A Gold Star

I am a stay at home mom. I find it very difficult to get things done. My floor goes un-mopped, the bathrooms don't get deep cleaned, and sometimes we run out of clean clothes. Forget about hobbies. Who am I and want to I like to do? I forget sometimes. But that is ok, I love what I do. Even if it never gets done.

Yesterday I mopped the floors (it had been a long while) and cleaned the blinds and windows. Then today I ran 8 miles. I am so proud of myself. Silly and small accomplishments you may think, but I think I deserve a gold star.

Shake Your Groove Thing...

This morning at breakfast Tyler was singing, "shake your boob-ez, shake your boob-ez, oh yeah!" I have absolutely no idea where he got that from. It gave us a good laugh.

Here's Hoping

I wish for a new desk!

7 Mile Saturday

Saturday was a 7 mile day. We had to run somewhere. It was too cold outside (and it was raining) and the gym? Well we just get so sick of those blasted tread mills. So my trusty running partner suggested we go to the Olympic Oval. I have actually never been there, but I thought it would be a good option. So we drove out there to try it. And you know what? It was great! Because of the ice, they keep it quite cool. It really was an enjoyable 7 miles. There were skaters to watch, a little karate thing going on, and even some athletes from the U of U. Very entertaining. And to top it all off, we saw Apolo. He was actually running the track.

When I got home, I told my family. Kirk didn't believe me, but I finally convinced him. I had to explain to my kids who he was. To which David replied, "He was on Dancing With the Stars?!?"

I told him he was and then he followed up with a tough question. "Mom," he said, "Which do you like better, Dancing With the Stars or American Idol?" Tough right? I think I like American Idol better. What about you? Or maybe you are not such a TV junkie as me...

By the way, you should see his legs! They are huge! All muscle!

You Had Me at BB Gun

Yesterday was the baptism preview for my twins. Holy cow! They are going to be 8! I can't believe it. They are both so excited. We have talked about baptism this week, knowing we would be attending the preview on Sunday. David asked if he could be baptized in the "Jordan River." I thought that was pretty sweet, but reminded him how lucky we are to have a baptismal font. I remember on my mission we had to fill an above ground swimming pool for baptisms in one area. In another area we a a font, but no hot water. My companion and I spent some time boiling large pots of water to take the chill off. So we really are lucky to have a font, and warm water is certainly a bonus! David also asked who was going to baptize him. I told him his dad, of course. He said that was good, but his second choice was his grandpa. I thought that was pretty sweet.

So Sunday finally arrived and we went to the preview. It was a pretty typical meeting. A member of the bishopric let them wander down into the font, that was pretty fun. And then they had an activity day leader and a cub scout leader speak to the group. First up was the activity day leader. She talked about some of the projects and activities the girls had done and would be doing. She mentioned making crafts, flip flops, gratitude books, and cleaning the toys in the nursery. There was an audible groan from my boys. They were happy to find out that they would not be participating in activity days. Especially because Jacob said, "what are flip flops?"

Next up was the cub scout leader. She was very energetic and excited! She talked about getting their bobcat, uniforms, and saluting the flag. And then she said something like, "we learn to shoot bb guns and bows and arrows and..." At this point there was an audible "YES!" from my boys. They didn't hear anything else. They are so excited to be cub scouts. I am so excited for them as well. It is so much fun to see them grow up and to see how eager they are to do what is right. I love it!

It's Noon

I have spent most of the day on the couch cuddled in a blanket reading the Ensign. I love it when it comes in the mail. I confess, I only read the short articles. But most of them are short. I usually just miss out on 2 or 3 articles. But I love the Ensign. I read it every month. Even with my blanket and slippers I was still freezing. Sometimes I think that it takes me a long time to warm up after working out in the mornings. If I didn't have to get the kids ready for school, I would just stay in the shower. I love a warm shower in the morning.

I wasted some time this morning reading some blogs and eating half a bag of cheetos (a regular size bag, not a snack size) with Tyler (who is still in his pajamas and it really is noon). I usually check my email each day. For the past 6 months or so, I keep getting "invites" to be friends with people on facebook. Hmmm...I am not so sure what I think about facebook. I was reunited with a missionary companion through facebook and for that reason, I LOVE it. But I find it so bizarre in so many ways. It is a little like a continuation of high school. Maybe that is because so many of my "friends" on facebook are from high school. I find it exciting, interesting, and sad to see the things that people are putting out there. It is amazing how a person can change so much, good or bad. And through it all, you still have to wonder what the truth actually is. Same with blogging. You can paint a canvas for everyone to see what you would like them to see, but you usually don't get the whole picture.

So here is the picture at our house today. The sink is full of dishes, the house is a mess, Tyler in his pajamas, me dressed and wearing slippers and a jacket (and finally warm), and me thinking for the first time ever that I would kind of like to be back in college again. After reading some blogs, I wish I were a better writer. I think it would be fun to take a writing class. I wish I could put my thoughts into words better. Not so I could make my life seem better, but because I would like to write about my life as it really is, to capture it better. My mom is an English major. She probably wishes I was a better writer too. My sister is thinking about becoming an English major, I think she should do it!

PS I heard you can still get free make-up for a few more days, so if you haven't already, head to the mall!

Bonus Time

Yesterday I missed the live showing of the inauguration. But it was free make-up day at the mall. How sweet is that? So I went and got some sweet stuff. I was hoping for more options, but I figured I left with about $80 in product, so I can't complain. If you bought make-up from Mac, Lancome, Channel, or a few others sometime between 1993 and 2003, then you were entitled to free make-up. All you had to do was show up, sign a paper, and pick your product. I love this new moisturizer! I also got some sweet stuff from Lancome. It was a good day. So far today I have done the dishes, brushed my teeth, watched The Biggest Loser, cleaned chocolate out of the carpet, put away Christmas decorations, and really that is about it. I have been super lazy.

Help! I would like to get some new bedding for my twins. Any suggestions of cheap, quality, not too cheesy, bedding?

My Little Chef

On Thursday, I made homemade rolls. They were very yummy. Tyler wanted to be a part of all of it. He was so fascinated that the dough would "grow". I gave him his own little scrap of dough. He literally did everything himself. He rolled out his dough, cut it into strips with the pizza slicer (he actually did this before I realized what he was doing, otherwise I would have supervised a little better), and rolled them into little rolls. He now calls himself a chef. I was very impressed with his little rolls, he ate them all, all by himself. It was a fun afternoon. And it kept him occupied while his brothers all went to basketball practice.

While we were in the middle of making rolls, Tyler informed me that there was something white in my hair. I thought, "It must be flour or something." I told him to get it out. He made a swipe with his hand, but said he couldn't get it out. He tried. He was running his fingers through my hair and everything. He kept insisting it was "stuck". Finally I asked, "Is it a hair?" To which he replied it was. I used to just pluck those things out, but now there are too many of them. It is sad:(

On a side note, the shoes I posted about are from Dillards. You can also get them online. Dillards has a great selection and I am sure you will find it hard to decide on just one.

My New Favorite Shoes!

These are the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned! When shopping for shoes, comfort is right up there with appearance for me. I don't buy anything that isn't comfortable. I love Born shoes for this reason, but I am telling you, these are awesome! They are called Nurture and I totally recommend them. I got the ones with the strap for Christmas and wear them all the time with jeans. I recently picked up the black ones. I was debating between the black ones I got and a pair of flats. Although the flats were super cute, the heels were actually MORE comfortable. They are unbelievable. I have a bunch of new favorite things, maybe I will have to do a whole other post...

Spring Fever

I've got it bad! I want to pack up in the car and head south! We have had blue skies and "warmer" weather. Although it is still not warm enough for my taste. I love this weather and I am so glad it is not snowing! I am ready to be outside!

Some other exciting news, my great friend Melanie hooked me up to be a "secret shopper". I am so excited! Basically I have to shop at 5 different stores (all of which are great), fill out a paper about customer service, and spend $50 (that they give me in the form of a gift card). And then I have to go out for lunch (lunch for 2 actually) and they pay for it all (drinks, appetizers, dessert, tip, taxes, etc)! I am stoked! I look forward to doing this as much as they want.

And lastly, I really was upset earlier this week. I really do over react. I will have to post about the situation more next week. I am sure you are all going to have a good laugh when you hear about it. And I hope that someday I will too. It is still upsetting to me however. My husband deserves much praise for putting up with me. He even brought me home flowers. He is the best!

Realizations

Yesterday was a bad day for me. It will take me a long time to forget it. I kind of felt bad for Tyler. He was a good sport though. While I laid around and felt sorry for myself, he kept busy with his toys and TV. Luckily he got to go to a friend's house too. I am feeling much better today. It really is amazing how time can mend things.

Today I took a yoga class at the gym. It was my first time. We had to leave half way through, but it was pretty good. I hope to do it again. I know a lot of people really get into the yoga stuff, do you think you can get in shape with just yoga alone? Just wondering. I know it will take me awhile to be able to do what little moves we learned today.

I also went to Costco today. They have coupons right now. I am a sucker for a good deal. And I have already learned that the Kirkland detergent is still a lot cheaper even if you have a coupon for the Tide. Upon realizing this, I realized it was true with a lot of other products. I don't use as many coupons as I used to, but I am still a sucker for a good deal. As I was tallying up my savings in line, I realized that I probably didn't even NEED the things I was getting. I just bought them because they were a good deal and we will use them. Whoever makes those coupons is pretty clever.

My kids are starting piano lessons again. They were taking awhile ago, but their teacher quit. It will be good to get them started again. My son David has a really hard time with change. He over-reacts a lot. When I told him we were starting piano lessons again, he was very upset (even though he loved piano before). We talked to him about the teacher, drove by her house, and reassured him. A day or two later I heard him casually mention to his friend that he was starting piano again. I was impressed and excited as I realized his apprehension was gone.

After sulking a day or two myself, I totally realized where David gets it from. I have a hard time with change. But just like David, I eventually get over it. I may even over react a little.

Lunch Time

My boys come home from school real hungry, everyday. They are always raiding the kitchen for something to snack on. I used to ask, "Didn't you eat your lunch today?" Then I would have to get more specific like, "Did you eat ALL of your sandwich?" I would continue to ask about each thing. Upon realizing they weren't eating all of their lunches, I cut back. I made small and simple lunches so nothing would get wasted.

Earlier this week the twins informed me that they ate ALL of their lunches. I was pleased, even though they were still snacking. Then one of them said, "Ya mom, you need to start making us bigger lunches. They don't put the tether balls up in the winter."

Hit Counter

I just noticed that my little "hit counter" thing isn't working any more. It probably stopped at the beginning of the year. Does anyone know why? Is mine the only one not working?

"Oh Yah!"

Tyler's favorite thing to say lately is, "Oh yah!" Then it is followed by whatever he has just done or something that just happened. Today it was "Oh yah, I'm done with my breakfast, oh yah, I'm done."

Also on a completely different subject, he frequently blesses us (when he says the family prayer) that we can go to Seven Peaks. Today after the prayer, Kirk had to remind him that it was winter and it would be impossible to go there...

Thank You Day Time Television

This week I watched Oprah blab about why she has gained weight recently. Near the end of the episode, she had her trainer guy Bob on the there and they talked about a couple of questions you should ask yourself. The first one is "Why are you over weight?" And you can't answer because I like to eat. They expect you to dig deep and come up with some life changing answer, like I don't love myself or I am depressed.

My schedule today was such that I had some free time on my hands this morning. I really would like to lose some weight. It is something that I feel like I battle with. Although I am usually losing the battle, so really it isn't much of a battle. Anyway, I thought, "I wonder why I am overweight." I actually got out a piece of paper and started writing. I was hoping some deep issue would present itself and I could figure out why I like to eat.

As I started writing though, I just kept thinking that if everything were "perfect" maybe it would be easier to diet, easier to lose weight. By everything being perfect I was thinking, if I had a chef, if I had money to do whatever I wanted, if I had a personal trainer, etc... This is not a good path to go down and I don't recommend it. But along the way, the Hymn "Count Your Many Blessings" kept coming to my mind. Not just the music, but the words. These are some of the words that stood out to me-

"When you look at others with their lands and gold, think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold...
"So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged, God is over all. Count your many blessings; angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey's end."

I love those words. I think I will use and remember them all year long. I really could use some angels in my life. So I started writing down some of my blessings. I have thought about doing this many times, but have never actually done it. I really do have a lot of blessings and great things in my life.

So I don't really know why I am overweight. I just am. But after this little experience I feel much more resolve to try and fight the battle of the bulge. We'll see how it goes. And now for some of my blessings, in no particular order-
A Good Husband
Four Healthy Children
A Nice Home
Good Washer and Dryer
Temple Recommend
Family
Running Partner
Books
Ability to Read
Piano
Ability to Play the Piano
Lots of Clothes
Costco Membership
Nice Furniture
Family Vacations
Good Friends
Good Neighbors
Parents
In Laws
A Yard
Two Cars
Lots of Food
Ipod For Running
Calling at Church
Appliances

A Good Laugh for the Day

I thought this was pretty darn funny. Click here for the link. Enjoy, even if you are a BYU fan!

Dear Husband,

That new internet router thingy you installed really sucks. It took me minutes to get on line and it got slower and slower throughout the day. I was really wanting to look at tropical vacation destinations online because I nearly froze to death when I went shopping for groceries. Thanks for trying to fix it. Let's hope tomorrow is better.

A New Year

In 2001, I was blessed with twin boys. My husband and I became parents. Then we did it again and again and now we are the parents of four boys. They are all fairly young and parenting up to this point has been pretty basic. You know, food, affection, love, shelter, etc.

For the past couple of weeks I have become overwhelmed with the idea of being a parent and raising children. It seems my parenting role is starting to change emphasis. It has really hit me that I am influencing and shaping little minds that will affect the future. It kind of scares me. Before their needs were so basic and now we are influencing attitudes, opinions, perspectives, outlooks, ethics, politics, etc.

It is beginning to feel like I will be placed under a microscope and all my good qualities as well as imperfections will become magnified as my children develop and eventually grow into adults. It is scary! They are the future. Talk about a powerful influence!

So it is with that thought process that I made new years resolutions this year with good intentions of keeping them. I really would like to be a better me. I really hope my children turn out to be happy, successful people. I know that I can make a difference. So here is to a new year!