You've got to stay on your toes

We decided to do a FHE lesson on safety tonight. As we entered the topic of Stranger Danger, I asked the kids this, "What should you do if a stranger tries to take you to their car?" Beckham enthusiastically yelled/growled, " You should get your gun and shoot them!!!!"

I was speechless for a moment trying to figure out where he had learned such a thing, but Kevin countered with, "You don't have a gun. So what are you going to do."

Without so much as a pause Beckham said, "Well, I have a water gun. I'll shoot them with my water gun." We applauded that choice and provided him with some other options as well. Meanwhile, Karaia is still giggling in the background over the gun comment.

We then began practicing 911 calls. I was the dispatcher and Beckham made the call.

M: What's the problem?

B: My mom fell down and hurt her head.

M: What is your name?

B: Beckham

M: What is your last name?

B: D***

M: Where do you live?

B: In Grandma's house.
(Apparently we have some address memorization to do)

AND earlier today Beckham informed me, "I think when you were married we were in your tummy."

Me: No. You were still up in Heaven with Heavenly Father.

B: Oh right. He was babysitting us.


.....Yeah....that'll work.

'Til we meet again

This blog would not be mine if I did not post about the events of this evening.

Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet of The LDS church died this evening. My sister-in-law shared the news with me while we were on the phone.

I am not surprised, as he was 97 years old. In fact, I am delighted. He is now without pain and reunited with his wife and other loved ones. Still, a world without him is unknown to me and I am anxious to see what is in store. He had this amazing ability to make people feel as if they personally knew him. He was and is a wonderful example of how to live your life fully.

I am grateful to have been exposed to his positive influence. His presence has made a permanent impression upon my heart and I am better for it. May I continue to spread the joy that he has so faithfully and enthusiastically endeavored to share with all.

For all I know and have been taught, I am truly blessed and humbled. I am thankful for our prophet.

Until we meet again......

Time to lurk

I like to lurk.

By that I mean, I like to read other people's blogs that I don't necessarily know but have stumbled upon through a friend's blog. There are actually a few blogs that I lurk frequently because I feel like I have somehow gotten to know them due to the fact that I've been reading their blog for so long. They, of course, have NO idea who I am or even that I have been reading their blogs.

Why do I share this somewhat embarrassing information with you? I have now added links to all the blogs I openly read. So lurk on, my friends, lurk on.

Can you hear me now?

If you have been within a 4 house radius of us in the last few weeks, chances are you'll know exactly what I'm talking about and perhaps still have a bit of ringing in your ears to prove it.

Tennyson is LOUD!!
He is into to squealing when he's happy (high pitched of course, the kind that makes human ears hurt and dogs go insane), screeching when he's excited, and down and out, no holds barred, screaming when he's plain mad....or lonely.....or bored.

The thing is that he looks harmless.

So this, this un-ignorable noise, why it just comes out of nowhere and takes everyone hostage. He knows it is his super power and he uses it. I try not to respond, but as I am slowing going deaf I feel an obligation to try and prevent that from happening to anyone else. So I find myself doing what he screams. Bad Mommy. But then there is the loudness stemmed from joy.....not much you can do with that, but smile through the pain.

I truly hope it is just a phase and not something he's learned from watching a mother of three's frustrated raised-voice moments. That would be utterly heart-breaking. Let's hope it is only a phase and I have not just outed myself as the worst. mom. ever.

For now, consider yourself warned and you would do well to bring some earplugs the next time you visit. Or are even thinking about walking past our house.

Mystery Water

As I was taking a bath last night, Kevin came in to tell me something. He stopped short, pointed to the floor and said, "What is all this water doing on the floor?" There was quite a large amount of it near the door. I added, "That's really weird. The last time I took a bath there was water on the floor just like that. But I thought it was because I had rinsed the bubbles off with a shower and not put the curtain in the tub."

We dried everything off, dollar signs flashing before our eyes, thinking of every possible way the water could have leaked out of the tub. With everything dry we watched. Searching for the source of the escaping water. He checked for cracks on the outside, I checked on the inside. Nothing. I was really starting to believe a new tub was in our future when Kevin suggested that maybe I had sloshed it out. What a ridiculous idea. I am not a preschooler from which water seems naturally prone to jump out of the tub onto the floor. I had not been splashing or rough housing in my sanctuary of water. To prove my point I declared, "I don't think so. The only thing I've done is lay down just...like...this...."

As I watched the water cascade over the edge of the tub due to the displacement of water by my quick entry and Kevin's smile broaden, I decided to keep sinking into the warmth as to delay the taunting I would surely receive upon surfacing.

It was the right move.

Proud

It must be said that I am beyond proud of Kevin. While I think most men without employment obligations would view the time as vacation, he works very hard everyday looking for a new job. He spends several hours a day looking and applying for any and every job he even has a long shot at. He has called every person who would have contacts and willingly meets with anyone who will give him face time. He has taken classes to improve his interview skills and his resume. In short he is doing everything within his power. I am grateful for that. It has made me fall in love with him all over again.

Tagged

My first tag. I love these things.

ABC's of you. Each player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

A- Attached or single: Very much attached.

B- Best Friend: My amazing husband Kevin, my children, my Mom, my friend from high school, Tobi

C-Cake or Pie: Pie beats cake in all cases

D- Day of Choice: Well, it used to be Fridays. But since everyday is like a weekend around here now that Kevin is without work obligations, my favorite days are any days that involve some sort of interview.

E- Essential Item: quarters. My kids LOVE quarter machines. Cell phone. In case I think of something that absolutely MUST be shared right. that. second.

F- Favorite Color: Anything Earthy

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms.

H- Hometown: Centerville

I- Indulgence(s): My favorite Thurs. night TV shows. Baths. Sleeping in.

J- January or July: Um...May

K-Kids: Karaia 5, Beckham 3, & Tennyson 7 months

L-Life is incomplete without: Flirting with Kevin, playing pretend with the Karaia, Superheros with Beckham, and hearing Tennyson laugh.

M- Marriage Date: Aug. 24, 2000

N- Number of Siblings: 2 sisters Annie and Meghan, 8 Step-siblings Amy, Nate, Megan, Jason, Jaymes, Ryan, Robbie, and Jenny

O- Oranges or Apples: apples.

P- Phobias or Fears: The dark, heights, and anything involving speed from a great height

Q- Quote(s): "It is no slight thing when they who are fresh from Heaven love us."

R- Reason To Smile: Kevin having 3 interviews this week. Karaia and Beckham playing kindly. Tennyson blowing raspberry's then laughing about it. Having longer than 5 minute FHEs.

S- Season: Spring and Fall

T- Tag Three: Nicolle, Annie, and Chrissy

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I'm a pretty open book. But I love to watch the Disney channel....without any kids. I know I won't have to worry about the content of the show but I'm still entertained.....sad....but true.

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I prefer a good salad with a bit of meat (ham or chicken) thrown in.

W- Worst Habit: staying up too, too late

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasound

Y- Your Favorite Food: Cob salad (see above answer) and anything Mexican in orientation preferably with beans and not meat. Or if I'm going to have meat with it, make it grounded and not shredded.

Z: Zodiac: Sagittarius

Worst. Night. Ever.

I went to bed at 9:30 last night. Anyone who knows me knows that's about 3 hours early and the only time I can recall ever going to sleep that early I is when I woke up at 4 am in labor. So it's rare. And usually proceeds some form of unreal pain...or so I'm learning.

I went to bed that early because I had a headache that I thought was due to being tired. At 1 am Karaia came into our room to tell us of a dream she had. She was on Kevin's side so I wasn't listening very well, plus I realized I still had a headache. The pain increased as Karaia was tucked back into bed. Every position seemed to escalate the throbbing. I decided to move to the guest room to see if that bed offered any solace.

As I entered the room I could hear Beckham crying down stairs. Kevin went to investigate and informed me that Beckham had seen a, "poky-up thing in his bed," that "made him into a puppet". So Kevin eliminated all poky-up things and quieted Beckham down. By the time he came back up I was in a sitting position moaning and rocking as is the only way I know how to cope with unbelievable pain. Plus laying down only intensified my headache pushing tears to the surface.

Kevin, like the good husband he is, came by my side and asked what could be done. After some medication and a blessing I told him to go back to sleep just in case I had to pull an all nighter. I tried to lay down again, but it was useless. I decided that the anti-gravity properties of a bath might alleviate some of the pressure. So at 3:00 am I started a bath. It was heavenly! Exactly what my tortured brain needed. Weightlessness.

3:30 I got out. The pain was still there but manageable. I propped myself up on the couch in the most non-gravity position I could find and snuggled down to learn about the elusive giant squid. I was purposely looking for something to put me to sleep. By 4 am the pain had vanished and I returned to my bed.

At 6:30 Tennyson woke up. And Beckham. He said he was all sweaty. Turns out it was urine. Kevin took care of all of that and let me sleep until 10. Which if you subtract all the time lost last night gave me about 9 hours of sleep.

I categorically hope to never repeat the events of last night and am glad to see the sun shining making it easy to believe it was all in my head.......

Well, have you?

As Karaia and Kevin where spending some "educational" time together watching the TV show Modern Marvels, Karaia nonchalantly turned to Kevin, I'm sure right at a crucially interesting part of the program, "Have you ever been cut in half in a magic show?"

"No, (snicker) Have you?"

Giggle of what-a-ridiculous-question, "No!"

It's got me thinking though. Is there anyone out there within the sight of this blog that HAS been cut in half in a magic show? It seems to me that I have now found a new question to put on my list of first questions I ask when I am getting to know someone......well, maybe not first questions.

My brain

As I was trimming Beckham's hair this morning before church, he nervously said, " Don't cut my brain." Shortly after that I accidentally nicked behind his ear due to the laughter.