my mudroom

well, i don't have a mud room, but I really wanted one.  I have really been trying to come up with a more organized "on our way out" zone and i finally came up with something I think I will like.  Thank you Brent for hanging the baskets.  I do not like drills.  I whined until he took over.  Jackson couldn't reach the top basket so we just hung Eva's higher because we'll be getting her stuff out anyway.  You know why this makes me the happiest?  maybe the initials but probably because now i'll have a spray bottle and comb downstairs to tame hair that didn't get tamed upstairs.  It happens A LOT in our house.

hooks for bags

I'm debating on adding a full length mirror here so I'll notice when i forget to put on make-up or realize it might be tacky to wear spit up like that.  We're also starting chores for Jackson.  Stickers for everyday he does them all--7 stickers earns $1.  He also gets a sticker for music practice (that reward comes in class if he practices 5 times) and stickers for reading (10 buys him a new book.)  I don't know if I'm being too indulgent.  I think its more so that I remember to read with him.

 This is for me.  Its worked all summer and i love it.  Its my chore chart (i get to check when i've completed a chore which is oddly rewarding for me).  Basically its just everything I need to know for a week:  grocery list, meals, calling, planner, to do list, visiting teaching, budget, and what's coming later this month.

you can go ahead and tell me i'm amazing!  Nothing beats working like planning on working then blogging about it!

I love Sundays

We have church at 11:30 so it gives us a long time to get ready at our own speed. I was struck Sunday morning at my two boys getting ready for church. It was just a nice morning.
I think I took the toothpaste away from Sam 3 times that morning. He kept just going to get another tube.


I never even got a picture of them ready next to each other but they were cute. Sometimes, when I review my blog, my favorites are the mundane or relaxing time with the family.

i did a bad thing

i saw my sister calling and didn't answer it because I felt too bad about still not putting up a new blog. in my defense, which is small i know, that was 3 minutes ago.

this is a random sampling of what we might be doing at any given point this summer.

what i left jackson doing...
what i came back to find. yeah, this particular activity has happened countless times.


it's been an AWESOME summer! this is just a day to day thing. wait til i show the rest!

I think 4 is awesome

or maybe its just jackson is awesome. Think back to 3 months ago. I had been trying to get himto stop sucking his thumb. I told him that babies suck their thumb. I told him that 4 year olds don't suck their thumbs. I told him I was so happy when he sucked his thumb because it meant he was still little and I didn't want him to get bigger. When I'd catch him sucking his thumb I'd tell him to stop to which he'd reply "No, I can because I'm not 4 yet!" Well he turned 4 and that was that. Then recently I noticed I hadn't seen him sucking his thumb at all. I gave it a few days to observe and I still haven't seen it. Is that amazing!? I think it is. The will power. the initiative. Maybe Jackson was right, maybe 4 really is big.

A survey

So to all of you moms...when do you do most of your housework? is it when the kids are in bed? is it during the day when they're watching movies/tv? normally i get as much done as i can during the day with the kids but my evenings are reserved for lounging but i'm finding i just can't get it all done. so i just wanted to ask y'all what y'all do.

I love sunday afternoons

Church gets out at 12:000. Thats a lot of time for games, naps, and disney movies. oh and too much time for bowls of m&Ms.

Our family has a yogurt problem

I realized this as we left Kroger today.

Brent likes to have a variety of flavors.

I like to put strawberries/blueberries in my low-fat vanilla.

Jackson likes Trix. Now I know I don't have to comply with that one but he was always eating Brent's.

Unfortunately though, I don't see us changing our ways.

At least not while strawberries and blueberries are in season.

my house right now

rachel wanted a post so fascinating as it is...my house right now.

it may look like i purposely made that relief society poster look like jackson made it so i won't have to make one again, but that's not true. I tried.

my foot art still hanging up. i'll post about that later but it's been hanging there for 3 weeks now. and in the background on the wall my cute chalkboard i cut to hang in my painted picture frame. i feel like a handyman b/c i used spray paint and an exacto knife.

cookie plates for visiting/home teaching families.

the reason i was able to make my relief society poster. that's brooke. i'm watching her and her brother owen right now for their mom.

sam-who is now sitting on my lap.

and owen who i accidentally woke up taking this picture but he quickly fell back alseep. whoops.

I sing to Jackson a lot. Did you know that? I guess I'm the lucky sort of mom who has a child who seriously believes that a kiss cures a boo boo and songs will, eventually, make us feel happy again. I don't know many children's songs besides the primary songs. So to all of you who are familiar with them I'll test you in the same way I've been tested over the last couple of weeks. Jackson doesn't know the titles of these popular primary songs just random lines of the songs. He also doesn't know the real words, just guesses what they might be. All of these completely baffled me for a full five minutes at least as he screamed "you do!! you do know it!" I'll give them to you easiest first.

Ponder pray

Always turn a tea

Her peas, her father

Answers:

Search, ponder and pray

Families can be together forever (all eternity)

Love is spoken here (her pleas to the father)

i've learned i need to call them by the real names to keep peace.

Goodnight Jackson

I love routines. I think it's how relationships are nourished and strengthened. Sometimes I'm guilty of rushing through them and not enjoying these moments. Not tonight. I want to remember these times.

Bathtime! He almost never wants to get in and then never wants to get out.

followed by doesn't want to get dressed.

For a brief brief moment my son has combed hair (still with a cowlick though). Also, notice the socks. Both my husband and son insist on sleeping with socks. Isn't that weird!

Daddy's shoulders is a must as well.

and good night kisses.

Sometimes Brent struggles getting to work on time.

maybe this is a reson.