Crazy, Bonkers, Frantic, Exhausted!

Wow... if I ever complained about another week being so full it's because I had never lived through a week like this one! Each day has had two activities that were set in stone. Swimming at 8:30am and Kelson's Safety Town from 1-3pm. Swimming got the boys up and excited each morning by 6am. I was wondering how much of a fight it would be to keep Analise on the sidelines. It was not even an issue. She was so content to sit by me and just watch. So far she is not a big fan of the water. I hope that changes. Cade and Kelson have made significant improvements since last year. I know my kids are behind other kids their age in the swimming category. I think most of it has to do with we don't belong to a club or pool to allow them the repetition they need to get really comfortable with it. Kelson is the most fearless. He loves to just jump in and get in there. Cade still has a fear of letting go of his nose. However, I must say I was shocked when I looked over and say Cade jumping off the diving board with no flotation assistance. Other kids in his group were still using noodles but Cade just jumped with the assistance of a lifeguard wading below of course! Kelson had been asking to jump since day 1. Because he was only level 1 the instructors were weary of allowing this but by the last day they said he was a great little swimmer and he could do it. He did! I was a proud mom! Each day after swimming it was running like mad to get to other appointments. It was so crazy! It simply wore the kids out. Monday was the worst! Swimming to my Dr. appointment, to Cade's dentist appointment, to Kelson Safety town, to Monday bean night at G'ma's, to Cade's Soccer party. We seriously left the house at 8am and got home at 8:45Pm. I'm not made to run around like this!
Safety Town is a free 2 week program that is offered by Greensboro Police Department. There are a bunch of high school kids that volunteer their time as well. You have to be age 5 or 6 to participate. I feel bad that I didn't know about this program when Cade was that age. Kelson got lucky and got put in the same group as another boy from church that he plays with. Kelson was so excited the first few days but I think he has been so tired after lunch that the excitement has worn off a bit. They feed them snacks and teach them about a variety of different safety tips. So far he has learned about playground, streets, buses, pets, and ambulances. He comes home each day with coloring books and new stories. It's fun to see him grow!
Wednesday gave me the scare of my life! After swimming lessons we went to the free movies. They offer $1 popcorn and drinks. We also opt for cups of ice and fill them up at the water fountain. We were all standing there- the kids and I. Cade and I were filling the cups and Analise and Kelson were standing next to me holding the popcorn boxes. When Cade and I finished, I turned around and Analise was gone! I can't even describe what my heart did in my chest. I found a man working for the theatre and asked if had seen a 2 year old girl walking around. I proceeded described exactly what she was wearing. Still... he just looked at me! I finally shouted- I NEED HELP FINDING HER! Finally the man that was he was talking to figured it out. He said he would go check the men's restroom. I ran in the women's screaming her name. Cade and Kelson by this point were doing the same. About 5 minutes past and a lady from another theatre walked out holding Analise's hand. Phew! I was an insane tear ball at this point. She ran to me and yelled, "MOMMY!" I picked her up and wouldn't let go! Those 5 minutes have been the longest, most terrifying 5 minutes of my life. The sad thing is that I don't think Analise is old enough to have had it scare her enough! Cade and Kelson definitely had their taste of fear. My first thought and prayers went to my brother and sister-in-law. I can't even imagine what they went through when they couldn't find Allie. I know that children wonder off and it always doesn't turn out like ours did. I have been thanking Heavenly Father almost every second since for watching over Analise and keeping her safe. Thank goodness there was a nice honest lady that assisted her in finding me! What scary is is that I'm the over protective parent that is always saying- hold hands, can you see mommy?, do not wonder, do not talk to strangers! And yet, this still happened to me. Cheeto is always telling me to relax they can go over there- I can see them. It took 2 seconds for her to lose me. If I had let my guard down a little bit- you better believe it's back up and stronger than before! When we found Analise, Cade yelled at her and said, "Analise, don't you listen when mommy says don't wonder off. You have to see mommy!" After we found her we walked into our theatre and saw a family from the ward. They were all waving but I was still teary and didn't want to cause a scene, so I semi-ignored them. Was that awful of me?
Cheeto has been busy with work of course. He studies whenever he gets a chance which seems like less and less these a days! He started playing in a rec soccer league. He has games each Tuesday and Thursday nights every week until the end of July. Another guy broadsided him his first game and hurt his knee. He felt well enough to play Thursday. He did great! I love to watch him. It's hard to really watch with the kids running all over the place.


Funny Kid Quote of the Day
Cade, "Mom, when I'm an adult you'll be a grandma right." Mom, "That depends Cade when you get married and have kids. One of my kids has to have kids before I'll be a grandma." Cade, "EWE, I'm never getting married, because I don't like to kiss! Kissing is disgusting!" Mom, " I think you'll grow out of that. You'll change your mind as you get older." "NO MOM! I WON'T! I will never ever ever like kissing! EVER!!! And if you have to kiss to be married and have kids- I won't do it!"

Father's Day 2008

As much as I wanted to make this past weekend all about spoiling Cheeto, it just didn't turn out that way. I did try to pamper him when I saw him. It is still really crazy around here with Cheeto upfitting his new office and trying to get back into the swing of studying for exams. The plan for Saturday was to hit the gym at 9 and come back and hangout with Cheeto. However, Cheeto ended up having to be at the office from 8am until 2ish. Friday night Cheeto and I went out on a date to look for office supplies and furniture. I know it sounds lame and boring but I thought it was great just to be with Cheeto. It's been a long time since just of the two of us have been out. It was fun helping him however I could. It was as we pulled into the yard and I saw the car lights across our lawn when I knew my Saturday morning would more wisely be spent doing yard work. I finally got out of Cheeto what he wanted for his Father's Day dinner. My mom's spaghetti casserole (which I will post after), parmassan cheese bread, salad (I threw that one in the menu- we all know Cheeto is not a big salad eater! :) ) and Strawberry Brownie Torte (also, recipe below). I had most of the ingredients- the strawberries we were going to get from Rudd's Farm again- just like Mother's Day. :) 8am- Saturday morning we were out in the fields picking berries. The kids really enjoy doing this. I was glad they still had some and we could go again because last time I forgot to bring my camera. I remembered this time. As soon as we got home, I busted my butt to get the yard done. The weed eater would not cooperate and it took me an extra hour- that I didn't have of course!- to fix the dang thing. Farm girl skills came in handy I must say. Well- farm girl slash girl raised working on a golf course maintenance. I got it working and successfully finished the entire yard. It looked pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Poor Cheeto hasn't had the time to do it once this year. It's a good thing his wife doesn't mind doing it! ;) It's not like Cheeto is dying to do it either! He hates mowing and it doesn't bother me so it's fine. After I got lunch for kids and took a shower we had a "LITTLE" bit of quiet time before heading to the ward party. They were playing wiffle ball and having a cook out at the church. My boys- all "3" of them were excited for this. We had a great time. We were all exhausted and went to bed early. Sunday morning was crazy. I bit a little more off than I could chew. I started the brownie torte and then decided to make Cheeto homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and started the spaghetti casserole so there would be less to do after church. It was crazy getting all the clothes ironed, kids dressed, hair done and baking all at the same time. We still made it to church with time to spare. Church was church. The speakers in sacrament had some great father's day talks. We came home and ate and gave Cheeto his book the kids and I have been working on. They all made him homemade cards which they were so proud of. Kelson had got my heart punch and punched as many hearts as he could on his card because he said he loved daddy so much and had to punch LOTS of hearts so daddy would know! What a sweetheart! The book we made had some funny pictures in it that they couldn't wait to see Cheeto's face when he saw them. We had fun making it. It wasn't a practical gift- but a memoriable one that in 10 years Cheeto can look back and see remember why he became such a great father. I couldn't ask for a better man. What more could a girl want- a man that loves his wife, loves his kids, works hard for all them, loves to play and be silly with them, honors his priesthood and church callings, and most of all worthy of making us an eternal family!

Spaghetti Casserole

Brown hamburger- we like less so I do just less than a pound.
drain and rinse.
1 onion and 1 green pepper- cook with hamburger
add 1 large and 1 small can of stewed Italian tomatoes (with garlic, oregano, and basil)
fill both the large and small can with water and add to pot
add spaghetti noodles- just eye ball it. I use 2/3 of a medium box. I don't measure spaghetti noodles well. :)
Bring to a boil and simmer until noodles are cooked.

Strawberry Brownie Torte

1 box Fudge Brownie mix- Cheeto likes the double fudge Betty Crocker kind
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Spray two round cake pans and divide batter. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and then watch them until completely cooked through. Cool and freeze.

Filling:
1 8oz cream cheese
1 sm box vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cup milk

beat cream cheese and add milk. Add the milk SLOWLY!!!! This is very important. It will clump and be lumpy if you add it too fast. Add the box of pudding and mixed well. Cool in fridge at least 5 minutes before spreading.

Layer: Brownie, filling, sliced strawberries, Brownie, filling sliced strawberries. Of course I like it to look pretty so I arrange the strawberries in a circle pattern and place one full strawberry in the middle. This is super good! It never lasts 24 hours at my house!

One Heck of a Week!

This week has been very eventful. Cade had lots of end of year school parties and events to attend and piano lessons. He is doing great with the piano by the way. He will tell you different. But he does have a knack for it. Analise didn't really eat much on Wednesday. I really didn't think too much about it until Thursday morning when she woke up with "the I'm going to puke smell." My kids all get this smell. I can pretty guess when it's coming. Weird- I know! Maybe it's just a mommy thing. Cheeto kept saying she was fine but I knew it was coming. Yep- about an hour later she was standing on a stool next to the kitchen sink helping me with some bases when she said, "Mommy, I frow up!" She leaned over the kitchen sink and was done. She perked right up and was fine the rest of the day. She got diariah for the next 3 days. Thursday night Kelson said his stomach hurt but then followed by asking for a brownie. I figured he just really wanted a brownie. I had some major heartburn that night and couldn't get to sleep. Good thing for Cheeto. About 11pm I heard Kelson moaning and crying in his bed. I went to check on him. He was crying saying, "I need to get it out." I thought he had to go to the bathroom. Nope- he had to throw up. I got him half way to the bathroom before he puked all over me and the bathroom wall. It was a mess. We got it cleaned up and just got him back to bed when he pucked 3 times as much in his bed. ARGH!!!! What the????? I was so tired and sick myself. I did not want to be doing this! For those of you that don't know Cheeto.... HE DOES NOT DO THROW UP! He was such a help that night though. We couldn't just throw it all in the washer so picture this.... Cheeto and I literally on the front porch hosing down all of Kelson's bedding and hamper at midnight. After this Kelson got a bed on the bathroom floor! I was afraid that Cade was going to get in Friday that I allowed him to stay home from school. He was feeling fine so he went with me to help Cheeto move offices. (that is another story that I'll get to in a minute.) We ran a few errands and he was still looking like our Cade. He spent the afternoon shooting 18 holes of golf with Papa A. Thanks to G'ma A I was able to go help Cheeto move all afternoon. G'ma deserves a great deal of credit for me making it through the week. I wouldn't have made it without her! Thanks MOM!!!!!! The boys spent the night at Papa's since he is going to Mexico for quite awhile on Tuesday. Dad, Kris, Cheeto and I had a 8am shotgun start at Dawn Acres golf course. We were so exhausted after Friday that we went to bed at 8pm. Analise was still looking a bit dehydrated or something Saturday morning. Mom said she would be fine. So Cheeto and I left for the golf course with Dad. We had a lot of fun golfing. I wish we had the time and could afford to do it more. When the kids are older- right? Mom and Lettie were suppose to meet us at the course for lunch when we were done. Well, it was time to meet them and we only see Lettie, Kelson and Analise. Oh NO!!! Yep-Cade was home throwing up! Lettie said he was doing a great job getting to the toilet. We went to have some naps and later to help Cheeto unpack some at his new office. Cade threw up a couple more times there and some through the evening. However, it was much easier for me. I just had to ask if he was ok through the bathroom door. I love the older kids when the get sick! Cade spent the night on the bathroom floor last night. The bathroom floor has never been so used! He's feeling good enough to fight with Kelson and Analise this morning. We opted to keep them all home from church today! So here I am just dreading a very long sunday without church! I wonder if and when Cheeto and I will have to take our turn.
OK- Cheeto's office news. Cheeto and Jim created a partnership and decided to go out on their own. They found some great office space at Revolution Mill Studios close to downtown Greensboro. It's actually the old Cone Mills. It will have close to a million square feet of office/event space when it's done. They have renovated it nicely! It has lots of character and charm. It has a great feel! I'm so excited for him. Right now the space they are in is 2400 square feet but only temporary until they can build them their own space. It should take about 3 months or so to get something more permanent worked out.

Funny Kid Quote of the Day
I was trying to get Kelson to get some rest after staying up all night throwing up. I asked him to go lie on his bed and shut his eyes. About 10 minutes later he comes back and sits on my lap. He says, "Mom, I really tried but my eyes just don't want to go to sleep. They want me to play the playstation." Nice try Kelson!

Cade 2nd grade Field Day

Up until Thursday of last week, my week was pretty much free. By Thursday evening, every hour of every day was pretty much consumed! Sunday night I had that sick feeling like I just don't want to even start the week. I was scared of the hectic schedule. Monday started off with field day all morning at Cade's school. They had a lot of fun. Cade was very well behaved other than he didn't want his Carolina Panthers shirt to get wet and muddy so he opted out of most of the water games. Which was fine with me, I didn't want to start a fight with Cade- we were doing so well. As you can see, he had a great time. The first event was flag tag. Cade was the winner of the first game. He was so proud of himself, as was I. The board walk game he was so good at. I know I'm being a bragging parent but he was. Some of those kids were s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g! He must get his good coordination from me! :)







I stayed and ate lunch with him and then he wanted to come home with me. I was more than happy to bring him home. I had a doctor's appointment from 2-4 so we hung out at G'ma's for a bit and then went to get the babysitter. After my appointment I had 20 minutes to wait for Cheeto to come home. Analise was coloring with the window markers on our storm door. Not too long she was giggling and giggling. I asked her what was so funny and then I saw it. Her attempt of giving herself a Analise original tattoo. WOW! I'm glad those were waterbased markers. They wash off of most things really easy. Kelson was quick to get some baby wipes and started assisting in the clean up. Oh- what joy 2 year olds are! Following the cleanup we went to Monday bean night at Papa and G'ma's. What can I say they love their pinto beans and burritos!!! I can't complain, I look forward to them as well. We had FHE and came home.



This morning was full of working on an impression order I have to fill and then I was pampered with a haircut and color this afternoon. My hairdresser and I had a bet if Cheeto would notice or not. I had about 3 inches of roots that needed some color. I must say they were in desperate need of some attention. Cheeto never notices my hair so I bet that he wouldn't notice. Kristi thought it was very noticeable that he would most definitely say something. Well, Krist won! However, we were half way through dinner before he said something. Poor G'ma and Papa- they are working their butts off this week with helping me. I'm sure Papa enjoys all the time with them since he is leaving next week for awhile.


Funny Kid Quote of the Day
A couple of days ago, I had an errand to run just to Lowes and back. When we got there I told Analise and Kelson to let's hurry and get it done fast. I stood their outside the van waiting and waiting for Kelson to just get out. I was getting to the point of yelling when he finally said he needed help. I asked him what for- just unbuckle the dang seatbelt. It's not that hard- this is what I was thinking. He kept saying he was stuck to the belt with the belt. He sits in the very back so I couldn't see what he was doing. At this point, I'm talking more sternly and demand that he get out of the van. He cries, "But Mom, I'm stuck to the belt!" I still couldn't figure out what the heck he was talking about. I step up in the van and lean over the seat to find that after Kelson had done up his seatbelt he had put his church belt on around his waste. He was belted to the seatbelt and couldn't free himself. I had to laugh out loud where as Kelson was scared I was going to leave him sitting in the van. This scared him because we had just had the conversation of no playing in the cars because it gets to hot and some kids have died because they were left in the car. Poor Kelson- he was so innocent.

Swim Goggles

It's official, we are registered for swim lessons. While we were at Costco Saturday we found this 3 pack of Speedo Goggles for $14.00. That is a deal since they are close to $10 each at Target or Walmart. They were so excited that we had to try them out. It worked out perfect. Each kid wanted a different color. I love it when that happens. It made less convincing and fighting on my part.

Just when you think life can't get any more crazy or worse... it throws you a curve ball and of course, I always hit and miss! The past few weeks we have had our share of ups and downs. Just going back to Monday makes wonder how I ever made it to Wednesday. Monday was Memorial Day and Cheeto had a tee time with Dad at 8:45am. It was a good stress reliever for Cheeto. He has had a pretty rough couple of weeks so I didn't feel bad that I didn't get to go. The kids and I did some picking up around the house through the morning. Mom wanted to go to the movies. After looking at what was available we decided there wasn't much out there for kids. We settled on Nim's Island. It wasn't a kid movie like Horton's Hears a Who but it was a cute movie and all 3 kids did great. Afterwards, we all took some quiet time. Though, not all of us took naps- ie Cade and Kelson. At 4:30pm we started packing up bikes to go for a picnic dinner in the park. I thought this would be a great evening for it since Cade didn't have homework and we didn't have to wait for Cheeto to get off work. The picnic part went pretty well but the bike ride was a total disaster. Cade's bike is a bit big for him. Both of the boys are very timid when it comes to bike riding. Neither one of them enjoy going fast and total fear sets in as soon as they start to see a downgrade and they freak out. Cade got so upset and kept threatening to quit. Cheeto kept telling him he doesn't get to quit that easy. Cade ended up walking his bike half the time. That was just the beginning of a rough week for Cade. We have yet to find our groove with him. He has the teenager big brother attitude that snaps and talks back to almost everyone! This morning was awful! I hate sending him out the door when we are both mad at each other. I pray the groove will come soon.

Yesterday we had an extra 5 year old with us. A friend from Cheeto's office needed some babysitting help so I offered. She was really easy to watch. I ran errands all morning and managed just fine with all three of them. I went to check out another fitness center called The Rush. I really liked it. I don't know if it's in my price range but I really liked it. Kelson fell in love with the kids care center. We had some quiet time and then I had to start getting ready for an impression party I had in Virginia. The party went really well. It was for the Arellano side of the family. Can you say white girl and lots of Mexicans? That's what it was. Well, mom was there too, so 2 white girls and lots of Mexicans. We had a good time and the party went well. It was worth my time. I spent this morning fighting to get Cade out the door and finalizing some of the party details. I had a physical therapy appointment this morning. My side pains have returns since I did all the yard work last week. I jumped to get it fixed rather than letting it fester too long. I was glad. Lindsay said it was good and inflamed and needed some work. I have some stretches and strength work to do to get it better. Man, I had started to feel so well I forgot how awful it use to be. That is one blessing- finding Lindsay! I recommend her to anyone!

Funny Kid Quote of the Day
We were in the car and Cade was being sassy and rude. I called his name many times trying to get his attention just to tell him he needed to talk nicer to Kelson. Granted I was trying to be nice and not yell. When he finally responded, I asked him what took him so long to answer me. His reply, "Mom, you were interrupting me! I was yelling at Kelson!"

Sewing, Girls Night, Camping, Hair cuts, Cleaning and Roaches

SEWING
Oh what a week! If anyone knows me, and I mean really knows me. They will tell you that crafting is my thing. I can't get enough of it. So just because I have 4 or 5 things already in progress, it's so like me to add one more to the mix. I have been working on making these "Creation" FHE visuals. They have been pretty time consuming punching die cuts and finding the necessary papers. So far I'm working on it one day a week with some friends from church. That's just one project. Last Sunday as I was looking for Analise a dress I realized she really only had one that still fit. I didn't want to spend the time and gas going around town looking for an adorable dress with the right price, so I decided to make her some with fabric that I had collected over the past few years. Cheeto rolled his eyes and I knew what the look was. "Do you really have the time and energy for this?" Answer: "YES! If I want our daughter to be adorable!" :) I will make time. Thursday morning I woke up and started looking through fabric. Analise came to explore her options as well. She found some Steelers fabric which she pulled out screaming with joy! She was so excited about her findings. She immediately started saying "make steelers dress mommy!" Can anyone say Daddy's girl? Cheeto was still snoozing when she ran in to show him her findings. I wanted to make the red bumble bee dress before the steelers dress just in case I didn't have time to finish another one. Analise did not like that I made the red one first. When I would ask her to try it on she would say "NO! Not steelers dress!" Can a 2 year old really refuse to do such things? She is not nicknamed 'Sassy' for no reason! Friday morning as soon as Cade was out the door at 7am, Analise had that Steelers fabric on my lap asking for her dress. I had it finished by 9am. I was sewing in between cleaning up breakfast dishes, showering and doing my hair but it got done and Analise was all grins for the rest of the morning. I put it on her and she said, "Me Steelers Princess!" She then proceeded to twirl and fluff her hair. She is such a girly girl! I love it! Cheeto had stopped by unexpected for a minute shortly after this. Analise went running for the door and stood on the porch step to model her dress for her #1 Steelers fan- Daddy! Cheeto loved it! I made one more dress that morning. Of course the Steelers dress will not be worn at church but the other two will be good for summer church dresses. After all my sewing of Analise's dresses, Cheeto asked me when his pants would be mended or his pillow sewn back up. Sorry, honey- later. Mending just isn't as fun as creating.

GIRLS NIGHT
The boys were going on a Father-Son camp out with the ward. It was only appropriate and expected that the girls were going out as well. However, it was going to be nothing like camping! Mom, Lettie, Analise and I went to Cafe Pasta in Old State Street. I'm not a huge restaurant pasta fan because the sauces can sometimes be pretty extravagant for my tastes. However, I got some Chicken Tortilini that was awesome! Analise won't eat spaghetti at home so I kinda knew she wouldn't go for the pasta but she loved the chicken. Analise is somewhat of a carnivore. She loves her meat! Afterwards we went to Target to find Sassy some sunglasses. Mom and Lettie looked for a few things and then we went to get Sunday dinner groceries next door. After the shopping trip we went back to my house to watch a good chick-flick, "PS I Love You." It was so sad. I'm glad I didn't watch it with Cheeto. Definitely a tear jerker! Analise was being good and Tia Lettie was enjoying her company so I let her stay up with us. She ended up sleeping with me that night. I have to say it's so much fun having a daughter on these Father-Son campout nights. We had lots of fun. Just wished Melissa and Lil' Lettie could have joined us. I'm sure Adam and their little boys would have fun with guys as well. Since Marcos has been camping with us before he was asked about and missed by Cade and Kelson.

CAMPING
Two weekends in a row for camping! The boys are on cloud 9. I'm not sure Cheeto and Dad were! They went to a place called Camp Gilrock. The ward reserves a bunch of spots and you just show up and pay $2 per person to camp. Cheeto and the boys have been doing this weekend for the past couple of years. It seems to be a lot of fun. There are lots of kids there for the boys to play with and they have various activities for them all to do. The rest of this is going to be second-hand stories from what I heard from Cheeto. The boys had requested Papa's burritos for dinner. They go camping and the only thing they cook were smores. Kelson and Cheeto played catch for a bit and then another boy from Cheeto's primary class joined them. Kelson enjoyed playing with the 'older' boys. Cade was playing something with light savers or exploring or something. I'm not sure. Later, Kelson and one of his friends were playing with sticks in the fire. The other boy accidently burned Kelson behind the ear with his stick. Dennis, our trusty medical supply friend was there in a flash to fix him up. Thanks Dennis- for saving my baby! :) After cooking smores the boys usually go right to bed, well not that night. Cheeto said it was after midnight for Kelson. That explained his grumpiness all day yesterday! The boys were home shortly after 8:30am. They picked up McDonald's breakfast on the way home. Cade and Kelson said they liked it when Grandma and Mommy went camping with them. I'm sure it's because they have to help less and all the meals are cooked for them. We are planning one more trip to Hanging Rock soon. Hopefully, Marcos can come with us. We shall see! The boys love their Tio to camp with them. (Even if he screams like a girl when he finds a tick! :) Good news: all came home tick free this time! NOTE: Even though I sent my camera with Cheeto- it came back with no new pictures. I took the picture of Kelson's burn after the fact.


HAIR CUTS & CLEANING
We wasted no time getting the house picked up and hair cut. By 10am 3 heads had been shaved and the house was clean. Only the laundry was left to do. We were going to get to Costco but Cheeto said he could barely keep his eyes open. I told him he wouldn't be driving. This made Cheeto go take a nap. He slept an hour and a half. I fed kids and kept the laundry going. I even mended his pants, pillow and the boys NC State aprons. We left about 12:30pm. Analise was out shortly after sitting her in her carseat. Kelson was fighting it. By the time we got home from Costco, I was ready for some quiet time. Cheeto was ready for another nap.

ROACHES
We slept until about 4pm and then decided to try out the Ortho Home Defense stuff my friends had recommended. I had used it around the house and it has seemed to be working so we decided to go through our shed and do the same. The cockroaches were 'seeming to get bad' out there. "Seeming" didn't even come close to describe it! They were awful, gross, disgusting.... the list could go on. The boys had helped Cheeto take out all the stuff and spread it out on the lawn. I went out to see if I could help. I probably wasn't the best help, but I sucked it up and did it. We found about 3-4 nests in there just on the flour. Thankfully not in my golf bag, carseats or strollers! Cheeto would pull out a sheet of wood or something and they would all start to scatter. My job was to start spraying them as soon as he would pull something out. It would take them a few minutes to die. They would climb up the walls and ceiling and then fall when they couldn't hang on any longer. One ran across my bare toes in flip flops. I screamed and flipped my flop across the shed. It made Cheeto jump and Cade laugh at his mother. Cade and Kelson thought it was hilarious as their mother would squeal. It was so nasty, it's still giving me the creepy crawlies! These were far from little things either- some were 1-2 inches long! Lettie asked us to go help her move some furniture in her house so we sprayed them all really well and left them to die while we went to help her. When we got back they all lied dead on the floor. Cheeto swept them up and moved things around a bit while I fed and bathed the kids. I then left Cade to babysit while I finished helping Cheeto. It looks so much better. I hope the Ortho stuff keeps them out through the summer. The stuff is pretty cheap at $7 a gallon. If it works, I'm going to be using this stuff Spring and Fall. So far it has taken care of our ant situation.
Cheeto and I were exhausted even after our naps. Cheeto has had a stressful week at work and was unable to sleep last night. He is completely opposite from me when it comes to stress. When I'm stressed I fall sleep like crazy- stress wears me out. Cheeto stays up all night. It was almost 4:30am when he went to sleep this morning! Poor guy! He'll be "Max" at church today. (Family joke!)

OH.... a clean house!

I started yesterday morning off to just picking up the house. After camping it seemed like there were just piles of stuff everywhere. Well, 'picking up' led to much more. I got a cleaning spree. Ashley called early and asked if Kelson could go play with Jacob. He was out the door before 8am. I used the time wisely and started cleaning. Analise was a great runner for things. She helped me as much as a good lil' 2 year old could. When I went to pick up Kelson he was so upset with me that I cleaned without him. Weird kid! We enjoyed our afternoon quiet time and waited for Cade. Cade doesn't have homework all week because of end of year assessments. This allowed me to run a few errands. I was going to go pay for swimming lessons so I put $70 in my back pocket to do so. At the last minute I changed my mind. When I got home from the other errands, the money was gone. It must of fell out of my pocket at Harris Teeter or something. OH! I'm so mad! Pure stupidity! I was hoping some honest person would turn it in, but what are the chances of that happening in our world today? Slim to none! I almost wanted Cheeto to be mad at me because I was so mad at myself. However, he is Cheeto. He helped me look for it around the house and just acted like everything would be fine. He is so good at keeping a positive attitude when I'm so down on the world! I married an incredibly forgiving man. So this morning, my goal is to get the lawn mowed before it starts to rain again. Our yard is the white-trash of the neighborhood. Perhaps mowing will work off some built up anger from losing the money. I keep thinking of my friend, Ashley, who lost hundreds of dollars last winter. So, perhaps I should be grateful that it was only $70. Still...... how frustrating!

Camping? Like- real tent camping?

We had been taking the kids camping for quite awhile. We were going to go Mother's Day weekend but it didn't work out so this weekend was the weekend. Cade and Kelson were counting down the days. The kids LOVE to camp! In our minds, we feel like it is one of the cheapest ways to take the kids somewhere overnight and the bonding time with them is much greater than if we just took them to hotels, museums, or amusement parks. When there are no electronics distractions on our part or the kids you really get to play, talk, and understand them. Besides, what child doesn't enjoy rolling around in dirt for 2 days! Mom and I went grocery shopping Friday morning to get the necessary camping food. We ran into a couple of friends from our ward. One saw us getting hot dog buns. He asked if we were having a cook-out. I told him no we were going camping. His reaction, "Camping? Real camping? Like with real tents?" I assured him it was real camping but with a bathroom facility close by. He was a bit shocked we were doing this. We walked around getting the rest on the list and ran into another friend and he had the same reaction, almost identical. Do people not go camping anymore? Cheeto got off work early, Cade got out of school early and we headed south to Badin Lake Friday afternoon. Cade tried his hardest to convince me to check him out at 9am. That's how excited this boy was to go camping. I said 2pm- we compromised at 1pm. Papa and G'ma Arellano went to get him since the school is extremely close to their house and then they headed over to help finish loading kids. We did have to wait a few minutes for Daddy to get home but the kids were fine with that.
Analise slept all the way there, while the boys were playing the "are we there yet?" game. The way the GPS took us had dirt roads the last 5-6 miles. When the campground check-in guy (I have no idea what his official title is) came by he asked us which way we came in and apologized we had to come in on the dirt road. Both Mom and I looked at him and assured him that that was one of the nicer dirt road we have seen. And continued to tell him that both of us grew up on farms in Idaho and dirt roads are a way of life there. He chuckled and understood then why the roads didn't upset us too much. We had a single site, which we thought was going to be to small but ended up enjoying it like that. We pitched the tents and canopy and started the fire. By this time the kids were starving and it had started to rain off and on. Thank goodness we had a canopy. We are getting this camping thing down pretty well. We cooked the dogs and cleaned up when we decided it was time to go exploring a bit.

Cade has been on an 'Indiana Jones' kick ever since I brought home a box of cereal with him on it. Cade has a cowboy hat and soccer bag that he has been toting around with him for days. He carried a rock/'crystal' in his bag the entire time. Talk about carrying around unnecessary weight! It was cute how explorer-like Cade got on this trip. He loved the hiking parts!

We got back to camp and played some games and such until it got dark for smores. We all love making smores! I got a phone call from my little sister. She asked if I was at home, I told her we were camping. She asked, "Camping? Like real Camping... with real tents?" I assured her it was real camping. She then asked, "Do people in the south really know how to camp?" I told her that camping really wasn't a western invention. Funny girl! I wish I could've been paid for each time I had this conversation. Wow!

I started placing sleeping bags in the tent. It wasn't too long before I realized that our tent doesn't fit all of us anymore. We asked Papa and G'ma if Cade could sleep with them. They were happy to do it. We kept Analise and Kelson with us. The shared one sleeping bag and body heat to keep them warm. Analise struggled a bit at first to get to sleep. She kept talking to Papa and G'ma from inside our tent. Papa at first kept answering. Cheeto had to tell him to be quiet and to ignore her so she would go to sleep. I woke up at 1:30am having to go to the bathroom. If any of you know me well enough, you know that I have a huge fear of the dark, even inside my own home. There was no way I was going to walk to the bathroom by myself. An hour later Cheeto offered to walk with me but I felt bad asking him to do that. I sat there for another hour or so weighing my options. Mom said she would just always go just outside of camp in the bushes if she ever had to get up in the night. I didn't really want to do that either. I had brought diapers for Analise and had to laugh at myself to think that I was that desperate. Of course, I would have never done that! I just forced myself to sleep and tried to ignore my bladder growing bigger every minute. Finally at 5:45am I decided it was light enough outside that I could walk myself. :) How pitiful am I?
Of course, when you go camping everyone is up early. We were making eggs and bacon by 6:15am. Cheeto fought getting up as long as he could. Mom and I started the fire and got the ball rolling. Chemo insulted us by asking if we really had a fire going and if we could see actual flames. Come on Dad.... do you really think that the women couldn't start a fire? We did just fine! Kelson even said it was better than Papas! :) He might have been just trying to suck up too. We did go to girls camp for crying out loud! We cleaned up camp and got most of the stuff packed up. Everyone but Mom decided to go for another hike. Analise ended up riding on our shoulders most of the time, which was fine with me. She is still so little and close to the ground that I didn't really like that she was rubbing up against every leaf and bush as we walked. There was a tree had fallen into the water that all the boys had to walk out on. Dad got nervous and actually fell in. It gave us all a good laugh. Bummer for him- he had to walk all the way back with wet socks, shoes, and pants. Dad's balance is not what it use to be. I was nervous with him holding hands with the kids as crossed tree bridges and such. Cade and Kelson did really well on their own. Just before Papa fell in he had Cade out there. He was holding Cade's hand. He started to wobble some and it almost looked like he was going to take Cade in with him. He says it was Cade that was wobbling- but both Cheeto and I say that Cade was doing fine. It still is fun that Papa would come play with us.

We got back and headed home. Analise was asleep before we even got out of the campground. Camping is exhausting. After we got home we unpacked and did a tick check. We were all clean but Dad wasn't so lucky. He had to go to the Urgent Care and get an antibiotic. Mom had brought this bug cream that she took to the Phillipines that I rubbed on all of us. Mom used it as well. Dad was the only one that didn't use it. I hope he learned a lesson and uses it next time. We all crashed the rest of the afternoon. After sleeping 3+ hours we all were in bed by 9ish, well, Cheeto wasn't. He never goes to bed early. We had a blast! I hope we can get one more trip in before it gets too hot. The boys are going this weekend for the ward father-son campout. No girls allowed! I'm sure the girls will hang back and do something fun!


Funny Kid Quote of the Day
Kelson found himself a good walking stick as soon as we got there. He carried the entire hike. Towards the end he was getting tired of carrying it. I then showed him how to use it as an walking stick. He said, "Mom, you only have to do this when you get really old. I'm still little. I don't need to do it like that!"

where did they come from?

My biggest beef for the day is ants! I went into the kitchen this afternoon to do a little cleaning up after lunch and found many ants on the floor, dishwasher, sink, and counter tops. We bought our house new in 1999. So I guess after 9 years ant free, it was bound to happen at sometime. I hear in the south everyone has ants. It's just something that happens. I guess I should consider the cup half full on this one. I haven't had to deal with them thus far. Oh to live in Idaho! I called Cheeto and he came over to inspect the situation as well. Analise was cracking us up. She kept saying "Spider Mommy! Save me!" She didn't like that I sat her on a stool. Cheeto told her they were ants and could crawl anywhere so it didn't matter that she was on a stool. I think Cheeto spooked her a bit. After he left all she wanted to do was call Tio Marcos. I'm not sure why. Perhaps to just tell him about the spider, well- ant, incident. We never did pinpoint one spot they were coming and going from. It remains a mystery! Kelson and I stood with a tissue in hand and started smooshing ants. He thought it was fun. Odd! I did some cleaning and sprayed some ant killer aroundthe floor where they were mostly seen. We are going to get some ant bait thingys and see if that helps the problem. I'm not to the point where I want to hire professional help. They charge so much and require signing a yearly contract. I don't think that is necessary yet.


Funny Kid Quote of the Day
Yesterday for Kelson's pictures he wanted "daddy's" gel in his hair. He was worried that dad would be upset with him for using it without asking. I assured him I would deal with dad if dad was mad. Of course, he wouldn't really care! After the gel had dried it freaked Kelson out. He was barely touching his head and said, "Mommy, my hair feels creepy! I don't like daddy's gel anymore." I told him he meant crusty. He said, "NO! IT'S CREEPY!" Kelson mixes things up from time to time. The other day we were having problems getting the boys to cooperate through FHE> Kelson kept saying he had to lie down because his tummy was hungry and if he sat up his tummy was mad. I'm pretty sure he meant he had a stomach ache not hunger pains.

I'm not sure what happened.....

I'm not sure why I'm such a bad blogger lately. I just can't seem to get my act together. This post will be long just to update us. I have lots of pictures with a few stories to go along with them. Thursday night we were the center of a bad thunderstorm/tornado path. It rained and hailed ice for awhile. It was enough to keep us up most of the night. There were a few planes that were blown around the airport as well as many people left without homes after the tornado. It was crazy. I was hoping that Cade's field trip would still be on.
Cade had a field trip to Cedar Rock Park in Alamance County of Friday. This threw off my entire weekend. Usually I do laundry all day on Friday, of course that didn't happen. I wasn't about to start it late that night so it didn't get done at all this weekend. I'm tellin' y'all by Sunday morning when we were all searching for slips matching socks, and pants I was sad that I procrastinated on that one. I have learned my lesson. DO THE LAUNDRY- NO MATTER WHAT!!! The park was fun. Cade was pretty well-behaved. He wanted desperately to go the Hoppers game that night with Tia Lettie and Kris. We'll come back to that. I'm so pleased with Cade some days. When I get in a class situation I'm glad my kids don't act like they've never been anywhere and can keep their hands to themselves. Let's just say, there are just some kids that get on your nerves. Here are a few pics from Cade's day.

Well, we got back in time to have some 'forced' quiet time. I knew the boys would be up late at the baseball game watching the fireworks so I was really trying to push a nap. Neither one succomed to my threats. Lettie has a suite with her work and they wanted to take the boys. I'll have to remind her to send her pics to me.We paid for the late night by Saturday afternoon. The boys had a great time at the game. However, Lettie sent us a text about 10:30pm saying that Kelson wanted to come home to mommy. Awwww..... He still does love me the best! I was already asleep. Cheeto went to get him. When I got up with him in the morning he was ticked that Cheeto had brought him home. He said he really did want to stay at Tia's. He wanted Cheeto to take him back at 6:30am so he could breakfast at her house. Funny kid! She already had plans to have them at Waffle House for breakfast.
I had to be at the church by 8:30am for an enrichment activity. I really didn't want to spend any money for Mother's day so for my gift I I told Cheeto I didn't want to clean the house this week. He happily said that was fine. He simply said, "OK!" "NO, honey, I still want it clean! I just don't want to be the one to do it." I knew he knew what I was asking, he was just being Cheeto. So while I was at the church Cheeto and the kids cleaned my house. That was better than any gift! I got home from enrichment to get kids in the car to go pick strawberries. There is a fresh strawberry farm here that we love to go to in the spring. I go every year, I just don't think I have ever taken the kids or Cheeto with me. We had so much fun. Cade was happy to fill the baskets but we couldn't get him to taste one. Even though he eats my jam made from the same berries. Weird kid! We came home to eat and have an hour of quiet time. The quiet time didn't happen so we decided to play outside in the nice 80 degree weather. The kids and I washed the cars and Cheeto did a little yard work. After the big storm on Thursday our cars were plastered with leaves. People kept telling Cheeto it would be fine that he waited to wash leaves off. BIG MISTAKE! After some serious washing, he had permanent leaf prints all over his paint. I called my dad and he told me to get this rubbing compound and rub on the spots. Thankfully, it worked like a charm! I was going to be so said that Cheeto's new white car looked like gray leaves had been painted on it. You couldn't see them as bad on my car since it's such a dark blue. We played outside all afternoon. After some baseball, car washing, and many popsicles later, we ordered out for pizza just getting ready in time to get to the boys to the Dynamo Soccer game for the awards ceremony. They were getting backpacks and trophies during halftime. Analise was beyond exhausted so we dropped her off at Tia's on the way out to the park. The boys had a great time- a bit whiny- but good. It was kind of cold so we didn't stay for the entire game and it was getting late. Church the next day required some sleep!

Sunday morning I was honored to sleep in! We made some cinnamon rolls and got ready for church. Analise was a bear. Cheeto asked more than once to stay home with her. I kept telling him we just had to get through sacrament meeting. She would be fine in nursery. Thanks Lettie- for remembering my flower. Cheeto got a lot of compliments for getting me a corsage to wear. Many wives were a bit jealous. On mothers day Mom and I do nothing to help with dinner except make the request of what to have. They made us stake and potatoes! Man- it tasted good! The rest of the afternoon was just spent lying around relaxing. It was great!
Monday we had a field trip planned at the Natural Science Center with a bunch of mommies from the ward. Kelson wasn't real excited to go but after getting there I had to bribe him to leave. We had so much! It's great to get to know other mom's in the ward! Thanks Susie for thinking of us! We had FHE at G'ma's about lying. Kelson has come to that age. I hope the story of the Crying Wolf will help him!

This morning Kelson had his 5 year pictures. Here is his latest! Cute little guy!

mmmmm... what can I say? I'm so stinkin' excited for this movie to come out. However, there is a part of me that is just scared to see the movie. Scared- not because it's going to be gory or anything. Scared because I don't want my seeing the movie to ruin the greatness of the books. I loved these books. We are having a Twilight overnight party out here when the 4th book comes out. Melissa is even flying from Utah to be with us. It's going to be great. No boys, only Twilight book fans! I'm excited. I had to post this just to get others excited!

OH WHAT A DAY!

Yesterday had to be one of the craziest Saturday's in a long time. But before I go on to explain our day I have to say before I forget... CHEETO PASSED ANOTHER TEST! Only 5 more to go. He is even thinking of taking a week off. I'm so excited to have him a night or two this week. I don't want to get use to it though. We have to keep pushing just to get it done! I'm very proud of him. He is working so hard. It's a blessing to have a self-motivated husband. He enjoys his work and that makes me happy.

I also have to explain why I haven't posted in days/weeks. Mother's day is approaching and I have had some impression appointments filling spare time. And if like I had more time to fill, I started restoring an old desk I had bought a few weeks ago for $2. I had to buy some sandpaper but already had the stain and sealer. So really the desk only cost me $7. Sweet deal- eh? Kelson and I started stripping the paint and such on Thursday and finished it Saturday. I think it looks great. Well, it couldn't look any worse than it did.



Ok... onto Saturday. We woke up early to finish some house cleaning and cut all the boy's hair. It was way past due which took me longer to cut it. They all look like my boys again. We had to be to Cade's final Soccer game by 10am. Well, actually a bit before so we could get there pictures taken. The field assignments were all messed up and we walked up to find the game had already started. Rats.... what about pictures. Oh well they'll just have to be taken all yucky and sweaty after the game. Hey, whatever works! Kelson whined just about the entire game. Tio Marcos and Haley were in town so it was fun to have them there as well.


We came home for a quick lunch and a quick power nap. We had about an hour to do both. Kelson's final game started at 1pm. Only one other player showed up from his team so they just combined with another team with the same situation. They ended up playing drill games and such. I think Kelson enjoyed that more anyway. So after all that explaining... I'm excited to say that soccer season is officially over. We do have an awards game to go Saturday, but I think we can handle that!
Lettie and Dad were having a birthday party at 5pm. It was only about 2:30pm at this point. Cheeto wanted to go look at more parade of homes. This is one of favorite things to do. Cheeto and I love to look at houses! We are both very big critics when it comes to looking at houses as well. We know what we like and definitely know what we don't. For the most part, our likes and dislikes are alike. (How many "likes" could I write in one sentence?) We had the kids with us and decided to try taking them. To be a bragging parent, our kids were great! They folded their arms and walked quietly through about 5-6 houses. One house the bedrooms had these little 'nooks' off the room. One had a disney mural painted all over the wall. They loved that. I think it slowed us down a little bit by taking them, but it was fun to have them with us. I think our days of having to have a babysitter for everything we do are getting less. We had a nice afternoon with the kids. This was one of the homes that we both loved! We had to take a picture of it! We like the detached garage look. Cheeto wants to have his office above the garage so it's completely away from the noise and chaos.

We came home, changed clothes- fast, and headed to Mom and Dad's. They had so much yummy homemade Mexican food! Being married to a mexican has it's pros- I'm tellin ya! I'm spoiled! I have these stomach aches that
have hit me almost every night this week. Last night was not the night to have a stomach ache. I wanted to eat that good food. Our Tia Alicia had made Tomales- YUM! I was a bit bummed to say the least. The party was mostly outside and my allergies were driving me nuts. After spending almost the entire day outside by last night I had had it with them. I spent most of the evening inside talking with other guests. It was still a nice party.

Funny Kid Quote of the Day
As we were looking a $1 million home, Cade says, "Dad, is this house for sale?" Cheeto replies,"Yes." Kelson, "Do you think we can buy today if we like it?" Cheeto and I both chuckle and jokingly said, "Probably not, maybe in a few years." Kelson states, "Ok, maybe tomorrow then."

I thought this picture was so cute. I think I mentioned that Kelson got these window markers made by Crayola for his birthday. They have been the activity of choice all week. This was the first time we broke them out. They all loved them!

Kelson's Birthday

WOW! I'm such a bad blogger lately! I think the biggest reason is because I have moved my computer to another area and it's just not as convenient to sit at anymore. I have found that I only check my email a couple times a day instead of each time I walk by. Which is good and bad.
Kelson's birthday was this week. The anticipation in the child has been unbearable at times. For weeks, he has been waking up and telling me things to add to his birthday list, what his cake is going to look, how many more days, who was going to be at the party, and so on and so on. The morning of his birthday, he woke up running down the hall yelling, "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" Halleluha it was finally his birthday is what I thought. It was about 5 minutes later he announced he was going to have his party outside. It was going to be a really nice day so the idea was great. The only problem was the grass was up to our knees. It had to mowed. Cheeto was busy at work all day, so I would have to add that to the list of things to get done. Kelson wanted to share cupcakes with the kids at the mommy's morning in the park. I was making cupcakes at 6am. I sent Cheeto to the store to finish the grocery shopping for dinner so that would be one less thing on my list. I decided to mow with it a bit wet so the pollen wouldn't bother me so much and a bit early so it wouldn't be so hot. It was a task in and of itself. It took forever but I finished with just 30 minutes to shower and pack lunches for the park. We were about 15 minutes late getting there but he still had time to eat, play and share cupcakes. One little boys was so excited for the cupcakes that while his mom was feeding his baby brother he got one with no one looking and stuffed it in his mouth- paper and all. He ate it with the paper and everything! WOW- he must love cupcakes! :) After the park we made the traditional run to party city to get themed party plates for cake. It's something each of them get to do for their birthday. We only buy cake plates with whatever the theme is that they picked. Kelson has been going back and forth for weeks. It started with Superman. The day before his birthday it was baseball. The morning of his birthday it was Spiderman. At the store it was Transformers. He finally went back to the beginning and went with Superman. Which was good, because that was what I had already started the cake for. I always make their cakes specific to what they want. I have to start the cake the day before to freeze it before decorating. I was glad we went back to Superman. This made it easier on mom! I was baking dinner all afternoon, thinking 8 adults and 3 kids were coming for dinner. It ended up being only 5 adults and 3 kids. We had lots of leftovers. Oh well! After dinner we opened presents. Analise kept saying my presents! "Please Kelson- my presents!" Of course, Kelson wasn't about to share his birthday presents. He got some Star Wars Legos, Cars pj's, Batman mask, books, Spiderman coloring books and water bottle, gift card to Michael's and 1lb hand weights. He was pleased with the mix of super-hero gifts he received. You may be asking yourself- hand weights- really? Well, most people that know me know that I enjoy working out. It's probably my favorite part of the day. I really dislike how I feel when I don't. Well, Kelson loves to workout with me. However, it makes me nervous when he lifts my weights. I'm always afraid he will drop them on his foot or something. So I thought 1 lb weights he would love! Yep- He did! He was unsure about the Michael's gift card. I knew he would like it when he got to go spend it on whatever he wanted to. Last night we had our friends, Kristi and Christopher watch Cade and Analise so Cheeto and I could take Kelson to Michael's shopping. He loved it! He picked out some funky coloring paper that writes in different colors- it's Crayola- it's hard to explain and markers that he can write on windows. I hope they only write on windows! I was mad that I didn't bring my coupon for 40% off. I think I'm going to try to go back today and get a price adjustment and get some of his money back. He could get some more crayons or something. We shall see. All in all, I think he had a great day. He was mad at me yesterday and said, "Mom- I didn't have a happy birthday!" I told him that next year I wouldn't go to as much work and not have a party. He said he was sorry and took back what he said. I must say he did kind of hurt my feelings. I was so exhausted of working all day on his birthday to make his birthday a special one and then he said that. Oh well- he is only 5. He didn't know what he was saying- right?

One would say that it has been an interesting few days. I haven't post all week for a number of reasons but I won't get into all of it. One because I can't remember back that far! :) Cheeto had asked me a week or more ago if he could go to Hilton Head, SC with Marcos to the PGA Golf Tournament. I think Cheeto was a bit shocked that I said sure immediately because he looked as if he had a list of arguments prepared in case I said no. He didn't have to break out that list. I have a few 'girls' weekends planned for the fall so it's only fair he get a guy's weekend. Marcos' firm was paying for everything so Cheeto just had the cost of gas down and back. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the 6+ hour drive down there that he would have to drive by himself. Cheeto very often doesn't sleep well so when he drives by himself of course I always worry. Cheeto is an excellent driver so I don't know why I do this. Sounds like he has had a great time! We have managed! I think that is the best word for our weekend. About 2:30pm Friday afternoon a lady called and asked if I could do her daughter's hands in an hour. It was pushing it to get things to work but I fit it in. She lives in Wilkesboro and rarely gets to Greensboro. She wants it done for mother's day. During the wrap up of this order Cade decided to pitch a screaming fit. This terrified the 4 month little girl. She then started screaming. Analise was into everything saying, "my tummy hurt!" Kelson was just walking around being Kelson. I had to laugh at that one. Cade's fits carried on through Saturday. So much so that I didn't allow him to attend a birthday party Saturday. I made him take his gift to his friend but he had to decide whether he would tell him his reasons for not being allowed to come. I talked to the boys mom and she was disappointed that Cade wasn't going but was pleased with my decision. She said it actually gave her son a wake-up call. Oh well, I can't threat and not follow through, so yep, I played the 'mean-mom' card. We also had 3 soccer games yesterday. Cade had one at 9am and 3pm and Kelson had one at 1pm. It made for an interesting day. During the 3pm game the wind really started to blow. I have been doing fine with allergies up until then. I started sneezing, my throat was itching like crazy, and my eyes began to itch and burn. I think the wind was just stirring up the pollen. It was a miserable evening. I'm not sure how the rest of today will go. I'm definitely going for eye drops tomorrow! Last night Teresa came over to watch a movie. I didn't want to stay up all night again alone since our kids go to bed at 7:30pm. I had to push myself to staying awake because of the condition of my eyes mixing with the pollen earlier. I made it but I didn't have a problem getting to sleep for the first couple of hours. I never sleep well without Cheeto. I can't wait for some real sleep tonight. It's nights like these that I have to really feel bad for Cheeto. He has some real sleeping problems. I don't know how he functions with so little sleep. We all are counting hours for Daddy! Especially his little girl!

Funny Kid Quote of the Day
Kelson has claimed to be Daddy! I allow Kelson to sleep with me while Cheeto is out of town. I don't like sleeping alone. I'm really not playing favorites, but Kelson is the only one I allow to do this. Cade kicks, fights, talks and sometimes drools. Analise moves around too much still and I'm afraid she will roll off our bed which is pretty high with the risers. Kelson is a very mild sleeper and makes great company! Because of this though he thinks because he sleeps in daddy's spot that he assumed the role of daddy. He even slept in his underwear and undershirt- like daddy. Cade would say, "Stop saying you're the daddy! I only have one daddy!" All day yesterday he would walk holding my hand, give me lots of hugs and kisses and such. I asked him why he was so lovey today. His reply was, "Because Daddy is gone and you need the loves!" I guess he is watching when Cheeto gives me hugs and kisses throughout the day. Kelson noticed this and was trying to make up for Cheeto being gone! What a sweet kid!

Weekend stuff!

Friday was a fun day for me. I have been jealous of my older brother's craftsman skills. He had built him a desk in one corner of his kitchen for computer and bills and such. I wanted one too. I of course, would not be able to 'build' one, so I have been on a mission to find a good deal on a little desk. My computer in the past has been a little piece of counter space next to our stove. It isn't the most convenient place to have a laptop. Well Friday I went telling myself I had $20 and wouldn't spend over that. I found me a desk for guess??? $2!!!!! Yep- $2. The top is in rough shape but nothing some sanding and some stain can't fix. I'm so excited to refinish something. I love to do stuff like this. I just need for it to stop raining for more than 5 days in a row to do so. Cade asked what I was going to use for a chair. My huge yoga ball fit perfectly under the desk so I use it. It works great. I work on my core as I sit at the computer. Later Friday, Cade and I went to Pizza Hut to use Cade's Book It coupon. He loves to read and gets these quite often. I decided since he was being such a sweet kid and because Kelson had his day earlier in the week that he deserved a night out too. We had a fun, lots of good chats. He has a really cute personality if you can just get him away from his younger siblings. I think they just irritate him sometimes. Hey, he's the oldest. Isn't that how the oldest sibling is suppose to act?
Friday night we picked up Papa A at the airport. The kids were so excited. Excited isn't even a very good word to describe Analise. Perhaps more extatic. She has been waiting so long to have 'her' Papa back. We have only seen him 2 days since February 20ish. When we got in the van she immediately said, "Where G'ma?" She was concerned that Papa had left her behind. Mom is in the Phillepines until Thursday.
Saturday was cleaning and soccer games. I recruited everyone to help clean. It gets done so much faster this way. Cade was quite the trooper. He cleaned tables, glass doors, toilets, and bathtubs. It was great! It was raining but it just drizzled through Kelson's game. Not too bad. I have decided I'm a good weather soccer mom! I still endured! :) We ate at Mexico with Dad later. Nothing like Mexico! It tasted so good!
Sunday started out ok. However, half way through sharing time I got the worst stomach ache. I had to go home. Cheeto had already taught his lesson so it was ok for him. I got Zach Cordell, a recent RM, to teach my class. What a sweetheart! Kelson was ticked that we left early. Cade was scowling at first, later we found out he had thought he was in trouble and that's why we pulled him out of class to go home. Geez... did he have a reason to be in trouble? The rest of the day I had a sour stomach on top of a crampy stomach. It didn't make for a great afternoon. This morning I woke up ok, but as soon as I got up and going it all came back. Kelson is thrilled that I'm being lazy on the couch and watching kid shows with him. It is very difficult to watch a crazy 2 year old from the couch! Kelson is helping tremendously though! Thank goodness for my Kelson!


Funny Kid Quote of the Day

NIce enough for light sabers!

It has finally quit raining long enough for the kids to get outside. The backyard was still a muddy mess but we did get some time in the front yard. The kids have been getting a bit restless. I mentioned earlier that Cheeto allowed the boys to watch the first Star Wards; ever since, it's been Star Wars mania. Even Analise gets in on all the battles. Crazy little girl! She does love her brothers! So Trevor.... this is for you buddy!

Kelson stories

Two stories I forgot to write about Kelson. I first just need to say.... Kelson.... you have to love him! Monday night at dinner- I was reheating leftover lasagna. I had put them in class corelle dishes because of microwaving them. Kelson was first to sit at the table so he got the first bowl. Cheeto had asked him to quit banging his spoon against the bowl more than once. As I went to sit the other kids down at the table I noticed Kelson playing with the top of his bowl. He had banged on the bowl so hard that the bottom had broke/separated from the top. It was basically in two pieces. Cheeto immediately told him to stop eating fearing that he would get pieces of glass in what he ate. He didn't errupt into tears like he very often does. He just said he was sorry as one little tear fell down his cheek. Phew...
Story #2. - on the previews to one of the boy's favorite movies there is a preview to Monster House. It has semi-freaked Kelson out. He doesn't like it. Last night he was so upset by it that he couldn't get to sleep. I was reading on the couch (something I do more often than usual lately!) when he came out almost in tears. I asked him what was wrong and he said that every time he closed his eyes he say Monster House and he was afraid of bad dreams. He asked me if I would kneel with him to say a prayer for good dreams. It was so cute and humbling. I think I got a little misty eyed! It was sweet of him to think of that. I guess we have taught him something. He did kneel down and asked his Heavenly Father to bless him with good dreams, and good dreams for Cade and Analise too. Wow- the sweet spirit of a child! I told my mom this story this morning and she shared with me something very special. Most of you know that my brother, Kyle and his family lost a little girl almost 2 years ago. Kyle had a dream shortly after about Allie. In his dream, she told him that she was ok and she had work to do. Her job was to make sure all little children had good dreams. Allie had always had nightmares- so to think that this is what she really might be doing is awesome! I don't know that Kelson would truly understand this story; but it did have an impact on me. Perhaps when he's a bit older I'll share it with him.