lately i...

... have been obsessing over what my children are going to wear to my brother's wedding in a couple weeks. typically, i'm great with hand-me-downs and whatever clean thing can be found in the closet. but for some reason, i've decided to visit every children's clothing store on the west coast in order to find the perfectly coordinated attire for the wee ones, since this clearly falls into the "special occasion" category and happens to also be the week after easter (therefore: 2-for-1 special occasion attire). and i'm super excited that i found great little ties and hats and such for the boys and a gorgeous dress for ella. the "problem" is that they don't co-ordinate with each other. brown and blue and khaki and plaid ties do not so much match black and white polka dots. so i've looked some more. but my heart is sorta set on ella's dress. as well as on the boys ties. and hats. i really dislike shopping. goodness gracious... being materialistic and shallow is exhausting.

... read just courage by gary haugen. and its a great book. very inspiring and i will go ahead and say it should be a must read for you all out there. haugen is the founder/president of IJM (international justice mission) and allows his life to be used by God in some pretty phenomenal ways to fight injustice around the world. challenging and convicting all at the same time.

...have been watching "food, inc." usually, documentaries make me yawn. but i've been pleasantly surprised (and even learn something!) when i make the time to watch. for instance, "expelled." fantastic. "march of the penguins." totally fascinating. and now... food inc. its eye-opening and makes me want to move to my own personal farm with my own chickens and cows and plant my own crops. but i won't, of course. instead, i'll just feel more guilty every time i open a box of mac n cheese or feed my kids from a fast food restaurant.

... read "the empty pot" with my kids. loved it. also fun: "tops and bottoms"

... have been flossing my kids teeth every night. this is really annoying to me, especially considering i don't even take the time to floss my own teeth. but recently, we took the kids to the dentist and they both had cavities. i feel personally responsible for this. between giving them probably too much sugar and then considering it a personal sorta break when i send them to brush their own teeth unsupervised, i've most certainly played a part. hopefully they'll forgive me someday.

speaking of curious george...

guess who had an unfortunate trip around southern california the other day?
years ago, i used to see women driving mini-vans, stuff falling out all over the place, kids freaking out, cheerio trails...

and i used to think: "pull it together!"

i don't think that any more.

'cause now that's me.

*sigh*

"let he who hath no sin cast the first stone..."

what's with spongebob anyway?

seriously, could there be a more obnoxious children's character?
and my kids are completely obsessed with him.

not that they have ever seen one of his episodes.

they know they can't watch him.

bennett: "mommy, why is spongebob inappropriate?"

ella: "because zoe's mommy said so."

she's right. a few years ago i heard another mom (that i respect) say her kids don't watch spongebob because he's inappropriate. good enough for me.

and that's all the research i need to do on that subject.

but they still ask. and they are still completely mesmerized by this ridiculous, loud, yellow headed thing.

it doesn't help that he is EVERYWHERE.

we'll be roaming through the grocery store and mason will scream, "bob-bob! bob-bob!" (never mind that he still won't say MOMMY! but spongebob, yes.) he's on soup, string cheese, cereal, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, toothpaste... i can't get away.

and he's on mason's toothbrush. he gets so excited, "bob-bob! bob-bob!"recently, at mason's well check, the dr is asking me about mason's developmental milestones. for the most part, the kid is pretty advanced (of course). but when it comes to speech...

the doctor asks, "does he say 4 to 8 words?"

let's see:
1. dada
2. bob-bob
3. didts (translation: this)
4. mommy

"nope."

doctor: "is he able to make his needs known?"

me: "does pointing, flinging his body, banging his head on the floor, and screaming count?" yes, he very much communicates.

(oh, and he does also smile, nod and say please (and airplane!) in sign language. so he isn't always the terrible demon i make him out to be.)

(but in case you stop feeling sorry for me, you must know he is still a handful. and super dramatic. and often emotionally volatile. and if i could pay someone to deal with him everyday after his nap, i totally would.)
but back to spongebob...

every once in awhile, my kids sneak spongebob contraband into a stack of library books. and they get so excited.

and i can't figure out why. among many other reasons, they are totally and completely lame. and i feel as though these books completely insult the intelligence of children everywhere.

(but i will say, raising impressionable preschoolers aside, "nincompoop" is kinda a funny word.)

so the other night, i tell them, again, we can't read the latest spongebob book because it has naughty words in it.

they are disappointed, of course.

why can't they just be content with curious george, the most innocent character on tv?he's a monkey who can't even talk. therefore he isn't disrespectful to his parents, calling people "stupid", getting in sibling fights, dealing with peer pressure, lying, smoking cigarettes...

they do love curious george. i mean, who doesn't.

but they long for spongebob.

but here's the thing: how do they even know what they are missing?

its like my friend christina says, spongebob is the forbidden fruit. they want it even more since they know they can't have it.

hmmm...

i can't possibly relate to this, can i?

i mean... if there is something i know to be bad for me to see/hear/watch on tv/say/participate in, i have absolutely no problem whatsoever.

none.

i am never ever curious or tempted in finding out for myself.

ever.

ahem.

funny what your kids can teach you.

turns out, i just may have "spongebob"-type problems of my own.

and just when i was beginning to think i had it all figured out...

a little more beach ('cause you can never have too much, right?)

we'll call this the "jumping over your sister" series the prep: the discussion: the running start: the "i don't want to miss out on this fun":the "ow! mason! over... not on!": good times, good times...

grammy time

the last few days, we've been hanging out with grammy.
doing all we can to convince her she should go get poppa and move on out here.
and if the glorious southern california climate is not enough of an incentive...
who would want to miss the opportunity to see these little ones grow up?its all about the memories...
(feeling guilty yet, mom?)

alive and well

after some loooonnnnng days...

and tough nights... (yes, she really fell asleep like this)

and after 3 doctor visits, 2 pharmacy visits, lots of whining, crying and complaining (sometimes by the kids)...

and after being so wonderfully surprised with soup and brownies from a very, very wonderful friend who apparently sensed my desperation from my um... honesty? on the blog, (unowho, i love you)...

we have made it.and life is good again.and yeah, he's still recovering from his ear infection and horrific cold and should probably have on socks and shoes, if not pants and even a shirt while playing outside....
but it is a rather nice day today. and look at this: do you see it?

he's smiling. he's happy.

let's not mess with it.

its my anniversary...

...and all i want is some orange juice, hot tea, and my children to play quietly and happily and not need anything at all until anthony comes home. (oh, and maybe a gallon of milk so i don't have to haul all of us to the grocery store.)

if you would have asked me 9 years ago how i'd be celebrating my anniversary today, i'd have pictured a tropical location and a brightly colored umbrella in my drink. i wouldn't have guessed it would include coughs, fevers, headaches, snot, amoxicillin, and little boy feet kicking my back all. night. long.

but alas, such is life.

and a happy anniversary to my hubby.

so i interviewed my children today to get their take on marriage.

why do people get married?
bennett: well, because they are supposed to. right?
ella: to have kids

how old was daddy when he got married?
bennett: 4
ella: 18

when are you getting married?
bennett: i'm not going to marry ANYONE! (thinks for a little bit)... well, except maybe the leamans
me: all of them? (there are 4)
bennett: sure.
ella: well, i just haven't decided yet.

how does someone get married?
bennett: by eating a lot of chicken. because it has protein in it. (what?)
ella: they find a husband and ask them if they can get married. then the wife rides in a carriage and then they find a pond and they go under the water and come right back up and they are married!
(so maybe we have baptism and marriage a little mixed up...)

how much did mommy's ring cost?
bennett: $5. no, actually, i think it was probably expensive. $6
ella: like $50

what does a wife do for her husband?
bennett: cook.
ella: cook. (and i even asked them at different times.)

what does the husband do?
bennett: plays pillow fights with the kids while the wife does the dishes.
(well... someone gets to be the fun parent.)
ella: goes to work to make money for his wife

what is love?
bennett: God
ella: when you love someone you buy them presents so that they can be happy.

how does daddy show mommy how much he loves me?
bennett: stop asking me questions!!!
ella: he buys you flowers. and he takes us out on dates so you can stay home alone.

how does mommy show daddy how much i love him?
ella: by cooking meals for him and doing all his dishes. (apparently, i make being a wife look real glamorous around here...)

here is where it would be cute to add some picture of my kids or one of anthony and i. but i'd rather go back and lay on the couch before my head explodes.

love you, honey. happy anniversary.

inked

when its quiet, and the door is closed, its not gonna be good. bennett (deer in the headlight look), frantically before i even say anything: "mason did some of this!"

me: "did you do some of it too?" bennett, thinks for a bit and then raises his eyebrows and smiles at me sideways: "well, i didn't do some of it."

well, that's sorta honest, i guess. (please disregard messy room. our home was recently ransacked.)

and the winner is...

... let me just begin by saying this wasn't easy.

i mean, yeah, it was a total random draw (and if you don't believe me just ask my honest 5 year old who pulled the number out of a bucket) but i know just how badly each and every one of you wanted your own chocolate fountain. or brand new car. or whatever.

and by drawing one winner, really, it felt to me like i was picking all these losers.

but you aren't losers. and i'm sorry i'm not totally loaded otherwise i'd buy you all your favorite prize.

but i'm not. so here goes...

the winner is:

BETHANY!!!

congratulations!

and to the rest of you, please don't feel sorry for yourselves.

instead feel sorry for me. because my head is pounding and i feel like i have razor blades in my throat. and my already screaming insomniac son now has an ear infection. so, i'd kinda like to crawl under the covers and not come out until monday. or april.

but that's not gonna happen. these kids around here actually need attention from me. most inconvenient when i'm feeling like death.

well. enough about me. go congratulate bethany! and then go shop at csnstores and tell them how much you want me to do another giveaway.

and thank you to all for playing.

the joy of dentist appointments

(only 2 days until free stuff! enter the giveaway here.)

i went to the dentist last week. and it was awesome.

not because we found an awesome coupon and saved a ton of money.

and not because i have no cavities! (and considering i haven't been to the dentist in at least 3 1/2 years, this is a big deal. especially in light of the fact that pregnancy and nursing can wreak havoc on your bones/teeth, what with those little babies sucking all the calcium out of your body. and since i feel like i've been pregnant or nursing for the majority of the last 5 1/2 years, i was prepared for massive cavities. so, i was pleasantly surprised when she said my teeth looked great.)

and speaking of my teeth looking great, she said they were the best she had ever seen, especially considering i haven't had braces.

and yes, of course she was telling the truth and no it was not false flattery.

(i sense, right now, across the miles, that my sister just might be rolling her eyes. that poor girl had a horrible time with dentists, braces, etc growing up and i never did. and she spent far more time than i brushing and flossing. i remember the sores in her mouth, dreading her orthodontist appointments, painful cavities. it doesn't seem fair.)

(however, her children are far calmer and way better sleepers than mine, so just maybe it does all work out in the end. 'cause i'd pretty much rather have a root canal than repeat the first year of mason's life.)

anyhow...

the greatness of this visit also did not come in the fact that this awesome dentist didn't see the need to lecture me on flossing. she asked if i floss (because that's what dentists do) and instead of lying and saying sometimes (as in at least twice a year or anytime i have corn on the cob) i said no. and that was that. finally, a dentist that recognizes that if a grown adult is not flossing, no amount of guilt-tripping/lecturing/threatening is going to make them change their ways.

i was a little concerned about the effect they might see of all my teeth grinding. because i grind those things something fierce. this seems so weird to me. isn't sleep supposed to be the most relaxing moment of ever? why on earth would i grind my teeth like i'm trying to chew through leather; so bad that my jaw is sore the next morning? the dentist asked, "are you under a lot of stress?"

ummm..... let me think about that:yep.

so anyhow, if you are still reading this boring post all about me, the real reason the dentist trip was so fantastic had to do with the ridiculously long wait between x-rays and the dentist making her way over to me. because while i waited, i was reclined in this comfy chair, looking at the gorgeous mountains out the window...

and i fell asleep.

it was awesome! one of the best naps i've had in a long time. and i wasn't even concerned if someone "caught" me sleeping. i felt so rested by the time i left there.

so yeah, i have to go to the dentist to get some decent sleep. something is seriously wrong with me.

"the fun mommy"

i found ella's latest book while cleaning off the table.
it better be about me.