Little C

Little C,
Oh the goof ball of the world - how I love you! You turned 8 last week and I just can't believe it. You wanted to have a swim party so that's exactly what we did. You love the water, outdoors, anything that keeps you movin'.
Right now your dream is to have a show like ICARLY and to have hair like Justin Bieber. :) You love to make people laugh and I must admit you are hilarious. You want muscles like Taylor Lautner and you are constantly coming up to me flexing, saying, "Mom, feel the steel" or "Mom, count my stomach muscles"... funny.
You were truly born for your role in our family. You love your little brothers so much. You get excited at all the new things they learn to do, you play with them, and you watch out for them. Thank you.
You transition to change so well. I am not quite sure how you do it. You like to joke around and entertain your family, but you also have softer side. A sensitive side that understands things way beyond an 8 year olds capacity. You're amazing.
You have decided to be baptized and we couldn't be more proud. Last week you told me how you felt the spirit while taking the sacrament and it warmed my heart. You are so good. Thank you for great example.
We couldn't love you more,
Mom and The Beloved

Not in the Handbook

"Wow, you have your hands full."

If I had a dollar or even a quarter for how many times I heard that a week, I would have to start paying taxes from the income received.

It's interesting what comments seem perfectly acceptable to people. I know I've innocently dealt out my fair share of obnoxious statements and questions. I use the word innocent because unless someone has been in your current situation, how would they know the words flowing from their lips are being received as completely annoying or  perfectly inappropriate?

So, I forgive them -

and then I have to forgive myself for being so petty.

What I really need to do is wash away the responses that pop into my brain but luckily don't project forth out of my mouth.

I think I may start carrying around beautiful homemade badges in my purse that state -I was OBSERVANT today - and hand them right on over to the gracious commenter.

Why is it okay to comment about something so personal as someones children? Pregnancy? Marriage?

(I mean, tell me the good stuff like - my children are fricken adorable and my spouse and I are the cutest couple alive :), but delete the other tacky uncomfortable stuff.)

Weird. People are weird.

Why not tell me  -

"Wow, you have really bad dandruff."

At least there's an easy cure for that.

But you would never dream of uttering those words because it's rude, and you probably can already decipher that I look at my head everyday - and it is rather obvious to me that I suffer from a dry scalp.

-Strangers in the grocery store,

I know I have my hands full. Guess what, they're going to be fuller around May 19th - can you believe it? :) -

I am going to have so many badges to make.

Yes, I am the mother of Spirited Children. 

Especially spirited toddlers. I used to have those thoughts, "Why doesn't that mother control her child?" or "All that child needs is a good spanking." 

Silly me.

Little C was a pretty mellow baby/toddler and I felt like I had things down splendidly in the mothering department and then I had #2 and #3. Trust me, my mothering didn't change a bit... these newer little humans who came into my home were born with a vigor and an intensity for life that leaves a mother exhausted and cursing the authors of most parenting books for having no idea what they are talking about.

I love my little boys.

They are zestful, opinionated, assertive, compelling, and energetic - aka:  loud, argumentative, stubborn, impatient, and busy  -

but, so am I.

They are also sweethearts. They give the best kisses and hugs and always say please and thank you. They love their family fiercely, which is more important to me than a little tantrum at a store or a meal they've refused to eat. They know how to pray and they know their Heavenly Father loves them.

What could be more perfect than that?

Here's our little toothpaste bandit...

he can't seem to keep his chubby perfect fingers out of that drawer.

One evening, I had already fed my children, The Beloved was working late, and I told the kids to play downstairs. I was in the process of eating my dinner alone. I just needed some quiet time to not think, not be the boss, and enjoy my meal. Well, Little C and Lou could not comprehend my desire to be without their company. I gave them plenty of warnings to go downstairs and give me a few moments to finish my dinner... but they would not listen.

I finally threatened them with, "If you come back upstairs again I will throw you in the shower with your clothes on."

For some reason they didn't believe me :).

Following through can be exhausting, but usually I am quite dependable.

I don't really think the shower method could be considered a form of punishment in our home.

We all laughed so hard - it felt like it was planned fun.

I needed a little fun that evening.

Sure, having spirited children can leave me feeling like -dare I say - I have my hands full.

But it also makes life sweet and supplies me with such rich precious memories -

It's worth it.

We've Become -

The Art Specimens:

When Lou had his photo taken he was adorned in his Spider man garb of course, and he couldn't have been happier with the finished product.

Little C posing for his profile picture - we are still awaiting the outcome.

Me - in all of my forlorn glory.

The Beloved did a accurate job drawing his adoring spouse... but I somehow find myself looking somewhat in relation to:

He also did a study of my hands and feet -

I must say I have never found them more attractive in my whole life. :)

So - the photo below is obviously not a family member - but I wish she was because she looks awesome. I just had to post this picture because I thought it turned out so well. It was only the second time The Beloved had used pastel paints for one of his projects and I couldn't be more impressed.

Missing the Party Animal

 Our #2 guy turned 3!

(Here's the debate in my mind. I have started calling our second born son #2, because the blog nickname Gadashio has started being mistaken for his real name. So, like any loving mother, I put an end to that right away. But, is it truly kind to replace it with something like #2? Think about which bodily release you use the title #2 for. Hmmm... so I then considered Big D... do you know what that stands for on my mom's side of the family? I am surrounded by many fecal matter connotations my friends.

So, the Beloved and I have simply decided on Lou -

 not to be confused with the commode, comfort station, or lavatory.)

And with that wonderful introduction, welcome to Lou's 3rd b-day party:

But where's the b-day boy?

Laying on a bench near the dinner table all cuddled up in blankets. Poor guy woke up with a high fever and a very strong desire to cuddle with WWE wrestler Batista. Okay, I am kidding about the WWE figurine part, but he was one sick kiddo. :( 



Sleeping soundly on The Beloved's gigantor bean bag chair.



He livened up a bit when he heard the word presents and ran to The Beloved's lap to let the unveiling begin.

 The best reaction arrived when he opened the package containing the enormous dragon and let a huge roar rip.

Buckabu, Papa, and cousin Mason were the extra party attendees. Grandma and Grandpa received a call soon afterward from the b-day boy.

(Dilemma: I just can't call him Lou. I feel like I've abandoned Gadashio and #2. How distressing. The Beloved says stick with Lou.)  

Our Dear Three Year Old Boy, :)

What a hard birthday for you! Energy should have been your middle name but today you had none. Your older brother was so excited to give you your present and asked me everyday for about a week if you could open it early. Gosh, he loves you.

Right now in your life you are completely in love with a little dragon toy. The wings fall of constantly but we glue it back together daily. No one is allowed to touch the dragon unless they are fixing it.

You have such an imagination. In the mornings when I am getting ready you love to play in the finger-nail-clipper-drawer. (I am not sure why we have enough to fill up a drawer, but that's currently the case.) You make the clippers look like birds and you fly them around the room making fierce squawking noises.

You say a prayer over the food before every bite you take and if you get out of bed at night you'll say a prayer before you get back in. 

You refer to yourself in the third person which is hilarious.

Lately you love Mama but Daddy misses his Daddy's boy.

You just crawled into our bed and you want to cuddle with me. You told Daddy to, "Scoot!".

I have to remind you to be kind (but smile inwardly that you want to snuggle with me).

We love you buddy.

You are a blessing to me, your father, and your brothers. We are so glad Heavenly Father sent you to our home.

Spooky Dudes

A very frustrated Batman - a happy Bloody Man - and a pacifier sucking Tigger -

Happy Halloween 2010

After a quick costume change, frustrated Batman warped into satisfied Spiderman.

Sometimes a Toga is Necessary

An MFA = Mandatory Toga

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(Elder Patton, this isn't horrid but use your own discretion. The word naked may be appearing a few times.)

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Sometimes it's great having a talented husband and sometimes it just causes random naked people to show up in your home.

Okay, maybe not random and definitely not in the flesh (thank goodness), but let's just say way more nakedness than I am  typically accustomed to.

Right now The Beloved is in the middle of his figure drawing class -

Lovely. 

-Figure drawing... hmmm... a little misleading and too innocent sounding. -

So, for all of you artsy fartsy people who think the body is beautiful, more power to you, but one small reminder: the word FARTSY is included in your character description.  Most people don't like fartsy or.... nudes. Shoot. Sorry about that.

I must admit, when I found out that The Beloved had to purchase a $300 statue of a naked woman for his class my mature side thought - no problem. But when the statue arrived, being taller than my two year old and having zero resemblance to the chubby hairy nudes I'd seen in previous art classes, I was a little dismayed.

She's really naked, like current nakedness, not centuries ago nakedness. There's a difference. Who knew? :)

Well my domesticness got the best of me and I made this chilly little darling her very own toga. And I think she feels so much better about herself.

The Beloved's art studio really is pretty cool and his class has consisted of more than just the clothing impaired.

 

But be warned, I have no idea what we're going to do with this statue once the semester is over... so you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout I'm telling you why...

I have a naked statue.

And I'm not afraid to hand it over.

Dance Party

One perk to moving back across the country is family, family, family. We're making sure we're included in everything :) and last weekend a few members on the Beloved's side of the family came to visit. Completely enjoyable.

We'd like to give a shout out to the other family members who were hanging out a couple of states away... we missed you greatly -

especially at our

DANCE PARTY!!

The Beloved set up the fog machine, red laser, and strobe light.
Whoot, Whoot!

Check out Little C!

The dog even got busy.

And you can't have a dance party without a slow dance.

That's right... so romantic, dancing slow, marching softly in a repetitive circle.

Our generation totally knows how to bust a move :).

These two little ones were so cute, copying the adults, circling about.

We'll end the photo shoot with two of our boys holding their new cousin. We were so glad we had a chance to get to know him.

The Beloved and I are so lucky to have an amazing family, on both sides. Thanks for coming to visit - we always love spending time with you.

True That

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BENdAm8DzQk&feature=related

Love IT!

Don't you love customer service reps?

My favorites are the ones that can barely speak English. So cool.

Makes my life complete.

Huge downside of moving is getting everything in your life switched over to the new address.

I have started making a list of the ridiculous things they say to me.

Examples:

* Can I get your name? (I give it) Thanks, that's not a problem.  Can I get your account number? (I give it) Thanks. That's not a problem. Can I get your new address. (I give it) Thanks, that's not a problem Mrs. _____. *

Honestly, why does this person keep saying "that's not a problem"? Do they know the definition of "that's not a problem"? Of course there's not a problem with me giving you my name, acct #, and new address. You asked for it. Nobody is going out of their way here.

Remember I gave YOU the info - I should be the one saying "that's not a problem" except I wouldn't because all I am offering is basic info, which common sense already suggests is really "not a problem" to hand over and obviously quite necessary in this situation. 

*I was on the phone for about two minutes with TMobile. My question was answered quickly, I was satisfied and I was about to say goodbye until I guess the rep didn't feel like he had gotten to know me well enough. 

After an awkward pause he busts out, "So........ how's the move going"

(are we friends? )

I say, "Slowly but surely. It takes time."

"That's nice. Have a nice day."

What?

Does the customer service rep have a check-off sheet near him requiring him to ask a pleasant friendly question?

If so, they should have a box entitled "appropriate response to customers answer to your pleasant friendly question".

*I had one guy who reminded me what his name was every other sentence. "Oh by the way, my name is Henry."

Henry,

I really appreciated your help with getting my Internet set up. I will never forget your name. I never had an opportunity too. I now know that you recently moved to Jacksonville but are originally from Chicago. You really miss Chicago. You used to work for T-Mobile. You also used to work for Charter and you think they're worthless. I am sorry I did awkward laughs at your jokes. I didn't really think it was funny that my phone number had so many 5's and that now you know where to go if you ever need one.

Henry, my dear friend Henry - No matter what your supervisors are telling you, when customers call in, all they really care about is getting their service taken care of. 

No need for small talk.

Sorry Buddy.

* After giving a rep our new address she exclaimed, "Oh, the potato state! Does ID use their potatoes to make vodka? I love my vodka."

Wow.

No clue.

But, if you're using that vodka for cooking purposes, then I really hope that's where our potatoes are going because you seemed genuinely happy about it.

So there are two things to consider here. A. customer service reps say entertaining things or  B. I need a life because I make lists of what customer service reps say. Hmmm...

  

You can catch that?

After a long, long, long, long drive we finally arrived back in this great state. The kids did as well as kids can be expected to do. The baby only stuck his hand in his diaper once to wipe poop all over his leg and chicken nuggets, so not too shabby. 

We did stay the night at a Best Western one evening and I must say they have the most comfortable beds alive. No joke. Go test it. Props to Best Western. Gadashio jumped into bed with The Beloved and I, which would be fine for a normal child, but our #2 is a bundle full of energy. Even at 2 a.m. When he finally relaxed he would alternate giving The Beloved and I kisses then he cuddled  up next to me, ran his little fingers through my hair and stroked my cheek. Adorable. I love that little energy ball.

My father-in-law made the trek with us and we are so appreciative.

Thanks for sacrificing your time to help our little family.

We were finally reunited with Little C. Hurrah! We missed that kid. My parents took such great care of him and spoiled him rotten on many occasions. Thank you guys.

I don't think there was any fighting for a complete day after we got all the boys back together. They love each other so much.

Last night it was wonderful to sit around the dinner table as a family. Little C started to tell a story about what happened to him at school that day. He said his teacher put hand sanitizer on his palm and then he rubbed his hands together. After that he brought his hands up to his nose and took a whiff and then he went on to say,

"and Mom, that's when I caught the puberty. It made my voice change immediately. I could hardly breathe."

Oh my goodness we laughed so hard.

So, just in case you didn't know. Beware of hand sanitizer, I hear it makes you catch the puberty. I don't know about you but I already had a bad bout of that a few decades back. No thank you.

Okay, so let's just start out with something that has nothing to do with anything. Fun right?

I keep forgetting to tell you something about The Beloved that must be shared.

He is secretly obsessed with Flow from the Progressive commercials. 

To the point of memorization.

He'll rewind the commercials over and over again.

 His favorite lines being, "Happens to me all the time" and "hello".

What a weird, dorky man that I love. He's perfect for me. 

No offense honey.

Now that, that's off my chest we can continue forward.

Onto - The Move.

First things first. Or I guess second things second. Since this is the second thing...

Wow, keep it together woman.

This is one of the parts I hate, hate, hate about moving:

Finding mysterious, foreign, how long has that been there(?) objects.

This time that experience was found behind the videos.

Honestly, what the H is that?

I don't even know.

That is just grotesque, throw up in my mouth, nasty.

(Sorry about the H Mom.

I must admit, sometimes it just springs out there unintentionally when I find science projects flourishing behind our belongings.)

Well....

can't really find an appropriate segue for the next bit so we'll just jump right in.

(FYI- to all of you smarty pants people who know that segway isn't spelled segway but segue, you can continue to feel smart. But, for everybody else (like me), did you have any idea that segway was spelled segue? Interesting.)

So, we're a little heart broken.

If you would have told me a year ago that we would only live in IL for a year and then we'd be moving back,

I would have jumped for joy.

Who could have thought of a better plan?

It's amazing to think we have only lived here a year when it feels like a life time. In a good way.

I believe we have experienced something rare.

The feeling of immediate belonging, instantaneous love, support, where everything simply falls into place.

Wow, right?

Now, life is life and always throws its curves,

it's just been surprising to realize I wouldn't mind receiving my curves here. (we're not talking about lbs my friends)

I keep typing, deleting, and re-typing - I am not sure what to say or which order to say it.

Third thing third :) -

I love my family. I am thrilled to live by them. To see their faces whenever I love and to squeeze their wonderful little beings.

But, it is also hard to leave behind good friends that have grown into awesome family.

My neighbor Kim - I can't even talk about because I am currently tearing up just thinking about her. I love her to pieces. She is irreplaceable and has taken such great care of our family. Thank you.

The Beloved's employees:

They were sending us baby gifts even before we officially moved here. Upon our arrival they would ask The Beloved how I was doing and then they'd send home little "things to do in IL" fliers. When I miscarried they made sure I knew they were sad and sorry for our loss. One time The Beloved convinced one of his very patient, talented employees to teach me how to quilt.  They invited us swimming, to parties, and one wonderful gal even helped me pack and showed up on my doorstep today with California rolls. 

Our Ward:

Is a dream.

I want to take all of them with me because I love them.

I have never been in a ward like this before.

They're my family.

(I should say "our" because it's true. But right now I am being selfish and only focusing on me and MY EMOTIONS. :))

Just to give you an idea -

When people found out we were moving our phone was ringing off the hook. How can we help? What do you need?

The Bishops wife watched my little boys all day, took them swimming, read them stories when it was time to take a nap, and treated them like her own.

But, just a few hours before I dropped them off at her house she had just returned from staying the night at a nursing home. One of the elderly ladies from our ward wasn't doing so well and her family called and asked if someone might be able to stay the night with her.

So, she did. She got about two hours of sleep and then watched my children ALL DAY LONG. I am sure she was not only physically exhausted but emotionally as well.

She is probably hating that I am writing about her. And I'm sorry. Really. But one of the things that amazes me is the people here don't serve just to be good. They serve because service is their life. I honestly don't think she thought it was a big deal to watch our children because this is what she does. Serve.

M-W three different women have watched my children during the day.

Two others will watch them Th and F.

And more volunteered.

All of these women are busy mothers, with demanding lives and a boat load of responsibilities.

My kitchen was all packed up on Mon by my friends, a wonderful mother and daughter who are divine.

Another sister, my old workout buddy, volunteered to be in charge of box pickup and drop off. She's like the fairy box giver, stopping by randomly throughout the week.

My prego friend has been here packing diligently and another happily cleaned my seven year olds bathroom. The Bathroom Cleaner then took a huge load of our junk to the Goodwill. (I am sorry I labeled you the Bathroom Cleaner. You are so much more :) I just don't like using real names. )

And more fantastic people will be becoming throughout the week to help clean and load the truck.

Also, get this - one lovely lady agreed to sell some of our belongings in a garage sale and then mail the money to us because we don't have time to do it.

Close to last by not least:

The daughter  who helped pack up our kitchen is a masseuse and offered to give me a massage on Friday while the men are packing up.

Wouldn't you want to live here too?

We feel completely LOVED.

This is our family.

So, now really last but not least -

My little Beehives.

You are so dear.

Stay good.

Tonight you planned a surprise party for me an hour before the activity was to start and it was the perfect goodbye gift. I loved the cake, the cupcakes, the chips and goldfish. You even bought your wicked leader a Pepsi.

The games were hilarious and I tried really hard not to laugh at the accidental toot someone let slip. You know who you are :).

Thanks for the pictures and your sweet, tender messages you wrote in the little booklet for me.

I love your testimonies and your kindness.

You're beautiful.

I love you girls.

Really. I do.

Order your Guinness Book of World Records soon because I am pretty sure I just wrote the longest post alive and my name will be mentioned. Sweet.

A friend in my last post wrote a comment that is so true.

This experience is bittersweet. For obvious reasons.

The Lord is so good.

We are thankful for this job promotion, especially during hard economic times. I am incredibly giddy about living near my parents and being able to see my sisters more. Family is #1.

I am grateful for our memories made here.

It's been one magnificent year.

By the way... for all of you Flow lovers. On this very night as I was writing this post a new Progressive commercial came out.

The Beloved is overwhelmed with joy.