Motherhood ADD

Motherhood ADD- it's real people!  And there should be a public service announcement about it.  I waste tens of dollars a year because of it- possibly hundreds, but let's not get hysterical!   Today was a typical example.  I told my husband I needed to bake cookies and clean today.  I decided to make two types of cookies.  Why?  I have no idea- blame it on the A..D..D.  So I start making one and then right in the middle start cleaning my kitchen.  Well it needed to be cleaned, but while making cookies is probably not the

Whoops, sorry, I just remembered that the boys were invited to a party and had to call and see what time. Now what was I saying...

best time.  After cleaning up the kitchen a little, I finished making the cookies to the point of chilling and then went to start on the next set, except I got distracted by what I was thinking and had to go look up whatever it was on the computer, except when I got to the computer I decided I wanted to turn some music on.  That whole sentence shows I can concentrate even when it comes to English and sentence structure.  After I turned the music on, I had no earthly idea what I was there for, so I just surfed the internet for a little while and it never came back to me, so I went back to cooking.  Again with the run on sentences!  That happened to me two more times during the course of making cookies- not run on sentences.  Computer-interruptess, brain-farc.  I also decided to have lunch somewhere in there.  That batch did not turn out well at all!  So I threw them all in a box for the kids to eat, because no one else is going to and started on the other set.  As I started those one cooking, I remembered that I was supposed to be cleaning.  Clean, look up something on the computer, oh no, cookies, computer, clean, oh no cookies!  Luckily that batch did turn out.  But here's the problem-

Whoops, cookie alarm...

the first batch was the Reese cookies- 24 beautiful reese cut up and baked into cookies are now thrown in a box for children consumption only.  That's expensive kid fodder!   And now I only have snicker doodles to bribe Football coaches with.  Do Football coaches appreciate snicker doodles?  As much as Reese cookies?  Or do I need to go buy new Reese and start again?  My kids' football coach needs some serious bribing and I want to make sure I do it right!

Oh, I could go on and on about the football coach, but that would just make the ADD worse.

I'm telling you, I don't think I am the only one out there.  We need a serious Public Service Announcement!  Avoid Distracted Cooking!  Save your money!  Avoid Distracted Cooking!

Prom Pictures!

These are for posterity, Emma and Grandma's- all the important people!

Emma went to Prom with a bunch of friends who convinced her to go.

They really had to beg, though, because her stalker had asked her. Panicking, she told him that she couldn't, because she was already going with someone else.    That someone else, (the one guy she knew she could get away with using his name without freaking him out) happened to have a date, already.  Hence, her not wanting to go at all.  George- the guy in question- was decidedly not put out and extremely happy to have two dates to Prom (neither of which he paid for- one being an independent kind of woman and Emma who wasn't really going with him.)

As you will note, Emma's dress was slightly on the long side.  It should have been taken up about an inch.  Unfortunately, I have been so busy, I forgot it was Prom until she told me on Friday night.  Oh, well, put some heels on and it won't be too bad.  Our world was turned upside down on Saturday (DoP- day of Prom.)  I went on a bus three hours away with Sam to an athletic event, while Rob stayed home to do a birthday party- someone else's, even though it was on Max's actual birthday, and Prom.  Only one of those pictures is Rob's.  After that he said he couldn't possibly follow all those silly women around taking pictures.  All the girl's came to our house to do hair and make-up, but Rob stayed away for that, too!  Just a little different from last year, when she went with someone she really liked and Mom was there helping her with hair and make-up and taking a ton of pictures!

I was afraid, with all that, Emma would be asking to come home early.  But she didn't.  They ended up having lots of fun and George saved her at least twice when said Stalker came calling.  He told her that she owed him for those saves, so she said she would make him cookies.  She asked our neighbor to make cookies for her.  They not only made them for her, they took them over to him and told him that they were from her.  I don't know how she gets away with this stuff!!  She really must be her father's daughter!  I am so glad she had fun at Prom!  

First, Second and Third

This is the first known picture of the these two friends.

This is the second Master's degree for Robert, but definitely the hardest.  In his first Master's degree he didn't have to write a thesis.  For this one he had to do 86 credit hours and write an entire book- over 90 pages.  This was the happiest day of his life from the last 3 years!

Congratulations to Rob on his Master's in Nuclear Engineering!

Rocket science is for those who dropped out of Nuclear Engineering!

This was our third and final Easter egg hunt with our Ohio Family!

Only Joseph and Max were able to participate this time, 

although Emma filled and hid the eggs with the rest of the young women.

Both Joseph and Max were in the last group to find eggs, too- the Senior Primary!

Say WHAT?  

Our little family is certainly growing up!

BTW- all of these pictures (except the graduation photos) were taken on Manual- I'm getting better!

Sweet Sixteen

Sweet 16 and never been kissed!

  It was true and ;therefore, this little princess got a cash reward from her Daddy!  She had to give some of it back for damaging the bumper of our car, but Rob said he would hold it for her until she can make it to 16 1/2 without being kissed.  Her and Sam were talking about how long they could go, getting money every 6 months, but we told them that eventually they had to kiss around a little- to weed out the bad kissers!

She also got her (traditional) first real piece of jewelry- we got her one of those bead bracelets with a few beads on it-  a couple with garnets for January, a soccer ball, a pearl for her 16th birthday, a princess bead and a couple pretty blue ones.  Grandma and Grandpa Keck also got her a treasure box that actually opens and has "jewels" inside.  All the girls were excited about that one!

We set up a Candy bar

and a photo booth.

Sam and Max did some photo bombing! 

The girls danced

and played 

and did ice cream cake

and presents,

then we got out the glow necklaces, 

Emma's crown and sash

and went cosmic bowling on base.  There was almost no one there when we arrived, but about 1/2 hour into it a youth group showed up and took the rest of the lanes.  We did M&M bowling on one lane and regular bowling on the other.  I found the M&M bowling on the Dating Diva's website.  You have to bowl a certain way, depending on what color of M&M you blindly pick.  There was granny style, 

bowl with the opposite hand,

your date gets to bowl for you, backwards

and roll it with your foot.

Besides the lights, they were playing fun songs, so the girls dances at the bowling alley too. 

It was a really fun night. 

Emma has been asked out for this coming Saturday and talked to about going out with two other guys- one that turns 16, today.  He gave her a snowflake necklace on her birthday, so we had to run and get him something for his birthday as well.  Craziness may in sue- but we are hoping that she keeps her head on her shoulders as well as she has done thus far!

Happy Sweet 16, Princess!  

Poor Sam

Poor Sam- it seems like everything major happens to him.  Yesterday he had eye surgery.  He really didn't want it and I was kind of against it.  I have taken a firm stance against surgery unless absolutely necessary.  But in the end, I was swayed.  That left Sam with no choice, so he asked Rob for a blessing.  He is such a strong, good boy!  He is the deacon's president right now, but I have no doubt in my mind that he will be called to many more leadership positions.  

Monday, Rob gave him a blessing that he would heal and continue strong and active.

Tuesday we went in to the hospital and after talking to the nurse and nurse practitioner they decided along with the anesthesiologist to put Sam out with some Versed and some gas before they put in his IV.  The anesthesiologist took a look at the report the cardiologist sent and said, "24 seconds without a heart beat, that's a really long time!"  Yes, thank you!  I don't know if the the cardiologist was trying to comfort me or he just really thought it was no big deal, but I personally think 24 seconds without your heart beating is a big thing!!  Anyway, they didn't want to repeat that episode.  The nurse had put lidocaine patches on his hands and she said to not worry, that she had been a nurse for 12 years, so I wasn't as worried.  Really knowing that they were putting him under without an IV in place was just as nerve racking for me.  Sometimes it's not a good thing to know too much!

Everything went fine, though and he is now sleeping.

I went to Young Women's last night after we got him home.   By the time I got home he was really pale and I could tell something was wrong.  I asked him if he wanted some tylenol.  "Will that help take the pain away, "  He said.  Poor guy!  We had a talk about how he was suppose to tell me that he needed some medicine before he let the pain get so that he couldn't stand it anymore or the medicine wouldn't work as well.  He is too tough for his own good at times.

What do you mean 2 more week?

This is the time of year when we are so done!  So, so done with all these sports.  We love that our children participate.  It keeps them active and healthy and out of trouble, but it keeps us driving and not much else.  We are tired!

Since gas is $4 a gallon these days we are paying somewhere around $16 a day in gas.  Besides having to do homework in the car and homework in the morning while we eat breakfast and doing loads and loads of laundry every day.  We have to eat around 4:45pm, but since I am still helping with homework and trying to get people ready, unless I have been proactive and made a crockpot meal, it's fast food time, again!  By this time of the year, I dread 2:30pm when my children start showing up home from school, because I know that the race has begun!

Luckily, this is the time of year when it's almost done. 

 Monday was Max's last soccer game.

Today was Sam's last home game and tomorrow is his last, last 7th grade football game.

Emma's last soccer game is on Thursday.  Joseph's last football game is Saturday....At least that is what we thought until this morning when Rob went to the gym and talked to the quarterbacks Dad.  And his comment was, "only 2 more weeks!"  Wait- what!  Yep, the regular season ends on Saturday, but then there are play-offs, don't you know?!  Collective groans escaped our lips!  Luckily, it has been a hard year for our children as far as teams go- Emma's and Sam's teams have about a 50-50 record, but when they loose, they loose big.  I am talking huge!!  Like 10-0- in soccer!!  Max's team may have won once or twice, but Joseph's team hasn't won a single game all year, so we are positive that the play-offs are really just a one game thing for us!  So we are back to the thought of... Just 2 more games!  Sometimes being on the loosing team has it's advantages!

Homecoming

This year I only had one little guy with me for the Homecoming parade.

Max and I hung out while Emma was off reffing a soccer game, Sam was playing a football game and Joseph was marching in the parade.

They spray painted all their hair. Joseph still has some orange we can't get out!

  We got there in plenty of time to get good seats,

so we could drop off Joseph, see the parade unobstructed and catch lots of candy!

But that meant we were also bored.

  We kept each other occupied, though.

Max is a little pilferer!  I had to tell him to stop, when he was snatching candy underneath the 3 year old sitting next to us, though!  He was crazy!!

In the end Emma's game never happened- it was canceled, because of the Homecoming parade.  So she sat at the fields and waited for us to be done watching the parade.  At least she got paid to hang out and watch soccer.  

Sam's game was their first loss, but on a brighter note, he got to play almost the entire game.  It was a B team game, and I guess the defense coach could feel my dagger eyes on him Wednesday night at the A team game when Sam didn't get to play even 4 downs.  Sam came off so frustrated that his eyes were all red.  I was ready to have a little talk with the coach.  I had mixed emotions hearing that he played both offense and defense the entire time at the B game, though, because that means that the kid whose position is Corner back on the B team, just lost his spot.  I'm sure his parents are now shooting daggers at the coach!  Not cool!

We went to the high school game the next day.  By the time we made it to the gate, Emma peeled off to go sit with the students.  She wasn't sure she wanted to be seen with us!  We had a great time, except we brought friends with us and it poured on us!  Ohio likes to just be sunny one minute and then have a torrential downpour the next.  That would have been OK,  but they had a 3 month old baby with them! Then the lightning started and that's when they cancelled the game.  They finished it the next day and I don't think the other team was even trying.  We won 16-44.

As a mom of a teenage girl and a Young Women's leader I get to hear all about who went to the dance and who got asked and what they wore, etc.  Last year, I encouraged Emma to go with her friends.  This year, she asked about it and I said no!  Now that she is so close to 16 she can taste it and she has boys that she texts on an hourly basis, I thought it wasn't such a good idea.  That going out with friends, might have turned into hooking up at the dance.  She didn't fight it too much, which makes me still think she is a pretty good girl.  But just for good measure,  her dad and I have been making fun of one of the guys she texts constantly.  Got to give her some balance!  Ha ha!

It's always fun to see what the girls come up with to wear to the dances.  We had two that made their dresses and three that bought theirs and then wore shrugs or cami's with them.  It really is impossible to find anything decent to wear at Homecoming!  Prom is a little easier, but the Homecoming dresses are generally shorter than mid-thigh and are strapless or close to it. 

I don't know how you even move in something like that- let alone dance!  

They tell me that at the dances there are two gyms.  One they call the bad gym and one they call the Mormon gym.  Rob asked, what do they do in the bad gym to make it the bad gym?  Emma told him that they all grind there.  He doesn't understand grinding.  We tried to explain it, but he still didn't get it, so I found a Youtube video for him.  Emma was shocked that I would look up such pornography, but I showed her that I found a video on how to tastefully grind with someone you don't know.  You didn't even know that was possible, did you!?  Apparently, it is!  And you too can learn from Tweet Boogie 

just how to tastefully grind on Youtube! hmm hmm!

Sam built a tree house at a friends house.

They even made the rope ladder that goes up to it.

I told him that he was going to fall out of it eventually and hurt his arm so that he couldn't play football.  Well guess what he did on Saturday?  Yep, fell out and hurt his arm.  It's all swollen and scratched up.  He says to me, "Mom, what are we going to do about this for football?"  I looked at him and said, "nothing."  "But it's going to hurt."  "Yep!  Sorry!"  Nice nurse mom!

I think Max's fort is a little safer!