Beward of 5 Year Old

So, funny little story.

Remember that when you tell things to your five-year-old, no matter what it is, they might actually repeat it to someone else.

Josh was telling me how impressed he was with his brother Joe, who had learned a magic trick at scouts.

Josh thought it was pretty cool that his brother could do magic. So, I told Josh that I also could do a magic trick.

His eyes got really BIG, and he said, "Is it a card trick?"

I said, "Nope. It's better."

"I can make an entire hamburger disappear, completely."

"Wow," he said. "Can you make it reappear?"

"No, but that's part of the trick."

"Awesome!" he says.

Man, I LOVE 5 year olds!

So, I go on my merry way and don't think another thing of it, until Tamee brings Josh home from a playdate and says, "Hey, I heard a funny story."

Yep.

Josh retold the hamburger story, and of course emphasized the part where at the end of the trick, there isn't ANY hamburger left...not even one bite!

And on a completely unrelated note, since so many of my friends are OBSESSED with saving money while shopping, I just had to talk about my "Deal of the Day".

We got $11.34 worth of Baskin Robbins ice cream for $1.86. I love 31 cent day! Woo hoo.

Antidote to a Crappy Day

Still having a crappy day.

No big deal. I figure Troy has been gone on and off for the last five weeks...and as we near the home stretch, I'm done.

I guess the ideal situation would have been for him to be done at the same time as I was...but oh well. Top ramen for three days in a row won't hurt anyone, right?

Anyway, as you are aware, I have a little (itty bitty, really tiny) blogging obession.

One of the blogs that I like to ready is Becky Higgins. She is scrapbooking legend and I have been a fan FOR YEARS!

She had a giveaway on her blog a few days ago which I entered and won!

Woo hoo.

Here's all my goodies.


So, we'll just say the day is a little less crappy now.

Grrrr.

That's it.

Just grrrr.

In The News

So, there is this story in Newsweek about a woman from New York City who let her 9 year old son ride the subway home, alone.

The woman is a writer, and she wrote about the experience in her column. She was TOTALLY unprepared for the wave of critism she recieved for allowing him to do it.

She also got quite a bit of support from people who think that parents are TOO over protective and that we need to give our kids a little more freedom.

It seems like we all have this conversation periodically about what life was like when we were young and how different it is now...When I was 10, I used to walk my little brother home from school and take care of him until my parents got home.

During the summers, I could ride my bike all over and generally spend hours away from home (without the ubiquitous cell phone for my parents to keep tabs on me). I even used to ride the bus from my house to the beach and back.

I have been thinking that this world that we are raising our children in is SO much different than when we were kids...but is it really?

The Newsweek article says:

Nationwide, stranger abductions are extremely rare; there's a one-in-a-million chance a child will be taken by a stranger, according to the Justice Department.

90 percent of sexual abuse cases are committed by someone the child knows.

Mortality rates from all causes, including disease and accidents, for American children are lower now than they were 25 years ago.

So again, it makes we wonder. Is it really more dangerous? Or are we just more paranoid?

In a world of 24 hours news, that's a lot of air time to fill... and it seems like they choose to fill it with the horrible...and I am not saying that bad things don't happen, and wouldn't it be awful is it was your child that the bad thing happened to...

BUT is it worth putting our children in a bubble in order to make sure that NOTHING bad ever happens?

I think the reality is that bad stuff is going to happen. And the best way to help our children isn't to make sure that they NEVER experience these things, but that they are prepared and confident enough to deal with it.

The woman in the article started a blog called Free Range Kids to dicuss these topics, and one of the comments made was about priorities. "My #1 job is NOT to keep my children “safe” (whatever that means). My #1 job is to prepare my children to be happy, healthy, contributing members of our society. This means that I will always choose “training for life, with some risk” as ok, whereas [others] will choose “keep them safe, even if they miss a life lesson.”

I think I want that too. I mean, I DO want my children to be safe (and I would ALWAYS choose that NOTHING bad EVER happen), but I also want them to have freedom and the opportunity to fall down and pick themselves up again. I guess the bottom line is, I need to find the balance between letting them live their lives and being TOO over protective.

30 Things I Love About Denise

[If you haven't already guessed it from the title -- this is Troy writing. Denise has asked me for some time to guest blog, and so (as I leave for a week again on business to Spain later today), I thought I'd surprise her and publish this before she gets back from running errands. This is my first (and maybe my last) blog post, so don't get your hopes up that you'll be hearing more from me in the future (but you're probably thinking that this is a good thing). If I was more technologically sophisticated, I'd publish a picture of her....but then I'd be pushing it, and publishing a pic might just cause her to take this post down.]

To start with the obvious, I love Denise because:

* She has an unwavering testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ;
* She's beautiful (and sexy!);
* She's smart (much smarter than I!);
* She's passionate about life, which I find very attractive;
* She's loyal, to a fault, to her friends;
* She's service-oriented;
* Once in a while, she has been known to tease;
* She's a great cook;
* She tells it like it is (if you've ever been on the receiving end, you know what I mean);
* She's a wonderful mother, and our kids don't realize how fortunate they are (I, too, take her for granted far too often....);
* She's very funny;
* She's very crafty (And I don't mean sneaky, either); and
* She's a fabulous wife in all the right ways.

And maybe a few things you didn't know (or maybe you did). I also love Denise because:

* If she was extremely tired and had to choose between (i) staying up late with some friends (or finishing some project) and (ii) going to bed to get some rest, she'd definitely choose the former;
* She likes to sleep in;
* She has a very special relationship with and close affinity towards Coke Zero (good thing for me that I'm not the jealous type);
* She's an awesome writer (having been published in the Washington Post);
* She likes to stay current on news about celebrities by reading People Magazine and watching ET (and I don't mean the movie about the extra terrestrial) or Access Hollywood (I guess we're all allowed one vice.......);
* At times, but only very rarely, she can be a bit competitive ;-)
* She's a wonderful seamstress;
* She oftentimes can't seem to locate a trash can in the house (don't ask; but I try to remind myself that it's endearing);
* She is emotionally grounded, experiencing very deep feelings;
* She can hold her own in an argument (although we've NEVER argued in our marriage :-), but I've heard this is true about her);
* She likes to swim;
* She likes to fish;
* She has a penchant for picking up phrases her girlfriends use (such as "TMI") and using them in her conversations with me;
* Although she enjoys new clothes as much as the next woman, she'll forgo expensive outfits for herself so that I can have a new business suit;
* She ownes about 1,000 stamps (and, no, she's not a philatelist) and every other imaginable scrapbooking supply (Who knew circle cutters were so important?);
* She's a talented, budding photographer; and
* She loves me.

Denise, I Love you.

[Well, that's all I can think of, off the top of my head, although I know there are many other reasons. Am I a lucky guy, or what?!?!?!?]

[P.S. I think I figured out how to post a pic, but I don't know how long she'll leave this up because it's the only picture I could quickly find of her:]

ETA: Photo deleted by blog owner (That would be me!). Grrr.

The ABC's ala Becky

So, the one thing that I love about blogging, is that I record the little stuff that I used to just let pass me by.

Becky has been singing the ABC's. I love it.




Her version is:

ABCD "esh" FG, HI "KK" "MNM" OP, QRS, TUV, WXY & Z. Now you know my ABCs. Next time won't you come with me?

Isn't it awesome? And the only sad thing is, that I didn't do it for the other kids!

And this is the scrapbook page I did with it.

Fighting the Good Fight

So, for those of you who have met the youngest member of our family, you know that she is SUPER independent (big shock) and already wants to do as much for herself as she can (just like all her brothers and sisters)!

Unfortunately, this even includes feeding herself. She will not allow herself to be fed with a spoon, or even have things placed in her mouth.

If you put something into her mouth, she will spit it out and put it back in herself. She just HAS TO do it by herself!

Well, as you have seen, this can get messy.

So, with a mother that continues to persevere, we found one more food she likes AND the first one that she will take from a spoon...yogurt.

Yea me!

Katie is very pleased with herself, as am I!

I'm a Crafty One!

I went to craft group again last night. This time it was paper topiaries.

I really like mind turned out. I am planning a wall grouping over the fireplace that is going to be brown and green, so I wanted to bring a little more green into the room.

It's crazy...I have spent the last three years HATING the green in my family room, and now I am brining it back...although just a little!

Just Six Words

There is a new book out about people who have written their memoirs in just six words.

It's so funny.

Some of my favorites were:

Extremely responsible. Secretly longed for spontaneity.

I'm my mother and I'm fine.

I peaked in the sixth grade.

I thought it would be fun to write my own.

Somehow, they all seem to revolve around my kids. Mine were:

My kids made me do it.

And

Had six kids. Lost my mind.

or is it?

Lost my mind. Had six kids.

But seriously, how about:

More blessings than I can count.

What would your six words be?

Perfect Korean Baby

So, my sweet Katie is the perfect baby. Of course.

AND, she is also perfectly Korean, with her tiny little feet. (Or as Melanie would say, her freakishly small feet.)

At 10 months old, she has FINALLY grown into her size 1 shoes! Yea.

My cute Korean grandma has tiny little feet and she is only 4 feet 10 inches. Oh, I hope Katie is taller than that!

Wiser Than Me

If you do not know where you want to go,

it doesn't matter which path you take.

Thomas S. Monson

Look Out World

Katie is on the move.

She crawls all over, and had figured out how to climb up the step from the family room to the kitchen. It's only a matter of time before she figures out that there are other stairs in the house. Ugh.






The cutest thing is that she has figured out that she can watch the kids in the basement...it's her favorite thing to crawl over there and watch.

She has also figure out how to stand up and even cruise a little big. Double ugh.

My favorite thing is watching her Dad try to get her to say Dada. Without fail, EVERY TIME, she says Mama.

I love it!

Sunday Musings

Today's lesson in Relief Society was on the priesthood.

It was an excellent lesson.

I have a testimony of the power of the priesthood, and I am really grateful that my husband is such an honorable man and takes his responsibilities seriously.

At the same time, I don't know if I have a good explanation for people not in the church about why only men have the priesthood.

I know for myself that this is what God wants, and I don't have a problem with it, but is that enough of an explanation for others? (I say this in the context of answering questions about the church that I have recieved, and not for any personal need to understand why it's so.)

I am grateful for the gospel and the restoration of priesthood power. I am also extremely grateful for personal revelation and prayer.

On a side note, Troy had a wonderful trip to Poland, the country where he served his mission. It has been many years since he had been back and he got to visit with many people that he worked with as a missionary.

I have been trying to get Troy to write a little something up for the blog, but he hasn't had a lot of spare time...but I did want to share one thing.

One of he people that he was able to see was a girl that he had baptized while on his mission. She is doing REALLY well and currently serves as both the Relief Society President and the seminary teacher (holy cow!).

She is also engaged to be married to another member, which from what Troy tells me doesn't happen very often, and they are getting married in the temple!

She is really a wonderful person, and I know that Troy feels deeply privileged to have taught and baptized her.

Well, she has also been asked by the Church to help re-translate the standard works into Polish! What an amazing undertaking! And how great that Troy got to play a small part in that. (It's the priesthood in action!)

Duct Tape Can Fix Anything?

So, after breaking the temple of her glasses and one of the nose pieces off, her Dad finally said that Mikayla could get new glasses.

Well, actually, he told her to use duct tape and Mom took her out to buy new glasses, but Dad is on board now.

Here they are.

It's All Good

Well, everything went GREAT today.

We got to the surgery center at 6:30 a.m.

We signed in and got Katie dressed in this cute baby hospital gown.

We signed our lives away, filling out a million forms, and then Katie was taken back for surgery at 8:00 a.m.

I got to be with her until she fell asleep, then they sent me back to the waiting room through a maze of corridors.

By the time I wound my way back, it was over and the doctor was coming out to tell us that it couldn't have gone better. Yea.

Katie was a great patient, and NEVER even cried, not once!

Hopefully she will continue to get better and start sleeping. We are looking forward to that!

And just for kicks, a little Troyism:

As we were leaving the nurse asked us if Katie was always such a good natured baby.

We told her that she was. It's hard not to be mellow when you are the youngest of six!

So we got to talking about having babies and whatnot, and Troy says, "Yeah, I didn't recover as quickly from this baby as I had from the others."

That just cracked me up!

Say a Prayer

So tomorrow is the big day. Tubes.

It's funny. We went to see the ENT six weeks ago and Katie had fluid behind the ear drums at that visit.

Shortly afterward, I think the fluid FINALLY drained and she seemed to being doing much better.

I ALMOST cancelled the surgery, thinking maybe I had jumped the gun, or was putting her through something she didn't need to go through.

But, I REALLY felt like this was the right thing to do, and sure enough, when she went in from her pre-op exam yesterday, she had fluid behind the ear drums AGAIN. And I know that it really bothers her, and she still isn't sleeping well (so I am REALLY hoping this helps with the sleeping issues too!)

Anyway, it made me grateful that I was listening to the promptings I was getting and especially grateful that I DIDN'T cancel the operation, since her surgeon is REALLY GOOD, and booked for six weeks solid!

So, just for a little background:

People get tubes (also known as PEs or pressure equalizing tubes) to allow air to get into the ear space behind the eardrum. Air is needed in this space to
allow the eardrum to move. Normally the Eustachian tube at the back of the throat does this, but in many children, the Eustachian tube is immature, or temporarily not built right, preventing the air from getting into the middle ear.

If there is no air in the ear, either fluid builds up, or infections start, or both. With the buildup of fluid or infection, hearing can be affected, either temporarily or permanently. If medicines have not worked, PE tubes can prevent these problems.

The actual procedure is called a bilateral myringotomy with tubes. This just means that she is going to have a tube place in each ear.

During the procedure, Katie will be placed under general anesthesia. She must be perfectly still during the operation, so, in order to keep her still and prevent her from feeling pain during the procedure, they put her to sleep.

The surgeon will use a microscope and cut a small incision in the ear drum. The fluid behind the ear drum will then be drained.

The surgeon will then insert the tube in the ear drum. The tubes is the size of a grain of rice.

Then, it's over. The whole procedure only takes about 10 minutes.

So really, nothing too serious. But you always worry a little whenever your children have to go through anything like this.

So keep Katie in your prayers and we will give an update tomorrow.

Surprise!

We are all very excited that Troy is coming home today!

As a surprise, this time, I cleaned his office for him. (I know, I need to stop doing projects -- so he will stop going away...but I just can't help myself.)

I wish that I had taken before photos, but just to give you an idea...if you have ever been to our house, you would be surprised to learn that there is ACTUALLY carpet in the office.

We had the bookshelves before, they just weren't organized. And I chose the short ones so that I could continue to add art work up there. I am excited to get something from each of the kids up there.

All in all, I think it looks pretty good.

ETA: Troy's first comment on seeing his "new" office: "Oh, crap. I'm never going to be able to find anything."

She's In Love

Well, my funny, sweet baby is in love...with her grandpa!

Katie has been such a great baby, but she has a little stranger anxiety, and she prefers her mom to everyone else.

But all that has changed...she wants Grandpa...and it is so funny!

She crawls to him, she smiles for him, and she cries for him when he leaves the room.

She even snuggles him (which she won't even do for me!).

Of course, she has also abused him considerably, pulling on his nose, scratching his face, and punching him in the eye.

Love, ain't it grand?

On a related note, tonight we were having dessert and Becky dropped a piece of cake on the floor.

Well, just like a little puppy dog, Katie was wandering under the table and she pounced on that piece of cake!

For a little girl that doesn't really like to eat, she went to town on the cake!

When her grandpa saw her, he said, "What do you have?"

She looked at him and stuffed the ENTIRE piece of cake in her mouth before he could get it away from her.

So, apparently, she DOES like to eat. Only, she likes to eat CAKE.

Oh well.

The Bluebell Trail

We are enjoying Grandma Kay and Grandpa Joe's visit.

It has been so much fun!

Today, we took some time today to walk the blue bell trail, and it was awesome!

Are you cozy?

We are having fun with Grandma Kay and Grandpa Joe. Everyone is loving having them here.

Tonight, the girls were snuggled with Grandma to watch TV.

Grandpa said, "Are you cozy?"

And the reply?

"No, I'm Becky."

Yes you are.

And from Joshy:

While visiting Grandma and Grandpa's motorhome, he had to go to the bathroom.

Josh said, "I can't see."

Grandpa said, "Well, turn on the light."

Josh said, "I don't know which one turns on the light."

Granpa said, "Well, read the sign."

To which Josh replied, "I CAN'T read. I'm still learning."

Aren't we all?

The Human Vacuum

So Katie is now mobile, must to my dismay.

There is something to be said for putting your kid on the floor and knowing that when you come back they will still be right where you left them.

Now, my problem is keeping track of the human vacuum we like to call Katie.




She is also now pulling herself up on stuff and climbing in things.

Oh the joy.

No really, it IS fun to see her growing and passing new milestones, but it is a heck of lot harder to child proof when you have five other people in the house without the sense to pick up after themselves!

Do you know where your kids are?

Probably at my house.

Okay. I'm kidding. Sort of.

I mean, it IS Friday night. So what are we doing here?

Why, a sleepover, of course!

So, after last weekend I am sure that you thought I was going to swear off sleepovers for good...and I had.

But Mikayla's good friend Katie is moving away so we had a little farewell party.

Only four girls, all 10 and older, so it was a piece of cake. Just dinner and a movie. And we also made these nightshirts that the girls each wrote on.

And the best part of the night?

...my mom and dad came into town yesterday and took the other kids (except the baby) for a little camp out. (Grandparents rock!)

So, we survived.

And I am NOW officially swearing off sleepovers for a good long time!

Martha, Eat Your Heart Out

So, I have FINALLY completed my photo wall...that I have wanted to do the ENTIRE time that we have lived in this house, but couldn't bring myself to do because I HATED my green walls.

I printed them all with a sepia tone so that they would be cohesive. I took a lot of the photos, and then collected some others that I love.

There are:

a couple of photos from Katie,
a couple from Naomi (our regular babysitter),
one from Anne,
one from the Washington Post,
a four generation picture of me, my mom, my grandma, and my girls,
and some old photos,
including both our parents' wedding photos,
a baby picture of Troy and one of me,
and our wedding photo.

And there are also two signs,
one that says family,
and one that says familis are forever.

I have one more family sign, but I am not quite done paiting it yet.

And I love it!

What do you think?

Heavy Metal 101

So, my daughter is head banger.

No, not the heavy metal, AC/DC type of head banger.

What I mean is, Katie cruises around using her little arms and her little legs, but when she needs one more appendage to turn or move in some unusual fashion, she uses her head...literally. And without fail, every SINGLE time she does it, she bangs her head on the ground first!

Consequently, she has little bruises on her forehead...you know, the kind your kid ALWAYS gets the morning of the family picture?

I am not sure what to do about this. She isn't really hurting herself, and she does seem to be getting better.

But, just in case, in preparation for her future career as the lead singer for Black Sabbath, we are excited that she has at least perfected the requisite hair do.

Husband? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Husband

Well, the dryer wasn't all the way back up to speed after Rob's valient attempt to clear the birds out of the vent.

So, what's a girl to do? Call a repair man? Wait patiently for her husband?

Hello!

No. You find the ratchet set and take the dryer apart of course!

And what did I find?

Lint. (Silly.)

And of course when I cleaned out the dryer hose...there was about a pound of lint in there too!

Note to self: in the future, count the screws you take from the INSIDE of the machine and make sure they are all back in place BEFORE you put it back together.

And, I know you are dying to know...yes, the dryer is working again.

Warning: the rest of this is unrelated poop TMI. Read at your own risk. (Aimee. I was thinking of you.)

P.S. The thing I really wanted to post about was why we ONLY have poop incidents when Troy is out of the country.

I mean, really, couldn't somebody have a poop problem when the man is home?

And honestly, I don't know which is worse, cleaning poop out of someone's underwear, or off the floor. Eww.

Let's just say, I am also on the list of people that Troy has to take out to dinner when he gets home.

Move Over Picasso

So here is Emma's masterpiece that was chosen for the county art show.

She made it entirely at school, so I didn't get to see it before it was selected.

I am amazed.

Good Husbands

So Troy is out of town, AGAIN!

And my dryer wasn't working right...it was taking three cycles to get one load of laundry dry...and we don't have time for that here. Laundry for 8 takes constant vigilance!

So, because I have a problem with heights and ladders and the dryer vent is two stories up, kind Andrea lent me her good husband Rob to come and get the bird's nest out of my dryer vent.

Well, three birds nests and two ACTUAL birds later...let's hope that does the trick! (Again, good thing it was Rob up there becuase when those birds flew out of the vent I just about had a heart attack...and I was on the ground! I would have fallen off the ladder FOR SURE!)

And in the mean time, one more couple for Troy to take out to dinner when he gets back!

Science Fair, Part 2

So, the end result of all the gripping about the science fair was that Mikayla got an A on her project and took second place.

So, the moral of the story is, even when the mom thinks this is all a pain, the daughter rises to the occasion and does her best!

Go Mikayla.

True Confessions

So here's my true confession.

I don't really enjoy listening to conference.

I have a hard time concentrating (or even hearing) with the children banging around and talking...and even when they are being good and paying attention it still sounds like a herd of elephants!

But I LOVE getting the conference issue of the Ensign. I look forward to its arrival and the opportunity to really study what was said.

I am, however, glad that I got the opportunity to listen to President Monson. I really feel like I was blessed to know for myself that he is the man that is supposed to lead the Church...and I am grateful for that witness.

And I am also grateful for both Elder Bednar and Elder Ballard's talks. Each conference talk that Elder Bednar has given since becoming an apostle has spoked directly to me...and what mom with little kids wouldn't LOVE all that Elder Ballard had to say?

So, even if I have a hard time listening to conference, I am still grateful for it...and for all the opportunities that we have to be instructed by servants of the Lord!

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

It's over. And I survived (as did everyone else).

We took Joe and his friends to see Horton Hears a Who.

They were all very good...and I have to say...in this instance, boys are WAY easier than girls (It's not EVEN close)!

What Was I Thinking?

So, a sleepover with 14 little girls definitely falls into the what was I thinking category!

We had a Hannah Montana party complete with dancing, singing, LOTS of junk food, and of course Hannah Montana videos.

Fun was had by all.

But thank goodness it's over! And thank goodness for Joe who just wants to go to the movies with a few friends.

Double the Trouble, Double the Fun

So the twins are 9 today!

I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday we were taking these two little squirts home from the hospital (Can you believe that they were 4 and 5 pounds when they were born?).

So, in honor of their birthday...9 things you may or may not know about them.

Emma

1. She giggles...ALL THE TIME...about everything. It's hilarious.

2. She LOVES monkeys...especially Curious George.

3. She is a fantastic artist. She was just chosen to be in a county art show...only one of a handful of kids in the school.

4. She is very nurturing. She loves to take care of people and is very kind.

5. She is 3 WHOLE minutes older than Joe, and makes sure that you NEVER forget that makes her the oldest twin!

6. She is incredibly ticklish. You don't even have to actually tickle her...just the thought freaks her out!

7. She has had more cavities than everyone else in the family combined! (The enamel of her teeth has been damaged by all the high fevers she had when she was little.)

8. She is a compulsive organizer. Everything has to be just so...it's amazing!

9. She wants to be an artist or an actress when she grows up.

Joe

1. He is happy ALL THE TIME! He is a very optimistic and good natured person (just like his dad!)

2. He is generous to a fault!

3. He loves scouts. He slept with his scout book for quite some time.

4. He loves video games. He would play ALL DAY and ALL NIGHT if you let him.

5. He loves Superman and Scooby Doo. He carries a photo of himself and Scooby and Shaggy, so if he should ever meet them again he can tell them that he is their NUMBER ONE fan!

6. He is very tender hearted and hates for anyone to be sad.

7. He has had more stitches than everyone else in the family combined.

8. He has the appetite of a grown man. Watch your food when he's around.

9. His most embarassing moment comes every time he is reminded that his sisters once dressed him up as a girl. Ack!

So, Joe and Emma, Happy Birthday. We love you.

New and Improved

So, here's the family room all put back together.

I love it.

Not So Divine Design

Apparently, I'm on a home improvement roll.

Becky was trying to get her coat out of the coat closet, and pulled the shelf and rod all the way down...it was a little scary to hear the HUGE crash (the 72 hour kits were one the shelf!), but luckily she was okay.

So, while I don't have a before of the closet, here's the after. There used to be just one shelf and now there are two! One for big people and one for little people. (And I would like to say that this job required me to cut metal...my first time...and I still have ALL my fingers. Yea me.)



And...in related news...Becky has decided she needs a home decorating job of her own...so here is her first attempt on the sunroom door, with some glue and the brand new family photo Troy's mom just sent us...grrr...

No Pain, No Gain

So, I have blisters on my hand and I can't lift my arms up above my head...but I also have a family room I now LOVE...so TOTALLY worth it, right?






I have hated the green in my family room the ENTIRE time that we have lived in this house...but with two stories to paint...and NO WAY in heck I could get Troy to shell out the 1500 bucks the painters wanted for the job...it didn't look like it was going to happen.

But then...my GOOD friends Anne and Ben came and helped me paint the room as a surprise for Troy while he was in Poland...so, on Saturday night they came and helped me get part of the dark brown on the lower half of the room and the tan up on the four feet by the ceiling.



I just have to say, as I finished up the room, climbing the ladder was SCARY. I went up once and just stood there petrified...so I came down to collect myself and read a post by Hilary about "putting on our big girl panties" and doing what needs to be done...and I got back up on the ladder to finish. So thanks for that Hill. And thanks to you Ben, because there is no way I could have climbed to the TOP of that ladder, let alone tried to paint something when I finally got there! (BTW, dinner's on Troy...so let's pick a night!)

Of course, I didn't get it done before Troy came home (since his trip was cut short) but it was well on its way...and Troy even helped me get a coat of the tan up.

The room isn't all the way put back together, but I was too excited to wait. Now, I can't wait to get it decorated!

Pottery Barn Chic, K-Mart Price

So Andrea hosted a little craft group last night.

It was REALLY fun, and look what I made!

Best part? All it cost was $3.00 and one evening of fun with the girls.

I am making a set of three, including one more dog and one with bones. It's going to be so cute in the boys' room!

Too Smart For Me

I am sorry to rant about school again, but I guess after every big project one of the kids completes, I HAVE to ask, WHAT IS THE SCHOOL THINKING?

Mikayla completed her science fair project, and I thought that she did a really good job.

But, in addition to the scince fair board, she also had to complete a research paper...which, when finished was 13 pages LONG! It included a title page, a table of contents, project information, a scientific research paper, a data table, a graph, and a bibliography. HOLY CRAP!

Is it just me? Or does this seem a little much for the 5th GRADE!

I just don't remember doing ANYTHING like this when I was that age...when did I even start to do stuff like this, maybe 9th grade?

She worked on her project for a month.

I am REALLY proud of her...but I am also worried about the future...I know that this is just the beginning! What am I going to do when she KNOWS more than I do, and I can no longer help her when she has questions about her homework?

At this rate, that might be next year!

J-E-L-L-O

So, we have FINALLY found a food that Katie LOVES!

Jello.

While I am excited to find a food that she really enjoys, just a little word of caution...

If you let your baby feed themselves RED jello (because of course, she REFUSES to eat anything from a spoon), remember, her hands, her face, and any other part of her body that she touchs while eating the jello (not to mention her clothes and the high chair) will all be STAINED red...for a while...EVEN after a bath.