The Dog Ate My Homework

Kandy had to make a relief map of Utah for school. She used salt dough, and she did a pretty good job.


She brought it home from school and took it down to her room. The dog found it and ate it!


Apparently the Colorado Plateau looked irresistibly delicious.

At least the dog ate the homework after it was graded!

A Very Special Guest

I had just been through a stressful quarter of an hour with the toddler boys. The girls had set up a restaurant in their play room, and they had added to the stress by asking several times if I would come be a guest. I couldn't right then. Eventually, the stress settled down. I took a few minutes to find some sanity by building a hot and short little paper fire. Fire can be hypnotic, and I pondered as I alternately snuggled and wrestled my fledgling toddler how fleeting these days can be. I thought about how sometimes I think longingly about a time when I will not be responsible for an infant 24/7. Oh, the freedom! Then I think that I will no longer have a small person to snuggle. Oh, the loneliness! I thought how some days are so frustrating, and some are so rewarding. I thought about how these can even be a matter of moments apart, not days.

Almost on cue, Kandy came up to remind me about the restaurant. Ready to placate them, I asked if I could bring my baby. She said I could, and I said, "I'll be right there." I started to get up, and I heard her run downstairs, calling to Missy: "Get ready! We have a very special guest coming!"

I dined on plastic jacks and imaginary Sprite. Kandy took my order, Missy prepared the plate, Buster kept my cup full, and Sunny cleaned up the dishes. As I left to endure the rigors of bedtime, I heard Kandy singing about their very special guest.

Somehow, for just a moment, all of the stress and frustration was so worth it. I may have to be an ogress sometimes to get results, but I am still a very special guest in their eyes. How humbling. I often think I really should play with them more. I spend so much time cooking, cleaning, and meeting basic needs that I feel there is not enough time. As I did dishes after dinner, I considered the story of Mary and Martha.

I really should try harder to find balance between enjoying my children and meeting their needs.

Halloween 2010 (Finally)

Woo-hoo! I finally got the pictures offloaded from Halloween. Enjoy!

Kandy as Jeannie

We loved the skin color insert. "So I can still be modest," said Kandy. Notice her classic Jeannie pose!

Missy as a witch

Sunny as a flapper

Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger strike again! I think someone has been Winnie-the-Pooh every year. I'll have to check my pictures.
(Abel and Buster)

A few days after Halloween, I realized we hadn't photographed our jack-o-lanterns. They were a group effort this year. Everyone got to pick one feature to carve.

Buster. "Take a picture of me with the pumpkins!"

Do You Golf?

Yesterday I finally went to the doctor about my poor arm. He asked a few questions and checked a few things and said, "Do you golf?"

"No," I replied.

"Well, you have golfer's elbow," he informed me. He said it probably did come from carrying around Abel's car seat and just never healed. I guess golfer's elbow is shorter than car seat carrier's elbow. He prescribed a little arm band to support my elbow, and it is helping! That and the recommended ibuprofen. The doctor also told me that I should rest it. I laughed and reminded him that I have five children, two of them under 3. He laughed, too, and said, "I know, but I have to say it anyway! Tell your husband that you need more help."

"He is great at helping--when he's home."

This morning I went to my mom's house for a few hours, and I think the older girls are going to have to get better at changing diapers and folding laundry. Hopefully if I can get a little more rest for it and use the correct brace, it will improve quickly. If it doesn't improve in 2 or 3 weeks, I'll have to get a steroid shot, which I don't want.

But look! I can type again!

Beaver

Buster has had a couple ear infections lately. I just looked into his ear, and he said, "I have a beaver."

No, he doesn't have a fever, but I don't blame him for saying so.

Long Time, No Blog

It has been over a month since I updated. The biggest reason is that my right arm is having tons of issues. I can't type very long at all. I don't know if it's carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, or "perchance a brilliant combination of both." The pain has been steadily getting worse. It started when Abel was very young, and I thought it was just from carrying his car seat. Not so, or at least, not just that.

Also, October was crazy. I started babysitting extra kids. I'm very grateful because until this fell in my lap, I was contemplating returning to work for some extra cash. Now I still get to be home with my own kids. The older girls also had 2 weeks off of school. During those two weeks, I had various combinations of children. One day I had 10 kids here under 10 years of age. Most of the time, I had about 8. Crazy.

I also lost my card reader and camera cable. Last I saw the card reader, it was in the hands of Buster. Yikes. So I'm anxious to post Halloween pictures, but it's not going to happen today.

Well, my arm is protesting, and it's snack time for two cute 2-year-old boys. I hope you are all excited for a fabulous holiday season!