Thursday, June 28, 2007
 With the kids out of school, I've been trying really hard to exercise every day. You see, I'm beginning to resemble the lovely rhino to your left. I've tried being easy on myself, I mean I did just have three kids in two years and I hardly expect myself to bounce right back into my size 10 jeans. And yes, that's a size ten, not a four or a two. You see, I have very realistic expectations. I'll never be able to squeeze one of my thighs into a size four, let alone my entire lower half. But a size 10 would be wonderful. I'd even settle for a 12. But that hasn't happened. Nope. I've eaten myself into a size 14 and then a 16 and I don't know what comes next but I'm afraid of finding out. And the saddest thing of all is that after I had the twins I actually got down to a size 12. And then I started coping with life by eating lots of junk and the rest is very, very sad history.
So back to my point, I've been trying really hard to exercise. And while I haven't completely changed my diet, I've tried cutting back. Originally I had decided that I wouldn't weigh myself until the end of the summer because when I do, it usually works against me. Either I lose five pounds and get excited and start eating too much junk again. Or, I don't lose weight (or worse, gain) which depresses me and then, I eat some more to feel better. So basically, I wasn't going to weigh myself to avoid my self-defeating behaviors. But after two weeks of hard core exercise, I couldn't resist. So I jumped on the scale just for a peek and. . . not a pound. Not a half pound. Not a quarter of a pound. Not a bit. Nothing. If anything I'm fatter. And I'm so totally bummed. And all of the sudden I'm realizing that my body has changed. And what used to work, isn't working anymore. And all of that junk food I love and adore, is going to have to go. I can't drink my full sugar soda anymore. And I can't have my bowl of ice cream right before bed. And when things get out-of-control crazy around here, I can't down a bar of chocolate and make it all better. I really do have to go on a diet. And that is another total bummer. And maybe I'd be okay being a size 16 and eating my junk food too, but I'm so uncomfortable in my own skin that it's affecting my self-esteem. And that's not good.
Darn it all. I'm so totally disappointed I want to cry or at least eat a bar of chocolate. But I can't. I just can't. Ever. Again.
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Before I begin this eight month tribute to you two beautiful boys, I must offer my apologies for the lack of monthly blogs you so totally deserve. Someday when you grow up you are going to look at all these blogs and see that you have been seriously short-changed in the monthly letter department (and lots of other things). And when you discover this I want you to know that it wasn't because I didn't want to write you monthly letters or that I loved you less than the rest, it's just that well. . . someday you'll see that life gets crazy and things happen that you don't expect, that you can't possibly prepare enough for and as a result, you have to make adjustments. And change is the most constant thing life has to offer you--nothing ever stays the same and life is hardly ever fair. But always know that, no matter how many things change (or how short-changed you might feel or how unfair life is) I love you and that, my little men, is one thing that will never change or be short-changed. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for having more kids than I can possibly care for properly, for doing the one thing I swore I'd never do. But I'm not ever sorry for having you! Not ever.
Now, let's get on with it--At eight months, you both are very mobile. That's for sure. Jericho was the first to crawl, earning him the title "Crawl the Warrior King II." Both of you have been rolling around the room for at least two months now and a few weeks ago Jericho started soldier crawling in a forward motion. You both have spent several weeks on your hands and knees rocking back and forth, just trying to get enough momentum to propel you forward. But it was Jericho who figured it out first and Justus as always was hot on his heels. "Scooter" is Justus's newest nickname because while he may not be able to crawl as well as his brother, he's great at scooting himself backward, right into the corner everytime. The other night Justus scooted his way inbetween the couches, under the end table and then proceeded to play with the crazy number of cords we have shoved under there. In search of his brother, Jericho crawled his way over to the end table as well and both babies played happily under the table until someone's head got bumped and it didn't seem so much like a party anymore.
While Jericho may have beat Justus in the race to crawl first, Justus won the race to sit alone first. I've known for awhile that you were really close to sitting but I haven't been brave enough to let you try. Why? Let's just say "sitting duck" and Caleb. I can't leave you alone on the floor in any position with Caleb around. So far you both have been stepped on, jumped on, body-slammed, knocked over, picked up and dropped, smacked, kicked and bitten by none other than Mr. Delicious himself. He loves you. He really does. So many times he'll lay right beside you and wrap his chunky little arm around you and kiss you. But right when we start thinking he's finally learned his lesson, whack! And one or both of you are crying. So while I'm certain you are able to sit, I never leave you sitting alone because Caleb would find you and see "soccer ball" written all over your sweet little foreheads. But the other day while Caleb was sleeping and I was running the trash out, I left Justus rolling around on the floor with a pile of toys and Denver sitting on the couch watching cartoons. When I returned there was Justus, sitting right smack on the middle of the carpet, watching cartoons with Denver like he'd been doing it all his life. Amazing.
Along with crawling and sitting, this morning I found Jericho in his crib kneeling next to the side, pulling himself up. I suppose standing is next on your to-do lists. I shudder at the thought. You both have a favorite toy--the StrobeFX wand--and you fight over it on a regular basis. I didn't know babies could fight but you have most certainly educated me. You have also graduated from rice cereal and food is your most favorite thing. I don't think any of your brothers ever ate as much as the two of you. I feel like I'm constantly feeding you and it's not because there's two of you, cause I feed you together. It's just that you are always hungry. I have no idea how much you weigh but you are nice and round and chubby the way all babies should be and happy too. Justus is definitely the pickier of the two of you and often refuses to eat, while Jericho happily inhales Justus's unwanted portion.
 
It's still very difficult for anyone to tell you apart, including myself which I'm very ashamed to admit, but it's still true. Jericho has a birthmark right under his rib cage but it's not something you can see when y'all are fully dressed.
And Justus does this scrunchy-nose, curled lip thing that Jericho doesn't do and that's usually the way the boys tell you apart ("Which baby is Chunk?"). But it's not like he's always making that face for us. Fortunately for us, your personalities are quite different and when you are together, it's starting to get easier to tell who's who if we just sit and watch you for awhile. Justus crawls around and we'll usually find you sitting wherever you stop to play. Jericho crawls to a place and then proceeds to try and climb it. Justus is chunkier. Jericho is quieter. Justus has a very wide open mouth smile. Jericho usually gives us a smaller but just as jolly grin. Justus smiles readily at everyone. Jericho makes you work for your smile, but interestingly enough, Jericho laughs more easily. You both know how to clap, but only Justus responds with clapping when we sing "Clap Clap Clap Your Hands." Jericho usually smiles at us all like "I'm way too grown up for these silly games." Jericho dislikes the grass, Justus adores it. Justus falls alseep rather easily, Jericho fights it. But the thing that probably makes telling you two apart the most difficult is that as soon as we pinpoint a definite difference, you decide to swap places on us, leaving us baffled once again. So as always we rely heavily on pink nail polish for Jericho's toes and color-coded pacifier straps for the both of you. I'm still thinking tattoos are a really good idea. . . .
You two are very popular everywhere we go and everyone wants to hold you and cuddle you and kiss you. I have a feeling when you hit Caleb's age and are following him as your gang master, it will be a totally different story. I'll probably have to pay people to take you off my hands. But for now people can't get enough of you and I often find myself fighting off the crowds just for a chance to hold you myself. You've discovered each other recently and like to be together, most of the time, unless your favorite toy is involved. We recently separated you two at night. We always put you to bed on opposite ends of the cribs. But whenever one of you woke up, the first thing you'd do is creep over to your brother's side and cuddle or climb on the other. More often than not, Jericho was the creeper disturbing Justus's sound sleep. Anyway, since we've separated you, you always find each other through the slats of the cribs and from there carry on the silliest of conversations, blah-blah-blahing to each other about all sorts of important things. When one of you is crying (usually Jericho) the other will join in making just as much noise, even if he is perfectly happy, just to make sure we hear you. Oh, the noise the two of you can make when you join forces. And when there is mischief to be found, you are getting really good at finding it together. Lucky for us, we have Caleb to help us baby proof everything and trust me boys, he's thorough. Very thorough.
And I think that about sums the two of you up. Everyone told me that the first year with twins is the hardest. And while I definitely think things have been hard (change is always hard), I don't think you have been difficult in anyway. On the contrary--you have been quite wonderful to have around. And while I don't always think two things are better than one, in your case I do. And I'm very glad you came the way you did, together. Happy eight months, babies! We love you!
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Tuesday, June 26, 2007
In changing Hunter's seizure meds he discovered that he can do this most amazing stunt and is now convinced he can do almost anything we grown ups can do. Good work Hunter but don't get any ideas. . . .
Click Here
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
They way things go nowadays, the squeaky wheel gets the attention. That is, whatever kid is crying the most, gets the most attention. Of course, some of my kids are definitely squeakier than others, say Noah, Caleb, Jericho and Justus. Others seem content to do their own thing and hardly squeak at all, mostly Hunter and Denver. That said, Hunter has been squeaking a little more than usual this past week and it became obvious that he was needing some Mommy-time.
Now that school is out I've decided to replace the time I'd normally spend packing lunches and backpacks with exercise. I really want to start running again and lifting weights. I mentioned to Hunter that maybe he could join me and work on running the mile for school even faster for third grade. He seemed pretty excited about the idea. So the first two days I just didn't feel like running and decided to lift weights instead. Hunter got up early with me and half-heartedly lifted a weight or two but I could tell he wanted to be elsewhere. By Saturday, Hunter was really itching to go walking and around 7:00am he showed up outside my bedroom door, all dressed and ready to go. I tried pretending to sleep but he continued to stand outside my door, sighing heavily, over and over again. Then I tried explaining that Saturday was my only day to sleep in and that I was really tired, but he'd having nothing of it. So I dragged my lazy rearend out of bed and we went walking.
Now, Hunter has always been my whiner when it comes to any kind of exercise and I was a little worried that we'd get a mile away from home and he'd start complaining and make the entire trip miserable. But he didn't. He got a cramp not too long into our walk but he just kept stretching it out and moving along. The morning was gorgeous and the exercise felt so good and it was really nice to be out with Hunter, alone, chatting about this and that without a baby to interupt us. Three miles later we returned home exercised and renewed and I just wanted to hug him for his persistance and patience with me. What a great kid. We decided to keep exercising together and prepare ourselves for the Walk to Cure Diabetes this fall with the Yale Team. We've only done it once before but I think now is the perfect time to do it again. We're going to hold a lemonade stand and collect donations and do our best to help the JDRF find a cure for Hunter's diabetes. And we're going to improve his mile-run time and get him the best A1C ever this year. We set some really great goals and I think we can obtain them, together. And maybe he'll get me running again. How awesome would that be?
A few days ago I was playing Zelda with Noah trying to help him pass a few new levels. It's a game I played when I was little so it brings back memories and I find it a little addicting. That, and I can play it while I hold a baby so I'm sort of killing three birds with one stone--time with Noah, happy baby, down time for me. Anyway, I was playing with Noah and not Hunter and Hunter pointed out that I never play with him and that it wasn't fair that I was playing Zelda again with Noah. So I promised him yesterday that I'd give him an hour of my undivided attention and that we'd play Lego. So today that's exactly what we did. And I was so, so tired and I really wanted to take a nap, but I did my best to build a fighter ship with Hunter (who built five really cool ships to my one) and we battled and battled and battled until my plane went in for a suicide mission and not only destroyed Hunter's ship completely but also smashed his finger at which point we called it quits and went to the park. But the point is, I got to spend time with him and it was really nice. I don't get to do that much anymore and I didn't know it, but I miss it. He's a really great kid and he's mine and I'm really glad about that. Let's do it again soon before you grow up too much and hanging out with Mom isn't cool anymore. Hopefully that day will never come. My heart would break for sure.
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Saturday, June 23, 2007
 So last night was the Space Derby and the wind blew and the temperature dropped and the rain fell but the rockets? Well, they soared. So much so that several were lost in trees and water, including Hunter's. And as soon as the last rocket (Hunter's) was launched, the wind and rain stopped and it warmed up again. So we stayed and played at the park until the park ranger demanded we leave. What a party pooper!
Cub Scouts are now on break for the summer but hopefully Hunter and I can work on a few things for September. He wants to get his chess and computer beltloops. I'm hoping we can build a birdhouse and start up a cool collection of some sort. We shall see.
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Thursday, June 21, 2007
Last night as we pulled into the driveway we noticed our neighbors out on the corner, looking up at the sky. Weird, we thought. Then the neighbor called over to the kids and asked if they wanted to see the space shuttle and the space station. That's when we thought they'd really lost it. But we all ran over anyway and sure enough there were two very bright stars moving right in sync with each other through the night sky--the space shuttle and the space station. How cool is that? After all the news about the space station this week and then to actually see it up there. It was totally awesome. And to think, there are humans way up there. . . .
Anyway I had no idea you could even see the space shuttle or the space station when it's way up there, but come to find out, you can! And for those of you that missed it last night, this is your week to see it. Apparently if you have a clear night tonight or Saturday, you should be able to see the shuttle. And because they've been working on the space station, you should be able to see that too. I checked the sight for Utah and I know y'all should be able to see it, but you'll have to check yourself for the times and what direction to watch in. Just visit NASA and find your city. Happy Shuttle Sighting and good luck!
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Aunt Me-Me came to play today. Between the two of us we have nine kids eight and under, five of which are one and under. I suppose that's why we're so exhausted when we finally call it a day. At one point there were six kids playing with the Playdo--that is, six kids making a royal mess. But it appears they were all having fun and no one was crying and with that many little kids under one roof, that ain't bad!
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Sunday, June 17, 2007
I tried out a new recipe today and it was superb! It had all the right ingredients--fast, easy and delicious! Oh and it required absolutely no heating elements whatsoever--no stoves, ovens or microwaves. So sometime this summer when it's too hot to cook and you are too tired to do much of anything, try this out. I think you could even call it. . . healthy?!
Grilled Chicken and Black Bean Wraps
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 8 oz. can corn, drained
1 small avocado, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh lime (or lemon) juice
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (we used a lot more than that)
salt to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
2 Tbsp. chili powder
4 10-inch flour tortillas
In a small bowl combine beans, corn, avocado, onion, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce and salt; set aside. Coat chicken with chili powder. Grill for 6 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Let rest for 2 minutes then cut chicken into strips. Divide chicken strips and bean mixture evenly among tortillas and roll up tightly.
*I substitued Perdue's pre-cooked Southwestern chicken strips from the refrigerator aisle in my grocery store for the chicken breasts and eliminated the entire grilling, resting and slicing process altogether. It made the already super fast recipe even faster and I really doubt anyone would be able to taste the difference.
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 For Father's Day, Caleb made Mark breakfast in bed. You probably don't believe me but he did. He scrambled up the eggs and even added some extra cheese and raw potatoes when I wasn't looking. And as far as I could tell, Mark enjoyed it. Noah gave Mark a notepad and Denver did also. Guess they figure dads get so many "honey do lists" that they'd help out by giving their own dad somewhere to write everything down. The twins didn't give Mark anything, unless you count two very poopy diapers as gifts which I totally don't. But Hunter, I think, gave him the best gift of all. . . a list with the top ten reasons why he loves his dad. The list went as follows.
10--I love my Dad because he reads me *storys
9--I love my Dad because he helps me with scouts
8--I love my Dad when he makes me laugh by makeing funny *noieses
7--I love my Dad because he taught me how to play starcraft
6--I love to hear my Dad sing because he has a good voice
5--I love my Dad because he finds time to play transformers
4--I know my Dad cares because he makes money for us
3--I know my Dad is smart because he works with computers
2--I love my Dad because he works so hard at computers
1--I love my Dad because he's the Best Dad Ever!
I agree with Hunter. He is a super dad. I mean if you were eating ice cream and finished yours all up and he still had some left, he'd share licks with you. He's just that kind of Dad. There's nothing Mark wouldn't do for his family, he loves us that much. And I consider us all very lucky to have him indeed. We love you Daddy. Happy Father's Day.
*Those aren't typos, by the way. Just copying Hunter's list exactly.
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The boys and I have been keeping ourselves up past bedtime on a regular basis, reading, reading, reading. I hear it's one of the best things you can do for your kids. I should probably be doing a lot more reading with them but I'm just not that nice of a mommy. Anyway, in the past few months we've read The Hobbit, Bridge to Terabithia, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Tale of Despereaux. Tulane and Despereaux were written by Kate Dicamillo who also wrote Because of Winn Dixie. I loved reading Edward Tulane but The Tale of Despereaux was one of the best books I've read in a really long time. It was fabulous! There are so many lessons within lessons and stories within stories--I'm already thinking about reading it again because I'm certain I missed half of the story just because I didn't know to look for it. I don't normally buy books because we just don't have the space, but I'm seriously considering buying a copy for myself--it was that good. Anyway, if you are looking for a good book to read to your children this summer I would highly recommend Edward Tulane and Despereaux. And as always. . . anything by Roald Dahl. I'm a big fan of his ya know.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what I'm going to read to my own kids this summer. For the past several months I've had several books lined up to read. But now that we've gotten through the stack, I'm not sure what to read next. Of course Hunter will be all over Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but that's a month away. I need some good suggestions. The trickiest bit is choosing a book that Denver (almost 5) will understand but that Hunter (8 and a half) won't get bored listening to. I'm lazy because I only read to the boys in groups--the older boys and the baby boys. Denver is inbetween the two groups--he loves the big boy stories but he still really loves the picture books too. So he sometimes sneaks in for some of Caleb's stories and I'm glad about that. I can also only handle reading one book at a time. A friend of mine keeps one book in her purse, one in her car, and one at home so that she always has a book to read, no matter where she gets stuck. Just the thought of that makes my brain want to scramble itself and fry itself up for breakfast. I'd start mixing up stories and would get myself so confused I wouldn't know what was going on with any of the books. Anyway, what books have you read to your kids lately and which ones did they really love? Hunter's already nagging me to get another book. I need suggestions quick!
And last but not least, my new favorite picture book is Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems. I seriously believe it's one of those things every parent should be given when they leave the hospital after the birth of their first child. Maybe then we wouldn't feel so all alone when things go so very wrong. Mo Willems has toddlerhood and parenthood nailed spot on! I love it!
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
  
So lately Caleb only likes to take a bath if it involves running water. He likes it even better if we leave out the bath part and just do the running water bit. He loves playing in the kitchen sink but the only problem with that is the way he pours all of the dirty dishwater all over my freshly mopped kitchen floor. He pours water all over the bathroom floors too, but I figure they were meant to get splashed on and I'm a little more forgiving with those spills. Anyway, with our utility bills being the way they are, I'm stressing a little about just letting the water run for Caleb's splashing and pouring pleasure. So today I had a little spark of inspiration and came up with a solution that not only made me feel better but satisfied Caleb's need for running water and even thrilled Denver awhile. I'm sure any milk jug will do the trick but I'm especially in love with Caleb's Lactaid milk jugs. They are extra thick and sturdy. A sharp pencil and you're all set.
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When Justus gets fussy he often reminds me of Chunk (from Goonies) when he's confessing "everything" to the Fratellis. Don't ya think?
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Friday, June 08, 2007
  
Yesterday Hunter's second grade class had their field trip to the beach and of course, I went with. Honestly, I wasn't very excited about going on this field trip. With Hunter's diabetes and epilepsy the school almost always wants me or Mark to go on Hunter's field trips. Either that or they have to hire a school nurse to go with and they really don't like to do that. And because Mark holds a steady job and is the sole breadwinner around here, I'm usually the one that goes. Which is fine with me except that this year I feel like I've been on a lot of field trips. The last second grade trip I went on the kids chanted "honk, honk, honk, honk" at the top of their lungs the entire 45 minutes we were on the bus, trying to make every truck that passed by beep their horn. And that wasn't so bad except that even when there wasn't a truck in sight they would still scream, just in case they missed one. And that was just one way. By the time I got home my head hurt. . . bad. And I'm not whimpy. I mean, I do live in a house with six small children. I can't remember the last time I really experienced peace and quiet. So I have a pretty high threshold for noise. But this was extreme. And I suppose if I'm gonna have a babysitter come and watch all of my kids, there are a whole lot of other things I'd rather do than chaperone 60 eight year old kids while they wade through a whole bunch of sand and seaweed.
With all that said, I must admit, I had a really wonderful time with these 60 second graders, wading through a bunch of seaweed and sand. And I hope I can go again when Noah goes in two years. And again with Denver. I felt like a kid again, searching in the sand and tide pools and razor grass looking for little creatures. We got to see a seahorse--a real live one in its natural habitat. We found snails, shrimp, mussels, minnows, and all kinds of crabs. We watched snails race, had popsicles and lunch on the beach, and dug a hole almost all the way to China. And minus the sunburn I brought home on my face, it was completely painless, even the bus ride! And while it seemed like Hunter already knew it all (what great second grade teachers he's got), I learned all sorts of new things, including what an estuary is and how mussels reproduce. It felt good to learn something new. I gotta do that more often. And I guess the next time I have to go on a field trip with Hunter I won't complain so much. Instead I think I'm going to look forward to it.
My favorite quote of the day happened when Mrs. B had all sixty kids lined up and was getting ready to walk them down to the water. Some of the kids got excited and started walking down before she was ready, causing the line to go skewumpus. At that point Mrs. B. shouted, "Hey! You guys just broke a rule that I haven't told you about yet!" Too bad that doesn't work for parents. Or does it? Can you punish kids for breaking rules you haven't told them about yet?
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Thursday, June 07, 2007
I don't know who you are or if you'll ever be back to read this, but thank you. We tried some Melatonin on Noah last night. In less than half an hour he could hardly keep his eyes open. He actually laid down while I read to the boys and remained still and quiet the entire time we were reading. And I believe he was the first, that's right, the first one to fall asleep. And we didn't hear a peep until 7:30 this morning. Maybe this is a little premature. Maybe we just had a lucky night. But the fact that he fell asleep so easily and so soundly makes me think it was more than just luck. He never just falls asleep. And except for the meltdown he just had (which was totally mild) he's been happy and wonderful all day. So thank you Anonymous for your very helpful comment and for the very good night's rest we had last night. And here's hoping this keeps working, for all of our sakes.
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Every now and then when I wake up in the morning I accidentally put on my poop colored glasses instead of my rose colored ones. Today was one of those days. The day started out alright. I got everyone to school on time, even dressed up for their 50's celebration in jeans and white shirts and penny loafers. I got the dishwasher started, the laundry flipped and everyone dressed and ready for playgroup with hardly a teardrop. Today we even got to playgroup before it was half over--a major accomplishment for us. Denver had fun riding his bike in the church parking lot with his buddy Matthew and they even found several dead animals to poke at with sticks. I suppose it was going to Walmart that did me in, and it had nothing to do with the kids, believe it or not.
First off, there were no "roller coaster carts" with working buckles. A roller coaster cart as we call it, has two extra seats attatched to it which is great for someone like me. By the time I put two infants and a toddler in the cart I have nowhere to put my stuff and if you want to sell lots of stuff to a person like me, (who needs lots of stuff) you add extra seats to the cart and make shopping for lots of stuff with lots of kids really easy. But no. Not at Walmart. They make shopping not fun at all. But we made do with a regular old cart and headed to the shoe aisle for swim shoes for Hunter.
That's what made me grumpy next. Hunter has a field trip on Thursday to the beach which is all good except he has to have a pair of old tennis shoes or swim shoes to wade in the water with. He can't go barefoot. He can't wear Crocs. He can't wear sandals or flip-flops. Nope. He has to wear old tennis shoes or swim shoes--nothing else will do. And that would be fine if I had an old pair of tennis shoes lying around for Hunter to ruin in the ocean. But I don't. Nor do I have a pair of water shoes in his size. Around these here parts we go barefoot or wear flip-flops or Crocs or sandals or the one dang pair of tennis shoes that belong to us. Since when was school all about appropriate footwear anyway? Why can't they just focus on education and let us parents worry about our children's feet? Gosh! If going to the beach is so dang treacherous for our kids feet maybe they shouldn't go there anymore. I went with Hunter's class to see a play a little while back and they weren't allowed to wear sandals of any kind, in case they might trip. Whoever said tennis shoes are trip-proof? And what's so wrong with sandals? Maybe if they'd get rid of winter recess, they could dismiss school before the onset of summer (instead of halfway through it) and then maybe they wouldn't have to worry so much about all the hazards of open-toed shoes. Sheesh!
So anyway, that was the whole entire reason I had to drag four children to the blasted Walmart in the first place. And did they have swim shoes in Hunter's size? Of course not. Nor did they have any of the important stuff on my list. So I got the few unneccesary items (tic tacs for Denver and suckers for Caleb) and a few boxes of diapers and went to checkout. And do you know what they had there at the end of each checkout lane? A cashier just waiting to ring me up? Nope. A flat screen TV hypnotizing us all with Walmart specials and commercials and a whole bunch of other hullabaloo. They can't fix the darn buckles on the roller coaster carts to make shopping for their customers a little more pleasant. But they can spend thousands of dollars on flat-screen TVs to push their customers to spend even more money. If I'd had a bat in my cart, I would have smashed them all in. But alas, my cart was too full of babies.
On my way out, a Walmart employee had the nerve to stop me and ask for my receipt. I guess a lady with a cart full of children, a baby strapped to her front, a bunch of Walmart bags in her hands and a cart full of diapers and more Walmart bags that she can hardly push because her hands are full of so many other bags (that she can't fit in her cart) looks suspicious to them. Next time I go to Walmart (if there is a next time). . . I'm buying a bat.
As we pulled into the driveway our mail lady pulled over in her mail truck to inform me that she didn't take my letters because postage has gone up to 41 cents and my stamps were only 38 cent stamps. And, she said, "one of your letters would have come back anyway because you addressed it to yourself." On a rose-colored glasses day these things are easy to deal with. Today was not one of those days. What does she mean postage has gone up three cents? When? Is there anything around here that has not gone up in price? And when do we get better services with all these price hikes? I mean, my electric company increased the cost of electricity by 50% this year. It's gone up 10% for the past four years and then I guess they just decided they'd really blast our boots off. So instead of paying $600 a month to cool our 1400 square feet, we're sitting in the hot and humid refusing to turn on the A/C and refusing to pay the Electric Company another cent. Where's the love? And now the USPS wants more money. For what? They won't even deliver my mail in the snow anymore. We can't afford to live here and yet, I can't bear the thought of leaving. And did she just tell me I'm going insane? Did I really address a letter to myself and stick it in the mail? Yes. . . yes I did.
The kids need more attention than I can possibly give them. Caleb is hitting everyone and everything in sight. And if we don't pay him the attention he wants, he bangs his head on the walls and the floors and all the other hard surfaces that can cause him damage. Noah isn't sleeping and he's throwing temper tantrums left and right. I know it's cause he's tired but we can't get him to sleep. I almost had a fence in last week--now it's going to be another three. I have friends who took their families on an excursion instead of coming to the Potato Derby last week--I don't really mind that they didn't come to the Ward Activity, but I hate the fact that they are lying to cover it up--like I don't already know that they all went TOGETHER. Was it a boycott or something!?! And why would they do something like that to me? I guess it's eating at me, mostly cause I hate myself for smiling and playing dumb when they lie right to my face about it. I may be going insane but I'm not stupid. So why do I let them treat me that way?
Justus has a yeast infection on his bottom that is not going away and I'm sick of putting cream on his bottom that isn't helping. I've had a yeast infection before and believe me, it's not pretty. The poor baby has got to be miserable and he's had it for over two weeks now. It just keeps spreading and spreading and spreading. Why can't the doctor just help the poor thing? Afterall, if it was their butt you know they'd be taking the strongest medicine out there and ridding themselves of the stuff as quickly as possible. So why do they make us start with the weakest stuff and work our way up?
And the cherry on top of it all was running into the infamous Miss M and her family at the park. Cause you know, she's got it all under control--her house is clean, her kids are perfect, she makes more money than her husband, all her ex-boyfriends totally want her as well as the entire Elder's Quorum at church, she's the "healthiest fat person in the world" and even on the most humid day of the year her hair and makeup is flawless. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Caleb has poured his entire bowl of cereal on the floor and yes, that's what they all had for dinner--like they'd touch the taco salad I made. All six kids are filthy, from head to toe. My hair is a disaster thanks to the humidity and dragging four kids through Walmart without a roller coaster cart. I have no makeup on and haven't since Sunday. I don't make any money (not a cent), just walking up the stairs leaves me winded and the only man remotely interested in me is Mark and I'm pretty sure it's only cause he promised to love me. . . even when I'm wearing my poop-colored glasses.
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