101 Factoids about Me, Myself and I (Exciting, I know!)

I've decided to rise up to the challenge and attempt to find One hundred and One things about me. (Hopefully interesting)
So here goes:
1. I do not like having shoes on my feet and kick them off the second I step inside.
2. I have a testimony.
3. I LOVE chocolate.
4. At pretty much any moment I have a song stuck in my head which often comes out vocally.
5. I love to sing but don't like listening to my own voice.
6. I'm one of those people that needs almost constant validation from others.
7. For as long as I can remember I've pretty much had a constant headache.
8. I am willing to do some of the silliest things in order to get my kids to laugh.
9. When I was a kid I was a klepto-maniac.
10. I love to dance but am not very good at it.
11. I have a Bachelors degree in Elementary Ed with a music minor.
12. I have always loved kids but sadly have more patience when they're not my own.
13. Before I was married I was a shameless flirt.
14. I didn't have many girlfriends that could stand me before I got married.
15. When I was 11 my Mom was my worst enemy and now she's my best friend.
16. I love being married WAY, WAY more than being single.
17. I love warm summer rain.
18. I love the smell of fresh clean babies. (especially if they're mine, aaaah)
19. My favorite color used to be blue but now it is pink! (see #20 for the reason why)
20. I have four boys, ages 7, 4 (this week) and 1 year old twins.
21. I'm a bad cook.
22. I don't like to cook.
23. Growing up I always told myself that I'd cook a hot breakfast for my family every day (Hah!)
24. I LOVE to read which is a strength and a weakness.
25. I read really fast and can't stand to follow along with someone else reading.
26. I'm good at spelling. (Watch, I'll misspell something in this post)
27. I'm not too good at receiving criticism.
28. I have tendencies towards laziness.
29. I hate a messy house but that doesn't keep me from having one.
30. I am organized in the workforce but not at home.
31. I love artichokes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and spinach.
32. I played flute for 7 years and still sound horrible. (My Mom says this isn't true and to tell you that I lead the band in Junior High when they played Canon in D)
33. I teach piano lessons but can't play very well myself.
34. I've taught preschool before and will again and I love it!!
35. I am too often plagued with the fear that people are talking bad about me.
36. I had a lot more self confidence in high school.
37. One time my hubby and I had a complete conversation singing opera style.
38. I used to have no trouble speaking in front of people but now I'm chicken.
39. Laundry is the bane of my existence.
40. I actually really don't want to be rich but I don't want to have to worry about money either.
41. I am awful at budgeting and balancing the checkbook.
42. I wanted to marry a nerd but not a band nerd.
43. I'm married to the sweetest band teacher ever.
44. I love music and like pretty much everything but country and hard core rap and rock.
45. I am happiest when I'm just hanging out with my family. (and not stressing)
46. When I was a little girl I would run away to the park and ask strangers to swing me.
47. I've never mowed a lawn in my life.
48. I love camping.
49. I hate snakes.
50. I love to scrapbook but haven't done much lately.
51. I love making cards.
52. I want a baby girl but am not sure I want more kids.
53. I love scary movies (as long as it's not satanic or gory)
54. My favorite book genre is Mystery.
55. I love to write and someday want to write books: children, youth and adult.
56. I cannot draw to save my life!
57. I am a bad procrastinator.
58. I was always unlucky and never won anything until I started entering blog giveaways.
59. I am not an animal lover although I wish I was.
60. Too often I open my mouth without thinking first but never ever mean to offend.
61. I really do love everyone.
62. I love to roller skate and used to make up roller skating dances.
63. I've never understood why girls have to go to the bathroom all together when nobody really even needs to go.
64. I love flowers but don't really have a favorite.
65. I have a brown thumb.
66. I like chick flicks.
67. I miss living close to my Mom.
68. I used to have really straight hair without even trying.
69. I broke my right arm when I was 8 and my Mom kept the pins they put in.
70. I have two older brothers and one younger sister.
71. I have never been good about eating breakfast.
72. I love the beach but don't love swimming in the ocean.
73. I've never been snow skiing.
74. I was born in Kansas.
75. I've lived in California and Utah.
76. I've visited Mexico, Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Nevada, Catalina, and Wyoming.
77. I want to visit Europe.
78. I hate Vegas.
79. My favorite season is Spring (if we actually get a spring, unlike this year)
80. I was married on July 31, 1999 in the Los Angeles temple.
81. I used to love butterflies but got burnt out on them.
82. I can't remember how many times I've read the Book of Mormon. I think five times.
83. My favorite restaurant is The Olive Garden
84. I like shopping online. (It's a weakness)
85. Chatting online with my friends keeps me sane some days.
86. I am too selfish of a person.
87. I HATE watching sports.
88. I love my husband and kids. (Duh!)
89. My husband makes me laugh everyday.
90. I've never had a ticket. (knock on wood)
91. I am NOT a morning person. (although I want to be)
92. I had a crush on my third grade teacher who was an adult version of Alfalfa. (not good)
93. I love nursing my babies.
94. I cried when I found out I was pregnant with my first child and I cried when I found out I was having twins.
95. I love reading children's books but still don't do it often enough.
96. I have always had insane dreams and remember them too well.
97. I have the worst memory!!
98. I love to get my feet and back rubbed and my hair played with.
99. Because I have keloids I can't have pierced ears.
100. I have been to Disneyland more times than I can count.
101. I feel like this post is very self centered and can't even believe how many times I've said "I".

Congratulations if you made it this far! You now know more about me than you ever wanted to know! Let me know if you give it a try!!

Happy Summer!

Friday was the last day of school for DE and E and now summer has officially started!! Yaaahoo! It was a pretty crazy weekend, mostly because I just started a new job. It's a long story but basically comes down to the fact that I started working at the little grocery store here in town on Thursday and then I worked again on Saturday. Can I just say that I am not used to being on my feet for 8 straight hours? I don't know how people do it and still run a home too. I won't be working very much, at most a day a week after these couple of weeks of training. It's definitely weird though because except for substitute teaching I haven't had a job outside of my home since 2000. Crazy. Anyway, on Friday I also woke up with a cold and all of the kids have been sick too. I tell you, they get sick every time we go up north. So that's life in a nutshell right now. We don't really have much fun stuff planned for the summer except for spring cleaning and yard work. It will be nice to have Eldon around more now. Leave me a comment telling me something fun you have planned this summer!! Here are some recent pictures:

Confessions of an imperfect mother on Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day and yet here I am thinking about how imperfect a mother I really am. It's confession time. Why is it so easy to look at the other women and mothers around you and feel that they have it all together when you so sadly don't? I used to think that I had a lot of patience, and yet lately it seems like about ten minutes after I determine that I will not get irritated or raise my voice I'm doing it again. I have the sweetest most caring husband and yet it seems like most of the time instead of getting the best of me, he is getting the worst of me. The tired, cranky, ready to throw in the towel side of me. I know that I am where I need to be, and I am where I want to be. I decide every day that I will enjoy my children, enjoy my day, not stress about the mess or making perfect meals (or any meals for that matter since I don't think cold cereal counts). And yet each night when I go to bed I mostly feel like I've failed. My friend Em recently posted this on her blog and I'm going to steal it from her:

The Girl in a Whirl
by 'Dr. Sue' (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if only you knew how.

I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.

I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!

I memorize names of the General Authorities; I
focus on things to be done by priorities.

I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!

Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)

I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,

I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!

Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.

I do genealogy faithfully, too.
It's easy to do all the things that I do!

I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!

I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.

I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!

(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)

I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each 'lost lamb' on my Primary roll.

I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all,

I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write 'thank you's' to those I admire.

My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A's! And their bedrooms are clean!

I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car's tires! I fix the sinks leak!

I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.

I make sure I rotate our two-years' supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!

These things are not hard; 'tis good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!

It's easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!

It's easy!' she said and then she dropped dead.

Is it really any wonder at all that I feel like I can't do it? Honestly the only thing on there that I do is sing in the choir and that's just because I'm choir director. Now that I've confessed to my failings I want to leave this post on a positive note. I know that it is satan's tool to make us feel inadequate. He encourages us to compare our weaknesses to the strengths of the sisters around us. So I am not going to let him!!! I am not perfect, nor will I ever be, and so my goal is that when I go to bed each day my children will know that I love them and that their Heavenly Father loves them. And hopefully there will be at least one thing I did that day that was better than the day before. Will I be perfect in one day? NO! But I'm not going to get overwhelmed and stop trying. After all, I am a daughter of God and He loves me no matter what. I will show my love for Him by striving line upon line, precept upon precept, to become the daughter He knows me to be.

P.S. Want an example of the joys of parenthood? Today we all took a nap and we had all been awake for a little while when I asked my hubby where our other twin O was. He said he was still in bed. When I went up to check on him he was in his crib playing with.....can you guess? POOP! You read that right! It was soooo disgusting! The trash had been put up on a little shelf next to his crib so they wouldn't play with it when they were playing in there and he pulled it over and pulled the poopy diaper out and then proceeded to play with it and get it EVERYWHERE. Happy Mother's Day, right? Although I must admit, while I cleaned the crib and sheets, my dear hubby gave O a bath and then cleaned the trash out.

Pictures of Summer Past

I am getting Summer Fever!! I'm not looking forward to the heat exactly, just the fun, having E and my hubby home more, having my sister move in with us, and the vacations! And mostly I just want to get OUTSIDE more! Last summer was pretty mild since I had newborn twin boys. Here are some of the fun things we did:

Our little A, trying his hand at sparklers on the 4th of July!

Trip to Hogle Zoo

We got to see the WHITE ALLIGATOR! It was cool!

Playing at the lake

Watching the BIG fireworks in wide eyed wonder!

First Grade Cuties

Yesterday our oldest, E, had his First Grade program. It was really cute. Those kids were all so cute I just wanted to take them home with me. And quite a few of them were in my first preschool class so it was fun to get to see them again. Anyway, they sang some cute songs and then had a little saying and a couple of songs for each month that they are in school. Then they showed a slide show with pictures of the kids. It was cute. E did a good job although he kept playing with his belt, and his nose, and wiggling.... he's definitely all boy! Here are some pics, although they didn't turn out very well. We are so proud of our little cutie!

Aaaah...memories

I'm entering another contest, well, I guess you could say it's part of the same contest as the one I entered below, although I didn't make it into the finalists with that one. Anyway, that's aside from the point here...this contest is asking for a Motherhood Moment. I actually read every single entry that they have so far and now I'm not even sure I want to do it myself, they were so wonderful I can't possible compete. But this is for me. Because right now I need to remind myself that although being a mother is not always easy, and that what's easy is being down on myself, it's the little moments that make it worth it. Oh, so worth it! I can't pick just one moment, and I can't ever seem to find the right words to express what those moments feel like, but it is those moments (and if you're a mother you know what I'm talking about) that make being a mother, well..... priceless.

A giggle, a laugh, holding them near.
Laughing, chasing, tickling, snuggling.
A shy little smile, wiping a tear.

A kiss, a caress, a sweet lullaby.
Rocking, sleeping, cooing, dreaming.
A heart now so full, you can't help but cry.


A mother learns the language of love when she sets eyes on her angel(s) from above. And just when I think I've learned it, that my heart couldn't love any more, another sweet moment comes.



Here are some of my Motherhood moments (there are just so many but here are a few):

First there was one....isn't he cute?

Then we added another, (and our whole family almost fit on that bed)

Then we were shocked, no way! TWO more?!

Here are my sweet little ones!

This is us now, well a few months ago anyway. (Aren't all my boys sooo handsome?)

These Little Feet

Just feet? Not to me. These feet represent all that being a Mother means to me.
I don't know how I could possibly love them any more. And yet each day I do.

Little Feet

Tiny little bitty feet

smaller than my thumb.

Lovable, kissable, touchable feet

with the softness of heaven where they're from.

Small and calloused outside feet

with signs of dirt and fun.

Sitting on mommy and daddy's lap

when the day is done.

Grown up big boy leave home feet

so loved along the way

will someday hold their own child's feet

with no right words to say.

Tale of the Tooth

On Monday of this week, my seven year old came home from school as excited as could be. He looked up at me with this huge grin and it took me a second before I noticed the little gap in his teeth! Most of his friends had already lost many teeth and had the tooth fairy come and he was so excited that he had finally lost his first tooth. It had been loose for a while and from what he said when he was at school that day it had been bothering him while he was in the library so the Principal came over to look at it and basically just flicked it right out with his thumb. Then we had a little talk because E thought he should be getting a dollar, so Mommy had to tell him that the tooth fairy has lots of little boys and girls to visit so she can only leave them maybe a nickel or a dime and maybe if they're really good.. a quarter. (I know, kids get five dollar bills now but I don't think he needs more than maybe a quarter and then what would I do when the twins are losing teeth all over the place?)

Well, the story should end there with the nice little tooth fairy coming that night and whisking away that little tooth under his pillow and leaving some coinage in her wake. Well, that was not to be, because I am so bad at this stuff! Both daddy and I completely forgot and so when he woke up the next morning all sad I came up with a big story about how the tooth fairy gets busy sometimes but that she was sure to come that night.

So okay, parents have their oops moments sometimes too but you will not believe....I forgot again! Yes, I get the worst tooth fairy in the world award. The next morning I went in to sing him awake and he opens his eyes, reaches his hand under that little pillow, and pulls out an envelope. I think both of our faces fell at the same time! I wish I'd had something to sneak under while he was in the bathroom but of course I only had a couple of pennies on hand. So I just explained to him that My Oh My the tooth fairy must be so busy and I better just give her a call to remind her that my sweet little boy had lost his tooth. He looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said: "You know the tooth fairy's phone number?" I said: "I do," so he said, "what is it?" Well, little boys can't know that, so I told him that only Mommies are privy to that info. He actually was content with that answer and got ready for school happy as a lark.

Well yesterday afternoon the door slammed and the first words I heard were: "Mommy, did you call the tooth fairy yet?" "Of course I did, and do you want to know what she said? She said that she tried to come last night but you were still awake!" (pause for effect) His eyes got all big and so then I informed him that she wanted to come back but she just ran out of time, so you better be sure you go to bed really early so she can come. And he did! And his tooth fairy scrounged up two quarters by digging around in baskets and jewelry boxes and slick as a whistle left that little surprise under his pillow. (Being a mommy is so fun sometimes!)

I made sure to tell him that the tooth fairy probably felt kind of bad that she took a little longer so she brought him TWO quarters! And now E is so excited because he has two quarters to buy a sucker at school on Friday. And Mom and Daddy are hoping that his teeth start falling out faster because the tooth fairy is cheaper than getting cavities filled. ;) Life is grand!