the master of disguise

he takes self portraits with my camera

and i caught him in my room near to the laundry basket...
no doubt looking for a clean shirt to complete his covert costume

you didn't see anything at all ...

Cinco de Mayo! ... it's already been a week since i turned 34?

We started this morning by reading the first 5 verses in 1st Nephi ... it is our first day since we committed to be a part of this:

As part of our September 2009 Everett Stake Conference, President Duce extended the following invitation to the stake membership with regards to studying The Book of Mormon as a family:

1. Get a paperback copy of The Book of Mormon for each member of the family and write your name in it
2. Meet as a family and decide what time of day you will read from The Book of Mormon as a family
3. Get four different colored marking pencils for each family member
4. As you read, highlight in different colors:
a. Each reference to Jesus Christ (any of His names or pronouns referring to Him)
b. His words (spoken by Him or by prophets when they say “thus saith the Lord” or similar)
c. His attributes
d. The doctrines and principles contained in The Book of Mormon
During the General Session of Stake Conference this morning (April 18th), President Duce again extended this invitation in support of the stake focus - Increasing Faith in Jesus Christ through Daily Scripture Study and Praying with Real Intent. We join with President Duce in inviting each of you to accept this challenge of reading and marking The Book of Mormon with your families as outlined above. We know that doing so will be a blessing to your families and will bring you closer to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

We raised our hands in Sacrament Meeting just last Sunday and committed to do it!

Then I dropped kids off at school and headed to my hard core step class ... (and yes ... my teacher kicked my bum today ... if you were wondering!)

I hurried home to shower and get ready for Visiting Teaching and then hurried to get Ammon from school!

We dropped off our friend that we carpool with and headed to lunch!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hooray for Taco del Mar!

YUM!!

34 is a little young to be having actual heart attacks ...
But this kind i could have everyday!!
My friends are so nice!!

The booger one was one of the funniest! I also liked the one that said "get out your lawn chair and pretend you're in Hawaii! Thanks friends! You're the best!

tiptoeing is next to impossible with 5 boys

aren't they beautiful!? they are breathtaking in real life ... pictures are good ... postcard material even ... but so much better in person!

there's our crew

these 2 wouldn't pause for a good pic to save my life!

see mom, more mud

happy easton ...

we didn't get a good nap ... and it showed!

it was more like herding cats, really ...

someday we won't be that mom with those kids ... right?

we had a great time and (not to wish our lives away) next year will be better ... we hope!

live and learn

sometimes its hard to take people's word for it. from personal experience, i can tell you that i don't like to be told what to do (or not do as the case may be). but when it involves a bad taste in my mouth (literally or metaphorically) i try to take heed. i can't say the same for my darling little 3 year old son ... who did NOT learn from the example of his big sister. during lunch today he was suddenly gone from the table - i heard him in the bathroom and found bits of wet bath salt on the counter. he too had tried to sneak a savory sip of the super soapy sundae that i brought home ... over a week ago!

some kids never learn [maybe i should have taken the straw out after the first 'would-be thief'] some moms never learn!

the difference between girls and boys ...

tell me I'm not the only one ...

I go about my busy day running here and there, cleaning this and that, and I have a sporadically recurring thought "Who are these children and why are they calling me Mom?!"
I look around my home and there are definitely more than just two adults living here. Sticky fingerprints on everything, toys strewn about and the walls have a curious grimy film about 3 1/2 feet from the floor. The carpet on the stairs is matted down on just the fronts and have a strange blue tint to them from the short people that take the FunWayDown from upstairs in their jeans (bet you didn't know they slide the best).
I know that I am a mother ... of 4 very busy children, but sometimes I just don't feel like it. I have insecurities and issues. Mostly about what other moms must think ... as I march up to the school to collect Abi from kindergarten in my capri sweats, dirty t-shirt and baseball cap - the exact same outfit I've was wearing when I dropped her off and oddly the same outfit I was wearing yesterday when I walked her to and from school. I feel like I'm still 18 ... young and hip and cute. Then I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window of my FilthyStinkin'RottenDirty minivan as I open it for Abi to climb in and pray that the other moms won't see the CrumbToyPaperCrayonMenagerie that's grown to nearly 6 inches deep AGAIN!! Wow... welcome to motherhood - I suddenly feel rather dejected and not so young or hip and very NOT cute.
But then I have a moment like when my littlest boy who is 8 months old doesn't want anybody to hold him but Mom, or when my 2 year old HolyTerror sees me come in the door and yells "MOM!" as he bee-lines to me for a little bit of Mommy lovin', or when my 5 year old takes my hand and tickles her neck with my fingernails and shrugs her shoulders for me to continue on my own, or when my 6 year old draws a picture of me and writes "I heart Mom" folds it over and writes "Frum Abi To Mom" and then brings it to me with a proud look on her face and waits for me to read it and then give her a hug and tell her "I heart you too".
Who cares what I look like or what I ate for breakfast (even if it was a handful of peanut butter M&Ms and a Carnation Instant Breakfast) I am a Mom and that's all I've ever wanted to be!

Are you having any moments? Please share!