Ten on Tuesday

1.      So my kids and I have always said I love You, I love your more, most, mostest, mostestest, mostestestest etc. So I’ve lately been telling them that I love them to infinity and beyond. Yesterday Jeffrey was trying to win and said I love you 111. He won. Love love love that.

2.      Sick kids are no fun. But if I had to pick one to be sick it would be Annmarie. Sunday night she comes into my room walking funny. “mom I puked on my knees” She had gotten to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet (This is so awesome that she made it there by herself) and didn’t get it all in the toilet. But she makes it to the bathroom. Better than they boys.

3.      Speaking of Annmarie she made me so happy this week. One night during scriptures, I started crying. It was a long day and I had not been a stellar mother. The kids asked what was wrong. I started apologizing to them, the she comes up and hugs me and then starts rubbing my back and arm. It was so awesome!       

  

4.      Will and Jeffrey shared a bed this past week. Why because it seems that the temptation of pushing Will’s bed off the top bunk is too much of a temptation for them. So they shared a bed. It was actually really cute to go in there and hear Will reading Star Wars and other books to him. Needless to say there was not much sleeping that went on. So they are back on their own beds. Although last might Jeffrey tried to go on top and read with Will. 

5.      Speaking of reading. The kids all have the reading bug. This makes me so happy. Jed will look at Star Wars books forever. It looks like he is really reading them, Jeffrey likes to pretend he can read. I read the line then he “reads” it after me. Annmarie started reading a chapter book all by herself. Then on Sunday she read Mosiah 1 during Sacrament meeting (we no longer bring anything into the meeting except scriptures and diapers). Will gets so sad when we go to the libirary without him. The boys all know where the Star Wars books are in 2 different libarary’s. Does anyone but me sense a problem here. I have to tell them only 2 books each, or there would be no Books left in that section. Annmarie always picks about 12 princess books. I let her do it because I know she will read them.

6.      Finals. . . Chris has finals coming up starting next Monday. I don’t think I like finals. In Law school your entire grade for the class is based on the 1 test. That’s it no other grade at all. So needless to say he is just a bit stressed. He always comes home to eat dinner with us, then has been heading back to school shortly after. I must say I would be a terrible single mother. I depend on Chris so much and miss him when he is not here. 

7.      Winter Quarters temple. Our friends the Kennedy’s watched our kids so Chris and I could go to a session together. Such a wonderful blessing. I miss having a temple a short 20 min drive away. But 2 hours away is much better than 4. I’m just grateful to have a temple close by and the ability to go.

8.      Star wars obsession. So Will and Jeffrey emptied their piggy banks this last week so they could get a star wars book from the book order. So funny they are willing to use their own money. I guess that I should be happy they don’t want to spend it on candy like I would

9.      Paper dolls – I loved these as a kid. I found some on Saturday and Annmarie got them on Sunday. Hope she loves to play with them as much as I do.

10.  Dinner – I think I love dinners the most when we have people over. It is so nice to talk with other adults. Whether it be missionaries or another couple or another family. It is just nice to sit around the table and talk. Usually we have people over on Sundays, it is such a nice way to make the day pass a little faster and also have someone new to talk to. So for those who have come to dinner thanks for putting up with us.

 one of my favorite photos from Christmas.

 Annmarie and Clara had so much fun playing together

Annmarie in front of our 3rd snowman in 1 day. But it was our first snowmen of the season. This was early march. funny huh.

Annmarie showing off her new bling.

Jed fell asleep watching . . . yes star wars. 

Our kids at the temple with Sister Kennedy and their son.

Side note I finally uploaded all my photos onto facebook from Christmas. . .

Ten on Tuesday

Someday I will actually take photos again, and upload them, just not today

1.      I waited to write this so I would know for sure if we were castles in the house first and . . . we are!!! Annmarie got her cast off today. I cannot tell you how excited I am that she can shower by herself (She had to do baths and I had to hold her arm. . . PAIN) again and get all clean!!!!

2.      Peas – I used to love these now not so much. Why you ask well during Confrence my kids were playing great in their room. Over a week later we found out that they had put peas in their ears. Jeffrey actually told us that day. But Will and Annmarie waited until I actually looked in their ears last Monday. We got one out of Will’s ear and thought that was all. But the next day a family friend who is a Dr looked in all their ears. Will had a pea in his other ear still! And Annmarie had tons of junk in them. Needless to say a trip to urgent care for Will and an ear flush and he is pea free. Then a trip the following day to The dr and Annmarie ends her ear drops today to hopefully help her stop picking at her ears. Morals of this story? 1. If your kids are behaving really good, go find out why. 2. Never by snap peas again!

3.      Chris is staying here this summer. He accepted the internship with the governor here this summer. I think the biggest factor was his family was going to be with him. We could not be happier!

4.      Church callings – I must say we (both of us) are learning more and more about how things go in branches than we had ever hoped to. We love our callings and are thankful for them, but are learning the “joys” that go along with callings that we have never experienced.

5.      Kris Allen – Why other than she is just plain awesome? Well her habit of 10 on Tuesday got me doing this. Plus she texted me today to remind me that she was waiting to read my oh so exciting 10 items.

6.      A new addition to our family. . . a new car! We have bought a 2001 VW Passat standard!!  I was bumed at first thinking Chris would get all the fun driving it to work this summer until I realized that I only have 3 kids at home during the day and I can drive it to The YMCA, to run errands etc. It gets much better gas milage than our van.

7.      Babies!! No I am not pregnant (see above) but in the last week I have gotten to hold 2 brand new babies. Plus my sister in law was induced early this morning so sometime soon I’ll have a new niece or nephew. I love holding newborns. Yes it always makes me want more and someday when Heavenly Father decides its time we will add more to our family.

8.      YMCA – I love love love our Y. They have treated us so kindly. When my parents came to visit they gave them a free guest pass for the whole time they were there. My kids love the child watch, early out PE and any other class I put them in. I love their exercising classes and the people who work there. They all remind me of Kindy, rec management majors! Plus they did an Easter egg hunt on Saturday. It was great. Jed was so funny. He didn’t want to pick up any eggs. He only wanted candy. It took him a good 3 min before he would accept there was candy in the eggs. Then he was good to go.

9.      Rain and cold weather – I forgot that just because the snow has melted it doesn’t mean that it will not be cold anymore. The last few days have been cold cold cold. Today is all rain and maybe snow tonight. Yes I still do love spring.

10.  Harry Potter – yes I am a huge fan. We bought the new movie and yes it was date night, kind of. Plus it makes me so much more excited for July 15^th! Also what do I listen to when I run on the dreaded treadmill? Why yes it would be Harry Potter 7. Right now I’m where Harry is walking into the forbidden forest. Oh I love that book and hope that the movie does justice to the book.

Ten on Tuesday

That's right I've succumbed to the realization this is the only way I'm going to write here.
so since Its my first I will write from how ever far back I want

1. Annmarie broke her arm. She has a wonderful sparkly pink cast. She fell off her cousin's bunk bed. She was a huge trooper and stopped whimpering as soon as she got to play angry birds on the Itouch (not ours)

2.The Lee's Sealing. For spring break (well a few days of it) we went to Las Vegas to see our great friends get sealed in the temple to each other and then their kids. Such a wonderful moment. So happy to be there to see another family be sealed for time and all eternity.

3. Chris has been offered 2 internships this summer. Now we are off to decide which to take one in AZ or one here in Des Moines

4. I (Karen) have signed up for a half marathon. It is the last Saturday of this month. Hopefully I can finish it this time since my training has been limited due to 2 weeks of sick kids, traveling and me being sick. I think there is no time goal for me this time, just cross the line.

5. Spring has sprung!!!! Oh how I have missed a spring that lasts and is not 3 days long. I have had allergy issues but am happy to have them because I love where I live so much!

6. Harry Potter 7 part 1 comes out on Friday. I know what date night will be this week.

7. Thanks to a good friend and her kind husband I got to have a girls trip to the mall complete with pedicures. So nice to sit and talk with TerriLyn without or kids and before she had her 3rd (today at 12:29pm) such a great time.

8.  Tangled. Oh my this movie is AWESOME!!! I love Maximus.  Chris laughed hysterically during Flyn and max's "sword" fight. Annmarie now wants hair like Rapunzel. Its going to take a long time to get there.

9. Star wars. Jed is so obsessed. That is all he wants to play and has his own "Anikin" jacket (a blue hoodie). He knows all the characters, and can make all the noises perfect. He even dies great.

10. General Conference! Wow it was amazing. Sunday Afternoon session was just for me. Elder Scott's talk was one in a million. So glad to have living prophets today to help us make it back to live with Heavenly Father someday.

My soapbox

I need to vent!

As I was reading online today an article about how schools in Chicago are not allowing students to bring lunch from home, because the school's is better, this really set me off. What happened to our right to choose. So some kids packs their lunch and all it is is Cheetos M & M's and Mt Dew. Should a 7 yr old be eating this, not so much. But it is the parent and the kids responsibility to make sure things are taken care of. Are some parents not so with it. sure but lets not punish everyone else because a small amount of people won't take responsibility for their job (parenting). The more and more of our choices that are getting taken away is ridiculous. I'm now waiting from the government to require all children need to be in rear facing car seats until they are 2 ( a recent study suggested that this is much safer for the child). You know what. They are my kids. My responsibility! Let me choose what happens with them. Will comes home and tells us that sugar is bad for us. Is it yes, but there is nothing wrong with every once in a while having something with straight up sugar.

I fully understand that there is a lack of parenting going on in a lot of houses, but this does not mean that big brother needs to step in and tell us all what to do. Soon they will be telling us we can only buy GM cars because that is the best for the USA. You know what, maybe I might buy a Yukon XL but don't force me. Next you know they will be telling me Each family can only have 3 kids. Well which once do I choose to get rid of. In the past I never really saw a huge issue with the government adding laws. but as I get older (and a lot more stubborn) I say get out of my hair. Will my child eating cheetos for lunch be the end of the world. No, but let me decide!

Sorry I guess I'm a little frustrated with the involvement of the government in our every day lives. How many choices do you make because you don't want to get in trouble or get a ticket by the government. I've said my peace thanks for letting me rant.