New Skills

For Activity Days, we are supposed to learn a new talent or do something with our AD age daughter for their mother daughter activity next Saturday. So, we made jam. We did a batch of raspberry jelly and strawberry jelly, then a batch of strawberry freezer jam. It is very hard to teach someone how to make jam when their main objective is to eat fruit. But we did it, and she learn the 'why' of the process along with the 'how'. These are some of the thing to pass down to my kids. Sons included. Trent can bottle as well as I can. He did some really good salsa in the pressure cooker a few years back.

Free Recipe Friday

Banana Bread.
1/4 cup creamed butter
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt.
Add all ingredients makes one loaf. 350, 40 minutes....I added raspberries to mine and it was wonderful. Of course you could be boring and add chocolate chips or nuts..... JK, fresh cranberries are also a nice treat. Here is the skirt I just made 5 of 5. I had a neighbor come over and show me how to do button holes and I told her I wanted to make one of those skirts that was a circle when you spun, out of this remnant material I had. She told me that you just fold the material in 4's then cut out the waist even out the bottom, hem and put elastic or a waist and zipper in it. I tried it... and it worked, and it is so cute.

Here are the kids in there Easter clothes. Next year I hope to know how to sew a little better, and make their dresses.

The Apple Tree

I had one of those rare light bulb moments. I was on the treadmill this morning, I still do this because it gives me time to read. I end up reading the Ensign, 1 because I like to, 2 because I'm not in the middle of anything else, and 3, because I obviously need to. Al thought, at the end of this 30 minute run, that is quickly slowing to a walk, I inevitably have a mess to clean up thanks to my 2 tornado's. To me, it's worth it.
I have been trying to figure out how to make my home a peaceful calm sanctuary, and help my children think of others, and also desire to do well in school. I came across this article. I have to have action with my desires. I can want all I want, but that will get me, well as far as I've gotten.

There is a world cry for peace; everybody wants peace. In newspapers, magazines, books, [and] from the public platform come cries for peace. As far back as I can remember, there has never been such a worldwide appeal for peace among the children of men. …
It is a curious commentary on human nature that men who cry for peace look upon peace as something that may be picked as an apple from a tree, something that lies about within easy reach of humanity. If I pick an apple from a tree, I have first planted the tree, cared for it, watered it, brought it to maturity. Then in due time I may have the fruit.
So with peace. It is not a thing by itself to be picked up casually; but it is the fruit of something precedent. Like the tree, something must be planted and nourished and cared for if we are to obtain peace

Ghost Town Hunting

Here are some pictures from our Ghost Town outing. It was so much fun, the 12 hrs went by like, well, the last 3 were hard because 5 of 5 was done. But 4 of 5 let us know when she had to 'go' and we had snacks with us, and we got out every 30 minutes or so. There are tons of things to see, just in the Tooele valley, so it could be a quick 1 day journey. We ended up out by Helper and Price, and up Spring Canyon. Then out by Scofield. Our last stop was in Silver City just off the 6 before the 36. I think our next trip will be in July, when we want to go do some MT ghost towns. I've heard they are less picked through.....

Good Taste

Has good taste plunged into the toilet? Why do I ask, you ask?
I'm driving down the road this morning, and I'm flipping through the radio station (I know, why bother, just stick to your talk radio. Although Rush has really been an irritant lately, he seems to only be out to stir the pot) So, back to flipping through stations..... and I come across this song..... and it says almost to quote, "hush girl, something something something, do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips." Okay, is it me? or is that offensive. The other one that got me, was the one called cherry Chap stick, or something along those lines and goes on and on about a girl who is at a club and kisses a girl and thinks she likes it. See here's my problem. I'm a firm believer that the music out kids are listening to, it a reflection of who they are and what they are doing and what that generation is up to. That thought makes me sad when I hear what they are listening to. Used to be, back when I was a kid, to get music like that, you had to buy a CD, and have your parents do it because of it's content. Now it's blaring on radio stations for any and all to hear.
Okay, so now that I feel totally old because I'm complaining about those dang kids and their rock n roll......
I'm sorry but I have a problem with it. I have heard good music on this certain station, and there are stations with good modern music out there. So it isn't all bad. But if it's this much worse in the 15 years since I was a kid/teen. What is it going to be like in 5 years when I have teenagers. What will it be like when I have grand kids? I shudder to think.

The Miracle of down Syndrome

SO maybe I can't go as far as "miracle" Or maybe I can. After hearing this on the news this evening, a mean part of me came out. I wanted to find all of the people on babycenter.com that frequent the birth board I read, who got a positive DS screen and were going to terminate their pregnancy and tell them sham on you. I mean, I always said something when I heard people make statements like that. But telling them it will be okay, and it was going to bring you joy in the long run, I'm sure fell on deaf ears. I am grateful scientists have found something tangible to use, for the greater good, from DS. I don't know how this will play out. Maybe Down Syndrome will cure cancer. I don't think that is a far stretch. Could you imagine if all those who considered or did terminate because of a 'maybe'. There is already a 90 +% termination rate. We need DS, We need to be more accepting of what and who our Heavenly Father sees that we need. And I wish there was more I could do to help people see that. I hope this new information will bless the lives of millions waiting for a cure, a miracle.


http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=6576119

Favorite Things Friday

This is one of my favorite things. I love when I get up in the morning and go downstairs to get the kids up and am met with this smell. When Trent uses this it makes the whole basement smell good. Comfort. Or like when you go outside on a hot afternoon and someone is drying their laundry and has used a good fabric softener. It just smells good.

Cosmetic Surgery

I don't think she was 'hungry' But I think this was fun for her. I just put the curtains that I made up. It made a HUGE difference. It actually made a room that looked dissected, into a room that flowed a little better. This is by no means a finished project. Just a band aid on the problem. When we're done for the summer in the yard, we'll come in and do a full blown face lift. Carpet, paint, and patching the termite damage upstair. It wasn't too extensive in this part of the house.

Excuse the mess, but 5 kids+tired mom= messy.

Now all I need is to get the pictures I took off the wall we tore down, put back up.

Last Days

Smore night. This is a nice reward for a house clean up. Where the 2 youngest hung out all day. Until 5 of 5 climbed on top of the piano, and knocked the lamp off. I guess we'll have to move the bench all the way under. 5 of 5 is learning to climb. On EVERYTHING.

4 of 5's first day of school.

4 of 5's last day of school.

In the Yard.

We have gotten a good jump on the yard this year. Garden in, grass started, (our goal is to have a little yard for the kids to play on since I promised the 2 oldest a birthday party this year, and I want to do it outside) Our first poppy. We have sprayed weed killer on most of them because last year our yard looked like this (see below) They were planted in flower beds..... they did not stay in flower beds.

I thought it was comical when Trent told me how many plants he put in the ground. I thought he knew we were having a baby in September and was just trying to scare me. Here is a portion of the 20 pepper plants he put in.

Here are the 55 tomato plants 4 rows of corn 4 rows of beans 2 rows of beets, 1 carrot, and 2 rows of squash, 1 row of melon, 1 row of pumpkin. 1 row doesn't sound like a lot, but when your talking about 20 ft rows.....

On top of that, this is what our apple tree looks like. Can you see the little apples forming there? That is a what you call the cash crop. The whole tree looks like that. Luckily our pear tree is having an off year, and our apricot tree is getting ready to die. I guess luckily is the wrong word, the apricots would be ready in about 6 weeks. We replaced the cherry tree that died 2 years ago, put in 2 peach trees and another apple. SO we have a good 5 years before they give up more than just enough to eat.

I hope Trent is planning on helping put up bottles. I enjoy doing tomatoes, but come July when they start, I am going to be getting pretty big.

Favorite Things Friday

Welcome to a new segment I am going to call Favorite Things Friday. I am going to alternate between Free Recipe and this one, I was running out or recipes I wanted to post, and could remember the ones I had posted.
So here is something I have just discovered. The dough enhancer. I love to make bread. I don't make white bread, I don't buy white bread. Until my kids were 6-7 they didn't even know the stuff existed. They get white bread other places, which has turned them against the wheat bread. I also didn't make very good wheat bread. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. It was too heavy, and too dense, and it hardened really quick. I thought I wasn't using the right kind of wheat or something, or maybe I needed to use white flour with the wheat flour. But I didn't want to ruin wheat bread with white flour. Or maybe it was because I was mixing it by hand, because my mixer busted, and I didn't have 300$ to spend on a kitchen appliance. There had to be a trick to making bread, and I wasn't in on the secret. I went to a bread making class at enrichment the other night, where my friend making the bread, used this (see above picture). Maybe I didn't know about this because no recipe I have ever tried has mentioned it, and you can't find it at the Smiths or Albertsons..... I looked. I'm not sure why, but it worked. my bread was good. Not too heavy. stayed moist and soft after sitting over night.
This is why dough enhancer has become one of my favorite things......

Haste

In my quickness to point out what has not gone right in my world, I have neglected to point out all the good things that have happened.
Starting in the morning, we are on day 2 of 4 of 5 waking up dry. Trent has been getting her up when he gets up and taking her potty, and thankfully, she wants to go back to bed. It also helps that we have had late nights putting in the garden. It's odd, but if she goes to bed after 9, she is dry in the morning, before 8:30, she's soaked. That whole week in Moab, dry, bed time was always near 10. She has also mastered the potty. She doesn't even tell us when she has to go anymore. Although since I have to know what she is doing at all times, I know when she goes, so I can help finish up. I'd still rather she not wipe herself. And she doesn't use the stool anymore, which has aided in her no longer needing aid.

Next I get the kids up, they get themselves fed, then feed the appropriate designated animal. On days like today, I drive the carpool, drop them off then come home and tell 4 of 5 she needs shoes, which she does herself, after asking me, "this foot?" and gets her back pack. Then I put her on the bus, and 5 of 5 gets "ready "too. She will go and get a jacket and some clothes out of the closet and lay down. She has also defeated the toilet seat. It is no longer sufficient to just put the seat down, we now have to keep the door closed. Luckily 4 of 5 out grew that, although if you don't keep the toothbrushes hidden, she will attempt to clean the toilet with one. You have to be really careful when it comes to what you can let 4 of 5 see you do. And, if you come home and your toothbrush is missing, or on the floor, just throw it away. Be on the safe side, err on the side of caution.....

Dollar store is out favorite place, we have a stock pile of toothbrushes from there in the basement.

I will usually get some tedious chores done, straighten up from the rush out the door, post a blog, because this is the time when 5 of 5 is content. She will go play with some toys, or pull Tupperware out. Then she gets a bit whiny, and I put her in bed for 30 minutes for quiet time. She really likes her time away, and will just lay in bed for a bit, then yell to get out when she's done. This ritual starts earlier when 4 of 5 doesn't go to school. She needs to 'get away' quicker on these morning. The whining and crying is pretty immediate on those mornings. Part of it is because she knows to scream if she doesn't want any part of 4 of 5.

3 of 5 comes home at 11:30, and immediately let's me know he is SSSTTAARRVVIINNGG. I wish I could say he then does his homework, but I choose to fight him later in the day. He eats, then plays. He spent the last 2 evening helping his dad put in the garden. He was the only one of the kids who was excited, AND helpful. So on Monday night, the when the kids were supposed to be out helping and they came in, I told them to go get ready for bed, they said what about 3 of 5? and I told them, he gets to stay up because he is helping his dad. "well I want to go help too" they sure didn't want to 10 minutes ago. So, they went down, he stayed up.

As we are winding the school year, I have made a few big decisions. Next year, I am putting 1 of 5 on a different track. She's on D, which is the track for kids a bit ahead. She is really having a hard time, keeping up. I am now having to fight with her to get caught up, and the constantly fighting about "I can't do it". I'm done fighting. I can't force her, I've tried bribing her, I've tried taking things away. I'm not fighting next year. This has been a major chunk of my stress these past few weeks. I got a packet of 'make-up' work for her, to get her grades up before the end of the year. It has been a battle. We told her she could go with 2 of 5 and dad to Lagoon this summer if all of her grades come up one level. He earned his trip by reading 4 books while off track. I am trying to help her so she can go too. GMA has agreed to tutor her this summer to get her caught up, but if it doesn't happen, the boys will be the only one on D track. Hopefully that will cut down on the tear filled, contentious, homework sessions, that seem to get everyone down. I don't really know what else to do. I have done all I know how. This decision in it self has made me feel better. Kids and school is stressful. You worry about their grades, the other kids they are hanging out with, if they're safe walking home from school.... Then they get home, and they start homework, just in time to start dinner, and Trent coming home on top of that, it's chaos.

And last.... Out last patch of grass is coming up. With a few surprises. We ended up with lots of sunflowers, and a few of some kind of squash......

Spooner

She wanted yogurt. That is a tedious task for me. I like to get my kids eating table foods as soon as possible, because there is not much time at meal time to spoon feed a baby. And I like them having meals with us, as soon as they can sit in a high chair.

SO I handed her a spoon and the yogurt, stripped her down to a onesie, and let her have at it.

She did really well until she was full and decided to experiment with what her hand could do with the yogurt. Nothing a hose can't take care of, right?

How Was Your Day?

I love Mothers Day. Although this Mother's Day, I spent the day feeling inadequate. Saturday was a much better day. Trent got me an 18 qt stock pot for a gift. I have 2 now, so I can do double the apples and tomatoes. I got a few homemade cards, which always makes the day better. Although one of my children didn't make me a card, instead opting to make their uncle something, which surprisingly hurt. Things like that don't usually bother me. chalk it up to the extra hormones. We went to dinner at my sister in laws house, where I got 5 of 5 out of the toilet a few times, and 4 of 5 smashed her face and got a fat bloody lip on the trampoline. All the while watching my sister in law taking care of her new 6 weeks old, and I'm thinking, there is no way I can do this. I don't even know if I want to, and I can tell you how unexcited I am at the prospect of adding sleeplessness on top of the mess. I know the closer I get, the more excited and ready I will be. right now it just seems overwhelming. I miss the days of 3 kids, no where to go, and in an apartment I could clean top to bottom in 30 minutes. Although, I remember being overwhelmed with diapers and tears and no sleep then too, thinking, I can't do this, and will this ever get better. I didn't think that once out of that stage I would feel that way again. I guess we are all put back in our place, when we start feeling like we can handle things.
I guess I didn't mean to make this a downer post. I am truly grateful for MY trials. I know I could not handle anyone elses. And I know I don't have to handle mine on my own. I have an amazing husband, also, who I know loves me. I am grateful for the time he is able and wants to spend with his kids. I have kids who will help out when asked, even if I have to ask 6 times and it would be easier to just do it myself. And a Heavenly Father that knows what I can and can't do, and hasn't given me anything I can't handle, and endure, and come out better for living through. I am grateful that I have kids that drive me crazy and destroy the house, how bored I would be with out them. I hope I live up to the task I have been given, to raise them to be compassionate, and thoughtful, and productive. I know I am a long way from knowing the answers, and how to accomplish what I need to do, luckily, I don't have to be perfect, I just have to be willing. Then be humble enough to ask for help when I fall.

Oh What Mess We're In

Look what the rain did. It's a mess, up to the knees. Left unattended, this will get bigger, dry out, and burn really easily. (I worry, Trent REALLY likes fireworks) Thistles, creeper vines, dandelions, poppies, others. my peas are in the less tall patch. Trent went out and sprayed the weeds yesterday, so I can mow, then he can till, so we can plant our squash and melons over here.

Luckily, if that doesn't go as planned, (he's planning on insulating the attic this weekend, but I am planning on things taking longer than planned. As it is, I can't get out there until the kids go to bed. Last time I tried to do yard work when the kids were awake, 4 of 5 smashed eggs on the patio so 5 of 5 could play in them. Then I sent them inside so I could clean up and finish mowing and decided to go check on them before I started the mower and discovered 5 of 5 unfolding the 3 loads of laundry I had folded earlier that day. You'd think having older kids would help. Don't ever think that) We have this space to plant in. This was going to be only tomatoes, beans, and corn. Maybe a few odds and ends like lettuce, beets, chard, and carrots. But, If the other spot doesn't work out, we won't be with out. Eventually our "garden" will be the back yard and we will plant grass in the front, and we'll move the garden to the back where the squash is going.

We have managed to get some grass in this year. This has taken about 2 years longer than we wanted. Between pregnancy and babies, nothing has happened as quick as we'd have liked. Oh well, we have 50 years right?

Here is some of the grass we planted.....

What Word Do You Dislike

SO I was thinking about this today, what words were you not aloud to say when you were a kid (besides the swear words, we'll keep this clean) What words do you not let your kids say. What words bother you when you hear them. I'm talking about the acceptable ones, the clean ones, that most people would think you were weird for not liking.

Here's my list-

I don't like the word 'hate' It is such a strong word. You can dislike something or someone, but could you imagine how yucky that would feel to 'hate' someone?

Bump. As in baby bump. I do not have a baby bump, I have a baby, it is a real live, living being. It is a baby, not a bump.

Stupid. We don't use this word in our house. It's not nice. It is like the word 'butt' when I was growing up. We weren't allowed to say it.

Shut Up. Another word that has better alternatives. Be quiet, hush...... Pick something else. I am guilty of using this once or twice. And I know that if I feel bad after using it, I shouldn't.

Last thing. Door slamming bothers me. There is no reason to slam a door. I know you are mad, I don't need a door slammed for dramatic effect. 4 of 5 is really into the door slamming. We have this door in the basement that she likes to slam, just for fun, and it is so loud the hole house shakes. I can handle it about 3 times before I get mad. My dad used to make us open and close the door 10 times quietly if we slammed a door. Some how I don't think it would work on her. It didn't even get us not to do it.

Something New

On Saturday Trent wanted to go to the store to get stuff for tomato relish because he wanted fish tacos for dinner. It was pouring and the stroller was wet, and since he agreed to take 5 of 5, and didn't want to wrap her in a blanket, he put her in the smallest snow suit we own. Now, to me, this isn't odd. I wonder what other people thought when they looked at her. This is my latest project. I got my machine up and running, and have been relearning how to follow a pattern. I made a top, it looked like crud. I remade it and it turned out pretty well. I made one for 5 and 4 of 5. It was hard for me since I didn't know how to do pleats, and the skirt that matched for 1 of 5 had gathers and a zipper. Which I did finally figure out gathers after a call to my sister in law. And zippers after putting it in and pulling it out 7 times. One important thing I learned...... it matters what color thread and zipper you use. Who knew.

This is 4 of 5 wearing the first attempt at a top. I couldn't get her to take it off. Did I mention how much she LOVES new clothes? They wore the finished product to church yesterday, (with a white shirt underneath. When 2 of 5 saw her wearing this on Saturday he said "mom, that doesn't have sleeves". I know, I can't do sleeves yet. So for now, they wear shirts underneath)

And after getting 3 of the 5 out the door, and 1 more in about 15 minutes, I have a laundry list of things to do today. Including laundry.

I guess It's Time

I'm ready, ready for the kids to go back to school. Is that wrong? I mean, it's been 4 weeks. I'm sitting here listening to 4 of 5 moan and whine. 3 of 5 kicked her in the mouth, split her lip and she's whined even since. They are ready to go back too. I told them today was going to be movie day. Is that wrong? I have been going and doing with them all break long. The straw that broke the camels back.... Wal Mart this morning. I needed some elastic for something I'm making for the girls, it's the closest place to get that, and yes, that is my LAST resort. When Smiths was Albertsons, they had it, they also had thread, yarn and other odds and ends you could pick up in a pinch. And sometimes the $ store even has it. Not this time Anyway,they were horrible, touching pushing, looking at each other. You know how bothersome that can be.
I wanted to wait to clean my house until the kids went back, so it would stay clean for an hour or so. But I just couldn't let my self wait that long, so yesterday was productive. Trent even got the garden tilled, so we can plant seeds tomorrow. The chickens are in heaven when he tills. I don't know how he keeps getting that tiller to run. It's seized up 2X's it's poured gas out of it, and he keeps putting off getting a new motor, and gets it running again. I am so glad I have him. I think I may even break down and clean the floors. I can't walk across it barefoot any more with out getting crumbs stuck to the bottom of my feet. And I don't know about you, but that gives my the willeys.