Sleeping In

Sleeping in always puts my day off schedule.  It almost always causes something to a pain later on. 

But it is always worth it :).

Balance

For the new year, I'm focusing on balance. It is a tricky walk. With a husband and 6 kids, 7 fish, 1 potty trainee, 80 loads of laundry, 12 full rooms, and so much else I have to carefully decide what to focus my time and energy on.

Last month, it was not this blog! It was having a magical Christmas with my 7 favorite people (plus many more family and friends). But we got it all done. Gifts for each other, for lots of extended family, cards, gifts for neighbors, decorating, baking, projects and lots of fun outings took up every available minute until the 24th (okay, and beyond, like the cards that might have gotten to you before 2011).

But this month, I'm thinking I want to write more down, share more thoughts. So I'm laying all out this month. We'll see how it goes. I have lots to tell you. Like the miracle of my 5th little potty trainee. Oh, the blessings of heaven have been heaped down upon us and her little froggy potty!

So, organize a closet or two with me and love a child or two. I'm getting in better shape, getting my house in shape and trying to get my schedule in shape, but all with balance (ie. sloooowly).

Girls, and Boys and Baby, Oh my!

Life with six kids has been, how shall I say this,

kicking my trash!

I have barely been able to survive (along with keeping the other 7 people in my family alive) let alone write about how I was surviving it.


(How's that for keeping it real?)

But today, while my kind friend and neighbor took my two preschoolers to the park and my baby is napping, I decided to take a few minutes to look back at what I've missed telling you all about.

Since it is a lot, I will space them out over several days, so check back!

So here goes...

Things I Wish I Procrastinated

There are a few things I procrastinate so badly, that I really just never do. I wish I could call it procrastinating, but really, I just don't even do it.

1. clothes mending, usually my kids just grow out of it before I fix it
2. writing in my journal
3. exercising
4. craft projects, so many dreams, so little motivation
5. scrapbooking, I rethought this one, and mostly I really just don't do it

Procrastination

I am a much better dreamer than doer. Therefore, I procrastinate.

Here is just a sampling of things I like to procrastinate.

1. folding laundry
2. mopping the floor
3. making phone calls, especially business ones
4. Visiting Teaching, (this is double bad because it usually requires a phone call, too)
5. scrapbooking
6. deciding whether to keep clothes or return them, especially things I buy for my kids
7. getting my hair cut
8. making dinner
9. recyling my newspaper (you should see my pile)
10. downloading my digital pictures from my camera, except I did it today! So just you wait for some sweet pictures coming soon.

And many, many more things. Is this common at all? Do any of you procrastinate? or is it just pathetic old me.

Stay tuned for tomorrow and my list of things I wish I procrastinated.

MaLM -- Why I love my nose

Recently I have gained a new fondness for my nose. Why, you ask. Well, let me tell you.

My eyes are wonderful, I love to see, but they also look at things they shouldn't occasionally.

My mouth is great, too. I love to talk and eat. But it can get me into trouble also. It eats things it shouldn't and says things I'd rather not have said.

My ears give me the sound of music and my loved ones' voices, but also listens to things it shouldn't at times.

But my nose, it smells. It smells the sweet fragrance of spring flowers, the cut grass of a hot summer day, the fresh rain, gooey chocolate chip cookies, fresh, juicy fruit, the salty wind from the ocean, new born babies and so much else. And guess what, it never gets me in trouble!

A nose is a good thing, I think.

Growing up is hard

Growing up can be really strenuous.

Bodies are difficult. Learning to get where you want to go can be frustrating. And when the mucus starts flowing, life can be downright miserable.

Then there is the emotional part. You can find yourself waking up from scary or sad dreams that leave you in tumult. It is hard to figure those emotions out.

There is the problem that everyone is out to get you. They all want to beat you, win your stuff, play with your best friend, etc. No one seems to think about what YOU want.

It never ends. Even now in my "old age" I have a hard time.

My body doesn't really like to obey me still. I am trying to learn to control my own appetites and passions.

Emotions can be tricky even now. I've mostly mastered my own, but figuring out how to understand and deal with the emotions of others is tricky.

It's hard not to be consumed with my own little family. I wonder how much more frequently I need to be thinking about the needs of others outside my own family.

Sarah Palin

Admittedly, I don't know much about Sarah Palin (like most people), but what I do know sounds pretty good.

1. She was born in Idaho
2. She has 5 kids, the last one born in April (even 2 boys, 3 girls)
3. She played sports in high school
4. Her mother taught elementary school.
5. She has a studly husband


Just those things make her sound pretty sweet. (Maybe she sounds like someone else you know, hint, hint.) Don't you think?

My picture mosaic

Okay, I finally did one. Here I am.


1. Brooke at Sunset, 2. linguine pesto, 3. Willow Lake Sunrise, 4. Sunny Side Up, 5. the bb, 6. lemonade, 7. Sailing Holidays, 8. cookie monster, 9. For Marlene, 10. bless from above, 11. Carse of Gowrie - Hazy Scottish View, 12. On A Perfect Day, Everything That Matters In Life Can Fit Into A Single Frame

How to Win Friends and Influence People

The classic How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is on my currently reading shelf. My husband read it long ago, very long ago in middle school I think, and it changed his life. Well, I was feeling like I needed to win some more friends and influence more people, so I decided to read it.

I'm guessing you wouldn't mind having more friends and influence either. So I am starting a chapter by chapter book report to share with you. We will all be able to better control the people around us!

Just kidding.

So, here is Chapter 1: "If You Want to Gather Honey, Don't Kick Over the Beehive"

Don't criticize people. Even if they really, really deserve it. Period. Try to understand people and cut them some slack.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain---and most fools do.

But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving. (p. 36)

See the tummy

You can get a little idea of what the expansion is looking like at Sun in My Soul and just how clean it is.

Massage those aches away

For Christmas Matt gave me a gift certificate for a pregnancy massage. I've been waiting until the more uncomfortable ending parts of pregnancy to use it. And today was the day!

I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit nervous. This was my first massage. It turned out wonderful! It felt great and totally comfortable. You should definitely go get one (or treat your sweetheart to a chance to get one).

I just hope that my current relaxed and comfortable state lasts at least a day or two, or until our two little dinosaurs forget that I'm not a ramming pole to trample on the way to the watering hole!

Percentages and Desires

The other night, after a long day of work, after a long battle (in the sweetest sense of the word) with the kids, getting dinner ready, eaten, and cleaned up, I was tired. Bone tired. Lay down on the cold kitchen tile and never get up until Easter tired. Matt was graciously getting the kids in the bath while I endeavored to wipe all traces of dinner from the chairs, tables, bibs, dishes and counters. he walked into the kitchen, and I looked at him imploringly and said

"Right now, I want to take a long, hot bubble bath about 90%."

But when I got to the percentage I got all confused. At that moment I felt like at LEAST 90% of my wants were wrapped up in a hot bath. But I quickly had to refigure my numbers. Because at that moment the chore of cleaning up the kitchen was winning out. So I had to give the kitchen 51% and a bath just 49%. But that is just not what I was feeling. But it was what I was doing. So it had to be right didn't it?

Then I had to revise again.

"Okay, maybe not. Maybe it's more like 35% wants to clean up, 33% wants to help get the kids to bed, and then the left over 32% want a bath." I couldn't come up with the real way to numerically portray how I felt. I still felt like 90% I wanted a bath. But by this time it had crept up to at least 95%.

The real truth was that I finished the kitchen while Matt bathed the boys. Then I went downstairs and put clean sheets on the girls' naked beds, got them in bed, went upstairs and kissed the boys too. Then Matt and I sat down and spent some quality, quiet time just sitting together.

By this time my bath dreams had all but vanished, well, they had faded. My percentages had been wrong again. Being with Matt was well over my desire for a bath too. I kept puzzling over how I could divide up my want-percentages to accurately depict how I felt. Matt told me that the problem was that my votes had been split. That seemed to make sense, but still I wasn't happy.

Since that night I think I've figured it out. My body wanted a bath about 99% that night. My brain wanted the kitchen cleaned 99%. And my heart and soul wanted to help my husband and my kids be happy and settled 99%. I guess my heart must be stronger than my mind or my body, at least that night it was.

This is how it should be. This is what I think I want out of my life. I want to learn how to control my mind and my body and give my heart what it truly needs and wants.

I've also been pondering what I really want out of life. My sister-in-law posed such a question on her blog. This experience seemed to somehow apply to that question.

What does my body want out of life? A beach, good chocolate, and hot baths. What does my mind want? Stimulation, learning, good books, good conversation.

But what does my heart want? What do I really want, in the greatest percentages? I've come up with my answer.

I want to merit eternal life with God.
I want to help my husband gain eternal life with God and me.
I want to help my children gain the blessings of that same eternal life.
I want to make it as easy as possible for the people all around me, the people of the world, to gain eternal life with God.

That is what I want out of life in my heart of heart. And if sometimes my body or my mind want something more and are screaming out for attention, I'm sure I'll give it that too. But I hope that mostly, over the course of my life, I will give my heart what it wants most. I'll give it a chance to learn loving and giving and charity. And then I'll give my heart true happiness and joy. Amen.

Pregnancy alters your brain

It is scientifically proved here that pregnancy alters your brain functions. It makes you forget. I just dare you to deny it. It happens to me. See for yourself.

Make a list Monday (MaLM) - February goals

Sorry for the somewhat boring list today, but chores must be done. So . . .

My goals for February

1. Fix up Scott's room to make room for Andrew. This will include a new bed, rearranged toys and clothes, finally hanging stuff on the wall, and lots of chasing Andrew back INTO his bed while he gets used to his new freedom of sleeping without bars.

2. Remember that my kids are just LEARNING! I am TEACHING them, not giving them their final exams. I am going to give much more positive feedback and try to eliminate the negative. We are starting a new incentive/reward system. In the past, we have started each month with a string of circles drawn on the chalkboard, each representing a quarter of their monthly allowance. They would loose them for the usual, not obeying, fighting, not getting chores done, etc. This month we are starting with no circles and awarding them one each day for a job done well, until they reach their allowance max. I am hoping this will give us a lot more opportunity to focus on what is going well.

3. I am going to take better care of my body. I am working on my lunches. Usually Matt takes our leftovers to work, providing him a yummy and healthy way to eat. I am stuck (of my own choosing, I like sending Matt with something good) with whatever is left, sometimes a sandwich, sometimes a hot dog, sometimes a yogurt and nuts. I resolve to eat a better lunch each day including fruit (easily done, that is already normal) and a vegetable (not so easy, hello baby carrots). We'll see how we do.

I think this will be a great month. We are going to have Valentine's Day, an early anniversary celebration (before new baby) and I can't wait to finish up the boys' room. Hope you are excited as well. Plus, I'm really hoping that the snow will slowly fade away this month and bring at least the hope of spring flowers and green grass!

January goals

Okay, here is the rundown.

I have not exercised more than a handful of times. Excuses, excuses are piling up, including the one I carry around my middle. Oh well.

I have met two birthdays with on time celebrations.

I haven't been posting any spots of sun. My main problem is getting a picture taken, so I may try them picture-less. I'm thinking I should start a blessing journal. Matt has been writing in a journal lately per Elder Eyring's G.C. talk. Maybe he will inspire me.

My room is doing okay. I got rid of the 3 Primary boxes, 1 maternity box, piles and piles of stuff let over from the holidays, an old sewing table used as a cd player holder, and 2 old lamps. I got 2 new IKEA lamps, simple white curtains and one small bookcase. I did not paint the dresser yet, as you can see from this recent post.

Matt still has quite a pile we need to work on. Then I'll post some ending pictures.

That's it in a nutshell. So, on to February!

Tag

I have never really wanted to play tag, I am 7 months pregnant after all. Once when I was pregnant I tried to play frisbee tag with a bunch of teenagers and I ended up sprawled on the ground. It wasn't pretty. But Paige, I love you and so. . .

1. 10 years ago I was 19, engaged to Matt at BYU, studying hard to be a nurse.
2. 5 things on my to do list today: laundry, nap, go to IKEA, keep 5 kids alive and keep myself sane while doing so.
3. If I were a Billionaire I would buy furniture, renovate my kitchen and many other parts of my house, get a new car, buy a house in CA and HI, help all my family, etc. All the usual. Matt would retire.
4. 3 bad habits: waste time on computer, put off chores, get frustrated with my kids.
5. 5 places I have lived: Newport Beach, Paris, Provo, American Fork, Cedar Hills
6. 5 jobs I've had: delivered newspapers, cemetery care taker, Subway sandwich artist, Mail Boxes Etc. guru and MOM
7. 3 Things people don't know about me: I like to burst into loud song, especially pirate songs, I am totally going gray, scratch that, they probably know that, I am a grand champion lamb showman, I love plants and thinking about gardening.

MaLM - Selective Amnesia

Make a List Monday - Places that trigger my selective amnesia

1. Grocery store
2. Target
3. Ward Council
4. Anywhere I meet a ward member unexpectedly
5. My bed (I forget my goals at night and forget my to do list in the morning)

Make a list Monday (MaLM) - Resolutions, Goals and To Dos

I was going to add to this before I posted it and then promptly forgot. So here it is, 2 days late.

I'm not sure that resolutions, goals and to dos for the year all have unique and recognizable features. However, they mean different things to me. My resolutions are generally "big" things that I want to change about myself or my life. My goals are generally smaller, yet still very important things. I do have a list of to dos for the year. They are more like things I want to do or get done, but don't really have the weight of a resolution.

Does this make sense or am I just trying to get out of the pressure and guilt (because I never get all my to dos done and it never bothers me:)?

So here is a list of my 2008 to dos.
1. Organize my scrapbook stuff (again)
2. Start a yearly scrapbook for each of my kids (and perhaps a baby one for my 4 year old, ha)
3. Sew a cover for my glider
4. Sew nightgowns for my girls
5. Get a bike and ride it
6. Get Dawn in piano lessons and maybe dance lessons along with Rachel
7. Get fabulous patio furniture
8. Dream about getting a pergola over my patio, maybe really get one
9. Write in a journal
10. Read the Joseph Smith manual for church
11. Plan out a new flower bed and fill in the old ones
12. Make SURE kids all get swimming lessons
13. Go to Newport Beach
14. Go to Yellowstone
15. Use my new library card at least once a month

My New Years Resolutions

I think the first order of business is to work out my big list of lists. Sometimes I know well ahead of the new year what I will be working on. Other years I need a while to evaluate and work things out. This holiday has been busy with sick kids and Dawn's very wonderful baptism day. But tonight Matt took the last Christmas box downstairs and so bring on 2008!

This year I am feeling sufficiently busy. So I haven't made a lot of resolutions about new things to try or do. I am going to set a new goal each month. I can do that, I think. I am also assigning a room to work on each month, along with a few over-arching goals. Here they are:

1. This year I am going to be more aware of my blessings and the joy I get out of being right where I am. I will be using my Friday "Spots of Sun" to chronicle some of them.

2. I will be absolutely prompt at celebrating birthdays.

3. I will have a lovely and sweet birth of a healthy baby girl!

Now for January: I will walk at least 2 times a week and do yoga or pilates once a week. This is pretty advanced for my tired, pregnant body, but I am resolved.

My room for January is my bedroom. It is a mess. I'm not sure there will be much buying and shopping going on (unfortunately), but a lot of organizing and developing better habits (not using it as a dumping ground). I may try to paint a dresser if I feel really motivated. We'll see.

Looking ahead:
February - the boys' room (moving Andrew into Scott's room) This will also involve the guest/exercise/craft room because it will be supplying the bed for Andrew. That room is atrocious and may put me into premature labor.
March - the nursery
April - hmmm. I'll be busy.
I'm not sure what rooms will come in what order, but will definitely include the playroom, the girls' room, the craft room (if I don't get it all done earlier), the downstairs bathroom, the garage, the patio, the kitchen/dining room, and family room. We'll see.