Emotional Gush.

So here I am blogging under my influence of sleepiness. LOL! I think it is the only time I blog. I have to say that there is so much to be grateful for in my life. I have three little sleep kids that are currently all healthy. (meaning they are all off antibiotics finally. We have had strep go through our family twice...) A husband who is softly snoring next to me, who worried about me the whole drive home from work on slippery roads. I have a roof over my head, food to eat, people who love me and care for me. I have employment. I have a relationship/talking with all of my siblings. I still love each one of them despite all of their faults and their trials, and I would not trade a single one of them. I know that my Mom and Dad love me and support me through a lot, and never reserve the love they have for me. That is a huge blessing that I don't think I could put a price too. I am grateful to have good in laws that have brought more family to spend time with that help my husband, my kids and myself in other aspects of our life. I have a good mother in law who has a heart of gold and tries to do everything she can, to the point where she stays up later than she usually does. (Reminds me of my mom) I have a good Father in law who has helped fix many car/house hold repairs, (much like my own father). I have great family. We haven't always been this way, and I know that it won't always be perfectly peaceful among all of them. I do know that I will always love them, and that because we are family we love each other unconditionally, and try to work past our differences of opinion, and love each other. We all have financial struggles, illnesses, trials, hurt feelings, frustrations. But I know that when I need to call one of them that I can, and that they love me even if they can't help me right at that moment. WOW! I'm gushy mess!
Something also occurred to me today. While I was at work I was talking to one of my sisters on the phone and before I hung up, I told her I loved her. A coworker of mine found it odd that I would say it so freely. I simply stated that I love my sister and had no problem saying it. It's nice to feel loved, and hearing it can never happen enough. I'm glad I was raised that way. :)

Can't sleep

I'm looking for a cure. Not a huge cure, just something that will work. You see it is now 45 minutes past midnight and I am still wired awake. Why you ask? Simple, I worked a 13 hour shift today and I can't wind my brain down. You would think I would be exhausted. I am that, my feet are killing me, my back says lay down, relax, but my brain is going on full bore. So does any one have any cures that will be able to help me fall asleep sooner.... I know there are sleep aids, but I can barely handle NyQuil....so I'm more than apprehensive about that.... So any normal methods of winding down that might help me?

my blogging under the influence is blogging while tired. Ignore this post and wait for the next one.

I hate being tired. My husband is frustrating me by telling me things that he knows will upset me, but feels that I need to be aware of a situation. I was having a good freaking day! Honestly. I was. I'm thoroughly annoyed, upset and furious, when I was having a serene day. How did I let this serenity pass from me? When these emotions interact with my being sleepy, makes it so much harder to fall asleep. I have to calm myself back down, which could take quite a while. I want to cry, but at the same time I don't which ends up giving me a severe headache that just makes me want to cry more. I have already lived through my personal hell!!! I don't need to see some one else live through their's. It hurts too much to bring all those feeling that I've settled back up again. I want to move forward. I don't want to dwell on those past emotions that bound me like a constricting cord.
I want my positivity back. Its what is keeping me sane. I like my sanity. Even if it is only my version of sanity, it and I get along quite nicely. I guess I will be working out in the morning along with the baking, church shoe shopping for Trev, taking Brie to school, cleaning, decluttering and rearranging of stuff tomorrow. I think I will be in a better mood again tomorrow and better able to deal with these emotions then. I just have to focus on "settle". Ignore or redirect the "pissed off". To make things clear, it is not my husband that has pissed me off, it is the situation that was brought to my attention. I had no idea to what extent it was. I'm just going to have to work harder at being positive in that aspect. I haven't seen negativity really help any one....EVER! So.....Time to take a bunch of deep cleansing breaths! Play some tetris, and hopefully become overly tired so that I can fall asleep.

Shopping with Trev, and TMI for a dinner conversation

There are two things I want to share. Both are funny, the second may not be appreciated by all crowds of readers (basically non family). So if you fall into the TMI category don't read the last paragraph.
So Trev has grown! To add to that he also has holes/rips/tears in all but one pair of his pants. All the holes have been quickly sewn up, in makeshift manner until I could take him shopping, because lets just say I'm not the best seamstress, and he was ripping through what I needled and threaded back together. So I go to Kohl's hoping to find good deals. Clearance racks here I come!!! I am an excellent clearance shopper! So we go with the express purpose of buying at least 4 pairs of pants. Easy enough right? Who knew that a pair of jeans, with out being marked down is at least 20$ for a 6 year old?!?!?!? Needless to say we found a lot of clearance pair of pants, that were non jeans, and one pair that he probably won't fit into for another 2 years, but they were lee jeans and only 5$. So as I took him into the changing room, (mind you he wanted to go into the men's, but explained to him that he could get away with coming into the women's changing room, but I couldn't get away with going into the men's....) He started posing and dancing as he tried on each new pair of pants. He cracked me up. So we pass by the girls clearance section on the way out and lightening strikes, and I tell Trev that he could pick out something for his sisters for Christmas-NOW- for him to get them. So helped me pick out a cute brown/pink dress for Brie, and about a dozen pairs of socks for Ali, totaling to a accumulative 11$. Then as I was perusing a little more closely, the whine came out and he instantly was hungry when he wasn't at all 2 minutes before that.
So the second for the non-faint of heart section of the blog tonight.
This is kind of how the dinner conversation went tonight:
"So what did you get shopping Trev?"-Matt
*Brie toots*
"I got some pants and Lego Star Wars outfit! Its so cool!"-Trev
*Brie fluffs*
"Brie stop farting at the dinner table!"-Matt
"So what else was there at the store?"-Ali
*Brie gases*
"Brie! Stop!"-Me
"This really cool Nike (but he pronounced it more like Nicky) sweat shirt but mom said I couldn't get it because it cost more than everything else."
*Brie fluffs*
"Brie, stop farting at the table or I'm going to put a cork in your butt!"-Matt
"NO! I don't want a cork in my bum! *Whiny cry* Whats a cork?"-Brie
*Brie toots and giggles*
Oh and by the way, yes, she continued to toot, fluff, and gas the rest of the meal, but giggled afterward.
I think we are going to have to go over dinner etiquette 101 quite a few times with that child!

Sick and SEP's

So here is the short update for our lives. Ali had type A influenza (which the swine flu falls under) and she recovered and did not spread it to the rest of us! YEAH! Matt went to parent teacher conference for Trev and Ali. Ali is doing well, finishes her work and then helps others with their homework. She is also above level on reading...which we already knew since she is reading the the 5th Harry Potter book and loving and giggling and gasping while reading. Trev is also doing very well and above grade level on his reading. His teacher said he is doing really well and said she had no major complaints. She did say that she has moved him seats twice already this year because he keeps talking to his neighbors. So after this last time she moved him, his teacher asked if he was going to talk to his neighbors, his response was "Yeah, probably!" (OH DEAR!!!) His teacher then tells him that he needs to exert self control and not talk so much/loudly to his neighbors. I love that little monkey!
Oh and I talked to Bries teacher, and she said she is doing quite well as well. She is already patterning and sorting in her preschool. She already writes her name, enough for you to be able to tell what it is, but not that great of hand writing. :) Unfortunately that is a problem for all 3 of the kids. They need to write more often with their dad, not their mom. I get the most questions on what I write when others have to read it...
So that is the little blurb for the update in this Thacker house.

So I said I would post pictures...oops.

So sorry that I did not post the pictures on here. Fire me if you will. :) I once asked that at work on an extremely busy day with a minor screw up, and was told I could not be so lucky!
So not much going on in my life. Work, kids going to school, sleep, repeat. Trev has recently been tested by his teacher for his reading capabilities, and he is reading at a 5th grade reading level in 1st grade. She is extremely worried that he is going to become bored. And again strongly recommended we get him tested for ALPS (accelerated learning of some sort.) So that is what part of my day off will concisest of, that, making empanadas, jello cookies, helping with homework and laundry. FUN! :) I actually don't mind days off like this!

Nausea, Bambi, and The Upside Down show

Nausea! Ok. So I guess for me it is a little psychosomatic. I'm really not that nauseated. I'm not ready to give up eating all together. Food does sound good, with the usual exceptions, like sauerkraut and hot dogs. So why the nausea? I think I have been living with vomit for about a week now. A week ago last Saturday (early morning)Matt and I woke up to my son saying that he didn't feel good and that he had thrown up. From that moment on for the next 12 hours every 20 minutes Trev was vomiting, in bowl, toilet, toy bucket, you name it. Anything that would contain to something we could wash later, or flush. This is par for him. He will vomit till every possible contaminant that afflicts his body has no possible trace left in his little body. Then right when Trev is not vomiting, but extremely fatigued and completely uninterested in food, only water, Ali Starts. She's a one or two episode kid and shes done, just doesn't feel good. We thought for sure they had food poisoning because Trev and Ali were the only ones to have pepperoni pizza the night before. So they started feeling a lot better by Sunday night, sent them to school the next day and thought nothing more of it. Then Monday night comes and Matt starts. He is out of commission for a full 24 hours then feels better. Ok so at least its a 24 hour bug. I thought we were done. Hope at least. Then this Friday night as I get home from work at 10:30 at night to find out Brie has started. Brie follows more suit to more like Trev when she is sick. What makes it worse is that we were supposed to have Anderson Family pictures done Saturday morning. So Matt having already suffered through the illness says he will stay home and I get to take the other two kids and call it good for our family and they get to splice in the missing members later. (Did I mention he's going off to hunt Bambi on Tuesday?) Unfortunately Brie is still vomiting. Not a lot, not too often, but all the same. She has actually listened to Matt and won't let me take care of the designated bowl after the occurrences. Apparently she doesn't want me sick either. So at 9pm at night I am watching The Upside Down Show with Brie while she laughs as she "presses the buttons on the remote" that the actors respond to. If you haven't watched it before I would suggest it on the more than enjoyable to watch kids shows with your preschooler.
So as far as the rest of my life goes, it is blissfully boring! :) With Matt and Trev off hunting for Bambi's dad next week I get to take a little more time off work and have fun with my girls. Have complete control over the the "royal orb" (the remote), and what movies I would like to watch, and finish them instead of having him too tired to finish it. Don't get me wrong I will miss them both terribly!!! I'm just going to enjoy them being gone! :) I don't even have to spend mass amounts of money while there gone and knowing me, that wouldn't even happen if I spontaneously came into massively large amounts of money any way. I must not be "female" enough in that aspect.
Ok, I really need to stop watching Shane and David crack up Brietta! She's calling them crazy and giggling. I love that noise. So good night, and I will quickly replace this disgusting blog with the Thacker Family photos soon.

Allergic reactions

I am awake, had a nap and am still feeling sleep deprived and sick to my stomach. I always thought that if we were careful that just maybe Trev would only have a reaction every 5 years or more, not every 2 years. For those of you who are not aware Trev is deathly allergic to peanuts. We don't let him consume anything that may even contain trace amounts of any nuts in it. For that matter no one in our immediate family has had any peanuts in about 2 years now. We have epipens with who ever is with him where ever he goes, we have 3 at his school right now in different locations at the school. Both set of grandparents have their own set of epi-pens. So with all the precautions in the world you would think my theory of every 5 years would be probable. Apparently not.
Tuesday morning I woke groggy as usual (I'm not a morning person!) let Trev and Brie watch cartoons, got in the shower to get ready for work. While I was getting breakfast ready, I heard Trev sneeze, so I got him a zyrtec, and went about finishing getting things together for the morning. So like I always I go back to check with him to make sure that he took his Zytrec, and I finally look at him and noticed that his eyes were swollen, and he had hives on his arms, lifted up his shirt and his stomach and back were just large red welts from neck to waste. Then came the next stage, he said he didn't feel good and that he felt like he was going to throw up. So, because this is par for him leading to him having an anaphalitic response to peanuts we call 911. They check him out and tell us that he should be ok to make it into the pediatrician this morning(this is about 7:45 am) So of course I call until their line is open and some one is there to make an appointment, and we get the first one of the day at 9am. So on the drive there he says he doesn't feel good at all and ends up throwing up everything that is in his stomach, which is nothing but bile because he hadn't even had breakfast yet. Trev was excited because we got to see the Dr Renee, shes young and blond, and from the description he remembers her as the "hot Doctor". She gives us a prescription for steroids, gives him another dose of benadryl, and tells us to call back if he throws up again at all, and told us to watch him carefully, because this could still be a reaction to peanuts, from possible trace from Arby's dinner the night before. So I head off to work after getting the prescription and him settled with Matt to watch him. I call home at lunch to ask how he was doing, and Matt said he looked so much better, that the welts and hives were all but gone, and not to worry. I get home, and yes he is all but hive free and is tired and goes to bed really well. We had instructions to keep benadryl in him routinely, so we went in at 10:30 to give him his dose and he is completely swollen up as a welt again and itching like there is no tomorrow. Matt gave him (from Dr's suggestions) a mildly cold bath to help reduce the itching, and he still is just a huge welt. We decided to let him sleep in our room because we are just not sure with how he is going to do the rest of the night. Not much after, he starts vomiting again, and is still itching an hour later. I tried to call the on call doctor for the pediatrics in the area, and no one called back after the page. From the phone call I'm wondering if the system was broke, it didn't sound right. So I then called my insurance companies nurse line because my stomach won't settle down that something just isn't right. After I talk with the nurse, she makes the comment "your intuition" is saying that this needs to be taken care of right away, I would suggest you follow it, especially because his face is swollen.
So 12:30 at night we head off the ER. (I'm starting to wonder if they might consider naming a future wing after him for his asthmatic/allergic reaction trips there!) So they are in the process of doing the triage with the nurse, and next thing we know he is projectile vomiting in her direction. This must not have been her first situation with this because she completely dodged it! She skips the rest, calls housekeeping, gets him a blanket and takes him back to a room. The doctor shows up in his room pretty darn quick! He looks at him given the situation starts saying to his nurse to get "epi", IV benadryl, a steroid, and pepcid. He talks with us and makes sure that we are ok with that, and basically told him yes, please! This is not Trev's first IV, but the last time he had to have an IV was with his first reaction he was about 18 months. He is scared to death of the thing. The nurse said that could do it, and that he was "neato bandito". Trev said it wasn't that bad after and that it didn't hurt as much as his immunizations shots. He had a running thing to give the nurse a high five every time they had to do something new. The nurse even joked with him about the IV "water" going into him, saying this wasn't the normal way we took water. By 4:30am his swelling is down immensely, not gone by any measure, but at least he wasn't slurring his words any more because his tongue was too swollen. So he is still on steroids till tomorrow and now on a higher dose of benadryl round the clock. In fact he is laying on the couch right now not to far away from me because right now he doesn't want to sleep in his own bed. I think he's still kind of nervous. He looks a lot better! So hopefully tonight goes more smoothly, because I have to work again tomorrow and won't have the option to switch sleeping shifts with my husband tomorrow during the day. Coming down to it we are really feeling that there was some trace amount in his food from Arbys, and because he is so sensitive to react, that this is what it was yet again. I hate seeing him so miserable and wish that he didn't have to deal with this. He is such a sweet endearing little boy! So I count my blessings for modern medicines, good family, and having him still in our lives. Even in his prayers tonight he said he was grateful!
So I'm sorry if this is nothing but a huge long ramble. I am still quite sleepy, and hoping tonight goes better!

Baptism

As a current events updates, I now have an 8 year old daughter, and a 6 year old son, and still a 3 year old daughter for another 2 months. :) For other big news, Ali was baptized today. It was a great day! I got to see family and enjoy their company, feed them lots of food, and watch them interact. It was sad in that my sister Karen and her family were not able to come because of sick kids, and my sister Kaylene and her family because quite frankly if they could keep flying every where every 2 months for one family occasion or another I would be worried for them. We were fortunate enough to have my Grandma Carma here. It was very nice to see her, and I think she brought some one with her, that still loves her very much.

On that note, let me side track back to my memories of my baptism. You see I have dimples. They are very prominent when I smile or even slightly smile. I hated my dimples growing up. They brought attention to me when I didn't want be noticed. Around that same time frame I remember watching a movie done by Disney, with a title with something to do with "The girl who spelled Freedom" I could be wrong on the title, not entirely important to the story any way. I remembered when I watched that movie that the mom who had dimples when she smiled with her lips curled in, her dimples didn't show (of course in the movie she was choking back tears of pride at the time....) so in my youth, I decided I didn't want my dimples to show for my baptism pictures. *eye roll* ( I wish I had a scanner to show you how the pictures ended up turning out.) So as my sister Karen tries to coax a real smile out of me unsuccessfully, I kept telling her that I was smiling. Well the pictures ended up looking like I was frowning...and low and behold, BOTH dimples were showing anyways!!!
Then on the road trip back home I ended up doing or saying something mean to my sister Kaylene in the car, and she piped in right away to me "Oh! You already have something to repent for!" Oh dear! If you knew me as a child, you could imagine how quiet and upset I was for the next few hours after that. My poor family!!!

The Laser Tagging story

I am really starting to think that is becoming a vacant blog. Not by me alone, but by all other followers as well. Not that it matters too much, I more or less mean it as a way of documenting my life and thoughts any ways. So as I glanced over an old blog, I noticed that I made the comment that there was a story for another blog. So here goes.
Lets just say that I had a crush on a guy for a long time through out my school years. I'm not sure if he was ever aware of how many girls had crushes on him, but I could name at least a few if not all of my friends growing up at one point. So I had finally gotten the courage to ask said guy out. I had a good set up, you see I worked for a Doctor and every year before Christmas he would take us out to dinner and give us our Christmas bonuses. (I still like that Doctor as a side note) So I called him up (not unusual considering it was not the first time I had called him, although I'm sure that he got hung up before any one ever answered quite a few times by me personally, before I ever got the real nerve to actually talk to him, boy am I glad caller ID wasn't as popular till I got older.) So anyways. I digress way to easily.
So I called him up and he agreed, and I even overheard him ask one of his friends that was a girl, what he should wear. So I was pretty stoked! He is looking forward to this right? OY! Did I mention that my older sister also worked for the same Doctor, and was going to be doubling with us for the rest of the night? Probably not. My sister and her husband were quite nice about the whole thing and went on many a double date with me and other guys as well. So we pick him up and head out to dinner which was rather awkward. How awkward you ask. You know when some one hardly touches their food or tries to be ultra etiquette in a tough situation? Well, apparently this was both of us if my memory serves me right. I felt over conscientious, because I didn't want to eat more than he did. I kept fidgeting with my clothes to make sure I still looked ok. The conversation you ask? Um... lacking. Making the fidgeting coming up to a deafening roar. But I really really liked this guy, he had a fun personality and was way cute! I had caught him checking me out in the hall once, so I know I wasn't completely hideous to him, so why the awkwardness? I'm still not sure. So the date moves on and we decided to try and go bowling which didn't end up working out so we then drove to the Galleria (that is no longer in existence) and decided to go laser tagging. I felt more nervous about this because I had heard (said guy)him with a few of his friends saying that the galleria was a crappy place to go laser tagging. He never once said anything to the contrary, so at least I knew he wasn't going to be a jerk! So we go laser tagging, and we get everything set up, and go in, and if you don't know me personally, let me say that I'm fairly short. For example I have to get a stool to get to the top shelf any where, if not a step stool. So I was running around trying to shoot him, like he was trying to shoot me. When I turned around to run away, about the same time he had turned the opposite way, I run face first into a MUCH taller guys laser pack! Blood starts immediately pouring out of my nose, like the hose you turn on when you want to rinse something off, but leave it on because you may still need it but don't want to waste too much water. So thank goodness my sister found me soon after and got a worker there to escort me out, and to the ladies room. I ended up in the bath room for the remaining 20 minutes of laser tag trying to get my nose to stop bleeding. I'm not really sure how long it was, I just know that I was really light headed, and felt really stupid! So he comes out to find no one waiting for him except my brother in law, who doesn't really have a whole lot in common with him, to let him know what happened. So we end deciding to end the date there, and take us home. So because of lack of mental status, couldn't carry on a conversation the whole way home and rested my head against the car window, hoping that this was not listed on his worst date list. He said good night, left the car and to be honest I'm not really sure if he ever said much to me again after that date. I don't remember. Did I mention that this was my first time I had been laser tagging? Well, up till my husbands birthday last month, it had been my only time laser tagging. So I went with my husband, and guess what, no bloody nose!!!

Lost in Thought

I am a little lost in thought right now. Not anything too major stuck on my mind. The main thing is that I love my family. I love the little boy sleeping on the bedroom floor of the girls room, because he didn't want to sleep in his own room. So much so that when he gave so many problems going to sleep tonight, that made me want to pull out a few hairs in the process. I love my space cadet oldest, who gets so lost in her books like I do that she forgets to listen to the other things that are happening in the real world around her. I love my screaming monkey! The child that screams when she doesn't get her way, and is SLOWLY learning that I'm not playing that game any more. I love my husband who just wanted to watch TV with me tonight but realizing how much lost in thought that I am right now was nice enough not to point it out, and just smiled and nodded when I asked him if I was a prickly pear tonight. I love all of my family and am so very grateful for them. I'm realizing how changing life is, and when things you don't expect come up around the corner. You would think I would truly get that by now with how many shifts I have made as a part of living in my short adult life. I watch as people I associate with, care for, and wish the best for start going through difficult times in their lives. I know the pain of uncertainty in ones life quite personally and don't wish it on any one. Sometimes things are affected by other actions or decisions, or just plain and simply just happen, and could not be prevented, but just dealt with. So I feel this pit in my stomach fall deeper as I simply taste the trial they are going through in their lives. To be honest, I wouldn't want what they go through, and I'm not sure that I would want to take it away from them either. I know that they will become stronger some how despite of it. I still simply taste their pain on their countenance's. I know the actions, of repetition and pushing through when all you want to do is simply break down and be done with everything. So, because I know, I push on and pray for them, as so many did for me. Its hard to think that sometimes things in this short existence are simply there, and to be pushed through, not to break us, but to make us be able to weather and understand so much more. I truly hope that I do understand more than I did before all the frustrations in my own life. I will definitely count my empathy so much higher. I will count that as something learned! So here is to my tired ramblings coming to an end for the night. Slightly thinking that perhaps like blogging under the influence, I shouldn't blog when tired. :)

I'M TOO TIRED!!!

Ok, not really! I've actually been doing ok. Just really busy. For example starting on July 4th, we went to a cousins baptism, , had Ali's 8th birthday party (OY!), and gone camping. Came home got kids clean and starting a whole new work week with lots more fun. :S
So no, I'm not giving up, I'm just really busy and preoccupied with life's events, and family and friends events. Dealing with emotions that come with all of the above! :) I've come to appreciate that I am truly blessed with a lot. Life wasn't meant to be easy, and there is a lot to learn along the way! I've realized that all the tough stuff was for a reason, just not sure what the reason is exactly yet. I'm not sure I'll know exactly more than to know that I can make it through with out going completely insane. (at least not yet)

Mr Mom

I have a great dad who helped me a lot over the years, as well as a great father in law who has followed suit. I could dedicate a whole post to each of them alone, but right now I think I need to do this one to my husband. You see my husband is currently Mr Mom. He has been cooking dinner, doing laundry, cleaning, bathing kids, helping with home work, and the many transportation needs for our 3 children, while I work, and of course I still help out when I can. This past week with Trev being sick, Brie had a birthday party to go to, as well as Ali had 2 to go to in one day and my husband because the earlier part of the week he was home with Trev didn't get to go out and get new pants for the temple (apparently he's gained weight since marrying me....) He had been running around getting things to go to the temple on Friday with his brother. He never once complained, simply apologized one night for being too tired to stay up much later after I got off of work. To top off this incredible week, I have not been feeling well, and I could simply not keep my eyes open this morning- Fathers day of all days. He helped arrange to get our oldest to church, and let me sleep until noon, and then told me we were going to take me to the doctor. All on Fathers day. So I have a sinus infection, and have a hard time staying awake, and he hasn't complained once. He even offered to help cook dinner at his family get together today. So here is the biggest thank you and "You are awesome Babe!" to my husband today, Love you lots!

What it takes to potty train and other updates

What it takes to potty train? Quite frankly I don't have the slightest clue. My oldest I worked with for a few months before she turned 3 and she was potty trained, not much of any accidents after. My son potty trained himself before the age of 2 because he just decided one day he didn't want to be in diapers any more. He has had a few accidents along the way, but I kid you not his bladder must be the size of a pea. When we went 4 wheeling with my father in law, we were gone for about 4 hours at most, and low and behold he watered the bushes at least 6 times while we were there. My youngest will be turning 4 in late September and have tried to see if she was ready to potty train since shortly before she turned 3. She is a fun child don't get me wrong, she just has her own time schedule and no one is going to mess it up. What finally got her to use the potty? The image on the right. This specific one to be exact. It had to be Dora Mermaid Princess that has the little electric spinning head tooth brush. They have regular ones, non electronic, Dora snow princess, and many many more. So yes we own this tooth brush now. Along with a Barbie and Pirates electronic spinning head tooth brushes for the other two kids.

And just for the record, we had Trev into the ER on Sunday night. (I seriously wonder if they are going to start remembering his name if he continues to have problems...) He had been having a hard time breathing all day, and have been giving him his breathing treatments (the extra ones) in hopes that it would help and he could feel good again. So at about 9pm Sunday night I checked on him again, and he was running a fever and was still a bit wheezy and he couldn't have another treatment for another 2 hours... So I called our nurse line with the insurance. Given the situation that I could describe best, and my son telling me that his chest hurt, she advised us that we had to call 911, simply for the fact that he could be getting a lot worse really quick and he had to be checked out. We didn't have a peak flow meter, or an oximeter. (for those of you non asthma aware people the peak flow meter helps tell how much air they are getting in and out, the oximeter tells how oxygenated there blood is) With out knowing those details she said he would probably have to be transported. So the EMT's came and checked him out, he was doing well enough for us to transport him, but said that he definitely did need to be seen tonight! So we head to the ER, and despite the 4 other people in the waiting room when we got there, I filled out the form and almost as soon as they read it they had us back in a room. Oh great! My first thought is that he some how has gotten the swine flu. Or H1n1 to be PC. (no he doesn't have it!) I have to give them credit for being so good with him. Despite having to swab his throat and sticking another swab up his nose to test for the flu, they did all they could to make him comfortable. The ended up doing a chest X-Ray and then did a treatment and he was feeling better by midnight and let us take him home and gave us a prescription for steroids to help with the asthma issues. So I wake up the next morning to him throwing up. Which to be honest does not surprise me. When he has had a hard time breathing he vomits to the point of retching his poor little body. This continued for the morning and then subsided. Then my husband calls me at work to let me know that the ER called us and said to have him come back in. Oh GREAT!!! They took a second look at the X-rays and they couldn't see a definite line around his heart, because it was blurry, which for those of you in the medical field probably know by now, my son has pneumonia. So my husband was sent home with an anti-nausea medication and antibiotic. This morning my son woke up and actually ate a piece of toast, with no vomiting, and has been slightly bouncing off the walls, and then rests for a long period of time. He is so going to school tomorrow! So we are on the mend. We celebrated Matt's birthday last night, we went laser tagging and to my delight for my only 2nd time playing I did not come out of it with a bloody nose! But that's another story for another day.

Rainy day with out power

We had the fun opportunity to have the power go out this afternoon. Meaning we couldn't watch movies, play electronic games of any sort, and because it was pouring rain outside that left us inside without power. My kids kept asking what we were going to do with out power. My kids found that they could make shadow puppets with a flash light in the dark. They were having so much fun they even started to dance (yes with out music) using the "spot light". I'm not quite sure where they got the idea but the dancing proceeded with every one and the flash light became a strobe light. Then they got a little too wound up and heads were bumped together.
So then my husband decided to teach our oldest two how to play chess. Matt and I are big game players and have quite an assortment of games. When we were first married we played a lot of Othello when it was just us. We finally decided we needed more than just one game we could play by our selves, so here comes the chess story. The first and only time we have ever played chess, in the middle of the game something he did completely pissed me off. Come to think of it I may have been a little on the bad end of the month at the time, and we had one of our biggest arguments in the beginning of our marriage. My husband when he tells people about us playing chess he says "there were lawyers on the phone". So when he suggested teaching Ali and Trev how to play chess, I was kind of surprised. My sons strategy was what pieces can I take off the board of my sisters. My daughters was simply to learn what each piece did and the goal of the game. Maybe that is reminiscent of how we played.... I don't know. My daughter won. No lawyers were called, but my husband and I did not play chess!

"You are so funny!"

Have I ever mentioned the Cheesy Child I have. Meaning the wild Monkey, the the youngest and best birth control I've ever had? My youngest in other words. This is how my day usually starts. 6:00 am or 6:15 am "MOM! MOM!!! I want to get up!!!" my Brie starts screaming to wake me up to come and get her from her bed. Mind you her bedroom is right next to ours and she is fully capable to get herself up and walk into my room to wake me up. This morning was a little different. 6:30 "...mom...can I get up?"- my son whispering to me!!!! So I get up and move myself to the living room turn on cartoons and start to fall asleep thinking any minute Brie is going to be screaming for me to come get her out of her bed. 7:39!!! It is almost a world record for her! The only exclusion is the one night she was sick and woke up very sick the next morning at about 8:30. But that is not really the funny thing she did today. She has been a little more on the temperamental side lately...or always not sure which yet. Anyways she has been kind of mean to Ali lately and took Alis hat tonight and threw it away from her and walked off. So my husband and I let her know that she needed to shape up and apologize. She did. She has this tendency to say "DON'T look at me!" after she is put back in line. I simply told her that I was her mother and I have every right to look at her when I needed to tonight and she just looked the other way and pouted. So my husband was sitting next to her and was looking at her shoes and just checked to see how much room she had left to grow in them. "Dad, I'm just wiggling my toes! See I'm not wiggling anything else!" she says. Matt tells her that he is just checking to see how her shoes are fitting and then she responds "Oh, you are funny Dad!" I think she got it wrong...she is the funny one!

My sweet Parramore

I am starting to realize that this whole thing is becoming more and more like a journal that is visible to anyone and is some what censored. I'll take that for what it is, and at least be able to say that I am trying. If it means that I feel better about keeping some sort of personal history, it is better than nothing. Having said that I'll continue with the complete randomness that is this blog.
So....what my dear sweet husband got me for mothers day. First of all, knowing that we were going out of town, and realizing that I hadn't been wearing my wedding ring for fear of loosing any other diamond on it (see previous blog for details), had bought me reasonably priced dainty attractive ring before we left. He said he had another gift for me. My husband is horrible at keeping gifts a secret. From day one... Let me start by saying that after we went out to look at rings when we were dating, he dropped me off after me telling him which ones I would really like. He came back and said that he couldn't afford one, and then right there in my living room, after my mother had left the room, got down on one knee and proposed to me. Christmas are similar stories. He asks me every year if I want to know what he's getting me, and my answer always is, "I will wait!". So through out the whole trip in Nevada, he would randomly ask me if I wanted to know what my mothers day gift was. I kept telling him on threats of kicking out of said car, room, locations not to tell me till mothers day. He would laugh and bring it up again later. Apparently he is far more attentive than I give him credit for. I had noticed about a month ago that Paramore was coming to concert with No Doubt in May. Seeing the date I thought it was the day his sister was going to be induced for her 3rd baby. So I joked with him, that is was too bad, or I might try to win tickets to the concert off the radio station. Okay, so if you can't tell, I like Paramore, in fact he tried to find any of their CDs for me for Christmas, but every place he went was sold out. I have been living on my Twilight soundtrack he could find instead. So like a good husband he told me on Mothers day that he had gotten us tickets to their concert.
So now the panic sets in. I wonder how to go to a concert like this?!? I'm not that young and hip, I just like the music and think it would be cool to see them. In situations like these the shyness returns to the surface and I want to go into shut down. Given how sweet my husband has been, I don't think I can do that. So I will keep pushing off the thought and keep pushing through all the way till the day after the concert. I love my Paramour(meaning my husband not the band), and the thoughtfulness can't be passed up.

Missing my kids

It will be a short post tonight. Seeing that I flew in, white knuckle gripped to the arm rests of the plane early this evening, and work starts at nine, but my day starts at 6am and won't end till way after 9pm tomorrow.
I went to my Grandpas funeral this weekend and it was fun in good way. I miss my Grandpa terribly, but as I saw my many cousins that I have not seen in over a decade, I could see things he left in each and every one of us, whether its my bald cousins head or an expression on one of their faces or a kind word that one said to another. I had fun playing, "What's my name" with many of my cousins. They could all identify me as the youngest girl of my family, and my name started with a K. (which really wouldn't be that hard!) Only a few got it right, and most of those were around my age not older. Given I am the second youngest out of the Norma Grand kids. (My Grandma Carma has 3 kids, who have 6 kids now...) And to my fault, I did confuse my cousin Tom with my cousin Sam. I'm sorry but when they both smile really wide the smile looks the same, and I know their personalities are completely opposite, but both still very good men! After all this I did find out which one of them had been changing the radio station at our house when they came to visit while growing up. (Tom FYI) I saw so many kids from 1 to 16 that I had never seen that are indeed some how related. As I watched all the kids running around and playing, I missed my 3 little kids at home with the other set of grandparents. I even accidentally had something with nuts in it and even though it was one of the few times I can, when I'm not around my son, I could have it. I honestly would have rather given up the delicacy of a nut for having my son with me. So because of work I had to fly home today to work tomorrow, and I'm not an especially good flyer. The last time prior to flying to this I was flying home because I was in a car accident in California, and was still quite dizzy (had about the equilibrium of a drunk with out the fuzzy vision or lack or reality) from the accident when I did fly. So, not because of work, but because I wanted so badly to see my sweet 3 little faces, I held on for the hour flight to see them all sooner. Although I got some killer mother day gifts (post coming..) the best Mothers day gift I got was the 3 little sleeping angels in the other rooms.

Ed Carlson

I have finally had some sleep and have undevoted time (meaning kids are in bed, husbands getting a hair cut and its not completely dark outside yet.).
So to put it simply I will always love all of my grandparents. My Grandpa Carlson that just passed away is my last biological grandparent that was living. (I have to note here that his 1st wife, my biological grandmother passed away before I was born, and he remarried Carma, who will always be my Grandma Carma.) He was in his 90's you might want to check one of my sisters blogs for his exact age. He left so many fun memories. When I was really little, I didn't like his hugs, I felt like he hugged so tight I was going to crumble like a piece of paper your wadding up to throw in a trash can. As I got older his hug didn't lessen, but I understood that he wanted to make sure that we knew he loved us, even if it still did feel like my insides were gushing to my top or bottom from the hug.
The every day memories I have of him are of him reading the newspaper, sneaking me cookies from the cookie jar at his house, him wearing a beigish brown sweater and starting to fall asleep sitting in a recliner, and him eating corn nuts randomly out of his shirt pocket.
My sister Kim complained once that she was so short, and my Grandfather at 6 feet plus letting her know that our grandmother was that tall. I am the same height as Kim, and knowing that, its harder to complain about being short.
I remember him killing the fake spider on the wall at my house growing up that my siblings thought would be a funny joke.
So many good memories to remember him by that although he is gone I know he has left me with a lot. I know he has left all of his family with a lot of good memories to hold on too.
There is so many more stories to tell, but the only people they would mean alot to would be family, and I get to see them this weekend for his funeral.

No Stinkin' Thinkin'

Ok, so nothing really particular to blog about. No real point tonight. I haven't blogged in a while. Not that there hasn't been things I've wanted to post. There have been a lot of things I wanted to post. Funny or cute things about my kids (like my 3 year old after being sick giving me a hug and telling me she loves me then going to her dad, giving him a hug and then says "I love Mom!"), comment about society in general (like the mad dash of people running for face masks and hand sanitizer- there is a thing called soap...), major life events. So many things going through my mind that I would like to post but some how am not able to retain focus long enough to type it out. I have done a lot of crying in the past couple of months. I've done a lot of laughing. I've just plain been doing a lot the last couple of months. (as a side note I hate the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" not that I don't believe it, I just think there is a better way to say it and to be encouraging.) So the main thing that I really want to take the time to blog about I can't really do right now. I want to blog about all my memories of my Grandfather that passed away this last Tuesday. I feel like I am in such a state of exhaustion from life in general I won't be able to justice to all I want to say. I want to be able to tell it with the care that it needs. So that blog will come another day. Probably after his funeral this coming weekend.
So not a real update on my life right now. Just a quick little blurb to say that I still plan on working on this blog. Just trying to get things done. I'm hanging in there ever so tiredly. I am being of as good of cheer and looking at life optimistically, taking things one day at a time. No "stinkin' thinkin' " happening, just exhaustion. :) FYI, thank you Krista for that saying! :)

Mother of rockstars.

I had to work long days on both Monday and Tuesday, and hence did not get to see my children after school. I forgot how much I missed seeing them every moment they are awake, and this situation is a prime example of it. As I was driving them home from school on Wednesday I kept hearing the phrase Cheetah something band. I'll have to ask what the exact name was and edit this later. So come to find out they have been having practise in the girls room every day after school in preparation for a concert to be held in their room Wednesday night so I could be there. So before dinner they had to get their outfits ready so they looked like a real band and then they went back in the bedroom and rehearsed it over and over again. Ali asked me if she looked like Hannah Montana, because she layered her skirt with pants. Trev said he had to have a jacket, and Brie just tried to copy Ali. If you can't tell by the picture, the popcorn vacuum is supposed to be a guitar. The duct taped sword is also supposed to be a guitar. Brie was being back up vocals. I can't obviously reduplicate the tune, but I know it started out with Ali singing "Digging in the dirt", then Brie chiming in "all day long", then repeat itself multiple times while Trev added in a few words here and there. They said they were working on another song where Ali was "Riding on a bus", with Brie singing "all day long" after her.
I think I miss my kids "all day long" with moments like these!

No love, and plenty of Sass

When my oldest child was a baby, no more than a solid year old, would scream at my husband and I while riding in the car. No she wasn't car sick. No, she decided that every time I put my hand any where near my husbands hand or head she would scream piercing both of our ears. It was a pretty quick way for us to tell if she fell asleep in the car. As she began to talk, she would say "No, my Mom!" or "NO! My Grandma!" She has pretty much out grown the screaming thing when she sees something she doesn't like, the most we get is a random pout, and understand the importance of sharing the people you love. I don't remember my son doing anything of the sort at any age other than push the other parent away when he was cuddling with one or the other. So my youngest child at the age of 3 and a half has now started her screaming fest in a different way. When ever she sees my husband and I hug, or even give each other a peck she screams "NO LOVEY!" and will physically put herself in between my husband and I and grab and drag me away. She always wants me to tuck her in, get her dressed, do her hair, get her food, anything it has to be mom if she has an option. I'm not sure if this is sad or not, with her being my baby, I kind of like that she is so attached to me.
Off the subject, but not entirely, my youngest was trying to sass my mother in law in the car one day. My MIL told her "You don't talk to Grandma that way, it makes her sad" and proceeded to put on a fake sad face to emphasize the reason to not sass her elders. Brie the cheese that she is, says to her "Grandma, Don't be sad! Ooooh! Aaaah! Oooh! Aaaaah!" While doing that she is putting her hand up and down in front of her face like Alex the lion does in Madagascar 2. It's hard to teach children that have a knack for humor!

Jury duty?

So I got the nice official form letter from the third district court telling me I need to fill out a jury questionnaire, and that I would have to apply for an exemption if needed. Seeing that I can't really see any problems for the month of May, I don't have any qualifying exemptions. I suppose that serving my civic duty would be a good thing, I got online and filled out the form, sent it off last night. Now this part is not a joke. I go to get the mail today and here is the kicker. I get another jury duty notification for the month of June. So whats the deal?!?! Is this normal or do I call and ask them if this super gold star civic duty?

5 questions

I was optionally tagged because it's easier than some of the stuff or lack of stuff going on in life. :) Anyways, let me refer you back to my sisters tag.

So my first question is:

1. If you could live anywhere in the world other than the US, where would you live? I don't think I could pick just one. I kind of like the idea of "bloom where you're planted". So Australia, France, Sweden, Canada, Great Britain, Japan... pretty much any where given the amount of prep work that may be involved. ie learning another language. My Spanish is pretty crappy and limited... Just ask a few of my coworkers.

2. If you could relive, but not change any one moment in your life, which one would it be? Hmm... The only thing that comes to mind as odd as it is, is any Late, late / middle of the night with any one of my kids as a newborns, when I relished that alone time with them, and just them. Being able to hold and cuddle them and know and feel their sweetness and innocence and potential that was ahead of them. Given there were only a few with each child given the consistent lack of sleep and routine of just getting up in the middle of the night. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

3. Describe your perfect date.
First thing, would be that I have to do none of the planning. I hate making decisions, whether they are large or small, unless I have a STRONG desire one way or another, I don't want to decide anything! I would want to go a late movie, and eat popcorn. I would want some sort of flower, given roses die (My husband was great while we were dating, and the first couple of years of marriage and bought me lots of flowers. My favorite are Zebra Roses.), so even a small live flowering plant would be nice. The movie has to be a movie that I really want to see, and if the date really didn't care for the movie, (ie my husband) he would keep his snide remarks to himself during the movie. Then go out for ice cream after where we could talk about inconsequential things, because heaven knows the rest of my life is not so. The movie could also be watched at home. I like simple things and preferably no shopping involved, or anything over the top. Just small simple sweet things. Sometimes all it takes for me to be in a good mood is to not have to cook, clean, wash, etc.

4. What is your dream vacation? Any where outside the US. I would love to go see Europe, and see the museums, the cathedrals, the architecture, the culture. There is so much I have read about and studied over the years, that it would be nice to see it some day. To be honest though I would easily settle for another week down watching plays at the Shakespearean festival in Cedar City in a heart beat, or taking the family to either coast and take them to a beach.

5. Tell us what your favorite dessert is. Do you have the recipe to share? Ok, like most things I can't really pick just one. I like my homemade chocolate cake with store bought chocolate frosting(unfortunately I haven't found one Trev safe yet). I love mini Oreo cheese cupcakes, low fat, because you can't really taste the difference. I like good old chocolate shakes, brownies, milk chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies with the right amount of frosting. Any of those could be listed as a favorite, but to be honest I like most deserts. I just don't always believe in mixing fruit with desserts. I have recipes for the first two to share, but like most of the stuff I have right now it is in a box somewhere, and I'm not sure where to start to find it let alone what to do with the boxes I have already gone through.

So as an end to this, I can tag you to do the same thing, but I choose the questions for those willing to, you just have to post a comment on my blog and I will send you 5 questions with the rules, like I got mine.

Growing children, and lack of black mail photos

I need to blog. It's been 3 weeks since I've last blogged. My life is chaotic, but some normalcy would be nice. Not that blogging is "normal" per say. Any ways! I realized today while sitting with my family in Sacrament meeting that my kids were growing up. I noticed that my older two sat forward, weren't playing with anything and were actually listening to the speaker, and the musical number following, and stayed that way till a more dry council type speaker started. :) Trev even made comments about his talk and asked questions through out it despite trying not to giggle with Ali. Brie on the other hand giggled or snuggled most of the time. Until Matt decided to take her for a walk after a long bout of loud giggling.
So the blackmail photos. Through out the rearrangement of my life recently I found all of my old barbie stuff, which includes SeaMonkeys, and Dink or not to Dinks barbies as well, along with the assorted barbie paraphernalia. So I went to take pictures of my son playing barbies with his sisters and low and behold, my batteries in my camera are dead. I was going to take pictures of him asking me if the barbies clothes were modest enough or not, and him helping Bries doll do something. Ali's barbie was pregnant with triplets. Then they started talking about having the dolls go to prom. They would have been great black mail photos on my son later on. It amuses me to think that we have no such black mail photos on my brother, because I remember him randomly playing barbies with me. So Nicole, if you find any, you're going to have to let me know!!! So life passes and time goes between blogs, and here is another random thought of my sanity trying to stay present. :)

Sentimentality

In an effort to condense the amount of junk we have I have been going through boxes after boxes of papers. To give you an idea, I had about 5 good sized boxes of stuff with just papers in it. I have shrunk it down to one....and my filing cabinet. What I found in these boxes are slightly disturbing and baffles my mind in what the heck I was thinking. For example. I found my Spanish language notes from 6th grade, all of which I already know those words, so why am I even considering hanging on to it?!? Notes from Junior High and High school classes. In my defense I do remember Ms. Smith once saying to hang on to your notes in case of a catastrophe and your notes might be the only thing to teach your children from, and she was a history teacher. Looking back on it now, I think she was kinda joking. At least I hope, because the notes are now in the recycling bin. My calculus assignments, my art history flash cards, my chicken scratch chemistry notes, my gender roles in America college course guide, along with many many others.

What I came across with that I just couldn't seem to part with. That is the picture you see in the top corner. In it contains any scrap of paper that meant anything to me that was given to me by another person. In it contains birthday cards, thank you notes, notes from my friends. As I got older it started to include missionary farewells, wedding announcements. Among some of the people who might read this blog, I guarantee to you that your name is somewhere signed in among this stack of papers and cards. Try me and I can tell you what it is that your wrote and around what age we were when you wrote it. It further went on to include my children's cards, important events that happened that had a piece of paper attached to it like zoo trips, first movie trips, etc. The thing that I found that cracked me up the most, but I am still hanging on to it, is the top of a to go box that my husband and I drew on top of together while we were dating. Given I have all of the other endearing and loving cards and hand written notes he has ever given to me, along with every petal from every time he ever bought me flowers. I may have to become practical and give up the petals. The bag is quite large, and he has upgraded to live plants that I have to keep alive. The current one is an orchid sitting on my kitchen table. The other is the mum planted in the planter box in our front yard from the year we moved in. It has since gone wild, and most of the other plants have died....like the hydrangea. So I am a sentimental fool. Also to note that by the time I was done compiling everything I had another box just as big as these two filled with sentimental papers as well.

The one last thing I found was a paper full of quotes that I used to stick up in my friend Allene's lock every day (or at least I tried) through at least one year of high school. I will end my blog with the quotes that were left.

"All you need is love"- John Lennon

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love"-Lao-tzu

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it"-Mark Twain

"Peace like charity, begins at home"

"If you would be loved, love and be lovable"-Benjamin Franklin

"You never know what happiness a simple act of kindness will bring about"-Bree Abel

"If God can work through me, he can work through anyone."-St Francis of Assisi

"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my goodness you learn"-C.S. Lewis

"The more we know the better we forgive. Whoever feels deeply, feels for all who live"-Madame de Stael.

The rest of the quotes I didn't have credit for, as is due to the original authors.

*Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, event and outcomes. It is a catalyst....a spark that creates extraordinary results.

*A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. In the end, leaders are much like eagles....the do not flock, you find them one at a time.

*What we can easily see is only a small percentage of what is possible. Imagination is having the vision to see what is just below the surface; to picture that which is essential, but invisible to the eye.

*Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed...every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter weather you are a lion or a gazelle...when the sun comes up, you better be running.

*I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good I can do, or any kindness that I can show, let me do now for I shall not pass this way again.

*Believe in yourself. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face...You must do that which you think you can not do-Elenor Roosevelt.

*Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.

*The race goes not always to the swift...but to those who keep on running

*Every job is self portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence

*Greatness is not where we start, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it-but sail we must, and not drift-Nordic Afancher

*Wisdom is knowing what path to take next. Integrity is taking it

*A ship in the harbor is safe...But that's not what ships were made for.

Ring

I think I've learned my lesson to not tempt the fates. After being at work for about 10 minutes yesterday, with knocking things over and spilling things multiple times I joked with the pharmacist that she would have wished I would have just stayed in bed that day. Now more than her, I am almost wishing that myself. For those of you that don't already know, I have lost the big diamond off my wedding ring. I have a nagging feeling that it made its way into somebodies prescription bag that I was helping. FYI if they tell you when they sell you the ring to be weary of the diamond falling out, also make note that the prongs that attach the diamond to the rest of the ring need to be checked too. The most ironic thing about it is, that when we bought the ring the jeweler said that sleeping with the ring on it would wear it down and we would likely loose one of the diamonds. I was a good wife and never slept with it on, for crying out loud I wouldn't use the restroom and keep it on my finger for fear it would fall off in the flushing basin by some odd twist of fate. I only wore it when I went outside the house, because it kind of felt like leaving the house with out pants on if I did. Stewing about it won't bring it back. My husband still loves me, and that's more important than the ring itself.
The other interesting fact is that one of the girls I work with got a call earlier that day from her husband to call him right away. Come to find out he got his hand smashed under a forklift, and when they pulled it back off his hand was obviously bruised, but his wedding ring that was supposed to be indestructible was in 3 pieces. Last I heard his hand was alright, just sad about the ring.
The one good piece of news is that Ali now has her 6th permanent tooth coming in after literally pushing out the baby tooth today. Started to dejunk around my house and realized that I was indeed starting to become a pack rat. I will stop that dead in its tracks!!! So my project for the next little while is discovering hidden treasures and junk to throw out.

Lemons and Lemonade

The short story. Ok....no the short story is even too long.
Recent events: We paid off our 2nd vehicle on the 6th in the morning. That afternoon while my husband went to pick up our kids from school the "Transmission" light went on. Ok, given we knew that it was going south, but we were hoping that it would last a little longer. So we are once again a one car family. Mind you we drive an OLD 2 door escort with 3 kids. Surprisingly the fights in the back seat have not gotten worse, only stayed about the same. The lack of radio has inspired more talking amongst the family. The lack of a good working heater has helped convince my kids in the morning that they HAVE to wear a coat, because it is obviously cold. So on the bright side...we still have one vehicle. :) So if something else gets added to this pile of things that aren't great in my life, go ahead. I don't know what could be thrown at me that I couldn't get past...with enough time. I think I eat stress for a regular meal, and my body has become dependent on it like smokers to nicotine. Ok, I really hope not, but it does seem a little plausible. Any of you out there have a regular dose of stress for daily consumption?

I was tagged....Honest Scrap

Ok, so apart of this tag I am supposed to give 10 "juicy" things about myself. "Juicy" and me have never really coincided or really ever been in the same room for that fact. So I guess I will give 10 things about myself that most people won't know, or those who do will remember vaguely. That and considering my sister tagged me almost a week ago, I need to stop slacking and figure it out. :P

1. I enjoyed the wrong part of highschool. To put it simply I didn't really break out of my shell till about a year after I was married. I liked going to classes and learning, looking back on it, but the social aspect just reminds me of anxiety. If I had relaxed a little bit maybe I would of had more fun.

2. My sister who "To dink or not to Dink" once told me when I was little that I was so uptight that she could put a piece of coal between my butt cheeks, that she would find a diamond there by the end of the day. I was a pretty uptight child.

3. I LOVE stale popcorn! It started when "Sea Monkeys" would have movie nights at our house growing up with friends or boyfriends. I had to go to bed early and couldn't have the treats that they had, and it utterly annoyed me. So I would wake up early the next Saturday morning to watch cartoons and eat their stale left over popcorn and treats that they left out.

4. I hated my dimples growing up. I would hide my face if I were smiling so that people wouldn't see them, even tried a modified smile that didn't really look like a smile, but it all still showed my dimples despite my efforts to conceal them.

5. I had a mild crush on the same boy growing up for most of my childhood. Thought he was cute at a young age, and never really changed that opinion. I even asked him out once but completely blew the date.

6. I once warned my son who had hit his sister that if he I saw him ever hit her again that I would tape his hands together. So he did about 5 minutes later, and I taped his hands toghether and he couldn't stop laughing. After a half an hour I took the tape off (because he was in time out in his room still laughing) when he promised he wouldn't do it again. He then proceeded to tell every one we ran into for the next week, store clerks, family, neighbors, strangers, the whole time laughing about it. I learned that he does better with time outs and privilidges taken away.

7. Let me preface that I am the youngest of 5 kids, which means I have 3 older sisters and one older brother. When I was little and didn't know about the facts of life I kept thinking that my sisters were unwrapping chocolate and eating it in the bathroom, around the same time every month.

8. I've seen at least 3 Planet of the Ape movies, and have to say that it took a great deal of stamina to stay awake to watch the whole thing... I may have to change that number to 2 and a half.

9. My poor cousin Jodi! To add to my list of uptight children aspects. She was making me a peanut butter and jam sandwich at their house that was directly behind mine growing up. She didn't make the sandwhich the same way that my Mom made them. She put the Jam on one side of the bread and the peanut butter on the other side and then put the two pieces together. My mom would put the peanut butter on and then spread the jam over the top of the peanut butter, then put the other slice of bread on. Apparently this upset me greatly, because I remember running out of their kitchen and all the way home crying.

10. We lived close to a shopping complex that was a walk away from our appartment when we were first married. About a month into the marriage we were walking with friends to go to dinner at Wingers that was just a walk away. While we were walking two teenage girls started eyeing my husband and his friend and said "hi" rather enticingly. My reaction is not what I would have expected. I put my hand in her face showing my wedding ring and said "Excuse ME!" Not my finest moment. My husband still laughs about it though. He thought he was going to have to stop me from fighting her. (I'm rolling my eyes at the thought)

So now I am supposed to tag people. To be honest there are very few followers of my blog. That would leave the person who tagged me, which now is inellidgible, and then there is the people that she already tagged... So I guess who ends up getting tagged are the people who come upon my blog that know me. The only people I can think of that might pop in every once in a while is Anita, Wendy, Heather, and Susan. So tag if you are "fortunate" enough to pop in and read my blog. :)

Mermaid Hair

There is a tradition that was started by my Aunt Robin. It all started with me as a little girl, not wanting to take a bath. We were visiting in Nevada my mom's relatives, and she was given the job of watching me while I bathed. (I must have been too young to be by myself). After saying I didn't want to put my hair in the water, she asked me if I wanted to find out if I had mermaid hair or not. Ok, what little girl could resist that? My hair was long, so I thought I was a shoe in, but I had to know for sure. Sure enough, my aunt Robin confirmed that I had mermaid hair as I let my hair float around in the water. The trick to getting me help wash my hair as a little girl.
So as I fought with my three year old to get her hair wet in the bath tub this morning, when it dawned on me this morning. Can we find out if the cheesy child has mermaid hair?! The answer is yes, and it is so much easier than hearing her scream when I pour water over her head. The trick to getting her out of the tub, is ask her to look at her fingers and tell her that her fingers are going to turn in to prunes, and when she sees that her fingers are that way, she is ready to get out. Oh the tricks we play to get our kids to willingly comply with what we need to have done.

6 inches gone! (if only it were weight!)

I have pondered of all the things I should blog about, seeing as it has been quite a while. My life is currently boring. :) Really not a big complaint. I would take boring to roller coaster any day and not have a blog at all, except for the few recipes I decide to share. So the one exciting thing that happened today is that I got my hair chopped off. When I say chopped I am referring to some one cutting 6 inches at least off of my head. I need to be more specific! Let me explain. The last time I got my hair cut it was about 1 and a half years ago and I donated about 8 inches to locks of love. (couldn't do that this time, I have wash out dye that didn't wash out!) I got a really cute cut that was shorter, just below my shoulders and learned how to style it so that it had body and looked really really cute. So I tried describing to the stylist how I wanted it cut. I said I wanted layers, cut a lot shorter, but still be able to pull it back in pony tail. So I got what I described. Just a little bit shorter than what I had originally intended. So when I pull my hair back there is a very tiny little pony tail. It is cute, but I have to curl my hair now. My kind husband in the middle of getting it cut sent our three year old over to tell me "That's too short Mommy!" Owell, hair grows and it's not an awful cut, just something to get used to.

p.s. One little brag moment, my oldest child got her testing back from school and she is the highest in her class, and she is actually 2 sections ahead of the rest of her class in reading. Oh crap, just dawned on me that someday my kids may actually be smarter than me... I guess I have at least 20 years right?!? That I will always have the line "because I'm the Mom and I know better."

"Its poisonous to me!"

Ok, so from my last post you know that my youngest has an ear infection. When I took her into the doctor, I was instructed to give her mucinex (guaifenesin is the generic name and cheaper....) for a couple of days. The antibiotic she loves that taste of, pink bubblegum you can't seem to go wrong! She has actually asked for it during the middle of the day when she doesn't need to take it. The guaifenesin on the other hand...well, we have a drink of water ready on hand after. If I had been smart I would have gotten the little melt away packets, instead of the generic awful tasting liquid. But no....I'm a little cheap and figured that the taste couldn't be that different. The other night as I told her shouldn't couldn't have the bubble gum flavored stuff until she took the "other" one. She tried negotiating, with no avail. I firmly let her know I was standing my ground when I told her I would get her Dad to hold her down while I put the medicine down her throat if I had to. So after much talking, threatening and advancing she took it all by herself, with a quick glass of water after. She then told me "Mom I think that medicine is poisonous to me!"
That alone would be funny in and of it by itself. Well tonight as her Dad got her medicine together before she went for bed, she told him "No poison tonight!" So because she is doing better, and it's not the antibiotic, she did not have "poison" tonight. Tomorrow morning on the other hand will be a different battle depending on tonight. :)

I'm out of style!

I am not the typical female. I HATE shopping. Well....maybe not hate exactly, I just don't like doing it because I am once again reminded that clothes on my body do not look good on me like it does on the mannequin or even the hanger for that fact. I've had 3 kids! I have major stress! I have limited time and what time I do have I have a hard time giving up to managing what I eat and exercising like I should. The error alone remains with me. It is my lone responsibility for what I look like is left up to me, and no one else. Having said that... I still remain out of style. :) My friend Stephanie took me out shopping, and she is an absolute sweet heart to deal with a difficult non shopper! She really didn't get anything for herself, but gave me feed back. She is pregnant so I don't blame her for not wanting to shop for clothes. As we were looking at shoes I mentioned that I thought that some of the shoes looked more like an art project than something I would wear. Not that they weren't cute shoes....just not me. She had to drag me to two shoe stores before I agreed on a pair. (This is the reason why I think guys don't like shopping with women.) I also have an argument with style makers who think that just because I'm short that everything else on me is small too. The pants don't fit in one way or another or just don't look right. The shirts may fit but there is one section that is a little over stretched and doesn't look right either. So I happily remain out of style because I hate trying on clothes and realizing that once again that cute shirt looks hideous on me. I will wear my out of date clothes and shoes, and be happy because they fit me. So as much as I like watching fashion and seeing it, it is not for me. I am not fashionable, but I appreciate those that are, and give kudos to them! They look great, and that is wonderful!

Ok...now back to my real life. I didn't sleep a whole lot last night. Brie kept waking up screaming, crying, or just plain shouting "MOM!" most of the night. Yes, she has an ear infection. I took this moment to reflect back on the fact that last night was reminiscent of having a newborn in my house. I instantly became grateful that I have a 3 year old with an ear infection and not a newborn. Also I got to take a nap this morning and switched shifts with my husband so we could recuperate on loss of sleep. So I am so grateful that I have 3 kids, the youngest being 3, who is Poop Trained...just not potty trained! the oldest who is a good reader and has better fashion sense than her mom! The middle child who cracks me up daily, and is perfecting the art of smooth talking early on! So here are my thanks sent out to the world for my life as it is. Some things may suck in my life, but overall there are things I just wouldn't give up or change.

B's recipes

So my youngest child thinks she is going to be a gourmet chef. Three times now I walk into the kitchen after running down to do wash, going to bathroom, or anything and come back to find her making her own recipe. Given her age these concoctions she has come up with are less than appetizing. She has mixed things from cold cereal, water, jello, crackers, cookie dough from the fridge, popcorn kernels, muffin mix and milk. Not in any particular combination. Maybe I shouldn't let her mix cookie dough with me anymore. Do any of you have suggestions on how to guide my budding personal chef?

I think I created a monster

Obviously my blog is public. So the few people who know about my blog can read and respond. This is a good thing don't get me wrong. I'm glad. I sometimes need to be put in my place in one form or another. What I really shouldn't have done was show other peoples blogs to my husband... So be aware there will be another blogger starting in the family. After I sign off in a few minutes I'll relinquish the computer for who knows how long for the comradery to begin. The peanut gallery in the back saying I'm adding fuel to the fire by that comment. To be honest it would nice to see. I want to encourage this because maybe I'll understand more of what he's been trying to tell me for the last 8 and a half years, because to be truthful I am stubborn and hard headed at times. Not to mention oblivious to efforts he does take at times. (I do look back and see some of the things he tried to do to make me happy that I went on unaware to.) So I hope you are all having a good new year with good intentions for it. :)