a mix-up

Whomever put:

SPRING 

&

CLEANING 

together, 

in

the

same

sentence,

 mUSt NoT hAvE taken mY hOuSe 
into consideration!!!

I hear a rumor that many, many households are benefiting from the aforementioned ritual.

Well, mine is NOT!!!....
yet

Am I the only one who would choose laying on a blanket watching the clouds go by over washing baseboards!?!?!

The only cleaning going on around here is survival cleaning.

Were scraping by.

Scraping up yet another something Dallin has laced the world with.

Since he's acquired some new "SKILLS" i.e. methods of destruction, nothing is safe in our home:

INCLUDING jAcK! (whom may or may NOT have wanted to become a SALT WATER FISH!!)

He even recently added a new element to his developmental destruction: he has OFFICIALLY learned to climb onto the counter and has come to love straight butter.

He is extremely "helpful." He even got a head start on my soap making project.

He makes his own breakfast (but doesn't yet know how to dress himself, darnit!)

BUT...he CAN take off his shoes all by himself.....and even learned to throw them from the car. (This is his Easter egg hunting attire.)

Even with all of these new skills, the thing he does best is melt my heart!

 

Maybe I should just hold off a year or 20 and do some 

empty nest cleaning 

instead?!?!?

full service

I don't know how it happened, but it did.

Justin is my OFFICIAL gas pumper.

AND HE LOVES IT!!! 

He thinks he is the luckiest kid on the planet! 

  

Now Anna can't wait until she is old enough to the lucky one who fills the car with gas!

In time Anna, in time.

some days are like that....

last night for story time we read, " alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." 

if i was writing that book today, i wouldn't have anything to write about that is as tragic as tragic as having to wear railroad striped pajamas or loosing my marble down the drain.

isn't that the worst?

when you are having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day....for  NO REASON???

so far today, i have exercised (only because i have a friend that is counting on me to be there,) taken a nap w/ in an hour and a half of waking up, ate some leftover salad for breakfast, read a few blogs and i have caught up on all the face booking i have not been doing because i was trying to avoid it because the virtual world isn't nearly as important ....and it's 1:30!!!!

in actuality, the day hasn't been terrible, horrible, no good or very bad....i'm just not myself for some unknown reason!

meanwhile, my kids have had free reign on the house for the past 2.5 hours while my computer has sucked some of the life out of me. 

2 hours ago, i had them begin writing in their journals.

i was just going to "check my e-mail"

 so good for self discipline.

then just about when i was beginning to feel guilty (and rightfully so) for my lack of drive today and neglect of my children, i started to realize that leaving them be has actually not been all that bad!

i have heard LOTS and LOTS of creative play going on. 

the have jumped on the bed,

had conversations about snakes attacking, 

played house together,
sang many, many songs,

played jump off the couch into the pillow pit,

and are currently wearing their dress up capes and are playing dragons.

christmas 2009

who needs a mother anyways???
laughing and childhood bliss have been prevalent.

i only have heard quarreling 2 times. 

they haven't had their mother breathing down their neck.

and i did NOT turn on the television like i thought of doing for the first time in a long time.
THEY had a good morning.

now i think i've talked myself out of having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" after all.

--------------------------------------------------------------

i am starting to hear cries for mom.

"mom, isn't it about time for lunch yet????"
"mom, dallin just pooped on the floor."


and into the room he walks.....sans clothing or diaper.

i think it's time to go survey the damage and pay the consequence for my negligence!

post addition: the details.

1/4 jar of peanut butter w/ buggers on the side....really1?!?! 

no wonder why she wasn't asking for lunch!

let the good times roll!

An everyday miracle as a guest in our home.

Dear Mister Green Caterpillar, 

This is just a little note to tell you how much we appreciated having you in our home, which was WAY better than having you in our garden. You were so cute and green and little caterpillar, but boy was your appetite voracious! You did just was the famous "Very Hungry Caterpillar" did, for which you should be proud. You were the perfect one to become our science experiment, and we're glad you were obliged! We're especially grateful you found a nice home on that broccoli leaf to make your cocoon. All of the other little green caterpillars who have entered our home never even mad it that far. What talent!  It was fun to anticipate what you would become and when it would happen.  Then to top it all off, you went another stage further and went through metamorphosis. WOW that was awesome!!! (Even if you turned out to be a moth and not a beautiful butterfly like we had hoped.) You were an amazing creature. A miracle really. Thanks for being a part of our families' education! You made all of us very, very happy.

With Love, 

Us

p.s. we're so sorry you didn't get to go out into the real world and create more little caterpillars to come and eat our green stuff. we feel a little bit bad about that, but we wanted you to know that your life's mission was truly wonderful for us to behold, even if it ended tragically in canning jar on top of our toaster oven. sorry about that. :( that must have been hot)

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ladybug(s),

This letter comes to you in despiration.  You are our only hope. Aphids are taking over our little teensy garden. Please, we beg of you, stick around our place and take as many "piggy back rides" as are necessary for you to further your aphid eating cause. If there's anything we can do for you in your quest, please, let us know. 

Sincerely,

The Management

p.s. Thanks for being so adorable. You are a joy to see amidst the throngs of hideous gray/green creatures whom are trying to ruin our garden, one cabbage plant at a time!

p.s.s. When you get a handle on the aphids, could you start eating the white flies? Thanks.

p.s.s.s. Do you think I need "help?" This is second letter to an insect I've written today. Maybe I have spring fever??? Maybe!

Bounty!

Some days I am not exactly patient.

And it's not pretty. 

Last week I had one of those days. 

They happen more often than I'd like them to on this journey called motherhood.

You know the days. 

Right?

On the edge days, where at any moment you could be knocked off the edge by the slightest puff of air.

The day before,Bounty napkins that were usually 3.40 which were rolled down to 1.97 as a special treat.

And I usually buy the ghetto ones.

I opened it up, then minutes later I look over and there they were.

199 Quilted Bounty napkins, scattered across the floor.

It was just enough to push me over the edge.

There I was teetering as I asked commanded them to clean it up. 

Then, in the way only a young child would, they proceeded to crumple each napkin in their little hands and cram it in the bag.I tried to show them a better way to put them back in the bag by picking up a flat stack at a time but it was no use.

I gave them a bigger bag so in their crumpled state, the napkins could all fit. 

Then just as they finished gathering them, Dallin dumped them out. 

AGAIN!

Utter despair began to set in.

But then, for some reason, I came to, stepped back and thought to myself:

"What kind of crazy woman am I?"

"I'm about to implode, all because $1.97 worth of napkins are being destroyed." 

Seconds later, I stepped all the way away from the edge and told the kids not to worry about picking them up.

You know that is VERY hard to say when soo close to loosing it.

I told them that they could do that later.

It was time to play.....and they did. 

AND BOY WERE THEY HAPPY!

I was too.

It makes me happy when with one conscious decision,I can turn something ugly into a beautiful moment.

Here's to me and remembering to create moments of BOUNTY and fun more often!

Believe me, my kids are worth $1.97. 

{FOR SURE!}

Final note to self and to all of you who may get to the edge:

Ask: 

What "catastrophe" can you turn into a BOUNTY moment today????

and the prize goes to....

MY MOM!

for being the best blog commenter on this entire earth.

okay, maybe not the earth, just my blog, but that's dang good.

the other day i got yet another GUSHY mommy comment and wondered.

has there ever been a post she DIDN'T comment on?

i just checked, and believe me it's rare!

a simple comment is just so symbolic of her desire to tell me she loves me.

plus, she knows the power of a kind word.

believe me, it's powerful.

it brings a tear to my little eye.

and makes me thankful.

thinking about her reminds me of the MANY MANY hours she's spent serving me.

she comes over often and reads my kids stories.

she gets to things around the house that have been neglected and helps me clean them.

and then she comes again and helps re-do the things that my kids have messed up AGAIN. 


i shake my head when I think of the disasters she's helped me conquer because i admit it, i'm a slob in many ways.

you should have seen my bathroom before this past Wednesday.

believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to.

when my brother came to visit he used my bathroom without my knowing it and told me that at least it was a little better than a truck stop bathroom.

SAD BUT TRUE!!!

i'm still working on fixing that, but i think i'll have to WAIT until there are fewer little ones undoing my feeble attempts to maintain order in this place.

until then, i'm just thankful to have a bit of help "putting out one fire at a time" from my mom.




i love you mom.....

cause i know you'll read this, and leave a lovey dovey comment too.

thank you.

{not so} hot idea!!!

Franks Red Hot Sauce + Peanut butter and Jelly=

utter disappointment, 

a hot mouth, 

a big mess, 

a hungry tummy,

a weeping, 

wailing 

and 

gnashing of teeth. 

it's not a yummy equation!

Today

Everyone always asks,

"So, how is homeschool going???"

Well, 

Homeschooling with K12 is really perfect for our family, even if every day isn't perfect.

I love the k12 curriculum and free supplies.

I LOVE that every lesson is well planned, thought out and already copied for me.

I love how flexible and reasonable Justin's online teacher is.

I love how we can work at our own pace.

I love that I can call our wonderful discussion about clouds as we drove in the car looking at AMAZING cloud formations a school activity.

I love the SEEK homeschool co-op we attend on Mondays getting some good ol' "socialization". (and so does Justin.)

I LOVE that he knows how to read and write short sentences.

I love that he spells grandma (gromu.)

It all depends on what day you ask, but today,things are going great!

Today was NOT a day that I sent him to his room until he was ready to learn.

Today was NOT a day where he snapped his pencil in half just for fun.

Today was NOT a day where I had to escort him to his room screaming and flailing.

Today I did NOT feel like locking myself in the closet.

HOORAY! 

Today he learned how to sort words.

Today while I sat with him as he read, "AT THE SHOP", he was doing his best.

Today while he read, he just looked over at me with a grin and gave me a squeeze.

Today I really enjoyed teaching a lot!

Today the destruct-o twins (Anna and Dallin) only messed up the house a little bit.

 

(here they are, scheming about destruction while in thinking time. yes, dallin the little baby guy in thinking time! it makes me giggle every time i set him on the wall after pulling/ biting/scratching someone!)

Today in phonics, Justin's reader books have started on digraphs.

SH  and   TH

For some fun you could notice the different shape your mouth makes when you say them both.

They are confusing for Justin and he needs a bit of extra help.

Luckily, a long time ago I learned about Starfall....and boy do I LOVE it! 

The have fun little videos and stories to reinforce what he is learning.

It's also a great site to call computer time...

He's having fun AND learning at the same time.

What a treat! 

I'm sneaky huh?!?!?

In summery, TODAY, the world is right.

And that's a good thing.

i wish!!!

been doing a little dreaming....and obviously craft blog surfing. :)

SHE wrote all about it here. :)

oh happy day

you don't even know how much this pleases me....
and if it's possible for me to be even more pleased he spoke these words.
"i really love helping out. it makes me feel sooo good!" justin

THANKS JUSTIN!!!
me too.

do you know...

how wonderful I think this guy is!?!?

you know, that one, the guy in the gray shirt up above???

he was the bishop in the University Ward for many years...and it was wonderful.

 i looked in my journal and found that i had written a quote down that he said in a talk when he was released as my bishop on August 5, 2001.

"This is a hard day.

Serving in this ward has been the greatest honor of my life."

-Garth Abbott

and it was an honor to have him as a bishop!

if i had been blessed with a good memory, i would tell you wonderful stories about him...

but i don't have a good memory.

all i remember is how he made me feel.

 

i was just one of the hundred's of young adults he had stewardship over, but always felt special as a person.

i am amazed at the service  he provided for us.

i admire hiss huge heart.

i know he truly loved us as a ward and as individuals.

now.....he needs help since he is battling cancer.

his daughter in law, Rochelle is hosting an auction to raise money for his treatment.

here is her explanation:

My father-in-law, Garth Abbott, was recently diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer called IBC (inflammatory breast cancer). This is a time sensitive matter, and he needs chemotherapy asap. He is uninsured and does not have the necessary money to pay for his treatment. In my ignorance I never realized that someone in his situation would be refused life saving treatment because he could not pay, but that is how the system works, no payment, no treatment.

Garth Abbott is no ordinary man. He has spent his life serving other people. I have watched time after time, knock on the door after knock on the door, phone call after phone call, as this man leaves what he is doing to render help. Sometimes as simple as listening to some one's problems and offering advice, picking up a stranded motorist, offering a night's stay to someone in need (often turning into multiple nights). Countless hours have been spent in service with his church and community as he has worked with the youth loving, teaching, and helping them. He and his wife are the parents of five children, and 18 grandchildren. They are also the caretakers of his 95 year old mother and his down syndrome sister. In my husband's words, "He's the best man I know, and I know a lot of great men!"

go to

http://www.thedailyabbott.blogspot.com/

to see more.....

if you didn't already know. 

i intended to put out this information about the earlier, but it didn't happen.

as i was typing this up i clicked over to the auction to link to it.....and it's already over!

i could kick myself.

i waited till the last day (which i thought was today) to bid and the last day is over ...

i read the blog a BUNCH of times but somehow got the dates mixed in my head.

 i've got issues.

still, go check out the auction.

when i saw the results i was touched.

$19,713.00

i was touched....but not surprised!

these group pics are just a fraction of people who's lives were touched by bishop abbott!

 

since I bombed on the auction, i'm going to save stuff for the garage sale that will happen at the end of Feb.

AND...

it's definitely not to late to donate!

  from rochelle's blog:

Very kind friends of ours, Mont and Michelle Tanner, offered to host a community wide garage sale with all proceeds going directly to the "Garth Abbott-Cancer Fund".
I am including here part of Michelle's note:

GARTH ABBOTT BENEFIT GARAGE SALE!

I will do the garage sale on Feb. 27, 2010. That would give us a good month to collect items that people would want to donate. I am willing to come to any one's home to pick up items. All proceeds will go directly to the "Garth Abbott Cancer Fund". It will be from 6:00 am to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday only. If weather is a factor, we will move it up to the following weekend of March 6th. My address is 639 Foxhall road (cross streets of College and Paradise Hills in Henderson NV) and my phone number (702)-525-5512, or 702-434-4411. If anyone wants to donate, they have plenty of time to do some spring cleaning and help out the cause. The more we get the better! All things not sold, can either be held for another garage sale, given back to the donor (only if specifically marked, because I will get confused) or taken to the DI (Deseret Industries for anyone not familiar with that acronym).

liar

 i faced the music a LONG time ago.

my 5 year old is a professional liar!

i'm trying not to make a big fuss about it so he doesn't lie for attention.

we read the story about the boy that cried wolf.


i try giving him the benefit of the doubt. {which is VERY hard sometimes.} 

we nonchalantly read louder when in the scriptures we read about where liars go.

i lied to him and told him that when he lies, a small red dot appears on his forhead.(and for some reason, lying to teach someone not to lie just rubs me wrong.) and plus, that only produces mediocre results....

whatever.

i'm a bit a lot worried about this skill he has developed.

do you blame me???

just look at that cute little face!

the main reason it bugs me:

I CAN NOT TELL when he is lying.

it's not good! 

let me take that back....

it's USUALLY not good!

let me explain:

tonight the family piled into the good old minivan for a night of FUN!

first stop: Costco of course!

 and it WAS fun, even if the only samples available were from the HUMMUS man, whom we are very fond of.
after trying all 31 types of fresh hummus, towards the end of our venture, we walked past an "interesting" looking older woman.

even in my shopping imposed trance like state i noticed her....and her hair.

let's just say that she looked "peculiar." (bless her heart)

only problem is, justin NOTICED her peculiarity too.

well, that wasn't the only problem.

the other problem was that she noticed him noticing her for a way too long period of time.

and she didn't like it!

from behind us she snapped in a very bold tone,

"Why are you staring at me???
Do i have something black on my face??? 
Do i look funny or something???? 
I'm starting to get a complex!"

oh boy. 

with a white face, justin reluctantly chimed in when she actually took a breath, "no, you don't look funny."

i interjected to soften the tension in the air something like...."oh, i'm sorry mam....we're working on the whole staring thing..."

but it didn't help, so we walked away, hoping our paths wouldn't cross again.

and they didn't ....phew!

i know i have told him not to stare before....but what do i know!?

(i think he got to learn that lesson the hard way this time.:) )

5 minutes later while at the checkout he piped up,

"mom, i lied to that old lady."

"i didn't want to tell her that SHE DID LOOK FUNNY! 
her hair was all big and crazy.  
it would have made her feel even more bad! "

"you know, that is probably right," i agreed.

and for once, i greatly appreciated his well executed skills of deception.
he next informed me, "mom, the government lies all of the time too!"

and when he spoke that...it was the truth.

even our checker agreed.

and knowing that DOESN'T make me feel better either!



hmmm. the mother of a politician???

i think i'll need to take a few etiquette classes.

any tips?

Just Remember!

New Year.....New Word.

The word:

REMEMBER

why remember???

"When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be remember. Because all of you have made covenants - you know what to do and you know how to do it - our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day - to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that 'they may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them.' Remember is the word. Remember is the program."
Kimball, Spencer W. "Circles of Exaltation,"

Henry B. Eyring touched me in this conference talk.
They even made a video about it!


Oh how I need this word in more ways than you know!!!!

To illustrate, here are just a few of the things I would like to REMEMBER....

REMEMBER and write down how I have seen the hand of God in my life!!!!

REMEMBER to pray in the morning too!

REMEMBER to take time to have fun! It's worth the effort it takes to get 3 kids loaded in the car!

REMEMBER to change over the laundry before it smells like a dead cat!

REMEMBER to put on deodorant. (i've got issues, i know.)

REMEMBER to listen to this song by jon schmidt....it just makes me feel soooooo good!

REMEMBER that my family likes to wear clean clothing.

REMEMBER that having exercised ALWAYS feels wonderful!

REMEMBER that the most precious things in life aren't things.

REMEMBER to do nice things for Patrick and tell him how wonderful he is!

REMEMBER that "the desire for having more than we need comes at a high price!"

REMEMBER that "the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least."

REMEMBER to stay calm when the ninos are making me feel erratic! (Repeat with me..."anger and frustration lead to misbehavior!!!")

REMEMBER that service is the cure for what ails you.

REMEMBER to drink enough water! (I'm getting up right now to drink some..)

REMEMBER to water the house plants.

REMEMBER to get off the computer in a timely manner......or else!!!

REMEMBER to plan my nursery lesson before nursery starts!

REMEMBER to get to church earlier and less frantic like....the padded seats are comfier too!

REMEMBER to follow a budget (i'm going to start a cash budget i think...anyone do this?)

REMEMBER to hug/snuggle = huggle with the kids every day!

REMEMBER how much better I feel when I eat only healthy food.

REMEMBER people's birthdays.

REMEMBER that children grow up and will be gone one day...and I will one day miss all of the nasty finger prints on my walls.

REMEMBER to feed the beta fish...and the children.

REMEMBER that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

REMEMBER  that, "Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration." Gordon B. Hinkley

REMEMBER to read the Book of Mormon before breakfast.....and when I remember to read it, it will remind me to remember since 'Remember', is used 136 times in the BofM! 

REMEMBER to write down promptings.

REMEMBER to "see afar off."

REMEMBER to say I love you!

REMEMBER to put God first.

So....this year there are no resolutions to break just one word to REMEMBER!

What do you need to remember????

p.s. i remembered that i love this scripture:

Heleman 5:12
  12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.