The spring line-up.

We all want our kids to have something they're good at. And we all want to give them opportunities to try things while they are young. I did my best to get them in the same things at the same times... but I have the feeling your not going to be hearing from me much in april and may... On the up side - Craig will be working like every day in April and May so I don't have to think about family dinners that don't take place in a drive through and cup holders in the back seat. Oh yeah and I'm counting my blessings that we named each of our kids with a different first letter so I don't have to actually write out their whole name on the calander. I can just use first initials! The time I'm saving! Jeeesh! Wish me luck!

Mon - Hmmm quiet blissful FHE
Tues - K -Karate 4:15-4:45
A - Karate 4:45-5:30
Wed - A - Karate 4:45-5:30
B - Activity Days
Thur- A - Golf 4:30-5:30 (this is their ticket to a college scholorship)
B - Golf 5:30-6:30 (this is our way of planning for the future! do you know how
many female golf scholorships go unclaimed each year?)
Fri - Q&K Swim 10:30-11:15
B - Violin 5:30- 6:00
K&A - Soccer 6:30
Sat - K - t-ball 10-10:45
B&A - Swim 11-11:45
Sun - another day of quiet bliss - well as quiet and blissful as it gets taking 5 kids to church by myself...

It doesn't seem as bad now that I've written it all down. I think I'm missing something... oh the baby! LOL

What do Craig and BYU have in common?

OK so Craig has had a brush with fame. A few nights ago I went to buy the 3rd book in the Twilight Series - fate would have it that the soft back version was out of stock so I sat debating whether or not to buy the hard back version. I decided that because both Craig and I were reading the series it was justifiable to spend the few extra bucks and take the book home that night. Well, the hard back version had a picture of the author - Stephanie Meyer on it... now to answer your question. Craig kept saying, 'she looks really familiar.' What ever - so he did a little research .... apparently when Craig did his time at the Y he dated Stephanie Meyer... if only ... he could be married to a really rich lady - instead of a lady who spends all his riches.

Our Nightmare... uh oops Vacation

What could be funner than taking 4 non-swimmers under the age of 6 to a fancy water park? Uhhh can't think of much. Seriously we had a good time. Sometimes I just wonder what kind of people we are subjecting ourselves to things like this. Smart, sane people would take their kids individually to chuck-e-cheese and tell the kids that was their vacation! Not us. We take them all and then try to convince them to lie about their age so they can go on the big slides with us. (Not really)

Of course Kaid and Quinn got some ink!

We upgraded our room to this fancy-smanchy one with a separate room for the kids with their own TV and bunk beds!

But they all ended up in our bed anyway - what a waist of good money. Next time I'm just getting the tiny room with one bed then maybe they will appreciate what they had!

So glad we didn't end up at the resort - Kalahari - a logistical nightmare for us. We started to go there until someone suggested Great Wolf Lodge because it was more little kid friendly. Great Wolf Lodge was perfect for our family. We even came home with all the kids. Didn't loose any of them.

Mmmmmmm - ice cream store!

It was spring break so I packed some 'spring clothes' - good thing we never had to leave the hotel. Or my kids would have gotten frost bite outside!

Obligatory family photo! Dang I look fat - where is the camera that takes 10 pounds off for me? Oh wait - Lex and I look the same ... chubby cheeks!

Oh so cool - tie dyed t-shirts~

What do I do First?

Imagine me standing in the middle of the house wondering, 'would now be a good time to go finish my book?'

Child #1 (Phone in one hand) Can I go play at so and so's house? Please, please, please?

Child #2 I NEEEEED HEEEELLLLLP on the computer! (Repeated over and over - loudly)

Child #3 Uhhh I just pooped my pants...

Child #4 (don't hear him saying anything - just see him escaping out the dog door- it's snowing outside - no shoes - no coat)

Child #5 Waaaa Waaaaah Waaaaaaaah WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Husband #1 (Standing at the door) Trish... TRISH... TRIIIIIISH? WHERE ARE YOU?

So when I'm old, bored and lonely how exactly am I going to remember these 'moments?'

Don't think Supper Nanny would Care for this one either.

Had I known it would be so easy (and had I thought of it 8 years ago) I would have slapped some crooked boards up on the wall a few houses ago. Of course I mentioned my plan to Craig and $40 and 2 1/2 hours later I came home to find this beautiful work of art... One thing about it - Craig does quality work! Way better than the crooked boards I had in mind. If we had a hurricane, flood, tornado, or the big bad wolf came along and blew our house down... my shelves would still be standing. And we did have a lot of fun watching the green beans roll as we stocked the shelves (our social life ain't wut it used to be). Thanks honey!!!!

We all know they have different personalities...

Only Bekah manages to get gum between her toes and her hair stuck in a bush to the point that scissors are necessary to get her out... (she is 10 years old)

Only Quinn manages to be spider man - jumping from his bed to dresser to climb on the shelf to get the movies down, scaling the counter tops with 3 or 4 8-inch knives (what 2 year old thinks he needs 4 knives to open fruit snacks), and crawling across the top of a couch at the Y to pull the fire alarm (in under 3 seconds) then looks at you grinning and says, "uh oh..."

Only Kaid manages to get left behind (he was probably checking out someones boobies.) Or lets his big sister draw a mustach on his face with permanent marker and then cries that 'they are hurting his feelings' when people at church comment on it the next day.

And of course only Anna manages to forget her underwear...

Should I Be Worried?

Ok. So we all know Kaid has 2 big sisters, and Craig is gone a lot, and he is the only boy in his preschool, and he seems to only have girl friends - so he is exposed to a lot of estrogen but should I worry? By default he ends up shopping with me no matter what I need or where I need to go... so the other day I'm in the - uh - lingerie section picking up a few essentials when I look over at Kaid and he is caressing the bra's. He looks at me and says with a sigh of contentment, 'mommy, look at all these boobies...'

Why I Hate to Cook

1. It doesn't matter what I fix I'm guaranteed to hear, "I don't like ________" Even though last week it was their all time favorite.

2. I never hear, 'gee mom, thanks for thinking about dinner at 9 this morning and getting the meat out of the freezer to thaw'

3. Dirty dishes

4. Dirty chairs

5. Dirty table

6. Dirty floor

7. Dirty Walls

8. I am also guaranteed to hear, 'can't I just get a yogurt? I'll get it myself (the only time during the day they can get it themselves)

9. Or really you thought about buying garlic bread a week ago to have for dinner tonight? You actually put that much thought into it?

10. Or thanks for spending your day making bread because it is the frugal way to eat and I do like bread.

I really, really, really like slipping the waitress a big tip and walking out the door totally eliminating #1-10.