. After almost eight years, it was so DREAMY to get rid of the crib. I hope Dylan enjoys sleeping in a bed. Luckily, we have that sleep rail to keep him from falling out of the bed. This is SUCH a great moment for our family. It was beautiful to see it going out of our house. As with the formula and bottles, I can't say I will be missing you too much Mr. Crib!!!

Covering up the Evidence!

Uh-oh!

Gathering rocks

Covering up the evidence!


Uhmmmmmmmm---Benjamin, we don't pee outside, we pee in the toilet. After a light scolding from me, Benjamin began gathering heavy rocks from our little fountain area. I didn't know what he was doing. Finally, I saw what he was doing. He completely covered his "mistake" with rocks so it couldn't be seen. Don't we all wish we could cover up our mistakes so that noone could see them? I guess he doesn't quite understand the concept of evaporation yet! Luckily, Benjamin can't ban me from blogging about him yet!!! I just had to share! Sometimes we all need a good laugh!

Birthday Festivities!

Pirate Memories!

Six is such a magical age. Ethan was SOOOO excited for his party and to spend time with all his friends. We are lucky to live in a great neighborhood with lots of great kids his age! They are such a cute, fun, bunch of kids and they had so much fun today. My husband Brandon was so cute making a pirate map and clues to find the "treasure". The kids all had a blast!

All the pirates!

The cake

The treasure map

The pinata

Ethan and his cake!