Halloween Party

Today was Jordan's class Halloween party. They were allowed to wear their costumes to school, sans anything that could be construed as a weapon. Jo was the black Spiderman but decided at the last minute (literally...we were parked in front of the school to drop him off) he didn't want to wear it. As we pulled up he asked what he would do if he needed to go to the bathroom today, since his costume zips up in the back. I could tell he'd been thinking about it & didn't press him to change his mind when he decided to take off the costume & just wear the clothing he had underneath. Poor kid was really worried about it! I can imagine the thought of having an accident in your costume would keep most kids from wanting to wear one.

He had a good day, even without the costume. He wasn't the only one not wearing one, so it wasn't too bad. I got to go see them walk around in a little parade & bring some treat bags, which was fun.

Logan came with me & really enjoyed himself. He entertained several parents while we were there waiting for the parade to end & the party to begin. He really is a little entertainer. He's shy yet he says & does some of the funniest things when he doesn't realize people are looking.

I managed to get a few pictures, which I'll try & scrapbook in the next day or so.

My friend Cherry had her baby last night. Thank goodness all went well! I always worry when I hear some one's going in for an induction. So often they "fail" (aka dr's don't want to miss dinner/soccer game/whatever with the family & a c-section becomes "necessary"), so I was glad to hear both momma & baby are doing great. I really want to go see them, but I don't want to be a burden so I think I'll wait until she's more rested.

It's been a year already??

It's hard to believe it, but it's been a year since I shaved my head. I've never shared the pictures from that night so I thought I'd throw something together to help remember that night. Tyler played photographer & Dave the "hair dresser" while the kids & the dog got to run around wild out in the back yard.


What a surreal night!

Ty's shoulder update

I took Ty to the orthopedic surgeon today for a follow up. He said things are not healing perfectly straight but that it wouldn't be a problem. Then he said the magic words, in Tyler's eyes....no more sling! Ty was pretty happy to hear that. He's sick of wearing it every day.

The only "bad" news was that Ty still has to refrain from any sports for the next 4 weeks. He was pretty bummed about that. I guess they just started flag football in P.E. this week & he was really hoping for the green light to play.

I don't think I'll be taking him to any more follow up appointments. I don't need a dr to tell me what I already know, with his hand out waiting for me to pay him to tell me the obvious. A lot of dr's visits (especially for younger children) are so unnecessary. They're really just an excuse the vaccine makers have to put together to get the kids in the office so parents can "immunize" their children. Ever notice how the "well-child checks" coincide with vaccine recommendations? Yeah, me too. ;)

Ah....that's another story all together. I digress....

Halloween costume time!

Today, both Logan & Hayleah wanted to try on the costumes I ordered for them. Hayleah, at least once a day, walks/crawls around for a while with her tongue hanging out, occasionally drawn back in to let out a loud "meow" (she's our family cat/dog....we don't have a cat so she acts like a dog but thinks she's a cat....funny kid LOL). So this year I got her a kitty costume. It's really cute & she was very happy with it when she saw herself in the mirror, alternating between wide-eyed staring & smiles.

Logan, being the little stinker he is, is going to be a skunk this year. After he put on his costume I wanted him to go show Dave so I told him to sneak up on him & scare him with his "scary" skunk costume (I know....not scary....but he loves to try to scare Dave whenever possible & he wasn't loving the costume yet so I had to come up with something). Anyhow, he snuck up behind him & just stood there. When Dave finally turned around & saw him he just ooh'd & ahh'd at him & said how cute he was.

The conversation:

Dave: Oh look at you! You look so cute!

Logan: Yeah (with the typical head/full body nod)

Dave: (as Logan turns around to walk off) Oh look at your little tail...you're a skunk! That's really cute!

Logan: (in his best angry voice) Me not skunk Dad, me Logan. (stomps off, mad)


It's funny but Logan gets very mad when anyone calls him anything other than the designated name & nickname we've given him. If you have spent any time with us, all of our kids each have many, many nicknames/pet names, except Logan. He won't have it. He's told us several times only to call him Logan or Loga-Bear. That's it. He's very defensive about it for some reason.

Funny kid. :)

My favorite Sunday's

Yesterday at church we were able to have one of those Sunday's, when the messages were so clear & the stories so fascinating & the speakers so inspired....it was a great day to be able to witness. One of the Ivie boys came home from his mission in India & gave his homecoming speech yesterday. It was a great talk & as he spoke it was very interesting to look at the congregation & see how intently they were listening to his story. He had a very different experience than most missionaries have, which is why I think everyone was so keen to listen. I don't know of any missionaries that have been held in jail & beaten for just being missionaries in a foreign land, other than this young man.

The Bishop got a chance to talk, too. He's running for county commission & has had a string of attack ads against him on TV this week. I know it has to be hard for him & his family to swallow that bitter pill. It's sad what our political atmosphere has turned to, just to try to get someone elected. What happened to the ethics of our founding fathers? There seems to be little integrity left in politics. So little that it's hard to see it when it's actually there. It's nice to actually know someone in the political arena who is ethical & tries to live a righteous life, otherwise I don't think I could hold out much hope for any of it at this point. I'm really disgusted with politics at this point in my life!

Another great event of the day was the opportunity Ty & I had to go to Standards Night. The people who put this together really did an amazing job. I was really impressed with the team-talk the Burt's gave (which I've never seen done before, but they managed to pull it off nicely) & the testimonies of the youth that were shared were very moving. It was really nice to be able to feel like we were able to connect with them on a personal level, even though I don't know most of them. And it's so much more powerful, hearing a testimony from a face you recognize.

The theme was F.R.O.G. ~ Fully Rely On God. The whole room was decked out in origami frogs & stuffed frogs & green treats....they just did an awesome job.

The Bishop spoke for a bit & had a few great stories to share & related them to how Heavenly Father helps those he loves by refining them & allowing their gold (the best within them) to rise to the top. It made me think about the muck I'm not truly letting go of & made me realize what I need to do to allow my inner gold to shine through.

It's always a good day when you're able to look from the outside in & evaluate where things are & where they should be. It's a great day when you know what you need to do to get things to where they should be. Yesterday was a great day. Today is a day of action. :)

House hunting ~ what a pain!

We're trying to find a house in our ward boundaries but it seems like everything we find is either outdated or just not right. I really want a single-story home on a decent size lot but to find that we have to look at the custom homes in the area. I don't have a problem with this since I love the space but they're hard to find. I don't mind an older home either, as long as it's been updated since it was built. I just want a big back yard for my kids & my dog so we can keep the play ground.

Luckily we're not in a pinch for time, so we are keeping our eyes peeled for the right house to come along. I'm expecting it will, too. The wait & the let-down after seeing homes we had high hopes for is kind of disappointing, but I figure it's all worth it to find the right house.

The sweet & the funny & the field trip

Logan & Hayleah, though they're 14 months apart, both speak at about the same level. They both pick up a lot from Jordan, some of which is very funny coming out of a little person's mouth.

The other day, after spending the morning with a friend while I went on Jordan's first class field trip, Logan was amused with something I said or did. Between laughter he tells me "you make me yo, yo happy, mom" (he doesn't pronounce the 'S' sound very well). The little man knows how to melt my heart. Lately he's taken to flirting with me during scriptures. He'll catch my eye & start winking at me & blowing kisses. Funny kid! He's always had such a big personality.

Today was Dave's first day off in what felt like forever & we went out to lunch. On the way back we see a little carnival going up & Hayleah spots the rides. She doesn't know what it is but she manages, in her excitement, to get out the word "awesome". Coming from a little girl whose not even 2 yet, this is a big word to use & what's even funnier is she knows how to use it properly. I've been saying for a while she's a smart kid. *Ü*

I mentioned a field trip a bit ago & wanted to write down a little about that. Jordan's class had their first field trip on Wednesday & I was one of the lucky parents who got to go with them. We went to the farm festival way out in east Las Vegas. The kids all had a really good time. They got to pet all kinds of animals, get in a tractor & have their picture taken, learn some things about farms & farmers, etc. Their only complaint was the fact that whomever brings the pigs left them at home this year. They were really looking forward to petting the pigs.

Overall it was a good trip. The bus ride was bumpy & the driver seemed to think taking the round-about way was better, but we had fun & no one got lost. On the other hand, Logan screamed & cried the entire time he was at Jade's house. :( Poor kid. Poor Jade.

My babies

I was looking at my 3 youngest this morning & I realized how much they really do look alike. It's harder to see it in Tyler because he's so much more grown up than they are, but he used to look very similar too. I see a lot of Dave in Logan but then I think they all look like me.

My babies are growing up so quickly. Last night I realized Hayleah will be almost 4, Logan will be 5 & Jo will be 8 by the time the new Harry Potter theme park, at Disney World, opens up & we get to go. That's just crazy! And to think she's the last of our babies....I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that she's likely our last. It's even crazier to think Ty will be 16 by then.

CRAZY!

Crocheting

I have very little experience with this. My m-i-l taught me how a few years back & I haven't picked it up since. Recently I decided to pick up some yarn & try to get in to it. I have a tendency to snack when I'm bored (obviously) & I'm trying to stop that so I can take off those pounds I lost but then found again, plus some.

So far it's turning out really cute. It's a baby blanket & I know just who I'm going to give it to when her baby comes. :) Jordan is very fascinated with the whole process & is asking when he can do one too. Tyler laughs at me & says something about knit one, pearl two....punk is trying to call me old, I think. Logan & Hayleah can't seem to leave the balls of yarn alone. They keep laying their heads on them & telling me they're going to sleep now.

Funny kids.

Ever get tired of clutter?

I do. I wish there was a way to make it disappear without having to follow everyone around in this house. My bedroom is the worst part of the house for this right now. It seems to be a magnet for everything that doesn't belong, unless I really work hard at staying on top of it. I'd love to have a showroom home one day. Today is not that day, however.

It seems like just when I feel I'm caught up on decluttering/organizing/cleaning, I turn around & it all needs to be done again. What's that about!? Where's that easy button or fairy godmother when I need them?? Maybe a housekeeper would do.

I swear having a two-story house is more like having 2 houses when it comes to cleaning. I'm really hoping our next house will be a single-story home for this exact reason.

WARNING: Rant ahead.....may be offensive to some.......

I think certain family members think I'm lazy for not keeping my house as spic & span as they believe it should be. While it's definitely not as clean as their house (with zero kids in it) is, what's wrong with paying more attention to the kids & a little less attention to the things that will still be there later? Maybe those people should check their own motes instead of being so focused on mine. It's hard to hear they've been whispering behind your back about it & not feel upset about it. I think I have every right to feel upset when someone says kind things to your face but makes negative comments about you behind your back, though I know I shouldn't let them hold that power over me.

Maybe things will be better in time. Until then, I guess the silence will remain. It's just hard allowing them in to your home, allowing them to see your vulnerabilities, knowing this gives them ammo to use against you, & not knowing when that time will come when they inevitably will use it against you.

It's been weeks & it still bothers me. I've never been one to hold grudges, but this one is still stuck in my craw. I guess I just expect more from the ones I love. Is that so wrong?

I think I'm just going to decide to not allow them to hold any more power over me & move on from this. They can be whomever their conscience dictates they will be & I'll do my best to rise above that. I'm letting it go now.

RANT OVER

Praise the Cox Cable guy!

He fixed my internet! It's been in & out for at least a few weeks now. It took sacrificing a play date at the park to get him here, but now we can get online & actually get phone calls! I love the price of Vonage, but it sucks if the cable is out. I was able to forward the home phone to the cell phone but it's been acting funny the past few days too. Not in the funny "ha-ha" kind of way, either.

When the cable guy left I got a knock on the door not 30 seconds later. It was him again, letting me know Hayleah was out front. Great! Made me feel like a good mom, not knowing my 1 year old was outside....out FRONT....by herself. :( It's my fault for not telling the cable guy to lock the door each time he came in & out. Our front door sucks & won't shut completely so it has to be locked all the time.

She was safe, which is all that matters now. That & I learned a good lesson about her. I've known she's sneaky & slick for a while now....I now have a better idea exactly how good at it she can be. Thank goodness we go out there every morning & she knows to not step foot off the curb.

The summer of BUGS!

I don't know about others here in Vegas, but MAN has there been a lot of bugs! We finally got the bug guy out today for the first time in a few months & it's been needed for a while now. You just can't go 2 months between services in the summer time. At least not this summer. It's been alright in past years but I'm ready to start finding some dead or dying bugs around here, instead of getting freaked out about the live ones!

I always hate letting them come in & spray, just because I don't want the stuff where I eat & sleep, but this time they did the downstairs & upstairs. I'm just tired of seeing bugs all the time.

If I find a bug outside, I'm always cautious not to kill them but when they step foot into my territory they're no longer granted immunity!

Speaking of immunity....I miss Big Brother. I can't wait for the next one!! This year we got 2 seasons. I don't think we'll be as lucky next year. I can hope for another writer's strike. ;)

I got a chance to talk to my brother Travis today. He had gastric bypass surgery last week & had a few stories to tell me that were really gross, yet fascinating & hysterical all at the same time. I told him he needs to write a book about this experience. He's such a good writer & has an incredible sense of humor. And after hearing what I heard today, apparently he has no shame either & is willing to share even the most embarrassing, intimate details of this ordeal. LOL

Back to school tomorrow!

After a 3 week break, Jordan goes back to school in the morning. He's been counting the days & is excited to see his friends tomorrow. I'm happy for him. He's really loving first grade. I think we'll probably go through another breaking in phase, where it seems like the day will never end & each day seems to be longer than the last, but overall he'll go back to loving it pretty quickly. :)

His teacher this year seems pretty nice, as I've said before. I'm looking forward to getting to know her a little better & see what her teaching style is. She has at least one child in her class that's a big challenge (he was in Jordan's class in K) & I'd like to see how she does with him in her class. She's young, which is always a concern for me, & has no kids of her own, which is yet another big concern, but so was Ms. Harper & she turned out to be great. I'm hoping for more of the same.

Anyone want a hormonal, grumpy 14 year old?

Cause mine is driving me nuts today. He thumped Jordan on the head for annoying him & is now copying a few pages from the dictionary. I figure if he's going to be a bully at least he'll be one with a large vocabulary. ;) Seriously though, I'm so done with this kind of behavior. I really hope he's able to get it under control before he really hurts someone. :( I understand how annoying little brothers can be, but come on!! Grrr!

I needed to go to the store today so I decided to go right after dropping Dave off at work, to try & miss the crowd. I swear my kids are out to get me today. That probably sounds a little paranoid, but it's really how I felt this morning. Luckily I have my head on straight (so far today, anyway) & I'm not letting them bug me too much. They thought it would be fun to play tag through the aisles this morning while Hayleah, who was very tired, would cry as loudly as she could if I wasn't holding her. Between keeping everyone at my side, a crying baby & no sling in sight, I was so ready to get out of there!

I need to rethink the whole early morning shopping trips thing. Although I don't really know anyone who enjoys taking their kids grocery shopping, this particular trip to the store was more difficult than usual.

Hayleah's hair cut

She looks so cute, I must say. Thanks, Jamie! :)

I took a picture of her this morning, being goofy as usual, to show the difference. The before pic really shows how wild it would be if I didn't have it up all the time. Cute stuff!

This next sb page is of Logan on his 3rd birthday, a few weeks ago. Everything he touched was followed by this deep breath in & the word "OH" or "Holy Moke". He enjoyed himself, to say the least. :)

What is it with doctors offices & social security numbers!?

Man this irritates me! Several years ago, we stopped giving out our SS#'s to doctors offices. They just don't need it. The insurance company swears they don't ask for anything more than the last four digits of the social. So why in the world are doctor's offices still giving me a hard time about this?? I had a woman on the phone with me today, totally frustrated with me because I wouldn't give out my social or Dave's, who thought she could get the numbers out of me through her not-so-tactful threats & rude behavior. She even had the balls to say "screw it" to me after she realized she wasn't going to bully me into seeing things her way.

If you know me at all, you'd know threats don't work well with me. It makes me dig my heals in more. This kind of stuff happens all the time in doctor's offices, unfortunately. My skin is much thicker than it once was & I now know I'm the employer & I don't have to put up with that kind of mistreatment.

Her threat was that she could not make me an appointment without first getting my social. Why do people have to make things so difficult? I bet she's asking herself the same thing. I'm really not trying to be difficult, but when you hear about doctor's offices going out of business & all their patients records....SS#'s & all.....being deposited in the dumpster out back for anyone to take, you can't be too careful.

I called back & spoke with someone in the offices administration & explained what had happened. I rarely complain about people's behavior but in this case I really felt someone should know patients are being treated this way when they're not 100% "compliant" & maybe have a few more questions than the average bear. She was nice about it & I can see where it could be frustrating, but the entire conversation after her yelling "screw it" at me was really snotty & rude.

Girlfriend needed to be checked! At the time I was ready to bust out a can but I've figured out a way to let those kinds of frustrations go fairly quickly.

Why is it easier to let frustrations with strangers go more quickly than frustrations with family? Is it because you love them & expect more from them? Want better from them, maybe?

More of life's tough questions.....