Good Read...

These were a good articles on the current mortgage crisis--does it make sense that taxpayers (me), should pay for other people's bad decisions? Why should I continue to pay my mortgage on time? Who is there to give me money? Do you think the government can manage yet another huge giveaway program, a.k.a. social security, medicare??? If you think things are bad now--wait until we hand even more control over to the federal government. Don't let the media jam these messages of gloom and doom down your throat. Read, learn what you can, and call your congressman and let him know what you think.

"Who Needs to Pay their Mortgage, and Who Doesn't." By Terrence Jeffrey

"The Ant and the Grasshopper, 2008 Edition" By Michelle Malkin

Cedar Point Pt. 2

Okay, so now that I have more time--this was seriously the funnest trip EVER! I haven't laughed that much in my life! We flew into Cleveland airport and rented a minivan to get us to Sandusky, Ohio which is 5 minutes from Cedar Point. Let me just tell you if you have ever thought about buying a former rental car--DON'T!!! I could give you 100 reasons--mostly just that you have crazy people like my husband, that peel out at every intersection and drive like a crazy person in a rental car. We seriously had to take dramamine just to drive for the day with Todd! For those of you who have driven with Todd, I can only tell you it's even WORSE!

We were a little concerned with our hotel choices in Sandusky--since there were only 1 or 2 star hotels to choose from...(or two hair hotels if you ask my sister in law!). We stayed at the Comfort Suites hotel--which was just okay for sleeping in--I'm sure there are worse hotels out there, but this one was far from glamorous. The worst thing that happened at the hotel was the second night when we got back at 1 a.m. from the theme park, Katie and Shaun walked into their room and almost died from the 120 degree heat. Their air conditioner was spewing out hot air the whole time we were gone. On the bright side--maybe that's why Katie lost weight while we were there, and I gained 5 pounds! Way to sweat it off in the sauna Katie!

Speaking of gaining weight--this trip was all about the FOOD! No, I'm just kidding, I only said that to make my mom laugh! We did eat some great nachos at this place called Qdoba though, and both nights after going on roller coasters all day--we would hit a place at midnight for a great snack--(okay, more like a late night binge!)! The first night it was Applebees--and the next night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Those were some awesome wings--we got like 5 different sauces. YUM!

On Sunday we had some time to kill in the morning before catching our flight so we went to Kirtland, which is only 20 minutes from Cleveland to see the sights. We didn't get to take a tour of the temple, it was full, so we just walked around the grounds and took pictures. But we did get to see the movie at the LDS visitors center and we ran into some missionaries that Katie recognized as being a couple from Richfield, Utah where they grew up. Brother and Sister Christensen were awesome and took us on a short tour of the sites at Kirtland so we could still get out of there and catch our plane. They said to say HI to Bob and Sue! These missionaries are so great! We love couple missionaries!

What a fun trip! I told Todd, these are the trips that make me feel young again! You have to do that once in awhile! Thanks Kohn, Kari, Katie, Shaun, Billy & Kristy for an awesome time! You guys are so much fun--I'm so glad to be part of such a great family!

Top Speed Dragster looking up from the bottom--this thing is CRAZY high!

We had so much fun with Jack--he's such a good baby, he just went with the flow!

Look at the bugs Shaun smashed on one of the rides--he was the windshield!

My sweet little nephew Wrigley--he's two weeks younger then Jack.

The parking lot was literally COVERED in Sea Gull poop (the park is right next to lake Erie)--I have never seen so much bird poop in all my life. The first night we drove out of the parking lot and it was covered with thousands of sea gulls--Todd couldn't stand it so he took off and drove through them as fast as he could. We weaved back and forth and sent them all flying. It was so funny.

Jack the navigator!

Todd and I by one of the wooden roller coasters--some of these were really old and really rough!

Going over the top!

My little niece Lainey--isn't she adorable!

Todd and I in Kirtland.

Brother and Sister Christensen!

Our whole group in Kirtland...AWESOME!

Cedar Point Ohio...

Friday morning, Todd and I left for Ohio with Todd's sisters Katie and Kari, and their husbands for a little weekend getaway to Cedar Point theme park near Sandusky, Ohio. This theme park has 4 of the fastest and best roller coasters in the United States--(so says the Travel Channel--). We had such a great time on all the rides. We had a babysitter for the kids, but I decided to take Jack at the last minute since he was sick, and I didn't know how he would do. My sister in law had her baby also, so it was great. It turned out that the babies were our lifesaver--as we were able to get baby swap passes that got us on the rides much faster. These were some of my favorite rides--

The Raptor--was one of those ones where your legs are dangling and it makes super tight loops and twists. This was awesome--but gave me a little bit of a headache!

The Magnum--was one of the smoothest rides--it goes up 205 feet, and goes 72 miles per hour--AWESOME!
The Mantis--was really fast and went upside down several times--it was cool because you stand up, I've never been on one like that before.

The Maverick--was one of the newest roller coasters--this thing brought you up really high, then dropped straight down almost a 90 degree angle right toward the water. AWESOME!

The Max Air--you can't tell in this picture but it's like a big pendulum swinging back and forth with this thing on the end of it with the people, and you spin at the same time. It reaches 70 miles per hour and goes up 140 feet into the air--SCARY!!!

Power Tower--these just kill me--I hate that free fall feeling. This one was cool though, it had one side that was free fall--and the other side started you at the bottom and shot you up to the top 240 feet. Not my favorite but fun none the less!

Millenium Force--This was by far my favorite roller coaster--it was fast, 92 miles per hour, and drops you down 310 feet at an inverted angle. It took your breath away. What a rush!!!

Top Thrill Dragster--This was my other favorite--but also the scariest! This thing goes 0-125 miles per hour in under 4 seconds--climbs 410 feet into the air and drops you down at a 90 degree angle while twisting you to the other side. The whole ride takes 17 seconds--and fair warning--make sure you use the restroom FIRST!!! What a ride!

I have tons of pictures to post--but they will have to wait until tomorrow--I am still on East coast time, and I'm TIRED!!!

Sick...

It's the worst when you feel that tickle in the back of your throat, and the fog in your head, and you realize--OH CRAP--I'm getting sick. I don't have time to be sick. I have places to go, and things to do, and other people to take care of, and dang it--being sick this week wasn't in my plan. It's nothing big--just a head cold, but still just very inconvenient! Then, inevitably when I decide to take cold medicine last night, Jack woke up with a stuffy nose as well. I feel drunk as I try to navigate my way to his room, and I'm praying that I don't drop him as I walk back and lay him in my bed to nurse. I was soooo tired! Wouldn't you know it, he wouldn't go back to sleep--he couldn't breathe well. Poor baby--he's sick too! So I got up and watched T.V. at 4 a.m.. Let me tell you, if you've never watched at that hour--you're not missing anything! Jack finally went back to sleep at 6, but by then it was almost time to start waking up kids for piano at 7:30, so I just stayed up. For all you ladies out there who get up at 4 a.m. everyday--WOW! You are like super women! For me, this day has been entirely too long--and I really think I would go nuts if I tried to wake up this early every day. I think my family would be nuts too, because I'm not very nice when I don't get enough sleep! So hopefully tonight I will crash early and sleep later--but when you have a baby you can never tell. Oh well, what's that saying--"I'll sleep when I'm dead"? Maybe...

Did you DO anything today???

I came across an old e-mail today, and had a good laugh. Someone sent this to me when I had 3 young children--but I remember feeling like HOORAY--finally someone could articulate what I was feeling. It's still a great read:

Did you DO anything today?

My husband came home today and saw me sitting on the couch, toddler on one knee, and baby nursing on the opposite breast. I was trying to turn the pages of a book with the hand not attached to the infant,while listening for the sound of the stove buzzer, which would indicate that tonight's pork chops were at the stage between "well-done" and "the dog gets tonight's entree."

My Darling husband looked at me innocently, and asked "So, did you do anything today?" It's a good thing that most of my appendages were otherwise engaged, as I was unable to jump up and throttle him to death. This was probably for the best, as I assume that asking a stupid question is not grounds for murder in this country.

Let me back up a bit, and explain what led me to this point in my life.

I was not always bordering on the brink of insanity. On the contrary, a mere four years ago, I had a good job, steady income, and a vehicle that could NOT seat a professional sports team, and me, comfortably. I watched television shows that were not hosted by singing puppets. I went to bed later than nine o'clock at night. I laughed at those people who drove halfway across the country hauling a tent trailer, three screaming kids, a drooling dog, and called it a holiday.

Now I have become one of them! What happened? The stick turned blue.

I have traded in my Victoria's Secrets lingerie for cotton briefs and a firm support nursing bra. Good-bye, Garth Brooks. Hello, Raffi, Lois and Bram. My idea of privacy is getting the use the bathroom without a two-year old banging on the door, and the baby spinning the toilet paper roll from my lap. And I finally understand that the term "Stay-At-Home Mom" does not refer to a parent who no longer works outside the house, but rather to one who never seems to get out the front door. So here I sit, children in hand, wondering how to answer my beloved husband.

DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY?

Well, I think I did, although not much seems to have gotten accomplished. I shared breakfast in bed with a handsome young man. Of course, the breakfast consisted of a bowl of porridge and leftover cookie crumbs found between the sheets. Then a handsome young man is about thirty-four inches tall and only gets really excited at the sight of bugs, a little blue dog, trucks, cars and Pancakes.

I got to take a relaxing stroll in the woods. Of course, I was on the lookout for frogs and lizards, and had to stop and smell the dandelions along the way. I successfully washed one load of laundry, moved the load the was in the washer into the dryer, and the dryer load into the basket. The load that was in the basket is now spread out on the bed, awaiting my bedtime decision to actually put the clothes away or merely move them to the top of the dresser. I read two or three classics. Of course, Dickens and Shakespeare cannot take credit for these works, as we have moved on to the works of Seuss and Sandek. I don't think I will be making any trips to the Adult Section of my local library anytime soon. In between, I dusted, wiped, organized and rearranged. I kissed away the owies and washed away the tears. I scolded, praised, hugged, and tested my patience, all before noon.

DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY? You betcha!

I will now understand what people mean when they say that parenthood is the hardest job they will ever have. In my LBD (life before diapers) I was able to teach young minds how to divide fractions and write complex sentences, but I am unable to teach a strong willed three-year-old how to use the toilet. I was once able to navigate urban streets while talking on the car phone and looking for a decent radio station, but now I can't get the wheels on my stroller to all go in the same direction.

I've graduated from a university, written newspaper articles, and won awards, but I can't figure out how to get carrot stains out of the carpet. I used to debate with my friends about politics, but now we discuss the merits of cloth versus disposables. And when did I stop talking in sentences that had more than five words?

So, in response to my husband's inquiry, yes, I did do something today. In fact, I am one step closer to one of life's greatest accomplishments. No, I did not cure AIDS or forge World Peace, but I did hold a miracle in my arms. Two, in fact. My children are my great accomplishment, and the opportunity to raise them is my greatest challenge. I don't know if my children will grow up to be great leaders or world-class brain surgeons. Frankly, I don't care, as long as they grow up to be happy and fulfilled. They are my greatest joys, even though I sometimes cry myself to sleep at night in frustration. The point is, that today I got to watch my children take another step on the great journey of Life, and I even got to point out some of the sites along the way.

As challenging as parenthood is, it is also equally rewarding, because we are using all our wisdom, our talent and skills to help forge a new person. It is this person, these people, who, in turn, will use their gifts to create our future. So every nursery rhyme I recite, every swing I push, every little hand I hold is SOMETHING! And I did it today!

(Author Unknown)

Heartbreaker--Part 2...

Seriously--this team will break your heart. We get our hopes up, with our senior quarterback, one of the most experienced in the nation, and a pretty new coach, who's supposed to be elite--(and who's quite overpaid I'm sure)--but year after year, we're disappointed again! I saw this picture on espn.com and it spoke to me! Feeling down Rudy??? Join the club! We had opportunities--but just couldn't seal the deal. Oh well, there's still no place I'd rather be on a Saturday night!

One of THOSE days...

Wednesday was just one of those days--you know, when you start to wonder "what the heck did I think I was doing having 6 kids???" Sometimes I feel like I'm talking--but no one is listening. So I talk louder and louder until I have a headache--and I'm completely frustrated, and guess what?? Still no one is listening. The lights are on in this house--but trust me, no one is home! Then I had a moment where I realized--WOW, do you know that the things that drive me crazy about each of my children are the things that drive me crazy about myself? It's those things that they've undoubtedly inherited from you know who-- ME-- that really irritate the heck out of me! For example:
Emie--bless her heart, is the most wonderful, obedient, loving child! BUT--she is soooo forgetful! Seriously, you can tell her something, and like a minute later, it's gone--she forgot it. She also waits till the very last minute to do things and makes herself and everyone around her crazy trying to get them done! Hmmmmm, who do you think she gets that from??--ME! Sorry Em...
Erin--is the funniest, cutest, sweetest girl in the world! BUT--the girl never shuts her mouth! She gets herself into so much trouble, at home, and at school, because she just can't help but to comment on everything! She always has to have the last word--which gets her into even more trouble! Wow, are you sensing a pattern here?? Sorry Erin, love ya!
Abby--is just the best girl, and almost never in trouble around here! BUT--this chld doesn't know the meaning of the word HURRY--she is always running LATE! It drives me absolutely crazy! Hmmmm....wonder why?? Maybe that's because she's never been on time for anything in her LIFE! Maybe she's so used to being late that she's adopted it as a way of life--just like someone else I know...Sorry Abby!
Josh--I love this guy so much he's my very favorite boy! BUT--the kid doesn't have an OFF switch! He is so LOUD! There is no inside and outside voice--there is just one voice--LOUD! It doesn't matter if we are at church, or home, or the swimming pool, the kid yells at everyone, like he's afraid no one will hear him. Whisper??? He's never heard of it! Wow, it sounds like this kid might belong to me too! Sorry Josh!
Ashlie--just my sweet little adorable toddler! BUT--this girl can be more stubborn and rotten than your average mule at any given moment! I'm telling you, I never thought any of my kids would be more stubborn than me--but this child has proven me wrong over and over again--and she's only 3! Once she was mad at me for turning off the shower, and she didn't want to get out, and was crying and yelling, throwing a heck of a tantrum. I said, "fine, then stay in there then" and I turned off the shower, and let her stand there in the cold, (this was Jan., it was cold!). I just thought I'd sit and wait for her to get out and come to me to get dressed. I'm not kidding you, that girl stood there shivering and crying for 25 (count 'em--25) minutes! I was trying to outlast her, but was seriously worried that she would catch pnemonia! Holy cow Ash--I'm sorry-- it looks like you got one of my worst traits! (I'm sure your husband will agree someday--ask your DAD)!
Jack--who knows??? What horrible traits will I have passed on to this other poor son??? The only one I can tell so far is that the boy LOVES to eat--(that's ME!) but then I think that's probably a universal trait for an infant, isn't it? We will see--sorry in advance Jack--for whatever you get stuck with!
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I need to be more understanding and kind to my children--after all, they are the way they are for a reason! I also realize that living with ME is no piece of cake for them either! I mean, check it out--I have ALL of those traits, and MORE! If you don't believe me, click HERE! I am certainly grateful that we have a mix of personalities in this house--and that means there is NEVER a dull moment! I guess I wouldn't have it any other way!

Sleepy Sunday...

I always tell people if you ever are tired of being a mother, and can't stand your kids one more minute--just go in at night and look at them while they sleep. You can't help but have your heart melt and fall in love with them all over again! Ashlie is sleeping with Josh right now because she doesn't want to sleep in her room for some reason--and I'd rather her sleep with Josh than with ME! Look at their teddy bears--Josh put Jacks ASU onsie on his--I think it's more MANLY that way! He's sleeping in his old T-ball uniform too--he's so funny! All boy!
It's even cuter when they are so dang tired that they fall asleep wherever they are! Jack was just worn out yesterday, but with all the kids home it was noisy, and he had a hard time settling down. Emie sat him down on the couch, and this is how we found him a few minutes later. How cute is he???

Heartbreaker!

UNLV 23 ASU 20--Are you kidding me??? No Words...and not much sleep tonight for either of us! Isn't it crazy that we care that much!?!

I can't SLEEP!

Okay, so Todd is hunting this week and I am going crazy because when he is gone I can't SLEEP! Seriously, I have the hardest time going to bed and falling asleep. I worry that the door wasn't locked--and I check them like 10 times, or I hear a noise and check on the kids 10 times, then I lay there and toss and turn and my dreams are like INSANE! Seriously, I have some of the weirdest dreams, where I wake up like, "WHAT???" It's so weird--how did I ever sleep when I was single? I guess I just don't remember it's been so long! 15 years this year, can you believe it? I just miss my hubby--I need him next to me when I sleep. It's not like we cuddle either--we are not the snuggly type. He turns over one way, and I turn over the other way and say goodnite. Sometimes we will just touch the other with our foot, just to say "hey--love ya", but that's it. It's just comforting to me to know that he's here, and I'm safe, and hearing him breathe in and out is enough to lull me into my deep sleep. Tonight, he's not here--so here I am, blogging at 1 a.m.--I tried sleep, but it's not gonna come easily tonight. Love you babe & miss you! Now I'm off to take a Benadryl--and hope for good dreams!

Never Forget...

I will never forget this day, and many sleepless nights that followed. It made me think about my mortality, about how nothing is guaranteed in this life. It made me hug my children a little tighter, kiss my husband a little longer, and it made me think about what is really important in my life--my country, my religion, and most of all my family. Seeing this brought back so many of those feelings. Take some time today to remember--we should never forget how we felt on this day.

Church Softball...

So I went to play some church softball with my ward tonight--and it was so fun! I haven't played for years--it seems like I'm always pregnant or I couldn't find a babysitter, and when we lived in Gilbert they didn't even have a women's program in the stake we were in. I'm telling you, I miss playing sports. I played 3 sports in high school, volleyball, basketball and ran track because we didn't have a softball team at my high school. But during the summer we would spend like 2 months playing church softball games. Now the youth only get to play a few weeks--and I think it kinda stinks! I thought I would just go out tonight and have a fun time and a few laughs at how out of shape I am--but I'm seriously the most competitive person EVER! When we started to play, I could just feel myself getting anxious, and especially when I made a mistake, it just drove me CRAZY! I struck out once, and in my mind I'm like beating myself up--like it matters or something?!?! I just can't help it--when I'm playing sports I'm just a freak. I don't like to lose either. The second game we played, we were like getting KILLED--they had some crazy hitters on that team and it was driving me nuts to watch them run the bases. I just glued a smile on my face--after all it's church softball--I have to be a good sport right? Uh huh--right! I'll keep trying!

Mighty Hunter...

My hubby loves to hunt. He looks forward to this time of year every year. This week is his first opportunity to hunt and he is SO excited! Now, I grew up with a dad who loved to hunt, and he always offered to bring us girls with him, but I never went along. It just never was something I cared to do. When Todd and I got married, I thought I would give it a try. Maybe I was really missing out on something, and besides, I wanted to be with him every second--I mean we were newly married and you can't bear to be without each other for like one minute! So, Todd took me out deer hunting for a weekend soon after we were married. Can I just tell you that I have never been so bored in my life!?!?
First of all, you have to be quiet when you hunt, it's kinda like a requirement. You can't even whisper. So for HOURS, we walked around and my husband kept shushing me. Not only because I would whisper--(I couldn't stand it)--but because I would step on twigs, or leaves, or something and make noise. Somehow, only MY shoes made noise, never Todds!
Second, hunting is DIRTY! You get really dirty, and you have to crouch down in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time and wait for something to happen. It happened to be really HOT that day as well, so I remember smelling like B.O. like I never had before. EWWW. Todd never smells like B.O.--seriously, he is the best smelling guy. But that is getting off track. Anyway...
Third, did I mention that you can't TALK AT ALL??? It was like some kind of slow, painful torture to stay quiet for that long. I was ready to kill myself by hour two--and I'm sure that a deer wasn't all that Todd was thinking of killing by that time either! It's funny cause men are perfectly okay with spending a day together, and like NEVER talking to one another. For me, that feels like awkward silence--for him it's PEACE!
The other bad thing is that you have to get up at the CRACK OF DAWN in order to hunt. I am NOT a morning person--in fact I'm not even nice to anyone until about 10 a.m.. So when you wake me up at 4--that's a good 6 hours until I can even manage to wipe that scowl off my face and actually break a smile. And it's a good thing I can't talk, because the way I feel I probably wouldn't have anything nice to say anyway.
Needless to say, my first time hunting was also my last. We both agree that I am NOT a hunter--and Todd is as happy as I am that I would rather him go by himself. Football is a passion that we share--hunting is NOT!
When Todd goes hunting, he'll stay with a bunch of guys like in a dirty cabin, and not shower for days. They eat a diet of sunflower seeds and beef jerky and get up at the crack of dawn and hunt ALL day. If they do shoot something, they spend like HOURS trying to drag its dirty, bloody, heavy carcass to wherever they parked the truck. Then they get home exhausted, and go to bed and do it all over again. They do it in rain, or sun, or sleet or snow. I mean does that say vacation to you?? It sounds to me like ALOT of WORK! All this to kill an animal that you can hopefully pay someone to stuff and hang it on your wall (but not on MY wall--that would cause a big D if you know what I mean). Todd will tell you it's for the meat to feed the family--but we won't eat it--so it's a bunch of crap!
I don't know why he loves it, but he does. And maybe someday, if times get rough, I'm gonna be glad that I have a mighty hunter for a husband so my family doesn't starve to death. (Although, I hope if that happens he can hunt for cows--they're alot easier to kill, because they stand still, and I really like cow meat!) I am happy for him--he deserves a little time away from the kids too, and if he'd rather spend it in the wilderness than on the beach--that just tells you he's a REAL man's man right?? Go get 'em babe! Happy Hunting!

Hunting antelope in Wyoming with my dad last year!

Metal Mouth...

So Emie and Erin both got their braces put on this week, so I have two very cute--but very sore brace faces in our house! I remember having braces--but I don't remember it being much fun at all! It's a necessary evil however, and I tell them they have to keep reminding themselves how gorgeous they will look after a few years when the torture is over! I can't believe my babies have BRACES! Weren't they just toilet training like YESTERDAY??? Ha Ha Ha! (That was for you EM! She hates me to embarass her on this blog!). I wish I had all those pictures scanned so I could post them. I have a ton with Emie with a pull up on her head. She thought that was so funny! I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up! And do you know they already know more then me and Todd put together!? Just ask them! I love these two girls--you're awesome!

Trip to Salt Lake...

Todd and I got some much needed R&R on Monday and Tuesday on a little trip to Salt Lake City. Okay, so you know we don't need R&R, I mean we take more vacations in this family than anyone should ever take--(we are already going on another one in 2 weeks!), but it's always nice to get away, especially without the kids. This one was a trip to check out a new business idea, and was a fun little getaway! I love Salt Lake City, especially at this time of year when it is still so stinkin' hot in AZ! Around September and October, I really get tired of the heat! We had a really great time together, and were able to actually SLEEP IN, which was AWESOME! The Salt Lake Temple was beautiful--I got this picture as Todd pulled to the side of the road and I jumped out real quick. I think it turned out really well! Todd's sister Kelsey and her husband Justin (their blog is here...) watched the kids for us. Actually Justin was Mr. Mom for the two days because Kelsey had to work. My hats off to him--he even got up in the middle of the night with Jack. WOW--Kelsey, he's a keeper! You two are awesome--THANKS!Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurant--they served this dinner for 2 on a trash can lid! Do you think we finished all of this??? You BETCHA!

Shots...

So I have one grumpy little boy today! Jack had to get 5 shots yesterday--can you imagine?? 5!!! Poor little guy, I can't even get one shot without crying. I had to get one when Ashlie was born in my booty, and I had tears in my eyes. Josh was there too because he had an appointment at the same time, and even he teared up watching his brother. I thought that was so sweet. So he was up all night, and today he has been running a fever all day. The little guy feels so crappy he doesn't even want to be in his bouncer--now that's crappy! Sometimes I wonder--I mean this little guy only weighs 15 pounds, and I just pumped him full of all sorts of drugs. I almost asked if he could get one at a time, but I just don't think we'd ever get done if I did it that way. I know he needs to be vaccinated, and I know we have eradicated so many diseases this way, so I don't need a lecture. I just wish there was another way besides SHOTS! And if he could talk today, I bet Jack would echo me on that one! The bad thing is we have to go back in 6 weeks for 4 more!!! YUCK!

Pretty Cool...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 82 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Ashlie's First Day of Preschool...

It was Ashlie's first day of Preschool with the awesome Miss Kerry! I just love this preschool teacher--she is just one of those special people who was meant to teach preschool! You know the type--she's always perky and happy to see everyone, I don't think I've ever seen her in a bad mood! She talks in "kid language", and that sweet kid voice, and the kids just love her to death. Frankly, I don't know how she does it, but I'm grateful that she does! She is also an amazing teacher, who takes pride in her work. She taught Josh how to read--and that meant I didn't have to do it--and to me that was worth its weight in gold! Isn't it great that women such as her will share their talents with the rest of us! Thank goodness!
I'm so proud of my little Ashlie--she's so dang cute, and just smart as can be. Believe me, when she was a baby, I didn't know if she would live to be 3! She cried and cried and cried and cried...you get the point. She hated the car, she hated her bed, and she wasn't very fond of me or anyone else for that matter! But she has turned out to be probably one of my sweetest and most helpful toddlers, and I have been so grateful to have her sweet spirit in our family! I love you Ash, and I'm so proud of you! You're the cutest preschooler ever!

She loves her Hello Kitty backpack!

Sock Monster--

There is a sock monster at my house. He eats socks--and he's working overtime! I can't tell you how the heck I get 50 single socks at this house, but it's driving me flippin crazy! Where the heck did they all go? If you're my neighbor, do you recognize any of these socks??? I spent an hour today matching socks, talk about drudgery! I am seriously going nuts with all this stinkin laundry! Now that school's started, my kids change twice a day, plus they are still swimming so there are a million towels to wash and I'm telling you, I washed at least 15 loads this week! UUGH! Seriously, if I have to start doing laundry more than once a week, I will have to start taking medication...stay tuned!On a good note, at least I have a helper--Ashlie is the best little rag folder around. And she's my ONLY kid who will willingly and gladly put her clothes away. In fact, she puts her pile away several times a day, when each load is folded, she clears her pile away. What a sweet girl! Thanks Ash!