Wordless Wednesday

Well I'M wordless in this post. Well. not now. but this isn't a video of me talking. so technically it's still considered wordless. right ? oh whatever. Here's Syd reading a poem on the last week of 2nd grade.

He lost his tooth and it left a bitter taste in my mouth

My little Spence-man lost his first tooth.    It's been wiggling since Cam's came out.   He's been so excited to finally lose his.  

Friday he showed it to me and it was ready.    I asked if I could wiggle it and gave it a little tug and he pulled away and covered his mouth and told me that I couldn't pull it out.  I gently pleaded for another try but the hands wouldn't come away from his lips.
FINE !
So then I went downstairs to get something and when I came upstairs there was all of this commotion and excitement.   As I got to the top step I heard Mommy J saying, "show mom"
There Spencer stood pinching a perfectly white and tiny tooth in between his fingers.   He was so proud.
I said.  "Dude.  it fell out.  I knew it was ready"
He said, "Mommy J pulled it out"
Wha ?
He wouldn't let me pull it.....but he let Mommy J !  wtf man.

She promised him ice-cream which I personally think isn't playing fair.  but whatevah.

Sydney wrote the tooth-fairy a letter asking for 2.00....instead of 1.00.
Unfortunately with the economy just now recovering....and with gas prices the way that they have been and then with that whole being consistent crap.
He got 1.00.

Although the thrice underlined PLEASE did tug at my heart strings. but alas.

If she has a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.....

you just cut it off.
Syd has been asking to cut her hair for a long time.    She has even gone as far as saying she wants it "short, like Mommy J's"  So yesterday when she was in the tub and we were memorizing her poem for the week, she said that she wanted her hair cut.    I said ok.   She said...."short like Mommy J's"   I said ok.   She freaked out and said she was kidding....she wanted it to her shoulders.

I brought out the hair chair (old bar stool that I cut the kids hair on...it's just the right height for me) and in a matter of 10 minutes.   It was gone.

And then she was just silly !

Here she is and what her hair looks like when she's playing baseball.  :)
She was killing the hard little tykes ball and when I said something out loud her response was...."HellOOO I played t-ball."
I said.  "you did when you were 3 Syd."  (if you want to see the cutest t-ball montage you can here)

Have I mentioned how much I love this kid.

My little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead

And when she is good.   OH MY GOSH PEOPLE.  She is SO SO SO SO SO SO good.

I haven't posted about my Syd in a while.
She is the one who can bring my blood pressure up so high that breathing can be difficult.
She just has this highly demanding, extremely dramatic and controlling personality.    (oh and there is this disrespectful sass talk she thinks that is ok lately)
ANY hew.
I stress and struggle more with her than I do any of my other 4.
It really is true about the oldest.   She's ends up ironing out the wrinkles and helping us write the tests for the rest.
I read books and I think to myself....no wonder she's a mess.   I've created it.
And then she does something completely amazing and I think....she's as perfect as perfect can be.

Jan is out of town this week.   I'm starting my period.
nuff said.
Tonight was family game night.   I decided to play games outside and jump on the trampoline with the kids.
It was a long day and was bed time and nobody was listening and I couldn't tag team.
It went like this.   "get your jammies on please"
"guys.  please go get your pajama's on"
"Spencer, where's Cam ?  and Please Go Get Your Pajama's On"
"CAMERON.  CAM.   CAM.  Syd, will you please go get your jammies on"
"Nathan and Ryan.  Come back here.  I need to get your jammies on"
you know the drill.
so it kept going like that for 30 minutes.  and then.  Syd was in her jammies.  and the littles were in their jammies and as I was running downstairs to find Cam and now Spencer who had disappeared, I glanced into the littles room and they were pulling apart their beds in a wrestling match.   Out of sheer exhaustion all I could muster up was a complaining, "Ryan and Nathan...why did you tear apart your beds?"  and I continued on downstairs.
After telling the boys again to get their pajama's on.   I changed out the laundry and tucked them both in bed.
When I came BACK up stairs.   I could hear the littles sound machine on.   I looked in to find both boys in their beds and Sydney curled up with Ryan on his.
She put them to sleep without being asked.   because she knew I needed help.
Because she knew that it would make my ENTIRE night and bring tears to my eyes as I type this right now even.

Sunday we spent the day with friends and enjoyed the eclipse....or what should have been the eclipse (we had no eye wear) I was making my bed and picking up toys before they came and Syd came in and asked what she could do to help.   After blowing off cleaning the downstairs bathroom or making her bed (which she has to do any ways) she said....can I sweep and wash the wood floors.
And guess what.  She did.   and Spencer really wanted to help.  and guess what.  she compromised and let him help her.  no tears.  no fighting.

Her little friends that play always put something together for us.   A play.  A dance.  Some kind of production.  They will write up invitations and have the boys help usher us to our seats.   It's hilarious and awesome and I need to get it on video.
Any ways.   This day we were given a card that said...."It is a new makover please! come" (cute picture) on the inside it said, "new room"
We were put in a single file line and marched downstairs to see that they had not only cleaned the basement but completely re arranged the play room.   It was awesome.  It really did look great.

Mother's day.   She woke up at 6:30 am.   She got out the craft supplies and put her brothers to work at the table in the playroom....each one making both me and Jan a mothers day card.
She went upstairs and made scrambled eggs (yes, all by herself) and pancakes.  (she had Jan test the consistency and then did the rest)   She even put cheese on the eggs.  Made orange juice (from frozen concentrate) and then brought it in to me in bed.   (J ate at the table with the kids)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS KID !

This little girl who spits fire is as SWEET as any one of the sweetest nicest kids I've ever met.  (and I've met a lot of nice kids)
She hugs her brothers...cheers them on.....cheers them up....she engages and plays with them....teaches them....helps them in SO many ways.
She helps me be a better mom.  
She has helped me understand that it's ok to be just enough some days.    It's ok to be angry.   It's ok to be sad.   It's ok to lose control.  
She's taught me how to forgive immediately....to move on....to let go.
She shows me that amazing is in a quiet moment on 2 soft pillows and a book on her bed. and that even at 8 years old....cuddle time with mom is a must.
I love memorizing poems and spelling words with her in the quietness of her bubble bath in the bathroom.
I love getting positive notes home from school and Syd telling me about her day.
I love it that we both enjoy watching Pollyanna, Annie, The little Princess and Savannah Smiles together.

I love you Sydney Jae.   I love your complexities and your kind soft heart.   I love your insecurities and also your strength and independence.   You are talented and smart and a leader.  You are exactly how you should be.
and you will always be my very most favorite little girl in the whole wide world.

-mom-

    

The noise in my head

Each has a story to tell.   usually at the same time.
I imagine this is how it must sound in your head when you hear other voices.   I also believe this is why I feel as crazy as the people who hear voices in their heads.    maybe even a little bit more so. ;-)

They were all in the tub together....because they all decided to plant seeds, aka pine cones, in my flower beds together. We took the handles off of the faucets outside to keep them from getting wet and or muddy. so these mastermind and tiny botanists came in to my house and got it out of the front of the fridge.
each time.
with mud all over themselves.
actually...I believe it got muddier each time. (they managed to do it 3 times...before I came up from the laundry room and put a complete stop to it)
(sigh)
I can't wait to see if we get a pine tree.

Just up the street

well, 15 minutes up the street....is a friendly little, super cool park with a - 30 ft climbing triangle.   Yes.  thirty feet high.
Apparently it's dangerous.   Play at your own risk even.  
So we did :)

another look at it's massive awesomeness !

Neptune park is right off of Redwood rd. in Saratoga Springs.   for all of my Utah peeps.

The kids had their dance recital today and everyone of them did so well.  

Spencer, Sydney, Cameron

What my mom thinks life for me feels like with 5 little kids

What my readers think life for me feels like with 5 little kids

What it really feels like to be a mom of 5 little kids

This week anyways.  
TGIF people. TGI freaking F !

Two of THE cutest boys in this whole world graduated from pre school yesterday.    They will enroll for kindergarten come fall.
We have gone to a neighbor 2 blocks up for pre school.  (we started with Syd and now the little boys start in the fall)   She's great.   and inexpensive.    and did I mention how close she was.
My boys learned how to read and write and quite a bit of sign language.   Can't beat that kind of an education.

 I remember walking Syd to the door a number of times during her pre school years.   Her hesitation and anxiety to go in to a class she had been going to all year.   I wasn't completely understanding.
When the boys started going I suddenly realized how great they have it.    There are always 2 of them.   They had someone to walk to the door with.   Enter a room full of kids on a day you might be feeling off.
Whether they are in the same class or not (I'm leaning towards not) they will have someone to walk to the kindergarten/1st/2nd etc. grade line up.   To sit at lunch with if they want to.   To go on field trips with.
There are so many great things that come with having a twin.

After the "ceremony" was over.   There were some refreshments.   Both Ryan and Nathan stood up and grabbed hands.   I watched them as they both wanted to move through the crowd and didn't have the courage to do it alone.    They managed it together and made it to the front where the seats were set up and sat down. I suppose they wanted to know how it felt to be in pre school.

make yourself at home boys

Ms. Angela talking to them about how excited she was to see them next year.

My graduated big boys.  (and no, I didn't dress them in the same color....I helped one pick his and the other picked and dressed himself after)
Are they not the sweetest 2 faces you've ever seen.

In other news, Spencer also graduates from speech next Tuesday.   He's been going since he was 3.   He still has speech issues...but I was told that the sounds that he replaces or misses is age appropriate and that he won't need speech again unless he is still missing them in the 3rd grade.
(sobbing)
they are growing up.
(more sobbing)
I don't want them to.  and yet.  I'm delighted in the bigger and more independent people they are becoming.
When they aren't damaging someone else's property that is.  (a story to come)   for now lets keep it positive and up beat shall we.
sigh.
see...it's not always the littles causing chaos.

Food for Thought, Friday

"The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority."

Wordless Wednesday

It's twins

Food for thought !

I have to say that I do believe there is a reason that spring follows winter and THEN is followed by summer.
and I'll tell you my thoughts about why.
Because spring gives you 2-3 months (or more depending how much global warming you believe in) to lose some of that holiday poundage before more of our bodies are revealed..  

So, I've got 3 weeks until summer....and 20 lbs to lose.   Should we start taking bets?   no.   I wouldn't either.   It's not looking so good for me.

ANY WAYS...all of this dieting and losing weight for summer has got me thinking.  
 As I scrubbed food off of the dishes I asked myself, what foods REALLY makes you fat.   and it hit me.
Here's my theory.   Our bodies are just like dishes.   If food sticks to dishes....it's SURELY sticking to your intestines where it spends enough time to allow for absorption and placement to your gut, butt and hips.  
Stay with me here.  example :   Oatmeal....slides right off with water.    as does malt o meal if it's washed off quickly.   Let that sit and you can count on some serious road damage in your tubes.
bread will absorb water and grow 2 twice it's size....but will also disintegrate and washes away no problem.
A lot of foods that you mix, for example casseroles, and then cook....stick like a mother to my plates.
Salad...falls off.   fruits...slide right off too.
  
Now.   another part of my process got me to thinking.   Hot water rinses stuff WAY better than cold.
For instance, cooked cheese.  not so good with cold water.....make it hot enough and that shit just slides right off.
Chocolate is great, it doesn't even have to be hot water....warm water works.

Think about what you eat....how it rinses off of dishes....and how to rinse it from your body.
If you are unable to get the water hot enough to drink.    Sit in a hot tub.....heat your body up to the right temperature and watch the pounds melt away.

It really is true.  I mean, why is it that when you drink hot coffee....you poop.   I don't drink coffee and I rarely poop.  proof right there.   and.   I know a lot of people who drink coffee just for the pooping effects.    I also know people who brew coffee to chase away the smell of poop.   but that's a whole other story.

So people.   If like me you need to shed some of those extra pounds.  Instead of all of this dieting and healthy eating and exercising.    Drink hot water.
OR.....drink hot plastic...because if your stomach is lined with plastic everything will just slide off.  so the plate theory tells me any ways.   I suppose you could always drink Pam cooking spray before eating as an alternative. hmm.

I'm off to drink my hot water.    Wish me luck.

oh and also....I want to look like this.   again.  not looking so good for me.  
a girl can dream right.

Guest Post

I have to say that probably the biggest fear I have as a mother would be dying and not being able to be there for my kids.    Not to be there when they struggle and are scared or when they get married or have a baby.  
I just can't imagine being faced with that possibility...and yet...people are faced with it every day.  

I'd like to share a post with you, written by a woman who was diagnosed with Mesothelioma.  
Her blog is here if you want to read more.
Her story is hard to imagine and also inspirational.    

Finding the Good Out of the Bad

My daughter, Lily, was born on August 4, 2005. Everything had gone well and upon her arrival, she and my family were embraced by a supportive group of family and friends. They all wanted to greet my daughter with love and well-wishing. It seemed that life would continue on this bright and happy path. It wasn’t to be.

After I went back to work, I felt something wasn’t right. I was tired, out of breath and had no energy. Having a new baby could bring this on, but something inside me said it was more. After visiting my doctor and undergoing lots of tests, I found the answer, malignant pleural mesothelioma. The date was November 21, 2005. My baby was only three and a half months old and with no treatment, I had 15 months to live.

At some point in my childhood, I had been exposed to asbestos. This exposure led to the cancer of the lining of my lungs nearly 30 years later.

What would my family do without me? I couldn’t leave them, especially not my baby. I decided to pursue the most aggressive treatment for mesothelioma. On February 2, in Boston, my left lung was removed in an extrapleural pneumenectomy. My recovery involved 18 days in the hospital. After an additional two months, I began chemotherapy and radiation. I was a first-time mother and fighting for my life at the same time.

Cancer has a strange way of showing you whom you can count on. Throughout my treatment, my family was surrounded with people who supported us. People, I had never thought of counting on, were there for me. Others, who I thought steadfast, were gone. The prayers, support and love of the people who stayed buoyed us through our difficult time.

My parents took care of Lily while I was away. They had to raise her. Both my parents work and girls I used to take care of (who were now grown up) offered to watch my daughter during the work day. My parents also discovered how many people cared about them. The people I grew up with were helping my daughter grow up. My husband and I, in Boston, were lucky to find a wonderful group of people who were enduring as we were. They made it bearable.

I watched my daughter, in those early months, grow up without me. My mom would e-mail photos that my husband would print off. I watched my daughter learn to move around, eat food, through those pictures. It was hard not to cry when the nurses came in to see the photos of my baby girl. She was my reason for all this. I wanted to live for her.

My diagnosis was horrible, but out of that experience I have found out how precious life is. No matter how much bad life throws at us, I know there will always be plenty of good to balance it. I am so thankful for that.

Wordless Wednesday