As easy as riding a bike

Everything is like or as easy as riding a bike.

Learning to ride a bike, that is another story.

It should be a new saying,

"Yeah, it's as hard as learning to ride a bike."

Well maybe hard is the wrong word. 

Maybe, backbreaking for the Mom teaching her kid, is more accurate.

Or sometimes nose breaking, ask me how my kid managed to kick me in the face 

while I taught him to ride his bike.  

Just go ahead and ask.

Lol!

It was time to teach Bear, he is 5 and all of his friends can ride bikes without training wheels.

That was all the motivation I needed to get out there and get him riding.

It took a whole lot of patience and costed me a whole lot of pain.

The kid can ride without training wheels!

Watch this, watch this!!!  

See!!!

THE WORK WAS SO WORTH IT!!!  :D

Ain't it the truth...

What the heck would I do without these kids?

Dang I love them!!!

:D

And Bear says...

"Wow, it's hard to do a thousand push ups at once!"

Dannon vanilla yogurt

Yes, that is my daughter under a table,

 and that is spilt Dannon vanilla yogurt on the floor next to her.

Yes, that is my daughter dipping her finger into the spilt Dannon vanilla yogurt

 that is on my living room carpet under a table.

Yes, that is my daughter licking the Dannon vanilla yogurt 

off the finger that she dipped into the spilt Dannon vanilla yogurt. 

And yes, I am the mother that sits and takes pictures of my daughter eating Dannon vanilla yogurt off the floor instead of trying to stop her and clean up the mess.

Don't worry, I did get her and the floor cleaned up after I captured the moment on "film".

;D

It tastes better down there

Playground romance

We went to the playground.

Little did I know, as Bear was off playing with a girl he met there, there was romance in the air.

Bear came up to me and whispered in my ear,

"Mom, I think I am in love with my friend.  I want to marry her."

Then he told me not to tell anyone.............oh wait........ooops.

I told.

That is Bear and his girlfriend on top of that huge rock.

It was a playground romance to be sure.

Young and innocent, with no strings attached.

A playground romance only lasts while at the playground.

Once the pair leaves, the playground romance is quickly forgotten.

But it is pure bliss for the moment.

Even though Bear told me not to tell I am sure that

someday he'll be glad I told the story.

In the mean time, don't tell him I told you!

;D

And Bear says...

"Mom, I love you more than candy."

Fire in the sky

Was there fire in the sky or was something actually burning?

Sunday afternoon we are at Supermans parents house.

He says to his parents, "Where is that fire at?"

I'm like, "Fire, what fire?"

Everyone is like, "Can't you smell that smoke?"

I'm like, "Nooooooo."

Yeah, I couldn't smell anything.

After spending the afternoon outside we were on our way back home.

With my window open and the wind blowing in my face I finally caught a faint wiff of smoke.

One second of smoke and it was gone.

I haven't smelt anything since.

I had no idea there was a fire and I didn't believe that there was one until I saw the sunset on Sunday night.

Like a fire in the sky.

The sun was hot pink, we could see it clearly as it sank low in the sky.

We found out the next morning that there was a huge fire in Herriman, UT which is located some miles north of where we are at.

Several houses were burned and a number of people were evacuated.

Frightening!

Fire is like that.

Utah, like a lot of other places, tends to have fires every summer.

This summer we've been spared the numerous fires that rage across 

our dry desert fields and brush covered mountains,

but fire found an opportunity and took it.

It's amazing the beauty that fire can create while simultaneously wrecking havoc.

I'm telling you, it is like fire in the sky, seriously.

And Bear and Lyon say...

While watching a commercial for "Ice Road Truckers" Lyon says,

"Mom, that is sooo COOL!"

To which Bear responds,

"No, it's not it's bery dangerous!"

Dining room sets

I have like fourteen dining room sets.

Well maybe only three, but still....

I don't really like any of my dining room sets.

(Except for one that is in pieces stuffed in a corner of my basement, 

it requires a lot of work, sigh)

Of course I only have one that I am actually currently using as my dining room set,

I don't like it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a nice, solid wood, quality piece of furniture,

but it is very old.

Not like antique old, but like 20 years of use by another family that I don't know kind of old.

My Mother in law bought it from a friend, and we in turn bought it from her.

It was a major steal.

75 bucks for a nice solid wood table and six fine chairs,

how many dining room sets out there can you buy for that?

Still, it's not my style and I'd like to get a new one.

You know to add to my collection of dining room sets ;D

Now, 

CSN.com has got a ton of dining room sets to choose from.

Hundreds of pretty styles to choose from.

Indoor, outdoor, formal, casual,

benches, chairs, or stools.

Wow, lots and lots of pretty.

Check it out.

;D

Lyon, Lion, Lying

Yeah, I know it is terrible but I just can't help but think it is sooooo funny!!

We saw this shirt at wal mart.

I saw the lion and immediately thought,

"Oh we gotta get that for Lyon."

Then I read what it said,

"I'm not Lion."

"Oh," I thought, "we better get that for Bear!"

Then I really read what it said,

"I'm the BEST I'm not LION"

It took me a full five minutes to get it.

I'm the best I am not lying.

Of course I kept thinking of it like Bear saying he was the best because he isn't Lyon.

At first I was like "rude!"  then I got it and started laughing.

Lol!!!

Seriously, it's funny!

And I don't think Bear is the best or better than Lyon.

I think all of my kids are the BEST!!

:D

And Lyon says...

"Mom dis is ma button so I can call Pider man!"

All work and no play...

All work and no play would be a crappy way to live life.

I am a firm believer in hard work, but I also am a firm believer in a need to play.

I want to be prosperous, I want to make a good living, pay off my house, send my children to good schools, but I am not willing to go the all work and no play route. 

 I will not sacrifice my time with my children. 

Yes, money is improtant. 

 Yes, we need to pay our bills. 

 But to what extent are we willing to give up playing for making money?

 I am not willing to be the kind of person who doesn't take a vacation, 

or go out to dinner with friends, or take my kids to fun activities. 

Because there is no time left with all the money earning there is to do.

What would be the point of living and having a family if there was never any time to spend with them.  

To enjoy one another.

I know that on my death bed I won't be regretting all the time I spent with my family, lol!

To be clear I think that a person can manage to be prosperous and also have plenty of time with their family, but one has to be actively trying to do both and not expect for everything to fall perfectly into place.  It rarely does.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

because he never spends time with his family

or uses all the money he's made.

I'd be dull too if I were that way.

The good thing about work though, is that it makes playing possible ;D

It's a truck, not a 2011 Toyota Sienna

We are officially a two car family.

The last 5 years have been rough I tell you, rough!

Ok, not really, several of those years I still had access to a car because Superman was working graveyard shifts thus the car was home and ready for my use.

Not that I used it much back then, I had no where to go. ;D

These last few months without a car have been pretty hard though.  

With all of our friends meeting at the park to play without us.

With Bear starting kindergarten.

With three kids and only a double stroller.

With me being outnumbered and kids unrestrained going every which way.

Enough to drive a person nuts.

So, Superman, realizing the uphill climb it would be for me to trudge through waist high snow to walk Bear to and from school each day this winter with the two little ones in tow, decided we could not wait another minute to get a second car.

My hero!

Of course he did decide that it needed to run on natural gas and would most certainly be a truck.

A TRUCK FOR HIM!!!

Not a 2011 Toyota Sienna for me.

SOB ={

I begged and cried and promised him that anytime he had to drive the 2011 Toyota Sienna I would be sure to sit in the passenger seat wearing nothing but a bikini so he would feel his manhood with a certain frenzy, lol!  (no not really;)

I told him that I refused to get a truck, that all my life I promised myself that I would never be the kind of person to drive some country bumpkin, hound dog haulin,  red neck truck!

(Not really, lol, I am a red neck country loving kind of person, but that is basically what Superman told me about getting a mini van and that he wouldn't hear of it ;)

(My brother in law was the one who suggested I throw that remark back at him, lol!  

Thanks for that laugh bro ;)

Superman prevailed.

He is stronger than I am after all.

;D

No worries though, I always wanted Superman to have a truck, they are really good for hauling stuff.

I also have never expected Superman to buy me a 2011 Toyota Sienna, I've been planning to save the money myself.

Someday I will get my 2011 Toyota Sienna, I look forward to that day,

until then I shall be grateful to have a car to drive through waist high snow instead of freezing my derrière walking through it.

I really do hate to be cold and all.

Superman did good, it is a nice truck :D

Wordless Wednesday

Girl in highchair lost her lunch

And Lyon says...

"Mom, Mom!  Pongo is my favorite movie, cause I like that movie :)"

And Bear says...

"The TV is never wrong."

Balloon

Standing in the doorway with a balloon in her hand.

Ready to escape and explore the land.

But her plans are ruined when she loses her grip.

She lost hold of her balloon and off it slipped.

Off to grand places across the sea.

Following the wind as it helps her to flee.

But just like the little girl who lost her balloon.

She'll feel the same loss all to soon.

For without a hand to hold on to her.

The balloon will be lost, lonely, and unsure.

Before and after...

I do not know anything about photography and photo editing etc.

But what I do know is that photography is half taking the photo

and half editing it.

I think it's in the editing that pictures become great or not so great provided you have an adequate picture to work with anyway.

This is of course just my opinion, you may go right ahead and disagree.

Lol!

You won't hurt my feelings ;D

Concert

I am not really a big concert going type of person.

In fact I really don't like going to concerts at all.

I and perfectly content to listen to my favorite song artists on the radio or youtube and sing along when no one can hear me.

That being said and written I must admit that THIS is one concert that I wouldn't mind going to.

I am surrounded by amazing people...

Amazing people are amazing

by Rose Graves

Amazing people are all around,

they look up at the sky not at the ground.

They may not know how amazing they are,

but amazing are they and they will go far.

They walk through life and share all they can,

perhaps without knowing and without a plan.

Yes, amazing people are all around.

Filling the world with things profound.

My 2011 Toyota Sienna

When I get my 2011 Toyota Sienna,

my family will go on road trips.

Not just any old uncomfortable cry filled road trip,

but a comfortable happy road trip.

Because in a 2011 Toyota Sienna there can be only comfort.

Going on a road trip in a Toyota Sienna would be like traveling in the comfort of my own living room.

With the added luxury of room service.

Just imagine it, you have a seat on your couch, have a great view out your window, and when you get hungry you just reach out the window for some food.

Yeah, awesome.

Yes, so when I get my 2011 Toyota Sienna my family will be taking lots of road trips.

The best part is, we won't be needing to worry about paying for a hotel or trying to stay with friends.

Why would we need to worry about that with the living room comfort that is the Toyota Sienna?

Happy driving

:D

And Lyon says...

"Mom, your hair looks like spaghetti." :) 

oatmeal anyone?

Oatmeal, oatmeal, all over my floor.

Oatmeal, oatmeal, now they want more.

Oatmeal, oatmeal, no need for a bowl.

Oatmeal, oatmeal, out of control.

And Lyon says...

We sat in our living room watching The Sandlot for like the millionth time.

Lyon sat peering out the window in contemplation.

Suddenly he turns to me and says,

"Mom, the Disneyland castle is like the church."

LDS Temple "church" (google image)

Sure, I can see a resemblance.

How he came up with that while watching
The Sandlot however........

Disneyworld Castle (google image)

Ambulance

The paramedics and the EMT's that drove the local ambulance were surprised when they received numerous calls for help because children had fallen off of cars.

What kind of parents were allowing their children to climb on top of their cars.

Where on earth would they have gotten the idea anyway!

The ambulance crew had only themselves to blame.

For all of the calls were received during the week following the city parade.

Yeah, he is sitting in front of the windshield on the ambulance!

Yeah, he is standing on top of the ambulance!

And yes, the ambulance was moving while these guys were on them!

**I don't know if the ambulance really received those calls, but I wouldn't have been surprised.

Yikes!

I needed motivation, I found it in these lines...

"Act now,

so that a thousand years from now, when you look back at this moment, you can say this was a moment that mattered this was a day of

determination."

-Neil A. Maxwell

Motherhood is full of surprises...

I was surprised when I walked into my daughters room to find my two sons painting her crib black and green.

I was surprised when I found huge cirlcles drawn on my wall with permanent blue marker.

I was surprised to see smoothie had somehow managed to crawl up the wall and onto the ceiling and then dry, so who knows how long its been there.

I was surprised when I found all sorts of odd pictures on my camera that I didn't take. (I am pretty good at not taking 35 million pictures of my carpet)

I was surprised when I turned around to find Lyon had managed to climb out of his carseat unnoticed.

I was surprised when one moment my kids were happily playing in the back yard and the next they were fighting in the front!

I was surprised to find chocolate smeared all over the inside of my daughters door frame and yes thankfully it was chocolate and not something else.

I was surprised when I told Bear he could not go with his friend to get a popsicle and then overheard him whisper to his friend that they could just sneak.

I was surprised when my daughter figured out how to climb out of her high chair.

I was surprised when she started blowing me kisses.

I was surprised when each of my children started rolling, scooting, crawling, and walking.

I was surprised when Bear ran the length of the soccer field while kicking a soccer ball and scored a goal for his team.

I was surprised to find my oldest son teaching my youngest son how to play catch.

I was surprised when Bear sang twinkle twinkle little star to me just so he could get out of quiet time.

I was surprised when Lyon sang song after song to me just so I would applaud him.

I was surprised when Lyon was so disappointed that he didn't get to go to school with Bear, but then played so happily at home with Sissy and me.

I was surprised how well Lyon and Fenix played together while Bear was at school.

I was surprised when Bear told me that he is "beary crative" (very creative).

I am frequently surprised at my children's ability to navigate my ipad.

I am surprised by their abilities, I am surprised how smart they are, I am surprised at how much they remember, I am surprised each and every single day.

Yes motherhood is full of surprises, some good and some not so good.

The surprises keep things interesting, and certainly keep me busy and on my toes.

Thank goodness for the surprises :D

And Lyon says...

What every mother loves to hear:

"Mom, I like eating my boogers."