What I've been up to

Yes, I have been hard to get a hold of.  Yes, I have only gone to play group once in the last who knows how many months.  Yes, I haven't answered the phone right away but I always will call back during my babies naptimes...it always sounds like World War III in the background otherwise.  Yes, I have been struggling on balancing a 6,2 and 1 year old.  And yes, if I've seemed preoccupied in thought, I have been.  I knew I would always be busy but I never realized how much I would doing as a mom that stays home.

So, if you're wondering what I have been up to and why I've been so distracted here's my list:

Working my tail off to get our yard up to par.  I'll try to get pictures when I'm done...it will be pretty.  Better yet why not a barbecue.  We'll see...time is not on my side.

Finishing up the kids photo books.  Two down, one more to go!  I was so anxious to see what they looked like I jumped the gun and ordered the younger kids books.  Plus there was a sweet discount at the time.

Cleaning up clutter in our house.  I'm tired of seeing toys everywhere so we got this sweet toy organizer that has made my life SOOOOO much easier at the end of the day and has given the kids responsibility of keeping track of their toys.  And I threw out majority of my clothes.  That was probably a problem being I didn't have a lot of clothes in the first place and the thought of going to the mall with all my kids makes me shutter.

Reading every potty book and watching every potty dvd that we can get a hold of to get Macey excited to use the potty.  She's been loving the books.  Hopefully this will push her to want to go potty like a big girl.

I've been exercising every chance I get to give me a better chance at recovery for the upcoming procedure I'm having.  Third time is a charm.  Hopefully Doc will keep his promise at making me better than new.

Then every other second I have I've been squeezing in crocheting a cute little blanket for a deserving little baby.  At some point I want to start donating the ones I make to the hospital to brighten a child's day.  You'll never know how much it means to a child and the parents when they are at the hospital for whatever reason frightened, sick or hurt and how much the warmth and security of a blanket brings until you know someone that has been to Primary's with their child and has been the recipient of one.

Volunteering and doing end of the year stuff with Maryn at her school.  We had quite fun square dancing together and then showing daddy when we got home.  It's awesome that she still remembers all the moves.

So, that has been my life in a nutshell intertwined with my children's unending drama between each other.  I'd rather be busy that not have anything to do that's for sure.  I have a very blessed life...hopefully I can be made equal to everything that has been given to me.  

Old rings and a missing shoe

We were in the car this morning driving and things were quiet for the most part when out of no where Maryn asks, "Mom, can I have your old rings when your dead?"  Caught me off guard and I really didn't know how to respond to it.  I told her that I would be sure to divide up my jewelry or lack there of to both Macey and her.  Later on in the day she was wearing all my old rings.  I gave up telling her no and it drives me nuts when they play in my room but she asked why I never wear any of the old rings and I told her because the ring I have on is special and from Daddy.  So, she said, "Oh, I guess that means that won't be apart of the "old rings" then."  She is obsessed!!!  I guess Matt lucked out in ever having to buy me jewelry...I'd be happy as a clam with a new kitchen appliance for every gift!  My girls will be a different story...they LOVE to accessorize and as they should. Just wish I could be like that.  I'm so boring when it comes to jewelry.

Also, I found our little missing shoe.  Of all places it was in the laundry basket of clothes to be folded.  Good thing I didn't procrastinate my folding to later in the week.

Missing Shoe

We got buddy guy some new shoes for his birthday.  And leave it to me to lose one of them within the first 24 hours.  It could be anywhere!!!  So much for my 40% find.  He kept kicking the darn things off so finally I put them in the car.  Except we had a marathon day on Saturday where we went multiple places.  I think it may have got kicked out of the car by mistake.  I need duct tape to secure his shoes on for future wear.  So, if by chance you're in a parking lot of say a church house, Walmart or Michaels and you see a cute little shoe like pictured below please let me know...poor boy needs to protect his tootsies.  By the way, he downed a HUGE piece of cake for his birthday!  I think he was in sugar rush heaven.

My Birthday Boy

Today is my baby boy's birthday.  I can't believe that it has been a whole year.  Mason gave me a gift for his own birthday.  He was crying this morning(early in the morning) and when I went in to check on him he said Momma twice.  He called my name!

Just a little bit about Mason.  He has tons of nicknames.  Buddy Guy, Otis Spunkmeyer(Otis for short), Beef Cake (or just Beef),  Danny, McDaniel, MySon, Scooty and I'm sure there are a few that I've left out.  He is still not technically crawling but does a scooty booty crawl that gets him around pretty well.  He can stand at the furniture if you put him up on it.  He LOVES his cars and will drive them on the couch and make car noises.  He also loves this little ball toy that we have.  He doesn't dare let go of his toys because he knows someone will take them and has learned if he swings his arms around the girls will stay back.  He has this shy guy routine that he only does to me when I'm trying to get him to laugh or eat.  Never get in the way of this boy and his food.  He loves his sisters and has started to reciprocate hugging them back in his own way.  I spoil him way too much and let him get away with more than the girls ever did.  Maybe it's because he's my baby.  Happy Birthday my little man...we're so glad that you're apart of our family!

Macey's "Almost Done" Photobook

Since Mother's Day I've been working on Macey's photo book and I'm almost done.  I have 1 more page that I'm a little stuck on.  Technically it's done but there is just something missing and I can't put my finger on it.  I'm going to step back from it a little bit to figure what I need to change but otherwise here are the finished pages.  This is from Ettes company and the Digital Kit is Favorite Faces...fitting for my Macey Face!  They had some really cool frame clusters that I really liked.  I'm so excited to be two-thirds of the way done with all the photo books I set out to do.  Maybe I'll actually finish something on my "to do" list yet.  Can you believe we're almost half way done with the year???  Oh yah...and if anyone of you were wondering this is the song from Dumbo, Baby Mine!  Such a lovely song.  Macey asks for it every night.  When she is especially wiggly and goofy we'll jazz the song up a bit at night.  She really likes it when Daddy is the back up singer putting some soul into it.  I wish I could use my singing for something bigger BUT(no regrets) for right now this is the most important...lullabies and night night songs.  Isn't she just beautiful!!!!

Not exactly the weekend I envisioned

There is a reality that happens when you become a parent.  And only a reality that a parent can understand...if you have something planned when you throw kids in the mix it will never end up the way that was originally planned.  Despite the kind of weekend we've had the kids have been relatively good.  We have had to be flexible and they have had to be flexible.

Buddy guy got sick mid week...throwing up, diarrhea...the whole bit.  He seemed to be doing well by Friday so we decided to continue with our plans to stay the whole weekend in Clifton.  I was still leery of traveling because buddy guy's system is not back to normal but we went anyway.  And what I knew was going to happen, happened.  He had a horrid mess halfway through the trip while stuck in an accident on the freeway not moving...soaking all his blankets, himself and the carseat.  After being creative and finding things to clean him up with and trying to keep him warm for the hour we had left, finally finding his binky in the dirt on the ground after losing it during the mess we were on our way.  Three hours later we finally make it to Clifton(it's only a 2 hour trip) and we get settled in and Matt starts not to feel well.  He got a version of what Mason has been dealing with.  So I was up with him and Mason all night taking care of them.  Hopefully this is only a boy germ thing.

In the morning we were able to get Matt comfortable and we even squeezed in a four wheeler ride to the Basin which was absolutely beautiful and the girls got to play near the spring run off from the mountain.  So the weekend wasn't totally lost.  When we got back to the house I saw dad mowing the back forty(so we call it) and asked if I could pretend I was a farm girl and mow the last acre.  That was the most fun I've had in a long time.  Riding mowers ROCK!  We fed the wild welfare cats left over food and decided to dramatically cut our trip short because buddy and daddy weren't doing all too great.

Sometimes things happen like this and you got to make the most of it even if the situation is not the most welcomed.  No need to feel sorry or whatever this was just my weekend.  It is what it is.  These kind of weekends make you appreciate when everyone is well and functioning.  I just wish we could've stayed a little longer.  

Video Vault

I've been looking through our million and one pictures trying to find the perfect ones for Macey's book and I came across this little video treasure from back in 2009.  It just may solve the "being stranded on the potty with no toilet paper" issue.  Usually if one of your kids run out of toilet paper your poor kid will be yelling, "Mom...Mom....Mooooooom, MOM, Mom".  Now since we moms have learned to not run at the drop of the hat every time we hear our name it's a bum deal for the person that gets stuck on the potty in the house with no one to come to the rescue when the toilet paper is gone.  This may help out in a time of need in the future.  It's saved our bacon a time or to.  We just have to hear the word "Tragedy" and someone is coming to our rescue.

A Rainy, Blustery Day

After a gorgeous Saturday where each of us got a little color in our faces, today the rain is here.  Which is welcomed...I need enough water for our little plants to grow.  I've never had a green thumb and continue to kill things.  Maybe someday I'll figure how to keep up plants.  I heard once that if you can keep up a plant then you can move on to having a pet and then eventually a child.  THANK GOODNESS some of that's not true or else my children would've wilted a long time ago!

Have you ever noticed there is so much to learn?  Even when you think you've learned everything about something there is always something new.

Just some random things...Maryn has taken it upon herself to start to make her own lunches and even made me breakfast the other week by herself.  I'm so used to doing everything it's weird having another set of hands in the mix of things.  I just have to keep my comments to a minimum about the left over mess and clean it up and be grateful that she wants to help.

Macey is becoming quite the talker after not talking at all.  I think there are still a few people that swear she never talks.  I'm learning her language and figured out pencils are preztels, sclippers are scriptures and tookies are cookies.  Matt for the life of him still can only understand 50% of what she is saying.  She does pretty well though.  She is in the asking questions phase where she is curious about everything.  She wants to know how everything works.

Mason is still Mason.  His birthday is coming up in 2 weeks and the little stinker still won't crawl.  He'll get up on all fours like he's just going to bust out and crawl and then belly flops.  But don't be fooled he gets in to EVERYTHING by his superior rolling skills.  That kid can turn on a dime.  His little personality is shining through and he is going to be a HUGE tease.  He growled at another boy at the talent show the other night because the boy got too close to him and scared the poor little kid off .  It also amazes me how much more enjoyment he gets out of toys.  More so than the girls ever did at this age.

Matty and I have been working on the yard every nice day that we can get.  We have a long way to go but pretty sure we'll get it done before mid June.  I feel like I'm running out of time I have 3 1/2 months of spring/summer and have so much to do.  Also, I took it upon myself to get a mother's day present and I'm so excited.  This past weekend was international digital scrapbook day and I got a sweet deal on some digi papers by one of my favorite designers from the Ettes company.  Totally excited to finish Macey's lullaby book!  The kit is bright and colorful and totally reminds me of my Macers.

I'm working on the cover and this is what I have so far.  And below are some other random pictures.

Scratch Performing off the List

Well, if ever I had a dream of performing in front of large audiences I think tonight has pushed away any thought of becoming a professional performer.  MY MIND BLANKED.  I forgot the stinkin' words to the last verse.  Not that I'm making excuses but I was too preoccupied with the music fading in and out and my mind went blank.  I was doing so well.  I guess there goes any hope in performing in a broadway musical.  Goodbye dreams of Mary Poppins or Beauty and the Beast.  My sweet little Macey came to my rescue and stood by me while I was fumbling my words.  Thank you little Angel!

I'm going to drown my embarrassment and sorrows in some Oatmeal Cookies.

Oh yah, and thanks Matt for recording my embarrassment for posterity.  I'm finding that and deleting it off your phone!

A little nervous

Tonight I am attempting to do something that I'm not quite comfortable with:

1. Singing without music

2.  Trying to be funny(because I'm not)

These two things scare the daylights out of me and tonight I'm going to say "what the heck" and give it my best!!!  I'm usually only accidentally funny at best so for me trying to do something funny...well...I just hope it doesn't backfire on me.  Wish me luck at the talent show!!!