A Promise With Sparkles

I want the girls to learn to figure out solutions to their problems so I often tell them to make me a deal. If they want to finish watching a show and get ready afterward they need to make me a deal. Mom, if you let us finish this show we will get ready and eat all of our breakfast. Sounds good to me, they are also learning to keep their promises. Sometimes the deals are, If you let us play outside, we will let you give us some more cookies. Right.

CC came to me today, "Mom, I broke a promise." Oh CC, I am sorry, tell me which promise you broke. "The one that has sparkles on it...(voice tapers off into wistfulness), Mom? Do you wanna play Sleeping Beauty?" I am never entirely sure what plane we are talking on when CC is in her princess form.

I can think of many promises that can have sparkles on them, but I am left only to assume that in a child's eyes, the only promises that have sparkles on them probably have something to do with candy.

Cast Your Fishing Lines

I can tell they are fascinated and mortified by this touching of a dead fish. But they loved it and every time we have fish they eat it with pride!

Haz and Cease so proud of their catch

Hazel and CC love fishing. Their church teacher and our dear friend Laura, with buddy Brandon have taken them fishing a few times. A few weeks ago Hazel was asked to give the prayer in children's class at church. She prayed that Heavenly Father would remind Laura to take them fishing again. So He did and they went again.

Once a year the primary age children give the program during the sacrament portion of church. Each child is given a line to share, their lines are based on what the children have been studying that year and they also sing gospel oriented songs. CC is not old enough yet for this but Hazel is in the youngest class called Sunbeams. One of the songs the Sunbeams sing in their class is Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam -to shine for Him each day. I love that my children are learning truths that will strengthen them throughout their lives and they don't know it yet. They just think they are singing. But someday, they will think of these primary songs that teach truths and helped them feel the Spirit- they will think of them in a time of need and be able to share, or help a friend or stand up for someone.

Hazels line was, "We have learned that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us." She said it slow and loud and clear, and then she gave two solid unrehearsed kisses into the microphone. Some of us just can't resist the sound of our own voice.

Spectacular

CC has been testing out new words. The other day she said to me:
"Mom, are we be-stack-ular?"
"Yes baby, you are bestackular." (I can never resist using the funny words they say)
"And are the babies bestackular?"
"Oh yes, they are."
I make a point of talking to the babies when I have them alone. I tell them thank you, thank you for coming to our family. I tell them how much I love them and how blessed we are to have them. They look me in the eyes, eyes bright and smiling and I think they get it a little bit, I love those precious moments.
I find the words "I love you" to be so healing, as though I can wipe away any ugly or thoughtless things of the day. They are Bestackular.
When I have the big girls alone, I tell them how wonderful they are. I ask them if I am a good mommy and if I can be a better mom somehow. I get varied responses, but when I say "I love you", they say it back and that is good enough.

Last night Nathan came home from work and took to his sick bed with chills. I folded every stitch of laundry (Monday is laundry day) and washed every dirty dish in this house by myself, chores Nathan and I usually do together after the girls and the babies are down. Who's bestacklar now?

Socks

By 9:30am this conscientious mother got all her babies bathed, dressed and ready for the day with socks. By 9:35am all 3 pairs of socks had been gleefully kicked off and scattered around the rooms.
It's gonna be a long winter.

Update on the Surgery- I have always had a muffin top

I love before and after pictures. Let's start with the original BEFORE.

For my insurance, the type of surgery I needed to fix my stomach was abdominoplasty or hernia repair with tummy tuck.

If I had known how difficult this recovery would be I probably wouldn't have done it so soon. I am glad I did it though. I am starting to be able to laugh again, I still dread sneezing and coughing.
I am still swollen around my tummy and I need to wear a wrap for a few more weeks.

Belly button is crooked. I asked the Dr. He said he had to sew it into existing skin tissue, the line were it should have gone, was too torn up to support it, so he moved it over a bit. I wish he would have told me sooner, did he think I wouldn't notice? I spend a good day and a half stewing over it before I got the gumption to tell him he misjudged the site. I don't mind now, it is just my own personal joke, well, and N8s. I really think it's quite funny. However, my career as a belly dancer is over and they will never want me to do underwear commercials again.

Sitting up or rolling over is still tender but I was pregnant with triplets once and I still haven't forgotten it. If the muscles torn apart while I was pregnant and I couldn't take anything for the pain, they can grow back together without anything for the pain again. Since I've had Celiac disease my whole life and didn't realize it, I am used to a few tummy aches. Yes, I am telling you I took no pain meds, not because I was trying to be cool. I didn't need them. Because of the triplets and Celiac disease I have become pain tolerance hardy. (Don't google that term, I just made it up.)


The skin is killer tight. Dr said he stretched me pretty tight. I had a freckle that is a good 3 inches lower than it used to be.

Before

The Dr said the nerves start feeling again in about a year, yah, it feels funny down there and I still feel like Frankenstein a little bit. I was shopping the other day and had to stop myself from looking at the billowy loose fitting shirts.

After: I wouldn't have done this surgery cosmetically, it is intense, I have a low scar from hip to hip.

 Note the protrusion of my belly button in the before pic, how often was I asked, "How far along are you?" I took no offense, I often wondered myself if there wasn't one more in there.

Mom Interrupted

In trying to get Hazel to clean her room, I record thoughts and comments on the following conversation.

Mom: Hazel, I know you can clean your room fast. I have seen you run around a gym at super speed, and you can ride your bike super fast too. You can be a super hero, flying may not be your super power but I bet cleaning is!

 It didn't work. For a while I felt like cleaning was my super power. But I don't anymore. I am just staying afloat and that is fine for right now. I feel like I have so many things to do, so many "nails" to hammer that I am hammering all day and the darn nails keep moving before I can get them in. Will someone quit talking so I can hear what is going on inside my head?

I find myself saying useless things like this one when my child is about to freak out: If you stay calm, I'll stay calm. (Toddlers really go for that one.) Here is another one- please stop talking so I can keep my thoughts inside my head for minute, (I must write these down) and my favorite one of all, Go and play so mommy can hang on to the thoughts that are running away from her. (Now, what was I about to do before I got interrupted?)

Brains come back so I can hammer these nails that keep moving around!

Team Grandpa

I was getting Jamie ready for bed tonight and I put on his Team Grandpa jammies, I got to thinking. Who wants to be on Grandpas Team? I for certain would not. Well, unless it is the best dog walking, nap taking, jelly bean eating, hard of hearing team. What did you say Grandpa? Who makes these clothes? Team Grandpa indeed. Everybody knows it's all about team Grandma.
 Nathan: "...in any grandparent competition, Pam and Mindy would wipe the floor with Richard and Colin." No offense dads.

A Deal With The Devil

I must share this fashion secret. I have carried it with me for far too long. When I was no more than a giddy school girl, I came across a fashion magazine that claimed the best lip liner ever was #666 Wet n Wild. I took this to heart and shared it with my buddy Lillie McDonald and my sister Leah.

Wet n Wild must have made a deal with the devil to get a shade this perfect. I am always a little freaked out at why they would actually use the reference #666 but I flip it over, calling it #999 and feel fine about it.

While my sister was visiting last weekend, we both confessed that we still use it, try as we have other brands and shades, it's a total winner. Years have passed since I stumbled across this article and try as I might, I really cannot find any liner that can compare. It matches every lip color. It has never let me down. It goes with any lipstick except red red lips. Use it alone with gloss and your lips look rosy and natural. Use it with any color and it blends or matches well. I challenge you to defy me. It's gonna run you about 2 bucks, maybe less.

Here is where I should be posting pictures of succulent lips in different shades with the same liner, but you are just gonna have to believe me. I invite comment once you have tried it.

To Be A Rockstar

The other day I drove a few junior high/high school age girls to a youth dance in the limo. My friend Melissa, that helps me with the babies, came over with a bunch of buddies looking like shiny Spifferellas (you know Spiff White, Spiffing Beauty, etc) and smelling cute as can be. I put on my limo hat, turned on all the exterior lighting and we got going. This is what the limo was made for! These girls were blasting the stereo system, lights blazing, blue colored mood lighting, and privacy screen up (thank you). They were having the time of their lives and so was I. I couldn't help but smile all the way there.

They were trying to figure out how to make the biggest splash on the dance scene when someone said they felt like a rockstar. They started naming famous people they would like to be and ended up reminiscing  about how they used to love Hannah Montana and how silly was that?

I think I am a rockstar, maybe I am delusional though. Whenever I walk in or out of a room there are five people who, well six if you count N8, who's total happiness and emotional fulfillment in life depends on me. Yes, I am a rockstar in my own home to five, no six, adoring fans. Maybe that is why I drive a limo.