The Mother of Geese

Molly Ringwald reshaping of prom dress for witch costume? Check... $35.00 in Halloween Candy purchased? Check.... Scooped goo from 95 lb pumpkin? Check.... Bring on the candy...We are ready

Conversation with Abbie this morning: Abbie: Mama, let's play a game. Me: What do you want to play? Abbie: I don't know. Pause. Me: How about Cinderella? Abbie: How do you play that? Me: I am the wicked step mother and you have to do everything I say and sing songs about birds and mice. Abbie: OK!!! (giggling...) Amelia: And Me!!! Me: (to self). Suckas.

I'll be back sometime.

Mom got tagged....I will post it for her... Momala "Tykes" A- Attached or single: mmmmmm Both... B- Best Friends: Family First C-Cake or Pie: Pie with a crust as tender as a babies behind D- Day of choice: Any day I don't have to get up early E- Essential Item: Cell Phone F- Favorite Color: Red NOT green... H- Hometown: Ogden, Utah I- Indulgence(s): Chocolate and Chicos J- January or July: January-the beginning of tax season $$$ K- Kids: 4 little chickens L-Life is Incomplete Without: Hard times, You know you can do it M- Marriage Date: 6/16/66 N- Number of Siblings: 1 brother, 1 sister O- Oranges or Apples: A whole box of clementines P- Phobias or Fears: Being alone, dying in a car crash, suffocating (thanks Brother Bill) Q- Quotes: "Prayer changes things" R- Reason To Smile: Hearing my sweetheart laugh, grandchildren S- Season: Fall T- Tag Three +: RJ, Brad, Sweetheart U- Unknown Fact About Me: I've never balanced a checkbook in my life...why would I? V-Me...

How was your flight? Max is excited to be the man of the house. I have been running all my ideas by him and he seems cool with everything going on. (If only he could tell me where to find the stud finder). Did you know he REALLY likes vinyl wall sayings and wants more in our house? He's so stylish isn't he? Guess what I did all night Friday? The girls aren't able to sleep in it yet because the fumes will make them have pickle brains but it does look mighty fine. (I'll post pictures as soon as I get the hardware for the drapes up. (And the level is.....where?) In other news it did this...yesterday...Remember when you asked me when I was going to put my garden to bed? Yeah, should have listened to you...(sort of been saying alot of that lately) And finally, the mail came. Finally. The girls have been quite cooperative and on their best behavior these last few days. We miss you. Love, Your family

As you can see by the time stamp its really early in the morning. Max is sleeping in his room happily, and I am in a pretty good mood to be up at this time. I have that Christmas morning giddiness going making it hard to go back to sleep. You see, in a few hours, Brad is getting on a plane to fly over the pond. Although I generally hate it when he leaves for even 35 minutes, he's going to be far enough away to have no say or control over the house projects I'm planning. MWAH HA HA!!! Thanks Celia for the phone script , I've got some strategizing to do. I've got plenty of movies, mac and cheese, and fruit snacks to properly ignore my kids because I'm going to be so busy. Oh, and the boogie man can bite me. I'm going to be way to occupada to be ascared while Brad's gone.

When Brad and I were first married he asked for some coveralls for when he worked out in the shop. Seemed like a reasonable request, and although I thought they were kind of dorky I'm sure they saved his regular clothes from a lot of abuse. (The same could not be said, however, for shoes. Note to self, make sure Brad removes the Cole Haans before going to do projects). He has worn his coveralls to death (I have been known to throw them on every now and then and yes they ARE that sexay). I didn't realize, however, that his love of coveralls has been a lifetime affair. Behold, his first coveralls, recycled on Max: Better go check out Sears to get more matching daddy/Max sizes, no?

Since school was out for a few days so the dads can go kill deer (its true...) our non-hunting family took the opportunity to go see Grandpa Gary, Shirley and Papa Bob in Oregon. What a great place!! The kids did amazingly the whole time and we had a great time. I did not bring my camera (grrrrr....) so here's what Brad's sucky camera phone provided. Escalators: Who needs the park when we can send the kids up and down the escalators? Way more fun to do outside of our county without the "disapprovingwhoistheirmotherjudging" that seems to take place here. Pumpkin Patch : The best patch I have ever been to for kid stuff. (Shannan you must visit this place) Rope swing into a pile of dirty mattresses? Check! Hippies doing face painting with extra glitter? Check! Stacked up hay that kids can climb on? Check! Sending Amelia down big scary rickety slide alone? Check! Boating on the Columbia: We were able to take Grandpa Gary's small yacht down the river and do a little s...

Heather A- Attached or single: Attached B- Best Friends: See links to the left C-Cake or Pie: Yes Please... Angel Food Cake, Cheese Cake, Poppy Seed Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Strawberry Pie D- Day of choice: Thursday Afternoon E- Essential Item: Stinky Blue Bathrobe F- Favorite Color: Amelia's blue eye color, Pumpkin-Fall's favorite drama queen G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Cinnamon Bears H- Hometown: Danville, CA I- Indulgence(s): Food, Gossip Magazines, Hot Baths, Target without kids, naps J- January or July: Both K- Kids: 3 little monkeys jumpin on the bed L-Life is Incomplete Without: The internet, media er I mean Sunday School M- Marriage Date: January 8, 1999 N- Number of Siblings: 1 brother, 2 sistas O- Oranges or Apples: Hard apples, juicy oranges. Not hard oranges, juicy apples P- Phobias or Fears: hitchhikers carjacking my car, driving next to an 18-wheeler and having one of the tires fly off, those eye prober things, large flocks of crows that won't fly away, spinach slime l...

The spouse of one of my bestest friends remarked this weekend that Brad and I look like the couple on the cover of this month's Ensign. I finally saw it this morning and was kind of hoping for a thinner, hipper, cuter version of what he thinks we look like. And apparently we look like we are from South America. Seriously Sam?! At least it looks like we are going to the temple, which is better than our reality lately.

After sitting on the couch and watching conference for 4 hours Sunday we decided to grab the MAC and continue sitting on the couch and watch ourselves.

Mommies always scream into their pillows when they're happy!

Let me just begin by saying that I do not EVER remember having homework to do as a kindergartener and I NEVER remember having homework being the family affair. I guess that's why our country is not as educationally minded as India or China. This month's homework assignments (which takes place at least 20 times) includes 15 minutes a day of reading, 5 a day of studying the letters, and here's the killer for me...10 minutes a day of math. That's 200 hours of math activities for me to invent to reinforce what she learns with public education. This morning I had mucho laundry so I thought I would combine the 2 activities. #1. Sort the laundry #2. Take the towels out of the basket. #3. Separate the patterned towels with the plain rags. #4. Count the piles. #5. Add the piles. #6. Fold the piles. #7. Count how many steps it takes to put the towels away. #8. Repeat with other clothes. Any other ideas for math/chores? Please share because I equally hate math and a dirty house.

Because it is impossible for me to do anything on a small scale or pass up an opportunity for a party, I decided to throw Max a big hootenanny this weekend. (Brad said oh, the blessing has a theme?! yes and no). More pictures to follow... I had my talented friend make this . When it came time to get into it for the party I. couldn't. do. it. at. all. It was just too purdy and it seemed so sad to take a knife to anything with my baby's name on it. Brad had no problem cutting it up after everyone had left.