8:15pm

I am angry.
I am done being a mom for the night.
I started a fast, forgot I started it and broke it like 10 minutes later.
Now I am going to make brownies.
I am not going to share.
Then I will restart my fast.

The End

ps, I lost a follower. I was probably going to fire them anyway.

How was your day?

Facts That I Wish Weren't Facts

1. We have 5 bottles of mayonnaise in our fridge right now. (2 are open)
2. I have a cook in training who needed 2 T of butter...4 times. This means instead of being short 1 stick of butter I have a pound of butter on the counter, still in their wrappers, each cube missing 2 T.  :| 
3. There was a slimy dish rag in my sink.  Same helpful cook/dishwasher from last night.
4. We have teeth marks in our cheese.
5. 'Someone' wrote their name in dust on the entertainment center. (They get sneaky in their old age.)
6. I have to start my 5k training over. Apparently waiting 6 weeks between runs makes it impossible for me to run my 3 minutes without dying.  I'll get there again and this time we hopefully won't leave town for a week and then get the flu.
7. My sewing mess may never be put away. (I'm actually okay with this one.)

I think that is all.

Quotes from my home to yours...

• My body is skin
• I  never put my toenails in my mouth.
• I'm going to say Merry Christmas or Trick or Treat.
• Howdy Fartner,
• Mom, you drive me crazy when you boss me!

• Never lick tables at a restaurant.
• No toys in the bathroom. 

This picture makes me laugh right out loud. I may hate cats but I LOVE pictures of wet cats. hahahah!!

An 8 year gap

I am number four of eight children. There is a nineteen year five month gap between number one and number eight. I have three sisters. One is eight years older than me, one is eight years younger than and one is five years older. [I have spelled out a lot of numbers!] Garen, number five also has about an eight years difference between  oldest and youngest brother but I don't have his perspective so I don't know how the age gap affected him.

This is how it has affected [or influenced] me.

Wendi is the best big sister you could ask for. Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he sent her first. She is patient, kind and understanding.

My very first 'road trip' [from Meridian, Idaho to Ontario, Oregon] without parents was with Wendi. She was fourteen, I was six. It was one of the best days of my life. We were gone until it was dark outside.

As a child she taught me my Articles of Faith, made sure I read my scriptures each night (at the expense of the binding on her scriptures,) took me places and simply cared. We had many talks in the evenings that brought comfort and made memories. She also fixed my hair before school clear through 2nd grade.

When I was in Kindergarten I shared a room with Heather and Wendi had her own room. I LOVED being in there. She kept it under lock and key but she gave me a key. I would go in her room when she wasn't home and sit on her bed and look around. It was exactly the kind of bedroom I wanted to have when I was bigger.

When I was in second grade Gina was born. She is 8 years younger. I was given the same opportunity Wendi was to be the best big sister to Gina that Wendi was to me. There was only one problem. [Or three.] I am not patient, kind or understanding.

I secretly took pride in teasing Gina. I made fun of her, teased her friends, caused her bad dreams and pulled her hair when I fixed it.

When we shared a room I made her clean it herself. Sometimes we would 'exercise' in our room - dance around to a couple of songs and then eat beef jerky.

It's not secret, she bugged me big time and I am not good at hiding my true feelings. Good or bad.

Luckily, Gina became a human in the last 5 or so years and we are good friends.

Why am I telling you this?
Nicole and Anna are  8 years apart.
History is repeating itself...again.

Here are the facts from the last 39 days.

Nicole plays dolls with Anna, helps her pick her clothes out and sometimes fixes her hair.  They don't share blankets on the bed. Sometimes she reads to her.

Anna gets in Nicole's things things, copies everything she says and has found many of Nicole's 'buttons' - and pushes them.

This morning I was woken up by them arguing with each other...again. They don't share blankets because Nicole is a blanket hog and Anna sleeps sideways. Apparently Anna had kicked all her blankets to the foot of the bed and was trying to get Nicole's. This caused them both to start crying and feel frustrated. Ken went in [because he was already awake] and told one of them to come get in bed with me. I had to disclose the fact that I was awake when I told them neither of them could get it in my bed. They had to work it out or get up.

They didn't work it out so I told them to get up and get their room picked up. Five minutes later Anna was up and bouncing down the hall. [She bounces everywhere.] I called for Nicole to get out of bed and Anna copied what I said, also telling Nicole to get up. I reminded Anna that the kids don't like it when she copies me like this then I went down the hall to get Nicole up. I walked into her room, turned on her light and told her to wake up. Her response,

'I'm not sleeping. I'm taking deep breaths.'

I totally get that.

So far Nicole appears to be a happy medium between Wendi the older sister and Dedra the older sister. I haven't seen blatant torture occurring but I also never made Wendi cry.  Nicole reads to Anna and tells her to leave her alone. [not in the same sitting.] They like to dress alike. Nicole told me a couple weeks ago she wants to move out and without missing a breath Anna asked if she could keep the bed.

I've been a mom of two for eleven years. The banter that comes with it is not new to me. Throwing Anna into the mix has changed the dynamic. I like it.

Matthew is asking when we are getting another boy.

We're not.  :)

Today, December 15, 2010

*I ate too many chips with salsa at the mexican restaurant.

*I put Anna's ponytail in 10 rollers. Tomorrow it's going to be really curly.

*We fed the kids dinner after they were supposed to be in bed.

*Then Nicole and I watched a movie.

*Matthew got his 6th grade sweatshirt with all the names on the back. He LOVES it.

*Anna put teeth marks in the skipbo cards.

*Nicole had a mean band sub who wouldn't let them sit in chairs.

*Ken and I went on a date to Costco.

*I ate my oatmeal with my lunch (pbj) because I forgot about it.

*I never rotated the laundry.

*Matthew didn't have bad breath at bedtime.

*I had a good day.

When I grow up I want to be a stay at home mom.

Here are some things I have encountered lately as I carry out my life's ambition to stay at home.

Huge wads of toilet paper (thankfully clean) have been randomly showing up in the kids bathroom and the hallway. This started approximately November 18, 2010. We aren't sure of the culprit yet. :) I did suggest to one of my children that it's a good idea to stop playing with the TP. We'll see how it goes.

I helped Matthew clean his room today. I found a casket a key, an ID tag for a dead person (which Matthew made for himself last time he went to work with Ken, including his day of death - which thankfully has already passed,) and the top half of a sock. Apparently there was a big whole in the sock so he cut the bottom off and said the top part fit perfectly on his arm. There were several other 'gems' but those I thought deserved mentioning.

I am not a psychic. I don't have eyes in the back of my head. BUT, I know when you are sneaking out of your bedroom to play in the water in the bathroom. How do I know? I can HEAR you!

Nicole can almost play 'I Lived in Heaven' perfectly. She's been practicing it a lot. I'm so excited for her!

Matthew brought me a polaroid of him at age 1 at the Mexican Restaurant in a sombrero. He asked me if he was a Mexican. I told him yes. He started counting in Spanish but couldn't remember 10. (Diez) I told him he was a dumb Mexican. He called me a racist.

Being a stay at home as a child meant I got to stay home from school and watch TV all day, even though my mom did A LOT more than that during her life as a stay at home mom. The laundry was always done! folded and put away too.

Being a stay at home mom as a stay at home as the mom means cleaning up the same messes over and over again, day after day. Always having 2 more loads of laundry to do and wanting to take a nap way more often than you actually get to. It means hugging your child goodbye in the morning, missing him all day when he's gone and being so excited when he gets back home at the end of the school day while working on 7th grade at home and learning everything you can about fractions, number lines, graphs and grammar during my school day. Recently I've re-added teaching the alphabet, musical alphabet, counting and coloring in the lines to my list of requirements.

I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open. It's 100 times more work than I did when I worked full time in the classroom. It pays A LOT less.

I'm pretty happy with my position.

Quotes from our home to yours...

• Please don't use Matthew's toothbrush...again.
• Please don't use Nicole's toothbrush...again.
• Please use your own toothbrush!
• You're a good friend most of the time.
• Don't stretch your mouth out.
• Santa is giving you a spanking for Christmas.
• I want to move out.
• I'd like Santa to fill my stocking with chapstick. Response...I want mine filled with a beaver.
• I just bought myself the best present of MY LIFE! (It cost more than was spent on gifts for the whole family by said quoter.)
• I'm on the superior list for Christmas. That's why I'm so cool.
• Matthew is the best puppy we've ever had.

Favorite quotes from Christmas movies we've watched this season...

Lucy: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that.


Charlie Brown: What is it you want?

Lucy: Real estate.
***
We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. - Buddy the Elf
***
I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands. - Buddy the Elf
***
Nothing out of the ordinary to report. I think I've had strep but it didn't click until day ELEVEN of having a sore throat. I figured it would just get better soon. I am starting to feel better finally.
 
ttfn

Happy Thanksgiving and a little more...

Happy Thanksgiving! This is the first time in 6 years that we will be spending Thanksgiving with family. We will be going to Pt. Hadlock, about 2 1/2 hours from here, to eat dinner with my brother, Ryan and his famdango. I'm excited to see them and a little sad that we won;t be eating with the Carltons and the Drapers...our holiday buddies in Kansas. I love them!

In other news...

• I still don't have batteries for my camera. My rechargeable have dropped off the face of the earth which means Matthew probably put them in the xbox controllers...again.
• We saw the Forgotten Carols last night. It was a very touching show.
• I am adjusting well to having 3 children. Anna is doing GREAT. To many of you who have more than that it's probably a walk in the park, but I've had 2 for many years now so 3 is taking some time.
• I have forgotten to blog a few times this week. See previous bullet.
• We got a few inches of snow on Monday night so they canceled school on Tuesday and Wednesday. That being said, Matthew went to school in November 8 times. Nicole went 6.  For the whole month.
• Nicole has a nasty flu bug.
• I'm excited for black Friday. I LOVE being the crowd at 5 in the morning. It makes me happy. It's also the only day each year that we go out to breakfast. The kids are excited about that part.

I think that is all for now. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Travel safely. Eat a lots of food. Take a long nap. and happy shopping tomorrow!

Things I didn't know until I was a mom.

"I can't find my clarinet!" *After looking all over, where was the last place a we looked? Mom's bathroom of course! If you can't find your clarinet, look in the bathroom.

"Can I use some scissors?" *Twenty minutes after this questions was asked, one of my children (guess who) walked out of their room wearing socks that only had the ankle parts left. If your feet are hot and your ankles are cold, you can remodel a pair of socks.

Apparantly 3 days notice is NOT enough time to prepare for a test in school.

Homework is actually just a suggestion, or an idea. Maybe not a good one though.

Hold your breath during the teacher's instructions and when you start to turn red you get to take a break in the hall (or outside of the portable in this instance.)

*****

2 things I never thought I'd ever have to say...

• Don't lick the statue!
• SERIOUSLY! Stop licking the statue.

GROSS!

Heaven help me get them on their missions! I'd like to think my capacity was for more than 2 children. Especially 2 children that are pretty self sufficient at this time. This is just one more instance where Heavenly Father really does know what's best!

Seattle Temple Trip

Nicole went to the temple for the first time on Saturday with the youth from the Pt. Townsend Ward with her cousin Regann. My Dad, Gina, Spencer and I were able to attend as well, along with Ryan and Rhonda. (Regann's parents, my brother and s-i-l) While we were in the temple, Matthew waited in the lobby with Mayson, Harmon, Nolahn and Payton. Here are some pictures from the trip and the lunch afterwards.

 Rhonda in the waiting room of the temple.

 This is what happens when you leave your camera with 3 boys who lose their brains when they are together unsupervised.

 from left to right:

Mayson, Matthew, Nolahn, Payton, Regann, Nicole and Harmon

Ryan's kids 

 The girls

 the boys

 Me with my kiddos

 Me with Nicole on her first day at the temple

 Spencer in front of the temple

 Ryan in front of Spencer in front of the temple. He wouldn't move! He thought it was funny. I thought it was funny after he moved, I had a photo and then we were at the restaurant.

A reflection of the temple in the driveway. This photo was an accident but it's AWESOME! 

 Me and Gina

Ryan, Rhonda and Matthew at the restaurant after the temple 

 Dad and Nolahn

 GROUP SHOT!

Matthew's awesome 'tuck in' job 

bff Matthew and Mayson 

It was a wonderful day!

Is it bad when....

This morning at 6 when I was waking Nicole and Matthew up for school Matthew responded to my morning greeting with, 'Is it bad if my eye is so swollen shut that I can't open it?' I told him it was definately not a good thing. I quickly went to the store to buy benedryl (and batteries for my dead camara).

Matthew was stung by a bee yesterday during P.E. They asked him over and over if he was allergic and he told them no...which is kind of true. His breathing was not affected. He was stung by a yellow jacket about a month ago for the first time. We got home and I gave him a shot of Nyquil. It had the histamine blocker, pain killer and knocked him out for 3 hours as a bonus. When he woke up he didn't even remember he was stung. (this ad is brought to you by Nyquil.) Apparantly I should have done that for him again yesterday.

This picture doesn't give his eye justice. It swelled up to the size of a golfball.

Accomplishments and Resolutions...

If you'll remember a year ago, I shared that I am kind of anti-New Years resolutions. I typically just try to do new things and stretch myself a little bit. Here are a few things I did this year, that I had never done before...

I went to Oklahoma and Texas. (I LOVE Oklahoma City!)

I entered pictures into the county fair.

I started working at a new school with EMH (Educable Mentally Handicapped) special ed. children.

I cooked a ham...twice.

I started wearing contacts.

Our cat had kittens...I'd never seen/or been a part of the experience before. (It's WAY over rated.)

I survived having a flat tire. (I could have died you know!)

I touched an alligator.

I learned a little bit of photo shop...it was only useful for mocking my friends on facebook.

I took classes at the rec center on ceramics and toll painting. I will be doing that again in the future.

That's all I could come up with. I feel like I am missing a few things, but as you can see, my new experiences weren't anything special...just new to me.

This year I am also going to set some resolutions. 3 that I thought of on my own, and 1 that I am stealing from a friend.

My 3 resolutions...

#1 Visit 3 new states.
#2 Make a pumpkin pie from scratch...I'm also going to grow the pumpkin.
#3 is something that I try to do all the time, but I have to recommit every so often...
Never tell my kids no, when I can say yes. Sometimes no just comes out before I even think about it.

My stolen resolution...
Start what I finish. You can read Kate's blog for more information.

I hope to make my 3 states...Illinois, South Dakota and Pennsylvania.

Today I...

Today I...

took down all the Christmas stuff.

rearranged the front room. (It looks beautiful.)

read the first 9 chapters of 1 Nephi.

played Monopoly with Matthew. (He kicked my trash.)

did NOT take a nap. (I wanted one.)

Out with the old...

Once upon a time Nicole Roylance Cheney LOVED Cinderella. She dressed up like her for Halloween twice. She wore her dress at Disneyland when she met her. Nicole had Cinderella toys and watched the movie often.

This is Nicole's lovely Christmas Stocking. (I just wrote stalking and then had to correct it.)
Nicole does not love Cinderella anymore. When she was begging me to make her that stocking (made the same typo) I was worried that she would one day out grow her love of the princess but then guessed probably not since I still love some of my favorite childhood characters.

It turns out my concern was valid. Nicole had been embarrassed of her stocking for 2 years. She hides it when people come over and and is unhappy if I remind her that she used to LOVE Cinderella.

So, out of the kindness of my heart, I have made Nicole a new Christmas Stocking.

The good news is she loves it! So.......

We are out with the old...

and in with the new.

So so so many questions...

This morning while I was using the bathroom, showering, getting dressed and doing my hair/make up I was asked over 25 questions/comments. The bathroom door is locked and I keep hearing MOOOOOOOOM!! I'm trying the get dresses and I hear it again.

Where's my shoes?
Can I hot lunch?
______ hid my agenda.
______ has gum.
______Do I have to brush my teeth? (My youngest is TEN YEARS OLD! When do they outgrow grossness?)
Where's Dad?
What's for breakfast?
For Christmas I want ________.
On my birthday can we go to Chuck E Cheese? (Both were born in the summer)
I think I want build a bear from Santa.
When can we go to Thai?
You promised the next time we go to Wichita I can with you.
Can we eat Thai when we go to Wichita?
When are we going to Wichita?
_______ slept in that!
_______ is drinking milk. (This is not again any rule I know of)
Where's the hammer?
Can we paint my room?
I had homework!
Can you draw a bridge and floorplan of the house for me?
What's a floor plan?
TIME FOR DEVOTIONAL!!

sigh...I'm tired before it hits 7am.

ps, Ken sleeps through all of this almost every morning. On the other mornings, he's just getting home from a graveyard shift and he just ignores it. :)

blah blah blah

Ken and I have been married for 12 years, 4 months and 4 days. I just read that before I started this post.

Today in Relief Society we were reminded about the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. I reread section 135 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As we approach his birthday I'd like to recommend that you reread it too.

Apparantly we've started the Christmas Break Schedule early...It's 8pm and they're watching a movie. It should be over in an hour. I know I should make them go to bed but I LOVE hearing them laugh. What's another hour?

Nicole and Matthew gave the talk and scripture in primary today. One of the leaders told me they did a really nice job. That made my heart smile.

I need a good idea for my Christmas Letter. I need to write it soon. Suggestions are encouraged.

Have a good night! ps, I still hate cats.

Piano Lessons...

Sometimes they don't go as well as I want them to.

Matthew: I can't get this fixed! (referring to the corner of his sheet that is not on his bed.)
Me: You have to get off the bed to do it.
Matthew: Will you help me do it? (He's just laying on his bed.)
Me: You want me to do it. (letting him know I knew he wouldn't be helping.)
Matthew: Sure! Thanks for offering.
Right now he's in bed, serenading us with his recorder. He plays a mean Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Family Scripture Study or Enduring to the End...you decide!

I'd like to give you a glimpse of our scripture study . It happens either at 6:30 am or in the evening right before bedtime around 6:45-7:00. Today, we were late...it was 8:21 when we started because of Wednesday Night Activities at the church.

So this is how we start every night. Ken uses his best 'Fight Announcer Voice' and says--really LOUD-- TONIGHT ON SCRIPTURES!! Then he reads the heading of the chapter we will be reading. Tonight it was Alma 8.

While Ken was reading the first 10 verses, Nicole was taking her hair out and teasing the dog. Matthew was on the floor body surfing on his ripstick. (He lost his ripstick tonight)

Randomly, when Ken read the word 'Ammonihah' everyone felt the need to say it with him in an authorative voice. When the word Satan was read, Matthew took it upon himself to follow with the sound effect du du dun. (doom and gloom from cartoons)

After Ken reads, next it's Matthew's turn. In Verse 15 he misread and said, 'lift up thy tiny head and rejoice.' I don't know where he thought he saw tiny, but it crackced Ken and I up. We kept it hidden, but it was not a good thing. The next verse he misread again, 'I am sent to command three (instead of thee) that thou return to Ammonihah (more authorative voices).

After verse 16, it was time to review. Ken asked, 'so what have we read about so far?' Nicole responded by asking, 'Can I go to bed?' More sighs followed by Ken and I and Matthew said, 'du du dun.

We pressed forward with the review, next it was Nicole's turn to read. As she read, Matthew was all over the floor, and had surrounded himself with his favorite toys (which are not even allowed out of his room.) She was 2 verses into her reading and we asked Matthew where she was...what word was next. He said a word (which was wrong) and Nicole said, 'I don't even know where I am. I'm starting over.' More sighs from Ken and I.

She had 1 more verse to read and Ken asked the kids a question. Nicole felt interupted and said, 'I'm not done reading..I have one more verse.' Ken repeated the question and then Matthew asked, 'when are we getting the dog's balls cut off?'

Time for family prayers. We will try again tomorrow. **sigh**

This picture is LIVE. I had my phone and shot it really quick while Nicole was reading. **more sighs**

A conversation with Nicole

Nicole: How old was Elder Wirthlin?

Me: 91

Nicole: Did he have a heart attack?

Me: No, he was old.

Nicole: Did his wife die too?

Me: Yes, 2 years ago.

Nicole: How old are their kids?

Me: probably in their 60's or 70's. When I'm 91, you'll be 71!

Nicole: Even if I'm 71, I'll still go to your funeral.