Kashann and Clan

I don't want to take the time to organize a crafty post tonight. Just wanted to jot down some stuff.

A couple weeks ago our gas company dug up our entire front lawn. They took a bush we planted a couple years ago-threw it aside and and dug up the flower beds and pretty much all of the grass. I was very confused. Did they have a right to throw out my $5 home depot shrubs without asking/telling me? I only understood that they were moving an inside meter to the outside. I For some reason they needed to dig up all our grass to do so. And with all the recent rain it is a big mud pile. I've been pretty upset by this and wondered how long we are going to have mud piles out in front and if they are going to get around to re landscaping the place. I finally was bold enough to ask them exactly that Friday and found out they will be making everything pretty when they are done. So actually I am pretty happy. We have had really ugly grass and kept talking about sod, but never did it. Glad we didn't.This picture was taken before things got muddy.

But right now, I am sick of muddy feet coming into my house. I feel like I am back on the farm. Caroline loved watching them working all day. I had to leave the back door open so they could go in the basement when they needed to. Sometime during the afternoon I heard Caroline holler down the basement stairs, "Dad, is that you down there?" Camille told her it wasn't Dad because he was at school. Then Caroline started hollering, "Who's down there? You better tell me who you are?"

I was busy and lost track of her after that. After awhile I realized I had lost track and went looking. As I got closer to the basement I could hear her jabbering away. She was going on and on telling him anything and everything about the occupants . I thought it was pretty entertaining. But the gas man completely ignored her. I listened for quite awhile to her going on and asking him questions, and never heard him respond once. Either I caught the tail end of the conversation and he had learned the art of selective hearing with here like I have so your brain can survive, she had just worn him out by then, he was on the clock and and doing his best to put in an honest days work, or he was just pretty rude. I really have never seen anyone (besides Brent and I) be able to ignore Caroline. But she didn't mind so much. I had to drag her upstairs.

I am teaching a song to my primary children using signs. Today was the second week working on the song and the signs were turning out to be a great way to hold their attention. But once again, one of my children had to shatter my confidence. In between verses she hollered out loud enough to make a big statement, "This is BORING!" I guess boring is better than embarrassing. That's what Savannah and Kennon both agreed I was on the way home from church another week. I figured it was my singing. "No actually Mom, it's your dress. It is so ugly." I was in shock. The dress had been one of my favs for years. I told them that I remembered wearing it to Kennon's baby blessing. Once that came out I took a good look at it and realized that maybe they were right. I took the dress to a ward swap and shop that week. No one wanted it but I let it go. I think it had a good run.

Sometimes I really feel like the shoes are shifting to the other feet. My kids have more fashion sense than I. And the worst part is that they care more than I. That is when you know that you are letting yourself go. I either don't have the time or I don't have the interest but either way it makes me realize how I really am a mom. In the negative way that we never wanted to become. Kennon and I have a lot of issues with who is running the show around here. When we are getting ready to go somewhere she starts putting kids coats on, grabs the keys, and says, "We'll be in the car." Now this sounds great, but the part that isn't great is that then while I am just barely having a chance to get ready myself now that all the kids are ready and in the car, she keeps running in and screaming, "We are all in the car. It's time to go now! Mom, you are taking so long."
Saturday night we were eating dinner at the church after a baptism and Kennon noticed that I wasn't able to eat because I was holding Marcus. She hurried and finished, then came over and took him so I could eat. She is always willing to hold him ANYTIME at church. After eating, I strolled around visiting with everyone. About 45 minutes later, Kennon (who has been sitting in the hall playing with him the entire time) comes in, interrupts my conversation saying, " It's time to go. We need to leave. Look at this kid. He is tired." Plus she had set aside a plate to bring home for sick Savannah. I hadn't even thought about it.

It's just so bizarre. I don't know if I am complaining that my 11 year old is responsible and thus bossing me around or bragging that my 11 year old is responsible and I am so lucky she keeps us all in line.

We were throwing out ideas for Brent to do an internship tonight and he mentioned maybe he could get one in NYC. How would we feel about living there just for a year? I would totally go for that. But Kennon. . . She immediately said, " No, that wouldn't be safe for our family living in a city like that."

On to Camille. She has been pestering us all year with every little fundraiser that comes home. She wants to win a prize. But we won't let her sell to friends, family or neighbors. The latest is mailer that she fills out addresses and they send it away to ask friends to order magazines so her class can get a year subscription to some very beneficial kids magazine. Once again I discouraged her but she was persistent. We were driving along, she had her pen out and wanted addresses. First she wrote "Grandma Casper" then wanted to know her address. After refusing several times I finally said, "Fine. It's 50" then I spelled out NOT TELLING YOU." She wrote it out all in one word like a street name then moved onto the city. I told her "Nothing" But pronounced it Notting and she got it all down IN PEN, before Kennon started laughing and got her to read back to her what she wrote. It was pretty funny for Kennon and I in the front seat, but Camille was so mad at her momma for wasting one of her addresses labels. She said that she was telling her teacher and that it was the worst thing I had ever done to her. So she talked to Dad and he agreed and she got the rest of the addresses out of us. So if you are one of her top 10, whoops make that 9 since Grandma Casper doesn't live at 5o Nottellingyou in Nothing, you may be getting a little nice note from her. Most of them she p.s.ed with a note like "You do not have to buy one" Or in other words I just want the prize. She also sent one to Grandpa Fielding. His p.s. read, "Bring me Apples!" They are coming for the musical in a couple weeks! YIPEE! VISITORS!

And Savannah is getting over a very nasty flu. She was 103 for several hours this weekend. It seems like she always gets it the worst out of all us. If only she would eat a vegetable now and again she could have a better chance to enjoy the perfect health I have the whole winter long. (Is it safe to say that yet? It's starting to feel a little springish)

Marcus is really sick of the Wii. It wakes him up at night, right after he gets to sleep. And the last thing he needs is to wake up, have an ear ache and not have any more milk from Momma. And the poor kid that has to sleep in a closet. I was so sad to stop nursing because I didn't know if I would get to snuggle with him anymore. But I must've have forgot that he is my snuggliest baby ever. I was watching other women try to hold on to their kids in church and remembering going through that with all my other kids. But Marcus will just lay his head on my shoulder, rub cheeks with me, give me kisses, and he isn't even trying to get down.?? It's wierd but I am really grateful for that. I need him to stay my baby for a very long time yet.

Brent spoke in Stake Priesthood on Saturday. As usual he starts preparing the day of. Lucky for him I keep a file downstairs with all of my old talks and a few years starting throwing his in too. I had the exact topic for him on file. And another thing he can be grateful to me for: I have been doing all the freaking work around here. I don't usually use that word but it is a famous line from Brent uttered back in the farming days. I can't remembering what he was complaining about at the time and he usually doesn't mention when the workload is unfair. . .like I do. But anyway, lately motherhood has gotten way busier for some reason. Sick kids, too many after school activities, the Wii obsession, Brent's motorcycle shopping craigslist addiction or who knows he may be studying on that mac once in awhile. BUT whatever it is I am drowning here at my casa in laundry, kids stuff everywhere, marcus's food throwing recent craze, 100's of shoes by the front door, oh and DISHES!

Anyway, I am really extremely happy with my marriage and kids but so weary of MESSES! When we were discussing where we should live after this place Savannah very innocently said, she wants to have a big enough house so we can have places to put everything so we don't have all this stuff everywhere. I couldn't help but be blown away by that revolutionary idea. Everything in it's place? So she doesn't like it either? That's funny because every time I mention the word Clean I am accused of being a NAG!

Brent is looking at disgusting pictures of the human mouth behind me and just told me that it looks like this is a pretty long blog. I don't care, tonight. It's my blog. I don't even think I will proofread.
Here's some proof that I play my new Wii. I am getting warmed up here to face Brent boxing. I am pretty sure he won't like me posting this next picture. But I couldn't resist. He was looking pretty scary with that tounge. He beat me right after this.