Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!!

It all started Saturday night....#2 was irritated that Dad wouldn't let him have cookie dough for dinner. Bummer!! Then Sunday morning rolls around and it happens to be fast Sunday. We were trying to encourage the oldest 3 kids to fast... If any of you know #2, you know he eats about every two hours-- he doesn't eat much--- but he eats often!! Fasting for him is like DEATH!!! So, he decides to eat some breakfast while the rest of us fast...GUILT... and that starts the bad day. Following that, he was really irritated that I made him take his shirt off so I could iron it... more bad day... Then its off to church. We have tried to remind the kids to bring their scriptures to church-- threatening that if they don't they can't play with friends on Monday... #2 brought his downstairs-- but they didn't make it to the car.... so.... more bad day- not only can't he play with friends Sunday -- but not Monday either. Church goes fine and we are home hanging out... I am off to choir practice and Dad decides to tidy up the kitchen a bit. He is irritated because everywhere he looks, there are traces of messes left by.... yep, you guessed it.... #2!!! After he has been repeatedly scolded to not have anymore cookie dough-- he is caught red handed taking a bite of it directly from the little sausage like tube that it comes in... YUCK!!! Then, hastily putting it back in the fridge while it is crumbling everywhere... so Dad in his effort to bite his tongue picks up the cookie dough tube and chucks it right at him!!! It nails him square in the chest (not very hard) taking him totally by surprise. (Most of you know this is very uncharacteristic of Shane to do something like this.) So, not only does his chest hurt ( a little) but his feelings are crumbled.... more bad day... big tears and hurt feelings... So still being devastated that his Dad would throw the cookie dough at him, (which I find quite funny)he is sulking. Next, his older brother starts cleaning the turtle tank. They usually put the turtles in the 'mud puddle' in the back yard while they clean the tank, all the while supervising them so they don't escape. Meanwhile... the rest of us are still fasting and the kids are called to set the table so we can eat dinner.... so... Number 1 baracades the turtles into the 'mud puddle' by putting a plastic container over them with rocks on the top of it to keep them safe. We scramble to eat dinner... and then the boys go into the yard to check on the turtles. The next thing we hear is OLIVER!!!!!! It doesn't sound good!!! Our 'special' little dog had decided to see what turtles taste like!! He captured #2's favorite turtle 'skimmer' and injured him quite badly... at this point there is much crying and yelling at the oldest brother for leaving them outside... needless to say... the poor little turtle was on his last leg...Dad had to put him out of his misery and send him to a better place... it was really sad.... That is when #2 said "This is the worst day of my whole life!!" He was pretty upset about the whole thing. And of course his older brother felt awful as well. At one point I think there were four of us crying about the poor little turtle and that everyone felt so bad... After a lot of tears and hugs we all recovered. Through the eyes of our #2 it really was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!!!
The silver lining was the tender moment when the two boys were hugging and crying... one asking for forgiveness and the other granting forgiveness!!! It was sweet...
(Of course we went back to the pet store and #1 bought #2 a new turtle with his own money!)

THE END

CITYSLICKERS!!

I know, I know, this is a lame version of a mud puddle. It is actually a hole where one of our palm trees used to live. It died because it froze!! Poor tree!! Anyway, the kids filled it up with water and whaalaaa... a child magnet is born!!! Our two littlest have spend many hours playing in our tiny sink hole!!! #5 thinks she is in heaven--She LOVES the muddy water!!! She has even tasted it!! YUM!!! I had just put this dress on a few minutes before she soaked it. I think big brother was 'helping' her get muddy.

See the cute little ducks... they were having a race- they all tied!

What fun!!!

Now THIS is our latest inherited possession. Some friends of ours upgraded their treadmill and we were lucky enough to get to it first!!! The kids think it is so fun!! #3 came home from school and turned it all the way up to 10 (that is SUPER fast) and burned 800 calories... And after the end of the second day that it was in our house told me, "Mom, you haven't even used it yet... we have had it for a couple of days and I have ran on more than you!!"

Even the baby beat me to it....!!

That's okay-- I ran much longer than they did-- I didn't burn 800 calories though-- I think I would pass out or something first!!! You can tell we live in the city... tiny mud puddles and electronic exercise!!!

Cute Piggies!!

FINALLY!!!

We can put her hair up in piggies!!!

Of course it doesn't last long -- as she LOVES to pull out everything I put in her hair!!

It sure looks cute for a minute... then there is the scariest hair do of all left over after she messes with it!!! Oh well!! At least we are making progress!!!

Gum Anyone??

The other day, Shane found #4 with a big lump of gum stuck to the side of his head- so in doing what any other MAN would do, he grabbed the closest pair of scissors and CUT IT OUT!!! (See the bald spot just above his ear?) I later told him that there are several ways to get gum out of hair OTHER than scissors--nevertheless, he was still proud of the work he had done in being resourceful and getting the gum out!!!

The very next day I caught him looking like this....

See the 'green' in the front of his hair??
It's a good thing Dad wasn't around -
or else he would have had another beautiful
bald spot right in the front of his hair!!!
He told me, "I was just rolling my gum up my face, then it got stuck in my hair!"
Needless to say, we had a little talk about what we do with gum!!!
He looks really remorseful doesn't he??

Motorcycle Pants!!!

We found these GREAT Motorcycle pants at the DI for $8.00!! The boys have been riding their motorcycle a lot lately, so they have come in very handy as 'cool', 'protective gear' for riding. The other morning, #1 comes in my room as he is getting ready for school wearing, yep, you guessed it, the motorcycle pants!! I questioned his apparel and asked if he was sure he wanted to wear them to MIDDLE SCHOOL! He assured me that they were a fine choice and that he likes them because they are cool and comfy. I again tried to sway his decision with, "are you sure-- I think the kids will make fun of you if you wear those." He confidently said it would be fine and that he wanted to wear them. He had on a dirty gray shirt from the day before and I talked him into at least changing his shirt-- The bright YELLOW shirt was a later addition to the ensemble I hadn't seen and I wasn't able to warn him about the combo!!!.... So off he went.... into the throngs of unrelentless and ruthless middle schoolers....

Later that day, as I am sitting in the car watching him walk towards me I see a large smirk on his face as he catches my eye. He jumps in the car and says, "I should have listened to you!!! EVERYONE noticed my pants. That was the longest day of my life!!!" I could not stop laughing as he told me the events of the day-- how he tried to hold his binder in front of his legs, how treacherous the walk in the seventh grade hallway was, how everyone would stop and stare and ask... 'are those motorcycle pants??', how he had to go up in FRONT the class and do some work on the chalk board, how ALL of the girls noticed... and on and on!! Not to mention the inconspicuous YELLOW shirt with the bright blue pants!! It was absolutely hilarious!! And all I could say was, 'I told you so!!'- all the while wanting to etch the sentence, "I should have listened to you!!" on a large plaque and hang it on the wall, so he would remember that Mom really does know a few things!!! Here is the unforgettable outfit!!

My name is SODA!!!

Once upon a time there was a boy named Shane and he loved football...

All through high school --he played football for the Soda Springs Cardinals.

He saved his beloved jersey some future day when his strapping young son could wear it and show some CARDINAL PRIDE!!! Now, the time is here and the jersey has been resurrected from a dusty old box onto the shoulders of his oldest son!! What a proud papa!!

The best part is that on the first day at practice --

all the kids on the team kept asking him if his name is SODA!!!

CRASH!!!

Little bro and little sis trying on the garb!!

Teaching little brother the stance!!
The two oldest boys have just started their first season of tackle football... aside from having to sell our cars to pay for it...(kidding)...so far it has been a great experience-- they love dressing up as large plastic giants and running into each other!! Number one played his first game on Saturday and they WON!!! Hurray!!!

Desert Fun!!!

If there was ever a place with plenty of sand...

LAS VEGAS is the Place!!We love to go four wheeling in the desert.

The older boys take turns riding the motorcycle and

we pile everyone else on four wheelers for cruising the dunes.

Love the bicycle helmet!!!

FUN FUN FUN!!!

(we won't mention that our oldest 'rolled' this four wheeler this trip--

the first time it has ever happened- thank goodness he and his friend weren't hurt!!)