Happy Thanksgiving

This has been an unusual Thanksgiving. I haven't been in the holiday spirit. Here are some maybe whys:

• Maybe because Ben has been sick with a cold and has been a total grouch and hasn't slept well for days (I'm exhausted!).
• Maybe because I did not host a large dinner this year (last year we had 20 people for dinner).
• Maybe because Brad had to work and just made it home to help with the last minute preparations before we had to go to dinner and then he had to go back to work after dinner.
• Maybe because my "famous" crescent rolls went flat and I can't figure out why and I actually cried about it.
• Maybe because the Black Friday ads did not hold the usual excitement for me (I can't go because Brad will be at work and I'm not taking 3 kids out at 4 am or later).

But now that I think back on it I should be more grateful. I'm grateful for:

• Teri B. and her family for inviting us over for dinner. The food was delicious and we actually got to play games while the kids played downstairs. Girls against boys Taboo actually ended in a tie (I got stuck on the word fling).
• Emily and Sam helped me clean the basement so we can decorate for Christmas tomorrow.
• Brad at least had a few hours off so he could join us for dinner.
• Ben took a nap during game time!
• Other than a few colds, my family is healthy.
• My mom's health scare is hopefully minor.
• A loving husband and adorable children.
• Sam recognizing he was so tired, he went to bed on his own.
• Most of my Christmas shopping is done so I don't need to go out and fight the crowds and spend more money.

So excuse my negativity and lack of holiday spirit at the beginning of this blog. It felt good to get it out and now I can focus on the Christmas season. I can't wait to put up our Christmas tree!

"Forgetting something really important"

This is a "horrible mom" post. I can't believe it happened and I can't believe I'm writing about it. But it is one of those things I'll never forget so I might as well.

First a little background information. Our library is downtown and rather large. It has 2 stories and although you can park on the street, I usually park in the parking garage. To get to the library from the parking garage, you have to walk down two long hallways (like a L) and then take an elevator to get to the library's main entrance.

Here's the horrible story:
The other day I took the kids to story time at the library. We are signed up along with some other friends. We were gathered at the fish tank waiting for the older kids to get off the computers so we could leave. Then we all left the library (or so I thought): Me with Ben in the stroller, Emily and Sam; Teri with Madison in a stroller, Hayden and Rachelle; and Hillary and Blake. We all crammed into the elevator (3 adults, 2 strollers and what I thought was 5 kids). As we were getting out of the elevator, we had the following dialogue.

Me to Hillary and Teri: Do you ever have that feeling you're forgetting something really important? (For some reason I'm suddenly filled with anxiety like I'm forgetting something really important)

(As we are talking all the kids are running down the hallway. My kids are supposed to stop at the corner and wait before running down the hallway to the parking garage.)

Hillary and Teri: Yea, I know you mean.

Hillary: That's when you do a head count.

Me: Let's see, I have Emily, Sam, Ben, my diaper bag, my purse, my library bag, my books are checked out. What could I be forgetting?

Emily and Rachelle: Mom, they (meaning the boys) didn't stop at the mirror (corner). They ran down the hall.

All the moms hurry to the corner to make sure all the kids are safe. We get to the corner and see Blake and Hayden at the open door which does into a foyer which leads to the parking garage.

Me: Where's Sam? Where's Sam? WHERE'S SAM????!!!!! (Horrible visions of Sam wandering around in a parking garage but unbelievable because that is sooooo against the rules.)

Hillary: I don't think he was in the elevator.

Panic breaks out. Teri runs to the door to the parking garage. I have Hillary (8 months pregnant) stay with Ben and I run back to the library. I run down the stairs as fast as I can. I run into the library, turn the corner to the fish tank and see the saddest/happiest sight a mom can ever see.

There was my precious, little boy shaking and sobbing. He was surrounded by two other "moms" who were reassuring him. We see each other and run. I scoop him up and hold him so close, never going to let him go again.

Me: Sam, I thought you were with us. I thought you were with Emily.

Me to the other moms: We left with a large group and I thought he was with us. (They nod in understanding but I still feel horrible and have a compelling need to explain.)

Sam: I wanted to look at the fish longer. I'll never do that again! I'll never do that again! (still sobbing)

We left the library, both of us shaking and relieved to find each other and join the others. I feel horrible, negligent, afraid for what could have happened!!! How keeps running through my mind.

As I reflect back on it, I still swear I saw his blue shirt in the crowded elevator and running down the hall with the kids. He was with me as we were waiting for Emily to get off the computer. He must have slipped away and I didn't realize it; then he didn't realize we were leaving. Because there were ten of us and I expected him to still be with me; I didn't realize he was missing. But my motherly instincts told me something was wrong. I realized right away that I was missing something. I still thought he was with the other kids as we were walking down the hallway. I thought those feelings were the result of an unusually busy, stressful few weeks.

I'm so relived that he was okay. The horrible feelings of what could have happened didn't go away for awhile. It made me recognize how quick something bad can happen and appreciate my precious, sweet children. Because no matter how frustrating they can be sometimes, the sky would be dark without them.

In the car we had a discussion about what to do when you're lost (i.e. stay right where you are and I'll come back as soon as I realize you are gone; ask other moms with kids for help; don't go with anyone.) He told me as soon as he realized I was gone, he called my name and then started to cry. The other moms told him I would come right back. I did and all ended safely but the thoughts of what might have been still whirl through my mind.

So there you have it-my "horrible mom" story. Sam occasionally says, "Mom, remember when you left me at the library." Oh yeah buddy. I won't be forgetting that one for awhile.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life

I recently finished a book titled, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. The cover says:

I have not survived against all odds.

I have not lived to tell.

I have not witnessed the extraordinary.

This is my story.

I found this to be a humorous book. I would laugh out loud at many parts. When I would read them to Brad he would say, "That is Jenni funny." Meaning, I find things to be funny that he doesn't. But there was a whole Reader's Digest article about the differences in humor in males and females but that is a whole different blog subject.

Let me quote from the book:

Spilled Linguine

I spilled a package of linguine on the kitchen floor. My immediate reaction was, What a bummer, what a waste. But then: Wait a second, it's going directly into a pot of boiling water. Sterilizing these noodles and cooking them are one and the same. Cool.

Sleep

I love sleeping. I love falling asleep on the couch, in the car, on trains, in the sun. I love getting into bed at night, and whenever possible, sleeping late in the morning. I love beds and covers and quilts and pillows. I just love everything about sleeping.

Potato Chips

When I eat potato chips, particularly the crunchy kettle kind, I find myself looking through the bag for the good chips. Somehow a good chip is one that is extra thick looking, and curled onto itself or folded, as opposed to straight and flat. It is a treat, a victory, to find a really good chip and pluck it from the bag. The thinner, straight, or broken ones aren't nearly as pleasing.

That is what Brad calls Jenni funny. I think it is hilarious! Maybe because I have thought those same things but never considered writing them down. I like how Amy writes what she thinks. I have often thought weird things like this but I have never written any of them down. If I ever started a personal blog it would be titled Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Mom.

Emily Sings

Today in Sacrament Meeting, Emily sang with two of her friends, Rachelle B. and Haley T. Rachelle's mom, Teri, organized this sweet little group to sing the song, My Heavenly Father Loves Me. I didn't think Emily would go through with it. I thought she would be too shy. But she got up there and sang her little heart out.

She practiced diligently to prepare for this moment. She listened to it in the car over and over. She sang it all day Saturday and during the ride to church just to make sure she got it. She looked forward to practicing this morning with "the microphone." She reminded me all week that we had to go to church early to practice (I forgot last Sunday-oops).

Yesterday, while Brad and I were Christmas shopping online (fun!). Emily dressed up in her pretty Christmas dress (of 2 years ago), combed her hair and put in several barrettes (a little girl can never have too many), and set up a little chapel. She used the vacuum as the podium (with a box to stand on) and boxes for benches. She called Brad, Sam, and me to a special meeting. She had us start with a prayer, then she sang her song so beautifully, and then we ended with a prayer. It was so sweet.

I am amazed at how grown up she has become. I am so proud of her. If it was me I would have been shaking in my boots. It's moments like these that Brad and I look at each other and smile; we are both thinking the same thing.

My Room Smells Like a Monkey

As I was putting Sam to bed tonight he said, "My room smells like a monkey."

I have to admit it does smell like a monkey and for the life of me I can't figure out why! I have washed all the sheets and blankets, taken out the trash, washed everything in the hamper and I even washed all pajamas. It is driving me crazy!

Wait--maybe it is my kids! They act like monkeys most of the time and we call them our little monkeys. Could it be???

This is a weird post. Sorry.

Halloween - Trick or Treating!

On Halloween night we went Trick or Treating around the neighborhood. Our evening started with our traditional dinner of chili (my mom always served chili Halloween night). Last year Sam complained most of the night that he was cold, so this year I bundled them up!!!! At around 4 o'clock it was really windy and cold so I layered the kids for maximum warmth. Emily wore knit tights, sweat pants, a long sleeved shirt, sweat shirt, snow pants, coat and then a princess costume over it. She wore her sparkly pink shoes but I had to run back home and get her tennis shoes because they were uncomfortable with tights and 2 pairs of socks on. Sam wore sweat pants, a turtle neck shirt, a jacket, snow pants, his coat, and a foam Superman costume that velcroed on over his coat. Each kid had gloves and hats. Ben wore a warm sleeper and his very cozy alligator, dragon, lizard, or dinosaur costume. We pushed him in the stroller bundled in a blanket. So I was prepared for cold wind and chilly temperatures.

Now dare the weather not cooperate!

It turned out that the wind had died down to nothing and the temperature was quite mild. Just their pants, long sleeve shirts and a coat would have been plenty warm. Especially for Emily since she RAN from house to house trying to get as much candy as possible. Poor Sam-he was so bundled that he looked like the little brother on A Christmas Story. I felt so bad. He could hardly walk up the porch steps to get his candy. Brad had to carry him most of the time to keep up with Emily. But at least they were not cold!

I trick or treated with them for awhile since I wanted to take Ben with us but then I went home, put Ben to bed, and handed out our candy (I always buy too much!). Here is what our front porch looked like for the Trick or Treaters (there are orange lights around the door-my camera works better in the dark than I thought).
After about an hour of trick or treating Emily, Sam and Brad came home with TONS of candy. They had a great time. They met up with our neighbors across the street and they had fun running from house to house with Anders and Alyssa.

Once they came home and detangled themselves of their mother's crazy bundling, they had to inspect their loot. Notice in the picture that Emily is sorting her candy (just like I used to do).

After inspecting all their candy, Brad had them do something he had to as a kid. When Brad was growing up, he had to split his candy with his Dad and his brother had to split it with his mom-50-50. I always thought this was so mean and I especially didn't like the idea of a 50-50 split. But Brad felt it was an important lesson so we agreed on 10-90. We had the kids pick 9 pieces they wanted and then we took 1 piece. I felt bad doing this at first but then I felt like it taught them a good lesson. First, you don't always get to keep everything to make i.e. taxes; second, sharing. It was hard at first but I think it taught them an important lesson. Besides we didn't take anything we knew they really liked. I think we will do it again next year.

It was a fun night and the kids had a blast. Surprisingly, they still have most of their candy left. It has been 11 days and they really have not eaten much. They play with it more than eat it. Emily gives it as prizes for games she makes up and she shares it with friends when they come to play. Emily is just like me in that way. My Halloween candy always lasted for months (that is if Traci didn't get to it first!) Sorry Traci-I couldn't resist putting that in (Love Ya!)

Preschool Halloween Party

For the past 3 years, I have hosted our preschool's Halloween party. I figure since I have the games, decorations, and plan, why not. It is different kids every year; no one knows the difference. It was really fun to do this with Sam. He has always tagged along for Emily's activities but this party was my first for Sam and his friends. I did a few different activities with Sam's group because it is mostly boys. The kids below are (L - R) Mason-Peter Pan, Blake-Anakin Skywalker, Sam-Spiderman (Don't ya love the slippers! He insisted on wearing them and he has on Spiderman underpants :-), Alyssa-princess, Sarah-cheerleader (Mason's older sister who has afternoon kindergarten).
We did a few crafts-decorated a bag with Halloween stamps for our goodies and prizes, made a Halloween necklace (we do have one girl), and made bat hats.

Then we learned all about bats (I couldn't have a preschool party without some education involved!). I read them a story about bats. It ended with what bats eat (insects, spiders, snakes, etc) so then we pretended to be bats (we were wearing our nifty bat hats) and went on a bug hunt. I had placed about 50 plastic bugs (I bought them last year after Halloween on clearance for 50 cents! What a bargain!!!) all around the yard and the kids collected them in their bags. Thankfully, it was a pleasant day and the kids had fun running around looking for "bugs to eat". After some playtime we ate spiders for snack (Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter, stick pretzels for legs [yes, I know spiders have 8 legs but 6 just fit better on the cracker], chocolate chips for eyes) and then played Halloween Bingo with candy corns for covers and candy for prizes (it is a Halloween party). Everyone had a great time. The kids were so cute in their costumes. Emily came home from Kindergarten before everyone left and was able to have some fun as well. Another fun Halloween party! I wonder if I'll have to do one next year?

Trunk or Treat

The Friday before Halloween we went to the ward's annual Trunk or Treat activity at the church. It was a rainy day so the activities were moved inside. I was glad because then I did not have to bundle the kids for the cold weather. Here are Sam and Emily all ready for some candy collectin'! Ben's costume (alligator, dragon, lizard, dinosaur, whatever) was too bulky for his car seat so we took it with us. He fell asleep before we got there so Brad used his costume as a prop to hand out the candy. He put the bowl of candy inside the costume and lifted the the alligator's head/mouth to retrieve the candy. As he lifted the head, he would growl. Ben woke up as Brad was handing out the candy. He watched and listened while Brad gave out the candy. Soon Ben would growl right along with Brad. It was quite a scene.

Here's a picture we took of Ben on Halloween night.

Experiment Open

In order to get more of my family to read my blog, I am trying an experiment. I have now change my blog from private to open to all. We'll see if it helps. Feel free to comment.

But you didn't say...

We met Brad for dinner the other night. It was a spur of the moment kind of outing. I had had a busy day and did not want to cook or mess up my clean kitchen and I had to take the kids to gymnastics and Brad had orchestra so when Brad called to say he was coming home, we decided to meet at Noodles. I told the kids to get in the car so we could meet Dad. They obeyed so quickly and I was so proud of them for getting ready so nicely.

As we were getting out of the car, I noticed Sam did not have on any shoes. He was just in his socks. Here is our conversation:
Me: Sam, where are your shoes (assuming he either brought them with him or they fell off)?
Sam: I don't have any.
Me: WHY NOT?
Sam: But you didn't say "get your shoes and socks on".
Me: AHHH!

The first flutter of winter

The other day I glanced out the window and saw them... Snowflakes!
They only lasted a moment-not even long enough to call the kids to the window to look. They never made it to the ground but they were there. A reminder that Fall is ending and Winter is coming.

Merry Go Round Music

Brad is in an orchestra and we went to his rehearsal. While we were listening, Sam leans over to me and says, "They aren't playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (what Brad usually plays for the kids at home); they are playing Merry Go Round Music."

I miss you litle blog!

Hello little blog. It has been awhile since I have posted. I have been too busy. I have lots of pictures to post and things to write about but until I get my "to do" list under control you will have to wait. Sorry. I'll see you soon!