Brakes

I need them. Badly. Not on my car, but on my life. Every spring is like this. I don't know why we continue to put ourselves through this over and over. Baseball season is always crazy, and then you add in the end of the school year with all its festivities, and birthdays galore - it's madness! Our house is totally nuts! I find myself checking the calendar several times a day just to keep everything straight and make sure we don't miss anything. This year, both Dave and I are on the Board so we now double the responsibilities of running a league. We have 6 kids playing on 5 teams, with Dave coaching 2 of them. We're averaging 11 games a week and at least one night of board duty. Throw in 5 or 6 practices and it's insane. Oh yeah, I shouldn't leave out the endless piano practicing for the festival next week and a dance competition Saturday. How we survive is beyond me. Dave and I haven't been to bed before midnight in ages. Yes, we could get there a little earlier, but after 10pm is the only time we have to spend together and catch up. I love baseball season and hate it at the same time.

But last night, we got a little break. It was a lot of rushing, juggling and arranging, but when Dave's dad called with playoff tickets we worked it out. It's not very often any more we get to go to a Jazz game and even less a playoff game, so we jumped at the chance. Luckily for us, the game had a late start which allowed Dave to see all of Dalin's game and let me get the kids into bed before my golden babysitter arrived. So off we went to enjoy a game with Dave's parents. And what a game! It was a hard fought, physical game and went down to the last second. But the Jazz pulled it off! I haven't been to a game that good in a very long time. The noise level was deafening, the food was abundant. I ate way too much, but it was so good. We didn't get home until about midnight and we were dead tired, but it was so worth it. Thanks Tom, for having other plans tonight and giving up your tickets. Thanks Loren & Marilyn for inviting us to go with you. We loved the game and being able to share it with you.

How Many Days?

"How many days til I'm 5?" has been the most asked question at our house for the past 2 months. I have been counting down since about 70. But no more. Davis is finally 5! He is so excited to not be 4 anymore and since his best friend Hunter turned 5 two weeks ago, he's been agonizing over still being 4. {uggh}

We started off the day with balloons and presents. Davis is quite simple. He really only wanted Cars cars and Star Wars guys. I have yet to ever spend as much as I do on the other kids for birthdays or Christmas on him. His wants are just fewer than the other kids and buying him more just to spend equal amounts is futile. Whatever extras I buy will sit at the bottom of the toybox until I send it to DI. Someday I'm sure we'll make it up to him. And I'm sure the others will complain that he gets more than them. I'll have to remind them. But I digress.

After sending Spencer, Seth and Tiara off to school, we headed out to let him choose a new shirt to wear for birthday pictures and then for the shoot. I've gotten quite frustrated with the little studio portraits I've done in the past and thought I'd take a shot at doing them myself. I still haven't totally figured out Photoshop, so here's the untouched version.

He had fun posing for pictures and finding neat things to pose with. But of course, the best part was a visit to the candy store for a treat when we finished. Then we picked up Tia and headed to McDonald's for a birthday lunch. We always let the kids choose where to have lunch on their birthday and I'm still holding out hope that someone will choose something other than McD's. {sigh}

While the girls took their naps, Davis helped me make cupcakes for his baseball team and a birthday cake. He's a good little helper.
He had a baseball game and I don't think there's anything he would've rather done on his birthday. He just loves the game and anything outside. Thanks to the gorgeous weather we've been having, it was perfect. The team sang Happy Birthday to him after the game and he gave them all the traditional baseball cupcakes. At home it was his favorite - mac n cheese. Then birthday cake and to bed. It was a busy day, but full of all of his favorites. Happy Birthday, Davis! I'm so happy you are a part of our family. You are the most darling, fun little boy and I'm so glad you're 5!

Don't worry...Be happy

So as not to depress everybody with how yucky life can be, I have a happy post! First, my mom came home from her mission to Chile today. She and Howard have been gone since October 2007 and I've really missed them. We went to the airport to meet them today and welcome them home. Sweet little McCall gave her a big hug and promptly told me goodbye. She was going with Grandma & Grandpa. Which is amazing because I'm sure she doesn't remember them and she usually doesn't cling on to someone new. Guess she really loves you Mom!

Second, we saw a very rare appearance over Easter weekend...the Sun! Only because we were in Vegas for a baseball tournament of Jackson's. We all enjoyed the warmth and fun of yet another trip. Too bad we can't do them all the time. The kids loved seeing the (good) sights of the strip and all the cool hotels. I wasn't so happy about having to steer them away from all the smoking, beer-drinking, scantily clad people. Just a little too much for my innocent children's eyes. But all in all, a good trip. Jackson won enough games to qualify for the playoffs, so we spent Seth's birthday at the ballpark...big surprise!

And Seth had a birthday! He was so excited to wake up in the hotel room and see 7 balloons hanging from the dining room light. "It's my birthday!" he exclaimed. Because in our house, it's not a birthday without the balloons to wake up to. I hope he enjoyed being on vacation for his birthday. In his short 7 years, he's spent 2 of his birthdays in hotel rooms. That just happens when you have a spring birthday and a family that likes to go out of town on the long Easter break.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

We've all heard the phrase a million times, and it has just as many applications. Someone's appearance can be completely opposite of their beliefs. A boring book cover can hold an incredible adventure inside. We often are so quick to judge based on appearances, or from the outside looking in, but can be so wrong by doing so. Especially in a close knit group or community, where everyone knows everyone else. But who really knows what goes on behind closed doors? Who really knows the true thoughts and feelings of someone else? I'm sure I've misjudged others and compared myself to them only to feel that I don't measure up to their public self. I've spent years and years feeling badly about myself because my real self isn't like their public self. And how many people have misjudged me? How many of you have judged me (positive or negative) based on what you see? I can guarantee that very few people really know what goes on in my head, my heart, my home. This blog has been a good way for me to document the happenings of our family life since I am a terrible journal writer. The bad part is that I never write anything bad that happens. Well, I'm here to tell you that sometimes life sucks. There are days that I wish I could die, because then I wouldn't have to deal with all of the tough things that life brings. There are days that I want to crawl in a hole and never be found. Days that all I do is cry. I hate most of my growing up years and feel like I got cheated. All I ever wanted was to be like everyone else. My mom tried. She did her best. But with 6 kids, alone and lonely, financially strapped and struggling, she didn't have many options. I hated having to move and change schools almost every year. I got to where I didn't seek out close friends because there wasn't a point. That seems to have carried over into my adult life, because I don't have many friends that I stay in contact with. I wish I did, but for some reason I don't. And my home life? I'm so tired of people saying what a great family we have. They have no idea what happens here, as I'm sure I have no idea what goes on in their homes. From the outside looking in, every family looks great. But the reality is that we all have our struggles and challenges. None of us are perfect. Some days just suck and I want to scream it to the world!!!

Triplets . . . . times 2

We have triplets in our house...two sets! First the good news. Our fish had babies - 3 of them! There might have been more, but in my diligent cleaning of the tank this week, I might have thrown some of them out along with the algae cover rocks. Oops! I had started just changing some of the water, but when I saw how dirty the tank walls and bottom were, I decided to do some major cleaning and removed the top layer of yucky rocks and change most of the water instead of the recommended 1/3. While pouring in the new water, I noticed a "floaty" thing. But as I looked closer, I realized that this floaty thing was swimming! It was so tiny that I had to really look close for a while before I realized it was indeed a baby fish. WOW! I looked some more and saw 2 more in there. Poor babies, I had been pouring in water that was probably way too hot for them, not knowing they were in there. (The other fish had been moved to a jar for the cleaning.) I quickly added some treated water that was cooler, hoping I hadn't killed them. I finished up and added the big fish back in, only to see them chase after the babies. Somehow, their new babies looked like dinner to them. The smart little babies hid in the small rocks at the bottom until the next morning when I managed to rescue them and place them in a net so the big fish couldn't eat them. They are growing well and have doubled in size since Wednesday. The kids are just ecstatic! I am just happy they are fish and not puppies or kittens. This is my kind of pet!

Now for the bad news. I've always known I had twins with Davis & Tiara. They are both about the same developmental level and hit milestones at about the same time. But now that McCall is getting older, my twins have turned into triplets! I'm pretty sure I didn't think this through when I had them so close together. She follows right after them, doing everything they do (and say!) As Dave listened to them running, yelling and laughing downstairs this morning, he said, "We have triplets!" Really?!I'm so glad he told me because I never would have known! Somehow, he's missed the 75 times I've said the same thing! I guess they could be fighting, and I should be grateful they're friends, but they drive me crazy some days! There's a reason that the house looks the same (or worse) when Dave gets home from work. I spend most of my days chasing after them, cleaning up after them, and kissing boo boos from running wild all day. By the time I have a break when McCall naps (leaving me with only twins) I'm too exhausted to do much. I know this will pass and I'll be sad, but some days I won't miss. I'm trying really hard to "come what may and love it", but I think I would have rather had my triplets at the same time instead of 3 different pregnancies. At least then I could do all the bottle weaning, potty training and sending off to school at the same time. Oh, that will be a nice day, when I have a couple hours each week to myself! Too bad it won't come for a couple more years. For my triplets won't all go to school at the same time. Instead, I'll send them off, one at a time, and keep the others at home until their turn finally comes.