Sometimes it gets so crazy I just have to laugh

Today I subbed at the school my kids go to.  I love it when I get to be there.  I see them at lunch and recess and sometimes at other times.  As I was working I got a call from the office telling me that Mayah had a red eye.  I went up to see what was going on and sure enough it was really red under her eye.  I wasn't sure what it was.  We decided to have her go back to class and see if it got worse.  If so I would take her to the Dr.  I checked in with her a couple of times and it was getting better.  PHEW..

The kids love it when I am able to take them home after school.  On the way home Ethan was so very quiet.  Normally he is more energetic but he just seemed so reserved.  When we got home I began cooking dinner and he came in to the kitchen saying his tummy hurt.  I felt his head and it was a bit warm.  His temp was 100 and I gave him some medicine. 

Rachel ended up falling on her shoulder while trying to deliver some things to the neighbor.  I had to go out and give her a piggy back.  Her leg and shoulder were hurting so we put ice on them and had her eat dinner on the comfy couch. 

I took Caleb to my brothers house to get a blessing.  He is going to have surgery tomorrow to remove all four wisdom teeth and also position two other teeth to get them growing upright. 

After we got home Mayah came to me telling me her eye really hurts. OH NO.  So I gave her some medicine for it and she fell fast asleep. 

Thankfully Zach is in one piece and not sick.  BUT....when I asked him to do something he reminded me that it was his birthday.  OH yes...ofcourse it is.  We have a tradition that on your birthday you don't have to do any work.  BUT....he isn't celebrating until Saturday and I am sure he will use that to his advantage.  :)

As the day progressed and another child was sick or injured I had to laugh.  Not that I think it is funny that they are hurt or sick but that it is all happening at once and I am overwhelmed.   It was so exhausting thinking about how to care for each one.  Do I take Mayah to the dr. for her eye?  Does Ethan stay home tomorrow from school with my mom (who just had back surgery) while I take Caleb in for his surgery?  Sometimes things get so crazy and unreal that is makes me giggle.  What else do I do?  I could cry.  That is what I feel like doing but I have decided to just laugh instead.

I am grateful for my health.  I am so thankful that I rarely get sick.  I feel blessed to have the strength I have in order to care for each one of my kids.  I think I have heard them call MOM way toooooooo many times today.  I think I am going to call it a night. WE shall see how Caleb does with his surgery tomorrow.  Praying all goes well.

FHE

Today there was no school.  I had the kids help me with outside clean up.  They were thrilled......not really.  Every time Mayah walked passed me she made a huge sigh of discuss.  She always wants to know, "why do we always have to work on our days off of school." OH that girl. I  tell ya. 

I got a call from my sister in law today. She said she would watch my kids if I could find a way to get to Utah to visit Don.  Oh that would be cool....except for now his car is breaking down and I think it will be spendy this time.  YIKES.  I can't wait until we can actually move down there so we can all be together again as a family.  Dreaming it happens sooner than later.

For FHE tonight we played flashlight tag.  It was fun but cold.  SO COLD.  I am not a fan of the cold.  I like to be warm.  It was so funny when Rachel and I were hiding I had to go to the bathroom so bad but couldn't move because we could see the flashlight coming.  I almost busted up into a laugh.  Then Ethan started singing "what does a fox say"? and all five of us would sing the remainder of it in our own crazy voices and it really confused Ethan (he had the flashlight and was supposed to be finding us).  He would hear one of us sing and run in that direction and then another one of us would bust into another portion of the song so he would run to where he heard the voices.  WE continued to do that for awhile and finally he found us all. 

Bed time tonight was a nightmare.  It took FOREVER for the kids to get to sleep. I don't dare want to see how this is going to affect them tomorrow. 

There are so many kind people in our ward.  We have had five or six people drop by in the last couple of days to bring things for mom.  We had someone bring wholewheat rolls and homemade applesauce yesterday.  Today someone dropped off homemade bread and spiced apples.  Someone else dropped off butter, with homemade bread and homemade raspberry jam.  Someone else brought another loaf of bread.  Another lady brought two different kinds of specialty breads.  This is not good for my diet....but it is so hard to just let it sit there and look at it.  I have to test it...you know.  YUM.  These people know how to cook.  I think my 22 pound weight loss so far won't be 22 come tomorrow morning.

 

Look at that long red curly hair.  OH i miss it.  She wanted her hair cut so bad.  Every morning was a struggle with her and getting the rats out of her hair.  So we took her in and the curls are pretty much gone.  SAD SAD day.  Still she is cute and feisty and the baby of the family.  We love her.

 Caleb...so handsome.  Good kid.  He got his braces off and now needs wisdom teeth pulled.

 The three younger ones waiting for bus.  Sassy Rachel.  She is so awesome. She is the biggest helper of all.  Love her.  She tries to keep the peace in our home.  Ethan is pretty cool.  He is fast, smart and athletic. 

 Zach is busy.  He loves to socialize and talk.  He is good at football and keeps some pretty good grades. He love loves to hunt and is now addicted to bird hunting.

It has been so so long since I have blogged.  A few Sundays ago I spent a few hours going through my blog posts.  It was so amazing reading all the old posts.  It brought back so many memories.  I read things I would have NEVER remembered had I not written them down.  I laughed and laughed and laughed at the funny things my kids said.  It is something I want to start up again.

I am so thankful for so many things.  I have a lot to be grateful for.  I haven't been doing good being patient with the kids.  I hate it when I am like this.  I have been getting worse, I think.  I sit here and look at their pictures and see such amazing kids....so why is it so hard to be the mom I TRULY WANT TO BE?  It will and always has been a goal of mine to strive to be the mom my kids deserve.  I wonder if I will even come close to what my idea of a good mom is. 

Whatever the case, I love my kids with all of my heart.  I hope they know it.  I hope they never doubt it.  I am so very grateful for my husband.  I love him so very much.  He is loving, kind, spiritual, smart, never giver upper.  He ALWAYS has my back. He is respectful. He is a great man and I am so glad to be his wife.  I am grateful for my five kids.  They really keep me hopping.  I don't have a lot of time for myself but this is my life.  I have kids to raise.  I have a job to do and even though I need to step it up a few notches...ok maybe a bunch of notches......I am grateful for this opportunity.  I am so blessed to know the Savior.  He is my light.  He is very aware of me and what I am going through.  I am so grateful for His love and His understanding.  Where would I ever be without the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  I don't even want to know.  I am forever grateful for my mom.....she always made it a point to take me to church......even when NO ONE else went.  And at time I wondered why I had to go too.  But what a blessing that I kept going.  I look back and see how my life could have easily been different had I made the choice to stay home too.  PHEW.  So glad I didn't.  I love the church more than anything in this world.  

Just some quick updates for me to remember.......

Mom had surgery on Nov. 7, 2013 for her back.

Ethans birthday is today but we celebrated yesterday. (9).  He got a BB gun and a couple DS games and some pads for his elbows,knees and wrists.  He is a super duper kid.

Caleb will be having surgery this Friday.  YIKES.  First time he will be put under.  This mom is nervous.  He is getting all four wisdom teeth pulled and none of them have surfaced yet. YUK.

Zach is turning 13 this week but got a shot gun for his birthday.  He went duck hunting on Saturday at 3 a.m. and shot 2 ducks.  He was HAPPY.

The kids had their parent teacher conferences.  I am grateful that my kids do well in school.  Rachel is getting all A's and one B.  Ethan is getting all A's an one B.  Mayah doesn't have letter grades but to give you an idea how she does.....she is in the second grade and they want them at a 51 for reading.  She is at 101.  In math she is at a 3rd grade PLUS 8 month level.  So yeah they are doing great.  Zach is doing good too.  At the middle school level the kids do their own conference.  WE go and they lead.  It was actually kind of funny.  The teachers love him BUT I learned he talks to much in class.........and in math........he talks to the girls (says his teacher). Zach is very very social.  This is so new for Don and I.  We both are NOT social.  Caleb is like us and rarely talks.  So to have a kid never shut up is quite the task.  :) Look at these pics below.  What a bunch of great kids.  These kids are rowdy and crazy but oh so sweet and loving.  They think of others.  They are adorable.  AND they are mine. 

 I love this so much.  This was NOT planned.  They were just playing.  Rachel was hanging in the tree.  Ethan climbed to the top.  Zach was helping Mayah up and Caleb was just kind of watching.  This really captures who they are.  LOVE IT.