July 31, 2009

Household Garbage

Two Confessions.

One. I have had a seriously bad case of the lazies lately. I mean, its bad.

Apart from the usual cooking, sweeping, mopping, dish washing, toilet scrubbing, diaper changing, fight breaking, garden weeding, nose wiping, kid book reading, walk taking, errand running, laundry washing, drying, folding, and hanging, bum cleaning, (big deep breath... continue) Primary lesson planning, shoe losing, shoe finding, belly tickling, little teeth brushing, toy tripping, bed making, tear wiping, boo boo kissing, whining hearing, dragon slaying, fort making, destroyed fort cleaning, dirt off wall scrubbing, wet bed changing, monkey chasing, time out taking, bottle making, food feeding, spit up scrubbing, etc., etc., (Um, other mommies, did I forget to list a thing or twenty?) I just haven't felt like doing much of anything lately.

I can't seem to get myself out of bed before 7am. No matter if I only got up once that night with the kids, or ten!

And, as you've noticed, my blogging is SO off. I think if I could just sit on the couch for one whole day doing nothing but eating chocolate and watching chick flicks, I totally would.

I also think I'm standing before the door of life marked, "Crazies Enter Here", and my hand is on the door nob.

So, when I finally sat myself down and did a craft with my children, it was huge, and hugely fun.

Which brings me to my second confession.

I save the cardboard from toilet paper rolls.

Not like, I save and collect them to hang on my wall or invite people over and show them off kind of saving. No need to call the loony bin just yet. But kids love them and you can make some easy, cheap fun crafts with them.

BEFORE

AFTER

Oh come on, I at least get brownie points for trying right? Or at least for letting Joseph use glue! Well, I thought I was being very brave. He is such that I might just find my socks glued together.

Even markers to color the wings with! I know! Especially after the 'reasons I don't take naps' post, I think I definitely deserve brownie points for that one!


Aren't they cute!

Maybe I'll write a book. "101 things to make out of household garbage." LOL!

And where did the expression "brownie points" come from? I think I should change the expression to "chocolate points". The kind you can cash in for real chocolate.

July 29, 2009

Cool Quotes

"Consciousness of self is the greatest hindrance to mankind."

~Bruce Lee



"To dream of the person you wish to be is to waste the person you are."

~ Author Unknown


Do you ever feel like some saying were meant just for you?

July 28, 2009

Couch Smouch

Every Princess NEEDS a Prince. And when it is such that there is a Princess and a Prince, there NEEDS to be a bad guy that they can run away from.

BUT what if the bad guy doesn't want to be a bad guy? What if he wants to be a Prince too?

But according to the rules laid down by the Princess, there can only be ONE Prince. This makes for a very unhappy and weepy third wheel.

In steps the QUEEN and knights the bad guy. So now he has a BIG sword which makes the new Knight VERY happy.

So, life in the kingdom continues in peace.

But WAIT! The Princess NEEDS a castle! A place to hide the Prince and the Knight from the Dragon!




Whoever said the Princess can't save MEN in distress?

And whoever said a couch was for SITTING anyway?

I didn't.

July 27, 2009

Reasons

I have reasons.
Four very specific reasons why I never take naps.

No matter how tired I am.

Ever wonder what these reasons are?

Well wonder no more.
Here is just one of my reasons.

Serves me right for giving in.


July 24, 2009

Flashback Friday

Remember this Flashback Friday post (click here) where I revealed some of the ancient artifacts discovered in the deep abyss of my parent's home while they were packing?

Well, more great discoveries have been found. Colossal... epic... masterpieces!

(cough) Okay, so maybe not THAT great, but close enough.

Care to see some of my teenage artwork?

Oh, I KNOW you do.

Just do one thing first.

Grab a box of tissues in case you end up laughing so hard you start crying.

(click to view larger)


Oh dear. Do I DARE admit that the background in this first drawing was inspired by a painting of Christ?






Bet you didn't know I use to draw dragons! Yup, sure did! All the time. I was the dragon master!! LOL, okay, I'm just kidding.
I even won an award for that very last dragon drawing.
Bet you never would have guessed that!

This one is from my colored pencil experimentation days.

When you have the dragon series framed and hanging in your house, send a photo. I'll autograph it for you.

(ever so humbly... of course)

July 23, 2009

Dear Blog

Dear experienced, all knowing, intelligent, and ever so sophisticated Blog,

Is there a good reason why there aren't more stay-at-home dads?

Signed,
Curious


Dear Curious,

Allow me answer your question in full detail.




Let me know if you have any other questions.

Signed,
The experienced, all knowing, intelligent, and ever so sophisticated Blog

July 22, 2009

You Know You're A Mom When...

When you burn your kids pancakes and instead of making new ones, you just cut off the top and give the bottom part to them.


Or maybe that's just me.

(cough) Umm... wow, awkward. You know what, just forget you ever read this post.

July 21, 2009

The Super Exciting Weekend

Okay, so I'm exaggerating. In fact, I won't be surprised if you get bored and don't finish reading. And I'll forgive you if you do, as long as you don't tell me you got bored.

But I'm just warning you now, I included a really... um, well, gross photo of a burn.

Wednesday of last week, Luke was out on a borrowed four wheeler getting some yard work done and the boys were out riding with him. He got off for a minute and told the boys to hop down for a moment as well. I happen to look out the window just in time to see Jacob scream, and Luke sprinting over to him. Jacob had been wearing shorts and had put his knee on the hot engine. His skin was burned white.

A little over a year ago I had decided it was time to invest in a good First Aid kit and that day was the first time I had used it.

Poor little guy. He has been so tough! His leg doesn't seem to bother him much until I change the dressing on it. I change it every morning and every night, and he HATES it! Not that I blame him. I've been keeping it covered in burn cream and Tea Tree oil.

And can I just say that those so-called "non adhesive" pads should not have that name. They are usually stuck to his knee and I have to get it wet in order to pull it off.

Here it is a couple days ago.

I'm warning you, its nasty!


I have to keep most of his leg wrapped up so the wrapping over his burn won't come off or shift or move while he's out running around and playing.

He's been a tough little guy. If you have any tips on treating burns, I'd love to know!


But we are finally making progress on our yard. Remember this picture from a couple weeks ago? Well, imagine it with taller weeds and three giant mounds of dirt sitting around.


I had been raking rocks in the yard last week in preparation for scooping them out and leveling the dirt. I had only about half the yard raked and weeds pulled when Saturday rolled around. We set out in the hot sun to see if we could get that back yard done.

Luke's brother and his wife just happen to stop by and, much to our surprise and delight, Bobbie said he would stay a while and help. They got things done twice as fast working together than if it had been me out there trying to help Luke and tend the kids at the same time.

Now, it looks like this!


Sprinkler system, here we come!! Not that its going to be particularly fun to install or anything. Yes, we are going to do it ourselves. Another one of Luke's brothers is going to come down and lend a hand.
(sigh) I love all these guys and their super handy knowledge about... well, between the seven brothers, just about anything and everything. And they are all so awesome to be so willing to help each other out.

Other than that, not much has been going on around here.

Well, nothing out of the norm anyway.



Oh dear. I have 616 unread emails in my inbox.
Just thought I'd let you know that.

July 19, 2009

Humph! I Never Panic!

I was quietly playing with Alayna on the living room floor when I hear Savannah's voice from the bottom of the stairs talking to the boys.

"I'm going to go ask mom."

When she was about half way up the stairs, I hear her say quietly to herself,

"Oh I hope she doesn't panic!"

July 17, 2009

Guest Post

So, I have a friend.

Its okay, you may a take few moments to recover from shock.

But she's not what you would consider a "typical" friend. We've never met in person and we've never talked on the phone. We are e-friends. It started with a little drawing I did of her boys and the emails haven't really stopped. She is one of those people who you can tell have a heart of gold, thinks the best of everyone, and she's really funny.

She's reads my blog and in return, send me her own stories about her three kids since she doesn't have a blog. Many of which include worms in the bed, tadpole gifts, and scissors to clothes.

She sent me this story the other day and it was SO, SO funny I just had to ask her if I could share it.

We are convinced there is a "Mommy Channel" that airs every night up in heaven where everyone gathers around to enjoy a good laugh at us mere mortals while feasting on calorie free/ fat free/ cholesterol free/ and yet somehow full flavor treats and snacks. Because I KNOW there will be chocolate in heaven. And I think this story has been aired more than once.

So enjoy the story and be sure to leave her some love and empathy, and let you know how much you laughed.


Oh Serene...

And that it was...It must have been the "Mommy Channel Special"...what else is there to do but laugh.

Since we were diligently working in the sweat shop trying to make progress on converting a shop into a little apartment for John's sister, it required another trip to Lowe's. The floor plan changed yet again and we were measuring trying to change the would be good-size closet into a bathroom.

We had the tape measure in hand...cleverly borrowed from the tool section, as we gathered our little crew in the bathroom area. Lowe's has the coolest display of bathroom necessities. Caleb-4 years old- was admiring the replica of the old style tubs. "Mom, I like this one...I want one like this." I replied, "Me too Caleb, I really like it." He was into this and just makes the trip easier.

John had little Angle Muffin strapped in the basket, as a good dad would with Jacob 6, somehow nearby, we mosied further into the store in search of more facilities to measure.

Leave it to me to notice Caleb was not beside us...I could see his little head 15' back, still admiring the displays, I hoped. Sure enough, I said to John as I focused his attention to Caleb..."Please tell me he is not peeing in that toilet."

He replied with the supporting, "Lady, I don't know you!!!", and bolted down the nearest isle with OUR other 2 children.

And yes...in a quick moment, one of a mother's worst fears near a Lowe's bathroom display became reality to me. There he was, so innocently and happily, peeing in the display toilet. I interrupted his relief session, pulled his shorts up to cover his little bare cheeks and such, to hurry down the nearest isle to find the hiding family members.

What else is there to do but laugh...laugh so hard you cry. As if claiming the child was not enough, when I finally regained my composure and decided it was time to maybe let the Lowe's employees know that toilet needed to be cleaned. Had I thought for a moment Caleb had done that in orneriness, he would have been helping, but he was so innocent.

When I humbly, red-faced approached the department, there was only one person in sight...it was not his area, (the others must have bolted the same time John & the others did). When I confessed in behalf of my 4 year-old, he said it was not the first time it had happened. But it was MY first time...hopefully my last.

So, as an experienced Mom in this particular area, be very very careful to keep close tabs on the little ones near the bathroom displays.

Huhhh...haaaa, what else do you do but make sure HE hears about this...in his teen years and special reminders as a dad!!

Humbled Mom...

Maria

July 15, 2009

Another One?

My mother-in-law called me up last Friday afternoon.

"I was just wondering if you guys were planning on camping tonight or just coming in the morning?"

Quickly pulling out the often lost memory key and started doing a mental run through of the dusty files. Upon finding nothing there, I replied with a very confident, "huh?"

"The family reunion tonight, are you guys going to camp?"

Perhaps I had taken a wrong turn somewhere in the jumbled mess of my memory maze. So after doing another quick run through, I finally replied with a now not so confident, "huh?"

"Well, Luke talked to his father about it, I guess he didn't pass on the information".

Suddenly feeling much better that I had not completely lost it and as it was now obvious that the mess of unpassed information stemmed from the fact that two male figures had discussed the matter.

She quickly updated me that it was the "big" family reunion, which was all the extended family then mentioned she had given out the dates three months ago.

Oh.

So I did what any good wife would do. I called up the man of the house and asked him about it. He then said the obvious. "I didn't tell you? Oh, well, I guess forgot about it."

We had made big plans for getting the yard ready to put sprinklers in. But we decided we would go, camp, and leave early enough on Saturday to get some work done. So we jumped in the car and headed back over to Start Valley down to the Palisades.

We ended up having so much fun that we didn't leave until Saturday night.

Friday late afternoon we took a little ride on Luke's cousin's boat. It was pretty exciting for the kids.


Jacob tried to make a quick getaway with the boat but the boat owner was too quick.


If I said they were singing "Wind beneath my Wings" I'd be lying. But it makes for a great caption.


Our kids were the last to bed and I believe the first to get up. Figures. I think I sang "Mommas going to buy you a mocking bird" lullaby about 18 times before the boys finally fell asleep and I was allowed to stop.

I'm starting to hate that song. But Alayna thinks its funny.


Nothing like cousins...


...and all their toys.
This was a bit of a dynamics change for Savannah who is use to being surrounded by girl cousins. On this side of the family, the boys rule.


What a little fish. She was in the water ALL day. At one point she had to be forced out due to blue lips.


Wait... wha? What's this? Luke knows how to use the camera? Hey look! That's me! Or rather, the back of my head, but still!


Wow! Another one!

And this point Luke and I went out on another boat but I forgot the camera. So I missed taking pictures of:

-Luke wearing a florescent lime green and black wet suit.
-Luke wake boarding in said wet suit.
-Luke getting cat calls from a boat full of guys while wearing said wet suit.
-The gorgeous green mountains that surrounded us.
-Jacob crying and worrying that we were leaving daddy every time he fell of the wake board.
-Jacob falling asleep in his bright yellow life jacket after knowing daddy was back and safe in the boat.
-Luke's unsuccessful attempts at getting up on water skies.

After we came back, I just left Jacob in his apparently too large around the waist swim suit.

I tried. Daddy tried. Aunt Michelle tried.

But in the end, we failed.

Good times.

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