Christmas 2012

We had a blessed and fortunate Christmas this year.  The kids got their little hearts' desires (mostly) and were content with what they received, and we didn't blow our budget.  For most of the day, we just hung out together, and had fun.  Good times.

I don't think Sam wanted all the help they wanted to give him.

Gingerbread, Mostly

We made our annual gingerbread houses in mid-December, the 14th, to be exact (I only know this because my camera dates pictures, lol).  We had bunches of fun and tried out all sorts of awesome things, including a gingerbread mold (going to buy another one next year, so I can alternate them as I'm baking; NEVER going back to cutting out patterns), a shortbread house (making more of those next year, too), and a chocolate house (I didn't like the way the chocolate got a film coating on it, maybe next year try white chocolate?).  And of course, on Christmas day, we participated in our annual gingerbread house smashing.  Except I forgot to take pictures.  I should have, because the kids got way creative.  Rex ran over his with his bike, and Caleb and Hannah shot their with bow and arrows.

Mom's shortbread house.

Mom and Dad's chocolate house.  Completed after all the candy was gone.

Waiting for the fun to really start.

Lizzi was an angel, letting Sam help with her house.  He loved it!!

Hannah with Nana.

Hannah says hers was a Georgian house, as in why put snow around it when the grass is always green here?

After working on Lizzi's house, Sam very studiously added like a million lemon drops to his own house.

Finished products.

Halfway done.

Whoa!  Mucho frosting.  Sariah was very pleased with hers.

You can't see it in this pic, but on Rex's house, Santa was having some serious issues with the chimney.

Santa brought Lizzi's house a gingerbread baby.  Don't ask me why.  Idk.

Santa is falling off the roof on Caleb's house.  Santa had a bad night at our gingerbread house factory.  Just sayin.

Birthday Fun & General Goofing Off

The birthday boy turned 10 and we celebrated, followed by orange-frosting inspired goofing off.  Oh, and Hannah "posed" for pictures with Dad.

10 Awesome Things about Rex

This young man turns 10 today.  Ten!!!  What?  Now we are in the double digits.  How can this be?  Just the other day, he was a baby in our arms, and we called him Rexie-pooh (he loves that nickname now, yeah).

10 Awesome Things about Rex:

1. Rex loves animals, everything about them, and just about every kind of animal.  He checks out the insects on his hikes into the woods, and his boyish hands are amazingly gentle with small fragile creepy things like lizards.  He's even forgiven and gone on to love the dogs that have bitten him (yes, that was plural--sometimes his friendliness overcomes his common sense).
2. Rex is a collector, kind of like a blue jay.  Shiny bits and pieces of things that look useless to the rest of us immediately attract his attention, and he squirrels them away for further inspection and introspection.
3. He is an avid reader.  He's always got a book he's working on reading, and it's usually a pretty interesting one, too.  Who knew when he was little and ripping up board books that he would come to be one of the best readers ever?
4. When Rex grows up, he wants to be a dad, and he wants to be ... oh, it moves around a bit, from soldier to fireman to police officer to explorer.  You get the idea, though.  Definitely a man of action waiting to happen; ok, who am I kidding? the action is already happening.  Every day.  All the time.
5. Just when you think you have all of the angles of perspective covered...Rex swoops in with an insight that has never ever occurred to you.  And at the same time you are laughing, you are thinking, "Oh my heck, he's so freaking smart!!!"
6. When Rex was a toddler, I used to think he had no sense of caution whatsoever.  While time has tempered that somewhat, and sometimes he is almost overly-cautious, he will still ride his bike down the hills on the side of our house so that he can crush a gingerbread house as he speeds along.  Cool, that.  I was afraid for him, but he just shrugged his shoulders (and probably rolled his eyes).
7. Lego guys.  Lego guys.  Lego guys.  'Nuff said.
8. Because of the whole reading thing (see #3 above), Rex knows his scriptures pretty darn well.  And he's really good at telling the stories therein.  And not just the cool, action-packed parts; the other parts, too.
9. He called me his hero once, for adopting him.  He probably doesn't remember that, because it was several years back.  But I do.  I remember it because it was completely unprompted by me or anyone.  He just came up with it.  Under the boy dirt and sound effects and constantly-firing nerves and muscles, there is a very tender and grateful heart there.  I don't deserve it.
10. Rex spreads smiles wherever he goes.  You can't help it when he's around.  He is always smiling, even on a bad day.  He'll crack jokes or goof off just to cheer someone up.  And when he smiles, his whole face lights up.  You can't beat that talent in life!

Happy Birthday, Rex!  You light up our lives in more ways than you can know.  We are so proud of the young man that you are becoming.

See other birthday posts for Rex here, here, and here.

Tomorrow...

...we celebrate!

Who Knew?

Who knew that play-doh could be so entertaining? He has been playing with it for about 6 hours. Straight. He wouldn't even eat lunch. And bonus: even though he is completely engrossed, he hasn't had a potty accident yet today. Go, Sam, go!

Generational Perspective, as Illustrated by Les Mis

imdb.com

Bob, Hannah, and I recently viewed the new movie, Les Miserables (if I could figure out how to add the little accent thingie, I would).  It has been a topic of much discussion, even with those of our family who haven't seen it.

Here is some insight into the mindset of maturity (me -- hahahahaha) and that of youth.  Keep in mind that this is NOT an actual conversation, but more a conglomeration of comments made over the last week around here.

ME

• Number of times viewed: Once, because I am too cheap to pay for a second viewing, no matter how many Golden Globes it's been nominated for.
• On Hugh Jackman: Awesome.  He is good at everything he does.  But then I already knew that, because he sang in a film adaptation of Oklahoma!.  And he's the Wolverine.  And he does romantic comedy, too.  And I liked Australia.
• On Russell Crowe: The Gladiator sings?!  Awesome.  He looks good, too.
• On the guy who plays the bishop: Cool.  25 years ago, he played the part of Jean ValJean.  How cool is that to come back.
• On Anne Hathaway: She's good at everything she does, too.  And she lost 25 pounds to play this role.  She didn't have 25 pounds to lose!  Definitely she deserves the Golden Globe.
• On Amanda Seyfreid: She can act and she can sing.  She needs to quit being typecast and start doing something with those talents.
• On Eddie Redmayne: Eye candy.  I'm old enough to be his mother.  Wait, what?!  He's 31?!  Are you kidding me?  I thought he was like 18.  He's really funny to listen to on all the commentary on YouTube.  But.  Eye candy.  

YOUTH

• Number of times viewed: twice, and counting, because Eddie Redmayne is hot.
• On Hugh Jackman: Who?  Oh, the old guy.
• On Russel Crowe: Who?
• On the guy who plays the bishop: There was a bishop?
• On Anne Hathaway: Isn't that the chick from Ella Enchanted and Princess Diaries?
• On Amanda Seyfreid: Wait, wasn't she in Mamma Mia?
• On Eddie Redmayne: Completely, utterly awesome.  Wait, what?! He's 31?!  He's so old!  And now he's the wallpaper on my iPhone.

flicksandbits.com

Ok.  It is a pretty cool picture.

Oh, Potty, You Slay Me

I totally know how to celebrate the New Year.  Especially on my blog.  Instead of posting my resolutions (I did make them), I decided to potty train Sam.  Oh, the awesomeness of potty training.  It should have been done awhile now.  Buuuuuuuut things keep coming up.

You know, though, after the experience he and I had a few weeks ago, I thought that I really shouldn't keep delaying.

I was drying him off after his bath, and I laid him back on his towel.  He said, "Wait, watch this, watch this!"  Then the little rascal assured himself that I was watching, gave a dramatic pause for suspense ... and proudly peed.  Straight up into the air.

And then he was confused when I freaked out.

Nice.  Definitely time to tackle this, seeing as we have a great deal of control.

That's what we've been doing today.  I haven't even considered giving up, so it's going much better than any other time we've tried, and better than with several of his siblings.

I don't want to jinx myself, but I soooooo hope I don't have to buy diapers this month.

Hurray, Sam!

Hannah

Swim team is eating our lunch ... or more accurately, all of Hannah's time, and some of ours, too.  This is from the NHS's win last week.  They had fun.

Accomplishments

It's awfully quiet around here.  I wonder where my children are.  In an hour I get to go the high priest social.  Be jealous.

Seriously, I've done my work today.  I cut all four of my boys' hair.  Funny when the youngest one is the stillest, lol!

Again and Again

I so need to get my act together.  Per usual, I suppose.

We are getting ready to spend 9 grand days together for the Thanksgiving holiday.  In years past, that thought was very v.e.r.y. daunting.  But this year, I'm really looking forward to not having to go to very many activities, and the weather is still nice enough here to allow the kids to play for hours on end outside with their friends.

We have invited a couple of families over to spend Turkey Day with us.  I'm really looking forward to that as well.

In the mean time, I am cleaning off my desk.  Again.  Always.  Whatever.

Favorites

Hung out yesterday at Callaway Gardens--still one of my favorite places in Georgia. The butterflies were gorgeous and they were everywhere, both in the butterfly center and outside. Best of all: I was with 2 great ladies (Bob's aunt and his mama), and one of my favoritest boys, Mr. Sam.

Daisy Scout ... cont'd

Bah!  My email post didn't work the way it was supposed to.

I also said:

Check out Sariah's way cool outfit.  She refused to wear the requested white shirt and khaki bottoms because she "can't wear a plain shirt."  Not even after we arrived and saw all the other girls in their uniforms.  Gotta admire a girl with guts enough to wear what she wants to wear.  Period.

And:

This last picture is Sariah's buds from pre-K last year.  I'm so glad we have found a way for them to hang out this year even though Sariah switched schools.

Modern technology.  Bah!

Daisy Investiture

Sariah's big thing this school year is getting to be a Daisy Girl Scout. She loves it! My older girls didn't do scouts because I was unimpressed with the options available at the time. But I am so thrilled that this little girl gets to do what her mommy did, and her mommy's mommy before that, and that she is happy about it so far!

Exciting Friday Night

Blah.

Not enough time in the day.  So much I want to do.  So little time.  So little energy.  Blah.  Blah.  BLAHH!!

Just Another Few Days in the Life

I've been getting a ton of things done lately; it just doesn't feel like it.  But I keep reminding myself that my basement is a bit more organized, and my "craft" closet is neater, and Rex's room is immaculately clean (although I think I must attribute that to Caleb moving out of his room, because strangely, the mess has migrated to Caleb's new room), and my living room floor has been vacuumed this week ... twice, even.  Really bizarre.

Bob has been a painting fiend this week.  Our hall bathroom is now a pretty shade of green.  Going on, and against the blue painter's tape, I was a little concerned, but it's not nearly so bad as I initially thought it was going to be.

Sariah has been sick for two days with a fever and a sticky cough.  Trying to decide to take her to the doctor.  It's probably just a cold, but the school system gets all in a snit when you don't have official reasons for absence.

Sam went pee pee on the potty yesterday.  Woohoo!  Not that he's been back since then, but hey, progress is progress.

We are preparing for Bob's mom to move into our home.  It will require a little shifting, but the kids are excited, and I think overall it will be a good thing (though there are sure to be hiccups along the way).

Rescue Me

I'm still trying to figure out my life these days.  There's so much I want to do, and not matter how hard I try, I just can't get it all into one day, between the kids' activities and the things I want to do around the house and the things I'd like to do "for myself."  For example, today I should get up and go to the Y.  But it winds up taking 2.5 hours to drive over there and put Sam in the nursery and do the workout I want to and then return again.  But I am one laundry basket away from completing the Great Laundry Basket Rescue (all of my laundry baskets were filled with things that were NOT laundry), and I need to move on to the Great Master Suite Rescue (seems fairly self-explanatory), and I realized last week that there is a set of blankets that we haven't found since our move and there are only a few more boxes to look in that haven't been unpacked, and, and, and, and....  But missing the Y hardly meets my goal to get healthier.  But there's so much to do!

So I'll just keep plugging along, doing the best I can.  Only like 10 more weeks of football.  And then my schedule will be crystal clear again.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming...

Yesterday was a little bit of a bust.  Everything I did took longer than I thought it was going to, and at the very end of the day (we're talking like 10:30 pm), I had to run to the store unexpectedly.  Awesomeness right there.

But rather than completely focus on how things did not work as planned, I thought I would list out what I got done that I didn't expect to: I tried a new exercise class at the Y (my coordination skills have not surprisingly not improved over the last 15 years, so I probably won't be going back, lol), and I got to offer some service to a friend, and I ate some fresh vegetables (this may not sound like an accomplishment to some of you, but on some days this is a real accomplishment in my life), and I got the littles bathed before church activities so Bob wouldn't have to do it after he got back from football with Caleb, and I found Caleb's scout books (right where they belonged--really????).

Sometimes it is so easy for me to get caught up in everything that I wanted to get done or was "supposed" to get done but didn't actually get done.  Then I feel like a failure or like I lack self-discipline, or I feel overwhelmingly overwhelmed.  Or any combination thereof.  Plus some.

It's good to take the time to remind myself that I am taking care of seven other people.  And a dog.  And a house (not that I do this part terribly well).  And it's good to take the time to remind myself of all the other things that I got done.  It's really hard for me to stick to a plan when I have these other 7 variables, but I just keep working on it one day at a time.  And as long as I keep on trying, I'm doing good.

MOTY Nominations

Hmmm.

So today. Today was a whopper.

I worked out the Y. Burned almost 600 calories and did 4.5 miles on a cross trainer. Yay me!!  When I picked Sam up from nursery, he was happily telling the workers about his truck. Which he doesn't pronounce that way. You should have seen the look she gave me.  Oh yeah, Mother-of-the-Year right here. And it seems like the more we try to teach him to say ttttttttt-rrrrrrrrrr-uck, the better he gets that initial F. I think we should give up and ignore it for a while.  But my mother pride keeps getting itself up.

For more MOTY (mother-of-the-year) merriment ... I completely wrecked the day for one of my teenage daughters. Awesome. Sooooo, tonight while we were supposed to be at football, swim team, and Daisy Girl Scouts all at the same time, I was doing damage control. Fortunately, this involved a strawberry shake (good thing I burned all those calories, right?).  And clothes shopping, which was still fun even if the purchases weren't for me.

Good thing tomorrow is another day.

I still have 4 kids to warp in some way. Just kidding. Sort of.

Gospel Sod (It IS the Sabbath after all)

The hymns we sang at church today were ... fun.

The first one was fun because nobody sings it very often, therefore nobody really knew it very well, therefore, it sounded ... fun.

Two of the other hymns were some of my all-time favorites, and were some of the first hymns I learned as a member of the church: I Know That My Redeemer Lives, and I Believe in Christ.

It took some time, but I Believe in Christ really hit me hard today.  I got through the first few verses without really paying attention, but when we got to, "My feet He plants on gospel sod," I remembered how, well ... grounded that phrase always makes me feel.  I guess it's because I grew up with a mom who was and is happy to garden, happy to nourish little or big things in the soil and watch them strengthen and grow.  She's so good at it.  And though it's not something I often make time for, I like to have my hands in soil and watch green things unfurl and blossom.  But you have to take good care of their roots, make sure they have all the things they need.  Plants and growing, blooming things and dark, rich soil seem so fertile and full of potential.  I guess I like to think of my feet firmly planted in the sod of the gospel--me, full of potential and hope and strength with roots grasping mightily to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am including the words of this hymn here.  Some hymns you really have to sort through to figure out what is being said, but this one is a simple and straightforward testimony (the apostle Bruce R. McConkie's testimony, actually) that needs no interpretation.

31243, Hymns, I Believe in Christ, no. 134

1. I believe in Christ; he is my King!
With all my heart to him I’ll sing;
I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God’s Son.
On earth to dwell his soul did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised.

2. I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
As Mary’s Son he came to reign
’Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: “Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be.”

3. I believe in Christ—my Lord, my God!
My feet he plants on gospel sod.
I’ll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan’s grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.

4. I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I’ll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: “Ye shall obtain.”
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I’ll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.

Text: Bruce R. McConkie, 1915–1985. © 1972 IRI

Music: John Longhurst, b. 1940. © 1985 IRI

Waaaaaaait a Minute...

Sadly, we were recently the victims of a joke.

My friend texted me on Thursday night to tell us that OU was playing BYU.  Bob stepped up the "trash talk" by informing her that BYU wasn't a real school. But we didn't even turn on the TV cuz it couldn't possibly be football.

On Friday, our Y-loving friend brought us these cupcakes to celebrate BYU's football victory over OU.  We kept wondering how we missed that OU had a football game (on a Thursday night??) ... but then this IS some serious SEC country so we don't see many OU games these days. :(

The game was from 3 years ago.  Darn that BYU-TV.

No wonder no one had posted anything on Facebook....

But it's nice to have friends that take the time to pick on you a little.  :)   Especially when their teasing involves sweet treats. Even if they do have little Ys all over them.

Technology Is NOT Foolproof

I had a whole new post for today.  I composed it on my phone, complete with a picture, and sent it off in cyberspace to land on my blog.  Presumably, it is still out there somewhere, because as of now, it hasn't really landed.  Alas, I will recreate it later this afternoon.

Hope on the Horizon

This little man went to the doctor today.  He's been sick with a cold for over a week, and his cough at night just kept getting worse.  He didn't run a fever so I debated taking him to the doc, because who wants to spend $30 for someone to tell you it's a cold?  But I felt like I should take him, so take him I did.

He has bronchitis. This afternoon we loaded him up on antibiotics and a better cough medicine. We are supposed to give him steroids, too, but there was no way on earth I was giving him that at 4 pm.

Good thing I didn't. He was feeling so much better that he laid in bed crashing his cars into each other for like 2 hours tonight.  Without the assistance of steroids.

But now that he's asleep, he's already breathing better. So thankful my little guy is on the mend.

It's Gonna Be a Good Day

The foot isn't broken.  The wrists are healing.  The tummy survived the day.  The boy ate his breakfast at home, and the girl got on the bus (amazing what a good night's sleep will do for you).

Sam and Junie and I have already been on our walk for the day--man, both Junie and I are out of shape.  We sounded like two old ladies climbing those hills.  I should be potty-training Sam.  But.  He's such a crank.  Don't know if I have the nerves to approach it yet.  But he's sleeping in a big boy bed.  One transition at a time, right?

Now ... for some book reading and some laundry and some dishes and some filing.  Yeah, we live a highly exciting life.

Just a Little Rant

(I will promise I will return to my regularly scheduled cheerfulness tomorrow.)

I am supposed to be potty training the little man this week.

But.

Caleb has a stomach ache.  Lizzi's foot needs x-rays (she kicked a wall).  Hannah's wrists are pretty bruised up (she fell on the deck at swim practice).  Sariah is refusing to go to school without a fight.  Rex skipped breakfast in an attempt to eat school breakfast.  My kitchen needs a massive cleaning.  As does the rest of my house.  I have all this free time now that the kids are at school.

But.

And Sam.  Well, I don't think he approves of this idea.  We are going to have to find some serious motivation for this.

On Husbands and BFFs

This shall be an insight into why my husband doesn't buy me flowers (very often) and why my BFF does buy me flowers (on occasion).

Today, the FedEx guy delivered a beautiful birthday bouquet to my doorstep (I feel like I should add for a bouncing baby boy to that just to keep up that alliteration).  They had probably sat there for a certain amount of time since that punk FE guy didn't knock the door, so they were a little wilty looking (although the packaging assured me--correctly--that the flowers would perk up with water).

Bob:  Who is sending you flowers?

Me (with a shrug): I don't know.  It must be my secret admirer.

Bob:  Well, I hope they put my name on it.

And then, Bob: Oh, it's Tiffany.  [For some reason, he really likes to pick on her....]  Why would someone send you dead-looking flowers?

And more Bob:  Oh wait, they were already dead when they bought them, like as soon as they cut the stems.  Why would you buy someone dead flowers?

When we were first married, this really disturbed me, because I like to receive flowers.  Even if they are (technically) dead.  Fortunately, I have a BFF (best friend forever) who will buy me (technically) dead flowers on a special occasion, and I can appreciate my husband's logical appreciation for the symbolics of gift giving.

And no, you did not just hear me snort or snicker.  I appreciate my husband's thoughtfulness, especially since he did bring me all sorts of chocolate & peanut butter (together) for my birthday.  What more can a husband do, right?

Sam's Favorite Store

Sam's favorite store is Publix, obviously because he gets to drive a truck around while we are shopping. He also wants you to note his awesome stickers from the doctor's office and the checkout lady.  He's so cute!