Its a full-time job too...

So from about 12:30 p.m. till 1:30 p.m. you will find me lounging in my chair reading. Twice a day I sit on the computer and look up mundane and silly things. And at night, I like to sit in front of the tv and play Wii or watch shows with my husband...sounds pretty lazy right?!

I'll tell you why not.

I really like being a stay at home mom. Yes, the kids drive me crazy and I have to clean which isn't fun, but I enjoy the freedom of the hours, I like the fact that I am raising my kids and I found out that I actually LIKE to cook. Some days I feel so frazzled that I just want to give up, and others I feel so good at the end of the day with what I have accomplished that I am just that much more excited that I get to have this job. And that's what it really is, right?! I mean, more so since I don't get to leave my work after 8 hours, and I don't usually get a day off. I don't even get overtime!! And I have to chauffeur, cook, be a maid, be a teacher, be a coach, be patient and loving all at the same time. I'm sure there are many other things that I will have to do, but since my kids are young, this is what I am learning now.

So, a while ago, when Cooper was still pretty young, I just got to a place that the house was a disaster, I was tired ALL the time and I really wasn't functioning great as a mother or wife, but I was getting by. I was also feeling a bit guilty because part of the problem was I was getting lost in books and ignoring things that needed to be done. Now once in while, OK, but it was getting to be quite a habit, and then when things were overwhelming, it just was too much to deal with. And I'm the type that is all or nothing, so if I couldn't get EVERYTHING done every day, then why try?! So alot of times I would do just the bare minimum and make sure we didn't trip on stuff, and serve my family soup from a can every night.

I just decided one day that it was enough, and did that crazy cleaning day...you know the one, where you go nuts and destroy yourself trying to get EVERYTHING done?! Ya, one of those...but it didn't work. The kids needed this, the supper had to be done, and I finally realized that with the 3 kids, it just couldn't ALL BE DONE! When I said something to my mom, she said something like, "The house will be there tomorrow. Just make sure they have clean clothes and you don't leave food or garbage to rot around the house. Even the vacuuming can wait if needed..." And I decided that she was right.

I started working on one thing a day, sometimes two or three, depending on the day. And I started taking 'Coffee breaks' and a 'Lunch hour'. This is where I get to sit and do something for me. Usually my coffee breaks (usually including a Diet coke!) include checking my email and facebook or blogging (like right now!) and lunch hour I usually devote to my latest obsession in literature. This way I feel like I've accomplished something important, but I don't feel overwhelmed. Besides, if people who work 'Real' jobs get two 15 minute breaks and one hour lunch breaks, then Moms should too right?! Granted they can be interrupted, and even shortened...sometimes lunch is lengthened just a bit when the book is REALLY good, but at least I got one thing done that day!

I often say its wonderful that kids get so excited when they do the smallest things. Like when they get across the monkey bars, they clean their room, they color a picture...its just something small to us, but they worked hard on it and are so proud of themselves....I think we all need to be like that. Proud of the little things that we accomplished...I did a load of laundry and I put it away, dinner did not come from a box, I played a game with my children, I took a shower and got dressed...enjoy the little things, not just the BIG things. Little things build to make big things.

I regularly follow a blog called Chocolate on my Cranium, you'll find it on my blog list. I really enjoy it because she's a stay at home mom of 8 and she home schools and she writes about lots of fun things she does with her family and to me anyone who has that many kids is inspirational. She had a great entry today and this quote was part of it...

“A house does not have to be perfect to be a home of joy, a child does not have to behave perfectly to love and be loved, and every moment of life does not have to be perfect to be of value. Too often, I realize, we fail to see the glorious reality of the simple joy that abounds in the seemingly mundane routine of day-to-day living. Instead, we tend to idolize the past, idealize the future, and devalue the present…. What better way to show our appreciation to Heavenly Father for what we have than to embrace our lives, albeit “ordinary” and “unexciting,” with joy?”

So I will enjoy the here and now, today is today and I will do what I can, and tomorrow will come and I will deal with it then. And I will take my 'breaks' because I work full time too.

Wordful Wednesday...My Family...

So Wordful Wednesdays this year will all focus on FAMILY... should be pretty easy, right?

And this week is on My Family...

I love our little family. Some may question me when I say little because we have three kids and some may think that's big...but I know we are just a little family. Little in size, big in heart. I think the heart part comes mostly from my children who are larger than life in most things they do. Which seems a little weird to me considering that me and my husband are HUGE homebodies and could care less about going out most of the time. Maybe that's why we were blessed with three CRAZY kids...to keep us on our toes!

I met my husband sometime in adolescence...and then eventually went to High School with him. It was one of those High School Sweetheart things that eventually we decided to get married! Just kidding! I love him because he makes me want to be better. I love him because I can totally be myself with him. And I love him because he loves me and the kids more than anything.

I married my husband 81/2 years ago in the Cardston Alberta Temple. I am ever grateful that we are sealed together forever. That the kids are mine forever. We started our family young...for some people. I was 24 when I had my daughter and we were so excited! Surprised because I was SURE I was having a boy...but out she came! We named her Gracie Dawn...and I'm sorry but she is one of the most beautiful things on this planet...I am often amazed with her face. And she is so full of SPIRIT!! I guess that's the happy mom in me saying that because some days I may replace that word with stubbornness and flakiness! But she LOVES life. She loves to play and laugh. She loves to dance and sing, though she doesn't have much rhythm! HA HA! She is such a happy kid and loves everyone...I think she could make friends with anyone. If world leaders were more like my Gracie...the world would be in a much better place!

We had Brody two years later. He is so like his father. He has this silent stubborn thing and if he don't wanna do it, ain't no one gonna make him! But he is also my softest child. I only have to get angry with him, raise my voice just a bit, and he is heart broken. He is very serious...which he gets from me, and very very smart. He is all boy, but loves to cuddle with me on the couch in the afternoon to watch cartoons. He also adores his sister and can't wait till she gets home everyday. I often wonder what he'll be when he grows up...a baseball playing doctor would probably fit right in with him!

Cooper is my baby. And I wish I could stop him from growing, but I can't. He is 20 months and drives me crazy most days with his attituse! He is actually a great mix of the other two kids...he is very happy and fun filled child, but very determined and set in his ways! Its quite funny to watch. As a mother, I have learned to pick my battles with this one, and I am quite the sucker for his little face, so he probably gets away with alot more than the other two did. He keeps us laughing with his silly antics and dancing and if we do laugh, he just keeps going.

My husband says we can't have anymore kids because they just keep getting weirder every time, who knows what we'll get next. I do agree on some levels...but the weirdness makes me happy. And being happy makes being their mother worth all of the craziness!

Do they ever REALLY grow up?.

Haven't posted for a while, but I had to share this and ask, Do guys ever REALLY grow up? I think not. Here's why I think this.. My husband and his buddies from work decided they were going to grow a Christmas beard...they wouldn't shave for all of December. It started with like 9 guys, but all but 4 could handle it. The rest caved and shaved. But the four grew and grew and by Christmas, my husband looked like this...

He looks like a lumber jack doesn't he? So when he went to work on New Years Eve, they decided they were going to shave, AT WORK! And so some of his fellow employees had some great ideas on how to he should shave it. So when he come home to us on New Years Eve this is what he looked like...

What a goof! We called him Captain Weird Beard and the kids thought it was so funny!

thank goodness he didn't think it was 'stylin' and shaved the next morning.

A Brand New Year...

So time has come again for the start of a New Year. Where are you on your resolutions? I know some people hate to make them, because they feel like if they don't accomplish them, then they have failed. But I think that even if you haven't FULLY accomplished them, at least see what you have accomplished. So what have I done this year and where I need my improvement...

• Fit into my Pre-pregnancy jeans... well, I'm half way there. I needed to lose about 20 pounds last year at this time, and I'm down 10. So there's a start! I start tomorrow with my wake up and go plan in the morning...I've decided that's the only time it will get done!
• Eat for health and Energy...much better, but after this week, oh my goodness. I love homemade goodies and always make too many! But the rest of the year was much better. And I'm starting with a meal plan so I know what I need to make every night for dinner, this helps alot!
• More Family Home Evening...oh about half way. I'm usually all gun-ho for about 3 weeks and then slack for a couple. We'll work on that one.
• Personal Scripture Study...oh about half way. I wanted to read the Book of Mormon all the way through. Well, I'm in Alma! Things got in the way (other books-Twilight, Hunger games...) They shouldn't have, but they did. Still working on it.
• Organization...well, its better. Got rid of some things and cleaned out a few cupboards and such. Still working on it. Started the kids on a new chore chart that they are really excited about, so that helps. And going back to putting a morning and nightly routine on the wall for the kids to follow. This way they just look at the list and do what ever comes next...Helps so much!

So I didn't finish anything! So sad...but I did work on them...and there is always next year! Hopefully 2010 will be even bigger and better than 2009!! Here's to a new decade!