Water, Water Everywhere!

The twins are obsessed with water lately. It makes for a lot of clothes changes and joy for me! Once again, they got into the sink about a million times today! Okay, I know I'm exaggerating slightly but not much. Even while dropping off and picking up Spencer at pre-school, they each had to get three drinks at the drinking fountain. They also needed a change of clothes this afternoon because they sprayed each other with the hose outside. I finally put them in their swimsuits and let them play in their little pool outside. When we finally arrived at the church for Activity Days tonight, dressed once again in new outfits, I thought my water woes were over. But no! Courtney soaked herself at the water fountain! I promise I'm not making this up. . .I have witnesses! And the water theme continued on the drive home (as tears this time,) when Spencer cried because he didn't get the Young Women's ice cream sandwich treat and Caitlin and Courtney sobbed all the way home because I wouldn't leave the interior lights on while driving. "Wat-er we going to do about it?" (for Katherine who actually gets my "pun"ch lines!)

It's the Mundane Things that Matter

My cute tree huggers looked so sweet I had to take a picture (Sept. 26th!)

Rachel outside the Salt Lake Temple last weekend

Pictures from the Fish Hatchery with the kids last weekCourtney didn't want to pose

But Caitlin was happy to smile for me


Spencer did as well

It's after two in the morning and I can't sleep. I went to bed early tonight but Caitlin came in about 1 a.m. and woke me up and after lying in bed for an hour trying unsuccessfully to get back into a dream state, I decided to come down and write in my blog in hopes that it will get me tired enough to go back to sleep. In the last year or so, I have had this problem of not being able to get back to sleep when I'm awakened in the middle of the night. The good thing is that eventually I get up and do laundry or clean and it gets done because I don't have the usual daytime de-cleaners also known as my children.

Why haven't I been writing very often lately? Because my routine is the same every day and there's nothing exciting to report! I take the kids to school, I come home, I run them to soccer practice, piano lessons, play dates, activity days, etc. I take care of the little ones at home. I clean up after them. I do laundry. I prepare meals. I read scriptures, I say prayers. This is my life! It's so ordinary but I think it's little things that matter when raising children. When I hear Spencer saying an extra long family prayer, full of sincerity and small details or when I see the kids giving each other hugs or I hear Rachel teaching the younger kids about something or when they're all singing "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" together, the mundane things I do seem worthwhile. So I just keep plugging away, hoping that somehow I can help my kids to gain testimonies and learn to put those testimonies into action. Some days are better than others but I just have to keep doing it, over and over again. Then I have to pray that somehow God will help them and inspire me to say and do the right things as we go about our very normal lives.

Today the twins kept getting into the sink and I changed their soaked clothes three times. I finally let them take a second bath this afternoon because they wanted to play in the water so much. But for some reason taking a bath isn't nearly as fun to them as playing in the bathroom sink or climbing into the kitchen sink and turning on the water because they were back at it again after bath number two. On the bright side, I hope all this hand washing and playing in the water will help them resist the illnesses going around, especially the ones going around our house. This weekend my three little ones all had a stomach virus and stayed home from church and today Rachel stayed home from school because she has a croupy cough, a fever and laryngitis. So maybe I should be grateful they're washing their hands over and over again as it's supposed to be the greatest deterrent to illness!

Well, this rambling has got to stop. I don't want to be a cranky, sleepy mommy tomorrow so I can focus on those mundane things that really matter.

A Celestial Day--Only in Utah

In Wedded Bliss: Chris and Melissa

Lexi and Rachel--Best Cousins

Rachel amongst others trying to catch Melissa's bouquet

The beautiful Salt Lake Temple

On Saturday, I had what can only be called a celestial day! First thing in the morning, I had the privilege of attending the temple wedding of our niece, Melissa, to her sweetheart, Chris. The sealing room was beautiful and the spirit during the sealing was so strong! Then, I got to see most of Paul's family at the reception in a gorgeous greenhouse full of plants, trees and flowers. I felt like I was in the Garden of Eden surrounded by people I love. Then I drove down to my parents' house and they just happened to have stake conference that evening where I sat at the feet of an apostle, Henry Eyring, and heard him speak words of wisdom. Finally, I visited with my parents, cousins, aunt and uncle, my grandparents, two of my brothers and their wives and children. A day like this can only happen in Utah!

Phone Magnet Syndrome

Why is it every time the phone rings, I become magnetized and my children are the magnets, following me while screaming "I talk," "Is it for me?" "I hold it," etc., grabbing for the phone and crying when they're not allowed to talk on the phone because it's someone important for their Dad. The kids are usually playing all over the house but as soon as they hear that b-rrrrring, there they are! So I run around the house, trying to find a quiet spot and hide in the bathroom but the crying and door pounding echoes too much. Out of desperation, I once again say "hold on, I still can't hear you," sneak into my closet and stand behind my dresses where the clothes slightly insulate the mayhem outside only to find the person has hung up because she hasn't heard a word I've said the entire phone call.

Maybe we should study this phenomenon because I have heard that I'm not the only mom who has experienced it. We'll call it phone magnet syndrome and develop some sort of pharmaceutical solution and make millions! Hee! Hee!

Organizing and Rearranging

Yesterday's theme was "organizing and rearranging." I decided to put the kids' clothes in their drawers for the first time in months. Rachel does her own, but I've been keeping Spencer's and the twins' in their laundry bins because they were constantly pulling out all the clothes out of their drawers and I got tired of picking them up over and over again. However, while doing laundry, I began to feel claustrophobic with all those clothes filling my laundry room. I couldn't stand it anymore so I thought, I'll see if they will keep clothes where they belong. Yeah, right. Sure enough, Spencer pulled out at least twenty items while getting dressed this morning. Argh!!$#&* Now I'm going to have to force him to pick them up (which will be accompanied by many complaints and take twice as long as it would if I just did it myself.)

While putting the clothes away, I cleaned out the girls' closet and the boy's. Then I went into Rachel's room and remembered that she's been begging Paul for months to rearrange her furniture to no avail. So because of the mood I was in, I decided to do it myself. It was easily accomplished but what a shocker! I discovered how truly messy her room was by moving her bed, dresser and nightstand. Papers, books, trinkets, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, etc. were under her bed and stacked on every surface! But it's beautiful now. Rachel was so excited when she got home from school! She reported to me last night that she can now do a cartwheel in her room! That's just what I was going for. . .

Spencer then decided it was his turn to have his room switched around so we got to work. It wasn't quite as bad as Rachel's but he did find a Rescue Heroes DVD we haven't seen in at least a year. Today I have to tackle my closet. . .or not! I avoid cleaning that monstrosity with all the energy I possess. Maybe I'll get to it, maybe not!

The weekend is over and it wasn't what we were expecting. Saturday morning arrived with soaking rain, thus canceling our two soccer games. Then Paul ended up having to go to a work meeting from 12 -4 with over an hour drive each way. There went any family time. . .

By the time Paul got home, I was a bit frazzled so he took the kids out to dinner so I could go grocery shopping ALONE. It's pretty sad when you're excited to go to the grocery store. When I got home, I put the twins to bed, read a story to Spencer and promptly fell asleep on his bed. I never woke up the rest of the night except to walk to my own bed. I even slept in my clothes. I must have been tired.

This morning, I woke up to find all the non-refrigerated grocery items still in bags all over my kitchen. At least Paul put the potentially spoiling food away. But it was a mess. We were late to church, mostly because Courtney had a two hour tantrum this morning. She wanted to wear a certain dress then would change her mind. By the time we got to church, Courtney was on her third dress. But I enjoyed church today. I had to give the Relief Society lesson. It wasn't an easy topic--chastity--but I do love teaching so I was glad to have the opportunity. Choir practice went well even though I only had 2 men show up today. It's so strange. One week I have 20 men, the next two. It's so unpredictable. But the two men who did come are both outstanding singers and held their own.

This afternoon, Paul left for a week long business trip. I am depressed about that but it's just a part of life. He called me from his destination and told me there was some sort of car accident which knocked out power at his hotel. The emergency generators only dimly light the hallways and operate one elevator. Paul doesn't even have a light in his room. Luckily, being the eagle scout that he is, he had a flashlight in his car so he got it out and is using that until the power returns.

Well, I need to get to bed or I will not be a nice Mommy tomorrow!

17 Glorious Years Together

It was our anniversary yesterday. We have been married a blissful 17 years. Paul arranged for a babysitter--yes, HE ARRANGED FOR A BABYSITTER! WOW! and after arriving home with flowers, he took me out to dinner at a very nice restaurant. Before we left, I decided I wanted to dress up and curl my hair (rare.) After looking through my closet, I selected what I thought was a cute red dress but noticed it had a hole in it. So I took it to the sewing machine but realized I had no red thread. After fruitless searching, I decided to sew it using the white thread that I did have.

Upon examining the repair, however, I realized it looked horrific with white thread showing so I tried thinking "out of the sewing box." I ran to my art cupboard and took out a red permanent marker and colored the white thread red. It worked out great! I wouldn't compare this to NASA astronauts and engineers coming up with a way to save Apollo13, but for me, it was a creative moment. Unfortunately, after my perceived brilliance, once I put on the dress and looked in the mirror, I decided it did not flatter my figure and went with another ensemble altogether. Oh well, I will wear it to church (no need to look good there--it's not how you look on the outside but what's on the inside, right?) so it's not a total waste.