8.31.2007
Baby Siebenberg
Brett & Camille had their baby yesterday. She is so adorable. We got to have a lunch date at the hospital and visit with them. Congratulations, we love you guys!!
8.29.2007
The Joys of Elementary School
Payton is the star student this week at school, which means that we got to make a poster about Payton so that they could hang it up in the classroom. Also, he got to be first in line all week...woohoo! It just brings back all the wonderful memories of elementary school and the realization that we have many, many, many more posters and projects to come!
8.28.2007
Grateful For My Crazy Life
Today started out a little different than usual. I slept in and didn't go running because I haven't felt very good the past couple of days. I got up, still not feeling well, showered and then frantically got the boys breakfast and got them ready for the day. We rushed off to the bus stop and said goodbye to Payton. I took Parker to my Grandma's to spend the day while I got some work done. I came home and sat down at my computer. I opened the following e-mail from a friend:
Anna Quindlen, of Newsweek writes....
All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in
disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three
almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three
people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be
afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who
sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and
cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want
to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously,
go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate
to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the
bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried
deep within each, barely discernible except through the
unreliable haze of the past.
Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished
for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The
ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-
childhood education, have all grown obsolete. Along with
Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered,
spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages
dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me,
finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the
well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they
couldn't really teach me very much at all.
Raising children is presented at first as a true-false
test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you
realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One
child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be
managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is
toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.
When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby
to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-
up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their
backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a
new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then
soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually
the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one
of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which
he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet,
and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month
old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat
little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind?
Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I
insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to
college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.
Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe
me, mistakes were made. T hey have all been enshrined in the,
"Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame." The outbursts, the temper
tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby
fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup.
The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when
the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her
geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?". (She
insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the
McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without
picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include
that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first
two seasons. What was I thinking?
But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us
make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This
is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only
in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them,
sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on
a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what
we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how
they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next
thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing
a little more and the getting it done a little less.
Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what
was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I
suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because
of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true
selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off
and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often
tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look
how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like
best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my
essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was
bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a
while to figure out who the experts were.
I haven't stopped crying! I'm sitting here in a silent house, with toys scattered all around, remnants of breakfast still on the table, papers and projects all over my office, not feeling well and wishing that I could keep up on this crazy life of mine. However, as I read this it makes me so grateful for all of it. I know someday my life won't be this crazy and I will miss it. I'm so grateful for this crazy time in my life. I'm grateful for people that remind me to live in the moment. I am so task oriented that it makes it hard to enjoy the moments if I am not being productive! I think the most productive thing I can be doing in my life right now is ignoring all of my tasks and focus on enjoying the moments, which is much easier said than done. Starting today, I'm going to try a little harder to be a little better at enjoying every moment of this crazy life of mine!!
Anna Quindlen, of Newsweek writes....
All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in
disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three
almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three
people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be
afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who
sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and
cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want
to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously,
go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate
to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the
bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried
deep within each, barely discernible except through the
unreliable haze of the past.
Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished
for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The
ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-
childhood education, have all grown obsolete. Along with
Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered,
spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages
dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me,
finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the
well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they
couldn't really teach me very much at all.
Raising children is presented at first as a true-false
test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you
realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One
child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be
managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is
toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.
When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby
to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-
up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their
backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a
new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then
soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually
the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one
of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which
he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet,
and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month
old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat
little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind?
Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I
insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to
college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.
Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe
me, mistakes were made. T hey have all been enshrined in the,
"Remember-When-Mom-Did Hall of Fame." The outbursts, the temper
tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby
fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pickup.
The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when
the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her
geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?". (She
insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the
McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without
picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include
that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first
two seasons. What was I thinking?
But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us
make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This
is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only
in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them,
sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on
a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what
we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how
they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next
thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing
a little more and the getting it done a little less.
Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what
was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I
suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because
of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true
selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off
and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often
tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look
how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like
best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my
essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was
bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a
while to figure out who the experts were.
I haven't stopped crying! I'm sitting here in a silent house, with toys scattered all around, remnants of breakfast still on the table, papers and projects all over my office, not feeling well and wishing that I could keep up on this crazy life of mine. However, as I read this it makes me so grateful for all of it. I know someday my life won't be this crazy and I will miss it. I'm so grateful for this crazy time in my life. I'm grateful for people that remind me to live in the moment. I am so task oriented that it makes it hard to enjoy the moments if I am not being productive! I think the most productive thing I can be doing in my life right now is ignoring all of my tasks and focus on enjoying the moments, which is much easier said than done. Starting today, I'm going to try a little harder to be a little better at enjoying every moment of this crazy life of mine!!
8.27.2007
Dinner at Grandpa & Grandma Chesnut's
One of my favorite traditions is eating over at Grandpa & Grandma Chesnut's. Growing up we ate dinner at their house every single Sunday. Once I got married, we started eating over there every other Sunday and recently it has turned into about once a month. Nonetheless, it is still one of my favorite family times that we spend together. Grandma always prepares one of her speciality meals. She's famous for her Enchiladas, Chicken Noodle Soup served over mashed potatoes (which is what we enjoyed last night), Breakfast Biscuits & Gravy (which we eat on Fast Sunday's), Meatloaf, Ribs, and all of her amazing desserts. Her turnovers are my favorite! Oh yeah, plus her homeade rolls. She is an amazing cook! Besides the wonderful food, the most notable memory about eating at Chesnut's is making sure that you are on time. All of us at one point in our lives has been late to dinner at Grandma's and faced her wrath, it's not good! So, you make sure that you leave with plenty of time so that you can arrive promptly at the scheduled time unless you want to make Grandma mad (and trust me, you don't, she'll take her shoe off or get a switch.) After dinner, we help clear the table, but never do the dishes for her because she is a little bit OCD (I wonder where I got it). She will rearrange the dishwasher if you don't put things in the right place so most of us have given up on helping and I think she prefers it that way. After dinner, in the summer, we head out to the back patio and enjoy talking to each other and watching the kids run around. After awhile, we pack up and head home, usually taking some goodies home that Grandma has packed up for us. Aaaah...time at the Grandparent's house is wonderful!
8.26.2007
Adventures in Grand Junction
We had a very exciting weekend! Tim & Clint were invited by the CHS Football team to come with them to Grand Junction, Colorado to do the stats for a game they were playing. My parents offered to watch the boys so we thought it would be fun for Me, Tim, Clint & Becca to take a little road trip and spend the night in Grand Junction. Friday after Payton got done with school, we dropped the boys off at my parent's house then went and picked up Clint & Becca. The most exciting part of our trip is that we made a stop in American Fork at Chadder's (the restaraunt that ripped off In n' Out). It was great food! Then we made our way through the deadliest canyon in Utah (or at least that's what Tim told me). We survived and after a 4 hour car ride we made it to Grand Junction. It's probably the size of Logan, UT. We stayed in a nice new Courtyard Marriott (Thanks to, Erika!) After the boys got food poisoning by eating the football players left over chicken because they were too chicken to tell the football coach that they were with their wives and didn't want to eat with the team, we decided to go check out the local mall. It was pathetic and so were we! The only redeeming quality is that there was a Target in the mall. So, I bought a shirt and a few magazines. We dropped the boys off at the football game and Becca & I went out on the town. We ate dinner at Chipotle and then got some Cold Stone Ice Cream. After that we went back to the hotel room, put on sweats and tried to digest all of our food. Actually, we just enjoyed the peace and quiet for a few hours. For those of you who have never been around Tim & Clint when they are together, you should know that they are SO LOUD! They are just loud and obnoxious together. So, Becca & I enjoyed the silence until it was time to pick the boys up from the game. After the game, we listened to the boys wild stories about the game and how Clint "urinated all over Grand Junction" and many more ridiculous comments like that one. We went back to the hotel and played "Scum" until the early morning hours.
Saturday morning we woke up. Tim & I went down to the excercise facilities and worked out for awhile. It was great! Of course, Clint & Becca slept in and just laid around all morning!! Then we checked out and went to the local IHOP. Wow! As you can tell, Grand Junction is a pretty happening town. Luckily, we were with great company so it made for a great time! You can tell from the awesome pictures we took how much fun we had!!
Saturday morning we woke up. Tim & I went down to the excercise facilities and worked out for awhile. It was great! Of course, Clint & Becca slept in and just laid around all morning!! Then we checked out and went to the local IHOP. Wow! As you can tell, Grand Junction is a pretty happening town. Luckily, we were with great company so it made for a great time! You can tell from the awesome pictures we took how much fun we had!!
8.20.2007
Weekend Update
We had such a fun and busy weekend! On Friday evening, Tim had his first CHS football game of the season. He & Clint do the stats for the team. Tim loves it way too much...he actually missed a soccer game to go to the football game. That's love! Also, he missed an awesome Ward Party. I took the boys to our Ward Party, which was fun! We didn't eat any food because there were so many flies it was disgusting, but the food looked great! Then the kids ran around and played with their friends while I sat around and chatted with my friends. Good times!
Parker & Ryker playing soccer
Lisa & Kate...adorable (I love how Kate lights up when she sees me...I'm trying to figure out how I can have this influence on everyone?! She is one of my favorite friends from Primary)
Another one of my friends from Primary is Jaden, I spent half of the ward party watching & talking to Jaden about his skateboard moves...pretty sweet!
Saturday morning we took the boys to my parent's house. They had been out of town all week and were dying to see the boys (not us...just the boys). We left them with my parents and went to the temple. After the temple, we got Cafe Rio and went back to my parent's house to eat with everyone. Yummy! We headed back home and some of us (Tim & Parker) took naps. After naptime, we went to the Real Soccer Game. It was a great game...for the other team!! The Real players were struggling and we lost. Big surprise!! Luckily, the boys have fun eating their snow cones and I just enjoy spending time with my family!
Sunday I woke up in the early morning hours to hear Tim throwing up...yuck! So, I took the boys to church by myself. After church, we came home and I took the longest nap ever (I think I have what Tim has without the throwing up stuff.) After naptime, we went to Jones's for dinner and a quick game of "Scum."
It was a great weekend!
Parker & Ryker playing soccer
Lisa & Kate...adorable (I love how Kate lights up when she sees me...I'm trying to figure out how I can have this influence on everyone?! She is one of my favorite friends from Primary)
Another one of my friends from Primary is Jaden, I spent half of the ward party watching & talking to Jaden about his skateboard moves...pretty sweet!
Saturday morning we took the boys to my parent's house. They had been out of town all week and were dying to see the boys (not us...just the boys). We left them with my parents and went to the temple. After the temple, we got Cafe Rio and went back to my parent's house to eat with everyone. Yummy! We headed back home and some of us (Tim & Parker) took naps. After naptime, we went to the Real Soccer Game. It was a great game...for the other team!! The Real players were struggling and we lost. Big surprise!! Luckily, the boys have fun eating their snow cones and I just enjoy spending time with my family!
Sunday I woke up in the early morning hours to hear Tim throwing up...yuck! So, I took the boys to church by myself. After church, we came home and I took the longest nap ever (I think I have what Tim has without the throwing up stuff.) After naptime, we went to Jones's for dinner and a quick game of "Scum."
It was a great weekend!
8.17.2007
Farmer's Market
I love this time of year when you can get fresh fruits & vegetables from the many different Farmer's Markets that are around town. I discovered that Thanksgiving Point had a Farmer's Market so we decided to go and check it out. They didn't have a ton of vendors, but I got what I wanted...fresh fruits & vegetables. I love the atmosphere! My boys didn't care too much about it. They just wanted to go and see the animals. So, we went down to the little farm that they have and walked around and saw the animals. Payton rode on a Pony, but Parker was too scared too ride. It was such a fun afternoon with my boys!
8.16.2007
Breaking News
I am such a sucker for news. I love it! I don't even care what the content is (okay...I don't love weather or sports), but anything else I will watch for hours...especially breaking news...there's nothing better than getting news as it is happening (or so I thought!) Thursday night I wasn't feeling very well and I sat down on the couch to relax for a bit after dinner. As I was flipping stations, the local and national news stations broke in with breaking news. (As we all know now, the breaking news was in regards to another fatal tragedy at the Crandall Canyon Mine.) At first, reporters thought maybe the ambulances were going up the canyon to rescue the trapped miners, but as the night went on they realized this was not the case. My heart goes out to the miners and their families, but even more so because they had to be subjected to this ridiculous coverage all night long. I wasted 4 hours of my life, getting minute to minute speculations about what was going on. I knew that I should just turn off the tv and wait for morning to find out what had actually happened, but I just couldn't turn away. I was more fascinated by the frantic and speculative reporting that was going on. (Dad, you are so glad that you were out of town!!) I am grateful that our local coverage was a MILLION times better than the national coverage...I was soooo disappointed with Fox News & CNN's coverage of this tragedy. They should leave the reporting to the locals because they had no idea what they were reporting! By the time I turned off the television they had confirmed that there was 1 fatality and 8 injured miners. The next morning, we found out that there was 3 fatalities and 6 injured miners. It was devastating! But, what's just as devastating is what happens to reporters, producers and anchors when things like this happen. They turn into to vultures (and so do I).
8.14.2007
I'm Parker!!
Parker is such a funny little kid, but don't tell him that. He only wants to be...Parker! Let me give you some examples of what I mean.
Anyone: "Parker, you are a big boy."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are handsome."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are a good dancer."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are a great artist."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are so nice."'
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you're a fun brother."
Parker, "No, I'm Parker."
I guess he's a kid that definitely knows who he is and doesn't want to be anything else. It's hillarious to play this game with him because he gets really upset...even when you're not trying to upset him. Parker, you are too funny (No, I'm Parker)!
This is a picture I took of Parker at the pool today...it's a classic Parker picture! His mouth is full of food that is running down his chest, his hair is in his eyes, but he's always ready to say "cheese." He is such a little ham for the camera!
Anyone: "Parker, you are a big boy."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are handsome."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are a good dancer."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are a great artist."
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you are so nice."'
Parker: "No, I'm Parker."
Anyone: "Parker, you're a fun brother."
Parker, "No, I'm Parker."
I guess he's a kid that definitely knows who he is and doesn't want to be anything else. It's hillarious to play this game with him because he gets really upset...even when you're not trying to upset him. Parker, you are too funny (No, I'm Parker)!
This is a picture I took of Parker at the pool today...it's a classic Parker picture! His mouth is full of food that is running down his chest, his hair is in his eyes, but he's always ready to say "cheese." He is such a little ham for the camera!
Lily's Birthday Party
Our cute little friend, Lily, turned 1-years-old today and had a fun swimming party! We are so grateful to have fun outings with our friends. It was great to spend the day at the pool!
Photo Booth
This is another reason that I love my Mac...Photo Booth! My boys LOVE using the special effects and distorting their faces. When we first started doing it, Payton couldn't even look at his face...he was scared of it, but now he loves it!
8.10.2007
Routines
I love routines! I thrive on knowing what I'm doing and when I'm doing it. This summer we were so busy playing that we really got away from our routines, but now that Payton has started school I am back into my "routine" and I'm loving it!! I just wanted to document for my own records some of my routines. Also, I'm always curious how other people manage their time and organize their lives so I'd love to hear what your routines are!
MY WEEKLY ROUTINE
Monday: Laundry & Ironing
( I do ALL of my laundry and ironing on Monday's and then I don't have to worry about it the rest of the week. I love it! I will often throw in a batch of linens throughout the week and do some ironing one night of the week, but for the most part I love having it all done on Monday's.)
Tuesday: Office Work
(This is the day that I get work done for Interior Impressions, Primary, Learning Links, Pay Bills or any thing in my office that needs to be taken care of. I love having one day that I spend in my office and get everything done. Obviously, I also work on things throughout the week, but this is when I get the majority of it done.)
Wednesday: Errands
(Target, Mall, Target, Jiffy Lube, Target, Smith's, Target, Sam's Club, Target, Library, etc. I love breaking up the middle of my week with shopping and running errands. As you can see, you can always find me at Target!)
Thursday: Cleaning Day
(I grab a huge glass of ice water or diet coke, crank up the music and start scrubbing, dusting, vacumming, mopping, and of course, some organizing. I love cleaning day on Thursdays because I love having a clean house so that I can enjoy the weekend. I also love cleaning once a week because I get it done in one day and it's really easy to keep up on the cleaning if I do it every single week.)
Friday: Play Day
(Woohoo...we can do whatever we want today...the laundry is done, my office work is done, all the errands have been done and the house is clean. I love Friday's)
Saturday: Yard Work
(In between soccer games and birthday parties I try to let Tim get some yard work done. I have to admit that I don't help much in this area, but I'm a real good support system!)
Sunday: Day of Rest
(Okay, technically, this is one of the craziest days of the week for me, but after Primary is over and I've gone to meetings and taken care of all the problems, then I usually get a chance to rest!)
MY DAILY ROUTINE
6:00 am - 8:30 am
Running
Abs & Weights
Pray
Read Scriptures
Check e-mail
Update Blog
Make Bed
Get Ready for Day
Get Boys Ready for Day
Make Breakfast
Clean Up Breakfast
Walk Payton to School Bus
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Do my Weekly Routine Items (Laundry, Errands, Clean, etc.)
Try and pay a little attention to Parker
Walk to meet Payton at School Bus
12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Make & Eat Lunch
Clean up Lunch
Spend time with Payton & Parker
Get Parker Down for Nap
Let Payton Play with Friend
Take a nap (I wish...that was just a joke I slipped in here...maybe someday)
Finish my Weekly Routine Items (Laundry, Clean, Office Work, etc.)
3:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Get Parker up from Nap
Send Payton's friends home or get Payton home
Prepare Snack for Boys
Help Payton & Parker with homework or fun activity
Clean up homework or activity
Straighten house
Prepare dinner
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Eat dinner with family
Clean up dinner with family
Do some activity (FHE, Hang out with family, Play football in backyard, go to meetings, go to church activities, finish up projects, do ironing, etc., etc., etc.)
Get boys in bathtub
Get boys in pajamas
Get boys milk
Read book & scriptures to boys
Say Family Prayers
Get boys in bed
8:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Finish up projects for the day
Check blog/e-mails again
Spend time with Tim
Get Ready for Bed
Read Book
Read Scriptures
Say Prayers
DISCLAIMER: These are the things that I should be doing, but most days I don't get to do all of these things or even get them done in this order. This is just how I would ideally like my "routine" to be, but everyone knows that it rarely works out that way. Also, I'm not saying that I do these things alone either (I know that Tim will read this and wonder when the last time I gave the boys a bath, got them in their pajamas and read to them was...it was Monday...I think! He typically does that every night. Thanks Tim!) These are just the things that I need to get done every day whether I do them or not...it's my "routine"...doesn't it look great written down?! I wish that I did half of these things this way, this week, but I didn't. I'm excited to reference this handy little reminder of what I should be doing!
MY WEEKLY ROUTINE
Monday: Laundry & Ironing
( I do ALL of my laundry and ironing on Monday's and then I don't have to worry about it the rest of the week. I love it! I will often throw in a batch of linens throughout the week and do some ironing one night of the week, but for the most part I love having it all done on Monday's.)
Tuesday: Office Work
(This is the day that I get work done for Interior Impressions, Primary, Learning Links, Pay Bills or any thing in my office that needs to be taken care of. I love having one day that I spend in my office and get everything done. Obviously, I also work on things throughout the week, but this is when I get the majority of it done.)
Wednesday: Errands
(Target, Mall, Target, Jiffy Lube, Target, Smith's, Target, Sam's Club, Target, Library, etc. I love breaking up the middle of my week with shopping and running errands. As you can see, you can always find me at Target!)
Thursday: Cleaning Day
(I grab a huge glass of ice water or diet coke, crank up the music and start scrubbing, dusting, vacumming, mopping, and of course, some organizing. I love cleaning day on Thursdays because I love having a clean house so that I can enjoy the weekend. I also love cleaning once a week because I get it done in one day and it's really easy to keep up on the cleaning if I do it every single week.)
Friday: Play Day
(Woohoo...we can do whatever we want today...the laundry is done, my office work is done, all the errands have been done and the house is clean. I love Friday's)
Saturday: Yard Work
(In between soccer games and birthday parties I try to let Tim get some yard work done. I have to admit that I don't help much in this area, but I'm a real good support system!)
Sunday: Day of Rest
(Okay, technically, this is one of the craziest days of the week for me, but after Primary is over and I've gone to meetings and taken care of all the problems, then I usually get a chance to rest!)
MY DAILY ROUTINE
6:00 am - 8:30 am
Running
Abs & Weights
Pray
Read Scriptures
Check e-mail
Update Blog
Make Bed
Get Ready for Day
Get Boys Ready for Day
Make Breakfast
Clean Up Breakfast
Walk Payton to School Bus
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Do my Weekly Routine Items (Laundry, Errands, Clean, etc.)
Try and pay a little attention to Parker
Walk to meet Payton at School Bus
12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Make & Eat Lunch
Clean up Lunch
Spend time with Payton & Parker
Get Parker Down for Nap
Let Payton Play with Friend
Take a nap (I wish...that was just a joke I slipped in here...maybe someday)
Finish my Weekly Routine Items (Laundry, Clean, Office Work, etc.)
3:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Get Parker up from Nap
Send Payton's friends home or get Payton home
Prepare Snack for Boys
Help Payton & Parker with homework or fun activity
Clean up homework or activity
Straighten house
Prepare dinner
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Eat dinner with family
Clean up dinner with family
Do some activity (FHE, Hang out with family, Play football in backyard, go to meetings, go to church activities, finish up projects, do ironing, etc., etc., etc.)
Get boys in bathtub
Get boys in pajamas
Get boys milk
Read book & scriptures to boys
Say Family Prayers
Get boys in bed
8:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Finish up projects for the day
Check blog/e-mails again
Spend time with Tim
Get Ready for Bed
Read Book
Read Scriptures
Say Prayers
DISCLAIMER: These are the things that I should be doing, but most days I don't get to do all of these things or even get them done in this order. This is just how I would ideally like my "routine" to be, but everyone knows that it rarely works out that way. Also, I'm not saying that I do these things alone either (I know that Tim will read this and wonder when the last time I gave the boys a bath, got them in their pajamas and read to them was...it was Monday...I think! He typically does that every night. Thanks Tim!) These are just the things that I need to get done every day whether I do them or not...it's my "routine"...doesn't it look great written down?! I wish that I did half of these things this way, this week, but I didn't. I'm excited to reference this handy little reminder of what I should be doing!
Mom's Infamous Compliments
If you don't know my Mom, this will probably not be funny, but my family loves picking on my sweet Mom. On Sunday, my Mom made one of her Infamous comments about something and it got us all talking about the many infamous "compliments" that she gives all the time. I got one just last night.
Mom: "Where did you get that hat?"
Britt: "Oh, I bought it at Target awhile ago."
Mom: "Erika wears hats like that all the time." (ZING!!)
My Mom thinks that she is being nice or even giving a "compliment," but it's so obvious that she thinks my hat is totally ugly and has no idea why I'm wearing it. I know that my Mom is laughing harder than anyone else right now. I love you, Mom and I love your "compliments" as well!!
Mom: "Where did you get that hat?"
Britt: "Oh, I bought it at Target awhile ago."
Mom: "Erika wears hats like that all the time." (ZING!!)
My Mom thinks that she is being nice or even giving a "compliment," but it's so obvious that she thinks my hat is totally ugly and has no idea why I'm wearing it. I know that my Mom is laughing harder than anyone else right now. I love you, Mom and I love your "compliments" as well!!
8.02.2007
First Homework Assignment
Payton's first homework assignment was to fill out a form about themselves and to make a picture of themselves. This is a picture of Payton...doesn't it look just like him? He mostly did this all by himself with a little help from me...I got to do the hair since I am the one who does his hair everday. Payton likes to have sunglasses on anytime he is outside. He plays teeball and soccer. He also loves to sword fight. He loves Spiderman and Pirates of the Carribbean (those are the stickers all over his shirt and shorts). He also made his shoes look just like his soccer cleats. I think his little guy turned out pretty cute. It was definitely a fun homework assignment!
First Day of Kindergarten
Yesterday was Payton's first day of Kindergarten. It was a milestone day in our lives. It's something that you think about your entire life...sending your first born to school. You know it is coming, but are never really completely ready for it. However, Payton was very ready! He was so excited, which made me so excited and happy for him. I'm proud (and a little surprised) to say there were no tears from me...just excitement! He was so excited because he got to ride the school bus. He marched right up the street, waited in line with all the big kids and marched on to the school bus. When he got to school he walked right over to the playground (and couldn't get to it because there were SOOO many parents standing around), but when he finally got through he ran on to the playground and started playing. He walked over to the fence to give us the look of "Why are you still here? You're embarassing me." Then the bell rang and he went and lined up by the door just like he was supposed to. We are so proud of Payton and glad that he enjoyed his first day of school!!
(Here's the short story about what happened after school. The bus broke down, but Payton didn't want me to take him home. He wanted to wait for another bus so I left and went home. In the end, he ended up coming home with one of my friends (practically a stranger)...what a crazy first day...Payton didn't seem to mind!!)
(Here's the short story about what happened after school. The bus broke down, but Payton didn't want me to take him home. He wanted to wait for another bus so I left and went home. In the end, he ended up coming home with one of my friends (practically a stranger)...what a crazy first day...Payton didn't seem to mind!!)
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