Our Evening Is a Joke Sometimes

As a backdrop...

We, as a family, are encouraged to spend one night together each week learning something new or reviewing a gospel principle or playing games... something together and focused on our Savior and growing closer to Him. It's called Family Home Evening. It is "supposed" to be spiritual and filled with wholesome goodness. :))) 

Tonight, Bella and I had conducted her science experiment (proudly NOT the very last minute I might add) and were working hard on creating the poster online when my phone rang to discuss in more detail Bentley's FREAKISHLY HIGH (so high!) dental bill with his padre. That phone convo was a little intense as is anything that has a price tag with 4 digits, the first number not being a one (or a two, or a three, and so on & so on). :/ Ugh but that's a post for another day! During that phone convo, still waiting to finish the science project poster, Brae comes upstairs having lost all patience in me and tells me that we will just have to do her Accro Workout another night. She was upset with me that I didn't get to it. I finish my dental phone call, finish the online portion of Bella's thing and go to do vinyl for the poster. 

Then, it started pulling up so I tell her we have to stop for tonight and I will finish, I mean we will finish, tomorrow!! She starts crying. It was her daily aspiration obviously to finish that portion of the poster tonight. So, at this point Brae and Bella were upset. I forgot to mention Bentley had a breakdown during my phone convo minutes earlier bc he wanted his dad to come help him play Batman for the Wii. Tantrum. Funny because that's how I felt today too but over the dental bill.

Whatev. I'm over it now. 

                                     

So, on that note of two kids crying or barely recovering from a tantrum and one ticked off at me we started Family Home Evening... Since the kids didn't have time to prepare a lesson or activity I pulled one together last minute of something I had recently learned more about. Jared taught a lesson last Sunday and showed a video of the parable of The Ten Virgins that I had never seen before. It was so beautiful. You can view it by clicking HERE via YouTube. It wasn't long before Cali was crying over something and then Bentley started too so at that point I had 3 in tears. And I cried too. Mine was communicating how I fall short everyday as a parent but still.... lots and lots of tears. It's comical really to think how hard it is to have a spiritual and quiet lesson. OH and I almost forgot the hamsters (we are hamster sitting) were running in their wheels the whole time. We bring them out into my office at night so they don't wake up the girls while sleeping. Note to self: don't do fhe with hamsters around next time ;) 

I still managed to feel the Spirit during the video clip and I know the Lord knows I'm doing the best I can and am being obedient in doing them each week. Even if they are a joke sometimes. Perhaps it helps us see His sense of humor. 

I'm happy to say that Braelyn & I DID end up doing our Accro-Workout in the dark after the fhe and dessert. We did kartwheels, handstands, roundoffs, splits, scorpions (well not me for that one) and I think I broke my back (after all I'm not 17 anymore). Cali wanted to come out and when I told her to go back in bc I'm having one on one time with Brae I could hear her yelling behind the closed door, "Yeah!!!! And you only want one on one time with HER!!" Thank you for that. I truly am spread so thin. I truly am trying so hard and I truly hate doing this by myself. But the Lord is good to me. He is faithful and He adds oil to my lamp each and every time I step in the right direction and with each effort I make in doing His will. 

Kids Say the Darndest Things :)

Bentley cracks me up! Earlier this week I was bathing him and I stepped out of the room for a second and told him to talk to me so I know he's safe...

Bent: "I don't know how to talk to you"
Me:  "I need to know you're safe"
Bent: "I need to know you're safe. You're happy, mom"
Me: "Why am I happy????"
Bent: "Because everyone loves you"

I don't know where that came from but it went right to my heart.

Today I was bathing him again... go figure!! and I caught him licking the bathtub (again haha) and I said "Stop licking the bathtub"
B: "why"?
Me: "Because it's gross & has germs"
B: "Oh, so I need to touch the germs with my toe"

haha

Oh, Cellno!

Klein ISD has an orchestra program for 5th graders. They can choose an instrument and commit to a year of learning it. Cali did it a few years ago. It is a great program to give them a head-start for middle & high school if they plan to keep playing. Bella was wanting to play the cello this year. She wanted to be with her friends. I didn't have a great feeling about her committing to it when I now know what to expect with time. I could see into the future and knew it would become more of a fight than a positive to have her practice down the road. Plus, it's a great financial commitment as well. Plus there was a parent meeting last night that I just plain didn't want to go to. I wanted to be home with my sloppy bun and my pajamas. :)))

I am not above bribery.

 I offered my kid money to NOT do the program. 

She accepted. 

We are saying oh, cellno, to the cello this year. We will re-visit in the sixth grade. :D 

I traded one month's payment for the would-be cello to simplify our life... 

Worst parent-of-the-year-award or brilliant?? 

How Do You Like Your Eggs??

This week is crazy. Monday was NOT a good day at all. Tuesday I woke up at 4:15 and felt energized and certain that I would make it better than Monday. I stayed in bed until 5:30 then got up to take the girls to Seminary and school. Came home from seminary and read my scriptures, said my prayer and was getting ready to shower when one of my daughters had a monthly friend visit her unexpectedly (we live in a house with five women, so you can expect this sort of thing to be in my blog post) and I had to run back to the church to take her some things. Of course since it was getting late I had to run her to the school and get caught in school traffic. I rushed home to finish Bella's hair to find Cali in tears because she didn't want to stay home alone (with Bentley) while I took Bella to school (an entire ten minutes) and then Bella was in tears when I found out her homework was left undone from the night before. 

Ugh Ugh Ugh

Morning shot. 

OH, and I forgot we found our car egged between 6-7am as well. 

Fabulous morning. 

And I woke up sick. I forgot that part. Some cold thing that makes you feel sick & tired.

I dealt with getting the kids to school and washed the car and realized my sunglasses that I replaced the night before bc mine broke Monday were missing. Now it's Wednesday and they are still missing. I just replaced my second pair since Monday. 

This week is out of control. EVERYTHING that could happen in one month all falls on this week. Here we go:

I am swamped with work which is such a blessing

I am keeping my friend's boys tonight through Monday (exception of them going to their dads Fri-Sun)

get them to and from their bus stops in the am & pm

Softball meeting at the high school tonight 

mutual tonight

Survivor tonight

visiting teaching tomorrow

orchestra meeting tomorrow

Braelyn's glasses are in at the vision center

get Bentley to and from his dad's Th&Fri

extra kiddos Friday morning nbd! 

massage (aaahhhhh) Friday

Braelyn has to attend a play Friday night

get the boys to their dad's Friday

Bella run the BearKat Bash Saturday morning

temple trip mid singles Saturday 11

baptism down in south Houston at 4 Saturday

I teach a lesson Sunday I haven't even read

home teachers over Sunday

get boys back Sunday

die and come alive by Monday

I seriously don't know how to do all this. Work alone is killing me this week then you add all this extra. 

I will look back and laugh. Until then I just drink a lot of Diet Coke. 

With vanilla. 

Don't forget the vanilla. 

If Dr. Seuss Wrote 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon

Nephi: Of goodly parents I was born. I've never drunk, I've never sworn. This is Lehi, he's my dad. Laman, Lemuel, they are bad! And who is this? Why this is Sam

Sam: Yes, this is Sam; Sam I am. 

Laman: That Sam I am, that Sam I am I do not like that Sam I am. 

Sam: In a tent my father dwelt.

Lemuel: And it's so hot, I think I'll melt. Our father's brain is out of what,

Laman: Yeah, it's too hot, I'm going back.

Lehi: Then go and get the plates my dear.

Laman: On second thought, I'm staying here.

Nephi: You said you'd leave and go away, Now all you want to do is stay?

Lemuel: That Nephi always gets his way! 

Laman: Here we are in this damp cave.

Sam: We would not be here if you'd behave!

Nephi: I will go and I will do... There's an angel, that's my cue. Laban's had too much to drink. Now he'll lose his head I think. Look what I found, a brother from the quorum. 

Sam: We will take him home, we'll call him Zoram.

Laman: Our gold and silver we have spent. I do not like it in this tent.

Lemuel: I cannot read the Liahona. I must have drunk too much Corona.

Laman: We hate it here, we have no lives.

Lehi: Then go back to the city and get some wives. A tree, a tree, I see a tree!! The fruit is white, the fruit is free. A floating building, could it be? Why do they laugh and stare at me? Laman, Lemuel, come and see!

Laman: We will not eat your precious fruit. 

Lemuel: We will not wear a tie and suit. 

Laman: We will not help you build your boat. 

Lemuel: We do not think that it will float. 

Laman: No not this boat, it will not float. Not even in a shallow moat. I do not care what Nephi wrote.

Lemuel: We will not eat your fruit I say. 

Laman: We will not eat it on a tray. 

Lemuel: Aand we won't eat it in a tent, not even if your clothes are rent. 

Laman: We'd rather have a can of spam, we will not eat it, Sam I am. 

Sam: You do not like it, so you say, try it, try it, and you may. Try it and you may I say.

Laman: Sam, if you will let us be, we will try it, you will see.

Lemuel: Say, we like this fruit of life!, sorry that we caused such strife. You've saved us from an awful jam, Thank you, Thank you, Sam I am

Being a Mom is Rewarding

This morning before school Cali was upset. She told me she doesn't like school anymore. This coming from the girl who is in almost all 'AP' classes and who is Miss Social Butterfly. All of a sudden she just doesn't like school AND she wanted me to take her out early today. For no reason other that what I listed. I also take & pick up her friend each day so I told Cali no (of course). She bust into tears, "I just want you to take me out early." I shared some encouraging words on the way to school to which she had a snide remark to and when I let them out I rubbed her back and said to smile because mom loves you and told her I loved her again and to have a good day. Wouldn't you know it as she shut the door she turned and through the window gave me the dirtiest glare I ever did see ; / 

If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. I said something under my breath as I drove away. For real, I don't honestly know if I will come out at the other end of this teenage girl tunnel. Kensi is her fore-runner and Cali will do me in. I just know it. 

Divine Help Once Again

I am overwhelmed with the things that are breaking around our house and the things the kids need/business needs. In the last week my shower head hose broke and sprays everywhere. It's makes for a very chaotic shower experience. I would say to shower in the girls bathroom but their drain has been plugged for about a year so the crazy shower is a better choice. We found out our DVD player stopped working AFTER renting a movie last Friday night. :( Boo to that. The other day I was saying a prayer and told Heavenly Father all that was weighing me down, including the broken shower and clogged bath (which I had previously tried the Liquid Drano and the home remedies to no avail) and within an hour of my prayer I had the thought to google (reliable best friend) how to remove the plug in the girls bathtub. Up to that point I had NEVER thought "there must be a way to remove that drain even though it's the twist and lift type". WHY had I never thought to google that? I knew it was clogged with a bunch of nastiness, I just couldn't get to it! Within seconds of googling that I knew how to remove the plug. That was STEP 1, yes!! Actually getting it off wasn't quite as easy. I got it down to the thick screw that holds it in place but it was not budging at all. I used two different types of screwdrivers, WD 40 to try to loosen it up, the pliers, electric screwdriver and the heart-shaped whatchamacallit my sister sent me to loosen up lids in the kitchen. It wasn't stinking moving! I am never one to just give up or call for help when I KNOW I can do it! It just takes a will and sheer will power to get some things done. I positioned the pliers around it again in the groove of the plier and literally used all my body weight to push them around and finally had success. And that success led to the success of un-clogging the tub. So now we have a shower that works!! It was incredible. And dumb really but mostly just incredible. I received an answer to my prayer and it lifted a burden and I did it on my own. :) It's days later now & I'm still happy about it.