Cinderellie Cinderellie, Night and Day, it's Cinderellie

Well here they are!

Unfortunately, this little Cinderella dress didn't come with the naturally sunny sweet disposition that our well loved Disney friend is known for having. Cinderella also let me know that I was the "worst mommy ever for Halloween" this year, because I made her put on the long sleeved shirt under her dress and "ruined the outfit". Life is full of disappointment, Cinderella. Just wait 'till I put you on laundry duty.

The dresses also came without Cinderella's knack for mopping floors. False advertising, I say.

I have a little skunk costume for Q to wear tonight to the trunk or treat party at our church, but I'm not sure if she's going to let me take off the Snow White dress she put on herself this morning. I was kind of hoping they'd want to dress up as something other than princesses for Halloween, since Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Tinkerbell can usually be found at our house the other 364 days of the year. At least they are getting plenty of use!

They are pretty cute...even with the stink eye. I'm sure a little candy will help fix that!

"No. I Won't Put My Hands Up and Surrender"

I'm bragging I know.
But it's my blog, so I can.
and I will....

It started with a horrible, no good week...that wasn't REALLY all that horrible at all. Well, not when I think of my life in comparison to the really horrible things that are happening to other people in the world.

But for me, in comparison to normal....it was just a horrible week.
I hadn't really complained about it to anyone, and I wasn't whining or sulking or anything...but on the inside I was feeling pretty horrible. It had just been a HORRIBLE week...that kept getting more horrible.

Then, without asking...or even knowing "the trouble's I've seen", or "the sorrows":

-a friend offers to pick up Reese from preschool and bring her home for me

-a friend shows up on my doorstep with these:

complete with 2 kinds of schmear. awesome, right?

-I get to have a chat with a friend I haven't talked to, or seen in WAAAAAY too long, and she had googled 10 different ways for me to get the ball point pen out of my sofa (see: bad horrible day/ daughter/really long time out....for me, not her. Upon my discovery of her "artwork/furniture alterations", I put myself in time out so I wouldn't do something I'd regret later...and came back to discipline daughter once the steam stopped coming out of my ears and my horns had shrunk below my hairline again). Anyway, it was so nice to catch up with her, joke around a little, and be excited about the new adventure in her life. It was nice to stop thinking about myself...which is just what I needed.

-a friend picked up my children and entertained them for the afternoon so I could take the Young Women from my church to volunteer at an assisted living home.

-I got some Good Mail from my sister, HolleeAnn on my way out the door. (thanks for the Pop Rocks!)

-I got to watch a couple of 80 and 90 year old women have their first experience with Pop Rocks. Their reactions were pretty funny...I hope it doesn't mess with any of their meds.

-6 really old ladies told me over and over what a beautiful, charmed and blessed life I have, and how lucky I am to have a family, a social life, and a young, healthy body that is able to do everything I need it to do.

-I had breakfast with two of my favorite people, followed by an hour of kid free grocery shopping at Aldi, thanks to a friend who kept my kids at her house for a play date.

-Quin told me "I love you". She's been "saying" it with hugs, kisses, smiles, snuggles, and looks in her eyes, since she was born, but to hear her express love with words, well....sigh.
-a friend called and invited me to her house for lunch. Even though I couldn't go (because I'd signed up to help with Reese's preschool field trip) it was still really nice to be invited.

-Reese (finally) stayed in her bed all night last night. A relief after a week of freshly developed bad habits.

-my husband arrived home from work early tonight and took the girls to the park at the lake, while I got to visit a friend in the hospital and hold her beautiful, precious newborn baby in my arms for an hour and soak up her yummy, sweet, only 10 hours old, straight from heaven baby smell.

-generic rocky road ice cream mysteriously showed up in my freezer tonight (thank you, friend!)

-my brother, Scotty, called... just because.

-Most were just little gestures...things that could have so easily not been done...but the fact that they were done, well they made me so happy. My cup has been filled and I feel very blessed...and well fed. My week was not so horrible after all. Everything in life has it's opposite. I am so lucky that the few horrible cards in my hand this week did not cause me to overlook the rest of the deck and ruin what turned out to be a pretty rockin' hand.

And the week's not even over.

With a Boulder on My Shoulder, Feeling Kinda Older, I Tripped on the Merry Go Round

It must be getting closer to Halloween, because Q thinks that she is a ghost. For the past few weeks, when she's ready for bed, she gets her blanket, puts it over her head, and wanders around the house. Usually, her whole face is covered so she can't see anything, so she just laughs as she bumps into furniture and the counter tops. It's pretty funny...especially the muffled ghost giggles that come from under the blanket. Muffled by her thumb, not her blanket. I'm really quite surprised she hasn't had a head injury yet. I'll try to get more pictures of our little ghost.

"At Worse... I Feel Bad for Awhi-i-ile, Yeah But Then I Just Smi-i-ile..."

Ok People. (and by people I mean my husband and the good folks at our local Walmart Supercenter) THIS is Rocky Road ice cream:

Contents:
Chocolate ice cream.
chopped or sliced almonds almonds.
mini marshmallows.
that's it.

My husband is a great guy. He really is. Every once in awhile he does a really nice thing and asks if I want a treat and every 'every once in awhile' I say, "of course".
Every time, I am dumb enough to request rocky road ice cream...and every time I am even dumb-er enough to convince myself that he will return with some.
A few times, he came home with Tin Roof Sundae, and once it was Pralines and Cream.
More often than not, it is Cookies n' Creme.

Finally, I questioned his love for me in a sweet loving way,

"what the heck is wrong with you? Don't you know what rocky road ice cream is? Seriously Aaron, is this a joke? Are you trying to set me up?"

Loving right?

His defense is weak.

A:"Well I never get the right kind of rocky road, and then you get mad at me...and I don't really even LIKE rocky road so I might as well have something I like, since you're not going to be happy with what I bring home anyway."

(wait, are we still talking about ice cream? This sounds like some kind of weird therapy session. That's fine....but if that's going to be the case, well... you should know by now that I EAT ICE CREAM FOR THERAPY. Rocky Road ice cream.)

Me:"of course you don't get the right kind. If if doesn't SAY "rocky road" on it...IT'S THE WRONG KIND."

Well, tonight I understood what he meant. I requested the Great Value rocky road ice cream. usually when it comes to rocky road, you can't go wrong with the generic stuff...they are too cheap to put anything weird in...just the basics. And in my experience, generic chocolate ice cream is some of the BEST stuff out there. Really.

He returns with Great Value Premium Rocky Road ice cream.
The carton has a lid. Well that's a bad sign in itself...generic ice cream comes in the crusty box. You open once side, eat 1/2 the ice cream, then flip it over and open the other end. This prevents your knuckles from getting a paint job from digging to the bottom of the box. Also, ice cream is less appetizing when you're scraping the last little bitties from the carton. It's just not the same as a good healthy scoop. Flipping the carton halfway through provides the illusion of a fresh box to work with.

Apparently there is Great Value ice cream, and Great Value Premium ice cream. Wanting to make his impossible-to-please-wife happy, Aaron opted for the premium. Nice Right?
Mistake numero uno, buddy.
Not examining the photo on the carton was mistake numero dos.

Does this photo represent my description? No? Ok then. It is NOT rocky road. Simple.
Seriously, what is that? Marshmallow swirl? chocolate chunks??? no. no. NO.

Great Value Premium Rocky Road:
-has a heaping amount of Chocolate chunks (buzz)
-a "delicious" blend of marshmallow swirl (buzz)
and
-premium chocolate covered whole almonds (buzz)

Three strikes and you're OUT Great Value Premium.

I hesitantly mention my disappointment to Aaron and he pulls out an "I TOLD YOU SO"

WHAT?
he then reminds me of the time he bought the Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road.

" Sugar Free gross "

And the time he bought Heavenly Hash....which LOOKED like Rocky Road in the picture.

"Um...For the record, Heavenly Hash is wannabe rocky road. There are chocolate chunks, and instead of almonds you have peanuts. Good, but not as heavenly as PLAIN OLD ROCKY ROAD!"

Ok, so MAYBE I'm being a little harsh on the guy. Especially since he is not a lover of the Rocky Road as I am. Maybe they're really all the same to him.

Or maybe, just MAYBE, once he has a taste of the good stuff, he'll fall under the marshmallow spell, as I have, and come on over to the good side of the fight. Upon closer examination of the ice cream aisle at Walmart, I'm going to cut the guy some slack. For now, my request is simple:

Dear Walmart,
Could you PLEASE stop providing SO MANY loser rocky road options? We've had enough of your gross low-fat, made-with-Splenda substitutes. Marshmallow creme and mini marshmallows are only equal in value when you are making rice crispy treats. I don't eat my ice cream melted...and I WANT MINI MARSHMALLOWS. I'll be back soon. Yeah, me again...I'm pretty sure my Aaron has given up on ever attempting to bring home Rocky Road again.

And could you please call me the next time you have Edy's Special Edition Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint in Chocolate in stock? Yes, I know it's only once a year...I'd like to stock up before you run out on me, like last time. It's ok, I forgive you....but I hope you've hired new people in your replenishment dept. Thank You.

Now I'm going to go "enjoy" some Rocky Hash (well... that's what you SHOULD be calling it anyway...it's not good enough to be called Heavenly Road) Great Value Premium ice cream.

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker,Television, North Korea,South Korea, Marilyn Monroe!

Some people have asked me about the relevance of my post titles. I guess some of them are more cryptic than I had thought. Wanna play name that tune?

The scoring is totally subjective.
I'll "keep track" for about a month, or until I grow tired of the game.
The winner will receive an award (meaning something freaky and awesome from craigslist) to parade on their blog among their other pieces of flair from the blogosphere.
If you are REALLY in it to win it (and who wouldn't be? Music trivia is the best) feel free to scroll back through the archives and rack up some points. Annie and Kasey already earned herself a few snaps for Tainted Love, and People Are People.

Today's post is worth 1 gold star an 5 brownie points to the friend who gets it first.
Points will be awarded to those who complete an extra line or two of the song, give the title, or name that band.

Demerits will be given for:

- poor sportsmanship

-if you correct me for misquoting a song (ever see that commercial where the guy sings "pour some shook up ra-men!" instead of "pour some sugar on me"? Very funny, but in most cases, I prefer to just continue to sing the wrong lyrics...and I don't like to be embarrassed on my own blog...or at all really, but some things are unavoidable)

-not playing.

-if I just don't like you.

Have Fun!

Ok, on to the actual post for today:
Yesterday we went to the Fire Dept. for "F week" with the kids in our preschool group. We had a smaller group due to new babies and a few rounds of strep, but the kids that came had a great time!



Reese had a pretty good time, until Mr. Fireman turned on the truck while she was sitting on it. She was not a fan of the noise.

Or Mr. Fireman, apparently.

I guess Mr. Fireman wasn't too fond of us, either. This is the photo he took of me, Reese, and Quincy sitting on the firetruck:


Reese got over it when he gave her a hat and a coloring book. I disliked him even more for giving her temporary tattoos.

"I'm on a gurney!"

Dad, these helmets smelled weird. I actually expected it to smell like "DAD" when I put it on. It did not. It smelled like plastic and engine exhaust. I guess it takes a good 30 years of BBQ to build up a decent Essence of Hal. I was disappointed.

I was hoping for a little "stop, drop, and roll speech" or "check those smoke alarms" from the Fire Guys, but they didn't come through....which leaves Fire Safety 101 up to 'Mother of the Year" over here-who let her friend's one year old use a hot stove to practice cruising (his chubby little fingerprints are still on the damper...sorry about that Samantha!), and Husband Who Uses My Oven Mitts to Poke Logs in the Fireplace and Has Repeatedly Run Through the House With His Hand On Fire in a Beeline to Put it Out in the Snow Drifts on the Porch.
Yeah. We're great examples of safety.

I'm Gonna Be Ready This Ti-i-i-ime

On Saturday, Aaron played in our stake volleyball tournament. I was at the church for Reese's primary program rehearsal (the program was sunday and she shocked us all and actually said her lines into the microphone...we were expecting her to cry and refuse to even sit on the stand with her class, but she did great!). After the rehearsal we watched Aaron play a few sets.

It was fun watching him play, and it reminded me of the very first time I went out with my roommates when I went to college. We went to a nearby park and watched a group of guys from the apartment across the street play volleyball. A few of my roommates joined in. I sat on a blanket on the grass and pretended to read a book. It's not really like me to play shy...yeah, ok it's NOTHING like me to play shy, but the fact is that I can't play volleyball. It's not in the cards for me. I can pretty much fake most other sports, with the exceptions of volleyball and football. So rather than totally expose myself as the non-athletic freshman with the tomato-red arms after making contact with the ball only once.... I sat on the grass to cheer on my roommates and check out my prospective suitors.

And there he was.

Chuck was at least a head shorter than the other guys on his team... and even shorter than some of my super tall roommates (that means you, Leisha...you supermodel!)

But it wasn't his height that made him stick out...it was his smile.

and the way he stuck out his arm pointed at people with one finger when he laughed at their jokes. (who does that?)

and the fact that he was mellow...not so much a teller of stories, but a laugher at the stories others would tell. I'm totally aware of my need for people who make me feel funnier than I actually am. (another reason to love Wendy, and HolleeAnn...both are laugh out loud at your jokes kind of people).

and his "mom" style Subaru Outback that he thought was "sporty" because he didn't have to
take apart his fly rods to fit them in the trunk.

and the fact that the following Monday, when he was in charge of the spiritual thought for our FHE group, he gave a chastity lesson. (that was probably for you, Kurt! j/k...I think you guys were the only couple who actually did follow the curfew).

and his sister, (also a supermodel) who introduced herself to me when she came over to his apartment that night with a Papa Johns Pizza in hand, and funny stories to tell....that's my kind of girl.

He was great.

and somehow I tricked him into picking ME.



Our ward made it to the semi-finals before they were defeated by the winning team. Aaron said he had a lot of fun. I think he started missing his "glory days" of intramural sports at BYU with his brothers (I guess the fantasy football teams just don't suffice). I didn't realize how much I missed hanging around and watching him play. What I don't miss is standing outside in the flippin' FREEZING snow watching him play football on the packed snow, or caring for his nasty infected broken toenail (a result of playing football on ice), hearing about his hurt back from playing roller hockey, or hearing an embarrassing play-by-play from a roommate about Aaron almost getting into a fight at a basketball game (good thing I wasn't at THAT game), or the really ugly, too-small, t-shirt he got for winning the intramural championship...that he wore all the time-even with the cheese stain on it-just to spite me.

But I DO miss how happy it made him, and I think he missed it too.

"Still Gotta Let You Know, a House Does Not Make a Home"

I've noticed a lot of negative publicity for Prop 8 among many of my friends. While I don't usually use my blog as a place for political propaganda, I am going to today. This is more than a political issue, it is a moral issue. I feel like it is my right and responsibility to share what I believe and know to be true. I believe in equality and I believe this is God's plan. I know and care about individuals that live a different lifestyle than I do. This post is not intended to be a slam at them, but an opportunity to share what I believe with those who have not had the opportunity to hear it. I feel like my 7 and 1/2 years of matrimony has given me a great understanding of what defines a marriage, and how God is involved in the process. This understanding is not necessarily one that could be comprehended by an individual who is single...and since most of the friends that are against Prop 8 are not married, I wish to enlighten them...

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. 'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

"We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society"

So.... How does all this relate to Proposition 8?

If someone in good conscience does not feel right about performing a same-sex marriage, then they should not have to. There have already been several cases where the refusal to perform a same-sex marriage led to their being penalized, and in some cases, the right to perform marriages were taken away. Penalized. Penalized for exercising their right to religious freedom, and refusing to do something they believe to be wrong? Huh?

I hear the words "defeat prop 8, and I can't help but remember my own marriage ceremony, and think about the words that were said, and covenants that were made. Prop 8 is not a deliberate slam to same-sex relationships...it is a protection from a slam on traditional marriage. I imagine the repercussions of not passing Prop 8 to be catastrophic. It seems that the main accusation against Prop 8 is that it is a "backwards move" in history. To that I say, HOW?

Popularity does not make something right.

It takes more than love alone to make a marriage. I feel so bad for my friends that have been tricked into believing that a marriage is simply a union between two people that are in love. It is so much more. It is the birth of a family (unless you'd like to redefine that word for us too). Families grow. How is growth a backwards move? It seems like creating a union with the known inability to procreate is a backward move. It seems like taking away a clergyman's right to perform marriages-that will build families-is a backward move. Forcing mandatory compliance regardless of personal beliefs is a backward move. It is totally not about equality. If you think Prop 8 is about equality, you do not yet understand what a marriage is. Period. I am honestly don't get why this is even an issue. If you wish to spend the rest of your life with someone of the same sex, get a civil union. You can have the same rights that America can offer any married couple...but my children will not be taught whether your relationship is right or wrong in school, and a clergyman who disagrees with your union will not be forced to perform the ceremony. You are not necessarily going to get the things you desire and claim to be "your right" by simply changing your same-sex commitment to a marriage. I think that's all I'm going to say. If you disagree, fine...please complain on your own blog, not mine.

We will return to our regularly scheduled blogging on Monday, with pictures from the Fire Dept., Q's first temper tantrum, and a Day Out with Kasey....fun stuff!

When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings, When I'm Feeling Sad...

Things that are awesome:
just the cherry....don't bother bringing anything non-frosted my way. What's the point?


Mmmm bagels. SO tasty.

but not without this:

The cheese can hold it's own without the bagel...but the story is not the same the other way around. Bagels must have cheese. Lots of it.

Yum.

"Much too good for children."

Things that make me happy to see.

The rules for garage sale-ing:
Always have a list of things you are looking for. (Dora bike, wooden bench, wheelbarrow found one today for $3 yahoo!)
Don't feel guilty for not buying anything.
Don't buy crap you don't need.
ALWAYS offer less than marked. If its $15 offer $10, if it's $1 offer 50 cents. Always.
If you see the homeowner smoking or caressing 100 cats, get back in your car and drive away. Ew.

The tearing down of the sports net. This was a father's day present for Aaron a few years ago. He really wanted it. I purchased it, under the impression that it was "collapsible" and only 3 or 4 feet tall. I was not aware that we would have a 7 ft nasty white mesh tent in the middle of our ward for 2 years. It's huge, it's ugly, it's impossible to mow around, so it's always surrounded by 2 feet of chigger filled weeds, and I swear I've seen homeless people camping out in there. He did use it, though. He really enjoyed it, too. Reese even drove her first few golf balls into it. I'm not sorry I bought it, since he enjoyed it so much....but I AM happy to see it go. Thank goodness for the thunderstorm that finally took that mother down.



Ahhh...sleeping children....a beautiful sight.

And since this is Aaron's blog too... a few of his favorite things:


I feel like I should give equal credit to the LA Dodgers for Aaron's sake....but I don't want to.
Go A's!

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

Inspired by Sheena's post about her worst working experience, I thought I would share a few of mine. There really are so many to choose from, as I was a magnet for companies that seemed to only hire me to stand in as a role model (and only functioning citizen) among a handful of teen mothers, drug users, and bingo addicts. I think I'll take Sheena's advice and make this a regular segment on our blog. It's good to cruise down memory lane as a reminder that I am SOOOO much happier cleaning up my own daughters' vomit, than bathing and shaving the armpits of a 27 year old with CP and a healthy dose of Tourrette Syndrome....but that's another day.

Boise Ranch Golf Club seems like a good place to start, since I've already shared this story once today. (not that there will only be ONE story about BRGC...there are oh so many)

I was hired as the beverage cart/snack shack girl....except when I got there I found out that everyone rotates between the cart, the shack, the restaurant, the bar, and the kitchen.
Sheena, I too, got to wear an ugly over blue sized polo shirt that said Sandbagger Saloon across a silk screened pint of foamy beer and a set of golf clubs.

Day 1: I am in the kitchen learning how to cook everything the restaurant serves. (because why pay a cook to do that?) Guy from the pro shop comes in and orders a chicken finger sandwich. My boss (who actually has Yosemite Sam mud flaps on her truck and her daughter's name tatted across her forearm)shows me how to deep fry the chicken fingers (which are gross merely because they are called fingers) and I ask: "Um...How do I know when it's done?" She says, "oh easy, it floats to the top like a poop".

She finishes assembling the sandwich, slides it across the bar to Mikey, then sits down to have a smoke (IN THE KITCHEN)
two seconds later we hear. "HEY SHELLS! This sandwich is still FROZEN in the middle!"

Shelly sighs, "yeah, that happens sometimes"she puts down her cigarette, walks over to Mikey, opens up his sandwich, picks up the mayo covered raw chicken finger-using only her 1 1/2 inch long BLUE plastic fingernails-saunters back to the kitchen and THROWS it BACK in the deep fat fryer. She takes another drag of her cigarette and says,
"lunch'll be ready in 5 minutes. Sorry, Mikey"

Later that day, when they drained the grease from the fryer, a battery fell out. THERE HAD BEEN A BATTERY in the OIL all. day. long.
A coworker was like, "oops that was me..I knocked over the kitchen timer...it should be in there somewheres too."
They never found it. Did it melt?
no one knows.
and that was Boise Ranch.
I actually stayed there for 6 months.

So. What's up with bad work uniforms? Is it the whole...let's show these employees that they really are the scum that they feel like in that blue smock? Uniforms have got to be the #1 reason they are always hiring at Hot Dog on a Stick...it doesn't get worse than that does it?

But it does.

If only I had a photo from my hometown safety parade...where I was the "lucky" 17 year old city volunteer chosen to entertain children, dressed as "Hector the Smoke Detector". I had a large foam costume, a red squeaky nose, and I passed out batteries. Who wouldn't want to take that girl to prom?

Now I'm Gonna Pack My Things and Go! (ok not really)

This is the Life that Meg Built

This is the Mommy who sings them, "good night."
She snuggled them extra, held onto them tight.
They're growing so fast and someday, I'll miss
these faces that, right now, I've all day to kiss.
Can't I have just five more minutes of bliss?
Life isn't going to get better than this.

These are the moments I've lived my whole life for.
I move through each day, just waiting for more.
So tonight as I helped get my family in bed.
I ran through the day's events in my head.
If you plan to have children, this might be a scare
But I can't stop the rhyming. So, with you, I share.....

This is the daughter, who threw up last night.
We put her to bed and examined the site.
We were scrubbing and cleaning the floors until ten,
Then once we were done, she threw up again.

This is the baby, who's grown up too fast.
Still naps twice a day...we hope it will last.
But she's had a fever and woke up at eleven
and twelve, two, and three, and for good up at seven.

And of course Reese was up, along with her Sis.
wanting to know what fun she would miss.
From four until seven, wide awake she stayed.
Crabby from the fever "Make her sleep, Lord" I prayed.
At seven she crashed in the middle of my bed.
With juice, sweat, and vomit all over her head.
Then Quincy woke up, ready to play
I thought, when will I get to sleep today?

This is the Daddy, who came home at lunch.
To surprise his family...what a sick looking bunch.
More vomit? Is that even possible? How can that be?
"Uh, hey I think I'd better get back to work. Lunch is over for me
But I'll see you tonight, hang in there, feel better."
Yeah, yeah. I'm not sorry I got puke on your sweater.

Did Reese take a nap?
No Nooo, are you kidding? No way.
We're going to the doctor, Q can nap on the way.
It's a virus (of course it is) Why did I bother?
Now I'm stuck here, quarantined, 'till they are better.

This is our house. Aaron is welcomed home by the junk,
blankets, toys, and diapers. Yes. that's juice in the toy trunk.
I'm hardly functioning, so surrounded by trash.
Did I forget to change Quincy? Now she's got a rash.
I sigh, "I'm so sorry, I'm doing my best".
He smiles, "Go to bed, Meg, and I'll do the rest"

This is the mommy, who said, "that sounds great"
Relieved that some sleep was finally her fate.
She went to her bed, but to her dismay
found the clean laundry waiting to be put away.
So she folded and hung, and an hour went by.
"It's finished!" She cried, and let out a sigh.
But down the hall echoed a small child's cry....

This is the crying loud enough to wake the dead.
Aaron said, "I can do this, I thought you were in bed"
Tomorrow, I'm sure they'll be up with the sun.
Hungry and needy, and wanting some fun.
"Go back to your room and quietly play".
Under my covers is where I will stay.
The more I'll think about the hours ahead,
The longer I'll hide inside my bed.
Can't I have just five more of minutes of bliss?
Life isn't going to get better than this.

"I've Been Looking So Long at these Pictures of You, That I Almost Believe That They're Real"

Scott and Kristie:
Ok Ok, the post title was kind of a cheap shot. Not like it's actually anyones fault that we haven't seen each other in a whole year...I always miss the family a little more at this time of year.
Plus, I couldn't think of any songs that had lyrics about the pumpkin patch and my super cute kids, so I settled for the Cure....since this post is mostly for YOU guys after all, and YOU are the really reason I even know those lyrics, and not the lyrics to Backstreet Boys, Sister Hazel, Savage Garden, or Jessica Simpson...so thanks again for that. I owe you one buddy.

We spent Saturday afternoon and evening at Right Choices Pumpkin Patch with the kids. It was great, and totally worth the 4o minute drive to get there. It was such a cute place, super cheap, and a great family atmosphere.

(look! a clip in Q's "hair"...it didn't last long. I think she "fed" it to the goats.)

The girls really enjoyed the animals. Reese has decided to be brave all of a sudden and was obsessed with the piggies. (which she named "wilbur" and "wilbur") "wilbur" was fond of Quincy's chubby little fingers, and my arm...which he bit. Quincy called all of the animals "doggie"....which was funny, because she actually does know farm animals and the noises they make. I think she was just trying to make us look like lazy parents, that don't read to their kids or teach them anything.

Naturally, the 2 pictures we had taken of all of us together, didn't turn out. I don't think I even got a single shot of both the girls looking in the same direction, but here are my favorites:

"Doggie! Doggie! Hi Doggie! Wook Weese, a Doggie!..."
The only picture A knows I took of him that night.
The classic "if you think I'm going to sit still on your lap and pose while Dad takes our picture you got another thing coming" shot.
Reese had to watch from both sides to make sure the children going IN the so-called "hay tunnel" were actually coming out the other side, before she would go near it. She was running circles around and through it by the end of the night.

the real reason you read my blog. It's ok to admit it, they're pretty darn cute.
Reese has the Napoleon Dynamite thing going on right now...she looked like she was about to sneeze in a lot of the pictures.

The cow train.
The love of a mother, who wants her daughter to ride the cow train.
The view. The train actually goes through part of the corn maze, so I am glad I went, because I think the kids might have freaked out a little after only seeing green on every side for awhile.
Right Choices Farm is owned and operated by a Christian family, and this year the corn maze was in the shape of an open book with a cross in the middle of it.
Really.
I think it was part of their whole "get lost in the word of God" theme for the year. Kind of cute.
Usually the corn maze is in the shape of a scarecrow, ghost, or a pumpkin. I can really say is Kudos to the owners for being so verbal about the message they want to share. Luckily, we're in the Bible belt, so a Bible theme for their pumpkin patch will probably only help bring in more business...as opposed to other places in the country, where such a corn maze would be boycotted or set afire. The family also just published a book about "making right choices" (sort of a 12 step self-improvement book to help you discover God) that they were selling at little stands throughout the farm. I don't know why I found that so funny. I wanted to laugh, but felt guilty, since their cause seems so noble. Stupid anonymous with your stupid guilt trip. I can't believe I actually second guess myself before I make fun of people now. You've killed the funny. I hope you are happy with your jumper-clad self.
Up next were the slides. The first was metal well, and the kids could sit on a burlap sac to slide down on. I thought I'd run for Mother of the Year and let Quincy have a go. I stuck her on the sac, gave her a push, and...
halfway down, she wiped out and flipped over onto her stomach. The burlap sac made it to the end of the slide alone, and Q came shortly after, head first, with her little hands sliding along the side of the tube in an attempt to stop herself. She lost a little trust in me after that and refused to be put down for awhile. Good thing Aaron is also in the running for Most Responsible Parent, because he managed to cheer her up with some chocolates and Dr. Pepper. Mmmm...dinner.
Please don't call child protective services.

This is Reese before she went down the other slide.
She slid off her board a few times, but managed to wiggle back on and get going again without loosing control and letting it get away from her. We think this is a sign that she has some surfing potential. One run was all she wanted out of that slide...and after watching Reese we opted NOT to send Quincy down.
Ahhh....The Duck Races.
4 trenches with water pumps and rubber duckies you can race.
Needless to say, the Mr. and Mrs. were highly entertained at this activity.
Aaron kicked my trash nearly every time...but only because the pump I was using was broken ;o) He let me win once...but only because he left to rescue Q from the evil child hitting her with a rake in the corn box.
"Come on, Reese...you're never going to win with that wimpy pink duck. You need the little white duck with the mailman hat. Speedy Delivery. We're in it to win it...let's show that kid in the camo who's boss. On your mark, Get se---No. No...Reese, Quit naming them. This is a competition, Reese. Help me out."

What is this? Food or a toy? I'm so confused...


Following the whole amazing grace theme...shouldn't this say "I am found at Right Choices corn maze"?