Tuesday's Tip- Hair Blogs

I grabbed some shots of the kids before church yesterday. You can learn more about fun hair do's too at Jenn's blog here http://itsmylife-jenn.blogspot.com/. I have loved her hair tips. I also like to look here too http://shedoeshair.blogspot.com/.



Update:
I am not sure why its making it look like I had more pictures posted. Blogger can be very bad sometimes. It shows nothing so I cannot edit it.

Monkey see monkey do...

The other day Sydney began screaming because she got gum in her hair. It hurt and was pulling her hair. I was driving and could not deal with it at the time. Lindsey began trying to settle her down telling her that she could use peanut butter to get it out and it was "fun". Right then Hailey reached in her mouth and removed her gum and stuck it in her hair too! Fabulous! By the way the peanut butter got the gum out along with half the hair. Not fun at all.

My goal...

My goal was to spend a lot less time on the computer.

It's working...

The side effect is finding time to read all of your inspiring blogs and to comment. I promise I will try to find some balance in all this. I just need to have time to live my regular life and enjoy the computer time in moderation.

Tuesday's Tip...

Aquafina Flavorsplash water

I love the stuff.
Calorie free.
Light taste.
Nice change from just plain water.
Love grape.

Flash back friday...

I need to picture this today. I wish I could jump back in time and enjoy these moments more feel them all over again.

We went to Hawaii when the twins were 13 months old. Lindsey was 6 and Jacob was 3.
To everyone including myself this seemed like an ill-fated plan. Believe me my expectations were not very high. I was still nursing the girls and the thought of managing to make it through the plane flight was enough to make me not want to go.
When we arrived in Hawaii what I found was amazing. We stayed in a condo right on the beach. I could sit in the sand outside the girls window while Jacob and the girls napped! The girls were so tired they slept like a dream. I spent my days enjoying every minute.



As with any vacation there were a few disasters....

I took a picture of my sister/brother in law. While kneeling in the surf it overtook me and I quickly put her cheapo camera out of harms way. Sounds wise until you learn that my brand new expensive camera was hanging on my neck underwater. Yeah some tears were shed about that one.This picture cost me a lot!

Alan jumped off a cliff and seriously injured his ear. He was in pain the whole rest of the visit (this happened on day 2). Which resulted in two emergency doctor visits. It ruined his ability to do anything.
Last but certainly not least occurred mostly without my personal witness. On the return trip we were flying into LAX and driving home. Alan and I had purchased tickets for ourselves and the twins knowing a long flight and long drive home would be too much. As we were getting checked in we were offered a direct flight home bypassing LAX. It was a emotionally decision for me to separate from Lindsey and Jacob and leave them to fly home with their Grandparents and sister/brother in law. I was actually in tears. With Alan's ear he had been given medicine to hope to avoid it rupturing under the pressure of landing etc. A direct flight was much better for this so we did it. The flight was long and my arms nearly broke off holding the sleeping baby. I thought it was bad. Upon landing I called to see if they had made it to LAX only to find they had not left Maui at all. Flight cancelled left 2 hrs on the plane waiting. No more flights available. They were not given luggage or any personal items. The airport was closed and there was nothing done. They were left stranded at the airport for almost 2 days before Delta got them out. No compensation. No luggage! My niece was also just one was there sleeping in her mothers arms. It was awful for them. Thankfully they arrived home safely. Lindsey and Jacob remember this as an adventure having fun sleeping at the airport. Believe me EVERYONE was glad we took the other flight. Just the thought of twins in that airport was more than they could bear.

Jacob and Grandpa sleeping on the floor at the airport! Jacob is only three.

After reading the bad moments it might make you wonder how the good actually outweighed them but I assure you it did. It's amazing to me that when you look back on memories the good ones shine brighter and the bad ones seem almost funny. I am glad for that. I am glad for memories they make the sunshine brighter even in the darkness.

My Golden boy...

Forgive me while I journal a bit more about my Jacob. His birthday was wonderful. He appreciated and enjoyed every single thing.

I love that you call your hair Golden (not blonde). So now we call you our "golden" boy.

I love that when I do Laundry your pockets are stock full of the most interesting items. Your pants have holes in all the knees. You are all boy!

I love that packed your suitcase 2 months before our trip to Yellow Stone or as you call it "Golden" stone. You are that excited!

I love that when you have a friend over I have to watch out for you because you are so nice that they take advantage of it. One time you had a friend who wanted both the transformers and you were sad but you gave them both to him and said you would just do something else. You often let your friends play one player games and just sit and watch even when I know its not what you want to do. Like I said sometimes I have to intervine.




I love that you adore your sisters. You take such care of them.

You love to be outside ALL.THE.TIME. You will spend hours riding your bike back and forth or playing in the backyard. Even in the winter. All of neighbors comment on this.



I love that every time I ask you how something was you respond with GRRRRREAT (imagine Tony the Tiger)! You have a optimistic and happy attitude about life. I hope you will always keep this quality because it is one of the best things about you. Everyone who knows you comments on your great disposition.

His new BMX clothes!

I love how your eyes light up when I volunteer in your class.

You're not perfect. You can be stubborn and when someone (like Lindsey) pushes your buttons you can get pretty mad. That might be a good thing. You hate all caseroles and would rather starve than even take one bite.

I feel so lucky to be your mother. To have you in our family spreading all your excitement and love. I know you were meant to join our family when you did. To be the one just a bit older than the twins. You were amazing as a 2yr old often left unattended you never did a single naughty thing. That was a miracle. You are Grrrreat!

I love you!

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday Jacob!
For my Boy! Today is your 6th birthday! This year has been a BIG year for you.
You have learned to swim.
Learned to ride a bike.
Learned to read, write and many other skills.
Started school.
Lost your first tooth and have two more on the way out.
Learned to play the computer.
and many more exciting things!

I hope you never forget how loved you are. Your kind heart has brought so much joy to our lives.

Mischief in the making...

Click to see it bigger.

Midnight Madness and Tuesdays's Tip...

I had a plan for this morning that involved getting up at 5am. That did not happen at all. Last night I was awoken to loud noises of giggling and lights. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and try to focus on the clock it was pitch black. The clock read 3:40am. I stumbled out of bed only to find the twins light on and them wide awake playing in their room. I very forcefully made them go back to bed. I went back to bed and was asleep in seconds only to be awoken again by the same noises. This time I carried Sydney to her brothers room (screaming and waking the whole house). Then I went back tried to go back to sleep only to hear Hailey out of her bed playing again! Needless to say it was a long night and I did not get up at 5am.

Last week where I live an Amber Alert was issued. A little girl had gone missing. Just 7 yrs old, missing her two front teeth. She did not live near us but it affected all of us when she was found and was dead. Thankfully they caught the guy who did it, a neighbor. All this really got me all worried about the safety of my kids. We do live in a safer area than where this event occurred but nothing is safe enough. So last night for family night we went over safety. One of the things we used was this list. I thought I would share it here so you could also have a starting point to use with your children.

Safety Check-Points for Kids
Most of the people in the world are good and helpful! You cannot tell what a person is like on the inside of the heart and mind by looking at the outside of the body, so you must follow these safety CHECK-POINTS all of the time. CHECK FIRST before you go anywhere with anyone (for any reason at any time)! Check with the adult who is in charge of you at the time. If you cannot check, then the answer is NO! Adults can get help from other adults. You do not need to help anyone find a lost puppy, unload a truck, etc., unless you Check First. Know your full name, address (including state), and telephone number with the area code. Know your parents' names, too. If you are separated in a store, Freeze and Yell your parent's or guardian's first and last name. You may ask a clerk or parent with children to go get help for you, but stay where you are. If anyone tries to move or hurt you, make sure you scream, kick, fight, and yell, “You're not my dad (or mom)!” Use the buddy system; go in groups. You are in charge of your body. No one has the right to touch you or talk about your body in a way that is wrong or that makes you feel uncomfortable. Use the Power NO, and then tell someone. If you find a gun, do not touch it. Get away from it and tell someone. If a friend wants you to touch or hold a gun, use the Power NO. Use the Power NO (and Refusal Skills) for bullies, dares, and drugs, too. When you are home alone, keep the door locked and closed for everyone. Let the phone ring, use caller ID or the answering machine, or work out a system with your parents so that no one realizes you are home alone. When you are on the Internet, keep personal information to yourself! Ask your parents which sites you can visit. Be a Kind and Caring Kid! Use non-violent words and actions. Be a STAR and tell an adult if you think that something is wrong or someone could get hurt. It is not snitching----it is Responsible Reporting! Make good choices!

One of the points here that really struck me that I had never told my kids before was #2. Adults do not need children to help them they can get other adults to help them. It never occurred to me to tell them this before but its totally important. There is no reason any adult should need their help. I always told them to not talk to adults who asked for help but it never occurred to me to explain to them why the need was so absurd.

The parent talking points really encouraged the parent to not use the word stranger. More often than not children think they know people and when you tell them things apply only with strangers it makes them vulnerable. The other issue is that many problems happen within people they think they know or people who know them. It's very important kids know that these things are NOT okay.

Anyway I hope it will help my kids be more aware. I know it has helped me get the conversation going. Make today a great one!

Lunch time...

Every day as meal time approaches I offer my twins a few choices for the said meal. Let's focus on lunch. All choices non dairy because of their allergy. All lunches have fruit on the side. Every single day they voice a strong opinion on what they would like to have. Every day they quickly eat the fruit and won't finish the main dish (the sandwich in most cases). Then begins the battle for chips. You can only have chips if you eat your lunch. Soon plates are empty quickly, too quickly. Yeah they moved it ALL to their sisters plate. Who in turn moves it back to hers. Whailing and tears insue for the chips. I will not give in. After all I always eat my lunch so I can have chips.

My weekend project...

Last week while working out I happen to catch a snatch of Oprah. It was on hoarding. It was a real shocker of a show. I came home and taped the episode (Oprah replays at midnight here) and I watched it all. It got me to thinking of a manageable way to reduce the clutter in my house. He recommends two bags a week of trash and goodwill and then stop the influx. Yeah I have stuff. So I started with my closet. I have saved a lot of clothes thinking someday I would fit into them again. So I braced myself and began the purge. I had a pile of stuff to throw out entirely, stuff to give to cousin, and stuff to give to Deseret industries (like Good will but run through our church). I began trying on all the clothing I had so carefully saved that have taken over my closet for many many years. Guess what? Sure they fit. Let me give you a piece of advice. Do not save this stuff. By the time it fits it will be out of style and you will wonder why anyone would buy jeans that go up past your belly button and make your (not so flat) stomach look twice as bad and don't get me started on the rear view on these jeans! So I am happy to report that after a whole day. 3 black garbage bags hit the trash, 1 box to my cousin, and 5 bags went to DI. Those bags were SO huge. How this all fit in there I will never know. What I do know is that I won't be hanging on to this stuff again. I actually need my closet for clothes I do wear. In this process I discovered I have a love for two items sweatsuits and jeans. Thank goodness my taste has improved over the years! I found a few treasures in my trash but most of the things I found I had a good laugh at myself.

Oh by the way I am by no means a hoarder but I do need some help getting my clutter under control.

The loose tooth and the mean mommy...

The other day Jacob came to tell me one of his front teeth was loose. I had a strong reaction and told him NOT too wiggle it. Why you may ask? Well about a year ago at a dentist appointment we were told it was dead and a bit loose. He said, " try not to have him wiggle it and it might hang in there till it should fall out (some time around 1st grade because boys are slower)". So I have been hoping we could continue to hang on and we could avoid the inevidable. So when my boy ran in with jubilation at the loose tooth my reaction was not as positive as it should have been. He immediately became really upset when I explained it was a dead tooth (what was I thinking) and told me he must not have good oral hygiene. His words not mine. So I quickly scooped him up and corrected my naughty behavior and explained to him how exciting this all was and that his oral hygiene was fine. Fast forward two weeks. We are out to dinner with friends when exclaims (loudly) the tooth is out. I look over and it sure is. His cousin pulled it for him (lovely huh).
Gross I know...
It was Easter's Eve (is that really a day). So it was pretty amazing when the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy were arriving all on the same night. Not to mention that was also the night where Jacob got the stomach bug. Busy night.
Because I am a slow blogger (lately) I have an upside to this story. Yesterday he came home from school thrilled because another tooth (right next to that one) is loose. So maybe its all natural and we won't be toothless for year. That would sure be nice. Oh and my reaction was MUCH nicer this time I promise.

For Angie...

Happy Birthday to one of my favorite people.

Some of favs about Angie are:
She is totally funny.
She is a great writer.
She is very stylish.
She is VERY intelligent.
She is very kind and generous and would do anything for anyone (many she does not know).
She is an amazing wife and mother.
She is not a complainer (unless its warranted).
She is a beauty!
She inspires me ALL.THE.TIME!

Her example and friendship have meant the world to me and I feel very lucky to count her as a dear dear friend.
Happy Birthday Friend!
Pop on over to her blog and send her some BIG birthday love!