Dear Distractions,

Dear Distractions,
Please stop!!
I can't seem to get anything done because I keep getting side tracked. I would turn the phone off but what if it is one of the kids calling because they are sick? I would turn off the computer but it seems like everything I do requires the computer from bill paying to finding a phone number to sending an assignment to a teacher. And once I'm sitting down at the computer there is always an email to respond a blog or website to check...
I've got 2 hours until the kids start to come home so I going to turn on an Audio book, check caller ID before picking up the phone and hibernate the computer. Perhaps I will get something done on my house today.

Kylie's First Day of Preschool

Kylie was so ready to start school today. She was so excited. Hair curled and ready to go a half hour early.

In front of the preschool.

Putting her new backpack on the hook.

You can barely see her sitting right by her teacher. She knows 3 of the kids in her class from church or last years preschool.

101 Degrees - It's no picnic

In the spring & fall our ward has a picnic in the park once a month. Tonight was the first one since they took a break for summer. Boy was it HOT out.
This was at the start and just look at the beet red faces on Kylie & Kim.

Lots of Food.

Tree Climbing.

Baskteball.

Wrestling.
Games.

It was fun but boy was it warm. I was so hot and sweaty when I walked into our 82 degree house if felt like I was walking into a refrigerator.

Work It Wednesday

And work I did. I spent hours in the office today and got it completely clean. The closets, dressers, drawers & desks are all cleaned and dejunked. I have 2 baskets of stuff that didn't belong in the office that still need to be put away but that is for another day.

Making Progress

I got it down to just one basket of junk in the corner. At least some progress was made. I still have 2 other baskets upstairs that need to be sorted through too. Perhaps tomorrow...

Something is wrong with this picture...

Why does this look worse than it did this morning!?!?!

I started off so well. I was making great progress sorting through the drawers in the office. I had just dumped out the last of the drawers that needed to be sorted when the phone rang. It was the school calling - Bryce had another migraine. Thus came an afternoon filled with calls to the neurologist, pediatrician and an allergist followed by Kim's denist appointment.
I'm now in a bigger mess than when I started. I know what I'm doing for the next hour until I have to fix dinner. I at least get the pile of stuff sorted and one basket taken care of!

Byce & Migraines

Bryce is home again with another migraine. That makes 3 migraines in 7 days. I'm thinking it has something to do with this time of year. Either the weather or whatever is in the air. He got his first migraine last year on August 31st and had 4 migraines in 2 weeks. They then started tapering off and came less frequently until they had seemed to have stopped. He got a migraine last week on August 17th and has now had 3 migraines in a week. Does that seem like a coincidence to you? I'm thinking not and that it truly is triggered by allergies or changes in the weather. At least I'm optimistic at this point that they will taper off again.
I'd say maybe it is school starting but school doesn't seem to be a stress to Bryce. School comes easy to him.

Maintain It Monday

This is one of those embarrassing pictures I used to post all the time. This is the current state of the corner in my office. 3 baskets full of junk that has accumulated during the summer months plus some disorganized plastic drawers.
When my kids are cleaning if they don't know where something goes they put it in a basket. When I'm on top of life I regularly go through the baskets of misc. stuff and put it away. I've not done that recently so over the last few months the baskets have multiplied and are now in need of some major sorting and dejunking. My goal for the day is to make it through all 3 baskets of junk. I wish I could say these were the only junk baskets in my house but they are not. Hopefully within a week or two all the clutter that has accumulated will be sorted and either put away or thrown away.

Marvelous Monday

I've made my list, I've checked it twice.
I'm going to make today a great day.
No more excuses!
And hopefully no interruptions (a girl can dream)
So far so good. I've stuck to my list so far which included getting out of bed early enough for personal prayers and scriptures before getting everyone else up, something I've been skipping and needed to get back to.
I've got less than 5 minutes until I have to be off the computer and downstairs exercising.
Today is my stay at home a clean day.
The only thing on the list is a dentist appointment for Kim at 2:30 so I'm hoping to get on top of at least part of my house before then.

Oh and really quick I have to mention how fabulous my sister in law Wendy is. Yesterday while we were visiting she cleaned out and organized a couple of my kitchen cupboards. Thanks Wendy!!!

Time's up I'm off to exercise.

Cousins

Mike & Wendy stopped in again today on their way home from CA. The kids had fun playing with their cousins. Wish we lived closer and could see them more often!

Slip N Slide Family Night

For Family Home Evening we had a water fight and then the kids went on the Buzz Lightyear Slip N Slide. A great way to cool of on a hot summer night.

Thanks Mike & Wendy!

Mike & Wendy came through last weekend on their way to visit dad in CA. Saturday morning the girls went shopping and Wendy spoiled Kim. She got her new bedding for her bed. Kim is thrilled, perhaps now she'll actually make her bed. Thanks Wendy!

Dear Life,

Dear Life,

Thank you for the first semi-calm day I've had in weeks. It was very much needed.

Thank you for the 20 minute nap I snuck in before someone started banging on the piano. I wish you could have been longer but I'll take what I can get.

Thank you that Bryce's migraine finally went away. It's no fun to watch your child in so much pain.

Thank you that we finally caught the bunnies that escaped from their cage. At least I got 20 minutes of exercise in.

Thank you for a family that was ecstatic that they got mac & cheese for dinner. I'm so glad they are so easy to please.

Thank you for the delicious dinner I got at Relief Society tonight that I didn't have to cook. And thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it such a fun evening.

Thank you to Brett who was willing to drop everything and work in the nursery tonight when he was called at the last minute. I know you were tired and had a lot of homework.

Thank you to my children for doing their chores without complaint for the first time in forever. Miracles to happen.

Thank you that we have a commission check ready to be picked up. Hallelujah!

Thank you for good friends, a hard working husband and great children. I'm truly blessed.

The Best Laid Plans...

Today started off great!

Then the phone rang just moments after I got the younger kids off to school.

"This is the intermediate school we have Bryce in the office with a migraine"

Farewell to my planned "productive day".

Poor kid his migraines are not pleasant. So far he's sleeping. Let's hope we got medication in him soon enough so this one won't be severe.

The Best of Intentions Shot Down by Distractions

I woke up at 6:00 this morning ready to have a productive day. Then I remembered I never read the book 100 Dresses that I needed to read and pass on to the next person on the Relief Society list so I stopped and read the book.
By the time I finished it was time to start breakfast. From the time I start breakfast until the last child walks out the door takes 2 hours bringing me to 8:30.
Then the phone started ringing and ringing and ringing. I just checked caller ID - I've had 7 phone calls this morning. How am I supposed to get anything done when the phone rings 7 times? I really need to invest in a cordless phone. Our cordless phone died a long time ago so now when I'm talking on the phone I'm sitting down, usually in front of the computer. Not a good combination because then I check email, blogs, goodreads or facebook while I'm there.
To make a long somewhat boring morning short it is now 12:15 and no housework has been done. I'm not saying I haven't done anything. I have got things done - my visiting teaching appointments are set up, several things are crossed of my to do list. I've eaten healthy... but it's just not what I thought I would get done today.
My to-do list is still calling to me.
A quick trip to Wal-mart
Exercise
Dishes
Laundry
That's where I'm starting. Hopefully I can at least get those 4 things done before the kids start coming home in 2 hours. Or perhaps I'll still be roaming the aisles at Wal-mart when Bryce gets off the bus.

Menu Plan Monday

As part of getting organized I'm back to planning weekly menus. I'm trying to live off of some of our food storage so this weeks' meals are not all that exciting....

Monday
B- Pancakes
D- Eggplant Squash Lasagna - Which will probably mean PB&J Sandwiches. I've got squash & eggplant from bountiful baskets so we're trying something new!

Tuesday
B- Omelets
D- Taco Tuesday @ Del Taco

Wednesday
B- French Toast
D- Freezer Burritos or Pizza - I get dinner at Relief Society

Thursday
B- Eggs & Sausage
D- Mac & Cheese - Back to School Night

Friday
B- Egg McMuffins
D- Spaghetti

Saturday
B- Pancake Puff - Church Cleaning
L- Haystacks
D- Potato Soup

Sunday
B- Waffles
L- Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
D- Cream Peas & Tuna (surprisingly my kids all like this)

Week #1 Down

Ok really it was only 3 days - not even a full week. We survived waking up early but boy am I tired tonight. Overall I'd say it was a very successful first few days.

It's most definitely time to get back to Maintain It Monday, Tackle It Tuesday, etc., etc.

Although I'm not sure there is a need to post before & after pictures anymore. I mean really all you have to do is go look at previous Tackle It Tuesday pictures to get a pretty good idea about what certain areas of my house looks like.

The clutter may be picked up and the floors vacuumed throughout most of the house but much of that clutter is sitting in a basket in the corner of the office waiting to be sorted and discarded or put away. The insides of my cupboards are once again disorganized. Why does everything eventually return to a state of chaos?

My house is in need of a good spring cleaning!

Focusing on the positive for a minute my laundry is all clean and folded and my garage is clean. At least 2 areas of my house are in order (at least for the moment).

So for those who find amusement and feel better by seeing the skeletons in my closet check back next week for the before & hopefully fabulous after pictures as I work to recover from a summer of kids home all day everyday.

First Day of School - What Time Is It?

This morning I could be heard singing a different version of High School Musical's What Time Is It?:

Finally school is here
No more chillin' out
Back on the clock
The vacation's off
Now school's what it's all about

Everybody ready, going crazy, school is in
Come on and let me hear you say it now, right now

What time is it?
School Time
No more vacation
What time is it?
Study Time
That's right, say it loud

Now we're wakin' up at 6 am
'Cause now our time is not our own

School pride lets show it
We're champions and we know it
Bobcats
Are the best
Brown white and gold

When it's time to win we do it
We're number one we proved it
Let's live it up
Study Hard
That's what school is all about!

Bryce is going into 7th Grade.
Brett's first day of High School. 10th grade.
Bradley is starting 3rd Grade.
Kim's last year at the elementary school. 5th Grade.
Bradley with his teacher Mrs. Puzey.
Kim with her good friend Megan.
Kim with her teacher Mrs. Lenhart.
Kylie doesn't start preschool for 3 more weeks. But today she does get to go play at her friend Jessie's house.

As for me - I'm celebrating by going out to lunch with Brian.

Back to School Nights

Holding a Back to School Night the night before school starts is not a good idea. Having 2 schools holding Back to School Nights the night before schools starts is a worse idea. Seriously it's been a crazy night. I'm exhausted. Morning is going to come too soon and the alarm is going to go off way too early for my liking.

What is up with having 3 different start times for school? Bryce has to leave at 7:05 to catch his bus. Brett needs a ride to school at 7:55. Kim and Brad will need a ride at 8:35. I wish they all started school at 8:30 and could all leave and come home at the same time. To have breakfast together as a family and get our scripture reading done before school will mean waking everyone up at 6:40. Wish us luck, last year we lasted less than a week then letting the kids sleep in won out.

Million Dollar Mouth

Confession: I'm terrible when it comes to brushing my kids teeth and having them brush them every morning and night. I'm totally inconsistent. Sometimes we do great then we go for too long slacking.
I'm paying for that today - BIG TIME!

This morning Kylie was sedated to have crowns put on her back teeth. Ouch to both her mouth and our wallet.
Although I must say I wish I had our video camera because she was hysterical when she was waking up...
"WOW! - You have 4 eyes"
"WHOA! - The building is moving"
"She's a twin"
"You have 2 noses!"

Now that the medicine has worn off she's miserable and doing her best to make everyone else miserable too.

I'm grateful they were able to get all her teeth taken care of today. I don't think I'm up to another day of a screaming child.

5 Days and Counting...

School starts Wednesday. I think it's one of those "the grass is always greener" things.

Can't wait for summer to arrive and I'm so ready when it does. I love sleeping in and not having to worry about homework and schedules.

But now I can't wait for school to start. I'm so ready for a schedule and routine again!

17 Years And Counting....

Happy 17th Anniversary!
17 years ago leaving the hotel to head to the Salt Lake Temple to be married.

To celebrate Brian and I spent last night in Mesquite and enjoyed our time swimming, playing raquetball, eating out and going to the movies. It sure is nice to have kids that are old enough to leave home!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. I love you!

Wolf Den Dinner

The wolf den had an end of summer scout dinner last week. Bradley's leaders Brother & Sister Hulse invited everyone to their home for a BBQ which the scouts helped with. It passed off some of the scout requirements.
Kylie with her friend Addie.
Bradley getting some ice cream and cake for dessert.
Bryce kept hiding behind a ball so I couldn't get his picture.