I have to write these things down so I don't forget.

This was a conversation at dinner tonight. It makes me feel like I'm doing a good job. ;)


With a serious look on his face....

Trevor: mommy and daddy, I have something to tell you.

Us: (thinking it is something horrible) What?

Trevor: "Do you know that SANTA used to smoke?!?!?

He used to smoke a pipe, but now he knows that it could kill him so he quit!

Attention Lisa!

Oh I am SO excited!! A friend of mine told me about this movie coming out. I know that Lisa will understand my excitement because we have this common thing, which includes quoting from this series of movies. It is from the same people who did Spinal Tap, Best In Show and A Mighty Wind. The new one is called For Your Consideration. Here is a link for the trailer.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/warner_independent_pictures/foryourconsideration/medium.html

if you have never seen any of these movies... run to rent one. They are hysterical!

See, the best thing is this movie came out before Thanksgiving! That is how out of touch I am with the new movies right now. Usually when I get excited about a movie it is something that you have to wait a few months for. Now I'm busy plotting a babysitter so I can go soon.

********

In hopes of lifting my Christmas spirit today, the kids and I made a gingerbread house. Which I probably wouldn't have done if it wasn't for the message left on my machine today. Maddy singing "It's the most wonderful time of the year." How she keeps this childlike wonder of all things Christmas is beyond me. ;)

But whatever she did... it must have worked. The gingerbread house was fun for all of us to work on. Nobody fought over who had more sprees for the walkway, or more gumdrops or anything. My perfectionist self didn't even interfere and I am embracing the fact that the roof has wiggly lines of frosting, and mismatched candies. Heck, it's even ok that the snowman is missing his head after taking a fall from the countertop.

Matthew decided he would rather eat the candy than waste it by putting it on a decoration. Smart kid.

See? Baby steps. I might not have my tree up, or my yard decorated yet... but I do have one way cool gingerbread house.

nothing like a little holiday whining............

My sweet friend Maddy loves Christmas. Seriously, this girl starts preparing for Christmas in June. She is like a giddy child when December finally comes around. I am beginning to question this girl's sanity.

I can't get into the holidays yet. I don't really want to be a scrooge, but I think that is the way that this year is shaping up.

I actually thought that I was getting out of the gate pretty well last week when I ordered some things for gifts. I have quite a few people taken care of already, but as far as the usual hard to buy for people in my family... I am not having any luck. I think every store has the same thing as the next. For somebody that loves shopping as much as I do, I'm really getting bummed. It is probably because shopping these days takes much more planning. With the kids, you have to plan out where you are going, take food breaks, get home in time to go pick up other kids, etc. It isn't like you can go out for an entire day and hang out at the mall.

I'm not even ready to get decorations out yet. Our house is the only one on the street right now that doesn't have lights up and decorations out in the yard. Even the Jewish lady next door has a winter wonderland in her yard complete with Santa. Her husband isn't Jewish, and I swear he is like Chevy Chase when it comes to decorating. I swear our lights dim when they turn their lights on at night.

Mike and I were talking the other day that he didn't want to put lights up on the eaves of the house this year. I don't blame him, because this house has a ton of angles and eaves. So he thought we might just put lights on the bushes and the tree out front. At first I thought that wasn't enough, that we needed to rush out and buy one of those animated lighted deer or something. There are deer herds all over our neighborhood, so we need some too right? But honestly, I don't want to have to store the deer after the holidays are over. Hm, what to do?

I'm sure my mood will change, because I really do love to see the excitement about Christmas with my kids.

In other news, I am sore today. I wasn't able to sleep last night, so around 2:00 I went to go downstairs. Thank goodness our staircase is split, because I hit the landing in the middle and fell all the way down to the bottom. On my butt and my back, hitting my head on each step as I slid all the way to the bottom. I'm sure it was graceful. Damn it hurt. It hurt bad. Today it hurts even more. Nobody else was awake, and I was so mad that I just sat at the bottom and cried like a baby. I am seriously considering having a shot of Matthew's leftover liquid vicoden with a soda chaser. ;)

Who needs sleep?

I hate it when the creative mind decides to start working in the middle of the night. I feel like I have been in a slump for the past couple of weeks. It is probably because I was stressed out about Matthew's surgery coming up, Thanksgiving, a photography session, and a million other little things that stress me out that shouldn't.

I haven't scrapped, or done anything since then.

Then last night, after a late night out doing some birthday yard decorating (love you Maddy!) all I could do was lay in bed, in the dark thinking of a million things that I want to do. (Or could it have been the large soda that I had around 10:30??) It doesn't help that Michelle bought stuff to make one kick butt family room. I think I decorated my entire house in my mind last night. Of course all with unlimited budget! That is the fun part about decorating in your head!

In my mind I was planning baby showers, layout ideas, decorating my house, Christmas shopping.... you name it. I couldn't turn my mind off. It didn't help that every couple of hours Matthew was still up complaining about his throat hurting and having weird nightmares. He is still having such a hard time recovering.)

So today I have a million little projects that I want to get started on. As crazy as I can make myself when I get like this, it feels good to be back to what is 'normal' for me. (Driving myself crazy, and stressing about silly things.) This could also be because I have spent the entire last week on the couch watching Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Cars over and over. I think today is the day.... to get some things done! Woohoo! Watch out Lowe's! (and Target!)

what day is it anyway?

Kind of a random post today, but I am still homebound with Matthew. He still isn't feeling well, even a few days later. The only thing he can do is drink a little bit of pedialite. He just doesn't have any interest in food at all. The upside of this whole thing is that he has been SO snuggly, and I am enjoying just sitting with him.

We did go outside and drive to the bank today. I wanted to see if getting out might help him cheer up. He actually loves the bank because of the tubes in the drive through. He laughs when they get sucked up.

As I was pulling into my driveway I noticed that our neighbors are putting Christmas lights up today. I still can't imagine Christmas right now since it is still kind of warm out for this time of year. They (the weatherpeople) promised us a very wet winter because of el nina, and cooler temperatures. I'm still waiting....

I hope that everybody has a very happy thanksgiving tomorrow. It feels so weird not to be out in the huge last minute rush right now. I'm looking forward to my kids, and Mike to be home for a few days. No plans, and hopefully just enjoying each other.

A little update on Matthew. (In laws are out of town, and I know she is checking in.)

He seemed like he was healing pretty well yesterday, but he hit a wall last night and started not feeling good at all. He woke up at one point screaming so hard I think he hurt himself. He is on vicoden for pain relief, and I know that stuff gives you really weird and vivid dreams. He woke up and was shaking and had huge tears for about 20 minutes. No matter how close I held him and played with his hair or anything. He kept screaming that he was scared. I could tell when he finally exhausted himself back to sleep because he just slumped over and started drooling. This happened a few times throughout the night.

He's not having a good day today. Poor thing. He isn't bouncing back like Trevor did. I'm still kind of worried about him.

He is pretty pale, swollen and has purple under his eyes. He was trying to ask me earlier how he got sick when he felt fine yesterday morning. :(

I'm sure he'll be better by tonight, but we plan on doing some serious couch time today.

Tonsil and adnoid free!

Tonsil and adnoid free!

Thank you for the nice comments, emails and phone calls. Matthew is doing really well.

Today was an entirely different experience from when Trevor was at the same hospital a couple of years ago. We must have had the nazi nurse then, because today was smooth and awesome.

We were in the waiting room for awhile, then we were moved into a 'staging area.' It was another little room with more toys, so the nurse could come in and take all of his vitals, measure him, and all that fun stuff. The doctor was ready before the anesthesiologist and kept coming out and checking on Matthew. He talked to him and got high fives from him each time which I thought was really nice. I hate when doctors talk over children and pretty much pretend they aren't there and only communicate with the parents. That made me feel really good about this guy.

Soon the anesthesiologist girl came out and talked to us, while the doctor put Matthew in this red riding push car thing. He was walking up and down this small room with all of the pre-op patients in it, making car noises and doing wheelies. Matthew was laughing and having a blast! Finally we watched him push the car behind the big doors. Matthew got to take George with him too. A much different experience than the screaming child holding his hand out calling for me, the last time we were there.

They said that Matthew was really good about hopping up on the table and was hesitant, but not too freaked out by the mask. That made me happy. :)

Then it was time to just sit for two hours while they kept checking on him. I got to hold him in a recliner, and he started wanting a drink right away, and asked for a blue popsicle. (He is obsessed with the color blue) he ate most of that, then fell asleep for the rest of the time that we had to wait. He even slept through them taking out the IV.

So we are home, and I have been sitting on the couch with him ever since. He seems to be healing really well, and has eaten some cheese, a popsicle and some yogurt. I'm so glad this is all over with. I know it is a routine surgery, but when it is somebody you love even routine is scary.

He is a good little patient. :)

surgery day

Tomorrow is hospital day for us. Matthew is going in to have his tonsils and adnoids taken out. I have already been talking to him about what to expect, since my last time with Trevor and the whole screaming ordeal.

I know he doesn't really understand most of what I am telling him, but I keep reinforcing that mommy and daddy will be there with him when he wakes up, and that he is going to be with people who will take care of him.

I have told him that I will help him put on his hospital gown, and then they will take him back, plus he will get to take George with him. (He is inseparable with this $1 spot George that he picked out MONTHS ago.) Then I told him about the mask that the nurse will use to help him fall asleep. (This was the BIG problem with Trevor.)

I'm sure it will all go well. The poor kid hasn't been sleeping well since he developed sleep aphnea because of the size of his tonsils, and the part that makes me feel better is that this should help prevent a worse reaction (heaven forbid) that he ever goes into anaphylactic shock over the peanut allergy again. The doctor said that if his throat started to close up, that with these gone that gives his airway that much more room for him to breathe. After the couple of times he has ended up in the ER because of peanuts, I'll take that added insurance.

I'll update tomorrow after we get home. :)

santa ROCKS!

When will I learn? You 2Peas girls will understand this one. I haven't posted on the site for a long time, but I do go lurk about once a week just to see what some people are up to. I like to check up on some of my casual internet friends, and see if the crazies are still crazy. (yep, they are!)

I should have known better, being that it is near Christmastime. The official, "You parents that have children that believe in santa are telling them a LIE!!!!"

Oh brother. Seriously, I grew up believing in santa, and I'm glad that my parents let me believe. It was fun while it lasted. I remember my sister getting a bowl of goldfish one year, and being amazed that santa could carry that in his sleigh all the way from the north pole and not spill a drop. I watched those amazing little fish all day. - It didn't kill me years later when I found out that he wasn't real.

I'm puzzled by this supposed lying. Am I lying when I tell my daughter that she is the prettiest girl in the world? She believes she is because I tell her that everyday. She doesn't argue with all the other little girls whose mothers tell them the same thing. - And I think that is fine.

Then it is so ironic that on the same front page of 2Peas somebody posted that their 6th grade daughter was asking what 'bases' meant. Like somebody making it to first base and so on. Apparently the bases have changed. Wow, it sounds scary. But the funny thing is, people are posting on there, literally gasping, about how kids are growing up way too fast these days!

So is believing in santa really all that harmful?

I just think it has to be hard being a kid during these days. I'm sure my parents thought the same thing compared to their childhoods, but I can't imagine being a kid growing up right now. There is so much pressure, and the world is so crazy. At Megan's age I was riding my bike a couple miles to my swim team practice... by myself. Heck, I even rode through a greenbelt to Circle K to go buy ice cream. My parents weren't irresponsible, it's just what kids did back then. Now I don't even let Megan go around the block without me there. It is just insane.

So, I should just not go back to 2Peas for awhile. I forgot about the non believers, the people who are offended at somebody saying Merry Christmas to them, people who are offended because somebody doesn't say Merry Christmas to them, people who hate the bell ringers, and especially people who want people fired for forgetting their holiday turkey. (that was a classic thread, and one that I look forward to just as much as watching Rudolph every year!)

I'm looking forward to this holiday season, santa and all, because I know that in a few short years santa probably won't be an issue in our house anymore, and I'll be missing the magical days of seeing amazed little kids when they come downstairs and see presents under the tree.

super saturday update!

First, thanks for all the comments about the new bloggy stuff. I'm still trying to figure out some things that I like and don't like. Poor Mike, I asked him to remove the music thing since it kept making trouble for me whenever I opened my blog up. I wasn't sure if it was doing it to anybody else too.

So one quick question led to another, and before I knew it he was in here for several hours figuring that stuff out for me. I at least got my scrap room clean while we were both in here though!

******

Yesterday was awesome!! Super Saturday! We got to the church a little early and set up. The first family that we did went so well. Mom, dad and four kids ages 1 year to 13. If this one went well, the others during the day should. Mike is sooooo good at getting babies to laugh. Little kids love him. They always have. So there were a lot of smiles.

After the first family, I think Mike could tell that I was a little bummed that I couldn't go inside and work on the projects that I signed up for. So he offered to take pictures for me. I went inside the building and came out with some cool bracelets, and some other things that I am keeping a secret because I am hoping to give some as Christmas gifts next month! Shhh!

Pretty much Mike was left taking pictures of everybody else on the list. He did a great job from what I can tell from the quick look I took on the computer yesterday. Thanks Mike!

I am still relieved that is over. I think a lot of people are going to be so happy with their photos. I felt so bad because I kept hearing the same type of comments from people.

"I haven't had a family photo in over 8 years!"

"I want a picture of just me (mom) and each one of my kids because I am never in the picture."

I think my scrapbooking hobby makes me even more aware of getting pictures often. Yeah, they are just fun to scrap and that is why I take so many, but honestly I appreciate that my kids will have a ton of photos to look at someday. My dad liked photography when I was little. Geeze, back in the film days so you know how expensive that could get. But I am so glad that I have so many photos of me as a baby and growing up. I still LOVE to look at them. So I feel that pictures are a very important thing. Not only in documenting things, but just for being able to relive memories.

So that was all over.

Mike had to go to school for awhile yesterday after that. THEN last night he called me from the place that he rents planes from. He asked if we wanted to go to Tucson for dinner and fly at night. I haven't been out with him at night yet. We were all pretty excited about being able to go flying.

I thought flying in general was cool. But flying at night just ROCKS. There isn't another word to describe it. Being able to see out of the front of the plane, plus flying lower than commercial planes and being able to see details on the ground is really cool. It is really neat. You could see for miles! Pretty much after taking off from chandler, you could see the lights of Tucson right away.

Landing at Tucson was awesome. Runways at night are so cool. It all makes much more sense to me with the different colored lights and taxiways. Tucson has a big airport too, and I love being the small plane out in the middle of all of the big ones. Yeah, I think I am officially addicted. I get the whole flying thing now. I really love it.

The dress

I'm not a real photographer, but I play one at church.

Aw man. Tomorrow is a day that I have been afraid of for over a month now.

Several months ago, a woman from my church was over visiting and she was commenting on the photos that I have on a photo shelf in my living room. She asked where I got them taken, and I said that I took them in my garage. Natural lighting with a black cloth draped over the back of my car. Then we just got into photography in general. I told her that sometime if they wanted to, for enrichment evening or something I could bring some of my stuff, and do the little 20 minute talk about how to get some cute pictures of your kids with stuff you have at home, natural lighting and all that stuff. Not that I am a professional by any means, but for enrichment evenings they are always trying to pull from your ward the talents or hobbies from the members. It is really a fun night.

Anyway.... long story short.... last month a woman from relief society asked me if I would mind taking pictures during super saturday. (A big craft day at church, where you can sign up for several different crafts or just come for brunch and work on baby blankets.) I said, "sure." At the time it seemed like a lifetime away, so I wasn't all that worried.

What in the heck was I thinking??? I have about 12 families signed up to have their picture taken for Christmas cards tomorrow! Holy cow. The woman in charge of this made the sign up sheet to where each group was 20 minutes apart, so I don't need to stress about that. She has also been SO good about calling me and making sure if I need anything, like a helper, or somebody to get me something to eat, etc. She has been so sweet to work with. I just love her.

Mike was really nice, and always supportive, and this week surprised me with a new flash for my camera, and a stand and black backdrop that he ordered. So I don't have to duct tape my old black cloth on the wall. I'll at least look like I know what I am doing! LOL! (I have been wanting this stuff for awhile, so it will come in handy at the house too.)

I'm just really nervous. I know I shouldn't be, and my friends and family that have heard this story keep reminding me that I'm not getting paid for this and that most people are just going to be happy to have a photo with ALL of them in it. You know how the moms or the designated photographer of the family is usually absent from photos. Ugh. I just don't know why I always have to be so hard on myself. I just want everything to be perfect. I want everybody to be THRILLED with the pictures that they get back. You know that feeling when you look at one of your pictures that just makes your heart skip a beat because it is so perfect??? That is what I want!

All I can say is thank goodness for digital. I'll be taking a thousand pictures tomorrow. Unless I am lucky enough to break my arm or something today that makes it impossible for me to do this tomorrow. ;)

Wish me luck. - and if I make it through it ok, I'll update tomorrow! Ha ha!

Crappy scan again.

One of my favorite things in the scrapping world right now are these Hambly transparencies. I absolutely LOVE them, but can't seem to find them at any store out here. I have to keep ordering them online! What is up with that?!?

Anyway... here is one I started working on the other day. I saw a design similar to this in the creating garden by Miley Johnson.

Those cute little flower chipboard thingies I even bought this morning at the Lil' Davis warehouse sale. Somehow I feel like I have justified the purchase when I use something the same day! Yay me! ;)

Here is the journaling: (and yes, I know the title isn't exactly grammatically correct, but I liked the sound of it better.)

"It's ok, I like who I am."

You came home from school one day and told me that. We were talking about clothes and how you overheard somebody at school saying that you are WHO you are because of the clothes that you wear. This must not have felt right to you. We were talking about how that isn't necessarily true and that you should never judge a person by who they are on the outside.

We also talked about how it really was a sad thing that this girl from school believes what she said. That life is all about appearance. Sadly, I suppose it is to a small degree, but you should never miss out on experiences in life because of it.

Sweetie, sometimes it takes people a lifetime to figure that out and learn to like themselves. The fact that you have figured this out so early in life makes me so proud of you. You are already ahead of the game. I am so proud of you."

Deer in Target store

Ha ha! This just made me laugh. What a smart little deer! One after my own heart.




Deer runs through Target store

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A large buck ran into a Super Target store in West Des Moines, Iowa, causing quite a stir before racing out a door 20 minutes later.
The deer ran through an automatic door near the store's one-hour photo lab and dashed into the clothing section, employee Tiffany Miller told the Des Moines Register.
"I'll be honest -- I panicked," she said. "But the customers were laughing. I didn't see anyone who was completely freaked out."
More than 20 employees tried unsuccessfully to corral the deer through an emergency exit.
It eventually found an open door and fled shortly before local animal control arrived.
"He was tired and scared. His tongue was hanging out," assistant store manager Abby Frasher told the newspaper.
The buck caused no damage and left no droppings.

Ka-chow!!!

I don't know who was more excited about it.... me or Matthew. Today we went to go get our copy of CARS! I love this movie!!

Watching it the second time I saw more stuff I missed the first time around in the theaters, and still laughed.

I have already seen it once today, and I am sure by the time the other kids get home from school I'll be watching it again.

It is funny, before the movie came out I was thinking about how nice it is that I haven't yet learned the characters of another animated movie that would more than likely be taking over my house someday, in the form of toys or toddler underwear. I liked the fact that I didn't know any names or anything. Then... I became that mother. After seeing the movie, I became that mother that went to every McDonald's to find each car character that came in the happy meals, for me... err.... I mean for my kids. ;)

I absolutely adore Owen Wilson after watching this movie. In fact it was hard to watch the Wedding Crashers again because I kept picturing Lightning McQueen with that voice. Lightning McQueen shouldn't be saying some of the words that Owen did in the Wedding Crashers!

So this is our day, watching Cars. Go get it. Watch it again. It is hysterical!!

scrapping

I went to Costco today to pick up a bunch of pictures that I am SO excited to work on. I love that feeling. I almost feel like there are too many ideas in my head. Which, for once is a good thing. Because I feel like I am getting them down, on paper.

Then to top it all off, I finally got my package today from CK. My All About Me album, from the Kit For A Cause. There is so much cute stuff in it, and I can't wait to get started on it.

germs germs germs

Guess what happens after a week of kids being sick?

PARENTS being sick.

I think it is a conspiracy. They are plotting to take over the house.

Whew! The day after.

Well, we still have some sick kids here. Matthew was doing fine until this morning. Now he is sitting on the couch, snuggling with his blanket. Yep... #3. Three labeled drinks with straws, 3 beds made up on the couch, and 3 puke buckets. It looks like a hospital ward out there. ;)

Last night was still fun. I ended up taking matthew around the block. It was perfect for him because by the time we had come back around the corner to our street, he was starting to ask me to hold his candy and he wanted to sit and take a break. He was really into Halloween this year. Infact, I always thought it was funny how he would get stuck behind a group of kids a bit bigger than him, but he would somehow manage to crawl through legs to get up front. He was still very worried about his peanut allergy, and his entire thing would go like this:

"Trick or treat. I'm allergic to peanuts."

candy placed in bucket.

"Thank you! Have a happy halloween!"

He said this at each house. Even though I kept telling him not to worry about the peanut issue. It was funny, because after reading 2Peas for so long where so many people there act like it is such a huge strike against their American freedom.... (you all know what I mean with those heated threads!) I guess I thought that most people would be offended by him saying this.

I'm convinced that a lot of freaks post at 2Peas, because in the real world, all of the adults told him how mature he was for watching out for his health, and everybody was happy to oblige. (Usually with an extra piece of candy.)

I ended up taking Megan and Trevor up and down our street, so they at least got to do a few houses. Enough to get a little something to keep them happy. They came back inside and watched a movie while Mike and I sat out in the front and handed out candy.

Our neighborhood is like a movie on Halloween. There are kids, babies, parents and grandparents everywhere. The sidewalks are so full that people have to walk down the streets. You always run into somebody you know, and each street is like its own carnival. Most people sat out in front of their houses since the weather was so beautiful. A lot of people had those portable fire pits going, with chairs around, garages turned into haunted houses, bouncy houses set up in front yards, music coming from everywhere. It was just plain old COOL.

There were so many great costumes this year! My favorites are always the little tiny kids. The girls always have a princess dress on that looks so huge. The boys are just as adorable. It cracks me up how quickly they figure out the routine. Those little guys give the big ones a run for their money. They probably even haul in more since they have that cuteness factor.

OK, now admit it though.... how many of you smelled your kid's candy buckets last night?? ha ha!

Happy November! :)