A bit of summer in the dead of winter

Thanks to a generous donation from a relative that wanted to say anonymous I was able to take the kids to Triple Play. A local indoor water park with lots of other activities too.

There was the wave pool, two water slides, hot tub, (mommy's favorite) then outside the water park there is laser tag, miniature golf, bowling and rock climbing wall.

sorry i don't have more pictures. I was sorta busy just keeping up with the crew instead of snapping pics. i need someone to follow us around just for the sake of taking pictures. ha ha ha

This picture is my all time favorite one! Jakey is his own man. he does what he wants and really just does not care if he does not fit in with the crowd. This is the outfit he had on for the day. And dang it he is PROUD! so am I.

Seattle

This past weekend was one of my "get away" weekends. And I am grateful for the many friends that watched my kiddos so I could get away.

I flew to Seattle to visit my sister in law, Jenna, and her adorable family. I can honestly say it was a blast. We did not do any big trip or adventures. Just hung out and talked. I love her little kids. And luckily they tolerated me too.

Here we are doing "Boom, Bang, Fire Power!" Check out the gun show on Alana.
Getting some kisses from Alana.

Mr Jimmy. Lover of fast cars, but not fast shopping carts.

Lil Miss Alana!

I flew in friday around noon. I almost missed my flight there but luckily i am a fabulous sprinter, even in heals. ha ha ha. Got to SEA TAC and Jenna and I could not find eachother. She swears she was parked right where i was waiting but i think her car was invisable. =D

went to her place, she got me a yummy lunch from subway and then put the kids down for a nap and she let me take a nap too!! That is one of my all time favorite hobbies.

I cannot wait to have her come visit us in March!! Maybe I will let her take a nap too. And it will be longer than 30 mintues. ha ha ha

The Snipe Hunt

Last night Ike took Ray Ray and Jake on a snipe hunt. It was their first. They were excited and scared at the same time. Ike informed them how dangerous snipe hunting was. That would be in great peril.

Both boys came running to me for confirmation on the existance of this alleged snipe.

A good mother would tell them that snipes do not exist and they are just a fun prank that older brothers like to pull on younger brothers.

But as we all know, I am not a good mother. I saw an opportunity to have three less children in my house for at least 30 minutes. I was not going to let this chance pass me by!

So I sat them down at the table and told them all about this dreaded snipe that roams the woods by our house.

It is small and very quick.
It loves cookies so eat cookies so you will have the smell on you. That helps attracts them.
It takes on the shape of what it is hiding next to. Ex: rocks, trees, shrubbery....
Their saliva is poisionous acid and they spit when scared.
Their eyes glow green when a light is shined on them. Don't look at them in the eyes!! EVER!!

And with those wise words of advise from a seasoned snipe hunter I sent them all out the door. I got 20 minutes of quiet. It was fantastic!! Sadly they did not catch anything. Ike saw a few out there. I see another hunt in the near future.

11 step program for those considering having children

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2 Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3 A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive) Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4 Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5 Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6 Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7 Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air. You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9 Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10 Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11 Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

My sister in law, Jenna set this too me. It is very accurate on almost all parts. Personally though I prefer shopping with a goat.

Daniel's version of a thumbtack.

Physics Alive and Well

Ike gave a lovely demonstration for me and my dinner guests last night. He and the neighbor boy took a length of rope, tied a noose on one end and put Jakey's dog, Maddie Out, in it. I must say that Ike ties a very nice noose. They then proceeded to loop it through the basketball hoop and onto the bumper of BigRed.

They had it set up so that as I backed out it would cause the rope to go taunt and then slowly pull Maddie Out up and hang him. It was even timed in such a way that Maddie Out would reach the perfect height as it came into view of my front window. I am so proud of my boy!! That is truly amazing.

Yes, we had to do it last night so everyone could watch and laugh and clap. He and the neighbor boy were so pleased with themselves. I loved watching the pride in their faces.

Dan would have loved this. I am so glad my children got his brains! I know he was watching us and laughing right along.

Whew

Well we have a fresh start!

First off I am actually doing very well. The list I made helped me realize I am doing a good job.

The kids are thriving and happy. We talk about Dan all the time. We joke about him, share favorite stories and tell each other what Dad would be saying at that particular moment. I guess one time he threaten to attach shock receptors to boys um "nether regions" if they did not pick up the dog poop faster and quit fighting. I did not know that!! ha ha ha ha

Thanksgiving and Christmas sucked. A lot. I am not gonna lie. I was in hell for that month. I tried to keep it together for the kids and do all the traditions that we normal do, but i was emotionally dead inside. New Years was okay. Dan never liked having people over and staying up til midnight anyways, so i know he did not miss that party much. =D

I am going to visit my sister Jenna for four days at the end of this month. I am so super excited to see her cute family and her new house! and of course, lets be honest here...a break from my wonderful children!! (gasp, did i really just say that?)

Well the house is quiet and I am gonna watch some of my new favorite show, Big Bang Theory. Dan would have LOVED it. and prolly gotten the jokes alot better than i do too.

A List

I have been told a lot lately of the things I "should" "would" and "could" be doing. How I am not doing it right.

So a wonderful friend, Kathryn Rush, told me to make a list for myself of all the things I am doing right.

I get my son to seminary every morning on time.
We have family scripture study every morning.
We have family prayer and eat breakfast together.
My children are dressed appropriatly for the weather and for school before they walk out the door.
Homework is done and library books are found.
Class snacks are made and delivered cheerfully.
Mom attends each party so that child can feel special.
Play doh is played with and finger paints are used liberaly in this home.
Children come home to a clean and orderly home.
Clothes are washed and folded and waiting for them to put away.
Food is always readily available to them.
Each child has a time to tell me about their day and what they are needing.
Lists are made and promptly taken care of.
Friends are welcome at all times.
If need be mom will be the chaperon to for a movie date. I won't even sit by them so they can still be "cool" in front of their friends.
Reports are always worked on as a team effort.
I make my children help out around the house and especially with each other.
Dinner is made by me every night and we sit as a family every night to eat it and discuss the day and any concerns.
When I am busy with one child it is not un-common for me to ask another to read the girls their bedtime stories.
Yes, the girls get stories every night followed by prayers.
There is a bedtime routine that all must follow.
When I do go out, and yes I do go out. I do so between the hours of 8 pm to 10 pm.
Occasionally I will go out before that. And that is perfectly acceptable to have Daniel babysit..
We go to church every Sunday.
We are active in our callings.
I make sure the boys are there on Wednesday nights and participating in the scouting program.

So for those to think that my life does not revolve around my children. I DARE them to try this routine by themselves for a week. I will more than gladly give them the chance.

new set up

This blog will be going private. Those who would like an invite to continue following the "Real Brown Sanitarium" please leave a comment so i can add you. thank you

Monday already

Well the children are heading back to school today.

My reason for living is walking out the door

I will be lost until they get home

hugs and kisses

love

jenn

Happy 2011

Had a wonderful New Years with good friends and family. Lots of good eat and fun. Older kids spent the night sledding while the younger ones stayed in a played Just Dance.