APRONS

I have ALWAYS wanted to be an apron wearing mama. I think that they are domestic yet sexy, but I am too cheap to buy one. Last Christmas Grandma Fran made Ashley and I a few each. Whenever I go over to her house around dinner time she is wearing hers. I forget to wear mine until I find spots on my clothes.

Brenna is the cure. She is at a stage where she loves to help me cook. She does not fail to grab an aprons for me and one for her. Sometimes if she is not helping me with dinner she will bring me one, usually right as I am finished ;).

MAMED

I thought that I might put a picture, but for those with weak stomachs I will probably wait and post a healed picture.

I was not being careful when making my soft book and sliced the top of my middle finger. It instantly was bleeding everywhere. I learned quickly that my first aid supplies are not easily accessible. I doused it with peroxide, held it with a few cotton balls and then wrapped in duct tape. At urgent care they laughed when they saw how a nurse had wrapped a wound.

Everyone was unavailable. I called Grandma Fran and she rushed right over. I put the boys down for a nap and a movie on for Brenna expecting to make things easy on her. A few minutes after I left Landon woke up and had puked everywhere. When I got home the dishes were done and Landon back asleep. THANK YOU!!!

Five/six stitches later and I have a whole finger. It is my middle finger. I told the MD to stitch it up nicely because it is my favorite finger. Then I joked that I don't use it very much. He wasn't following my humor but he gave me some good courtesy laughs.

***I was just notified that this moment of stupidity did not only leave my finger forever deformed...it also cost me $250.00. When is Obama care going to kick in? j/k.

SOFT BOOK

I have been dreaming of this one for a long time. I love it. I am so creative that if I was not myself I would puke with jealousy ;).

WHY?

Why...is the laundry that I did on Sunday still sitting in a pile waiting to be put away?

Because...I have not yet finished washing laundry. Right when I attempt to tackle the pile...someone vomits all over everything.

Why...is only one of my legs half shaved and the other still hairy?

Because...I peaked out of the shower to check on the babies only to find them unrolling the whole roll of toilet paper.

Why...is my makeup not on and hair in a towel and dinner not done when my husband gets home from work, this week.

Because...I cant keep up.

LOST OBJECT

If there is anyone out there that has not seen me as a mother...it is nothing short of silly and unique. Shane even says that he at times sees my mom in me...which means I am animated at times and use excited tones when I talk to the kids.

One thing that I have done since Brenna was a baby is our routine when looking for a lost object. We go from room to room calling for the object as we look. Like this morning for example. All three children were on their hands and knees saying "flipity flopity" (Brenna's lost shoe).

I am usually the one to lead the search but I love it when I see them do it on there own.

DEPENDENT

Is it just because my mother-in-law is out of town that I am feeling helpless or it because the brothers are vomiting all over the place, Brenna is begging for my attention because most is spent doing another load of laundry, I am craving sushi but cannot go...

I blame her mostly ;). She is too helpful and available whenever I need her. She never complains or shows if it is bothering her. If a day goes by that we do not stop by to visit then she is knocking on our door for her grandchild fix.

I am fully confident that I would not have survived the last few years without her...and will not survive the next few days if she does not come back ASAP!!!


***In the picture: they discovered this hiding place by themselves. It the the blankets hanging over the side of the bed. After they found that this was a good spot...they would not hide anywhere else***

SUSHI JOURNEY

I have a sushi lover as a sister-in-law, but was too chicken to spend money on something that I was pretty sure that I would not adore.

I was naive and in my head pictured sushi only as California rolls. I thought that the filling was the only difference between the different kinds. It was not until I went in to buy a gift card that I was SHOCKED and DISGUSTED. There were slabs or fish and eggs on top of rice. Perhaps I could tolerate a small piece wrapped in a roll but DEFINITELY not a mouthful.

But...I do know that there must be a reason why people LOVE it. So I went...I ate...I ate some more. When I was done I said to myself that it was a nice experience but I would not go back.

A week later I could not get it off my mind. I had some serious cravings. So I went back and ever since have been hooked. The humor of it is that it is the slabs of fish that I prefer.

RUNNING ADDICT

There are a few things that I have learned from running.

It becomes addictive. If I do not run I find that I cannot get it off my mind until I give in. Even sometimes if I did run, I still get the urge and have to tell myself not to overdo it.

It is all in my head. I run 3 miles in 30 minutes, which is a snails pace to most. My body enjoys the pace, but it is my mind that I have to fight...especially on a treadmill. My body is not sore the next day and my mind is over it 3 minutes after I stop, but as I am running it can be hard if I let my mind take over. I have found that if I watch one of the "movies I adore", I can smile as I run. I also do not have to concentrate too hard because I have every line memorized.

It is blissful. I have not ever been happier in my life and more even tempered than I am now that I run daily. ***I hear a few that really know me, laughing as they read this. I did not say that I AM even tempered...I said I am MORE even tempered...JAY!!!

It must be hard. I also heard somewhere that "WORKing out" is supposed to be hard or else it is not going to bring results. Before I heard that I would quit if it got too hard, now I push through it and find joy in the accomplishment.

I can do anything for a short period of time. Really 30 minutes is NOTHING. It goes by so fast and then it is over until the next day.

My appetite is none existent. I eat to nourish my body not to give in to cravings. Especially sweets. They still sound good because of past damage but I find myself not finishing it and throwing it away after a few bites.

FALSE ALARM

Thought that I might be pregnant, there were a few small factors that could have led in that direction...so I freaked Shane out when I made a stop at the dollar store for a test. Turns out I am not.

I would have thought that I would be jumping for joy but to tell the HONEST truth...I am so disappointed. I am convinced that I am crazy but last month I was content to live the rest of my life with only three kids and this month I am sad to think that I no longer will have a BABY.

My babies are getting sooo big. They are saying words and getting their own shoes to put them on. Life is getting to am "easy" stage and I am left wanting.

Probably next week I will be back to the opposite opinion.

IDENTITY THEFT

I woke up after a night of working and decided to take a glance at the activity on our bank account. Shane went crazy and spent ***200 dollars*** in the past few days without saying a word to me about it. I remembered and brought it up at our date. I asked him what he bought at the various places. He said that he had not bought or been anywhere in the past few days.

Instantly we got SICK to our stomachs. Another coincidence is that Karen called me earlier that afternoon about emails she got from MY email account about Viagra and other various subjects. Someone must have hacked into our computer and go into EVERYTHING. As we left the restaurant I had all bank cards and credit cards in my hand waiting to cancel them but first Shane called Jayson to talk about it.

Jayson said that is so weird because the past couple of days the pin number on his debit card was not working. They double checked their cards and realized that when we went out to eat a few days before the cards got switched and they had each been using the other persons card without even knowing it.

***I am forced to add, that I could not remember the exact amount when I scribbled my blog from memory. I have readers keeping my blog honest and it was not even 200 dollars spent. ;)***

THE "ONLY CHILD"

Landon thinks that he is an only child.

Mama belongs to him only and the rest I am just babysitting long term. At times, in certain moods, he will not let Jackson near me with a 10-foot-pole. I am not allowed to share my lap and how dare I try to hold Jackson on the vacant hip while holding him.

He is my tag-a-long and plays one on one with his mama while Brenna and Jackson are off exploring other things.

Jackson on the other hand is the "only grandchild". There is no one in the world that he loves more than his grandma. He is with her always. He eats the majority of the bites off her plate, he is always on her lap begging for a song, and if she is standing he is at her feet begging to be held. I am not jealous...my load is lessened for a time.

Brenna has always been and will always be daddy's little girl. She is often found on the front of his dirt bike, under the truck handing him tools, or justt at his side checking out what he is up to.

SPOON FEEDING

I am a bit embarrassed to admit it but every mama has her flaws. There was a time when I let the babies feed themselves. When they were done I would go through the same routine...3-5 times a day.

Clean their hands and faces.

Strip off their clothes because no bib is big enough to cover a food fight between twins.

Clean the high chair...walls...windows...doors...

Distract them as I sweep up the food that fell to the floor.

Mop the floor.

Needless to say, I got exhausted. Now...most of the time...I spoon feed them. It has been working out well. I must adapt in order to survive but there is always a catch. Right when I was comfortable the brothers decided that spoon feeding was not "cool" and would get silverware out of the drawer and demand to get their own bites. The solution...I put a bit on the end of the fork and hand it to them. They hand it back for another bite. It is working out well...for now.

GROUNDHOGS DAY

At this point in my motherhood journey life feels a lot like the movie "Groundhogs Day".

Same old, same old: The routine from day to day in my house doesn't change much and that is working for us.

Memory erased each night: My children wake up each new day full of life and love for their mama. Even from moment to moment, they are forgiving and forgetful of any times that mama is less than happy.

New start: Children did not come with an instruction book but with each new day I learn from the day before and use it to change the next day for all of our benefit.

Special day: In the movie, each day begins celebrating the special day of "groundhogs day". There is excitement and wonder. It is the same with my 3 small babies. If I remember and embrace that, then we have a wonderful day.

WHAT IS IT?

What is my blog to me?

Is it a journal? I don't think so or else I would also share more intimate and spiritual experiences?

Is it a best friend? Maybe. Whenever something funny happens I tell my blog first. My husband has to read my blog to find out a lot of things that have been going on.

Is it my fun and creative outlet? Possibly. I find joy in the humor of life. Come on, I married Shane. If I did not have a sense of humor I would be offended every minute of every day. His humor, which is HILARIOUS, is sarcasm.

What it is. It is a place to put pictures of my family. It is a place to keep all of the fun and funny things in life. It is where I talk and reveal more than I do in person, unless we are really close. It is a place to set and chart goals. My life I am proud of and it is a place to show it off.

SINGING WITH JACKSON

Out of our daily 20 minute singing time, somehow Jackson learned to sing "I love to see the temple". Okay not really but he sings along and then says the last word of each line. I first realized it while we were sitting at church. He opened the hymnbook and started singing. That was cute enough but then I realized he was singing the temple song. Now whenever I start it he drops everything and sings along. I LOVE it.

STUMBLING BLOCKS

In my house there are a few blockades you have to get through before you can get comfortable.

Why did I wait so long? Was it because I loved the extra "help" rearranging the dishes as I filled the dishwasher? Or was it because I loved the extra worry of babies pulling down hot pans on themselves or opening the oven? Was it because I loved to find babies helping themselves into the fridge? Or...Am I just too cheap to buy one and had to wait until someone gave me a baby gate?

It takes a lot of effort to get that gate on tight enough so that babies do not pull it down. So thus, it is up always and you must climb over it.

Then there is the second and much more annoying blockade. May I remind you that we live in a TINY condo. We have no room to put our computer so we built in shelving and a desk into the closet in our entryway. It has been wonderful except when Shane and I decided not to get cable but just watch Hulu or Netflix on the computer. We used to sit in separate chairs, which provides no opportunity for "snuggling" after a long day. So now we have our love seat in front of the computer, blocking our front door. If you are thin enough you can squeeze out, but it is a LITTLE embarrassing when guests come over unannounced.

JULY GOAL

It is a bit ridiculous that I am continuing to gain weight despite working out. So, there must be a few more things that I need to change. But I must add that I am still smaller than my pre-twins weight but I really enjoyed being 10 lbs lighter.

No sweets. I think that I can do it. I have done it before. ***oops. strawberry shortcake = must be changed to only once weekly***

Running my 3 miles a day, except Sundays and might exempt days after I worked.

100 squats or lunges daily.

Drink water like a fish. At least 64 ounces a day.

No Dr. pepper. I am not sure if the 1 can a day is what is preventing the weight loss, but it might be.

I am starting out at...dare I say...Nope, I cannot. Lets see if there are some changes in a month of TORTURE.

***Updated: I did AMAZING!! I ran 3-4 days a week 3-4 miles. I drank the water. I did 200 arms and 100 legs with each run. About 2 soda for the month. Result: I can run faster. I have not increased my mileage because anything over 3 miles takes longer than have I time and sounds daunting. I have muscle in my arms that I never knew existed. I get that "look" from my husband constantly. I am proud of myself and feel amazing.

SUMMER GOAL

I only hope that my husband doesn't read this post...or else I will really have to stick to it. I have the goal of getting out on the wake board a few times every time we are out on the boat. Sounds like it should not be difficult but there are a few factors that have prevented it in the past.

I have 3 babies crawling all over me and the boat. If Shane is driving that leaves them with someone else, which is no always the best when they are all trying to crawl over the edge of the boat to get to their mama.

I don't want to mess up my hair. Or...I just don't want to have to restyle me hair again. I do not have that much free time now-a-days.

The water is cold. It is not like Arizona where you get in the pool to stay warm. Hagg Lake is nice and toasty but it is a drive away. The river is always cold because it moves toward the ocean.

I am a wimp and my muscles fatigue fast...even with all the working out I have been doing.

I am not very fun to watch. I am way chicken still. I cringe whenever a boat or barge passes leaving a wake I have to survive.

Really I sound like such a "girl" and my husband would be really disappointed. Therefore I have made my goal. I do love wake boarding. It is fun. But no one can get me on the skyski...never.

***Update: Through this process I have become more comfortable on the wake board and even been told that I am "amazing" on it. I LOVE to go out on the boat and we go any chance we get. Also I am the first one in the water most of the time instead of my old habit of dreading it and waiting until the last one to go.