Story time...

The setting: 7:40 AM at our bus stop. Carter who has managed to lose all his sweatshirts is standing outside crying. He has jackets but refuses to wear them because his head gets cold. So, the bus drives up, Carter is hysterically crying, "I can't feel my head." After laughing to myself for a second, I'm getting mad. I try to patiently get him on the bus (where it's warm)...the bus driver, "Brenda" is glaring at me like, "Lady, get control of your kid." After telling him if he doesn't get on the bus, he loses the Wii for the whole weekend (the absolute most horrible, wretched punishment Carter could receive) and, I finally give in, and tell her to go ahead without him. So, we go home and I am TICKED. I start rummaging through all the dirty laundry (yes, desperate times call for desperate measures) and find his black hoodie, which is dirty, but it has a hood. I give it to him and drive him to school where he is almost late since it has taken me so long to find the stinkin' sweatshirt.

Fast forward to 3:45 that afternoon. Carter comes in and says that he and a boy in his class were fighting over the black sweatshirt each claiming it belongs to him which caused the teacher to take it away from both of them. I am STEAMING at this point, because I know we'll have a repeat of above scenario tomorrow morning. So, I send an e-mail to the teacher, just as she is calling me to discuss the matter. I tell her the story of how I know it's Carter's sweatshirt and she says okay, I'll call the other parent and let you know.

Fast forward to this morning at 7:15 AM. Carter's teacher calls and says, I have the sweatshirt, tell carter to come to my room as soon as he gets there and I will hand it to him. I agree. Later in the afternoon, I went to the school for the wrestling match and stay late to pick up carter from school. When the bell rang, Carter cam tearing out of the building across the grass, so I yell, Carter, I'm right here, where are you going? He mumbles something about sweatshirt and office and promptly lets himself in through the principal's door (who is Rob, a friend of ours, and the father of Carter's clone Sammy). He busts through the principal's office (after briefly looking for the Jelly Belly jar) and into the main office. Trying to figure out what on earth is going on, I ask the secretaries if they know anything about a sweatshirt. One says, no, and the other says, let me call Rob. She calls Rob and goes into his office and retrieves the sweatshirt. Meanwhile, a woman and her child in the front of the office overheard the word "sweatshirt" and said, "that's my son's sweatshirt." Great, it was "the other woman." So, I said, "well, maybe one of them is in the lost and found," to which the office staff replies, no, we've looked. There is only one black sweatshirt and this is it. Great. The woman, at this point is getting upset. I think I was calm, but who knows? Because as this lady and I were talking back and forth over the counters, the speech pathologist comes out and says, "Michelle, is everything okay?" (Bella, Carter and jake are in speech, so she knows me). So, it must've been loud. Thankfully, Rob came in and said to the other woman "You need to leave now." She started to say something and Rob repeated, "You need to leave right now." So, she walked out, and Rob followed her and that was that.

So, after al the chaos and the lady yelling at me, they bring me the sweatshirt and ask if it's mine and I say, "Uh, I don't know. I think so." Carter's behind me saying, "Mom, that's my sweatshirt, that's my sweatshirt." I follow her back into Rob's office and the secretary says, "Is this his size?" Yes, it's his size. Then I look at the arms and see them...all the spots and stuff that was on it...the reason I had thrown it into the dirty laundry to begin with. Ahhh, I'm not a complete idiot. Yes, it was his sweatshirt. So, I walk back out to the front and ask, "What just happened here?" I apologized for such a big tadoo being made out of a stupid sweatshirt. The secretaries' responses were, "Don't worry about it. There's a history here, it has nothing to do with you."

Seriously? Did it almost come to screaming match at the elementary school over a stinking sweatshirt? THE SWEATSHIRT ISN'T EVEN NICE!!!! Mom bought it at Goodwill for a few dollars when we went camping last year! Everyone in the vacinity of the office had come out to see what was going on including the nurse, for heaven's sake! So now when the office staff sees me coming, they're all going to pass the secret signal around "Don't look up, crazy sweatshirt lady's here." Yes, I will forever be known as one of "Those parents" at the elementary school office, and Malia hasn't even started school there yet! The funny thing is, that on any other day, I would've had no idea what sweatshirt Carter had worn. I barely know what I wore yesterday, I certainly don't remember what my kids are wearing after they leave my sight.

Moral of the story...it's good to have friends in high places. Thanks Rob...

I think I might love Friday the 13th!!

So I finally have a court date people. March 13th... yep, that's right! I'm going to court in downtown LA on Friday the 13th so some dude can decide my fate. Here's hoping that Friday the 13th proves to be a lucky day for me and Stephen and Mackenzie and a very unlucky day for the tool that lives down the street.

When the cat's away, the mice will play...

So, while I was playing on the computer upstairs, this is what the kids concocted. They dumped a bunch of ice on the trampoline. Mind you, it is like 55 degrees out today. Jumping on ice can't be that much fun. It hit Bella in the eye once already. Whatever...

Malia

How could you not love this face and her bucky little teeth? She is so adorable if I do say so myself. Thanks Judy (as always) for the picture.

Watch your back!

So, a few weeks ago, the bishop mentioned in PEC that at ward conference the stake president would be calling on people to share their testimony - without prior notice. Yesterday morning in PEC, the bishop reminded us of that but also indicated they probably would not be calling on leadership so that we shouldn't have anything to worry about. Whew!

Fast forward to Sacrament meeting. After the sacrament portion of the meeting was over, I took Brittany and Brooke to the bathroom because they had to go. That took about 5 minutes or so. When I got back, two sisters from another ward who were there in their capacity with the stake leaned forward and asked, "Did you hear them call your name?" Yeah right! I looked back and told them that I didn't, sure that they were joking. They assured me they were not joking. I then turned as the Relief Society President, seated in front of me, corroborated their story.

The impromptu youth speaker then walked to the stand. As he was speaking, I looked over at the bishop, who was himself wondering if I had heard. I made the mistake of smiling. In response he and the stake president both laughed like "Gotcha!"

I'm not usually afraid of public speaking assignments, but must admit this one caught me a little off-guard. My heart was beating a little faster than normal. But, I got over that with my usual technique - flexing on the stand. I almost busted my jacket. Luckily, it wasn't buttoned!

So, word to the wise, don't turn your back on the person calling impromptu speakers, despite assurances you would be spared!

Monday, Monday...

Nothing like a head cold that makes me feel like my head might explode at any second, combined with a crappy night's sleep and a dirty house to make me glad another week has started...Sigh. At least the kiddies are at school...One request from Bella repeated about 100 times might put me over the edge...

Saturday with the scouts...

Seeing as my new calling is Den Leader of 13 very active boys...soon to be 20 (by the end of the summer), I thought it would be wise to attend a conference that our local council put on today. It was all day and I learned something...life long scouters are NUTS!!! They are seriously so into it. It is very funny to watch. It was actually a little overwelming to watch. People doing all these crazy skits and songs and stuff. I did take away something very valuable...I learned how to make an "exploding Ninja" out of popsicle sticks with no glue or anything...just popscicle sticks. What kid doesn't like something with the word "exploding" in the title. You make it, then throw it against the wall and it explodes. Then, you make it all over again. See? Hours of fun. I learned how to make lots of crafts that can be made with stuff around the house which is good because my kids are always looking for something to make. And...I did get a whole Saturday without the kids. Not something I'm going to do every Satuday, but once a year is good...

Bath time...

Um, is it alarming to anyone else that all the Barbies in the tub where the girls take their baths are HEADLESS? Just wondering....

Wrestlemania 2009!!!

I finally made it to one of Jake's wrestling matches, and he didn't disappoint. Here are a few clips. He won all three matches, scoring 17 of his team's 39 points. His opponents only scored a total of 3 points off him.

Bella's questions...

Bella asked me a couple questions today that were very thought provoking. The first conversation went something like this...

Bella, "Mom, do you like watching us?"
Me: "Watching you do what?"
Bella "You know, watching us, being a mom?"
Me: (While contemplating several responses) "Of course I like watching you. I chose to be a mom because I wanted kids."

I was thinking...that probably isn't a question she should have to ask. She should know the answer to that...and maybe she does, or maybe I need to put on a happy face more often when I'm dragging them out the door to the bus or asking them to do their jobs...

The other question was
Bella: "Mom, why did you choose to come down here?"
Me "Down where? (thinking she might be referring to Fresno or the store we were at or something)?
Bella: Down to Earth?
Me: Because that was Heavenly Father's plan and I wanted to follow Him.
Bella: It's a good thing Malia decided to come down here, huh?

That one just reinforced that she's actually listening when her teachers at church talk or when we learn things here at home. It's funny where their little brains go...we were at WalMart at the time looking for house stuff...nothing that had anything to do with Church.

Laugh it up!

So thanks to Michelle, the entire office wants to know why I got a stuffed monkey in the mail today. Apparently Michelle found a Monchhichi doll in the store and decided it would be a good idea to mail it to my office.

So for all that have heard the stories of me nursing my Monchhichi as a child...here is a visual.

There you have it. A Monday laugh on me. I'm just glad no one walked into my office while I took this picture.

Let the Roasting begin...

Happy Birthday Katie!

I realized today I don't even know how old you are...no matter. I was thinking today about the days we spent at BYU when we'd do Sunday dinners together. I always looked forward to them. I remember many times calling and asking if we could use your washing machine because Jake had had another blow out and we didn't have one. And, I remember the fabulous "Carmelitas" and "Smore cake" you brought for dessert. Yummm...I also remember the exact moment you told me you were pregnant with Emma. I was so surprised and excited that Jake would have a cousin so closeby and that you would get to use the same doctor that delivered Jake. I hooked you up. That doc was so fabulous. It's a good thing I lured you guys to Cali so we could hang out when life got a little more complicated...babies, babies, and more babies. Though I think I've finally forgiven you for moving to Colorado, I'm still holding out for a move that will bring you closer to us. You are one of my favorite people to hang out with. My kids' antics don't drive you crazy. You've always got great food and you're great company. What else could we ask for? I'm surprised you married Justin after Courtney burst into tears when the engagement was anounced. And then having her snuggle up with you guys on your honeymoon...Wow. I so miss the days of lounging at the pool with our fat babies and then putting them down for naps so we could watch Rosie (before she went all nuts on us) and hang out. You are kind and helpful and beyond generous. You have great taste and an eye for detail which I totally and completely lack. You make me laugh. I miss hanging out with you. So, happy birthday Kate. Hope you got to do something fabulous that didn't involve children. If not today, then sometime soon. We're lucky to have you as part of our family (you do claim us, don't you?)

We love you!

Marbles for snuggling?

So, at our house, we have been using a marble system. The kids have to fill up their jars with marbles earned by doing their jobs, brushing their teeth, being kind, not getting out of bed 15 times, etc. Well, it was taking forever to fill up their jars and we all sort of lost interest. Over Christmas I heard Katie mention one of their systems and copied it or borrowed some of it. So, for FHE last night, we were discussing our new plan. The kids get seven marbles at the beginning of the week to start out with. They lose one if they leave laundry on the floor, fight, etc. At the end of the week, they get to trade in their marbles. I was asking them what they would like to "buy" with their marbles. We talked about earning quarters, extra Wii time (which I thought would probably cause Carter to forget everything else we had talked about), staying up 15 minutes late, etc. Rick, being the helpful parent that he is, suggested that they could trade in their marbles for "snuggling" with Mom and Dad. He said one marble for snuggling with Dad and four marbles for snuggling with Mom.

People, you know I'm about as snuggly as a porcupine. The word even makes me cringe. But Carter could not let it go. At first, I said, Dad was just kidding, and emphasized all the OTHER things they could do with their marbles. Carter was fixated. He heard nothing else during FHE. So, before he was going to bed, he said to me, "Mom, can we really spend our marbles on snuggling?" To which, I responded, Carter, if you really want to spend your marbles on snuggling, you can." He gave me a big Carter hug and said, "Mom, I'm going to spend all my marbles on snuggling, except one for the wii."

Fast forward to this morning. First thing he says to me when I wake him up for school, "Mom, when I asked you last night if we could trade marbles for snuggling, I didn't hear the answer." SERIOUSLY???? I repeated my prior response and he said, "well, I changed my mind. I'm going to trade one of my marbles for quarters and the rest for snuggling with you."

I had to document this so when he's a big "cool" high school kid, he'll never live down the fact that the most important thing in his world was snuggling with his mom.

Justin got busted!

Okay folks. So, I'm sitting at Justin's house tonight and all of us (kids included) had taken turns on Wii fit. During the course of the night, at one point Emma did some yoga moves, poses, exercises or whatever you call them. As Justin and I watched the different options that you could select to move, pose, exercise, etc., we were mocking them. It was pretty funny. As if any self-respecting guy would ever do those.

Well, later in the evening, Katie was doing one of the step exercises. Somehow the topic of yoga came up again. The conversation that followed went something like:

Kate: "Justin, remember that time we turned yoga on the TV and did yoga?"

Justin: (Silence, face turning red, wishing he could disappear).

Kate: "Oh, I wasn't supposed to say that?"

Justin: Uttering some disclaimer like "It was only one time...."

Kate: (Sorry, this one had to be censored.)

Boys and girls, just picture Justin doing the snuzzle.

Mr. "I would never get a pedicure, but I'm happy to do yoga as long as nobody else is watching." Nobody that is, except for the person that busted him.

You should have seen the look on his face. So, let's here it from all you girls out there. Go ahead and list the yoga poses Justin needs to perfect before your next visit. I want to hear your grades of his favorite pastime. :)

Top ten moments of the past two weeks...

We're back! We spent almost two weeks in So. Cal with my family. It would be very difficult to recap the entire week, so I came up with my top ten list...Of course, these are my top ten moments and not everyone else's, so feel free to comment with ones I left out...

10. The almost disasterous family photo session. This session could've been disasterous in so many ways. Let's be honest folks, 38 people (I think) and 18 of those children...four of them babies. Recipe for complete disaster. Our fabulous photographer who graciously agreed to this totally out of control request almost slept though our session! Luckily, one phone call and some serious scurrying around and all was well. We love you Judy! Thanks for doing that for us.

9. Watching my siblings parent. You know, things are highly amusing when they don't involve your children. Somehow, watching my sibings and their spouses deal with their children was great entertainment for me. You know how all parents wish for their child to get a kid exactly like them...let's just say my parents' wishes have been granted MANY times over.

8. The hugest pile of presents I have ever seen under the Christmas tree. Let's face it folks...that many people opening up all of their Christmas gifts together makes for a serious mountain of presents. Of course I'm a dork and I didn't take any pictures of that...or maybe I did. I'll have to look. But, the look on the kids' faces...worth it all.

7. Kristin's (aka Bond's) chex mix. YUMMMMMMM. Enough said. Parting is such sweet sorrow. I had to make it again for my friends to try. It got very good reviews. I think it's a new Christmas must for me. I'm not making it again until the holidays next year.

6. Watching the boys play baseball together at the park. I'm not sure who had more fun...the dads or the boys. It brought back memories of bonus room baseball. Good times.

5. Hearing several of the nieces/nephews yell, "I quit" while practicing the Nativity play they were going to do for us. Apparently, the directors (AKA Kenzie and Emma) were not treating the "talent" with due respect. When the "talent" were offered bribes, they wouldn't even come back for that! Nothing says the Christmas spirit like refusing to act out Luke 2!

4. Jake in full UCLA attire (pants, jersey and full pads) every day after Christmas. Okay, maybe it wasn't every day, but when I asked him if he was wearing it again one day, he said, "I couldn't find any other clothes." Sure you couldn't. Whatever. He thought he looked pretty cool and let's be honest...he did. I especially liked it when he would punch his crotch to show me the pad that he was wearing there. gotta love that.

3. The evenings, specifically after 8:00 PM when the kids were in bed. It was so nice to have time with the adults. Sure it was interrupted by kids complaining about their siblings or someone smelling brownies, but still, it was nice. My favorite was the game night. Whey did you chickens only play sorry one time? Nobody got injured! And the graet name game where the girls annhialated the boys. Or was it the other way around? I get so easily confused.

2. Knotts Berry Farm. My kids had such a great time. It was fabulous not to have Malia with us because I could be with the bigger kids. It wasn't crowded. The food was great. And, I got to see one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed in my life. Courtney riding that kiddie version of "Supreme Scream." I have not laughed that hard in FOREVER. For those of you who missed it, Courtney pretended to be a terrified child on the ride. Her screaming and crazy seizure-like gestures caused passers-by to stop and either laugh hysterically or quickly hurry by so as not to be seen near the CRAZY on the ride. Sure, small children on the ride may have been frightened, but the rest of us were highly entertained. Thanks for that Courtney. You made my list of all time hysterical moments.

1. Being together with all 8 of my siblings on Christmas Eve. It was only for a little while before Matty had to go, but it was awesome. Mark mentioned that Christmas Eve was the first time ALL of us had been together in a very long time and he was right. I don't know when it will happen again, but it was pretty amazing to see how everybody's grown and changed. This was certainly a memorable Christmas...Thanks everybody for putting up with "life" so we could spend some time together! Now, go home and recuperate!!!

Yes, it was definitely a memorable holiday season for us all. I enjoyed the time spent at my house with my children. It was a good time for our family. I really enjoyed the simplicity of the season as we focused on what was most important to us.

And, to Mom and Dad. Not many people would be willing to give up their own bed and control of their home to provide sleeping arrangements, food, etc. for 23 people at night and some 35+ people all day long for 9 days straight in the middle of the holiday season. It takes a special kind of person to not only allow that chaos, but to welcome it, and enjoy it for what it is. So thanks guys for making this happen. I know that even in the moments where you're enjoying the silence and comfort of your own beds, you're wishing we'd all come back sooner rather than later. We love you...