New Creations

This weekend, since it was conference weekend, we decided to try out a few new recipes.  The first one we tried was pop tarts.  Some of my kids LOVE pop tarts.  I can't stand them, but I thought it would be fun to try home made ones.  I found a recipe on my new favorite website, Pinterest, and tried them.  I used puff pastry instead of pie dough and they turned out really good!  I would even eat them!

Our second creation was also one I found on Pinterest.  It was orange rolls shaped like Bunnies!  I made this one for me.  Dillon and Olivia helped roll out the dough and make the bunnies.  Makenna was the only one besides me who liked them so I ended up giving half of them away.  

Don't they look cute!  I won't tell you how many I ate :) We tried a few other recipes too and have ingredients to try a few more over spring break this week.  I love trying new recipes and I have found a lot on Pinterest that I love! Baking and cooking are my stress relievers.  It helps me relax and it makes others happy!  I love it!

the King and I

This last weekend was the showing of the high school's play "The King and I".  Makenna was one of the princesses.  They have been practicing for several months.  It was fun to finally see the finished product.  Makenna seems to really like it out on stage.  She did a great job playing her part and learning all the songs.  I think she has found a new pursuit in life!  Here are a few pictures of her...

following her mother on stage to meet her father the King

singing as they exit the stage

Makenna with her best friend Laura.  They were so excited when they found out they both made it!

Makenna all ready and waiting for show time!

Thumbs

I don't know whose thumb this is, I just found it on the internet.  Why am I posting pictures of a thumb? Well, yesterday at church I was sitting behind a lady and I noticed she had the same thumbs as my aunt and my grandma!  They are these sort of thumbs - club thumbs.  One of my brothers has them too.  Anyways, seeing those thumbs just brought back so many memories! Growing up my Aunt Peg was one of my most favorite people in the whole world.  I loved seeing her and being around her.  I didn't get to a whole lot because she lived in Tennessee and most of the time we didn't but I still have wonderful memories of her.  My Granny Cantrell had them too.  She was also one of my most favorite people.  I loved her yearly visits and being able to spend time with her. She left this world a while ago and I miss her terribly.

As I sat there looking at that ladies thumbs it amazed me how many things were attached to that sight!  Smells, voices, sounds, scenery, people, holidays, so much came flooding back.  It was nice to sit and remember for a few minutes those things of the past that fill me with so much love and happiness.  

Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle. I Want to Ride My Bicycle....

We have been singing that song all weekend, at least I have!  Olivia decided that she wanted to learn to ride her bike without training wheels.  I took them off Friday afternoon and by Friday evening she was doing it!  Saturday she get even better and learned to ride her bike down the driveway and turn out into the street and keep going!  I am impressed and so is she!  Her motivation when it got hard? A pack of gum! She won't go uphill yet but she loves being able to ride out in the street with the big kids! Yes, I allow my kids to play in the street and they love it!  Here are some pictures of her on one of her first successful rides:

I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike!

PTC and Tonsilitis

This morning Olivia woke up and told me that it tasted funny when she swallowed.  Then she told me it hurt when she swallowed.  I felt her neck and her glands were swollen.  I called the doctor and made an appointment, called her school to tell them she wouldn't be there and called Makenna's teacher to tell her that we may or may not be there for PTC.  They did a strep test which came back negative.  She has tonsilitis. Not sure which is worse... She is on antibiotics now and not feeling so well.  I did get done in time to make it to Makenna's conference.  She was the last one I had to do.  All my kids did awesome.  Maddi got straight A's.  Her teacher's only concern is that he is not able to keep her challenged so she gets bored.  Makenna also got straight A's.  Her teacher said she is top in all of her classes.  She rarely gets a wrong answer on worksheets and tests and her standardized test scores are always way above average.  Zane's teacher even had good things to say about him this time (last time it was not so positive).  He got A's and B's which makes me happy since school is by far not his top priority :)  Dillon's teacher is very pleased with him.  He is one of the top students in his class, does well on all his work and scores higher than average on his testing.  He also got all A's.  Zeke is awesome too.  His reading is ahead of the curriculum and he is very good at math.  He is able to do the math problems in is head and is ahead of the curriculum in that too.  Anyways, I felt good after all those positive conferences and I'm glad that they are all doing so well!  After Makenna's conference we went to the library to help take down the book fair.  The librarian gave each of them a free book for helping then we went to McDonalds to celebrate!  They are good kids and I am so blessed to have them!

The Sweetest Thing...

Today I decided to get my hair cut. Not trimmed, cut. I think she took off about 8 inches. I'd post a picture but my laptop is not working so I can't down load pictures. Shucks, right?! Anyways, she didn't cut it like I wanted her to and I had to keep telling her to go shorter but she was afraid. After several tries I just let it go. It's just hair, right? It looks fine but I'm not sure it's my favorite. This afternoon I had to pick up the kids from school. They all noticed straight away that my hair had been cut and they all told me it looked nice and I appreciated that! I have one child that is very sensitive and sweet. He always notices things and he is always complimenting me, leaving me notes on my pillow and coloring pictures for me. I love it! It totally makes my day! Today when he saw my hair he came up beside me as we walked to the car, grabbed my hand and with the sweetest smile on his face told me that he loved my new hair and that I was really pretty :) then he held my hand all the way to the car. Doesn't that just melt your heart? It did mine! I love that little boy. He really is the sweetest thing ever and he totally made my week!

Overload!!

I have been second guessed, doubted, questioned and told to suck it up and get over it. Well, I don't appreciate it! First of all, Michael and I will do what is best for our family! Meaning me, him and our children! We are capable parents with the ability to make decisions! We won't do anything for selfish reasons. We won't make any rash decisions! We will make our decision through study, prayer and discussion. I would like credit for the ability to be a parent! Sorry, just had to get that off my chest! I would like for any one who thinks that I am a wimp or a baby or a whiner to do what I am doing! I would like for them to take their six kids, the oldest being 11, and raise them while their father is off working for two thirds of the year. I would like for them to try to console a crying four year old at night as she goes to bed missing her Daddy. I would like for them to hold their 11 year old daughter as she sobs because it is hard when Daddy's gone and listen as she tells you that she cries herself to sleep at night because she misses him. I would like for you to deal with an 8 year old son who acts out because of all the changes that are involved with daddy being gone for two weeks at a time. I would like for you to talk to your 7 year old son, who didn't even cry with a broken nose, as he sits behind the couch with tears rolling down his face because he misses daddy. I would like for you to spend your days running children all over the place trying to be at everything for everyone even though it is impossible. I would like for you to see your 10 year old daughter's face when she finds out that daddy won't be there to see her in her first play. I would like for you to spray daddy's cologne on your 6 year olds favorite stuffed animal so he doesn't miss daddy so much at nights. I would like for you to be everything and do everything for everyone all the while trying to cope with the fact that you are alone. There is no one to help. No one to takeover when you are tired or sick. No one to help when a child is out of control. No one to take the pressure off when things are hard. No one to share the happy things and triumphs with. No one to fix the bathtub or the computer. Youngo to bed alone at night and you wake up alone in the morning. That's what I go through two out of every three weeks. And I'm a wimp? Because I express my dislike for the situation I need to suck it up? I normally just keep things to myself. I don't like confrontation or negative things. I just keep it to myself and go on with life. This time, however, I just want to say - if this is what you think of me YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE!!! And I want to say one other thing. Money, as necessary as it is, is not worth this! I would rather be dirt poor and have my husband home with his family than to have the money that he makes being away. My children feel the same way. They have told me and from the tears that they have shed, I believe them 100%. I am on overload right now and not just because of the added responsibilities that I have while Michael is gone. But because of the lack of understanding and caring from those who should be doing both.

Wacky Wednesday

Olivia's preschool class is doing a theme week.  Yesterday was red, white and blue day. Today was Wacky Wednesday.  They got to dress up in wacky clothes and have wacky hair.  Olivia had a great time picking out clothes that didn't match and putting her hair in 8 different piggy tails.  The other kids got to do this earlier this year so she thinks it's pretty cool that she gets to do it now.  Here is our Wacky Lollipop!

Pretty crazy huh!?

Bathtub Troubles

Last night I told Zeke to go take a shower.  He came out later and said that the water wouldn't go out of the tub.  I went in and tried to drain it and it wouldn't drain.  I tried plunging it and that didn't work. The other kids had to take sponge baths from the sink :) After the kids went to bed I messed with the plug.  It didn't feel broken so I figured we had a clog of some sort.  I tried baking soda and vinegar down the drain - nothing.  Boiling water - nothing.  This morning the water was still standing in it. I had a feeling I should try to take the plug out. I tried to but could only get one screw to come out so I abandoned that and bought draino at the store - nothing.  I bought a little pipe thing that I could stick down the drain to pull the clog out.  I couldn't get it to go down.  I knew then that it was the plug that was broken.  I got a bigger screwdriver (the bigger the better right?) and finally got the other screw out.  It was indeed broken.  I pulled out all the pieces and down went the water!  Yay!  Now the tub is all cleaned and ready for kids to shower.  Hurray for clean kids and clean tubs!

Don't judge me by the stains in my tub - it's old but it's clean.  Judge me by the fact that there is no water standing in it!!

A Bag of Rocks and a Visit to the ER

Last night I had to take Zeke to the ER.  The glands on his neck were really swollen and kept getting worse.  The swelling had gone up to his ears, around the back of his neck and the front.  I was worried about breathing issues if the swelling was on the inside too and his neck hurt to move in any direction.  Michael had already left for his flight to North Dakota so I had my brother Jon come over to watch the other kids while I took Zeke.  Zeke loves rocks.  Jon had been looking for Zeke something for his birthday for two months and he finally found some rocks!  When I brought him over last night he gave Zeke a bag of shiny rocks.  Zeke was so excited!

We took the bag with us to the emergency room so he could look at them all while we waited.  They did another strep test on him and found out that it had indeed come back.  They gave him a dose of steroids to help with the swelling and got him on some more antibiotics.  This morning he is doing much better.  He can move his head and neck without it hurting and the swelling has started to go down.  Hopefully this will be the end of it and no one else will get it!