A MoNstEr in the making...

I was cleaning the other day and I had to sweep and vacuum, so I sat the babies at the counter with their choco milk and banana's hoping that would keep them out of the way while I swept really fast. Silly me. My first mistake was leaving the Nesquik on the counter... in their reach. I know better, this has happened so many times before. My second mistake was thinking they would behave themselves. They don't do that, as a matter of fact Rori Ana has taught little sweet Ava a few new tricks. For instance... How to throw things in the toilet, how to color on the walls, how to get into the pantry and open all sorts of yummy things, how to run around the house screaming and growling at the top of her lungs, how to hide in the laundry room and play with the lint out of the lint screen and so so sooooo much more. These 2 have become quite the partners in crime! When I put Ava down for her first nap of the day Rori asks where she is about a dozen times, I'm sure she is wanting someone to do all sorts of naughty things with. Before Ava was just the baby but recently Ava has really started to grow up a little and learn new things. Rori Ana took full advantage in taking my sweet angel and molding her into her new little naughty partner.


These two are so fun to watch play with each other, they run and laugh at nothing! They LOVE each other, they very rarely fight and when they do its nothing like when Chanel and James fight or like when Chanel and Rori fight. Its more of a disagreement that eventually after a few hairs being pulled out and some growling and screaming they work out on their own. Before they didn't pay much attention to Ava, like I said she was just the baby of the family and the kids never noticed her much or involved her in any of their play. But lately its been a different story. And Rori Ana and Ava are closer than ever. I'm not sure how long this will last or how long I even want it to last?

I cant wait to see what else Ava can learn.... yaaaaaay.

Speed bump

I have hit yet another speed bump on this road of motherhood. Or maybe I'm going in the wrong direction... or lost... or maybe just a little bit of construction and it will clear up soon. Yes that's what it is, I'm sure I can fix this.... WAIT. How did I get on this road anyway???
Ok, either way I am probably making a big fuss out of something little but, to me its BIG! This is my JOB, being a mom, and when someone or something makes me feel like I'm not doing it right it really effects me! This is all I do!! I don't have another part time job or even so much as a hobby, being a mom is it for me so when I feel like I am not doing it right I feel like a failure!!! Last night I went to Jameson's parent teacher conference and I almost left in tears. This is the first time I have ever felt this way! I have been to many other P/T conf. and every time its the same thing; James is doing great, he loves school, he has lots of friends, no concerns in his learning ability etc. etc. I have never left wondering if he is where he is supposed to be, actually I leave really proud of him because he is always doing amazing. Last night was a little different. And now I am totally lost and don't know what to do? Like I always say, James is my oldest and I learn just as much as he does everyday. He is my teacher and I am his and right now I feel like its the blind leading the blind. When he started first grade all of a sudden everything got so much more serious. Not that we didn't take school seriously before but this was a different serious, I cant even imagine 7th grade or high school. Once he started he came home with REAL homework! He got GRADED on the this real homework. He has SPELLING TESTS! Reading tests! And so much more! And that's when I found that I have got to be one of the WORST teachers EVER!!!!! I find myself getting so frustrated and repeating myself over and over. I don't know how to explain in simple terms. And James is not the best student, he gets SOOOO distracted! He does not listen at all, he stares with a blank stare and says "I don't know" or "I don't get it" before I even say a word or give any instruction. Every day homework is a battle and I don't WANT IT TO BE!! I want him to want to do this! I want him to love school and I don't want to ruin the fun of it! It is SO important that he does good in school and love school, I think because I despised school and I don't want him to feel that. I hated that feeling and I don't want the same for him.
Anyway last night his teacher told me he wasn't on schedule with his reading and that he needed to really work on that because he is going to get further and further behind. I sunk in my chair when she said that. Then she said he isn't doing his work in class and he has to stay in for his recesses to finish. I SHOT up in my chair when I heard that! I couldn't believe he never told me this?! Everyday I ask him 'how was school? What did you do? Who did you play with? What did you eat for lunch?' EVERYDAY! And never has he told me he stayed in for recess?! I was so sad, that set the tone for the rest of the conference. She then told me that she has had to sit him right in front so she can make sure he does his work, otherwise he just sits there. I sunk again, this was just getting worse and worse. By the time we were done I was practically laying face down on the floor pulling out my hair. BUT good news is he LOTS and LOTS of friends, so much so that he talks ALL day when he's not supposed to! Ugh. I was just so upset. This is a first for me. How the hell am I supposed to do this? I'm good most of the day, I get up, get the kids up, get them ready, get them out the door and to school on time, clean, clean, clean, pick them up from school... and then it gets a little crazy. I don't want to bring them home from school and immediately sit them down and make them do MORE school work. Plus, I find that they are much to antsy after school to even pay attention, so I give them a break and let them run for a bit. Then after their break I sit them down and start... Here I am trying to teach Chanel her letters while James is yelling at me to help him. SO I run over and help him and TRY to explain to him what he needs to do and he says " I don't like this, I don't want to." And Chanel is screaming "MOOOOMMM ISSS THISSSS ANNNN OOOOOOOO????" and I look up and say no, that is a Q and James says "MOM!!! Pay attention!! Isn't that what you tell me?" Yes James, I'm trying but I need to help your sister too. And all the mean while I have Ava yelling and screaming at my feet or pulling out pots and pans and banging the walls with toys. And RORI ANA... forget it!!! She is usually trying to steal the kids' homework because SHE wants homework! And she wants their homework!! I have even gone as far as making copies of it to give to her so she can feel like she is getting attention too! But that doesn't help. I buy her books, nope doesn't work. I tell her she has her own homework, still she doesn't care. She will take off with their school books and if I don't watch her closely she will rip them or color all over in them or just hide them. So here I am running in circles, knowing that I am probably doing more damage than good and tyring to give each child the attention they want AND cook dinner. And every time I tell myself, this time is going to be different. I will occupy Ava with this or that and I will sit her down and try to keep her happy and quiet. Then I will find something for Rori to do and then I sit right in between James and Nel and try my absolute hardest to keep this fun and keep their attention. And everyday it ends up the same... a total circus. I don't get it? How do the mothers with so many kids do it?? What am I doing wrong? I stay calm and collected and still things go completely out of control!? WHYYY???? I want to do this right, I want my kids to do well and succeed in everything. But I am doing something wrong. Oh great, Rori Ana just got into the vicks! What is it with my kids and vicks?? They love it! My dining room table is now covered in it. Well, I better go screw something else up...

Happy Halloweener!

Halloween this year... Was... well, exhausting would be an understatement. It was filled with tantrums, screaming, crying etc. etc. etc.

On Friday we had Chanel's Halloween party there were lots of costumes and lots and lots of candy! Then we had Jameson's Halloween parade, it was so neat to see all the homemade costumes!! Next year I WILL do homemade costumes! I better start now so they are finished by then. And of course they celebrated with lots of candy too! That night we decided to let the kids have a sleep over with some friends, James slept at Ryland's and London slept here, bad idea. Everything went smooth until about 10 pm when all of a sudden the girls got this burst of energy, I think it was from all the sugar they had eaten earlier that day, and they went completely mad!!! I don't think fell asleep until about midnight and apparently the same thing happened to the boys, they didn't fall asleep until about 1 am!! Only to get up bright and early at 7 am. That whole day was miserable!! Horrible!! Awful!!! I couldn't get them to take a nap to save my life, none of them! And they were so overly emotional and sensitive! Everything was the end of the world, nothing was going right, nothing we did would help, they were crying and crying and screaming and whining ALL DAY!! I don't know how many times we thought about bagging Halloween this year! And just shutting off all the lights and going to bed at 7. BUT we didn't, we got the spook ally all finished up, put on our costumes and Daddy Justin and aunt Sara came to visit and brought lots of treats and gifts then as soon as they left we ran to Grandma and Grandpa Earls to say happy birthday to Grandma! Then we ran home and trick or treated our hearts out and ate pumpkin pie and MORE candy with all of our family and friends!!! It ended up being a great night.

Normally I get lots of pictures, these are all I took!! I knew I would regret it, but I was so tired and fed up. Now I'm really kicking myself!