Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

I have been at this bloggin' thing for a whole year!

And I have asked myself many times over the past year, 'why do I blog?' Several people have asked me how I find the time. I guess I do spend a good amount of time on this. But I don't watch TV, I don't read books, and I don't shop. So I justify it. After all, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have been instructed to keep a journal. Something I have unsuccessfully attempted dozens of times in the past. I have at least four journals- each with only a handful of entries in them. And then the idea came to start a blog. In the beginning, it was mostly to keep my parents up to date with our family life while they were on a mission in Hawaii. But I quickly realized how awesome it truly is. I finally have motivation to document our daily life: you, my faithful readers (and even the ones that stalk.)

When I started receiving feedback on my posts, I realized how powerful an audience is. You see, when I wrote in a journal, it was closed after each entry. And rarely ever looked at again. Sure, someday, someone would benefit. But I like to see the influence now. And I feel the difference in my own attitude.

A little while back, I was going through a 'funk'. I had many meltdowns and moments when I thought I couldn't possibly go on with the daily mundane tasks set before me. I was ready for a change and I had no desire to blog. I couldn't see much good to write about. In retrospect, if I would have made myself look for the funny things and the good times, I would have had much to report. And my attitude would have been much better. I would have been happier. And my kids would have, too. So when people tell me they don't have anything to blog about, and their life is boring, I realize that they just don't know what they are missing.

I have been following a few blogs that are truly inspiring. One is about a fellow blogger, Stephanie, that was recently in a plane crash. She is slowly recovering in a burn unit, while her sister takes care of her kids and blogs in her behalf. Stephanie's blog is one of the most intriguing blogs I have seen. She is amazing. She is such an example to me, though I have never met her. What power this blogging has.

Stephanie's sister has a quote on the header of her blog. It reads: "We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection." ~Anais Nin

How true that is. This really is my journal. It's a place for me to record the important things in my life and remember the fun, and sometimes difficult things that go along with motherhood.

So if you haven't joined this fantastic blogging world, try it. You'd be surprised how your outlook may change. You'll notice things you never did before. Keep post-it notes handy to write down funny things the kids say and do; thoughts and feelings you have throughout the day. That way, when it comes time to post, you'll remember. As I read back through some of my posts, I am reminded of life and it's challenges and joys- joys of being a mom. And I am grateful I have taken the time to record my life.

Emma Girl

My sweet little baby is growing up. I am really loving this phase. I have never had a two year old and not been pregnant, so after having six kids, this is a new experience. It helps that she is totally a Mama's Girl. By this time, each of my other kids had turned the corner. They no longer like me the most- it was Daddy's turn. Not Emma.-she still prefers me. I can have one, can't I? She loves to give hugs and kisses and snuggle. When she is resisting a nap, all I have to do is tell her I will lay by her for a minute. She calms right down and we cuddle.

When I do something for her, she always says, "Thanks, mom." And when I tell her I love her, she says, "I yu you, mom." And sometimes for no reason, she comes up to me and hugs my leg as tight as she can. What a sweet little girl.

She gets dressed by herself, and wears underwear now. She even stays dry through naps and all night. She asks me 100 times a day if we can take Molly the dog for a walk. And when she answers the phone, she says, "Ma-ee by oo." (Molly bite you.")

If I am on the phone, she is anxious to say, 'hi' to whoever is on the other end. And she is not the least bit shy around people.

She loves chocolate and wearing sunglasses. She sleeps with one leg crossed over a bent knee and her arms stretched out above her head. And she will NEVER keep a blanket on. Although her 'Pooh Bear' (Hannah's Care Bear blanket) must always be within reach

She can always talk me into reading her another story by holding up three fingers, nodding her head, and whispering, "Un mo." (One more)

Tonight, Randy is gone, so I let Emma sleep in my bed. It was not enough for her to lay by me. She took my arm and wrapped it around her so she could lay, nestled in the crook of my elbow. Then she took my other hand and rubbed it across her cheeks so I could tickle her face, arms, and legs and run my fingers though her hair as she drifted. She fell asleep within seconds.

I am so in love with my little Emma.

Ducky Pond

Today was Nathan's first field trip. I tagged along, taking Emma and Casey with me, too. I told Casey he wold have a great story to tell all his buddies at the jr. high. We went to a local pond to look for signs of Autumn.

We collected leaves, played on the playground, and fed the ducks.

Emma would take one bite of bread, and throw a piece out to the ducks.

Nathan would throw in a piece and laugh at them fight for the food.

Casey- well, after chasing the geese down the path, resorted to a friendlier method of aquainting himself.

Kids Turn out in Spite of Their Parents

Tuesday we were finishing up the last Cub Scout requirement Tyler needed to receive his award at Pack Meeting (yes, it was that night....I'm so on top of things!!) We had to go through the house and check for hazards. We went through the list:

Keep tools and toys in their places.

Even as we read this, Tyler was twisting a screwdriver between his eyes.

Keep storage areas clear of waste and trash.

I guess we'd better remove the roll of fiberglass insulation from the utiltiy room...

Use a step stool to reach high places.

I looked up to see Nathan scaling the cupboards.

Be sure poisons are marked and stored where children can't get them.

Does the Windex experiment Tyler has in his bathroom count?

Dry your hands before touching an electric switch.

Tyler asked if he could please just turn off the light after washing his hands.....probably because a hand towel in our house is used for things like experiments and keeping your hands warm while eating a Popsicle- not actually drying your hands. (notice the lack of towel in the picture above...)

Keep stairs clear. Help put things where they belong in closets. attic, basement, or stroreroom.

I always thought the stairs were temporary storage areas.

Keep closets neat.

Tyler does have some pretty neat things in his closet: lots of books, his shirts, some shoes, a plethora of art supplies, various figurines, and his old cast.

Know where the water shutoff valve is.

I walked with Tyler outside to show him where the shutoff valve is. I couldn't find it.

Know where the electric fuse box or circuit breaker box is.

I do know where that is...many a night, the breakers have been flipped.

Know what to do if you smell gas or propane in your home.

I think you can imagine what Tyler replied to this one.

So despite his mom's hazardous homemaking skills, Tyler earned his badge with flying colors. He earned his Wolf and four arrow points only five months into his Cub Scout experience. I'm sure by the end of his tenure as a Wolf, he'll have completed almost all the electives and much more.

Great job, Tyler!!!

Nathan, Guest Blogger

I was at my computer, ready to write a post when I got distracted and forgot all about it. (Imagine that!) I came back later to find my post had published successfully. Huh? What post? Thanks, Nathan! (See how smart he is- he wrote the alphabet through the letter 'h'!)

abcdefghgjqaswdefrtghyjuikkkklllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;''''''''''''''''

abcsdabcda

No More Diapers?

With mixed emotions, I am reporting that I have no reason to buy diapers anymore. After 150 months of buying diapers, with only a two month break, I will not be strolling down that isle anymore. I'm sure I can find things to spend the extra cash on, and it will certainly be nice not have to change a stinky one; but it drives deep into my core. My baby is growing up. An I didn't even help her. It was almost too easy.

For close to a year, she'd poop on the potty. Several months ago, she figured out the tinkle thing. And more recently, she's been going without even telling me....While at a friend's house, she disappeared for a little while and returned with her pants down. She had gone potty all by herself- at someone else's house! So, as the current sack of diapers dwindled, I decided I would not replace them.

She is doing fabulous. She was dry even at church. So here's to my baby big girl.

Cutie Pie

I started my own hair blog. There's a link right there---->

Check it out, and leave a comment and let me know what you think! Oh yeah...right now, you can enter for a Halloween giveaway (Heather and Mandy, and anyone else that wanted some, I haven't forgotten your clippies....I'll get in touch.)

Also, along with this, I will have hair parties. I would love to come to your house and teach you and your friends some really fun hairstyles! Bring you daughter, niece, granddaughter, or cousin and we'll have a blast. There would be no charge for the party, and there would be bows and stuff available for purchase. For hosting a party, you could earn free stuff!! Doesn't that sound great?! Let me know if you are interested in hosting one!

Profound

Sometimes my kids simply amaze me. Tonight, was one of those times. It was Hannah's turn to give the Family Home Evening lesson. When Randy asked her if she needed help, she replied that she already had one. (OK....last time it was about how much you can sell a heart for. Her lesson was complete with props- a heart-shaped rock.) We looked forward to what she would say tonight.

We sang a rousing verse of 'Called to Serve' and Tyler read the scripture: Peter 4:4 (found on page 444.) Then Hannah stood up to give her lesson.

"We need light to live." .......That was it. She was done. The other kids tried to hold back chuckles.

I quickly realized just how profound she was. Although she was, I'm sure, simply repeating something she learned in her first grade science, she hit on something much more profound than the importance of sunlight. We do, indeed need light to live. I posed the question to the kids what other meaning that might have.

Then Nathan chimed in, "If we don't have light, we don't know which way to go."

Once again, I was in awe.

To quote Elder Worthlin :

"As the sun gives life and light to the earth, a spiritual light gives nourishment to our spirits. We call this the Light of Christ....The Light of Christ is the divine influence that allows every man, woman, and child to distinguish between good and evil. It encourages all to choose the right, to seek eternal truth, and to learn again the truths that we knew in our premortal existence but have forgotten in mortality."

Painting by Greg Olsen

Without the Light, we would not know which way to go. And we do, indeed, need it to live.

When it Rains...

The past 24 hours. A few events to laugh at:

Hannah was doing the dishes last night (bless her heart) without complaining. It was her turn and she cheerfully did them without being asked (proud moment for me.) The rest of us were outside playing basketball (after finishing our own after-dinner chores) and she was up to her elbows in bubbles (it doesn't sound too nice when I type it.) Little did I know, she had run out of dish soap and retrieved what she figured was a perfectly acceptable substitute:

We now have cashmere dinner plates.

This morning as I was getting Nathan ready for school, and Casey was just dinking around. After Nathan left, Casey came to me with a panicked look. He had put a metal ring on his finger thinking it would make a cool ring. It was stuck. Good. And with the sharp edges, it was cutting his finger with each attempt to pull it off. I reached for the tin snips and performed minor surgery. After successfully snipping all the way through, I was able to remove the ring with the aid of some pliers. That will be $368 thankyouverymuch.


After the surgical procedure, I noticed Emma had freshly painted fingers and toes. Aside from the few drips on the table, she did a remarkable job! When did she grow up?

And this afternoon, Nathan and Emma were playing in the bathroom. Naked. The floor was wet and so were their clothes. I mopped it up, and dressed Emma. Nathan was upset that I ended their fun and disappeared to his room. A while later, I heard him in the tub. He loves the bath and I didn't think too much of it. At least he wasn't playing in the sink making a huge 'ol mess. That's what I thought, anyway. Then Randy and I heard the familiar sound of water. Dripping from the ceiling. An hour later, it was still dripping. At least the wall is nice and clean...on the inside.

So much for the new paint job.

I think the bubbles are a result of a liter of Tres Emme being poured into the bath water prior to overflow.

When it rains, it pours.

Works For Me Wednesday

I saw this on another blog and I really like the concept. So I'm giving it a try. Not saying I'll do it every week, but for today, well- it WORKS FOR ME! The idea is to share and idea or shortcut....something that makes your life EASIER! And I'm all about making things easier!

Today I am going to share my laundry secret. The idea is to wait until nobody has anything left to wear, and then spend an entire day slaving away sorting, folding, and putting away. OK, so not really, but I usually do wait until there is nothing left in the underwear drawer. Not because it works better that way, just because I am a slacker. But my method works well whether it is a daily task or a weekly chore.

I found these baskets at Wal-Mart and I LOVE them!! They are the perfect size and they fit inside each other to minimize space.

I sort each child's clothes into them...

I can either put the basket of unfolded laundry on their bed (the older kids are perfectly capable of folding their own) and the task takes only minutes...

...or, if I'm being generous, I'll fold it for them and put the basket in their room for them to put away.

My towels, blankets and sheets are even divided up into their little baskets according to who uses them, so the kids are responsible for putting those away, too.


And voila! I'm done. Not too bad.

The Good 'Ol Days

The other day some of the kids were watching Little House on the Prairie and I was fixing Hannah's hair.

Hannah: "I wish it was still the good 'ol days."

Me: "Oh like Little House on the Prairie?"

Hannah: "No. Like when I was a little kid. We didn't have to do chores or clean our rooms, or do the dishes"

Oh, how I wish it could be the good 'ol days, Hannah.

Vanity at it's Finest

There seems to be an phase in every child's life (well, my children, anyway) where they are completely obsessed with their hair. That is not to say that it looks GOOD- it is just the way they want it.

I remember Casey cutiing actually setting up a hair styling station. He charged money. And people paid.

Nathan is obviously in that phase. Remember, just last week, he cut his own hair? He regualry plasters his air with pomade and gel. And just now, I heard a strange noise coming from upstairs. It was Nathan. Hairspraying his hair. It's 10:08 PM.

Funny thing is- aside from the glob of toothapste in front, he did a pretty good job!

Long Overdue

It's been too long since I posted any Nathanisms. I don't know about you, but I have missed them. So here are a few to brighten your day.

In Primary, the kids are working hard learning the songs for their Primary program (Sept 21st for any of you interested in attending...now you can't say I didn't tell you...) And Nathan has really taken to a few of them. His favorite, though, is 'Called to Serve'. His version is a little more on the morbid side:

"Come to see him, heavy king of gory..."

And to pass the time in the car, the kids have been playing an old classic game. I like Nathan's way:

"I spy on my little eye"


And probably my all-time favorite is Nathanism is his new invention. You see, when you are four, blowing and wiping noses is such a pain. Life would be much simpler if you could just walk around with a disposable snot catcher coming out of your nose.

I think he's on to something!

I'm a Slacker

I kept visiting this blog to see if anyone had updated it. And nobody had. What's up with that?

OK, OK...I'll do a little recap...and hopefully my posts won't be quite so sporadic in the future. I think I may be getting some resemblance of a routine down. Maybe.

After probably two years of beeping, I changed the batteries in the smoke detector in the garage. Am I a slacker mom, or what? (If it makes you fell any better, the batteries are purely for back-up. It is hard-wired into the house.) My friend across the street and down three houses had to tell me it was beeping. She could hear it when our garage was open, or if I was on the phone with her. I have gotten really good at tuning things out. But Friday, I actually got the ladder out and fixed the dumb thing. You're welcome, Nat.


Labor Day, we woke up to this:

Yes, that's hail..and a whole lotta rain!

The funny thing is: Randy was golfing. Hehe! What a guy won't do.

We spent the rest of the day being uber lazy. We rented like 5 movies and spent the day- just us. Eating junk and watchin' flicks.

Tuesday was back to reality.

Wednesday was cleaning and a lot of not listening by the wee ones.

Thursday was spent trying to get our internet to work. It all started when I thought it would be a good idea to move the computer upstairs. Something happened in that short while that it was disconnected, and we were left without DSL. We had already gone a whole day (gasp!) without a connection, and we needed it back. Not just for weather forecasts (which we heavily rely on this time of year- mind you, we don't have TV, so the web is our link to the real world. Hailey kept asking, "Can't we just check it on the Wii?" Too bad everything in this world hinges on that broadband.) Casey is also doing his classes online. So no internet, means no school. You see why I had to get it working? I spent over an hour on the phone trying to get it sorted out. And believe me, that is a whole other post (already in the works.)


And to top off my wonderful day, Nathan decided he needed a haircut. And didn't ask me for one.

Friday was Nathan's first official day of preschool! He was pumped! He wore his Spiderman hat with strict instructions to leave it on, lest someone might see his bald spot. I can't believe he is in preschool a;ready I only have one more kid to send to preschool. I'm feeling kind of old. It seems like I was just picking up Tyler from his first day of preschool, and Nathan was an infant, along for the ride. My how time flies. Anyway, he loved it! I knew he would.

He was so excited, he could hardly stand it!

Emma stepped right up for her turn. She catches on quickly, don't ya think?

I took Casey to open up a savings account. Yes, I know he is 12. And yes, this is his one and only savings account. With a grand total of $25. The way I see it, we provide them with food, clothes and shelter for the first 18 years. As far as college, they're on their own. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a large chunk of cash to give each of my kids when they leave the house. It just ain't gonna happen. So instead, we teach them about scholarships, and job interviews. So back to my story...Casey was thrilled! I surprised him on his way to school by stopping at the credit union. You should have seen the look on his face when the lady handed him his ATM card. And then I confiscated it. He'll get it back.....someday.


Randy took Hannah 'backpacking' tonight. A short trail. That's all Hannah is good for. She is the one of our kids that could do without hiking. Nonetheless, she was happy to be going all by herself, with dad.

After a gourmet meal of beanie weenies, the rest of us watched Camp Rock and partied. I must admit, it was better than I anticipated. Could it be that the tweens in this house have rubbed off on me and the Jonas Brothers are now pretty cool?

After the party ended, I sent everyone to bed. Nathan was unhappy with the 'stupid' fort Tyler made for him and was trying to talk me into making him a better one. I was tickling him when he announced he needed to go to the bathroom. While he did his business, I went to check on everyone else and say 'goodnight'. This is how I found him when I returned- he was fast asleep:

Gives new meaning to the term 'pooped' doesn't it?