Eight on Wednesday Morning

1. I like that my boys are working on the cooking merit badge. I've had help in the kitchen for the last couple days. This morning they are making Danish aebleskivers. Jacob basically sent me packing from the kitchen which was nice. James takes his turn like a champ too. About a dozen of them still had batter in the center, but they laughed about them being cream filled.

2. I had to MAKE Jessica go back to school shopping with me. "Can't you just go buy it and if it doesn't fit you can get your money back?" I gave her a two hour time limit and bribed her with treats. We did find some jeans and a pair of bermudas. I was hoping to find more shorts since it's so hot. She has a hard time with all the button closures so we are on the hunt for longer shorts that fit a curvy figure with snaps :) It's a painful process. I think she is going to have to embrace her feminine side and wear more skirts until it cools off.

****interrupted. My photo frames were just shattered by kids throwing things at each other**

3. I purchased my ticket to Utah for my 20th High School reunion and planned to return LATE Sunday night so I could spend the day with my Grandparents. I haven't seen them since last year. Now it seems that Grandpa will pass before I get there. That makes me feel sad. I've been thinking about all the years I've known him and how much I love him. I guess grandma might need my visit now even more.

4. Summer has been very hard. The constant headaches, changing medications, dealing with side effects, detoxing my system.... just so draining. It's been very difficult to feel like myself and to be a good mom. I had hoped to do so much more with my kids. I need them back in school so there are some hours without chaos swirling around me. It's very pathetic, but true.

5. On pasta nights I drink green fruit smoothies instead. I just really hate pasta.

6. I've been re-reading the Children of the Promise Series. I'm just finishing book 5 now. It's historical fiction set during World War 2. If I retain any facts about the war, it's because I've followed fictional characters - a soldier, a prisoner of war, a nurse in Pearl Harbor, a German family that resisted the Nazis - each telling his or her story. I can't imagine living during that time, but both sets of my grandparents did. It's really humbling.

7. Our boys are playing basketball again this summer. They both are on very good teams. It is so fun for me to see them play. They are the tall guys on their teams - the rebounders. It's been fun watching them play with my brothers and dad over the summer.

8. I've been helping with the music with the Primary children at church for the last two weeks. It's been a lot of fun - especially working with the older children. I love music. We were working on a tricky song and they sang with all their hearts and it made me feel so proud of them.

The Things They Say

JAMES:

He was telling me about his adventures away at Scout Camp and I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I heard him say, "The first night I slept like a baby..." See, James woke up ever hour and a half to eat when he was a baby. I remember it well.

JESSICA:

"If I were a dog, I would listen to my owner and not drink out of toilets."

There were a couple other ones but I didn't write them soon enough and they are forgotten already. Sad, but true.

Wedding Anniversary

• Jennifer Ottley Stock

  When did I get married??? Facebook is telling me that my Anniversary is this Friday. I just wrote it on the calendar for Thursday. The sad thing is, I think Facebook is right.
  
  Yes. I just checked Jonathan Stock's page and HE got married July 22nd, so that must be my anniversary too :)
  
  Parents 21st
  Mine 22nd
  I CAN keep this straight

  July 17 at 3:37pm · Privacy: · ·

  • • 

      Jonathan Stock Let's just pick a day in July and go with it. Are you free this Saturday? ;-)

      July 17 at 8:52pm ·

ALERT: Children unattended in the Car

You may not know this but I find time in my daily life to accrue experiences for a book I will entitle, "How Not to Become the Mother of the Year" or "How to Fail at Motherhood." One such experience happened recently. Hopefully you will still buy my book even though I'm sharing this sneak peek :)

Jon was away with James at Summer Scout Camp so it was incumbent on me to drive Jacob to basketball practice with the two younger kids in toe. As I predicted Jayson choose this same day to take his one spontaneous naps. I layered him in a diaper to protect the carseat and carried my husky cherub to the car, held the swinging door open with my wonder hip, and tried not to bonk his head. When did he get so long?

I sent Jessica back into the house scrambling for the portable DVD player and movie to keep her occupied and I grabbed my book (yep, you read the correctly. I'm reading). With McDonalds planned for dinner, spare juice pouches in my purse, we were on our way. YES!

I dropped Jacob off at the curb and found a semi-shaded spot in the parking lot to wait out the hour. Jayson slumbered. Jessica set up her cinema. I read and drank my ice water. Jacob practiced. After an hour, I REALLY had to use the bathroom. Jayson was sound asleep. I ran the A/C again for a couple of minutes to keep things cool and asked Jacob to sit with the kids while I ran in quick. I even double checked to be sure the doors were locked so my kiddos would be safe and sound :)

When I came back out side, there was another mom at my car. Two of my kids were out of the car and the car alarm was blaring. Oh great. I don't know what button I pushed on the remote, but the alarm was going off THE WHOLE TIME I was gone to the bathroom. Nice way to be subtle. Lovely.

We're Back - Did you Miss us???

I kind of feel like this past trip was a mix of adventure,

fun,

and an

"I Survived" episode.

Wow!!!

• horseback ride
• bug bites
• dancing at ice cream social
• Jacob's fat, scabbed lip & swollen eye
• fresh scones and homemade cheesecake
• tie dyed t-shirts
• Jessica breaks arm (trip to ER)
• Ottley Family Olympics
• Jon runs 10K
• Kids bring home bags of candy from parade
• bubble blowing
• slip n slide
• Geo-caching
• boating at lake
• James gets the flu
• pizza at the park
• Jayson thinks he can swim without help
• Jessica thinks she can swim with a splint and sling
• Jon's 16 mile mountain bike loop
• Mom gets the flu
• family photos in downtown Salt Lake
• Jessica crafts a a bazillion projects with her non-dominant hand (true sign of creative genius)
• family
• love
• movies
• video games

And just to top it off.... Jon gets the flu for the ride home

Lost: one water bottle & one pair prescription sunglasses

All Girl - Sequel to the Previous Post

I always loved this t-shirt.

All Boy - April 2011

It's exciting and sad to watch our son outgrow his babyhood and be a big boy. He is an independent potty user - sometimes too independent, the details of which I will spare you. He wears shorts now, but initially he just wanted to wear his underwear - Cars, Buzz, or Thomas.

Bye Bye Bottle - April 2011

These are the last few images of Goose with his bottle. He loves snuggling up with a bot of milk. I was trying to decrease his milk intake so I wouldn't always get him a bottle of milk. But it never stopped him. He would just get the gallon out of the fridge on his own and pour one or two or three servings. I once found him with three full bottles.

On our trip to Utah we forgot to pack a bottle. Jayson asked about it everyday for a couple of days and then just dealt with it. When we returned home I quickly gathered all the bottles, but he went on the hunt for them. He had to detox again but I knew it was time to move forward and we both let the bottle go.

I adore the little boy and little girl in these images - playing the leapster in fairy wings next to brother in sleeper pajamas sipping his bottle.

May 24, 2011 - Jacob receives his Arrow of Light

Congrats to Jacob for receiving his Arrow of Light. Farewell to Cub Scouts - on to Boy Scouts.

Just checking in

Alive & Well. Hopping from one activity to the next. Can't catch up. End of school. Trip to Utah with Choral Recording & Performances. Doctors, dentists, urgent care, orthopedist, physical therapy. Photo editing (going VERY slow). Start new cardio regime & calorie counting. Family day at Disneyland (calorie counting out the window). Prep for beach camping. Then more physical therapy, dentist, and neurologist appointment. Oh, and need to schedule oncologist check up & back to school physical. Swim lessons (assuming cast can stay off), find fabulous family photo clothes for our upcoming photo shoot, return to Utah.

Now that you got me thinking about it, we need a orthodontist consult too.

So, I'll see you when I see you :)