Crazy Teenage Beauty Rituals

This is Natalie the night before a big school party at Lagoon Amusement Park.  She was determined to have curly hair for the event.  I thought it was funny that her hair looked like Medusa when she was done rolling it up.  Needless to say she did not sleep too soundly that night.  I remember as a teenager, I would wake up extra early each day to wash my hair, blow dry it and then put it in hot rollers.  Big hair was "in" in the 80's.  The things we do for beauty.  Now, I am lucky if I ever wear my hair down--I like the no fuss pony-tail look-- and extra beauty sleep!!

The Belly button of the universe

Johnny sent this picture from Greece.  On his p-day he traveled to some ruins in Delphi.  The ancient Greeks considered this place to be the belly button of the universe.  My kids thought this was funny.

SUMMER FEVER!!!

The heat wave that we have been enjoying has given my children "summer fever".   They now want to stay up extra late each night because as they say, "it is not dark yet".  They even put the sprinkler under the tramp and filled up the pool.   It amazes me how sliding into an ice cold pool does not phase them one bit.  Perhaps it is the excitement of finally wearing a bathing suit after such a long and cold winter.  I like the warm weather also, but am not quite ready for summer vacation yet.  My children are counting down the days and it is time for me to get ready!! 

Preschool Graduation

Joseph graduated today from preschool.  When he came down from the stage he said, "I'm just like Johnny."  I hated to tell him he still had 13 more years of school to be just like Johnny. 

Random Things and Treasures

This weeks treasures:

pair of worn in jeans that fit great: 2.00

old navy spring skirt(cute a little tight) 1.00

book-Little Women .25

pack of new socks 1.00

6 pack of sprinkles 1.00

quilt 3.00

razor scooter(couldn't talk price down) 10.00

new air soft gun 5.00

new heartsong puppet theater

for doorway 2.00

6 pair of socks for Joe .50

total 25.75

I spent more than I usually do, but the kids needed the scooter with summer vacation around the corner and Jake was saving his money for an airsoft gun.  I told him he could have this one after he completed two of his merit badges.  I do not like these guns but the boys have fun with them when they wear all the protective glasses.  The quilt had a sham and 2 sheets that came with it.  It looks great in the spare room and really soft.  The puppet theater is brand new still in the wrapper.  The socks were a great find because the boys and Joseph never seem to have any socks even though I am constantly buying them.  I don't know if I like blogging my garage sale finds.  I feel like I have to explain why I am purchasing this stuff like I often do when John sees me come into the house with all the "junk" as he calls it.  He is ok with it as long as I get rid of some of our stuff.  The thought of blogging my purchases did make me think twice. I did not buy  a few other items because I knew my sisters would think, why did Emily buy that?. I still have not found the items on my list--the hunt will continue next week.  

A Queen for the Day

After church snack the kids said I had to eat in bed.
Breakfast in Bed
Breakfast:  German pancakes, easyover eggs, sourdough toast, bacon, milk, and slushy juice--Yum!!!
I was so full from breakfast that I did not want lunch but my children insisted I have a snack in bed.---toast, carrots, apples and more juice.

This sunday morning was one of the most relaxing motherday mornings I can remember.  Natalie set her alarm and started cooking.  Soon the other children were in the kitchen helping her.  I stayed in my bed and read the conference Ensign.  At 7:45 am my beautiful children brought in a lovely breakfast with cards and gifts.  This was more impressive to me because they did it on their own and they cleaned up their mess.  John was on his way home from Canada.  I loved all the small touches--the oragami flowers, straws in my drinks, and all the condiments next to the plate.  Most of all I loved the fact that I am blessed to be a mother and have these wonderful children in our family

Happy Mother's Day!!

My mom was and is truly a supermom.  With all of her amazing "powers" she loved and raised 17 children.  She made mothering seem so easy.  I remember when I had my first baby Johnny, what an adjustment it was and how hard it was to be without sleep.  She had "super powers" of energy.  Since I was one of the older children I remember my mom coming home from the hospital with many of my younger siblings.  My mom would not skip a beat and be back at her old routine like nothing happened except for a cute little bundle that now lay in the bouncer chair.  I do not remember her laying around in bed for the first week home like I have done.  She manage to get all the kids to the many activities, sports,lessons, etc. and still make dinner. She would take "super" naps at the traffic lights that seem to give her the added energy she needed.  She would put one of us in charge of telling her when the light turned green and she could open her eyes again.  She had "super powers" of patience and would tell us we needed more love even after times we yelled, complained, and whined at her.  She had "super powers" of faith.  She taught the importance of prayer and when we had a problem she would say "Why don't you pray about it."  I remember my junior year being invited to go down to Florida for spring break with some friends.  When I asked my mom if I could go she said why don't you pray about it.  I thought, sweet I can go.  When I prayed about going, I had the distinct impression that I should not go.  I was disappointed, but it was one of the first time I received a direct answer to a prayer.  She had faith that my prayer would be answered.  She has many other "super powers" but, her most powerful power was love.  I always knew of and felt her love with me.  

I am grateful to have a "supermom" as a mother.  I truly feel blessed to be raised by such a wonderful woman.  The only drawback is that she did make  mothering  appear so easy.  Now that I am a mother I truly am amazed of all that she accomplished with her children and how she continues to helps all her children, her grandchildren, others around her.  

Thanks Mom.  I love you.

 

Garage Sale

My sisters wanted me to blog what I get at garage sales each week.  The things I was looking for this week:

  1.    Coat for Joseph next year

2.     Boots for Jake

3.     Cool chair for next to my desk

4.     Old barbies (Suz made 550.00 on some barbies she bought for 20.00)

5.     cedar chest

6.     cake platter for cheryl

7.     bundt pan for Al

This is what I found:

1.     North Face down sleep bag Natalie needs for girl's camp hiking trip 5.00

2.     box of nail polish for the girls .50

3.     Twilight book ( I had this book and loan it out and never got it back).50

4.     Children's desk atlas .50

5.     Two purses  2.00 each

6.     Kids birthday planning book.  1.00

Grand total:  11.50

So I did not find anything I was necessarily looking for but did get some things I needed.  Yesterday I was just at Target looking at purses.  I really like the canvas one for summer and the black will be great for fall.  The buckles are a little shinny but so were the ones at Target.  My girls are thrilled with all the nail polishes in the box.  All in all a great day at garage sales.  Time spent:  6:45 to 8:30.

The ultimate lego table

This coffee table used to have a glass top until Natalie broke it while capturing a bug.  Recently I discovered it makes the best lego table. I line it with a blanket so when Joseph is done playing I easily dump all the legos back into his buckets.  The legos have actually have stayed in there for a few days because each morning he would want to dump them in.  I may take the table downstairs in the play area to be a permanent lego station.