Daily Riddle

What do you get when you leave two of these...

alone upstairs

with one of these accidentally left in the hallway?

.

.

.

(We thought it was a little too quiet upstairs, if you know what I mean)

Oh Christmas Tree

Only 11 more days until Christmas and we finally got our tree strung with lights

Hopefully some day soon we'll get some ornaments on it

Kinda funny, but not really...

This is the door sign I found hanging on our teenage son's bedroom door.  It's a gift he received when his second sister was born and he was 7 years old.  It used to say "No Girls Allowed" but he's obviously changed it to suit his more "mature" personality.  [Lest anyone (especially him!) think we condone this and allow hot girls into his bedroom, the sign has been removed from his door]

Nurse Carolyn

My Mom and Dad are leaving to go back home. Their 5 days off at the temple are over and their duty calls. I'm so sad. I have LOVED having them here and my Mom has been such a big help with the kids, the laundry, the cooking, the dishes, the vacuuming, the driving, and she even cleaned my toilets! Like a good nurse, she made sure I took my pain pills and got enough sleep, and she watched me like a hawk so that I didn't lift or bend.

Thanks so much for your help--I couldn't have done it without you! In fact, I'm not sure how I'm going to do it the next 5 weeks without you. I LOVE YOU.

Tickets

For a while now, driving with Little Guy has been providing a bit of a mothering challenge. He has taken to back seat driving. Each and every time we get in the car to go somewhere (which is LOT) he will tell me to "Go faster, Mom" or "Go slower, Mom." He tells me when the light is red and if I don't stop immediately, he freaks out. "Mom, it's red, you have to STOP!" He tells me when he sees a green light and if I'm still waiting for the car in front of me to go, he freaks out. "Go, Mom, it's green!" Then he will ask me, "Are you going fast Mom?" "Are you going slow, Mom?" When I give him an answer, he argues about it. "No you're not going fast, Mom"

It gets really old. Some of his questions are difficult to answer because SLOW and FAST are relative terms. And it's frustrating because he doesn't accept one easy answer. He keeps at it. Asking more questions. And making more demands regarding my driving. I started telling him exactly what speed I was traveling, which led to a discussion of speed limits. Which led to a discussion of what happens when you don't follow the speed limit. (This is a DAILY conversation, by the way).

So yesterday I was amused to have this conversation with him as I was driving:

LG: Mom, drive fast. We have to get there.

M: I'm going as fast as I can. I have to drive the speed limit.

LG: Oh yeah, or else you will get tickets.

M: Yes, and then I will have to pay lots of money.

LG: No.

M: Yes. If I get a ticket, I have to pay money to the city.

LG: No. Mom, if you get tickets, you have to go to Chuck E. Cheese. They have the tickets. Then you get a prize.

So THIS is what it's been about all this time? Chuck E. Cheese? He's thinking if I get a ticket then he gets to go to Chuck E. Cheese. Funny guy.

A Buzz and 2 Witches

and the candy is already gone...HOORAY

drowning

I've been on a little Blog-cation, in case you haven't noticed. I'm up to my ears dealing with doctors (ruptured disc--ouch!), attorneys (little guy), stressed-out husband (bishop), and lots of decisions that have to be made sooner rather than later. Hopefully I'll be back soon...

Little Guy's First Prayer

Tonight as I was putting Little Guy to bed, he told me he didn't need help saying his prayers.  This was a first.  He said he could do it all by himself.  So I kept quiet.  And this is what I heard:

I love my Mommy

I love (Montana)

I love (JJ)

I love (Reed)

I love going to school

Playing on the playground

I love going home

I love playing with my daddy

And my (Reed)

Please bless me

And we're going to adopt me

I love Grandma Carolyn

I love Grandpa Con

I love the Yukon

Amen

Ocean World

Last Thursday Reed's football team had a game down south. None of the kids had school the next day and I had previously made arrangements for our family to travel down to the game and then continue on to the northern California coastline and the Redwoods and make a long weekend of it.

Ironically, Reed sustained a concussion in his football game the prior week and he wasn't cleared to play by Thursday, but since we had already paid for the beach house reservation, we went anyway.

One of the favorite activities was going to Ocean World.  We all got the chance to pet a shark.  Some of us were braver than others...

The younger kids had fun climbing inside the big fake shark and pretending they were being eaten

                         

We watched a really fun seal show. 

The girls loved this picture of a seal painted on the wall

Hank caught some waves on the surfboard (in his socks and sandals!)

Reed was too cool for surfing (and for pictures)

To be continued...

Today's Ortho Appt.

Before

During...

After!

SALLY FOSTER /// ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS

I admit it. I am officially the world's biggest Fundraising Grinch. Just ask my children. Every year, on a sunny day in September, the kids race home from the bus stop and can hardly wait to show me what they "get" to sell this year. And every year I go into denial. Maybe if I just ignore it, it will go away.

How is that working for me, you ask? It's not. They don't forget about it. And every day I have to think of another excuse why we can't go out that day to sell.

I don't like my children hitting up friends and family for money. And I certainly don't want them wandering the neighborhood hitting up the neighbors for money. I don't like it one bit. OK. I'll tell you how I really feel. I hate it the whole thing.

On that happy note, I have decided this may be the least painful way to allow my children to participate (so they don't feel like total losers when all their classmates sell tons and win lots of prizes and my children sell none because their mother is, well, you know... the fundraising grinch) I will simply put up a few links to the websites. If you are interested in participating, simply click on the links. Any purchase you make will be credited to them and their school if you use the link provided.

The great thing is...you don't feel any pressure and I don't feel any guilt. It's a win-win, right? So, go ahead and check out the websites and if you feel so inclined, purchase away!

Here's the link for the ENTERTAINMENT BOOK... Make sure to enter the seller number 340745 so the girls get credit. http://www.entertainment.com/discount/fundraisingLookup.shtml
It's only $20 and there are great savings on restaurants, shopping, services, etc. You can buy one for the city you live in, or someplace you plan on visiting. They make great gifts for holidays and birthdays!

Here's the link for SALLY FOSTER... Make sure to enter the seller number 340695 so the girls get credit. Just click on th Button that says Give Credit.
http://www.sallyfoster.com/sally/home.jsp

Sally Foster sells lots of neat products. My favorite is their high quality, really cute wrapping paper and gift bags. They also sell organizing tools, stationary, gourmet chocolates, gadgets and gifts. Check out their catolog. You're sure to find something you can't live without! 50% of every purchase goes to the school!

You shouldn't need this, but just in case....the school's account number is 172258 for both fundraisers.

YOU ONLY HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER 14TH, SO GET YOUR ORDERS IN NOW

**If you want free shipping with Sally Foster, you can call me and I'll place the order through the school and then make sure it gets to you. The Entertainment Book has free shipping.

Be of Good Cheer

Two friends stopped by last night. One was holding a butter tub filled with steaming hot homemade hot fudge. The other had a message that spoke peace to my soul. Neither of these friends knew much about what we've been struggling with. I am not able to share many details here. But generally, we are in a legal battle with the state and the biological father over Little Guy. They are adament about reunification and we are adament that it is not in his best interest, given his extremely traumatic life threatening injuries and abuse at such a young age and the amount of time he has been with us and bonded and attached to our family. The biological father is basically a stranger to him.

After spending thousands of dollars in attorneys fees and incalculable stress, worry, and tears over the past year and a half, it appears that we are fighting a losing battle. A battle that we felt led to fight. It has begun to feel like we are simply smashing our heads against the wall to no avail. We are being falsely accused and maligned by attorneys and state workers. We (I) have begun to doubt and wonder if we should continue the fight. Is it worth it? Our life would be so much easier if we gave in. What will the outcome be? Can't we just have a little peek into the future to see how things will turn out?

And then my two friends came. They sat with me and cried with me. They shared a scripture with me that I have heard countless times, but hadn't thought of recently. "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along." It spoke directly to my soul as if that scripture were written for me alone.

Thank you friends. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

(And that hot fudge is almost gone...)

Little Brown Snakes

Conversation overheard last night at bedtime:

Hank:  Come on, let's go get your pajamas on and brush teeth
Little Guy:  Not yet, I haven't made any little brown snakes.
Hank: You don't need to make any brown snakes before bed.
Little Guy:  Yes, I do!!!  Mom told me. 
Reed:  What in the heck are little brown snakes?
Hank:  That's what he calls going #2 in the toilet.  If he does it in the toilet, he gets to see the brown snakes.  If he does it in his diaper, they don't look like snakes anymore.
Reed:  Oh.  Very nice.  

Sharing a Snack

Cousin Carter came to play today.  They played so hard they needed a snack so they helped themselves to a banana and went outside to eat on the bench.  This was just before they decided to dig a big hole, fill it with water, and then stand in it.  Past their ankles.  With Carter's new shoes on.  Good thing his mommy is a good sport.

The Secret

I think I've discovered the secret

to keeping the children happily occupied

for hours at a time:

ASK THEM TO CLEAN THEIR ROOMS

They will disappear for hours

entertaining themselves

doing anything OTHER than actually cleaning their rooms

Evidently, the girls got down the dress-up box

and had some fun with Little Guy

He LOVED it

Thanks to them,

he now wants to be a princess for Halloween

We'll have to think about that one

15,000 Words

If a picture paints a thousand words, how many words does this post paint?

Testing the waters...

Attempts to push each other in the lake

Pinkie-Promise not to push in

Contemplating

Please bless it won't be too cold

(she wasn't really praying...I don't think...I didn't ask)

OK, I think I'm ready...

Mom!  Why do you have to take a billion pictures?!?

In she goes!

Come on in, Montana.  It's not cold, I swear!

Should I believe her?

JERONIMO!!

Brrrrrrrrr!

OK, I guess it wasn't so bad

Canoe Adventures

Out for a leisurely canoe ride/fishing trip

Oops.

Oh no. Where's the fishing pole?!? DANGIT!!

Blame. Blame. Why'd you do that?

Notice the Lochness Monster in the top right hand corner. Freaky.

Better get back in the boat!

You climb in, I'll hold it steady

OK, We're both in

Wait, that didn't work so well