CTR

Last night, Hailey, Hannah and Nathan were all in Hailey's room. They found three CTR rings and Hailey divvied them out. Nathan took one look at his and said, "This one isn't mine!"

Hailey, being the awesome big sister she is, said, "Yes it is, Nathan- see, it says, "CTR"

Nathan: "Nuh uh. Mine says, "Choose the Right."
Hailey: "C-T-R stands for Choose the Right."
Nathan: "This one says, "Choose the LEFT!"

Mother of the Year

The following events actually transpired:

Saturday was an exhausting day...As you remember, it started with the scout camp out. Randy didn't sleep much and he and Casey had quite the work-out hauling their gear on their backs through the snow.

They got back around noon and Randy got a call to help a lady around the corner with a leaky roof. Tyler had a birthday party at 3:45 (20 minutes away) and I still needed to buy the gift. I had a baby shower as well....at 3:00. I left for the store around 2:00 while Randy still worked on the neighbor's roof. I arrived home with the gift just in time for Randy to take Tyler to his party. Then I left for my shower with Hailey and Casey in charge at home.

When Randy returned, he went back over to the lady's house and finished what he was doing. He came home, took a shower, and left AGAIN to pick up Tyler. I came home around 5:45 and fed the kids so Randy and I could go on a date...tired, but a much needed date, nonetheless. Hailey headed to a Wii tournament at a friend's house and Randy brought Tyler home.

We loaded up the kids and headed straight to my sister's house so she could babysit. Randy and I had a nice time at dinner and we did a little shopping and looking for DVD players for our car. Around 10:15 PM, we arrived back at my sister's to pick up the kids. It took some effort to get them rounded up and in the car.

On the way home, we stopped by the grocery store so I could run in for a few things. We picked up Hailey from her friend's house and were finally on our way home. At this point, I'm not sure which of the kids are awake or asleep. I just know that we are all tired and happy to be headed home....

When we pull into the garage, Randy gets Emma and I unload the groceries. The kids pile out of the car and walk like zombies into the house. I put away groceries, and change Emma and put her down. Randy crashed on the bed fully dressed while I wrestled Nathan and put him in bed- kicking and screaming (how is it that he could be so tired and fight sleep that hard?) After the late-night workout, I went straight to bed as well- not even bothering to check on any of the other kids....see where the 'Mother of the Year' is coming into play?

Around 3:30 AM I hear a knock on the door- that in itself is unusual- I NEVER hear ANYTHING while I sleep...screaming kids, hungry babies, you name it, I sleep through it! I was a little freaked out thinking it is somebody with ill intentions. Or maybe it is just a prank, but I get up anyway. From just outside my bedroom door, I can see through the little window on the door. I see two heads in the dark and they do not belong to tall people; I am not sure what to do. I don't see any cars around. There is more knocking- this time much more persistent. Randy wakes up and asks if that was a knock. I tell him there are two kids on the porch and he tells me to wait there. He turns on a couple lights and opens the door.

There, standing on my front porch at 3:30 AM are two of my own children. Casey and Tyler. It is very surreal and I am really confused..."Huh? What are you guys doing outside? Why did you guys go outside in the middle of the night?"

Half asleep, they replied, "We were asleep in the car...and we just woke up. The garage was locked and we didn't know what to do, so we came to the front door."

How could I not know two of my kids were asleep in the car?! We apologized, they accepted, and headed downstairs to bed. Randy and I returned to our bed and busted up laughing. We will never live it down, I'm sure. They will probably need therapy for it. Their own parents forgot about them, and left them in the car in freezing temperatures.

"Mother of the Year"- for sure!

A Fabulous Husband

Randy has been super busy at work. He has been under a tremendous amount of pressure and in spite of it all, he brought me flowers yesterday- just because. What a great guy. He took time out of his busy day to think of me and get me flowers. :) I love you, Randy!

Can You Spell?

I was taking Hannah to kindergarten today when she proudly announced, "I can spell lemonade...L-E-M-O-N-E-D-E."

Nathan, thinking he is every bit as old, and not wanting to be left out says, "I can spell car...G-M-C."

Adventures in Scouting

Friday night, Randy took the scouts on a winter camp out. He LOVES the winter camp outs. He was actually somewhat disappointed that it was only going to be 22 degrees...last year it hit 8 below (Fahrenheit.)

They departed for the mountains around 3:30 PM....4 adults, 10 boy scouts from two different wards with numerous backpacks, sleds, shovels and snow-shoes.

Arriving at the Snow Basin Road, they snowshoed about 1/2 mile and started digging their snow shelters.

I was home with the four youngest kids and Hailey was at an Activity Days party. She got home around 10:30 and I headed for bed around 11:00. Around 1:00 AM I was startled awake by Randy. I was confused, "What are you doing here?"

Randy: "I guess you could say I had a little incident with the candle and my sleeping bag."

Thankfully, he wasn't inside at the time....They light candles in the snow forts for 10-15 minutes before they go to sleep. This is supposed to warm them up a little and help seal the roof of the snow fort so it doesn't collapse. So Casey placed the candles on little 'shelves' they had built inside the fort, and Randy placed their bags and pads inside and they went to tend the fire while everyone else slept. A while later, Randy thought he'd go check on the candles. He saw black smoke pluming out of the entrance of their fort. His entire sleeping bag and pad were on fire. He was able to grab Casey's bag and save it, but his was a loss. In order to put out the fire, they had to collapse the fort because they realized that the bottom of the fort was actually on top of a wooden bridge. They couldn't just let it burn- not to mention the toxic fumes from the burning polyester and plastic.

Casey slept in another Scoutmaster's fort and Randy tried wrapping in a tarp in a make-shift shelter. After deciding that wouldn't work, he headed to his car for the night. It wasn't long before he thought better of it and headed for home to try and gets some decent sleep. According to him, he COULD HAVE survived, he just didn't feel like spending the night huddled in a tarp in his car.

He arrived home to tell me of the event and showered and went to sleep...or so I thought. He didn't' sleep well, feeling like he had abandoned the scouts up there (even thought there were three other adults with them.) He left our house around 6 AM to head back up there before they woke up and discovered a burnt shelter with nobody inside. When he arrived, He took a little nap in his car before snow-shoeing back to camp; thinking that everyone would still be asleep.

Little did he know that shortly after he left around 12:30 AM, some scouts woke up. They left the comfort of their snow forts to play around like only 12-13 year-old boys would do. They saw a collapsed, smoke filled snow fort with charred remains of a sleeping bag. They started digging. After not finding anyone inside, they panicked and woke one of the leaders. He was unaware of what happened, but told them not to worry. So they woke up another leader- the same on that Casey shared a fort with. Casey heard the commotion and informed them of what happened. They stayed up the rest of the night burning all the troop's wood...nice....

Randy was pretty bummed that he lost his new sleeping bag, but we are both so glad nobody was hurt. What hurt Randy the most was that this story was the brunt of a ward-wide joke in the other ward. I guess things like this are funny when they don't happen to you.

The remains of the fort...

What was left of his sleeping bag, pad and tarp.
(notice how the silver side of the tarp didn't burn much-
luckily, that saved the bridge from catching fire.)

We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a Prophet!

President Hinckley; Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, passed away today at the age of 97. He has been the prophet pretty much my entire adult life- and all of my married life. My testimony has been greatly strengthened by his love and example to the world. My kids have known no other Prophet. Just a little over two years ago, we had the privilege of attending his 95th birthday party. We took Casey and Hailey with us (Hailey technically wasn't old enough, but a nice gentleman usher that heard our pleas, let us in anyway.) I am so grateful they had the opportunity to be in the presence of this wonderful man. I will miss him for many different reasons. He was such a genuine man with a great sense of humor. As much as we try to keep the kids still during General Conference, they have a hard time. But when President Hinckley would speak, they always stopped and listened. They knew. And they recognized the Spirit and the charisma of this great man. Although he will be missed dearly, I look forward to the next President and his leadership. I am also so happy for President Hinckley to be with his sweet Marjorie, again.

Wipe, Flush, Wash...ramblings of a busy mom

This title was actually runner up for my new blog title. It is kind of my catch phrase. When my kids are gown, and they are asked what their mom taught them; they will say, "Wipe, Flush, Wash."

This is one of Emma's favorite things to do:

I wonder where she gets it from?

So while we are on the subject of toilet paper.....Nathan was one of my easiest kids to potty-train. I left one afternoon last spring to run errands, and was gone several hours. When I came home, Randy informed me, "Nathan has been in underwear all afternoon, and he's been dry. " That was that. Only a few accidents between then and now. But as every mom knows, there are pros and cons to potty-training. The two biggest 'cons' for me are:

When I am at the very farthest, opposite end of whatever every store we are in, there comes the much dreaded plea, "Mom! I have to go potty!" It doesn't seem to matter if we went at home before we left, at the last store, or at that same store when we arrived. Maybe a lack of oxygen at the back of the store triggers the urge...or something...I wonder if a study has been done on that...

The other 'con' takes place in the privacy of our own home. The phrase I anticipate all day: "Mom! I need you to wipe my bum!" Ah...The joys of motherhood. What earthly experience could bring more happiness? Yesterday as I heard this lovely call for the second time, I thought,"He is three and a half. He has got the potty thing down. It's time he takes full control of his bathroom experience."

So as I was cleaning his back side, I said, "Hey Nathan, maybe one of these days you can wipe your own bum. That's what four year-olds do."

Nathan: "Is Casey four?"

...OK, either he is insinuating that Casey doesn't wipe, or he really looks up to his oldest brother...

Me: "He's older than four, he's almost 12."
Nathan: "Does he pass the bread and drinks?"

I don't know what in the world that has to do with restroom procedures, but he is sure smart!

I've Been Tagged!

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 Years Ago: We had a newborn baby girl, and an almost two-year old boy. We were living in my parents' basement saving up to start construction on our home. We had already purchased our lot. Randy was in the process of drawing the plans during his breaks at work. Randy switched jobs and started work for UDOT later that year.

5 Things On My To Do List Tomorrow: 1. Wake up before 7:30, exercise, read scriptures...Get everyone to school on time, get a shower before 2:00 2. Clean my office, do some laundry, clean a closet, wipe the cupboards, make some tumbling phone calls, scrapbook the past 6 years, find $1,000,000. 3. Keep a three year-old and 1 1/2 year old out of trouble....and happy :) 4. Realize there is no way I can do all of this and likely I won't do any of it 5. Have a party with the 5 younger kids (scouts have a winter camp...so it is our PARTY night!)

Snacks I enjoy... CRAISINS FRUIT AND NUT TRAIL MIX (thanks, Traci!), Stretch Island Fruit Leather. Apples...rolled in caramel, white chocolate, and nuts. Fortune cookies, Nilla Wafers, and ... anything involving sugar.

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire? Pay off the house, buy new cars, build our year-supply, hire Nat to do my scrapbooks (Mindy, too, if she's willing...) save for kids' college and missions and donate.....

3 Of My Bad Habits: 1. I like to stay up late and sleep in 2. Sometimes expect too much of my kids 3. I don't tell Randy how much I appreciate him enough.

5 places I have lived: 1. Ames, IA 2. Henderson, NV 3. Provo, UT 4. South Ogden, UT 5. Heaven (I stole that from you, Mindy...)

5 Jobs that I have had: 1. Ogden Athletic Club as a personal trainer...OK, so I worked in the nursery 2. Dairy Queen...and YES! It is possible to make the curly Q on top of the cone- JUST LIKE THE PICTURES! 3. Children's Classic Childcare Center 4. The Morris Center at BYU...I can cut a mean pineapple! 5. Eagle Airlines- in the hangar as a parts runner...Mormon girl surrounded by mechanics...can you say harassment?

Things people don't know about me: I have never colored my hair. I have a form of OCD called trichotillomania.. I love the smell of chlorine/bleach, new rubber, and Cabbage Patch Dolls. I hate breakfast foods -any and all. Cinnamon gives me a headache and peppermint takes them away. I get a headache whenever a storm is coming...I have out-predicted the weather man before. I am not a perfect mom (I know, hard to believe...)

I tag:

Brit

Jenny

Starla

Dawn

Casper

If the Jeans Fit...

...buy 20 pairs! Guess what I did today. I reminded myself why I never shop for me. It is much easier to buy for the kids- or Randy- or a dog. The last time I bought a pair of jeans, Nathan was three months old. Is that embarrassing to admit? Well, it's true. And I should have bought at least a half dozen of them. Do you know what has happened to jeans in the last 3 1/2 years? A LOT! And in my opinion, not for the better. They now look like something out of my sister's closet in the 80's....or from Salvation Army....or something designed by a bum-less person who doesn't care about bending over....I tried on 15 different STYLES of jeans in various sizes and lengths. Guess how many fit...NONE! But in my quest for one pair of jeans for me, I found:

A shirt for Randy: $2.49
A shirt for Tyler: $2.49
Church pants for Tyler: $4.28
Church pants for Casey $4.28
A Shirt for Hannah: $1.49
A Shirt for Hailey: $1.49

See how much more rewarding it is to buy for others? It was my third time out shopping for jeans since Christmas and I couldn't come back empty-handed..AGAIN! I finally settlled on the lesser of the 15 evils...and bought two pairs...

Dr. Dentist to the Rescue

I spent a fun hour at the dentist today (read with sarcasm...) It was not a planned visit...which makes it even more fun. During sacrament meeting yesterday, my old abscess started to hurt. I was able to bear it (with the help of 800 mg Ibuprofen) until 2 AM. I have been through labor without any pain medication and I think this pain was right up there. I called the dentist first thing this morning and thankfully, they were able to get me in at 11:00. It was good thing the kids had no school, so I was able to just leave. I tried convincing the dentist that I didn't need the tooth, and he could just pull it. But, he disagreed and I basically got a root canal today- again. That tooth already had one 10 years ago. And I get to go back in two weeks to finish it off. Apparently they need to allow the abscess to 'drain' for a while before they fill it and fit me with a new crown (yipee...I LOVE spending money on my teeth- NOT!) So, now I get to take antibiotics and pain meds for the next two weeks. Hopefully those don't make me sick, too. I have never had an antibiotic that doesn't make me feel totally awful and sick. Wish me luck!

Scrappin' with the Airhead (that's me..)

Just got back from scrapbooking...had tons of fun. Hailey went, too. It was at a friends' house whose daughter is Hailey's best friend. They had so much fun....half my fun was listening to them!
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A little update on Hannah....It is always such a chore to get Hannah dressed and fed before school. So as a result, we are always running late. Today, after I told her she wasn't going, she ran upstairs and got dressed. Then she came downstairs and fixed herself something to eat. This was 11:00 AM...something is seriously wrong with the situation at school. Jen- I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with issues....I was beginning to wonder if I was overreacting. OK, so maybe I am still...but momma bear comes out and I just can't stand back and see my little girl have this as her first experience at school. Today she told me that she wishes 'Miss Paige' (her preschool teacher) was her teacher now. In fact, she asks me regularly if we can go see her...and even have a party with her. I doubt she'll ask that about her current teacher. I asked her to tell me what she likes about her teacher now. She thought for several minutes, and couldn't come up with a single thing. Sometimes I wonder if I was spoiled with Casey's kindergarten teacher, and nobody will ever live up to Mrs. Marriott.
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Nathan was playing with some Legos and formed a 'gun' out of them. He walked up to me: "BAM!... Mom there's a hole in you....and air is coming out!"

Thanks, Nathan...a bit too honest!!!!!

Kindergarten Teacher? or Dictator?

As you remember, Monday was Hannah's birthday. Remember how much fun we had? Well, Tuesday she came home from school and proclaimed, "Today was the best day of my life!"


Me: "Why? Did you get a present from your teacher? What made today so great?"
Hannah: "We got to go to WHATEVER center we wanted!"
Me: "Wow! I'm glad you had so much fun. Your teacher was sure being nice." (that is not typical of her teacher to do that..)
Hannah: "Our teacher wasn't there today. We had a substitute."


OK, so let me get this straight: yesterday was your birthday, but because your teacher was gone today, it was the best day of your life? I see how it is.


I am personal friends with the gal that substituted, so I told her how happy she made Hannah. She was flattered, and told me how great the class was. She said she had a great time and was impressed with the behavior of the class. She even left a 'good report'. You know, Hannah never complains or says bad things about her teacher. But when I hear something like this, it speaks volumes. I realize there must be more going on than she tells me.


Sure enough, Thursday she comes home and says, "We missed centers today." (...the highlight of her 'best' day...) "We had to put our heads down the whole time." 20 straight minutes. Last I checked, time-out is one minute for every year old they are....Apparently, she got wind of the fact that the substitute let them choose their centers and who they played with...and said that the kids were being bad. (hmmmm...quite the opposite of what was said by SOMEONE WHO WAS ACTUALLY THERE!) So, the kids had to 'owe her a center'. She also took away all their marbles (they earn marbles for being quiet during centers.)


Where did this lady come from, is what I want to know? Theses 24 kindergartners don't get recess. Instead they have a dictator that tells them who they will play with, and what they will play. Hannah is not going to school today. Maybe I'll keep her home the rest of the year.

Purple People Eater

Well, we went to the science fair open house last night and Casey took second place! He was pretty disappointed that he didn't get first place. You see, last year he got second place, too. He sees it as failure. We tried and tried to explain that second place is a success, and that he is in the top 10% with a red ribbon. Not bad for starting the project two days prior! He really had his heart set on going to district. I encouraged him that next year, he'd better start earlier!
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Hannah is loving her American Girl doll. Yesterday she was listening to a CD that came with it. It talks all about loving who you are and being and American girl.

"See my sparkle,

My spirit,

My own kind of style!

Inside me I feel it

And I want to smile!"

I love everything about American Girl (except their prices! :) ) They really encourage good self-esteem and promote good values. Their books and magazines are excellent and teach girls how to be good friends and how to handle girl emotions. The dolls have been great for my girls. :Like I said earlier- it has bought me some time with my little girl who is growing up in a world that tends to make kids grow up too fast. It was too cute, yesterday when Hannah came to me and said, "Mom, I changed what I wan to be when I grow up. I want to be an American Girl...not a veterinarian."

I'm OK with that!
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About two year ago, my MIL overheard Hannah teaching Nathan how to say grandpa and grandma:

Hannah: "Nathan, it's not bompa, and bomma, it's Llampa and Llama!"

Thanks, Hannah for being such a concerned sister! I was reminded of this yesterday when I over heard this:

Hannah: "Nathan, it's not 'decause'....it's 'vecasue'!"

She also says 'mobie' instead of 'movie'....I realized, again, that she just doesn't hear that she is mispronouncing things. That makes it hard when you are learning how to spell and read!
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The other night, I was letting Nathan and Hannah sleep in Hailey's room. We heard Nathan start to cry and Hailey and Hannah came down to tell us that Nathan bit Hannah. Hannah lifted up her sleeve to show us the bite mark. Nathan came downstairs and I told him he'd have to sleep in his own room now because he bit her.

Me: "Nathan, did you bite Hannah?"
Nathan: "Uh uh!"
Me: "I think you did. I saw her arm and it is purple."
Nathan: "I didn't bite her...I don't have purple teeth!"

Sea Cadet in Training

Casey went to the Navy Sea Cadet drill last weekend and LOVED it! He came home full of excitement, using Navy terms and didn't stop making references for several days after. He even had me cut his hair in anticipation for next month.

before...long overdue for a trim...

but I'm gonna miss it...

"the hairball"...

after...doesn't he look handsome?...

The Sea Cadets meet one weekend a month and they are required to have short hair (not a buzz, though..) and maintain a certain grade point average. We think this is PERFECT for him! Maybe he'll meet some good kids his age and develop some bonds. The only problem is, he brought home his grades the other day...he doesn't qualify with his current grades. It was good to show him that he needs to work harder in school if he wants to be a Sea Cadet. We'll see...in the past, we haven;t found anything to motivate him. Telling him to work hard so he could go to college and get a good job wasn't tangible enough, I think. So hopefully this will do the trick! In the drills, they learn how to put out fires (his other passion...) and learn about whatever it is they do in the Navy...?...As you can tell, I'm not a military buff like Casey. He really wants to be a Marine when he grows up, but this is a good start for whatever branch he decides to join- if any at all. If he decides this is what he wants to do the rest of his life, he can enter at a higher rank because of doing this now. Or something like that...:)

He Randy and I were required to do a science fair project this year...we made a homemade generator. It is actually pretty cool. We wrapped wire around a cardboard box and put magnets inside. The wire is attached to a tiny light bulb. The magnets are attached on a nail sticking through the box. When you turn the nail, the light bulb glows. Cool, huh?

...Now that science fair is over, Casey we get to do a country report. It's an HOUR LONG presentation on Italy. Yipee! I can't wait...

Slide Shows and Science Fairs

OK, I got the slide show working for those of you who had trouble with it. I have been working all afternoon, and into the night (it is almost midnight, so I guess I oucld say morning...) on Casey's science fair project. Those things always take longer than anticipated. It doesn't help that we started it yesterday and it is due tomorrow...that is just how it goes in a family of eight....I'll post more details tomorrow...and maybe someday actually write about the present day, and not always be a day or two behind...just maybe!

Happy Birthday, Hannah

Yes, another birthday...we are one big party from now until the end of May...so get used to it! Hannah turned six. Wow! I don't knpw why six seems so much older than five, but it does. Six years ago we were welcoming a baby to our home, and the world to our state with the winter Olympics.

When Hannah was less than three weeks old, she got RSV. Casey brought a cold home from kindergarten. He loved his baby sister so much! He absolutely adored her. To him, she was the cutest baby in the world (he doesn't believe me, now. :( )

One day he came to me filled with excitement: "Mom! Hannah likes sucking on my nose!"
Great. Sure enough, two days later, she was sick. She went downhill pretty quickly. That was Saturday. Murphy's Law states that kids can't get sick on a normal business day. So we were stuck going to Ogden Clinic. I had the PA tell me she wasn't 'bad enough' to justify doing anything. Are you kidding me? At 2 1/2 weeks old, I don't want to wait!

So, come Sunday morning, we took her to Bear Care's Sunday clinic. We were there less than five minutes when we had a diagnosis. They immediately swabbed her, and came back with the verdict- RSV. They did a breathing treatment and sent us home with a nebulizer.

Monday morning, I called our regular pediatrician to inform him of the situation. He told us to come in right away. He checked her out and immediately sent us to the hospital to be admitted. In his words, "You don't mess around with a baby this small." I cried the whole way there.

It was kind of a repeat of when she was born...They took her for her newborn hearing screening and brought her back saying she had failed. Randy wasn't there, and I thought my baby was deaf. Here, once again, I was all by myself, and scared to death.

We got the last bed on the pediatric floor...and a room to ourselves. I felt very blessed-most patients had to share rooms. It was a bad year for RSV. In fact, every pediatric room along the Wasatch front was full. So, Hannah and I spent 7 days in the hospital. We watched the Opening Ceremonies to the Olympics on a tiny TV in our room. I slept on a chair that transformed into a 'bed'. I was sure thankful that she sailed through that scary episode. All she required was oxygen, breathing treatments, and regular suction. She nursed well the whole time and we were able to avoid an IV. The doctor thinks that is part of the reason she did so well....and some prayers...

...I have to tell these stories here, as I remember things...this is, after all, my form of a journal...So, about her birthday yesterday....

We had tons of fun! The kids didn't have school, so we hung out all day. Hannah and I went shopping for balloons, cake and decorations. Then we stopped at Wendy's for a kid's meal...and frosty...shhhh....we ate them in the car so the other kids wouldn't see....

We came home and I made her cupcakes. She was very specific. This girl sure knows what she wants! She kept filling me in on every detail....down to the candles. She wanted lemon cupcakes with pink whipped cream on top, with candy hearts, shiny sprinkles, and a number '6' candle to top it off. We had pizza, of course, and played 'Red Light, Green Light', and Randy's famous 'Marshmallow Drop'. Then, she opened her presents. We got her an American Girl doll, but unfortunately, it didn't arrive until today. She still enjoyed the few she had to open last night.

At bed time, Randy gave her a "Birthday Tuck In". That is where he pretends he is sticking candles all over their face- 1 for every year old they are. Then he sings "Happy Birthday" and he 'blows' them all out. They are usually trick candles and he has to keep blowing....hard...for a long time....the kids love it. I personally think it's gross, but it's a highlight for them, and I always take pictures or a video.

Happy Birthday, Randy!

I haven't posted in a few days because we have just been having too much fun...

Friday was Randy's birthday. My day was pretty busy. I had a lot of things I needed to do. After getting the kids off to school, I made his fudge. A great big pan of it to stick candles in. He is not a big cake guy, so I usually do something else- like a pie, or chocolate chip cookies, or fudge. One of Randy's presents (the best one, in my opinion) hasn't arrived yet. I got looking at what I had for him and it was pretty sad, so I wanted to go shopping. But Hannah needed to be at school at noon, and she didn't' wake up until 10. So, I didn't have time go before school. No big deal, I had some things at the school I needed to do. I had wanted to take Randy out for lunch, but it just wasn't going to happen...maybe another day. After getting home from school, I had less than one hour before I needed to turn around and pick up Casey for a physical. (He wants to be a Navy Sea Cadet. It's kind of like a Jr., Jr. ROTC.) I did a little straightening, and I was off to get Casey and take him to the doctor. Casey hasn't made a performance like that since first grade when I took him to get an immunization. They are both good stories, so indulge me a minute and I'll tell them...

2003: I arrived at the school to pick up my darling son, only to find that the teacher didn't know where he was. You see, I made the mistake of telling him where we were going. Never again, I learned. I finally located him...in the boy's bathroom, hiding in a locked stall. I'll spare you the details of how I removed him from the stall....I then dragged him, kicking and screaming, all the way to the car. I opened the van door to shove him in there and he immediately did a spread eagle. His arms and legs were now pressed against the outside of the vehicle. As I would free one appendage, he would immediately fling it back out. After a good work-out, I finally got him in the car and slammed the door as quickly as I could. He cried the whole way there. I once again dragged him into the building, kicking and screaming. He repeated the spread eagle routine as I tried to hold open the office door. It was sure a good thing I didn't have other little kids with me. Or did I? It doesn't even matter at this point. Nobody could focus on anyone but Casey. Once inside, the nurses, yes, more than one- helped me get him into the room...and hold him. I held him (so there are three of us total, holding him) on the chair, my arms tightly wrapped around his torso and my legs crossed over his. He was screaming and squirming hysterically. The nurse pulled down his pants as best she could and stuck the needle into his leg. He didn't even notice. When she announced she was done and asked him if it hurt, he thought for a second...after the performance he gave, he couldn't possibly give it all up now and admit that it wasn't a big deal. So he stood up and instantly fell to the floor, "My leg! I can't use it! It doesn't work anymore!" He limped and dragged his leg behind him the whole way out of the office. That was a proud day, let me tell you....

So, here we are, five years later...He's matured so much since then...

As we were driving away from the school, I asked, "Do you have clean underwear on?"

Casey: "Why do I need clean underwear?"

Me: (Uh...because it's good hygiene...) "You are going to have a physical."

Casey: "What do they do at a physical?"

Me: "Trust me, you want clean underwear."

Silence.

Me: "Casey- do you need to go home and change first?"

Casey: "I don't have any underwear."

You know, I'm not so sure making him do his own laundry is a good idea. He really doesn't care if he has clean clothes or not...

Me: "I guess you'll have to wear some of Tyler's"

Nathan: "He can wear some of mine!"

Me: "Thanks, Nathan, can he wear your Thomas underwear?"

Casey: "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

Me: "How about Lighting McQueen?"

Nathan: "No, those ones are too small for him."

Casey ran into the house to change, and we left for the doctor. The whole way there, he was complaining about the impending embarrassment.

Once inside the doctor's office, he made it known to everyone there that he was not happy about what was going to happen. The nurse took him back to the examination room and apparently informed him to put on the lovely paper gown. She left, and he cracked the door open.

Casey: (loud enough for everyone to hear) "Do I have to take off my underwear?"

Nurse: (silence....pure disbelief, I'm sure)

Me: (from the waiting area..)"Casey, be a man."

I got a sympathetic look from the lady sitting next to me.

Casey: (cracking the door open again.) "Do I have to do this?"

Me: "Only if you want to be a Sea Cadet."

Casey: "I never said I wanted to do it." (Whatever! This is his DREAM!)

Me: "Or if you want to go to Scout Camp."

Casey: "UGH!"

He put on quite a show for the doctor as well. Unfortunately, the doctor was amused by his performance, which only made it worse. All I can say is, it's a good thing Casey's not a girl.

After the excitement at the doctor's office, we headed to the store, and then home for last minute birthday preparations.

We had a fun time playing the Wii and watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3. We had pizza, and fudge and ice cream and Randy opened his presents.

Saturday, I had a list of things to do and Randy was dying to build another snow fort with all the snow we got. This time, he buried his Jeep, and then backed it out to make it extra big. There were some very confused people driving by!

O-R-E-O

Just look at this sweet kitten. You can't help but fall in love with him...

The problem is, the poor thing puts up with everything. I kind of wish he would learn that he doesn't have to put up with it all. At the risk of being turned in for animal abuse, I've included some pictures of the silly things the kids have done that were captured on camera.....

Oreo's Halloween ...

Oreo's Christmas...

Oreo's New Year...

A walk in the park....

"But he was thirsty!"

And my favorite...courtesy of Tyler...

Yep- this is the desk he was talking about...

See what I mean?

Snow Kidding!

We got dumped......on, that is! Holy Tamole (as Nathan would say!) We got so much snow today! It was awesome! I love the snow. Despite the 3+ hours the kids and I spent shoveling the driveway, I love it! I love the sound of the cars driving on it. It is so quiet and peaceful. Of course, I have four-wheel drive. And it sure comes in handy on a day like today! We got about 18+ inches today! And another storm expected tomorrow! Cars were stuck all over the place. I drove the kids this morning, then Hannah a couple hours later, and then back to the school a third time when school let out. The plows hadn't been out yet and the snow was pretty deep all over the road. Activity Days was cancelled. I didn't even attempt to enter the church parking lot in my 'monster truck'. But I did try to take Casey to the doctor for a physical. I got a few blocks away and realized I forgot the papers I needed, so I turned around. It took 1/2 hour to get home! I had to wait in a long line of cars just to get back to my neighborhood. So, I called and cancelled the appointment. Ballet was cancelled, too. Randy got home and was shocked! He had been in Salt Lake all day with mostly blue skies. It snowed pretty much non-stop here. I shoveled for about an hour this morning and Nathan came out to see my progress. "Mom? Why aren't you shoveling all of it?" I had- in some parts. It had just snowed over it!

The Macho Man Scrapbook Co.

If any of you are falling behind and need help with your scrapbooking- here is a company that specializes in digital scrapbooking. Below is a sample of their work (Take note of the binding detail. Let me tell you- they spare no expense!)








OK, so it isn't a legitimate company, but didn't Randy do an awesome job on my Christmas gift? I love it! He even scanned, posed and took the pictures!

Remember

Yes, I've got a new blog title. I never really liked the old one, but I couldn't seem to come up with one I really liked. And then the song by the 10,000 Maniacs kept popping into my head. I have always liked it. And as I have been thinking about my 'word for the year' it hit me:

REMEMBER

First of all I need to remember the second 'M' in remember. I can't seem to type it without forgetting it. Also, I have, in recent years become a total flake. I forget everything! I am going to try really hard this year to remember things I tell others I will do. And the things I tell myself I need to do. I will remember that it is the little things in life that make us happy. I will remember the good times, and let go of the bad. I will remember how much my Heavenly Father has blessed me. I will remember why I am here, and how important my mission is. I will remember that kids are kids- innocent, pure, and humble. And that I should strive to be like them. Not the other away around. I will remember to tell my kids how much I love them- every day. I will remember to cherish every moment. I will remember how these are the days.

Primary Makes Me Happy

Today was quite an eventful one for our family. Nathan started Sunbeams. I had to keep myself from crying while sitting in the front of the Primary. He just looked so sweet sitting there, not quite sure if he liked being in 'the big Primary' with the older kids. I sat with him through most of his class and I listened to the cute lesson on being a Child of God. And how Heavenly Father is the Father of our Spirits; I remembered back when Casey was a Sunbeam.

It seems like yesterday. He had a wonderful teacher, Sister Humphrey. She's a sweet grandma with a quiet, feisty disposition. She tells me regularly that she will never forget the lesson Casey taught her when he was just three years old. She was teaching about our Spirit and our bodies. She had a glove to demonstrate how our spirit moves our body, much like a hand inside a glove. Casey called it our 'bone body' and our 'Spirit body'. She was quite impressed by his intellect. She is one that always saw Casey for the great missionary he is. She saw past what a lot of other people failed to. She recognized that Casey's spirit was simply too big for his body. That explained it all. I truly believe that is why he was so challenging as a baby and even sometimes, now.

After I sat with Nathan through most of his class, he warmed up and answered questions in Sharing Time...according to Randy who peeked in...I was off doing singing time with the Nursery....which is always fun. It was Emma's first day without her big brother there with her. She does really well. She tries to act out the motions to the songs, and is genuinely interested.

As I watched Nathan struggle at first, I could help but think of the conversation we had the other day. We were getting in the car to take Hannah to school and he asked about his birthday. It's no wonder- Hailey just had hers and Hannah asks daily how many more days until her...and so it begins...Randy's and Hannah's within the next week or so and then it's one big party 'til the end of May. I told him it was still five months away and then asked him how old he was going to be. He replied that he was going to be four... and then five. When I asked him what happens when he turns five, he answered, "I turn six." He sure has it down. So as I watched him in Primary, I thought, he acts so big and knows so much, yet he is still so little. He gets excited to get bigger, yet when it comes down to it, he really still wants me and his Dad.

Hailey and Casey are in the same class, now that we combined classes. It has it's advantages and disadvantages. Casey is no longer the only kids in his class (he actually really loved being the only one.) He was sad to not have his teacher anymore, but we couldn't justify having four classes for 6-7 active kids. We decided we'll just use his old teacher as a sub. And it's not like he won't see him anymore- his teacher is also his 11 Year-Old Scoutmaster- until March, anyway. Hailey was a little disappointed that she was still going to be in the class with the boys. LOL. I remember feeling the same way- that I couldn't wait to be rid of the obnoxious boys. She has been the only active girl in her class, so now she has two more girls to support her. It's a good thing. I hope Casey and Hailey have fond memories of being in class together. They really do like each other- even if they don't act like it sometimes. :)

Hannah was so excited to get a new CTR ring. Until she lost it. In sacrament meeting. Luckily, I have a few extras! All my kids have great teachers and I look forward to a fabulous year with them in Primary. I really feel blessed to be able to experience this with my kids. Five of them are in 'the big Primary' and I am 'over' the nursery, so I get to see Emma, too. Some people made negative comments to me when I was called to Primary as if it was a bad thing that I couldn't 'get away' form the kids. There is no place I would rather be right now. With my kids, and the great women I get to work with. It couldn't be better!

Tonight was Tyler's "It's Great to be Eight" fireside. I can hardly believe he is getting baptized this year. Where has the time gone?! I know I keep saying that, but WOW! I can't believe it. He is so quiet, sometimes I forget he is as old as he is. The fireside was a great time to reflect. Just like at Casey's Priesthood Preview, I watched these kids I have known; some of them their whole lives. And to think they are now old enough to be baptized amazes me. I also came to the realization that in four years, We will be sitting there with Nathan, and Tyler will have his Priesthood Preview, and Casey will be ordained a Priest. That will be a big year. I don't like to think ahead like that, but it will come too soon, I'm afraid. So I need to brace myself and enjoy these days.

These are the days to remember.

The Poor Cutie: A Nathan Chronicle

We got the kids a Wii for Christmas. We all love it. The kids can all play it and they actually can all do well at it. For any of you who don't know what it is, it is a game system different than any of the others. It's main difference, is the fact that you aren't sitting on your bum trying to beat the next level. There are games you can buy for it that are like that, but the games we play are bowling, baseball, tennis, golf, and boxing. We have four remotes, so half our family can play at a time. And the games move pretty quickly, so you aren't waiting forever to play. And the watching is almost as much fun as the playing. There is always a lot of cheering and laughing.

We recently let the kids watch Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time. So, when Nathan gets a strike in bowling, he gets a little upset. He prefers 'sparrows' (you know, Jack Sparrow....lol)
--------------
Nathan came to me very upset one day. He was crying hysterically...

Me: Nathan, what's wrong?
Nathan:Tyler tookted away Casey's candy!
Me: Were you getting into it?
Nathan: No. I was sneaking.



At least he's honest.
----------------
Last year, I was part of a cooking club. We met monthly and exchanged recipes, but mostly we socialized. I looked forward to our get togethers, and apparently it made quite the impression on Nathan.

When he is upset at me or somebody else, he says, "Fine! Your not in my cooking cwuv, then!"


And when he is especially liking you, he'll say, " You can be in my cooking cwuv. I'm the cuko."
----------------
Nathan came down the stairs with wet pants yesterday...



Me: Why are your pants wet?
Nathan: I was baking.
Me: (a little puzzled, but mostly worried...) What were you baking?



He takes me to the table where I find this:





The poor Cutie...

Which One of These Things is Not Like the Other?

(There is only one left hand glove/mitten.)

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? Out of seven pairs, we have somehow managed to lose SIX of the LEFT hand gloves! How is that possible?! I got the gloves out for the kids and this is what I had. I didn't even have the option of sending them outside with a mismatched pair. Now if I six one-armed kids, we'd be in business!...

...maybe it was a one handed pack-rat...

Inspiration

I so did not set out to do this tonight. But one thing led to another, and you know how it is. I haven't done a layout 'just because' in FOREVER! I must have been inspired by my awesome friends! So here it is....

My Christmas Slideshow

My camera died. Luckily, Hailey had her camera, and we have some pictures....enjoy!

Tipping the Scales

Emma had her 18 month check-up today (Yes- it's 5 weeks late. Leave it to me to totally space that she had an appointment back in December!) So at 19 months, she is a whopping.........drum-roll, please.......18 pounds, 3 ounces!!!! So technically, she should be out of the infant diapers. I actually bought some size 2-3 the other day. They are way too big. The problem is, she may exceed the '12-18 pound' weight recommendation for size 2 diapers, but her weight is distributed over 31 inches, instead of a squattier 25 inch infant. So she just has a skinny little waist, as evidenced by the fact that her pants never stay on her. Her weight finally follows a tiny curve of her own...far below the chart. All in all, she's doing very well. He said I could try her on Pediasure to help her gain weight, but he's doubtful that she would gain much. Especially since she won't drink milk. She has always been tiny and slow to gain weight. I think she is just built like that. he kept commenting on what a good baby she is. I know I am blessed. She was quite the trooper and didn't even cry during her shot.

Routines and Resolutions

Tomorrow I will get a rude awakening. We will have to go to bed before midnight, because we need to get up before 10 AM. We have really been lazy this Christmas break. We have definitely been spoiled having Randy around. My normal routine (if you can call it that) has gone completely out the window. Tomorrow it is back to alarm clocks, laundry, doctor's appointments, homework and ballet. Having the kids home for a week and a half has been fun. I will be sad to see them go back tomorrow. Not to mention the help Randy has been around here. After having not seen him much for the past...oh I can't even remember...the kids and I have loved having him home. It almost makes me want to pack up and move my little family to the middle of nowhere and live off the land...well, almost!

Some of my goals for 2008:
1. Spend less time doing chores by being more organized
2. Spend more time playing with the family
3. Get back into daily scripture reading as a family
4. Be more complimentary to my family
5. Go on a date weekly with Randy

I think that should give me plenty to strive for this year. As I look back on the past year, I can't help but contemplate if I am at a better place than I was a year ago. I think in some areas, I definitely am, and in others, I am not. It seems like each year flies by faster than the last, and as hard as I try, I can't slow it down. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I want to. My kids are getting big, way too fast. Casey is almost 12. And my baby will be two before I know it. It is all good, but I wonder where the time has gone.

When Emma was born, I had a really hard time imagining I would never go through pregnancy or childbirth again. I don't know if I necessarily feel like there is another spirit for our family, but it is so weird to have that phase of my life over. I think the thing I had such a hard time with was that since we always planned on six kids, I was kind of always waiting for our family to all be here. But what I failed to realize was that we were here all along. We just kept growing. And now, I can't believe my oldest is almost 12. So I think there is a certain amount of regret. Like I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. And there are times, I hate to admit, that I just plain can't remember. That is the main reason I started this blog. I hope over the next year, I can continue to record our family's story and at the same time, learn to enjoy it all a little more- and provide some entertainment while I'm at it!