"Mom-go back to the family room."

The other day I was exercising in the family room while my 3 year old was supposedly watching cartoons on my bed, when I was done, I went to check on her. She wasn't on my bed. She was hiding under my bed chomping down a large Ziploc bag full of hard candies.
"What are you doing?" I asked her. "You know that candy isn't yours..."

Most kids caught red handed may be a little nervous, scared, intimidated...not her. She casually came out from under the bed, looked at me and said, "Mom, go back to the family room." Love that girl...

"You owe it to yourself..."

A couple of of months ago Peter was looking for a new car. Well, let me clarify, "new to him" car. He drives about 50 miles a day in his commute and so he wanted a cheap little commuter car. One night he was talking to guy in our neighborhood who had just leased a new Mercedes. Peter was telling him about looking for a cheap little car, our neighbor then said to him, "Peter, you owe it to yourself to get a nice car." Peter said it's the first time he's really been tempted and was thinking, "yeah, I do owe it to myself." 

Needless to say he ended up with a used Hyundai Elantra. However, "you owe it to yourself" has now become one of our favorite little phrases. For example, driving by the gas station an ice cold Diet Dr. Pepper is saying, "Come on Brandi, you owe to yourself." OK, maybe I'm just using it as an excuse, but don't you really sometimes, "owe it to yourself?" You work hard, you sacrifice and serve others, so go ahead, "you owe it to yourself." Maybe one day it really will be that little Mercedes, but until then, I'll take an icy cold Diet Dr. Pepper. ;)

FHE

My 6 year old gave the lesson at Family Home Evening tonight. She has had it ready for days. After 20 minutes, we finally had to tell her to wind it up. If not we could possible still be sitting there. I was impressed with all she had prepared on her own. Her lesson was on kindness. Is it ironic that her 10 year old brother was constantly making comments under his breath? And that as soon as the lesson was over they immediately began fighting about the treats we were eating? 
Oh, good times! I've been told by people older and wiser than I that I will miss these days. So, in honor of the lesson, I am taking a time out so I can be kind and tuck those 4 little cuties in bed. Goodnight and here's to another Monday night of trying! :)

Family...

I love my family, I honestly do, and I'm not just referring to my husband and 4 kids. I'm talking the whole gigantic bunch of them. I love it when we get together for dinners, go on road trips, the holidays, I love it all!
You could say I would do anything for them. Well, until recently, and I was asked to "do anything" and I uh, declined. Which then bought me an express ticket on the guilty train, with a quick stop in Angryville and a walk done Frustrated Street.
It's been a few days, so I think I'm just about arriving in Recoveryville, but honestly it hasn't been a fun few days. I'm hoping I'll still be accepted at the Thanksgiving table come November...
If any of the brood end up reading this I just want them all to know, that I love your guts! But I have discovered "no" is part of my vocabulary... (smiley face) 

Please stop by, the toilet is clean!

Yes, this is my post for today, the toilet is clean! Yesterday one of my most awesome friends showed up from out of town. I was so happy to see her! She had not been to our house since we moved. Of course she got "the tour" and then at one point she had to use our bathroom. This is my disclaimer as she walked to the bathroom, "I know it already smells like pee, I'm sorry!" She, being the polite, awesome, wonderful person that she is, just laughed and then had to unfortunately use our pee smelling bathroom. Thus the excitement of having a now clean bathroom. I have a 3 year old though, so come quickly, it won't last long! As a side note on cleaning the toilet, when I was finished, the previously mentioned 3 year old said, "Thanks mom, for cleaning my toilet." I almost cried! Then she said, "Now go clean my bedroom, it's really messy!"
2 seconds of awesome parent moment over. Have a great day!

Get your blog on...

Here I go, I've returned to the blogosphere. It has been over a year since I shared my wisdom with the internet world. ;)
I have recently been challenged by my husband to start writing. So, anyone that know's me, knows that I am way too competitive to back down from a challenge. I mean, I've done plenty of things in my life, just because I was challenged: cliff jumping, ran a 1/2 marathon, learned to water ski, learned to snow ski (wow this is making me sound rather adventurous) but now being home with 4 kids, this has what's become a challenge, writing a paragraph on the computer. So sad, but true...
I was cleaning out some boxes and came across some college papers I had written many moons ago. I was almost shocked at how smart I was. I wrote some pretty good stuff, and some of it was even in Spanish. So, that brought on the conversation with my husband that went something like this,
"Hey, you should read these papers, I used to be smart!"
My husband, "You are smart, you should do something about that, I've been telling you to write, start a blog..."
Fast forward to today, I am now writing a blog. I have now accepted the challenge. No one may ever even read this, but I guess it will be good for me, a journal if you will, of the real life of me, a stay at home wife & mom of 4 kids.
Here goes...