And so I begin to regret the $3 toy from Target.

Bridget had a birthday yesterday. Her present from her sisters was a toy microphone from Target (that amplifies the voice a bit.) All I've heard since is, "She has my microphone! Give me back my microphone! Mommy, she took it!"

Aaaagh. You'd think after 4 years they'd have learned to share, but no...

I am counting the days...

...until tax season is over.

It's been much easier this year than last but still, I'm about ready for it to be done! Jeff has started working "real tax season hours" the past few weeks, and it's getting to all of us. Maggie asks for him all the time, wants to hear his voice on the phone (even if he's not talking to her, but to a client, she'll just walk around listening to him for half an hour.) Emma and Bridget are cranky and restless. I am short-tempered (well, more than usual...) Jeff is exhausted and even his infinite patience begins to wear a bit thinner.

Luckily, next week it's over for the year. Yay!

Then, we're going to Disneyland. Because, we're not tired enough. :p

Maggie's latest "accomplishment"

Maggie, after months and months of me trying to get her to, finally learned to sign "please" in church this morning.

Of course, after doing is several times, she then refused to sign it to Abba. Only when she's alone with Mommy.

Heheheh. Typical.

(Don't you love how they each come out with their own personality?)

Busy busy busy.

It's been a hectic week. Last Sunday Jeff and Emma went to church; I stayed home with Maggie and Bridget because we couldn't risk Bridget getting sick (she keeps catching stuff at church.) It worked, she stayed healthy enough that on Tuesday she finally had her broken tooth extracted (and a bunch of other work done.) She'll get her prosthetic put in on Jan. 9 (they took the mold Tue.)

Friday we were supposed to go to Jeff's work Christmas dinner, had my dad lined up to watch the older 2 and anything. We'd been told that we could bring Maggie-- but on Wed. they changed their minds and said no. Okay. Their loss-- I hear with all the people that weren't able to get sitters not there it was rather dull. WE on the other hand had fun; we went out to dinner at Outback instead. After dinner we browsed the Linens and Things going-out-of-business sale and picked up a heated matress pad for half off ($40 for a dual-control, king-size pad.) Oooh, that's gonna be nice with it so cold. Now, to get the apartment complex to fix Bridget's window, which the landscaping people broke last summer and they STILL haven't fixed...

We finally got all our stuff finished for the Hatrack gift exchange (we were running late this year.) Finally got it all together and boxed up and out on Saturday (only one day late...) Yesterday we took those to the P.O. and also got other stuff ready for Christmas (stocking stuffers at Big Lots, using up the $10 coupon we got the Sat. after Thanksgiving, thrift store for the rest. Emma and Bridget are each getting a nap pillow/blanket set; Maggie is getting some new bath towels since our old ones are rather trashed; each girl gets one new dress-- well, Emma and Bridget are getting jumpers with a blouse/shirt under it, and Maggie is getting a dress-- hers is Land's End, quite a find, Bridget's is pink, her favorite, and Emma's has Tinkerbell, she's on a Disney kick. They're all getting books from us and picked out some to give to each other.)

Today we all made it to church (though Maggie had to go home after Sacrament because she was exhausted and cranky but wouldn't nap with all the distractions.) When they got home somehow Emma's dress got ripped at the waist. It's a brand new dress. (It matches her sisters'.) I am Not Pleased. I will have to figure out how to fix it-- I think I'll have to gather it and then tuck it under and sew it under the seam. *sigh*

We were going to assemble the gingerbread house kit Jeff's mom sent but we all took a nap instead. We'll try to get the foundation together tomorrow so we can decorate when Jeff gets home.

I did get some presents wrapped up this weekend (most but not all.) Emma kept coming in and then saying, "I'll try not to look!" LOL! I had to chase her out by saying, "You don't want to spoil your surprise, do you?" She answered, "No, I will not spoil it!" And finally found something else to do.

We still have to get all the out-of-state presents boxed up and sent (I guess we'll visit the UPS store soon) and there's some more present-wrapping to do-- but first I have to find the other wrapping paper, none of what I have left is big enough! And some cookie baking, I am planning Forgotten Cookies sometime soon. I already made Gumdrop Cookies. Mmmm. I think I need to go eat another one now...

Been busy...

Went trick or treating for Halloween. (May have pics at some point, may not.)

Traded beds with my aunt (her king for our full) and all the attendant cleaning, moving of furniture, and hauling of mattresses to make that happen.

Bridget has a snotty nose and cough; think Maggie may be coming down with it.

Trying to keep the kiddos from going crazy with the candy (which is kept out of reach and rationed out); last night Emma said a prayer before her dinner (they were eating before us) that went, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, please bless that I will grow strong and healthy and not eat too much sugar..."

Grumpiness seems to abound anyway. Emma was making upset noises and I asked her what was the matter. She said, "I'm not going to tell you." I asked why not, and she replied, "Because it's JUST MY answer! I'm not going to answer you because it's my answer!" *sigh* Four year olds...

Keep getting annoying political calls. We voted 2 weeks ago (we're permanent absentee voters.) Can't wait for the stupid thing to be done with.

Maggie is crawling (not creeping, up off the ground; crawling, like a Marine.) She also rolls very precisely in the direction she wants to go. This is quite a leap from a few days ago. She seems to enjoy it. Likes to play with anything she can get her hand on, and shred paper like the cats do. Has destroyed 2 books so far ("We READ the books, we don't EAT the books" has become a common refrain.)

Went to the library two or 3 weeks in a row now. Getting to be a tradition now, after dance class on Thursdays. I think I like it. It seems good for me. Just found out that you can now pay your library fines online (for a long time you could view them and pay by phone, but they've added a credit card interface, apparently.) Coolness.

Finally decided what to make for Christmas gifts. Can't wait for Thanksgiving. Jeff is taking time off that week. Not sure if we'll get out of town or not. Hoping so, really want a change of pace.

Feeling very good some days, weepy and frustrated others. Some days I'm upset with myself and disappointed in how little self-control I seem to have, how I sometimes snap too readily at my kids. I think I need to remember that this is a partnership, not just between me and my husband, but between us and Heavenly Father. They're His kids, too, and I can ask Him for help in parenting them the way He wants it done. But it's hard to remember that when you have a migraine and they WON'T stop jumping on you and they're making messes in the room they've been told not to enter and breaking things and life just makes you want to cry and scream in frustration. Other days they are a joy, helpful and kind and loving with each other, and that makes me ashamed I don't treat them all the time the way I want them to treat each other.

I think the election is adding a lot of stress to our household, on top of the rest of it. I'll be REALLY glad when it's over. Did I say that already? Also dealing with multiple insurance companies and agencies trying to get Bridget's tooth covered. We're about ready to pay for it ourselves. Why do we have insurance if we have to pay for it out of pocket or wait eight months to get a potentially life-threatening condition treated? So annoying.

But then the weather is changing and that makes me happy. I try to find happiness in the small things around me that I enjoy. I try to do things that make me happy and help the kids do them too. Bridget likes to be read to and get to sit in a lap. Maggie likes just about any one-on-one playtime. Emma loves to help me cook. I try to let her as much as possible because that is a GOOD habit to develop. Personally, I would love to get away to a little cafe/bookstore, sip a cup of cocoa, eat a yummy sandwich, and read some good secondhand mystery. Very unlikely that will happen, though... Oh, well, at least I can go to the library and snatch a few words here and there from a good old Mary Higgins Clark (whom I have just discovered, after years of rather unintentional avoidance, that I really like.)

A Public Service Announcement to All Two Year Olds:

Finger painting is to be done with finger paints (and permission.) Not poop.

I just spent half an hour scrubbing poop off crib and wall (and disinfecting the mattress to boot), while Jeff (who got home just after I found the mess, thankfully) bathed Bridget (the tub is now soaking in hot bleach water so I can drain it in about 10 minutes, scrub it out, and rinse it), and got her shirt soaking (luckily for us, all she had been wearing, other than the training pants she pulled off.)

We threw out the sheet. It was already stained and has seen the births of three kids, and, well, it was such a mess it wasn't worth the work to clean it at this point. We have other sheets.

I almost took a picture but have decided that I really don't want to remember it that vividly.

Thank goodness for Lysol wipes.

Please, two year olds, give your parents a break. Respect the finger painting rules. Poop is for potties and diapers, not for artwork.

That is all. Thank you.

"Happy bubble!"

So, the kids were playing in the living room. I was trying to watch Medium (hooray! New episodes are back!)

All of a sudden I heard a sound like the "whoosh"ing of a foam coming out of an aerosol container (think whipped cream, yes?) followed by Emma laughing and Bridey clapping and yelling "Happy bubble! Happy bubble!" I go out and what do I see?

THEY HAVE FOUND A CAN OF SHAVING CREAM, SPRAYED IT ALL OVER THE WALL OVER THE COUCH, AND PLASTERED A DECK OF "GO FISH" CARDS TO THE WALL WITH THE SHAVING CREAM. AAAAAAAACK!

To make it worse shaving cream had incidentally been splattered all over the back of the couch cover-- the brand new, just-washed couch cover. Grrrr.

I tried to have Emma take down and wipe down cards with me but she was just making more of a mess. So I wiped the cards and the hugest chunks of the shaving cream left on the wall, cleaned the couch, and then set her to washing the rest of the shaving cream off the wall. And the "Go Fish" cards have been taken away for the duration of a week because they were not used properly.

"Happy bubble." Yeah, right. AND I missed the climax of Medium.