So close

I've realized that kev being gone for so long, right ay such a crucial time had been a blessing. I have had so many people take the kids and provid me with hours and hours of design time. I have felt so loved!

I am just about done! But there is a hiccup in the plan. The application for tickets for Market, that my friend is betting for me and her staff was denied due to then not liking the receipt sent in. AAAAHHH! ! (they are very selective on who they will let attend. Thats why I was feeling so blessed to be getting a ticket)

We are waiting for a revised copy of the receipt from the company the first receipt came from and we should be ok... I hope!

So if you could keep me getting a ticket to Market so I can at least have a chance to show my designs in your payers, I would be very grateful! It would be so awful to come this far and work this hard only to be denied the opportunity to even try.

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Fondue

Sarah and her friend, my new friend, Stacey came over tonight for fondue and girl time...we haven't ended the night yet.

It's so fun to stay up late and pretend I am not going to pay for it tomorrow ;)

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Dads are the best!

I don't live very far from my dad. Only about 7 minutes. Unfortunately we don't see each other a ton. A few times a month is all.

That being said, I know without a doubt that he will drop everything he is doing to come and rescue me.  Anytime. Anyplace.

He did that today.

I called him to see if he could come and help me with the sink. He left work early, changed into some time-to-get-your-hands-dirty clothes and came right over. After two trips to Home Depot the sink was done and dry!!!

Thank you so much Papa!!!!

Plea

The sink is still leaking. Ugh.

Anyone out there with any knowledge of plumbing that feels like helping out a single mom?

Seriously.

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Blessings trump embarrassments

So the house is a MESS.

Shocker right?

Unfortunately no, no it's not.

I wish I was a neat freak. I wish I was highly organized and had nary a pile to be found....or dust bunnies....or toys and crumbs scattered everywhere.

But I haven't reached that level yet.

Especially, right now as I am designing in every spare minute. We really are just barely living beyond what would be considered unlivable. OK, maybe that's being a bit dramatic, but still. I can't name a single clean room in the house.

Sigh.

Tobi took the boys today so I could have hours and hours to design uninterrupted! It was wonderful. Thank you SO much, Tobi!  I thought about cleaning, just because it was guaranteed to stay clean for at least the time I was alone, but the point was for me to design. So I did.

Fast forward to tonight. Beckham, "needed" something off the top of his hutch on his dresser and pulled the whole hutch down on himself!!!! Someone is really out to knock off my kids. The hutch is very heavy and it was loaded with stuff. We are just so lucky he got away with only a little bump on his head.

But as I was dealing with all of that, Lyndi and Greg stopped by to return the carpet cleaner. I was mortified. Not that they stopped by, because I adore it when people come and visit whenever they want, but that the house is a COMPLETE disaster. Plus, I was still trying to work through all of the emotions of furniture almost killing Beckham.

I think I came across as very edgy and distracted. I was trying to block from my view, what I know they were seeing.

Double sigh.

However, while they were here, I showed Lyndi my designs and she loved them! I can't even express how much this does for my soul. I mean, I love them, but it is so nice to actually see other people love them as well.

Not only that, but Greg realized that our hot water pipe under the kitchen sink had been leaking. The whole base of the cabinet was filled with water and it had started leaking to the basement! I just don't think I would have caught that for a few more days because of how busy I've been.

He turned the hot water off to the sink and we will just wait until Kev gets home (he left today for 10 days) to take a look at it. I'M thinkin' we should call the insurance and tell them our cabinets are water damaged....just kidding, but a girl can dream.

The point is, yes, they saw my house, my life, how I really live it. Tonight I am THAT kind of woman that needs people to come help her just to get her house clean. It's embarrassing, but if they had not come I would not have felt the encouragement for my designs and my sink may have fallen through the floor during the night.

I feel very watched over, taken care, and loved.

Too Tired

I am too tired to post about this busy non-stop day of sewing, volunteering, more sewing, chauffeuring, and attending my step-sister's wedding.

I know it's lame. But it is what it is.

Easter ramblings

The Easter bunny did not hide the baskets well enough this year. Karaia and Beckham found theirs practically just because they opened their eyes....next year though.

Karaia gave a great talk in primary today. I was proud of her confidence and the thought she put into it before hand. It was a nice start to this holiday to have so much of our morning focused on the Savior. I was grateful to see Karaia's testimony grow today.

I forgot to mention that I was released as Relief Society secretary a few weeks ago. I was set apart today as a Ward Missionary. That is a calling that is well beyond my comfort level. During the setting apart Sanders and Tennyson were mock boxing each other...and spinning around...and growling like bears. (Kev was helping with the setting apart so there was no one to corral anyone) Fantastic. Mother of the year right here people.

There were two parts of the setting apart that I actually heard, in between me trying to mother the clearly raised-by-wolves younger two with my foot while trying NOT to move my head or appear in the least bit mortified by my children's behavior,

The two parts were:

1) The I would be continued to be blessed and successful in my personal and professional life ( The counselor setting me apart has no idea about my dream. As far as he knows I have no plans for anything professional--other than perhaps going professionally crazy because my children act as if they were raised by wolves)

2) That I would be able to preform my calling in a manner pleasing to me and the Lord. ( That was important for me to hear because I am very apprehensive about offending or making someone feel badly that they don't believe as I do. If they want to hear/know more awesome, but I'm not going to push it on them. It was nice to be reminded that Heavenly Father understands me.)

We had a quiet afternoon of WAY too much candy and a quick nap for mom (HOORAY!). Then we went to my mom's for a yummy dinner and a great Easter egg hunt. All of that equals happy kiddos to tuck into bed.

Egg hunt

We went to the city Easter egg hunt today. The kids loved it. I'm exhausted. Enjoy the pictures :)

Some of the eggs were filled with confetti. The kids. loved. that!

 Happy Easter!

Entrepreneur

Today Beckham informed me that he had a lemonade stand on the schedule for after school. I tried to point out the potential flaws in this plan so that he wouldn't get his hopes up so high if no one came by to purchase a drink on a day predicted to only get to 50 degrees.

He could not, would not, be dissuaded...and good for him!

So, he got everything all ready. He did it all himself, except for make the lemonade, which I was happy to help out with.

Here's the sign he made

I didn't help him with any of the writing or the math. That's all him. When I realized he was writing what every. single. quantity. would cost I told him, "I think you can stop writing when you get to 5 cups. I think they'll get the pricing system by then."

He, of course, had a different vision and said, "I think by SEVEN cups they'll get the hang of it."

But by seven cups he remembered that ten cups would equal one dollar and that sounded like good advertising to him.

After the sign was made and taped onto the empty diaper box he turned to me with a grin that wrapped around his head three times and declared, " I am SO eager to make money today!!!!!"

That's his friend, Isaac, with him.

 You know what? Despite ALL of my grownup knowledge of how the world works and supply and demand, those boys made out like bandits....selling lemonade......on a day that required everyone to wear jackets.

They made $4.50!!!!!

Cars would drive by and BACK UP to support these pint sized entrepreneurs!!!!

Lest you think they sold 45 cups, I have to divulge that most people just paid a quarter and some paid a dollar and did not want any change back. But STILL. Lemonade on a cold day?

What's that saying? "He could sell hot chocolate in Hell?"

Yeah. I think the world is in trouble.

Speaking of trouble, later today Beckham got in trouble for lying. It's something we are working on. He just assumes he KNOWS exactly what happened even if he was nowhere near the event and begins preaching his "knowledge" like gospel. The problem with this, besides the obvious fact that he doesn't know if what he is saying is true, is that he has mistakenly thrown people under the bus, so to speak, because by his calculations they were they only ones that could have possibly done...whatever was done.

Anyway, I was telling him, in a very frustrated way, that I was really, REALLY, tired of his lying/assuming. It was hard to know when he had actual information or not.

Beckham, the tender hearted kid the he is, began to cry and wailed, " I am only good at three things. Lying, doing math, and making money!!!!"

Poor kid. (Don't worry, we hugged and talked things through)

I told this to Kevin tonight (hooray he's home for a few days!!!!) and he said, "Sounds like a formula for success to me!"

Sheesh *eye roll* Let's hope Beckham's entrepreneurial skills evolve through the honest way and not Kevin's "successful" way.

Better with two

Having your spouse around is far better than not.

The end.

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Ironic

 As in it was ironic that a torrential down pour started AFTER I had unloaded all the kids, herded them to the field, set up the goal and the cones and instructed the the fill in coach. This, of course, caused all the parents to crowd around me asking exactly how hard does it have to rain before we call the game.

Part of me wanted to stay and let the kids play since last week had been canceled too. I mean we were already wet at that point. But then I looked over at cute little Sanders who had just about the bravest face I'd ever seen trying to tough it out, shivering beyond control. That's when you call a game. Ironic or not.

The best gifts

The best gifts anyone could possibly give a mother are

1) A nap

2) A meal that is already prepared

My mom gave me both today! Thank so much mom! It made all the difference.

On edge

Kevin left for the first part of what will be a three week business trip. Everything today was quite normal, except me.

I was on edge all day. A bit snappy, a bit moody.

The kids kept looking at me wondering why there was a low growling coming from me when all they were doing was breathing.

Sigh.

I think I'm so wound up bracing for things to be hard that I am forgetting that we've done this before and we'll be OK.

The kids were actually great. Even better than usual.  It was just me being a pill.

Hopefully, now that I've isolated the problem I can move forward in a different direction.

Loop hole

For some reason, Beckham likes to point things out using his middle finger. He doesn't know the meaning of using only your middle finger, but I encourage him not to use only that finger when I can.

Today, he was reaching for something in the car and was only able to reach it using his longest finger...the middle one. He told me about this and asked my opinion. I told him I thought that was fine, but just try not to point to things with only the middle finger up.

His reply?

"But mom, what if all my other fingers get cut off except that one? Can I still point things out then? "

That one is always looking for the loop hole!

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Boyified

Here are the pictures from yesterday. Sanders and Collin took eating goldfish to a whole new boyified level.

Everything tastes better out of a truck!

Whatevs

Kev hates when I talk like a teenager, but I'm feeling a bit rebellious. As in, I had a great day watching my best friend's kids, making auction items for a ward party, AND I even have pictures to go with today's post (I KNOW!), but blogging feels too much like homework tonight, so I'm not gonna.

Goodnight.

When you know you're obsessed

You may remember the post I did on how Katy Perry's Fireworks song effects me. It's a very obvious, you-can-do-anything! kind of a song.

I recently discovered just HOW deep my thought process is dominated by my big dream. Listening to the radio a Micheal Buble song came on. A song that I have heard multiple times before now, but this time I found a new meaning in all the words. All of the sudden he wasn't singing about an eternal mate, Micheal was crooning about my future relationship with a fabric manufacturer! He articulated this whole journey, with it's ups and downs, but always feeling that this relationship is just around the corner and while I don't have it yet, it's coming and it's going to be life changing in a good way.

Well, just read for yourself and see if you don't agree.

I'm not surprised.
Not everything lasts.
I've broken my heart so many times I stopped keeping track.
Talk myself in.
I talk myself out. (How many posts have I written like this)
I get all worked up, then I let myself down.

I tried so very hard not to lose it.
I came up with a million excuses.
I thought I thought of every possibility.

And I know someday that it'll all turn out.  (I do, I really do!)
You'll make me work so we can work to work it out.  (Um...OBVIOUSLY)
And promise you, kid, that I'll give so much more than I get. ( You have no idea)
I just haven't met you yet.


I might have to wait. 
I'll never give up. (No, no I won't!)
I guess it's half timing,    (These two lines completely relate to how I'm feeling)
And the other half's luck.
Wherever you are.
Whenever it's right.   (This is the one I have to keep reminding myself of)
You'll come out of nowhere and into my life.

And I know that we can be so amazing.
And baby your love is gonna change me.
And now I can see every possibility.

They say all's fair.
In love and war.
But I won't need to fight it.
We'll get it right and,
We'll be united.

I just haven't met you yet.
Ohh, promise you, kid, to give so much than I get.

I just haven't met you yet

I just haven't met you yet.....but hopefully soon!

Worst case senario

A few weeks ago we had a FHE lesson on fire safety. We really focused on not hiding, and not being afraid if someone, especially a masked someone, came in to help the kids escape a fire. We wanted the little ones to be as prepared as possible.

Tonight, after prayers, Beckham turned to me and said, "Mom, I need to talk to you about something. What if there was a fire and a stranger came to get me to kidnap me should I still let him help me escape?"

*Blink* *Blink* "Beckham, that would never happen."

"But should I still go with the stranger even though he's going to kidnap me?"

"If anyone comes to rescue you from a fire, you go with them."

"But then I'll be kidnapped!"

"But you won't be burnt to a crisp and we'd be able to save you later."

"But, kidnapping!"

"Beckham, let the stranger save you."

That kid has WAY too much time to think.

Building

I've noticed my anxiety slowly building all day.

Market is coming closer and there is still SO much to be done and learned.

It feel like when I was in college and finals where just around the corner.

If I sleep for any amount of time in the next 30 days (That's IT, people. Only 30 more days until Market) it will be a miracle.

Refreshing

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law recently moved back to the state. They closed on their house last week. The house, however, needed a good cleaning before moving into.

I have had a few opportunities to help, either by cleaning or watching kids so that others could clean. It's a BIG job to clean a whole house top to bottom.

Tonight I was able to go clean again.

What has been so refreshing is Lyndi not shying away from offers of help. So often, in our LDS culture we are taught to be self sufficient. Which is a wonderful thing and something to strive for. But I also feel that accepting help shows a strong character as well. Saying yes to help is SOOOO hard, but it can bless not only your life, but the life of the one offering.

Thank you, Lyndi! Thank you for helping me be the person I needed to be today. 

A high compliment

Driving to my dad's tonight for dinner Beckham said, " Dad, when I grow up I want the same job as you."

"Ok. You want to go to different places all the time?"

"Yes, because then I will get to go to the same places you do. AND I will get to see you ALL the time!"

It warms my heart how much the kids love their dad.

I sure picked a good one!

Last time I checked

I was giving the two little guys a bath tonight when Tennyson expressed his desire to shampoo his hair all by himself.

"OK," I instructed, "lay down and get your hair wet."

He looked at me, paused, and then in a totally serious voice asked, "In the water?"

I sincerely hope so.

Cousins

The last two days have been filled to the brim with cousins! Oh how we love cousins around here.

Yesterday, I got to hang out with Chrissy and Catherine. It was kind of a we-need-to-hurry-and-hang-out-before-Catherine-has-her-baby-and-she-is-then-consumed-with-sleeping-feeding-and-changing-and-we-won't-be-able-to-hang-out-as-much-for-awhile kind of get together. Catherine looks darling. She is one of those super cute pregnant ladies that you love to just look at because they make it look so good.

We were sad that one of Sarah's kids was sick so they weren't able to join us. Next time for sure.

Today, is my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom!!!! She is such a great grandma and helps us out a LOT! I hope you had the best day and were spoiled!

We also had all of my nieces from Kev's side of the family over. Greg and Lyndi closed on their house yesterday (hooray!) and the house needs a good cleaning before they can move in. To say the kids had fun would be an understatement. It was princesses, restaurant, Tangled, dress-up, and more princesses all day long. They did so good together and got along really, really well.

Kasidy and I were buddies most of the day and I found that I have not yet lost my amazing doing things one-handed skills. Nice!

My house is very lived in and full of love today. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Duty

I totally forgot about having a blog today. My brain is already in bed. Goodnight.

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Tired

I have been soooooooooo tired lately. At first I thought it was because I was staying up too late. So I went to bed earlier for a few days. No change.

We are talking tiiiiiiired. I do fine in the mornings...mostly (come on, I am not a morning person!). Great mid morning. Come 2:30 or 3, I am proping my eyelids open with toothpicks.

I'm wondering now if it's because I'm eating less veggies than I have recently.

Whatever the reason I hope it resolves itself soon. I'm too busy to be this tired.

PS: Tennyson was a rock star again today! Clean underwear all day! WAHOO!

He can be taught!

I am pleased to say that, even with great expanses of time in between bathroom trips, Tennyson kept his underwear clean ALL day. So clean that, if it weren't a totally gross idea, I would feel comfortable putting them back on him tomorrow.

That is CAH-LEAN people!

WAY TO GO TENNYSON!!!!

A little about me

This post was originally going to be about being a prepared dreamer. About doing everything within my power to give myself any chance at success. But as I thought about it and started formulating my sentences I realized, I did not want to hear it tonight. Which means you are probably even more sick of it. Can Market just get here already?

I'm just tired of feeling SO hopeful one day and then going all bi-polar and stressing out that there is more that I could be doing and maybe I haven't done enough...yada, yada, yada.

I'm not saying I'm done with those kinds of posts, but tonight, they just feel anti-productive and I am in no mood to be brought down.

So tonight, I swiped something from my cousin's blog. Enjoy

Making : A third colorway
Cooking : ideas
Drinking : water
Reading: Pride and Prejudice
Wanting: a contract
Looking: forward to Market
Playing: basket ball with Tennyson and Sanders
Wasting: time worrying
Sewing:  a nursing cover
Wishing: I could see into the future
Enjoying: having an unforeseen future
Waiting: for a design to load
Liking: the patience I had today
Wondering:  if all my children will ever be fully potty trained
Loving: that I have the option of dreaming big
Hoping: I can get everything done in time
Marveling: How Tennyson managed to get poop on the floor of four rooms (Don't ask. I'm trying to forget)
Needing: some faith that thing will turn out in the best way...not matter what that way is
Smelling: nothing.....thank goodness it's NOT poop
Wearing: black lounge pants
Following: my gut
Noticing: That Sanders is growing up fast
Knowing: my kids are wonderful
Thinking: I need to remember that I know that more often
Bookmarking: family home evening ideas
Opening: my heart
Giggling: that Tennyson got poop in four rooms today....it's funny now. You should have seen him try and clean it up....priceless. Disgusting, but priceless.
Feeling: drained.....you shouldn't be surprised. I cleaned up poop in FOUR rooms today

Obsessed

We ave new phones. They are wonderful and have really changed how we organize around here. Plus I love that Sanders can watch videos on it while I am shopping.

The other thing they have changed is the kids. They LOVE playing a game called angry birds. And ask all.the.time. if they can use the phone to play it.

Why blog about this you ask?

Oh, no real reason. Other than the fact that I can't think of anything else to blog about and this is something quirky about our evey day lives.

So now you know.

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A little light

We made the decision to stay home to watch conference instead of watching it with family. We did this because the last few conferences have been a struggle and we were trying to give it the best chance for success.

I think it worked. I heard more talks this session then I have I who knows how long.

Hooray for the small miracles!

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Independent

 What does it mean when you walk into the kitchen and see this......

.......and this.......

 .....and this?

It means that you have a TOO independent, HUNGRY three year old.

He even moved the dirty pot that was on the stove (don't judge---housework and I have not been speaking to each other this week) to the sink and then got this nice clean pot from the cupboard by himself. 

Thankfully, I heard the pasta being poured into the pot when I did because he was reaching to turn on the stove just as I turned the corner!!!

No worries. We've had a discussion about the appropriate age you need to be before you can turn on the stove yourself AND about quantity vs how many mouths you are going to feed. Just because we HAVE four boxes of Mac n' cheese does not mean we need to make all four boxes at once if only two kids will be eating it.

We also had a talk about how proud I am that he is trying to do things on his own, but maybe let me be there the first time :)

---------------------------------------

Later today Tennyson told me, "Mom, I was saying bathroom words in the bathroom!"

Me: *blink* *blink* "Bathroom words?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Karen says we should only say bathroom words in the bathroom."

"Like what?"

He got a really embarrassed/excited look, you know the one when a kid is just about to say something they know they aren't supposed to say but it's funny to them anyway, and said in a whisper "Poop and pee. Poop. Pee. *giggle* Pee. Poo."

It was too funny!

PS: I was not the winner of the contest I mentioned yesterday. It was a radio contest for a trip to be in London during the royal wedding. I am really not surprised. But a girl has got to have dreams