182

Sam has a favorite number - 182. If you ask him anything that requires a number answer he will say 182.

Me: Sam, how many chicken nuggets do you want?
Sam: 182

Me: Sam, what number did you learn in preschool today?
Sam: 182

Me: Sam, how old are you?
Sam: 182

I'm not quite sure how this came to be but that is how it is. I wonder how long this will last. Maybe 182 days, months, years?

Pet Peeve

Someone I hardly know called me and left me a message on my answering machine. They said they had an "urgent question" for me and to call them back right away. This kind of bothers me because:

1. I hardly know them
2. What could be so urgent that would involve me
3. How come they couldn't give me a clue as to what they want
4. This person is a little strange and I would rather not talk to them if I don't have to

I really don't want to call them back. I wonder what I'll do. What would you do?

My Secret Weapon to Combat Grime

I'm on a mission everyday. It is to combat the dirt, grime and mess that is created by three young children. It is an ongoing battle but I have a secret weapon. It is my Black & Decker Dust Buster 9.6V. I love it! I acquired this helpful device after I saw how my neighbor conquered a mess of crushed crackers with a flip of the switch-no broom, no dustpan. She had hers mounted to the wall by the kitchen table. I wish I could do the same but since my walls are freshly painted I won't mount mine until we move.

It is especially helpful to clean up the mess Ben makes in his high chair. After he eats crackers, dry cereal, etc., I just whip out my handy dandy Dust Buster and suck away all the crumbs (and even whole crackers). The high chair has a cloth seat cover over a plastic lining and it used to be a pain to clean it out-crumbs would fall between all the layers and it was yucky. But now I just suck it all up and in seconds I have clean high chair. I hate to admit this part, but I have even waited over night for food to dry on the seat so I can suck it up the next morning-much easier and not so gross as using my hands.

But the best part of the Dust Buster-Sam also loves it. His job is to "Dust Bust" the kitchen floor. I have gone from sweeping everyday to sweeping once or twice a week. Sam cleans up the mess under the kids bar stools and under the kitchen chairs. It helps keep the kitchen looking cleaner without a daily sweep (which is one task I really despise).

So if you don't have one of these spiffy machines, look into it. I don't think there is anything especially unique about my model (it was $29.99 at Linen N' Things with a $25 gift card rebate) but get one with enough vacuum power to suck up larger objects.

Good luck!

Grateful Sunday

There is so much to be grateful for this week. Here are just a few:

• I'm grateful that Brad used his only day off this week to help me with my list of things to do. I spent part of the morning and the evening helping with Emily's school carnival. We also stored TONS of boxes above the garage. I think I have finally decluttered our house to get it ready for the move. My kids have little left to play with which means there is little left to clean up!
• I'm grateful my neighbors kindly let us use their ladder. We have one but it is not tall enough for Brad to safely place heavy boxes over his head into the storage space above the garage. The one we borrowed made the job so much easier and safer. I always worried that Brad would fall off and hurt himself horribly.
• I'm grateful Brad took the kids around the school carnival. I'm the PTSA treasurer and I had to monitor the ticket booths. Even though Brad doesn't enjoy that kind of adventure, he kindly did it. The kids had fun with the games but I think the cotton candy was the best part of the evening. Oh, I wish I could still eat cotton candy!!!!! I had one taste and that just about sent me into sugar overload-but it was worth it. Emily gave some to Ben and, of course, he was wild about it. I saw him reach over and grab her hand so she could give him more. (Third children are raised so differently than the others. There was no way Emily and Sam ever tasted cotton candy or anything quite so sweet at such a young age.)
• I'm grateful for my health. I am currently enduring a bad case of laryngitis. I have absolute no voice. For someone who likes to talk like I do, this is one of the worst things that could happen to me. But I don't have any other symptoms-no stuffy head, no cough, no sore throat, so I consider myself blessed.
• At this moment in time, we are all healthy (except of course my laryngitis). We have had so much sickness this winter, it is nice to not be wiping any one's runny nose.
• I'm grateful for Jessica J. who taught our Relief Society lesson today. I was supposed to teach but without a voice, I had to get a substitute. It was interesting that it was Jessica's husband who chose the General Conference talk that our lesson was based on. She did a wonderful job and Ben actually was pretty good and I was able to listen carefully.
• I'm grateful for books. I love to read and I actually read a few books this week. Each of them was short enough to read in one evening. I indulged myself and put a few other things on hold to spend time with my favorite hobby.

Speaking of my favorite hobbies, I think I will end this post and sneak in an hour of reading before bedtime.

PS I'm grateful for spell check. Mine has not been working but now it does! Yea!

Just Like a Summer Day

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, snow was melting, and we actually saw temperatures in the 30's. It felt almost tropical.

As we were walking into church, Emily turns to me and says, "Mom, it is just like a summer day." I smiled and nodded and thought to myself, "except for the snow, the fact that we are wearing coats, and it's still February." I'm glad she could see the sun shining as a forecast that summer will come, eventually, even in Minnesota.

Valentines Day

This might sound weird, but I really hate Valentine's Day. Not the part where kids give their classmates silly cartoon valentines and yucky conversation hearts but the part where boyfriends/husbands are supposed to give their girlfriends/wives chocolates, roses, and a "romantic" evening.

Early in our marriage, I forbade Brad from ever buying me roses on Valentine's Day. Being a total cheapskate, I cringe at paying exorbitant prices for Valentine's Day roses. Especially if you wait a week, they are a fraction of the cost. I think it is silly that people scramble to make reservations at nice restaurants and buy tacky presents that say I Love You.

Maybe these feelings come from being boyfriend-less during those horrible high school years. But whatever the reason, I love it when I get flowers for no reason, a special night out just because, and a card just to be thoughtful.

This year Brad gave me some pink tulips in a pot (purchased from Home Depot) two days early. I think we might have wished each other Happy Valentine's Day over the phone. It was perfect!

Do Tulips Hatch?

Brad bought me some tulips (my favorite flowers) for an early Valentine's Day gift. The flowers were still closed (they probably realized it is too cold for anything to bloom-even inside) and after a day or two Sam asked, "When are your flowers going to hatch?"

Sam's Birthday

Help! Sam's birthday is March 8th and I have no idea what to do for a party. I would like to have a small party with a couple of friends. What would be cute for a 4 year old boy? I would need something simple, but fun.

Do you have any ideas?

Musical Benny

Today during church Ben was watching the chorister leading the opening hymn and he started to wave his hands like he was leading the music. He did it again when the choir sang, during the closing hymn and again in Relief Society. I love how music affects children.

Emily did the same thing when she was young. Sam never "led" the music but he always sang along. I remember him singing so loud in church it was almost embarrassing.

I wonder if they will have their dad's love for music when they get older?

Grateful Sunday

Has it really been a week since my last posting? What a busy week! I have so much to be grateful for:

• The carpet was installed Monday. Once again I'm grateful for our realtor, Lori, who paid for it up front. By the way, I think the carpet company we used were a blessing. Lori just discovered this company a couple of weeks before we needed them. They have one carpet/one color at a very reduced price. It saved us $250 - proportionately that is quite a bit for the job we had done (every dollar counts!).
• I'm grateful that Brad was home Tuesday. Despite being sick he kindly watched the kids so I could paint the basement. It took all day (I guess I should have had the painters do it for me but I was trying to save a little money). It looks really nice; it makes the fireplace stand out.
• I'm grateful, once again, for antibiotics. Ben was really sick last Sunday night. He had a fever and just sat in my lap all evening. I was up every two hours with him both Saturday and Sunday. I took him to the doctor on Monday and sure enough he had an ear infection and "maybe something starting in his chest" (that is what the doctor said). By Wednesday he was back to his usual plundering self.
• I'm grateful Sarah P. called Monday to invite my kids over to play. Emily and Sam were able to play with Tessa and Abel while I took Ben to the doctor. It was so much easier than bringing all three with me. Thanks Sarah!
• Brad's schedule has been really busy but we are doing well. I am actually surprised at how well we are doing. I have had the patience I need to survive even with a sick baby during the early part of the week. Emily and Sam are cooperating and I am getting a lot done in the house. One week down - six to go!
• This afternoon, just before church started, I was overcome with the feeling that I was in the right place and doing what I need to be doing. I really needed that confirmation from the Spirit. I was tempted to stay home from church and put Ben down for a nap and get some stuff done. But I felt I should go to church. Despite the snow falling, a tired baby, and the hassle of getting four people ready for church, we went and even made it on time. I didn't get much out of it in regards to listening and learning (Ben was really tired and didn't fall asleep until it was time to go home) but that special feeling I had was worth it
• I'm grateful for the long phone conversation I had with my mom tonight. Her uncle died last week and she was telling me about the funeral. She told me some interesting stories about her aunts' lives. It was surprising to hear that Aunt LaVern married and divorced the same man 4 times (and 4 times too many from what it sounds like). Aunt Dora was a character. She married twice and ended up with a one armed man named Charlie. There are some fascinating stories to be told.
• I'm grateful for the country we live in. Mom's Uncle Paul served in WWII so he had a military burial (I'm not sure what you call it but the military was present at the gravesite). She told me how inspired she was by the dedication of the men who were there honoring her uncle.
• So many things to be grateful for. I love Grateful Sunday posts. I could go on and on!!

Grateful Sunday

This week was a blur. I feel like I just existed and tried to get through each day. Since the painters were here Monday through Friday, I felt like I was off balance. I wasn't comfortable at home because I was trying to stay out of the painters way and I got tired of going somewhere every day (I'm a homebody). But I have much to be grateful for:

• I'm grateful someone else painted the house (I know I have mentioned it before but I REALLY did not want to paint!)
• I'm grateful the bathroom didn't end up costing more because he had included it in the original estimate but didn't realize it until he was figuring out the final bill.
• I'm grateful that the hospital wasn't too busy and Brad got home at 5:00 pm on Saturday (instead of 7:00 or later).
• I'm grateful my kids were very good during Sacrament meeting. It has been awhile since I have had to do church all by myself (okay, I bribed them with candy before church but it worked ;-)
• Ben slept through Relief Society today and I was able to listen to the lesson and feel the Spirit. As I read/listened about how the Book of Mormon came to be I thought to myself about how crazy it sounds-angels, gold plates, etc. But I have a testimony of its truthfulness that despite what others might think, I know it is true!
• I'm grateful that Emily is finally excited about reading! She has had the skills for so long but has been afraid to use them (she is a perfectionist and doesn't want to do anything wrong). She is now eager to read new books and tries to sound out words she doesn't know. Her reading is very fluid, and she is sounding out harder words with confidence and skill. It is so wonderful to see her open up a new interest with such eagerness. We have a reading chart where she puts up a sticker for every book she reads (or about 15 - 20 pages). I think she has read over 15 books this week. She told me we are running out of books she can read. Brad laughed and told her I have been buying books for years just waiting for my children to read them.
• I had Emily's parent/teacher conference this week and I just love her teacher. Mrs. C is an answer to our prayers. I prayed that Emily would have a kind, loving, supportive, knowledgeable teacher. Mrs. C. is wonderful. She recognizes and teaches to the various levels in her classroom (as a former special ed teacher, I just love it when teachers are so proficient at incorporating all different learning styles). She understands Emily and does so much for her both academically and emotionally. We are really blessed to have her as Emily's teacher.

Trying to Be Like Daddy

I was on the phone with a friend today and Sam went into my bathroom (the hall bathroom is off limits due to wet paint). After I got off the phone, I realized he had not come out and I went to check on him. I was shocked and scared to find him with blood all over his face and hands. Naturally, I quickly examined him to discover the problem. He wasn't crying at first but then burst out, "I was using Daddy's razor." I found that he cut himself just above his upper lip and it was bleeding profusely. He had already tried to wipe it away (the potty was full of bloody toliet paper). I wet a clean wash cloth and wiped the blood away to see how bad the cut was. It wasn't serious but we had trouble stopping the bleeding.

Sam was trying to be brave and didn't want to get into trouble (he has been told not to touch Dad's razor because it is sharp etc.). He felt so bad and started to cry. He said, "I wish I never did it. It hurts really bad." I held him and cleaned him up. It took quite awhile before he calmed down. I think he was really upset at seeing his face bleed and not being able to stop it. He fell asleep after awhile and when I woke him up, he was still upset and wanted me to hold him. My sweet little Sammy-he is such a cute boy. It breaks my heart to see him cry and upset.

Surprisingly, you can't even see his cut now. The skin around it is red but I don't see the cut anymore. I hope it doesn't bother him tomorrow.

Painting is Done!

The painters finished today-HURRAY! They were really nice people-an older man and his sweet wife. But I'm so glad to be finished with the project and not have to greet them tomorrow morning at 8:00 am. Trying to keep the kids out of the way, dealing with the hasle of an ongoing project, and painting supplies in my entry way were really annoying me.

Now I'm trying to get things back to normal before the carpet man comes Monday morning. After that I'll starting painting the basement-just the top portion of the 3 walls. Then I'll start packing more stuff away and the cleaning will begin in earnest.

Today I found out someone at church sold their house in TWO days! Oh, how I hope and pray that could happen to us (even just to sell it in two weeks would be nice)!

Tomorrow Brad starts hospital service. It is going to be a horrible schedule. I hope I'm still sane in April.

PS Still spell check trouble - what is up with that?

Spell Check

Hey fellow bloggers - has anyone else had trouble with their spell check? My spell check would not work on my last few posts (so ignore any spelling errors, please).

Emily's Habit

A while ago Emily wanted to learn to whistle. Brad and I both explained to her how to whistle. We didn't really believe a 5 year old would be able to master it. But then we forgot who we were dealing with. When Emily wants to do something, nothing gets in her way.

She is now a pro whistler. At first it was quite amazing and darling. But I have to admit, now it is a little annoying. She whistles constantly! Whistling can be really loud and uncomfortable when it is done in close proximity. We have explained to her that whistling should be done outside (but it is freezing outside), not done in the car (opps, she forgets), or while I'm do her hair ("sorry, Mom"), etc. She loves to whistle and it is now a habit.

The most annoying thing is Brad has this certain whistle that he uses and has used for years. It communicates a lot to me. He does it to let me know he's home, etc. But now Emily does it and it really confuses me why I should hear "Brad's" whistle in the middle of the day.

Don't get me wrong, I love Emily and am glad she has learned new things. But sometimes the volume just needs to be turned down, way down. Maybe if she learns to whistle while she works, I wouldn't mind so much.

Paint Colors

Maybe you're wondering what paint colors we selected. I should clarify. We didn't actually select these colors-our amazing realtor did. We just nodded in approval. Lori is very stylish. She has the most beautiful clothes and obviously has an eye for design. She came over with her sample cards and picked three colors for us to use. Here they are:

Living room - Sanderling 7513
Kitchen/Master Bed/Bath room - Portico 7548
Entryway/Stairwell/Hall Bath/Ben's room - Pavillion Beige 7512

I tried to post a sample of the colors but I couldn't get it to work (and we just aren't ready to post pictures). So if you're really curious you can go here and look them up. They aren't a true representation (at least on my computer monitor). Sanderling is very brown. Pavillion Beige and Portico are very similiar in color but Pavillion Beige has more brown and Portico has more green in it.

I was really curious how three different colors would look. Actually there are more like four colors because we left the walls that I had previously painted red as they were (one entry way wall and kitchen wall behind stove/fridge and above cabinets). It really looks great.

I'll try and post pictures when it is all complete.

I'm An Intruder In My Own House

(Warning: this post is a log of our happenings so far this week. It might be a little boring.)

This week we are having the upstairs of our house painted: entry way, hallways, kitchen, living/dining room, Ben's room, and master bed/bath room. At first I felt guilty that I was not doing it myself (save money and all that). But now that it is being done, I'm so relieved and happy that we are leaving it the professionals.

They started on Monday. During the morning I tried to stay downstairs and out of the painters way but it was very difficult. The kids wanted to see what was going on especially Sam. Sam followed Jim around talking to him and watching him. It was snowing outside and I didn't really want to leave the house but eventually it became essential we get out of the way. So we braved the weather and went to run some errands and then the mall playland. After hours of watching the kids play, we finally met Brad for dinner at Burger King and then went home.

Hours earlier I left the house with plastic covering the furniture (which was clustered in the center of the living room), canvas runners over the stairs and hallways, plastic covering my kitchen counters, the whole upstairs was just in a state of unavoidable working chaos. I came home to the kitchen and living room all freshly painted and beautiful! The workers left everything clean (the furniture was still in the middle of the living room because the paint wasn't quite dry when they left.

It was like coming home to a new house. I feel like I'm walking into someone else's house. I love the colors and the way the paint makes my house feel new, modern, warm, and cozy. I can't wait until it is all finished!!!

On Tuesday they painted our master bedroom/bathroom and some of the hallway. I was much smarter and left with the kids just after Sam's preschool and picked Emily up from the bus stop. We went to McDonald's-the one with the playland (Thanks Angela for the Christmas gift card!). The kids played for 2 1/2 hours. I was thinking ahead and brought along the latest copy of Reader's Digest to keep me entertained. After that we went to Toys R' Us to look at the toys and play with the train table. Then Aldi, a small grocery store with great prices, and lastly Target. We met Brad for dinner at Green Mill (a Christmas gift card from our realtor, Lori). It was the perfect day for that because we had a coupon for a free adult entree when you buy an entree and two beverages. Then as a bonus it was Tuesday and kids eat free! After the Green Mill, Brad took Ben home (he fussed and cried throughout dinner) I took Emily and Sam to Best Buy to buy a copy of The Artistocats so they can watch it when we fly to Utah in May (I know I'm buying it 3 months early but I saved $3). Then it was off to Emily's gymnastics class. Finally it was time to head home (8 hours later!!!!) and put the kids to bed. Needless to say, they fell right to sleep.

I was so excited to see my freshly painted master bedroom. It looks so nice, I'm tickled pink. I painted it in August (it took me 2 days) and we really did not like the color (dumb paint sample cards are so small). It was great to leave and them come back and have it done and the furniture back in place.

Today they are working on Ben's room. Sam, Ben and I went to Wal-Mart this morning. Now we are just hiding out in the office until Emily comes home. Then we'll head to the library for story time. The painters said they will leave around 4:00 today so maybe I can actually come home and make dinner tonight-spaghetti and meatballs, maybe?

Okay, we have just hit the limit in the office. Ben and Sam and plundering. I need to go make some lunch and get out of here. I hope Ben falls asleep in the car. He is really tired.

Grateful Sunday

It has been a busy Sunday but I'm going to take a few minutes to write down my thoughts for this Sunday's post before I go to bed.

• I'm grateful that the painters are coming tomorrow to start painting my upstairs. The thought of trying to do all the painting myself, with three kids under foot, just about put me in the crazy house.
• I'm grateful that my realtor, Lori, came over on Saturday to pick the paint colors (again preventing another visit to the crazy house-picking colors is very stressful for me because I'm so bad at it).
• I'm grateful that my wonderful realtor, Lori, is willing to pay the painters and the carpet people. We will pay her back when we close. It is a blessing for us not to spend our cash for these projects.
• I'm grateful for safety and the guidance of the Spirit. We had a really close call Saturday morning. A car ran a red light and just about hit us. It was speeding, and if Brad hadn't of stopped when I SCREAMED we probably would be dead (or at least me because I would have been the first one hit).
• I'm grateful Brad had the weekend off. He won't have another one until April. We were able to go out on Saturday night and enjoy a new restaurant and stroll around the mall.
• I'm grateful for Jen G. who we ran into during our stroll around the mall and told me about The Children's Place sale. I purchased 4 new shirts for Emily for $10.00. She is growing out of her long sleeved shirts. I don't think they will last through the cold weather and all the stores are starting to stock Spring stuff (do they realize it is zero degrees outside?).
• I'm grateful for a new Sunday School teacher. I really liked his teaching style and I left feeling like I learned something and felt the spirit during his lesson.
• I'm grateful for Brad. He is just wonderful, helpful, fun, and everything a husband and dad should be. He's my best friend and I treasure all the time we spend together.
• I'm grateful Ben is sleeping better at night.

Speaking of Ben, I hear him crying so I need to end this post.