Dear High School:

I know these awesome rules have been created by you for your entertainment. They make absolutely no sense and protect no one.

Today I received a phone call from the school stating that my son was in the nurses office and needed to come home. I immediately dropped what I was doing, slipped on my quickest shoe (the powder blue croc sandal) over my comfy pink fluffy house socks and jumped into the car heading down the street to pick him up.

When I got to the office, I was told that I could not bring him home unless I showed a picture ID. My wallet was left by my computer in my haste to get to the school. You still can't release him without my picture ID? Really? YOU called ME. The boy's sick. It was confirmed in your nurses office. How else would I know that this possible offspring of mine is waiting right there in the nurses office? But yet, I am unable to bring his germs to my home without proper identification.

Please don't be upset because I left him in your nurses office puking his little heart out with instructions to rub his regurgitatingly fresh hands all over your telephone receiver. School will be out in 2 hours, he'll take the bus home without my identification, and get all the kids on your bus sick, too. Because I'm not going to go back home and pick up an ID and come back to the office w/ my pink fluffy socks and powder blue crocs to prove to you this is my son after YOU called me and after I showed you a doctor's note YESTERDAY saying he had pneumonia. You remembered me. You even told me, this is a "technicality."

I guess I should thank you - now you get to clean up the puke because of your ID rule. Sweet.

Please excuse my son's absence tomorrow.

Sincerely,
The Mom

Letter to the Teacher:

Dear Teacher,

I am trying to appreciate your "real world" approach to my child as far as homework is concerned. Your "argument" being "I accept no late homework" using the excuse that the "real world" doesn't allow for late homework. I have a few concerns regarding your reasoning behind the rule of no late homework.

First, are we living in a matrix? As far as I understand, this *IS* the real world, and therefore, if you allow for late homework, then the real world actually WOULD have an allowance for late homework.

Secondly, assuming that this matrix in which we live where we attend school where teachers are under the illusion that the real world doesn't accept late homework, can you please provide an occupation wherein the employer would send an employee home with "homework" practicing what they did over and over and over during the day to reinforce your work skills. For example, if you had a job at a bank, would you have your "employee" go home & answer the phone "Thank you for calling Bank of the Matrix, this is Heidi, how may I direct your call?" Only to return the next day with a signed affidavit from those who heard you answer the phone saying that you did such.

Finally - wouldn't it then be applicable that in the REAL world, having done your "homework" and return it timely, you would then be rewarded with a paycheck? If we're going to play real world, I think my child should get a paycheck. You can't pay the mortgage on letter grades...because "in the real world" a letter "B" doesn't buy the milk and eggs. How 'bout making it simple...just come up with an occupation wherein homework would be applicable so when my child finishes school, she can determine which "real job" she wants to have.

To make things easy - we live in a real world. You make up the rules for which is acceptable in your little teaching relm of "real world." Do you see how wonderful this is? YOU are actually IN CHARGE of the REAL WORLD! How about keep school work at the school. You send work home? You think you OWN my child? Do I send my child to school with a worksheet with various questions pertaining to the "human" skills in which I'm required as a responsible parent to instill? Do I take her away from your learning time to make her fill out essays from home with questions such as "You wanted a piece of gum from your mother, she said no, you took it anyway. When she confronts you, how do you tell her why you did what you did without lying? What should you have done? Write at least 5 sentences supporting your answer."

Haven't you ever heard the phrase "keep your work at work" we don't want to raise work-a-holics. Focus on the family. We need a separation of family life and school life. Do you realize that "in the real world" people get paid overtime for working past the set number of hours. What incentive do my children have to "work overtime" when an "A" doesn't buy the bread?

Tell you what? I'll teach my child not to steal, cheat and lie, I'll teach her hygiene, I'll teach her respect and responsibility in her home life, I'll teach her religion, I'll even teach her how to cook and be independent. And I won't make her do the dishes while she's at school if you don't make her do math when she's supposed to do the dishes. I won't pick her up from school because she didn't make her bed, if you don't make her write a report on the weather when she should be making her bed. I won't pull her in from recess to practice honesty if you don't keep her from playing with her friends after school to write a book report.

Deal?

Sincerely,
The mom.

THEN we go SCUBA diving

because after a trip to Idaho for 10 days - we came back to start school & home schooling - we started a week behind (because of the Idaho trip) so I was busy trying to keep my head from spinning - and keeping the house afloat - Ross took me on a much needed retreat!

We went to San Diego and dove a few ship wrecks! Hella cool!

Here's a picture of a sail boat in the sunset - which I missed when it was in the reflection of the sun on the ocean (because I couldn't find my camera) but still - wow - just makes you feel refreshed, doesn't it!)

Here's our view from the boat's slip in Mariners Bay (San Diego - across the street from Sea World)

Here's Ross getting ready on our last day.

And Here he is - he finally made it on a dive! (He had a problem w/ equalizing his ears and - only made one dive - the last one!)(I'm the one next to the guy posing like Rocky on the top of the steps....)

Here's both of us exploring on the Ruby E together!

(of course, I came back to a home even further behind than it was after being gone for 10 days, but it was an AWESOME trip)

Where did the month go?

So you get a month worth of blog posts - all in one - mostly stories told by pictures!

First, we had Kali's birthday party (family)! Here's the birthday girl after she's been given the bad news that she must endure the spanking machine before she can open presents!

This is a picture of the spanking machine - that stretched all the way into the kitchen!

Here is a picture of our "k" family - (in sitting order: Kim, Kara, Karli, Coby, Kiersten, Kali, Carrie, Crysty, Kaden, and Rachael...Ammon made her sit there!) we offered dad $100 if he could get everyone's name right without help - needless to say - he tried....no one had to shell any money out.

I don't want to out Crysty - because this isn't such a flattering picture of her, but I must say - I LOVE this picture of Isaac! Clearly his mom doesn't feed him enough! (I think he weighs roughly the same as a baby elephant)

Grandma died the last week of July and we went to Idaho for her funeral. She truly was a wonderful woman, and we will miss her - I'm glad my children got to know her! When she laughed, we ALL laughed! We know she how much pain she must have been in while she fought cancer, but never once let anyone know she was uncomfortable - she knew suffering was inevitable and complaining was an option. She chose not to. Not sure I'll ever meet anyone like her in my life time!


She happened to be buried in the same cemetery as great-grandpa's brother - who Howie is named after...check out THIS "spooky" picture!

Clearly THAT didn't damage him ONE bit!

...And a sunburn to boot!

We had another fun day at the splash park - and - forgot to put sun screen on this beautiful little girl! POOOOR BABY!

Eat yourself Thin...

I'm going to press the cuisinart against my hips start there - thinly shaved & dipped in au jus.

Baby steps.

For the benefit of Bedie...(And Larri)

Bedie told me to share this story from the point of view of the driver...but it makes for a much better story if you know the background...

I had to get x-rays.


I wore my ugly "only wear around the house" bra because it has all plastic clippies and no under wire - so that the x-ray employees wouldn't make me take off my bra...yes, I hate taking off the bra - these ladies need all the support they can have - for as long as they can have it!

Anyway - the stupid people made me take off everything and put some paper shorts & a paper robe on - anyway - so I tucked my bra in my pant leg & went into the x-ray room....

then I came back & my bra was GONE!

Not kidding!

Who would take an ugly bra - what a terrible joke - the sisters were already knocking each other around - and yes, I probably could have tied them in a bow and throwed them over my shoulder....but I didn't - instead I got dressed & went back out to get my x-ray...

picked up my big manila folder w/ the x-ray in it - and flopped the girls outside w/ me - and no - the shirt I was wearing was NOT loose fitting - it was a little snugg-ish.

So I've got my shoulders sort of UP and forward - to hide the fact that the ladies were trying to peek out of the bottom of my shirt.....(yah - you know - that works)

and started crossing the parking lot - I parked literally in the furthest spot possible - because it had a tree for shade - and it was about 300 degrees outside.

So I start my journey across the parking lot - and a car came by - and was sort of waiting for me to pass - but I could tell they were in a rush - so I thought I'd put a spring in my braless step.

And As I did - the bra flung out from my pant leg & landed on a parked car's back windshield PERFECTLY. About 15 feet from where I was "sprinting" across the parking lot.

and I looked over at the car - and they were laughing.

So I ran over & grabbed my overly-ugly granny bra, tucked it under the shirt, under the boobs & ran to the hot shaded car in my 300 degree weather. Yah - it would have been fun to actually see this happen! I would have laughed for days.

Fast Sunday Conversation

"I wanna eat right now! HUMPH!" - one of my wonderful children yelled at me as I told that child that dinner wouldn't be ready for 30 minutes. You would think - at 11:30 when we got home from church - they wouldn't be so hungry, they were ready to tear each other apart.

But they were starving to DEATH.

So one child complains, the other whines, another stands up for blessings that fasting can bring (might I add, that this one stood up for the blessings only to fuel the hunger and anger fire of another)

In my prayerful consideration to make my children happy and keep them happily occupied for 30 or so more minutes - with something OTHER than bickering - I was inspired to tell the story of the child that Larry the Cable Guy adopted - the little pygmies from New Guinea. (Okay - before I'm struck down, I should probably add that I wasn't really inspired, I just told it) I believe his name was Boobla Boobla.

Boobla Boobla was one of those kids you see on TV with flies landing on his eyelashes -while a well dressed and very well fed celebrity pleads to your humanitarian side - by telling you - if you give the children one cup of coffee a day, you can keep the flies away - (because even flies don't like the taste/smell of coffee) - or something like that.

So since coffee is against the word of wisdom, we want these children to have better things - like fly swatters...

But wait - that was only to give the children a visual of these poor skinny pygmies.

See, my sweet children (I am telling them this, but not using quotes, cause it will just get confusing at this point) I know that every time you have ever asked for food, you get it immediately. If Coby was an hungered, I would feed her. And we've been blessed to always have food in the cupboard and fridge.

But how these children we sometimes see on TV commercials for coffee - they don't always get to eat every time they get hungry. Their dad's have to go kill deer with rocks. Sometimes they can use a bow and arrow, but the deers don't have targets on them, so it sometimes makes it harder to hit them - but sometimes the deers run away - and they don't get to eat.

So they go to bed hungry.

See, at this point - my children are quite concerned that not all children in the world get to eat all the time - and feel somewhat a piece of compassion for them. I look at my kids' faces - and see the concern - and at that moment, when the contention has lowered to almost nothing - but my story of Boobla Boobla from New Guinea - I feel a bit of inspiration to remind them of a story from the Book of Mormon.

Lehi - and his family - left their cupboards full of food to go to the wilderness - because Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. So they had to hunt for their food, and bring seeds to plant gardens. (My kids "get" the garden thing - you can't eat right away - as they're waiting for numerous cantaloupe to ripen from our own garden!) so all they have is Nephi's bow and arrow. (I note, at this point that Laman and Lemual didn't have their own bow & arrow because terms of their probation prohibited it at that point in their lives - something about robbing the local mutton store?)

They were pretty hungry after a long day of fighting - and Nephi went out to get some food - and SNAP - broke his bow like Brynn breaks her crayons. Now they have no way of getting food.

And Laman and Lemual were getting QUITE upset with Nephi - because - as you know - when you murmur, it just makes you hungry. And all they do is murmur, since they can't hunt...parole violation and stuff - (at this point the kids are SOOOO enthralled with my story, they're sitting up straight - some kids are on other's laps, wide-eyed and not hungry - cause - this story doesn't have any commercials with Big Mac's in it) so Laman and Lemual (I point to two of my children as I say "Laman & Lemual" - not to accuse them of murmuring, but rather to help them be included in the story) are pretty ticked off at their baby brother, Nephi - so much that they were going to kill him....

At this point - Howie says in a ravaging hungry voice "MMMM mmmmm, Gonna have RIBS tonight!!!"

Ross says "Are you kidding, me, you want the FEMUR, it's got the best meat"

Kiersten chimes in "Give the toes to mom, she likes Coby's toes, I bet she'd like Nephi's"

Kali's no idiot, she says "I'm going for the stomach, that's where the big mac is"

Brynn starts jumping up and down and asking for strawberries, then she hit the top of her head on Kali's chin - Kali bit her tongue and my children were BACK in the present. Wanting dinner.

The cool part of this story is - I just organized the pantry & found stuff that I bought a long time ago & decided I was going to get rid of it for dinner - and made this nasty goulash thing -

The kids LOVED it -I'm totally cleaning out the pantry again next fast Sunday.

She's ready to swim....

Swim cap?

Check...Goggles?....

Check...so what's the problem?

I'm really having a hard time with how cute she is!

Read it & weep - all you coupon cutters! HAW!

I don't buy, and as a result don't clip coupons - I don't pay for someone to tell me what coupons to use when - I just listen when friends flap their mouths about where to shop for the good deals!

Thank you STACY for telling me about THIS find!!!

For $30 - exactly....

I got the following:

12 oz beef sirloin tip filet
20 oz seasoned boneless center cut pork chops
1# ground beef
1# pork medallions
1# seasoned bonless skinless chx breasts
Lemon Dream Cake (costco)
2 loaves (Kirkland signature) multi grain bread
3 yellow bell peppers
10# red potatoes
3 yams
5# large polish sausage (costco)
box of 10 mini bags of movie theater popcorn
box of 3 WW double chocolate muffins (3 points each)
box of fiddle faddle
box of triscuit
bag of 4 chiabata sandwich rolls
2 boxes of carrs gormet table crackers
2 bags of "bimbo" (mexican) powdered donuts
3 - 6oz bags of fat free ruffles potato chips
24oz bottle of ketchup
2 cans of extra large olives
3 cans of evaporated milk
5 - 20oz bottles of propel drink
1-12 ox bottle of welches passion fruit juice
2 boxes (20 cubes) bullion cubes - onion & garlic flavors
package of 10 packets Crystal light drink mix
2.5 oz season grillmates - mesquite flavor
3 "Giant" Reeses Peanut butter cups- candy bar
7oz box "Dr. Kracker" (Organic Artisan baked crackers)
box of girl scout cookies - dosido's
32 oz lysal all purpose cleaner spray
32 oz can whole jalapeno peppers
8.8 oz Brenton gormet crackers
28 oz green enchillada sauce
box of 24 apple jacks cereal straws
nut rageous candy bar
reeses caramel cups (candy bar)
8 oz southwest flavor sandwich spread
case of sierra mist cans
10 oz red enchalada sauce
Hostess 100 calorie snack packs (6, 3-pack muffins)
2 boxes of mac & cheese
15 oz can of apricot halves
can of each:
*Chicken noodle soup
*green beans
*diced tomatoes
*cream of chicken
12 oz peanut butter
46 oz apple juice
2 cans of chunk tuna
18 oz of frosted flakes cereal


Not kidding.

Check me out!

A little slow

Taken before Coby turned 1 - but so cute! I love how Howie interacts with her!
After playing catch with Howie for a while...Coby thought she'd give Howie some "fielding" practice...

S&H Green Stamps....a childhood memory

Back in the olden days (I think I can say that now? I wonder how many of you remember or have even SEEN a green stamp?) we had green stamps.

If I remember correctly (and I was young, so my memory could be skewed? but I doubt it) when we shopped at either Kroger or Piggly Wiggly - for every dollar you spent, you got a stamp with the value of a penny - every 10 dollars, you'd get a ten cent stamp? Anyway - a ridiculously low amount of stamps for the money you spent. Maybe it was a 10% ratio? I don't rightly recollect, but I DO RECALL one day, I must have asked my mom about this huge bag of green stamps she had. (And when I say huge bag, I'm not talking about a little ziplock bag, or even a gallon sized ziplock bag, I don't even think those were invented back then, but I'm talking about a grocery bag, and again - not your standard grocery bag...the BROWN PAPER BAG - because I don't think the plastic grocery bag with handles had yet been invented...but I do remember when they were invented because back then they gave you a choice "paper or plastic" whereas now, they dis-invented paper. Can't find a paper grocery bag anywhere...try it! I don't know what to drain my meatballs on - but I digress....)

So picture a brown paper grocery bag full of S&H green stamps - IN THE RAW - meaning - the combined value of said stamps were undetermined because as of yet, they had not been affixed to an S&H Green stamp BOOK (see picture above) It was my job, as a 5 year old (maybe I was older?) to organize these stamps into books - they were the kind of stamps that you had to lick. I remember because I had to lick them all - to get them to stick in the book. This was before self-adhesive was invented.

So as a four year old - who was highly intelligent - yet talked too much (if you can even IMAGINE me talking too much...) my mother kept my mouth busy by sitting me in front of our radio (this was WELL before cable was invented) and licking these stamps. Now, I must have been a highly intelligent 3 year old - because each page on the book had different value systems. I believe you could fill the page with penny stamps, or half of the page with 5 cent stamps - or one row of the page with 10 cent stamps. So...(and this is where it could get confusing for a 2 1/2 year old) you could put 5-one cent stamps and then two rows minus one 5 cent stamps - or two five cent stamps and then a row minus a ten cent stamps - but under no circumstances were you allowed to put 3 five cent stamps and rip one of the ten cent stamps in half. I had to write that on the board a hundred times - my mom was strict about wasting the S&H green stamps....

Anyway - so the ultimate goal of collecting all these green stamps & books was that you could go to the S&H green stamp store and BUY whatever you wanted - the more books you saved, the more items - or nicer items - or bigger items you could "purchase" - If I remember correctly (and I always do) I had filled 326 books of these S&H stamps. (I remember this because part of the educational system in Texas was to find any number and divide it by two, then add 3, divide it by 2 again - repeat those steps until you come up with your age - that's how I remember I was about three years old.)

As a reward for licking all the stamps and putting them in the books, I got to go with my mom to the S&H store (plus - I think I Had to, because the babysitter didn't take S&H books as payment) I remember that day clearly - I was so excited when we finally had enough books to buy a square yellow sponge, so I no longer had to lick stamps.

Now, I can see my mother reading this and objecting about making me lick all those stamps - but I remember it clearly - I was a very skinny child. I didn't eat a lot of sweets, by choice, but I didn't eat a lot of anything else, on the count of my tongue always sticking to the roof of my mouth - and I also remember after cashing in all those books - I didn't have any more green stamps to lick - so I was able to eat solid foods again - and I ate a whole lot - my uncles would tease me about being able to put an entire pancake in my mouth in one bite - I'd fold it up into a little square piece and open my mouth real wide - it fit (we were poor, the pancakes were watered down and were more like crepe's anyway - so it was doable) And the first time my aunt saw me do that she said, "My goodness, Heidi, I can't believe you can eat so much - you're so skinny! Where do you put all those calories?" and truth be told - I'm not sure what I answered her, but I have recently discovered what I did with all those calories I ate when I was younger...I stored them in my late 30's.

My thought on the LAWof Attraction

Saw something on TV the other day - some celebrity was telling a news anchor about how she became famous. It was the ultimate "fault" of the Law of Attraction. She said "no negatives, the universe doesn't understand negatives."

In other words - if you don't want to get fat, you can't think "I don't want to get fat" because the universe doesn't hear "don't" it just hears "I want fat" - so you get fatter.

Never mind the fact that the universe is SMART enough to know exactly where galaxies, planets and stars all fit perfectly without too much history of catastrophic collisions...lets just pretend that the universe is only "smart" enough to manage EARTH. (because, if you think about it, really, that's quite the accomplishment. The UNIVERSE has to understand completely the EXACT location of the proximity of the earth to the sun - so we don't fry - so perfect the alignment, tilt - and rotation of the planet that it's able to sustain life - on several different levels - from temperatures ranging to hundreds below zero - to well over 100 - where several different life forms are able to thrive.

But yet, it doesn't understand the word "don't" my Baby is 14 months old. She understands the word "don't." In fact, Perhaps the universe has hit it's rebellious teenagers in universal light years - and is rebelling against all those who "don't" want to be fat...because I also have a 15 year old - and while he understands the word "don't" he doesn't necessarily heed that word.

So tell me, is the universe not bright enough to know when we're asking in negative speech - or is it rebelling?

Once you understand how to speak the universal language of the universe, you will have your dreams come true - according to one site "Patience is not necessary...without time and space, there is instant manifestation..." Well. DUHR. Is this universal Law of Attraction saying that - if we WILL time and space to negate itself, we don't need patience?

The fact of the matter remains, there IS time and space...in fact, the UNIVERSE created it, therefore, there must needs be PATIENCE.

WTH? Just sayin'

The obligatory Mother's Day post....

Lets just preface this by saying I started out the week diminishing the inventory of the gravel pit that is my kidney - by two - I had twins (one of them died in an experiment to see how hard I'd have to punch it to get it to break down - it took a hammer...) Here's the other one:


Now for the mother's day post:

A lot of my friends always have TERRIBLE mothers days - if it's not one thing, it's always another. I used to be like that, until I decided that mother's day was not so much about ME being served, but rather, about me being a mom!

A lot of my friends don't see it my way - but until you do, your mothers day will always stink! There will always be someone NOT doing dishes - or kissing up to you the right amount! There will always be a sibling fight - there will always be an extra mess left especially for mother to clean.

So - I sort of do it backwards. In years past, I've gotten my children each a mother's day gift. To thank them for the opportunity to be a mother. I'm not a perfect mother 364 days a year - so this ONE day a year, I put forth every ounce of my mother energy to be PERFECT.

Obviously if you have a rotten mother's day because you're not "served" adequately - then you're a sucky little muthah to begin with because clearly you didn't teach your children the value of service! You'll always lose! Instead of hitting that angle on the mothering front - I get up first thing - and make the best favoritest breakfast imaginable - then I spend extra time with them - combing hair - playing cards - whatever, no Sunday nap for me.

It helps have a great day...no expectations - except from my own actions!

This was a great mother's day - having no expectations...I woke up to my kids bringing in a TV tray with WAFFLES & ICE CREAM! SWEET! I'm not a sugar-for-breakfast fan, but hey, it's hard to say NO to this - especially when they're so excited about it - plus, it was Blue Bell ice cream. I think there's a law against not eating all of it?

The day before MD, I was STUCK buying and organizing 25 corsages, 8 flower arrangements and putting together some 16 bags of hershey kisses. ALL for the other mothers in the ward to support my husband and the scouts in their annual fund raising for camp efforts.

As I'm putting these items into separate piles for delivery - counting them out - organizing the delivery routes & other such SERVICE from my husband - and son - to other 25 mothers in the ward - I couldn't help but get a little bitter. My husband didn't secretly order an extra set of flowery arrangements, corsages or even the coveted chocolate bag (the boys were at Father/Son campout - they weren't available to organize this event....)

Well, the husband called - and told me he was not far from home - so again - I'm in a race to make sure he's happy when he gets home by cleaning up the kitchen (something I avoid on weekends - since he's home - and the kids are home - I let them do it, but they were dispersed this weekend.)

So as I'm in a frantic fury of white-tornato-ing in the kitchen - my kids walk in - I'm borderline annoyed w/ all my "other mother" rewards - when my 8 year old walked in with a McDonalds cup full of fresh-cut wild flowers. The most vivid orange, bright red, light purple - and greenery!

This is particularly touching to me - since every time we're out on the freeway in the "wild" I always mention the flowers and how I want to stop just to take a picture. Something about these wild flowers - they're 10 times more vivid in color than any one you can purchase! And they're not your average "rose" or "daisy" or "sunflower" they're desert flowers! BEAUTIFUL!

SO right then I was forced to blink back emotion...I mean - after all, it was no corsage...but it was an extra 30 minutes added to their drive-home-time - after a camp-out...stopping at just the right spots, 3 different times - to gather these flowers! Then having to stop again to get them some water from the cooler in the back!

WOW! They totally shouldn't have set the expectations so high - I'm bound to have a disappointing mothers day, for sure!!!

Well, after I ate my waffles & ice cream, I got ready for church & did that whole thing - hopped up on a few hundred more grams of sugar from the bishopric with milk & cookies (every mother's dream, right?)

I got home from church - and hit the hay - had a nice long nap - and then woke up to offers of the annual MOM-SPA!

Kiersten got a foot bath and massage, Kali also got excited about massaging my feet - (like I'm going to turn any of it down) Coby jumped in on the action combing my hair - Brynn wanted to comb, then the kids did that whole "walk on my back" massage thing - it was great!


I got about 300 little notes from Kali & Brynn about how much they loved me - and some cute scribbly pictures of nothing short of whatever I imagined them to be....

I really do love being a mom...and regardless of the little messes left for me to clean up on Monday, without taking credit for how wonderful my children are, I find that I learn so much more from them, than I can ever hope to teach them.

Love my babies! (And no, I won't sneak into their homes when they're in their 30's to rock them in the rocking chair when they're sleeping - that's just SICK and TWISTED whoever came up with THAT idea!)

More strawberry freezer jam...

Strawberry season is upon me again. The prices are even better than they were last year. So I - again - bought three flats. $7 a flat - who could resist - it was $7.50 last year - and my friend just told me today (the day after I bought 3 flats) that she found them for $6.50 a flat. How annoying!

Anyway - picked up my flats yesterday - and today -so far- I've made 16 containers (about 2 cups each) only 1 1/2 flats to go.

The reason I'm recording this information - is so NEXT YEAR when strawberry season is upon me - I can see how much we went through - and how much more I need to make to make it last until NEXT strawberry season - as compared to THIS year.

I need to make more, but I think I'm out of containers.

Maybe I should clean out the fridge.

Maybe I should just freeze the last flat (smoothie supply?) & eat the last 1/2 flat?

I'm strawberried out.

OH - also - to remind me next year - I accidentally followed the freezer JELLY recipe instead of JAM and did 3 cups of juice to 6 cups of sugar - I always remembered it being 2 cups of juice to 4 cups of sugar. So I realized it just at my last few things of pectin.

OH - and also to remind myself - so far I've gone through 5 boxes of pectin.

But that might all be screwed up since my juice/sugar mixes were different than normal. I hope they taste okay, anyway...shouldn't taste different, right? Maybe just different texture? Anyone ever done this before?

Ahhhh - The call of the wild....

I haven't been camping since I was pregnant with Brynn - almost 4 years ago! I decided on that camping trip that I would NEVER go camping again. Mostly because - it's not fun to get up in the middle of the night 4 or 5 times for a potty break. Not. Fun.

So, it should come as a shock that - when our friends asked if we wanted to go I was actually pretty excited!

We went to a new place this year - about 1 hour and 45 minutes from our home - that would be 45 minutes on freeway - and about an hour - on a terrible washboard, pot-holed gravel/dirt road.


When we got there - our trailer was pretty thrashed...

BUT - it was a lot of fun! I enjoyed this weekend. We got away from the house, the city, the TV, the COMPUTER, the fights. Yah - the kids got along splendidly! I forgot how nice it was to go camping!


It was a nice 20 degrees cooler at our campground than in the city - and little Ross was driving around on the quad with short sleeves (I think the low that night was 18?) So - brrrrr!


We went on hikes. Found a creek - with actual WATER in it (this is unusual for Phoenix - our river beds have nothing in it - weeds - but no moisture!) So a creek was exceptional!



Look - a teeter totter!




Running around the land on the rhino & quad...



More hikes (India was panning for iron pyrite) the water was so clear and the mud was so sparkly with gold-colored flecks...


Kiersten had a blast on the quad! Gabby enjoyed riding on the back! (she was too afraid to drive it - never mind that her chauffeur was only 13....)



And - I know we live in a desert - and while our view consisted mainly of cactus and sage brush - look at the blossoms on the cactus -


and the half-dead-infected oak tree - right in front of us - see the little "bush" growing on it's branch - it's mistletoe! Cool, huh!?


Going home - the 60 minute washboard/pot hole dirt road made little Ross sick - but Coby hummed to the bumps & played peek-a-boo!

And for the first time - in probably 30 years, while I was scrubbing dirt from my person - I got a finger-full of soap in my eye! OUCH - I can say that honestly hurt - and if anyone was in the room when I did it - I would have cried like a baby - so to answer the question - if a tree falls in the forest - I mean - if you get soap in your eye - and no one is around to hear you cry....do you? Nope...I bucked up - but ouch. it REALLY burned!

Party at the local grocer....

not kidding..."KIDS - HOP IN THE CAR - LETS GO TO THE GROCERY STORE!!!"

That's what I heard myself saying as I grabbed the camera and made a dash for the car, because last one in the car eats a rotten egg, you know.

I had Ross pick up some pepperoni on the way home from work - he said the grocery store was having a mini-Easter party - Easter bunny will be there & everything.

Who cares...right?

Not me...I mean - how more commercial can we make a religious holiday? I've never been a fan of visiting the Easter bunny ever since they invented an Easter bunny to visit (there wuddin' no Easter bunny in MY day to visit! He was too busy making candy for the hollow eggs to visit kids - plus - it's not like you can TELL the EB what to get you for Easter - 'cept the token church dress and chocolate bunny - plus EB doesn't even talk...DUH!) So there was never a dumber holiday representative to visit than the Easter Bunny - unless, of course, someone wises up and gets a suit for Valentines day - which if they do, I hope it's all glob shaped and pulsing with blue blood and all....but I digress...

Going to the grocery store because they have an 8 hour special - for the next 8 hours, you can get hamburger meat for 88 cents a pound...limit 2...we have to bring the gang so we can get 14 (Coby can't purchase items yet, she'd rather eat the money than give it to the cashier) -

Meanwhile, while I'm shopping, they have a fun little area set up where the kids can decorate cookies.

Yes, I brought the camera. Doesn't everyone bring a camera with them to the grocery store?

The first thought when we walked in was to get all the kids - regardless of their age - or belief in a 7 foot tall bunny with fake fur and a lazy eye to sit by the bunny & take a picture.

Here we take a rare look into their thoughts:
Coby: Yay! It's not Santa Claus!
Ross: I hope no one else notices I'm wearing my jammy bottoms....
Kiersten: I'm on the floor. And they want me to smile.
Brynn: Hippity Hoppity, I'm a bunny rabbit...I have NO idea what this means, but it's a GIANT bunny - and there's a lot of chocolate ALL around him!
Howie: Take the picture so we can decorate cookies.
Kali: Good hare day.


Here's the cookie decorating part of it.




And the best part is that I didn't have a mess in my own house! WONDERFUL!

No, I didn't take a picture of the hamburger we bought.

Coby's Birthday!

I can't believe my baby is ONE! Seems like just yesterday. Of course, everyone says that...how fast the years fly! I made a quick 3 minute video of these past 12 months! (with sound, so turn on the speakers!)

So, gosh, watching that video is about how fast this last year went! My two book ends - the oldest and the youngest - in the same month! I could say the last 15 years flew by - but I guess as I watch all Coby's milestones, I just appreciate it that much more, and before I know it, she'll be having her 15th birthday - then Rossi will be 30...oh - BOY, I don't know WHY I just thought of that...ugh!

If watching that video is just too long for you to spend on one blog, here are some pictures I took of her just this morning!





It's so hard not to run to her bed while she's napping right now, pick her up and squeeze her! Well, I guess that means I should do dishes?

Happy 15th Rossi!

It's our first of six - 15th birthdays. I know - confusing sentence. I have to tell you what a fun birthday party this was! We surprised Rossi! Yep.

Let me tell you the story -

My oldest is SO responsible - I think my friends get sick of me bragging on what a great kid he is! He gets himself up every morning - and makes his own breakfast - and jumps on his bike every morning at 5:30 to go to school (2 miles away). He's been getting himself up and making his own breakfast for about 10 years now. Not only that, he comes to my bedroom door and quietly shuts it so his breakfast noises don't wake us! I KNOW! WOW!

Just before Christmas this year - I took a ride on Ross' bike. His seat is not a steady seat. It is quite like a loose tooth, actually. When I got in from riding the bike & told him how terrible it was - he laughed and said "I know." Never complained about it.

So for Christmas, he got a new bicycle seat! He was so excited - really - kind of fun that he didn't have to stand while riding his bike to school in the morning.

A few weeks later, Kiersten and I were out on a bike ride, I was on her bike, she was on Ross'. The chain came off - WHAT? She said he told her it happens a lot. What a piece of crap, right? Not only that, he uses the Fred Flintstone breaks - they're as good as your shoes! So a friend of mine told me that she saw him riding his bike to school, and he really needs a light on that bike. Yah - I guess it's dark in the winter at 5:30 in the morning (summer is a whole different story -it's bright sunny at 5!)

THE BIRTHDAY STORY.

I got home from the store today after Rossi got home from school. He was on the computer and was watching a video that his friend uploaded on youtube. I kicked him off & told him he needed to do his homework - blah blah - you know - "every day" stuff!

Then he told me I needed to see an e-mail he sent me, I pulled up my e-mail and saw an e-mail from his aunt w/ a birthday e-card on it! So here's some of our conversation:

Me: OH!! It's your BIRTHDAY TODAY!? (acting like I forgot - which I DIDN'T!!)

Ross: (not upset, but razzing me) I can't believe my own mother forgot my birthday!!!

Me: Wow, that's terrible, I can't believe it! If I would have known that I would have made breakfast for you this morning!! I'm SOOO SORRY!! (not the case, I would NOT have gotten up at 5 to make him breakfast, I love him, but there's a reason why he's morning independent!!!)

Ross: MY own MOTHER forgot my BIRTHDAY!

Me: I feel bad - what do you want for dinner? What kind of cake can I make you? Ice cream cake?!

So we went to the store...got the ingredients for his favorite dinner & ice cream cake.

The whole time I kept asking him what I could get him for his birthday. I kept telling him I didn't have any money - and asked him if I could get him his favorite box of cereal. (This is funny in my head because this was actual birthday presents in my family growing up! LOL! - so it's just an inside joke w/ me to get my kids cereal on their birthday - they don't get it - but it always cracks me up)

Anyway - he kept saying "I'd like something that lasts, not food" and I'd retort by telling him, "But a BIG bag of cereal would REALLY last!"

We get home & he grabbed the mail - to find a birthday card in there from the bishop! "Look mom, even the bishop remembered my birthday - and he wasn't even THERE that day!" (he was really just teasing me, he wasn't bummed, he thought it was funny.)

So I made the ice cream cake - Kiersten got home from school shortly after & made his favorite dinner! His daddy came home from work - and we opened presents.

His first present was what he found while we were at Walmart getting stuff for his ice cream cake. This is what he bought himself w/ the money that his Grandma & Grandpa Luekenga gave him! (Also money from Aunt & Uncle J&J). I told him I was going to wrap it up and he should act surprised...Good job, right? LOL!

THEN - He opened bike headlight & tail light. "Look - this way you won't get run over on your way to school in the morning!!!" He didn't seem so excited! But he acted like he was happy because - well, he knew his mommy forgot his birthday - and didn't want to make her feel bad about it.

"Ross, lets go put it on your bike quick before it gets dark!!!" So he ran out - I followed him - and went to the side of the house - where he dutifully parked his bike (that he got the Christmas before he turned 11) when he got home this afternoon!

He got to the side of the house - and the bike was gone. The side gate was opened. "It's GONE?! What? The gate is opened?!" I almost felt bad, the look on his face was SICKENING.

I played along. "You left the gate opened?!"

"NO! I swear I closed it!" Then he walked around the front of the house hoping that one of his siblings perhaps rode it somewhere and didn't put it back. Nope, not there!

By now, Kali & Howie are running around "what, the bike's gone?"

I told them to run back in & tell their dad.

Ross (the dad) came around the side of the house - MAD because - well, someone didn't take care of something - the bike was GONE! His answer, "Well, lets get in the car & see if we can drive around & catch someone on the bike riding away - I'll go one way - mom, you go the other, whose coming with me?"

We opened the garage door to get the car - and well, there was a bike there. Ross' knees buckled under him! He slid down the front of the car as relief & excitement set in!

Ross was SO relieved, and excited - I tried to catch the glistening in his eye! When he realized all at once, he would have breaks & shocks, at the same time realizing that the missing bike was part of the excitement toward the unveiling of the new bike!

He ran upstairs to get his shoes to take the new bike out for a spin! It went super-fast - like new shoes do when you're 5!

Then we had ice-cream cake. Couldn't find the candles - so we went with tea-lights.

He got them all.

And then played guitar hero...not to be left out - Brynn got her guitar and joined in!