Preschool Perfection

I have to be one of, if not THE, most unorganized people on earth.  I have a way of going around the house and, instead of putting things back in their place, I make piles, piles of piles.  I have things to throw away piles, things to go upstairs piles, recycling piles, laundry piles, everywhere you look, I have made a pile.  It drives my husband crazy.  Not only am I a piler, but I am also a procrastinator.  However, I tend to be a procrastinating perfectionist.  It is really annoying.  I have waited until the absolute last minute to do something, but it has to be perfect or I flip out.  Makes sense, no?  It doesn't make sense to me either.  You would think that after all these years of schooling and jobs, that I would have gotten it together.  Um, no, unfortunately not even close.

This is why this week has been torturous for me.  I joined up with some ladies to start co-op preschool.  I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden you need to take out a student loan to pay for your child to finger paint and eat glue.  So, we decided to get the glue on sale and do it ourselves.  There are six kiddos in our group, two from the same family.  There are two boys and four girls and one of the girls is Little Lady's best friend.  The oldest one is five and the youngest is two.  Quite the difference at this age, but somehow it works. 

I went to school for elementary ed, but you would think from my lack of ability to teach, that I went to school to be a car mechanic.  I have loved working with children my whole life, and I thought it was my calling to be a teacher, but it wasn't meant to be.  Even though I wasn't that young when was in school, I was seriously lacking something necessary to be a teacher... self confidence.  I could not have thought about trying to control 30 kids and my mind 10 years ago.  Having four of my own girls, I know I already lost my mind, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal, right?  I get so caught up in the details of everything that I lack big picture perspective.  I worry about them seeing the leftover toothpaste on the sink instead of what I am going to teach them.  I think this is a metaphor for my life.  I sweat all of the small stuff, all the time.  I wonder why I have to constantly remind myself that they are little kids and that they just want to have a good time or that it is more important that they are at church, not the fact that they look like they just walked out of a salon.  I wonder where I get all of this craziness.

So, here I am, up until all hours of the night, planning lessons over and over, so I can agonize tomorrow over whether or not six little ones had the best day of preschool they have ever had, instead of just sitting back and having fun and learning a little something myself.  Hopefully, I can get my act together and see the big picture.  This is why I think I would be the world's best factory worker.

Just as a side note, preschool went great.  I had too many activities and we didn't get to them all.  It wasn't perfect (considering I had ten kids here by myself, the fact that we are all still alive is amazing), but I think I actually managed to have some fun.

Growing Pains

Favorite show in the 80s.  I was so in love with Kirk Cameron (was he named after Capt. Kirk?  That thought just occurred to me).  I had his pictures all over my closet doors (probably 200 of them) and I would kiss them all before I went to bed at night.  Pathetic, but so adolescent me.  I digress...

I am sitting here watching David throw the girls up over his head onto the couch.  This is a daily occurrence in our home.  We have a wrestling team in our family.  It's no wonder two of our girls act like bouncers.  David is amazing.  He can throw the girls around for hours, and they love every second of it.  I have never understood it (mostly because I can't do that).  I asked him today how he puts up with them basically beating him up (this was right after Little Lady kneed me in the hip on accident) and he said it's just pain.  I guess I just need to be Tonka tough!

Baby started saying "up" today.  It was a fun new discovery.  Around the middle of July, she had a whole list of words, for just one weekend (hi, buh-bye, and da-da).  She has not said them since, she just waves.  She has been walking for over a month now.  She has developed faster than our other three, but she is just as small or smaller than the others.  She doesn't look like she should be walking.  She is also louder than the other three combined.  I honestly never thought that would be humanly possible (if you know my kids at all), but girlfriend is loud.  I guess it just makes me appreciate quiet more.

Oh, and we started watching Lost two weeks ago.  I had never seen an episode of that show before last month.  It is seriously ruining my life.  We stay up late every night to watch it and we only just started the third season (there are six).  It is addicting and crazy.  I think I enjoy watching shows more when they go off the air because they seem more suspenseful when there are no commercials and you don't have to wait a week to find out what happens.  It's great and horrible all at the same time.  I am tired people, tired!

Getting My Act Together...

Miss Happy's First Day of School

Miss Happy and Little Lady at the carnival

Baby with a Sweet Potato Smile

Riding the Roller Coaster

So Happy!

Eating her 1st Birthday cupcake.

Not completely understanding...

...finally getting the hang of it!

I am the worst at this thing, seriously the worst.  I used to be really good, but then I discovered Facebook, started watching another child, and then had another baby.  It's nuts.  Anyway, I am really bad at this and will try to do better.  I used to do this only for the comments, but now I realize I want to do this to keep a history for my family.  Our girls do such funny, crazy, maddening things everyday and I need to keep a better record.  It doesn't have to be prolific, but it should be from the heart.  I don't really care about comments anymore (although they are fun to read) and, considering my baby is a year old and I just now put her picture up here, I don't expect anyone to read it anymore.  However, I should keep a record for them.  So, I say I will be better, for the one millionth time, and move on.  We have done so much in a year and I will try to remember them all, but for now, I will just leave it at an update... we are healthy and crazy, frustrated and happy, but all in all, we are a family and we are good (and also still alive, something I am grateful for everyday, especially being mentally alive)!

Happy Father's Day!

There are few things in this world that bring me more joy than seeing my husband spending time with our little girls. I feel so blessed to have found "the one" and am so grateful that he is my one and only. David, you are such a wonderful and loving father. Our girls see their best friend when they look at you and I wouldn't have it any other way. You have sacrificed so much for our family and we are eternally grateful to you and for you. Thank you for choosing me and thank you for loving our girls. You mean the world to all of us and I know we don't tell you that enough. You are our best friend and we love you!!

Grandpa, thank you so much for all that you do. You have been such a wonderful example of generosity and love to our girls. Thank you for being willing to push around strollers and play dress up with the girls. They love and adore you and we think you are pretty great too ;) Thank you!

Aaron, I know that you are not their father, but you are a fantastic uncle. You are so willing to take them on walks and to the park. You may be far away, but they know you and love you. Thank you for being so loving and wanting to be a part of their lives. Thank you!

Pat, I didn't do anything for Mother's Day, so here is my opportunity... Thank you for being a loving and wonderful Nona :) The girls think you are the greatest and love spending time with you. They know that Nona is going to paint their nails and be silly with them. They love you and we do too. Your courage and strength are something I hope our girls inherit. Thank you!

Mom, I don't know if I tell you enough how much I love you. Thank you so much for all that you do for our family. You have been such a wonderful example of selflessness and I hope that someday we can be like you. Thank you for all that you do. We love you!!

Daddy, it's been a while. I miss you all the time, especially on days like this when all I want to do is run into your arms and have you squeeze me in one of your amazingly tight bear hugs. You taught me so much and I only wish I had half of your smarts. Thank you for loving me and working so hard so that I could have every thing I ever needed and wanted. I wish you were here, I wish you could have held my little girls and see how much of you they have running through their veins. But, despite all of this, I know that you are here. I know you are watching over me and guiding me (even though I mess up all the time, sorry). I am also grateful to have the knowledge that I will see you again some day. I miss you, Daddy, but I am so happy to have had all the time I did have with you. I love you!

Thank you to all of you who are parents and best friends to my girls and me. We are truly blessed because we know you and are lucky enough to be loved by you. Happy Day!

I'd Rather Moonwalk

My husband and father-in-law recently went on this thing...

Would you?

Not me, that's why I didn't go. They had a blast.

Summer, Summer, Summertime... Summertime!

Summer officially began two weeks ago, and of my enlarging list of things to do, I have been able to check off... none. Sadly for my list and me, I am actually enjoying the summer and leaving all of the work for the last minute. I don't know what is wrong with me, but if the word procrastination had a twin, it's name would be Megan. I have realized, for me at least, that laziness doesn't take breaks. Because if it did, I would almost pay for it to go on a month long excursion to the Amazon. I say almost because, honestly, I kind of enjoy it... sometimes.

So we are in full blown summer mode. I have been trying to work with Miss Happy for an hour a day so she doesn't forget all of the knowledge in her nogggin. She actually has not put up too much of a fight. She is trying harder than she did when she was in school. She has been cracking me up lately. We were sitting at the table the other night (and please don't take offense because I don't think my children have prejudice... except for animals and chores) and she made the funniest comment. "Someone in this family is different. Irelynne looks Chinese... kick her out!" Where do they come up with this stuff? She impressed me the other day by swimming at the pool (not far from me) without her life jacket. As ever, she has been very helpful and oh so loving.

Little Lady has been pretty good. She seems to be filled with a balloon of negativity sometimes, but we are trying to deflate that. She has been giving some of the greatest prayers I have ever heard lately. She is blessing everything and everyone and basically giving a summarized version of Genesis. It's quite good. A sub in her primary class said that she started to tell a story about Jesus and that Little Lady raised her hand and said that she knew the story. She proceeded to finish it for her (I hope it was the right story). Also, she was the only child (out of five) that got a lollipop yesterday for being reverent. Something is clicking in her... it's just clicking for other people ;)

Ilyn has been her regular self and into everything. She is presently eating an entire cup of ice. Is this normal? For her it is. This last week she figured out how to unlock a door from the outside. Great! She got some shots on Friday in her leg. She started dragging her leg around and crying, "I tan't walk." That lasted a few hours. We tend to have a flare for the dramatic in our home. Yet she survived and all is well. She begs to sleep with her sisters every night. She used to sleep on the floor next to them, but she has figured out how to infiltrate her way onto the bed. I few times I have heard a thump and realized she fell off the bed. As long as she didn't wake up, she must be fine.

Babe-E, as I will call her right now for lack of a better name, is doing great. She has been crawling for almost two months and has been pulling herself up on things for about a month. She is my human vacuum. That girl sticks everything in her mouth! It's awful for me because, as I said before, laziness is not on a break and so I have to get back into the swing of vacuuming every day. She is such a joy and so easy to get to sleep. She is the only one of my girls to suck on fingers (or a pacifier for that matter) and it has made my life so much easier. I imagine it will stink years down the road, but for right now when all of them are so young, it is awesome and I will not complain. Babe-E brings such joy and all of the girls love her to death... which is why I think she became mobile so young.

David and I have been well. He's still working and I am still pretending to do so. David was able to go to the Grand Canyon with his dad. They had a really great time. So far we have had some fun playing with friends and going to the pool. We are leaving this week to visit the fam and friends up north for a while, so that should be fun. I will do my best, however, before we go to get some pictures up on here and some video from Miss H's graduation. For now, however, I will be lazy and enjoy my day and my family.

Lazy Days, Months, Year...

I am not dead, although there are days when I feel like I could just be on the brink of being pushed off of a mental edge. Whoever thinks that being a stay at home mom is easy, well, come on over and take over my job for a day, I need a break.

That being said... I haven't been on here much lately, or at all. It's been a challenge with four little gals (and the little boy I watch) and I haven't been able to spend much time on the computer to do anything other than Facebook. Also, our two year old is such a busy body that I have to be in the room with her or she does stuff like this:

*pulls down and eats a chocolate cake
*eats Vaseline
*licks plug-in air fresheners
*eats three pieces of bread at a time
*scratches her sisters
*pulls all of the clothes, that I finally got folded and put away, out of the drawer
*steals food from anywhere and anyone
*pours entire bottles of soap in the sink
*gets my makeup out and gives herself a makeover
*puts coins in the baby's bed
*figures out how to open a pill bottle, dump them all over the place, and we have to spend five
hours in the emergency room because we can't figure out if she ate any or not

(noticing a trend here with the eating... girlfriend likes her food)

So, if you add a 10 month old who has been crawling and also likes to put things in her mouth, and an 18 month old boy who is just plain crazy and into everything, it makes for a serious lack of time and motivation to do anything but sit and pretend like the little brain I have left can recharge. Fortunately, two of my kids can get themselves dressed. Now if they could only do their hair and not have it look like they just walked off the set of Jerry Springer...

Fortunately, we did get a laptop so now I can travel around the house following said children. Unfortunately, our camera broke so we don't have too many recent pictures. However, I have a TON of old ones. We have had a lot of things happen, but we are doing well. We had a kindergarten graduation last week, so I will try to get those pictures and video up (Daddy didn't get to go because we had one child with bathroom problems and I didn't think parents would want to listen to her screaming about her bum hurting while their child was walking across the stage). I know I am actually the only one who will still be checking this thing, but at least it is something my girls can read later.

So, that is our life in the nuts-shell (that's on purpose). Hopefully I will be better, but don't count on it.

Happy 2nd Birthday, iLyn!

Yesterday we celebrated your second year of life, little one. I can't believe you are already two! The time has flown by and you have changed so much over the year. You used to be so fragile and so quiet. You have definitely found your voice and your strength. You can be stubborn at times, but your smile and laughter bring joy to our hearts. I want you to know how much we love you. These times are precious and they are going by so fast that it almost breaks my heart. Good thing your hugs and kisses mend it :) We love you little lady. Happy Birthday baby girl!