Unplugging

I was going over the kids "summer vacation." Here's what it looks like.

This week: Finish current track session
Following 2 weeks: off-track (June)
Then: Back to school for 3 weeks to finish the current year-round school year.
Next: Summer vacation for 3-4 weeks (July).
Following That: Back to school (new grades) for 3 weeks.
Then because of a track change: Off for 3 more weeks (August).
Finally: Back in school til Nov.

With Memorial day rapidly approaching and our first summer break, I'm going to unplug for a bit.  No blogs, facebook, and minimal e-mail.  I'd love to use that time to take kids to swim lessons, lunch at the park, hiking, the zoo, etc. This will be a huge challenge for me to unplug almost completely (still can't live with out the occasional email check yet), but my kids are really cute and lots of fun right now.  I want to enjoy them, their silly antics and be remembered for a mom who is "there."  (Maybe by the time I'm back I'll actually have some fun pictures and posts to keep you interested. lol)

I will still be available by phone and texting however.  I'm not going caveman here. ;)

Happy summering!!

The Latest Project

The kids know.  And now you can too.  (Because, let's face it, if they know, everyone will know.)

Due date: Nov. 24

This is the life

I think I could get used to it. ;)

Celebrate

Mothers' Day, Birthday, Anniversary, Jeff finally home from a big long week away from us.........This has been a busy weekend!

Today's J's bday.  Happy birthday babe!  This guy has been making my life easier and more fun for the last 10 years (on thursday!-more to come later).

 He likes a quiet celebration, so tonight we'll bbq, have cake and ice cream and we'll see about getting him something fun for his special day. ;)  Saturday he and I went out to celebrate his birthday.  One of his favorite bands, MuteMath (along with another band) was in town opening for 30 Seconds to Mars.  He got tickets and we went.  We watched both opening acts-Neon Trees played first.  Niether of knew what to expect from them, but ended up being happily surprised.  They were kind of fun.  Then Mutemath which was awesome.  So much better to see the music you love live.  Then we left.  Yes.  We shelled out money for tickets and didn't even stick around to hear the main attraction.  That's ok.  we got our $$ worth. :) 

Mothers' day was perfect.  McKay was disappointed we didn't have time for breakfast in bed.  The kids all sang in Sacrament meeting with the primary. The only thing that kept me from crying was the lady in front of us kept turning around to comment on the kids (nice things of course).  I didn't want her to see me cry. :)  After church, the kids loaded me down with all there hand crafted presents.  (Shout out to all the teachers who come up with and get projects going for moms' day.  I love it!)  Lyndsi painted a flower pot for me along with some notes she wrote at school. Then she gave me another flower pot with some paper cut outs of her hand stuck in like flowers.  Each handprint had a different chore on it that she would do for me.  She was so cute when she gave it to me.  She said, "Mom, you're gonna love this present...but I'm not."  Hehe.  She's right.  I do love it and I'm gonna use it, too. :)  McKay make a cute foam flower in a wooden pot with a clothes pin on the back-perfect for pictures or recipe cards.  Sophie gave me a candy bar with a special mothers day wrapper on it that they put together in Sunbeams.  Jeff surprised me with some fun jewelery he brought back from Hawaii.  He also surprised me (though not specifically for this occasion) with a trip to Home Depot to get these really fun adirondack chairs we'd seen at this fun place in St. George.  We love them and will be going back to get 2 more.

We decided to take dinner over to my mom and dad and Greg and enjoyed the evening hanging out with them.  I got my mom a book (Spare Change by Aubrey Mace) and made her a cake stand (here is the tutorial-super easy) to use when she gets her Cricuit cake machine.  For a combined gift, my parents gave us 2 new, much needed, sleeping bags along with a nice table we can use camping, crafting, etc.  Jeff's mom is gonna have to wait for her gift, though.  But we have it and are excited and I know she'll love it.  :)

It was a nice day.  I love that my kids are old enough now to make their own gifts. I love seeing the thought and excitement put into each one.  It makes all the not fun stuff about mommy-hood worth it.  I'm also so happy to have a great mom myself and a wondeful mother-in-law.  Both have taught us, helped us, inspired us and loved us.  And thanks to you friends and bloggers.  I do look up to you and learn about being a better mother from you as well.  It's nice to have a day to celebrate Motherhood.

Next up-the big 10-yr anniversary!

Not Normally

I don't clean my kids rooms for them. I don't mind helping them clean and at least (if I'm busy with something else) will give them little tasks to do like "take care of all the clothes." When that is finished, they come back for another one. That and actually being in there helping have worked great for me so far. Occasionally though bedrooms get out-of-control messy.


McKay's room has been that way for the last several days, despite our attempts to clean it together. Last night I couldn't walk in his room and decided that was the last straw. Today while he was at a friends, I went in and cleaned. I did a little organizing, threw a bunch of "special" papers away (you know-anything that has been touched by them) and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. I wondered at I was doing. I didn't feel anger at McKay for allowing his room to get this way. I really didn't mind doing it, but how could I deny my child an opportunity to learn to work and be responsible for his own things? How could I let that teaching opportunity slide right by?!

Honestly. We are all happier this way. I'm happier because now I can wash all his clothes, walk in his room and see his floor. McKay will be happier because now he doesn't have the overwhelming tast of cleaning his room weighing him down and he's not getting in trouble.

Oh! Epiphany-It just came to me-I haven't lost a learning opportunity-at least for myself. It seems this is what Heavenly Father is constantly doing for me, wiping my slate clean so I get a "do-over" to try and be better. A little bit of mercy for a daughter He loves. Now McKay gets a little "do-over" himself and we can work harder together to get the hang of keeping a room clean. I love finding little lessons in daily life.

Flying Solo

Jeff's out of town for work.  Due to that and a nasty cold, I've been really tired.  Yesterday I was contemplating staying home from church today (not wanting to spread these icky germs) or only going to sacrament meeting.  When I woke up at 7:30 feeling refreshed, there were no more questions of what to do in my mind.  I helped get the kids ready and we went to church. We have sacrament last and admittedly I was nervous about trying to keep 3 active kids (especially #'s 2 and 3) quite and reverant.  The meeting passed with the usual loudly whispered conversations and lots of coloring and asking of advice on what to draw next.  McKay all of a sudden got it in his brain to draw all the planets in our solar system, the sun, the moon the milky way, and various other space-related things.  He was constantly asking me what color which planet was, how big, etc.  It felt like a busy sacrament meeting.  Afterwards though, the man sitting behind me (one of the younger empty-nesters) told me how much he enjoyed my kids' reverance today.  He thought they were thoroughly wonderful and well-behaved and he expressed his appreciation for that. Then another friend (with older kids) caught me and made sure I knew that I could call her for help anytime if I need it while Jeff is gone and gave me some great bits of advice.  I left sacrament feeling so uplifted and my testimony of how much Heavenly Father loves me and his awareness of me, my trials and my concerns strengthened.  It's nice to know you are loved, thought of and taken care of.

Just for fun-
Here are the pictures McKay drew in sacrament meeting.  The scanner distorted the colors a bit.  That brownish looking ball is actually orange.  And I just noticed we're missing Saturn.  (Maybe the rings added to Neptune and Venus threw me off.)