THEY ARE BACK

This is just for me to vent--and I have been doing a lot of that lately. Especially the past 2 1/2 months, but also a lot this past week!
Kassie and RJ have arrived home and I am done in! I am to old for this full-time mothering.
We once had a patient at Dr. Reiser's office say that being a mother was "SO DAILY" and it was only her first baby! How did other women make it through the day, week or even month. Well, it is daily and in the past eight days, I have had at least one child with me--generally two and sometimes three. I got RJ's mother to come up and watch them for an hour while I went to the grocery store. Isn't that pathetic that one hour seems like a week when you have cabin fever?
I don't really have a lot of patience with children, but I lose my patience a lot more when Austin comes home from school and starts picking fights with Ashlynne and then the crying and whining begin. He listens so well in class and helps the teacher a lot. He also ought to know better than pick a fight with her, because, like Genette (and still like Genette), Ashlynne fights back and can sometimes get the best of him.
I have tried reasoning, bribery, threats, reverse psycology, you name it I have tried it, and still he is ruthless.
Then there is Andrew! Man this kid has really done me in---I really don't remember Austin and Ashlynne being so needy at 2 years old. Maybe because he is the third child that neediness takes over. But he is tough on me and I just want to crawl in a hole somedays without this child--even though I love him. I maintain that he is possessed. He is a little demon. He gets mad, he will head butt you, you tell him no and he will haul off with a nice punch or slap to the face--sometimes he tries to cratch out your eyes--but he is so cute, but at near-fifty he is wearing me out far too fast.
Ashlynne is a little prima-dona. She will sing all the songs, dance all the dances, all while watching herself in the mirror. If she spots lipstick--it has to go on at least ever 2 minutes and she is constanlty checking out the placement of said lipstick in the mirror. I really hasn't helped much in the past week that she now has a "boyfriend", she is much worse when sheknows she is going to see him!!!
Now to Kass and RJ--They cam home, talked to the kids for about 20 minutes, went to their room, started to argue and ignored their children for another 30 minutes, came out to put them to bed and now I can say--it's great to have them home. It is such a peaceful, restful, spiritually enlightening downer when they are home. The sad thing is that it is those three adorable children that suffer and there is no changing them. They are both as stubborn as jack-asses and neither will give in.
So now I have bented and vitched.....I can go to bed in my own bed that I haven't felt in over a week!

BEFORE AND AFTER

Did I mention that I have had these kids for eight days in a row and one or more at my side, or at least in the near vicinity of my side, while their mother and father did a "pseudo honeymoon" in Cabo San Lucas.

Ashlynne's hair did turn out cute, thanks to that adorable 6 year old brother of hers. I actually laughed about it when it happened. I am not so sure mom and dad are going to feel the same. I know her Grandma Cindy was none to happy about the cutting of the locks. FYI: Mom and dad don't know about the damages yet, so this will be very interesting when they arrive home tomorrow night to see the biggest damage of the week--unless of course the house burns down or a tree falls into the house form the wind! Let's just pray that this all doesn't happen!!

Other things that have happened this week are: Andrew threw a heavy toy at me on Monday and bloodied my lip and it was fat for 2 days. Austin wasn't at all happy with me when I told him "NO" the other day when he wanted something---he felt he deserved it because he is Austin and he picked up his plate and threw his food all over the kitchen! (I wonder why I detest sweeping and mopping all the time). Austin and Andrew have both been sick and having all three home during the day yesterday just about did me in! And although Austin was sick with fever, flu symptoms, etc--he certainly didn't act sick!

Ashlynne went on her first official date with the little boy down the street. Andrew is absolutely in love with her and yammers on about her all day to his poor mother, until she finally gives in and gets Ashlynne down to play or takes her with them to the aquarium. They had a great time and he was actually mad at his big brother for talking to her. I told my mother she may have a wedding to attend when she gets home in 7 months!

Andrew's mother and I have been laughing about this for a week--who knew that 4 1/2 years olds could be so enamoured with someone else of that age. He winks at her, fixes his hair for her, is jealous about her--it is so funny!!! I guess I will have to get her to go to church more often if we are planning on a "Temple Wedding". What's the going age these days without having to have parental consent?

there have been other things that have put me over the edge, but these are what stick out right now and that I can think of at 12:00 at night!

Wish me luck that I live through til tomorrow evening! I told Kassie tonight when she talked to the kids on the phone that I was walking out the door as they are coming in. I think I will leaving Dodge as soon as they return--this is just far too much for one near 50 year old to handle!

THE CATS ARE AWAY-THE MICE HAVE PLAYED

This 4 1/2 year old has, or rather had, hair down to nearly her mid-back. Tonight, while I was talking to my sister in the living room, the two big kids, Austin and Ashlynne, were in the kitchen being awfully quiet. A few minutes later, my sister headed for the kitchen and much to her surprise,











This is what she found. Austin, a pair of scissors and a sister without a big chunk of hair from the back and from her side. Andrew and Kelson were just observing the incident as innocent bystanders!
I must say I thought is was rather humorous and I wondered when it was ever going to happen and quite frankly I am surprised it hasn't happened earlier, but of course it had to happen this week while their mom and dad are in sunny Cabo San Lucas, Mexico taking a belated honeymoon and attending the wedding of one of RJ's cousins.

Needless to say--Ashlynne will be getting a lot more hair cut off tomorrow, thanks to Austin and his not so adequate haircutting skills.

THE BIG "6"

Austin turned 6 on November 2nd. It is very hard for me to beleive that this little guy is now in Kindergarten, learning to read and turning SIX. How time flies!
His party was held on the weekend because all of his family is scatered throughout Davis and South Salt Lake Counties.
We had Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Some came where they had to chase each other and step their tail off. At first I thought is was a new version of Pin The Tail on the Donkey and that RJ had gone just a little mad. The kids loved it though. Even the littlest of children. andrew thought it was great just to run, run, run.
They got to hit the pinata and needless to say that a week after Halloween is not the time to fill your children up on more candy, but that is what they did.
Then it was off for cake and ice cream, presents and home to bed--they were exhausted!!!
Happy Birthday Austin...We love you bunches!!!!!