Bargain Hunter

I have spent the last week or so going through the girls' closets and digging out summer clothes. The winter stuff is all put up in bins or has gone to Goodwill. Then came the task of getting them set for warm weather. We do A LOT of hand-me-downs in our house and the girls love it! Ashtyn especially gets very excited to see all of the "new-to-you" clothes and to find out who used to wear it. It's like Christmas! We have bins and bins of clothes in our attic sorted and labeled according to what season and who it will go to next. I do a few consignment sales, but my biggest secret is Goodwill. If you have never shopped there, you should check it out. I went to the store in Franklin and then to our Spring Hill store on Thursday and found some great bargains. It's always amazing to me what people throw out! I often find brand new stuff with tags on them still. You have to plan to spend some time going through racks and I don't take my kids. The tend to lose patience. I always have my Tide-to-go pen with me and check to make sure zippers work. I got a bunch of shorts and capris for the girls and we are all set for summer! I did need a trip to Kohl's during our tax-free weekend for a couple of shirts and will need to get a couple of swimsuits.
And check out craigslist.org if you haven't already. We are heading to Disney World in a few weeks and no longer have a double stroller. Instead of renting one, we decided to buy one and found a double jogging stroller in great shape for $50. We will probably try to get rid of it at the gate when we leave or sell it when we get home and maybe save $150!

Hair, Hair, Hair!

Anyone who has been in my home during our morning routine knows what a chore it is to get hair brushed. When we found out that Sierra was girl #4, my first thought was that she had better be bald because the last thing I needed in my home was more hair and hormones! The girls hate having their hair brushed and there are usually tears and lots of screaming. Such tender little scalps! Occasionally I even brush it while they're running away from me, and forget trying to do any type of ponytail! It's usually just a clip to keep their hair out of their eyes and we are out the door.
Today Sierra let me brush her hair out (without having to put her on a counter so she couldn't escape) and then didn't even fight me on the braids. How cute is that? She was so happy to have hair like Ashtyn's and such a good example for her big sister! Maybe now we can lose some of the drama in our house! And what perfect timing for warm weather!

Potty Frustration

Thanks to Sierra's one success at Jasea's Princess Potty Party yesterday (check out Chelsea's blog!), Sierra woke up this morning and wanted to wear panties. I thought, okay, we'll give this a go. It will probably work because there couldn't really be a more inconvenient time for me. Isn't that how it always works? So I told her she had to go potty and she ran into the bathroom and climbed on the toilet. Way to go, Sierra! This might be the day. She didn't "go" but I had to take Mackenzie to school and had to put her in the car anyway. Of course, I was worried she would pee all over her seat and was thrilled when we returned home and she still had dry panties. Woo hoo--it's going great! "We" sat on the potty again and still nothing. But I wasn't discouraged. She was dry for a good hour before she had an accident, which she was not happy about. I considered her concern to be progress and armed with salty snacks, juice, chocolate, books, and a potty movie we kept at it. Every few minutes I put her on the potty and sat with her looking at books, singing songs, watching a movie, etc., until 4 hours later she had had 6 accidents, not one success, and didn't seem to notice the pee running down her leg anymore. So, here is my problem. She will start to "go" and stop herself. I will run her to the potty and she will sit for a good long time, but won't finish. She'll get up and several minutes later have another "accident". How do I communicate the idea of going in the potty to her? She seems to know what to do and how to do it. She doesn't have any problem sitting on the potty or getting clothes off, etc. . I think her problem is that she doesn't want to "go" in the potty. Needless to say, she is in a pull up and we will approach this again in a couple of days when I have a few days with nowhere to go. I do think that for me, potty training is the worst part of motherhood and I have dreaded it since the day she was born. Aunt Mary, HELP ME!!!
On the brighter side, I did get a cute picture of a 3-year-old wedgie!! Is there anything cuter than a little half-tooshie hanging out of dry Mickey Mouse panties? And yes, she is standing on my new coffee table! One problem at a time, please! She wasn't peeing on it!

Apostle Song

A friend sent this to me and I thought it was great! Enjoy!

We Need Another Computer

My girls love to play on the computer! Ashtyn likes the Webkinz, Playhouse Disney, and Barbie sites and Sierra is content to sit and watch. Ash can play on the computer all day long if I let her. And then Lauren and Mackenzie come home from school and they need it for homework or to check their email or play their own games. Needless to say, if I want a chance it has to be during naptime, early in the morning, late at night, or while my kids are whining in my ear for their turn. Maybe it's time to invest in a 2nd computer! Anyone have any suggestion of some educational sites the little girls might like?

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer!

Was I just complaining that the soccer season would never get started!?! What was I thinking?!! The season has officially begun and I am completely worn out already. We had quite a week with 3 make-up games on different weeknights and regular games scheduled for Saturday. Throw in Lauren's ref schedule (which was absolutely crazy--she reffed 8 games this week!), track practice and 1 meet, a couple of birthday parties, and a sick toddler. I feel like I need a vacation! We will be back at the soccer fields tonight for Lauren and Ashtyn to play. Sierra really is a good sport about all of this. Thank goodness she likes hanging out with the kids and can usually find someone to play with.
We didn't do much to celebrate Mark's birthday. Mackenzie had a game that night and played great for Coach Dad. She promised him a goal for his birthday present, which she delivered and they won the game. I made cupcakes for the team. The girls sang "Happy Birthday" on the field and then I headed off to work for the night. He had to take kids home and put them to bed alone that night. Mark and I did escape Friday night to go out to dinner. I do love having a babysitter in the family! Thanks, Lauren!!
We have had sooo much rain lately that our lawn has become a jungle. Just when I think I will have a chance to get out and get it cut, it starts to rain again. It had only been a week since I had cut it last, but it took me almost 2 1/2 hours on Saturday! What a workout! The lawnmower kept shutting off because the grass was so high and a little bit damp. My shoulder was sore yesterday from having to start it back up so many times. I guess that's what I get for fertilizing it several weeks ago. It does look nice though and I can hardly wait for it to warm up so that I can get some flowers planted! How I love spring!
Yesterday we had Stake Conference. It was nice to be able to sleep in and have a slow Sunday morning. My kids were a "little off" yesterday, so it wasn't exactly the relaxing Sunday that I look forward to each week. We had a few more squabbles than normal and there is a hole in Lauren's bedroom wall. They have been grounded from their "Heelies" for a few days! I've given Mark 2 weeks to get it patched so that I can paint it. I'm sure Sierra will be picking at it, making it worse until it is fixed! On a happier note, we experienced a small miracle yesterday. Our family sat through the entire 2 hours of stake conference without taking a child out! I strategically sat us by a door so that I could make a quick exit when necessary and then didn't move through the entire session! How great is that?! Sierra did sleep through some of it, but what a great accomplishment for my family!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

This handsome little guy is Mark at a young age. What a cutie! Mark is 38 today. He has lovingly reminded me that he's finally caught up to me in age! Mark is such a fabulous husband, dad, and friend and we love him so much. He does so much for us and we are very lucky to have such a patient and loving guy in our family! What would we do without him?!! I include this picture for those of you who don't believe me when I say that the girls look just like him, and not so much like me. Gotta love the outfit and check out that blonde hair! Happy Birthday, Honey!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Soggy Saturday

This soccer season might not even get started! Another Saturday with cancelled games. My kids are getting a little bit anxious to start playing and Lauren would like to earn some cash. Now our Satruday will be full of household chores and cutting the grass, which they are really not going to be thrilled about. We'll have to have a "wii" afternoon in between sessions of General Conference. That's always fun and I have actually won a game or two! Shocking, I know!
My older girls and Mark have followed the Nashville Predators this season and are thrilled that they have just made the Playoffs. Go Preds! The girls love going to hockey games and being able to stay up late to watch them play on tv. We try to get to one or two each season and we love a good fight!

Pennies

Okay, I don't usually send bulk e-mails or subscribe to the idea that if you pass some message on to your entire address book your life will be blessed. But this story was sent to me and it's kind of a nice thought. It's come to my mind several times since I read it and I thought it might be worth sharing. Enjoy!

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? "Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America". "No, not that. Read further." "One cent?" "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me.
Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

A Tennessee Spring

Soccer season began 3 weeks ago and we have yet to play a game. We've had games cancelled due to snow and rain each week. Pretty pitiful since the girls eat, sleep, and breathe soccer. We are anxious to get the season started! Games have been rescheduled, and we have about 4 weeknights without sports during the entire month of April. Sounds like fun, huh? Lauren is a referee again this season and looking forward to earning a little cash. Of course, Sierra is just along for the ride.

Lauren had her first track meet yesterday afternoon and placed 3rd in her heat of the 400 meter. She was pleased and we will go again tomorrow for the finals and relay events. She will run in the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 400 relays.

For April Fool's Day today Lauren took Oreo cookies filled with toothpaste instead of frosting. I'm anxious to find out if she has any friends left at the end of the day! She has already tried the "rubber-band-on-the-kitchen-sprayer" prank and I heard silly little April Fool's Day jokes from Mackenzie all morning. April Fool's Day always makes me a little untrusting. Luckily, Mackenzie doesn't have much of a poker face and can't wait to get the punch line out. I never really have a chance to decide whether I believe her or not before she yells "April Fool's!".

And today I registered my sweet, little Ashtyn for kindergarten next fall. She is sooo excited, but Sierra will miss her dearly. Ashtyn and Sierra have become good friends this year and really play well together most of the time. It has been a hard year for Ash though because all of her friends made the cut off and started school this year. She has been very lonely, always asking if she can play with so-and-so, who is at school. There are some really good kindergarten teachers at our school, but I have my fingers crossed that she will get one in particular. She will love kindergarten no matter what and I'm sure she will have a great year. She has been ready to go for a long time!