Seriously?

I never had doubts about becoming a mom. I don't know if it was immaturity, over-confidence, or a mixture of both, but at the age of 30 I felt completely ready, and qualified by life experience, to embrace the role of Mother. (Don't laugh...I know now.)

Growing up I remember my mom often sharing the humorous anecdote about when my older brother decided to run away. She let Wade know she really didn't want him to go, but if his mind was set on it she'd help him pack. Which she did. At the door she gave him a hug. She reiterated her wish that he stay with his family and let him know he could always come home, at which point she bid him farewell. She nervously watched from the window as he lugged his suitcase down to the end of the walk. He stood, glancing around for a few seconds then lugged the suitcase back, knocked on the door, and informed her that he had "missed the bus". He never threatened to run away again.

Savvy, right? Playing it cool while calling your childs' bluff, all the while letting them know that you love them and really, really want them to stay...awesome, right? That's what I thought.

Which brings us to today. Following a "lecture" on why we are all responsible to clean up after ourselves because we are a family and we work together, blah, blah, blah...I spent a little time cooling down, trying to spare my children any residual mom-grumpiness. I soon decided I'd been a little too harsh, and made my way upstairs to apologize to my children (something I don't do often enough) and was greeted by this:

Yes, folks. This is my 6 year-old daughter packing her stuff to "Move out of this house where I can be happy!" Attempting to follow my mom's example, I calmly asked her where she was planning to go. Her reply: "I'm going to Jody's for 3 days and if you don't appreciate it, I'm staying for 8 days, and if you still don't appreciate it, I'm staying for a week, and if it's not better I'm going to stay FOREVER!!!" I brought her close to me, hugged her tight, told her I was sorry for yelling (yes, I yell) and that I really, really, really would be sad if she decided to go.

No dice. She continued packing. I tried to explain nicely that Aunt Jody wouldn't be able to take care of her because she worked during the day. No matter, she said...Mike could help. I asked her how she'd get there, and she said I would have to drive her. When I told her I wouldn't be able to do that, she informed me that she would just "figure it out!" End of discussion.

After packing all essential items including clothes, stuffed animals, blankets, an inflatable bed, a picture of her and Ellie, shoes, books, toothbrush, socks, and underwear, she somehow roped Ellie into helping her "move". I stood at the window expecting to watch her walk to the end of the driveway, look around, discover she really had no options, and turn around and lay this whole thing to rest.

Was I really surprised that it didn't exactly play out that way? No, I suppose not. As I watched her resolutely march down the sidewalk I realized she was really leaving! I quickly put my baby in a stroller and hurried to catch up with them. I met up with them just as Lindy solicited the Babcock family for a place to stay. Apparently Morgan said yes. Crushing Morgan's dreams of a "sleepover" I managed to turn my girls around, luggage and all, and take them back home. I was treated to various amounts of grumbling and additional threats as we walked but I seemed to smooth things over a little by helping carry most of her stuff for her. She is now asleep. In her own bed. Hopefully snug with the knowledge that she is loved and we are glad she's here.

Note to self: Don't "play along" next time she threatens to run away. She's organized and she'll really do it.

Plea to friends and neighbors: If my child knocks on your door asking for refuge, please know that I do not want her to leave. I have not banished her from our home. Please send her back and let her know that her mom loves her and wants nothing more than to have her home.

A Letter to Dad

"I miss you dad

but did you know

that I have a

loose tooth?

Signed, Lindy"

Boys

Remember when I was totally terrified about having a boy? Well, not so much anymore. Having this little guy in our family is the best! I asked my girls today what they thought about their little brother:

Lindy: "I think it's good we have a boy in our family...but it's really good that it's only one."

Ellie: "Curtis isn't allergic to dogs. But he's a little ornery." (Hmmm...?)

As for Ian and I, we just can't get enough of this boy. He is such a blessing in our little family!

(Gladiator gear courtesy of Natelli J. We haven't gotten into all the "big boy" toys yet. Oh...and thanks for lunch, Nat. It was fantastic!)

Good Times

It's been a wild and crazy couple of weeks here at the Jones household. We came home from our Canada vacation two weeks ago today to find some vagrants had made themselves at home in our house. Alright...it was only my brother, Wade, and one of his boys spending a little time in Utah while his oldest son attended summer sports camps at BYU. And when I say "a little time" I mean three weeks. (His wife is certainly on the road to being canonized for her amazing equanimity.)

Imagine my children's delight at having their cousins around to entertain/pester/idolize for such an extended period of time. Not to mention the fact that it gave them a great excuse to visit Boondocks for the first time!

On the flip side, imagine their chagrin as they watched them drive away, back to their home in the beautiful northwest, earlier today. We have had two sad little girls moping around for the better part of the day. This evening it was declared that no one besides the cousins and uncle Wade was nice to Lindy at all today. Nope, no melodrama here today, Wade.

We will miss the laughter, the adventures, and mostly this:

Don't quote me on this...but brothers can be fun. ;)

(A shout out to my sister who probably said, "...and noodle salad" when she read the title of this post. You totally rock, Jody!)

Practice

I spent a little bit of time practicing some newly-learned tips and tricks for photography today. I normally don't like to post much about my attempts at picture-taking but I just couldn't resist once I saw how these pictures turned out. It's mostly because, well...my kids are just so darn CUTE!

What's a Smurf, Mom?

We learned something new today.

If you take a little bit of water, grind up some sidewalk chalk, and utilize a regular old paintbrush...

...you can paint yourself blue.

Do NOT try this at home. Apparently sidewalk chalk is not only difficult to wash out of swimming suits, but is somewhat of a challenge to remove from the skin.

Helpful Suggestions

Even though I have tried to limit my children's exposure to TV commercials, they still seem to be able to whip out all sorts of helpful information at any given moment.

Ellie walked up to me this evening and shared this little gem:

"Mom, there's a machine on TV that can help you lose your love handles. You just swing back and forth and it will make you look just like me!"

Oh I wish, Ellie...I wish.

Haven't Heard That One Before

8:00pm each night is bedtime for the kids. It also signals the commencement of all manner of stalling techniques. Here is the last-ditch effort, presented by Ellie and her newly-replenished sippy cup:

"I need new water. This water is too soggy!"

"A" for effort, sweetheart. But, no.

Coincidence? I Think Not.

There are days when I wonder why Heavenly Father had so much faith in me to send me my three spirited, willful children. Then...I wake up at 8:47am to the sounds of my children just barely waking up and realize that there's no doubt we belong together. What are the chances of any other kids letting their mom sleep in until nearly 9:00 in the morning?

Eeeeeewww!

I found this under the coffee table tonight:

If you, like me, are uttering the phrase, "What the...?", allow me to share the explanation I received from Lindy:

This is a gum-collecting device. There are currently three categories for your ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum. Pink, Blue, and Weird (yes, the spellings are creative, we know.) As you can see, the plethora of gum balls Lindy chucked in her mouth (all at the same time) belong in the Weird category due to their non-pinkness and non-blueness. Makes all sorts of sense now, doesn't it?

Or does it?

Not Again!

My middle child has a habit, nay...a talent, for hurting herself. It happens so many times a day that it is becomeing harder and harder to express sufficient sympathy. At times I just want to lock her in her room just to prevent her from damaging herself.

Today was no different. While in the shower (no creepy bugs this time) I heard a very loud, very shrill scream coming from outside. Recognizing Ellies' cries of distress, I quickly hopped out, grabbed a towel and met Lindy in the hallway as she ran in to inform me that "Ellie wrecked on her bike and hit her head". I sent Lindy out to usher in the wounded in while I hunted for some clothing.

I made it outside just in time to see a bloodied, dirty, screaming little girl limping down the sidewalk. Once we cleaned the dirt and rocks out of her forehead and leg, I saw that the injuries were not too severe. In order to calm her down, however, I whipped out our extensive first aid kit and gave her whatever she wanted in order to help stem the flood of tears.

She'll survive. She's a tough kid. But I have to wonder...why did she have to mar the forehead right before family pictures? Seriously? Thank heavens for Photoshop.

GRRRRRRR

I went to Costco today. With the children. I know, stupid.

Do ya wanna know what's even more stupid? Loading all your ginormous oversized purchases onto the little checkout conveyer thingy, children screaming all the while, and finding out you don't have your wallet with you.

Not my day. Again.

What a Day

This morning I made a new friend in the shower. Why is it that such a tiny little thing can cause such commotion?

After I rid myself of my showering buddy, another bug friend decided to sting my little baby on the wrist. It took me a little while to figure out why Curtis was suddenly screaming like a banshee. He finally started showing me the "owie" on his wrist and I caught on. Poor baby.

During the excitement, Ellie decided to adorn herself with a little bit of glitter. Okay...a LOT of glitter. Face, arms, shirt, legs. And hair. Lots and lots of tiny little sparkly bits floating around in that mane of hair. And no...it did not come out in the bath. So, if you see a bright object walking towards you it's probably my middle child wandering around in the sunlight.

Is it time for bed yet?

Waterton - Part 2

One of the highlights of every trip to Canada is a stop at Red Rock Canyon. It has long been our habit to rid our comfy toes of socks and shoes and submerge them into the icy-cold glacier water. When I say cold I mean COLD! This is glacier water at its' finest. Curtis was not sure what we were doing to him at first, but he soon was romping around like the rest of us and was fairly peeved when I declared it time to cover up those red feet. Mothers are so unfair.

Back in the day, prior to the Jones family offspring, Ian and I would spend an afternoon hiking up the canyon. It can be a little tricky--sometimes there is very limited footing except through some fairly deep water--but it's so rewarding to be able to hike where few others can get. One of these days I'm leaving the kids with grandma and grandpa and we're going to try it again.

Waterton - Part 1

There are many reasons I look forward to summer. In spite of the heat (which I do not enjoy) the summer months signify a little bit of freedom and fun that doesn't seem to exist the rest of the year. One thing I look forward to each year is our annual trip to Waterton Lakes National Park. While it is a relatively obscure place for the majority of you, for me it's one of the most beautiful places on earth (if not the most beautiful). Just add a few of my absolute favorite people and it can be breathtaking!

We had so much fun introducing Junior to our yearly tradition. He was a full-fledged participant in all of our favorite Waterton activities. He seemed to love every minute of it.

Hiking:

Enjoying the scenery:

(a bear showed up at this exact spot not 3 minutes after we left it. Seriously)

Posing for an absurd amount of photos:

More hiking:

And the eventual exhaustion that leads a little one to fall asleep on Grandpa's shoulder:

But don't worry...he woke up in time for the infamous Big Scoop ice cream! Yummy.

Eight Years

Happy Anniversary to my other half. Thanks for driving an absurd amount of hours to celebrate another year gone the Canadian way.

Love you!

Off-Road

While visiting Ian's grandmother and other family members in Canada we happened to get a chance to ride a four-wheeler. And boy, did those kids have fun. As Ian drove Lindy around the farm we could hear her squeals of laughter. She had a blast!

Ellie wasn't as vocal about her enthusiasm, but she was there vying for turns just as much as anyone.

Curtis was a little more serious (as usual) and seemed to spend a significant amount of time observing and taking in the experience. Hilarious.

Big thanks to aunt Cindy for letting my kids (all four of them) experience something new and FUN!

Going to the Sun

When we drive to my hometown, there are a couple routes we can take. The majority of the time we have opted for the quickest and most convenient one. Why spend more time in the car with screaming children than you have to, right? This summer, however, we took the opportunity to take the road less traveled...and it was amazing.

We drove on the Going to the Sun Road through Glacier National Park in North Montana. It was breathtakingly beautiful and, in spite of the sheer drop-off on one side of the road, we just love it.

Near the summit there is a pathway to an overlook area which typically provides onlookers with a fairly close view to any number of mountain goats. This year we ambled down the path to the fenced-in area only to find it occupied by two mangy looking parents and their little baby. (I think I might have been a little too close as daddy goat tried to find a way out of his unexpected pen...but I got a great shot.)

After watching the little mountain goat family we spent a little time letting Curtis stretch his legs. He just loved walking around. It might have something to do with the never-ending hours strapped into a car seat...I dunno.

Winners

Thanks to random.org's easy-peasy integer generator July's winners have been picked. Congratulations to:

Jonie Schaeffer:

Kim Hanks:

Emily Lewis:

For those of you who just cursed these three lovely women and their beautiful kids/grandkids, please be assured that you can find your own dose of lovely by either talking to the infamous Holly or visiting the Girly Accents website.

(FYI: Holly can, and does, do custom orders...yes she's just that good.)