Time FLIES!

Last week was literally a blur. There was SO much packed in.

Monday was hotter than.... well, you know what I'm thinking. We left after school and had FHE at the beach! It was SO nice! It was hot there too, but the FRIGID water helped cool things off. Heaven on Earth, if you ask me!

Tuesday was spent frantically trying to tie up loose ends before the kids' birthday party on Wednesday. Yes, I know my kids are born in December and January. We were moving then, and then we were sick. I'd promised them that for their birthdays they could have a special friend over for a playdate, and that friend could go with us to dinner. I further promised that we'd have a (together) party at Pump It Up! after we'd moved. I think I will always have them celebrate their birthdays in April! It was great! All I had to provide was the cupcakes, drinks, and goodie bags. We had 25 kids jumping and playing in a warehouse full of inflatable play stuff (obstacle course, slide, bounce house, etc.) and then 30 minutes in a party room. And about a million presents! It was so crazy that I didn't get to write down a lot of who got what from whom, so that's making thank you cards a bit dicey. I guess generic will have to do.

Thursday was Hannah's teacher's birthday, so we had our room celebration. The other mothers wanted to do a Tea, and I was in charge of cookies for the munchkins. It was amazing. The Moms really pulled together to create a very nice time for Ms. C. We had PB&J finger sandwiches, fruit, apple juice, and cookies for the kids. The grown-up's had chicken salad and another kind of finger sandwiches, Caesar salad tarts, fruit, and cheesecake. And, of course, there was tea--hot and cold--and served in a pretty tea service. I had apple juice though. Ms. C. got to wear a feather boa and a crown to help her remember that she was the Queen for the day. The class gave her the sparkly crown--AND an engraved box to keep it in! We also gave her a pretty bracelet. I *think* she was feeling the love! In 2 weeks it's teacher appreciation time and she'll be feeling the love ALL week. Gotta LOVE the parent participation here! I've never seen anything like it!

Friday I ran around. I needed to get decorations for the Blue and Gold dinner the cub scouts were having on Saturday. Blue and Gold dinner is like the birthday party for the cub scouts. For us it's a potluck dinner, pack meeting, and cake decorating contest all in one. Robert had a campout with the boy scouts, so I was hangin' with the kids too. Hannah had a playdate after school, and then we all hung out and watched movies. I rented Bedtime Stories and The Tale of Desperaux. Both were very cute, although I enjoyed Bedtime Stories more. Topher said it perfectly, "I can't believe you RENTED this; it's a KEEPER!"

Saturday I was just plain out of energy. I'd started some new meds on Friday, and they weren't happy in me. Most of the day I just dragged about, and then we had the Blue and Gold dinner. I got through that and went to bed early. I didn't even make the cupcakes I said I'd bring--I bought them at the grocery store.

Today I haven't even gotten dressed--and now it's time for bed again. Toph was up 5 times last night (he's having trouble staying asleep) and Hannah was begging for more sleep when I woke her up to go to Church. I'd been up since 3:00 am, and so I was already planning on staying home (and sleeping). Shortly after Robert left for Church, both kids were UP. I made them breakfast and then sent Toph back to try to sleep and sent Hannah to play quietly in her room--yeah, like that was going to happen! I rested in my bed for awhile, but I don't think I ever made it back to sleep. Neither did Toph. We had a lazy, hang out day, and nobody but Robert managed to get dressed. I'm hoping that the kids and I sleep better tonight! I'm not feeling quite as gross today, so that's a good thing. Maybe it won't take too long to adjust to the new meds.

Tomorrow I start preparations for card swap and teacher appreciation, both next week. It's going to be a busy week, that's for sure! At least the weather is cooperating! After 3 blistery hot days (HOT for us), temps went back to "normal" and are currently slightly below normal. I can hang with that! I was afraid that a year-round temperature that was almost the same would get really boring for me. I'll let you know when that ever happens--if it ever happens. I will confess, there are a few times a year when I'm glad I GET to wear long sleeves, but I've adapted to this temperate climate very nicely!

San Diego Swelter

Last week we had some cold days--low 60's. Yes, that's "cold" for us. It was windy and we got to wear long sleeves.

Today is almost our polar opposite. It's 85 IN MY HOUSE! It's not windy/breezy really, and I'm too stubborn to turn on the a/c. I'm also cheap. It's ONLY APRIL! I don't want to start the a/c cycle yet! I'm waiting until after the sun goes down, but if the house doesn't cool off, the a/c will HAVE to come on!

Fortunately, I know this will be short-lived. It will be "cold" again soon, because this is the season of flip flop weather. And then May and June will be more "cold" than hot.

THEN, in July, when it's hot, it will be okay, because it's supposed to be hot in summer--and Fresno is always hotter!



But today I'm dying! I closed my bedroom door to take a nap this afternoon and turned my bedroom into an oven. You don't feel so rested after THAT kind of nap.

I'm thinking cooler thoughts. Please join me, or we might melt! I'm thinking that dinner tonight needs to be ice cream. And ICE water. Heavy on the ICE.

New Treat

I'm not a HUGE fan of Peeps. I can eat one or sometimes two if they're stale. But yesterday I was introduced to a new way of eating them, and it's worth a try....

Microwave that sucker! Put it on a paper plate and nuke for close to 30 seconds (3 Peeps). They will puff up--and explode if you don't take them out in time. They aren't exactly hot when you eat them, but they're melty. And the texture is like taffy. Worth a try! Next time: I'm going to make them into a s'more.

Oh, and thanks Carmen for introducing me to this!

"I don't want to be a Mom when I grow up" (Hannah)

For about a year now, Hannah has been returning to the theme that she does not want to be a Mom when she grows up. Why? We discussed that again today. We were on the way to the Post Office when she made her announcement again, so I asked (again) why not? She told me that she didn't want to get her tummy cut open and didn't want a shot. That led us to the discussion (again) about how Mommy didn't get her tummy cut open and the shot didn't hurt that much.

So how DID the babies get out of Mommy then? Ugh, I knew we'd eventually get to THIS discussion! There's been a long-standing joke between Robert and me when I ask him to do something that goes like this:
R: What have you done for ME lately?
M: Pooped out 2 kids.
R: No, I mean LATELY?
M: Covers me for life....

I had to change my answer when the kids were old enough to pay attention and wonder what I meant by "pooped out 2 kids." But that's kind of the truth, right?

So I had to have the discussion about how babies come out of tummies if you don't get your tummy cut up. We talked about how it happens, complete with real anatomical words. And they wanted to know HOW it comes out..... Well, it's kind of like pushing out a poop, but not the same. You use different muscles. Toph, ever the expert, added that it was like going potty (because he has lots of experience....).

Ahh, you've gotta love them! I'm not sure if Hannah is more terrorized now or not. She asked if it hurt..... She's already FREAKED about getting a shot--should I tell her about the 9-foot long needle I had in my spine (thank goodness!) and how I felt like my body was being ripped in half? Nah, she's not ready for that yet! So I told her that it does hurt when you're pushing the baby out, but it doesn't last THAT long. After all, Hannah was out in THREE pushes!

I can 'fess up to today's sin of omission later, when she's ready for the truth. Have you had this experience with your youngsters yet? How did you handle it?

Easter, continued

I'm a little bit "off" lately. Can't exactly put my finger on it, but I think it might have something to do with the lack of "happy pills" in my medicine cupboard. Don't worry, I sent the Rx off in the mail today.....

Being a bit "off" and moving have totally destroyed my sense of holiday--no matter the holiday. Truth be told, I wasn't that "into" Halloween either (and that was before I knew we were moving). Consequently, because we were moving, there were no Christmas decorations this year. (Come on people! We were out of town for the week of Christmas and moving 2 weeks after that!) Somehow, illness perhaps, I missed Valentine's day. I got a nice table cloth and some window clings, but they never made it in time. I looked in the Easter boxes at 10 pm the night before, and so we did not have Easter decorations either. Might as well be fair to all of the holidays, right?

Sunday, after Church, I was just pooped. I didn't really have the energy to make the traditional Easter dinner, and the rest of the family had gorged on so much sugar they wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. So we postponed our Easter feast until tonight.

And you know you're going to do something good or maybe even *significant* if you have a LOT of trouble "getting there." Seems the kids had no interest in doing anything today except: tattling, whining, complaining, being disobedient, being distracted, and NOT doing what they were told. Need I say more? I had this really nice dinner planned, even with a meaningful discussion, and by the time Robert got home, I was ready to implode. Luckily, he was able to help me calm down enough that I think we had a good discussion around the table.

I borrowed an idea from a friend of mine, and we ate our nice Easter dinner in a completely dark home, save the light from 1 candle. Ok, it wasn't dark outside yet, but it was getting there. And we never eat by candle light, so the kids were wondering what was going on. This led us to a discussion about what happened after the crucifixion--the 3 days of darkness. We talked about how scary that must have been--and how long it must have seemed. We followed it up with our scripture reading tonight when we read a scriptural account of the 3 days of darkness. I think it went well. Now I just need to get my hind end in gear and do it ON TIME next year. I can't say that I feel TOO bad about dragging Easter out a little longer--it IS a great holiday!

Good Friday and Happy Easter

I read a post from someone I "blurk" and she wrote a REALLY nice piece on Good Friday. She gave an excerpt from a talk from one of our Apostles, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. It was an AMAZING talk, and if you have the time, I'd encourage you to read it. It's a very eloquent talk about the resurrection--and Good Friday.

I have to admit that I don't give Good Friday much thought. It just has no real place in my worship. That's not to discount what happened--THAT'S significant. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I celebrate Easter with the rest of the Christian world--but we don't celebrate Good Friday. Our focus is more on the glory of the Resurrection of our Savior. I'm so glad that, unlike Christmas, Easter ALWAYS takes place on a Sunday. It just seems appropriate to go worship our Savior on such an important day. We concentrate on our resurrected Savior, which is one of the reasons most of us do not wear the symbol of the cross.

My daughter gets to give a talk in Primary tomorrow. The theme this month is: "Jesus Christ made it possible for me to live with my Heavenly Father again." It is so nice to be able to teach our children about the miracle of the Atonement. It's very disturbing for our kiddos to think about Jesus suffering, bleeding, and being killed. But that is tempered with WHY He allowed that to happen. Sure, as the Son of God, he could have stopped that at any point. But He loves us enough that he didn't. THAT is the first Easter gift, and the reason why our family gives a small Easter gift. We remember the gift that our Savior has given us in the ability to repent when we sin. What a marvelous gift!

"In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust. When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.” (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 28-30)

This time of year helps me reflect upon the people I love who have passed beyond this life. While I miss them, I like to think about the fact that they are enjoying being reunited. I imagine that they are probably waiting to be reunited with us, and that they're building "Heavenly Mansions" for us to enjoy when we're all together again.

So, no Good Friday here. The Crucifixion was a necessary part of God's plan, but the glory of the Resurrection is where I'm going to focus my thoughts. It fills me with hope and helps reassure me of my Savior's love for us all. It helps me look forward to enjoying the gift of resurrection one day and being able to live with my Heavenly Father and the rest of my family again.

Happy Easter!

ELEVEN years ago today we became a family forever.

They have been the greatest 11 years. Knowing we have ETERNITY makes them even better.

I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!

Here's a picture of the Celestial Room. It's one of the highest places within the Temple and where you wait before you are sealed together forever. This picture really doesn't do justice to the beauty and peace found within this room.

Spring BREAK!

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Photos*]


First we had the cousins come to town. Got to go to the beach and play and go see the Padre's game on opening day. Today the kids went to the Zoo and we all met up for lunch at Woodstock's Pizza. The weather has been GORGEOUS! It was so much fun to see our cousins and play--although, I could do without the whole "waking up before the butt crack of dawn just because we're all together." We have also enjoyed having "Stay-cation" with Daddy the last few days. We're going to miss him extra much when he has to go back to work tomorrow.

Tomorrow we'll probably go to Legoland (passes expire next week).

Thursday is a play at the park/play with friends kind of Day and Grandma Babs and Papa Bob come for a fast visit.

Friday is going to be rainy--maybe, so I don't know what we're doing yet.

Saturday our Ward is having an Easter party at the lake. That's going to be nice, and the kids have been bugging me to go on a picnic.

We have put in our order for a Happy Easter, and I think it will happen. It has been nice to have some time together and have a break from the routine.

ALL is right in our world right now. Life is GOOD.

Another Round of NOT AGAIN!

Really? Because I didn't have ENOUGH stress? Let's add some more, shall we! This morning, Toph announced that he had a REALLY sore throat. When I tried to feel his lymph nodes, he cried. Seriously? And today, of all days!

I am SO BLESSED to have a Hubs who can work from home, when necessary. He had an important meeting scheduled at 10, and they did it on a conference call for him. His work family SO ROCKS!

I got to work with Hannah's class making "freshwater fish" today (celery with cream cheese and goldfish crackers). I'm the "cooking Mom" each week, and I really enjoy our adventures in cooking. This week is "F" week. I don't come up with the ideas or anything; just show up and do the cooking. It's really fun. I didn't get to make Kite sandwiches with them last week, because I was sick. Another reason I was glad that Robert could be home this morning.

After school, I got to go to the Chiropractor and get put back together again. After being sick for so long, I was a real mess! Now I feel so much better! From there, I got to take my car to the car doctor. The wheels were making a bad noise--turns out I needed all new brakes.....yikes! But it rides like a dream now! And one of my nice visiting teachers was kind enough to pick me up and bring me back home.

Robert took Toph to the doctor's office, because I had an appointment scheduled at the school this afternoon. He texted me at least 10 times with questions from the new patient forms. I joked around that I couldn't exactly send him a blood sample through text--as a joke in response to ALL of the questions. At least Daddy got to see what it's like to start at a new doctor's office. We love the doc (personal friend), but the start-up paperwork is hideous. The rapid strep test was a big negative, but I'm not buying it. We go back tomorrow for our previously scheduled physicals, and we'll check it out then.

When I got back from my school meeting, we went to pick up the new, improved car, and then we just hung out. Toph's fever shot up to 101+ and he was complaining of a REAL BAD headache. Watched a movie all together, and had "eat out of the fridge" for dinner. I'll cook something "real" for dinner tomorrow. I just couldn't deal with it today.

Oh, and my cousin and her husband came into town last night and stayed here--so if Toph has strep, he's been "spreading the love" to all kinds of people! He was at cub scouts last night--totally fine then! Those parents are thanking me right about now.

So, I could REALLY use a health break.
Anyone with influence listening?!