Heat me, baby, one more time… November 12, 2008

     This post is based on a 13-year-long fight over the thermostat.  Not a fight, really, as much as a sneaky contest to see who can keep the heat at their desired temperature the longest.

 

     Kenny is always turning the heat up.  He gets cold very easily, and because he’s diabetic, his circulation is poor.  His feet are always like ice, and he is never without socks and slippers.  (He refers to them as “foot mittens”.  I’m not sure if it’s a German thing or what, but it’s annoyingly endearing.  Most days.) 

Hannah the Fashionista September 6, 2008

     Hannah, who is four (going on twenty-four!), has quite the developed fashion sense.  From whence it developed, I have no idea.  I’m also not sure if it’s fully developed (I’m guessing it’s NOT), but I’ll let you judge for yourself.

 

Dressing for Valeween Day, obviously.

 

Who wants to win a cute summer dress? July 12, 2008

     My friend Rachel is offering a really sweet giveaway this week on her blog.

 

     You’ll have to go visit her to see all the details, but I AM going to post my two favorites for you to see. 

(‘Cause I’m so helpful like that.)  *snort*

 

              

                  “Nicole”                                                          ”Madeline”                                (back)

 

     I love the brown dress because of the contrast.  I like that it buttons to the right of center, rather than directly down the middle, and the fluttery, lettuce-edged sleeves look cute and summery.    (I wish I was 30 pounds lighter so I could actually wear it.)  It looks slimming and stylish, and I love that you could dress it up or make it casual, depending on your choice of accessories.

 

     The pink dress is my favorite little-girl dress, because it has a full skirt and the cute white trim, and when I saw the back, I actually screamed with delight.  (I am such a huge dork, but WHAT A CUTE COLLAR !)   I prefer the pink over the red dress.  It looks so feminine and soft, it reminds me of something a princess-in-training would wear.  Oooh, and the best parts– machine washable and $19.99.  Music to a mom’s ears. 

 

     Therefore, if I win, I will not be buying a dress for me, due to the sizing (SOB!), but Hannah and my niece, Abbie, will look adorable.

Surprise!!! April 23, 2008

     I am still fighting the never-ending laundry battle, and today’s Goliath is the boys’ laundry.  (It’s totally my mom’s fault that they each have enough clothes AND pajamas to go for a solid three weeks without running out of anything, but it’s my fault for letting it go that long.    *sigh*  We’re working on donating some of it, and putting away the kindatoosmall  things for Anthony.)  (I think I could *get* this laundry thing under control if I did one or two small loads each day and only had 7-10 complete outfits per person to worry about.) 

 

     Anyway, in preparation for today’s washer-dryer epic, last night I had Alex drag his (overstuffed!) laundry hamper and all of the clothes he had on his floor (Carpet!  I didn’t know his room had that!) out into a large space so we could sort them and get things off to a good start this morning.  When I put Anthony down for his morning nap, I noticed a handful of pajamas and underwear on the floor, so I scooped them up to add them to the (sorted) dirty clothes piles that dotted the living room.

 

     Only, guess what I found in Alex’s clothes pile?  (Not on, not under, but IN !)  Go ahead…  guess!

Okay, what gives? April 22, 2008

     As of 11:14 AM, here are all the search engine terms that sent traffic to my blog:

 

mormon special stitching	1
what do you like most about being lds	1
mormons special stitches in clothes	1
mormon stitching clothes	1
cross stitch lds prophets	1
special stitches+mormon	1
list of musicals	1
why i love being a mormon	1
mormon clothes stitching	1

 

     To what do I owe this surge of interest in my religion and my clothing?  If you say the FLDS drama in Texas, I’m going to slap you.  (Not really.) (Well, maybe.)

 

     My blog friend Rebecca posted a great article yesterday, called Just For the Record….  If you’re stumbled across my blog looking for ties between Mormons and the FLDS, I suggest you read that first.  I’m just sayin’…    *grin*

Dear Sons, April 17, 2008

Dear Sons,

  

     I am writing to both of you today, because you’ve been on my mind.  And, quite frankly, because I am concerned for both of you.  Thankfully I’m concerned about two separate issues, because if I had to worry about both problems for both of you, I’d be loony.  (Hush.)(I mean it!)  And a little scared.  So, Alex, I’m going to start with you.

  

     Alex, your eye is freaky.  FUH-REEK-EEEY. 

Dear Laundry, April 5, 2008

Dear Laundry,

  

     I am tired of washing you.  I’m tired of walking up and down the stairs with you to my dungeon of a laundry room.  I am disheartened (and truthfully, a little maniacal) when I have just washed a hamper of you, and the next time I walk into a kid’s room, you have filled the hamper up again.  To the brim.  (In all fairness, it’s with the clothes that have been stuffed under the bed by my kids, in an attempt to “clean” their rooms, but still.)  This happens…  a lot.

  

     I know I am still trying to play catch-up from my most recent bout with the super-virus, but even when I’m on top of things, it still seems like ALL  I do is laundry.  Washing, drying, folding, putting away…  it’s exhausting.  And I’m tired.  Of you, of the basement, and just tired in general.

  

     Can’t you give a girl a break every now and then?  I’d really love it if you’d just “do” yourself for the next few weeks.  Catch yourself up and then be sure to jump into the hamper, rather than on the floor.  And when I pull the full hamper out of the bedrooms to sort you, pleasepleaseplease make sure that you are IN it.  Not under the bed, not hidden in the sheets, not under the table, in the downstairs family room, or in any of the other 1,000 places you seem to hide, thanks to my lazy children.  Or on the cedar chest, where my husband tends to lay you, even though the hampers are less than a foot away.

  

     I KNOW you don’t want to be washed by my kids.  (Neither of us want that.  As convenient- and practical- as that would seem, I don’t trust them to refrain from dyeing all their clothes pink.  Or black.  And I don’t even want to think of the gum, rocks, chapstick and other things that could go through the washer and dryer if they were in charge of cleaning out their pockets.)  I would hate for things to turn out that way.

  

     Thanks for giving me this chance to vent.  (Get it?  Vent?  Dryer?)

 

Kemi

This post has been brought to you by the letter P (pigsty) and by the number 13 (loads left to finish).

  

    

Dear Pants, April 4, 2008

Dear Pants,

  

     I don’t know what sort of wicked game you’re playing with me, but if you don’t immediately cease your stretching and growing around the waist, I will be forced to either a) wear a belt or b) trade you in for a different pair.

  

     You were my “skinny” jeans, too. 

  

     I feel so betrayed.

Kemi

      

P.S.  Tell the rings that they are on notice, too.  If they can’t stop spinning around my fingers, they can be put back in the jewelry box.

     

  

  

This post is brought to you by the letter M (miracle) and also by the size number 6 (a girl can dream, can’t she?)

Easter Sunday March 23, 2008

     Here is our gang, all decked out in their Easter finery.  Since the two oldest both celebrate birthdays next week, I’m going to round their ages up to the nearest year.  (What a teacher thing to say!  LOL)

  

     We had a nice Easter morning.  We did baskets and “Easter toast” yesterday, so there was less stress and rushing to get out the door for 9:00 AM church today.  The three oldest kids all played a part in their Primary opening exercises:  Hannah gave the scripture, Kendra read an Easter-themed talk, and Alex prayed.

  

     Alex gave a beautiful prayer, thanking his Heavenly Father for Easter, for Jesus, for resurrection and for the opportunity to attend church on such a special day.  Just when I was going to give myself a pat on the back for all the focus we placed on the TRUE meaning of Easter, and how readily all the kids accepted it, I heard Alex say, “And bless us to have fun with all the toys the Easter Bunny brought us.”  In church.  In his prayer.

  

     I was mortified. 

  

     So here they are, looking quite adorable and sweet, just minutes before we left for church, and, as I am going to remember it forever, “The Great Betrayal“.

   

     I hope you had a nice Sunday.  Happy Easter!

    

     Easter 2008

     

Alex   9

    

Kendra   8

     

Hannah   4 1/2

     

Anthony   2 1/2

Today’s To-Do List March 15, 2008

 

1. Laundry, at least three loads    
2. Load dishwasher, wipe down counters
3. Put away folded towels from last weekend
4. Recycle two weeks’ worth of old newspapers     (That is, empty recycle bin in garage first, then dump newspapers there.)
5. Have kids pick jobs for new job chart
6. Plan next week’s menu
7. Put away leftover fall/Christmas/winter decorations     (This involves carrying them into the garage and putting them in the appropriate– overstuffed– Rubbermaid crates.  There are probably 10 things that got left out by mistake.)
8. Make dinner
9. Bathe kids for church tomorrow
10. Clean off nightstand and cedar chest     (The “closet” of our bedroom)
11. Write witty and insightful blog post
12. Create backup Relief Society invitations in case the woman responsible forgot about doing them… again
13. Move toys Anthony has outgrown to the basement
14. Continue to declutter and put away after a month of doing nothing around the house
15. Find a home for the last of yesterday’s Sam’s Club purchases

   

   

    What I actually did today

1. Got dressed     (Notice I didn’t say shower   *blush*)
2. Picked up after Anthony
3. Loaded the dishwasher     (and ran it, thank you very much)
4. Picked up after Anthony
5. Pulled the orange protective bags off of two weeks’ worth of newspapers;  straightened the pile
6. Picked up after Anthony
7. Rubbed Kenny’s back for a half hour when he came home on a break
8. Took a nap while the three older kids played Nintendo
9. Read two chapters in a new book
10. Made lunch
11. Sorted the pieces for four games, courtesy of Anthony, and put them away
12. Helped Anthony pick up the Dora castle furniture
13. Put tires on no less than nine toy cars, after Anthony bit them off and threw them like confetti
14. Made dinner
15. Picked up Anthony’s dinner from off of the floor
16. Bathed four kids     (technically bathed two, but reminded the older two to get in the shower, to use shampoo, checked to make sure shampoo was rinsed fully, got clean towels, combed wet hair, etc.)
17. Rinsed the dinner dishes
18. Picked up after Anthony
19. Gave the dog his antibiotic and pain medication, and smeared antibiotic ointment on his  *cough*anus*cough*
20. WASHED MY HANDS!!!!!
21. Wrote informative-but-not-witty blog post
22. Put away the Sam’s Club box in the kitchen after nearly breaking a toe on it;  left other pile alone for tonight
23. Cleaned up 4 oz. of milk someone left on the table that Anthony threw across the room
24. Wiped Oreo fingerprints off the television, couch, doors and Anthony’s pajamas
25. Rocked Anthony and his four blankies (!) in the rocking chair;  sang “Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam” at least six times
26. Put four kids to bed and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion;  noticed all the toys still out, scattered around by Anthony.  Tried not to cry;  put toys away knowing the effort was futile  

—–

     I really want to be a good mom.  I want the immaculate house, the well-mannered children (do three out of four count?), the organic gourmet dinners, the hours of quality “together” time with each child doing creative things that inspire them, and the energy to do all of that.  I’m doing the best that I can, but some days I feel like I take ten leaps back for every shuffle forward.  I try not to wish Anthony out of toddlerhood, but there are days (like today!) when I find myself looking ahead a year, wishing with all my might that when he’s 3 1/2, he’ll have outgrown this belligerent, independent, whiny, destructive throwing stage.  That by this time next year, the older kids won’t have to entertain themselves so often while I deal with Anthony’s aftermath.

   

     That when he’s a little bit more grown up, I won’t be the same frumpy, frazzled mom I am right now.

  

     Earlier today he ran toward me at full speed and head-butted me in the leg.  “Hode me, Mama.  I da baby.”  When I leaned down to pick him up and give him a snuggle, he grabbed my cheeks and smashed his nose into mine.  “Kisses, Mama, kisses!  Love you!”  It’s the little things like snotty Eskimo kisses and rocking together, even for a few minutes that make me realize how soon he’ll be too big for things like that. 

  

     Maybe that’s why I’ll never be one of those supermoms– while I covet a clean and organized house, I’d rather spend time reading stories, coloring pictures and playing games with my babies.  I’ve been assured that the time will come when I won’t be picking soggy cereal out of the carpet, when I won’t follow Anthony from mess to mess, and when dinner menus won’t be limited to what can be prepared in the five minutes of quiet I can get out of a “Blue’s Clues” episode.  I wonder if I’ll miss the grubby-fingers stage, or the slobbery kisses, or the absolute dependence on me?

  

     Probably.  But I bet a lot of it will depend on how often I hear, “Nooooooooooo!  MINE!  Nooooooooooooooooooo!”  Because right now, it’s what consistently plays in the background.  *sigh*