giving thanks

Thanksgiving weekend was quite enjoyable this year. We started the morning off at the gym trying to offset the damage we were going to do to our bodies that afternoon. I guess we pushed the twins a little too hard on their exercises because this is how we found them during lunch. And although dinner wasn't at Grandma & Grandpa Farnsworth's home like usual, we still had a Farnsworth size feast. (Not that I ate anything other than rolls, mashed potatoes, and pie... why waste my stomach room on the "extras" like turkey and vegetables?)

But the food looked great and the company was as charming as always.

After our meal we went on a family stroll to take advantage of the nice weather. Although Auburn decided she was done walking and would prefer a full blown tantrum on the side walk.

By the end of the lovely day, Auburn's attitude seem to spread to the rest of the family. Troy did spend the evening in the ER with Ella and ear infections...so at least she had an excuse!

Nevertheless, I am grateful for all the wonderful blessings in my life...I have many.

3 going on 13

I just got my first

" I hate you!"

from Ella. I told her she needed a shirt on under her dress ups so she wouldn't be cold. She has been screaming now for 30 minutes. I told her to go in her room until she was done screaming.

That's when those dreaded words came, those words that just began the rest of my teenage

(yes, she's only three)

daughter raising years.

:(

E for Effort

For Veteran's Day we went to play tennis with Karen. All the courts were locked except for one that was being used. By the time we made it around to check all the other locks, the unlocked court became available. We tried playing but were horrible! We thought we had lost our obvious "skills" but then realized that it was so dark we could barely see the ball. (At least that's our story, and we're stickin' to it.)

Chalk it up as another E for Effort.

book fair

Dallin was having a family picnic at school in conjunction with the school Book Fair. Being a sucker for family outings and books, I was excited to take the girls to join him.

Lunch was a spectacle.. nothing out of the ordinary for us. So when Dallin was finally finished eating we eagerly went to check out the book fair.

I had told Dallin we could get something special at the fair (I'm always looking for excuses to buy books!) But when we got inside the tiny cramped portable, Dallin had another special treat in mind.... a huge bug vacuum. I was at my wits end already with the three girls running every which way pulling down books every where they walked and now Dallin starts into hysterics. Tears, wailing tears, because he doesn't want a book from the BOOK fair, he wants a toy. It's called a BOOK fair for a reason!! I was trying to console him in the corner while prying the bug vacuum from his fingers. It wasn't working. Time passed. Too much time, I knew there were going to be consequences. I stood up and spanned the crowded room knowing I had lost at least one of my children. And sure enough, after crawling under all the tables and shelves to find Ella and Allison, Auburn was gone. It's funny though, I wasn't even panicked. I didn't have enough energy to panic. I just waltzed out the door with three screaming kids on my hips (yes, my poor hips were outnumbered). And as I loaded up the stroller I heard the "Lost Child" announcement on the loud speaker. Then I began the walk of shame. From the very back of the lunch group, I had to lug my crying 5 year old, my 3 year old who is clutching a stolen book from the fair, and a dangling 18 month old to claim her match. My face (and my apparent situation) just dared anyone to say something or make mental judgement. Let's give it up to mother of the year. See ya at next year's book fair.