Summer Summary. . . Part 1

After months of having to listen to complaints from my favorite biological sister, I guess it's about time I update my long neglected blog.

Here's the thing, SO many things have happened since I last posted that I get incredibly overwhelmed, and I just don't know where to begin. Even after typing that very sentence, I looked at all of the pictures I took this summer and darn near closed this tab without ever finishing the post. BUT, I guess if I don't start somewhere, I'll never get anywhere, and the truth is, I REALLY despise that first picture of me and the snake that I last posted. I'm getting sick of looking at it, so this just has to be done.

I am going to give you fair warning, this is going to be picture/information overload, but I am forbidding you to complain, because beggars can't be choosers, and this is just the way a post four months in the making has to be. I decided to break it up into two parts, because, well, I've got a lot of crap to post:).

Ute Stampede:

Our family has had the same Ute Stampede routine since I can remember. We always go to the rodeo on Thursday, and the the carnie on Friday. I'm excited I've been able to carry on that same tradition with my own kids. I have high hopes that someday they will be carnie employees and give us discounts so that we can ride the ring of fire all night with out paying a million dollars.

The rodeo is always intense, but somehow Tanner must have been getting a little bored because apparently he is trying to stimulate his brain through his nose :0).

This is Ellie's latest smile. You'll notice she continues to pull this lovely "princess smile" in nearly every picture I take of her. What a doll!

We wrapped up the Ute Stampede festivities with a little fun runnin'. Luke and Tanner ran in the kids' race, they both did a great job and have since gotten out of bed too darn early for my liking to train for next year.

Bampa's Farm:

Those of you who know my dad may be surprised to know that he has a farm. Well, ok, it's not really his farm, but the kids sure think it is. He works security at Young Living Farms in Mona which means that there are a few special occasions that we get a backstage V.I.P. pass to all the action.

At the farm there is a little western town that is the perfect setting for the imagination of two little "cowboys" to run wild! They got all suited up in their cowboy gear, which included a dinner napkin scarf for Luke, and a sideways pirate hat for Tanner. I always knew I'd raise me up some real cowboys!

Here the boys are busy being "The Law" and keeping their town in order.

Apparently order comes in the form of making their little sister keep the town clean.

After a hard days' work, they always make time to stop at the local pub for some good ole' fashioned saspirilla.

Here is my sweet little girl's lovely princess smile once again!

PS- I would like you to take a second look at the Ute Stampede photos. My boys were begging to wear these lovely cowboy outfits to the rodeo, and I was begging my mom for suggestions on how to get around it. Luckily she came through with some NEW cowboy clothes so the pirate hat and dinner napkin could have a little break. Thank goodness for grandparents!!

Since this little outing, I have had to convince Tanner multiple times that cowboys wear cool clothes too.

Yes, these outlaws even have their very own mother and father

Swimming:

We live only a few minutes from a nice little desert oasis, the Payson Pool. Just incase you weren't aware, I am one of the most paranoid mothers on the planet, so when I heard that my favorite Juab High School Alumnists were taking their kids to the pool, I nearly had a heart attack. My first thought was "NO WAY!" Then I began thinking of Meagan and Alisha who are also Matriarchs of their own three children, and I told myself, "if they can do it, I might as well attempt to do it too." I set a few ground rules for the kids, strapped a life-jacket on Tanner, and away we went. I am so glad I did because anytime I get together with these girls, it's always a good experience. I even made it home with all three of my children above water.

The pool check was made a little sweeter with slushies and pink cookies...Oh, and this is Ellie in her favorite pink robe which she lovingly refers to as her "butt"

July 4th.

On July 4, 2003, this handsome little devil made me a mother and stole my heart. I can't believe seven years has gone by since then. How blessed I am to have such a wonderful son. He has already taught me more about ambition, compaiton, and patience than I can express. I am so proud of him, and I feel it an honor to be called his mom.

Nephi's 3rd of July Celebration:

We certainly lucked out this year with the 4th being on a Sunday. We got to go to Nephi on the 3rd, celebrate Luke's birthday on the 4th, and head up to Provo on the 5th. We usually try to cram all three celebrations into one day, which makes for a crazy, utterly exhausting adventure, it's always worth it, but I kinda wish the 4th was on Sunday every year.

Luke got his face painted like Spiderman. Can you see the resemblance? I'm not going to lie, it took me a few minutes to guess what character he was meant to be.

My parents spent two hours working as the train operators. That meant two hours of free rides and entertained children for me. It was pure bliss!

Tanner was dying all day to try his hand, and feet, at rock climbing. I tried to convince him it was a waste of tickets, but needless to say, he used six of his tickets which is equivelant to two bucks to make it three feet up the wall then have a level 5 meltdown because he couldn't reach the top. After dragging my kicking and screaming 4-year-old away from the crowd, a kind doctor, who happened to be by the rock climbing wall at the time, tracked me down to see if he was seriously injured. I reassured him that only his pride as assulted but other than that, he was just fine. Best two bucks we've ever spent.

I am pretty confident that at this point, you are as tired of reading this as I am of writing it, so I will put the 2nd half on hold and simply say,

to be continued. . .

Lessons Learned from Pooh

So, most of you know that I tend to be a tad bit on the paranoid side (notice the look of sheer terror on my face).

When confronted with a situation or a proposition, such as, "Mom, can I go outside and play?" I think to myself, passively at first, “oh, what’s the worst that could happen?”

At that point, my thoughts inevitably lead from a simple afternoon outside in the backyard, to one of my children being kidnapped and then who-knows-what else while I spend the rest of my life in an agonizing search for the baby I lost when I let him step out that back door. So, the passive question, ”what’s the worst that could happen?” turns into a small anxiety attack, when chances are, that whole mother’s worst nightmare scenario really isn’t going to happen. And yes, I actually do let my kids play outside:).

And here's where my dilema comes in, have you ever heard of a helicopter mommy? I don’t want to be a helicopter mommy. I'm sure you know them, the moms that hover over their children at the playground, and when playing with other kids, never letting them experience so much as a scrape or skirmish. I really try hard not to be that, but, I have this innate urge to protect my offspring.

Last week my kids were watching Winnie the Pooh, and I a major epiphany courtesy of that silly old bear. In that particular episode, Rabbit had grown the perfect pumpkin. The pumpkin was so perfect that he just HAD to protect it. The super sleuths started building a variety of contraptions to protect the pumpkin from all the ills of the world, but with each completed contraption another weak spot was revealed. For instance, they built a fence all the way around the pumpkin, but it was left vulnerable on top. Their efforts eventually led them to building a completely enclosed structure around and on top of the pumpkin. Nothing could get in. Nothing could hurt it. I’m sure you can see where this is going, but I’ll finish the story anyway:). Rabbit quickly realized that his pumpkin was getting weak, the lack of sun, water, and fresh air made it frail and start to wither. It turned out that smothering the pumpkin was actually killing it, not helping it. And so it goes.

If my kids are never able to spread their wings, take a risk, and be exposed to life, they will never be able to learn. They won't know how to pick themselves up when they fall. If I never allow them to feel defeated, how will they know the joy of success? I could do my best to never let them scrape a knee, or stub a toe, but at what cost? What journeys will they be missing out on, and will they really be growing?

(I LOVE where I live)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that there are times that I will need to walk along side my kids, I will arm them with the protection they need to fight their battles, (such as an unstrapped backwards helmet. . .see below)but eventually, I’ll have to do it. I’ll have to let go. And I know if when I do, I will be better for it, and they will be too.

So until that day comes. The day that I’ll have to let go, I’m going to do everything I can to put all of my crazies aside, and watch my perfect pumpkins grow.

Side Note: Most of these pictures were taken at baby animal days in Logan, thanks little sis for inviting us! We had a great time:).

April Fools!!!!

Sometimes I crack myself up:)

A BIG (but smaller than a breadbox) Announcement!!!

Need I say more?

Motherhood

Today Ellie pooped,

On my bedroom floor.

With Luke's toothbrush as a tool, she dug through her poop and smashed it into my carpet,

And onto her hand.

It stunk.

I gagged.

I didn't take a picture. . .


Your Welcome.

Normal

I have recently returned from a fantastically fabulous trip to San Francisco. I loved nearly every minute of it (all except the part that I nearly suffered a severe panic attack due to a bit of turbulence followed by a ride on the subway. . .I'm SO sheltered!).
I fully intend to post a highly entertaining post giving San Fran all of the love and attention it deserves. . .but not today.
When I think about my trip it will always provoke feelings of excitement and enjoyment.
It will be easy to write about the great times we had even if I write about it a week from now, but today is different. Today was a normal day. A normal day that for some reason I am feeling a bit of fondness towards. If I put this post off for a week or so, I am absolutely certain my feelings won't be replicated.
So, Mom, Linzy, Kylee, and Grandmas, our trip will be featured, don't you worry your pretty heads, but until then. . . here's to normal!

One of my life-long besties and old roommate, Lynsey, posted a link to this blog. I am smitten. It was there that I read this overwhelming appropriate quote:

“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.”

I. love. it.

Today, this blissfully “normal” day, Tanner rushed into the kitchen and with a sense of urgency declared, “I’m going to be doing something that’s going to keep me VERY busy!”

“What might that be?” I asked

“Science.” He responded boldly and confidently

I quickly shot back, “Wow, what kind of science?”

“The kind that has never been done before.”

Umm Ok.

With that, Luke decisively declared his desire to join in, then the fun began.

They quickly got to work gathering their supplies which included:

• Various Parts of a Breast Pump,
• Several Halloween Cups,
• Bottle Nipples
• Medicine Droppers
• Measuring Cups
• Soap
• Water
  
  What more could aspiring scientists ask for?

As for Ellie. . .She couldn't have been happier, reading (ok, looking) without interruption. . .

and playing with her best friend, Cow. Yes that’s right, her best friend happens to be a giraffe. A giraffe who seems to have no problem being named “Cow.”

Thank you normal day.
I hope to cherish you always.

Doctor's Appointment

This past week I took Brielle down to Nephi to see the family doctor. I took her in for her well child check. For some silly reason, I am always a little excited about these appointments. Dr. Oveson has been my doctor for nearly as long as I can remember. He saw me when I was young, he’s been my doctor through my pregnancies and the births of my children (except Tanner, we lived in Logan). He is now their doctor as well. When I take my kids to see him for their well child checks, it’s almost like show and tell. I get to show him how much the kids have grown up, what they have learned, and how darn adorable they are.
He always sings their praises, acts impressed and amazed at their accomplishments, and asks me sincerely how I’m doing.
That’s why I was excited.
I couldn’t wait to show him how my adorable baby girl has turned into a spunky little toddler. Pooper volunteered to babysit my two boys so it was just me and the little princess. She was perfectly charming and very well behaved while we waited in the lobby. Then when the nurse weighed and measured her she didn’t put up a fight at all.
I was thrilled.
Then Dr. O. walked in. He was excited to see her and immediately commented on how big she had gotten. Then he playfully got down to business. “Hey cutie, can you show me where your eyes are?” I was grinning on the inside because she has known the answer to this basic question since she was a year old.
She immediately pointed directly to the ceiling in response.
The ceiling?
I quickly piped in saying, “you know this, where are your eyes?” Another enthusiastic point to the ceiling.
He moved on.
Where is your tummy? She had shown him that trick the previous year when I took her in for her 1-year check-up. This time she didn’t point to the ceiling, instead she triumphantly slapped her knees. She had a big grin on her face as I urged her to try again and show Dr. O. where her belly was. Another slap on the knees.
I couldn’t believe it.
Finally he asked her where her ears were to which she responded by pinching her cheeks. I didn’t bother trying to help. She didn’t say a word the entire time, and spent most of the visit sitting on the exam table with her tongue sticking out.
She was crazy.
By the end of the visit, Dr. O. was explaining what the signs of autism were and what I should be watching out for.
He told me that she should be able to say simple words like cat, and dog among other things. I tried to assure him that she did, but when I asked her to repeat it she made some unintelligible sound then stuck her tongue back out.
Soon the visit was over and Dr. O. left the room. Immediately my little princess picked up a magazine, proudly pointed at a picture of a dog and exclaimed “puppy right there! woof woof!”
Oh well, I guess there’s always next year.

Probation

I’m on probation.
During a typical hectic Tuesday morning, I was battling to get both of my boys ready for school. I went into my bathroom to get Tanner out of the shower, and once I turned the water off, I sprayed shower cleaner on the glass surround. He had Apparently had his heart set on using the squeegee to clear away the excess water which apparently he could'nt do once the cleanser was sprayed on the glass.
He had a royal meltdown.
After several minutes of him crying hysterically and me trying to console him, he announced that he wanted to find a new family to live with.
I was heartbroken.
He assured me that he would come back and visit because he would miss "Wuke" and his toy castle.
I begged and pleaded to make him want to stay, I even promised him that I would let him squeegee the shower whenever he wanted. I kept trying to think back to any episode I may have seen of Little Bill for ideas on how to deal with the situation.
Nothing.
I now remember one episode where Little Bill wanted to run away, so the family decided to run away with him. Where was that when I needed it?
The more I tried to convince him that he was my little boy and that I could never let another mommy take him, he was insistent that a new family was indeed what he wanted.
In the back of my mind I really wanted to drop him off with another mommy that would make him eat brussel sprouts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and put him on toilet scrubbing duty only after he had finished mopping all the floors and cleaning out the pig pen.
That would show him.
He would come running home with arms wide open proclaiming that his REAL mother was the greatest in the whole world.
Unfortunately I couldn’t think of one person that would be that cruel.
Each time I asked him why he wanted to leave, he responded between sobs by saying “I don’t want to leave, but you’re just SO mean to me.”
I started thinking about my interactions with this middle child of mine. Truth be told, he gets “in trouble” a lot. I love him more than life itself, but he happens to be a little pill. I am still looking for ways to control his meltdowns, encourage him to be responsible, and keep him from tormenting his little sister. I feel so defeated when I admit that after 4 years I still haven’t found out just how to handle my middle child. My heart sank as I realized that he probably really felt like another mommy would be much nicer to him and that time-out would be far less common in a different household.
None of the blame is his, it’s all mine.
After explaining to him that if he left our family that would mean that he would never be able to see his grandparents again either since they too are part of our family, he was devastated by the very thought so he agreed to give me a trial run.
Probation.
I swore up and down that I would shower him with love and attention. I would use nothing but positive reinforcement for jobs well done and make this house a happy place.
It worked.
He loves me again.
But I do have to say, by the end of the day, even at 4-years-old, he realized that he was running the show. He missed his nap (which he NEVER does), he was hyper beyond measure, and he tormented his sister all the more. Needless to say, while I made it past probation, I shamefully admit, I’m still clueless when it comes to parenting.
Any suggestions?

Mayhem, Musing, and Martians

Mayhem

Some of you may know that I work from home. Part of my job includes writing for 25 blogs. 25blogs! So, I am here to confess that my family blog has been a little neglected. You see, after spending 4-6 hours a day writing for blogs, the last thing I want to do is sit at my office (the desk in my kitchen) after hours and do essentially the same thing I've been doing all day, but this time without getting paid. So, I've decided a good alternative would be to take portions of posts I write for other blogs and paste them over here, and while they may not be as unique and personal as they could be, they are posts none-the-less. So here they are for your holiday enjoyment!

Musings

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was great. The day was somewhat relaxed, and the kids were spoiled rotten. I really do love Christmas. However, I also despise the aftermath.
You see, I work from home, on the computer for up to 6 hours a day. While I am working, my kids enjoy playing with each other, and the harder they play, the messier the house gets. That’s typical, Christmas or no Christmas, but the joy of Christmas seems to have left a large amount of extra clutter in my life.
Our 12ft Christmas tree is making me claustrophobic. The once beautiful and majestic symbol of life everlasting is now a giant dust and clutter collector.
The toys the kids were so excited to open on Christmas morning have now been poked, prodded, and abused leaving some of them broken or neglected after only a short stay at our home. My boys got two giant boxes of legos. I love the concept of legos. I love that they require critical thinking, imagination, and fine motor skills, but I loathe the little pieces that end up all over the house only to be stepped upon by an unsuspecting barefoot.
The packages once wrapped in fancy paper with lovely bows, adding to the festive decor of our home are now piled up sky high in the corner of my kitchen. Just sitting there. Waiting for my wonderful husband to take the time to send them to their resting place-far away from my kitchen.
The delicious handmade treats that my friends and neighbors so graciously brought to our home as a symbol of love are now crumbs on my kitchen floor.
And finally, all of the lovely Christmas decor I have been working so hard to collect throughout my adult life just adds to my list of things I have to dust.
I think I’m going crazy!
I really make an effort to have the Christmas Spirit. There are so many wonderful things that accompany this time of year, but now, I want my house back.
Today my mom is making the 20 minute drive up to my house to help me package all of my Christmas decor in their boxes where they’ll be stored and eagerly awaiting their appearance in 2010. When that time comes, I will be so happy to see them that I will giggle with joy. But now, be gone with you! All of you!

Side note: My wonderful mother did in fact help dig me out of my Christmas disaster area! Thanks Mom:).

This post is from my blog, Musings of Modern Mamas

Martians

I can’t believe 2009 is over! This year has been one I won’t soon forget for reasons both good and bad. Above all, I am thankful that after the end of another year my family is healthy, happy, and safe.
Everything else is just extra.
I have LOVED having the kids home during their Christmas break. We have been completely lazy and loved every minute of it. Last night we spent several hours creating martians. When they unwrapped the Martian Making Kit at my parents’ house on Christmas I silently cringed. I figured a gift that would produce such a mess would surely have to come from the grandparents, but after much begging, I finally gave in to their pleas and opened the kit.
I had a ball.
I never thought it would be so much fun making martians. The atmosphere was so relaxed. We had no need to hurry, the kids could be late for bed, and the mess could wait. We were able to sit, create, and chat. It was perfect.
On a side note, my littlest princess has been enjoying her big brothers’ legos. She enjoyed them so much that she just had to stick this

right up her nose. Luckily, we also got the game Operation for Christmas, so I have been brushing up on my tweezing skills. I was able to successfully remove the gear shifter without a hitch.

-This post is from my blog, Making the Most of Family Time

If you would like to be featured, or contribute to any of my blogs, I would love it! Heaven knows I have several for you to choose from:).