Kickin' off Summer 2012!!

Do you ever just want to do something, and instead of reasoning, and talking yourself out of it, you JUST do IT?!  I wanted to go somewhere fun, well, we ALL did, so we decided to go to St. George for a couple of days and it was a wonderful time. We booked the room a month ago and put it on our calendar.  It felt so good to have something to look forward to!  A roadtrip!!  Yay!!  I turned 37 and had a wonderful b-day weekend!  I am not sure what the name of this sweet-smelling flower, but I set up my stuff right next to it at the pool and breathed deeply for two days.  St. George feels like you are in CA, huh?  It smells so good there! LOVE it!

Noah had fun at the pool.  He liked sitting on the kid-friendly steps and splashing away.  He was a trooper and did his best to sleep in the hotel room that is nothing like his own little bed.

And then there is Miss Audrey!  Golly, she loved the pool.  She loved the hot tub as well and spent her time getting the rest of us to join her in one pool or the other.  She'd turn her head to the side and ask, "Wanna go hot tub, Momma\Daddy?".  So, off we'd go with her only to switch pools in 1-2 minutes.  She had a hard time not napping and sleeping well and was kinda, ok A LOT whiney.  But, we had Dora videos to calm her down, thank heavens!!

 My boys swimming and swimming and swimming.....

 Noah liked his little floatie!  The kids had fun pulling him around in it!

 On my birthday, which fell on a Sunday, we took the kids to see the St. George Temple.  It was so pretty and we loved feeling the Spirit there on the grounds.  It was a perfect day to visit!

Daddy helping the kids climb a tree.  So cute!

Addie will ALWAYS pose for me!  She is such a little fish!  She wanted to sleep with mommy and daddy in the hotel, so it was quite a party!  LOL!  (Probably not a good idea to eat chips in the bed you are about to sleep in.....just a thought...)

Addie asked about 100 times how much longer until we got there and when we said about an hour, she quickly put her goggles on.  So dang cute!!

I drove most of the way there and the entire way home; which I never do!!  Will is reading the "Hunger Games" trilogy, and is on book 2.  Those books are so dang good, you can't put them down once you start, so I drove so Will could READ!!

The kids had fun taking turns pushing the buttons for the elevator and using the key card to open the door.  Why is that so fun for kids?  Too funny.

All in all, it was fun to get away.  It was sooooo nice to be in our larger ride now!  We would have gone crazy in our smaller van, for SURE!  We didn't get much sleep in the hotel, which we knew was part of the experience.  We are ready to get a good night's sleep tonight in our own beds!  My favorite part of the trip was all sitting in our jammies, eating popcorn, and just being together all night long.  We go our separate ways at night, so it was fun to be all together!  Where should we go next.......??

The BURB!!

Say "HELLO" to our new ride!!  Will has always taken pictures of our cars since we got married so we can look back and see what we used to drive and when.  It's been kinda fun!  Well, we have been looking around for over a year for a suburban and we finally were ready to make the purchase!!  It is 12 years old and looks brand new!  We are beyond excited!!  We have room to move in this baby and can also take a grandma\grandpa with us instead of having them drive separate......although I am not sure riding with 5 kids who tend to fight in the car is all that fun, BUT at any rate, we have the room now!  So perfect to have now just in time for our little road trip this weekend.  Will left work to drive it in Provo, had it checked out at the Chevy Service place, and worked a deal with the owners.  THEN, he drove all the way home in it, picked us up, and THEN we went and got Will's car all the way in Provo, THEN we drove home.  We got home at midnight.  The kids got hungry in Provo, so we stopped at Sonic at 10:45 for food for them.  I felt like the worst mother EVER:  Who takes their 5 kids for fast food that late at night!??  Audrey woke up when we were ready to order, and half-asleep, said "I want a nugget-fry!".  It was funny!! 

So, good-bye Dodge!  We have been so grateful to have it.  So thankful my dad gave it to us during a very rocky time and we needed help.  He came to our aid and we are truly grateful.  Buying this suburban means a lot to us.  It means we are still here.  We are still fighting the fight.  We have high hopes for the future.  Your future is as bright as your faith, right?  Right!!

1st Game for the METS!!

Sweet Addie Boo!  She was not happy about not getting a hit tonight and wanted to go home, but was all smiles when the treat got passed out at the end of the game.  She took a turn playing catcher and was so cute in all the catcher gear!

Seth got 2 great hits but got tagged out and he was NOT happy about that AT ALL!  We talked about what is appropriate to say when you are mad and maybe we shouldn't say we "hate" the kid that tagged you out.  He really is a great hitter!  Go, SETHY!

Baseball Buds!

How lucky they are to have their daddy as the coach!  Will makes such a handsome baseball player!

Me with my favorite Mets players.

Noah enjoyed himself so much at the game.  As you can plainly see. He dumped out the popcorn, spilled snow cones and rolled around in the gummy bears.  It was awesome.  Audrey had fun, as well:  drinking everyone's snow cones, pop and whatever else she could find.  I could spend every evening all summer at a baseball game.....oh, wait....I pretty much WILL be spending every night this summer at a game.  Well, isn't that just about perfect??  Play ball!

Every day is Mother's Day....

Don't you agree?  Every day is a day to celebrate being a mom and for loving and appreciating your own mother.  Once I decided to take on this idea, my Mother's Day has been a lot more enjoyable!  But, let me go back.....

About 6 years ago, I frequented a website for couponers and deal-finders, but it was also a great place to go to ask questions about just about anything.  There was always interesting conversations going and I spent time every day on there, reading and sometimes commenting.  One day right before Mother's Day a bunch of ladies were talking about how disappointing their Mother's Day always was.  Their husbands didn't pamper them enough, their gifts were not what they wanted, and on and on.  Not all the comments were so negative, but the ones that were, impacted me and I found myself thinking Mother's Day SHOULD be a day where I get a break. Just a little one, perhaps??  At the time, we had three little ones, very close in age.  Sasha was 3 1\2 when Addie was born and Seth was 16 months old.  It was a busy time! :)  We still needed to attend church on Mother's Day, I still needed to get them ready.  Get them dressed.  Pack their snacks.  I still needed to help Will care for them the rest of the day, that day.  The snacks, the diaper changes, the meals, the sippy cups of milk, if you please.  I remember going to bed that night feeling like my Mother's Day was just like any other.  I didn't get a break.  I was disappointed.

Not long after that we entered into some very trying and hearbreaking times as we tried for 5 years to add to our family.  So many things changed for me during that time, including how I feel about Mother's Day and what I expect from it.  I came to realize that it is not really a day for me to have a break.  It is not practical for me, with small kids to expect that.  Instead I view it as a day to rejoice in that fact that I am a mother, and that I have been given 5 beautiful kids.  It is a day to love and appreciate my own mother.  Someday, when my kids are older and don't need me so much, my Mother's Day might be different.  I may just put my feet up and let them cook me dinner and let them clean it all up.  Some chicken on the barbie.....corn on the cob.......a nice salad.......a big chocolate cake with tons of frosting......ya, that is what I want!  But for now, I will take care of them just like I do every other day and be thankful that I get to.

Come what may and love it.....

Our week went a little something like this:

• Noah got his 5th haircut or something like that.  His hair grows so fast.  Also, it is hard to cut a moving target's hair especially when you are a self-taught barber such as myself.
• Our first week of baseball\softball practice went well.  I am pretty sure Sasha's team thinks I am weird\strange\annoying cause I cheer for them all really loud during practice and encourage them to do the same.  Cheer for eachother!  It's a good idea, right?  Seth and Addie look so dang cute in their uniforms it makes me giggle.  Addie had a ball nick her bat and hit her sweet little face right below her eye.  Coach Daddy gave her some loves and made her step back up to the plate and finish out her turn batting.  He didn't want her to be afraid of the ball.  It was hard to watch her get back up and batt, but it was for sure the right thing.  She is one tough girl, our Addie!
• Geography group is fun; it's just my friend Jennie and her kids.  We aren't doing science group anymore....long story for another day....ugh!
• A hose got left on all night long, just a trickle or so, but it filled up Audrey's window well.  What a sight to start out the morning!!  UGH!!  Luckily Will was still home, and changed out of his suit and helped me bail out all that water.  Addie grabbed a itty-bitty washrag to help clean up the water in Audrey's room which was no match for the river that was pouring down the window and all over the carpet, but it sure was cute.  I felt myself getting frustrated with such an unwanted start to my day, and my dear husband reminded me of one of our favorite conference talks by Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May and Love It".  One of our favorite lines is "Our laughter created cherished memories.....".  How true.  So, we did our best and laughed as we pulled up the carpet and dried out the pad.  "Learn to laugh.....".  Good advice.
• That day ended with me getting a tad bit grouchy about the constant messy state of our house; the dishes, the laundry, the dirty floor.  Not enough ME and too much MESS to clean up.  You get the idea.  I sat down to read NieNie's blog and read the winner to her essay contest about motherhood.  I read the essay and went to the family blog that went more in detail about how their baby girl died from a rare liver disease, while waiting for a donor.  Tears streamed down my face as I read about the heartache this sweet mom had to endure with her sick little baby girl.  She wished she could tell that mom in the store whose kids are crying, that she is blessed to HAVE those crying kids.  That to be sleep deprived with a newborn is better than being sleep deprived because you've been up all night sobbing for your baby that just died.  Oh my goodness, it touched my heart and I was immediately sorry I had let such trivial things like a messy house and a flooded room make me grouchy.  This mom is amazing and I pray she will continue to find peace and that she will overcome this trial that is every mother's nightmare.  Her trial has touched me and changed me for the better.  How lucky I am to have grass clippings, sand, mud and unknown stickiness all over my floor, candy wrappers stuffed in the couch,  and dirty laundry piled as high as the celing, because that means my kids are here, they are happy and they are healthy.

Happy Mother's Day to us all.  I am making my own cake for our family dinner on Saturday: chocolate with a caramel sauce drizzled on top with broken Skor bars.......I know!  It will be divine!!! :)

Spring has SPRUNG!!!

Ah, it's time for BASEBALL, Baby!!  Last year Seth was the only one that played, except for the last game, Addie jumped in played an inning or two.  Coach said it was ok.....kinda nice when your daddy is the coach!  This year, all the big kids wanted to play.  Seth and Addie get to be on the same team.  Go, Mets!!  Sasha is on the Racers.  Go, Racers!  Daddy is coaching them all!  So, for the next month we will be at baseball games every night of the week.  I can't wait!

Noah is such a sweet, mellow, loving, patient boy!  He melts our hearts with his big blue eyes and long, curly eyelashes.  He is going to eat Cinderella now......

Ahhhh, the sandbox!  I love it....but I kinda hate it!  Sand on the floor in the kitchen is not my favorite thing!  Oh, well!  I love that they all play out there!

 I loved seeing Audrey give Casey some loves.  She loves that doggie and he loves her.  She feeds him all the time.  Casey is a silly dog that is very tolerant of the two little ones and their antics.  We LOVE being outside........the weather has been kinda back and forth lately though......

Last but not least, I wanted to get a picture of the older kids....smiling....looking happy.....this is what I got!  A very silly Addie, Sasha with a jewel in one eye, and Seth being SETH!  (Can I ever get a decent shot of that boy????) 

We are looking forward to the things coming in May....baseball\softball games.....a little getaway for us all during my b-day weekend.........a garage sale...............Life is wonderful!

Who's Busier Than Who???

I belong to a group on facebook for homeschoolers; well, actually two groups.  One is always the best place to go to ask questions about curriculum or to get support.  The other one is, well, kinda silly, to be frank.  It asks things like:  "Hey Homeschool Moms!!  What's for lunch today?".  Um, who cares??  Ok, I am curious about what others eat for lunch sometimes.  Especially when I read that people eat out like 3-4 times a week for lunch...fast food.....holy cow!!  But, despite the silly questions they ask, I do find myself posting an answer if I happen to have a minute. 

The other day the question was this:  "Who do you think is busier?  Homeschool Moms or Public School Moms?".  Tacky?  I thought so, too!  There were quite a few responses, and I had a few minutes, so I scanned a few.  Some were ok, but some were downright rude and self-righteous.  "While public school moms are sitting on their fannies, I am doing this and this and this.....".  You get the idea.  I was pretty disgusted.  My response went something like this....."It is never a good idea to compare who is busier than who.  To answer the question posed, I think of it like this:  Our days are flip-flopped.  My mornings\early afternoons are busier, and public school moms' evenings\nights are busier ......".  I have no idea if anyone "liked" or commented on my post.    I am kinda curious but haven't been back on to see.......

A long time ago I learned the valuable lesson, that I forget sometimes and need to be reminded, that you never can say "I am busier than you".  What I consider "busy" and how or when I get "overwhelmed" is different from you.  Some people consider "busy" to be having every moment of every day filled with things, and to someone else, "busy" means having a few things occupying their time.  So, you really can't compare who more busy than someone else, right?

The other thing I have learned along the way since we started homeschooling, is this:  We as parents ALL want to do what is best for our kids.  We ALL think about it, pray about it, make decisions and go down a path.  My path may be different than yours, and that does NOT mean it is wrong.  We are all RIGHT.  We all can and should respect and support each other, not poke fingers and belittle each other.  I never want anyone to tell me I have offended them because I homeschool and they don't.  A friend set me straight a few years ago and I am grateful for her honesty.  I really am.

Yes, as a homeschooling mom, my daytime hours might be different than that of a public school mom.  But, I honestly start to sweat when I think of you public school mommas picking up your kids from school, helping them ALL with homework and projects, taking them to lessons, AND making dinner each and every night!  My hat goes off to you.  Dinnertime is the hardest time of night for most moms and you guys have so much you have to do during that time.

So, I want to apologize for any rude comments homeschoolers might make.  Hopefully they will come around.  If not, take it with a grain of salt.  We all aren't  like that.  I have met both kinds.  "Homeschooling is the ONLY way to go" and "Do whatever you feel is best for YOUR family" types are out there.  (Although if you DO want to homeschool, I will be happy to show you what has\hasn't worked for us....sorry, just had to throw that out there..... LOL!!). 

I have nothing but respect for moms that take their kids to public school.  We all have challenges that come with whatever path we have taken.  I hope that we can all love and respect each other.  You have my back and I'll have yours, ok??