Living with Half a Brain-Maybe Less

I don't know how other moms feel but I think I'm losing my mind. Not necessarily my sanity although there is some of that but my intelligence. I seriously cannot remember things from one second to the next. I can barely form complete sentences. You wouldn't believe how many times I had to retype that last sentence. Some things I have to do don't require too much brain power...luckily. Like dishes or sweeping the floor. But other things turn out to be a real challenge. Making sure all four kids have shoes on or have eaten lunch. I'm okay if they are all right there but if one leaves the room.... I have been known to leave the house with snacks but forget Penny's pants. True story. The really bad part is when I have to do things like teach in Relief Society. I'll get half way through a thought and forget the ending. I'm going to have to start writing my lessons out like a talk. And heaven forbid someone should get me off track. Luckily the sisters are patient with me. I love Relief Society but I really think I should not be the one doing most of the talking. Please tell me I'll get my brain back after a while and won't be working on half capacity for the rest of my life.

Penny's Photo Update

Penny and Eleanor about a year ago.

Trying on the frog costume.

She has such a funny face.


Gotta love this crazy hair!

A couple of weeks ago. She's going into the nursery this month. A year makes a lot of difference at this age doesn't it?

Peter's Photo Update

I love the face Peter is making in this picture.

This picture was taken sometime last year. Summer of 2009? I was trying to get some pictures of the kids for Jeff's desk. This picture didn't make the cut mostly because I needed more people in each picture. The pink background is his favorite blanket. We got it when Eleanor was born and the boys have both loved it. Peter is a very cheerful little guy and lots of fun.

This is Halloween. He is supposed to be Indiana Jones.

Peter loves the park, any park, to distraction. This is at the park in our neighborhood.

Peter is almost 3. He's getting so big. He can do practically everything and is very smart and athletic. He loves to run and jump and climb on everything just like every kid his age. His favorite book is "Are You My Mother?" He can pretty much read the whole thing himself. Well, not read but quote. He has it memorized almost word for word. It's so cute to hear him, "I did have a mother. I know I did. I will find my mother. I will. I will!" He's so emphatic on those "I will's." We love having him in our family.

Sam's Photo Update

Sam on the first day of school. This must be after school because he has that sticker on. He did very well in first grade. But we knew he would.



Sam took karate for a couple of months. He tested for and received two stripes on his belt so far. Yellow and orange. He may or may not do some more karate. He's interested in trying gymnastics out as well.

The kid in the middle is Jadon. He lives next door. He and Sam play together a lot which is great. Plus, Penny loves him. He's always picking her up and carrying her around. Sam and Jadon ride bikes and tie things up and sometimes they even play with Eleanor. I'm glad there are a few kids in the neighborhood to play with.


Sam was a Jedi for Halloween. Sam enjoys all things Star Wars. (I made the black robe and Jeff made the lightsaber. We're awesome. We're not very good with Halloween costumes so this was a big deal for us even though it is very simple. )

Here is Sam at the zoo today. If he was smiling bigger you might be able to see where he's lost a tooth. His second. No, third. He'll be seven years old in about 2 months. He's been a very good helper so far this summer. He's enjoying swimming lessons and has already completed the summer reading program. Way to go, Sam!

Eleanor's Photo Update

It's been a busy year for Eleanor. She started preschool in the fall. She was a role model in a class of autistic kids. She did very well. Unfortunately, it only lasted until Christmas. So then we found some other things to do. Here she is on the first day of school. Oooh, she's sooo little!


This is the picture we used to make the job chart. She's such a great kid.


Eleanor has fun being a big sister.


She really enjoys posing for the camera. Luckily she is very photogenic. She's looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall. In just four more weeks she will be five. I can't believe it.

Where Have All the Butterfinger BB's Gone?

Okay, I have a little complaint. I went to the store the other day for candy. Specifically Butterfinger BB's. Those things are awesome and I really needed some chocolate therapy. They were nowhere to be found. I was a little upset. I hope that the lack of Butterfinger BB's was an error or a locale thing and that they have not been discontinued. Sometimes it seems like all the things I like are discontinued. Okay, so far just Edy's Toffee Crunch ice cream and possibly Butterfinger BB's but these are the things that need to last. They are therapy people! Why would you discontinue the best flavor of ice cream on the planet?! I even checked out the Edy's website just to see and it was nowhere to be found. Man, I miss that ice cream. On the plus side there is no reason to cheat on my diet...if I were on a diet. I guess now I need to google Butterfinger BB's and see what happened to them. I think I'll do that now...

Motherhood is Sometimes Not Great

So the other day I was talking to a friend about motherhood. One thing about motherhood is that you don't realize how horrible it is until it's too late. But I think horrible maybe isn't the right word. Maybe difficult is a better word. This is the hardest job I've ever had. Don't get me wrong I love it. My kids are awesome. They are fun and smart and interesting but that doesn't make this job a piece of cake. Right now they are so little it's more physically taxing than anything else. I don't get much sleep first of all. Sometimes staying up late is the only quiet time I get and when I want to go to bed early no one else will cooperate. I can only read about 1 and a half books to my kids before I'm falling asleep. However, my children are very patient and they just nudge me or call my name until we finish the book. Luckily, the rewards of parenting are enough to overshadow the other stuff. It doesn't seem like they would be when you look at the list. What do we have? Satisfaction, fulfillment, happiness, laughter, learning. They are so intangible. The negatives can really pile up if you let them. No sleep, never going to the bathroom alone or eating your own food, sharing the computer or xbox, neverending dishes and laundry. None of my pencils have erasers. Then there's the really bad stuff like finding out your child has a birth defect or some other serious problem. But you just have to let some stuff go and remember that someday they will be teenagers and it will be even worse.

Sam and Eleanor played together so well on Sunday. For hours. I loved it. Peter is saying new stuff every day. On Sunday he wanted to look at the Sacrament book (it has pictures of Jesus). So all during the Sacrament prayer he was yelling, "I want Jesus. I want Jesus. Hey, give my Jesus!" It was so funny. Not very reverent but funny. Penny does the commando crawl and can go almost anywhere. She's also been making a new face where she pushes her teeth together and pushes out her lips. I'll have to take a picture. Actually she doesn't have top teeth so it's just her bottom teeth and gums that go together but she might be getting a top tooth. It seems like it's been pretending to come in for a while now. Somehow all these things make the lack of sleep and fights over chores seem insignificant. These little children that are in my care, that I have stewardship over are such wonderful little people. I'm so glad they are in my family. So, even though some days are unbelievably challenging and, dare I say it, horrible, they are somehow wonderful at the same time. I think it's one of the mysteries of God.