Randomness...

I have so many exciting events that I need to blog about and not much time to do it... so they are going to have to wait. I want to journal some random thoughts / events / situations or whatever you want to call them. No pictures to worry about tonight cause that takes up too much time and I need to get to bed.

*My house is not looking at its best, but the lawn is mowed. (Bryce will need to weed whack it when he gets back into town-- I don't weed whack. It scares me, frustrates me cause I can't keep the thing running and I honestly don't know if my arms could hold it up after mowing the lawn. Our self propelled part isn't working on our mower. I guess it gives me the workout I need and truly desire.)

*I had a lot of fun reading with the kids tonight. They are really enjoying reading a few verses out of the Book of Mormon. Abbey can read her own verse while Braxton and Landen repeat what we whisper to them. Either it is in jet engine volume or so quiet nobody can hear them--especially Landen. It has been good for us to do it cause it has helped me listen better to where they are having some speach issues with certain sounds. And of course there are many other benefits to reading the scriptures.

*We are also currently reading "Super Fudge." The kids busted up uncontrollably laughing tonight when the 5 year old boy, Fudge called his Kindergarten teacher "Rat Face" after she was not nice to him. Normally I wouldn't really be ok with them laughing when somebody was called a name... but the teacher honestly deserved it... and I couldn't help but bust up laughing just hearing them giggling so hard over it. It makes me smile just thinking about it right now.

*Braxton is giving our babysitters a run for their money. There seems to be some sort of switch that turns on and he goes from being sweet to a defiant stinker in a half a second. I don't know what to do. He gets Landen on the bandwagon as well. I came home from doing some Relief Society visits today to lay down the law with them. They were quite surprised to have me fly through the door when I should have been gone. What to do??? He is such a sensitive boy and I think that it usually starts with him getting his feelings hurt somehow...I don't know though cause he tries to pull some stuff with me and I generally can shut it right down before he gets out of control. Our poor babysitters... And at the same time... poor Braxton cause I don't want him to be miserable with them either.

*Mason went to the doctor today for his checkup and immunizations. He is such a cute and smiley baby! He weighs 16 lbs and is 26 inches long. I love his blonde fuzzy flat top hair that he has going on w/ his gorgeous blue eyes! He was winning the hearts of everyone in the office. He was a tuff cookie and didn't cry too much with the shots. It has made him grumpy today and that breaks my heart that he doesn't feel good from them. I keep him going w/ medicine for the day and usually by tomorrow he is fine. Quick funny story from the doctor's office. Mason was stripped down to his diaper from being weighed and was sitting on my lap waiting for Dr. Mower to come into the exam room. He started to poop a few loud poops and I jumped up, set him on the exam table (covered in the exam paper stuff) and thought I will be such a great mom and hurry to change the diaper before we have any complications. I was too late! The MOMENT I set him down on the table poop GUSHED out from the top back of his diaper all over the exam paper. No big deal I thought. I will wipe him off with a few wet wipes, move him down a few feet on the table and rip that section of poop soaked paper off with no problems. I had just moved Mason down to a new spot and was about to rip off the paper when he grabbed the exam paper with his death like grip and pulled the paper up and over to him. Poop went running all over! By the time I had everything cleaned up I had poop on the front of my shirt, a wad of exam paper the size of a basketball, 3 other children who were restless wanting me to keep reading them books and a very happy baby! I about died when Dr. Mower walked into the room and I had to explain to him why there was this massive amount of wadded up exam paper in my hand. From the look on his face when he walked into the room... he must have thought I was nuts! I am sure he has seen similar problems or experienced them himself... but I wanted to die!

*We have had a major breakthrough for our family the past few weeks! We have been struggling all summer with the kids acting out and having a MISERABLE time getting chores done! Every day I just wanted to die and was so frustrated! Bryce and I sat down one night to get some solutions. We had been sleeping in a bit... me till about 8 am if I could and the kids were waking me up when they got up fighting. We decided that we had to be up and moving before the kids got up. Bryce was already doing this but he was in the shower and such when trouble would start. We cracked down on ourselves, set alarms for ourselves and it has been a night and day difference! Bryce gets up before me and showers for work. My alarm goes off at 6:55 am and I have from 7 till 7:30 am to shower and get ready. During my "spa time" as Bryce calls it he is in charge of the kids and has to be helping their morning to move along and not leave them to fight with each other. I have to admit when the alarm goes off I just want to go back to sleep cause I am dog tired but it is so worth it! The kids usually wake up around 7:30 and now I am ready to take on the noise with a smile. Once school starts I will have to bump up our alarms a half an hour earlier but thats ok too. I have found that generally I am just as tired at 6:30 as I am at 7:30 am. I know it isn't a new concept but I am thankful for the answer to my prayers and the strength to do it!

*Landen has learned how to ride a 2 wheeler bike! He doesn't seem to enjoy riding it much though. He still prefers to ride the 3 wheeled pink scooter from Abbey. Maybe more practice and experience will make him more comfortable.

*Mason can roll over from his back to his stomach and from his stomach to his back. He doesn't do it a ton but can when he wants something. He loves standing in the exersaucer to play. He loves chewing/slobbering on his fists and occasionally finds a finger to suck on. He isn't a big fan of his binki and pulls a sour face if you ever give it to him when he doesn't want it. It works about half the time to calm him down to go to sleep. We wrap him up tight in a blanket with another fuzzy blanket on the top of him, give him his binki and he goes to sleep. Most the time the binki doesn't stay in his mouth for long but no complaints here as long as he goes to sleep. Mason is getting a voice. He loves to babble when things are quiet. He has a death grip and you have to watch out for your juggular, any hair on your body (especially Bryce's leg and arm hairs!) and cheeks.

*Abbey and Braxton have been taking gymnastics this summer. They love to do it and wished we could have them continue on during the school year. They are always "putting on shows" for us and Landen is quick to jump in with his gymnastic tricks. Abbey is SUPER flexible and we tease her that she will have to join the circus and make us rich.

*Sunday night after the kids were in bed Bryce and I listened to a fireside that John Bytheway had done for our stake on 5 ways to improve your marriage. Deseret Book made it into a "book on tape" and our ward had a copy of it. It was so great to listen to it! It was nice to hear things from a third party source that we can each work on. I feel that we are happily married but who couldn't use a little improvement??? The best part was going for a walk around our block a few times afterwards. I LOVE THESE WALKS!!! It is so peaceful outside, I get some exercise and we just talk. I love them! I love them! I love them! And the best part was that he suggested going that night. He must love me! :)

Well- it is a few minutes past bedtime and I need to be at full force tomorrow. The alarm is going to go off all too soon!