Just for Now

I LOVE this video and song by Imogen Heap, thanks Martha for showing me! She is the lead singer of Frou Frou, who if you look above you'll see that took a quote from her song on our blog header. Love how talented she is! Hope you like it, too. It may seem a little strange at first, but keep it going. You might also want to pause my music player below before you play this.

Self-proclaimed Titles

Just in the last few days I have overheard our kids playing with eachother and/or with friends and I've noticed that they like to give themselves new names. Well, these are the funniest ones that I've heard this week:

Zack: "They call me Mr. January!" (Where did he get that? It makes me think of some calendar with scantily clothed firefighters. I hope that is not where Zack was going with this.)

Maycee: "I am the Princess of All that is Pink!" (This one happens to be true. That is her color of choice for just about everything. Just the other day she was telling me how mad she was that her room was green, not pink.)

Avery: I told Avery to tell her Dad that she was a "big girl". She says instead, "NO, Baby!" (This also is true, kind of. She is getting to be a big girl- 21 months- but, she has us wrapped around her little finger!)

How Much is that Doggy in the Window...

I have a moral dilema. Our 6 month old dog, Barkley, is driving us crazy. He is very cute, but I think that may be his only redeeming quality. Yesterday, he peed in the house 4 times- once on Zack's blanket, once on Maycee's newly washed comforter (newly washed because he had lifted his leg on it the day before), and twice on my bed (on our nice comforter and sham, and on the pile of newly washed sweaters I had just folded and set on my bed). Every time I let that dog in the house he would go and pee on something. And, every time he did this, I would make him smell it, in my angriest voice tell him that was naughty, and then put him outside in the freezing cold. I just don't get why he would still do it over and over. He has never mastered the outside potty task. It seems like at least once a day, I'm cleaning up some kind of doggy accident. Today he pooped in Zack's room. Aaugh! I am so tired of cleaning carpet and washing everything! This is not his only problem, however. He gets really riled up and kind of nips and scratches at the kids. I must say, the kids usually start this, but not every time. And then, there are tears shed and band-aids given. But, this is several times a day. I can't stand it anymore. And, I can't just leave him outside, it's too dang cold. So, this brings me back to my moral dilema. I feel terrible about this but, I think we are going to take him to the Humane Society or the Animal Shelter. I feel bad because I have had a dog in my house all my life and have never had problems like this before. I guess I just don't know how or have the patience to train dogs. I also feel bad because Ryan's brother and his wife gave us this dog and I don't want to hurt their feelings. More guilty feelings- I don't want Barkley to go anwhere but a happy, nice family that will love him and take care of him. And, I can't totally gaurantee that. But, even with all these reasons, I think he still really needs to go. I already have enough around here to take care of! He is adding stress to my life. So, am I just giving up, or what? Am I a loser because I can't handle it anymore? Or, is it OK to admit when you are defeated and you try to fix things the best that you know how? Any thoughts? Council me please!! Brett and Steph- don't hate us!! Animal lovers everywhere- I'm sorry! Do YOU want a new dog?

Well, I got a new church calling last Sunday...Boy Scouts Den Leader. I know, I know, you can stop laughing now. It is a little funny, I realize, but the member of the Bishopric was "inspired" to call me to this. Which I really do believe, but I'm sure that the reason for this is surely for ME to learn some lesson to better my life. I'm truly not sure what I'll be able to teach these 8 year old boys. I am not very handy dandy with tools, pinecones, or popscicle sticks. And, as I am going through the several different manuals and books given to me to help guide me through this wonderful challenge, I see ahead many crafty crafts in my future, but none involve ribbons, scrapbook paper, craft paint, or fingernail polish. Boo. I did actually attend my first Den meeting on Wednesday afternoon. There were only 5 boys present, but it was like 5 ADHD boys who just drank a whole can of grape soda jumping around a McDonald's Playland, which actually was my neighbor's living room. It was a little insane, needless to say. One boy constantly was poking another person and then would whine, "He hit me, he hit me," just to be annoying. Another boy would answer every question with, "To hurt someone?" Doesn't matter what the question was, that was the typical answer. One boy refused to say the prayer or play any of the games, even the fun one, not sure why. And, to my chagrin, my partner informed me that it was like this most of the time. Although, in the summer, it was a little better because they could go outside. Yahoo! And then, on Friday my partner came over to bring me manual, a Scout Magazine, a game book, a list of the clothing I need to buy, the list of meetings I need to attend, etc, etc. Aaugh! Overload. Overload. I am a little nervous about this. I don't want to not like any calling. I really don't. So, I'm begging any of you out there that have served in Scouts to assure me that it's not so bad. I know this deep in my heart, but like I said, overload. I know most of the boys and their parents pretty well, and they really are good kids. I was just a little shocked at their combined energy. Anyway, I will keep you updated on this wonderful challenge!

Aahhhh....Maycee

I was checking some of my favorite blogs when I overheard Maycee talking to Avery just now. I said "What are you doing?" because I can hear a little of what she is saying and it is not good. I'm hearing "Say pooh. Say bum." She says, "I'm teaching her naughty words so that she can use them when she's older." Words like stupid, pooh-pooh, etc...I think that's when I caught her. Thanks, Mayce. That's what a big sister is for, right? However, this is the same girl that hopped into bed with me this morning and noticed that Barkley (the dog) was snuggled up to me. She says, "Barkley loves you, huh?" I say, "Yeah, but I don't know why." She says, "Because, mommy, you are very nice and kind." Oohhh! You take the good with the bad, I guess. Actually, she is a lot like me. crap. I'm in for it.

The Forgotten Ones...

You know how you take a hundred pictures of your kids because they are so cute and they are doing something adorable, you download the pics on your computer and then you forget about them? Some of you probably don't- you are the type that scrapbooks (or something equally as crazy). I am a terrible scrapbooker. I don't know why. I have all the stuff. Bins of stuff- paper, stamps, templates, embellishments (what are those really?). But, I never sit down and scrapbook. I have one and only one place to do it- the kitchen table. Maybe that's why I don't actually do it. I'll get it out, have 3 kids who would normally ignore me suddenly be very interested in what I am doing, and then have to put it away again very soon because we'd have to eat or something. It's a terrible thing. I want to be a spectacular scrapbooker, but, alas, I think it will have to wait until my children are older, ooh or maybe even out of the house! :) Anyway, I thought that since that time is oh so far away and it is the end of 2007, I would show some of the cuter pics of our family from this year...

Ryan has Dinner Making Skills!

So, Christmas is over. I can't believe it has come and gone already. We put the Christmas, well let me rephrase that, WE started putting all the Christmas stuff away and I finished putting all the Christmas stuff away. I'm not sure how I get stuck with this daunting task every year, but somehow midstream everyone seems to magically disapear. However, while I was putting everything away in boxes and bags, Ryan did make dinner. He made a really good dinner- breakfast burritos with sausage, eggs and cheese and warmed up pancakes from the day before. So, I have to tell you what the kids said about Ryan's dinner making abilities. Zack says, "Dad this is actually really good food." I giggle a little bit. Maycee says, "Dad, I think I'm falling in love with your food." I giggle a lot. Maycee seems to be falling in love with a lot of things lately- Zack's friends, the cute little Carston at preschool, but this was by far the funniest. Don't you think Ryan should cook more?
We hope you have a wonderful New Year with lots of laughs!!