Day 31

Bad:

Have I ever told you the story about how I scarred my child for life and caused her to have severe claustrophobia and a fear of being locked in places. Well.....I did. Unintentionally, mind you.....but I did nonetheless. We are not "spankers" in our house. We don't believe in it. So naturally, our most preferred method of discipline is a good old fashioned "time out." About a year ago I started to notice that whenever Savy would go into time out she would flip out. I mean, the girl would go ape and cry and scream and I would often think to myself, "Wow. That punishment is really effective." (Chalk one up to Mom.) It wasn't until a few months later when she refused to go to a friend's birthday party because he had child proof things on all of his doorknobs in his house, (and she was scared that she couldn't get out of the house) that I realized "Oh.my.gosh. She's got one of those child proof things on her doorknob on the inside of her room." (You know, so she couldn't let herself out of time out.) So......basically what I was doing was causing her pure pain, terror, and torture every time she went into her room for a timeout because she thought she was never going to get out of the room again. ( I'm a mean Mom, but c'mon. I'm not that mean.) Hence the really hysterical, "I think I'm going to die" crying every time she went to time out. (Yes....I'm pretty sure I'll be paying her therapy bills in several years.) So now.....every time she goes to timeout (yes, still using that method of punishment) I make sure that I leave the door open and make her sit on the bed.

Well.....today we were having one of "those days." And usually if I threaten timeouts it'll whip her right into shape (again, having scarred her for life and all that jazz) but today? No go. She was being naughty and she knew it. So? I whisked her right to time out and made her lay on her bed while I put Braden down for his afternoon nap. There were tears, (lots of them), and screams and hysteria and then? Nothing. So I look in her room and wouldn't you know it.....she had fallen asleep on her bed. So naturally, feeling like the most horrific mom in the world and realizing that I further have scarred her for life by letting her cry herself to sleep, I kissed her, covered her with a blanket and slowly tip-toed out of her room lest I wake the sleeping beast. I mean, I was sad and all......but two sleeping kids? That's a Christmas Miracle.

Good:

Let me reiterate: TWO SLEEPING KIDS (at once). Both of them napped for 2 1/2 hours and can I just say, the silence was loverly! It was almost like I didn't know what to do with myself. Who are we kidding.....I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I clean? Veg on the couch? Eat treats that I keep hidden from kids? Organize? Waste time on the computer? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. I got a momentary glimpse into my future and all I can say is IT WAS FABULOUS.

09.04.09

Day 30

Good:

Tonight Lewis had to work late at work..... so as soon as I put the kiddos to bed I was able to start my date with my favorite serial killer: Dexter Morgan. It was just him, me, and my cherry limeade and oh baby.........life was gooooooood! I know I am sick and twisted. I know that the Showtime drama "Dexter" should not have such a hold on me, but man......it does. Whoever thought that a show about a serial killer who kills (what else) serial killers would be so DANG addictive? Who ever thought that I would be rooting for a serial killer and praying he doesn't get caught? Not I, says the little pig.....yet I find myself loving every second of that show. Maybe there is something wrong with me after all?????


Bad:

The brownies and I had a stand-off and the brownies won.

Me:0
Brownies: 1

Why is losing weight so hard? Why is dieting such a &*$#! ?{Insert handy expletive here.}
Why can I never resist the lovely, gooey, chocolaty powers of a brownie????

I am so shamed.
And 30 pounds overweight.
Suck.

09.03.09

Day 29

Bad:

Dare I even say this? Should I even put this out there? I know it's only (September 2nd.)* I know I have a good month and a half before things start to cool down, but really.....I think I am ready for that. GASP. Now we all know the "love" that I have for the Winter season. (And by "love" I mean really, really intense hatred.) I don't like the snow. I hate to be cold. All the days start to feel the same. (Of course, the Winter brings Christmas.....which I love.....my Anniversary.....and Valentine's day.....but can't we do that without all the snow and cold? ) So, that brings me back to the beginning. Did I really just say that I'm ready for things to cool down? Well.....today I am. Mostly because I am sick of kids being outside all day. I am sick of kids knocking on my door asking to play. I am sick of not knowing where my kids are at any given moment. I am sick of my kids trying to beg snacks off neighbors. I am sick of neighbors trying to beg snacks off me. I am sick of kids asking to play inside the house when it is a beautiful day and they should be playing outside because in a month and a half they will not be able to play outside anymore. (Phew.....how's that for a run-on sentence.) I think mostly, though, I just want my kids by me. I want them to be content playing with each other for awhile. I want to hunker down in my house with a blanket, a lovely beverage and a good book and have my kids do the same.

Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.

*Actual date I'm journaling about

Good:

Well, what initially started out as a bad thing, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The other day I was gnawing down some good old fashioned cinnamon bears......(I mean I was pounding those bad boys)......when I felt something funny. When I pulled the half-chewed cinnamon bear out of my mouth there was my crown staring me straight in the face. (Yes, that's right. I have a false tooth. Don't judge. Just blame it on my crack-pot, crook of a dentist who had me get a root canal when one probably wasn't necessary. But NO......I'm not bitter or anything.) So.....I called my current dentist (not the crack-pot) straightway and scheduled an appointment to have that bad boy glued back on.......or at least that's what I thought.......
Well, long story short.......there was some decay under the crown, but it was just tiny, so he was able to fix it in no time at all, glue that bad boy on, and I was good to go.....Crisis adverted. Gosh I'm so glad my current dentist isn't a greedy crook!

09.02.09

Day 28

Good:

Sometimes a little piece of inspiration just comes out of the blue. Or in this case.....on the container of the Daisy sour cream. Have you ever bought a tub a Daisy sour cream? Well....not only is their low-fat sour cream the best in the west, fo' shizzle, but apparently they also market toward people looking for a little tidbit to brighten their day. When you open a brand new package....right there, under the lid on the aluminum seal that keeps all the wackos from poisoning your food, is printed little snip- its of motivation. This is what mine said today when I opened the sour cream for "taco night."

"Little acts of kindness can add up to a lifetime of happiness."


Poignant, huh? But really, when you think about it, so very true. And then.....to top it all off, my dear sweet husband made a Cherry Limeade for his tired, worn out wife tonight and he DIDN'T EVEN MAKE HIMSELF ONE. So, not only did I get the very best Cherry Limeade in the world ('cause really? NO ONE makes them better than him) but a reminder that sometimes the little things make all the difference in the world.
And imagine.....him making me a lovely beverage on the exact day that I came across this quote. It was, like, fate or something.


Bad:

So I'm just going to put this out there: WHAT IS IT WITH MY KIDS WHENEVER I GET ON THE PHONE??!!?? Seriously. They act like little monsters every time I try to have a conversation. And believe me, they are not picky. Whether I am having a conversation with the Sears repair man or my best friend they act the same. They are pretty much equal opportunity monsters. And to top it all off.....they must have phone radar or something. They can be outside playing it up with their friends and I will get on the phone ready to have a long, juicy conversation with my sister or bff and suddenly there they are crowding around, maybe one or two of them screaming their heads off, asking for snacks and whining and just acting like little savages.
I have tried EVERYTHING. I have snapped my fingers and pointed ( as if you say, "shut your yapper") like my dear old Mom used to do.....but to no avail. I have locked myself in my room to try and get some peace and quiet, but all that happens when I do this is the kids panic and scream and cry and try to kick my door down. I have given into to all their crazy antics of asking for brownies at 8:00 in the morning and letting them drink all of my morning diet coke.....but still.....IT PERSISTS. It's almost like they can't stand to have my attention taken away from them for one little second. What can I do? I'm at my wit's end. And quite frankly, I'm sure the Sears's repair man is wondering just what kind of psycho kids I'm raising over here......
09.01.09

Day 27

Bad:

Remember how I said I have a "following through with things" problem? I am starting to wonder if I am ever going to catch up on this journal/blog. Now what I'm going to say is probably not going to make sense to anyone but me (and I'm starting to wonder if it's going to make sense to me) but I'm going to say it anyway. As I sit and write this today, it is 10.10.09. The date that I am currently journaling about is 08.31.09. When I wrote this down in my journal that I jot my ideas down in I was 20 days behind on my journaling. (That was back in August.) Right now.....who knows how many days I am behind.....I don't want to count, it's too depressing. Suffice it to say: I am really, really behind. But, my fellow readers, don't dismay. I HAVE NOT given up. Mostly because I actually DO want to follow through with something. I am always saying that this blog is mainly for me.....a way for me to journal daily that I will actually DO. And once it is under control, journaling about one good thing, one bad thing, once a day is totally manageable. That's why I am doing this for me.....and no matter how behind I get I will keep on keepin' on so that for once in my life......I can have said I actually followed through with something.

Confused? Yeah. Me too.

Good:

Nothing does this Mama's heart more proud than seeing what good little readers I have produced. They are definitely their Mother's children. (Sorry Lewis, but I can count on one hand the books that you have read while we've been married. I know it's not your thing....that's fine with me.) Lately, the two younger kids have been taking a real interest in reading and having me read books to them and I am constantly reminding myself to sit down, chill out, and read them a book when they ask. I love it that Braden has finally reached the age where he can settle down for long enough to sit through a story or two.....even if it is the same old book time and time again. I love it that Savy will sit on the couch with a pile o' books on her lap and read for hours and hours. (Hmmmm.......sounds like someone I know VERY WELL. Only this Mama wishes she had more time to do just that.) I love it that all of my kids think that taking a trip to the Library is almost as good as taking a trip to Disneyland. (Okay, not quite, but it's definitely better than taking a trip to the Carney.) I hope that this love for reading will just grow and grow and continue and continue......

08.31.09

Day 26

Good:

Today is the second Sunday in a row that I have had a Sunday nap. Now, we've already established how much I love me a good nap, but I especially LURVE me a Sunday nap. Why you might ask? Because I don't get it often enough. My days on Sundays are CRAZY, and without me getting into the whole spiel let's just say that most Sundays you'll find me muttering" A day of rest? Yeah right." First things first, let's clear this little bit of information up.....when I say nap......I mean NAP in the most literal sense. No tricky word-play and innuendos here.....No "Afternoon Delight" if you catch my drift......A NAP. No more. No less. Secondly......did I tell you how much I love naps? I did? Oh well. I do. I'd take a literal "nap" over the figurative "nap" any day......it's just how I roll.


Bad:

Let's just clear this up straight-away. Sleeping until 7:24 a.m is NOT my idea of sleeping in. Especially when my church starts at the horrible hour of 1:00 p.m and I have NO GOOD REASON to be up at the butt crack of dawn on a Sunday morning. Can someone just throw me a bone for ONCE and make my children SLEEP IN! (Maybe a little Benadryl....huh? Huh? Just kidding. I jest......kinda.) This morning I was so rudely awoken by coughing children which most of the time I have sympathy for but was at the end of my rope because the coughs had been lingering.....and lingering......and lingering. (Cue Cranberries song here: "Do you have to let it linger. Do you have to let it linger?") You know when someone that you love dearly has a hacking cough and they just cough and cough and it gets on your very last nerve? (Please tell me I'm not the only one with this problem?) Well, after two weeks of listening to FOUR kiddos with the coughs.....I have had enough! Why, oh why, did they ever take that good cough syrup that doctor's used to prescribe off the market? Some people that insist on abusing things like that and accidentally OD'ing their child just have to go and ruin it for the rest of us! It's going to be a very long day. I can just tell.

08.30.09

Day 25

Good:

Today we had Lewis' company party up in Park City at the Olympic Park. Now, you might think of me as less of a Utahan with what I'm going to admit to you. From time to time, I forget that SLC actually hosted the winter Olympics. In 2002, I was in a stage of my life where I had two young kids, a husband in school, and not even a second to breathe, let alone relish in our little states "moment of glory." I participated in the Olympic festivities exactly ONE time by heading up to SLC to go and see the Bare Naked Ladies in concert and what I remember more about that night was after I came home and Zach and I got the stomach flu and we laid in my bed and took turns throwing up all night. I guess you could say I really didn't get into the Olympic "spirit." Well......that being said, you can automatically assume that I have never been to the Olympic Park in Park City. Why? I'm not quite sure.....we just haven't. So naturally we were all excited to go up there and spend the day and see what the park had to offer. Plus.....the park was being reserved and so only employees and their families would be there and also......his company paid for everyone to have unlimited rides on the zip line, bob-sleds, alpine slides, bounce houses and so forth. We had a fun day doing a couple of those things. (We wished we could have done more, but the lines were waaaaayyyyy long and plus the age of some of our children limited us.) The very highlight of the night came after the terribly mediocre dinner we had (during which Lewis and I critiqued the catering company and listed the ways in which Burgers Supreme catering could have done a better job. Sorry. But it's true.) when we got to watch the Ariel ski jumpers put on their show. It really was quite amazing and impressive and a good time was had by all especially Braden who cried hysterically when the show was over because he didn't want it to end.....Then he promptly added "Ariel ski jumper" to his list of current career aspirations.....and hung the poster on his wall where he can look at it every day and talk about the day that he gets to become a ski jumper.


Bad:

Only one teensy, tiny little blemish on an otherwise great day occurred when my family was waiting up at the top of the mountain for the chairlift to take us back down. The kids and I rode to up there to see if we could convince Z-man to go down the zip line with Kylie and Dad, but after seeing the height and speed he promptly backed out. (And I don't blame him. His dear old Mother has a fear of heights and only just recently has become better at stepping out of my comfort level.) Well......for some reason they had this wacky rule that would only allow one chair full of people going down at a time. So we had to stand there and wait for the chair to get all the way to the bottom before someone was allowed to load again. Pain in the butt, but oh well. What can I do about it? So I'm standing there trying to be patient and this lady and her child, and what I assume to be the child's grandma get in line behind me. And then the complaints start. "Why do we have to wait in line? Why do we have to only let one chair go at a time." You know.....those sorts of things that really don't matter, yet some people can't help complain about. Pretty soon it's Zach's turn to get on the lift. (I was having him and Braden ride together so that I could ride with Savy, and plus.....I trust Zach implicitly. I had no doubts for Braden's safety.) So I am standing across the way from them and the lift operator (who I'll admit was a total tool) is standing by them and I say, "Could you just help him lift the little guy on there? (referring to Braden)" and he looks at me and says, "Am I allowed to do that? Lift him on there, I mean?"


Well at that moment the chair swings around for them to get on and Zach is trying to lift Braden up and get him on the chair and the chair lift operator (punk) is still humming and hawing over the fact that I asked him to DO HIS JOB and debating whether or not he is "allowed" to help kids on the chairlift because of liability reasons. (Like a said: a total tool.) But that is beside the point, because now the lady that was in line behind me goes into full blown PANIC-MODE and she rushes over to Zach and Braden and plops Braden on the chairlift and tries to get the bar down for them but is too late and the chair just takes off down the mountain. And she screams, at the very top of her lungs behind them...."Hold on to him.....hold on to him. (referring to Braden)" And down the mountain they go. And I am left at the tops to deal with the likes of her.

So she looks over at me and says, "Those weren't your children?" (emphasis on the question, but she knows darn well they were my kids.) "No, they're mine, " I respond. "Well.....you're awfully calm, "she says back to me. "Um yeah. The situation was under control. And you, quite frankly, are stressing ME out.....and I NEVER get stressed." I respond back. Well if that didn't shut her up quickly. But then I overhear this little nugget that the Grandma says to her Grandson...."Don't be scared.....your Mama's going to put you on the lift because she's a good Mom......she won't anything happen to you because she loves you."

Shut.The.Front.Door.
Can you believe the nerve of some people? Here's what I should have said back to her, but hey, I'm non-confrontational:


{Talking to the one and a half year old} "Sure, your Mom's a good Mom, but watch out. She'll probably wipe your butt until your 8. Also, good luck the first time you fall off your bike. And I hope you really love her, because I'm pretty sure she's going to be escorting you to your Senior Prom."

Geesh. Some people.

08.29.09

Day 24

Good:

So I have decided to jump on the couponing band wagon. I know....how cliche, huh? It seems like it is all the rage these days, and who of us couldn't stand to save a few bucks every now and again? When my sister was in town I had her help me get all organized and show me the ins and outs of the couponing world.....and today I set out on my own to spread my wings and fly......and I was terrified! I had my list of items to buy.....my coupons to go with them.....and the place in which to go to receive some stellar deals. I just wasn't sure I had the cojones to go through with it. (Looking back I don't know what I was so afraid of. I probably worried that some cashier at Walgreen's would call me out on all my great deals, tell me that NO I could not get this chap stick for free, and send me on my merry way.) Plus, couponing can be kind of complicated. I mean, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure it out, but there is a little bit of a learning curve. Trust me. So......I stood there in line with what I lovingly refer to as "butt sweat" (Thanks Jenny for that term) running down my derriere and my stomach in knots, but guess what? I DID IT!
Now, before ya'll go off and all me some kind of crazy coupon lady.....let me explain just a couple of things. No, I do not make a list of all my deals and post them on my blog and facebook account. No, I do not fight with cashiers to save a couple of cents. No, I do not drive all around the town looking for the one Walgreen's that still has that free baby lotion (okay, I may have done that once, but I quickly learned my lesson. I do not have time for those sort of antics.) I have, however, been able to save about $100 a month, by doing my part......what little it is. And hey, maybe one day before you know it......I will become a crazy coupon lady. But as for now, I'm just happy that today I was able to get something like $48 worth of items for $7 and some change!

Bad:

So I'll admit it. I'm a pushover. And probably not the strictest of Mom's. And I probably let my kids get away with too much. But I'll just say this.......sometimes you just have to pick your battles. Does your son want to wear the same outfit for three days in a row? Does it really matter if he does? I mean, other than smelling a little rank, what's it going to hurt? It is this exact frame of mind that has got me into trouble and now I am trying to discipline my two sassin' kids and lay down the law and boy.....it is NOT pretty. Today I switched from "go-with-the-flow-laid-back-mom" to "drill-Sargent-you-will-jump-when-I-say-jump-mom." It was a rude awakening for Braden and Savy when they found themselves in time -out three times BEFORE 8:30 in the morn. (I told you, I was laying down the law today. No joke.) I guess what I am really trying to curb is their tendency to talk back. I can take most anything with a grain of salt.....but that talking back and whining? OHHHHHH.....that really gets my goat. So today, a little tough love was in order. Now what remains to be seen is if they can take me seriously. I am SO not the drill sargent type.

08.28.09

Day 23

Good:

Here's a commonly known fact about yours truly......I LOVE sleep. Love it. Love it. Love it. And I, quite frankly, don't get enough of it. (Hey.....I'm a poet.) Some might say (coughLEWIScough) that I place too much value on sleep. What ev. I have always been that way. Just ask my parents. I was always the child that would go to bed without being asked. I never really had a bedtime.....I would just go and put myself to bed when I was sleepy. ( I was such an angel, wasn't I?) And except that short bout in collage when I would stay up until all hours of the night hanging out at the boy's dorms (Hi Dad and Mom.....NOW the cat comes out of the bag) I still go to bed fairly early. I mean, a gal needs her beauty sleep, doesn't she?Plus, Hello??!! Four kids over here.....sleep is a precious commodity. So.....along those same lines.....I really, really LOVE me a good nap. Here is my favorite thing to do from time to time. I take my phone off the hook, put the house on lock down, and snuggle up in bed with one or two of my kids. I especially loved this when I was pregnant and had an excuse to nap daily, but now, with no excuse I can only rationalize it from time to time. Today was the perfect day for such rationalization.....therefore.... A TWO HOUR nap was just what the doctor ordered. There's nothing like it.....to me, it's just heavenly. (Again with the poetry.....I kill myself......)

Bad:

First things first.....let me just start out by saying that I am NOT pregnant. I have some members of my family that may question this part of the post, mainly because of what I call the "Chloe dream.".......(this being a VERY vivid dream I had a while back about me being preggers and giving birth to a child named.....Chloe....duh.) Well, some of us thought this dream might be prophetic....that it might mean something. (Which quite frankly, scared the living tarnation right out of me because I am most certainly done with that baby making bidness.) Well.....today, I thought I was pregnant. You know that sick feeling that you get when you're pregnant that most of the free world calls morning sickness (and if you are one of those fortunate enough to NOT get that feeling.....then dang you straight to heck....) but when you're not preggers you just call the "blahs"? Well.....today I felt that ALL DAY LONG. Not throwing -up sick, just pukey feeling and extremely....well.....BLAH. Not pleasant. So I called Lewis.

"I'm sick"......(emphasis placed on the whiny voice.)

"What's wrong, " said my dearest hubby.

"I feel blah. Pukey. Not good. Like I might be pregnant." I respond (still at my whiniest. I mean, I'm sick and still taking care of kids. Not a good mixture. Not a happy mama.)

" Sweet. Maybe you are pregnant. That would be awesome." He says.

{Not even in the mood to humor his antics} "Yeah. Awesome. Too bad I'M NOT PREGNANT. So sorry to dash your hopes."

"Oh well," he deadpans, "There's always next month. Maybe we could get some good practicing in?? Whadda think?.......Honey.....hello.....are you there? Did you hang up on me. Figures."

(Author may have taken poetic license with above conversation to spice things up a bit!)

So this whole episode got me thinking.....what would I do if I were pregnant? I would be lying if I said that since the big snip, (V-Day) the thought hasn't crossed my mind once or twice. I also would be lying if I said that I hadn't taken a pregnancy test or two since closing down the baby factory. I guess there's always that what-if in the back of my mind. I mean, it has happened. Everyone and their dog has a story to tell about that......Just please, please, please.....don't let it happen to me.

No really. That would be bad. Really bad.
Please tell me the Chloe dream was just a fluke. Please.

08.27.09

Day 22

Bad:

Is it just me or is it virtually impossible to keep a house clean with four little rug rats running around? Today I spent hours cleaning the house......I mean it took ALL DAY.....I didn't shower until the evening (which is gross, but necessary) and about 23 minutes after I had finished cleaning, it looked as if a bomb went off! I mean seriously......it is such a thankless job. I always say that cleaning with kids is like taking one step forward and two steps back. Just when you have one mess cleaned up, you turn around and BAM.....another disaster is staring at you right in the face. It's enough to make me want to lose my ever-lovin' mind! And while I'm on my little soap box of complaining......why does it take so DANG long??!!?? I do not live in the largest of houses. It should take me a couple hours....TOPS.....and yet, every time I clean my house I have to chalk that day up to a loss. I can pretty much expect that I will spend the day in my sweats, my hair pulled back in a pony, bra-less (shhhh.....don't tell) and un-showered. So, um, yeah.....try your hardest not to come and visit me on this day because 1. I will not look like a jewel and 2. I will {most} likely not ACT like a jewel and 3. I will be very close to losing my EVER-LOVIN' mind!!! Consider yourself warned......


Good:

A couple of weeks ago while I was chilling at Lew's softball games, I struck up a random conversation with a guy about reading. Weird, right? Well.....not quite. He was reading a book and I asked him if it was any good (because fellow readers MUST unite) and our conversation turned to a little website called "Paperback Swap." The whole premise of this website is a place where people can post their books that they no longer want to keep and people can request those books and in return you get credits to request books that you want to read. Have I confused you sufficiently? (I'm pretty sure I just confused myself.) It sounded like a great idea....(one that I wish I would have thought of myself so that I could be making the big bucks and I could hire a maid and avoid situations like the aforementioned post)......but I initially balked at the idea. (Shhhhh......lean close and I will let you in on a little secret. I loooovvvvveee books. All books. And once I buy them......they are MINE. They become like my babies. And what kind of mother just flippantly gives her babies away for different babies? I don't know how you were raised but c'mon.....have some common decency. ) BUT the more I thought about it, the more it weighed on my mind. I could use some new books to read. I'm sure I have SOME books that aren't worth anything to me. So.....before I knew it I was down in my bookshelves, rustling though my "babies" and tossing the unwanted ones into a pile. And then....before I knew it I was listing those books on the website and eagerly awaiting the new books that I had requested. I'm pretty callous, right? But in my defense.....if you've read one Oprah's book club choice....you've read them all. (What was I thinking buying all of those crappy books??? Sorry Oprah, but you KNOW I'm right.) Well.....today was the grand day of all days because I got my very first swap in the mail and I am currently awaiting TEN more books to come to my doorstep and I am very excited because not only will I have a while new stack of books to read, but it's like Christmas when I check my mail! And that, right there, is worth giving up a few of my "babies." Just don't call the authorities......

08.26.09