At the Moment

     Each morning I allow myself a little time to check my computer.  Well, each morning that I don't have to be out somewhere else until later in the day, that is.  Anyway, I check my email, occasionally check facebook (which is really irritating me lately), and then check up on blogs.  Sometimes, when I am feeling a bit lazy, I will blog hop for a few minutes if no one that I follow has updated their blogs.  And people you really need to work on updating your blogs - this is getting boring!  But, then again, who am I to talk.  On with my point, as I was blog hopping I noticed someone posted an "At the Moment" post - just stating what was going on in life.  I liked it.  I thought it was quite clever.  And, I have decided to give it a go.  :)

So, as I mentioned, it is morning - the four oldest are finally out the door.  Luckily we have Josie who wakes us all up at about 7:15, after she has been up for at least half an hour.  Josh is usually up as well.  By the time I get up, Josh is ready and Josie just needs me to do her hair.  Thank goodness for them.  I still have to wake up Jaxon and Jake, who are both my night owls - little stinkers.  Jainie I don't worry about, she goes to afternoon K so she can sleep in, but usually doesn't.  Anyway,  I take Jaxon and Josie to Middle school every morning which means I have to leave the house, leaving Josh and Jake to finish getting ready by themselves.  Well, Jared is home but he isn't too involved in the morning process.  By the time I get home, Josh is usually riding his scooter to school so I smile and wave, and Jake's carpool is usually waiting for him in the front yard.  He is NEVER ready!!!  So aggravating - if anyone has ideas, I would love to hear them.  He is a putzer - just putzs around doing nothing forever until I tell him to go do certain things.  Since I leave, he usually doesn't have his hair combed, lunch packed, or face washed by the time he walks out the door.  Aaaagghh!  It drives me crazy.  I do make him eat breakfast and get dressed before I leave.  Isn't it so hard to know which battles to fight?  Anyway, they are all out the door and I feel like I have been through a mini-war already.  

Jainie is now sitting in the living room singing songs to her dolls and stuffed animals.  She is so funny.  I am so glad she can entertain herself so well.  And, I am glad she is still with me in the mornings.

The radio is on - Richfield radio - talk radio - which I have found to prefer in the mornings, until Rush comes on, then it is off.  I cannot stand to listen to anyone arguing on TV, radio, etc.  I think I hear too much during my regular day, I don't need any extra.

Jared is sick and has been for weeks - just a cold.  But, those colds can get annoying!!!  He is constantly coughing and has a running nose and now it has gone into his ears so he is really ornery because he can't hear very well.  Anyone know of medicine he can take to help this?

Jaxon has been a stinker lately.  I am not sure what is going on, but he is yelling at his siblings (and his parents), calling them names, using cutting remarks, etc.  Jared and I have both talked to him, trying to figure out what is going on.  Who knows?  Could it just be because he is a hormonal 13 year old middle schooler?  That is what I am hoping.  And then the other day I got an idea.  We should let him stay up til 9:00, with Jared and I watching something on TV.  It has helped.  I think he is starting to feel older and more mature (HA!) and I have decided that Jared and I need to start treating him more as an equal and less as a child.  Weird - he is still such a child.  But, it is helping.

We just had the Primary Program on Sunday.  It has always been my favorite Sunday of the whole year.  Being in charge makes it not quite as fun.  But, I am glad it is over and the kids were AMAZING!  They all did such a great job - I am so proud of all of them.  My kids tried to get their parts all memorized and ready, but not until the day or two before.  Hopefully they learned a valuable lesson.  My cute Joshi had a rather lengthy, kind of tricky scripture and once he got up and started he was fine, but then he lost concentration and it was downhill from there.  I was the one sitting by the kids prompting them and I wasn't wanting to help him much.  I should have.  He went back to his seat and started crying, then hid behind his neighbor the rest of the program.  Broke my heart.  I just had to sit there and try to get him to smile.  He wouldn't look at me.  I have a feeling that that will happen more and more often as my children grow.  It's so hard to watch them fall and be sad.  It stinks!

General Conference is this next weekend and I am so excited.  I love it!  I need to get the house ready so I can just enjoy it.  Yea! 

These pictures are from one year ago.  I have been thinking about that too.  I am so glad my fingers are better - you can still tell something has happened but only if you look close.  This was one of the most painful things I have ever dealt with.  I don't suggest it - I repeat:  Do not grind off your fingernails and top of your fingers!  For that matter, you probably shouldn't grind anything off - it hurts!

Sorry, I know this one is gross - that is why I left it small.

Not sure why I am smiling here, it was about a week
later, must be feeling better.  

 Well, that is all I have time for today.  But, I like this new idea - it is how my life is, crazy and sporadic.  Oh, and not organized.  Yep, that is how things have been lately.

My little Chippy in K

     I cannot believe that my baby is in Kindergarten!  But, she is and she is sooo excited - finally, able to be big like all the other kids.  She has been ready for this day for at least a year.  Boo.  But, I guess I have to let her grow up.  In some ways it is easier than sending my first, Jaxon.  She seems older than he did at the same time and she is definitely my feistiest.  I think because all my other kids adore her - they tell her how smart she is and how cute she is and how wonderful she is a million times every day.  Too bad we can't all have that, it really makes a difference.  So,  I am not really worried about her, just wondering what I will do without her.

So, this is what she chose to wear the first day - she is quite the girl.  She insisted on her hair being in a ponytail so it would look longer.  

This is the backpack that she just had to have.  Her face looks a little crazy in this picture from turning halfway, but I think it fits because she is a little crazy.

So, off we went to school and I had convinced her that she needed me there, which she didn't.  At first she told me to just drop her off, but then decided I should walk her in.  I had her convinced that I should stay the whole day with her but then, decided since I was the only mom there, I probably better go.  Plus, she wasn't needing me at all and I was just standing there talking to the IA, so I guess it was to make my departure.  She did give me a hug and said she would be good.  And, I walked out of the building wondering what I should do with myself.  It was very sad.  For me.

You can see she was fine.  In fact, she started making a pattern with her blocks, which the teacher came and commented on and then all the other kids started making patterns.  I am sure she will do great.  And, she loves it. 

 In fact, on the 2nd day, she thought I missed the turn to drop her off at school so she was asking me, "Where are we going?  Why aren't you taking me to school?"  So I told her I had decided we would go to St. George and go shopping for the day (she loves St. G and loves shopping, so I thought she might agree).  Well, it was silent and I turned around and she was on the verge of tears and said, "I just want to go to school."  Oh, what could I do?  So, off she went.  I am sure that someday she will regret that decision.  :)  But, for now, I am glad she is loving school.  I am thinking I should have used reverse psychology on the boys, who don't like school.  Probably wouldn't work, what does with boys?  :)

One last story, we have been carpooling with a couple other girls in our neighborhood and it was our turn last week.  So, we got ready one day but had a few minutes before we needed to go pick them up.  Well, Jainie said, "let's go so we can get to school."  I told her we would be too early if we went right then.  She turned very seriously and questioned me, in all sincerity, "What does early mean?"  hahaha I about died laughing.  Then, I thought, "Wow! She knows a lot of words and is pretty smart - I guess I better start doing better being early."  Isn't it great how kids keep you on your toes?