Connor. The Manly Man.

Today in the van....

Sirri: "Mom, do you know what my favorite season is?"

Mom: "No, Sirri. What?"

Sirri: "Winter, cause I love to wear my snow clothes."

Connor: "Mom, guess what my favorite season is? HUNTING SEASON!!!!!!"

38 Reasons Why I Love You....

1. You are very handsome and get cuter/sexier/hotter with age. No wonder you are getting so good looking!!! hee hee.
2. You enjoy living a simple lifestyle.
3. You enjoy including the kids and I in your hobbies.
4. You think it is sexy when I shoot my bow.
5. You would probably prefer that I grow my hair out, but love me with it short just the same.
6. You can't tell a fib. You do a silly thing with your face that gives it away every time.
7. Sometimes I spend too much money and you never get mad. (Maybe, like this week!!!!)
8. You are great at teaching Primary and I love to learn from you.
9. You are quite predictable.
10. You call me lots when I am out of town.
11. You call me lots when I am at home.
12. You always encourage me to do my "stuff."
13. You are passionate about hunting and archery. I think passion is attractive.
14. You are thoughtful.
15. You hope that people will think you are "tough," but anyone who knows you well, knows it's not true. You are more on the "softy" side.
16. Even if you aren't "tough," you are STRONG. I like a man who is strong.
17. You are a jack of all trades. You can fix anything.
18. You would eat hot dogs every night if I fixed them, but you appreciate a nice home cooked meal as well.
19. You aren't afraid to do the dishes.
20. Or the laundry, or mop the floor, or change poopy bums, or vacuum.
21. Sometimes you do voices when you are reading the kids bedtime stories.
22. Ice cream is one of your favorite foods. Especially mint chip. Mine too!
23. You almost always have a kid tagging along with you, no matter what it is you are doing.
24. Your confident enough that I can wear my tall shoes and you don't care that I'm taller than you.
25. You like to read. You really like to read in the bath tub.
26. You always help with house projects. You don't just let me do it. You pitch right in. TEAM WORK!
27. Sometimes you leave me notes on the bathroom mirror.
28. You call me, "Babe."
29. You sing the hymns at church and in FHE.
30. You always try to remember family prayer.
31. You cook a mean elk steak dinner.
32. You like to play games.
33. You can't ever let me play a game of bowling without helping me, "get caught up."
34. You want to provide your kids with lots of opportunities.
35. You love pictures.
36. You don't stink too bad, even when you sweat a lot.
37. You have great legs.
38. You love ME and that says a lot!!!!

Getting to Know You.

Here are a few things you may not have known about Kendon, but his kids DO!

How old is daddy?
Sirri: "15."
Connor: "61."

Daddy's favorite food?
S: "Watermelon"
C: "Roast Beast. daddy loves to eat the meat."

Daddy's favorite color:
S: "Black."
C: "Blue. No, red. Hot red!"

Daddy's favorite thing to do?
S: "Bowling."
C: "Ride his lawn mower."

What does daddy do best?
S: "Fix computers."
C: "Mow our lawned."

What does daddy cook the best?
S: "French toast."
C: "French toast."

What does daddy think is fun?
S: "Cutting trees with Sharman."
C: "Shoot his bow."

What do you love best about daddy?
S: "Cause he likes me."
C: "Riding a lawn mower. He should come to grandma's house and mow her lawned."

What does daddy do that is funny:
S: "I don't know.'
C: "Fall off his lawn mower. Um, making me laugh, when he shoots at the target and his arrow breaks off."

What do you love to do with daddy?
S: "Go to the dump with him."
C: "Ride his lawn mower. No, to help him to work with his tools."

Is daddy handsome?
S: *big head shake, yes.
C: 'No, I think he's a girl. No, I think he's cute!"

If you could go on a date with daddy, where would you go?
S: "To ice cream and to go bowling."
C: "To ice cream cone. No, I want to get pizza."

Why do you love daddy?
S: "He takes me different places."
C: "He gives me kisses."

I'm glad my daddy is....
S: "happy."
C: "a giant! I'm glad he's a daddy."

I love it when my daddy...
S: "tucks me in at night."
C: "helps me pick up my room."

My daddy loves me because...
S: "he kisses me at night.'
C: "cause loves, just loves me!"

My daddy is...
S: "the best daddy"
C: "the best daddy in the whole wide world."

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Week in Review June 2nd - June 8th

Remember my last version of Week in Review. It was sweet and filled with CONTENTMENT.

Well, too bad so sad. NOT THIS WEEK!

Sorry if you came here looking for a little ray of sunshine.

This week I am feeling OVERWHELMED!

When Connor was still in his crib he went through this phase where he loved to have a big blanket draped over his entire crib. He thought it was like sleeping in a tent. Some nights as I would go to bed I would look at him in his "tent" and feel envious. To me it looked like a cave. A dark, yet safe, comfy cave.

This week, I would have liked to have crawled into that cave. A cave where all the craziness of the world couldn't reach me. A cave where I wasn't trying to run a household and manage a budget, and raise happy healthy kids. A cave where I could curl up with a good book and not feel bad that I wasn't reading my Love and Logic book instead because heaven only knows I need a little refresher course. A cave where gas isn't $4.02 a gallon and milk $3.50. A cave where Sirri isn't headed for kindergarten and I don't have to worry whether or not I have taught her enough to send her into this great big scary world. A cave where Connor will go to bed and stay. A cave where Meg isn't running a fever. A cave that has nicer weather so the kids and I can play outside. A cave where Kendon isn't gone all week. A cave where I live closer to my parents and sisters and Sirri doesn't say, "I miss Grandma Bigelow," every other day. A cave where the laundry doesn't pile up and the dishes don't have to be done. Or a cave where the house can be a mess and I could just let it go. A cave where Connor won't look me right in the eye and laugh when he has written on his brand new painted walls, or tore up his little sister's favorite book into shreds, or spent the majority of the week in time out. A cave where,I can say to Connor, "Oh, what a sad choice...." and he won't reply with "twinkle" in his eye, "it's not sad to me." A cave where these things are no big deal and I don't fret that I can't manage him at three and worry what life will be like when he is 13. A cave where I feel more confidence as a mother and less guilt. A cave with a little less pressure. A cave where I know I am not the only one.

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And because I just can't handle all the gloom and doom (it's not very becoming of me! and just not how I roll.) this week did have some rays of sunshine and here they are......

Okay, so Meg being sick is NOT a ray of sunshine but having her lay on the couch and hold still for a minute was!

Connor painted his own toe nails. "But, Dad! They're a boy color!"

Sirri washing her feet in the sink.

Sirri's first T-Ball game.

She was so cute and does quite well for being such a teeny-bopper. She throws right handed, yet hits left. (Just like her grandma!!!) She pays attention to the ball quite well and is more aggressive than I thought she would be. I coach her team (with Jaci) and absolutely LOVE it! When I told my mom I was coaching she laughed and asked if I had checked out a book so I would know the rules. Real nice Mom! I think I can handle t-ball!!! It really has been a BLAST!

Kendon's archery shoot. "The Hog Shoot."

We spent the day with Kendon in the mountains at his shoot and had a fabulous time. The weather was a bit chilly but the kids had an absolute ball. It was one of those moments that at the end of the day, you sit back and say, "that's what I consider perfection!" (Except getting Connor to bed. Remember my cave? Yeah, it was one of THOSE moments. grrrrr.)

I've Got the Blues. The Bedtime Blues.

I love being pregnant.

Maybe I should clarify. I lovED being pregnant. See the difference? LovED means past tense. As in, NOT currently. Okay. Moving on.

I LovED being pregnant. There was only one thing I dreaded. Right around the seven month mark I would always dread bedtime. How do you possibly get comfortable with a basketball hiding in your pajamas, an internal heater cranked up to "inferno", a bed full of pillows (one for your head, one for your legs, one for your side....), and a feeling of insanity caused by your restless legs? Comfortable just wasn't happenin".

Well, guess what? I'm beginning to dread bedtime again.

Right now, this very moment, Connor is screaming in his bed. I think he finally might be there to stay at least. For the last 1/2 hour he has been getting out of bed and I have been quickly returning him. (I'm trying to use Super Nanny's, "don't talk to them, just put them back in their bed" technique. Which is very difficult to do by the way, when all you want to do is scream!) This type of behavior has been going on since the kids have been in their new beds. We did have a honeymoon phase of a few days where Connor went to bed like a charm, but those days are over. We went straight from the honeymoon to divorce court. It's getting ugly.

We've tried it all. Well, it feels like it anyway. Okay, so we are only on method number three maybe, but I'm getting desperate here.

When we first put the kids in the room together Kendon was worried that they would stay up playing and talking and giggling and getting into trouble all night. I looked forwarded to them chatting together at the end of their day, hoping it would be good sibling bonding time, but also worried that it would get out of hand. To combat this issue from the very beginning, I bought a cheap $2.00 kitchen timer. We set it for 15 minutes when they crawl into bed and they can talk, sing, giggle, whatever they want as long as they are IN their beds. After the 15 minutes it is quiet time. In the morning, if they obeyed the timer rules, they would get a sticker on their chart. After five stickers they would get a prize. The first night this worked like a charm. Connor climbed into bed, I set the timer and much to my pleasant surprise I hear him ask Sirri, "How was your day Sirri? How was t-ball? Did you hit the ball? Did you run fast?" It was too cute. I was so proud of my plan that night. Well, one round of that and Connor was done. The novelty of the timer and the sticker wore off. Goodbye stickers and timer.

So, I took the kids to Walmart. They each were allowed to pick out a bag of cereal. Whatever they wanted. This is a big deal cause at our house the only cereal we eat is basically Multi Grain Cheerios. I'm not a big fan of all the sugary sweet stuff. So, I figured this would be a big deal. On nights that the kids went to bed well, they would get to eat their "special" cereal in the morning. This was on Monday. Think Connor has gotten his special cereal yet? NOPE!

I am just at a loss. All day long I worry about bedtime and what to do and how it's going to go, and how long Connor is going to fight it, and whether I have enough patience to keep my cool, and why my poor boy is in need of attention so badly that he is resorting to this. I think that is the hardest part for me. The "why" behind it all. Does Connor need some attention so bad that he is resorting to this? It makes my heart ache and my brain so angry all at the same time.

So, HELP! Any suggestions?

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Update: I wrote this a few days ago. Then Kendon and I had a good long talk about poor Connor and the idea that he must be wanting for attention. So we decided that we would both make a concerted effort to strive to give him more positive attention during the day and NO attention at night. So, last night Kendon and I decided to try ignoring Connor all together. When he got out of his bed we just acted like he wasn't there. If it was attention he was after, he wasn't going to get it. We went about our usual business, folding laundry, doing dishes, reading a book, eating ice cream, all the while Connor followed us around like little puppies. After about an hour of this, Connor finally went and crawled in bed and went to sleep. It was a success in as much as there was no crying and screaming and gnashing of teeth from Connor (or his mommy!) last night.

I'm still at a loss as what to do with him when he stays IN his room being naughty though. (Like the writing on the walls and sheets, the tearing apart of books etc.) What kind of Love and Logic do you use there? He is going to use his "Jensen Family Dollars" to replace the book and bed sheets he ruined. That I know. But I'm still in need of some immediate consequences.

Man, I miss THIS kid.

Mayonnaise...Mustard....I'm trying to:

I feel so behind in my blogging. I feel so behind in my life. Why is it that projects like swapping bedrooms seem to take over your whole life? After a week of living in chaos I finally feel like my life is slowly getting in control again. I hadn't had a spare minute to do anything but tread water until the last few days. And instead of blogging, I've been enjoying my OWN room! (What I mean by that is Kendon and my room!!!!!) I've been able to read at night in my room and I love it. One thing I don't like is the frame of my bed hanging out and eating my legs. Oh well. I have my own room!!!

So, I'm taking a break from secluding myself in MY ROOM and here is a quick re-cap of a few things that we have been up to. Then I can get to fun stuff like sharing the details of our room swap progress!

Week in Review #1: Content
Two weeks ago we had a great week. Everything we did made me so happy and left me feeling content. Content with my family, home, place we live, where we are at in our lives. Content. What a fabulous feeling.

The weather started out beautiful and we were able to plant our garden. I absolutely love it when we get the garden in. There is nothing like spending time with your family, digging in the dirt, basking in the sun, creating something that will bring much joy and yumminess! We have a huge garden that is so much work, but the bigger it is and the harder we work, the more fulfilling it seems. Every time I look at my garden and begin to see it sprout, I feel content.

The end of the week the weather turned crummy. It started to rain and practically didn't stop for the next week and a half. The first day that it clouded over and began to pour I happened to be at the dentist. As I lay there in the chair, thinking what a crummy start to a crummy rainy day I was having, I made a choice. I chose to make this rainy day one to remember. And you know what? That Thursday was one of the greatest I have had with my kids yet. We played games, made banana bread and soup, painted, watched movies, played more games. It was so much fun to just BE with my kids. I didn't want to be anywhere else that day. I was content.


Week(s) in Review #2: End of the Year Stuff (Mostly about Sirri Version)

Sirri is not even in kindergarten yet, my calendar for May was crammmed. Let the fun of school days begin huh?!?!?

First Sirri had her pre-school graduation. I can't believe that her pre-school days are over. Yikes! Sirri loved pre-school and especially Mrs. Tammie. She learned a lot this year and is ready freddy for kindergarten. The graduation was super cute and Sirri made us proud. Each student picked a nursery rhyme they had learned and presented it at the program. Sirri chose: Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in the tub, the butcher, the baker, the candle stick maker. We practiced saying it "loud and proud" and she did great!

Next, Sirri had her gymnastics recital. She has really improved since last year and still loves it. As soon as Kendon gets a minute he'll help me post a video from the recital. Until then you can enjoy the video from last year. It is worth your time. CUTE CUTE CUTE! (Plus it was basically the very same thing this year. Different music and slightly better cartwheels!)

My mom and dad came for the weekend to be at Sirri's recital. They are amazing and the best. We always appreciate that they make an effort to support the kids in all their stuff. Mom and dad came in town late Friday night and the kids were so excited to wake up to find Gma and Gpa on the floor of their bedroom. They of course jumped right in their bed and snuggled and tickled and giggled. Before the recital we spent the afternoon having a picnic at the range. We spend so much time there that my dad wanted to see it himself. When my parents left on Sunday morning Sirri pouted on my bed for a good twenty minutes. She was so sad to let them go. And Connor kept asking Gpa, "why do you guys live so far?" We love you Grandma and Grandpa!!!

Room Swap

BEFORE:

• 1 Very unromantic Bedroom
• 3 beds
• Tons of terribly painted forest green trim (thx to some renters many years ago while Kendon was a bachelor.)
• 2 Ugly Wildlife Curtains
• 7 1/2 years I lived with those curtains.
• 1 slap upside my head for not getting rid of the curtains sooner.
• 1 hubby who wishes I would quit ranting about the curtains.
• 16 square feet of green "antique" carpet.
• Piles of stuff that needed a home besides our dumping ground of a room.
• 1 black metal canopy bed we bought for cheap when we were first married.
• Some major need for a change!!!!

DURING:

• 2 gallons of white paint
• 1 gallon of Robin Egg blue
• Too many hours poor Meg was trapped in her crib.
• 1 thankful Mommy that she was so cooperative.
• 1 HUGE mess.
• A very crowded living room/storage unit for too many days.
• 3 GREAT big thank yous to our lifesavers; Jaci,Heidi and Stacey for helping with the kids.
  
• 2 tired backs
• Lots of blasting 80's tunes.
  
• 1 cute room.
  

AFTER:

• 2 comforters to finish.
• Some decorations to hang.
• 3 valances to sew.
• No idea when it will be done.
• Zippo pictures until it is!!!

But I will give you a sneak peek at what our room will look like. It's on the agenda to do next. Soon. Hopefully.