Meatloaf Mayhem

Sometimes my life reminds me of that line from "Mr. Mom": "My brain, is like oatmeal. Megan and I are starting to watch the same t.v. shows and I'm likin' 'em...I LOSING IT!" I swear once upon a time I was smart. I knew things. I don't mean to brag. I don't think I was a genius or anything, just that I could walk and chew gum at the same time. Life was simple then. I could read a book or study a new subject and LEARN. Ahhh, I have learned the meaning of 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks.' When I had Ben, I lost most of my brain cells along with the ability to speak French. Or read it or whatever. When I had the twins, I lost a large portion of the gray matter and the ability to follow conversation. With Liam, I think it was the ability to comprehend anything after 8 p.m. There just wasn't anything left to loose when I had Natalie. Or was there? The photo below was taken on an ordinary day while making dinner. I kept wondering why the pot in the back never started to boil and everything else was burning while the meatloaf was getting cold...

BECAUSE YOU RETARD, the FRONT burner, upon which rests a casserole dish filled with tonight's dinner, is on and not the BACK burner! I feel like every time I successfully complete a meal, someone should pat me on the head and say, "Good mommy. Good good mommy."

Funny Funny

Jane is a regular comedian. Most of you know that I have a widget called Famous Last Words wherein I post the funny things my kids say. Usually Jane is featured. She just seems to have more to say than the others. She likes to dazzle us with jokes. Lately, she favors the 'chicken crossing the road' jokes. Here follows a sampling of recent jokes. There were too many to put on the side.

J: "mommy, why did the chicken cross the road?"
Me: "I don't know, why?"
J: "I don't know either, you tell me."
Me: "To get to the other side."
J: Hysterical laughter; "that's funny mommy."
"Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Me: "Do you know this time?"
J: Because he couldn't fly!" Ha ha!

One day, Natalie was screaming in her crib while I changed her diaper and Jane piped up from her bed "Mommy, will you turn Natalie down? Or off, yeah that would be good. Turn her off."

The original joke from Zaboomafoo goes: Knock knock; who's there; panther; panther who; panther no panth, I'm goin swimming! Numerous variations of this joke have been poduced by Jane. I like it when she says stuff like, "Panths or no panths, I'm going dancing."

Ahhhh, in Jane's immortal words, 'She craps me out!"

Baby Face and an Update

An update on our family:
Jason got a job this last week! Woot woot! We are excited to be productive and self-sufficient again. We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support during the last year. It's been a long haul and we still have some hurdles to jump but we feel that we are moving forward and that Heavenly Father's hand has been in all of our trials and blessings. How grateful we are to know of Him and His love for us!
Benjamin is doing very well in school. During the Christmas break he was diagnosed with mild ADHD. He is working hard on concentrating and finishing tasks by taking his medicine and praying. His test scores have gone up and he seems a lot more content. He continues to practice both the violin and the piano after school and loves to read. He grew almost an inch last month.
Lizzy is a little mother. She loves to get things that I need for Natalie. She wants to do anything "girly". Painting her fingernails is her ideal activity. She also likes to draw. On everything. She wrote her name all over her bed and walls to show off her skills. I love magic erasers. She is also very adept at the Wii and has pro status in the bowling game.
Jane is getting so tall! Her hair is growing but, she cut off the front of her hair last month and now has a fringe of bangs which will be just the right awkward length for her kindergarten pictures! Ah well... She also likes to lovey Natalie and talk to her in a high pitched loving voice about EVERYTHING. Natalie loves her back.
Liam is a whirlwind. He loves to run and jump and play trains all day. His favorite day is playing with his "best friend Micah" and then going to Grandma's house. He is a very good eater and never complains about what we are having for dinner. He has grown a lot and is starting to refuse his nap time.
Natalie is my little lovey. She doesn't snuggle unless she is tired but she loves to coo and yell. She started solids this week and sucks them off the spoon. She likes to watch t.v. with mommy and daddy and is the best sleeper in the whole world.
I've been busy with the kids. We do "posts" at night where we rotate flashcards, teeth brushing, bathroom breaks, and homework with the kids. Then Jason and I read to them from chapter books in their rooms. The kids think it's the best thing ever and I like it when Liam falls asleep while I'm reading. I am also the activity days leader in my ward which keeps me busy.