Something Quirky

Let me just tell you that some days start out bad. Right from the moment you roll out of bed. On days like these someone usually ends up in time out-before we've even been awake for 15 minutes. I'm trying to sheild you from the truth that I usually end up yelling pretty darn quick after I wake up.
Some days.
Not all the time.
I will tell you something unusual about me. I have a pair of shoes that I love. And for some strange reason they put me in a better mood. They are not beautiful, or sexy, or even particularly colorful. But when I decide what to wear and realize that my favorite shoes will match, my heart does a little flutter, and everything seems (for a split-second anyway) like it's going to be okay. It's kind of like a sigh of relief.
Why? You ask. I have no FLIPPEN clue. But who cares. It just works! So for really bad days, you know the ones that when you find your darling 4-year old girl has just scratched up the wood on your headboard of your wooden black bed-frame, just a few short days after she scratched up the new table, I say-
It's okay. I've got my Merrells.

New House

Here are a few pics of the new house. I'll post more when I get aroun to it. We are really loving it. It really is a great house. This is the front door and the steps to the basement.

Front room. Isn't the flooring great?

Front room different angle. (From the front door)

Kitchen (obviously)

Family room downstairs.

Something New and My Dear Santa Letter

Yesterday the man and I got a new table! I was/am so excited. I have been looking for months for just the right one. I have been pretty much living a hand-me-down life for the past 10 years. I have had all hand-me down furniture because we do not like to go in debt for things like that. Well we have finally decided that we could work a new dining set into the budget. I finally got to pick out something for myself! Here is a picture of the beautiful table we got...

and a couple of how the table looks now, after meeting my children less than 24 hours after putting it up.

I have to always remind myself how much I love my children, and that they are just on loan to me from God. My kids are more important than a brand new table right? Sigh. Oh well. I really can never have anything new.

Here is my letter to santa this year. I would love to take the credit for writing it, but I did not. Someone e-mailed it to me (thanks mom). But I am putting my name in the "from" part and sending it off asap! I had to change a few things to fit my number of kids, but I didn't make too many changes, because it seemed to be written just as I would have written it, the exact things I want. So here it is...

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my four children on demand, visited their doctor's office more than my good friends, sold sixty-two cases of candybars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughters girl scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't flap in the breeze but are strong enought to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisl in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my third pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use I could use a talking daughter doll that says, "Yes, Mommy," to boost my parental confidence, along with three potty-trained toddlers, four kids who don't fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tebetan monks chanting, "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog (on a good day).

And please don't forget the Playdoh travel pack, the hottest stocking stuffer this year for mothers of pre-schoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws' house seem just like mine. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much to declare Ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It ould be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddlers didn't look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice-cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don't catch a cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours always...Mom

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Just Because

Just some pics...

The smaller boy is a T-Rex and no-one can tell him otherwise. Whenever he wants anything he either puts the work dinosaur or t-rex in front of the word. He says "Mommy, want t-rex scream" when he wants ice-cream. When I am playing my guitar he wants me to sing dine-dine songs. Or of coarse songs about him as a t-rex. He wants his t-rex cereal in the morning, and he growls when he gets upset. So the top picture here is my little t-rex. We just love him! Keep checking back- I have some pics of the new home to post when I get a little more time.

Dire Straights

I need some serious feedback on this post. I have some excellent news. My smaller boy, the one who just turned 2 over the summer, came up to me one day. He says, "POOP".

I say, "You want to poop in the potty?"

He nods his head. I take him in there and to my surprise he is clean in his diaper and proceeds to poop on the potty! He does this the next day and the day after that. One day I reminded him and for two weeks straight he does not poop in his pants!!

WooHoo!!!

I decided not to push the issue, but encourage him as much as I could. I tried to get him excited about underwear. He wanted nothing to do with them, but he liked to pick out his own diaper and give it to me to put him in when he was done. I was trying not to get my hopes up, but in the back of me head I am thinking, "Smaller boy will be potty-trained before my 6-yr-old!"

Alas, it is my children, this is my life, and of coarse it does not last. The last three days he has pooped in his pants, without a peep. I had no idea. I couldn't stop it.

I can't help thinking that I lost my window of oppurtunity with this one. I have been potty training constantly for the last 4 years, without success. So yes I have some experience, but nothing has worked for me so far.

What do you guys think I should do on this one. Let it go and work it out later? Try to force underwear on him because now I know he can do it? I have already tried to bribe with treats. I wish I knew what to do. Does anybody have any advise for me besides telling me that I totally screwed this one up by not doing something ealier?

Thank You

Here are a few photos from the time we spent with Mongee and Grandpa J. We stayed at their house for a while when school started, until we were able to get into our house. I don't know that they have a single breakable trinket in tact at this time. The littler boy fell out the second story window one night when he was supposed to be in bed. Their poor Koi fish are now dead. I don't know if they will ever allow us into their house again, but we wanted to say:

THANK YOU!!!!!!

We love you guys and are super happy that we had that time to spend with you two! Thanks for all you do! Sorry about all the broken and/or dead items!

Where Is My Life-Raft?

I have really been struggling lately. I miss my friends and my life. I think I do pretty well with big changes, but we had so many in such little time. I had the smallest boy, and then the man got a new job and me and the kids were by ourselves. Then we moved here to Utah. It is great. I love our home. And so excited to be closer to family.
But 4 kids are sooo hard.
95% of my day is spent in meeting the needs of my children.
I cook for them, clean for them, get them dressed,
tell them to go potty, tell them to change their pants when they don't go potty,
get shoes on, take to school, bring home, feed them,
feed the baby, hold the baby, let them have candy,
don't let them have candy, get them snacks, get them drinks,
let them play with friends... help their friends,
jackets on-jackets off, constantly answering questions
that have been repeated a million-trillion times-
(mom- can I play your ipod, mom can I play ratchet, mom, mom, MOM!!!!!!!).
They are just still at the age where they are so demanding- constantly needing me.
All of them.
At the same time.
All the time.
Everyday.
Where is the time I need for myself?
It is hidden back in the corner of the cupboard- in the fetal position waiting to come out for a few years. This is tuff stuff! And I don't have any friends to cry to anymore. To come over and save me when I am drowning. I love you friends and miss you!!!!
I am drowning.
In a sea of children.

From Utah

she likes to dress up

The man and the girl

Me and the smallest boy

the backyard of the new house

Okay so not lots of time, but a quick update. We have not sold our home in Idaho yet, but we put an offer on a short-sale in Utah thinking that it would take a long time- and it didn't. We got a killer deal, so we took it, and now we are renting the home in Idaho. And we are living in Utah. . We are loving the new home that we are in, but we sure are missing our friends. Here are some recent pics of the kids. I want to post some pics of our new house , but it is still quite a mess from the move. Soon.

The girl says to me the other day, "Hey, can we play mommy?"

"Sure" I say.

"Okay, I'll be the mommy and you be the honey".

Isn't she cute? (I call her "honey" a lot.)

New Beginnings

I guess the title is kind of redundant. Today was my oldest's first day of school.

Kindergarten.

Oh so cute. I want to say how the years have just flown by, and that there were tears in my eyes, but well there weren't.

Time has gone by pretty fast, but the boy was so ready to go to school. And I was so ready to get him there. Who knows, maybe he'll stop with all the crap. I mean literally. I am so sick of him pooping his pants. Maybe the first year of school will be the thing that does it. Maybe not but let me be delusional for just a minute and just imagine that at least ONE of my children is potty trained.

Aaaahhhh. Well that was sweet.

The imagining, because that's all it seems like it will ever be. A dream.

Oh well Hotmomma- reach for the stars. Well here are some pics of my crazy cuke anyway. Isn't he handsome? Gosh I love him. He's gonna be great in kindergarten!

Love you the boy!!!!!!!

Not Forgotten

Did you all think I forgot about my blog? Well I didn't. I have been so busy and it is quite hectic taking care of all 4 kids by myself. This is dreadful and I hope someone comes to buy our house soon. I had a great time with my niece who is 8 and came to help me for a week. She was a fantastic help! Thanks niecey!!! Okay blog readers-be sure to tell your friends that there is an awesome 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home in Idaho for sale. Okay here are a few pics of the kids. Chow.



Don't we all look happy at the dino park?

Having a sister is...

Good News??

The Man just got a job in UTAH!!!! So our house is now up for sale. He put in his 2-week notice this last monday. We are moving back home. I have been excited about this possibility for the last little while, but now that it is here, it is really kind of sad. This has been our home for the last 7 years.

All our friends are here.

Our lives are here.

This is where our family began. The Man and I were a little family when we got married I guess, but not like this.

Now we are a FAMILY.

4 kids and almost 10 years later.

The Man has loved his job and his co-workers.

I have loved the friends I have made here.

I don't want this part of my life to end.

At the same time I am excited to be closer to family. To hang out more with my brothers and sister. To be able to call my mom when I am having a hard day with the kids. Living here has made me stronger and more independent and I have grown in ways I didn't know I could have. My life for sure won't be any easier, but I am excited for new possibilities and new friends.

I sure love my Poke friends- don't feel like we're done, cuz we're not! I will be back to visit. I hope that is a good thing for you. I don't think they'll miss me during sacrament, when they actually get to HEAR the speakers. Good Luck to our new ward.

Oh ya- we gotta sell the house first. I'll be staying behind by myself. With the 4 kids. Whew. OVERWHELMING!!! So tell everyone you know about this darling house that is for sale. Here are my pics. and a link to the post:

My House

Wish me luck on our new adventure. I will still be posting and all, but maybe not so much. I don't know how busy I'll be until I sell the house.

Pics

One may notice the girl being conspicously absent from this slew of pictures. Well she was gone for a week with her Auntie and cousins having lots of fun for a week. Thanks Auntie!!!

Also can you spot the boy hitting his first ball in a T-ball game? We are excited that he is getting so old and grown-up. He has graduated from preschool and will be starting Kindergarten. What a great helper he is to me.

The smallest boy has gotten so big already. We all just love him.

I also have to give a shout out to the USA soccer team in the WORLD CUP!!!! GO USA!!!! We just love soccer here and the man is fanatical about it, so we know all the stats and scores of all the games. I should have thrown a big "World Cup" party, but I had a lot of other things going on at the time... more about that later. But in four years, if we are not attending the world cup matches in Brazil, then there will be a huge bash at our place for sure!!!