Where in the crap did the last 5 years go?

Ethan had a birthday almost two weeks ago. (I'm really a slacker, I know.) I cannot believe that he is 5 and getting ready for kindergarten. I always thought I would be happy to send my kids off to school, but I must say, I'm not happy about it at all. I know that I still have a few months, but I can't seem to get it off my mind. Anyway, the birthday was great. In fact, he loved it so much that at the end of the day, he asked me if since we were having a party the next day, would he be turning 6? I love this little boy, who is growing up rather quickly. I love being his mom and friend. He is a great kid. We had friends (including a couple of very brave girls) over for a party on his birthday, and family over on Sunday.

There was mass chaos during present time...


Showing off his water shooter from his friends.

The one with the pink bows is Taygan, his favorite girl. (Next to his mother, of course!)

The whole group. Those two cute girls were awfully brave, and didn't know how to take these crazy boys!

Such a fun group of friends! I love that our street is smothered with boys!

Mr. Grabby pants. That would be blue frosting all over his face. Could you resist those sparkly blue eyes??? Yea, me neither. Or Aunt Nee.

Showing off his new remote control car.


To top off the night, Aiden decided to sneak over to the neighbors house and sit on the sprinklers.

Gotta love being a kid!

Mom's day off

So, today was like any other hectic day at my house. I have to admit, I have been really spoiled since Aiden started preschool and I have had 2 days with one child who just happens to take a nap at the same time the other 2 are away. It has been really nice, but on the other hand, it really makes Tuesdays and Thursdays extra hard for some reason. And, if any of the other moms who read this are like me, I really start out the week strong, and by the end, I'm dragging. My patience is near the end, I'm tired, I can't figure out why my house is still a mess, even though I KNOW I cleaned every day....you get the picture, right? And as they get older, my boys really have learned quickly how to push my buttons. That was today. Hectic. Until...the phone rang and it was my mom on the other line. Asking if it would be okay with me if she and my dad took my big boys to the mountains with them for a day of fun, WITHOUT MOM, and they promised to bring them back extra tired. My first reaction was, "Are you kidding?" "Did I hear you right?" Then it was, "How fast can I get them ready and out the door?" This sounds like a great plan to me!

I love my boys with all of my heart. And, like most moms, I don't take enough time out for ME. This day was just what we all needed, and I am so grateful for my parents willingness to take them out for a day of fun. I had a great day. Suddenly the schedules I follow on a daily basis got thrown out the door, and I found my self at my best friends house for lunch. We laughed and laughed, and I enjoyed myself so much. Camden really enjoyed and needed the one on one time with mom, and was happy to see his brothers, but found himself fighting for attention really quickly again. Ethan LOVES to go to the cabin property with my parents. There are fish galore, moose to find, and the rhino to ride in. Aiden loves it all too. And, I was happy to have them back, muddy faces, shirts, boots, and all.

If I were a good mom...

I would have remembered to charge our cameras the night before Easter. Yea, that was plural on the cameras. Video camera not charged. Still camera not charged. So, Camden will just have to take my word that he had a great first Easter. We hunted for eggs like never before. 6 different times to be exact. I have candy coming out of my ears, and I really don't need it all hanging around my house. I think I might be a favorite mom this week with friends because I am passing out the goods without a fight. The big boys had chocolate for breakfast on Easter morning. They were in heaven, and in some ways it was a good thing that we had Stake Conference that day. (No sugar buzz to fight off during sacrament meeting...) We were blessed and happy to be reminded of the real meaning of the day. Seriously, if I see one more plastic egg.......

Chase is Tres!

Happy birthday Aiden! I love you more than words. I'm so glad that you got to have a fun day with your dad and brother and you have officially entered the big boy club. I am so proud to be your mom and so proud of you. You sure keep me on my toes...but I wouldn't have it any other way. I know you will be doing a lot of growing up this next year...I pray that it goes slow. I'm not ready for you to grow up. You are special...and thanks for making me special.

Love, Mom

Comfy Cam???

Yes, I realize that my baby is taking a nap somewhat naked. It was a busy morning around here...he got tired...didn't want to fight him...naked nap. I love how he fell asleep trying to pull himself up to the crib, but couldn't make it work so he sat down and fell asleep. Anyway, he is thinking that he is quite the big kid around here. My least favorite stage is right around the corner. Pulling himself up to everything. This kid is the early bird around here, and successfully got us to drop his mattress all the way down before he was a year old. That is a first in this family. And with that least favorite stage comes the even more dreaded walking stage. I get so nervous when they start to move and often wonder when the stitches are coming.

On another note, I learned today that time for myself still isn't everyone else's priority. I bought this stuff yesterday at the grocery store purely because it smelled awesome. I was giddy for my shower this morning, but that was cut short when I got out. Aiden (being the self sufficient kid that he is) decided that he needed a drink, got a cup out of the dishwasher, and proceeded to get a drink from the water dispenser in the fridge door. However, he didn't know when to make the water stop coming and decided to create a few puddles that stretched clear out to the carpet. I had a good laugh, he had a GREAT time, and I made a note to myself: induldge in yummy smelly stuff when he's sleeping early in the morning....

Hittin' the slopes with Dad!

Last Saturday, Scott and E joined the regular ski bums of the family for a day of learning. They had a great time, and I am so glad they got to go. E was so happy all week long, especially for the time he got to spend with his dad. He kept reminding me that in "___ sleeps I get to go skiing with Dad. It's gonna be so awesome!" Oh to be a kid again!

Can't quite figure out why my pictures are backwards...I've tried to put them in order, but I am sure you still get the same effect. There were crashes...

Lessons with the uncles...

Riding like a big kid...(does anyone else think he looks too big here? Why can't they stop growing!)

Good times with dad...

Good times with uncles...

successful trips down the hills...

and lots of "pizzas".

Good times with his cousins!
Again, with the looking big thing...seriously!

I have a great video of E doing what he loved the most...but I can't get it to upload. His uncle Corky took him in the terrain park and lifted him over the bumps (totally not a skiier, can you tell? I don't know what they were called.) so he felt like he was jumping too. He kept getting mad at Scott for telling him to slow down, "but Dad, I want to go faster!!" We knew that A was an adrenaline junkie, and now I am thinking E is as well. I guess I need to dust off the 1991 skiis down in the basement, gotta see my boys in action!

One for the record...

So, when we signed up for unemployment, the option was given to us to get a debit card account to have the money deposited into that we were eligible for. For some dumb reason (because it has been a pain in the butt) we thought that would be easier to keep track of our spending...ya, dumb. Anyway, when we were feeling down about our situation, we joked about this card being our "food stamps". I cannot express how much of a joke that is/was, and now I want to explain why we never should have called the card that.

Today, we went to Sam's club and the boys wanted pizza. I'm all about a $2 meal that I know they will eat, so I caved. As we were waiting in line, I had the card in my hand and E happened to see it. As loud as he could ( or it felt really loud) he asked me if that "was our food stamp card?" Yea, one for the record and a great lesson learned!