Rooooaaaarrrr

Maddison has way too much personality for her little body. Ever since we got back from visiting my parents she has been talking up a storm. Well, she has this fascination with a commercial that has a dinosaur on it. I caught her on camera as she was doing her Roar. Now that is a wide open mouth. Imagine how much noise came out of it!

She also has this new way of wearing Jason's hats. You should have seen how proud she was that she managed to get both of them on her head. My guess is that her sisters helped her out a bit. You would've thought she had won the lottery from the squeals she was making.

This little piggy...

For those of you who are wondering, we are back home. After a 12 hour drive home this weekend, I am not sure I am up for any road trips in the next month or so. Why the pictures of Maddison's feet? Well, for several hours of our trip home she insisted that I rub her feet. If I didn't, she would cry. I know how much we all enjoy hearing our children scream to the top of their lungs while riding in a car, so I'm sure you can understand why I gave in. I twisted myself into a very uncomfortable position and rubbed her sweet piggies so she would feel she was getting the attention she deserved. My back was sore but at least I didn't have to hear her cry. She has this way of getting exactly what she wants. What a pill! Who's the boss in this family?

Finally....

We all know that no one looks good in a cap and gown but I had to share my good news. I am done!!! My fingers are deformed from all the typing and my eyes hurt from looking at the computer screen for hours and hours, but I am done! {Insert Happy Dance!} And, it was all worth it. The capstone was a killer but I learned so much. They are not nearly as scary now that I have done one. I am already looking to what I am going to do next. My co-workers are trying to talk me into my Ph.D. I think I might wait a bit on that and hit my accounting and finance degree after a 6 month break. I think my kids would freak out if I started on my Ph.D. right away. Plus, I am not sure my sanity would hold out if I worked on a dissertation with my kids being so small. Maybe I will rethink that in a few years. :0)

Today I was a Mom

I know that I just added a post about 30 minutes ago but I just read this and had to share. It was too cute and so true.

Today I Was a Mom
-Published by The Daring One Jan 13

I was a mom pretty much all day today. Here is my report:

I cruelly forced someone to wear pants outside in 40-degree weather.

I cut peanut-butter sandwiches in the shape of dinosaurs and delivered them to an alfresco restaurant-for-2 at the end of our driveway.

I danced like a lunatic while driving in my car. My passengers said I was good. I chose to believe them.

I changed shirts twice but never showered.

I calmly explained AGAIN why people under the age of 30 should never use permanent markers… ever.

I threw away 3 packs of wipes that had been left open and dried out completely. Yes. I heard the earth and Sheryl Crow scream out in pain and betrayal.

I received a visitor while sitting upon the throne who proceeded to hug and cuddle me tenderly while I peed… just because of love.

When they asked “Why,” I answered. All day long.

I held a large child like a baby while he cried and showed me his bonk. Twice.

I giggled on the escalator while holding hands with a boy and agreed that it was “JUST LIKE A RIDE!”

I tried to play a girly ballad on the car stereo but was told, “That song’s scary!” “No it’s not,” I retorted. He responded, “It’s not scary to YOU, but it’s scary to ME.” I navigated my Zune back to Eye of the Tiger.

I sat out on the front porch to sort the mail so they could keep playing outside until it was All the Way Dark.

When asked to squeeze the ketchup in the shape of a dinosaur, I did my best but was informed that it looked more like an AT-AT.

I purchased the socks with the grey bottoms even though they cost 50 cents more because they help him run so much faster.

I picked up two slugs with my bare hands and threw them to freedom so the children’s squealing would stop. One was on a rubber ball. One was on my living room carpet. They felt like congealed slime… because they were.

Upon request I composed two original songs, one called, “Hooky Joojie” and the other called, “Mommy, the Laylee’s Mommy,” sung to the tune of Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.

I heard two people pray about how much they loved me.

Today I was a mom. It’s not a bad gig.

Making Dinner?!?

My kids are finding that country folks talk a little differently than city folks. Jason has managed to break most of my country talk habits :0), so the kids haven't heard many of them. One thing that really stumps them is when Grandpa says he is having dinner during lunch time. In the country you have 3 meals, breakfast, dinner and supper. City people tend to call them breakfast, lunch and dinner. My kids are so confused!

On a side note, my kids have been having a blast "helping" grandma fix food. We have made cookies and are planning on doing fudge this weekend. Yum! The other night, she let the kids help her make a salad. We quickly found that they need more adult supervision doing that. Let's just say that we had the smallest pieces of salad that we have ever had. It was so small that spoons were required. :0)

Put your nose in the corner!

Kaiden is a difficult child to punish because there just isn't anything that he cares too much if we take from him. But, I found that he HATES to stand and put his nose in the corner. He has had a couple of rough days and spent plenty of time doing just that. Well, last night I said, "Kaiden, go put your nose in the corner." and Maddie took of on a dead run in the other room. I went to make sure that Kaiden was in the corner and this is what I saw. Little Maddie had her nose pressed straight into the door before I got the camera out but of course she started hamming it up as soon as she saw what I had. It was so stinkin' cute. Mom and I couldn't help but laugh. I love that little girl so much!

Snow Bunny, er... Lamb?

This is the sled that all 4 kids and I piled on and went down the hill. We sure were snuggled in there tight.

One of the kids absolute favorite things to do is ride the 4-wheeler with Grandpa.

Wipe Out!!! Yes, that is Mac in the back. It took them a few minutes to get up.

King of the hill. Kaiden thought he was so brave to climb the "mountain".

I took Maddison out for her first time playing in the snow. I am not really sure what she thought about it. She would smile and then look less than enthused about being out there. I went down the hill a couple of times with her but she didn't really give me much of a reaction. Although, she didn't like it when all 4 kids and I were in one very small plastic sled at the same time. It was a bit squished for me so I can only assume that she felt the crunch also.

Funny story.... The 3 older kids wanted to go out and play and I told them that they could if they picked up their mess, but that anyone who didn't help wouldn't get to go outside. Well, as usual, Kaiden and Mackenzie played leaving all the work for Kaitlyn. They were crushed when I got Kaitlyn ready and sent her outside and made them stay in. After about 30 minutes, Mac and Kaiden come running upstairs, with fresh tears still on their cheeks, to tell me that they made a big mess down stairs so that they could clean it up and go outside to play. I think that both my mom and I about lost it. It was one of those moments that reminded me how innocent my kids are. They got it cleaned up and I sent them outside for an afternoon of fun. Don't you just love how kids think?

I'm Thinking Somewhere Tropical....

Or really anywhere warm. My parents were sweet enough to watch the kids for us so Jason and I could spend the night down in SLC before his flight left yesterday. It had been almost 5 years (no, that is not a typo) since Jason and I have had a trip overnight without the kids and it was heavenly. We didn't do much but run errands and do some shopping, but we got to do it without kids. As nice as it was, 24 hours was just not enough. So, now I think that we need to plan a trip this summer for a week and go somewhere fun. Wouldn't that be fun? The good news is that Jason is on board. Now, I just have to get the kids and my parents on board. (Just kidding, Mom) Either way, I now have this itch to go on vacation without the kids. We can take them on a trip at a different time.