Exasperation Station

Email

2012-01-25T13:15:00.001-06:00

This is the email that I just sent to Chase.

Subject: Would it surprise you to hear...

...that while I was baking Sophia decided to steal the cap to the bottle of vegetable oil?

...that after I was done cleaning and couldn't find the cap, I left the uncapped bottle of vegetable oil on the counter in hopes that the cap would show up. Because putting it in the pantry, of course, would have been dangerous. Someone would have definitely found it and spilled it there.

...that after I was done cleaning, I went to check my email and ended up checking Facebook (only for a minute. I'm definitely getting better)?

...that while I was checking email and facebook our youngest daughter climbed up on the step that was next to the kitchen counter (Sophia was helping me bake)?

...that she discovered the oil and attempted to drink it, resulting in an oily spill all down the front of her shirt and all over the floor and counter?

...that the shirt was so completely soaked in oil I had to cut it off her body?

...that I remained calm through the entire situation?

...that our baby now smells like the pantry, but has unbelievably soft and smooth skin?

A coincidence? I think not. **Edited.

2012-01-16T11:02:00.001-06:00

Saturday night I had a girls' night with a few good friends. We gathered to watch the Miss America pageant. While we talked I found that a few of my friends have been heavily involved in pageants. The friend who was hosting was actually Mrs. Wisconsin in 2007 and competed in the national Mrs. United States pageant!

Now, I've never given much thought to pageants. I knew that a lot of them offer scholarships and community service opportunities. And I knew that, as long as you stayed away from the trashier ones, it was usually good, clean fun.

But as we were chatting, the subject of platforms came up. Not the platforms that you wear on your feet, but the platform that each contestant has; what she plans to work toward during her reign as Miss or Mrs. whatever. And I was SO impressed with what I heard. My friend, Mrs. Wisconsin, had a platform she called "Less Viewing, More Doing." She went all through the community, to businesses and schools, promoting TV Turn-off Week, and the idea that we need to unplug our electronics and get plugged back into life. I immediately fell in love with this idea.

And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

Like everyone else in the world, I've slowly devoted more and more time to things like Facebook and blogging. At first it was so novel. How great for me, being so far away from my family and friends, to be able to easily keep up with their day-to-day lives and activities. What fun to be able catch up with people I haven't seen since high school or college, and watch as they get married, have kids and travel.

But somewhere along the way this lovely little gift has started to weigh me down. If I post something on Facebook I find myself checking back in multiple times each day to find out if anyone commented. And, since I happened to be there anyway, I would take a few minutes and scroll through everyone's status updates or new pictures. And, sure enough, little by little, I was robbing myself of precious time that could have been spent so much more productively! And I knew it was happening. I could feel it happening. But it was also very easy to rationalize it. "I'm a stay-at-home mom!" I'd say. "I need to feel contact with other sentient beings, because if I hear one more Barney song there's a good chance my brain is going to explode." Or, "I think my friend/sister/acquaintance is having a bad day. I should really check up on them."

And really, there's nothing wrong with those arguments. To a point.

Yesterday, while sitting in Sunday School, we were discussing the Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. In this vision there is a description of a mist of darkness that confuses and disorients people, ultimately leading them away from the Tree (away from God). As we related this mist to our own lives, a few people made comments. They called the mist a "distraction" or something that made it difficult for us to accomplish what we set out to do. Another congregant pointed out that the mist never takes us anywhere. It's only purpose is to keep us from the staying on the straight and narrow path that returns us to God. The mist offers us nothing.

And again, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

Do you ever get the feeling Someone is trying to tell you something?

**EDIT: I want to point out that I'm talking about something that's really affecting ME right now. I can't speak for other people's habits. Also, I don't plan to abandon FB or blogs anytime soon. I have too much extended family to keep up with. I just want to put some serious limits on it and cut back. Like, only checking FB after the kids are asleep, or only checking it once/day. I don't know yet what is going to be the right answer, but I know I need less of it, and quick!

I'm still here

2012-01-04T19:59:00.001-06:00

I'm still here. I am. Sometimes I have these enormous breaks in my blogging, journal writing, or whatever, and I don't really know why. I think it's probably more a habit thing. When I'm actively writing it's almost as though my brain is set in blogging mode. When things happen each day I feel like I'm writing captions on each moment and squirreling it away in my brain for a new post.

But when I get out of the habit? I don't know. It seems like nothing sticks in my brain. Even though I know I've been busy - fun busy and tedious busy - I couldn't tell you what I've been up to.

I blame it on the holidays. Things really went south blogging-wise right around Halloween.

But now it's 2012, the year that the world will either end, or a Mormon will become President of the United States of America. Or maybe that's what some people are referring to when they say the world will end. Who knows?

And let me tell you, this year will be a doozy. There is my new adventure: teaching piano. And then there is the on-going adventure: home renovations. And the best adventure: being a wife and mom to the best people on the planet (and I'm even including Miles in that, even though he has decided he'd rather not give up tantrums).

For now let me leave you with a few pictures of our wonderful Christmas together. We stayed here in town and kept it relaxed. I missed our trip to see my side of the family, but it really couldn't have been a better holiday. I hope everyone enjoyed theirs as well, and here's to a hopeful, happy, healthy 2012!

Breaking Bella

2011-11-21T13:46:00.001-06:00

Okay, so after some semi-public ribbing from my supahcool niece about my Thursday night plans last week, I have some things to say. So listen up, Tay.

I like the Twilight books/movies. I'm still not entirely sure why. I haven't been able to put a finger on it. I mean, I've been a book snob since I was five. And a movie snob since high school. Twilight is so out-of-control BAD in both book and movie form that it really makes no sense. But at the same time I JUST LOVE THEM, OKAY?

I'm not going to act like I'm too cool for Twilight. When have I ever been too cool for anything? (Except in high school. But all high schoolers are too cool for, well, I don't know. Everything but air and water.) It's starting to seriously grate on my nerves when I read about women who went to the movie, but are too cool for the movie. Um? How exactly does that work? Just admit that you love it too, okay? JUST ADMIT IT.

Now, as for the movie itself. It was pretty okay. I loved it and it was okay. There were parts I wanted to cringe because of the cheese, and parts where the cringe was because of bloodyicktasticalness (hello, bella's blood all over Edward's face for like 25 minutes?).

But for all the stuff I didn't like about it, there was just enough that I DID like about it. First, let's talk soundtracks. Twilight has always done a good job with music. But this go-round they brought back some oldies at just the right moment - like during the wedding scene when we heard the Iron & Wine song "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" originally heard during Bellward's prom dance? I thought that was so money. Carter Burwell's original Lullaby made a reappearance (re-a-hear-ance?), too.

Beyond music, I thought there were some great cinematic moments. The best was Bellas' transformation scenes...Hard to describe since I've only seen the movie once (for now), but I was pretty impressed...

And hi. Kellan Lutz. In this movie. How can you not like...?

At the end of the day, I don't think it's going to break your cool-o-meter to like Twilight. So maybe we can all put on our big girl pants and our capes and fangs and get along, okay?

Also, read here. I like how Nat (the sophisticated New York lifestyle blogger) puts it.

Halloween

2011-11-11T16:49:00.001-06:00

I just gave Haley her very first ever taste of a Reese Peanut Butter Cup. She responded by demanding more immediately using grunts, pointing, trying to crawl over me to get to the package and by generally acting like a cave baby.

When I shook my hands to sign "all done" she cried, whined and, finally, turned her back to shun me.

I know how she feels. I feel the same way after a PB cup has gone bye bye.

And as I sat down to memorialize this, my daughters first of many PB cups (if she's like me, anyway, which she appears to be), I realized I totally skipped All Hallows Eve in my memory keeping.

Oops.

Let's just say it wasn't a really stand out year. Trenchy was complete just days before Halloween and I didn't have much time to decorate or cook halloween related meals or anything fun. We just trunk-or-treated AND trick-or-treated, which I think i should get bonus points for.

So here are the few measly pictures I managed to scrape together.

This is a post-trick-or-treating photo op I was scrambling to get. The first thing you'll notice is carpet. And no trench.

The next thing you'll notice is cute kids strung out on high fructose corn syrup, and lots of it.

Cameron was the new Captain America, not to be confused with Captain America 2009... Miles was Thor. This was serendipitous because his BFF showed up in the EXACT same costume. Sophie was Cinderella (first princess costume ever! Thank you for finally picking something girly, Soph.) And Haley was Snow White. But only for Trunk or Treat. Mommy and Haley stayed home, cleaned the house and went to bed early on Halloween.

I hope for a better Halloween next year:) I expect that we'll still have construction at that point - we're thinking floors and counters will be fall of '12? - but construction by choice and construction by force are two totally different beasts. Just ask my sister, her overflowing toilet and her three kurdish boyfriends.

So on a funny note (funny odd, not funny haha...what's funnier than kurdish boyfriends and overflowing toilets?), while my house was undergoing major surgery I somehow got all into crafts. Like, I spend time looking at CRAFT BLOGS and planning what will go on my MANTEL for the upcoming holidays. This is so weird to me. And yet, so fun. I've been having a blast. I'm still a complete newbie. I haven't made anything out of this world yet, and don't plan to, but it's fun nonetheless. And moms need fun every now and again.

Ghosts made of my children's foot prints? Sign me up.

This looked a lot fluffier/prettier before the construction crew drilled two access holes directly underneath it, completely covering it with concrete dust. Que sera.

This is a gray yarn wreath. It looks lavender in the pic, but it's a better gray.

I made those apothecary jars...you can tell because they're crooked:)

Turns out...

2011-10-31T17:04:00.001-05:00

Turns out that once you get your house back after not having it for two months, you don't really care that much about the cracks. They're almost pretty. It's kind of like stretch marks. I hate them at first, then ignore them and hope they go away, then I almost appreciate them for what they gave me. So while I don't really APPRECIATE the 1000 stress cracks all over my ceiling/drywall, I appreciate that I have a house that keeps me safe, secure and warm/dry/cool. Those cracks remind me that there are so many people out there struggling with problems so immense and soul-draining. House problems, while annoying and money-sucking, are NOT soul-draining. My house may be kind of broken, but my family is intact and my happiness is whole.

So it's time to put the Trenchy Talk to bed. I'm sure I'll post lots of "after" pics (once I discover my camera cord). I know I sure as heck am going to post pictures of my kids sitting right in the middle of our living room tonight. But I'm officially OVER IT. Trenchy can't keep me down!

Botox for Trenchy

2011-10-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Trenchy's new young wife - whose holes are all filled in and firm, thankyouverymuch - is messing with his mind. Because he's started to pay attention to all of his deep lines and wrinkles, crevices and chasms. Today Trenchy is taking the long-anticipated plunge and getting trench botox. Also known as FILL DIRT AND CONCRETE!
Good riddance, Trenchy.

p.s. While I'm really, really excited to be in the final stages of Project Plumbing/Foundation, I also have been taking a good look around my house, and I'm feeling a little bummed out about having to spend the next six months staring at the cracks and sagging ceiling that will be left behind. Why is that? What is wrong with me? I just spent two months living in near-third-world living conditions and I'm going to complain about some cracks? Sigh. I just really want to fast forward to my new floors, my new ceiling, my new drywall, etc. And of course we still have a master bath remodel coming, and we've been talking about doing a kitchen reno, too. New countertops, new cabinet doors, new sink. And while I'm excited I just want it done yesterday.
Bah. Way to suck the excitement out of the day, Anna. (But I still blame you, Trenchy.)

Trenchy takes a wife

2011-10-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

If you're wondering, we've been kicked out of the house again while the foundation guys get to work...work that includes ripping up YET ANOTHER room of my house. Last Friday we had to give up our master bedroom/bathroom so they could pull up the carpet and install interior piers. This means digging more holes in the middle of our house. So far there are three. So, if you're counting, we are living in two bedrooms, one bathroom and one kitchen. And there are six of us. Yes, that math seems odd to me as well.

And while I am annoyed to be living in such circumstances, I can finally see the light at the end of (this) tunnel. Monday the plumbers come back to fill in Trenchy and he will be no more. Wednesday Melton the Carpet Guy comes back to lay our carpet, and we'll have it cleaned. Thursday I will make my cleaning appliances and a few boxes of Mr. Clean magic erasers wish they had never been born.

So, for now I'm feeling good. Like, really good. Talk to me in another six months when it's time to PULL DOWN OUR LIVING ROOM CEILING AND REHANG IT. (and put in new floors, and patch up the drywall, and repaint, and, and, and...)

There's no place like home. Right Dorothy?

What are the odds?

2011-10-11T16:49:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those Good Mom Days. You know, those days where you feel like you woke up, looked at all of the things vying to get onto the To Do list, prioritized and got the most important stuff done. One of those days that makes you look in the mirror and say, "I just knew you had it in you." I did what I needed to do, I did what my kids needed me to do, I did what my house needed me to do. Did I get EVERYTHING done? No, but I think I spread myself evenly enough that I still have some leftover (because it's 4:30, which, to most mommies, is like mile 22 of the Boston Marathon. That is to say, it's about half-way there.) for whatever comes next.

Today we got new games like Zingo and Guess Who, and I sat down with Sophia right away and played them for over an hour. Zingo is a hoot, if you're wondering.

Today we folded laundry while listening to Fictionist and Justin Bieber. It makes the time fly to watch Sophia twirl and spin while I sniff my whites. (I use Biz bleach on my whites and it smells super good - I'm obsessed).

Today we hit up the library and I got my movies back ON TIME. I got a couple old issues of Real Simple and a stroller-full of Halloween books for the kiddies. Sophia only wanted to get back to Zingo, but managed to pick out a Disney Princess magazine.

Today I sat with Cameron and pointed to every. word. as he painstakingly made his way through his assigned reading. I wish they would let him pick his own books, but I know he needs this push.

Today I tried to sit with Haley and drowsily read The Napping House...until Haley informed me in no uncertain terms that she was neither drowsy or napping, and scooted off my lap.

And that made me wonder. What are the odds I'm going to have to remind my children of these Good Mom Days? Will there be enough of them in their little memory banks that they'll never need reminding? Will the GMDs just get shuffled in with the Distracted Mom Days, or the Hormonal Mom Days, or the House Cleaning Ninja Mom Days? I sure hope not. I hope these moments are the ones that stick out to them as they think back through time.

And if not, I'm okay with reminding them.

Covering his bases

2011-10-10T19:39:00.001-05:00

"...and please bless the sheep and other baby animals that are being born tonight, or another week, or another month, or another year."

-Cameron, in his bedtime prayer.

RawlTown Police Blotter

2011-10-08T19:53:00.001-05:00

On 10/08/2011 at approximately 6:59PM, parents responded to a disturbance call outside of their bedroom window, approximately in the location of the deck. During the initial follow-up, parents processed the scene and identified an individual that had been involved in the suspected releasing of a balloon belonging to the victim, Miles R.

Prior to the release of the balloon, Miles R could be heard screaming, "NO! DON'T DO IT!" Additionally, it was said that at one point he rushed into the bedroom of his parents and claimed that "He's going to do it! He's going to let it go!" The female parent involved was initially concerned before being persuaded by the male parent that the perpetrator should be "left alone". Shortly after that the balloon was said to have been released, proving that the female parent shouldn't have listened to the male parent.

Due to the nature of the victim’s emotional injuries, the Brutal Teasing / Assault unit was contacted and responded to assist with the continuing investigation.
These efforts lead to the early bedtime and forced purchase of new balloon by the suspect involved and he is identified as:
Cameron R
8 Yr Old Male of RawlTown USA.

Any persons with information regarding the location of the blue balloon, said to have "a face on it, and some Chinese stuff" is asked to contact the department immediately.

Why can't life be more like kindergarten?

2011-10-06T09:45:00.001-05:00

I love when progress reports come home from kindergarten. The grading system there is all kinds of awesome. Our school gives out "e"s, "s"s, and all manner of other letters, signifying various levels of trying. I think the general idea is to lift kids up and show them support while they're in the process of learning. They wait a whole year before sending papers home with 60% written in bold, red letters across the front. (Though, those are often peppered with phrases like, "nice try!" and "showing improvement!")

What would life be like if, instead of always feeling beaten down by the stuff I'm not getting JUST RIGHT, I got points for effort?

Like, how great would it be to get a report that said:

Laundry - A for almost there. As in, we noticed that, while you didn't get the laundry COMPLETED, per se, you certainly showed good intent by leaving the laundry basket in the living room...so close! Better luck next time!

Dinner - W for well done. As in, you probably didn't mean for the pasta to be this mushy and the steak to be this tough, but we know you had to leave the kitchen when you heard your kids trying to break each other's bones in the other room, so we'll give you another shot.

Childcare - L for living. As in, your kids are still alive today, even though you neglected to tell the school nurse Miles would need a breathing treatment, and they haven't had vitamins in several days because they keep reminding you AFTER you brush their teeth and there is no way in h-e-doublehockeysticks you are brushing their teeth TWICE before bed. But we know you love them, even if their clothes are covered in foodstuffs and they need baths.

Husband - C for at least you're cute. As in, we haven't had a date night in awhile, and you're usually pretty, ahem, tired at the end of the day, and your shirt has snot on the shoulder. But from the neck up you're not horrible to look at, so at least there's that.

What kinds of grades would you like to get??

Out of the mouths of babes

2011-10-04T13:43:00.001-05:00

The other night, during scripture time, Miles was telling us stories about Jesus' life. It's so funny how kids think about things. He said, "A man had blonde and asked Jesus to take it away. So he spit in the dirt and made mud and put it on his eyes and that taked away the blonde!"

Now, if we could figure out what to do about the gray?

And I just want to give a shout-out to my kids' Primary (Sunday School for little kids) teachers. They are all amazing. We teach our children out of the scriptures each night, and I know they're listening - even when they're rolling around on the floor or punching each other. But there are times when my kids will, completely out of the blue, tell me stories from the Scriptures that I don't remember teaching them. Or at least giving details beyond what I know I've taught them. And I'm so grateful. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't think teachers hear it enough, but they are literally changing the lives of the kids they teach. Yay for teachers!

By Request: Caramel Pecan Conference Rolls

2011-10-01T18:27:00.001-05:00

I'm nothing if not a people pleaser, so without further ado, I give you:

Caramel Pecan Conference Rolls

1 C. + 3 T. water
1/4 C. butter or shortening
1 t. salt
1/4 C. sugar,
1 pkg. yeast
1 beaten egg
3 1/4 - 3 3/4 C. flour
1/3 instant powdered milk

In microwave, heat water and butter until half melted. Blend in salt, sugar, powdered milk and 1 C. flour. Be sure mixture is not too hot before proceeding. Add yeast, stir. Blend in egg. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and kneed in enough flour to keep dough from being sticky. But remember - less is better than more. Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. After dough is done rising roll it out into a large rectangle - about 11X15.

On the dough, spread softened butter over the whole surface, leaving a 1" strip along one long side unbuttered. Over the butter sprinkle brown sugar to your hearts' content (or malcontent, as it were). Roll dough toward the UNBUTTERED side so you have a long skinny roll. Rub the unbuttered strip of dough with a little water and pinch the dough together to seal it.

(Am I making sense?)

In a sauce pan melt 1/2 C. butter, 1 C. brown sugar, 2 T. light corn syrup over medium heat until blended. Remove and spread in the bottom of a greased 9X13 casserole dish. If desired, sprinkle some chopped pecans over the caramel.

Cut the long dough roll into about 15 slices (I always end up with 16 - always) and place in the casserole dish over the caramel mixture.

Bake at 375 for 15 - 20 minutes. I find I even need up to 30 minutes to keep the middle rolls from being too doughy. If I need extra time and the tops are getting pretty brown, I just throw a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the dish and let it keep baking.

When the rolls are done, remove from oven and allow them to sit on the counter for a few minutes before inverting on a serving dish. Remove the casserole pan from over the rolls.

Devour.

From my arteries to yours, happy hardening!

Conference Weekend, coming at ya

2011-09-30T08:27:00.001-05:00

I'm so ready for Conference this weekend. Having the opportunity to hear the Prophet, Apostles and other divinely-called Church leaders speak is such a great blessing. I can't wait to learn, be edified and strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ.

And I'm not going to lie. There are the rolls.

Several years ago - maybe all the way back to the Days of Provo? - I got a hold of my favorite roll recipe. The one my seminary teacher used to make for us when we were good. It happened to be right around Conference time when I started working with it, getting my technique right and what have you. And thus a tradition was born. No conference weekend can begin without what are now known as Conference Rolls. My kids have a Pavlovian association between hearing President Monson's voice and tasting a gooey caramel roll melting in their mouths.

Maybe this makes The Word sweeter to their taste?

So that's what I'll be doing tonight - getting out my Kitchen Aid and going to town with some dough.

What are your Conference Weekend traditions?

My kiddos all hopped up on Conference Rolls last October...

Doing what it takes

2011-09-29T16:38:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, when Miles is stomping his feet and whining, head thrown back, saying, "THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!"

That's when I know I'm a good mom.

Revving up

2011-09-28T08:44:00.001-05:00

I need to get into the corners of this house and CLEAN IT. I hate when life gets so busy that I ended up straightening all the time, and the big jobs get pushed off until a later time, a time that never appears. I have to force myself to take time out and get everything done.

Last week, while my parents were visiting, we all took turns getting the stomach flu. It was horrible on every level. The only blessing is that Haley somehow managed to escape it, which is the number one thing I prayed for. I was on the tail end, too, which meant I was healthy while everyone else was sick and I could take care of them (which was the number two thing I prayed for, if you're wondering). But it was late nights followed by full days. My parents - because of trenchy - were staying at a hotel, but even THEY managed to get sick. What a bummer of a trip. We had even planned to all go to my brother's house and see three (well, two, after Sam's collar-bone-crushing accident pulled him out) of my brothers compete in a Redman triathlon, and my sister-in-law compete in one the following day. Mom and Dad still went, but we stayed home for the sake of the athletes' health. We were so sad all weekend.

Anyway, even though it's Wednesday I feel like it's a Monday! Cam was the last sickie and he's back to school today. Mom and Dad went home yesterday, too. SO, it feels like a new week and I'm armed with a list and lots of ambition. I just wish we could skip dance class, car pool and cubs so that I could dedicate the entire day to getting it all done! You know what they say, when a mommy's in the zone, leave her alone. But alas, such is my life.

What's on your schedule for today?

Just for fun, this is some of Cam's homework from a couple weeks ago. I like how his brain works. I made him re-do it to actually SHOW his work, but had to take a picture, naturally.

And...just some random pictures of my kids. Except for Miles? I can't find him in a single recent pic! So weird. I'll have to take a whole slew of him when he gets home tonight.

Rest

2011-09-22T21:35:00.001-05:00

Dearest children, God is near you

Watching o’er you day and night.

And delights to own and bless you,

If you strive to do what’s right.

He will bless you, He will bless you,

If you put your trust in Him.

Dearest children, holy angels

Watch your actions night and day,

And they keep a faithful record,

Of the good and bad you say.

Cherish virtue, cherish virtue,

God will bless the pure in heart.

Children, God delights to teach you

By his Holy Spirit’s voice.

Quickly heed it’s faithful promptings.

Day by day you’ll then rejoice.

Oh, prove faithful, oh, prove faithful

To your God and Zion’s cause.

-Charles L. Walker

Update: Life With Trenchy

2011-09-21T13:27:00.001-05:00

I've had lots of people asking me about the status of Trenchy. The bad news is that Trenchy is still with us. The good news is that he's almost on his way out.

The hold-up, once we stopped the plumbing job and decided to have the foundation work completed, was finding a structural engineer to give us a third evaluation and analysis. Maybe one day I'll tell you more about that.

Thankfully, the third engineer is literally on-the-scene RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE! Have you ever noticed that engineers have super cool toys? They do. And this guy reminds me of my grandpa Jim, too, so that's a bonus.

Anyway, once we have the report from this engineer we'll forward it to our foundation company and set a date to have that work done. We'll have 36 pressed concrete piers placed at specific points around the entire foundation. Some will lift, others will be in place only for stabilization. The end result should be that all of our doors square up, our sagging ceiling goes back up, and, once everything settled, we can repair the cracks and breaks that have appeared over the last nine months. I can't tell you how distressing it has been to watch those appear all over the house. I'm just so glad we're nearing the end of this situation.

SO, I still don't know when we'll have a normal house again. The foundation will take a week, the plumbers need another day or two and then the carpet guy has to come and re-install the carpet. I just hope it's soon enough that I still have time to put up my Halloween decorations.

Food for Thought

2011-09-20T08:06:00.001-05:00

When my parents come to visit they are always equipped with books. My mom usually buys books while she's here, too. And then they talk about their book club books. We are a family who loves to read.

Since I know I'm always on the look-out for good book club selections, I thought I'd share with you their book club's website. It's called "Food for Thought", and it has archives going back several years. If you're like me, you see a book club list and want to read them all immediately.

Happy reading!

A Quick Update

2011-09-18T09:53:00.001-05:00

My mom and pop are here and we're having a blast! Love them! Here's a quick peek at the weekend's activities. I thought it would be a fantastic idea to get a picture of our group of 20 people...in the middle of a narrow hallway. I'm super smart like that.

We are so proud of Cameron's decision to be baptized. Why do we baptize at age eight (or older)? What do Latter-day Saints believe about baptism? Go HERE to find out.

Cameron was baptized by Tony Rawlins, Chase's dad. The Rawlins have a family tradition that kids are baptized by the person they are named after, if they choose. Cameron had a hard time deciding, but in the end decided to be baptized by Grandpa.

Daddy confirmed him a member and blessed him to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Speakers included Grandpa Kilgore (on baptism), and Uncle Brian (whose talk on the Holy Ghost included a 5 pound bag of sour patch kids - that was a new experience for me). Uncle Kevin and Cousin Brandon provided the music, along with a good family friend (who likes to remain anonymous on blogs, but it sufficeth me to say she's a rock star).

Grandma Kilgore provided the chorister-ing, and Nana Rawlins and Grape-Grandma Rawlins provided opening and closing prayers.

The room was filled to the brim with family and friends. It was a joyous and lovely, spirit-filled occasion.

Have a great week! I'll be back later.

You got 151 seconds to spare?

2011-09-14T08:45:00.001-05:00

....or, if you're like me and you plan to watch this six times consecutively, you may need 906 seconds.

A couple comments, though:

:12 - What's with everyone's hair? And by that what I mean is, WHY DO THEY INSIST ON TAKING A PERFECTLY BEAUTIFUL EMMETT AND MAKING HIM LOOK WIERD ALL THE TIME?

:34 - OhEmGee, I think I just saw Bella smile, y'all.

:45 - Yeah, lean in and get a wiff, Bella. He's been living as a wolf for the last two months. I bet he smells AWESOME.

:59 through 1:02 - I closed my eyes. I'm trying to maintain my innocence.

1:04 - Feathers. *Snort*

1:19 - Oh, snap. It's about to get creeptacular!

1:26 - (whisper) Why is Carlisle whispering? Is he afraid the fetus will hear?

1:40 - Nice authoritative tone, Sammykins. Way to alpha it up.

1:49 - Holy crap Bells, it's called a tanning booth. No, but seriously.

2:14 through 2:20 - Chills.

All jokes aside, I'm seriously excited about this movie. I think, apart from the tragic hair (AGAIN! THEY MESSED UP THE HAIR AGAIN! WHY IS HAIR SO HARD???) they did a great job on the trailer. I'm not afraid to admit I'm all sorts of excited for November 18.

Midnight showing, baby. Who's with me?

Sensitive Topic: Proceed With Caution

2011-09-12T09:48:00.001-05:00

Today I'd like to talk about an issue that has been close to my heart for quite some time. It's been bothering me so much that I just don't know if I can take it anymore.

I'd like to talk about my hair.

Not ALL of my hair. I have some specific ones in mind. And I'm not even referring to my grays. No, today I'd like to talk about the wild and plentiful baby hairs that have taken over my scalp in the last six months. Is anyone else going through this right now??

For the uninitiated, it goes like this: Once you're pregnant you usually stop losing your hair. For me, my hair gets thicker, shinier and generally awesomer. I like to think of this as Nature's way of saying, "Sorry about those nasty cankles and horrific heartburn; here, have some sweet hair."

After the baby is surgically removed from your body (oh, wait, is that just me?) you are reminded that, like sleeping through the night, all good things must come to an end. It's time for Nature's Extensions to take their leave. For some, this starts right after child birth. For others - usually those who are nursing - this process is a little slower in coming.

At first, you just notice a couple of strands falling out while you shower and wash your hair. That's IF you ever manage to shower and wash your hair. But then, out of the clear blue sky, one day you're washing your hair and you notice that you could make a baby bald eagle his very own wig with the hair in your hands. It's actually sick - not gonna lie. And it just keeps coming for a month or two. And, if my anecdotal research is correct, this problem gets worse with every kid. Which means I'm one kid away from starring in a Rogaine testimonial ad.

If the losing part isn't bad enough for you, you get to move on to the regrowth phase. I'm six months into this phase and I'm pretty much ready to whip out my Flowbee and chop it all off.

Remember Flowbees? Brilliant.

All over my head right now I have these wiry, awkward baby hairs that refuse to comply with my wishes. I say go this way, they go that way. I say sit up, they lay flat. I'm completely at their mercy and it's driving me insane. I look in the mirror and this is what I see EVERY DAY.

I need some calgon up in here.

Life with Trenchy

2011-09-07T20:02:00.001-05:00

Since it has become clear that the holes in our living room floor are going to be with us for awhile, we've decided to make the best of it. Here are just a few of the wild adventures we have planned for Trenchy.

Fill the holes with water and host a mud wrestling tournament.
Build a castle on one side of the living room, complete with a drawbridge. Perhaps invite a small alligator to live in the moat - just to keep out the pillagers.
Film our own reality show. Call it "Stupid, No-Good Homes: Holes Edition."
Play a killer game of hide 'n' seek.
Open a spa featuring mud mask facials.
Indoor pool party.
Human Whack-a-Mole!

Any ideas? We're taking requests.

Part Deux

2011-09-03T18:13:00.001-05:00

Hey, do you remember that one time when your living room carpet was pulled back and several burly men came in and jack hammered through your foundation and dug tunnels under your house to replace plumbing lines and then in the middle of it all you realized that you had to stop the plumbing work and call the foundation company and have them come and put piers in around the exterior of your house to make sure that one of your bedrooms didn't fall off and float down the street but then you had to make sure that the plumber guys came back and filled in the mammoth holes in the middle of your living room and you needed to do that all in the ten days before you had company coming?

OHMYGOSH that totally happened to me, too!

The Waiting Place

2011-09-01T22:48:00.001-05:00

Do you know that book "Oh, The Places You'll Go"? It's the very first children's book I was ever given when I was pregnant with my first (thank you aunt Pittsburgh Sara!). I used to read that book to my belly - I was convinced Cameron could hear me, and that I was enriching his little soul. Maybe I was. Or maybe not.

My favorite part in that book is the description of "The Waiting Place." This is exactly what it sounds like. It's a place for everyone who is just kind of stuck - in a self-imposed rut, a stagnant relationship, or a life circumstance. And TWP is a pretty lame place to be. No progress, no forward movement. Not necessarily misery, but no real happiness.

That's how I've been feeling for about the last month. I really want to blame it on the heat. It's been a brutal summer here. This is my fifth - and easily the worst - summer. And last summer I was 9 months pregnant, so that's saying something.

Anyway, whatever the cause, I just want to get over it and move on! And I think that's why this week with all the construction has made me grumpy. I have very little control over my home, and since I'm a stay-at-home mom that translates into me having very little control over my LIFE. It's not a pleasant feeling.

I have plans. I have The List of Things To Do that is floating around in my head, waiting for a peaceful moment to come out and play. I want to get a new routine in place now that the boys are in school, so that I can maximize my time with each of them and make sure we're all being productive(ish) and having fun.

I need to get into the gym! Waaaaaaaay back in January I said my goal was just to get into a single digit size jeans (which, I know, sounds shallow). I've managed to lose the SAME five - seven pounds more than once this year. That leaves me pretty frustrated with myself.

I need to be a better visiting teacher. I need to pay more attention to my friends. I need to get Cameron on that piano bench more than once a quarter. I need to get Miles there as well, come to think of it. I need to pull out E.B. White's Elements of Style and re-learn some basic writing skills that have gotten rusty through too much casual typing in emails and blogs and what not and because I have a passion for the run on sentence but only because it makes my sister Chrysta go crazy and that kind of makes me smile and if something is making me smile in the midst of all of this I should probably just stick with it so maybe I'll forget about that last one for awhile.

I think with the house falling apart around me (or at least having it look/feel that way), I'm falling apart with it.

Is anyone else feeling this way lately? I'm sure it's just me. But if you're out there, throw me a line and tow me to shore. We can sit on the beach and share our (virgin) margaritas. Or we can just sleep.

Things that would have been good to know yesterday...

2011-08-30T20:32:00.001-05:00

It would have been good to know that Sophia planned to wear a winter coat to her first day of preschool on a day that happened to be 106 degrees outside. I would have hidden the coats.

(Heat Stroke enter stage left...)

It would have been good to know that Haley was going to get the worst diaper rash she's ever had. I would have bought more Desitin during one of my fifty trips to the store this morning/yesterday.

(Love the face)

It would have been good to know that my kids were going to spill chocolate milk, caramel dipping sauce and ranch dressing on my bedroom carpet tonight. I wouldn't have brought our McDonalds dinner home.

(I didn't do this at all. Except for the part where I totally did. There's a chance I even stomped my feet like a three year-old. But it's mostly because I had just come home and seen my living room.)

It would have been good to know that the plumbers planned on doing THIS to my living room. I'm not sure what I would have done, but it would have just been nice to know.

Hunger Games Trailer

2011-08-29T09:41:00.001-05:00

Have you all seen the new trailer for Hunger Games? I'm suuuuuper psyched to see this movie. The books were excellent. If you haven't read them yet you're in luck because all three are out. No waiting for you!

Personally, I had a couple of thoughts as I watched this trailer.

1. The Hunger Games will take place in Forks? Really? That's weird.

2. When is this trailer going to start? Has it started yet? Oh wait, it's over?

3. "Oh, look! Katniss is running through fire. That's really indicative of how great the movie will be! Let's put that in the trailer." Um, great job Lionsgate?

4. What's with the wild west whistling at the end?

5. WHERE WAS GALE? WHERE WAS PEETA? (p.s. I was, am, and will forever be Team Peeta (and Team Emmett (oooh, we haven't talked about that in, like, forEVer...November baby!))). <-- I'm pretty sure the grammar on that sucker is right on.

5. I'm still excited, regardless of how lame-tastic this trailer is.

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

Also, I saw that Beyonce is going to have a baby! Which, I presume, means her next video is going to look a lot like this one:

All the pregnant ladies, all the pregnant ladies. Put yo' hands up!

School Days

2011-08-23T09:29:00.001-05:00

Miles and Cam started school yesterday. We've counted down for the last six months (yes, before the last school year let out - Miles was excited!), but the day finally arrived. Sunday night Cameron kept asking over and over if I would remember to wake him up on time.

That ended up not being necessary. I'm pretty sure he woke up early and stared at the clock until 6:45 when he knew it was time to get up. So cute.

Grandpa showed up early to stay with the girls while Chase and I went to school.

I practically had to put a harness on Cameron to keep him from running away from us! He couldn't wait to get to his class and see his friends. He pretty much ignored us after these pictures were taken.

When we had gotten Miles all situated and it was time to go we kissed him and wished him good luck. And he ignored us. He could have cared less! It was only slightly heartbreaking. Okay, more than slightly, but less than majorly.

For the last two weeks there has been this raging debate in my mind about whether I was ready for school to start. On the one hand, my kids were excited about it, and school makes them happy. So that made me happy.

On the other hand, I really like summer. I like the no-schedule ease. I like when the house gets quiet and I realize it's because my kids are wrapped up in some make believe game, and they're actually enjoying each other's company. I like that I'M the teacher and I set the curriculum.

As my kids enter school, I become painfully aware of how little time I've truly had with them. Time when they were just mine and I didn't have to share. And I begin to wonder if I did it right. I think of all the time I may have wasted worrying about clean carpets and laundry when maybe I should have been reading a book with them, or building a Lego castle.

So, overall I'm happy. I know the boys are in the best school we could find. I know they're surrounded by diversity and life experiences I can't provide in my home. I know they're being challenged and pushed to do hard things. And I know they're learning the joys of success and how to deal with defeat. All good things.

And I know that I'm learning how important those little people are, and I'm resolving to do an even better job as their mom.

To the moms in my life

2011-08-20T14:50:00.001-05:00

Stop what you're doing and read

THIS.

The Taylor Tale

2011-08-19T10:38:00.001-05:00

There's this story that everyone in my family loves to remind me of. It involves my niece, who we'll call Taylor (because that's her name).

The summer that I was 17 and Taylor was three, I went to San Diego to live with her family and take care of her. My SIL, Sara, was interning with an accounting firm and my brother was working.

One weekend my older brother, Jerry, and I went mountain biking. Well, Jerry mountain biked and I spent the day alternating between whining and falling off my bike.

When we got back to their apartment, we took the bikes upstairs and parked them against a book shelf in the living room. Why we didn't walk them eight feet farther to park them on the balcony I don't know.

That was Saturday.

Monday afternoon, Taylor and I were watching a Disney movie when she decided to walk over to the book shelf and check out those bikes that had been sitting there for a couple days. I wasn't paying close enough attention because a second later I looked over to see her pulling one of the bikes down on her head.

Now, I should mention that Taylor has never been what I would call a hardy child. She was born at 30 weeks and has always been petite. Healthy and happy, but a little on the skinny, delicate side. That summer she was barely into her size 2T clothes.

Upon seeing my tiny charge trapped under the bike I sprinted across the room and pulled the bike off of her only to see blood spouting from the top of her head. BLOOD. From her HEAD.

I had been to Girls Camp enough times and sat through enough First Aid lessons to know that, a.) head wounds bleed like crazy, and b.) you need to apply pressure to any cut and it will staunch, or at least slow, the bleeding.

Did either of these things come to my mind in the middle of the crisis?

No.

You know what DID come to my mind?

"DIAL 911! SHE'S PROBABLY DYING! YOUR BROTHER IS GOING TO KILL YOU! DIAL 91 FREAKING 1!"

So I did.

And then Taylor and I sat calmly (okay, Tay was calm, I was hyperventilating) watching the rest of the Disney movie while we waited for them to arrive. I didn't really notice that Taylor's head had stopped bleeding. And it never occurred to me to try to look at the cut and gauge it's seriousness. I figured the 911 Professional People would take care of that.

Side note: Did you know that when you dial 911 people assume there's an actual, real live emergency taking place? They send police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck. And, like, 20 people. It's spectacular.

And you know what? The 911 People? Turns out they weren't so impressed with my ability to correctly assess life threatening situations.

They all took turns examining Taylor's scalp very closely to see if they could find the cut. Eventually they located it (at the epicenter of the bloody mess of hair). It was maybe a half inch in length and had already stopped bleeding.

So everyone left.

And that's when the phone rang and it was Sara on the other end of the line. I can't remember why she called. Sometimes, in the afternoon she would call to have me start dinner, or get something out to thaw. But in any case I figured I'd better tell her about how I almost broke her kid but don't worry because I took care of it. The 911 People promised she was good as new. Just needed a bath.

Sara's reaction doesn't really need to be addressed on this blog. Let's just say it was appropriate. And Jerry's too. And I was in the room when they received the bill for the ambulance. There's a chance they considered sticking me on a plane and shipping me off.

But, like I said, no need to go into that.

Since I'm sick today

2011-08-18T10:05:00.001-05:00

If you've read my blog for more than five minutes you probably know by now that I'm super awesome at being sick.

So I'm going to let my sister entertain you today. Because she is surely entertaining to me. And she doesn't know I'm sending everyone to her blog today, either. Which I think is kind of fun. Big sisters get to pull crap like this on little sisters. It's our privilege.

And now, back to bed. I'm almost done with that Tiger Mom book and I've decided that a summer's worth of completely restricted television access is about to go out the window. See kids? Mommy rocks. So does PBS Kids. And drugs. I like 'em.

Peace out.

This would be funny if it didn't happen every day.

2011-08-16T09:58:00.001-05:00

I appreciate the comments on the Tiger Mom book. I'm right in the middle of it, but I'll blog more about it when I'm done. LOTS of thoughts on that one.

On Monday mornings I usually sit down and plan out a menu for the week and put together my shopping list before hitting the stores. When I commenced this activity my house was pretty darn clean. This is what I found when I was done.

Tigers Are People Too

2011-08-15T09:57:00.001-05:00

Stayed up until 3AM this morning reading "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." Shock and awe, baby. Shock and awe.

I don't know where I'm going to land on this one. I mean, on the one hand it's really hard to relate to someone who gets results through horrific means such as calling her small child garbage, and threatening to burn her stuffed animals if she doesn't finish her piano practice. On the other hand, this woman is clearly getting results. Her children are polite, obedient and virtuoso musicians at a very young age. And she claims to have a very loving, healthy relationship with them.

Personally, I'm intrigued.

Has anyone else read this one? What are your thoughts on it?

American Idol Mom

2011-08-13T08:52:00.001-05:00

If you've ever watched the audition phase of American Idol, you might know what I'm talking about. You get these completely deluded kids who have HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE, NO GOOD voices standing there embarrassing themselves in front of millions of viewers. And back in the Days of Cowell, they were also subjecting themselves to some serious raking-over-the-coals...because Cowell isn't known for niceness.

As the audition progressed, it would inevitably cut to the corridor where mom was waiting with baited breath, telling Seacrest all about her amazing child: She was just sure s/he was a shoe-in for the show.

Meanwhile, inside the audition room some kid is trying to explain to a slightly incoherent Abdul that s/he KNOWS s/he has talent...because mom said so.

So here's my question: Is it okay to completely delude your kids?

Because this morning Miles asked me to take a picture of his "big muscles."

And I did.

And it was awesome.

Now that I think about it, I know just where those moms are coming from.

My $10,000 Dyson

2011-08-11T22:33:00.001-05:00

So, Chase got me a Dyson. Finally! And she is a BEAUT, let me tell you. It's cleaning capacity is off the hook. Crumbs? Got it. Wood chips dragged in by the kids? Got it. Dimes, nickles, pennies, Pokemon coins, Legos, hair ties, bits of toilet paper? Got. It.

But she truly shines in the kitchen where she's put to the test daily. She's easy to maneuver under the table and around the chairs, and she's a master in the corners.

She's changed my life for sure and for certain. I mean, sure she took about a year to get up to full cleaning strength, but I hear that's normal for my particular model (see below).

Exasperation Station: Not a state of mind, but a destination.

2011-08-10T22:49:00.001-05:00

Recently, we were at dinner with some friends and I was challenged about the name of my blog.

Friend: "Anna. What's up with your blog name? Are you from Chicago?"

Me: "No. But we lived in Chicago when I started my blog. I'm not going to change the name to our ACTUAL location! Confuse the stalkers! That's what I say."

So there you have it, stalkers. Ever step we take, every move we make; it ain't in Chicago.

I've known this was coming for a long time. Chi-Town just isn't appropriate anymore. At first it was somewhat sentimental for me. I loved our time in the Windy City, brief though it was.

But over time, the hold up wasn't my nostalgia; it was just plain apathy. Well, equal parts apathy and technological impairment. I mean, I just figured out how to put links in my sidebar!

I have spent some time thinking about what our new name could be and nothing seemed to fit. I like the flow of Chi-town Rawlins. Pretty easy. Not much pretense to wittiness. It doesn't give too much info (I let the actual content of my blog do that). It was about as nondescript as the rest of my life. It felt comfortable.

If you've read my blog, you know that, while I love my life, I need to let off steam every now and then. Just like a train...fully loaded with lunatics....careening out of control...headed for CrazyTown.

So, the evolution to Exasperation Station wasn't hard. It's where I live most of the time. And goshdarnit I like it here.

Winkin' blinkin' and nod

2011-08-10T08:36:00.001-05:00

Last night after dinner the boys were begging to go play in the sprinkler. Sophia was also begging to go, but she didn't finish her dinner, so I didn't feel like she had earned that treat. She stayed inside howling while the boys ran around in the water. (As a side note: Can anyone tell me why boys seem genetically predisposed to putting their bums in the sprinkler and thinking it's hilarious? It flummoxes me.)

Afterward it was bath time.

I love bath time.

The boys don't need any mommy help anymore but the girls are still 100% my domain. They are SO FUNNY in the tub. Sophia - who was bummed about not getting sprinkler time - decided that she was going to wear her swimsuit into the tub, which was fine by me.

Haley spends all her time pouncing on toys in the tub. She reminds me of the part in the Lion King where Mufasa is teaching baby Simba how to hunt. She has no grace at all. She just sees a toy she wants and hurls herself at it, usually landing on her face. She comes up sputtering and laughing and it's hilarious.

At first I was a little bit unnerved by her baby water play, I'll admit. My other babies were all pretty timid in the water, but not Haley. She's all about it. I've tried to keep a handle on her. I don't love the idea of her rolling around in water like that! But she's starting to assert herself and her lovely (lively) personality. So I'm helpless against it. I just park myself right next to her on the floor and try to stay dry.

Plus, there's nothing like a rousing tubbie to steal the last of a baby's energy for the day. She comes out so ready for lotion/jammies/songs/bed. It's soothing for me, too. I love sitting in the chair rocking her and singing while her siblings keep coming in trying to make her laugh.

Some days are hard. Just really, really hard. But even in the midst of those hard days you can have good moments. Like deep down, soul satisfying good. And then suddenly the day doesn't seem so hard.

See?

I like Sophia's face in this one.

Dear Children of the Future

2011-08-08T07:12:00.001-05:00

This weekend I set my children about the task of cleaning baseboards. I got the idea from Shawni over at 71 Toes. Her children are forever cleaning baseboards and her house always looks so sparkly! I thought maybe this was the Magic Bullet I was missing.

So on both Miles' and Cameron's Saturday chore list I included "Clean baseboards in ______." Cameron was a little bit baffled, but I handed him a magic eraser and showed him how it was done. Then I left him to it while I went off to deal with laundry.

About 30 seconds later he pronounced himself done.

Moral of the story?

Dear Rawlins Children of the Future,

In 2011 you sucked at cleaning baseboards. Yes, mommy just said "sucked." I believe we were commanded to keep an accurate record.

Please tell me you are now better at cleaning baseboards.

Love,

Your Mother

Pictures!

2011-08-06T08:37:00.001-05:00

I've been promising pictures in the last couple of posts. And I'm nothing if not a woman of my word. Here are some shots from the summer so far.

I told you Cameron is really into Pokemon cards. He has become obsessed with making money to buy more. While I wish he would be less money-crazy and stuff-crazy, I do admire the big guy's determination. We woke up one Saturday morning to these signs. Cameron was convinced that the only way to make money (aside from cleaning the garage, which was OUR suggestion), was to sell our property.

Does anyone else experience this phenomenon? You tell the kids to go get their shoes on and come back to find that every shoe we've ever owned is lying in the middle of the floor. And the kids are usually still barefoot.

Sunday afternoons on the couch are dreamy.

The kids painted some patriotic rocks to put around our flag holder outside. Thought they turned out cute. And Miles ate the paint. Which means it was a normal day, by our standards.

Cam and Miles came up with this game where they put Haley on a blanket and drag her all over the house. I think she liked it at first, but then she had a traumatic roll-off and that was the end of that.

This is Danielle. She and her brother Brandon (I can't find a pic of him at the moment - and you should know that I refer to them collectively as "Branielle") are Chase's cousins and they come a couple days a week. They manage to save me from insanity. They work for slave wages and seem happy about it. Plus, as a bonus, my kids love them! They read, do crafts and play silly games. But they're not afraid to be tough.

The boys competed in their first karate tournament. You may remember that I had to purchase protective gear for this. And you may remember that I was emotionally scarred. I'm still recovering. But it was worth it, because those boys are adorable.

And just to show you how much I love you...

We call this one Miles Doing The Transformer:

Haley's First Birthday

2011-08-04T22:27:00.001-05:00

In July Haley had her first birthday! Haley is lucky enough to be nine days younger than one of her cousins, Olivia. Olivia's mom, Kathleen, had a great idea that we should celebrate together and stick them next to each other with their cakes and see what happened.

In short, frosting-covered, sugar-coated adorableness happened.

Yeah, it spells "HO" we know, we know. Just think CHRISTMAS.

A few days later we celebrated at home with a couple of our good friends. I made brownies and called it good. I just can't handle the multiple celebrations these days. What do you think that means? Could it possibly be related to the ever growing number of gray hairs Kathleen has to tackle every few months?

Here's The Halester's new whip. She's a master at that thing and I love to watch her rollie pollie legs fly!

We're so glad to have Haley in our home. She's a heart melter, that one. She's been such a lovely baby. It's been a bittersweet experience to see her grow because I feel like I can't hold on to time long enough to really savor it. Everyday feels like it's gone before I even wake up! But I wouldn't trade this year for anything. Haley has been a light in our home and I know she'll continue to be so as she grows.

We love you Haley girl!

Where I'm at

2011-08-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

So you've probably noticed a BIG influx of posts from me lately. This is not accidental. I'm trying with all my might to get back to writing. It's a passion of mine. And though I often feel inferior in the level of my skill, I realize more each day that it doesn't matter. What matters is my need to do something that enriches and edifies me - even if it's a ridiculous blog post about my knees, or silly snippets of my children's day. These are the things I love to capture! These are the real parts of my life.

If you're like me, you've probably grown weary of a lot of the blogs out there. That may be part of why I stayed out of the game. There is, it seems, this need to "put your face on" in the blogging world. It's like putting makeup on your life - covering up the imperfections and only letting the pretty shine through. And while I can certainly respect that - who doesn't want to show themselves at their absolute best? - I think FOR ME it became detrimental over time.

Yesterday I was listening to an interview with a group (no, THE group - the founders) of the Mormon Mommy Bloggers. It was fascinating to hear their stories of how they came to blogging. A lot of them started blogs as ways to keep up with family far and wide, or to keep a family record. Those are the same reasons I started my own blog so many years ago.

But one story tugged my heartstrings because I felt it as much as I heard it. This woman, after having four children in under four years, was dealing with serious post-partum depression. Now, let me stop here to say that I don't care to discuss the rightness or wrongness of someone's decision to have children on the timelines they choose. There IS no right or wrong. It is the sole decision of the couple bringing those children into the world. I know how difficult those decisions can be and how SACRED those decisions are (more posts on that to come!).

So in the depths of her depression she had a sensitive doctor ask her what she was doing for her. What could she do in her life that would allow her to still care for those precious children, but allow her space and creativity - a venue in which SHE could flourish and develop. Then that same doctor suggested a blog.

I've never read this woman's blog. I don't intend to start. But that idea struck me as being inspired! This woman was able to go online and share her story, share her struggles and share all the real parts about her. And you know what? She helped people. Her ability and willingness to share even the gritty and harsh parts of her life is what drew people to her.

I'm not going to lie. I'll tell you that I've stopped before taking a picture and cleaned up the crap all over the floor. I'll tell you that I chose not to include certain details because they didn't paint me in a very favorable light. And that's okay, to a certain extent. I don't think you need to hear every unkind thought I've ever had, or see my children's unkempt hair EVERY DAY. I think we can save that kind of thing for, say, once a week?

I do think it's important to keep people safe. I think it's inappropriate to share stories or experiences that would subject my husband, children or friends to judgement or criticism from others.

But going forward I think I'm going to lose the facade and try to just share me. And maybe in the process of doing that I'll get to know myself even better. And what a blessing that would be.

Didja hear?

2011-08-03T16:32:00.001-05:00

Anna joined the 21st flippin' century!

How do you like my new bloggy blog layout? Personally I'm a fan. Because LOOK ---> I even added a BLOG LIST and a little section "About Us." And there's a fancy picture up there with my cute family. I like how it's all classy-like. I personally can't think of anything better to use than a picture of my family outside of an IHOP on the morning of the 4th of July. We're all coordinating, my legs are shaved, Sophie's hair is cute, there's a flag in her face, the background features a ghetto-looking building, and I think Cameron is picking his nose. I mean, can it get any better? I'm expecting Martha Stewart or Nate Burkus to feature me sometime very soon.

(Okay, but I did try to use our professional family photo but it wouldn't adjust size-wise because I think the photographer locked it down like Sing Sing.)

I'm sure I'll get some better pictures up here soon, but until then, enjoy!

Conversations

2011-08-02T12:30:00.001-05:00

This is an email I sent to my TX BFF.

Hey Steph,

Miles just had a conversation with Preston on his "invisible phone that sticks to his ear." I said, "oh you have an invisible blue tooth?" To which he replied, "Uh no. I don't have an invisible blue tooth. I have an invisible phone that sticks to my ear!"

Anyway, this was the conversation:

"Hi Preston. How are you doing? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why do you always do that? Blah blah blah. Have a great day!"

Clearly this child is as awkward on the phone as I am.

The Pursuit

2011-07-31T22:00:00.001-05:00

This summer I've spent a good deal of time thinking about my parenting style. Having a bunch of small, love-sucking, time-eating, attention-grabbing offspring will do that to you. I adore their sticky faces with all my heart and just want to make their life a happy one.

Which is why THIS article stood out to me and sent me reeling.

*Warning - the author drops the frickle bomb.*

The idea, essentially (though I think you should read the article), is that parents can actually MAKE their children unhappy as adults by making them too happy as children.

You follow?

Right. So by trying to be too tapped in, or "attuned" to our children's needs, by trying to keep them from experiencing pain or punishments we're actually warping our children's ability to handle later disappointments. (a.k.a. LIFE)

What I'm trying to get at is that this article has actually made me feel BETTER about my job as a mother up to this point. I really, really thought that I was possibly screwing my kids up by making them work out fights on their own. And I worried that the punishments I affixed to their continuous child-crime sprees were going to leave them alienated from me one day, rather than calling my name blessed.

Like today, for instance. During the sacrament portion of church my children insisted on using the pew as a WWF ring. I was beginning to think that perhaps the floor had been enhanced with some sort of trampoline-like surface and that's why my kids couldn't stop jumping like wild hyenas drunk on moonshine. So I did what I do. When we got home the two worst perpetrators (Miles and Sophia - my MIDDLE children. Talk about guilt! Perhaps they were just crying out for my attention because they are so neglected! Oh the horror!) were placed on the couch and had to sit (upright with arms folded) in complete silence for 20 minutes. And when they started talking the timer was reset and we started over. And we did that for close to 40 minutes. And that wasn't our first time at the rodeo, folks. These kids know all about the post-church couch treatment.

Afterwards we had a nice little talk about how their inattentive behavior makes it hard to me to feel the Spirit and think about Jesus. And more importantly it makes it hard for THEM to feel the Spirit and think about Jesus. And next week we're all going to try a little harder because, by golly, "I just know you can do it."

But then I got to thinking, "Maybe I'm scarring them. Maybe they're going to grow up and rebel and hate me and hate church and hate life and hate everything but hate."

OR maybe they're just feeling the consequence of their actions. Maybe, in order for them to grow into useful, productive adults (dare I say, HAPPY adults?) they have to have some really painful, difficult experiences in the loving environment of our home, dished out by the loving enforcers of our home (that's me - and I think maybe I'm going to put that title on a badge).

I don't know. Maybe they'll still grow up to hate me one day. But maybe not.

Why?

2011-07-30T13:47:00.001-05:00

Since I get this question 146 times a day (Why?) I thought I'd ask a few of my own whys.

Why are new shoes the best toys in the world?

Why, when I asked Sophia if she was REALLY going to leave me and go off to preschool, did she get the smiliest face and say, "YES!"?

Why are toys so difficult to see when it's time for children to pick them up?

Why does five pounds make me go from in shape, to whale-esque?

Why do I feel no need to correct the way Sophia pronounces freckle (frickle)?

Why do manufacturers continue to make children's clothing in white, and why do I continue to buy them?

Why do able-bodied eight year-olds find infant walking toys so much more satisfying than, say, the closet-full of their own toys?

Why did Chase task me with acquiring protective athletic supporters for our sons?

Why did I feel so incredibly uncomfortable with this task?

Why are athletic supporters packaged with large pictures of mens groins on them?

Why was I so traumatized that I spent last night giddily thinking of sending Chase to buy Sophia's first training bra?

Why is revenge always an appealing idea?

Now that I think about it, maybe some questions are better left unanswered...

By the numbers

2011-07-26T11:12:00.001-05:00

I really like when Miles counts things...especially when he gets to number "eleben."

Summer days

2011-07-22T23:37:00.001-05:00

There is nothing like a couple days together with just us to make me realize how much I l.o.v.e. my family. This summer has really been a great time for us and I am so sad to see it slipping away already!

The past two days Chase has taken off work so we could do some fun family stuff - kind of a mini-staycation. Our own vacation to Colorado was canceled when we realized our house was going to need some work done. At first we were all heartbroken (me more than anyone....I was looking forward to the cool mountain air and ZERO cell access). But then I realized I could say YES to stuff I normally have to say no to. I could say, "YES! We will spend the entire day at the pool and I will leave Haley with Nana all day so daddy and I can race down the slides with you and play endless games of 'simon says'" and "yes. we CAN go out to eat two nights in a row for no good reason" and "yes, we CAN go to that indoor play place that gets so full in the summer I want to hose you in purel before letting you back in the car," and "yes, you can go ahead and have slushies with your dinner!"

We're only on day two (tomorrow is the last day, then it's back to the normal swing of things), but it's been two glorious days so far.

So glorious, in fact, that I won't even mention how I had to take Sophia home in the middle of dinner tonight because she was losing it, so mommy had to eat cold quesadillas. You won't hear a word about that from me. As with the Go-Go's, my lips are sealed.

I will tell you how Cameron and Miles are great swimmers these days. Miles, who was pretty trepidatious in the water last year, has become an all-out swimmer despite skipping out on swim lessons this year. He spent the last hour at the pool yesterday throwing himself off the diving board.

Cameron is still working on some of the more adventurous components of swimming, like diving boards and water slides. He's always done things on his own timetable and I just don't see any point in rushing him along. Once he's ready to do something he just does it and he's always GREAT at it. Swimming was that way - he hated the water for the first 3.5 years of his life! - and I know one day he'll conquer the slides that Miles and Sophie breeze down. The ONLY sad thing for me is to watch him try, get scared and back out, and then be so heartbroken because he couldn't make himself do it. Yesterday he didn't even want to be around Miles because he felt a little jealous of Miles' fish-like tendencies. It did turn into a good opportunity to talk about how everyone has their own talents. Cameron has his - he's kind and thoughtful, great at making friends, a great student and artist and doing really well in karate - and Miles has different talents. I even got to tell him how hard it was for me to see MY little sisters be good at stuff that I wish I was better at. That really made him feel better:)

Anyway, it's been such a great two days I had to get it down here. I just love these little people who share my home, and I love their dad. It's such a joy to know them.

pictures to come!

In Medias Res

2011-07-15T10:09:00.001-05:00

I'm going to start right here in the middle of the summer. I've been dragging my feet all week (SUMMER) because once you get behind on your blog you feel like you really have to go back and do this whole THING. This whole tell-everyone-every-single-thing-they've-missed THING. And that's daunting.

So I'm going to give you the low-down on where we're at, what we're doing and then plan to actually keep up this blog in all of it's former glory. Remember when I used to be good at keeping up my blog? I must have had a fourth kid or something.

Cameron is almost eight years-old. How this is possible is beyond me. Because I'm pretty sure he just started kindergarten five minutes ago and that was traumatizing enough. But eight?? I firmly believe there should be laws preventing children from turning into teenagers. And if my kid is eight that is a sure sign that he will be 13 one day. And I ain't havin' that. (Although Cameron will be really happy to finally see all of those PG-13 superhero movies...)

A normal day for Cameron will start around 7 am with some sneaky kitchen action. That kid loves to get into the cupboards, my purse, the pantry and snoop out the candy. I suppose one way to halt this behavior would be to only have asparagus on hand at any given moment. But why punish myself? I mean, asparagus is great and all but momma needs some chocolate.

After finding my stash and imbibing (which I only find out about after the fact when I find wrappers stealthily hidden under the couch) it's onto Legos or, more recently, Pokemon. Can I just tell you how much I H-A-T-E Pokemon right now (see how I spelled it out so the kids don't hear? Such a considerate mom, right?)? Because the kids in this age group don't PLAY Pokemon, they COLLECT Pokemon cards. It's all about having the most cards. And those suckers are expensive. So even though the kids all have their own deck (*cough* and maybe Chase has a deck, too, *cough*) it's never enough. We had some serious discussion today about being content with what you have. Ahhh, Pokemon life lessons.

In addition to his Pokemon obsession Cameron is taking a craft class and karate to keep him busy. We're trying to keep him on top of reading, writing and math, too. I need to get on that! It's easy to slip out of your schedule during the summer months.

Miles has left his happy little preschool and is about to enter kindergarten. We're not sure yet if his transfer application was accepted, so we are waiting around to find out if he'll be at Cameron's super radical school. We surely hope so because Miles has spent a great deal of time learning how to say the name of his hoped-for kindergarten teacher (it's a doozy). And wouldn't that be a waste if he couldn't at least wave hi to her in the hall?

This summer Miles is finishing up the last of his gymnastics classes. I use the term loosely because they're more "run around and get your energy out" classes. But he's really loved them and if he wasn't starting school he would stay in them. But shortly after school starts it will be basketball season and he's fully committed to being as much like cousin Brandon as humanly possible. So basketball it is. Karate on Friday nights will continue forever, I think.

Miles and Cameron spend most of their days attached at the hip. I love that they play so well together. Sure, most of it involves bodily harm, but what great boyhood friendship doesn't require some blood bonds? And hey, maybe the timer on my microwave is being worked into the ground with all the time outs it's tracking. I think it's great to see them never leaving each other alone for even a single solitary minute. When their screams reach the heavens I think, "Ahhh...the music of angels." And then my head explodes and everyone goes to bed early without finishing their dinner.

(Who can sleep like this????)

I hesitate to type this, but I think we're reaching (not there yet, but getting close?) the other side of the terrible threes with Sophia. She's still incredibly divalicious. I have a suspicion that maybe she watches Beyonce videos on youtube while I'm in the shower to get lessons. Because I KNOW I've seen her use these moves on me.

And since she rarely wears pants it's like I'm watching the video all day long.

But really, she's getting there. I think last month she was logging an average of 40 hours/week in the time out corner. This month she's creeping down to about 39.5 hours/week. So, you know, progress.

I'm not sure if it's going to help, but I just signed her up for BALLET at the rec center. And you know I had me a good time picking out her leotards and little gauzy skirt and jazz pants. Oh yes I did. Ever since cousin Natalie showed her some sweet dance moves Sophia has been twirling and spinning her days away.

I'll admit, Soph is turning into a super girly girl. It's been fun to watch this whole nature vs. nurture thing play out right here in my own home. We have never pushed the pink stuff on her. When she picks out super hero costumes for Halloween (EVERY YEAR. I haven't gotten a single Princess costume on her for that holiday! I vow this will be the year!), we just get them. When she wears Miles' old Thomas the Train undies we could care less. When she wants to go on the boys' camp out we pack her up and go. But lately she's been gravitating to the girly stuff all on her own. And I love it. Not gonna lie.

(checking out the digs for her new ballet class)

No June day would be complete without mismatched clothes and a fur coat. Good choice, Soph.

She always reminds me of the coppertone baby when she runs around like this. Hey Soph! Get some inhibitions!

Hales is turning ONE in like two weeks and I'm having mini heart attacks every day. I never felt like this with my other kids! I was always happy to see them growing up and getting bigger, reaching milestones and all that. But this time around I just want to stop time and soak it all in.

Haley isn't afraid to keep us busy. She's crawling all over the place to check out whatever the big kids are up to. She pulls herself up on everything, too, and cruises around to get a better view. If she sees me or Chase coming she reaches her hand out and says mamamamamamamama or dadadadadadadadadadada.

She's the happiest baby I've ever seen. She's been through a lot this year but she's handled it like a champ. She's a cuddler and an easy smiler. She adores her siblings and they adore her right back. The perfect last baby. Unless you ask Chase. Then she's the perfect next-to-last baby.

Hmmmmmmm.....

Wait, I have a blog?

2011-06-24T22:23:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure no one reads this thing anymore, which is understandable. I mean, I can relate. I drop in and out of readership of other people's blogs. And those are blogs where the blogger actually blogs. And still I forget to check in.

So when the blogger in charge of blogging stops blogging there's bound to be some blog-nesia on the part of the readers.

So if there's anyone out there, just know this.

I'm cooooooooooming!

Also too, this afternoon whilst watching Word Girl (on pbskids...if you're not watching it you're seriously missing out) I said, "Miles check out Captain Huggieface's dance moves!" To this Miles, in a voice that can only be described as hushed and reverent, replied, "Yeah I know. He's a incredible dancer. I don't know how he does it."

After writing this blog I now remember why I haven't blogged in awhile. It takes FOREVER. Enter at your own risk.

2011-04-23T20:12:00.001-05:00

So many things to catch up on.

March started out with a bang with Haley developing a wheeze, then a cold, then landing in the hospital, then getting out, then not getting better, and not getting better, and not getting better, and seeing a pulmonologist, and then sort of getting better, and then getting a little bit better and then getting much better. I've administered approximately 99,999 breathing treatments during the last 2 months.

So that's kept me kind of busy.

And then there was the half marathon on April 9. It was awesome. I went, I ran, I came home, my hip hurt. The good news is that I don't have an injury. Turns out I'm just kind of stupid. I KNOW I should have been doing strength training with my running, but I just kept ignoring it. Well, a weak core makes for a sore body. Who knew? Anyway, I'm still running and that's all that matters. I will say that Haley being sick was a serious challenge to my running routine. It required mucho discipline-o to stay on top of it! I was really proud of myself for sticking it out when I would have otherwise bailed on running.

Anyway, if you're at all interested in pictures or details you can check out Jeni's blog

HERE.

And in March Miles decided to turn five. We wanted to celebrate but given all the craziness I didn't have time or energy to devote to a big party. Instead I baked 5 dozen cupcakes and we invited all of Miles' best buddies (and their families) to join us at the park. I didn't plan games or activities or anything. We sang happy birthday and then I told everyone to eat and play. And so we did! It was the best party ever. I would totally recommend.

We also had to share the love at preschool. Miles thought he was pretty cool handing out lollipops to his friends at Miss Jill's class.

The next week I helped my friend throw a baby shower for another friend. Cristina finally got a girl so we had to celebrate with an explosion of pink! Pink drinks, pink food, tiaras and boas. And you know what? I love party food.

Then there is the everyday stuff like haircuts

(he was begging for a mohawk so I let him have one for about 24 hours).

And Sophia getting into my makeup.

What I really need to write about, though, are the funny random things my kids say everyday. I feel like I need to follow Miles with a dictaphone so I can record his every thought.

Or I could just show you this video. The best part is how totally serious Miles is when the subject is martial arts. And as you can see Miles' martial arts are, well, mixed.

**This video is rated TV-PG because Miles DOES say something about hitting the bad guy in the penis. I promise that's not anything we've taught him, rather I think it's something he's picked up watching ANY DISNEY MOVIE EVER CREATED. I think crotch-shot humor is in all of them...

***After watching this video again I should point out that Miles was playing with the drawstring in his shorts. It was hanging down inside his shorts and bothering him. Chase had to clarify that for me...Because he looks a little preoccupied if you know what I'm saying.

Another funny Cameronism/Milesism happened the other day whilst folding laundry with the kids. Ever since Chinese New Years Cameron has been seriously obsessed with China and all things Chinese. This has led to his need to inspect every tag in his clothing to see where the garment was made. Much to his delight they are mostly made in China. After several announcements of "MOM! This was made in China!" I said, jokingly, "Haley wasn't made in China. She was made in the United States." Instead of laughing Cameron said, "Uh, she was made in heaven."

Then Miles (who was singing "Shot to the heart and you're to blame you give love a bad name") said, "Mom how was Haley made?" Trying to avoid the actual explanation, I said she was made out of love. To which he replied, "I don't have any love in my heart. Only for Gruma and Grumpa and you and daddy..."I think he probably would have listed pretty much everyone he's ever met, but he was distracted by all the Bon Jovi playing in his head.

And since you're still reading, how about a Sophie story?

Sophie needed a clean pair of underwear during Haley's nap. I didn't want to wake up Haley by going into their room and getting the required undies so I said, "You know what? Just go grab a pair out of brother's drawer." After giving me a LOOK Sophie went to retrieve them and came back wearing turquoise batman underwear. Inside out and backwards. After prancing around in them for a minute she turned her bum toward me and said, "Look mom! They have pockets!"

Later that night when we were checking on the kids we found her sleeping like this:

I'm still standing...

2011-03-07T10:32:00.001-06:00

Better than I ever did. Looking like a true survivor. Feeling like a little kid!

That title has no real relevance to anything in this post. I just have that song in my head.

So last week on Friday Cameron stayed home from school. I totally thought he was faking it and I was NOT nice about the whole thing. We got him off to school and Chase called and said, "I'm turning around and bringing him home. He doesn't feel good." When he walked in the door a few minutes later he looked FINE! I took one look and said, 'Get your bag and get in the van. You're going to school." And then he turned on the tears and started grabbing his stomach, which is what he had been doing on and off the night before and that morning. Frustrated with the fact that I was in my gym clothes and now my plans were changing I said, "Fine. You stay home. But you'll be in your bed all day. Don't think you're going to be out here watching movies or something."

By 4:30 I was calling Chase telling him to come home and take Cam to the hospital. Our pediatrician thought there was a chance he had appendicitis because he had spent the last several hours laying in bed clutching his stomach and screaming in pain. So as I shipped Cam off to the ER with daddy I was feeling like a super stellar mother. What kind of mother is mean to their sick kid?

Thankfully, after lots of prayers on my part, Cam did not have appendicitis. He had some weird, horrible stomach virus that manifested itself in nothing but violent stomach cramps. No vomiting, no fever. Just cramps that would come on suddenly and he'd be doubled over with tears streaming down his face. This went on from Thursday night until Sunday morning.

On the plus side, Cameron was really excited to explain, in detail, what an IV is and how they "stick a straw in your vein" to his friends. I'm really hoping he doesn't explain the enema he also got...

So the biggest of my littles is back to school today and feeling grand.

Miles, however, woke up with pink eye and a cold. Yet another day at the gym thwarted.

I don't really have much else to share as far as family news. My half-marathon training is going great. Jen and I completed our 8-miler in 80 minutes on Saturday. And the first three miles were straight into a head-wind. It sucked, to say the least. But we felt great at the end. I think we've really found a good pace.

Cameron got to check out Miles at gymnastics on Friday and decided he wanted to try it again, too. Our rec center offers a class for older boys that just happens to start this Wednesday, so it seems the stars were aligned on that one. I did tell him that he had to choose between gymnastics and martial arts. I feel like my kids are too young to be involved in multiple sports/activities at the same time. And it's too expensive! Cameron really had to think about it, though. He's got great plans for being a master ninja so putting that on hold is hard. But I think watching Miles get rolled around in the foam tube erased all doubt from his mind. Ninja training will have to wait.

Miles is doing really, really well in pre-school. It's been so fun to watch him go from this insanely wild toddler to a big kid who can sit and color for hours on end. He is an information sponge, too. He comes home from school and spouts the most awesome stuff about sharks, and where apples come from, and space... He finds every little thing fascinating!

And maybe he found some scissors and cut a sweet patch out of his hair last week.

Sophia is more than meets the eye. At first glance she's all bouncy blonde hair and blue-eyed sweetness. But take a closer look and you'll see an iron will and an attitude that rivals any teenager in a 10 mile radius. She's been a time-out corner resident a lot in the last few months. She can't wait to start pre-school in the fall when Miles heads off to school. She will probably start ballet or dance at the same time because cousin Natalie has been showing her some moves and it makes me turn to jello when I watch her copy them.

Haley is a sweet ball of baby goodness. Literally. If you drew a circle and put her in it she would fill up most of the space. A few weeks ago I decided she absolutely needed to sleep through the night. This was a hard one for me because she's been such a great baby! Since we brought her home from the hospital she has been able to fall asleep on her own in the crib. She's never needed a bottle or hours of rocking/bouncing/walking to get to sleep. I just stick her in the crib with her binkie and walk out. The problem was staying asleep after she lost her binkie - some nights she would wake up two or three times needing it! So we had to do the cry-it-out weekend, and guess what? She rocked it. Two nights and done. Sleeping through the night like a champ. Of course Miles and Sophia have more than made up for her...Sigh.

Chase is doing the usual work type stuff and church type stuff. I'm just keeping all the balls in the air and providing clean clothes and regular nourishment:) It's a great job if you can get it!

Sophia dressed up "like a princess." Um, I'm pretty sure most princesses own brushes, babe.

Ever wonder what happens when you leave the nutella on the counter while you're out of the room?

Can't help myself...

Cameron spent a lot of time doing this over the weekend. I like how he put squares of toilet paper under his hands:) That's my boy!

That's my paper cutter, and that's Cameron's playdough. They don't make a great match, I assure you.

[Fuzzy] Math

2011-02-21T11:10:00.001-06:00

As it turns out weight loss is really all about math.

I need to just shut up and get on board with that.

I love when people do the work for me...

2011-02-18T13:49:00.001-06:00

Do you love that I add ellipses to the end of so many blog titles? You should.

Over Christmas I went to Pennsylvania to visit my family. While I was there we were at my little sister's house. While there my kids discovered HER kids' stash of fabulous hats and sunglasses. I've seriously never seen a collection like that. It was great. My kids were in heaven.

So we did what every good parent does. We put them on our poor, defenseless baby.

I can't do it anymore justice than my sister did, and I really appreciate that she took the time to download pictures, then upload them to the blog because that means I didn't have to do it. So go here to check it out. You will not be sorry! Or maybe you will feel sorry for Haley that she got stuck with us for parents, but that's entirely beside the point.

Run, Don't Walk

2011-01-29T23:38:00.001-06:00

If you haven't gotten a flu shot yet this year you need to stop reading right now, get in your car and go get a flu shot. Because I just lived through Flu Type A and it was horrid, terrible, awful, miserable and traumatic.

It started with mild cold symptoms that I didn't pay much attention to. My kids are always bringing home garbage from school and I usually pick up a couple bugs each season. Whatever. I'm over it.

So Thursday night I was really starting to feel excessively lousy and I told Chase I needed a baby free night to sleep off some of my sickness. So he camped out in the girls' room to be on Haley Duty.

Around 4:30 in the morning I realized I was getting sicker and by 6:30 when my alarm went off I realized I couldn't get out of bed. Like, literally could not move my body out of the bed under my own power. And I had a fever and really bad chills and every fiber of my body hurt.

So Chase, who has probably taken one sick day the entire time we've been married, was petitioned gently and then not-so-gently by his invalid wife to arrange to work from home.

Except guess who didn't bring home his laptop?

This was my response: "Just take the kids with you to the office and get it and come back."

(His office being 30 minutes away and our kids being, well, our kids.)

And this was his response: "Uh...okay."**

Bless his heart he made it work. He's in the middle of an audit; and filing taxes; and approaching month-end and he made it work. I love that man of mine. But really, there wasn't going to be another way because - again - I literally couldn't get out of bed. And there was the minor detail of not being allowed to be near Haley (my other kids/husband have all had their flu shots, but Hales it too little to have it and I just plain forgot mine).

So let's consider this one of my good deeds for the day. You've been warned! Go get that shot!!!

P.S. The upshot of the whole situation was that the kids really enjoyed their unexpected Day of Dad. And I really enjoyed that the house was clean when I came out of my fever-induced haze. If I wasn't so selfish I would share him. But I am. So you're going to have to go find/train your own Super Husband.

**Because I feel that my dad's head might explode with the prospect of me sending my kids to Chase's office, I want to clarify that he didn't end up taking all the kids to the office with him. It was decided that he would put snacks on the table and PBS on the TV and leave Miles and Sophie in my care. (And by "care" I mean my ability to dial 911 before slipping back into a restless sleep.) Haley did have to go to the office with him, but she is generally well received everywhere she goes.

I think I'm going to hit the couch

2011-01-27T10:34:00.001-06:00

Man. My throat hurts a lot today and I've got a weird, barking cough. And because this is my life we're discussing here I also have no less than five major things on my schedule today not including pre-school/school/carpool and the regular feeding/care of my children.

So today's a really convenient day to feel craptastic.

But after the baby I was watching left this morning I realized I had a little bit of time before I needed to go anywhere. I have a choice to either hunker down on the couch and watch PBS with the kids or I can keep pushing myself and get the beds made and the laundry folded.

I don't know when this happened, but over the past couple of years I've slowly become a person who just can't sit still. If I know there's something out there waiting to be done (laundry, dishes, floors needing to be swept or vacuumed, children's rooms to be reassembled, etc., etc.) I just can't stop until it's done. And if I do sit down it's all I can think about!

As a result of this my house is generally pretty clean and tidy - something I've had to work at for awhile. But also as a result of this I'm pretty good at saying, "Just a second, honey. Let me finish [insert task here] first." And guess what? The tasks are never, ever ending. I have to wonder how many books, deep conversations or cuddle sessions I've missed out on in those moments. But really I don't want to think about it because it would make me sad.

So maybe my word or theme for this year is going to be BALANCE.

And these are the cats who are going to help me achieve it.

And look at this! I blinked and Cameron went from

THIS... (circa Jan. 2005)

TO THIS...

(and I'm not really sure how it happened)

So here's to 2011. The year of not missing out on the good stuff.

For reals this time

2011-01-20T09:19:00.001-06:00

When I sat down to write my last post I started on a list of "Things To Do" for the next year and it all started to sound cliche and silly. That's why I ended up throwing in the towel and writing a ridiculous list. There are so many things I want to do in this life and I feel like time passes so quickly there's never enough time to get it all in! But there are things that are truly important that I really want to accomplish. The extra stuff is just that: extra. If it happens, great. But if it doesn't happen I know my life will have counted if I just get really good at accomplishing those things that truly matter.

1. Further develop my relationship with Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ through more diligent scripture study and prayer; meaningful and sincere service to others; and living a covenant, consecrated life.

2. Further develop my relationship with my husband. This one is pretty easy because I married someone who turned out to be my very best friend in the whole entire world. But hey, what marriage doesn't need a little work at times?

3. Become a great mother. Spend more time really listening to my children. Be better at getting on their level and seeing things from their perspective. PLAY more with them!

4. Serve my community. At the moment this mostly takes the form of PTA service. I would like to find other ways to branch out, though.

5. Get into a single digit size jeans. Okay, this probably sounds trite after all the deep stuff listed above. And to some it may be. But taking care of myself is something I need to get better at. It gets mighty hard to take care of everyone else if I haven't first made some time to fill my own vessel.

So there, you go. A real list of real things I hope to accomplish (or get better at, anyway) this year.

Also too I'd still like to perform with Blue Man Group.

Here's the the start of a new year

2011-01-10T20:54:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow I turn 31. There's a lot I'd like to accomplish in the coming year. Stuff like...

Learn Chinese

Wear just one sequined glove

Eat steak every night for dinner

Become a vegetarian

Perform in the Blue Man Group

Learn to base jump

Train a rat to take over the cooking, open famous restaurant staffed entirely by rats, get rave reviews

Sit down at the piano at Nordstroms and just start playing

Attend a Radiohead concert, invite Thom Yorke to live with us (I think he'd say yes)

Learn the lyrics to all of those really hard to understand Pearl Jam songs

Craft new living room furniture using online tutorials, supplies from Hobby Lobby and vat of a Mod Podge

Wear the same outfit everyday for a month just to see if anyone is paying attention. Plus how nice would that be to not have to think about what you're going to wear for an entire month? SIGN. ME. UP.

Adopt a highway

Ride an elephant

Learn morse code

Write a successful series of young adult novels about sexy vampires who don't drink the blood of humans. Or write a successful series of young adult novels about a dead horse that was kicked over and over and over and over and over again

Knit myself a custom snuggie

Earn a spot in the Harlem Boys Choir

So yeah. It's a good thing I've got a whole year ahead of me.

Some funnies

2011-01-08T23:44:00.001-06:00

Miles says awesome stuff. I think I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.

On Thursday I told Miles we had to get in the car to go pick up Cameron from school. After thinking about it for a moment his eyes literally lit up and he said, "mommy, I know!" And then went on to describe, in detail, how he wanted me to open the garage door and he would hang on so it pulled him up in the air. And then I would back out allowing him to drop onto the top of the car, and then while the vehicle was still moving he would climb through the door and THEN put on his seatbelt. Because, you know, safety first.

And speaking of, "you know" Miles likes to throw that into his explanations. I'll ask him what he wants for lunch and his response will be, "Um, a sandwich with meat and, you know, cheese." Why the "you know" is necessary I actually don't know. But it's awesome, so that's that.

Also too, Miles likes to watch a show called Kipper. It's about a dog and his friends. It happens to be a British show. So Miles has picked up the accent, which is rad. He doesn't ask to watch Kipper. He asks to watch Kippah.

Lastly, tonight after Miles' bath he asked me to use the "hot wind maker" on him. You know, the blow dyer.

Soothing bedtime routines

2011-01-03T09:03:00.001-06:00

I am really going to buckle down and blog this week. I'm not going to attempt to catch up with stuff that I've been up to over the last two months of my blogging hiatus. That's too daunting. But I really have to get back into the groove of blogging! It's just a lot of work. But it's good, worthwhile work.

So to start us off, here's a little video of daddy's version of bedtime.

Soothing, yes?

I'll get a post up here one day

2010-11-19T16:02:00.001-06:00

Until then, go check out our family photo shoot. Elder Garebear made it home safely from Chile despite it's best efforts to earthquake him to death. We are so grateful:)

To commemorate the event we took some pictures. J'adore the photographer, Amy. With 9 kids ages 7 and under (including three newborns), she was lightning fast and nothing our kids threw at her took her off her game. Totally recommend.

ANyway, see them HERE.

and yes, that is me still needing to lose the baby weight from MILES...pay it no mind...

and also too yes, that is Cameron carrying on the time-honored Kilgore tradition of blindness...he had just gotten his glasses the day before this and he is thrilled with them. I think he looks like a cuter, less British version of Harry Potter. :)

Bilingual

2010-10-04T13:49:00.001-05:00

The other day as Sophia was in the bathroom she looked up and said, "Pee first and then poopy. That's English mommy."

Today while eating lunch she said, "Humongous. Hu-mon-gous. That's spanish mommy."

Just thought I'd share the awesomeness.

Versatile who?

2010-10-04T13:10:00.001-05:00

So my SIL Deb has nominated me for a versatile blogger award, along with my other SILs and sisters and people who are basically my sisters, and people who I don't know, but would probably like based solely on the fact that Deb likes them. I trust her like that.

So yes, the award. I'm pretty sure it's a high honor - right up there with Grammies and Oscars and the like. So I'm going to take this very seriously.

The rules stipulate that recipients must list seven things about themselves. Let me say that I'm glad it didn't add the qualifier that they be seven things NO ONE KNOWS. Because if you read my blog you know that there's not a whole lot of holding back with me. I'm a sharer.

1. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Media Communications (fancy talk for journalism). A whole degree! And yet I struggle with the proper usage of commas, hyphens and occasionally apostrophes. And sometimes I screw up my syntax. And sometimes I do this knowingly because I just like the "feel" of the sentence. Now, I'm pretty sure this might drive my big sister somewhat nuts. Annnnnnnd that may or may not be one reason I haven't bothered fixing it. Love you, sis.

2. I am a big fan of made-up words and word combos. Like if I wanted to tell you that I'm tired, but also busy, I might say that I'm bired. And I would kind of expect you to just understand. Because really? Is it that hard?

3. In my last post I said that my life was hectic but not dramatic. And that lasted for about 2 minutes. And then life looked me in the face, spit on me and laughed for a good 20 minutes before telling me that I looked fat in those jeans. Life has gotten a lot dramatic lately. So dramatic that, in response to a completely rational email detailing some commitments Chase had during the week, I responded with one of those lengthy, whiny, irrational emails that all husbands love to receive. Sometimes I also too send them to Sara. I think she loves them. And as I was type-venting I stopped and thought, "If I'm really that busy how do I make the time to have feelings about being so busy?" And then I realized I might be brazy (word combo alert!).

4. I am extremely well traveled. I've been to Iowa, like, 10 times.

5. I don't like swearing. It bothers me a lot. Mostly because I, like Deb, love words. There are so many fantastic words out there! I like finding places to put those words, and I l-o-v-e when those words fall out of my mouth while I'm talking without me having to think about it. They're just right there in my arsenal waiting for use. The other day I was doing the dishes and thinking of someone I know who likes to tell stories, but in my mind I said it, "likes to regale me with stories." And that made me smile.

6. Going right along with that, I love to read. I can remember my brother Sam making fun of me one summer - I was probably 10 - because I would wake up and stay in bed with a book. He thought I was lame. And while that part is true, it has nothing to do with reading. Reading is radical.

7. Double rainbows. I know what they mean.

And Deb has pretty much taken all of the people who I would have awarded the versatile blogger award to. Thanks for that, Debi B. But I still have a few great friends/bloggers up my sleeve. Unless they stopped reading my blog. I don't blame them. There's only so much pregnant whining a person can take.

So girls, consider yourself awarded!

A "Versatile Blogger" brings everything to the table - a little of this and a little of that."
Now, here are the rules for the Versatile Blogger Award:

Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award (Thank you, Debi B)
Share 7 things about yourself
Pass the award on to (up to) 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fabulous
Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award.

Rena

Jessica

Jen

Meh

2010-09-22T08:49:00.001-05:00

I just took Sophia to the potty and she managed to pee on the seat a little bit, at which point she tearfully said, "Oh no, I got pee on the potty. I didn't point my penis down!"

And that's when I realized I need to blog more often. Because what else do you do with that?

The problem with blogging, for me at least, is that I tend to think I need 'something to blog about." I've always leaned toward the side of the dramatic, and I really like to exaggerate. I do it about a bajillion times a day. So writing about the normal hum-drum of life doesn't always fuel my creative senses. And I don't like to blog unless I'm feeling creative-y.

Sigh.

So here I am. Mother of four with not very much drama going on. How is that even possible? Things are hectic for sure, but not dramatic.

Dear Grandma, send food. I'm starving over here.

In other news, The Haley has arrived (as pictured above and below) and it is FABULOUS. The mix of yellows, greens and blues is incredible. When Sara asked if I had any color preference for it I just told her I trusted her to make something beautiful. She delivered. Oh, did she deliver.

And speaking of deliveries, I have yet another niece!!!!! Jen had her baby on the 12th (Cameron's birthday!) and she is a juicy piece of baby. I still haven't figured out the physics of how such a big baby (9lbs. 4 oz.) fit inside such a tiny person. She honestly didn't even look that big at the end. But one way or the other, Courtney Lynne is here and we love her! So, for those of you who are counting, she is the THIRD Rawlins granddaughter born in the space of 8 weeks. Clearly we are a productive, hard-working group.

So yeah, that's about it. Not a whole lot going on aside from the usual, everyday biznass. But I thought my mom might appreciate knowing that I'm still alive.

That is all.

Go about your day.

Six weeks. Or day four. However you want to look at it.

2010-09-10T16:35:00.001-05:00

Little Miss Haley is six weeks today! Since I'll be playing the role of Horrible Mother, I'll point out that at stage right you'll see the space where there should be a post titled "1 month!" That post should - but does not, since it is not in existence - contain a picture of Haley doing something adorable, perhaps while wearing a onesie with a big number one on it or something.

I wouldn't know. I didn't do anything like that.

Haley, here's the deal. You're not getting a baby book. I'll keep a journal for you because I'm good at that. But I was good at writing down detailed minutiae only once in my life and it happened between 2003-2006. Cameron will get to be the recipient of my Awesome Mother-ness. You, however, get me. Horrible Mother. So to fulfill this role I will go ahead and slap some pictures and stats up on the old blog and call 'er good. Deal?

Thanks for not being able to talk yet. Because I'm sure you'd be spewing epithets.

But really you should THANK me for sparing you the agony of seeing your empty baby book on the shelf next to Cameron's fat, binding-breaking, filled-to-the-brim baby book and Miles' acceptably full baby book. Sophia is already in thrice-weekly therapy sessions to deal with the heartbreak over having a baby book containing just her name, weight and length. I'm not sure I'd even get to that part with yours.

But I do love you. Great keebler elves, how I love you. You with your sweet smiles and chubby cheeks. You make being the mom of four a lot easier than I thought it would be. Though, let's be honest. Grandma Of Wonders just left on Tuesday so I'm still new at this. But so far, so good. The house is almost spotless, dinner has been on the table every night and the laundry isn't piling up anywhere. So in Newborn Years that's not four days, that's closer to four months. Can I get an amen also too?

Open Letter to Dad

2010-08-16T10:07:00.001-05:00

Good morning, Pop. How are you feeling this fine day? You're looking rather well. Is that a new shirt? It sets off your tan nicely, I must say. Speaking of tans, have you been hitting the links? You look so well-rested.

How am I? Oh, just fantastic. Thank you for asking.

But let's get down to business. I have a proposition for you.

How about you let me keep mom. We can maybe arrange a custody situation wherein I get to keep her and you can visit her - here - as often as you like. Really, we wouldn't mind that at all!

See, I'm just not sure if I'm ready, or able, to give her up. I'm having a hard time picturing my days without a nap in them. And she's just so darn good with my kids, what with the loving and spoiling and all. I just don't know if I can bear to let her return to Pee-Yay. I'm sure you can understand this, as I know you're quite fond of her as well.

So what say you, Father? I really think once you've had a chance to mull it over you'll see my side of things and agree that, as usual, I'm right about this.

Love,

Your sixth (and favorite) child.

Baby heaven

2010-08-12T10:17:00.001-05:00

To all those people who stared at me incredulously during my pregnancy.

IN YOUR FACE!

This is why I have babies. LOOK AT THAT GLORIOUSNESS! So much cheek kissing going on here at chez rawlins.

And...that's about ALL that's going on here. Because I still wear my pajamas every day. And I'm cool with that. Sometimes I wear makeup WITH my pajamas. But the uniform doesn't change much from day to day.

Haley is kind of an awesome sleeper. I mean, she's still a baby, so it's not like she's going six-hour stretches or anything. But compared to some of my other non-sleeping babies, she takes the sleeping cake. Of course, I expect that won't last long. Because my luck in that area never does. So I'm soaking it up now.

Haley is NOT an awesome nurser. Which bums me out completely. We've been through a lot in two weeks (cracks, bleeding, mastitis, thrush, visits with the lactation consultant, crying on the phone with said consultant, crying every few hours when she just won't nurse). And now she's a bottle baby and I'm pumping for her. I did this route with my other non-nurser, Cam, so it's familiar territory. Not FUN territory, but at least I know I've survived it once before. And hey, at least she's healthy and happy and adorable and perfect, right? I mean, that's a lot of good stuff right there. So no complaining.

People keep asking me what it's like to have four kids. And honestly they're asking the wrong person. They should ask my mom (who technically has 8 kids, 7 kid-in-laws and 17.75 grandchildren). Because she's running the show right now. C-sections are no fun to recover from and I've been doing my utmost to try and stay down and get better quickly. And my mom, bless her heart, is doing everything in her power to make sure I have nothing to do even if I wanted to. The sink is always empty, the laundry room is tidy and the kids are always cared for. And somewhere in there she finds time to read, like, a bajillion books. SUPER POWERS, I tell you! SUPER POWERS!

As for my older babes, they are handling this whole business swimmingly. Sure I have to remind them a lot to "Be gentle!" and "Don't run next to the swing!" But aside from that they are taking to the job very well. And grandma keeps them busy, which is nice. Yesterday they had a sweltering picnic at the park (100+ degrees!!!) and then we all went to the mall so they could ride the train with their little buddies Melanie and Preston.

And now my brain is tired. I think I paused a half dozen times writing that last paragraph. You guys are going to have to lower your expectations for the next couple of months (years, epochs). This whole mommy business makes my brain melt.

Because I'm a little bit tired...

2010-08-01T22:32:00.001-05:00

This is what I sent out via email to my family. Remember that I'm on painkillers and forming coherent sentences is hard and stuff.

"Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to get some pictures out. Chase's laptop doesn't have our camera software on it because it's a work laptop. Anyway, Haley Jayne Rawlins joined the world kicking and screaming at 1:52 on Friday. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 6 oz. A little bigger than Miles, but smaller than Soph. She was 19.5 inches.
The girl can wail. She also has a good sized head. You'd think that wouldn't matter for a c-section but it was low enough that they were practically wrestling me on the operating table to get her out. That was pleasant. But she got out and we're all happy and healthy. I came home a day early due to good behavior (on Haley's part, anyway) and probably because they were sick of me. Whatever works, right? Either way we're happy to be home and happy that Vikadon (sp?) and prescrip. strength motrin exist. Big round of applause for the inventors of those.
Here are some pictures of the Halestorm, Hales, HayJay (and sometimes I call her Sophie. I plan on putting a therapist on retainer for the future, no worries). She's gorgeous. We love every square inch of her and firmly believe she was worth all the pain and nausea of the last 9 months. The kids are also in love with her (violently so, at times). As we say in Primary, "we are a happy family."
Hope you and yours are all well. We love you all!"

That's Chase's mom giving Hales her first bath!

"How many bags of fluids does it take to make Anna look like that, anyway?"

The big kids spent their visits climbing every surface in the room. Sooooo relaxing for me:)

I do want to add that Mama K has been an angel! The kids are loving all the time with her and so am I. Thanks for lending her out, dad. I'll try to get her back to you in the same condition she arrived in. Also? The first thing I noticed when I sat down at the computer were the search results for the "Find a Grave" website. Awesome, mom.

90 and one half hours

2010-07-26T19:04:00.001-05:00

So I was telling some friends last night that I've been trying to steer clear of my blog lately. I've been entirely too whiny and my summer gift to YOU has been to keep it to myself as much as possible.

You're welcome.

But now I have nothing to whine about. My mom gets here in t minus 24 hours. And that means life is wonderful. Good grief my mother is amazing. A saint, that one. And she's not even Catholic. But I'm pretty sure if the Catholics knew about her they'd fast-track her, like, yesterday.

What I'm saying is she deserves a Facebook fan page.

And guess what happens in 90 and a half hours? I have a baby. Now, the having part I'm not super excited about because it involves IV's (read: needles), scalpels, suction and sutures. All things I'm not a fan of, naturally. But I've accepted that this is part of how Heavenly Father made me: defective.

But I just go along with it because He has done lots of other stuff for me, too. So who am I to complain? I mean, if you don't count the last 8 months.

So, anyway, huzzah to impending fourth-time-around motherhood!

Oh What Do You Do in the Summer Time?

2010-07-16T10:54:00.001-05:00

(Sung to the tune of Oh What do you do in the summer time?)

Oh what do you do in the summer time,

when you're big and wide and big?

Do you lay on your bed

and whine in your head

or silently curse a lot?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summer time,

when everyone else is thin.

Do you wear the same thing

but not your wedding ring

because you don't fit in it?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Oh what do you do in the summer time,

when your pelvis is dislocated?

Do you waddle a lot

and sweat 'cause you're hot

and not cook for anyone?

Is that what you do?

So do I!

Shooting pigs

2010-07-10T22:23:00.001-05:00

Having a six year-old is pretty much Heavenly Father's daily gift to ME. Everyone should, at some point in their lives, try to have a six year-old. Really. It's a worthwhile investment.

As we were driving down the road yesterday Cameron spotted a group of teenage boys walking down the sidewalk. He pointed them out to me and said, "MOM! Those boys are all by themselves without their moms!" I assured him that, since they were big, their moms were probably okay with them being by themselves. To this he responded that he couldn't wait until he was old enough to go places without me.

Insert knife. Twist.

Trying to play it off I said, "Oh yeah? Well, where do you want to go without me?"

Cam: "Somewhere so I can buy stuff."

Me: "Oh. What are you going to buy?"

Cam: "A bb gun."

Now, we had been at the pool earlier and I heard some bigger boys talking tough about their bb guns. So I just rolled my eyes at the gun reference/request.

Me: "Well, what would you do with a bb gun?"

Cam: (without missing a beat) "I would go into the forest and shoot a pig and bring it home to eat the meat."

Me: stunned silence

Me: now laughing uncontrollably

Me: So what you're saying is that you're going to bring home the bacon?

Cam: (in total seriousness). Yeah. And the pig.

ALLLLLLSO, during the same car trip Cameron tried to convince me that we should buy happy meals because "McDonalds does such a nice thing giving toys to kids. They're being so nice. We should buy them."

Anytime you want Cam to come over and say awesome stuff at your house just let me know. He's here every night.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

2010-07-06T17:03:00.001-05:00

Sooooooo, I saw Eclipse. I got a babysitter last week and went to a matinee where Kathleen and I sat in entirely uncomfortable seats trying to ignore our back pain, contractions and loss of lung capacity.

So, you know, we had a great time. And the movie proved to be a raging success when compared to it's predecessors. Bravo, David Slade. Bravo.

But since my brain is getting all mushy and jello-like, I will turn you over to Eric D. Snider for his review, and as per the usual, his Rejected Eclipse Screenplay.

Enjoy.

p.s. You should also read his Twilight and New Moon screenplays. The man is a genius.

Because it's safe to say that most people are on vacation and won't be reading this anyway.

2010-06-28T10:12:00.001-05:00

And therefore, I may whine.

WHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

35 weeks pregnant.

Ginormo baby.

Seriously. She's actually ginormo. Already. Well, she was 2 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure she's gotten bigger since then since that's what babies seem to do.

And now moving forward.

Wait, did I mention that I'm also really hot? Even in my newly insulated, radiant barriered home I'm feeling like I'm in a sauna.

I blame that on the baby, too.

Also, I blame the weird rash on my face on her.

Clearly the poor girl is going to be born with a lot of emotional baggage. But I'm sure I'll forgive her as soon as she's done dancing the cha-cha on my spleen every night.

Okay, really moving forward. Have I mentioned that Eclipse comes out this week? Have you noticed a measurable difference in my level of excitement about this movie versus the past two movies? I can assure you that I am no less excited. I really think this movie promises to be the best of the three. I've seen my fair share of clips and it looks quite good, to be honest. And I DID have a New Moon watching party last week in which like 20 of my girlfriends came over and none of us really watched the movie (except for the kissy-face parts...oddly we all became somewhat silent during those parts). But we did have fun eating junk food off of Edward and Jacob plates (thanks, Jen) and I'm pretty sure no one realized that I had a cooler full of water bottles, so people were probably thirsty the whole time. Which is appropriate because vampires are thirsty all the time, too. So maybe it was a sub-conscious effort on their part to really relate to the movie.

This time around I've decided to forego the midnight showing. Because after approximately 9 PM I am basically disabled. I could probably qualify for a special handicap tag for my car, except that when am I ever driving past 9 PM? Never. That's when.

So on Wednesday I'm getting a babysitter, going to my doc appt. (because I go to those a lot), and then I'm going to a matinee. I may or may not be all by myself. And I'm truly okay with it. Me, a diet coke, a tub of popcorn and a frigid movie theater is probably the most romantic thing I can think of right now. I'm practically drooling just thinking of it.

Word to your father

2010-06-21T16:10:00.001-05:00

This is what Chase got for his Father's day. The kids decorated some cute frames to put their pictures in. Are my children insanely cute or is it just me?

We had a great father's day here. Chase is a great husband, great father and a great man, so he deserved it. He got some golf with his dad and brothers (twice!), and a quiet night with his amazing wife. Then on Sunday as we arrived home from church I was making lunch and getting to work on my (killer) coconut cream pie when he started doing this:

I immediately chastised him and tried to send him from the room to go take a nap or read. His response: "The only real gift I can give you is to do something for you when I know I absolutely don't have to."

AWWWWWWW yeah. That's a well trained husband. Stand back ladies, this one is T-A-K-E-N.

But seriously, that's just one reason I love the man. He's selfless. I did think it was kind of funny that this was the shirt he had put on...

Mormon Helping Hands. Sweet. Thanks for rocking my whole world, babe.

You know it's hot when...

2010-06-15T21:36:00.001-05:00

The weatherman stops giving you the temperature in actual degrees and instead just lists in which circle of hell you are currently residing.

That man is sure good to me

2010-06-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend Chase got me this:

Not bad, right? Is he the best or what?

And the REALLY good part?

Claires, $9.

Yes. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. My fingers have officially started to swell to the extent that wearing my real wedding rings makes me feel claustrophobic and panicky. This has happened before. Once I realize taking them on and off is starting to get difficult I go into crazy-lady mode. I immediately envision myself having to undergo some emergency medical procedure where FULL ACCESS to my hands is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. And, of course, they have to bring in some kind of metal cutting machine to take off my rings because they are locked in place. But the machine doesn't work. So amputation is the only option.

So clearly my fingers aren't the only things swelling. My brain appears to be doing the same. But try as I might the vision never goes away.

So around this time with each pregnancy I usually give in to The Crazy and get myself a "fake while I bake" ring. Because I'm not a fan of walking around with three kids, a giant belly and NO ring. Call me old fashioned. Call me crazy. You'll probably be right on both counts.

So there you have it. My new, fake rings. I think they're actually quite pretty.

And Chase taught Miles to shave this weekend as well. We figured we'd start early, because imagining him with a sharp blade at any point in his life gives me more panic attacks than tight-ring-induced crazy.

Just kidding. Miles just thought it looked fun.

So did Soph.

(LET'S HOPE SHE NEVER NEEDS TO DO THIS FOR REAL)

7 weeks and counting

2010-06-11T17:56:00.001-05:00

Oooh boy, seven weeks to go. And what a long and quick seven weeks they will be, I'm sure.

Does anyone else think time is starting to get really tricky? I mean, I could SWEAR that yesterday Sophia was born. Now, here we are almost 2.5 years later and I'm about to do this again.

In just a measly seven weeks.

I'm scared, excited and heartburn-ey all at the same time.

I had a lovely little moment earlier today where I was sitting on the couch putting my feet up after a crazy morning of gym, errands, pool, house cleaning, etc. The Offspring usually takes these moments of solitude and practices for the World Cup. She was doing just that when I looked down and realized that I can't wait to meet her. Not just that I can't wait to get her OUT OF ME. I just can't wait to see her and count her toes and nibble her fingertips (and reassure myself that she is, in fact, a SHE). Who doesn't need a warm, wrinkly little baby curled up on their chest? I know that's what I need right now. Or in seven weeks, rather.

Miles has been cracking us up with all of his crazy, baby-related questions.

Heading out the door to the pool: "Mommy, is Haley wearing her swimsuit to the pool, too?"

Watching me eat something: "Mommy, does Haley want you to eat that? Does she think it's delicious?"

Standing in line at the child care at the gym: "Mommy, those mommies don't have babies in their tummies. That's why they're running. YOU can't run, mommy. Your belly is TOOOOOOOOOO big."

In other news, have I mentioned how grateful I am for air conditioning? Because I am. A lot. I'm the grateful-est.

Just below the ankle

2010-06-06T11:42:00.001-05:00

WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Christy, this is a post about F**t. The dreaded F word. So you're going to want to skip this post.

Is she gone?

Okay.

I don't actually have anything to say, except that Chase gave me a toe-paint job yesterday. I've been wanting a fun, summery pedicure. But I'm such a cheapskate. I have a VERY hard time convincing myself to pay for one. I actually never have. I've gotten them as birthday presents or when I got married.

So anyway, I knew I could still sort of reach my feet, so I was guaranteed at least some decent red toes. But I really wanted flowers. So I found a tutorial online, showed it to Chase and appointed him toe artist. And he came through, per the usual. I have yet to find something that guy can't do. He cooks, he can clean when motivated by my evil eye, he can whip out a spreadsheet and now he can paint rockin' flowers on my toes! How well rounded is that?

Observe:

Nice, eh?

As of late

2010-06-01T10:17:00.001-05:00

I'm so glad to be done with major home projects for the time being. So glad. We've kept ourselves really, really busy lately. And while that's nice, and we've gotten a lot accomplished, I am plain worn out.

So here's what we've been up to.

Guest Bathroom:

I've painted this sucker three times now. The first time I painted it purple. Not sure what I was thinking. The second time I was trying to paint it a pebble color and it just ended up looking like a faded version of the purple. And, I realized that I needed to find something that actually matched our tile. We weren't sure if we were keeping our tile surround (I thought we weren't), but when we decided it was staying I knew I needed something neutral to match it. So I found a tan'ish yellow that seems to work.

In addition to the painting I scraped out the grout in the tile surround so Chase could re-grout. This has to be one of the worst home jobs ever on the planet. You have this little tool and you literally scrape away the grout. It's awful. But I did it and lived to tell the tale. And saved some bucks in the meantime. So it was worth it. Chase did a good job re-grouting, too. Now we just need to re-surface the tub.

Also in the bathroom I sanded and painted the cabinets and baseboards. And while they certainly look better, I'm not ready to say they look GREAT. I mean, they're 30 years old. Their days of looking great were over when The Brady Bunch went off air. But I can live with them.

We still need to put in a new counter, sink and mirror in there. But for the time being I'm happy to be at this point.

Master Bedroom:

New bedding, curtains, blinds, paint. I went with pale gray for the walls. I had the hardest time choosing a color because I didn't want something too dark/bright/overwhelming in there. And we have black furniture, so you can't just do anything. Anyway, after I found the bedding I was inspired by the sound of my sister's "Gentle Rain" paint in her bedroom. So I stole the idea and ran with it. I still need to get stuff up on the walls, but overall I'm very happy with the effect. So soothing.

Attic:

Chase has been a maniac in the attic. He put up radiant barrier, followed by insulation. The whole project took the entire spring (not the two Saturdays I thought), totaling over 70 hours. And that's including the 15 hour day he put in with my dad. The house has been SO much more comfortable this year than in previous years. Even considering the fact that I am a walking oven. Even if our cooling bill never goes down I could care less because it feels so much better! Definitely worth it.

Out-of-doors:

In April we put in a garden. I wish I could say that it's flourishing. But unfortunately the larger I get the less desire I have to go hang out in the garden. So it's fallen by the wayside. BUT the hardest part is done so I have full faith we'll be in full-on garden mode next year. Sorry little garden friend.

We also have attempted, yet again, to get grass to grow properly in our front yard. The previous owners were complete idiots. And I mean that in the stupidest, most moronic sense of the word. They just were. Everyone surrounding us who had grass planted at the same time (by the builders) and who has taken just the least care of it has a beautiful green lawn. Us? Not so much. Sigh. We're having to fight an uphill battle to get it to grow in some spots. Chase spent last week pruning the crap out of the tree in front, which should help let more light reach the grass below. Cross your fingers for us on this one...

Random:

We found a new kitchen table! Well, new to us, at least. We outgrew our old table, which made me sad. It was the first piece of furniture I ever bought at an actual furniture store and I loved that thing. But it was time. I found a Crate & Barrel table on craigslist for a steal and snatched it up. It's already "broken in" (it has some light scratches on top) so I don't feel like I can't let my kids sit there and do crafts like they normally do. But it's roomier, MUCH more sturdy, and a better color than the old girl. So that was a fun find.

Lastly, in the midst of all this craziness, we re-financed our home from a 30 to a 15 year mortgage. Chase just came home randomly and said we should do it and I just kinda went along with it. He's the CPA, after all. Anyway, now that he's shown me several spreadsheets (of his own design, of course, being the EXCEL JEDI that he is) and amortization schedules, I'm really glad we did it! It was kind of annoying to have the house inspected in the middle of all of our projects, but it was a good decision. Yay to Chase for being a rock star like that.

Terrible Twos

2010-05-26T15:06:00.001-05:00

This is not a post about Sophie and her awesome 2 year-old-ness. That deserves it's own html. Come to think of it, her diva-liciousness deserves an entirely new internet. Get on it, Al Gore.

Anyway.

This is about the two things I want to do right now.

Hibernate.

Swim.

Is it so terrible that that is all I want to do? I just want to lock the doors, stay in my jammas and hang out. I don't necessarily want to sleep or rest. Not yet, anyway. I'd just like to not have to DO anything. I don't want to have to deal with actual PEOPLE. Excluding my kids/husband/family, of course. Them I like. And you know, it's not about not LIKING other people anyway. I LOVE people. People are fabulous. But getting dressed and leaving my house in order to talk to them is starting to feel somewhat overrated.

I don't know. Maybe it's my size (though, the doc informed me that despite my feelings of epic ginormity I'm measuring a little on the small side - not my BODY, just my womb...he didn't go into specifics about the size of my bottom parts, for which I thank him). Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the 10 billion things that happen in the month of May when school is ending and you're a certified PTA member. Regardless of the reason, I'm ready for it to stop. I'd like to take a day off.

And on my day off I'd like to be floating in a pool of glacial water. Al Gore might be able to do something about that, too. And why am I making Al Gore jokes?

I love the pool so much that when I showed up at my SIL's pool yesterday without my swim skirt (which I never, ever go without in public because of the cool Casper/Albino/Cellulite combo I've got going for me), I didn't care. I just jumped right in. Minus the jumping part.

It's almost June. Still too early to complain, right?

I swear this all sounded normal when it was in my head.

Bonus Blog:

Miles has been saying the most rad stuff lately. Yesterday after a total meltdown/tantrum in the car, he stopped crying, sniffed and said, "Mom. I love squirrels." Later in the day, on the way home from the pool, he dialogued WITH HIMSELF a conversation between himself and a bad guy who was "trying to take away [his] mommy." He was sounding super tough, like he could totally take the bad guy, until he corrected the bad guy's poor manners. He was all,

"You stay away from my mommy, bad guy!"

"No! I'm going to take her and get her!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yes I am and I think you're stupid!"

"Stupid is a bad word. It's not sparkly best manners to say stupid!"

(commence sounds of a struggle between bad guy and good guy)

It was kind of awesome.

Can we all agree?

2010-05-12T09:36:00.001-05:00

For the love of all that is gooey, crunchy and chocolate covered (read: holy), can we all just agree on this one topic?

Pregnancy is TEN MONTHS, people. TEN. Not nine. TEN.

I've been on the earth for approximately 364 months. And not one of them had 35 days in it.

So pregnancy leans much closer to ten months. It just does.

And I'm CONVINCED that the whole 9 month gestation idea came from someone who is uterus-less. How else would he have gotten the Mrs. on the baby train? Not with a double digit pregnancy, that's how.

Men. Whether it's a fart* or a pregnancy. They're always trying to sneak one past us.

* Fart was an illegal word in my house while growing up...I still have a hard time saying it. I usually just don't. It brings back memories of me being hoisted over the sink and soap deposited in my mouth. Shiver.

Cameron, why are you so handsome?

2010-05-09T13:34:00.001-05:00

Chase has been training Cameron to answer this question, "because I have good genes."

So no one should be surprised when, today after church, Chase said,

"Cameron, why are you so handsome?"

only to have Cameron respond,

"Because I'm wearing nice pants."

I love having kids. Happy Mother's Day to me:)

Mark your calendars...

2010-05-05T17:58:00.001-05:00

Saw the doc today and we scheduled the c-section! July 30.

Woooooo hooooooo!!!!!!!!

Also too, Cameron made this card for me today, totally out of the blue. Being a mom is a dream job:) Why didn't any of my employers ever give me performance reviews like this?

(translation: I like my mom. She is cool. I love my mom. I like my mom because she loves me.) (And I'll admit I was kinda hoping one of those superheroes was supposed to be me. It wasn't. I should have known I'm not THAT cool.)

And just for an update, Mom and Dad came to town last week. I love having them here. They're both big helps with the kids and I usually find a job to keep my dad busy - he's never been one to sit around.

Anyway, we ended up finding a B-I-G job for dad to help with. If you didn't know, Chase spent a ton of time putting up radiant barrier in our attic. He finished the job right before dad rolled into town. The next step was to put in a couple attic fans and blow in insulation. So dad got wrangled into that. Poor, poor man. It was a HUGE job. They spent the first day doing the attic fans and getting ready for insulation. The next day they spent over 15 hours doing the insulation. 15 HOURS! Wowzers bowzers.

At least they got started with some sweet golf...

Now if I can just convince Dad to ever come back:)

Excited-er!

2010-04-23T17:26:00.001-05:00

Okay THIS is a trailer. SUPER excited now! Oooooooh it's gonna be good!

24 weeks

2010-04-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

Here I am at about 6 months preggers with baby #4. I wish you could see the detail on this shirt, because it's easily my fave.

Ignore the Evil Emperor Zurg on the counter.

Also ignore the muddy color of the walls. I've painted them TWICE trying to get the color right. First it was chewed grape bubblicious purple, now it's faded chewed grape bubblicious purple. Neither is flattering in that bathroom. I'm starting over next week...

Annnnnnnnd a side pic. Because it's necessary to show you why I get the weird double takes when I'm pushing the cart down the aisle. I go FORWARD when I'm pregnant. At least until about 8 months when my body just goes all-over-round.

You may notice that while my stomach goes FORWARD my bum gains equally in the BACKWARD department. I feel like a giant, walking letter S.

In case you were wondering...

2010-04-13T11:01:00.001-05:00

...about Sophie's potty progress (because I know you were. Don't lie. You think about it all the time.), let me just say that when I picked her up from the gym daycare (YES, the GYM! I go so that I can watch The Price is Right. Not really, but I've never watched that show before and now find myself staring at it during workouts...so weird), she said, "Mommy! Potty!" And I said, "do you need to go potty, Soph?" And the daycare worker said, "No. She just went a couple minutes ago."

Yeah. That's right.

And now that I've put that in writing she will probably have no less than 36 accidents today, just to spite me.

Girls are a whole different ball of wax, I tell you.

Sugar crash

2010-04-08T17:33:00.001-05:00

I miss my easter candy. I just do. I know it's good that it's gone. I know that it's good that our next "candy" holiday is months and months away. But I really love having an excuse to have seasonal candy in the house. I'm lame like that.

But chances are you are, too. Maybe a little? Yes?

Nothing good to post. After dismantling the kids' easter eggs and sorting the candy into piles (yes, still writing about candy), I told Chase to hide the candy from me. I've had too much and sugar makes babies BIG. At least this is what my friends who have endured gestational diabetes tell me. And I tend to believe them. So anywho, my babies are big all on their own. I don't need a baby inflated by sugar. So I told the man to take it. Take all of it! Far away!

He hid it in his closet. I know because I found it two days later with not much trying.

He also hid the Halloween candy there.

So when Chase got home yesterday and saw a suspicious looking wrapper sitting next to me he was right to question. But he didn't mention that he was MOVING the hidden candy!

But he did.

And I am sad.

The Easter bunny is my nemesis.

2010-04-01T18:33:00.001-05:00

This is a package of my favorite Easter candy (excepting Cadbury Creme Eggs, naturally). I purchased it yesterday.

Have you noticed that it's empty?

Yeah, that's right. 30 hours later the bag is empty.

However, in my defense...

yeah. I got nothing.

That pack of Chicks and Rabbits was TASTY! Mmmmmmm hmmmmmm.

This is the new residence of those Chicks and Rabbits.

In other news, Miles had a little easter egg hunt at preschool this morning. I foolishly let him carry his 12 eggs into the house and I ran to check my email quick-like.

And this is what I returned to.

Post Egg Hunt Madness

And just for kicks, here's Sophia looking crazy adorable.

That is all. Go about your day.

7 minutes in heaven

2010-03-29T22:07:00.001-05:00

My SIL, Kathleen, had told me this video existed and I totally forgot about it until tonight. Chase is out at a Mav's game and I had a little time on my hands, so I looked it up.

Annnnnnnnd, now I'm officially excited for Eclipse to come out. Considering that I will be 84 months pregnant when Eclipse premiers I just haven't been able to get too hyped up about it. I'm having a hard time imagining myself standing in line at midnight wearing my "Emmett Prefers Enormo Pregnant Chicks" customized t-shirt.

However, this video has changed all that. Well, maybe not the part about the t-shirt, but the part about me being un-excited. Because I'm seriously excited now.

Still not excited about BDH as Victoria, though, because not only did they make her ugly, they gave the girl a FRO.

It's epic.

I'll say this for Eclipse. If it's better than New Moon on the same scale that New Moon was better than Twilight, I'll be a happy customer. Eclipse is my fave book of the whole series. Please pretty please let them not mess this up.

And now, for your viewing pleasure...

I almost started to write a whiner post.

2010-03-29T14:38:00.001-05:00

But then I didn't. Because, you see, I'm reformed. Remember?

Besides, a fourth-round of pink eye is not that big of a deal to a two year-old. Two year-olds are NOTORIOUS for loving eye drops. LOVING. THEM. Yesterday, as I was applying them, I heard Sophie murmur something along the lines of "this reminds me of a spa treatment." Lucky girl, that Sophie!

And a three-week course of antibiotics for the same two year-old who STILL has double ear infections and sinusitis is still not that bad. Throbbing ear drums are, in fact, considered very attractive in some cultures.

And your four year-old having an asthma attack? Seriously! Who would complain about that? Oral steroids just make him bigger and stronger and crazier!

So, you know, we're just living the high-life over here. Life is just it's normal shade of RADICAL and I know you wish you were here to enjoy it with us.

See how awesome I am at not complaining? I'm like the KING of not complaining. Woot!

Okay, but seriously. Life's good. I got to eat sushi over the weekend and that usually ups the general level of kick-a-ness here at Chez Chi-town. And General Conference is coming up this weekend. And I heart Conference. Only partly because that means I'm making gooey, delicious Sister Mecham's Seminary Caramel Rolls. And there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Because I'm totally going to the gym this week.

As soon as everyone starts breathing normally.

So I'm totally going to the gym next week.

No friggin' way!

2010-03-24T22:11:00.001-05:00

This is Kristen Bell. She's gorgeous, right? Great skin, cute dress, nice hair, blah to the blah.

I want to talk about her knees, because this picture is like a revelation for me.

Hi. My name is Anna, and I have horrible knees. They're really round and shapeless and they kind of ooze right into the top of my calves. They're worse right now because I haven't been to the gym much lately (but remember how I ate a granola bar last night? That's gotta be helping.). They're better when I'm a lunge-a-holic and a squat queen. But they're never like the shapely, lovely knees of my sister-with-legs-like-a-colt, Lylla. I'm not sure where she plucked her knees from on the family tree, but mine came straight from my ever-loving mom. And heaven bless her, those knees carried 8 children so why should I complain?

Well, icky knees are a hard thing to conquer. Most people have knees with some relative definition. As in, you can tell that the thigh has come to a stop and that the calf will come soon thereafter. I have none of that. Just ooze. And I've always been ashamed of it - especially since the inside of my knees round out toward each other. Ugh. It's just a big mess.

But, Kristin Bell! Look at her! She's gorgeous and she HAS MY KNEES! And you know what? They don't look so terribly bad after all. Yes, yes, she's 20 sizes smaller than me and not retaining water. But it gives me much hope to think that someone with MY KNEES can go running around with them sticking out like that. Glory hallelujah, I just want to stare at them all night!

So for now I'm stuck with the water retaining, baby supporting, tree trunk versions. But maybe in the future you'll run into me somewhere sunning my knees and you won't even recognize me because you'll be all, "Wow! Those are some great gams!"

I ate a granola bar and a glass of milk last night...

2010-03-24T09:08:00.001-05:00

...in lieu of nachos and ice cream, which is what I've eaten every night for the last five (at least) nights.

So, I think I can safely say that, even though I've only been to the gym twice since Christmas Eve, I'm about even now, right?

Right?

(crickets)

But seriously. I thought I was pretty awesome for that one.

And I'll totally go to the gym on Friday.

I think.

Ode to Drugs

2010-03-16T22:11:00.001-05:00

O, Drugs

How good you make me fill

When I am oh, so cranky

And sick and nasty,

fo rill.

You make my breathing passageways

so clear and so defined

I almost don't have a problem

getting cortisone in my behind.

You made my day much brighter

when once you met my system.

I wish I didn't have

to beg my doc to listen.

I thank you for your magic

may it never go away.

For you have made my world

on this dreary, pee-filled day.

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

I swear, I have spent a lot of the last four months whining. Whining about the boys' asthma, whining about my morning sickness, whining about Sophie's triple back-to-back pink eye, and her ear infections and her sinus infections, and Miles' pink eye. Oh yeah, and my non-stop infections.

But this is my proclamation to the world: I am reformed. I promise to stop whining so dang much. I know that this is the crap that life is made of. It happens because we live in this place we call mortality. And I can be healthy when I'm dead. I mean, when I'm dead and living in heaven and my body is perfected and...oh crap. You know what I mean.

It does make you realize, though, once you're feeling good, that feeling badly really DOES make you FEEL BADLY. It's hard to feel GOOD when you feel BADLY. You know what I mean? And please don't get me wrong, I have watched enough close family and friends suffer through actual, life-threatening illnesses in the past few years (mostly I have watched them, watch their children go through it - which is even more heartbreaking). I know that a couple asthma attacks and some colds are NOTHING. I know that. I don't forget it, even on my worse day. But I think I do forget to be grateful when I'm feeling really well. Or when I'm just feeling not crappy, even.

So. I am reformed. No more whining. Okay, I'll probably whine occasionally. I'm thinking, maybe starting in the end of June, early July? Is everyone okay with that? Because I'll be looking like Shamu's older sister by then, and I think whining is okay? Yes?

Anyway, I thought I should just throw some things out here that have made me feel SO GOOD lately. Because I am a blessed woman, in so many ways.

1. Good friends. I am surrounded by women both local and far, who astound me. They are compassionate, willing to give of their time and talents, and are selfless. They are funny. They are willing to forgive my long absence from play-groups, ladies night out and various and sundry things. They don't expect too much from me, and make me feel welcome and loved every time I see them. It's amazing to feel that. So, thanks, girls.

2. Miles is learning his alphabet. Oh Miles. I've had my eye on you. I have silently (and not so silently, at times) had some concerns as I've watched you grow and develop. You're smart, curious, SO loving, creative and fun. But you're different from Cameron and, in my naiveté, I'll admit I may have compared. You haven't noticed, but I did it anyway. I'm so grateful to see you learning and growing at your own speed and pace. You do learn differently, and I'm getting used to accommodating it. But that's why we're partners, you and I.

After trying all the same teaching methods that worked with Cameron, I finally gave in and tried a VIDEO called The Letter Factory by LeapFrog. And Miles, who couldn't identify a single letter except "O" and occasionally "F" is now grabbing letter magnets off the fridge and bringing them to me saying their name AND sound!!! I can't tell you how I beam and praise. It's probably over the top. But he likes to hear how awesome he is. So, naturally, I oblige.

3. Sophia is potty training. And while I kinda hate potty training, it's amazing to see your kids picking up new skills and (sniff) growing up. She is SO PROUD of her princess panties! I love seeing her clap her hands and shout "Ooray mommy! I do it!" and give me a big hug. We do some dancing, some high-fives and shout out our excitement for her. It's become a whole family thing. Cameron and Miles and Daddy get right in there and tell her how great she is. So, Sophie is amazing. (and she may have turned a corner, but I'm not going to jinx it by talking about it...just cross your fingers and your eyes and your legs that she keeps doing so awesome!)

4. Drugs. Did I mention drugs? Even if I have spent (hold onto your hats) about a grand on drugs just since November. I'm grateful to live in a time and place where I can get the healthcare my family needs.

5. Chase. I. Love. That. Man. He just makes everything easier and better. And I think his company's audit is almost over so we'll get to see him again soon. And hey, while we're at it, I'm so glad Chase isn't doing public accounting! Holy schmoly the things we've gotten done on Saturdays this month...

6. The Gospel. This list is getting long. I know. Sorry. It's your fault for reading this far. But having an understanding of my place in this world, and in the world to come, is such a peaceful thing. I can't quite describe it, but it's a feeling of being almost untouchable. I know that I have to endure trials and challenges in this life. And some are going to be so hard that I will have to fight with every ounce to get through them. But they're temporary. And, in the grand scheme of things, they will be for my benefit and make me stronger. All we take with us is what we learn on this earth, and then we go on to a better place to live and serve with our Heavenly Father. How amazing is that?

7. Spandex.

8. Ice cream.

9. I'm just making this long enough to end on an even number. And spandex was an actual item on the list. And who can stop at 7? Or 8? That makes for a very weird list, in my book. You gotta hit at least double digits or you're clearly an ungrateful witch.

10. Cheese. Seriously. What doesn't taste better with Cheese on it?

11. Super hero costumes. Okay, I know I implied I'd be done with 10, but now I want to see how far down you'll read. How much do you REALLY love me? Huh? HUH?

12. My garden. Yes. You heard that right. I have an honest-to-goodness garden growing in my backyard. So far I've got peas, beets and carrots in the ground with much more to come. Summer will be a happy place with that home-grown goodness to chow on. Yummmmm.

Okay, I'm done. Fo rill.

You HUGE!

2010-03-16T19:19:00.001-05:00

Proof that I am an Ugly Mom:

Tonight as we were sitting (around Sophia's potty), about to read scriptures, I was letting Miles brush my hair. After combing it into a nice fluffy coiffure, Miles said, "Mommy, you're HUUUUUUGE!" Then he came around front to get a nice, good look and repeated, "Mommy! You're huge!"

At which point Sophie, from her throne, giggled and said, "huge, huge, huge! hee hee hee!"

If only they weren't so right...

Shori Pony

2010-03-11T19:37:00.001-06:00

We're having another girl! Well, this is what the doctor assures us because we got some GOOD looks and there wasn't much to see. But after Chrysta's experience I'm not counting my chickens until they've hatched. The good thing is that for a girl I don't really have to prepare anything. She'll share a room with Sophie and the paint/decor will all stay the same. If The Crazy happens and she turns out to be HE, Sophie will still share the room (for the time being, anyway), but we'd have to paint and choose more neutral bedding for both Sophie and the crib.

So. There you go. Baby #4 will be a girl! Yay! We're thrilled to get things evened out around here! And she will get to grow up with my SIL Kathleen's little girl who will make her debut about a week or two before her. Fun!

BTW: We'll be naming her Shori Pony. We figure since we don't live in Utah anymore we should bring the experience of combining your parents names to create new and unique (read: Sucktastic) names, to Texas. So Sherry + Tori = Shori and Tony + Pat = Pony. Duh. Chase would like me to point out that Terry Tatrick also would have worked.

Eclipse Trailer: Why does it suck so much?

2010-03-11T17:45:00.001-06:00

Am I the only one who thinks this trailer is...lame? The other trailers were much better. I'm holding out to see what new trailers come out over the next couple of months. They've GOT to get better.

My reaction to every other Twilight series trailer has involved some sort of screaming. My reaction to this one?

"Uh, okay."

And are they kidding with Victoria? Guys, it's Bryce Dallas Howard. And you made her look UGLY. Do you know how hard you have to work to make Bryce Dallas Howard look ugly? Badly done, Summit. Badly done. (totally just watched Emma the other day)

And yet I have great faith that the movie itself is going to be great. June 30, woot woot!

All night long

2010-03-03T13:10:00.001-06:00

That's the Lionel Richie song that's in my head at the moment.

Because I was up, you know, ALL NIGHT LONG.

Miles just didn't feel good, and as I was scrubbing puke out of the carpet at 3:30 am I was providing solace for myself, thinking that since he'd been up all night and sick, he would most assuredly be somewhat lethargic today. And I would have appreciated that. My sinuses have been attacking me for three weeks straight and I'm approximately the size of Shamu.

See that open mouth? That's how I've been sleeping lately.

Anyway, Miles - being Miles - has done little to relieve me today.

Instead he's been bright, bouncy and full of life! Oh hooray! And yes, I know that technically this should make me happy. "My little boy isn't suffering and in pain!" And hey, that's nice. But guess who IS suffering and in pain?

Right. Me.

Annnnnnnnd, he has an equally spunky, busy little accomplice.

Don't you wish YOU looked like this with pink eye, double ear infections and a sinus infection?

Question for the universe: Where do children get their energy? Heaven knows it's not from eating. There's very little eating going on here. And I can't even imagine it's photosynthesis, since the sun hasn't been showing it's face around here lately (except when I'm so sick that leaving the house isn't optional - like today).

SO? Where?! How? And most importantly, WHY?!

How's your food storage?

2010-02-24T09:55:00.001-06:00

This morning as I was straightening my hair Sophia walked in and handed me a crumpled bunch of scraps.

"Here, mommy. Barbage (garbage)," said The Girl With The Big Blue Eyes.

Looking it over I could see that it was the remains of what was, just minutes before, a completely usable toy.

"What happened?" I inquired.

And with a look that would convince every jury in the nation except the one I was on, she cocked her head, shrugged one shoulder and replied,

"I no know, mommy." And then blinked enough to put Scarlett O'Hara to shame while smiling with just the side of her mouth.

So by my calculations that puts the Apocalypse beginning somewhere around next Tuesday.

I hope you're ready.

And while you're at it, eat this!

2010-02-12T11:09:00.001-06:00

These waffles are ah-mazing! I'm obviously enjoying being able to eat again.

I have to share this recipe!

2010-02-09T18:57:00.001-06:00

I've made this a few times and it's easily one of the best recipes up my sleeve. I changed it around this time, swapping chicken broth (well, bouillon and water) for the sherry. I'm skeptical that the crockpot is really burning off the alcohol... Also, my friend was talking about tomato and roasted red pepper soup the other day and I haven't been able to get it out of my head! So I roasted up two whole red peppers and threw those in as well. I served it with my mom's homemade bread recipe.

DIVINE!