Still have it

I still have that extra pregnancy test. (You know, the one I first offered in June last year.) It's free to whomever is brave enough to ask for it (your secret is safe with me)! I hate to throw a perfectly good stick away.

It expires in May. If you're going to need it, you'd better hurry it up!

:)

HIVES!

Daniel can't seem to catch a break. First it's a summer-long jaw pain that ends up being TMJ. Next, he learns he's getting fitted with braces two days before Christmas. It was related to the TMJ problem and so made things better in the long run, but still!

Now Daniel is suffering from hives. He's had them close to two weeks. We finally took him on Wednesday night to have them looked at. The PA (same one who didn't think to check for Sarah's sore throat - I'm possibly holding a grudge about that) put him on some kind of steroid to try to get rid of whatever is in his body causing him problems. After a week of steroids, we're supposed to see the official Doctor if the hives come back.

Well, we couldn't pick up the prescription Wednesday night. All day Thursday, Daniel didn't have a problem. I thought we'd had another miraculous healing. (You know how your kids are deathly ill until the moment you bring them to the doctor? Then you just look like either a nervous parent or someone shouting out for attention.) When it came down to 30 minutes left to get to the pharmacy that evening, I decided to hold off. After all, I don't want to buy any medicine that we don't need! (That kind of spending should be saved for fabric sales.)

I picked up the boys from school for an impromptu run to the mall and asked Daniel if his hives had returned. Nope. Until I got a look at him in the store. Yep. By the time we got home that evening, he was crying and writhing from itching insanity. They're covering him head to toe...literally. So we picked up the steroid Rx on the way home. He's now had it 3 days. So far, the hives are still there.

What is it with this kid's luck? And why is it that we have the types of adventures that cost money? If these hives don't go away, we may have to do some testing. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. Medical testing is never free...unless you're a cadaver. Daniel is very much alive.

Our New Washer

I mentioned a little bit ago that we got a new washer. It's been great. I have no trouble getting the kids to get their laundry downstairs. And the boys are learning the new machine. It's definitely more buttons and choices.

It's a little hypnotic to watch the clothes tumbling around before our eyes. And the pretty colors...!

So when the machine arrived and we put our first load in, we were all captivated.

It reminded me of something...about 60 years past.


Yep! Do YOU see the similarities? :)

It would be nice to laugh and point at the kids, but I'm just as guilty! It's been almost two weeks and I still get mesmerized. In fact, yesterday I ran a tub wash which is bleach and water in the empty tub. There was probably about 2 gallons of water in there crashing and splashing around. I started imagining I was at the beach! No wonder I can get lost in a good book so easily. It appears the imagination is alive and prospering.

I'm still figuring out how to get the most out of the washer. I'm looking forward to years of a stink-free appliance. Possibly, I'll be using this washer to clean Daniel's clothes from his suitcase when he returns from his mission. Do the appliances they make these days last that long?

Too Slow

I was a little late calling Joseph up for his nap today. Apparently, I didn't need to worry. We usually put toys in these bins. I guess "little boys" works, too.

I made Sarah's Easter dress on Tuesday. I still have Leah's and Rebekah's to go. For as productive as I've been lately, I'll need all the time from now until Easter to get them done.

Am I perfect yet?

I think most of you have read (and maybe even enjoyed) this poem. I like it a lot. But sometimes my quest for perfection interferes with the most important things of life. I do a lot more things on this list than I would have guessed (or at least attempts of them), but still feel guilt when there is something mentioned that I don't do - even though I know that was the author's opposite intent when she wrote it.

I don't know where this insane drive to be perfect and accomplished is supposed to take me, but I do know where I'm headed...the looney bin! Will any of my friends be there to greet me?


The Girl in a Whirl
By “Dr. Sue” aka Vickie Gunther

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too. It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires! I fix the sink’s leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; It’s good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It’s easy!” she said…and then she dropped dead.

Vanity

I complimented Daniel on his singing talent tonight. He really does have a nice voice and ability to stay on tune. It surprised me the first time I realized this. It's not a quality you expect to find in a young boy (unless he's a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir).

But I didn't compliment Daniel just to compliment him. (I'm normally not that nice.) Rather, I was trying to discourage him from singing the unpleasant version of "We Will Rock You" - or whatever the title of that song is - that he learned at school. I was hoping to redirect his energy and skills into more worthy uses. What I did was create a monster.

After the compliment was delivered (and it's not the first time I've told him that), he broke out into continuous song. Random songs. Some of them were made up on the spot. Ironically, the moment I tell him he has a good voice and carries a tune well, his singing worsens.

I wonder if we're all a little like that? As soon as we lose our humility, our talents and abilities suffer. After all, no one likes a show-off, right?

Anyway, the singing continued into our nightly scripture reading. It was a very dramatic rendition of Helaman chapter 9, verse 39. A little annoying, but I'm trying to remember that I will miss these moments when he's grown. (That's true, right? I'm counting on that being true.) And then comes the song before prayer. It was Nathan's turn to pick the song. Predictably, he chose Our Primary Colors.

And what does Daniel do with his talented voice during the bona fide singing moment of the evening? He turns it off. Daniel pretended to pound out the song on the invisible keyboard apparently mounted on the gas fireplace, but only mouthed the words to the song. Incredible. All that obnoxious singing and he's finally quiet just when he would be an asset to the moment. Boys. Sheesh.

He's probably singing in bed right now. My apologies to Nathan - hope you can still get some sleep!

WORK

This was the Daily Gem for today. I usually like the messages from Daily Gems. Today...not so much. I feel too tired to think of working. And just getting ready to work is work! I have to have the "perfect storm" of content kids to get anything done.

*sigh* One more thing to give me guilt (along with the dirty bathroom, unmopped floor, baskets of yet-to-be-folded laundry, lonely vacuum, smudged windows - no, that's not frost, etc.).

Work Is an Opportunity

"Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 56

On a more positive note: Sarah is doing much better...a comment you may not fully understand since I never blogged about the night of endless crying/screaming followed by a second visit to the doctor's office (one Sat. morn, one Mon. morn), only to be seen by the PA who checked her ears but had to be reminded to check her throat and sent me home with a "good luck" and "hang in there", but took my money.

Anyway, she's back to sleeping in her crib and not coughing like her last breath is being forced from her throat. I'm very grateful for the nebulizer our insurance company paid for when the boys were little. It keeps coming in handy!

Small things

This is something I'm trying to do better in. Sometimes it's the small things that are the biggest challenges!

Consistent in Seemingly Small Things

"May every spouse, every child, and every parent be blessed to communicate and receive love, to bear and be edified by strong testimony, and to become more consistent in the seemingly small things that matter so much."In these important pursuits we will never be left alone. Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son live. They love us and know our circumstances, and They will help us to become more diligent and concerned at home."

David A. Bednar, "More Diligent and Concerned at Home," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 20

Do you remember those 80's barrettes I mentioned a while back? I finally made one last night. As is my custom, I got it mostly done and then undid it to try to make it better. (It's not such a big deal with a tiny barrette, but very time consuming when crocheting an afghan!) It was pretty easy to do...my fingers just got a little sore as I tried to keep everything tight. I distracted myself from the pain by watching Canada win the Ice Dancing gold.

Here is Leah in her barrette this morning. She was appropriately impressed when she learned I'd made it. I'll take her admiration while she's willing to give it. I may not be as lucky 10 years from now.
Go here to find the instructions for making this barrette. It's on the FamilyFun.go.com website.

I realize my blogging has slowed a bit. Last week was filled entirely with sick kids. Yesterday was a fog from the night before. I'm hoping for a better time of it all from here on out. I'll give you more details later (today, if I can find another chance)!

Mustard Yellow

I wish baby underwear came in standard mustard yellow color. It really would be better all around.

As this is not the situation here, I think I may check into dieing/tie dieing these little items. My sister did this with her stained baby underwear. It definitely should have a bit of a mustard yellow undertone...especially in that spot that hits the baby just above the diaper line.

Charity

I could think of myself a little less. Anyone else feel that way sometimes?

Thai Foodd

OOPS!!! This is a sleep deprivation warning...you'll lose your mind if you don't get enough rest. My hint was really bad. There are actually THREE words, two of which would say...dinner in...so you just have come up with the last word, which is 3 syllables. Remaining letters are in bold to help. I will reveal soon. It's 4:53 AM now. We just gave Sarah a breathing treatment are hoping to get back to sleep soon. She just doesn't stop coughing and giving me that look that says, "Do something, would ya?"

Some of you were wondering what happened with the hershey kisses and the message they were building. (Only one of you was curious enough to come right out and ask, right Brooke?)

Well, as smart as I thought I was, the rest of the message turned out to be a little tricky. The first part WAS Thai food. (Which Chad brought home for dinner last night.) There was that extra 'd' and then there were these letters: c, n, a, c, i, o, n, e, h, n, g, n, i, i. Anyone want to try it out? Turns out, it wasn't 'hot daffodil.' (Don't forget that extra 'd'.)

Post your guesses. (Or beg for hints.) And I'll let you know if you're right. 8)

Still Sick

Here is Joseph this morning. He doesn't want any breakfast. He doesn't even cry (a big change from yesterday). In fact, just after I took this picture, he fell asleep. So he still looks exactly like this, but now his eyes are closed.



Poor kid. I have to put them all in the van and run to the next town 20 minutes away to make the van payment. Maybe everyone will just sleep.

Here is my beautiful Rebekah. She's sick, too, but in a MUCH better mood.

Sarah coughed all night. She's going to be fun today.

I decided last night that in about 6 years (when everyone is in school full-time), I'll be crawling back into my bed right after the bus drives away. I think it's the only way I'm going to be able to catch up on all the sleep I've been missing since the first baby was born (OK...it started during pregnancy). I may not make it all up physically, but maybe it will help me emotional state.

Glamorous

I'm trying to think of things that don't describe my life right now.

In addition to glamorous, I think I would add peaceful, organized, tidy, wealthy (if we're talking about dollars and cents), restful, patient, productive, quiet, tranquil (very similar to peaceful, but not quiet the same thing), etc.

Before you think I've gone manic on you, let me just say that Joseph has been a lot of work today. Ninety percent of his communication has been conveyed through crying. Another 5% was in a whine and the remaining 5% was a point to his nose to let me know he needed a tissue. A lot of that was combined with the crying or whining. It's 5 o'clock and I'm feeling done. Has my timer gone off yet?

I was going to fold a bunch of laundry today. Not a single washcloth has been done. All the laundry from Saturday (minus Daniel and Nathan's) is still piled in laundry baskets. My new washing machine is getting delivered tomorrow afternoon (yippee...something to look forward to) and I was trying to get the laundry room ready.

Add to that a sick baby and 4 older children bored enough to bug each other all day, and you get an idea why the glamor seems to be missing.

I've been trying to get the boys to do some things they needed to do. Nathan had to prepare a lesson about Joseph Smith for FHE to meet a scout requirement. It nearly killed him (and me).

Daniel needed to write a poem or story or play about gospel principles or Heavenly Father's creations. This is to fulfill the requirements for both his religious knot and Bear badge. Apparently, his task was more painful than Nathan's.

This is what he finally came up with:
When I look up in the sky, I can see bees going by.
I see them go up up up into the trees to make their honey.
It is not funny to be stung.

I'm not sure if this was an honest attempt, or something to just get me off his back. If he really did try, I don't want to make him feel bad, but otherwise, I don't think he tried very hard!

*sigh* I wonder if I should just count it and hope that the other tasks in the Faith in God book will do more to strengthen his testimony? It's probably what I'll end up doing. The exercises shouldn't end in negative feelings.

So, glamor girl I'm not. A mommy I am. I guess I can fold laundry later.

Poor Joseph

This little boy is SICK! Look at those cheeks. Poor guy. We're hoping (and praying) that he gets better SOON.

Here he was this afternoon. I caught him just as he was beginning to cough. He was just hanging out on the floor. Very atypical two-year-old behavior.

Here's our cute Sarah. I think I blind-sided her with the flash. Sorry, Sister!

Her face looks a little blotchy. Maybe she'd just been crying. Still cute, though.

It's over, again.

Today is Valentine's Day, for the 14th time this year. Do you know what that looks like? It looks a little like this:

OK, it's not that bad. But that's what the web of love was looking like this morning. I put it out of its misery this evening. This is what the garage looks like. Those hearts have been up there since Friday and are getting a little faded. I'm not even sure how that's possible, since we've hardly seen any sun. Those will need to come down tomorrow. It sounds like a really good job for Daniel.

We had a Valentine's Day dinner tonight. I was trying to decide on what to eat that was red. I was down to spaghetti or red pancakes. We settled on leftovers since we had so many in the fridge. But we did get pink milk!

I set the table with heart plates and paper cups. I put a box of conversation hearts on each of the kids' plates with a clue inside that led them to a new set of sheets. Now I have a whole pile of sheets waiting to be washed. I'm not sure I thought that one through!

And then there was the cake. Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it? We devoured half of it tonight. Rebekah has the FHE treat tomorrow. She's agreed to pick the 2nd half of the cake for that. It would be really wise to get it away from me. It's funny, I have no problem leaving the celery alone in the fridge, but cakes and cookies always get me...no matter where I hide them!

Valentine's Day gets a little commercialized, but I think it's a great motivator to show the people in our lives that we care. I love my family, near and far...even the ones who won't believe it. I guess that just makes it that more important. Right?

So happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I hope it was a good day for you and your families.

Enjoy this video of lots of love!

Nathan's Busy Two Weeks

Whew! Nathan has had a lot of activities that put him smack dab in the middle of the spot light. Nathan is a little guy in a big family...it's good for him to get all the attention for a change.

Nathan's birthday was on Groundhog's Day. Not many people know when Groundhog's Day is, but Nathan does!! Nathan is the second child, the second son, and he was born on 02/02/02. Even more fun, he is part of the 2020 graduating class!

This year Nathan turned 8. We had a family party with presents and frosted brownies. (Nathan didn't want a cake and I was glad to be freed from the task of creating something fabulous.) Our family tradition is to go out to eat at the birthday person's restaurant of choice. Nathan picked a place called "The Hard Hat Grill."

Pictures of the party are below.

The brownie cake. I haven't put this little effort into making a "cake" in a long time! It was nice.

Presenting the "cake" while everyone sang "Happy Birthday." No, I'm not pregnant...too bad my gut doesn't know it.
We get to cut our own cake on our birthday. No one was going to rob Nathan of that privilege!

Daniel was the official videographer. It's nice when the kids start to be HELPFUL. But why do they always have to sit on the table?

There were some characters there, too.

Leah: Nathan thinks he's in charge, but I'm really the one running the show. Why does he think I sit by him, anyway?

Rebekah: Put some brownie right here!

Sarah: I'm telling you, I KNOW I'm ready for chocolate!

There were presents.
Some were easy to open.

Some were near impossible.

Joseph took advantage of his small size to sneak away the best presents!

Nathan also had his first birthday party ever. He's a deprived child, I know. I had to talk him into this one as it was, then I had to convince him to invite more than one friend. He invited 5, 4 came. You'll notice Joseph at the side of the picture...plotting the right time to sneak away more presents.

Since I narrowly avoided making a birthday cake, I was more than willing to buy one for the party. It was handy that the Super Bowl was the next day. I found a cake/cupcake combo with football rings and a goal post design. When we were picking it out, Nathan didn't recognize the design and said, "But I'm not 4." We are not a big sports oriented family. :)

And of course, turning 8 means getting BAPTIZED! Nathan has been looking forward to this. Yesterday was his big day. Our stake doesn't host baptisms; it's up to the individual families. We started at 11 AM and were done in 30 minutes. It was a nice, quiet, unhurried event.

This was our best picture from the morning. It's getting harder and harder to get a good shot with these crazy kids! Pay attention to what Sarah's doing and you'll know what part of our problem was.

Or you could just look at these snapshots.

Four of Nathan's five grandparents were able to be to his baptism. We got some shots with them and now he has their pictures in the back of his BRAND NEW SCRIPTURES!

Some shots as we waited to begin.

Joseph woke up with a fever (102.6) that morning and wasn't feeling too social. It climbed to 103 before the day was out. Rebekah was sick, too. Her fever was a lot lower; it hovered just under 100.

I stayed home with Leah, Rebekah, Joseph and Sarah today while Chad took Daniel and Nathan to church. Rebekah and Leah sound sick, but Joseph really is not feeling well. He hasn't eaten and just lies around, crying. Poor guy. He can't keep anything down (and all he's really had is water) - Chad and I have both been thrown up on.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for him. I'm hoping it is better because there is no school tomorrow and these kids CANNOT be in the same room without something going wrong. (Like just this second. Anyone need a 9-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl?)

Cute Video

I found this cute video while sitting at the compter, trying to wake up this morning. Wrong holiday, I know. :)

Wrapping up Valentine's Day

It's been 12 days so far. Two more plus one days to go before I wipe my brow and rest up for the next year. Here are some of the highlights:

This sign went on the fence on Day #2. I started too late in the day, so the paint was still wet when we hung it up. Less than 20 minutes later, Chad gets home and brings it inside! I was hoping for at least a few days of public display!



On Monday, I constructed this web from crepe paper and stuck little "heart flies" to it. Each fly had a reason why we love Daddy. There were 15 flies.

These are the flies. I should have made them from pink paper so we could have picked them out from the web a little better. Oh well...next time. (Next time I make a huge web of streamers and stick little heart flies to it, that is!) Leah cut out the hearts for it. She does need "cutting on the lines" practice, after all!

Wednesday was the day I finally decided to put the traditional balloons in Chad's truck. He works a lot farther away these days and I have to make sure that he's going to be there if I'm going to haul lots of balloons and kids out there.

Yesterday, the kids and I made some flowers from construction paper hearts. We stationed ourselves around the house, along the length of a really long string. Chad had to follow the string into each room where one of the kids was waiting for him to give him their flower. That was a frenzied activity. I was trying to do too many things at once and Joseph was TIRED of standing in the library holding a paper flower and a part of the string. I'm sure it made no sense to him.

I have included a card like this each day. The drill bits get progressively bigger and I write the day's number and something that made/makes me fall in love with him on the back.

This year, Chad is playing a little game of his own. For three days, he's given me 3 chocolate kisses with a single letter written on the paper flag. I've unscrambled the letters and come up with THAI FOODD. He assures me that he really can spell and that there are more letters to come. I'm happy with what I've learned so far. It doesn't bother me much if he stutters at the end of his message. :)

The kids are getting the hang of Valentine's Day in this family. They probably think everyone celebrates for two whole weeks. They'll have to work that out with their spouses when they get married. But they are still kids. Leah wants to know when SHE will get something and not Daddy. :)

BTW: I spell checked this post and the ONLY spelling error to surface was "FOODD." That one's not even my fault.

I was headed to bed...

for a nap, but then I heard the beginning of an interview with President and Sister Dodge, just returned as mission pres. in the Thailand Mission. (I have the online Mormon Radio channel going.) So now I'm listening to the interview, hoping it won't be too long, but unable to turn it off.

Maybe I should scrapbook while I sit here. Or give the library a second cleaning since Rebekah and Joseph decided to undo some of my work.

Doing my best

I have a subscription to the feed for "Daily Gems." It's a feed that comes from here, a part of lds.org. This was the message for today. I especially appreciated this one.

Doing Our Best

"The Lord doesn't expect us to work harder than we are able. He doesn't (nor should we) compare our efforts to those of others. Our Heavenly Father asks only that we do the best we can—that we work according to our full capacity, however great or small that may be."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 56


This morning, I am trying to clean up the house a bit. The library and kitchen are looking much better now. :) Too bad that's not all that needs some work.

Nathan is getting baptized in 24 hours! His will be a small event, but he should have a few friends come to support him - which will be a good memory for him. I hope the forecasted snowfall doesn't create problems for anyone traveling in the morning. Remember: everyone is welcome.

I finally took a step I'd been avoiding for a LONG time. I created a facebook account. Sheesh. I can't believe I finally succumbed. My dad (of all people) was the one that made the final push. I used my maiden name though. I would like to keep my maiden name and married name unconnected if I can. I do a lot online, but I still don't trust things completely. I'm the only Arlyn C. that I've been able to find. My maiden name seems to be quite popular. Strangely, I never felt that "Arlyn" was a popular name at all. So, for now...the account is there. I don't know how much time I'll spend with it. (I still have a bit of a block against it!)

To do, to do

Someone please tell me how I'm supposed direct 5 kids in a Valentine's Day craft (and not be mad when they don't do it the way I was imagining), make dinner and clean the house all while holding a 15-pound baby who somehow figured out that she's being excluded?

I should have started dinner right after lunch. Or maybe breakfast.

Cha- CHING!

I was looking for something in Chad's closet this afternoon. (Don't worry, Chad...I wasn't snooping for secrets - nor did I find any.) I'm short. I had to drag a chair over to look on the shelf. When I got up there...WHOA!

Some of you know Chad fairly well. Most of you see a quiet man, completely involved in his family. He is the ultimate super dad and one of those rare men that is equally yoked with his wife (I hope he actually feels that way...I can be a little dominating at times).

Anyway, most of you don't know the side of Chad that is unconcerned with organization. His desks at work have been fodder for light-hearted jokes. It doesn't bother him to set the table over a pile of newspapers or kids' schoolwork. Etc. Mostly, this is a good thing for me. The pressure to keep everything perfect really only comes from me (though that doesn't make it any easier to bear).

Now imagine Chad's pockets. Well, first imagine a little boy's pockets. Thankfully, Chad doesn't put anything living in his, but the surprises still abound. When he changes his pants, he transfers the pocket contents. He is not picky...he hardly even looks at what it is. Occasionally, he empties the pocket and dumps it all on the shelf in his closet (since he's standing there to change clothes).

Today, I found the "stash."

There was a huge pile of coins. The shelf space is narrow, but long and the string of pocket contents was about 18" long. As I said...lots of coins. Also included were pens and pencils, tithing receipts, business cards (some his, some not), collar stays, screws, nails, washers, bolts, nuts, hair ribbons and barrettes, a plastic marble, a pair of pliers (yes, those came from his pockets...don't ask me how he stands that), popsicle sticks, random keys, important keys, pay stubs, store receipts and likely some other stuff I can't remember. And then there were the coins. I counted them as I put them into our homemade bank ("Fun Money"). There was $16.43 up there in COLD, HARD cash! I felt like I was making money as I stood there!

Of course, I didn't find what I was looking for, so I started looking in the various shoe boxes up there. Apparently, when we moved two years ago, Chad cleaned out THAT closet shelf by dumping the assortment of pocket contents into a box and placing it on the shelf here. In there I found the tiny screw driver I use for tightening glasses (no wonder I couldn't find it before), more nails and screws, wing nuts, a vial of consecrated oil, electrical tape, wire caps, more tithing slips, paper clips, rubber bands so old that they were in pieces and sticking to everything, one of his old cub scout derby cars, a parking token for one of the church buildings in SLC (probably isn't worth anything anymore), TWO Subway rewards cards (how long do those things stay valid?), replacement bulbs for Christmas light strands, some other stuff I can't remember, AND....more coins!

I counted those coins. Did you think $16 was a lot? What do you think of $23.31? I think I found Chad's emergency savings fund! I made almost $40 dollars this afternoon! Maybe we can take that trip to Disneyland next year. ;) I also found two more states quarters that we were missing for our collection. We're only short one state now. Anyone have Arizona?

Incidentally, it was the 4th box I looked in that I found what I was searching for.

Where the heck did she go?

Good question. I have been a little short on time. I tried to upload some pictures earlier this week, but it was not to be. I have a list of things to at least mention, but I also have a messy house, 4 more days of Valentines and another night of Visiting Teaching interviews tonight.

breath

So all is not forgotten, just pushed aside temporarily. My apologies to the faithful readers who depend on me to get them through their day. You may have put too much faith in me.

Yee Haw!

Do you need something to make you smile? I do.

Dear Sandman...

How fast can you get here?

Oh my gosh! Squash!

That was Rebekah's remark as I walked out of the food storage room with a spaghetti squash in my hand.

I'm not anticipating a postive response to tonight's menu.

Do I appear to drool?

I had a little black spot sitting on the surface of one of my bottom molars. For a while, I thought it was food and tried to brush it away. Then I forgot about it for a few weeks. When I saw it again, suspicion set in (I'm a little slow, I know). Upon poking it with the end of a plastic dental pick, I realized it was indeed a cavity. *sigh*

It took me a while to remember to call the dentist's office during business hours. Does anyone else remember all of the phone calls they were supposed to make as they are climbing into bed? Then I saw that the black spot was gaining strength and I finally made the call. It's a little tricky to schedule appointments with 3 kids still at home and a 4th kid jumping off a bus at lunchtime.

Today was the day. I struggled a little to find someone to watch all 4 kids (including a nursing baby who has never used a bottle) for the 2 1/2 - 3 hours I would need them for. I was blessed with the kindness of a friend who is so nice to my kids, they probably dreaded coming back home with a mean mom. They were all fine, including Sarah. She made sure I fed her first thing when we got back, though!

Now I'm home and suffering from a numb right side and a tongue that feels swollen (even though I know it's not). I ended up having 2 cavities: one on top and the one on the bottom. That is a whole lot of anesthetic! It's a little tricky to swallow, which I'm careful to watch because the thought of drooling while I'm awake is unpleasant. I'm a bit thirsty, but it's likely just the power of suggestion. I'm holding off until I'm sure I can get it down! I'm glad I have 3 more hours before dinner. I'll have to remember not to schedule fillings near mealtimes.

Before I got the cavities filled, I had my teeth cleaned. The lady doing it was very nice, but she talked a lot. I began to see that this is a very good job for someone who likes to talk, as long as they don't want the other person to reply. And while she wasn't the classic "gossip" type, I did notice a tendency in her. It was killing me the way she kept pulling her mask down to talk and resting her cleaning tools on her knees while she did. I kept thinking of Sarah starving while I sat in that chair forever! On the flip-side, it's a very strange thing to stare at a face (upside down) with only eyes visible. Sometimes, it was nice when that mask came off and I could reassure myself that she had a nose and mouth!

I just want to be popular, don't I?

While I don't blog just for the recognition, I've learned that can be a pretty nice perk. The whole thing started out as a way to keep distant family members in touch with our goings and comings. Eventually, friends near and far started reading and then I picked up a few new friends that only know me through my writing. (I know there are some regulars out there that have never made themselves known.)

So while this adventure started out as a quiet and personal outlet, it grew and I actually liked it. Then, as time went by and I browsed other blogs, I began to feel like the last kid picked for a team during gym class. All these other "Mommy bloggers" had TONS of people following them. I wanted to be liked, too! What was once great was no longer good enough.

Luckily, I kept thinking about it (OK...I was dwelling on it...I'm pathetic), and I realized that I didn't really want the pressure of entertaining the masses. I don't have any great wisdom to share and my stories of poopy diapers or burned bread don't have great appeal. I have been fortunate enough to be spared from any great tragedies that would turn me into an inspirational example for anyone. My kids are normal and just as frustrating as the kids down the street (this is NOT referring to anyone that's REALLY down the street) - who really cares about that? Does anyone really want to know that Daniel was grounded yesterday because the scripture quad falling on Sarah's little head was the last straw? (Too bad if you didn't.)

I also thought of the possibility of someone recognizing me in the store; that was a little unsettling. I'm usually at my worst when I'm shopping and figure that would be a bad place to meet any kind of "fan." Then again, I don't know if that hasn't happened already because I know there are some local readers (who think I don't know they're reading - yes, I see you!). Oh well, I hope they weren't too disappointed.

So, even though I don't have thousands of people following my daily trials and tribulations, success and triumphs, I do have the occasional, "I read your blog" or "You are so funny" said in the halls at church or over the phone. That's good enough for me. Those are the people I know and love (not to mention they already know I'm not perfect)!

More from my Craigslist friend

She's back. I'm actually starting to like reading these.

infent car set pink and gray plade with base name your price

my daughter has out grown her infent car set and i need to get ride of it so i can buy her one that she can fit into it in excellent condition and very cute gray and pink plade name your price but plese offer me a resonable price for it

She also needs some clothes and wants to know "how much you wont for them i cant afforward to alot."

I'm beginning to wish that I had something to offer this girl. Or maybe I'm starting to feel bad for singling her out. She's also looking for "a baby girl high chair." I'm not sure why these things must be gender specific (car seat in previous post included), but it seems important to her. I hope she gets what she needs!

Oooh...now I am feeling bad for her. She'd better really be this bad with her English skills, or else I'm going to feel very swindled! (Even though I haven't even shown her one ounce of charity.)