Just a quick memory

I ran to the post office the other day to mail a package for a friend.  I had all 4 kids in the van, Max and Marley fell asleep in the mile it took to drive to our post office.  Our post office in Junction City is across the street from the police department, the longest line I have ever seen was 3 people and that was a Christmas time. 

I pulled directly in front of the office, under a tree.  I left the van on and had Mason lock the door ...I swear I kept eyes on the van except for the 90 seconds... in that time period my kids ... oh my kids!

I never would have known that they had gotten out of the car if it wasn't for the little old lady laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face... I walked out the door of the post office and there she was bent over at the waist gasping for breathe...  I asked if she was alright and she asked if the blue van was mine, I said yea.

She proceeded to tell me that she had watched my boys jump out of the sliding door and pee on the bushes in front of the Police department and then jump back in the van... the part that was cracking up the most was that they boys didn't once look at the police bldg. they didn't take their eyes off the post office.  She thought it was hilarious that they were more worried about who was in the post office than getting in trouble from the police.

I honestly just hung my head in shame... shame that even though they are afraid of me it wasn't enough to stop them from doing it...

I'm in such trouble, let me honest.

On the Road to Idaho

I had this amazing idea in December that we needed to plan to go into visit Micah's family for the 24th of July which is a holiday (Pioneer Day) in Idaho.  Micah's home town celebrates in style... more on that later.

 

We left on Saturday at 6am and drove all day.  This was what the kids looked like driving.  Everyone did so great, having a giant TV to watch while we drove had to be a huge factor in their good behavior. 

 

Micah drove us all the way to Pocatello, and we made it to the hotel just in time to take the boys swimming.  Micah got in the pool with the 3 boys and I wasn't sure that they were going to ever get out. 

 

We made the short drive to Shelley, ID on Sunday and spent time with Micah's brother Cole and his family.  Cole's wife Kate had found a Festival at Targhee Resort just below the Teton Mountains on the Idaho side.  We ditched the older kids with a sitter and head to the festival.  Where we met Kate's sister Erin and her husband Chad and their darling little man who is a few weeks older than Marley. 

 

 Brandi Carlile was the headliner and the she closed the show... we went to see just her!  Her song 'The Story' has been one of my favorite songs for years, and I relate to her music in so many ways.  She and the Twins were amazing and I am dying to go see them again!

 

 

After the show Kate's sitter Erin saw a small crowd formed to the side of the stage and say Brandi right in the middle signing autographs and meeting people.  We hightailed it that to the fence and got inline.  She signed everything that was handed to her, but Marley... I tried but she refused to sign my baby.  I have a sick sense of humor!  She posed for a picture and chatted with us about her little girl at home and being a traveling mother. 

 

Holy neat experience!

 

Chad picked a great dinner spot, with this insanely yummy pizza!  Erin and Kate are long time Brandi fans and they gushed over meeting her and getting to visit with her about babies and concerts.  We chatted the evening light away and then headed to Rexburg to pick up Reese from her grannie Shelia's.

 

Marley cried from the restaurant all the way to Rexburg.. like an hour straight!  I was ready to throw myself from the car!

 

Reese had been spending lots and lots of time with her Grannie who is an amazing horse woman, practicing barrel racing.  She was also caring for Sheila who had just broken her leg barrel racing at Sandy Downs.  Neither of them was ready to say goodbye and we got to hear about all their adventures on the way back to Shelley.

 

Monday we got to hang at the house and let the kids enjoy their cousins.

 

Then that evening we headed to Rexburg to watch Reese practice her barrels... she did so good!

it was hot and dusty, but watching all the Cow people ride was very cool for the boys and did you know that arenas have the best, the very best dirt to play in.  Its soft and feels just like flour.   The boys started building roads and mountains and the dirt started to fly... Mason accidently threw dirt on a lady that had set up her chair right behind all the city building... (what an idiot to set up with your back to little boys and gobs of dirt)  Mason got chastised and he had to apologize for getting dirt on this lady... it went from a mistake to a full blown drama. 

 

Mason and I went the rounds, and he begged to go to the car he was so embarrassed for throwing dirt... he then showed Micah and I what a great actor he is... he scream cried for 5 minutes and had us both feeling awful for all his angst.  Poor Micah hadn't seen the show before, but I had... it gets old real quick and all my motherly love goes out the window and I feel the need to give him something to cry about.  (I don't it would only make things worse, but dang it pisses me off)

 

Amazingly he recovered when Uncle Cole started to cool down the Reese's horse.

Then all the kids got a turn on Reese's horse... Uncle Cole was such a trooper to give everyone a ride!

 

My boys have added a pony to their Christmas wish list... um NO!

 

Tuesday we headed to Star Valley... and the things that came out of Mason's mouth will scar me forever!

 

 

 

 

 

Swimming... drowning

I'm going to jump back and forth as I try to recap our visit to Idaho and Utah as well as keep up with the goings on in our lives...

Today I got a text from one of my very dear friends Rebekah, inviting the kids and I to meet them at the club to got swimming. Even though Micah has been out of town this week I thought why not the kids are going stir crazy and the crowd at their pool is always smaller than at the public pool. 

 

Here we are all ready to go just waiting for Max to wake up

 

Aunt D gave Marley a darling suit... we got to use it today!

 

We headed to the pool at 3 with the idea that I had 45 mins to and hour before I lost my shit from being pulled in 4 different directions.

 

 

It was amazing to see and visit, I hadn't seen her in over 2 weeks and I had seriously missed her.  Marley was awake but not crying, max was life floatied up but I had a hold of the strap and the big boys were in life jackets... I should have gotten a solid 15 mins of visiting before Max forced me into the pool or Marley needed to be fed... 10mins in I hear the god awful whistle blow and splash of a life guard.

 

Miles having treaded water for the first time at swim lessons the day before decided he didn't need his jacket and headed into the deep end.  Miles was doing pretty good, or so the life guard said, "his eyes and nose stayed above the water but his little mouth was under more than not." 

 

Miles was so pissed to be saved, she grabbed him and Miles started screaming "don't touch me", "NOOOOO"  

 

Only my kid, could embarrass us so much at the country club... guess whose family is never going back!

Miles is ok and everyone is fine

We went to the Zoo

(saved post from over a year ago)

My sister and her family are moving back to Idaho... We got them here for such a short period of time and we got to enjoy them even less.

So I volunteered Micah's Marriott points for a sister/cousin overnighter!  Thanks Mic!

The boys were ecstatic; cousins, a pool, a hotel, Portland, and the zoo!  In their little minds we were 1 step down from Disneyland!  Is there anything better than staying in a hotel when your a kid?!

Here we are on the road!  I told the boys to pack a few things for the trip.  Mason decided that meant food and stuffed animals.  I found a huge bag full of crackers, cereal, gummi treats and 1 Capri sun (I have no idea why only one).

The boys had a major fight 5 miles from home, it was McDonalds vs Wendy's and I almost had to pull over, the fists were flying!  Sonic won by a landslide (mom's vote trumps all others)

We were so close to the outlet Mall I just had to stop!  It had been almost 2 years since my last outlet splurge!  I found a darling dress at Gap and then we headed to the Nike store.  

Mason is always low on shirts, he grows faster then I can shop.  So he picked out a couple of shirts and then we headed to check out where they have those mini swoosh basketballs.  The store only had 30 people in it and I was the only person in line so I let the boys pull out a ball each and entertain themselves.  Mason dribbles like me, awkward terribly, terribly awkward!  So Miles and he are dribbling away, bouncing the ball too high and aggressively hitting the ball with the palms of their hands.  All of a sudden Mase grabs his ball dramatically lifts it over his head and yells "I am the master of Basketball". The store freezes and every eye is on him, until the voice next to him yells "ya, I da masser too!"  Nobody dared laugh the boys were so determined, but I saw a lot of smiles.

Once we packed up our finds we headed to our Hotel to meet Cami and the cousins.  We ate pizza and the kids jumped on bed and ran around like crazy people!  It was the perfect room situation!

I asked for 2 queen rooms connecting but instead we got a king with a seperate living space that connected to a queen room.  It was seriously the perfect set up for the kids.  

We were on the 1st floor with a patio that connected with the courtyard and then straight to the pool.  We fed the kids Pizza and headed to pool.  The water was perfect and we all splashed around burning those pizza calories!

We headed back to the room thru the hotel, because of course the patio doors had an automatic lock when shut.  I swiped my card frantic to get in the room before my postage stamp of a towel dropped and I exposed some poor soul to my lush, post baby, swim suit covered bod... The door blinks green and I push it open only to be rudely stopped by a lock... You know those locks that let u open the door an inch.  Some helpful child (Mason) set the lock so strangers couldn't get us.  I ran too the front desk, still clutching my hand towel and begged for a key to my sisters room, I used my key as proof of my stay.  

The ever attentive staff, quickly got me a key to her room and I hurried back.  Swiped the key, only to get the rejecting blinking red light, over and over I tried praying that I wouldnt have to slink to the front again in my mom swimsuit, a wet wash cloth draped over my ample bosom and quickly frizzing hair... God has a terrible sense of humor because I did all of those things.

The Front desk clerk sent me back to my door and promised to follow momentarily with a master key.  He followed 3 seconds later, giving me just enough time to cover my back side with the strings they called a towel and making the 27 door walk again (I counted).  Upon reaching my sisters door he quickly swiped and received a happy green color, pushed the door open only to be stopped short by that same lock from my door.  (Mason has a strong fear of strangers and bad people, he is so thorough with our safety). Now I'm stuck  by my door, waiting for the MaGyver like maintence man to break me in!

Where are the kids you might ask, Cami has cheerfully volunteered to entertain them while I deal with the room situation! Just as the hotel Manager is visiting with me and assuring me of the regular acurance of this sort of thing, I hear the ice machine start to be used and then I hear my sister stumble through all of my boys names MASE, MAX, MIIIILLLESS!!  My helpful boys have decided to push the ice button and hold it while ice cascades all over the floor.  I wish I could blame all my boys craziness on their Clinger genes, but after watching the cousins together it is very likely they get their heathen status from both sides.

Marley and the Boys

Having a girl is so much harder than I thought, I blame the majority of the stress on the boys.  Marley's brothers have decided that they each will mother hen our little girl, everyone has an opinion on what is best for her... she's hot, she's cold, she needs her diaper changed, she's hungry, her toes itch, she has a headache... all flipping day long I am told by my children how to mother their sister and how to best serve her needs.  When I am not being bossed by my boys I am trying to keep Marley safe from their impatient ministrations... or just from Max.

Max must hold her at all times

 

he even will scale her crib to hold her

 

So I hold both of them and nothing gets done

 

Marely at 6 weeks, she's still alive and thriving despite all her mothers

 

Marley

Our sweet Marley joined our family on June 1st 2015 and she has been a thrilling roller coaster ride. 
Micah and I were able to convince our first Babysitter to make the trip to Eugene from Washington to watch the boys while I had the Csection.  Thank goodness for Hannah and the peace of mind I had knowing she was with my boys.

Marley was by far my hardest pregnancy, she was also our biggest surprise...

We had just heard from Miles' New Neurologist that he suspected Miles had Cerebral Palsy and his seizure like events may come back.  We were reeling from the news and quickly asked for him to be evaluated again, we were put on a waiting list for the CDC (child development center) in Portland and learned that the next available appointment wasn't until April... 8 long months away.  I requested that we also be put on the list for possible cancelation spots. 

Heart broken and trying to understand our new future we pushed forward trying to find a new normal for our family.  In the spirit of normal we decided to keep several engagements we had previously RSVP for.  I hadn't been feeling to hot and decided to take a test before our weekend of fun.  All was well, Micah and I decided our family was complete and in the face our what we might face with Miles we need to be done having children.  Friday we celebrated a wedding of one of Micah's co-workers and Saturday we went to a benefit party called Empty Bowls for the NFP Micah volunteers with. 

Empty Bowls is a rather large event and every year they have a huge silent auction with 100s of items to bid on.  In true style I always scan for a treasure or an amazing deal.  I found what I thought was the funniest Item... A vasectomy for $100... thinking I was hilarious I wrote down Micah's bidder # and his full name in big bold letters.  My girlfriends and I returned to our spouses giggling like idiots and informed them of my hilarious joke... Micah ever the accountant immediately saw the value in my would be joke... so he spent the rest of the event guarding the item and we won it for $200.

The next morning Micah was calling his family and having a good laugh about his winnings... imagine all the jokes a Clinger could make about a 200 dollar vasectomy... I woke up still not feeling so hot and listening to him talk to his family... so I took my last test and left it on the counter while I made my way into the  living room to listen to his side of the conversations.  30mins later I remembered the test and as Micah was saying good bye to his brother Jared I walked into our bath room to read Pregnant 1-2 weeks

Marley was meant to be, and now that im not pregnant anymore I like her.

The picture I posted announcing our surprise... for all of our friends out of town Marley was a giant surprise!

We had lots and lots of visitors in the hospital

 

 

 

My parents came for a week and it was so amazing to have them here!