Contest

So I will admit I might be an addicted blog hopper. You link someone in a post on your blog and really I can't help myself. I have to go check out what is so great that you would be so dedicated to link them. I did this tonight and found out why. This lady has made the most lovely fabric that I have seen lately. I mean really I love the colors and design is so perfectly me. So I hope I win but if not I will be in line when it comes out in the Spring!! So all you fellow blog hoppers hop over to here, you will love what you find.

Too busy

So these last few days have been super crazy. I feel like we are never home and when we are there is way more to do then time. Anyone else feel like that? I keep telling myself that it might be time to simplify. Here lies the problem, what goes? School, um, no not that one, dance, can't look at their happy faces and cut that one, soccer, well only 3 more weeks on that one. Doesn't seem like much when you write it down but here is how our day goes..

6:30 Kids UP

8:00 Leave for school

8:30 Drop at school

9:00 Drop at Pre-K

9:15 Walking/Running Group

11:15 Pick up Pre-K

Lunch, Naps

3:30 Pick up school

4:45 Dance or soccer

Dinner homework..

8:00 Bed

Makes me so tired thinking about it. When do I eat or sleep or do anything else!

This made me wonder what to do about this feeling of panic that follows me around all day. How in the world can I stop feeling like my head is chopped off and I am running around like a chicken with their head cut off. Here is what I came up with.

We are all in this time of life when things are crazy. There is too much to do in a day then any human could do. I really mean that, the house can never be all clean and the dishes done and some nutritional meal on the table. I suppose you can do it all if your kids stay in bed all day and nobody ever eats. I think that might not make for the best childhood or for very happy kids. I decided that when you can't change your crazy you need to embrace it. I need to find the feeling of calmness and serenity even when we are running around trying to find everyones second shoe. Why can't shoes stay together, seems like one has always wondered off to some bizarre location. I am trying to figure out how to find the calmness in the craziness. Anyone have any real secrets??

Sharks and Jets

There you go Mike that was for you. I can't think about West Side Story and not think of our first real conversion. So you can stop now or you can read on if you want. I have been a super whiner lately about how I am so ready to be gone. Gone from all the drama all the craziness. I was talking to my new friend the other day and she was telling me all the same things but it was for where she was living not me. So this made me think, is it them or me. Hence the Sharks and Jets reference. Here we are two groups, fighting against each other, both thinking that the other is dumb and worthy of running away from at the speed of light. So is it them or me? Is it my craziness or not. There is the us vs them mentality. Which I was sure would go away if I moved somewhere new. I suppose that is not true, you have crazy drama and Sharks and Jets, until you die. Let us hope that then there is some relief from the drama.

Sunday goals

So this is my new plan. You see I am horrid at self motivation. I think the kids will think this is funny to look at when they get older. Anyways, I am going to make weekly goals every Sunday for what I want to do that week. So here you go!

Get up before the kids do (Mine are usually up by 6:30, CRAZY Morning people!)

Find some exercise time again

Start the table runner, have to start if I ever hope to finish

Get the toy room painted, at least one wall anyway

Make sure the kids do their chores

Read my scriptures and pray more meaningfully

Order PICTURES!!!

There you go I will see how that goes. Maybe knowing it is out there will help motivate me a little bit. If I get anything done that I can take a picture of I will and I will post it next week!!

Friends

So I have been thinking about this topic this week. You see I have some people that think I am not a very good friend and that bums me out. I really try to stick up for people when others are annoyed and help them see the other persons side. But this little bump in the road lead me down an interesting train of thought. So thanks lady that thinks I am dumb for helping me learn something new. I was thinking about how who I decide to be friends with directly impacts my kids. These are the people that they think are cool and think are their friends too. When I invite someone to share this life's journey with me I am also inviting them into my kids life. I don't know about the rest of you but I am way more protective of my kiddos than I am myself. So this really made me think about those people that love me and let me into their hearts and homes. This means that they trust and love me enough to share their kids with me. They know that I would love and support and aid their children in this life of bumps and scraps. So to all those people that I love and that love me back and let me hitch a ride, thanks! I will remember this little bit of knowledge I gained and hopefully be a better steward of the opportunity you have given me.

Wanna WIN

This is a contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site!

Great Escape Meme
1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

Scotland for SURE!
2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

Anything Jazz
3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

Hum, eat something yummy! I would eat my money for sure!
4. What is your guilty pleasure?

FOOD! See a theme?
5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

Thailand
6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

Almost Friends by Philip Gulley

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

Any 80's movie, sounds dumb but they are all so cute, 16 Candles need I say more.
8. What is your favorite local escape?

The Avenues.
9. How do you escape on a budget?

Camping or fishing with the kids.
10 Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

Clam Chowder from Moe's I hate Clam Chowder but something about the Oregon Coast!

Hairy Legs and Weird Smells

I was getting the girl dressed for school today and thought, man your six year old legs sure do have a ton of hair. The four year old boy, his are still nice and smooth. When does that happen, seems like you are born all hairy. Then something happens and you get all smooth, then you get hairy again. I thought body hair was supposed to be there to keep you warm. You know before we had indoor heat and all that. So is it just not important to be warm from 2 months to 6 years? Makes you wonder what I think about when I am really bored. We made it to school today and I was talking to the teacher when it struck me that I had not brushed my teeth yet. It was one of those whispered things so girly would not hear me. Oh, poor teacher, but sometimes it is all I can do to get all 5 of us in the van so very early in the morn. Boy hasn't had a bath is who knows how long. I lose track of that kind of thing. I know I am a horrible mother. It will be better when he actually leaves the house during the day. I am just not a scheduled person. I can pretend that I will bathe them on certain days of the week but I know that I will not actually do it. So I told him that he had to have a bath today. He said, " A wash bath?" You see sometimes we have fun baths where they just get to play in the water. I told him yes it was a wash bath. He said, "why?" So I told him because he smells. Then we got to play this fun game where he said what if I was over there could you smell me then? This went on and on until he finally found an escape. "What if I got outside and shut the door, can you still smell me?" Gotta ya mom. I will just live outside and keep the door shut. Winner no more baths for him EVER!!! Silly boy. So on this much calmer day we have body hair and bad smelling breath and bodies. I said it was a calmer day not a calm day. Oh, and the baby, well she has given up sleep all together in favor of crying. Maybe that is where my diluted thoughts come from. This lady needs some sleep!!

Running Screaming Craziness

So I took the little ones to the store today. Well two stores. Both of which were absolute disasters. I mean really big ones. Should have learned my lesson from the first store I guess. But no not me, I am the eternal optimist I guess, or just crazy, one of the two. The first store me and all four little ones went to was the fabric store. I know, I know, what in the world was I thinking. So I am looking and little #3 was running around like a crazy manic. I think the lady upstairs got tired of hearing me yell, "come back here, stay by mom"!! She sweetly stuck her head out over the railing to let me know they had a play area for the kids. So off they went to play with the toys. Not soon after I hear #2 yelling at #3 not to throw toys. I mean I am looking like a great mother about now!! So then I round them up with no fabric in hand since I forgot to bring the fabric I needed to match. #3 starts running around again without her shoes, #1 refuses to help find them, she found one and eventually helped find the other. Then kid #2 starts yelling at me that he did not get to play enough, and I mean yelling. Being totally rude to me which I am trying to explain to him in my people are watching voice is not how we talk to our mother. We get outside and he keeps agoing with his rant so I take his arm and lead him to the car. Well you might have thought I ripped the arm off the way that kid was yelling. He does that, I have learned not to run to his aid anymore, the likelihood of a missing limb or finger is small. You say to yourself, I bet this crazy lady took those kids home and locked herself in the bathroom. Well, no I needed my yogurt, I have been craving a peach smoothie!! So we went to the health food store. Which was going ok until I was checking out. #2 decided to chase #3 around the store at full speed. So I had to go running, yes running after them. I caught #3 and sat her on a chair and turned to finish checking out. Oh there she goes again!!! What a fool I was thinking she would sit nicely after getting into trouble. Off I go again. You might be able to picture this in your head and know that I looked like a complete crazy by this time. I got all checked out and the lady said, "have a nice day." I must have looked at her like she was the crazy not me, because she reached over and touch my arm and said, "really have a good day." I said I needed to find someone in charge of this circus before that could happen. She said you already have someone in charge, her.(Refering to #3 the crazy runner.) I thought what a nice lady. She will never know how much that helped me today. I know that someone understood that just because I brought screaming monkeys into the store with me doesn't mean I am a bad mother or person. That we all have those days when our kids are those kids. You know the kids I mean, the my kids would never kids. Well I am here to tell you my kids would and have and will again. Thanks to the sweet lady at the checkout, I just might have a good day despite all the screaming monkeys that call me mom.