Galewatch

The only good thing about winter

2012-02-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

The only good thing about winter is how cold my drinks get while being stored in the garage. How cold the water is when it comes out of the tap. How quickly a hot room can cool down when you open the window. These are marvelous things, but really are they worth it? Maybe just the cold drinks in the garage. I'm a sucker for that. They are way colder than drinks from the fridge but not cold enough to freeze. It's a rare treat.

The blasted pancakes

2012-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ok - what child does not like pancakes? Max does not. Either he doesn't like them or likes to spend inordinate amounts of time manipulating us into thinking he doesn't like them. Every time we have pancakes, let me step back and say, every time Eldon makes the most amazing pancakes I have ever had, Max has a complete melt down. The first time, banana pancakes with caramel syrup. Unbelievable pancakes. He didn't eat for weeks after the trauma of us demanding he eat three bites.

Last night, chocolate chip pancakes that were really the most delicious I have had. Max ate his bacon, drank two glasses of milk and then tried to escape with having cut a piece of pancake away and not touching it. Normally I could care less if he eats, but I knew with the little amount he ate, we would find him hoarding a bag of pretzels 10 minutes later. Eldon put the hammer down and said he couldn't leave the table until he ate the pancake.

Oh the tears. Tears led to hyperventilating, then to gagging, then to near passing out from the drama. I mean who can eat a chocolate chip cookie by the dozen and not a chocolate chip pancake? It ended up he gave up his new DS until JUNE to avoid eating a delicious pancake.

I don't get it.

More thoughts

2012-01-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

As you can probably tell, Eldon is traveling so I am left alone to my thoughts. I try to fill my head with TV so that my thoughts don't get too out of control, but I'm very frustrated with TV so I have moved to books. While reading, there are only thoughts in my head so here is to moving them out of my head and into the public.

I just finished reading "The Year of Living Biblically". I found profoundly interesting the views of agnostic people. So much of my life centers around religion that I just can't imagine not having any religious foundation and how confusing that must be. I'm sure the agnostics must feel that I have no time for real thought because so much of my time is wrapped up in religious thought. Anyhow, I recommend the book. It was funny, and I learned a lot about Judaism. I'm sure I learned about Judaism what a Jew might learn about Christ from "Jesus Christ Superstar" the musical but I did find a few nice insights.

I keep asking myself, why can kids be so polarized from day to day? I mean Jackson can go from telling me that I am beautiful to trying to rip the carpet off of the floor. Their scope is so limited that I can't imagine they can be that different from day to day. It's really driving me Crazy.

That's all for now.

Things I have been thinking about

2012-01-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a post in so long and so I have about ten minutes and thought I would put down a few of the things I have been tossing around.

New Years Resolutions - I for once would like to make a New Years Resolution that wasn't only about weight loss. It's like why do I have to decide to lose weight in January? So this year, along with weight loss, I have included some work goals that will no doubt make my boss happy, but our family too. We also did this as a family and made some family goals for each of us.

-Family Scripture Reading - We have successully read the scriptures every morning since January 3. It has been much better than I thought and the kids are doing great. Max is definitely getting the most out of it, but the others enjoy being included in something that seems grown up.

-Family Prayer- We have also been able to do morning and evening family prayer since January 3. I think organization is the key for us as we have never been opposed to it, just not organized enough to make it all happen continuously.

-Making our beds and picking up our rooms before school. We have not done very good at this. I'm going to start over tomorrow with a renewed emphasis on it. The kids are capable and willing (kind of) but it's just how many battles can I fight before school?

Attitude - I have always had a pretty decent attitude on life and I think it has served me pretty well. But this week it has been harder to stay positive. My husband has been home for a few months and I just got used to having his help. But the traveling has started again and the transition to solo parent is starting again. To keep a good attitude, I used to plan fun things for me to work on while he was gone, but I'm not there yet. Hopefully my projects will seem more doable and I will help the time pass by easier.

Cleaning - I hate it. I truly feel like I'm pouring alcohol over an open wound whenever I think about starting it. I've become famously great at overlooking things that need to be done. My mother can't stand it as it knaws at her, but I tell you having to do it is more painful than stepping over a few things on the floor. I'm always very happy when things are clean, but I just don't get that rush that some experience when cleaning and seeing the finished product. So to tie in my New Years Resolutions, if I reach a certain mark within my sales, the maid comes back. Ivanni that precious girl who is so good at cleaning. Even if I work my darndest to get something clean, she always does a better job. So some may say this is a cop out, but when you work like I do and have a few minutes at home, who wants to spend that time cleaning???? I say if you can, hire it out.

What do these three things have in common?

2011-11-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

Our dear little Claire decided that there was many ways to have fun with her Halloween candy this year. About two weeks ago, she had a bad cough and a head cold. But all of a sudden she started spiking these really high fevers at night. The odd thing was they would happen every other night. Since it wasn't a consistant fever I didn't worry too much about it. The odd thing was the next day she would be perfectly normal. So after about five fevers over 103, I thought it was strange enough to take her in just to make sure. The Dr. looked everywhere for something weird and finally checked her nose. She said, "Oh, there is something blue up there." After much digging and tweezing and cotton swabbing, the blue M&M made it's way out. Poor Claire was terrified of the whole thing. I felt so bad that I had let it go so long. I can't imagine having something stuck in my nose.

Everything had gotten infected in her sinuses so that was the reason for the fevers. After one day on the antibiotic, she was totally better. I'm still wondering if the boys put her up to it or if she did it all on her own?

Disney World

2011-10-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here are the three pictures from Disney. It truly is the happiest place on earth. It is for 2 year olds, 5 year olds, and 8 year olds. It is even more so for their parents who get to watch over and over again their kids in total amazement and true happiness. It was so great. I highly recommend it. After the cost of the tickets, we were able to really go pretty cheap by bringing our own food and water.

Here is Claire and Jack with Buzz and Woody. Claire fell in love with Buzz.

Max got to go to Jedi school Here they learned some cool lightsaber moves and then got to fight Darth Vader. Max was lucky enough to be able to use the force on the two Storm Troopers. He was really proud of himself after they went flying when he used the "force push".

I will try and post other pictures as I collect them from the other cameras on the trip.

I'm so sad

2011-10-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

So this past week has been so sad. I lost my camera. Yes, my big Canon camera with my favorite lens on it. I have scoured my home and garage and car and it is no where. I have been up at nights trying to remember what happened. I had it Tuesday night as I was taking pictures of the kids in the leaves and then on Wednesday night when I went to take a picture of Max in his cub scout uniform, it was gone. I didn't take it anywhere to leave it. The only thing I can get to now is that it was stolen out of our house. Our power went out Wednesday morning and I disabled the garage door so I could manually operate it. I had the strongest feeling that I should lock the door from the house to the garage and I didn't do it.

Seriously I think the worst part is that I hadn't downloaded my pictures for awhile. I have no pictures from Max's baptism now or his birthday. I'm tearing up now as I'm sharing. We had a service man at the house that morning that worked outside our house and I've talked to his manager to see if it were at all possible that he took it. So for the time being I can only post the three pictures from our trip to Disney world that I bought off of Disney's website.

I love taking pictures and scrapbooking them. It's really my only hobby. So now I have a huge void and it really feels like a death. I know that is so crazy but I'm in mourning. I will get over it and probably buy a new one at some point, but I'm too sad to get there yet.

Coolest Sunset Ever

2011-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Heat Finally Broke

2011-09-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

July was brutal this year. August was down right pleasant. While Eldon was travelling we had a night at the park where it wasn't over 100 degrees. Mr. Cool Max trying to pretend that he is too old for parks like this.

Miss Claire wearing whatever her babysitter could find this day which was a pajama top and stretch pants. But she still looks pretty.

My handsome Mr. Jack. He is always the one that runs until the very last minute. He is great at getting out all his energy in the time allotted.

First Day of School

2011-09-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

First Day of School for our Kindergartner and Second Grader.. You can see how Max is acting like he is annoyed at the pagentry. Cute Jack is SO excited to ride the bus. Not necessarily that excited for actual school.

The momentous walk onto the long awaited bus ride for Jack. He has been turning every vehicle he can find into a bus. He is loving school now and still loves the bus. Max is doing great. His table in his class is with his best buddies. Let's just hope he can be quiet enough to learn.

It's Been 10 Years

2011-07-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today is our ten year wedding anniversay. I can't believe it has been that long. I can't believe I am sitting in my kitchen today with our three children. Ten years ago I was so hopeful this would be my life. Of course there have been some surprises along the way, but I truly have everything I have always wanted. Eldon is the most wonderful husband. I am so lucky to have someone who knows how to spoil a lady. He is so romantic, thoughtful, creative, and kind. He works very hard to provide for us. I thought I would share an example of how he spoils me. For my birthday I was given this card:

He took me to NYC for just two short days. These days were filled with amazing things. We saw two Broadway shows on the first day. Our view from our hotel room is below. We also went to the Metropolitan Opera which was an experience of a lifetime all in itself. We ate wonderful food, and just enjoyed all the time together.

The second trip was to Palos Verdes California. (Shown below) We stayed at Terrenea which is an unbelieveable resort. We were still on east coast time the first day so we were up early. We went to the coffee shop in the hotel and got some breakfast to take to the beach. We sat and ate breakfast with the sun coming up and hiked all over the rocky cliffs and caves. We went ocean kayaking in the afternoon and had a blast. We laughed at how much harder it would have been if we had to coordinate our paddling in our first year of marraige! That night we went to dinner at a beautiful gourmet restaurant where he had to explain the menu to me. It was delicious. They brought out a beautiful cake. It had cooled down considerably in the evening so we sat around the firepit and looked at the sunset. Back at our room was a rose petal turn down service with Chocolate covered strawberries and our wedding song playing. The next day was a couples spa treatment and relaxation. We ate dinner right on the cliffs and watched the sun go down again. It was a magical weekend. Too bad I got sun burned while ocean kayaking!

Eldon added to my wedding ring earlier this spring with two bands filled with diamonds. Over the years I have tried very hard to compete with him in giving gifts or being thoughtful. I have decided that he will always win. I am so grateful to be in that predicament! I try to show my love through attempting to keep up on the laundry or bathing the kids. I'm so grateful that we are both so committed to each other and our family.

Here is to another ten years!

Happy Easter Mud Party

2011-04-25T11:57:00.001-07:00

This Easter we had our family over for dinner and also the missionaries. The kids were tired of being locked up inside while the adults ate a delicious meal, so we let them go out on the deck. Pretty soon we realized that the kids had found the mud and were having such a lovely time. I am so glad I had the kids change out of their Easter best. But I did leave Claire's little pink sweater on and it was covered in mud. Her shoes were once shockingly pink.

This was Parker's second outfit after removing his Easter shirt and vest. If you look at Jack, his pants are completely wet and since they are dark you can't see the extent of the mud. He jumped in the mud and sprayed everyone else. But we had a family dinner, mud fight and bath on Easter. It was followed up with a fantastic and surprising talent show by the boys. I remember times like this as a kid and found them to be quite magical. Oxi clean saved the clothes and I had to run a bleach cycle in my washer but everyone and everything survived.

Spring Break.....WHAT?

2011-04-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

So Max's spring break was a week ago. We had big plans to go to Washington D.C. and see our great cousins there. Everyone was so excited. We were leaving on Wednesday afternoon and coming home Sunday. Tuesday night, the first fever hit along with a headache that put little Jack into a sleep coma. We rushed off to urgent care for drugs and Strep diagnosis and thought we could get down the road and he would be treated for 24 hours by the time we got there. But then, Wednesday the second fever hit and then the snot. Oh the snot. Everyone was down for a a couple days. It was a sad spring break. I had the car packed as well as the suit cases. But finally we were able to get out of the house to go to the zoo on Friday for an hour. It was cold, but no one was there so we didn't infect anyone, and the kids could see everything. We have rescheduled our trip to D.C. over Memorial Day. Hopefully all the fevers, sore throat's, sniffles and coughs will be gone by then. This week is Jack's spring break from Preschool. We will do our best to live it up while we are all feeling better.

We had a Birthday!

2011-04-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger. But I couldn't not put up pictures of Jack's big day! He turned Five on St. Patrick's Day. He is very nice to share his birthday with everyone who celebrates St. Patrick's day. This year we took a few friends to the zoo. It was the first weekend where the train was open and the Polar Bear play area. We were a little out manned, but the kids did a good job keeping up and for the most part stayed with us. Here is the little clan. It was freezing too, which helped keep the party short and sweet. We had cupcakes and apples and pretzels. Everyone played, rode the train, ate and then we looked at a few animals and we were done. Jack was sad that there wasn't an all day playdate included in the deal, but mom and dad were done.

Sad Day

2011-01-31T17:36:00.000-08:00

In Memory of a Very Funny and Great Friend
Bill Howe
March 17, 1976- January 30, 2011

So how do you write something for a friend that was such a bright spot in your life when you needed that bright light? How do you write about someone close to your age who has died way too young? How does it make any sense? Bill Howe was my brother's best friend. This picture shows my brother Bill, my dad Bill, and our friend Bill. The three Bill's. In college where my dad wasn't, my brother and him were known as "the Bill's." All of my friends loved them. I am putting this post together for the girls of 235 who would have known Bill and would appreciate knowing that he passed away last night. The memories have been flooding back. Both he and my brother were so kind to include me in so many things. I thought I would list them here and hopefully some of you remember some of them and hopefully it will bring a smile to your face as he did so many times.

- Buy a friend night - The dollar movie would have .50 cent night and the Bill's would go buy 50 tickets and invite anyone and everyone they knew. The funny part was they called it buy a friend night.

-The paper- Any tabloid paper was known to Bill Howe as "the paper." He always had a copy on hand.

-Chili Mac - For their ward pot lucks, the Bill's would bring Chili Mac and always hide a prize inside. A real prize like a toy. No one knew that their was a prize in it.

- Midgets - He had the strangest obsession with midgets.

- The plunger he gave Lisa and Keith as a wedding gift. Very kind, but alas, odd.

-The pee pants. In respect for him, I will let those who have heard the story remember it.

- Mothership - He was a great alien dancer.

- Buttghetti - The room mate who made spaghetti every Monday and ate it all week. The rest I will leave to those who knew about it.

- Macaroni Grill - When Bill worked there, he got a ton of cash in gift cards. I was lucky enough to be invited to splurge all the gift cards at once. We would order what ever we wanted and eat one or two bites and then order something else. It was very fun and very gracious of him as he always was.

- Thanksgiving at Grandma Barbs - Our family always had a ton of gravy. They made a bunch and instead of serving it in a gravy boat, they put it in a crystal water pitcher so you could pour as much on as you wanted. Bill looked at it and said, "What's wrong with the milk?" Later he found out that Grandma had decided to do ice cream Sunday's for dessert and then he disappeared. He went down to Marie Calendars and bought 5 pies.

- Cross Country road trip - The drive was full of "the paper" but my favorite was at Niagra Falls. We went on the Maid of the Mist and had rain ponchos. We were looking around for Bill and he was standing in front of the rotating sprinkler getting sprayed on his poncho.

- Generosity - This is the main thing I remember about him. He was always paying for what anyone wanted and always bought way more than needed or expected. Once my whole family went to a movie. No one had any treats and he came in for large drinks for everyone. That was just how he was.

- Waterskiing - we took him waterskiing at Yuba lake and it was early in the morning. We all took turns and then it was his. He jumped in and proceeded to scream as loud as he possibly could because the water was colder than he thought. You would think that he would stop after a few seconds, but no, Bill continued for minutes. After trying to ski and falling, he suggested in a scream again that there was a tuna up his nose.

- U2 - I got to see U2 in Salt Lake City with the Bills (tickets purchased by my brother) and Kelsie, their other room mate who was addicted to U2 even more than me. Of course the Bill's bought Kelsie a shirt and sat their so excited watching him enjoy his first concert with the band from Dublin.

-Taco Bell, CBE concerts, movie nights, fish outlines on the carpet, puns, and really just supporting everyone else. He was the best friend to have. I am so sad that his life has ended. It makes me reflect on my own and how short life really is. I love you Bill. And to my brother, thanks for sharing this great friend with me who as you can see, made college SO MUCH FUN!

Defending the Homefront

2010-11-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

So many of you know that Eldon travels quite a bit for a living. He travels to lavish places and is given the high and mighty treatment. This fall has been no exception. We have been bracing ourselves for the amount of time he would be gone. In the past when he has been gone for awhile, something inevitably goes wrong at home. Sometimes are worse than others. I always hope for the best but expect the worst.

This time was no different. I will just say that I believe I have just experienced my pioneer woman moment. I didn't have to fight off a buffalo or a wild Indian, but I did have to defend my home.

Last week, a huge bird flew into our house. It was landing and perching on our drapery rods. It would fly in the circle of the main floor from room to room as I chased it with my broom. I was no match for the bird as it was much faster and I couldn't understand why it wouldn't just fly out of the house. All the main level doors were open and no one outside would be chasing it with a broom. I think it was a very dumb bird. It finally got caught in our light fixture in the hall and I was able to coax it out the front door. Max was laughing his head off, Jackson was crying, and Claire was screaming. This I know will be what the kids remember about the fall of 2010.

This week, Eldon gone again, I am reading the last Harry Potter book to prepare for the upcoming movie and as I'm sitting in my bed, I hear dragging above me in the attic. I think it's the wind, or the rain, or maybe the dryer was still going downstairs, but alas it was not. It continued through the night and into the morning. It was like someone was walking on my roof all night long. So I figured it was a larger animal that had gotten into the attic.

Earlier in the day, I had gone down to the food storage to get some cream of mushroom soup. I noticed that a mouse had gotten into a bag of rice I had left down there. (I know that was stupid). So I was already preparing to trap and kill that mouse when I heard the noises upstairs.

I was near tears as I realized that I was surrounded, alone, and I didn't want to protect my children from animals. I wanted my husband to do it, but I needed to man up and get the job done. So how do I handle things like this??

I called Critter Control. They came and did a full assessment and found a nice large RAT living in the attic. They said it was a field rat and that it was bringing in it's own food and just making a home there. It didn't want our food. That was thoughtful. They set the trap while they were investigating and the dumb thing went right in. I couldn't look at it when they took it out. Knowing what it looked like would be too many nightmares in the future.

Apparently, the entry point where the AC line goes into the house has been a highway for rodents since it's so big. They sealed it, set up bait points in the basement that feeds the mice and then sends them out to die. They covered the attic with some type of bait similar to the basement but in much larger quantities and we are good to go. I am still going to have to trap the mouse in the basement, which I have no desire to do, but I will.

I know it's winter coming and the dry summer that is increasing rodent activity, but guess what neighbors???? They are going to go to your house now!

Bedtime

2010-10-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

I just have to ask, Why didn't I catch on to the 6pm bedtime with the boys? Claire stands outside her door at 5:55 begging to go to sleep. This is after two naps during the day. She also wakes up at 8 am. I have been blessed with crazy good sleepers. Jack still naps except for today.
I said, "Jack, it's time to go lay down for your nap."

He said, "hmmmm let me look at my watch, yep it says no nap today!"

But he is known to take a three hour nap and still go to bed at 8 pm on most days. I'm going to push this until he goes to school all day. I know the Lord gives us what we can handle. I have needed sleepers and I sure got them.

The curse of the Phantom of the Opera

2010-09-07T07:48:00.001-07:00

So I mentioned in a previous post that we took Max to see Phantom while we were in Las Vegas. He loved it of course, but we didn't realize how much. He has been singing every word of it since he saw it in June. He has decided that when he is older he will be starring in it as the Phantom of course and he believes his voice is already good enough to handle the role now. He believes he is amazing because he can sing the Phantom parts and the high parts sung by Christine. I hated to break his heart by telling him that it would change someday.

If Max's fervor weren't enough, Jackson has caught on to it. They love the movie and act out the scenes where they like the music. They turned our sit and spin into the chandelier and cover it with a blanket just like the opening scene and when the music starts, they pull the blanket off and Max begins to swing it around and then climbing on top of the couch, lifts it to the ceiling. Jackson will row Max in a boat while the Phantom sings. It's reallly all too much.

But, the final nail in the coffin was when Eldon was getting our dear little Claire ready for bed and she started humming the music. Now we understand that is amazing in itself, but it was hard to enjoy because we are so sick of it. The movie has been put away and can only be brought out on very special occasions.

2010-08-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our new family picture taken by my fabulous photographer cousin, Brittany.

The Kiddos. I love this one.

Max in his pseudo Senior picture but really it's only first grade.

The stud muffin.

Our princess. This was the only happy shot really of the day. The dress is from Grandma and Grandpa. They bought it in Venice, Italy while on their trip.

Our trip

2010-07-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have finally found some time to update my blog. So sorry for the months of nothing new. We have had a busy summer. Awesome and busy. In June we took a trip out west for about two weeks. It was a wonderful whirlwind. We "DROVE" from Columbus to Utah with the three kids in our van. It wasn't as bad as one might think. With Grandma's well thought out cooler of food and limiting stops to once every six hours, we were good to go. We drove from Columbus to Lincoln Nebraska the first day and then from Lincoln to Salt Lake the second. We stayed with Grandma Pat in Salt Lake and took in some sights.

Here are the boys at Temple Square. I don't think they are ready for this yet. We saw the Christus and an organ recital. I was in the cry room at the Tabernacle and we were outside most of the time. But they did say they liked seeing the temple. I was fascinated by how clean it is there. Very proud! We spent time with our family and loved seeing everybody. It was Cafe Rio with the Horne's and a great backyard barbecue with the Grants. Thank you everyone for making the effort to see us. We love you!

Next it was off to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Four Seasons which is the top few floors of Mandalay Bay. The hotel prides themselves on being kid friendly. The room was equipped with perfectly sized bathrobes and slippers for the boys. All of the furniture was covered with padding so the kids wouldn't hit their head and they had bath amenities for kids based on their age. It was great. They also dropped off a plate for each child with M&M's and Gummi Bears and had written their names in chocolate on the plate. Big points. We took Jack to see "The Lion King" and Max to see "Phantom of the Opera." Little did we know how much Max would love it and how often would be hearing the music. We are a little tired of it now and it's two months later and still going strong.

Next was the Gale Family Reunion in St. George. YEAH!! Our first day we hiked the narrows in Zions National Park. Here is Claire thrilled. She wouldn't wear any other hat and fortunately, cousin Brenna had an extra bandanna that we could tie on her head to keep it on.

Here is the group congregating in our great "Green Shirts" getting ready for the hike. It was so perfect to have them all so we could identify everyone along the trail.

Everyone in the water in the beautiful canyon.

One of the only dry places on the hike. Beautiful waterfalls!

Next day we took it down a notch and went to the St. George Temple Visitor's Center. Here is cousin Dallin and Max listening to the Missionaries there. They were quite the buds this week.

The great condos at Las Palmas. Highly recommend them for any family reunion. They were big, well furnished, and we loved them.

The next day was Sand Hallow Reservoir. With much concern around "Swimmers Itch" we decided to push forward anyway. We were the only people swimming, Hmmmm. But we did great. Here is Claire in her shaded floatie. She loved it.

Our Wave runners. Very fun. We ruined skiing for anyone else, but had a blast. As luck would have it, the wind picked up early and and so we headed out and jumped into the pool at the condo complex. The chlorine killed any bugs we had and we were all set. A few kids threw up the next day but we are not sure how and if they were related to the lake.

One of the fun things we did all week was the Grandma and Grandpa Store. They made up some funny money and cleaned out the St. George Dollar Store. All the adults were armed with bucks and looking for good deeds from the kids. When they did a good deed, they got a buck. Here is Max taking his turn shopping at the store. He was very motivated by this and it was a huge hit. Great Job Grandma and Grandpa.

The last day was a day at leisure with family pictures at the end. Here is a picture Grandpa took while we were having ours done. The red rocks were beautiful and it was a great time. Thank you uncle Jeff for the great photo shoot.

After this, we headed out to Colorado Springs where we stayed at the Broadmoor. I don't have any pictures on this computer, but I think it is the most beautiful resort in America. We rode the train to Pike's Peak and had the most delicious Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. After that, off we were to St. Louis and then home. 18 days of family time and we were happy to be in our own beds and and back home to the weeds and chores to do. Thank you Eldon for all your hard work and contacts that allowed us to stay in such wonderful places.

Good thing or a bad thing?

2010-06-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jackson has always had a love for the vaccuum. this morning he begged to vaccuum the whole house. He has been going for an hour now. It looks great. I'm going to take it as a good thing.

ODE to my Husband

2010-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

So, I neglected in the last post to share the heroic efforts made by my husband. He did mention to me in the morning that he had had the best night sleep in a long time. I was glad he did sleep well. He did pick up the trash with all the worms on it right after it fell over. And when I got home last night after a fun night out with the girls, he had scrubbed the garbage clean. It is sparkling. There is not one scent or oder.

Thank you Eldon for being my true partner in crime. We both have our strengths and luckily they are usually different so we make a great team.

Oh What a Night!

2010-06-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Warning, this post is disgusting. Last night there was a array of things going on that were out of the ordinary. First, Eldon was working late (not out of the ordinary), second serious Thunderstorms were coming and it was the night before garbage day. How do these all come together? Let me share. In order for me to handle Eldon working late, I just have to pretend that he is out of town so I don't get angry or frustrated that he is not home. Then I don't even look at the clock and I'm a much nicer wife. He had a project due so he needed to stay late last night. I fed the kids what we normally eat when Eldon is out of town, whatever they want. We went out and watered all of our hanging baskets. Even though it was going to rain, they are somewhat under a pergola so they don't always get all of the water they need. I had Claire and Jackson outside with me and the temperature was perfect, it was breezy and really ideal. I invited Max out for a popcicle and visit on the deck. We love to do this. Sit out at night, watch the lightening bugs and have a popcicle. While we were all sitting there, I noticed the clouds getting darker and the breeze picking up. Max who is not afraid of any dark character or movie, is terrified of thunder and lightening. He kept running inside as we heard the thunder rumbling around. Finally we wrapped things up and went inside as it started raining. Earlier in the evening I had taken the trash out to the end of the driveway. We had a few friends over on Memorial Day so there was more trash than usual and I was going to have to do my late night walk to the neighbors with the extra, so it stayed in the garage.

The storm started and it was a huge thunderstorm. I love them. Jackson and I put our yard chairs on our front porch and we watched the rain come down and the thunder and lightening. Max was freaking out begging us to come in. Claire just sat on my lap enjoying it all. Finally the wind changed and the water started hitting us so we went inside. We sat by our front windows and watched. I looked over and Max was on his knees begging the Lord to make it stop with tears in his eyes and all the faith I have ever seen. As soon as he said Amen, he looked up and asked why it hadn't stopped. I asked him to give the Lord some time since it was a big storm. As soon as that was done, Eldon called saying he was driving in it and was on his way home. Then the tornado sirens went off. I took the kids to the basement trying to make it fun, but Max was beside himself. He was shaking and holding onto me. I was trying to hold Claire and Jackson was about as hyper as I have seen him be in a long while. I told Max to stay in the basement with the kids while I went up and turned on the TV. Someone had spotted a funnel cloud about a mile from our house so that is why the sirens were going. Eldon finally got home, and we tried to put Claire to bed, but the sirens kept going off so we had to keep pulling her out of bed to go to the basement. Finally around 9pm everything pretty much calmed down. During the storm, our garbage can had blown over full of garbage.

Eldon went and picked up the garbage. We both went out and inspected the yard. While doing so, he pulled me aside and said that while he was picking up the can, it was full of MAGGOTS! I about lost my mind. I was panicked. But I looked up and saw a beautiful rainbow. We told Max to come out on the porch and see the rainbow. Eldon told him that it was a sign from Heavenly Father that everything was going to be ok. Max let out the biggest sigh and said, "Heavenly Father did answer my prayer, FINALLY."

Back to the larger problem, the garbage can. I went out and looked at it and they were crawling all over it. I was about to vomit. I couldn't believe it. This past week, we had tons of garbage and diapers. This all attracts flies. They must have laid their eggs while it was hot and when the garbage can tipped over they came out. Regardless of how it happened, I was mortified. I kept going out to look at them and then if finally hit me that they may start to get out and try to get in the house. After I had put the kids to bed, I still had to drop off the extra garbage. I waited until 10pm and then made the walk. When I came back, I got online and found that you have to kill them as soon as you find them or they get everywhere. The only way to kill them is with salt, bleach or boiling water. So I was outside until midnight trying all three applications. This morning the garbage man came early and I poured bleach into the empty can, used the hose to get any stragglers into the bleach, closed it tight and am now waiting until they drown and die.

There have been a bunch of birds in the driveway eating the dead ones and the can is clean on the outside. I have inspected the garage and there are none. So the moral of the story, don't let the inside garbage get too full so the bag won't close all the way. Use your disposal to get rid of most of your food. Double or even triple bag your diapers so the flies won't like them. Kill the flies before they mate. I have lived here for five years and never had this happen. I have had diapers the entire time we have lived here. Why it happened this time, I am not sure. Online, I learned that they have a hard time with this in England because they only pick up the trash once every two weeks.

The positive of this story, I told Jackson it was his fault we had "worms" in our garbage because he is not wanting to be potty trained. He has begged for underwear today and has sworn to go on the potty. We will see how long that lasts!

Product Endorsements

2010-05-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

After my last post about the endorsement for the SHARK steam mop I thought I would make a few more product endorsements. These have really been great purchases and I'm always touting them.

1. The Peg Perego Aria Twin Stroller. This is the 2010 version and mine is much older, but it has been perfect. It is narrow enough to fit through doors, shopping aisles, over grass, on dirt trails, everywhere. It folds up fairly small, holds a ton below, and the trays can come off the front easily when the kids get older and need to get in and out easier. The seats lay back at any angle. The shades on top hold things if you need them to. My only complaint is that it is not built for large beverages that the mom may want to take along. It is made in Italy and the cup holder is pathetic. I've gotten around that by storing my drink in between the two shades.

#2 - The Kingsdown Mattress. This is the most amazing mattress. Eldon has slept in the nicest hotels in the world and he is always happy to return home to our fantastic mattress. The principle is that softer is better because it molds to your body. I have slept on different beds and my back always hurts. It never hurts on this bed. The other benefit is that it costs the same as a regular pillow top mattress and isn't as expensive as the sleep number bed. I highly, highly recommend it.

#3 The Eddie Bauer high chair. It looks nice, it's very stable, and it cleans up well. We took the padding off because it's just a little pillow that gets disgusting quickly. But after three kids, it still looks just like it did when we brought it home (when it's clean). The only negative is that it doesn't fold up so it has to store just as is. But because it doesn't fold up, it's very sturdy.

I saved the best for last. I LOVE this car. It does everything. It has made driving a minivan respectable and even "sexy." It has a fantastic sound system, drives great and I can take 8 people comfortably. I love how the seats go down in the back, how the radio can still play in the front while the kids watch movies in the back, and it is just simply awesome.

I am sure there are other things that I have forgotten to add to this list, but here is a start.

Finally a Product made for me!

2010-04-29T07:24:00.001-07:00

Someone understands that I don't have time to get on my hands and knees and scrub my floor. Someone understands that I need to clean my floor daily since I have a baby that crawls around on the floor. Someone understands that the Swiffer leaves a weird residue all over the floor when you use the wet mop. Someone understands that sweeping and the Dry Swiffer are just not enough in a house with little kids. This product has changed the state of my floor and house. I just sweep like I always do and then run this over the floor like a vacuum at the end of the day. It takes five minutes and the floor has been steamed clean. I toss the mop cover in the washer before bed and no drying necessary. It is a beautiful thing. I still think that you need to do the hands and knees job once in awhile, but this is a great way to handle the inbetween times.
This will even clean your bathroom floors which I HATE cleaning. Yeah!!

Thank you Costco for always carrying the coolest things. It was the best $94 I have ever spent.

2010-04-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

She is so precious I can't stand it.

2010-04-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

The three wacky ones!

2010-04-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Handsome Jackson

2010-04-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

2010-04-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

3 Happy Boys

2010-04-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Franklin Park, Beautiful Claire age 1

Baby Claire

2010-04-14T13:37:00.001-07:00

Claire has been so much fun to take pictures of. Here is an assortment in a few fun dresses and one of all the kids in their Easter outfits.

Happy Easter!

I love my new lens on my camera. So much fun.

10 Things I would like to learn

2010-03-05T07:45:00.001-08:00

My sister in law, Becca posted on her blog 10 things she would like to learn and asked others to post too. So here I go.

- Photography - I have a lot of gear and occasionally get a good picture, but I would love to take great pictures all the time.
-Photoshop - I just need to take a good class.
-How to organize. Anyone has "stopped in" to my house knows that this is what I need. I always have great ideas, but no time to implement.
-How to manage stress in a fun way - I have made huge strides at this, but it usually involves me allowing time to pass without worry. I would rather take the stress and do something fun with it instead.
-Musical instrument - I know that all my kids and husband are going to be able to play the piano or even more and I am going to be the one who can't do anything but sing along.
-How to Save money - I wish I could transition my mind to the big picture and move away from the here and now more easily
-Business Ideas - I have a few business ideas that I think would be fabulous. I would love to learn how to take that first step
-Compassion - I wish I could learn how to make the time to show all the compassion I know that I have for people. I have always wanted to be "that" person that everyone could rely on. I don't think you can't rely on me, but I am so busy I am sure people think twice before asking if I can help.
-Hands on IT - I sell IT for a living. I have learned tons about it, but I wouldn't have the slightest clue how to implement anything. I really enjoy learning the concepts and think it is amazing but that is as far as it goes. I would love to actually build a server and deploy applications for my home. I know that is geek to the core, but it is really cool stuff.
-Some handy skills around the house. It would help so much if one of us could fix something. I would love to remodel my bathroom. It is the most disgusting room ever. It just needs to be ripped out. I would love to learn how to do that.

Stonebridge 235 Girls Reunion!!

2010-02-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

Ok ladies it's looking like May??? We have three pregnant ladies due in June, July and August. That is three that I know of. So maybe early May? I think it would be so much fun to take a weekend and go to New York or something fun. Obviously not too much walking for the ladies with child. Or hey maybe just a cabin in Tennessee? I'm good with whatever. Let me know what you think and I will totally arrange it. I will also start communicating by email once we get going.

If there is a better time or place please comment!! Also, if there are others we need to invite, and you are in touch with them, please pass it along.

To the Sweet Girls of Stonebridge #235

2010-02-15T17:44:00.000-08:00

About three years ago, Eldon took me on a Romantic Birthday get away to Cleveland. I know you are probably saying, "what on earth could be romantic about Cleveland?" Well we stayed at the Ritz Carlton, ate at Hyde Park, and saw my favorite Broadway musical to date, "The Light in the Piazza." When we returned to our hotel room, he had purchased the "romantic package" which included a rose petal turn down service, bubble bath etc. In the background, they had playing my favorite, not his, Pachabel's Canon. The CD is called Pachabel Canon's greatest hits. Now to most musicians, they hate this song. Hate may be a little strong, but usually they don't like the over played and popular classical pieces.

I have spent some time trying to cope with this as I have become so much more exposed to classiscal music since I married Eldon. And here is what I have come up with.

I don't know what it is, but this piece calms my soul. I am not sure if it is the rhythmic four beats that does it, or just the quiet predictability, but I love it. I love my greatest hits album because it is the song over and over again. I think it also has to do with the fact that it was my first real introduction to classical music. It was the first time I connected to a score of music.

So how does this relate to the girls of #235? Well, I remember fondly how our little apartment was always filled with tons of people. Not only did we have 6 people always living there, but we usually had the boyfriends or family of those 6 people. Many times when I had a stressful day, I would go fill up the tub of the back bathroom with bubbles and I would bring in Pachabel's Canon. It would drown out the noise of the commotion outside. As I think back, I can't believe I put a limb into that tub. All I have to say is "EEEW." I guess Pachabel helped me see past the grime and still find a way to relax. It is probably the only way I was able to live there for so many years and survive so many changing room mates.

I know that there are a few of my favorites who follow my blog and to you I say, I love you guys and I am sure I am the only one who had this experience in the tubs of #235!! Somehow we survived the industrial carpet, nasty green couches, and old beds. But more importantly, we made it home and were all able to leave there healthy and happy.

Profound thoughts from the boys

2010-01-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

Max - "Mom, in that movie the Book of Mormon, I know its a book too, did they eat grapes?"

Jackson - After I left for work on Monday and he was home with his dad, I saw him jumping up and down in the front window. I stopped pulling out and went back inside quickly to see what was happening. He was sobbing and said, "Mom, you can't leave people without giving them a hug and a kiss!"

I hope we can be like kids and be thinking about the Book of Mormon at odd times in the day and always be giving hugs and kisses!

Moments

2010-01-14T12:50:00.001-08:00

For the new year, I have a few resolutions. One of them is what I am going to call my "Moments Journal." I have realized over the last few months that what you miss when you work are the little moments of the day with each of your kids. You get to see them everyday and do planned fun things, but you miss the little smiles, or laughs or heartaches that happen everyday. I feel so blessed to only have to work one day a week and so when I am home with them, I want to record the moments. I am also going to try and make it a point to create a moment with each of them each day. I know that I will forget somedays, maybe even most days. But when I am frustrated at times with the monotany of being home I can read the journal to remember the priceless moments of life that will be gone soon.

Motivations

2010-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Max - We made a chart to track his shoe tying progress. He had to tie his shoes perfectly 24 times (that was the amount of stickers in the package) and he could get a Star Wars ship I found very cheap on eBay. Within 6 hours the ship was obtained.

Jack - He has had a potty chart for 3 weeks. He has been promised a trip to McDonalds play place for one milestone, Chuck E Cheese for another milestone, and a Gigantic semi truck toy that he picked out for the final milestone. As of today, there is 1 sticker on the chart.

Hmmmm.... I believe my kids are motivated differently. I still have no idea what motivates Jack. I'm beginning to think nothing. It's a bit worrisome, but everyone tells me that no child goes to Kindergarten not potty trained. I still think it's going to be a feat.

What I DO like about this cold weather

2010-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

So it has been cold here lately. REALLY COLD. All in all, it's not my favorite but there are a few things that are actually better because of it.

1. My Diet Coke in the garage is so cold it actually becomes a slushy. It is amazing. I love it. I crave it and highly recommend it. It also doesn't take up space in the fridge!

2. It's actually ok to stay in and cuddle up to watch a movie, read a book etc.

3. Our front door has a window pane in it and when you look out, it is so pretty with the white snow everywhere.

4. The kids want to hold my hand as we go places so they won't fall. I love the feeling of those little hands in mine. It's precious.

I could only come up with four things, but they are pretty good things don't you think?

Christmas outfits

2009-12-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

Our little Christmas Cardinal in the snow. She is so cute I can't stand it. Thanks to my friend Angie for the beautiful dress. What 7 month old wears cashmere??

Here are my handsome boys. I hate that the Transformers had to be in the picture, but you have to pick your battles.

Our first lost tooth

2009-12-21T07:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2009-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

Our table.

Our little chef who was very interested in helping cook this year. Hmmm??? Who does he take after???

The kids table.

My two little naked Indians.

Halloween

2009-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

We found these really cute pajamas at Gymboree and loved having the kids in them. When Claire wears them and I go check on her in her crib. She glows in the dark. Very funny.

For Halloween this year we had, Jango Fett, Princess Leia, and Mr. Incredible.

Max's Birthday

2009-12-14T07:28:00.001-08:00

The KIDS: We went to a bouncy house place that had lots of massive inflatables. Very Fun.

The Birthday BOY

The cool cake. Eldon and I tried to recreate the lava lightsaber fighting scene between Anakin and Obi Wan in Star Wars three. It is the lava planet built with working volcano. We love to do this type of thing.

Fall Catch up 2

2009-12-14T07:26:00.001-08:00

One of the really fun things about having Eldon's parents on a mission in Michigan is that we get to visit all the time, or they can come see us. This is in their back yard. It was a great visit.

Fall Catch up

2009-12-14T07:21:00.001-08:00

Max's First Day of School. Yes I know we are at Christmas break, but I did take pictures and yes I did cry all day.

Jackson's crazy hair

2009-12-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Jackson has crazy hair. It is thick, course, and there is TONS of it. We have to buzz him every three weeks or he looks like a gorilla. We let it grow out a little and then we asked Andrew, our hairdresser to give him a mohawk for a photo op and then we would finish the buzz. So here is the before, during, and after.

When he gets a little older, I think we will go with the mohawk if he likes it.

Thoughts

2009-11-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

So I have not posted anything for so long. It has been a crazy few months. I thought I would just take after a friend and write a few things I have been thinking about.

1. I have great friends and family. Through this whole gall bladder thing, I have had amazing friends step up and pretty much take over. I am so grateful. Also, it is so nice to live by family. It is so cool to have my mom and sister so close. They are always there to drop everything when I need anything.

2. Gall bladders are weird things. They say you don't need them, but if you want to eat 90% of what is available you need one. At least until your body adjusts.

3. Surgery, hmmm don't really care for it. It really puts a cramp in routines!

4. Just like a dear friend of mine, I HATE LAUNDRY. Why is this the mom's job? Do the kids and husband wear clothes? Do they enjoy clean clothes? Is this one of those things that women got stuck with way back in the beginning and men have been secretly been laughing behind our backs for centuries? I believe so.

5. The Flu. I know there have been some very serious cases with very sad results. But I also would like to say that the media have made this CRAZY! I'm sure we are going to get it. I'm actually planning on it. I have purchased a new fancy thermometer to track the kid's temperatures when it happens. I have gotten my kids their flu shots. Max lectures me all the time about extra handwashing and so far so good. But even though Max is trying to help us in our vigilance, I'm still planning on getting the flu in our house. Is there anything wrong with that?

6. I have to admit, I'm really excited to see the Michael Jackson movie. I loved Michael as a kid. I even have really embarrasing stories around trying to break dance in front of a Michael Jackson impersonator.

Beautiful Baby Claire

2009-10-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

My cousin's wife took these pictures while we were in Utah. For some reason the clarity isn't showing through here. I think the files are too big for blogger since they are each bigger than 8 meg. She is an amazing photographer. If you are ever going to be in Utah and want a family picture, let me know and I will send you her info. She works for Buseth photography who is just plain amazing.

Hello

2009-10-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

So it has been forever since I posted. I have been a little busy. First, I had a great trip to Utah. It was so much fun to see all my family and friends. I only really had one gall bladder flare up and I got to eat at Cafe Rio three times. It was a very modified Cafe Rio, but hey, it was Cafe Rio nonetheless. I will post pictures shortly.

Have you ever felt like you have lost a whole day of your life? Well Friday was one of those for me. I had my gall bladder surgery. I went in early in the morning and I was comotose until late in the afternoon. I thought I would be home by noon, but ended up spending the night. You know, it was a good thing that I stayed. The kids were a little confused since I had left them for a week before and was now gone again, but I am back now and I think they believe me. Surgery is so weird. You start being aware of your surroundings and then, boom you are no longer in control. I just have to ask how in the world did those nurses ever lift me off the bed dead asleep and up onto the operating table? Second, I talk in my sleep and so I wonder if I muttered anything particularly enlightening whlle I am drugged? Third, I know operating rooms need to be cold to keep out infection, but OH MY GOODNESS!! It's down right freezing in there.

Lastly, I'm grateful that these things are routine and that I am now home and recovering. Eldon has been a champ. I just call his cell phone from my bed and he brings me whatever I need. Claire is missing being held, so I try and make up for it by holding her kind of for as long as possible. Also, the low-fat diet is a good one. I was down 18 pounds right before surgery. I'll see what that liquid diet did for me in the hospital. I'm going to keep going. It works.

The Beach

2009-09-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

The beach with the Weidner clan. We had so much fun. We definitely had the most shade with our tent, and three umbrellas. The kids had so much fun. Max got the hang of boogy boarding, Claire learned to make lots of noise, and Jack became one with the sand and ordering Parker around. It was a great time. I thought these video clips were very fun.

2009-09-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

4th of July with Grandma and Grandpa Gale. Way fun.

2009-09-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Time on the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Gale. Can we just say we love being near them!!!

2009-08-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Look at how fun photo software is. This is the same picture as the other!

2009-08-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Claire Pretty in Pink. It looks like her eyes are going to stay blue!

2009-08-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for the beach this summer!! Look at the cute crew who will be going with us! I think the cutest is the one holding Claire and Parker.

2009-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today she looks just like Eldon. It's amazing how they go from looking like one parent to the other overnight!

Another off of my List - Elton and Billy purely iconic

2009-07-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

All I have to say is "OH MY." There is nothing like seeing truly amazing musicians with truly amazing songs, and seeing them together! My sister and I were lucky enough to go to this amazing show. I can't believe how good Elton John's voice is still and how much I love Billy Joel songs. It was so much fun. So I killed two birds with one stone and got two more off of my list.

4th of July

2009-07-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

So we are the luckiest kids in the Doug Gale family by far. We get to live 2.5 hours away from Grandma and Grandpa while on their mission. This means we can visit them and see them in action. Also, our kids are getting precious time with Grandma and Grandpa that they otherwise would not have. This past fourth of July we had a great week.

First on Wed. July 1st, Eldon scored some free tickets to a Clippers game for us and the boys. Aunt Lisa was kind enough to watch Baby Claire so we could go. It was a beautiful night and really fun. When we left, Max said: " That was the most boring thing I have ever done." So we have some work to do in the baseball appreciation department.

Thursday July 2nd, we had our annual Settlers of Cataan tournament at our house with my family. I won, but my sister insists that I cheated. For the whole world to know, I DID NOT CHEAT to win. I won with skill and strategy!

Friday morning we got up and left for Michigan. I swear that traveling for three days and six weeks you need the same amount of stuff. The van was packed to ceiling. I'm just glad we had the van! We got there around 1 pm and headed off directly to the Henry Ford museum. What a great place!! My boys LOVED it.

That night we tried our hand at Sushi. I wasn't sure what the boys would do, but they loved chicken katsu. I think my favorite was a roll with Mango, kiwi, cream cheese, and crab. Mmmm...

The next day, we got up and had an amazing breakfast and then went to a carnival that the student ward that Grandma and Grandpa Gale serve in were putting on. It was great. We played in a large bouncy house. Grandma and I both were brave enough to get in with the kids. I loved just having time to "play" with my boys. We then went to the the Dominoes Pizza headquarters where they have a petting farm. We had a picnic and then went to see the animals. It was so much fun!

We went home and had a nap and then got up for a great dinner and got ready for the fireworks. We went to the town of Adrian Michigan and sat with the locals for their fireworks. It was perfect because it wasn't so big that it terrified the boys but was big enough to keep their interest.

Sunday we went to church with Grandma and Grandpa. Now did I mention that they go to the Singles ward? Try taking three young children to a completely silent sacrement meeting. But I learned that reverence begets reverence as my children were amazingly well behaved. We napped again and then had fun playing games which we always do with the Gales. Very fun. We got up the next morning and drove home. It was a great time. I loved being able to get away without having to go far. We are definitely looking forward to going again.

Scarred for Life

2009-06-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Having a new baby at home has lot's of new and exciting things for everyone to get used to. As you can see from this video, Jackson is just trying to feel like he is a part of everything. With three children, you have NO PRIVACY. This is why Jack is able to put on this show for you all.

Claire in her blessing dress

2009-06-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here is my baby girl!! This dress is so amazing. Thank you Grandma Gale for your beautiful work!

Some good creative reasoning

2009-06-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Max said that he didn't have to bathe for a few extra days because he washed his hair twice in the shower on Sunday. Interesting logic???

My new life

2009-06-03T11:49:00.001-07:00

So last night was a great glimpse into my new life. We ordered Max the very beginner piano book with Star Wars music in it. He has been going to the mail box multiple times a day waiting for it. When it came yesterday, he realized that even though it was beginner, it was still too advanced for him. He was a little frustrated so I sat down with my very limited knowledge and was able to plunk out his part in the music. Each song has a coordinating duet with it that allows for a more realistic sounding version. Eldon came home while I was trying to help and pushed me off the bench.

Here is where the glimpse begins. Eldon is playing the Darth Vader song on the organ setting which makes it sound really cool at about 6000 decibals. Max is leaping through the house making amazing light saber noises. Jackson is crying because it is scary and too loud. Claire rolls her eyes literally and just sighs while I am holding her. Since we have the ability to record songs on Eldon's piano, I have had the priveledge of enjoying the Darth Vader Death March all day today with a very happy, light sabering five year old, very scared and sad 3 year old, and a very patient infant. Who says that a career is more entertaining and fulfilling???

The long awaited pictures

2009-05-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

So here are a few pictures from the last two weeks. I have been trying to get them on here but have been a bit busy!!
Here is Baby Claire in the hospital with Dad. She is two days old.

Here is her going home outfit and us getting ready to leave the hospital.

Here is the nursery that she came home too. Thank you to her Aunt Paola for the letters on the wall.

With every baby, Eldon always has flowers for me when I get home. I thought these were GORGEOUS! You can see the U2 lullaby CD and the perfume. He is so awesome!

Our kids. Including puddles.

Claire at one week old.

Claire today at 2 weeks and 3 days.

Things I've learned

2009-05-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

I will post new pictures tonight but I thought I would take some time to write a few thoughts. In this last week I have definitely had some life lessons. First, I love being a mom. I have had this overwhelming feeling of gratitude this week. I know it's the high that comes after having a baby, but I think my favorite time of the day is either at dinner when all five of us are together, or right before bed when we are all sitting on our bed together. I am so grateful to have my little family. Eldon has been amazing. The other night I walked past Claire's room and there he was rocking her with "Claire De Lune" playing. When I got home from the hospital, he had the most beautiful flower arrangement on the table in her room with the coolest Pottery Barn Touch Lamp, new perfume that he finds irresistable (very nice to be irrestable when you have just had a baby), and a CD with the Lullaby renditions of U2 songs. Oh how Claire and I will rock to the lullaby version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday." He is the most thoughtful husband ever.

I have learned that the peace in the house stems from mom. If I am mellow, everyone else is. If I get nervous or stressed, everyone else is. So I am on the mellow train.

I have learned that not all anatomy is created equal and I am ok with that. I know we were reserved for the last days for many reasons. For me, it was so I could use formula.

I have learned that privacy is a luxury.

I have learned that taking the time to smell and cuddle a newborn baby will take away any ailment, bad thought, difficult time, anything. It is pure bliss.

I have learned that looking at my daughter is looking at my twin and that is scary. I love to say daughter.

I have very very kind and wonderful friends.

So just a few thoughts. I have been absent for awhile because believe it or not, I have LOVED not being on the computer this past week. FREEDOM!

Baby Claire's BIg Day!

2009-04-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

April 25th, 2009

Welcome Baby Claire

2009-04-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Claire Elizabeth Gale - Born April 25th, 7lbs and 8 oz, 20 inches long.

Fun Day for Max

2009-04-14T10:01:00.001-07:00

Today I went to meet with Max's preschool teachers for his parent teacher conference. Tonight I go to his Kindergarten registration. I am so glad that I did preschool this year. He has improved so much from the last conference. He can write. He knows his alphabet both upper and lower case and knows all the sounds of the letters. I can't wait to see him start reading. The teachers said that he is the most dramatic in class and loves to act out everything he does preferably with costume. This was no surprise to me since he is a product of both his mom and dad.

It was nice to learn that he is a hands on auditory learner. He is not a visual learner. I am so I thought my kids would be. It helps to know how to work with him the best.

This is a fun day because I get to go to both places in the same day and see his progress. I have loved this preschool and I am really excited for free kindergarten!!

Way to go Max!

HELP

2009-04-08T12:10:00.001-07:00

NO PROGRESS SINCE LAST DR. CHECK. I AM GOING TO HEAD THE BEN AND JERRY'S ROUTE IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL!!!

My creative husband

2009-03-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

One may say that this is why I married my husband. I have to say that this is a very strong bonus! If he weren't so wonderful in so many other ways, I guess I could lean on this, but this is just an added bonus. He has a motto that I have been forced to adopt. "A little bit of effort goes a long way." I used to kick and scream and say, no one really needs all the extra. But I have found it really does make a difference and I love him for it. Plus, this type of thing could make us a lot of money some day. He needs the practice!! Love you honey.

2009-03-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

My kids are so lucky! About two weeks ago, they got taken out by both sets of Grandparents. I was lucky as a little girl to be the oldest Grandchild on both sides and new my grandparents very well. I was so happy to see that for now they have very healthy grandparents who want to spend time with them. I took this picture because I think it's so important for them to know how much they are loved. They got to go to Bob Evans for dinner (the boys favorite) and then to play at McDonalds.

Thanks Grandmas and Grandpas!!

Artsy

2009-03-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here is my attempt to be artistic. I'm really trying to do more "outside of the box" things.

Interesting

2009-03-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm finding it very interesting that I am actually feeling more rested, stronger, and happy these days. I mean it's only been two days of it and the wind could change at any minute, but I'm going to enjoy it! I've had the thought that maybe I'm nesting? Aren't you supposed to get a burst of energy right before? But that is crazy talk. I have a cleaning lady and don't need to clean. By the way, I will no longer have her after the baby is born and I am SO SAD!! I LOVE HER! My vacuum has cobwebs on it.

Another interesting thing is that today is the last day my kids will go to the Washburns for daycare. It's crazy! They have been such a blessing in our lives. They have truly taken in the kids like they are their own and my kids have loved it. I have never worried if they were being cared for or if they needed anything. Even more, I have loved getting to know Ben and Kristine better. They are going to be life-long friends. I hope to be able to raise my kids they way they are raising theirs. Jackson has been with them since he was about 10 months old. He is going to have a transition for sure.

Change is always good, but can also be an interesting time. It may happen that I will have to work again and the kids will go back to the Washburns but really we hope that this is a done deal. Now it can be play dates at our house and Kristine can have a break! It's exciting to look forward to the unknown. I have found if you don't get excited about it, you get worried about it and worrying does nothing but take years off your life. Jump forward through life with excitement, faith and courage and usually it all works itself out.

Finally

2009-03-26T06:51:00.001-07:00

I am now down to weekly Dr. appointments. I am dilated to 1 cm and 70% efaced. We are on our way. Now I know that I will probably go on my due date instead of early and I guess that is ok, but really it would be better to go earlier.

I also found a great new pillow set up to help me sleep better. It's just the little things you know?

Happy BIrthday Jackson!!

2009-03-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Buddy!! Jackson is so full of life. He was by far the easiest delivery ever. I went to the Dr. at 38 weeks for my check up and they said, "Oh my, you are dilated to a 5!" I have no idea how that happened, but I was thrilled. 0-5 Centimeters with Max was awful!! They said, just go to the hospital when you are ready and they won't turn you away. So the next day we went. I was still at a 5. They gave me the penicillan for Beta Strep. The nurse said that the anasthesiologist would be going into surgery so if I wanted an epidural, I needed to have one then. I said, "Shouldn't I at least feel one labor pain?" They said, "WHY?" So I said, OK! I got the epidural, they broke my water and within the hour and two pushes, out he came!! 6lbs, 7 oz. TONS OF HAIR!! I mean, TONS OF HAIR.

The things I love about Jack is that he is so full of life but still has a sensitive side. He is all boy, but doesn't like you to be mad at him. He teases his brother relentlessly. He loves to be read to. He loves McDonald's chicken nuggets, fries, and of course RANCH DRESSING. He wakes up asking for candy. He goes to bed asking for cookies. Everyday when I drop him off, he comes running to me and says "HUGS AND KISSES. MAX TOO." He is so much fun and is definitely entering the terrible 3's. He looks just like his dad, and then he will give me a look that is my Grandpa Fred. I am so grateful that he is mine.

Here is his excited face this morning on his birthday. Happy #3 Birthday Jackson!!

WHY?

2009-03-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have to remind myself as to why the third trimester is so yucky. I guess it is so you will go through anything to get the kid out! I'm there and I have way too much time left. I have always worked up to the day of having the baby. Hmmm I'm rethinking that this time. Maybe it's because I'm 35 and too old to do everything I used to? Maybe it's because I'm a wuss? Maybe it's because I am just plain tired. Exhausted really. The Braxton-Hicks are becoming more real and actually hurt. So last night I got in the tub at 10:30 pm and 2 am. My tub is more of a trough. I have to squeeze myself into it. I often think my back will never be the same again. It has to be broken right?

So to stop the complaining, I have to say WHY again? I try to remember those moments when I first met Max and Jack. They were amazing. I'm holding on to the moment of meeting Claire. I'm trying to come up with the types of photo shots I need Eldon to take when she comes. It keeps my mind off of everything else. I'm trying to not feel guilty when the logged Lego Star Wars time is multiple hours a day instead of the 1 hour we are working toward. But when you are this tired and sore, some things have to go right?

My mother is wonderful. She is there to help however and whenever it makes sense. My sister is actually doing my errands for me for Jackson's birthday tomorrow. Very grateful am I!

I have amazing friends who are so good to step in at a moments notice. I'm very lucky, just tired and really pregnant!

Thanks for the whining session!

It smells like eggs

2009-03-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Warning the following content is a bit edgy and borderline gross.

So Jackson has had, to put it delicately, a very active intestinal track lately. I had just changed a messy diaper before we left for the day. We got into the car to head to Kristine's and I smelled something again. I asked Jackson if he was stinky again and he just said, "Hmmm." Max then pipes up and said, "Mom, he is because his poop smells like eggs, and this smells like eggs." I was totally laughing and at the same time thinking, I can never eat eggs again.

I am now officially a geek

2009-03-05T08:38:00.001-08:00

I just found out that I am getting the coolest hard drive you can have free from work. Here are the specs.

Western Digital 300G 10000 RPM Velociraptor SATA Hard Drive

Cache: 16MB
Form Factor: 3.5"
Average Latency: 5.5ms
Features: Rotary Acceleration Feed Forward (RAFF) - Optimizes operation and performance when the drives are used in vibration-prone, multi-drive chassis. NoTouch ramp load technology - The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.

This thing SCREAMS!! Average boot time is less than 6 seconds and shut down is less than that. The internet pops. It is very fun. I really just like the fact that it is called a Velociraptor. It is as mean as it sounds. VERY COOL.

The Bachelor

2009-03-04T07:16:00.001-08:00

So I was so disappointed last night. We have not watched the Bachelor all season but we recorded the season finale because we had watched the Bachelorette when Jason was dissed. I kind of like that when you already know all about the guy. We watched it and our recording went into just 2 minutes of the "After the final rose" show. We just got to the point where he was explaining things and it cut out!!! We were dying and ran upstairs to the laptop to try and watch it online. Can I just say, what a moron!! You could tell he was sincere with all the "tears" but come on!! I thought Melissa was awesome. She handled it so well. I did enjoy the drama, but felt like I was watching a soap opera. Jason should check into that gig real quick!!

HE IS A GEEK and MORON!!

Good Excuses

2009-03-04T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last night we were saying prayers with the boys before bed. Max said his and then we said, "Jack it's your turn." He then said, "I can't, I'm sick." We started laughing and asked him again and he said, "Be quiet I'm trying to sleep!" Needless to say, we eventually got him to do it, but we were chuckling the whole time.

Cravings

2009-03-03T06:45:00.001-08:00

I craved this for Max. He is a relatively healthy eater!

I craved these with Max and Jack. Since I didn't crave anything healthy, he is a garbage gut.

I have craved Faygo "GRAPE" soda with Baby girl and so I can only imagine what type of eating habits she is going to have. It's really yummy.

Anyone could confuse the two

2009-03-01T15:58:00.001-08:00

When asked in primary who this prophet was, Max was unusally excited to know the answer!
Chancellor Palpatine of course!!

Really anyone could mix the two up right?

Missionaries in Michigan

2009-02-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to Ann Arbor to visit Eldon's parents on their mission. They are serving a CES mission at the University of Michigan. We have decided it is the most absolutely perfect getaway. It's only three hours, no hotel cost, and since we are with missionaries, it's cheap too!

Eldon's mom and dad really went all out for us there. They bought a real tent to set up in the living room for the boys. They had little airmattresses, and battery powered lanterns for them. They were in HEAVEN! Their apartment is furnished right from the famous church furniture we have all grown up with so it had a very "homey" feel to it. We really enjoyed learning about what they are doing, seeing the institute, and just taking it easy for a few days.

I loved having no TV. The boys had to play games and with each other which was great. On the last night, they had had enough of the missionary sacrifice of no visual media so we plugged in both laptops on each end of the couch. There they sat with their backs to one another and we had a marvelous album of Star Wars and the Wonderpets to entertain us for the evening.

We worked on a quilt for the new baby girl and played games and ate. Couldn't have been more relaxing. I am so happy that they get to leave everything behind and serve together. They are loving it and are so happy.

I'm finally a real mom and a real member of the Worthington Ward

2009-02-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

I am a Honda Odessey mini van driver and I love it!!

Cruelty

2009-02-15T13:23:00.001-08:00

Shaving legs while pregnant. I haven't heard much about this from other women, but anytime I bring it up I usually get a moan. At first I thought it was just me because I'm a bigger girl with a stand up shower. But I have come to realize that bending over while you are 30 weeks pregnant for any length of time for any woman is just cruel. So today I must take a moment to share just how cruel this is.

Like I mentioned above, I don't have a tub in my shower. The shower is just long enough and wide enough that I can't hurle my leg up against the wall either. That has never worked before for me anyway because my legs lets just say are really heavy. The only way I can make it work is to either bend in half and frantically run the razor up and down my legs or to sit on the floor risking to create an unbelievable suction between my buttocks that won't let me get back up again. It's always a huge ordeal.

Let me digress for a minute. My poor husband. When we were first married, I shaved my legs almost daily to have the smoothest legs possible. He didn't even think hair grew on my legs. Well as time went by, it became more and more infrequent. I believe now he understands that my leg hair can catch up to him at anytime if I so desire. Let's just say, I haven't gotten to that point because that's just nastybut we have been close during the last tri-mester of pregnancy.

Back to pregnant shaving. Because I have no oxygen with water running into my eyes, and it is the most painful experience possible I usually let my leg hair grow a little longer just so I can see where I need to shave. The risk: missed patches look unbelievably disgusting. When you are 30 weeks pregnant, not only is it a feat to get to the floor to shave your legs, but getting back up may never happen!!

Today is Sunday. I feel that since I wear a skirt on Sunday's I should have minimal leg hair. I wear the same skirt every Sunday with awful black knee highs. Some of the knee highs you can see through and others not. I never know what will be clean so it's always a gamble. Today was not only the knee high debacle, but it had been a considerable amount of time and so I met the shower with a new blade and determination. I decided to quickly bend over and get it over with. After two seconds into the first leg, I felt like the baby's foot was crawling up my esophogus and my liver was going to explode. I began to be light headed, and there was water running into my eyes. I tried to remember to breathe and went as quickly as I could. One leg down I stood up to start the other. By this time, I already am completely hesitant but I can't have one leg done and the other hairy. So I take a deep breath and bend over for the next round. I race with the razor. I finish quickly and think, I survived. I get out of the shower and begin to lotion my legs and see the tiger stripes on the second leg. In my haste, I totally missed spots and eeewww. I refuse to get back in to fix it and say that will have to wait until the next shower.

So many of you may be saying, "why doesn't she shave in the tub?" I cannot sit in hair infested water. It's just something I can't do. I also don't clean my own tub and am too embarrassed to have the cleaning lady wipe up my hair. It's gross. I have told myself to not complain about this problem, "FIND A SOLUTION!" I even bought this hold to anything handle on an infomercial that I thought I could just prop my leg up on while shaving because it was supposed to "hold to anything." Yeah except for the small print of, not in water and with large amounts of body weight resting on it. The first time I tried, I hit my head on the wall when it broke free and sent me flying.

I think the only solution is going to be remodeling. Our shower is a mess and we need to replace it. I will not let the design go without a place to put up my leg to shave. If anyone else has a solution, or feels the same as I, please share!!

Some Pics from Photography Class

2009-02-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory. It was so much fun to have two hours to take pictures without kids hanging on your arm and to experiment with what we learned in our class. I highly recommend the class.

It was freezing outside but pretty.

This is the Chihule art. I over exposed the picture and I think it looks cool.

Very pretty little flower.

Funny sayings

2009-02-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

So the snow days last week really threw the Gale house off track. The kids had been very used to getting up and out the door. When the snow days came, they could lounge around in the morning on both Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday I had a 10 am meeting so we weren't in a real hurry in the morning. Then they had the weekend. Needless to say, Monday and Tuesday were awful!! How easily they forget!

Max is slow. He cannot find urgency anywhere in his soul. Combine that with not wanting to get out the door and it's a nightmare. I had to be to work early on Monday and Tuesday. Jackson was in tears both mornings over really silly things. I hate that. I get the biggest guilt complex when I'm hurling them into the cold and they are still trying to wake up.

So this morning I didn't have to be to work as early and so the morning slowed down a bit. I let Max play Lego Star Wars while I was getting ready. We have had an issue with him understanding that when we ask him to stop playing that we are not being mean, we are just needing him to do something else. So I told him that when I got out of the shower I would yell down to him that it was time to get dressed and he had to pause and get dressed and then he could play again until it was time to leave. So after my shower I yelled down and he paused the game immediately and said, "OK mom, I love to follow all of your GREAT rules!" I about fell over with shock and laughter. Even better was when I said it was time to leave, he pushed pause and came up immediately. This has never happened. He even had a smile on his face. WHAT????

Now Jackson had me laughing out of control this morning. He likes to watch Blues Clues and Little Einsteins in the morning while I am getting ready. I got out of the shower and he said to me, "Mom, can you get me a doughnut?" First, I was struggling to understand how he thought we had doughnuts? We never do. So then I told him we didn't have any and so he said, "Mom, I'll just have some candy." I told him no and asked him if he was hungry. He then said, "I just need some chicken nuggets with ranch dressing." I told him it was too early for chicken. He paused for a minute and said, "I know, if you give me candy, I won't throw the wrappers on the floor!!" He has a very bad habit of just dropping whatever wrappers on the floor he ends up with and I am always trying to get him to pick them up or throw them away. I thought it was so clever of him to try and negotiate with me.

So overall it was a great morning and I am so grateful to have these moments with my kids when I can't be with them all day.

Being sick while you are pregnant

2009-01-28T15:44:00.001-08:00

This goes out to everyone. Does anyone have a good idea on how to take care of a nasty cold while you are pregnant? I'm sure there are some herbal somethings or another. Or just some weird thing that works that I don't know about. I'm sick and I'm tired of being sick. I have the Vicks tissues and I'm drinking lots of water and taking my vitamins. What am I missing?

HELP!

Christmas 08

2009-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve with new PJ's and cousin Parker

The tree and some bounty.

My favorite picture of my kids and the least favorite when I was a teenager. But you have to have the waiting to go downstairs picture.

We had a great Christmas. Eldon got a LeCreuset pan. I got a Photography class and some UGG slippers, and the boys were covered in Thomas and Star Wars. It was a wonderful day and season. Jack finally gets it and Max is right in the middle of all the bliss.

What's up with us

2009-01-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

So this week, Eldon is traveling. What does this mean? We had popcorn for dinner last night at Target. The boys and mom get more TV in, and I go to bed when the boys do. It's my favorite thing.

I am trying to get ready for the little baby girl coming our way. Eldon has grand plans for the nursery so I haven't done much there, but slowly I am accumulating things I think I may need. I have hit a few wonderful sales for her next winter wardrobe, but am going to wait until the spring collection goes on sale for 0-6 months.

Thoughts about having a girl. I have always been a tom boy. Anything feminine I do or have has been completely because of Eldon. My poor mom had to wait for my sister to live out all of her little girl dreams. It's just not in me. I would darn straight rather watch a war movie, ball game, or crime drama than a chick flick anytime. I hate dresses. I endure jewelry. I don't mind wearing it once it's on, it is just the shopping for it and remembering to wear it that is a problem. I try to not be emotional, but I can't get rid of all the female genes. So the thought of a little girl is a little frightening.

I am so excited don't get me wrong. I guess I just look at how close my mom and I are and I am really excited to have that with a daughter. I don't know how to do hair, so I don't want her to be a freak. I hate giggling and drama. I promise I won't be a pagent mom. I wouldn't even know where to look it up online to read about it. I used to light Barbies on fire, so I will have to get over that. I might have to admit that lightsabers aren't the only cool toy and possibly learn something about fairies, princesses, and stuff. Not nearly as cool as the whole Star Wars/Harry Potter movement, but I guess I will survive. So, with all that being said, I'm sure this is really good for me.

Eldon and I swear that Max and Jack got the absolute best things we have to offer genes wise and we just hope that there are a few left. We both have many undesirable traits in us and in our families that we hope get passed by again. So for the next few months, I will be processing all of this, but I'm sure once I hold her, I will be just fine with a girl.

Retrieving the Tree

2009-01-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

Every year we go to the Cackler Farms in Delaware Ohio to
get our Christmas Tree. The reason why we continue to go
is because of the sled we pull the kids in. I have pictures every
year of this and you can really see how the kids have grown.
This was such a cold day. We didn't spend that much time
looking but we found our favorite tree. Jackson looks like
the little brother in "A Christmas Story". We were very
happy to get in the warm car and feel ourselves thaw out.

The Boy, Dog, and Insensitive Mom

2009-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Now when you look at this, you may say, look at how much this boy loves this dog. What amazing friends they must be. What a fulfilled life the two will have together. Then you learn that this is not his dog, it's a cousin's dog. This boy's mom has no intention of providing this type of relationship for him anytime soon. Is this cruel, or just an understanding that his mom is not a dog lover and having a new baby in 4 months?

It's the latter I promise. I keep telling Eldon that we need to enclose the fence in the back yard, and the boys need to be able to help. Yeah that's a few years away. Jack really did love this dog. He has named every other stuffed animal dog after her and will someday have a fantastic relationship with one. I just can't think about it right now.

Catch up

2009-01-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

One of the problems of having a 4GB card for your camera, is that you don't have to download the pictures to your computer ever. So I am not prepared to post Christmas memories at this time, but I have had some thoughts I can share. Pictures are to come.

I'll start with the most recent experience since I can remember it. Yesterday. Eldon and I are preparing to move to one income. While I have been working we have never had to really be concerned about what we have spent. So to avoid the shock and change in a few months, we are trying to wittle down what we spend on food. It's a start. On Sunday, we planned our menu for the week and I made a grocery list. I went to Walmart yesterday and it only cost me $58!!!! I about fell over. We have meals for every night of the week and food for breakfast. Since we both work, we still eat out for lunch most days, but this is a tremendous start. I even bought a few things not on the list for food storage. I was so energized when I left. I actually felt like we can make this work. Now I know that every week isn't going to end up being $58, but hey here's to the first one!

Second thought. During the "holidays" to be politically correct, I met with my boss to tell him of my plans. It was SO HARD!! I have always known this was going to be a challenge for me. I love what I do. I love earning money. I love interacting with different people everyday. I love learning about the technology. I came home kind of annoyed or more of a brat really. It's going to be a trial. But then I spent the next week with my kids at home. I saw the groove we got into. I saw how much I noticed about them that I have been missing that will be critical to their development. I was enveloped by the spirit helping me to be ok with this. I am excited and sad at the same time. I have been SO grateful for all the help people have given me to make this work. I have a fantastic babysitting set up that was more ideal than could have ever been imagined. I have had people carting my kids around for me to various places all the time. So many have stepped up to help make my working work. I have been so blessed. I am really excited to just be able to drive my kids to where they need to go.

The biggest thing I will miss about working full time is I will have to let my cleaning lady go. It has been pure bliss and I aspire to have her again someday. Who knows, maybe I can save up for a six month spring cleaning time twice a year. So here goes extra faith, courage, and prayers to making it happen this time.

Why I Love Christmas

2008-12-22T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last night I was finally consumed with the Christmas spirit. I was excited right before Thanksgiving when the music on the radio started and I started thinking about gifts for the boys. But then we travelled for Thanksgiving, (which was delightful in its own way) Eldon and I both got sick, and life became really busy. I was shopping a lot, but it felt more frantic than anything. Finally last night, even though Eldon had to go home teaching and be a judge for the neighborhood lights contest, it was a magical night. We came home from church starving. I was making my favorite, chicken lasagna. I hurried and threw it together and fed the kids, including my unborn child, while Eldon was out doing his stuff. Once he got home, it was like peace surrounded us. It was frigid outside but toasty warm inside. We put Jackson down for bed early due to the lack of nap during church. Max, Eldon and I just read the paper, made cookies, and wrapped presents all together and talked. We had some light Christmas music in the background, candles lit and just truly enjoyed ourselves. Even though I had to work today, I didn't feel the pressure to get everyone to bed. It was such a nice night with no TV, no phone calls, just us doing Christmas things.

Now I do feel bad that Jackson missed it all, but I have to say that if he were involved, the peace would have left us. When he gets tired, he runs from one thing to the next with no attention span. It is very difficult to keep up with him and to keep the house safe. His turn will come in a few years and his little sister will have to go to bed early.

I love just being with my little family. I love having the time to appreciate all our blessings. Each moment like that is wonderful. I have to write about it because it doesn't happen that often!

I have a Boooken Leg

2008-12-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

So the Gale family has been experiencing some drama as of late. I guess it started with Eldon and I getting Strep throat the week after Thanksgiving. The next week I got a crazy cold and it knocked me out. Last Sunday, I heard a few loud thumps and a scream while I was on the phone with my sister. As I yelled out, "what happened?" I heard Max say, "Mom, I didn't push him." Jackson was crying and Max was intent on letting me know that it wasn't his fault. Bottom line, Jackson fell down the stairs. I asked him where it hurt and he said, "my head." I gave him a big hug and waited for the crying to stop. He did rather quickly. I didn't think much of it because it was only 5 stairs and he wasn't crying. Later that night, Eldon and I were eating dinner at my Sister's and we noticed Jack limping. He was dragging his foot and his balance was totally off. I was getting worried that maybe he actually hurt his head???

We decided to put him to bed and to see if it would be better in the morning. No such luck. He was trying to walk and kept running into the wall. I took him to my pediatrician that morning and she said give him some motrin and call me in a week if its still bad. I thought hmmm. That is pretty non aggressive. So we decided to watch him closely for another day and then we would decide if we needed to do something else. The kid had never complained of anything, but couldn't walk. It was very weird. So on Tuesday I was putting some pants on him over his shoes and he screamed as I bent his foot forward. Afterward, his limp was much worse. He said to me, "Mom I need to go to the Dr." So I decided to take him to the ER at Childrens. I just wanted to rule out a broken leg with an x-ray. We took him down there and everyone there was just as mystified as I was because of the no pain, but crazy limp. Finally the Dr. zeroed in on his hip. We took him to get x-rayed and nothing was broken. WHEW!! But they said that the break could appear later. They also thought he had sprained his hip. I can't give him any pain medicine because I have to watch for a fever incase he gets infection in his hip. I guess that is common. Overall, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, and we still have a limping kid. So if he is still limping in a few days, we take him back. Merry Christmas!! Jackson keeps walking around saying, " I have a booken leg." It's very cute.

The biggest lesson I have learned is, you need to come extra prepared with toys, snacks, games, movies, anything when you go to the ER. Especially when your kid is two, not sick and wanting to run around even with a limp. It was worse than church. You can only do Insy Weensy Spider so many times!!

2008-12-12T08:40:00.001-08:00

It's A GIRL!!!

Hmmm

2008-12-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

Mom: Jack why do you have lotion in your hair?

Jack: I need to go to work.

Mom: So why do you have lotion in your hair?

Jack: I need cute hair to go to work.

2008-11-27T04:52:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Emilia

8 TV shows I love to watch:

1. The Office
2. Ugly Betty
3. 24
4. House
5. Law & Order - in all its varieties (Really this should be listed as number 1 because it's plays on every channel all hours of the day and whenever I can't watch anything else, I always revert to Law & Order)
6. Locked up abroad - It's on the national geographic channel and it's about people who think they are getting a free trip by being a drug mule. They always get caught and locked up in these third world countries. All the stories are true.
7. Without a Trace
8. NCIS

8 Favorite restaurants

1. CAFE RIO - Bar none this is my favorite place to eat. I could eat there everyday. In fact a few years ago, I went out to take care of my Grandma who has alzheimers. I took her there everyday because she couldn't remember that we had been there the day before and I got my fill. MMMMMMM
2. California Pizza Kitchen - I love their salads. Especially their Thai crunch and Barbecue Chicken
3. Joe's Deli - Cleveland restaurant where everything is AMAZING and it's cheap!
4. The cafeteria at Tamarack in West Virginia - This is at the West Virginia welcome center about 4 hours from Columbus. The chefs there are from the Greenbrier hotel and the food is amazing!! We stop anytime we are driving by because you have to.
5. The Pie Pizzeria - I have yet to find any type of pizza or place that even comes close. It is truly delicious.
6. Amul India - I only like this Indian restaurant because its right by my house. I order the same thing everytime but I love it.
7. Cafe at Nordstom - This is just plain yummy food that isn't a chain. Whenver we go to Easton, we make it a point to eat there.
8.Keiffers Steak house in Chicago- It's the best because it's not a chain and it has amazing steaks.

8 Things that happened yesterday
1. I awoke hammered after an all nighter with Jackson in my bed. We are staying with Eldon's sister in Augusta Georgia for Thanksgiving and Jackson was not familiar with his surroundings and therefore, not able to sleep.
2. I went to Fort Gordon for a massage. Very nice.
3. I played with my boys and two nephews.
4. I took a nap.
5. I read in my newest book Under & Alone about a California Under cover agent riding with the Mongol biker gang
6. I edited pictures I took for Natalie Clarke of little Annie B.
7. I ate taco pizza for dinner.
8. Gave my kids dranamine to make sure that we didn't have another restless night.

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Having my baby
2. Buying a van
3. Quitting working
4. Being able to provide all the rides my children need myself.
5. Europe 2011 - Eldon has been saving lots of points for us to go.
6. Playing with my kids everyday.
7. Starting a business
8. Working on my body

8 Things on my wish list

1. Breast reduction surgery
2. Visiting my grandmas in Utah
3. Tan and beautiful body (beautiful is relative)
4. The ability to travel with Eldon all the time
5. A room solely dedicated to scrapbooking
6. Keeping my maid
7. Take the kids on a great vacation
8. To one day be able to drive a very fast sports car that doesn't make sense to own because no one else can drive in it.

My cute boys

2008-11-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

They look so grown up!! I made them let me do their hair. Jack was willing, Max was not so happy about it.

Embarassing Moment(s)

2008-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

One might wonder why I would post things like what I'm about to post. Well I ask, Why Not? Doesn't everyone have embarrasing things happen to them from time to time? If not, then I believe you are either boring or lying. So here goes:

Story #1.

A few weeks ago, I was going to visit a client at the Riffe Center. I had two consultants with me from another company and I needed to go to the restroom before we went into our meeting. So I quickly made my way to the only public option close by. I went in the first stall and after finishing realized there was no toilet paper. I sat there in a quandry. I had to have toilet paper. I was going into a meeting!! I was in a public restroom and I didn't know anyone else in there to ask for some. I immediately thought of the Seinfeld where Elaine asks if the lady next to her could "spare a square?" I sat there thinking maybe I could air dry, but then my meeting was going to start and there were two men waiting outside so I didn't have time to lolli-gag. So I made a bold decision. I listened for a few seconds to make sure I was alone, stood up, opened the stall door to walk into the next one where I prayed there was toiled paper. When I opened the door, there was a cleaning cart in front of me and the cleaning lady was right behind the wall (she couldn't see me) next to me. I slipped into the next stall and THANK HEAVENS there was toilet paper. But the funny thing was, I had flushed both toilets within seconds of eachother and she realized when I walked out that there was only one person coming so she then knew what I had done.

What would you have done?

Story #2
I had just gotten out of the shower and gotten partially dressed in my underwear. Jackson often likes to sneak out into the garage in the mornings for hopes that I have forgotten to lock the car and that he can get in and play without me knowing. I didn't see him and was worried because it was cold in the garage and I wanted to make sure he was inside. I quickly walked by Max's room to just peek down the stairs and I hear Max yell, "MOM put some pants on, you are embarassing me!!" I wasn't in the nude, but obviously we have come to that place where he knows and so there is only the fully clothed options now.