Filling In All The Lines

Schedules are something else now days aren't they.  I love talking to people about how our parents did it with a bunch of kids and without all the convinces of modern technology that we have.  I can't help but think about how my life was as a child and while I was always involved in things, sometimes multiple activities at once, somehow life didn't seem to be moving a such a fast pace.  I even watched as I grew up how each activity, being either sports or music or whatever it was seemed to demand more and more time and commitment if I wanted to be involved in anything more than just the basics.  I have only seen that intensity grow as I now have my own children and watching other kids around me.  I am a planner, so I like to watch kids a few years older than my own so I can get an idea of what is possibly to come in the near future.  I desire for my kids to have a well rounded childhood filled with activities of their choosing plus a few more that I feel will benefit them.  But sometime these desires seem overwhelming just based on the demands of the world, let alone multiple those by 4 (even though the little ones aren't even into half the things the big kids are into and I know the big kids schedule will only get more intense very soon).  Then add in all my activities, with work and church and motherhood and running a household and and and and .... Oh yeah, and then there are those fun things that we throw in.  Even if that is just a simple nature walk or quick day trip to somewhere around town.  Those all add up to so many more hours than I have in the day and I didn't even talk about those essentials to living like eating and sleeping.  And who even has time for personal care any more! I am always pleased when I get my mascara on and my "messy bun" was actually brushed once before I threw it up onto the top of my head.

I regularly apply the story of putting my rocks in first in my life.  I use it when needing to fit really anything into my life when I feel there is no more time.  My last to do that there wasn't room for was fitness.  It started here where I applied that rock story to getting those running shoes on and getting those pounds off.  And guess what.  It was a rocky start (ha ha, get it?) actually it didn't really start until Feb. and I think I started rearranging schedules to accomplish that goal in Sept the previous year.  But I am happy to report that 8 months later and a few rearranging of things I accomplished my fitness goals and I am happily working out 4-5 times a week, my weight is where I want it and I haven't felt better in years.

So there is my gold start.  But even with that one I still haven't mastered my scheduling yet.  As I look at my calendar which is beautifully color coded and looks like a rainbow if you squint your eyes I can't believe how much I have going on!! And yet, even with my life mapped out on a daily basis I still miss things and it drives me NUTS!! In actuality when looking at the whole picture and all that I do do and remember I probably only miss something 3-5% of the time.  Really it is not very often.  I NEVER forget to pick up a kid (and there are rarely no less than 5 drop off or pick ups daily) and that is just for school, I'm not including any after school activities.  The best is when there are also 2 games that night, normally at the same time, on opposite sides of town.  Can't wait until that is 4 games on 4 different fields, that will be interesting.  But there are always those things that somehow slip through the cracks, like a theme at school that I forgot, that piece of paper I needed to fill out for a field trip that is sitting on the counter so I wont forget it, or whatever miscellaneous thing that puts a huge crink in my day.  Do other mothers go through all the guilt that I do when you forget?  Please don't tell me I'm the only one who forgets!!

So while I am still moving my rocks around, trying to get all the lines filled in and then remembering what is on each line, I need to find away to allow myself a little wiggle room and cut myself some slack!  So another goal for the rest of the school year, a little less than three weeks away, is to no miss anything and be extra diligent about writing down my to dos, and even if it takes 8 months, maybe I can fit all these rocks in and get my schedule rock solid too.  Wish me luck!!

To Fold or To Hang?

True statement: I HATE LAUNDRY!!

I have never been good at doing laundry, ever! It dates back many many years as I remember when I was a little girl the "talks" I was given on a regular basis by my mother because my laundry basket would be full just one or two days after she had emptied it.  What can I say, I liked to change my outfits frequently (still do).  So at the young age of 8 I was told to slow down the wardrobe changes or washing my clothes would be my responsibility.  Needless to say, I started doing my own laundry at the age of 8.  Truly, the actual act of doing laundry was a snap.  I totally got the whole sorting colors and running of the machine, but then another problem smacked me in my face.  Putting the stinking clothes away. It coupled nicely with my previous problem of not putting the clothes back after finding the perfect outfit, and now I had all these freshly washed clothes I had to complete too. Ahhhh... see the problem??

Fast forward to today, these many many years later and guess what?  I STILL HATE LAUNDRY!!

Again, I have no problem physically getting them washed and dried, it is the stinking problem of f.... ffffool.....folding AND putting those clothes away.  Am I alone in this world of misery?  I just can't seem to kick the problem.  I know there has to be a solution out there.  There has to be some way, some system I haven't tried that will be like an answer from the laundry fairies making my life in laundry world blissful.

Here is a tip from a self proclaimed "lazy mom" about the sock problem many of us have. Each member of the family has a mesh lingerie laundry bag, and a hook. They put their dirty socks in the bag each night. Then when it's full, you wash the whole mesh zipped up bag, and give it back! No more sorting through and figuring out which socks are for which person!


Worth a try.  About a year ago I decided to buy only one brand of socks for the boys.  We went with Hanes and the reason was because they branded the bottom of each sock but changed to color of Hanes based on the size. So we could actually all have white socks, but on the bottom, Tanner's socks had a green Hanes, Tyler had a blue Hanes and Austin had a red.  It works for the most part, but somehow we still loss a lot of socks in between taking the dirty sock off of their feet to the point where we sort them.  Don't know where that little sock goes, but usually we are lucky if we get one from point A to point B let alone a pair!! I must have 100 sock thieves in my washer that are well dressed in a variety of socks from over the years!!




We have tried sorting baskets for the kids, scheduling laundry days, laundry purges, ignoring the laundry hoping it will just go away, and simply making the corner of my room the new designated closet for clean clothes and a common phase during that time was, 'go see if you can find one in the pile", not the most successful plan.  This summer one of the many goals that I will be putting together is getting a laundry plan in place the will work 100%, well heck, even 80% of the time would be AMAZING!


So wish me luck on the mound I have to tackle.  If you have any tips that have worked for you, please feel free to send them my way, I am open to try ANYTHING!!  Here's to folding laundry and all the other things we mothers do :)

ahhh keyboard, how I've missed you

Blog blog, we have seen better and more active days,

The joy of posting photos and all the boys silly ways.

The click click click of your keys as I remember all the fun,

And little thrill I get after I press publish when I'm done.

Even though the fault of being absent is totally my own,

I think I have found some time to visit without turning off my phone!

So here we go again, we will give it another try,

Don't give up on me yet, and please try to hide your sigh.

Blog I've missed you, I have so many things I can't wait to type out,

 And I am excited for all the things I have to blog about!!

The dork is back!!! HA  But in all serious I am excited to sit down and get on this.  Watch out!! The funny thing is I have blogged all kinds of things.... in my head.  In fact, just this morning I had a great blog all about washing dishes.  Seriously, it was hilarious, and I have had many days where this happens.  Perfect blog posts all witty and snarky... in my head.  They come together at the most random times, but never when I have two seconds or two hands for that matter that are free to actually write it down.  It's a problem.  

So instead I am moving somethings around and we will see what I can get out of my head down on paper, I mean computer.  No promises as always, but here's to trying.  And no, my grammar hasn't improved, (sorry Mom) and my days aren't any less crazy, but things are exciting and I love sharing the stories of my chaotic, humorous, full speed ahead life.

Happy Blogging!!!

Trunk or Treat

Is it trunker treat or trunk or treat?  Either way that is where we headed off to Saturday night before Halloween.  The whole family got in costume and ready to go.  I really considered having us all go in a theme, but there were two problems with that.  One, there aren't many group themes that fit our family (one girl five boys) except maybe star wars, but I really wasn't interested in being Leia and well, that about it.  And secondly, all my boys are very clear as to what they want to be, and I know I had a blast choosing my costumes each year as a kid so I didn't want to take that away from them.

Brodie didn't have a choice.... and if I really had my way, all the kids would be little stinkers... I just think it is SO CUTE!

How sweet are they hand in hand.  Bet you didn't know spider-man had a sidekick did you?  It will be reviled in the 5th movie.

Austin loved all the activities.  Huge shout out to the committee who put on the show this year.  It was one of the best I've seen at this ward.  Notice his spider on his check to match his costume?  He loved it.

Watch out for the black ninja.  Ty was very intense in his disguise.

Although Tanner is showing his true identity here, when he had on his mask, General Grievous would have you under control with his powers.... come to the dark side.  But for now, we will be nice so we can enjoy the hay ride.

And yes, Eric was a cow.  It was 10 years ago when he wore this for the first time and it was a hit back then too.

And yes, those are utters.... don't ask.  The boys got right into the trunk-or-treating and I think they did about 3 loops.  Austin was the loudest, Tanner was the fastest and Ty was the smartest grabbing the particular candies that he liked.  They made out really well and I approved of the stock.  It was a great preview to Halloween night and a blast hanging out with friends.

Knives and Flames

We take pumpkin carving very seriously around here.

Everyone gets there hands dirty (well not me, Ty, Austin or Brodie)

Lucky for Tanner who was DYING to try pumpkin seeds my mom came over to help work on that

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww..... gross. But he loves it!

Leave it to Eric to find the joy that night in lighting the candle. "It sounds like a blow torch" was exactly what he said.

Everyone gather round.

This part is very intense.

Success! Two smiling pumpkins for four excited boys.

Pumpkin carving is not my favorite thing, but I am grateful for my husband and my mom who are willing to get there hands dirty and get it done, as are my kids. 

PPPP-Pumpkins

October is FULL of family traditions and places to go. So back in the car we go to head up to Bishop's Pumpkin farm, to see the goats, I mean get a pumpkin. But also to see the goats. Did you know my kids like goats? We should just rename October the month to go see the goats.

Here we have Tanner, with the goats.

Tyler, hanging out with a baby goat. Notice the little one in the back. The human, not the goat.

Brodie, not so much into the goats yet, but I give it a year until he is converted.

Oh there he is, the child, not the goat. Check out Austin brushing the goat. At least he is making himself useful.

Thumbs up is right. Okay, we can go home now. Oh wait, we are here for the pumpkins, I forgot.

First, a ride on the train.

Again, sooo, sooo happy.

Then onto the wagon to go out to the fields. Ty had this weird thing going on with his smile... but capture who they are right and don't try to change them. That is so flipping hard for me as a photographer, but I am letting go... trying to.

The bummer was all the pumpkins were yucky. I am guessing it is because of the random weather we had this year. I heard a lot of crops didn't work out because of it. So as long as we were all the way out in the field waiting for the tractor to come back and get us I had some fun with my camera.

The sun was setting and I love love sunsets and the light then.

The boys had fun running in the fields

Brodie was a little overwhelmed at the size of some of the plants.

Austin continued to point out his favorite... over and over (always changing)

And while we didn't get a pumpkin the trip was still just as fun. The goats, the train, the hay ride, the fields, the goats, oh wait I already said that. It was just great. We topped the night off with a bite at Costa-Vita, one of Eric's new favs. So fun, love our October traditions.

Austin's Pumpkin Day

Austin has gone with his older brother's to the pumpkin farm with their preschool class for a few years now, but this year, it was his turn! He was just a little excited. I was actually afraid he was going to hurt his face he was smiling so big.

We always start out the trip with an exciting ride on the tractor around the farm. He was feeling cool.

And guess what came next.... wait for it..... goats. Big surprise that this kid loves goats too. It must be a Lawrence thing.

CORN!! I personally hate this particular corn maze. There is nothing exciting about it. It is literally straight rows one after another and it is about 8 rows to long. But he loved it.

Oh yeah, Brodie was along for the ride too. He loved the giant hay stack. I love how happy my kids are.

Just a few more years for Brodie's turn to do it with his own class. But for now, he is happy to tag along.

Such a fun morning with my two little ones.  Such fun to see their smiling faces.  Let the holiday seasons begin!