BALANCE?

So, I have been thinking a lot today about balance. You know moderation in ALL things... Is there such a thing? Does it exist? Has it ever? Here are my gripes about balance... Tips are much appreciated if you have any.
#1 - The house: Last week we had an appraiser coming out and I think my house looked the most amazing it ever has since we moved in, minus a couple of closets. I spent days cleaning, painting, organizing and vaccuming over and over. So, unfortunately, after he came I felt a need to take a break and now it shows. Why can't I have the adrenelin rush every day? I could try to fool myself into thinking an appraiser is coming, but I just don't think it would work. I just finished mentally pushing myself into cleaning the kitchen, doing dishes and scrubbing the floor. Now, all I want to do is waste the day blogging. :) Alas, the vaccuming and laundry is calling my name. Not to mention the shower that still hasn't been taken today!

#2 - The kids: I thought I was doing pretty good this morning. I have recomitted myself to not using my irritated voice every time they don't listen, which is more frequent every day. I went to scrub their toilet and they wanted to help. So, by all means, I let them! Then they wanted to do my bathroom and so I let them, even though they were supposed to be cleaning their own room. Next thing I know they are downstairs with my bucket of cleaning supplies wanting to scrub the garage floor - it was actually quite amusing! Exit funny, enter drama. We went outside to eat lunch and I explained that when we were done we would do summer homework and reading. Well, I may as well have told Ty there was no Christmas this year. I got him to read, but if he can't pronounce a word it is over! I try to encourage, but I guess I'm not that good? Next, I moved on to homework. Gabe is entering kindergarten and so I have been drilling him on letters and sounds and phone number, address, all the stuff they should know. I was super excited at how well he did today so I gave him his "props" and Tyler was instantly the martyr. He spilled out how stupid he is cause he doesn't know his address and he can't work the t.v. and XBox like Gabe! I sent Gabe to start cleaning their room while I worked with Ty, since I could see the competition building. I asked Ty if he thought his teacher would care more about his ability to read and do math or to work the XBox? I explained that he was able to do things Gabe can't and I worked him through it. In the mean time I went upstairs and Gabe was happily cleaning his room making it into a game. All because of a little praise. Kids are amazing! I guess as an adult I like my "props" too - especially when I have my house in order - not just clean. So, I have at least succeeded with one child today. But, where is the balance? How do I succeed with all three in one day?

#3- Food: So, because I am pregnant I kind of don't care what I eat lately. I thought it gave me the right to free reign, because I know once I have the baby I will be on a seriously different diet for the next year trying to loose all this weight. I have gained more than I usually do in the 2nd trimester, but I had only gained two at my last appointment so I was feeling pretty good. Then I get the phone call today from the doctor's office telling me my glucose levels came back a little elevated and they want me to come in for the 3 hour test in a couple of weeks. YUK! So, I have been terrified to go near sweets today and that is what our pantry is stocked with the most of. I called Rog and we decided we need to make some serious eating habbit changes, but it still stinks. Where is the pay off for having the right to be fat right now? Hopefully the next test is just fine. However, it will make me think twice before having that ice cream before I go to bed!

#4- The spouse: So, Roger and I really do try to date. Sometimes I am stingy cause we don't have the money for both a babysitter and dinner, so we take the kids with us to dinner. The main problem with our relationship is it is very there or so very not there. Let me explain. He gets home from work random hours daily. I never know if it will be 4:00 (Hurray!) or 8:00. He only has meetings once a week for about an hour and he will be going on visits now, being the ward mission leader. So, not a big deal. But, he comes home exhausted most days and just needs time to veg. Being a boss and running the business himself makes him mentally tired more than not I think. So, we sometimes go the whole evening without much conversation at all. This is why I enjoy the weekends I think. Cause I actually feel like I have a husband and he is with me. Don't get me wrong. I very much appreciate all we have been blessed with, but I wish I could take away some of the stress it puts on his brain. Dating is the key to our marriage for now. Once we add the baby in September I am sure our time will be even more valuable.

#5 - Spirituality: Sometimes super lacking! I am trying to not be a doer just to do it. But for now this is how I am surviving some things. I know reading and praying and attending the temple are super important! I do have a testimony of those things. But, do you ever feel like you are floating along and doing these things without actually getting anything from them? Like my brain is so melted down with the things I need to do I forget the things that are most important and that I fell in love with doing before I had a family and a home and a calling. I still love feeling the spirit and there is no denying the truthfulness of it all, but right now I have been feeling lost in my desire to do it. Just one more thing? My heart knows it is true and this is what I am leaning on at the moment. I guess priorites need to be evaluated and more emphasis on the things that will bring me true happiness need to be a must, then all things will fall into place right? Sometimes that is a whole lot easier said than done! Here's to effort.

So, balance... any tips are appreciated!

Hiii-yah!!!

Just some goofy pictures of my kids this morning doing their "kung fu" moves. We went to see Kung Fu Panda last weekend and now my boys like to wear their church ties around their forheads. Haleigh saw "the brothers" (as she lovingly calls them) with these ties and she had to have one too. I don't know how they got her to do a move for the pic but it is pretty funny! My kids have great imaginations.

7 going on 16

So, okay, my son Tyler who is only 7 is so acting like a teenager in every way these days! Last week he was out playing with a friend and all of the sudden he's not in the backyard. So, I being the "responsible" mom that I am decided he must've just gone to Ben's house which is right behind our house and to the left. So, I didn't call to check up on that, but all the sudden he's back and so are 5 other kids (and a couple) of mom's. These kids were all dressed in costumes because Tyler and Ben ran invitations around - yes they even made invites - saying we were having a costume party. So, I have to humbly explain to these moms that I had no idea that he had done this - again really responsible huh? One mom thought it was very creative, which I thought was the last word I would use. Needless to say he was grounded the next day - mostly for going down the street without asking. Now I can look back and kind of chuckle, but it was a stressful moment in my parenting life. So, then today, one week from the costume incident, Ty and Gabe were in the back yard playing and I got a phone call. So, after hanging up I notice it is pouring rain and I needed to call them in. But, they weren't there. I went all around the yard calling for them and finally I hear them in the back again and this time they inform me they went to a neighbors house were they were having a yard sale. They took the change from a piggy bank and bought a couple of toys. Now I wasn't too happy at first, again because they left the yard and because they spent their money without asking. I told them firmly that they are not adults and they still need to check in with me before leaving the yard and spending their money - which I am sure really impacted them? So, now they are sitting on the couch, grounded once again. I don't think Gabe would ever attempt something like this on his own, and I am sure Tyler is the mastermind behind most of these things, which makes me so worried for when he actually is a teenager! I can kind of laugh at it at this moment in time, so I even took a picture of their "spoils"... As for Haleigh, she has taken to hiding when she poops, and when I ask if she did she always says no. So I took a picture of the crusty look she gave me after finding her in the corner "not pooping." I hope you all enjoy my drama more than I do these days! I'm sure you will all get a laugh at my expense, either because you've gone through it or because kids do the darndest things!

Happy Father's Day!!!

Just a little tribute to my husband, the father of my children, who puts up with the fact that I take pictures of everything! He doesn't always smile, but I wanted to share the "many faces" of Roger! Happy Father's day to all the Dad's (and future father's)! Here's to the men who work hard and put up with the emotions of us women (especially when we are pregnant)! Love you babe.

Water!!!

I don't know what it is with kids and water, but if you have kids you know it is a magnet. I bought the kids a small slip and slide for summer and the boys wanted to play with it. So, we got it out and within a matter of minutes Haleigh decided she would join the boys fully clothed while I was distracted talking to our neighbor. I got some pretty good pics to share. Later in the day we pulled out the big water slide, you know the one that attracts all the neighbor kids! The boys love it, but Haleigh hated this one. Last year she screemed and this year she bore it more willingly, but I had to torture her and make her go down twice, once for a video and once for a picture! I know, I am a cruel mother. (What can I say? Love my cameras!) Hopefully I get some more fun summer pics soon to share with you all, but for now enjoy!