"I Told You Not to Have Any Children"

Many years ago my Aunt Denise, my mom's older sister, showed me this newspaper clipping.  It is an article about food samples in the marketplace.  Along with the article was this picture of my mom with three of us kids crammed into the seat portion of a grocery cart.  Did they make the seats bigger back then?  I don't think so.  My mom is smiling, but this has desperation written all over it!

Anyways, I had completely forgotten about it.  Until recently when my Aunt sent it to my mom, and she shared it with my sisters and I.  We got a kick out of it!  My sister Brooke is next to me, with pig tails, and our brother Isaac is crammed in the front, most likely with his legs dangling through the leg holes.  

I feel so much emotion when I look at this.  My mom and I are super close.  She is one of my best friends.  We talk almost every day.  Many of our conversations revolve around the joys, stresses, happiness and misery surrounding motherhood.  She understands me, my job, my stresses, my sense of duty and my desires to be the best mom. 

We are in completely different phases of motherhood right now.  She is the mother to seven adults.  I am a mother of 2 teenagers, 1 adolescent and 3 wild little boys.  It is very comforting to know that she did this before me.  I actually remember a lot of her experiences, from the perspective of child.  

About the same time period of the newspaper article.  We would rather climb on mom than play on the beach with dad.

Sharing this motherhood gig with someone like her helps me get through the day to day.  She can match or top each and every story/experience I share with her.  For example, I tell her a story about how awful my son was during church, and then she retells one of my stories about the time when one of my brothers stood up on the pew, in the middle of the meeting, and started pretend shooting my dad....LOUDLY!

Or I call her crying and upset because I left my sons hand slammed shut in a door for about 10 minutes because I thought he was just throwing a tantrum.  She then tells me about the time she did the same thing with my brother in the car door.  She thought he was just throwing a fit on the way to the store, and she did her best to just block him out.  She realized it when they got to the store.  I felt a little better about my horrible misjudgment.  

One of my favorites is when I call her on a rough day, and she says, "Well, I told you not to have any children."  It always makes me laugh.

One thing is for sure.  Thank heavens for carts big enough to have a two seats in the front!

Here are some Pinterest finds that I love.  These are just perfect for my life right now.

Car Selfies

For Christmas Jason got me a cradle to hold my phone that mounts onto the windshield.  It is fantastic!  Don't worry.  I do not use or look at my phone while driving, except to hit answer and speaker phone.  

I spend A LOT of time in my car with my little boys.  We drive the older kids back and forth and all over all day long it seems.  Someone always needs to be somewhere.  I miss the days when I was bored at home with just two little kids, and nowhere to go!  Oh how I miss it! 

As I was going through my pictures to blog I found a lot of car "selfies".  My little boys are cute, even in the car, and often my mom or sisters will text me to ask what I'm doing.  So when I am stopped at the grocery store, or I'm waiting in front of the school I will send them a car selfie.  

As I was going through my pictures to blog I found a lot of car "selfies".  My little boys are cute, even in the car, and often my mom or sisters will text me to ask what I'm doing.  So when I am stopped at the grocery store, or I'm waiting in front of the school I will send them a car selfie.  

The older kids are not so sure this is cool to do.

And when everyone is in the car we have to lean in a bit, and take several to make sure I got everyone's eyes are seen!

On our way to Tillamook for some cheese and ice cream on Spring Break.

Other times the older kids are totally in on it with me.  We are cool.  I promise.

Often after I take a "car selfie"  I look more closely at the picture, and see at least one hilarious expression on someones face!  

In this one Bennett made me laugh.

And in this one Harrison's angry and annoyed face surprised me into laughter!

And yes, even Jason and I occasionally snap a selfie of just the two of us.

Am I the only one who does this, or are all these car pictures just proof of all the quality time we spend in the car together?

It is not just selfie's, but I also found a lot of pictures just taken in the car!

Like these taken after arriving home from church on Sunday.

The only one really asleep was Theo.  Harrison always rips his tie, shirt and suit coat off before we get home.  Lily told Bennett to pretend he was sleeping.  He just couldn't do it for quite all of the pictures.  

New Year's Eve Traditions

Sorry I have no pictures for this post!  I was too busy partying!

I know it's too late for this year, maybe I'll re-post this next December, but I just had to share with you our super fun New Year's Eve (NYE) Traditions!

First off we make a lot of Chinese food including our own homemade Egg Rolls!!!  The whole Menu is HERE on my recipe blog.

Jason and I both grew up with BIG NYE traditions!  

Jason's dad's birthday was on NYE, and he was the bishop of their ward (leader of their congregation at church) for several years.  They lived in a big old farmhouse, and every year the whole ward would basically show up for the "Bob Ritz annual surprise birthday party."  They had a pool table in the attic game room, and everyone would bring food, shoot pool, play board games, sit and visit, and count down at midnight!  Even after Jason's dad passed away the "Annual Bob Ritz Surprise Birthday Party" took place for several more years.  Jason's mom had moved away, so he and I made an appearance one year at it.  It was great fun!

My family lived away from extended family most of the time I was growing up.  My parents didn't want to leave us kids to go hang out, and let's face it.  We were way more fun than any friends they might have had.  One year for Christmas, when I was very young, my dad gave my mom a wok and a Chinese food cook book.  That's when the Chinese food tradition started.  

Over time my mom added more and more activities that became part of our annual NYE.  Something we do often, but not every year, is a family talent show.  I have many home movies to prove the success of these talent shows!

Have you seen the movie Dan in Real Life?  Our NYE looks a lot like that movie.  HAHA Lots of crazy family fun traditions.

Of course, lots of board games were played, but the best #1 activity was Predictions. 

My mom would write predictions down on square pieces of paper, and we would vote one them.  Here are some examples, "Will Isaac pass his driving test?"  "Who will win the Presidential Election?"  "Will Mom still be Relief Society President?"  "Will Corinne be engaged?"  "Where will Jackson be called to on his mission?"  "Will there be another Terrorist attack on US soil?"

So you see a wide variety of  predictions.  We would sit in a big circle, pass them around, write our name, and our best guess.  As we go around people start calling out prediction to add.  My mom always had a stack of blanks ready to go.  Then, my mom would tuck them away in a safe spot till the next NYE.  

Each year before the new predictions are made, we read through the previous years predictions.  This is SO much fun!  It is a hilarious blast to read what people predicted a year before.  We have evolved to the point where we just don't write yes or no.  We add comments as to why we think yes or no.  These are hilarious to read a year later!  Some years my mom would have her act together, and there would be a prize for the winner!  

This year is the first year that we, Jason and I, have done predictions just us and our kids.  What a blast!

That Period of Time between Christmas and School Starting Again

The month started out with myself feeling wiped out, and recovering from illness.  Some of the illness rubbed off on the family.  (Our first illness, but NOT the last of the this winter.)  One morning we couldn't find Bennett.   

We found him in Lily's bed.

Sound asleep. 

Cuddled up with her big white polar bear she got for Christmas. He loves that bear, and has been trying to steal it ever since Christmas.  

Glad he found a nice, comfy place to rest.

No snow as of yet, but still a bit of gloom.

I find this gloom quite pretty.

 I had told the kids many times over Christmas break that I would take them to OMSI.  Suddenly it was January, and school was about to start back up.  Life of course was busy, but I found a day that we could go.  Trying to get everyone ready was just ridiculous.  Am I the only one that this happens to?  I say, "Kids!  Let's go do something FUN!"  The kids respond in an excited manner.  I hurry up and get myself ready.  I get the little boys ready.  I make and pack a lunch.  I am ready to go.  Everyone else is still in their jammies doing the exact same thing they were doing when I first announced we were leaving.  Grrr...

On this particular day, while I was going crazy trying to get people to respond to me, Theo smacked his head and ended up with a good ole' bump and bruise on his forehead.  We postponed the trip for an hour or two.  Poor baby.

He was very happy when we got there.  He did not hold still long enough for pictures...

 ...until Harrison grabbed him.

Without a doubt, his favorite spot has got to be the water tables.

Max, and a blurry but Happy Theo!

I adore his little body.  Playing with the big boys.  Harrison and Theo.

Trying to catch some water balls.

The older kids were off at the Sherlock Holmes exhibit.  It was AWESOME!  I went through it quickly because I had the little boys.  Even Harrison and Bennett enjoyed it.  Sadly photography was not allowed in the exhibit.  If it comes to a museum near you, I highly recommend it!  If it comes back we are going to make it a date night event!  (no kids allowed next time)

We always have a big party on New Years Eve, but this year that got postponed because of all the illness going on in our home.  We celebrated New Years Eve about 5 days late.  We invited several couples over to eat Chinese food with us, and play games.  Only two couples could come in the end.  It was perfect.  Fun, but low key, which is really what I needed.  Sadly I was busy having too much fun because I took NO pictures!  

I do have a picture of this mishap however.  Our friend Kevin put their 2 year old in our bed to sleep along with a sippie cup that was NOT spill proof.  It was just water, but they left about 1 AM with a soaked little girl, and left us with a soaked bed.  Good thing Jason got me a brand new hair blow drier for Christmas.  Jason had fallen asleep downstairs on the couch.  I got it all dry before dragging him up to bed. 

 One of my favorite parts of this week was finally catching up with season 4 of Downton Abbey online.  If you're still in the middle of it, keep watching!  The last episode of season 4 is one of my most favorites ever!

 On Sunday (the day before school started back up!) I was home sick with sick kids.  A friend saw these two cute, sweet brothers crossing the gym after church.  She posted it on facebook.  This shot totally warmed my heart, and for a few seconds I thought that maybe I didn't want these sweet babies to go back to school.  I very quickly snapped out of it, and remembered how much they love school, and I would just be mean to make them stay home with me!  HAHA!

Harrison and Bennett

Driving Home From Church

Sunday's are quite crazy around here.  I wish they weren't, but they just are.  

After three hours of church, Harrison usually strips off his clothes on the way home.  We have scolded, begged and pleaded with him to not do this.  It leaves a huge mess, and even ruins his clothes.  He has ripped many buttons of his white church shirts.  Grrrrrr.....

One afternoon Theo found these goggles, begged to have them on, and wore them all the way home!

In the Autumn we love to drive home from church a different route just so we can 

drive down this lane lined with these gorgeous trees!

It is not uncommon for Theo to crash before we are even out of the church parking lot. 

Church tends to wear us all out.

For sure our favorite activity after we get home is to cuddle and hang out together.

"Group Selfie" - we've been taking a lot of these lately.

Brother Time

It is really fun doing what I get to do.  Witnessing what I get to witness on a daily basis.  Watching little boys grow up, and developing a strong brotherly bond.  This post is dedicated to them.  

On a Sunday afternoon.  I was trying to take a nap.  It didn't work.  It turned into a "selfie" session.

Bennett loves Theo a lot, but he really adores his little 9 month old cousin Norah, whom he's never even met in person.

Yesterday morning I was laying in bed with Bennett in the morning.  Max brought Theo into us.  Bennett excitedly greeted him.  "Good morning baby!  Did you sleep good?  You are so cute! ....I love Norah."  Theo smiled at him with admiration the whole time, and was not offended at all.

It's too much to have 3 little boys into the bath at once.  We usually get Theo out pretty fast, add a bit more water to the tub, and then Harrison jumps in and joins Bennett.  Recently Theo has not liked this plan so much.  He wants to be in the tub with brothers playing.  We have a hard time keeping him away.

Bennett trying really hard to keep Theo in the picture with him.  It doesn't always work out.

I really love that these three all have an apron, and want to help me bake.  This usually happens on a Sunday afternoon.  Here we are making Strawberry Muffins.

  

I've posted stories and videos on here before about Harrison singing songs.  He's been singing a lot to Theo lately.  I captured this recently.  He came in as I was cuddling with Theo, and about to go lay him down.  He wanted to sing him to sleep.  I told him he could try, and he did pretty well.  Theo was actually laying down, and starting to fall asleep, until the song got a bit too up beat.  This video makes me laugh so hard every time I watch it.  

Last week Max was gone all day, every day, at cub scout day camp.  He came home one day to his eager and bored brothers.  He dressed them all up like Pirates and they ran all around the yard, house and neighborhood for an hour before dinner.  Max was the strongest, Harrison was the scariest, and Bennett was the hairiest.  

Bathing beauties.  Summertime joys!

Every now and then the brothers hurt each other.  Sometimes on purpose, sometimes on accident.  On this day Bennett tripped over Theo, who was busy digging in a kitchen cupboard.  When Bennett landed on him he slammed Theo's head into the bottom edge of the cupboard.  It was so sad!  Theo had a concussion.  He started throwing up in the middle of the night.  It took him a couple of days before he was back to normal.  I was pretty freaked out.  Jason was good at monitoring the situation.  

I really love being their mom.  I have the best job ever.  Nothing is better than watching them form their personalities and relationships.  My biggest complaint is that it is going too fast.