Coloring Contest

My mom brought over some coloring contest pages for my kids to color. They did their best work even though I told them I probably wouldn't be able to turn them in before the due date. They took them over to Grandma's house, because she makes it down town more often than I do. She turned them in and we didn't think much more about it. Then Saturday, October 30th rolled around, and the kids were super excited as they were getting ready to go trick or treating. Ryan got a phone call, "Hello? Yeah. Oh really? Okay. Thanks, bye." That perked my curiosity. It turned out to be Fresh Market calling to let us know that Marlee won the coloring contest. "Marlee?" was Tay and Ky's response. They couldn't believe that Marlee won and they didn't. I was so glad that it was Marlee, because she always feels like her coloring is bad in comparison to Tay and Ky's. It forced them to be a bit more humble as well. Ryan picked it up yesterday. It was a glow-in-the-dark trick or treating basket filled with treats, a glow stick, and a Halloween Beanie Baby(an orange bear without feet, but rather a ghost tail). It brought a smile to my face when her face lit up as she sifted through the various prizes. To think that I wasn't even going to turn them in. Lesson learned!

The Logic of an 8 Year Old

The other day I picked Kylee up from school, because she didn't want to walk home alone (Taylee went home with her friend). School pictures were coming up, and I told the kids I wasn't buying them this time. Funds are low and we just had family pictures taken, not too long ago. On our way home Kylee asked me, "Mom, if you only had one kid, would you buy them more stuff?" I responded, "Well, if I had only one kid, then I'd have a bit more money to be able to buy them more things, but I would not spoil them rotten." Then she said, "Would you buy them school pictures?" I said, "Probably." Kylee, very matter of factly replied, "Then why won't you buy me and Taylee's school pictures? There's only two of us in school, so it's not much more than it would be if you only had one kid." I couldn't help but laugh, because she had really thought this through. I had to explain to her that if I got school pictures, I would want to get pictures of the other kids too, and that gets really expensive. I had to admit that her logic made sense, and was proud of her for her creative thinking. :O)

The new and improved ME!

I can't believe I have neglected my duties as a blogger! I am back, and hope to get better at creating new posts. So my latest obsession is Herbalife! I was on a diet and lost a significant amount of weight, but got to a point where I was no longer losing (even after a month of giving up all the foods I love the most). I stumbled across Herbalife while I was online and decided to give it a try. I lost 7 lbs. in my first week! I also had more energy than I have had since I was a teenager. Weird! My kids thought I was crazy, because I wasn't taking my daily nap, I was playing games with them, and being silly. I was sooo excited! I knew I was going to be using these products for a while (because I loved them so much), so I decided to become a distributor. This way I can get the products for a discounted rate, and make a little money on the side. I know there are so many of you that could really benefit from these products too, so I will be able to get them for you as well. They have something for everyone! Anyway, with all this energy that I have now I have been busy cleaning my house, playing with my kids, and actually keeping up with them. I just want to shout it from the rooftops, and get everyone I know and care about to get on these amazing products too(not just because I want their money, but because I know they will love them as much as I do)! :O) I am really enjoying the new and improved ME!

Near Death Experience

Have I mentioned that with 4 girls there's lots of drama? Ryan and I planned this, what we thought, exciting day of tubing down the Weber River. It was exciting alright, but not in the way we had hoped. We got all geared up and ready. At first the kids thought it was great fun floating down the relaxing lazy river. Ryan and I were pretty pleased with ourselves for coming up with such a wonderful idea. . . . until that dreadful first set of rapids came along and ruined everything (curse those rapids). Taylee was knocked right off her tube and Ryan, being the hero that he is, grabbed her in mid-air. The tube, however, was not so lucky. It was left behind, waiting for someone to come and save it. Ryan put Tay on his tube and went on a search and rescue mission to retrieve it. When we started off, Taylee, Kylee, and Ryan were hooked together while Marlee and myself were together. The kids all had life jackets as an extra precaution. Oh, don't worry, Brinlee was left behind with Uncle Marc (we at least had a little common sense). When Ryan went to get the tube, that left Tay and Ky hooked together, but only momentarily. This is the near death part. . . or so they thought. They got disconnected and the distance between them was growing greater and greater with every second that went by. I think they thought that either their sister, their dad, or they themselves were going to die. At least that's how I interpreted the sound of screaming and crying that was so violently escaping their mouths. To make matters worse, despite my tremendous efforts, I could NOT catch up to them. I instructed Kylee, who was quite a ways behind me, to stick to the side of the river and try to grab a branch, and wait for Dad. I finally caught up to Tay, who fell off her tube AGAIN. All the while Marlee is screaming and crying because we were leaving Dad and Kylee behind, and she wanted to go home. It didn't help that the water was freezing and the wind was blowing. Our teeth were literally chattering, and we had some serious goosebumps going on. We could finally see Ryan and Kylee behind us. This settled Tay and Mar down a bit. When I asked Kylee what ended up happening she started to cry as recalled the events that took place during her traumatic experience. I warned you that my girls were dramatic. Of course we hit a few more rapids and every time, without fail, Marlee would scream and cry (harder than she was already crying, and yell at me because she didn't like the "big ones." As if I had any control over the river, it was somehow my fault according to her. I think it made her angry that I enjoyed the "big ones." The whole time I was attempting to convince the kids that this was fun. They would NOT agree! It was scary, cold, and did I mention scary?! There were a few times that we had to battle with the branches that lined the edges of the river on each side, in order to keep our lovely faces intact, which they loved almost as much as the rapids. All in all, Ryan and I decided that we will wait a few years before we do that with the kids again. It would have been very enjoyable, had it not been for the near death experiences.

Dangerous Moving Parts

I learned a very valuable lesson the other day. My dryer was being uncooperative. It was not doing it's job, and my clothes were not getting dry. I started the dryer yet again, for the third time. I had no choice but to set out on a journey to see what the problem was. I figured that the lint was backed up and if I could just reach up and grab it out, all my problems would be solved. I went outside where the vent is and was able to do just that, grab out a bunch of lint. It felt like the tubing was out of place and blocking the exit, so the lint and hot air could not properly escape. No problem, I could fix that. . . or so I thought. I reached up and stuck my arm in as far as it could go. If I could just go a bit further. That's when it occurred, the life lesson that I had to learn the hard way. There was a rotating fan-like thing that was going at a very rapid pace. I reached that bit further and thump, thu thump, thump, thump. My finger hit the fan. I quickly retreated my arm and looked at my finger, half expecting to see it fall right off. Luckily it was still intact with only a small bruise under the fingernail. My dryer is working fine now, but the fear has been put in me. The lesson I learned was to never work on a machine while it is running. This is one to put in the books.

Brinlee's Birthday

Brinlee didn't quit understand what all the fuss was about. We would sing "Happy Birthday" to her and she'd smile, get all excited, then run away. We had a little party out in the yard with Grandma Steff, Grandpa Randy, Marcus, Jason, Steve, Alisha, Mitchell, and of course Ryan, Myself, and the rest of my kids. Shelby couldn't make it because she had to work. . . we missed you Shelby! We had some take and bake pizza, birthday cake, and ice cream. Yeah, I felt sick afterward! The best part was when she opened her presents. She'd open one, then want to play with it and not open the next gift. I forgot to mention that she had a bazillion gifts. Grandma finally came up with the brilliant idea to put her in the high chair so she couldn't go anywhere. Grandma always comes up with great ideas. She got bored after the first 3-4 gifts and the other kids had to help her open the rest. She got a whole new summer wardrobe, lots of toys, and a kid size Dirt Devil vacuum so she can help Mom with the house work. I wonder who gave her that gift. :O) She had a great second birthday.

Shopping

Taylee and Kylee wanted to buy Brinlee a gift for her birthday. . . .with their own money. After much careful consideration they picked out what they thought she'd like, and what they could afford. We got to the register and Kylee only had a 20, she was so worried that she didn't have the right amount of money. The cashier assured her that she would give her some change. Upon receiving the change, she carelessly put it in her wallet and snapped it shut. The coins were falling out everywhere and I said,"Kylee, you can't just throw it in there, you've got to organize it so it won't fall out." That's when she said so matter of factly, "Mom, do I look like an adult or a kid? Geez, I haven't learned that yet!" Sometimes I just need a little reality check. :o)

Family Photos

We had our family photos taken on Tuesday night. Can say, "ARGHHHHH!"? So that's why we only do that once every few years. Getting four girls, myself, and a husband (almost as bad as the girls) ready, is hard enough; then you have to keep them looking nice until you get the photos successfully completed. Taylee wasn't too bad, except I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. She doesn't listen and when she does listen, she gets so distracted that whatever I told her to do is completely forgotten. I curled her hair in big ringlets that looked very pretty, but by the time we got there, most of the curl had fallen out. Kylee was probably the easiest to get ready. She's very good at doing what I ask and does it in a timely manner. Her problem was she couldn't find her sandals. We looked, and looked, and looked some more. We tried a pair of Taylee's old sandals on her, but she was not having it. There's one thing Kylee is famous for. . . her stubbornness. She was NOT going to wear Taylee's shoes, she wanted hers. She finally found an old pair of hers, but they needed to be polished. That's when I realized that all of their sandals needed some attention. TIME, I needed more TIME!!! Marlee was still in the bathtub and it was just about time to go. Luckily Grandma came in and saved the day. She fixed Marlee's hair and polished all the sandals. Thank goodness for Grandmas!!! I had this brilliant idea that I would paint all of the girls fingernails and toenails to match their dresses. Why do I do this to myself? Tay and Ky got theirs done, but Marlee only got her toes done. I told her that we didn't have time to do her fingers, but she wasn't having that. You see, Marlee is also very stubborn. I did not have time to fight with her, so I just quickly did her fingernails, knowing now that we were definitely going to be late. Brinlee was the easiest until we got to the actual taking of the photos. I was worried that she was going to be grumpy and crying, but she was actually happy. What a relief. She was so happy in fact that she thought it was hilarious to pull Marlee's hair in front of her, grab Ryan's face behind her, and reach out to me next to her. It was very difficult to get her to hold still. When she did hold still Marlee was looking off in a different direction. UGH! Our poor photographer. While she was taking pictures of the other girls, Brinlee was busy picking all the flowers. I just kept thinking, "I hope they don't have surveillance cameras." I am still waiting for someone to show up on my doorstep to collect money for all the damage done to the landscaping. Kylee has this fake smile that I didn't notice until we were done with the family part, and had moved on to the individual ones of the girls. She tucks her upper lip under so all you can see is her gums, but no upper lip. Kylee has a beautiful smile, but for some reason she uses this fake one in every formal picture that is taken of her. Ryan has a fake smile too and does this weird little head tilt. Who knows what strange little quirks I have. Brinlee had a big bruise right on the middle of her head and I had a bunch of zits on my chin from last weeks breakout. I guess there is no such thing as perfect, right? I just wanted it to be perfect so badly. We should get the proofs back next week, so that will be the moment of truth. I will be sure to post these pics when I get them. . . if they turn out, that is.

Ants

While riding her little bike around in the driveway, Brinlee discovered a huge pack of ants. You'd think this was the most amazing thing she has ever seen. He smile was from ear to ear and she couldn't help but laugh as she pointed them out to me. She squatted down and was trying to build up the courage to touch them and I'd shout, "ewww! Yuck!" She'd scream with excitement and laugh, and laugh, and laugh. It was so cute! Then Taylee and Kylee came around and the little stinkers started stomping on them. This was an opportunity to teach. I explained to them that they are creatures of our Heavenly Father's. I asked them how that would make Him feel. They are killing some one's children, or moms and dads. I asked them how that made the poor ants feel that just lost their family members. They got bored and went and jumped on the tramp. Later I found Brinlee over there stomping on the ants and smashing them with her fingers. Oh dear! (sigh) I can see that there are going to be many more opportunities to teach, but for the time being those ants sure provided some great entertainment for my little Brinlee.

Knives

Brinlee's lastest stunt is pushing a chair over and climbing up onto the counter. Once she has successfully manuevered that she proceeds to take the knives out of the knife block, one by one, and set them on the counter. Thank heavens I have been lucky enough to catch her in the act every time she's done this trick. I am extremely fearful of what she would've done with them once she got them all out. Oooh, I can't think about it, it makes me sick!!! I was telling Marcus (my brother) about it, complaining that she'd done it 4 or 5 times, when he suggested, "Well, why don't you put them up where she can't reach them." Duh! Why didn't I think of that? I'm supposed to be the smart one in the family. I am sorry Shepherd family, I have let you all down. If I'm the smart one in the family I am worried about the rest of your fates.

"Mom, Brinlee is throwing white things."

I think something evil has possessed my sweet Brinlee's cute little body. I was downstairs doing laundry when Marlee comes down and says, rather calmly, "Mom, Brinlee is throwing white things." I went upstairs to find my innocent looking Brinlee about to throw a glass bowl on the floor, along with the 3 or 4 glass plates that are now in millions of pieces, covering every inch of surface on my kitchen floor. Yep, she was so proud of her work as she clapped her hands and grinned from ear to ear. I was very upset, but the next thought that came to my mind was, "I've got to get my camera, so I can get some pics of this!" We are compiling quite an album, rather a portfolio, of messes that my "sweet" little girl continues making. I am still finding shards of glass in interesting places (i.e. under my bed . . . ?) She definitely provides endless methods of entertainment . . . Never a dull moment with her around.
To be continued, I'm sure. . . . . . .

Adventures in Potty Training

Brinlee is turning two next month, and I have it in my head that she should be potty training by now. She has a different idea entirely! Today I noticed her squatting and grunting, so I rushed her to her little potty, stripped her down, and lovingly placed her on it. She thought this was alot of fun because she was completely naked and wasn't going to get in trouble for it (because Mom did it). Trying to get her to stay on the potty was like a game of "Cat and Mouse," at least she thought it was a game. I finally gave up by just putting some big girl panties on her so she'd be easier to strip when she started the grunting action again. Those didn't last long . . . being naked is just too much fun. Marlee showed her how to go on the little potty (Marlee always begs me to let her pee in the training potty), but that turned out to be yet another mess to clean up. While I was cleaning up that mess, Brinlee wanted in on the action and peed on the floor . . .next to her potty (we're making progress). Once that mess was resolved, I got distracted doing something else when I heard the grunting again. I ran, remembering that there was nothing between her cute little naked butt, and the floor. She thought this would be a great time to play "Hide and Seek." I literally ran around the house yelling her name, all the while begging Marlee (mother's are good at multi-tasking) to help me find her, QUICK! I discovered how talented Brinlee really is. Have you ever seen anyone that can poop and run at the same time? Well Brinlee can. I found little poop pebbles all over the living room. I am counting counting my blessings, however, that it was poopoo pebbles and not diarrhea! Things could have really been ugly. I know that they have to be ready to potty train before any real success can be achieved, however, I am a slow learner too and keep finding myself trying to make her ready. The good news is the panties survived and now are tucked safely in her drawer . . .until I forget about this episode and try it again. This too shall pass, in the mean time it gives me something entertaining to blog about.

Bedtime

UGH!!! I hate bedtime more than any other time of the day. Not because I don't want to go to bed, but rather because the kids don't want to go to bed. This is the time that Taylee usually announces that she has homework that's due the next day. Kylee is begging me to watch her do the perfect flip on the couch. Brinlee is sampling every toothbrush in the drawer, sometimes dipping them in the toilet. Marlee is complaining that she is STARVING. After 20 minutes of getting ready for bed I ask them if their teeth are brushed, "No," if they have gone potty, "Not yet." Well at least they have undressed and are half way done with the pajama part. By this time Ryan has given up and is watching TV, or playing a game on the computer and I am left to put on my witch costume and try to get things in order. That's as far as I have gotten tonight. Wish me well. :O)

I am very new to this blogging business, so bear with me. I have enjoyed following a couple of blogs and have decided to try this out for myself. I have 4 beautiful daughters and thus with that comes much draa. I thought it would be fun to share some of that drama with others.