Is anyone else as crazy as I feel?

We got to go to Cody's drama performance tonight! All the (drama) kids were so good. One day I might remember the video camera though, all I had was our camera that Eric stuffed into our pocket before we left. Its a good thing he was here, he really has a straight head on his shoulders... most of the time...lol. The younger ones were so good the first half, and then the screaming, and running around started in. I t was very out of their character to be so calm at first anyway. I remember thinking "are they getting sick or something....oh I really hope so...no, Heidi stop that we don't really want our kids to be sick...right....hmmmm........it would be a nice break from all the craziness though??????" I decided in the end that a little 24 hour something wouldn't be so bad. I know that sounds bad, but in my defense I really think that would be better than me being hospitalized in a mental institution. Hmm that sounds bad when you would rather clean up throw up than deal with wild things for another 24 hours. Well I'm sure after a while I would be grateful for their health again. Anyway they are not sick so I will go get some r&r tomorrow at the new Twilight movie with Stacey. Anyone else going to the movie? Well goodnight. Heidi

Even Supermoms get tired

Heidi... I am exactly like you when it comes to receiving help from people... here is what I have learned though. While I am independent (too much so for my own good sometimes)and I like to do things myself and not impose upon others- I don't have the right to take blessings away from others who desire to serve me. When I look at it from that perspective, I have a difficult time refusing help from people who genuinely want to serve me and my family. You are a Supermom! But part of being a Supermom is delegation. Even though you have super powers, you can't do everything all the time. While I still don't follow this advice as often as I should (I volunteer for WAYYYY too much crap) It has helped me a lot. So my house may not be as clean as I want it to be, I have a good husband who helps me, and (for the most part) happy kids. That's what matters, right?

Supermom....hmm??????

So I confessed to my Relief Society presidency today(who came over to see how I was doing) :o(. I debated on showing a big toothed smile, or a calm grin, while lying my pants off about how things are for me around here. "Everything is going well, and of course I'm keeping up with everything. I'm a supermom"....right? They asked me how they can help, and one made a gesture to the pile of laundry I was sweeping out of the way. I immediately said no no no. I would be embarrassed if anyone had to fold any of my underwear. I'm sure they wouldn't mind though, they are the sweetest, most sincere group of ladies there ever was. It must have been their understanding, and accepting vibes emanating from them. I soon melted, and was fighting back the truth of how unruly my children have become since the cold weather hit (even though this week has been wonderful), how I am sooo not keeping up with my chores, and I am barely hanging on to Evan's attention during his lessons. I told them there wasn't anything they could help with (translation: there wasn't anything I was going to let them help with, because I am very independent ( more translation: its more that I hate putting people out)these are things I'm working on). The only way to help me is for God to bless me with more arms, and more energy,.......well.........theres always drugs! J/K I will just say one more thing, to all the women that think they are not a supermom, but tell other women they are, and those women that get told they are supermoms, but don't think they are: go play with your kids, they surely think you are a supermom, and truly you are. luv ya Heidi

Quality family time

It all started when it leaked out from somewhere that Eric's Dad might not have too much time left here in this experience. The doc was a bit premature with his diagnosis, in that Blair had roughly 6 months to live. As you can imagine news like that does not fall on tight lips around here, so before you know it there's a get together in the mix. Now I am usually the one to volunteer our place to do the hosting, but I was not up for it this time. Given the circumstances I couldn't very well tell my husband "no" when he offered our place freely... Right? Lets keep in mind here how busy I have been with homeschooling 2 children, running into town everyday to get the other two at school, cooking, and cleaning, and still trying to stay available to my youngest two (lets just say cooking, and cleaning have gone out the window, and been carried away on one of those really strong wind storms that blow through here, and send all the socks, cloths, folding camping chair covers, and trash that my kids left outside across to the neighbors yard). So you can imagine my immense relief when I heard the doc was all wrong (besides the relief of knowing that Blair still has plenty of time here with us). I sighed with relief of getting off the hook......until I abruptly had to suck it back in, because Eric was saying something about "it" is still on at our house. I stood there in shock, complete, and utter shock. I mean was I thrown in some other universe, since when did the "Smiths" not back out of a family bonding moment when they had a chance to??......
OK fine I'll buck up and do this, Super Saturday craft day only comes once a year(and I live for that day!!) but I can go, and leave the house with Eric for a few hours in the morning to get the know how on the crafts, and the gift exchange between my sisters and I that's been planned for a while can happen later that night.
The big day! I woke up and was feeling awful (I had tried respectfully to duck out of everything a couple days prior, confessing that I was sick along with a couple of my boys, but to my shock again no one seemed to care). Eric took me to the store so I could choose my medicine, and it had to be something good to get me through this day. We had a late start and didn't get back till a couple hours before the shindig, so I rushed over to the church to be surrounded by my most favorite thing to do (craft)! I had such an enjoyable time that I didn't even realize the time till Eric called to tell me that people where showing up. Everything went fine until my 3 year old comes up to me to show me his pretty face..... "hm-mm...looks kind of shinny....that color sure looks familiar!!!@#$#@#@%^&^" I ran to the bathroom to confirm the worst. Now I'm not an extravagant girl, and it actually took me several years to get into the practice of using makeup, and now I rather like it. I knew better than to splurge on expensive makeup but I really really liked it, and I have been guarding it so well..... Anyway with it being powder make up it didn't make it. OK I will look past this, I'm sure I will laugh about it in the near future. (he..he..ha..ha OK too soon). Its now about 3 0clock, I dish up my plate of food, and head for the living room to sit with my hubby. I get to the living room, and I see a new spot on the carpet, I stand there a minute just staring thinking oh please let that be food. I set my plate down and get a few cleaning supplies, get on my hands and knees, and go in for the sniff. OK!OK! that is NOT food, and its NOT dog, turkey, or chicken POO!!!! I don't know who, or how, but I know I will be the one to clean it up !!@@%&$*#$%&*! After about a pint of cleaner, about 20 wipes, and lots of scrubbing my hands didn't feel fit to touch my food. After that Sam bringing me the torch, Payton wandering to the neighbors house (and who knows where else), and other minor going ons nothing seemed to phase me. Even my late night in Rexburg (the next town over) was just a blurr, a very tired blur.
As I think about it it was good to reconnect with family, see how the new little one has grown, get some digi scrap, and blog help from a very generous sister in law (I hate the in law part of that). And as my husband, and I were talking about this he remarked "hey, I helped a lot, don't you think" so just to make it clear yes you were a ginormous help! It was wonderful to come back late at night to a clean kitchen, kids bathed, and in bed, and all the food put away nicely, oh and thank you for talking everyone out of going to a restaurant that night, it surely wouldn't have been as much fun. Luv you all, Heidi ;o)

Getting creative with kids

This is part of an email to one of my friends asking for advice, thought you might enjoy the story.


I have fun taking my boys places. They know if they are disobedient it stops for a while. Places like the grocery stores can be stressful, so I came up with this train idea to keep the younger ones entertained. I get two carts and put one in front of the other, both facing the right way, I sit Sam (because he is the one that most likely will cause problems) in the seat of the one in front, and he hooks his legs over the cart facing him. I put Whyett in the other seat , Payton in the main area of the cart, and the groceries in the other big area of the other cart. So its a train through the store, they love it! I hope you can get a picture off my description. You would not believe the looks I get (good and bad), but as long as I'm not running over people, the kids are staying out of the food on the shelves, and everyone is accounted for its been a successful trip to the store. With six kids they can scatter and cause chaos faster than you can react, I know Ive been there. In fact just last Thursday I had the younger four with me at Winco, and Payton got lost, I was looking down one isle and saw him zip past the other end of it. I new he was looking for me, and the only way to catch him was to leave the cart behind (with the baby, and 4& 6 year old), and run down the isle to catch up. So I told Evan, and Sam (the 6 &4 year old) to stay right by Whyett (the baby) till I got back, I ran down the isle yelling Payton's name, he stopped when he heard me. I grabbed him and ran back to the cart. Luckily there was hardly anyone there (which is why I go on Thur.). Moral of this story...if I had the train system up I could have avoided the whole thing. So to heck with what people think, I'm pullin doubles when I go to the store from now on. Heidi

I am # one

This will be a great blog for Heidi's real life stories.

?? "Pampered" Chef ??

Thanks for the reminder! After tonight I could use the reminder to breath...in.....uummmm.....oh yeah......out! I had a Pampered Chef party tonight. I was certainly not pampered tonight. It turns out the P.C. lady is one of Eric's friends' wife from out at Ropers (the dance club I met Eric). She asked to bring her two daughters, and of course I said yes. I remember what it was like, sometimes I didn't know what to do with Cody when I had a show to do. Well, we had seen Dave (Eric's friend) at a store about two weeks prior to tonight, and was talking about unruly (hellion) kids. He had mentioned his three, or four year old daughter was a handful, and we agreed that we knew what that was like, and that our four year old (Sam) was a challenge as well. Well................the two Hellion's hit it off right away, and double handily trashed the basement,( toys, and a dozen chocolate muffins later, oh and some how paint got spilled on the carpet down there in the mix of things too), they ransacked the bedroom upstairs, malled Whyett (the poor kid will probably always be afraid of little girls) ate allllll the strawberries (that were for the desert for that night), and most of the frozen blueberries. That's just what I managed to see. In spite of all that, and cleaning, and organizing for two days straight, I thought I appeared like I had IT all together ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha hah ahha ha ahah ah aha aha haa ahha hahah hahaha hah!!!! The Good and most Merciful Lord had some humbling to do that night at my house, oh yeah, some good old fashion HUMBLING.

So it starts when Cody says to me "Can I just tell them one joke? Please!!! I nervously stand in the back so i can cue him to stop at anytime (I know 11 year old humor) first one... borderline, then he sneaks two more in, I shew him of his stage, where he is laughing at his jokes before hes finished, then comes the loud screaming from downstairs. They are the kind of screams kids find them selves in, that must pump extra adrenaline into there blood, because they are getting more shrill by the second, and they don't stop. Everyone looks at each other and then at me as if to say are you going to go down there to tame the wild beasts? I just shake my head and give a look of defeat, because I know that even if I were to go down there they would not stop, and my screaming at them to stop would just intensify them on more...................So the screaming subsides as I finally walk to the top of the stairs. I think OK maybe I don't have to go down. Then I hear a faint crying, and think that does not sound like mine.........maybe it will go away............nope its getting louder, so I say to Reagan (the P.C.lady) that cry isn't mine. She rushes over to the stairs as her daughter comes up with ....and of course.......a bloody nose. Instantly Cody runs down stairs demanding an explanation from Sam. Aaron's yelling from down stairs that he punched her in the nose on purpose. Reagan's in the bathroom trying to stop the bleeding, and so I trudge down stairs for Sam. I asked Sam what happened.......he admitted to hitting her and climbs the stairs to his time out spot with out a word(which is not like Sam, he fights time out with every breath in his body, and he has a lot of breath) . I get up there and tell him to apologize and go to his room till things calm down. You can tell as guest are filing out the door the party is over, (as I am swearing off these kind of functions at my house forever) I tell them good night, thanks for coming to my party..... (to the show!!) and humbly shut the door, and rush to help her clean up and pack her things. She must have wanted to get her two girls to safer ground, because she was ready to go when I came into the kitchen, she had packed her dirty things into her bag, she left, I shut the door confident that I will never hold a home (disaster) party again.

Just for the record it was a total accident what happened with her nose. Sam just got confused and thought that he must have done it on purpose, because of how his older brothers were acting. But that didn't come out until later, after she was gone. So truly....... to heck with trying to appear like I have it all together!!!!! I will probably never have it together, or even come close to appearing that way. :0) oh well. Going to bed, must sleep now. Heidi

Eric grabbing life by the horns

So have you ever wondered what social standard your characterized in, I have, and I"m afraid its not upper class (socially).
Eric, and I were up around 12:30 midnight, and the dogs started going crazy outside. Eric was only in his undies (we were going to bed), and he didn't see the point of putting them on since everyone sane was in bed a sleep (maybe we should question our sanity for staying up till 1-2 o'clock most nights). So I herd his feet speed run down the driveway, and across the front sidewalk, and lawn. I heard this go on for a couple minutes, and out of curiosity I go out in my pj's, I was surprised to see Eric on the driveway just standing there with the motion light on. I asked how he could be out in just his undies? He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't care what people think". I asked him what he was running after, and he said there was a wiener dog that wouldn't go away, so he was hiding behind stuff, and jumping out to scare the dog off. At that point the cow starts thrashing his horns into the fence (that's how he asks for food), he could easily tear the fence up ( he knows this, he has done it a couple times). Eric grabs him some hay, and when he goes to put it into his trough the cow horns him in the arm. If you know Eric you know he doesn't put up with getting bullied around, so he grabs him by the horns, and twists him till he falls over. The rooster starts crowing, and the chickens start waking up. We decide we better go in before we wake up the whole neighborhood. I start laughing, because I'm not sure you can get anymore "hick" than this. BUT I think ignorance really can be bliss at times, I wonder if you can have selective ignorance? Luv ya, Heidi