again with the stitches!?

 as if getting the stitches put in wasn't bad enough ... what with the holding him down and the screaming and the crying and the fighting ... i was sick to my stomach just watching it all and a little light-headed with all the tortured noises coming from my baby. it was a good thing Andy was there ... i don't think i could have taken it if i was by myself.

Had to have one last picture of the stitches ...

tears and labored breathing started when the dr
showed him what she was going to do ...

it shouldn't hurt very much ... but when a stranger comes at you with scissors ...

then the fight is on, the crying insues and he wanted to just keep the stitches!

and after all was said and done there was a small piece of stitch left inside his lip ... because he wiggled around and she accidentally cut off the knot and left the stitch ... she said it would work it's way out but we weren't convinced.  it was a little red at bedtime so we totured him a little bit more in our bathroom and got it out. 

phew.

Our Dad is the Best ... rawro ...

We love our dad ... and we hope he knows how much!

(if i were on top of my game i would have interviewed each of them and asked all the fun questions about him and recorded their endearing answers ... i'll work on that ... get back to you with those ... )

don't look now ... but our aunt Annie got some new 'dress-ups' and found one that fits mom too ...

embarrassing.

we play T-ball and occasionally hit a homerun!!

Go Transformers!!

Let's hear it for the Sharks!!

first sign of summer and the 'pinkwood' derby

who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? 

when we came out of the Y today there were signs up inviting us to have a free hotdog, chips and a drink for free!!  

Summer is just around the corner! 

Elyssa won 2nd place!!

Tonight was also our second annual Activity Days Pinkwood Derby!

stitches and the rainforest

Andy took the boys to the chiropractor so I could go visiting teaching and after just 5 minutes in the office (copay paid but no popping) there was an incident ... in Easton's words: "He pulled me to the toys and I spilled my water and when he runned away he slipped on the floor and hurt his lip on the wall ... and that's what happened."

and then ...

Abi's class had a final class project of turning their room into a rainforest.  They each picked an animal that lives in the rain forest and researched, studied and reported on it.  They were to make 3D animals and have a display for their animals.  Tonight was the parent's opportunity to tour the classroom, it was fun to visit and Abi did a great job ... as per usual!

what has 14 busy legs and 70 grimy fingers?

and even after repeated instructions doesn't use the 14 ears it has!?

the shaw-wright group hug monster!!

one last shaw-wright in washington together shot

and then they backed up

and drove away with our boat and best friends ...

After many long years and many more to come we say 'see ya later' and 'we're not going to cry' and 'fine, just leave then!' with every bit of love and heart ache that we can muster. but we also say: "make room for us - cuz we've just got a few loose ends to tie up around these parts and we'll mosey on down join you in the wide open spaces of the great state of texas. we love ya!"

and after all that ... here's our texting conversation:

N: I change my mind
E: Don't tease me (i was thinking she changed her mind about moving ... but it was about crying ...)
N: Sad
E: :'(
N: Trying not to ugly cry
N: Throat hurts
E: Too late for me
N: Hope we're doing the right thing
E: Stop it ... I am banking on u staying there!
N: We will if we can stand being away!
E: Ur the leader
E: We're just late as usual
N: Thanks so much for the kids stuff. They're SO excited
E: Goodie bags are essential
N: Lol
N: We'll get texas ready for you
E: K ... But really ... Is anywhere really ever ready for the party?
N: As ready as it'll ever be!
E: Now that i think about it ... I should have given trav a mighty mouse too ... He's more than just a stud muffin
N: Now that would be funny
E: I'll have to get him one :-}
E: He cried ... He really likes us!!
N: Of course he does
E: I know ... ;-)
N: Did Andy? Probably not ...
E: He's teary
N: :'(
E: My tears keep coming in waves
N: I think it's going to b that way for a while!!
N: Weeks maybe. Or until u come?
E: Probably ...

We'll be there before we both know it!

Pump it up, park play, Arby's dinner and more sleep over!!

So much fun to be had in the last hours of having these boys in our same state!

Ammon's graduation party was tons of fun with a few extras!!

the park was calling our names ... nothin to do in our dinky little house!!

a kid needs to eat ... and so we took over Arbys for a few minutes!

it took a few tries to get everybody ... but we did it!

what would we do without KungFu Panda for entertainment??

late in the night we dragged everyone out for a 'for real' last dinner and picture of the party

Stephanie and Cory will have to step in for the Wrights on some of our Party dates!!

Sleep overs are the best with best friends!

bye bye boys ...

today just as the girls got out of school we picked them up and headed up to the wright boy's going away party ... it was b.y.o. dinner and something to share.  we brought mcdonalds and cookies, a lot of them!  we dropped our dad off to help trav with more loading and went to join the party!  it was fun for the kids to have a break and to get a chance to say goodbye. 
after the festivities died down (partly because it was getting late ... and partly because it started to spit on us) we went back to their house and finished a few things, packed up some knick knacks and taped up some boxes.  it's getting down to the wire ... the time is fast approaching that these friends of ours will be driving away ... far far away. 
tomorrow is going to be a busy day of last minutes and hurry get things dones and i figured it would be a whole lot easier if they were not distracted by little people.  so i sneaked boys number 2 & 3 into my car, double buckled and my oldest on the floor and took off! (lest you think i'm not nice ... their oldest had school to attend ... )  7 kids and 2 adults in a 7 passenger van ... no problem!  we bedded down for the night with 2 boys in each of the bunk beds and after a little bit of "shhh, time to sleep" and "lay down and close your eyes" they were out.

ahh friends. 

Our Graduates

 2 days 2 graduations ...

Ammon graduated from Preschool!!  He's on to Kindergarten and can't wait!  He asked me if he starts Kindergarten tomorrow ... "um tomorrow is Saturday ... "

"on the next marrow?"

"then it's Sunday ... "

"on Monday??"

"sorry ... you have to wait until after Easton's birthday ... the beginning of September ... sorry buddy."

Today was the Interpreter Pinning Ceremony, Andy finished the ITP (Interpreter Training Program)!!  He only has 2 (maybe 3) classes and then he will have his AA.  Humanities, Linguistics and maybe Math ... if he doesn't test high enough.  Cross your fingers for him!  It's been a struggle but amazing and frustrating but rewarding, and we're so happy he did it!  The teachers and his peers have nothing but wonderful things to say about him.  His teachers were happy to have someone closer to their own age in the class, and the students looked up to him and enjoyed getting to know this 'old guy' in their class.  He is wonderful and he did it!!  Good job, babe!

on earning gum ...

mom, can i have some gum?

the answer is always a question ...

what have you done Extra today so that you can earn gum?

cuz it's not just gum ... it's Extra!

there was a little girl ...

right in the middle of her forehead

(do you know this poem?)

and when she was good,

she was very very good!

and when she was bad, she was horrid!

Ah Elyssa ... i remember when you were this little ... it was only 5 years ago and you were most definitely that little girl. you like to stir the pot and you can be quite the little bully when you set your mind to it. you're rough and tumble and would almost rather be dusty and dirty with the boys than having tea parties with the girly girls... although you do love it when someone (anyone) will play with your hair, scratch your back, tickle your arms or do "going on a treasure hunt" on your back. you're getting so grown up these days and i sometimes wonder who you will be when you grow up ... what you'll be like ... if you'll be like me or if you'll decide you want to be the president of the united states or an underwater explorer ... i hope that you'll someday decide that no matter what abi is doing you can do what you want.

your school teacher gives me glowing reports of how wonderful and helpful you are at school and i find myself crunching into my mom's words trying to escape my lips ... ("sure wish she'd be that way at home!") i bite my tongue because i hope that your caring way will be a part of your everyday life and i don't want to jinx myself into accepting that you are one way at school and another way at home. you are a wonderful helper, you often ask me how you can help, you make your own lunch without being asked and you can do a lot of things that abi does. you want to be in charge and you want to have responsibility. you are funny and happy and mostly a well-behaved little girl.

i love you. we are a lot alike and it's hard for me to let you walk in my footsteps now that i have perspective and can guide you a different way ... but like me - you're a little bull headed and like to do things your own way. i pray that we will be friends and that we can talk and that there will come a time when we don't clash quite so much! i will give it a valiant effort - i will smile more, try to say yes more than no, and be the kind of mom that you need me to be!

and the calendar fills up

t-ball practice, early dismissal, preschool graduation, end of the year parties, t-ball games, meetings, and kindergarten orientation ... my calendar is full to the brim. i have something on every single day, aside from glorious thursday the 17th ... but give it a minute and someone will put something there!

this coming saturday is stacked ... from 8am to way into the night we have planned out the entire day ... every hour is accounted for! we are even double and triple booked a few hours and will have to divide and conquer and even bring in reinforcements for the t-ball games! it's going to be a busy day ... thank heaven for sunday - it will be a literal day of rest for us!

the only problem with the upcoming filled up week is the fact that when you have lots to do, time flies ... and in 7 days our best friends will be hittin' the road - high tailing it to Texas ... without us. the more i think about it the less glorious the 17th gets.

but i'm a supportive friend ... i help with packing (even though everything that's in me wants to sabotage the entire process!), i say things like "i'm so happy for you!" (and i try to mean it!), and i make time in my full up calendar to be there for whatever they need. that's just how i roll.

if you have a second or two, would you say a little prayer for me ... the catharsis that i started a few days ago ... might be the beginning of a too short busy week ... ending abruptly with a wave 'goodbye' that really just means 'see ya later' and i hope truly means 'see ya soon!'

"sunshine, lollipops and rainbows"

remember that old song? well ... i'm all better today

- partly because i promised i would be and partly because 'i'm in love to stay' and partly because the sun shone bright in the sky today and partly because i got to punch and kick out my aggression in kick boxing class this morning but mostly because i got to take a nap in the sunshine coming thru my sliding glass door. i am not a cat lover nor do i like the idea that i am, in any way, similar to a cat ... but i love a good warm spot on the carpet to curl up in!

we went for a walk to safeway for some salsa and salad makings and had quesadillas, ceasar salad and watermelon for dinner - YUM!

it was just an all around good day.

bonus: these 2 had no cavities!

way to go boys!

no one cried, no one gagged (well, not too bad) and everyone got a new toothbrush, their very own tooth paste, floss and toy!

victory!

attitude malfunction

i've been irritated all day long.

i got up late. and had lots of things to take care of before it was time to leave for school and didn't have as much time as i would have liked to do them.

so i took it out on everyone.

i threw a tantrum.

i shouted at andy.

i slammed things around.

i stomped up and down the stairs.

i barked orders and complained (loudly) that no one was doing what they were told/knew they needed to do.

and then i gave him a prickly kiss goodbye and raced out the door to drop off kids late to school.

i was in a huff and then i looked at the time ... i had 15 minutes before my meeting started ... so i stopped at home, left easton in the car with an "i'll be right back, stay in your seat." and i hurried inside, up the stairs, into my room where he sat ... nearly in tears ... i made him get up (sweaty body from his workout) and gave him a hug. apologized for blaming him for my problems and for shouting at him. told him it was not his fault and that i am sorry. and i am.

but the rest of the day wasn't much better ...
RS Presidency meeting 9:30 - 11:20 ...
11:45 pick up girls for simultaneous cavity extraction/filling appts at 12:00 ...
back to school at 1:00 ...
home for quiet time with the boys (during which i fiddled on the computer/sent emails and replied to messages instead of slept like i wanted to) ...
pick up the girls at 3:25ish ... ("what's for snack? can i play outside? when's dinner? what are we having? can i have some gum? i don't have any homework ... ")
tried to lay down for a power nap at 4:15 ...
first t-ball practices at 4:45 and 5:30 on the muddiest field in the whole state of washington (gross.)
hurried home for chicken-on-the-bone (aka: rottisserie chicken) and watermelon dinner ...
hurry and clean up for 7:30 choir concert
and then home for ice cream "cuz it's family night and i did so good at my concert"
prayers and in bed at 9:00ish.

i'm still irritated. bugged. angry at the world?! working on my most loathed mom-job - the laundry - and blogging about my bad attitude.
could it be that i'm PMSing? nope, just finished with that (sorry for the TMI).
could it be that i didn't get enough sleep last night? possibility ...
could it be that i'm not coping very well with an impending major change in my otherwise happy existence? maybe (it's easy to blame! it's all your fault!)

mostly i'm just going to have to get glad again ... but maybe i'll have a cathartic little cry first.

come back tomorrow ... i'll have found my happy place again.
promise.

testimony

1. Law. the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court.

2. evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof.

3. open declaration or profession, as of faith.

My testimony is this: I know that I have a Heavenly Father that loves me, that knows me, that wants what is best for me and is willing and ready to bless me. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that reading it will bring peace and joy.

I also know that these words from Elder Bednar are true:

"I bear witness that parents who consistently read and talk about the Book of Mormon with their children, who share testimony spontaneously with their children, and who invite children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon will be blessed with eyes that can see afar off (see Moses 6:27) and with ears that can hear the sound of the trumpet (see Ezekiel 33:2–16). The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families—“watching . . . with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)—to the blessing of your immediate family and your future posterity. I so promise and testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

I taught Relief Society today about the reading invitation from our Stake President. As I showed in this post, we have committed to doing it and are slowly but surely making it a habit. I was able to share my experiences and victories as well as the challenges and frustrations. We all talked about how we have implemented this into our families and the different difficulties and setbacks are experience and then shared ideas of how to overcome them! I felt nervous to get up and teach ... but after the first 5 minutes or so my nerves calmed down and I was more comfortable. All in all I think it went fairly well ... I shared all the things I had prepared ... took all the time (oops! so no time for testimonies) ... and lots of sisters shared and that was the best part!

what is that fiery ball in the sky??

after full on downpour friday evening the clouds were drained of all wetness and the sun shone big and bright and beautiful in the great green gorgeous northwest!!  it was a perfect day to get out and enjoy the weather! 

so we did. 

(this was actually taken on Memorial Day on Lake Union ... thanks Nicki!)

we're savoring these last few days we have with both sunshine and best friends with a boat in the same state!

we skype! we were skyping! we're skypers!

Last night we signed up for a Skype account ... we thought we were taking blackmail photos ... until this. 

I think having this kind of quality time together will really make them not seem so far away! 

my favorite part about these pictures:

trav is laughing SO hard in the first one

and nicki is super excited in the last one

priceless.

Thursday.

the day after wednesday and the day before friday ... it sits calm and peaceful and free from chaos ... empty of the rigmarole of the rest of the week ... ahh ... thursday ... i love you!

... and then there was a giant orange gorilla in my bedroom

I may have mentioned before that my dear husband has issues ... sleep issues mostly. He has sleep apnea and has had for many years ... it went undiagnosed for a long while because the doctors thought that he was sleep deprived because he's a fun-and-party-stay-up-late-and-get-up-early-for-work-and-school-in-the-morning kind of guy. Only after we were married, and he had a bed buddy that tried to sleep next to him for any length of time, did we discover that he really does have issues sleeping and had him checked out and sure enough he is in the top 5% ... He stops breathing 95+ times an hour and hadn't had real REM sleep for years! He didn't ever dream, he didn't really fall into deep enough sleep to feel rested and therefore was always tired.

When he was younger (14, 15 - 18, 21, 23 years old ... the years just before we were married) he would sprawl out on the floor at various youth activities, parties, movie nights, etc. and offer, "who wants blessings?" as a kind of bribe for a back-rub or back-scratch or the like ... and, more often than not, the girls would play in to his little sham. Sooner than later he would begin to snore and that would be the end of that. He oftentimes wouldn't make it to the floor and fall asleep sitting on the couch or in a chair or standing up in the corner ... (ok that's a little exaggeration there ... but you catch my drift!!)

The man falls asleep mid-sentence when he's talking! So it's not hard to believe that he also falls asleep mid-conversation while someone else is talking ... before they have said 2 words.

Recently there has been a new development in the snore monster's repertoire...

He dreams now ... and they are vivid ... almost like real life ... so at night when he's extra tired and we are trying to have a conversation, and he's not exactly engaged, dreamland takes over and occasionally I get sucked in ...

The other night he said:
"What?"
"What what?" i said
"Why did you say dangit?"
"I didn't ... you're hearing things ... "
"You just said dangit ... didn't you?"
"nope ..."
"Did I just fall asleep?"
"Yup."

and then a few minutes later:
"Who's grandpa had to eat thru a straw?"
"What? ..."
"I just did it again ... didn't I?"
"uh huh ..."

not 2 minutes later:
"Couldn't get it in there?"
"Huh?"
"In the car?"
"I think we better get you to bed ..."
"No ... I'm awake ... really ..."

mere moments later:
"That's why we had to talk about it."
"Talk about what?"
"Your goals ... ? Didn't you just say something about goals?"
"No. We were talking about this week's calendar ..."
"Oh."

It's funny the first few times, he gets a sheepish look on his face, all apologetic, and tries harder to keep his eyes open ... I like to tease him a little .. sometimes I ask for things that I know he wouldn't normally let me buy ... or I tell him stories about the giant orange gorilla just to see if he heard a single word I said. Mostly I help him take his socks off, turn down the bed, shut off the lights, hand him his CPAP mask, and tuck him in. There's no stopping him when the Snore Monster takes over!!

brush-a brush-a brush-a

makes our teeth so pretty ... and our breath not nasty ... and our dentist happy ...

today was the first visit of 2 for the girls and also the first visit of regularly scheduled dental appts for our family! we are not naturally dental-aware folks but want to have good strong teeth in the future so i am committed to doing better checks at night and morning brushings, i got some of those flossers (so they don't have to try and figure out how to use acutal floss) and regular 6 mo. check-ups, cleanings and fillings when necessary (cross your fingers that they will be few and far between). Abi is getting 2 fillings and Elyssa only 1 next monday ... then tuesday it's the boy's turn to sit in these chairs and get checked ... the girls were all hyped up to brush and floss last night and this morning ... hope they keep up the enthusiasm!!  here's to good dental health!