GRRRR! con't.

Apparently, we have one more thing that's in need of repair or replacement. Stephen walked out the front door and called back for the step ladder. Then called back never mind it's not fixable. Our tree broke right in half. This tree is tied and supported everywhere and still split. So much for that big shade tree plan. We're going to cut off the top and hope that the remaining trunk will sprout something that will eventually look like a tree again. Craziest part, there were no monsoon storms or wind today. It was just calm and hot. Hey, maybe it's just wilted from the heat and some water will perk it back up. {;-D














It does add a lovely touch to the front yard don't you think? I was really looking forward to the shade we were going to have next year. That'll teach me, you can't count your chickens before they hatch.

GRRRR!

Lincoln is in that stage that he wants to be held or upright all the time; time for the jumper. It's HOT, HOT, HOT, I just couldn't hold him anymore. I'm jealous that he can be naked and look so dang cute! I got the little light music thing opened and put batteries in it. IT DIDN'T WORK. I was so annoyed...as you will soon see we have a lot of broken things around here right now, I thought this was going to be one more thing to add to my list. I let out a grrr and tried again, it started working that time. The darn thing knew I was too hot to be messed with. Lincoln loves the little jumper thing! I'm glad to have something fun for him to use.


This is our lovely living room ceiling fan. Looks nice doesn't it? Except it ALWAYS quits working during the monsoon. You know that nice time of year when you really need a ceiling fan. You maybe thinking just adjust the air conditioner to compensate. I would love to do that...oh, but wait....I only have a swamp cooler, a 30 year old swamp cooler. It's pretty worthless during this time of year which is why this thing shorting out right now bugs me so much. On a side note I noticed spaghetti sauce on the inside of the light cover this morning. It's on Gabriel's side of the table, he said Dad did it. Hmmmm, sounds suspicious. The best part is the light shorts out too, which means we have no working light in this room till the humidity goes below 10%. I sure hope it starts raining on our side of town soon, I could use a break from the sunny, humid heat.

Stephen says I can't post this picture because you can see how dirty the fan is and THAT'S embarrassing. The ceilings are really high and the last time I climbed up to clean it I almost broke my neck, so now it's a man job ie. Stephen's job. He's a busy guy and only gets to it once a year; so you have to love me anyway. This fan works, actually it is on high in this picture. My impressive little camera, whose battery only holds a charge for half a day, yep one more thing that is broken, took this. This is our kitchen fan. I enjoy the air it moves in the hot kitchen, however, the CONSTANT squeeking drives me bonkers. TOO much noise....kids crying, fans squeeking, dogs barking, the little window AC blowing for dear life, noisy toys...I just might have to be committed by the end of the summer. The two fans have been on our replace list for several years now. Every time we think we can go get new ones something else breaks, like a toilet or the pipe in Gabriel's wall, or the duct work for the worthless cooler disintegrates in the attic, so every year the squeaky thing runs day and night with not a second of rest.

Meet Ameda, she's my pump. We've spent many hot days, and freezing mornings together. She joined our family at the same time Gabriel did. I knew I only had 12 weeks off after his birth and was bound and determined he got nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months of his life. That meant I needed to get a serious stock pile of milk put back. She worked hard to make sure he had all the milk he'd need. I would pump 8 ounces out of each side every morning then nurse the rest of the day. When Garrett came along timing was much better. I took off an entire semester and had summer break so he was almost 6 months when I went back to work. Ameda and I only spent a few hours together that time. Lincoln's birth had similar great timing, but circumstances are VERY different this time around. I've had to start picking up work when it was available much earlier than I wanted. Out came Ameda to get a stock pile for Lincoln. My little of stock milk was almost ready; then I planned to cut back and just replenish it as needed. I'd finished 5 ounces of a 6 ounce bag when Ameda just quit. I couldn't believe it, we paid a sizable amount for her and she just quit. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now, but we'll have to come up with something. We're watching for a really cheap used one that I can cannibalize the motor from. Grrrr!

This is our swing, well kind of. When Gabriel and Arianna were born we got a swing, they got a swing, and my mom got a swing. Our swing did well with Gabriel and Garrett, then it was time to bring it out for Lincoln. It wouldn't work. We borrowed my mom's, it didn't work. So, we borrowed the third one. It finally worked, but is only crippling along at this point.

Not pictured is the infant bathtub that cracked after only two babies and had to be replaced. Luckily we found one at a yard sale for 3 bucks.

I've uncovered a conspiracy....the baby equipment makers make everything well enough to last for two kids and no more. That way you have to replace it! If this stuff had all quit when Garrett was a baby I could've replaced it and still have good stuff for Lincoln. Now we're tight and I'm just down right irritated about haveing to figure out a way to replace it all. Grrrr! Graco, Evenflo, and Fisher Price I'm on to ya....I know your sneaky plan.

Gabriel

Gabriel was assigned to give the scripture and closing prayer in primary a couple weeks ago. I'm a slacker mom and didn't do anything about it till Sunday morning during breakfast. He could've easily memorized it....if I'd started working with him sooner.

Anyway, while we were eating I told him that he had the scripture at the end of primary and Dad would help him find a good one after breakfast. Yeah, I volunteered Stephen to do the work. :D Gabriel looked at me with pure excitement on his face and said, "Oh, I want to do a camping scripture!" Funny thing is we could've used something like he dwelt in a tent, but the theme was how prayer blesses our families. He was a little disappointed but took it well. Then I asked if he wanted Mom or Dad to help him say it. His immediate response, "Dad because I like him better." Such a sweeheart....I'll be back in his good graces as soon as he gets in trouble with dad.

Stephen found 3 Nephi 18:21 "Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed." Gabriel immediately requested his own scriptures to read it out of. We pulled out one of our little Book of Mormons and let him put it in his spiderman bag he was given after the last primary program. He was SOOO excited, he carried it all over the house, slept with it at quiet time, tried to take a bath with it, and was very proud to pull it out at the end of primary and "read" his scripture with the help of Dad. You know that Dad he likes better. ;p

The picture is when he ran into our bedroom and put his little Book of Mormon (the blue thing by Lincoln's head) in Lincoln's cradle to share with him. He told Lincoln all about his new scriptures and that he was going to say the prayer in primary. Lincoln was happy for an entertaining face to look and smile at. I sure enjoy his happy, sweet, cooperative times; it helps when we are in the midst of the "other" times. I pray that someday we'll be able to have consistantly more of the happy, sweet, cooperative times. I know and get glimpses of the most tender hearted little person inside...HOW DO I PULL THAT SWEET KID OUT AND KEEP HIM OUT?? He sure does a good job of helping his brothers expend energy....cute kid!

Garrett

I just love Garrett's hair in this picture, we were getting ready for Church. I feel a lot like this by the time we finally get to Church on most Sundays. The saddest part is our block doesn't start till 1 p.m. and we're lucky to get there right on time or a little late. I sure hope we can make it at all when we're on the early schedule.











Funny Garrett story:
One night I was in the family room nursing while all the big boys were eating dinner. Stephen was getting run to death fetching juice, spoons, napkins, and what ever else our pampered little princes felt they needed. Everyone was finally set and eating, this is what I hear...

Garrett: Hers is touching her big weenie!
I'm thinking what the heck did he say?
Garrett: Hers is touching her big weenie!
Stephen: Don't talk about weenies at the table. I'm thinking what the ?!?
(Very loud) Hers is touching her big weenie!
Me: What the heck is he talking about?
Stephen to me: I don't know...weenies.
Stephen to Garrett: What are you talking about?
Garrett: Hers weenie.
Stephen: Where?
Garrett: On the "pee-yan-o"
Stephen: (laughing pretty hard) That's a drum buddy, NOT a weenie. We don't touch weenies.

The inner workings of this kid's brain are so unpredictable.

Lincoln

Tummy Time

Lincoln has been rolling for several weeks now....the time of putting him somewhere and finding him somewhere else is nearing. He manages to squirm all over the place now. He's so anxious to be mobile and get into everything that his brothers are getting into.

I love his round, bald little noggin'. Sometimes he'll just look at ya out of the corner of his eye; when you look over he'll give you the hugest smile ever.


We have a random combo of cameras right now and my pictures are more of a disaster than ever. Hopefully someday I can get them organized enough to get better pictures put up. You know in all that spare time I eat my bon bons and drink Perrier maybe I'll work on pictures. {;-D

Literate?

Last night I noticed that the zucchini we had left from our Bountiful Basket had to be eaten right away. I like to eat it, Stephen will eat 4 or 5 slices and it's always a battle with the kids, so we really needed very little for dinner. I had Stephen google zucchini banana bread, so our last 2 bananas could be used too. I shredded too much zucchini for the recipe...just double it, right?? We borrowed an extra bread pan from my mom because we only have one. (When we got married I told Stephen we didn't need any bread pans because I don't bake bread and don't intend on ever doing it! He questioned this and ended up being right, after I realized banana bread is easy enough to merit ONE pan.) So, I'm getting it all together thinking that I'm doubling the recipe, then I notice the bottom of the recipe calls for 2 pans. GRRRRR! I thought I was literate, but obviously not. Apparently, I'm quadrupling it.
Poor Stephen was trying to eat dinner, but instead, had to go get 2 more bread pans from my mom's house. The whole time I was hoping the family would like it. If it turned out gross I wasn't really very excited about eating 4 loaves by myself. Good news, it turned out fine and Garrett was the only one that pitched a fit about eating it. Big surprise Garrett once again refused to eat what was served. TOO BAD eat it anyway kid! Once he noticed I'd added a few mini (SOY FREE) chocolate chips he was sold. Stubborn kid...I think he gets it from his Daddy.

After I got over being anoyed with myself I remembered an activity in 4th grade that was kinda like this. We had a whole lesson about reading over an entire paper or test so you know what you need to do. Later, my teacher passed out a "quiz" that was timed. She reminded us about what we'd been learning and started the timer. All the questions were really easy so I was tearing throughl the answers. The very last "question" said "Do not answer any of the questions just set your pencil down and wait for the time to end." At that very moment I figured out how the 2 or 3 kids that finished in 2 seconds did it. I was annoyed that time too....obviously not annoyed enough to implement what I'd learned though.

1 1/4 of the loaves have already been eaten. Guess we'll save the recipe and try to follow the directions next time.

Boys and Their Trucks

This is courtesy of Stephen, we both laughed out loud. When we found it, we were car shopping and seriously considering one of the cars mentioned below. I heard him laughing in the other room last night....he had re-discovered it. Enjoy...


Truck ads: Like a crock

BY DAVE BARRY

(This classic Dave Barry column was originally published Dec. 21, 2003.)

Let's say you're a middle-aged guy. It's a Sunday afternoon, and you're watching a little football, defined as "11 consecutive hours of football."

You settle on the sofa and turn on the pregame show, and the first thing you see is a commercial for a pickup truck. This is followed by another commercial for a pickup truck, and then, for a change of pace, several more commercials for pickup trucks. Then there's about 45 seconds of men talking about football, followed by more commercials for pickup trucks. At this point, you start to wonder if you're the only guy in America who doesn't drive a pickup truck. You drive a Toyota Camry, because in your line of work -- accountant -- the largest load you haul is Chinese food.

But you are envious of the men in the truck commercials -- manly, bulging men, with manly, bulging vehicles; men who handle large tools; men who do not mind getting sweaty and dirty. In the morning, when white-collar Camry drivers like you are applying underarm deodorant, these men are deliberately perspiring and smearing dirt on their bodies, preparing to go work on the rig.

That's where the men in truck commercials always work: on a rig. You have never, in your accounting career, seen a rig. You're not sure what a ''rig'' is. But now you wish you had one. You have rig envy.

Of course, you couldn't get to the rig in your Camry, because you have to drive over boulders. The truck-drivin' guy always gets to his rig by driving over the biggest boulders he can find.

There is always trouble at the rig in TV-Truck-Commercial-Land. It requires the truck-drivin' man to save the day by hitchin' his truck to some massive object -- a tree, a building, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy -- and towin' it up a boulder-strewn mountain. Then, it's quittin' time, as indicated by Bob Seger shrieking ''Like a rock! Oooooooowww, like a rock!'' with all the passion of a man who has a rabid shrew in his undershorts.

By the 15th pickup-truck commercial, you are feeling deeply insecure about the size of your Camry. You wonder if you could trade it in for a pickup truck. Of course, you'd have to convince your wife that there were practical benefits. (''Look, honey! It has a 1,700-pound payload! I could carry 250 gallons of wonton soup!'') But she would never go along. Your wife is -- face it -- a woman.

When they finally stop showing truck commercials, you heave a sigh of relief, only to realize they are now showing: Viagra commercials. They're all basically the same: A man -- a rugged man, far more manly than you -- openly acknowledges that he had problems with his rig. But then he took a pill, and, ZING, he can perform again! He can play professional baseball! He can (winkwink) throw a football through a tire!

So now, on the sofa, you are a husk of your former self, a man with a tiny shriveled Camry, wondering if you should be using Viagra. But that would mean going to the doctor's office, which, in your imagination, has a giant neon sign outside that says ''VIAGRA DOCTOR, PROVIDING VIAGRA FOR GUYS WHO NEED VIAGRA.'' Also in your imagination there are pickup-drivin' guys outside the doctor's office, workin' on some kind of rig. As you drive up in your Camry, they give you noogies through your moonroof.

This is what you're picturing as you lie on your sofa, curled into the fetal position, when finally, mercifully, the pregame show comes to an end, and the actual game is about to start.

Are you ready for some football?

No.

(c) 2008, Dave Barry

In the end we chose a Mazda Millenia (which is for sale if anyone is looking for a nice car) instead of the Camry.