Just Not My Morning

     What do you do to get yourself going on those mornings when you just want to go back to bed. I don't have them very often, but this morning is one of them. All the kids are off to school and I have a list as long as my arm of things to do, but I don't want to do them. My bed is calling to me saying, "Come back to bed and close your eyes. You know you want to."
     Then there is the part of my mind that is saying you need to get to Walmart and Home Depot so you can get going on that list that needs to get done today. I also need to sit down and plan some meals for the week before I can even go to Walmart. I have to decide what to plant in my garden plot at the Stake Garden. I also have flowers I bought before our vacation that need to be planted. I have laundry to do and the boys closet needs to be reorganized.
     It doesn't matter how much I did yesterday, there is still a ton of stuff to do today. And, of course, on top of all of this these people who live with me are already asking what is for dinner. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?! I made dinner last night. Isn't that enough for one week? I guess not. I better head on over to Walmart. Oh, first I have to plan my menus for the week....I'm going back to bed. Don't be like me.

Let's Hear it for Routine!

     Routine. What's are your feelings about this word. Some people hate the routine of life they get into. They see it as a rut. It's something they want to break out of and do something different, something fun.
     I, on the other hand, appreciate routine. After having been in Cali. for a week and spending that time in a hotel room with the fam, am ready to get back into the routine of life.
     I find it comforting to do the same things everyday. I like knowing that I have to get up in the morning at seven, and I need to wake the kids up by seven fifteen. I like knowing, in advance what dentist appointments, sports practices and school and church activities are on the agenda. It gives me strength and confidence knowing that I have it under control, even though, most of the time, that is an illusion.
     And after spending said week in Cali. with the fam. I am really grateful to get home to my own house with three bathrooms on the main floor, my own washer and dryer, and the best of all, my own wide bed, that I love more than...I'll let you fill in the blank, but whatever you love most, I love my bed even more.
     So let's hear it for routine. Let's hear it for being back home. Let's hear it for sleeping in your own bed.
     Vacations are great, especially when they are over.

Life At Disneyland

     You may have noticed I haven't been posting this week because we are in So. Cal enjoying Disneyland. I walked by a man on a cell phone the other day and I heard him say, "They call this the happiest place on earth, they should call it the most expensive place on earth." At the risk of being thought rude for listening, I had to laugh. On our first day, food cost us about ninety dollars, and we didn't eat there, not meals anyhow. We snacked. Now, I realize our family is three times the size of average families, but still!
     We now have our own waters, lunchables, string cheese and applesauce cups to haul in with us.
     Another thought on Disneyland, what an interesting compilation of people you see there. I chatted with a lady from Seattle who, I thought was sitting with her grandkids, as I was, only to find out the baby she was watching was her's. I was surprised, because she had long gray hair and was wearing a long skirt. She told me that her doctor told her she was at an extremely advanced age to have her first, he is now six, and she was five years older with her second. I wanted to ask her how old she was, so bad, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
     Then there was the lady, who I didn't talk to, who had a bondage theme going on with her tattoos. She was walking the park with her two small children. Then you have the parents who look like gang members. It's no wonder they now screen for weapons as you enter the park.
     You can hear any number of languages being spoken in one day. It's a mini UN in there. All in all, most folks are on their best behavior. Maybe it's being there for the kids that makes it easier for everyone to get along. Maybe if we put kids first all the time we could stop the craziness that sometimes takes over our world. Just a thought.

Road Trip Number 3 NO!!!!

     Here we go again. We are heading out to Cali tomorrow to spend a few days at Disneyland since our passes are about to expire. I always have bouts of anxiety when we get ready to do this. Not to mention, the thought of spending ten hours in a car with four children should be enough to strike fear and panic into the heart of any mother.
     Past experience has taught me well, so I am breaking out the heavy artillery. I'm packing the dvd player, the ipods, the DS's, and the shuffles. We're heading to Walmart with all the kids(I try to avoid this like the plague) so they can pick out any snack they have ever dreamed about. I hope and pray that with all of the above we will be able to make it without a full ten hours of, "He's got his foot touching my foot!" and "I don't want him breathing on me!" and "How much longer?!!!" Of course there is the road trip classic, "I have to go to the bathroom."
     Is it any wonder I have anxiety about these things? Just to be sure I don't have to listen to them too much I'm packing my ipod and I'm turning it up loud. I can listen to all the country music I want and I don't have to hear "them" moaning and groaning in the back seats.
     I know this sounds bad and it's not like I don't want to be with my family. I'm just not sure such an enclosed space with no avenue for escape is healthy, for me. Okay! I'm a bad mom.

38 Minutes a Week?!!!

     My daughter told me the other day that she heard they did a study where they discovered that parents talk to their teenagers, on average, 38 minutes a week. My first thought was, that's way too much!
     All kidding aside, who are these parents and where the heck are they that they only talk to them for thirty-eight minutes a week. I spent more time nagging my fourteen-year-old to clean her half of the bathroom, yesterday alone. Then there was the 60 minutes on the couch helping her with her English homework. I endure about an hour of her coming into my bedroom almost every night complaining about how awful her life is and that she is fat and ugly. I did mention she is fourteen right? I spend hours every week trying to boost her self-esteem and tell her she has a great life and she should be grateful. I explain to her, in my mom voice, that if she answers me in her nasty tone of voice, the one she doesn't hear coming from herself, one more time that I'm going to take away her phone for all eternity. That has to take up 38 minutes daily at least.
     Then there is dinner time where we all get hear her complain that she hates what we are having for dinner and we never have anything good to eat in the whole stinking house, even though our grocery bill exceeds our mortgage payment every month. This is about an hour every night with added meals on the weekends, it's a lot more time spent in enduring to the end- I mean in conversation with my teenager.
     So I say again, who are these parents that only spent 38 minutes talking to their teenagers every week? I want phone numbers, so I can find out how they do it.
    

What is so Great About Your Hubby?

     With all the talk about marriages breaking up and the divorce rate at 50-50, it got me to thinking about all the friends I have who still seem to really like their spouses. I know people who have been married for many years who still hold hands. Which is cute. I have to admit that it makes me a little jealous because my hubby isn't much of a hand holder. If he takes my hand of his own accord, I look at him suspiciously and wonder what he did wrong, but that's just us.
     I once did a blog post about the ten things I liked most about the ole hubster and I thought today I would give all of you a chance to let us know what it is that you love most about yours.
      Here's your chance to tell the world about the awesome back rubs, or the flowers, or the bathroom scrubbing that is going on in your relationship.

The Germ Fairy has Been Here

     How is it you can go weeks without any illnesses or major disasters and then just when you plan a trip everything goes crazy? We have been slammed with the flu at our house and I am watching it wind its way through the family one person at a time. So far we have had five people get it and we still have several more to go. I pray it skips them, especially the hubbster. He has to work. There is no calling in sick for the self-employed. 
     We are supposed to leave for California on Sat. and I don't know how we will be able to travel if someone has the full on flu. We already have tendencies towards car sickness and when you throw the flu in on top of that, forget about it. I usually carry a few ziploc bags for those who get to feeling queasy in the car, for this flu bug I may be packing boxes of them and lots of rolls of TP. I'm telling you this bug is merciless.
     Sometimes I wonder if there is a little fairy that goes around carrying a wand full of germs and taps people on the head as soon as they have something important or fun planned, so that you have to cancel at the last minute due to illness. If there is, I want to find that little fairy and kick her heiny. 
     This will be our one and only trip for the summer, so keep your fingers crossed that we make it. Preferably without the vomiting into ziploc bags and the accompanying potty stops.