He Knows Me

Yesterday was just one of those days that I felt completely buried. Overwhelmed. But it is today and I went to kickboxing this morning and that got some frustration out. Thank goodness. When I got home I climbed in the shower and kept expecting to hear Kendal wake up. She didn't. I sewed, started laundry, cooked me some eggs, actually sat down while I ate my breakfast, and sewed some more. I know God truly loves me and is aware of my needs because He caused a deep sleep to fall upon my children. They both slept until 9:30!! I went in a few times to make sure they were breathing. Kendal is a 6:45 am average girl, Kelsey on the other hand, does the 9:30 thing once a week if I let her. The morning went spectacular.

I got to go to Kelsey's classroom and help my neighbor Debbie, the extension agent, make bread with Kindergarteners. That was a good time! I realized how LOUD Kelsey is! We always have to tell her to be quiet when we are at either of the grandma's houses, but I just figured she was loud because there were so many kids around to compete with! Well, the case is true in school too!

Here she is WHISPERING!

After school, we did Kendal's home speech therapy. She has to blow on different kinds of whistles one right after the other really quickly. This helps her mouth change shape fast, so hopefully we will start to understand her! She is getting so good at the routine. Twice through and she puts them back in the bag. Kelsey was happy she got to blow today. I haven't let her blow yet because I didn't want Kendal to get her runny nose.

Notice Kendal's overalls, I am not letting her get to that diaper!

I have been thinking about experimenting a little with body piercing since my staple incident the other day. It really didn't hurt that bad and I could make one heck of a fashion statement. What do you think, the self contained corset like the above picture or the very macho looking shoulder blade line below?

Calgon, Take me Away

It has been one of those days. If my mom lived within any reasonable distance, she would have received a 2 year old package today on her front porch. I love her, very much, but the poop thing is really getting to me!! I will spare you all the details, but just know that I still love her, I wanted to beat her to within an inch of her life today, but I refrained and I still love her. How could I not?

Yesterday at approximately 3:12 pm a few nice sharp shards of glass cut through my new pants and entered my knee. I am not going to tell you all how that happened because it is a tad bit embarrasing. Anyway, I think I cut a vein or a little capillary or something because I bled and bled, and I could see a little light colored piece of tissue. My sock soaked up a whole lotta blood, as did my NEW pants!! I cleaned it up and asked Matt if he would put a stitch in it, he said no way. So a few hours later, more blood soaked pants, and having it split open 3 more times, I had him talked into it. Well, kinda. He said he would staple it, not stitch it.
He had me alcohol it and while I was doing so, he informed it was gonna hurt like crazy and I was gonna cry like a baby. The alcohol hurt like crazy and the staples didn't hurt too much at all. I surely didn't cry like a baby like he expected. He put in 2 staples yesterday and today they are looking a whole lot better than this picture. I knelt down a few times today that made me bleed pretty good so I had to be careful, but other than that, I think all is well.

Glen and mom, look at those awesome green Forest Service socks!

Last night our stake had a wonderful Enrichment Meeting about families. We listened to talks on strengthening marriages, budgets and family counsels, and how to teach your children. Wow, it truly was great meeting. I could type a few pages of the ideas and thoughts that hit me hard and deep, but once again, I will refrain. I took some notes and I plan on looking at them every now and then. It was a super meeting.

After the meeting, a few of us went out for birthday desserts. We all had various cobblers and it was wonderful. Thanks for a good time Vicki, Jen, Heather, Wendy, Sally, Amanda, and Janet. The conversation was good and so was the yummy cobbler!

The day is looking better. The girls are in bed, I just consumed some chocolate that was delivered by an angel along with some flowers, and I think I am getting in the tub for a little R and R. Calgon, here I come!

Same stuff, different day

Sunday morning I was awakened by the words "no no"coming from the girls' bedroom. Matt and Kelsey had a little sleep out in the living room so Kendal was the only one in there. I figured if she were telling herself "no no", I better go see what she wasn't supposed to be doing. I walked into her room and got a whiff of the smell.
She had pooped, taken off her diaper, and then put her pajama bottoms back on. She had put both legs in one leg hole and couldn't figure out why she couldn't walk. Well, the contents of the diaper ended up all over the lower portion of her body and on the bedspread. I figured that wasn't too bad considering! I cleaned her up and since it was 7:00 I figured it was time for a shower anyway. We both got showered, dressed, hair done, and then went and woke up Kelsey and Dad in the living room. Matt said "You guys have been in the tub already?" I said "Yes, and started a load of laundry already too!"

Sunday afternoon Kelsey and I made sugar cookies. I have never been too good at sugar cookies, but these ones turned out okay. Kelsey thought it was great.
I saw the New Era today, an LDS magazine for teenagers, and thought "Porter stole my jersey!" Okay, so not really, I didn't play baseball, but I was #20 in basketball AND my jersey was purple AND it said WAYNE.
Porter Ellett, a kid from where I grew up, was featured in the New Era this month. He is a super kid and my mom had told me they were doing an article on him in the New Era. I am going to go read it right now. There are some great pictures of him in there that shows how he catches and then throws a baseball with only one arm. I haven't seen him play baseball, but everyone says it is amazing. I have seen him play basketball though, and he is a great player. I am not sure, but you might be able to find a link at www.lds.org.

Kendal acted just like the Energizer Bunny

Saturday my friend Jen and I went to Pleasant Grove (we waved in your direction Krista!) to this fun place with 10 or 12 big inflatable slides, mazes, and jumping huts. Matt worked on Saturday, so he met us there. The kids loved it. Matt played with them and chased around until he worked up a sweat.

I left my SD card to my camera in my computer so I only had 12 shots to take on my camera memory. I didn't get Kendal's face in one of them. It was always her backside because she just kept going and going and going.
This one is through the netting of one of the jumping huts. They loved it.

This one here was the hardest one to climb, it was so steep. I tried it and my socks kept slipping off, which made my feet slip off. It was a good thing there were hand straps to hold on to or I wouldn't have made it up! Kendal just climbed and climbed.

It was a super fun afternoon. I had a rough time with taking my shoes off and only wearing my socks. That just creeps me out, let alone with everyone else in Utah County there with their shoes off! We might go back, I have to decide if it is worth the germs. Kendal mysteriously came down with a nasty eye infection in both eyes yesterday and now both of my girls have colds. Kelsey and Kendal have coughed and coughed for the past 2 nights. It might be worth it after winter is gone.

My sweet Prophet of God passed away tonight. President Gordon Bitner Hinckley was a super great man and leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I listened to and read so many of his words of advise, commandment, counsel, scripture, admonishments, heart warming stories, and funny jokes, that I feel like I truly know him, even though I personally don't. I can close my eyes and hear his voice in my head. What an amazing leader he was for the church in these latter days. It is sad for all of us to lose him, but I am so happy for him because he is with his sweet little Marjorie Pay and visiting with other prophets of God, modern day and ancient.

Mothers are Amazing

Kendal is finally understanding, somewhat, what it is that makes her diaper get so wet and uncomfortable. This is a good thing right? I mean acknowledgement is the first step to ANYTHING, including potty training. So why then, must she make such a mess?
Jen was at my house a few days ago and we were talking quilt guild stuff, laying out fabric and figuring things out for an upcoming quilt project. Kelsey and Kendal were just playing in the front room when Kelsey yells "Mom, Kendal is poopy and she is taking off her diaper!" I ran in and found my sweetheart removing a nasty diaper all by herself, along with its contents. I grabbed her hands before she could touch anything, Jen grabbed the camera, and Kelsey just watched and made disgusting remarks. I took her into the bathroom for a clean up job and kept telling her that poop is a 'no touch' and that she needs to tell mom when she is poopy. I figure if she hears it about 900 times a day, it will soon begin to sink in. The clean up didn't take too long, but I know that if Matt were here and alone, he totally would have thrown her out into the 18"of snow, got a hose and sprayed her off while he threw up and yelled 911 at the top of his lungs. Mothers are amazing! Joe, I edited the photos for you, I didn't include the one that showed the diaper contents and for some reason I couldn't attach the aroma onto BLOGGER.com! Actually, I would imagine you are a diaper pro, it is my dad and brother that may throw up.

Church Ball

Last Thursday we sewed our cute little hearts at Enrichment. At 9:00 pm Janis and I left the sewing room and went into the gym for our basketball game. I love church ball, truly I do. Our game went well, I can't even remember who won, I think we did, but it went well and Janis and I had a good time.

This is me and my friend Terri. She was my counselor a few years ago when I was Young Women's President. I love her, but not when she is on the other team! This picture is not out of wack, she really is that tall. I bet she is around 6' 2" or 3" and I had to guard her most of the time!! Needless to say, it was not a good rebounding game for me and I think I only made one shot, if that, and it was from the top of the key!
This is me and Janis again. We just played again this past Thursday and we talked Heather into playing with us. It was a fun game, but those Center Creek Ladies, or should I say Girls, (they all seemed so young!) sure were feisty! Gratefully Matt and I are friends with the feistiest ones, so we were friendly with each other. Otherwise a few of those fouls and steals would have been VERY personal!

We play again this Thursday, it is good for me, my heart, and my lungs. Oh yeah, and my sportsmanship state of mind. Thanks for being my amazing photographer and proving that I can run Jen!

I also hear shaving cream is a great carpet cleaner!

Kendal's occupational therapist came again this afternoon. She had some really fun puzzles that Kendal did really well. I am so proud of her. The therapist also did something I would NEVER do. Yes, it involves a mess.
She put Kendal in her high chair and gave her a few plastic farm animals to play with, along with shaving cream!
Kendal totally loved it. Every time she would ask for more, she would get more shaving cream. She rubbed it all over the tray, her hands, the therapist's hands, her shirt, her arms. I am so proud of her for not eating any or putting it in her hair. She has sensory issues, and this was therapy. I wish I could figure out some therapy for quilting or scrapbooking. The tray of the high chair got clean. Did anyone clean their desks at school with shaving cream? I hear you can't do that anymore.


After the therapist left and Kelsey got home from school, the girls were hungry. I gave them each some goldfish in a cup and look at them! They look like they hadn't eaten in 3 days!
It is so nice to see them getting along and playing nice together. They loved their little snack hideaway this afternoon and Kendal loves to be like her big sister.

I Love my Kelsey

I have been taking a kickboxing class for the past 3 weeks at our local parks and rec center. It is really fun and I have really been enjoying it, I've been sore, but truly loving it. Well, this morning after kickboxing, my lower neck/shoulder blade was sort of hurting. A sore muscle or something, actually, I think I slept crazy. Anyway, I was getting the girls their morning oatmeal ready and I was trying a new trick my friend Wendy posted on her blog. There is an old Polish remedy for sore muscles, you take a flax seed gel tablet, cut it open, rub it on your sore body, cover with a warm cloth, and wha - laa. Better. So I tried it today.

I was scantily clad on the upper part of by body so I could gain access to my sore neck/shoulder blade and so I wouldn't get oil on my shirt. While they were eating, I was rubbing oil on my neck/shoulder blade. Kelsey asked me what I was doing and I told her the whole story. She watched me for a minute or so and then this conversation occurred.

Kelsey: Mom, I don't think it is a sore muscle, I think it is fat.

Me: Oh thanks honey, that makes me feel better. ( I really wanted to give her the we don't say "fat" lecture, but I didn't. She has heard it a few times already.)

Kelsey: Sorry Mom, you know what I mean, that sore spot is just a lump of fat though, not muscle.

Me: (Dirty look) Tell me what you mean. (Thinking, what LUMP??)

Kelsey: (Trying hard to talk fast so I would feel better about being called fat quicker) Well, you know if you were a deer and we shot you and skinned you, well, we wouldn't eat that part of you that is sore.

Me: So do we eat the fat or muscle of a deer?

Kelsey: Muscle, that is why we wouldn't eat that part of you if you were a deer. It would be white, not red when we took your skin off.

I smiled and ended the conversation. So there you all have it, an anatomy lesson, a manners lesson, and a deer skinning lesson, all over brown sugar oatmeal this morning! Actually, lack of manners lesson!

Oh, and she also told me after the mom-is-a-big-fat-nasty-deer-conversation "You know you are not supposed to have that." She was referring to a little blitz of color on my milky white skin, normally well hidden from view.

Me: Well, I got it before President Hinckley told us not to.

Kelsey: Well, does it wash off?

Me: No Goosie, it does not wash off.

Kelsey: Yes it does or else it would be the kind you get poked a 100 times with a needle to get.

Me: (Astonished at her knowledge of the fine art of tattooing) Mom did get poked with a needle a bunch of times, it is stuck there forever, and how do you know about all this?

Kelsey: Bentley told me. He was poking everyone with colored pencils a long time ago in school to make tattoos.

So there you go again folks, if you don't know something, ask a Kindergartner!

SEPs

We had SEPs today at Kelsey's school. That used to be called Parent-Teacher Conference when I was a kid, but you know how we have to change everything! Anyway, I went and got Kelsey out of class and then went to visit Kelsey's teacher. Here is the conversation:
Teacher: Kelsey, how do you like school?
Kelsey: I like it alot.
Teacher: What is your favorite part about school?
Kelsey: Recess and treats.
Teacher: (Chuckle) Is there anything else you like about school?
Kelsey: My friends too.
Teacher: (More chuckling) What about learning. Don't you like to learn songs, numbers, story time, numbers, or anything else?
Kelsey: Oh yeah, I like all that too.

So, my sweet little Kelsey is currently going to school for the same reasons I did. That would be the social life. I went to school to be with my friends, play ball, see my boyfriend, go on ball trips, Prom, and oh yeah, to learn.

A Super Day

My parents don't have nearly as much snow as we do, but there was enough for a little sled ride or two on Saturday. Matt pulled Kelsey and Kendal around on the 4 wheeler. Kendal completely loved it, so did Kelsey.

Poor Kelsey, Kendal would just lay down on her. I am sure Kelsey was using every tummy and back muscle to stay upright because she only weighs about 5 pounds more than Kendal.

Kelsey told her cousins that she "got on an unsafe sled on her belly and had so much fun." Isn't that so funny? An "unsafe sled?" Is there such thing as a safe sled? Especially being pulled behind a 4 wheeler?! It really was just an old sled, the kind with metal runners and a wood body. So funny, how quickly time changes things from wood to plastic everything. Kendal liked riding the 4 wheeler with her dad while they pulled Kelsey.

I had to prove that me turning another year older didn't mean that I couldn't have fun and go on a sled ride. I told Matt to give me a good ride. It was good, but since I am 125 pounds heavier than Kelsey, and there wasn't a whole lotta snow, I did have a hard time by hitting rocks and dirt. If I wasn't right on the hard packed snow, the runners cut through and I had a sled ride on dirt. Not the best ride, but not bad.
Matt got to shoot his new gun he got for Christmas for the first time. He spent alot of time with the bore butter, but he enjoyed playing with his gun and figuring it out.

Tori and Taylor went to my parents also, so when they got there on Saturday we got to do the sledding thing all over again. Kendal and my dad drove while the two older girls screamed. It was great.

Tori and I took the girls for a ride also. I drove and Tori sat on the back with the camera. I was trying to find some good snow, so I went down a certain road. No snow that way, total dirt road. So we had to take a detour through the weedy prickly patch to get back to the snowy road. Tori and I were laughing so hard at hearing the girls squeal and scream.
I am such a horrible driver that I made them wreck twice. Nobody else made them wreck, well, actually, I think Matt tipped Kelsey over once. Anyway, they loved it, we loved it, and it was a super day.

Birthday Wishes Come True

We all went away for the weekend. We headed south to my parents' house. It was a super weekend, which also happened to include my birthday. My mom made a cake, and then Taylor and Kelsey decorated it for me. What a good job they did!
We did a lot of fun things over the weekend. We played in the snow, played on the sled and 4 wheeler, ate good food (thanks mom), played Speed Scrabble, watched High School Musical (even Matt and my dad!), visited a bunch of Kelsey's cousins, and had a super great time. Kendal loves being down there. My dad loves to take her outside and she eats that up.
I received a few fun things for my birthday. I got a cashmere sweater, new boots, yummy smelling Scentsy candles, $$, hugs and kisses, and a ladder. Yep, a ladder. I love it. Can you believe that I wanted a ladder for my birthday and I got one? Matt is so sweet isn't he? I am not being facetious, I am serious. Matt truly got me a ladder and I truly, honestly love it. What is wrong with me?

I also got to see and visit with my sister Tori for my birthday. This is the first time I have seen her since she 'looked' pregnant. Isn't she so cute? She is due on May 1st and I am so excited for her.

Happy birthday also to Wendy, Robert E. Lee, and Dolly Parton!

More Loving Hearts

We sewed again at Enrichment last night. The ladies are doing so well! Quite a few of the ladies got their tops pieced together last night. Hooray!

Amanda's
Ali's
Janis's
Jen's top wrapped around Eva in a nice hug
Sarah's and Kami's

Good job ladies!! Next Thursday will be quilting and binding!