Can you say TOO MUCH?!?

I have no idea what the heck is wrong with me and what exactly I want in life. It seems I want more but then I want nothing at all. For example let's take today. And FYI I am blessed with female hormones out of whack right now too. I got a new puppy! Yes I already have a dog but I have been wanting something tiny to take care of and since having a baby would take a miracle or an indiscretion..... puppy it is. Plus Jett is such an incredible dog and he doesn't need to be watched 24/7 just walked and feed and cuddled. Anyway, today while trying to get the new puppy excited about peeing outside I have to use my extra happy voice. Well, Jett really LOVES my extra happy voice and knows it means something great. So I am telling Jagger (new puppy) "Let's go outside!!!" since he had been sniffing around and I could tell it meant potty time. So Jagger starts out the door. Then from down the hall at full speed here comes Jett and he blows through the kitchen and runs out the door stomping on Jagger on his way. Well, Jagger gets a paw hurt and he is scared to death so he runs the opposite direction back into the house. 2 seconds later there is a puddle on the floor that would have been outside if Jett wouldn't have come bounding. URG.... But this is NOT Jett's fault. Jett is not even a year yet himself. Things like this have been challenging. I try to play and tire out new puppy with play and of course that means you need to play with Jett too. It has been crazy fun trying to play hard tug-o-war on one arm and soft tug and shake with the other. I need to get some video of this!! Also with treat giving I have to make sure I make Jett do one of his tricks too so both get a treat and both earn it. Every time Jagger goes potty I reward him and then have to make sure I have Jett sit, lay down, shake, play dead etc. Potty training is also TONS of fun right now because it is FREEZING cold outside. You have to put on shoes and get your coat and get the puppy outside before he pees inside. They say to walk them out when you see them needing to go so they know which way to go to do it themselves. I REALLY doubt he could hold it while I am running around trying to get my coat on and find my shoes. There are times when I go out without shoes and coat and of course those are the time he decides to take FOREVER. Jett loves to come out and make him play with him while I am patiently waiting to get excited about yellow snow which is just lovely. You know how as a Mom and you take your kids to a pool and they don't know how to swim? You are constantly on guard making sure he or she doesn't drown. It is EXHAUSTING! I mean I have never needed a nap more then after just sitting pool side and just watching! So now take the feeling and multiply it by an entire day and see how you feel. I don't want pee or poo poo on the floor so it is a constant watch when he is not in his crate. I now look forward to crate time when I did when my kids were babies and they finally fall asleep. Jett always goes with me to pick up the kids from school. He was really excited and had to say hi to all of them one at a time. We start driving and he is making his rounds. He starts getting up into the front seat and one of his legs gets stuck. He is crying I don't know how to unstick him and I start shaking and pull off the road. Jett gets unstuck but now I am shaky and feeling sick because I have never heard Jett cry like that before. So did I really want all this responsibility?!?! I sure as heck thought I did and have been searching for that special poochy since April. What is wrong with me? lol I have tons of kids, a house to clean, meals to make, homework to help with, errands to run, kids to pick up, teeth to be brushed, bodies to be cleaned and I want to add not one but TWO dogs to the mix. I am so excited about all my kids being in school and all that I am going to be able to do or NOT do *wink* So why the heck am I adding more cute things to do??? I don't know what void I am trying to fill but I better figure it out soon before I fall over into a coma. Oh, a coma sounds just LOVELY!!!

Bad kitty or Bad Lissa?

Well, well, well...
Alissa has been wanting a Kitty for a long Long LONG time
We have said no and Shan continues to say no
But Poky had a half price adoption which was only 42.50 for
Adoption
Spay or Neuter
Microchip
Med Vet check
Rabies shot
Carrier
Collar
and a DVD on how to take care of your kitty

So Nice Silly Crazy Mommy bought a Kitty
Alissa held about four before she found this one
She didn't bite her ears like some of them
She didn't meow like crazy
She didn't claw her and struggle
She just curled up her in arms and purred
Aww...
Well, then the nice lady said you can't take her til we spay her
Big tears and the nice lady says you need time to get ready for kitty like
Buy her food and toys
Alissa says I already did!! So can I take her
Nice lady says Nope
More tears... Mean Lady lol

Two days later..

We brought home kitty and Mommy is having second thoughts
Kitty and Jett's first meeting did NOT go well
AND....
I just walked into the bedroom and this is almost four hrs after getting Kitty
And sniffed and said WHERE IS THE POOP?!?!
Lissa is looking at me wide eyed from the bed
I look and see poop on the bed
I see poop on the pillow
I see poop on another pillow
and another
I said Lissa how did this poop get all over
She looks at me pulls back her blanket and starts crying and says
"She even pooped on me and I don't like being dirty!"
(I have to admit that I did giggle here)
I say Oh Lissa take off your jammies and let me help you

I gather everything and then see a little poop on the floor
I pick up a towel by it and it is all over the towel and the floor
Hmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

I get the towel, jammies, 3 blankets and 3 pillows and head to the laundry room
I start first batch of poopy laundry and go back up stairs to start on the floor

So the question still is Bad Kitty or Bad Lissa????

I again ask Lissa
"How did this happen?"
"Well, the kitty got into the litter box house and I wanted to hold her so I took her out! And then she pooped on me."

OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO

I say Lissa when the kitty is in her litter box you don't take her out
Okay Mommy
*sniffle*
And Lissa next time there is an accident please just come and get Mommy and don't try to hide it and clean it up okay
Okay Mommy

I already wish I would have taken the No road. Oh, well
Keep Moving Forward!
Right?!?!

Bytheway

I would like to introduce

PRINCESS

What a grand opening!!

Bring in the Clowns

Belle's friend Emily had a birthday Sept 12
The theme was wear your Halloween costume
Belle wants to be a scary skeleton dude
Emily told her nothing scary Belle
So we decided on the clown outfit!

Belle had a great time with putting her hands into mooshy gooshy stuff
Going on a scavenger hunt
trick or treating for candy
and
telling Ghost stories!!

She is such a poser
She came up with all of these and more on her own!!
If she can get over her shyness I think she could be a fabulous actress!!

C is for Clown

Alissa's Teacher painted her face for C is for Clown day!!
Can I say again that she has an AMAZING teacher?!?!

Alissa can do the splits!!!
She can even get all the way straight!!
Next year when I am not paying for pre-school I want to get her into gymnastics or ballet.

Sleeping "pesky" Beauty

Okay so this is a very sweet picture...
BUT
The before hand wasn't so sweet
I was sooooooo tired
I had 30 min before the next thing I had to do and I wanted to sleep for just a minute. So I set my cell alarm for 30 min and...
Mom
Mom
MOM
"Can I sleep with you?"
"Yes just hold still and be quiet please"
I would fall asleep and then..
Tap
Tap
Tap
Mom
Mom
MOM
"What"
"I am tired too so can I sleep with you"
"Yes Lissa, but please don't wake Mommy up"
Out again for maybe 2 min
Tap
Tap
Tap
MOM
"I am sleeping with you"
URG!
"Alissa you are not being very nice to your Mommy"
I get up I go to the bathroom
I come out and this is what I found
But now there is no time for Mommy to sleep
YAWN

First Day of School!!!

Better late then never huh? lol
First pic is of Jett. Dax thought he should have a first day of school pic backpack and all!! :o)

Belle and Xave!
It was super hot on Aug 24th but my kids are really into hoodies!
Belle started 4th grade with Mrs. Black
Xave started 2nd grade with Mrs. Andrews

Dax
Daxton started Kindergarten this year!!!
So far he is loving school, his teachers and making friends.
He doesn't like having to wait til 12:05 to go to school and wants to go with Belle and Xave in the morning.
His teacher is Mrs. Ball

I was so excited!! Shan usually misses these moments but he came home early for lunch and was able to go with us to take Dax to his first day of school!!

Devin isn't big on the doorway pics lol But I loved this picture from the family photo shoot so I will share this one!!
Devin started 10th grade this year!!!!!!!
His first day was Aug 31st
Shailee is still going to school in Moses Lake WA
She is in 9th grade this year and loves that she and Devin are starting HS at the same time since here Devin was still in Middle school in 9th and in WA 9th grade is HS. :o) Shailee's first day was Sept 2nd

Alissa
Alissa goes to preschool Tues-Thurs from 1:30 to 4
She loves it and comes home every day with the cutest crafts!!
Her first day was Sept 8th

Mrs. Jana Maio aka "Teacher Teacher Teacher"
Alissa jumps from the car everyday yelling this and then running up to her and giving her a hug!!

Grabbing onto the rope to cross the street

Cute huh? Jana is full of fabulous ideas!!

I am so glad I am no longer working. My kids are growing up so fast. I can't believe how amazing they are!! I am just so grateful!!

September 11th :o(

I just have to blog today and say that I LOVE my country!
I am so proud of people who have the courage and strength to fight for my freedom! I am so grateful for those who have died so I can be free.
Today before the kids went to school I had them watch the video's from 2001.
They had many questions and they are so pure that they don't understand why people could do something like this.
I loved the power of music and how it made me cry and also comforted me at the same time. Here is one of my favorite songs written for that sad day.

Yellowstone and Dennis

Dennis our exchange student from Germany who lived with us 2 years ago came to visit us! Who would have thunk that he would ever want to come see our crazy household again :o)

We decided to have a family swim day at Lava Hot Springs. We got there and discovered two new very steep slides and new higher prices *gasp* Having two adults, a German, a Dalton and six kids doesn't come cheap but we sure did make some priceless memories. Dennis decided he would jump off the highest tower! YIKES!! He was so proud of himself that 10 days later when I dropped him off at the airport he was still wearing his bracelet showing he did it lol

There he goes! When I was 10 I jumped off the top of that too! I remember jumping and someone on one of the lower boards saying "It's just a little girl" In my head I said "I AM NOT LITTLE" then smack hit the water and wedgie!! :o)

Dennis wanted to visit Yellowstone. I asked all the kids who wanted to go with us and only the two youngest wanted to. We had to leave super early and Shan said I should just leave them sleeping that it would be easier for me but I grabbed them anyway. It was a a day of driving from 7am to 10pm and there wasn't one complaint out of them! They were the bestest little travelers!!!

Alissa enjoying the fresh breeze of yellowstone while driving 23 miles an hour. There was lots of construction and many MANY cars so we got to really see yellowstone at a pace that everyone should experience! It was sooo beautiful and green this year!!!

Bubbling mud

Small geyser

Waiting for old faithful after eating some grub

Alissa giving you all out there a little wink

Old faithful! Dennis watched while it gave off the little spurts it does before the big one. He kept pulling out his camera and I would say not yet it's just playing with us. After a little while of this he said maybe that was it. I laughed and said Dennis when it goes off you will KNOW!!

I have never been to the Yellowstone lake. It was sooo blue and beautiful!!

On the pier

By a sulfur pond

Buffalo

Breathtaking view! I was just in awe of the beauty!

We had rain and hail storms all day. We were very lucky though because we were always in our car when it happened and not out on some far away trail.

Which way do we go kiddos?

They thought they were funny when we came to this big rock wall and they said now this way Mom te he he

What are these kiddos looking at?

*Gasp* GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!! This is where nature is beautiful and scarily deadly.

Two little cuties sitting on a log

Traffic jam we were stuck in for about 30-40 minutes. The kids thought it was fun that they could be in the road. I got bit by mosquitoes all over my body but Dennis, Alissa and Daxton didn't get ANY!!

Dax and I thought it would be funny to look like we were getting hit by the car

Dennis and I

Alissa telling me what to do from the backseat
What a goofy goober

Alissa's first self portrait one handed camera shot *giggle*

Boy is it windy!! Alissa does NOT have chubby cheeks!
SLOW DOWN MOMMY!

Dennis wanted to take a turn at the wheel. He drives in Germany but "can't" in America when he asked me I thought of the movie Rainman..."Dad let's me drive slow in the driveway".... So I let him cruise at 25 miles per hour through the slowly moving traffic.

Tired kids. It was a long long day

We didn't eat much cuz the food was sooo expensive in the park. So this was a sight for hungry bellies when we drove into Rexburg.
It was a fabulously beautiful day!!
(FYI this all happened Aug 1-10th 2009)

Guilt Free!

I had an absolutely wonderful day filled with...
Well, let's just say it was FILLED!!
I woke to my alarm going off at 6:00 am
If you know me I don't do early mornings but today was different!
I got dressed, grabbed a protein bar and with hubby headed to the gym
We worked out for an hour and then headed home
I woke up the kids and for the first time in a VERY long time made them do some jobs besides cleaning their rooms before going to school
So before 8:30 am the downstairs was cleaned and vacuumed
The upstairs cleaned and vacuumed
All bedrooms cleaned and beds made
Got breakfast on the table and then to school to drop off the first two kids and Shan in the opposite direction with another kid
Got back home and made more food for the two remaining kids
Alissa and I mopped the kitchen floor and bathroom floors
(lucky for me I bought something to clean my toilets automatically for 4 months!)
Dusted the entry table and washed all the nic nacks
Washed the shelves and dusted the picture frames
Washed front glass screen door and back door
Cleaned the bar downstairs, took the stuff from the hallway that has been sitting for weeks out to the garage, rearranged the kitchen, cleaned and straightened my desk and since that just wasn't enough I decided it was high time to clean out, vacuum and wash the car
So off we headed to the car wash and I LOVE that you can used your debt card now because with four younger kids I NEVER have quarters anymore
The car looked fabulous and I felt fabulous in my sparkly car
Home again to fix some lunch
then off to take Daxton to school
on the way home I headed to the dollar store for some dawn for the last dish I wasn't able to wash earlier
Got Alissa ready for her first day of pre-school and then on the road again!
(I will tell more of that in another email)
Home again and wondering what I am going to do with a free hour to myself with a clean sparkly house and a clean sparkly car... Hmmmm
Well, hubby came home for lunch!!
So we ate and yada yada yada :o)
I decided to go pick up the kids the long way with Jett so we took off running and I am glad we ran because we got there just in time for the bell to ring
I found three more kids and back home we went!
Now homework and reading time and today even the kindergartner had homework
Then got Belle and Xave ready for their bootcamp class at the gym and headed over to pick up Alissa from school.
Got a smiley Lissa and headed to the gym
Put the younger two into the nursey
Xave and Belle loved the class but got sweaty and hot and say they think they don't want to do it anymore.. I say let's try the kickboxing class on Thursday and see how that goes *wink*
Talked to two friends and then headed home to fix dinner
Made dinner, cleaned up dinner, kissed hubby and he headed back to work
(He works Monday and Tuesday til 10 now that I quit my job I am thankful for him!!)
Daxtons job today was picking up the toys outside so we could mow the lawn so out we went
After the toys were safe I started up the lawn mower and away I went
(I love how nice and green our grass is now! There were a few weeks this summer because of our sprinkler breaking and our basement flooding that our lawn kinda went downhill and you couldn't even tell where to set the lawnmover for the next row!! So I was so thankful to have three full bags of grass instead of just one with lots of green green grass cuttings)
I finished and Dax came out and wanted to jump
So all the kids came out and we played..
Who can stay standing the longest
Add on
and how high can you make me jump
Inside for drinks, PJs, teeth, stories and bed
And now I am sitting her talking to you all and I have just finished two cookies
GUILT FREE!!
I totally deserved them!!!

Take me out to the ball game!

Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks....

Well, this Mommy didn't want to spend the money for food at the ballpark so we had our ballpark grub before hand.
What a smart Mommy

Idaho Falls is home of the Chukars
It is a minor league and we have had a few of our local players go on to be pro! This is the statue in front of the Melaleuca Field

From the furthest away.. Devin, Dalton, Koy, Xave, Alissa, Dax, Shan, Shailee and Brielle waiting for the game to start

Watching the guys wet down the field

Here's my Ticket!! It was Texas Roadhouse night so my friend who waitresses there gave me some free passes!!

Cutest couple at the ballpark and the couple that was crazy enough to bring eight kids along! I say the more the merrier!

Xavey got the mascot to wave at him and took a picture

I love this pic of Brielle and Shailee!!
We only lasted one inning but they loved doing the pledge, watching the army men, the mascot, eating crackerjacks and yes they cheered.
Xave and Koy were the ones most into the game and they even understood it and could read the score board!!
When the kiddos got bored we just packed up and left.
We might have lasted longer but "smart" Mommy forgot about the extra suckers she put into her purse. That could have gotten maybe another half an Inning lol