Is This My Little Girl??

I bought some of those hair curlers that you sleep in at the Good Will. I think at Target they are $7.00 a package, but I found 2 packages for .99 each. Yea, I never find good deals. So, I brought them home and told Emma that I found something to make her hair curly... same day she got the thorn in her head. As a result we haven't been able to curl her hair till last night.

I woke up bright and early, ready to see what has become of her hair. As we undo the curlers Emma is squealing with excitement, and I am thinking, 'is she going to be made fun of?' Those curls were so tight. In the end after smoothing it out just a bit, her hair turned out soooo cute!!

Emma loves that her hair is above her shoulders, and I think she loves how it bounces when she walks. I took some picture but I still need to figure out how to post. ...to be continued... - Ma

Sheep Cheese

The other night Pa went to the store to get bread, I was making spaghetti for dinner and he knows how much I like french bread with it. Bread with most anything is good in my opinion.
When Pa came home he was so excited... "look what I got!" he would say as he is ripping into the packaging. He took one bite and was just so excited, "Oh, this is so good." "You have got to try this, it is just bursting with flavor."

He was right, very good cheese. -Ma

Good Night, I Love You...

7:30 kids are cranky, they've had a bath, scriptures have been read, teeth were brushed, it's time for bed.

Me, "Time for bed kids, hop into bed, I love you." Kids are covered all seems to be well.

David, "Mom, I'm thirsty."

Me, "Okay, get a drink and then right back to bed with ya. I love you."

By this time I am nursing Jacob to sleep.

Girls chattering in their room.

Me, "Girls, quiet time, goodnight."

David, "Mom, I can't go to sleep I need something."

Me, "What do you need?"

David, "um, I don't know, something... I need to find it."

Me, "David, you can find it in the morning, it's time for bed, goodnight, I love you."

David, "Arrrr." He climbs back into bed

Abby, "Mom, I can't go to sleep, can I give you a hug and a kiss."

Me, "Yep, now it is bed time, goodnight, I love you."

Abby, "Goodnight Mr, Mama. I love you." As she giggles about the Mr.

Emma, "Mom, my eye is itchy."

Me, "Goodnight Emma, I love you."

Abby, "Mom, I have to tell you something." Then she whispers who knows what into my ear.

Me, "Goodnight Abby, I love you."

Abby, "Goodnight Mama."

David, "Mom, I can't sleep." Yawn... "Can I sleep in your bed for a little bit?"

Me, "No, you need to go to your bed, goodnight, I love you."

Emma, "Mom, my toe nail feels sharp."

Me, "Tell me in the morning, goodnight, I love you."

Emma, "Mom, Abby is calling me Mr."

Me, "Girls Goodnight, no more talking!!"

We finally got on a schedule in August, when Emma started 1st grade. Does this ever end?? -Ma

Thorn in your head

A few weeks ago I took the kids for doughnuts after Emma got home from school. We went to Safeway, bought the doughnuts and went outside to consume them. Emma went to a nearby tree and almost hung on it's branches but realized that it was covered in thorns. Somehow she hit her head on one of those thorns. I looked at it and it looked like it was bleeding a bit, so I wasn't too concerned. Thinking it will heal up quickly. Well she cried about it all into the night, the slightest little move would hurt it. She would complain about it here and there but I thought she was just being dramatic.

3 weeks went by,

We were sitting in church, Emma laid her head on my lap and I looked at the dark spot on her head, thinking it should be healed by now. I proceeded to pick at it. (I tend to pick at anything I can) As I pick I notice, this is not a scab, this is a THORN! Poor Emma. -Ma

Exercise Verses Cleaning?

Why does that even have to be a question? If I exercise I feel so guilty for taking that time away from cleaning. If I clean I feel sad that I didn't exercise. When I don't exercise all I want to do it eat. When I do exercise I eat very little and I tend to eat foods that are better for me. So, I should exercise, right?? But then by the end of the day, I look at the house and I am so sad that it is such a mess. So, if I get up super early before the kids get up, I can exercise and be ready to go before they are even up... that's what most mom's do, right? But I am too tired. What a vicious cycle this is. Have I whined enough?? Or here is a thought, what if I get off this computer... stop looking at other people's blogs, and just blog for myself? Where would the fun be in that?
How can I figure out a good balance. I would love to find the balance. Till then I think I will just wallow in the sadness of Clean house or Fit body... -Ma

Letter from Bishop

A few months ago the bishop of my ward wrote the sister a letter and I thought it was really great to hear/read.

Dear Sisters of Fremont Hill,

As another Sabbath day begins to come to a close, I hope the blessings of a loving Father in Heaven, and His son Jesus Christ, have been upon you. As the Sacrament was blessed and passed to you, I hope you felt the renewing of covenants, the blessings of repentance, and even the ministering of angels.

Every young man that I get to meet with about the priesthood, is a little surprised by part of my conversations with them. We talk about womanhood and all daughters of God, and how we should hold you high on a pedestal, and honor the greatness of whom and what you are. The world would have us think, through music, television, movies and the internet, that you are like a toy, to be picked up and played with for a time then discarded and on to the next toy. Satan is such a deceiver!

I believe one of the reasons men hold the priesthood, is to raise ourselves, through service to others, a little bit closer to where you already are, with all the beautiful gifts God has already given you. To naturally nurture, love and teach, these are some of Gods greatest attributes, and he gave them to you - daughters of God. Us men, through the priesthood, barely start to grasp what comes so naturally to you.

All the blessing of the priesthood are meant for all people, men and women, young and old, from generation to generation, for all eternity. The men get to administer it, but the blessings of it are for all!

We all have different callings: We also have different gifts and talents given to us by God to fulfill those callings. May god bless you dear sisters in your divinely given roles as daughters, wife, mothers, grandmothers, beautiful daughters of God, nurturers of the nations. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bishop Whitney

Weary Night

Last night at about 10:30, I had just fallen asleep about a half an hour before. Abby crawled into bed with me. Pa was working on a side job in the living room, so I didn't mind having the company. But, for some reason she didn't want to snuggle. My eyes could barely stay open and Abby was rolling around in bed unable to stay still. She was saying, "It hurts..." "What hurts?" I would say. She would yell, "I don't know!" I thought maybe a mosquito bite??? So I thought I would just pull her close, then everything should be fine... Nope. Then her finger goes by my face for just a moment and my eyes were actually open. Abby had a rubber band wrapped around her finger. The tip looked black. I proceeded to remove the rubber band, but her finger hurt so bad that she would scream when it was touched. The minute the rubber band was off she was still and asleep, ready to snuggle. :o) As she was asleep she did continue to touch her finger as the blood went back to the tip. The rubber band must have been on her finger for a minimum of 2 1/2 hours.

11:30 rolls around and Jacob starts to cry, he wants to nurse. Carry Abby to bed and get Jacob. This time my eyes really don't want to open. 10 minutes of nursing I thought he was done. Then he wakes up, wide awake, crying. Could it be teeth?? Got the teething tablets. After giving them to him he really seems wide awake. He gets off the bed and on the bed a few times. Pa comes in and holds Jacob for a bit them puts him on the bed with me. Jacob starts to get off the bed then he notices that Ma might have some more milk for him so he points and says "dat", I point and said, "oh you want this??" He starts to jump and said, "dat, dat."
So, I continue to nurse. Thankfully he falls asleep for good this time.

Pa put in the movie Pearl Harbor. Usually I can fall asleep quickly when a movie gets put in, but last night... I was up till 3 a.m.

This morning...

Abby's finger is fine.

Jacob did not get any new teeth. -Ma

Skinny

As I was cleaning Emma's room I started to think about something she has been telling me lately.
Emma has a friend at school, her name is Megan, I am not sure what I think of this girl, it seams that Emma plays with her often.
These last few days Emma will just say out of the blue, "I wish I was skinny like Megan."
Shocked I reply, "what are you talking about you are very skinny, you are so skinny your pants have a hard time staying up."
Emma, "I know, but Mmmegann, she is just so skinny." Then she will show me with her hands how skinny she is.
I tell Emma, "Emma, you are beautiful just the way you are. Who says that Megan is so skinny?"
Emma, "Megan says she is skinny."
Me, "Well, I think you are beautiful and perfect in every way!!"

She has also been saying that she is in lovvve with a boy named Jake. This kid is a cute little toe head that was in her class last year. But she says, "I feel like I want to kiss him, I love him so much."

My response, "What??? We don't kiss boys till we are 18, okay???" Emma's answer, "I know mom."

What happened. She is only in 1st grade. These are big things to be talking about, especially the skinniness. One thing I am very thankful for is that we have an open line of communication. I hope we never lose that!! -Ma

I Huuunngggy...

"I hunggy..." (I hungry). She is so small yet this all I hear all day and night.

During the day my reply is usually,

"What would you like to eat? Fruit leather??, Crackers??, Life cereal??, Banana??, Carrot??"

The answer is usually, "Nooooo, I don't want that!?"

Me, "Okay, what do you want?"

Abby, "I don't know."

Me, "Would you like toast?"

Abby, "No."

Me, "How about Peanut butter and Jelly?"

Abby, "No."

Me, "Okay, how about Cookies, ice cream, brownies, or a doughnut???"

Abby, "Do we have that???" As she licks her lips.

Me, "Nope, what do ya want?"

Abby, "How bout a Jelly sandwich?"

At night the reply is,

"Sweetie, we already had dinner, it is time for bed we are not going to eat anymore food tonight. Would you like some water?"

Abby, "Nooo, I hhhuuungyy."

Me, "Sorry, it is time for bed."

After 5 to 10 and sometimes 15 minutes of this, she will find a cozy spot, ie... my lap, bed or rocking chair. she will close those beautiful blue eyes of hers and drift off into a beautiful sleep, then carried to her bed.

I am left with frazzled nerves, but at the same time I just laugh at those cute words, "Mama, I huuunnngy." -Ma

Chickens and EGGS

About two months ago I noticed that the biggest chicken of the groups was acting very unusual. She was over by the banana trees fluffing her feathers. However I noticed that she was acting stranger than the normal feather fluffing. This is what she would do. It seemed that she was in labor she would fluff then roll to one side then she would fluff and sit up right then fluff and roll to the other side, this went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes. For a while there I thought that she was hurt, so I went over and she appeared to be fine. Now I was thinking that she could possibly lay an egg but at the same time she was so big and the comb on top of her head was so tall we thought that she could have been a rooster.
The next day Pa was outside, he found a beautiful brown egg. And the cool thing is, she didn't lay it under the banana tree she did it in the coop!!! And a cooler thing is, she is a hen not a rooster!!
So, you ask how many eggs do you get a day??? We get 3 eggs a day, once we got 4 but the 4th egg was very small and I think it came from a chicken that was accidentally stepped on as a chick.

Oh, I need to let ya'll know that the fence for the chickens is DONE, there wings have been clipped and the strawberry plants are trying to recuperate. We will probably have to plant more. Oh well, at least they are contained! -Ma

Emma and Tutoring

Emma has been going to tutoring before school starts a couple days a weeks. When I dropped her off this morning I felt so sad, like it was the first day of school.
We pulled up to the school, I told her that I loved her and that I hope she has a good day, all the normal stuff. So she jumps out of the van and starts the long trek to her classroom. I was the only one there so I waited till she got closer to her class. She was about half way there when she turns to look at us. I felt tears start to well up. Now tell me how does the love for a child get to be that deep. -Ma

White Elephant Slideshow

Love this lady

So, on our quest to better eating. I remember back, to a lady that I once met. She told me (well the group I was in) that as she was growing up she was fed really well by her mother. However when she grew up and got married she really enjoyed eating all of the unhealthy foods... fast food and food from a box. Long story short she got really sick, if I remember correctly so sick that she could have died.

Deep inside she knew that she would be fine if she would just eat correctly. She changed the way she ate and now she is healthy as can be. She is now writing cookbooks, and many other books. She also does retreats. Would love to go on one of those.

Anyways... I just got an e-mail from her saying that she has all of her items on SALE!!! I have two of her cookbooks and I love them. I just wish I could get my kids to love them also. :o)

Just wanted to pass this on for anyone that wants to eat better and have ideas of what to eat. One book that I have, "Creatively Complete Meals", (thank you David!) most of those meals she says just take about 30 minutes to put together.

I put her web site in our favorite web sites to the left. Take a look when you have a chance. -Ma

Mom, let's make a recipe...

This morning for breakfast David made himself a sandwich.

1. Hotdog bun (to hold it all together)
2. Yogurt (something sweet)
3. Cracker (little bit of crunch)

Put it all together and you have, slinky. Name thought up by David himself.

This afternoon.

1. Green apple
2. Orange
3. little bit of yogurt
4. grape juice
5. touch of milk
6. sugar
7. little bit of vanilla
8. couple cubes of ice

Blend it in a blender and yep it was pretty tasty. We also had to make popsicles out of it... should be good. It is also a cool green color.

Then he went into wanting to make more. There is now a bowl of,

1. grape juice
2. bread broken into pieces
3. yogurt
4. touch of milk

He didn't want to eat this one. -Ma