She's Never Gonna Come, Never, Never, Never!

When my brother was little, my mother found him on the potty one day with his face in his hands shaking his sad little head and saying, "She's never gonna come wipe my hiney. Never, never, never." (Do I have the story right mom?)

This is one of those stories that still comes up sometimes at family get-togethers. Not as popular as my Trying to Be Like Jesus Phase, or Christi's Kicking Down My Bedroom Door Incident but it does come up.

Well, today I can honestly say that I now know how my brother felt that day.

Don't you hate it when you realize you are out of toilet paper AFTER it's too late to go get it yourself?

This morning I found myself sitting on the potty next to an empty roll of toilet paper. Just so this story doesn't majorly gross you out, I will add here that I had only gone #1. Still, I am not one of those people who can just say "Oh, well" and pull up their pants and go. I must be clean.

No problem. I call to my children to come to my aid. Hmmm. No sound of running foot steps. I call again. Joshua comes and I show him how to take the roll off of the toilet paper holder and send him to get the roll from the other bathroom. Off he goes. I can hear him through the wall trying and trying to get the roll. No luck. He comes back saying he can't do it.

No big deal. I tell him to go tell Jack that I need his help. Joshua runs off to his bedroom where Jack and Abby are playing. Minutes go by. I hear the sounds of Joshua playing with toys. He's apparently forgotten all about me.

I try to call again. No luck. I wait a few more minutes because my children are usually coming to find me every 2-3 minutes anyway. (I know that I'm not the only mom that can't even find peace in the bathroom!) About 2 minutes later and still no luck.

They're never gonna come. Never, never, never.

What am I going to do? I look around the bathroom. There has to be something. The shower? Hmmm. Well, I haven't had one of those yet today so now is as good a time as any. When I get in, who comes knocking at my door? Jack!

I'm Not a Morning Person

I used to be one of those people that was both a morning and a night person. I would wake up refreshed, keep my energy for the whole day, stay up late and then wake up refreshed again. Now I am neither a morning person or a night person. If I'm going to get something done, it has to be between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

So, this morning I sat down on the couch to start my work at about 9:00 AM. I figured I could get it out of the way and then use my afternoon energy to do some chores. Then I discovered that Daisy had apparently stepped in her own poo this morning and was getting it all over the couch cushion next to me! I tied her up in the kitchen while Joshua (armed with Folex) and I (armed with paper towels) cleaned the poop off of our couch.

Next I started cleaning the poop off of Daisy's back paw which she did not appreciate at all. She didn't like me cleaning between her toes but it needed to be done. As I was doing this, Ethan apparently dropped the syrup bottle on the floor and it broke open. Somehow Ethan got a big pile of syrup on the kitchen floor whether by accident or on purpose, I'll never know. Then he decided this was a good time to have a little snack and I found him sticking his little finger in the syrup pile and licking the syrup off his finger. Yum! Syrup mixed with a little dog hair-- don't knock it until you try it. While cleaning Ethan up I noticed a strong stinky smell that needed to be dealt with right away. One diaper and three wipes later he was smelling fresh again.

So, now I once again sit down on the couch to start my work (and blog a little) at 10:15 AM. My couch is about 20% clean, my kitchen floor is about 3% clean, Daisy is 25% clean, and Ethan's bottom is 100% clean. It's a start!

Joshua's Fourth Birthday!

Okay, time to do a little catching up here. I want to have this blog made into a book so I need to make sure I have included certain special occasions. Special occasions like Joshua's fourth birthday! Hooray!

Joshua requested a Texas Fudge Cake for his birthday. Lucky me! It's cheap, easy and delicious!


Joshua wanted a bowling set for his birthday.

So, that's what he got of course! It's fun to set up the pins at the end of the hallway and bowl down the hall. The hard part is keeping Ethan out of the way.

And yes, this is the best picture I have of Joshua and his bowling set. But you know, sometimes when you are just so VERY happy, your big smile pushes your eyes closed.

I love you Joshua! You are so very easy to love.

Yoga with a Twist

Here is another item to add to my "Things I'm Grateful For" list. When my back is aching, this Yoga video keeps me from being a cripple. These days my lower back has been hurting so much that I have to do Yoga first if I plan to get any chores done. What a difference it makes!

What's the twist you ask? Yoga with a one year old and a three year old! Joshua often asks me, "Want to do yogo?" Here's how it works:

1. While doing any standing position with your legs spread out, have your little ones crawl back and forth between your legs. Beware: They might accidentally bump into you.

2. Let your little ones play with your yogo bricks when you are not using them. When you need them, just ask your little ones to bring your bricks back and maybe they will.

3. Be sure to share your yoga mat. Adjust your poses accordingly.

4. When you are preparing for locust pose, don't worry about lifting up your head. Your little ones will do that for you by pulling on your hair to lift your head.

5. When you are using your brick, let your little ones try to knock the brick out from under your hands. This is a fun game for them and will count as quality time with your children.

Well, there you have it! I hope you try out Yoga with a Twist! Let me know how it goes!

Dirty Laundry

Yay! All of my laundry is clean, folded and put away! Oh, wait... well, it WAS all caught up... until my children got dressed. Now they are wearing my next load of laundry. Oh wait... there are dirty towels hanging in the bathroom from last night's baths/showers. I guess I am two loads behind. Oh no! I just noticed that Abby has something yucky on her bed sheet that looks like a smashed bug. Ewwww! Make that three loads behind!

Well, I guess I better go get started on the laundry again... AFTER I check my friends' blogs for updates. I have to fill my bucket first, right?

Election Day!

Susan B. Anthony

I took all four of my children with me to vote today. I waited until around 3:00 PM hoping to miss the crowd and yay! we walked right through. Perfect timing or another blessing from heaven? I took the opportunity to praise my children for their good behavior (catch them when I can) and explain to them the importance of voting.

I am so grateful to live in a country where I have the right to vote. I'm grateful for Susan B. Anthony and how hard she worked for women's right to vote only to die before seeing the 19th Amendment to the constitution ratified in 1920 allowing women to vote.


I voted today and I hope you did too!

Happy Halloween!

For the last couple of years, Jack and Abby have designed their own jack o'lanterns. They draw what they want on paper and my talented husband John carves them. I imagine we'll have to buy four pumpkins next year. Aren't they cute?

I didn't get to take many pictures of my children dressed up this year but I will try to post some later.

A Touching Story

I've been following a heart-wrenching but inspiring story that another blogger introduced me to. It is about a couple (Stephanie and Christian) who were severely burned after their small plane crashed. A new article that just came out was particularly touching so I thought I would share it with you here . Her sister Courtney posts updates on her blog and Stephanie's blog is just a joy to read-- you will get hooked to! WARNING: If you read the article, you will need tissues.

I think about Stephanie and her children everyday and I pray for her to continue to improve so that she can be reunited with her family.

Hide and Seek

I sat down on my bed after picking the children up from school and thought about how tired I was. So, I said to myself, "You should listen to your body and just lay down for a minute."

Those who really know me know that I do not take naps. I wake up from naps feeling absolutely horrible-- tired, grumpy, nauseous and like I have the flu. My children's doctor asked me when Joshua was born if I was taking naps while Joshua slept and was surprised that I never take naps. I told her how I feel when I wake up and she said, "You know what that means don't you?" I didn't. She said, "It means that you are very sleep deprived." Who knew?

I have been sleep deprived for years even when I'm sleeping 8-9 hours a night due to lack of restorative sleep that my doctor is now trying to remedy, but I never knew that's why I can't take naps.

Anyway, Joshua came in my room looking for me a minute or so after I laid down. I couldn't see him because I was laying on my side facing the other way but I heard him go right past me to my bathroom door and then head back out of my room. I thought, "Wow. He's going to let me rest."

Then I hear, "He's (Translation: She's) got to be here somewhere." Enjoying this little game, I of course remained still. Ethan found me about 30 seconds later followed by Joshua and well, so much for my rest but I did have a laugh and for some reason, laughing seems to have restorative powers too!

Go Figure!

Jack on our back hill in 2004

Getting my children up for school is no easy task. When they say, "Just a few more minutes Mom", I feel for them. I too, have trouble dragging myself out of bed. I don't like to nag them, pull off their covers, turn on their lights or get frustrated with them. I don't like to but I sometimes do.

Today is a Professional Development Day for their teachers so my children got to stay home. Hoping to be able to sleep in this morning and planning ahead, I let them all stay up an hour past their normal bedtime last night. In theory, they should sleep in an hour or so more in the morning, right? WRONG!

My children were all up by 6:30 AM! This is a half hour earlier than I normally wake them up for school! How can this be? I don't think they have gotten themselves up for school this entire school year so far!

Now here's the good news:

Jack made me breakfast this morning and came to tell me at about 6:30 AM. I expressed my appreciation for his thoughtfulness and then told him that I would really like to sleep a little longer. Could he feed my bowl of oatmeal to Ethan instead?

Jack willingly agreed. In fact, he took care of Ethan and Joshua until 8:00 AM when Ethan decided he really wanted me and I told Jack it was okay to let him in my room. I put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (the only show Ethan watches) on in my room and slept on and off for another hour while Ethan climbed on me, throwed pillows at me and then started asking for a drink.

I finally dragged my lazy bones out of bed and expressed my sincere appreciation to Jack, my nine year old son who let me sleep. What a sweet boy!

Pumpkin Cookies

Okay, so maybe Pumpkin Shaped Cookies is a more accurate description.

My creative and clever husband John made the children a stencil for a Jack o'Lantern face. Isn't it cute?

Here is a picture of Joshua looking at his cookie. He hadn't eaten any of his dinner and I told him he had to eat a few bites before he could have a cookie. When the cookies were ready, I pulled his dinner back out of the fridge. Even seeing and smelling the yummy cookie wasn't temptation enough to eat any meatloaf, mashed potatoes or green beans.

While rolling out the dough, I ate too many little bites and feel a bit ill. Oops.

When They Grow Up, You'll Miss...

Women are often heard saying, "When they grow up, you'll miss fill in the blank." Some women say this for everything. I'm sorry but there are SOME things I WON'T miss!

Here are some things I won't miss:

1. Having food thrown at me and all over my kitchen floor.

2. Having my glasses pulled off of my face unexpectedly. OUCH!

3. Having to buckle and unbuckle carseats. It will be nice when I can just hop in and go!

4. Washing bottles.

5. Seemingly endless potty-training.

6. Finding spit up and snot on various objects.

7. Having something I love destroyed by a little one's hands.

8. Wearing dirty clothes 90% of the time. The other 10% being time I am away from my children.

Here are some things I will definitely miss:

1. Seeing little ones in pajamas with feet. So cute!

2. Slobbery baby kisses. (I feel that it is important to add here that I DO NOT like slobbery kisses from anyone but John and babies! So, if you were thinking about giving me one-- please don't.)

3. Snuggling with a little one.

4. Seeing the little ones faces light up when they see me come home.

5. Baby talk.

6. Having the occasional overnight guest in my queen sized bed. *Snuggle*

7. Nursing.

8. Being able to spend so much time with my children.

And lastly, here are some things I hope my children will always provide me with no matter their ages:

1. Laughter.

2. Hugs and Kisses.

3. Seeing my children excited about something new they have learned.

4. Hearing my children share gospel truths.

5. Having my children share their creativity with me. (Artwork, stories, songs, etc.)

6. Having fun playing games with my children.

I love being a mother!

My YouTube Junkie

Last week I introduced Joshua to YouTube Disney Halloween cartoons. Now he keeps asking to watch videos on John's laptop and he even navigates YouTube by himself with supervision. (I do NOT consider YouTube to be a safe website for children to freely browse!) This is one of his favorites. It is the Silly Symphony Skeleton Dance. Your children might enjoy it too. But, BEWARE, they might become YouTube Junkies too! Consider yourselves forewarned!

Home For The Holidays

For me, Christmas is about memories and traditions and being with those you love.

We have gone to Virginia Beach for Christmas for five out of the seven years we've lived in Stanardsville. We love going down there and being with our families, having Sauerbraten and acting out the story of Jesus's birth on Christmas Eve with the Niepraschks, having Christmas morning pictures with the Monteiths, giving and receiving gifts, playing games, making and eating the holiday treats we have enjoyed since we can remember, and if we are lucky, catching the fourth Advent with the Niepraschks. We LOVE it!

Many Niepraschks have moved away from Virginia Beach. This year there will be only 4-8 Niepraschks for Christmas Eve instead of 60 plus. There will be less people to play games with and probably no Advents. I guess it will never be the *same*. I loved having predictable traditions with my extended family and I am sure my siblings and cousins will miss them too.

I've been thinking over the years about this and I have decided that we need to stay home for Christmas at least two years out of every three. I want to create holiday memories and traditions with my own family. I believe it is important for families to have traditions for the children to look forward to every year and my children already have many. (Right now they can't wait to make pumpkin shaped sugar cookies to decorate!) Also, I want them to want to come visit me (once every few years) for the holidays when they are grown with families of their own. I plan to go visit them for the holidays too. For me, Christmas is about family.

It doesn't matter where you are for the holidays as long as you are with the ones you love-- creating memories that won't easily be forgotten.

Just for fun here are some pictures of my early Christmases:





Here is a picure of John's second Christmas. Adorable! Don't you think?

Here is a Monteith family Christmas morning picture. They take pictures on the couch every Christmas morning BEFORE opening their presents.

Has this ever happened to you?

Have you ever made a highly rated 5-star recipe from a site such as allrecipes (my personal favorite) just to find it so disgusting that you feel bad for wasting ingredients on it? I have.


Have you ever had a friend give you a recipe that she absolutely loves and "you just have to try it" only to find it not so tasty and you hope she doesn't ask you whether or not you liked it? I haven't but I know some people who have had this experience.


When you offer to bring a meal over to a new mother and her family, do you worry that they will not like it? I do.


Have you ever been the recipient of such a meal just to discover that your family found it inedible and your husband had to make dinner anyway? I have.

No wonder it is so difficult and sometimes stressful to decide what to make for dinner when you have company coming! You could love it while they hate it!


Want to try a good recipe? Try the Toasted Garlic Bread recipe from allrecipes. Watch them though because they brown very quickly. Oh, and if you don't like them... just keep it to yourself.

Abby's Art

"Flowers in a Vase"

I love the art that Abby creates for me to hang on my refrigerator! This is one of my favorites!

If you haven't visited her art gallery recently, you should check it out at http://abbysartgallery.blogspot.com/ .

Oh Ladybugs, Why Must You Torment Me?

Ladybug Legend:

If you find a ladybug in your house, count the number of spots and that is how many dollars you will soon receive.

If this were true, I would be a millionaire by now! I'm not even exaggerating!

Today is the first day of the Fall 2008 ladybug infestation.

Here is a clip looking out my front porch window:

They get much worse than this and I will try to update with a video of the swarming on a REALLY bad day.

Here they are IN my house:


This is what I have to do to my fireplace to keep the number of ladybugs in my living room each Fall down to a few hundred instead of closer to a thousand. Attractive, huh?

Don’t even ask me about my basement! It is frightening down there during an infestation and I don’t even want to think about all of the vacuuming and the sneezing and coughing I’ll be doing thanks to an apparent ladybug allergy. Don’t tell ME no one is allergic to ladybugs!

As I went down the front steps to go pick up Jack and Abby from school, I had Ethan in my arms and I was holding Joshua's hand because he does not like to step on ladybugs and I have to gently pull him down the steps. On the way down, the ladybugs decided to land on me-- my glasses, my nose, my arm, my clothes. I tried to stay calm for Joshua's sake. When I got to the van, we all jumped in the same side door and I quickly closed it behind us. I checked us all out and it seemed that we were now ladybug free (or so I thought) which is unusual after such a trip. As I was driving, a ladybug landed on my neck and freaked me out. When I swiped it off my neck, it pinched/bit me and released some yellow smelly reflex blood onto my neck and hand. Eeewww! I tried to take a picture of the red, slightly raised patch on my neck but it didn’t show up very well in the picture.

Don’t tell me they are cute. Don’t tell me they are beneficial. I LIVE with them. They are disgusting, smelly bugs that leave yellow blood stains on my curtains, walls and windows! Eeewww! I just can’t say it enough… Eeewww!

So, the number one reason that I want to move out of this house and this whole county is not my overgrown yard, having to drive my children to school because the bus doesn’t come here, or the 35 minute trip to church. No, the number one reason I want to move is the LADYBUGS! Eeewww!

Dunkin' Donuts Surprise!

Daddy surprised us with a dozen Dunkin' Donuts last Saturday. Thank you Daddy! The Dunkin' Donuts store just opened and we do not have a Krispy Kreme around here. Ethan LOVED the donuts as you can see. I think the fillings and frostings were a bit off so if you are thinking about getting a dozen, you should wait a couple of weeks for them to perfect their donuts. In the meantime, check out the Angel Cake Bakery next to the Ruckersville Food Lion. They have the best donuts for about the same price.

My Beautiful Daughter!

On October 7th my beautiful daughter Abby turned seven! I feel so blessed to have her. She is my one and only daughter. The only one I will get to go wedding dress shopping with. (Which may actually be a blessing.) I love you Abby!

Abby on the day she was born:

Abby on her blessing day:
Abby was my happiest baby. She smiled and laughed a lot!
Abby's first Easter:
Abby's Second Easter:

Thank you Heavenly Father for letting me experience the joys of having a daughter of my own! She is so precious to me!

Looking Out My Window

Dear Window,

Thank you for letting me see through you. I love to watch for my daddy to come home so I can wave and wave and wave to him. Good Girl Da loves to watch with me. She likes to communicate with her friends across the lake while we look out of the window. If she talks too much, Mommy sends her outside and I look out of the window by myself and wonder what she is saying in her own funny language.

When Daddy pulls up in his trusty car with over 180,o00 miles on it, I giggle and giggle while calling out, "Da-da! Da-da!" in my loudest voice. Mommy doesn't shoo me outside though. She smiles and comes to the window to wave to Daddy too. She looks so happy to see him!

Thank you Window for bringing us joy!

Love,

Ethan

Carter Mountain Orchard

Joshua, Ethan and I went to Carter Mountain last month for a field trip organized for preschool mothers in the ward. We had a great time! We went on a wagon ride, enjoyed delicious apple donuts and apple peach cider, and picked apples right off of the trees! I had to lift Joshua above my head for him to reach the apples so my T-shirt got all muddy and I had to stop at the grocery store with mud on my chest. I figured, "Oh well, they'll know I'm a mother."


And we came home with two whole bags of Golden Delicious apples. Yummy! Fresh apples really do taste best! We even made some apple fritters one Sunday morning.

What do you do with a BA in English?

Lexis Nexis has been laying off people for a while now and John's small department just had "the meeting" yesterday. By March they have to lay off 6 of the 20 people in their department. Three of them have to be people with John's job title of which there are only 6 and John is the newest hired. So, it doesn't look good.

I've been thinking, "What do you do with a BA in English?" So, naturally I thought of Avenue Q. I couldn't find one good video of the whole song so here are the two parts:

This song reminds me that we all have struggles. And usually, when I think about the people I know and their trials, I would rather have my own. This too shall pass. : )

I'm Here!

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. The children are back in school and I am taking a graduate level class. I have been so busy! I am so far behind in my reading that I need to read 250 pages before 2:30 PM tomorrow!

I have a bunch of pictures I want to post but I will have to do it after I finish my reading. For now, I would like to share this picture with you:

You are probably wondering what it is. This is one of those cool Febreze NOTICEables air fresheners. I got it for $1 by combining a coupon with a sale! I enjoy the lovely smell it creates in my home. So, why is it in a bag you ask?

Apparently, my dear husband does not appreciate the lovely fragrance like I do. This is the way I found my air freshener the other day-- unplugged and in a bag.

I've Been Tagged!

Emily tagged me on her blog so here are my answers and the rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four other people. I am going to tag Sarah, Robin, Kristin and Tori. Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen

2. Your significant other? Best

3. Your hair? Wild

4. Your mother? Busy

5. Your father? Turning 60!

6. Your favorite thing? Games

7. Your dream last night? Crazy

8. Your favorite drink? Water

9. Your dream/goal? Savings

10. The room you’re in? Family Room

11. Your hobby? Blogs

12. Your fear? House fire

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Better

14. What you’re not? Energetic

15. Muffins? Banana

16. One of your wish list items? Water Softener

17. Where you grew up? Virginia

18. The last thing you did? Music

19. What are you wearing? T-Shirt

20. Favorite gadget? Cameras

21. Your pets? Beagle

22. Your computer? Wonderful!

23. Your mood? Stressed

24. Missing someone? Lots

25. Your car? Thankful

26. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

27. Favorite store? Amazon

28. Like someone? Yes

29. Your favorite color? Purple

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Unsure

My First Coach Bag!

My friend, Alyssa, purchased a Coach diaper bag when her son was born. It was so cute that I wanted to get one too! Unfortunately, my budget said, "No!"


It has been almost two years but the Universe has finally seen fit to bring me my first Coach bag!


I decided Jack could model it for me since he is a male model.

Check it out!

First Day of School

Well, Jack and Abby are off to school for another great year! They both love school. I must say, I love having my children home for the summer but the quiet I enjoyed today in my home was quite nice.

Abby started First Grade today so she received her Schultuete! Being able to continue our German traditions is so much fun! John created this cone for Abby. Isn't he awesome?

Jack just started Fourth Grade!
Joshua... well... he could be starting preschool in October if only he would decide to be potty-trained!

Ethan just likes to wear the extra cone we made on his head and walk around the room! I have had trouble catching him on camera though but I hope to get a better shot or even a video to share with you soon!