Day 168--Bye bye Elementary School!

For whatever reason, elementary school graduation is a really big deal here in Virginia. The graduates all dress up in their finest, have a really long, boring ceremony, then go off to party at Outback Steakhouse. There was a whole lot of silliness going on there at Outback today, mostly involving the boys teasing the girls and the girls reacting dramatically to it. Oh yay, I can't wait for the next 6 years or so.

Confessions of an Accused Octo-Mom

After bearing five children in ten years time, I've grown accustomed to hearing the same comments over and over.

"Are they all yours?" Uh, no. I just run a program for disadvantaged children who've never been grocery shopping with their Mom before.  
"Boy, you must have a lot of fun at your house." Yeah, when they're all sleeping.
"Wow, you must be a super mom or something." Aw shucks. I really am.
"Are you going to have any more?" Yeah, we heard they're cheaper by the dozen.

Of course I've never actually uttered a witty comeback like those in my life, but that fact doesn't keep me from daydreaming about the day when I stun an innocent bystander with my dazzling wit after they unknowingly become the fifth inquiry of the day into my child bearing plans.

Yesterday an acquaintance cheerfully told me that I was like the " 'octo-mom' who just kept on having kids". After stuttering a little at the fact that she had just told me that I looked pregnant (darn brownies that Cami keeps making), I started to capture the full gist of the new insult she'd just thrown my way.

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Octo-mom--
unmarried,
uneducated,
living with her mother,
FOURTEEN kids all by IVF,
attention seeking.

Me--
married almost 16 years to the same man,
both of us are college graduates,
living independently for nearly 20 years,
5 kids all loved, wanted, and cared for,
shy and quiet...okay maybe I do like a little attention too, but I do prefer to stay out of the tabloids at least.

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And really, so what if were pregnant and actually did want NINE more kids? Would that make me like her?

No way. Not if we had the time and means to care for them all in a loving environment.

So usually I give people the benefit of the doubt in situations like this and assume that they didn't really mean it the way they said it, but in this instance I feel like she really was being intentionally hurtful to me and it's driving me crazy!

I know I'll have to see her at Cami's graduation tomorrow and I've been pondering over what I should do.

Maybe I should calmly confront her and tell her how I feel and hope she takes it well. Since I express myself better in writing than speaking I've thought about handing her a letter (or this blog post) that expresses my feeling. Or I could attempt to avoid her completely, and give her glaring looks whenever her back is turned. Or maybe I could just pick up the Sunbeams in our ward (about 25 kids) on the way to the graduation and we could just sit in the seats surrounding her (and then I would hide), but then again that one could backfire on me.

I've never once in my life confronted someone in a situation like this, but I do feel like I need to make some kind of resolution with her, so I can let it go. I'm just not that used to blatant insults being thrown my way.

What do you think I should do?

Day 167--Passing the torch

Why the heck I'm doing a blog post when I've had as little sleep as I've had and with a whole lot of work to do before Thursday I have no idea. I'm viewing it as my free therapy keeping me from slipping over the edge. Here is Cami giving her farewell speech to the elementary school. Right after her speech she helped swear in her successor as SCA president for next year and I was one of those rude parents who left right after her part was done.

One of THOSE days!

Ever have one of THOSE days?

You know the kind of day when your child decides to go outside and play wiffle ball...

and doesn't realize that younger siblings have placed several marbles inside the bat...


and the first swing he takes shoots those marbles like bullets through your front bay window...
sending shards of glass all over a visiting friend and her baby who are sitting on your couch.

All the while you're in the middle of the most epic house project you've ever undertaken in your life and you haven't had more than 5 hours of sleep in weeks and your husband is still out of town.

After a day like that, don't you just need something to make you smile and remember that life isn't so bad?

*That although the baby's eye was scratched by the glass--he's totally fine.

*While my house is in shambles now--it's going to be awesome when we're done.

*And that my husband is loving and supportive and only laughed a little when I told him about all the fiascoes of the day.

*And that I always wanted to replace that window anyway--and now I have to and don't have to feel guilty.

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So here's what brought me that smile back. A little story I found that Cami had written in kindergarten:

Translation: I am glad that I am not an Indian so I don't have to be naked. Because I don't like to be naked.

Hehe. Didn't that make you smile just a little bit?

Day 166--Check, check, check.

List of things to do today:

1. Take seats out of van
2. Go to dump to get rid of stuff
3. Go to Unique to get rid of more stuff
4. Go to Costco to buy storage containers
5. Help Cami with her speech
6. Have Emma's, Adam's, and Cami's friends over
7. Vacuum car while seats are out anyway
8. Put seats back in car
9. Drive everyone home
10. Make dinner
11. Go to Cami's orchestra concert
12. Get back to work on the basement

Day 165--Kapow!!!!

Up to my neck in projects.

Average of 4-5 hours of sleep a night for the last 2 weeks.

Glen out of town.

Three holes in my bay window today thanks to a weird incident involving marbles and a wiffle ball bat.

Glass shards all over a visiting friend and her baby who were sitting on my couch.

Someone thinks I'm pregnant and compares me to "octo-mom".

Uh, yeah. If you need me I'm just on an airplane to Tokyo to trade places with Glen.

Rules for a Successful Stake Dance

Last night was a first for Spencer. Although he's been fourteen for several weeks now, it wasn't until last night that he got the chance to attend his first stake dance.

His older, more mature friend Ryan (a couple months older than Spencer) had been getting him excited and filling him in on all the details of what to expect. Because of these conversations, Spencer had begun talking about the details of his first dance for months.

He planned out when to time his haircut so it wouldn't be too long or too short for the occasion. He worried whether the Bishop would have time to give him his dance card. He worried that they might play the Jonas Brothers which would cause him puke all over his dance partner. You know all those important things when you're fourteen.

It was all such a big deal to him, that when my parents offered to let him come on their cool trip to Canada, that he actually hesitated and had to think about whether he wanted to miss his first opportunity to go to a stake dance. Of course, in the end whale watching in the Pacific won out over the Jonas Brothers, but barely.

Even the Young Men's president added to his anticipation, when he gave Spencer these list of rules that he was expected to follow:

1. Ask
2. Escort her to the dance floor
3. Make eye contact
4. Engage in semi-intelligent conversation
5. Escort her back off the dance floor
6. Make sure you ask at least 7 different girls

After all that anticipation, last night was finally the big night.

He put on his jeans and collared shirt, which I may add that we had to buy for him, just for the stake dances, since shorts are not allowed and he did not own any pants other than his Sunday pants...
and he danced the night away and even managed to surpass rule #6 (can you guess by how much?).

Now if I could just figure out how on earth I have a son old enough to go to a stake dance...

Day 164--Last and First

A day of lasts and firsts: Adam & Ellie's last day of soccer for the season, including a large party where 14 lbs. of sugar per person was consumed

and Spencer's first ever stake dance now that he's officially fourteen!

Watch out Oakton Stake girls!

Day 163--Party, Party, Party!

....literally. Three kids in elementary school; all three parties at exactly the same time.

Here is Adam at his party showing off his first "published" book, "The Easter Bunny".

Not so bad for just getting it done with, but not so great for spreading myself around to all of them.

Notice Anything Different About Adam?

He's looking a little different today than yeth-terday?

Can you thee the difference?


Yep. You guethed it.
He lotht hith other front tooth lath night.

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After the dramatic loss of his first front tooth (does gushing blood in sacrament meeting ring a bell?), this one was much less entertaining. He went to bed last night with it dangling there and woke up with it on his pillow. It was all so perfect, he actually checked to see if the tooth fairy had come already. Hehe.

Too bad for him the tooth fairy helper with deep pockets happens to be in Shanghai tonight.

Day 162--All He Wants for Christmas...

After his last tooth's exciting exit from his mouth, this one was much less melodramatic as he went to bed with it there and woke up with it on his pillow!

Post Portrait Adventures

So, you saw how cute and composed the kids all looked during our photography session a few weeks ago, but what about when it was all over?

It didn't take but a minute for them to run full speed ahead...
let down their hair...


roll up their pant legs...


and jump in the stream to cool off.

And in very un-Emma-like fashion, she actually expressed concern about her skirt getting dirty before jumping in. Her leggings though? No problem.


Ellie wasn't brave enough to get in the water, but she still had no problem getting as messy as the rest of them.


Ahh, now that looks more like the kids I know!

Day 161--Ready for School?

It's one of the kids' favorite days of the year--PAJAMA DAY! They look forward to it and excitedly plan it all out for days in advance. Which pajamas they should wear? Slippers or shoes? Should they bring a teddy bear? They hem and haw and ask each other for opinions. It's a serious business, this pajama wearing.

Day 160--Someone Saves the Day!

I kind of forgot about taking pictures today (*gasp*) and was afraid I was going to end up posting a picture of the Spicy Mole Pork Burritos I made for dinner tonight (recipe coming in a couple of weeks) as my 365, but when I uploaded my pictures I found a little surprise on the camera! 

 So here is Ellie in all her playing with make-up, upside-down glory!    Thanks for saving the day Mystery Photographer!