What's been going on.

Well I haven't really posted anything new for almost 2 weeks. I've been busy, but I can't say that I have really done too much. Last weekend my sister Erin and her family came to visit me. It was really fun to see them, and I love having company. If anyone has the urge to drive to the middle of Wyoming, you are welcome to stay with us. We had a good visit, and hopefully if was worth their time and effort, because we sure had fun.

Caleb got new teeth yesterday. Well, not really but pretty close. He's fortunate to have inherited my teeth--as in they get cavities really easily. Two years ago he had several cavities filled; at that time the dentist put something on the tops of the teeth that would supposedly help with future cavities. Well it didn't work for Caleb. Seven of his eight molars has silver caps on them, and his two front ones also have caps, although they have the white instead thankfully. It was quite an ordeal.... in order to save him the trauma of having to go to the dentist on 3 separate occasions, we took him to the surgical center, where a doctor put him under general anesthesia, and they did it all at once. When we first got there they gave him some sort of drug to help him relax. And relax he did. He just got goofy--it was hysterical. He kept telling every person that came in the room about how he had to miss school to go to the dentist. He was totally okay with everything else--he just hated having to miss school. At one point one of the nurses told him that he was going to get to ride in the wheel chair, then she walked out of the room. He said, "Ooh, goody, I get to ride in a wheelchair!" Then he paused, and, with an inquisitive look on his face, asked, "Whats a wheelchair?!" It made us laugh. He's pretty goofy as it is, then give him this drug and he gets even goofier.

Natalie, meanwhile, has regressed with her potty-trainedness. She has NOT been doing well in that category lately, and its getting to be quite frustrating. It ads so much more laundry. So I'm going to make up a chart for her, with a promised reward when it is full. But I still have to decide what the requirement is going to be, and what the reward is going to be. The other day at Target she was admiring a Princess swimming suit, so I may use that.

Claire has been spitting up more the last few days and I think its because she doesn't like it when I eat Hot Tamales (the candy not the Mexican Food). So I guess I'd better give those up and see if she does better. (Sigh) okay fine.

Finally for tonight: I love love love love love the show NCIS and last night was pretty much one of the best episodes EVER. So for you fellow fans... which of the 7 main characters is going to be leaving before the end of the season? Why do you think this? I think its going to be Jenny Shephard because for any of the others to leave it would totally mess up the dynamics of the show and its so great right now.

Anyway, I've rambled on enough, so I'd better go for tonite.

The wicked witch

"Mom, I got my Snow White dress on," Natalie said to me this morning as I was getting dressed. "Will you be the wicked witch?"

Some days I feel like a wicked witch. Finally, I have an excuse. There is this really funny book, called I Didn't Plan to be a Witch by Linda Eyre. She and her husband are internationally-renowned authors and public speakers. Probably their most famous book is Teaching Your Children Values. They are also the inventors of Joy School, for those who know what that is. They are LDS and have 10 kids. Anyway, in this book she talks about how every new mother thinks she is going to be the perfect mother with perfect children.... She never raises her voice, her house is always clean, the children are always groomed. Then reality sets in, and a lot of days we all become the witch. This book is hilarious, because her examples are all her own experiences, but it is also comforting to know that we all do it. I need to re-read it so I can remember how to take off the witch-hat. I recommend it to everyone. I also highly recommend reading A Joyful Mother of Children, also by her. It has fantastic and practical things you can do to enjoy your children more even though its hard when things are so crazy. Read them and let me know what you think. Be ready to laugh because they are funny. Also, here's a link to their website so you can learn about them. http://www.theeyres.com/

Tag

So my sister tagged me on her blog, so now I get to tell a little about myself. Here goes.

10 Years ago I was: a senior in high school. Anxiously awaiting graduation. Involved in a musical. Working at Arctic Circle. Flirting with boys. Not sure what I was going to do with life after high school.

Snacks I enjoy: Root Beer floats, Rice Krispies Treats, yogurt and granola, Haribo Gummy Bears, Apples with caramel sauce, Butterscotch Chip Cookies. Pretty much anything.

5 things on my TO DO list: Clean my storage room, Design my front yard so someone we can have the sprinkler system installed before Chad does the sod, Make curtains and pillows for my living room, Make quilts for the kids' beds, laundry (its ALWAYS on the list. it either needs to be gathered and sorted, washed, folded, or put away. I currently have some of each.)

Things I would suddenly do if I were a billionaire: hire someone to do all the above for me. Pay off debt for us and our families. Go to Europe. Take the kids to Disneyland.

Five places I have lived: Chubbuck, Idaho; Herndon, Virginia; Rochester, Minnesota; Miami, Florida; Rexburg, Idaho.

5 jobs I have had: Arctic Circle counter chick; ZCMI stationary area lead; Disney Store cast member (pretty much the most fun job I've ever had); Comfort Inn and Conference Center Sales and Catering secretary; Ace Hardware and Outdoor Sports person in charge of Apparel.

5 things people don't know about me:
1. In college I went to Chicago for a national competition in PowerPoint Presentations and my group placed 2nd. Pretty cool.
2. If I could have go back to school, I'd become a paralegal.
3. When my family lived in Florida I fell in love with Mickey Mouse and really wanted to go to DisneyWorld. It didn't happen. But I still really wanted to meet Mickey Mouse. I have a whole collection of MM stuff. Finally my senior year of HS I went to DisneyLand on Choir Tour and had my picture take with Mickey. I was really excited.
4. I love to eat out. This week we got to go to dinner at 2 different restaurants with Chad's work and I loved it. But I've learned that you have to read the menu closely because some things aren't good.
5. I love to dance. I was on Drill Team in 9th grade, and I wish I would have continued with it during high school because I was pretty good. Someday I want to take a dance class with Chad so we can learn cool dances together.

Did you know those things? Probably some of you did, but oh, well. I tag anyone who reads this and hasn't done this before. Have fun!

Junk Food and Exercise

My friend brought me some cookies yesterday. They are very tastey. Natalie particularly enjoys them. Caleb told her today, as she took a cookie off of the plate, "Natalie, those are junk food." She replied, "No they aren't." Then, looking at me, she said, "Mom, are cookies junk?" I said, "Yes, they really are." And she said, "Can I eat some junk?"

My kids have, unfortunately, inherited my love of junk food. I love cookies, cake, ice cream, chocolate, candy, chips. Last night I had a delicious piece of raspberry cheesecake. I can not describe how delicious it really was.

I am really looking forward to the warmer weather because I am excited to start exercising. I am going to walk around the neighborhood pushing a stroller. I also am going to plan to drive to the river and walk along the pathway a couple times a week, just for a change of scenery. Then I won't feel so guilty about eating the junk food.

Some Pictures

I finally was able to get a picture of the girls in their matching dresses. Natalie wasn't in a the mood to have her hair curled or her picture taken, so she looks a little helter-skelter. But she's still pretty cute. Claire, it seems, already knows what to do when a camera is in her face. Heaven help us.

Interesting metaphor.

Sunday afternoon we were headed to dinner at the in-law's, and Caleb suddenly brought up an interesting metaphor (or is it a simile that uses like or as? I don't remember). He said, "A runny nose is like the Red Sea because they get apart. Then when they get dried up they turn into boogers." I guess I missed that part in the biblical account. But it made us laugh.

An ode to OxyClean

Isn't it interesting how adding one little tiny person to the family causes laundry to increase ten-fold? My laundry is never ever ever done. Although it isn't taking over my house because I have a really great laundry room. But I honestly don't know what I would do without my bucket of OxyClean. It takes out every stain if you soak the item of clothing long enough. Blood out of a pillowcase, baby poop out of baby clothes, grape juice out of white sweaters.

Actually there is one thing it doesn't work on--ink. I learned this the hard way when I washed a red pen a couple months ago. That was annoying.

I don't know how people survived before the invention of the washing machine. I am just glad I didn't have that trial. Thank Heaven for modern conveniences.