You know you are a Mormon if...

...you know who Jon Schmidt is. He came up to Vernal tonight and I took the 4 kids to a "piano student pep talk" he did a few hours before the major show. He's awesome. Played all the lovelies, (Waterfall being the best!). Some of the highlights:

-He announced he will sign autographs at the end and Tyler looks up and says to me, "Hurry Mom, let's go get my Shaquille O'Neal poster!". (What!? I don't think Tyler gets autographs. You don't sign other people's stuff.) Weirdo.

-Got a picture with him and the 2 older kids.

-Am now inspired to take piano lessons and learn how to play upside down.

-He played the youtube sensation of "Love Story Meets Viva La Vida and said, "I was thinking we would get about 10,000 hits on youtube to see it, and it went to 3 million. I was amazed how far it got around the world. It even made it to Vernal."

:)

-Inspired Tyler in particular. Especially when he told him, "We need cool guys like you to play the piano."

Question:

We now own three parakeets. My question is: Can I feed parakeets dog? Pomeranian dog in particular?

Tutorial on how I put Mason to sleep.

a) Sound machine

b) Blanky on my shoulder. Mason's head on blanky.

c) I sing, "Hush Little Baby".

d) I say, "Hold you like a baby."

e) Mason lays down like a baby in my arms.

f) I sing, "Give Said the Little Stream".

g) Give and take time:

me: "Dada"

Mason: "Dada"

me: "Mama"

Mason: "Mama"

me: "Bubba"

Mason: "Bubba"

me: "Hailey"

Mason: "Hailey"

me: "Emma"

Mason: "Emma"

me: "Baby"

Mason: "Baby"

me: "Mama..."

Mason: "Mama..."

me: "loves..."

Mason: "loves..."

me: "baby!"

Mason: "baby!"

h) Lay in bed.

i) Kiss nose.

j) Rub eyes with thumbs

k) Say, "Go night-night."

l) And off he goes to Baby Sleepyland. (Which I believe is like Disneyland, but for babies.)

Same thing. Over and over. Nap-time, bed-time, nap-time, bed-time. Since he was born. Love it. Love that it is written so I can read back on it when I am 100 and reminisce. And cry probably. :)

Nutty Nu-Nu

Emma said she was too sick to go to church on Sunday. I, (being the one teaching sharing time), said, "Than you will miss my lesson about love than, and we are having a treat!"

She said:

"I am guessing I will be sick after church than."

:)

What do I live in a boat?

Came home after church yesterday and we all sat down to eat a fabulous crock-pot chicken and rice dinner. Right before the prayer I hear (far far away) WATER RUNNING. So Nate runs into the bathroom and what-do-ya-know: the kids bathroom is overflowing with water from the sink and running down the vent into the basement. Apparently Emma-Lemon was "washing my hands and I had to hurry because I had to get the good seat and say 'Criss-Cross' !"

This is the 3rd water disaster this week. I feel like as soon as I get a huge towel-load washed and dried I have to use every single one to soak up something. It's really fun. :)

Do you know the difference between "fun" and fun?

The "fun" that I enjoyed this weekend was the lesson I learned about our kitchen floor. I found out that it is NOT level and in actuality leans to the east. Thanks for pouring that gallon bucket of water out Mason! Emma and Hailey's fun (which was my "fun") consisted of cleaning the entire kitchen with Bath and Body HANDSOAP. Every kitchen surface now has a soapy film. Thanks girls! My real fun was going to the Dinosaur Museum and watching "Night at the Museum 2" while laying under a huge dinosaur skeleton with the kids Friday night. Cool.

No No No No No

Tyler is growing up and it makes me sad/scared/unnerved. Here we go with our conversation tonight:

Tyler: "When can I go on a date?"

Stacey: "The prophets council us to not date until we are 16, and then only on casual group dates."

Tyler: "Dang."

Stacey: "What do you think is a date?"

Tyler: "When you are with a girl and have a romantic time somewhere, like the circus."

Stacey: (Laughing on the inside.) "Well, I know you are growing up and it is okay to start noticing girls..."(...on and on until I'm interrupted):

Tyler: "So when can I kiss?

Well.

So this conversation was after the most heavenly dinner that I made: cajun spice baked salmon, sweet corn and spicy crinkled french fries. I was in heaven because it was all overly cooked and extra spicy (which is what I favor). Wasn't even ruined by the fact that Nathan stayed at work late doing homework, (since I texted him the entire time and his mouth was watering which made it all the more fun), nor was it ruined by Mason throwing corn everywhere, nor was it ruined by the other kids being mega-hyper and running around in circles through the living room and kitchen. (Where's the discipline?!?) I really didn't care. I was stuffing myself with heartburn-inducing magnificent cuisine.

I cannot win the war.

Tyler found a penguin online for "online 25 dollars Mom!!!!". grrr So off we go again for another round of begging for an animal. After Tyler's basketball game this morning we took a little drive to an animal store and saw mice, rats, scorpions, and other disgusting "pets". (Mason was in heaven looking at all those for the first time). Emma ended up with a little goldfish-which she read a book to right before bed-and Tyler and Hailey are saving up their money for peach-faced lovebirds, which Nathan said he wanted to get because they reminded him of us because they love to sleep with their heads touching and are "mates for life".

Awwww...

Ok, I guess I could live with chirping birds in my kitchen.

A moody and emotional story.

At last years Women's Conference-which I went to with my mom and sisters- I learned (gently) from them that I have moody moods and am sometimes emotional. Apparently I am a girl! :) I just wouldn't acknowledge it. (Thanks girls.)

So now my story. I was alone last night with a husband-at-school and was a little tired a.k.a a little moody with my children. Some yelling, some harshness. Not the greatest feeling when you are going to bed later. So this morning I (again) tried to do better. As I dropped them off at school the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was in my c.d player and they were singing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" (which is one of their best). I just knew I was doing my best and trying trying trying. I of course bawled with the love I felt (there's the emotion!) and told my dear babies how I love them with everything I got and then some. It was a great car ride. "Awww, come on Mom! Your embarrassing us!" (As they got out of the car.) I love those children dearly.

Whew! Funny moment.

Nathan builds a fire every day for us. Mason has started to help him by grabbing a piece of newspaper, crumpling it up and giving it to Nathan to start the fire. So Nathan made a fire a few minutes ago and then realized Mason was grabbing paper from Tyler's backpack. Homework is now burned in the fire. :)

New Year 2010

I have been ignoring this blog due to my computer (or my) inability to upload pictures. Therefore, until that is resolved this may be a boring blog, probably one that is all but ignored by readers now, but I still want and need to keep writing things down. Starting today. :)

I want to remember yesterday during fast and testimony meeting where I felt "stirred" and decided I needed to bear my testimony. I looked over at Hailey and thought I would invite her to come up with me, since she hasn't had the guts to do so yet. We both made our way up. Funny thing: after Hailey was done another little 7-year old boy who was on the stand looked at me very worried and ran off the stand without bearing his testimony. Today I ran into his mother and she said he was worried because "Hailey said the EXACT testimony I was going to say!"

All in all I was proud of my girl.