Random Ramblings and Whinings

I thought that when school started I would have sooo much time to get caught up on life.  I am ALWAYS in the car!  I have 6 places to be this afternoon, and only enough time to be at 4.  I need a cloning machine.  I woke up 15 minutes late this morning.  (Ok, I was totally awake, I just couldn't get that mattress off my back.)  That put the whole house in an uproar.  The boys were late getting out to the car for seminary.  They didn't get breakfast before they left.   I had to get Caden to make the sandwiches for lunches.  All the little ones needed a bath because we were out late last night and they fell asleep on the way home.  So then Abigail's hair was wet and there is not much you can do with it very quickly when it is wet.  I couldn't find all the lunchboxes so everyone had to brown bag it.  I forgot to wash Abigail's blanket over the weekend so that she could take it back to school for her naptime, so she was freaking out in the car.  Thank goodness Matthew had one in the car and she agreed to take it with her for the day.  The kitchen was a DISASTER, because NO ONE feels like they have to do their kitchen chores on Sunday. 

I am on this spring cleaning kick.  I guess you shoud call it fall cleaning.  I already have 4 laundry baskets filled with stuff the kids have outgrown, don't want, or I don't want.  I love to dejunkify. 

9 people + 2 bathrooms = not enough bathrooms

Joe was getting ready in our bathroom this morning.  I needed the bathroom, so I ran upstairs to snag that one before someone else did.  I am no sooner in there, than 3, yes 3! people are banging on the door, demanding the door be opened.  I told 2 of them to go use a tree, and let the little girl in.  I miss my house in Virginia with 3 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms, an actual garage that you could park a car in, gasp!, and a mudroom.  Ah, the glorious mudroom. 

We got a new toy.  We have not had a video camera, since the days that they were the size of a toaster oven, and just as heavy.  It is unbelievably small and light.  We were able to video Joseph at the football game Friday night.  I am so glad that we got one before he leaves us next year. 
I ran a 10K on Saturday.  I was so unprepared for it.  I ran ONCE the past month.  And it was for 2 miles.  And I was SO winded, I thought I was going to puke.  I had no business running a 10k. 
I ran it in 1 hour 5 minutes.  I am slightly proud of myself. ; )  I never stopped.  Not even thru the water stations.  Maybe if I get my rear in gear for the half next month, I might beat my time.  Got to get moving.   Anywho, got to get back to the laundry and fall cleaning. 
I will leave you with this cutie.  He was exhausted last night!

You are such a Slacker!

Where to begin?
First of all, I have a good excuse. Well, for like 2 weeks anyway. The computer decided it wasn't getting enough attention and had to contract a virus, thus requiring a hospital stay and decontamination. Then my total lack of motivation kicked in, accompanied by scout camp, trips to grandma's, wrestling camp, baseball games and parties, football, scouts, and Gabe's first ever river trip that took precedence for a while. After that we actually took a family vacation that was way over due.
Sooo much to catch up on, I figure I will just do a post for each kid and call it good!

JACOB
Jacob finished up speech with Ms. Sheila and was very sad to leave her. You know a teacher loves her job when she thinks your little wildcat is the sweetest thing that ever walked thru her door and cries when he leaves her. He will get to go to developmental preschool this year everday for several hours and I think I am a little excited!
One day Jacob kept messing with his ear. Never really complained about it hurting just kept pulling on it and such. I figured he had gotten some water in there from the one (or 3 times) he went swimming and I kept forgetting to put his ear plugs in. So I took him to the doctor to get it looked at and lo and behold, no more tubes! They had already fallen out and I was not the awful mother that I thought I was! Bad news is, he cannot hear again. His ears are filled with fluid and the doctor said he may need bigger tubes. Makes a little sense of his behaviour as of late.

Jacob LOVES robots. Ask anybody in primary. His teachers who have to draw page after page of robots to keep him quiet during sharing time. His brothers who fill up pages with colorful robot drawings. The cashier at the store that he LOUDLY informs, "Mom buy me a robot for my birthday!" His mom who has finally learned how to draw primitive robots. His....well you get the idea. One day back in May I was at the store all by myself and picked up a robot mask for him for his b-day. I put it in the back of the suburban thinking, "He won't look back there." As I drove up the driveway, I had the thought to stop off at the barn and hide it away in one of the totes, but thought, "Nah, it will be fine." As soon as I opened the front door Jacob greeted me like I had been gone for 2 months and asked me if I had bought him a robot. I replied, "Um, no, but maybe for your b-day you can get one." Liar. About an hour later, he came tearing into the house while we were getting ready for supper, jumping all around and screaming, you guessed it..."MOM BOUGHT ME ROBOT! MOM BOUGHT ME ROBOT!" I then screamed, ripped the robot out of his arms and fled into my room looking for a suitable hiding place. He cried and tore my room apart looking for his robot for 3 days. It was May 13. 46 days before his actual b-day. He was either going to kill me looking for his robot or I was going to kill him keeping it away from him. The solution was to have a mock b-day for him since he really didn't have a clue as to when his actual b-day was. He. Wears. It. Everyday. I mean EVERYDAY. He sleeps in it too. Much to Parker's dismay, seeing as how he is the one that shares a bed with Jacob.
On his actual b-day a wonderful friend came over and made this masterpiece...

He was in heaven. This boy can be SO trying at times, but can melt your heart in the next second.

An Epiphany....of sorts

The kids have been back at school for 2 weeks now. I think that we have finally gotten back into the swing of things. It is definately hard being disiplined again. It is way funner staying up late, getting up late, going to the park, and playing outside, than getting up at 5:15 a.m., making sure that school lunches are made the night before, going to pick up kids from seminary, taking kids to school, etc.., all before 7:30, the hour we used to crawl out of bed.
The 2nd day of school, we ran errands and got back home around 11:30. We ate lunch, and I put Matthew down for a nap. I told Abigail and Jacob that it was resting time and layed them down to watch a movie. I was in the kitchen cleaning when I realized that it was way too quiet. I peaked around the corner and they were both fast asleep. I honestly stood there in shock for about 2 minutes. I didn't know what to do with myself. Gosh, I could read a book, take a nap myself, go lay on the hammock outside, the possibilites were endless. So after some deep contemplation, I did what any mother would do. I cleaned. I cleaned my room, the bathroom, did 3 loads of laundry, the kitchen, cleaned out the van, straightened up the living room, and cleaned the health hazard that is other wise known as the boy's bathroom. I put on my ipod, that I have NEVER listened to during the day, because I would miss hearing all the other noises that I would need to hear, I just cleaned to my hearts content. Now cleaning is not my past time of choice, but there comes a time when the EPA might come and declare your home unsuitable for human living so it has to be done. I was just amazed and astounded at how much I actually got done in 2 1/2 hours.
Which leads to my epiphany. I have always considered myself to be a productive person. I admire that trait in others. I don't really like to sit around and do nothing. I am happiest when I have put in a good long day and I am worn out at the end of it. But lately, my housekeeping skills have been seriously lacking. I just thought that I was being lazy. I came to the conclusion that maybe I am productive, I just have 7 (8 really ; ) ) people following me around daily, needing breakfast, lunch, supper, clean clothes, ironed clothes, favorite blankets that are MIA, tippy cups refilled, diapers changed, potty breaks, fights broken up, homework checked, chauffered to seminary, school, band practice, wrestling practice, work, orthodontist appointments, boo boo's bandaged, fights broken up, snuggle time, and play time. Cleaning time doesn't get much time. When something does get cleaned it usually gets uncleaned as soon as you are on to a different room. It was amazing to realize that when there is no one following you from room to room asking if they could have something to eat or would you please read me a story you actually get quite a lot done. Please do not read into this that I am sorry that I had children, so many of them, or that I wish that they would all take 7 hour naps each day! I love being a wife and mother. I would not change anything even if I could. It was just a nice little aha moment that I had. I know that one day, there will be no cereal on the floor, pledge sprayed into the DVD player, 2 loads of laundry a day, fingerprints on the windows that I just washed, pee on the toilet that I just washed, bicycles in my way as I drive up the driveway, toothpaste on my jeans because I leaned over too far on the sink where somebody dribbled brushing their teeth, and moldy sandwiches brought home in lunch boxes that sat in somebodies locker over the weekend. And I will probably cry. And then Joe and I will probably lock the doors and party!!