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!