I finally did it!!!! + my first award

Okay so I'll paint the picture for you. Last week my ever so talented neighbor had a little party to learn to crochet. I had no real intention of actually learning how to crochet but wanted a night out of the house and a chance to talk to someone over the age of 5 so I headed over for treats and gossip! Once I was there I found everyone dutifully learning all the stitches you would need to make these cute little purses. I watched and immediately decided that was WAY too hard to do! I came home after about an hour and my husband asks to see what I made I explained all of the things mentioned above, he nodded and pretended to listen. Well that night I couldn't sleep I just kept thinking of those stupid stiches I kind of learned and I couldn't remember how to do them. This bothered me A LOT! Don't ask me why... I have really never had a great desire to learn to crochet (at least not until I was 80!) Yet here I was obsessing over it in my sleep. So I went to the store and got yarn and a book titled "I taught myself how to crochet" I set to work and I am extremely proud to say I DID IT! I really did teach myself how to crochet (the fact that I have been a shut in with sick kids helped alot !) But here it is... the finished product. A cute little watermelon purse! It looks totally easy right! NOT it really isn't and I now have a much deeper appreciation of all things knitted by my grandmother !

Haley loves it as you can see! She insisted on taking it to school. She packed it full of snacks and carried it off to school. But not until she told me this was the best present ever! ( Okay.... so I know that it really isn't but I appreciate her telling me this! ) So thanks Kati for bringing out this weird desire I apparently had to learn how to crochet!

Thanks also to my friend Christina for giving me my very first award ever! It's very much appreciated!

Good News...kind of!

So after a week of trying our hardest to get our little guy back on his feet and feeling good again I threw in the towel and took him to the Dr. I am in the doctor's office so often that I am getting really good at "mom diagnosing" You know how it goes... you call the office or go in and tell the nurse what your child is sick with, they agree with you and send you home (but not until you pay them 20 bucks to tell you what you already knew!) So this time with Dylan I knew he had croup, but he didn't have the stridor (the wheezing noise) with it. I knew that there is nothing you can do for croup except a steroid shot to help with the wheezing.(Which he didn't have) So I treated the fevers all last week and the lovely barking cough but after a week and with him now throwing up now too I decided whatever I was doing was not working!!! I mean maybe I was wrong and he had pneumonia or something. Plus now Avery had it all last night and she did have the stridor! So we bundled up and braved the HUGE snow storm to get to the doctor today. Good news it was NOT pneumonia it was croup without the stridor an ear infection and the stomach flu! Avery had all this too except the ear infection thanks to the lovely tubes we just put in ! (Yeah) So here's my 40 bucks can I go home now : )

PS I am totally just being cranky. I really do love my doctor! He is fabulous with the kids I just wish I could prescribe my own medicine for the things that I already know is wrong with my kids! : )

PPS: The stupid apple a day thing DOES NOT WORK! We've tried that and everything else!

Are we done yet?

Is anyone else as sick of January as I am. I mean come on!!!! How much cold weather and blah are we expected to take? I am ready to take the first plane outta here to somewhere warm and tropical! ((SIGH)) I wish! My poor little guy is the one who is sick this week (because of course someone is sick) Hopefully he will start feeling better soon. I am not kidding I am so tempted to ditch this frozen waste land that as soon as he is better we just might be outta here. Hawaii here we come!

A Day with A Drama Queen

So last night my little sweet child was awake for hours! I have no idea why.... I gave her Motrin in case it was a teething issue but that still did not help. She was awake from 10:30 until 2:00! Ugggh.....that makes for a long night and an even longer day today! Needless to say Avery is very very crabby today. I could have said she was an emotional mess but I thought a picture is worth a thousand words right! Here ya go.... I bet this makes you want to hang out at my house today! :)

Here is the little drama queen throwing a fit because she doesn't have her blanket!

I still don't have it!!!!

Where is it!!!!

Oh wait.... here it comes Dylan's got it!

Dylan wants a hug as payment.... Nope she's not having that!

I will not hug you!!!! But you can sit close to me!

I guess your kinda funny

Starting to feel better now

Now I feel A LOT better! I even have my taggie

Thanks big brother!

Love ya!

Hey Punk....I'm not that old

I am not usually very sensitive about my age ( well.....I am not immune but it doesn't stress me out AS bad as some of my friends) This year however I will be forever leaving my 20's, something that once again doesn't stress me out to bad but ask me again in 8 months I may change my tune. So anyway this is why the following story took me off guard this afternoon.

(( Something you should know first, Haley is not really enjoying riding the bus lately! I guess it's a trade of or something because now she actually likes going to school just not riding the bus)

Anyway... Haley go home from school today and said "Can you please start dropping me off at school and picking me up)

My reply : No Haley, we talked about this. Dylan has preschool most mornings and Avery is asleep by the time you get home.

Haley : But my Bus driver is SOOOOoooooooo Mean! She just keeps getting meaner!

Mom: Why is she mean?

Haley: She always yells at us and tells us to be quiet and sit down.

Mom: That's so she can concentrate on getting you to school safely.

Haley: But today she pushed me into my chair (GASP... a few calming breaths from mom)

Mom: What do you mean she pushed you !!!!????

Haley: She put her hand on my back and pushed me softly to my chair

Mom: Okay, still not happy about this definitely "MEAN" bus driver and wondering what to do about it. ( I am now thinking to myself who to discuss appropriate bus driver personalities with when I am distracted by another question. )

Haley: Mom ?? Did you ride the bus when you were little ?

Mom: Nope. I lived too close to school for the bus to pick me up, but it was still a really long walk. about 1 1/2 miles so you should be happy that you get to ride the bus (No... I did not say it was up hill both ways! Which it actually was.... and I really did want it in the snow! But I left all of that out : )

Haley: Why didn't you sneak on the bus? Or ask someone really nicely?

Mom: Well it doesn't work that way honey

Haley: (Now eating her lunch and obviously thinking) " I know why you couldn't ride the bus mom, they weren't invented back then huh! 'Cause that was a LONG time ago right?

Mom: Gasp again! Ummm..... no you little punk! Now eat your lunch

Church Holiday

So this Sunday.... Well I guess I better back track to Saturday. So Saturday was not a good day! Mom was grumpy, mad, angry, frustrated etc. etc. and if you know the saying "if mom ain't happy no body's happy" well this totally applied which in return only aggravates mom even more. So I decided very late Saturday night around 4:00 am that I was not going to church! Not in the mood. ( I know I am a sinner... but this is who I am people take it or leave it alright!) So I informed my now timid husband of this fact Sunday morning. " I am driving to Ogden to hang out with my family" He by no means wants to cross the inexplicably moody wife at this point so he just says "okay, but I need to go....okay, so you go... is my reply" I called my sister to let her know I was going to be heading up to Ogden, she decided to take what her husband calls a "CHURCH HOLIDAY" we are all totally sinners. As soon as one of my sisters breathes a hint of the word "skipping church" we all jump on the band wagon I will take any opportunity I can to hang out with my sisters and unfortunately with all of our schedules Sunday's seem to be the day! I chalk it up to family bonding or something like that but we just really like to see each other.

Anyway, unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no cute pictures of said events. My dad took pictures but knowing him like I do I doubt that they will ever make their way out of the camera. Sad.....but true so anyway this is what we did. We let the kids play for a while with grandpa who was supposed to be going to church but obviously wavering ( I wonder where we inherited our church holiday spirit from ????) Truthfully we don't see him that often and he loves the grand kids so much that it is physically painful for him to leave while he knows they are there. Long story short he didn't go to church.... family bonding remember. The grand kids talked him into getting the "REAL" tractor out which is code word for "not the little one", and scooped up all the snow in the 5 acre field and make a huge mound of snow which was then turned into not one.... not two.... but three sledding hills complete with built in stairs and a twisty sled run. It was 6 0r 7 feet tall and SOOOOOOOOooooooo much fun. The kids played out in the snow for hours until they were too tired to stand. So naturally at that point we got out the snowmobiles and ran those for the next hour or so! ((my little one year old is addicted to riding things that go fast and loved it more than anyone, what can I say, she is a daddy's girl through and through!) It was so fun! Thanks to all the sisters, and dad, who so selflessly ditched church so that I could enjoy their company and get over my extremely bad mood! : ) I feel much better! But never fear I will be back on the straight and narrow come Sunday.

My litle Cheerleader

Okay.... so my post yesterday seemed to strike a nerve. I really didn't mean to come off rude or unapproving. If I really hated it all that bad I would not have signed her up for it in the first place. I am just....ummm confused no scratch that... Learning is the better word. I hope that I did not offend some friends of mine. I did mention that two of my friends were totally involved in these sports throughout high school. I really do acknowledge that it is a sport and one that I was never good at. Here is the problem we tried gymnastics early on with Haley and she decided she would rather NOT do that anymore ( she is not the most coordinated child, bless her heart) She tried dance as well and got fed up with that as well. I know that she is still young and not sure really what she wants which is why we are so willing to let her try all sorts of new things to help her find "Her Thing". We really do want her to be involved in some sort of sport or physical activity to help with the coordination issue. But it doesn't change the fact that I am nervous of her being around cheerleaders. I do not know why this is but some little girls (big girls too) have come to see this title as somewhat of a social status that entitles them to be mean to other kids (not just girls) I will DEFINITELY teach Haley that this is in NO WAY shape or form acceptable, but my fear is monkey see monkey do. Haley already mimics what she thinks "COOL" big kids do and say and I am constantly telling her this is not acceptable behavior. So you see this really has nothing to do with cheer leading per say, but more about the influences she will be around I feel completely petrified about failing my daughters and letting them turn out to be "Mean Girls" I feel with every passing year I am loosing my influence that mommies have on their little kids and and acquiring more annoyed looks at moms annoying talks! I know this is all part of letting your kids grow up but give me a little bit of slack! She is my first baby and also my most stubborn....(ummmm... well maybe) most of the time she acts like she is 16 and not 6. I am just nervous I am not doing a good job teaching her how to be nice!

Now that I am done explaining I will let you know Haley LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! her class. there is only 2 little girls in the class for some reason and Haley thinks this is even better! One on one cheer leading attention! What could be better. So it looks like for the next little while she will be "into" this activity and this will be my Wednesday evenings.

Notice the little one in back absorbing everything... she was even

trying to do the moves herself

This week has been a long one. Not only did I teach preschool, but Dylan is also in swim class this week as well as next. This definitely is "his thing" he loves it! So once again mom is obligate to schlep all 3 kids out in the snow to watch Dylan go swimming. Last night we did swimming and cheer leading both at the same time. That was interesting!

This kid has NO fear of the water (This is exactly what prompetd the need for lessons)

So you see... I do understand that it is all about individual preferences I just hope and pray that I might not screw it up too badly for either one of them. I am sure in the future Dylan will come home and want to do something that scares me just as bad as Haley and the cheer leading! Like Football or something..... ackkkkkk my little guy would get smashed for sure! See : ) it is not all one sided around here. Moms crazy paranoia's are not gender based!

Ready! Okay!

I am not trying to be mean. Like.....I am totally Not Okay! Okay.... (insert flip of the ponytail here) I am wrestling with my conscience today. Haley starts pee wee cheer classes today and I am....well what's the word? Struggling! To help you understand I will paint the picture for you. I grew up with no brothers, my dad being very discouraged by this fact (Not us...just that there were no boys!) Treated us all like boys. I can't tell you how often I heard the phrase" You throw like a girl!" We actually had a shirt that said that on one side, and on the back said "exactly what did you think I was? " We grew up tomboys, completely covered in dirt, not wanting baths, playing with cars and Lego's completely not understanding "Girly girls" AT ALL!!! So you can understand my confusion when it comes to Haley. Her room is Pink! I mean.... hurt your eyes, pepto bismal pink. She loves girl things and despises anything that remotely looks like boy stuff.

Now back to the present! Her two goals in life as she tells everyone is to be a cheerleader.... and a mom. (We tell her as long as those follow the correct order that is fine) She has wanted to be a cheerleader since she could say the word. My stubborn tomboy side has been trying to convince her otherwise. Last year when she sat and picked flowers all through the season of soccer finally it convinced me that she would be happier doing other things! So I surrendered and signed her up for cheerleading. But now I am terrified that I am sending her down the path to "mean girl land" like she needs any encouragement at all. I do have some hope. My two best friends in high school were cheerleaders and drill team members and they weren't mean. But they were kind of the exception and not rule! Someone please tell me that just because this is all my small, precious, little daughter wants does not mean that she has the mutant gene required in most cases to be the mean cheerleader girl! Ugggg! Someone tell me when it's over! Like.... I am totally dreading it, For SURE!

Update

Well today my first day of preschool this week. It went great, thanks for the input and ideas. I decided with the snow storm coming in the next few days that a trip to SLC with other people's kids was not the best plan so we came up with GREAT things to do here instead! We launched rockets and made outer space pictures. Next time we will be doing a game like duck duck goose. But Astronaut, Astronaut, Alien. Maybe making something called Moon Slime and playing tic tack toe with rocket ships and moons. All the little kids were SO good today, you never know with 4 little 4 year olds whether they are going to be "In" to it or not so it is great when they actually like what you planned for them.

What is that?

Tonight while we were searching for a rental movie that we lost I happened to find my camera stuffed in between the couch cushions. I thought that was a weird place to find my camera but with three kids like mine I am just completely happy that the plumber didn't fish it out of the u-bend of the toilet. So after finding the camera in the couch I put it up (again) and didn't think much of it until I took a few pictures of Avery pretending to be a princess. It wasn't until then that I found this picture. I wondered to myself "What is that?" I showed the picture to Michael when he started to laugh and said that Haley had wondered out loud earlier today if it would be possible to kiss the camera and get a picture of it. Well......my inquisitive child took matters into her own hands and figured it out. Pretty funny... at least she didn't wonder if the camera would actually take a picture while it flew out the second story window of our house.

Ahhhhh..... I guess she got her answer I hope that satisfied the curiosity.

Now that we got the weird random issue of Haley's lips out of the way this is what I was going to blog about originally. Why it is just completely inevitable that around 18 months little girls all the sudden like pink, play with baby dolls, and want to be a princess. Avery has 2 out of the 3 in this picture alone (I guess since I buy her clothes the pink issue is totally on me) but he tiara is ALL her! If only she were carrying one of the many babies laying around my living room I would have illustrated my point perfectly.

Okay.... where did my little baby go? This is a mini person with attitude and personality all her own! Today at the store she WOULD NOT sit in the cart and screamed until I let her walk beside me. She WOULD NOT hold my hand and would not walk where I was going. I told her bye.... hoping she would follow me then.... she told be BYE and turned around and walked around the corner to the next isle. GASP!!!! I am not ready for her to grow up

Outer Space Ideas

Okay.... so next week is my turn for preschool, after such a long break I am sure the other little boys are as anxious as Dylan is to get back to school so I wanted to make it really fun. So this is a two part question for all you creative, amazing, women that I know are out there. I need some really fun ideas. The theme is Outer Space. I am good with the other part of pre-school like the numbers and letters I am doing but I am looking for fun art projects, books, and snacks for the kids since we have been apart for so long. So any ideas you might have or that your kids did in school would be great.

The second part of my question is for my own personal tally. I want to take the kids to the planetarium at the gateway. I have been there many times. My kids love it. It is really open and there is lots to see and do, and TOUCH all pertaining to space. Am I crazy for taking 4 little boys there by myself (I mean...come on there's only 4 of them.) What do you think? I think it would be great but my sister says I'm crazy so she has me wondering.... so WhATchA think????

Mommy my EARG hurts

You may recall in one of my last posts I listed a few of my kids little speech "quirks" and one of Dylan's was that he always call his ear his eargs. So today I heard all day long. "Mommy my eargs' hurt" Or he would say I am having a weird day cause I just don't feel right. These are all things he usually says right before he starts to throw up and is diagnosed with Strep throat. The only catch is he already is on antibiotics for strep throat. I thought he was just playing it up or something so I tried to distract him, but he just kept complaining about it all day. So I called the Dr. and yep there is a reason for this. He is antibiotic resistant too...or so it seems. Just like his baby sister. Well they do have a lot in common I guess this is just one more thing. So much for my new years resolution of not being sick this year! CRAP!!! ( Maybe this could be considered a continuation of the last sickness that started before the New Year began.)

Good bye 07

Okay... a new year a new leaf right! I've decided that in 2008 my family will not be sick (( well not nearly as much)) We ended 2007 with every member of the family with strep throat. The doctors didn't believe it when I kept telling him that little Avery had it too. I guess that it is really rare that babies under 2 get strep. Well.... as we all know extremely rare means nothing to me. In fact it means that it WILL probably happen to us because it is rare. So they kept telling me that babies did not get it.... so instead of fighting them I went home and got the baby brought her back to the office and said. Please swab her. So they did and of course the dr. came back into the shocked and said "she does have it!" Well, thanks for the news flash, now where's my prescription.

Now that all 5 of us are on antibiotics we supposedly aren't contagious anymore and we can get on with the holidays.... we had our brother and sister-in-laws staying here with the nephews. It has been really fun. The kids love it. Avery loves it fact she won't come anywhere near me! I am not kidding. I got up with her today since of course she was up before 7 since we stayed up late last night and this is what I got. Her crying and laying outside the door of my brother in law waiting for him to get up (( I am sure he loved this))

Uncle Thad..... Please come out!

So we had a great New Year's Eve. At least as good as can be had (It is NOT a favorite holiday of mine ) But we had GREAT food. Michael's only requirement was that we had FOOD, FOOD, and more FOOD) There is so much food in this house we could feed the teenage nephews for at least.... the REST of the Day that's saying A LOT! (He he he JK guys). We stayed up until midnight chatting. Well everyone else did. I am totally lame and I dozed in and out but was awake to say HAPPY NEW YEAR. I am now going to bed! (Remember I am barely getting over strep and so are the kids, that means no sleep for mommy) The draw of staying up until midnight is not there for me. I am regularly up until midnight and beyond. I would much rather be sleeping any day ( Like I said, stupid Holiday I know a man with no small children thought this one up just because he wanted to kiss a girl! My feelings, let's kiss at 10:00 and say happy new year in the morning, because notice it was only me who was up at 3:00 with the 4 year old and up again at 6:30 with the baby! Stupid Holiday! ) Anyway...aside from my feelings on the holiday we had a really good time. So happy NEW YEAR EVERY ONE!