"I Wanted to Stay Warm"

Each morning is the same routine in waking up the kids.  I open up my door to my room, gingerly walk past "the boy"'s door. I don't want him up yet, it just causes problems.  I go downstairs and wake up Brooke and Phoebe.  Brooke is usually real good, Phoebe I have to coax out of bed and then it is off to Chloe's room.

This morning I walked into Chloe's room and find her laying face down on her sheets.  All the blankets pushed to the bottom of the bed in a heap.  She is face down in her night gown and her winter coat on.  Fully zipped up and hood on.  All I saw was a pink coat piled on the bed.  I busted up.  I lost it. Where was Ron to see this, where was my camera for a picture. I shared the view with Brooke (she laughed too) and then woke Chloe up.

"Chloe? Chloe? Why do you have your coat on?"

Very sleepily she looks at me through her hair. "I wanted to stay warm Mommy."
"Why didn't you use the blankets on your bed?"
Slightly puzzled, she answered "I don't know."

Chloe is such a funny girl.  Drama, goofiness, lovey, and cute all rolled up into one fantastic girl.

Quote of the Day
 

Chloe -  "Going to Sleep is Boring!"

Dish-Pan Hands


My dishwasher is broken.  I guess I could still use it, but the heating element is broken and it won't heat the water and dry the dishes.  It doesn't clean very well.  I am sad it broke.  I did find the part for it and it didn't cost all that much to get it, but it will take 2-3 weeks to get the part.  I was sad.  Now I had to do dishes by hand. Cringe.  I don't have a drying rack.  So off to Walmart I go to get a drying rack and bottom thingy.  Oh what a sour mood I was in.  I get to Walmart and they had drying racks on clearance in RED.  I was happy.  It would match my kitchen.  So this morning I was set to wash the dishes - bound and determined I would get this nasty chore done.

I forgot how I loved, as a child, watching the bubble grow as the water fills the sink.  I had forgotten how warm the water was and I had forgotten how peaceful it was to stand and do dishes.  Something else I forgot, gloves - for my hands as I now have dish-pan hands. :) 

The Olympics

The quote of the day from Phoebe.
"The luge is better than Ice Skating.  I wouldn't want to spin in the air and have someone drop me."
She is just so cute! 

Luckiest Mom

Came home from work last night and walked into a clean house.  The upstairs was picked up, the playroom was picked up, the dinner dishes were cleared and in the dishwasher and the dishwasher was started.  Wow! my husband had been busy, but come to find out it was my kids!!!

They had upset their daddy and wanted to do something nice for him while he worked in his office so they cleaned the house.  I know he was very proud of them, but I am so excited and happy and overjoyed about it!!  I know they were doing it for their daddy, but I think I appreciate it so much more. They did such a good job!  I am teaching them, they are learning and they can do it.

Today is one of "those" days. We all have them. It is one for me. For some reason I am just not happy. I did the chores today, and I love the way the house looks when I am done but I just don't feel happy. I went to quilting and worked on my quilt, and visited and had a great lunch but I don't know what is up.

The poor kids, I don't even have the patience to do homework with them. I get frustrated that they are not getting simple math concepts. We are making ten. If I have ten, how many more do I need to make ten. I thought that was an easy one - apparently not. I am just going to have to get the fruit loops out and sit down with each child and do homework. That just sounds exhusting because each worksheet takes 30 minutes to an hour for each twin and that is not counting the other homework they have. I know they need to learn it and we as parents need to help the teacher out but seriously, do they not understand with my kids it is an all night affair with some of the worksheets they send home. I want to be in tears on my bed because it.

I have got to get in a better mood. I know my cold isn't helping any and I could use a nap - but I really don't think the nap would help. I must buck up. Go downstairs get one of the twins and get the homework done with her and then move on. Uggh. I hate getting the kids back into a routine. It is hard on all of us. Oh don't push I am moving. I am going. I am gone.

The First Real Snow

It has hit Payson. The first snow of the year. We have had skiffs of snow that last for an hour and the mountains have had it but down in the valley it just hasn't been staying until today.

I like the idea of snow. Getting all dressed up in cute jeans and a cozy sweater. Sitting by the window reading a book as it softly falls. Having a fire in the fireplace and drinking hot cocoa. Yeah - the idea is good. Then hits the reality.


Snow is cold. Snow makes the roads and sidewalks icy. You have to shovel it. And come to think of it... I don't even have a fireplace. All that I can deal with. But as a mother - I find snow exhausting.

I lay in bed and hear the kids excitement over the snow that has fallen in the night. I hear how much has fallen and how pretty it is and then I hear the dreaded phrase. "Let's go play in it!" As any mother knows this is not a fun phrase, because it means the quiet rest is over - the work is now beginning.

It is the first snow, the first time to get out the snow pants, boots, gloves and hats. I don't know if anyone else does this - but at the end of winter I toss all the snow gloves and hats into a packer and get it out of site. I don't take stock of what is there. I just want it put away and I want to get out the flip flops.

So out of bed I go and onto the floor just outside the hallway closet to get out the snow clothes.

"My boots don't fit!" "These gloves don't match." "Mommy - I left my coat at school. Now I can't go out side. Whaaaa" on and on.

After I count to 10 and sigh a couple of times - I figure out the boot issue and deal with gloves that don't match. Find coats that will fit for just a couple of days. Get every one dressed and then they head outside.

I breathe. I relax. I enjoy hearing my kids slide down the slide in the snow and giggle and laugh. And then it all comes crashing down with in five minutes of the door closing behind the last child.

The youngest comes into the house tracking all the snow from the outside through the kitchen, the living room and into my office."Mommy - I am cold I want hot chocolate." Of course.

On to hot chocolate duty. I get the hot chocolate going and the youngest undressed. In his excitement he announces to the rest of the clan that the hot chocolate is ready and to come and get it. More snow into the house - at least this time I had control of where it went. And now they are all around the table drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows.

The idea of snow is nice and it does look pretty (the first day). But the work that is involved with snow is so exhausting.