Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Garden

We are finally starting to have ripe veggies in our garden! I love this time of year when we an pick tomatoes and peppers and make fresh salsa. By next week, we should have our first salsa batch. Gary also dug up one of our potato bushes today to see how big they were and we had a handful of marble sized purple potatoes. We planted blue potatoes this year to mix it up for the boys. I hope they grow fast now! Fall is coming! Mmmmmmmm I can taste the fresh garden veggies already!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Daddy's Home!

Gary made it home yesterday. I didn't tell the boys he was coming - except Dylan who I knew wouldn't tell :) - and they were VERY excited to see him. Since then, Dylan hasn't wanted to leave his side. Gary is tucking him in for naps, playing with him, and just hanging out together. If he leaves his sight, Dylan has one of his melt downs. Hopefully he'll be a bit more secure in Gary being home by the time he goes to the office on Thursday otherwise it will be a LONG day at home.

I'm glad the boys all have such good relationships with their Dad. He spends time doing stuff they love and always has time for them when he's home and they know that they are important to him. We are going to go on our first camping trip in a couple years this weekend so we can have some family time. They have been begging to go and they'll be so surprised when we finally go! I'm excited to.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Happy to be Home

We went to American Fork for the weekend for a baby shower and made it home last night. We were only gone two nights this time which made packing so much lighter and easier! I always think it is fun to watch the boys reactions to being home.

Tom is pretty easy going. He is happy to be at Grandma's or happy to be home. The only thing that bothers him about coming home is the end of staying up WAY late and getting back into the regular routine. He gets so tired playing when we are away that even though he wants to stay up until midnight, he is usually crying over everything and nothing after about eight. This was the case last night when it was bedtime but he was out about the time his head hit the pillow.

Logan is about the same away and home. He is my argumentative kid lately and he can do that here or at Grandma's just as easy. It doesn't seem to phase him where he is.

Ethan is my happy go lucky kid. He is always sad when he has to leave Grandma's but he is happy to have his toys and bed and stuff around him.

Dylan, on the other hand, is CRAZY when we get home. He practically runs from room to room like a mad man, touching everything as if to make sure it is still there. He sits and laughs to himself like he can't believe the luck - he is actually is home. He'll play with one toy for a minute and then move on quickly to another one. He's been climbing on everything, playing the piano, emptying my cup cupboard and pulling down my dish towels with complete joy. I've watched him all morning just enjoying it.

I love how different they all are.

Friday, August 22, 2008

First Day Recap

About 1:00 the boys were suppose to be home from their first day of school. Right on time, Tom walks in the door. And then, shuts it behind him. I casually ask him about his brother, Logan, expeciting him to say he's coming. Instead, this is our conversation:

Me: Where's Logan?

Tom - very nonchalantly: I don't know. He must have missed his bus or something?

Me - a bit more concerned: What? Wasn't he on your bus with you? You didn't see him anywhere?

Tom: Nope. I guess he got on a different one or something. What's for snack?

At this point I am on the phone calling the school to see if they have a missing first grader. While I'm on hold waiting for them to find his teacher, Logan comes strolling in looking a bit warm.

Logan - with a disgusted sigh: I had to walk ALL the way from the baseball park! (Which is less than an extra two blocks.) The bus driver WOULDN'T drive me to the right place.

Me: The baseball park? You must have gotten on the wrong bus.

Logan: No I didn't. My teacher told me bus number 36.

Me: Who was on your bus? Was there anyone you knew?

Logan: Yeah. The Mullen kids and Ryker..........

Me: Well next time you need to be on the other bus.

Logan: NO! MY TEACHER SAID BUS NUMBER 36. SEE, IT'S RIGHT HERE ON MY NAME TAG!

Me: Even teachers make mistakes. You need to ride bus number 59 next time.

I can't wait until they ride home again on Monday! Thank goodness I'm picking them up Friday.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

First Day Jitters

Today is the first day of school and boys were so funny this morning. They got themselves up before 6:45 a.m. and were ready to get dressed first thing. They kept yawning but I'm pretty sure some of it was pretend like, "Oh we are SO tired and now it's school and we don't get enough sleep." They only really woke up a few minutes earlier than every other day! Neither of them could eat breakfast either. Both wanted to be in charge of combing their own hair now too. Too bad they can only see the immediate front of their head! I had to step in on the back now that they have both decided to grow their hair out into a shaggy longer style.

I can't believe summer break is really over. It went so fast in some ways and so slow in others. Tom is starting third grade and that just doesn't seem possible. Logan should still be half day in my world but I guess he really is in first grade and is big enough to remember his lunch number and eat his lunch and deal with big kids at recess and......


When we came home from walking them to the bus stop, the house was so very quiet. I'm sure I'll get use to that soon enough!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

To Do Lists

I had a conversation the other day with my sister, Sunnie. She is a school teacher and had the summer off. She was telling me that when she went back to school to set up her room, she and the other teachers couldn't believe summer was already over because they didn't get ANY of their list of projects done. All the crafty things they thought they would have time for when they weren't teaching, were still sitting, untouched.

As school starts up again, I too have a huge list of projects that I will get done while the boys are at school and the two little ones are napping during the afternoon. I hope I get to at least half of them.

I always seem to have one to do list going at least. Somehow writing it all down and crossing it off make me feel like I've accomplished something. I'll admit, some days the list is full of things like: shower, dishes, lunch.......but some days are harder to be a mom than others and we need that sense of accomplishment where ever we can get it right? How many of you also have a never-ending to do list?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Blood and Gore

There I was, trying to take a fast shower while the boys were all playing this morning after breakfast. Right after I've got conditioner in my hair and one leg shaved - you know, the point of no return - Tom comes in to tell me Dylan cut his chin.

What? How bad? What did he cut it on? Did he fall down?

Tom assures me it is just a scrape and I tell him to wipe it off. About ten seconds later, he comes back in to tell me it isn't a scrape and it bleeding like crazy. There I am, shaving like crazy while trying to rinse off conditioner and soap so I can get out while Tom brings Dylan into the now VERY small bathroom. He is bleeding everywhere but it isn't coming from his chin. He cut the tip of his little thumb and then touched his face. Nothing was cut off, just one cut, straight into his thumb but boy did that thing bleed. It took about ten minutes for me to get it to stop.

Since then, I've been finding blood EVERYWHERE! I noticed the outside of my shower curtain looks like we had our own version of a slasher movie with blood streaked across the outside where Dylan tried to pull it open. There are drops across the carpet. The linoleum was a mess and the outside of the bathroom door was pretty scary too. Who knew one little cut on one very little man could do so much damage!

Since then, Dylan has taken his band-aid off and there is no more bleeding. He's healed except it is a bit sore I think from the way he keeps touching it.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Sheets

I'm a firm believer that one of the essential parts of a great night's sleep is great sheets. A few years ago I stumbled upon such a set on a clearance table at Macy's. Great price and great sheets.

I think it may have been more than a few years ago because this morning as I was pulling the sheet up to make the bed, I heard a fateful sound. Riiiiippppp. The top hem literally ripped off the main part of the sheet. I was on the phone with Gary at the time and he laughed and said I would have to turn the top sheet around now knowing full well that I couldn't do that. It just wasn't how the sheet was suppose to work. Sheets are one of the many things in life I seem to be freaky about and he loves giving me a hard time about it.

So now I'm at a crossroads. I have an old set on the bed now. Do I just wait until the perfect set comes my way again at a great price, or break down and find some soon? I think it will be sooner than later! I'm heading to Utah next weekend and a crisp new set may be coming back with me.

Friday, August 15, 2008

No House Envy Here

Today I went to the Parade of Homes with three friends. It was so nice to have a day out with the girls. I think I had fallen into the "no one sees what I'm wearing so why does it matter" point of Gary being gone. I forget how re-energizing it is to have some time away from my mom role and back into society.

The homes were, for the most part, gorgeous. You know what I mean, new, no chips in the baseboards or paint, no grime in the corners of the cabinets, no stains on the carpet. They were also decorated by experts without a budget in mind and the whole house coordinated. It's easy to think that I need to go out and spend a fortune to have such a house but then.........

Reality. I have four beautiful boys who love being boys. We try to teach them to treat things with respect but they are still little boys and the walls get dinged and the baseboards get chipped and the carpet gets stained and there are fingerprints EVERYWHERE! I wouldn't trade it for anything (although a weekly maid service would be tempting) and even though the homes were decorated beautifully, those decorations will age and need to be replaced but my boys just seem to get more and more priceless if that is even possible with each day. Sappy thoughts I know but, hey, I'm the Mom here!

So, instead of a bright and shiny new house with new landscaping and all the latest in home decor, I'll stick with my almost new house and my not really new home decor and my "broken in" landscaping and have one more reason to be grateful for the every present grime that comes with the territory of having kids.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Twilight

For quite some time everyone seems to be reading the Twilight series and wondering why I'm not. Well, my neighbor finally got me to commit to read it when Gary was on a fire and I started the first book on Tuesday - should be finished today. I miss reading sooooo much but it seemed like keeping the house semi-clean, boys fed and watered, and all the activities straight, there hasn't been any time to sit down with a good book. After reading this one for a couple of days, I'm hooked! And for all of you who were pushing for me to read it, could you please come over and feed, clean, and entertain my children who are running crazy through the neighborhood because their mother has her nose in this book? I don't know if the house will ever be the same again!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Bath Time

I had just gotten Dylan out of the tub, dressed, and down for his nap this morning when I went back in the bathroom to get Ethan out. Here's the scene: no bubbles, a handful of toys scattered around in the water, Ethan in the water laying on his stomach with his head just above water but face down.

Me: It's time to get soapy.

Ethan: Slight giggle

Me: Stand up so we can get you all soapy please.

Ethan: Slight giggle but still no movement.

Me: Are you ready?

Ethan finally standing up with a smile from ear to ear and the mischievous look on his face: I was hiding from you!

The innocence of a three-year-old!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Missing Dad

The boys usually handle Gary's fire assignments pretty well. We count down the days, circle the approximate date he's coming home on the calendar, and leave rambling messages for him every night after prayers. For some reason this assignment is hitting Tom harder than others. Gary's only been gone a few days and he's already tearing up at night. He has such a soft heart at times.

I left Gary a message last night asking him to call if he got a chance to talk to his boys. First thing this morning, the phone rang. He got my message and made it a priority to talk to each of them for a few minutes. Tom was beaming! After listening to them, I realized their conversations are SOOOOO different. Tom wants to hear something cool that happened. Ethan wants to know if he saw any animals. Logan is all about the statistics: fire size, number of people, helicopters, etc.

I love how Gary responds to their needs individually. He is a great father and really makes the time spent with them count - whether it is on the phone or in person. I know it is also hard for him to be away but he does it for the family. I'm lucky to have such a great husband and father!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Fabulous Sunday Dinner

Gary left Sunday morning at 5:00 - is that morning or still the middle of the night? - for a fire assignment in California. Since Logan had joined us somewhere around 1:00 after having a bad dream and Gary getting up a few hours later, I was beat come Sunday afternoon.

Church is always an adventure without a husband and four small boys but they were pretty well behaved for the most part. Thank goodness because Primary was a nightmare! By the time we got home, it was all I could do to put together pb&j's for lunch and then get Ethan and Dylan in bed for a nap. About ten minutes after they were asleep, so was I. I love Sunday afternoon naps!

Anyway, by the time we all got back up and moving, it was time to eat again and I hadn't planned anything for dinner. Finally, I just grabbed a few bags of Ramen and figured that would do. The boys thought Ramen was the best thing ever. I forget how much they like it. Logan took the cake with his comments though.

"This is my favorite! I love this stuff! Boy, I bet Dad wishes he was here to eat this. I don't think he is eating anything this good right now. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" And he wasn't even being sarcastic. They ate three packages!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Adjusters, Estimates, and Tires, Oh My!

There we were, Thomas, Logan, Dylan and I driving home from Preston in a hurry to pick up Ethan from a birthday party. Cruising along the interstate without a worry when..........horrible noise, slight shaking of the car, tire tread flying from behind my vehicle.

Slightly rattled, I pulled over to check out the damage and, much to my surprise, found the tire still fully inflated but missing all the tread. At this point we are exactly between McCammon and Inkom - for those of you not from here, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! - and pulled off on the shoulder with cars whizzing by at break neck speed.

I call Gary's cell phone and get his voice mail. Figuring he is already on his motorcycle on the way home, I call back immediately. I know if I keep calling back immediately, he will have to pull over and see what is going on. He answers on the second attempt with, "Is this an emergency?"

"Yes it is!" He hangs up with his other important call and comes to my rescue. I limp the car into Inkom and he meets me there to change the tire. It's then that I see the extent of the damage. The bumper is broken, the underside of the car in the wheel well is cracked, the wires for my tire indicator lights are hanging down.

Well, to make this long story short, I've gone in for my estimate, talked several times with my insurance agent and now I'm waiting for the claims division to call me back. $1600 worth of damage. We think the tire that blew was on the Firestone recall list from a few years ago but was put on my car anyway when they ruined my original tire trying to fix a flat. Let the paperwork begin.

It's a HUGE blessing it was on the back of the car and that we didn't wreck.
We were definitely being looked over yesterday! By the way, does anyone know a good rental car company?

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Back to School

I don't remember my parents being stressed out about which teacher we had in school. There were no meetings with the principal, no requesting a specific teacher, no worrying that you won't get into "the" kindergarten-first-second-etc class. It seems like lately the stress level is high enough that you would think it affects which college they go to. YIKES!

I just registered Tom and Logan for school again and found out that Logan didn't have the teacher I thought he would have and then discovered that his circle of friends all did have that teacher. I stressed and stressed and then called the school to see if I could switch. After last year and the nightmare of second grade, we need a good year. Even though I am a college graduate, calling the Principal's office still makes me nervous - like I'm in trouble. Mrs. Herdt was and always is great and made a switch with no problem. Crisis averted. This time anyway!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Ethan's Day

Today was the last of the dates for school shopping. Ethan and I hit the town running. Well, almost.

I got him strapped in his car seat, put the key in the ignition and........nothing. Not just a dying battery. A D-E-A-D dead one. I tried calling my husband to rescue me but he was out of cell coverage. It was then that I went to my "I am woman, hear me roar" personality and decided I didn't need a man to help me anyway. I backed Gary's truck up to my car (which Gary had backed into the garage a couple days ago thankfully!) and pulled out the jumper cables. After I figured out how to get the hood up on two very different cars, I hooked red to red and black to black and then started the truck. I gave it about a minute and then tried starting the car. NOTHING. Not a click, not a beep saying the door was open and the keys were in, nothing. A few more minutes and still nothing. At this point I called the other Bishop man that seems to solve all my problems this summer. Kevin was more than patient even when I screamed into the phone - hey, there were sparks flying at me! I got it started and, after a mere 20 minute delay, we were off.

Ethan was so patient. We had errands to run on our date. We dropped of quilts to the quilt shop, signed Logan up for soccer and then signed Tom up for flag football all before lunch.

The boys each get to pick their lunch spot. I give them no restrictions - they don't really know about anything more expensive than Sizzler anyway. I was sure Ethan would pick the new McDonalds. I was sure Logan would pick the new McDonalds. No one picked the new McDonalds. Ethan had his sights set much, much higher. He wanted the restaurant we ate with Grandpa Great. I don't think he ate much for having a HUGE buffet to pick from at Golden Corral. He did like the chocolate cupcake the best I think.

From there it was off to Wal-Mart to try on backpacks. That is the only school supply he needs for preschool. He picked out a school shirt and a Batman backpack and the date was done. The kid makes me laugh. He kept asking if we were going to go on our date - while we were on our date. I finally figured out that he thought it was suppose to be dark and for some reason he wanted a tent to be involved. Where he got the tent, I'll never know.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Time

I'll never completely understand time. When you want it to go quickly, like waiting at the doctor's office for your appointment or for school to start once the newness of summer has faded and the fighting has begun, it DRAGS.

The flip-side is also true, however! About a month ago I picked up a quilt from The Quilt Shop that I was having quilted. I scheduled a date to have a couple baby quilts done for what seemed like forever away. Well, the date is here. Wednesday I should be dropping off two baby quilts. Hmmmmm......I have them 1/3 of the way done. How does time move so quickly sometimes? And, instead of working on them right now what am I doing? Blogging. Go figure.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Back to School Countdown

Is anyone else counting down to the start of school? I think our family is ready for it to start. Logan has taken to wearing his backpack all day for the last week. I think it is full of an assortment of boy treasures. You never know when you will need that rock or piece of rope or light saber.........

Back to school night is in a few more days and we are anxiously awaiting the news of which teachers we will have. Then comes the flurry of phone calls to find out who else has that teacher followed closely by, "It will be okay if he isn't in your class this year. You'll make great new friends in your new class."

Friday, August 1, 2008

Every Five Minutes

With Tom being gone, Logan and Ethan have the opportunity to spend more one on one time together. I was REALLY hopeful that this would forge a bond of friendship and they would be able to see how wonderful each other is. Unfortunately, this has not been the case.

Yesterday was a new record. Every five minutes they were screaming at the top of their lungs at each other. It went from, "He's got my toy I want!!!!!" to the inevitable, "He's looking/breathing/touching/sitting.......at/by/on me!!!!!"

I thought I would lose it. If it wasn't for dinner out with Gary that night, I probably would have locked Dylan and myself in my room and let them just battle it out by about 10:30.

I am still hopeful that one day they will be best of friends but for right now I am just hoping they don't kill each other by Sunday when Tom comes home and Logan goes to Grandma's house!