Chrissie Pooh

A Month of Thanksgiving

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was invited by this blogger, through facebook, to participate in "A Month of Thanksgiving". The idea was to post something you're thankful for each day in November. Easy! I love listing on a daily basis things I'm thankful/grateful for. Doing it give me great perspective and helps me to see that things really are never that bad. *note* Some of the posts were a little fluffy and or silly and they were very specific to the day. I was/am, however, really very thankful for everything I posted. Even the silly stuff. ☺ Here's my list:

November 1st. - I'm thankful the power in my house came back on after being out since about 7:45 this morning.
November 2nd. - I'm thankful for fantastic friends and neighbors who are willing to be a help to me. Like, say, when my car battery dies and Ryan Hendriksen is out of town (of course, because he's almost always out of town when something happens with the car ☺) and unable to help. thank you to Troy Roth for helping out in a situation like that!
November 3rd. - I'm thankful for lint rollers. Especially when I do something stupid like, brush my dog while wearing a black cardigan and black slippers. They come in real handy after doing something like that.
November 4th. - I'm thankful my kids have such good friends.
November 5th. - I'm thankful for my carpet steam cleaner. I bought it in the spring and it's more than paid for itself. I love it! (Oh, and I apparently really love hooded sweaters & tees. Yesterday, I discovered I have at least 10.)
November 6th. - I'm thankful for Sundays and all that come with them.
November 7th. - I'm thankful for beautiful music like the symphonies of Beethoven. I really love his 9th and was able to see/hear it played with Ryan Hendriksen by the Utah Symphony on our anniversary. That was on opening weekend of the season. They're performing all of his symphonies this season, starting with the 9th and going back. It was beautiful?
November 8th. - I'm thankful that I decided nearly 3 years ago to learn how to make bread.
November 9th. - I'm thankful my kids have the opportunity to go to school to learn, grow & expand their minds. I'm also thankful for school for a selfish reason. It's nice to send an ornery, bratty kid away and hopefully have them return in a better mood. (We didn't have a very good morning. ☺)
November 10th. - I'm thankful that I have such wonderful parents in Dana Mackay and Tracy Mackay and that Ryan Hendriksen's parents, Eric Hendriken and Elaine are pretty wonderful, too! ☺ They're amazing grandparents to our children! They've been so willing to help out with them while Ryan and I have gone gallivanting around the world. I love and appreciate all of you! ♥
November 11th. - I'm thankful for people like my brother, Joshua Mackay. Thank you for all you do.
November 12th. - I'm thankful I've been able to travel with my husband to places I've always wanted to go.
November 13th. - I'm thankful for naps.
November 14th. - I'm thankful for my washer and dryer.
November 15th. - I'm thankful for my car.
November 16th. - I'm thankful I know how to cook. Well, at least I assume I know how to cook. ☺
November 17th. - I'm thankful for my children. I love them very much.
November 18th. - I'm very thankful for my husband Ryan Hendriksen. He's kind, loving, hardworking, funny, sarcastic, exasperating, sweet, a fantastic father and really cute to boot. I ♥ him a whole bunch.
November 19th. - I'm thankful for hot showers.
November 20th. - I'm thankful for uplifting Sunday meetings.
November 21st. - I'm thankful for warm and comfortable beds.
November 22nd. - I'm thankful we had a pleasant and easy morning getting ready for school. No dilly-dallying, no screaming, no crying. Just nice and easy!
November 23rd. - I'm thankful for Excedrin Back & Body and Dr. Pepper.
November 24th. - I'm thankful for lessons learned. No matter how difficult the learning process was. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25th. - I'm thankful for long weekends.
November 26th. - I'm thankful for a strong furnace to heat my house.
November 27th. - I'm thankful for prayer. I'm thankful for comfy clothes in which to lounge. I'm thankful for cozy socks. I'm thankful for bedtime. I'm thankful I'm loved.
November 28th. - I'm thankful for pet groomers. My special brush does a very good job (was pulling out a hairball the size of a volleyball, once a week). but I decided the only way to truly reduce the amount of hair in my home was to have the dog shaved. (Had it done last Wednesday. He looks great! In fact, it made him look like he had lost about 5 lbs. ☺) Today, I was only able to pull out a hairball that was barely the size of a cotton ball. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!!! So thankful for pet groomers. I'm also extremely thankful for online shopping. Shopping without crowds is wonderful.
November 29th. - I'm thankful that if I don't want to, I don't have to be stuck with the hair color I was born with. I can choose what color I would like my hair to be. ☺ Thanks, Sheena Dastrup Hendriksen, for taking care of it for me.
November 30th. - I'm thankful to be alive at this time and in this place in the world.

37 before 37

2011-11-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. I'm 36 years old. yay! (I'm an even number age, that's why I'm not super excited. Poor me. Waaaaa! I just have an affinity for odd numbers.) To mark this special occassion, I decided to set some goals to accomplish during my 36th year of life. Some are silly, some are fun, some are going to be difficult, some might not happen, but I'm going to try my best to make sure they do. (I'm sure you've seen lists like these floating around the internet.) So, here are 37 things I would like to do before I turn 37 years old.

Lose more weight. (I'm tempted to say 'lose 37 pounds', but losing that much wouldn't be healthy for me because I don't need to lost that much. Ummm...maybe I'll say 'lose 15 pounds'. Yes, that amount would be totally fine.)
Read 37 books. (I was going to say 50, but thought I would try to stick to a theme of '37' for this list.)
Travel to Italy with Ryan.
Make my own laundry soap. (Not necessarily for economic reasons, but if it saves me money I'll be just fine with that. I'm just very intrigued by all the recipes I keep seeing around the internet.)
Get current on family and kids scrapbooks.
Find and prepare 37 new recipes. I have at least half of this number already.
Make a greater effort to reach out to others. (This is one that will be hard to determine if I've really accomplished it. I guess the only way to know is to simply ask others if they've noticed a difference in me.)
Clean out the 'toy room'. Get rid of (through donation or the thrash) old/broken/outgrown/unused toys.
Clean out and better organize my laundry room.
Play the piano at least twice a week. (At home and for myself.)
Finish the 2 afghans I started 3-4 years ago.
Go to sleep earlier. Even on the weekends. (I'm usually out and asleep by 11-11:30. I'd like to bump that up to 10:30-45. It will help me to accomplish the next goal.)
Wake up by about 5:45 and no later than 6. Except on the weekends. (I'm usually awake during the week by 6:30. 7:00 at the latest. I'm awake by 8:00 on the weekends, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm out of bed at that time. Ha, Ryan! I said it before you could. I may not be out of bed before 8:00, but I am awake. I do my workouts mid to late morning. If I get up by 6:00, I can fit it in before the kids are awake and still get them up and ready on time. This one is going to take some time for me to accept. I love my sleep.)
Stop biting my nails.
Read the Book of Mormon (again) from start to finish. (I might add the Doctrine & Covenants to this. I'll try the Bible (Old & New Testaments) next year because we just finished studying it in Sunday school this year. I want to read the current year (2012)course study.)
Continue to grow my hair out. I was a little overly optimistic when I thought my hair would be to the middle of my back by the end of the summer. It's long and longer than it's been in years, but it's not that long. I want it to be long.
Help my two oldest children become more responsible for at least a little bit of the laundry. Ummm....maybe.
Paint at least one wall in my bedroom a different color. I'm thinking the wall the head of the bed is on so that I can turn it into a focal point of sorts.
Finally make the quilt I've been meaning to make for about 6 years out of old, worn out jeans. I have stacks and stacks of jeans (growing all the time) just waiting to be cut up into squares and sewn into a quilt. In order to accomplish this goal, I'm going to have to either get a serger sewing machine of my own, or go to someones house to use theirs.
Buy a white Christmas tree. I have some hot pink, vintage glass ornaments that were my grandma's and I think they would look stunning on a white tree. I wasn't able to convince Ryan this year that I need one because I bought a new green one just last year. I think I can convince him by next year.
Eat a beet. Why do I dread this so very much?!
Contact my cardiologist and find out how severe my murmur is in order to donate blood. Yes, I've decided to pursue it.
Get to church every Sunday at least 10 minutes before Sacrament Meeting starts. Our meeting schedule will be changing to 11:00-2:00 in January (we've been on the 9:00-12:00 schedule this year and usually get there right at, or just after 9:00) and so I think it will be very easy to do this one. If I can't make it to church by 10:50, then there's something very wrong with me. Especially since the building is 30 seconds away from my house.
Move Peyton downstairs into what is currently the 'toy room'. As long as I do number 8.
Continue to write in my gratitude journal. This one should be easy.
Continue to try to live only for today so that I can be a better mother to my kids. Oh, and a better wife to my husband.
Take down all the blinds in my house, wash them and hang them back up.
Once my hair is long enough, actually try to do all of the fancy pants hairstyles I've been pinning on Pinterest.
Make more 'fall' decorations for my house.
Try canning something. I don't know what, but I want to put some sort of food in a jar and seal it shut.
Plant and maintain a vegetable garden. If I do, I guess that would mean I'd have something to can.
Learn how to really use my camera. I'm a visual, hands-on learner. I need to be shown how to do technical things. But that does mean I'll have to really listen the next time someone tries to teach me.
Walk and or run every week. For sure on my treadmill, but I also want to move out onto the road for more and more of my 'runs'. I'm not sure yet how many miles per week I want to go. I'm not going to commit myself to a number just yet.
Be better about wishing people Happy Birthday.
Get over some of my irritations/pet peeves. No, I can't list them here, unfortunately. And this one is going to be really hard, unfortunately.
After I find and prepare the recipes (in goal number 6), post them on my cooking blog.
Go to New York City for my 37th birthday.

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it for some of these.

Denied

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

So, last night I went to donate blood and was denied because of my open heart surgery 35 years ago for this condition that has left me with a murmur. It's not necessarily simply because I have a murmur. It's because I have no idea the level, grade or seriousness of my murmur. All I know is that it's "minor". This particular blood collection company (is that what they're called?) is extremely cautious and strict about it. Even though I know that it's minor, they won't even consider me until they know just how minor it truly is. Apparently, collecting blood from a person with a murmur could possibly trigger a cardiac episode and that could obviously be very bad. It's understandable.

So, if I want to pursue donating and completing my goal, I must first check with my cardiologist. Once I know the level of my murmur, I can contact the company and see if it's within their acceptable parameters. If it is, I can donate. If it isn't, I'm denied for life. Or, I was told I could try the Red Cross because they're not nearly as strict. Basically, I was told that they'll take anyone as long as they have blood and two legs. Meaning, they walked in on their own. ☺

I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to donate and I can't believe that I am. I feel like I had it just within my grasp. I was going to do something that, for me, was very hard and it was ripped away. I really wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I think I might get in touch with my cardiologist and figure out the whole murmur thing. Maybe. Probably. Oh, I don't know. Maybe just saying, "at least I tried", is good enough!?

Goals

2011-11-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of long-standing goals. Items to cross off my bucket list, if you will. Both have been running around in my brain for some time because they're things that will require courage to do. They are:

Eat part of, or an entire beet. (If I can stomach a whole one.) I remember eating them just a few times and HATING them when I was a kid. My mom never forced me to eat them after and so I swore off them entirely. That was probably 30 years ago. Now, I'm not a person who dislikes very many foods. Beets, in fact, are really the only thing I can think of that I don't like. So, I guess I only dislike one food. I decided a few years ago that was ridiculous. I can eat so many other random things, but I can't eat a beet!? Stupid. I NEED to do this. Who knows? Maybe I'll be surprised and find that I like them.
Donate blood. I have a massive fear of needles. My fear of needles was pretty much the number one, driving reason for me not having epidurals during childbirth. The thought of a needle being inserted between my vertebrae and then a catheter being left behind, was simply too much for me to bear. The thought of a sharp needle puncturing one of my veins and then extracting a significant amount of blood from my body is enough to send me into hysterics. I'm getting weepy just thinking about it. I watched three vials being drawn when I was about 14 and almost passed out once I stood up. I had to sit with my head between my legs for a good 5 minutes to recover. And that was over 3 lousy vials. (I make Ryan come with me and hold my hand whenever I have blood tests done now.) Needles turn me into a wimp.

So, as I said, those things have been on my list for quite some time and because it's been so long, I've decided that now is the time to tackle one of them. It's time for me to be brave and prove to myself that I can do hard things. No, I'm not going to eat beets for dinner. I'm going to donate blood. There's a stake blood drive and I have no idea what possessed me, but I signed up to do it. Tonight. At 7:00. I'm pretty much terrified. I tried to tell Ryan that I could handle myself and do it without him. Thankfully, he could tell I was lying and will be coming with me to hold my hand. And probably pick me up after I faint. Or, wipe off my face if I puke. (He'd better be loving and supportive enough to do those things!) Why in the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks I chose to willingly let blood be sucked from my body before I ate a beet, is totally beyond me. I must be losing my mind.

Lessons Learned Pt.2

2011-11-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

Back in October of 2008 I wrote a post about what I felt I had learned up to that point in my life. I was 32 (almost 33) at the time. And now, at 35 (almost 36), here's what I feel I've learned.

I've learned that I'm always going to make mistakes. Sometimes they won't be so bad. Sometimes they're going to be enormous. Sometimes they'll be something that only I know about and notice. Sometimes they're going to be really embarrassing and very hard to hide. And that's okay. It really, really is. Yes, it's frustrating when a mistake happens. Especially when I make the same kind of mistakes over and over and over and over. (I kind of have a thick head. I'm very stubborn too.) The important thing to remember is that I must keep trying. As long as I try to learn from the mistake, that's what it's all about. Trying and learning. I also need to remember that after making a mistake, I can still be loved. I can be forgiven. Just because I made one, it doesn't mean I'm stupid. Just because I made one, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. And finally, life will go on.

Kindle Love

2011-11-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

My husband bought me a Kindle in August. This particular one. (And maybe you've noticed that I'm finally able to do a hyper link. And I can also use all of the other features. Yes, I figured out what was causing my blogger problems. No. I don't want to talk about it. It's too stupid.) I'm addicted to it. I've always been a big reader. I love the escape that books give me. I absolutely love the convenience of this. I have so many books at my fingertips, it's just amazing. I use it everyday. And, actually, I'm on my second one. Just about 3 weeks ago, I was reading it on a Friday night and everything was hunky dory with it. I placed it on my bedside table for the night and in the morning, the screen was funky. I flipped out and was just about to roll up into the fetal position on my bed and cry my eyes out when Tyler suggested that I call Amazon and see what could be done. (My 11 year old son is more logical that me most of the time. ☺) So, I called them, explained what was going on with my screen and they immediately placed an order for a replacement. This was at about 11:00 in the morning. I received an email around 3:00 p.m. telling me that me new one had shipped and it arrived on Monday. Talk about fast! Amazon, I ♥ you! I ♥ my Kindle, too. Oh, and I ♥ Ryan for buying it for me. Reading is awesome.

Musings

2011-11-08T14:47:00.004-07:00

- I have so much to be thankful for. So very much.
- My kids have great personalities. They're fun to be around and they're really funny, too. They're great kids.
- I've found that I really, really love hooded sweaters and or tees. I have at least 10.
- Reading is awesome.
- There's beauty to be found in every corner of this world. Usually in very unexpected places.
- I'm calmer and have a better day if I exercise.
- I've decided that people like the season they were born in the best. If you whine/cry/complain about fall/winter and cold temps or snow, you were born in the spring or summer. If you love the cold and hate heat, you were born in the fall or winter.
- I was born in late fall/early winter. It's my favorite time of the year. I don't, however, hate heat and don't complain about it. I don't love it, I just deal with it. I see no point in complaining about the weather. Whatever it may be.
- I'd like to know when kids and more specifically, boys, start to care about their living environment. When will they start to take notice of the fact that their bedroom, for example, is a dump and then take the time clean it up? Or, even better, simply get it clean and maintain it? My husband tells me that it doesn't happen until they move out of the house to go to college or, maybe to go on a mission. But, he says even then it's not very likely that they'll do much. He says it won't happen for real until they have a wife who will make them not be slobs. I don't have that kind of patience to wait that long.
- Cameron is taking piano lessons and is enjoying them and doing well. He seems to have a natural talent for it.
- I actually made and kept for myself some Halloween/fall/Thanksgiving decorations. I've enjoyed having them out.
- My kids are smart and I'm not saying that because I'm their mom. They really are smart and amaze me daily.
- Teenagers really aren't so bad.
- I need to be willing to reach out to others more.
- Scarves are awesome.
- I really want a brown (any shade will do) leather, satchel style bag.
- Classical music is good for my soul.
- My 1999 Chevrolet Suburban is still alive and kicking.
- Dr. Pepper is one awesome beverage.
- I love my husband and I KNOW he loves me.
- I love my kids and I KNOW they love me.
- I am very, very blessed!

Little Notes to Myself Pt. 2

2011-10-04T12:21:00.003-06:00

Dear Self,

Don't ever make cinnamon rolls again! Yes, it's true that Saturday was the very first time you've made them from scratch. And admittedly they weren't half bad and you really want to keep experimenting and trying to make them even better. But DON'T DO IT! It's simply too dangerous for you. Your family may tell you again that if you make them, they will eat them. DON'T LISTEN TO THEM! They're all filthy liars. (☺) Out of the 18, or so, that you make, 1 or 2 will be eaten by one of them. Leaving 16-17. Those 16-17 will evilly call out to YOU, tempting you and sorely trying your resolve. (You know you have no real resolve when it comes to gooey, warm sweetness. Even now, you're probably drooling like Homer Simpson just thinking about them.) And then you will end up eating 5 of them over the course of 3 days and will have to throw the rest away to save you from yourself. So, just trust me on this. DON'T MAKE THEM AGAIN!

Signed,
Me

Dear Self,

Just remember that you wanted a dog just as much as the kids. Remember that the next time he decides to poop in his kennel in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and then sit in it until you take him out in morning. Oh, and remember that dogicide isn't an option. (Okay, as if you would really do that. Just covering your bases for anyone who can't take a joke.)

Signed,
Me

Tomorrow...

2011-09-26T12:20:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow, Peyton will be 4 years old. Being that he will be 4 years old, I really have no business calling him a baby, but I still do. And I most likely always will. It's my right as his mom. I did make him promise today that if I let him be 4 tomorrow, he must always stay 4 and always be my little boy and always suck on his finger while holding his blanket and always want to cuddle with me and always love me like he does now. He says he will. But I know he'll change his mind round about the time he turns 7 years old. Oh well. It's to be expected. ☺

I love him, his dad loves him, his brothers and sister love him and the rest of his family does too! I hope he has a very, very Happy Birthday tomorrow!

Early

2011-09-19T14:48:00.003-06:00

I found out last week that Peyton will be starting preschool tomorrow, a week earlier than originally scheduled. There was a change in teachers and thus, a bit of a change in the schedule. I was excited to hear about it because he really needs something to do. (He's sick of being left behind when his "kids" (brothers & sister) go to school.) And then, I had the nerve to go and feel conflicted, too.

I'm excited. And I'm dreading it. I'm happy. And I'm sad. I'm looking forward to the "me" time. And I'm worried I won't know what to do with myself. It's silly. He's growing up and there's nothing I can do about. And so, I'm going to have to embrace it.

What The?!

2011-09-13T11:46:00.003-06:00

Peyton was helping me take clothes out of the dryer (a big deal for me, the fact I allowed him to help really makes me feel like I'm growing). He pulled out a pair of red sweat pants that belong to Cameron, but he has a pair exactly like them. When he pulled them out he said, "hey, look! It's my pants". He then held them up to himself and a hilariously confused expression came across his face. He then said, "what the?! MOM!! My pants grew in the dryer and they're GIGANTIC!". It was so cute and funny, I didn't bother to correct him and let him know who they actually belong to.

He's Got My Back

2011-09-08T09:11:00.004-06:00

Peyton's really into space and spaceships and flying in a spaceship to the moon and aliens that fly in spaceships, too. Oh, and zombies. He's really into zombies as well. He talks about those things all the time. He mainly talks to me because I'm around him the most, but he'll talk about them with anyone who crosses his path, too. He wants to play alien zombie when he's playing with his brothers or sister. He plays alien zombie when he's all alone. It's alien zombie all the time.

When he's imagining and playing, the scenario goes something like this: there are aliens flying in spaceships in space, heading toward the Earth. He flies up into space in his own spaceship to try to intercept them at the moon. They usually get past him because they're really determined. They really want to do what they're coming here to do. What is it they want to do? They want to destroy me. (Mom) Once they get here, zombies somehow arrive, too. At that point, it's an all out battle to destroy mom. Madness ensues. Horrific battles occur as the aliens and zombies try to destroy mom. I'm supposed to get/act really nervous at this point in the story and then he tells me not to worry. He's going to protect me and destroy all of them because he's good at fighting. Plus, he has a light saber that they don't stand a chance against. It's a given that he's going to win. Duh. So, when the Alien Zombie Apocalypse to Destroy Mom occurs, Peyton's got my back. I'm going to be just fine. Phew!

I Think I've Found a Solution

2011-08-29T15:49:00.004-06:00

So, I've been trying the fish oil on my dog's food for a while now. And....meh. I haven't noticed much of an improvement. Other than his hair being a bit softer and his farts being stinkier. I've still been able to brush pounds and pounds of hair off him every other day. And the amount I vacuum up daily? Still totally terrible.

I've been feeling really anxious about it. I'm not a total clean freak, but my house is neat enough. It does have its fair share of clutter, believe me. What house with kids doesn't? (My "public" areas are the ones that look the best, by the way.) But, I would say that, in general, it's a clean house. It's just that I don't like things to be covered in dog hair and everything has seemed to be covered in it lately.

I've been getting desperate to find a better solution and today, I think I did. I found this brush today at Walmart. (Still having blogger issues and can't do a hyper link. I'm seriously considering a switch to Wordpress because of all the problems. I've been hearing good things about it.)

http://www.furgopet.com/

Anyway, this thing is amazing. I filled a grocery bag just about half full (literally and gagged the entire time) with the hair I brushed off of him. It's essentially like a razor. In fact, it reminded me of the kind of razor used on people. You know, the kind used when you have your hair textured and thinned. It worked just like that. It also pulled out the undercoat very, very, very well. The dog enjoyed it too. He seemed to be relieved to be getting rid of all the excess hair. The real test of its effectiveness will be checking the amount I'm able to vacuum up daily. If that decreases, I'll know that the brush is actually working. I'm crossing my fingers!

Interesting

2011-08-26T11:08:00.003-06:00

I went to back to school night last night. I met Tyler and Avery's teachers and re-met Cameron's. (He had her for first grade. He was pretty darn ticked when he found out he would have her again. He thought a new and different teacher would be more exciting, fun and adventurous. It took almost the entire summer to make him see the benefits of not having to break in a new one. She already knows him. She knows his likes and dislikes, his habits and quirks. And more importantly, she already likes him. He finally heard the wisdom in my words and has decided having the same teacher twice won't be so bad.) This school year should prove to be a very interesting one. Tyler's teacher seems like she's going to be very on top of the turning in of class work and homework. That was a major problem for him last year. He would do the homework (and he must have been doing the class work as well because his teacher never complained about him not being on task) and I know he would because I would make him show me once he was done. I would then make him put it directly into his backpack and would ask him as soon as he got home if he had turned it in. But, it somehow magically, strangely, inexplicably was "never turned in". We couldn't ever find them at our house because, believe me, we searched everywhere. His teacher never had a clue where they could be either. He would always get extremely upset when missing assignment reports were sent home and swear on his life that he had, in fact, turned them in. He would get so upset every single time that there was no way he could have been acting. No kid is that good and can keep up the facade for that long. So, I actually really do believe that he WAS turning them in. But, that was last year. We've put it behind us and we're moving on.

Avery has a pair of teachers, who happen to be mother and daughter. I liked them and she seems to like them too. I think that they're going to be good for her. They were organized and that's a big plus in my book. (See previous paragraph. ☺) I'm looking forward to watching all of my children learn and grow and expand their minds this school year. (Peyton too! Preschool starts on September 27th. Only 32 more days!!!!!! Not that I'm counting down, or anything.)

I Need to Get Moving

2011-08-24T10:01:00.003-06:00

I've been up since 6:30 and so far, my accomplishments are getting the three oldest kids off to school, feeding Peyton breakfast, washing 2 loads of laundry and eating a piece of bread. Four tasks in 3 1/2 hours! Wow! I really need to slow down and pace myself. (I really do have quite a bit to do today, but I'm practicing one of my greatest talents, procrastination. At least for another few minutes. Then I really do need to get my butt in gear, or I'll be in serious trouble. ☺)

I found a notebook/journal on Monday that I had purchased in November 2009 to use as my "gratitude journal". (I had filled up random pages of others. So, this was supposed to be my exclusive one.) Well, I misplaced it after only 1 entry and because of that, fell out of the habit of writing down at least five things I'm grateful for each day. Shame on me! It's a great habit to have and when I did it regularly, I can honestly say I was more positive. I was almost always able to find something I was grateful for and see the positive elements that were part of my day. I'm so glad I found the notebook and was reminded of the wonderful effects looking for the good in my day can have on my overall outlook on life. Here's to gratitude!

You Give Me Fever?

2011-08-19T09:42:00.003-06:00

Peyton has been running a fever on and off since Tuesday. (He seems to be fine today. Thank goodness!) He does this every few months for some reason. He'll run a fever for a few days and feel like crap and then it goes away. The fever is usually the only symptom of the "sickness". I've taken him to the doctor a couple of different times when it's happened and the answer is usually that it's "viral" (the most hated answer for a mom with a sick child) and there's nothing to do for it but wait it out. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of times when his fevers have caused him to have a fembrile (sp?) seizure. (The last one happened in the spring.) They're not dangerous, or neurological in nature. Basically, they're just a child's way of "resetting" their body when a fever spikes. Once the seizure is over, he's really none the worse for wear, sleeps for 30 minutes to an hour and has no recollection of it later. His doctor feels it's something that he'll outgrow by the time he's about 5. But, for the time being, I can't ever let his fever get very high. So, we've been alternating with Motrin & Tylenol every few hours. It's done the trick and has kept the fever in check.

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I woke up this morning at around 6:00, shivering and feeling pretty poopy. I was so cold; I actually had to cover myself with the blanket. I never sleep covered in the summer. So, I was really cold! I thought Peyton must have decided to share with me whatever virus he's had. But, no, it turns out it was just the beginnings of a migraine. I'll take that over a virus that lasts for days, but it still stinks. I stayed in my bed for a couple of hours with ice packs and a pillow over my head to block out light and I'm feeling much better now.

As I was lying there, I was trying to distract myself from the pain. I was thinking that my wedding anniversary was fast approaching (September 11th) and about how much I love this time of the year because of that. So, as I was thinking about all of that, I was trying to remember how many years we've been married...and I COULDN'T. What woman forgets how long she's been married!? I do when I have a headache. STUPID HEADACHE! I had to count on my fingers a few different times before I finally figured out that it's 13 years. 13 years! Wow.

Like Nothing Happened

2011-08-18T19:43:00.003-06:00

The dog is totally fine after being neutered. He was a little woozy and had a hard time walking in a straight line for about an hour and half after he came home. He was totally fine after that. The clinic sent pain meds home with me and I crushed one and put it on his food this morning. He flat out refused to eat it. I finally gave in about an hour ago, dumped the medicine laced food and gave him some without. He's been acting completely fine so, I suppose he doesn't need the meds anyway. It's like nothing happened. I guess I should be relieved. (Of course, I totally am. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a sick dog that was in pain. Hooray for an easy surgery!)

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Is it Monday yet? I DO love my kids and I DO love spending time with them, but we are ALL so very ready for a change of pace. We need the new school year to start. Like, now. (But I guess we'll wait until Monday. ☺) Bring it on!

Fixed

2011-08-17T08:34:00.003-06:00

The dog (or dig, as I sometimes like to call him) has been dropped off at the spay & neuter clinic. (Salt Lake Spay and Neuter, if anyone is interested. They have excellent prices and can get your dog in very quickly. I called around to vets and the prices ranged from $200.00 just for the surgery, all the way up to over $600.00. That was for a yearlong puppy wellness plan through Pet's Mart. They tried to reason that it would cover all visits he may need throughout the year + the neuter so, it was an excellent plan. I asked them just how often they thought I would need to bring my dog in!? I just couldn't justify the cost. The Humane Society is another great option, but they have a very long wait list and also don't like to work on Pugs because of the shape of their face and nose. I guess it makes them hard to intubate. They recommended Salt Lake Spay and Neuter. They're only $45.00 for the neuter and will do vaccinations for $35.00, as well. Bonus!) I wanted to have him neutered within the first couple of weeks of having him, but Ryan felt that we should give him a chance to settle into our house and get used to us before we took away his manhood. Or, is it dog hood. I don't know. But, fine. I decided to wait. My dad felt that we shouldn't do it at all. Or, at least give him a chance to sire a litter of puppies before we took all the joy out of his life. I, however, felt it would be cruel to let him be a real dog and then snatch it away from him. So, neutering it is. I'm very excited! He's not an overly excited dog. In fact, he's really pretty boring most of the time, but when he does get excited, he gets very excited. This is going to be good for him! ☺

Ouch!

2011-08-16T06:00:00.004-06:00

I had my nails done (acrylic) yesterday for the first time since February. I was so busy with doctor appointments for the first couple of months of the year; I could never find the time to go. My own nails are pretty darn ugly and I was getting really sick of looking at them. They need a little sprucing up and I finally made the time to go. I forgot just how much it can sometimes hurt to have them done. Wow! It wasn't horrible, but I forgot that it takes some getting used to. ☺

The television was on MTV while I was there and I saw Jersey Shore for the first time ever. I've never had any desire to watch it. Ever. I kind felt like I would catch an STD, or something just by watching it. So, I've avoided it. The episode where they go to Italy (if you follow the show) was on. You know, Italy, the Motherland, Italy, we're going to Italy, my family is from Italy, the Motherland, Italy, Italy, my family's Italian, Italy. I think I heard the word Italy (or some reference to it) about 21,345 times in the space of 10 minutes. Because the television audience would be in danger of forgetting where they were going if they didn't remind them every 0.2 seconds by saying Italy, Italy, Italy.

What did I think of the show? (I'll answer, just in case someone wants to know.) I'll have to quote the cantankerous David Letterman to let you know what I thought and say, "This, my friends, is why the rest of the world hates Americans." Truly, truly awful. (And not because they said Italy so many times.) And that's my 2 cents.

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We went to Lagoon at the end of June. Peyton really, really, really wanted to go on the Spider when we were there. He couldn't because he wasn't tall enough by about 3 inches. But....that's not the way he remembers it. He remembers that he didn't get to go on the spider because I wouldn't let him. He thinks I kept him from it out of spite, or something. He remembers that he couldn't go on the Spider just about every other day. He'll start crying at random moments and when I ask why he's sad, he'll scream at me, "YOU DIDN'T LET ME GO ON THE SPIDER!". He's scarred for life.

Can You Feel It?

2011-08-15T08:09:00.003-06:00

There's something in the air that gives you the feeling something exciting is about to happen! Something long-awaited and you've been counting down too. Something that happens every year. Do you know what it is? That's right! The first day of school is only 1 week away!!!!! (Every single mom knew immediately just exactly what I was talking about. ☺) I'm so, so, so, so very glad too! IT.IS.TIME! My kids aren't terribly excited and I get that. I never got all that excited over having to go back to school, but it really, really is time. They're "bored" all the time. They "don't have anything to do". They're getting on each other's nerves (which, in turn, gets on mine) and fighting all the time. They may not realize it yet, but going back to school next Monday is going to be very, very, very good for them! And yes, for me too! (I'm sure my excessive use of exclamation points in this paragraph, and probably in the next, convey very well just how excited I am!!! And a few more, just for good measure!!!!!!!!)

I have all the shopping done. (Oh, wait! I don't have crayons, colored pencils and a couple of other supplies. No big deal. Those will be easy enough to get this week) My kids wardrobes are fully kitted out now. (At least until around Christmas because by that time, they'll have outgrown everything I just bought and will need another new wardrobe.) I ♥ sales! So very much. Especially sales like $10 jean sales, or buy 1 pair of shoes and get another half off, or spend "X" amount of dollars and get "X" amount of dollars off your total purchase. (Having 4 kids to shop for, I always spend the "X" amount of dollars and always get the"X" amount of dollars off of my total purchase. ☺) Oh, I just love sales! And back to school! And kids who aren't bored anymore and finally have something to do! Hooray for the return of sanity! (And hooray for exclamation points, too!!!!!)

Survey Says.....

2011-08-14T06:00:00.002-06:00

I'm just wondering at what age you started to do your own laundry? And, if you have kids, at what age did you have them start doing their own? I personally love doing laundry. It's quiet and relaxing for me. And I find it extremely satisfying to take the clothes from dirty to clean. I love the smell of laundry soap and fabric softener, too. I love to take things out of the dryer and sniff them. It's just so, I don't know, comforting to me? Yeah, I guess that's what it is. (Plus, and I don't mean to brag, I'm good at it. I'm fantastic at making sure there are clean things to wear. I'm not so great at the folding and putting away part, but there are almost always clean clothes available for the whole family. They really don't have anything to complain.) So, I'm kind of hesitant to give up being the one solely responsible for it. (It's also a control thing for me. Don't act like you're surprised. I just know that if I'm the one doing it, its being done the way I want it to be done. Well, duh Christa. Of course it is. Right there I was just predicting what some people were thinking about that statement. ☺)

Presently, I do let my kids switch stuff from the washer to the dryer and turn it on. I don't ever let them load or start the washing machine. I guess I don't trust that they will put the soap, fabric softener, color bleach, etc. in the right places in the drawer. Or, that they won't throw a red sock in the whites. (Controlling.) I do let them fold towels (it's veeeeerrrrryyyyy hard for me to let them do it if they don't do it the way I like, but I'm trying), but nothing else. (Because I'm terrible at the folding and putting away part.) So, why am I even asking this question? Because it's a skill that they WILL need to learn and I'm going to have to teach it to them eventually. I just want to know when that time should be.

Unexpected

2011-08-13T11:52:00.003-06:00

I decided, on a whim, to put Peyton to bed on Monday night in just his underwear (and pajamas, of course☺). No Pull-up, Goodnite or diaper. I didn't expect anything other than a wet bed in the morning, but I wanted to test the waters. Just see what would happen. I'll be darned if he didn't wake up wet, but totally dry. And the first thing he did when he got up was go use the bathroom.

I totally thought it was a weird fluke, but thought I would try again on Tuesday night. (Again, not expecting any miracles.) I heard him talking to himself when he woke up in the morning. I went in his bedroom and found him playing and his underwear and pajama pants were wet on the floor. Okay, no big deal. I wasn't really expecting him to make it through the night 2 days in a row. So, I went to take the sheets off of his bed and found that they were completely dry. He had made it through the night, but because he started to play before going to the bathroom, he had the accident.

I'm still putting him to bed in underwear and he's still waking up dry. I was so NOT expecting anything like this to happen. I was expecting him to need to wear "something" to bed for at least another year. It's such a pleasant surprise that he's doing so well. If he has an accident here and there, it's just fine. And if he needs to wear "something" to bed here and there, that's just fine too! (I hope I don't jinx myself by saying this.)

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The dog has settled into a good routine. He goes to bed (in his kennel) at around 9:30 each night and stays asleep until I get him out at around 7:00 in the morning. It's so nice! I do usually have to INSIST that he go in the kennel at night. (Because of his extreme attachment to me.) I usually have to carry him into the room and put him in. Until 2 weeks ago. I was looking around the house for him so I could put him to bed. I called and called him and looked everywhere. I couldn't find him. The only place I could think of him possibly being was under Peyton's bed, but he wasn't there. I was getting really perplexed. If he wasn't in the house, how could he possibly have escaped? I finally decided to check his kennel. Sure enough, that's where he was. I thought it was weird, but shrugged it off and just shut the door. He's been doing it consistently ever since that time. Right around 9:30, if we can't find the dog, we check the kennel and he's there. I have no idea why he started doing it, or how long it will last, but I'm going to enjoy it while it does.

Once Bitten

2011-08-10T09:40:00.002-06:00

My feet, ankles and calves are covered with mosquito bites. I've counted and there are 32 of them! 32!? Good grief! More than half of them are on the tops of my feet and back of my ankles. The itchiness has been coming and going and varies in intensity & frequency. Most of them have been there for about 2 weeks and really shouldn't be itching anymore, but oh well, they are.

They were itching pretty bad last night and so, I covered them with Caladryl lotion before I went to bed. It "worked", but not very well. They were still itchy, but tolerable. I figured I could ignore them and I went to sleep. I was suddenly and rudely awakened at 1:30 by intense itching on my ankles. It was horrible! I was able to resist scratching for about 5 minutes and then couldn't take it anymore. I gave in and started scratching them and did it for about 10 minutes. My skin became so inflamed and sore and even more itchy. It was unbearable. I got out of bed and covered them with more Caladryl. It didn't do a thing. I remembered that I had some Campho-Phenique and tried that. Nothing! I was getting really anxious and desperate (it was after 2:00 and I was tired) and felt like I was going to scratch my skin right off.

I decided to Google home remedies and came across some very interesting ideas. I found several things, but here's a list of a few:

1. Bar soap (I knew about this one, but mine were past the point of being helped by it.)
2. Rubbing alcohol (I knew about this one too, but really was beyond this helping.)
3. Oral antihistamine (I thought, "duh! Of course that would help!" So, I took a Benadryl pill. It took about 30 minutes to kick in, but it finally did. #16 gave me relief before this finally worked and the 2 of them togehter worked wonders.)
4. Caladryl
5. Calamine
6. Orajel
7. Bag balm
8. Cover the bite with a piece of Scotch tape
9. Underarm deodorant
10. Honey
11. Mouthwash
12. Vinegar
13. Bleach
14. Baking soda paste
15. Hot water (take a bath)
16. Vick's Vapo rub (This one jumped out at me. I decided to try it and finally got some relief! The cooling effect was so, so, so, so very nice. As I was drifting off to sleep at around 2:30, I thought about maybe trying Icy Hot. You would get the cooling and heating effect all in one. I'm going to try it today if it gets really bad.)

There were several more. Some I won't try, some I might. I'm happy with the results I got from the Vapo Rub and will most likely continue to use it.

Super Saturday Overload?

2011-08-09T06:00:00.001-06:00

My ward (church congregation) had their Relief Society Super Saturday (a day of crafting and eating) on August 6th. I ordered several projects, because I always do. I do it because I like to give the things I make as gifts (like all the "fall" decorations I've made and thought I kept for myself, but found out last November that I had actually given as gifts every "fall craft I've ever made) and I do usually get a few things for myself.

So, I ordered 8 different projects knowing I would probably only get to one, maybe two on the actual day. (I was only able to complete one that day. No big deal.) A "Happy Birthday" sign Avery (she insisted on coming with me) felt we should work on first so that we could put it out for her dad's birthday the next day. Fine. The "Happy Birthday" sign is done and placed on our piano in honor of Ryan's birthday. I took the other projects home thinking it won't be too big of a deal to work on them over the next couple of months. I may have had seven more projects to complete, but they're fairly easy to do. But, the problem is that I decided to pick up 4 more projects that were available on my way out the door. In my defense, a couple of them are "fall" themed and since I've given all previous ones away, it was necessary to pick up more. Right!? So, I now have 11 different craft projects to complete, three of which need to be done by October if I want them to be of any use. Looking at all of the work I now have to do, it's kind of making me think I went just a little overboard.

Because I'm the Mom!

2011-08-08T08:37:00.003-06:00

"Because I'm the mom," is something I say to my kids ummm....pretty much daily. I know it makes my kids bonkers to hear it (actually, I think it completely enrages them ☺) because I could never stand to hear any sort of similar phrase when I was a kid. But, you know, sometimes, things are what they are simply because "the mom" says so. (It did take until I was a mom to understand.) No further explanation of "why?" it was said is necessary. So, my kids can hate it now, but they'll understand (and say/hear their wives say the very same thing) when they have kids of their own.

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My dog's shedding has been a bit on the extreme side, lately. I was talking to my mom about it and she shared with me something a vet told her. They suggested cutting open a fish oil capsule and mixing it in with the food. My mom said that when she was doing it consistently, it worked wonders. Well, I need wonders to be worked on my dog. I brushed him just before I talked to her about this and I swear I pulled out enough hair to knit a sweater. It was so disgusting! (Oh, and you should see the amount I'm able to vacuum up daily!) So, I've been putting it on his food for 4 days now. I can't say whether or not I've noticed an improvement yet, but I've decided to give it around a week to ten days before I really pass judgment. I'm crossing my fingers!

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My kids like to eat toast for breakfast. And by toast, I mean toast with cinnamon & sugar. It's the only way they will. No toast with just butter for them or even jam. Oh, and by "my kids", I mean my boys like to eat it with cinnamon & sugar. Avery likes it with sugar only and for some reason, this irritates Cameron to no end. He can't believe she even dares to call what she makes "toast". He thinks the only thing worthy of that title MUST have the cinnamon AND the sugar. He considers it a crime against humanity to make it any other way.

I Hope You Don't Mind

2011-08-07T17:05:00.003-06:00

Today is my husband's birthday. So, and I hope you don't mind, I'd like to paraphrase Elton John and tell you how wonderful my life is because he's in this world. I love him more than anything and I just wanted to share that.

I hope you had a good time yesterday, Ryan, when we went out to eat at the restaurant I chose. (The Dodo. Take that Barrett! I told you I would make him take me there. And I'm making a huge assumption here that Barrett will even read this. ☺ Totally fine if he doesn't.) And I hope you had fun when I suggested we go shopping for fun afterward. (The fun part being that we bought a new pair of shoes for me.) I know those activities were a little selfish (well, a lot selfish), but that's just the kind of guy that you are. You are kind, generous, caring and really only concerned with making sure that I and your family am happy. I hope you have a very, very Happy Birthday today because you deserve it. You're wonderful!

It Looks So Pretty!

2011-08-04T16:07:00.004-06:00

I've been making so many changes physically lately, I decided it was time to update and change the design on my blog. I used Designer Blogs again and, once again, I'm totally thrilled with the result. My blog design is light, airy, pretty, not fussy & everything I wanted it to be. Thank you so much, Erin! You do wonderful look.

I'm still having the issues with Blogger. (It's time to contact them directly and DEMAND they fix the problems. Anyone think it will actually happen? ☺) So, I can't do a hyper link to Designer Blogs for you. What you can do is scroll down to the bottom of my blog and click on the link that's there. If you have a Blogger or Word Press blog and are looking to do something "more" with it, contact them. They do fantastic work!

When Ryan is Away

2011-08-03T06:00:00.002-06:00

In the past, Ryan would travel all the time. Sometimes, he would be gone 4-5 days a week for every week of the month. He did that for years. It started to taper off about 4 years ago when he moved from installation to engineering. He would still travel on occasion, but only for 4-5 days in a month, usually spread out and usually only 1-2 days at a time. He moved to sales a year and a half ago and it slowed down a little more. Now, he has the occasional, once or twice a month, overnight at the most, sales trip. Just because he doesn't do it nearly as much as he has, that doesn't mean that it's any easier. It's hard having him gone. And so, when he is away, I don't like cook an extravagant dinner. The days seem longer and harder when he's gone and cooking is usually the last thing I feel like doing. So, it's Ramen noodles, macaroni & cheese, or whatever quick fix we can come up with. I put the kids to bed much earlier than normal. (Because, like I said, the days seem longer and harder when he's gone and I'm usually VERY ready for them to be over.) I watch television shows he can't stand. I stay up late watching movies he thinks are crappy. Or, I stay up late reading. Or, I stay up late washing every dirty item of clothing or linens in the house. Or, I stay up late cleaning. Or, I stay up late doing some sort of craft. Or....basically I just stay up late because I don't sleep well when he's not here. It throws off my routine because I always, always miss him when he's away. I'm glad this trip is "probably" only an overnighter.

A Happy List

2011-08-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

Just a few things that make me happy:

1. All the crazy, off the wall things that Peyton says. Like when he burped the other day and told me it was "a mouth fart".

2. All of my kids. Yes, there are days they can make me totally crazy, but I still love them and the crazy doesn't last forever. They make me happy more often than not.

3. My husband. Oh, I just love him!

4. Progress being made on home improvement projects. We have the driveway done and the roof is underway. I'm happy to be improving the look of our home.

5. Watching any of the Toy Story movies with Peyton. They're just so darn cute. And he's just so darn cute watching them.

6. Good conversations with friends.

7. Good conversations with my husband.

8. Good conversations with my family.

9. Learning from an experience.

10. Listening to my favorite music.

11. My new, orange sheets. I bought them because I wanted something bright and cheery to lie on while I was recovering from my tonsillectomy. I can't help but feel happy when I look at them.

12. The fact that my tonsils are gone. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but I wouldn't take them back for anything.

13. A delicious piece of fruit.

14. A super cold glass of water.

15. Cozy, quiet evenings spent with my family.

16. Watching one of my favorite movies.

17. Reading a great book.

18. Cooking and or baking.

19. Watching Cooking Channel or Food Network. I would watch either of those all day long if I could.

20. Completing a task and feeling like I've accomplished something worthwhile.

21. Finding fun, new blogs to read. I've really been into handmade/fashion/lifestyle/vintage ones.

22. Just being alive. There's a quote from Emily Dickinson on my side bar that I just love. That's why it's there. It says: "Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough." So true.

Summer?

2011-08-01T09:13:00.004-06:00

School starts for my kids in just 3 weeks. It feels strange that it is because this summer has hardly felt like summer to me. At all. I feel like it's still waiting to start. Kind of like we've been stuck in a permanent spring. The weather has been so incredibly mild. It's been (at least the way I remember it ☺) hot, but not too hot with lots of rain. I don't remember many days with temperatures too far above 90. Today, in fact, it's cloudy and rainy and the high temp is only supposed to be 79. (By the way, I totally adore cloudy and rainy days. They're comforting to me, for some strange reason.) I'm not complaining because overly hot weather isn't my thing. If I could control the weather and maintain the temperature at around 75 degrees, I would be a very happy person. So, all this mild weather suits me just fine. And....now that I've said that, karma is going to come and bite me in the butt and temperatures will soar to astronomical, melt your face off heights.

Oh, and since school starts in just 3 weeks, I started back to school clothes shopping last week. I need to get a couple more pairs of pants for Tyler & Cameron (they have enough to start, but really do need a couple more) and few more shirts for Avery. (She seems to have had a bit of a growth spurt. She hasn't grown longer legs, but she is longer in the waist. A size 8 shirt is kind of a belly shirt on her now. Well, not quite, but close. She now needs a size 10 and that's just crazy to me because Cameron is in the same size & he's 2 years and almost 9 months older than her.) I also need to get shoes for all and then I'll be done with the wardrobe part. Next, we'll stock up on school supplies and we can really call it good. (I'll get Peyton's preschool wardrobe in September because he isn't starting until then.) It's unbelievable to me that Tyler will be in 6th grade, Cameron will be in 4th, Avery will be in 2nd and my baby will be in preschool. Wow. I really have no other words to describe the feeling. Just....wow.

We Like To Take Our Time

2011-07-31T06:00:00.002-06:00

Our garage is detached from and sits behind our house. There's a narrow driveway along the side of the house that leads back to it and a large parking area in front of it. It was paved with old, cruddy, cracking asphalt when we bought the house in December of 2005. It was in really bad shape and was in great need of replacement. So, in early November of 2006 we ripped out the entire back parking area (leaving the narrow drive in asphalt) and poured cement in half of it. We figured we would pour the other half in the spring (of '07). Well, spring came and went and we didn't pour any cement. We thought we would wait for some cooler temps and do it in the fall (of '07). Fall came and went without any cement poured. And so, we again planned on spring (of '08). Spring came and went and we didn't pour any cement. We decided to wait again for the cooler temps and said we would do it in fall (of '08). It didn't happen then either and this meaning to do it thing turned into a vicious cycle that lasted for three years. It just kind of turned into this thing where if we had the money to do it, we didn't have the time. And then, when we did have the time, we didn't have the money because we had spent it on other projects. But now, thanks to my father in law, 3 brothers in law, and some others ☺, we now have a parking area completely covered in cement. Hooray! I'm so glad it's finally done. Better late than never is what I always say. We're determined to get the asphalt in the driveway ripped out and cement poured in the spring (of '12). Or, maybe in about 4 1/2 years. We'll see.

Thank you so very much to all who helped with the work! It means the world to me and it feels wonderful to finally have that entire back area done!

P.S. I was holding Peyton yesterday when he tipped his head up and I could see up his nose. I said, "ewww! You have a lot of nasty boogers in your nose!" He said, "they aren't nasty boogers! They're tasty boogers for eating!" He then proceeded to stick his finger up his nose. Oh, my.

I'm Already Thinking About It

2011-07-30T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's really ridiculous, but I'm already thinking about and preparing for Halloween. In fact, I've already bought costumes for Peyton and Avery. (Hey! Don't start with me. I know it's ridiculous to be buying Halloween costumes in July, but if you want to get what your kids want, you HAVE to shop this early.) Avery wanted to be Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros.) again. (She's asked to be her for about 3 years.) Unfortunately, I've only been able to find slutty, adult Princess Peach costumes. (I had no idea that Princess Peach ever wore short, short skirts with thigh high stockings and hooker heels, but apparently she does when she's all grown up. Whatever.) This year, however, a mighty miracle happened. I found, online, a child size, Super Mario Bros. licensed costume that isn't slutty. I snatched it right up and decided I would have Peyton wear something that coordinated with her. (They'll probably hate me for it when they're teenagers. Oh well. ☺) He's going to be Toad. Yay! They're done.

Cameron wants to be Deadmau5. I think it has something to do with raves (he doesn't know that) and techno music. I think. I'm not hip and in touch with what the young folks like. Cameron just thinks the mouse head is cool. I googled costumes for that and did find some on places like eBay. And guess what? They were only.........$275.00!!! No siree. I flat out to refuse to pay that much. I don't care how cool he thinks it is, or how happy he says it will make him. I'm a waaaaaay mean mom like that. He says that if he can't be that, he doesn't want to be anything. So, it looks like I'm going to have to figure out how to make the silly thing. (Google it if you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about.)

Tyler thinks he's too cool for Halloween and at the moment, says he doesn't want to dress up. I'm sure he'll change his mind. Especially since this will probably be the last year for him to do it. At least, it will probably be his last year to wear a costume to school. He'll be in 6th grade this year and I'm pretty sure that you don't wear costumes to the big, bad junior high. He needs to take advantage of his last year of elementary and wear something. We'll see what happens.

Tom Hanks and Jane Austen Have Been Helping Me Get By

2011-07-29T11:46:00.003-06:00

I woke up feeling like crap this morning. Why? Well I decided that I was tough and could get by just fine if I didn't take my pain meds in the middle of the night. (I've had to take some around 4:00 every morning.) That was so stupid of me. My throat and ears were throbbing by the time I woke up at 6:30. I think what I was experiencing was more never pain than simply sore throat pain. It still hurt like a son of a bee sting. Apparently, it happens because there are nerves running between where your tonsils sit (or, in my case, sat) and your ears. So, experiencing pain in your ears when you have pain in your throat, or severe the connection of the nerves to the tonsils, is perfectly normal. I've learned my lesson and will continue to take the meds every 4-6 hours for the next few days. I don't want to take any chances and experience that kind of pain again.

I've been watching a lot of Tom Hanks and movies based on Jane Austen books during my convalescence. Let's see, movies of the Tom Hanks variety I've watched are: Castaway, The Burbs, The Terminal, The DaVinci Code & I think there was one other, but I can't remember right at the moment. As far as Jane Austen goes: Pride & Prejudice (2 times), Emma, Sense & Sensibility (2 times) & Persuasion. I don't get to have movie marathons like those very often. It's been lovely.

On another note, I really like Giada DeLaurentis' recipes and her cooking. But.....I can't stand her over-pronunciation of Italian words. It's so flippin annoying. We all know you're Italian. Okay. Over-pronouncing the words doesn't make you sound more legit, or make me respect you more. I almost have to watch with the sound muted because it bugs me so much. Okay, enough of me being a jerk.

Putting It Out There

2011-07-28T09:59:00.003-06:00

I'm just going to put this out there into the universe. Just in case people (Ryan) are wondering, "hmmm? What should we/I get Christa for her birthday or Christmas?" (Just so you know, I would do a hyper link these items, if I could. Stupid Blogger STILL won't let me do ANYTHING!!!! I was trying to think of how long these atrocities have been occurring and it seems like it's been happening ever since Blogger had their big collapse and it was down for a couple of days. I think almost everyone had problems at that time, BUUUUUUTTTTTT......their problems were fixed. MINE HAVEN'T BEEN!!! Enough of my whining.)

Here's one thing that I would really love to have:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CBK1L/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mallmakethin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000CBK1L

And while I'm being a brat and asking for things that I really don't need, just want. Here's another:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JQM1DE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=mallmakethin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JQM1DE

My sewing machine is basically out of commission. I don't sew tons, but I do just often enough that not having a working one really bites. I've always wanted a Serger and I figured, why not whine and beg for one at the same time I whine and beg for a new, regular sewing machine. I have quite a few projects in mind I would like to do, but can't unless I have these things.

There. Enough of me being a spoiled brat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I really can't wait until I can again eat solid foods. I tried eating a piece of bread on the 21st. Big mistake. I thought that since I was numb from the pain pills, I would be able to get it down. No.flippin.way. I was barely able to gag down 2 bites before I had to stop.

I was able to eat a very, very, very (like about as thick as a cracker) thin slice of bread yesterday. It took me 15 minutes and I had to chew until it was liquefied, but I got it down. So, I figured it would be no problem to eat something at Avery's birthday dinner. (She chose Ckick-fil-A.) I ordered the chicken salad sandwich. I nibbled on the chicken and got down about 5 bites. Tried the bread and just couldn't do it. So, I gave up. I took everything home, including the fries, to try again another time.

I was able to eat about 4 bites of the birthday cake because it was extremely soft. So, I decided around 9:15 to try to eat one the fries. I even broke off all of the edges and only ate the softest part from the center. HOLY COW! I thought I was going to die. It was like swallowing broken glass. I started to cough/gasp/cry/gag. It was truly, truly AWFUL! I think it's because I had pushed my luck and tried to eat too much. I had to take 2 pain pills and 800 mg of Ibuprofen to kill the pain. I also lay on my bed and cried for a while. It didn't help with the pain, but I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. So, I'm sticking to a very soft and or liquid diet indefinitely. I'm really missing solid food.

Seven

2011-07-27T07:44:00.004-06:00

My little girl is 7 years old today! She's been so excited she has hardly been able to stand the wait. She's been counting down for about 364 days. (She'll start counting down to the next one tomorrow. She's especially excited for that one because when she's 8, she'll be able to be "bathtized".) She's a little worried about the present thing this year because I've been laid out for more than a week with my tonsils. She's pretty sure that since I've been so sick, I haven't had the opportunity to get to the store. She even offered to call her dad yesterday and tell him what she wanted. You know, so he could go shopping on his way home from work. (Little does she know, I planned ahead (something I very rarely do ☺) and did all of my birthday shopping more than a week ago.)

She's really is such a sweet, kind, loving, helpful, thoughtful, fun & silly girl. We are truly blessed to have her in our family. Happy Birthday Avery! May all your princess birthday wishes come true!

He Must Love Me

2011-07-23T21:15:00.003-06:00

Ryan has been taking such good care of me these past few days. He's been making sure I take my pain meds. He makes sure that I always have something cold to drink or suck on. He keeps me comfortable. He lets me sleep when I need it. He's been a wonderful nurse and I love him so much. ♥

P.S. I'd also like to thank my parents for taking the kids for several hours on Wednesday evening so that I could have a quiet house to sleep in. I love you so much! ♥

P.S.S. Finally, another big thank you to my in-laws for taking the kids to a family reunion from Thursday morning until this afternoon. That was such a big help, too. I love you so much! ♥

Heck, I love everyone right now! And that's not just the pain meds talking. I am a very lucky girl to be surrounded by such kind and caring people. ♥ Thank you so very much everyone!

No Kidding

2011-07-22T10:31:00.003-06:00

The nurse who took care of me while I was having my tonsils removed, told me to expect to feel "okay" for the first couple of days after surgery. She said there would be pain and discomfort, but nothing that would be too terrible. She told me when I could expect to feel the real pain/swelling/discomfort would be day 3. And then it would be bad, probably very bad, until day 7. She said after that time, I could expect a great improvement and things would feel better. Well, today is day 3 and, oh boy, was she not kidding! Today, I feel like gum stuck on the bottom of a shoe. My throat hurts. My tongue hurts. My ears hurt. The roof of my mouth hurts. But...I will never say that having my tonsils removed wasn't worth it. I'm so very glad that they're gone!

Today is the Day

2011-07-19T09:58:00.003-06:00

I'm scheduled to go in at 3:30 this afternoon to have my tonsils removed. That's kind of a late time in the day to do it. Especially since you can't eat anything after midnight the night before. Don't you think? ☺ I'm not a person who can eat breakfast first thing in the morning. I need a little bit of time to wake up and get going before I can think about food. Sometimes, if my day gets crazy busy, I can forget about breakfast altogether (which is really stupid and something I should stop doing). (Plus, I just CAN'T eat prior to my workout and I do my workouts in the mornings. It makes me sick to my stomach to try and do anything if I've eaten.) There are days when I don't eat anything until 1:00 or later. So, I figured I could easily handle going without until post-op. No big whoop. I even ate 2 helpings at dinner at 7:00 and then ate a nectarine at around 10:00 in order to tide me over. But....guess what the only thing on my mind is this morning? Food. And lots and lots of it. Oh, food! Glorious food!

Right about now would be the time I'm getting around to breakfast on an average day. I've finished my workout, I've done a few things around the house and finally have a moment to stop and eat. I'm feeling hungry out of habit. I didn't do a workout this morning because doing it and then not being able to refuel would be a bad idea. I'd be done for, have a headache and be ultra ornery the rest of the day.

Thankfully, I can drink clear fluids like water and apple juice up to four hour prior to my check-in time. I have until 11:30 to chug liquids and fool my stomach into thinking that it isn't hungry. I hope it works! ☺

My Jerk Dog

2011-07-15T13:24:00.002-06:00

My dog still loves me the best and while I do kind of secretly like it because it is a little fun (it bugs the crap out of Tyler), it does get old. I don't get a lot of breathing room when he's around. He follows me everywhere. (I'm trying to force him to stay around the kids once in a while. I have them put his leash on him and hold onto it so he HAS to stay in the same room as them. It's helping a little. Baby steps.) The minute I make any sort of movement that might indicate I'm leaving a room, he's up on his feet and ready to follow. (I'm a jerk and will sometimes stand up and then sit right back down. Just to see what he'll do. Hey, I've never claimed to be nice. ☺) He still waits for me outside the bathroom door. He's always lying right under my feet while I'm making food. He watches me while I do laundry. He likes to lie across my feet while I'm at my computer desk. (I have to admit, that one is kind of sweet.) And all of those things are okay and relatively easy to deal with, but he's taking it a step further now. He's decided that he can't eat unless I'm standing in the room. (We keep his dish in the kitchen.) Now, that just goes beyond all that's reasonable for me. I don't have the time (or desire) to sit and watch him each time he eats. I've been trying to break him of it by having the kids do the same thing they do to keep him around them. They put his leash on so he can't run away from them, then they start to hand feed him. It's been taking a lot of coaxing and doesn't always work, but we're going to continue with it come heck or high water. Again, baby steps. I refuse to be present for every single one of his meals. It's just too ridiculous!

I've Finally Decided To Do It

2011-07-14T09:21:00.003-06:00

I have abnormally large tonsils. Like, massively huge, alien sized ones and they've been that way for as long as I can remember. It seems like I've always had issues with them, too. Whenever I get sick, it always seems to settle in my throat. There was one year (somewhere around 7-10 years old) that I had strep throat or tonsillitis at least 10 times. It felt like I was at the doctor's office all the time. I tried every antibiotic known to man, but it always seemed to come back. Doctors, unfortunately, were reluctant to remove my tonsils because of the open heart surgery I had at 10 months old. They didn't know how my heart would handle the surgery (they were also worried about infections, etc) because when I had my open heart, the surgery was a fairly new procedure. Most babies up to that time simply didn't survive the defect. In 1976, they were starting to blaze new trails. I was a pioneer and was basically a case study they were learning from as I grew. Well, times have changed and doctors have figured out that simply cutting out my tonsils won't kill me. Thank goodness!

My family doctor first suggested I have them removed around 7 or 8 years ago. He told me it wouldn't necessarily prevent strep throat (which I knew), but I wouldn't have massively swollen tonsils should I happen to get it. It would also, most likely, take care of my ahem...snoring problem. I also get tonsil stones (very disgusting things, you can Google them if you like, but don't say I didn't warn you) and not having to deal with those anymore made the idea of surgery more than worth it. I wanted to do it, so very much, but could never seem to find the right time. I had small kids, I was pregnant, I was breastfeeding a baby, it would be hard for Ryan to get the time off from work, etc. I don't have excuses like that anymore. (Well, I still have small kids, but they can handle themselves a bit better now.)

So, back in May, I had a sinus infection and went in to see my doctor. I told him I was finally ready to get the disgusting buggers yanked out. He referred me to an ENT specialist and I finally saw him on Monday. When he looked in my throat he said, "Oh! I can see why you want to have those removed. Those are gross!" Ummm...thanks? He was available to do the surgery yesterday, but I couldn't do it on just 2 days notice. So, I'm having them removed on the 19th. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. I don't care that's it's probably going to hurt like a mother after. I want them gone because the improvement to my quality of life after will be so great. 35 1/2 years is long enough to live with those disgusting things.

Deep Thoughts Pt. 2

2011-07-13T11:39:00.003-06:00

So, I said on June 25th, (can't link to it because of, you know, Blogger being stupid) that I had some deep thoughts that I wanted to blog. Well, my previous 2 posts were what I wanted to say. There's probably more I could say, but like I said, my mind is kind of feeble. That was the best I could do. (Oh, and I never allowed myself much "down time" while at camp in order to better organize my thoughts. Maybe I'll add a bit more later. Don't get too excited.) I wanted to get those thoughts out because of some events that had occurred in just about the month prior to June 25th. They were quite tragic and sad and set my feeble brain to thinking. I really just wanted to get them out. The few readers I have were the "lucky" recipients of my deep thoughts. ☺

Looking Inward

2011-07-12T06:00:00.007-06:00

This is kind of a follow-up to yesterday's post that I, of course, can't link to because stupid Blogger won't let me. (Do you hear that Blogger administrators? Your site has been a big, steaming pile of poop lately. At least, for me it has.) It's another reminder for ME because I have weaknesses, I forget, I stumble and....I need constant reminders.

So, as you may or may not know, I am the 1st Counselor (over the Mia Maids) in the Young Women's presidency in my ward. And as such, I have to teach lessons every other Sunday. A few months ago, I was teaching a lesson about resolving conflicts, or something along those lines. I had a thought come to me while preparing it: So very often, when we are in the midst of a conflict, we turn everything outward and blame all of our problems on others. What I realized, is that most often, the problem doesn't lie with others. The problem lies within us. (Whoa!? You mean everyone on the planet is NOT out to get me, or ALWAYS picking on me!? You mean it can sometimes be a problem with me!?) We do this, especially, if we tend to look at things with a "poor me" attitude. (Raise your hand if you sometimes do that because I'm raising mine.) It's such a self-defeating way of thinking and doing it takes our energy away from fixing the problem. So, we pretty much turn ourselves into our own worst enemy. We look for faults in others because we feel wronged, thereby, turning ourselves into the victim. We assume that everyone else is wrong and we're right. (Admitting that I am not always right is a very tough pill for me to swallow.) We let our own hurt feelings get in the way and prevent resolution. We waste countless hours screaming at the top of our lungs how right we are and how wrong is everyone else. Or, at the same time, we even let the opinions of others cloud our judgment and prevent resolution. A friend posted a great quote on facebook: "During the bonfires of life don't take advice from the person holding a gallon of gas." Are we letting those who are pouring gasoline on the flames of the problem, influence our opinions? Or, even worse, are we the ones pouring on the gasoline? (Unfortunately, I'm guilty of both offenses. I need to learn to leave things alone.) In actuality, if we want to resolve our conflicts, we are the ones who need to make changes. After all, WE are the only human beings on this planet that we have total control over. So, why not start with ourselves? If we aren't willing to make the changes in ourselves, every.single.problem.we.ever.have.WILL.get.us. down. Even worse, every time we take this approach, we risk gradually become more and more bitter, resentful, cruel or even vengeful. (Sounds like a lovely combination, no?) We only hurt and then destroy ourselves. I revealed my realization to the girls and I suggested/asked them if they might try to think of this the next time they found themselves in the middle of a conflict. Perhaps, try to approach it thinking, "what do I need to fix in myself in order to fix this problem?". I told them if they would it, they would see their problems and conflicts be resolved much more quickly and then dissipate altogether. (Remember how you said that, Christa? Hmmm...reminding myself.)

Now, once I challenged them to try and see things in a different light, I realized that I have to do the same. I can't be a do as I say, not as I do kind of person. Because am I guilty of doing this? Absolutely. And more often than I care to admit. Have I been perfect in applying this thinking to my everyday life since that time? Absolutely not. If I don't consciously keep an open mind during a conflict, I veer to the "poor me" way of thinking and I turn into a shrew. Who wants to be around a shrew? I certainly don't. And more importantly, my family and friends don't. I NEED TO TRY HARDER AND I NEED TO TRY HARDER EACH AND EVERY DAY! I need to be aware, conscious, present and mindful of ALL of my actions. Whether in times of conflict, or good times too. The Young Women president of my ward said it like this: We need to stop thinking that we should be treating others the way we want to be treated. Rather, we need to think that we should be treating others the way that Jesus Christ would treat them. The way he would treat others is the standard we should be holding ourselves to. She also gave the girls a fantastic handout yesterday. It's a coin with a sticker on each side, with one side reading: What I do reflects who I am! The other side says: Who I am reflects what I do! Great food for my thoughts. Time to apply, apply, apply!

This has been another long, jumbled, rambling post brought to you by: me. ☺ Have a nice day!

Thought/Reminder for Myself for Today

2011-07-11T11:16:00.003-06:00

"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . . we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. . . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." Charles Swindoll

This is something I needed to remind myself today because I truly, firmly, with all my heart believe it. Adversity comes to us all, there's simply no avoiding it, but we CAN avoid having a negative reaction to it. Negative reactions destroy ourselves and pretty much EVERYONE around us. So, how do I avoid a negative reaction? Quite simply, by humbling myself enough to know that I may know some things, but I DON't know everything. I also need to place my faith and trust in God and trust that he can help me and those around me get through whatever is going on. (Somthing I need to remember. Taking out my frustrations on others/unnecessarlily stirring the pot of contention only brings just that: contention. And resentment. Not a good combination. Oh, and the problem never goes away, either, unless I let it. So, I guess the phrase that would most appropriately apply here is that I need to "let it go".)

To quote a bit from a book called "Adversity", by Elaine Cannon (and taken from a talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks):

"An old cowboy said he had learned life's most important lessons from Hereford cows. All his life he had worked cattle ranches where winter storms took a heavy toll among the herds. Freezing rains whipped across the prairies. Howling, bitter winds piled snow into enormous drifts. Temperatures might drop quickly to below zero degrees. Flying ice cut into the flesh. In this malestrom of nature's violence most cattle would turn their backs to the ice blasts and slowly drift downwind, mile upon mile. Finally, intercepted by a boundary fence, they would pile up against the barrier and die by the scores.

But the Herefords acted differently. Cattle of this breed would instinctively head into the windward end of the range. There they would stand shoulder-to-shoulder facing the storm's blast, heads down against its onslaught.

You always found the Herefords alive and well, said the cowboy, I guess it's the greatest lesson I ever learned on the prairies - just face life's storms."

Similarly, if we face up to our individual adversities or hardships (and I, Christa, would like to add if we face up to our weaknesses and shortcomings and stop blaming others), they can become a source of blessing. God will not give us adversities we cannot handle, and he will bless us richly for patiently doing the best we can in the circumstances. (And I, Christa, again would like to add something: if we stand together instead of trying to drive each other apart, the hardships will only be easier. Again, something I need to remember.)

(Stupid spell check still isn't working for me. I'm sure this post is just full of spelling errors.)

Deep Thoughts

2011-06-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

So, I have some deep thoughts (well, as deep as my feeble mind will allow) that I would like to blog, but I'm still mulling them over in my mind. Nothing that's going to change the world. Nothing that's going to make anyone say "Wow!". It's really just for me, but first I need to formulate them a little better. Make them more cohesive. Try to make sense out of them so I don't sound ridiculous. (I mean, more ridiculous than usual.) It's going to take some time to write them all out. Time that I don't have right at the moment because I'm preparing to do my favorite activity next week. Girls Camp, here I come! Yay! (Please remember that statement is dripping with sarcasm. Oh, and please remember girls of my ward, my distaste has nothing to do with you. It's me. And the campfire part. And the dirt part. And all the laundry I'll have to deal with when I get home part. ☺ I'm looking forward to spending a few days with all of you.) Perhaps, I'll use any down time I may have at camp to gather all my silly thoughts together and get them blogged later in the week. Perhaps.

I Don't Know How He Does It

2011-06-24T09:01:00.002-06:00

Peyton's breakfast, for weeks & weeks now, has been 2 hot dogs (no bun), cut into slices, served with ketchup for dipping. It's the first thing he asks for when he wakes up and I very rarely can convince him to have something else. Toast? NO! Cereal? NO! Eggs? NO! Fruit? NO! He only wants hot dogs. It's kind of weird. I especially don't get the ketchup thing. I think ketchup is absolutely vile. I didn't even like it when I was a kid and that's when you're supposed to like the stuff. I've always been more of a mustard kind of person. I tasted a tiny bit a couple of weeks ago to see if my aversion still stood. And, yep! It sure does. I had barely touched it to my tongue, when it caused my stomach to turn, my jaw to clench up and then I gagged. Ketchup is nasty stuff.

In other food news, did you feel the world shift dramatically about a week ago? Like it was being turned upside down. Did you hear a gut-wrenching, horrible scream? The sound of ulitmate suffering. Well, that was me on the day that Avery told me she, in fact, does NOT like melted cheese on food. WHAAAAAAT!? How can a child who came from my womb (which is most likely lined with cheese because I love it so much) not like the gooey, comforting, wonderful goodness that is melted cheese!? It makes no sense to me. At all.

Things I Learned While Watching My Wedding Movie With My Kids

2011-06-22T10:24:00.000-06:00

Last night, Avery was looking at the wedding pictures of Ryan and myself that are hanging on our living room wall. She asked things like: what it was like that day? Did I have fun? Am I happy that I'm still married to her dad? (Of course!) She asked several times if I knew I was going to have a little girl like her. (No, but I told her I hoped that I would. She ate that right up, of course. ☺) She said she couldn't wait until she got married. (Please! Not for a very loooooong time.) Finally, she asked if we could watch the actual movie so she could see it all in action. I learned a few things watching with her.

1. She thinks it's very gross to see Ryan & I kiss. (Strange coming from a girl who says she can't wait to get married and kiss her husband. ☺)
2. She thinks Ryan and I don't look anything like we did when we got married. We look waaaaay older.
3. She thought it was totally weird that two of her dad's sisters were so young when we got married. I think she actually said it was "creepy".
4. She thought it was sooooo sweet when Ryan touched my face to brush something away. She asked me, "did you just loooove that he did that!?".

Other observations I made:

1. "Jumper" style dresses were extremely popular in 1998. I think I counted at least 6 women wearing one at our luncheon. Me included.
2. Ryan and I do look different. Although, I wouldn't say that we look waaaaaaay older.
3. Now, I did say that Ryan does look different, but only because he has a goatee now. Other than that fact, he pretty much looks the same. Well, he's maybe gained 5-10 pounds since that day. Me on the other hand....
4. The only thing that looks the same about me is my haircolor.
5. I've come to the conclusion that I don't ever want to have my hair as short as it was then, ever again.
6. I would marry him all over again. ♥

Oh, the memories! It was fun to relive that day.

Growing

2011-06-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

I'm on another "I'm growing my hair out" kick. The urge to do it hits me just about every 2 years. I get this idea that it will be so fun to have longer hair I can "style". Like, ummm...I don't know. I guess wear up in a bun, or a ponytail. Or....in some other style that looks cute? Beyond that, I really don't know what to do with it when it's longer and so, I end up doing nothing. I am not, however going to let that deter me this time. I'm not going to cave and cut it short again because when I decide to cut it short, I cut it short. I'm going to grow it long and I'm going to style it, darn it!

I really like the free-flowing, wavy, bohemian, long hair look. My hair is naturally curly and wavy and so, I'm assuming it would be an easy look to accomplish. (I probably won't ever try to do it (because I'm lazy and it would most likely look ridiculous on me), but I do like the look.) It's just brushing my shoulders now. I'm well on my way. I have abnormally fast growing hair and if I can remain strong and resist the temptation to cut it, it can be to the middle of my back by the end of the summer. I CAN and I WILL be strong and leave it alone. I WILL NOT CUT MY HAIR!

A Day Late

2011-06-20T09:40:00.003-06:00

I love this man and our 4 wonderful kids. He's a loving, kind, active and fun father. He's a spiritual, faithful and honorable man. He teaches our children by example and hands on instruction. He giving of his time, talents and energy. Our kids see that on a daily basis. I know they're going to turn out to be pretty wonderful people themselves because of him.

Happy Father's Day, Ryan! We all love you so very much!

Two Birds with One Post

2011-06-15T19:30:00.007-06:00

(If I could, I would upload some pictures to go along with this post. Blogger, unfortunately, is being a piece of poop and keeps freezing when I try to do it. You can see the pictures that apply to this on facebook. Blogger also won't allow me to do a spellcheck, or publish by clicking on the "publish post" button and a few other things I can't remember right this moment. Has anyone else been having crazy issues with it, or am I the only one?)

It's now been 10 days since Peyton smacked his mouth on Cameron's forehead while they were jumping together on the trampoline. Peyton lost 2 teeth instantly. Ryan found one of them sitting in the middle of the trampoline, but couldn't find the other. We think it was most likely swallowed. I never did check his ummm...poop to make sure that it came out. I'm just going to assume that it did. ☺ The one that we did find, came out root and all. It was the same as if a dentist had extracted it.

Ryan heard the immediate screams when it happened. Cameron came inside right away and had blood running down his forehead. I took him into the bathroom while Ryan ran outside to check on Peyton. He carried him in the house and said, "he's missing teeth!". I immediately swore and then started to cry. (Cameron had to have a tooth pulled when he was 3 because he broke it and it then abscessed. He was toothless for about 3 years. I was crying over history repeating itself. Cameron remarked that at least it wasn't a broken arm or leg. I told him I would rather it was something like that because a broken bone can be fixed in about a month. I had to remind him what it was like when his tooth was gone and how long it took for it to come back. Oh, yeah.) Peyton cried for about 1 minute, maybe 2 at the most and then started to push me away and tell me he was just fine. He told me he wanted to go back out to play and was actually more upset when I told him he was done playing.

Peyton's gums are healing up nicely and Cameron's forehead is, too. Cameron's going to have 3, small, tooth shaped scars that will most likely fade to almost nothing. Peyton is going to be toothless for at least 2-3 years. My dentist told me that his baby teeth being gone might possibly speed up the arrival of his permanent teeth. Instead of having to wait until he's 6 or 7 to lose the baby teeth and have the permanent teeth come in, he may only have to wait until he's 5 or 6. He'll be 4 in September, so....guess we'll wait and see.

Now on to part two of this post: we are now a dog owning family. Our neighbors gave us their one year old male Pug. They first offered him to us a little more than a month ago. I said yes immediately because I had been thinking for some time that a pet would be just the thing to teach the kids some responsibility. It took some convincing to get Ryan on board.

He's a really good dog who is house (kennel) trained and will sleep in his kennel all night, not aggressive and good with kids. (He is a shedding fool, but it's nothing that brushing him and a daily vacuum of the house can't control. I'm a vacuuming fool and do it daily, anyway. So, it's not a big deal.) The kids love him and Ryan is tolerating him very well. The only fault he has.....he will only listen to me. He follows me everywhere. Wherever I go, there will be Rigby also. My idea that a dog would teach the kids responsibility has kind of backfired. They do try to make him obey, but he just sits and stares at them. Or, calmly walks away and comes to find me. We're working on it. In the meantime, I now have another individual who sits outside the bathroom, waiting for me to come out. Great.

Teenage Wasteland

2011-06-10T13:15:00.000-06:00

Tyler is only 11 and so, I guess he's technically considered a "tween", but he's already displaying teenage behaviors. Actually, he's thought of himself as one for years. ☺ He first asked me if he could drive the car when he was 4 and in preschool. When I told him he had to be 16 to drive, he thought that was extremely rude and unfair. He tried to reason with me/talk me into it/whined about it for days.

He's a very cerebral kid and never been much of a dreamer. He has an imagination, but pretend games have never really been his thing. He's more of a surf the Internet, play video games, hang out with teenagers or adults, type of kid. Don't get me wrong, he has plenty of friends his own age and does hang out with them, he just can't wait until he's "older" and can participate in the magical activites of teenagers.

He's getting more and more sassy. Like, sassy in the way that you feel like knocking his block off because he's being such a punk. He's becoming more and more moody. Hormonal moods are NO fun. He's thinking I'm less cool. Sad. Oh, and that I'm not very smart. He's always been kind of a know it all because he's so darn smart, but he's now a moody, almost teenager know it all. He wants lots of independence. He's starting to decide that hanging out with his family isn't such a cool thing. Double sad. And the biggest thing that makes him seem like a teenager: he's been sleeping in on Saturdays and everyday since summer break started. Like, until 9:30, or later. He didn't get up until 10:00 today. The poor little dear is just so tired all the time. ☺ He used to be an up at the crack of dawn kind of kid. Now, all he wants to do is sleep. (I remember being that way and if I'm going to be really honest, I still pretty much am. If I could be left alone and undisturbed in my bed, I know I could easily sleep in until at least 9:30. Probably later. Ryan is an early bird and so this sleeping in thing doesn't fly with him. If we sleep in past 8:00, he feels like half the day is already gone and wasted.) Oh, and eat. My goodness, can the boy eat. He's constantly rifling through the cupboards or refrigerator, looking for something to snack on. He's going to eat us out of house and home. He really will be taller than me before too much longer. I'm not sure if I'm ready to have a son tall enough to look down at me. In fact, it kind of scares me. Unfortunately, ready or not, it's happening. AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

P.S. I know he'll read this. So, message to Tyler: no more lazy bones. Your sleeping in until 10:00 days are over. So says your dad, and I guess me.

Reminded

2011-06-04T06:00:00.006-06:00

I've been reminded what true, Christ-like friendship, charity, service and love are over these last couple of weeks. I've seen amazing examples of all of those things and just been blown away by them. I've been reminded that Christ-like friendship, charity, service and love should be given freely and without thought of the attention or acclaim we might receive because, after all, it's not about us. So, I've been reminded that humility is a huge part of all of it. In fact, it might be the most essential element. I've seen wonderful examples of service given quietly, lovingly and selflessly and it's brought me to tears many times. I've been reminded that we need to do things for others simply because we should. We have to. And that we should do things without being asked and we shouldn't do it grudgingly, or complain while doing it. Even if what we're doing might be difficult, not our idea of a good time, or take time. So what! Losing ourselves in those things is what Jesus Christ would have us do and if we really want to be more like him, we should. And when we finally figure it out and really do it, things that we thought were difficult will be easy, time we didn't think we had will be there and our love, understanding, empathy and appreciation for others will grow to unimaginable heights. I'm so glad I was reminded of these simple truths.

Sometimes...

2011-06-03T09:32:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, Peyton doesn't wake up before his brothers and sister go to school. It doesn't happen very often, just once in a while. On the days when he stays asleep, I'll steal quietly back to my bed, get comfy and cover my head with a pillow. I love completely shutting out the world and creating a quite little cocoon. It usually doesn't last long, 20-30 minutes max, but those few minutes of quiet thinking are so nice.
Sometimes, I don't feel especially cute.
Sometimes, I think I look okay.
Sometimes, I really think I'm failing at the "mother" thing and worry I'm warping my kids horribly and irreversibly.
Sometimes, I feel like I'm doing a pretty darn good job being a mom. I feel like I'm hitting all the right notes and that everything will be just fine.
Sometimes, I want to ignore dusting the furniture and so...
Sometimes, I do. ☺ (Usually, it's not for very long. Like, a week and a half. Tops!)
Sometimes, I really love cooking.
Sometimes, I can't stand it and couldn't care less if we ate cereal, or crackers for dinner. Just as long as I don't have to cook it.
Sometimes, I want my kids to stay young forever.
Sometimes, I can't wait until they grow up.
Sometimes, I wish I could be a little more outgoing.
Sometimes, I can be and that...
Sometimes, makes me think that I can be fun. I hope so. ☺

The Calm Before the Storm

2011-06-01T06:00:00.002-06:00

Friday is the last day of school for my kids. Yay! No, I really do like summer break for at least the first 2-3 weeks, 4 tops. It's at that point that we all start getting sick of seeing each other all.day.long. I'm trying to gear up for it by enjoying the quiet while I can, getting in some shopping and errands that need to be done, cleaning a few things so they can be messed up once everyone is home and then cleaned up by them (yeah, I'll show them) and preparing myself mentally by praying constantly that I can be patient. Ha! We'll see how that one goes.

I've enrolled Avery in a summer program at her dance school called "Princess Dance Camp". They're going to learn poise, etiquette, grace and anything else that seems princessy and applies. She's beyond excited about it. In fact, when the owner of the school came in to class to talk to the parents about it, Avery said, "Oh! This is the best thing in the whole world!" They're going to have a snack each day and are also going to make a craft like a crown, wand, etc. Yep, sounds like Avery's idea of heaven.

I'm going to enroll everyone in swimming lessons. Tyler & Cameron have each done it for the past 6 years. Consequently, they're pretty good swimmers by now and don't really need the lessons, but they're my saving grace. I'll do anything to break up monotony and save my sanity. This will be the first year Peyton will be able to take them. So, that's something that will make them even more fun and exciting.

I have to go to Girls Camp at the end of June. This is something I'm really not super excited about. It will be fun to spend time with the girls of the ward, but that's not the part I'm worried about. Camping really isn't my idea of a good time. Like, really not. I just don't get the appeal of packing up your whole house so you can go out into the wilderness and then sit and stare at a fire. Then, when you come home, everything stinks like a fire and you have to spend days washing all the stuff you took. It just seems like the exact opposite of relaxing to me. ☺ In fact, when I was extended the calling of 1st counselor in the presidency, my first thought and statement was, "Crap! This means I'll have to go to camp". I turned to my husband and asked him if he wanted to have a baby so I could get out of going. He wasn't willing to go along. Guess I'll be going.

That takes care of the first 4 weeks that I can handle. I don't know what I'll do the rest of the time. I need to start thinking of diversionary tactics now. I need to be prepared!

Angel

2011-05-31T09:36:00.000-06:00

Peyton loves this commercial. He actually loves and quotes a lot of different commercials. He's always telling me, "Don't get mad! Get Glad!" after he's done something naughty. It usually works, too. I need to learn to resist that imp and his devilish charms. ☺ Anyway, this is one of his favorites.

He came up to me last Monday and said, "Mom, say, 'you look amazing'". I asked why and he said, "JUST DO IT!". Okay, okay. "You look amazing", I said. "You look like a beach angel!", he replied. (I immediately caught on. ☺) I screamed and he said, "It's go time!". We've done that about 50 times a day since then.

Fashion Sense

2011-05-30T15:11:00.001-06:00

I've never claimed to have any fashion sense. Basically, I have none, but I do like to browse the internet, looking at clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry, etc. Especially when I get bored. Today, I'm really liking this swimsuit. I think it's super cute. I'm not sure if it's effective enough to hide my thunder, unfortunately. A large tarp would probably be more efficient to do that.

These shoes=fantastic. These remind me of an old librarian, but I still think they're cute. Finally, these might be a good choice to fulfill my desire for red shoes.

I'm kind of digging this dress. I think it would be fun with the librarian shoes. This skirt looks like it would be fun and just a little bit twirly.

I like way too many handbags. Like this one. This one. Oh, and this one, too. This could go on and on.

I think that's enough window shopping for today. If I start looking at jewelry like, I might start buying. ☺

Seeing Red

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Does anyone have a color they tend to gravitate toward? I do. Red. Most definitely, red. It's a color that makes me happy. It's peppy. It's lively. It makes me feel good.

I had a red wall in our first house. I loved it! The front door of that house was red, too. We painted our television wall in our family room in this house red, but had to move the location of the TV a couple of years ago. The first wall was a little too small to be left red without a focal point like the television. So, I repainted the whole room one color. I need to find another wall to paint.

I chose a design kit for my blog that featured red heavily. My new couch is red. My toaster is red. My tea kettle is red. I bought new dishes last weekend and their color? You guessed it. Red. I have several red shirts. Strangely, I don't have any shoes. I think I need to fix that. Maybe something like these.

Red, you make me very happy!

Minty

2011-05-26T12:41:00.000-06:00

I have a serious thing for the white, whipped, minty goodness that is the center of a York Peppermint Patty, or a Junior Mint. It all started with my first pregnancy and continued with the others. (I think it had something to do with being anemic.) Anyway. I craved it non-stop. If someone would have given me a huge bowl of that delicious, white goodness, I would have eaten all of it. Probably, in one sitting.

Well, I've been craving it again quite a bit the past couple of months. (I think it probably has something to do with anemia again. Time to start loading up on iron.) So, I pick up one of those two kinds of candies about once a week to get my fix. Today, I saw these and because of the colors on the package, assumed they were mint. I snatched those puppies right up and opened them as soon as I was in my car. I was a little confused with the first bite. Put in another. Still didn't get it. Around about the third one, I finally looked at the package and figured out what they were. (I've never claimed to be smart.) I was slightly disappointed about the lack of mint, but HOLY FLIPPIN' COW! They were totally good and made up for being non-minty. Try them.

**********************************************

On another note, just to be clear, I've kind of been thinking that I was trying to make myself sound like a martyr, or something, in my last post. (Stupid Blogger won't let me link to it right now!!!!) So, to clarify, I really didn't mind doing all of the cooking. I thoroughly enjoyed doing it. It wasn't hard. I didn't stress myself out overly much. I made it through just fine. And so far, I haven't heard of any deaths related to my cooking. I just wish I didn't have to get sick the week I was doing it. That is all. ☺

Never Again

2011-05-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

Never again do I have want to have a week with a dance concert rehearsal on Monday followed by getting sick on Tuesday followed by going to the doctor on Wednesday to find out I have a sinus infection (I would have said bronchitis) followed by a dance concert on Thursday followed by another dance concert on Friday followed by me cooking dinner for 50+ people in our for a Young Women fundraiser on Saturday.

Actually, it wouldn't have been so bad if I just could have left out the getting sick part. I'd do all the other stuff again if I didn't have to do it while sick. That's kind of made this week not so fun. I've woke up almost every night since Tuesday so I could hack up one of my lungs. After coughing, gagging and gasping for several minutes, I've been wide awake and left to think about cooking the dinner. I haven't felt any stress about doing it until this week and I only have because I've been sick. If I could have slept, I wouldn't have spent endless hours thinking about it. I know I can handle it, but when my sinuses are pounding I think to myself that I can't. But I can and I will. Now, I'm off to cook.

The Upside

2011-05-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Tyler came out of the basement bathroom a few days ago and said, "Mom, you need to come in here and look at this". I went in and what I saw was bulging paint and damp to the touch sheet rock on the ceiling directly above the toilet. Great! You don't have to be a plumber to figure out what bulging paint and damp sheet rock means. Especially when there's a bathroom directly above that one with a toilet in the exact same place. The toilet above was leaking.

Ryan cut a small hole into the ceiling in the basement. He couldn't see much and had to go a little bigger. Still couldn't see much and had to cut a little more. Then a little more. On about the fourth widening of the hole, pieces of wood started to fall out. My first thought was, "Holy crap! (censored) Is it rotting out the floor joists and sub-floor? How in the world is the whole bathroom up there not collapsing?". Ryan kept cutting and eventually took out the entire ceiling with pieces of wood falling the whole time. Pretty messy.

So, what did he find? Simply a leaking toilet. It had shifted, or not been put back on properly, or something, a few months ago. (Ryan took it off for reasons I can't remember anymore.) It was easy enough to go upstairs, remove the toilet, replace wax rings and other seals and stop the leak. Problem solved.

So, why was wood falling out of the ceiling down below? Well, it seems that a few years ago the old toilet had leaked and caused a lot of damage to the sub-floor, requiring it to be replaced. Some genius decided that it was easier to just let the rotted stuff fall and sit on the ceiling of the bathroom below rather than clean it up and throw it out. Lazy. We've discovered several "home improvement projects" around here that were done in the same manner. I kind of think that this house was previously occupied and remodeled by monkeys.

There is an upside to this situation, fortunately! We got the disgusting wood out of the ceiling. Definite plus. Ryan stayed home from work the next day (which means I got to spend time with him which is another plus) and replaced the ceiling properly. The other one was kind of saggy because it was held up with about 4 screws. Stupid monkeys! The sagging wasn't really visible to the naked eye and we never would have known how shoddy it was if the toilet hadn't leaked. The new one is held up nice and tight and the height raised quite a bit. Another plus. And since he was home, he was also able to finally fix the walls (to about 90% complete, need to paint a little more) I made him beat down to get my new couch into the family room. Another plus. I no longer feel guilt about destroying walls just for a couch, too. A plus for me! And finally, he brought me lunch after coming home from one of his 4 trips to Home Depot. Not having to make my lunch myself is a definite plus in my book.

*P.S. Another upside I've found! I had this scheduled to post the day that Blogger was down (last Friday),but it disappeared for a few days. I was pretty sure it had been munched and lost forever. (Sad, because there's like 2 people who read this blog and are so sad when I don't post. Haha, yeah right.) Fortunately, it appeared again as a draft on Wednesday! I know I'm the only one who cares, but that's okay. I'm happy!*

Some Things I Refuse to Do

2011-05-19T06:00:00.004-06:00

I refuse to wear a bikini in public.
I refuse to covet these shoes, or at least a pair similar to them. This one is really, really hard because I really, really want them. NO! Must resist. I need them like I need a hole in the head. But I really, really want them. AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!
I refuse to give up sugar entirely. Eating less of it. Fine. Totally stopping eating it. ABSOLUTELY.NO.WAY!
I refuse to complain about the current weather we are experiencing. This is something I've been thinking about for weeks. Then, a couple of weeks ago, she (really love her by the way) said the same thing on facebook and I was so glad that I wasn't the only one who felt this way. I just can't complain about a little soggy weather when there's such sadness and tragedy caused by natural disasters all around the world. Think of the terrible floods in the Midwest. I can't imagine watching my livelihood being washed away. Think of the people in Japan who are still being affected daily by the earthquake and tsunami and the damage they caused. And will be for years to come. Think of the people in Haiti, for heaven's sakes. They're still trying to recover from they earthquake they experienced. I can live with the rain. I can deal with cooler temperatures because, for the moment, it's keeping my grass green. All too soon, it's going to be hot and dry and then the constant, uphill battle of keeping it green will begin. I know I mentioned last year around this time that winter does seem to throw me into a bit of a funk. I tend to stay inside when it's cold out. Doing that isn't good for me. If I stay in for too long, I tend to get weird. And when I get weird, I want to stay inside for longer. It's not good because I get even more weird. I think it's why I tend to take long breaks from blogging. The weirdness prevents me from forming coherent thoughts. But I'm fighting it now. It's why I'm blogging more frequently. I'm fighting the weird. I'm not going to complain. I'm not going to let the silly weather get me down. Each day is a gift whether warm & sunny, or wet,dark and cold.
I refuse to complain about my husband's job because he has one. He has one. Sure, he can work long hours. Sure, the traveling he did in the past was rough. Sure, he was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 11 years and that affected our lives constantly. I was very rarely able to count on plans I made. I had to keep all plans "soft", or realize that I may have to interrupt them and leave, or cancel them altogether because he had to go on a service call. But at least he had one then and still has one. And has been with the same company for 17 years. That's practically unheard of today. I can't remember what the average number of jobs an American will have in their lifetime is, but I know it's a lot. As long as this company is still afloat, Ryan will have a job and that's a blessing. There are still millions of people in this country who are without one and would trade him places in a heartbeat.
I refuse to let a day go by without telling someone I love them.
I refuse to let the fact that my children complain about chores, stop me from having them do them. They need to learn the value of work and they also need to learn that sometimes, work can be hard. They may not think it right now, but they're going to thank me. Someday.
I refuse to let my bedroom continue to be ugly. I found a new (to me) desk and nightstand at Deseret Industries. I've painted them white because I really want to lighten up the look of my room. Plus, it kind of reminds me of the French Country style that I am finding myself drawn to more and more. I used to think that I was more of a Mid-Century modern, or contemporary type of girl. I've found that I'm really more of a comfortable, lived in type of one. I'm still using my old desk because I'm going to need help getting it out. Plus, I still need to figure out what to do with the stuff that's in the drawers. Probably toss it because I very rarely look at any of it. I think that means it must go.
I refuse to let my faults, shortcomings, weaknesses, and things I can't do, or may not do very well get me down. Because there are plenty of things that I can do. I refuse to compare myself to others. I refuse to think that what I have and am isn't enough. I am a person of worth. (Am I the only one who has to give themselves pep talks like this?☺) This quote says it all for me on this subject:

"Every day we see allurements of one kind or another that tell us what we have is not enough. Someone or something is forever telling us we need to be more handsome or more wealthy, more applauded or more admired than we see ourselves as being. We are told that we haven't collected enough possessions or gone to enough fun places. We are bombarded with the message that on the world's scale of things we have been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Some days it is as if we have been locked in a cubicle of a great and spacious building where the only thing on the TV is a never-ending soap opera entitled Vain Imaginations. But God does not work this way." Jeffrey R. Holland.

Yep! Another quote from him. I told you I love him so, expect to see many more from him.

Happy Birthday to You! And You, And You, And You....

2011-05-18T06:00:00.001-06:00

Peyton, Ryan & Cameron in a frog costume, on Peyton's 2nd birthday.

If there's one thing that facebook has taught me, it's that I'm terrible at remembering to wish friends/family a Happy Birthday, online. I know there's plenty I've missed this year and I may miss more. I'm sorry for that! So, to everyone out there I've already missed and those in the future who possibly might be forgotten too: Happy Birthday to You! I'm sorry I'm a jerk. And now I've relieved myself of my guilt.

Free Money

2011-05-17T10:12:00.000-06:00

Cameron has been trying to earn and save money so that he can buy himself a laptop. (He's a very hard worker and when he sets his mind to earning money for something, he's quite good at sticking to his idea. I fully expect him to be able to earn a big chunk of money.) This morning, however, he told me that he's come up with a new plan. (Read: Tyler talked him into changing his mind.) He now wants to buy himself a desktop that he can keep in his bedroom. Okay, whatever.

This morning we has telling Avery and I that he and Tyler researched (on Tyler's net book) and found a monitor, the tower, mouse, etc. They've priced out everything he (Tyler) thinks he'll need. Avery said something like "that sounds like it will cost a lot of money. What are you going to do to earn it?" (I have to say that I was ironing a shirt for Ryan at this time and so I was really kind of eavesdropping at this point. So, I didn't hear Cameron's exact response, but I did hear Avery's.) She told him, "you should just go to the bank. Grandma Mackay goes there (to cash checks)and they give her $100 dollar bills." Cameron said, "Grandma isn't going to just give me a $100 dollars. I'm going to have to do something to earn it." She said, "well, yeah. She might not just give it to you, but the bank would. They give it to her all the time."

Little Notes to Myself

2011-05-16T08:55:00.000-06:00

Dear Self,

This is not the same as this. I know that their tubes are similar in size and color, but don't ever try to rub the first one into your legs again. Doing so will necessitate another shower.

Me

Dear Self,

It was a good move deciding to start washing towels before you went to bed last night. Peyton's little diarrhea episode this morning has changed the course of your entire day today. Towels would have been put by the wayside.

Me

Dear Self,

Be sure to make sure Ryan sees this so he knows why you may not make it to Home Depot to buy more paint. He needs to know that you now have to clean the carpet in Peyton's room, wash all of his bedding, watch him like a hawk to make sure he doesn't have an accident and anything else that will be thrown at you by him. Home Depot may have to wait until tomorrow.

Me

Dear Self,

A little reminder: don't forget that Avery has her mandatory concert rehearsal tonight. You can't miss it.

Me

Dear Self,

Stop typing now so you can go check on Peyton. You don't want to have to wash your bedding, or clean your carpet because he's had an accident. Good luck today. It looks like it could be a long one.

Me

Comparisons

2011-05-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

*I had this scheduled to post on Friday the 13th. Then Blogger ate it and so I did something else, but now it's back. Maybe the one I had scheduled for today will show up again and I can post it tomorrow. Fingers crossed.*

I bought the book "Created for Greater Things" by Jeffrey R. Holland when I was buying books for my mom and mother in law as gifts for Mother's Day. I had already given a copy of it to my mom for her birthday. I bought something that I thought my mother in law would like, for her. I picked up the Holland book as a spare. (You know that really means that I bought it as a gift to myself. ☺) I've always loved Elder Holland and his straightforward, direct, tell it like it is way. I've never been disappointed after listening to him.

This particular book is a collection of quotes from him. I've been so uplifted by many of them. The following is one that jumped out at me the other day:

"Try not to compare your children, even if you think you are skillful at it. You may say most positively that "Susan is pretty and Sandra is bright," but all Susan will remember is that she isn't bright and Sandra that she isn't pretty. Praise each child individually for what that child is and help him or her escape our culture's obsession with comparing, competing, and never feeling we are 'enough'."

This is something that I am ashamed to admit I am guilty of. I don't mean too, but I sometimes compare and measure my children up against each other. They are each individuals with unique personalities. I love this fact, but sometimes get resentful over it at the same time. Why? I guess because I think it would be easier to raise them if they were all predictably the same. Well, no more. It would be totally and completely boring to be raising children who were all exactly alike. I would never grow and neither would they. Even if I'm trying to do it positively and with the best of intentions. It's time to stop that way of thinking and love and appreciate them entirely and only just for who they are. Without judgement of faults, shortcomings and differences. There are 4 of them and I will praise and love each one of them together, but individually as well. It's what they deserve and more importantly, it's what they want and need.

Today...

2011-05-13T13:25:00.000-06:00

Today is a beautiful day.

Today, I think the weather is perfect. I don't think you can ask for anything better than mid-70's and sunny. Not too hot. Not too cold. Today's weather is my idea of heaven.

Today, I had a great workout. I made it through, despite my right knee aggravating me. I feel strong and most importantly, I feel healthy. I even feel okay about my body, despite the badonkadonk I carry around. ☺

Today, my kids are happy and are getting along. Think my positive attitude has anything to do with it? I do. They're listening when I ask them to do things and most importantly, they're doing them without complaining.

Today, I'm remembering that sometimes all it takes to diffuse, or stop a tense situation with my kids, is simply giving them a hug, kiss, smile and telling them I love them.

Today, I love my husband. I love him each and every day all the time, but seem to be especially giddy about it today. I've had to call him 3 times already to tell him so.

Today, I feel creative. I'm going to make something. Whether it be bread, scrapbook pages, or picking up my forgotten granny squares afghan. (I really need to finish that. It's been just over a year since I last worked on it.) I'm going to make something because it makes me feel good.

Today, I'm keeping this quote in mind:

"We should honor the Savior's declaration to 'be of good cheer' (Matthew 14:27). Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!" - Jeffrey R. Holland

Can you tell I recently bought his book, "Created for Greater Things"? This is like the 3rd(?) quote I've use from him in a week. I've always loved him for his direct/straightforward/tell it like it is style. You'll probably be seeing lots of them from me. Today, I'm going to "be of good cheer". I know that if I keep this quote in mind, I can "be of good cheer" everyday.

Today is a beautiful day!

Some Things I Would Love Pt. 4

2011-05-12T06:00:00.006-06:00

More patience and understanding. I think this is one I've included on all of my lists. Will I ever learn and get it?
A slower temper. This goes along with patience and understanding. I'm too quick to react rashly/harshly/badly. It's a real bite in the butt when it happens. Sorry to anyone it's affected.
For my kids to be able to control their tempers. I know that their reactions are a direct reflection of what I'm projecting at them. It's a behavior they've learned. So, I know that if I want them to learn self-control, I have to learn it first.
To remember to really live in each day. (I figure if I continually remind myself, I'll do it.)
For this list to not get too heavy. Time to lighten up.
More time for reading. I think I've said this one before. If I have, I still haven't sorted myself out enough to make it happen.
Nice looking legs. My legs are gross.
To know whether or not the privacy glass in my bathrooms is working. What are my neighbors really seeing?
For cheese to not be so fattening. I would eat it on everything if I thought I could do it and remain healthy. I'd also, if left to my own devices and if I didn't have anyone else to cook for, eat Mexican food or some type of pasta dish for every.single.meal. Again, if I thought I could do it and remain relatively healthy.
A home liposuction machine. Carrying around a little extra chub? Pull out the old lipo machine and suck it away. Just like a vacuum and dirt on the floor. (It seems like this was a line in a movie. Mannequin? Terrible movie, but a great idea.) My machine would get a lot of use.
To get together more often with old friends. I mean really do it. Not just talk about doing it.
A new car. No, not really. Okay, yes, really. I'm still playing the "how long can we keep this old thing going?" game. It's really not a bad car and it's really in good shape for its age (12 years). It's not a necessity right now. It's an extravagant want. I can wait for the old one to die.
A personal grocery shopper.
A green thumb. I'm planning on planting some sort of a vegetable garden this year. It's been about 3 years since my last attempt. It was semi-successful. I think I got about 10 tomatoes and 5 cucumbers out of it. Okay, maybe it wasn't even semi-successful. Those numbers look pretty dismal.
To get back to posting regularly on my cooking blog. I have recipes, I just need to get them typed out and posted. And Blogger won't let me do a hyper-link to it at the moment. Grrrr! Still having some strange issues with it. A link to the blog is over on my sidebar. You know, just in case you're interested. ☺
Finally, I love this quote and wanted to share it:

"The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead; we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future." Jeffrey R. Holland

A Favorite Song

2011-05-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Peyton has a certain routine that he has to go through each night when we put him in bed. He tells his dad goodnight, does a little funny thing (the same way each night) with him, hugs and kisses him and tells him goodnight. I'm up next. We say a prayer together and then he has to sing a song. He always says, "I think I'll sing one song" and holds up one finger for me just to make sure I understand. This is what he sings:

Smiles

If you chance to meet a frown,

Do not let it stay.

Quickly turn it upside down

And smile that frown away.

No one likes a frowning face.

Change it for a smile.

Make the world a better place

By smiling all the while.

It certainly puts a smile on my face each night! I love that little boy!

Future

2011-05-10T06:00:00.003-06:00

I caught Peyton playing in the dryer yesterday. I told him to get out and he said, "No! This is a time machine. I need to go to the future!". I tried to talk him out, but he wouldn't listen. So, I had to reach in and pull him out and when I did, he said, "NOOOOOOO! This is a scary world! I can't stay here! I NEED to go to the future!". Again, I don't know where he came from, but with a brother like this, I really shouldn't be surprised. Oh, he cracks me up too!

Did you notice that my signature is back?! Erin at Designer Blogs fixed it for me. (She designed my blog layout over 2 years ago. I've loved it that whole time.) Thanks again, Erin for doing it. I'm at a loss when it comes to stuff like that and probably would have never been able to fix it.

Scary Fast

2011-05-09T11:43:00.000-06:00

You know how women who live in the same household tend to sync up their menstrual cycles? (By the way, the thought of that terrifies me. I'm pretty sure that Avery already suffers from PMS. She's a crazy, emotional beast sometimes. What will she be like once she hits puberty? AAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! I can't even imagine what it will be like when there are 2 crazy, emotional beasts living under the same roof. Actually, I can and I know that it can be bad. ☺ That's right, Ryan, you should be afraid. Very afraid.) Well, I think my kids sync up their growth spurts.

Tyler has long sleeve shirts that fit him just fine in December, but are now short in the sleeves and length. Pants that were baggy at that same time, are baggy no more. He's needed 2 new, bigger pair of shoes since then and is ready to size up again. Standing next to him yesterday, I saw that the top of his head is now past my brows. He's going to pass me completely within a year.

Cameron's sleeves are short and he's gone up a pant size since December, too. He's always looked like he's all legs to me, but it seems really exaggerated to me right now. His feet have been maintaining for a while, but I expect that to change soon.

Avery's shirts are getting short in length. Pants that were baggy and a little long one her 2 months ago, are baggy and long no more. She's losing the last of her baby chub. Her 2 front teeth are almost all the way in.

Peyton has the same pants issues as all the others. I bought him a few new pair about three months ago. I bought them big so he could grow into them. They aren't big anymore. He's going to need new shirts in the next couple of months if I don't want those he has to look like belly shirts. His vocabulary is growing everyday. He'll be starting preschool in September. His pediatrician thinks it will help improve his speech. It's not bad, but there's a few words he has trouble with. Like, thirsty. He says, "bursty". I think it's funny. I'm not sure I want him to stop saying that one.

It's scary how fast they're growing up. I feel like they're changing right before my eyes, every second of every day. So, I'm reminding myself to enjoy the moments and love and live in everyday. If I close my eyes and don't enjoy it, it will be over before I know it.

I Don't Know Where He Came From

2011-05-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

Peyton is obsessed with being outside. He, in fact, would live outside. He wants to head on out to play as soon as he wakes up in the morning. I, however, think that 6:30 in the morning is a little too early for it. I usually make him wait until his siblings get home from school so that they can keep an eye on him. They don't always keep the most careful watch, oh, and he also has a mind of his own. So, it's sometimes hard for them to watch him. I usually sit by an open window and read while he's out so I can hear what's going on.

He was outside yesterday afternoon and I was at the window listening. I didn't hear him anymore and so I went out to look. (Cameron was supposed to be watching him, but remember how I said he has a mind of his own? ☺) I found him in the front yard. He's supposed to stay in the back. It's fenced. The front yard isn't and he has a propensity to wander out into the street.

I asked him what he was doing. He said, "I'm spying on those people (the neighbor kids). I want to know what they're doing". "You're spying?", I said. "Yes. I have to keep an eye on them", he said. I said, "well, you need to be playing in the backyard. It's much safer back there. Go back there now". He then put his hand on his hip, gave me a goofy look that I think was supposed to be defiant and said, "I protest!". Crazy kid.

Bad Karma

2011-05-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I thought to myself, "wow! It's been at least a month since I've had a really bad headache!" Dum, dum, dum....you can guess what happened next. Within two hours I had a nasty, mean, vengeful headache that raged on for more then six hours. Remind me to never invite one like that again.

_________________________________________

I blame this next incident that took place between my children and I on PMS. PMS on my part. I don't know what was wrong with my kids.

Tuesday night, I walked downstairs, only to find the family room a complete and total disaster. Now, senseless messes enrage me on even my best days, but this one particularly enraged me because I had cleaned the room just that morning. Everything had been put away. The carpet had been vacuumed. It was neat and tidy the last time I had been in it. Like, one hour before.

I immediately went into screaming banshee, mean mom mode. (Not one of my finer modes. It's not nice and really shows my lack of patience in very sharp, vivid detail. Don't worry. I work on it daily.) I started barking orders. I wanted that room cleaned up and I wanted it cleaned up NOW!

My kids starting whining and balking over having to do it. Each is always so insistent that they didn't make the mess so, why should they have to clean it up. My response is always, "well, the next time I decide to take my clothes off and leave them on the floor, or eat fruit snacks, cookies, cereal, or string cheese and leave the trash and then bring everything I own out of my bedroom and leave it in the middle of the room too, that's when I alone will clean up the mess!". They don't like it when I say stuff like that to them. Tyler, especially.

He started to get really mouthy. He was talking back and grumbling and being a turd in general. So, I had to leave the room. I went to do one of my quiet, relaxing activities (ironing) to try and regain my composure. Tyler found me and started mouthing off more. I shushed him a few times and told him to just be quiet because I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I tried to tell him that it was only going to get him in trouble. He kept trying, I kept shushing. I finally reached the end of my rope and screamed, "I don't care if what you are about to say is the most profound thing the world has ever heard and will change humankind for the better, forever and ever. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!". Again screaming banshee mode isn't one of my better ones. He did, however, stop talking. And yes, I did apologize later.

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My kids find their own home to be extremely boring on Saturdays. They're forced to do chores! Gasp! Or, and this is even worse, go grocery shopping with their parents. They like to try and weasel out of those things by calling their grandpa (my dad) and asking if they can come play at his house.

He'll come and pick them up when they go over. They're usually crazy hyper and excited when they get in the car. So, he makes them play the "Quiet Statue" (see who can be quiet and stay still the longest) game with them. ☺

They went over about two weeks ago. They started the game as soon as he started the car. He said that Peyton lasted for about 10 seconds and said something like, "I CAN'T DO THIS! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!". Yep, that's my boy Peyton.

It's Llike I'm a Kid Again!

2011-05-05T09:53:00.000-06:00

Last summer, I bought Avery a couple of the Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. I loved those books when I was growing up. I think I read "Ramona Quimby, Age 8" about a million and 10 times. It was just so sweet and fun. I thought Ramona was the coolest girl ever. I loved her attitude and spunk. I wanted her to be real so that we could be friends. No, I think what I really wanted was to be her. ☺

Avery loves the books too! I bought her the whole set a little while back. We read them before she goes to sleep at night. She giggles and smiles and offers her thoughts. We talk about how fun Ramona is. She thought Ramona pulling Susan's curly hair and saying "Boing!" was the most hilarious thing she had ever heard. After reading that the first time, we realized that she too has blond, curly hair. So, we spent a few minutes pulling her curls and saying "Boing!". Avery loves Ramona's attitude and spunk. She wants her to be real so that they can be friends. And the part that I think is just so super sweet? Avery is exactly like her. She's naughty, mischievous, a pest (☺), fun, creative, loving, imaginative, brave and just about the cutest girl ever!

Peyton Has a Bad Habit

2011-05-04T13:06:00.000-06:00

We have four doors in our house that have locks on them. My bedroom and bathroom door and then the other two bathrooms, as well. Peyton has a very bad habit of locking those doors when he leaves the room. He can't seem to help himself. If the door locks, he MUST lock it. Yesterday, he did it to our guest bathroom door. Our guest bathroom isn't really just for guests either. Since remodeling it, I've made it my bathroom because it's nicer then the poopy one in my bedroom. I've left that one to Ryan to use exclusively. ☺ So, Peyton locking the quest bathroom is a very bad thing. For me.

Yesterday, I had a busy morning of laundry and cleaning (aka I was avoiding my workout for a while, I don't know why) and then did more cleaning after my workout was finished. I figured why bother taking a shower after my workout when I was probably going to work up a sweat again with some of the "chores" I had to do. Consequently, it was about 12:30 by the time I worked my way to the bathroom to take a shower.

I tried to open the door, only to discover it was locked. I found a screwdriver to unlock it. This particular door has a lock with a knob that "turns", not a button you "push" in. Know what I mean? Anyway, it's also a lock that I have the darn diddly darndest time unlocking. I don't know why, but I can't ever seem to make it work. If Tyler is home when something like this happens, I make him unlock it. He can usually get it in one try, of course. So, knowing that I always have a hard time, I took a deep breath and went to work.

After about 10 minutes of trying, without success, I had to walk away from it. I ate some lunch, tried to clear my mind, meditate and reach some sort of peaceful Zen state perfect for unlocking bathroom doors and went back for another try. Again, 10 minutes of trying and no luck.

I walked away again. i came back a few minutes later. Couldn't unlock it again and by this time it was about 1:15. I called Ryan, demanded to know where he was (American Fork & busy) and told him he needed to come home and unlock it for me. IMMEDIATELY! He was nice (meaning he didn't laugh, but he did mock me), but said he couldn't get home to do it. I hung up in a huff and went back for another try. I was really frustrated by this time because it was late in the day and I was stinky and really needed a shower.

I tried again to unlock it. Swore a few times when it didn't happen. I tried again, no luck. And so, I decided the only way I was going to get in there was to kick down the door. (I'm not above destroying my house to get what I want, either. I made Ryan do it 2 weeks ago when I bought a sectional sofa for our basement family room. We tried for hours to make it go in, but there was no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that it was going to do it. I was not about to give up the couch and return it. Drastic measures had to be taken. So, I made Ryan cut a two foot square hole in the hallway wall at one end of the hall. Next, take off the moulding and door to a bathroom. Then, finally cut into the wall and take out 2 studs at the other end of the hallway. We then pushed and shoved for another 30 minutes and finally got it in. Booyah! You see, not above destroying my house to get what I want.) I raised my foot and was about to slam it into the door when the voice of reason entered into my head. "Just take the doorknob off, you idiot", it said. This was at about 1:30. So, ummm....yeah. It took me an hour to figure that one out and finally get in to take a shower. I never said I was the sharpest knife in the....place where they keep the knives. Peyton better not lock that door ever again.

These are my thoughts

2011-04-01T11:14:00.002-06:00

I had a discussion with my sister in law on Wednesday while she was inflicting great physical pain on me. Or, maybe she was just waxing my eyebrows, but anyway, we were talking. We were talking about being a mom, raising kids, etc. She said that sometimes she feels like she's "just a mom". I responded with something like being a mom is noble, worthwhile, and I think some other stuff, but I really can't remember. I hope it was profound. Anyway, I tried to offer some words of wisdom that my 11 more years then her of life have given me.

I could totally relate to what she was saying because oh boy, have I been there! The first time it really hit me was when Cameron was just a few months old. I was coming off a whirlwind of a couple of years where I suddenly found myself with not only a husband, but 2 kids and we were living in our first house. I was living the adult life for real and in the process of becoming one, I kind of lost contact with the adult world, minus my husband and immediate family, and I wasn't very happy about it. I told Ryan that I needed to get out and interact with others and I needed to do it soon. Otherwise, he would feel my pain. Thankfully, he took the hint and stepped aside so I could figure out how to be more than "just a mom". And I did. But I also found that just being a mom isn't a bad thing. It's noble and worthwhile and all the other things I think I said to my sister in law. ☺ But.....now that I've said that, and after pondering that conversation for the past 2 days, I've come to a realization about myself. I had an epiphany, if you will, and what it revealed to me didn't necessarily make me happy.

Yes, I've learned over 11 years of mothering that I am more than just a mom. So very much more, but that's not what I have a problem with. I have a problem with the way I'm being a mom, unfortunately.

I treat mothering as job. I'm way too business like about it. That's not to say that I'm not affectionate with my kids. Because I am. I hug them and kiss them and tell them I love them all the time. They know I love them. What I realized I don't do often enough is just be with them. I go from one day to the next, doing all the things I should do, but I don't take the time enjoy it. I hold myself back from really being with them because I have the next item on my to do list on my mind. Sometimes, I don't listen all that closely to them because I'm too worried about what I'm making for dinner, the laundry I'm currently folding, the floors I'm trying to vacuum, etc. That's just not right and I've resolved to change it.

Yesterday, I took the time to lay in my bed with Peyton and just watch Spongebob. I didn't do anything else. I didn't think about anything else. I really paid attention and responded and interacted with him when he made comments. I was there and it was fun. Imagine that. Yes, laundry and dishes and a shower for myself were put off, but it didn't matter because I was being a mom. And the world didn't end because of it.

I'm going to try to truly be present each and every moment of each and every day. Yes, my children can exasperate, annoy, anger, wear me out, like no others. But they can also entertain me, make me laugh, love me and change me for the better like no others and that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm a mom and I love it.

Changes

2011-03-18T10:39:00.002-06:00

Peyton is finally feeling better and has his old life back. ☺ At around 6:00 pm yesterday, he decided that eating food was good and after doing it, started running and playing and causing his usual mischief. Thank goodness too! Running a fever for four days and feeling blah is just as hard on the mom as it is the kid.

**************************************

I have to have surgery next Wednesday to correct problems created by four pregnancies. It's no big deal, just outpatient and my doctor says I should be feeling just fine by the time the weekend is over. I'm glad for that because I don't do well with down time. I especially don't do well with overnight hospital stays. In for the procedure and out the same day suits me just fine.

In order to have the surgery we needed to be absolutely sure we were done having children. Otherwise, the correction I'm having done could possibly be for nothing and I would have to do it and even more later. Now, even though I knew we were done, having someone tell me that I need to be done was kind of annoying to me. I have too much of a stick it to the man attitude about well, pretty much everything. I'm really mature like that and will usually do the opposite of what someone tells me to do. It's my silly way of resisting what I perceive as an attempt to control me. Even when there is no "let's control Christa and tell her and make her do only what we want her to do". Even when what I'm being told is so obviously for my own good. I really need to get over it and I did for this issue. So, I will be having a procedure done to ensure that there will only be 4 mini Ryan's running around this house. It's a big deal that feels happy/exciting/bittersweet all at the same time. It means that we really are moving into a new phase of our lives. We're done making new babies and will now see where the ones we have will take us.

Sick

2011-03-16T17:22:00.003-06:00

My poor little Peyton has been sick on and off since Monday. He'll have a fever for several hours and then be fine. Then the fever comes back. And then he's fine again. He's been running another fever for most of the day today and in general, has felt pretty blah. It's starting to wear on him.

He heard Tyler go outside to play this afternoon and cried and begged to be able to go outside with him. I told him it just wasn't a good idea because of the fever. I had to work very hard to convince him that he really did want to stay inside so he could give his body a chance to get better. After about 5 minutes of talking, he finally said, "I can't take this anymore! I just want my old life back!" It was so sad and pathetic and it broke my heart, but how do you not laugh at a statement like that at the same time?! I so hope he starts feeling better soon.

Potty Talk

2011-03-10T11:07:00.007-07:00

Peyton has gone and done what I wanted him to do. That's right, he's essentially potty trained himself. You see, about a month ago, Ryan said it was high time to get rid of the diapers and work on the using the bathroom thing. I grudgingly agreed and finally had to admit something to myself too. The reason he wasn't potty trained yet wasn't because it didn't go well in our previous training rounds. It was because I wasn't putting (and I wasn't letting anyone else) much effort into it because I didn't want him to grow up. I wanted to keep him a baby. Keeping him in diapers was a good way of fooling myself into thinking that he was still one. The fact that he's practically wearing size 4 in boys clothes, has size 12 (in toddler sizes) feet, weighs 35 pounds, is 3 1/2 years old, is now in Primary at church and can pretty much use a computer on his own wasn't enough to make me let go of his babyness and potty train him. When I finally admitted to myself that I was the problem, I was able to let go (for the most part because it's so bittersweet) and let the training begin. Peyton took over after that and has pretty much been on track ever since. Notice, I did say "pretty much". He's had about 4 accidents. One yesterday, as a matter of fact.

I put him down for a nap without putting a diaper on him first. (He still has a little difficulty rousing himself from sleep to go, but I wanted to see what he would do. Could he wake up dry? I decided to live on the edge and find out.) Well, he decided it wasn't time to sleep, it was time to get out of bed and play and that's fine by me. Nap time, for me, is now more about getting a little break and quiet time. It's not really about sleeping anymore. I let him play away.

He peed in his pants while playing, but didn't let me know. Instead, he took his clothes off and went behind his rocking chair and pooped on the carpet to finish the job. A lovely odor started wafting out of his room and so I had to go in to investigate. He was butt naked and happily playing away. I asked, "alright, where's your poopy underwear?" He said, all disgusted, "I didn't poop in my underwear! I pooped on the floor behind my chair". I checked and only saw streaks on the carpet. I told him there wasn't any poop there and again asked where the poopy underwear was. He said, "I said I didn't poop in my underwear! I pooped on the floor. I cleaned it up for you with my bulldozer. I didn't want to leave it on the carpet". Sure enough, when I picked up his small, toy Caterpillar bulldozer, I found a scoop full of poop. Lovely.

So, accidents like that aside, he's pretty much trained. And....I'm pretty much okay with it. I think. Maybe I have a little way to go, but I'll get there eventually.

I came to my senses

2011-02-04T12:55:00.004-07:00

I went to the hospital to meet my beautiful new niece this morning. I'm done having kids, but I will admit that holding and smelling a cute little newborn does kind of stir up some baby cravings in me. Holding a newborn makes me start to think that it really wouldn't be a big deal to go from 4 to 5 kids. Because really, once you have more than 2 & can handle it, 2 or 3 more really don't matter. So, I walked out thinking about all the fun a baby is & that I really should reconsider my position on having another. Then, Peyton started throwing a fit because he didn'twant to leave. HE WANTED TO RIDE IN THE ELEVATOR AGAIN!!!! He tried to run away and then laid down on the ground in front of an oncoming car to thwart my attempt to pick him up. He climbed through a planting bed and sat on the curb on the other side. He just waved goodbye and shrugged when I told him I was going and that I would leave him there if he didn't get in the car. He didn't even flinch when I started it and started to back out. He kicked and screamed when I got out and drug him over to the car. He fought me and went rigid when I tried to put him in his car seat. He told me I'm mean to not let him stay. He also told me that he doesn't want to go anywhere with me. HE WANTS TO STAY AT THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE THE ELEVATOR IS FUN!!! That's when I came to my senses and remembered why I'm done having kids. I also remembered that I need to get him enrolled in preschool so that I can get a little break from him. ☺ He's like 5 kids all rolled into one. I remembered that I'm perfectly happy and content with my family just like it is. I'll just cuddle and sniff all the new babies coming into my family this year to get my new baby fix. Peyton is an excellent from of birth control.

Smell

2011-01-19T08:02:00.004-07:00

(I know I'm not the first person to make this observation and I'm sure there have been scientific studies done on this, but I'm feeling too lazy to research (google) it.)

Have you ever noticed how every individual on this planet has their own smell? And each is very distinctly their own. I've always associated individuals with their smells. When I catch a whiff of something that reminds me of a person, my mind immediately goes to memories of them. They're not always super pleasant, but they're there. ☺ It's the same with "places". You know, houses and such. ("And such" is a phrase that Cameron has been using quite a bit. He ends most of his sentences with it.) My grandparents houses always smelled the same. I don't ever come across the exact scents, because nothing can ever replicate the real thing, but anything that comes close takes me right there. I'm a very sensory person.

My husband, Ryan, has a smell that is distinctly "Ryan" and it's the same smell every day. Except, when he goes to Idaho. He comes home smelling very different after being in Idaho. I wonder why that is. Something in the air? The water?

My kids all smell different to me. Their clothes are washed together using the same soap, fabric softener & dryer sheets. They bathe in the same water (not the same water, but it comes from the same faucet) and use the same bath soap & shampoo. They live in the same house and yet, they all have their own scent.

Anyway, this is a silly subject, but it's been running through my mind and it's just fascinating to me. I know, I'm deep.

_________________________________________________

On another, totally unrelated subject. I got sick yesterday afternoon and spent the rest of the day and night in my bed. (Maybe that's the reason for the deep thoughts above. I had waaaaay too much time to think.) Waaaaaa, poor me. I was feeling tired all morning and then at around 2:00 it was like I got hit by a truck. I had a fever, headache, body aches & chills. It came on so hard and fast it totally caught me off guard. It wasn't fun because I especially hate having fevers. I get really weepy when I have one, for some strange reason.

I laid in my bed moaning and groaning & hating life until about 10:00 when I suddenly thought, "duh! You have NyQuil! Go take it and you'll get some sleep". I did and I did get some "sleep", but it wasn't terribly restful. I could feel my head pounding all.night.long. I hate that feeling. You know you're sleeping, but feeling the headache makes it seem like you're awake. I've taken some Excedrin and it's finally starting to kick in. I don't feel great, but I no longer have a fever. So, that's a bonus. I don't feel like bawling my eyes out now.

Bored

2010-12-15T10:58:00.002-07:00

What does a 3 year old do when they get bored while their mom is in the shower? Well, if it's a 3 year old named Peyton, he goes to the kitchen cupboard to rifle around. He spots the can of hot cocoa mix. He takes it out and dumps about 2 cups worth of it onto the kitchen floor, living room floor, fireplace mantle and living room couch. (2 cups worth of hot cocoa mix goes a long way.) He then proudly points out what he's done once his mom gets out of the shower and tells her she needs to vacuum it up. He then watches her vacuum and points at the mess saying, "I did that!" He gets scolded, but doesn't act remorseful. In the slightest little bit.

He then gets bored again while his mom is blow drying her hair and decides the same couch he earlier dumped hot cocoa mix on, needs a little something "more". So, he takes a black, ballpoint pen and "colors" on 2 of the cushions. When his mom finishes with her hair, he comes running and says, "I did it again! Come see! Come see!" He then proudly points out the new decoration and says, "yep! I did that!" He gets scolded, but doesn't act remorseful. In the slightest bit.

Kindness

2010-12-13T14:58:00.004-07:00

Today, I'm very grateful for the kindness shown to me by a few strangers. I did a little shopping at Costco and came out to find a I had a flat tire. Of course, I had forgotten my phone at home and I knew that I had because the fact had occurred to me while on the way there. I had hesitated while driving, thought about going back, but decided I probably wouldn't need it. Guess I was wrong. ☺

I was a little worried about what I was going to do, but then a kind man came along and allowed me to use his phone so I could call Ryan. Of course, he (Ryan) was nowhere near me and wouldn't be able to get there for quite some time. He suggested that I try the tire center there. I thought that was a good idea and felt a little silly for not thinking of it myself since I was looking right at it when I called him. I thanked the man for the use of the phone and he offered to help me change the tire. I told him I would be fine, I was going to try the tire center.

The tire was too flat to drive on and so I walked back inside. I told the kind man inside the store my situation and he offered to come out and change the tire for me. While I was waiting for him at my car, two other men who were passing by offered to help. I thanked them for stopping, but was so happy to be able to tell them the situation was under control.

What would have taken me an hour on my own, took the tire center guy less than 10 minutes. Once changed, he had me drive over to the tire center bays and he checked my air pressure in all the tires. They were all quite low and so he filled them.

I'm so glad that I came across all of these very nice men and that they made what could have been a very stressful situation, barely a hiccup in my day.

Boundaries

2010-12-01T14:31:00.005-07:00

I've decided that I need to set boundaries for myself when it comes to the Internet. (First off, let me say, no, this has nothing to do with me or my blog.) I do this because I've come to the conclusion that there are a lot of mean-spirited and downright cruel people lurking out there. Let me tell you why I think this.

You know how you can "like" pages on facebook? Well, I "liked" a few (I won't say which) and then would, of course, see their posts. I normally wouldn't ever read any of the comments left, or post one of my own because it just took too much time. Well, a few months ago, something kind of interested me. Something that I wanted to comment about. (Okay, I will say that this was for a clothing retailer and they were posting a picture of a shirt and the fact that it was on sale.) I clicked to do it and scrolled through the comments already left. Holy cow! I was totally shocked at how mean they were. I was totally unprepared for what I was reading. Some were directed at the page . They said things like they wouldn't even pay the sale price for the shirt. They said the shirt was hideous, etc. After comments like that, they started being directed at other commenter's. There was mocking and jeering and poking fun at others who had spelled something wrong. There was name calling and other petty bickering. It was just plain mean and it hurt my heart. I couldn't believe people could be so cruel to each other. And over something as silly as a shirt. I decided I shouldn't ever read comments again, but found myself morbidly interested in doing it. I wanted to know if every post was like that. So, I started reading comments on a regular basis. And guess what? The vast majority of posts had comments left like the first. It made me so very sad.

Last week, I was watching a YouTube video. I really enjoyed it and wanted to know what other people thought. Big mistake. The comments left were some of the most vicious and hateful things I've ever read. They were unreasonable and ridiculous. Mean and uncalled for. I was sad all over again.

I personally think the cloak of anonymity the Internet provides has killed civility. It's killed kindness. It's made it very easy for people to be jerks. And those who are, seem to love it. They seem to think that since they are most likely to never cross paths in real life with whomever they're interacting with, they're free to say whatever they like. There's no need to be civil to someone you'll never meet, right? I'd like to know why? When did people become so uncaring and decide that hurting the feelings of a stranger was fun? Whatever happened to: "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"? There's absolutely no need to stir up contention among strangers because all it does is make you look like a terrible person. I know my approach to this probably sounds a little naive, but I can't think of any other way to say this.

So, I've decided that since I can't stop the mean comments, I have to just distance myself from them. I've "unliked" the facebook pages so I won't see their posts and I've resolved to not read comments left in other forums. I know that some might say sticking my head in the sand and ignoring something doesn't make it go away. But I don't think that's what I'm doing. I know that not every comment is cruel and there's plenty of good out there, but I'm tired of continually coming across the cruel. I know what my limits are. I know what I can and can't handle. I don't like feeling bad after reading that kind of crap. There's no need to do that to myself. So, I'm not going to do it anymore. I'm just going to do my best to be kind in my own little corner of the world. It's really all I can, or should do.

Blessed

2010-12-01T13:26:00.003-07:00

Today, I just feel blessed. Yesterday was truly a wonderful birthday. It was calm, laid back and peaceful. It was everything I wanted and needed it to be. My kids made me adorable cards and Ryan gave me one of the best he's ever picked out. I am blessed.

Blessed with a wonderful family, both immediate and extended.
Blessed with wonderful friends.
Blessed with good health.
Blessed with love.

What more could a 35 year old girl ask for?

35

2010-11-30T09:03:00.003-07:00

I love odd numbers. Love, love, love them. To me, they're balanced and the most beautiful of numbers. You can't divide them equally, but you can have a beginning, middle and an end. Like the word numBers. There's 3 letters in the beginning, 1 in the middle, 3 letters at the end. Kind of a stupid way of explaining it, oh well. I'll just say that odd numbers make me happy and leave it at that.

I say this because today is my birthday (shamelessly drawing attention to myself) and I'm so very happy to be an odd number age again. I am now going to attempt to come up with 35 useless trivia facts about myself.

I love taking very hot baths and love to soak in a tub.
On the reverse side of number 1, I don't like terribly hot showers and don't take very long ones. I find them irritating and annoying. Weird and I don't know why it is.
When I go through the drive-up of my bank, I feel compelled each and every time to push the "call" button after I've sent the tube. I want, need, HAVE to press it. I almost never have an actual reason to push it. Sometimes I can resist, but most often can't. I push it and then the teller asks me if I need help and I have to say, "no. I didn't really mean to push the button."
We've lived in our house for 5 years.
We've lived in our house for 5 years and I still turn my key the wrong way in the doorknob each.and.every.time.I.unlock.the.door. I turn it to the right even though I know it has to go left to unlock it.
I have 4 children and the fact that I have an even number does kind of agitate me. I'm not willing, however, to have another in order to soothe my agitation. My uterus is retired.
My husband and I have been married for 12 years, 2 months, 2 weeks and 5 days.
I really dislike the word treasure.
I also really dislike the word...oh, I don't know if I should say it....okay, I will: hubby. There. I said it. I don't know what it is about it, but I die a little inside when I hear/read it. I've never referred to Ryan using that word and the day I do is the day he can start calling me "wifey", or something like that. Please don't hate me for this.
I'm the oldest of 3 children.
I'm the only girl.
My parents have been married for almost 35 years and 11 months.
I love having my nails done and have been wearing acrylic nails on and off since I was 15.
I listen to classical music when I need to calm down.
I took piano lessons for 11 years and can't read music.
I probably have over 100 Santa figures, but only put out about 10 this year.
Large crowds freak me out.
I still have my favorite blanket that I've had for about 25 years. I keep it in a closet because Ryan hates it. He likes to tease me and say he's thrown it out. I like to irritate him by taking it out of the closet and spreading it out on our bed.
I like to do word searches. Very elementary school of me.
I was called to serve as the 1st counselor in the Young Women Presidency in our ward back in September. Ironic, considering I don't like teenagers. (Hi, any teenagers in the ward who may be reading this!) It's been a great and humbling learning experience. I'm actually learning to be less of a brat and to like teenagers more.
I'm currently obsessed with hot cocoa. I've never been a major, major fan of it. I've always thought it was good, but could really just take it or leave it. Most often, I've left it. On average, I've had about 3 glasses of it throughout a year. Since this last Friday, I've had 2 a day.
I like to paint with watercolors.
I haven't painted anything for 11 years. I constantly resolve to pull out my stuff and get back to it. I never do.
I don't like the sound of a ringing phone. It's too harsh.
My feet were a size 7 1/2 from the time I was about 13 and up until I was around 30. They're now a size 8. Apparently, pregnancy can make your feet grow.
It took until I was in my 30's for me to learn to like Cream of Wheat.
I read the book Charlotte's Web about 50 times when I was in the second grade. I loved it. In fact, it's where my daughter's name came from. Avery is the name of Fern's brother.
I've never had a cavity in my permanent teeth.
When I get a bad, bad headache, I take 2 Excedrin, 2 Tylenol and 4 Ibuprofen all at the same time. That drug cocktail will sometimes, sort of take the edge off the headache. Most often, I end up taking something else later. Usually 2 more Tylenol and 4 more Ibuprofen. I'm sure I'm destroying the lining of my stomach.
I love to iron. It's my quiet, relaxing time.
When I was in the 6th grade, my friend & I wrote fake notes from our parents saying that we had doctor appointments. We then walked from our school (the old Granger Elementary) to Valley Fair Mall behind the school and saw the movie Dirty Dancing.
I love wearing slippers, but hate when they're no longer as squishy as they were when brand new.
I go to my laundry room when I want to get away from things for a few minutes. I find it to be very relaxing and calming in there, for some reason.
I've had a wart on my right ring finger for about 5 years. I've had it burned off by a doctor a couple of times and done it myself more then a few times. It just keeps coming back. Thankfully, it's not that big and isn't horribly noticeable. At least, that's what I tell myself.
When I feel overly anxious and need to be comforted, I wear one of Ryan's shirts. It feels like a hug from him.

There you have it. Thirty five useless trivia facts about me you never wanted to know.

Online

2010-11-29T09:02:00.002-07:00

Online shopping and more specifically, online shopping for Christmas, is the absolute best. I'm practically done with everything and I haven't had to leave my house. I've only had to pay minimal shipping because most items I've purchased have qualified for free shipping. Bonus! Packages have already started to arrive too! I'm telling you, this was totally made for crazy, impatient, easily irritated by crowds me.

I put up our tree on Saturday. I let the kids decorate it while I sat back and bit my tongue. Do you know how hard it is for a control freak to let an 8, 6 & 3 year old (10 year old had no interest in it) decorate a Christmas tree? Holy moly! I was a basket case by the time they were done. I tried my very best to not interfere while it was happening, but did make some minor adjustments after. There were huge areas where there were no ornaments and other 1 foot square ones that had 25 jammed into them. A little shifting and filling in of the gaps had to take place. Now it's time to put out the rest of the knick-knacks and I'll call it good.

Gratitude

2010-11-25T08:33:00.006-07:00

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.-- Melody Beattie

I have so much to be grateful for. So very much. Not the least of which is my family. They are the source of so much joy. I love them. They're my life.

I'm grateful for my church and my membership in it.
I'm grateful for my testimony.
I'm grateful for good books.
I'm grateful for big furnaces.
I'm grateful for warm blankets.
I'm grateful for warm coats, gloves & scarves.
I'm grateful for grandparents who don't mind letting my kids hang out with them.
I'm grateful for good friends.
I'm grateful for Dr. Pepper.
I'm grateful for big mixers.
I'm grateful for good food.
I'm grateful for my treadmill.
I'm grateful for the scriptures.
I'm grateful for learning opportunities.
I'm grateful for music.
I'm grateful for laughter.
I'm grateful for love and am very grateful I have it in my life.

Beautiful

2010-11-12T15:36:00.005-07:00

Shhh....don't tell Ryan, but I'm trying to hypnotize him so he'll buy me one these little lovelies. It's so stunning, it takes my breath away.

Presently, I have the 4.5 quart Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Ryan & I received it as a wedding gift from his parents and grandparents. It's a perfectly lovely mixer and has served me very well these past 12 years. Unfortunately, it does have a few deficiencies. Some minor inadequacies.

You see, just about 2 years ago, I decided that I was going to make all of our bread. And I do. I do it at least twice a week. And I curse the mess my small mixer makes each time. The 4.5 quart bowl simply isn't big enough for the recipe I like to use. I spend more time cleaning up the flour that explodes out of the bowl and the bread dough that creeps up the hook and beyond, then I do actually making the bread. It's frustrating.

This, however, would take away all of my cares and frustrations. When making bread, that is. It's so amazingly beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes. No fooling. It's so sleek, so pretty, so big, so...not mess making. I wish I had one. I think my life would be complete if I did.

Reading

2010-11-11T13:12:00.003-07:00

My son, Tyler, is a voracious reader and has been for years. (And, for the record, my son Cameron is a big time reader too. ☺) He'll read just about anything, but loves fantasy books the most. One of his favorite series of books is Fablehaven.

I was looking for something to read last month and so I went to his room which has so many books, it's almost like a library. I decided on the Fablehaven series because he's always raved about it. I must say, I've really been enjoying the books too. I'm currently halfway through the third book. Once I finish typing this, I'm going to go jump back into it. I don't care if they are children's books. They're fun and entertaining and reading them gives me something to talk about with Tyler. So there! I do have to say though, that the Seth character is so over the top naughty at times. As a mother, I want to just reach into the book and paddle his butt to knock some sense into him. Other then that, they're really great fun & very entertaining. That's what I want in a book!

To simply say he "loves" this would be an understatement

2010-11-10T10:40:00.002-07:00

Peyton has watched this movie approximately 50,000,008 times since we bought it on November 2nd. He's totally enthralled with it and would watch it over and over and over and over with no breaks in between, if I would let him. It's so darn cute watching him watch it, I almost let him. When he wants to watch it, he has a routine he likes to go through. He has to gather up all of his Toy Story toys (and he has most of the characters, so that's a lot of toys), his pillow and his blanket, get situated on the couch, order me to turn it on, sit back, relax and watch. He's good to go indefinitely.

A couple of days ago, he picked up Woody & Buzz as the movie was starting and said, "Oh, HEY! This movie is about you guys!" He then turned them to the screen so they could watch with him. Can you say cute?

He loves to sing "You've Got a Friend in Me". His version is slightly different then the original. It goes something like this, "you've got a frenemy! You've got a frenemy!" Repeat that over and over. He doesn't really know the rest of the lyrics. I've never bothered to correct him, because haven't we all had a frenemy at one time in our lives? ☺

I know he's going to love the movie just as much on his 100,000,008th viewing as he does today and I really just think that's wonderful.

Fall

2010-11-09T09:48:00.003-07:00

I don't have fall decorations for my house. It's already, like, halfway through November (well close to it), I have the desire to decorate the house and nothing to do it with. Bummer. How is this possible? I thought I had been making and collecting them for years, but was just too lazy to put them out. I've discovered that yes, I did make some. I just gave all of them away. I hope you're enjoying them. Whoever I gave them to.

I'm thinking about actually decorating for Christmas before the second week of December. Perhaps, just before Thanksgiving to make up for the fact that I didn't fill my house with pumpkins and leaves. Most of my Christmas decorations are sitting in my dining/storage room because I left them there when I boxed them up last year. You know, to make it easier to decorate this year. Last year, I had to trudge back and forth from my garage to my house through 8 inches of snow in order to bring the decorations in. I decided to save myself that aggravation and have left them in the house, in plain sight since last December. No carrying through the snow this year.

Today

2010-11-08T11:19:00.003-07:00

"How fragile life, how certain death.
We do not know when we will be required
to leave this mortal existence.
And so I ask, 'What are we doing with today?'
If we live only for tomorrow,
we'll eventually have a lot of empty yesterdays."

-President Thomas S. Monson

I try very hard to live in the moment. Sometimes, it's to my detriment. Like, when my kids are being extremely naughty, I get overwhelmed and think that they're always going to be naughty. Like, for the rest of their life and forever. It's never going to get better and I might as well give up. I eventually come to my senses, look past my own nose and realize that a tantrum can't possibly last forever and I try get over it. It's stuff like that that's hard for me to see past. But....I do try. And try. And try. And try to live for right now.

I'm not a person who likes to do "countdowns". Like, "only 47 more days until....". I just don't do that. When we go on vacation, for example, I don't start packing a week in advance. I do it the night before, or sometimes, even the day of. Starting too soon just feels like a waste of time to me. Don't get me wrong, I plan for and take care of the necessary things. Especially if the kids aren't coming along. I have to make sure all arrangements are taken care of for them. I've just found that if I get overly consumed with the future, I get overwhelmed and anxious and forget what I have to do in the present. The present gets neglected and things fall apart.

Seasons change, people come and go, children throw fits, children grow up, weight is gained and lost, we all age, wrinkles happen. Complaining about it isn't going to do me a darn bit of good because all I'll have in the end is a lot of empty yesterdays because I was too busy focusing on tomorrow. So, I'm thankful for right now. Today.

My dream is maybe, possibly, hopefully coming true

2010-09-30T08:58:00.002-06:00

Peyton is potty training himself. I tried training him for about 1 week before giving up. I could tell it was going to be hard and frustrating for both of us. So, rather than creating aggravation, I just let it go. Plus, I decided I could live with him running around naked. Just as long as he kept the nudity at home and didn't do it in public.

Starting a couple of weeks ago, he decided that peeing in the toilet wasn't such a bad thing. He even started getting out of the bathtub to do it instead of standing up and and whizzing in there. He's been going at random times throughout the day too. Not everyday, mind you, but just enough to give me hope that he can be fully trained by his fourth birthday. In a year.

In 12 Days

2010-08-31T10:30:00.003-06:00

In 12 days Ryan and I will be celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary. 12 years!? That's really kind of a long time when you think about it. It's also really not. The time has flown by. And it hasn't. We've changed and grown in so many ways. In some ways, we haven't. (Ryan knows what I'm talking about.) We learn more about each other each day. There are some things about each other that we'll never figure out. Ryan is the same size he was when we got married. I'm not. (Although, I am getting close. ☺) We still love each other. That part hasn't changed. In fact, I would say that we love each other even more and it's only going to grow with each passing year.

Angry Birds, Angry Christa

2010-08-04T11:42:00.003-06:00

Have you ever heard of this app for the iPhone and iPod? I let Tyler download the demo version of it a few months ago. He was the only one who played it for the longest time. He would rave about how fun it was and tell me that I really needed to try it. I finally did. He was right. It was kind of fun and, well, stupid at the same time. And by stupid, I mean stupid in the way that it's hard to put it down. I went through all of the demo levels and was perfectly content with it. Tyler kept telling me I needed to buy the full app because there's only so much you can do with the demo. I told him there was no way I was paying $0.99 (steep, I know ☺) just to fling birds at pigs. Last week, I finally caved and did it. Again, because it's stupid, hard to put down and hypnotizes you into wanting more.

Now, I did say that it was fun, but it is also INFURIATING. At least it is to me. The whole concept is you fling birds from a slingshot at pigs who are surrounded by increasingly complicated structures. You destroy the stone, wood, rocks, etc and in the process, you hopefully bean the pigs and destroy them. If you don't get the pigs, the blankety blank things smile, snort and laugh at you. I finally had to start playing with no sound so I didn't have to hear the condescending noise. (You're right. Patience is not one of my virtues.) You can't advance to the next level until you complete the current one. Duh! That sounded dumb, but you get what I mean.

I was stuck for two days on a level that for the life of me, I just couldn't complete. I can't even begin to describe the amount of rage I was feeling over being unable to do it. I was at my wit's end until I finally decided to do what my kids do. I turned to the Internet to solve my gaming problem. I went to the maker's site and found tutorial videos for each level. I watched the one I was stuck on, went back to the game and did it just like the tutorial showed and wouldn't you know it. I was able to smash the stupid pigs on that try. I screamed, did a victory dance and then yelled at my iPod, "take that you stupid pigs. Let's see you try and outsmart Christa again. I have the Internet and tutorial videos on my side now. Prepare to die!" Yes, I am a huge dork and I am officially addicted to a thoroughly stupid game. Oh well.

Dear DSW,

2010-07-29T12:52:00.002-06:00

I love you, with all my heart. I don't know why it took until a month ago for me to try you out, but I am so glad I did. You are amazing. I now own these and two other pairs that I can't seem to find on your website. Dang, because they're really hot. You better believe that I'll be back for more.

Six

2010-07-27T09:06:00.002-06:00

Avery, you're six years old today and I don't even know how it's possible.

You'll be starting 1st grade in a few short weeks and will be at school all day.
You're becoming more independent.
You're a beautiful dancer.
You are such a good helper. (Sometimes, you can be too much of a help. ☺)
Your laugh is contagious.
You're creative and have an amazing imagination.

We have a full schedule today to make all of your birthday wishes come true. You and I will be going for manicures and pedicures, some jewelry making will be happening and we'll have dinner at Chick-Fil-A at your request. Should be fun!

I love you very much Avery and can't imagine my life without you! Have a very Happy Birthday The Most Special-est Queen Avery!

Don't act like you're not impressed

2010-07-20T12:01:00.004-06:00

I actually did it. I added new songs to my running and it didn't throw off my groove. I would even say I had an excellent run. I reached the 2 mile mark faster then I have in ages. (No, I won't tell anyone what my time was.) I went 3.16 miles total. (No, I won't tell anyone how long it took me to go that far.) I.am.awesome. I hope to add some distance and shorten my time (even if it's just a bit) when I run again on Thursday.

Some things I would love Pt. 3

2010-07-19T09:31:00.003-06:00

Dust repellent furniture. I don't mind dusting and do it at least once a week, but I wouldn't be sad if I never had to do it again.
To find the handle that flushes the toilet in our guest bathroom. Peyton lost it months ago. Why the manufacturer made a toilet with a removable handle is beyond me. Now, flushing is an interesting challenge.
To find a swimming suit that effectively hides my thunder.
To ask my kids to do some kind of chore and not have any, even tiny complaints uttered. A cheerful response would be lovely.
For Peyton to catch on that when I sit him on the toilet, he should do his business in it. Not just sit for about 10 seconds, jump down and flush. And not do that about 10 times in a row.
For my kids to learn to control the volume of their voices. There is a difference between an inside voice and an outside one.
For Peyton to be willing to add a couple more movies to his repertoire. I like The Incredible, Monsters, Inc. and Up just as much as him, but wouldn't mind something else thrown into the mix.
To be able to make bread in the summer and not have the oven heat up the house in the process. It's awesome in the winter and it's 30 degrees out. Not as awesome when it's 95.
A sprinkler system in my yard. It really isn't that big of a hassle to haul around the hose and spend all day watering the yard, but this is another thing I wouldn't be sad over never having to do again.
For earwigs to cease to exist. I'm not scared of them, or anything like that. However, they are disgusting looking and I hate finding them in my house.

And isn't it ironic, don't you think?

2010-07-16T08:40:00.002-06:00

I find it very ironic that exercise (which is good, necessary, important, blah blah blah, for your body) can leave your body feeling so stiff and sore you can hardly move/use it. Thereby causing you to only want to lay, unmoving with ice or heat packs covering it to ease the stiffness.

I don't want to do it, but I have too

2010-07-13T12:57:00.002-06:00

Because Peyton won't keep his clothes or diaper on, I've decided to start potty training him. If he would just keep his clothes on, I wouldn't be starting. I think potty training is the most pure form of evil and was hoping to avoid doing it with him. My thought was to just let him do it himself. You know, when he was ready. Because that can happen. Right?

I bought some Pull-ups (for the days when I get sick of dealing with accidents), underwear of his choosing and a Buzz Lightyear costume as incentive. The idea with the costume is that he has to keep Buzz dry, or Buzz will get very sad. I'll probably try some sort of candy trick too. I'm sure it's going to be easy peasy. Uh-huh. If he follows the same timeline as his brothers, he'll be fully potty trained in about a year.

I'm scared.