Freedom!

I know with the 4th of July coming up your thinking "Oh a nice post about enjoying the freedoms of America." Nope. It's about my Glen running around naked. Yup, you read that right, naked. See I;m potty training right, which means less clothes then normal, but he is in the back yard, it enclosed and safe for him to run around with not much on. But sometimes, he wants just a little more freedom. Freedom from the gate, and freedom from clothes. At this point he takes off the few clothes he has on, climbs the fence and takes off stark naked. Kids run faster naked, right?

Can you imagine my mortification when my neighbor brought him back. I did not even know he was gone, but he had climbed the fence and taken off down the street. My neighbor, a nice little old man, saw him take off and ran after him bless his soul. Other times someone has seen him and told him to go back inside, or one of his friends will bring him home. He escapes so often I can't even tell you.

While it drives me crazy every time he makes a break for it, I can;t help but laugh. I mean, naked babies are cute! And I just wish I was a neighbor watching him climb the fence and take off in naught but the skin God gave him. :D

I even tried the scare tactic and told him about bad people that will steal him away and I'd never see him again and he might die and my heart would break into a million tiny pieces, but he wouldn't listen. He just told me in his faith-of-a-child way that I would hunt them down and kill them and it would be ok. So since nothing will work but keeping my eye on him 24-7 (Is that possible? I'm pretty sure he knows how to become invisible.) I just pray that he will be safe, trust in the goodness of neighbors, and pray that I will be close to the Spirit and follow promptings. Oh ya, and if it's too quiet, I'll go check for a pile of clothes.

Poor Computer, no, Poor me!

My poor computer broke, ok, just one tinsy little part broke. But that tinsy little part means that I have no internet for awhile. No Facebook, email, blogging, recipes, or surfing unless I want to wait until 10:30 when my husband gets home from school with his laptop, or I want to use my neighbor's. The library won't happen. Can you just picture me sitting there blogging while my two toddlers run a muck? Not happening. So I will just hang out at my neighbors more often, they love me anyway, right and blog less.
I am sorry my faithful friends, I really miss blogging every day. I miss the chance to get my thoughts, experiences, and testimoniy out for the world to read. But stay tuned. I will try to keep up on the blog, even if it means staying up late occasionally, not that I don't do that anyway :D And until the next post just think of giraffes. And feel free to leave a comment so I know you're still around.
Loves!

Babies

YAY! We had a great day today, WAY, way better then the past few days. Last night as I prayed I talked to Heavenly Father and told him how frustrated I felt. I have been trying so hard, and I SO want to be a good mother, but it's really tough. We are all Heavenly Father's children and my children and still His. I know that He has not given up on them, he still loves them and so He will help me to be a good mother. So as I prayed I told Him a what I felt like I had learned, told Him I was going to take this opportunity to learn patience, and could He please help me to have a better day tomorrow.

It started out great, I was short a couple hours of sleep because of a rough night with the boys, but I felt rested and ready for the day. And we did have a good day, I felt patient, we had fun, and Glen did great with the potty training. I came back from a church activity to a baby sitter who told me that he had refused to go tot he bathroom the whole three hours, but he was dry and told me when he needed to go. I was so happy I made a HUGE deal about it, dancing, singing, hugging, kissing, tickling, and I gave him a squirt gun he wanted as a reward.

I know that Heavenly Father loves us. I know that He has a plan for us. I know that we are His children and He will guide us. Think of the person you love the very most in this world. Then think that Heavenly Father loves us all even more. He loves us deeper, purer, and more perfect then we can even imagine. His love is perfect, unending, and REAL! I promise you it is.

Peace Gardens

Oh boy, today was tough. I have been really stressed lately and we have had a lot of tough days. But I feel inspired to do better, reading Louisa May Allcott will do that for you. Anyway, today we went with our summer play group to the Peace Gardens. It was really pretty. There are a lot of different area devoted to different countries, gardens area's tress, flowers, and cool little decorations like a mini Eiffle Tower, small houses, bridges, and even a miniature Stone Henge. The group was doing picture bingo, but my kids are to young for that so we kinda just wandered around doing our own thing. I was having a really hard time being patient because I wanted cute pictures, and they wanted to do their own thing without worrying about posing for mom or stopping to look at me and smile. So we compromised. They got to choose where to go, I got to take at least *one* good picture, and occasionally I got a turn to choose. ear the end when I let go we did better. I have noticed that the more controlling I try to be the less we get a long. So I try to let them do what they want so long as it isn't hurting anyone, harmful to material objects, or dangerous. And usually we do pretty good. There are times when I have to say we do this now because it is important, but kids need freedom. The more we suppress kids the more they rebel and do their own thing. I just need to teach my children to choose the right, and then let them choose.

Potty training has gone like that. When I got to controlling with it, Glen dug in his heels and wouldn't do what I wanted. But today when I was so ready to give it all up we sat down for a heart to heart and I told him how important this was. I told him that I was going to make it his job to stay dry, I would remind him occasionally, but it was up to him. If he does well he gets the Toy Story Snuggy he wants, if not then he has the natural consequence of cleaning up his messes and not getting his reward. SO far it has worked. I remind him and he goes or he doesn't, i don't push it. I have needed to remind him of the reward and that gets him going, but he is mush more willing.Heavenly Father gave us agency, the ability to make our own choices. I think that everyone, kids and adults alike, enjoy this feeling of having a choice and hate to have that choice taken away. We will sometime do the opposite just to prove we can still make our won choices. So now I am working to teach them to choose the right, letting them choose, and taking all these wonderful opportunities to learn patience and using them for good.

Grumpy

RAWR! I woke up in an ok mood, then *someone* refused to go to the bathroom. That same someone got put Popsicles and when I said no Popsicles for breakfast two little someones started screaming their head off. More screaming over cereal, then again with getting dress, then some more over chores. Is it any wonder I'm grumpy too? I have found that grumps feed off of each other.

Now that I have discovered the problem, grumpy mommy, then I can stop being grumpy, right? Easier said then done. I know that I have the ability to choose my mood, and how I react, but sometimes it is really hard to stop being grumpy. Every time I think of Glen grabbing the scissors and cutting up his new horse, giving his brother a hair cut, and destroying a new book, I really feel like growling. Grrr! But I have found something that helps me feel less grumpy. Music. the very best music for me is the music that helps me feel Heavenly Father's Spirit. Luckily I can download all the children's songs and church hymns for free on this website. http://lds.org/churchmusic/ Some of the other songs I really like are country songs. There are some really good ones out there, but the best ones for a grumpy mommy are the songs that talk about being a family and cherishing every moment.

I have been listening to church music as I sit here and type and thinking of those country songs I like. I still feel a little on edge, but with some effort I can turn my day around and choose to be happy. I want to be happy. I hate being grumpy because I end up taking it out on my children and it just breaks my heart to think that I am making them sad. I love them. That's it, I choose right now to be happy today!

Moments That Matter Most

It's the small moments in life that are the most important. It's those moments that help us feel loved and important, and it's those moments that we and other will remember. It's time to slow down and enjoy life a little more.

For more Mormon messages visit this link http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=bd163ca6e9aa3210VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD

Take a look at Mormon.org too

Just Another Day in Paradise

Today was one of those day, one of those days that at the end I love being a mother instead of feeling like I have survived. I LOVE days like this. In the morning we met our summer camp play group at the park and rode scooters, blew bubbles, played ball, ran through the sprinklers, and played with rocket balloons. After that we went home for lunch and we were pleasantly surprised to find that John's class had been cancelled so we got to spend some time with him. We all took naps while John worked on homework, then after nap we went to take Glen for a pony ride. The pony ride place had gone out of business, so we went for milk shakes and hamburgers instead. After we got home we washed the car, which is the same as starting a fight with a 3 year old who loves water, and then ate Popsicles and read books. That seems like a bad combination, but I made sure I read the books and hosed the kids off before they got to read. After I hosed the Popsicle off the boys we went inside to find jammies, and cuddled up to read more books. I think the popcorn helped them stay still for an hour, but they also love to read so they relished the time I gave them, and begged for more at the end. One more book then off to bed and no complaints. Wow! What a great day for us.

Recently I have become to busy. Busy people bug me, they are to busy to hang out, to busy to play, to busy to

serve, and it bothers me. Then I discovered I had also become to busy, it is easy to do in this busy world. I noticed it when Glen started saying, "Just a sec first, let me do this first, I'm too busy, I can't I'm busy." And other such things. Then I realized he learned it from me. So today I tried not to be busy. I put off chores until tomorrow and we just played. Every once and a while we need a play day to help us get our priorities back in order. I cannot be too busy for

my kids, I just won't let myself anymore. They are too important to me to be too busy and it that means turning off the computer or putting down my book then I will do it. They are worth it!

One Great Adventure After Another

Motherhood is such an adventure, not one for the weak either. Motherhood is one adventure after another, really. This weeks adventure is with Glen. Here is my oldest boy, this picture is at least 6 months old, but it is so darn cute, he is my little man.

Well my little man is about to turn three, and that means potty training. We started yesterday and by the end of the night I was close to tears and ready to give up. But with a few hints and a little encouragement from my very good friend I didn't give in and go back to diapers. Glen is doing so well, and today has been even better then yesterday. I don't think that is is going to take as long as I had worried, or be as hard as I feared.

There are a lot of milestones with kids, some are fun, happy milestones, and some are scary or sad. I did not look forward to potty training, but it will be so good. I have to face the fact that kids growing up means potty training, the first day of school, teenagers, and dating. But with each of those frightening and somewhat sad milestones comes good times. The first day of school mean the end of being his hero, best friend, and everything, but it means the beginning of a a lifetime of learning together. Teenagers mean powers struggles and trying to figure out who they are, but it means that I have a friend, I get to listen and be there as they have fun with friends and in high school. Dating mean worry and wondering what's going on, but dating is so much fun.

Yes, motherhood is full of good times and bad, but just like everything, having a good attitude and looking for the positive makes it better. And really, good times or bad, kids are SO VERY worth it!

The Great American Wild West Show

What a fun time we had at the Great American Wild West Show. After spending about 4 days helping my mom and dad move they decided that to say thank you they would buy us tickets to the show. They could not have picked a better way to say thank you. Glen had such a great time he is still talking about it a week later. And you know as a parent it is always more fun to see kids enjoying something, especially something new, then to watch it by yourself.

As soon as we got there Glen climbed up onto the fence where a cowboy let him pet his horse, he didn't get off the fence until we moved seats. I picked bad seats and we were stuck looking at the flags on the fence whenever the opened it and sometimes missed a whole segment so we moved higher.

Here are some of the things we saw, I will try to remember them all.

Trick riders,

sharp shooters,

a dancing horse,

Fancy rope work,

Spirit and Hoop dances,

One man rode two horses at the same time while he was standing on their backs and he jumped through a ring of fire,

A stage coach hold up with bandits and the Marshall to save the day,

The Lone Ranger made an appearance,

Long horned cattle being herded,

Cloggers dancing to our favorite song "Banjo boy" By Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band,

There were lights, music, history,

We met Chief Geronimo, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and Annie Oakly.

There was so much to see and learn. We all had so much fun. Glen's favorite part was seeing the cowboys herding the Long horn cattle, meeting the Lone Ranger, getting a "real" (Plastic) bullet from a cowboy, and the 16 year old girl who rode her horse upside down with her hair and hands dragging in the dirt. Benjamin's favorite part was the stage coach hold up, the lights and music, and sitting with our friend Dean, who came with us. I really liked watching the kids, and I also enjoyed the Native American dancers, and the trick riders, they sure were cool.

The show is going to be an annual thing and I'd sure love to go again next year. IF you ever get the chance to go, take it, it is amazing and so much fun.

PS this is not a picture from the show, but it is the best picture I could find of a long horned cow being herded. I could just kick myself for forgetting my camera.

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Oh boy did I have a rough day yesterday! I didn't feel well and I was impatient and emotional and people said and did some mean things. It was a really hard day and I was feeling really sorry for myself. That night when John got home from work he asked me how my day was and I told, in tears, him all the rotten things that had happened to me that day. After I had calmed down we said our couple prayer together and John thanked the Lord for the day. After the day I had just had I wished that it had never happened and I wasn't grateful at all.

I knew as soon as I finished that thought that it was wrong. I thought back on my day as I got ready for bed and I started to focus less on the terrible parts, and more on the happy parts. I got to sleep in since I wasn't feeling well. As soon as I woke up Benjamin yelled "mamma!" and ran smiling into my arms, I got to hear the kids laughing and playing with daddy for a few minutes before he left for work, we had time to play together, I made Glen's day be letting him have a few extra minutes in the play area at Charles Jr. and he came down the slide just to give me a kiss and say "I love you." After thinking about it for a few minutes I realized that it wasn't such a terrible no good day, it was a normal day. But it was a day where I chose to focus on the two or three things that bothered me to the point of excluding the huge list of things that made it such a wonderful day. I heard once that we get what we focus on consistently, that is why I try to be positive and not complain. So on those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days I am going to try and find some things that are good, and ya know what? I don't think it will be all that hard.