Thursday, July 31, 2008

Now that can't be comfortable


I'm headed to the beach for the weekend. Yahoooooo! That's right just me and the beach, okay so not just me I'm taking my kids and meeting up with my parents and sisters and their families. I'm so excited since I will get to see my cute little (oh wait did I say little because I swear the chic was 20 lbs by 6 months) niece! Which reminds me of all the other times I've been at the beach with cute little girls and doesn't it always seem like their swimsuits end up stuck up their little fanny? It always makes me laugh as I watch the mom's running over to help them adjust their suit and they are thinking, "mom leave me alone can't you see I'm busy building a sand castle here, quit bugging me!"
Well being the mother of 3 boys I have just the opposite problem, yep instead of worrying that their swim suit is riding up I'm worried about the low riders. You know they look like little hoodlems with there pants down around their thighs where they can hardly walk and in Kaden's (2) case he has the swim diaper sticking out the top. Here are a few pictures of what I'm talking about.




On that note wish me luck keeping my boys pants and not coming home looking like a lobster! Ahhhhh I can't wait!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Voluntarily, Optional School supplies


So school started this last Monday around here! Ya I know it's so super early and it snuck up on me, I was not at all prepared. We ended up running out Saturday night to get a backpack and a lunch box. We also had to go to get Spencer's haircut for school since it was obvious his mom had been neglecting him in the haircutting area! :)
In the state where I live the school is supposed to provide everything for the students (pencils, crayons, etc.) and it is covered in taxes. Well Spencer came home the 2nd day with the following note.

We are happy to have your child in 2nd grade! The following items are used by students in the 2nd grade. We encourage you to voluntarily provide these items if possible. We have found that some of these items the children enjoy using at school and having as their own.
*Pencils
*Pencil Box
*Scissors
*Tissues
*Band-Aids
*Back Pack
*Glue
*Glue stick
*Colored pencils or markers
*1" three ring binder
Please remember that these items are optional!

I had to laugh as I read the note since they've asked that I voluntarily (have to say that but really I mean bring them as soon as possible) provide these items because "children enjoy having them as their own."

Spencer asked me, "Mom why do you need all that stuff anyways."
I told him, "well, because some kids enjoy having them as their own."
He said, "I don't really care if I do" and then he walked away.

That's right he doesn't really care. I just thought it was funny that they made sure to let you know that it was "voluntary and optional" because they have to tell you that. I am more than happy to provide these items for my son because I know if I don't it will end up being the teacher who pays for the supplies. Just thought it was amusing and worth sharing.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Mother Nature has a tantrum

I have been enjoying summer and especially now when all the flowers are in bloom

the garden is growing, the tomatoes are starting to ripen, squash is looking good, my corn is growing, and well the pumpkins and watermelon are trying. It's hard to see in this picture but trust me on this one, it is looking good! *S*


The kids are playing outside in the water and on the slip-n-slide. I even went out and slid a few times with them myself. I should have made a video of that as it would have been worth watching! :) Take note of the trees still standing in the background.



And Then The Wind Started to Blow and . . . . . . . . . .

well that garden I've worked so hard on. . . . . it now looks like this

yes that's right my corn blew right over on top of the rest of my plants and it refuses to stand back up no matter how hard I try (sounds like parenting my 2 year old).


and then if that wasn't bad enough the wind came crashing threw my yard and took out what was left of our tree. This poor tree has gone piece by piece but alas it is gone. We are left with a gap in our landscape and a large stump that we just aren't sure what to do with. Any ideas?


Sunday, July 27, 2008

Family Moments Monday


I have always felt that it was important to thank people for everything.I love making little homemade thank you cards for people I love. I send them out to thank people for doing something nice for me or for one of my children. I send them out when I appreciated a lesson given in church or just to let someone who is having a hard time know that I'm thinking about them. My mom always encouraged me to be thankful and I am trying to pass it on to my children as well. So here is one way I try to teach them.
I have each of my boys (ages 7, 4, and 2) sit down at the counter and draw a picture of what they have learned form their teacher at church (or whoever), my 7 year old can write so he'll write a sentence about his favorite thing about the person. We then make some kind of treat together, cookies, brownies, rice krispies or in a pinch we just use a bag of candy bars. Then we attach the picture and the treat and we take them to their teachers houses to let them know how much we appreciate them. The teachers love to see the kids and it's always nice to get a thank you just because and to have a little picture to tell them what they love. I hope that this has helped my boys be grateful for people and taught them a little about making sure we thank others and at the same time it's been fun!
Check out more Family Moments Monday at Motherhood for Dummies.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Like Father, Like Son

One of huns favorite sayings is, "Rules are kinda like guitar strings you have to bend them a little to make music."
Yesterday we went to an amusement park with my sister and her family. We took Spencer (7) but not Tyce (4) since he wanted to stay home with his aunt who was going to babysit Kaden (2) for the day. It over 100' so towards the end of the afternoon we decided to head on over to the water part of the park. We had 9 of us in our group and we all lined up to go down this tube slide that dumps you into about 4 different pools on the way down. There's a lifeguard in each pool to help send you down the next slide. Well the first round we got in and the lifeguard told hun and I to take off our glasses. So I did and then right after my husband went down the first slide he put them back on, well the lifeguard blew his whistle and told him to take them back off, so he did and then proceeded to put them back on. Hun thought that was the stupidest rule since he couldn't see so well without his sunglasses. I swear boys don't ever grow up do they? Anyway, he was going off about it and I kept telling him that it was the lifeguards job and I was grateful that he was doing his job.
The funny part was on the way home Spencer turned to me and said, "Mom at the water park we couldn't climb on the rocks. We tried but the lifeguard blew his whistle at us. That is such a stupid rule, huh!" So again I had to explain that rules are made to help people blah blah blah you know the drill. I turned to hun and just laughed as I said, "Like father, like son!"

Friday, July 25, 2008

Do I really need a fairy Godmother?

I know stress is part of life but dang I wish I could get rid of it with some magic flip of a wand. Where is my fairy Godmother? I'm just stressed out for my husband right now as he owns a title company, which from my earlier post you know isn't going so well. He has to go talk to 4 offices today to discuss the cuts that he has to make on Monday. He's such a sweet guy and takes it to heart, he cares about every employee he has and worries and prays for their families. He is more stressed than I've ever seen him and I so wish I could just take it away. I really hope the economy starts to get better soon and that he can have some sort of relief.
I think I'll skip the whole flip of a magic wand and stop looking for my fairy Godmother and just continue what I'm doing. Continue to pray to my Heavenly Father and know that we are in his hands and he will take care of it all. I'll look for the ways he has blessed my life and enjoy my 3 sweet healthy boys!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The pet of the day





So Kaden (2) is obsessed with rolly polly bugs. You know what I mean right? They are these small bugs that when you drop them or scare them (I guess) they roll up into a ball. Well whenever I'm not sure where Kaden is I know I can step outside and he'll be right out the backdoor digging between the sidewalk and the grass trying to find rolly polly bugs. He carries them everywhere and has been bringing them in the house lately. A big No! No! at our house since we have plenty of ants living with us. We sprayed to get rid of them and yet they still seem to think they own the place. Okay so they aren't as bad as they were at the beginning of the summer but still I don't need anymore creepy crawly things in my house. So yesterday I see Kaden with this little measuring cup, it looks like the one out of a formula bottle (where he found it I have no idea) just carefully carrying it around the house. I walk over and what do you know he has 3 little rolly polly bugs in it. Oh wait did I say little I meant 2 little ones and then he has the King of all rolly polly bugs crowded in there with the others. Yep that's right his little friends in there very little home. Although it could be worse as you remember Tyce loves daddy long leg spiders because they "tickle" him. Yes I'd have to say I'll take rolly polly bugs any day if my other option is spiders!

Monday, July 21, 2008

You've got to love Blonde moments



One's for washing one's for moisturizing but when you are totally out of it after a month of summer vacation sometimes you forget, which is what I did, so I ended up giving my legs a little bath in the sink in order to get the hand soap off of them and then I got to try again but luckily the 2nd try was a charm so my legs ended up clean and moisturized. :) (Wow that probably sets the record for the worlds longest run on sentence. I'm out of breath just typing it!)

Friday, July 18, 2008

Boys, little or big, I still don't get it!



Tyce has his friend Ella over today. Ella is the same age as him and soooooo cute! I just love that girl, she cracks me up every time I'm around her. Pretty much her and Tyce are 2 peas in a pod. Well today I'm so sad because when Tyce called to see if she wanted to play she wasn't so sure she wanted to come over because as she said, "Tyce doesn't have any girl toys." She did end up coming over with her princess dress in hand. At first they were having trouble deciding what to play but then Tyce suggested that she be the princess and he'll be the guy who has a sword and kills the princess.

Are you kidding me?

I really don't remember being a little girl and wishing I could play the game I'll be the princess and you be the knight that kills me. I'm not sure I've ever heard of any little girl wanting to play such a game? I'm thinking next time we call to see if she wants to come over to play instead of not being sure she wants to come over because Tyce doesn't have any "girl" toys it's going to be, uh mom I really don't want to go play because last time Tyce tried to kill me when I was the princess.
This just makes me realize that I am completely clueless as to how to raise boys, where do they come from?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Changing my point of view

My husband owns a small title company and with the economy the way that it is right now let's just say it's not going so well. We've been struggling as we try to make decisions together. It's been hard to watch him come home from work stressed out yet trying to put on a happy face for his family. One night neither one of us could handle it anymore and we weren't sure where to turn, I asked my husband if he had talked to his father. I meant his father that lives a neighborhood over from us but he took it as his Father in Heaven. So that is what he did, he knelt in prayer and talked with his Heavenly Father and felt peace at least for a while. We decided to make a list of our assets and liabilities both physical and spiritual. We started with the assets and realized we have 3 great kids who are healthy and who all get along well with each other, we have each other and a strong marriage at that, we have both of our families who are very supportive, and then of course we added our house and other material things like that. As I watched the list grow I felt a surge of gratitude run through my body. I know that no matter what happens with the economy and with his business we are blessed and if everything falls and crumbles we will still have each other and we will still have our children and our families.

Monday, July 14, 2008

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Julie at Jujukats World.
Since my blog is all about "surviving in a house of all boys" I thought I'd ask my son, Spencer (7) to tell me 3 random things about me. Here goes,
Spencer said, "Well mom, 1st you change a lot of poopy diapers, 2nd you love going to Disneyland with me and have been so many times (I have to admit I am a little obsessed since I live 670 miles away yet we go there around 3-4 times a year) and 3rd you type on the computer a lot." Later he added that I loved them all! (Is that really that random?)
So there you go! "Phtphtbt!!"
I'm going to tag SweetAbbs at Folded but not put away. Have fun with it, and again don't forget to put Phtphtbt in your post!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

So close yet so far

I don't know if I told you that my sister-in-law is pregnant? She is having a baby girl in December. Baby girls are rare in all of our families, in my family there are 15 biological grandchildren and only 4 girls and then my sister has 3 step daughters, my husband's family there are 11 grandchildren and only 1 girl and my sister-in-laws family (the one that's pregnant) there is something like 15 grandchildren and 1 girl. Needless to say we were all so excited to find out she was having a little girl. Although excited I was also a little shocked by how I felt. Let me just give you some background information. About a year ago my brother-in-law called my husband and said on his recent trip to Guatemala he had talked with a friend there (he lived there for 2 years) and that his niece was having a baby girl that she wanted to adopt out but she wanted the baby to go to a Christian family, I guess in the U.S.A. So my brother-in-law called my husband and asked if we wanted to adopt this baby girl. I did not hesitate at all but said yes I would take the baby. So since my brother-in-law spoke Spanish he was dealing with the legal aspects. He found an attorney that started working on the case and we were discussing what all we would have to do, we'd have to find a nanny to take care of the baby while the paperwork was being done since we would be unable to take our baby home immediately. I was really excited and then a month after we had had the above conversation my brother-in-law called to let us know that the mother had decided to keep the baby (it still makes me cry today). Even though the baby wasn't born yet I felt horrible and felt like I had a baby just out of reach that I would never get. So since then I've been thinking about adopting a baby and lately I've been thinking it's time to start the paperwork. We'll see how it goes I haven't even begun the process and I know it's typically a long process.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Motherhood defined

Ya pretty much I don't have much to say today as I'm running on very little sleep. I'm staying with my mom this week (ya hoo!) and so last night I stayed up talking with my mom for a while, we went to bed at 10:30. I know you all are thinking what's the big deal that's not very late. Well I read my book for about an hour and then went to bed. I was in the same room as Kaden (2) who at 2am woke up screaming. I sat straight up in bed in a panic wondering what that horrible sound I was hearing was and why was my sleep being interrupted (isn't that called motherhood?). When I realized what it was I got him out of his bed and let him lay between me and Spencer (7) who was also sleeping in the same room. He would not go back to sleep and insisted on getting up to get a drink of water. So I got him a drink of water and then got him back to sleep. Only to have him kick his foot over and land smack in the middle of my face 3 times during the night. He was sleeping at the head of the bed right where my pillow should have been but you know it's kinda like that saying let a sleeping dog lie. I think it goes the same for toddlers, let a sleeping toddler lie! So I scrunched up on the bottom of the bed and tried to catch some Zs. At 6:45 Tyce burst into the room to tell me good morning. I quickly jumped out of bed and shushed him as we went out the door. So I didn't get to sleep in after that and then I took my 3 boys and their 2 cousins swimming this afternoon and I'm beat! I'm thinking I'll sleep in Tyce's room tonight and try to get more sleep, but anyway there is the reason that I'm not thinking so well so I don't have a great post. OH wait that and the night before I stayed up until 2am cleaning my house, washing laundry, and packing in order to be ready to leave for my mom's house first thing this morning.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

The difference between girls and boys



So yesterday we got together with some other members of our family for a good old fashion BBQ and fireworks. There is a big parking lot across the street from my in-laws house that is perfect for fireworks. One of our favorite things to do is "tank wars." You know the firework tanks you can buy that roll forward and then shoot in front of them. Here is how you have a tank war. You each get a tank and line them up facing each other, then on the count of three you both light your tank and then sit back and watch. A lot of the time one will catch on fire and then that one obviously loses. Well this year I challenged my brother-in-law to a tank war and when he set his little tank down on the ground I surprised him with a BIG tank that my husband and I had bought just for this occasion. Long after his tanks were out mine kept whistling and turning and shooting fire out. The kids thought it was so much fun and laughed and played the whole time. They were fascinated with the tanks and three of the boys took all of them (about 7) that were left out of the packages and lined them up in a row. All of a sudden the one little granddaughter in the bunch comes up to them with one of the BIG tanks in hand and says, "Hello boys mommy is here" and she proceeds to put the BIG tank up with the little ones.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Spider anyone?

So yesterday I was sitting at my computer and Kaden came up to me (remember he's 2) and put his hand toward my face, I look over and see these long legs protruding from where his thumb and finger were pinched together and he says, "Mom 'pider." Yes that's right the kid was holding a spider in his hand. I tried not to jump or do anything of the sort since he's such a little tease and then he would have put it up to my face and laugh. Yuck! I wondered where he learned to just pick up spiders since his dad is terrified of them. Seriously he is a tough guy in other aspects of life but put a spider near him and he'll jump right out of his seat.
Well today I found out exactly where he had learned that spiders where our friends. I was outside weeding my garden. Yes I have a garden and it is looking so beautiful and I'm so excited! Tyce came in the garden and said, "Oh mom look it's a daddy long leg." He promptly picked it up and then said, "I sure like petting these guys." Then he dropped it and said, "There you go buddy!" The story continues when I was weeding another part of the garden and Tyce was standing behind me, he said, "Hey mom there is a spider on you, could you hand it to me." Are you serious? I'm thinking gross, smash it, quick get it off, but I didn't panic I just stood up and asked where and then we found it because it had fallen off.
I'm not really afraid of spiders but I don't want them as pets and I surely don't want to pet them. It must be another one of those boy things I'm learning about since I definitely did not play with spiders when I was a little girl!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Chocolate Eclair Cake

WFMW
This is a quick and easy dessert that my family loves! I do not like to cook so I'm so excited for all of these recipes

Ingredients

2 packages graham crackers
1 large box vanilla pudding prepared
1 container cool whip
1 container chocolate frosting


Mix prepared pudding with cool whip.
Cover the bottom of a 9X13 pan with whole graham crackers. Spread 1/2 of the cool whip mixture on top of the graham crackers, add another layer of graham crackers, 1/2 pudding mixture, another layer of graham crackers and then frost these graham crackers with the chocolate frosting. Refrigerate for an hour or 2 to let the graham crackers soften. Cut into squares and enjoy!