Memory Problems

So, I guess I've had a lot to say since this is my third post in 2 days. Anyway, Tuesday (just this last Tuesday mind you-a day and a half ago) we were at my friend, Tori's house. When we went to say a prayer over lunch Addison mentions that we never say prayers at our house. A little more discussion and I figure out she means she never gets asked to say prayers at our house (completely untrue). So I've had her say every prayer since just so that she has a strengthened memory through opportunity. This morning (Thursday morning) I asked her to say the prayer over breakfast and she says that she says way too many prayers and just can't do it anymore. No wonder no parent is perfect . . .

Inventory

So, today's little project . . . I am finally unpacking my food storage that has been packed since Oct. 2006. We sold our condo in Oct. 2006 and moved in with my parents for what we orginally thought would be 2 months TOPS, but turned into 7 months while we looked for a house. We moved into our house in May 2007, but left everything that would go in the basement in boxes in the garage while we slowly finished the basement. We've finished up to the paint and we're out of money for carpet until we've earned some extra with busy season. I am so sick of the garage situation though that I'm going to move everything into the storage rooms and closets NOW since it can stay there while the carpet is being put in.

Today the girls and I seperated everything to take an inventory of what we have and what is still good. A lot of it's okay because I continued to shop the sales while I was at my mom's and here. Anyway, this little project turned out to be a lot of work with a lot of dust. I think I'll let Ansen get all the water and 10-cans from the cannery . . . .

As it turns out we have enough BBQ sauce, shampoo, toothpaste, granola bars, pineapple and cereal to last us 6 years. We may be starving to death but at least our teeth and hair will be clean . . . provided we have enough water. And I'm sure that granola bars dipped in BBQ sauce will be a nice change when we're sick of just granola bars.

Snow Bunnies

Monday was "Snow Fun" (no fun for me and snow fun for the girls). We woke up to a foot of white, fluffly snow. It took Ansen a cool 2 hours to get to work. I got up early to shower and be ready for pre-school since we'd have to leave way, way early today only to realize it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day so no school anyway. We're having our basement painted and it stinks horribly with the paint and the kerosene heater they use to help the paint dry, so we'd planned to be gone, but ended up staying in all day.

When Ansen got home he went to shovel the walks and Addison decided to go out with him. Olivia came in to find me and kept pushing my legs saying, "mommy shoes, shoes mommy." She wanted to go too. It was bed time, but what the heck, she'd be back in in 5 minutes anyway. We got everyone dressed up and they headed out for not 5 minutes, but 45 minutes of snow playing in the dark! Ansen brought them in and then went to help our new neighbors move in. Olivia stood by the door and cried "daddy out, go! go!" because she wanted to go back out. Hot chocolate and a donut couldn't even re-direct her attention.

Snotty, red cheeked and cold, but still happy!

Here we go again . . .

If you're wondering why we become MIA over the next 4 months it's due to busy season! YA! Ansen isn't even in tax, but it's audit season too. He does inventory observations all January, and then the audits begin with the 70-80 hour work weeks (and weekends) . . . he luckily gets overtime! They specialize in SEC audits which are due May 15 and extensions due May 22. So I'm a single (working) mom until then. I do a little tax work, so my busy season starts up too. How fun are we? Seriously! Okay, let's hear it . . . bring on the accountant jokes. And no, we don't fight over who balances our checkbook! And I know what you're thinking . . . boo-hoo for us- we picked it.

Best thing ever . . . . 8:30 Church!

And there is no sarcasm in there! Good-bye 2:30-5:30 church, good-bye interupted naps, good-bye crabby baby inactivity, good-bye hunger headaches, good-bye and good riddens! What's the excitment about? I'll tell you.

1. No time to procrastinate in the morning
2. Sacrament meeting is more reverent -we can hear the speaker now
3. My primary kids are awake and happy - and so is our baby hence the reason we are completely active again
4. No one is hungry (Fast Sunday will be so much easier)
5. But, the best part is ( . . . drum roll . . . ) we come home at 11:30 and it's lunch and naps for all! Even after a 2 hour nap, it feels like we still have a whole day together!

In addition to the wonderfulness of our first Sunday with 8:30 church, Olivia started nursery! She did great for her first week in nursery. She went right in and I left, but when I picked her up she wouldn't let go of my hand so I think she realized that something was going on there. We'll see how long it takes until she connects that every time she goes in that room, her parents leave her for hours. When Addison turned 18 months I couldn't wait until she could finally go to nursery and I remember thinking she was so old. This time around I look at Olivia and think, are you sure she's ready? She's just my baby! My prospective has completely changed between kids! Then again, I've been in primary for 6 months and Ansen has had her every Sunday.

Can you write A-D-D-I-S-O-N?

Just a few experiences that as a parent, I'd like not to forget.

POSTED:

When we first moved into our house, Ansen was gone and I was putting Olivia to sleep. When I finished I came out and went into my closet. As I turned around to come out I notice this really nice, red "POSTED" stamp stamped onto the wall. I hurried and ran into the bathroom to get a wash cloth only to find about 8 more "POSTED" stamps on the counter top. At this point I become suspicious and start searching for more. I found them all over the bathtub, all down the foot board of my bed, matching his and her stamps above each of our nightstands, all over the mirror to our dresser that was still on the floor, on each drawer of our dresser, right below the light switch and so on. In the five minutes I was putting Olivia to sleep Addison found my "POSTED" work stamp and decorated the house and furniture. Thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Erase it all came off. I found "POSTED" stamps in odd places for weeks. During sacrament meeting, 2 or 3 weeks later, I found a big "POSTED" stamped in the center of her church doll with all the Velcro clothes I was finally able to smile.

A-D-D-I-S-O-N:

Tuesday, we had another similar experience. Addison got laminated bingo cards and other car games for Christmas from her friend. It came with 2 wipe erase markers. Ansen took her shopping and on the way home noticed a large print "Addison" written across the whole middle seat of the car with the marker. Upon further inspection there was 2 more "labels" on the back of the driver's seat and the ceiling. Plus a really nice yellow "A" on the knee of her pants. Again we were lucky, it all came out with resolve. I'm still working on the pants . . .

(Since the "POSTED" experience was before blogging I didn't think of pictures and Ansen cleaned the car before I could get a picture.)