Rejoice in Every Good Thing.....

Friday, October 30, 2009

Uninvited Guest

Dear Guilt,

Since the birth of Sam nearly 2 months ago you have been my constant companion.

You have tormented me each time my baby cries because I can't always hold him.

When I spend time soothing him... you remind me that I am not spending enough time with my other kids.

When I have all three kids adequately happy... you whisper to me that my house needs attention...

....and frankly, Guilt, I am growing weary of you.

I am tired of you telling me that I can't supplement with formula, rock my baby to sleep, or let him cry himself to sleep. I don't believe you anymore.

You try to tell me that I should be good at everything that my neighbor/friend/family member is good at and that my family should resemble the perfect family described in my various parenting books. I'M NOT LISTENING ANYMORE.

Considering everything, I am respectfully asking you to leave. I am sure that you will have no problem finding another place of residence. If you have trouble... try watching the news for the latest murderer, molester or adulterer. Perhaps they need a visit. But please stop bothering me and all of the other hard working mothers out there. We're simply doing our best and no one can ask for more than that.

Sincerely,

Rachelle (a liberated mom)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I love pictures for $3.99

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Cuzins!!

8 grandkids. Oldest to Youngest.

Didn't we just plan it so well?? Megan, Camille and I had our babies only 3 months apart. These guys are lucky to have built in buddies. It looks like Sam and Cameron have already gotten pretty close. (ha ha) With Luke only a year older I think family get togethers are going to be pretty wild in a year or so.

Stockton, Sam and Cam. (Yes, it rhymes!)

Just For Fun

My boys!!

I'm thinkin' they look pretty similar. Whatda you think? Can you tell which one is Andrew and which one is Sam?

Monday, October 12, 2009

Walking Home From School

Can we keep this weather a bit longer? We haven't yet had enough of the beautiful colors, scooters, crunchy leaves and chatting with Lizzy on the way home about the new friend she made during recess. We need a few more months of this. Okay?!?

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Reflections on This Past Month

I'm grateful that being pregnant and then delivering a baby hurts and is HARD work....
it reminds me that nothing worthwhile comes easily.

I'm grateful that Sam needs me to feed him every few hours....
it forces me to sit down, relax and hold my baby throughout the day.

I'm grateful that while I was upstairs helping one child, another child broke a favorite piece of furniture......
it reminds me that people matter and THINGS do NOT.

I'm grateful that as I get more kids and they get older, my life keeps getting busier....
it helps me to enjoy a lazy Saturday morning that much more.

I'm grateful that many people brought meals, watched my kids and cleaned my home even when I insisted that "I was fine"....
it reminds me that I can't do this alone.

I'm grateful that no matter how many parenting books I read, sometimes I still can't figure out how to help my children.....
it helps me to get on my knees more often.

I'm grateful that my kids have messy faces, misbehave and pick their noses in public....
it keeps me from being arrogant or from judging other people's kids.

I'm grateful that I simply don't have time to do everything I would like....
it helps me to determine what is REALLY important.

Mostly I'm grateful for this gift I've been given and hope I can learn everything I'm supposed to.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Sam at 1 month

Nothing makes me happy like that first grin from my kids. Gotta love it.....

From the Mouth of Babes

"I'm thankful for brothers and sisters so we can still have fun in case no one else is 'vited over." Graysons prayers July 2018
"Yeah... but I thought the socks would finish them off." Graysons response when I told him his pants were getting too short. 2018
"Can we take a snuggle?" Grayson nearly everyday 2018
"Isn't meditating something they do in butt-ism?" Andrew 2018
Some of my favorite of Graysons mispronounced words are "Gankful" (Thankful) and "orjen" (orange).
"I had a bad dream. I'm afraid of the tomatoes. You know those things that spin around and around really fast?" - Grayson afraid of tornadoes January 2018
"Can you turn on the wind?" Grayson wanting me to roll down the window in the car. May 2017
""Wow, you gettin' to be better at prayin' than me." - Grayson after he asked me if I said my prayers that morning and exactly what I said.
"Mom will you come outside to play soccer with me?" - Sam "Sorry... buddy I'm painting right now." Mom "You really need to work on spending more time with your younger siblings." - Sam
"Green dictionary....blah blah blah." - Some song Sam was singing when he thought no one was listening Feb 2017
"I knew we'd be stopping to eat gas" Sam on our road trip to Utah Feb 2017
"Look at dat mountain. It says rein-deer." Grayson talking about Mt. Rainier
"Now the other side." Grayson helping me blow my nose
"Why dat guy don't have no hair?" Grayson December 2016 loudly asking during sacrament meeting about the high councilman who was speaking.
"Mom... if I haf to go back in your tummy... I be scared." Grayson 2016
"Mom, remember when I was a baby and you ate me?" Grayson after seeing a picture of me pregnant. I told him that he was a tiny baby in that picture and was still in my tummy.
"Can we take a snuggle?" Grayson 2016
"I don't like dat guy." Grayson talking about the Ronal McDonal character that tried to talk to him at the parade. Sept 2016
"Banana!! Applesauce..." Grayson answering every question asked of him
"Happy to you!!' Grayson on New Years Eve 2015
"It means he peed his pants." Sam answering when I asked him what it means in the scriptures when we read that Jesus wept. - March 2015
"It's anonymous. Everyone wants to do it." Andrew Oct 2014
"There's a boy in my class with a crunchy voice." Sam
"Remember that girl who died and then came undead real fastly?" Sam May 2014
"Wait guys, I'm distracted. Am I 'posed to sleep here or here?" Sam at the hotel in Austin 2014
"We're making these bracelets to give to the kids in Guacamole" Sam Nov 2013
"I don't want to live in Skirtland cause I don't want to wear skirts" Andrew (he was talking about Scotland
"Do Lamanites wear cow watches? Sam Sept 2013
"Because there's a fourth of it" Andrew telling my why July is his 2nd favorite month
Mom: Please tell me that you are not licking the floor. Sam: (in an angry voice) I'm not licking the floor (in a quiet voice) anymore.
"When does work get out?" Sam after hearing me talking with a friend about when school gets out for the summer.
"Can I leave cause I don't like the crying part?" Sam at Graysons Dr. appointment right before the nurse came in to give him his shots.
"Mom I'll bet that I could just rip out a paper and scribble on it and give it to you for Mother's Day and you would still say you loved it." Andrew May 2013
"Remember our grandpa with no hair?" Sam
"Don't touch that. I'm entering it in a contest." Andrew talking in his sleep as I was rubbing his back to wake him up.
"I'm so proud of myself. Am I four now?" Sam when he learned to ride his bike without training wheels
"Did baby Grayson have a hat on in your tummy" - Sam April 2013
"Should we sing the part about my feet are great?" - Sam asking if we should sing the 2nd verse of "I am a Child of God" (and so my needs are great...)
Andrew recently went into the bathroom and nearby Lizzy and I listened to him start emphatically making bird calls and hooting like an owl. When he came out we were giggling and ask him what was going on in there. He explained that he saw an earwig and his birdcalls were to scare it away.
The Best of Sam 2012: "Rice Sifries" (Rice Krispy's) "Should I..." (when he wants to say can I or mayI) "Sanny Tonio" (San Antonio)
"Mom is the baby coming out of your shirt today?" - Sam Sept 2012
Sam likes to talk about times of the day. A few of his favorites are "today" "tomorrow" and "to-later".
"I thankful a Brett." Sam's prayers every night
"What 'excuse me' mean?" - Sam's response when his polite friend said "excuse me" when she wanted to talk
"I wanna be sweaty like Dad" - Sam Summer 2012
"Is it like against the rules for Ninja's to be in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?' "Cause I'm kind of starting to like Ninja's." - Andrew April 2012
Mom: "Andrew why are you still awake at 10:00?" Andrew: " Well... I was asleep for a LLLOOONNGG time but then this guy woke me up (showing the toy he was sleeping with). He thought he was just whispering but he was yelling in my ear."
"Hmmmm... looks like it's fixin' to rain." - Andrew December 2010
"I'm sorry you felt distressed about getting the house clean" - Lizzy Nov 2010
"Let's just put that in the colder." - Andrew (he was referring to the cooler)
"Andrew, I love how your foul little mind works. Mom, what does foul mean?" - Lizzy Sept 2010
Andrew: Look what I just wrote. Mom: Cool Andrew, you wrote USA. Do you like the USA? Andrew: Is that a football team?
"I'm afraid that sharks will jump out of the toilet." - Andrew when I asked him why he was so (sincerely) scared running out of the McDonalds bathroom.
"Well you don't punch him or kick him." Andrew after I asked him to show his friend how to play with Sam.
"Hey... these shoes don't have tops. They could be convertible shoes." Andrew after putting on flip flops. April 2010
"Your seizures are a tradition? Like you just have them in the winter time" - Lizzy after Brett told her that his seizures are a medical condition.
"The rules of my underwear are that the dinosaur goes in the back. What are the rules of your underwear?" Andrew having a discussion with his cousin
"Please help us to be nicer than we really are." - Lizzy's prayers 3/2010
"Ox, ox, ox. That's kind of funny." - Lizzy, who has yet to learn about the symbols often used on a valentine.
"I'll wear pants with no shirt. Like Nacho Libre'" - Andrew
"It's kind of confusing when it's called an earthquake because the whole earth doesn't quake. Maybe we should call it a country-quake" Lizzy
"I'm all calmed up now." - Andrew
"I think Andrew colors like a first grader!" - Lizzy
"I have good thinking" - Andrew
"I had to watch it so it wouldn't waste." Andrew explaining why he watched a cartoon that he didn't want to.
"Oh no. I think I threw away the constructions." - Andrew who couldn't find the instructions
"Please pass the tornado's" - Andrew wanting some tomato's
"That was a lot of talking without swallowing." - Andrew talking about an announcer on the radio
"I want girls to be mad at me, but I don't want boys to be mad at me." -Andrew
"This is a mean dinosaur, but he's nice to Nursery kids... He just eats Primary kids". Andrew
"Please bless those that are blind, or sick, or .... dead" Lizzy's prayers
"Look Mom, Look. It's Folly!!!" Lizzy referring to what looked to her like a "Hall Decked with Boughs of Folly."
"This is like in the scriptures. The sun went down but it's still light outside." Lizzy in a well-lit parking lot late at night.
"Bless the bad guys to go to jail." Andrew praying
When Aaron asked Lizzy why the Pilgrims came to America? She responded, "For Thanksgiving of course."
"Mom - you get the cheese and I'll rub it." --Andrew (wanting to grate the cheese)
"Hey anybody come look." Andrew when he really wants everybody to come look.
"Can you buckle me down?" Andrew wanting unbuckled
"Mom - Uhh you come tie my blankets up?" Andrew requesting to be tucked in.
"How many birthdays will it be before I'm old?" Lizzy
"It was Father's Day and now it's Father's Night." Lizzy
"Hip Hip Ooray...Andrew found is uder shoe." - Andrew (after he found his other shoe obviously)
"Squishy cars scared." Andrew protecting his favorite cars during a scary thunderstorm
"Mom go cooking" Andrew trying to get me to leave while he did something naughty.
"It's Jesus Christ Amen" - Andrew referring to a picture of Jesus
"Mom, what was he spelling?" - Lizzy whispering to me during a movie where the character said he needed to do something A.S.A.P.
"Andrew - I'm going to be Cinderella, and you can be my dog." Lizzy
"I have a splendid idea" --Lizzy
"Anrew scared." - Andrews response when I asked him to go wake up Lizzy
"I need a fresh brother" Lizzy
"Spideran, Spideran" A song Andrew wrote about his spider ring
"Grandma thinks I live in a pumpkin patch." Lizzy talking about how Grandma often calls her 'pumpkin'
"I DID IT" Andrew
"Jesus is proud of me... and Santa... and Heavenly Father." Lizzy after leaving a friends house WITHOUT a temper tantrum
"But I want to be by myself WITH you." Lizzy after I told her that I needed to be by myself for a few minutes
"Missmus tee, Missmuss tee, Missmuss tee. . . " Andrew pointing out every single tree at the Washington DC temple
"Mom, do you have your Mexico card?" Lizzy just before we went into Costco
"That man looked like a raisin." Lizzy
"Dasa!!!" Andrew spotting Santa at the mall
"Mom are we out of gas or in gas?" Lizzy wondering why I was idling the car for a few minutes before we left
"Ballerina's don't wear diapers." Lizzy
"Mom, your tongue is soaking green" -- Lizzy talking to me after I'd eaten a green candy
"No no doggie" -- Andrew talking to a dog that stole a PB sandwich right from his hands
"Mom can you pause yourself?" -- Lizzy not wanting to miss any of the story