So tired

We had a ward picnic today. I like potlucks and picnics and such because I can try new things and not have it go to waste. I mean, even if people don't particularly like it, it's already on their plate so they'll probably eat it anyway, unless it's totally horrible of course. But if I try something new at home and nobody likes it, the leftovers just sit in the fridge until I can either finish them myself or just end up throwing it out. So today I tried two new dishes to fully take advantage of my unsuspecting crowd. I always feel so proud when I see people go up for seconds or when they ask who brought that great dish. Which they did today. Props for me.
So anyway. I started getting my dishes prepared last night with cutting veggies and cooking noodles and such. I stayed up pretty late but I also had to wake up early to bake a cake which needed to be refrigerated after baking. I couldn't bake it last night because the pudding in it probably would have turned it to mush. I digress. Then we got there and I spent my time feeding, chasing, playing with, and counting the heads of my children, for three and a half hours. Then my husband thought it would be fun to go swimming at his mom's. By the way he fished the whole time at the picnic except when he came to eat for ten minutes. While at Gramma's I mowed a lawn, played ball, fed children, performed two wardrobe changes for all the kids, and played with a great big dog. We were there for about five hours. Five hours. Five hours. Five.
Now I'm home and I'm exhausted. I have my feet propped up right now. My kids are worn out too. They are all being so quiet watching Shrek. When you play hard on a hot day this is to be expected. All in all though, today was one of those good days that make life so wonderful. It was beautiful weather and we were outdoors almost all day. I also love to see my kids just running around having fun with all their little friends. It reminds me of when I was little.
You know I just realized why my legs are so unbelievably sore. I went to a kick boxing class yesterday for the first time. I am way out of shape. I guess after being on my feet all day just made it worse. Maybe I'll go soak in the tub or something.
In case you were wondering I made a Greek pasta salad and a pina colada cake. Both were big hits.
Well goodnight. Calgon, take me away!

Vacation

We went on a family vacation last weekend. We just went camping near Lake Michigan. We camped at Weko beach. It was awesome. We got to use our new tent that we've been waiting to use for a long time. I was so glad that it was big enough for the whole family. We also went to a great water-park. The boys loved it. Dougan liked the kiddie play place and the wave pool. Eades liked the lazy river and these two waterslides and the bigger kiddie play place. Koen liked everything. He even went on the funnel slide all by himself. I wasn't even brave enough to do that one. My friends did talk me into going on three huge slides. I'll admit, I was scared stupid, but I had to act cool and do it. We went on the least scary one first and it wasn't that bad, so I went on the medium scary slide. It was okay, so I mustered up my courage and went on the biggest of the three. It had a big drop where you were just floating the whole way down. I screamed heartily but I made it safely. Well after I survived those I was done. There were still two mammoth horrifying slides left across the park but I knew I would wet my already wet bathing suit if I dared go down those. I stuck with the kiddie play place until I fell asleep for about an hour. That is when I got sunburned. Fun, huh?
Oh, I forgot like the best part. We spent our vacation with the Barclay family. The whole gang was here. Jed had just gotten home from his mission, and the married siblings and there spouses all made it too. I love how they interact with my children and how they love them so much. I'm just so glad that we got to know them and have the close relationship that we have. I am a really big Barclay family fan.
It was also so great to be away from home. I didn't have a phone and I didn't have appointments. Life got to be simple and easy for a few days. I mean even at 5:30 in the morning when I was starting a fire, I just got to enjoy hearing the birds and feeling the breeze. It was the break that I needed. I can't wait to do it again.

Must have been a bad dream

Have you ever dreamt something that seemed so real that the next day you think it really happened? I do this regularly. Most of the time it deals with my husband, Tony. Like if in my dream he does something sweet and romantic, I am in a great mood the next day and ready to give him a big kiss. On the other hand, if he does something jerky in my dream, I am upset with him and treat him like he deserves the dog house. I usually figure out that it was all just a dream and that I should get my attitude in check right away.
So yesterday I had a friend call me. I couldn't find the phone so while I'm looking for it she's leaving a message. When I hear her start to talk I get so mad at her. I think, 'how dare she call me after what she did yesterday'. I keep looking for the phone and find it behind a couch cushion. So I answer and act cool like nothing is wrong, but while I'm talking I'm trying to remember exactly what happened. So the conversation ends and I'm still trying to figure it out. Then I realize that I didn't even see or talk to her the day before and that it must have just been a bad dream that put me in such a horrible mood towards her. I felt just awful that I could have such spiteful feelings about someone who really did absolutely nothing to deserve it. I mean what if I would have treated her the way I felt like I wanted to treat her?
The thing that surprised me the most is that I typically don't feel spite or anger towards other people. Well, let's exclude children and spouse from that comment. I mean it takes a lot to get me mad and even then I am still able to separate the person from the act so as not to change my relationship too drastically with that person. I can't remember exactly what I dreamt but I do remember that her and I had a terrible fight. I think in my dreams I must be a lot more passionate because they really do effect me. Usually I am even tempered to where my ups are not much different from my downs. Well, unless I'm tired. Then I'm in a bad mood no matter what and you know it. But in my dreams I get feisty and angry and elated and depressed and all the feelings that when I'm awake I must suppress.
So, lesson learned. I love my dreams. Sometimes I can't wait to go to bed and I even try to pick up where the night before left off, if it was a great dream. But I have to remember that they are just dreams and I can't go around reacting to them in REAL life. It's not fair to REAL people. The important thing is now I know, and knowing is half the battle. And now if you've read this and I ever treat you differently than I should. I most likely dreamt about you. And I apologize.
SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS!!!!!! HA HA HA HA

Eades is Choosing the Right

Eades found his old CTR ring yesterday in our kitchen drawer. I adjusted it to his now bigger fingers which he thought was awesome. He thinks I can fix anything. I let him believe it. And he has been wearing it proudly since then. Eades loves bling. He says someday, when he's big, he will give all his money to buy all the diamonds in the world. He says he will give me two. I know, all the diamonds in the world and he can only spare two for his dear old mum. He also likes gold, silver, and money. But he is more of a collector than a spender so I am not too worried about him. So anyway, I figured he only likes the ring because it is jewelry. But then I heard him lecturing Dougan about choosing the right. He was trying to teach him that if they all choose the right they can play together without fighting. Maybe there really is some magic behind those little things. Well, let's hope so, and let's hope that it keeps working.

Koen and his board

This is a picture of Koen with his new skateboard. He is so excited.

If you know Koen then you know he is a bit like myself. He is very shy and stubborn. Sometimes I just have to laugh at how he acts because I understand it and I don't think others do. He had his yearly check up today. He has a new doctor so they wanted to make sure he was at the appropriate levels socially, mentally, and physically. Whenever the doctor or nurse talked to him he would just sit there with no response. I thought it was hilarious. They asked him what grade he would be in next year. He was silent. So I ask him and he squeaks out a "first". She asks him to draw a picture of a person and he just slowly takes the pen and clicks it shut and then back open and then sits there smiling. I ask him to draw a person and he draws a little stick figure. The doctor tries to draw a square and asks him what shape it is. He just looks at her. Then she says, "well let me draw it better". So she draws a better one and he looks at me first for the nod and then mutters, "square". I'm just giggling to myself. So she goes on with the physical and then has him do things like stand on one foot and walk as if on a tight rope. Then she leaves to go make copies of his immunization record. Koen informs me that the first square she drew was more of a rectangle. Then he starts talking about how he likes this new doctor's office. He talks about how they have fish and the other one didn't. He talks about how he likes to go to the dentist better because they let him pick out a toy. And he is just talking, talking, talking. Oh, he is so me. Then she comes back in and he shuts up like a clam. It brings back memories of when I was young.

What am I talking about, I still have my shyness. I was talking about being shy with someone the other day. I said even though I was terribly shy, I was still very much a social person. I loved being around people. I didn't want them to speak to me or look at me, but I wanted to be around them. I played t-ball, I went to gymnastics, I had friends. I did not let my shyness close me off, probably thanks to my mother. I see the same desires from Koen. He doesn't want to just be left alone. He wants to play, and experience things. I have studied how to parent a shy child. I know I'm still not an expert but I have picked up some good advice. The best is to keep giving him opportunities but not to force. So far I think things are going alright. I am interested in seeing how he acts at the skate park. He won't know anybody there, and they will most likely all be older then him. He really wants to do it though and I think this will be a great thing for him to do. I mean, I might even be more excited than he is. Well, I'll write about his experiences there later as they come.

This is Koen and his cake. Yes, he is in his underwear. It's hot today.

Koen's Birthday!

Today Koen turned six. We just had a little party at home today. I wasn't on the ball this time to plan anything bigger. He got a big boy gift this time. Usually he gets a spider-man figurine or something like that. He still likes getting those but this time he wanted a skateboard like his cousin Logan. Tony and I were able to buy the present and get it into the house without Koen noticing, but since it was all too big to wrap we were worried he would find it in Tony's closet. He didn't, it's just a boring old closet anyway. So when it was time to open the gift we sent him up to the closet. He came down with the skateboard. He somehow missed the big red helmet and knee and elbow pads, so we sent him back up to get the rest. It was all spider-man so he loves it. As a matter of fact, he's wearing the helmet right now. I can't wait to take him to the skate park. Koen is good at everything he tries so it will be fun to see him learning new tricks.

I'm a mom of four boys. Help!!!!

I'm thirty years old. I will be married for seven years this month. I have four boys. Koen will be six tomorrow, Eades will be 5 in July, Dougan is 3, and Brandis is 1 yr, old. My boys are very active. They love to run and play and just be boys. Sometimes it gets so crazy at home. Like tonight. The three older boys came running into the dining room each wielding a make shift sword. Two had the sticks from the blinds and the other had a little kid broom stick. I had to stop that party. Luckily they know how to play swords without actually hurting each other, so no e.r. visits were required. The only thing I can do is take one day at a time and enjoy the times good times like when Eades says I'm his best friend, or when Koen asks me a deep question and believes that I'll know the answer. I am grateful that I get to stay home to watch Brandis do all his firsts and develop his personality, and I love Dougan and his knock-knock jokes. Here's a sample; "Knock Knock" "Who's there?" "Monster...Hee hee hee hee...mom, laugh!!"
So I guess even though it's hard to have these small, wild, guys of mine, it's totally worth it when I sit back and see how blessed I am.