we had gotten the tree up, and decorated. the kids were ready for bed, and we were trying to get everyone back together to have prayer.
shannon comes upstairs, plops on the couch, sighs, and says, "we are still waiting for christmas."
what a character!!!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
moving
i have discovered that when it's time to move, i fall apart.
there's so much that needs to be done, that i can't think, and have no idea where to start.
i hate moving
there's so much that needs to be done, that i can't think, and have no idea where to start.
i hate moving
Monday, August 20, 2012
fair art
shaun entered 5 pieces of art in the county fair this year. every piece he entered, won a prize.
this is "The Emerald City of OZ." it won first premium, and reserve grand champion.
"Gryphon's Departure." it won second place, and first premium.
this is "The Great Dragon Bastian." it won a second place, and first premium.
"Bottles" it won a second premium.
"Rainbow Socks" won a first place, and first premium.
the proceeds from the winnings totaled $133. for a man who thinks that his art will never make money, he seems to keep finding ways. strange how that works out, huh?
i'm trying to convince him to enter Rainbow Socks into the state fair. and i'm trying to convince him that giving up his artwork is not a good idea.
the proceeds from the winnings totaled $133. for a man who thinks that his art will never make money, he seems to keep finding ways. strange how that works out, huh?
i'm trying to convince him to enter Rainbow Socks into the state fair. and i'm trying to convince him that giving up his artwork is not a good idea.
smokey air
this is what my sun looks like around 6:30 every evening.
all the fires west of us, make it look pink, red, and orange
sleepy, sleepy, sleepy
funny girl!!!!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
small
i tend to have small babies. and they tend to stay pretty small. but, i've had one that went beyond small, she stopped growing period.
i seem to have another one that's going down that same path.
michael had his 6 month check-up yesterday. he weighed in at 13 pounds 2 ounces and 26.5 inches long. small, but not short. and since his last checkup in june, that's only a 1 pound gain.
i have started supplementing. i HATE doing that, but i no longer seem to be able to make enough to satisfy him. he always seems hungry.
i think the culprit is the heat.
i seem to have another one that's going down that same path.
michael had his 6 month check-up yesterday. he weighed in at 13 pounds 2 ounces and 26.5 inches long. small, but not short. and since his last checkup in june, that's only a 1 pound gain.
i have started supplementing. i HATE doing that, but i no longer seem to be able to make enough to satisfy him. he always seems hungry.
i think the culprit is the heat.
Monday, August 6, 2012
good intentions
you know the saying, "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions"? i wonder if others good intentions pave our paths as well as our own do.
my two older children have been difficult lately.
last saturday, a lady in ward showed up at my door. i was surprised to see her as we don't normally associate together. she asked me if i knew where my kids were. they were out playing, but i didn't know exacts. she then proceeded to tell me a story that upset me.
they run a horse breeding facility about a half mile west, across the train tracks, right next to the highway. one of her hired hands, found my children climbing on the corrals, and trying to play with the horses. for the most part, these are not docile animals, and particularly not the studs. they didn't listen when they were told they needed to get down, and they didn't give their names when asked for them. it wasn't until they were yelled at and informed that i would be told what they had been doing that they finally did what they had been asked.
when they got home, we had a LONG talk about their behavior. they had their bikes taken away for 2 weeks, and they were grounded to the yard for 1. the rules were also tightened.
normally, my kids are free to go searching for someone to play with. they know they aren't supposed to cross the tracks, or the highway/main street. because of the above incident, they are no longer free to go searching. they must inform me where they are going, and if they decide to change that position, they are to come or call home and let me know.
apparently, the new rules didn't get beat into them hard enough.
this afternoon, they told me they were going to the school to play. i'm ok with that. it's just a block away, and it has much better toys than we do. dinner time came, and the kids weren't home. shaun went out searching for them. he started at the school-they weren't there. he then walked around the neighborhood-he didn't see them. he went out in the van, and i started calling people.
no one had seen them this afternoon. everyone had seen them this morning for a bit, but not this afternoon. i called the relief society president, and she offered to go out looking for us. i called my visiting teacher, and she went out looking as well.
taylor finally made it home on his own. shaun had found elizabeth. i'm not sure when and how they got separated, but they did. taylor was by the church, and elizabeth was at the park (across the highway).
they'd been home about a half-hour when there's a knock on the door. someone had called in that my kids were missing. i had a police officer at the door.
although, i'm grateful that someone was trying to help, that should have been my decision whether to call the police or not. no one i talked to mentioned it, and shaun didn't say he had anyone call either. i wanted to ask the officer who made the call, but i doubt he would have known.
my two older children have been difficult lately.
last saturday, a lady in ward showed up at my door. i was surprised to see her as we don't normally associate together. she asked me if i knew where my kids were. they were out playing, but i didn't know exacts. she then proceeded to tell me a story that upset me.
they run a horse breeding facility about a half mile west, across the train tracks, right next to the highway. one of her hired hands, found my children climbing on the corrals, and trying to play with the horses. for the most part, these are not docile animals, and particularly not the studs. they didn't listen when they were told they needed to get down, and they didn't give their names when asked for them. it wasn't until they were yelled at and informed that i would be told what they had been doing that they finally did what they had been asked.
when they got home, we had a LONG talk about their behavior. they had their bikes taken away for 2 weeks, and they were grounded to the yard for 1. the rules were also tightened.
normally, my kids are free to go searching for someone to play with. they know they aren't supposed to cross the tracks, or the highway/main street. because of the above incident, they are no longer free to go searching. they must inform me where they are going, and if they decide to change that position, they are to come or call home and let me know.
apparently, the new rules didn't get beat into them hard enough.
this afternoon, they told me they were going to the school to play. i'm ok with that. it's just a block away, and it has much better toys than we do. dinner time came, and the kids weren't home. shaun went out searching for them. he started at the school-they weren't there. he then walked around the neighborhood-he didn't see them. he went out in the van, and i started calling people.
no one had seen them this afternoon. everyone had seen them this morning for a bit, but not this afternoon. i called the relief society president, and she offered to go out looking for us. i called my visiting teacher, and she went out looking as well.
taylor finally made it home on his own. shaun had found elizabeth. i'm not sure when and how they got separated, but they did. taylor was by the church, and elizabeth was at the park (across the highway).
they'd been home about a half-hour when there's a knock on the door. someone had called in that my kids were missing. i had a police officer at the door.
although, i'm grateful that someone was trying to help, that should have been my decision whether to call the police or not. no one i talked to mentioned it, and shaun didn't say he had anyone call either. i wanted to ask the officer who made the call, but i doubt he would have known.
little miracles
i am continually amazed and humbled at how the lord has met our needs. just as things start looking truly grim, one of the earthly angels comes along, and things are momentarily better.
i had had to pull out the cloth diapers, and all of the disposable ones were gone. i used them for about a week. my sister-in-law was over one day talking to shaun, and asked me what sizes the kids wore in diapers. she got us some.
we were on our last rolls of toilet paper. a member at church stopped me in hallway afterwards, and gave me some money. he hadn't wanted to get flowers for moms funeral, cause honestly, they aren't very practical. he wanted to do something a little more substantial. i was able to put some gas in the car, and get some toilet paper.
my glasses broke during the 4th of july festivities. they are still wearable, but, they broke all the same. my sister-in-law and nephew are going to get some epoxy and fix them for me.
some might look at these instances and say i was just lucky. but i know better. the lord is looking out for us, and he will never leave us wanting and alone.
i had had to pull out the cloth diapers, and all of the disposable ones were gone. i used them for about a week. my sister-in-law was over one day talking to shaun, and asked me what sizes the kids wore in diapers. she got us some.
we were on our last rolls of toilet paper. a member at church stopped me in hallway afterwards, and gave me some money. he hadn't wanted to get flowers for moms funeral, cause honestly, they aren't very practical. he wanted to do something a little more substantial. i was able to put some gas in the car, and get some toilet paper.
my glasses broke during the 4th of july festivities. they are still wearable, but, they broke all the same. my sister-in-law and nephew are going to get some epoxy and fix them for me.
some might look at these instances and say i was just lucky. but i know better. the lord is looking out for us, and he will never leave us wanting and alone.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
bees
there is an old dryer vent on the north side of the house. at some point, my in-laws decided to move where the dryer vents to, and "filled" the old one. pieces of foam are rolled around each other inside the vent. this year, there's a wasp nest behind the foam.
taylor decided to take a stick and poke around in the foam tonight. he got himself stung for his efforts.
this is his normal sized ear.
this is the stung ear. bright red, and about 2 sizes too big!
taylor decided to take a stick and poke around in the foam tonight. he got himself stung for his efforts.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
your nuts, mom!
we woke up the other morning to pistachio nuts all over the kids' bedroom floor. when i asked them what the mess was, elizabeth piped up.
"your nuts, mom!"
this is a time, where the correct punctuation was VERY important!
"your nuts, mom!"
this is a time, where the correct punctuation was VERY important!
visits
oh, how i love visits from my family! the problem is that they never last as long as i'd like.
my grandparents normally go visit my family every july/august. they are getting on in years, and no longer like making the 20 hour drive (can't say as i blame them. i'm only in my early 30's and I don't like making the drive). this year, they brought my family out here.
mom, dad, benson, and nathan, left home early evening on friday the 20th, and got to my house in sugar city early afternoon on saturday. they stayed with us until monday evening. they had to be in provo to help spencer and molly move tuesday morning. how the rest of their visit went and will go, i don't know.
the problem they run into when they come out, is that they have so many people they should go see. we are the only ones in idaho. grandma and grandpa perry are in the ogden area. grandma brady and spencer are in provo. it's hard when you have to divide your limited time among so many people
my grandparents normally go visit my family every july/august. they are getting on in years, and no longer like making the 20 hour drive (can't say as i blame them. i'm only in my early 30's and I don't like making the drive). this year, they brought my family out here.
mom, dad, benson, and nathan, left home early evening on friday the 20th, and got to my house in sugar city early afternoon on saturday. they stayed with us until monday evening. they had to be in provo to help spencer and molly move tuesday morning. how the rest of their visit went and will go, i don't know.
the problem they run into when they come out, is that they have so many people they should go see. we are the only ones in idaho. grandma and grandpa perry are in the ogden area. grandma brady and spencer are in provo. it's hard when you have to divide your limited time among so many people
neccessity is the mother of invention
we had quite the day yesterday. we had some errands to run in town, and decided to take advantage of the free lunches still going on at the park. while we were there, shannon had to go to the bathroom, so i sent her off. she didn't make it in time.
i didn't have any extra clothes for her. i also didn't have the time or the gas to go back home and get some. so, we took a dish towel that we did have, and made a "skirt" for her. i keep some safety pins in the emergency kit in the car. it kept her covered, and we were able to finish our errands.
when we got home, we put a pair of undies on her, and she continued to wear the dish towel until it was time for bed.
as the day continued to be crazy, unfortunately, i wasn't able to get a picture.
i didn't have any extra clothes for her. i also didn't have the time or the gas to go back home and get some. so, we took a dish towel that we did have, and made a "skirt" for her. i keep some safety pins in the emergency kit in the car. it kept her covered, and we were able to finish our errands.
when we got home, we put a pair of undies on her, and she continued to wear the dish towel until it was time for bed.
as the day continued to be crazy, unfortunately, i wasn't able to get a picture.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
sigh
I thought it was Tuesday. But it sure felt like a Monday this morning.
I was nursing Michael, and Shaun was trying to wake up. The older two were allowed to sleep on the porch again, and the two little girls went out there after they woke up. Everyone was inside for breakfast, except for Ashley. Shaun called out to the older kids to find Ashley. Elizabeth came back in saying that Ashley had blood on her chin, and all the way down to her toes. Shaun went out to investigate. He came back in just after I finished feeding Michael. As Elizabeth had said, she did indeed have blood on her chin, and it had dripped all the way down the front of her to her toes.
Shaun discovered that she had been in or on the back stairwell, and had fallen. There are blood drops in the stairwell.
I got her cleaned up, and decided that she needed to go in and get stitches. I finished feeding Michael, got dressed and took her in.
3 stitches, and 2 x-rays later, we are doing better. We did the x-rays because she was complaining about her arm, but there was nothing obvious. Nothing showed on the x-rays, but she's kept complaining about her arm. The doctor told me to come back in on Thursday if she's still complaining about her arm. I'm a little frustrated that he only put 3 stitches in. after we got home, she started bleeding out of one of the corners. I made a butterfly and put it over the corner. If he had started a little closer to the end of the cut, he could have gotten 4 stitches. I know that the butterfly will hold, so I'm not too concerned.
I was nursing Michael, and Shaun was trying to wake up. The older two were allowed to sleep on the porch again, and the two little girls went out there after they woke up. Everyone was inside for breakfast, except for Ashley. Shaun called out to the older kids to find Ashley. Elizabeth came back in saying that Ashley had blood on her chin, and all the way down to her toes. Shaun went out to investigate. He came back in just after I finished feeding Michael. As Elizabeth had said, she did indeed have blood on her chin, and it had dripped all the way down the front of her to her toes.
Shaun discovered that she had been in or on the back stairwell, and had fallen. There are blood drops in the stairwell.
I got her cleaned up, and decided that she needed to go in and get stitches. I finished feeding Michael, got dressed and took her in.
3 stitches, and 2 x-rays later, we are doing better. We did the x-rays because she was complaining about her arm, but there was nothing obvious. Nothing showed on the x-rays, but she's kept complaining about her arm. The doctor told me to come back in on Thursday if she's still complaining about her arm. I'm a little frustrated that he only put 3 stitches in. after we got home, she started bleeding out of one of the corners. I made a butterfly and put it over the corner. If he had started a little closer to the end of the cut, he could have gotten 4 stitches. I know that the butterfly will hold, so I'm not too concerned.
Friday, July 6, 2012
What?
The kids and I have tried to start reading every night. Our track record is pretty bad with this. I think we've only read one once. I suppose I should start the book over again. We only got one chapter into the book, so it shouldn't be too bad.
We started the Percy Jackson series. One night at dinner, we were talking about it, and the fact that there is a movie came up. I told them that the book came first, and the movie came later.
Elizabeth all of a sudden pipes up and says, "They decided to make the movie, like a head in a cake."
WHAT?!
We started the Percy Jackson series. One night at dinner, we were talking about it, and the fact that there is a movie came up. I told them that the book came first, and the movie came later.
Elizabeth all of a sudden pipes up and says, "They decided to make the movie, like a head in a cake."
WHAT?!
Funny daddy
Michael, last night, spit up quite a bit.
Shaun, noticing this said, "you'd better be careful, or we'll have to start calling you Barfolomew!"
AH! We laughed SO hard!!!
Shaun, noticing this said, "you'd better be careful, or we'll have to start calling you Barfolomew!"
AH! We laughed SO hard!!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
sad goodbyes part 2
we buried my mother-in-law yesterday. life has been crazy.
we've had so much food brought in, that my fridge is overflowing.
i'm bone tired.
even though i got a decent night's sleep, as decent as the baby will let me get, i'm still exhausted.
one of these days, i will start feeling normal again. whatever normal is.....
we've had so much food brought in, that my fridge is overflowing.
i'm bone tired.
even though i got a decent night's sleep, as decent as the baby will let me get, i'm still exhausted.
one of these days, i will start feeling normal again. whatever normal is.....
Monday, June 25, 2012
sad goodbyes
today my heart hurts again, but for VERY different reasons.
shauns mother passed away on friday. it was very quick, and VERY unexpected.
she'd had brochitis the week before, but didn't seem to be getting any better. she and i talked about it one day, and chalked it up to the fact that she had diabetes, and she was older. never suspecting the truth.
this thursday, she got tired of being cooped up, and des took her out for a drive. when they got back, shaun was helping her out of the car, and she passed out in his arms. des decided to take her up to the hospital, so we put her back in the car.
they did testing, and discovered that she had a massive blood clot in her heart (the entire bottom half, was one big clot). her heart was unable to beat correctly. they tried everything, but were unable to save her. he passed away shortly after midnight on friday.
the days since then have been a blur. on top of mom passing away, i have sick kids.
the funeral is set for tomorrow at 11am.
shauns mother passed away on friday. it was very quick, and VERY unexpected.
she'd had brochitis the week before, but didn't seem to be getting any better. she and i talked about it one day, and chalked it up to the fact that she had diabetes, and she was older. never suspecting the truth.
this thursday, she got tired of being cooped up, and des took her out for a drive. when they got back, shaun was helping her out of the car, and she passed out in his arms. des decided to take her up to the hospital, so we put her back in the car.
they did testing, and discovered that she had a massive blood clot in her heart (the entire bottom half, was one big clot). her heart was unable to beat correctly. they tried everything, but were unable to save her. he passed away shortly after midnight on friday.
the days since then have been a blur. on top of mom passing away, i have sick kids.
the funeral is set for tomorrow at 11am.
hand, foot, mouth
we are a sick family. and it's a really bad time to have people sick.
ashley, last wednesday, started running a high fever, near 104. when i took her into the doctor on thursday, he didn't find anything. he told me that they had been seeing some hand, foot, mouth disease, and some strep throat. because the fever had been so high, we decided to do some testing. blood work came back with elevated white counts. urinalysis came back slightly abnormal, but just barely. we decided to go ahead and start on antibiotics, cause you never know.
friday night, she was up half the night. shaun came in and had me look at her feet, cause she had what looked like little bites, all over. because of what the doctor had told me, i looked up hand, foot, mouth disease online. the images, and ashley's feet, looked the same. she now has blisters on her feet, her hands, and her bum.
friday, shannon was running a fever. saturday morning, she ended up with blisters on her feet. she now has blisters on her feet, her bum, around her mouth, and a few on her hands.
saturday, taylor was running a fever. so far, i've not seen any blisters. but, only time will tell.
the other two, seem to be fine so far. but, again, only time will tell.
ashley, last wednesday, started running a high fever, near 104. when i took her into the doctor on thursday, he didn't find anything. he told me that they had been seeing some hand, foot, mouth disease, and some strep throat. because the fever had been so high, we decided to do some testing. blood work came back with elevated white counts. urinalysis came back slightly abnormal, but just barely. we decided to go ahead and start on antibiotics, cause you never know.
friday night, she was up half the night. shaun came in and had me look at her feet, cause she had what looked like little bites, all over. because of what the doctor had told me, i looked up hand, foot, mouth disease online. the images, and ashley's feet, looked the same. she now has blisters on her feet, her hands, and her bum.
friday, shannon was running a fever. saturday morning, she ended up with blisters on her feet. she now has blisters on her feet, her bum, around her mouth, and a few on her hands.
saturday, taylor was running a fever. so far, i've not seen any blisters. but, only time will tell.
the other two, seem to be fine so far. but, again, only time will tell.
Friday, June 15, 2012
heartache
today, my heart aches.
i've waited a long 11 years for the news i got the other day. because it means that all parties have been able to move on.
and although i am SO very excited and happy, i am still sad.
although i am resigned in how things have and continue to happen, i am still sad.
and with the last part of the news today, i am truly sad. my heart aches, but i love that someone has done it right.
someday, perhaps, this heartache will heal, and things will be infinitely brighter. until then, i will continue to be happy for those who follow that path.
i've waited a long 11 years for the news i got the other day. because it means that all parties have been able to move on.
and although i am SO very excited and happy, i am still sad.
although i am resigned in how things have and continue to happen, i am still sad.
and with the last part of the news today, i am truly sad. my heart aches, but i love that someone has done it right.
someday, perhaps, this heartache will heal, and things will be infinitely brighter. until then, i will continue to be happy for those who follow that path.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
to garden
i FINALLY got the garden in. my wonderful nephew, talon, came down and helped me out. i have pumpkins, corn, beans, onions, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes.
the onions, peppers, and tomatoes are for making salsa!
i'm SO excited!!!
the onions, peppers, and tomatoes are for making salsa!
i'm SO excited!!!
Friday, June 8, 2012
updates
most of the kids just had doctors appointments today.
taylor, as usual, is great, with no problems. he weighs 56 pounds, and is 51 inches (4 ft, 3 inches) tall. no major problems or complaints with him.
elizabeth is also doing great. she's 60 pounds, and 50 inches (4 ft, 2 inches) tall. we have started getting concerned with her consistent bed wetting. i buy night diapers for her, but it's gotten to the point that she soaks one every night. she had been going through one every 3 or 4 nights, then it got worse. we are putting her on a medicine that should stop the night wetting. we'll give it a few months, and see if it kick-starts her system. if not, we'll probably put her back on it for a few more months.
ashley has been better. turns out she has an ear infection. which accounts for some of the crabbiness. the rest is just her attitude (she IS 2). she currently weighs 25 pounds, and is almost 33 inches tall.
michael is also doing great. he weighs just over 12 pounds, and is 26 inches long. WIC has been concerned with his "lack" of weight gain. they say he isn't gaining enough every month (i wasn't aware there was a minimum amount!). i had them print off their charts so i could show them to the doctor. he's not concerned about it yet. we had had some concerns about his forehead. his frontal bone had shifted, and it looked wrong. i just noticed that his front soft spot was quite small as well. his forehead doesn't look quite as distorted, and the doctor said his soft spot isn't small enough to be overly concerned about. if it gets much smaller though, we'll need to take him back in.
shannon has an appointment on monday for a physical for head start. once we get that and her dental appointment done in 3 weeks, we can turn the paperwork in.
taylor, as usual, is great, with no problems. he weighs 56 pounds, and is 51 inches (4 ft, 3 inches) tall. no major problems or complaints with him.
elizabeth is also doing great. she's 60 pounds, and 50 inches (4 ft, 2 inches) tall. we have started getting concerned with her consistent bed wetting. i buy night diapers for her, but it's gotten to the point that she soaks one every night. she had been going through one every 3 or 4 nights, then it got worse. we are putting her on a medicine that should stop the night wetting. we'll give it a few months, and see if it kick-starts her system. if not, we'll probably put her back on it for a few more months.
ashley has been better. turns out she has an ear infection. which accounts for some of the crabbiness. the rest is just her attitude (she IS 2). she currently weighs 25 pounds, and is almost 33 inches tall.
michael is also doing great. he weighs just over 12 pounds, and is 26 inches long. WIC has been concerned with his "lack" of weight gain. they say he isn't gaining enough every month (i wasn't aware there was a minimum amount!). i had them print off their charts so i could show them to the doctor. he's not concerned about it yet. we had had some concerns about his forehead. his frontal bone had shifted, and it looked wrong. i just noticed that his front soft spot was quite small as well. his forehead doesn't look quite as distorted, and the doctor said his soft spot isn't small enough to be overly concerned about. if it gets much smaller though, we'll need to take him back in.
shannon has an appointment on monday for a physical for head start. once we get that and her dental appointment done in 3 weeks, we can turn the paperwork in.
art camp day 3
day 3 was mosaics. this was the day that i was excited for. i've always wanted to do mosaics, and i got a chance today!
it took about 7 suggestions for shannon to finally pick something to design for hers. it's a girl in a purple outfit.
elizabeth almost didn't get her tiles in before the cement solidified.
taylors is supposed to be a cat.
i did a rainbow for ashley.
it took about 7 suggestions for shannon to finally pick something to design for hers. it's a girl in a purple outfit.
taylors is supposed to be a cat.
i did a rainbow for ashley.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
crazy week
this week, has been insane.
tuesday, started our 3-day art camp in town. the free lunches start at 11:30, and camp started at 1.
wednesday, we went to the library. we got signed up for the summer reading program. ran to the park for the free lunch, and ran to art camp. then we went to the eye doctors office to get taylors new frames. we left the house around 10:30, and didn't get back until 2:30.
today, shannon had an ear appointment at 11, lunch started at 11:30, and art camp again at 1.
tomorrow, 4 of the 5 kids have doctor appointments in the morning. after that though, we can come home and relax.
taylor has scout day camp in 2 weeks. the week after that we all have dentist appointments. the rest of the summer should be a cakewalk compared.
tuesday, started our 3-day art camp in town. the free lunches start at 11:30, and camp started at 1.
wednesday, we went to the library. we got signed up for the summer reading program. ran to the park for the free lunch, and ran to art camp. then we went to the eye doctors office to get taylors new frames. we left the house around 10:30, and didn't get back until 2:30.
today, shannon had an ear appointment at 11, lunch started at 11:30, and art camp again at 1.
tomorrow, 4 of the 5 kids have doctor appointments in the morning. after that though, we can come home and relax.
taylor has scout day camp in 2 weeks. the week after that we all have dentist appointments. the rest of the summer should be a cakewalk compared.
crabs
i have crabby kids.
ashley no longer wants to take a nap, but she still needs one. she throws a fit when she doesn't get what she thinks she wants.
shannon makes ME crabby. she sneaks downstairs and gets into the ice creams. she climbs on top of the fridge to get to snacks that are mine. she ignores us when we call her, she climbs into the car and turns things on, then when we go to use the car, it's dead.
micheal is at a stage where he wants to be held all the time, and he wants to eat all the time.
ashley no longer wants to take a nap, but she still needs one. she throws a fit when she doesn't get what she thinks she wants.
shannon makes ME crabby. she sneaks downstairs and gets into the ice creams. she climbs on top of the fridge to get to snacks that are mine. she ignores us when we call her, she climbs into the car and turns things on, then when we go to use the car, it's dead.
micheal is at a stage where he wants to be held all the time, and he wants to eat all the time.
art camp day 2
day 2 was dip art.
you fill a bucket or barrel up with water. you take paint (in this case it was spray paint) and put it on top of the water. then you dip your paper into the water. the paint sticks, and the water rolls back off. you're left with a way cool piece of art.
shaun scanned in both sides of the papers, and laid them side-by-side.
this is ashleys. they let us do one for her.
these two are elizabeths.
these are shannons.
and these are taylors.
you fill a bucket or barrel up with water. you take paint (in this case it was spray paint) and put it on top of the water. then you dip your paper into the water. the paint sticks, and the water rolls back off. you're left with a way cool piece of art.
shaun scanned in both sides of the papers, and laid them side-by-side.
this is ashleys. they let us do one for her.
art camp day 1
the rexburg art guild, was holding a free 3 day art camp this summer. since the magic word was used, we signed the older 3 kids up for it.
tuesday was the first day, and the station for our kids was basic drawing. they had items out on top of the tables, and they had to pick one to draw. when the bell was rung, they had to pick another item. they ended up drawing about 5 things. after the drawing was over, they colored them.
taylor had a blast, elizabeth complained it was too hard, and shannon just wanted to scribble.
tuesday was the first day, and the station for our kids was basic drawing. they had items out on top of the tables, and they had to pick one to draw. when the bell was rung, they had to pick another item. they ended up drawing about 5 things. after the drawing was over, they colored them.
taylor had a blast, elizabeth complained it was too hard, and shannon just wanted to scribble.
to garden, or not to garden
i have tried for the last three years to get a garden in. i have been unsuccessful.
the first year, i had a newborn, like days old, when it was time to plant.
the second year, last year, we were moving, and i didn't want to plant it, and have someone else benefit from my hard work.
this year, i broke my finger. can't really dig in the dirt when you have a brace on your finger.
i was so excited to put in a garden this year. i was going to have tomatoes, peppers, and onions to make into salsa. i was going to have corn. i was going to have pumpkins, cause it really is a waste of money to buy them for halloween when you can grow your own for a fraction of the cost. i was going to have beans to can. and carrots to just eat.
the first year, i had a newborn, like days old, when it was time to plant.
the second year, last year, we were moving, and i didn't want to plant it, and have someone else benefit from my hard work.
this year, i broke my finger. can't really dig in the dirt when you have a brace on your finger.
i was so excited to put in a garden this year. i was going to have tomatoes, peppers, and onions to make into salsa. i was going to have corn. i was going to have pumpkins, cause it really is a waste of money to buy them for halloween when you can grow your own for a fraction of the cost. i was going to have beans to can. and carrots to just eat.
fingers again
when you open the back door in the kitchen, it comes VERY close to hitting the island in the kitchen (so close, that you're lucky to get a piece of paper between them). last night i got my finger caught between them. smashed the second knuckle on my left ring finger. pretty sure i broke it. no serious bruising yet, but it aches, and it's sore.
it's also hard to do things when you have a broken finger.
it's also hard to do things when you have a broken finger.
Monday, May 28, 2012
more food experiments
dinner the other night was, thankfully, a success. experimenting for dinner, always makes me nervous. messing up dinner is one thing that can and will make me really upset!
the plan had been lasagna. but i hadn't made it to the store that week due to being sick. so, we didn't have any decent lasagna noodles (we had some, but there were so old, that last time i used some of them, the melted in the pot. NOT cool). so, we tried something a little new. i'd made a skillet lasagna once, but, it wasn't as good as i was told. this time, i made it up as i went along.
i always make my own sauce when i'm not strapped for time (one of these days, i'll get around to canning it, then i'll always have it on hand). i started the sauce to simmering, then i cooked the hamburger. when the sauce had simmered for an hour, i put it, the hamburger, and the egg noodles in a pot, and let it all cook together and blend (basically, the noodles were cooked in the sauce. and even though i had to add water to get the noodles all the way cooked, it was still good.) we LOVED it!
the next experiment was homemade corn dogs. however, i didn't put them on sticks. i put them in a mini-muffin tin. i made up a simple corn bread recipe (from the desert cookbook), and sliced the hot dogs into little pieces. i put some mix in the tin, pushed the dogs into the mix, and covered the dogs with more mix (note: a little too much muffin mix, and too little hot dog). i then cooked them according to the directions for the muffins.
they turned out great! at least, the little girls liked them. my older two kids didn't come home for lunch today. guess i should check on them at the neighbors house.
we had some leftover, and i put them in the freezer for another day!
splendid
Elizabeth, age 6, "This is a splendid toy."
I'm still trying to figure out where she learned that word. Let alone how to use it in context
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
chocolate
nursing the little man, means that i have a few foods that i need to watch how often i eat them. chocolate is a big one, as is salad. not much i can do about the salad, but i have discovered a chocolate fix that doesn't seem to bother his tummy. cocao. i got some ghirardelli 60% cocao chocolate chips. i can eat them to my hearts content, they don't give him extra gas, and they have less sugar in them, so they don't wreak havoc on my teeth as much!
freezer fun
i am trying something. and i REALLY hope this works out well.
i've started making food that we have previously been purchasing from schwans. don't get me wrong, we LOVE schwans! but, with shannon being on the feingold diet, we are a little more careful with what we feed her.
in the last year, i've started following moneysavingmom . she has a current series called 4 weeks to fill your freezer . now, i'm not following the series to the letter, and i'm not even using half of her recipes. but, i am trying a few things out.
the kids LOVE schwans' ham and cheese pouches. so i'm making my own. i'm using her dough from here, and using some leftover ham i'd diced and frozen. when i cooked them up the other day, many of them "popped," and the cheese melted all over the pans. i think i may have been rolling them out too thin.
somewhere, probably on pinterest, i discovered the idea to make breakfast burritos and freeze them. the first batch i made, had too much hashbrown in them, and not enough egg. i haven't had a chance yet to taste the new batch, but i'm sure they are better than the first.
my next projects for the freezer include pizza pockets, more breakfast burritos with different meats, mini corndogs, donuts, and muffin tin omlets.
it's going to take me a few days to get everything done. and that's if i can manage to keep my nose out of books.:)
i've started making food that we have previously been purchasing from schwans. don't get me wrong, we LOVE schwans! but, with shannon being on the feingold diet, we are a little more careful with what we feed her.
in the last year, i've started following moneysavingmom . she has a current series called 4 weeks to fill your freezer . now, i'm not following the series to the letter, and i'm not even using half of her recipes. but, i am trying a few things out.
the kids LOVE schwans' ham and cheese pouches. so i'm making my own. i'm using her dough from here, and using some leftover ham i'd diced and frozen. when i cooked them up the other day, many of them "popped," and the cheese melted all over the pans. i think i may have been rolling them out too thin.
somewhere, probably on pinterest, i discovered the idea to make breakfast burritos and freeze them. the first batch i made, had too much hashbrown in them, and not enough egg. i haven't had a chance yet to taste the new batch, but i'm sure they are better than the first.
my next projects for the freezer include pizza pockets, more breakfast burritos with different meats, mini corndogs, donuts, and muffin tin omlets.
it's going to take me a few days to get everything done. and that's if i can manage to keep my nose out of books.:)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
crazy!
so, i decided to finally just get a project done. whether i had something else to be doing or not. i was tired of putting things off in order to get other things done.
it was FAR past time to go through clothes and get them put in their totes. ashley still had size 6-9 months clothes in her "dresser." and i had a large box, and a tote both stuffed full of clothes that had been grown out of.
after all the barfing excitement was over this morning, i pulled in all the totes that have the clothes in.
i then started on the tote. just about everything that was in there were the little clothes. from newborn to 24 months. got them all put where they belong.
then i started on the large box that resided in my closet. it held mostly 18 month to 7/8 sizes. got them put in their respective totes as well.
then, i emptied "dressers," and put away the ones that no longer fit. then i went BACK through the totes and pulled out the sizes that my little girls need. i was also able to take a couple pairs of clothes for the older two kids, and put them aside for 96-hour kits.
right now, the next size for michael is drying, the clothes for the little girls are all over my bed waiting to be put away, and i have a few dresses and miscellaneous shirts waiting to be taken to DI.
even though it was a lot of work, and DESPERATELY needed to be done, i still don't feel like i got much done.
but, we should be good with clothes sizes through the summer, except maybe for michael.
note: dressers is in quotations, because we don't have room for dressers, but we have shelves that their clothes sit on. unfortunately, they are precisely spaced to be used as a ladder. which means that hiding things on the upper shelves doesn't work. sigh....
it was FAR past time to go through clothes and get them put in their totes. ashley still had size 6-9 months clothes in her "dresser." and i had a large box, and a tote both stuffed full of clothes that had been grown out of.
after all the barfing excitement was over this morning, i pulled in all the totes that have the clothes in.
i then started on the tote. just about everything that was in there were the little clothes. from newborn to 24 months. got them all put where they belong.
then i started on the large box that resided in my closet. it held mostly 18 month to 7/8 sizes. got them put in their respective totes as well.
then, i emptied "dressers," and put away the ones that no longer fit. then i went BACK through the totes and pulled out the sizes that my little girls need. i was also able to take a couple pairs of clothes for the older two kids, and put them aside for 96-hour kits.
right now, the next size for michael is drying, the clothes for the little girls are all over my bed waiting to be put away, and i have a few dresses and miscellaneous shirts waiting to be taken to DI.
even though it was a lot of work, and DESPERATELY needed to be done, i still don't feel like i got much done.
but, we should be good with clothes sizes through the summer, except maybe for michael.
note: dressers is in quotations, because we don't have room for dressers, but we have shelves that their clothes sit on. unfortunately, they are precisely spaced to be used as a ladder. which means that hiding things on the upper shelves doesn't work. sigh....
sickos
my two little girls have been sick.
shannon was sick the other night. she woke up in the middle of the night, and then threw up on shauns leg and the floor. we got everything cleaned up, and taken care of. she didn't have another problem that night. however, yesterday, she threw up most of the day. not even water would stay down. i gave her a few crackers, and made her eat them slowly. then i made her wait to see if they would stay down. she ate an entire sleeve of them once things settled down.
today, ashley has been throwing up. the first time, it was cheese in the bedroom. i cleaned up the chunks, and then pulled out the carpet cleaner. the floor is still drying.
next were the strawberries behind my computer chair, and on the heater vent. cleaned up the floor and had taylor spray off the vent outside.
and then the pedialyte and strawberries in the kitchen. by that time, i was so frustrated and upset with everything going wrong that i slammed my head into the fridge door. all that accomplished was giving me a massive headache.
shannon is now fine, and ashley has managed to keep her crackers and the rest of the pedialyte down. hopefully, no one else gets sick!
shannon was sick the other night. she woke up in the middle of the night, and then threw up on shauns leg and the floor. we got everything cleaned up, and taken care of. she didn't have another problem that night. however, yesterday, she threw up most of the day. not even water would stay down. i gave her a few crackers, and made her eat them slowly. then i made her wait to see if they would stay down. she ate an entire sleeve of them once things settled down.
today, ashley has been throwing up. the first time, it was cheese in the bedroom. i cleaned up the chunks, and then pulled out the carpet cleaner. the floor is still drying.
next were the strawberries behind my computer chair, and on the heater vent. cleaned up the floor and had taylor spray off the vent outside.
and then the pedialyte and strawberries in the kitchen. by that time, i was so frustrated and upset with everything going wrong that i slammed my head into the fridge door. all that accomplished was giving me a massive headache.
shannon is now fine, and ashley has managed to keep her crackers and the rest of the pedialyte down. hopefully, no one else gets sick!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
no, not ever
shannon, age 3, "You know what this story is about?"
mama, "The fact that you cant sit still?"
shannon, "No! Not ever."
mama, "The fact that you cant sit still?"
shannon, "No! Not ever."
poison control
i woke up this morning, and went to go see what my two little girls had gotten themselves into. i found last nights dinner all over the front room and dining room floors.
i found that they had taken the older kids' new games, and thrown them all over the dining room.
and then i saw the nearly full bottle of kids vitamins, now almost empty. i gathered up was was laid in a row on the couch, and went to call poison control. the bottle holds 120 tablets. we had already used, at most, 20. what i found on the couch was 10.
upon calling poison control, i gave her the information, and waited while she ran her calculations. she came back and told me that this was not a lethal doze (did she have to use THAT word?). she told me to give them both something to eat and drink, and watch them. if they complained about their tummies hurting, it was going to be from the iron. if anything changed, to call her back.
i cleaned up the games, and went to put them away, and discovered a large spread of the vitamins on their bedroom floor. when i got the counted and picked up, there were 65. that means what they may have consumed was half of our original count! i was extremely relieved. my visions of sitting in hospital rooms with my 3 babies alone would NOT be coming to pass, thankfully.
i have no medicine cabinet to lock up and keep them out of. and shannon has discovered how to open the child-proof caps, so any bottles with those on them are no longer safe either.
right now, i'm going to go take a shower, and let it drown out and wash away my tears of fear.
at least we are all going to be ok.
i found that they had taken the older kids' new games, and thrown them all over the dining room.
and then i saw the nearly full bottle of kids vitamins, now almost empty. i gathered up was was laid in a row on the couch, and went to call poison control. the bottle holds 120 tablets. we had already used, at most, 20. what i found on the couch was 10.
upon calling poison control, i gave her the information, and waited while she ran her calculations. she came back and told me that this was not a lethal doze (did she have to use THAT word?). she told me to give them both something to eat and drink, and watch them. if they complained about their tummies hurting, it was going to be from the iron. if anything changed, to call her back.
i cleaned up the games, and went to put them away, and discovered a large spread of the vitamins on their bedroom floor. when i got the counted and picked up, there were 65. that means what they may have consumed was half of our original count! i was extremely relieved. my visions of sitting in hospital rooms with my 3 babies alone would NOT be coming to pass, thankfully.
i have no medicine cabinet to lock up and keep them out of. and shannon has discovered how to open the child-proof caps, so any bottles with those on them are no longer safe either.
right now, i'm going to go take a shower, and let it drown out and wash away my tears of fear.
at least we are all going to be ok.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
tithing
the neighbors replaced their roof, as i've mentioned before (i think). (we asked if we could have the wood shingles for the furnace. free wood? why, thank you!) taylor was told that if he went around their yard using the large magnet and picked up all the stray nails, they would pay him $2. when he told me, i reminded him that he needed to be sure and pay tithing on it. his response left me a little baffled. he told me that he wasn't going to waste money he just got. from that i deduced that his understanding of the law of tithing, was incomplete.
today taylor and elizabeth came home showing me the money they got from helping another neighbor move rocks. when i told elizabeth that she needed to pay tithing on it, she was also quite upset. she didn't want to let go of her money. then she said she would keep one of her quarters, and pay the other one for tithing.
i need to find/come up with a good lesson on the law of tithing. what it means, how we figure out the amount, and why we pay it. guess it's time for some research!
today taylor and elizabeth came home showing me the money they got from helping another neighbor move rocks. when i told elizabeth that she needed to pay tithing on it, she was also quite upset. she didn't want to let go of her money. then she said she would keep one of her quarters, and pay the other one for tithing.
i need to find/come up with a good lesson on the law of tithing. what it means, how we figure out the amount, and why we pay it. guess it's time for some research!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
sicky
last night i noticed that ashley was starting to get sick. she had a slight bark to her coughs and cries. just before putting her in bed, i rubbed her back down with mentholatum, and then put some under her toes and put socks on her feet. hoping that i could beat it before it really got going.
sometime around 2 in the morning, she woke up coughing and crying. she had a fever of 102, and was miserable. i gave her some tylenol, and put her in bed next to me. this morning, she was only slightly better. i was pretty sure she just had croup.
shannon, michael, and i left her in sleeping in bed with daddy and went to get some bread and milk from the store. while i was in the checkout line i realized that i may need to take ashley into the doctor. we'd had a friend come down with bronchitis and she had managed to sneak a drink from a cup he left here. when i got home, i called the office and got her an appointment.
the doctor checked her out, and agreed with my first inclination of simple croup.
now we just have to get her through it.
sometime around 2 in the morning, she woke up coughing and crying. she had a fever of 102, and was miserable. i gave her some tylenol, and put her in bed next to me. this morning, she was only slightly better. i was pretty sure she just had croup.
shannon, michael, and i left her in sleeping in bed with daddy and went to get some bread and milk from the store. while i was in the checkout line i realized that i may need to take ashley into the doctor. we'd had a friend come down with bronchitis and she had managed to sneak a drink from a cup he left here. when i got home, i called the office and got her an appointment.
the doctor checked her out, and agreed with my first inclination of simple croup.
now we just have to get her through it.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
FREE WOOD
our neighbors across the street are redoing their roof. currently it has old wood shingles. they are taking them off, and putting tar ones on.
while i was talking with her earlier this week, i asked her what they were planning on doing with them. she mentioned that they had been going to keep them for firewood, but they have about 3-4 nails in each piece, so they were just going to take them to the dump.
i asked her if we could have them for the furnace. my mother-in-laws house has a wood furnace heat source. she said that we could have as many as we wanted.
yesterday, i went over and started pulling the wood out of the trailer they had them in. it took about 3.5 hours to get all the shingles out of the trailer and down into the furnace room. we got one row about 3/4 of the way to the ceiling.
on the down side, they burn REALLY quickly! i stuffed the furnace as full as i could get it, and it was gone within 10 minutes. and when they are done burning, they are done. there isn't even any coals or ashes to start another set with. however, a fast burn means it heats up quite quickly.
but, i can't really complain. they were free. and it helped them out. it's less they have to haul and pay to throw in the dump.
while i was talking with her earlier this week, i asked her what they were planning on doing with them. she mentioned that they had been going to keep them for firewood, but they have about 3-4 nails in each piece, so they were just going to take them to the dump.
i asked her if we could have them for the furnace. my mother-in-laws house has a wood furnace heat source. she said that we could have as many as we wanted.
yesterday, i went over and started pulling the wood out of the trailer they had them in. it took about 3.5 hours to get all the shingles out of the trailer and down into the furnace room. we got one row about 3/4 of the way to the ceiling.
on the down side, they burn REALLY quickly! i stuffed the furnace as full as i could get it, and it was gone within 10 minutes. and when they are done burning, they are done. there isn't even any coals or ashes to start another set with. however, a fast burn means it heats up quite quickly.
but, i can't really complain. they were free. and it helped them out. it's less they have to haul and pay to throw in the dump.
pig and chicken brains
elizabeth tonight was asking me what was for dinner. as usual, she asked about 5 times. usually, she gets the same answer. tonight, i decided to mix it up a bit.
i knew what was for dinner, but i wanted to gross her out. i suggested eel. snails (escargot). worms. brains. she was disgusted with every idea i came up with.
i finally told her that dinner was going to be pig and chicken brains. i didn't tell the kids what it was really called until after we were sitting down and eating it. however, even before they knew what it really was, they didn't complain. i suppose if they were hungry enough, they might eat anything!
the brains were spaghetti noodles. the chicken was eggs. and the pig was bacon. basically it's an egg and bacon pasta. it's a meal that everyone loves. my parents brought the recipe home from their missions in italy.
i knew what was for dinner, but i wanted to gross her out. i suggested eel. snails (escargot). worms. brains. she was disgusted with every idea i came up with.
i finally told her that dinner was going to be pig and chicken brains. i didn't tell the kids what it was really called until after we were sitting down and eating it. however, even before they knew what it really was, they didn't complain. i suppose if they were hungry enough, they might eat anything!
the brains were spaghetti noodles. the chicken was eggs. and the pig was bacon. basically it's an egg and bacon pasta. it's a meal that everyone loves. my parents brought the recipe home from their missions in italy.
Friday, April 6, 2012
easter eggs
we just finished decorating easter eggs here.
a couple of days ago, i discovered on pinterest a "recipe" for baking hard boiled eggs. since i tend to burn the water out of the pan when i boil eggs anymore, i thought i'd give this a shot. haven't tried to eat any yet, so i'm not sure how they turned out. i used my mini muffin pan, placed one egg in each depression, and set the timer. i now had 24 "hard boiled" eggs.
i was already extremely frazzled and frustrated when it was time to decorate the eggs. so, instead of making the egg dye, i got out the BIG markers, and let the kids color the eggs that way instead.
when the battery for my camera is finished charging, i'll get some pictures.
a couple of days ago, i discovered on pinterest a "recipe" for baking hard boiled eggs. since i tend to burn the water out of the pan when i boil eggs anymore, i thought i'd give this a shot. haven't tried to eat any yet, so i'm not sure how they turned out. i used my mini muffin pan, placed one egg in each depression, and set the timer. i now had 24 "hard boiled" eggs.
i was already extremely frazzled and frustrated when it was time to decorate the eggs. so, instead of making the egg dye, i got out the BIG markers, and let the kids color the eggs that way instead.
when the battery for my camera is finished charging, i'll get some pictures.
makeshift crafts.....
since the move last july, i haven't been able to find many things. part of the problem is that stuff just got thrown in random boxes. so, i had no idea where to find the halloween bags, the christmas stockings, or the easter baskets.
for halloween, i knew 2 of my kids didn't have bags at all. so, i went ahead and made theirs, plus an extra one for the baby on the way. the 3 older kids were the only ones who went out, so we were okay there.
for christmas, i just got some dollar store stockings, and we used those. they are being saved for use for missionaries at a later date.
for easter, i took some construction paper and cut it into strips. then i wove baskets with those strips.
and wouldn't you know it, my camera battery is dead as a door nail. guess i'll have to charge it so i can get some pictures.
for halloween, i knew 2 of my kids didn't have bags at all. so, i went ahead and made theirs, plus an extra one for the baby on the way. the 3 older kids were the only ones who went out, so we were okay there.
for christmas, i just got some dollar store stockings, and we used those. they are being saved for use for missionaries at a later date.
for easter, i took some construction paper and cut it into strips. then i wove baskets with those strips.
and wouldn't you know it, my camera battery is dead as a door nail. guess i'll have to charge it so i can get some pictures.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
st patricks day
friday, elizabeth came home from school and asked if she could make a leprechaun trap. i told her she could use whatever she could find around the house. off to work she went. she worked most of the afternoon on it. at one point, taylor was helping her, and then decided that he wanted to make his own.
this is elizabeths:
you can't see this in the picture, but she has a bridge and a door. i'm not sure what's with the little pink purse attached to it.
and this is taylors:
then, when i went to make lunch, i discovered they had colored the pancake mix green!
the kids had fun, and that's what's important.
this is elizabeths:
and this is taylors:
it's hard to tell in the picture, but he has a set of stairs on the bottom left.
needless to say, they did not catch any leprechauns. but they DID get left some treats. the leprechauns left us green chocolate chip cookies, and took the painted rocks with them.
then, when i went to make lunch, i discovered they had colored the pancake mix green!
Monday, March 12, 2012
war paint
i have these giant, double-sided, poster markers. they sit on top of the fridge. until recently, they have been untouched by my whirlwinds. this morning, that all changed.
shannon and ashley, aided by a table chair i'm sure, climbed up and got them down. after having retrieved the fruit snacks, and eating some 20 of them.
here's what i discovered....
shannon and ashley, aided by a table chair i'm sure, climbed up and got them down. after having retrieved the fruit snacks, and eating some 20 of them.
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