my boyfwend

I realize I don't really post that many pictures of my mister so heres one!  When I met Danny I went up to him, saw a cute, dark haired guy and said "Hi who are you?"  He actually laughed and was like "Danny.  Who are you?"  So I kinda got a crush on him.  I liked his voice, I liked his smile, I liked how he would laugh, and tease, and talk with me from that first conversation.  We had a long conversation about I believe 90's music (it was only 2001), and talked about some common friends we had.  I believe somehow the topic of the Fresh Prince of Bellaire came up but I don't remember.  Anyways, I didn't see him much after that first couple times.  I think we talked for a while at a dinner after church one evening, and everyone was cleaning up, and clearing out, and there we were sitting across  the table from eachother talking, not wanting to really get up and go, and I had the thought...cheezy Mormon thought here it is "I feel like I've known this guy before!  I feel like I've talked to him and been like his best friend before"  So random.  Anyways.  He worked evenings.  So I would pester his roommate Ben, "hey where is your roommate Danny?" and he would always say working.  So outside of talking to him at church and the random events it was hard to see him much more than that.  But of course, we did end up seeing each other more.  But I will leave that for another story.  Just that's my guy up there.  And he's turning 37 two days after I turn 33 in October.  Us Libra's stick together.  yessirree.

its alllliiive

my blog is still alive!  it was dead.  it locked me out for some period of time and unfortunately I didn't even care that much.  I'm sorry.  I love you blog but not that much.  Not to actually figure out why I was locked out.  Now you are back.SOooooooo

Addie started 4th grade.  She has a teacher who is a tall ice hockey player named Miss Siehl and she says she is her favorite teacher so far.  She's happy so I'm happy.

Eva started 1st grade.  The girls ride the bus together, and sit together.  I love seeing their faces wave to me from the same seat as the bus pulls away in the morning.  It's sisterly love (for the moment).  And I never hesitate to yell in a frantic mom voice from the front door "I LOVE YOU COOKIE!" 
 Eva's nickname.  I hope I can do that till she graduates.  She always gives me a dirty look.

Harvey is in the school of netflix.  It is hard to get into.  It requires 8 dollars a month and an ability to puruse through many bad 90's cartoons and made for tv movies.  He's doing pretty well so far and has found several courses (Wild Kratz, Garfield, Power Rangers) that he is doing really well at.  

Mr. Dotson is attending 5th grade for the 8th year in a row.  I hope he doesn't lose his marbles.  I don't know how long he can keep it up.  If I had to attend 5th grade that long I'd probably run away to another country and join the circus.  He's still here, so that's going well I guess. 

as for me, I'm a commitment phobe and have been running but still haven't signed up for my half marathon.  Jeff Galloway is the bomb!  he has helped my running so much.  Read Jeff Galloway.  I'm not kidding.  He will have you running more miles than you ever thought possible.  And you will feel good.  And only be running 3 days a week.  Otherwise, I've just been getting the piano calender set up for fall, taking Harvey out with me when he isn't in school (watching netflix) and trying to think of vegetarian ish dinners to feed the family. I fell off the boat for like a week and gained 5 pounds!  I seriously can't eat meat or cheese it makes me blow up.  I let the kids eat it a bit because they need to blow up, but me, no need whatsoever. 

whats up

what makes me happy: these people.  And others not pictured above.  Bad blogger-yes I am. 
 Life just keeps turning, and things are going on and I don't even know where the heck to start. 
 Because as a mom isn't every day just another day, and the days turn into weeks and months and years and the changes are small, and noticeable more looking back after a distance, when you see chubby thighs even out, and toothless smiles fill in.  I look at lines around my eyes and see pictures of years ago and remember thinking how I didn't like the picture and now I think I look awesome in it. 
 Things that happen in a day are food, more food, dishes more dishes, dinosaurs, spider man suits, field trip money, and Fly Guy books, pianos clanging, doorbells ringing, dropping off at afternoon kindergarten and being rebellious and dropping her off right in front even though we are supposed to park down the street.  Addie doing family home evening lessons on nature.  Lethal puppy farts.  Harvey saying" I love my mom", Danny saying "you keep our world turning".   I'm running, in the early morning, watching the sun come up and praying thank you, thank you Lord for another day. 

ain't nobody got time for that

Things I've learned since being burglarized:
put your pictures somewhere besides your computer: like a cd, external hard drive, a box, because you cannot replace those...I still cannot think about the videos I lost, the kids on vacation at the beach, smiling at the camera wind blowing through hair, small legs, diapered chubby butts.  I wish my memory was better but unfortunately pictures and videos really helps me out in that department.  Christmas videos, and performances at school and in the living room set to music.  Dancing like crazy and and Harvey being a "super E" his word for super hero.  Videos I can't get back.  But at least I can take new videos, ones I will save carefully 

Lock your doors: sounds obvious, but I kept leaving my back patio door open so people could come in without a key.  not smart.  Someone I didn't want to come in came in without a key.  

Leave your dog out:  This I'm still on the fence with, Chilly was in her cage, and maybe if she was out she would've gotten hurt, but I'm guessing with how she growls at the dp&l guy she could have been some kind of deterrent.  

Don't leave your stuff in your master bedroom:  The only bedroom they checked out was the master bedroom and that is where they stole my jewelry.  Probably any other place is better for jewelry, like literally anywhere else.    

The worst feeling is just the feeling that someone was in my house, dumping my special, yet worthless to a stranger things, and taking things that belonged to us.  
I hope I can feel safe again and help my kids feel safe....but I guess we will never probably feel so safe we leave our house open.

happy winter!  It's the dead of winter and snow is piling up here, I'm treating myself to sitting online as long as I want.  I've been trying to limit technology in my house.  Why? Because I feel like my family is turning into zombies, school, eat, tv...repeated daily.    So I am trying to stay off the computer and do other productive activities, like read, make up arrangements of songs on the piano and read Harvey the same book 1 million times in a row..right now he really likes the "elephant and piggie" books.  Honestly I feel like just keeping this family fed and sanitary takes a ton of time.  i do not know how 2 working outside the home parents do it- it would be seriously hard.  If i worked 9 hours a day like alot of people do we would probably have our house condemned and our kids put in foster care because they would be living off like cheetos and root beer.  I mean, we had one of addies baby hamsters escape and we couldn't find it for 5 days.  things get bad round these parts.  today laundry needs to be done and I have to hope no more hamsters get out or we will be in trouble.  I need those hamsters gone!  Addie's rodent collecting is getting to the level of animal hoarding, 3 gerbils and 7 hamsters.  So tonight I think I'm going to make soft pretzels, I haven't made those in a while, and Addie and I are having a good luck charlie Season 3 marathon.  Daddy and Eva have a date to play checkers until Eva is a checker champ.  So that is today!

still here.....

I haven't been journaling, blogging, or anything that actually involved writing.  I kind of miss it,  every night I commit to writing in my journal then my head hits the pillow and my eyes are heavy and the thought of trying to make sense of my day sounds like work that is too overwhelming.   
  3 kids.  Doesn't sounds like much, but lately my days are flying by, I hardly sit down all day, but my life is full and happy and I feel content......because how could you not be with check out my big boy in his panties.  Yes we call them panties.  Yes he will be okay.  He is more man in his panties than you'll ever be in your underwear.  He has two older sisters, what do you expect. 

cookies

we call eva cookie because she has chocolatey eyes and she's brownish in color so she is our cookie.   

harvey is a cookie man himself

Actually he just fell asleep and he literally smiled in his sleep and said the word "Cookie"  But who doesn't love cookies.  Actually I'd like to meet someone who doesn't love cookies and I would slap their face.  Or force feed them cookies.  Maybe they just have never had a good cookie.  I've never met a cookie I don't like.   Well I take that back....some cookies, given enough nuts, are more of a granola bar and I steer away from those.  

So, summer has struck round these parts.  We have been making family memories and you better not forget it kids.  I tell my kids...you guys have a great life and a wonderful childhood....I think I tell them that so maybe when they are older they are less likely to go to a therapist and complain about their childhood.  We have been fishin and swimming, and playing with loads of cousins, and playing with poor homeless animals at the animal shelter, and going to the farm and the park and riding bikes.  You name it it's happening and it's good.  Although I'm wore out.  It takes alot of food to feed 3 growing kids with extra cousins over.  I feel like a 50's housewife somedays where I go from scrubbing out a huge pot to making another meal to rotating laundry to making more food.  I need to invent a mom feeding trough where you just throw food in a trough and the kids line up and eat it whenever they are hungry. we need a cookie trough.  We wouldn't become obese that way now would we?

going old school like an old fool

( fun with harvey often involves violence)

yo dawgs.  I've been blogging old school as in writing in my journal.  I have a journal that I've kept for about  eight years and I'm still not through it so I am thinking I should focus on that.  I also am doing a gratitude journal where I write 3 things I'm thankful for every night.  They can be anything from totally amazing to the everyday stuff like, Harvey's butt.  I am grateful for Harveys butt.  It is so cute.  It gives me great joy.  So that has been on my gratitude list.  Also Addie's 2 front teeth, Eva's brown chocolatey eyes, and Danny's muscles.  So I just repeat those things often, interspersed by other less deep thoughts.  Sometimes I'm so deep I could just dive down into my thoughts and get lost and never get out.  hahahahaha.  Just kidding.  I usually am thinking about food or spacing out!  I wish I didn't space out so much.   danny told me some research on how when women have a baby they actually get a bigger brain.  that made me happy because I always assumed the longer you nurse the more brain food the baby is taking and the more shrivled and nutrient deprived my brain is getting until I'm just sitting in a corner rocking and sucking on my thumb or picking boogers.  So, even though it looks like I'm not listening, and it looks like I don't have a clue, don't worry.  My brain is WAY bigger than yours and it probably is just busy connecting new neurons and firing away at warp speed.  

btw people My little baby sister (shes not really a baby she's 23)  had her first BABY GIRL!!!!!  I'm sure she is precious even though I've only seen like 4 pictures and 3 of them were on my phone and my phone is from the dark ages and pictures look like they are polaroids with scratches all over them.  But as far as I can tell on the one picture on facebook she is a total doll and my ovaries are hurting every time I see that picture.  Which has been often, like every time I get online I just stare at the baby with my mouth hanging open and a big string of drool going down to the keyboard.  Her name is Helene Eleanor!  isn't that the cutest ??? Anyways, Love ya'lls!!!

my birthday bubbies

 ya I know I stink at blogging...now on to more important matters Eva turned 5.  and if you can figure out what she's hugging down there that is her mermaid pinata I made her.  I love that cookie john.  

 and after Eva had a birthday Harvey had a birthday April 4th and turned two.  he came up with that combo himself, the skeleton shirt with backwards hat.  he  is either dressed in a long t shirt with bracelets on his wrists or as a a thug.

 my baby boyboy is two. waaaaaahh. commence crying and sobbing about how time has flown and he has grown up way too fast.  but he's still a baby ya know?  he's actually nursing right now as I type this and he smells pretty ripe so if he is still nursing and im changing his diapers he is totally still my baby.

 this spring has been really warm and we've had lots of fun outside, we are trying to hatch 3 eggs upstairs, we plowed up a big square for a garden, I have flower seeds in the ground, and I've been running outside for about 2 months. (I ran 4 miles straight~~~) Its been blissful.  I love my addie...I especially love her big adult teeth.  they are so cute.

 I'm gonna be an aunt x 9!!!!  that is my baby sister Nat who is going to pop out a baby in ONE month.  I'm so excited for her.  i wish I could be there, but I don't think I can get to Utah.  sigh.

 okay those eyes melt my heart.  I love my bubbies, I love my hubby, i feel happy, healthy and my kids are doing good, and Danny is getting bigger muscles (hahahha) and I have very few complaints.  hmmm. let me come up with one......just to make ya'll feel like I'm not perfect with a perfect life.  oooh. cloth diapers.  Try washing 2 year old poopy cloth diapers.  FUN!!!  bye blogosphere!

loads of pictures

 Malachi turned 2 and we had a party at Katrinas.  Those boys are getting big.

 February is the longest month of the year officially.  After a round of strep throat, and colds, and flus and sinus issues.....spring can't come fast enough.  Even though this winter has been weirdly warm....totally anticipating a zombie apocolypse.  But fear not, I just bought my wheat grinder...WONDERMILL Jr. Even makes peanut butter.  And it makes cereal and cracks wheat.  But you have to hand crank it but I figure that will keep me totally fit.

 Nothing like new swimsuits in the middle of winter.  Addie is now a minnow!  Congratulations :)

 Our one day of snow you know how it is.  The kids woke up looked out the window...screamed "It snowed!"  Got totally bundled up which involved taping on their gloves with duct tape and two layers of socks then went outside for 10 minutes and came in and threw all the snowy clothes in the family room.  Hooray for winter

 Harvey looking up at me trying to figure out how he can wrestle the camera out of my hands.  That boy loves technology.

 Elsie my cute niece at a birthday party

 my sweet little nephew henry age 10 months with my cute sis.  steph.  He is a total little elf. That girl makes some cute baby boys.

 Her necklace I liked.  And her mole.  (steph you really should get that checked out) hahahah.

The one snow day again.   He's a heartbreaker in his snowpants and sock hat.  I'm sure we will live to see March but pray for Addie's health.  She has been catching everything on earth.  I've been eating like crazy out of nervous energy and probably gained back my 5 pounds I lost running. 

my add has a name

I'm a scanner.   I read a book about scanners.  Not the computer kind.  The human kind.  A scanner is a kind of person who likes too many things to pick just one.  They have a really hard time picking a major in college.  I started as music, switched to Art, got accepted into two Art programs, switched to architecture, quit that after a day considered English.   Ended up dropping out of college after a 2 year degree and haven't gone back.  (except to take piano lessons and join a performance class) Worked for the IRS for 5 years, taught piano for 8-10, and besides that have had three kids.  I taught myself to knit and crochet.  Danny taught me how to thread a sewing machine and I learned to sew.  I learned how to use a pottery wheel but never continued with it.  I like to paint but only do it on occasion and most of them involve sitting at the kitchen table modeling how to paint a rainbow with fluffy white clouds, green grass, and possibly a family of kittens or puppies.  I produce art for 2 demanding art critics ages 8 and 4 with a relentless need for rainbows and hearts and flowers. 

So if you are a scanner this is what you should do, ahem, as the title of the books says "REFUSE TO CHOOSE"  So I can free myself from the external pressure I imagine on myself to make something of my life and just enjoy all the random hobbies and interests I've had.  One idea they say is make a huge list of everything you want to DO....because scanners are DOers not see'ers.  I totally relate to that because I've never felt that excited to "see" something but the thought of producing something makes me a little giddy....so here are some things I want to do....

crochet flower headbands

sew more dresses for my girls

sew harvey bowties with matching vests

learn to knit socks

make animal hats for the kids

sell some crafts on etsy

make more cloth diapers and sell them

get ceritified to be a doula (and if I like that persue becoming a midwife or nurse midwife)

teach Eva to read

read books to ALL 3 of my kids

keep running 

print off family pictures

paint something cool for the kids rooms

read more about investing

buy real estate

become warren buffett

buy a new chair 

line the backs of my bookcases with scrapbook paper

make felt animals 

make a recycled wool sweater wreath

make polymer clay stuff

crochet more birds in eggs

I know I can't do it all at once but that's a good reference list.  and if you too feel like you have attention deficit disorder you could be like me........ a total pathetic loser.  hahahha.  no you too could just be a scanner and it is totally acceptable for you to never be able to finish a project or focus that well because it's HOW your BRAIN WORKS!

because what else is there to do in january?

so after being a bit of a tomboyish kid (think every christmas I wanted sports equipment, like a basketball one year, ice skates (not really tomboyish but still sporty, a tennis racket with a ball that I would bounce the ball on endlessly, a remote control car another year...)   I used to play basketball with the old men of my ward after youth on wednesday nights at age 12-13 and I loved it.  I was already my full 5 foot 6 and I felt huge and strong and would shoot 3's as well as a 12 year old girl can.  Adolesence hit and I don't know what it was....I think it might have been related to the fact that I have always been "well endowed" and I got kind of freaked out of running or moving too fast in public.   Besides the normal mockery of junior high and people telling me I ran weird I became less sporty and  through highschool I never really played sports. Then young adulthood  (and by the way....Danny proposed to me by putting my engagement ring in a tennis ball while we were playing) hahah.  and then 3 babies and my version of excercise was pushing a double stroller through the neighborhood.  It is quite a workout.  So in my heart I've always felt like I have something athletic in me  and now drum roll please...................................... I'm learning to run!  And I'm going to run a 5k in the spring!!!!!!!  I know that sounds pathetic to all you athletic running people, but seriously, I've NEVER run.  So I'm starting slow.  I'm on week 4 of the couch to 5k program.    It's pretty awesome because I actually am running and I'm not feeling like I'm going to die or pass out or anything.  the bonus is 5 pounds are history!  Also you only have to run like 3-4 times a week which is good if its hard to find time to excercise.  So now I just have to pick my first race and my goal is just to finish it.  In less than an hour.  A half hour would be awesome.  

and here's a link.  So if you are like me (grab a good sports bra) and start it TODAY

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

virtual vitamin d

 we went to florida in december and it was soooo nice.  I'm totally moving down there every winter as soon as I can.  Snow is good but sunshine and sand beat it any day in my book.  Although we haven't had snow much either in ohio........

we stayed in new smryna beach and it was quiet  but close to everything.

Harveys "butt butt" That's what he calls it. 

I'm trying to figure out my camera.....I just have a oldish sony cybershot.  I blurred the background a little on that one.  That's what I was going for. 

After the initial freak outs about jelly fish...I think we overwarned them not to step on jelly fish.  They thought every piece of plastic on the beach was a jellyfish and they were like screaming non stop the first day or two. salt water reminded everyone of salty popcorn and the salty air made everyone feel healthy.  I think it cleared out my head.   I am so an old person in my heart.

the foot shot.  I have weird toes and they're hairy.  but check out our pool. 

martha stewart is my nemesis

Martha gets on my nerves.  For one WHY DOES her picture have to be on everything she produces?  I keep thinking she is about to retire and then no...she has a new line of simply beautiful home decor at kohls or something like that.  I'm kinda sick of her simply sweetly perfect home decor.  Because if you looked at my house right now...it's not simple.  There is a layer of little people on the carpet, there is clashing stockings hanging on the mantel, I have throw pillows that were made by 8 year old girl scouts,( and it looks like possibly color blind girlscouts) My serving ware is primarily from the goodwill or from the day I was married. It doesn't coordinate.  I don't have a tiered cupcake stand.  There are things that just aren't up to marthas standard.  Oh and today on the view they had Martha showing how to make simply perfect holiday desserts.  She wouldn't give the recipe.  All the ladies on the view were like trying to get the recipe from her, like these chocolate cookies, and one of them said "So how do you make those chocolate cookies?" and Martha said  "It's dough!  You make them from dough!" with this really exasperated look on her face.  Like we all thought you made cookies from concrete or something.  Then in the same day in the dentist office I was reading some magazine and it said "Entertain Martha's way" where it then went   "Entertaining made perfectly simple."  She continued....something like this "When I want a simple christmas gathering I whip up about 20 of my favorite simple dishes, such as soup, and invite all my friends over for a lovely gathering in the kitchen"  20!!!  She seriously said 20 and I am not kidding.  Who besides someone with a hyperthyroid disorder whips up 20 pots of soup for some friends to come and eat in the kitchen?  So I've had enough of her simple holidays.   I'll take some messy, chaotic, disorganized holidays.  And my christmas tree with the top missing lights and all the ornaments from the bottom moved to the top because i have a 1 year old who likes to rearrange glass ornaments.  Or step on them.  Or throw them.  He even bit one.  And it broke and his lips bled. He's okay so don't worry.

getting used to this new blogger layout is INSANITY!!  I couldn't figure out how to publish anything.

The past couple days I've been LOW on energy....I fall asleep at like 9 o clock.   I was staying up till like midnight for like a couple of weeks and now maybe its catching up with me.  Also I feel like maybe my hormones are firing up.  When I nurse a baby I don't have a period and so I feel totally hormonally free for like a year or two.  Then PMS comes back and hits me like a truck.  So that means one thing...time to have baby number 4.  I'd rather be puking for 4 months than having a period.  Also I know that we have another baby boy in our future  I totally just need to pop another 12 pounder out.  AWESOME.  hahhaha.  That makes me so tired just thinking about it.   Maybe in a year or two. 

So in my energetic state I was getting christmas all totally squared away.....which meant I shopped online for like a week straight. 

 wanna hear what the dotson kids are getting?

Harvey is getting a stuffed john deere tractor that makes noise.  He found it at the toy store in Childrens medical center and tried to steal it.  All the ladies who worked there were like giggling with joy.   He's also getting a robotic bird and a pull back car and a wooden hammer with a ball thing that pops through a slide thingy.  

Eva is getting a doll with brown hair and brown eyes.....all their dolls have blue eyes and she is always wanting one with brown eyes.  And a polly pocket car and craft kits and hmmm wooden cookies with frosting and sprinkles...they are so cute!  

Addie is getting a doll wheelchair and crutches and casts.  I know she is going to love it.  Its for her American girl doll and she is constantly wrapping their arms in toilet paper to make it look like they have casts.  Also a rubber ball making kit, polly pocket car and I need to get her something else but I don't know what yet.  hmmm.  Oh yeah, I sewed them both some clothes for their babies.

So now I just have to shop for relatives and I'm done!!!!  Because we are going to FLORIDA for Christmas.  Addie is afraid she is going to get left at home and have to fend off robbers because she's watched home alone too much.   I think it will be fun, we're going with my parents and staying on the beach so it will be a nice break from everything.  

I like to get all the shopping done early because my favorite parts of Christmas are all the things that don't involve gifts like going to see lights, and going to hear the Christmas devotional, and watching my kids perform in the church nativity (Addie is Mary this year) and delivering cookies.  Some years we plan a big service project but I haven't dreamt anything up yet...hmmm.  Maybe something in Florida?  I found out our church owns 1000's of acres in florida!  They produce a ton of food there, have a working cattle ranch, and orange groves, and wheat fields, and corn fields.  They use the food for the church welfare program. The church's welfare program is so awesome!  It would be fun to see if we could go tour it for Christmas.  Anyways, enough ramblings.  Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends!  I'm thankful for all of you!

November baby

Ahhhh I love Fall! Today was so beautiful.....yellow leaves, blue skies, mmmmmmmm. oooooh. Hhahahha. that reminds me of me and Steph...sometimes when we are in weird moods we'll call eachother and not say Hi just start groaning into the phone. A groan is a thousand words really. who needs a conversation when you can moan and groan for a while . We said when we're old we'll just call each other say "UGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH" then hang up.
Last night we went trick or treating with the kiddos. Oh Harvey was so cute...he trucked up to the door like he had been doing it for years. But he wimped out after about 4 houses so then Danny took him home and he fell asleep. Trick or treating in the suburbs just doesn't have the same kick as trick or treating when we lived in Dayton. One reason is NO ONE really trick or treated in Dayton. It must have been some unwritten rule. Sure they would schedule the night....but no one would actually go door to door. Except us. We would wheel little Addie Lou in her stroller door to door and everyone would look down the street, see no one and dump the whole bowl in her bag. We would get some serious candy. Although some people would get way too excited about halloween and put like fake dead bodies everywhere and fake blood and we would try to avoid the scary sex offender houses....with the big obese man leering down from his porch. Yep. Just keep walking. Then I compared it to my many years of trick or treating in P. hill. Tiny town, we all dressed up till we were 18 because we had marching band and had to play in the halloween parade. I really cant remember what I dressed up as but mostly I think it involved trucker men, or just working a mullet and a flannel shirt. Or an afro and a tie died t. shirt.
So I really don't get why every adolescent girl I saw last was wearing fishnets with a bikini top and a tutu. And they had some hormonal hooded sweatshirt wearing boy tagging behind them. UUUUGGGGGHHHHHH.

hey I am writing on here but Harvey is trying to sit on the keyboard so this will be fun. Awesome he just ran to the front door to try to see the dump truck. Men are easily distracted I've found. Especially 1 year old men. Harvey went to nursery for the first time on Sunday . He has slept through church since the first day he went at like 6 weeks. We would strap him in the stroller, take 2-3 laps around the dark gym, and he would be out for the entire 3 hour block. That's how its worked up till yesterday. I was playing the piano for the primary program. I dont' know but that is probably one of the most torturous days of the whole year is practicing for the primary program. It doesn't help that I've been in Primary now for like......9 years I think?
I enjoy kids. That's why I have 3 of my own. So it all works out. anyways, Harvey was awake so Danny took him to nursery and he said he didn't cry and the only thing Danny heard when he walked away was Sister Wade saying 'Harvey don't eat off other peoples plates" which made me laugh imagining Harvey digging into other kids snacks. And thinking of him being big enough to understand english. I've been busy wrestling him to the ground so he doesn't constantly throw things away in the trash. He threw my brand new shoe away I'm sure of it. It went missing and I've found my CELL phone in the trash, Addie's shoe, and my hairbrush, and huge things like a huge toy firetruck sitting on top of the trash can lid.
I've let my piano students earn "piano bucks" all summer and they all got to pick out of my piano store. Which was mostly candy. I couldn't think of anything more exciting. But then Eva raided the piano store and stole almost all the candy and hid it somewhere in her room....all I know is she has a serious stash of candy somewhere and whenever she wants any she just goes to her hiding place and finds it.
time out for women was really awesome! I went with my mommy and my sisters. We had a great time and heard (and met) Mercy River. And I met Brad Wilcox who I've heard speak since I was a teenager going to EFY. He is really hilarious in real life too. I'm definately going to try to go again. Also a shout out too my friend (won't say her name) who I saw there and she told me she is secretly expecting twins.....so it will make 7 kids total! She is my hero!

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Yep I'm here. Summer time is bad blogging time for me. Who wants to sit on the computer when I could be outside at the pool or playing with my kids. Also my old computer died so we had about a week transfer of shopping and setting up. Summer was good but incredibly hot. We went to Michigan for a week but spent the rest of it at home. Danny went back to school at the beginning of August. Addie decided to go to school. It was harder for me than her. I cried like a baby the night before she left but she acted very non chalant about it all. She get's herself on the bus every day and does her homework without help and has made some friends she talks about. So today Addie is home sick with a cold and the three kids are watching scooby doo. My friend is having a baby and I'm giving her a baby shower so I'm making food all day. Crescent rolls have CRISCO in them and I'm not talking just one or two spoonfulls like a FULL CUP! Crescent rolls should be called fat rolls...but I need it to make veggie pizza. The vegetables disguise the lard filled crust....HAHHAHAHA. Veggie pizza is a total oxymoron. What if I tried to make the whole world obese by selling them on the veggie pizza diet? That goes along with what danny and I were discussing the other night. Because he's been working out and trying to lose his belly as he says and I was like " if it's the end of the world you might be able to LIVE off the fat in your belly." and he was like "I don't think that's a good food storage plan" and I was like "WHAT IF you just tried to get really fat and then when everyone else in the whole world dies of starvation you are a lean 165 lbs and you can claim everything in the world and make yourself KING of the world???" I don't think it's that bad of a plan personally. I got a big old bag of llama wool I'm learning how to process. It's actually alot of work processing llama wool. First you gotta fluff it, then you gotta card it...which is a rickety machine that i use at this place I've been weaving at. Yes I'm weaving too. I'm going to make the llama wool into a rug. So then you card it...the machine is in the basement of the weaving store and you are surrounded by fibercrafts from years past and it's overloaded with old wool and spinning wheels and it really feels like a psychotic person could be lurking behind a shelf of red died wool or a freaky old woman ghost could show up sitting on a spinning wheel in the corner. So I try to think about other things while I card the wool. But it does take forever so my mind starts to wander. I've had to take a break the past couple of weeks because Addie is getting baptized at the end of the month, so I'm planning that and I'm making birthday presents for my niece and nephew and the baby shower and I'm doing coop preschool with Eva and I'm trying to work out everyday and I'm trying to just be all around awesome. so far I'm succeeding. Yes I am.

I told the witch doctor I was in love with you

.here's my baby and my nephew, Malachi...summer is in full bloom round here.
hanging outside with cousins is on the daily to do list
learning to walk at the ripe old age of 14 months.....he's so dreamy.....
answering the families request to make donuts...These ones turned out awesome and I made them from scratch so I was prideful about it.....but we downed about 2 dozen in a day or two so that's definately not something we will do weekly or we will end up being as round as donuts.

nighttime ramblings

(the day I threw out piggie, Addie's pig hand puppet from when she was a baby....I bawled)

up because I woke up to a warm shower. Yes a certain 4 year old woke up, crawled on me in bed, and proceeded to pee on me. She continued to sleep through that event and I said "Hey Eva wake up you just peed. " She woke up and laid down on the couch in our room and fell asleep again. pee and dreams. Awwww sleepy. So far a good summer is happening. The kids are loving their new trampoline, and we have a cheap odd lots pool arranged for summer jumping/splashing fun. I said I was going to work with Addie and Eva all summer on academic type subjects but that's going quickly out the window. We are all too lazy for anything structured. Maybe in a couple of weeks. My head hurts! I'm tired. Lately I've felt slightly ambitionless......happy just to go through life and ride the wave as I tell Rachel. Just ride the wave. But maybe I should be plotting some great thing for me to accomplish. I think mothering is taking all my umph out of me and I just have kind of a zzzzz happy feeling. Kind feels like a dose of novacaine has been injected through my whole body and whenever I think about some goal I'm like...maybe in ten years. Danny is such a sweet husband. Telling me I'm doing awesome and great, look at our kids, they are happy and healthy and learning. 11 years ago (last month) I met a short curly headed guy I couldn't completely distinguish from 2 other shortish dark haired guys at church. I just knew he was the cute one with a bald roommate. I love that guy.....sigh. Goodnight blog.