You can pick your nose.... you can pick your friends.... BUT you can't pick your friend's nose!

I hand out band-aids at recess, soothe hurt feelings and send kids in for ice when they have bumps on the head.  In class I ask people to shush, answer questions about commas and adjectives, prefixes and suffixes,  wield power over drinks and bathrooming but I was asked to do something TOTALLY out of line the other day at work.  We all have our boundaries right? Here's one of mine.....

I'm in Kindergarten and this child starts  howling hysterically....

"AHHHHHH!!!!  WAHH!!!!! It smells bad! It smells really really bad!!!! 

I rush over "what is wrong?"  "Joey told me to smell the new eraser and it smells really bad and I can't stop smelling it! WAHHHHHHH!!!!!  

I smell the eraser.  It's not so terrible.

I try to calm her down.  It's not working.  The eraser in question is not the pink rubber kind, it's the somewhat crumbly light tan gum kind and I wonder if a crumb broke off and is up her nose.  I ask her to blow.  She does.  More wailing.  The teacher asks me to take her to the office til she calms down as the whole class is riveted on her.  We go sit in the nurses office and continue to blow and cry hysterically about how "IT'S STINKY!!!! I HATE IT!!! IT SMELLS REALLY REALLY BAD!!!!!  After about 10 minutes she begins to calm down and I say I bet you blew it out of your nose.  She, whimpering a little and lifting her chin, says "I think we should check.  You need to put your finger up there and check."  

** Now that's where I draw the line****

I said as nicely as I could "I'm NOT checking.  You're welcome to check but I'm Not checking."

She did.

All clear.

Back to class.

Just so you understand the TYPE of wailing going on.  The little girls voice in this green bean video was about the same volume, tenor and level of shrill we were dealing with over the stinky eraser. Good times.

Dear Mason

As if he had his own advice column...

Mason was passing out helpful bits of wisdom this morning, no doubt acquired by 6 years of hard living .

My favorite:

"Mom, NEVER try Trix with ketchup!"

Getting WAY too familiar with the ER staff at OCH

***Disclaimer: written on 3 separate occasions,  in 3 different states of  coherancy over 2 days time ...   and still too tired to properly edit.

Friday May 23: 3am:  Here I am once again.  Very tired.  Home from the ER at an hour that usually finds me sleeping soundly.  

Mark's pain began again tonight at 8ish,  Getting progressively worse at a rapid clip.  He thought it was his back muscles seizing up so he came home from Roundtable (scout meeting) and took two muscle relaxers and after calling the pharmacist a Lortab as well.  It got worse.  He called his buddy, Daniel, who is a massage therapist, still thinking it is a back muscle problem.  His shoulders were all out of alignment as they always get when his back goes out.  He came and tried to work out the muscle pain but it wasn't getting any better, then another phone call to a wonderful neighbor who loves us enough to answer the phone at 10pm without a HINT of grumble in his voice who came to administer a priesthood blessing with Daniel.  

Mark was in horrible pain.  It was relentless.  There was no comfortable position.  We left about 10:30 f0r the ER.  When we got there the waiting room had quite a few people waiting.  Not a good sign.  We check in and as she starts to put his bracelet on she tells him it will be a pretty good wait to get in to see the doctor.  

Mark tells her to cut the bracelet off, he can't wait, he's in terrible pain and tells me we're going to a different hospital.  She warns us it might not be any better at the other hospital.  Mark gets outside and I tell him maybe we should go back...  maybe we should just get started waiting as they have his previous records from Mother's day.  He lays down on the grass and tells me to "go check to see how long the wait is"  oddly like checking a table at olive garden.  But without that fabulous salad.  I did get a free diet coke and a package of Lorna Doone's a couple of hours in.... At least they said they were free but let me tell you! I'm checking the bill later for a $50 Diet Coke...

May 22: 4pm

I go back in while he waits outside.  I apologize to the check in employee.  I ask how long it will be.  She starts to tell me how there's no real way to know... blah... blah.. blah.. I cut her off, "I know you can't give me exact but can you give me your best guess?  I just need to give him some information.  He's in bad shape.  We need to make some decisions about what to do."  She finally says probably 30-60 minutes and kindly gives me the number for another close by emergency room so I can check with them.  I go outside, tell Mark the news, call the other ER who say the wait is the same.  I convince Mark to stay.  He is constantly changing position, rolling around, groaning.  He is embarrassed and does not want to go wait with the other people seeing him like this.  He is also so hot and the grass feels cool.  I go back in, ask for a new bracelet, thank her for her patience and give her my cell number so she can call us when they're ready.  

I watched Mark helpless for a while and feeling so terrible.  I would try to rub his back and it would help for about 10 seconds and then he was shifting and moving around again.  I went back in and begged them to just put him somewhere and give him some pain medication, reminded her we were there just a week ago and the symptoms were the same.  Couldnt' they just get him started on something to ease the pain.  Nope.  They couldn't.

Finally they called.   We got in and after 3 doses of Morphine that weren't doing anything for the pain  but making him a little woozy they went back to the Dilautid (sp?) that gave him a 4-day headache last time.  We were trying to stay away from that but after all that morphine and another hour of pain that wouldn't go away we took the hangover headache medicine.  We had a Doctor that we liked much better this time and found out that it WAS kidney stones on Mother's day.  Likely a small one or a piece of a bigger one.  It was also kidney stones last night, a bigger one that's taking longer to work it's way through.  We came home at about 2:30 and I couldn't sleep because of that Diet Coke.  I was so tired but I lay there awake.  Then one of our stupid smoke alarms started the dead battery beep. It was the really high one that we need a giant ladder to reach.  ARGHHH!!  and we didn't have any more 9 volt batteries. That made the not sleeping even worse.  We turned our fan up and put blankets against the bottom of the door trying to muffle it.  We finally drifted off around 4:30am

Bless our friend Darren who called in the morning to see how Mark was and asked if there was anything he could do... Well I know Darren knows his way around a ladder (he built our house) and while I felt a little embarrassed to ask such a thing, I knew I couldn't do it and Mark shouldn't try and might... and it was REALLY annoying, I asked if he'd come change the battery in the smoke detector and confessed I was even batteryless.  He brought a ladder, a battery and  quietly changed it while I was snoozing on the couch.  Carly went to school late that morning and let him in.  Blessed man.  I didn't even get to thank him. 

Today has been rough.  I had an awards ceremony to attend at school for Jacob & Mason's kindergarten graduation and let's not forget I AM the *Recess Lady.  I got up at 7am to help the kids get ready for school.  After I got them going,  I tried to rest on the couch so I would be close by if they needed me. I didn't want them to wake up Mark so I didn't go back to bed.   I was SOOO tired.    

After Mason's graduation I left school, I knew the teachers I work for could get by without me for the day.  I needed to take something to Carly at the Jr. High, run to the bank for Mark, run to a different bank for me and pick Mark up something to eat as he was finally hungry.  I returned a call to my friend wendy as I was leaving and she offered to drive me around to all those places.  What a nice thing.  I was so tired and my brain was definitely not functioning at optimum capacity.  It's probably a good thing I wasn't making decisions on the road.  She picked me up and it was nice to talk and not drive and still get all my errands done.  Thank you! 

It's Saturday now and Mark is still feeling pain in his back and stomach as the stone continues to move although it is not as excruciating as it was at onset.  He has a terrible headache.  Thank you Dilautid.  He's been resting and sleeping and drinking a lot of water.  The kids have been pretty good at being quiet for him.  I got to sleep in til 9 this morning and the kids helped me weed for a couple hours in the back yard and they've helped straighten up the house so we're getting back to normal routines.  

The worst part is not knowing how long it will take this stone to pass and wondering if and when that other stone they saw in the kidney is going to work it's way out.  

The best part is Mark is awfully sweet on Morphine  or maybe being together through the pain made him more vulnerable and tender.  I don't know.  He said the sweetest thing to me and although I can't tell you what it was... Mark is a little more concerned with privacy than my kids... I think it's safe to say it made me swoon, even in my sleep-deprived worried state of mind.  The other best part is that we finally know what's going on.  It's nothing life-threatening, just very painful.  I'm hearing so many stories from others and and realizing how terribly common kidney stones are.  I hope I never know how they feel.  Watching it has been enough of an experience for me.

How to know if your kids are watching too much iCarly....

My kids love a Nickelodeon show called iCarly.  It's about 3 kids, Sam (girl), Carly & Freddie who are best friends who do their own webshow whilst living a sitcom's version of a normal teenage life.  It's a little over the top and silly and I actually enjoy it.  I have only sat down with them to watch it a couple of times but I hear it and catch moments while I'm cooking dinner, cleaning, doing mom stuff..  Sam is characterized as coming from a rough home and you never see her family you just hear about her mom being in or out of jail and they talk about how if Sam didn't have Carly and Freddie she'd probably end up in Juvie as she tends towards wanting to solve her problems with force...

Lately I've been wondering if we're watching a little too much iCarly........

#1

Your 2nd grader's teacher stops you in the hall and laughingly (thank goodness) relates an incident from class.  

Miss P:

"I was talking to all the children about "settings" for our upcoming fairy tale writing project.  I wanted them to understand the importance of describing where your characters are for the reader.  I was asking for suggestions of "settings" we could use in our stories.  I saw Samantha raising her hand and I just KNEW I could count on her to have a good answer to help the group, so I called on her. 

 

"Juvie!"  

I was confused for a moment and said questioningly, "Juvie?" 

 Samantha shrugs her shoulders and holds out her hands in the classic "you know.. gesture" and replies, "you know... juvenile hall"

#2  Mason requests a Carly, Sam & Freddie favorite, Spaghetti Tacos, for his birthday dinner......

 Spaghetti Tacos: (official recipe from iCarly)

Get Taco Shells

Get Spaghetti (with meat sauce)

Get a BIG Spoon

Use the BIG Spoon to put Spaghetti into the Taco Shells.

EAT!

"what? Noodles can't live happily in a hard corn shell?"

Although they were skeptical....

All three

of the girls

 liked them..

Other than Mark,

who did not choose to partake...

The boys loved them.... 

...And me?

I'd have to say they're  surprisingly...um... . ahem.... not so... um... terrible as they might seem. You know kids... you see, they goaded me into trying it too and well.... 

I liked it.

So was I once myself

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.

And so I dream of going back to be.

It's when I'm weary of considerations,

And life is too much like a pathless wood

Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs

Broken across it, and one eye is weeping

From a twig's having lashed across it open.

I'd like to get away from earth awhile

And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate wilfully misunderstand me

And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

I don't know where it's likely to go better.

I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,

But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.

From 

"Birch Trees"

by Robert Frost

Comparisons....(.For Lynn)

Samantha Grace, age 8.  2009

That's me top row, far right, blue collar, Dorothy Hammill haircut, I was a month shy of 7 when my youngest brother was born and he's at least 6 months old there so I'm guessing I'm about    7 1/2  or so in this picture.   Here we are... The Lowe kids circa 1979

Karla NEEDS pudding

I grabbed my Betty Crocker cookbook and flipped to desserts.

Vanilla pudding

(I started out doubling this and it wasn't working.  I suggest you don't double it...  I split it up into two pans and it worked out.  )

1/3 C sugar

2 T cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 C milk

2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 T butter or margarine, softened

2 tsp vanilla

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt in 2 qt saucepan.  gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  (This takes a while)

2. Gradually stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into pan.  Boil and stir one minute.  Remove from heat.  STir in butter and vanilla.

3. Pour pudding into dessert dishes.  Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled.  

Makes 4 servings

It's Gr8 to be eight!

Yesterday Samantha Grace turned 8.  We're just awash in birthdays come spring.  I have 2 more in the next couple of weeks sneaking up on me, even now, as I breathe a sigh of relief after pulling off the 1st 2.  It can be a little overwhelming.  

For Samantha's birthday she wanted a "late night" party really bad.  We're not big fans of sleepovers so "Late Nights" are the next best thing. We asked them to wear their PJ's and bring their favorite stuffed animal.

 I don't know what I was thinking but we invited 10 girls.  10 girls.  Even as I consented I was afraid.....
9 came.  It was a HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL party.  7-10:30 pm,  this past Friday night.  A couple of months ago at the school's book fair we bought a "High school Musical Party planner".  It had 2 invitations  (one with Gabrielle's picture and one with  Troy *swoon*)  that we filled out and then copied x's 5.  It had a "which HSM character are you most like" quiz that we copied for each girl.  It also had 2 patterns for HSM themed "fortune-tellers".  You know those folded paper contraptions that all elementary school girls know how to make at one time or another.  We copied those and colored them and folded them up for the goodie bags along with a RED airhead and a RED mini candy bar.  You know RED is the color for East High don't you? 
Samantha decided on a Trifle for her birthday cake.  I suggested it because it sounded easy and different although I had never really made one before but my sister Maury gave me this beautiful trifle bowl and it was crying out to be used.....   I think the part of the trifle description that sold Samantha was the "ripping up the cake" part.   We layered Strawberry cake chunks then Homemade vanilla pudding mixed with partially-hydrogenated palm kernel oil A.K.A. cool-whip, strawberries, Kiwi, then another layer of cake pudding, fruit and then the final layer of REAL whipped cream  with whole strawberries decorating the top.  I had never made homemade vanilla pudding either but it was pretty easy and tastes SO much better than instant.  yum.
I found these cute little plastic cups with a pedestal at the dollar store that looked like tiny trifle dishes so we made 10 individual trifles for the girls.  That way there was plenty left in the big bowl for the family.  When the girls arrived they filled out the quiz.  Then we sat in a circle and I took a quiz, read off the answers and we tried to guess which girl it was, then we decided which HSM character they were most like.  After that we divided up into 2 groups of 5.  One went up to Sam's room with her CD player to make up a dance to a HSM song.  The other group came to the kitchen area where we picked out a HSM song for their dance.  They spent about 10 minutes or so making up a dance then we took Sam's CD player outside and the 2 groups performed their dances for each other.  Then they just played outside for a while while I set the dessert out on the table.  Then they came in and ate (except 2 who looked at their trifle and crumpled their noses and said "I don't really like strawberries... or kiwi... "  I found some licorice for them and all were happy.  We sang Happy Birthday, blew out candles and opened presents.  

Mark set up the projector  and the screen in the family room and we got all comfy with blankets and pillows and pressed play for High School Musical 2.  I passed out carnival-type bags full or popcorn that I had popped that afternoon.  As I guessed would probably happen, some girls got bored with the movie and meandered to other parts of the house.  I settled a few at the table drawing happily with paper and colored pencils and crayons.  Others explored Samantha's room, playing with her toys. The Baby Alive from Christmas that sucked water from a bottle and peed was a BIG hit!  They'd come back, watch the movie for a while, go off, etc.  All parents but one showed up promptly at 10:30. Really promptly.  All but 1 were gone within about 5 minutes.  About 11 I called the remaining mother who was so embarrassed she'd forgotten the time whilst busy scrapbooking.  She rushed over and by 11:05 we were cleaned up and ready for bed.  

Amazingly there were no catfights, no tears, no hurt feelings.  I was really surprised.  As *Recess Lady* I have observed, firsthand, fights in this little group on a weekly basis.  I'll hear "so and so is not talking to me today and won't play with me and I don't know why"  But none of that ruined our party.  Thank Heaven.

The whole evening was really fun and I hope will leave Samantha with happy memories of turning 8.

Mother's Day Musings...

I know I'm a little late posting a week after Mother's day about Mother's day  but if you know how my Mother's day went down I think you'll understand.

I have had years when I have absolutely hated Mother's day because my expectations were NOT met.  Where were my loving children???? The ones who chose not to fight ALL day to show me their utmost devotion for all I do..... the ones who would clean up after themselves today of ALL DAYS....   Where was my adoring husband?  the one who would shower me with gifts and flowers and words of gratitude & praise for doing such a fabulous job mothering his children..... the one who would clean up after himself today of ALL DAYS.....    Where was the dinner not cooked by ME, the dishes not washed by ME?  I would go to bed sullen and angry because nobody appreciated me darn it!  This is not to say they didn't try to honor me, do nice things for me but it was not enough!!!! NEVER ENOUGH!!!!!  

It's really hard to not delete that paragraph.  It sounds so petty and ornery and I really like it better when you all don't know how petty and ornery I can be.... 

Over the last few years I have been privileged to live near and be friends with some amazing single mothers.  What a challenge THAT is.    About 4 years ago,  on Mother's day morning, my kids and I made cinnamon rolls and delivered breakfast to 3 of our single mom friends via the "ding-dong-ditch" method.  We snuck around cars & corners of houses, ding-donging and watching for our offering to be discovered.  It was such fun and became my best Mother's day in years.  

The next year I agreed to tend a friend's 3 children so she and her husband could get away for a much needed anniversary get-away.  It was so busy with 8 children to care for that I didn't have time for expectations and it was so fun to have these other lively children in the house that there was no room for disappointment.

It felt so good to do something for someone else and try to make their day happy.  It taught me some important things about Mother's day.  

Since then I have changed my attitude and have found Mother's day happiness therein...

I just accept what comes without expectation.   When there's no expectation there's no disappointment.  Only happiness for what I've received.  Only gratitude to have the blessing of being a mother.  I enjoy it so much more this way.  I wasted a lot of time being disappointed.

This year was the most interesting Mother's day I've had yet...

The night before I stayed up very late with Carly.  She had some hard things going on with some of her friends that she needed to talk about so we cried a little, talked a lot, ate strawberries dipped in sour cream and then brown sugar (don't knock it til you try it.  It is divine.), watched some girly TV and decided to call it a night at 3am.  

At 3:30 I was woken up by my husband groaning in pain.  It seems he had been awake off and on since 1am with worsening stomach and back pain.  I could see he was in bad shape and tried to help him as much as I could but he was just getting worse.  He is pretty tough and can take a lot of pain.  He is not one of those men who turn into a big baby when they get sick.  He won't let me do anything for him and keeps it to himself for the most part.  At 4:30 the pain was so constant, intense and excruciating, that he decided he'd better go to the hospital.  We woke Carly up and had her go sleep in our bed so she'd hear the little ones if they needed attention and left for the hospital.

It was a quiet night in the ER, so we got right in and they started running all sorts of tests.  I hate seeing Mark in pain like that.  Besides just worrying about him, it really makes me feel frightened and vulnerable when he is hurt.  It's moments like that when I realize how much I depend on his strength every day.   I feel lost when it's not there.

We left at 6:30 and came home with no conclusive answers for what had happened to him.  They had ruled out several things and doped him up with some pretty strong painkillers that left him woozy and a little nauseated but free of pain, Thank Heaven, and instructions to come back if it got bad again.

I tried to sleep a little when I got home but it was not good sleep, just a little dozing here and there.  Carly was speaking in church at 1 o'clock, so I knew I couldn't miss that.  Bless Mark, he tried to get ready to go to church to hear her too.  He got up and showered and realized at that point he wasn't going anywhere and collapsed back in bed.  

There was no special dinner.  There was no perfectly clean house.  My children were not perfectly behaved.  I was quite a mess all day, emotional, worried, teary, exhausted etc.  

At the end of the day, however, I was happy as I reflected on my best gifts of the day.  

Mark reaching for my hand in the ER as they put the IV in, squeezing it and looking into my eyes while he anticipated the needle (he hates needles).  Because he is such a strong person, I often have felt he doesn't NEED me the way I need him.   He needed me.  He reached for me several times as we sat in that hospital room, wanting me closer, needing ME for strength.  It was a gift to feel strong for him.

Carly's talk.  She said nice things about me and I felt embarrassed to have them said publicly but grateful she loves me and thinks I am a good mom

Little cards and gifts the children made at school and in primary.  They are so proud to give them.  Jacob snuck in very quietly and left his card on my bedside clock so it would be the first thing I saw when I woke up.  They love me and they want to show me but they can't be perfect ALL day.  I don't expect it anymore.  I just try to love them anyway.  What a gift it is to be their mother.  

#5 turns 6

Mason turned 6 Wednesday.  6 years since my last epidural.  6 years since I felt little feet kicking inside me.  6 years since my last contraction.  6 years since I actively used words like cervix, dilated & Braxton Hicks.   6 years since I heard the magical words "It's  a boy!!!".  6 years....  It doesn't seem possible but here we are.  My baby just keeps growing up.  

To celebrate~ he decided , after some lively discussion, to have a Rocket Cake and a Rocket party.

I really like making birthday cakes.  Family Fun magazine is my "go to source" for birthday cakes I'm capable of creating.  There has definitely been a learning curve.  My first 2 attempts at creative cakes were absolute disasters.   Rachel's 3rd birthday I tried to make a dog.... I didn't know you had to freeze the cake when you cut and shape, to make it easier to frost.   I didn't even have a big enough freezer to get a cake into back then. I had never heard of a "crumb coat".  I finally gave up trying to frost the sides and finished the top and took "aerial" photos strategically from above...   For Carly's 5th birthday I tried to make a barbie cake.  You know where you cook the cake in a bowl, stick a barbie in the top and decorate the cake like her dress??? I didn't know you were supposed to use a pyrex bowl.... I used a metal bowl and it just wouldn't cook right.  The cake was gooey in the middle and thick, dry and hard on the outside.  I turned it upside down and plunked the barbie in anyway.  Frosted it up with pink frosting and "voila" my first barbie cake.  I kept trying anyway, despite my less-than-spectacular early attempts.  Many years later,  I've got 3 race car track cakes, 2 pony cakes, 2 beehive cakes, a mad scientist cake, a volcano cake, panda cupcakes, bird cupcakes, a couple of dinosaur cakes, an airplane cake and many others under my belt and I'm feeling pretty confident about my birthday cake creating abilities.  

A couple weeks ago Mason and I  got the folder where we keep all our birthday cake ideas out and began looking.  He pulled out a monkey cake, looked at it thoughtfully and asked "can you make that?"  "Yes, I can", I replied, beginning to calculate how many fruit roll-ups, tootsie rolls and candy bananas I'd need.  He tosses it down on the table and says "Nope, I don't want it.... can you make a window cake?"  "A window cake?????  I guess I could."  My mind is trying to wrap itself around the idea of a window cake when he pulls out a volcano cake.  "Can you make this?" he asks.  "yes!" I said, happily dismissing the window cake idea.  He throws it down.  "Nope, don't want it.... Can you make a door cake?"  "what??? a door cake?????  I guess I could"  

I decided at this point I was going to end up making a very boring window or door cake, possibly even an air conditioner cake if I didn't take control of this conversation.  I found this cake and really started pushing the idea of a whole "rocket party" based on the cake.   After a few minutes, he was sold and I breathed a sigh of relief.  I mean who wants to make a door cake???? That's just weird.  Still trying to figure out where he was going with that.

He helped me mix the cake and bake it.  We cut it and shaped it the next morning and slipped it into the freezer.  After school that night we stayed up after the rest of the kids went to bed and frosted it and decorated it.  He had lots of ideas!!!!  

We planned a simple party at the park after school for an hour.  We went over who he wanted to invite and I was THRILLED he wanted to keep it small.  I was afraid he'd want to invite his whole class but he named 5 of his  " best friends".  This included 2 boys from his school class, 2 neighbor girls who are a little younger than he is and another good friend from primary.   

It turned out great.  Mark was able to come so our whole family was there.  The kids just played at the park while we waited for everyone to arrive.  When all the party guests were there we sang happy birthday, tried to light the cake, 

the wind wouldn't let us.... we took a fake "blowing out the candles" picture and started cutting the cake.  

One little boy from Mason's school class took a bite of his cake and in his earnest little lispy voice exclaimed, 

"Mrs. B, Did you make this cake in heaven cuz' it "thure" "tastths" like it!!!"

Oh my goodness.  How do you respond to that??  He totally made my day.  I know he might have heard it somewhere else but it was delivered with intense sincerity.  So cute.  

We played "Rocket Tag" and "blast off" (duck duck goose replacing duck duck with random numbers and goose with blast off) and then played at the park til parents got there.  

It was fun, cheap, easy and a success.  

I feel bad for my younger kids because I used to put so much more effort into planning the older kids parties when they were this age but I don't have the same time and/or energy I used to.  I whined to my sister Christy about this fact and she was kind to let me off the hook with this sage advice "They don't KNOW they're getting the short end of the stick.  They're still having fun! Don't worry about it"  I was only too eager to grab a hold of that philosophy and never look back.  

We came home and had his birthday dinner and I tucked the 3 little ones into bed.  I settled down with Mark to relax and watch American Idol when he comes rushing downstairs urgently stating "I get to stay up late because it's my birthday!!!!"

I reminded him he got to stay up late the night before with his cake and he needed to get to bed now.  He begged and I gave in saying, "10 more minutes, that's it!".  He was happy to accept my terms and he snuggled into my arms.  About 5 minutes later he was so completely asleep you couldn't wake him at all.  Carly gathered him up in her arms and carried him to bed.  

Good night Birthday boy.  Til next year.......

You are TOTALLY gonna cry!

walking into the grocery store....

Mason: what day is it?

Me: Monday.

Mason: Is Sunday gonna be Mother's day?

Me: It sure is!

Mason: ooohh!! We are gonna sing a Mother song and when we are done you will cry!

Me: Wow. I guess it's going to be pretty good huh?

Mason: You will cry at the end of your teeth!!!!

Me: What does "cry at the end of your teeth" mean?

Mason: You will cry for like 3 hours!!!!!!!!

*Little smile*

Mason: Well I think I'm kidding a little. I don't think you will cry for THREE hours......

but I think you will cry!

More Sunday fun

Once again I was summoned to the boy's room to view their creative efforts in at attempt to play AND keep the Sabbath Day holy.  

And now, it came to pass that Mosiah went and did as his father had commanded him, and proclaimed unto all the people who were in the land of Zarahemla that thereby they might gather themselves together, to go up to the temple to hear the words which his father should speak unto them.

Some random Nephites.... in varying shades & sizes.  

We've got with weapons & without, monochromatic or multicolored, skeletal and fleshy.  Any Nephite you want, we got.

Mason was very proud of the temple.  He made sure I knew he made it ALL by himself.  Design, construction, everything!

And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, 

   And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;

I hope my boys remember the doctrine as well as the layout of the tents and towers. 

I hope they will be  steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works as King Benjamin hoped for his people.  I find myself in a stage of life where everything seems to be moving much faster than a few years ago.  My children are growing up soo fast now it makes my head spin. I'm grateful for moments like this when they simply play and enjoy each other and want me to enjoy it too.  

Baking gone bad

Top view...

Bottom view...

Side view and quite possibly the WORST view..

This view is also a horrific reminder of a man Carly and I saw in walmart once... Think of the pan rim as a waistband and the bread as a fleshy, very large gut hanging over the top, free of the confines of his too-short t-shirt, and you'll know why Carly is scarred for life. Sometimes she looks at me, shudders and says "remember that guy at walmart" I'm afraid she's got Big Man Belly PTSD. I know, I know... maybe he can't help it and I'm okay with that. Got a little big belly thing going myself. But I keep it to myself. We're not judging the gut, only the hanging free part. *shudder*

The "how do I get this monstrosity out of the pan" view...

The "anyone hankering for a hunk of bread?" view..

We're still not quite sure what happened....

Carly has been baking bread to earn money for girl's camp. She's had several successful loaves but I think these were placed too close together in the oven and maybe rose a little too long or SOMETHING- because this one just gave up and laid right down in the oven.

Maybe it has swine flu....

Maybe it lost it's retirement in the stock market...

whatever the case, it is not a hopeful loaf.

It is a sad, sad loaf.