Christmas Cards

I had all intentions of sending out a real Christmas card this year. Well considering it's 3 days prior to Christmas I don't think it's going to happen. This year has been a memorable one...some of the memories I'd like to forget and others I never want to forget. We'll leave it at that.

I also had hopes to spend one full day baking with my children and deliver goodies that looked like they came right from the Rachel Ray show (does she still have a show?) Then I came back to reality and quickly remembered that I signed a contract long ago to never admit that Martha Stewart gets all her ideas from me...thus I cannot go ahead with my baking day or I'd end up having to host my own TV show as I'd put Martha out of business and I just don't have the time in my life right now to start hosting. So to make a long story short...both my blog readers, I will not be delivering any goodies. This doesn't mean I don't love or appreciate you, it simply means I have worked my tail off the last two months trying to loose baby weight and I'm one pound from pre-pregnancy weight and if I bake I'll eat and if I eat I'll plump up and if I plump up I'll...you get the picture...Not to mention I'm enjoying having all three boys home and baking with them stresses me out. I choosing to have a calm holiday break and enjoy the moments than be up tight just to have baked goodies. Long story short...no goodie plates this year. Please accept my apologies.

Conversation this morning...

#1: "You know what mom?"

Me: "What son?"

#1: "I could just stare at #3 for an entire hour, that's how much I love him. He's just so cute. Sometimes when I'm at school I think about his face in my mind so I don't forget what he looks like. I'm so glad he's my brother."

Me: "I'm so glad he's your brother too."

I pray the brotherly love stays around for a lifetime.

I liked these quotes I found while reading tonight...

"I speak to fathers and mothers everywhere with a plea to put harshness behind us, to bridle our anger, to lower our voices, and to deal with mercy and love and respect one toward another in our homes" - Gordon B. Hinckley

"Good homes are still the best source of good humans" - Neal A. Maxwell

"There should be no yelling in the home unless there is a fire" - David O. McKay

"I can assure you that the greatest responsibility and the greatest joys in life are centered in the family, honorable marriage, and rearing a righteous posterity." Ezra Taft Benson

Good stuff.

Young Women's Christmas lesson... done
Young Women's Christmas gift...done

We bought pocket size Books of Mormon for each girl, covered them with scrap booking paper, glued ribbon and a flower on top and made it something they will hopefully carry with them in their purse or backpack and read often.

I had two great women come over to help out and I think it turned out awesome! Hopefully the girls will focus on gaining a strong testimony of this powerful book and allow it to be an influence for good for the rest of their lives.

In preparing for the lesson I found some good quotes about the book...

Dallin H. Oaks said "In a day when many are challenging the divinity of Jesus Christ or doubting the reality of his atonement and resurrection, the message of that second witness, the Book of Mormon, is needed more urgently than ever."

And Joseph Smith said "The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.

I know this to be true. It will change your life. Wanna learn more? Go here for a free copy of this magnificent book.

#1's Christmas break started today...Finally, #2 has someone to play with all day.

I finally cut the boys hair this morning. I hate doing it but the end results are they always look handsome (if I didn't screw up). I just don't understand why they cry and complain when I do it but when I take them to an actual salon they sit there like perfect angels with smiles on their face the whole time. I'm starting to think it's worth forking out the $25 bucks so I don't have to fight with them to get it done here at home.

Tonight there were dishes to be done, laundry to be folded, picking up to do, Sunday lesson to prepare but spouse was gone and I was lazy. I put the kids to bed at 7pm...they fell right to sleep...let #3 milk me as long as he wanted and watched a movie. It was splendid. I want to do it more often. Like every night. Maybe I can when I'm retired and am sitting with my phat retirement check each month...retired mothers get a phat check right? WHAT? NO PAYDAY?

I quit.

OK...maybe not...I'll hang in there.

So I was supposed to babysit today but the mom ended up not going into work. I decided to make it a "date day" with me and the two youngest. We headed out to Bass Pro Shop to meet up with other moms in our ward. We arrived a few minutes after the tour had started, no big deal, we found the group and after a whole 5 minutes of being there B says he has to go potty. OK, #3 is asleep in the stroller so as I start pushing him B runs and plops himself down on the foot rest of the stroller. Well somehow that made the front wheel get stuck and boom it breaks right off. Gurrr. I was peeved. This stroller is band new and is my stroller or jogging. Not to mention I felt like we were making a scene and I was totally embarrassed. Lifting the stroller up and pushing it out the store on the two back wheels we made a pit stop at the bathroom then headed out to the car. I'm glad I could drive 40 minutes to be in the store a total of 10 minutes.

I figured while we were out we'd run some errands on that side of town...one of which was Costco. B decides he wants to play the electric piano they have on display in the store. After I told him to sit on his bum I turn my head just in time to see him stand on the bench and proceed to knock it over crashing it down making a huge noise and him landing right on top of a now broken piano bench leg. Gurrr. I was peeved again. The noise startles #3 and he starts screaming. Nothing like another scene. I'm sure people must be thinking...yet again, another mother that can't handle her children. I have to say I was pretty pleased with myself that I didn't get upset at either incident, I stayed very calm. I am trying to put into practice some quotes I found over the last few weeks in preparing for a talk. While preparing I felt I saw a slight glimpse into how we were treated by our Heavenly Father prior to coming to this earth and I want my children treated that same way. And I must be the one to treat them that way. My patience was tried today to say the least.


On another note...#1 had his winter concert at school tonight. As always he looked so handsome in his white shirt and tie. It was fun to see him with all his little friends. I am learning more and more each day of why is he the oldest child. I'm SO glad he's the oldest. He's a great example to his brothers and has a very tender heart.

This little guy is such a happy camper...his latest stats as of December 10th are:

14lbs 11oz
24inches
strong and healthy. sleeps through (9pm-7am) the night 90% of the time.
enjoys his swing and bouncy chair. loves to have his diaper changed but hates bath time. loves when music is played and loves when his brothers stop mauling him for hugs and kisses.

Random

Today was a busy day and I'm glad it's over. It started with a 5am workout so I could be dressed and ready to teach #2's preschool class by 9:30am. Taught preschool while having our little friend here I babysit part-time then when preschool was done at 12pm #2 & #3 and I headed over to #1 school for his winter story stroll and hot chocolate. Came home to prepare parts of the dinner for our young women's activity which was a progressive dinner, did homework with #1. Had the 3rd and final house for the progressive dinner cancel on me so I very quickly picked up the house and vacuumed the kitchen floor and made my house the final stop. Fixed dinner for the family dropped the kids off at a friends house since spouse was gone for the night, picked up two YW on my way to the church and started one of our final YW activities before the ward split officially takes place all while changing many poopy diapers and doing lots of feedings. The activity went well and we had a great turn out. I'll miss those girls who will no longer be in my ward. The boys were such great help this afternoon...they cleaned the playroom all by themselves and didn't complain once about it. It was awesome!

On another note here are some family pictures from Thanksgiving day.

They sure do love their brother.

Just now I told my family to pretend like I wasn't here. I had something important I needed to take care of and couldn't be interrupted. It's funny listening to Pops get the kids to bed and hear comments the from the kids telling him how to do the routine. (He's usually not around at bed time except for mutual nights.) Not to mention the baby is screaming and I know he's not hungry, we'll see how long spouse will go before he comes and gets me...I'm betting 5 minutes.

This guy had another blow out at church. Again I didn't have a change of clothes and no diapers. I'm such a prepared mom. I accidentally left the diapers on the kitchen table. Again, he left church naked.

I'll try harder next week.

P.S. I love the Young Women.
If they could only know I try my best.
Is this a taste of having a teenage daughter?
I do love them.

#2

This kid is a crack up. I always wonder what he'll choose to be when he grows up.
He's witty, clever, mischievous, very busy and lovable all at the same time.
He's got the best older brother that he admires so much and can't seem to give enough hugs and kisses to his younger brother. So far he seems like a perfect fit right in the middle. Never a day goes by that I don't laugh out loud from something he's said or done.
What fun he ads to our family.

Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend brought...

an afternoon in the park with cousins...

time spent teasing cousins...

A fun field hockey game with big and little cousins...

time to hoard this precious gun...

opportunities to decorate the table clothes with crayons and pictures...

lots of family...(this one's for you Miss A.)

And a free picture with a not-so-friendly Santa...(I guess you get what you pay for)

A wonderful weekend in all. Thanksgiving always brings to much food and not enough time with family...or is it the other way around?

Blessing Day

Sunday November 29th was #3's big day. He was blessed at church by his papi (a.k.a. dad) and was awake during it and didn't even cry. Thank goodness. A sweet day for this sweet boy. It's a good thing we didn't wait any longer to do this because the family blessing outfit would not have fit. It was small already.

Afterward we had family over for a small luncheon and enjoyed each others company. It was a busy weekend but worth it.