An Exciting Day at Church

On top of being nervous about the choir performing for the first time today under my direction I was feeling all around anxious to get the day going. I had several major things going on and I knew I would feel better to just get it started. I can handle most anything thrown at me but the before worrying may be the death of me. I get to church, last choir practice goes amazing, first little meeting of the day fine, church starts, choir sings, good, good. When I return to my seat I go to the opposite side of the pew to sit nect to David who is flanking our family versus climbing over three people.

Maybe five minutes later I hear a commotion down at the end of the row and I look to see Travis catching vomit in his hands from Wyatt. But a man can only catch so much with his two hands. Wyatt proceeded to vomit over Issac's shoes, a litte on his pants. This was too much for Issac and after a bit of coughing/gagging he responded in turn by throwing up ever so little. Wyatt is still going strong as a man rushed forward with a trash can. But too late for my purse and church bag including a book leant to me by a friend just today. I circle around the back of the chapel to cart off two vomit covered boys. In the bathroom we wipe them down as best we can. The spare pants from the car are gone and although Wyatt is going home with Travis, Issac assures us he is fine but without new pants we improvise by cleaning them the best we can and turning them inside out to go to class. When I return to the chapel sacrament meeting has ended so I clean up without too much trouble and actually with a lot of help from David.

Near the end of Primary/Church Issac comes to me saying my belly hurts. I run him out to the bathroom this time on red alert. But it was a false alarm. I walk him back to primary with a trash can in hand - just in case. Church ends and as we are walking towards the exit Issac once agains says my belly hurts and proceeds to throw up as rigorously as Wyatt had done except this time all went in the trash can because I was prepared. I took him out to the car once he said he was fine but returned to the church to grab a plastic bag for the trip home - just in case. I come out to see Uncle David stooped over a vomiting Issac. Apparently he said he was sick again and Bella came running in the church for help and he was the first one she saw.

Once again David was a great help. With even more paper towels and plastic bags for the car ride home we left. David had run at least three bags of vomit to the outside dumpster through the course of the day and as I was leaving had one more he was going to walk over. Of course we didn't make it home without incident. But we headed straight for the bath, pjs, and a night in front of the tv. But not before Issac complained of being thirsty, took a drink, and then decided to throw up straight on me, down my shirt, and seeping between my bosoms. At this point I just layed on the kitchen floor and laughed, a well of relief springing from all the day's tension finally relieved.

A day with me is always filled with busyness and excitement and today was no exception. As for embarrasment well having two children vomiting in the middle of sacrament meeting while people rush forward with wet wipes, trash cans, and others with cleaning materials distracting most of the congregation to watch our family instead of the speaker ranks just under taking off all my clothes and streaking through the chapel. But I'll survive I suppose. Sometimes things in life can be put in perspective so easily when you see the trials of another and so temporarily sick children although not fun add to just another entry in the blogging journal.

Beware:

Lest your husband find your digital camera. He just may take an unattractive picture of you sleeping under the guise that you look really cute.

Don't believe the potential blackmailing liar.

My Favorite Things

Fresh Flowers

for my house

Lucky for me I have them everyday since my rose bushes are bursting with so many blooms they are sagging.

According to Travis

...you can fix anything with bailing wire and duct tape. the bumper is reasonably back in place, rebent with the help of a tree and a chain, and secured into place although the decorative bumper is still in our garage on the floor.

and the airbags are as taped back into place as they are ever going to be although the annoyance of opening something and never getting it to fit back in is there.

Also...the seat belt no longer pulls out and retracts. It is a perfect fit for only Travis. For me I am slightly bigger than Travis. So for me to wear the seat belt in that car I have to slide the seat back one notch. Gee how lovely for my ego.

Musings and Mutterings

How is it that I can:
Do two breakfast shifts
Clean up the kitchen
Get four kids dressed
Put one on the bus
Write in my journal
Read 20 real emails
Answer 10 of them
Mull over the answers to five
Read a 37 page lending document every word
Have three little boys do their chores
Do four loads of laundry
Fold two loads
Cancel my cable
Eat one breakfast on the go
Drop off library books
Pick up a barfing Bella from school
Vacuum about 1900 sq. ft of carpeting
Feed Bella a light snack
Put her in bed with a bowl just in case
Get lunch for three boys made
Sweep an additional 400 sq. ft of floors
Clean up the lunch mess
Wash three boys hands and faces
And
Write a blog entry all before 1 pm
And Still Feel Like
I have accomplished nothing today.

Feel The Love

I've always thought Travis was the best husband and Dad. But when I look at these pictures, I can feel the love Travis has for Kody and all our kids. Travis engaging Kody to a play match.

Travis happy holding Kody.

Rough and tumble, father and son man bonding.

Man I am lucky to be married to this man. He is the BEST!

BFF

This weekend my good friend came to visit. We can do something or nothing and it is always fun. This weekend we went to the park, went to the pool, watched movies, and stayed up late talking.

She is the best mother as witnessed by the smiles on her and her sons face. She is attentive and fun. And nothing makes me think I am a good mother like one of her praise sessions. And nothing makes me think I can be a better mother than one of her famous pep talks.

She is one of the toughest women I have ever met. As she challenged me to a pushup contest and sit up contest this weekend winning in both. But I never mind losing to her because once in college she did pushups with Travis laying on her back and since then has forever proved to be a worthy opponent.

Our kids got along pretty fabulously as Lainey followed the older kids around never afraid of their rough and tumble playing but joining right in. And Wrigley and Kody found some semblance of peace despite Kody's inability to share anything because Wrigley shares willingly.

In a couple weeks I head out to Pittsburgh to continue the fun and in August we're taking our kids to the beach for a week. I can't wait. She is the most fun to be with. And it probably helps that she is the female version of Travis, sort of quiet but secretly hilarious, grounded and kind, and next to perfect.

Summer Love

Every season is just perfect in my book. It's the little things I love about each one. And there is nothing better than the first few days of each. And although it's not officially summer yet, for our family it is.

Because the start of summer is swimsuits, water, and squirt gun fights.

Lunches filled with nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables bought from local markets. Lunch today was carrots, strawberries, kiwi, and apples. I can't get enough of the colors and taste.

The blooming trees are filled with big green leaves and the kids live outside. It's these little things that make me happy.

Blessings In Disguise

I choose to look on the bright side of things.

Fact: Car Accidents are a fact of life.

Fact: Travis was safe.

Fact: Once airbags are deployed you can gaurentee a minimum of $2000 in repairs.

Fact: When the inside plastic pieces of your car break that is bad news.

Fact: A totalled old car = The potential for a pretty new car.

Fact: In this economy cars are cheaper.

Hooray.

Belated Birthday + Dance = Fun Times

For Bella's birthday we had over cousins for a little party and to spend the night. And although it was super fun Bella was still a little sad to miss out on picking somewhere special to go and going out to eat.

Last night BYU Ballroom Dance Company was in town and so for her birthday our family went there to see that. It was perfectly fitting as she is starting a love affair with dancing. Her only downside was there was no ballet. I'll have to find some ballet tickets for just us girls sometime in the near future.

The upside was she loved it as well as the boys. Wyatt bounced in his seat on occasion during the numbers he really liked. Issac and Kody both held out really well too. Kody lost interest a little after an hour, but was content to sit in the aisle and Issac lost interest after an a hour and a half decided to join Kody in the aisle.

Bella's favorite were the last two numbers one where at the boys snap/clap the girls dresses changed and the other a very fierce black and red flamenco style dance. Overall we all had a blast. On the way home we hit up McDonalds for a tasty treat of cones or sundaes. Mmm Perfection.

Next American Idol

Last night for family home evening we went to a park to play, have a lesson on being baptized by the park duck pool, and the kids had prepared a "special presentation". They had worked on it throughout the day. First Bella sings, then Wyatt sings with help occasionaly from Bella. Then they have a duet, and last Bella has a duet with Issac.

Blast me who always forgets you cannot rotate video footage. And as you can see there are no future American Idols in our family. But they still are the cutest little kids I have ever seen.

Traditions

I love traditions even the simple small and meaningless ones.

Always right before summer Wyatt takes his long haired faux hawk from winter, to real mohawk for spring, to cancer patient bald for summer. Despite his very sweet temperment there is a little edgey rebel waiting to break out.

When he let me do it yesterday for church, he looked hot. Everyone commented on how they loved it.

Lucky for him I'm adventurous. Because the neighbor boy wanted one and his mom said no.

Lest You Think My Life Is Only Poop

A day at the park makes everything better.

The pictures speak for themselves.

Our Best Buds

Check those triceps and shoulder muscles.

Top This

Think you have been embarrassed lately?

Last night one of the sister missionaries walked into the bathroom while Travis was using it. According to Bella it was horribly stinky.

Both Travis and her were majorly embarrassed. I was mainly amused.

I'm Losing My Mind

Today nearing the end of lunch I started to smell a funk. I guessed Kody had pooped. I decided to wait to change him after he finished eatting otherwise he might not eat anymore once I got him down from the table. But once I got everyone cleaned up and down from the table the boys started running like crazy around the living room. I sat down, grabbed a diaper, some wipes, and called Kody. Of course he ran in the opposite direction once again joining the mix of crazy running boys.

As he neared me, I reached out, plucked him away, and laid him down in one quick fluid motion ripped off his pants. I knew I had to make this quick or he would start crying. I see undies, rip them off, thinking oh no he has pooped himself. It is at this point I realize in mere seconds I have by accident plucked Issac, laid him down, and disrobbed him to nakedness in one quick fluid motion.

After redressing him and apologizing, he gives me a hug and kiss and just smiles. I think he senses there is a fragile balance of sanity in play in my head or he just appreciated the few seconds nakedness. Either way after that I once again practice the quick fluid motion thing except this time with the right child. In the end it wasn't near as quick or fluid.

All Caught Up

Kody has started the terrible twos despite only being 20 months old. So it is with my kids. Today in an effort to sit Kody on the futon in the boys' room so I could finish the steam cleaning job, he showed me his disdain by throwing a little tantrum and flinging himself out of my arms pre-emptively. He threw himself right onto the wooden, sharp edged, armrest.
Hello first black eye of Kody's. After a good cry he was quite mellow throwing far fewer tantrums.

Who knew physical trauma could really calm a child down like that?

How Is Your Day?

Mine is pooptastic. I'll spare you the other four horrifying images. Here is a little basic math.

A broken diaper + A piece of duct tape = A still broken diaper

A still broken diaper + Eatting the day before = Poop

Poop + A stealthily quiet toddler = Mischief

Mischief + Poop = A disgusting mess

KILL ME NOW

Only one hour of scrubbing unsuccessfully, a yard sale's fun money, a steam cleaner rental, and at least three additional hours and more scrubbing could clean this crap, pun intended, up.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful and spoiling day made perfect by four beautiful children and an amazing husband. I actually enjoyed myself despite the fact that I find this to be one of the most awkward holidays ever.

Yard Salers

After a grueling 14 hour day doing school activities for PTO and Bella's elementary school on Friday it just so happened that the following morning I would get to do our annual neighborhood yard sale. Every year we do it, we advertise, and always get a big turnout. Last year Travis and I were going out of town and prior to that I had never had a yard sale. I was a virgin at this, but very excited and hopeful to make a little cash off our old stuff. Mainly I had baby things, but we also had a window unit air conditioner, a small tv, snowglobes, some adult clothing, books, etc...

It was to start at 7 am and go till whenever. This seemed ridiculously early to me but in the spirit of new adventures I spent the night before after my long day preparing till almost one in the morning. Then I beat my alarm clock awake, unheard of for me, and was once again moving before six am finishing up. When what should happen but cars storming our usually quiet neighborhood a little after six. By six thirty I had opened my garage door not wanting to miss out on the action, but still not totally ready. Cars came, buggies came, people came on foot.

These people are insane. It is a whole culture I do not understand. They are all up at five chipper as can be. Some had visited yard sales prior to ours. They truly were those people who believed in the saying "the early bird gets the worm" and not wanting to miss a single quality bargain item they came early. It doesn't come without it's setbacks I suppose since most of these people were a bit socially awkward and weird. But alas I made a small chunk of change. Yeah, fun money.

Ouch

My feet and back ache. I guess that is what standing for 14 straight hours will do. And I have no pictures to show for it.

Hair Facts

1 ponytail too thick to cut

2 ponytails made

12 inches cut off

4 wigs made

That's what one of my haircuts can do for "Locks of Love"

Kody Kan

Kody can do a lot of things now that he is getting so big.

Kody can eat his own cereal.

Apparently he can have his very first bloody nose.

Or that is what it looked like.

Until a little later in the day...a sneeze happened.

And then it turns out Kody can stuff a red Trix up his nose making it snot like crazy and look like the snot is blood.

Kody can laugh when that cereal comes out and he sees that I am annoyed.

Kody can learn to do what he sees his daddy do.

Kody can mimic what his daddy does.

Kody can still be in the room when I am naked.

And Kody can surprise me with a solid slap on the butt.

Kody can laugh maniacally as he realizes that Mom is not so fond of him slapping her butt.

Kody is full of all kinds of cans.

Passing On The Worst

Being a mom has been more spectacular than I ever could have imagined. I didn't know I had so much love to give. I didn't know I could feel so proud. And I definitely didn't know someone else would have so much control over my emotions. I've always hated the saying "If Mom isn't happy, then no one is happy." As if a mother's bad mood makes everyone else miserable. But it wasn't till I became a mother that I discovered that for at least our family my mood often reflects the mood of everyone else. If my kids are sad I am sad, if my husband is stressed I feel stressed. If the kids are actting out I feel like there is a problem that they are actting out and of course I go into "fix it" mode.

But I am learning that sometimes you can't always fix things right away. And sometimes the things you hate most about yourself are the things you have passed onto your kids. And the pain is incredible. So soul splitting incredibly hard.
Last week I had gotten all the kids in bed. Travis was waiting downstairs to start our DVR'd tv time. I was taking out my contacts, getting into comfy pj's, and getting ready for bed when I hear the not so quiet sobbing of one of my kids. The shear intensity of it let me know right away it was Bella.

I went to her room a little annoyed thinking this was something about going to bed. I knew she needed her sleep because the next day she had a field trip and it would be a long day filled with tons of walking. When I inquired about her tears I realized the depth of anxiety she was suffereing in the silent dark of her room. Because she was imagining everything new and unfamiliar about her fieldtrip tomorrow she was stressed and worried and filled with fear. Her biggest fear was of the potential for an escalator to be somewhere at the factory they toured. She is afraid of escalators and still needs to hold Travis or my hand to go on them.

My gut was filled with anger and sadness. Anger that I had passed on this genetic disposition. This disposition which had also been passed down to me from my parents. I hated that I had given her a life of anxiety and a fear of the unknown and a desire to control everything. I have been working my whole life to manage it, then get over it, and now I see my daughter having to suffer this same battle.

As I talked to her I tried to pass on the wisdom I had learned about managing this paralyzing anxiety. Talking about what freaks you out tends to help. And usually there is a solution to fix all these imagined hazards. So I talked to her about what her field trip might entail the things they would see, the potential there was for there to be an escalator in Herr's Snack Factory -very low probability -, but what she could do if there was one. In the end I ended up making a call to the parent who would be supervising her group to give her a heads up. And that was enough to calm Bella down.

As I walked down the stairs knowing I had soothed Bella and she now laid on the verge of dreamworld I was crumbled with devastation. Everyday I see all the good things my kids have gotten from Travis and me. I see that they have Travis's amazingly long eye lashes. They have my desire to laugh about almost anything. They share both Travis and my strong faith in a loving God. But I guess it was inevitable that they may inherit the not so good qualities about us too.

And it just seemed so unfair. As a mother I try and protect these kids from everything bad and horrible about this life. I try to shield them from the things I think may not be good for them. But this I introduced into their life. This is because of me. I hadn't protected her at all from this. And the pain just sucks.

New Do

It was time for a haircut. I'd written previously on my blog that I was going to get one, but then I chickened out.My hair overwhelmed my face and although beautiful when I took the time to do it those times were becoming fewer and far between.
I chickened out though not because it doesn't grow fast but because going to someone new to do your hair is always scary. But I was armed with a picture and a pretty good idea of what I wanted when I finally went.
Needless to say it is short, but not exactly what I wanted. This is how I came home looking. But after a minute or two of me styling it I got the below look. In the end it will do until I get my hands on it to style it for real.

And hopefully in two months or so I can try again. And the next person will get it a little closer to what I am looking for. Stay tuned for the haircut chronicles.