Whatever works right

Our kids loved the snow that we got Thanksgiving break. Of course when you can talk your dad into pulling you around with a lawnmower who wouldn't love it. I've never been too into the snow. Yes it is very pretty and I love waking up to it on Christmas, but that is about it. I hate driving in it. I did a 180 on the Badger when I was in college nearly going into the ditch and so it makes me very nervous to drive in. I can't stand it when the kids want to go play in it. As they get older it isn't too bad because then they can dress themselves, but the younger ones who can't dress themselves or figure out what to wear...It took us a little over a half an hour to get ready to go out on Thursday to play. Finding warm enough pants and shirts then getting the gloves and hats on. Let's see I think Diesel lasted 10 minutes and Hallie came in moments after him. I think Karlee lasted 20 minutes. Playing in the snow I think can be overrated. Unfortunately the younger kids can't figure that out until after we spend the whole day getting ready for it.

Happy

I don't mean to get too mushy on you here, but since Thanksgiving was just a few days ago I thought I should post about what I am thankful for. I am thankful that I am happy. I feel like things are going very well for me right now. Life is good. As I get older, I recognize more easily how truly blessed I am. At the end of the day, no matter how many "moments" we had that day, I can still focus on the good things that happen and they always bring a smile to my face. I have great kids who have taught me so much. They have taught me how to love unconditionally and how to forgive easily. They have taught me how to serve continuously and how to enjoy it and feel rewarded of it when the day is done. I love my family so much.

I hope you are happy too. Life is too short to focus on the negative things in life. It is so much easier to have good days if you are happy. It is a mental decision to be happy. You are in charge of how you feel nobody else. Yes they can push you one way or the other, but in the end it is you that decides, you decide your reactions to things and you that decides how quickly you want to forgive. I feel bad when I see these moms who are obviously not happy for whatever reason and I feel bad in a way because being happy comes so easily to me and always has no matter the situation. I feel like I am living the dream. Work is for the birds :) So don't wait until the end of the year for a resolution, start now. Change your life today. Be happy.

Great holiday decor

I have seen so many creative and amazing decorations lately on blogs that I thought I might share what is new in our home. Simply take any old sweatshirts, pants, shirts, towels or whatever is lying around and place near door. You don't have to fold it any special way just roll it up kind of and scoot as close to door as possible. This is Wynden's idea of how to block the wind from coming in under your doors. Pretty isn't it :)

May I please have a moment...

to vent about my husband :) I love him to death, but I get a little frustrated every time I look at online statements and realize that he has signed us up for some trial offer (either realizing it or not) and we have been charged for the last year or two months (depending on which time you want to talk about) because he never cancelled the trial offer or didn't realize that when he clicked that save $10 now button (too good to be true right) he just gave them our credit card number for them to charge us monthly on whatever service that they may be offering. I am still fuming about when he ordered off the Internet these fat burning pills (he'd kill me if he knew I was blogging this) with something in them from Brazil that he had seen on his mission and knew it was safe stuff or whatever and didn't realize that the one cent that they claim to charge for whatever purpose is just a way to get your credit card number because if you had read the fine print then you would have realized that the free trial offer wasn't, but instead a 14 day offer and if you didn't like them you have to send them back or else your credit card would be charged a HUGE amount of money. OK I feel a little better.

Clarification

A little birdie told me that there is confusion for some on how Diesel's accident actually happened with the fireplace. I placed the belt around his waist and he then left me to run around in crazy circles. For the record, I was not swinging him around in the air by the belt that was secured around his waste. This actually me laugh so thanks D for that. Hopefully with this explanation there will be no more calls to cps. Just kidding :)

A new freedom

As of last night, we finally moved Diesel out of his pack and play, which he's slept in since birth and into a normal crib. Hallie was in the crib when he was born and was not ready yet for a big girl bed. She joined Karlee about 9 months ago in her queen sized bed. Diesel was just starting to sleep a little better and I didn't want to ruin it and thought we'll make the move eventually and eventually turned into 9 months. Well the comfort level in the pack and play was getting smaller and smaller since he is growing like a weed. Last night he slept in the crib for the first time. He only cried for about an hour and a half before falling asleep. Now he is suppose to be taking a nap, but again he is going to have to cry himself to sleep. What do they say it takes like three days and then they are sleeping like a pro in no time. We can only hope.

What does this mean for me...the computer room (where his pack and play has been since he was about 2 months old) is now open for business 24 - 7. I could hardly play before because he naps twice a day and then when the kids are in bed for the night he was in here. It is almost a scary thing to be able to come in here anytime I want and waste hours upon hours on absolutely nothing, which let's just say I might have done before (that is why I know it is not safe for me to have facebook). And also online shopping...our mail lady was making fun of us stay at home moms and online shopping she was like what is the big deal about online shopping. I'm like let's see...you get a package in the mail, who doesn't love getting packages. Secondly you can shop freely without pushing a stroller and carrying the kid who is suppose to be riding in there, but wouldn't. Also according to Wynden I can spend the money he works so hard to make no matter where I am. Sounds like fun to me.

Nominated for mom of the year...

Wednesday night we were so close to bedtime, so close to a day without any accidents when Diesel touched the fireplace glass and gave his poor little hand quite a burn. At first I didn't think it could be that bad because Karlee had just turned on the fireplace, so it couldn't be that hot yet. And secondly, Diesel wasn't stand up by the glass he had just been reaching for his ball that he threw up by it. Well it was pretty bad the whole palm of his hand blistered immediately and he cried pretty hard for 3 hours.

On Thursday morning I had scheduled yearly visits for Hallie and Diesel not realizing that there was no school or else I would have never actually planned to take all five kids to sit in a small room the size of a spare bathroom for an hour while the doctor examined the kids. While checking in, the receptionist asked if I had time to fill out the growth questionnaires that they sent me in the mail, I said yes and handed them to her and she said how great I was. I just smiled knowing inside that she maybe wouldn't think that if she knew that it was while I was filling them out that Diesel burnt his hand.

It actually was perfect timing him burning his hand and all because then at the doctors they prescribed some burn cream and gave instructions for how to wrap his hand for the next 5-7 days. So then we left the office Diesel sporting a new wrap on his hand for the next few days and his stitched up forehead that will dissolve in the same amount of time. Both of which clearly put me in the running for mom of the year right!?

This won't be the last time...

That thought was going through my head as I held Diesel's hand that stuck out of the papoose that he was wrapped in, as the doctor put a stitch in his forehead.

Diesel was being ever so cute Monday night as he had me put Hunter's belt around his waist and then ran crazy circles around our family room until he tripped and his head hit our rock fireplace. Again a first in our family for a serious fireplace mishap.

It was almost 8:00 and I quickly called Madrona's after hours clinic and the nurse told me if I could be there in 15 minutes they would do it. YES! No visit to the dreadful ER. Five stitches later and a very unhappy Diesel we were on our way home after leaving there just over an hour earlier. I call that good service.

Diesel's buffet closed for the season

We haved lived in our house for almost four years now. And for four years I have had the biggest drawer in my kitchen full of snacks. Lets just say I am a sucker for Safeway's 3 for $5 or 2 for $4 deals. I know when something is a good price and will load my cart with it. In our snack drawer you could find fruit roll-ups, granola bars, cheese and crackers, cheesy crackers, peanut snack packs, fruit snacks, and other such items. I have had two daughters at the toddler stage and succeeded with a snack drawer that is within arms reach. Now I have a son who is toddler age and my snack drawer is failing me...It has become open for business at all times of the day for my little man. My kids ask permission 95% of the time and they know that it is closed for business after 4:00. Up until Diesel was about 16 months all was well but now, he is a free for all with it. After being out on a fabulous dinner and shopping escapade with one of my favorites, I came home to an amazing amount of wrappers on the ground. When my husband explains that it is too hard to keep him out of it. The next day the famous drawer that I have watched my sister-in-laws agonize over keeping their children out of is no longer. It is in my pantry where the door can be closed right next to my huge box of Halloween candy. Safe until Diesel figures out door knobs :)

deja vu

That is how I felt getting off the plane in Long Beach California two weeks ago. The plane ride went fabulous from checking, security, loading, and the flight. Then as if last year replayed itself karlee for some unknown reason lost it as we were exiting the aircraft. She did not want to move. She pulled this stunt once before, but only because we had said she could go first and Hunter went, but this time we said no such thing. She screamed all the way through the airport across the street and until Wynden got the rental car. I of course just kept smiling nodding my head as people passed saying "she's just tired, long flight" "yes I know we have a lot of kids".

Our trip was great. We had a wonderful time. Very relaxing. We went to Knott's Berry Farm again, which was a lot of fun. I got a little brave and rode two big roller coasters, the boomerang and ghostrider. I am quite sure that was the last time I will ever ride those. Ghostrider is nonstop downhill one right after the other. My stomach was in knots after.

We spent most of our time in Palm Springs. Wake-up, eat breakfast, go down to the pool, eat lunch, go back down to the pool, nap time, go to dinner, pool, bedtime and repeat for the next eight days. Our last night we spent in Oceanside, so we were very close to Legoland. We went and parked and played for the last hour they were open for free, which I totally loved. We got to spend a little time with my friend Allyson and her family. All in all it was a great ten days. The plane ride home went great and Karlee exited the plane like a champ thank goodness.

Who stole the cokie from the cookie jar...Definately not me!

Dear Otis Spunkmeyer

It is that time of year again when schools start their fundraising frenzy. I truly despise fundraisers. What I dislike the most about our school is that they choose your dreadful cookie to sell. They taste horrible. The amount of grease that surrounds the cookie after it is baked is embarrassing and just straight cookie dough is horrendous. You have mastered the art of getting every kid excited about selling though, by showing them what they can earn if they put their mothers through pure torture by having them make phone calls, collect money, and then deliver the goods. I am amazed how anyone can make a sticky hand look so enticing or a glow in the dark stick so exciting. Of course the limo ride for selling 30 is truly pulling out all the stops presenting it in a way that Hunter thought the limo would be his to own to take home with him. We have had at times a tub of your dough in our freezer for up to 3 years before, no one rushing to eat it and finally thrown away. So please Mr. Otis either make your overpriced cookies ($16) better or leave us alone.

Where to start

Life has been so busy lately. We got home from California last Tuesday night and we have been flying by the seat of our pants ever since. Mostly because of the dreadful scavenger hunt. Last year was the first year our church's activities committee did one. I being obsessive compulsive and a tad bit competitive won. This scavenger hunt is no easy quest. Most of it I have in my home or have easy access to, but those few items that I don't make me pull my hair out. It about kills me if I can't find everything.

The hunt was given out while we were gone and I was relieved kind of because I knew it would consume my every waking moment, but when we got home the next day Lorena called and talked me into doing it last minute. I had less than two days after she extended it to Friday at noon. Wednesday night I had a hair appointment and Wynden was gone to a dinner. The hunt also included a little more service oriented things this year like watching someone's kids for them, donating blood, and washing someone's car. Thursday and Friday I didn't look for stuff for very long (how could I was watching some friend's kids), but it consumed my mind in a very annoying way. Needless to say I in one form or another got everything on the list. It's not like I have to win (although I hate losing) I just have to have everything marked off on the list no matter what.

Well Friday night the winners were announced and right before second place was being said I leaned over to the people sitting next to me and said "second place is no place" they laughed and I said "no I'm serious" they laughed harder. You guessed it we got second place. We lost by three points. Congratulations Rocky you deserved it :)

trick or treat

We had a jammed pack weekend of course. Friday trunk or treat at the church and then Saturday trick or treating around here. We have sooooo much candy (with five kids you get your fair share), which means I am eating way too much. My candy of choice this year is whoppers. They come three to a pack, which kind of gives me that 100 calorie pack mentality where you think it's ok to eat two because it's only 100 calories right.