Love At Home

Yesterday morning I walked up to Allie's room and found this note on the door. In case you can't read kindergartenese it reads, "I hate you. You are a ____(she can't remember). You are fat. No No No. Yes Yes. Go Away."

This was a note written to Kelsey. As Robert would say, Nice. I am not sure the cause, but even yesterday she got very animated and said she was so mad at Kelsey. It is so nice to see the love at home.

She had a total freak out on Sunday evening. We were sitting down to watch Nacho Libre as a family, I made it through 10 minutes. She was told all day her room had to be clean. Of course it wasn't, and I told her she could not watch the movie. She was MAD - storming around, slamming doors. Telling me it wasn't fair. All I could think is "I can't take another one." Then this note. She may well replace Kelsey as the drama queen.

Allie, of course, is home sick today. She has a slight fever, and they made me come and get her at 3:10 yesterday (30 minutes before school let out). Why? She had a fever of 100.3. This morning in one ear it is 101.4 and the other is 100.5. What is up with that? I will have to watch it, but I have tons to do today. Major shopping at Wal Mart and Costco. I wanted to get my oil changed, but that will have to wait. And I have tons for work to do. I hope the Tylenol kicks in so she can be the go along girl. How is that for a compassionate mother?

Brain Tumor

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OK - the picture has nothing to do with the post. I have just not posted pictures in a while, and my rants are not as fun without a cute kid to look at. Kelsey took this of her favorite subject. I don't know if Allie just naturally has a hoochie look, or if Kelsey brings it out.

I have my brain tumor pain again. I am not sure what the deal is, and clearly it is not a brain tumor, but I get this shooting pain through my skull. It seems to go hand in hand with a sinus infection. I am taking drugs trying to pretend I am not that sick. We will see how long this can go on. Last night I went to bed at 8:00 (not all that unusual). The reason was I thought I would die when I moved my head. This morning it is not as bad, so life will go on as usual.

Sophie has started back up with soccer, so our lives start to get complicated. I know - stop complaining it could be worse. All five of them could be involved with lots of stuff. Since I was out last week I am driving the after track carpool all week, and the soccer carpool all week. I really don't mind because I am so grateful that I have people who can fill in for me when I am gone, but it will make for many hours behind the wheel.

I will just bring my bookclub book, Devil In The White City, and finish it. How about that? Bookclub is not for another couple of weeks, and I will be done. This is non-fiction, so I was skeptical. I read trash. Not real bodice ripper trash, but easy fiction of the James Patterson, John Grisham type. Being in bookclub has made me read some different things. This is one of those types of things. It is about the World's Fair in Chicago in the 1890's. Who would have guessed I would read, finish, and like non-fiction?

Well, we are expecting wild and wacky weather this afternoon which may preempt the long driving mentioned above. Since it is going to be 70, it looks like a real spring thunderstorm with large hail, damaging winds and tornados possible. (can you tell I am a weather news junkie?) NY is under ten feet of snow, and we are have tornados. Global Warming or end of the world? You pick.

Still No Coke

So, I have been in Syracuse all week - it is a blue city. By that I mean, Pepsi is king and let me tell you this southern Coke loving girl has had it. (Yes Laurie I will complain about lack of Diet Coke FOREVER in case you are wondering) I am on my way home now, stuck in the Pepsi enthralled airport in Dallas having missed my flight to Houston.

Why did I miss my flight? The plane, which clearly goes back and forth from Dallas to Syracuse, could not land in the blizzard which was Syracuse. They had to go somewhere else, refuel, and then land. We then boarded the plane, got de-iced, and took off for Dallas. We were already late and then faced strong headwinds, causing further delays. So, now I have a flight which leaves in a little over an hour. This will put me home around 11:00 pm, just in case you were wondering.

I think I deserve kudos for posting this week even while away from home. I know I had nothing of importance to share, although when do I ever share anything of importance? Next week I am home all week!! Yeah for everyone. It will be nice to have a "normal" week again. Although that does beg the question, what is normal? Clearly, not one I can answer.

It's Cold Baby

OK - it is really cold here. It is such a winter mess that Sam Champion of ABC's Good Morning America is here reporting. One of my colleagues was not able to come to the training since she got 3-4 feet of snow in the last few days at home.

Lucky for me I am inside all day, and have not ventured outside yet. Being trapped inside all day also causes me to get a little stir crazy, but it is better than the alternative. My boots have been helpful - I tried to wear real shoes yesterday and my feet got really cold. That was inside!!!! I had to move to my boots.

So, I saw the high was 71 degrees at home. Enjoy it. The high here today is 15...

Two Hour Layover, Pepsi Only Terminal

I don't think Dante could have more aptly described hell. I mean what is going on? Pepsi only? As I was getting something for breakfast I casually ask the nice lady making my breakfast, is there any Coke in this terminal at all?? She says, yes there is a McDonalds but it is way at the other end of the terminal. What would a rational person do? Just stay put and drink Pepsi. Lucky for me I have never described myself as rational, at least where Diet Coke is concerned. So I high tailed it to the other end of the terminal, and I am not happily sipping my truck driver size Diet Coke. Nirvana.

I am on my way to Syracuse, and since the high this week is 15 degree, yes that is the high, I went out got a coat and some Ugg wanna be boots. Now I am waiting in DFW and all this running around has made me hot. This is why I hate coats and the such. I have to either sweat or lug this thing around with me until I make it to the frozen tundra they call Syracuse. I know I will be glad to have it there.

I was supposed to have read a book for my sales training (yes two solid days of sales training You can insert your own editorial comment here). I am on chapter 12, and not thinking I am going to make it. I would much rather read my book club book. I have a long flight coming up, so I might have to alternate between the two.

I almost missed my flight this morning. I overslept. That never happens. Overslept may not be the way to describe it since I needed to getup at 3:30 am. The alarm did not go off. It always works. I could now go into a Seinfeld discussion of am/pm, volume, etc. I don't know what happened. I just know that I rolled over at 4:06 am to see that I was late. It is a good thing I am a low maintenance kind of gal, or it would have been bad.

Maybe that was why I had such a bad reaction to this Pepsi only hell I have found myself in. Or maybe, I am just not so low maintenance after all. Either way, I am here. I have Diet Coke (the good McDonalds kind). I am chillin. Life is good.

Saturday Is A Special Day

It's the day you get ready for Sunday - or so says the song. For me, today, it is the day I get ready for the rest of the week. I leave for Syracuse on Monday and will not return until Thursday, so I need to get on top of the lack of groceries, laundry etc. I am going to crack my mother whip and get these kids on it. It is a new month, and a new chore chart.

We are now into month two of the chore chart, and all in all things were better last month. The wheels did fall off this last time I was gone, but we are going to work on keeping the wheels on this week.

I hope everyone has a happy and productive Saturday.

It's Groundhog Day

In the Pearson house, this day is also known as Eric's Birthday. So, in tribute to Eric here are 41 things, to celebrate his 41st birthday, I love about Eric (with some help from the kids)

1. He is funny.

2. He is a great dad.

3. He was the first to introduce me to Survivor and The Office.

4. He likes reality TV as much as I do.

5. He is a great runner.

6. He will take the kids to see scary movies.

7. He likes Haunted Houses.

8. He likes Diet Coke even more than I do.

9. He is a great uncle/brother in law.

10. He is always up for a road trip.

11. He likes to play tricks on people.

12. When you open the door of his car, a coke can will probably fall out (much like the car of my father).

13. He sings the little mermaid song (that was from Allie)

14. He is a very hard worker. (even getting a part time job over christmas break during our time at BYU).

15. He lets us go to Sam's house (that was Caroline).

16. He is very good at his job.

17. He is very honest.

18. He is always the first one to volunteer to help someone move/clean the church.

19. He does not mind eating cereal for dinner.

20. He is always thinking of ways he can get closer to his kids.

21. He does projects around the house.

22. He tells it like it is.

23. He ran 40 marathons before his 40th birthday.

24. He drives Ryan to seminary every morning when it is our turn.

25. He likes to read books to the kids.

26. Caroline says he lets us drink coke.

27. He is friendly.

28. He is a sun worshipper like me.

29. He is always there to talk to me about work issues.

30. He gets us donunts (from Allie).

31. He likes dessert with every meal (I can support that).

32. He eats cereal with penut butter (that was allie).

33. He lets me do whatever I want (also allie).

34. The girls have him wrapped around their fingers. He loves his little girls.

35. He also loves his son, and loves and go and do things with him like football, skiing, movies, etc.

36. He will watch "chick flicks" with me.

37. He can help the kids with math homework, because heaven knows I can't.

38. He has no problem taking care of his children. He does not freak out when I am gone, but makes it a fun game for all.

39. He is supportive of my career.

40. He is not afraid to show his feelings.

41. And last, even at 41, I think he is pretty cute!!

Happy Birthday Eric.

(picture of Ryan and Eric in front of St James Hotel - said to be haunted)

What are the Chances

I am in DFW at the airport trying to get home after a frustrating day. I am on the edge, and the snow if falling from the sky like a winter wonderland. Sophie would love it. I am thinking, what is the chance I will make it home without killing someone?

Days like this make me ask myself, what in the heck am I doing? I guess I am lucky. I am close to my mom and dad's house. If we don't get out of here, I can probably go there. If my dad will come and get me. Which I think he would, but you never know.

So, here is to hoping that something goes right today.

Angel Fire

Eric and Ryan went on a weekend trip to Angel Fire for some skiing and male bonding. They stopped in Dallas and picked up my younger brother Steven, who is 17, and they headed out for some good 'ole male bonding and skiing.

Since I was not there, I don't know everything that happened. This much I know. 1. Everyone had a great time. 2. They stayed in a haunted hotel in Cimmarron, NM close to Philmont. 3. The Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders were there for an appearance. 4. Ryan now wants to become a skier. 5. Everyone made it home in one piece.

For a boys weekend, I think that spells success.

Happy Birthday Melissa!

It is just birthday central around here. It is Aunt Melissa's birthday today, so in her honor here are the 26 things, since she is 26, we love about Aunt Melissa :

1. Her bright smile.
2. Her dark hair and blue eyes.
3. Her kindness.
4. She is a great teacher. Even though this is her chosen profession, she was a great teacher before then.
5. Her willingness to come and babysit so Eric and I could go on vacation (twice!).
6. She is a great aunt. The kids love to spend time with Aunt Melissa.
7. She looks like Snow White.
8. She does not mind eating at McDonalds with the kids.
9. She is very crafty - she does not even have to steal ideas to do a scrapbook layout.
10. She is very organized (what do you mean you don't date your spices???)
11. She is very conscientious about the kids in her class at school.
12. She has a cool car.
13. She remembers everyone's birthdays - and then reminds all of us.
14. She has smaller feet than Kelsey (she can still buy her shoes from the Nordstrom Kid's Dept)
15. She does not wear alot of makeup (so maybe this is what I hate about her she does not NEED to cover much up).
16. She has a masters degree - the only one in our family with one!
17. She is a true Linford - she loves Sonic.
18. She still watches Saved By the Bell.
19. She makes great cards - all handmade.
20. She is proud to be from Texas.
21. She is working in the Provo temple now - you rock Melissa.
22. She is a country music fan.
23. She likes reality TV - something that is near and dear to my heart.
24. She likes to take pictures - as a matter of fact she copied me and bought the same camera I have.
25. She has a heart the size of the state of Texas and doles out love to anyone who needs it.
26. Her family is very important to her - and she shows it.

Have a Great Day Melissa!!!!
(you have ten years to find the fishnets and the cheetah print shoes!!!)

Happy Birthday Sophie!

It is hard to believe Sophie is 10. She has moved into the double digits of life. There is no going back now.

Sophie was, by far, our HARDEST baby. She had colic that lasted all day for the first six months or so of her life. I remember I was nursing her, and took everything fun out of my diet trying to help. It did not. She cried morning, noon and night. Ryan and Kelsey were not so sure why we thought it was good to bring this crying thing home.

I had to go to ALA when she was about six months old. Since she was so little and nursing, Eric came with me and he stayed with her all day. He would give her soy formula during the day and she was great. I would nurse her at night and she would cry. That was it, on to soy formula we went. She still was very temperamental, but we could handle it because it was better than she was before. Even her one year old portraits contain a red faced, crying Sophie.

As she got older, and moved from toddler, to child, she has become my easiest child. She is a very easy going, helpful, friendly kid. She works very hard in school and for the moment has the highest GPA of the Pearson kids. (That may change in time, but right now the title is hers). She is very caring and wants to make sure everyone has a friend. She does not get caught up in the "girly" wars, and wants everyone to get along.

Her one downside, if I had to find one, is her sense of style. She has one, I suppose, but it involves tee shirts and jeans. I will get her cute clothes (not girly because we can't have that) but cute outfits. She still comes down in jeans and her favorite tee shirts - her Lakewood Elementary Shirt, her Diabetes Halloween Party shirt, and her Turks and Caicos shirt. Those are three staples to the wardrobe. If that is my only complaint, I am a lucky parent.

She is our athlete. She is on the verge of moving to select soccer, and I am sure all our lives will change. She is also pretty good at tennis, softball, and football. Pretty much anything with a ball is hers.

She claims to abhor all things "girly." However, I have found her watching Kelsey put on makeup with a keen interest. Trying to find church clothes is nothing short of torture, but we keep trying.

She has the most beautiful blue eyes. They are crystal clear, and I am sure will drive the boys crazy when she gets older (she now wants to die a thousand deaths for me mentioning that to the world).

Here are a list of her favorites right now:

Food: Apples and Grapes
Restaurant: Pei Wei
Movie: Benchwarmers
TV Show: Suite Life of Zach and Cody
Song: Daughters by John Mayer

We love Sophie and are grateful to have her in our family!

Idiosyncracies

OK, so I was tagged by Sarah to list my idiosyncracies and I have not complied. Sorry I have been busy. I know, no excuse so here we go.

I have no mother guilt. No guilt of any kind really. I do not go for the feeling guilty thing. It is sad for my kids because they can't get me. Every once in a LONG time I might feel a little guilt, but for the most part no.

I am always cold. Don't ask me why. I don't do well in a cold climate because of it. My hands and feet are always cold. I have to go to bed at night with socks or slippers on. The rest of the family will be sitting here just fine, and here I will be freezing. I also have to sleep under blankets even in the summer.

I love Diet Coke. I love it to the point of an obsession. I can tell you which fast food restaurants near my house have the best coke mix. I know which fountains at the Costco put out the best coke. I wake up to a Diet Coke each morning. It is a little sick.

I drink a lot. If you add up the Diet Coke, and water when I am trying to be good, I could float away. I always have a drink going, and I have to keep it with me at all times.

I don't obsess about my house - which is code for we are all slobs. I have no problem sitting in the middle of a huge mess and watching TV or reading a good book. Sometimes I wish I could be a little more obsessed, but no. I am trying to keep up with it right now, and with the no TV we are all doing better.

That is it for now. I am sure that is by no means a complete list, but that is what I have for today. Enjoy your Thursday!

Wednesday

It's Wednesday, and I am back. It feels like Friday. This is the one problem with ALA. You work all weekend, come home dead tired, and still have half the week left!! I had a great show, and now back to life.

You will all be glad to know that the chore/quarter system is still in place, and the house looked pretty good when I got home! I guess all that challange to Eric helped, so thanks to you for that. Ellen is coming today, so everything will be sparkling clean. Yeah.

I am off to workshops in Caroline's class, massive grocery shopping (I am thinking the flatbed at Costco), and work followup from ALA. Add in Football carpool, Sophie has yearbook and New Beginnings for Young Womans and that makes for a full day.

I know I have been tagged and will get on that later. I will have to think - do I have any idiosyncrasies? I know you are all saying, YES. So, more later.

Happy Hump Day!

The Floor is Done

Yes, the floor is done. We are all so happy. Even though I hate to admit it, Eric was right. It does give the room a whole new feel. The rug on the floor also helps. Now we just need to find another chair, and that coffee table has to go. Or maybe I just need to paint it or something, I don't know. That will have to wait for a while. I need to have some normalcy back.

We had not put things back together from Christmas because we went right into the floor. So, it is nice to have the living room and dining room back to normal! Now if I could just get the kids to be normal. But, based on who their parents are, I don't see that happening anytime soon.

A Little Late, But It's Here

Well, the ice storm did make it last night and this morning. As you can see, there is a sheet of ice on everything, including some of the roads. This is Houston, TX. We don't do ice. Therefore, all the schools are closed, most of the businesses are closed or opening late, and it will be a good stay at home day.

So, here is the question of the day. If you work from home, and the city is shut down due too ice, does that mean you can't make it to work? I am guessing not, but it will be a crazy day for sure.

The Snowstorm That Wasn't

When I was in high school we lived in New Jersey. We did get snow, and it was cold. I can remember when the news would predict a big storm coming, and warn that school would probably be closed, it hardly ever materialized. It was when you were not expecting it that it happened.

I tried to impart this wisdom to my young yesterday, as they kept chanting, "We are not going to school tomorrow, We are not going to school tomorrow..." I told them, when you expect it, it won't happen.

We woke up to cold - bitter cold for Houston (31 degrees) but dry as a bone. No snow, sleet, ice or any other school closing precipitation. When I woke Ryan and Kelsey up this morning they were not happy, but the grumpiest by far was Sophie. Oh well, maybe tonight we can get some of that much anticipated ice/sleet/snow.

It is not going to get any warmer today, in fact it could get even colder. As someone who loathes the cold, just ask my colleagues in New York, that does not make me happy. However, I have the opportunity to sit here in my nice warm house, drinking hot chocolate and pondering my work day while listening to the wind and cold outside. Not such a bad vantage point. It could be worse.

No Pictures Today

Of a grouted new tile floor. As I thought would happen, Eric was too wasted to do the floor. I knew that. Who can run 26 miles, and come home and grout a floor? He is superman, but come on. So, now it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the kids are out of school, I need to work and the house is still upside down. There is some prep work Ryan can do to make the grouting go faster when Eric starts. So, that will be his job today.

Keep you fingers crossed that by Wednesday I can post a picture of my new and improved family room. Of course, if the weather reports hold out and we have sleet/snow/ice we may be hunkered down for a few days. Let's hope for the best.

An Active Saturday

It does not involved one child in an activity, but I have been on the move since I left here at 7:45 to run. It is not 4:00 and I have sat down for the first time! Nothing that exciting, just this and that. The best news is Eric is working on the floor and we are hoping it is all grouted tonight! Since Eric is running the marathon at 7:00 am I am not holding out a lot of hope for much work happening tomorrow...

Scratch that. Eric just came in and told me that he can't grout today because the tiles he and Robert just cut are wet. He says tomorrow... Well, we shall see. Robert has been a big help to get these cut and down today.

So, our construction zone will live on. It has not bothered me as much as I thought it would. I am not sure what that says about me, but how about I can adapt?

I did find a rug I liked at Home Depot. Of course our store did not have the size we needed, but there are some in the aread who have it. Why is it all home improvement projects include multiple trips to the Home Depot??? I think it is a master plot against us by Home Depot.

11/2 teaspoons Twice a Day for Ten Days

Directions which strike fear and loathing into the hearts of mothers everywhere. OK, at least this one.

I took Caroline to the doctor on Wednesday because her ear hurt. We have the WORST ears in the history of america at chez Pearson. Sophie has even had TWO sets of tubes. But, when Caroline first told me her ear hurt I told her we would deal with it later. If I ran to the doctor each and every time someone told me somthing hurt I would live there. So, the next day same thing - my ear hurts. Let's talk about it tomorrow was my response.

So, day three I decided maybe we need to go to the DR. Can I just say here that I LOVE the after hours clinic? I called while bringing the older ones to YM/YW and they got me in by 8:00. While sitting in the waiting room I asked Caroline, which ear hurts? Her response, "I don't know." What do you mean you don't know? Does it hurt now? Her response, "No."

I then ask, "So why are we here?" Her response, "I don't know, because you brought me?" I think to myself, if I am wasting time here I am going to kill this child. But, I don't say that because I am at the DR office and they have a direct line to Child Protective Services.

Needless to say, she does have a RAGING ear infection, which does prompt a little of "the look" from the doctor. You know the look - why did you not bring this child in sooner? Then came the medicine. 1 1/2 teaspoons, twice a day for ten days. You have got to be kidding me. With all the advanced in medical science can we not come up with a patch for this stuff? You can control conception with a patch, get rid of nicotine cravings with a patch, why can't you cure an ear infection!!!

The good news, Caroline is quite taken with the medicine, so she reminds me. To date, we have not missed a dose. Check back on day seven...

Getting On Track

So, it is January 11. It only took me 11 days to get into the swing of 2007, and feel like we are moving in the right direction. Getting all seven members of this family focused on what needs to be done, and then getting action is an amazing feat!

In a fit of rage that would make the hidden cameras, if they were in my home, blush I unloaded on this family of people who never seem to want to do anything, and thinks I am their personal servent. It has been a long time coming, but the volcano blew and it was not pretty. Why my kids don't snap to action PRIOR to the complete rage is beyond me.

I decided at that moment that I needed to take the bull by the horns and get these people doing something. I created a very detailed, and somewhat elaborate, chore chart, banned TV from the house on school days, and instituted the quarter program.

One of the kids big beefs was that they felt they did their chores(debatable at best) and did not get allowance on a regular basis. The discussion of should you even pay allowance for family stuff aside, they were right. We have NEVER been good about accounting and payment of allowance. With the quarter program, each child has a cup filled with quarters (see pictures of the bright and cheery quarter cups). They start with their full amount. They lose quarters for not doing chores, fighting, or in any other way just making me mad. They can earn quarters for going way above and beyond.

So far, there have only been a few quarters taken. Of course, the amount of work on my part to remind about chores, making of the bed, etc has been pretty big. However, for the first week I think we are doing pretty great. Each kid has the chore to fold and put away one load of clothes one day during the week. Since that is one of my endless battles, it has been nice to have the help.

Now, the real test will be when I leave for a few days to Seattle next week. Will things still get done? Can Eric take on the job as taskmaster and keep it going? Will it all fall apart in a period of a few days? Only time will tell.

It is Wednesday

It is the middle of the week. It is a crazy hectic week, pretty much the norm for around here. When you add in the floor project, it makes everything so much more fun. Eric has all the tiles to put in that require cuts. Then it is grout, clean and we are done. We should be back to normal by this weekend.

New Year, New Project

What would the new year be without a construction project? We have been lax, read that as lazy, about doing things around the house lately - and with five kids this house takes a beating. Eric has been wanting to redo the floor for a while. Our carpet, while not that old, was full of kid, and many dad coke, stains.

Since we were waiting for Ryan to finish his ONE last project for his Family Life merit badge (his last before his Eagle project), I got the idea for him to help Eric and have this count. Brilliant I think. It has caused the two of them to work together, taught Ryan about how to lay a tile floor, and I think they have had fun with it.

This picture was taken after day one - much of which was spent driving to not one, but three Home Depot stores to acquire the correct amount of tile. It is much further along now - in fact the computer has been disabled leaving only my laptop as the working computer in the house. That should keep everyone motivated. Tonight we take apart the TV, but need to figure out a way to keep the satellite and DVR going. Eric said to just put it on a card table and he will work around it. Good plan, I just need to do that. Since Mr. Dish Network came and installed the thing, I have not really looked at how it is put together. I just need to make sure I can get it all correct later this week.

Off to get the kids out the door, run my 30 minutes, shower and be ready for my 9:30 conference call/training. Happy Monday!

This is What I am Working With

So, Blake was coming to meet the family. People were thinking, "What practical jokes could we pull on him?" This is Eric's idea. To get a temporary tatoo, and see his reaction. I guess this was not so much a practical joke, but a test. The thing is, with the facial hair, jacket, etc it was a little too realistic for my liking. He wanted to get the Henna tatoo and write love on the fingers of one hand, and hate on the others. I think those might have been harder to wash off.

Of course, Blake was not going to come and meet everyone and geek at the tatoo. He did see it, and said he thought ok wild youth, now he has settled down. The thing that is funny is that Eric went and washed it off while we were at dinner so Blake looked up and said, didn't he have a tatoo? It is a good thing he took it off because a family we knew from the Colleyville Ward walked in right after that. I guess they could chalk it up to a midlife crisis. Who knows.

So, Blake passed his test and Eric had his fun and no one was hurt in the process.

Megan and Blake and Wii Oh My

While we were in Dallas, Megan's boyfriend, Blake, came to visit and meet the family. They have been dating for a while at school, and I am not going to give any kind of an editorial comment here other than to say he came to meet the family.

While he was there, we decided to take him to a North Texas Fav - Babe's Chicken House. They make, as you might guess, chicken. Fried Chicken. The only other thing on the menu is Chicken Fried Steak (do you see a theme here?) The sides include homemade biscuits, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy and homemade creamed corn. It is North Texas healthy eating at it's best. But let me tell you - it is tasty. It is a small place, and people wait for hours to get in. The decor is redneck chic, and the sites and tastes can't be duplicated.

Blake received a coveted Christmas gift this year - a Wii. While I had heard of them, I thought OK another video game big deal. Oh was I wrong. He was nice enough to let everyone play, even the babies. They thought it was big fun to try and play tennis, baseball and watch all the action. Blake even sat there and taught them what to do showing his extreme patience with five year olds. I took a turn at the tennis, and lets just say the only person I beat was Allie. But, it was a smashing victory!

We enjoyed meeting Blake and his Wii. He was even a big sport and played Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture with us - we always play boys vs. girls. We won't say who won because I think the game was fixed, but it was fun.

Back to Real Life

I am back from Dallas, and now just trying to do my best to catchup. I have to de-Christmas this house, work, get my last expense reports done from last year so they pay me, get us food, run, and all the other various things required to keep this family moving forward (that is code for laundry and all other yucky stuff). Maybe I should just go back to bed!

We had a great time in Dallas with the family. The kids were very spoiled. There was someone there ALL the time to play with them, and many times cater to them. Now, back to reality. There will be no catering by mom, but the trip has given me lots of fodder for the blog. Stay tuned for more Linford than you ever wanted to see.

On Friday, Aunt Melissa took Allie, Caroline and Sophie to McDonalds. It is amazing to me that with all the things we have done for them, the places we have taken them, McDonalds is still the most exciting place they can go. Melissa even let them get ice cream cones and McFlurries. You know mom would not do that!

Tomorrow is school!! I have enjoyed having the kids home, but we need to get back on a schedule. I have a crazy week with a day trip on Thursday, so we need to get back in the swing. It is going to be bitter, however, since it is 7:50 am and not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse (OK, maybe the cat).

Here to getting my list knocked off!

Invasion of the Pearson Clan

We have invaded my mom and dad's house. That is all of us except Eric, he had to work and is on his way here this very second. It has been so fun to see my brothers and sisters who are away at school - and Steven who is just not with me very often. My kids are in LOVE. They have been playing non-stop ever since we got here. They have been outside throwing the football, playing soccer and the twins have been riding their bikes.

On the bike riding, I have found that Caroline is a little clueless with the whole pedaling and steering thing - two basic requirements to riding a bike. I did not think riding a bike with training wheels could be difficult. I guess I was wrong. We are going to have to work with her on it. Michelle has taken some photos with her new camera, and when she wakes up I will have to post them because they are funny. Allie even poses on her bike.

Today we are looking forward to a day of more playing, I think Aunt Melissa is taking the twins to McDonalds for lunch, and some more visiting. When Eric gets here I think we will go and see his mother. Fun times for all.

Tradition

Say that with the gusto of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof! Christmas Eve is a time for great traditions in the Pearson Family - and this year we started some new ones as well.

Ever since I can remember, we eat waffles on Christmas Eve. This started in my fathers family and he carried that tradition to our family growing up. At some point in my early childhood, someone gave my dad a pinata on Christmas Eve and we had so much fun with it, we started to get one each year.

When Eric and I got married, we just adopted those traditions and added to them slightly. We watch Luke II each year, and read the Nativity Story from the Bible. Then, the kids open a gift wich is pajamas which they wear that night. Sophie has told me that she likes Christmas Eve as much or more than Christmas because of our traditions.

So, this year we did the waffles, pinata, watched Luke II, opened PJ's and added the girls doing the Nativity Story in the form of a play. It was fun to see them, and they sure enjoyed putting it together. Although, when Caroline as a pregnant Mary was riding the donkey, Kelsey, and waiving like a beauty queen it made me wonder if she really got it. You will notice Kelsey and Sophie serving as the choir of angels.

One of the big questions is always who will break the pinata. There is alwasy lots of postering about who is the most studly. We go in age order. This year, it was Ryan who busted it open. I can remember, in my youth, going through the family a couple of times to get it open. I just don't think they make them like they used to.

We like to bring the festivities to an end by 8:00 so the little people can go to bed. Since that included Kelsey and Sophie this year and Ryan got to stay up a while, we had all kinds of weeping and wailing and cries of "It's not fair." Since Santa does not come until everyone is asleep they finally gave up.

It was a great night of tradition, family and fun.

Making Christmas Treats

One of the longtime traditions of Christmas is the making of the treats to take to neighbors and friends. This is one of those areas I am not always so good at being a mom. The kids love to come and to help. They live for this kind of stuff. But when they help, the stuff does NOT look like Martha Stewart made it. Let's be real for a second, when I make it does not look like Martha but I can pretend.

Well, this year I decided to go for being a good mom and not Martha. I let Sophie and Kelsey cut out many of the Christmas sugar cookies, until they got bored with it, and I let all four girls frost and decorate the cookies ALL BY THEMSELVES (I did watch for licking of the fingers for those of you who might have been the recipients of said cookies). They had a ball, and made a huge mess. Allie was pretty good at it, but Caroline could not find her groove. She loved piling on the sprinkles, and many of the cookies had more sprinkles than cookie!

I did the Rachel Ray fudge, because it always works. I was going to make English Toffee and Divinity, but lets just say a candy maker I am not. After two batches of English Toffee that did NOT WORK, I gave up and just went for peppermint bark, because again, it always works.

The girls had fun running the treats around and there are even some for Eric's HT families. All in all, I would call it a successsful treat making adventure.

A Day of Family Fun

As promised, we had our day of family fun yesterday. Inspired by the Christmas episode of the Office, we decided to take the kids to Hido for lunch. This is a great place close to us and it is reasonable for lunch. I will say that I think they older kids were more impressed than the little ones. When we first sat down I even caught Ryan trying to figure out his chopsticks - he would not do it again for a photo. Our chef was great and even did the onion volcano. Eric was so impressed he gave like a 40% tip which is just craziness for the man who only likes to dine at places where no tip is required. Caroline was the big surprise of the group - she really seemed to get the hang of the chopsticks the quickest. Of course, they had the helper things on them, but she still figured it out.

After a delicious lunch, we headed "downtown" (the twins new code for Houston) to the Museum of Science for a screening of Night at the Museum at the IMAX theater. This is a great movie. It got a Pearson Family seven thumbs up, and a movie which we all like is hard to find. It was great to see it at the IMAX, and our admission to the theater allowed us to go into the museum at no additional charge. It was fun to see some of the same types of exhibits as were in the movie. Maybe next year when we go to NYC we can see the real museum.

The festivus miracle was the lack of fighting and the good time which was had by all. I think everyone got to do something new, and we all enjoyed each others company for real family fun!

A Night With Uncle Markie

So, not only did my single 20 something brother take my three youngest, he took them out on the town, and sent photos to boot. The girls had a great time!!

He took them out to dinner for Pizza, and then to ColdStone for ice cream. He even let Sophie pick as many "mix ins" as she wanted. That does not happen with mom and dad. He then took them out and bought the new Pirates CD and let them watch it all.

The next day he took them downtown, to his old office, to ride the Dart train, and other sites in Houston. The babies were astonished that he could go and get milk for breakfast without getting into a car - they could walk to a store. That just blew their mind.

All in all Uncle Mark is way more fun than mom and dad. He is their hero, and they have had a taste for city living. I think suburban life is not the same for them anymore.

And The Preparations Continue

Today started peaceful. All four girls were gone and it was quite and nice. I got up, late and lazy, and worked for a few hours. Then, I had to kick it into high gear and continue with the Christmas preparations. I sacrificed body and soul and went to Costco.

I am a Costco regular. I buy most of our groceries there. I even, on many occasions, need to get the flatbed instead of a cart (sad, but true). Today, it was not the regulars but the casual Costco user who was at the store. I have as much use for them as I have for the casual traveller at the airport. It was crowded and I was off my game. I hate it when that happens. I muddled through and made it home.

Uncle Markie showed up with three girls, and instantly the voice level increased. They had a blast "in town". Allie did not want to come home, but rather live with Uncle Markie forever. I think he had fun, but was fine returning them to their makers.

I am off to get the cards out, laundry done, and keep from killing kids who did not get enough sleep last night and now need to go to bed. Is 4:30 too early for bedtime?

On Being the Eldest

I am the oldest child in a clan of 12. Yes that is 10 children, plus two parents which equals 12. I have a sister who is three years my younger, and then there was an eight year span after which my parents had eight kids in 10 years (or something like that). My teenage years were spent watching little ones, changing diapers, and swearing I would never have a whole bunch of kids myself - that got me real far.

Now, all those little ones are big ones and I will say they are all great with my kids. They love to be with their aunts and uncles. We were driving in the car the other day and Allie asked me what my brother's names were. We went through the list - Matthew, Mark, Michael, Patrick and Steven. Out of the blue she says, "Uncle Mark I just love that guy!" Of course she loves all her uncles, but this is who she singled out at the time.

Mark, the guy she just loves, has taken the month of December off - it is the December of Mark for you Seinfeld fans. He is threatening to eat a block of cheese as big as a car battery stripped naked to the waist. Anyway, he came by to visit today. The kids were excited to see him and in the course of conversation he offered to take some of them home with him.

I don't know how serious he was, but I am the mother of five so if someone offers to take some of the brood I jump at the chance. I did give him another out, and then said he would take them. He wanted to take the twins and Sophie wanted to come as well so she tagged along. I think the twins were happy to have somone "older" with them (I am not sure what that says about Mark, but hey).

So, Mark, Sophie and the twins are on their way for a rip roaring time in Houston. He is going to bring them back tomorrow afternoon. Now that is service. It makes all those years of watching him more than worth it. The question is will he survive? There are many who have been brought down with less. But since Mark is sure he could take on a large group of 12 year old boys whohave an average knowledge of kung-fu movies, I think he can handle two five year olds and a nine year old.

Here is to a night of quiet and calm, and maybe a date with my husband. THANK YOU UNCLE MARKIE!!!

Big Momma Mixer

So, I have not posted for a week. It has been that kind of a week. I had just started a long and drawn out recap of last week, and we had a power glitch. The power flicked off and on. It was enough to kill the computer and I lost my stuff. I took that as a sign that no one wanted to hear about my crappy week. Lets just say it involved a very bad hotel, a very bad presentation and a meeting with the good ole boys from Tomball ISD (the last one alone could send a sane person over the edge).

Now, on to the bright note. My mixer arrived! When Ryan was about two, I got my KitchenAid mixer. I loved it and thought it would be just what I needed forever. These things last forever, and I was set. Fast forward 14 years and four more children. It just was not big enough to handle the workload for a family of seven. I have been stalking them for a while, and decided that would be a great Christmas present.

I hunted on the web and found a great deal. It was delived on Nov 30. I turned it on and it was dysfunctional. The slow speed was whip and it would time out due to overheating. Of course, I did not find this out intil AFTER I had started to make cinnamon rolls. So, I called KitchenAid and miracle of all miracles they told me they would send out a new one right away and then UPS could come and pick up the old one. (Now that is old fashioned customer service. Take note and buy from KitchenAid) It took a while, but the new one arrived.

When you look at the difference it is amazing. I guess this is just one more example of the fact I have a large family. Sometime I forget I have a big family. I think it just is. But, then I look at the mixers and it hits me - I have FIVE kids!!!! Oh well, now I can even make a double batch of rolls easily. I can't wait.

So, here is hoping next week is better than this one has been. I am home all week and taking vacation most of the days. The Christmas shopping is 95% done and we can just have some fun family time (is that an oxymoron?).

Firetruck Santa

Each year Santa comes to Lakewood Grove with some help from our friends at the Cypress Creek Volunteer Fire Dept. This year was no exception. The fun thing about this year is Kelsey and Sophie got to ride on the truck as he went through the neighborhood, compliments of Mike Huffman. Megan called and asked the girls if they wanted to go, and of course they jumped on it (look for them on the right hand side of the long pic).

Allie and Caroline, see how I did not say babies, were upset because they did not get to go. Allie asked me, "How come me and Caroline don't get to go on the firetruck?" (see how honest I am - I did not write the question with correct grammar, but rather how she said it. I did correct her but the two of them have some real issues with speech and they both do the same things which only exacerbates the problem) I digress. Back to the conversation. I told her she could not go because she was not big.

Enter the firetruck and Santa. On top of the truck is a boy from her class. This of course prompts the question, "How come Collin gets to go on the firetruck? I am as old as he is." I can't win for losing. The answer, because you were not invited and the girls were invited.

Now, Allie is in a race for the most dramatic member of our family - and let me tell you that is quite a tight race. Four girls and one teenage boy create lots of drama. The problem with Allie is she is such a faker. She got all teared up to give me her sob story about how it was not fair. I looked at her and said, "Knock it off." Her response. She stopped, and started laughing. See what I mean - DRAMA QUEEN.

So, we have had our second run in with Santa this year. All without a trip to the mall!! It's a festivus miracle.

Boeing 767

I spend most of my time flying around on MD80 airplanes. They are like a big bus. Long and jam packed full of people. They are not what I would call deluxe - just a workhorse.

Today, when I came to Syracuse I flew on a 767. Now let me tell you, that makes the MD-80 look like a Greyhound bus. This is a plane that they use for international flights, each seat has its own TV screen with a list of 8 different movies/TV shows you can pick from. It is like you have the remote control! There is more room and you don't feel so crampt. Of course, it helps that they plane was not full so I did not have anyone next to me. It made for a nice flight - then of course I had the connection and had to get on a little commuter flight. That is pretty much what you get into Syracuse.

It is snowing and freezing here. I really don't know how you could live with this. Crazy thing is this is not the coldest it gets. I need to come back in February when, I am told, it is really cold. EEK.

I head home today - I will take the Houston heat after this!!

The Ward Christmas Party

It is that time of year - the ward Christmas Party. It is always interesting to me what this becomes. You have the traditional party, meal, songs Santa and then you have the person who tries to do something different - something new.

We had the traditional party this year. There was a dinner and then a replaying of the nativity story. It was sweet and the little kids even sang Silent Night. Then, there is the awkward transition to Santa and Mrs. Claus. It has always struck me as weird that you make the move from the spiritual to the commercial.

When I was the ward Activities person I tried everything I could do NOT to have Santa at the party. In my opinion, if we are focusing on what we should be, Santa did not have to be there. The moms and dads could take their kids to the mall and see Santa. It only worked one time when we did the Night In Bethlehem. After that, I was forced to have Santa - something about majority opinion.

This year did provide for a fun night and the twins got to see Santa and let him know what they wanted for Christmas. I guess that saves me from taking them to the mall. So, I guess that makes me a hypocrite. If I had my way I still would not mix them, but when in Rome...

Sophie and the iPOD

((I thought I had posted this yesterday. I think I wrote it and waited to take a picture of her. So much for my memory))

Sophie decided last year she wanted to save her money and get an iPOD. She has been saving her money, and has not bought herself anything in the last year. Well, she has finally saved enough money and has purchased a new Nano.

It is so fun to see her so excited about it. She wears it all over the house. We now hear the sounds of Sophie's voice carrying in the house. She does not always listen now when you call her, but she is having a great time.

Once again, I wonder at how different all my kids are. Raised in the same house, there are some of my kids who if they have $5.00 in their pocket HAVE to go to the store and spend it. I have others who are always broke and looking for bucks. Then we have Sophie who has saved her money all year. It is nice to know maybe we are doing something right with someone...

Happpy Birthday Laurie

Happy Birthday Laurie. You are the big 36 today. So, to take a queue from my other blogging friends, I give you 36 things I love about Laurie (my little sis)

1. She can always make me laugh.
2. She continues to fight against her genetic makeup to be addicted to Diet Coke (the one she is holding was for me)
3. She is a great mom.
4. Her house is always clean (even when she claims it isn't)
5. She has patience like I can only dream of having.
6. She has great hair.
7. She is a good listener and does not judge.
8. She gets her Christmas shopping done early.
9. She has a great pair of cheetah high heels and fish net stockings!
10. She made a great vomit waterfall from the top bunk when we were kids.
11. She would always go and do what I asked (only when we were little - now not so much).
12. She is a great dancer.
13. She has a great smile.
14. She is very creative, even if she won't try scrapbooking.
15. She always obeys the rules.
16. She opens to home to ANY family member who happens to find themselves in Sacramento.
17. I love her kids - Hannah, Jacob, Jonah and Becca.
18. She does not hate me when I refer to her daughter as Becca even though she is Rebekah!
19. She lets Becca walk around in nothing but a bow and necklace.
20. She is a great soccer mom and loves to do things with her kids.
21. She loves to decorate and do things to her home.
22. She will hang paint color chips on the wall for weeks on end to decide if she likes the color.
23. She has a strong testimony.
24. She is always giving to those around her.
25. She is skinny (OK so maybe that is what I hate about her).
26. Her ability to love her family is boundless.
27. She is smart.
28. She will always answer my tax questions.
29. She was always up for a rousing game of dollhouse.
30. She has always been there to help me with my kids - even coming to help with newborn twins while she was pregnant.
31. She has great brown eyes.
32. She is not afraid to jump in and help anyone who needs it.
33. She will surprise me with a card or package whenever I need it.
34. She still loves Disneyland, and takes her kids there regularly.
35. She can shop with the best of us.
36. She is an amazing sister, friend and example.

I love you Laurie!

Go and Hug Your Kids

I got a phone call yesterday that has stayed with me. My sister called to tell me that some friends we had from Colleyville had been in a car accident and their daughter, who is Kelsey's age died. I found out their only other child, a son, is in critical condition in a coma. Both were thrown from the car because they took off their seatbelts for a second to get something. How do you recover from that?

My kids at different times on long car trips will sometimes get unbuckled for a second. Or, they will stretch it out so they can be comfortable and I am sure no help at all if an accident occurs. I harp for a while and then I just pretend it does not exist (picture the ostrich). Then I hear something like and it almost takes my breath away. I will now double my efforts to be mean and ruin my kids life while traveling in the car.

So, go hug your kids, remember life can be short and the most important things we have in our lives are the people around us who can make us crazy, but ultimately give us the most joy.

The Christmas Tree

Many many years ago, before the craze of pre-lit trees, I did my own pre-lit tree. I took about 12 packages of lights and strung them on my christmas tree. It took forever. My mom wrangled me into this, so she helped. I love the look, but each and every year there are at least two strings that need to be restrung.

So, in some ways I have come to dread getting the tree out. The kids are always bouncing off the walls in excitement to get the tree up - the twins can't wait to put the "instruments" on the tree (they can't remember if it is instruments or ornaments and most often choose wrong). But, there is a sense of dread. This year was not too bad - I only had to redo three strands. And in each one, only 1/2 the strand was dead. Since they were old lights, I had to redo them all. I now buy the always lit kind and eventually I have a dream of putting up the tree without redoing all the lights.

The kids do love it and it does help to put us in the Christmas mood. We put the collection of ornaments on the tree. I would still like to have two trees - one fancy and one with all the kids stuff. Since I can barely get myself to do the one, that might be wishful thinking. So, Christmas prep is off and running at the Pearson house. Ellen, our housekeeper, comes on Wednesday and then I will get out all the rest of the stuff. It is much better to start decorating in a clean house.

Happy Holidays!

White Trash Thanksgiving



Well, it is done. We did it up like the best of the white trash and had ourselves one mighty fine Thanksgiving. All kidding aside, I do think that our outdoor dinner was one of the best Thanksgiving dinners I have had. It was not stressful for anyone, and we all had a good time. There was not even too many spousal arguments which is a first for all.

Some funny things to note:

I bought this huge thing of cheese balls, from the Costco, because my kids ALWAYS ask for them, and I never get them. But, in keeping with the theme I thought these will add to the trashiness of the event. I opened them when we hit camp and were setting up camp (a prime spousal argument time which went off without a hitch). By the time we had dinner a few hours later they were gone. It was pretty gross to see all the grimy hands which had partaken. When I told Sarah I was brining cheese balls from the Costco, she thought I was bringing a large cheese ball as in cheese and crackers cheese. Clearly, she has not spent enough time with white trash.

The kids had their football game. The Pearsons, or the Tomball Trash as they named themselves, came complete with shirts. The Joneses and the Kenningtons each had a BYU shirt so it looked like they came prepared. Alas, the trash took it 3 TD's to 0. It was over at half time because the girls did not want to play with Ryan anymore he took it too seriously. For his part Ryan did not understand how you could NOT take a football game seriously.

The first night was so cold you had to put your head UNDER your sleeping bag to stay warm. The tent was not warm enough. It was even cold just sitting around the campfire. It was a long night. By night two, it had warmed up and we were able to play games - The Great Dalmuti. It was a great game since I was never dethroned as the Great Dalmuti, and continue in my reign (where is my lesser peon when I need him?)

There was a "yellow mountain" which the kids loved - especially the babies. It was just their speed. It was really just a reddish dirt which is now in everything and even after I washed the babies shoes it is still with us. Sarah took some photos of the kids on the mountain. I will have to post some later.

Eric and I were in charge of the Turkey Frying. You can see the pics of the three men working hard on the turkeys. I am not sure how it is that "Eric" claims he did the turkeys when I washed and prepped them and he just dumped them in the vat of oil (once the vat of oil was setup...) He did risk life and limb to dump the bird in the oil, so I guess that is fair. It was tasty and we even had one whole turkey left - note to self do not need three turkeys.

In true Clampett style we showed up with two vehicles - the truck packed to the gills (we even lost something along the way) and the Yukon. Maybe one of these days we can get a trailer or something to haul our "stuff" but for now we just divide and conquor. I had to take all the girls who required not one but two bathroom stops on the way home!

It was a great camping experience. The weather was great, the company was great and it made for a no stress Thanksgiving meal. There are some who are pushing for a Destin beach house next camping trip - I am game. I will always go to the beach. We will have to see what spring break will bring.

I Don't Have NoWhere To Sleep



This is what woke me up this morning at 2:00 amish. It was Allie and she was crying. She, obviously, needed to come and sleep with us since she had nowhere to sleep. This from the girl who will sleep anywhere. Hence the picture taken when she was about 3. She was tired, and of course could not let go of her cookies. It was classic Allie.

I guess she had fallen asleep in Kelsey's bed, and when Kelsey went to bed she put her on the floor. Not so great on a night it was 32 degrees on a pergo floor. Of course, her bed was open. But that was not good because Sophie was spending the night with Rachel and she would have to be alone. We can't have that.

So, she ended up in my bed and that was fine until Eric had to get up and go to work, at 3:30 am I might add (poor guy and it was cold!). Then, for whatever the reason, she felt the need to be right on top of me - or kicking me - until I got up at 6:30 am. Now she is still asleep and I am facing my day.

It always makes me eat my words when my kids sleep all over the house. In my home growing up, there were people everywhere but in their beds at night. One night I came home from a date and Patrick was sleeping on the stairs! Yes, the stairs! Who could let their kids get that out of control that they would sleep on the stairs? Now, that would be me.

So now I am off to WalMart, since I did not make it yesterday. I have a webinar with a prospect this afternoon, on my day off, and I have to get us ready to camp. The weather report now looks pretty dang good, and I expect a fun time will be had by all. Just another day in crazyville.

Still No Title

There is still no title box on my template, so I am just going to have to do it the old fashioned way. It is Monday morning and it is cold. (The picture is from last year when the HOA brought some snow into Lakewood grove - it is much colder today than it was then, but this is for effect)

I didn't have to get up with the kids, so I did not get up until 7:00 am - LAZY, LAZY. It was great. I need to get out and run, get home and shower before my Monday morning conference call for work.

This is the down side - the kids are here and I am going to work part of today and part of tomorrow. It is not so easy to keep 5 kids occupied while working. I have become accustomed to having the house to myself during the day. I need to finish up the shopping for camping and getting stuff ready for our nice cold camping trip.

So, hang in there and enjoy Monday.

Another Saturday

It was a day spent doing the regular stuff. Ryan has decided that he is going to head up a football game against the Kenningtons and the Joneses when we go camping. He has had the girls out there today learning plays and putting them through conditioning.

I am afraid that the bad Linford genes are coming out in him. Each year we have a family football game. It should be a nice, fun time correct? Well, when you have 10 type A personalities, plus spouses and some children, it is a blood match complete with team shirts (Go Semi-Precious Metals). Last year the game ended when Matt really messed up his ankle - I think he was just whimping out since we were beating him. But, that is just my opinion.

So, since there will be no Linford Game for us, they may still play since it is a Boys Only Linford Thanksgiving, Ryan is organizing the White Trash Turkey Bowl. The biggest problem is none of the other players are aware of his plans. It will be a sneak attack.

It just was nice to see him out there today with his sisters being nice and working with them. He is a great brother when he decides to be. Here is hoping that happens more often.

So, the new banner is a celebration of football and other Saturday sports.

The Banner, The Banner

You need to say this with the voice of Tatoo from Fantasty Island. For those who don't know who this is, you are way too young, or maybe I am way too old. I am having problems with blogger, so there is no title to this post. The box where you put the title is missing...Um I guess that is what you get for free.

I am still having problems with the banner thing - I can't find the HTML code which tells you to show the title of the blog to go away. I have put it in my banner, and don't want it to display under my banner. Oh well. It is a start, now I just need to try and get fancy.

I waited too long to go for my run and it was HOT. I did my 60 minutes and now I am tired. I still have a full day of soccer game, soccer party and Costco in front of me! I know you are jealous.

Hopefully it will get the kinks worked out so I don't spend soo much time working on the blog layout. I need to clean the house and work on some other stuff. Oh well, I am pretending I am learning something which is a good thing, right???

It is Friday and I have nothing to say

How does that title grab you? I am doing the regular Friday things - work, kids, house, get ready for the weekend, etc. But, this is the start of the Thanksgving holiday. My kids have no school for ONE WEEK. That means no early mornings. You would think I started early since I could not get out of bed this morning. Eric was on Seminary duty and he even stopped and let Ryan bring doughnuts for everyone, so I think that was covered.

I need to get cracking on the plans for the White Trash Thanksgiving. I think it is going to be fun, and I hope there is no burn ban for Bastrop. It will be very cold if we can't have a fire, and it is just not as fun. Since we have joined the ranks of the professional campers, many of our meals will be in the dutch oven. Of course, we the Pearson's don't have a dutch oven, but our camping partners the Kenningtons and the Joneses do. As a matter of fact I think Robert and Sterling are in a race to see who can be in possesion of the greatest number of dutch ovens at one time. They each have like 5-10 now. Crazy for them, good for us.

We are in possesion, however, of the most important part of the White Trash Thanksgiving - the deep fryer for the turkey. It is not trashy if it is not deep fried! We perfected the art last Thanksgiving and now Eric will get to show his deep fried expertise in Bastrop. It will be a different Thanksgiving, no football, but I am going to enjoy it.

BUT - I will miss the Black Friday craziness. Many times I am not looking for anything in particular. It is just fun to go with the million other crazy people who invade WalMart at 5:00 AM and try and grab up some little thing they can't live without. I still don't know what to get everyone for Christmas, so I guess it is best not to just buy on Black Friday without a plan.

So go and enjoy your day. I am going over to Becky's today and I am bound and determined that I will get a banner posted if it is the last thing I do. I have put something quick together in Photoshop - it is not fancy or great but it is a start. Now I just need to get in on the blog. Now if I only understood HTML. Here is the total of my HTML expertise < >. Should be fun.

A Crazy Wednesday, and a slow Thursday

I had a long Wednesday due to bad weather in Dallas and Houston, it made for a crazy travel day. I was meeting two colleagues in town who were coming from two different parts of the country. With delays into Dallas of three to four hours, it was good that I am good at a plan B. Everyone made it eventually and I was glad for the backup when the network manager was talking about DMZ's and forests (not the kind Bambi traverses). Thank goodness for technical guys (and gals). We had a great meeting with my prospect, and I hope that will translate into business next year. We will see.

I came home, after my 17 hour day, and was dog tired. I dragged myself into bed and was awakened sometime after midnight to the sound of throwup. Now, I don't do vomit well. Eric, the hero, got up and cleaned up the lionshare of the mess. In the light of day, I had a small bit left, but I heard him mopping and cleaning last night. I pulled the "pull the covers over my ears and pretend it is not going on" thing. It was Caroline, so today we are going to stay home, and I hope she will feel better. She has some kind of bug complete with fever. Here is to hoping it stays with just her - I don't think I can handle five children with the stomach flu!

I did come home to a clean house thanks to Ellen. I love Ellen. To have the whole house clean at the same time is nothing short of a miracle!

Picture has nothing to do with post, but I liked it. This is my first attempt to link to an image in my photobucket account, not load from my pc. It was much faster. I think that is the way to go.

Here is to hoping I don't spend the day cleaning up vomit! Aren't you jealous of my life?

But I Don't Want to Clean My Room

This is the refrain which I hear each and every day from Allie. It is getting on my last nerve. I think the baby of the family thing is going just a little too far. Even Caroline is easier to get moving than Allie. I guess we will just have to keep having her clean until she gets the clue that this is not negotiable. Do I look like a pushover?? Why does this child push me so?

Busy day today. Work, book club here for lunch and then the normal running around this afternoon. Such is my life!

Have a great Tuesday.

Weekend in Review

Oh that I had my camera with me so I could have snapped a few pics this weekend. But alas, no pictures - just a random picture of Patrick playing with the twins from this summer. They do love playing iwth him.

I did get my Photoshop Elements in the mail, thanks to my Costco coupon, so pics should be forthcoming. I am bound and detmined to get a banner by the end of the week.

We had Sophie's last soccer game on Saturday, and her soccer party. The Geckos won their last game! She had a pretty good game. Eric had to miss the last game because he was at a meeting for Stake Conference. We both missed the party, due to Stake conf, but she had a ball. She still loves soccer so we are going to have to figure out what to do with her!

Allie has one more game. I don't like how Klein does soccer for this age, so I will admit, I am not that into her stuff. She is having fun and that is all that matters, but we will NOT put her back into soccer at Klein.

We went to the Jones home for dessert after the adult sesion of conference to plan our White Trash Thanksgiving with the Joneses and the Kennintons. I am looking forward to it. Just imgagine the possiblities with a theme like that. Sarah made an execellet dessert trifle. It looked fancy and it was tasty. You can't beat that.

On Sunday we went to the earlier session of conference to watch Rachel give her talk. I think that is just cruel and unusual punishment to have a nine year old speak at Stake Conference. She did an amazing job, probably better than I would have done. The session was great, and I am glad we went.

After conference we went to the park to play soccer/baseball and then we had our family pics taken by photographer extraodinaire Sarah Jones. I am hoping there is at least one that will be good for our Christmas card. If we can find a good one I would like to get a bigger one for the house. We will have to see.

I am off to do play drill sergeant to three sleepy girls and get them out the door. Then its a run before my 9:30 am conference call. I am going to Dallas tomorrow evening and back on Wednesday. It should make for a fun week.

Laziness

I could not get up this morning. I don't know what the deal was. I am so tired. I should not be - I fell asleep last night at 8:30! I guess the daily grind is just getting to me. I even broke the rules of common decency and went to the bus stop in my PJ's. I am sure everyone is thinking "that is what five kids will do to you." Oh well, tomorrow is another day, and it is Friday.

I snapped this picture of Allie on her way out the door to school the other day. I just love the look on her face and her smile. She is such a happy kid, for the most part. She also has some drama in her, so she can turn on the water works when she thinks it will further her cause. Especially where her "daddy" is concerned. So, I have another drama queen. Can we survive??

Laundry

How can so few people create so much laundry? And the bigger question is how come I cannot keep on top of it? This is just a few loads from yesterday. It would be great if I could say that I would be caught up when this is folded, but no. Not even close. And Ryan does his own.

I have a friend whose husband is very particular about the laundry. When the clean laundry sits in baskets, similar to this, he makes a snide and not so politically correct statement about how this is not an acceptable way to live. I guess I am lucky Eric does not care. As long as something is clean it works for him. When you have to tell the kids to go digging in the basket to look for clean socks it is an indication to get folding. So, its off to fold I go.

Its' That Time of Year

I have a confession to make. I have a calendar obsession. Yes it is true. I love to buy and use calendars. I am always searching for just the right calendar/system for myself and for the house. This time of year I am on the hunt.

Many years ago I used the Franklin Planner system and I liked it. It was compact, allowed me to carry all I needed to carry and have what I need in one place.

Then, a year or so before I quit my job, they bought all of us Palm Pilot PDA's and told us we needed to use them. It was just a basic system, but I was not embracing the technology easily. I liked to write things down! Fast forward six or eight months and I had embraced it. I liked it and I was using it.

When I became pregnant with the twins and quit, this cheap place made me give it back. Typical. So, I was left without it again. Since I was not working, I thought I could go back to paper, and since I did not need to plan out each day, I thought I would look for the perfect monthly/weekly calendar. It took three years, but I found it.

Now, I am stuck. I need more than weekly. Should I go back to a PDA? Should I just buy the daily version of what I have now? Should I get a full Franklin? I don't want too bulky, but I want easy to use.

I am not one who "fasts and prays" over decisions - that is my sister. When I decide to paint a room I walk in and buy the paint (I will have looked at different basic colors, but then I buy). Laurie hangs the paint chips on the wall for an extended period of time to see if she will really like it. We are very opposite in our decision making. So, why am I paralyzed about making this decision?

If you have made it all the way through this rant on calendars, you should win a prize. The bottom line, I just need to make a decision and do it. I need to get something because I am needing to plan into next year, and I have no calendar! Oh what will I do?

Fumble Recovery by Number 84

So I am a little behind, but on Thursday night Ryan had a game against Klein Collins. He has been sick this week, so I was a little worried about how he might play - there is nothing fun about running around in freezing weather (OK 55 degrees) when you don't feel well.

On the last kickoff of the game, he came up with a fumble recovery. I must say I enjoyed hearing "fumble recovery by number 84 Ryan Pearson" over the loudspeaker. What can I say I really am one of THOSE moms. I hope he continues with football, because I sure like to watch.

We went to the HS game on Friday night with all the kids. Both of the babies feel asleep in the 3rd quarter. It was FREEZING (OK 50 degrees) 50 is cold here. So we were bundled up and trying to stay warm. The Cougars won with seconds to go despite the REALLY bad coaching and play calling by our fabulous head coach.

You might notice some changes to the blog. I am trying to step up my game and keep up with the Joneses. So, if all goes well I will continue to make some changes over the next week or so. We will see how far I get.

Off to go and make dinner, get everyone ready, and go to church for a restful(?) Sunday.

SCARY

When I was a younger mother, and very sure of what was right and wrong, I would have NEVER let my children dress as deathly or scary things. Ryan and I went rounds and round over the fact that he wanted to be the Grimm Reaper, dead things etc. I was just against this. I think he was 14 before I let him be something gross.

Fast forward to Halloween 2006. What do we have? Two children who were something nice, and two kids who were something gross. What has happened to my conviction? What has happened to my sense of right and wrong? I am just tired. It was easier to give in than fight. That does not bode well for the two coming up does it? I am sure that Ryan will turn to me when he returns from college and tell me that I am too lax with the twins, similar to what I have done to my parents through the years. Let's see, I'm tired with five - imagine ten!

So, what have we learned today? It is easier to give in than fight - at least in terms of spooky halloween costumes!

Halloween 2006

Well, we survived Halloween. This was the first year that Kelsey and Sophie went off by themselves the whole time - no family time for them. It is also the first year Ryan did not go out at all! He has been sick, so he opted to stay home. At 16 he is probably too old anyway.

Allie and Caroline are still in a great place - they wanted to go around the block, then their candy was too heavy and they were done. It was great. Everyone had fun, and no one got hurt, that is until we needed to brush out Thing One and Thing Two's hair. It was not pretty. Next holiday Thanksgiving.