Time to Plan

Well, we are officially on the downward slope of school which is completely awesome!

Unfortunately, this excitement of only 14 months left (but who's counting)

brings with it some big decisions and a lot of unknowns.

Where will Seth work?

Should we take advantage of a loan repayment program even if we have to move?

Can we figure out a way to stay in our favorite place by our wonderful families?

Should we have baby #4 before or after graduation

(essentially is it worse to deal with pregnant wife or newborn baby - my bet is pregnant wife)?

How will we possibly work out the timeline for graduating, selling our house, moving, certifying, finding a job and spending some much needed family time?

But, with all the questions and unknowns, there are some things that I know...

I love my husband more every day! He is utterly amazing!

I cannot wait to have more family time and mom+dad date time - can.not.wait!

I definitely need to step up my game as a wife and mother to take care of this family I love!

Through no effort on my part, I am smaller than I have been since Jr. High but I think it is a cruel test...am I really willing to give up a skinny body and have another baby - kidding (mostly)?

Have to put words into actions as far as the priority of motherhood, right? haha!

Just because we can see the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't mean we

shouldn't make the most of the next 14 months!

So grateful for prayer!

The Escape

I am afraid I have an escape artist on my hands

(and I am not talking about my dog because you already know about that)

Earlier this week I sent Morgan to his room for quiet time.

Our agreement is that he needs to lay quietly in his bed and listen to the Floppy Sleep Game CD for 30 minutes (and he does still fall asleep sometimes!)

and if he is still quietly in his bed when the timer goes off

he gets to play Leapster or any other quiet activities in his room for another hour

(if not, he still plays quietly in his room for the hour, he just doesn't get the Leapster).

Well, during the first 30 minutes he got out my Cricut Machine and was "playing with it"

so when I went down to give him his Leapster, I kind of freaked out.

Last time he "played" with my cricut it cost me $40 to replace what he messed up,

but I thought he had learned his lesson.

Apparently not, so he was in BIG trouble...

no leapster

locked door

and the rest of quiet time would now be "grounded in your room" time

(I told you...I kind of freaked out).

About 20 minutes later, my phone rang.

It was my neighbor who just happened to have the day off work...

"Morgan is over at my house, he says he escaped"

"...escaped?"

"yeah...that's what he told me...thought you'd want to know"

"I'll be right out!"

Out I went and found my 4 year-old hanging out with our neighbor and

feeling pleased as punch with himself for

"escaping"

"How in the world?" I was thinking as I walked down my neighbor's driveway to retreive him...

and then I saw the window.

He had unlocked his (basement) window,

opened the window,

ripped a hole in the screen,

and climbed out.

Yeah, rediculous, and crazy scary, and it just got more crazy scary the more I thought about it!

He sat in time-out for a good hour and a half until dinner

and then after a serious discussion went to bed to await his

"final punishment"

from dad in the morning

(which was really really awful, but it had to be...

it is almost impossible to punish a kid who makes everything fun,

but my mom came up with the idea to send daddy

with the girls, but without Morgan,

on a super fun outing complete with treats.

They went to the zoo and we ran errands

and that sweet little boy couldn't hold back the tears as he watched them go

which broke my heart to pieces - but he got it)!

He hasn't done it since, but don't be surprised if you see bars on my windows soon!

I Promised!

I promised pictures and that I would get back to the typical nature of our happy family blog after my soap box rant, and I didn't want you to think I was lying! :)

I swear I am lucky I have not gotten in a car accident recently because lately I cannot keep focused on the road while driving because I am scouting out all of the awesome locations around here (and everywhere I go) for taking pictures! And, of course, when I find one, much to my kids dismay, I haul them along with me and take their pictures!

Yesterday, I spotted Olympus Hills Park from the freeway (I think that is what it is called anyway) and remembered what a cute place it is and the kids were dressed cute in some new bright and colorful clothes (in an attempt to appease my longing for spring) so we went to the park after lunch on a little photo adventure. Brynn was kind of cranky, so we only took a few pictures and then we took Seth back with us later in the evening. By that time it was getting pretty cold and late and the light was almost gone, so we only got a few then too, but the results were still pretty stinkin cute.

This whole Mom thing rocks!

Anyone have any great photo locations to share

so that I don't get in a car accident looking for them?

Seth, the kids and my car would really appreciate your suggestions!

I am Inspired Today

I was able to attend part of my stake relief society conference (a meeting for the local women in my church) today and was so inspired and touched by the messages shared. This wonderful clip was shared and I loved it! It gave me a renewed sense of purpose and hope and motivation to always do good! Anyway, I hope it inspires you as it did me. Thanks for watching the kids so I could go, Mom!

And if this clip leaves you with questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and what we believe, you can find more information here or feel free to ask!

We briefly interrupt this happy family blog…

SEE UPDATE BELOW

For some serious reflections about Motherhood.

Yesterday I read a post by an old friend of mine about an unrelated topic, but in it she mentioned motherhood. I commented my thoughts on the subject, but have been thinking more about it since. So instead of using her blog as a sounding board for my thoughts (sorry for already doing that…I should have just posted them here in the first place), I am instead going to share them with you. I don’t do this to get it off my chest or out of my head, I do it because I think it is important and I hope, if nothing else,

that you will know that I am a woman who stands up for what I value.

 

I am a mother, and not just a mother, a stay-at-home mother. I have a college education, a great resume and I had a really great job which I chose to leave to become a stay-at-home mother. Why?

Because I value motherhood as a noble and important “profession”. And, I bet that most people would say they agree that it is a noble and important profession...even so much as to say one of the hardest jobs out there. But the world we live in (including many people who agree with the previous statement) does not truly value motherhood. I know this because success in the world is not judged by how decent or hard working your children are, how many hours you held them in your arms reading them stories and calming their fears or how many times you told them and showed them you loved them. Success in the world does not consider the influence you have had in building self-confidence or teaching respect not only to your own children but to their friends and neighbors. It isn’t determined by the fact that you taught your children values and decency and integrity.

And I can’t help but wonder, WHY NOT?

I have commonly heard the notion that responsible individuals should base their decision of how many children to have on how many they can support financially and that they should wait to have children until they can support them (on their own with no assistance). True…we should all strive to be self-sufficient. But you know what, parenting isn’t about providing luxuries for your children. It isn’t about being able to enroll them in an expensive preschool or drive a brand new SUV or make sure they can take dance and gymnastics and art and soccer and baseball…it is about sacrifice! You will find a way to get by on what you have if you really try whether you have no kids or 10 kids…and if you can’t…we as a nation should absolutely stand behind and support parents because it is hands down the most important job on this earth!!

Since support in this world of ours is only "really" support when it is backed financially, think about what our world would be like if we stopped subsidizing all of the crap we subsidize as a nation and started subsidizing mothers so that they could stay home with their children. I am not here to suggest that this is the solution to the world’s problems, but if there were a govt. funding program that supported mothers so they could be home with their children, I would be for it because it would tell mothers that their job is important and valuable and it would open the door for them to be a lot better and more successful at it (unwed teenage mothers included)!

I would like to live in a world where every mother was enabled to stay home with her child(ren)…I know that it would be a heck of a lot better than the selfish world we live in now. If every child had a mother who fed them regularly, let them get the sleep they need, who showed them they loved them, who read to them, who played with them, who was there when they got home from school, I guarantee that it would eliminate many of the evils in this world. Gangs, drugs, lack of education, violence, promiscuity, crime and so many other of the ills of society could be addressed by placing REAL value on motherhood (sure there are exceptions to this rule…but just think about it)! But instead the message we send our mothers is…you can do it all, you can have it all, and if you want to be comfortable in this life, you better work outside the home or have a really rich husband!

I feel extremely fortunate to be a stay at home mom, and I am absolutely in no way suggesting that it is the perfect situation for everyone, nor am I being insensitive to the fact that sometimes that just isn’t possible even if it is wished for, wanted and valued. I am also not suggesting that it is bad to try and juggle a job and kids if that is the best thing for your situation. But I can tell you that if I had to choose between going back to work full time or getting an (even) smaller house or driving a clunky car or cutting more coupons or shopping at the DI for my kids clothes or (gasp!) going on food stamps…I will tell you I would do all of those things because I don’t think that I can do my job as a mother well enough on weekends, holidays and a few hours when I get home from work on weekdays. I have done both, and I will tell you that I need to be in my home teaching my children, loving my children, and leading my children so that they can go out and make this world a better place to be. I seek opportunities to contribute to my family financially, but that can't be at the expense of my real job…motherhood!

Some of you may agree with me and some of you may not and that is okay! I feel like we need to stand up for what we believe, whatever that is! I hope I have not said anything that would cause you to take offense and I welcome your comments about this. I believe that as each of us stand up and speak out for what we believe and talk about the things we value and consider points of view other than our own through open and honest discussion we come to beautiful solutions that can literally change the world! That is the American spirit, that is what our founding fathers fought for and that is what makes our nation so great!

And finally…if you didn’t enjoy this post…no worries, you can still keep reading because the next one will be back to happy family happenings and lots of cute pictures! Promise!

UPDATED 2/13 - Just to make sure I am clear, because I don't want to be misunderstood about this...if you are not a stay at home mom because of choice or circumstance, I do not think that means you are any less of a mother. We each have to choose what is right for our families and unfortunately we don't live in a world where every woman who wants to stay home is able to. So many wonderful women I know have found creative ways to balance family and work and I admire them for it. Other women have inspired me by the way they cherish and make the most of every second they have with their children because they have no choice but to work. And finally, those of you out there (who I am blessed to call friends), who have made and continue to make very significant sacrifices to be a stay-at-home-mom, I want to tell you how wonderful you are! It is a hard job! It takes strength spiritually, emotionally, and physically to get through the day with young child(ren) who rely on you and defy you and test your patience and demand your attention. There are many days when I wish that I could go to work or clock out for a 15 minute break, but I draw strength from your examples, so thank you and keep up the good work!

No matter what your situation, I hope that you value family and that you stand up for the importance of family and that you speak up when its importance is diminished or questioned and that you cherish your family and make them the top priority that they should be!
I am not perfect at this (not even close) but I am trying, because I believe that if we speak up for what we believe, we can inspire change!

even earlier this morning

In my teary state earlier, I forgot to post what I really wanted to post today...

This morning at 5:30 AM as I was getting ready to head out the door to go to the temple,

Chloe woke up to go potty.

In her still-drowsy-and-blinded-by-the-light state she was quiet as she sat

and then I heard her little voice say:

"Mommy are you wearing a princess dress?"

"Yes, I am wearing a dress so I can go to the temple after you go back to sleep."

"Are you going to get married to Daddy?"

All this stuff we teach them IS sinking in after all!

This Morning...

Chloe is watching UP! and I am sitting here balling my eyes out.

Such a sweet movie, but definitely a tear jerker when you can relate!

Love you Sethy - thanks for taking on this adventure of life with me!

Miracles DO Happen

Today I threw in the towel.

Morgan has been resisting naps since Christmas and it has been

making our house a pretty frustrating place to be from naptime on.

Well, today, I finally sat down with him and discussed a new plan for naps.

He would have to lay in his bed for 30 minutes and be totally quiet and still.

Then he could play leapster or puzzles or trains or read books or any other quiet thing

in his room

for another hour.

He cooperated.

The timer went off.

I went down to give him his leapster and congratulate him on being so quiet...

and he was fast asleep!

Apparently all I need to do to get him to take a nap is tell him he doesn't have to take one!

-Random-

I am slacking...mostly because I have nothing exciting to share...

but, I posted my all time favorite frosting recipe on my recipe blog

and I updated the picture a day blog.

So I guess that means I am not entirely a slacker ;)

Here are some random thoughts to get by until I have something exciting happening around here...

just to clarify, even though the bachelor makes even me cringe with how rediculously cheesy it is this season, I have still planned my night around the fact that I have an appointment with the TV from 7-9 pm.

Fun fonts on my blog...LOVE!

Chloe's hair looks sooooo cute lately... thick and blonde and

almost grown out enough that you can't tell there ever was a blad spot.

Morgan thinks it is time to graduate from napping

I don't think it is time for Morgan to graduate from napping

This causes much distress at our house in the afternoons

Brynn is still my little teeny beanie, but now she is my little anemic teeny beanie and has to take iron supplements twice a day which make her throw up...not awesome!

This is the last week of the photography class I am taking (tear, sob, tear)

Pretend play is all the rage around here...

post office, house, picnics, doctor, princesses, grocery store, firefighters, pirates...

oh.so.fun

Mean yelling mommy is back in full force...can somebody PLEASE send her to time out!

2 kids need new full wardrobes because they have completely grown into a new size since the new wardrobes they got in December,

My wonderful wonderful car was on the toyota recall list and my first thought when I heard was,

"I'll just drive really carefully until they have a solution because I am not giving this baby up for even 1 day!"

Don't worry...it hasn't had any problems...all is well!

My FAVORITE holiday of all is this week!

And yes, I have been wearing Valentines Day colors for the last week to celebrate!

Nope, it is not a coincidence that I have worn pink, red, white, or a combination of them every single day.

Took down the Christmas cards today...finally...and it was still sad!

We have got some seriously amazing people in our lives that we are fortunate enough to call friends

 and we love you all so much...

It has been like eating every meal with you when your Christmas Cards were hanging in our kitchen!

I have spring fever! Ready for sunshine and green grass and gardening and refinishing furniture and trips to the park and bike riding and BBQs and stringing Christmas lights over our patio and hanging colorful garlands outside and feeding the birds and walks and swimming lessons and flip flops and sidewalk chalk and fresh herbs and leaves on the trees! So so so ready for spring!

Alive...

and well

and super duper busy!

If I told you I would do your photo shoot and I haven't gotten back to you with a date yet...

just know I didn't forget you, I am just running behind...

perpetually

{but hopefully not permanently}

My house is a complete mess

and my kitchen sink would make flylady gasp in horror!

I get to help in preschool tomorrow,

need to do the taxes

(well, gather all the paperwork and input the info into the form so my accountant can do the taxes),

schedule a playdate with my sewing machine (miss you my friend),

and a playdate with my living/breathing friends,

and re-finalize all the details of the upcoming ward party that I had already finalized once

(or thrice, but who's counting).

On the other hand...tomorrow is Thursday...

which means NBC Thursday night...

and that I will probably not address

anything on my list.

Also...on a completely unrelated topic...this season of the Bachelor...gag!

And yet, I watch?