Work and Play

This is our new treadmill. It means work in a number of ways. For one, Dayne and I plan on working off our extra food storage we've been carrying around, and for two, he's going to have to go to work early and stay late so we can pay for it. Just kidding, it's our tax man, Brian, who will have to work to get our refund back quickly so we can pay for it. Dayne has been wanting one for as long as I've known him, and I figured it was the best way for me to get some exercise with 3 kids at home. So we finally did it!
As for the play, its mostly indoors. Between snow and rain and snow again, we are getting a little anxious for Spring. There has not been much going on around our house, but here are some cute pictures of us all at home waiting out the winter. And I don't want to hear anymore from any of you southern folks about the nice temperatures you are experiencing.

Adding insult to injury!!

Where do I begin?. . .Ok, yesterday morning my dear husband kissed my goodbye while I was barely able to open my groggy eyes long enough to recognize him. Then he took off AGAIN to go ice fishing. (This is his new obsession.) I had known about it and accepted it, notwithstanding the fact that it would just make my long day with the kids even longer. However, when he called from the lake saying he was going in late to work (his fishing buddy is the boss's son and works with him), that is when I began to get irritated.
That irritation hightened quite a bit when he called me again around 2pm to say he would rather not come home for lunch as he had promised but that I might pick him up a Subway sandwich. . . oh, and while I'm there I could get one for myself too. (He's so considerate!) He said it would be easier. Now, easier for who? That was my question. The baby was asleep so I told him it may be awhile. That was alright because he wasn't too hungry yet. However, by the time she woke up he was STARVING!!
I figured I should go out to the grocery store while I was out with the kids anyway since we needed some things, but by this time it was almost 4pm, so I suggested I go to the store and then pick up the sandwiches for an early dinner. NO, he needed something NOW! (I will admit I am embellishing this story a bit to make my point and it doesn't give Dayne much credit. But you will soon see that this is of little importance in the grand sceme of things.)
So I loaded all the kids in the van and drove down to our favorite fast food joint, Subway. I pulled up to the drive-thu and was soon greeted by a voice that said, "Welcome to Subway. I have a long line inside and am the only person working, so you will have to come in." This was basically my worst nightmare, but I decided to shrug it off and tell the girl working (in my head, of course), "Ok, you asked for it."
We went inside where I found at least 10 (not embellishing) Mexicans (not descriminating) sitting around waiting for their patriarch to order all their sandwiches. As soon as the kids walked in one of the young men started oohing at how cute the kids were. And as you can guess, I tried to smile and act friendly but inside wanted to bear my teeth (in a motherly sort of way). I sat Dakotah, in her carseat, down on a nearby table and instructed the other two to sit down with her. They paid no attention to me, threw their coats off, and began investigating the whole place. Meanwhile an elderly couple came in and, like everyone else, thought the kids were sooo cute! (Isn't it just the worst when you are ticked at someone or a couple of someones who won't listen and then other people just think they are wonderful?!) If I called after Brooklyn to stay by me or sit down, the older gentleman would just say, "oh, she's just investigating." And what can you say to a nice grandpa when he smiles like that?!
By the time I got up to order a half hour had passed, the floor and garbage cans were cleaner than when we got there, and all the bags of chips were rearranged on the shelves. All I could think as I smiled and nodded at the nice old couple talking to me about their own great-grandchildren was, Dayne is going to hear about this!!
And now I come to the final blow. The "friendly" Mexicans began to get up to go but had to take a quick peak at the baby in the carseat. I watched in horror as one by one they gathered around her (at least 5 of them). Mind you, I'm not racist, but these were complete strangers! My motherly defenses were curling the corners of my mouth ready for any sign of a threat. Then the young man who had made the fuss when we came in turned to me and said, and I quote, "Is she your daughter or your granddaughter?"

(I pause here for dramatic effect.)

This is one of those moments where you look back and wish your second response had been your first. What I should have done was walk over and smack that kid right in his big mouth, but I guess I was too concerned at that moment with fighting back the tears that were burning in that spot right between your eyes and nose. I fought them back, though, and kept my composure. I got my sandwiches, got my kids, and got out of there. We went to Dayne's work and shared our "lunch" (it was now 5pm) and our story with him. I worked as hard as I could to make him feel my pain as I related to him what had happened to me, and, like the charming man that he is, he defended me, appologized, and helped bring my blood pressure down to a reasonable thump-thump.
We came home (after our shopping), watched Lost with Anne and Granger, and let the whole thing blow over. BUT. . . Should this kid ever show his face to me again. . . I may not be able to hold back the baracuda inside me.

Not a single picture!

Well, we went to Idaho and enjoyed a wonderful weekend full of family and friends and memories, but wouldn't you know we didn't take a single picture the whole time. I'm so glad a made that one last trip into the house before we left to grab the camera. It was worth all the frustration and horn honking it took.
So let me try to paint the picture for you. Grandma and Grandpa Hayes were so happy to have their grandchildren visit they didn't mind Brooklyn waking them up each morning, eating every last cheese cracker in the house, and breaking the branches of Grandma's beautiful pointsetta that was still thriving after Christmas. Yes, all one child's doing. Meanwhile, Jackson was discovering the joys of sliding down the stairs at breakneck speeds while yelling at the top of his lungs. Dakotah, on the other hand, was a perfect angel. (Probably because she can't walk or talk yet.) Anyway, I'm so glad Grandma can handle it because I'm not sure I can. She's probably relaxing today thinking how great it is that she can have them over for a few days and then send them away again. Good for Grandma Hayes, not so lucky for Grandma Godbold (whom Brooklyn started talking about as we were pulling in last night. She hasn't quite got the name down, though, so we let her get away with Gramma G.). I think Grandma and Grandpa Godbold's homecoming is the next big event that these kids are looking forward to, now that they know just how nice grandmas can be. (Way nicer than Mom and Dad.)

I've got a bad feeling about this!

Okay, so ever since Jackson got a few selective Star Wars themed gifts for Christmas he has been a total fan. Actually a couple of the movies were aired over the holiday, and Jackson watched them with intensity. One night, a week or so ago, one of the movies was on and Jackson had to go to bed. Dayne and I had to tear him away from it with a promise that we would buy the movies so he could watch them whenever. Little did we know what we were saying! He kept pestering me about it, and we finally got out one night and found the trilogy on sale. We bought it and have not stopped watching it yet. I know more about Star Wars than I ever thought was possible.
Just to give you an idea of how far the obsession has taken over our home, I'll give you a few examples. For starters, there is the role playing. One day he dressed Brooklyn up with a blanket for a cape and said she was Wife Vador and he was Dark Vador. A few minutes later he informed me that he was Obi-Wan and Brooklyn was Obi-Two. Star Wars is even rivaling his favorite super hero (who he always says he wants to be when he grows up), Super-Why. Now he tells me that Super-Why's last name is Sith. I keep telling him that the Sith are the bad guys, but I guess he still thinks they are cool. While watching the 3rd episode yesterday where Anakin turns into Darth Vador, Brooklyn was startled by some sudden event and said, "What happened?" (Mind you, she says this for everything, including every time we drive home from Payson and drive over the bumps on the side of the road as the lanes change in the construction area.) Anyway, Jackson responded by saying, "Anakin made some bad choices, Brooklyn." This is how I have explained to him the whole transformation of Darth Vador. I am pleased to know that anything I say gets through even if it is only about an imaginary character.

The latest pics!

I'm not sure if anyone really reads this blog. I know that I update it pretty often with stuff that is probably pretty boring, but you can all just skim through if you like. Mostly I just like to write and look at my own family. It gives me something put my energy into that doesn't totally drain my energy. So that being said, here are some more pictures from our lives.

This is the view from our back window. I would show you the view from our front window except all you would see is a window well with a little touch of sky.
From our back door you can see that our fort from Christmas Eve has been buried under another foot of snow that just fell yesterday and last night. I should add that it is still snowing!!!



Jackson must be holding his sister's hand whenever he is near her. (Notice she has a pig tail in her hair. First time I've tried it, though she has had plenty of hair since she was born.) He used to do this with Brooklyn too. Sometimes he would run and touch her hand before he went off to do something else. I think its compulsive, but at least I know he loves them.
Here is Dakotah on her new ride. She hasn't learned to bounce yet, but Jackson and Brooklyn have made sure that she gets to hear the music it plays. Brooklyn especially likes to play the music while she jumps on Grandma's rebounder shouting "Yee Haw." I guess that's better than singing at the top of her lungs while she runs in circles around the living room (which is what she used to do).
This is the day after Brooklyn rubbed vasaline in her hair. It had been washed a couple times with no success in taming it. And yes, it was Sunday so we had to take her to church looking like that.
It's so good to know that Dayne doesn't overreact to her little tantrums. In fact, he is probably the one antagonizing her in this case. The girl is VERY demanding! If you haven't guessed it yet, she is the curse that all mothers put on their children. However, beware who you choose to father your children. The curse is not on me. I was a good child. It must be Dayne that brought this upon us.