It's Happening!

I am making progress! My list is getting checked off! I will update with pictures!

The items in red I have done!!!

Move washer and dryer downstairs
-call for cement cutter
-get long exhaust hose
*Put all decorations away in furnace room. Christmas/February/Easter etc.Make sure they are all marked well.
*Move both freezers
*Build Desks in bedrooms(one almost finished!)
*Completely go through pantry-everything put where it goes. (This was major-I worked on it for an entire week)-containers-label all baskets
*Studio/Scrapbook room-go through all the piles, dejunk, put everything in working order.(this is a huge project) (can see floor-a start)
*Clean garage--Winter stuff put away-shoes-throw away old-snowboards/skis up on brackets
*Re-organize hall closet
*Coat closet
*Clean fridge (looks so nice, icky-sticky gone!)
*sort toys-parts with parts(donate many)
*Go through each child(4) bedroom and sort all clothes and toys
*Hang up shelves in kids bedrooms*Hang up name plaques and letters
*Sort books
*Clean off bulletin board (This has to be done ALL the time, it is the catch all and art gallery)*Back up photos-burn cd’s
*pictures into albums*print digital photos
*go through lazy susan
*sort/discard old scrapbook magazines (my friend was thrilled to have them!)
*go through craft boxes in pantry (I went through every sack-reduced from 2 totes to 1)

Registration

I can't believe it. I am registering my baby for High School today! How did this happen? I very vividly remember High School. I felt so mature. I was actually driving at 14!(I know, scary).
I have a High Schooler. Woah, weird.

Tent Tales

Strange picture?

This tent was used one year ago. My hubby and son went to scout camp. While at camp my then 9 year old ate and ate and ate. He just kept shoveling the deep fried fish, mushrooms etc. into his mouth. At 2:00AM he rolls over(no extra space in a 2-man tent) and pukes all over my hubby. Son then rolls back over and goes back to sleep!

My poor husband had to get out of the tent and clean it the best he could. Then at 6:00 am he was washing everything out in the river.

Why am I showing you this tent one year later? Well, when my men came home from camp and shared the experience with me. I said (in my best motherly way) "you better take the tent out , wash it and let it air out."

Well, that tent sat on the garage floor where hubby dumped it(where the shoes go) until I moved it out of the way.

Saturday, my hubby decided to open up the tent. First thing he said "that tent is disgusting!" He then proceeds to ask me how to clean mold out of it. It was all I could do to not tell him "I told you so!"

Brighter day!

Today has been a bit brighter than yesterday. Thanks for the kind wishes. Sometimes being the Mom is not always fun. However, I always love my children and am grateful for them. I am also wondering what I am supposed to learn from this challenge. I believe that with every trial we have in our lives there is a lesson to be learned.

Calgon, take me away!

Ever want to run away? I do today. I have a 7 year old that is pushing her limits. She has been a very, very difficult child for the last 2 1/2 years. She has a terrible middle child situation.

I am at the end of my rope with her. I would like her to go and visit someone for the next three weeks.

Any suggestions?

Smart Habit Saturday

I have not posted anything for Smart Habit Saturday for awhile. I have been trying to work on my list. I have made tiny bits of progress. However, completion on any project is evading me!


I am hoping that this week I can really focus on a few projects and complete them. There are so many other things that also have to be done this time of year to prepare for school.


I have also been thinking about one of my older habits-making my kids be more responsible. Well, that comes and goes. We were out of town visiting and it was very difficult because it isn't their normal. So, that will go back on the front burner. I have to get them to focus again. Little things like putting their shoes away. Hanging up their jackets and backpacks. We have lived in this house for six years and we have had a shoe shelf that entire time. We also have hooks for coats and backpacks. After all this time one would think that it would automatically happen. Shoes would be put on the shelf. Well, it doesn't. Mr. #2 is the very worst. I will say, pick up your shoes and go and put them on the shelf. DO NOT THROW THEM. He will open the door and throw them! Just today I had to make him walk back out and actually put them on the shelf. He had every pair of shoes he owns dropped on the floor.



So I will continue to work on having the kids be more responsible. For their own things and for the house.


I am also going to reevaluate how I waste my time so that I can be more productive.


I hope that you are all working on some great habits.


OH!! awhile ago I posted about a person that hadn't finished painting a room in 11 years. Well, she read my post and figured out it was her--surprised her to think that it was that long---anyway she is painting!! It looks wonderful and is almost finished! Now if only I could finish some of my projects!!!



For more great ideas check out the Lazy Organizer.

Let Her Wave

This was the view from my front yard tonight as I helped Hubby empty out the boat from our afternoon on the lake.

Funny thing--it is the first picture I took of about six and it is my favorite.

As summer begins to wind down(school is starting very soon) let's not forget about those that are serving our country.

We are blessed.

Carageenan Update

Updated again! October 15, 2008

I have a meter that monitors visitors to my site. It is often a search done on Carageenan. So, I thought that I would add a few additions to this list. I hope that anyone reading this blog can leave with some information that helps them. I know that learning about carageenan has helped me! I had unexplained stomach issues for more than 11 years!

*Carageenan is actually spelled carrageenan---I have left it because I have at least 2-4 people a day do a search with this spelling.

*I have discovered that Haagen Das ice cream does NOT have carrageenan in it! Yeah!

*Ben and Jerry's ice cream DOES have it in it!

* I have discovered another sugar alchohol that makes me sick. Ethanol---as in corn alchohol! I found it in some(not all) of Fiber One granola bars. If you have a problem with carageenan you may also be sensitive to sorbitol, maltitol, ethanol.

-Another installment in my stomach issues!

I wrote earlier about Carageenan, here is the latest!

Carageenan is found in many, many products. I have been doing a little research about carageenan and it is quite disheartening. It has links to ulcerative colitus, colon cancer and many stomach issues.

I have found a few other products that have carageenan in them. Sour cream---not all sour cream--I found this out because the tub I bought didn't have it so I thought sour cream was safe. I went to a Mexican place and had the sour cream. The next day I was sick. Still didn't connect it. I was looking in my Mom's fridge and she said that the sour cream probably has it in it. I said no--but looked. It DID have it in it. So, I looked at the local store. All the brands that store carried except DAISY had carageenan in it.

Why am I writing all this down? Because I hope that if someone does a search about Carageenan that they might find my site and it might help them.

Other products that I have found Carageenan in:

whipping cream -read labels, one local company doesn't use it.

sour cream -Daisy brand does not have it.

ice cream -Bryer's all-natural does not have it ---Costco brand vanilla does NOT have it in it!

frozen yogurt -ice cream type

almost all soft serve ice cream or frozen yogurt has it

cottage cheese -I have only have Knudsen's that doesn't have it, but have only found it in individual containers.

soy milk products(read labels)

granola bars -not all but some

condensed milk(if it has this on a label it still may contain carrageenan even if it isn't listed) -I have found that regular evaporated milk has carageenan but skim/fat free does not.Think about pumpkin pie before you just go ahead and eat it!

powdered chocolate milk--Nestle does have it (Western Family powdered milk does NOT)

premade chocolate and strawberry milks, this includes many of the canned meal replacement drinks.

Turkey sandwich meats (not all, but many) it is in the brown jelly like coating.

Many store bought or restaurant cheescakes have it. Went to the Cheesecake factory--yes theirs does have it.

I know that this seems a bit wacky but I have had strange stomach problems for 11 years. No real explanation. Since I have discovered the problems with sorbitol and carageenan I have had very few unexplained stomach problems. I hope that this can help someone.

If you have discovered Caragennan or sorbitol in other foods please leave me a comment on my current blog posting. My little corner of chaos.

Beauty

Beauty is everywhere. I believe that it is the handiwork of our Heavenly Parents. I seem to be a bit stretched thin lately so I am trying to notice the little bits of beauty all around us. While doing this I am hoping that my heart is opened and softened so that I can feel His love.

Digging Out

Still feeling overwhelmed but not as deep today. That is a good thing.

I find that it is so easy to wallow in sewers of self pity. Why? Must just be the Dev*l trying to win once again. So, trying to dig myself out of my sewer pit so that my house doesn't continue to look like one!

Normal stuff. I still have my huge list that I want to work on. We are just so busy that it is difficult for me to ask hubby to help. He is stretched so thin all the time with his responsibilities that I don't want to add "my" projects onto his.

Well, the mess is calling! I won't say what it is calling!

Today

Still tired. Still overwhelmed.

I have more to do than hours in the day. I don't even know where to begin. Drained.

Home

I am home. Home is good.

We came home from my Mom's house on Saturday. It is always nice to go away and always nicer to come back home!

Today I am tired. Mentally and physically tired. I am trying to psyche myself up for a really busy, productive month. August is a busy month(which isn't?) Football starts, school prep starts, we need to play as much as possible because winter is coming, etc. etc. etc.!

I actually had thoughts about Christmas today. Thinking that California would be a nice place to spend it! What do you think?

Well, nothing profound or terribly informational today!!

When Did I become an expert?

There are people that are really, really smart. Those people that know how to do all things possible on computers, digital photography, photoshop,etc. I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE! I am quite computer illiterate. Just ask Lara. I am always asking her how to do things on my blog!

Well, today I spent a couple of hours updating my Mother's Ipod. Yes, my Mom has an ipod! However, she is even more terrified of computers than I am! So, when I convinced her that she would enjoy an ipod, I guess that it became an unwritten rule that I would take care of the programming needed on it! So, somehow, I am now an expert! That is laughable! I have a friend in the student ward (LDS church congregation) who is really a techno geek(said in the nicest way possible) . When I discovered his love of his Ipod I started to ask him questions. So, I have learned a few things.

When I was in High School I was like most kids. I wondered why we had to take algebra, chemistry etc. I now understand! Knowledge is Power! The most important thing that I have learned is that I don't have to know everything, I just have to know how to find the answers! So, I find the people that know the answers! Thanks, Nate!

Now if I could just get my Mom to take the digital camera out of the case and use it! It won't blow up! Be brave, take a chance! You can do it, I know you can!

Life in a Small Town

Life in a small town. Some people can hardly imagine living in a small town. I am so glad that I did grow up in a small town. Today my two boys and a cousin walked downtown(two blocks) and went to the "Fountain." These types of places used to exist all across the country. They are few and far between now. This fountain comes complete with mixed sodas, milkshakes in the fancy glassess with the extra given to you in the mixing glass. They have all sorts of meals and such. Just walking in and looking at the high counter with the tall round stools makes my heart jump. It is the same as it has been for YEARS! Sometimes change is good. Other times it is nice to have things that just stay the same!

You Know You are the Momma

You know that you are the Momma when your seven year old yells to you "I need help" you go in and she is sick-both ends! You also know that you are the Momma when you are at YOUR Momma's and you still have to clean said child, tub, floor,rugs,toilet. Then the sick one say's "you are going to have to throw my jammies away, they are downstairs." As you go downstairs to check out that mess your 10 year old say's "there is a problem in the bathroom!"

Yeah, we are having fun on our vacation!

Let's Have a Parade!

We have been playing hard these last few days!

In my home town we have a huge celebration around the 24th of July. It is in honor of the Mormon Pioneers that entered into the Salt Lake City valley on that date. Well, our little town has a great celebration. There is a great parade that all the different congregations enter a float into. These floats are every bit as good as the huge parade in Salt Lake.



It has been a tradition my entire life to watch this parade. I have carried the front banner, been on a truck for a baseball team(girls team in a boys league-that was an experience!) I have marched in full band uniform with full hat-playing the trombone (that was hot).I have helped on floats and helped with concessions and been to many rodeos. We have watched the parade from my brother's house, my Uncles house, my brother's in laws business, my best friends business and from numerous street curbs and now from my own front yard(ok,technically I don't live here anymore). I watch the parade now, after being gone away for as long as I lived in this town and still feel connected. I see people on the floats that I have known my entire life. I see people walking after the parade that have been part of my life. People that I love. There is something special about growing up in a small town. There is history. It doesn't seem like my summer is complete if I miss the parade.




This year we were so lucky because the parade route went directly in front of my Mom's house! How great is that? Super great! We had almost 100 people in our yard. Family, friends, friends of friends. It was wonderful.

The little kids got lots of candy(their favorite part of the parade) and we got to visit and just enjoy the celebration.



I am a person that loves tradition. I love that my little hometown still has a parade. I love that the wards(church congregations) all work so hard to make such neat floats. I love that LOTS of family from all around different states get together to celebrate. I love that my children have been able to have this parade become tradition for them.

Catch up day!

Woa Nellie! What a busy three days! I am now trying to catch up on laundry that hasn't been done and trying to get us ready to go to Grandma's house!

Tuesday I spent the day at the amusement park with 6 children. Amazingly, we did great! We didn't have any meltdowns, bickering of any kind. It was hot, hot, hot! I hung out in kiddie land and enjoyed watching the little guy. He is just getting so big. He holds his arms up now as he goes around on the rides--so cute! There are a couple of newer rides that adults can ride on with the kids, the littler ones have to have an adult-so, I went. They are the type that take you up high and drop you. These were my kind of rides. They were high enough and they dropped just fast enough to feel it but not FEEL it. Little guy just giggled and giggled!

Wednesday I spent the entire day with my very best friend for her birthday. We went to the brand new IKEA store! It was an amazing store. Quite an experience. Unlike any other store I have ever been in. So many possibilities! I came out with cork bulletin boards and a darling hot pink swivel desk chair for the Big girls desk project.

We then went to this great little shopping spot that has all these old homes that they have relocated there. Guess what? I found my bed! I have been looking for a headboard for years. I actually purchased one a year ago and then called and told them not to bring it. I knew it wasn't what I wanted. When I saw this bed I knew it was the one! Luckily for me, it was a fabulous price as well! 1/2 of what I was going to pay on the one I didn't want! So, I bought it. I won't have it for awhile, it is being made. I am hoping that I can get my room painted before it comes and find a new bedspread to go on it!!! This is major for me.

Better get to packing! I am so excited to just relax a bit. My Mom has the most heavenly porch in the entire world. It is certainly a slice of heaven. We sit on it as much as possible. We also will be swimming at the river which is only a block away. We will also be playing with the boat on the reservoir! The big parade is on Saturday and that is a great tradition. This year the route has been adjusted due to construction so it is going directly in front of Mom's house! Yeah! we don't have to go anywhere!

Here are pictures that shows one really nice thing about having such an age difference in kids!

Crazy day ahead!

It is 9:00 am and all the people under 15 are still asleep! We are headed to the amusement park today. I am the only adult going with 6 children. Yes, I realize that I am crazy. I truly would not be heartbroken if I never went again. However, I also realize that if you are under 15 you really think that it is so much fun and you just can't get enough of being buckled into things that throw you around, hang you upside down, shoot water at you and make you really dizzy.

I will be the one in the kiddie land with the 2 year old. Luckily, all the children going are old enough to go on all the BIG rides and they are also old enough to go with the 3 big kids.

Wish me luck!

Let me off for a minute!

I am tired! I have had one of those weekends that is very busy and this week is going to be more of the same! We have a cousin with us from Idaho so we will be doing some fun things-however, it is a bit nutty! Today we started out the day leaving home at 8:30 headed to an All-star baseball game. It was the longest game in history! Then I dropped off 3 kids at a pool with my sister and then drove my #3 child 1/2 way to Grandma's house(120 miles), met Grandma. Then drove back, of course! That was just today! Hope that you are having calm, calm days!

Let's get Productive!

34 Ways to Boost Productivity
In light of yesterday's post and my desire to organize my mind and my closet, this post from Personal Development for Smart People, seems to be exactly what I need to help me stay on track...I especially love #33! :)
34 rules to boost your productivity:

1.Super Slow. Commit yourself to working on a particularly hideous project for just one session a week, 15-30 minutes total. Declutter one small shelf. Purge 10 clothing items you don’t need. 2.Write a few paragraphs. Then stop.
3.Dailies. Schedule a specific time each day for working on a particular task or habit. One hour a day could leave you with a finished book, or a profitable internet business a year later.
4.Add-ons. Tack a task you want to habitualize onto one of your existing habits. Water the plants after you eat lunch. Send thank-you notes after you check email.
5.Plug-ins. Inject one task into the middle of another. Read while eating lunch. Return phone calls while commuting. Listen to podcasts while grocery shopping.
6.Gratitude. When someone does you a good turn, send a thank-you card. That’s a real card, not an e-card. This is rare and memorable, and the people you thank will be eager to bring you more opportunities.
7.Training. Train up your skill in various productivity habits. Get your typing speed to at least 60wpm, if not 90. Learn to speed-read or PhotoRead. Develop your communication skills.
8.Software. Take advantage of productivity software to boost your effectiveness. Lifehacker recommends new items every week.
9.Zone out. Enter the zone of peak creativity, and watch your output soar.
10.Denial. Just say no to non-critical requests for your time.
11.Recapture. Reclaim other people’s poor time usage for yourself. Visualize your goals during dull speeches. Write out your grocery list during pointless meetings.
12.Mastermind. Run your problem past someone else, preferably a group of people. Invite all the advice, feedback, and constructive criticism you can handle.
13.Twenty. Take a piece of paper, number 1-20, and don’t stop until you’ve listed 20 creative ideas for improving your productivity.
14.Challenger. Deliberately make the task harder. Challenging tasks are more engaging than boring ones. Compose an original poem for your next blog post.
15.Asylum. Complete an otherwise tedious task in an unusual or crazy manner to keep it interesting. Make phone calls using pretend foreign accents. Fill out government paperwork in crayon.
16.Music. Experiment to discover how music may boost your productivity. Try fast-paced music for email, classical or new age for project work, and total silence for high-concentration creative work.
17. Estimate how long a task will take to complete. Then start a timer, and push yourself to complete it in half that time.
18.Pay it forward. When an undesirable task is delegated to you, re-delegate it to someone else.
19.Bouncer. When a seemingly pointless task is delegated to you, bounce it back to the person who assigned it to you, and challenge them to justify its operational necessity.
20.Opt-out. Quit clubs, projects, and subscriptions that consume more of your time than they’re worth.
21.Decaffeinate. Say no to drugs, suffer through the withdrawal period, and let your natural creative self re-emerge.
22.Triage. Save the lives of your important projects by killing those that are going to die anyway.
23.Conscious procrastination. Delay non-critical tasks as long as you possibly can. Many of them will die on you and won’t need to be done at all.
24.TV-free. Turn off the TV especially the news, and recapture many usable hours.
25.Timer. Time all your tasks for an entire day, preferably a week. Even the act of measuring itself can boost your productivity, not to mention what you learn about your real time usage.
26.Valor. Pick the one item on your task list that scares you the most. Muster all the courage you can, and tackle it immediately.
27.Nonconformist. Run errands at unpopular times to avoid crowds. Shop just before stores close or shortly after they open. Take advantage of 24-hour outlets if you’re a vampire.
28.Agoraphobia. Shop online whenever possible. Get the best selection, consult reviews, and purchase items within minutes.
29.Reminder. Add birthday and holiday reminders to your calendar a month or two ahead of their actual dates. Buy gifts then instead of at the last minute.
30.Do it now! Recite this phrase over and over until you’re so sick of it that you cave in and get to work.
31.Inspiration. Read inspiring books and articles, listen to audio programs, and attend seminars to keep absorbing inspiring new ideas (as well as to refresh yourself on the old ones).
32.Gym rat. Exercise daily. Boost your metabolism, concentration, and mental clarity in 30 minutes a day.
33.Lovey dovey. Romantic love will spur you on to greater heights, if for no other reason than to persuade your partner you aren’t such a loser after all.
34.Troll hunt. Banish the negative trolls from your life, and associate only with positive, happy, and successful people. Mindsets are contagious. Show loyalty to your potential, not to your pity posse.

Slow Down

When did this happen? My little angel baby has crossed over. He isn't a baby anymore. He is all boy.

I watched him yesterday. He runs and skips like a big boy. He wants to play with the big kids. He can tell me most things that he wants.

This is my last baby, he is also the last grandbaby on my side of the family. So,as he leaves his babyhood I have a twinge of sadness. He has been such a little joy. We didn't expect this bundle of sweetness.

So little one, please slow down a little. Momma isn't ready for you to be all grown up yet!

As I looked out my kitchen window this morning I noticed just how beautiful my flower bed is. It is an overcast day so the color of the flowers is so much stronger than in the bright sun.
I spent two hours outside weeding-I have the dreaded morning glory in a section of my garden. It is like a wayward child. It takes up so much energy that some of the other children get left out a bit. I work in this one section more than anywhere else.
Did you know that morning glory seeds stay viable in the dirt for 50 years? That is the reason that we can't really seem to get rid of it. The roots can also stretch for 50 feet. Doesn't that encourage you?



I just love taking pictures of flowers. They are just so close to heaven. I think that it must be Heavenly Fathers compensation for us being removed from the garden of Eden.

I hope you have a beautiful day!

Try try try!

We went to the lake tonight. It was perfectly smooth water, the temperature was lovely. We swam and the big girl tried to slolum ski. She was so determined! I know that the next time she will be right up and going around the lake. Me on the other hand, I tried waterskiing. I haven't tried in about 8 years. I did NOT get up. It was embarassing. Little Missy tried and really did better than expected.

All in all a very nice evening. It actually helped get me out of my little funk.

Carageenan

For those of you that actually read this blog-skip this if you don't want to read me discussing my stomach problems. My sweet hubby is one of those!



Remember when I wrote about sorbitol? Well, I have also discovered another additive that makes me sick. The reason I am writing this is because it may help someone else.



The product is called CARAGEENAN. It is taken from Irish moss, boiled down and is a gelatin type substance. It is used in dairy products. Many people that think they have lactose intolerance but may actually have an intolerance to Carageenan. It is used to make things thick and creamy.



I had been having a good week, no stomach issues. Then I ate a Fat Boy ice cream sandwich. A few hours later my cramping and bowel problems started. I knew that I hadn't eaten anything except that Fat Boy. I also remembered having problems a week earlier after eating a Fat Boy at a party. I got the label out and it was basically Whole milk, sugar and carageenan. A bell went off in my head. I did some research and sure enough it can cause problems.



Now, move forward another week. Another good week with barely any problems(had a diet coke, a bit of a stomach ache-dang it, I won't be having that anymore). So today after swimming lessons I took the little girls for an ice cream cone. Four hours later the stomach cramping and bowel started. I was at the grocery store tonight. I looked at almost every type of ice cream treat available and all of them had Carageenan in them. The only ice cream that doesn't is Bryer's All Natural. You have to make sure it says All Natural because they have others that do have it.



So, if you have problems with ice cream, chocolate milk etc. perhaps it is the Carageenan.

Different perspective

Have you ever walked around and thought "what a mess?" and then stopped and really looked at what the mess was? I did this yesterday. We were getting stuff off the lawn to mow and I noticed that #3 had every lawn chair and beach towel we owned out. My first reaction was "what a mess" then I looked at it. She had made herself mac/cheese and ramen noodles! Yes, the bowls were still there. However, I decided that I needed to stop and just look at her creation. She and her cousin and made a tent and had a picnic in it. I then walked in the house to hear the jetted tub-that is always scary! They were having a bubble party. Bubbles were everywhere. Sometimes I am not happy about this-on this day I tried to see the fun!

So, let's slow down a bit and look at a few of our "messes" a little bit differently today!

Days that We Hope For

A Very Good Day!

We all went to the lake yesterday and it was one of those days that you wish came around more often. We got on the water and the kids all had a ball! They played TOGETHER, which lately seems like a miracle! We just hung out on the boat, got in the water, pulled the tube, waterskiied. It was a good thing!

Then suddenly a summer thunderbumper came up! It was terrible. The waves got big, the rain was pounding. We weren't quite sure what to do. After we were beat trying to drive in the waves we decided it would be better to just wait it out. We were hit by a HUGE wave! It brought so much water into the boat, everything was soaked. The poor dog was terrified! She found a little cubby up under the steering wheel-I didn't even know that it was there! The storm lightened up and we were able to wait a bit and then get the boat out.

It was a really good day!

Here we go again!

We are going to attempt to use our boat again! It has been repaired again--it had to have a complete new motor.

So we are going to load up the boat and the Suburban and head to the lake. Wish us luck!

We spent yesterday afternoon at a funeral for our dear neighbor. He was 91 years old! It was a very nice funeral. 91 years, imagine the changes that have happened in his lifetime.

After the funeral we headed for the amusement park. We spent a couple hours at the waterpark and then hit the rides.

All in all a good(but tiring) day!

Are you a born worker?

Remember Smart Habit Saturday? Well, here is a little update. My children were not thrilled but they did get their jobs done! We have had a fairly good week. I have been trying to just have more follow through with them. This sounds easy but is not! I believe that there are people that are just born workers. Then there are the majority of people that are taught to work. As adults we are workers because we have to get things done. We may learn to enjoy the feelings of work and also the end result. My best friend has 4 children as do I. She has one of those children that is a born worker. He is only nine and he will set his alarm so that he can get up and go do jobs/chores with his dad. He is naturally more organized than the others. Her other three are like mine. They are going to have to be taught to be workers. Why is this?

Images from a Great Day!

Just a few more images from a really great day!

Don't the two men in their straw hats crack you up?

I am so glad that I get to have all these people in my life. I am also glad that I get to have a camera!!!

Fun Times!

WOW! What a great day we had!

We went out to the lake with my sister and her family. We had eight kids and four parents. It was a fun day. Lots of water, sun and fun. What could be better?

Here are a few pictures.

Happy 4th of July

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

I hope that you all get to play and enjoy the day! We are headed out to the lake with my sister and family. It should be a fun filled sunny day!

This is the mess I created in my basement while trying to get the storage room ready to be
transformed into a utility room!






This is my "garden of potential" or as Hubby calls it "the weed patch" It has needed some love for 2 1/2 years! I am going to get the weeds cut down! Then maybe I can start to make it have more than just potential. Anyone have any ideas?

The list shortens!

There is a man in my basement! He is cutting holes for a dryer vent!! Yeah, one more thing crossed off of my list!!

Hidden

Sorbitol is hidden in the darndest things! I was feeling good yesterday and then my sick stomach happened. I was trying and trying to think what I ate. I started doing research for Celiac disease.
This morning I was pouring little guy some Malt o Meal Strawberry coated mini wheats and the ingredients list popped out at me. There it was--Sorbitol. I had had a bowl of this yesterday. I am amazed at how many products it is in!

Sixteen Minutes!

I have posted before about how I have a serious problem. I need to go to a 12 step self help program. This problem causes so many difficulties in my life.

I am here to admit it----I AM A PROCRASTINATOR!

There I said it. I will hopefully be miraculously cured of all future problems with this debilitating disease.

I have made one small step towards a cure. The other night I came home from a party in which I took six children. Lucky for me, I didn't have to plan, decorate, mow, cook or clean for this party! However, it was late when we got home and I was about to walk out of the kitchen. I looked at the sink full of dirty dishes and almost left them there until morning. I STOPPED MYSELF! I decided to use a Flylady technique and time myself. I set my timer for 10 minutes. I unloaded the clean dishes and then loaded the stinky dishes in 9:28! I was so proud of myself. I then reset the timer for cleaning off the counter. It took me 6:00! So basically, I spent 16minutes Saturday night and I woke up to a clean kitchen. I have been working on this Smart Habit forever. I have talked about my counter more than once.

Have I mastered this habit? I don't think so. I think that it will be a constant struggle throughout my life. However, I know that if I can just think of things in short snippets of time I am more successful. 16 minutes, that is all it took!

I am going to have a vinyl word saying printed "JUST DO IT" It isn't just a theme for Nike. It is a theme for life!

I am crossing things off of my list!

Do you have a list of things that just eat at you? Those projects that you want to do but somehow take forever to accomplish? Well, I have talked about my list for a long time. My sweet hubby helped me yesterday and we almost finished the desk in the Big Girl's bedroom! We only had three finishing nails so we couldn't put the front molding up. She was so excited that she actually spent an hour with her friend and REALLY cleaned her bedroom. They made a huge difference! I am planning to get the rest of the supplies tomorrow so that we can finish it up and also so that we can install the desk in the Big Boy's bedroom. I have to get some more wood for the shelves and then we can mount those too.

After we spent the morning working on the desk I started the HUGE project of cleaning the furnace/storage room so that I can have my washer/dryer moved down there. I actually made an appointment with a cement cutter! We purchased the vent hose, the vent, the clamps!!!! I still have quite a bit of stuff to go through--I made a huge mess. Isn't it crazy that to fix a mess you often make another mess? However, I feel like I have actually made some progress on that huge list-it just makes me feel better!

(I can't figure out how to repost it here so check out the link--just skim to the bottom for the full list--I will also post pictures later!)

(Updated with Stacy Julian's links-just clink on them to check it out!)

Saturday-it seems to come so fast. I keep thinking that the summer is going so quickly. I want to sit and just enjoy it. I want to find a shady spot under a tree and read Anne of Green Gables. It is my favorite book/series ever. My Mom and I read the entire series many summers in a row. I need to do it again!

I have really had a very busy week. Where it is Smart Habit Saturday again I thought that I would look at what I have actually accomplished this week. I am really hard on myself so it is so easy to look at what I didn't get done.

Today I decided that I need to make a master list for all jobs that could possibly ever need done in this home. I KNOW all the things that need done. I have nightmares about the dirty baseboards and doorjams. I know that the hall closet is a crash waiting to happen. I can feel the clutter hiding behind closed doors in the furnace room. The problem? I am the only person that KNOWS what needs to be done. Everyone else walks around and looks at the dirty jam smeared across the wall and thinks "that is gross, Mom should really clean that up." Well, this Mom is tired of doing too much work!

So, what is my new Smart Habit Saturday habit? I am going to quit being the martyr and demand more from my family. My #2 said to me today after I had asked him to do his jobs--"Why do we have to do this? Kids aren't supposed to work!" I was ready to jump across the room and yell "that is the problem with our society, we have listened to people tell us that children shouldn't work. That is why we have 19-30 year olds that still live at home with their parents. They don't think that they should work!" Well, I am here to say that I feel that if you live in my house you have to help take care of it.

How am I going to get my family to buy in to this new regime? A really big 2x4 board! No,just kidding! One step at a time! However, I am going to us a technique that I learned in a former life as a special ed teacher. Detailed lists of tasks. I don't remember the official name of this method but we had to understand that many people just don't understand HOW to do some things. So, we have to break every task down into minute little details. I did this today for my two middle children. I made their lists about how/what to clean in the bathroom they are responsible for. I decided that I had to revamp the list to be so specific that it was ridiculous. However, if I have every little detail down on paper they can't argue that I didn't tell them to do it!

I am going to type these lists out so that I don't have to keep writing them. The benefit of this method is that I can add little things that seem to not be happening, more details if necessary.

Years ago I met a gal named Stacy Julian. I was her assistant at a scrapbooking convention. Since that time she has become the founding editor to Simple Scrapbooks Magazine. She travels, teaches etc. I totally respect this woman. She has five children. Four older boys and a brand new adopted little Korean girl. This woman is busy! She had to fly to SLC Ut often to do her job. Her husband is a busy doctor. This gal could just fly by the seat of her pants. However, she is so down to earth and simply organized that her life doesn't appear to be full of chaos.

Last week she posted on her blog about how she keeps her kids on schedule now that it is summer. I think that her ideas are fabulous! Check out Stacy's blog to get more details with pictures. I am thinking that I could have a clipboard somewhere in each bathroom with a checklist of what is supposed to be done when it is clean. I also think that I am going to have to make detailed lists of every cleaning job that happens in this home. I actually started a running list of those jobs that we do in those 2 minutes here and there. Things like--wipe down the baseboard in the bathrooom, wipe the smudges off the door, clean the garage door, clean cobwebs. The list is endless, however, if I don't write these things down, noone but me will ever know that they must be done.

So this week(despite the holiday) I am going to try and keep my kids picking up and doing the jobs that need done--because they live in this house!

For more SHS ideas check out the Lazy Organizer.

Progress!

This is what I have been doing this week!

Instead of this!

So, for the last 2 days I have been working on the mess that is my house and am feeling a bit more in control. If you walked in to my house today it would still look like a total disaster to you. You would not realize what I have done.

*15 loads of laundry

*huge flower bed weeded

*kitchen/dining room windowsills cleaned(yucky)

*baseboards and doorjams washed in utility/half bath

*3 out of 4 bathrooms cleaned(2 kids helped!) Windowsills and baseboards also!

*weed garden 1/2 mowed

*food fixed

*dishes unloaded and loaded 8 times

*made appointment with a cement cutter for my dryer move

All of these things are additional to the normal feeding, monitoring, reading, hugging, kissing and driving that has to happen if you have a family.

I have to toot my own horn occasionally. If I don't who will?

Laundry Woes!

Those of you with older children and more than 2---Do you have much laundry? Do you have your older children do their own? Do you have baskets for each child? What are your methods?

Laundry is ongoing so therefore it is never done! Luckily, I have a washer that heats the water and a dryer also! My Mom grew up when they had to heat the water on the coal stove and then use a wringer washer. We don't have it so bad--we just have too much!!!

Whose idea was this?

What a day! I decided that I was going to leave the mess(pictures should go here but my camera isn't hooked up!) and work on the built in desks for the kids bedrooms. After taking the Big Girl to tennis I started sanding the boards. I should have done this before I painted--hello. I know these things but sometimes we have brain cramps! Anyway, I started sanding and sanding and sanding. I then went back to pick up the Girl! I spent the next 7 hours working on painting stuff in the garage! Of course, during that time we had lunch, snacks, second lunch, snacks again. I also had to constantly be checking on the whereabouts of everyone. I really do understand why it costs so much to have people do work for you. The labor! These desks have taken more time than I ever dreamed. I haven't even installed them yet! I have only painted everything!
At 5:30 the sweet hubby comes home and looks at the mess in the garage and says "it looks like a true artist lives here!" I wish! At this point I start dinner, unload the dishwasher, load it back up--eewwh what was that smell? Clean off the counter and then feed everyone---on PAPER PLATES!
After dinner I decided that I was going to go and mow the weeds down in my "Garden of Potential." They are almost as tall as I am. This weed patch is not a tiny little spot, it is actually bigger than my old yard! I have grand plans for this wonderful space, just not the time (or help) to actually get to it. I used to be good at keeping the weeds sprayed with RoundUp and I also used pre-emergent stuff. Well,after having the baby I just haven't been able to get to it. Then the old lawn mower died. That was two summers ago! So, to say the least it is a mess! We bought a cheap push mower and I decided to go for it. I worked for at least 1 1/2 hours and got it 1/2 done! The mower and I ran out of gas.
After I mowed the weeds I decided to sit down and attack some of the weeds in my flower bed. It is a beautiful bed that surrounds our back patio. I got behind this spring, very behind and then I went to Germany for 10 days! That was the time that I usually do the early weeding--well, here we are, almost July and I am so paying for it! Oh,well!

So this has been a very busy day. My house is still a wreck, there is still laundry that isn't finished, but a few of the projects that weigh on me are a bit further down the road! Perhaps I will take a picture tomorrow of the "garden" with the mowing 1/2 finished, just to show how awful the weeds really are! I will have to hook up my camera! I have numerous pictures to share but, well-that is my life!

Oh! I was actually able to get into my wonderful big tub!(my back was killing me!) That is almost a miracle! Let's hope that tomorrow I can make some more progress! I just want to get these desks in and the shelves up! Laundry would also be good.

Help!

I am trying to work on my desk project. It is slow. I want to be able to just get it finished. However, I have the title of MOM. Therefore, I have to referee constantly. A distinct disadvantage of having children space so far apart. I just want to be able to have 3 days all by myself to finish some projects. I do need the handyman to help me! Okay, since that isn't going to happen in this lifetime I am living in a mess while trying to finish a project that I started an entire year ago!

Help!

It's Where Fun Is!

AMUSEMENT PARK! Those two words bring joy to the ears of children and total fear into the hearts of their parents!

Today I dared take my FOUR children to our local amusement park(Lagoon,Ut). My dear hubby bought us season passports. Wasn't that the sweetest thing a husband could do? Buy passports and tell you to all have fun(without him). There is one HUGE benefit of having season passes. You do not have to go from open until close! We got to the park at about 2:30 p.m and left at 5:30 p.m.! It was absolutely perfect timing! Everyone had gone on their favorite rides a time or two and they were all at that point that they needed to be fed real food and have a nap(particularly the Momma!) The next time we go we are going to go to the water park. It is just so hard to do both, it is just too tiring for the Mom and 2 year old.
This year is very different. The 7 yr old is tall enough and brave enough to go on almost any ride in the park-so that means that she can go with the 11 and 14 year olds and I can stay in kiddie land with the 2 year old! This works for me because I am getting old. Something happened to me having all these angels. I get sick on many of the rides that I used to love! Sometimes I am okay, but others--hold on! Today I about lost lunch on the flying aces. I really felt like I was going to lose it!
For any of you in the area, head on over to Lagoon-It's where fun is! (or so the adds say!)

Summertime fun

"Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?" Do any of you remember this song?
There is one line "and lazily dream and watch all the clouds go by? " I am hoping that I actually get a few days to do this!
We actually did have a very nice weekend. We went to the lake with seven children! It actually turned out good. They played in the water until they were totally waterlogged. We managed without much sunburn so that is a plus. My two nephews in from CO had so much fun. It was so fun to watch the cousins really become friends. They just don't get to see each other very much.

With so much playing in the sun my kids were all wiped out. All the kids exept the 2yr old fell asleep in church. It was rather funny.

Ok, I don't have anything wonderful to say!

FUN

Heading to the lake for a little overnighter. We will spend tomorrow playing in the water and sand. The boat is in for repairs(again) so we will be using the wave runners(which are a blast). We have at least 3 extra children going! it will be crazy! but good!

Girls Camp

Do any of you remember Girls Camp? Well, I got to go last night to spend the evening with my 14 year old at Girls camp.(church camp LDS for girls 12-18) It was a fun evening. It was so nice to see all the girls having so much fun. This time in their lives is so full of difficult choices that it is so refreshing to see them being fun and silly and just playing. I am so glad that the big girl went. Those that didn't really missed out on a great experience.

What day is it and what's my name?

Okay, it is Wednesday and my house looks like a bomb went off. What is new with that? you ask. Well, nothing and that is the problem!
We took the afternoon yesterday to go to the lake with the newly repaired boat. It was a perfect day, with warm temperatures and no wind. We drove into the middle of the lake and then swam, made sandwiches(with the handle of a comb-we washed it! I forgot the knife!). We were going to do some waterskiing when the boat acted badly. We barely made it back to the trailer! We have had such bad luck with this new toy. The friends we bought it from are so sick. They are not the type of people to sell something that doesn't work.

Last night our poochie started just screaming. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. It was as if something was biting her inside her ear. She was totally freaked out! I took her to the vet this morning and she had fox tail weeds inside her ear. So, she had to be put under to have them removed. One more thing to add to our nutty life! Poor little poochie, she is sleeping now. That was an expensive morning!

So, I have plans to work on my list but I can't get past this mess! Wish me luck!

Monday!

It's Monday already! We had a whirlwind trip starting Thursday morning. We took a young single adult group from hubbies church to Manti, Utah. There is an outside performance done there called the Mormon Miracle Pageant. It was incredible! We had a great evening and then we got up EARLY to go the the Temple. It was a very special day. We had a fireside that evening that was really powerful. Saturday we went to a large waterslide park. It was fun to watch everyone really having such a good time.
I am grateful that I was able to be a part of this activity. These are some really strong young people. They are in a very difficult stage of life. Most of them are really trying to live a good solid, strong life. They are all so smart and vibrant. It is fun to be with them.

Coming home is a shocker(as always). It is just so much of the same stuff. The same stuff that I struggle with always. So, trying not to dwell on it and just getting it done.

I was going to the gym, planning on a great spin class. Just as we turned the corner, almost to the gym, angel boy pukes! Eewwh! We had to drop off the big girl for tennis and then head home to clean the mess up! One of the many joys of motherhood!!!

200th post

This is my 200th post! That is a lot about nothing!

We are on our way to a huge singles ward activity-will be back Saturday!

A bit of progress!

Remember my big list? Well, as always, I am trying to accomplish a few things on that list. Since I am trying to be a finisher instead of just a starter I am looking at this list and trying to find things to cross off!

Well, today we have made a bit of progress!

On the list is to go through all 4 kids clothes and bedrooms. Well, today the big girl went through her clothes and got rid of two bags! Her cousin went through them and took one bag for herself! The big boy worked on his room(a miracle in itself) and he really made a difference. He is one of those kids that really could live in a huvel and it wouldn't phase him! We stripped his bed to wash so he didn't get it made yet but it was a huge step!!

Now, what have you finished? I am going to go and finish putting my laundry away!(Another small miracle!)

Baby Steps!

I have been thinking about "finishing." Today I went to the gym and came home and got busy cleaning up. My mop broke so I had to mop on my knees. My Mom used to always do this-I hated it! Well, I am glad that I know how because my floor was icky,sticky.

I am planning to start painting the wood for the desks tonight or tomorrow morning. We have baseball and softball tonight along with the ward Family Home Evening. I am not sure if I will be able to make it to FHE. I want to support hubbies ward as much as possible but I have to take care of home first. It is sometimes quite difficult to do it all!

I am going to go and call about the frames for the magnent boards, perhaps I can pick them up!
I am going to go and hang up the basket in my bathroom.

What are you finishing today?

Starter or Finisher?

Are you a starter or a finisher?

This was one of the topics in church today. The focus of the meeting was commitments. The question was asked, are you a starter or a finisher? I hate to say it but I am often a starter. I have great ideas, purchase the goods, make the plans and then never quite get it finished. I hate this about myself.

I believe that most of us are more like this than we would like to admit. I know people that have had rooms in their home in process for 11 years. All it needs is painted. I know another person who had this beautiful wallpaper purchased and stashed under a bed. When it was finally installed the receipt was in the bag--8 years! I have a wire basket shelf that I bought three maybe four years ago-it is supposed to go above my toilet. It is still sitting on my bedroom floor where it has kicked around all this time.

Why do we do this to ourselves? I know all of my excuses. I have too much laundry, dishes, errands, etc.etc. etc. Why do we make these excuses?

What other aspects of our lives do we start but not finish? Have we started reading our scriptures, intending to complete a book and then stopped midway? Have you ever started an exercise program and stuck with it for 3 weeks?

What does it take to be finishers instead of only starters?
I have thought of a few basic things--they are easy to type-hard to bring to fruition!

#1 Make a plan-what I want to accomplish
#2 How can it be accomplished?
#3 What is needed to accomplish it?
#4 What time frame is needed?
#5 Is it a one time project or a life project?
#6 Do I need someone else's help--if so, whom?

These are only a few off the top of my head. I know that this post is mainly for me. I have so many projects that I have wanted to do for years. I have to start just doing them. I bought a large metal star for my house LAST SUMMER! It has sat on my front porch ever since. I needed to have Hubby's help with a mason bit. Yesterday we were outside and I asked him again. He stood up, went and got the bit and mason screw and had it in in less than five minutes. An entire year and this project took less than five minutes! How many things do we put off that would take so little time?

What are some things that you have put off that you just need to take a few minutes to make a plan and accomplish it?

*I am going to make sure I have all the materials for the desks in the kids rooms-I am also going to get the wood all painted. I may not get them installed until after next week, because we will be gone Thurs-Saturday. I am going to get them finished
*I ordered frames for the metal magnetic boards--that I have had since last JULY. I just have to pick them up and do the finish work!
*Read my scriptures. I am very good at avoiding this. I come up with all kinds of lame excuses. They are the worst kind-if I have time to go to the gym, blog, read a book(oh, I don't do enough of that) I certainly have enough time to read my scriptures. They should be BEFORE the other things.

Are you committed? I didn't ask if you needed committed, are you committed to making your life what you want it? Are you willing to make the effort to get what you want out of life?

I will keep you posted on how I do. Awhile ago I wrote a SHS post about my lifestyle goals. I need to pull them out again and start again. Babysteps, we keep going, doing something! Avoiding gets us nowhere!

Saturday-Already?

Wow, this week has gone so fast! The first full week of summer vacation. We have played and played and made many messes. The weather was wonderful at the beginning and then turned COLD! I am hoping that we will get some more beautiful weather!

It is time again for Smart Habit Saturday sponsored by the Lazy Organizer my friend Lara.
This last week I decided to try and eliminate artificial sweeteners from my diet. Mainly this meant no more diet soda.

How have I done with this? I have done super!!! I have not had even ONE diet coke. I think I might have had a swallow of hubbies on Monday-not sure however. Since then I have not had any pop. I did break and have a bit of a REAL full sugar coke. It was so sweet it about gagged me! I also couldn't really enjoy it because I kept thinking of all the sugar in it. So, I am doing great. Also, I do think that it may actually have abit to do with my stomach problems. I have had a really good week. Not one really bad day. That is amazing. It isn't like I have problems every day but every few days. So, I am keeping a little log(maybe I should actually write it on paper instead of in my mind) about my stomach.

So, this week my new habit is to drink MORE WATER! Not terribly original but healthy. I did good this week but I feel like I should drink even more. I am going to figure out a way to chart how much I am actually drinking. Perhaps I have been drinking more than I thought!

My other main habit I have been working on all year is my counter. I did so so this week. It is just such a daily thing that I get so tired of it. It helps my attitude if it is clean so I know that I need to work harder on it.

Another habit that has been in process is exercising. I did quite lousy this week. I went Monday and Tuesday and then no more. I have to figure out how to get this to also be a habit again. It is more difficult now that I am dealing with all 4 of my children. I usually go in the morning after the big kids are in school. Now that they are home it is harder to get there. I don't want to make excuses, I just want to get there. So, a new emphasis this week-if I can't get to the gym I need to run from home!

If you are interested in more good ideas check out the Lazy Organizer.

Talents or short comings?

Do you ever feel like a real dork? Are you the one that is always bringing the cutest plate full of cookies or the neat little craft? I am so not that person. However, I want to be that person! Isn't that crazy? I want to be the one that knows all the cool recipes, has cute hair, my kids clothes are darling, I know just how to make this and make that. I feel like I am barely able to scrape together enough clean clothes that my family can put on, much less actually have them be cute!

What are your strengths? Have you ever actually written them down? I remember having to do this type of thing while in school. It is so easy to come up with our shortcomings, yet difficult to find our talents. Why is this?

So, I am going to try and think of some things that I am good at. Cooking is not one of them!!

My sweet spot!

My very first peonies are in bloom! I transplanted some peonies last year from the Master Gardeners garden(they were getting rid of them). I didn't know if they would live in our frozen climate. They are also a little finicky about being transplanted! They are so beautiful!

This picture was actually taken by 7 year old little Missy! She did a great job! If you look closely you can see that she even caught a bee in the picture!

I hope that you can enjoy a little beauty today!

(for those of you that don't know, you can click on an image and usually it will be enlarged so you can see it better!)

Extrinsic/Intrinsic

I have been thinking about what I should write. Then I thought about why I should or should not write. I have a friend who writes really entertaining posts. They are always a hit. I have decided that I am just not that funny! I have also read posts that are depressing(I rarely read them again if every entry is depressing).
So, why do I do this blog? Is it for my own ego? Is it to record my own thoughts? I don't really write down a lot of my deep inner thoughts because well, they are just too personal for the world to have access to. I don't blog about all the disagreements and squabbles that we have around our house. That would be depressing. So--what to write and why?

This is just me rambling! I don't know why, I just do. I do think that it has to do with ego! It is a strange thing to put a bit of info out there and let strangers read it. Weird actually!

Today was the two older kids spring piano recital. #1 broke(or sprained) her middle finger at softball the other night-so she didn't perform. This did not hurt her feelings considering she puts the piano right up there in importance with cleaning the toilet. #2 did play one number and he did really well. He really could learn to play well if he actually would realize his ability and practice. I struggle to have them practice. It is often such a struggle that I just forget. I really want them to be able to read music and play for enjoyment. I would also like them to be able to play hymns well enough that if they were somewhere where noone played the piano they could do it.

I don't know how to get this generation to value anything that one has to really work at. I believe that we are rewarded extrinsically so often that we don't understand WHY we do something. I want for my children to understand that they do things because it is the right thing to do, it makes them feel good inside, they learn from it, it helps someone else. I want them to understand things intrinsically. That is MUCH more difficult than it sounds.

We are all motivated by extrinsic forces. Sad but true! I want to change that. I am trying to drink more water because I KNOW that it is better for my body. It is hard for me. I want to really exercise hard because it is good for my heart and body-not just because it will make my butt smaller!

Today my little #3 girl needed to clean her room. She is a little crazy girl! She is a little flighty. She gets distracted very easily(I wonder where she gets that?) So, I went into her room and we made a list about what she needed to do to clean up her room. Pick up books, pick up garbage, etc. etc. It was amazing how well this worked for her. I have done this before with her and I know that it is the best way to help her focus. What I did however, after she came to me and said she had crossed off everything on the list, I asked her how she felt when her room looked so pretty? She said good. I want her to know that it is nice to live in a clean place.Not just because Mom wants it clean but because she feels more at peace when it is clean and tidy. She was so proud of her clean bedroom that she had to show her cousin(who's Mom has won the Clean Mom of the year for the last 12 years running!) Now to really get it to sink in. Does this happen in a home that seems to be bursting at the seems daily? I try,I really do try to keep a clean house. I am very poor at keeping my children on task. Therefore, often they just don't think. They drop anything and everything.

Being constant is the key. I realize this. HOW TO DO IT 24/7? Anyone have any really effective ideas?
#1 is to get rid of all the junk. I am going to start working on this again. It is amazing how much better my pantry has been since I organized it. I have a little bit of tweaking in there and a few more labels and I will take a picture--it is working-which is a miracle!
#2 I think that responsibility is also important. I just fail miserably at this. Making everyone be responsible. They just think that I will do it--usually I do. It makes me grumpy. I want to be happy and feel joy in my home.When I am doing too much work I don't feel like the nice Mommy I want to be. So, it is MY JOB to figure out how to really get my children to feel responsible for themselves and their stuff.

How Do I get them to feel responsible?

Suggestions? Please feel free to comment!

Rain,Rain,Rain

It is a dark, wet, dreary-rather depressing day here at the Chaos household. I tried to enlist help and it lasted for about 10 minutes. So-I hope that we get a bright and cheery day soon. A maid would also be nice!

How do you do it?

Are you a structured summer person or an unstructured summer person?
I am totally unstructured. To the point that my house is a wreck!(what's new?) Little boy wanted to be outside so out we went. I had actually planned to work on the mess that is my life. However, out we went. I did get some work done in my flowers. They are quite negelected this year. Between Hubby being gone so much and 4 kids I am always behind!
Oh, well!

So, how to you keep sane in the summer when you have older children, therefore more goings and comings?

June 3rd 1960

HAPPY 47TH ANNIVERSARY MOM!

I wish Dad were here to celebrate with you.
I love you

Smart Habit Saturday

Sunday-the end and the beginning. Tomorrow starts a new week. The first full week of summer vacation. That is good and bad. We are already tired. It is also difficult because of the ages of my children. Not sure yet how to keep everyone happy-including the Momma!

I haven't participated in Smart Habit Saturday for quite awhile. So I am going to jump in again. I am still working on everything-life is full of constants! My counter is still a challenge. I LOVE it when it is clean. It is just so much the center of everything that it is hard to keep clean. So, all the other potential habits are still there. I am adding a new one.

NO Artificial sweeteners. Which really means, no soda.

I have a lot of stomach/bowel problems(I know--too much information). I have been learning about a lot of artificial sweeteners. Particularly sorbitol and maltitol. These are common sweeteners in "Sugar Free" foods. Lots of products aimed at diabetics use these sweeteners. The problem is that they are known to have a laxative effect. The packages sometimes will ready, in tiny print "May cause a laxative effect in large quantities". Well, in my research, online and by personal experience, the term large quantities---is very, very misleading. Some people are so sensitive(me) that a piece of sugar free orbit gum (almost all gum now has sorbitol in it) will cause problems. Sorbitol is in all kinds of products, I found it in some granola bars, which I knew caused me problems, I just didn't know why. I thought it was the fiber in the oats.

So, why all this info? Well, my new habit is to stop drinking any soda. I have been a diet pop drinker. Not all the time, but enough that it is a regular habit. I have read that there is research that is supporting all kinds of problems with nutrasweet/aspertame. So, I am going to try to basically stick to water!

Wish me luck!

For more ideas check out the Lazy Organizer for others Smart Habit Saturday

Funny!

I found this Youtube video--you must click here and then watch it. It is hysterical!

Crazy Hair!

After a big day playing outside what could be better than a warm bath followed by a soft towel? Only a sweet boy with crazy hair!!

I need a nap

The first full day of summer vacation---I already need a break! We had a very late night and then went to lunch with all the cousins then they played and played and played-then we went to Shrek 3. It was cute but I am officially done with Shrek. Enough. We were going to go to the drive in but got vetoed. Came home and the kids played again. We had to drag them in! #2 has a ball game in the morning-I am already tired thinking about it!

Can I handle this much fun?