Christmas 2007

I am finally writing about our Christmas. My camera broke, so these pictures are from my cell phone. They are not great, but the best we could do. Christmas Eve is such a fun time for our family. We all open one gift, which I choose. It is kind of a joke, because everyone knows it is pj's. Then we all get into our comfy new pj's and eat mexican food. This year it was tamales, and home made salsa with chips. After dinner we always read the story of Christ's birth from Luke. Then the kids pretend to go to sleep.



















Christmas morning was pretty fun this year. Our girls, bless their hearts, were in our room at 5 am. We tried to put them off, by saying the boys weren't awake. Of course, they were awake, and the girls proved it by making them come into our room. I always make them wait on the stairs, until James and I go down, turn on the tree lights, some Christmas music, and get the camera's ready. It is so funny to listen to them, as they complain about how long we take to get ready. Of course, there just might be a little bit of teasing on our part. When we gave the ok they rushed down the stairs, and had all their presents opened in probably 5 minutes. The funniest part for me was when they opened the Wii. Kerrie turned to me and said, "mom, you are such a lier." There is a story behind this. I bought the Wii months ago, and the girls actually saw it before I could get it put away. I had them completely convinced that I had bought it for someone else, and I had planned to go back to get one for our family, and when I went back they were sold out. At least it was a surprise.
















I couldn't resist taking a picture of James. It is very dangerous to go to sleep on your daughter's bed. Strange things might happen.

The rest of the day was so relaxed and fun, with a spontaneous invite from the Turpin's to eat pie and play a little Wii. I was really glad, as we were having trouble figuring out all the tricks to the Wii, and Jake is an expert on these sorts of things.

Of course we missed being with our extended family, but all in all a very fun filled magical Christmas.

I'm A Wimp

I have gone through six pregnancy, labor & delivery. I lived through watching stitches, broken arms, an apendectomy & NICU. However, I am the biggest wimp. I cannot watch scary movies. I was all sorts of being brave and agreed to see I Am Legend with some friends. I thought, if I was with the group, I'd be fine, and it would be fun. NOPE! I made James leave the movie half way through. I just couldn't do it. I am sure my friends are laughing at me, and I am laughing too. It was too much for me. At least I gave it a try.

That was the yucky part of the night for me, but we ate dinner before the movie, and that was really fun. I loved visiting and laughing with a fun group of people. So, thanks for the invite to a very fun night.

Walnuts

Yesterday, I made a carrot cake for James' birthday. It is one of his favorites. I had gotten the recipe from my mom, and it was fabulous. It had been a crazy day. I was trying to make the day nice for James, while managing the family. Wednesday, is normally pretty busy, as I am preparing for Scouts. I wanted to make James a cake, and also a good dinner. I managed to pull it all off, right up until all the crazy church activities.

Amanda and Ash had to be to the church at 4:15. Kerrie & Kelsie had to be at a rest home at 6:30, and Nic and I had to be at the church at 7:00 for scouts. I decided to have Nic stay home, because his homework was not done. I got Amanda and Ash dropped off on time. I was running a little late for the rest home, so I pulled right up front, jumped out, and got the girls out, shut the door, and locked myself out. The van was running with the lights on, the radio blaring, and the heater going full blast. Of course, the cell phone was inside also. I had to bum a phone off of someone, and call James. He came to my rescue, and I headed to church only 20 minutes late.

We all got back home about 9:00, and so we ate cake and James opened his presents. Then Kerrie came to me to tell me her gums felt weird. Then in front of my eyes, her mouth started swelling. She said her throat felt funny. I grabbed some allergy medicine, and she was fine in about half an hour. This had happened one other time, pretty recently. Cami had given us a plate of wonderful holiday cookies. There was also some fudge. When Kerrie ate some of the fudge, she had a minor reaction similar to the one yesterday. I called Cami to compare ingredients, and the common one is walnuts. Kerrie is allergic to them, I think. I am going to take her to the doctor to have her tested. The reaction seemed to be worse from the first exposure to yesterday, so it worries me that she will have a very bad one the next time. Made for quite an adventure.

James

Today is a very special day. James turned 43 years old. I wanted to take a minute to wish him a very happy birthday. He has been the best thing to happen to me. It is amazing to me how we match so well. When it comes to very practical things, we have very little in common. We don't like the same music, food, activities, tv shows, decorating tastes, etc. He is very thoughtful, and slow to decisions, and I do things on impulse, and go with my gut. He is very shy and reserved, and I am not. With all of this, our marriage works amazingly well. We seem to balance each other out. For the things that really count, we share common beliefs.

Here are just a few of the things I love about him. He always puts his family first. If there is something we want, and he can give it to us, he does. He works very hard to support this large crew of ours. I love spending time with him. He is so kind and sweet to me. If it is possible, he takes me on a date every week. He does the dishes and laundry. He supports me whenever I need him. He is wonderful with our children. He is interested in what they are doing, and spends time with them whenever he can. He has a funny sense of humor, that is very surprising. He managed to go to BYU without getting married. Of course, I was not there, so he had to come to Arizona to find me. I hope he knows how very much I love him. I am grateful he is my husband. My life with him is lovely.

Nathan

Man, am I glad today is over. Nathan had oral surgery today. He did fine, right up until he was in the chair. He got scared, and I did not blame him. They were attaching wires everywhere, taking his blood pressure, and walking around in surgical dress. He looked at me with these big puppy eyes and said, "I don't want to do this." My heart just ripped in two. Then Dr. Bastacky came in and got ready to do the IV, and Nathan started crying. He said, "I have to get a shot?" The doctor got it in easily, and then they made me leave. I sat in the waiting room nervous the entire time. About twenty minutes later, they came to get me. They told me he was looking for me. When I got back to the room, he was sobbing. He just kept saying, what happened to my mouth? He was trying to climb into my arms, and flopping everywhere. It was awful. The nurse asked if I wanted her to get James, and I said yes. He was able to pick him up and hold him. Then they just let us go home. Nathan cried the entire way home. He was hurting, and saying, "why did they do this to me?" I know he was not quite with it, but it was really hard to hear. In typical Nathan fashion, he asked for McDonalds. I told him he couldn't eat anything, but we would get him a milkshake. Then he asked for the toy. I couldn't turn him down. So he got a milkshake and a toy. This boy really loves happy meal toys. He also told us, he hated "that place." I can't say I blame him, I would have hated it too.

They pulled four teeth from his upper jaw. He only has six teeth left. It is so strange. I have no idea how he is going to eat. He recovered pretty quickly, and I am very grateful for that. When we got home, I gave him a dose of tylenol with codeine. Within a half hour, he was just fine. He has been running around since. Kids are so resilient. I think he may even go to school tomorrow. We shall see. He has needed the pain medication, every six hours, or he starts hurting. My poor baby. I am just really glad to have it over with.

Ward Christmas Party

This year's party was the best we have done. It went so smoothly. I think everyone had a good time, including the activities committee. That has been the problem in the past. We have not worked it in a way that the committee could enjoy the party too. Here are the things we did differently, that made a difference.

-We had roaster pans for the ham, that held a ton, so there was a lot less refilling.
-No sign-ups for dessert and potato dishes. Everyone that came to the party brought one or the other, and that worked out really well.
-We had wonderful volunteer helpers, that made things run so well. We also had them in shifts, so no one was doing it the entire time. Thank you to all the helpers.
-This is a set up thing that may seem silly, but it made a big difference. The kids and I counted out the cutlery, and put them in ziplock bags, that could be thrown on each table. So, there was no carrying around of those really awkward boxes. An unforeseen benefit of this was, we had bags for the leftovers. Score.
-We had volunteers that cleaned up the kitchen afterward. This always seemed to be a problem in the past, as we forgot how much work the kitchen was to clean up, and it was left to committee members that were exhausted. Thank you ladies, you made a big difference.
-I guess we have learned to ask for more help, instead of trying to do everything ourselves. The people in our ward are wonderful, and so willing to help.

I had been worrying about things going smoothly, because my husband made a comment a few days ago, to me about the party. He said, "I hate the ward Christmas party, because I never get to eat dinner with you." After last night, I asked him if he had a good time, and he said yes. I consider that a huge success. I do not know about the other committee members, but I actually got to eat with my family. In years past, I have actually not eaten at all, and ended up going through a fast food drive-thru on the way home. Crazy.

The only bummer thing is, I woke up this morning with a very nasty cold, so I am missing church today. I think I just have been running to much, on too little sleep. I had only gotten about four hours of sleep for several nights leading up to the party. Mostly that was me being very dumb, and choosing fun over sleep. What can I say, I like to have fun.

Here are a few things I thing we need to do differently next year, if I am still involved, which I hope I am. I love my calling.

-Less ham. We had 6 left over. So next year, we will only need 10.
-Less salad. We had 6 bags left over. So next year, I will only buy 6.
-Less rolls. We had 2 bags left over. So next year, I will only buy 13.
-More ice. I only bought 2 bags, and we needed 4.
-I will avoid Safeway, close to church at all costs. That place was crazy. It took me an hour to buy 2 bags of ice.
-I will be a little more organized with lists, instead of relying on my memory. It made me drive more than I should have, and stop at too many stores.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to get this down before I forgot.

A Simple Thank You Will Do.

It seems like, as a mom, there are many hours spent in thankless jobs. Every once in a while, an unexpected thank you will come. One tonight, brought me to tears. I have been modifying Amanda's Social Studies homework. They were doing it at school, but offered her the choice, in front of the class, whether to do the modified work, or what everyone else was doing. Of course, she would not accept the modified work, because it was embarrassing. Sometimes I wonder what is going on in these adults minds. Do they just not remember what it was like to be embarrassed? Or do they think it is reasonable to let the student dictate what they will do in class? Frankly, I don't understand it. So, instead of me spending hours dictating answers to her that she had to laboriously write out, I spend hours modifying the work, so her efforts are placed in reading the text to find the answer. It is a lot of work, but I am happy to do it, because it helps her learn something. Because of the crazy week, I had not gotten around to modifying her homework until tonight. Two days ago, she had left her book for me, with a paper in it, and the assignment listed. When I opened the book, this is what I found:



I cannot begin to tell you how this made me feel. It was just one of those moments, I will cherish. When things are hard, and I worry, or think my efforts are not recognized, I will remember this simple, thank you mom.

Christmas Cards

I have had my Christmas cards addressed and ready to go for a few weeks. All it needed was a family picture. I had the prints made up today, and they are all ready to go out tomorrow. That is one thing I can check off my to do list.

I absolutely love getting cards. I tape them on one of my doors, and it makes me smile to see them everyday. I get excited everyday for the mail to come, and I can see how many I get. Today it was three. I love reading about the lives of my loved ones that I have not seen in years. For a lot of my extended family, this is the only contact we have.

Busy

This December will be one of my busiest. I wanted to write it down, because I usually forget things the minute after they happen. Which is probably a good thing. I am just going to put in list form, as that is easiest for me.

December 1: Viola lessons, MYSO practice.
December 3: Ashley's Orthopedic appointment
December 4: Kerrie & Nathan's Orthodontics appointments
December 5: Wonderful first snow of the year
December 6: Nathan's appointment with an oral surgeon, Shopped the rest of the day trying to find matching outfits for family pictures. Who knew it would be so hard to find matching reds.
December 7: Ashley's school trip to Philly, that I got to be a part of.(cold, but fun) Finished shopping for matching outfits. SUCCESS!
December 8: Family pictures. (Thanks to our fabulous photographer for dealing with six very wiggly kids) MYSO practice.
December 10: Ashley's appointment for her brace.
December 11: Kelsie & Amanda's Orthodontics appointments. Trip to Aldi's to buy the hams for the ward Christmas party (WCP).
December 12: Deliver hams. Pick up rolls, salad, cutlery & tin foil for WCP. Kerrie & Ashley's strings concert at the middle school.
December 13: IEP meeting. I'm trying to have a good attitude about this. Finish up anything for WCP.
December 14: BREATHE!
December 15: Viola lessons, MYSO practice, decorate for WCP. WCP
December 17: Nathan's oral surgery
December 19: James' Birthday. Youth temple trip.

Things should get much less busy after this, and I will have time to enjoy the beauty of this time of year. I really do love Christmas. I love advent calendars. I love the way the best comes out in people. I love getting actual mail, in the form of Christmas cards. I love the time I get to spend with my family. I love teaching my children about the magic and miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I couldn't resist

This was so much fun. Check it out.

Gartside girls elfed

Gartside boys elfed

Brace Me

Ashley had her Orthopedic appointment today. She will have to wear a brace for the next year and a half. She will need to wear it 22-23 hours everyday. Next week she will see the guy that makes the brace. They will make a body cast, then make the brace to fit her perfectly. The cool thing is, the brace is only about 1/8th of an inch thick, then it has a thin layer of padding. She will be able to wear it under her clothing, and hopefully no one will be able to tell she has it on. I was teasing her on the way home, that she will have perfect posture for the next couple of years. The bummer part is, it will be very difficult to pick things up off the floor, and despite wearing this thing all the time, it may not work. She is taking it very well, and does not seem to mind too much that she will have to do this. She kind of rolls with the punches, and she has had more than her fair share of punches lately. It is a great way to be though, and I admire her attitude toward all this.

As we were heading out of Baltimore to come home, my phone rang. It was the nurse at the elementary school. Nathan threw up at school. Turns out, he told his dad on the way to school this morning that he was not feeling well, but with Nathan we just never know if he is truly ill, or just being dramatic to get out of school. Poor boy. We have some bad germs at our house, and I am going to lysol everything tomorrow. Maybe we can get rid of it.

Tomorrow I am going to the orthodontist to hear the ever fun news of how much it is going to cost us to fix Nathan's mouth. Of course they only start by telling you about phase one. They never tell you there will be a phase two, and possibly a phase three. I think they are preventing heart attacks by breaking it to you gently over time. I've got their number though. It is good that these things come in stages.

Thursday it is a visit to the oral surgeon to get a consult for Nathan, to have several baby teeth removed. Then Friday, Ashley and I get to go to Philadelphia for her eighth grade field trip. That should be fun.

Life is never boring, and that is good as I do not like to be bored.

St. Johns Redskins 2A Football State Champs

I just had to share this story. It is awesome. My nephews play for the St. Johns Redskins football team. My alma mater, I might add. This team from a small town took the 2A state football championship last week against a private school from Phoenix. That is amazing by itself, however, the story behind it, is unbelievable.

Early on in their season, they were losing. They lost their first three games. The quarterback, Randall Raban, is a member of my church. He did not like the way the team was behaving. He got all the team members and the coaches to sign a no cussing contract. He also requested that they pray before and after games. The team and coaches agreed, and they started winning. Even more than this, they decided they were going to be a team of high moral standard. That they did not just want to be better players, but better people. That they were going to treat every team member and every team that they played with respect. As a team, every Wednesday, they would find some sort of community service project. They cut and stacked wood for widows and elderly folks. This team only had five seniors on the team, so no one thought they would win.

The day of the game, they were tied and went into overtime. Each team would have a chance to run a series of plays. The other team went first, scored a touch down and kicked the ball in for the extra point. Everyone thought they had won. Then it was SJ's turn. They scored their touchdown, called time out, and decided they were either going to win or lose with their last play. They decided to run the ball in for the two points. They did it. There is really no reason for them to have won. If you look at the stats from the game alone, the other team should have won. I think because of this team's commitment to higher moral standards, they received a little Heavenly help that day.

I thought it was a really cool story.

Back to Life, Back to Reality....

It was so hard to get up this morning and return to our regular schedule. I tell you 5:30 is very early. The kids were pretty good to get going, and we had a successful morning.

It was so wonderful to spend a weekend with my family. James and the kids were outside a lot of the time, raking leaves. They filled forty bags of leaves in the back yard, and they are only half way done, and have not even started on the front yard. That is what happens when you have thirty trees in your yard. I was no help at all, as I have caught a nasty little cold, that has now spread to every member of my family except Nathan. James and Kerrie are missing work/school today because they are under the weather. The others have recovered enough to return to school today.

We spent a lot of time playing games and watching holiday movies. I love the Christmas season. I love the holiday movies on Hallmark channel. One of my favorites is White Christmas. James even sat and watched that one with me.

We did not get our tree up, as we have no tree, and need to buy one. It used to be our tradition to go to the tree farm the weekend of Thanksgiving, and cut down our own Christmas tree. One year, we did that, and for whatever crazy reason, I was all of a sudden allergic to fresh trees. I could not walk into the room with the tree without breaking out in hives. It was horrible, and we ended up taking the tree down a week before Christmas. I so miss cutting down our own tree. We gave away our fake tree because it was so heavy, and hard to store. So now I am in search of a new fake tree.

Turkey or no Turkey?

I thought we had Thanksgiving all planned out. I was not going to cook a turkey. We just don't love it, and it seemed a bit silly to go to all that work for something that we all kind of like. So I planned on making meatballs & rice, green bean casserole, salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, and pie. Well, a few days ago, I was feeling all sorts of bad about the turkey. It just does not seem right. So I compromised with myself, and I'm doing a turkey breast also. James has been laughing at me over this whole drama I have created. He just keeps saying, whatever you want honey.

Now, the turkey. A few years ago, I put our turkey in brine, and it is much better that way. I started researching recipes online, and found one I am going to try this year. It is a maple brine. It sounds fabulous, with brown sugar, maple, sea salt, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorn. I have also had to research the process for a turkey breast versus a whole turkey. I discovered that you cannot brine it as long, or it will be horrible. The rule is one hour per pound, so I only have to brine for about three hours. My mother in law gave me a cookbook many years ago, that has a no fail, turkey cooking recipe. After washing the brine off the turkey, and drying it, you coat the turkey with shortening, then put it in a brown paper grocery bag. Close the bag, and roll it then staple the bag shut, leaving no holes for air to get in. I found that if I spray the bag with pam, it does not stick at all. Then you cook it at 325. If the turkey is over 12 pounds, you cook it for 20 minutes per pound. If under 12 pounds for 30 minutes per pound. The coolest part of this recipe is you do not have to do anything else. You just let it cook, and it comes out beautifully brown and tasty. It has worked every time for me.

My mother is following this brine and turkey cooking recipe as well. I told her, if it turns out bad, don't blame me, but if it is wonderful, I get all the credit.

I guess, we are having a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving. Although for me, it still feels a little too much like dinner, because it is just my family. I grew up with huge gatherings of people, and amazing quantities and variety of food. Although things are changing with my family. There are just too many of us now to all get together. Seven of my siblings are either grandparents, or are soon to be grandparents, and they are starting traditions of their own with just their families. It is a little sad to me, but inevitable with the size.

James, on the other hand, is used to small family Thanksgivings. His parents are immigrants to this country, so he did not grow up with extended family around him.

We have some fun things planned. The one I am most excited about is, Hairspray. It is out on DVD, and I bought it yesterday. We are going to watch that tomorrow, and also play games. It should be a relaxing fun day.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope all of you have a wonderful family filled day. To my family, I hope you know you are in our thoughts, and we wish we could be with you tomorrow. We will talk on the phone though, and that helps. To those lucky enough to be going on a cruise (you know who you are) I hope you have a really fun time, and happy anniversary.

Bishop's Helper

Yesterday we had tithing settlement. This always makes me nervous. Every time we visit with the Bishop as a family, one of my kids is being obnoxious. They were pretty good this time, except for Nathan. He had all of us laughing. Poor Bishop. He was trying to talk to each of the kids about the importance and blessings of tithing, and we were all laughing at Nathan. Here's what happened.

When we walked into the room, there were only seven chairs in front of Bishop's desk. All the kids rushed in and took the chairs, and Nathan seeing that there were not enough decided to sit in the chair right next to Bishop's. I tried to get him to come sit on my lap, but he wanted nothing to do with that. Bishop, who is so patient, said it was okay for him to sit there. Every few seconds, Nathan would move his chair closer to the Bishop. Of course, while doing this, he is smiling his innocent, what did I do, smile. Pretty soon he was right next to Bishop Nuss. I have to hand it to Bishop, he just smiled and moved his chair over, and completely shared the desk with Nathan. I was just waiting for what Nathan was going to do next. He did not disappoint. He started trying to open the desk, and to peek in Bishop's planner. I said his name more than once in that, I mean business, mom voice. However, we could not help but laugh at him. James asked him after if he liked being in charge with Bishop. He just smiled and said yep. I am glad Bishop Nuss is a very understanding man.

Maryland Youth Symphony

Today, Ashley auditioned for the Maryland Youth Symphony. She made it! We are pretty excited for her. They are playing Hollywood songs for their concert in January. Songs like, Star Wars, The Sea Hawk, etc. She is thrilled to be playing for this group. It is challenging music, and she will have to practice a lot to get it, but I think it is going to be worth it. It was exciting to listen to them practice. This is going to add a lot to my life, but that is what you do when you have kids. She will be at rehearsals every Saturday from 1:00-4:30 pm. That is a long time. They want Kerrie to audition for the preparatory orchestra in December. If she makes that, then she will rehearse from 10:00-12 noon, every Saturday. Crazy, but very good.

Scent Quiz

Thanks Jenni, this was really fun.

Your Scent is Lemon

Vivacious, tangy, and lively You are one gigantic ball of energy!

What's Your Girl Smell?

Knitting

Kerrie has been taking knitting after school. I was pretty excited when they offered this class. Kerrie has a natural talent for things of this nature. She learned to tie quilts when she was five, and took sewing in elementary school. So, now she is the happy knitter. She taught Ashley how to do it as well. A couple of nights ago, she taught me. I must say, it is really fun. She only knows the basic knitting stitch, but has made a bookmark, and is now making a scarf. She and Ash have decided they want to make scarves for everyone in the family, for Christmas. I think it is a bit ambitious, but I'm not about to stop them from trying. I work on it a little for them as well. It is fun to have this in common with them.

Saturday

Saturday we went for a walk in the woods with our family. It was wonderful to see the beautiful fall colors, and feel the crisp fall air.

Tough Day

Sometimes I get feeling like things aren't so hard with a lot of kids, then WHAM days like today happen, and I feel like I have a crazy life. So here is my day:

I took Nicolaas, Amanda & Ashley to their yearly physical exams. It was not originally planned this way, but it worked out this way, so okay I will role with it. Nic's appointment was at 8:10 am, and Amanda and Ashley at 9:30. I was thinking they could get the girls in early, but no, the girls were the doc's first appointments of the day. They see a female doc, and Nic a male doc. So, after Nic was done, we waited for an hour. My girls were so naughty, as in two year old behavior. I tell you, it was embarrassing. Then we get in, and they put the girls in two different rooms, so I was the running crazy mom. Also, I didn't want to have Nic in the waiting room, so he was playing musical rooms as well. During Ashley's exam, the doctor checked for scoliosis, and guess what? She has it. The doctor ordered an x-ray to see the severity of the problem, and then we will see. This is not happy news, as I just had a niece have surgery for this, and it was horrible for her. I do not want Ashley to have to go through that. Then both girls got a vaccine, which is never fun, and we were done. I got Amanda and Nicolaas to school, then headed off to get the x-ray for Ashley.

We got to the radiologist's, and found out, they do not do those kind of x-ray's in their Columbia facility, and that I needed to go to Glen Burnie. (I don't think so) So, I called the doctor's office back, and got another order for a different facility. Back to the doc's office to pick it up, then to another radiology office. She got the x-ray, and we waited for the technician to bring out a copy (the doc told us to get one) We sat for half an hour, and no copy. Finally I went up and asked, and the technician came out and told me, I didn't request a copy. I told her it was on the order, which apparently they do not read, so it was my fault according to her, that I did not have them in hand. Finally we head out the door with the x-rays. The doctor called us after she got the x-ray report, and it was not good news. She has a 25 degree curve, and the doc wants her to see a specialist. This is very frightening for us.

In the midst of all my craziness, James was dealing with a little of his own. I am really glad he had the day off, as this would have been horrible without his help. He stayed home with Kelsie, and got her to the school. Then he picked up Nathan to take him to his dentist appointment. He has been having pain while eating, so I thought he had a cavity. James dropped Kelsie at home, to open the door for Amanda (who has lost her key to the house, so note to self, get another house key) Then headed to the dentist. He called me just as I was leaving the x-ray place, and asks, why Nathan is at the dentist. I am thinking, you have got to be kidding? I'm pretty sure I told him, but I could be mistaken. So I explain the problem, and he is good to handle it. Of course, this was after Nathan was in the chair, and they were asking that he realized he had no idea why Nathan was there. Funny. Turns out the pain in his tooth, I thought was a cavity, is actually his six year old molars, turned sideways in his gums, because there is no room for them to go down, hitting against his other tooth, and causing pain. He has to see an oral surgeon to have two of his molars removed so the six year old molars can come down. The molars they are removing, are baby teeth that would fall out when he is about 11 years old. So his adult replacements will not come in for many years.

While Ashley and I were coming home, Amanda called and said she broke a wire on her braces. Guess where I get to be tomorrow?

I tell you, this year has been challenging. I need to make another blessing list. Maybe the next post.

Croup, Home School & Orthodontia

I have never heard of a child having croup at the age of nine. Well, that is until now. Nicolaas has croup. He has been home from school for four days, and sounds terrible. He spends a lot of time in the bathroom with the shower running, trying to get some relief. Poor boy. Although, he does feel good most of the time, and is just hanging out at home watching t.v. and playing video games. Tough life. Hopefully he will be on the mend soon.

It is our first week of home school with Kelsie. She is fantastic. She is a really hard worker, and if I am not right on the ball, she comes to me to tell me, we are running behind. It cracks me up, as I keep trying to tell her we are on our own schedule. It is probably a good thing. I am really excited to see her progressing already. She is great.

I took Nathan in to the orthodontist today, for them to take his records. Which basically means, they took his picture a bunch of times, in different positions, then x-rays, then molds of his teeth. He did not like the molds. Let's face it, who does. He was so wiggly today, that I was trying to figure out what was going on with him. I think he must have eaten a bunch of candy this morning. Thanks Jake. Actually, my fault, I took the candy. He was out of control. I apologized to the assistant, that she had to deal with such a kid. Ashley had to go too. Her wire came out at the back, and her coil slipped of the wire. The good part about that is she had an appointment for next week, and they just did the work today, so I don't have to go back. With all six kids under their care, this was greatly appreciated. I spend a lot of time there. The poor receptionist there has to try and get my kids in together, and is doing a lot of rearranging to make that happen if possible. I appreciate it.

Look At Those Wild Animals!

They look remarkably like my children. We had a great time at the zoo. My favorite is always the Ape House. The kids loved the Reptile House (not my favorite). The panda bears were really cool too. We all like the elephants, but man, do they stink. Here are some pictures I took, before my camera died. I was trying to get a picture of Ashley with her friend, but they were being camera shy. So even though the pictures do not show it, I did take seven children to the zoo.

I Must Be Getting Old

I am usually really good at keeping schedules, and appointments straight in my head, but every once in a while, I just completely space something. Yesterday, we had a lot going on. In the morning we had two IEP meetings. As James and I were heading in for the meetings, I was going over in my head the schedule for the day. After the meeting, I was to work (my last day), then I would have time for lunch, then Nathan had an orthodontist appointment. I was working all this out in my head, included who needed to be where, in order for everything to go well. It was a little tricky, because we had to be to the appointment at 3:00, and my little ones get out of school at 3:15. So being the crazy overprotective mother that I am, I was trying to work out in my head how all of this would go. I was going to pick Ash and Kerrie up from school. Drop Ashley at Raquel's house (mother's helper), bring Kerrie home, so she could open the door for Nic and Kelsie, because I was not going to be home. Then I needed to pick Nate up from school and get him to the appointment. I had it all worked out, and it should have gone well.

Here's what really happened.
-I went to the meetings (more to come on this)
-went to work (sad on my last day to say goodbye to the kids)
-ate lunch
-picked up Ash and Kerrie
-dropped Ash & Kerrie off at Raquel's (this was my first mistake. I needed Kerrie at home)
-went home, and visited with my neighbor (what in the world?)
-forgot to pick up Nate
-forgot the appointment completely
-completey forget the entire conversation I had in my head earlier in the day.

So today I get to make a totally embarrassing phone call to reschedule the appointment. I hate it when I do stuff like this.

Here's the report on the meetings. The first one for Nathan went really well. They listened to my reasons for home schooling him, then did everything they could to resolve the problems, so he could stay. They added extra reading time each day, and some of that is going to be one on one. He will now get two hours a day of reading, which is fabulous. The second I changed my mind to not home school him, was when his special ed teacher said, "I think Nathan can do this." That is all it took. I just wanted someone to care enough, to go the extra mile, and I think this teacher will. We are going to give it a quarter, and see how he does. So then I had the next meeting for Kelsie. Totally different feel to the meeting from the beginning. It was pretty easy to stick to our decision to home school. They were not happy, especially the speech pathologist. She just kept saying how she services the children in 5th grade, at different times during the day. Finally, I'd had enough of that, and said, well, she is not going to be here during the day, so we have to figure out how she is going to get her services. She was a little miffed at having to rearrange her schedule to accommodate my child. Oh well. So, we walked out of the meeting feeling really good about both decisions. So on Monday, I start home schooling Kelsie. I am excited about this.

My kids and I have been doing some really fun things lately. On Halloween evening, I took them to see Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D. That was super fun. I do not like the whole trick or treat thing, so I always try to find something fun to do instead.

Then last night, I took the kids to a new restaurant that Corinne introduced me to, called Cosi. It had fabulous food, but the best part is we ordered their s'mmm...oreo's. It is smores with large oreo cookies as the crust instead of graham crackers. My kids went nuts. They bring it out on a round wood block that has a grill in the center. They light up the grill, and then you use sticks to melt the marshmallows. We were laughing and having such a good time. Everyone of us had melted marshmallows on our faces.

Today we are going to the National Zoo, because the kids have no school. Then on Saturday we are going to have a watch videos, drink hot cocoa, play games kind of day.

My Family

I have come to a new level of understanding of what a family is. I had considered my family to consist of my husband, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. What narrow vision I have had. My family is much more than that. I have the most amazing family. It is made up of all kinds of people, in different walks of life. This family has been placed in my way, not only by biological ties, but by Heavenly ties too.

To all the members of this most amazing family, I love you. Thank you for being a part of my life, for your friendship and love, and for being such wonderful examples of goodness. I am filled with gratitude for each one of you.

I am also filled with such gratitude to my Heavenly Father, that I do not have adequate words to express it. I have spent a lot of time in prayer, and have felt the presence of the Spirit so close the last few days. I have felt my heart swell with love and unshakable testimony of my Savior, and His love for me and my family. I have felt His healing hand in my life. I have seen His perfect work in a less than perfect world. I have felt the prayers of others, and have joined in their prayers for dear friends. I am amazed by the goodness of the people around me that I love. My heart is so full tonight, and though I may not always express my love to each of you vocally, I hope you know anyway.

My Daddy

Today is my daddy's birthday. Happy birthday Dad! Thank you for being a wonderful example to me of the gospel, and of family relationships. When I looked for a husband, I looked for someone like you. Thank you for loving me, with all my flaws. Thank you for listening to me, caring for me, and loving my family. Thank you for being a wonderful grandfather to my children. Thank you for the many years of your life devoted to my well being. Thank you for accepting and loving my husband as your son. Thank you for honoring the priesthood, and using it in my behalf. Thank you for your example of service. I have seen you serve others, all my life. Thank you for your humor and laughter. Thank you for the way you treat mom. Thank you for your example of love in marriage, that blesses my marriage. Thank you for teaching me the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you for living what you taught. You are a beacon of light in my life. I love you more than I can say.

Home School

I am starting down the road of home school again. I find myself more and more dissatisfied with how my kids are being educated. This is always a tough decision to make. James and I have spent a lot of time going over and over the pro's and con's.

In about two weeks time, we will bring home, Kelsie, Nic & Nathan. They are very excited about it. I am excited and nervous. I have a lot of doubts of my ability to do this, and I will need a lot of heavenly help. I home schooled Amanda, but I am worried it will be much harder to teach three children at once. I believe it will work, as I know this is the right decision for us. James is my biggest cheerleader, and that is hugely helpful to me. It is amazing what you can do if someone believes you can do it.

The other three kids will continue in the public school. They are happy and successful there.

Big breath, tons of research, and here I go.

Funny

I was up in my room when I overheard something funny. Here is the background story. Our downstairs toilet has been having problems. It is getting clogged easily. Let me just say, I hate toilet problems. I definitely think it is in the hubby department. James has been super busy lately, so there have been problems for a while. I had pretty much locked the door, and told the kids not to use it. James is home today, and is my absolute hero, because he is fixing it.

He discovered the problem. I could hear him talking to the kids as he was working on it. So here are the snippets of conversation that I heard.

James: I've hit something. It's green. ...can't get it out. Oh come on. Urg, it's a toothbrush.
Kids: Yuck
James: Who flushed a toothbrush?
Kids: silence (I mean really, did he think the guilty party would fess up?)
James: Here throw this away.
Kids: No way.
James: Someone get me a trash bag. Gross!

I am sure this was not funny to him, but I was upstairs laughing. Notice how helpful I was willing to be. I am glad it is fixed. Thanks James, you're awesome.

Now, on a totally different note. James' aunt in South Africa, emailed us some pictures of James' grandma. She is in her 90's. I hope I look this good when I am her age. I have never met her. James got to meet her and grandpa a year before we were married. We have talked on the phone, and she is very sweet. She is the only living grandparent that James and I have. James' grandpa passed away several years ago. Before he became too ill, he sent birthday card to our kids, and letters to us. I remember one letter he sent to us on the occasion of his 60th wedding anniversary. It was so sweet. He attributed his long and happy life, to their faithfulness, and devotion to each other. In another letter, he wrote that our children were like roses from the same rose bush. I wish I had the opportunity to meet them, but that is the wonderful thing about the gospel. I know that I will have the opportunity in the next life to know them and love them. It has been so interesting, but after marrying James, I have felt such a great desire to know about his family, and his ancestors, and their lives. I know so much about mine, and cherish these stories, and wish we knew more about his.

Momma Said There'd Be Days Like This

It is pretty ironic that this post is coming right after the last one, but that's life.

Yesterday was insane. It started at 5 am with Kelsie, crying next to my bed. She was feeling dizzy, had a headache, her ears hurt, and a 102 degree temperature. GOODY! I dosed her up with Motrin and called the doctor.

Then at 7:30, Nic and I headed to Towson for speech testing at Towson University. It took us an hour and a half to go 30 miles. CRAZY! James had to stay home with Kelsie and then get three kids to the orthodontist at 11:00. Nic and I got home at 1:00, then I dropped him off at school.

I came home, and James left for work. I was able to get a few hours of sleep before the kids came home from school, then the craziness started again. We did the whole afternoon routine, which is wild on a normal day. I'll blog about that later.

In the middle of that, Nic comes running in the house saying Nathan has bit his tongue and it is bleeding. Turns out, Nic pushed Nate, and Nate hit his chin on Nic's head and bit down. He cut both sides of his tongue, with one side clear through. Called the doctor, but the nurse did not think it would need stitches, thankfully. She told me to give him cold, soft things to eat, like ice cream, Popsicles, etc. Nathan was real sad about that diet.

Then off to the doctor's with Kelsie at 5:30. She has a lovely little virus, and there is nothing we can do but wait it out, and watch it go through the entire house, because it always does. Time for the disinfecting spray and wipes.

After that, I stopped at MOM's market to pick up some natural supplements in the hopes that it will help us get over this faster. Then off to Weis for the ice cream, Popsicles, oh and did I mention the errand Amanda had for me? Her cross country team decided to do team gift exchanges. They each filled out a paper on what they loved to eat, then the papers went into a hat, and everyone picked one. Her instructions were to decorate a shoe box, and fill it with all sorts of really healthy foods like starbursts, jolly ranchers, chocolate, etc. They are giving them to each other on the bus today on the way to their meet.

Home again, just in time to hurry and help Amanda decorate her shoe box, then off to the activities committee meeting. That was a welcome break. I actually stayed at Jake & Cami's house until 10 pm talking. That was fun.

When I got home, I took one look at Kelsie, and she was red all over. I felt her head, and she was so hot. I took her temperature and it was 103.5. I got out the Motrin, and dosed her back up, but it took over an hour for it to start coming down. I was a little worried. I had James set the alarm clock for 2 am so I could get up and check her temperature again, and give her tylenol if she needed it. My poor baby has just felt like crap.

As my mom and dad always say when I call to complain, (isn't that what parents are for?) this too shall pass. Yes, I know, but it still stinks.

A Good Day

I have been trying to get my sleep pattern back on track after the late night concert. It is hard for me, because I tend to be a night person anyway, and now I am in the stay up late, then sleep in, mode. Only I can't sleep in, so I get up early, then after the kids are off to school, I go back to bed. This morning I slept as late as I could before I had to get to work.

I have to say, I am loving my job. It is only a few hours a day, and I still have time to get done what I need to most days. Plus, I am working with some terrific kids, and adults who enjoy their jobs too. Today, I played on the playground, then T-Sizzle(that's his nickname, and it totally fits him) sang beatles songs to me at lunch again. After lunch we went back to the room, and colored, and cut out snowflakes. One of the girls drew a picture of me, and a cute boy gave me one of his snowflakes. Then off we went to technology, where we played games on the computers for an hour. That was my day. Great fun.

After work, I headed to Costco. I love Costco, I think I have a serious addiction with that store. It just love to look, and if I'm being honest, I always buy something. Today they had those really cool crocs shoes, in all different colors, including purple, my favorite. So I bought two pair. Then on to the requisite million gallons of milk, for the second time this week. We go through 14-16 gallons a week. I know, that's a lot of milk. The doctors now recommend five cups of milk a day for girls, so I don't feel bad about all the milk they are drinking.

All the kids came home at the regular time today. No practice, no fifth period, and no after school newsletter. It was nice to just have them all come home on the bus. I did not have to pick up anyone. I had dinner all ready and in the crockpot this morning, so when they all starting complaining about being hungry, at four in the afternoon, we ate. I made taco soup, and it was good.

James had taken the van in to have the oil changed, so I had to go pick it up, so the kids and I could go to October Fest at the elementary school. Ashley was invited for a sleepover, and her friend walked over to pick her up. I was leaving to switch vehicles with James, just as Ashley and Jessica were walking home. As I drove past, I rollled down my window and yelled as loud as I could, "Bye, Ashley. I love you. Be good. Remember who you are." She was pretty embarrassed, but I thought it was super funny. I know, crazy mother.

At 5:45 we headed out to the October Fest. We got there early, so my kids had a lot of time to just run to the moon bounce, over and over without a line. That was fun. James had to work late tonight, so I decided I did not want to be home. We found a movie to go to, and invited Ash and Jess, and Jessica's mom. We went to see, The Seeker. It was pretty good. A little suspenseful at times, so I was worried about Nathan, but everyone survived, and everyone liked it. Nate did end up in my lap at one point, but in the end he said, "I love a happy ending."

We got back home at 10 pm, and it was truly a good day. I love days like this. Nothing spectacular, just good family fun time. So I will say goodnight, and hope for another good day tomorrow. Isn't that what keeps us going?

So You Think You Can Dance

Last night was awesome. I went with some fabulous friends to the So You Think You Can Dance concert. The dancers were amazing. I loved watching them on the show, but seeing it live was much better. It is incredible to see the dances up close, and be able to watch the unity of the dancers, that you do not get to see very well on tv. We were so determined to get our pictures with the dancers, however when we walked out, it was pouring rain. We got drenched, and after a few minutes gave up on that idea. We ran to the garage, soaking wet, and got an attendant to take our picture. This was so fun. I can't wait to do it next year! Here is a photo slide show of some of the pictures I took last night.

Hand, Foot and Mouth!

Yep, we have this lovely little disease in our home. Nicolaas has it. Well, we think he has it. The doctor would not even see him. Their nurse diagnosed it over the phone. Apparently even the doctors do not want it around them. He has been home from school for three days. Now the school informed me, he cannot come back without a note from the doctor saying he is not contagious. FUN! So, he is missing school, and I am missing work.

Speaking of work, one of the little girls in the class said something very funny. We were on the playground. Here is the conversation we had.

Becky: I miss my mom
Me: I miss my mom too. Do you know where my mom is?
Becky: No.
Me: She's in Arizona.
Becky: Want to know where my mom is?
Me: Yes.
Becky: She's at Disney World, the brat.

This totally made me laugh. I guess if you were five and your mom went to Disney without you, you would think she was a brat. I love kids.

Women Who Know, and Good, Better, Best

I loved conference this weekend. For those who do not know what I am talking about, it happens twice a year. It is a broadcast from my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), that takes place in Salt Lake City, UT. Where leaders of my church talk to us about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the direction we should take in our lives. It is always the boost upward that I need. Two of the talks in particular have really struck me. Of course, this is from my perspective, and I am sure not everyone would pick the same two. I do not know if my title are the actual titles of the talks, but it is what stood out to me.

I appreciated so much the reminder from Sister Beck to be a woman who knows. A woman who knows the time I have is best spent in my home with my children. A woman who knows how to nurture, and teach these incredible spirits that are entrusted into my hands. A woman who knows and protects the needs and growth and closeness of the family. A woman who knows to do without, rather than work. These are not direct quotes, just what I remember her message was. The reason this struck me, is I have been praying and struggling with a decision I needed to make. I was given the opportunity to work full-time at the school in the third grade. I have had a hard time making up my mind (probably should have been my first clue. Stupor of thought.) Her talk really helped me decide to not work full-time.

The second talk was by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He talked about the kind of choices we can make. I loved that he told about ordering from the Sears Catalog as a child, and having three choices of quality. They showed a picture of the catalog with a pair of shoes, with good being the lowest price, better costing more, and best the most expensive. I loved how he compared this to the choices we can make with our time. He reminded me to make sure I am making the choice to have personal and family scripture study, personal and family prayer, and family home evening every week. To take the time to have dinner together as a family. I loved this quote from him.
"Even though a particular choice is costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all. We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."

Both of these talks made me want to be a better mom. So I am writing down a few goals I want to get better at, before the next conference.

1. Get up with Amanda to share personal scripture study time with just her. O.K. this is a hard one for me, I am not a morning person, and 5 am is early. In order to accomplish this, I have set my bedtime at 9 pm. I am one of those people that needs eight hours of sleep to function.
2. We need to find a time that will work for family scripture study. This has been hard with our kids growing older, and their schedules more complicated. Not sure how we are going to pull this one off, but I am determined to try.
3. Eat dinner together every night. We do pretty good with this, but on the nights James teaches, I tend to let this go, and everyone just eats when they want to.

Well, that is all for now, and see as it is almost 9 pm, I am going to get ready for bed.

FIOS TV

It is sad that I am posting about this, but hey, it is a big happening at our house. The rabbit ears are gone, and we now have fios tv. Everyone was pretty excited to have the guy come yesterday and install it. I was excited to have it in place in time for conference. YIPPEE! I know, I should find something really important to blog about.

Oh, and the other fun thing yesterday, I am just about done with my kids Christmas. Thanks Christina for the call yesterday. She called to tell me, the new Costco that opened yesterday, had the Wii. As soon as I got the message, I drove over there thinking, I'm probably too late. When I drove into the parking lot, it was packed. Then I was really thinking, they are totally gone. I got in the front door, and the first thing I saw was hundreds of Wii's still left. I was totally excited. I bought two of them. One for me, and one for a friend. So, this is how twisted I am as a mother. When I got home, I put mine away and left my friend's on the table. When the kids came home, they were so excited, then I told them, it isn't for us. There were all sorts of, man that's not fair, and we want one too. It just let me know, I got the right thing for Christmas. I know, not very nice. They got over it pretty fast, when they realized they had Animal Planet back.

Stuff

Yesterday was one crazy day. It started out with two IEP meetings. Which I just consider to be one of the worst ways to start my day. It went as it always goes, with some head shaking at the lack of flexibility in the way they do things. They set their programs and shove the kids into them, whether they fit or not. The most amazing thing was, someone at the meeting actually told me, that if my kid is doing something wrong (holding his pencil wrong, and forming letters incorrectly), but is able to produce work, they do not correct it. Crazy. I just do not get it. I guess they are settling for good enough. That is not something a parent ever wants to hear. Frustrating.

James and I rushed home, to get ready for work, then right back out the door to work for both of us. I got off at 1:00 then had to go and get my picture ID for work. Then hurry back to Hammond High for a meeting for Amanda. PHEW! After that, came the wonderful homework, that I love (notice the sarcasm?) Then off to puppy training with Bongo. I got home in time to grab some food, then off to book group, which was the absolute highlight of my day. I was glad to have a stressful day end with some good friends and a good book, and some great cookies. Thanks Cami!

Something Always Happens

I completely forgot to blog about this. Last Saturday, I was really excited to go to the women's conference. We had a very busy day, but I knew it would end in a very wonderful experience. Amanda had a cross country meet. I dropped her off at the school at 11 am. She hadn't been feeling well the night before, but she told me she was fine, and wanted to go to the meet. With music lessons and other kid's activities, we were not able to go to this meet. At about 3:00 she called me to tell me she wasn't feeling well, and would I come and get her. By this time it was too late. The meet was an hour away, and her team headed home at 4:00, so it just didn't make sense. I picked her up at 5, and she was really not doing well. She said she felt like a thousand pounds was pressing on her chest. So instead of heading off to the church, I took her to nightime pediatrics. We did not get out of their until 8:30, and then had to find an open pharmacy to fill her prescription. She is back at school today, and feeling better, but now Ashley has it. They never have trouble sharing germs, but don't ask them to share their stuff.

I was bummed to miss the women's conference, especially when I found out Cami & Kellie sang. I would have loved to have heard that. I am sure it was beautiful. I always love to hear the women's conference too, so I am disappointed. I will have to wait for the dvd's to come in the mail.

Alicia's Coming

We have a girl coming to stay with us from Utah. Her name is Alicia. I have never met her. So, you ask, why is someone you have never met coming to stay with you? Here is the whole story.

I got a phone call from my sister who lives in Kanosh. She told me about Alicia. Alicia's husband is serving in Iraq with my niece's husband. My niece, Natalie, has become friends with her because their husbands are serving together. To add another twist to this, Alicia works with my brother-in-law, so he knows her also. Well, that was complicated. Alicia's husband Brad, is coming to Walter Reed for some testing. Alicia is coming out here to be with Brad. She has never been here, or anywhere on her own (I think). We have been talking over the phone for the last week, and she is very sweet. I am to be her personal driver (man I wish I had one of those) for a few days, until Brad gets here (we think sometime tomorrow, but we are not sure, because this is the military.) She flies in today.

So this is the story of how a stranger came for a visit. The end.

SCATTERGORIES

Thanks for this Cami, it was really fun to do.

*Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... *they
have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up!
Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st
initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

What is your name? Jann

4 letter word: jump

Vehicle: jeep

TV Show: Jerry Springer (No, I don't watch it, I just couldn't think of another one)

City: Jersey City

Boy Name: John

Girl Name: Jennifer

Alcoholic drink: Jello Shooters (I don't actually know what these are, but I googled alcoholic drinks, and this is what came up.)

Occupation: janiter

Something you wear: jumper

Celebrity: Jerry Seinfield

Food: jello

Something found in a bathroom: junk

Reason for Being Late: James (and that is all I will say about that)

Cartoon Character: JoJo the Clown

Something You Shout: just wait a minute!

Rockets

Ashley asked her dad if he was going to come into school to help with the rockets this year. He went last year with Amanda, and she wanted him to come. He then says, "I wonder if they have fixed the formula from last year?" I could only vaguely remember what happened last year, but he refreshed my memory. It was pretty funny, so I thought I would share.

The teachers were passing out the formula sheet that the kids were supposed to work from on the day of the rocket launch. James started looking at the formula, and realized it was wrong. He went up to the teachers and told them it was wrong. He said they looked at him like he was a knuckle head. They told him they had gotten it from NASA. He told them, then NASA was wrong. They are then really looking at him like he is an idiot. I mean, how can NASA be wrong? They said it was the same formula they used last year. James told them, then you used the wrong formula last year. The teachers then take it inside to have the math teacher take a look. A few minutes later, out they all came with the math teacher to tell James he was right, and the formula was wrong. They had made about 100 copies of the wrong formula sheet, so they just went ahead and used the wrong formula. It will be interesting to see if they have it fixed for this year.

This story reminded me of another funny math thing with James. My kids always get help with their math, if they need it, from their dad. More than one of my kids has had the following conversation with their dad.

dad: "this is how you do the problem."
kid: "this is not how my teacher told me to do it."
dad: "I promise this is the right way to do it."
kid: "dad, you must be wrong."
mom: "you do know your dad has a Ph.D. in math?"
kid: could not care less that dad has a Ph.D. Will only trust their teacher.

When this happens, it always makes me laugh.

First Day on the Job

Today was my first day back to work. I really enjoyed it, and think it will work out for me. This very cute little boy, sang Beatles songs to me during lunch. Mostly, Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

They are already talking about me working full time. The class they want me in is very physical and intensive one on one work with autistic children. I am not sure that it is for me. I am just feeling back to myself after the car accident, and it may sabotage any progress I have made. The teacher in that class said she just takes motrin everyday, and she's o.k. That does not sound like a healthy thing to do. I am hesitant to take this job. I will have to pray about this before I make the decision.

In the midst of all this, I got a phone call from my sister telling me of a young newly married girl. Her husband is in Iraq, and they are sending him to Walter Reed for some tests. She wants to come out, but isn't even old enough to rent a car without jumping through hoops. She is supposed to come tomorrow, but her husband hasn't even left Iraq yet, and he doesn't know when he will be sent here. She is going to call me tonight or early tomorrow to let me know what her plans are. So, as you can imagine, we are cleaning our house for a guest that may or may not stay here, and may or may not be here tomorrow. It is amazing how you start looking at all sorts of things like your microwave, fridge, and oven when you know someone will be coming. URG!!!!! Well, I am off to clean.

My Perfect House

Thanks for this Julia, it was really fun to play.

Your home is a Four-wheeling Magnate's Stronghold Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Find YOUR Dream Home!

Entering the Work Force

So after a fifteen year absence from the paid workforce, I am starting a job next week. I will be working for a couple of hours everyday with a kindergarten girl with special needs. It just seemed to be a good fit for me. It seemed very strange to be fingerprinted for a job, but that is what I did today. I guess it is comforting also to know that anyone working with our kids, has a background check done on them. I hope I pass.

It is a No

Well, for all you who know about this, James did not get the job. We are disappointed again, but have faith, that it is for the best. So we will be grateful for the job he does have, and I will use Mendy's tips on how to stretch our dollars.

Here's some Total Momsense

That's my Nic

I was rushing out the door to pick Amanda up after practice. Kelsie was at the door, saying she needed my help with her flashcards. I told her to ask Ashley, and that she was smart, or ask Kerrie because she is smart too, or ask Nic because he is smart also. Nic heard this, walked into the hall, took a bow, and said, "thank you, thank you very much." This made me laugh. He is mostly quiet, but every once in a while his little personality just comes out.

B & O Railroad

Today I took the cub scouts to the B & O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. I have never been there, and seeing as today was Kid's Fest, I decided to take all my kids. We really had a fabulous time, and we will go back to this museum. It is fairly small, but there are a lot of trains, and you actually get to ride on one, on the original first mile of track in the United States. I forgot my regular camera, so I snapped a few shots with my cell phone.

Viola Section Leader

Last Friday, Ashley auditioned for her position in the school orchestra. She found out on Monday that she is her section's leader. She was very excited about this. We are super proud of her for all her hard work. She is making really great progress, and it is so fun to hear her play.

It's A Mother's Job To Embarrass.

My kids are a little unhappy with me at the moment. Here is why. Last night was back to school night for grades 1-2 at Bollman Bridge. Seeing as I am the VP of PTA, and in charge of getting parents to volunteer, I devised a little skit for my family to perform. Here is how it went:

Note about costumes: Mom-mismatched shoes & curlers in hair. Amanda-Hammond cross country running uniform. Ashley-Patuxent Valley Middle School Music shirt, carrying book and backpack. Kerrie-Patuxent Valley Middle School Bulldogs shirt, carrying viola. Kelsie-Artistically dressed, carrying sketch book and colored pens. Nicolaas, soccer shorts and shirt, carrying soccer ball. Nathan-Football shirt, carrying football.

(As the door swings open, and MOM frantically herds all six kids into the cafeteria)
MOM: Hurry, we're late. Get in there. Quick.
Kerrie: Man, I can't believe she is making us do this.
Amanda: I know.
Ashley: She's crazy.
Kelsie: This is so embarrassing.
Nicolaas: (just follows, looking cute)
Nathan: I think it's going to be fun.
Mom: (comes hurrying up to the front apologizing for being late. Realizes curlers are still in hair. Takes out curlers. Turns to Ashley, digs through backpack, pulls out juggling clubs, and starts juggling.

After this I talked about how we all have very busy lives to juggle, then I dropped one of the clubs, and said, "is the one thing you want to drop, your child's education." Then I talked about the opportunities to volunteer in the school and the benefits of doing it.

Oh, did I mention, all the PTA board members were wearing T-shirts that I made? Crazy.

The funniest part is, as I was taking the kids home, I said, "we did pretty good, but I think we can do better tomorrow night." To which the kids all started yelling something to the effect of, you didn't tell us we had to do it twice. No mom, please don't make us. I just smiled and said, yep we're doing it. Tomorrow night is back to school night for grades 3-5.

Well, I don't know if this was a good way to present it or not. I do know, no one in that room will forget it, especially my kids.

Daedalus

Cami made me promise to do this post, so here it is. I went to Daedalus, during their 10% off the entire purchase sale, and went nuts. Of course, it was a very bad idea to bring Ashley and Amanda. They kept bringing me books, and it was hard to tell them no, when I did not want to. So here is the insane list of all the books I bought.

The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow (I don't know if this is any good, it just looked interesting.)
Small Island by Andrea Levy
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (I know I should have read this already, but I haven't)
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (I am reading this right now, and loving it.)
Blindness by Jose Saramago (Cami blogged about this one, so it must be good.)
Seeing by Jose Saramago
I'll Never Be Young Again by Daphne Du Maurier (This is one I bought just for a silly read. I've never read any of her books, but I'll give it a try.)

Now, the list for the kids. Brace yourself.
Aesop's Fables
Nurse Matilda, Nurse Matilda, goes to Town, & Nurse Matilda goes to Hospital by Christianna Brand
Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Bathrooms & Regarding the Trees by Kate Klise
Judy Moody, Around the World in 8 1/2 Days, by Megan McDonald
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin (My mom keeps talking about this book, so I finally bought it.)
The Silper Donkey by Sonya Hartnett
The Unicorn Treasury, by Bruce Coville
Arthur and the Forbidden City, & Arthur and the Minimoys by Luc Besson
Gnat Stokes ad the Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen by Sally M. Keehn (I could not resist the title.)
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Seeker by William Nicholson
Artemis Fowl Series: The Eternity Code, The Arctic Incident, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Ethan's Cat, Ethan's Birds, Ethan's Bike, & Ethan's Lunch by Johanna Hurwitz
Winnie Wakes up, Winnie's Walk, In and Out, & Winnie's Bedtime by Leba Schubert
Termite Eats, Termite Bounces, Termite Bites, & Termite Flies by Kathy Caple
Look At Me Fly, Flies For Lunch, Hopping Up and Down, & Tag, You're It by David Martin
Monkey Flies Away, Monkey, Watch Out!, Monkey Eats Worms by David Martin
Stink The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Jolly Roger and the Pirates of Captain Abdul by Colin McNaughton (I should have looked a little more closely at this one, it has illustrations of naked backsides. The mom was trying to clean up the dirty kids. OPPS. Nathan thought it was pretty funny.)
The Copper Braid of Shannon O'Shea by Laura Esckelson (This book is so great. Kelsie loves it, and so do I.)

That is 49 books. There may be more than that, as my kids have had their hands on them, and rounding all of them up took some time. We are really enjoying them.

I am trying to forget how much I spent. Oh well, it's for a good cause. The love of books.

Go Golden Bears!

Today is Amanda's first cross country meet. She actually will not be running, as she is still working on running three miles. She is getting there, I think she ran 1 1/2 miles at Wednesday's practice. I am really glad she is willing to even do this. You couldn't have paid me enough to run in high school. The team decided to wear their warm-up's to school today. So, of course I took pictures. Which did not turn out so well, and Amanda would not be patient for me to figure out why my camera wasn't working, but you will get the idea. Also, I guess it is Hammond High tradition, for the sports teams to dress in costume at the back to school dance, which is tonight. The cross country girls are going as bandits, and the boys are wearing togas. I guess the boys could not talk the girls into togas, so they are doing their own thing.

I am NOT a Morning Person

I have known for a long time, that mornings do not agree with me. I would much rather be in my bed. You may be laughing, as I am writing this post at 3:00 am, but there is a reason for this. Ever since I had the little stomach bug, my stomach has just not felt right, and for some strange reason, it gets worse at night. So instead of staying in bed, feeling yucky, I decided to get up and blog.

Now, what was I blogging about? Oh yes, mornings. I am the grumpiest person in the world before 9 am. My family does not like to deal me before then. This becomes particularly difficult when school is in, because they are all on the bus by 8 am, way before my being civil time. It is especially bad now with early morning seminary. Kellie I do not know how you do it, you are my hero. I usually end up feeling like a total jerk to my kids. They are probably really happy to go out the door in the mornings after encountering me. I have little or no patience when it comes to backpacks and shoes in the morning. If my kids are having trouble finding these items, I am not very happy as I help them. It usually comes along with me asking questions like, why did you not put them away? How do they get lost in so short a time? I mean you used them yesterday. And, if they have not done their homework, watch out. Morning is not the time to ask me for help with homework. I always feel guilty about this, and I am trying to work on it. It becomes humorous as I am sending them out the door, after being grumpy all morning, and saying, "have a good day, I love you." I am sure they are thinking, yeah right, you love me.

It is usually James to the rescue in the morning. He is great, when I am really bad, to just handle the whole thing on his own. He has driven Amanda to seminary everyday except two. Not really fair to him, especially since he is getting up in the night to take the puppy out to potty. I would do that, except there is something so creepy about being outside in the middle of the night. I am a totally wimp when it comes to the dark. He is my hero.

So, you have now discovered what I consider to be one of my greatest flaws. Maybe one of these days I will overcome it. Hopefully before I scar my children for life. Oh well, everyone needs something to tell their children, "you have it easy, when I was a kid, my mom would, blah, blah, blah..."

I've Been Tagged

Thanks Julia! I tag Corinne, Christie, Kellie & Tracy

Jobs I've held:
1. Mother
2. Cook
3. Maid
4. Personal Driver
5. Tutor
6. Special Educator
7. Nurse
8. Personal Assistant
9. Laundress
10. Volunteer
11. School Aid
12. Music Teacher
13. Personal Shopper
14. Decorator
15. Cheerleader
16. Motivator
17. Therapist
18. Defender

My Guilty Pleasures:
1. Reading
2. Sleeping

Places I have lived:
1. Jessup, MD
2. Riverview, FL
3. Elkridge, MD
4. Provo, UT
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Mesa, AZ
7. Phoenix, AZ
8. Queen Creek, AZ
9. Thatcher, AZ
10. St. Johns, AZ

What were likely the 1st things you thought when you saw your significant other for the first time?:
1. He is so shy.
2. He's older than me, this will not work.
3. He reminds me of my Dad.

Places I’ve Been on Vacation (in the U.S.):
1. Orlando, FL
2. Daytona Beach, FL
3. Utah
4. Arizona
5. California
6. Hawaii
7. New York City
8. Washington D.C.
9. Palmrya, NY
10. Chicago, IL
11. Cincinnati, OH
12. Kirtland, OH
13. Pensylvania
14. West Virginia
15. New Mexico

Places I've Been (out of U.S.)
1. Mexico
2. France
3. Germany
4. Austria
5. Switzerland
6. Luxembourg
7. Liechtenstein



Favorite Foods:
1. Mexican Food
2. Ice Cream
3. Chinese Food

Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Various Blogs


Nicknames I’ve been called:
1. Jannie
2. Jannie Rannie Roo
3. (the one I hated) Jannie Rannie Roo, panties full of poo (by my brother & sister
4. (the one I love most) Sweetheart

What a Surprise!

Kerrie and I went to petsmart today to pick up a few doggie items. We were walking down the main isle at the Petsmart in Columbia, when Kerrie says, "mom, there's Uncle Craig." We were walking past the bird section, and so I thought she was saying there was a bird there that looks like one of Uncle Craig's birds. When I said that she said, "no, there is Uncle Craig." I look up and sure enough, there is a picture of my brother holding a bird. It was such a surprise. I laughed, then took out my camera and took a picture of it. I kept saying I couldn't believe it. Kerrie on the other hand said, "of course mom, he's world famous." Well not quite, but he is in commercials in Arizona, it was just so unexpected to find him in Maryland. He has always loved and owned birds. He trains them, and uses them in his magic shows. Here is the picture I took of the picture of my brother. Next time you are in Petsmart in Columbia check him out at the bird cage.