whatever

we had in a snow storm . . .
the day before a four day break with these kids.
i hope it melts quickly.
except then there is mud.

i don’t have too much planned for them for Easter break.
movie on friday maybe? if i can find a sitter for annie.
bowling sometime over the four days?
we joked last week that bowling was going to be our new Easter tradition instead of egg hunting. i think we’ll still do both this year.
i bought them a new game that we will TRY to play all together – Zoo-reeka. but it rarely goes as planned.
i would like to think i would color eggs with them but to be honest the mess of dye in my white kitchen makes my stomach hurt. That is a bad mom i know but it’s DYE.
lauren still needs an Easter dress. (Need is the wrong word.) I want her to have something new because all the others have a new outfit. And she is the only one who will care that everyone has a new outfit but her. So we have to try to squeeze that in somewhere.

but my main focus to trying to keep Jesus in the front of my mind. It’s Easter and I get so busy or overwhlemed with all the kids home or planning easter baskets that i don’t think about Jesus till i sit in the pew on sunday morning. so I am trying to change my focus. be in prayer. being so thankful. I am trying. there is alot of sad stuff going on and i need to be so grateful.
thank you Lord for everyday.

have a blessed good friday.
here some pictures from the last few days that warm my heart.

do you think this is what the real spiderman’s laundry room looks like too.

in my defense these clothes are all clean except the small pile on the floor. . . but folded is another story.

when the kids are all asleep this is what we do for fun . . .

sewing a slipcover for the couch (still – 3 months later)
spackle-ing the plaster walls in the front entry to get ready for paint

and poor craig . . . i made him listen to Oprah for half of it!

speaking of Oprah . . . did anyone see that family that took their 4 kids (14 – 4 years of age) on a 365 day trip around the world? That would be too cool.
i also read a book a year or so ago called Honeymoon with My Brother (not trying to sound smart . . it’s 1 of 3 books I have read in 3 years) that was about 2 brothers going on a trip around the world.
i dont see any world travel in my future at all especially with 5 kids in tow but THE IDEA is awesome. what an experience. What different people we would be. how eye opening for everyone.
too cool.
but i don’t camp well and it’s pretty much a given for world travel on a budget.

a funny thing about the same Oprah show . . . I was watching it earlier today while two men were here working on the house. they were in the room next to me and i was mopping the floor in the living room. i am watching this Oprah and it got sad and i was totally crying. . . i mean many kleenexes are needed. and these guys are 10 steps away. i could’ve turned it off but i didn’t. i guess i am so used to my crying at everything. but i kept thinking “oh my gosh if they walk in here right now . . . awkward!” they didn’t and i pulled it together in time to pay them!!

after talking online with a friend today I realized how crabby i really was. I need to spend some real time with God to work this stuff out! I am feeling all a mess.
but even just acknowledging that God CAN handle my moods and feelings made me feel better. I know He can and that He wants to. He wants me to come to Him with everything. He wants me to be a great mom. He wants my children to feel loved and only He can teach me the right way to do it! He is amazing. I just have to ask Him. I have to make that time to hear what He is saying. really listen.
after she and i chatted back and forth i felt WAY better and definitely understood. thank you.
deciding that part of my bad mood was the list i have of things to do and wanting to do it all today – with 2 little kids here. it just wasn’t happening. they kept trying to play with me an i kept telling them to “go play” till finally i had hurt their feelings.
so i threw the list away.
then we played.
we painted.
we made playdoh things.
we went to Sonic.
we went to the park.
we went for a walk.
we did . . . nothing and it was good for me and them.

The chores are changing around here tomorrow.
they are all unaware of what tomorrow will bring.
for 2 years now lauren has emptied the dishwasher each load and scott has put away the silverware.
as of tomorrow . . .
talby will empty the dishes
sean will put away silverware
and the 2 of them will share the job of setting the table.
scott and lauren will share the job of clearing the table and then LOADING the dishwasher.
This is where things will be difficult.
if they cannot work together i guess they will have to switch off who does what.

basically i am feeling overworked? irritated? under appreciated? (all by the kids not by Craig – he’s super)

i buy the groceries.
put away the groceries.
plan the meals.
prepare the meals.
listen to crying and complaining all through the meals.
and then I CLEAN UP the MEALS! (with Craig’s help)
well . . . no more.

(i will have to clean up after they clean up but i am okay with that.)

so be prepared for me whining about their whining.
only the older 3. talby loves it all! she would do all of it on her own if i’d let her.
maybe i should let her!
and i always have one more helper when she needs something to keep her busy.
she kept shouting “Whoa! dat’s a BIG spoon!”

gotta go to bed – it’s midnight!

That’s me . . . crabby mom. i have been all weekend. my poor family. but i do think they have a lot to do with my crabby-ness. still i know i am responsible for my actions.
hopefully some sleep will help. but i am torn because of my shows to watch on DVR. and my lesson to work on for tuesday. and the craft room is always calling me . . . always!
and i just drank my 3rd cup of coffee this evening. sometimes i am too ridiculous.
so other than sleep my shows will probably win the battle.

but it was a beautiful day today – WOW! i went out to soak up some sun. i took my camera to get a picture of one of the but instead …
this is what pictures look like from a 2 year old photographer with a camera so heavy she can barely hold it up and can’t figure out that you have to look through the square to see me.
but she did shout “Say cheese mommy!”
and then another happy shout “i did it!!”

the bottom one is kind of artsy . . .

i guess i did something wrong in my last post. hopefully you can still read it. i will try to fix it if i can.

more rain. right now it’s really coming down. that grass better be greener than ever before after this week!

I will be sad when Talby loses this flair for fashion. i dread that day when she thinks what she is wearing has to look “just right”. i will miss it. i love what she comes up with each day. she shines! and she was so excited that her hair was long enough for these little braids.

This afternoon my DAD showed up for a quick visit. he was helping out my grandma who had dental surgery yesterday. She is going to be 90 this year! i called her today and she was feeling great. i told her she must still be on some meds.
HI grandma! hope you feel 100% soon. (yes. . . she’s 89 and she e-mails! she’s totally cool.)
annie & my dad have a bond through play-doh. They play it together each visit. annie loves that time with him. it’s very quiet play. they just sit and create things over & over. . . special stuff right there.

After a big yummy dinner from Papa Murphy’s this is what my family is doing right now.
Movie night . . . Open Season. then off to bed.