I'd Rather NOT Know!!!

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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 : )