simplifying

One of my goals this year has been to simplify my life. I believe I have come a long way in just 7 short months. I think the more you cut out, the more addicting it is. I am doing less, taking more time to smell the roses, relaxing more, reading more, spending hardly any time on the computer.. blogging less, cleaning more- and more efficiently, cooking all the time, watching practically zero tv, teaching my kids the important things, and enjoying the now. Life is really good. I know that in 3 months everything will change again and I am just enjoying the simple life while I can.

Several months ago, I found myself frustrated at all the STUFF I had in my house. Since then, I have had no problem clearing out everything unnecessary. And believe it or not, after giving away 1/2 of everything, we still have way more than we need.


This is the boys' closet. We moved their dressers into the guest room (which are still empty) and decided to do closet dividers for their clothes. I am really surprised how well it's worked out. This has been especially helpful for Zack. He has access to everything and doesn't have any excuse to not fold and put away his own clothes. Yes, three year olds (even crazy ones) can put everything where it belongs. This also allows Ben to stay as organized as he needs to be-- and he is punished if I catch him folding or putting away his brother's clothes. They are all old enough to do it themselves..

I set limits on their clothing items. They still have more shirts than they currently wear, but if it doesn't fit in the cubby, they either have to get rid of it (or have to fold the items better so they all fit.) It has really simplified life for everyone. And as long as I keep up on laundry (which has always been one of my secret talents) they have more than enough.

And as much as I loved having lots of Sunday outfits, we gave everything away except for one white shirt each and one pair of church pants. That's all they really need-- and even though it's not as "fun" to dress them in their cute vests and sweaters, they still look handsome on Sundays. And they always know what they're wearing... simple.


Since I mentioned my lack of style (and clothing) last week, I am including a picture of my closet.. it's obviously nothing exciting, but it's definitely enough for me. Yes, these are ALL of my shoes. (Actually, I have a pair of sandals that I keep downstairs and my white moon boots are stored in winter bin.) I realize I have no style, but it is what it is.

A little while ago, Aaron's parents came to stay and his dad mentioned something about feeling sorry for me after seeing my side of the closet. That made me laugh because maybe it would be depressing for other women to be lacking in the clothes/shoes department, but honestly, I have way more than I need. Granted, I wished that it fit better, but all in due time. What would really make me happy is to get nice matching hangers. Eventually when we're rich, I will buy them... and a nice shoe rack. I've had that thing since jr. high.

One thing I have found is having a place for charity items in each closet has really worked well for me. I used to have a bin in the garage, but the items never actually made it out there. We have given away SO many toys, household items and clothing. It's addicting, I am telling you! And the more you give away, the less you feel like shopping or buying anything else.

So-- my question is, what organizational/simplifying tips do YOU have? I know hundreds still read everyday. Any good ideas to share with the rest of us? Do tell.

be cool, stay in the pool

Boy, this summer is boiling! I don't remember feeling so hot and sweaty in summers past... but then again, I have a few extra pounds and a bun in the oven this year. Needless to say, swimming is our all-time favorite activity. We love it even more when we bring teenage girls. They wear my kids out and I get a little R&R. This is what summer is all about.


Zack was being his usual self at the pool yesterday. Whenever he took a minute to come up for breath, he was saying the most amusing things. He is gaining so much confidence in the pool-- he's swimming farther distances and holding his breath like a saltwater crocodile. (*according to Ben, it's the animal that can hold it's breath the longest underwater. I argued it was a whale, but I looked it up, and Ben is right. Steve Irwin apparently discovered the saltwater croc can hold it's breath underwater for 3 hours*)

Anyway, back to Zack and the funny things he said...

When told (by me) that he couldn't swim a certain long distance to the other side of the pool, he glared at me and said, "I assure you, I can!" Rest assured, he made it.

While laying on a body raft, he was attacked by Ben and Luke who were about to tip him over. He sat up and screamed over and over, "I surrender! I surrender!"

After a lot of splashing, he got really annoyed at Luke and threatened, "If you don't stop, I will splat cheese in your face." He was even more bothered that Luke thought his scary threat was hilarious.

And when Keyonna told him to use the blue floaty device (pictured above) he replied ever-so-seriously, "No thanks. I only use that for emergencies."

And that's why we keep him around.
To make the tedious, day-to-day activities (such as swimming) enjoyable.

planet janet

I thought "BIG FATTY" was insulting.

Then I heard Ben and Luke referring to me as "PLANET MOM."

I don't know if my self-esteem can handle anything else! Boys can be so insensitive sometimes. No... I actually believe they were astronauts and were referring to me as a destination rather than hinting I am now the size of a planet. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

I have gained plenty of weight, already. Say like, 20 lbs... and the worst is yet to come. I haven't really taken any "pregnancy" pictures, so I had Ben snap one of me after church yesterday. This is of course, on a good day-- when I showered, did my hair AND put on makeup. Here I am, at 24-ish weeks, ready to orbit the moon.

And here's an internet shout-out to all Vegan Bachelorette fans
(meaning those who live in the Vegas area, whether or not you eat animal products.)

I am having a BACHELORETTE FINALE PARTY tonight.

8:00 pm.
my place.
bring junk food to share.
No boys allowed.

Aaron's half-birthday

ok. so it wasn't technically his half-birthday, but we celebrated anyway. Aaron had a particularly long week at work... the kids and I hardly got to see him and we wanted to do something special. His real birthday is a few days after Christmas and it never gets celebrated properly. SO-- the boys and I planned a big surprise Friday night. We made a list of all of Dad's favorite things and decided to throw a party for him after work. We spent the day shopping, cleaning, cooking, baking, wrapping presents, blowing up balloons and hanging signs around the house for him. When Daddy arrived home from work, the lights were turned off and we were hiding behind the couches. When the boys jumped out and screamed "Happy half-birthday!" Aaron was shocked. Of course, he teased me all night about finding excuses to throw a party (which might very well be true) but it was a fantastic way to start the weekend.


There were lots of presents, all wrapped by the kids, btw. Many were practical things Aaron uses everyday like contact solution, deodorant, toothbrush/paste and such. But there were a few goodies in there too (new sunglasses, tennis balls, waterguns.) The kids bought all of his favorite treats: peachy rings, kit kats, gatorade, etc. And Mom made sure to bake his favorite cookies: butterscotch oatmeal. We had enough sugar to party-hardy all night long.




For dinner, I made fancy spinach manicotti, Aaron's all-time favorite. Before eating, we made a special toast to Daddy-- for working so hard and taking care of us. Then we went around the table and said all the reasons why we love him. It was almost more than he could handle. Zack took off his shirt because it was wet from the waterfight. Little did we know while making birthday signs, Zack was coloring his body (so he could be the real Iron Man.) When we asked him how he colored his back he said, "Duh. with a marker."


After dinner, we made a hut in the livingroom and watched Dad's favorite movie: The Count of Monte Cristo. It actually comes second to Strange Brew, but we had to compromise. The boys watched the entire movie and really got into it (of course, we had to pause it every few seconds and explain every scene) but they loved all the sword fighting.



Saturday was an equally fun day. We slept in, made a big breakfast and took the kids to see UP. We had dinner at the famous Metro Pizza. Yum. Living away from extended family can be hard at times, but weekends like these make me realize how lucky we are to be a secluded family unit. We get to spend a lot of quality time together-- just hanging out. I really love all the men in my house and feel grateful for all that I have. Yeah for weekends, partying and the people you love.

big fatty

There's nothing like a smart-alec three year old to boost your spirits. Today Zack has been referring to me as "The Big Fat Mommy." When he first said it, everyone busted up-- because he seriously pulled it out of nowhere. And he knows when something gets a laugh, it should be repeated over and over and over. I am fully aware that this video is dark and lame-- but it is what it is. I was too fat and lazy to turn on the light and figured his voice is cute enough to document.

Zack keeps us on our toes and never slows down. Sometimes I wonder WHERE he gets all his energy. His favorite past-time is jumping on the trampoline. But even when he's in the house or buckled in his seat belt, he's still bouncing. He always has a smile on his face and literally skips everywhere he goes.

When cousins were here over the 4th of July, Aaron and I had to drive two separate cars to the park. Because I had most of the car seats in the van I told Aaron to take the three big kids. Apparently, Zack overheard my directions and once we were buckled in our seat belts, he gave me quite the lecture.

Zack: "Hey mom! I am not a little kid anymore."
Me: "I never said you were little"
Zack: "Well you told Dad to take the big kids, but I have to ride in your car."
Me: "Well, Daddy is driving the three older kids, but that doesn't mean you're little."
Zack: "I'm not. Because I am three. Then I will turn four. Then I will turn five. See? That's NOT little." (holding up his fingers to prove his point.)

He is obsessed with numbers lately. He constantly rates how much he loves things. If we had a good time at the pool, he will say, "That was as fun as a SIX!" or he will whisper that he loves me a FOUR. When I responded that four isn't very much, he makes sure to point out that it IS a lot- because he is only three and four is more than three. I guess a year older than your age is always a lot. My 30th is approaching soon and that is a big number (for me, anyway.)

He is also on this counting kick. If I ask him to do something, he will say. "Yes. But I need to count to five and then I will [put away my toys]." Eventually he realized that counting to five didn't prolong the task long enough so he will say, "First I will count to six, then I will count to nine, then I will count to four, then I will brush my teeth." At least he's getting his numbers down. He's still working on the first ten letters of the alphabet.

The other night (Sunday to be exact) we were playing the game of Life as a family. I love that my kids are old enough to play along with me. Ben and Luke have been excellent gamers for a couple of years now and Zack is finally starting to play along. He was totally into the marriage/family/having babies aspect of Life. He was anxiously awaiting to get hitched and when he finally did, Ben told him to put a pink girl in his car. Zack looked shocked and announced, "I will marry her, but I have to kiss her first!!" He took his little blue man out of the car and affectionately put their tiny heads together and was satisfied. He proceeded along in the game only to have four daughters. Every time he had another girl, he would moan and say, "There's no other boys in my car! No fair!" Finally, someone who understands what I am going through.

Ben won the game-- with over a million dollars. That game is so inflated! What is becoming of our culture/obsession with money? The new version has several places to sue other players, a place on the game board to win $100,000 from an "Idol" contest, and every time you do something nice for a charity or have another child, you get $30,000. Ain't nobody throwing out 30 grand when our baby is born. No fair! Luke had to take a bathroom break and so Ben spun for him in his absence. When he returned, Ben announced he had bad news. #1 Luke lost his job as a doctor. #2 he had a daughter. Girls get such a bad rap at this house.

Later that night, I was tucking them into bed. Ben had obviously been giving lots of thought to his victory in the game of Life. He said ever so seriously, "Mom, I just really want to grow up and have a good job." I told him that he should save all his money for college and try to study hard. Then he sighed and said, "Well, I want a job where I don't have to a lot of work, but I still get paid a ton of money." Wouldn't we all. I went to bed feeling a bit disturbed. Kids these days... they think the world should be handed to them for nothing. I think we will move to a farm and show him what HARD work really is.

my sister's keeper

I have zero style. I am not a girly-girl and do not spend my free time shopping. It's probably been a year since I've been to the mall. I just don't care to keep up with what's "in"... nor do I want to waste money on something that will go out of style soon. My wardrobe is small. (My husband's side of the closet is easily 3x the size of mine.) I have basic items that I have worn for years- many still from high school. I own a total of 10 pairs of shoes. I don't do accessories, jewelry or high heels. It's just not my thing- never has been. I pride myself in being a minimalist and own simple, comfortable clothing. That's what makes sense to me.

I will "dress up" when it's appropriate. I always wear make-up to church-- or at least try to. Aaron and I make it a priority to go out on dates as often as we can. Usually that's once a week. For the most part, I wear my "fancier" outfits for our date nights, but not always. Especially not when going to the movies. I have an unwritten rule that you there is no reason to dress up when going to a movie. Call me crazy, but I hate being cold and uncomfortable in the movie theater. If we are doing dinner and a movie, then I will compromise and wear my nicest comfortable clothes, but if we're just going to a movie, then I do not have a dress code. Really-- who is worried about fashion in a dark theater? not I.

Aaron and I were newlyweds when I was pregnant with our first child. I believe I was 4 months along or so. We had super-busy schedules and Saturdays were our ONLY days to chill. I spent the majority of one particular Saturday cleaning our one-bedroom apartment. I was wearing a sports bra, gray t-shirt and a pair of the world's most comfortable black stretchy pants. Towards the end of the day, Aaron asked me if I wanted to head to Provo's dollar theater to see FREQUENCY. I said I did. I threw on a comfy sweater that I had just purchased on clearance at Target. It was maternity and I wasn't quite showing yet, but I was anxious to break it in. And before we left the house, I slipped on my white winter moon boots.. given to me by "Santa" when I was in the 9th grade. (the very same boots I pulled out for my Princess Leia costume- which happen to be included in my total of 10 pairs of shoes I own.)

We arrived at the theater several minutes before it started. We bought a tub of popcorn and a drink and managed to smuggle in a few candies from the gas station. I remember exactly where our seats were in the theater. We were talking and laughing about something when Aaron got all serious. I asked him what was wrong and he took a long sigh before saying, "Janet, I have got to draw a line SOMEWHERE." I didn't realize what he was talking about, so he pointed to my outfit and explained that I could never again wear such an ensemble in public. I should have been offended, but I knew exactly what I looked like. No make-up, hair in a ponytail, sports bra, over-sized sweater and white moon boots. What was the problem, really? I laughed and promised I would try harder to dress up for our dates, even if they were in a dark theater.

Fast forward 8 years. I am definitely the same girl, but try to compromise for the husband. While in Utah, my sisters and I decided to sneak away from the men (and children) and see a chick flick together. As I was saying goodbye to my husband and the kids, Aaron pointed at my outfit and scolded me. I told him he wasn't allowed to comment because he wasn't accompanying me in public. Earlier that day, I had gone to an open house for the Draper Temple. I was wearing a comfy dress and didn't want to take it off. But you can't go to the movies with your legs exposed because everyone knows the theaters try to freeze you. So, I slipped on a pair of black pants. On my way out, it started pouring rain, (the day of the gorgeous rainbow, btw) so I grabbed a thin jacket with a hood. Yes, my outfit was a little odd-- but I was going out with my sisters and wasn't exactly worried about impressing anyone. I drove with two of my sisters and met two others at the movie. When I walked into the theater and saw my sister, Debbie, I knew we were two of a kind. Cindy took a picture of us to document our outfits.


Deb is pulling a frumpy face to match her outfit... but let me say, the picture doesn't do either of us justice. It was a late, late showing and she brought her newborn Betty. I love her for being so scroungy, but the best part about it all was that she wasn't wearing a bra. (this is one of two pictures, in the first one, I am grabbing her boob...) People may have been pointing and laughing at our outfits, but let me tell you, no amount of fashion sense can make you feel THAT warm and comfortable.

Because I am feeling a little guilty about posting such an ugly picture of my darling sis, I thought I should post her facebook profile pic. She is a hottie-- especially when she wears a bra.


Oh, and I should probably mention what movie my sisters and I saw-- My Sister's Keeper. Has anyone else seen it? It ends opposite of the book (a much better ending, in my opinion.) I really loved the movie. I would never have been able to drag my husband to that flick, so it was perfect for a GNO. We bawled our eyes out-- which made us even more grateful we didn't wear make-up to the show.

blogging funk..

I just don't have the desire to write, look at other blogs, check my email, post my pictures that are months old... what is my deal? It's summer and there are just so many other fun things to be doing. Like watching the Bachelorette. It's sad to think there is only one more week.

I was a bit disappointed with last night's Men Tell All version of the Bachelorette. I guess I was hoping to see more of the breakdancer. What they did show of Michael was fabulous. I still love him. How can you not love him? Why did Jake get so much air time? If the show asks him to be the next Bachelor, I will NOT watch. I can promise you that. I could barely handle listening to him last night.. fly home, Superman.

I did enjoy hearing Dave getting boo-ed every time he talked. He still needs anger management therapy. And apparently Reid comes back for the finale. Poor Reid... anyone think his "prior engagement" is with Jillian? I don't. I think it's gonna be Ed in the end, but the way Jill talked on the show last night, there could be a good chance it's neither. Chris didn't ask her if she was with someone-- he avoided the subject. But at least she's happy. Who wouldn't be after 30 of the hottest men in history and the most dramatic season/rose ceremonies ever?

I am really grateful they didn't mention Tanner's package or the other dude stripping down entirely. Best left un-talked about. And don't get me started on Jason and Molly. Enough already.... Although I never liked her on the show last season, I think she and Jason were MFEO because they are both lame-o.

And that's all I have time to blog about today... off to go swimming. Oh how I love the summertime. I cannot BELIEVE August is around the corner.

cuzzzzin fun

We always have a good time in Zion with millions of cousins. Cousins, cousins everywhere! Our baby will be my parents 30th grandchild. The oldest isn't 12 yet. Yeah-- crazy! and so much fun.

We threw an early birthday shin-dig for Ben (and his cuz Skyler whose birthday is the day before Ben's.) The highlight of the night was playing "the name game" with all the kids--


We spent a day @ Hogle zoo with Aunt Cinny.



And of course, were were able to finally see baby Betty! My sister just had girl #4-- about the same ages as our boys. They are all so beautiful and so girly!

sometime back in June...

we went to Utah. We took lots of pictures, say like 200. For now, I am just going to post a few from our "camping" trip to Cherry Hill.

Because our van was broken at the time, we drove Aaron's Rodeo. It's a much smaller vehicle, but when you are a super light-packer like me, you don't need a lot of space. In fact, we were able to bring home 3 large boxes of baby boy items and 2 boxes of maternity clothes and still had plenty of room. We were not, however, able to bring any of our camping gear. But luckily we have a fabulous family who let us borrow everything.

Cherry Hill will always have a special place in my heart. I am sure it stems back from the millions of childhood memories I made there. I love watching my kids ride the same waterslides I loved when I was their age-- or burn their butts on the same metal playground that I used to play on. Here are lots of pictures, in no particular order.

The boys insisted on sleeping in their own tent-- why would we object to that? They slept well. In fact, Aaron and I were surprised that even though the sun came up at 6 am, we didn't hear a word until 8:30ish. We got out of our tent, to find three boys just hanging at the campground in their pj's (and shoes). Apparently, they had been up for a while, but didn't think to come and wake us up in our tent. Again, no objections.

Ben and Luke rode by themselves quite a bit and they always came out facing the opposite direction... I love Ben's enthusiasm for everything he does.



I love this shot (below) of Ben and Luke talking to me as soon as I came down the slide.
Not because my pregnant body is so sexy-- but because I can still hear their laughter as they gloat about beating me down the slide.



This is Zack and Daddy in the lazy river. Zack has literally asked about going back to the lazy river everyday since. He could barely touch the bottom, so he was swimming like a fish and every once in a while he bounce up for air. I have a video somewhere...

Just a side note. Aaron and I are both very laid back parents, but we rarely lose our children. It just so happens that we've lost Ben TWICE-- once at Cherry Hill two years ago and again during this trip. Aaron took Ben and Luke on the River Run (with tubes and waterfalls.) Aaron got separated from Ben because Luke was having a hard time staying in his tube. Ben was seriously devastated. It took us about 30 minutes to find him- and by that time, he was sobbing. By the end of the day, I think he forgave us.

The boys goofing off... Usually I would just post one or two pictures, but today I am feeling crazy.




Although we would have loved to have cousins playing with us all day, it was a lot of fun being together as a family... just the five of us, for now.



oh, and I can't forget about the friends we saw while staying in Kaysville. We had lunch with Annalisa Mc and her darling kids (they swam with us for a while too, but sadly I have no pics.)
and we had dinner with the VanBrocklin's-- great friends from Aaron's mission. We were married just a month or two apart and spit out babies about the same time. They have four kids (3 girls and a baby boy.) The only pictures I have is David bouncing the kids on the trampoline. Their little Jetta went flying every time..

courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, brave.....

Sabrina has my boys all afternoon. I can't decide WHAT to do with my free time. Lay out by the pool? go shopping? read a book? clean? Honestly, I feel like such a loser because I don't know what to do with myself. What did I used to do before I had kids. I think I will just take a nap.

Last night was a late girls game night. I crawled into bed around 1 am, so a nap should be at the top of my list. But then again, I did sleep in until 10 am. I woke up to Ben saying he had unloaded the dishwasher and made his bed, but was there any other jobs on his list today. The only thing I could think of was cleaning the backyard. He quickly put on his shoes and picked up all the water balloons they spent hours popping yesterday. A few minutes later, Zack was tapping me on the shoulder, holding out a bottle of children's tylenol. He whispered ever so sweetly. "Mom, here is your medicine. If you drink some, it will go down in your tummy and you won't feel sick anymore." I decided it was time to roll out of bed.

I got dressed and Zack led me to a corner in the loft where he announced he had just peed. WHAT? When I scolded him, he said matter- of-factly, "Well, we were playing hide and seek and I really had to go to the bathroom, but if I left my spot, they would find me." Oh brother. Zack continues to live up to his nickname, "The Animal" and makes me feel less guilty about buying the kids a dog.

After I cleaned the carpet, we met Aaron for lunch and then headed to the scout office to buy Ben a uniform. I walked into the office with three little boys in tow (and one on the way) and I couldn't help but laugh to myself. This is the only future I have--- scout shirts, sewing on merit badges, pine wood derby cars, annoying pack-meeting cheers. Shoot me now.


Ben is so excited about starting scouts. He is such a goodie-little-two-shoes. Yesterday morning I watched him eat a bowl of Lucky Charms. He was so particular about leaving all of the marshmallows to the end. Usually kids gobble them up first, but Ben likes to do all the dirty work first and leave the best for last. and I love him for that. Sometimes I am just not sure what to do with him. For instance.....

We brought a couple of friends with us to the park on Monday. The kids were busy splashing around in the water and I was sitting in the shade enjoying a new book. All of the sudden, a crumpled piece of paper was blocking my view. Ben handed me this note--


I read it and instead of asking why he wasn't havEing any fun, I wanted to know why he was writing me a note instead of just saying so. Seriously, do most kids bring writing materials to a splash park? In Ben's case, I am pretty sure he uses a pocket protector so his crayons don't melt in this hot summer heat.

Kip or Ed?

For my three friends out there who watch the Bachelorette and the hundreds of others who google it everyday, who is Jillian going to pick and who is going to lose their chance at love forever? Did anyone cry when Reid went home? Not I.

They say it's going to be a twisted ending. I do not think Kip will confess he's gay. I think Ed is going to tell her the show paid him to come back and/or promised him he will be the next Bachelor if he doesn't end up being chosen in the end. That is just my theory-- and I am no expert. I really do like Ed and his short green shorts, but something isn't adding up. The dude never looks Jillian in the eyes and that whole bedroom scene was just awkward. Anyway, whoever she ends up with, I am sure it will turn out all roses and rainbows after the final rose ceremony. Just like it did for Jason and Molly and Ty-- rolling around in the grass like a happy little family.

Until then, I am very excited for the Men Tell All episode. I just can't wait to see Michael. I still love that breakdancer. And I really hope the show invites Wes' band to perform during halftime...

eventually I am going to post a picture or two.

I literally have a hundred pictures to post... vacation, birthday parties, fireworks. It seems like too many, so I am avoiding it all together. If my kids ever leave the house for a day or two, I will get caught up on the documentation.

Until then, here is the weekend report. We had a nasty 24-hour flu bug. The kids were sick during the week-- each on a different day. Ben apparently was up all night on Tuesday, but he never woke anyone else up. When I asked him why he didn't get me when he was throwing up, he said, "I made it to the toilet every time, so what were you going to do for me?" Hmm. I guess 8 year olds don't need their moms anymore.

Friday night was a beast for me. Aaron woke up early Saturday morning to play tennis. The boys let me sleep in and I felt like a new woman. We all headed to the pool in the afternoon. I still used my sick card and let Aaron play with the kids while I laid out in the sun. It was a fab way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

After we got home from the pool, we made lunch and then Aaron was struck down. I have never seen him throw up like that. I should have been sympathetic, but deep down, it was so nice to know he understood how I felt. I loved that he was sick. We spent the next few hours curled up on the couch-- watching one of the lamest movies ever. If you've seen Knowing and enjoyed it, we cannot be friends. It may have started with a good plot, but it was a waste of my Saturday night, flu or no flu. Curse Nicholas Cage. I could have spent that time posting pictures on my blog..

Sunday morning I gave my kids haircuts before their baths.. um, I mean, showers. Apparently, Ben and Luke are old enough to shower on their own. No more rubber duckies. I fed them and then headed to ward council. When I returned at noon, Aaron had yet to roll out of bed. So I loaded the kids up and took them to church solo. We only stayed for Sacrament meeting. When I told Zack that he wasn't going to nursery, he sobbed. Usually it's the other way around-- kids are begging to go home. Apparently Zack doesn't get much social life. We came home (Aaron had finally woken up by then, but just by a minute or two) and had a lazy Sunday night-- calling family, teaching Zack the "jingle bells, batman smells" song, and enjoying another great conversation at dinner....

Somehow the question was raised, "If you could chose any way to die, how would you go down?" Before anyone else could say a word, Zack announced that he would like to be shotten in the heart." Interesting. Ben wants to die in his old age (typical answer from the teacher's pet.) Luke wants to get smashed by a helicopter. I would like to be poisoned.. and Aaron would like to go down saving someone's life. I married such a hero.

And now it's Monday morning again. Unbelievable. The weeks are going by so fast.. and yet, I still have 4 months to go with this pregnancy. November seems far away. The boys have all felt the baby move... But Ben is by far the most excited. He has mentioned several times that he's not sure if the baby will EVER come out. It better come out, or else.

I've spent 100% of my free time cleaning. After 18 weeks of nausea, my house became completely disorganized. As soon as I got energy back, I started throwing everything away. I love getting rid of stuff. Our closets are all cleaned out. Toys, clothes, kitchen items have been donated to charity. The "nursery" is now empty.. and all the baby boy clothes have been washed and organized in their tiny little sizes. I cannot believe how much BOY STUFF I have. I only thing I need to buy is diapers for this kid.

My favorite show this summer, besides the Bachelorette of course, is CLEAN SWEEP with organizer Peter Walsh. I don't know which channel (maybe TLC.) It records on my DVR at 2 am or something. Anyway, they take two completely disastrous rooms in a house, gut them and hardly allow any of the STUFF back. It's a refreshing show and every time I watch it, I feel the need to throw a hundred things away. It's such an addicting compulsion... I just can't stop!

I feel a lot more compulsive with my time too, lately. Usually in the summer I relax about bed times and to-do lists, but I have been more scheduled than ever the past couple of months. I am typically in bed by 9 pm. Aaron has been playing a lot of sports recently and feels bad because he leaves after dinner. I don't care at all because we're all sleeping anyway. The kids are happier and I feel so much better after 10 hours of rest. I know that's a luxury I have to take advantage of.

I am waking up earlier and exercising more. I still love my old college video tapes, Slim in Six. But just because I have been more active, doesn't mean I am slim by any means. I am large and in charge. I hate those girls who grow a little basketball in nine months and then all of the sudden, they pop the baby out. That has never been me. I get big everywhere-- hips, back, legs, face... so even though people say, "you hardly look pregnant" that doesn't mean I don't look fat. Either way, I am thrilled to be expecting a baby. Last night, while making dinner, Aaron started singing a song dedicated to me.. It went a little like this, "Because you're once----- Twice----- Three times the size of a normal Lady-----" I should have punched him in his package, but I laughed instead. I know he's joking. He better be joking.

And here my journal entry ends. My kids have been begging me to play Hullabaloo with them. Okay, already. Isn't it odd? They don't need me in the middle of the night when they are throwing up, but for some reason, they NEED me to step on colored shapes with them and dance around like a lunatic. Kids can be so confusing sometimes.

oh, what a night.

Getting up in the middle of the night with a throwing up child is bad, but getting up in the middle of the night to throw up yourself is worse. The flu has finally come my way. And what better time for it to hit than right in the middle of a ward party? a party that I happened to be in charge of. oh well. I left right after it started and had a party at home with the toilet.

A big thanks to Aaron for staying at the party to clean up and then coming home to take care of me. You know someone loves you when he gets out of bed at 2 am to fetch you a glass of water and make you a piece of toast. What a mighty good man I have.

The highlight of my miserable night was reading an incredibly awesome book while laying in bed. I finished it in less than 24 hours and I loved it. The Hunger Games is leagues above the Twilight series. The author knows how to write in complete sentences, the love story is riveting, and the main character is actually a three dimensional heroine rather than some lame, ditzy girl without a personality. If you haven't read The Hunger Games yet-- do so. It's sequel, Catching Fire will be released in September. I cannot wait.

roughing it

Question: What's worse than your 3-year-old throwing up at 1 am?

Answer: Your 3-year-old throwing up at 1 am, 2 am, 3 am 4 am....

I am not sure I am cut out for this motherhood thing anymore. I guess I should have taken a hint when Zack said his tummy didn't feel like eating dinner. I thought he was trying to weasel his way out of eating his broccoli. That kid has all kinds of tricks up his sleeve. I made him eat all of his broccoli- and then some. And he punished me later.

He originally fell asleep on the top bunk- which has never happened in the history of his 3 years. He sat up, threw up on himself, his favorite truck pillow and football blanket (and the rest of the bedding on the top bunk.) THEN he leaned over the railing and coated the bottom bunk with a second round. How fortunate am I that I had spent the entire day washing all of the bedding? Company had just left and I was feeling pretty good about having a spotless house. Suits me right. Zack is constantly making me say things such as, "I should have never cleaned that in the first place."


He does have a few good qualities though. Zack is still the family comedian and we can't get enough of silly statements. It's amazing that his enthusiasm can last ALL DAY long. Toward the end of the day (especially when I am making dinner) he can be so annoying. While making a mess instead of setting the table, I asked him if he needed to take a time out because he wasn't listening. He locked eyes with me and said, "Nope, but I will take a popsicle." It's those kind of sentences that keep me from disciplining him.

He has inherited the job of unloading the dishwasher. He does excellent, but usually gets side-tracked before its empty. I swear he has to go potty only when it's time to unload the dishwasher. The other day, Ben and Luke were finished with their chores and headed to the backyard to jump on the trampoline. Zack was just starting to tackle the dishwasher when he announced the he needed to use the bathroom. I rolled my eyes and told him to hurry up. He ran towards the direction of the bathroom, and then quietly turned the corner, and tiptoed back to the sliding glass door (which happens to be 3 steps away from the dishwasher.) He was slowly opening the door- ever so quietly- when I caught him. I said, "Zack, I thought you had to go to the bathroom." He gave a sly smile and said, "I was thinking about... (long pause) going pee outside?" The last three words turned that sentence into a question and I just couldn't help but laugh out loud. He knows that his personality gets him out of trouble, but I am trying to stick to my guns and not show how much I actually adore him.

In June, Zack had a big accident. He dropped the toilet seat on his boy parts. This has happened before-- several months ago, he came out from the bathroom explaining that the toilet hurt him for no reason. But apparently it didn't teach him the importance of pulling up his underwear before putting the seat down (or at least backing away from the toilet.) When it happened the second time, it was no laughing matter. I thought for a second that he wasn't going to be able to have children. He came running out from the bathroom unable to breathe. Seriously, it was scary. I laid him down on the couch and tried to examine the damage. It was bad. A large purple blood blister was forming, practically the size of the top of his penis. I tried to get a hold of Aaron, but he was unavailable. I probably should have taken him to the doctor. Instead, I iced it, told him a couple of stories and put him down for a nap. When he woke up, it looked much better. The blood had gone away, but it left a dark mark there for several weeks. Slowly, it got smaller and smaller. When we went camping two weeks ago (still have yet to post pictures) we sent Zack into the tent to change into his swimsuit. Minutes went by and we heard the zipper to the tent door open. Out comes a totally naked child with a HUGE smile on his face. His hands went up in the air and he shouted (for all those around us to hear) "MY WIENIE IS GETTING BETTER!" We all gave him a high-five and then sent him back into the tent to put clothes on. Looks like he might turn out normal, after all.

Zack is a total wiz on the computer. He knows most of the keys on the keyboard and if Ben and Luke tell him HOW to spell things, he can maneuver his way around. His favorite website lately is called Poptropica. He will turn on the computer, click on the internet, type in P-O-P in the search tab and then he knows the rest of the word will show up. He has to scroll down a few links to the site he wants, but he always knows where he's going. It's amazing. In fact, Ben and I were laughing the other day because Zack was typing out something slowly on the keyboard and Ben said, "Isn't it weird that he knows how to type, but he can't sing the alphabet song?" I didn't know he didn't know his ABC's. I asked Zack to try to sing it and he enthusiastically shouted, "A-B-C-D's" and then stopped and shrugged his shoulders. Poor kid has never been allowed to watch Sesame Street or Barney because those shows are too childish for his older brothers. It's too bad the characters on Star Wars don't bust out with the alphabet song while they are trying to save the galaxy.

Ben's Baptism

I think it's best said through the pages of his own book
(given to Ben by the Primary Presidency)

A few things that aren't mentioned (because Ben wasn't really aware how CRAZY the morning actually was.)

* We had a big blueberry pancake breakfast at our house before the baptism. That was probably a mistake. Cereal is best when you're in a rush. I also decided last minute to do food at the church instead of bringing everyone to our home afterward. A good decision, I believe... but it made things crazy. I made 4 dozen cupcakes for Ben's traditional flag cake, but because there was no time, I asked my sis in law frost them and bring the strawberries/blueberries to the church.

* We arrived at the church 2 minutes before it started. Ben hadn't changed, Aaron's white pants were too tight so he had to wear a jumpsuit (he's really put on the pounds since we got married :) Aaron tried to remain calm while changing in the bathroom with Ben. He really didn't want to make him more nervous than he already was.

* As soon as Cody and Jake arrived with the cupcakes- bless her heart- I sent her BACK to my house to retrieve the baptismal certificate that we left on our mantle. Talk about spacing it.

* Ben and Aaron had changed, my mom and sister arrived with her four little girls, Cody and Jake were on an important errand-- and the baptism had started. But WHERE were Aaron's parents? I ran out into the foyer to call them.

* Aaron's mom who was the first speaker on the program didn't realize it started at 10:00 am. She was at a copy shop making copies for her talk. When I told her it was starting NOW and they had just announced her name to speak, they rushed to the church. I went back to sit by my kids in the chapel.

* Opening prayer was said, opening song was sung-- and it was Brandy's turn to speak. Aaron turned around to look at me and I told him I would go up and bear my testimony... excusing her from being late. Luckily, as I went to stand up, she walked into the chapel. She asked me when it was her turn and I said- "NOW!" She walked up the the pulpit and gave an excellent talk. It was a mini-miracle she walked in when she did.

* As the crowd was heading from the chapel to the baptismal font, I grabbed Ben and Aaron for the quickest photo ever. Then handed off the camera to Cody (who had just returned with the recommend) and asked her to take a quick photo of the family. Those were the only shots we took at the church. Too bad. My little neices looked so cute in their dresses... and we didn't get any of Ben with his grandparents.

* While Ben and Aaron are in the font about to perform the ordinance, everyone is looking at ME asking me where their towels are. Why are you asking me? Am I the MOM or something? I shrugged my shoulders and said out loud- "I didn't bring any towels."

* While Ben and Aaron were changing from their wet clothes, drying off with a swim towel my sister happened to have in her car, I was in the kitchen getting the food ready. I had lots of helpers. We decorated the flag cake and set up everything as quickly as we could.

* Aaron gave a wonderful confirmation. He said (and strongly felt) that there were many people who had passed on who were looking down on Ben, feeling just as proud of him as we were.

* I was so happy to have so many people show (there were at least 50) but I think I was uptight because we had invited non-member friends. Two families in particular who had never stepped inside an LDS church. I wanted them to feel comfortable and spent ALL my time talking with them.. so I didn't get to say THANKS to everyone else who came.

* It was a great day, so fortunate to have it on Indepedence day AND his birthday. It was totally an odd experience for me. I didn't cry... didn't feel the least bit emotional. It was as if I was having an out-of-body experience. I was watching myself watch MY son get baptized. I wasn't old enough for this, and obviously not mature enough. I just sat back and wondered how I got lucky enough to be his mother. He seemed so old. Not 8 years old, but really old, like a miniature man. I knew he was making the right choice and that he was old enough to make that decision for himself. This was just one of the steps he will take in his life and I feel privelaged enough to witness it. I love Ben and look up to him in so many ways. How crazy is that to say about someone who is half my size?

We have lots of pictures from the rest of the day.. cousins, great food, fireworks, apple pie, Ben's new bike... but those will have to wait until I have recovered. Happy baptism, Ben! We are so proud of you!!