Confessions of a mediocre mother take 3

I know that I've fallen behind on what I originally thought I would be doing, but I still want to write about it, if not all that often. I'm trying to come to terms with myself, and not live under that "mom/mormon" thinking of everything within my control has to be perfect at all times and in all places. I can strive for perfection, but I can also be happy as long as I'm trying. To be honest, this isn't my sink. I think only under gunpoint would I let any of you in my home when it(and it definately has) looks like this.

I am happy to say that I have made genuine improvement on my floors. I no longer dread sweeping up crumbs, even though I still don't enjoy doing it. Are there chores out there that people actually look forward to doing? Are you human if you do? Or am I really the abnormal one out there?

Onto the topic at hand: duh, duh, duh (evil music inside my head) the dishes. I actually love cooking, well baking anyway. I think I would do it a whole lot more, if it weren't for the fact that I know I have to clean up my own house. I watch cooking shows with two emotions going through my mind. Jealousy and disgust. Is disgust really the right word I'm going for? Not sure, but it is sort of like watching things like "Meet the Parents" where all I can say is "Stop it! You are making a mess! Just sit on your hands, for crying out loud!" That is how I feel watching Paula Deen make her delectable dishes. Do you really need to dirty a measuring cup, to then put the ingredient in a bowl, just to be then put into another bowl? It just seems silly. I go through my meals trying to decide how to cut out that middle man or bowl. Mashed potatoes are never moved from the pot (and yes that pot is screaming for mercy every time the hand mixer comes out), and who needs to measure? Eyeballing it is so underrated.

The jealousy comes when I realize me telling Paula Deen to cut out her extra cups, is ridiculous not only because she's on the television screen, but because she has a whole crew to do her prep, and clean up. If only I had someone to come clean up my messes. I would make them all day long, and wouldn't stress over whether my children wanting to put apple slices in a bowl. I would probably let Lily where bowls as hats, and not go throught that battle of whether or not it is really "dirty".

My real confession comes at when I do my dishes. I would love to say that if ever there is a dirty dish, I immediatly put it into the dishwasher. I too often fall into the "I will just do it in the morning". There isn't good t.v. in the morning anyway, whereas after dinner, there is always something that I can waste my time watching. Dora is always a show that I don't regret missing, on occasion. And lets be honest, I'm waiting for Neil to do it.

Halloween

Lily has just come out of her shell and decided she likes taking pictures. I have a whole list of them that I can't decide which I like best. She is absolutely a delight to be around these days. I'm looking forward to holidays, just so I can share my kids and let others see how sweet they are. Who cares about the pizza on her face! She's cute!

With a little coaxing from Neil, we have the "Fairy of Death"! My dear sweet, affectionate Isabel is modeling her scary fairy attire.

Abby was a fairy witch. Actually I really don't know what to call their costumes, I just wanted to make these cute tutus, and we turned them into whatever.

Can you guess?

Kudos to Neil for taking care of girls and carving all pumpkins, while trying to work from home to finish a deadline. All I can really take credit for is gutting the pumpkins (with help), picking some patterns, and creating a really deformed eye. Each pumpkin has a character attached to it, can anyone guess which ones? We had to finish all of our Halloween party rituals last night, because Neil is heading out to AZ this week and taking Isabel with him. The rest of us will be celebrating Halloween by ourselves. Cookies has to be my favorite part of any holiday and everyone else is so nice to humor me and decorate along with me. One day I'll figure out how to make good sugar cookie frosting. Happy Halloween, everyone!

In response

What a lovely conference weekend we had, right? And what would conference be without some group trying to demine and spin everything our authorities have to say? It happens everytime, and yet the church hasn't come out with any new doctrine. We seem to get the same lessons every six months.
I've been reading a lot of comments that are directed toward President Packers talk, which seem to me have been taken entirely the wrong way. Yes, he did say that acts of homosexuality are immoral and unnatural. Again I ask, anything new? Not really. But on the other hand, I did listen to his talk and while they may have been a little harsh, these words are taken out of context. If only the people angry over his remarks had listened to the entire talk and realized what love and hope eminated from it. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but I'm getting angry over something I have zero control over, so I must voice my opinion. Isn't that the beauty of blogs? Say whatever I want, and not get judged for it. You can choose to skip over it (sometimes how I deal with Neil's political rants), or take it for what it is.
I love the argument that God made us like this so we must accept it. This may be the gospel according to Maggie, but I do believe at least part of that is true. God did make us all unique and special, all with our individual talents, along with our flaws and trials. We all know that no one among us is perfect, but what does that constitute? We make mistakes, surely. But we all have different things that cause us problems. I believe that people with homosexual tendencies really are affected, and it isn't by choice. I know too many good people to try to deny it. I believe that the apostles know this as well. There are good people out there who struggle, but I felt his talk was directed to them. Not to chastise them, but to tell them that there still is hope. God loves all his children, especially those struggling to make the right choice. And yes, I do believe family is the right choice. Where some might not think that homosexuality is a sin, but only something given to them, homosexuality does not bring on family. That is what is unnatural about it. Can anyone deny that the laws of nature can only be acheived between a man and a woman? Recently it seems the church has become more open with these types of tendencies and addictions. They are offering help wherever they can.
Every conference I listen to talks on love and acceptance. Why is one comment out of thousands made throughout the weekend, meant to outshine the others? Every 6 months they ask us to repent and do better each day, but I don't believe this is to tear us down and make us feel bad about ourselves. On the contrary, I believe is to uplift us, and help us to want to be better. "Better" is the only to way to truly be happy. I do know that my frustration also comes from the fact that I do know what makes me truly happy. It isn't giving in the whims that will make me temporarily happy, but it's my family. The gospel has given me hope to know that I can have my kids forever. Neil may drive me crazy at times, but it gives me joy to know that he is mine forever. We have been given such a marvelous gift, and I do feel sorry for those that choose not to use it. I don't intend for my comments to come off harsh, but sometimes they do. I haven't been given the gift of speech and use of words. I tend to be a little gruff, but what can I say? That is the way God made me :).
I know that all of the authorities and apostles especially know this. They know what brings on happiness, and the only way they can help those around them, is to ask them to be better. To seek help if needed, because it's there.
There you have it folks, my longwinded explanation for comments made. I know he doens't need my help, but I couldn't let my voice go unheard. If you have any thoughts on the matter, please share!

Oh what scissors can do!

We had quite an incident here yesterday. Most of you that read my post, already know that Isabel has already tried her hand at cutting hair. It made her mother so upset, I thought she had learned her lesson. Well, needless to say she did it again. (sigh) This time she went and hid in her friend's room and had so much fun with a pair of scissors. I will now attempt to tell the story the way I saw it as they came home to show off what they had done. In come three little girls, I go to see them at the door and notice that Isabel's hair has been chopped off. Of course, I gasp, and say "What happened?!?" A bit retorical, right? (By the way, if you want to see a cute "before" picture of these cute girls, please scroll down a few posts) They respond, "She did it, isn't it nice". "Doesn't it look good?" The two younger girls were so proud (until Isabel looked into the mirror) and happy of their accomplishment. My favorite response was when I asked the friend if their mother knew, she said "Yes, she said it was really cute!" Here is what "really cute" looks like:
Not sure if this next one is a yawn, or realizing how unhappy mom is about this.

But, here we have it, folks! A disaster turned into an okay moment. She didn't like it when she looked into the mirror at the salon, but we've found a way to make her adorable face match her adorable new haircut.

We've been trying out new bows and spikes all day. That is her favorite part; the spikes. Since she has really fine hair, the spikes, or gel, comes out easily, so we've been needing to reapply.
Thank you Sara and Kate for your beautiful bows and clips.

So my tearful moments have been subdued. As cute as this is, please don't let your little girls get the same idea! As well as this disaster has been averted, its not so much fun!

Not much to say, just pics

Neil turned 30!! Yes, he has the grey hairs to prove it!

This is his odd request for decorations. Abby said that we needed to have a pirate party for him, so Neil said he wanted Ninja's and Pirates on his cupcakes. This is just my lovely representation of one.

Lily is being such a helper in the kitchen. Okay, I try to do everything either when she's asleep or in her highchair. She is so entertaining! I could just sit and watch her for hours and laugh the whole time.

The moment you've all been waiting for....

Fancy Nancy has come and gone. Isabel is four, now what is the world to do? Here are a couple pics to share, and show you just how special she is. Today we had butterfly sandwiches on toothpics. Punch that came with mini umbrellas with straws. Fancy cupcakes (sorry, wasn't ready to take on the petit for just yet), which by the way were awesome. If you are ever looking for some yummy cupcakes, try out Martha Stewart. I've tried two of her recipes, and I followed ALL of her anal instructions, and they've turned out fantastic. We ended the show with homemade tiaras and a very fashionable, and fancy, fashion show. (A little redundant, I know. But it was great none the less)

Lots of pics for everyone to see

Lily playing peek-a-boo behind the curtains

Isabel's best friends are adults. ? Isabel loves her grandma's of course, but she gets very attached to a spare few people. She is very tentative and shy around other kids, that is why she needs Abby, but if an adult gives Isabel attention, she will be their best friend forever. Right Shauna, and Bob?

One of my Abby favorites from Leigh's wedding.

I thought this was too cute, and thought I should share. Love you, Hannah!

Congrats, Leigh. By the way, we need to talk. Texts are not good enough.

Neil declared this the winner

I know this is a duplicate for many, but just in case.

Do I not have the cutest babies ever?

I have loads of pictures of her crying and wanting to be done with this photoshoot, but this is the doll from Grandma Nina, which she loves.

Confessoin Number 2; The Floor

Sweeping the floor. How long can you last before sweeping your floor? I don't know if it is my children, or just children in general, but by the end of the day, I have so many crumbs and what-nots all over my floor. Hopefully, sweeping is done more than twice a week, but that is not always the case. I also go barefoot most of the time in my house, so I can feel all of the crumbs as they stick to the bottom of my feet. I have even gone over to the carpet to wipe them off, because for some strange reason, vacuuming is so much easier than sweeping. I think its because my vacuum doesn't miss half as many things while doing it's job. I have also put socks on my feet just to avoid the sticking food particles. I think the worst part about the floor is when something gets spilled. I'm sure most people's first reaction is to pull out the mop, but I always have to second guess, because before the mop has to come the broom. I absolutely cannot mop unless the floor has been previously swept. Pushing crumbs with a wet mop, just makes everything worse, because then I have to get down on hands and knees to scrub up any of the things that have become stuck to the floor. Alas, if I neglect to mop, and try to quick fix the problem, by wiping up the spill with a wet cloth, I still end up stepping on the stick. Not only do I step on it two or twenty times, I sometimes spread the stick by stepping on another area of the floor. So, here is a random question that I have often wondered, which stick is worse? Juice (or other sugary liquid), sugar with all those loose particles, or syrup? I don't think I have an answer, because they are all so awful to me, but if you all have one that seems to bother you more than another, I'd love to hear it!
Along with having a messy floor, I now have a curious toddler. Usually, she will walk on past any crumbs, unless they look too appetizing (yes, gross, I know), but when I'm sweeping, all the crumbs in one place is just too much to pass up. And unfortunately, I do not have the central vac that I would love, so I still sweep all my crumbs into a pile before scooping them up and into the trash. Lily loves to chase me and the broom waiting until I pause to swipe another little bit into the pile, before she tries her own swipe. Have you noticed how fast little hands are? So my other dilemma would be, do I just try to outswipe her, or do I put her in the highchair with some crackers so she can create more crumbs to be swept up.
This week, my new goal will be to have the floors swept before I go to bed. P.S. I don't like to sweep until my counters are all wiped down in case extra crumbs make it to the floor, because who likes to do a job twice?

Confessions of a Mediocre Mother

For the fun of it, I want to try something new. I'm finding myself getting more and more frustrated by my lack of patience, housekeeping skills, organization, procrastination, and the list goes on. I'm hoping that by blogging about my shortcomings, I will be more motivated to be better at all of these. I'd like to come off as joking, whereas the things I plan on blogging about are true, they are meant for laughter, and hopefully I won't feel so alone.
Confession number one....I would rather step over things numerous times than pick it up and put it where it belongs. I try to clean my shower at least once a week. Neil and I both shower about once a day. Today while cleaning, I decided it was probably time to throw away the three or four empty shampoo/conditioner/body wash bottles that were being pushed to the side. Yes, we stepped over them day after day. Yes, I've even moved them to the side to clean, but did not throw them away. This is why I am confessing. I'm sure most of you are not as horrible at these things as I am, but maybe you can find some comfort in knowing the things that go on in my home.
I think being honest with myself will help me to be better, however, please beware if you do come over, we may have toys on the floor, dishes in the sink, and fingerprints on the windows. On the other hand, even if I don't like to clean, I do love to bake. I keep telling myself that this point can make up for any of the things that don't happen.
So, this is my goal, to find a common friend to help in keeping up with the small things.

Lily's ONE!!!!

Even though I should be studying....I felt like blogging. It is a bit of a bittersweet day for me. My sweet baby is one, and I don't think I like it. In my mind she is still around six months old. Well, a six month old that can walk and run, and play and cause all sorts of problems. She is my most calm, cuddling, loving baby thus far. She has such a hold on everyone around her. So, whereas I'm happy to celebrate her birthday, I really don't want her to get any older. P.S. We're having cake tonight all by ourselves. Meaning that we will have a lot extra, so come on over!

Time for a change

Wow! What an amazing 2009! The year ended quite well, but quite busy. I'll start with the move, yes, the move, we finally made it to our house! Thanks mom, dad, and Pat and Robin for helping us out. It was hard being apart for so long, but now it is worth it. We are loving the house and neighborhood. Lots of snow, but the girls are loving it. I think they go sledding at least once a day. Twisted Sweeties was much busier than expected, and that was fun to see that I could actually pull it off, but not by myself, of course. I think next year could be really successful if we tried. So, if anyone wants a job next season, we may be able to help. Then came the holidays. They sure went by quickly, but at least it gives us something to look forward to next year. I know most of you have heard all about our rocking New Years Party, but here is just a recap of our pictures. Neil sliced his finger tip nearly off, so his are the beautiful stitches above. My mom had to finish up the gumbo that Neil started so we could head to urgent care to get it taken care of. It was yummy! After the new year, I decided it was finally time to get a decent night's sleep. We had to use the Ferber method on Lily, but it is starting to work out. She had to cry herself to sleep for the first couple days, but she doesn't cry as much anymore, which is much easier on me. We are now on day 3 of sleeping through the night. By the way, Lily is going to be one in two months! Yikes. Now onto me. After seeing all my pictures, I've decided it is way past time to lose a couple pounds. I need to post these things to make them more legit. You are all my witnesses, and can hold me accountable. My goal is ten, but twenty wouldn't hurt. I also have made it a goal to enroll in school and get my degree underway. Trying to go back has to be harder than finishing in the first place. Tomorrow I'm going in to take a placement test, and I'm probably more nervous than I should be. I think I'm fine with the english portions, but the math part scares me to death. It has been nine years since I've taken a math class, and it has always been more difficult for me. Some of it is slowly coming back to me, but Neil is being extremly patient with the rest. Thank you! If any of the rest of you want to help me with some polynomials, exponents, and logs, come on over. Anyway, this is longer than I planned, I just wanted to post my goals to make them more official. I hope all your holidays were grand!