1-29-2013

Unfortunately, the dance class I was signing Brooke up for was cancelled.  She was so excited, ran in from school and up to her room to put on her new dance clothes.  The weather outside is terrible and the director didn't want anyone trying to get to class in the snow.  So, we'll shoot for next week.  Crossing our fingers the sun is shining bright next week.  I don't think I'll bother her.  She loves wearing her new dance stuff!!!

1-28-2012

So it's kind of a weird story... 

I was engaged once before when I was much younger.  It happened to get rather close to the wedding and things were pretty much in place for once we were married.  We had gotten an apartment together that I was living in until the big day and we had purchased a car together.  I had already had one bridal shower and was going to have another one that night.  He called me at work and asked me to meet him at the apartment.  Of course I did.  He uttered the words, "I can't marry you..."  He had been to the Temple earlier in the day and it just didn't feel right to him.  He didn't know if the feeling was that he couldn't marry me now, or if it he couldn't marry me ever.  Not wanting to wait around to find out if it was just bad timing, I went home.  I moved back to my parents house, gave the car to him and went and bought something else.  It was a dreadful few weeks.  Thankfully my little sister Megan had just been born and I spent many hours holding her.  It kept my spirits up as much as possible, but the reality was, felt like life was over. 

 

Fast forward 14 years later... 

I now look back on that experience and am so grateful that he was bold enough to say those words to me that dreadful day.  It took a strong person to believe in what he felt and knowing how close we were to marriage, to have the guts to back out.  I have nothing but gratitude for his actions now.  I have even used this example in talking to the young women in my ward.  I talked about preparing for marriage and how important it is to be prepared and not just in love with the idea of marriage.  I have a life now that is more amazing than I ever dreamed possible.  I couldn't really be happier with how things have turned out.  The Lord was aware of the big picture, one I just couldn't see then.

 

After the break up and moving on, the only thing I ever heard about him was years later when I ran into a mutual friend.  This friend told me she heard he married someone else rather quickly after me.  She thought her name was Michelle.  So that is all I ever knew.  

 

Last year in school, Sky brought home a paper outlining the end of the year, the field trips and parties and who would be helping out.  One of the names was Mishelle Mitchell.  I was a little curious and asked Sky who the kid in her class was with the last name Mitchell.  She told me it was her friend Emma M.  Yes, it's the daughter to my ex-fiance and they are good friends.

1-22-2013

He's a tad crazy!  He LOVES my vacuum more than any child I've ever seen.  He went so nuts that after the battle for a few days, I got online and ordered him his very own Dyson vacuum (pretend of course, but it looked just like mine).  I thought that would be the answer.  Ummmm... not really.  Although he will be seen playing with his vacuum, he mostly insists that I get out mine and vacuum with him.  It's amazing how much he communicates without talking in sentences.  I know exactly what he wants and he gets giddy when I get my vacuum out.  He does a little happy dance (for real).  Last week while at Target, I made the mistake of going down the isle of vacuums.  He started screaming!  The embarrassing kind of screaming!  I'll never make that mistake again.  So today, after vacuuming for a good half hour, I was done and ready to move on.  When I uttered those terrible words of "all done" he lost it!  It was as if life were over.  It's hilarious! 

 
 

1-17-2013

I'd like to pat myself on the back for this one!  This is my latest genius idea... at least I think so. I have gone through so many attempts for a chore chart.  I've bought things, I've made things, I've tried every idea in the book as far as I am concerned.  I was talking to my friend on the phone and she was describing her latest attempt to start a new chore chart idea.  I was determined to come up with something new.  I spent the day thinking of what it was that would motivate my kids.  I think I've figured it out.  

Here it is... something I've never seen done actually.  I am a list maker and like most people, love crossing things off.  I decided to list 5 or 6 chores 10-20 times (enough times that it should take them about 2 weeks to accomplish) and each time they finished a task they could cross it off the list.  I went to Target with the kids earlier in the day and let them pick out a $10 item.  Jett and Brooke picked out Skylander figures and because Sky couldn't decide, she has a $10 gift card to use when she's crossed everything off her list.  

It isn't even that nice of a chart, simply typed it up quickly, printed and stuck on the fridge.  I hand wrote their names in random places, along with the prize they are trying to earn.  Really quite simple!  In case you're wondering what I listed on their charts, I'll tell you.  I wanted to keep it simple, something they could accomplish.  It's so important that they finish it and get their prize at the end so they are encouraged to do another chart.  I won't keep up the $10 toy, but will put rewards we already do but this will make it seem like they are earning them; such as a lunch date with mom or dad, or going to a movie.  Things like that.   For Brooke, my 5 year old: clear couch of folded clothes, match up basket of socks, unload silverware, pick up all of Radds toys, play with Raddd while mom makes dinner and brush teeth.  For Jett, my 7 year old: clear couch of folded clothes, unload dishwasher, match up basket of socks, bring down dirty laundry, read a chapter in a book, play with Radd while mom makes dinner, brush teeth, and for Sky my 9 year old: clear off couch of folded clothes, unload dishwasher, wipe off bathroom counter, vacuum family room/living room, play with Radd while mom makes dinner, brush teeth.  I used this to my advantage.  The things that drive me the most crazy... begging for stacks of clothes to be taken up, begging Jett to read a chapter, and begging the kids to help watch Radd while I fix dinner were all taken care of with these lists.  I've realized there are a few other things that I can put on the next list.  Like hang up your backpack when you get home and be in bed on time.  I wanted to promote teamwork, so they all have the couch of clothes to clear off, but if they all do it, they can all mark it off.  I'll be sure to post when this first list is finished to let you know how it turned out. 

 

Update:  It's day 2 and my kids have never been so motivated.  They are anxious to cross it off their list.  The folded clothes have not sat on the couch waiting to be put away at all and it's amazing.  It's my least favorite part about the laundry.  The hours and hours it sits folded waiting to be taken upstairs and put away and the countless times I ask everyone to take up their stack is so frustrating for me.  So this is so refreshing.  The dishwasher is instantly unloaded.  The first morning, before school, Jett unloaded the dishwasher and read a chapter.  If this continues like it has, I'll stick to my statement of this was a genius idea!

Update:  Its been a week and a half and my kids are doing amazing!!!  They are still going strong.  I would imagine in a weeks time they will all be done and I will post new charts.  I have heard my kids even complain... "ugggh she's doing all the chores."  It's really quite great!  I'll listen to that complaint any day.  Next chart I will adjust a little.  I have found that some things I need to list less times and other things more.  I should have listed "read a chapter" way more times on Jett's chart.  He read all the chapters in two days.  Should have seen that one coming!
 

1-16-2013

So it's been over a year, but I am back!  I am a little sad, that I missed a whole year of posting a picture a day.  As I go through some of the posts, it is such a great reminder of what my life was like.  I really enjoy seeing the pictures I posted each day.  They were mostly of my kids, but it should be that way.  They are my world.  They are the reason I take so many pictures!

In the last 6 months, I have used my iphone for taking those daily pictures.  As great as Instagram is, I can see it took the place of me taking nicer pictures with my nicer camera!  I don't plan on halting my instagram posts, just plan to take out the nice camera more often and post those daily, every day life pictures here.  I am inspired by a few people/photographers.  One being my first teacher Carin Davis.  She recently blogged about her "slurping" of her blog into a book.  It's then that I realized, I need to get back to the blog.  I need to write down thoughts and post pictures that I can soon, "slurp" myself and put into a nice book.

 Another reason, I'm a little more inspired is thanks to my hubby.  He surprised me with a new lens.  It's a lens that makes taking those every day pictures even easier.  It has a wider angle and a 1.4 aperture which allows for low light inside a small house, shots.  :)  Perfect! 

So here's to my new goal!  Many of these pictures you'll find on facebook too.  It's a quicker way for my family to see my pictures.  So that's for them, this is for me!  I think I can do this.  I've managed to get Radd onto a nap schedule (kind of a small miracle).  It's kind of worked its way out on it's own.  He wakes up at the same time every morning and we get in the car at the same time every day to go get Brooke from Kindergarten.  It just works out that he falls asleep on the way there and transfers to bed perfectly.  I've been using that time to go over the day with Brooke, feed her lunch and then shower.  I want to now squeeze in a few minutes to post a picture or two.  I think I can do it.

After getting my new lens, I was quick to use it.  Here is my first picture with it.  As soon as I could take the lens cap off and set down, Radd picked it up and put it in his mouth.  He is a teaseand it was a challenge to get it out of his mouth without breaking his cute little teeth.  I found something a little softer and something I didn't mind him biting down on so much and offered to trade.  He teased me for a bit and I joked with him and finally he switched.  He doesn't always take my no seriously.  It's fine because I just end up smiling with him.