Don't judge a book by its smiling cover

Today I went to the library with Holman, Parkin, Adrianna and their cousin Jared. We headed to the little kids section where Parkin literally took every puzzle apart and was climbing shelves. Holman was playing on the computer and I was trying to discreetly nurse Anna. Jared was helpful he would bring all the puzzle pieces and together we were putting them back together. Finally after I was done nursing and finished reading the boys requests, I was able to really start to clean up Parkins hurricane mess with two hands. We had about five more minutes before we needed to go, and our area was clean, so I told the boys we could read one more book. We sat down in the little semi circle benches they have, they are low to the floor and padded on one side and the other side of the bench is just wood. Holman and Jared were sitting side by side on one bench holding baby Anna and doing a good job I might add. Parkin was on the backside of the bench looking over the boys with a huge smile. All four kiddos were being so well behaved I was so impressed. Then I noticed a lady looking at us intently, I am thinking she must be admiring how well I am manging this brood, or she must really like my reading voice, bottom line she is impressed. Then she politely stops me, I brace myself for the impending compliment, wait for it - wait for it. Then she tells me, "mam your son doesn't have any underwear on and he isn't wearing pants." I quickly go to the other side of the bench to find Parkin completely naked from the waist down. His excited expression at me wasn't because he was enjoying the book, it was because he was mooning the people behind him. Awesome.

Random Holidays

I wanted my baby to be born in November with the exception of two days, Thanksgiving and black friday. So what does my little independent girl do? She starts to come after Thanksgiving dinner just in time for black friday. But like a good girl she lets her mom finish her chocolate dessert. Bella was born on the national day of the woman, Liv was born on boxing day, so to fit in with our girl trio she was born on black friday, should have known. Like a true daughter of mine there was lots of drama involved, to get full details read Benjamin's blog (plus he has pictures)
http://www.howeuben.blogspot.com/ .

One of the lessons I thought I learned in 2009 was not to take things for granted ( the small pleasures of life, water, electricity, the ability to get a loan etc.) but I missed a great one the ability to conceive and deliver without incident. My heart goes out to friends and family who have had this harsh trial, and now I know with a little measure what you have experienced, all I can say is I have a new found empathy and when I say a prayer in your behalf, it runs a little deeper.

Thanks to all who have prayed for our pretty little Adrianna, there is a cute country song with that title, can't get it out of my head :)

Thanks again.

Yes I Want Some Cheese With My Whine

Well its the 17th and I have 17 more days till my due date. All I can say is bring it! At the beginning of my pregnancy as my belly was growing, Parkin my two and half year old, would look at my tummy and say, "What happen to you." Then I would say you and your three siblings "happen to me." So months later he would pull my shirt up (hopefully not in the grocery store) and say "baby happen to you."

I have two sisters who both have five children and both of them for their fifth pregnancies they went into labor 3 weeks early. Obviously I am following in their footsteps with the number of kids so why can't I go early like them! Wow what a whiner I am. I know it and sadly everyone around me knows it! Last week at my appointment the nurse suggested support hose for my swollen legs, what am I eighty now?! No I am just 37 1/2 weeks preganant (yes i am counting in halfs, just like a five year old would do). I am consuming antacids at an alarming rate. Am I really going to be on my 3rd bottle of antacids? Ok I am finished now with my rant..........deep breath.

It is time to give up my hope of having a November baby, what does a couple of days mean anyway? So we will have three kids born in December, so what if my grandfather said " Gees what are those kids doing in March." What can I say my grandpa is smart and can do the math. Yikes I can't believe I wrote that, oh wait yes I can I am a hormonal pregnant lady and hopefully soon I will be a postpartum lady, sweet the excuses keep coming!!!

I thought I was done complaining?! I guess not...... Parkin now pulls up my shirt and points at my belly butten and says "baby hurt" no that would be "mommy hurt" to which I will reply get over it Lesley! "Cowboy up" and "Git er done".....in 17 days.

It's only a phase......

My sister in law Robin has brought comfort to me with the phrase "its just a phase" this applies to anything that drives you batty that your children do. They will eventually grow out of it. Sleeping through the night, sucking on their thumb, pull-ups, saying a phrase that you dislike, eventually the phase will pass and you look back with gratitude over the change.

Three weeks ago we potty trained Parkin. I woke up on a Monday morning done with buying diapers and thinking that we would soon have an infant to buy diapers for. We used the three day potty trainng method that my friend Alison introduced us to when we potty trained Holman. The first day it was so exciting for him to get a few chocolate chips for his good work. Drop by drop he recieved his reward. The next day our excitment alone was reward for him. I marveled that on day four he would quietly go into the bathroom and do his buisness without any cheering or assistance. We are talking about not just peeing, the real fun stuff no parent wants to have happen in his underwear, he succesfully emptied it in the toilet. Love this phase!!! (Potty training to me is a huge dichotomy, on one hand it is so fustrating! But when it is done effectiviely and their little face lights up because they get it and they know you are so pleased with them it melts my heart).

Sadly like bad phases that stop, good ones do to, why does it have to work both ways?!! A week later I found myself cleaning underwear and mourning the loss of "quietly doing his business phase." Isn't it the same way with adults? We develop good habits, get excited over our accomplishments and then suddenly you realize that you aren't doing it anymore and your good phase has turned into a slacker phase. I guess I can't expect anything different from little people.

Knowing that everything is a phase makes me want to truly bask in those good phases, I would name some of them right now but I fear by typing it or saying it outloud means that that phase will soon turn. So I will take my mental note of the phases that I am enjoying in my children s lives and my own and take a snapshot to remember knowing all good things change and luckily all bad things do as well.

Side note, Parkin has again taken to putting his yucky in the potty only he doesn't quietly do it, he wants me there, fine by me. That is a phase I will gladly appreciate, given thee alternative :)

Live chicken or canned poultry

Well the chickens are gone. After much deliberation and waying their worth and work we were more than happy to give them to friends of ours in the ward who were looking to start up a flock. Holman alone was sad, he said he liked everything about them except for when he stepped in their poop. I don't think he remembers all the times I asked him to collect the eggs followed by growning. I talked to the girls about how they felt about not having anymore chickens, Bella said, "frankly I feel like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders." I think that is how every parent feels when a family pet finds a new home, they may miss them but the weight of having yet another responsibility is lifted.

So in another effort to become self reliant and be more prepared Benjamin and I have started pressure canning. We have canned a ton of chicken for way less than you can buy it even at Costco. We have canned chicken, steak, beans and potatoes. Canning is great because if the power goes out the food in the freezer won't last years like the canned products do. With canned products you don't have to reconstitute anything. The steak is particularly very yummy with very little prep the family can be eating stroganoff in less than 20 mins. Now that's my kind of meal prep!




This was the fruits of our productive Saturday, we are awesome.

I've got spirit, yes I do, I've got spirit, how bout you!

I have always had mixed emotions about spirit week at school, when lots of kids participate and you have a great look it can be lots of fun. But...... when there is nobody dressed up it is like wearing a Halloween costume to school on the 30th. I remember in the first grade it was cowboy day for spirit week and my mother who is the queen of costumes had "the perfect outfit." I had a vest, bandanna, pigtails, jeans and knowing my mother probably even chaps. But that was not enough, my mother also drew in freckles on my face. I remember thinking I already have a boat load of freckles why is she drawing on more? That was a long day at school.

Then there was the time in middle school when Lindsey and I dressed up for Halloween in the seventh grade, I guess it wasn't cool to do so because when my sister Hillary pulled up to the middle school parking lot and we saw no one dressed up we begged her to take us home. Why would she do that, when she could tell us to get out of the car, it would be alright and while giving us this uplifting speech lay on the horn so everybody would stop and stare? Priceless. To make matters worse Hillary and her friend were dressed up as Hari Krishna's (yeah look it up) complete with bald wigs. What did they care they were seniors in high school. Seventh grade, we all remember middle school!

Yesterday Bella announced that starting Monday it would spirit week at school, and that tomorrow would be mismatched day, she started planning her outfit. But when she awoke this morning "she couldn't remember" if it was actually spirit week so she opted not to dress up. Olivia on the other hand was very excited about being mismatched. She chose a neon colored long sleeved cowgirl shirt with camouflage shorts and mismatched shoes. She was feeling good. When we were leaving the house to catch the bus she mentioned that her teacher never announced spirit week, I began to feel nervous for her. When we got to the school bus stop I noticed that no one else was dressed up. Yes it would have been smart to have her pack other clothes or at least have a spare shoe, so her shoes could be matching. When she was leaving the car I told her she could call me for anything that she may need at school today....I didn't tell her directly to call if she was the only one dressed up, because at this point she didn't notice she was looking odd. Hopefully I planted a rescue seed. After I drove away I called Suzie (yes I should have called her first) to see if it was spirit week she said it was for the middle school but not sure if it was for the primary school. If it wasn't for the primary school then Livvey has joined the ranks of "Spirit Week" victims. Have you been a spirit week victim? If so, do share :)

Update: I asked Liv how her day went she said it was great. I asked how many kids in her class dressed up, she said none. Lets hear it for independence.

Your gonna want to plug your nose

Soccer season has officially begun, and since Holman said, "Mom soccer is my sport" we thought we would give this sport a try. Unfortunately Livvey and Bella are on different teams so I have three practices to take kids to. Luckily there is only one park in the town of Benson population 5,000, so I don't have to coordinate locations just time. Holman and Jared are on the same team, their team consists of five players, the other three players have already played on a team before (when did they start at 2?). The games are quite fun to watch, three on three, no need for a goalie, parents are just happy if they make a goal in the right direction. Bella and Sydney are on the Blue Devils team they play seven on seven (unless the coach doesn't realize he has 8 players on the field, we went almost an entire game with one more player, don't feel bad for the other team they still won).

Sadly Liv doesn't have a cousin on her team, but don't feel bad for her, she has plenty of confidence. We were at the park playing on the swings waiting for the next practice to start, when Liv was off to the side by a tree. A cute little boy ran up to her and said, "Hi, Olivia." To which she replies, "Your gonna want to plug your nose, I have to fart." Then she let it rip. I was stunned waiting to see what the little boy would say or do. He just smiled and said, "Hey lets go down the slide" then they both ran off to play together. I was shocked never would I have admitted that that was what I was in the corner doing, much less to a boy and in the 1st grade. Later I talked to Liv about it and told her I was shocked that she told the boy her private business she said, "yeah I was shocked that I shared that too." Belle and I couldn't stop laughing about it, she said she would never have admitted that, and would have denied it at all costs, now that's more like me. But like Benjamin always says that girl is our spice.

(note I apologize for such a graphic description, I know some families never say the f**t word, to which I will reply, bless you.)