What I learned this Christmas...

I know, it is Christmas, I should post a mushy sentimental post, but sorry, not in the mood!

These are not in any particular order.

1. Moon Sand: messy yes, but I have to confess, I think I prefer it to Play Doh! I didn't have to pick it out of any one's shoes or hair and Millie spit it out instead of chewing it! I think I will like it even more once all the colors are mushed together so I don't have to keep hearing "No Abby! Keep the green with the green and the blue with the blue!"

2. When the kids wake up at 4:30, sending them back to bed just won't work on Christmas! They don't go back to sleep, thus we don't go back to sleep! We did manage to prolong it to about 5:45, but that was as long as we could hold them off AND still maintain the spirit of Christmas!

3. I have been saying for at least two years now "This will be Rudy's last Christmas" but this year is. He is tired and his health is rapidly catching up with him.

4. My mom is highly unlikely to go to the ER when she slices her finger with a knife, so why would I even bother to argue with her about it when she slices it on Christmas day! Being the retired RN that she is, she just steri stripped it with some bandage tape, wrapped it up and suffered, true Nikki style!

5. Never try new recipes on a holiday. That recipe in allrecipes.com that has raving reviews and is even titled "Awesome Broccoli Casserole" is sure to not be all that awesome if tried for the first time on a holiday!

6. Arriving at church, on Christmas Eve, 10 minutes late leaves you with the only row of six open seats being in the front row. Not good for parental nerves, but provides a good laugh for the pastor.

7. I have yet to figure out just how Millie unfastens my nursing bra from the outside of my shirt, but some who she kept doing it in church last night, in the front row where it is impossible to fasten it discretely.

8. This is the only year Millie will look out the car windows after dark and sound so excited when she exclaims "Leelee Lighs" for all of the "Christ-Mas-Lights" she sees. Can I hold on to that little voice in my head forever, please?

9. Christmas is a good time to see just how well you are doing, as a parent, at building those ever important 'character' traits in your kids. Example: Harrison got a cool huge dune buggy type RC car. Nana comes over with a very cute RC My Little Pony thing for Abby, leaving Nick out of the RC races. He handled it very well, stepping back and watching the other kids (a little pouty, but no crying or tantrums) and they handled it very well by handing over the remotes with out parental nudging and sharing the fun!

10. Not everything has to be equal, life is full of times when things are not equal. Nick and Abby both had bigger gifts this year that were not wrapped: Abby got a Little Tykes vanity and Nick got a Home Depot work bench. Harrison immediately took note and commented upon walking into the living room this morning, but then moved on, acknowledging that he got a new bike last year and the twins did not.

11. All three of our older kids this year knew the true meaning of Christmas and were excited about Jesus having a birthday. Makes a Mommy proud.

12. Never write a note from Santa in normal handwriting, for when they are seven and older and wiser, they will pull that note out of their secret hiding place and show it off. This year Santa took a second to email Mrs Clause from our house, and in the process, he typed up a quick thank you for the fudge and carrots, even left a fudgy thumb print on the note!

13. Feeding Elbert a feast of Christmas dinner left overs makes for a very stinky dog later in the evening!

Walmart is good for the soul

So, Harrison has a potluck at school tomorrow with his class. I decided I would make a HUGE batch of spaghetti and sauce tonight, for our dinner and then make a big container to take to the potluck. I needed pretty much all of the ingredients for my sauce, and we also needed a bag of Pedigree for my overly sensitive dog (long story) So, Walmart was the obvious choice because I could get everything in one place at a reasonable price (dog food at the grocery? forget it!)

I have been blessed with the sanity and clarity to know that Walmart is cheap on some items but you pay for it in others. I have been shopping at Smith's for a long time now, for the fuel rewards and also because they kick some back to our school. It is smaller, just groceries, and "normal" if you know what I mean.

I pull into Walmart his afternoon, approximately 3:45pm. I drove around the parking lot, hoping to get a decent spot. I think driving around the parking lot is one of the most frustrating parts of Walmart because you have to dodge the loose children, the seniors who just put the car in reverse but lack the range of motion to look over the shoulder to see if it is clear, and then there are the 'wrong way' parkers who grab the spots up. I don't like to park too far away at Walmart because A) a few years ago my purse was stolen in their parking lot and B) with four kids and all of the reasons I hate their lot listed above, it is just dangerous to try to walk them too far in the lot, you just never know!

Once we arrived near the front door and secured a cart, the twins climbed into the back and Millie also sat in the back with them. She is too much of a big girl now to ride in the " baby seat" up front and has to stand in the back. I choose to avoid the screaming and allow her the simple indulgence. Yes, the twins are old enough to walk in the store, but it IS Walmart a week before Christmas, so it is easier to just have them ride so no one gets lost or run over by the previously mentioned senior shopper.

Wouldn't you know it, my cart has a bum wheel and is pulling, horribly, to the left. Fun. We head to the sketti section and get what I need, head to the produce to get salad makings for dinner tonight (wow, cukes for .77 each, at Smith's they were .99 each!) Harrison hiccuped and decided to be dramatic and tell me he thought he was going to throw up and needed to go to the bathroom. Personally the public bathroom here would make me want to throw up, not a place I would WANT to go. I stalled and he was fine, but we still had to walk in that direction to get the dog food for Elbert, so he ran over and went to the bathroom. No, I did not discart all three other kids, he went by himself. After getting nasty looks for stopping in Walmart, while waiting for him, we finally started my work out as we headed back to the dog food. Harrison wanted to go see the Christmas decorations in the green house area, but, due to the cart misbehaving, we headed to the check out.

Score! One cart in front of me! She has a fair amount, but only one cart! The kids are getting antsy, but there is only one cart in front of me. Oh great, she is asking for subtotals part way through, then counting her cash, green light and the scanning continues, but then something rang up wrong.... fixed and it continues. She is scowling at us, the happy Mom behind her, because my toddler his throwing her shoes out, twin A has to pee, twin B is getting squished by toddler and Child #1 wants goldfish for everyone. I can remedy twin A and the pee, and Child #1 and his needs by sending him as an escort to the ladies bathroom, to guard the stall of Twin A (safety in numbers) and it was right across from the end of our check out late. I am the second cart because, there is only one cart in front of me. Yes, if it had been Twin B who had to pee, I could have told him to hold it and he would have waited a full 24 hours to relieve himself. Child #1 and Twin A are not like that, they wait until the last minute and if you deny them, Twin A will just go and not tell you (in her pants) and Child #1 will eventually start to dance and almost cry and on rare occasion has peed his pants in the car. So, they are not the ones to mess around with!

I am unloading the cart, finally, and realize Crazy Toddler has stepped on the .77 cukes and we will now be eating all three for dinner because they are squished. Oh well. She reaches up and grabs the cart in front of us, and makes the other lady bitter because OMG, a 20 month old precious screaming baby touched her cart! Well, Lady, you are at Walmart.

We FINALLY finish and head out, I go to pull the dog food out from under the cart and realize when the checker pulled it out aggressively because I was lazy and didn't put it on the belt for her, she ripped it. Thankfully it was salvageable because I think if the car waiting for my spot had seen me leave the car to go back in, would have pulled a Towanda and smashed my car!

Did I mention that I had scored a prime first slot spot? So it was worth waiting for while I unloaded the groceries, Crazy Toddler and corralled Child #1 and Twins A and B.

So, how does this all amount to "Walmart is good for the soul" you might ask? It makes me realize that I am "normal" because Walmart frustrates me. It is a reminder that I have options and choices and even though Walmart is closest to my house and I can get it all in one stop, I choose to go to Costco for diapers and wipes, and dog food when not in a crisis, Smiths for groceries, the toy store for toys, the clothing stores for clothes etc.

Humor is also good for our souls. Last week Tom emailed me the "Walmart Bingo" card which made me laugh and then I put it out of my mind until I was walking to the entrance today and found my first chip spot! "Child with out shoes" but then, after simply turning my head, I saw another "someone missing a limb" then "someone using an oxygen tank" the list goes on. If anyone wants the file, I'll forward it to you, it is good for a laugh!

Dog food crisis? I decided to buy the bigger bag of the Costco brand and sent Elbert's digestive system into a tail spin, literally! He has been living on white rice for three days now and was finally ready to transition back to Pedigree. For years we fed our dogs Natures Recipe and Nutro only to find Elbert on a dirt road and learn the hard way that all this dog can tolerate is Pedigree!

Let it Snow!

Last night we went to bed thinking the kids were on a 2 hour delay at school, there were about 2 inches of snow on the ground. This morning that delay had turned into the entire day off, with probably about four inches on the ground. My kids started at approximately 7:30, asking when they could go out and play in the snow. By 8:15 Harrison had three piles in the living room, of snow pants/coats/hats/mittens and all of the necessities, waiting for the whistle to blow so they could hurry to be the first kid in the snow! I was mean and made them wait until about 9am. By the time I gave in and dressed Millie to take her out, the twins we coming in as I was going out.

Harrison, being the amazing kid that he is, was across the street shoveling his Nana's driveway, her neighbor, Margaret's driveway and was all ready to help Mr Martinez with his, but he came out to do his own and ended up helping Harrison with Margaret's. But still, how many 7 year old boys set out on a mission to help others when the snow is white and calling their names! Unfortunately I did not get any pictures, good grief, what kind of a scrapbooker am I!

Millie had fun playing in the snow while I shoveled our driveway. I know 4 inches isn't a lot and yes, it would have all melted by tomorrow I am sure, but our driveway doesn't get much sun this time of year, and when the rest of the neighborhood has thawed, ours will still be solid ice, so I shoveled!

After coming inside and everyone getting dry clothes on, I decided to take the kids to McDonald's to play before they drove me nuts, being cooped up inside. My mom went along with us for a change of scenery.

Enjoy the pictures!

The view from our back yard this morning, with the snow on the mountains

Millie's footprint in the first dusting of snow

Millie hangin' out, eating some snow

Elbert's huge foot print

Nana let Millie walk around with her ice cream while Mommy get a refill. It was so much fun and sticky, right down to the shoe lace!

Can you find the monkey's in the maze? They were all hiding from the camera except Millie, you can see her little head

Nicholas and Millie, enjoying some ice cream together

Farting dogs

So, as many of you know, I have had Rudy, my three legged wonder mutt, longer than I have 'had' my husband. I got Rudy from the shelter about 3 months before I 'got' Tom from bachelor land. So, that said, in the 10 years + that Tom and I have known each other, there has always been at least one dog in the picture, almost always more. So, that said, it really is a known fact that if you change the dogs food, you always take a few days to mix it about 50/50 with there old food.

Well, I was at Costco Friday and decided to try something different. We still had about a weeks worth of their usual food, so what the heck, right? I poured the big bag of new food into the food container, tipping it first so all the old food was on one side, so it would be easier to mix the foods at meals. All was great last night, their first 'meal' with their new mixture. Tom fed the dogs both of their meals today, acknowledging the new food but deciding not to acknowledge the necessity of the change over period.

Now, needless to say, Elbert will be sleeping in the sun room, in his crate for the night. We'll be sure not to strike any matches near him because gas fumes are combustible!

Yet another birthday

It is funny how as kids, a birthday is like the bestest day of the year! You look forward to it for 364 days, it is magical the actual day of your birthday and you really think the world just revolves around you! People make a big deal about it, decorate the house, shower you with a special breakfast, treats at school, a party, gifts, smiles and free passes when you are a stinker.

Then you grow up. Yesterday was my birthday. I officially have started the slippery slope toward the big Four-O. I turned 35, so it is all down hill from here? Nah, not really. I had a good day. I got up in the morning and went through my normal morning routine, then when I walked out of my bedroom to wake the kids up for school, Abby sat right up on bed and with her face beaming, she said "Mommy!!! Today is your birfday!" She was SO excited! We spent the day with her reminding me and checking in, to make sure it was still my 'birfday' and yep, it was all day! My coffee bean grinder stopped grinding, about 1/4 of the way through my morning dose of coffee, so I had to go with out caffeine all day! I was picking up our trashed house when my friend Laurie stopped in to wish me Happy Birthday and bring me the most scrumptious chocolate cake! I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat a cake from a box again! For most people I would have been horrified that they saw my house in the shape it was yesterday, but I know Laurie won't hold it against me!

Harrison was excited when I picked him up from school, he couldn't wait to find out what we had done all day long to celebrate my birfday. Tom came home and we went out to dinner. The Flying Star. Nothing over the top excited, but it was good food! Two of the kids got free meals since it was their "kids eat free on Thursday" and it is just a kid friendly restaurant. I had the NM enchiladas with chicken and green chili. Boy, that did wonders for the sinus crud we have all had lately! Nothing like a good dose of green chili to clear things out!

Then we came home and had the chocolate cake from Laurie and off to bed the kids went! I laid down with Millie to nurse her to sleep and fell asleep at about 9pm. I haven't done that in ages, must have been a sugar coma from the cake!

Where did that come from?

I am a few days late in posting this, but all last week Millie had been just a grouch. She was bitter, and grouchy, not sleeping well, had awful poop thus an awful bottom. I noticed she was teething her incisors, which historically have been rough for the Lyman kids, then make it all four at once and I suddenly had my reason for such a miserable baby.

Fast forward to Wednesday night, Millie spiked a fever in the middle of the night, approx 2am to be exact. I head off giving her Tylenol because it makes her loopy, but when it was clear that she was only getting hotter and was not going back to sleep, I gave in and dosed her up. Then I listened to her play in the bedroom for the next 2 hours until she finally crawled back into bed and went back to sleep. Through out the day, the fever visited every four hours as the Tylenol wore off, then through the night again too.

My rule is that I will do about three sleepless nights before it is time to see Dr Crago. Well, two nights put us at Friday, which of course is a do or die day. If I don't take her in on Friday, then I either have to weather it all weekend, or end up at Urgent Care for hours on the weekend. Thankfully the doctor had an appointment and we hustled in to see her. I gave the symptoms, explained that I thought it was just the teeth but then she started say "Ouch" when she would nurse on her right side and would put her hand up to that side of her head. Viola! It's gotta be her ears! Nope, ears checked out fine. Then Dr checked in her mouth and we had our answer: Coxsackievirus, aka Hand-Foot-Mouth disease. I had noticed, earlier in the week, the rash on her thigh and belly but the spots on her hands flew under the radar until, of course, Dr looked at her hands!

Then it started: I talked to my mom and heard "Where did she get that? Have you been to a McDonalds playground lately? You don't go to MOPS anymore, couldn't be from there, what about the play place at the mall? You know, you don't use that Floppy Seat like you used to with Harrison." Then I talked to Tom "I wonder where she got that from" Four kids into the journey, I have given up the urge to analyze and disect activities to figure out exactly where each virus comes from. I mean, what's the point? Will it keep us from ever visiting a McDonald's again? Unfortunately no. Will it keep me from ever putting her in a grocery cart again? No. Will we feel better about them being sick if we know right where they picked it up? Probably not. Just too much energy to try to trace footsteps of the week or two before symptoms to try to see exactly where it came from. With three other kids in school, it could have come home on one of them!

The Little Things

Sometime I get so caught up in the big picture that I really don't see the little things in the day hustle of having four kids. So, I have been paying attention today so I just wanted to share a few that I paused to notice, mainly because I was trying to rush someone along and they made me wait, because they were caught up in a little thing.

This morning Abby was taking a shower, around 10am, for some reason. I had gone in a few times to check on her and she was just about ready to get out but was looking at the soap bubbles on the shower door. My "hurry up" mode was to just get in, get out and be done, but we waited, looking at the bubbles. To me, they were bubbles that would then dry there and have to be cleaned off later, to Abby it was a road runner that morphed into a quail, with a poofy cloud over it and a flower beside it.

Rudy barks, all the time. We have a kids book called "Why Benny Barks" and it sums up Rudy. No one knows why Rudy barks, perhaps because the sky is blue? Who knows. Most of the time it is horribly annoying. We can't put him outside for any amount of time beyond a potty break, because he barks. We bring him inside and he barks out the front door, barks at the cats, barks at the other dogs. We put him back in our bedroom when the kids are eating something or whatever, and he barks. Lately he hasn't been feeling well though. He has cancer and it is catching up with him. I have had him for almost 11 years now, longer than I have had Tom ;) So, even though his barking often is the straw that breaks this camels back, Rudy's barking is a reminder that he is here still.

Today Harrison had a half day of school, so he is off in the afternoon while the twins are in preschool. Sometimes we go do something fun, today we just came home for the few hours. I can't even count the number of times I heard "I'm bored..." "Can I...." "Will you...." "Can we..." Although it was, and is, annoying, it means he is still little enough to think Mommy is cool and Mommy is fun to do things with. He still wants me to peel his orange, check his homework, explain his book report and scratch his back.

Millie has horrible 'fire butt' from her 'stealth poops' that l ive up to their name: the poops that you just don't notice immediately because they are low and not stinky, but they are so acidic her butt just gets eaten up! We have learned over the course of four kids, that these are almost always related to teething. Sure enough, today as she layed on the diaper changer, before I decided to just put her in the tub instead of torture her with the wipes, I noticed all four incisors are coming in at the same time, One has broken through, the others are right there. The little thing? She is still my little thing! She is still the baby, still in diapers and still needs Mommy! Nursing makes the pain all better, or atleast makes her not so all alone in it. Although at times I feel sad that we will never have another 'baby' in the house, Millie will never get to adore a baby sibling as hers adore her, she is still little enough to have a diaper rash!

Nick, the goofball. He is trying very hard to hide behind Abby in his big adventure of preschool, yet trying hard to step out and be his own little man. Today on the way home, I asked *Nick* about one thing he did at school today, so naturally Abigail jumps in and starts with her story of what *they* did. I had to shush her for a second so I could get Nicks side of the story. He jumped right in and said "Abby, Mommy said NICK! It is my turn to tell about MY day!" Although yes, that is rude and we shouldn't talk to others like that, Nick is normally so content to be in the shadows and fly under the radar! It made my heart happy to hear him speak up!

Ok, there you go, a "little thing" from each of the kids who hold on to my heart each day!