The Slow Agonizing Road to Insanity

I am walking that road...and it's a long slow annoying one.

Do you ever have the feeling that something is crawling on you? You start swatting like crazy and come to find out it is your own hair? Well, I have been doing that a lot lately...and I can still feel them (the hair, not bugs) all over my body as I type.

One of the perks of post-pregnancy-hormones-still-working-themselves-out phase is the hair loss. I dread each morning waking up to a bed full of hair. I dread brushing it, which leads to a brush full of it. I dread washing it,which has the same results...only wetter.

I have hair clinging to random parts of my body at any given time of the day. I have my hair clinging to random parts of my children's (and husband's) body (blonde is not a good color on him).

Hair in diapers, in chairs, and under necks (recent discovery...poor Kaysen). Hair here, there, everywhere! Hair on the tile, hair on the floor, soon I won't have hair anymore. This could lead to a Dr. Suess style book on hair loss.

I wish I could just pull out all the hair that is taking it's sweet time falling out so I can stop the madness of the invisible hand/bug running over by body.

So, if you see me with a wild look in my eyes...feel free to pluck off any loose hair you see.

Just for Fun

Defying sleep...or at least trying to. Jeez, you could at least fold those before you crashed.

This is what Kaysen looks like when I "try" to fix his hair. At least for the next few minutes until it dries. Then it looks "normal". At least my version of normal. Normal for my kids. Are my kids normal? Okay, where was I?

I guess I could have gone with an Oz theme for Halloween. He's got the basket and the shoes and....the hair. Might as well mention the elephant in the room! No we aren't cutting it, so don't ask.

Happy Halloween!

This would be the year the kids want to decorate the house. This would also be the year that had a few days or really strong winds. After initially being disappointed that our decorations were ruined, Jaxen decided that now our house really did look scary.

This would be the year that we carve the pumpkins for Family Home Evening (Monday night) and they didn't get lit until Halloween day (Saturday night). It was just way too windy for most of the week. At least it was cold enough at night to keep them from composting before Halloween.

This would be the year where the kids have a hard time choosing between two costumes. Darth Vader or Harry Potter? (I personally think he wanted to be Harry Potter so he could get out of cutting his hair. He told me Harry Potter has longish hair.) Unicorn or Dog House? Ummm, don't ask.

This would be the year that the only costumes you can find are different versions of witches. In addition to your traditional Wicked Witch, you have every other witch you can think of, white, black, elegant (no kidding!), rainbow. It was a witch's paradise at Wal-Mart. They (witches) could wear a different outfit each day of the week.

After checking out Cosco...which surprisingly only carries costumes up to 36 months...and incidentally are the only costumes my daughter really wanted (think unicorn and puppy)...we were left without many options. Off to Wal-Mart where I couldn't convince Ember to be a cowgirl, one out of ten of the witch sisters, or the red queen. So, with little time and options, we were stuck with the create a costume.

You know...the one with the tail, bow tie, and ears.

You know...the ones the young women like to pair with a leotard and call a costume.

At this point I am asking myself where are the animal costumes are! So, once we get our "costume" we head off to the clothing section to find some clothes to go with it. Because, of course, we don't have black pants or a black shirt at home. So, at least part of her costume is reusable. Actually, all of it is. She now can be a cat for dress up. Gives a little variation on the animal theme at our house. Although I am sure her meowing is just as loud as her barking.

Owen was a cute giraffe. It has a stuffed tummy and bottom. It was size 2-3 but it fit him a little tight. Of course Jaxen helped me out by ripping of the tag before I could think about taking it back.

Jaxen was Darth Vader. He absolutely loves the costume. We only had to hit up three stores to find one his size.

Poor Kaysen. He went the way of the pumpkin. Sadly unoriginal, but really cute.

Shaunton and I dressed up as hippies. It was a little last minute, but fun.

The trunk or treat theme was Harry Potter again. The kids loved the wands they got, and we had to have a little chat on appropriate wand etiquette. (Owen is still trying hard time with the no hitting policy.)

Overall we had a fun night and enjoyed spending time as a family.

Milestones

Kaysen is three months old today. He tips the scales at 16 1/2 pounds. I think the hair makes up the half pound.

I hate to admit it...but...he fell of the bed this morning. Granted, all of my kids have fallen off of the bed. Why should he be any different. I am sure you are amazed that my ginormous son can already roll over. Alas, he can not. He had help of falling off the bed. Or rather, he was pulled by his feet off the bed. Give you three guesses on who thought he needed to come down and play. I can give you three because all the kids are on break, so they are all home right now. I am sure you only need one.

Owen.

Gotta love him. It was a slow fall...if there is such a thing. Maybe it was me watching in slow motion? Anyway, he is alright. No more leaving him on the bed, sleeping or otherwise. I guess his right of passage (rolling off the bed) isn't going to happen as planned.

Into the crib you go when I need to set you down. I would much rather Owen join him in the crib (which he did yesterday too) than pull you off the bed...or lay on him when he is on the floor. Nice.

On a totally different topic. I am an Aunt today for the....let me count really quick...7th time. Lucky number 7. Speaking of lucky numbers we have lots of thirteen birthdays. Serenity (my niece 1/13), Kaysen (7/13), TJ (my BIL 8/13), and my newest niece (10/13).

What do other people think?

I don't often ponder this question...but after reviewing this in class assignment (see #2) it makes me wonder.

Too bad not everyone knows that I am the Activities Leader in the ward and that I work with young girls (or young women as Jaxen would like to call them). Maybe this would be where a picture would be helpful in clarifying...

I just went back to check it out and noticed number 10. I am so proud that this is important enough to him that he thought to write about it at school. (There is even an exclamation point!)

What is Motherhood?

Parenting Magazine is having a contest on this topic. People are to enter a 300 word or less essay on what motherhood means to them. I wasn't planning on entering, but have been thinking about this a lot, so decided to enter for fun.

Here is what I submitted:

Motherhood means being woke up each morning at six even though your alarm is set for six-thirty. Motherhood is carpooling. It is pizza dinner and soccer practice on Tuesday nights. It is running through all of your children’s names before calling your child by the right one. It is not noticing when you call them the wrong name until they point it out.

Motherhood is finding out (the messy way) that gum really doesn’t stay in your system for seven years. Motherhood is the anticipation of the weekly grocery ads that come in the mail and preparing your menu around the sales.

Motherhood is answering a million important questions…many with “I don’t know” or “That’s a very good question” (followed by a Google search). Motherhood is learning something new from your children every day. It is reading Goodnight Moon to your toddler over and over again even though you just don’t get what the fascination is with that book.

Motherhood is being able to nurse a two month old and brush your daughter’s teeth. Motherhood is counting your kids every five minutes in public places. It is being able to fit your to-do list for the day into the first hour of your children’s nap so you can crash with them the second half.

Motherhood is getting your children to bed and then getting things ready to start all over again tomorrow. It is picking up your sleeping newborn to snuggle just because. It is going back through each of the rooms and kissing your children goodnight again even though they are sleeping. It is being thankful each day for the gift each of your children brings to your family. Not wanting to change a minute of it…even when it isn’t always a walk in the park.

Caught

Because Crystal had such a great idea for a blog...I had to copy it!

Guess who I caught on camera?

Hint #1 This person likes babies.

(Pretty cute pic, huh? I confess, I knew about these picture.)

Hint #2 This person takes pride in their artwork.

(Music notes people...where are your minds?!)

Hint #3 This person likes to take pictures of random household knick-knacks.

(If only this person got along with their siblings this nicely...)

Hint #4 This person enjoys school and school related paraphernalia.

Hint #5 For those that need a hint number 5, this person wears glasses. That narrows it down, right? (Don't worry the picture will help.)