Motherhood Tag

Steph Thomas emailed me this, and tagged me to complete it, so here you go!

1. How long have you been a MOTHER?
As long as I've been married, 8 years, and almost 3 months. I have been a biological mother for 6+ years.

2. How many kids call you mommy?
Four. But if you want to get technical, Riley has always just called me "mom."

3. When you were pregnant did you know what you were having?
Yes. I didn't believe it with Nicole, so they had to prove it to me a couple more times. Jared made it obvious (!), and Ellie was a bit more shy. She liked those little ankles crossed right over her goods, but we did get a couple peeks, so we were pretty confident she was a she! (Even after she was born she liked her legs up and ankles crossed "just so!")

4. How old were you when you became a mom?
Married at 28.5, gave birth at 30(almost 31)

5. How long were you in labor?
Nicole: Induced @ 9 days overdue, 28 hour labor
Jared: Induced 1 week early, 5 hours
Ellie: Induced 1 week early, 5 hours, and the absolute best epidural ever!

6. What's your favorite thing about being a mom?
Naptime and bedtime! No, really, I LOVE watching them learn new things, I love it when they play with each other nicely, and adore the cuddles and loves.

7. What's your least favorite thing?
Fighting with sibs, lying, tattle-tale-ing, and whining

8. Do you want more kids?
Nope, the kids I have need me to maintain the little emotional stability I have left! I'm also counting down the days(okay, months) until I'm done with diapers!

9. Have you ever taken your kid(s) on a trip?
Yes....umm...I prefer short road trips or flights for sure!

10. How many times have you been peed on?
Can't even count, by the girls too. Well, all of them except Riley! ;)

11. How many times have you been barfed on?
Other than baby spit-up, it's not to bad. They usually get themselves better! I am glad that I only have Ellie left to teach about the puke bucket. Knock on wood, she has yet to have a bad vomiting episode...although I may have just cursed myself!

12. Are your kids named after someone?
Riley Shane-she shares her maternal aunt's middle name. I like to give Ron grief about giving the poor girl 2 boy names.
Nicole Sara-1st name is a modification of my maiden name(Nicoll), and middle name is her gg-grandma's
Jared Scott-he and Ron share the same middle name
Elisabeth Noelle-My sister is an Elizabeth, and we have plenty of Elizabeth ancestors on both sides. For some reason I liked it with an "s" better though, so we modified the spelling.

13. When is the last time you had a sitter; What did you do?
My mom watched the youngest on Tuesday so I could go help in Nicole's class, before that, they stayed at grandmommy's last Friday for Ron's dad's bday dinner.

14. When your kids get in trouble, who is the bad guy?
Me, for sure. I'm the one they are around most. But Ron does his share too!

15. What is the longest you have been away from your kid(s)?Three-four days usually. Three maternity hospital stays, a few one-nighters away, a fun trip to San Francisco with Ron, a sad(funeral) trip to San Jose with Ron, and a trip to Texas for a wedding.

16. Are your toes painted?
Nope....they never are.

17. Last movie you saw in theater?
I think it was the last in the "Bourne" series....Ultimatum?

18. One thing you will not give up just because you're a mom:
My candy.

19. One thing you did give up now that you're a mom:
Only ONE? Being able to eat any meal in peace.

20. Favorite Cartoon:
Old Disney. Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too.

21. Favorite Snack:
Dr. Pepper, Hot Tamales(cause my kids hate them so they don't ask!)

22. When the kid(s) are napping, you are:
Keeping track of the ones that aren't!

23. Where is/are your kid(s) now?
My favorite place...bed! (It is almost 10 pm!)

24. Favorite place to buy maternity clothes?
I've tried to block those memories! I liked Motherhood for dressier stuff, I got stuff at Target, Meier & Frank, and Old Navy finally got stuff in stores for Ellie.

25. If I could do it over, I'd do this differently:
Stop trying to do everything (because I just procrastinate and it doesn't get done, like scrapbooks), spend more one-on-one time with them, and I would've spaced Nicole and Jared out a bit more if I'd known what kind-of fights I'd be dealing with!

Now...who to tag...Heidi, Tami, Kellie, Steph, and whoever else thinks it looks fun!

Food Storage Chicken and Dumplings

Here's the yummy recipe for the chicken and Dumplings I made the other night. The recipe uses all things from food storage, but I used fresh veggies instead. So I increased the amounts of veggies (I doubled them, but added even more carrots, because I like carrots!), and decreased the water by a cup or so.

Soup
1/4 c dried carrots
1/4 c dried celery
1/8 c dried onion
1/2 t chicken bullion (I used 1 cube)
1 t dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 (12.5 oz)cans chicken breast, with juice...I used 8 cooked tenders
2 (14.5 oz)cans chicken broth...or 1 chicken and 1 vegetable
6-8 c water

Dumplings
2 c biscuit mix-homemade (recipe below)
2/3 c milk

Combine all ingredients and let simmer until veggies are reconstituted and flavors are blended(about 40 min.). When soup is ready, bring it to a boil. Add dumplings one spoon drop at a time and cover with lid. Cook until the dumplings fluff up and look done(about 15-20 mins), cut into one to check it. The dumplings will help to make the soup a lot more creamy and hearty.
**Options: Add 1 c noodles instead of dumplings, more veggies to make it go farther, or adding different veggies like corn or peas.

Basic Biscuit Mix
9 c sifted flour 3 T baking powder
1/4 c sugar 1 T salt
2 c shortening

Mix until flour and shortening are thoroughly mixed together. Use in recipes calling for Bisquick. Store in sealed container in refrigerator.

Nicole=Picasso

This is the portrait of Jared that Nicole created on the Magna-Doodle.

I haven't had to try so hard to stifle hysterical laughter in quite a while. I told her it was so great that I had to take a picture of it to save it! Truthfully, it was because I had to show Ron the masterpiece, and yes, I wanted to post it on here! Really, I'm sure that the kids will enjoy seeing this when they are older and a little more artistically accomplished.

When I showed Ron the photo on the camera, after the kids were in bed asleep, we both enjoyed a good gut-wrenching, tear-streaming laugh!

And lest you think our 4 year old has a goatee, he doesn't...but this picture was drawn after lunch, and Jared hadn't washed the ketchup from around his mouth!

"Star of the Week"

Views of Nicole's BDay

Nicole showing us her crown, balloon, and cards from school.

Nicole and one of her gifts....she ADORES Barbie movies. I like them because they are cheaper than the dolls! Her most favorite gift seems to be the "Littlest Pet Shop" digital pet. What a surprise....she likes the computer-ish game best!

Happy Sixth Birthday Nicole!!!

My firstborn is SIX today! That went fast....I think I blinked a few too many times and missed that! I literally seems like maybe three years ago that I had her. What a LONG day that was...Nine days overdue; from start of induction to end, 28 hours; about 2 hours of sleep total during that time; an epidural that only worked on one side (niiiice), and 2 hours of pushing her VERY LARGE head. But worth it. Oh, so worth it!

Nicole is so excited to be six. She must think she's all grown up now! She woke up wonderfully early this morning...too early for me! So she ended up in bed with me, and after I finally came to, I did wish her a happy birthday!

She went to school and was greeted with a balloon and crown at her seat that she wore all day, even in PE! The class all made her cards, and she was very excited to show them all to me. I was actually quite surprised at how well some of these kindergartners write!

Nicole is such a special kid. She has a huge spirit in her six year old body that is just so excited to be on this earth and wants to learn and experience everything NOW! She is described, by me, as "high-spirited". Others may see her as difficult, as do I many times! But that strong desire and stubbornness that she possesses will someday be one of her best qualities. It will keep her strong in a world that will not be easy to deal with, and will hopefully help her cultivate a strong testimony. It will help her be a leader.

I'm so happy I'm her mommy. She fulfilled my fondest desire to create, carry, and give birth to a child. I still remember the exhilaration of my first look at her. And although there are days that her choices of behavior make me want to throw in the towel, I never will. Thank goodness there are those few hours of her precious sleep that help me firm my resolve to help this daughter of God feel loved, learn who she is, and what she is capable of.

Happy Birthday Nicole, and may this next year be a fabulous one!

I Tackled Tuesday!

Well, I might do this all week just to decompress and make me feel like I'm accomplishing something more than just running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Today started bright and early at school helping the kindergartners play "listening bingo" for an hour. It was fun, but especially fun to see that Nicole is quiet and attentive in class. I'm so glad(?) she saves her not so attentive and disruptive behavior for home...

Then I had to copy off the question booklets for the Geography Bee. While at the school, one of the teachers asked me to come to their inservice that afternoon to give an overview of the bee....sure, I have nothing else to do! So I got all the packets ready and went back to the school, AGAIN, to hand out the packets and do the inservice. Holy schmoly, I'm sort-of getting sick of the school.

The best of the day was when I discovered last night that I needed to get the Spelling Bee registration done by Friday....nice! I almost seriously dropped the ball on that one. So just add more time to me at school taking care of that. Nothing like getting all my hours done!

Tonight, after getting the monkey's to bed, I headed out to get Nicole a bday outfit (found a cute ensemble at Old Navy), and a couple more small gifts for the siblings to give her.

When I got home I found the bishop here talking to Ron...the kitchen was nice and clean, so obviously the bishop did give Ron a little notice before coming over! Phew! It's great to have a hubby that cleans!

I'm thinking about wrapping Nicole's gifts tonight....but I think the desire for bed is about to win!

G'night all!

Monday Checklist....

Just so you all think I do stuff around here....
Laundry: 3 loads folded and put away...well, almost put away! 2 loads washed and dried
Dinner: I made the yummiest Chicken Soup with Dumplings. I should post the recipe, and perhaps I will, later. Even the little kids told me it was yummy and ate it....That's a freaking miracle!
Geography Bee: Info letters and answer sheets printed and ready to be xeroxed tomorrow when I hand out the question booklets.
Nicole's BDay: Cake ordered. Grandparents informed of Chuck E. Cheese plan.
"Star of the Week" stuff: Tuesday's questionnaire done, Wednesday's BDay treat will be a small candy treat for Nicole to take herself, and Friday's activity will be sharing two of Nicole's favorite books. Her choice! (Thank you Nicole!)

Extra junk piled on me today....Got a desperate phone call from a room mom for a volunteer to come help with "5 senses Centers" tomorrow. So after finagling my mom into coming and watching the other two, I agreed to go help. I have to go anyway to take care of Geo. Bee stuff...so oh well.

And a little fun from Nurse Heidi:

NameThatDisease.com - The disease test

Holiday Craziness

So, how many of you love this time of year? All the family togetherness, celebrations, feelings of love and contentment?

Let's see a raise of hands....

Do you see me raising my hand?

NO! You do not!

Now, don't get me wrong. It is very fun for me to watch my kids celebrate the holidays, feelings of love abound for my family, life, health, and blessings.

But the absolute stress I start feeling the week before Halloween(because I don't have costumes done), does not end until, oh, the end of January.

Here we go:

• Halloween.
  
• Two weeks later, Nicole's birthday. (I, um, talked her out of a friend party this year because I have totally dropped the ball and didn't plan anything. Nice mom.) This year, add on to her birthday her "Star of the Week" status at school. I just finished her photo poster, but still need to come up with a bday treat for Wednesday and an 20 minute activity with the class on Friday. I need to order her cake and get her a new bday outfit. The day after her bday, Ron goes out of town. Thhppppttt.
  
• A mere 1 week and 1 day later, Thanksgiving. It's at my house. Again. This time of year is when I start feeling somewhat grumpy about my dad dying, and my mom getting old. I don't like being in charge of holiday celebrations. I don't want to cook the turkey, or make food assignments. I can be such a brat sometimes! ;) I miss my daddy. I'm always worried that the food won't turn out, the preparation is always so crazy, and the kids are dying to eat before it's time, so it is just a stressful day. I guess I'm getting a taste of what my mom went through for years, and now she can finally sit back and relax! Someday I'll get my chance again.
  
• The week after Thanksgiving, Ron goes out of town...again!
• Then begins the craziness of Christmas. Getting the decor up. Will we find a Wii? Finding all the presents for the kids. The desire to find something awesome for and surprising Ron with a great gift, and it still hasn't happened. Ellie is almost 2....will I finish her stocking this year?! (I do get 1 point for having all the supplies for the stocking....now to start cross-stitching it. Yes, I KNOW it is November.)
• FOUR DAYS after Christmas, Ellie's birthday. Poor thing. Why did I choose to be induced then? Oh yeah....I didn't want to wait for the tax deduction. I'd had heartburn for just about the entire year, so I wanted an added bonus of a quicker deduction. Have you ever tried to figure out what to get a little kid for her bday four days after she gets everything she could possibly need?! It's fun I tell ya!
• Two weeks after Christmas, trying to avoid my bday. I absolutely don't remember getting this old. Therefore I choose to celebrate my 29th bday over and over again. If you really want to get technical though, this year I will be turning twenty-seventeen. snif. snif. snif....WAHHHHH! HOW did that happen?!?! I know that I have some serious memory loss from working, what, 8 years(?!) of night shifts. I have lost years of my life's memories from that!
• End of January, Riley's bday. She will be 14 this time around. Going into Miamaids. She starts HIGH SCHOOL next year! I swear we just took her to her 1st day of Kindergarten 3 years ago. Freaky, freaky.

And to top all the holiday/birthday fun off, ALL of my Academic Committee responsibilities take place during this 3 month time span. I have Geography Bee this month, then the Spelling Bee and Presidential Pageant Essay Contest in January. Can I go to sleep and wake up in February?!

I'm kidding.....I've now vented. Now you are all bored, and I feel a bit better. Now if you see me anytime in the next 3 months, and I seem preoccupied, frazzled, and wild-eyed, you'll understand why! ;)

(I'll post pictures tomorrow of Nicole with her poster, so check back!)

Things that make you say, "Hmmm..."

I'll try my best not to sound like a horrible mother right now...

Why is it that as new parents, we can't wait for the day when our baby starts making those sweet cooing noises, laugh out loud, and the blessed first word?

I guess we don't realize that in a few very short years, there are days that all we want our children to do is shut their mouths and not utter another sound. The sounds that emanate from them become like fingernails on a chalkboard. And no matter how we beg, plead, and cajole them to just be quiet, for two minutes, they are literally physically unable to be quiet. It's like they will actually explode or spontaneously combust if they have to not make a sound. I'm serious.

I'm having one of those days....

If you were at Costco around noon, I was the freak show trying to keep the monkey's from climbing the displays, yelling at the tops of their lungs, and running around like maniacs. And then when I told the boy that because of his behavior choices we were going home for lunch instead of pizza, he was the hysterical mass writhing on the floor.

I just need a little quiet time....but I guess I'll take some Excedrin and wait a few more hours! ;)

PS- WOW! Three posts in one day?! I better stop or my husband will ask me what I didn't do all day.