A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to get away and go to girls camp. Matt was great and took the whole week off so we wouldn't have to juggle the kids around. I left early Monday morning and got back Friday afternoon, so like I said it was the whole week. Up at camp there was no cell phone service so we really were disconnected from our families. I have to admit this was hard for me and I got homesick very quickly. I wanted to call and see how Matt was doing, see how the kids were holding up, find out how Mia's eye doctors appt had gone, etc. It's hard to be completely removed, I missed my little posse.
When we came home Friday as we came down the mountain I had my phone in my hand anxiously waiting for it to stop "searching for service". When I finally had service I called home as quickly as I could. I was so anxious to hear any of their sweet voices. Mason answered the phone:
Mason: Hello
Me: HEYYYYY BUDDY!!! It's me! How are you? I miss you! (at this point I actually tear up. Man, I missed him)
Mason: MOM! I'm good. I miss you too. When are you coming home?
Me: We're on our way right now. I'll be home in about an hour and a half. Are you ready for me to come home?
Mason: Yeah. Dad's ready for you to come home too.
Me: He is?
Mason: Yeah, he's been swearing..A LOT!" (I think he'd been anxiously waiting to rat his Dad out)
After I hung up with him I told my friends who were sitting by me. One of them told me to tell Mason that most of the Dad's are swearing a lot by this point. We got a good laugh out of it.
I love the fact that Matt would take on being a single parent for a week. I know how hard it can be and I figure if a four letter word or two (or three, but who's counting? Oh yeah, Mason is.) is the worst that comes of it, so be it!
Thanks Mattie!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
My Trip to "Wits End" (long post)
I've been reading this book I got from a friend for my birthday titled "A Mother's Book of Secrets". I came across a quote that I love by Orson F Whitney:"....All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our character, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable…..”
As I was reading this it reminded me of a day I had with Mia last fall. It was right after school had started again and I made the decision to keep Mia home instead of putting her in preschool. I had noble intentions, really. After sending Mason off to school I went outside to sand some shelves I wanted to put in the boys room. Mia and Madden were playing downstairs. At least that's what I thought. After about an hour I came inside to find both of them sitting on the kitchen counter with several open and empty cups of Crystal Light drink powder scattered around them. They had taken turns opening a cup, closing their eyes and blowing the contents all over. It was Raspberry Ice flavor so when it comes in contact with water it turns a deep red. There was powder EVERYWHERE !
Let me just explain what happens to me when I come upon things like this: I PANIC!!!! Real, flat out panic!! I want to SCREAM! My head starts to spin. My ears ring. I have to remind myself to breathe. My first thought is to run away because it's too overwhelming, where do you even start? Like when one of my kids would poop in the tub....PANIC!! Throw up....PANIC!!! Kids playing in the mud…PANIC!!! Overly messy diapers....PANIC!! Somehow I handle it but the panic stays with me for quite a while after. Stupid but true.
Ok, where was I? So I see the mess, FREAK…PANIC….remind myself to breathe….where do I begin?! I take one thing at a time and get the kids and the kitchen cleaned up. Not a quick task, it takes some serious time but eventually I'm finished. I talk to Mia about why this isn't ok and why we don't EVER make messes like this. I handled it, YES!. Time to move on with our day.I enter the living room. While I had been cleaning the kitchen the kids had taken a new box of Lucky Charms and emptied it on the front room floor. Then they proceeded to "dance" all over it getting it nice and ground into the carpet. They love to dance and run around the front room so when I had heard them in there I didn't think anything of it. PANIC again!! The kids help me clean up by scooping what we could into the garbage then vacuuming. I sit Mia down again and explain -a little more passionately- that this is unacceptable. Next time there will be consequences beyond just helping to clean it up. I think we have an understanding.
Lunch time and then quiet time for Mia while Madden has a nap. After a story I put a movie on for her so I can go take a shower and get dressed for the day. (Anyone else have days where you don’t get showered or dressed until right before your husband gets home from work?) After I shower and get ready for the day (evening, night…whatever it is) the doorbell rings. As I stand there talking to my neighbor Madden wakes up from his –all too short- nap and joins Mia downstairs. I’m talking to her for a while then I go check on the kids. I call out their names….no answer. Again…..no answer. As I go down the stairs I can see the popcorn Mia had while she watched the movie is dumped all over the family room floor. Smashed all over the carpet much like the cereal mentioned before. This time the panic is overshadowed a bit by my ANGER!! Now I’m not calling out their names sweetly, I’m yelling them! First, middle AND last names are used!!!! Still no answer. I hear faint voices but they are nowhere to be found. I go upstairs, nowhere. Where are they? I listen again and can here voices downstairs so I go back down. I can’t find them anywhere. I listen again……the storage room. I open the door and here’s the scene I find:
Standing in the middle of the floor are both kids with a puddle around them of thick, colorful liquid. PAINT!! In our storage room I have a spot where I have always kept paints. Most of them are bottles of craft paints but there are wood stains as well. ALL of them were emptied on the cement floor. They’re “skating” in it. They’re finger painting in it. They’re creating a masterpiece. There are colorful footprints everywhere. Forget everything that usually happens when I panic. At the sight of this mess my entire day flashes before my eyes, my mind goes completely blank and I BURST into tears. I don’t even know if panic takes place at this point, I’m beyond thought. I’m sobbing and FURIOUS! Judging by the look on Mia’s face she knew she was in serious trouble. I carry both of them into the bathroom which thankfully is right next to the storage room. I clean them off in the sink and tell her -through clenched teeth- to get her little rear-end up to her room! (I don’t know what words I used but I’m sure there were expletives somewhere in the mix)
Matt came home while I was in the middle of cleaning it up. I explained through my tears how my day had led to this point. I also explained that it would be his responsibility to give her a proper punishment. If it was left up to me she wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. I was so mad. Matt helped me clean up and left Mia in her room for a very long time. She was still there when I left for work an hour or so later. When I returned home 2 hours later the popcorn mess was cleaned up, Mia had been punished in a civil manner and I resolved to call the next morning and enroll her in preschool (for as many days a week as they would take her!)!
Looking back I know I didn’t endure this day with patience and I’m sure it didn’t make me more charitable or expand my soul. The 2 things I did learn: 1.When kids reach a certain age most of them need time away from us as much as we need a break from them. 2. One minute on time out for each year of age is rarely long enough for the Mom involved.
As I was reading this it reminded me of a day I had with Mia last fall. It was right after school had started again and I made the decision to keep Mia home instead of putting her in preschool. I had noble intentions, really. After sending Mason off to school I went outside to sand some shelves I wanted to put in the boys room. Mia and Madden were playing downstairs. At least that's what I thought. After about an hour I came inside to find both of them sitting on the kitchen counter with several open and empty cups of Crystal Light drink powder scattered around them. They had taken turns opening a cup, closing their eyes and blowing the contents all over. It was Raspberry Ice flavor so when it comes in contact with water it turns a deep red. There was powder EVERYWHERE !
Let me just explain what happens to me when I come upon things like this: I PANIC!!!! Real, flat out panic!! I want to SCREAM! My head starts to spin. My ears ring. I have to remind myself to breathe. My first thought is to run away because it's too overwhelming, where do you even start? Like when one of my kids would poop in the tub....PANIC!! Throw up....PANIC!!! Kids playing in the mud…PANIC!!! Overly messy diapers....PANIC!! Somehow I handle it but the panic stays with me for quite a while after. Stupid but true.
Ok, where was I? So I see the mess, FREAK…PANIC….remind myself to breathe….where do I begin?! I take one thing at a time and get the kids and the kitchen cleaned up. Not a quick task, it takes some serious time but eventually I'm finished. I talk to Mia about why this isn't ok and why we don't EVER make messes like this. I handled it, YES!. Time to move on with our day.I enter the living room. While I had been cleaning the kitchen the kids had taken a new box of Lucky Charms and emptied it on the front room floor. Then they proceeded to "dance" all over it getting it nice and ground into the carpet. They love to dance and run around the front room so when I had heard them in there I didn't think anything of it. PANIC again!! The kids help me clean up by scooping what we could into the garbage then vacuuming. I sit Mia down again and explain -a little more passionately- that this is unacceptable. Next time there will be consequences beyond just helping to clean it up. I think we have an understanding.
Lunch time and then quiet time for Mia while Madden has a nap. After a story I put a movie on for her so I can go take a shower and get dressed for the day. (Anyone else have days where you don’t get showered or dressed until right before your husband gets home from work?) After I shower and get ready for the day (evening, night…whatever it is) the doorbell rings. As I stand there talking to my neighbor Madden wakes up from his –all too short- nap and joins Mia downstairs. I’m talking to her for a while then I go check on the kids. I call out their names….no answer. Again…..no answer. As I go down the stairs I can see the popcorn Mia had while she watched the movie is dumped all over the family room floor. Smashed all over the carpet much like the cereal mentioned before. This time the panic is overshadowed a bit by my ANGER!! Now I’m not calling out their names sweetly, I’m yelling them! First, middle AND last names are used!!!! Still no answer. I hear faint voices but they are nowhere to be found. I go upstairs, nowhere. Where are they? I listen again and can here voices downstairs so I go back down. I can’t find them anywhere. I listen again……the storage room. I open the door and here’s the scene I find:
Standing in the middle of the floor are both kids with a puddle around them of thick, colorful liquid. PAINT!! In our storage room I have a spot where I have always kept paints. Most of them are bottles of craft paints but there are wood stains as well. ALL of them were emptied on the cement floor. They’re “skating” in it. They’re finger painting in it. They’re creating a masterpiece. There are colorful footprints everywhere. Forget everything that usually happens when I panic. At the sight of this mess my entire day flashes before my eyes, my mind goes completely blank and I BURST into tears. I don’t even know if panic takes place at this point, I’m beyond thought. I’m sobbing and FURIOUS! Judging by the look on Mia’s face she knew she was in serious trouble. I carry both of them into the bathroom which thankfully is right next to the storage room. I clean them off in the sink and tell her -through clenched teeth- to get her little rear-end up to her room! (I don’t know what words I used but I’m sure there were expletives somewhere in the mix)
Matt came home while I was in the middle of cleaning it up. I explained through my tears how my day had led to this point. I also explained that it would be his responsibility to give her a proper punishment. If it was left up to me she wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. I was so mad. Matt helped me clean up and left Mia in her room for a very long time. She was still there when I left for work an hour or so later. When I returned home 2 hours later the popcorn mess was cleaned up, Mia had been punished in a civil manner and I resolved to call the next morning and enroll her in preschool (for as many days a week as they would take her!)!
Looking back I know I didn’t endure this day with patience and I’m sure it didn’t make me more charitable or expand my soul. The 2 things I did learn: 1.When kids reach a certain age most of them need time away from us as much as we need a break from them. 2. One minute on time out for each year of age is rarely long enough for the Mom involved.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Photo Opp
While downloading the pictures for the previous post I found these on the camera. When I asked Mia about them she told me her Barbies and ponies needed their pictures taken because it was their birthday. Simple enough. 
If you knew how messy her room was, you would know how much care she took to lay out the yellow blanket and give them a decent backdrop. There were several pictures of all her various Barbies and Ponies but I figured a few would give the idea. Maybe we should think about giving her a camera of her own maybe for her birthday or Christmas. Something cheap...start her off small. Hmmmmm......food for thought.
If you knew how messy her room was, you would know how much care she took to lay out the yellow blanket and give them a decent backdrop. There were several pictures of all her various Barbies and Ponies but I figured a few would give the idea. Maybe we should think about giving her a camera of her own maybe for her birthday or Christmas. Something cheap...start her off small. Hmmmmm......food for thought.Kiddie Kollege No More
Last Saturday Mia and Lucy graduated from Kiddie Kollege. 
The program was so cute and you could tell they had practiced until they could do it in their sleep. Everyone knew when to sing, stand, sit, exit to get ready for their part, etc. It was DARLING! Grandma Elggren came to see them perform which was great.
Mia was the Statue of liberty and stood by Uncle Sam during the patriotic song.
The program was so cute and you could tell they had practiced until they could do it in their sleep. Everyone knew when to sing, stand, sit, exit to get ready for their part, etc. It was DARLING! Grandma Elggren came to see them perform which was great. 
Mia was the Statue of liberty and stood by Uncle Sam during the patriotic song. She was so proud! 
Lucy was an Easter girl with the Easter bunny. She did a great job. They were both so cute! We couldn't be more proud! Next stop......kindergarten!
Lucy was an Easter girl with the Easter bunny. She did a great job. They were both so cute! We couldn't be more proud! Next stop......kindergarten! Friday, May 8, 2009
Easter
I realized that I never posted about Easter. Better late then never. We had a fun one complete with too much candy and a lot of fun with family. The kids love the idea of having baskets full of candy all to themselves. What's not to love........well Mason came up with something. Leave it to him........... 
Amber and I took the kids to the West Point Easter egg hunt the day before Easter down at the city park. They have it devided into age groups so I went with Mason and Annie to their designated area. They were grouped with older kids who were much more aggresive and scooped up the loot much faster then our kids could keep up with. When all was said and done Annie was a little disappointed and Mason was furious and in tears. As we were walking back to our group Mason was grumbling and upset;
"What does all this crap have to do with Easter anyway? What's the point of a stupid bunny and eggs with candy! It doesn't even make any SENSE!!!"
I had no explanation. Really, how does the bunny and eggs fit into the whole thing?
Sunday we got together at my Mom & Dad's for a great dinner and a very fun Easter egg hunt. It's always fun to see everyone dressed up in their new digs. The kids come away with WAY too much candy. What's better then being a kid and finding a good haul to take home in you basket?
I bought Mia two dresses because I couldn't decide between the two. So she has one that matches her brothers and the orange one. Unnecessary but fun all the same. We always have a good time when we get together for holidays. Can't wait for the next one!
Amber and I took the kids to the West Point Easter egg hunt the day before Easter down at the city park. They have it devided into age groups so I went with Mason and Annie to their designated area. They were grouped with older kids who were much more aggresive and scooped up the loot much faster then our kids could keep up with. When all was said and done Annie was a little disappointed and Mason was furious and in tears. As we were walking back to our group Mason was grumbling and upset;"What does all this crap have to do with Easter anyway? What's the point of a stupid bunny and eggs with candy! It doesn't even make any SENSE!!!"
I had no explanation. Really, how does the bunny and eggs fit into the whole thing?
Sunday we got together at my Mom & Dad's for a great dinner and a very fun Easter egg hunt. It's always fun to see everyone dressed up in their new digs. The kids come away with WAY too much candy. What's better then being a kid and finding a good haul to take home in you basket?
I bought Mia two dresses because I couldn't decide between the two. So she has one that matches her brothers and the orange one. Unnecessary but fun all the same. We always have a good time when we get together for holidays. Can't wait for the next one!Monday, May 4, 2009
GRADUATION!!! AT LAST!
Saturday May 2ND was Matt's Graduation. It was pouring rain outside but inside it was dry & crowded! The ceremony was held at the E Center and they definitely needed the room. The kids were pretty patient considering how long it lasted. They loved picking Dad out in the crowd and watching him walk across the stage. We all yelled as loud as we could when they read his name. We're all very proud of him!
You have to admit this picture is sweet. Matt has titled it "just a face in the crowd". It's a pretty nice picture considering how far away I was when I took it. Nice smile Babe!
Mom & Dad came as well as Matt's Dad. We didn't get a picture with him since he had to leave a bit early. It's always nice to have great support. Matt's Mom tried to make it but got lost on her way. We met up with her later that day at our house.
What a great day for Matt as well as our little family. We're excited about what the future will bring. Thanks to all the family and friends who supported us and helped us along the way. None of this would have been possible without all of you and of course The Lord. We love you all! GO MATTIE!
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