Adam skipped school for me!

It's taken a few years, but I finally convinced Adam to skip school for me! Yeah for Jen! Actually his afternoon patient cancelled and I asked him not to find a replacement.

The girls did not have school on Friday, and I thought it would be fun to have some family time. We have a great place out hear called Deanna Rose Farmstead. (Similar to Grants Farm, but better). We had a great time. No major problems, or emergencies. Actually for blogging purposes, it was pretty boring. "Boring" is nice though, when you are out with your whole family. This is one of those days that I can think back to whenever I get stressed.

It was a good day, with the people I love more than chocolate. Days like this give me hope that my children might grow up to be productive members of society.

You can't tell from the look on his face, but he was so excited to ride the horse. He is concentrating on holding on tight.

Preston in the trees.

She's wonderful. Amazing. kind. obedient. smart. and no she's not for sale. (yes I'm bragging. I know that. I'm okay with that. It's my blog, I can brag when I want)

Adam was the Tommy Chaser. I can handle the other 3, but my leg doesn't let me hop fences and run super fast yet.

Speaking of jumping fences, there he goes again. Don't worry, Adam was hot on his trail.

She loved this. Kelly decided to opt out of riding the horse, but that didn't really surprise me.

Days like this have me missing the time when all my monsters are home together.They really are good friends. I know this won't last forever, so I should probably take as many pictures as possible.

Conversation with Adam

Jen: "I don't really want to be a parent today"

Adam: "Well you're doing good so far!"

Gotta love him!

What Kelly learned at school today

Girls go to college to get more knowledge,

Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider.

Obviously a female college graduate came up with this little poem.

Don't worry, I did the right thing as a parent. I told Kelly that it was mean and that she couldn't say it and that we have to be nice.

Then when she left the room, I laughed.

Speaking of Kelly, this past Saturday she was in her first parade! I was so proud of my brave little girl. If it were Paige, it wouldn't have been such a big deal, but Kelly has been afraid of everything since she was a baby. She walked with a friend from school and handed out candy. She got to wear a clown costume so she was pretty excited.

It was fun to sit and watch the parade. Obviously you know my favorite part. Here is what you have been waiting for... PICTURES!

She's already got a super model wave!

Here she comes...

Nonnie took this pic for us. Obviously the sun is in our eyes. And no it's not a coincidence that everyone is wearing their BYU shirt. Adam makes everyone wear their BYU shirt on Game day. Mine was in the car. I was the rebel that just got back from Jupiter.

Back to St. Louis

So my friend Denae asked when we are moving back to St. Louis. I found that funny, because anyone who lives by me has to put up with my monthly countdown. It was one year left!, then 10 months left! and now we are at 7 1/2 months left. So in honor of my constant countdown here is a picture from when we lived in St. Louis last time. We lived in the ward that I grew up in. I moved in when I was 4 months pregnant with Paige and we moved out when Tommy was one month old.

Sorry that it's blurry, but it's a picture of a picture.

FOR THE RECORD:

I love Kansas City. I really do. This is home. This is where my kids go to school. This is where I had Preston. This will be 4 years of our life. I love it here. I miss family, not St. Louis. (I do like St. Louis, but family first) I miss Sunday night dinners, Poppy's Pancakes, Saturday donuts with Grampy, sleepovers with Gram, Church with Family, walking to Nonnie's house, Loving Aunts that adore their nieces and nephews. More dates and free babysitting.

I know that I still get family out here, family visits alot (even more this October with 2 birthdays ), but it's not the same.

So there you go 7 1/2 months to go, till Adam is done with school. But we will enjoy the rest of our time here.

Jesus is coming to my House

Speaking of super smart children... (sarcasm) Paige has had a really hard time understanding her Sunday School lesson from Church. In our Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) we pay tithing. We give one tenth of all the money we make back to the Lord.

Since they were learning about tithing, Paige's teacher gave each child 10 cents. Then they each put 1 cent in a tithing envelope and gave it to a member of the Bishopric. Then he put the other 9 cents in a little container for the child to take home... This is where he lost Paige.

All week long Paige has been carrying around her little container calling it her Tithing. She says "My teacher gave me tithing at Church on Sunday". Then whenever she finds change around the house she will run and grab her little container and say "Mom, I found more tithing!". Adam and I have tried several times to explain how WRONG she is, but we just aren't getting through to her cute little 4 year old brain.

So today she comes up to me with her little "tithing" container and says, "Mom, when is Jesus coming to take his tithing from me". I tried not to start laughing. Then I told her if she put it under her pillow it would be gone in the morning. She got really excited for a moment. I of course realized how WRONG it was for me to get her hopes up like that. She started yelling "Jesus is Coming!". Poor super confused girl

Don't worry, as soon as I figured out that she actually believed me, I told her that I was joking and that's not how it works. She looked at me and said, "Mom, you joked me!"

So, now we are back at square one. She still has her tithing that she carries around, and she still is not grasping the concept. Oh and just for the record, I'm not looking for ideas on how to explain it to her. I've given up. If you see her, you can explain it.

For the Record

I've been reading some of my posts lately and I just wanted to let my "world wide friends" know that I do think my children are smart. I might mention some of their not so glamorous stories, but at the end of the day I do think they are mucho inteligente (ignore the spelling, we all know that I don't really speak Spanish).

I guess I just don't find it as "therapeutic" to talk about how perfect they are and about how Kelly can count backwards blindfolded. But this does bring up a good question.

Do you think everyone thinks their child is a genius, or do you think the parents of the not so bright ones realize that their child will never be in the gifted program. (hmmm... Tommy is filling my shoe with cheerios as I type, maybe I'm the parent of the not so bright one).

Oh and on that note, Yesterday Adam decided to leave Tommy naked again (Surprise!). Tommy comes up and said he wet on the table in the basement. I looked at Adam, because It was not my idea to leave him naked and send him to the basement. Adam goes down to clean up the mess, and on his way back up he said, "That wasn't exactly what I was expecting" Adam comes up the stairs holding a little Dollhouse Table. Apparently Tommy's aim is getting better and he can now hit little targets like dollhouse furniture.

Like I said, my children are Super inteligente!

Ethical Dilemma

I guess it's not really an ethical dilemma. I'm being over-dramatic (I must get it from Paige). I want to cut my hair. I want to cut a big chunk of it off. I like my hair shorter. Not super short. Just chin length short. It's hair it grows right?

The dilemma part is my husband. He has it stuck in his mind that he likes long hair (poor fool). The funny thing is, is that when I met him I had short hair. When we were engaged I had short hair and when we were married I had short hair. He always survives when I get my hair cut, but it doesn't take the guilties away from me.

Anyone who knows Adam knows he asks VERY LITTLE of me. He is easily pleased and never requests anything. Except for this. Not that he even "requests" it. But when the subject of me cutting my hair comes up (which is daily at this point), he just looks at my hair longingly and says I do like your hair long, or I've always preferred long hair (wow look at my major run on incorrectly written sentence. English majors ignore please).

So I tried to get around the cutting it, by just coloring it (besides the fact that I wouldn't let that women come near my hair with scissors). I LOVE the color and it really has helped my "I feel sexy" factor, but I still long to have it cut. I just feel prettier with shorter hair. I feel like I look my age. I'm 27. I want to feel young, look young (we all already know I act young). It's hard sometimes to feel sexy with four monsters.

I am not good at that whole "Husband comes home to beautiful family, clean house, dinner waiting and hot and sexy mama wearing stunning apron and high heels."

Adam walks into: Running children, Naked Tommy, Baby Crying, Dinner? What's That?, Kelly whining, Paige singing, hot and Sweaty mama wearing pajamas and a leg brace with old teal crocs on.

So do I actually think a haircut will suddenly make the planets align so that I can now accomplish all of my "over-achieving goals" for the day. YES I do. I think it will make a difference.

I think I have to remember how super beautiful I am, before it's too late. I don't want to wake up one morning when all of my children have gone off to school and realize that I have forgotten to take care of myself. I'm more important then that, and Adam deserves a wife who loves herself as much as he loves me... and he loves me alot, so that's alot of Jen-Loving I've got to start having.

Ethical Dilemma Solved. Thank you for your time.

Website of the Day

I've been hiding one of my favorite websites from my friends. I know I'm evil. It's actually been for selfish reasons as well. You see this website has all sorts of neat products to buy. You can come up with a ton of great ideas just by looking at some of these things.

Sooo I obviously haven't spread the word, because I would like my friends to believe that I came up with super ideas, when actually it wasn't me. It was a beautiful blonde from Las Vegas (although she is originally from STL, if that counts for anything.)

So those keychains I gave to my friends...not my idea. Sorry the truth would come out eventually.

www.fabulousfunfinds.blogspot.com

So the only reason I am probably confessing is that it's almost one in the morning. Once I am sane again, I will most likely take this post off my blog so that I can keep it for myself.

Maybe someday I'll come up with a really good idea to blog about. I mean she goes around and finds "fun finds" I need a gimmick. Maybe I can find the crappiest things on the internet. Or maybe I can find free crappy things. Oh wait It needs to sound good together, crappyfreethings.com doesn't sound like a winner. Maybe I should go to bed, and try to come up with a better idea in the morning.

Good Night!

OH and I really do think you should check out that website, just because I'm bitter and cranky doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to find fabulous fun finds.

Oh and just so you know, have a good laugh at "Naked Leapfrog" while you can. It will be coming down in a few days.

Not because I think that the Police are coming after me, it has more to do with that in 10 years from now I don't want my son to walk into a class and have someone say "Aren't you the boy who used to be play naked leapfrog. "

I'm sure that I'll save the pic for future moments where I want to make his life difficult, but I don't want him to know what cards I have... if you know what I'm saying. If you don't know what I'm saying it could be because the time is now 1:02 in the morning. I don't think I even know what I'm saying anymore. Oh well. Goodnight! Again.

If you liked BAT MOON...

So in my last post I had a beautiful "Bat Moon" picture. Since I had such a good response to it, I thought I would add another one from this weekend.

We call it "Naked Leapfrog"

Oh, and don't think that we LET him go out side. Tommy has figured out deadbolts, chains, and of course the regular locks. He is also quick like lightning, and as quiet as a super undercover spy (when he needs to be). I also hate to say this, but this isn't his first naked time outside.

Oh and to all you "Believers" in potty training. I prefer diapers over potty training. My next child is going to be 10 before we try this again. AND potty training wasn't my idea, it was Adam's he decided to start leaving my son naked. Yes, it has been working, but I HATE Potty Training. (have I said this enough yet)

For example on Sunday the Nursery Teacher brought me my son who had pee all over his pants. She said he went potty, but didn't pull his pants down enough! Great just what I need a pee kid. My kid is the one at church that always smells like pee. This Sunday, I'm bringing spare pants.

Have I mentioned that I hate potty training? I hate cheering over my son peeing (because half of it usually ends up all over him), I hate teaching children how to wipe their bums, and I hate that my whole neighborhood gets to see a streaker on a daily basis. Yes, I said daily. Oh well, I'm sure someday Adam and I will be done having children (I hope), but with my luck I will have no bladder control left and I will be in diapers. HA! Wouldn't that be my luck!

Fabulous Family Fun Weekend with the Burneson's

Over our Labor Day weekend we were SUPPOSED to go to Nauvoo with our friends the Burnesons. The Man (James) decided that we weren't worth spending that much gas money on, so his wife Emily came up with a new plan, a plan that I thought was a bit Crazy...

(This is a reenactment, some word might have been changed, because my memory is no longer the Gem it used to be)

Emily: Since James said we can't go to Nauvoo, we have come up with a new plan.

Fabulous Me: What ? (losing faith in the cause)

Emily: You guys can come over Sunday Night and SLEEPOVER!! The whole family. We can put the kids down and play games all night. James will make us a fabulous breakfast Monday morning it will be wonderful!

Jen: What? Are you serious? Emily, you are crazy. (really believing for a split second that my sweet dear friend who just had a baby might be losing it)

Emily: What! No it will be a blast! Just you wait. If you were coming into town to stay with me where would you stay?? At my house!

Jen: That's true... BUT we could just have you guys over to sleep?

Emily: Okay then, we will sleep at your house on Friday Night, and our house on Sunday Night! (she was super duper excited).

Jen: Emily you are crazy! But okay.

Emily: Just you wait Jen, This is going to become the new Hit! Everyone is going to want to have a sleepover at the Burnesons.

So we did it. We went through with it. We had our very first Adult Family Sleepover, and I was WRONG it was a Blast! There were no pillow fights, but we still had tons of pee in your pants moments (Which is all that matters in the life of 2 women with little to no bladder control.)

We played True Colors, Settlers, and the men tried to convince us into a game of Risk.

The kids get around great. The Burneson Boys are great, my girls love them. (Tommy loves everyone so his opinion doesn't really count)

So of course here are some pictures. I hope you can contact Emily and line up your own Family Fun Weekend with the Burnesons! You won't regret it.

I apologize for all the pictures, but I just couldn't narrow it down any further. In fact, once I get some of Em's, I might be back with MORE!

There is really nothing to add about this picture, I think it shows you just how special James is.

Tommy with pants on, I had to put this picture in, because most of the ones with Tommy are of him pottty training, so he is Buffing it alot thse days.

This is who I would choose to walk down a dark alley with. He is the cutest, sweetest, toughest boy around. He will give great hugs and share his crackers with you, but if you turn on him he can take you out in 5 different ways... no joke.

Fountain Running. Since our Fun weekend took place in "The city of fountains" instead of "City Beautiful" I thought it would be appropriate to add some fountains.

How many men does it take to install a baby gate? Just count em!

Although Paige is cute, she is not the "highlight" of this pic, we call it BatMoon. (remember, boy pottytraining)

Thank you Adam, for getting a pull up on our streaker.

late night, pee in your pants laughing

Emily losing... again.

This is the only way to keep the boys contained.

Success!

Adam giving James an early morning wake up.