Creative Bug II

More creativity attempts...I picked up these blocks at a barn sale over a year ago. Now that I live in an older, more charming, house they really fit in. I'm now looking out for more antique toys. The decorating department around here is lousy...all these excuses about too much time given to dirty dishes and stinky diapers. It's a slow, but fun process to get things decorated. I really am in a house that I love!

Betty Brinn -- Outta My Mind II

Another day of insanity...why do I do this to myself? I am indeed a glutton for punishment. So, today is Thursday, my day to take the kiddies to the children's museum. Jake goes to school and it's all day mommy day so I have to do something to break up our day. We decided to go for "Tot Time", a little nursery-esque experience for babies ages 1-3. So, the session was full but I talked the teacher into letting us sit in. Not two minutes later, Ty had found a pitcher of water and spilled the entire thing on the floor. As I was cleaning up his mess, Sadie was screaming. When I got to her I found that she had a poopy diaper...all over. Cleaning that up and Ty was everywhere and into everything. While children were supposed to be sitting on little rugs on the floor, Ty had found a small table with small chairs and cups and napkins. Well, you all know what that means. Snacks. But, not now. Ty didn't get it. I had to strap him into the stroller and when he again convinced me to let him out, he ran for the teacher's stash of stuff and stole her spider puppet and later some stale popcorn and some leftover craft projects. (The other moms thought he was SO cute and absolutely HILARIOUS...I wanted to say "do you want to borrow him?" I looked so incompetent chasing him and nursing Sadie and encouraging Brooklyn to participate. Finally, it was over. We had snack and buzzed out fast enough to not have the teacher ask us to do a craft, again (she asked several times as if I had the situation under control and we could really handle making a spider while nursing a baby and chasing Ty the terrorific). Anyway, in the museum, playing, I lost Ty twice and Brooklyn once. I swear, I'm a good mom, I glanced away and they were gone. I had the humiliating experience of having to ask museuam staff to help me find Brooklyn. Since she knows better how to operate doors, elevators, etc...for all I know she had already made it to the lakefront and was feeding birds or over to US Bank and applying for a job. Ahhhh! It will be awhile before I put myself through that again. Real confidence booster, after I explained that she needs to stay by me or she'll get lost and have a new mommy; she thought that was a fabulous idea...she said "...wow, a new mommy and a new Ty and a new Sadie and a new family..." It all sounded cherry until she realized she wouldn't live in her "new house" anymore. I'm glad she loves me! Despite the headaches, I did get some cute pics that I will post. (P.S. if anyone reads this and would like to join me, I'd love to have company and a little help! Like you would actually offer knowing what the situation is!)

Creative Bug

So, I don't get "creative" very often. Considering that my sister is a home economics teacher and a fantastic seamstress and cook...my other sister is a painter and talented musician...I often joke that I was too busy talking in heaven to get any talents. BUT, I'm working on it. Trying to do new things. Here's my latest attempt. Cookies dipped in chocolate to look like candy corns. It was pretty cute and very tasty. I recommend to someone who tries it to add lots of orange coloring to the dough...mine wasn't orange enough!

Still Here....

So, here I am. I'm totally miffed because something is not working with the computer and I can't upload pictures. Isn't that the best part of my blog? It's my favorite part. Oh, well.

We're here. We survived our little move and I am starting to feel settled in our house. It was a rough go at first, as many of you know, since Jake got sick two days after we moved in. (But it was fun to get to meet both the paramedics and the fire department my first week in my new house). Don't worry, Jake didn't die or have a massive coronary or anything...he's fine now...it's a long story for another day.

Fall is here. Bummer. I love the fall and the changing leaves, but today I'm feeling a little short-changed. It seems like here in Wiscsonsin we went from Indian Summer to full-on Fall overnight. Don't get me wrong, I was totally enjoying the long summer and 80 degree October days; but going down into the 50's and 60's stinks. It's funny how the 50's feel so balmy in the spring and I get out and walk and take the kids out to play and as soon as it drops below 65 in the Fall, I am done with going outside and ready to board up for another long Wisconsin winter. I'm trying to think positive...

I am excited about our new house, new ward, new town, etc. Things are going well and I feel very welcome in our new ward. There seem to be a lot of other families with similar families to mine. The kids love the yard and feeding the squirrels. I love being so close to shopping and clsoer to the Children's Museum and the zoo. I miss my West Bend Ward friends and the country feel of Jackson, but overall I'm feeling really good about life and things. We're enjoying meeting our new neighbors (we practically live in a retirement community and they're excited to have a young family in the neighborhood). My next door neighbor is hilarious. He watched things like a hawk and reminds me to close my garage and keep my kids bikes in the backyard so that the boys from the hood up on Hampton don't come and haul my stuff away. He spends a lot of time looking out the window and almost always stops me when I'm walking by with the kids...."I noticed that your bike was in the front yard...some kids were riding by and looking at it, so I moved it to the back.....I was watching you when the kids were doing such and such and laughing at you....". I think it will probably kinda drive me nuts, but it's nice to know someone is looking out for me.

I enjoyed conference last weekend so much and it was a good chance to remind myself of my priorities and set some new conference goals. I usually don't do so swell, but we'll see. Conference is great because it makes me feel good about what I am doing; yet, at the same time motivates me to do better and see all the the many areas where I am lacking in my life.

Anyway, life is calling, so I guess I should go. I'm rambling again anyway and not feeling very funny, so its probably not worth reading.

Out of my mind...

Bona fide proof that I am outta my mind...pictures from the zoo and a cute shot that I got today at the "Piggy Wiggy" when we were shopping. Yes, I do take all three kids by myself to the store. Usually we go to Wally World, but I just needed a few things today and I wasn't up to it. It requires some pretty serious strategizing (and bribing), but most days it's not too bad.

Also, cute pictures from the zoo with the Brough's. Thank heavens for good friends and someone to help me out with the kids! (Although we still have five kids under four between the two of us!) We loved seeing the animals. Brooklyn and Ty call the zoo the "jungle". Silliness. (Note in the pictures our children leaning over the fence towards the animals...luckily they're looking a bunnies which are actually in another cage).

Lastly, some adorable shots of all the kids in their new Halloween jammies from Grandma. Brooklyn wore hers all day the day that they came in the mail. She loves to get mail almost as much as I do (I guess because her awesome Grandmas are often sending her fun stuff!) I think I'll also include some pictures of Sadie. She's pretty darn cute (I'm not at all bias). As she continues to grow, I've been reassured that like my other children, she bears absolutely no resemblance to me and gets her good looks from her Dad. They're little Morton clones...

We had a great time on our trip to Utah!! I had a hard time finding a few pictures to show everything that we did. (I had way too many awesome pictures) I think I'm missing some of our little Sadie Lou...have to add more later.

Ty loved the FOOD at Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's; they always feed us well.

We blessed Sadie on August 5 at the Morton's house. It was wonderful to see family and she was given a beautiful blessing. Grandma Johnson made her a beautiful blessing dress...the only downside is that she could only wear it for a few hours the day of her blessing. I'll have to find a nice way to preserve it for her.

Brooklyn LOVED going on the boat and jet skis, as you can see in the picture where she is riding with her aunt Melissa and cousin London. She kept asking "faster, faster"...guess she got a little of her mom and dad's adventurous sides.

The last picture was taken on our trip to the Hogle Zoo...Ty was enjoying playing with Grandpa and loved dancing on the top of the tables at the refreshment stand! Go Ty, go Ty! This kind of behavior won't be nearly as cute in a few years!

Confession

Blogging has been going slow...for a multitude of reasons, but I'm back (now anyway)
Okay, so my blogging has pretty much consisted of updates on the kids, but I have a confession. (No, I am not pregnant again). I have a serious addiction. Mail. Love it. I don't know why, but it is 100% my job at my house. It would completely ruin my day if Jake were to get the mail. (Good thing he's not home). I threaten him with his life on Saturdays! So, I get home from Utah, and my mailbox is (gasp!) empty! So I go to the neighbor's house, assuming they picked it up when it was brimming...(brimming, oh joy, yes I did think about going through all of that mail when the plane ride home was not so great...no, I'm not expecting a big check or anything...mostly junk and bills...and SHEER PLEASURE.) Anyway, they weren't home that night and when I talked to them the next morning, they didn't have it.I decided to call the post office to see if my brimming mail was being held hostage by the postman. (Me and the post man, love/hate relationship...so kind to take care of my mail...but now that I want it, I can't get to it! Then he does that thing where sometimes he delivers at about 11:00 am and sometimes it's more like 3:00pm....) Called the post office and glory be, they have it for me. While I typically don't move my clan with much speed, I quickly got ready and announced to the kids that we were going out. I packed them in the car only to realize that I didn't know where my keys were. (We had a friend drop us off at the airport in our car and take our car until the day she drove it to the airport and parked for us...saving us $ on parking and free ride for her to the airport.) Searched the car...called Jake...called Allison. No luck!On the verge of a nervous breakdown, I decided we would walk to pick up the mail after naps. I prepped everyone and they luckily took good naps. Post naps, as I was packing up the stroller, I got into my car for something or another and discovered MY KEYS! You would have thought I won Publishers Clearing House. We packed up in the car to go to the post office. Picked up my mail and it was every bit as good as I expected, containing no checks, mostly bills and junk...Crazy part of the story...I clocked the mileage on my way....2 miles EACH WAY! I was honestly prepared to walk 4 miles with 3 kids under age 3 in 80 degree weather with awful muggy humidity to get my mail one day earlier! Nuts, yes! Obsessive, yes! Thank heaven I found my keys....can you imagine?