Re-joining the Workforce

I have gone from one extreme to the other. Last month my blog lacked action because I had so much going on, I didn't have time to post about it all. Now my lack of blogging comes from having absolutely nothing happening to blog about. How 'bout that?
My kids ask everyday, "Where are we going today?"
And I reply everyday, "Um...nowhere."
We're bundles of fun. Part of my reason for the lack of any exciting activity is...*sigh*...I got a job. We all know times are tough and with Brandon's busy school schedule, it leaves little time for him to work. So I started working this week for the Post Office at the Remote Encoding Center. Just my standby, data-entry type work. It's my calling in life. So nothing too fancy, but it helps out a little with the bills and will hopefully help us through the next year. I'm working at night from about 6 - midnight, and let's just say, I am most definitely not a night person. This is taking some major adjusting and I apologize to any of you who see me if I appear a bit zombie-ish (yes, that's a word).

The plus side of all this - Brandon is getting a nice dose of what it's like to take care of 3 kids on your own. He is learning empathy and I am learning that sitting in a quiet room with a bunch of adults really isn't so bad. But really, I do miss my kids (and I suppose my husband...a little ;o)) and I get a little choked up every night when I tell them goodnight over the phone while taking my 8:00 break. Responsibility bites.

My point in all this is to give advance warning that my blog may lack it's usual updates for awhile. *pausing for all the sad, collective groans and regrets....still pausing.....ahem....still pausing*
But don't you all worry, I will still be taking the time to keep up with all of YOUR blogs as much as I can. A girl's gotta get her addiction fix somewhere!

**Also, a quick Brandon update. Brandon got the results from his latest scan yesterday and everything still looks great! He is now 1 year cancer-free and we couldn't be more grateful. He has another year of check-ups and scans and then he will be given a clean bill of health. Lots of love and gratitude to all of you out there who have shown their constant love and support! It doesn't feel fair to everyone else that we should be loved and cared for by so many amazing people.

Winter Blues

It snowed today. *sigh* I know that I've had a wonderful fall and have been enjoying incredible weather over the last month, but I'm really not ready to welcome winter with open arms. In fact, can I assign winter to stay strictly in the month of December? That would be nice.

Since everyone in Utah somehow seems to forget how to drive whenever we get our first big winter storm, I was forced to miss my gym class this morning. (And might I add how horribly disappointed I was!) I sat in traffic for almost a half hour before I realized my class would have already started, so I just turned around and went home. So I opted to get my exercise another way and be productive at the same time by shoveling the driveway. Not a bad idea, eh? I got almost a full hour of cardio and strength training for my arms, back, and abs. Mathew was so kind as to help me out with the shoveling...in his Superman pajamas. Hey, he didn't want to change, and who am I to deny Superman? Here's the cute guy helping me with the driveway.



And then here he is again, being even MORE helpful by shoveling snow off the grass...



"Uh, Mathew...you're supposed to shovel the snow off the...Ah, nevermind. Enjoy your childhood!"

October Highlights

Well, dangit! I can't believe October is over already. My favorite season is wrapping up it's final weeks. Oh well, at least I still have Christmas to look forward to.

This was such a fun, busy month for us. And after last year, we (my kids in particular) really deserved a fun October. I think we got to experience almost every fun little Fall activity we could think of. I only missed a couple of things, but we'll get them next year! For the sake of not having another dreadfully long post, I'm just going to post up some of my favorite pictures and save my endless ramblings for later.

So, let's start at the very beginning...of October anyway.

We started off our fall fun by making the ever popular (and most importantly...free!) trip to Gardner Village to see the witches. My thanks to Amanda for taking most of the cute pics, since my camera was dead, like usual. My camera eats through batteries like they're made of chocolate. Although, to cameras, maybe batteries DO taste like chocolate. Who knows? The kids had a blast running wild and ignoring every word of discipline Amanda and I shouted at them. Amanda and I had fun perusing the shops and pretending the crazy kids running amuck belonged to someone else.



Later that week, we celebrated the wonderfully warm fall weather by crashing in on the Packers' plans to visit the Hogle Zoo while the kids were out of school for UEA weekend. Unfortunately most everyone else had the same idea and it was a wee bit crazy. But still a good time!



The day after that, we again crashed in on the Packers' plans (wow, they must have gotten pretty sick of us...) and joined them at Farnsworth Farms to pick pumpkins and enjoy some hot apple cider while sitting on a bale of hay and watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Well, at least we thought we'd get hot apple cider. Kurt braved the INSANE line and managed to get some cider for his family, but I told my kids "tough luck" and they got a bag of Cheetos and a Root Beer from inside the little store. Actually, I think they preferred my snack offerings better. They don't care much about being festive. We really did have so much fun and I think we'll be making this one a tradition. Only we'll be sure to always be there plenty early. It was a madhouse of people with the same great idea. I guess everyone wanted to seize the good weather while we had it. Also, a quick plug for Farnworth Farms: They have the BEST apple cider I've ever tasted! We guzzled down the half-gallon I bought in a matter of a day or two. And this is coming from someone who really isn't an apple cider fan.



Next on our list of fun October activities: ENGH Gardens - where they had a fun array of little activities. Those things including: A little maze, a super awesome version of The Black Pearl for the kids (and possibly adults...) to play on, and a variety of those little wooden displays you stick your head in for fun pictures. It's amazing, all the little things you can find to keep kids entertained for hours. And might I add...FREE! This has become my favorite word. I have so many fun pictures from this one, I might have to create a couple of collages for it.



Sure enough...it's gonna take two...the pictures at this place were too much fun.



And the award for my favorite picture of the day...



This is Amanda, myself, and Brianne, playing into the roles of the character we're standing in for. I still can't look at it without laughing.

Ok, moving on...nope, sorry, I'm still not done.

Brandon and I managed to break away from the kids for a day at Frightmares with Steve and Katie. Katie and I had a GREAT time. Steve and Brandon also had a great time, except for the half hour they spent secretly rolling their eyes while Katie and I chatted up some of our old Lagoon friends. Sorry, but if you ever come to Lagoon with me, it's almost a guarantee you're going to have to spend at least 15 minutes standing around while I visit with old friends. My fabulous sister, D'Ann was so kind as to spend the day with the kids while Brandon and I enjoyed our day out. And as if that wasn't enough, she also stayed the NIGHT with the kids and got us a room with her Marriott discount so we could fully enjoy some alone time. It was a wonderful little break and I thank my "D" for playing so well into the "favorite aunt" role.

Now, because once simply wasn't enough...we also enjoyed yet another trip to Gardner Village to see the witches. This time, we ventured off with Julie and her boys. The trip was equally full with rambunctious kids we chose to ignore, except during the handful of times one of them would be seconds away from falling into the pond. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. It was getting dark and my camera...well...sucks.



The day before Halloween, Mathew had his preschool program which was SO cute! I think I giggled the whole way through it. I have a few video clips of it, but I simply don't have the patience to put it up. Plus I'm pretty sure it's one of those things no one would care about but myself. But here's the unmasked Spider-Mathew with his cute preschool teacher, Mrs. Becky. She's amazing with the kids and Mathew loves her.

Ok, the end is in sight. All we have left is HALLOWEEN!!!

This year, Halloween was seriously perfect. I could not have asked for a better day. The weather was fantastic, it was just the right amount of busy, and we got to do everything we wanted to, which NEVER seems to happen. We enjoyed our ward Trunk-or-Treat, some pumpkin-faced Papa Murphy's pizza, a quick trick-or-treating trip, and watching some scary movies while eating popcorn. It was the perfect, low-key Halloween I was hoping for. What a great day to end the best month I've had in years.



Well, so much for a short post minus all my ramblings. Oh well! HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Playing Catch-Up Tag

Throughout this month, while I've been experiencing the blogging blues, I was tagged a couple of times. The people who tagged me have probably given up on me completely by now, but I said I would do it! So here you are, the moment you've all been waiting for...more random Sheri facts! *wild applause and screaming...or not*

For my first tag, which was bestowed upon me by my friend, Brooke, (who probably completely forgot she tagged me by now) I shall attempt the amazing feat of coming up with seven random facts/quirks about myself. The real trick is coming up with things I haven't already revealed in previous posts. So if there are a couple of repeats, I apologize.

Fact#1 - This is one I've mentioned before, but as Brandon and I just had a slight argument about it yesterday, I'm going to talk about it again. I am a laundry weirdo. I honestly can't bear to have anyone do it but myself. As an example of this fact, I shall now post a small snippet of the strained conversation Brandon and I had.

Brandon: Do you want me to work on the laundry while you're out tonight?

Me: No, I'll just finish it up tomorrow.

Brandon: Well, you said that yesterday and you still didn't get much of it done today. I just don't want you to get behind, so why don't I do some of it since I'll just be at home tonight?

Me: No, just let me do it. I just have a certain way I like it to be done and, sorry, but it will really bug me to have you do it.

Brandon (getting exasperated): Well why don't you just teach me how you like it done then I can help you?

Me (getting equally exasperated): If you want to help me around the house, there are several other things you can do. Laundry is my thing, and it can wait until tomorrow. Just let me do it!

This tense conversation went on a little bit longer, but you get the idea. My poor husband, really. How does he put up with me? I really don't know why, but it's just something I need to do myself, without any help. Seriously, I didn't even like my own mother to do my laundry when I was growing up. I think I started doing it myself by the time I was 13. Just one of those things.

Fact#2 - I love books! I really, really do. And whenever I decide to read a new book, I can't stand to just borrow it from someone or check it out from the library. I have to OWN it. And even if I didn't like the book, I can't bear to part with it. You don't want to know how much money I spend every year on books. Come to think of it...I don't want to know either. We have one large bookshelf in our house and every inch of it is covered with books. It's quite pathetic actually. I expect it to collapse any day now. It's my dream to one day have my own personal room lined with bookshelves and filled with hundreds of books. I would love to have my own little library. I'll even check them out to anyone who wants to borrow them! (With a hefty late fee, of course...)

Fact#3 - I may not be the breadwinner around here, but I am the bill payer. And it is my one other thing that I simply can't handle anyone else doing or helping me with. I really get anxiety every time Brandon will be checking out my payment calendar or glancing at the bank statement. It's not like I spend a bunch of money that I shouldn't (except on books, shhhhh...) I just don't like the idea of the finances being handled by anyone but me. Brandon really just needs to go to work, earn the money, and look the other way.

Fact#4 - I don't like water much. Don't get me wrong, I do like to drink it, but I don't like getting my hands wet. I'm really not much into swimming, I'm definitely not into boating (much to my husband's dismay), and even when I take a bath I keep a little hand towel on the edge of the tub to dry my hands off with once I get settled. When I do the dishes, I have a long handled brush I use so that my hands can stay nice and dry. When I shower,(which, despite my water aversion, I promise I do every day) it's all business. I get in and out as soon as I can. Now don't get all grossed out, I promise I do wash my hands on a regular basis. I just quickly dry them off as soon as I'm done.

Fact#5 - This isn't so much a quirk I have now, as one I used to have. I still shake my head in disgust that I was ever like this. I used to save EVERYTHING. Someone be my witness...Katie, Sarah, Brandon Fessler...you guys know! For example, a couple of years ago, (after I had overcome my desire to save everything) I decided to go through a big bin I had of "scrapbook stuff" aka GARBAGE. I found like 20 napkins. Nope, the napkins weren't cool looking and didn't contain any cool designs or sayings. Most of them were just plain, old, white napkins. Why was I saving them? I have NO idea. I'm sure someone told me to save it, or perhaps I wiped my buttery mouth on it while at the movies with a hot date. Who knows. I used to save all kinds of dumb stuff like that. That dumb bin was filled with movie ticket stubs, old scraps of paper, nasty old wristbands, rocks, leaves, pictures of nothing...you name, I saved it. I filled the garbage up good that day and I consider myself quite cured of saving needless junk.

Fact#6 - Back in my dating years, I never really dated anyone for more that just a month or two. Every time things started getting serious with someone I was seeing, I would get really bad anxiety and completely lose interest in the relationship. It was horrible, because most of the guys I dated were really great guys. But I seriously couldn't help it. I would just freak out for some reason. I never had a steady boyfriend. My friends used to tease me that I would never get married because I would always freak out before I could ever get that serious about anyone. But I always believed the opposite. I believed that when I met the right guy, I would just never get that horrible anxious feeling. It would just feel right. And sure enough, after more than 2 months of spending every spare moment with Brandon, I still couldn't get enough of him. That's when I knew he was the right guy for me. And funny enough, even with him I got that awful feeling the first time we dated. It took the second time around (a full year later) for me to feel at peace and in love with him.

Fact#7 - I am a firm believer in journal keeping. When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher gave us all spiral notebooks and encouraged us to start keeping a journal. I filled that little notebook right up and immediately bought another...and another and another. When I reached high school, I really started moving up in the world and started buying the fancy hard cover kind. I have a big stack of journals locked away in a secret place I'll never reveal. Because I think I would burn them all before I let anyone read them (which kindof defeats the purpose of keeping a journal, I know). It's just quite embarrassing. Mostly my journals (before I got married anyway) are full of morbidly melodramatic stories of fights with friends and boys I had crushes on. Now that I've started a blog, I really haven't been great about keeping a handwritten journal, but this can count now...can't it?


Now, as if the novel posted above wasn't way too much to read in the first place, allow me to move onto tag #2, handed down to me by my buddy Eric. With tags like these, I tend to like to avoid the obvious answers of family, friends, or religion. So as a disclaimer, know that if I did include these things, they would have most definitely topped what I chose to list instead.

Joys
1. Reading a good book, I can't get enough
2. Good Mexican food
3. Nice, quiet alone time. I don't get to be alone enough.


Fears
1. Spiders. Harmless or not, they seriously creep me out.
2. Large bodies of water. Another reason why I simply don't enjoy the whole boating scene.
3. Salespeople. I avoid them at all costs.


Goals
1. Write a book. I don't think it's in me to ever come up with a good enough storyline to actually accomplish this one. But I would love to do it.
2. Run at least a half-marathon without sustaining any serious injuries.
3. Develop healthy habits. I am the worst with this. I am a big fast food eater and soda pop drinker. I wish I was one of those people who just loved and craved healthy foods. It's something I'll really have to work on.

Current Obsessions
1. Books, obviously, since I haven't shut up about them through this whole post.
2. The scale. I don't really get too riled up about any weight I've lost or gained, I just really like seeing how much I weigh everyday. A couple of weeks ago I finally had to put it up at the top of my closet to keep myself from hopping on it all the time. Now I just rely on my Monday weigh-ins for the Biggest Loser competition I'm in. (Which I'm losing miserably at, just so you all know)
3. It used to be blogging, but I really have been getting a little bored with it. Now I've been finding myself really loving facebook. It's so fun catching up with old friends.

Regrets
1. Not going to college. It was always in my plans and it just never worked out. I really hope to go someday when Brandon finishes up his education.
2. Being so incredibly STUPID with money before I got married. I would not be in such financial turmoil right now had I not spent every last cent of every paycheck I earned during my carefree single days. Ugh, what an idiot I was.
3. Not developing healthy habits earlier on in my life. I was always so naturally thin before I started having kids that I was under the incredibly ignorant assumption that weight would never be an issue for me. So when I was packing on the pounds with McKenna, I somehow thought all that extra fat would magically disappear as soon as I gave birth. Really, I deserve every extra pound on my body for being just plain arrogant.

Facts about Me - Really? I have to come up with more? I think we all are sick to death of random Sheri facts. But because it's the rules, I'll try to come up with a few more.
1. I love safe scares. You know, thrill rides, scary movies, spook alleys. I think it's so fun to get scared out of my wits.
2. I use Harry Potter spells all the time, hoping one day one of them will suddenly work for me. Accio water bottle!...Darnit!
3. I hate wearing anything but sweats. As soon as I walk in the door, I'll change out of my jeans (which is about all I'll wear outside of the house. I'm just not much of a flashy dresser) back into my sweatpants. Again, my poor husband. I am the definition of a frumpy housewife.

That's it! I'm done!
Ummm...is anyone still there? Hello? If you somehow made it through all of that, I commend you. And I apologize, but sorry, I'm unable to give any of you the last 20 minutes of your life back. Bet you'll all think twice about tagging me again, eh?

The Induction of a Soccer Mom

Get married - check!
Have a few kids - check!
Buy a house - check!
Buy a minivan - check!
Put my child in soccer - check!
Oooooo...I'm SO close! All I need to do is join the PTA and I think I will have every necessary qualification to become the ultimate cliche mother!

So sorry for my absence in blogging. I honestly didn't think anyone would really care, but apparently there are a couple of you out there who actually do! (Thanks D'Ann and Amelia!) I've been quite busy (which I'll fill you all in on with a later post) and I've been feeling a little bored with blogging the last couple of weeks. I know...gasp! I should be banned from the blogging world for even admitting it. Anyway, my blog material is building up and I have 2 tags to get to at some point, so I'd better get back to it.

Anyway...we made the ever popular decision this fall to put Mathew in soccer. He was a Green Pickle! Hee-hee...I love it. I'm sure a good chunk of you have had this same experience - isn't it hysterical?? I had never been to a pre-K soccer game before, and I was surprised at how completely entertaining it was. I loved watching the great clump of kids running after the ball, continually tripping over each other, and kicking the ball which ever way they happened to be facing. And speaking of hysterical, how do ya like Mathew's official soccer picture? I think his expression conveys well how he felt about getting in the middle of all the crazy kids to get his shot at the ball.

Now that this soccer season is over, I'm quite certain that aggressive sports won't exactly be Mathew's big talent. He spent most of the time keeping a careful 5 foot distance between him and the mass of kids chasing the ball. During his last game, we had a very proud moment where Mathew somehow managed to kick the ball and he looked over at us and squealed, "I kicked the ball Daddy!" So fun!

Now for more pictures...

Here's Mathew and our good friend, Brandi, who was the cutest soccer coach ever. Thanks for asking Mathew to be on your team, Brandi! He loved it and you were great!



And then, in an effort to save space and not post a million pictures, I've included most of the pictures in this here picture collage. Pictured below: End of game huddle cheer, Mathew enjoying his half-time snack, Mathew standing random in the middle of the field when he should be running after the ball, the kids being reminded which way their goal is (which had to be repeated several times every game), Mathew carefully chasing the ball (he's #7), and Mathew not paying attention to his huddle instructions.



We had a great time. I'm a little sad that the season is over, but also happy to have my Saturday mornings back. In spite of Mathew's lack of natural athleticism, he had a lot of fun and was quite excited to receive his "everybody wins" trophy at the end of the season.

Well, that does it folks! Alright everyone...hands in....



Goooooooooo GREEN PICKLES!!!

Me and My Imaginary Friend

Those of you who know us well know that McKenna has had an imaginary friend for years. Her name is Lola, and her presence around our house is getting slightly annoying. I know it's somewhat normal for kids to have imaginary friends, but this is getting out of control. I keep waiting for her to grow out of it, but I swear it gets worse every day.

Lola has been a member of our family for about 3-4 years. She used to live in our basement with her family, but apparently her parents and brothers all recently died in some horrific accident and now Lola has taken permanent residence in whatever space is next to McKenna. Now, I only have boring, unimaginative eyes, so I can't see her it the posted picture. But I'm told she looks exactly like McKenna, only with green eyes instead of blue. And her favorite color is purple instead of pink. They are always wearing the same outfit, which they think is totally awesome. To quote McKenna, they're "TWINERS!! Wha-Hoo! *tsst*" (The *tsst* noise is made to sound like a little sizzle while they touch their forefingers together...totally cool, right?)

Lola always draws her own pictures (which, of course, always turn out just like McKenna's), and she eats every meal with us - sharing whatever McKenna is eating and drinking...and yes, McKenna really does mime giving her bites and swigs of her drink. She goes to dance and school with McKenna, and they play together all the day long. McKenna even announced to me yesterday that her very best friend in the world is Lola. Heaven forbid her best friend is an actual, real, human being. This Lola obsession has had Brandon so worried, he even made me ask the doctor about it at Nathaniel's last checkup. The doctor informed us that McKenna has a perfectly healthy mind that is only improved by such a wonderful imagination. He thinks it's great, especially since Lola is of McKenna's own design and not a character who already exists. Of course, her doctor can think it's great all he wants because he doesn't have to put up with being told that he can't sit in a certain chair because Lola is already sitting there...ugh. Isn't imagination fun?

The Tag of 8

I really do try to refrain from boring everyone about little "who cares" tidbits about me and my life, but I have once again been tagged. And as I do my darndest not to let a fellow tagger down, I'm afraid there must be another post dedicated to everything you never cared to know about little ol' ME!

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch

Scrubs...back when it was still on. Now I just enjoy the re-runs

Biggest Loser - LOVE it! (And might I add... *SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't watched tonight's episode yet* I am so heartbroken over the latest elimination. Could they have made this one any sadder? I was biting my lips to not sob. And someone SO needs to smack Vicky for her snotty smirk at the weigh-in)

Law & Order: SVU - though I am getting annoyed at how many times Stabler has almost been fired.

How to Look Good Naked - this show has seriously helped me look at my body differently. I think my self acceptance has dramatically improved since I've started watching it.

Ok, I hope I don't lose any one's respect over this one...but I do love the tamed down version of Sex and the City on TBS.

Um...I guess Friends re-runs?? I'm out of shows. I'm afraid I choose reading over watching TV any day.

I know I'm supposed to have two more, but that's all the TV I ever watch.



8 Favorite Restaurants

La Frontera - where I eat with my sister every single Monday (for the last 10 years and counting)

El Matador

Guadalahonky's

Taco Bell
and for when I'm forced to eat something other than Mexican food...

The Sconecutter

Apollo Burger (they have the best friend zucchini in the world - or the parts of the world I've tried it in anyway)

Ab's Drive In - for those days you just need a big ol' nasty burger

8 Things That Happened Yesterday

Went to the first meeting for the fun new Biggest Loser group my neighborhood is doing. I'm psyched!

Monday, so of course I went to lunch with D'Ann

Set up my new SparkPeople page (best free weight-loss website out there!)

Managed to clean a measly portion of my kitchen

Changed the sheets on the kid's beds

Spent too much time chatting with Amanda while I should have been cleaning my house

May have spent a little too much time on the computer...

Worked out to my tough Jillian Michaels DVD.


8 Things I am Looking Forward To

Having my house in order - ditto on that Janet, sadly my house is in total disarray and I've lived in it for years.

Brandon finishing nursing school

Singing in Stake Conference at the end of October

My weekly weigh-ins for my little Biggest Loser group (weight loss or no, I still love getting together to motivate and inspire each other)

Nathaniel actually sleeping through the night like a NORMAL 9-month-old baby!

Halloween! This is the first Halloween in two years that we have nothing major going on. No big moves and no chemotherapy/pregnancy. It'll be nice and low-key.

Going to Frightmares with Katie and Steve on the 25th

The marriage-revival overnight trip Brandon and I are going on that same night. A big shout out to my sister, D'Ann for being awesome enough to take my kids for the night and get us a room for that night with her great Marriott discount.


8 Things on My Wish List

Brandon being completely done with school so I can have my husband back

A slightly bigger house - I mostly just want bigger bedrooms and a full basement

A new car. Maybe an Acadia. Our poor van is falling apart at the seams

A full night's sleep with no crying babies or kids in need of more water

On that same note, I would LOVE to sleep in to my heart's content

A cute 120 pound, size 6, and wicked toned body...that's mine!

An endless supply of positive energy to access at will

Enough money to not have to stress about it every month

8 People I'm Tagging

So, I'm supposed to tag 8 people here, but a lot of people prefer not to be tagged, and then I feel bad for applying the pressure. (Note: I never mind being tagged - I think it's fun - just so you all know)

So I'm not tagging anyone in particular, but would LOVE to see some of you do this. I greatly enjoy reading "who cares" tidbits about other people.

Ghostly Images

(This one's for you Amanda!)
While at the Clark Planetarium for Mathew's first official field trip, I was taking pictures of the little tykes "walking on Mars". After I took this picture of Owen, I noticed something strange in the picture.
If you look right above Owen, you'll see an odd blur. I think I may have captured a being from beyond....
Either that or my piece-o-crap camera wouldn't take a proper picture because of "low light", so when Mathew made the slightest movement, it messed the picture up. You know, whatever you chose to believe.....doo-doo-doo-doo....

Birthday Festivities

Wow, this month has been absolutely crazy. I'm normally not the busy type. If you ask me what I'll be doing tomorrow or the next day or the next, my normal response would be...well...nothing. So I'm not used to not having time to catch up on my blogging, but such has been the case this past week. So I am finally getting around to putting up a slightly belated post of McKenna's birthday festivities. Which honestly weren't that exciting, but they're going up anyway, if only to show off some cute pictures.

First of all, I shamefully admit: I am a mom who breaks promises. I promised McKenna she could have a big birthday party with all her friends this year, but when it came down to it, I selfishly just didn't feel up for planning it. But as McKenna seemed more excited about just taking a couple of friends to Jungle Jim's instead, I don't feel too bad about it. I will save the big birthday party for next year when she gets baptised.

So last Friday - with McKenna, Sydney, and Savannah in tow - I drove out to Jungle Jim's. The drive out there was something else. Those little girls can CHAT! I get those moments every now and then that just make me shake my head in wonder at how grown up McKenna has become. You would have thought I was transporting a group of teenage girls. There was boy talk, gossip, and extreme giggling. I don't think any of them heard what the other was saying, because I could swear that not a single one of them ever stopped talking. We arrived at Jungle Jim's, and 3 hours, 40 tokens, countless rides, several nasty pieces of pizza, and about 100 tickets (exchanged for incredibly cheap toys that went straight into the garbage that night) later, we headed home. The drive home was equally chatty but more headache-inducing than cute this time.

Sunday was the day for the traditional cake and ice cream celebration. My parents came by to celebrate the joyous event. It seems most people are very into posting pictures of the cake, so here it is...



Didn't I do a great job.....at buying the cake from WalMart? Actually, I can't even take the credit for that as McKenna picked out her own cake. I tell ya, I'm not kidding. I'm seriously about the least domestic person in the world.

That concludes our events for McKenna's one and only 7th birthday. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes.

Happy Birthday to my McKenna!

In December of 2000, after only 9 short months of marriage, Brandon and I vaguely started talking about having kids. We were full of idealistic scenarios of giggling babies, teaching wise lessons, and fluffy little clouds and butterflies. I was hating birth control and the crazy lady that it turned me into. So as soon as we even hinted at the idea of being "ready" (like anyone is ever really ready to have kids) I chucked my half empty birth control pack in the garbage, relying completely on everyone telling me it takes several months to get pregnant. So imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks later I started feeling off and asked one of the ladies I worked for to pick me up a pregnancy test (since I was too big a chicken to actually purchase one myself). And...huh...it was positive. I thought, "Wow! I'm one of those lucky people who will always get pregnant really easy!" Pshaw! But we'll save those other pregnancy stories for another day. Really long and boring pregnancy and delivery stories later...McKenna officially came into our lives at 2:22 pm.

When they placed her on my stomach, I vividly remember reaching out and timidly poking her with my finger and thinking, "Holy crap! There was really a baby in there?? What on earth am I supposed to do with that?" Of course, once they got her cleaned up and put in my arms, I instantly felt a whole new kind of love I never knew existed.
I had grand ideas of putting up pictures of the newborn McKenna, but unfortunately my scanner has other ideas. Maybe next year.

McKenna was an angel of a first baby. She slept through the night after just a couple of weeks, she almost never cried unless she was hungry, she only ate every 8 - yes, that's EIGHT - hours, and she had such a mellow and happy personality. She was my easiest baby to date. Too bad I was too postpartum CRAZY to appreciate a good thing when I had it.

Fast forward about 6-7 years...McKenna is so much fun (as long as her melodramatics aren't aimed at me). She has entered the age of boys, friends, and wanting to wear makeup (not gonna happen). I can hardly believe how much she's grown up. I'm already seeing signs that she doesn't think I'm nearly as cool as I used to be. She's even started rolling her eyes! I'm not sure how to deal with my girl already acting like a teenager. It simultaneously makes me feel like sobbing and laughing hysterically.

Since all McKenna's birthday festivities are planned for this weekend, I had to come up with something fun for her actual birthday. It just so happens that my friend Amanda's little girl, Savannah, has the exact same birthday as McKenna. So she came up with the super fun idea of bringing lunch into our girls for their birthdays. Amanda picked me up today, and with our other kids left with sitters, we headed out to Sconecutter and brought a yummy, surprise lunch into our girls.The look on her face and the huge running hug I got are going down as one of the most memorable moments of my life. McKenna and Savannah were the envy of every other 1st grader as we pulled out their lunches and sat right at their lunch tables with them. Don't you know...it's still cool to eat lunch with your mom when you're in 1st grade. We have to live it up while we can. I'm sure if I try to pull this stunt in another 5 years, McKenna will go storming out of the cafeteria crying mortified tears. But for now, she still likes to acknowledge me and I'll take it.

So Happy Birthday to my ever growing Boo! I am so grateful for her presence in each day of my life - even the days she spends being incredibly annoying.

4-year-old Ramblings

My favorite part of Mathew being in preschool is that he is incredibly talkative after I pick him up. I think I've mentioned before that Mathew isn't much of a talker. He's mostly communicates through grunts, hand gestures, and fake, high-pitched giggles. So it's so fun to listen to him ramble on and on the entire walk home from preschool. I get about 10 minutes of insight into his brain. Here are some of my favorite observations on the way home today:

He was busy telling me about why his show-and-tell bag couldn't get wet (it was just starting to rain a little) when a boy - probably about 10 years old - sped past us on his bike. He stopped mid-sentence saying "WHOA!" (in a really loud and somewhat embarrassing squeal) "He's SO fast on his bike without training wheels!!"
I'm sure he gave that kid's ego a nice little stroke.


Mathew: "Mommy, that house is tricky!"
I looked over at the completely normal looking house and asked, "Why is that house tricky?"
Mathew: "It's a much biggest, BIGGEST house. And our house is a small house, but they have a big house."
I guess a house is considered tricky if it has the audacity to be any bigger than ours.


The wind started blowing a bit and Mathew was holding onto a little paper from school.
Mathew: "Whoa! I have to hold on tight to my paper, because my paper says the name Mathew Staten, and I like that name, and I don't want it to blow away."
So we're very glad his paper didn't blow away. I'd hate to have to come up with another name for him.


We always walk to and from school whenever we can, since #1 - I'm still making weak attempts to lose some weight and most days, walking the kids to and from school is the only exercise I get. And #2 - It seems a bit silly to me to pull out the car for a little quarter-mile walk. Mathew's preschool is in a house up a slightly big hill from mine. I must confess, my son is a bit lazy and really hates walking. So I usually hear complaints in one form or another about how tired he is from walking. Today's made me giggle.
Mathew: "I wish we could buy a wagon to pull me and Mufanyull (his pronunciation of Nathaniel's name), because I'm tired of walking up. And I'm tired of walking down. And I'm weally tired of walking UP! Maybe we could buy one at Christmas and take it when I go to preschool. But wagon's has wheels, so we can't go up the stairs, and we can't go down the stairs. We just have to stay upstairs, or we have to stay downstairs."
A brilliant observation, I think.

He's also slightly obsessed with police coming to get us for any little thing. During the time I've been typing this out, Mathew became bored and started kicking my office door over and over. I asked him to please stop (in my friendliest and sweetest tone, since I am an ever patient mother...). He asked the favorite of toddler questions, "Why?"
So I explained that he was hurting my ears and that we needed to be soft to the door. I guess that wasn't a good enough reason because he came up with his own.
"If we're not soft to the door, then the police will come."
To which I said, "Yep! The police will come."
Whatever it takes to make him stop!

And...now he's sound asleep. I guess all that talking takes a lot of energy out of a little kid.

Discovering Liberty

Believe it or not, I have gone my whole parenting life without taking my kids to Liberty Park. My sister, D'Ann, recently moved within walking distance and has told me again and again to take my kids there. But alas, it took Brandon's dad asking us to meet him there last Saturday to actually do it. What a fun little place, full of free stuff to keep many a kid entertained. Having been told ahead of time of the many water features, we wisely dressed the kids in their swimsuits for our little outing. They have this cute mini-version of the canyons, rivers, and lakes of the Salt Lake Valley. I think my kids could have played in this thing all day.



The only thing exciting enough to draw these kids away from the water, was the small cluster of rickety old rides nearby. Grandpa Larry was so kind as to buy the kids each a few tickets for the rides. This is the only picture I managed to snap of the ride fun. Right after this ride, Brandon and I decided to brave the Ferris Wheel with McKenna. Mathew was a big fat chicken and opted for riding the planes again. Had I known how sick I was going to get, I would've opted for watching Mathew instead of taking a trip on the Ferris Wheel. About 10 seconds into the ride, I broke out into the cold sweats, then came the black spots. I thought for sure I was destined to experience my very first ride vomit. Luckily, through a series of deep breaths and long blinks, I was able to tame the nausea and leave the ride untainted. I don't know what was up with that, I NEVER get sick on rides. This new getting sick on rides business better not interfere with my future Nationwide Roller Coaster Trip. It is my life's ambition to ride every note-worthy roller coaster in the US, even if I can't afford it until I'm 80. Oh yes...it will happen. Anyway, I felt much better after treating myself to one of the best fresh corn dogs I've ever eaten. Though I am still a little embarrassed about getting sick in the first place. I've always made fun of people like that. I guess I can't use that one for my self-validation anymore.

That night we enjoyed the company of my parents while we watched the BYU game and ate french bread pizza. Honestly, food is just too good to go through life being skinny. And I've made the decision that if I have to give up stuff like fresh corn dogs and french bread pizza to have a rockin' hard body....I think I'll stick with being a nice, soft, squishy mommy.

Labor Day was pretty uneventful. We had originally planned to have a tinfoil-dinner cookout up Millcreek Canyon with my family, but I'm afraid the idea of going to the canyons got washed away with the day's rain. Yet my parents were not to be completely deterred. They (with the help of my nephews) dug an impressive fire pit in their backyard and we enjoyed the delicious tinfoil-dinners in the comfort of a warm, dry house. Soon after the s'mores, McKenna came running into the house crying, with blood pouring down her chin. Apparently she had an "I-wasn't-thinking" moment, and walked right in the path of my nephew on the swing. She got hit good in the mouth and had quite the impressive fat lip. Sadly, I wasn't playing the unusually cruel mother who forces her to pose for pictures showing off her battle wounds; so I have no photographic evidence. I was planning on doing the photo shoot when she got home from school the next day, but the fat lip had already disappeared - oh well.

The rest of the week has been just as exciting as the last two. I thought since none of us were sporting any major illnesses, we might make it out of the house. But other than a couple trips to the gym, the grocery store, and my weekly lunch with D'Ann; we've just been cooped up enjoying our regularly scheduled TV watching, computer and reading time, and housework. I wouldn't hold your breath for anything beyond that for awhile.

Week in Review

Life, as always, hasn't been incredibly exciting over the past week. However I do have a few little tidbits to share. Once again, I warn you that this post will include quite a bit of whining and a wee bit of bragging. It's my blog and I'll be as annoying as I want!

Saturday, August 23rd - Attack of the chicken lovin' bees...

After our week-long quarantine, the boys were finally healthy enough to venture out of the house for a picnic with Grandpa Larry. We met up in Murray Park and had the wonderful idea of bringing along some KFC for our lunch. We spend $18 on an impressive spread of chicken and miscellaneous side dishes. We laid all the yummy smelling food out and had just starting digging in when we were overcome by more bees than I've ever had the misfortune of sharing my space with. They must've loved the smell as much as I did. Every time I took a bite of food, the stupid bees would follow the food right up to my mouth. And me being one of those girly girls - I'm a bit frightened of bees and yes, I do squeal and run around like an idiot. The bees would not be deterred, even with constant swatting and moving around. Our feast was soon abandoned and chucked into the nearest dumpster - mostly uneaten. I was so sad. And before you think I'm lame for throwing away perfectly good food just because of a few bees; you have to understand the sheer volume. Even Brandon and his dad (who aren't frightened of bees) were overwhelmed and agreed to get rid of the food. *sigh* What a waste.

Anyway, we forgot the meal and just let the kids play a bit.

After they had their fill of the playground, Grandpa Larry was so kind as to buy them each an ice cream cone to replace their lost meal. Is this not the sweetest picture of them and cousin Elliot crossing the road to the little food shack?



We also enjoyed a quick dip of our feet into the nearby stream.



So other than all the frickin' bees, it was a pleasant outing.

McKenna keeps on Dancin'

When McKenna finished dance last spring, we decided to give her a break from dance and try something new. She really liked the idea of giving gymnastics a try. However, after looking into prices, we decided that McKenna wouldn't fall off the social ladder if we kept her out of lessons for a year. Finances are just too tight right now. So when McKenna's dance teacher, Miss Kimberly, called earlier in the month to see if she would be seeing McKenna in her class again this year, we sadly had to tell her we just couldn't afford it this time. Miss Kimberly was disappointed, but understood. A few days later, we received another call from Miss Kimberly, letting us know that she spoke with the director about how much she liked McKenna, that she was sad to see her go, and that our financial situation wasn't great. In the end, McKenna was offered a full "scholarship" and is able to continue dance this year, with all costs covered! We were thrilled and flattered and McKenna is back to dancin'! She started up on Tuesday and is cute as can be, as usual. This is her dancing in socks, since I'm a bit scatter-brained and completely forgot her tap and ballet shoes. I love watching all those sweet girls trying their hardest to get the dance moves just right.

And for our final story...

The Plague Spreads...

While Mathew and Nathaniel finally seemed to pull out of being sick, Mathew oh-so-kindly passed the most miserable infection onto Brandon and I--the dreaded pink eye. I have never in my life experienced this horrible, horrible illness. Brandon went in to see the doctor who thankfully just told him to share his eye drops with me, saving us another $20 co-payment. Can I just say...I hate eye drops! They are nasty little drops of evil. I am somewhat convinced that the pharmacist gave us a bottle of pure acid, just to be funny. So this week we have once again been quarantined to avoid passing this miserable experience onto other unfortunate folk. Brandon and I are a sight to see. We both look like we haven't slept in weeks, having been crying for hours, and are high on a number of drugs. I have been having morbid fantasies about clawing my eyes out, giving them a good itch, soaking them in lotion, and popping them back in. Pink eye is evil, and if any of you ever get it...well, you'd better stay far, FAR away from me. Because if it's ever passed onto me again and I know the culprit, I will not be responsible for whatever wicked thing I may do to get back at you.

We have a bit of fun planned for Labor Day and I'm hoping we'll all be well enough to actually experience that fun.

That wraps up our week in review. Join us again next time!

ABC Tag

Here I go again, droning on and on about myself. I just can't help it if people find me so taggable! ;o) For those of you who choose to continue...enjoy!

A. ATTACHED OR SINGLE? Attached, of course!
B. BEST FRIEND? Katie and my sister, D'Ann
C. CAKE OR PIE? Cake...but only if it's gooey chocolate cake. Hot razzleberry pie with lots of vanilla ice cream will beat out any other kind of cake.
D. DAY OF THE WEEK? That depends on what I have going on. If Brandon is on one of his "let's spend our entire Saturday cleaning" kicks, then Mondays beat out Saturday. Monday, because I get yummy Mexican food with my sister.
E. ESSENTIAL ITEMS? Lysol wipes. I use them everywhere for everything.
F. FAVORITE COLOR? I don't really have one. It all depends on my mood and what the color is being used for.
G. GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS? Hmm...probably gummy bears
H. HOMETOWN? West Jordan, UT, as it still is. I'll probably live here forever.
I. INDULGENCE? Peanut butter cup ice cream mixed with milk
J. JANUARY OR JULY? July, by a long shot
K. KIDS? McKenna, Mathew, and Nathaniel
L. LIFE ISN'T COMPLETE WITHOUT? Other than the obvious answers...(my family, gospel, etc) A good book
M. MARRIAGE DATE? March 11, 2000
N. NUMBER OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS? I have 1 brother, 1 sister, 2 half-sisters, and 3 half-brothers.
O. ORANGES OR APPLES? Apples
P. PHOBIAS OR FEARS? Having something horrible happen to someone I love (especially my kids). And I'm quite terrified of spiders and swimming in large bodies of water.
Q. QUOTE? "Anything in this world that's worth having doesn't come easy"
R. REASON TO SMILE? Listening to my kids giggle and listening to the sound of a rainstorm.
S. SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMEN? Superman, Wonder Woman's outfit is too revealing
T. TAG 5 PEOPLE? Whoever, wants, to, do, it
U. UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME? Whenever I see an individual word, like on a sign, I always read it and then automatically read it again backwards. I have no idea why I do it, it's just some weird quirk I've had for as long as I can remember.
V. VEGETABLES? Zucchini and Squash
W. WORST HABIT? Though I'm ashamed to admit it, I'm a total slob
X. X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND? In my memory, I've only ever had an ultrasound
Y. YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican food, of course
Z. ZODIAC SIGN? Aquarius

Sick

What a rotten week. Seriously. Last weekend started out with a bang when both of my boys woke up with fevers and the gooey noses only a mother could love. So there went any fun weekend plans we had (and believe it or not, we actually DID have fun weekend plans...sorry Poulsons.) When Monday hit and the fevers still didn't let up, I made the inevitable call to the doctor's office. Unfortunately, my kids' usual doctor (who I absolutely love and adore) was all booked up that day and we were referred to the nurse practitioner, who, quite frankly, sucked rocks in comparison. After looking the boys over and making very few observations, I was handed a prescription for Mathew's ear infection, told Nathaniel just had a cold, and was left alone realizing I just spent $40 in co-pays for 5 minutes of examinations and a little piece of paper. Fabulous. So here I am, 4 days later and things are feel like they're just getting progressively worse. Mathew's fever hovers around 103 (reaching a high of 104.4 the night before last - but still not beating the record of 107.6 that took us to Primary Children's last year) and his right eye has become bright red and almost swollen shut, for who knows what reason.
This picture you see of Nathaniel is all I've been seeing (and hearing) for the last 5 days. In true male fashion, Nathaniel has been crying almost non-stop since the moment he got sick. I felt so bad for him for the first few days, but now I just wish he could understand me when I say, "You just have a case of the sniffles...get over it!" Really I go back and forth between sympathy and frustration. With a sweet face like this, the sympathy wins out most often. Mathew actually hasn't been too bad, other than the fact that he wants me to cuddle with him all day. I love to cuddle with my guy, but it becomes a bit uncomfortable cuddling with a space heater in the middle of summer. Oh...listen to me whine and whine. It's really not so bad. It's just hard to keep a sunny attitude when you haven't left the house all week and your background noise is the constant screaming of an 8-month-old. Isn't one of the joys of summer supposed to be not worrying about fevers, coughing, and snotty noses? Well, I really do hope that everyone else is enjoying good health and the last days of summer for us.

A Day at the Pool

Today I made a bold move and ventured out into public wearing a swimsuit. It was a little scary, but I'm pretty sure all of the unfortunate witnesses were able to keep their lunch down. Oh, I'm kidding. I saw at least two other people at the pool that looked worse than I did, and that's all that matters, right?
I was joined at the rec center pool with my good friend Brianne and her two fun kids. Bri didn't help my "I can't believe I'm wearing a swimsuit in public" complex much; since she looked smashing, all tan and stylish, even while being several months pregnant. Ah well, what can you do?

We all had bunches of fun. I discovered that I have a water baby. I'm not sure I've ever seen Nathaniel so happy. All the kids had a blast and gave award-winning "ah...MAN!"s when it was time to pack up and go home. We decided it was time to leave when I realized Nathaniel had played himself into a sleep-coma. He started shivering a bit and I cuddled him close to warm him up. Seriously about 10 seconds later he was out cold. Poor little guy. But enough boring chatter and onto the few pictures I took.

Pictured below: Chase and Mathew stealing my chair to warm up, Sydney and McKenna taking the few seconds they were willing to spare to pose for a picture, Nathaniel chillin' in the shade, and Bri looking gorgeous, with me wearing one of my huge, dorky grins.



After our fun 3 hours of swimming, we all went home for quick showers, wardrobe changes, and collecting of husbands; then met up at Cafe Rio for a perfect end to our day.

Quick subject change...
Nathaniel has reached the point in his development where he can stand while holding onto a sturdy object. The other night I stood him on this horrible, orange barrel chair that has been passed on in Brandon's family for generations (we're hoping to get it re-upholstered someday.) We were waiting for daddy to come home and he was so cute standing there by the window, that I, of course, had to take several pictures like the cliche mother that I am.



Not to be left out of picture-taking fun, McKenna and Mathew insisted on being featured in several more shots. I think they struggle sometimes with how often the camera is focused on little Nater. What can I say? Babies grow so quickly in the first year that you have to capture as many moments as you can.

Boy Crazy

I don't know what to do with my daughter. Everyday she comes home from school with a new crush. I bought her a notebook for school and page after page is filled with little hearts, names, initials, declarations of love...seriously, we have a problem. I've also discovered that everyday at recces she apparently chases boys (and yes, you're right Brandi - Boston is her favorite target.) I honestly believe that McKenna is totally crushing on any boy who so much as glances in her direction. I've gone from, "Oh, cute! McKenna has a crush!" to "Oh, dear. McKenna has another crush." I guess it's pretty funny, I just can't help being overcome by this horrible feeling that my daughter is growing up way too fast now that she's in school. Soon she's going to stop acknowledging me as her mother. I was going to scan a few of her little "love" notes for everyone to laugh at, but I felt like that may be crossing the embarrassment line for my poor girl.

I wish I had more to add to that, but life has been unbelievably monotonous. You know, full of all kinds of exciting things like dishes, vacuuming, picking up toys, and yard work. Oh! I do have a working oven/stove again. Brandon worked on it all day, determined to figure out how to do it himself without any help. So we've actually been eating home-cooked meals again, and between that and walking McKenna to school everyday, I've actually lost 3 pounds. Whoo Hoo! Alright, that little "whoo hoo" just used up all the excitement I've allotted for today. I'm off to bury myself in more super awesome housework. Being a stay-at-home mom is so FUN sometimes!

Girl's Night Out

Hurray!! Brandon is officially done with this semester. Let the games begin! The minute he walked in the door from his last final, we took off to have lunch with his mom and sister, Aleisha. Aleisha is off to the MTC today to prepare for her mission in Canada. Best of luck to her! I know she'll be an amazing missionary who'll touch many lives with her fun personality.

True to my word, a few short hours later I left my poor, burned-out husband with the kids while I had a night out on the town with the girls! Brandon's such a trooper. And I'm so glad he is, because I seriously had one of the absolute FUNNEST nights I have had in years. I had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with every one of the girls who worked as a Lagoon Ride Office Supervisor with me in the summer of 1998. Heaven only knows how we all managed to be free on the same night with practically no notice. It was the first time we've all been together in over 6 years. We all met at our former Office Mama, Kileen's restaurant - The Bayou. If you haven't been, you should. Seriously the yummiest food. And considering it's not Mexican food, it's a high compliment for me to say so. My best friend Katie and I walked into the restaurant to see the rest of the girls sitting there and it took all my willpower to not squeal like an annoying teenage girl. Actually, I think I may have squealed...just a little. We hung out long after our meals were finished and talked, laughed, and gossiped about everything from the good ol' days up to our crazy lives now. One of the stories from the good ol' days? Well, since you asked...let's just say a picture is worth a thousand words. And I have lots of pictures...



Pictured above and below are: Scary (Jamie) Spice, Posh (Katie) Spice, Sporty (Kim) Spice, Ginger (Kirsty) Spice, and Baby (Sheri) Spice.



You see, for the Lagoon Lip Sync Contest that year, we decided to be The Spice Girls and we ROCKED! We had choreography and everything. I've said it before and I'll say it again - this has got to be one of the dorkiest pictures of me in existence. I remember just wanting to put my own blond hair in ponytails, but the other girls insisted I wear this horrible wig that kept falling off. Everyone else looked AWESOME. Good times.

I guess we all eventually had to grow up a little, but we look just the same...minus the bad wigs and skanky apparel.



After dinner, Katie, Jamie, and I headed for the movies. For in my eyes, no girls' night is complete without seeing a chick flick. We saw "Mamma Mia" which was such a fun movie! I'm sure I was highly annoying throughout; dancing in my seat and singing along to the music, but I don't care. I loved every minute of it. I can't believe how much all the fun Abba songs took me back to road trips with my family, being a geek at high school dances, and rocking out in the basement of the ride office at Lagoon. I felt like a teenager again. Needless to say it's a feeling I'd like to hold onto a bit, so I'll be heading out at some point today to snatch up the soundtrack.

A big thanks to Kileen, Jamie, Kim, Kirsty, and Katie for such a fun night! I can't wait until we do it again...and we WILL do it again.

Preschool Days

So as if McKenna starting 1st grade last week wasn't a big enough blow to my "getting older" complex, I had to face Mathew starting preschool this week. I know that a lot of parents view their children as always being their babies, but in my mind, Mathew truly is my baby - which might have something to do with the fact that he really does still act like a baby. Whereas McKenna has always been older than her years, so I've never struggled with her starting school the way I am with him. I can hardly believe I now have two kids in school. I swear I can feel myself getting older by the minute (huh, I guess that was a dumb thing to say...since I technically am getting older by the minute, but you know what I mean.)

So here's my big boy on his first day of school. Hopefully the first of many first days at school.



I don't know what sort of weird picture-taking-sun-aversion my kids have. They're fine to laugh and play outside without a single thought to how bright it is; yet the second you ask them to smile for a camera, suddenly the sun is scorching their eyes. Though Mathew's unsuccessful pictures aren't nearly as entertaining as McKenna's were, I thought they were fun enough to share.



I enjoyed my little two hours of just Nathaniel and I. He took a nice nap and I spent the time being very productive...in perfecting my own napping skills. Mathew loved his first day at school and announced loudly to me as soon as I walked in to pick him up, "Mommy, I like my teacher!" Which is a MASSIVE compliment to her for two reasons: Mathew only ever says, "I like you" to Nathaniel, McKenna, and I. And for the most part Mathew only ever talks to or in front of Nathaniel, McKenna, and I. He's not big on spoken communication. He really must indeed like his teacher a lot. I'm honestly just happy he's found something he's willing to do without me there.

I'm currently in the process of trying to figure out a way to keep Nathaniel a baby forever, I'll let you know how this turns out.

It's that time again...

My practically non-existent husband is currently at the table studying for finals. In exactly 4 days, we will be getting a much needed break from school. Two blissful weeks that will pass by faster than it seems would be possible. Our to-do list for this two weeks is already overflowing and I'm estimating we'll accomplish about 2-3 things on it. The rest of the time will be spent taking lazy naps on the couch and kicking ourselves later for our lack of productivity...just like last time. But regardless, here are a few things I'm looking forward to during the break:

Getting my oven/stove fixed. Yes, you read that right. My post from about...oh, 500 years ago when I said my stove wasn't working - yeah, it's still not. I have gained 5 pounds last month from eating out everyday, and please don't ask how much money we have in the bank.

My lawn being mowed. Brandon hasn't had the time to mow it and sorry, I don't mow lawns. I'm rather scared of the lawn mower. As Brandon's dad said this morning, "You could lose a herd of cattle in your front lawn."

Rolling over in bed at 3 am and actually seeing my sleeping husband next to me.

Going to Lagoon! I haven't been in years and Brandon swore we'd go in between semesters.

Having my house thoroughly clean. I take a hit on my pride on this one. Sadly I am apparently incapable of keeping an immaculate house without my husband's help.

A paycheck from Brandon's employer that is more than $500 (that's for two weeks). I bet you all think I'm exaggerating on that one....I'm not.

This one's private. Let's move on.

Having a girl's night!! Oh, how I need it. And my first one is about 3 hours after Brandon's last final. I'm not about to waste any time.

Having help with the kids. Allow me to take this moment to give a big "YOU ROCK!" to all you single parents out there. It is not easy to raise my kiddos with help from my spouse, and near impossible to do alone.

Movie night replacing "I have to study" night. Before this nursing school business, Brandon and I would usually have one night a week where we'd watch a movie and eat microwave popcorn after the kids go to bed. We just have to make sure we dispose of the evidence before going to bed ourselves, or we receive a harsh lecture from McKenna the next morning about how rude it is to eat late night popcorn without her.

Overall, I'm just looking forward to having my hubby back for a splendid two weeks. Now I just have to explain to my kids that this goofy lookin' guy who will be hanging around us for awhile is their father... (to be fair, I'm obviously joking. Brandon is a great dad and husband, even when he's immersed in his studies).