Another Level of Hell?

Hmmm, i think i may have stumbled across something here folks. The second week of Christmas break. Freezing temps, cabin fever, and lots of kids, five of whom are my of my own making.

The constant din of noise. I cannot seperate the fighting from the whining. It all blends in together, i would not call it white noise, because it is not at all relaxing. more like head pounding, nerve crushing, draining you of your will to live, kind of noise. We are all pretty tired of being in eachothers faces for the past week and a half and ready for a break.

i am sure i have unwhitingly stumbled across another level of hell that Dante left out. Maybe it was too depressing at the time for his book.

but i can tell you now, from experience, that this level makes you think bad, bad thoughts about your children. yep, the very same one you carried for nine months, choking down prenatal vitamins the size of horse pills and pushed out of your body with much pain and anguish. the very same children you stayed up with night after night with stuffy noses, ear aches, and gas. you now have no qualms of driving down a lone highway and sticking them in a snow drift and driving away, laughing maniacally to yourself as you do so. cause the farther you drive the more muffled their fighting becomes. this level makes you want to stay in your bed all day long. just lock the door, plug in your mp3 to drown out the pounding and screams coming from the other side of the door. this level makes your crave personal space. crave it like something you have never craved before, to be able to sit and not be a jungle gym, trampoline, or a foreign land mass to be conquered.

today is Wednesday. I have four more days left. I can only pray i hold out and not do something that will leave me in a deeper level of Hell.

why i should never sleep in.

This is why I should never sleep in. Ike was blowing bubbles and Daniel was trying to pop them with teh nerf gun. i was so happy it was not the air soft this time.

We had Christmas Eve with my In-Laws this year. And i want to go on record to say........I HAVE THE BEST IN LAWS EVER!! seriously, i do. i am spoiled rotten by these people. they have been there for us when ever and i do mean WHEN EVER we needed them. and what is one of the best things (there are many) is after every visit i can set my watch and in twenty minutes i will get a phone call from my mother in law because she is sure she as offended me in some way, either putting sock on the girls feet because she is sure they are cold (it was 102 outside) or making the boys take a shower cause they smell (the usually do) or giving me parenting advice. and ya know what? she has yet to offend me in all the sixteen years i have known her. i truly enjoy having them in my life. and not too many people can brag that. my father in law is awesome. it is through him that i learned that the NRA puts out a Christmas card every year, along with commemerative coins, and hats. infact i would not be surprised if one year he is elected to be the president of the NRA. He is a police officer through and through and yet, willingly will dance a jig for Anna just so she will smile in the hospital. Yes, he has spent many hours and hours at her bedside putting up with all sorts of abuse from all the meds she is on. and smiles through it all.
I have 4, yes, FOUR sisters in law!!! they are great. We got to have two of them live with us at different times, and they still talk to ME!! shocking! Katie is my right hand. The kids come yelling and running when she walks through the door. she has a very devout fan club here. i am usually leading the pack.
Susan and i have a unique bond. I can be as obnoxious as i want to her and she puts up with it. We went on a road trip a few years back. just the two of us to seattle and back in one day. WOW! it was a ton of fun. well except for the part where i got terribly ill after trying Mountain Dew for the first time. UGH!
Amy is fun. we had alot in common in our love of books and movies and well.......othert things. mwaa haaa haa. I do so wish she would move in on our block. We could have sooooo much fun.
Jenna is far away now. Raising a family of her own. We got to have her stay with us as she prepared for her mission. She does not know this but i missed her so much after she left i went through a few weeks of depression. Cannot wait until i can see her cute little family again.

Anyways.....on with Christmas Eve. the big gift this year was one the WHOLE family could enjoy.... deoderant. Yep, that's right. all the boys got Old Spice deoderant. Jakey was smelling mighty fine as he went to bed tonight. tomorrow we will have to let him know that is only goes under the arm. not all over the body.
Katie and Amy helping the kids decorate cookies for Santa.

YUM!! Amy has that look on her face because Jakey was breaking the legs off his gingerbread men so he could re-attach them with frosting. UGH. his earlier surgeries were not so successful.

Anna playing with the magnetic dress up doll kit she got and ria got. it has....TRIPLETS!! yeah.

It was a wonderful night. the children are all in bed. the blue tube of frosting was missing for a moment, but a quick check in the girls room, as i turned on the lights to see two blue smiles looking a me, it was quickly located and put away. far,far, away.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

A Top Secret Governent Experiment

We, being the naive parents that we are, did not realize our five children where part of a top secret government project on brain activity.

you see the moment they do something they know is wrong they immediatly forget it. i know this sounds far fetched, but true. i can witness them eating crackers out of the pantry, but when confronted they will deny, knowing nothing of the crime. fasinating isn't it? here are some case studies from our files.


We walk in the house after a date, there is chocolate syrup all over the walls and floor. We procede to ask, "Who did this?" and shockingly......NONE OF THEM REMEMBER!!

I go to comb my hair in the bathroom. I look into the mirror and realize i cannot see myself through the toothpaste that has been smeared on every square inch. i ask, "Who did this?" and guess what? THEY DO NOT REMEMBER!!

I look behind the sofa to find a empty box of Cheez-its (considered a food group on our house) with cheez-it carcasses scattered about it. A truly sad, sad sight. Someone must be punished for this genocide. But alas NO ONE REMEMBERS.

The toilet, as repeat offender in this house. Is often the victim of many heinous crimes. All to often we have walked in, un-suspecting, to an un-flushed toilet. even more scary than that is knowing their were turds in it at one time. but the dogs have since eaten them. Or worse yet, the mystery puddle infront of the toilet. You don't always see it until it is too late. You go to pull up your pants....and they are wet. Hmmm, you think to yourself, I don't remember peeing my pants. You head out of the bathroom swearing immediate death to the offender. but alas, we are victims of our government because, NO ONE REMEMBERS!

So let this serve as a warning to other parents out there. Keep a close eye on your children at all times. Because the government will get them too.

ike's chirstmas list

This is my ten yr old, Ike.
this year he asked for....

plutonium
uranium
liquid nitrogen
and
33 tons of steel.

i am no magic eight ball.....but i predict a very dissapointed boy on christmas morning.
You are very welcome NATO and thank you for the christmas card and box of chocolates.

December's visit

We were able to skip october's visit to the childrens hospital through creative medicating. but december caught us. she is getting used to the routine though. she was only afraid of getting poked (IV) but luckily we got there before it got that bad and she is awesome at taking her meds. so there is really no reason to give them to her intraveinusly. it is a bit pathetic when the dr. knows who you are. sigh. my mom did the night shift, which i am so thankful for. and dan's dad did the morning shift so i could get kids off to school before heading up for the day. we have this down to a seamless routine. =)

she got a super cool elephant mask this time. softer plastic and more comfortable.
mommy learns new tricks everytime. playdoh works great. that gave her something to do when she felt up to it. we also went for walks. but she hated those. it was very hard for her to do.

last day there!! her and maria spend alot of time on the phone. no sibling are allowed in her room. and only immediate family could come.

girls turn FIVE!!!!

So they said it could not be done. That they would never make it to five because the odds were against them. The odds of course being.......they have THREE older brothers. They have a penchant for getting into serious trouble as many of you have borne witness too on this blog.



As you can see they are a tad bit excited. ris is trying really hard not to blow out her candle during the song.

PRESSIES!!! they had a song that they made up just for this occation. it is posted below the pictures.

princess dinnerware!!!

these were the hit of the party.

YES I HAVE BARBIES IN MY HOUSE!!! sigh...

the girls and their barbies watching their new Tinkerbell movie.

we will be having the "big" party this saturday with all the grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins.

pressie song.

so cute you are gonna wanna barf

We had thanksgiving with the Reneer's this year. We were joined by Blair, Linda, Max, Jaylee, and kathryn. Oops, and Pecos, Toad, and Tigger. (the pups)

it was so much fun to be out there again. it has been 11 years since we had a chance to go out there.

Linda and Max making the "creamed corn"

Mom and Kathryn. We came to the conclusion that mom is shrinking

More of Max. he has a great poker face.

Bumski with the ladies.

Kathryn and Lou trying to figure out who it taller. guess what! you are both the same height!

Jakey playing fetch with Tigger.

The pups getting their Thanksgiving dinner.

after dinner games

girls playing ring around the rosy and the take down that followed dinner.

what do you dream about?

so i was snuggling with the ladies the other morning. and they were talking about their dream. now this is unusal as they never really talk about what they dream about.

maria was talking about playing hide and seek with anna and jacob. anna piped up how jakey kept telling maria where she was and it made maria mad. and maria said that she yelled at jacob to stop it but he would not so anna had to get me. i asked the girls "did you guys have the same dream?" they said yep. we always do. WHAT!!!!

so not only to they play with eachother all day and sleep with eachother all night ( yes, the will not sleep in different beds) the dream with eachother too. i wonder what it is like to be that connected to someone.

just another sabbath morning

"MOM!!!" screams ria. (the 4yr old) " jakey killed my invisable pony and lit it on FIRE!!"
"Well, says jakey, how else to you kill something that is invisable and doesn't even EXIST!!!"
mom, sigh.........
"FINE!" states ria, " i will just get the bazooka and blow you up!"
"NO WAY!!" is jakes clever response." it would be bloody and girls hate bloody!"
"Ya well, mom doesn't!" as she hands me the gun, "She will blow you up!"

for the record, no one got blown this morning. but sadly the pony could not be brought back.

why i am so thankful......

1. i am thankful for orange juice. and it's sweet tasty goodness.

2. i am thankful for a 13 yr old that can make grilled cheese sandwiches and the other little kids that eat them so i didn't have to make dinner last night.

3. i am thankful for my two huge dogs that make me feel like a rockstar when i come home. even if i was only gone for two minutes.

4. i am thankful for public education. and the patience they show teaching my kids and getting them out of my house!

5. i am thankful for little girls who still believe the wrong pillowcase can give you bad dreams.

6. i am thankful for little boys that play laser tag in the house and use me as home base.

7. i am thankful for spray in wash. and it's amazing ability to get rid of skid marks from said boy's underwear. ( should have bought stock in that)

8. i am thankful for pants with elastic waistbands. i am gonna need them tonight.

9. i am thankful for central heating. unless you have grown up without heat you cannot truly appreciate this miracle.

10. i am thankful for Hulu. without it my kids would never know the wonders of Alf, Aadams Family and Columbo.

Uh...ya, about that......

So another round of parent teacher conf. in the books. pretty standard stuff. Kids are geniuses. Doing well in school. No major fights, yadda,yadda,yadda. then i get to the 13 yr old. i figured i was free and clear. but noooooo. ya see, 13 yr olds are stupid. not just dumb but actually stupid. i can say this because i live with one, everyday. it is scary at times.

anyways, he made a lovely "shiv" in metal shop. but don't worry, all his buddies made one!! that is what is so scary, they are stupid in groups!! he is doing well in his classes. luckily because after the stunt he pulled in Life Skills almost got him killed.

They are learning about STD's and the birth defects it can cause from mother to baby. Such as.....vision problems and lung problems. both of which abound in my house! so daniel concluded, and shared with his class i might add, that i must have chlamidia (sp?) YA, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!! so for the record, yes i had to set it straight, i do not have any, ANY, std's. and i had to educate my son on the cruel mistress that is genetics. so, uh, ya....just another round of PTC for the Brown's.

A proud moment for me

The six yr old ( jakey) narrowly escapes death on a daily basis. most of these threats are caused by Legos. In our house these little toys of pain are more valuable than money. and they are toys of pain as anyone who has ever stepped on one can attest to. but i digress.

"someone" stole all the crystals off of daniel's Mars Mission set. death was threatened along with a beating and possibly flogging. he wanted revenge! he wanted answers. but sadly, no one in our house took the lego crystals. it was another mystery. we have alot of those.

well this morning, after striking a plea deal of no physical punishment, jake confessed. i was so proud of him for holding out for the plea deal. i really, really was. i mean, seriously, what other six yr old would now how to play the legal system?

i was in bed when this whole thing went down. conclusion? i should sleep in more often.

parent teacher conf.

Three words that strike dread in my heart. Why must i meet with the teachers and discuss my kids. i know them. i spend lots and lots of time with them. i really don't want to know what they are doing in school. i would like to be blissfully un-awares. i know they are not saints, that is why i send them to you. to get a break!

i have a long list of PTC horror stories. we got a great start right off the bat with daniel's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Fankhauser, not, Mrs. Spankhauser, as Daniel insisted her name was. First thing to clear up. We were not broke and could afford medical attention for our family, second thing to clear up the Bare Naked Ladies i saw the other night were a band not the actual thing.

Ike we learned it is not okay to post assination sign up sheets for the school bully, and not all pictures should contain blood, and sometimes he should not be left by himself to resolve a problem. you will not always like the outcome.

Now Jake is only in first grade. the school knows us by now. they give us lots of space when we walk down the hallway.

now nest year is anna and maria first year at Hamblem Elementry. i am sure the staff is so excited to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

will post results later.

finding me

well that post stirred up alot of emotions for those that read it.

men generally did not get it. the did not understand what it means to loose yourself in a relationship. i won't go any further here.

women got it. alot of women posted or called with very positive responses. i felt i wrote for the masses. it was so theraputic for me to get it down in words. and yes, i am glad i put it on my blog! when i get this printed and years from now when my children and raising their children i want them to know i was not perfect, and it was not easy for me. so they are just fine. it is normal to doubt. it doesn't mean you are crazy, sick, or need to be fixed. it means you are human! what a wonderful thing to be!

i still love my husband, and i still love my children. i am not going anywhere. they know this and that is all that matters to me.

the break away gave me lots of time to reflect and count my blessings. each mom needs an opportunity to do that.

well, my time is up. the kids want their computer time!

a break!

i was able to enjoy a very nice weekend away from the kids and home thanks to my sweet husband, dan.

regina flew up from Utah, because she needed a break too. I went out to dinner with lanae, then picked up reg from the airport and headed out to the homestead. we ate homemade pizza, regina tried to tackle me various times ( always un-sucessful i might add) and dad took us on a lovely tour of Elk and Priest River. where we checked out estate sales and thrift stores. an adventure indeed!

came home and took a nap in the middle of saturday!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? had a lovely dinner with the family and watched movies with my sis. she even made my favorite, a peanutbutter malt.

i am home feeling ready for the week ahead and so recharged!! i have never had a weekend to myself. i did not know it could be so refreshing! WOWZERS!!

Where did I go?

I was Jennifer Ybarra Reneer for a very long time. We did not always get along with, but we knew eachother well. I knew her hopes and dreams and what she was scared of and even the things she did not tell anyone else. We were close.

Somewhere on this trip I am on that has 15 yrs of marriage and 13 yrs of being a mom I lost Jennifer Ybarra Reneer.

I cannot tell you when it happened. Or what even really caused her to leave. But she is gone and I miss her very much. She was a free spirit, she laughed, and painted and wore crazy clothes. she loved to do crazy stuff with her friends and stay out till 4 am. but i look in the mirror now and i see this woman who has to get the laundry done today or there will be twice as much to do tomorrow, who is wondering if she got all her kids off with the homework they were suppose to take, did their hair get combed? when was the last time the middle one took a shower? Ugh, this mirror is gross i need to clean it....again. should i take Maria in to the drs? what if one of the kids bring lice into the house? i will seriously lose it. can you sell your house if your kid brings lice home? does that qualify me for a stimulus package? should i put my family on hold and go back to school so i can get a job and feel like i am appreciated for what i do, instead of feeling guilty for what i did not get done?

everyonce in a while Jennifer Ybarra Reneer would peek out. I would go out with my friends for a girls night out. Or get out and go running with out the kids. Or more recently, joined Boot Camp.

When the girls started pre-school i took that ninety minutes to do something i cannot do with kids. that is run! i run and run. pushing myself harder and farther. then i started boot camp. it was a whole new level. The harder in worked, the more i pushed, Jennifer Ybarra Reneer started coming back. I did not realise how much I have missed her. But alas, being a wife, mother, housekeeper, chef, mediator and life in general keeps slamming the door on her making me have to choose to put her back away.

Here is the problem. i don't want to put her back away. I am not fulfilled being a wife and mother! being around her has made this very, very clear to me. It is not that I don't love my husband and children. It is just that I need more.

so i am sad, i am mourning the loss of me. who i was, knowing that she will never be back. that brought on extreme depression and resentment towards my husband and children. which, according to the LDS faith, is a huge SIN! i have been taught since youth that this is the be all and end all. i am to be happily married and pop out as many kids as i possibly can, all the while being a domestic goddess for my family. I am not. I have failed.

Utah Census Form courtesy of Diane Dipo

UTAH CENSUS FORM
1._____________________ _____________________
(FIRST) (LAST)
2. Descendant of —
A. Brigham Young _____
B. Heber C. Kimball _____
C. Laman and Lemuel _____
D. Cain _____

3. Tribe of Israel: _____________________

4. Number of occupants residing in home in each category: (List in chronological order)
A. Nursery _____
B. Junior Primary _____
C. Senior Primary _____
D. Young Women's _____
E. Young Men's _____
F. Relief Society _____
G. Elder _____
H. Dearly Departed _____
I. High Priest _____

5. Occupation [Please select all that apply]:
A. Amway dealer _____
B. Shaklee dealer _____
C. Nonie juice dealer _____
D. NuSkin dealer _____
E. Melaleuca dealer _____

6. Automobile:
A. Station Wagon _____
B. Van _____
C. Suburban _____
D. School Bus _____
E. Double Decker _____
F. BMW (Big Mormon Wagon) ________

7. Favorite place to eat the night before Fast Sunday:
A. Chuck-A-Rama _____
B. Hometown Buffet _____
C. Sumo Sam's All You Can Eat Feeding Trough _____

8. Favorite Hero:
A. Nephi _____
B. Abinadi _____
C. Samuel the Lamanite_____
D. Steve Young _____
E. Johnny Lingo _____

9. Which of the following do you bring to church [check all that apply]?
A. Scriptures _____
B. Franklin Planner/ Daytimer _____
C. Pen/Pencil _____
D. Lifesavers/ Cheerios _____
E. Tic Tacs _____
F. Game Boy _____
G. Big Gulp _____
H. Cooler _____
I. Sony Walkman _____
J. TV Watch _____
K. All of the above _____

10. Do you prepare your church lessons —
A. A month in advance _____
B. A week in advance _____
C. While in the bathtub _____
D. While on the toilet _____
E. During sacrament meeting _____
F. During the closing prayer of sacrament meeting
G. During the opening prayer of the class you're teaching _____
H. Just wing it [according to the promptings of the Spirit] _____

11. Do you think pews should be permanently equipped with Big Gulp holders?
A. yes___
B. no ___

12. How many years has your family sat in the same place for sacrament meeting?
A. 10-20 years _____
B. 20-30 years _____
C. 30-40 years _____
D. Over 3 generations ____

13. How much time does it take for you to fall asleep during a high council talk?
A. 1/100,000,000th of a second _____
B. 1/999,999,999th of a second _____
C. 1/999,999,998th of a second _____

14. Which day of the month do you go home/visiting teaching?
A. 31st ______
B. 31st ______
C. 31st ______
D. 31st ______

15. How many church basketball fights were you in last year?
A. 1-10 _____
B. 10-20 _____
C. 20-30 _____
D. You'll have to ask my lawyer _____

16. Which of the following has been your most effective Family Home Evening?
A. Arguing about getting along
B. Having an opening and closing prayer with dinner
C. Gathering around the television to watch, "Everybody Loves Raymond"

17. How many times a year do you make —
A. Green Jell-O salad? _____
B. Funeral potatoes? _____
C. Cabbage and Top Ramen salad? _____
D. Turkey, cashews and grape-stuffed croissants? _____

18. How many water-filled two-liter bottles do you own?
A. 1-2 thousand _____
B. 2-3 thousand _____
C. 3-4 thousand _____
D. Enough to fill the Great Salt Lake _____

19. Which of the following do you feel is the most secure facility in the nation?
A. Alcatraz
B. Fort Knox
C. Ward Libraries

20. How many structural engineers do you hire annually to ensure you'll win the Pinewood Derby? _________

21. Keeping the Word of Wisdom in mind, how much of the following do you consume?
A. Chocolate: ___ pounds daily X 365 days annually = ____
B. Cola: ____ gallons daily X 365 days annually = ____

22. If you had to choose between witnessing the Second Coming or attending a BYU/UofU football game, which would you choose?
A. Second Coming _____
B. Football game _____

AMEN

Pumpkin hunting, Brown style

As with any good pumpkin hunting outting. one must start at Winco! the wildlife there is facinating. and the pumpkin selection is unbelievable.

daniel got into it right away. picking the largest one he could find. our rule. it can be as large as you want, but you have to be able to carry it.

Jakey found the illusive "square pumpkin"

Maria took her time. making us dig through several pumpkins till she found just the right one.

Anna on the other hand, found her right away.

You wanna get some strange looks. take a family picture in the middle of winco with a cart full of pumpkins. i mean really people, could you not put two and two together?

let the pumpkin lobotomies begin. for some reason this year they were facinated by the smell of their pumpkins. they kept sticking their heads in them. i was hoping one of them would have gotten stuck. now that would have been a good blog!

Maria loves her pumpkin. she wanted me to carve a really, really scary face on it for her.

Our front porch. ready to go for halloween night.

Spooktacualar!!

i am happy to report that no fingers or toes were lost this year during our carving. YIPEE!!

first annual Fright Night

sorry, i have no pics to go with this. first off, all the lights were off and we also had a fog machine going so the house was pretty dark. perfect setting for scary movies. hustled the little ones to bed at 9pm got big kids settled in. Lady in the Water, snooze fest. Signs, scared the crap outta them, The Village, they did not think was a scary as Signs. the Tremors, sorta scary, and then they watched some old, campy zombie flick on netflix. they were up till 6:30 am. i did dress up and try to scare them at 2:30 am, but they had all the lights on by then. i guess they just finished Signs. LOL so i was bummed about that, but then i overheard them going to the bathroom ( lots of soda was consumed) and they were going in pairs. so i felt the party a success. i made homemade crepes for breakfast and had them out the door by 10 am. but they gave me a parting gift of setting up the fog machine in my van! so i of course had to open up a door and blast them with the airhorn.

if i can teach my boys this.....they will make good husbands.

'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.' Unknown

My little girls are all grown up

so anna came to me today and said, "mommy, i am all grown up. i can pee standing up." GASP!

"what do you mean you can pee standing up?" i ask.

she went on to say that jakey pees standing up, so does daniel, isaac and daddy. my first mental note. CRACK DOWN ON THE BOYS SHUTTING THE DAMN DOOR! seeing how i have never totally mastered the ability to pee in the woods, the second thing is i wanted to know, how? now i have noticed lately alot of "puddles" on the seat. i kept meaing to yell at the boys for not putting the seat up. now i know the culprit.

so i told her girls pee sitting down. it is just the way it is. she then asked, "when do i get to be a boy?" NEVER! the answer to that question is, never.

so i am off to re-potty train the girls. or maybe they will teach me how to pee standing up. either way, learning will be involved.

blackballed from the primary program

thest two little girls are 4 yrs old. they will be 5 this december. they are busy, i will give you that, but they are also very sweet. they love to play and make new friends. they love to "write" letters to their cousin, jaylee. they love primary. love, love, love their teacher and all the kids in their class. so i was a bit surprised to get a call from the primary president to ask me NOT to have them participate in the annual primary program that takes place during sacrament at our church. she told me, "They will not go up to the pulpit and say their lines." i was stunned! they are four years old!! i know several adults, me being one of them, that are scared to death to go up to the pulpit and talk! she said, "they will not stand with the rest of the kids and sing. they want to sit on there chairs or worse, lay down on their chairs." GASP!! they will not sing. well crap, they are destined for hell now! now she made sure and told me she has raised SEVEN children, perfect as angels, and my girls behaviour worries her. they are wrapped up in eachother. (DUH) they are so conserned for how the other one is doing that it effects their participation in class. which in turn, apparently, affects the rest of the FOUR YEAR OLDS! she does not think this is healthy and that we should seperate them ASAP when they get in school so they can develop properly. now people, they are twins, identical twin girls, they are very close, i will not deny it. they often share the same bed. they play with eachother all day long while the brothers are at school. they do great in pre-school. surprisingly the kids don't seem to mind playing with BOTH of them at the same time. WOW!

so while the rest of the kids are up in the front of the chapel doing the program, Anna and Maria will be sitting with mom and dad.

for those that DO know me i will have you know.....i was incredibly civil on the phone to this dear lady. being the primary president is NOT an easy job. having been in the presidency i know that this program is a high stress time for these ladies. for those of you who are not LDS we are not paid. these ladies are doing this pro-bono so to speak. =) so will i hold this against her? NO! the girls are four. they could honestly care less whether or not they participate. they will be just as happy to sit with mom and dad and not have to share attention with those pesky brothers of theirs. i only post this because i know of no other family that can brag, "We've been kicked out of the primay program!!" we will be proud and hold our banner high!

Pizza Bread

this a family favorite. my mom used to make it for us once a blue moon growing up. i have added my own little twists to it. such as braiding the top and adding seasoned hamburger, and topping with garlic salt and parm. cheese when it comes out of the oven.

you can use any homemade bread dough that your family loves.

divide into two or three sections.

roll out one section like you are going to make cinnamon rolls. in the middle third spread spagetti sauce, them sprinkle with mozz. cheese, seasoned hamburger, pepperoni, and more mozz cheese. finish off with another layer of spagetti sauce. cut sides at a diagonal and braid the loaf closes. put on greased cookie sheet and let rise. brush with melted butter and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. when it come out brush again with butter and sprinkle on toppings.

We are finally Official!

It took awhile for the paperwork to go through. but we are in business now and the good news is we already have a regular clientel. Daniel, aka, gassy butt, Ike, aka, knife boy, Jake, aka, just keep smiling, Anna, aka, the screamer, and Maria, aka, the i can scream louder than anna.

a friend walked up and just started laughing so hard. she could not knock on the door. i knew she was there because i heard her cackle. she asked if we were gonna keep it up all year. ya, i think so. wer are a messed up bunch

saws,sap and family. Let the insults begin

A thing of beauty, and the wood ain't too bad either. ;)

so we had our annual "go out to the homestead and have dad work us to the ground" weekend. i swear the man is insane. everyyear it is bigger and better than the last. it if weren't for the fact that I WILL inhierate everything i would not put up with the lot of them.

i always go in with self esteem firmly intact, but by the time i leave so many insults have been hurled around that i am just a shattered piece of my formal self (well not really, and if did not know they are all so cold hearted and cruel this ploy would have worked) thpppt!

daniel and ike came up with me and katie stayed home with the little ones giving them a fantastic weekend. the boys worked like men, let me rephrase that, the worked like women, meaning they worked HARD!! i am so extremly proud of them. the hauled, stacked, chopped and managed their very own slash pile all on their own. without incident i might add!!

Here are three of the piles. he will use these first. we had it down to a science. it took us an average of six minutes a pile.

Regina and her very favorite sister in the whole wide world.

Look at the way the log acctually jumps outta her way in fear!

so my dear sweet family forgot to tell me my pants were half way down my butt all day long!! it;'s okay i think they were all just jealous of my sawyer abilities. well HA!! the joke is on you because un-like you i did not have to stare at my butt all day long.

Me rockin' the chaps.

in the woods there are no child labor laws. mwaaa haa haa poor ella was the youngest at 5! and she worked the hardest by far!

Reg and kathryn cleaning out after one of the huals.

Daniel is chopping the larger branches down and ike is feeding the fire. they made a great team. and on the down time the made some awesomely sharp sticks.

Daniel cut down this tree using only a hatchet!!

kathryn sharpeding her blade. we all know now it is TEN strokes with the file and by all means but some eye protection on!

Ike rockin' it!

Ike has decided to learn the electic guitar. he is really working hard at it and we are very proud of him. but he has other motives. he thinks this is gonna reel in the chicks. and me, being a girl at one time ( we all know that once you become a mom you can not be considered a girl) knows this is totally gonna work. so i am scared. luckily the bars will be installled on his bedroom windows by the time he is 12. and the GPS anklet should be comming in the mail by saturday.

what happens when i don't have a car for three days

we run outta milk.

the laundry is all washed, folded, hung up, and put away

bathroom is spotless (well the kids are at school)

floors mopped

carpets vaccumed

plumbutter cooking

kitchen clean

toys all put away

i better stop this or hubby is gonna see the connection. GASP!

And this is why i killed my husband, Officer.

So My hubby came home tonight after be gone for a long time. work keeps away, alot. that is fine, it is really no biggie here. But he came home to a trashed house. Keep in mind the kids had a three day weekend and I had a kid sick all this past week.

He says, "Isn't there some way we (you) can keep the kids from trashing the house?

Me, "Yes, if I tie them up."

Hubby, "Well can't you just, oh i dunno, watch them? So that way you can keep track of where they are at all times and make sure that they are cleaning up there toys before they get new ones out. maybe just keep them in one room of the house.

(dear reader, we have a small house, some might even call it tiny. we have ONE room!! then teh bedrooms. If i wanted to spend all day with my children in one room.....they would have to instutionalize me by the end of that day)

Me, (I my head of course) WELL DUH! WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THAT! GEESH I AM A COMPLETE IDIOT!!

Me, "Well, I am usually pretty busy and don't have time to sit and watch them all day long to make sure they clean up after themselves."

Hubby, "Can't you just train them to do it themselves. You know, take the time out of your day and parent them?"

Me, ( In my head) WHERE ARE THE KEYS TO THE GUN SAFE?

Me, That is a great idea dear, i will give that some thought.

Now mind you dear reader, we are having this conversation on saturday night. and those out there that are LDS know you do not mess with a woman on saturday night! I am doing a lesson, making sign up sheets, making poster boards for the up comming activity and of course the newletter for the month. sure, sure i had all week to work on this list but why? when i have saturday night?

so that, dear officer, is why i had to kill the man. i have just one question, it is considered "justifiable homicide"?

we just seem to keep spiraling

So Ike has been home sick since monday. Sunday night at 12:04 i am woken by the sound of someone throwing up. nothing, and i mean nothing wakes a mother up faster! for get alarm clocks that beep, they need to make one that sounds like a kid puking.

i have not eaten an apple or apple product since that night.

monday, no more puking. good, we are making progress, probably a 24 hr bug. still feverish.

tuesday, still running a high fever and wants me to pull out his loose tooth. it is bothering him. look inside his mouth to see a HUGE packet of blueish/purplish nastiness in the gumline above loose tooth. this continues to grow throughout the day. occationally he will squeeze it and it i will drain out above his loose tooth. mom calls dentist schedules an appt. for wednesday morning.

Wednesday, fever runs throughout the night around 102. this morning he gets tooth out. alot of blood and puss come out too. don't worry i won't post the picture. fever seems to have broken, still heading off to dentist. will update.

not alot going on

well i have not had much to post about because things are just moving along here.

monday- dan and daniel help move mattresses and box springs for the marshallese families
tuesday-daniel's cross country meet. he did really well. came in 50th. beat 15 other boys. very,very proud of him.
wednesday-ike's cross country meet. three hours and two hot chocolates later we watch him come in 9th out of 100 boys. we were very,very proud of him.
thursday-daniel's cross country meet. came in second to last, BUT NOT LAST!! he really pushed himself at the end. so happy for him.
friday-NO MEETS!! it is a rainy day. dunno if daniel and i will get to go play basketball. the girls are enjoying the quiet house. we are having a movie day.

anna did meet with her pulmo-cardiologist yesterday. we got an action plan for her pre-school and set them up with meds. we get to by-pass the nurses office because she needs her care very prompt and we cannot wait for the nurse if she is at another school. gives me peace of mind. we cannot tweek her meds anymore. she is on the max dose of everything. but we are doing a peak flow meter with her now so we can see how much o2 she is moving.

i guess that is all.

an actual question in our house starring Anna

mom,
um,mom,
what...mom,
do you......mom,
think......mom,
what,mom,...............mom,
Lazybones,mom................
what do you think,mom,
lazybones is doing mom?

now mind you, everytime she says "mom" i have to respond, and "hmmm" doesn't count, or she will just keep saying, "mom,mom,mom,mom,mom,......."well you get the idea. i swear the child doesn't breathe when she talks. and of course the moment anna starts in maria, not wanting to be left out, will start in on a question of her own in the exact same style. then they get mad at eachother for interrupting eachother. i will shout over them to have them stop. this is followed by a brief respit of silence, then we start all over again.

A Historical Occasion

The local highschool here offers a pre-school program. It is three morning a week for 90 minutes. It gives the kids a good idea of what it is to be away from mommy, but not too long. And the winner is that it is only $20 a month!! It is taught by the highschool students, which is perfect because they are at the same maturity level as the pre-schoolers. There is a teacher there to supervise but the students are running the classroom. They have to take childhood devlopment classes for three years before they get to work with the kids. Daniel started it out for us. (after being on the 2 yr long waiting list) and we have had every kid in there since. It is wierd to think that this is the end of the line. Although Daniel wants to work in the program when he gets in highschool.

Anna on her first day
Maria on her first day. She was a bit more apprehensive.

Then they saw the TOYS!!

And the reading corner.

Then before ya know it.......the day is done!!

Daddy getting loves from his daughters

Mommy actually got a picture with her daughters.

And what did I do for those 90 minutes you ask? Well I went and did something I absolutely cannot do with them, EXERCISED!! i loved it. (sorta, i am sorely out of shape) but it felt good to get out there and to know that i have three mornings a week to do so. that is until the 5 feet of snow comes.