The bright side

I was up in the kitchen today and found a chip out of a dish of mine.  I said, "Darn, my serving bowl got chipped."

" Don't worry Mom, look at the bright side, now it looks, you know, old and kind of fancyish," Madi replied to me.

Got to love her.  It put a smile back on my face.

A camping first

I grew up going camping every summer up at Browne Lake.  I have continued this tradition with my kids.  Here is the thing about Browne Lake, there isn't much there in the way of facilities.  Any outhouse sums it up.  But, this year they were spraying for some beetles and everyone had to leave the camping area for 24 hours.  So, we moved down the road where we had to truly camp, including using the woods as your bathroom.  I had never done this will the girls before.  It was a first, but I figured it was a skill that needed to be learned.  Right?  Well, Dad was going to take the girls fishing, so we took a walk out in the woods to take car of business before they left.  Allie was a pro ( I have had to help her do roadside pit stops before), totally expected.  Hannah was a little concerned, but we finished with dry cloths.  Then came Madi.  Madi is one of those people who cannot pee under pressure or with an audience.  I wasn't sure what to do with her.  We tried squatting, holding onto a tree and leaning back, propping herself on a rock, sitting over a dead log, leaning over a rock.  I mean everything I could think of, we tried it.  At this point she is crying, thinking she isn't going fishing because she can't pee in the woods.  So... I let her go fishing.

Well, they come back from fishing and she really needs to go.  She went back into the woods by herself and a few minutes later she comes and whispers to me, "Mom, I need to tell you something.  I went back into the woods and tried to go again, but I couldn't.  Will you take me to a bathroom noooow?"

I looked at her and said, "Madi, it's not that I won't take you to a bathroom,  there is no bathroom.  There is nowhere I can take you."

So, we went on another walk out in the woods together.  We tried everything again and finally I didn't know what to do.  So, I looked at her and said, "Madi, people have been peeing out in the woods for thousands of years.  If you really need to go, I'm sure you'll figure it out.  Just stay out here until you go."  And with that I walked back to camp.

Well, about 5 min later Madi comes walking into camp.  Her eyes are a little red from crying, but she has this hug smile on her face.  I said to her, "So, did you go?"  She said, " I sure did."  I asked her how she finally did it.  She said, " I built myself this toilet thing out of rocks back there."  Needless to say, the rest of the time we were there, we didn't have any more problem with her needing to go.

Dear Mom & Dad,

I'm so sorry for all the complaining, tattling, hitting, screaming,  and "woes me" moments.  I now know why you sometimes just lost it.  I have a new found respect for you.  Thank you, I love you.  I now ask that you pray for me every moment of this summer vacation because, frankly, I'm on the verge of losing it most of the time.

With love,
Jenny

We've come a long way

So Madi had her first softball game of the season on Thursday.   All was going very well.  She got up to bat and I started cheering...nothing embarrassing, just a "you can do it Madi."  I saw her look over at me a few times, but thought nothing of it.  Well, she struck out, and she was okay with that.  But, she walked over to me in the bleachers and said "Mom, I have a favor to ask of you.  Will you please not cheer for me like that, you just make me nervous.  I can't do this when I'm nervous."  I said "okay."  She returned to the dugout and the game went on.  EVERY parent around me we laughing at this exchange. 

Now, although I found some humor in the situation, I was also incredibly relieved that she had so calmly come over and asked me not to cheer.  It was only 3 years ago that the same kid came running down the sideline of her soccer game yelling at me, "Stop yelling so loud Mom.  I don't want to play this anymore!  Why are you making me do this?"  So... I think it's safe to say that we have come a long way.  Thank goodness!

Sunflower seeds

Madison is playing softball again this year.  It is one of the few sports she likes to play, mainly because there is limited running and you get to sing songs throughout the game.  We found out this morning that there is one other very important element for her.  She was explaining that she needed to bring some sunflower seeds.  She just HAD to have them for her first game (which is tonight).  This was her explanation when we asked her why she needed them so badly.

"You just have to have them.  Sunflower seeds are the favorite snack for everyone while you wait to bat!"

Ahhhh.  Snacks.  Definitely something we HAVE to have.  :)

cotton candy

On the way home from the store this morning I had this conversation with Allie.

"Mom?  Do clouds taste like cotton candy?"
"No honey, they look like they should, but they don't."
"Yeah, they do Mom.  I've tasted them before and they do taste like cotton candy."

What am I supposed to say to that?

Snacks

We currently have early church.  In order for us to be on time we have given Allie a little added responsibility on Sunday mornings.  She is in charge of packing the snacks for Jack and herself.  So, this morning she got up and did just that.  During Sacrament meeting and while munching on her snacks she says, "Man, I sure do pack great snacks, don't I."  That kid cracks me up.

The Paco & Taco Show

Allie has decided that Jack's nickname and her nickname need to change.  She now calls Jack, Paco.  Her name is Taco.  She even taught Jack how to say Paco.

Not sure what to do with that kid.

Just Testing

My folks came for a visit this past week.  In preperation for the trip up to the airport, I invited Allie to go with me.  She willingly agreed.  Mom packed a lunch, she grabbed her little iPod shuffle and hopped into the car.  Within 3 minutes of driving, she was crashed out and slept all the way to the airport.

Having dropped my parents off, we headed home.  Something in Allie turned on and for the next 30 minutes she talked without pausing to take a breath.  The final 15 minutes of the drive, was DJ Dad time as I tried my best to figure and play the songs she described..."You know Dad, the one that goes da da da da da da, and has the drums."

It was a good ride home and I promised Jenny I'd pick her up a diet Dr. Pepper before I came home.  Since Allie was so good, I bought her a Sonic Sweetheart shake.  Running out of cup holders, I was forced to put the shake in the backseat cupholder, right next to Allie.  I paid the car hop and turned to make sure Allie and the shakes were doing okay. 

Both shakes have a big finger width hole in the whipped cream on the top. 

"Allie, please don't eat any more of the shakes."

She responds, "Okay, Dad.  I was just testing them to make sure they were good."

"That's fine, but no more testing please."

"Okay, Dad.  Just so you know that after I tested them, I think their pretty good.  We can eat them."

Nothing like a stamp of approval from Allie "the Taste Tester" Fowler!

Out numbered

It all started with the girls having friends over... parents = 1 kids = 7.  Time to drop off all friends, requests for friends to stay for dinner, completely denied.  20 min later, finally leave to take kids home.  Drop off all friends but one, and head to the library.  Books were due, it had to be tonight.  3 min in the library, Allie comes and explains that she just couldn't hold it anymore (would have been nice to know she was holding it in the first place).  After 2 years of being potty trained we had our first public accident.  Go figure.  Took her and Madi (so that she wouldn't be by herself) out to the car, stripped off the wet pants and got her buckled into her carseat with a towel under her hiney.  Go back in to retreive all the other kids (including the neighbor kid) and to actually check out the books.  Come back out, 5 min later, to a cop walking away from my van.  Oh crap.  Get to the car and ask Madi what was going on.  She explains that she just talked to the cop.  He wanted to know where her mother was and how old she is.  Oh crap.  Madison tells me that she explained to him that her little sister peed her pants.  Please, oh please, let that cop have children!  If not, I might be getting someone knocking on my door, coming for my kids.  I'll be honest, a few dollars in library fines might have been worth skipping this experience.