Dry Cleaning my new found LOVE!

I don't think I am your typical female figure. I have heard stories of my grandmothers ironing their dish towels so that they lay better when they are put away or ironing their underwear so that they have nice creases in them when you get them out and put them on. My theory has always been to look at the tags of clothes I am purchasing and if they are going to require any kind of ironing, to put them back on the rack and just walk away. Way too much effort for me. I think that's why I have never taken a liking to sewing....it requires ironing....I can't figure out how to get the clothes or the fabric placed on the board so that it irons and makes the right creases without creasing another part of the clothes....it's way too frustrating for me. Anyway, back to the dry cleaner...

Recently my husband had to purchase a suit for work. Now he looks dang good in it, but that's beside the point. I can't wash and dry the thing in my washer and dryer, it needs dry cleaned. He has also bought a good looking pair of slacks and a few colored collared shirts - he also looks smokin hot in these. Anyway, all of these purchases required an iron - yes I do own one, but I might use it once a year at most. So the deal is, he bought these items, he must iron them and he does and he's good at it. The suit however goes to the dry cleaner. I went to pick it up after having in there and I also took one of my linen skirts that hasn't been in like a year and funny thing happened....

I fell in love with the dry cleaners!

They brought out the suit and my skirt in these nice plastic covers and they were pressed beautifully and looked to nice I wanted to frame them and hang them up. If I had the funds I would take all of Travis' shirts and all of my clothes that could stand to be ironed and would look better if I did iron them to the dry cleaners every week....they came out looking so celestial (for lack of a better word). But alas, I can't afford to dry clean everything and so I will still wear my clothes a little wrinkly and no one will likely care and Travis will still have to iron his own things and he will still look good. But once a year when I take my linen skirt in or Travis' suit I will savor the moment I get them back. What a great invention that dry cleaning!

Why do you love to see my tears?

Tonight was yet another night that Travis was gone and I was putting kids in bed by myself. Now I am not upset that Travis was gone...he is working and for that I am very grateful, however, there is always a lot of drama when I am the lone parent.

Here is a little glimpse of the evening:

6:00 pm (baths have begun) - Hunter asks to play outside so I let him go for 20 minutes while I am bathing Tyler and Gwennie.

6:30 - Hunter comes in and I ask him to take a shower:
H: Mom, why do I have to shower, I hate showers?
M: You stink. Everyone who hasn't showered for 2 days starts to stink. Go get in the shower.
H: No. I'm hungry.
M: You can have a string cheese after your shower since you ate all of your dinner.
H: I will go shower after this show is over. (Wheel of Fortune)
M: Fine.

7:15 - Hunter sees that Gwendalin is getting a push up (Ice cream) and he already had his.
H: Why does Gwennie get a push up?
M: Because she hasn't had hers yet.
H: She gave Tyler a lick - that's not fair, why can't I have a lick?
G: Because you are whining.
M: Go take a shower.
H: No, there is nothing fun about this - I never get to do anything fun.
M: I know. Go shower.
H: Gwennie had two push ups.
M: No she didn't.
H: Mom I swear she did - (tears are streaming at this point)- this is not fair. I hate this.
M: Let's go turn on the shower...
H: (Screaming) I am never speaking to you again, and I won't ever help anyone with anything ever!
M: You just lost your privilage of playing on school nights - don't talk back to me.

7:25 - Hunter is in the shower for about 20 minutes (comes out rejuvinated)

7:45 - Scriptures/Prayer - Hunter wants to read, so he reads for everyone.
M: Time for Bed.
H: I want to watch Cartoons.
M: No, you copped an attitude with me and lost that privilage. Plus it's 8:00 and it's bedtime.
H: (Sits in the hall corner) I am not leaving this corner until I get to watch cartoons.
M: No, that's not an option, I told you it's time to go to bed and you lost your privilage of cartoons before bed.
H: I am not leaving. (still in the corner)
(I go over and smack his leg- he begins to wail...gets up and goes in to Dallin's room with me while I am changing the diaper.)
H: Why do you love to see me in tears....I don't understand why you love to just see my tears all the time. You don't even like me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (all the time he's sobbing)
H: (Climbing into his bed) If there's a fire tonight I am not saving anyone - I am just going to get myself out!
M: Okay. That's fine.

Now you must realize that every night I make my kids straighten their rooms so that "if there's a fire" they can get out safely.

At this point I quit talking and tucked the other three in bed and left the room. When I cam back he said:
H: Mom, you never gave me a kiss.
I walked back in and kissed him goodnight and he said that he was sorry he lied about Gwennie getting two push ups...he just wanted to have two and was trying to get her in trouble.

This may not make sense to anyone but me, but I want to remember that even when they are little some nights were very trying....the mother's guilt once again rears its ugly head and I feel awful for being the mom that "loves to see their son's tears." I was just trying to follow through with choices and consequences.

Fears

Hello, my name is Marie and I am a mother.

Every mother has fears, they usually consist of things like I hope nothing happens to my kids while they are gone to school or outside playing, I hope my kids are still breathing through the night, I hope my kids turn out to be productive good citizens of the society they belong to, and if any of things don't go right it has been my observation that the mother usually blames herself.

The mother's guilt is horrible. I don't know how to avoid or get rid of it, but I have come to grips with it for the most part- I realize it will just always be there. I am trying on a daily basis to teach my kids good things and ensure that they know they are safe and loved at home.

A few of my biggest fears as a mother are listed below : (there are more always, but these are on my mind at the moment).

1. What if one of my kids gets diagnosed with some kind of terminal illness?

2. What happens if I forget to check them one night before bed and they got too cold in the night because I didn't cover them up?

3. What if my kids hit Junior High or High School and their skin becomes like mine was?

4. What if there are other kids that are mean to mine and I can't go and just beat them up?

5. What if my kids struggle in school and I can't just help them fix it overnight?

6. What if my boys grow up and marry someone who doesn't want to hang around me for
whatever reason?( I know this won't happen with Gwendalin - daughters are always close
and want to hang out with their parents....it's different for boys, and who they marry
affects this substantially.)

7. What if one of my children makes a very sad decision and I have to watch them go through the pain of making it right?

8. What if I do something to embarrass them in front of one of their friends? I would feel terrible!

9. What if the boy/girl that they like breaks their heart? How do I help them pick up the pieces?

10. What if I didn't read to them enough or make sure they were musically inclined, or had good taste in art and theater?

Now I realize that most of these things will likely happen. It's just hard to prep myself for the future and allow the course to run and just go with the plan. But, alas I will and I will just take each challenge as it comes....with Heavenly Father's help I'm sure somehow the guilt I will have over each circumstance will be bearable.

Lots of great pictures

I haven't been a faithful blogger lately...and tonight I have done 3 posts. This being the third. In this post are all the pictures that didn't fit with what I have already posted about, but I love the pictures and want them in my book at the end of the year...so read on and I will tell you what is happening in each photo...:)

This is my helper not wanting to go to bed because her Daddy was coming home late and she was trying to stay up and "help" with Dallin. She didn't last...she fell asleep. :)

She wanted to model for a picture.

Dallin trying to eat sweet potatoes...I don't think he really likes them. Hunter just saw a photo op and jumped in the pic.

The other night my mom and dad came over and Tyler began calling them Meepa (Grandma) and Beepa (Grandpa)...he would run from one to the other jumping vigorously on each...my poor mom has been sick for about a month and a half and it just about wiped her out to catch him every time.

I love Tricia's face in this picture...so candid...so makes me want to laugh and smile. :)

I got all 4 kids in one picture...Dallin wasn't too happy...but they are all there nonetheless.

Valentine suckers from GM and GP Chesley....

Gwendalin the ballerina...she even let a friend borrow one of her "ballerinas" and then got into a fight over it the next day at the friend's house and had to come home....she loves her ballerina outfits...

They aren't supposed to hang out on the ledge, but they were cute.

The Day of Valentines

Travis was out of town for Valentines so we celebrated with him gone. It was still a good day. Each year I try to do something very small for my kids on Valentine's so that they know we love them....This year Gwendalin got some stick on earrings (78 pair or something crazy like that) - I think she wore at least 7 pair today alone....she kept changing them. Hunter got some splat balls...not sure what they do...I think they splat? Tyler got a little "Handy Manny" with his truck. They were all thrilled. Because finances were tight I didn't have cute little bags to put their goodies in, so they got large ziplocks with their names inside. We did Gwennie's hair like a heart. It turned out really cute. I got some new cross trainers and got to wear a pair of her stick on earrings. Dallin just hung out. Here are few pictures from the day.

Baa-man

Tyler got some Batman Pajamas for Christmas. They are so cute with a little cape that velcroes to the back. He despised them when he got them and wanted nothing to do with them. In the last month or so, somehow, one night Travis actually got him in them. Now I am washing them daily because he wants to wear his Baa-Man. And it's not just enough to have the shirt and pants, if the cape comes off....well, let's just say he's two and the cape must be on at all times. He runs around like a super hero when he has them on, even doing his own little super theme music. If we happen to be on the phone while he is wearing them, he must speak to the person on the other end to let them know he's wearing "my baa-man" as he points to his chest. And when he won't stay in his bed at night we find him in the hall sleeping as a little baa-man!

Squiggeling...

Gwendalin named this movement by Dallin "Squiggeling." It's actually very cute to watch him move all around by thrashing his whole body....cute Dallin boy. None of my other kids ever did anything like this...rolling (Which Dallin does as well) was common among them all, but this is unique to the Dallin Boy.

I

Dallin - 6 months

Here's the sweetest 6 month old you have ever seen! His mom didn't wear make-up to the photo shoot, but they took her in the picture anyway...oh well....;0)

Lots of Smiles!

After Hunter hit his head - he would take baths as to not get the glue too wet and come off too soon. So, one night Tyler got in at the tail end of Hunter's bath...the two of them were a riot to watch. Tyler would spit water in Hunter's face and they would laugh hysterically. I got a few photos of it. (yes, in one my foot is in the pic on purpose to protect the innocent.)




Dallin's story lately is that of pure scream. I have taken him to the doctor 3 times in the last 2 weeks. One of those times he actually had an ear infection...the other times they said he must just be having some temperament issues. I was worried about him because he always holds his face with his little fists and screams like he's in pain...but alas, he checked out fine and just has developed a bad habit of screaming.... The first appointment the doctor (not my regular pediatrician) told me that he just "found his ears" and was playing with them. I was irate...I know I'm not a medical professional, but I have had 3 kids before Dallin and I know the difference between playing with your ears and screaming like you are in pain while you face goes red! Anyway, now that I feel like it's a temporary stage for him to scream, I am dealing with it much better! Plus, look at the kid...he's a doll!

Here's the Tex eating - it's his favorite hobby...he is at such a cute stage right now. Tonight I put him in bed and gave him his airplane to sleep with and he took my hand and started to shake it vigorously and say "thank you mommy" over and over....it was darling.

Here is the prettiest helper you have ever seen. She loves to help with Dallin and she has become so good at writing...she can do her name! Wahoo!