Santa Claus

The funniest thing happened the other day and I wanted to share. Well funny to me, but not so funny to Luke and Emma. We went to the mall to see Santa and sit on his knee and get a candy cane. You know the drill. It went rather well, especially considering my kids go from friendly to super shy in the blink of an eye and without warning. They even got a cool coloring book and a "homework" page from Santa to take home.

The next morning Luke and Emma come running out of their rooms with way too much enthusiasm at 6 in the morning yelling "SANTA! SANTA!" They quickly changed their mood when they realized there were no presents under the tree. They thought that because they had gone to see him the night before, he was coming right then. Poor things. How do you explain to a 3 year old he has to wait for a few more weeks. 3 hours is a lifetime to him, much less 3 weeks. Needless to say we had a sad day of disappointment and crying.

The reason I even bring it up is that tonight we got to see HIM again. Of course their wish list consisted of 1 thing between the 3 of them. "We want a Wii game." Unfortunately they are no where to be found but on Ebay for $200 more than normal. So here is our predicament. Normally it would be a funding issue, but we actually have the money and planned to get them one. But Santa's workshop did not produce enough product to meet demand and we don't have one for under our tree.

The search is on and we have not given up. We got a tip the other day that several stores have them available on Sunday morning. GREAT. So if we wait 'til Monday they will be gone, but if we go on SUNDAY...you see my predicament. (And if you don't it is a non issue so don't worry about it.)

I shall keep you posted, but in the meantime, if you know where I can get a Wii, let me know asap! We only have 11 shopping days left to find one!

Captain Trouble

I just caught Luke playing with my knitting needles again--like drum sticks this time. The problem with that is he pulled them out of the project I was working on to get them. I think this is maybe the 15th or 20th time he has done this. Don't you think he would know better by now? And no they were not sitting out for him to find. They were put away in my room where they belong. He just likes to go FIND the trouble.

I think that is his super power. He loves capes and super hero's.

CAPTAIN TROUBLE.

Here to wreck havoc everywhere he goes. Making messes and destroying home decor. There is no wall clean enough, no room tidy enough for CAPTAIN TROUBLE.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of year. I have been trying to sort out what it is I love the most and here it is.

I love getting back in touch with old friends. I know I should probably never fall out of touch, but life happens. It brings back all the good memories of why they are important to me. Even those who I only hear from once a year, this is when it happens.

I love spending time outside in the cool, brisk air. Even though it is cold, I think I love to be in the snow more than any other weather. Don't get me wrong, I love me a hot beach any day, but I think the fond memories of the holidays are all wrapped up in snow for me. When I lived in that "tropical place" it was really hard to feel the spirit of Christmas whenI was in shorts and it was 80 degrees outside.

I love baking endless goodies for anyone and everyone. Cookies, candy, breads, you name it. It is the perfect excuse to turn on my oven and make the things my family say are "too fancy" throughout the rest of the year. Everyone is my neighbor when it comes to goodie season. Yum.

I love creating fun gifts for family and friends. We did a homemade christmas one year where everything had to be homemade. I LOVED it. Even though it is not realistic with 3 small kids, I try to at least create some of the gifts we give. Even if it is a knitted scarf, a plate of goodies, or special holiday card for Grandma.

I love how everyone you meet seems to have a smile on their face. Peoples attitudes change during the holidays. Some may be not for the better, but for most people you can feel the spirit of Christmas just by looking at them. It shows in the way they dress too. Winter is a time to bust out those fun sweaters and earings you would never ever wear anywhere else. I personally don't have any, but I know people who do.

I love surprises. Creating them the most, but I like mine when I get them too. The look on someones face when they open that perfect gift is better than anything else in the world. The year my mom gave my dad a trip to Hawaii was priceless. I could hardly contain my excitement. The best part, they were coming to visit me!

I could go on for hours. This truly is a magical time of year. I love it so much. It is hard to not get caught in the shopping aspect of it, but it is not why we celebrate Christmas. Santa is fun until you are 9 or 10, but family and friends last for a lifetime. Jesus Christ loves us more than anything. That is where the true Christmas spirit comes from. Our love for him shows in the way we treat others and especially how we honor his birth.

Flu Shots...or even better, Flu Mist

Last week Luke turned 3 so we had the traditional Well Child Check Up. Since we just moved from Colorado to Idaho we had to find a new Dr. I asked my sisters which Dr. they use and it was the same place for both of them, so I figured it was a safe choice. It turned out to be the coolest Little Kid friendly place in the world! Every room has a neat theme with murals painted on the walls and the brightly colored, shaped Dr. table to match. We went in the Fire Station room. Needless to say it was a great choice. The Dr. turned out to be great too so it was a bonus for everyone.

Back to the Flu Shot. When Luke was born our then Dr., a trusted family friend, suggessted we all get flu shots so baby boy would not get sick from something we brought home from our various schools, places of employment, etc. So we all got them. I had never had a flu shot growing up and only really remember having 1 super yucky flu sickness in my life. Ryan, however, has had them almost every year of his adult life.

So then the next year rolls around. Do we get the shot again? I think we opted out that year but last year the kids all got them because they was a particularly bad case of whooping cough going around Southeast Colorado. Which Luke and Ally ended up getting anyway. Enter the nebulizer, the bane of all childhood existence. More on that later.

Now he is 3 and passes his check up with flying colors. "He talks like a 5 year old" says the astounded nurse. Well my children learned from some pretty avid speakers. What can we say. He is all caught up on immunizations, but do we want the flu shot? Enter the all troubling question that has plagued me for the past 4 years. I don't know. Do they really need it? Is it actually doing any good? The strain is typically not the one going around this year anyway so how will we prevent the new one with an old virus? I am all for immunizing your children. Mine have all had their 1001 shots and are completly up to date. Including the new chicken pox preventor. I had them. Even have a couple little indented circular "scars" to show for it. Not so bad, but I guess like everything else, it is getting worse and can now kill you.

Then the nurse says the one thing that sealed the deal. "He can have the mist or the shot, you decide." Mist. Little squirt up each nostril and you are good to go. No needle. No screaming in pain. No having to massage little knots out of their leg when it gets irritated. And hopefully, no flu. So I figure, why not. It has worked in the past and it is getting to be that time of year. Not to mention, we just moved to a completely new climate where they have never lived. I know my body has a tendency to react negatively in new environs. Seems like every time I move I get a new allergy to something that never bothered me before.

So we do it. Little squirt in the nose. No pain. Not even a whine. Needless to say, the girls went back 2 days later and got their Flu Mist as well. Now they all have a serious case of stuffy/runny nose, but other than that they seem to be ok. Time will tell if it was worth it, but without a needle the trouble doesn't seem to be there.

Disclaimer: FYI the nurse did tell me that the mist is avaliable to healthy children. Those with athesma or other breathing problems cannot get the mist and need to stick with the shot. Pun intended.

A little Piece of quiet

This is the most amazing thing that has happened to me in months or maybe even Years! I am at home, Luke is sleeping (another miracle) and Emma is sitting quietly eating and not moving. It has been like 10 minutes and there is no noise in my house. How did this happen? How do I re create it?

And just like that the phone rings. It is Ally's school calling to say she had an "accident" and is waiting in the Nurses office for some dry pants.

Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.

like I said...

It has been literally months since I last wrote. I have a lot of places I could put the blame, such as packing, moving, adjusting to a new town, adjusting to a new job, adjusting to new schools and the biggest one--no internet access for over a month. But really what it boils down to is this. I am a mother of 3 kids. Enough said.

Mud Balls

The other day Em and Luke went outside to play. Little did we know they had found the hose and used it to fill the flower pot full of water. Nice. Ry tried to keep me from looking outside and with good reason. He made me promise not to get mad. So of course I had to see what they were doing. And then I grabbed the camera.

Luke's favorite cartoon is Diego and he loves to make Mud Balls which is something he learned from the Dinosaur adventure. Did the writers even think about what they were teaching when they made that stupid part? Not only did they show them how to make mud balls, they taught them how to use mud balls as baseballs and they made it look fun! Of course any 2 year old kid is going to want to try it. Now we can't keep him out of the mud.

Not only that, Em loves it too so they are always in the dirt and turning it to mud. This was the turning point though. Ry went out and hosed them off with the freezing water so we could bring them in the house without the mess. The neighbor thought we were killing our kids. It's true. He is in Ry's 6th hour and told the whole class about it.

The biggest problem with this is the photos. You have to document the silly messes they make, but you can't laugh. The only thing that keeps me sane is laughing about it so I don't cry. But when I am laughing and the camera comes out they start posing and then it makes it really hard to punish them. Mostly because they don't take it seriously. So this is why my house is a mess and my kids are crazy.
At least I am not uptight!

I feel Inactive

Today is Stake Conference and right about now it is ending (Kansas time is an hour later) and they are preparing to eat the feast of BBQ sandwiches (which the congregation had to smell cooking the entire 2 hour meeting) chips and cookies. Yes that is all. One year our Bishop encouraged our ward to bring fresh fruits and vegetables so we did. You could barely find them amongst the bags of chips and mountains of cookies. We haven't done it again.

Obviously I am not there. Ryan had to go to Denver for the week and will not be home until this evening. So I opted out. 2 hour drive + 2 hour meeting + 1 Messy meal + 2 hour drive + 3 small very active kids. You do the math. It adds up to 1 insane and extremely frazzled mom in my book.

But here is the worst part. Due to extensive travel and meetings beyond our control (General Conference) we have not been to a regular meeting of church for a month! Luke was begging me the other day to please take him to primary. Please can I go to church? Please mom? I feel horrible. Last night I almost considered driving to La Junta (an hour the other direction) to find a ward there. Again, the driving without the husband-support. Then I considered calling a friend and attending her church with her. But the reality of Mom this isn't our church. Mom this isn't how we do it at our church. Why are they singing those weird songs? Why don't they wear dresses to church? Set in and I decided against it.

So here we sit, in our favorite princess outfits (Luke is a football player) watching our most recent addition to our Book of Mormon Stories videos. They are working really hard to build that ship.

A day in the life...

Being a mom is nothing you can ever be prepared for. I knew how to do most of the stuff I thought I needed long before I ever became one. I can cook, iron, sweep, mop, drive, read, make a bed, do laundry, do dishes, scrub a toilet, play, change a diaper, and give hugs. I have lots of sisters and brothers to practice on. But there is something about being in charge of someone elses life that is a little overwhelming. And now 3 someones' lives. But I never seem to know everything. There is a new something to add to my list everyday.

For instance, Ally has a cold and has for about 4 days now. She stayed home from school Tuesday because she just was not feeling well. That was the responsible thing to do right? I don't want her to spread it around. Wednesday was better so she went to school but she is still super congested. So this morning I gave her some decongestant/cough medicine before she left for school. Being the kind of thinker I am, I gave her another little strip to take after lunch time was over. This way she would have the next dose in 4 hours. We went over when she was to take it 4 times so she knew exactly the right moment and not too soon.

About 8:30 I get a call from the school secretary. Ally has brought medicine to school and does not have a signed permission note from her Dr. for her to take it, so we have put it here in the office for you to pick up. You can come down here and give it to her, but she cannot take it herself. What in the world? That is a new one. I understand why and they are just trying to protect themselves, but this is just another example of the little things you can never be prepared for.

So of course I go down to her school at noon, the appointed time to take her medicine, after I drop Emma off at her preschool, so I can open the little foil packet and stick the strip on her tongue. Because as a 5 year old she is unable to do this for herself. It is about as difficult as eating a piece of gum. Something she has done a million times in her short life, but still too hard.

So next time I will have to plan ahead by calling the Dr. to get a signed permission form, go out to his office and pick it up, but after I drop Ally off at school because they are not open that early, and drop if by her school secretary with the medication so they can give it to her to take herself because they are not medical personnel to dispense it to her.
OR I can just take it the 4 blocks and give it to her myself.

Scotty

This is my big brother Scotty. He is awwesome! I am pretty proud of this picture because I took it. Not Ryan. Me. We went boogie boarding at Pounders Beach one day cause we were looking for waves for Carson to surf on (pu-huh) and we found these. Not surfable because they were too close to the beach, but good none the less. The wind was strong and it was a little cold so they were getting pounded hard. Hence the name. The water is super salty as you know and his eyes were really red. This is his impression of a Maori Warrior. I like it. Thought it turned out nice. He hates it. Big surprise.

Times they are a changin'

Okay so I feel like I am pretty smart when it comes to "modern technology". (Does the fact that I just put that in quotes totally negate everything I just said??) Having said that, I have yet to venture into the world of the blog. The time has arrived. As I type I am holding my cranky-because-I-was-prematurely-roused-from-my-nap 2 year old Luke while his I-just-bugged-my sleeping-brother older sister Emma, 4, teases him with his juice. Meanwhile, the 5 year old tap dancer Ally entertains us in the other room. Well, technically it is the same room because lets face it we have 5 people living in a tiny 800 square foot 2 bedroom house. Super cute but we are busting the seams on this place.

But that is all about to change. This summer will be a Change-o-Rama season for us. We have been the victims of bureaucracy in action and we will be moving from our tiny house in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere Colorado for bigger and better things. New town, new house, new job, new school, new friends. Just not sure where and when that will all take place yet. One thing we do know is that we are here until the final yearbook deadline. (possibly the final yearbook if they have their way) After that we are still up in the air and grasping at the straws that seem to be just out of reach for the moment.

Until then I will wait in Limbo, my least favorite place to visit, and try not to be stressed out about being here. One of these days I will start the packing process so we don't have to do it in a few days of fury. Thanks to new friends I have the boxes waiting to be filled. They sit expectantly waiting in a daunting pile just inside the garage that houses everything but the car. I try to ignore them whenever I go out there--which seems to be more and more lately. Maybe if I don't acknowledge they are there I won't have to fill them up. I hate to pack but love to move new places. I don't want to leave friends but can't wait to make new ones. In 7 years we have moved 5 times, this summer will be 6. It seems to get more and more difficult the more things (and children) we accumulate. The piles in the garage are divided into 4 categories. Yard sale items, children's clothing, holiday decorations and everything else. The yard sale pile is continuing to grow, but not as quickly as the everything else pile. Amazingly, the children's clothing pile is shrinking. Probably because they have all officially reached the point where hand-me-downs no longer exist. I have narrowed this down to 3 main reasons. 1)Everyone keeps having more children they need to keep them for 2)We live too far away for people to want to actually spend money to have them shipped and 3)They don't so much grow out of their clothes as they do wear through them.

The singing children have distracted me to the point of nothing more to say. Until next time.