The Birthday Pukes...

Happy, Happy Birthday to me. Today I'm 28, on the 28th. Meggie said since this will only happen once in my life we have to do 28 fun things. I'm hoping this involves, 28 bites of chocolate, and maybe 28 hours of sleep, or even 28 mins for that matter, I'm not picky. Poor little Fin is the sickest little sicky ever. She started throwing up just about every half hour, from about 3p to 11p when the doctors gave her some anti nausea meds thru an iv at the Children's Hospital. It was daylight when we arrived and daylight when we left. It was a long night, and were still recuporating. Poor girl is still puking up her guts, but not as often. While this bday has been a bit gloomier than others, I loved all the sweet phone calls this morning, and this really cute note from Whit, made my day!

"Happy happy early birthday! I really wish I could come up and surprise you for your birthday. But then again, maybe a grumpy pregnant lady just showing up at your house isn't the best birthday present.

So let's just pretend I am a great friend and came up to visit you on your birthday. And while we are pretending, we might as well pretend I cleaned your house, bought you pizza, and made a fabulous birthday cake! Love you."

"But, when you lose our children. . ."

I don't want to give myself airs but, I think I may be in the top ten most disorderly mothers in all the world. You know the kind that brings all the kids in but forgets the groceries, or better yet brings the groceries in but, forgets the baby (true story).

Lucky for me I am married to my bestfriend, who knows that most days I walk around with half my brain missing and likes me, anyhow. When he purposed, as he was putting the ring on my finger he said, "Now, I know one day your going to lose this, and that's okay, I'll get you another, but when you lose our children. . . you need to find them."

And, that's me. I've been this way as long as I can remember, and it drives me - crazy. But, never so crazy as now that I have 3 helpless, and dependent, little children, who are counting on "Mom" to have it together.

I have dedicated this week like so many in the past, to becoming an orderly mother: a clean home, well groomed, bathed, and behaved children, that smile when I say "bedtime" . So, far it hasn't been the fairytale I pictured, but not entirely a failure, either.

This week is different from all the rest as I have given up the "Projects" piece of my life. Anyone who knows me knows I do projects: Sick, well, 9 months pregnant. And, as I reflect, it really seems a tad on the neurotic side. Like maybe I was searching to find meaning in the simplicity of my life.

I'm guessing that somewhere along the way I bought into the lies of the adversary such as: being a mother, isn't enough of a contribution or self worth is gained through what you can produce, when really it's the process of production. I became so busy with good things, that I shifted my focus from the best things. You would think that simplifying your life would be: simple. But, I'm finding it takes great effort and restraint to just enjoy the ordinary events of the day, and choose contentment.

I'm thankful to have modern day prophets that give us guidance relevant to us today. I really appreciated Elder Oaks talk in the Fall conference, "Good, Better, Best", and I appreciate the examples of the great women in my family and in my ward. I gain perspective and strength from the way they live their lives.

Here's to "being still", realizing there is a season for all things and. . . trimming back the "good" to make room for the "best"

"[We should] work at our responsibility as parents as if everything in life counted on it, because in fact everything in life does count on it.” -Gordon B.Hinckley

Rock'n it Since 1995. . .

"For those of you who have never heard of Cake, do yourselves a favor, don’t ask a Cake fan, “So what kind of music does Cake play?” It’s really frustrating to try and describe their “genre.” Cake’s repertoire of rock includes touches of folk, hip-hop soul, and funk. But such a description hardly does the band justice. Cake is just Cake, and they know how to put on a show." -Helana Kadyszewski (concert review)

Absolutely! Here! Here I've been a fan since I was 15 (1995). So, you can imagine how stoked I was to see them last night in concert. It was nothing short of Fabulous. It took awhile for the opening band (Paper Lions) to start the show, but it turned out to be worth the wait.

At the risk of sounding Muggle, I have to admit I may have rocked a bit harder to the "Paper Lions", but Cake was still Fantastic. John McCrea did a lot of choir conducting ("women. . . now men. . . ") and gave away a tree. It was one of those sing along sort of concerts for true followers, and probably an annoyance to the rest of the crowd.

And, of course it couldn't be a real concert without a moron or two starting a few brawls. But, I even enjoyed the drama put on by surrounding neighbors and even our very own Meggie. The crowd was such a mix of young, and old, Indie and trendy. I haven't had that much fun in awhile. (Wish you were there, Jay! p.s. they opened with Jolene.)

Oh, It is Love. . .

Last week as Jess and I were driving to go have dessert with friends the word "anniversary" popped in my head, and it dawned on me, "Did we forget our anniversary?" I asked aloud, more to myself than him. We just giggled, clapped a high five, and figured we'd make up for it next year. . . so I thought.

On Saturday, I woke up feeling so queasy that Jess thought it best to get right to the heart of the matter with a double dose of Gravel. That was my first go round with Gravel, and I reacted the same as I do to the epidural. It knocked me out cold. And, when I came too, I couldn't talk right, or walk a straight line.

Luckily it wore off a bit by that evening, when Jess took me out for dinner. After dinner he said he wanted to show me a new building his company was trying to buy. I'm not sure how I didn't catch on when he took me into the Pallisar Hotel downtown. I guess I was still a bit out of it. He acted lost, and then pulled out a key and said maybe we should try this door. Inside the room were rose petals scattered about and a sweet letter on the bed. It was the perfect way to spend our 6th anniversary. Just lounging around, eating all sorts of odd fruits, eclairs, and sipping the elixar of life (A&W) out of wine glasses. We even went for a dip in their spa.

I get grossed out by swim change rooms, so we dressed in our room and then wore the luxurious Hotel robes down to the pool, which seemed really fancy, until we got funny looks as we strode through the elaborate halls in nothing but robes. Of course, this just made us giggle too. It was such a fantastic little get away, 20 min. from our house and our 3 kids! Thanks honey.

Thumbs Up for Today.

Today's been a great day. I realize as I look over recent posts that I am more inclined to write when my day is going pukey. In some odd way I find it theraputic to rant and rave to the unknown public.

But, today was delightful. I woke up with less than an hour to plan preschool for Ky's class, clean the house that we didn't tidy last night, dress myself, the kids, and make breakfast. This would usually send me into a bit of a frenzy but, Jess swopped in, skipped his shower, breakfast, and saved the day.

The kids arrived to a clean and tidy house (high on a 3 year olds priority list). We played, read, sang, crafted, did circle time and learned about the meatmorphosis of butterflies. They made darling mobile's of the stages of a butterflies life, and acted them out. Now, it's 1:27 in the afternoon, and all 3 kiddies are napping, the house is clean, and I'm lounging on the couch. It's just been a Thumbs Up sort of day.

I'm not sure which is harder, loving a body in transition. . . or dressing one.

I love the all out girly style that is all the rage right now. But, those cute baby doll dresses and tee's really do nothing for the post baby belly I'm sportn these days. Today while out garage sale hopping with Whit, I couldn't help but notice how cute we looked with her 4 month prego belly and my 4 month post prego belly that were sadly too close in size!! Geezeeee!


Are these cute kiddos really worth all this? I know it wasn't but a year ago that I was complaining about this same sort of thing (see "My New Relationship with Gravity"). I suppose spacing my kids a bit further would really help in the Battle of the Mom Bod, but the little squirts are so cute, I couldn't wait any longer to have them! Besides, "that's one doddle that can't be undid, Homeskillet" (thanks Rainn), so no use complain'n.

Lesson Learned #1

Today in the elevator at the mall, another mother asked me how I would describe having 3 children, of course I wanted to say, "Sunshine everyday". But, this was just after Kyanne tried to redecorate Siren's and Bridgey protested to join in so loudly that more than a few customers gave me the "disapproving" eye with a simultaneous head shake, so for that moment I felt inclined to speak the truth. . . "Hard", I said. To which I was surprised that she acted surprised at my response and said in this almost sing song voice, "Really? My friends with three and four kids say, three was a breeze."

Feeling close to deaf and happily numb by this time I politely told her, "their lying".
Carrie has a wall on her blog called, "Lesson Learned". Here's mine:

Lesson Learned #1:
Children belong in zoo's, not malls.