"pest" control

this year for halloween, patrick and i threw all common sense aside (as do many, many other parents) and gave our "pests" as many sedation packets as they desired.

for one day, our chosen form of "pest control" came in a little package and contained a something nearly intoxicating.


AND....the "pests" love it!

as demonstrated below, the packages can keep "pests" in control for a substantial amount of time.:

the directions for use are as follows.

1. give "pests" the package
   
2. let them open themselves and devour the contents
   
3. repeat
   

and it works! "pests" are contained as long as you continue giving them the packages.

and all day our "pests" were happy.

only problem is that the next day, the packages seem to loose their effectiveness.

and the pests become even a bigger problem than before, acting irrationally and out of control.

around here, the only way to stop that from happening:

EXTERMINATION!

(of the sedation packets, NOT the pests)

and the toys can then help control the "pests"....but not for long. :)

then we must resort to more effective, longer lasting strategies. darn it.

there's always next year. :)

*the term "pests" for all intents and purposes is refereed to in a fond manner....we love our "pests"!

{that's why we are PEST CONTROL...not pest exterminators.}

mom's bright idea

Justin- 

"Mom, I don't think it was such a good idea to give Anna that whole bag of peas."

Mom- 

"Hmmm, you are probably right."

Why is it that the more children I have, the more brain power I loose???

We interupt the regularly sceduled program to bring you a public service announcement.

While thumbing through St. Rose's Fall calendar, I found a Love and Logic Course.

And it's for a GREAT price!!!

I paid $90 bucks for a course which is average.

This one is only $25 bucks!

Course description:

Love & Logic -Early Childhood Made Fun!

Learn practical skills to handle the most frustrating parenting concerns.

Five sessions.

Adults only.

Cost: $25 (Includes Manual)

Mondays- November 16, 23, 30, December 7, 14:

4-6 P.M.

Located at Family to Family behind St. Rose Hospital (Boulder and Lake Mead in Henderson)

To register, call Family to Family:

(They said they have room for only 10-12 more so call soon.)

568-9601

I'm going...again!

(Believe me, I can ALWAYS use a refresher course.)

I'm hiring a babysitter to come to my house, so If you live near me and want to split that cost, let me know. ;)

Yes, 4-6 is a weird time, but I like it because I'll get home after the class at about the same time as my husband.

Click HERE if you could use a bit of L& L enlightenment today.

I know I sure needed it.

You know it's bad when your 5 yr. old mentions, "mom, could you please get a babysitter. it's no fun being around you." ouch! 

It's sad, but true.

At least I can blame the foul mood on this pesky cold which better be gone by tomorrow!

what a difference 10 minutes can make!

I conquered a disaster of enormous proportions in 10 minutes FLAT!



I'm AMAZING, I know.



A true professional of sorts.



It's truly an amazing talent.



A talent I've developed over the years.



A talent I've practiced more and more and more as additional little feet are welcomed to wander this blessed hardwood floor.



And today, I did it singlehandedly,
armed with my trusty industrial strength dust mop.



I call it:
The MEGA sweep.
(for obvious reasons)




And I did it all, just in time for daddy to walk through the door into a "clean" house!



Well, that is until he walked into the laundry room.



"Julie, what happened to the laundry room floor?!?!?"



(I suppose I should have shut the door.)




Oh, that? It's nothing really.




I'll explain away the laundry room floor ANY day.

So long as I don't have to explain the OTHER question:


"So.....what DID you do today????

(I'm sure none of you have EVER been asked that!)

need a new hobby???

Justin has been observant....he saw me on the computer looking at grocery adds and said,

"Mommy, you must really like ads...A LOT!" I asked why and he said,"because you look at them a lot."

Also on two recent occasions he found ads laying on the street and said, "here mom, these are for you because I love you."

My conclusion...my 5 year old thinks I am obsessed with price matching! (and he's right)

Some may know what it is, some may not, but I'm always trying to explain the rules and thought I would write them out and send folks here to learn more....

This may be the point where you skip the rest of this post...go on, I know this is not for everyone, but if you are really keen on saving money on groceries and like getting good deals and are willing to put in a bit of effort, this is for you! Over 5 years ago I started this and have done it off and on ever since... because, well, I really like a good deal, maybe too much, but anyways, here's the low-down!

my shopping day, circa Jan 09'

Wal-Mart Price Matching:
In the Las Vegas area (and I think other places too, Wal-Mart will match the prices of other Competitors in the area. I only do groceries and the like but I hear they match other stuff too....

Basically you bring in the weekly ads from other Grocery stores, show the competitor's price, and tell them how much you are going to pay.

For example: Sunflower Market was Selling Hot House Cucumbers for .77 cents one week. I tell the checker the price and she does a price override and I get the 1.97 cucumber for 1.20 less. There was a sale one week at Smith's on cereal like Raisin Bran: buy 4 for $4. That's what I paid at Wal-Mart.

I also got tons of other good deals but only had to go to one store...instead of intending on hopping store to store. A HUGE drain of energy...not worth the money saved.

There are some basic things to remember....

You can only match things that are the same size and same Brand name.

If it is a store brand, like Kroger or Mountain Dairy, you buy Wal-Mart's store brand which is Great Value.

I always bring in my adds. Some checkers will let you have the price without the add if they are being nice. Don't count on it though!

When I lived in the ghetto, I got the adds in the mailbox.
It was a big disappointment when I moved too far away to get the adds.
I was seriously longing for my ads until I realized I could get them from the internet.

OH HAPPY DAY!
Links for you.

Albertsons
Buylow Supermarket

cardenas markets

Food for Less

Fresh and Easy

Liborio

Los Compadres

Mariana's Markets

Smiths

Sunflower Market

Super King Ranch Market

Vons

How to PRINT the store adds:

• Use the web browser Firefox.
• Locate the current week's add.
• Right click on the add image.
• Click "Copy" (you may have to right click several times to get it to list "copy.")
• (some people may click "save as")
• Copy, then paste it into a word document with really tiny margins.
• Print it out.
• (I do color on the fastest setting.)
• Make a list of the things you want.
• Go shopping, check out and feel like you are robbing good ol' Wal-Mart dry.

If you are serious about this, a fancy gal in my mom's ward has a wonderful blog, http://selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com/
She typed up a few more rules HERE.
It's also very nice how she types up the good deals from adds nearly each week.

From her blog, I just copied and pasted the ones I felt most pertinent.
I added a few tid bits in Green.

Price Matching Rules

• Walmart is the only grocery store (currently) that will Price Match.
• You really should have your ads with you.
• Walmart will price match grocery ads & Sunday newspaper ads (Best Buy, Walgreens, CVS, Office Max, etc).
• Item must be identical to the sale item in the ad (meaning same brand, size, type, etc).
• Walmart WILL price match Store Brands. For example - Walmart will match Kroger/Smiths bread on sale for Walmarts "Great Value" Bread.
• Walmart will take manufacturers coupons, but not other stores coupons.
• If a printed ad says (limit 2), then you will only be able to price match 2 of that item. Of course you can always buy 2 more the next day...
• Walmart will not price match "Buy one get one Free" or any other type of BOGO sales.
• Walmart will not price match items that come with an instant rebate/savings, or other such item.
• Each Walmart manager sets the limits on which stores they will price match from.
  

Price Matching Guidelines

Holly is the queen of price matching. Here she shares her tips on price matching.

• Go when the lines are not busy and without children if possible.(until you are used to it at least.)
  
• Shop on the same day and try to go to the same cashier. Get to know your cashiers. Some are anal and make you show EVERY add price. That gets old.
  Lucy at Marks/Sunset is my favorite checker. ;)
  
• Price match at the end of the order & let the cashier know you will be price matching. Separate them with a bar or a space on the grocery belt.
• Tell the person behind you that you will be price matching. This way they won't get irritated if you take a little longer than normal. (It definitely takes longer)
  
• Many Walmarts are MUCH friendlier at price matching than other Walmarts. Know your stores. The neighborhood Walmart at Stephanie/American Pacific & Warm Springs/Eastern are great to price match at. I have great success at Marks and Sunset
  
• Bring your ads & have them ready!! Circle the items that you are price matching, so you are able to show the checker quickly if needed.
• Be Organized! On my grocery list I circle the items that I am price matching in green. That way, when the checker asks me what the price of milk is, I can quickly check my list for the correct price. (I find it easiest to memorize prices. )
  
• Be courteous!
  
• Know what dates the ads start and end.
• Know your prices. Sometimes the "Everyday Low Price" at Walmart is cheaper than the sale price at other stores. (Usually boxed/dry goods are cheaper at Walmart.)

Nevada's Grocery Ads run:

• Albertsons, Food 4 Less, Fresh & Easy, Kmart, Smiths & Vons: Wednesday - Tuesday
• Kings Ranch (And most Latin stores): Tuesday - Monday
• Sunflower Market: Wednesday - Wednesday (w/ double add day on WED!)

p.s. those of you in different states, have you heard of people price matching where you are at? if so, was the experience similar to this description?
just curious.
:)

Happy Shopping......

Nice try!

Last week I realized again what I already know.

I love Love and Logic....
and I really loved the day I learned a technique called, "ENERGY DRAIN."

Creating logical consequences isn't always easy...or convenient, but Energy Drain is.

and as masochistic as it sounds, I like it when Justin (and now Anna at times) drains my energy.
and that is because I love that I don't have to do jobs since HE is doing them for me to earn my energy back!!!

Lets take vacuuming out the door jam for example.
I rarely ever get it done...
that is until last week.

Thanks Justin!!!

Basically, your kids can drain your energy when they do anything that bothers you.

Things that drain my energy...to list a few.
hitiing,
Whining,
talking back,
leaving messes,
the teasing of siblings,
looking at me wrong (on a bad day at least.) :)
anything can drain energy.

Here's a video that explains it quite well.
In a goofy, fun sort of way.



Now, here's my newest most favorite-st energy drain story of all:

Ohhhh Justin, It really drains Antie Angela's energy when you tease grandma's doggies. This is sooo sad.

(in his mean voice)
That doesn't drain energy!!!
Well, someday that program you use is going to be OVER!!!

What program???

That program you always watch and listen to that tells you what to say!

Really?

Yea, soon it will be over and the people that teach you are all going to die.

Ahhhh....you mean Love and Logic.
No problem, if they happen to die we're lucky to have it all recorded, on the internet and written down in books, but good luck with that.

Now, how would you like to help Angela get back her energy??

(insert a well executed tantrum by Justin)

Ohhhh...this is soooo sad. It drains my energy when you throw tantrums.

Eventually he gave up....and the large sink of dishes was washed and the floor was swept too.

Sounds like fun, huh!?!

I know (hope) I'm not the only one who feels life being zapped out of me at times.
Go ahead. Give energy drain a try.
I think you might like it too. :)

Motivation

when going places, i used to ALWAYS be late.
i still may be late some days, but i USUALLY just barely make it to places on-time.
today, i have remembered motivation to leave EARLY for home school co-op.

it's an interesting way to be, for sure, but i am MOTIVATED to leave early by the LURE of what my be waiting for me in the Trader Joes' Dumpster.

Maybe some day will be able to justify spending $15 a week on a stunning boquet of flowers...

until then, i will continue my weekly PILGRIMAGE on the way to co-op to see what beautiful surprise might be waiting for me atop a pile of rubbish in a dumpster waiting to be hauled away without having been appreciated in all of it's beauty.....

or enjoyed day by day at our school table....

or admired by a curious 5 year old.....

or purposed as a beautiful centerpiece for a session of "night school"

(night school=school work we put it off until night time [because life does happen when you are making other plans at times] and get to do it with friends who we are babysitting whom think it's wonderful fun!')

what motivates you!?!?

a moment

what a special treat to look over at the kids playing happily...
then looking again,

and again
and again
and again.
and again.
(repeat)

i just couldn't believe it.
for a full hour:

no screaming.
no hair pulling.
no pushing.
no meanie faces.
no whining.

just lots of fun!
...and fun is good.

what a happy mommy moment.
life is good.

on a beautiful september morn....

3 years ago, today
ANNA was born!

AND WHAT FUN LIFE HAS BEEN EVER SINCE!



And today, we featured her in our family Journal.
(and i just found a spelling error. geesh!)

We love Anna!

i'll git you my pretties...and your lettle dooog tooooo!

no, i would not be surprised AT ALL if this happened to me.......

i better snap out of it soooon!

sorry kids,

sorry patrick.

Digital Disection.

5. Steps to Morris family fun....led by daddy of course.

1.Find an ancient laptop in the trashcan.
2. Try to turn it on .
3. If that fails, get out the tools.

4. Di sect it.
5 Demolish!!!!

What did your family do for "fun" tonight?

A simple equation.

Sometimes I do things that are pure strokes of genius.
[Purchasing this Cub Scout shirt and neckerchief for 2 bucks at a garage sale was one of those moments.]

Some things are just a miracle..
[Like being given the flag the next day.]

To add it all up:

Shirt + Neckerchief + Flag = A VERY Happy Boy!!!

I just want to know if "Premature Scout Shirt Strutting" is sacrilegious?
I sure hope not, because Justin is in heaven when wearing this shirt!!!

little dallin

is one!!!!

and has been for several weeks now.

dallin's most memorable features at 1 year old.

*absolutely squezzable and cuddly
*walking [since 11 mo.]
* independently walking off on his own at the park [i now have to keep track of 3 kids going in all different directions.]
*loves dancing
*endures millions of kisses
*opens cupboards [and empties them in a flash with anna at his side]
* loves container play [the toilet being his favorite container...unfortunately.]
* trying to put on clothes [he got anna's smimsuit strap over his head today.]
* has the most adorable pouty lip you've ever seen.
* understands uh-oh....[and obeys most of the time :)]
* follows simple directions
* plays cars
* recently aquired and had PERFECTED his high pitched screech.
* signs please when he wants something
* loves watching justin run circles around him.
*eats....anything and EveRyThinG [and I can't wait till he stops eating trash]
* makes his mommy's heart MELT!!!!!!!

We're thinking out of the box....

and boy are we excited!

More excited then you can imagine!
(More excited than I ever imagined!)


Soooo, you ask, "What's in the box?"

Well, It's a meticulously researched, planned and sequenced kindergarten curriculum sent to Justin from K12 sent FREE OF CHARGE through the charter school Nevada Virtual Academy, of course!

(And I think it's going to be awesome.)

And now, a message from our "sponsor":

Our School at a Glance:

The Nevada Virtual Academy uses the K¹² curriculum to offer Nevada students in grades K-9 an exceptional learning experience. With individualized learning approaches, the Nevada Virtual Academy and K¹² provide the tools kids need to succeed—in school and beyond.

The Nevada Virtual Academy is one of the fastest-growing schools in Nevada, and here's why:

* Our experienced, Nevada-licensed teachers, who are available online and by phone.
* The exceptional, engaging K¹² curriculum, which covers the core subject areas. Based on decades of education research, this curriculum packages high-quality lessons with mastery-based assessments that ensure students achieve success at each and every level. Find out more about K¹².
* The online planning and assessment tools, resources, and hands-on materials ranging from textbooks to microscopes, rocks and dirt to beautifully illustrated classic children's stories, and much more.
* Our active, supportive school community, which organizes fun and informative monthly activities where NVVA parents, students, and staff share their successes, helpful hints, and more.
* The high-quality, tuition-free public education that enables a learning experience that is individualized for each child.

So.........tomorrow will be Justin’s first day of kindergarten, at home.

And I think we’ll even be out of our pajamas!

f.y.i.

when you add tooooo many pictures to your picasa web album(which is where blogger stores your blog pics), you can not upload any more pictures to your blog!

lesson learned.
junk pictures deleted.
actual blog pictures posted.

the end.

life....

is sometimes too adorable for words.

and too busy for blogging.

there will always be time for more words.....later.
cheers. :0)

some days.....

i'm soooooooooooooooooooooo glad when daddy comes home,
GLAD as i can be.


and it's just a guess, but i think they are too....
as you can PLAINLY see!!!

vacationing!?!

experiencing.....our family vacation "verb" ally

traveling....F O R E V E R . (or so it seemed to the kids.)
anticipating....are we there yet? (repeat)
justin ZONING OUT...while watching wall-e (so funny)
enduring...the sounds of screaming children (mainly dallin)
looking to the backseat....and feeling joy looking at my kids sitting in a cute row
kids sleeping lots.....thank goodness!!!
fitting in the car.....just barely
smiling....most times. :)

redefining "port a potty".....i LOVED the convenience.
pondering.....i wonder what she was thinking about!?
thinking....i'm a GENIUS for bringing that in the car
anna using it...often!

staying....w/ the O'rileys
freeloading.....is the BEST way to go
rating the accommodations.....***** (5 stars!!!)
walking......through beautiful American Fork
kids playing......and having tons of fun
sleeping comfortably.....not in the motel 6 thank goodness
enjoying....the wonderful time with friends

touring......beautiful temple square
totally admiring.....wonderful views
kids rolling.....down grassy patches
anna jumping.....from high up (she sure is a dare devil!)
observing with wonder....a slimy cool snail
feeling grateful....to belong to such a wonderful church

getting "there".....finally.
LOVING.....bear lake
really hoping ....for a warmer day tomorrow.
wrapping up....to stay warm
staying.....out of the cold water and on the shore!
mommy snuggling.....with the cutie guy dallin
dallin eating.....sand. yuck.
everyone digging.....and having TONS of dirty fun.
anna stripping.....huh!?!?
justin rowing.....with some fun found friends

camping.....really close to the beach
enjoying time......with distant relatives and cousins
roasting marshmallows....of course
flicking mosquitos....but i was still EATEN ALIVE!
justin being silly...with cute cousins
patrick and justing climbing....the HUGE tree without even getting hurt!
dallin chilling....in the WONDERFUL table chair (gotta have one camping)
getting dirty.....over and over again

basking in the joy on the beach....another day
actually swimming.....thank goodness for warmer weather!
anna lounging lots....she's good at it.
cherishing play time....i sure love my kids. (and love watching them have fun)
forever remembering....dallin's adorable laughter against blue, sunlit skies
wishing.....i would have the moment & feelings etched in my memory forever

boating....on crystal blue waters
tubing with justin....he even liked it (when it was over)
squealing....with excitement (i liked it the whole time)
admiring.....how cute justin was sitting in the boat, wind in his hair.
loving.....the beautiful lake and time together

taking a peek....inside some caves nearby
cooling off ....from warm summer sun in the 40* caves
learning.....about caves and how they are formed
feeling amazement.....for God's wonderful creations

traveling up to rexburg.....to visit patrick's g&g wilson
savoring.....the wonderful country feeling, sights, sounds and smells
learning....that doggies like mom's milk too
touring.....their AMAZING garden and grandpa's awesome woodshop
realizing.....how zucchini actually looks when growing
eating....cute, fresh picked carrots
justin LOVING.....all of grandpa's constant teasing and joking
checking out....the beautiful rexburg temple
wondering.....what it would live in such a small town
thinking.....i might like that sort of life
appreciating ....their hospitality and loving natures

stopping by....to visit the lovely Larae
admiring....her wonderful decor'
learning....about life living in utah
enjoying the short visit...wishing it were longer

hanging out in provo.....with wonderful friends steve+colleen & aaron
conversing.....and remembering the good ol' days
probably making them think....."when we have kids, they'll never act like that in a restaurant." :)
eating byu creamery ice cream...with great harvest cinnamon bread. yum.
learning....of how much they LOVE BYU.
their words convincing patrick....it's time to apply
wondering .....what it would be like to live there.

heading.....back home
stopping by....in cedar city for a visit w/ my g&g englehart
kids sitting....in grandpa's fun yellow car
LOVING.....the wonderful view a lightning storm near cedar breaks
enjoying the visit.....learning & loving & spending a little time together
showing gratitude....for wonderful grandparents!


REMEMBERING......wonderful times.

forgetting....screaming cranky kids, loads and loads of laundry, the vacation recovery period, unpacking, sunburns, mosquito bites, feeling cranky, and stinking.


wondering....when do i get a real VACATION?
(you know, the kind where you just sit and relax)

realizing.....it might be a while.

but still relishing....in the wonderful moments with my little family.



(and not wanting to edit and check this entry for errors since spell check wasn't working......sorry)



for realz ending...this epic blog entry.

did you get the memo?

TO: All Private Bloggers...especially you who read my blog....(but I can't read yours.)

FROM: Julie the uninvited.

DATE: July 27, 2009

SUBJECT: Let me in. Pretty please?!?

It's happening every day. It's inevitable (Gee thanks Oprah.) Almost everyday another blogger friend of mine goes Private. Oh, I totally understand why some go private. I've consitered it. So, go ahead....but I still want to enjoy reading your lovely blog.Remember?? So, if you have gone private, I don't know the magic word, but my e-mail address is:

morjulie@gmail.com

And me....I personally will never go private...there are just too many wonderful people to connect with out there. The pros of being public outweigh the cons of a privatized blog. I may, however just change my blog address and exclude my last name from anywhere on the blog....if I wanted more security. My "internet friend" does just this. I have no clue what here name is....or what her real kid's names are. I only know her general location....and that I love reading her blog and have been uplifted many times reading it (which I would have never enjoyed if she had been privatized.) Stephanie over at A Daily Scoop puts what I feel into words so much better.

I consider blogs like virtual HFPE (ENRICHMENT.) I love being inspired by all of the wonderful women in blogland. I love stumbling across wonderful blogs. It is definitely simplest to go private so I understand. It's just not for me. :)

Can I make one suggestion? If I were to go private I would make sure to display my e-mail address on my profile so those that are so excited to find you through comments in blogland can contact you......LIKE ME! :)

I think that's it. :)

mothers....you've been warned.

out of the blue....

"Mom, I kissed a girl for the first time. I think we're going to get married someday."

-justin (5.5 yrs. old)


i turned from his view quickly so he wouldn't notice my jaw on the floor.

it was very hard to pry it off.

while keeping my cool, i just said, oh really?
did she like it?

his reply, "i don't think so."


that's one plus i guess.



boy oh boy.

should i tell him that it's protocol to ask the "lucky" girl's parents before proposing?

perhaps i should have lied and told him a bit sooner that only married people kiss!?!

or maybe i should have told him girls have cooties.

better yet, i think i will inform him.....
kissers will be in thinking time....indefinitely!!!!!

...heaven help me!

because i was up WAY too late.....

just when i was wondering when i'd get a chance to laugh so hard i would cry.

RIDICULOUS:

HILARIOUS:



*for full enjoyment, watch at 12:51a.m. when delirious and sleep deprived.

already?!

he walks?!?!



....and melts my little mommy heart.

The fine art of freeloading.

We are wanna-be freeloaders…..kind-of.

So here's the thing. Our family is taking a trip up to most beautiful Bear Lake in Southern Idaho and to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Rexburg. It's far….like 12 hours or something absurd. Just since we'll be up there anyways, I thought it would be nice to spend a few days in Northern Utah. Were planning on staying in whatever motel we happen to be passing by at the time, but I like this plan of mine better! I'm not exactly keen on paying $70 or so dollars on amenities that I'll only experience with my eyes shut.

Oh my…this getting to be WAY to long and full of T.M.I!

In a nutshell:

We want to stay with friends while passing though Utah.

The Itinerary:

• Saturday July 11^th
  Stay the night in the Utah Valley area ish.
  
• Sunday July 12^th:
  Stay the night in the Utah Valley area.
  
• Monday – Friday: Spend the week in Idaho.
  
• Saturday July 18^th
  Spend the night after stocking up at Ikea.
  
• Sunday: go to church and maybe Temple Square on Sunday then drive home.
  

Are you up for us?

We'd bring our own cereal and everything!

Then, when you are passing through, you get to stay here and ask any other time too. J Deal???

Some may see this as begging…..it might be.

Or some as cheap…..yeah, probably so.

But me,

I see it as getting to spend actual time (as opposed to blog/virtual time) with distant friends (which is always fun) AND getting a good deal (which I love.)

Also….. I'd rather have someone volunteer to take us in than me push someone into a corner by asking if my family and I could and use their hot water and sleep on their living room floor.

Believe me, I'm not picky about where I sleep….as long as it's not at a 45 degree angle in the car!

I think that's it.

Too book our reservation, call me (702) 354-0761 or e-mail at morjulie@gmail.com

And if not…there's always Motel 8,6 or 13.

And ….If you ever want to stay with us or stay in our house while we are gone next week, you are TOTALLY welcome to…you could water my garden! :p

While I'm on this note, I would like to make another proposal.

Ever hear of House Swapping????

I have always LOVED the idea of house swapping….just not ready to do it with complete strangers…yet.

If you ever want to stay here without dealing with us, I'd love to do a swap ….I'd even mop the floor for you! Just let me know when!

numbered

we had a wonderful independence day...and have got the numbers to prove it!

25
the number of slices of watermelon i ate with gusto.
i just can't get enough of the stuff!
justin likes it too, no?

29.87
number of times dallin laughed while pursuing his newest favorite summer activity

2
gallons of water anna ingested wildest imagining she had gills.


0
number of fireworks dallin got to watch while celebrating his first independence day.

6
number of extremely happy cousins experiencing the BEST 4th of July EVER!

189/95
my blood pressure/heart rate every time the kids were swinging fire around.
anna was given a sprarkler and did what any wise 2 yr. old would do....
she threw it on the ground cautioning the silly adults, "danger!"

1
number of black spots i accidentally made on the wall...sorry grandma and grandpa!
i just REALLY love watching those snakes UP CLOSE. :)

5
number of dollars it took to make Justin one VERY happy boy.

9:00
what time it was when i realized that Justin hadn't properly been taught what we celebrate on the 4th of july when i asked, "justin, why do we set off fireworks today?"
his reply, "to celebrate fireworks?!?"
oh my. i fixed that one quick.

20
number of minutes it took 3 big boys to set up a single well orchestrated display.

60ish
number of rose blooms that were frolicing around the asfalt in unison to my delight.
i just love those little gnomes of flashing light.



16
(approximate) pounds of trash we added to the landfill this year.


9
number of tears that fell from my face while listening to the national anthem and contemplating the freedoms we enjoy and the opportunity of living in this great land!

4/5
the fraction of people in my little family who were zonked out in the yard after a long, fun day.

House rules

As I swept my floor for the 22nd time today I decided something.

At my front door I need a sign.

It would be to inform those entering.

I especially need this sign to inform the oh so polite souls with soles that walk over my thresh hold.

I wished I had this sign TODAY....and yesterday.....and the day before.

It would say, most fittingly.....

.....or else!

{unless you'd like to take some of my dirt or cherrio chunks home with you on your soon to be gray socks or risk creating a permanent imprint of a lego on your foot!}

There are joys in motherhood.

Having a clean floor is not one that I experience very often.

Someday in the future my floors will shine....but thankfully not for a long time!

a friendly letter

Dear Summer,

We just wanted to let you know that we are excited for you to be here! We especially thank you for the sun you've sent to grow our watermelons BIG and JUICY! Oh how we love you for that! 5 melons down....many to go!!!
Thanks for all the fun times in advance! We are especially thankful you've come in such a polite and gentle manner. The low 90's have been a welcome treat! What enjoyment outside we've already enjoyed thanks to you. We know your temper my get a bit "hot" at times in the future, but we forgive you. You offer so many wonderful perks and fun times that we won't even mention it. Welcome!

Your Friends,
The Morris'

p.s. is there anything at all you could do about the roach population you bring with you year after year? they are really nasty and are unwelcome guests! thanks for your consideration.
p.s.s. i hope we're not asking too much, but could you send the mom here more energy to clean up the additional sticky messes you bring too??

ME me ME me ME me ME me ME

You guessed it, this is about me.

What is your current obsession?
Thinking about when/where Patrick should get his PhD.
My decision to home school Justin....isn't he cute!!!!

What are you wearing today?
Brown pants and a purple shirt....
{accents: spit up and snot.}

What's for dinner?
Uhhhh?????
I guess i should think of this seeing how it's 4:15

What would you eat for your last meal?
Cafe Rio with LOTS of cheese....to go.
No need to be cooking at that point in the game!

What's the last thing you bought?
Silver brads and paint brushes at JoAnn's.
Oh...and groceries. Because we do need to eat afterall.

What are you listening to right now?
Anna singing a.b.c.'s along with the "word whammer"Dallin banging toys and jabbering.
2 happy children sound WAAAY better than water dripping into the toilet!!!

What is your favorite ice-cream flavor?

Trader Joes's Mint Chip
It's DANG good and only has 6 or 7 ingredients.

What do you think of the person who tagged you?
Michelle is AMAZING.
I sure know how to pick wonderful friends!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Right where I live now!
With more rain and fewer roaches.....and a bigger laundry room.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
To sleep. Hey...I'm easy.
If I'm going to an awesome place I'll need at LEAST 2 weeks!

Which language do you want to learn?
Sign language.
I try to learn the alphabet but always forget the sign for f and g.

What's your favorite quote (for now)?
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
"Don't do whatever you like, LIKE whatever you do!

What is something you admire in your husband or a close friend?
His constant spontaneity.
He does something unusual and fun on a regular basis... he keeps life exciting!
Maybe it's buying 1000 pens or creating "rain" from above for the kids. He's just fun!
What is your favorite color?
Muted sage green.
{The color of my kitchen.}

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
My ruffled gray shirt.
Only wish I'd iron it!

What is your dream job?
I think it would be fun to be the Trader Joe's "artist."
They always create such fun displays and art.
I just need to learn how to paint better!

If you could go anywhere on a long vacation, where would you go?
The Italian Riviera
Cinque Terra is my favorite place in Italy.

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
A used Cricut Machine my friend is selling.
I LOVE those machines!!!

Who is one historical figure you would love to meet?
Mary Magdelain
I bet I could learn loads from her!

Describe your personal style?
Simple, soft, functional, eclectic, random.
Still working on figuring it out!

What are you going to do after this?
I want to take a nap!!!
Now...How to get the kids to sleep??? Usually this happens....

What are your favorite movies?
While You Were Sleeping, Forest Gump, You've Got Mail, Ever After.
(The first 3 were Michelle's too.)

What's your favorite fruit?
WATERMELON....I just can't get enough of it.
Oranges during the winter.

What inspires you?
Experienced mothers with well aligned priorities.
Also, things of an eternal nature...trying to follow Jesus Christ.

Are you a home body or do you prefer to be out?
Both...i like just enough of each.
Used to be an out body now with 3 kids more of a home body.

What are 3 jobs you've had in your life?
2nd grade teacher, Nanny, L.V. Athletic club front desk attendant.

What is your favorite term of endearment?
Mommy....

That's it!
Thanks to Michelle who tagged me....my last 1000 pen post was getting stale.

The rules :1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add more one question of your own. [Polka Dots or checks? {i took out this question.}]

2. I supposed to tag eight other people........but couldn't decide who, soooo.
IF YOU HAVEN'T POSTED ON YOUR BLOG IN THE PAST & DAYS YOU ARE TAGGEGD!!! Or you can just tag yourself if you want to share.

Just let me know you accept your mission.!

write when life was feeling sort of dull....

a box came in the mail.
it was addressed to patrick.
like always, i put it aside.

it's always fun to see what comes in the mail, isn't it!?!
i just LOVE a surprise!
surprises just have a way of spicing things up.
so we waited.

when he arrived from work, we all gathered around the box with anticipation.

"you'll never guess what it is," patrick shared.
"who's it for?" i asked.
"it's for everyone!" he said.

as he cut open the box he added, "you might think this is strange."


"what could it be now," i wondered!?!

and then, the box opened......

"i bought 1000 pens on e-bay!" patrick exclaimed.
"they were only 5cents each!"


i just couldn't help thinking of this wierd al song.

what made him click on that {buy it now!} button, i know not.

THIS IS A LOT OF ONE THOUSAND ! (1000) PENS WHICH ARE ADVERTISING OVERRUNS.

amazing, huh?!

then...i shared my "excitement,"

"you bought WHAT!?!? what in world?!what on earth are you EVER going to do with all those pens???you are WAY crazier than i ever thought. you spent $50 on pens!?!?"

he defended "we'll never have to buy another pen again!"


and we have now paid to advertise (via pen) for about 50 different companies in IOWA!

i will be giving a standard door prize to anyone who enters my house. just ask.
ohhhh my.

life sure is full of STrAngE surprises....

especially being married to this cute guy with the mischievous grin!


at least he didn't buy the lot of 4000!
WRITE?!?!

when sweet dreams turn into nightmares!

i've been in dreamland {for the most part}
since anna decided to start using the potty 3 weeks ago,
just days after i accidentally took her commando style to an outdoor bbq
{didn't even notice she had no diaper on, i have issues, i know}.
at the very end of the night, my friend saw her lift her dress and asked,
"is anna wearing a diaper?"

appearantly she wasn't and hadn't cared to tell anyone!

after that night of freedom, i think she realized what she had been missing all these years.

she told me on monday, may 4th.
"anna has to go pee pee!"

and she did.


since then....

she's toured the globe using many, many new and exciting toilet facilities,

she's used our cute little "port a potty" {yes, i bring her little bowl ...sooooo handy.}

there has been much liberating bareback riding and horse bathing consequently.

we've had many mini potty party's full of cheering and flushing.
anna is LOVING it!

i share a story to illustrate her success....
one bright, spring morning this week, it was a dream to be sleeping away on that sunday morning only to be woken by her joyous squeal,
"mommmmeeee, i did it!"

"hooray for you anna!"
i replied as i tried with my might to go back to sleep.

WHAT A SWEET DREAM!


story to be continued below.

{*****disclaimer:don't even think of scrolling down if you are pregnant, have a weak constitution or have eaten in the last 10 minutes.}

a bit later i rolled out of bed and began carrying on as i do every morning.

while checking my e-mail and turning on K-Zion, patrick asked from the hall next to me, "what is dallin eating?"

"uhhh, i don't know,what is it?!?" i quickly replied.

that's when the nightmare part began.


justin chimmed in,

"mom, dallin is eating anna's poop!....
and he likes it!"

i surveyed the scene of the crime.

it was worse than i had ever imagined.

and way nastier

and way stinkier.

yuck!

then while enduring utter disqust i did what any mother who values the preservation of memories would do....

i grabbed my camera.

for posterity you know.


then there was nose plugging, baby bathing, sink sanitizing, probiotic powder feeding and milk of course...to wash it all down.



i have often wondered as a mother, could my job get any more disqusting!?!?

sunday, i realized it could.

it did.


have you ever googled, "my baby ate poop?"

well i have.

new and improved

no pile of dirt stands a chance against:

THEDALLINATOR2008

created by P&J inc.
(creating amazing vacuums since 2004)



after almost 9 months of development and testing,
this AMAZING vacuum machine ready for use!
check out it's list of features:

• one of a kind
• %100 man made
  
• operates at a variety of speeds.
• no batteries needed: runs on milk and edible organic matter.
• includes a sophisticated navigation system that instinctively locates any small items or large piles of debris that may be on the floor.
• cleans up easily with mild soap and water.
• it's features upgrade naturally.
• made in america.
  
• can also serve as a mop! (additional accessories not included.)
  

(illustration for demonstration purposes only!)

and if well cared for, in a couple years it may become....

a highly specialized "sock mopper!"


*additional maintenance may be required.
*manual NOT included.

*WARNING: 24 hour supervision required to prevent items that are improperly sized from getting lodged in the passage way!
*Sorry....no refunds allowed.

OH THE FUN WE ARE HAVING!

child labor laws.

i type in the title, press "enter" and then, WHAM! it says that i have a post.

it's not true.

but....maybe if you are lucky i'll actually finish posting this one.

believe me, i don't need one more DRAFT on my list of posts!

am i the only one who does that????

justin has dreams for the future

Someday I'm going to be like those guys that wear a black coat, black gloves and boots that go past my knees in front but not in the back.

Oh really? When are you going to do be a biker guy?

I'm going to do it after I get married."

Why are you going to wait?

"I don't want to look too cool when I'm not married yet or no girl will marry me. I'll look too cool.


hmmmm....
for now, i'm just thankful to have my little boy.

naval gazing is exciting around here.

so far, all of my children have "outie" belly buttons.

i was wondering why that might be...so i discovered this:

"One theory holds that the innie belly button is the norm, while an outie is the result of a genetic aberration. "

....and other useless information.

i don't know why it is so, but i seem to remember some social phopas related to having an outie as opposed to an innie, but i could care less about that.

just so you know, 1/10 of the population have outies.

but as far as my posterity goes.....3/3!

sorry about the genetic aberration kids.

not that as parents patrick and i will be able to relate.

patrick is one of the 9/10 that has an innie too.

i've got an innie and i've received no special perks in life...so far.

it will all be o.k.

it's just a belly button after all!

because of this commonality, they can relate and form some kind of sibling bond or something.

just think about it...NO BELLY BUTTON LINT....for life!!!

it's a blessing i tell you!

there's just one little problem.

dallin's outie is far more advanced and dynamic than his older siblings' which i fear may cause jealosy, sibling rivalry and a rift in their bond.

instead of a regular old outie,

he was born with a go go gadget belly button!

a rare talent indeed.

his talent is not quite as cool [or useful] as my childhood hero INSPECTOR GADGET'S talents, but close.

on a regular day, it is your average outie,

but when dallin gets really upset it pops out with gusto!

[kindof like a the popout timer on my thanksgiving turkey or an itty bitty ailien trying to escape it's confines.]

see?

[to demonstrate i just squeezed him like a little dough boy...
.you didn't want me to make him angry and cry, now did you!?!"

even when he is at a state of rest, it may decide to just sag a bit.

this thing has a mind of it's own i tell you.

his doctor said it might decide to stay in better as he gets older.

or it might not but they can do corrective surgery when his 2 years old.

NO THANKS!
cosmetic surgery is way freakier that go go gadgetbellybutton anyday.

since surgery isn't an option in my book, for the last 7 months i thought of other options to stop this button from popping.

somone even told me once that in some cultures they tape a coin over the naval to keep it in.

uh........no on that one too.

then, last week i was at wal-mart and i saw this stuff on the shelf...then it made it's way into my cart. i got home and told patrick about my plan to tame dallin's little alien with some skin glue.

patrick told me that i was very wierd, but i already knew that.

he also told me that he thought my idea was weird....which instilled doubt in my system.




so on my counter the good ol' new skin sits, but i am still undecided.

tell me what you think. i need your imput now more than ever. :)

do you have any pros? cons? practical experience with belly buttons?

HELP!!!

to glue or not to glue....that is the question.

springtime poetry

Julie, Julie tell me truly,
How does your garden Grow?

uh...Believe me, I have my doubts, you know!?!?

OK, so i'm not a poet

and i don't think i'm a gardener either.

yet.

but i'm giving it a whirl.

the odds are stacked since i live in a HOT desert.

a garden, in Las Vegas?

i reminded myself...it IS possible.
others have overcome our climate amazingly well....and maybe i will to.

here's a picture of our friends Kevin and Kira Barney's amazing desert garden...just a small piece of it!

i have hope.

and i'm finally getting around to something i've wanted to do for YEARS!

it all started about 3 weeks ago when i was talking with my friend melissa and she asked if i had a garden and mentioned that she was going to garden this year. i replied that i didn't but always had wanted to. i also went and looked at courtney's garden. and i mustered up the motivation to plant my own! then i realized that now was as good of a time as any.

so we got things started.

i learned as much as i could from here..
http://www.agardeninthedesert.com/


Here's what I learned....

Gardening notes

Water dirt once a day for a week or two, as needed, to get the dirt working

I would keep your very first garden small so you don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t go quite right.

I put my garden along my west wall to shade it from the brutal, summer afternoon sun

Your garden will need full morning or early afternoon sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

The soil composition is very important. You want to have lots of organic material, meaning manure and compost. The more dead, organic matter the better the soil, which means better produce.

You also don’t want to step on the garden dirt and compact the dirt

Don’t plant right after you add the amendments because the soil needs time to release all of what the plants need.

When shopping look for the words compact, patio, pixie, tiny, baby or dwarf. Just because the plant is bred to be small doesn’t mean that the fruits will be small.

If you want green beans you can get more yield from a pole variety than a bush. You can let them climb up instead of on the ground, using less space.

WATER: when it comes to watering your plants, you might look for a “weeping” hose. These can be found at Lowes’s and Home Depot. They use less water and actually give your plant a drip that saturates the root zone and water better than all at once. Be sure to water regular at least every two or three days.

SOIL: Make sure your soil has enough compost and fertilizer. Soil is important. Vegetables need a rich organic soil to mature and produce good tasting fruits. Remember, if you are going to eat it you have to feed it!

SUN: Vegetables need a good 6 hours or more of sun in a day. Without sun the fruits will not ripen and the plant will be stressed.

For those of you who don’t have any compost of your own, be sure to buy a good quality compost like Kellogg’s or a similar brand. The cheap compost-mulch is just that. The forest magic is mostly ground up bark and does not do much in the way of adding to your soil.

Now is the time you should have already gotten your soil prepared for spring planting. If you haven’t, not to worry, you still have time if you act quickly.

Now is the time you should have already gotten your soil prepared for spring planting. If you haven’t, not to worry, you still have time if you act quickly.

I also found some more information here.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/home/gardening/mills_tomato.html

can you say brain overload!?!

i got over the overload.


then we rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

we brought in some pretty dirt.

justin tilled the land.(while sporting every plastic tool known to man.)

we planted some seeds ..some of which have even grown seedlings.

[along with the seedlings grew some pretty tiny white worm looking creatures too.]

yuck. we threw those away.

then we picked up some cheater plants from the nursery....a little help you know since we got a late start.

we hooked up some cute little soaker hoses.

made cute little rows (which i love.)

then lovingly put each little plant in it's new home.
(most get to live here.)

(the lucky ones get to live here.)

[as ugly as it looks...this thing is amazing. it's like an earth box (but i made it.)
go here for info. no ground or garden of your own? then make one of these. if you want to know how to make your own, let me know. ]

all of which made my fingers beautifully dirty. pretty huh?!?


now i get to go outside and water and check on my garden..which is fun.
except when i notice some plants dying...already.

but i'm o.k. with that.
it's a learning experience right!?

and do you know what makes me happier than anything???

justin is LOVING every minute of it.

EVERY DAY he asks, "can we garden today mom?
and i say yes.

so that's the beginning of our gardening story.
there may be many more beautiful chapters to come.

but there may be just one more chapter....
the end.

but i pray this is just the beginning.
and if any garden needs prayers...mine does. :)

clueless

i have another confession.

yesterday, was st patricks day.

but my kids had NO CLUE that there was even a holiday going on in their midst!

no green.

no pinching.

no clovers

no clue.

which reminds me....

i have NO CLUE why we celebrate that holiday anyway.

i'm not irish.

i think i'm not at least.

and, this isn't Ireland. right?

so, i've observed this "holiday" for like 3o years now and i still have idea about it all.

well, scratch that. i've observed st. patrick's day 29 years.

every year cept this one.

oops.

bad mommy.

i deserve to be spanked with a 4 leaf clover or something!

i guess i could make ammends and tell them tomorrow is st. patrick's day!?

or not.

self imposed torture for a good cause

Dear Abby,

I need HELP! I have a confession. I like blogging, a lot. I have thought on occasion, " Oh blogging, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways." I've counted the ways before. Believe me, there are lots. Blogging is my drug of choice. It makes my mind whirl with delight to actually be thinking, growing, expanding, gleaning, sharing, communicating, relating and creating. It's wonderful.

But there's a problem I have. I feel like Ariel when she stated so poignantly, "how could a world that makes such wonderful things be bad?" Relating to my circumstance I say, "how could a blogworld that shares such wonderful things be bad for me at times?" Blogging never fails to cure what ails me, but I'm sick of it's pesky side effects. And I've felt more than a few. For example, I have Blogsession. You know, a blogging obsession. Sometimes, I just don't stop. It starts with just one little click, then before you know it, and hour (or 2) have gone by and I'm reading some stranger's blog that lives in Arkansas about making homemade laundry detergent. Then there are side effects of the side effects. It's not pretty. (See figure a, b, c and d.) Why is it that wonderful things are just so addicting!?!? The worst side effect of all is bloguilt. As it is with other things, when I overindulge, I feel guilty. I should feel guilt for Pete's sake, seeing how it's a natural indicator that something is amiss. So my question is, "how can I blog away freely without these unpleasant side effects!?!" I would appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks a lot.

Sincerely,

Julie the blogger.

anna KNOWS she can get away with anything when i'm overdosing on blogging.

did i do that???

poor lil guy!

uh...
Alright, so I didn't really send this to Abby.

I don't even know if Abby even knows what a blog is.

I just needed to write to somebody….anybody.

Except Dr. Laura.

She'd just yell at me and tell me to get over it.

Really, this is just so trivial that I would never bother anybody with this.

As a result I was left to figure it out myself.

So I pondered and decided it was up to me so find a solution to my dilemma.

Then, one especially guilt ridden day, I was thinking while driving and had the feeling that I need to limit my computer time.

I just hate it when I realize that I have yet another thing I need improve on in my life.

But then again, I do love overcoming issues and being in control of my life.

I had to come up with a remedy that would NOT resemble hitting the delete button on my blog or banging my computer with a hammer.

Instead, I've come up with a more reasonable solution so that I can still enjoy something I love without all of the negative side effects.

You know, a pro without the con.

My plan is a bit over the top.

Many of you may not need such a drastic intervention.

Well, I do.

Believe me, I've tried other means.

They just take more self control than I have developed.

Luckily I've finally found the solution for not overdosing on a wonderful thing.

It's name: K9 Web Protection Alert. Here's what I did.

• I downloaded K-9
  
• I restricted all internet access.
  
• I set up a daily time limit of a half hour of free time. (honor system w/myself…in my head.)
  
• When my time is up, the internet simply stops working and i give up....or log back in IF i can justify it! {this actually works wonders because it actully makes me stop, evaluate weather what involved in on the internet is really worth my time!}
  
• I also allow myself to use a 5 minutes worth of access if I need quick info like a recipe phone number or a map.
  
• Now, whenever I decide to use my free time, I just login, allow access for the half hour and that's it.
  

I've done this for a week now and my side effects….bloguilt, blogsession, and blogoverdose are gone!!

I can now blog away to my heart's content.

Oh the joy I feel.

I can do something I love, WITHOUT FEELINING GUILT.

That is, until this dreaded alert pops up. Over and over and over and over and over again. Until I just give up trying to click back and decide to actually decide to give in and click that little red x.

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

p.s. this may not work for me forever.I wan't to know how you avoid bloggermania side effects. i can use ANY help I can get. :0)

p.s.s.....karen Kondos and other privatizers. pleeeese let me into your blog!!! i miss you! my email is morjulie@gmail.com

ripe and ready!

it's a known fact.

morris people eat, love, worship avocados.


ask anna....and justin....and mommy....and daddy too.

and since avacados are an iconic food here,

the green, fleshy goodness is bestowed

upon every morris child on the eve of their 6th month birthday.

the family gathers round for the big moment.

it's a time of love and sharing what we love.

i have such fond memories of anna's 1st encounter.

it was true bliss.

"bring it on!" she would say as the green gushed.

knowing his family legacy,

can you imagine the excitement and wonder dallin MUST have felt leading up to that blessed day?

his FIRST time eating solid food.

and there, in front of his face was his very own ripe avocado.

drums were rolled.

the beautiful green flesh was scooped and placed on wanton tongue.

and then, i could almost hear his dismay...

"NO THANK YOU! I'll have another order of breastmilk please."



c'mon buddy. don't you understand how amazing avocados are?

they even have their own website!
it's o.k. we still love you and think you are cuter than humanly possible.


don't fret little dallin.... no pressure here.

we will just wait patiently for the day when you join the morris way!

spilling the beans

patrick and i have been attending a marriage course sponsored by our stake [church group-not restaurant] on Sunday nights.

there is nothing like going to a class about improving your marriage to make you realize you have issues. not so much the big ones for me. just little ones.my issues are usually like a few grains of beach sand in your sandwich . yuck. [i HATE it when i am enjoying yummy food and i chomp down on a crunchy piece of dirt. it's kind-of a pet peeve of mine.]

i've got enough dignity to not spill my whole can of beans, just a few of them, so lets just say that i ALWAYS have room for improvement.

back to the story.

this past Sunday the main topic was on communicating things to your spouse. and seeing how i am married to a man [and we think VERY differently] there is never too much i can learn about the topic.

we learned fun stuff about.....

not giving unsolicited advice.
how husbands don't like nagging. [ha! i would never! :) ]
how to give encouragement.
how we should be able to say what we think feel and believe openly.
how to address issues without criticism and contempt.
and other good stuff too.

then, at the end of class we had an anonymous question and answer time.
i always like to hear the questions that others have because i just love to relate.

but then, the very last question [which was more accurately a statement] hit WAY to close to home. it was a statement that i wished i couldn't relate to.

as she read the statement, i just couldn't help but think, "that's something that patrick must feel sometimes." and then i started thinking..."what if patrick DID write that?" then i thought..."probably not. i know that i am a bit too picky at times, but it's not at that point."
and that was that. i felt better after i reassured myself, but i still made a little mental note and realized i could take the statement to heart and do little better about showing appreciation more and nagging less. [that's a no-brainer.]

the class ended and i felt a renewed desire to be a nice little wiffie.

then patrick went and gathered the kids and babysitter from the nursery while i waited for my turn to ask the teacher something to clarify.

as i stood and waited my turn, i spied the little question basket directly in front of me.

and it called my name.

i just couldn't squelch my curiosity.

i picked up the note on top, opened it up, and to my horror, i recognized it as patrick's handwriting!!!

emotions started running through my veins as i read,

"Nothing I Ever Do Is Good Enough?"

i thought, "could i really be THAT bad? why didn't he tell me directly instead of going the back door route to be noticed? if he would have would i have listened?" and so on and on went the thoughts of guilt.

then it was my turn to ask the teacher my little question.

i did.

then i blurted out, "and i just realized while waiting, that my husband wrote THIS question."
i handed him the slip of paper.

as he read, my eyes started flowing.
[yea, right there in a room of lingering people.]

and so did my mouth.

i went on, "i had no idea that he felt this bad. i really do try to show appreciation and tell him how wonderful he is. i just need to more often i guess. and he is wonderful. he's a good man."

then i showed the teacher how in my notes from the class where i had written in the margin, "i'm sooo grateful you are a good provider-very good!" [and i meant it.]

the poor teacher clamored to know what to say to this emotional woman standing before him. he did offer advice, but all i can remember him saying is that i should talk to him about it and really listen without "defending and explaining." i remember him saying as i walked out, "good luck."

"oh boy, this might get interesting," i thought.

i stood in the dark hallway of the church and composed myself, wiped my tears dry, put on a happy face, then proceeded to the car. i just thanked the heavens that is was dark outside. [mainly for the babysitter's sake, but also for mine since i did NOT want to talk with patrick about the note...yet.] patrick didn't even notice my red eyes! yeah!

-and so, i carried on with life.
-and i thought about why he wrote that statement.
-and i did some soul searching to think about what i could do to show more love to patrick.
-and I wondered why he felt so bad.
-and i felt bad for my weaknesses. [that i've not overcome. yet.]
-and i wondered why he made a statement during a 'question' and answer time ["he's smarter than that, isn't he?"]
-and i devised a plan - a way to bring up "the note."
-and i agonized.
-and i thought about all the times i had failed to say thank-you for____________ [fill in with one of the things he does on a daily basis around the house. like.....cleaning up the dinner mess and doing the dishes 3 days in a row without my help because i was taking care of little dallin who has been sick. or always putting the kids to bed or ....]
-and any chance i could find, i praised & thanked him.
-and i noticed how much he really does do for us.
-and i prayed for help to know what to say so i could right the wrong.
-and i felt disappointed in myself for all the times that i nagged him about ___________ [just fill in the blank. i'm sure i've nagged about it at some point.] :)
-and i realized that i need to be WAAAY more grateful for my wonderful husband.

then, this morning as he was getting ready to leave for a nice job interview [just an upgrade], and since spirits were high, i spilled the beans and said,

"i know you wrote that question!"

him: [w/ a puzzled look and a chuckle] what question???

me: that one from the marriage class.

him: what are you talking about???

me: you know, the last question.

him: huh?

me: it said, "nothing i ever do is good enough."

him: I DID NOT?!?!?

me: i know you did. i have the note.

him: you are crazy! i would never write that!

me: look. it's your handwriting!

him: you've got to be kidding me! this isn't my handwriting.

me: it sure looks like it!

him: look at how i write that same sentence.


me: you didn't write that?!?! [with tears in my eyes, feeling a huge weight being lifted off of my shoulders.]

him: they don't even look the same. now do you believe me?

me: yes.
[and i did even more after i looked at his handwriting from his journal. i was way off!]

and then, we laughed.
and he shook his head in disbelief considering how crazy and paranoid i had been.
and i felt much, much better.
and he said, you are just crazy. you should blog about this.
and i NOW grin when i think of torture i put myself through over the past 4 days.
and i have learned a very important lesson. [the hard way.]
and because he thought i was so off my rocker, and has a twisted sense of humor, he sent me this e-mail:

Morris, Patrick

3:20 PM (2 hours ago)

Does this look like my writing?

Nothing I ever do is good enough?

Patrick J. Morris

Application Developer

ha ha. very funny sir.

so, my friends, the moral of this long, ridiculous, bean splilling story is:

live your life so that when you hear the statement of an unappreciated, nagged, beaten down husband, "nothing i ever do is good enough,"you can say in your heart with confidence....

"my husband couldn't possibly feel that way, considering how wonderfully i treat him!"

because it DID come from one of the men in that class.
hopefully next time i can think, "it's not from my man!"
and what a wonderful man he is!

i have a goal.....
yummy sandwiches, light on the sand!

and now you need to spill your beans
....if your husband wrote a note in a marriage class, what would it say?!

remedied

it's this awesome channel i just found on you-tube.

(which i might say, was a huge blessing for me today.)

today

today is the day that i've decided to STOP pulling out my gray hairs.

i'm going to let go of my "inner child's" desire to pull out the silver....

and STOP contributing to woman pattern baldness. (is that even a syndrome?)

i'm no spring chicken anymore i guess. hmph.

soooo. this is my official welcome to going gray. (which i think should actually be called staying gray!)

here's to a million more.
(silver pieces of hair that is)

the jury is still out as to weather i'm going to dye over this. :) any thoughts?

i can tell you one thing though....

i am NEVER going purple!!! ever. ever. ever.

it just cracks me up when i see a classy elderly lady (in the temple :)) with PURPLE hair.

what's up with that??

valentine's day was a dream

see?

at least i can assume that he was dreaming during his looooong nap.
i'm just glad he just woke up feeling much better.

so good for dinner plans.

the restaurants were probably crowded anyway. :)

otherwise.....
there were some pretty flowers (lots of them.)
i got something for my "strong" man (soon to be stronger.)
could i be any more romantic? if patrick was a woman i'd be in big trouble for getting him exercise equipment. good thing he's a guy. :))
we had our traditional valentine's day breakfast (heart shaped eggs and all.)
i did lots of dallin squeezing (he is the most squishable baby i've ever had. and oh how i love it!)

as i was posting my blog...justin made my day. he came up to me and said,

i'm touched.

if you have a kid who LOVES candy like justin does, you know what i mean.
he couldn't have given a sweeter gift.


"life is what happens while you are making other plans."

it's contagious

i PROMISE i didn't put her up to it!

i do think it's awful cute though!




oh, and....hello to all of you in blog land.
lots of living going on around here.
and we're enjoying it.
miss ya!
:)

i agree with randi

go to her site and see what in the heck i'm talking about.

randi is here.

this is serious stuff.

oh, and it's political.

we've gotta say something!

i am doing my fiRsT bLoG GivEaWaY ever!

i am pleased to announce that i have once and for all done away with my famous massive "laundry parties"!!!

i now have quaint "laundry get-togethers" instead!!!


i had [4] "laundry get togethers" this week and boy were they fun!!!

i realized how much i just loved my cute LiTtLe piles!

i couldn't believe how exciting it was to pull a hot load out of the dryer and fold/hang it while it was still warm. [a wierd pleasure i know. ]

i spent like 30 hours (exaggerated just a bit, but it sure felt like it) going through the mounds of clothes deciding what i should or should not keep and putting away the too bigs or too littles in their appropriate bins.
it was NOT a pretty sight.

see?

it was arduous even.
it almost felt like i was loosing a limb as i tossed the bags and bags of clothes into the D.I trailer.
i think i'm o.k. now though.
i sorta feel liberated in a weird sorta way.
i got rid of all laundry baskets in bedrooms and now only have my 3 sorting baskets in the laundry room. that's super fun too. (that was great advice karen..)
i made another new rule: i'm not allowed to take a load out of the washer UNLESS it's being sorted and put away. (which is really been a life changing event for me.)
i've set a timer to go off near the end of the dryer cycle that i can't turn off until i've gotten to fold the laundry. (man i hate that beeping noise.)

crazy thing is: justin wore the SAME OUTFIT 3 times this week....
and it was clean EVERY TIME!

i could really simplify and only have 2 outfits per kid! (ok...lets not get too carried away here.)

Now for the best part!!!!!!!

i am so grateful for your help...and as a thank you to all of you whom offered wonderful suggestions.

i am doing my fiRsT bLoG GivEaWaY ever!


i will draw a name from the comments left and I will send this
EnTirE BasKeT oF ChiLdRen's HaNgeRs
to the lucky winner!


All you have to do is leave a comment and let me know you would like to be entered!

i just KNOW you are excited about this!;)

You have until Saturday February 7th at 11:59pm est.
I will announce the winner on Sunday February 8th in the morning.


and just so we all remember...
i leave you with a message from my mom:

"I used to put laundry in first thing in the morning, make sure it was in the dryer before work, and fold it and put it away when I got home.I remember and still think that laundry is "fun" ...serendipity ... when you've "conquered" it.

A LOAD A DAY AND YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY
to laundry freedom!!!!"LOVE, MOM

awe...isn't she cute!?!

a homemaker's dissapointment defined

disappointment: when you have cooked a yummy meal for your husband (which doesn't happen enough) and had it ready at 5:45 only to realize that today is the day he doesn't get home until 7:30 since it's his school day

and the only thing serendipitous about it all is that i could actually clean up my cooking mess before we eat.....that is if i wasn't blogging instead. :)

(this is actually very similar to how i cook....but i don't remember to use an apron)

where did my brain go?

maybe i'll find it tomorrow.

in honor of the end of the month

relate?

me too.

so which one is you?

yes, again.

As you all know, way too well:

Laundry is on my mind.

A lot.

Especially when the Mountains o' Laundry start crumbling. (As they always do.)

Well, once again, it is on my mind.

Sorry about this, but I must share....again.

Let me explain OUR system.
In all of it's PATHETIC glory.

The Morris Family Mountain of Laundry System:

Have a BUNCH of clothes.

Wear 2 or three outfits a day.

Wear

Do loads here and there if you run out of something or if a laundry basket floweth over.

Have 7 laundry baskets in a line along a wall.

When clothes in rooms run out, go to baskets and get more.

Dig through baskets, transferring from one to the next until the desired item is un-burried while knocking bits and pieces onto the floor.

Get dressed.

Spray yourself or family member down with a squirt bottle and hope to get at least 50% of the wrinkles out that have been perma-pressed into the clothing from sitting in a basket for 2-4 weeks.

Begin to think, "I MUST need new clothes. I just can't find a thing to wear!"

Buy more clothes.

Get frustrated because there are clothes all over the floor, you can't find a pair of matching socks to save your life and you are tired of looking like a slob.

Finally, convince your family to join you for a "laundry party" and threaten to turn off the movie if they are not working while watching.

Match the mountain of socks while you teach husband where things belong (again.)

Repeat.

Sounds like loas of fun, huh!?

It's not a pretty picture i have painted here people.

But all is not lost!

I have convinced myself that I don't HATE laundry....remember this?

I just can't EVER find the time to sit down for 2, 3 or 4 hours to get it all done.

That's where I am at right now.

I've designated today as the day.

The day o the laundry. ( a.k.a. "The Laundry Party.")

Because yesterday's "laundry party" just didn't happen.

Surprised? Probably NOT!

And because I'm sharing all, my last "Laundry Party" was Jan 1, 2009. 21 days ago.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, it's not 21 days worth of laundry.

Remember? We have been picking through the baskets. :)


So, now what? I asked my Laundry Party AVOIDANT self.

I answered (in my head, thank goodness,)

"I think I know what my problem is! I know why i have laundry problems. We have tooooo many clothes! I know I am a sucker when it comes to finding a bargain, especially when it comes ot garage sales. And I really justify buying a cute shirt if it is only fitty cent. It's kinda like disposable clothing.

And I think I am actually ready to take care of this."

To be honest, my husband and mom have pointed this out to me before, but, I didn't listen.


Next, I did what almost every 21st century mom with a problem does.

I did a google search. Here.

"How many clothes do kids need?" I inquired.

And my magical machine lead me to the answers. Because some mom, somewhere, must have been FED UP! just like me.

Oh, they had lots of answeres!

The ones i liked the most were here and here.

Then I said to myself, " I might as well write down a plan."

And why not put it on the blog? (sorry, again)

And so, without further adiu, because this blog adiu has taken way to long...i give you....my plan.

It's quite simple actually.

It's called:

Laundry....Simply

Step 1: Decide what clothes we need.

A weeks worth sounds most reasonable.

I think. This is the list I have.....so far.

10-12 outfits
(a lot, yeah, but do you remember the diaper explosion? and justin's delayed bathroom trips?)

10 pairs of matched socks.
(my ultimate plan is to only buy one type of sock per kid)

3 sunday outfits

2 swimming suits.

2 jackets.

1 coat.

1 set gloves & hat.

That's it.

Am I missing anything?

Step 2: Give clothes away, starting with the closets since they hold the clothes that havn't been touched in 3 weeks.

Step 3: Pack away summer clothes.

Step 4: Wash and put a way 1 load per day!

Step 5: Repeat daily. (i think i can...i think i can....i think i can...)

Step 6: Find clothes in closet and drawers (instead of laundry baskets.)

Step 7: STICK WITH IT.


phew!

i think i'm ready to conquer the UGLY MOUNTIAN!

wish me luck (i'm going to need it.).

and offer tips (because there is a high chance that you are better at this than i am.)

and encouragement (something like, "julie, it's worth it.....you CAN climb this mountain.)

and envite me on a play date only if i can answer yes to your question, "julie, is your laundry done?"

and pray that this is the last post that i will ever write about laundry lamentations (for your sake and mine.)

and hope to see only this on my blog when it comes to laundry.

the end.

Ode to laundry…

Just kidding!

I bet you read that title, and thought about not visiting my blog today….considering that my previous, VERY STALE post was about laundry too. You may have asked yourself, "does this gal think about anything other than her crazy, out of control laundry?"

Well, sometimes. :)

I've been thinking about how I wanted a theme word for the year. I wanted a word that defined my life in a nicely tied little package and would create a sense of purpose..

The winning word:

serendipity

Frankly, I find the word a bit quirky...but I love it's meaning!

And I had never understood it's meaning…until now.

(One of my few encounters with it was seeing it on a book that I read as a child with a pink dragon on it with the title "Serendipity." Does anyone else remember that??)

So….why this word, and what on earth does it mean anyway? (Or maybe you and your dictionary are better friends than I am with mine and already knew what it meant.)

Let me explain…for those who actually read blogs all of the way through.

( Brace yourself....it's a long one.)

I was fortunate to be in my car the other day when I turned on a.m. radio (because I'm a nerd like that) and found Glen Beck interviewing Richard M. Eyre about his book "The Three Deceivers". Can I just say that I need more real brain food? You know, brain food. The stuff that makes me actually have to think!?!?

So, anyway, while listening I got really excited because they were describing exactly how I try to/want to live my life. I went to Glen's site (we're on a first name basis you know) and found the transcript. I even liked the conversation more the second go around. I would like to share a most poignant quote by Eyre.

"We measure ourselves by how much we control. We get frustrated when we can't control things, even when we're talking about our own kids. We think we own our kids. We should control them, we should control the people around us, we shouldn't need anyone. And what we end up is we get more isolated, we get more lonely, we get more frustrated and we get more jealous because there's always someone that owns more than we do and controls more than we do and so, you know, they all lead us away."

"We want to get people into the idea that what we're saying is, look, these are three powerful economic principles; let's keep them forever. Let's never give up on them for our economy and for our private personal economies, but let's not carry them over to where they become our spiritual paradigms because they all lead us away from humility, they lead us away from a dependence on God, they lead us away from kind of a wonderful serendipity adventuresome kind of a life where we say, you know, I don't want to control everything; I want to just respond correctly to the things that surprise me every single day." (click and read more.)

I totally loved what he Eyre had to say and might even get his book…when I promise myself to use it for it's original purpose instead of as a paper weight as I do with most of our book. Sigh

To learn more i went to Wikipedia and it gave a simple, concise definition.

Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely.

While researching I even picked out a couple of cool examples in history to share.

Corn flakes and wheat flakes (Wheaties) were accidentally discovered by the Kelloggs brothers in 1898, when they left cooked wheat untended for a day and tried to roll the mass, obtaining a flaky material instead of a sheet.

The Slinky was invented by US Navy engineer Richard T. James after he accidentally knocked a torsion spring off his work table and observed its unique motion.

Cyanoacrylate-based Superglue (a.k.a. Krazy Glue) was accidentally twice discovered by Dr. Harry Coover, first when he was developing a clear plastic for gunsights and later, when he was trying to develop a heat-resistant polymer for jet
canopies ^{[disambiguation needed]}.

The microwave oven was invented by Percy Spencer while testing a magnetron for radar sets at Raytheon, he noticed that a peanut candy bar in his pocket had melted when e xposed to radar waves.

Hooray for serendipity!

I'm now noticing that serendipitous experiences are plentiful!

Here's another definition of serendipity

“A state of mind wherein a person, through awareness and sensitivity, frequently finds something that is better than the thing he was seeking.”

When you are looking for it,
serendipity
is everywhere!.

The world (ie. my concrete) becomes a canvas.
Until i make them clean it up!

A chew toy becomes a crown for a prince.

Scrap wood becomes a bridge that leads to childhood bliss.

A punctured ball becomes a very fashionable hat(and solar head warmer, I might add.)

Paint stir sticks become a manger for the Baby Jesus.

A seldom mis-used potty is re-purposed as a hat.

And a regular quilt becomes a child eating human burrito.

Oh the possibilities never end!

I even noticed that at times, I already apply the principal in my life.

For example:

On Monday I woke up started my day with a proverbial match lit under my toosh.

I WAS ON FIRE!

I don't know about you, but I EMBRACE those mornings when I just can't stop the thoughts and plans from flowing through my dusty brain.

It's the type of day when you say to yourself, "self, I could practically accomplish ANYTHING!"

And then….life…..it happened. And it happened to me.

Up until that fateful hour, everything had gone according to my plans.

5:15-5:45 Roll over and feed Dallin.

5:50- Slide out of bed.

6:10-7:00-Workout...which actually starts at 6:00 but oh well.

7:15-Come home and jump in the shower.

7:25-Get dressed and put make-up on.

7:30-Finish breakfast preparations started by Patrick and sit down to eat some yummy oatmeal/nurse Dallin/read scriptures together.

8:00- scoot the hubby out the door with a kiss and clean up breakfast.

8:15- Sit down to read scriptures (well, technically I listen to them and follow along in the B of M) while kiddies play happily…. (remember…it's still before 9 a.m. The fighting/whining/tattling hadn't started yet.)

8:30- I look over at Anna (still in her 10 pounder from the night before…which I was going to change NEXT and notice it.

A prize winning

DIAPER EXPLOSION!

When I surveyed the scene, I immediately thought, "they just had baths last night! It is not in my PLAN to clean up the HORRIBLE mess (which most defiantly would require another bath.) At that point, on a bad day, my progress could have come to a screeching halt . Thwarted by my own disappointment…..but in this instance (thankfully) I did the right thing.

As I peeled the stench infested green dinosaur jammies off of her warm little body, I reminded myself that this unfortunate (and very stinky) event didn't have to become the bane of my existence (as long as I was covering my nose.) That's it.

This seems so trivial and inconsequential, but it's huge.

Tremendous even.

So, without any further adieu, everyone happily piled into the bath tub (after the little remnants had been purged) and had a wonderful time.

That's my story.

Nothing profound, just a conscious decision to respond correctly to the things tend to pop up sooooooo frequently as a mommy.

So my word 'o' the year is, SERENDIPITy, may it live on…

So I spend fewer days this year than last, wondering where my days have gone, shouting, I've been robbed!!!!

I HOPE YOU (AND I) HAVE A MOST SERENDIPITOUS DAY!

I know I'm not using the word exactly as it was intended, but you catch my drift, right??

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.~John Lennon

Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb

OUR NEW YEARS PARTY!!!!

We had a HUGE party!




It was LOADS of fun!!!!!!




The WHOLE family was there!





It lasted MANY, MANY hours....
mainly because we needed to recover from the busy season (if you know what i mean!?!?!)



And because every party needs good music we turned on MEJOJAC'S awesome play list! It's my favorite!




And since it was an extra special celebration.....





I EVEN MATCHED ALL OF THE SOCKS!
(well, the ones with soul mate that wasn't lost at least)

It was good CLEAN fun!
There were NO hangovers
(at this party or any other party we've ever been to for that matter.)

Just lots of hang-ups (and fold ups too.)


Happy New Year to you!
May your life be filled with LOADS and LOADS of fun!!!

p.s. if you ever wan't to join us for a laundry party...you are ALWAYS invited.
the more the merrier you know!

And....because it is a new year after all.....

I made one resolution to start things off right.

It's a good idea to set reasonable expectations, right?

So I just made one SMALL, attainable goal.

Something I COULD accomplish and be proud of!

And guess what!?

(This is just between me and you...

but....

somehow I already broke my resolution.)

Oops.

There's always 2010, right???

it's official

I
(aka Mrs Clause/Professional Procrastinator Parent (P.P.P.))
AM OFFICIALLY READY FOR
CHRISTMAS...

thank goodness for the help of a little elf (my sister amanda)

....and a yummy gingerbread house and cookies that Santa shared with me.

Whether you were ready on the 3rd of December or 3 a.m. Chritmas Morn...I hope you can just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. I hope I'll be able to stay awake for it all.

Most of all....HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS....Where there is ROOM for HIM!

p.s.: "driving down the road, in a one HORSE open sleigh*.
* you can say oddessay in place of open sleigh....to go with the rhyming bit.
the kids will love it...thanks mom.
...and my living room is one step closer to being a barn!

p.s.s.- the virtual Christmas card.

So do you think there is any chance that the kids will sleep until
9 a.m. so I might get at least 6 hours of sleep?????