Do they even know what it tastes like?

I've come to the realization that my children have most likely never tasted a Snickers or a Butterfingers candy bar. Maybe the older ones have at school or something, but none of them have tasted them from the Halloween candy. Every year I pick out the Snickers and Butterfingers and I'm embarrassed to say, I do not share.

Chris said he would take the extra candy to work on Monday after Halloween so that it wouldn't be sitting here at the house tempting me or sugaring up the kids for too long. He kept forgetting to take it and I kept eating it so yesterday I threw it all away. Did I confess to the children? No. I blamed their dad. I told the kids that Chris had taken it to work. It's for the best - right?

Halloween

I went on a total sewing binge two weeks before Halloween. Chris and I were invited to a costume party on the weekend before Halloween.

We were Betty and Barney Rubble, and we had a great time at the party!! The kids weren't invited so they didn't need costumes yet, so I didn't even think about what to make for them until after the party.

My sister showed me a blog with a tutorial for the cutest Tinkerbell and Peter Pan costumes. I showed that to Emma and Derrick and they were sold. They went together really quickly and looked adorable.

Dana wanted to be Asoka (Star Wars: Clone Wars - Anakin's padawan) but I wasn't willing to buy it online, too pricey. So we looked at pictures of patterns online and she picked out Cleopatra. Calvin wanted to be Anakin Skywalker and Bradley wanted to be Luke Skywalker, wearing all black. So while I was looking online for Dana's pattern I showed the boys some patterns I thought would work for their costumes too. I went to Tucson to go to JoAnns and get all the fabric and patterns I would need for all five costumes Saturday - yes one week before Halloween. Of course all the patterns I wanted were sold out. Just about all costume patterns were sold out. No worries, I'll make it up as I go. I guessed on how much fabric I would need and off I went. I made Tinkerbell and Peter Pan first and as I said, they went together pretty quickly. I was done with those by Tuesday. Then I took a day off from sewing. Then I made Dana, Bradley and Calvin's costumes. I realized Thursday night as I'm trying to get all three done so they could wear them to school on Friday that I made the costumes in the wrong order. But they all got done and looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. :-)

What a bunch of goofballs!!

Anakin using the force "You will give me candy!"

Luke using the force to compel the giving of treats.

Cleopatra's pose :-)

Euphoria!!!

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating and came home with quite the loot.

Happy Birthday Boys!!

I totally suck at remembering that I have a camera. Sorry no action shots of candles being blown out or presents being opened.

Bradley turned 10 this year and he started talking about his party six months ago. Out of the blue one day he says to me, "I'm going to invite Kaulin to my birthday party." I tell him his birthday is not for another six months and he says, "I know." Funny. So about two weeks before his party I ask if there's anyone else he'd like to invite to his party and he says he wants to invite Kaulin's whole family. That's it. No other kids. Bradley got Rock Band and books for his birthday. I think truth be told he likes the books better. Rock Band has turned out to be a great family activity for all of us though. So much fun!!

Derrick turned three this year and it's so much easier to shop for the little ones than the big ones. He's been really into his GeoTrax train lately so I started looking to get him some of those. Walmart has stopped carrying them so I looked online. HOLY COW are they pricey!! I then looked on Craigslist and found a bunch for a fraction of the cost. The hard part was keeping them hidden until his birthday. We did pretty good for about two weeks but he found them the day Chris and I left to go to Florida for my cousin's wedding. I told him they were for someone else but he didn't believe me. Every so often he would tell me they were there and that they were for him. When we did finally have his birthday party I wrapped them up as best I could with a shortage of wrapping paper (I got creative with four different types of wrapping paper) and we headed off to Grandma's house. He took one look at the box and said "My trains." Stinker!!

Everglades

Here we are on the beach - so fun!!

Yes, two alligators.

One of the things we did in Florida that I forgot about in the last post about it was an airboat tour of the Everglades. Way cool!! We saw alligators. :-)

Labor Day

Last year we went camping during the summer up on Mt. Graham. We had my sister's camper and it was quite comfortable!! We had a great time - except for Derrick constantly trying to take a running leap from the side of the mountain. Every two minutes it was was "Where is Derrick? There he is, go grab him!" If we'd had a leash for him we would have happily used it. I was ready to make that our last camping trip ever. It was just too stressful having to keep such a close eye on Derrick. This year we decided to give it another try. Derrick is a little older and so much better at staying with us. We went up to Luna, NM. It's about a five hour drive for us but worth every minute of it. (By the way, it's about five hours from the valley as well.) It's beautiful and we had a great time. We took our ATV which really makes for a fun trip! We have no pictures of the trip at all. Chris gave Dana the camera to put in the van. I put the video camera in the van. When we got up there, the video camera was dead and Dana couldn't remember where she put the camera and we didn't find it until we got home. It was in the van the whole time. Very frustrating. We had a great time though and are definitely going camping there again.

Ft Lauderdale

Chris and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Ft Lauderdale last month. Work was paying for Chris and I tagged along and we had the most amazing vacation since New York seven years ago. We spent time on the beach, ate out at really nice places and got to go sport fishing. It was sea turtle nesting season so there were all these nest sites marked out on the beach. We went out to the beach one night hoping to see either a momma sea turtle coming to shore or a nest of babies hatching. We saw neither. But we enjoyed our late night beach stroll. When we went sport fishing, the dock was really slow so we got a great deal - or at least that's what the guy told us - on our fishing trip. There was no one else wanting to go so Chris and I had the boat and two man crew to ourselves. It was an awesome fishing trip. I didn't have to bait any hooks or touch any fish. It was quite exciting to reel in the fish. Of course our camera had a dead battery that day so we bought a disposable camera at the dock lest we be accused of telling fish stories about our catches. Here's a few pictures from our trip. Most of the other pictures are on the home network which I'm not sure how to access yet. I wasn't paying that close of attention when Chris explained it to me. Oops - my bad.

I don't think we could support our family with our skills as fishermen, but it was a lot of fun!

This was taken in Key Largo.

Someone told Chris that Ft Lauderdale was only an hour away from the Keys. Boy did we get lied to on that one. It's two hours from Ft Lauderdale to Key Largo and then another two hours from there to Key West. It's a beautiful drive but we were expecting sandy beaches and it's not sandy beaches at all. It's jungle islands with the jungle practically growing right out of the ocean. It was really late and with less than 20 miles to Key West we had to turn back. It was our last night there and we still needed to pack to catch our morning flight home. It was a lovely drive but had we known what it was, we wouldnt've done it.

Oh and about the humidity - holy cow. It felt like someone threw a hot wet blanket over you every time you stepped out the door. My sunglasses would immediately fog up - even if I didn't have them on.

This was the perfect vacation for us. Chris had his convention thing that he had to go to and so I had loads of time to sleep in and read to my hearts content. It was lovely!! My only goal every day was to be out of bed and decently dressed before housekeeping showed up. I got to meet some of the people Chris works with and one of them brought his wife too. We had lots of fun hanging out and I hope to see them again soon.

A couple of political videos for your viewing pleasure...

Not sure which one of these videos I like better. So sad that these are true.

So forlorn

It starts raining about 10 minutes before Dana and Bradley's bus brings them home. It's raining pretty hard and I'm thinking maybe I should go walk down there with an umbrella to get the kids. But I'm also thinking it's just water, they're big kids, they'll be fine. So I see the bus go by and I know they're walking home now. Right then, the rain starts really come down hard. For a brief moment I can't see the house right across the street. Ok, I need to walk down and meet the kids with the umbrella. I tell the two little ones to stay in the house and I'll be right back. They look rather worried but say ok. Then I head out. I don't see Dana and Bradley on the sidewalk and I have a clear view all the way to the bus stop now. I'm a little worried, where are they? They're under a tree. They're soaked to the bone. And, they're crying. Poor little things. I get to them and reassure them it's only water. Bradley says "it stings like electricity."

Can you see the water pooled up under the eaves of the house? How about the river flowing under my van? What you cannot see are the rapids flowing in the street just around the corner of the house. Tons of water.

Time flies

Is it just me or is time going faster the older that I get? Quick catch up since last post - Chris came home - happy day!! A few days left of summer - not much happened. Dad got the ok from his doctor to only wear his neck brace as needed for comfort - neck is healing well. Amazing what doctors can do. My sister's baby, Marshall, was blessed - another baby blessing that we were late for. We do not have a very good track record for making it on time, but it was really nice to see everyone who made it. The kids started school. Calvin is in junior high now. He was late to all of his classes the first day because he couldn't get his locker open. But he figured it out on the second day of school. Bradley is in the same class as his best friend, Kaulin - happy day! Dana is so happy to see all her friends again. She was socially starved all summer. Emma and Derrick are settling into a routine again with naps - hallelujah!!

Oh and by the way, Chris and I are part of the "angry mob."

Too scary to sleep

So have you ever stayed up late watching a scary movie and then decided that you can't possibly go to sleep after watching it? You have to then watch something else to calm your mind so that peaceful sleep is possible. Well, last night I was going to go to bed early - at least earlier than 3:00 AM. I sent the kids to bed around 8:30 and then started reading my book. Around 10:00 the book starts to get scary. I had no choice but to finish the book or have troubled sleep. I finished the book around 3:00 AM.

So tired...

I'm really quite tired. Chris has been out of town since Sunday. I don't sleep well without him. I just can't hardly bring myself to go to bed alone. I look at it this way. I go to bed on time and I lay there for about 30 minutes feeling lonely waiting for myself to fall asleep, or I stay up really late being entertained by a movie or a good book and then when I'm exhausted I fall asleep quickly. Hmm, lonely -vs- entertainment. Not really a tough choice. The only problem with that is the little ones missed the memo about me sleeping in. I figure with me going to bed late and Derrick getting up early, I'm averaging about 5 hours of sleep a night. When I was in college that would have been a lot of sleep. Not so much anymore. My eyes are dry and scratchy and I find myself unable to focus. I'm so glad Chris will be home tomorrow night. Clearly I don't function well without him.

Dana's beau

So the other day Dana tells me rather out of the blue that Brian doesn't like her anymore. (Brian is the boy who gave her a teddy bear for Valentine's Day. Refer back to February posts for whole story.) I asked her why and she replied that she didn't know, but that it seemed to be after she told Brian that she loved William that Brian stopped liking her. She didn't seem upset about it, but also didn't seem to understand why Brian would be bothered by that. Imagine that, being bothered because the one you love, loves another. Dana has yet to experience that. She quite confident in William's undying love towards her.

Cookie dough

I have a real weakness for cookie dough. I didn't always have this weakness. I used to think it was disgusting to eat raw cookie dough. I can't remember which pregnancy enlightened me to the joys of raw cookie dough, but it was during one them that I began enjoying eating it raw. A lot of tastes change during pregnancy. They usually go back to normal a few months after having the baby. Cookie dough however has stayed with me. I knew when I planned on making bake sale item for my brother-in-law's fundraiser that I would be going off diet that day. One day here and there is not a big deal. What I did not plan on was that four batches of cookie dough would fail because I was not used to high altitude baking. You see, I know that I have a weakness and I avoid it. My poor children almost never get to have cookies because I'm not very good at sharing them when I make them. So I don't make them - ever. Since I never make them, even though it's been months since we've moved to Sierra Vista, I didn't realize that I needed to adjust my recipes for high altitude. Maybe you're wondering why I'm such an idiot that it took four batches to figure that out? Well, I made a double batch first. The first pan didn't look right coming out of the oven so I thought I'd chill that batch of dough before baking any more of them. And then since I had all the ingredients out I made another double batch to chill as well and planned on baking them all later on. It didn't occur to me that I would need to adjust for elevation. I've never made cookies anywhere but in Queen Creek/Gilbert/Mesa area. So after many pans of cookies continued to fail to produce something that was sturdy enough to handle transport and sale, I turned to the internet. Sure enough, altitude is my problem. The rest of the cookie dough went into the fridge to sit while I mixed up more (adjusted recipe of course). These new cookies turned out great. However, I'm left with quite a bit of unbake-able cookie dough in my fridge. I even took it with me just now when I dropped Chris off at the airport in Tucson hoping to give it to my sister who lives in Tucson (the dough should be fine for Tucson's elevation). She wasn't home. She's in Pima at my parents' house. So I had to bring my cookie dough back home with me. I fear diet is in jeopardy.

Are you kidding me - another phone?

Ok so Chris and I move and we decide that just our cell phones are all we need. He has one, I have one. We're quite happy.

And then, we go to Disneyland and have a couple teenagers with us and we decide that it's only $10 a month to add another cell phone to our family plan and then the teenagers have one and he has one and I have one and we can split up in Disneyland. As an added bonus, we no longer need to leave either mine or Chris' cell phone with the babysitter. We can leave the cheap extra phone. We're happy.

And then, Chris starts his new job, and guess what they give him. A cell phone. And he's allowed to use it for personal use. Now if it was the same carrier as our family plan we could have just put the new number on his phone and he'd have two lines on it. But no, different carrier. And they gave him like the cheapest Blackberry there is. Hahahaha. He didn't want to carry two phones, so I am now the proud owner of his jailbroke iPhone. I love it. We have my old Blackberry with his old sim card forwarding all his phone calls to his new phone. I'm happy, he's tolerating his Blackberry.

And then, we realize a problem. With his new job, Chris gets to work from home sometimes. He needs to make phone calls to do this, lots of phone calls. Our cell phone reception at the house is just not good enough for his work phone calls. So we add a land line. With unlimited long distance. Have you done the math? We now have five phone numbers. And we don't even have teenagers yet. Crazy!! But guess what, how happiness does not hinge upon our phone situation. :-) We're happy!!

Cultural enrichment - whether they want it or not

So the kids really have no choice in this. Some of them are excited about it, some not so much. Calvin, Bradley and Dana will all be starting piano lessons when school starts in August. The boys will be starting Karate this week. Dana will be starting ballet or some type of dance class when they start back up. Apparently the dance studio has some competition that they're at and all classes are cancelled for another week. Calvin and Dana are both excited about it. Bradley is giving me a little attitude. It doesn't matter though. They need it so they're going to do it. I'd like to find something that Bradley enjoys doing but for now, he'll have to learn to enjoy his options. Maybe I can bribe him with new books or something. We'll see.

Calvin will also be starting physical therapy again once I get a hold of someone in the office. I've left a message today so I should hear from them tomorrow at the latest. With his new medicine he can actually get stronger now. I'm so excited for him.

It's been so nice to be home after our trip. My nieces who helped watch the kids while I was gone have stayed for another week. It's been so nice having a couple of teenagers to help me. I took all the kids to my parents' house on Monday. Dad got his halo off a couple weeks ago and just has a neck brace now. He's able to do lots more than he could before. He still does more than he is supposed to do, but he seems to know his own limits. We hope. Then after that I took the kids to the Cove. The Cove is the indoor wave pool here in town. I never go without Chris because Emma and Derrick need one on one watching. But with the teenagers, I was able to go while Chris was at work. Everyone had a great time. Then Tuesday night, Dana and I drove to my mom's house. The rest of the kids stayed home with Allison and Shannon, the teenagers. Dana and I spent the night there and helped weed the garden in the morning. Then we took a recliner to my sister in Queen Creek and then drove home. Made for a very long day of driving. But it was nice to be able to help my parents in the garden and not have to worry about Derrick running out the front door. It was also nice to spend a couple hours with one of my sisters who I don't see very often. Then as if the day wasn't long enough already we decided to go see the new Harry Potter movie. Loved it. So tired this morning though since we didn't get home until about 1:30 A.M. The little ones missed the memo about sleeping in too.

Minnesota - day five

So you know the primary song about the pioneer children who walked and walked and walked and walked and walked. Well, today we were the people who waited and waited and waited and waited and waited. All that waiting - although completely torturous for Calvin - really paid off. We were able to get the EEG test done and get the Rx filled. Calvin took his first dose about an hour ago and is quite a bit stronger. As soon as he finishes drawing his latest car creation we're headed out for a walk and dinner. By the way, I didn't mind the waiting so much because I was reading. I've really enjoyed how much reading I've been able to do this trip. :-)

Calvin quote of the day - we left the wheelchair in the hallway while we were waiting in the pharmacy. It got picked up and taken to the lobby by someone and Calvin says, "Mom, we were wheelchair-jacked."

Minnesota - day four

Yesterday we met with a neuro-psychologist. Calvin has had several developmental psychology evaluations over the years, but this one was a little bit different. It was very interesting and the doctor had several very helpful ideas for us. He said that Calvin was very intelligent (no surprise there) and would really benefit from some social skills training. Calvin is at the point now that he would really be able to understand and learn social skills if taught.

We also met with the neurologist. She went over the EMG test results with us. The test showed that the new medicine completely took care of Calvin's muscle weakness in the test. It's so very nice to have test results telling us the medicine will work instead of us trying to see a difference. We're off to the hospital bright and early today. Hopefully they can squeeze us in for the EEG today and we can start the medicine today. If not, we have the order to get the EEG done in AZ and the results faxed back to the doctor here. Either way we come home tomorrow. I'm so looking forward to seeing Chris and the other kids again!!

Calvin was loopey today

The test they did on Calvin this morning was done under sedation. He was so loopey coming out of it. He said some very funny things. He asked about 20 times if it was all done. At one point he said "Wait a minute" and then nothing. The nurse and I look at each other and we decided he wanted us to just literally wait a minute. He said "assssk, assssk, assssk, (pause) oh no, I've lost my K!" Calvin always says the funniest things when he comes out of anesthesia.

Still feeling the effects of the medication

Calvin has not been able to hold him arms straight out like this at all. He held them up for 11 seconds - AMAZING!!! (Usually he holds them at about 20 degrees for no more than 2 seconds.)

Minnesota - day three

Ok so today Calvin had the EMG test done. They do it under sedation here so Calvin was pretty loopy for most of the day. They gave him medicines during the EMG to test his response to them. Finally we have evidence that the medicine is doing something - or not. They gave him the medication that is similar to the one he takes now and big surprise - no response. Then they tried a medicine he's never taken before and he had a response to it. In fact he's been stronger all day. In order to start this new medication he has to have an EEG done. Of course since that wasn't already scheduled he isn't scheduled until the 17th. But they told me to keep stopping by the office and see if they have any openings/cancellations and maybe they can squeeze me in. The doctor also said that I can have the EEG done in AZ and have the results sent to him and then he'll write the Rx for the new med.

Now about the new med, he said that I can pretty much only get it from the Mayo Clinic pharmacy. They will do it through a mail order system. I don't know how much it costs or if insurance will be covering it. I'm just so excited at the prospect of a medication working for Calvin.

More appointments tomorrow, hopefully the EEG on Friday and then coming home Saturday.

One more

Calvin's rendition of the Mystery Machine. He doesn't have a template for a van, SUV will have to do.

Minnesota - day two

So since we had no appointments today we really did nothing. We went for a walk this morning around a couple of blocks (Calvin in the wheelchair). The weather was really nice today. Calvin's drawing kit didn't come with a pencil sharpener so we needed to go find one today. We thought maybe Barnes & Noble would have a pencil set with a sharpener - nope. We found one at the mall, but it was fat colored pencils.

So we spent most of the afternoon in the hotel room, me reading and Calvin drawing. Here's some of his artworks.

I took a nap and when I woke up it was raining, so we ordered room service for dinner. After it arrived I remembered that the hotel is connected to the mall and just about every other building nearby via the subway (no not trains - underground sidewalks) and the skyway. We could've gone anywhere for dinner and never gotten wet. Oh well, room service really isn't that much more expensive than anything else near by.

Our favorite store at the mall is the game shop. When we were at the mall earlier I wanted to buy a board game to play with Calvin but realized that I didn't have room in my luggage to bring it home so we bought Mille Bourne (it's a card game about racing). Calvin just finished reading the instructions and is ready to play.

Minnesota - day one

So not much happened today. We met with one of the doctors. She did a history of Calvin and an exam. The EMG test is scheduled for Wednesday. We were scheduled to see a cardiologist tomorrow but the doctor and I both agreed that we didn't need that. Calvin has a cardiology appointment already scheduled for August so we cancelled tomorrow's appointment. That means tomorrow is completely open. After the EMG we meet with another doctor and then on Thursday we have our final doctor appointment. If they start Calvin on a medication, then they like you to stay for another day to observe so coming home on Saturday should be perfect.

When I reserved the room, I requested a wheel chair for Calvin because I wasn't sure how much walking we would need to do. Last night when we checked in, they gave it to us. It's enormous! You could easily fit two of Calvin on it. It's so wide it barely fits into the room or elevator. All day today I kept thinking that we really were not walking all that far and that Calvin would be fine. So for dinner we walked to the mall which is just around the corner of the hotel. Apparently that was too much for Calvin. We had to stop and sit down to rest three times on the way back - and it really was not far. It's so hard to tell when he's milking it and when he really needs to rest. I don't know how much I should push him. Before going to dinner I was ready to leave the wheel chair behind at the hotel the rest of the time we were here. But after dinner, I'm not so sure.

Hours of entertainment

I found these at the store the other day. They are prefilled paint brushes. No dripping = no mess. My kids are always asking if they can paint stuff and I'm always saying no - too messy. Especially in this house since we're renting. I don't like to let them paint outside either. Part of the porch is pavers which are very porous and would soak up the paint making them imposible to wash. And since there's no grass, I don't want to hose off the concrete section of the porch. So when I saw these at the store I thought I'd give them a try and since it's washable paint I figured a few drops would be ok and easily cleaned up. They are AWESOME!! True to packing labels - no drips - no mess. They are my new favorite activity for the kids.

Emma the artist

Popcorn!!

So who doesn't love popcorn? It's the snack of choice around here. The kids can make it themselves and it vacuums up so easily. Pretty much the only rule is not on the couch. That way it doesn't get inside the couch.

Derrick scored the whole bowl!!

Disneyland Pics :-)

Ooops!!

So on Photobucket if you re-organize your pictures you loose the links pointing to those pictures. So my post with the Disneyland pictures...I moved them. Oops. I'll post again later tonight with more/different pictures of Disneyland.

It's been awhile...

I know it's been a while since I posted. I've spent a lot of time working on Photobucket trying to get all my pics organized and uploaded. I had about 9 years worth of pictures on my computer that were a complete organizational disaster. And I still have about three years of pictures to scan. But I'm proud to say that my pictures are all organized on the computer now and about 70% of them are uploaded. WooHoo!!

Shark Steam Mop - Product Review

So I was at Costco a little while back. I had a rebate check that was about to expire and I needed to spend it. Not a hard thing to do at Costco. They had the Shark Steam Mops for the lowest price I'd seen. I'd seen them on TV and thought they looked really great. I'm glad I bought it at Costco, I can return it. It works fairly well if there is nothing sticky on the floor. Around here, that's an everyday occurrence. There was one small sticky spot in the corner of the room and when I was done, the entire floor was sticky. And to be sure I gave it a fair try, I've used it two different times. Same results. People keep trying to invent new ways to mop the floor - so far all the ones that I have tried are failures. Also, it takes longer. Give me a good old fashioned mop and bucket.

Big pics

You may have noticed some of the changes I've made to my blog recently. It's in preparation for big pics. I found this tutorial through a friend's website. It explains how to post really big pictures onto your blog. Really cool!!

New Family Picture

Scroll all the way to the bottom to see our latest family picture - not our most photogenic moment - but oh well.

New Office

When we moved into this house, we set aside one of the bedrooms to be Chris' office. With Chris' new job, he gets to work from home sometimes. This meant he needed the office to be a place where he could actually work. Previously the office has been more of a household office. A place where I keep the household files (and those items waiting to be filed in piles). A place where the kids play their computer games (and seem to manage to accumulate toys). And sometimes, a place where Chris was actually able to be on the computer. But he would usually prefer to use his laptop out on the couch. So, no, the office was never really his before now. Yesterday we spent the afternoon separating the household office from Chris' office. His office really looks great. Before it was rather cluttered. It had the futon in there and was used as the guest bedroom, which was really crowded for the guests. By re-arranging the furniture in there and moving the filing cabinet out, now there's actually room to walk around the futon when it's folded out. Nice. I now have a "desk," computer, shredder, and filing cabinet in the bedroom. I really don't mind being kicked out of the office - it's for such a good cause. I really like having Chris home working even though he's actually working and can't like watch the kids for me. Just having him here is so nice. I really like to make him lunch and bring it in to him. I know, I know so 1950's serving wife of me. But I love it.

Pictures coming - really I swear. Just waiting on my computer technical support to fix the memory card reader.

The Beach

One more thing we did on our vacation - we spent the afternoon on Sunday at the beach with my uncle (who's my age) his wife and kids. We had such a nice time with them. Monique and I got to get to know each other better while the kids all played. It was a really beautiful beach. The day was overcast and chilly - which I thought was perfect and certainly preferred over wet children. Not that they didn't still get wet, just not as wet as they would have. We saw dolphins and a sea lion in the ocean just off the beach. There were tidal pools with various creatures in them for the kids to explore. It really was a great day at the beach. We loved spending time with Darrin, Monique and their kids. I wish we lived closer and could see them more often.

The Cove

So Sierra Vista has a great indoor wave pool. It's called the Cove. It has two big water slides, a hot tub, diving pool, and a kiddie pool. It's indoor so it's pretty much open year round. We took the kids to that on Saturday and had so much fun! Yes, we've had a lot of fun lately. They have life jackets for the kids so Emma and Derrick had those on right away. Dana wanted one too - I don't know why - she didn't really need one. Emma kept wanting to swim "by herself," while Derrick was a literal cling-on. After the Cove we went took the kids to see the new movie Up in 3D. We loved it!! Perfect family movie, even Derrick sat still for the whole thing - he did keep taking off his glasses though. Derrick calls it the talking dog movie. Very very good movie!!

New Chore System

Yes, we have yet another new "system" for chores. We'll see how long this one lasts. There's a website that a friend emailed me that we're using. It's set up so that the parent can log in and assign the kids chores. Each chore has a corresponding point value - fully customizable by the way. The parent also sets up rewards with corresponding point values. The children log in and select the chores they've done and accumulate points and then get to go to the "store" and redeem their points for the rewards the parents have set up. It's awesome. The kids have been really excited about helping out around the house. Dana "purchased" a family game night a couple nights ago. We played clue. It was so much fun. Chris was really good at it and had all but one thing figured out. All I had to do was pay attention to what he seemed to know and I won. We all had a great time. Emma and Derrick played with toys at the table during the game and everyone had fun!! Calvin keeps "buying" extra computer or video game time. I did put Disneyland and getting a puppy on the rewards list - but the cost of those is really high. They would have to save for a very long time before they could get those. I hope I set the cost high enough and that they don't notice if I have to add an extra zero at some point.

Disneyland

Ok I know this post is way over due. In my (weak) defense, I've been waiting for Chris to fix the memory card reader so that I could upload all my pictures. But it's been a very busy time for us. Chris had lots to do finishing up with his previous job. He's also taking some online classes and we've had some very busy weeks of homework.

Disneyland was the most amazing vacation we have ever taken. It was a rather sudden decision to go to Disneyland. Chris got approval to take his last few vacation days and called me on Thursday to make the reservations. We drove out on Friday afternoon. Talk about last minute plans. Since it was so last minute, the only hotel that had availability for a group our size was the Grand. And we had to get two rooms.

One of the best things we did on this vacation was take two of our teenage nieces with us. They were so helpful. It was really nice to be able to split up and only have two or three kids with us at a time. Everybody got to have more fun that way. The teenagers also stayed in the hotel with the kids in the evenings and Chris and I got to have time to ourselves in the park. I've always kind of wondered why people would go to Disneyland without their kids sometimes. I don't wonder anymore. It was wonderful!!

Staying in one of the Disneyland hotels was really nice too because when the little ones needed naps, the hotel was right there. Of course it wasn't until our 2nd or 3rd day there that we realized our hotel had it's own entrance into the California Adventure park which was by the way, right next to the elevator that was right next to our room. The other elevator was down like five hallways and went to the lobby and then we would walk through Downtown Disney to get to the entrance of the parks. Kind of a hike - especially for Calvin.

The customer service in the hotels and parks was amazing!! If one of the kids wet the bed, I'd call housekeeping. I'd be like "I'm so sorry..." they're like "it's no problem - happens all the time" with a cheerful tone in their voice even. One morning Derrick tossed his little Mickey Mouse over the balcony. I called the front desk, of course I was rather embarrassed, they said it happens all the time and they sent a maintenance guy right out to get it. We bought the kids all ears one night while Chris and I were out alone. I left the list of names with the lady and we went to wait outside. They were done about fifteen minutes later and the store was already closed by then. But she had stayed open for me and I looked over the hats quickly and went on my way. I didn't notice until the next day when we gave them to the kids that she had done both the girl ones with Dana's name. Emma didn't have one with her name. I took it into a different shop that was by the entrance, explained what had happened and they made me a new one right then. No hassle. Not even a hint of attitude.

My only disappointment in the whole trip was that the characters do not roam the parks anymore. When we were there four years ago, all the characters roamed the parks and we got to see almost all of them. This time, they stayed in their designated areas and you had to go to them. We didn't figure this out until our last day in the park - in the afternoon. So I took Emma to go find the princesses. We got there 15 minutes after they closed. I was so bummed for Emma. We had told Emma that she would get to meet princesses at Disneyland. Our first day there we didn't see any and when it was time to go back to the hotel she was upset about it. We told her we were coming back and that she would get to see some in the next couple of days. Well, didn't happen. By the end of the trip though I think all the kids had so much fun they didn't hardly notice that they only saw a few of the characters. Bradley was ready to move in permenantly.

Ok I found the camera - I'll be posting pics later tonight after I get dinner done and kids in bed. Which we've been really lax on bed time around here lately. That and naps and I think it's made for some very cranky toddlers. It's so hard to send the kids to bed early though when they're being so good. The older ones that is. And the little ones don't like going to be earlier than the older ones. I think it's just time to lay down the law the little ones. Vacation really spoiled everyone's sense of order.

Camera

I know the camera made it home from Disneyland. I'm just not sure exactly where it is right now. Pictures coming soon.

To infinity and beyond!!!!!

Amy and Calvin are saving the Galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg. Amy was really into it. I did not think she would post this herself so here it is.

Happiest Place on Earth

So on Saturday while Chris and I were waiting with the two little ones to go on the Pinocchio ride Emma started getting fussy. I told her she needed to be happy because we were in the "happiest place on earth." She looked around with a confused look on her face and said, "but we're not at home." How sweet is that? To her, the happiest place on earth is home. Chris and I must be doing something right for her to think that.

Just had to blog that tidbit before I forgot about it. We're having a blast and I'll post pics when we get home. :-)

Big news

So, real quick because I have lots to do today. We're all feeling much better. The kids are enjoying summer vacation. I started my diet and have lost weight - woohoo! Chris got a great job offer and we've decided to take it. No we're not moving. Since Chris is changing jobs, we're going on vacation to use up his vacation time before he loses it. Disneyland here we come - which means I have lots to do today. Question, I totally bailed on a friend who asked me to watch her kids this weekend - suggestions on how to make it up to her?

First day of summer

So here we are, the first day of summer. I have a flu. I think that's just bad timing. I mean really, we should be out having fun today. The weather is gorgeous!! It's 66 degrees outside for heavens sake. Instead, we're inside and the kids are glued to the TV. This is not how our summer is going to be. I'm really looking forward to this summer. I think the kids and I are going to have a lot of fun. I'm not pregnant or nursing. Derrick is old enough to understand that he can't just wander off. He's getting really good about staying by me when we're out. And now that he's a little older, we don't need the massive diaper bag full of half of the house every time we go anywhere. It's really nice. I need to plan out some outings for me and kids to do while Chris is at work and plan out small trips for the weekends. As soon as Mayo Clinic calls/mails me the appointment information, then I can plan our big vacation this summer. Summer is gonna be great - as soon as I'm over this flu. 

Speaking of the flu, when I was a kid it seemed that the flu was no big deal. I remember people saying they were sick but it's "just a flu." Now it seems that the flu is equal to cancer. It's all over the news. They act like it's going to wipe out human civilization. They vaccinate for it like it was Polio or something. I've never believed that flu shots were necessary. Maybe for that small portion of the population with weakened immune systems such as the elderly, it MIGHT help. But I think the flu vaccine is part of the reason why there are new flus that make people sicker (and by sicker, I do not mean that it will wipe out human civilization - just make people feel crappier). I believe that it speeds up the mutation process for the virus. Couldn't medical researchers spend their precious time and money researching diseases that are truly devastating to families? Why spend so much time and money researching a runny nose and achy body when there are diseases with 100% mortality rates, or diseases that severely affect the quality of life. The only reason I can come up with is that it's money. Which is really sad!! I will now step off my soapbox.

So I feel crappy today. I have a slight fever, but it doesn't take much of a fever to feel sick. However when I feel sick, the fact that I have a slight fever almost makes me feel better. I feel justified that it's not "all in my head." 

I got up this morning to a really messy kitchen. I'm not much a housekeeper. I have a hard time noticing when things need to be cleaned, unless they're really bad. And then when they're really bad, I really don't want to do it. I don't get bit by the cleaning bug very often. It bit me this morning though, which is really surprising being that I'm sick. I got the kitchen totally clean and dishes done and swept the floor. I would've mopped the floor but I have no bucket. The night before Mother's Day, Chris was cleaning up a mess and the bucket broke. He didn't break it. It was a faulty bucket (which I had purchased only a week earlier). He jokingly asked if I wanted a new mop bucket for Mother's Day. I laughed and said no. Now I'm thinking maybe I should've asked for that bucket. I forgot to get one the couple of times that I was at the store since then and this past week, Emma and Derrick have both been sick and I have not been to the store at all. We haven't had milk for about four days now. I keep thinking I'll go to the store when Chris gets home from work, but he's worked late a few nights, had a meeting another night, and then there was still lots to do when he did finally get home. He's coming home early today to make up for working late those two nights. Woohoo - I love it when comes home early. I might still be in my jammies at that point today. So since there was no mop bucket, the cleaning bug went away as fast as it came. I think I'll read my book club book today. 

Flirting with disaster...

So about a month ago a skinny cheerleader comes to my door. She says they're selling stuff to raise money, I think for uniforms or something like that. Guess what this skinny girl was selling - cookie dough. Is that not ironic? I bought two boxes from her. I mean I was helping to support the community. I was doing my part to help clothe the cheerleaders. It just came in yesterday. I knew when I ordered it that I was making a big mistake. I haven't been sticking to my diet of late, and this might be the straw (brick) that breaks the camel's back. It's just so yummy! I think I might need to join a gym. There is one down here that has child care. It's a little pricey but, I think I'm at the point where it's become essential. 

Talks in church

Chris and I gave our talks in church last Sunday. Yeah, so nice to have that over with. Now we won't have to do it again for like 5 years right? 

As I'm writing this, it's about 65 degrees outside. So beautiful!! I can't believe it's late May and all the windows are open. It's supposed to rain today, tomorrow and Friday too.  So as I mentioned the windows are all open with this lovely weather. It's making me feel very claustrophobic living in a subdivision. Emma had a complete melt down this morning screaming at the top of her lungs. I'm sure they could hear it three streets down. What I'm also sure they could hear was me telling her "firmly" that I was not going to listen to it anymore and she had to stay in her bed. What's weird is that I don't hear anybody else in the neighborhood. I know people can hear us because when I was outside last night, I could hear everything going on in the house. Our family is just very noisy. I so miss having an acre and not being worried about what the neighbors must be thinking of this woman and her screaming children. I miss my chickens too.

I think we're about done with being sick around here. Hopefully we'll be over this garbage that's been going around by Memorial day. 

Calvin and Bradley both stayed home sick today. I'm a little suspicious that one of them pulled a fast one on me. Oh well, it's not like they're really missing that much. Tomorrow is the last day of school and I have a feeling they'll both make it to that.

I've had this headache for over a week now. It's not a bad headache and it kind of comes and goes. It doesn't respond to medicine at all. I'm afraid to say it out loud, but I think it might be gone. It rained last night and I'm thinking that maybe there was something in the air that was bothering me. There were a lot of wildfires out here recently. Maybe that's what was causing it. It was really bad during Calvin's 5th grade graduation. One of the teachers who knows me even came by and asked if I was ok. I must have really been sending out the "I don't want to be here" vibe. Truth be told, I didn't want to be there. It wouldn't have been so bad if my sisters lived closer. I could have asked one of them to watch my kids and I could've gone by myself. As it was, I had Emma and Derrick with me. Of course Emma was an angel. No problems with her. Derrick, however, was less than angelic. He wanted up. He wanted down. He wanted to sit in the stroller. He wanted to sit on my lap. Mostly though, he wanted to run around. Of course I couldn't let him do that, so I held him most of the time. And he squirmed most of the time. My shirt was totally stretched out in weird places by the time we went home. At one point, my friend's son was running around and was making noise behind me. There was an older woman in the audience that kept looking back at me scowling. I thought she was giving me dirty looks for this little boy who was making so much noise and wasn't even mine. No. She was the little boy's grandma and was giving him dirty looks. Kinda funny.

Dinosaur Monkey?

So a while back Derrick decided to run around growling like a dinosaur and he would say "I'm a dinosaur!" It was really cute. Then not too long ago, he decided he was a monkey. He ran around saying "I'm a monkey!" followed by monkey screeches. Really cute too. A few days ago he decided to combine the two. He figured a dinosaur was great and a monkey was great, so it would be like double great to be a dinosaur monkey. He says "I'm a dinosaur monkey" then screeches then growls. Too funny!! Yesterday he was watching TV with Chris when a picture of a monster shaped like a man with grey skin and horns all over its body came up on the screen. Derrick saw it and asked Chris "Dinosaur Monkey?" He didn't seem scared of it, just surprised to see it like he knew he had made it up and was surprised to see that it was not his creation.

Ok, you want reasons

So everybody keeps asking why we went private with our blog. Chris and I just felt that only people we know need to be reading our blog. Nothing happened. We just feel better knowing that we know exactly who has access to it. Hope that answers your questions. 

Bradley is sick...

So before they went to school both Calvin and Bradley said they felt sick. Now for Calvin this is nothing new. He says he feels sick every day. We're not really sure what to do about it because he has no real symptoms, just a vague "I feel sick". But Bradley doesn't usually say that. Well, there were no fevers and I couldn't let Bradley stay home and not Calvin so I told them both my usual, "if you get sick at school, I will come and get you." Bradley got sick. With the swine flu scare, if Bradley develops any other symptoms, he has to stay home from school for a whole week. Um, there's only one week of school left. It would be so sad for him to miss all the fun of the last week of school. I really think he's fine. He's in laying on the couch right now. We'll see if any other symptoms develop.

So I managed to get the house all clean yesterday. Yeah me!! But the price of that is the massive pile of laundry that now needs to be folded. It's threatening to royally upset my system. Chris teased on his way out the door today that I was going to lose privilege if I didn't get the clothes folded. I asked him just what privilege he was referring to? No comment. I think I can get through it if I divide out what the kids need to do today after school and then not iron anything. I don't know why but I am so slow at ironing. I must be doing it wrong because I'm just convinced that it takes other people less time to do it. Otherwise they wouldn't do it. Anyways, I wouldn't want to risk losing privilege! :-) 

Going private

Chris and I talked it over and we decided that our blog needs to be private.

Lefty??

So for some time now, I've suspected that Derrick might be a lefty. The jury is still out but new evidence is definitely pointing towards at least ambidexterity. Lately he is choosing to use his left hand to do his coloring. I asked him to switch hands just now and asked him which hand he liked to use better. He chose his left hand. And I have to say the marker looked much more comfortable in his left hand. Hmmm...we shall see.

Dinner guests

Chris has invited people from work to come over for dinner tonight. He wants me to make his favorite chicken dish, which is fine with me. It's Chicken Del Monaco - thank you Erin for the recipe. It's so easy to make and is really, really good. I also have to get the house "guest ready." I'll be very busy today. Not that the house is in shambles, it really isn't. But it does need general cleaning everywhere. I so miss having a "guest" bathroom. Now I have to fully clean the kids bathroom and make it "guest ready." Not looking forward to that.

The new laundry system has been quite nice. I let the kids take a break from it yesterday. There wasn't any clothes for them to fold anyway. So yesterday they did dishes and vacuumed for me. Did they do a good job? Well, that's debatable. But they aren't complaining so much about chores anymore. I think making them do what they considered the most miserable chore available has changed their attitude towards chores. Maybe a little anyways. 

Calvin had his therapy appointment yesterday. At his last appointment the therapist had measured his legs and said that one leg was a full inch shorter than the other one. I called his orthotic specialist and she said she could make him a device that would compensate for that and that he should be followed by an orthopedic doctor during his growth spurt over the next few years. They do have ways of correcting a leg that isn't growing enough, but it's not pretty or comfortable. I would've taken him to his orthotic specialist to confirm the measurement but she's in Phoenix and there really aren't any pediatric ones anywhere closer. I measured Calvin and his legs measured the same for me. So at this appointment yesterday, I asked the therapist to remeasure just to be sure before I involved yet another specialist in Calvin's life. His legs are the same. He was wearing thick jeans that made it hard to measure at his first appointment. All that worry for nothing. But such is life with Calvin. I'm just glad his legs are growing right. You're probably wondering why one leg would be shorter than the other, what would cause that? He had a broken leg as a baby and it had broken near the growth plate. So it is a possibility that it would show up as a problem now during his teenage years. We'll hope for the best. He's certainly been through enough already.

And I do have some pictures I've been wanting to post but I can't find the device that allows the computer to read my camera memory card. It got lost in the move. I've looked everywhere and it's just not here. Which is really odd because we had two of them. I suppose I could just order a new one, it's not like they're expensive at all. Just inconvenient.

WooHoo

I figured out the three column template update!! So proud of me!!

Yes - I'm posting again today...

Woohoo!! The kids did not lose privilege today while folding clothes. That means that for the first time in a week, they can all watch TV and play video games together. They barely made it by like three minutes though. That's ok, it's really an improvement. And they understand that since they wear clothes everyday, it only makes sense that they should fold clothes everyday. 

Calvin actually came home from school one day last week and told me that he had learned to like folding clothes. Funny as it didn't seem to help them get it done any faster that day.

Mother's Day

We had such a nice weekend. We woke up really late on Saturday and headed out to see Chris' mom in Peoria. Wow, that was a long drive. But it was really nice to spend a few hours with Raenell. We got to go swimming and whoa, the water was just a little on the chilly side for me. I'm such a baby when it comes to cold water. We then ordered take out from Black Angus for dinner. The adult meals were yummy yummy!!! The kids meals however were ridiculously spicy. I mean really, the potato chips in the kids meals had fire sprinkled all over them. The people who plan the menus must not have children. Give me a break. We should've ordered them all side dishes of macaroni and cheese. Oh well. 

I've decided I like having no movies in the van. The minivan had a DVD player in it which was really nice. But without the kids fall asleep. That's even nicer. They all fell asleep on the way home. We got in really late which is a total bummer because we have early church. No breakfast in bed but Chris got all the kids ready for church and we were almost on time. We got there in time to listen to the talks - yes it's been rough getting to church at 8:00 for us. We know how to get four children ready for church on time. However, we have five children. After church Chris made lunch (yum!!) and then we headed up to Pima to see my mom. Dad is getting around so well. He's got a cane but he doesn't hardly even need it. We had a really nice visit with my parents and then headed home before it got to be too late. 

It was a great Mother's Day! The kids all made me cards and I didn't have to change a single diaper or cook anything all day. Doesn't get much better than that!!

Front loader washer

So just over three years ago when we built our house in Queen Creek, we got a new washing machine. I forget the reason for justifying the purchase. Whatever the reason was I think I remember it was weak. Oh well. We decided to get a front loader because they have such a larger capacity than the top loaders. I loved my new machine. It did take a long time to complete a cycle but then the spin cycle had them practically dry so the dryer would run for about half the time as normal. About 10 months after we'd bought the machine it started having trouble. Suds were building up in the washer and it wasn't getting the clothes completely spun out. I tried using less and less detergent. I even ran it without detergent and the clothes were still sudsy. Eventually they were dripping wet after finishing the cycle. And the cycle would adjust itself to try to compensate. So instead of taking one hour and 14 minutes to complete the regular cycle it would take like two hours. We called the repair man to come out (still under warranty). He came out - reeked of cigarette smoke - and spent about an hour in my laundry room. Pretty much just watched it run through a cycle without any clothes in it. He told me that I was using too much detergent. I told him I wasn't using hardly any. He said that detergent must be built up in our clothes and that I should not use any at all for a while. He finally took his stench and left my house. Keep in mind this is the repair man that the manufacture sent out to us. He should really know what he's talking about right? I just knew in my gut that he wasn't right. There was something wrong with the washer. I finally convinced Chris to just take the panel off and look at it. Chris looked at it and it didn't take long for him to figure it out (he's really quite handy). Right behind the panel there is a cleanout spot where hair clips, money, legos, marbles, and lint get caught so that they don't damage the pump. Cleaned that out and the washer worked like new again. Tell me, why didn't the repair man figure that out? I don't think he even took the front panel off. Irritating!! Anyways, about every six months the panel needs to be taken off and the cleanout needs to be cleaned out. It's totally nasty, and you need a bucket or something to catch the backed up nasty water. So, you'd think that since there is a cleanout there that needs periodic attention that the panel would be easy to take off and put back, right? No. It's a major pain. Well, it fairly easy to get off, three little screws. But when you go to put it back on, the screws never line up right. You have to wedge it up there and leverage the screws into place. If it would be safe to do so, I'd just leave the panel off, but that wouldn't be safe. Anyways, I'd call it a serious design flaw. Just thought I'd share that with you. 

Dreams - Beware sappy love post ahead...

I had an odd dream last night. It wasn't bad, nor was it great. Just odd. It was about those single years. Ya know the dating years right at the end of high school and into college. It wasn't about any specific person, in fact it didn't have anybody that I knew in it. Full of "familiar" strangers if that makes sense, where I knew them in my dream but they weren't anybody that I actually know. It was one of those dreams that just felt very real. Those single years are chocked full of insecure feelings. Does so and so like me? Did I say the right thing hanging out with them? Will he ask me out? Why does so and so keep asking me out? That's how this dream was. And then, I woke up and saw Chris next to me. I had this overwhelming "being married is great" feeling. Don't get me wrong, I had tons of fun in college and high school - mostly college. I hung out with really great people who I remember fondly. But being married is so wonderful!! I get to spend the rest of my forever with my best friend. I truly believe that other people are not as happy as Chris and I. After 12 and a half years of marriage I still get fluttery feelings being around him. He makes me so happy! 

Laundry system update

So day two of laundry didn't go quite as well as day one. But that's ok, I'm still optimistic about my system. Even though it was a little bumpy yesterday the clothes did all get folded and put away. Woohoo!! Today should be easier, the loads were smaller. A definitely plus to this system is that I'm not completely despising laundry these past few days. I look at it and get my part done without hesitation and I don't feel guilty not doing the rest. The kids are going to do it. I feel good!!

It's almost time for nap and then I can really get to work on the shelves for the playroom. Emma and Derrick were so helpful putting that first one together. I'm really looking forward to working by myself for the rest of the afternoon. 

Lately the two little ones have truly become couch potatoes. It's gotten a little hot outside here (not as hot as Queen Creek) and they don't want to go outside. It's so hard for me to turn off the TV because they're so entertained by it. But I've been really paying for it later on in the afternoon. Even though they've been taking good naps, they are so crabby. I think no sunshine and lazy butt syndrome is adding up to grumpy toddlers. Today we did so much better, they played outside in the morning before it got warm and only watched two shows and then we turned off the TV. They got attention from me while we put together a shelf and now we're all looking forward to nap (ok they're not, but I am). I have four more shelves to put together, two hours of nap time, I think I can do it. Wish me luck!!

I didn't know we bought a BUS

So we got our license plates yesterday. The one for Chris' truck and my van both came in the mail on the same day. I opened mine and it's a commercial plate. Chris and I are a little confused. We figured the dealership must've messed up the registration on it. So I called the MVD today. I was on hold for 15 minutes when my cell phone dropped the call. Very frustrating. I called back on the land line and surprisingly there was no hold. I don't know how that happened. Anyways, I was transferred to the special plates division. She put me on hold while she asked around and came back and told me that it was because of the weight of the vehicle, it required a commercial registration. I told her my sister's 12 passenger van didn't have one. And then she fessed up that she didn't really know, but someone who used to work in that department had told her that. She said I would have to go in and ask them in person. My last experience at the MVD was less than pleasant, so I was not looking forward to taking Emma and Derrick with me. But, being a small town, I was in and out in less than a minute - literally. I asked the guy at the front desk about it, he looked at the plate and my registration and title and told me that because the vehicle was listed as a bus and was 8000 lbs, it required a commercial plate. Ok then, I drive a bus. I still love it.

Our Contribution to the State Budget Deficit

So about a month and a half ago, Chris' sister got married. We thought we were late getting to the temple and were hurrying along on the freeway. Chris thought he saw a flash, I thought I saw a sunlight reflection glare. We both thought that those cameras could only get you if you were in the outside lane. Apparently that's not the case. The ticket came in the mail with a lovely picture of Chris. There was no denying who that was. There was no option to go to traffic school and it doesn't put any points on your record either. They just want money. So we paid our speed privilege tax and called it our contribution to the state budget deficit. I hope the money at least goes to some essential public service - you know police, fire, streets, education. But it'll probably buy some department director new equipment that he doesn't need simply because they need to use up what's left of their budgeted money from last year or some other such nonsense. 

And guess what, we were early to the temple.

Folding clothes

I don't know what it is about folding clothes. It's hard to convince myself to get it done. It's really hard to convince the kids that they need to do it. I've come up with a new idea, well to everyone else it's a duh idea. The kids have to fold two loads of laundry everyday after school. When I told the kids this, they were like everyday? I told them they wore clothes everyday didn't they. Thus there's laundry to do everyday, at least two loads of laundry everyday. I'll fold anything past two loads. I'll fold all the sheets and blankets - I don't mind folding those anyways. I fold most of what's mine and Chris'. They really are only folding their own clothes and towels. I'm also not letting them do their homework first. I was all worked up that the kids would take all day to get it done again. But much to my pleasant surprise, they actually got it done quickly. I think it really helped that I was folding the sheets right there next to them. But I had mine done in about two minutes, so I was worried that they were going to totally lose momentum and take forever to get it done. Nope they were done in about 30 minutes. That's world record time over here. So a big woohoo over here on all the laundry folded and put away - day one. I think it's going to be a good system. 

Feeling better

Wow, I just read my last post and I was really in a mood. Let me be absolutely clear - I RARELY feel that way. 

We had a really nice weekend. It was father and sons. The campsite is only about 20 minutes from the house which meant that Chris and the boys could come home and sleep and shower. How nice is that. While they were out that evening I planned on taking Dana, Emma and Derrick out to dinner. I wanted to go to Applebees, but when I drove past the parking lot, it was packed. I decided I didn't want to wait 30 minutes for a table with Derrick needing to run around. We can do that when we're all together because I have Chris to help, but alone, I don't think so. So since the mall is right there and I was planning on buying a dress for Dana (this child grows like a weed), I decided to just eat in the mall. Well, the food court in the small (yes that's what they call the small mall here) was, well, it left something to be desired. There were not a lot of choices, not like what I'm used to when going to the mall. We settled on the pizza place. The pizza was OK, which is really all you can expect from a mall pizza place. I decided to try something different and had the lasagna. Mind you, I wasn't expecting much, it was terrible. It tasted like a really bad cheeseburger with ricotta cheese all over it. I mean the closest thing to Italian seasoning was a little raw bell pepper sprinkled on top. Ketchup would have improved the flavor immensely. I didn't want to waste eating carbs on such crap so I picked out most of the pasta and ate the bland hamburger and cheese and tomato sauce. It really was the worst lasagna I've ever eaten. While we're eating Derrick looks over and sees the big picture of the ice cream cones at the A&W place (I know, we should've eaten that). So he starts saying he wants ice cream. I'm such a pushover. I got them ice cream on the way out. I managed to convince him to wait until after we went shopping. That was certainly a small miracle to convince the two year old to wait for ice cream. 

So we started looking for dresses for Dana. There really are only two stores in the mall that have children's clothing, Sears and Dillards. I was sure that Sears would have dresses. And they did, but they were all fancy Easter dresses. They were really nice and were on clearance, but I needed just normal church dresses. We then went to Dillards, same thing. While walking back to the food court to get the ice cream before leaving the mall, we walked past a western wear store that had children's clothes. I thought we'd give it a try and see if maybe they had some dresses or even a skirt. Nope. But - shocker - they had really cute boots. Ok I knew what I was doing when I went into the store. Dana and Emma got pink boots and Derrick got plain brown. The kids all love their new boots. I so wanted to buy some for myself. But I think I'm going to wait until I can fit into some hot jeans before I do that. Really reward myself for my weight loss, ya know. Anyways, still no dress for Dana though. So we got our ice cream and headed back to the car. Amazingly the kids did not make a huge mess with the ice cream cones on the way to Target. They almost finished it before we got there, but they couldn't take them into the store. They were so sad to have to throw them away but they did. Target amazingly had dresses that would fit Dana. That's one thing this town is in short supply of is children's clothing stores. The stores that are here, do have children's clothing, but when you're looking for something specific like a dress, and you don't want fancy Easter or Christmas dresses, that's when it gets a little tricky. Maybe I just don't know where to go yet. Or maybe I just need to start looking online. 

So on Saturday Dana, Emma and Derrick and I were just getting ready to leave to go to a birthday party when Chris, Calvin and Bradley show up. Chris had stopped and bought a PS3 on his way home. Now before you assume he just went out and bought it spur of the moment, we had talked about it. I just wasn't expecting it quite yet. He's been talking about building another computer, a mini computer, to put next to the TV and access all our movies that we have stored on the main computer in the office. We have something of a library of movies in it. Anyways, he's been pricing that out and trying to figure out what he wants to put in it before he does it. He realized the PS3 would actually be cheaper and would do everything he wanted it to do. I have to admit, it's pretty darn cool. 

The kids and I went to the party while Chris set up his new toy and the boys were supposed to clean up the house. We had a great time at the party and met some people from the ward. We came home to find Chris had his new toy all set up, but the boys had really dawdled on the cleaning and were starting to lose privilege. They ended up losing a whole week of privilege. That means no TV, computer, or video games. Really sad to have lost privilege when we just bought the PS3. Maybe next time they'll fold the clothes instead of sit there. Yeah, it's not like we were asking them to do heavy labor. Just get the clothes folded and put away. They spent at least 7 hours doing what should've taken less than one. Oh well, hopefully they learned their lesson. I think I need to have them fold clothes every day this week too so they can get over their apparent phobia.

Sunday was really nice. Chris and I were both called to teach the Sunbeam class. That's Emma's class. She was so happy and sat on my lap the entire primary time. She did really good to sit on her chair during the class time, but during primary, whenever I put her in her chair she would lay her head on my lap and then snuggle really close and then the next thing I knew, she was in my lap and I was wondering how long she had been there. She may never recover from having me as her primary teacher. Especially next year when she is moved to an older class and Derrick is in my class. That will be hard for her. But Chris and I are excited to teach the Sunbeams. I think it'll be a lot of fun. The class seems like a nice sized class and appropriately behaved for that age. The hardest thing about it is going to be that church is not two and a half hours here but the full three. So we will have them for almost a full hour in the classroom and the lesson takes all of five minutes to get through. I think we'll be playing lots of games and doing lots of craft projects. Wish us luck!

Broken glass too

As if red soda wasn't bad enough. I just had to clean up broken glass and throw away one of my fiesta ware serving bowl that was a casualty as well. Of course it broke onto the counter which left glass on the counter, in the sink, on the floor. And yes there were dirty dishes in the sink that had to be picked over for broken glass too. And I wonder why I want to throw the kids toys across the room just to see them smash into the wall. Well, I don't really wonder. 

And no, I didn't throw any breakable toys; and no, the hot wheels truck is not embedded in the wall. It bounced harmlessly on the carpet. And no, I did not throw the toys at the kids. 

These "episodes" are short lived, like one minutes and it's over. And they're always hormonal and no I'm not pregnant! 

Red Soda

It's everywhere. It's all over the counter, down the front of the cabinet, on the floor, inside the cabinet, on my stacks of (previously clean) baking pans. It's even inside the motor of my hand mixer (which is a nice one I picked out for myself for Christmas.) 

You ask, why was the two year old unsupervised around the red soda? Good question. I was doing some much needed computer work and he was supposed to be watching TV. 

Maybe you ask, why do you even have red soda, I thought you didn't buy that crap? Good question. I don't buy that crap. 

Maybe you ask, why did you let your husband buy that crap? Good question. He needed the two liter bottles for his water rocket launcher for fathers and sons trip this weekend. I was at the store yesterday and thought about buying the two litter bottles he needed and then dumping out the poison inside. I should have done that. Next time I will. On his way home from work, Chris called and asked if we had the bottles. We didn't. So he stopped and bought some poison. He came home with it and I asked him why he didn't go ahead and spend a little bit more money (come one it's only a few more pennies) and get the stuff that at least tasted good or was at least diet poison. No he got the crap laden with artificial red dye that will not come out of the tile grout. (Ok that's an exaggeration, but still.) 

I dumped the rest of that bottle down the drain. Quick poll, should I dump the rest of the poison down the drain too? It's not like the kids are sugar deprived. Soda is like instant fat on the hips for Chris and I. I'd be doing the family a favor to dump that cancer causing artificial colors and high fructose corn syrup down the drain. Are you with me?

Cheating

So, up until this last weekend, I've been doing really well on my diet. I haven't lost much lately but that's ok, because I'm not in a weight loss phase of my diet. So the fact that I've lost any at all is really really great. Well, that was until Saturday. I really started craving Chinese food. I haven't had any Chinese food for months. Long story short, that little craving cost me over 5 pounds in one day. I'm so upset and I don't think I'll eat Chinese food ever again. (Unless I make it and I modify the recipe so it fits into my diet.) I'm back on the wagon as of today and I vow to not cheat (until Saturday). 

Mayo anyone?

So lately Chris and I have been thinking that we just don't have all the answers we need for Calvin yet. We feel that his current doctors have done all that they can and that it's time for us to look elsewhere. I've been doing some research on the internet and it appears that Mayo Clinic is the place to go when you have Myasthenia. So I called them and the one in Scottsdale will not see anyone under the age of 18. But, the one in Rochester, Minnesota will. So I called up there and I must not have explained my situation correctly to the lady on the phone because she transferred me to someone who transferred me to someone who was like um, I need to transfer you. I finally talked to the right department and they asked me for letters from his current doctors summarizing Calvin's medical history. I wonder just how long those summary letters are going to be. Calvin has a rather extensive medical history. Anyways, as soon as they get those letters, they will call me to set up the appointments. They said I could expect to be in Minnesota 3-7 days and that they try to complete all the testing in one trip so that we don't have to travel back and forth. It is done outpatient so we will need to get a hotel. I feel like finally we'll have some answers. Does anyone want to watch the rest of my children while I'm gone?

Emma has informed me that she is "not a baby anymore." And she would like to use the "glass" plates. Not the baby plates anymore.

Complaining - oh wait - I have so much to be thankful for!

I'm so tired of stomach flu. Today would be day three. These things usually only last one or two days around here. Bought the carpet shampooer on day one. Thankfully only needed it once so far. (However always good to have one of those around with a two year old and white carpet - seriously why is white carpet even available for people to choose?) It's time to bust out the bleach and hose down the house.

However, I am so thankful that I am tired of stomach flu and not facing something bigger. I am so thankful that Calvin's muscle condition is what it is and is not something bigger. I am so thankful that all I need worry about is when will my children stop feeling ill. Not if they will stop feeling ill. I'm so thankful that my biggest concern for Bradley is that he needs to pass off his multiplication tests. I'm so thankful that my concern for Dana is that she...hmmm, no worries about her at the moment. My husband has a secure job, my children are all healthy (well, stomach flu aside), I have everything that I need and so much that I don't need. My life is so blessed. 

Bradley has a friend

So when we told the kids that we were moving away from Queen Creek, Bradley was so excited. He needed new surroundings and new kids to make friends with. He's very shy around kids his age and had not been able to make any real friends in Queen Creek. So when we moved here, Bradley was still very shy and struggled to make friends. A couple weeks ago, Dana made friends with a girl from church who lives pretty close by. When we discovered that her brother was in Bradley's class we invited him over. This little boy is a lot like Calvin. He's had a hard time making friends too. Bradley and him get along really well. Both families are so thrilled that they are friends. 

A couple days ago, when I picked Bradley up from cub scouts, he says that his friend is coming to spend the night. I explained that that is something he has to get permission for. I must not have explained well enough because the next day after school he says his friend is coming to spend the night. I again explain that he needs permission to do that. I called the other mom and it turns out that Bradley's friend is sick anyways. So the next day, Dana comes running in to tell me that the hide-a-bed is ready. I ask her what it's ready for? And she says for Bradley's friend to spend the night. All this time, no permission for the sleepover has been granted. I again explain to Bradley that unless mom or dad specifically say that it's ok for so-n-so to spend the night, that it's not going to happen. His friend was still sick anyways, so it wasn't going to happen permission or not this weekend. I think Bradley understands now how it all works and maybe he'll get to have that sleepover soon. 

It's just so funny sometimes how we think we've explained it clearly. We ask do you understand? They answer yes. And we assume that means they understand. We've realized that we have to then follow that question with asking them if they understand the specific words we've just used. Half the time they don't understand the words, yet, they've just claimed to understand the whole sentence. For example, the other night at dinner we had some pork chops that were quite yummy. As I was getting the last bit of meat off of the bones, I asked the kids "Are you allowed to gnaw on the bones if we're at a restaurant?" 

In unison, "No." 

I ask, "What about at someone else's house?"

Again, "No."

I then think about it for a moment, and realize they probably don't know what the word gnaw means. So I ask them, "Do you know what it means to gnaw on something?"

"No."

Good thing they know not to do it, now if they just knew what it was. But do they ask? No.

Let me clarify...

My sister asked why we would buy a van without test driving it. Let me clarify. We test drove it. We called the dealership to see if it was still available before driving over there. He must've known the battery was bad because when we got there, it took them awhile to get the van up to the front for us to see it. Chris test drove it and when he came back the guy said to leave it running to charge the battery. So we left it running for a while and then when we went to do paperwork, we turned it off. That's when it wouldn't start back up.

12 passengers

Chris and I are now the proud owners of a 12 passenger van. Actually I am. It's only in my name. It was just easier to have Chris stay out in the car with the kids while I did the paperwork on it. It's red. We bought it from a very small dealership in Tucson. So small that they don't have lights on their lot and so they close at like 6:00. It's almost a one man operation. Very small. Anyways, we finished up the paperwork on it and the we're getting ready to leave and it won't start. The dealership is already closed, we were their last customers, and the guy is already gone. He told us it sat for a year so we figured the battery was just dead. Luckily there was a Checker across the street so we took the battery out and over to Checker and they said they would charge it for free for us. It would take about an hour. We figured everyone was hungry so we went to get dinner. In the meantime, Derrick has peed through his pull-up, soaking his clothes. I have diapers in the car, but no extra clothes. So we went through the drive-thru. We finished eating and thought ok, what time is it, is the battery ready? No. Only 10 minutes had passed. Chris has been needing to get a haircut and there was a place right there so he went to do that. The kids and I waited in the car - thank heaven for DVD players. I don't know how we ever survived without them. The lady cutting his hair was so slow. Chris told her we were all waiting in the car and that Checker would close with our car battery there and we'd have to leave our new van in a 7-Eleven parking lot in Tucson and go home. She apparently didn't care. I could see her through the window stopping to talk to other people in the shop. Every so often she'd stop and look at Chris' hair and then cut a little here, a little there. I've never seen anyone do a slower haircut before. And it wasn't even that great of a haircut. It was good. But for how long it took, it should've been fantastic. Anyways, we make it there to Checker a few minutes before they close and the battery is no good. So we bought a new battery and the van started right up. Just to be safe we drove the van over to Checker so they could test the alternator. It was good. So we headed home and I have to say I really love the new van. I was a little worried about driving such a large vehicle. It is bigger than a suburban, but not by much. It was a very frustrating few hours with our new vehicle, but I think we're going to have this one for a long time and I'm really happy about that.