Just like Daddy!

Today Bo wore his new suit for the first time. This is one more of the treasures we got from the garbage bags. How perfect for him! My other boys were jealous because they have all asked for suits and I tell them not until they are pretty much done growing. Bo absolutely loves it and kept it on the whole time! He just kept saying "I'm just like Daddy!"









Last night Chelsey and I went to see Mama Mia....loved it! I was slightly uncomfortable with Chelsey next to me during a few scenes, but she and I talked before and after about some of the issues. I'm so pleased at how mature and still truly innocent she is. We had fun together and both really enjoyed the movie. Definitely a chic flick with just a lot of crazy fun.

Mouse Hunt

I'm officially fed up with this stupid freakin mouse! About every other night I walk in to my bathroom and there he is. He always scurries out (or somewhere) really fast and then I have to lay there listening and wondering where it is. Last night I wasn't feeling very well anyway and couldn't get to sleep so it was late and I was grouchy. When I flipped on the light, I felt like it ran right at me so I let out a little yelp. Sorry Glade, he had just gotten to sleep. Tonight I have a few more traps set and we cleared out the nest completely and put poison pellets down. I WILL catch this dang thing! This I vow.

37 and a half years and finally....domestic diva!

Today was definitely a day to be grateful for our hands. We started the day early out in the garden. All the rain we've had and the accidental flooding of the garden has caused a huge weed problem. As much as we all hate it, we went out and worked together to make our garden look good again. I'm sure my legs will hurt tomorrow and my fingernails are really sore, but it was great to have everyone working and very little complaining. (except me every time they picked my sprouting corn!) The weather was gorgeous, we couldn't have asked for much more.

After cleaning up from gardening, I began my next challenge. Making bread. I have tried making home-made bread dozens of times with not one good loaf. Always dry, dense or flat. Very frustrating. I have been itching to try it again so I did a little research and really tried hard to be patient and follow all directions to a T. Well, it paid off! I made delicious, fluffy totally edible bread. I can't even tell you how excited that makes me. The funny part - Whitley really wanted me to take her shopping. I told her I had to wait till the bread was done and that would be about another hour and a half. She whines "why?...isn't it Amish Bread? " (which it was) I asked what that had to do with anything. She says "doesn't that mean it doesn't need an oven, you just let it sit or something and it turns into bread?" Yah, Whit, it's that easy! Next time I will make a few more loaves so maybe it will last a while. We went through one whole loaf just taste testing.

While I was making bread, the boys went out to work on their bikes. Don't ask me what they were doing, cuz I can never figure out why they do what they do. I was just glad to see them doing something that didn't involve a screen in front of their faces.

Whitley and I managed to get some shopping done for a b-day gift for one of her friends. I hate trying to reason with a teenager on what is really ugly and what is not. I finally just zipped my lips and counted myself lucky I wouldn't have to be there when she opened it.

Glade has been working outside all day, the yard looks amazing, the garden is weed free and the garage floor is free of mud. (for the next few hours anyway) The kids have been so good, hardly any fighting and everyone doing their part. Sometimes you get little glimpses of how good it can be. What a great day to teach about self-reliance and following the counsel of the prophets.

Bo and I made this mess while making bread, he was very helpful.



My first REAL loaves of bread!


Rhett, Dalin, Nick, and Brooklyn working hard.


Stephen, Bo and Rhett - we brought out the sleds and boogie boards so we could sit on them!


Even Katy helped, well...sort of.


The whole gang - minus me of course.


Rhett trying to piece together his bike.


Nick looking for just the right socket

Hats, Shakers, and 'Nocalers

Today Bo and I were watching Clifford. Emily Elizabeth was making party favors. We decided that would be fun to do as well. We scrounged up some toilet paper rolls and other supplies and made some shakers. Bo also insisted he have a hat. I had to go online for this one, I love the Internet! After he had his shaker and hat, he thought that 'nocalers would make it complete. Amazing what you can do with some paper and duct tape. Katy woke up while we were working so we made some for her. It was lots of fun. While taking the pictures, Katy got a little grouchy about me taking her binky.







Oh the dimples!





Her hat wouldn't stay up


Wonder what Bo's looking at....


...THIS....guess the glue wasn't quite dry.


Opposition in all things

A day of Insights

I really wish I would have taken the time to post yesterday. It was one of those days when you just really appreciate all the little things. I had so many swimming in my head and I didn't sit down and blog them. Now, when I think back, not much comes to mind. Funny how that happens. I decided to label my "cute kids" posts Family Circle. That way I know when it's just a funny family story. This post will be really scattered cuz I have a bunch of little things that aren't related.

Stuff I wish I would have posted yesterday -

-GROSS - Looking over just in time to see Katy put her finger down the back of her diaper and straight into her mouth.
-NAUGHTY - Tucking everyone in, then coming out into the dark house a half hour later to find my 3 yr old playing games on the Internet.
-HEARTBREAKING - Having your 7 yr old tell you that some overgrown 6th grader followed him around calling him a retard. (I called the school about that one)
-WEIRD - Listening to the radio in the car, hearing a really "bumpin" song, realizing its probably inappropriate, turning it over, then hearing your 18 months old scream till you turn it back. Shorty Got Low got my baby!
-FRUSTRATING - To be so mad at a 3 yr old one minute and then watch him sleep on your shoulder the next.
-YAHHH - hearing My Prerogative on my way to bunko. (I have been spelling that wrong my whole life!)
-SENTIMENTAL - Introducing new friends to old friends and realizing you have really good friends from so many different places in your life.
-AHHHH(sigh) - Standing out in the windy, wet night getting gas and feeling just a slight chill every time the wind blows. Hurry up winter!
-SATISFYING - Setting a well balanced meal before your children and watching them eat and play together without even talking.
-FULFILLING- Looking at your life from the outside and realizing, I have it pretty darn good!

If you think I fit into the romantic section of every personality test, you'd be right.

Rainbows and Running

Rainbows

Last night I took Rhett to his first Jungle Book practice. He did really well. He is a hip hop elephant. They are doing a two minute dance to "Can't touch this". Very fun. On the way there, it was still kinda sprinkling. Right out in front of us was a full rainbow! How often do you see that? It was very beautiful. It makes me so sad at what the world has deemed the rainbow a symbol for.

Running

Today I ran my best 5k to date. 32 minutes and 40 seconds. That beats my last time by just about a minute. Still 3 minutes behind Glade's time, but he's crazy. I ran all of it but one lap. That was the true feat. Totally mind over matter. I had to talk myself through it the whole time. "you've gone this far" "it's not going to kill you" "just this once" "don't think about it". After I finished the 5k, I walked another 2 miles. A great day on the treadmill. I decided that Thursdays would be my run hard and push it day. My legs were totally aching and felt like rubber, let's hope it's not too bad tomorrow!

Inspirational Perspective

I got this from Leslie who got it from someone else and so forth. I love it! Truly inspiring and worth taking a look.

Gym Follies

Ok, last night I went to the gym a little late so I could do a little workout and then go to the hip hop class. I decided to do the elliptical to burn more calories faster since I didn't have a ton of time. As I walked to the one I wanted to be on, there was a burning in my nose. I thought "sheesh!" I got on the machine and started going. The smell was unbearable. I thought surely my nose would get used to it. When it was choking me to breath in, I decided to just breathe through my mouth. Nope, I could taste it. It was a horrible mixture of B.O. and baby powder? Now it's awkward cuz I've been going for a few minutes, but I seriously can't take it anymore. There were three possible offenders, one right next to me. Finally, I just stopped, went three machines down and started again. Ahhhh, fresh air.
Then as I'm going along, I glance over at the very skinny 12 year old girl next to me and she is moving right along - TEXTING the whole time. Are you kidding??? After 30 minutes or so I head to the aerobics room for class. Usually I feel really good about myself at the gym, endorphins raging and all. Then I started moving around in front of a huge mirror. I never feel fatter than when I'm in a class. Are my legs really that stumpy?? Are those my arms flapping around?? Yuck! Guess I better head back up to the treadmill!
The good news, I had heard that cancelling your membership was next to impossible. No phone number, only mail correspondence. I had mailed in a cancellation for my two kids and never heard anything. I decided I should check on it and sure enough, they cancel today. Yippee, one more battle avoided.