The holidays are over.

Not exactly sure what it is about wrapping up the holiday season that makes me feel as if I can conquer the world. Perhaps it's the furor of everyone setting New Year's resolutions that gets me in the spirit of tackling the impossible. This year has been particularly so, as I glanced over my January/February calendar and found it devoid of all the "big things" - teaching Joy School, Relief Society events, etc. that seem to eclipse everything else I have going on. I made big plans to organize and scrub my house from top to bottom, get a jump on spring cleaning, if you will. But the truth is, I still have four young children. Dinner still has to get on the table everyday. There are loads of laundry that I simply cannot escape. I can only ignore a full dishwasher for so long. An empty produce drawer means a trip to the grocery store. And...things always pop up. Let's face it, those things seem ever so much more important than clean baseboards. Yes, the truth of it is, most days I drown in the humdrum of everyday tasks. The good news is, my kids and husband are happy and well-fed. And, I happened to clean my blinds yesterday.

Big Donald's.

Rachel: Mom I want to go to Big Donald's today.
Me: Oh, you mean McDonalds?
Rachel: No, I want to go to Big Donald's (and points to Burger King, as we drive past).

I guess the size of your playplace does matter.

Eve at one.

A year ago on January 13th, a dense fog set in over town. I was scheduled for my first induction ever, my nervousness compounded by the fact that the reason for said induction was an irregular heartbeat (really not all that uncommon or worrisome, but to a pregnant, hormonal mom whose other 3 deliveries had been pretty much identical, I didn't need a whole lot of fodder for anxiety). I also was delivering at a new hospital with a new doctor (who had replaced one that I absolutely adored) and add to that the fact that I prefer unmedicated labor and was unprepared for how I would be able to manage the pain when connected to a huge, wheeled stick with a bag of fluids attached to it (and my body, not to mention). The delivery went better than expected, Eve's arrhythmia resolved itself and we added the fourth beautiful baby girl to our clan.

But the fog didn't lift. I spent every day for the next three weeks in tears. The unbelievable fatigue, a baby who couldn't nurse, three other kids who were struggling with the big transition, and the relentless mid-January fog were a perfect recipe for depression. I pretty much fell apart. And this girl is not used to that.

I feel badly that the circumstances surrounding Eve's birth dampen the spirits a bit. She has been a lovely baby and has brought insurmountable joy to every single person in our family. But when I say she's a perfect baby, it's always tainted with a hint of reservation. Yep, we got off to a really rough start.

Having said that, Eve really is a perfect baby. So much so, that I might consider doing it all over again in a couple of years. Maybe. And, in celebration of her first birthday this week, I decided to ask her a few questions:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you like to play in the toilet?
Oh, 10, of course. The yellow stuff is particularly fun.

How many words can you speak?
Does screaming count?

Which do you like better? Getting thrown into the air or spun around while hanging partially upside down?
Let's just say that Six Flags is definitely in my future.

How many times have you fallen down the stairs?
Only once, because my mom got smart and put up the gate. Nasty rug burn for days, though.

Peaches or pears?
Hands down, peaches. In fact, I tolerate all the nasty stuff dad throws onto my tray only because I know eventually the peaches will start coming.

What would you say is your best feature?
It would have to be a three-way tie between my gorgeous round eyes with long lashes, my squeezable cheeks, and my stinky feet.

True or false - Birthday cake was my first dessert.
Duh, mom. I have sisters to feed me, remember?

What is your favorite thing to do?
Besides pull your hair? Uh, anything new, I guess. Grocery shopping is pretty cool. Especially when no one else comes and you actually talk to me.

How would you describe yourself at age one?
Practically perfect in every way.

Tucano's: The ride.

I'm pretty sure we cleaned them entirely out of Saltine crackers. Lily was in heaven. Me, though? Feeding four other mouths, three of them scurrying back and forth from the salad bar constantly; the little one screaming that I wasn't getting the bread broken into little pieces quickly enough left my plate stacked high with delicious (but not so hot anymore) meat until I got smart and put the stop light on. Thank heaven that place was crowded and loud - but, as it was, we were the only ones crazy enough to brave the restaurant with four little kids in tow. The reason? Kids under six eat free. And, we had a coupon, of course. When do we not have a coupon?

Anna ate voraciously - she might even be part T-Rex, based on her display at Tucano's. So, if I didn't get my money's worth (and I didn't, thanks to Eve) she more than made up for it with about 16 ounces of free meat. Ah, what an experience. Next time we'll leave the kids at home. Except Anna. Yep, I think our little carnivore might be a keeper.

Lessons in parenting.

My kids are rotten. They bring me to my knees, literally. After praying for help last week, I opened my scriptures to study for an upcoming lesson at church. I was struck my the reminder I found in the few verses I read that God's plan for his children was to allow agency. Being the results-driven person that I am, occasionally I forget this valuable truth in favor of coercion. They must learn to obey, I tell myself. Yes, that is true. But, in the process, discipline must be exacted with the intent to build character, not to force compliance.

It occured to me today that, perhaps my kids are so stinkin' rotten because otherwise I would lack the motivation to develop sound parenting skills. As it is, I spend hours reading the scriptures and praying for guidance, I study a few favorite parenting books repeatedly so that I am reminded of good principles that would otherwise be easily forgotten. In their place: parenting techniques that are immediately-effective but lacking in long-term results. My perspective changed. Now, I feel grateful that my kids are keeping me on my toes. How awful would it be to have angelic children until age 13, when hormones, strengthening peer relationships, extracurricular activities, media influences, etc. all conflict with the influence that parents have on their children. If that were the case, I would be up a creek without a paddle, lacking the equipment and perhaps the relationship to parent my children effectively. Today I was thankful for the enormous amount of practice they are giving me in preparation for the dreaded teenage years. Today. Don't ask me tomorrow.

Ooh, la la!

Last Friday night Tim was kind enough to set up the big screen/projector for a family movie night. Except that this family movie night meant that he would be stuck watching a girly movie and I would get to go grocery shopping without my four little "helpers". I arrived home before the movie was over, and, as always watched my sweet family when they aren't cutting their hair, coloring walls, or forgetting to flush the toilet. It's joy, pure joy. Moments later, as the girls are oohing and aahing over a brilliant display of fairies lighting up the sky in their movie, Tim chimes in by saying, "Isn't it pretty?"

Living in a house full of girls has changed my man, it has.

Come one, come all.

Our family is not getting any smaller. Tim has repeatedly commented on the deficiency of seating in our family room. Our family fits snugly. When we have visitors? It's standing room only.

So, because we didn't spend near enough money on Christmas this year, we went out and made our first big purchase of 2010. A sectional. It took three trips to Costco and two very sore arms (first New Year's resolution for Susie: learn to bench press more than the bar) and ta-da!



Meet our new family room. It all smells a bit like China still. Not that I don't like China or anything. Heck, I spent the first 11 years of my life there.
Anyway, we've got seating! Come for a visit!

I've never shopped at WinCo.

I know I should. And if I could get past the fact that I would have to drag at least two kids there (close to a 20 minute drive) to pay with a check and bag my groceries, I would have started a long time ago.
But here's how I save money.
1. I buy milk, cheese, butter, and eggs at Costco. I also use their coupons to stock up on other pantry items. And I have an executive membership that pays for itself because we get 2% cash back on all our purchases.
2. I haven't exactly gotten into the couponing craze that seems to be all the rage with moms these days. However, I do follow a local couponing blog so that I can take advantage of certain offers that benefit me the most. At my convenience.
3. I sit down at the computer (again, at my convenience) and construct a grocery list/menu based on the weekly ads. I combine their offers with whatever printable coupons I can snag for maximum savings.
4. I have a lot of self-control. Not too many impulse buys for this critter.
WinCo is in my future. If only for the bulk spices. I shocked a whole lot of friends by revealing my nasty secret. In the meantime, I keep to my budget quite nicely. And, I visit the store an average of every other week. I'd like to keep it that way.

Here in 2009.

Gone in 2010.

My new look.

I should have lost my old glasses a long time ago. These sure beat the originals I bought when I was eighteen that had since lost a few major parts. Now I can pass the driving test, with flying colors. Lucky you guys.