Little Squeak

I really didn't intend for 3 months to pass. But it happened. Life happens in months now, not weeks. Not days, not hrs or even minutes. Our new little one is growing faster than I am happy with. She's added a new level of hectic. I'm not sure if it is her, or the fact that it is summer and all kids are home, or maybe it is the fact that the twins have decided they want to be naked. So we need to either tape them into diapers, or potty train. The potty training isn;'t going very well. Or maybe it's the fact that Trent gave me his camp and work away from home dates and I have 3 whole weeks with no husband. I was feeling very overwhelmed. Or maybe it'sthe fact that I have 3 huge family things I  am hosting this summer. Or maybe it's the fact that on top of all of that, the money Eva used to qualify for through SSI has been cut down 90%. Anyway, it's been kind of a depressing go around. On the brighter side. Look at that smile. I love this new little Squeak. The other day, it was particilarly loud here and the baby couldn't fall and stay asleep in the swing she slept it. My room doesn't work because I run and that would wake her up, the twins room wouldn't work because they were still were taking naps in there. Which they have since given up. And the other rooms are down stairs so I couldn't hear her if she cried. I picked her up and looked around thinking, where am I going to put this baby. My solution? She now has her very own closet. She has a nice comfy quiet hall closet. She is back to taking 3 hr long naps and sleeping 7 hrs at night.

I Don't Mind the Wait

There are no pictures. I don't have a cord to put the pictures from my camera to my computer. I can figure out how to put the pictures from my phone to my computer. Well, I probably could. But I don't want to. I am feeling like a slug lately. Doesn't everyone at 37 weeks?What is this nesting thing I have heard about?Well, I nested before. With baby number 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and even a little with the twins. This time, it is all I can do to keep things cleaned up behind 5 6 7 and 8. Funny thing is, I am usually dying to have a baby by this time. I have no desire to bring a baby home right now.
1, little kids are sick. EVERYONE is sick at church, and if everyone is sick there, schools are filled with sickness. No thank you. I know 3 families who have had shildren hospitalized with RSV in the past week.
2. I don't want to wash stuff. I still don't have baby clothes or a car seat out.
3. having a baby here, is a little scary. Most likely we will have bili lights, and daily bili checks. We've had reflux more than our fair share of times. And with reflux, comes colic.
4. There is a good chance we will also have orthopedics appts along with everything else. US #1 tech said yes club foot, dr said no. US #2 tech said yes club feet dr said no. US #3, yesterday tech said yes club foot, dr said no. And we still haven't gotten a look at her face. What about her cleft? There is too many unknowns. On the plus side, her heart looks perfect.

There are a few reasons I am excited. I LOVE having a baby. Heck, you'd think so, I have almost 9 of them. I am excited to meet her. I have also been doing pretty well on my GD diet. She measured 7 lbs 4 oz yesterday. And is finally sitting in the right position, head down facing back. Now, stay.
I found out my midwife has a due date almost a full week past where I think I am and where my LMP puts me. And almost a full week past where this last US put the baby.  Since she won't induce me until 39 weeks, (which puts me at 40 weeks) I will most likely be having this baby on my own. Which I haven't done since #1. I am a little nervous, my labors are quick. But I am GBS negative, so I won't need antibiotics. I feel a little better about just showing up in time to deliver. Trent wants to schedule this. I don't blame him. Knowing is nice. It's easier. And it doesn't require waking any one up in the middle of the night to watch 8 other kids. I would rather not be hooked up to anything this time around. My midwife has agreed to break my water if it comes to an induction. They usually don't want a mom with 'advanced maternal age' and diabetes to go past 39 weeks.
Maybe we'll get lucky and labor ill start on it's own at 38 weeks. I guess no one knows. It truly is one of those things you can't rush or predict. Though heaven knows I have tried.

Hey, found a picture. She is her father's daughter.

This Dream

I keep having this dream. It happens every few weeks. The idea and setting are the same, the only thing that is different is place the plane crashes. I am always at home with my whole family here, and I am looking out my back window. I am watching this airplane come towards my house and I am thinking "what do I do, there is nothing I can do". So I just stand there. At the last second it veers east and hits the grocery store parking lot. My house gets pummeled with burning debris and I have a few minutes to run frantically locating everyone, and getting everyone out of the house. This time I looked out of the babies window, and there were already truck backed into my yard picking up the debris. One of the men on this crew looked at me and asked me if I was going to go put that fire out because their job was clean up, not fire fighting, so they couldn't clean it up until it wasn't on fire. I ask him if it was a gas tank and wasn't it going to explode, and he replied 'well, you better hurry then'. The whole time I am assessing damage to see if we could still live in the house, because I am not moving back in with my parents. (that whole part is a little comical to me. My house would have to be hit be an airplane to have to move in with family. Of any sort)
My kids always end up okay, even though the babies room has been hit in a few dreams. Sometimes I am able to get my kids together as the plane is crashing, and we get into the basement. (that must be my safe place because that's were we hold up in case of a zombie apocalypse  too.)
Last night, my final thought as I was waking up....... maybe I can get a new house out of this. Maybe these dreams are about still not having the main parts of my house finished, and just wanting to get out of it. A little extreme? maybe.

This are going pretty normally around here. If you haven't heard yet, we are having a girl in march. I am tired and my joints are stiff. But, I am old. And tired. And pregnant.
My in laws sold there house of 30 + years. Kind of huge.
We just go on from day to day. Nothing too exciting. Which is prefect. Our ward split a few months ago. Which caused me to be released from RS President, and Trent called as YM's president in our new ward. I kind of miss it. I liked having something important to do. Well, important out side of the house. And then, I don't miss it.
Trent is registered to start school in January, which I am so excited about. It's time.

Doritos

I hate them. They are on that list of foods, only kids will eat. Like Twinkies, Cheetos, marshmallows, any sugar cereal, hotdogs, fast food, suckers, Sweethearts, Necco wafers, fruit snacks. Okay, in a pinch, these things can be consumed by adults, oh I just remembered Velveeta, but not enjoyed. Or, on a trip, as in car food. Why do I even bring this up? My kids are on a Doritos kick. And, I have to admit, I like those Chili Limon ones. What I don't like is what we used to refer to as Cheeto herpes. You know that orange stuff left behind on your hand after eating a few. The desert part of the childhood Cheeto consumption? As a parent, I  hate the stuff. It's on the wall, it's on the couches, it's on the shirts, because after the fingers are licked, they are then wiped down the front of the clothes, or if mom is watching, on the shorts. And, because they are into the chili limon flavor, it's bright red.

 I feel a little guilty giving out my blog address with so few posts in the past year.

 It's already mid June, summer is in full swing and we're as busy as ever. We have already taken the kids camping, the older three are in their school summer program and # 4 is begging to go back to school.

This first picture is from #7's bout with fifth's disease. How we got that in our home again, I will never know. Both babies got it this time, after avoiding it in January. It is not fun. But, I am glad they got it as babies. Trent had it in Feb. and it was rough on him.
This summer is looing like it will be a hot one. But oddly enough, I am not minding the heat this year. Anything over 80 to me is miserable. But this dry heat makes 90 not so bad..
Our babies have very different personalities. #8, is feisty, serious, and will not hesitate to push her brother around. Number 7, is a big bowl of smiles. Someone asiked me the other day if he was always smiling. Yes, he rarely cries and takes his sisters beating pretty well. They are completely opposite. Even in the food they like. I will put the same thing on their tray for dinner, and he'll eat the meat and potatoes, she'll eat the fruit and cottage cheese.
# 1 turns 12 on the 30th. for her birthday she wants us to take her to do baptisms . We are so excited she wants to start her 12th year this way, and wants us to take her. # 2 turns 11 2 days before that. He will be in his dad's scout group and gets to go camping as an 11 yr old scout on Friday.
We're gearing up for our week of birthdays, (#4 turns 7 July 1st) and my sister should be having her 1st baby with in the next week. I took all of them to the Dinosaur park last week, and even came home with everyone. # 8 is starting to stand, and taking a few steps. I am excited for this summer. I am excited for all the big things happening.

The Big One

My babies turned one.

Union, Teachers and Tenure, oh my

Let me first start out by saying I LOVE teachers. I think the job is one of the hardest. Not thankless. The satisfaction of teaching a child to read, improve reading skill, would be the greatest thank you. And as I am typing this, I am leaving an open ended invitation to add your 2 cents worth. Nicely please, because don't have ill intentions.
What is the reason for a teahers union. Well, the question is for any union, but my mind had been on teachers unions lately. I 100% agree will the movement to get rid of teachers unions and tenure. Why can we not higher or fire a teacher and pay a teacher according to their merit, experience and successes. Mostly I pose this question to the good teachers out there. You know who you are. Most likely, you are the ones that LOVE your job and our kids that you teach. Wouldn't it be better incentive to do a great job, if your raises depended on it.
My oldest has had her share of crummy teachers. As a matter of fact, she had one teacher that didn't even know her name at the 1st SEP 3 months in to the school year. She was a whole grade behind in 2,3 and 4th grade, until we got her a tutor in 5th.Every teacher would say, don't worry, she'll catch up.
My 3rd, couldn't speak intelligibly until this year, and the first time any of his teachers mentioned anything was 2nd grade. Then she asked if she wanted her to initiate a speech eval, and I never heard about it again after she agreed to do it. This was after I took him in to be tested at 4 through the school district, and they told me he wasn't delayed enough qualify for speech therapy.
Anyway, enough about my kids school experience. They are now in a local charter school, and I am thrilled with where they are. #1 is thriving. She is completely caught up, and loves school. They even deal with #2's free spirit pretty well. They are in a group with 10 other kids, so they are better able to customize learning to where they are at.
So, back on topic. I read the other day, the superintendent in NJ schools, when fired, was given a 741,000$ severance package. On top of 120k a year to retire. And that was someone let go.
In this same state. Spending in a class room was 341k for the year. the teachers only made 57k of that. The rest of it went to administration, and school lunches. The janitors are making 6 figures. I don't have statistics on UT schools, but I will look those up also.
Wouldn't it make more sense to cut administration, and give their salary to teachers that were good, no great at their job? Or hire more and cut class sizes?
Why not? tenor. and Unions. My husband isn't entitled to his job. If he sucks at it, he would get fired. It's the way life works.
I could go into why these two things are connected. but do I need to? can you not see the unions fighting for and voting on job security like tenure.
Unions in America were first started for good reason. Child labor, dangerous work environment. Those things are not necessary anymore.
I am betting that if we cut administration, paid teachers on according to their abilities, the ones that loved their jobs would be making 6 figures. I would be happy with that.
Is my view flawed? What do you think? Do you take my thoughts on school reform as criticizing teachers? I think it's opposite. I think good teaches ought to be rewarded. I think crappy teachers should loose their jobs. They do damage to the kids they are teaching. They should not be given an early retirement .(which was the argument I over heard at a dinner the other night. Because as it was stated, by a teacher, that was the only way to get rid of them. How backwards is that)
Please tell me what you think.