TAGGED!!!!!

(LOOK HOW CUTE & LITTLE SHE WAS....)

I HAVE TO POST THE 4TH PHOTO
IN THE 4TH FOLDER......

NOW I TAG...
MANDI
MISSI
KATIE
MNISA
KRYSTAL
APRIL
BRANDI
&
ALI

Having some fun with SmileBox

Make a Smilebox photobook

LoL...Once again Levi makes me laugh!!! (and a few updates)

So the other morning I went in to
wake the boys up for school
and this is what i find...

Can you see him???
Its amazing he was so quiet doing this...
Levi is NEVER quiet!!!

The other night we took advantage of the
'in season' Produce....
Here are the kids eating their
Strawberry shortcake for desert.
For dinner we enjoyed yummy
corn on the cob!!!
I so cannot wait for summer!!!!!

Kaydee thinks i am silly for taking
photos of our food...
But it just looked so yummy!!!

While it was nice and warm last week we
decided to get the kids' bikes fixed.
The VERY day we did it....
In came the cold front!!!
They are so sad they cant ride them now!!!

And last but not least....
Kaydee goes in tomorrow to get her
hard cast on. She isn't looking forward
to it at all. she is miserable enough
with the soft splint on!!
Poor girl!!

Just a random post

So I know this is way random....
But i know a few of our readers
have kids that have a hard time
falling asleep in their cribs/beds
by themselves.

My dear cousin posted this on her blog.
I thought maybe...hopefully somebody
can use this idea....and benefit from it
like she has!!
Thanks Krystal!!

********************************************************************

For any of you that know the hard time I have had with Libby going to sleep on her own....tonight we had a breakthrough. I was searching online about 4 days ago and came across a blog. A woman had the same issues and she saw a program on TV about it and suggested a method. So I tried it.

Here is how it goes:

The first night, you establish a routine with them. Bath time, PJ's, stories, in the same order every night. Then have ten minutes with them, and you get in the crib with them. This is really a weird step, but it makes sense if you think about. Before we would just lay her in her crib and let her cry herself to sleep for an hour at night which made her associate the crib as being an unsafe place to sleep. So by climbing in there with her she sees me in there, and now it feels safe because she can picture mom in there with her. Then you get out, snuggle and kiss her and lay her down in the crib and leave. You let her cry for 3 minutes, then go in and snuggle her for no longer than 2 minutes. (we are at 5 minutes total now). Then you lay her down and wait 5 minutes and do the same thing, then 10 minutes. The first night I had to do 3, 5 and two tens and she was asleep on her own. So that totals to be about 36 minutes until she is asleep on her own. That is a lot better than an hour of screaming, and maybe, if your lucky she will fall asleep.

The next night you do everything the same except get into her crib. You sit on the floor by the crib. This night I did 3, 5 and one ten.

The next night everything the same but don't sit by the crib, just hold her and snuggle her, then lay her in bed. (3, 5, 10, 10)

Tonight there was no crying. She rolled over and went to sleep. This works and I am so happy that we have found a better, more peaceful solution for Libby and for us. Well that is it, thank you and good night. He he.

PoOr KaYdEe

Yep thats right.....she Broke it!
Actually Champ Broke it.
he took off for the door and
the leash caught her arm...pinned it
in the door and bent it funny.
I guess its called a
"Buckle fracture"
Below is an X-ray showing
what it looks like....

(this is not her X-ray)

She was so nervous....she did NOT want it
to be Broken!!!

She is a cheese head even when she is hurt!

BOWLING!!!!! (this is the first out of three posts...dont forget to check out the other two)

This weekend we went Bowling

(twice)
with my cousin Sherida and her
family...and had SO MUCH FUN!!!
Kids and Adults both seemed like they
were having the time of their life!
It was so great to be able to
Spend some Quality family time
with ALL of my family.

I was fun to watch the kids having
such a good time. I was surprised
to see how well they actually did!!
And they got along so nicely too...
We might have to make this
a regular outing!

Levi enjoyed using the ramp to get his ball
to go faster! He thought it was fun to try
and push the ball as fast as he could....
usually it ended up flying off the ramp
before it had a chance to roll down lol.

Tanner was lucky enough to have Saturday
off this week!!
I was so glad that he was there with us!!
We sure miss him when he works
so much!!

Gabe had alot of fun showing
off his past Bowling expertise.
He even gave Levi & Zack a few
pointers lol

Brenden was SO cute during this whole
thing. Every time he was up, he would
roll the ball (VERY SLOWLY) and
sit there and watch it....
once it hit the pins, he would Jump
up and get all excited...
then had to give whoever was watching
a high 5!!!
He is such a cutie!

Kaydee's County Fair

Kaydee did so Great at her County fair
last week!! She worked so hard on her
display and Slide show!!! I was so glad to be
there to see the AMAZING job she did!!
I am so Very proud of her for being
such a hard worker on keeping her
grades up!!!!
Kaydee we love you so much!!!
Way to go sweetheart!!

No Training Wheels!!!!

Levi has learned how to ride his bike
without Training Wheels!!
As tanner was fixing his tire he kept telling Tanner
not to put his training wheels back on because
he could ride it without.
I didnt really think he could....
but sure enough...
He took right off without ANY help!!
He sure showed me!!!

He Kept telling me
"see! I told ya mom!!"

We sure are proud parents!!!

Sometimes.........

I often tell Levi
"I wish I had 7 more arms
so i can do this and deal with you!!!"

I dont even know where to begin.
Levi is Levi.
Levi is not an easy child.
Levi is considered a
'Brat' by most...or a difficult child.

Difficult child.....I think i am the one
who gave him that title.
From the time he was able to crawl....
he has been into everything....
every little thing he could get his hands on
was either broken or messed up somehow.
I always say...."Who ARE your parents child?"

Even in his sleep this kid runs....
I wish i had 1/2 the energy he does!!
He goes on and on and on...
yes lol...just like the energizer bunny.
But you would think that he would run
out of energy by the end of the day right???
NO WAY!!!
He lays in bed and pesters his brother until
I have lost my temper with him....
almost always even longer!

I go to bed almost every night wondering
what i could have done better that day.
How could i have held my temper better
when he got into something he shouldn't
have. How could i have dealt with
one situation or another better?

Last week, after much contemplation
and arguments between Tanner and I,
We broke down and put him on
some A.D.D Medication.

I never thought that I, as a mother,
would have to result to putting
my child on something because
I could not control him.

I felt like such a horrible mother.

Everybody i talked to gave me the
rundown on the medication.

*He would lose his appetite
&
*He would be VERY temperamental
for the first week.

Tomorrow will mark the end of the second week.
and while i can see a positive change in him
(so can his teachers)
He still cries at every little thing.

One Difficult night, after hours of fighting
with him...he asked me to sing him a song.
I chose "A Childs Prayer"
By the time i was finished he was in tears
AGAIN
A little overwhelmed and annoyed
I asked him why he was crying.
his responce was
"*SOB* That was such a cute *SOB* song"

Patience is a tough one for me!!!
I catch myself praying out loud
asking god to give me patience so
I can deal with Levi.....
LOL
Then I watched 'Evan Almighty'
When "GOD" said
"when you ask god for patience, he
give you ways to PRACTICE patience"

I cried over that knowing that
my prayer of finding an answer
had been indeed answered.

Levi is my Practice of Patience.

Tonight was another difficult night,
although he fell asleep within the hour,
another improvement.
I Quietly went into his room to tuck him in
and just sat there and wondered why
such a special little guy
chose me to be his mom.

I dont have the patience i should have.
I dont teach him the gospel like i should be
&
I do things he knows i shouldn't do....

and while i sit here and say to myself...
"Im going to change"
I know its just NOT that easy!

God did say
"I never said life was going to be easy,
I just said it would be worth it."

Sometimes i will watch other mothers
and wonder HOW they got their kids to be
so well behaved. HOW in the world did
she get them to mind like that??
Why cant i be like her???

Then i realized....

The grass is always greener somewhere else.

Despite the manure,
I feel incredibly fortunate to be on this side of the fence.

Im So thankful that god gave me my children.
I feel so blessed to know that he would
entrust in me to take care of such awesome
possessions!! He must have some sort of
Faith in me.....and for that.... i must go on!!!



I love Levi..... and there will ALWAYS be
tough times with him......
I just PRAY that we can both survive them!!!


Having 8 arms would only give me another
excuse to try and Multitask.
For now...ill keep just the two that i have...
And Hug each of my children....
enjoying the time that i have with them
instead of trying to keep up with the world.

Im going to bed tonight....
Counting each and every one of
my blessings.

I am one Lucky Mommy!!!


Goodnight

Kaydee and Tanner

This photo is a little late
but it was so cute i just
HAD to share it.
This was taken on Kaydee's
Birthday, when we checked
her out of school for lunch.

I love this pic!!

Sunday Picnic