What is the Montgomery flood of 2013 you ask.....In our house it is all ready legendary, even though my oldest two sons haven't even heard about it yet. It all started this morning while I was trying to get my kiddos ready for school. Allison had been missing from the breakfast table for a few minutes...and then I heard it. "Mom, the water in the toilet isn't moving anymore." I am thinking about what Allison just said, but not quite processing it. I arrive in the bathroom with water all ready spilling out on the floor. I use the crappy blue plunger that we leave in this bathroom because it is really much more attractive, and after all it is the guest bathroom. It doesn't even begin to help unclog the 3/4 roll of toilet paper that is in the bowl. It just adds more water to the floor. I yell for Abby to go get the other plunger. I also yell to all of the kids to bring down dirty towels...As they run to the laundry room for clean ones, I remind them to get the dirty ones.....I don't want to have to do double the laundry. Once the towels and the plunger make it downstairs the real fun begins. Robert slips on the water and lands on his booty....shower time for that kid. I finally have what seems like industrial plunger. I plunge away and nothing but more water overflows. I yell to Allison asking her what exactly she did. I then get the brilliant idea to try and flush the toilet again.......Big mistake, even more water, but I think it must of loosened things a little because I was finally able to plunge it all down. Luckily for me, my hubs has a shop vac. I wrung out the instantly wet towels and started to vacuum up all of the water. 10 minutes later and another quick wipe up of the floor with more dirty towels and the job was nearly done. Just one thing more, emptying the shop vac. I took the giant..now super heavy...vacuum out the front door. I dumped the contents on the front lawn. It was a potpourri of wrappers, sawdust, grocery sacks and whatever else the hubs and I had previously vacuumed up. It pretty much looks like lawn barf from a concert now.
The lesson I learned from all of this is that I need to pause and take a minute to think before I react. If I had been smart I would have reached into the toilet and gotten the paper out first. Then perhaps the pretty plunger would've been able to do the trick. If I had stopped to think, I would have looked in the shop vac before I started sucking up copious amounts of toilet juice. In panic mode, I jump in head first with out looking most times, just as I did today.
In one aspect though, I am happy with how I reacted towards Allison. I really didn't yell too much at her or punish her for her bathroom toilet bath. I instantly forgave her for her 6 year old actions. I love her so much more than any of my material things, including my home. This incident reminded me about her other water adventure that happened this time of year when she was 1. Her little brother filled up a sink with hot water and her legs took a dip. When this happened, I was downstairs watching a tv show. I heard her cry, and didn't instantly react. As a 1 year old she was known to cry a lot. Once I heard her again, I ran upstairs and was horrified. My sweet baby's legs were bright red. As I tried to put cold water on her legs, her skin peeled off of one of her legs. I rushed her to the emergency room crying the whole way. I was crushed and heart broken that I had neglected to watch her better. Luckily for Allison, her burns were only on one leg and not both. Even though it has been years since this has happened. I still haven't been able to fully forgive myself and feel like a bad mom. In hind sight, with today's incident, my reaction time has gotten faster. I also learned that day, the danger of not setting your water heater. I hope that if you read this that you will check yours and make sure it is not set above the manufactures recommended setting. It might just save your kids and you from going through what we did.
Since Thanksgiving is coming soon, all I can say is how grateful I am to my Heavenly Father for my beautiful family. I love them all so much. They are loving and forgiving....I mess up lots. I am thankful for my friends who put up with me. I am not the easiest person to get along with. I am thankful for my beliefs that allow me to know that even though I may not be able to forgive myself, the Savior Jesus Christ will. I am thankful for the wonderful influence and guides my children's teachers are. I am thankful for the freedom's I enjoy in this country. I am thankful for my awesome job filled with children with such sweet spirits and amazing co-workers and bosses. Mostly, I am thankful that I can live my life. I am one lucky mama!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
I need more salt in my diet
So, I went to the doctors office in December to have a physical. In truth, it has been 5 years since I have had a complete one. Our insurance has been kind of crappy since Allison has been born. Lucky for me, with my appendix coming out in July and my overnight hospital stay, I was able to meet my deductible, hence the visit. I had the doctor run every test available. All of my results came back and I was shocked to hear the findings. Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Diabetes all good, but my liver was a little off and my sodium levels were low. She told me that I probably drank too much water. This is something I never expected to be uttered out of a doctors mouth. She told me to continue eating the way I was and I should be just fine. She also recommended my weight to be between 170 and 180. I kind of love this doctor. That is a completely obtainable goal. To celebrate my results and to continue eating the way I do, I came home and had nachos for lunch. Those of you who know me well know I love nothing more than some 7-eleven nachos. This lunch however was from a can nacho sauce. I happily sufficed.
In thinking on my lack of salt, I couldn't help but think of the lack of salt in my spiritual diet. Am I reading scriptures, praying, going to the temple or teaching my kids by my example the way I should be? The answer to this is a resounding "NO". So my resolution for 2013 is to add more salt to my diet. It is that simple.
On to my children......
Ethan continues to argue with us over his constitutional rights whenever he disagrees with what we have attempted to ask him to do. He even went as far to say that he would call the government on us the other day when we asked him to do some chores. He will be 14 in 4 weeks...I hope he grows out of his arguing, but I fear we haven't even begun to see his teenage wisdom yet. On a positive note, he is the first one to give a relative a hug or kiss and still gives ample amounts of hugs and kisses to both Alexander and I.
Craig turned 12 over the holidays and is now a deacon. I was able to witness one of the coolest things in my life the day he was ordained. The minute the blessing started, I could feel the spirit and started to cry. After it was over, Craig was so overwhelmed by the spirit that he too was crying. It was one of those amazing parent moments that I hope to never forget. He is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. I expect great things from him....as I do from all of my children. I really appreciate the peacemaker that he has turned into recently.
Both boys are in the Jr. high production of Little Shop of Horrors. Ethan is the dentist and Craig is the man eating plant. I couldn't be more proud of the two of them. They are both growing up to be fine young men.
Abby is getting more beautiful with each passing day. She is a friend magnet. She has a way of making other people feel comfortable and doesn't exclude people....with the exception of younger siblings with certain activities, but that is to be expected. I love this about her. I wish that I could translate some of this friendly behavior between her and her big brother Ethan. I am completely tempted to make one of the "get along" t-shirts and put it on the two of them. One time there punishment for fighting was making lunch together for the family. I wish I could say that is worked, but that would be lying.
Robert is one of the most charming little boys that I have ever encountered. He gets that from his dad. All I can say is that if any of you ladies are having a bad day, let Robert talk to you for a few minutes and he will turn things around for you. He expresses his love is such wonderful ways. The other day we had our good friend's the Barona's daughter Anna staying with us for a few days. The night before she left Robert was trying to reason with her to stay. He asked her if Love was an excuse to allow her to miss school. It was pretty sweet. This kid also has an amazing laugh and is quite funny to boot. I love him at 7.
Allison is our little firecracker. She gave herself a mullet and now sports a pixie cut. I am praying she learned her lesson about cutting hair...fingers crossed. She continues to design her own clothes. Her latest version of this consist of her drawing on paper and then taping it to her bare chest. Watch out Paris runways Allison is coming some day. She is constantly trying to figure out how to do things and is very independent. She reminds me a great deal of Craig at this age. She says the craziest things that most 5 year old's wouldn't even think of. I guess that is what happens when you have older siblings. I finally got her baby book made this past month. Thanks to aunt Shauna and Anna. Allison carried it around constantly the day it was finished. She was so excited and wanted it read to her several times. Another thing I need to do better at.
Well that is all for now. More to come soon.
In thinking on my lack of salt, I couldn't help but think of the lack of salt in my spiritual diet. Am I reading scriptures, praying, going to the temple or teaching my kids by my example the way I should be? The answer to this is a resounding "NO". So my resolution for 2013 is to add more salt to my diet. It is that simple.
On to my children......
Ethan continues to argue with us over his constitutional rights whenever he disagrees with what we have attempted to ask him to do. He even went as far to say that he would call the government on us the other day when we asked him to do some chores. He will be 14 in 4 weeks...I hope he grows out of his arguing, but I fear we haven't even begun to see his teenage wisdom yet. On a positive note, he is the first one to give a relative a hug or kiss and still gives ample amounts of hugs and kisses to both Alexander and I.
Craig turned 12 over the holidays and is now a deacon. I was able to witness one of the coolest things in my life the day he was ordained. The minute the blessing started, I could feel the spirit and started to cry. After it was over, Craig was so overwhelmed by the spirit that he too was crying. It was one of those amazing parent moments that I hope to never forget. He is a great kid with a good head on his shoulders. I expect great things from him....as I do from all of my children. I really appreciate the peacemaker that he has turned into recently.
Both boys are in the Jr. high production of Little Shop of Horrors. Ethan is the dentist and Craig is the man eating plant. I couldn't be more proud of the two of them. They are both growing up to be fine young men.
Abby is getting more beautiful with each passing day. She is a friend magnet. She has a way of making other people feel comfortable and doesn't exclude people....with the exception of younger siblings with certain activities, but that is to be expected. I love this about her. I wish that I could translate some of this friendly behavior between her and her big brother Ethan. I am completely tempted to make one of the "get along" t-shirts and put it on the two of them. One time there punishment for fighting was making lunch together for the family. I wish I could say that is worked, but that would be lying.
Robert is one of the most charming little boys that I have ever encountered. He gets that from his dad. All I can say is that if any of you ladies are having a bad day, let Robert talk to you for a few minutes and he will turn things around for you. He expresses his love is such wonderful ways. The other day we had our good friend's the Barona's daughter Anna staying with us for a few days. The night before she left Robert was trying to reason with her to stay. He asked her if Love was an excuse to allow her to miss school. It was pretty sweet. This kid also has an amazing laugh and is quite funny to boot. I love him at 7.
Allison is our little firecracker. She gave herself a mullet and now sports a pixie cut. I am praying she learned her lesson about cutting hair...fingers crossed. She continues to design her own clothes. Her latest version of this consist of her drawing on paper and then taping it to her bare chest. Watch out Paris runways Allison is coming some day. She is constantly trying to figure out how to do things and is very independent. She reminds me a great deal of Craig at this age. She says the craziest things that most 5 year old's wouldn't even think of. I guess that is what happens when you have older siblings. I finally got her baby book made this past month. Thanks to aunt Shauna and Anna. Allison carried it around constantly the day it was finished. She was so excited and wanted it read to her several times. Another thing I need to do better at.
Well that is all for now. More to come soon.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
I prefer being strong.....
So as you can tell, I stink at keeping a blog, but here is another effort to make this something that I can use to put down my thoughts and feelings.....
I have a son who is sick with the flu. I am afraid I have a daughter who is sick as well, but that is another story for another day...To help keep it from spreading, I thought in my ultimate wisdom that I would clean all the door knobs, light switches and even a couple of the bathrooms. Anyone who knows me well knows that my hubby usually does the bathrooms for me, but today I felt inspired. While cleaning said bathroom, I had a song run through my head that I hadn't thought of in a long time. It says in the lyric: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. So here's what my impressions today were of this. When I think of tough guys, I have a tendency to think of bullies or people who like to intimidate others with their great power, whatever it may be. When things get tough, I have a hard time believing that they would stick around to see it through....as the song says they get going. On the other hand, I believe that someone who is strong doesn't run when things are hard or undesirable. The ultimate example of this being my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not once did he run from his extreme challenges. He always stood for what he believed and did everything he could to help others. I hope that I can follow his example and try to be strong. This year has been quite a challenge for me and my family. I never thought taking on a job and being PTA president would be so overwhelming. It has stretched me to my limits on many occasions. Many times it does give me an excuse to not get all of my housework done. Did I mention that I don't like to do housework, but who really does? I feel like if I can make it through this year and gain a little knowledge it in turn will give me strength. So there you have it, my thought for today.......
Because I haven't been writing in my journal, here are some funny things that my kids have said lately:
Allison told the Ensign's they were idiotic for driving with the door open in the Scholastic Warehouse parking lot.
When my sister asked Robert why he was getting so big he responded that he lifted weights for like 3 days while he was 6.
Ethan in an argument the other day told me I didn't give a crap...my response, I give a turd.
On the way to Thanksgiving dinner, Allison said she was hungry. Alexander and I responded that it would be about an hour until we would be there and could eat then. Allison quickly responded. "Do I have to pick my nose to get something to eat around here?"
How I love my kids. They are all growing up so fast! I will write more soon!
I have a son who is sick with the flu. I am afraid I have a daughter who is sick as well, but that is another story for another day...To help keep it from spreading, I thought in my ultimate wisdom that I would clean all the door knobs, light switches and even a couple of the bathrooms. Anyone who knows me well knows that my hubby usually does the bathrooms for me, but today I felt inspired. While cleaning said bathroom, I had a song run through my head that I hadn't thought of in a long time. It says in the lyric: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. So here's what my impressions today were of this. When I think of tough guys, I have a tendency to think of bullies or people who like to intimidate others with their great power, whatever it may be. When things get tough, I have a hard time believing that they would stick around to see it through....as the song says they get going. On the other hand, I believe that someone who is strong doesn't run when things are hard or undesirable. The ultimate example of this being my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not once did he run from his extreme challenges. He always stood for what he believed and did everything he could to help others. I hope that I can follow his example and try to be strong. This year has been quite a challenge for me and my family. I never thought taking on a job and being PTA president would be so overwhelming. It has stretched me to my limits on many occasions. Many times it does give me an excuse to not get all of my housework done. Did I mention that I don't like to do housework, but who really does? I feel like if I can make it through this year and gain a little knowledge it in turn will give me strength. So there you have it, my thought for today.......
Because I haven't been writing in my journal, here are some funny things that my kids have said lately:
Allison told the Ensign's they were idiotic for driving with the door open in the Scholastic Warehouse parking lot.
When my sister asked Robert why he was getting so big he responded that he lifted weights for like 3 days while he was 6.
Ethan in an argument the other day told me I didn't give a crap...my response, I give a turd.
On the way to Thanksgiving dinner, Allison said she was hungry. Alexander and I responded that it would be about an hour until we would be there and could eat then. Allison quickly responded. "Do I have to pick my nose to get something to eat around here?"
How I love my kids. They are all growing up so fast! I will write more soon!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Hooray for Blog!
Ok, so I am super lame at keeping up with all of my favorite people- family and friends and I am even worse at keeping a journal lately, so perhaps I will give this a try. Run on sentences and all. I am hoping that people will find this to be of some interest and actually communicate with me every once in a while. Here's to many fabulous blogs ahead.
Today my children and I went to the park to feed the ducks and play. The kids had a great time and loved, loved, loved the old school merry go round. Craig and Ethan even pushed it so that all of the other little kids could enjoy it. Allison loved riding the swing on my lap and would say wee each time we went back and forth. I got a lot of great pictures, but Robert was shirtless. He fell in the mud over by the duck pond and didn't want to wear his shirt anymore. Abby was just happy to be outside. Allison adored the ducks and we all would have stayed longer, but Allison stuck her hand in duck poop. Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I remember to sunblock the kids, but didn't thing about the bug spray. Consequently, Robert and I both got a few bites. Ugh!
Tomorrow we leave for a weekend with my brother Billy and his little family. I am stoked! I always have a great time with him and I am super excited about meeting his sweet baby Amanda.
Becky
Today my children and I went to the park to feed the ducks and play. The kids had a great time and loved, loved, loved the old school merry go round. Craig and Ethan even pushed it so that all of the other little kids could enjoy it. Allison loved riding the swing on my lap and would say wee each time we went back and forth. I got a lot of great pictures, but Robert was shirtless. He fell in the mud over by the duck pond and didn't want to wear his shirt anymore. Abby was just happy to be outside. Allison adored the ducks and we all would have stayed longer, but Allison stuck her hand in duck poop. Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I remember to sunblock the kids, but didn't thing about the bug spray. Consequently, Robert and I both got a few bites. Ugh!
Tomorrow we leave for a weekend with my brother Billy and his little family. I am stoked! I always have a great time with him and I am super excited about meeting his sweet baby Amanda.
Becky
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