"K" oss

4 Going on at least 14!

2011-03-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

I can't express my love for my little KC man. He recently turned four and he has so much spunk and feistiness in that little body I can't believe it. He is full of energy and he knows what he wants and is relentless. He loves his brothers and I enjoy watching the relationship he shares with each of them. He has a very sweet side to him and he has been nothing but loving to his young brother Eldon. He can be a stinker and will dish out teases and knows how to taunt like noone else. One thing that KC and I share is the fact that we both think we are funny. He will do things and laugh at himself like no other. KC goes to preschool and has a lot of good buddies. He has been going to the gym with me since birth and there is a bunch of boys he has grown up with and they are quite the gang. It is nice to see him build friendships. KC is addicted to video games and if I didn't regulate it he would play them all day long....we are worried! He is so anxious to grow up and I just want to keep him cute and little. He asks everyday if he can play "Black Ops" which is a video game that is rated "M". I tell him that he can't until he is a grown up. He thinks that if he can do things like write his name, tie his shoes, etc. he will prove that he is a grown up. He is a crack up. I am grateful for KC and the role he plays in our family....I am a very lucky Mommy!

Mr. President

2011-02-18T15:04:00.001-08:00

One thing I love about my George is that he is very unique. Today at school they had "Dress As A President". George was trying to convince me to get together a George Washington costume last night at 6:00.......luckily I was able to convince him to be a more recent "George" as in George W. Bush. He was happy to do so and laid out his suit and tie. Look how handsome he is....

When I dropped George off at school I did not see any other kids in costume. Turns out George was the ONLY student that dressed up. The only other person that dressed up was the principal. I asked George if he was upset that he was the only one and he said no with a big smile on his face. When you are the only kid at school in a suit and tie you get some special treatment. He got to go to recess 5 minutes earlier than everyone else, his buddies walked around him and acted as secret service, the girls asked if they could touch his suit and everyone called him Mr. President. I love that George embraces his uniqueness.

Love

2011-02-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

So, this Valentine's Day wasn't the most romantic, but super enjoyable. Monday is always a busy day. I usually teach and have a couple of clients to train. One of my clients cancelled, so it made it a bit less hectic. I had to train at 4:30....I came home around 5:45, fixed the boys a grand dinner of chicken nuggets and heart shaped wiggle waggles (jigglers for those that didn't grow up in my household), fed and bathed Eldon, and then left at 6:15 for my traditional V Day night with Scott. We had a whole 45 minutes to hit my annual Tommy's run. I say annual, but this last year I was pregnant and I snuck an extra couple of them in because I could! It's not like I eat healthy, I defintely indulge often but I am capable of eating healthy. I can manage to order pretty healthy at most fast food chains and if I happen to get a cheeseburger, I usually get kind of sick, but not Tommy's. Tommy's is what I like to call 'power food'.... there isnot one healthy option on that menu! I get the #3, hamburger and chili cheese fries. Oh, it's so good, I don't know if I can wait another year for it. Anyways, we had to rush back home by 7:00 in order to get George to his basketball game that started at 7:30. Got home about 9:00, showered, put the kids to bed (the younger 4), finally cleaned the kitchen, we finally got to sit down by 10 to start The Bachelor. Not only did I get Scott into this season, but James and Curtis too.....I know, before you judge me I am fully aware it's not the most appropriate for young boys....whatever.....I fast forward through the raunchy parts and then tell them that if they ever bring home a girl like that they are dead! Scott rubbed my feet and I figured if I already ate Tommy's I might as well eat the See's Candy my dad bought me. For me it was an ideal Valentine's Day, but then again, I am a little different. Bonus to the day was getting to hang out with this little one.......

I enjoyed the simplicity of this holiday, but not everybody appreciated it. I bought the boys very simple gifts, but at least I got them something. Curtis and James got Valentine's themed boxers. Curtis came home and told me his friend got a box of See's Candy from his mom.....apparently See's Candy is a bit better than boxers.......oh well, there's always next year.

Saturday

2011-02-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

I am basically writing this post so that in 20 years from now 'IF' I have nothing to do on a Saturday I can appreciate it and remember how busy life was. There are a few weeks out of the year when basketball and baseball overlap. That time has come again. Five of the six boys are playing baseball (all on different teams....I had them far enough apart that they will NEVER be in the same divisions) and 3 playing basketball. So, that means 3 basketball practices during the week, usually one night game, minimum of 7 baseball practices during the week, 4 basketball games on Saturday and 5 baseball practices on Saturday. I fell victim to being guilted into being team mom for two of the teams. Nobody volunteered, and I felt bad for two seconds and said I would do it, but I let them know that I would most likely mess things up, and if they set low expectations they would be pleased with my efforts....I also disclosed that I have a bad attitude and won't go to any meetings (I know, I am a total butthead). I didn't think the coaches would accept under those conditions, but they were desperate. Honestly, one of the things I am so afraid of is that I can't remember names....team moms usually know the players names and the names of their parents, it makes me look like a jerk, but I'm not being a snob, I'm just kind of brain dead and I am not very observent.....this can not have a good outcome....wish me luck! Needless to say, I am so very, very tired! I would feel super successful IF my house was clean, but I will be honest and let you know that it looks like a bomb exploded in here! Oh well, maybe in 20 years my house will be clean. At least I got an hour break today to train a client, it is a joy to watch my boys be active, healthy and strong, the weather was beautiful today, I got to just sit and hold Eldon, and I have a valid excuse for not having a clean house!

Updating My Days

2011-02-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

So, I have a 6th kid and have turned into a slacker....NO, I've always been a slacker! I want to keep up a current blog. I have no brain cells left and I want to have something to remind me what I experience on a day to day basis. Last time I wrote it was October, so I will do a quick update........

Halloween was fun, but super exhausting. Getting everyone in their costumes takes a lot of time. James was some sort of zombie, accident victim (had to work in the broken arm with the costume), Curtis was an old man (which turned out fantastic.....he is such a good sport to go along with my ideas), George was the scary scarecrow, Charlie was a werewolf, and Eldon was the cutest little skeleton.
Football season finally came to an end. James missed out on a lot of games due to his arm, so that kind of stunk. George did not LOVE it, and you have to LOVE it to do it. So, George's football career may be a short lived one, and that is fine by me. Curtis on the other hand is obsessed with sports. He seems to know everything about every player, every rule, etc. Just for the record, if I could pick Curtis's career I would have him be a sport's announcer. Curtis had a great season and received the honor of all-league PYFL something or other. Whatever it is, Curtis was picked out of the entire league as the number 1 pick for his position....he was so excited!
Sweet little Eldon was blessed December 5th. He is so fun, and I'm loving EVERY second with him.

I can't stop loving on him!

December was a whirlwind of events....getting Christmas ready was a lot of work, but we managed. I absolutely love this picture of George decorating the Christmas tree. It speaks volumes of what any activity in our house involves......luckily, we didn't have to go to urgent care and he made a smooth landing.
For some stupid reason, Santa thought the boys turn everything into guns anyways, so why not get them all air soft guns? George's expression would be the reason why you shouldn't. They are all crazy. The best part of this picture is my mother in law in the background......I know she was thinking how incredibly dumb we are, but she kept a smile on her face....she never judges our parenting, but even I know you shouldn't arm little boys with weapons....at least weapons that really, really hurt and could actually shoot an eye out!
New Year's Eve was bittersweet for me. I have a feeling it might be the last one that we all get to spend together. James is now 14, and as much as I keep wishing, I'm afraid his desire to hang out with his friends will be stronger than to hang out with his family. He could have gone to the church dance, but he chose to stay home, and we had a great time playing games, eating and hanging out. Little KC wanted to stay up til midnight, but his eyes closed for the night at 11:53pm.

At some point my little 7lb 7oz baby grew......I'm not sure when it happened, but he went from this

to this overnight! How fantastic are those legs! All of the little baby clothes are packed and gone (which was a very, very hard thing for me to do....I get a little teared up just thinking about it :(

Needless to say, Eldon is a healthy, thriving little boy. He sleeps good, he eats good, and he has a very calm nature about him (not sure how long that will last, but he is by far the calmest boy I've had). I love, love, love every roll and fold he's got. My favorite part is the roll that goes over his ankle. Bath-time is a whole procedure pulling rolls apart and getting him clean and I think it's my favorite thing to do for him. He is all smiles.

He is just so yummy. I nibble on him all day long!!!

Basketball season started at the beginning of the year. The three older boys are playing. James was playing basketball at school during lunch and had an encounter with a really hard elbow.....the elbow won and Jamers got 5 stitches on his eye. He seems to always get hurt.

Baseball season is starting again......last season I was newly pregnant with 5 crazy boys and 4 playing. This season I have 5 boys playing and a baby in tow. Just like last season, Scott is the stupid president...yes, I said stupid. It takes up way too much time and I am too lazy to take these kids on by myself, but I'll save more of my complaining for later.

So, like I said, I am going to attempt to keep a current blog going....I plan on noting the good and the bad. I can't stand blogs where everything is picture perfect, so I plan on being pretty straight forward, but I'll keep some of the crazy on the down low....nobody needs to know the whole truth about our dysfunction. I will be bragging every now and then, because I do have pretty cool kids, who are special in their own individual ways.....so if you can stomach it, feel free to follow along!

First Time

2010-10-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

As you know, I am really good with bleeding heads and stitches, but I've always been worried about broken bones....for a couple of reasons. If one of my boys has to wear a cast in summer and prevent us from going to the beach he will be grounded, and #2 I have always imagined a bone popping out of the skin and having to rush to the ER. Luckily, neither of my 2 concerns happened with the event of our first broken bone. It is hard to imagine that it took us almost 14 years for one of the boys to break something! Poor James broke his hand over 2 weeks ago and I have had zero compassion for him....up until now. James was at practice and when he tackled someone he must have crammed his knuckle real hard against someone or something, because the center of his hand (under his middle finger) just snapped. I thought his hand was swollen from actual swelling, turns out it was part of the bone sticking up. (Have I told you what an amazing Mother I am?) Just so you don't think I'm too horrible, I did have James go to the urgent care. Scott had the choice of staying home with the 5 kids, feeding them and putting them to bed or to take him. Not a surprise that Scott took him. When the doctor pressed on James's hand he didn't complain so she didn't even do an xray (I should have taken him), so we didn't think it was broken. Meanwhile, James went 2 more weeks, did practice, played 2 games, threw the ball and everything. He did complain a bit about the pain, but not too much. The funny part was watching him play.....he dangled that hand like a limp noodle....I made fun of him, my sister and brother made fun of him, and a few unnamed people were laughing with us.....it was pretty hysterical to watch. He didn't exactly have his best games. Normally I don't criticize his playing, because who's kidding, I don't really know what's right or wrong, but I could tell that he wasn't playing great. He tackled like he had no arms and he got super irritated with me for bringing that up. Turns out he had a really good excuse! I took him to the doctor yesterday, he took xrays and James is validated. He got his cast on today. When I asked him if I could sign it he said, "Um, I think I'm going to have my team sign it." That is when I said, "Good, I'll make sure I sign it first then!" I don't know how he went over 2 weeks with a broken hand. He must have gotten his pain tolerance from his father, because I am the biggest whimp. When I was in the hospital with Eldon the nurses always asked what my acceptable level of pain is from 1-10. I told them 1. I didn't think that was weird. Why would you want to feel pain if you don't have to? One nurse came in and asked if I had really said 1 or if it was a typo. I told her it was right and she started laughing. I said, "Why is that funny? She said noone ever says 1, and if it's in the charts it is usually a mistake. What is wrong with everyone? I still don't get why people want to experience pain. Anyways, back to James.....he can't write, play guitar, play football, and to his complete devastation play X-Box!!! He still can hold the baby though :) He is bummed about not playing football, but he might be able to play in the play offs. My poor little baby!

I Have A Six Pack!

2010-10-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

The other day George asked me how many kids I wanted when I was a little girl. I told him 6. He did not believe me and thought I was just saying that because I have 6. He actually called my childhood friend and asked her. She of course answered "6". Scott always says I have to get my way, this time he was right. On August 31st I got something that I always wanted.....6 kids. My due date was not until September 17th. When people asked when I was due I would say, "mid September, but I am shooting for late August, early September." Everyone thought I was nuts, but I believe if you set a goal you can accomplish it.......goal achieved! We really weren't ready for the baby to come quite that early. I was planning on going to Babies R Us that Wednesday to pick up all of the last minute stuff that I needed.....I didn't even have an outfit to bring him home in. Monday the 30th was supposed to be a fun, relaxing day. I had a lunch planned with good friends and family and then had a doctor's appointment for myself and for George since George was home with a fever. Here is a picture of me taken at lunch......

Scott went to my appointment with me and kind of made my midwife strip me. She didn't really want to, because she wasn't going to be at the hospital until the end of the week, but it was

going to be a light work load for Scott that week, so he kept bugging her until she did. I left the doctor's office at 5:00. By the time I got home my contractions were starting to get stronger. I decided I should get my bag packed for the hospital. I told Scott I thought we should get going to the hospital, and he was hilarious. He was freaking out....it was like we had never done this before! He was calling people to come over and watch the kids.....he ended up having both Pam and Jani come over. I felt bad both of them came, but they were both so sweet willing to help. We ended up at the hospital around 7:00 and they admitted me. All I want

ed was the epidural. The contractions were hurting, but I got that glorious epidural so I didn't have to experience much discomfort.....and it was a GOOD epidural! We had quite a group at the hospital......

I know most people don't enjoy a crowded delivery room, but I've had one of the boys without anyone but Scott there and I was sad that we weren't surrounded by loved ones. James wanted to come, and I thought he was mature enough to experience it, but I made sure he wasn't exposed to anything that would make him unable to ever look me in the eyes again. He was in the room for the birth, but didn't see it until everything was cleaned up. Scott, my parents, my sister, my brother, my mother in law, my niece and James were there for the delivery. Two of my sister in laws stopped by earlier. The nurse had to ask for everyone to calm down around midnight.....we are a bit obnoxious.

I normally dilate from a 5 to a 10 very quickly, but this time was different. I actually felt bad for everyone that it was taking so long! They even gave me pitocin around 11:00 to try to get me further along. I was only to a 6. Finally a little after 2 am it was time. I think I pushed twice. My bag broke earlier, but there was still what they called a 'bubble'. Once that bubble popped he kind of flew out. It was the easiest delivery ever. It is such a wonderful experience to share with people that mean so much to me and who were so excited to be there for his entrance into this world.

The cord was wrapped around his neck, but luckily there were no complications. His blonde hair was evident right away and it was so fun to try to figure out who he looked like. He weighed 7 lb 7.8 oz......all of my babies have ranged from 7lb 3 oz to 7 lb 11 oz....I'm very lucky!

Scott cut the cord and James was able to cut the rest of it. I think he was a little nervous, but happy to do it

When he was born he let out his newborn cries, but as he layed on my chest he was very calm and sweet. It was definitely love at first sight.

The boys were very excited to come visit at the hospital.......it was insane when they dropped by. I was completely exhausted by them and asked for an extra day's stay at the hospital. It was great. I actually appreciated the hospital food! I didn't have to make it or clean it up....it was amazing.

Before I came home we got George's test results from his Monday appt. Turns out he had strep and mono.....I was freaking out. After having two babies suffer from RSV I am a complete FREAK about germs and exposing my babies to ANYTHING. Poor George had to keep distance from the baby and couldn't even hold him for a couple of weeks. I took this picture of George admiring him from afar.....so sad.....

It took us two days to name this little person. We finally decided on Eldon James. Eldon was one of my grandmother's brothers. My grandmother has the neatest family, and I was so happy to name another one of my boys after an admirable man. His middle name is a tribute to his older brother, plus I love that name! I am so thrilled to have this sweet, little baby, and I am cherishing every moment with him. So grateful to have my 6 boys!

A big thank you to everyone who dropped off goodies, meals and gifts. Everyone is so giving and charitable. Our family truly appreciated all of it!

2010-10-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

I have a lot to catch up on! I thought I'd start with a quick recap of the summer......

Beach! Thank goodness we live close enough to the beach to enjoy it. I love it, the boys love it, my sister loves it, my mom loves it, my friends love it and we all love going! The beach didn't really get great until August, so we made sure we got our summer's worth. I did not let my ginormousness stop me. My belly button was disgusting and completely grossed out my sister. Therefore, I made sure to wear my two piece. After I delivered the baby a nurse that examined me said, "Oh my gosh you actually wore a bikini!" Whatever! It is amazing how much sun your stomach gets when it sticks out so much. After delivery it was black. Anyways, I was so glad my boys didn't act embarassed, and they actually liked going in the water with me...thank goodness!
My cute Charlie turned 6 this summer. It is so fun to watch the joy exude out of a little boy because of a few gifts and extra attention. He is a fun kid, and I'm so glad he's mine!
Havasu.....we got a chance to get to Havasu for a week. I thought it would be miserable, but I spent most of the time floating in the lake. The boys were extremely impressed with my mad floating skills!
The boys had fun snorkeling and cliff jumping. Even KC jumped, which scared me to death, but that crazy kid had a smile on his face jumping, falling, landing, and coming up from the water....he's nuts!
It was a nice getaway, and we only missed half of a day getting the prop repaired because I chopped it up running over a rock!

Football started. James, Curtis and George are playing this season. That means lots of practices and lots of games. Luckily, I really do enjoy watching my boys play!

For some weird reason I like to gross the boys out, so I would walk around the house with my belly showing. James can not stand me....

Luckily, my friend Liz took some pictures so I can remember this last pregnancy with a little dignity.....

School started WAY too early this year. There should be a law about going back in August! James and Curtis get to go to middle school together, George and Charlie are at elementary and KC started his first year of preschool...yippee!

We were able to have a couple of mellow months before our world got rocked by a new baby....all good things!!!

Light?

2010-07-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

Baseball season this year was NOT fun for me. Despite my wishes Scott was president of the league. My morning sickness kicked in the week of drafting, and Scott was gone every night - it was hard. With four boys playing on different teams our schedule was full to say the least. We pretty much lived at the fields. James had a coach that I absoutely detested, and he knows that because I pretty much told him to his face. I put on most of my pregnancy weight because of the stupid snack bar! When you have a billion boys the league allows you to cap out once you have spent a million dollars on registration, so we only had to pay for about 3 of the 4. So, it was a LONG season. I do enjoy watching my boys play, so I didn't mind that part. Anyways, when the season finally came to an end I told Scott that I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders because we were finally done! That is when Scott told me we had allstars. Have you ever been so upset you just want to cry? We have never participated in Allstars for many reasons. The most important reason is that summer to me means NO schedules. These allstar people like to practice and do scrimmages and then crazy tournaments that you pay for. It is beyond my comprehension why anyone would want to do this, but some people really, really love it. Needless to say Scott and I definitely argued over this. James, Curtis and George were all wanted for their age divisions. What sounds more fun than sitting at baseball games in the middle of July and August 8-9 months pregnant? Sometimes I feel like Scott needs to be smacked against the head to get the message. So, after hearing his allstar ambitions all I could think was "There was light at the end of this tunnel, and it just got smaller!!!" Luckily George didn't really care about playing, thank goodness...he is now my favorite! James absolutely loves football and with the starting up it would interfere with the allstar stuff....yeah for football! But Curtis, stinkin Curtis!!! The fact that you have to pay $4o for a jersey and hat is lame....plus tournament cost and cost of traveling, etc. We compromised and worked something out with the allstar coach that Curtis is part of the team, but on very flexible terms. We went down to Los Altos this weekend for a tournament....it wasn't that bad and Curtis looked very cute in his uniform

Thank goodness only Curtis was playing. This last week I started to experience intense pelvic bone pain that starts in the pelvic region and everytime I put weight on my left leg it sends a shooting pain down my leg. I have never experienced this before. It is so frusterating, because my day starts out fine, but the more movement I make the worse it gets. So, if I sit around on my butt all day I am fine, but if I want to be normal and just do my normal tasks it gets very painful. I'm hoping it will be short lived, because I can't go another 2 months like this! So, if you see me wobbling and limping that is why.

Way TOO Soon

2010-06-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

The time has come for me to hang up my workout shoes for now. I can't express how depressed I am about this. Usually, I love when it is time to take a break. I am usually burnt out and super tired of it, but this is way sooner than I was hoping for. When I was pregnant with KC I taught my classes until I was 34 weeks, and he was born a little after 38 weeks. With Charlie I stopped at 32 and he was born about 37 1/2 weeks. I got a nice break from working out and was able to get the finishing touches prepared. I am only 28 weeks and I was really hoping to go at least another month, now the rest of this pregnancy is going to take forever! I understand I am no spring chicken and my body isn't how it was when I was in my 20s, blah, blah, blah! BUT, I am in way better shape now than I was then, or at least until I got pregnant I was in way better shape. Luckily, nothing is wrong and the pregnancy is progressing great. Now, if pregnant issues gross you out, you might want to stop reading now.....anyways, the issue this time around is pelvic pain....major pelvic pain! Tuesdays are usually my really busy days. I teach 2 classes, train 4 clients, and completely love it. Well, this Tuesday during my first class my pelvic bones started killing. I even sat out the 3rd sets of everything (well, kinda, it's very hard for me to take it easy). I went throughout my day and when I went to go teach my evening class I thought, well, this will make it better or completely kill me. As I was teaching that spin class it felt great. I remember thinking how good it felt at the time....not just physically, but mentally. I had a great class, but once I got home I could barely move. I don't mean to complain, but it hurt, I thought my bones were going to burst apart! Luckily, Wednesday is my break day, so I did nothing....well, I didn't work out. I painted, finished laundry, etc, but I didn't work out! I am trying to be smart about this, so I got subs for my Thursday and Friday classes. When I woke up Thursday it felt better, but it still was not great. I know most of this discomfort was self inflicted, so I was really torn! I could either continue teaching and pay the price for it in physical pain, or let me body recover and feel better. For those of you that have an addiction, even though you know it's not the best thing for you, you still want it! Working out for me is not just a physical thing, yes it makes me feel better, justifies my mass amounts of food consumption, etc, but mentally, mentally it has kept me out of the loony bin. I am constantly saying how teaching has saved the lives of my children as well as keeping my marriage alive! So, needless to say, I am scared! Summer has just started, the boys are wonderful, but they are a lot to handle! Teaching 1-2 hours a days was physically tiring, but mentally refreshing. The physical safety of my children is not my only concern here, but if I was able to gain 24 pounds while I was working out, imagine how much more I am going to gain not working out! I know, this isn't the most important thing, but I don't like being huge...it's not fun. Oh well, we'll see how the rest of this goes. Now, after expressing all of that, does it make sense to say I really enjoy being pregnant? If I wasn't a worker outer, everything would be dandy! Oh, one more downside to this not working out thing....I am not sure if I will ever shower again. I hate showering and getting ready....a shower after working out always felt great, but really, the motivation factor now is pretty small! I know, I am disgusting, but it's the truth. I am going to have to force myself to get showered....I think I am worse than the boys! I will continue to do my personal training, but it's not the same. I know people have serious issues to deal with, and this really isn't a big deal, but it is a big part of me that I have to put on hold for a while.

Yes, I Am A Swinger!

2010-05-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

I am not embarassed to admit that I am a swinger. I have read that it is normal.....full on mood swings!!! If you read pregnancy week by week, one of the "symptoms" is mood swings. I can be incredibly upset, angry, happy, etc., and switch just like that. It doesn't feel good to feel crazy, but it feels better knowing that it is normal to feel abnormal! My poor family has had to deal with this. That is why I say that if my marriage survives this 6th pregnancy then I think we'll make it in the eternal spectrum! Besides, Scott could not afford the massive child support! Despite my complaints of this pregnancy, I really do enjoy it. I really do. Some people dislike pregnancy, I love it. It definitely comes at a price, and it certainly isn't easy, but it is something I have always been grateful for. Being a fitness instructor and pregnant is pretty comical. I feel like I need to have a disclaimer before each class stating that the workout is effective and apologize for what they have to watch for the next hour. I entertain myself by saying things like, "If a pregnant lady can do it, you can too!" I don't think they appreciate comments like that, but I think I'm funny. I can't exactly move how I use to, and body weight resistant exercises like push ups and tricep dips are way harder when you have an extra 20 pounds on you. That's right, 20 pounds. I am totally keeping it real people. I can teach 7 classes a week and still gain....A LOT! I am about 6 months pregnant, and would like to keep the weight down, but oh well. It's not like I haven't been through this before. I already have some of the regular discomforts, but I still really love this little person. I love the comfort of feeling him flip flop around and I dig the pregnant stomach. I love lifting up my shirt and walking around the house to completely gross James out! September seems far away, but we have a lot of things to do before hand. We told KC he was going to move into the large room with George and Charlie so the baby could sleep in his. He was more than happy to get to sleep with the 'big' boys. After his first night of sleeping in there he woke up and immediately asked if the baby would come out now. He was very cute and keeps telling me he is going to rub the baby's back when he is here. Lets hope he keeps that loving attitude.

I'm Not Gonna Take It....Anymore!!!

2010-05-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

I think we've all had those moments when people come up to us and say things that you just can not believe are coming out of their mouths. Some people can say the rudest things, and they usually get away with it. I know that when people say rude things to me I am usually so in shock I can't think quickly enough to reply. Well, not anymore. It may have taken me 6 pregnancies, but I think I have reached my limit. Some pregnant women hate it when people come up and pat their bellies. I actually don't care, I'm not saying I think it's right, I kind of think it's weird, but it doesn't upset me. What has been pushing me over the edge is rude comments. Throughout a few of my pregnancies, some people think it's ok to tell me that I look larger. Even though it is a fact, it doesn't need to be said. So, I decided that if people are bold enough to tell me their opinions about my physique, I am allowed to tell them how their opinion makes me feel. I got the opportunity just this morning! I was at the gym and this lady was walking towards me and says,"Wow, you are big!" She definitely was not talking about just my stomach, she was talking about my entire body. I just looked at her and said, "Yep" Then she felt it necessary to go on and ask if I got this big with the other ones. I again replied, "Yep" Then I said this....."You should probably never say what you just said to me to another pregnant person ever again. What you said was extremely insulting, and really hurts feelings." I definitely caught her by surprise and she tried to back track and say, "well, you were so skinny before" That is when I said, "When you are pregnant, you are very well aware of the way your body is changing, and the last thing I need is someone pointing it out to me, because it's just not nice." I am pretty sure she felt bad, because she was kind of lost for words at that point, and I just left. I also did not feel bad for saying it. It is about time people learn that we don't always need their opinions. I understand I work in a gym, and people are very critical of changing physiques, and most people are very kind and sympathetic, but there are those few you just want to smack! Oh, here is my other gripe....(sorry, but I'm using this forum to vent!) If you don't like the name I have picked out for my unborn child, I don't care and I really don't want to hear it! I have never told anyone I don't like a name they have decided for their child.....for some reason people feel compelled to do so. There have been times I don't care for some names people have picked, but I understand that if they are naming their child this that they love it, and I would never insult them by telling them how much I don't like it! Granted, I pick names that are a bit old fashioned and not trendy. Hence....George! Anyways, I initially wanted to name this little boy of mine Harvey....Scott for some reason thinks he has a say, and has expressed his extreme distaste for this name. Whatever, I still love it, but I am leaning towards Eldon James. Eldon was the name of my Great Uncle and as you know, James is my oldest boy's name. Some people think that's weird, but I don't care. I think it's a great honor to James to have his youngest brother named after him, and I love how it goes with Eldon. Anyways, if you don't like it that is totally fine, just don't tell me! I didn't mention what Scott's #1 name pick is.....get ready....Duke! Feel free to express your opinion on that one :)

Skinny People

2010-04-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Most skinny people drive me nuts, because they do things like "forget" to eat, look good in skinny jeans, and usually don't exercise. But, one of my most favorite people in the world is one of the skinniest people I know.....Curtis. Curtis celebrated his 11th birthday this week. He didn't want a party, he barely asked for any presents, and he didn't want a cake.....who doesn't want cake? Anyways, when he told me he didn't care what kind of cake I make because he doesn't like it, I was in awe. I joked around asking him if he wanted fruit instead......and of course he replied with an excited yes. Who is this person that actually came from my body? Anyways, this is what 'dessert' is for a skinny person.......

I threw in the melted chocolate so I could look forward to it....I think I actually saw him eat a bit of it....but he didn't completely soak it like his mother did!

I usually let my kids ditch school on their birthday. I do so out of protest. Ever since they stopped letting the kids bring cupcakes and/or treats on their birthdays I decided there was no point of making them go on their day. So, Curtis, KC and I dropped the kids off. We went shopping for new shoes and jeans that Curtis wanted. I don't love skinny jeans, mostly because they are probably one of the most unflattering pieces of clothing on me, but they're not my favorite look on boys. Curtis tried on a few pair, and even the supposedly tightest fit was loose on him.....again, in awe! We had to go a couple of sizes smaller for them to fit better. They barely fit his length and are baggy in the waste, but they make him happy! We decided to go see a movie, so we went to a store to get some treats. Out of all of the chocolatey, peanuty, nougaty, caramely (not sure any of these are words), yummy, fattening choices, what is Curtis's top pick? TIC TACS.....that's right, the one calorie per serving mint?!? Tic Tacs are something I eat if it's in front of me, not a fun movie snack. Don't get me wrong, Curtis will eat a candy bar, and he is a non stop eating machine, but his natural instinct is so unfattening! I felt like I had to balance it out, so I was all about the Twix and M&Ms. He then got a package of chewy Sprees because I refused to leave the store until he got something in addition to the Tic Tacs. Anyways, we went to the show and had a very fun time together. Curtis is a fun kid that makes anything you do a good time. I'm so glad I got to get him. I love, love, love this naturally smart, naturally skinny, naturally sweet, naturally nice, naturally pretty perfect kid! Sorry for the bragging, but I really do like him!

It's Official

2010-03-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Scott has saved us hundreds and hundreds of dollars by cutting the boys' hair. It would be an easy $100 for all of them to get it cut everytime. Some cuts have been better than others, but they are boys, and it works. Anyways, it is starting to get warmer, so it was buzz time. James is way too cool for a buzz, so he just got a trim. I think the boys look very cute with their "warm weather hair". Plus, it makes the mornings so easy. I know that combing boys hair is WAY easier than girls, so it's a good thing I have boys!

You may have noticed that Charlie's cut is a bit different, but Charlie is a bit different. Charlie is a rough and tough kid. Even his voice is rough. Charlie is the kid that noone really wants to get in a fight with, because his pain tolerance is high, and he is hardcore. Charlie is NEVER clean, and he could care less! My dad asked Charlie what sport he wants to play. Now, most kids say baseball, football or basketball.....nope, not Charlie. Charlie replied that he wanted to play UFC. I try to ban that from the TV, but the kids always find a way to sneak it. Anyways, if anyone knows of a UFC league for 5 year olds, let me know! He believes that his new haircut is perfect for what he wants to pursue. He is a very funny kid....so, here he is

I was very concerned about him going to school like this. I warned him that it is a shocking hair style and some kids might make fun of him. I had him take a hat to school in case he was feeling uncomfortable. After the first day I asked if anyone made fun. Charlie said, "Noone made fun of me, but one kid told me he didn't like it". I asked Charlie if that hurt his feelings and he said, "No, that kid doesn't even comb his hair!" Charlie is definitely unique. I don't think I will ever have to worry about him following the crowd. He is who he is. If any of my kids were to get lost, I think I would worry about him the least. He is a professional pan-handler! There are times when we are at the baseball fields and I get to the point (usually when I run out of money) where I refuse to buy them anymore snacks from the snack bar. Charlie always manages to still get snacks. He will straight out ask strangers for money, or even go to the snack bar himself and work it til he gets what he wants. Realistically, people probably just get sick of him and give in. The other day none of our kids were playing at one of the fields. Charlie was hanging out there with one of his friends and came back with a snack that was an after game snack for some random team. Honestly, it is incredibly embarassing, but he seems to be successful.

I love Charlie dearly! This new hair style of his has officially made us true white trash. We are what we are, I guess we'll own it!

Patience Is A Virtue.......That I Don't Have!

2010-03-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

I really am the most impatient person in the world. I know it's not good, but I struggle. Not that I am excusing my behavior, but when you have five boys and you are pregnant, it is kind of torturous not knowing if it is a boy or girl. I am so impatient, I went out and bought that at home urine test that is suppose to determine gender. Unfortunately, I am a little challenged, because I couldn't even determine the results. If I had to guess, I would lean more towards the boy result. So, my friend called me and told me about an ultrasound you can go get that can determine gender as early as 12 weeks.....well, I was 12 weeks on Friday. So, you can bet that I was on the phone and made an appointment. Luckily, it rained today, so all of the boys' baseball games were cancelled. I should have stayed home and taken care of some really necessary chores, but I am also a procrastinator, so I called back to see if they could get me a same day appt. Yep, so we went on a family activity to an ultrasound...that's normal, right? It was very cool! This little person is just like the rest of them, and could not stay still. Stretching, rolling over, rubbing the face.....the kids really enjoyed it. So, the ultrasound got a great view right between the legs.....I could tell immediately. There it was in all of its glory....the penis! I am being completely honest when I say there was zero disappointment. The boys cheered.....I laughed. Now what am I going to name this person. I have had Annie Brook picked out for 13+ years. James suggested, "well, instead of Annie, we can name him Andy....it's kind of the same." So, we'll see. So far, Andy is the only name that I like. Now, the technician did say that it is super early, and it is possible that what we saw could be the female parts swollen....but, she did follow it up by saying that it is 80% chance a boy. I have the opportunity to go back in a couple of weeks for a redo....which, I will. I am pretty sure it's a boy, but when my mom heard there was still a 20% chance it could be a girl, I knew I'd have to go back just to shut her up. So, to quote "Dumb and Dumber", she keeps saying, "So, you're saying there's a chance!" In this case, I doubt it! Scott is extremely proud that he has an immaculate record of 6 for 6. It also doesn't help when we are leaving the office and the next couple's husband tells Scott that Scott is his idol. Seriously, Scott doesn't need to hear that! So, looks like I will be surrounded by men forever. I don't mind, but I will be honest....the only thing that bums me out is thinking that I may never see any of my grandchildren born. I know that is really far off, but I am a freak, and these are the things I think about. It is very rare that a daughter in law wants a mother in law in the delivery room. I would like to state for the record that I have....my mother in law and mother have been at 4 out of 5 of my deliveries......lets hope Karma works for me on this one! Anyways, Scott and I are very consistent.....plus our license plate will be easy to change from "YEP5BYZ" to "YEP6BYZ".

Zero Tolerance Policy

2010-02-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Now that I am pregnant with my 6th child and experiencing mild morning sickness off and on throughout the day my patience has reached zero tolerance. I am a bit off kilter, and I know it. I apologize in advance to any I may snap at, yell at, or just simply stare down. If you know me....well even if you don't know me well, you have probably picked up on the fact that I am not the most patient person in the world. Now, it is even worse. This does not excuse my behavior, but it at least explains it. So, lets talk about this baby for a minute. Before you even ask me if this was an accident....DON'T! I am very well aware of consequences to actions, and this was the result I was going for. This baby is wanted and I am thrilled beyond words. People are very interesting. Many are very hesitant to even say congratulations. I get it, but it's still weird to me. I really, truly appreciate those that are genuinely happy for us. I can't tell you how many people have said..."Well, congratulations, I guess". I don't know, but that doesn't feel genuine to me. Whatever, I went into this knowing that society would look at me even weirder than they did before. Part of me is a bit hesitant to go out in public with all of my kids once I start showing, but another part of me can't wait.....I'm like a social experiment. I know there are people that have more kids than me, but realistically, out here in So Cal there aren't many. I have always wanted 6 kids, and I can't wait. So, I feel like I have been pregnant forever and I am only 9 weeks. I think I found out a day after I was pregnant.....I thought I was almost 2 weeks further along than I really am. Right now I look like I did when I was 5 1/2 months pregnant with James. I will prove it by posting pictures soon. Please don't tell me it's because everything is already stretched out.....I might have to come over and smack you! (That's my pleasant side popping up again) I really do enjoy pregnancy......you will definitely hear me complain constantly, but it is something I really am grateful for. We have discussed expanding our family, and received mixed emotions from the boys. James has always asked us to stop. His main reason is he can't stand his brothers, and it would be too much additional work for him. The rest of them were pretty positive. So, when we gave the boys the announcement, their reactions were not surprising. Here are some quotes from them:
James - immediate reply "I am moving out" I told him Grandma and Grandpa will make up a room for him, but I experienced growing up there and wouldn't recommend it.
As my wasteline has continued to grow James says to me "Maybe you're not really pregnant and you are just getting fat"
James's reply to his Sunday School teacher when he was teasing James about ANOTHER sibling "That's a rumor....you really shouldn't believe everything you hear"
My reply to James when he asked what I would name the baby if it's a boy "Well, I'm kind of out of boy names, so I think I'll recycle...James #2" Needless to say, James doesn't think I'm funny!
So, James isn't super thrilled, but it's growing on him, and when I want to be super annoying to him, I flash him my large stomach just to gross him out.
Charlie is my super affectionate one and is constantly rubbing my tummy and giving my stomach kisses. Curtis is very concerned about my nausea and loves to know if I've thrown up. I've convinced him that rubbing my feet helps calm my sickness....which it does, and Curtis will do it to make me feel better. George is my sensible voice of reason and is always thinking. He told me the other day, "Mom, when you get really fat with the baby I do not want you sitting in the front seat...it is too dangerous" Very sweet, but we really need to teach him to never call a pregnant lady fat!
So, the first most frequent question asked is if I'm happy about being pregnant....second most is if I will find out the sex.....ummmm YESSSS! As stated previously, I am super impatient, so of course I will find out. I believe my ultrasound is scheduled for April 19th.....I will see what I can do about getting it moved closer.
I have an appointment with my favorite midwife next week. I am honestly a little nervous about seeing her. She has put up with me my last 2 pregnancies, and I'm not an easy patient.....I beg for my epidural once I hit my third trimester, and I am super annoying. She actually advised me to not have anymore pregnancies after my last one. I assumed it was due to physical reasons, but she assured me I was totally capable of more pregnancies.....she went on to say it was due to mental reasons. Besides that, I really think she likes me! I'm also a little nervous to see the boys' preschool teacher....she's taught all of the boys and gets KC this September....she also asked me if I would stop having kids. I didn't take this offensively either....I totally understood where she was coming from. The other person I was very, very nervous to tell was my dad. I actually called my brother who works with my dad and said, "Hey Marcus, can you do me a favor and tell Dad I am pregnant?" Marcus was shocked I was pregnant again, and started laughing and said, "No way am I telling him, but I am definitely going into his office to see his face when you do!" So, when I told my dad I was as nervous as a single teenage girl who had to tell her dad she was knocked up. My dad doesn't really like kids, he loves mine, but can't understand why I keep having them. He is known to say that mine keep getting worse...which is kind of true! Anyways, I think deep down inside he is excited.
This child is expected mid September....I believe in working towards goal, so my goal is late August or VERY early September. For all of my beach buddies, you can take turns sitting by me, because I will make you look super skinny!

Already

2010-01-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

I am pretty confident that as I get older, I will definitely lose my mind. I pretty much already have. My sister and I always make fun of my mom for never remembering things. She really can watch the same movie over and over and it seems new to her. I'm not quite there yet, but close. Everytime my sister tells me the same story twice, I call her "Mom" and vice versa. (We aren't very nice kids). It seems I do the same thing. So, if you read my blog, you will notice repetition....but just because I can't remember!

Change

2010-01-06T12:57:00.001-08:00

A long, long time ago, this sweet, little boy.....

USE to like me. We have entered into unchartered territory. Teenage-ism. It definitely has its ups and downs....particularly mood swings. Everyone says boys are much easier than girls at this age, but I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong, James is a great kid. He can be super fun, and he is a huge help. I think I am pretty funny, he wholeheartedly disagrees with me on this! I was so proud of him when he told me that he is really looking forward to serving a mission......until I asked, "Where are you hoping to get called?" He replied, "Anywhere away from here!"

Georgisms

2010-01-03T12:59:00.000-08:00

I remember holding this little baby, and thinking I would NEVER be able to raise my voice at this person. That didn't last too long. This child is full of spunk! He knows how to test my patience, and sometimes I think he was sent to this earth just so I would learn patience. He is quite stubborn. It is fair to say he is a lot like his mother. My parents love to remind me how similar we both are. It's not just personality, out of all of these boys I birthed, this one actually looks like my son. Anyways, George is one of a kind. He says and does things that really make me laugh. George is his own person, and I really don't think he cares what other people think of him. Every child of mine is so different, and I appreciate all of their individuality. I just felt like sharing some things about my sweet George. You all know how I love the name George.....I really do think it is perfect for him. I am glad that he loves it too. George has always been funny. He has an obsession with Halloween and masks. He started collecting masks years ago, and has quite the collection. About 4 years ago he would wear scary masks to the daycare at the gym. It wasn't even Halloween time, and he would wear them. After a couple times to the gym, the daycare ladies asked me if he could stop wearing them. They told me that he would just stand completely still infront of the other kids until he totally freaked them out. He is a little sick like that.....I on the other hand, think it's pretty funny. He also use to wear his Darth Vader mask. This one was my favorite, because the mask itself was just about the size of his body, and he looked so funny. I remember going into Costco while he was wearing it and one of the teenage guys that worked there was laughing at him. I got embarassed, and at first was a bit upset because I thought we was being mean......but, I overheard him say, "I want to be that kid, how cool is he!" I love George's ability to simply be himself. It is fair to say that George has the tendency to really push both of his parents over the edge. So much so, I actually went to the doctor telling him something had to be wrong. I was thinking some type of behavior disorder. The doctor gave me a bunch of forms to fill out, and then some forms for his teachers to fill out. I immediately knew there was nothing the doctor could do for me.....his teachers would have laughed in my face if I suggested George had some type of disorder. The thing with George is, he wins over every teacher he has. I swear he must put some type of spell on them. I've gotten use to it now, but the first couple of teachers kept trying to tell me that he was "perfect". Isn't it usually the other way around? George can be a handful at home....quite defiant, and at school, he is a model student. He is the only child of mine that gets recognized with an award every report card for having a high percentage of "O"s on his report card for behavior. George really is great, but he baffles me at times. One thing that really makes me nervous is when teachers of George tell me stories of things he has said in class. He is so honest, I am afraid he spills the beans of what a horrible parent I am. One friend in my ward told me a story about him when she was subbing his primary class. She asked the kids if they had a hero. Every kid in the class named an actor or singer. George said Heavenly Father. She then asked if their heroes made right decisions. Some kids said yes or no. She then asked if their hero dressed modestly. Most of the kids said no. When she got to George he said no. She was a bit surprised by his answer and asked him to explain. George said, "Heavenly Father wears a robe with nothing underneath it!" That is typical George thinking. He makes me laugh a lot. George has a good heart, and tries to do the right thing. Another time in primary a teacher asked if they pray for things, and if their prayers are answered. My sweet George said he prays everynight to be able to be good the next day, but most of the time it doesn't work. That's my George!

George is very sweet to me, and really cares about me. When I am sick, he is the one that checks on me the most and constantly asks what I want or need. He is a sweetheart. He appreciates everything he gets and really values his possessions. He takes really good care of all of his items. George loves to dress up and has many different characters. His latest is his cowboy boots and new cowboy hat. He actually looks very handsome, because he will wear jeans and a sports coat and pretend he is a sheriff. He goes around the house calling me "little lady". Is that normal? I don't know. But, that's my Georgie.....and I love him!

Picture Perfect

2009-12-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

Don't we look like a sweet family decorating the Christmas tree? The boys are so helpful, carefully hanging the decorations, hot cocoa and candy canes, Christmas music playing in the background. I really picture families doing that. If you look closer, you realize that the boys' hair is totally messed up, Curtis is wearing a Halloween shirt, the decorations are stuck where they were thrown....I believe 3 were shattered. Yep, that's how the Cuillard's do it!

This is the Real Tree Decorating at our home.....#1 James is starting to get bored....look at him on the couch right behind me....

#2 KC could sense James's lack of enthusiasm and went over to bug him #3 At this point I say "If you get hurt, don't come crying to me"....... #4....then he comes crying to me#5...the boys continue to decorate the tree, even though they lost interest after the first 2#6 The decorations are up....I've had it and leave the room....Scott thinks it's great to get pictures of them breaking at least 2 rules of the house....no wrestling, and no ball play inside

Well, we survived the tree decorating. After that, Scott and I got a chance to escape life for a few days and head out to Punta Mita, Mexico.
Then it was back to the real world. James had the nerve to turn 13 and become an official teenager. Wish me luck on that one. I can handle the whole getting older thing, it's the 'teenage' attitude I could do without. Luckily, it's a slow transformation.I know I'm his mom, but, he is a handsome young man. This was taken right before his band concert at school. He is a talented musician. He does percussion in the band, but at home he has completely self taught himself the guitar. He is really good. I know I sound like one of those moms, but he is awesome. He even lets me sing songs while he plays. It is probably one of my most favorite things to do....even though I sound like hud!!!Christmas came quick as always. Santa is such a nerd.....prewrapping Christmas presents, and then forgetting whose presents were wrapped in what.....made for a fun Christmas Eve and kept me up an hour later than I wanted to be. Here are some of the kids at Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's.......seriously, look at KC.....that's my kid!!!

Here is the house before the major destruction. It took me a solid 3 hours to clean everything up. Right after I cleaned, I turned around and it was a complete mess again.....the joys of Christmas! A lot of work for one day, but well worth it. I am grateful for the true joy my boys bring to me. I think I am one of the luckiest people around.

"Like A Dream Come True"

2009-11-15T21:32:00.000-08:00

These were the words that George used to describe his Halloween/Birthday/Baptism weekend. George was on cloud 9. The anticipation leading up to everything was almost too much for him to contain. We'll start with Halloween.......George started that day with an 8 am baseball game. Immediately after that he had some friends over for a costume party. Then it was off to big brother's football game. We hurried home, redid costumes, had cousins, aunt, uncle, grandmas and grandpas over for the festivities. George lives for Halloween....absolutely LOVES it....he has had this costume picked out since 2006......

The cousins have such a good time together. Poor George is the "in between" cousin......James and Hanna are close in age.....Curtis and Conrad are 5 weeks apart.....Charlie and Ruby 2 months apart.....luckily, Curtis and Conrad let George hang out, and it was so much fun for him!

Family Portrait

After a night of running around the neighborhood and eating mass amounts of candy, he was ready to get baptized! As you know, we usually go to the 1/2 of Halloween sale on his birthday, but since it fell on a Sunday George got to decide whether to hit the stores or get baptized. He woke up on his birthday, had waffles and ice cream, and opened presents. George has worn his CTR ring ever since he got it in primary....you know the kind that bends until you get it the right size. George NEVER took that ring off....he wore it to school, baseball, bathtime, etc. It never came off. So, he was so upset a week before his birthday when that little ring just cracked right in half. He was thrilled when one of his presents was a 'real' CTR ring. He also opened his new set of scriptures, a journal, and I've never seen anyone so excited about a scripture bag. But, that's Georgie for you. He loves it all! His baptism was after church, and he was thrilled. It was so nice to see him so excited to become a member of the church. I think I might actually be doing something right! His baptism was a success and George was glowing. George was so happy to have family and friends there. Now, I just mentioned that CTR ring......because of that ring, George's baseball coach, an inactive member, recognized George was LDS. When I mentioned George was getting baptized, his coach told him to let him know when it was and he'd be there. Well, his coach kept his word and attended George's baptism. We have come to find out that he has the desire to come back to church. My little Georgie is a good little missionary!

We had our family over for a birthday/baptism celebration. George loves having people over, and I am pretty sure the smile never came off of his face! He was showered with presents, attention, love, and the Spirit. It was a wonderful day for our whole family. Now, I am a little embarassed about this next picture, because I never thought I was this kind of Mom....turns out I am! Yes, that's me helping him blow out his candles!

I am so proud that George had the desire to be baptized and embraced it. He is a sweet, caring, confident kid. When the Bishop called his name the next week in sacrament to announce him as the newest member of the ward, George raised his hand and stood right up. He makes me smile...he also makes me scream, but he definitely makes me smile and laugh a lot! Thank goodness for my George!

First Time

2009-11-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

For some of you, this may not seem like such a big deal, but in this household we are celebrating! I don't mean to mock this in anyway, or make my children seem unintelligent. They are actually pretty smart. I rarely ever have to help out with homework, and they do well on their own. I wish I could say their success is due to me, but I peaked in 4th grade and it went downhill from there. Anyways, back to the point of this post......James got straight A's on his report card. He has always gotten good grades. Usually a 3.5. Last year, his cousin, Hanna, got straight A's in 7th grade (her parents rewarded her with an IMAC) and I am pretty sure that is what lit the fire under James to get him going. He set the goal. Being the smarty pants that he is he asked his father (knowing his mother would say a hug or a kiss) what he would get if he got straight A's. Well, his father said a cell phone.....I am pretty sure Scott didn't have much faith in James at this point. For those of you that think it's crazy that my almost 13 year old doesn't have a cell phone probably think I am extremely abusive due to the fact that my children are deprived of a lot of our modern technical devices! Throughout the semester James would report his test grades to me, and they were all really good. Now, I assumed he was just reporting the good and not reporting the bad. There was one time he tanked on his math test, and he was so disappointed. He did everything the teacher asked of him in order to bring that test grade up. Needless to say, James is a hardworker.....I've always admired that about him. So, report cards were mailed November 10th. Due to the holiday the following day, he had to wait until the mail came on the 12th. There he is, waiting patiently for the delivery......

Once it was in his hands, he insisted on opening it

The next picture is my favorite one, because our "straight A" student was getting frusterated trying to open it. We had to talk him through it.....bend the edges, tear at the fold! It cracked me up and so typical

Here is Dad double checking, just to make sure

And there he is.....the proud new owner of a cell phone! He actually returns my texts......I should appreciate it while it lasts!

What The ?

2009-10-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Reality is really slapping me in the face.....in fact, reality is beating the crap out of me. I'm really not all that, and I always have helpful reminders of that everyday. This is my friendly reminder right here........

George is one of the most honest people I know......brutally honest!

Tonight he was looking through some old photo albums. "Mom, you look so young in these pictures.......and now you look like, well, like a real Mom." Pretty much sucker punched me with that one. Sad thing it is true.....granted I have been sick this week, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about just this week. George is also the child that confirmed something I knew for sure. From the mouth of babes....

"Hey Mom, did you take off your bra?

Yes, why?

Well, they use to be there, and now they are all the way down there!"

Thanks George :)

I have earned my "real mom" look. This week while Scott has been out of town I got hit with some killer virus........KC decided to rip half of my keys off of my keyboard. As I type, my B button and space bar aren't even on, and my N and H just fell off! I no longer think I'm 16, I think it's more like 86!

BOO!

2009-10-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love Halloween. We brought out our decorations in September - I have so many decorations, I figure I might as well get as much time out of them as possible. I thought I'd post some of them for you to enjoy. I try to add a couple of things every year, and since the 1/2 off sale is on Sunday, I had to buy a couple before. Lana and I met at the Halloween store, my mom came along. Lana and I were having so much fun.....fighting over different ones.....getting super impressed with one another's picks.....my mom just rolled her eyes. We could have stayed there for hours. Mom doesn't understand. She has tried buying gross things, but just can't do it. She bought some black roses the other year, and absolutely hated them, so she gave them to me.....I love em! We usually get those great pumpkins from my uncle's garden, but we didn't get to go down this year, so my kids will have to settle for Vons pumpkins......I refuse to go to the commercial pumpkin patches and pay $10 a pumpkin. (I guess that's my "Humbug of Halloween") You may think our decor is a bit over the top, but I figure it's an investment for the future. Since I don't have anyone to hand my barbies down to, I will at least be able to give my boys all of this Halloween stuff (their wives will love me). Anyways, hope you enjoy.....Happy Halloween!

The clown was a birthday gift from my sister....I love him!

These two beautiful ladies were my purchases this year....aren't they pretty! I love how the witch looks like she is melting!

No Guilt Here!

2009-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

I tried before, but couldn't go through with it! I felt too bad for the kids. It's not right to make a bond, and then just rip it apart. That's what I thought about giving our little Maltese away. When we got her, she was pretty good, but just like with my children, we transformed this dog into not such a good one. She was peeing all over the rug, barking every time the door rang, jumping on everyone that came to the door, and licking my legs constantly. I was reaching my limit. About a month ago, my niece was going to take Lexi home with her, but the boys were so sad about it, it broke my heart. So, I backed out, and I felt really bad for my niece Ashlee, but I felt like a horrible Mother taking their pet away from them. Anyways, after washing the rug for the millionth time, I begged for Scott to find a new house for her. A lady from his work really wanted her. So, last night, without telling the boys, Scott took Lexi and gave her to this lady. My children went through the rest of the night, this morning, and now this afternoon without even notice Lexi is gone. They don't even realize that we no longer have this pet anymore, and it's not like she was low profile. Like I said, she ran up to everyone that walked in....the kids had to change her pee pads, pick up her poop, fill her dish with food, etc. So, needless to say, I am feeling no guilt for getting rid of her! Scott and I are going to see how long it takes for these boys to even notice. It really cracks me up that I actually was feeling bad for these people! I guess I'm not the only one that does not love dogs.

I also don't feel guilty about dropping my precious children off at school today, and heading for the beach. It was perfect! I actually got a little burnt, and it's kind of nice to have a little more sun on my fading skin. It was really nice going with only 1 of the 5 boys. Don't get me wrong, I love going to the beach with my kids, but I got to park for free, carry one chair and light bag, and keep an eye on KC. There were no fights to break up....very peaceful. I went with some friends from the ward. I told Pam, aka "The Kid Whisperer" that it would be nice for her since Charlie wouldn't be all over her.....this is what Pam gets when she goes to the beach with us.....

Unfortunately, for Pam, it seems that KC has the same affection for her that Charlie does, and was on her for the most part of the day.....sorry Pam! Anyways, it was a fun day, and really nice! We will definitely have to do it again.

I understand that I am not the most normal Mom in the world.....let alone normal person in the world. Anyways, if you know me, you know I love my food, and have a fear of not having a food accessible when I am craving it. So, I keep a lot of yummy snacks on hand. I would think that my kids would appreciate it, and I think they do, but they actually crave healthy food, which is great, just kind of foreign to me. Here are a couple of examples.....when I take the kids to the beach, my staples are licorice, chips, and oreos. My poor children beg everyone for their grapes, apples, melons, etc. Charlie was heard saying, "Mom, why do you always bring junk, we need healthy food!" So, when they started school, I always put at least one serving of fruit in it. For some reason I didn't have any fresh fruit on hand and ended up giving them all processed stuff. Charlie told me that day that he traded his chips for some kid's apple......how pathetic am I! I know, loser Mom. So, I learned my lesson!

Goodbye Summer

2009-09-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

I had it all planned out. Get all of the school preparations out of the way so we could get as much beach time/fun time as possible before school had to start. School started on a Wednesday this year, so we were going to take the boat out Monday, and say our goodbyes to the beach on Tuesday. Things sometimes don't work out as planned. The Thursday before, we went to the beach (of course). When we got home, I found out that my sweet Grandma had passed. I knew Grandma (Grammy as I called her) was not doing well, and was suffering greatly from Parkinson's. She had a calm passing, as my grandfather was putting her in bed for a nap, she gently laid her head back and took her last breath. I did not think I would be as sad as I have been. Sad, just because I miss her. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, but she is the best Grandma EVER, and I am not sure what I did so great to be rewarded with her! I can not recall one time I heard her raise her voice (a trait I did not get from her). I remember when I was little and would get in trouble by my mom, I would cry for my grandma. I know my grammy has always loved me, she showed me constantly, and I could feel it all the time. Here are some of my fun memories with my sweet grammy.You can tell by this next picture that she didn't love the style I gave her, but I remember being so proud of it, and she acted like it was great!Here is a copy of a paper I had to write in Middle School. I think the topic was "Who Do You Admire?" My paper was about my grandma.Here is a picture of her doing my Jane Fonda workout video with me....
Grandma loved to play the piano, and one of my favorite things to do with her was to sing while she played.....one of my most favorite memories......
I had no idea that this picture was taken, or that she had done this. I was probably about 15 or so, and there she is "loving me"....typical....So, instead of going to the lake and beach, we packed the car and headed to Orem, Utah. I was grateful that Scott could take the time off of work and take us. Grandma's funeral was very nice, and you could tell that she made friends easily. Here is a picture before the funeral with one of Grandma's paintings (another talent I did not receive from her), some of her pictures, and a huge bowl of cinnamon bears, her favorite...... The next picture is of my mom, her brother, some guy (I have no idea who he is) and two of my Grandma's sisters......Grandma looks an awful lot like both of them, so when I saw them at the funeral, it was like seeing my grandma, they are beautiful women with gorgeous skin (hoping I get that!)
The song that I have on my playlist right now is a song that my grandma listened to over and over again on the busride she took to marry my grandfather (he was in the military during the war, and she had to travel to him) . It is called "Sentimental Journey", and I got to play it on the piano as they took her casket out of the chapel. Even though I had not visited Grandma for a while, I miss her everyday, and can't wait until we hug again.

I forgot to mention that Grandma is 1 of 11 children, many of her siblings have already left this earth, and I know their reunion was very sweet!

My Brown Eyed Boy

2009-08-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

5 years since this little boy has been here. He has been so excited about his birthday. Earlier this week, we went to the beach, and had his 'beach birthday' celebration. Grandma brought slurpees (frozen kool-aid), and 2 big cookies for his big day. I brought a box of Airheads, which is a treat, because they love them and I don't get them very often. So, we handed out Airheads to any kid that wanted them, all they had to do was say happy birthday to Charlie. Charlie's favorite part every year is when they sing Happy Birthday to him. It was especially special for him when they sang "happy birthday cha-cha-cha-charlie" He was in heavenCharlie was so happy. Here is a picture of him and brother and cousing eating the cherished icees......

Now the next ones aren't much of a surprise...it is something we have expected would happen eventually.......

By the looks of this picture, it seems that Curtis is about to get cuffed by the Sheriff! Then it looks like George is blaming it on Ashlee.....

Luckily, none of the Cuillards were arrested. Some teenagers were busted with alcohol. So, of course, George walked to them and yelled "busted"! Isn't he sweet?

So, I have discovered 5 is too old to take the kid with you to pick out his presents, and buy them without him knowing. He caught me getting everything. I was too lazy to come back to the store and get it later. Anyways, everytime he opened a present, he said, "You said you put this back! You didn't"

He is a typical 5 year old boy....goofball!!Earlier this week I asked Charlie what he wanted for his birthday meals. He said "ice cream for breakfast, McDonalds for lunch, and Pizzatopia for dinner" SOOOO,

KC was the first one to get to the ice cream It's too bad Charlie wasn't having any fun :(
His day was complete with his dinner at Pizzatopia! He made cupcakes with me, and said that was one of his most favorite parts of the day. I love 5 year olds! Charlie is a unique child. He never, ever stops talking. I am afraid he might not hear well, because he does not know how to speak in a normal voice. He screams everything. He is very straighforward and tells it as it is. Charlie adds a lot of action in our house. I love my little Charlie Brown Eyes!

Getting Desperate

2009-07-30T23:33:00.000-07:00

I love summer, I love not having to rush from place to place, I love the warm weather, I love vacations, etc., etc.......BUT I could really do without the non-stop fighting. It is out of control. I feel that I have been a complete failure as a mother. I don't mean to be such a complainer, but it has NEVER been this bad. I feel that I am constantly yelling at one kid or another. My 17 year old niece, Ashlee, is staying with us, and I am convinced that after staying with us she will be going home really appreciating her own family! Poor girl, I don't know how she can deal with us! Anyways, the part that is overwhelming is the tattling. The kids tattle when someone does something not to them, but to another kid. So, someone gave me the idea that everytime they are about to tattle, instead of telling me, to write it down. This morning I woke up to it....the yelling, the teasing, the chasing, the broken glass! I had had it. We went to the store and bought what we call "tattle journals". Our first day has not been exactly successful. Poor Charlie, who is one of the worst tattlers can't write yet. Luckily, Ashlee was his scribe and helped him out. George would freak out anytime anyone wrote anything about him. It was just one of those days....again! I admit it, I threw a tantrum and FREAKED out. Not a proud moment, but it is a quick fix for when I am at my whits end.....I think it scares the kids a little bit. At least it got Curtis to ask what he could do to help me out. Luckily I had to teach a Turbo Kick class and then train a client. It gave me time to recover a bit. I finally got home around 8:30. I announce to Scott that I needed to take a short break as a mother, and he got to do kid duty tonight! After showering and eating, I finally sat down. The boys brought me their journals. I've always had a good idea of how these kids treat one another, but now I have written proof. George is not the easiest sibling to get along with, but I don't blame him when his two older brothers gang up on him. They are mean! So, I started reading their "tattle journals". Curtis's consisted mostly of George doing things to Charlie....only one thing George did to him. James's was the exact same. So, the rule is, you only write about offenses against you! The best was when I opened George's journal and it started with, "James is writing lies about me in his journal" . Poor George. I'm discovering that George is a very smart kid. I am also finding out that George freaks out a lot due to his older brothers's torture tactics. I don't know how great these "tattle journals" will be, but it at least gave me a good laugh at the end of a stressful day!

It's Almost Over!

2009-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

I feel like we are on a short break from school rather than summer break! Tomorrow is the day I dread every summer.....the first official day of football practice. Now, every Monday through Friday I have to get James to practice by 5:30. 5:30 is my favorite time of the day at the beach, and it is going to kill me to have to leave early. Oh well, if these are the problems I have, I will glady accept them. July is one of the best months ever, and it has come and gone super quick this year. I love, love, love the 4th of July. Usually because it is hot, you eat good bbq, and then we spend the night with good friends and family and watch the fireworks.

Steve, Melissa and family, Robbie, Jimmy and Liz

I love the beach, and have had some great beach days this last month......

Charlie was really upset that he got his head shoved in the sand, and then I told him he looked like "Two Face" from Dark Knight, and then he was stoked!I think all of my kids are in this picture, and 2 of them are hiding from the camera. I am not sure who some of the other kids are, but the kids have a blast hanging out with everyone!

On July 8th, my brother and his wife had their first child. A little girl named, Davie Malone Helfman. She sounds like an Irish little thing, but she is a Jewish/Mormon. Should be an interesting combo.

I've never claimed to be normal. This next picture cracks me up. This is genetic proof that I had no hope! My niece, Hanna, and I were taking self portraits.......I'm a bit self centered, so I didn't even notice my mother, who is masked in the background. She looks like a crazy lady with her mask and sunglasses....almost Michael Jacksoness! Then, I noticed my dad right inbetween mine and Hanna's heads. He is such a dork......now I know where my kids (and I) get it from!

We were lucky to get away for a week and take the boat up to Lake Havasu. It turns out they were having a "heat wave". It was 120 almost every day.

It was so relaxing to just float around in the lake. The boys were super impressed by my floating skills. They have no body fat, so they sunk like rocks.....I on the other had, can float forever! Now that is talent :)

Everytime I would try to get some quiet time, they would swarm around me. I actually appreciated that they wanted to be with me!

Aren't these next ones sweet?

By the looks of it, you would never tell that they were fighting NONSTOP!!!

George got up on the wakeboard!

Curtis and James love to fly across the wake

This same day, I started throwing up at about 5 pm, and didn't stop until 1 am. James and Scott were the only ones that did not get hit by this horrible, violent, stomach flu. BUT, Scott did pull 3 all-nighters, dealing with the sick ones. Two of them were back to back. We were all so tired, and not feeling super great......not super fun when it is so stinkin hot outside!

Here is George recovering on the boat..."the day after"

Here are some adorable pictures of the boys pouting.....

BUT, they can also be REALLY cute....at least I think so!OK, so this one isn't so cute, but makes me giggle. It is almost impossible to keep a diaper on this kid.....at least he would wear the life vest....you gotta pick your battles!

A couple of the days we beached right by this cliff, and all of the boys, except for KC, had so much fun jumping off of it This next one is not too bad for an old man......We may have had a lot of arguing, tantrums, and vomitting, BUT, I considered it a very successful vacation. Everyone came home in one piece, and I am so happy to say, we didn't have to go to the ER one time!

July is almost over :( We still have the beach, and hopefully a couple of days out on the boat. My niece, Ashlee, is staying with us for a week and a half! She is so sweet, and I love having her around. Lets hope August is as fun as July!

Undecided

2009-07-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Is he adorable, or a complete terror? I am not quite sure how I should feel about him. I find myself thinking he is super cute, but maybe it's because he is my baby! He has been a constant challenge. He is by far, our worst sleeper. None of our other kids would ever come in our bed in the middle of the night.....KC is almost 2 1/2, and he STILL does! He'll be rotten, and then totally cute. For example, today, he bit George on the stomach (here I am making excuses for him, but he was overtired) he apologized, gave George a hug, and then I put him down for a nap. As soon as he came down from his nap, he found George, went up to him, pulled up his shirt, gave him a kiss on his tummy, and said in his super cute little voice, "I kiss your tummy, now it's all better!" He is rotten and cute all in the same situation. KC has kept me the busiest out of all of the kids. I was not going to share one of my worst Loser Mom experiences, but I will.....just to make you all feel better about your parenting skills. I lost KC at the beach yesterday. Yes, lost him. I lost him once last summer, but it wasn't as scary, because I found him pretty quickly. This time, it took a while. By the way, I have never lost any of my other children! So, I thought KC was playing with a little friend, and realized he wasn't with her anymore. My sister took off up the beach, and I went in the other direction. He went all the way down to the other lifeguard station, and 3 ladies noticed him running down the beach without anybody with him. Thank goodness for these women. They even gave him a gatorade not knowing the last time he had a drink. So, if you have ever seen KC at the beach, he is nasty. This time he was extra nasty, because not only was he covered in sand, but he had snot running out of his nose, and was wearing only a swim diaper. (I usually keep him in a rash guard so I can find him easily, but he took it off). Anyways, he looked pretty pathetic! Luckily, they were super nice and didn't judge me like a lot of people would. I really appreciated them! The whole situation made my sister cry, and poor Pam thought I was going to get taken away by the police for parental negligence. I could be blamed for this, but I am blaming some of it on KC too, because he is fearless and I don't think he would be scared touring the beach by himself, no matter how long it would be! He has no fear. Anyways, despite the scare he put in me, all I could do was hug him. That night, I laid in bed next to him for quite a while. I was just grateful he was with me, and I couldn't stop snuggling with him! So, he is a total tyrant, but I am madly in love with him.

All of my boys have sweet tendencies, and I really appreciate that in them. James has a harder time showing it than the others, but he does. James went to his first week long boy scout camp. He called everyday, and confessed he was homesick. He never regretted going, and said he had a great time. The second day he was there a rat crawled into his duffle bag. He went in his bag to get out a shirt and saw something move. He got his leaders, and they discovered a rat in his bag. Not only a rat, but a rat that birthed 5 babies in his bag. I am pretty sure it freaked him out, but it's a great story to tell for his first scout adventure. He got home on a Saturday afternoon. I was napping upstairs, and he came home and gave me a kiss on my cheek. It was a great way to wake up. I missed him a lot, and while he was gone, I realized he is not the one that causes a lot of the trouble around here, and does so much to help me out. James is and always has been a hard worker. Later that day, I knocked him down and tortured him with a kiss attack. He acts like he hates them, but I am pretty sure he secretly loves em!

Boys are sweet, even when they are rotten! But, I love them all....even during the rotten times.

Everytime

2009-06-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

Some things make me laugh out loud every single time I think of it. This is one of those things. My kids would kill me if they saw this post, but they crack me up. When I first saw these pictures I told them they looked like they all belonged in a "special" baseball league. They didn't think I was funny. James's picture was actually very handsome, so I posted his from 2002. It must be a genetic thing........I hope you find it as entertaining as I do......

Here is James's transformation several years later. He is very handsome, and I am grateful he wears his hat a little bit better nowadays.

Names

2009-06-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

I still don't have a clear understanding of why my parents named me "Kaye". I have a lot of unanswered questions. There are a lot of holes in their story, which has always made me think I was adopted. My mother has no pictures of herself pregnant with me....if I didn't look exactly like her, adoption would not be a surprise. Anyways, this is, according to my mother, how I was named. Let me start this story by saying, when you are pregnant, you have a bit of time to figure out what you are going to name the baby. Apparently, my parents didn't think much about it. During her pregnancy, she had told a neighbor that she wanted to name me Ann, but she seemed to forget this when I was born. Who does that? The neighbor asked her why she didn't name me Ann, and my mom said, "Oh, I forgot". Anyways, my grandmother's manicurist was named Kay, and my mom liked it. So, there you go. I am still not clear as to why she insisted on putting an "e" at the end of my name. I am pretty sure it was to just torture me, knowing that most people spell it without the e. Kaye is not exactly a long name.....I know she didn't want anything with more than 4 letters, because it would be hard to learn to write my name. I don't think she had much confidence in my intelligence, even then. I don't have a middle name. It turns out Kaye must have pushed my parents over the edge, so they didn't go any further. I think that is hilarious! When I was about 16, my mom realized she wanted to give me a middle name.....Margaret, my grandmother's name. I told her she was a few years too late, but she thought she'd give me a middle name and put it on my journals, even my high school diploma. I think I might get some of my craziness from her. See how this naming doesn't really make sense? Anyways, that is how I got my name. I've actually had a lot of fun with it. When I worked in a restaurant, the Spanish speaking busboy asked my name....I told him K, and he kept asking me the same question, but louder. In Spanish, K or que means what.....I am pretty sure he thought I had a hearing problem...he didn't realize I was just telling him my name. When I was in junior high, I ran into an old elementary school teacher of mine. She couldn't remember my name, so she asked me to give her the first initial....I told her. She continued with Katherine? Kate? It went on for a while, she didn't figure it out. One night my dad and I were watching a show, and Elle McPherson was on it. My dad actually said out loud, "Who would name their kid a letter?" He was totally serious.....I looked at him and said, "Dad, you have got to be kidding me!" We still laugh about that one. My name is fine, and it will totally fit me in about 50 years!

Scott Russel Cuillard. I am not sure why he was named that. I do know his Grandfather's name is Russel (with one L) I will have to ask Donna the story behind his name.

James Scott Cuillard. I LOVE the name James. I have loved that name since I was 12 years old. I knew when I was a young girl that I would name my son James. Little did I know that my biggest obstacle naming my son James would be my dear husband. He really fought me against it. The story I am about to tell you doesn't make me look like the nicest person in the world, but it was worth it! So, we found out we were having a boy. Scott and I were thrilled! I knew instantly what his name was....James Scott Cuillard. Scott on the other hand wasn't convinced. He has a brother named James, but he goes by Jimmy. But, this was the name I LOVED....the name I had been waiting for. Scott liked other names.....when I say liked other names, I mean about 10 other names that were ok. He claims I am not so good at compromising, and I admit when it came to this I wasn't. I asked him to give me one name he absolutely loved? He couldn't. During the pregnancy, this is what we fought about. Many times the conversation brought me to tears....why was he being such a butthead about it? Anyways, this is how it went down......I gave birth to my perfect little baby 10:36 pm December 23rd 1996. This little baby did not have a name yet. The next day while Scott was picking up and setting up my Christmas gift for me, I was in the hospital with my little baby. The nurse came in and asked me to fill out the birth certificate form. I told her my husband was gone and we hadn't agreed on a name yet. Being a new mom, and very young, she told me I really needed it signed now.....I believed her, so after going through pregnancy, getting stretch marks, and giving birth, I took the privilege of filling out his name.....James Scott Cuillard! I know what you are thinking, how terrible, right? Nope.....I didn't feel bad then, and I don't feel bad now! When Scott came back to the hospital, he was not very happy when I showed him the form. For the first few months Scott always called James "son". I'm not sure if Scott has recovered, but at least he calls him James now!

Curtis Steven Cuillard. After the drama with our firstborn's name, Scott thought he had full naming rights for our second child. He was very insistant on this. I acted like he was in charge and asked what the name would be....when he said Curtis Steven, I was pleased. I didn't let Scott know how pleased I was, because then he might change it....that's how Scott can be. I love Curtis's name. I will be honest though, I really, really wanted his name to be spelled with a K, but Scott was a butthead again, and put his foot down. Steven is my father's name and Scott's oldest brother's name, and we both agreed on it. So there you go, Curtis Steven Cuillard it is!

George Marcus Cuillard. His name is fantastic, and I can't imagine him with any other name. Before we were even expecting George, Scott gave me a very sweet Christmas present. It was a poem. In the poem it stated that our next child can be given a name of my choosing, without any grief or complaining from Scott. Hey, I took it and ran with it! I love, love, love the movie "It's A Wonderful Life". There is a scene where George Bailey kissed Mary for the first time. Right before their dramatic kiss she says, "George, George, George" My favorite! So, that is how I got the name George. Let me tell you how rude people are.....I especially remember Scott's brothers being the worst. Giving me their opinions on how they didn't like that name......made me love it more.....I'm awnry like that. Nobody's negative opinion was going to sway me....I loved it then and love it even more now! George was born November 1st, so I was pretty pregnant during summer. My sister and I were at the beach, and there was a really good looking guy - probably in his early 20s. He was in the water, and we heard his sister call him George. My sister actually asked him how he liked his name. He told her he absolutely loved it, and was never upset that was his name. For some reason, I knew my George was going to be a good looking guy, and who doesn't love a good looking George? So, the middle name. I really took it as far as I could and went with Marcus....my brother's name and my father's middle name. I love both of them, love the name, and there you have it. George Marcus!

Charles Emmett Cuillard. I don't have an amazing story.....I just love the name Charlie. I knew a man who was a tall, dark haired Charlie. He was impressive, and his name just fit him. George was such a toehead, I was sure I would have a blonde Charlie. Well, we all know how that turned out, and I have my handsome, tall, dark haired, brown eyed Charlie. Emmett kind of came out of nowhere. We knew we were naming him Charlie, but not sure about a middle name. While in the hospital, I was up all night and early morning. The newscaster that was on in the early hours was named Emmett. That's where it came from, but I think Charles Emmett Cuillard is a strong name, and I am sure we made the right decision.

Karl Conrad Cuillard. I was so depressed after my first ultrasound with KC. With all of the other children I already had a girl name and a boy name when we found out the sex. For some reason, I did not have a boy name for KC. I wasn't disappointed I was having a 5th boy, I was devastated because I didn't have a name for him. I felt like I was already letting him down! I prayed and prayed to find a name for this little boy. I felt inspired to look through family books and maybe find a family name. Donna had given us some books from Scott's family, so I started with those. I was even more discouraged after I went through those and got nothing. I found a book based on the life of my Great Great Grandfather Schaub. He was a prominent architect in the Logan and Salt Lake City area. He was a Bishop for over 16 years. He designed the doors for the Salt Lake City Temple, and worked closely with President Wilford Woodruff. As I read about my grandfather's life, I really felt the Spirit strongly and knew I wanted to name this little baby after him. In his Patriarchal Blessing it reads "And thy name shall be handed down by thy posterity in honorable rememberance, and in company with thy companion those shalt receive thine inheritance among those who have fought the good fight, kept the faith and won the prize." After reading that I knew for sure.....my only obstacle....Scott. He had told me long ago that he hated the name Karl. I prayed for Scott's heart to be softened and that he wouldn't make this a battle. When Scott came home, I had him read about this man, and told him I felt very strongly about naming our baby after him. Scott's reply blew me away "I like it, I think we should name him that too" We agree he would go by KC....as my grandfather did. I also love that those are my initials. Anyways, this is how all of the Cuillard's received their names.

I'd Rather NOT Know!!!

2009-05-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

There are benefits to having all boys....convenient public peeing, low maintenance readiness, easy hair combing , and one of the best of them, the Father & Son Campout. I have yet to have complete peace and quiet, because Scott's one rule is that he refuses to take any children still in diapers. So, it was just me and KC. Every year I try to get the house clean as they are getting ready, because it is the only 24 hour period that the house actually STAYS clean! I thoroughly enjoy one night of "me" time. I had to teach a class, and train a client, KC and I brought food in, and had a little date. I put him to bed, and watched the finale of Grey's Anatomy, then I went to bed. It was just what I needed. I did look at their empty beds and missed them a bit, but looked at the clean, made up beds and appreciated it! KC and I went to the gym in the morning so I could train a client, we came home, and KC played around while I tried to prepare my lesson for the next day. Not a super exciting event, but I'm a homebody, and it was pleasant. I put KC down for a nap and enjoyed my last few minutes of peace. Then, I heard the garage door open, and just like that it was back to the normal "K" oss as usual! The boys came in gleaming. They had so much fun. I would have been perfectly content imagining their time looking just like this...... Looks like they are safe, happy and enjoying their time together. My perfect image was ruined when they said "Mom, it was awesome, we jumped off of the highest rocks into the lake!!!" Not just James, Curtis and George, but my little Charlie as well. Charlie, who can swim, but not a strong swimmer. He doesn't like leaving the edge of the pool too often and forgets to kick his feet. How in the world did he jump off of big rocks and swim to safety?

Okay, that's not too bad And look at how nice his brothers are to wait for him in the water....but you notice how far away Scott was as he is taking the picture.....

I was not loving this picture.....can you see how high James is hiking up those rocks? Why in the world would Scott ever encourage, yet allow these precious boys of mine to do that....well,

here's the answer...................... Oh my GOSH!!! Wait, this isn't James in this next one...... That's my skinny, little Curtis.......what in the world is Scott thinking!!!???!!!

Just to RE-emphasize the height of these jumps.........................Luckily George is not as crazy as the other two, but it didn't stop him from jumping...just not as high..........................
I'm ok knowing that they eat as many smores as they possibly can, run around with sticks, hike with snakes everywhere, not brushing their teeth that night or next morning, BUT, I could have really done without the extreme rock jumping. I know without a doubt that their father was encouraging them every step and jump of the way. I hope I will recover from this, because next year, KC will be out of diapers!!!

Dating

2009-05-10T19:52:00.001-07:00

It's hard to find time for one on one dates. We do a lot of group dating around here, and it is fun, but I know it is really important to have those one on ones, and I'm not talking about with Scott. The kids really like when they are the only one in the spotlight, and with a large family, it is getting harder and harder to do. I love, LOVE, love that Scott got a special first time outting experience with James last month. They got to go to the Priesthood General Conference together.

I got a bit jealous thinking that I don't get those special times. I figured my options were #1 go for baby 6 and try to get a girl for "mother/daughter" moments, or #2 be appreciative for what I've got, and create my own type of special "mother/son" moments. Option #2 seems to be the most appropriate choice, SO, that is exactly what I have been doing. I am very lucky in the fact that I get to be home with my boys all of the time and every day is a gift with them, but is it really special for them? If you know my boys, you know each of them is very, VERY different. KC is obsessed with garbage trucks, lawnmowers and weed wackers. He makes it very easy for me. As you can see, Daddy lets him help mow the lawn......

OK, so Scott is not the only one that gets that special lawn mowing time with KC,

That's KC with our nicest neighbor in the world, Richard. Poor guy. Anyways, like I said, KC loves garbage trucks as well. So, on Mondays when the trash gets picked up, KC and I sit on the driveway and watch the trash man pick up all of the trash. This little boy gets so excited EVERY single time, I just love it. I also love that he is so easily pleased. Charlie loves special Carl's Jr. dates after preschool. He starts kindergarten in the fall, so there are not many more of those left for us. George loves anything one on one. During family movie night and what we call "Ghost Whisperer" night, George and I have our special spots where we get to cuddle up next to each other. Now, the older boys are harder to get excited about one on one time with Mom. They are actually very nice to me, and don't act too embarassed by me yet. My mom use to let me miss school once in a while for shopping trips with her. I loved it. I don't love shopping anymore, maybe because I am footing the bill, but shopping really bores me. Luckily, my boys feel the same. So, once in a while, I'll get them out of school early to go to the movies with me. I love it, and I think they do too. Last week the kids had STAR testing, and James was getting out of school at 12:35. So, we went and caught a movie before we had to get the other kids. KC went with us, but he fell asleep during it, so it was kind of like a date. The next day, James's testing was over and all they were going to do was watch a movie in class and have an assembly....I believed him, so I let him ditch. We dropped the others off at school.....Charlie was with my sister, so James, KC and I went to the beach.

The weather wasn't fantastic, but nice enough to stay for a while. We decided to pack up and go swim at my mom's. James and I had swimming races, and I am sad to say, he is very close to beating me....in fact, we actually tied. James also took my muscle conditioning class for the first time on Friday, and he was so cute. I absolutely loved having him there! There was a time in my life when I would get depressed because I didn't have a date (yes, I was a pathetic teenager) I guess I received a lesson in patience, because now, I have dates every day of the week :)

Criminal

2009-04-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Should we send him to one of those camps for troubled children, where they grab them in the middle of the night? This child has no regard for boundaries, regulations, nor the law for that matter. I've tolerated the scaling of refrigerators, dryers, outdoor bbq's and so forth. Magic Eraser manages to remove all of his abstract art work. He commits one of the worst crimes on a daily basis....and that is stealing my food from me! Today though, today is the day it has started to get serious.....felony-type serious. I am sure I've grown a few grey hairs, and creased a few more wrinkles. Let me preface this story by saying, I was not home.....I was not the responsible parent. I was out pounding the pavement......training a client.....one little hour, just one. This is how it goes. Scott came home to take all of the boys to baseball practice (George was already at his), so it was only the 4 other boys. Scott asked the boys to get in the car and put KC in his seat, while he ran in to get something. Well, they didn't. The car was parked in the driveway.....note "was". While the boys completely ignored Scott's demands, KC climbed in the front seat of the car. He found the keys, placed the key in the ignition, started it, and then put it into neutral. Charlie was the only child that actually did as Scott asked, and was buckled in his seat. Once James saw the car starting to roll back, he jumped in and tried to press the brake. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful. Fortunately, he did not get himself run over. The car stopped after it had crossed the street and crashed into the gate that is on the other side of the street. I think that is car theft, and hit and run. The "what if" scenarios have made me absolutely sick to my stomach......we are soooo lucky that that was all that happened. I shouldn't be dealing with stuff like this until their teen years! I can't even blame it all on the Cuillard genes. Back in 1982, my brother broke into my mom's car and put it in neutral.....he ended up hitting another car, falling out of the car and running over and breaking his leg. He just wasn't smart enough to start the ignition. I can honestly say, I am exhausted, and extremely grateful that nothing tragic happened!

KC Cuillard.....age 2.......car theft......hit & run

ps.......he also makes you think he is really sweet. I gave him some sort of treat, and this was his reply, "Thank you Mommy, farthead Mommy" all with a big smile on his face!

Perfection

2009-04-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

I am warning you now.....if you can't stand posts when people talk about how wonderful their children are, you might want to stop reading mine right now. Sorry, but tomorrow is my second child's 10th birthday. Curtis Steven Cuillard. It is a given that I love him, but I also really, really, really like him! Get ready, here it goes......Curtis is funny, smart, has a love for life, is everyone's friend, cute, happy, peacemaker, sensitive, has a good heart, and sweet. I could go on and on. Curtis can always make me laugh. He is the only one of my kids that can get away calling me by my first name....makes me giggle everytime. Curtis has always been one of those people that is really smart without even trying. He is the peacemaker in our home....I think he is everyone's favorite brother. If he happens to be away, his absence is missed by everyone. He is the only one of my children that I delivered without any type of drug or painkiller......I was not trying to be a hero.....trust me, if I can get drugs, I'll take them. He thinks it is hilarious that he teased me even before he was born. I had false labor forever before he was born. I would think I was going to give birth, and then he'd back off. That is why when I was actually in labor I didn't believe it......neither did the nurses. An hour before he was born I had 2 whole contractions. They monitored me and told me I wasn't in real labor......that is when I asked if they would at least examine me....turned out I was dilated to a 5......20 minutes later he was born.....little stinker. I tell him he kept saying " here I come...just kidding....no really, here I come.....seriously, I'm coming......just kidding I'm not coming.....surprise, I'm here!" He thinks he was hilarious! He is like that to this day. The thing is, he really is funny.....at least I think so. Curtis always makes me laugh. He also has a way of letting every person know that he loves them.

Whoever marries Curtis is a lucky girl.

I have to be honest and tell you a couple of things about him that bug me.....#1 he can eat anything and everything....and he is the skinniest little thing ever. His ribs stick out, and every single time he goes swimming in the ocean, he comes out and his lips are always blue.....makes me laugh just thinking about it. #2 He enjoys a chocolate bar, but if he has the choice of a piece of cake or a fruit bowl, he will go for the fruit bowl every time. That annoys me just because I am jealous......I wish I had the natural desire for the healthy option.....obviously I don't!

Those really aren't bad things, but about all I could come up with. Since Curtis's birthday falls on Easter this year, I want to make it special for him. So, instead of Happy Birthday, I am going to celebrate Happy Birthweek. Since it is Spring Break, he gets the choice of opening a present or getting a fun activity everyday (movies, going out for dessert with the family, things like that). Curtis enjoys the simple things in life, so I think he will really enjoy being the center of attention for a week! I love Curtis, and I can honestly say, when I grow up, I want to be like Curtis!

Love you my sweet, little Curty!

Ladies Beware

2009-03-29T15:10:00.001-07:00

I think it is good to advise young men to date several girls before they get serious with anybody. I think it is great advice especially when they are of appropriate age. I am pretty sure 4 is not the appropriate age. I would warn every lady over the age of 4 to watch out for this player....
This is my sweet little Charlie that seems to have a thing for charming more mature women! He has no shame. Here are a couple of stories..... He would never admit to being in love with any of these ladies, but he won't deny the fact that he loves spending time with them. For any of you in my ward, you might be aware that the bulk of his admiration is for Pam Walden. Pam is so nice, she even let him come over for a play date.....yep, just Charlie and Pam. Poor Pam. Pam really is so nice to him. Today in sacrament he sat on Pam's lap the entire time. It was super relaxing for me, but I am sure Pam is exhausted this afternoon. By the way Pam, he told me that you helped him with his scripture today....he loved it! I don't want Pam's feelings hurt here, but she is not the only one. Charlie has a buddy from preschool. They play together often. This last week he went over to Christian's house. His mom, Tina, took them to lunch and a movie. When I picked Charlie up Tina told me that she thinks Charlie has more fun hanging out with her than Christian. Apparently Charlie would follow her around, helped her fold laundry, and when she would leave the room he would call out her name and ask her what she was doing. Later that day he saw my mom. He told my mom that he went to the movies with his friend, Tina. When I was talking to my mom, she told me that she heard Charlie went to the movies with a girl. I was confused for a second, then realized Charlie considered it going to a movie with this 30 something mom rather than his 4 year old buddy. So, Tina wasn't making up the fact that he really liked being with her. It turns out Charlie is not the 1 woman or even 2 woman type of guy. The other week when the boys got their pictures taken, he was hitting on the photographer. She is a very cute mom. She has 2 kids and is a little bit younger...she's in her 20's. He kept asking her what kind of house she lived in and maybe he could come over for a playdate. He really has no shame. He even insisted on driving with her in her car when we changed locations. There are others as well. He also has a thing for Heidi Bollard, Juli Hull and his 16 year old cousin Ashlee. Should I be worried?

Sweat Towel Please!

2009-03-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

You know how funny it is when little kids are totally honest, and it is so cute? The exception is when it is your own......here is what happened. A few days ago Charlie slammed his finger in the car door....it was getting worse instead of better, so, by Friday afternoon I decided to take him in to the doctor just to avoid any weekend ER visit. We got into the examining room, and the nurse was asking a bunch of questions...."does anyone in the house smoke" The boys say, "no....why would anyone smoke?" then she asks, "does anyone drink?" I say "no"...Charlie interrupts and says, "we drink" Then the nurse goes on to explain alcoholic beverages. My patience is done by Friday afternoons....all I wanted to do was make sure this finger was not super infected, and get out of there. I had George, Charlie and KC with me......not fun when they are confined to a very small doctor's office! So, after those questions George says, "We don't drink, we don't smoke, we don't say bad words" Charlie then says, "Yes, we say bad words all the time....we say butt hole" And that is how this doctor's visit went. Needless to say, I was dripping sweat. The candidness of my children is too much for me to take. Luckily, the entire visit, including xrays was only an hour....even though it felt like I was there for at least five. Anyways, his finger is not broken, just grossly black, blue, purple, and extremely swollen. Charlie is thrilled he got a splint. By the way, I detest that bad word....they get in so much trouble when they say it!

Isn't It Still Winter?

2009-03-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of March, right? I am trying to take President Monson's advice and "Enjoy The Journey". I have been going crazy with non-stop baseball, fighting children, unfinished housework, gym classes, training, etc. I know I bring it all on myself, and I LOVE it, but lately it has kicked my butt! A while back I made an appointment for the boys to get their pictures taken. I had no idea when I made that appointment that it would be in the mid 70's at the beach. When it is that nice out, what is the point of going back to school? We took advantage of this Southern California perfection and hit the beach...... Nothing like having the entire ocean to yourself.......I've been going crazy with my second career as a referee.....the kids still fought, but it doesn't seem as bad when you are at the beach. They had fun playing with each other..... Now which one of my kids do you think would do this to sweet, innocent KC????

OF COURSE!!!!

There is something about the beach that just makes everything better. The fact that we had a perfect beach day in the middle of March made it that much sweeter! Kari, Julianna, and my mom were able to go. It was a great day, and I am so glad we had a perfect beach day....that is called LOVING the journey! The only downfall is that I forget that when I am butt white, I don't tan right away. I am a burnt mess! Did I mention that there was no wind : )

And We Aren't Even Irish!!!

2009-03-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Charlie was so excited last night he could barely fall asleep. He knew "Larry The Leprachaun" was going to most likely visit. Mom is starting to dislike Larry more and more. At first he was really cute (when Larry was solo). He would color the toilet water, milk, and oj green. That was about it. Now, "Larry" is getting a bit out of control. I'm not going to name names, but it isn't me, and it isn't the kids, but the person has given "Larry" a few new ideas. Now Larry writes all over the bathroom mirrors, paints nails, scribbles marker ALL over the body and especially the face. This new assistant of Larry's thinks he is hilarious. All I know is that I had a goofy husband wake me up with giggling. He thought he was really funny.....

I'm SERIOUS!!!

2009-03-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Why is it my children don't take me seriously? Does anyone else have this problem? When I was a kid, I believed my mom when she was going to punish me. Scott says I threaten ridiculous punishments and then never follow through. I don't think that is true though. So, let me set this up for you. For some stupid reason, the kids don't have school today. I crawled out of bed at 7:50.....which by the way, is totally sleeping in for me (I remember it being a challenge waking up in time for the 12:00 single's ward). I had to get to the gym to teach the 8:30 power step class. I took KC and Charlie with me. George was watching tv, James and Curtis were sleeping. Everything was under control! I think my class was pretty successful, I get the kids, get in the car, call the boys to see if I should pick up donuts for them......George is in tears, James and Curtis are being mean to him and won't let him play PS2.....they are not allowed to play video games until chores are done...they weren't done....not even started. I was soooo ticked. I told them to clean up the PS2....be nice to George, etc, etc. This day was not progressing like I wanted it to. I walk in the house to be greeted with yelling and unkind words to each other. I told everyone to do their chores and no one is allowed to talk to each other, all I wanted was a nice hot shower! I get in the shower, about 30 seconds into it I hear the yelling.....I finish up in an additional 30 seconds. I am not even dressed yet and then I hear the crying as a result from the hitting. I was about to lose it. I can't even take a shower and get dressed. Obviously they disobeyed and actually spoke to one another....they are soooo mean to each other. I was LIVID! So, what is a Mom to do? They are not listening to a word I say....better yet, they aren't listening to a word I yell! I ordered everyone to put on junk clothes, get shoes on, get in the backyard, and no one is in until every weed is pulled from the backyard. They have been out there for over an hour, and not much is getting done. I think James is the only one actually doing it. I told Curtis that if it isn't done by 3, he doesn't play in his baseball game...I'm serious. Here is the really ironic thing.....I have to give the RS lesson on Sunday. It is based on the talk given by President Monson on "Enjoying the Journey". It is a fantastic talk.....but I don't think he considered having 5 boys home fighting and beating each other up, and enjoying it. I'm trying, it is very, very hard. I did enjoy my groceries being delivered, and the licorice that I ordered helped a little, but there is not enough licorice in the world to make any of this ok. Does it sound like I am losing it? Even with the boys in the backyard there is still fighting going on....at least they are not inside. We'll see how much progress they make. I will make lunch soon and they will get a 20 minute lunch break.....I told them if they want to commit the crime, they will pay the time......oh yeah, I think I am funny. I am trying to live by the counsel given by our Prophet....it's a good idea, and I am trying here. Wish me luck!

This picture is so blurry, but that is George in basketball shorts, cowboy boots, and a baseball cap backwards. The others are weeding.I'm not sure why they feel the need to take off their shirts....it is barely 60 degrees out....I don't care if they are naked, as long as my backyard gets weeded!

There is James actually doing the work....some things are very consistent!

Hope this post made everyone feel better about their day....because I am convinced that is why I am on this earth....to make everyone else feel better about themselves.....Happy Friday :)

Crazy Saturday Nights

2009-02-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

This is what Curtis and I do on a Saturday night. Curtis is such a goofball......he makes me laugh ALL of the time. In order to hear this video, you will have to go to the bottom of my blog and pause or stop the music that is already playing.

KC's Very Advanced

2009-02-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

Look how happy we were when little KC was born. We can not believe he is turning two this Monday. He was the sweetest little baby. All of us immediately fell in love with this little guy.

James and Curtis were so excited that Scott dropped them off at the hospital one day so they could hang out with me....well, I guess it was to hang out with sweet, little KC.....

If I only had one word to describe this 5th child of mine, it would definitely be "HAPPY" He is always up for a good time, and he is really fun!

KC also is very sweet, and melts your heart.....especially when he is sleeping!

KC has had to put up with a lot of stuff having 4 older brothers....

Boys are very sweet, and I am lucky to have such cute ones...

I remember his first couple of "boy-type" messes.....I thought he was so cute....

Then it started becoming part of regular routine. He was constantly surprising us with new things all of the time.....

On the dishwasher.....

Climbing up on the BBQ in order to get to the dog food, which was one of his favorite snacks!

Here he is stealing the neighbor's flags from the front of their house on the 4th of July....very patriotic!

Then our sweet, perfect child started displaying some anger management problems....still cute enough to take a picture!

KC is the dirtiest kid EVER!!! He is constantly a mess.....especially at the beach

or at home.......

Despite all of his dangerous schemes, he has been very fortunate that he has not been injured!!!

Washing Machine climber.....bookcase climber, and refrigerator scaler...not normal. He is the only one of my boys that has done this type of thing!

He is quite a character, and ALWAYS makes us laugh!
He is trying his hardest to not smile in this picture.....he is such a stinker-butt!

He brings us A LOT of joy!

He is already such a little man!

I am in love with my little Karl Conrad....Happy Birthday KC!!!. The reasoning for my title is because KC definitely reached the terrible two's WAY before his second birthday....my advanced little monster!

Matrimonial Bliss

2009-02-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

I was actually laughing at myself while I was typing that title. I might be immature enough to fight publicly on facebook with my spouse, but mature enough to not bash on him in my blog. We actually made up, and that little tiff is over. Fighting is exhausting, but I did get some cute things out of it. Fighting with your husband is so not fun, and anyone that says they never fight with their husbands are a complete wonder to me. I figured I would go the positive route and talk about my sweet valentine! Just kidding, I am not that cheesy either. Plus, if I ramble on about how amazing and wonderful he is he will just use it against me in our next argument. He would totally say something like, "why do you write such nice things about me if you don't mean it?" I just know he would, so I will just say I really do like him. We have what my mom calls a 'passionate' relationship. He is my best friend, and I don't think too many people have that and I feel very fortunate. Most of you already know why I love Valentine's day. I actually use to always hate it. I was that loser girl in high school that never had a boyfriend, and hated that day, basically because I didn't have a boyfriend. Now that I've got a man, I enjoy it. Our first Valentine's Day together Scott hired me a singing telegram to show up at the office I worked at. It was totally embarassing, hilarious, and sweet. I have it taped, but need to figure out how to transfer my 8mm to dvd. He is definitely the romantic one in our marriage. I really am not. I have set one rule regarding V day, and that is, there is NOWAY he is allowed to buy me flowers on that day. They are so expensive, and I think that is a lame present for that day . Now, give me flowers on any random Tuesday, and I will get excited. He actually did that last week. See what I mean, he is totally sweet like that. We now have a tradition of going to Tommy's. That's right, Tommy's! I don't eat hamburgers very often, and I usually only eat a chili hamburger on that one special day of the year. This is so great for so many reasons. First of all, I hate waiting to eat. We have never had to wait there yet. The food is so yummy, and I am so excited thinking about it right now. I love food, but I don't love spending tons of money on a meal.....Tommy's is absolutely practical. I also love to just sit with him, talk, eat and enjoy the actual "date". I love it. We have always taken a romantic stroll across the parking lot to Albertsons to get jelly bellies, but they don't have them anymore. Now we will have to take the scenic drive up to Ralphs since they carry my tutti fruity yummies. Hope everyone has a happy love day!!!

How Do You Find Happiness?

2009-02-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

It is no secret that when I am angry, sad, happy, etc. most of you will know it. I have always had a problem with wearing my emotions on my sleeve. I am not going to pretend that I never get in fights with Scott. It is safe to say that that man can aggravate me to no end. I will spare you the ridiculous details, but I will tell you he ticked me off. There is one thing I do that has made me feel better in situations like this. I am not one to go and spend money needlessly. I am a bit of a saver, I try to be a smart shopper, and am pretty sensible. The other day I saw these plates that I thought were so cute. I really wanted to get them, but we definitely don't need them. We have perfectly fine plates at home. I decided to be happy with what I had.....UNTIL, HE decided to not treat me like the lady I deserve to be treated as. After a couple of days of not so fun conversations, I felt like crud. Even chocolate would make me feel more depressed, so, I went back to that store, and there they were in all of there perfect glory.........what I now like to call my..............

"HAPPY PLATES"

I love them with all my heart. They will be nice to me, and they will always make me feel happy! Just a bit of history for you......some of my past "happy" purchases are uggs, a really nice purse, expensive jeans, several pairs of shoes, etc. Scott should be very, very careful in how he treats me, because I really only like to splurge when he is being a complete butt! So, if your husband treats you less than you deserve to be treated, I would be more than happy to help you find your "happiness" even if it is totally artificial, and a bit self indulgent! I am smiling just looking at them : )

Happy Heart

2009-02-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Getting older isn't too bad, but I don't like seeing other people getting old. My poor mother has gone through a lot in the last couple of years. She had open heart surgery, and was hoping that would be the cure-all. Well, since that operation she had to have her heart shocked, and today she had a MAZE procedure. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but it fixes some scar tissue stuff. They had to put her under anasthesia, and that is never fun. I met my parents at the hospital around 7. I was glad I got to see her before and after the procedure, and stayed to keep my dad company. She is staying in the hospital tonight, and should be home tomorrow. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing my mom on drugs. She is such a happy druggy! She even told me I was her favorite....granted she was still coming out of the anasthesia, but that counts right? It doesn't matter, it is a known fact that Marcus will always be her favorite. Oh well, at least I am my dad's favorite....and I'm serious. Anyways, I am so grateful that she is doing well. It has been hard on her not having the endurance she has always had. It is so nice to have modern medicine and doctors that can help make quality of life better....we are really lucky.
My Papa passed away this last Sunday. I am glad that we got the chance to see him. In case you are wondering, he didn't notice the hats were gone!
My heart is full of gratitude for everything.

Not Sure If This Is Right???

2009-01-27T13:29:00.000-08:00

As you know, I will totally post pictures of my friends in their bathing suits....so why wouldn't I post pics of my grandfather on his deathbed? Well, it would be bad if it were really his deathbed....but it looks like he will be heading home soon - alive! I am going to be honest and tell you that my first thought was, "Oh crud....what about the hats Lana and I took?!?" It's great he isn't dead, but I hope he isn't miserable. Anyways, here is a picture of my sister, brother and me with Papa.....

Here is a group picture with my uncle, parents, and siblings......

He really was feeling miserable. It cracked me up when he looked at the picture and he said, "I really do look like s#%@!!!" We laughed so hard. So, I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased that I've posted these, but as far as I know, he doesn't read my blog! Anyways, here is a picture of my little brother. I try to take as many pictures as I can with him, because I feel petite next to him. He is 6'5.....his wife is 5'5 at most. He is worried that his future child will be super short....at least it is a girl. One thing I do miss about not having Robbie here all the time is the fact that I could ALWAYS count on him to watch chick flicks and reality shows with me. Last night he came over so we could watch "The Bachelor" He had so much fun with me - haha!!! Actually, I am serious. Scott acts like he is too cool for it, but just as into it as we are. Of course Robbie and I had to pose.... Don't worry, the boys went to bed before it was inappropriate - I think!!! Here we are totally engrossed in it.......

KC is on a roll......so far today he has only drawn on George's dresser with marker. Luckily, he is taking a nap.

Not One...OK, Maybe One, But Definitely NOT Two!

2009-01-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

So, what am I talking about? Seconds. Seconds that you can not take your eyes off of KC. James had a friend come over after school, so all of the boys went outside to play. That left KC and myself in the house. I was trying to get the laundry done, and get everything organized. I went up to fold one load of laundry. While I was doing that, KC got into some nail polish.....luckily it was just sparkly kind, but my front tile now has a shimery glow to it! After cleaning that up, I went to check on things on the computer. For a short moment, I was appreciating the rare silence in my house......that's when I realized that is a very dangerous sound. That is when I found KC doing this......

He really is like Spiderman.....he scales everything. He thought it was really fun to dump the laundry detergent on top of that flashlight. Luckily he looked at me like this......

He has such an irresistable smile, I can't help but to laugh. I was still trying to find the humor in it, and realized it's nothing a vacuum can't take care of. So, I then went upstairs to fold another load of laundry. I heard the refrigerator door beeping (meaning it had been open for too long). I came down to find this.....

Yes, that is a carton of ice cream that he is eating with his hands, and you can see it dripping down his face. This is the same kid that I found hiding in the pantry eating BBQ potato chips this morning for breakfast! I recognize that he might have a problem with food throughout his life, but look how happy he is......Despite his eating disorder, he is a very active kid. He just keeps going and going. Yesterday, after church, he was suppose to be taking a nap. We found him sleeping on the floor infront of his train table, half in and half out of his closet. I did not have my camera with me for that one. Due to his late nap yesterday, he had a hard time staying in bed last night. While we were hanging out downstairs, we found him right here.....On the staircase. Now this next expression of his is priceless. It makes me laugh EVERYTIME. Scott was giving him the "Dad Look" and it is KC's "oh crap....I think I'm in trouble look.......

He is such a happy little thing. Here are James and him leading the opening song for family home evening......

This boy is so busy, he definitely keeps me moving. If I were an optimistic person, I would think the extra calorie burn was worth it. I'm not so sure though. My Dad always says that my kids just keep on getting worse. Makes him sound like a jerk, but he is. I'm not talking badly about my father, I would totally say that to his face. Anyways, KC is a blessing, and I love him to pieces.....I just finished screaming at him for standing on the table as I write this. I am feeling pressure to have another baby....just because for the last 12 years, my body has been in a cycle of getting pregnant at this time. I am also getting older. BUT, you usually need a willing partner. He is willing to practice, but not having it result in a pregnancy. I don't necessarily want a newborn....it is exhausting!!! I am pretty frazzled as it is. I feel like I need a sign....maybe the above is an actual sign!!! Anyways, updating my previous post....we found the smell!!! It was dog pee....yes dog pee. Before Lexi was house trained she apparantly peed in a certain spot on the carpet....gross I know. Anyways, we pulled up the carpet....ripped out the padding. Cleaned it all out. We are going to deep clean the carpets, and it should be better. That was not fun. We got the garage door replaced.....and it works! My grandfather is STILL alive. I drove down with my sister and brother. We met my parents down there. Papa looked good for a guy that was about to die. They were going to give him hospice treatment the following day, so he could be comfortable. Now, it turns out he might be getting released and not dying afterall. As far as we knew he had about 5 days left. Here is the funny thing.....my uncle told us to go through the house and see if we wanted anything. My sister and I found some cool hats, and took a couple of them. We also fought over his new TV, but neither of us left with it. My brother felt too bad....whatever, you can't take it with you! So, now when he gets home, I hope he doesn't check his closet for his hats!!! I think it is hilarious.
As I am closing this up Curtis just informed me that KC got into the detergent again. Now it's not so cute.......definitely a sign!

Girls, Girls, Everywhere....Except Here!!!

2009-01-21T14:41:00.001-08:00

Life is funny. My brother and his wife are expecting their first baby. My brother was really wanting a boy. He is as crazy as me, but in his own special way. He is under the impression that you can breed children to be something you really want them to be, and he thinks that if he has a boy, he can mold him into the ideal athlete. So, it will be fantastic once reality hits him. Plus the ultrasound technician is 90% sure it is a girl. I suggested he name the baby Kayela. My name, and our sister, Lana's put together. I can't believe his wife doesn't want to do that....seriously, I think I'm funny! I really didn't prefer either a boy or a girl for them. It wasn't until I was talking to Scott, and he said, "How do you feel about them having a girl?" I'm so slow, I responded, "I think it's great...I didn't have a preference." He then asked the question again, emphasizing the FEEL. I think he was totally stressing that I would be jealous and then start begging him for another child, or be completely jealous and freak out. But, I know he was super concerned about the effects of everyone around me having daughters!!! To tell you the truth, I was a very girly girl. I LOVED my barbies, I had fancy pajamas, loved frilly things, and when it came to sports, the only thing I was good at playing was the piano....well, it's kind of a sport.....my fingers would always sweat on the keys!!! So, you would think I would have that yearning for a little girl. Don't get me wrong.....I would love to have a daughter. I have had her name picked out for 12 years, my mom has the most beautiful fabric for her blanket, and it would be so fun to have pink and dance class, so on and so on. Sometimes, life doesn't give you what you think you are ready for. Did I ever think I was ready for 5 BOYS? Not really, but I am absolutely in love with them. I love their range in personalities, their strength, their little manliness, and everything that comes with having boys. So, all in all, I feel very content. Scott comes from a family of 7. 6 boys and 1 girl. His sister has 2 boys, but she didn't control that outcome. His other brothers that have kids have 2 boys and 2 girls each....what is up with that? My sister has 2 girls....and now my brother is having a girl. By the way, I tried to fill the girl fix with Lexi...but it is not the same. I'm not even sure why I am expressing all of this to you....just rambling with my thoughts. Anyways, it seems that everything around me is falling apart! Last night at 11:00 Scott opened the garage door to get something out of his car...stinking garage door fell apart. That's right....completely apart. The garage door guy was out this morning and we have to replace it.....not exactly what I want to spend vacation money, or any money at all on. The crappy part about this is, it is 100% due to my stupidity. A while ago, I backed my car out of the garage with my driver side door open. That wasn't good when it smashed my door, and took the garage door off the tracks. We have spent hundreds of dollars in repairs since then, and now it is time to replace it. I have to say, Scott has never once made me feel bad about it. I hate to admit it, but I would have ripped his head off. Every check I had to write I would have grumbled something horrible. Needless to say, we are quite opposites. Speaking of getting things fixed, Lexi is getting fixed tomorrow....already complained about that one! There is something in my house that smells.....I can't find the source. I have emptied every trash can, cleaned all the carpets, washed all the dirty clothes, and I still can't find it. Tonight we will be pulling out the washer and dryer to clean behind and under those. Hopefully we can solve this mystery. Tomorrow I am suppose to drive with my parents and brother and sister to Palm Springs to go see my grandfather that just got transferred to hospice. He isn't going to hold up much longer. Please don't feel bad for me. He is 92 years old. He also really hasn't been part of my life since I was 12. My family had a falling out, and just reconciled a couple of years ago. He is my grandfather, and I do love him, but the thought of driving to and from in one day isn't fun. That makes me sound like a horrid person, but we aren't very close, and he has lived a long, pretty healthy life, so there are sadder situations. Despite the fact that everything around me seems to be falling apart, and everyone else in the world seems to be showered in pink, I think of the Relief Society lesson we had a couple of weeks ago, and how we must look at the big picture. I guess my point to this is, no matter how good other people seem to have it, or temporal things get taken away, or even loved ones get taken away, life is good. Is it weird that the everyday, simple pleasures make me feel like I am a happy person? I have so much, and I am so glad that I really do appreciate it. I love watching my kid's strong, healthy bodies, even when they are beating the crud out of each other....I'm grateful they can do that! When the garage door falls apart, and I laugh at Scott when it actually detaches, I'm grateful he doesn't let it ruin his day. When my house smells like who knows what, I am grateful it forces me to deep clean! Even when my 12 year old is so angry with me and tells me he hates me, I am grateful that he recognizes how hurtful that is, and tries his hardest to make it up to me and show his love. These are all bumps in the road, and I'm so glad I get to drive it!

The Honeymoon's OVER!

2009-01-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

If you are a sensitive person, you might not want to continue reading. Here it goes.....I've had Lexi for a week and a half. I still "like" her, but I have to be honest and say I don't "LOVE" her. She is very sweet, she loves to sit with everyone, she doesn't bark when people come to the door, and her fur doesn't smell yucky. Here are my problems....her breath is horrific!!! It is so nasty. I've tried the puppermints...doesn't really work. I will actually try brushing her teeth, I just have to go get the stuff. This is what I can not deal with.......POOP!!! Granted, her poop is the size of tootsie rolls, but it is still poop. I am trying to get her to only do it outside, and she does a lot of the time. It only takes one time to really disgust me. It is gross. I have dealt with enough poop, I don't want to deal with hers. I don't have time to stand outside to watch her poop, so I am not quite sure what to do. Oh well. And one more thing....she totally licks. All of the time. I think it is so sick! I guess Maltese dogs are known for that. The boys really like her. She is getting spayed next week. It is going to cost over $100. It is 80 something for the procedure and a little over 20 for the pain meds. Scott was irritated I didn't want to waste my $ on pain meds for a dog. Seriously, if I am going to pay for them, I should be able to be the one to benefit. I know I am horrible! Oh well, I guess I did this to myself.

I Finally Got A Girl!

2009-01-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Random facts about me.....I LOVE food, I can't stand being cold, I LOVE babies, and I am NOT an animal person. So, this is much of a surprise to me as it is to my husband. We got another dog, and she is mine. That's right, it's a girl. Now we have two dogs.....that is crazy! Our first dog is a golden retriever. We got him when he was a baby, and the only reason we got him was because people made me feel guitly for having boys and no dog. They told me every boy needs a dog and I fell for it. Anyways, that dog is now 2 or 3....whatever. He poops all over my back yard, he smells, he barks, so I haven't really enjoyed him. Also, when you take him for walks, he is usually the one leading....and he's BIG. So, Scott works with this lady that knows this well-to-do teenager that got two maltese dogs. She was over them, and wanted to get rid of one. Scott mentioned this not thinking I would bite, but I did. By the time he got back to her, she already got rid of the first one. She wanted to keep just one. I was actually a bit disappointed. About a week later Scott got a call telling him that she didn't want the other one either. So, she brought her over, and we kept her. This is totally new for me. I've never had my own dog, let alone a dog that stays indoors. You know I hate smells, so if my house starts smelling like urine, I will freak. So far, she is pretty good at going outside. She had one accident the first night, but has gone outside all the other times. She did poop in the house, but it was our fault that we did not take her out, because she was barking by the door, and we didn't get to her. Anyways, she is very girlie. I named her Lexi, because it seemed like a little, spoiled girl's name (sorry if anyone is named Lexi) She loves to sit in my lap, and she is my shadow. She really, really loves me. I figure since Scott won't let me have anymore babies, this might be as close as I ever get to a girl!
My camera is getting fixed right now, so as soon as I get it back, I will post the pics!

Last Two Days of The Year

2009-01-01T10:41:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite things to do with my family are going to the beach and going out on the boat. December 30th, we took the kids to the beach. I was feeling really lazy and didn't want to get it all together, but I'm glad I did! It was about 70 degrees, sunny, and no wind. It wasn't warm enough to wear a suit, but I had shorts and a tank top, and it was nice to sit in the sun. My nephew got a surfboard for Christmas, so the boys got a chance to try it out. They LOVED it. I am afraid they really want one.....so, if anyone knows of any used boards for sale, please let me know! Anyways, Curtis borrowed his cousin's wet suit, but the other crazies can be part of the polar bear club. You can tell he is freezing, but it didn't stop him from going back in!

Dad giving Curtis surfing tipsHe's up!He's Down!James makes it look easy

You know it is a successful day at the beach when before you hit PCH you see this.......
December 31st looked like it was going to be just as nice, so we decided to head off to Castaic....it was gorgeous

It was not a surprise that we were the only people actually going IN the water. The only other people around were the fishermen. The water was like glass.....the kids (and Scott) had some great runs!

Jamertime

KC loves the boat......he also says "boat" no less than 1,000 times.....he also has no fear of the water and thinks he can walk right into it...we only let him go under once....then we saved him!

Curtis

Curtis always makes us laugh!

Charlie was the only man enough to do it without a wet suit...he had soooo much fun!

The best part is, that it usually results with this.....

And, here I am being happy! Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!

I Think I'm Older

2008-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas with 5 little boys is so much fun! I absolutely love Christmas morning and watching them open their presents. One of my favorite moments was watching KC open up his fire truck.

He was so happy. The boys had a very nice Christmas, we are very blessed to have everything we have.

Christmas Eve is spent at my parent's house. Since my life revolves around food, it is one of my favorites, because they always provide a yummy prime rib dinner. Most families reenact the nativity story, but after the kids' production at the ward party, we decided that was enough! The cousins decided to do a talent show. The white boys rapped the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air"

James played the guitar

KC picked his nose then entire time Ruby and Charlie sang

These 3 boys sang the party song from "Nacho Libre"

You can see I get my not normalness from my family. Not exactly traditional. It was a fun night, and then Scott and I stayed up forever since I had not wrapped one present, and he had a couple of bikes to assemble.

We have the 4 boys sleep upstairs together.....I am pretty sure we could get a couple more kids in there!

Christmas morning came early. KC woke up at 6, but then fell back asleep. By the time I fell back asleep the boys came walking in our room at 7:09. We opened presents, I prepared some food for that evening, and then, went back to bed! I got about an hour nap...not bad. We headed back to my parents so the kids could open some presents together. We got back home and got things ready for Scott's family to come over for dinner. It was nice to see Steve and Melissa and their kids. I got to play with their girls. Kennedi and Rilea sang songs while I played the piano....so much fun for me. We then included the boys and it was nice to hear them sing "We'll Bring The World His Truth"

Robbie and I had one of our usual photo shoots, and he had fun posing....

He is still my favorite sister in law...the funny thing is, my sister had me take pictures of her posing as well....

Robbie and Lana have a lot in common......very funny!

I definitely ate more than I needed to or should have. The only person that I think outdid me was KC......I think this kid has an eating disorder......he NEVER stopped!

I love this kid!

Jamers received the Aaronic Priesthood today, and I am very proud of him. Grandma bought him a nice white shirt since he will be passing the sacrament next week!

Hanna and me....she is a cute girl....I get to watch my sister go through the drama....it's fun!

My mom thought this shirt would hurt Curtis's feelings, but he thought it was funny....he looks exactly like the picture on this shirt when he poses.....and he eats ALL day long! See....

It was a nice Christmas. Since we have only spent 95% of this week with our families, we had everyone over for a post church lunch at our house to celebrate James's accomplishment.

Last night KC slept in his big boy bed for the first time. It wasn't too bad getting him to go to sleep in it....the usual in and out a few times, the problem started at midnight. He walked down into James's room. James brought him up to us. KC wasn't upset, he just wanted to play. Scott and I tried to deal with him in shifts. I layed in his bed for a while, but he just wanted to play with the mole on my face.....Scott took over about 2:30, and said he didn't fall back asleep until 5:00. At least KC was happy throughout the night. No crying or anything.....just wanting to play. So, after a week of nonstop activity, I could not handle an all nighter. After the lunch today, Scott and I were able to take a nap....after 3 hours I had to force myself out of bed. I use to be able to function on very little sleep...I think I am getting old!

My Baby Is Growing Up!!!

2008-12-23T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today is James's 12th birthday. I know this isn't all about me, BUT, I always thought I would be much more mature when I had a son passing the sacrament. I am still really immature....oh well, maybe when he blesses it. I am a proud mother. James is growing up to be an impressive young man. Don't get me wrong, he can be a total snot, but putting the attitude and disrespectfulness aside, he is fantastic. He is a great helper, he is responsible, I think he's a babe, he has a good sense of humor, and I actually really like him. So, he is my oldest....I made a rookie mistake and had my first baby right around Christmas. I did learn from that, and have scattered the other birthdays throughout the year. I try to make James's birthday special for him. I try not to blend Christmas into his day. I was super lazy this year, so yesterday he asked if some friends could spend the night. I figured it would be fine.....I did absolutely nothing. They played basketball and video games. I went upstairs and was asleep by 11. As long as they didn't wake up KC I was ok. I am not even sure if they ate. I think they got soda, but I am not sure if they broke into the junk food. I at least gave them breakfast.....doughnuts, and Scott picked them up. So, I basically did nothing. James will be received the Aaronic Priesthood this Sunday. I am very excited for him. I grew up without the Priesthood in my home. How lucky am I now? Some short years from now, I will be surrounded by it.....I always prayed to have the Priesthood in my home, and I am beyond happy to have that prayer answered. James is very low maintenance. All he wanted today was pizza and a big cookie.....he is outside playing basketball with some brothers and neighbors, and he is totally content......boys are great! Poor James.....I drive him nuts. He really can't stand me! I always tell him....when I am dead and gone, you will think about me, and realize how funny and great I am----weird....I know!

We have been keeping busy with Christmas festivities. The kids are on Christmas break, and we really just plan on hanging out.....that is what they prefer to do. I have to write about our ward Christmas party. I still don't think it is very funny, but people keep telling me that years from now I will find this hilarious. Anyways, they asked the three oldest boys to play the wisemen. James got hit with strep throat, so we replaced him with Charlie. KC was asked to play a camel, so we had the 4 boys up on stage. Long story short, it was basically the nativity story transformed into the WWF. Wrestling, jumping, tackling, hopping, etc. It was out of control. I felt so bad for the people that wanted to enjoy the program....you know there are always some of those out there, but leave it to the Cuillard's....we sucked any reverence out of that program! KC started going under some of the props.....it was entertaining. I was hoping the Bishop would ask us to take some time off from church, but he thought it was fantastic. Oh well, I have a feeling the Cuillard boys will not be asked to participate any time soon.

These were taken during the program

Mormons Are Going Where?

2008-12-11T14:20:00.001-08:00

The other day George came home from school and asked, "Are all Mormons going to hell?" We said no, and why are you asking? He said his friend from school told him that his dad said that. George doesn't beat around the bush, and he isn't shy to tell you how he feels. I don't think I could have responded any better than George did. I asked George what he said when his friend told him this, and George said, "I told him, well, tell your dad he is wrong." How great is that? George didn't get offended, he didn't quite understand why Scott and I were having discussions about it. Well, it turns out this is George's best buddy at school. George has been asking if his friend could come over and play. I totally bribed him (chores, good behavior) I told him if he was good his friend could come over. I talked to this boy's mother. We had never met before. This boy is her oldest and she had never let him go over to a friend's house without knowing the family first. I told her she was welcome to come over and spend as much time as she wanted, etc. I did fess up and tell her I didn't pretend we were a normal family....we are a little crazy, so on and so on. After thinking about it, I thought I should let her know we were Mormon. Since she wasn't super comfortable anyways, I thought it might be a deal breaker. So, I called her up and told her George came home and told us a not so favorable comment about Mormons that her son shared with him, and let her know we were in fact Mormon. I think she was so embarassed. When I was talking with her, I told her there are a lot of odd rumors about our faith, and if she had any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them for her. Now, my evil side thought this was hilarious. We are not normal people, so I forget that people that aren't exposed to our kind can be a little afraid, worried, or whatever. She apologized, didn't even ask me what her son said, which made me believe that she was fully aware of what he may have said. For those that are close to me, know that I can be a bit extreme. So, when she brought her son over, I made sure the house was super clean, made homemade cookies, asked if I could feed him dinner, had the Christmas lights on, etc. etc. I tried to make it so she couldn't dislike me, which normally I don't really care, but realized we could be her first impressions of Mormons.....what pressure! We'll see if he ever comes back. By the way, he was a super nice and polite kid, and is welcome back in our house anytime. I always wonder what I would have thought of Mormons if I hadn't been born into it, because even being born and raised in it, I think we are a little weird....in a good and different way.

Husband Stuff

2008-12-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

1. Where did I meet my husband? Single's ward in Westlake....he was my home teacher.

2.How long did you date before getting married? We met in October '94....started dating in November '94....he moved to Utah January 1, 1995, we visited each other 3 times until he moved back the next month. He proposed February 17th, and we were married that June.....CRAZY!!!
3 How long have you been married? 13 1/2 years
4.What does he do that surprises you? He loves to scare me, which I hate....I scream EVERY time. It is always a pleasant surprise when he gives me massages
5.What is your favorite feature of his? I love that he is tall.
6.What is his best quality? He is genuinely nice......to everyone, and most of the time to me. He is also a good worker with great ethic.
7.Does he have a nickname for you? You can't get much shorter than "K"....but, he loves to scream it.....I don't know why, but he is always screaming "K" in a song like way, even when I am right next to him.
8.What is his favorite food? Ice Cream.......he is a meat and potatos kind of guy, but he says he likes my pasta....which is whole wheat pasta with Ragu...very fancy.
9.What is his favorite sport? He does not discriminate....he loves everything!
10. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We are good at doing projects around the house together.....especially painting. We never have time for it though. We love watching movies at home on the couch...total couch potatos.
11. When did you first kiss? November 5th '94
12.Do you have any children? 5 boys
13.Does he have any hidden talents? He hangs the straightest Christmas lights, and he is compulsively organized when he starts a project.
14.How old is he? 36
15.What is his favorite music? Glamour Rock.....LOVES Bon Jovi.....second favorite Heavy Metal.....classic rock
16.What do you admire about him? His giving nature
17.What is his favorite color? Blue and black
18.Will he read this? I think so, eventually
19.Who said "I love you" First? Him
20.Who do you tag? Whoever reads this

Birthday Experiment

2008-12-09T16:16:00.000-08:00

So, incase you hadn't heard, my birthday was Saturday. I tried something new this year. Usually I don't really make it known that it is my birthday, and I don't usually get excited about it. This time around, I decided to shout it from the rooftops. I completely understand I am a dork, so you don't have to tell me. Scott has always hated that I don't get excited about birthdays, so I thought I would really get into it. Two of my oldest friends, one since 8 years old, and the other since high school took me to lunch on Thursday. We always have a good time, and they are really good friends. Friday I went to breakfast with my sister and parents. I then went Christmas shopping with my mom. I even announced my birthday in my Friday muscle conditioning class, and then made them workout to 50 cent's In Da Club...."Gonna Party Like It's Your Birthday". When I wanted them to squat deeper, I would say "For my birthday...PLEASE!" Saturday we had two football parties....not my favorite thing to do on my birthday, but Pam and Adam were at one of them. It's always fun to see them, and Adam sang to me, which would normally embarass me, but I decided to soak it up and really enjoy the attention. Saturday night we went out to my favorite Mexican and then took the oldest 3 boys to the local production of "It's A Wonderful Life....the Musical". Sunday Scott let me sleep in...we kind of ditched church, because none of the boys woke up (either did I) That afternoon the instructors had a Christmas get together...we exchange presents and eat til we are about to burst. It was a Christmas celebration, but I was pretending it was for me....just kidding, but it is always a good time. My friend, Kim's birthday was on the first, so I suggested we all get together for lunch for a combined birthday celebration. I have no problem throwing myself a birthday party. So, a bunch of us from the ward got together and had a fun lunch. All of them are so great, and I feel so lucky to get to be friends with these girls! Now, some might look at my overly advertised birthday as an attention getter....it is what it is, but I have to tell you that it was one of my most fun birthdays....well birthday weeks! I feel a little guilty about receiving such thoughtful gifts, but really appreciate everyone's kindness. I hate when I miss friends birthdays. I wish everyone would announce when their birthdays are so I don't feel so cruddy after they pass. So, it may seem a bit indulgent, but it depends how you look at it. Maybe a little needy as well, but it was sure fun. Thanks to everyone for making it a great birthday......now I guess I will have to settle for celebrating Christmas.....what a fun month! Ginger and I have been best friends since 4th grade. Jessica and I met in high school, were roommates in college, and she still is willing to hang out with me....that's a true friend....

My parents, sister, Lana, and KC.....birthday breakfast!

Forgot to mention that we had our gym Christmas party Friday night....Scott doesn't love going, but he is a good sport for my sake, and very handsome might I add!

My favorite little men.....best gifts I have ever received!

Carly, Joe and Heidi.....yeah for birthday lunches!

Lori, Pam, Kim and Jennifer.....Happy Birthday to Kim too.....see, it's not all about me

Not the best quality...wish it came out better. Such a fun birthday, I would highly recommend, like the song says...."You've had a birthday, shout hooray!" Much more fun that way!

Not Attractive

2008-12-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

The last thing I would ever normally do is post a picture of my leg! My legs are probably the least favorite part of my body, but seemed to be the favorite part for that dog....here is a pic of the bite. It isn't too bad, but pretty impressive considering I was wearing jeans, and the long, sexy g's underneath!

Childhood Fears Reaffirmed

2008-12-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

I could not believe what happened to me today! For those that don't know me very well, I don't love dogs. There are a few reasons for this.....I don't like dog poop, I don't like them jumping on me and licking me, they usually smell, and I am afraid of them. I was attacked by a dog when I was a little girl....no harm, just scared the crud out of me. A few years later we moved to a house where my best friend and I lived a couple of blocks away from each other. There was a park that was about halfway between our houses. We would always meet there, and the odds of a loose dog were pretty good, and we got chased quite a bit. I hate when people don't have their dogs on leashes, because I am afraid they will come after me or my kids. I am fine with all of you dog lovers. I wish I loved them....it would make things so much easier. We have a dog.....one that is very pretty, but if anyone were to steal him from our backyard I would be forever grateful. Anyways, today I was taking Charlie to preschool. It is right next to a park. There was a very handsome, fit, outdoor bootcamp instructor with his dog. KC was obsessed with this dog. The cute guy thought it was all very sweet, I told him KC was in love with his dog, he told me that KC was welcome to go see the dog. I smiled and said, "oh that is so nice, but thanks anyways." If you asked me, I was thinking he may have even thought maybe I was a little cute. That all changed in an instant! His bootcamp class of about 10 started warming up....Charlie's classroom door opened.....as soon as I told KC it was time to go, he darted right over to this dog. The dog was innocently leashed up to the side of the building right infront of hot guy's class. KC is as wide as he is tall, and very, very fast for a husky midget. I went after KC....he was right next to the dog. As I grabbed KC, the dog attacked me. Now, I am not blaming the dog, because it was pure instinct. Looking back, I should not have come up so quickly. That stinkin dog bit the back of my knee. It didn't gouge my skin, but did make me bleed and left a nasty mark. Worst part, he put a hole in my favorite, expensive jeans!!! OK, so the guy went bolistic on his dog, and apologized, but any chance of him thinking I was cute, I am positive turned into him thinking what a "lame, stupid Mom". Not only was I soooooo embarassed, but it HURT!!! I didn't check out the damage until I got in the car. I got bit, checked Charlie into class....I think I was a bit in shock, because I remember telling a friend of mine, "I just got bit by a dog" She was more in check with reality, and told me to go talk to the owner, but I wasn't even about to. I called Scott and told him, he wasn't exactly sympathetic, I think he laughed at me, but genuinely concerned. I was right by Kaiser, so I went in to ask our nurse what I should do. She started telling me how to patch my favorite jeans......since I am now terrified of dogs, I said "thanks, but what about the bite?" She gave me some iodine swabs, neosporin, and told me it should be fine, but if it got worse to come back. This was the one morning I set out to run errands (which I hate to do), and I wasn't about to stop because of a stupid dog bite! I went around town with my dog bite, bleeding, in pain. I know I am such a whimp, I took advil and if I had painkillers, I would take them! Oh well, worse things happen, and thank goodness KC did not get bit. I will take a picture of my wound, but I can't find the camera....as soon as I do, I will post it. Hope you are all having a better day than me.....really, it hasn't been a bad day, it's been pretty good, except for the dog attack!

I Am 16!!!!

2008-11-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Lately my days have consisted of rearranging each of the kids' rooms....laundry...trying to keep the house clean...sick kids....the gym.....etc, etc. Today was different....well, kind of. I still folded and put away the laundry, taught at the gym, drove kids around, but, I got to step out of reality for 2 hours and go to a movie in the middle of the day. I felt a bit like a teenager again, mainly because I had to get permission from my mom....she watched the kids for me. I went out with a group of girls from the ward. I don't get out much, and it was a lot of fun for me. I am thinking this needs to be a monthly thing....if not a movie, then lunch. It is nice to get out once in a while. So, thanks to all of my friends that ditched their daily responsibilities, and went out with me today. We saw the movie, "Twilight". Since I still think I am 16 years old, it was great. I wasn't too sure about the books when I heard they were about vampires, but got hooked on them like everyone else once I started. I also love Edward. I don't care what some people say, I love him as much in the movie as I do in the book. I also want to thank Jo for the text during the movie....even though you weren't able to go with us, we all got it. I forgot to turn off my phone, so everyone felt you there with us .....your friends and everyone else in the theater. Funny. We all need a couple of hours to escape once in a while. It was nice and needed. Thanks guys!

Is It Me, Or......?

2008-11-18T21:31:00.001-08:00

I know you are thinking yes.....but, I think there is something wrong with me. Here is the deal.....I finally went and got my hair cut today. I use to do it about every 2 months, then it was every 3, and now it seems like every 6. My hair was the longest it has been in a long time.....hence the ponytails. Anyways, I have been going to the same hair dresser for years. I go to a guy named Guy. What I want to know is, does everybody talk to their hairdresser? It seems like the reputation of hair dresser is one of a confidant, someone that you confide details about yourself to. Not me, nope, we are silent. He will ask a couple of questions, that's about it. I think when I first started going to him, he mentioned that he is pretty quiet when he is styling, because it is like art to him. I know, I think that's funny too. I really never thought much of it, until today when I was sitting there and realized EVERYBODY in the salon was having conversation....except Guy and me! Then, I mention this to Scott and Scott says, "I couldn't get him to stop talking to me when I got my haircut by him". (Scott usually gets a "Supercut" but wanted to see what it was like to go to a salon and get your hair shampooed and your scalp massaged....he's such a diva!) So, these are my conclusions.....Guy must really not like me, or Guy must really like Scott.....haha! Anyways, do you think I am weird that I came home and had James take pictures of the back of my head, and then I took some so I could remember what it looks like right after it is done? I do this, because I can NEVER make it look the way he does.....I don't have the patience to dry, straighten, primp, etc. Oh well, here are some pics from my "photo shoot"

I am such a dork......I just noticed that I never untucked my collar from when they washed my hair. I walked around like that for a while.....I'm such a NERD!

A Week Too Early

2008-11-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

There are some that claim that I like to be the center of attention....all the focus on me.....so not true, well most of the time....alright, in certain situations. One of these situations being: giving talks or lessons. It is kind of ironic that I absolutely LOVE teaching a fitness class, but there is a HUGE difference between doing push ups in front of people vs just talking, and in my case, crying infront of everyone. I do not claim to be a spiritual giant, and the first to admit that I make many, many mistakes, so why in the world would anyone consider me to speak at the adult session of stake conference? I really thought it was a joke when I got the phone call, but it really wasn't....how funny is that? Anyways, I have been ignoring the fact that it is this weekend. I was really ticked when I got hit with strep throat last weekend and not this one! So, I really want to throw up thinking about what is coming up this weekend, and can't wait until 8:00 Saturday night when it is over.

Something else that is really laughable to me is the topic of my next Relief Society lesson. Facing the aggressor with the Savior's love. We all know I am not a naturally nice person. I can be nice, but I have to work at it....especially when people are stupid! I know that is not nice, but as soon as I got this topic, people literally were knocking at my door with confrontation. I have a tendency to confront issues head on...ready to go, but I have learned that I need to control that, and try to be a lot more gentle......ahhhhh...easier said than done!

Anyways, I got hit with strept throat this last week. It knocked me down....I was in bed from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning. It was horrible. I am glad it was just a short illness, and glad that antibiotics fight it off. I recognized something as I was laying in my bed. I realized that each of my boys are really, really sweet. I have always known it, but it made me realize it and appreciate it. They are also very different in their ways of showing their concern. James would slightly open the door, and check on me. He wouldn't disturb me, but if I called him, he would come in and ask very sweetly if there was anything he could do. Curtis would walk right up to me, stand there with his big smile, ask how I was feeling, and offer me something. Charlie would jump right on me, give me a huge hug and say "I don't like it when you are sick....I want you to be better". KC would crawl up on me and pat my back and lay his head on my back. George would come in and kiss my cheek and tell me he loves me. The best though was when I woke up to find this on my dresser.....

What in the heck is that? Well, George is definitely the most unique of my children. He was so proud of this ensemble. He told me, "Instead of giving you flowers, I made you a swamp" He told me this with a huge smile on his face. This is for sure something only a mother could love, plus it doesn't die like flowers. So, this is something I get to treasure forever and ever : ))

Post - Halloween Depression

2008-11-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

If you aren't aware......I love Halloween. I am actually sad it is over. The boys have so much fun....Charlie kept telling me how much fun he was having all day on Friday. He had every reason to feel that way. Halloween was non stop fun for him. Let me just preface this by saying I have been so annoyed that every year the elementary schools wouldn't even acknowledge Halloween. I was so jealous of my sister, because they have a complete Halloween carnival, with costumes, candy, games, etc. We have been to 3 elementary schools since we have been in Simi. This year, we started a new school, because they provide a program that Curtis qualified for, and I thought I would try to be a good Mom and give him every oppourtunity I possibly could. I am now 100% positive I made the correct choice in switching schools. Not for academic purposes, or extracurricular activities, but because they acknowledge the glorious celebrations of Halloween! They allow the kids to dress up, they have a costume parade with Halloween music, and a pumpkin carving contest, plus, we got to bring candy to the classroom! These are the things that make me happy! (The previous 2 schools banned candy from their campuses.....that is just so wrong!) So, this is how our sweet, beautiful Halloween day went......

I woke the boys up at 7:00....we rushed through our morning routines. James is now in middle school, and it was crazy hair day.....of course I took advantage of this and gelled up his hair and put different colors in it. Curtis and George got to dress up, and were encouraged to dress up as something they wanted to be when they got older....

Curtis was a football player

George was an FBI Agent

KC thought he was a 4th grader

After the elementary school celebration, I did Charlie's make up in the parking lot, and we headed over to the preschool festival. After preschool, we came home and he got to eat a lot of his candy. We picked the boys up from school, they hurried into their costumes, and we drove over to Aunt Lana's so these cousins could see each other in their costumes.

Let me tell you that I enjoy Halloween masks everyday of the year, except for Halloween. I feel like it is the lazy and easy way out. Despite my beliefs, James is almost 12, and I don't get much say in what he is going to dress up as.....therefore, he wore his "mask" costume.

KC was The Hulk

Charlie the Vampire

For some reason, Curtis despises the Giants, so he wanted to be a dead Giant's player.

George has had this costume planned since 2005. He is obsessed with Halloween!

Aren't they handsome?

Now, this is the part I could do without.......

Candy in the carpet, wrappers EVERYWHERE......it does drive me nuts. I am still coming down from my sugar high, and as I went to bed last night, I couldn't wait to get to the gym the next morning. Since I can't control my eating, I am hoping that working out kind of balances it out. But in order to balance out this Halloween, I would need to work out for the next week non-stop! Oh well, it was a fun day. I have been postponing putting away all of the Halloween decor....basically because I am lazy. So, tomorrow I will start packing it up while I continue to deal with my candy hangover.

Saturday was George's birthday. As you know from my previous post, the Halloween store in TO wasn't doing their 1/2 off sale til Sunday. So, we woke up and went to Target at 8 in the morning. Halloween people are crazy. There were people already there going through everything. It was pretty picked over, but George managed to find a couple of things. We also hit Home Goods, The Do It Center, and the Simi Halloween store....(which didn't have 1/2 off til Sunday as well) Anyways, George had a good time, and he is so simple. He loves everything he picked out, and really appreciates it. I am already a bit discouraged about next year, since Halloween is on a Saturday and the big sales will be on Sunday again! Oh well. We spent the rest of George's big day at Curtis and James's football games....which they both lost. We finished off the rainy, cold day at home with pizza and a scary movie. George and Charlie got freaked out, and ended up in bed with me that night. I hope George enjoyed his 7th birthday as much as I did!

Devastated!

2008-10-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

I know people have real problems, but I am so bummed about George's birthday. He turns 7 on the 1st of November. Anyone that knows George, knows that he should have been born on Halloween, because he LOVES it. Every year on his birthday, he gets to miss school, and we go to a great Halloween store for their 50% off sale. It works out great, because I don't even have to do birthday shopping. He goes in a picks out whatever he wants, and I buy it for him....1/2 off! We usually go to McDonalds after and get him lunch. It is a dream come true for George, plus, I love it too. We had it all planned out this year. His birthday falls on a Saturday, so he wasn't going to miss school....but we were planning on getting there first thing. James and Curtis's games aren't until later that day, so it was perfect. I just got an email from the Halloween store announcing that their sale would be on the 2nd this year! I am so upset!!! The devil in me wants to still go, but I know it's not the right thing to do blah, blah blah! I also decided George wouldn't have a "friend" birthday party this year, because he has been a bit of a pistol lately. I figured the tradition would be just enough. Now what do I do??? I actually sent the store an email asking why it isn't on the first, and how disappointed my almost 7 year old was. This is something he....ok we, love to do, and I am so sad my Halloween decor will not be increasing this year. So, that is my sad story. Here are some pics of my Halloween boy....

I really do love this kid!

Found It!

2008-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

I found my camera! So, here are the only two pictures I got at the beach the other week.....

I don't have anything major to write about. I do have some pictures though. I don't know about you, but Sundays are super.....SUPER FIGHTING days at our house. Tantrums are plenty. If we don't go to church, it increases that much more. Anyways, here is a picture of Charlie coming home from church the other week.....

Charlie is the world's loudest, tantrum, fake cryer EVER! I couldn't help but to take this next picture as we were dealing with Charlie.......

If we don't add the laughter in with the "K" oss, we wouldn't make it through the craziness!

KC is a typical, nutty boy, and he is so full of happiness! You can see the joy on his face. He knows how to have a good time, and gets right in the middle of everything. Life IS crazy!

Nothin!

2008-10-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

This post is about absolutely nothing. I just haven't written for what seems like forever (a whole week). Last Thursday the kids had school off, so we took advantage of the weather and headed out to the beach. The weather was great, good friends (they actually tolerate my kids), the only difference was the water was a bit colder. I took my camera, but only got this picture of KC.... which I just now realized isn't on my computer yet, and I can't find the connectors for the computer to download it....oh well. Anyways, it was fun to get to the beach in October! The weekend was spent at the football fields, of course. Both of our teams lost....bummer.
So, nothing super exciting......which is actually nice. I enjoy it when nothing major happens, because when it does it usually isn't anything good. I did get a stomach bug, felt skinnier for about a day, and then I ate cookies.....now I feel a lot fatter. I am trying to not eat as much junk food, but the more I concentrate on it, the more I want it. Probably not the best idea right before Halloween. So, I might as well just work out. I did the most killer one legged squats in class yesterday, and I am so sore. Pam, I know you said your legs were tired right after the class, I really hope you aren't feeling the same way I do right now. I am just about to take off for the gym for bootcamp, and I am very afraid. I might cry from the pain.....I am just telling myself it is good to work the sore muscles....which is not true, you should really wait an extra day....oh well. I just wish my butt and legs looked how they feel : )

?

2008-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on all of the trends, but now that I am done with studying, I thought I would read a book. Does anyone have the first book of the Twilight Series that I might be able to borrow? I am too lazy, and too cheap to go buy one. So, if anyone is willing to help me, I'd appreciate it.....I could always bake something in return....hey, I could even give you a training session: )

The Good, The Bad, and The Smelly

2008-10-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things in the entire world is music. It makes me happy, it just makes things better. I enjoy almost any type of music. The other day at the gym, a girl named Laurie that takes some of my classes ran up to me and offered me tickets to the Neil Diamond concert. I was ecsatatic. She knows I really enjoy music, but wasn't sure if I would be into Neil Diamond. When I was a senior in high school (16 years ago) my best friend Ginger and I went to a Neil Diamond concert. I thought he was ancient at the time. Turns out he was only 51. Even then, I would have married him! He was fantastic then, and he was fantastic last night. Scott and I were definitely the youngest, and I am sad to admit that the way I danced to the music made me feel like I was dancing like a Mom! The music was great. Our seats were pretty close, we had a side view. We had a fantastic view of the band.....I loved it. I am extremely envious of those that get to perform for a living. This band has been together for the last 30 years.....and they are so talented. The concert was so fun. As I was sitting there, I almost got teary eyed, because if I could go to concert after concert I would be in heaven. It is something I really, really LOVE!!! So, the concert was great, but I am afraid it was not a perfect evening! Scott was afraid we would be sitting in hours and hours of traffic, because it was raining, there was a Dodger game, a USC game, and a UCLA game we would be dealing with. Scott had the idea to drive down to Hollywood and take the subway to the Staple center. Now, if you know me, you know I absolutely HATE to be cold, and I can not stand nasty odors. Scott tells me all of the time that I live in a bubble here in Simi, which by the way, is not so bad. I like my bubble. So, I am not exposed to too much.....which I prefer! Anyways, we get on the subway.....it wasn't so bad at first, but as we continued on downtown, the people got scarier and scarier. I did not enjoy it. Some of the people smelled, and that is where I draw the line! My grumpiness disappeared once I got to our great seats and some food...of course! Neil performed for over two hours, and I was laughing at the fact that all of the senior citizens can party way harder than me......I was exhausted. Now, the last thing I wanted to do was get back on the subway. I was hoping to find someone I knew to give us a ride, or find a cab....but I didn't have a choice. I immediately got ticked off as we had to wait for the train for 10 minutes and there was a homeless guy literally laying on top of the trash can. It got even better when we were all too close for comfort and someone passed gas. I was about to vomit. Then, we get on, and it was jammed pack. I don't enjoy standing next to people that smell...whether it is bo or alcohol...I don't love it. It was so disturbing being less than 2 feet away from a couple that was less than attractive totally making out....I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I am pretty sure there was a gang member or two close by, I know for sure there were a few lesbians (which were harmless, but still interesting), drunks, and some mentally insane. I kept thinking, if I die like this, I am going to be so ticked. On top of everything else, I had to stand, because it was so full, AND someone kept farting....it was horrible! I was not a happy camper. I think of myself as a pretty tolerable person, but after my experience, I realized I am a bit of a snob! Not my cup of tea! Anyways, the concert was fantastic....the travel to and from, not so much.....oh well, you live and you learn. The experience did make me grateful for what I have, and appreciate my bubble!

Good Week

2008-10-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a fantastic day for James and Curtis. James's football team had lost their last 2 games, and finally got their first victory. James got his first and second touchdown! He is so funny when he gets all pumped up and celebrates. He looks a little bit like he is having convulsions, but I keep that on the down-low, because he gets irritated with me. Luckily, he is a total babe in his uniform.Curtis's team also took home a victory, and Curtis ran a 55 yard rush for a touchdown! His smile was ginormous.

Two good wins for two good kids. KC has a thing for cones. At the beach he takes them from the lifeguards, and at the football game he removes them from the sidelines....he is such a treasure!!! Luckily, this kept KC busy for a little bit during the 4 hours of football games we had back to back.....

Right after the games, we got ready to take one more "summer" trip with the boat. Our friends were brave enough to invite us to go camping with them. We took our boats and had such a fun time. I am happy to be starting the month of October with a tan, but sad to know it won't last too long. I am not much of a camper, but we stayed in our friend's trailer, and it was really nice. Maybe some day we can afford to get one, because the kids were in heaven. We had three families out there, consisting of 13 kids.....11 boys, 2 girls. It was a really great family get away.

The kids provided some entertainment

KC's friend, Dave. Dave was VERY patient with KC

Cute Kids

KC and the ladies

KC's first attempt at waterskiing....he didn't quite get up....next summer for sure!

Shane had the party boat for kids 11 and under...

The kids missed one day of school, and had the next day off because of the Jewish holiday. They were happy about a 3 day school week. Despite the short week, I still managed to screw up. The day we returned, George had a field trip and almost did not get to go, since his brain dead Mom sent him to school without a permission slip. Luckily, it all worked out.

Today when I picked George up from school, he told me that a girl told him that she liked his blonde hair. I told him to get use to it. He didn't understand why, but I have a feeling he will be getting a lot of attention from the ladies!

KARL CONRAD!!!

2008-09-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

That is what you could hear me screaming when I found him up on the bbq eating the dog food. So gross! Not only was he covered in grease from the dirty bbq, but dog food smells so nasty. I cleaned him off and as I went out of the room he ran out back and did the same exact thing. He gets out back real easy now, since he disconnected the screen from the frame.....I am pretending it is like a doggie door for KC. He is such a busy boy.....climbs on EVERYTHING! He pulls the kitchen chairs up to the fridge and floods my kitchen floor. I finally realized I can lock the dispenser...duh! Anyways, this all took place in less than 1/2 hour. I am not complaining.....I would so much rather deal with this stuff than teenage stuff. That I am not looking forward to.

I know this looks bad, but this kids is like Spiderman the way he scales up everything!

There he is....getting his supper!

I Got Me A Jacket!

2008-09-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

You really don't have to tell me I am a dork. I recogize that about myself....it is one way I would describe me. With that being said......I am really excited. I now have an Oakridge Adidas jacket that has the words "PERSONAL TRAINER" on the back. I met with the fitness director at my gym and now that I am certified, I am an official trainer there. I am really excited about it. I don't have any clients there yet, but that is ok, because I have the jacket. I am also going to get two t-shirts as well. I am not being sarcastic when I say that makes me happy! I have worked hard, and this has been one of my long term goals, and I am kind of giddy about it. I am not looking forward to the picture and bio they are going to post in the workout area, but I'll get over that. I am not kidding when I tell you that when Brandi was showing me around all of the "trainer stuff" and telling everyone I got certified and am going to start training there, I was the biggest goof and would say, "yeah, look at my jacket" ....with a dorky smile on my face. So, it was a good morning...except for the hour I spent waiting to see the doctor for KC. He was a nightmare in the waiting area, and it took forever! Since there is no controlling him, I have gotten so use to people's looks when he is screaming his high pitch scream. I don't even get embarassed anymore. I did get to see my favorite midwife there, and she was so happy when I told her I wasn't pregnant. Is it bad when your midwife advises you to not have anymore kids....and not because of medical reasons? That makes her sound not very nice....but she really is.....she just knows how I am when I am pregnant and is the one that has to deal with me when I am. After a quick fix at the doctors for KC's rash I had to pick Charlie up for school, and his teacher actually told me how good he has been. So, today has been pleasant for the most part.

Right now, James is at his first middle school dance. When I got the permission slip it said that parents could go if they wanted. You should have seen James's face when I told him he could go, and asked him where he wanted to meet me for the dance. He didn't want to hurt my feelings, but he didn't hide his lack of excitement either. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see what a goofball he is. If he is a punk, which he kind of has been lately, I will threaten to go to the next one and dance the whole time! He is really growing up, and it is just crazy to me.

My Kids Think I'm The Best

2008-09-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is very rare for me, so I am going to document that right now my kids think I am fantastic! Why? Well, because we brought out all of the Halloween stuff and put it all over the house. I understand that it isn't even October yet, but the celebrating has begun. George absolutely lives for Halloween. He was born one hour after Halloween. At the time, I did everything in my power to prevent having a Halloween baby, but I now regret not walking around and trying to get him here on Halloween. George has had his costume for this year planned since 2005. He got mad at Charlie for wanting to be the same thing he was last year.....luckily, we were able to change Charlie's mind, because George just wasn't going to have it. George collects masks and loves wearing them throughout the year. George is a little odd, but I think he gets some of it from me, because our rule is you can wear masks anytime, except on Halloween. Halloween is the time to be creative and go all out! George use to wear his masks to the daycare at the gym, but they had to ask him to stop, because he would wear them and just stand still and stare at the little kids until he freaked the crud out of them. He is a bit odd, and that is one of the things I adore about him. Anyways, the Halloween stuff is out. So, if you come by my house and notice a bunch of dust and spiderwebs....it is part of the decor...ok......not that I am not cleaning!

It's About Time!

2008-09-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

I can't even express how relieved, happy, and exhausted I am. I have been taking every spare moment I have to soak up as much info for my personal training exam that I possibly could. Children, meals, house cleaning has all been neglected. I wanted to retake my test as soon as possible....so, I made an appointment to take it this morning. I was so nervous. I was way more nervous this time. I felt pretty confident. When I am determined to do something, I consume myself in it until I get it done.....I hate failing, but I think it is good to fail. It made me learn more, and actually built my self confidence a bit. After taking the test you have to go to the main desk and get your results. I am pretty sure I was a little shaky....I know I was sweating....a complete mess. Then I heard the two most beautiful words...."YOU PASSED". I think I almost cried. When I took it the first time, and didn't pass, I was angry....now I was so happy I wanted to cry. Scott was overjoyed....he now has his wife back. Everyone had to sacrifice while I prepared, and I am so glad to get back to my normal life. Not that it is very normal. Anyways, thanks for all of the kind wishes....and gifts!!! Scott was very sweet and brought home flowers in the middle of the day to congratulate me. After picking the boys up, we took a trip to 7 eleven for celebratory slurpees. I had decided that if I didn't pass I would go take an afternoon spin class, but since I did, the kids and I are going to make cookies!

Update

2008-09-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to know that my buddies have my back. Just wanted to let everyone know that the "KC" situation has calmed down a bit. The gym told me not to worry about it, and I hold zero liability. I am sure they are regretting ever hiring me there.....but I have been there almost 6 years, and this is the first legal dilemna I've caused...not bad!

As far as my testing goes, I have been studying like crazy, except for the last few days. I got hit with a yucky cough, cold, aches, you name it. I was really sick, and it was hard to concentrate on my studies. It could be all of the cold medicine fogging my head up. I have missed a couple of classes, but I am going to attempt to teach bootcamp tomorrow. So, I was going to take the test AGAIN this Friday, but I think I will give myself a few extra days to clear my head, and do it next week. If I fail I will need my friends to go eat something really fattening with me....heck if I pass we should go eat something fattening.....either way, it's a good excuse to have fun! Luckily, my kids are staying mostly healthy....KC is teething some more...uh oh, more weapons..haha!

And I Thought I Was A Jerk!!!

2008-09-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have five billion things to do right now, but since I am totally distracted I am going to vent on my blog. We've been having a lot of George issues lately, and this morning was no exception!!! All morning long I listened to him freak out about anything and everything.....I was very proud of myself for keeping myself under control. He eventually calmed down halfway to school. After dropping the kids off at school, it was time to take Charlie to his first day of preschool. My camera broke recently, so thank you to Robbie for bringing over his camera for me to borrow. I am so lazy right now, I will post the pics later. Anyways, Charlie was great and could have cared less that we were leaving him. As I was there, I realized there was a parent picnic with the kids at 11:00. At 11:00 I was suppose to shower and wait for the groceries. Oh well, I was able to reschedule my grocery delivery (yes, I get my groceries delivered, and it is not expensive.....if you spend more than a billion dollars, you usually get free delivery...anyways...) I had to teach my bootcamp from 9:30 to 10:30, and that would give me just enough time to pick up a healthy lunch from Carls Jr. with french fries, soda and all!!! As I was walking into the gym, one of the managers took me aside and told me we had a slight situation. Well, Thursday night while I was teaching, KC bit a little girl on the cheek. I felt really bad for the little girl. I was going to wait to talk to the mother and apologize, but I was late picking up James, and had to leave. Apparantly, this mother was more than ticked off. If you remember, I posted not too long ago about another mother who was totally TO'd that he daughter's face got scratched. So, he is not a first time offender. Anyways, this mother has been complaining to the gym, and is claiming her daughter's face is infected, blah, blah, blah. Looks like it will be going to the legal department! When KC bit her that night, I looked at the little girl's face to see how bad it was. I remember saying, "oh good, I am glad he didn't break the skin, just looks like a bad bruise". So, how can her cheek be infected if there was no open wound? hmmmm? We are pretty sure this lady is out to get some money, and I am the problem causer!!! Not what I wanted to deal with. I would like to meet this lady and bite her!!! I am not sure where KC gets this aggression from....it's crazy! Luckily, I got to beat the crud out of the bags during my bootcamp class and didn't even care that I could barely breath from my yucky cold I got hit with this weekend. I have been on the other side of this before, and understand that kids are kids. Nobody likes it when their kids get hurt, unfortunately when you put kids together there are stinkers like KC that go on attack. Is it because he is the youngest of 5 boys and he wants to rule for a little......who knows. Anyways, I want to give a shout out to Stephanie Lovio for being super cool when KC attacked her sweet Syndey during nursery at church. I felt so bad, and Stephanie was so sweet and understanding.....thank you Stephanie!!! So, I thought my challenge today would be getting all of the laundry done and put away.....oh no, it's not that easy! Ok, thanks for reading my venting session. Is it possible that I could have a child worse than George? Oh No!!!

ps I don't mean to be such a complainer.....but I think this blog thing is helping me to not have to be committed. Hopefully I will have pleasant, beautiful things to write about soon! Life could be so much worse, it's really not bad, just part of life, right? Plus, I feel much better!

pss......watch out for this predator.....lock up small children and valuables.....

Scoring Big

2008-09-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

So, I don't really want to dwell on my low score from yesterday....so I won't, because I totally scored today. I honestly did not write yesterday's post so everyone would feel bad for me, because I really am ok. I want to thank everyone for their kind thoughts AND kind gestures! I am so thankful for my friends and really appreciate you guys. It is so nice to know that I have such a great support system. I studied and studied AND studied as much as I could today. During my morning study session I had my phones turned off......Pam dropped off a sweet card, Diet Pepsi and a bag of Red Vines at my front door.....she knows me well.....Pam, how did you know that I am completely out of Diet Pepsi and licorice.....which are staples in my house! If my camera was working I would have taken a picture, because it was such a beautiful sight. I usually don't eat licorice for lunch, but today it was necessary. I picked the boys up from school, got them settled in and started my studying again. My doorbell rang, and there stood Lori with a gift for me. I couldn't believe it! How great are my friends?!? She gave me a very cute card and a bag of Tutti Fruiti Jelly Bellies! How fantastic is that? Especially after the trauma of Albertsons discontuing them. Just so you know, Lori found them at the Ralphs in Wood Ranch. Anyways, I was feeling really tired this afternoon, and a handful (or two or three) of those jelly bellies were like the best uppers ever. I felt renewed and ready to take on the gym, my kids, and this studying! I was joking with Lori how I should put a pity box on my front door and everyone can just drop off dinners and treats. I just want to clarify that I was totally joking. At first, I was very hesitant to tell the world about my recent defeat, but I wear my emotions on my sleeve, so I figured why hide it! It really was a nice day to feel everyone's support and vote of confidence....so thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Confessions From.....A Not So Smart Girl

2008-09-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have had 120 days to study for my personal certification test....yes one hundred, twenty days! I am a procrastinator. I think I work best under pressure. It wasn't like I wasn't studying, I just wasn't studying as often as I should have been. I had made an appointment to take my test this morning. Monday was a holiday, so I had scheduled myself to study ALL day Tuesday, and really cram! Well, while I was teaching my 8:30 am class yesterday, my cell phone kept ringing. I checked it right after and had a few messages from my mom and sister. Turns out my mom had to be admitted into the hospital immediately. She had her heart surgery 6 weeks ago, and was doing very well. Unfortunately, the night before, her heart rate was sky high.....140bpm. The average heart rate is 70-80. Just to preface....this totally screwed up my plans!!! Luckily, Scott was able to leave work and take over the house, kids and carpool. I got a sub for my spin class and went down to the hospital with the intention of studying while we waited. Anyways, there wasn't much down time....Mom ended up having to have her heart shocked, and that was successful in bringing her heart rate down. I was going to sit and wait for her to come out of anasthesia and hang out with her until she could get discharged.....meaning study time, BUT, I was starving and had to get some food. Came back to the hospital and hung out with my mom, and basically got zero studying done! Not good! After I got home, Scott took most of the kids to football practice. I kind of had a quiet house, made dinner and got what I thought was enough studying in. I was hoping I was smart enough to get a passing grade. Just so you know.....I'm not! I totally FAILED!!! Scott felt really bad for me, I don't feel bad for me.....my main emotion is anger! I am so ticked! I plan on retaking the test....hopefully by the end of next week. I am a bit compulsive....I plan on soaking up as much knowledge as my teeny little brain can hold! Now, if I fail next week I am sure I will be sad. I wish I could say this was the worst part of my day, but I think I have come to the realization that there are so many worse things in life....but I am still going to vent. Luckily, my mom's incident was successful, but still an emotional day. Today, was just a crappy day.....but also a good day, and I appreciated it. Like I said, Scott was sad for me, and since he knows food is my drug of choice, took me out to lunch....he even offered Tommy's, but I wasn't that depressed, plus it isn't Valentine's Day! So, we went to Carl's (yes, it is a bit healthier). I figured since I was going to be devoting my life to the personal training manual, I would need some power food to get me through it....what else besides Tutti Fruiti jelly bellies. So, I ran into Albertsons, and they are no longer selling them out of the bins. I spoke with the lady that worked there, I think she felt bad for me and could see the sadness in my eyes, or maybe because I told her that I was about to cry. Honestly, the fact that Albertsons is no longer selling my precious jelly bellys stung more than my failing grade! Luckily the 500 tootsie rolls I ate numbed that sting! Once the kids were home from school, I got to deal with a "George" afternoon.....constant fighting, whining, and zero reasoning. That just about did me in. I had my bootcamp class tonight, and was looking forward to releasing my aggression....I get to the gym and realize my ipod is frozen. ALL of my workout music is on my ipod! I scrounged up the last of my existing CDs to see if I could put something together. 2 minutes before my class started I was able to restart my ipod, and had my music.....yeah! I knew it would be a good class after jump roping to Run DMC....It's Tricky.......so good. I feel like it was a good class, and I really needed it. I've got more than half of my kids to bed...the house is kind of clean. I am ready to STUDY! So, if my phone rings and goes to the answering machine, it is because that is one of the rare moments I get to study without kid distractions. Just a few more complaints....my camera broke...hopefully we can fix it somehow......my computer broke....Scott ran out and bought me a new one, even though we are really trying to save money......it is one thing after the next. Ugh! I was a bit grumpy before I had to leave for the gym, and it is amazing how one experience can turn you around. It's nothing big, but I was bathing the youngest 3. While they were in the bath, the shower head accidentally turned on, and KC had the funniest, excitable laugh. It made me smile and made me realize life really is good. OK....I've gotta go study........I was so looking forward to getting this scrabble tournament put together.....looks like it will be later this month. I am smart at things that don't matter....watch out, because I play scrabble much smarter than I take tests! At least I think I do...at this point, who knows?

School Makes Me Tired!

2008-08-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was a kid I could never fall asleep the night before school started. I think they are starting school way too early these days, because we were all less than enthusiastic to get to school, and I had NO problem falling asleep last night! I am such a procrastinator, I finally arranged carpool at 9:00 last night! I had to force myself out of bed this morning.....then had to force the kids out of bed. I am impressed that we woke up early enough for scripture study (so far 100% this school year!) and a homemade breakfast. I have to admit that I sent my kids to school with barely any school supplies, and since I have not done grocery or Costco shopping, they were sent with boring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I am such a loser mom. I do plan on getting school supplies, but Curtis and George started a new school and I did not have the supply list.

Here is their forced picture!

We got everybody to school on time....again 100% for the school year. James has started his first year of middle school, and the kids there looked sooooo old! Here I am embarassing James on his first day.....

I took these from the car.....he really can't stand me! I finally got home by 9:00, and I actually got a lot of stuff done. Cleaned the house, folded and put away laundry, cleaned the garage (I had half of the beach in my garage), cleaned my car out(had the other half of the beach in there), made cookies (just because I wanted the dough), vacuumed, dusted, made dinner, etc. I still didn't get my car washed or get to Costco. Oh well. The kids had a successful first day. Now that I have signed ALL of the new papers, I am going to try to finish this day out strong. I start fading at about 3:00. It is almost 5:30, and I am feeding half of the kids dinner before I have to go teach bootcamp! Hopefully I will get my second wind soon! Is it sad that I am fantasizing about falling asleep tonight....and it is ONLY the first day of school!

ps....While I was cleaning out my pantry, I found a bunch of baby food that I will not be using.....does anybody want it? Let me know...and it's yours.....I always hated spending grocery money on that baby food!

Halloween In August

2008-08-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

That is right! It still may be two months away, but we are ready to kick off Halloween. It seems like most people really love Christmas.....I do love Christmas, but my absolute favorite is Halloween. We really have fun with this holiday.....yes it is a holiday! My Uncle Steve, who lives in Huntington Beach, grows pumpkins, and invites us down every year to get a bunch of them. Some of these pumpkins are huge....over a hundred pounds. Every kid gets to pick his own, and then some. We are so lucky! The kids have a blast and Uncle Steve aka Uncle Scary is so much fun with them. George and Uncle Scary both have a passion for Halloween, and Uncle Scary got George started on his mask collection. Before we head to the pumpkins, we swim and hang out. Here is James getting attacked by Uncle Scary...or the "crocodile"Here he is checking out the damage to his toe...the crocodile bites toes....especially the big ones! George and Uncle Scary....two of a kind...

Here are some pics of us picking our pumpkins

How many guys does it take to carry a pumpkin?.....

LOTS!!!

It was a fun time, and the kids are already asking when we get to do it again!

I had to throw in this one picture of KC......I went to change and get ready for the gym....this is how I found him, and this is how we left the house..

He is a MONSTER!!!

Can Not Get Enough!

2008-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

I am going to be in total depression Tuesday evening.....why??? Because it will be the official last beach day of the summer. It makes me sad to think about. The beach has been especially perfect the last few times I have gone. We couldn't help but go twice this week, and if I could I would go tomorrow, but I can't....Anyways, Tuesday was my niece's birthday party. Her birthday isn't until September 17th, but she wanted a beach party, so I called it her pretend birthday celebration. But, it was a good idea, and so fun. There were twenty 13 year old girls there....CRAZY.....but they were all very sweet girls. James and Curtis went to a USC football practice that day, so they missed out on the girl-fest. Since I am the laziest Mom in the world, I thought with twenty girls, at least a couple of them would watch KC for me. Despite that, I did manage to lose KC one time. He is such a fast little midget! He was fascinated with the lifeguard truck, so, he walked almost a whole lifeguard station down to go check it out. It is such a yucky feeling when you lose a child..even for a couple of minutes. Luckily no harm was done, but a couple of judgemental mothers were trying to help him find me. When I thanked them, they gave me that look....whatever!!! It was a fun party, and the 3 boys I had with me had a good time playing with their cousins.
The waves were super calm, but I still made my sister hold my hand. Mostly because she hates doing that, but I think it is fun! We were out in the waves and a seal swam right by us.......scared the crud out of me! Don't sharks hang out with seals? Great water, weather, light breeze...perfect! So perfect, I had to go back today. Perfect again! The kids got along pretty good. Tiffany met me there, and we had a lot of fun. Tiffany has very cute girls, so George and Charlie had a really good time. They play really good with girls....especially cute ones! Two perfect beach days in one week. I feel really spoiled. There was a moment today when one of the kids wanted to go home....my response was, "there is for sure a sad child somewhere in Iowa wishing they were at the beach today...be grateful for the beach!" I don't think he understood what I was saying, but it made sense to me. I will never take the beach for granted.....I LOVE it! It was one of those days where it just kept getting nicer and nicer. I wish we could have stayed for dinner...oh well, we had football, the gym, and junior high orientation.....can't believe my little Jamers is going to junior high. That means I am getting older....and that for sure means Scott it getting older.....I say that, because his birthday is tomorrow. I will do a separate post for him, because I know he would be sad if I didn't devote a whole post to him! He is sad because I haven't celebrated birthday "WEEK"...that's right I said week. I'll talk about that later!

It Could Be Worse....Part II

2008-08-18T18:52:00.001-07:00

After the morning fiasco, the day continued with laundry and cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. Because we thrive on consistency, here is a picture of the dinner aftermath...The picture doesn't really look that bad, it is worse than it looks. Just in case you were going to invite KC over for dinner, he starts throwing food when he is done. Those are peas and carrots ALL over my kitchen. Did I mention that I already washed the floor once today? Oh well, like I've said, it could be worse. I am upstairs typing this as these troublemakers of mine are in the bath

If only my kitchen was as clean as them right this second. Oh well.....happy Monday!

By the way, I know my ward buddies usually go to Zuma 13 tomorrow, but if you feel like heading south a little bit, we will be down in between 11 and 12. My niece is celebrating her 13th birthday there tomorrow.....if anyone wants to join the party...come on down!

As I was finishing up this post, the boys were getting out of the bath....before I could get a diaper on KC he made a mess on the carpet....just like a dog! Sorry, no pictures. The only reason I mention this is to make you feel better about your day. Most likely you won't go to bed tonight saying...."I had to clean poop off of the carpet"......sweet dreams!

It Could Be Worse!

2008-08-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Either I am getting calmer or just lazier. I am noticing that things happen and I am starting to thing it is normal....well normal for us. Yesterday I had to teach in Relief Society, so I had to be there on time. Since church is at 9:00, I don't do grand Sunday breakfasts that I have always wanted to do. As I was trying to get everything ready to go, this is what I came downstairs to

Cocoa Pebbles EVERYWHERE

I looked at it....grabbed my camera....took pics...and left. I just figured I would deal with it when I got home. Luckily it was not covered in milk. I've had way stickier messes before. Back in the day my blood pressure would have gone up and I would have yelled at someone....not yesterday. I've realized it happens, and I need to start accepting it. Today was not much different. Mondays are a little busy for me. I usually train in the morning, and then go off to the gym to teach. That means James is given the responsibility of making sure everyone is still alive when I get back. When I was on my way home I called to see what I had to return to. James was in a panic. It turns out innocent, little KC grabbed the lysol disinfectant spray, opened it, and spilt it on the living room carpet. He was trying to clean it up....he was stressed, worried it was discoloring the carpet. It kept foaming, and we scrubbed it for a good 30 minutes.....

Not a big deal....at least KC didn't drink it.....it could always be worse! I think that is my new thought for now. I will taken spilt cocoa pebble, and lysol in the carpet anyday. My kids are healthy.....the lysol made the house smell clean, so it's all good. I have to throw in this picture of George....I know I am his mom, but he is so handsome.
I love these striped shirts. The day I met Scott he was wearing one similar to this. I thought he was really cute.....the feeling was not mutual, but that is for another post.

You Can Find Us.....

2008-08-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

At the football fields. I am not complaining, it is a good time. James had his first scrimmage today, and he LOVED it. This is James's 3rd year playing. We were in a different league, and switched to the Patriots this year. The difference is pleasant to say the least. A lot more layed back, and uplifting. James has always wanted to play quarterback, and today he had his first oppourtunity. I know I am his mom, but he did a great job. He did hurt his finger, and I think his coach wanted him to call it a day. I understand if a bone was popping out, or blood was everywhere, but a sprained finger....come on. We gave him an advil, taped it up, and sent him back out. Even though it was just a scrimmage he was on cloud 9 for his chance at quarterback.

Plus, he looks so cute in his little outfit, costume, yes I know uniform! I just like to tick off Scott and the boys when I say that.

Curtis is patiently sitting on the side lines waiting until he gets the ok. He looked a little bit better today. I told him probably 2 more weeks. What a bummer, but it isn't worth it to push this thing.

The other boys are busy, but it works if George has enough toys, Charlie has enough snacks, and KC is happy stealing the cones from the sidelines and food from random families.

As long as the weather is great, it is a pleasant time. I am not going to love it when it is cold.....but we'll deal with that when it gets here!

I Thought The Beach Cured Everything?!?

2008-08-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

OK.....don't send social services, I learned my lesson! I am aware that when you have mono you are suppose to take things easy. I thought that if Curtis went to the beach yesterday he would be able to relax, and the beach vibes would ease his discomfort. Yesterday was another fantastic day at the beach....warm, light breeze...super enjoyable. Here is a picture of Curtis pre beach..... His eyes are a bit swollen, and he didn't feel super great. When he went to the beach he wasn't allowed to run around, swim in the water, etc. I even dug a hole in the sand, layed down towels, covered him with his blanky, and put him under the umbrella...... He even took a short nap. Despite my efforts, I think it wore him out more than I thought. He had a terrible night's sleep, and he woke up with his throat killing. This is what he looks like today.....

How sad is that? I have been giving him motrin non stop....I am hoping to be able to get a better pain killer from the doctor, and I went and got him a slurpee. I am not sure what else I can do for him. I hate it when my babies don't feel well. It breaks my heart.

The beach was fun, and it is always a good time hanging out with my friends. Now, I am not sure if they are going to stay my friends, because I take pictures of them, and they tell me I can't post them....but I do! Here is Tiffany blowing up the BIGGEST beach ball EVER!!!

Don't be mad at me Tiff....you look really pretty AND skinny. Which I have to mention Tiffany is running a marathon...over 26 miles....I can't even imagine! She is my hero!

The best part of this beach ball experience was when it was finally blown up, I said "next time you should bring a pump" that was when Kim realized she had had a pump in her car all along. Pretty funny!

Don't my boys look so sweet here:

I think KC sat there a whole 30 seconds. The rest of the time he bugged Pam. He is covered in sand, and was on top of her all day long! Sorry Pam. KC fell asleep in the car before I even pulled out of the parking lot. The sand sticks to him, so I couldn't even wipe it off.....

It is so weird that he has sand above and under his eyes, and it is very rare if he complains of sand in his eyes. This kid is constantly on the go. He plays hard and aggressive. He shows his affection with hard pinches and open mouth kisses.....and I love him! This morning when he woke up, he was so excited to see me, his whole body shook, and he grabbed on to me super tight and gave me the longest kiss! Those are the things that make me so happy!

Today has been a lazy day for everyone. No point in cleaning my house, because it gets destroyed....so the boys are just playing and making messes. I got a good laugh when Charlie came in the room like this:

ME

2008-08-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

So, this post is about me, because Heather "tagged" me. I will play along, because I actually like these kinds of things. These are the rules:list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts and then tag 5 other people. Leave a comment for the people you tag so they know they have been tagged.

Here it goes:

Joys......
1. My husband and kids
2. Yummy food
3. Perfect beach days

Fears....
1. Being hungry......craving something and not having it accessible (I know I have issues!!!)
2. swimming by myself in the ocean
3. Harm to my children

Current obsessions/collections:
1. jelly bellies and licorice
2. scrabulous
3. Tivo

Surprising Facts....
1. I am able to roll my stomach.....I am extremely gifted like that
2. I can pick up almost anything with my toes
3. I can burp the alphabet and all of my kid's names

I tag:
1. Pam
2. Lori
3. Jo
4. Kim
5. Jody

Have fun!

Who Has Been Kissing Curtis???

2008-08-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

The reason I ask, is because Curtis has Mononucleosis....aka the kissing disease. I have never seen glands as swollen as his. The lumps are so big you can see them sticking out of his neck.....we call him Curtasaurus.....like a dinosaur....get it?

Yep, I know I am lame, but I think I am going crazy. I clean my house constantly, and it is a complete bomb! Oh well, I think I might be getting use to it. Curtis doesn't feel great, but he can't stand sitting still, so I am hoping he will snap out of this one quickly. James also had mono a couple of years ago.....which seems weird, because how often do you hear of 9 year olds getting mono? Besides Curtis feeling yucky, today was a very pleasant day. KC has been waking up super early lately, but today he slept until 8:30. It was soooo nice! After attempting to clean my house AGAIN, we all got dressed and took the kids over to Scott's office for "Bring Your Kid To Work Day" Whoever planned this one needs a day of honor! I love my kids, and I LOVE spending every day with them, but I forgot what it was like to be on my own. Three straight hours! I wish I was off getting a massage, but I spent the time shopping for new school clothes for them. Since they are boys, that meant t-shirts. I bought lots and lots of t-shirts. I don't love shopping, especially when it is not for me, but it was nice getting it done without dealing with the chaos that comes with taking my children out in public! It was so funny to me that Scott was in a complete sweat when I came to pick up the kids.....poor Scott, but he did a good job. The kids had so much fun, but what kid wouldn't when their dad works for a video game company? Of course they played video games....

Participated in scavenger hunts and crafts....

Got to eat lunch with Dad.....

They also got ice cream, candy, and a bunch of freebies, including a few video games.

While I was shopping I got hungry....of course! I did something I never do....I actually walked into a place and got take out. Normally, I go through drive thrus, because of the kids, so it was nice to just stand around and wait for my order. It is these type of experiences that I actually enjoy. After I taught my class, I got to go hang out at the boys football practice. It is really fun for me, because both of the boys are on teams with families that are so fun to hang out with! It is a good time sitting out in fantastic weather and being with good people. The kids are usually entertained with all of the other kids, and KC has a tendency to run on the practice field and steal food from other people, but it is a good time. A lot of us are Mormon, so we have been called the "Mormon Mafia". We are all looking forward to a fun football season.

It is a little past 9:30, and I still have things to do, but I just needed to mention that I can hear Scott vacuuming right now! How nice is that? When Scott reads my blog he realizes that I really do like him. I guess I need to tell him more rather than write it down. Oh well, in case I forget....thanks Scott!!!

What Goes In...Must Come Out!

2008-08-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to gross everybody out, but this is my blog, and if I have to live it, I will share with everyone. We got to go to the beach again this Tuesday, and it really was a perfect beach day. KC, as usual, ate half of the sand on the beach. He really loves eating the sand. He dips every bit of food in the sand before he eats it. Well, sand doesn't really digest, so it comes out. KC is a healthy boy, and I do quite a few diaper changes daily. So, ALL day yesterday, I was changing sandy/poopy diapers.....it is really nasty. Just be glad I did not take any pictures. Despite the aftermath of sandy poop, the beach was so nice. It was warm enough that I had to go in the water. I enjoy swimming in the ocean, but it does scare me a bit. I feel much more comfortable when I have someone swimming with me. Usually that is my sister, but she was a couple of lifeguard stations down from me. The girls from my ward went out in the water, but this is as far out as they went.... When I took this picture Pam told me I could not post it....sorry Pam, but you and Lori look cute!

Anyways, as I was sitting on the beach, my sister came up to me from out of the ocean. She came to see if I wanted to go swim with her. Yeah, so we went on out. I told her it was like a beach miracle. My sister can't stand me, but she gets desperate when noone else will swim with her. I make her hold my hand when the big waves come, but the water was pretty calm, and the waves weren't too strong....so she didn't have to hold my hand this time. The water was super refreshing, and it was really fun.

Saturday night we went to a Dodger game. It was a last minute thing, and we ended up going with Robbie and his friend, Tracie, and the two oldest boys. I don't really love watching baseball unless my boys are playing, but I do enjoy the food, so it works out. It was a really nice night. I am usually ready to go by the 3rd inning, because that is how long it takes to eat my food.....but this time the whole evening was enjoyable.....

This week has been interesting....things have been breaking left and right....garage door, bbq, car batteries. We were having family over on Sunday for a BBQ, and our BBQ broke down..luckily Scott put a new one together, the next day I woke up early to go train, and my car was completely dead...luckily, Scott went into work later and got a new battery for me. Here is the most frusterating one....we needed James and Curtis's birth certificates for football. I am able to find everybody elses birth certificates, except for Curtis. It wouldn't be that big of deal to go to the county and get a new one, but Curtis is our only child that was born in Anaheim. In order to get a birth certificate in time, we had to go to Santa Ana. Scott was nice enough to take the drive for me and get a new one. I spent the entire day before tearing up my house trying to find it, but I had no luck. Oh well, these things happen, and we are back on track!

James and I have had a really fun summer together. He has been watching the kids when I need to do things, he's fun to hang out with at night, and he has been extremely helpful. BUT, he is 11, and will act like a stinker sometimes. The other day he was being a challenge....I warned him and warned him, but he did not listen, and here are his before and afters.....

I kept telling him if he didn't shape up we were going to shave his head.......he learned his lesson!

This next picture makes me laugh.......

Notice my sister posing in the background....she is such a dork!

I am so sad that there are only 3 weeks of summer left! I don't think I am ready for it ) :

#4 is 4

2008-08-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Charlie turned 4 years old yesterday. The best part was watching him have so much fun. 4 is one of the best birthdays, because the pleasures are so simple, and so rewarding! There was definitely some divine intervention when Charles Emmett was born. His 3 older brothers were all born 5 days early, so I figured he would be the same. His due date was August 17th, and even though it was 17 days early, I was feeling it was time. I was not in labor at all. I am insured with Kaiser, so the person that delivers you is whoever is working labor and delivery that day. My favorite midwife was going to be going on vacation, so she told me her last two days were that Sunday and Tuesday. She told me if I was contracting to come on in either of the days. I had a contraction here or there, but I was definitely not in labor. That Sunday I was doing laps around the church building trying to get some contractions going.....but not much came of it. Regardless, I went in hoping something would happen. They monitored me, and there were a few minor contractions, so I was bummed. Luckily, my blood pressure was slightly elevated (which was odd, because I have never had high blood pressure, even during any of my pregnancies). My midwife convinced the doctor on call to induce me. All they did was break my bag, and the contractions came on like wildfire. That was around 6:30, and Charlie was born at 11:11. When he was born, we noticed a knot in his umbilical cord. It was still loose, but if it had tightened up it could have been really bad. There is a reason he was born when he was, healthy and safe.

I am so glad Charlie had such a fun birthday, because I really was a slacker Mom and didn't do any big thing. He woke up and wanted ice cream for breakfast, so ice cream it was....
(Notice KC up on the counter behind him)

Uncle Robbie picked him up for lunch and took him to his favorite, McDonalds..

I couldn't believe Uncle Robbie allowed that ice cream mess in his car, and when I asked him about it, he said, "Well, it's his birthday" How nice.

Scott came home for his lunch and Charlie got to open his presents....

Charlie is so into pirates right now, so he got a pirate ship, and he has been playing with it non stop. That evening Curtis and James had football practice, so I made a bunch of cupcakes and brought them to the practice fields. All of the teams practice together, so there were tons of people there. I told Charlie this was part of his birthday celebration, and look how many people showed up! He was so excited....he got to play with everybody. My friend Tiffany even brought him a present, and he was so happy. I had random children coming up for cupcakes, and it was great. We came home, he played with his pirate ship until about 10:00, and then we got him into bed....
While Charlie and Robbie went out, the boys surprised him by decorating his room. The balloons on the wall are suppose to spell out "CHARLIE". They wanted it perfect, which is funny, because Charlie can't read yet!

Charlie is very grateful for the things he gets, and the best part of my day was when I put him to bed and he said, "Mom, I love it when it's my birthday day." I love it too! And I love my little Charlie bug.

Small Children Beware

2008-07-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Lock up your small children, if KC is around. I was exhausted after teaching bootcamp this morning....ran a few errands, including Costco with the 3 youngest (that is NOT fun!).....then I had to muster up any bit of energy I had left to go teach Turbo Kick. I was so happy when it was over, until I went to get KC, Charlie and George out of the day care. One of the teenage daycare girls came up to me with a picture she had on her phone. This is what she told me, "This little girl's mother insisted I take a picture of her daughter to show you what KC did to her." Oh crap....I have gone 6 1/2 years there without any FORMAL complaints on my kids.....now that I think about it, that's not a bad record. I think it is funny that she made them show me a picture....I am bummed I did not ask her to send it to me, because I totally would have posted it.....darnit! Apparantly, KC scratched this little girl's face for no reason at all. I feel bad for the little girl, and no mother likes it when her child gets hurt. With that said, I am not sure what this lady wanted from me. All I know is I hope she doesn't confront me....I am not sure how I would handle that. So, I came home and cut his nails....hopefully that will help. KC is keeping me way too busy lately.....remember how he use to drop everything in the toilet? Well, while I was attempting to take a shower he stuck his arm in the toilet....the other day, Scott had to unclog the toilet, because KC had dropped a toothbrush in it, and then flushed it.....he's fun! Despite the trouble, I still really enjoy him. He is sweet when he gives me his big, goopy, open mouth kisses, and he is really cute.....especially when he is sleeping! At least things don't get boring.

I am bummed that we didn't make it to the beach today, I heard it was really nice. Instead, James and Curtis went over to my mom's to help her for the day. They dusted, vacuumed, swept balconies, straightened up, and brought her things when she needed them. It was nice to see them sacrifice a summer day to take care of their grandma. So, at the end of the day, I may just be doing some things right.