"I can't find it!"

We got the entire interior of the house painted a couple of weeks ago.  For the most part, things are returned to their correct locations.  However, we started preschool and I can't find the remainder of the small paper bags I had to make puppets.  Annoying.
And now I can't find my journal.
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I know it's around here somewhere, but it's 11:30 and Aaron's already asleep in our room, and this is going to take more than the average search.  And my family was particularly perfect this evening, thus needing documentation.
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Aaron and I were telling the kids that Uncle Jared was on his way home from Afganistan, and had landed in Turkey.  Aaron used the joke, "You know, Turkey and Hungary should really get together.  It would solve a lot of problems."  Alex and Ben just started giggling - FINALLY getting the joke we've told for years!  Then they started adding their own.
Alex: "If you want to learn to play tennis, you need to go to Tennessee!"
Ben: "If you want a long walk, head to Rome."
Aaron: "If you're a little smelly, head to Cologne."  I added, "Or if you're from Pittsburg!"
Aaron, again: "If your Aunt Helen can't swim, don't go to Helsinki!"
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Lots of bedtime giggles at this house.
I love that our children have a fantastic sense of humor!

Still Alive

Yes, we are still alive.

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We've been busy. You know, doin' stuff.

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Important stuff.

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Like building really tall, photo-worthy towers of blocks. All 3 of them. Without fighting.

And going camping. For less than 24 hours in Cloudcroft, NM. And playing on the zipline before breakfast.

And spending some quality "man time" with the Wii.

Making a trip to Houston - for Peanut to go to the temple - and to get in some good family fishing on Pawpaw's boat.

And picking out the perfect pumpkin on a field trip with our preschool friends.

We stay busy.

That's just how we roll.

Breastfeeding

I just wanted to take a moment before I am completely and totally done with this phase in my life to document it.
I have breastfed all of my kids - Ben was the shortest amount of time -about 7 months. Alex lasted 9 months, and was much less grouchy when she switched to formula. Audrey went about 10 months, and Sammy's getting close to the end now.
I did not enjoy breastfeeding.
*gasp*
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Yep, I said it. I didn't like it. Now, I didn't hate it. I did love that I didn't have to pay for an entire year of formula - that stuff's SO EXPENSIVE! And I did love that I didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night and fumble through making a bottle. And I did love that I didn't really have to think about everywhere we were going and how long we were going to be gone and did I need to have a bottle? And I did love that I didn't have to wash bottles and all their parts all the time.
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I know there are breastfeeding advocates out there who fight for a woman's right to feed her child anywhere she wants to. I guess I have a heightened sense of modesty, because there is no way that I would EVER just pull out my boob and feed my kid in front of any group of people!
I have no desire, and am personally kinda creeped out when someone is breastfeeding in a public place. Sooooo not my bag, baby.
And because of this, I have left restaurants and hidden in the car. I couldn't find a corner at an amusement park, so I went in the handicapped stall in the bathroom with the stroller. I sat on the stroller, rather precariously, and fed Sam. I have hid in the mother's room at church, just to have people open the door and me jump. I'm not a prude, but I don't need everyone to see my vast white skin. Ew.
It makes me crazy sleepy every time. With the girls, I got desperately thirsty as soon as they'd latch on. I've been bitten, had cracked nipples that bled, run a fever with mastitis, had to change clothes because I was drenched in milk unexpectedly.
I will be glad when this phase in my life is over. I don't like having to stop everything to sit down quietly and feed him, while he tries to wiggle off my lap, hit me, bite me. But I am glad that I was able to give my children the best thing for them for a while.
And that's my story.

I wish I could blog from my phone...

Silly Me

On Wednesday, I went to the bathroom. Everybody does it. Because I don't want my older children to "accidentally" hurt Sammy in some way, I took Sam up to my room and laid him on the floor - just outside the bathroom. He could still see me, but I felt like he was far enough away from anything gross.

Sam didn't like being put down. He cried, which was effective in hurrying my bathroom-going. The toilet paper holder in our bathroom has always been somewhat precariously attached to the wall. In my haste, I hit the roll with my elbow and the arm of the toilet paper holder fell off, sending the roll of paper behind the toilet. Luckily, I was done and grabbed it up quickly, putting it on the back of the toilet. Then, I rushed to wash my hands so I could pick up my crying boy.

I did a moment's look at the arm of the toilet paper holder in the trash can, and then - well, was distracted from retrieving it.

Thursday is trash day. Ben takes care of it on Wednesday evening. It's his job to collect all the trash around the house and take it to the big cans. Then, he puts the cans on the street. He is very proficient at his job.

Around 11:30 Wednesday night, I finally walked into my bathroom again.

The arm of the toilet paper holder was still missing. There was an empty bag in the trash can.

Oops.

And it's nobody's fault but my own.

:)

Silly me.

Overwhelmed

Right now, I am not feeling just "whelmed", as usual. I am definitely feeling overwhelmed. Allow me to explain.

Reason #1: We are home now. Shriner's hospital was wonderful to our family in that Aaron got to be home most nights for dinner. The army doesn't allow us the same luxury. It's an adjustment - to say the least.

Reason #2: I have spent the better part of the past week trying to unpack. Also, we had to move everything out of our bedroom and it's in tubs and boxes in the loft. I am sick of unpacking. I am debating whether or not to just pitch all of it. After all, I haven't needed all that stuff for the past four months... And my stuff is the last stuff that still needs to be unpacked.

Reason #3: This darling creature who recently celebrated her 6th birthday.

She and I are playing an elaborate game of "Push the boundary."

For example: In church on Sunday, it was testimony meeting. As soon as Alex realized this, she asked to bear her testimony. I said no, and explained that in the prior Sunday's 5th Sunday lesson by the Bishop, he had asked for our testimony meeting to be more lead by adults. (I guess the last couple of testimony meetings have been so over-run by children wanting to bear their testimonies that adults didn't even get the opportunity. He recommended the usual of children bearing their testimonies in FHE and not being allowed to go to the stand until they can say it by themselves. I digress.) I also told Al that it had been a long time since she had practiced in FHE and that perhaps next month would be better. And ten minutes later, Sam got loud. So I took him into the hall, leaving Aaron with the children, and unaware of my conversation with our daughter.

And before I could get to the other foyer, I heard Alex's voice in the microphone. And while her testimony was acceptable and darling, she crossed a boundary. Grr.

Yesterday, I served ice cream for dessert. I gave her a spoon. She decided she wanted a different spoon. I said, "Al, I already used this one to help get the ice cream off of the scoop. Just use it." And while I was scooping Ben's, she tossed that spoon in the sink and got a different spoon. Grrr.

I can't promise that she will survive this summer.

She reminds me of a dear friend's little girl who is not so little anymore... :)

How we began our summer or Home in El Paso, where it's HOT

After dinner last night, we went outside to play. Aaron was trying to figure out the sprinklers - we think the freeze here in EP in February might have fried the system. The sprinklers were on and the kids were hot. This was the result.

That is Audrey's cute streaking booty. :)