Happy Birthday Brody!

Indiana Brody!

Kunkle wrapped in TP to be our Mummy at the party! What a good sport!

A very sleepy Case at the party!  See his satchel bag?  Sugar made 56 of these in 2 days for the party.  They were a huge hit and worked perfect for our "adventure!" Thanks Sugar!

Show me to the bad guys!

Ledger had a ball pulling all the snakes off the swing set before the party started!  He's a big help!

Yesterday was Brody's 6th Birthday.  I know I should have posted this yesterday, but I was super busy getting ready for an Indiana Jones party at my house!  I can't believe my little buddy is already 6...where does the time go?  It has been so fun watching Brody grow and change these past years.  He is so smart and goofy.  He has learned a lot this year, some good, some not so good!  He is so fun to have around and I can't wait to see how this little guy grows this next year!  Yesterday I interviewed Brody about a few of his favorites.  Here we go!  

Favorite color: Blue

Best Friend:  All the friends in the neighborhood

Favorite thing about school:  cutting activities

What do you like best about Case?:  He is funny!

What do you like best about Ledger?:  He's cute!

Favorite Food:  Mexican (Bean Burros)

Favorite Dessert:  Popsicles, no ice cream, oh I know...chocolate!

What do you want for your birthday?:  Bakugans

What do you want to be when you grow up? A worker like Dad

Where do you want to go to college?  Red Mountain Ranch (Thinking Big)

What's your favorite book?  If You Take A Mouse To The Movies

What's your favorite toy? Legos

What's your favorite fruit?  Oranges

Favorite Vegetable? green beans, no asparagus

Favorite sport?  T-Ball, no wait Golf

So there you have it.  Here are a few thing about Brody you might find interesting.  He loves to dress up!  He still sucks his two fingers at night while he sleeps.  He doesn't like to share nor does he think he should have too.  He has two loose teeth on the bottom of his mouth.  He has learned to argue.  He loves orange juice!  He would eat bean burros for every meal if I let him.  Brody cloggs our toilet every time he GOES! (probably cause he only GOES once a week!) He loves homework and beggs for more!  He is a scary good speller and knows all his math double facts.  At least once a week someone tells Brody how beautiful his eyes are and often he gets asked if he wears eyeliner. The most important thing about Brody on his 6th birthday...he is loved and adored more then he will ever know or understand!  Happy 6th Birthday Brody!

 

Our Kind Deed Snowman!

Our Kind Deed Snowman!

Here are some of the snowballs we used to make our Kind Deed Snowman.  You can see that really any kind of love, kindness, sharing, or happy attitude deserved a snowball!

Are these the faces of three kind boys?

Last week for FHE we talked about the importance of being kind to each other.  We learned that there are many examples in the scriptures of kindness and love toward others.  We also talked about times when it is not so easy to be kind to others...especially our own brothers.  We decided that as a family we would try for 1 week to be kind to each other as well as to those around us.  To make sure we were all being kind, we would write our kind deeds on snowballs and then make a snowman out of our kind deed snowballs!

Although I didn't take a lot of time to make the snowman accessories super cute, I think she turned out great!  It was fun to see how involved the boys were and how hard they worked to be kind and helpful.  They would do something kind and then say, "Mom, don't you think we should write that on a snowball?"  I love a kind house and helpful nice boys!  

How have you showed kindness today?

A Much Needed Day Off...For Mom!

Sugar, Ledger, Hunter, Brody, Case and Katlyn after climbing 

Hole In The Rock

Brody at Hole In The Rock

Case made it to the top!

Ledger and Sugar

O.K. all you Mom's out there.  Have you ever had one of those days?   You know the ones.  The house is a mess.  The kids are fighting.  Everyone's crying. The teasing and tormenting going on between the kids is about to make you loose it. Three kids have spilled their drinks at different times throughout the day.  The house is getting messier.  The kids are whipping each other with the new Indiana Jones whips.  You are trying to get something accomplished but someone needs help going to the bathroom.  Someone needs a diaper changed.  Everyone is still crying!!! You get the picture!  Well yesterday was that day.  It started off great but quickly got BAD!  I was tired.  Boy 1, 2 and 3 were tired.  Dad was busy trying to sell a house.  Mom had had it!!!  Have any of you ever wanted to walk out the front door and leave the craziness inside?  Yesterday I did!  I wanted to walk out the front door and not come back (I know, I know how could I? Admit it Mom's we've all been there!)  Well, thanks to Sugar, I got the day off today. Last night my mom came by at 7:00 and kid 1 was dead asleep in bed.  Kid 2 was bawling his eyes out in his bed cause Mom put him down without a story.  Kid 3 was eating in the highchair cause he had just got out of time out and missed dinner. I think she could feel my frustration.  So after 8:00 church this morning I got a text from her asking if she could take the boys to lunch and to the zoo.  Forget that it's Sunday...they are all yours Sugar! So thanks Mom for giving me a much needed day off!  I needed this badly!

A Visit To The Principals Office!

Remember the hand signs Brody learned the first week at his new school? Well, last week we had a conference with Brody's teacher to discuss how he's doing at his new school.  She said he was doing well and making lots of friends.  Great news to Jeremy and I.  Then she mentioned a little situation that had happened that day as the kids were lining up to go home.  

Apparently as the kids were in line to go home, a little boy in Brody's class said to all the other kids, "Brody's Mom is FRIGGIN' HOT!" This did not sit with with Brody who immediatly ran to the teacher in tears telling her what had been said about his Mom.  She called the boys parents and he was disciplined.  Well, Friday came and Brody gets in the car after school and says, "Mom, guess what C. said about you today?"  I looked at him worried and asked, "what?" "In an upset voice he said, "Mom he said, Brody's Mom is HOT AS HELL!!" I was mad!  I know some of you think I should take it as a compliment, but not from a foul mouth KINDERGARTNER!  I didn't do anything about it right then.  I needed to cool down and talk to Jeremy.  I did however have a long talk with Brody and told him enough is enough.  He need to tell C. that he didn't appreciate his language and that he can't talk like that around him.  

After a long talk with Jeremy, who by the way has now bragged to all his friends about how "FRIGGIN" hot his wife is, we decided we needed to do something about this.  I called the teacher first and told her my concerns.  She said she has addressed the problem with the principal and the parents of the little boy.  I told her I was going to talk to the principal and she gave me the o.k. In the meantime, Brody came home in the middle of the week and asked if (spelling it out to me) A-S-S is a bad word.  (YIKES!)

So after all this, Jeremy and I met with the principal today.  I have to tell you I was a little nervous.  I'm used to being on the principals side talking to the parents, not the other way around.  We expressed our concerns and she reassured us that she is aware of the problem and that this little boy was suspended earlier this week.  It was a little disheartening to hear her say to us that he is going to be exposed to bad language the rest of his life and that as the parents we need to teach him when it is and when it is not appropriate to use it.  While I agree with this, it is sad to realize that my little guy is growing up and the influences out there are so strong and powerful.  How will I ever teach him that these words are not good when everyone around him is using them? This being the case, I don't think Kindergarten is the place to hear bad language (I'm sure I'll be blogging about this same topic when Brody's in 6th grade!)  I feel better about having visited with the principal and I hope that this little guy will change his language soon...at least around MY Kindergartner!

Oh and by the way.  The hand signs the first week of school were courtesy of this same little boy! And also, the comic at the top is not intended to offend anyone.  Around this house, the "S" word is "stupid" and the "F" word is "fart."

Am I So Lucky.....?

It's not like I needed to be reminded...but today I was!  I feel so lucky right now!  I haven't been able to find my diamond wedding ring for the past four days.  I have two places I keep it...it wasn't in either.  I knew the last time I had it was Saturday night when we went out for H.C.'s 30th birthday.  I knew this because I have pictures of me dancing at Cadillac Ranch with it on my little finger.  I have torn the house apart.  I have accused my kids.  I have pulled sheets off beds, checked garbage cans, toilets, and sinks.  I have prayed and prayed and prayed to find it! Well, today my prayers were answered.  As a last ditch effort, I decided to check the not one, but two black barrels that the garbage man normally picks up TODAY!  I armed myself with a mask and extra garbage sacks and went to town digging through the garbage.  Besides never wanting to be a waitress, I never want to be a garbage woman!   It is so gross!  Besides the smell of week old poopy diapers, the leakage and rotten food are enough to make me want to throw up!  In the first garbage sack I found a spoon that belongs to my silverware.  SCORE...but not really want I was wanting to find!  In the second garbage sack I didn't find any real treasure, but I did realize how much food I throw away!  Then low and behold under the hot dogs, cheesy potatoes and squash, left over from Sunday's dinner, was my diamond ring!  Am I so lucky?  There I was surrounded by my own disgusting garbage bawling my eyes out holding my diamond ring!  I feel so thankful that my prayers were answered and that I now have my mustard coated wedding ring back on my finger! 

So...have any of you ever lost something valuable or meaningful?

Hooray For The 100th Day!

Horray For The 100th Day!

The cutest little 100 Day kiddo! Can you see how heavy his shirt is?  It's drooping down in the front!  Way to go Mom!

Lookin' good Jackson!

Brody's cute friend McKay

Sweet little Miss M.

100 Day friends!

So this morning I called Brody's teacher to discuss a little situation that's going on with one of the boys in his class.  I'll get back to you about this one but let's just say Jeremy and I have an appointment with the principal to discuss this problem!  I asked the teacher about the 100 day celebration and she kindly invited me to come take pictures of the 100th day fashion show this morning.  I was so lucky to get some fun pictures of the 100 day glasses and kids.  Brody looked adorable in his Hot Tamale decorated shirt.  He was having so much fun parading around the school in his shirt and glasses.  It's going to be a fun 100th day of school!  HOORAY!

It's the 100th Day of School!

Happy 100th Day of School!

Who's this Hot Tamale?

Looking cute in his 100 day glasses!

Let's party!  It's the 100th day of school!  I remember this day so well when I was a teacher because it is a day of celebration and lots of fun "100" activities.  To celebrate, Brody was asked to wear 100 of something on his clothes.  Being that I'm a Hot Tamale addict, we decided we surely had 100 of these little yummies laying around this house! I got out my handy little glue gun and went crazy gluing 100 Hot Tamales onto an Allen Homes shirt!  Then I made a sign that said, "Hot Tamale!  It's the 100th Day of School!"  It looks so cute but there is just one little problem...the shirt weighs about 10 pounds!  I'm not kidding!  We'll see how he does wearing this all day...stay tuned!

Tag...I'm It!

 My friend Sara tagged me yesterday so here you go! Only one word?  This should be interesting.

1.  Where is your phone?  Pocket

2.  Where is your significant other?  Office

3.  Your hair color?  Blonde

4.  Your mother?  Amazing

5.  Your Father? Patient

6.  Your favorite thing? Family

7.  Your dream last night? Amanda (Greer/Pepper)

8.  Your dream/goal?  Doctorate

9.  The room you're in?  Kitchen

10.  Your hobby? Games (making them)

11.  Your fear?  My kids getting older  (There are so many!)

12.  Where do you want to be in 6 years?   Healthy

13.  Where were you last night? Playroom

14.  What you're not?  Confident

15.  One of your wish items?  Flat Stomach!

16.  Where you grew up?  Mesa

17.  The last thing you ate? HotTamales 

18.  What are you wearing?  Uggs

19.  Your T.V. ? Off

20.  Your pet?  None

21.  Your computer?  Working!!

22.  Your mood? Overwhelmed

23.  Missing someone? Dad 

24.  Your car?  Clean

25.  Something your not wearing?  Jewelry

26.  Favorite store? Nordstrom

27.  Love someone? Mom

28.  Your summer? Hot!

29.  Your favorite color?  Red

30.  When was the last time you laughed?  Today (on the phone with you Sara!)

31.  Last time you cried? Saturday

32.  Something you crave? Mexican

33.  Why you blog?  Journal

Ok Shannon and Jaime now you're it!

My One Little Word!

My friend Ashley posted a challenge on her Blog a few weeks ago about choosing a word to live by for the new year.  I have been thinking long and hard about my word for 2009.  Many words have come to mind as I've thought about the perfect word for me. I wanted a word that would help me as a wife and mother.  A word that would remind me to be happy and to live life to the fullest.  So after much contemplation I have come up with my word.  Drum roll please...  

Play:

1.  to occupy oneself in amusement, sport or other recreation

2.  to act in jest or sport

3.  to deal or behave carelessly or indifferently

I like this word because I often forget to live by this word.  I get so wrapped up in the day to day junk that I forget to play!  All you mom's out there know what I'm talking about.  We are so worried about the house being clean, dinner being made, laundry getting done, homework, errands, etc.etc.etc. that we forget what's most important.  We'll not any more.  I'm going

to work hard this new year to

Play!  This will be hard for me as an organized, overachieving, list making Mom.  This will require me to throw the daily grind to the wind and enjoy

life.  I'm up for the challenge and I'm ready to Play!  

What's your word going to be?