Worst Mom of the Year award goes to...

ME.
I officially went overboard and snapped. I can't belive I am actually documeting this, but here goes.

Timothy has been really difficult lately, especially when it comes to decisions. He flip flops back and forth like no other. It gets really frustating. But worse is when he asks for something, so I get it for him and he just stands there. So I ask, do you want this? yes or no? He just stands there silent. So I say, well that means no, and I walk away. Then he whines, No I want it... etc and the cycle continues.
It is the absolute worst when he is tired and it is PAST bedtime and he goes on like this forever.

So tonight, he was actually pretty good for the one story that I told him I'd read and didn't push the issue for more than that (it was way past bedtime... normally we do 2-3 stories). Anyway, he had been eating a cracker during the story, so just before I left I (BIG MISTAKE) asked him if he wanted a drink before I turned off the light... to wash down the cracker. Cue silent treatment. This went on for about 5x of me leaving, him coming out to ask for water, me trying to give it to him, no answer or attemp to take the water, me leavign again, etc. Finally I bribed him to take the water by offering him his bouncy ball that he got today (another BIG MISTAKE). Well that started a whole new batch of "take the ball", no response, me leaving, "No I want my ball" etc. We finally got  him to take the ball after a few "losing it" episodes (he threw the ball or dropped it and couldn't find it).

AND, it came back to " I want a drink of water". RE-RUN, except I threatened to dump the water on his head of he wouldn't drink it. I withheld myself for the first 2 more senarios, then I cracked. He wouldn't take the water, so I splashed it right in his face.
(Cue music for worst mom award acceptance walk of shame)

Needless to say he freaked, cried, etc. I dried him off with a towel, then got daddy (as per his request and to my relief). Only to hear him so , No I want mommy to change my shirt. I came back and helped get him in a dry shirt. As I was getting up to leave he says in his sweet little voice, "well mommy, you don't dump water on people's heads", (I think I told him this exact same thing earlier today when he dumped a cup of water on Spencer's head.) to which I snidely replied, "well you don't ask for things you don't want." and left the room. CUE GUILT.

Robby came out a few minutes later saying that Timothy really wanted me to sing him some songs goodnight ( and even MORE guilt) and he wouldn't drop it. SO Robby made the best deal ever with him. He said, "Timothy, I'll make you a deal. If you go to sleep, I'll get mommy to come sing you a song." Timothy's reply?, "ok".

After stewing this incident over in my head and feeling TERRIBLE, I went into Timothy's quiet room, kissed his head, told him I was sorry for splashing water in his face. In his sleepy voice ( I think he was already asleep) he asked for a song, So I sang "I am a Child of God" and cried (righly so) as I sang the words "...has given me an earthly home with Parents kind and dear.."

Hopefully he won't remember tomorrow, but if he does I think I need to apologize again and make a special effort to be a better, more loving and patient mommy.

Chickens

After moving to our new house, we decided that we have plenty of space to keep chickens in the back yard! We got really excited about the prospect of having fresh eggs! So, the first week of April we went to Cal-Ranch and bought 6 cute little black chicks (3 each of 2 different varieties). Sadly I was stupid and did not take pictures of them then. It really is a shame because my boys were so cute holding them and petting them. But alas, I wasn't thinking.

Here are some pictures I found online of what they looked like as babies.

We kept them in the garage in an open box for a while... then the garage started to stink like chicken poop. So we moved them out to the shed. Then one Saturday Robby got to working on their home. He built a chicken coop and run from scratch, with the design just coming from his head! (I have an AMAZING husband!)

 The hole in the side is where the nesting boxes with eventually go, for now it is just boarded up.

 This is the inside, if you look closely you can see the roosting bar across the middle. This is not open, it now has a door on it with a chicken wire winow at the top. It is nice to have a door, so we can get in there if we need without have to poke up through the hole in the floor (back corner)...

 Which leads to the "ramp" that gets them from the coop to the run.

The whole thing is surrounded with chicken wire to make the chicken run. The front of the picture is where there is now a door (made with chicken wire and supports) so we can get in and give them feed and change their water.

 One for my favorite bonuses of having chickens is my kitchen "chicken garbage". They sure love our left over food!

 Here I caught one coming down the ramp out of the comforts of the coop.

 They like to "roost" on anything. We have a few stones in there keeping the wire down and they sit there often.

 Here they are. All 6 if them. 3 black and white, 3 black with red necks.

 It amazed me how fast they grew and got big. I loved holding them as babies, but as they got bigger, and their feet grew, and they flapped more, I let Robby do the holding and transporting. (I'm a little jittery with animals, something I'm sure I'll have to get over being marreid to Robby)

 They usually like to stick together as a group. Now we are just waiting to see if any of them are ROOSTERS... we sure hope not.

And I can't wait for eggs!

Haircuts

My Boys hair was getting so unruly.

I decided to do the "summer buzz" a month or so early.

(if any of you have brothers, you should know what that is!)

I think Spencer looks soooo much better.

Don't get me wrong. I love his cute curly locks,

but most of the time, it wasn't cute and curly; it was usually just a mess.

I think I prefer Timothy with a "big boy" hair cut, but the buzz will be nice for now.

BEFORE

AFTER 

 

 

we like to sing at our house!

There are a few songs that Timothy really likes to sing.

1. No More Monkeys jumping on the bed.

(this usually is the result when daddy gets out the guitar!)

2. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

3. I am a Child of God

(both of these are sung at random times, or- so cute- when Spencer is upset. Spencer is not comforted by these, but it is sweet that Timothy tries!)

As I said, when the guitar it out, this is the song!

Poor Timothy, this is the 4th time he sang this song. 1st- he sang, I thought was cute, got the camera. 2nd- he sang beautifully for the camera... it didn't record. Darn. 3rd- he sang in his "I can't believe you are making me sing this again" voice, I chose not to include here. 4th- I asked him to sing in his nice voice, he obliged, but poor guy's throat was dry from all that falsetto!

Sadly, I couln't get Timothy to sing I am a Child of God for the camera. maybe another time.
ENJOY!

And WOW, that took a REALLY long time to upload, Thankfully they turned out great! (first time doing the video thing.) I'm going to have to figure out a faster way!

A Happy Mothers Day

I know that I have several posts to do to catch up but we are still getting this new computer thing figured out and such, so here is a fun tide me over to celebrate the wonderful day that is today!

We had kind of a rough start at church... the boys were particularly whiny and stubborn and wouldn't stay in Sarament meeting. Nobody wanted me, only dad (which you might think was a bonus on my day, but it was frustrating because if I wanted Robby to deal with Timothy, Spencer would NOT go to me) OH WELL, we survived Sacrament meeting and the boys LOVE nursery. Our class was really well behaved for us and in Primary. So, after the rough start, church ended on happy note!

I even got two cute little cards from my boys that they colored in Nursery!

When we got home, I got my present... chocolate!yum!

(I'm sorry, I can't figure out how to turn this)

  and Robby gave me the beautiful flowers last night!

 

After lunch and putting Spencer down for a nap, I got to take a little nap and while I was dozy, Timothy went poop ON THE POTTY! Hoorary! this is HUGE! we have been trying to potty train him for over a month and he does quite well at peeing on the potty, but he has been refusing to poop and goes to hide in a corner somewhere to mess his underwear. (makes life REALLY frustrating) Anyway, my sweet Robby got up from his "nap" to follow Timothy around and catch him right before he hid, sat him on the potty and let him do his thing! We were all EXTATIC around here! What an awesome Mother's Day gift! (now if he can only keep it up when Robby is at work!)

Then we decided to have a picnic supper up the canyon by our house. Robby made hot dogs and mac'n'cheese for him and the boys and I had my yummy leftover fish taco from dinner last night!

When we pulled up the the sight Timothy was super excited to see the picnic table... then he saw "the jungle". He immediately went exploring. He said, "I have to go find something in the jungle!"

 

We got him wrangled up and ate, then Timothy and Robby found a trail and we went on a fun family "hike" (in the jungle). It was beautiful, and fun ,and wonderful, and awesome!

 

(we stopped to observe things too! Rocks, trees, other people's picnics, the water, etc)

Spencer was carried on the way up the trail, but insisted on walking on the way back!

Spencer got FILTHY!

We took a family picture too! (gotta love timers)

and I LOVE it! despite Spencer's face!

Timothy even went potty in the jungle (just before we left. we were all ready to go and he sat and sat and sat, but insisted that he had to go. Finally Robby was able to convince him to FOCUS on peeing. and he did!)

 Spencer, however, was not happy about waiting in the van. (this is mid-scream)

We came home, ate yummy ice cream, watched old family videos (we figured out how to download them on our computer) and eventually got our kids to bed! AHH Sigh. 

Now off I go to spend the rest of my evening with my hubby!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Workout DVD

I had the AWESOME experience of participating in the making of an exercise video.

I have an amazing friend, Ilene, who happens to be a certified kickboxing instructor. I have been workingout with her for 3 years, just for fun at her house and through our stake. I even had the chance to sub for her class when she was out of town. SO, when she decided to make an at home workout DVD to sell, she asked me to be part of it. Ilene wrote the entire workout and music herself! and got help from myself and our other friend to create lower impact moves, in order to broaden who can use this video.

Not that I'm trying to sell this to you, BUT if your are interested in an awesome, inexpensive DVD to help you get healthy in your own living room, please check this out! Also, you can see me look ridiculous while I do the low impact version of the workout!

The blog she set up to promote it is
www.ileneskickboxingworkout.blogspot.com
Check it out, and if you're interested you can just talk to me and we can workout details.

She is doing this for fun, but also to turn a small profit, and the people most likely to go for it are family and friends, which is you! Please check it out... if not to buy, then at least watch the clip and see me make a fool of myself!

I'm BACK!

WOW! Not having internet for over 2 months makes for a crazy catch up. I have gone 2 months without posting before, but never that long without blogging.

But, we finally have internet and I'm excited to get back in the swing of things.
STAY TUNED for more exciting fun from crazy life of the Evans family!