Step lightly chunky!

So, Clayre and Kate hate tuna fish. Parly loves it. I was tired of making two different kinds of sandwiches for lunch, so I told them that they were going to eat it, that I wasn't going to make anything else for them, and that oohhhh look the tuna sandwiches are cut into cute little bite size pieces. Well? Yum mom! Can I have more, please mom? (Okay, so they probably didn't really say please here.) More? Really? Wow. Simple.

Another lunch sandwich my kids started to complain about was the good old Toasted Cheese. Easy. Yummy. Something else besides PB& J. Well, after a while when I would make it I would get... uhnnn, again? Can I just have more chips instead?, and No thanks (actually probably NO! here.) So then I started to cut the toasted cheese into strips and serve it with homemade marinara sauce.... okay, not homemade just whatever store-bought spaghetti sauce we had. I told them to dip the cheese strips into the sauce and wa-la. They loved it! And still do. So another tip on how to be the Laziest and Greatest mom ever at the same time: CUT. Cut. And, yep just cut. It makes everything taste better. How? Who knows? Just do it!

Lazy mom pulls through.

So Parly had to do a report on an animal for school. I was gone when she was assigned this, so my little sister and her husband stepped up. They talked her out of doing it on a dog or a cheetah saying everyone would choose those and convinced her to choose the Three-toed Sloth. Well she got busy and found a lot of cool facts about this sloth with the help of her very eager and internet savvy Uncle Christian. Then she transferred all the information onto a poster board, by writing row after row of sentences, leaving a little space for pictures. While I was away in Boston, I received a voice mail from Parls telling me all about her report and said that I would have some good ideas for her...I guess my mom told her about my history of creative school projects.

So, I mapped out a plan for Parly's poster and then told it to her. She was a little sad that she had already written out a whole poster, but she thought the new poster sounded funner and wanted to do it. Here is how it turned out:

She wrote all the cool facts on the leaves. And the sloth hanging from the tree is made out of fuzzy brown paper to make it more life like. Good job, Parly!

Well Clayre watched Parly doing her project, thought it looked fun, so she decided to do one herself. She choose a deer. Shayne was so loving that Clayre wanted to do a project that wasn't even assigned...because it meant more work for me. I hate more work! But I couldn't really tell her that she can't learn and share information about a deer just for fun.... could I? No, not even I, the laziest mom ever. Here's how Clayre's turned out:

Note: the small deer on the bottom, again made out of the fuzzy paper, but Clayre added the white dots and white belly herself. Genius. Also her information she wrote around the poster so some of it ended upside-down. I asked her how people were going to read it and she said that they would just turn the board around. Genius. So cute. Good job, Clayre.

A++++ all around!

Wow. What can I say? Hard. Hard. But amazing! I will try to highlight the good and the bad of my race.

• Morning of the race: driving to the starting area to find the exits closed. Bad. Got out and walked from the exit to the start. Bad. Miles ran: 26.2 Miles walked before the race: 2. Definitely not fun. Plus as I was walking I realized I probably could have just flashed the police my race number and Shayne could have driven me all the way there. Oh well.
• Starting the race. Good. Very exciting. I mean I was running in the Super Bowl of Marathons.
  
• Miles 1-6. Good. Energizing. Lots and lots of runners. Nice down hill slope.
  
• Mile 7 + when I realized that they weren't going to have any sports goo or gel until mile 17 and I didn't pack any with me. Bad. Very Bad. Seriously, I was dieing. I almost begged some off other runners. I wish I had. Thankfully I was able to grab a couple of orange slices and bananas from people in the crowds.
• At each 5K I would run over a mat that would read my chip and electronically post my time and pace over the internet so family and friends back home could track my race. Good. That was cool.
  
• Hitting the half marathon mark knowing that the worst part of the race was still ahead of me. Bad. I don't like to complain. Well maybe I do, but this marathon was HARD! I have only run in the St. George Marathon which has significantly more downhill..long stretches of downhill and the second half lots of steep downhill. Not so in Boston. There is up, up, and even more up. I mean there is a spot in the race that is called Heartbreak Hill!
• Running through Wellesley. Good. This was just after the 1/2. It is a famous spot because of the noise. You can hear a ringing before you see anything and then there is a line of girls (Wellesley is a girls college) and they are screaming and yelling. It was SO awesome. I'll tell you the best thing I did was wear a sign that had my name on it. At the expo there was a station that was handing out large stickers and a sign that said wear your name, crowds like to yell out your name. I grabbed one. I kind of thought it would be dumb. But it was so great. When ever I was feeling crappy...which was kind-of a lot I would run close to the sides and people in the crowds would read my name and shout out encouragement. I cannot tell you how great it was to hear my own name yelled out....even when I knew it was from people I didn't even know. So when I ran through Wellesley, I ran over to the line of girls, they all had their hands out to give fives and for probably a quarter of a mile I gave constant fives and heard my name yelled out over and over. It was such a boost!
• Seeing Shayne (and Josh) at mile 17. Good. I was counting down the miles. Here I was really hating it and it was so good to see someone I knew and get a very much needed pep talk.
• Mile 17. Power gel station. Good. Finally! Advice to anyone planning to run the Boston Marathon : Pack your own gel!!!!!
• Water and Gateraid stations every mile. Good. These saved me. Mentally I was struggling. I was feeling weak and depleted. I just told myself to run to the next water station where I would grab a drink and walk through it. Again here I heard a lot of support from the volunteers reading my name and telling me I could do it.
• Mile 19-21. Bad. Here is where you just keep going up and then still have to run Heartbreak Hill (one of the steepest spots on the course).
  
• Mile 21. Good. Here is another great crowd spot. You run by Boston College. There were a lot of loud noise that really pumps you up. Plus only 5 miles to go.
• Mile 24. Bad. Only 2 to go. I knew I was going to be close to 4 hours. But my legs would not go any faster. It was here that I came to peace with that fact that when I told people my time at Boston it would have to be with a 4 in the front and not a 3.
  
• Mile 25. Bad. Missed seeing Shayne. He was there. And he is still not sure why he never saw me run by. Maybe it was because there were lots of runners...25,000?
• Mile 26. Good. Turning the corner and see all the crowds, all the runners, and especially the finish line.
• Mile 26.2. Good. Finished. 4:01.26.
  
• Mile 26.3. Bad. My calf cramped. But no worries a medic was near by and she stretched it out good.

So even though the race was hard. I am glad I did it. My favorite was definitely having crowds of people throughout the whole race. Their were a lot of people handing out ice, water, popsicles, orange slices, or sponges soaked with water. I even saw this little boy, who was probably 4, holding a half empty water bottle asking the runners as they went by if they needed some water. So cute. So great. Amazing experience.

Boston, Mass.

I'm looking forward to a little getaway with my husband. It's fun to think about eating out: which means no planning, preparing, serving, clearing, washing, sweeping.....just eating! I love that. It will be nice to not have to worry about any complicated bedtimes: no need for hurrying, bathing, washing, scrubbing, diapering, dressing, guiding (more like pulling, yanking, dragging), pleading, yelling, kissing(I may miss that).....just sleeping. The traveling will be a breeze: no 2 days of packing, planning, preparing. No need for strollers, crayons, books, movies, paper, pencils, markers, blankies, dolls, wipes, diapers, band-aids, drinks, or snacks..... just me, and maybe snacks and a couple of good books. This weekend will be great. Oh ya, I guess there will be something else: running, running, and more running. 26.2 miles to be exact.

No Parking!

So what does No Parking actually mean? Does it mean that a vehicle can never be stopped at or around a No Parking sign? Is there a time limit? How about 1 minute or 30 seconds? Is that okay? What about if you never leave your vehicle when "parked" there? You don't even get out of the car. So obviously No Parking means No parking, but I think that it is okay to be waiting in a No Parking "zone" if you are still in your vehicle.

Soooo, why all of this talk about the definition of parking? Because the other day I had an angry old man tell me "No Parking! (pointing to a sign) You stinkin little BIT**!" Yes, he did. At least he called me little. Of course, I was in my van so I'm not sure he meant it as a compliment about my size. So, let's go back a few moments before that awesome outburst. I was picking up a couple of girls from dance and I wanted to park where I could see them come out of the door and they could see me. No need to get out of the vehicle, just a little honk and a wave over. Less work. There was a nice spot by a tree. Shade. Perfect. No Parking sign posted on the tree. I'm not getting out. So park on.

Well, I saw this car about to back out of a parking spot. I glanced and noticed that he had plenty of room to back out with a turn and head on his way even with me "parked" directly behind him (I was at least two car lengths away). He backed straight out then went forward, turned the wheel a small degree, backed straight out again, forward, turn, back straight, then forward. This was crazy! Is he serious? I watched through the corner of my eye, because I could feel his angry devil eyes on me. At first when I saw him drive back and forward once I thought about moving for him.....even though anyone, even a 10 year old could have backed out of that spot with me "parked" there....but after the second attempt, I knew he was driving like an idiot on purpose. He didn't like me parking there. And he wanted me to know it. So I sat there and laughed. He finally pulled up along side me. And spewed those delicious words. I just sat there and gave him a smile and a shrug. I wonder what more he would have done or said if his wife wasn't sitting right next to him. Ouch! I was dying, it was actually quite humorous.

So parking or no parking? Well, to tell you the truth if a cop would have been anywhere nearby I wouldn't have "stopped" there. So there you go.

It's a boy....finally!

Some of you may know that Shayne and I have discussed adopting a baby. A boy baby, because we are not able to produce one ourselves. Well, we decided to go ahead with all the paper work a few months ago. We have kept it sort of hush-hush since the selection process can take a while. It happened a lot faster than we expected. I guess the birth mom felt bad enough for Shayne having to raise only girls and picked us because of it. We are pretty excited. I'm not sure I'm all ready for the whole newborn thing again, but I have a lot of little helpers. Here's a picture of me and the little guy. The verdict is still out on the name. Good thing Shayne didn't release our list of boy's names yet.




Actually, this picture is of me and my newest nephew, CJ. I got to spend a weekend with my little sister who just had a baby. It was so great! I guess I was a lot of help. I'm a big advocate for breastfeeding. I enjoyed nursing my 4 girls and worked at WIC for a little while helping other moms with breastfeeding problems. Since this is her first baby, I offered to come and help her out with the whole nursing thing.

It feels good to make things really truly easier for someone, just by giving of myself. My knowledge. My time. It wasn't hard, but it came from me. I did help her with breastfeeding. I know she would have done it and done it well without me, but it was nice to help her gain her own confidence. I was able to take away a lot of the guess work and endless questions we have when it comes to nursing a newborn and that allowed her to be able to focus on recovering and healing. I got to spend two amazing nights sleeping with a beautiful little infant laying on my chest so Sadie could get a few more hours of desperately needed sleep. What's the perfect gift for a new mom? Definitely sleep. I enjoyed my quick stay immensely and would have loved to stay longer, but Shayne held down the fort at home with the 4 female brats that we call our children, long enough. Thanks for letting me come Sadie and Christian. And thanks for making me feel so good.
***Also about what's written above the picture, keep looking up and make sure you notice the date of this post. Just a hint.

Has anyone else been wondering?

So if you live in St. George or Washington County for that matter you may have noticed that "The Other Boleyn Girl" is not in theaters here as it should be. Well don't fret I've discovered that it will be coming March 21, thanks to the questions and answers section in the Spectrum (local paper). I know I'm so lame that I emailed that question but I was curious alright and I'm sure others out there were wondering as well. So that gives all of you that haven't read the book yet, one week to read it. Good Luck!

Great Reads!

So I have read a couple of really great books lately. I want everyone to enjoy them as well.... at least one of them. So here are your choices:






1. "Pillars of the Earth"
by Ken Follett

• Soooo good.
• 1000 pages.
• But sooo good.

2. "The Goose Girl"
by Shannon Hale

• Soooo good.
• A quick read.
• Loved it!

Now that you have your two options. Get reading. No excuses. Everyone should read "Pillars of the Earth" sometime, but if no time is the problem read "Goose Girl"...NOW! Enjoy!

Husbands are dumb

Why do husbands not get it? When we go to them and tell them we are about to LOSE IT! They think we are just being over dramatic. I mean how hard is it to blog, watch girl t.v, read, eat cookies and treats, nap, and play with 4 perfectly behaved children all day? Not hard, right? Wrong. Of course the children aren't perfectly behaving all the time, but even if they were, it would still be hard. Why? Because. Because it is the day in and the day out. Same and the same. Always thinking. Always planning. Always worrying. It's the build up of days that then end in a meltdown over another small unfulfilled expectation.

I have found that I tend to tell Shayne about the hard stuff that happen in my day. The fighting, the whining, the messes, ALL the problems. And then when I tell him, I might exaggerate it just a little. Like when the girls have a couple of friends over. The whole neighborhood was here. And when we have PB & J again for lunch. It's the 4th time this week. (Of course sometimes I truly don't exaggerate.) But why? Why tell only or mostly about the negative? Is it because I think staying home and being "just" a mom is easy? Honestly? Sometimes. Easier than what he does? Sometimes. Maybe I do this because during those few moments during the day when things are good; laughter, play, amazing firsts and discoveries. I feel guilty that I am the one that gets to be there to see it. Yes, that is PART of it. But the part that ends up getting me to the LOSE IT stage is that all encompassing feeling of being under appreciated.

All us moms know ALL the things we do every minute of every day that go unnoticed. Just little things, usually not physically hard things, but add them up. Yep, hard. My kids are great. And every once in a while we get a sweet note, or hug, or a "okay mom" with no argument, that makes me feel appreciated. But usually what I want is a little acknowledgment from my partner that what I do every day matters, that what I do is hard, that I do a great job, and I haven't permanently scarred my kids. Is that so much to ask? Well, if you know Shayne, you won't get a compliment when you ask for it. Soooo, I'll just have to wait and hope that either my LOSE IT mood passes, Shayne gets to urge to acknowledge all my pains, or I'll just have to end up calling my mom. The only thing she knows how to do is compliment me. "Mom...."

Parly Sue

Parly Sue is 8..... wait did I say 8? Wow... seems more like 15. She is growing up so fast. Sooo, Parly has always been very social. I don't think it is possible for her to go a day without seeing or talking to one of her bazillion friends. Because this is the case, we have found the perfect punishment for her when she gets into trouble... no friends. Yep. She can't stand it.

Well, we have been trying to instill in her the importance of being responsible. She has to tell us where she is going and where she is if plans have changed. She also has to be home on time ...usually at 5:30 p.m. She has her own watch and she set the alarm for 5:25 so she has enough time to get home. Our rule: If she is in the door after 5:30, no friends the next day.

She hasn't been late very many times. In the beginning, if she was going to be late one of her friend's mom would call and say that Parly was on her way home and that she (the mom) had lost track of the time... so it wasn't Parly's fault. I've always wondered if Parly got so upset about being late that these moms thought going home late meant she was getting a beating. Well, we discussed this and decided that it was not the mom's responsibility to send Parly home at the right time. This worked for a little while, until the weather got nicer and they would play outside, thus ...the excuse became I was outside and didn't know what time it was. So that's where the wrist watch came in. And with the watch... no problems. It has been fun to see her bursting into the door, out of breath, but on time.

Well, the other day we had our first issue since getting the watch for Christmas. She forgot to wear her watch. Parly came home 3 minutes late. Sad. Yes, I know 3 minutes. Late none-the-less. No friends tomorrow. Then came the pleading and tears. Sorry. Then came the anger and excuses. "I left when the clock said 5:25." We called Kendra's mom. What does your clock say? Okay, thanks. Sorry still late. "I left when Kendra's watch said 5:25." Called Kendra at another friends house. What does your watch say? Still late, sorry. We called to see what their clocks said thinking maybe the times would be different. Nope. Well this was Thursday. And on Friday she had a birthday party (she had already RSVP-ed to) and then a primary activity to go to. And then on Saturday another birthday party to go to. So... we told her that she would be grounded from playing with friends on Friday and Saturday. Later that night her friend called to see if she could help babysit at a neighbor's. We said yes, only because we thought this would be another chance to learn about responsibility. She had a choice : go babysitting but you will still grounded on Friday and Saturday, or don't go babysitting and no grounding. She chose to go babysitting. It turned out that they waited but weren't able to actually babysit. Of course, Parly then called and asked if she could go to her friend's sister's basketball game since she wasn't able to babysit. What? No. Come home. Tears. Why? Where do we begin, right? Well here's the letter she wrote us that night.

Like I said Parly Sue is 15 years old.