Singlet

I want to know HOW DID I DO IT WITH ONE CHILD?!?!?!

This pretty little thing woke up early from naps one day this week......

Brooks had the boys golfing and Aleeya, Iris and Royce were sleeping.

I had almost TWO hours with just me and Kellyn.

She just looked at me like, "Yea RIGHT, I'm just gonna sit here!!!"

I didn't get a teeny-weensie thing done that I had planned on getting done.

I guess I didn't realize how much the other kids entertain her.

For reals......how did I even stay FED and CLOTHED when I just had one baby?!?!?

My sub

Brooks worked his LAST week of his intern year (YAY FOR THAT!) and some of them were later nights. 

One day he wasn't supposed to be home until 11:30pm. I almost always stay up until he gets home, either on purpose or it just happens

(On the FLIP side.......Brooks can't stay up past 10 on his own to save his life. When I get home later from the temple, girl's night or whatever I find him in the weirdest places/positions where I can TELL he was trying to stay awake to greet me)

Anyway, before he left he said good-bye and I told him not to expect me awake when he gets home because I was suuuuuuuuper sleepy that day. Of course, that's what I ALWAYS say, so he didn't believe me. Then he said,

"This isn't to make you feel guilty or anything, but I just LOVE it when I come home and the light's on and I hear your cheerful voice saying, 'hi honey! Welcome home!'."

Well, that night I started getting sleepier and sleepier. Then I thought about what he said and I figured out a way to please us both.

(sorry about the quality, Brooks took it with his phone)

(the sign says, "Hi honey! Welcome home.")

And of course she's wearing basketball shorts, because that what I would've been wearing anyway. And my Ariel-like make-up always looks that good at 11:30pm too.

What's funny is that even though I went to bed around 10:30 I still heard him bust up laughing at 11:30pm when he got home and saw this.

Cracker Lesson

I have a certain child, (in order to protect her privacy, I'll just call her "Shmaleeya") who WITHOUT FAIL does a certain something everytime I hand out snacks.

For example, let's pretend I usually only give 3 crackers. But THIS time I decided to be OVERLY generous and give her FIVE WHOLE CRACKERS. Shmaleeya will ALWAYS give me a smile and act super grateful. 

Then IMMEDIATELY she turns around to look at everyone else's piles of crackers to see how much they got.

Sometimes I even see Shmaleeya's mouth moving as she counts to herself the crackers in everyone else's piles. If someone has more she'll quickly point it out/whine about it whereas BEFORE she was OVERJOYED at my generosity. It always bothers me a little and at times make me want to say, 

"Can't you just be GRATEFUL?!?!?"

I was laying in bed last night thinking about this.

A bid on a house that we submitted at the first of the month wasn't accepted. Which was fine at first because we don't NEED to move and we're fine where we're at. But I couldn't help but think how clean and new that house was.....that the ceiling wasn't about to cave in after every rainstorm, that every room wasn't in CONSTANT need of air fresheners for lack of opening windows and that house probably didn't need me to constantly be spreading monster insecticide all over around the house.....and if we just had a little more money then then then then ___________

I'm EXACTLY like Shmaleeya.

I remember wishing for something else/looking around at others sometime this month and then watching a news clip on the computer of some women in Syria and their conditions. I IMMEDIATELY felt shamed because I truly have been given so much........compared to them. Not JUST my home, but my family, country, faith, health, my ever-supportive husband, Brooks' job, my children, etc etc. 

So there I was sitting at this hypothetical table of crackers. Me with my 5, looking at the person with 7 next to me..........but also being grateful I wasn't the one with 1 cracker.

So I became MOMENTARILY "grateful" just because I didn't have one cracker?!?!

That sounds like a back-handed grateful approach if I've ever seen one and I don't believe that is TRUE gratitude. Gratitude has NOTHING TO DO with comparing or looking around. Actually doing that ROBS you of true happiness. (Once again, think of Shmaleeya)

It's really about YOU, the GIVER and your figurative 5 crackers. Period.

The Lord has promised, “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious” (D&C 78:19). Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. People are generally happier when they have gratitude in their hearts.

Another excerpt from lds.org said,

As we cultivate a grateful attitude, we are more likely to be happy and spiritually strong. 

"Spiritually strong"?!?!? UN-gratitude has a direct correlation to my spirit?!?!?

And um.....well.......THAT alone makes me want to buck up! Like now.

(Whenever I use that expression it always reminds me of what my dad used to say when I was younger,

"Shape up or Ship out".)

And well....... I don't plan on shipping out.

Now to get Shmaleeya to understand this......................

Torn Loyalties

Bronson is a huge USC Gamecocks fan but is in the middle of his week at Clemson's baseball camp.

(Around here you are either a Gamecock or a Clemson fan. Nothing else. Right after we moved here that was one of the first questions.......which one were we rooting for.)

He's loving it so far, so apparently he can branch out a little.

While he's been gone all in the mornings it's been an ideal time for me to get some deep cleaning done while Kellyn naps. My mood/patience levels are DIRECTLY related to the house-cleanliness. It's been picked up mostly all summer but the deep clean/de-cluttering has left me....well......with more not-awesome-mom days then others. ;) So what does that mean for the other kids? Well, they're kicked outside.

*We don't always say 'no' to crack*

For the past 2 days they've worked really hard on this mud pile......that they call a their "dam". (that word is repeated so loudly as they're playing over and over again, I can only imagine what someone might think as they walk by! But I've decided not to bring it to their attention.......haha)

I'm sure it makes their muddy lake (once again, please refer to it as a "dam") a LOT better when there are skinny little arms stirring everything around.

And the girls are assigned to bring buckets of water back and forth.

Emerson's job is to FILL said buckets.........and then sometimes squirt his sisters and then plead that is was an accident and he "didn't know" they didn't want to be squirted. He plays the part REALLY well.

My pretty Iris. 

(this endearing smile saves her time after time)

Obviously when Kellyn wakes up we go back to the usual Barbie-playing 

(Iris+Kellyn+Barbies+room w/ door shut= 1 hour of play. Actually its Iris playing make believe w/ herself and she just likes another warm body in the room with her. The truth is, Kellyn just sits there and chews on the legs most of the time.)

and dress-up.

While the boys stay upstairs playing Monopoly. 

(Infact, if I could sum up this summer in one word so far, it WOULD be "Monopoly"!!!!)

Hey, if they're gonna be stuck on a game, mind as well be a game that lasts a few hours, right?

Miss Kellyn Pat Pat Pat

You know that song "Miss Mary Mack"?

Well, for the past 4 months of Kellyn's life she probably hears, "Miss Kellyn Pat Pat Pat, all dressed in black black, black....." about 6 times everyday. AT LEAST. 

Of course EVERY line of the song gets sung and ya know what? It's a REALLY long song!!!!!

But it makes her smile, hop up and down, breathe heavy w/ excitement and open her mouth when I want her to eat veggies that she doesn't like. 

Speaking of Miss Kellyn Pat..............3 days ago the kids started screaming happy screams and then started cheering. Next thing I know Emerson is bringing Kellyn in the kitchen and told me Kellyn stands up by herself. I didn't believe him, but I grabbed my camera just in case.

Here she is squatting her way to the floor to get back down to safety. Concentrating REALLY hard.

Since then that's all she practices. 

You should've HEARD the fuss the kids made when we were playing kickball yesterday (of COURSE we were playing kickball, we play it EVERY DAY!) in the field across the street. 

I looked over at first base and she's standing up on it and the kids laughed and said,

"Kellyn is playing first!!!!"

Then Brooks followed and said, "Anyone who hits Kellyn w/ the ball gets an automatic 3 outs".

(The thought of removing her didn't cross our minds, just don't hit her, k?)

She worked REEEEEEEEEEALLY hard on her two bottom teeth (read: MOM worked really hard). When she got the first one a week and a half ago the kids just cheered SO loud and all shoved their hands in her mouth to check for themselves.  I know, don't take MOM'S word for it.

Because the 2nd one has popped through she likes CERTAIN toys to chew on. and ALWAYS finds them. One of her favs....

(Iris looked at the above picture and asked who that baby was. I told her it was Kellyn and she said it doesn't look like her face. hahaha)

When she is NOT completely cheezing it, she has these two fingers in her mouth...........

ALWAYS THESE TWO FINGERS. 

Just ask the people at my church, it's smiling or 2 fingers 

I can't get over how fussed over this child is. It surpasses any baby I've had yet. (and that says a lot) Well, her siblings ALWAYS want her with them. So after I feed Kellyn in the morning I'm on strict orders to bring her upstairs w/ them while they watch something. Then a hour later I'll hear a little "calling" from her at the top of the stairs.....

I love how the boys put one of their chairs to block it so she can't fall down.

Oh, and there Miss Kellyn Pat is gnawing on ANOTHER one of her "gumming" toys.....

the top of the infant's tylenol bottle. She could do THAT forever.

Her newest trick she performed last night during scripture reading......

Snorting like a pig.

Royce can't even do it!!!! Talk about a REAL reverence booster!

Baseball Fanatics

Yesterday Brooks took the older 3 boys to Atlanta to watch a Braves game.

I sent him with STRICT instructions to take pictures and I ended up with these two before his battery gave out

(Despite Bronson-too-cool-no-smiling face, they actually were having the time of their lives)

They all really wanted the Braves to win, but since they were playing the Mets Bronson decided to wear his Mets jersey. It's a good thing too because on the ESPN re-cap of the game the next morning you can see his bright orange shirt on the screen. It was a little speck, but man did he think it was cool to make it on ESPN.

They all brought their mitts in hopes of catching a homerun ball but the homerun hit was in the section next to them. They are such baseball lovers. They know almost every players names on both teams too. It's pretty funny.

Meanwhile at home.............

The rest of the kids and I caught a ton of worms, ate ice cream and then watched Aleeya dress up like a "bride". The LOOK on her face is the best because she walks like she's the most beautiful thing on the face of the earth.

This outfit was brought to you by:

4 tu-tus

4 flower bows.

and the letter "N"........as in "Narcissist"

Daddy's Girl

Dear Dad,

                  Sorry I kinda "lumped" in your Father's Day w/ Mom's Mother's Day gift and sorry you won't get another card in the mail from me. This whole you-being-in-Brazil and REALLY-needing-to-plan-ahead-to-get-there-in-time kinda puts a kink in my thoughtfulness. But I wanted to celebrate you today anyway.

I don't think I could've asked for or even IMAGINED a better dad for me then you.

I loved how you always made me feel like such a star.

When I would sing or dance you would accompany me. 

When I would mess up, you would quickly jump ahead to wherever I took you in the song so I wouldn't look like I messed up.

My favorite sound of home even now is your music in the background.

Even as I grew older you always slipped behind the piano. I remember coming home from a date and telling mom all about it and you ran into the music room and played the "background" music to my date. When it was exciting you would play faster, boring/slower and always w/ a big TA-DA moment at the end.

I felt like my life was one exciting movie w/ a soundtrack around you.

 I loved how you would take me on trips. I felt so special. I had no idea most of them were work trips. All I knew is that I got travel a lot w/ my dad.

You LOVED us girls and we all feel like "your princess". That Yellowstone/girls trip w/ you was so wonderful. (you were a trooper to even bring the "girl" dog.)

I remember two specific pieces of advice you gave me during separate Daddy-daughter interviews during my hormonal teen years.

1) "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" -Eleanor Roosevelt

2) After getting stressed in school you showed me the scripture Mosiah 4:27

 27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

I can respect now more then ever how even after a hard day at work at the Fireworks plant, you STILL would leave your bad day/bad attitude/worries/concerns on the "Worry Tree" down the road. I can never remember a day when you came home not excited to see me run down through the garage door, into your arms so I can inspect your gunpowdered nails and smell the sulfur on you. (STILL one of my favorite smells)

Not a birthday went by when I was little that you did not do a magic show for.

And as much as large crowds/loud noises bother you, you STILL made my magic shows the talk of the elementary.

I know you love silence and time to meditate. (Well, NOW I know that). But all I remember is you NEVER turning me down when I asked to go to the grocery store with you. You never said a word.......you just listened as I talked your ear off. EVERY. TIME.....THE. WHOLE. TIME.

I remember later asking you why you never spoke and you said, 

"You never gave me a chance!"

I never remember an event/performance that you and mom were not at. Even all these years later when I find out that you absolutely HATED the dance competitions, you still drove however many hours, waited in the car until it was my turn (mom ran out to get you) and came, smiled, cheered and supported. Like I said, I found out last year about this. 

People don't remember exactly what others say or do to them, but they will ALWAYS remember how said person makes them feel. You always made me feel special and your whole world.

 I love how you shared your testimony with me and many sacred spiritual experiences. After this mission in Brazil you will have served the people of Brazil for 10 years over your lifetime.

Your priorities are obvious and I will follow your example.

Thank you for teaching me that the WORST offense around the house was to disrespect mom. Thanks for always spoiling her with flowers and hugs......and letting me be the "meat" in your hugging sandwich. You gave me a pattern on what to look for in a future husband.

I know you get hot REALLY easy. But thanks for waiting in the Brazil airport for over a hour playing "Golf" with me............with a hot pillow on your lap for the table........right by the hot/humid door that kept opening and letting all the cold air out. I remember watching the sweat drip down your face.

Thank you for teaching me to WANT to tell the truth.

Too many times when I would start to lie I would hear your infamous, 

"MM-Hmm"

And I would quickly change my story.

I remember one time not telling the truth to you and Mom at night. I went to go to bed and couldn't sleep because I lied to you. Then I ran back in, woke you up crying and apologized.

I thank you for yet AGAIN accompanying me and playing the piano for my wedding reception with the rest of the band. You contributed more to the night then you'll ever know.

I hold the memory of the night before my wedding in a special place in my heart.

I couldn't sleep that night. Tossing and turning. Nervous. Excited. Scared. Overjoyed.

You came in, laid your hands upon my head and gave me a Father's Blessing using the Priesthood of God.

You started the prayer, "Melissa Lowrie Degn....."

I remembering crying thinking how that was the last time I would hear a blessing started like that.

The blessing was of peace so I could sleep, but also of acceptance for my decision.

I fell asleep immediately after.

I could go on and on w/ memories, talks, advice and special moments with you Pai-e, but how about just a big heartfelt, I love you, miss you and pray for you (and mom) everyday.

I once was given a blessing saying that I would become more appreciative of the way I've been raised more and more over time. I'll have to say I agree.

oh, and thanks for teaching me to ALWAYS bring the sparkplugs to the car with us wherever we go.......

even if it's on a boat. ;)

Te Amo Pai-e,

Azulinha

Dinner Time Rule #1

There's a rule in our house at the table when we eat that you can NOT say things like:

"Yuck"

"This is nasty"

"I hate this"

etc.

Since the consequence of hurting moms feelings stinks for them, mean words about my food have stopped........... until last night.

I tried a new recipe my sis-in-law gave me but ended up having to cut things into tiny pieces, and improvise, yadda yadda. 

Anyway, it turned out quite tasty but it was the LOOKS that got Brooks.

I pulled it out of the oven and he came up giggling and whispered in my ear, 

"That looks like vomit!"

I told him to WATCH IT because certain things can NOT be said when I'm about to eat or I'll lose my appetite. 

I put the dish on the table w/ everything else and the kids said it smelled yummy. (notice nothing against how it looks/tastes because they knew they were walking on thin ice). Then Brooks said with a smile on his face:

"What do you boys think it looks like?"

Bronson  safely answered, "pasta". (which it wasn't)

The answer didn't satisfy Brooks' sense of humor last night so he narrowed it down and little and said,

"Okay, but what if you saw that laying in a pile on your bed, THEN what would it look like?"

BWHAHAHAHA. Okay, now I was losing it too.

He's right, it did look like puke.

No one had a response.....or CHOSE to respond.

Bronson was asked to say the prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for the yummy food.

This is when I should turn in my parent/adult card, because Brooks and I lost it laughing.

We could NOT get. a. grip. DURING THE PRAYER!!!!

Why picturing that food laying in one of their beds looking like puke made me laugh, I have no clue.

Oh wait, I DO have a clue, because we have cleaned up our fair share of those piles in beds and to have the culinary talent that I do to recreate that is actually pretty amazing!!!

Just to bring a smile

I took the kiddos to the Y to go swimming and told the boys to bring a dry pair of shorts for afterward.

Emerson pulled out his that he had packed and put them on..........and........ welllllllllllll

I'll let the picture talk for itself.

He grabbed ROYCE'S shorts (that I may or may not have put in his laundry pile by accident).

He walked out of the Y with them on and the rest of us couldn't stop laughing.

I mean, I couldn't even TRY to hold it in.

Emerson HATES when anyone laughs at him so I thought he was going to lose it.

But then Bronson said, "Those look like those old basketball player shorts!" 

(I started picturing John Stockton)

After that comment, Emerson wanted to wear them the rest of the day.

First thing in the morning he wanted to wear them again. I asked why and he said "because they are so comfortable."

Well Duh! I mean, don't they LOOK comfortable?!?!?

The Smokey Mtns.

Our next door neighbor is an older couple that never had any kids (remember Bruce?). Well Ms. Kaye (his wife) has been begging and BEGGING us to come w/ her to her mtn. home. I couldn't help but be a TAD hesitant considering there are 9 of us and 1 of her and I didn't know how kid-proof the home was. We finally caved because she seriously wanted us to come and kept asking. (however we didn't spend the night like she wanted us to)

We drove up to the Smokey Mtns. on the South and North Carolina border and about 10 minutes from her house Brooks saw a turtle in the middle of the road. Of COURSE he stopped so the kids (meaning Camden) could get it.

I noticed it had a long tail so I jokingly said it was probably a snapping turtle....

(gosh my boys are handsome)

It looked a little too small to be a snapping turtle though, but guess what the dern thing did soon after he was in the Yeti.......SNAPPED away. That thing was FIE-STY!

So obviously we let him go. (the jagged turtle shell by his tail is a DEAD giveaway)

But when we GOT there the kids found PLENTY of snails.........

which is a little more my style.

Except I don't like how they feel. Ick.

The boys wanted a "boy picture"

CLEARLY, they are excited to be there.

Here is Aleeya in front of the home.

Why her body contorts into an "S" shape when I take a picture is beyond me.

 Here that cute girl is again, "S"-ing away.

(and we wear underwear under our swimsuits sometimes......it's how we roll)

The kids (eh-hem, that INCLUDES Brooks) really enjoyed just being at the river.

Brooks enjoyed it SO much that he didn't even notice Royce droppin his drawers and peeing in the river next to him.

(or maybe he's doing what I do sometimes and pretend I didn't see it and then turn around and act all surprised to save face..........nah, I don't think Brooks thought it through that much)

Here is Ms. Kaye and me. She followed the kids around taking pictures the whole time.

Behind us is her friend Suzanne (and Kellyn) who usually comes up to the home w/ Kaye. That was really the last we saw of Suzanne because after lunch she disappeared upstairs to nap and didn't come down because of a huge migraine. Kaye told me she gets them all the time.

I know what you're thinking and it did NOT have ANYTHING to do w/ Iris non-stop following her around and talking her ear off for minutes and minutes on end.........did I mention it never ends?

Then Ms. Kaye pulled out some intertubes! My kids have never been tubing!!! (what kind of MOM AM I?!?!?)

And check out that incredibly handsome smile. His smiling pictures (that usually happen w/ a caught animal or when he's outside in nature) don't come by too often. Of all my kids Camden gives the least amount of spontaneous smiles so I just love capturing these moments. Que guapo.

Tubing reminds me SO much of my childhood, so I just had to partake. And you would THINK it should've bothered me that it was very rocky and shallow at points and my intertube kept deflating.......but no, I'm a trooper.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand pretty sure my tailbone made a few too many friends w/ the rocks.

Tailbone meet rock. Rock meet tailbone.

I kept trying to get Aleeya to like it........and it didn't work (notice my face vs. her's)

So I ditched her and kept going so I could beat Camden to the smaller waterfall........but of course I needed to shave a few centimeters off my tailbone first.

I DID beat Camden to the waterfall, but I took a look at it and decided to let Camden go first. He went backwards and flipped over. hahaha. So learning from his mistakes I went down just fine. Sometimes I wonder if I'm mature enough to have children......

LOVE these next two pictures!.....the anticipation before some rapids.

BEST TUBING PICTURE. hahaha

Ms. Kaye brought some kitchen things out so Iris just hung out and "cooked" for......like.....um......ever. (probably because her buddy was upstairs laying down w/ a migraine)

My little chefs.

Then a man came w/ his wife to do some fishing. I ASSURED him we would get out of his way soon and he said not to bother. Good thing we aren't loud or don't get in anyone's space............sorta

But we were really fascinated by the fish he caught.

Well, mostly Brooks and Royce. Brooks just stayed by them and asked question after question in typical Brooks-style. (Kind of a genetic thing I guess that Bronson received the "Mustache" award at school because he always "must-ask" a question)

When she wasn't napping, Kellyn just hung out and enjoyed the show.....ya know, like she usually does.

 While Kaye and I made dinner the kids crashed and watched a movie.

I LOVE this picture of Kellyn. I know it looks like her head is really close to the edge, but trust me, she WILL NOT MOVE. At all. The secret?

Well, Brooks just has to rub/scratch her arms and legs and she turns into a stone statue.

What a fun day trip.

*Added bonus* Ms. Kaye is INSISTING we come back many times and next time spend the night. So hey, I guess us Smiths can be pretty fun to have around afterall........

unless you get migraines easy.