Happy Birthday

Andrew turned eight today. Andrew, my baby boy that I so vividly remember bringing home from the hospital and that I can just see growing up in my mind. I am so proud of him and the example he is to his brother and sisters and I don’t think that I could ask for much more in a son.
Tonight just before he went to bed, I told him eight things I love about him and I thought I better write them down and make them permanent
* He has a love for life that is completely contagious
* He has the best laugh
* He never wants to disappoint anyone (with the periodic exception of his little sister).
* He is always willing to try new things
* He is a peacemaker and seems to know when I need him to use that quality the most
* He still wants to be my friend
* He is so creative
* He knows who he is and is totally OK with it (it never bothers him that he is a boy and his favorite color is purple--even when other kids question that decision)

The list is already different from what I told him and I'm sure it could go on and on, but I'll leave it at that for now because I am sure you will hear more about him in the future I feel so lucky that he is my oldest child. He really helps keep me sane and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him around. I can honestly say that I couldn't hope for a better example for his younger brother and sisters. He is such a great influence in their lives and in our home!

Looking back on his life, I just smile when I picture him growing up. He has always been a bright spot in my life and I know that he will be for years to come! I just can’t wait to see what those years bring!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!!

School--part 2

Madeline started kindergarten today which means I got to go through the motions of the first day of school all over again . The new outfit, the new backpack, pictures by the tree, and then my least favorite part, walking her to her classroom and saying goodbye. She is so much fun and I know that I am going to miss her a ton this year. School really does make me sad, I think I'd just rather have my kids here, with me, than anywhere else. Now I'm not saying I want to home school my kids or anything (that would be a nightmare for everyone involved), but I do wish that I could always keep them with me so that I can protect them from the world. (I guess I could give them a periodic break so that I can also protect them from me.) I just worry so much more when they're not here for me to be able to guide them through whatever comes their way. I also know they can't really learn with me guiding them through everything they face, but I just want to protect them from unnecessary pain and heartache. I guess that I just have to trust them to make the right decisions and when they don't I can just be grateful that they had that experience to learn from. But enough about how I felt today, Madeline was anything but sad. She was so excited to start school. She has been reading for more than a year now so kindergarten really will be a breeze, but we both are excited for her to have the chance to meet new friends and try new things. We already love her teacher and both of us know that she has a so much fun in store for her this year! I'll keep you posted!

*And now, a preview of School-part 3, which will be released this time next week. Preschool starts next week and Ben can't wait. After we dropped Madeline off today, he walked away with his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. When I could finally get him to talk about what was wrong he told me that he just wished he could start school today!

Definition of Drama?

In our house, the word Madeline has always been synonymous with drama, but yesterday that may have changed slightly. Let me explain--she discovered her first loose tooth sometime this summer. Due to her drama and anxiety issues, she has been very cautious to let anyone wiggle that tooth. One day she was brave and let me give it an aggressive wiggle, but after she realized that my wiggles were accompanied with pain, she took away my privilege of touching her tooth with more than one finger--and that finger has to be the pinkie because she figured it could do the least amount of damage. (It also means that she is smart not to trust me with anything else because we all know how that would end up.) Her tooth has been getting more and more loose all week and we were both kind of hoping it could be gone before she starts kindergarten tomorrow. All day long I kept asking her if she would just let me pull it out and she would always scream, kick and then tell me "no" (See what I mean about the drama?) Well after a day of trying to persuade her to let me have a go at it, I decided to give up. You can imagine my surprise when she came downstairs after we put her to bed and announced that she would like to get rid or her tooth "right now." I smiled and OK, I'd love to pull it out. She looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said "Actually mom, I was thinking we could tie a string to it and to the door and then slam the door." Craig and I just looked at each other with the same knowing look in our eyes, after all, this is Madeline we're talking about. She was pretty adamant so we agreed, and cautiously proceeded. I decided that I had better film the incident because it was sure to make great TV for us to laugh at for years to come. Just before the slamming incident, Craig and I looked at each other both expecting the worst, and on the count of three he shut the door. In an instant the tooth was out and the biggest surprise of all--no drama! All three of us were shocked; really truly--no drama! Our video was perhaps one of the most boring pieces of film we have taken in a while. But the good news is, the tooth is out, the tooth fairy has come and Madeline couldn't be prouder of herself. But this incident has left me with one nagging question--what is our new definition of drama? Sadly, I think I know the answer!

Peaches, peaches, peaches

Friday my friend Stephanie and I decided that we would be ambitious and bottle peaches. It never occurred to us that this might be a tricky task--who would think that anything would be tricky when you have nine kids underfoot? Lucky for us, it actually wasn't too bad; three of the nine were at school and the other six played together so well that sometimes we forgot they were there--we really only had to take care of them when hunger pains struck. Now, while we may have been lucky in the small amount of work the kids created, we were slightly unlucky in the amount of work the peaches created. We figured that we could bottle both of our peaches and be done at about the same time school got out--boy were we wrong. It literally took us all day, and two trips to the store. Thankfully Steph's husband has a great sense of humor and he really made us laugh. When he called to inform her that he was getting ready to come home, he was shocked to find out that we were still bottling peaches. He called back a few minutes later to tell us to turn on her computer and listen to the song he had uploaded, it was "Peaches" by PUSA (Presidents of the United States of America--stupid band name, but great song for the occasion.) It cracked us up and was a great way to end a long day in the kitchen with "millions of peaches."

"Mom, I'm almost eight. . .

"Mom, I'm almost eight and I've got to start looking good." This is what my son told me as I was about to rescind my offer of buying him a new shirt for the first day of school. We were at our seventh--yes I said seventh--store in search of the perfect shirt. Now before you think I am crazy let me set the record straight. I offered to buy each one of my kids a new shirt for the first day of school and I wisely gave them a $10 limit. For Andrew, finding the shirt wasn't the hard part, it was finding a shirt that fit within my specifications--there were plenty he liked for $24.50 and one that he absolutely loved for a mere $40. If I wasn't such a bleeding heart, I would have given up the search long before we hit the seventh store, but I couldn't bare the thought of sending Andrew off to school the first day without something new to make him feel extra special. Thankfully we were finally able to find the perfect shirt, Andrew was able to put together the perfect outfit, and I was able to send him on his merry way without a single guilty thought! Don't you just love happy endings!

School

I couldn't believe how excited Andrew was for the first day of school this year. He has been talking about it and looking forward to it for weeks. I think he is really excited to be in 2nd grade because it means that he is no longer the considered one of the youngest or the most inexperienced kids at the school--at least in his mind. He can't wait for the new freinds and the new challenges that are coming his way. I am so glad that he loves school so much and that he really looks forward to it, bu the first day of school is always bittersweet for me. On one hand, I am excited everything new--new shoes, new backpack, new shirt (which is a story all by itself) new teacher, new friends, new opportunities and so on. I also know that my kids generally have a good time while they are there, which makes me feel good, and that school is just something that they have to do. On the other hand, I get really sad when I realize that I have temporarily lost my spot to be the biggest guiding influence in their lives. It scares me to send my kids off into the world and just hope that people treat them well and that they know how to take care of themselves if they aren't' being treated well. I probably worry more than I should but since I'm their mom, I get to. I just hate not being there to celebrate all their successes with them, to praise them when they do well, and to catch them when they fall. (If I worry this much when I am sending Andrew off to 2nd grade, I can't imagine how I will feel when it come time for college or a mission--YIKES, I better not think about that now.) Thankfully I know that Andrew loves going to school, and I know that even if he has a bad day while he's there he gets to come home to me. And, at least for now, he lets me be the one to help him solve his problems and comfort him when we can't solve them! So I guess that I will take this minute to be sad and scared for him and tomorrow I will wake up and remember all the opportunities he will have and all the things that he will learn and that of course will make me feel better. And if I start to feel sad again, I will just remember the smile I get to see on his face when he first sees me after school and that will help me remember that I am lucky, because it means that home is still his favorite place to be!

"I don't really even like kids"

Tonight we went to Chili's for dinner and while there were many things that I could complain about, I will choose to take the high road and just offer one friendly piece of advice . Now I have never been a waiter, nor do I ever want to be, but I since I have had much experience eating out, I do feel qualified to offer this information to anyone aspiring to become a waiter. When a family with four small children is seated in your section, don't look at them with disdain mixed with fear and say "Are all those kids yours?" And when they reply "yes" definitely don't tell them "Oh, I don't really even like kids," because chances are the night will not end that great for you!

My brother the bishop

My big brother Greg was put in as the bishop of his ward yesterday. I think that my entire family was in shock when he told us about his new calling, partly because he is pretty young for that job and partly because he has four kids under the age of five--including five month old twins. Even though my initial reaction was shock, it was not because of who he is. He is such an amazing guy and now I have one more reason to look up to him. I am so proud of the person he is now and the person he is sure to become while serving in this capacity. He is a great husband, an amazing father, and has a big heart with a lot of love to give. I guess that he has come a long way from the boy who yelled at me and made me cry in the Indian Hills parking lot and the jerk who wouldn't share the Luv truck with me. I want him to know that I look up to him so much and feel so lucky to have him in my life. He is a good friend and a great example to me an my family and I want him to know that I no longer am shocked by his new calling because I know that he is up for the challenge and so capable of whatever comes his way!

Cherry Hill

We just got home from a very fun and very LONG weekend getaway to Cherry Hill. I told everyone that we were going camping, but I'm not really sure if this totally qualifies as camping. Yes, we slept (and I use that term very loosely) in tents, and yes we used a camp stove to cook our meals, but does it really count as camping when you have quick and easy access to watersides, miniature golf, batting cages, rock walls, playgrounds, arcades, and of course flush toilets? While you ponder the question of camping or not let me tell you about a few highlights of our trip. We went with our friends the Rices--Marc, Stephanie, McKenna, Kylie, Conner, Kelsey, and Cameron--and it was so fun to have them with us. Believe it or not, with all those people there wasn't one fight! Our kids get along so well and are such good friends that it just makes me smile to know that I have people like that in my life. We took part in all the activities that Cherry Hill had to offer, but of course some of the more memorable moments were the ones that were not planned. One of my favorite was that the Rice's were always missing at least one kid--usually Cameron. I would just crack up every time they would ask "Has anyone seen Cameron?" I also will never forget how sick Sarah and I were--thankfully my sickness was on the tail end when we got there, but Sarah's 3:00 a.m. shower our first night proved that hers wasn't. And did I mention that Sarah HATED the tent--she literally would cry as soon as we walked in it any time during the day which may sound funny now, but while I was living it, it was anything but. Then there was the rainstorm that pounded our tents Friday night--we just sat in there with the kids in awe of what was happening. And if that wasn't enough, at about 3:00 that morning, there was an aggressive windstorm that kept all the adults up for hours. Thankfully the kids slept through it. I will admit that I was kind of sad the night that Andrew, Madeline and Kylie decided to sleep in their own tent--it just reminded me that they were growing up and that I am not always their first choice anymore. But I was so proud of them, especially Madeline, for staying in that tent all night despite the rain and wind--I think that was pretty brave! Thankfully Marc was there with his new camera, because I realized that my camera had dead batteries as soon as we got there, so if it wasn't for Marc's new toy, we wouldn't have any pictures of our family--thanks Marc! (Pictures coming soon) All in all it was a great trip, but I am thrilled that tonight I get to sleep in my own bed because I don't think I could handle one more night in a tent!

Kids and clothes

Today I took my kids shopping to let them pick out something new to wear the first day of school. It made me laugh to see their personalities shine through in their choices. Ben was able to make his choice within minutes of walking into the store. He saw a green shirt with Yoda on it and just had to have it. He didn't even want to look at anything else--and it definitely didn't matter that the shirt was to big. It was cool and that was all he cared about. Madeline had a hard time picking something out. First, she wanted to look at all the skirts and dresses and while there were several really cute ones, there was no way that she was going to choose something that I found--after all, this was her first day of school and she needed to be the one to find and pick out her new duds. She ended up selecting a long sleeved skull and crossbones shirt and keeps hinting that I need to buy her something to wear along with it--go figure! Then there's Andrew. We went to three different stores in search of the perfect item. He almost bought a green polo shirt, he almost bought a striped polo shirt, and he almost bought a pair of shoes, but in the end, he walked away with absolutely nothing! He has always been very particular about how he looks, and I think he was looking for the perfect choice. which we can hopefully find sometime soon! Check back in a little while and you will be able to see the pic's of their new school duds--hopefully Andrew won't be topless by then!

Sick Day or Parade. . . .

Of all of my kids, Madeline gets hit the hardest by whatever stomach bug is going around. Last week Andrew got a bit of a stomach bug and although he was sick, he would get mad at me for making him take time to rest and slow down. When Madeline got it this week, her symptoms were so much worse and rather than making her rest, I had to make her get up to do little things like shower and stuff--aren't' I mean? She really does get completely wiped out by any stomach bug and I was sure that this one would take her three or four days to just get back to normal since it bothered Andrew for about a week. Thankfully, she had some motivation that helped speed up the healing process. Her gymnastic team was going to be in the Lindon Days parade and she really didn't want to miss that. She had a choice to make--sick day or parade? Well, I know that she didn't feel 100% but I do think that she willed herself to get better for the parade. She wanted to be in it so bad. After two days of just lying around completely lethargic and sticking to the B.R.A.T. diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast or bananas, rice, Airheads, and toast, depending on who you ask, she woke up on Saturday with a new view on life. We were lucky that she felt well enough to go to the parade and she did a great job in it. She looked so cute doing cartwheels in the middle of the street and I could just tell that she was proud of herself. It was fun for us to go watch as a family and support her and it ended up being a really great day! Oh w

Baby Steps

Last week I got to see the beginnings of a phase of babyhood that I love--WALKING!! That's right, Sarah took her first few unassisted steps this week. What's crazy is that she is only 9 1/2 months old. It is so cute to see such a little baby attempting such a grown up feat. But then again, none of my kids have felt a need to crawl for too long--I think they all saw crawling as a hurdle for them to overcome in order to walk, not as a way of getting around. I know that most people say that Sarah is too little to be walking, but I think that walking is one of my favorite baby stages. I love seeing how much their personality changes with the onset of walking and I think they just become so much more fun! I also love seeing those tentative first steps and the light that shines from their eyes when they realize what they have accomplished! Sarah was so excited as she first teetered across the back lawn between Craig and I--she absolutely ate up all the clapping and cheering she received. So while I know this is the beginning of the end of her being my "little" baby I just can't help but be excited for all the new adventures it will bring!

Remember when

Tonight Craig and I got two treats. First, we got to get out of the house without any kids! We are so lucky to have a babysitter who we can trust with everyone--I think this is the first time we have ever let anyone but us put Sarah to bed. Anyway, our second treat was that we got to get together with some old friends that we know from our college days at CEU. A couple of girls we were friends with put forth a lot of work and effort to locate people and plan a great night out. It was fun to see old friends and to hang out with them, but I think for me, the most fun part of the night was thinking about and remembering the fun that Craig and I had while we were still lived in Price. After all, CEU is where it all started for us. I'll never forget the day he hung around after ward prayer, and actually waited to talk to me. (If any of you know Craig well, you will know that patience is not his best quality--in fact to this day I can hardly believe that he actually waited--it still makes me feel twitterpated.) I was sitting on a desk at the back of the room and I think I talked to a few other guys before he finally could get a turn. I kind of knew he was waiting to talk to me and I also remember being so flattered that he would stick around and wait. I don't really remember what we talked about that night, I just remember leaving with the beginnings of a crush, which in turn led to so much more.

I think that with the craziness of our current lives, I tend to forget about the little moments that we used to have all to ourselves and how much fun we had together. Nowadays life is definitely not about us, but I am still grateful for all the little moments that help me remember when it was!

"Grandma's Smarties"

For those of you who know my mom it will come as no surprise that she has thought of something fun to do with my kids! She is starting a club called Grandma's Smarties. The whole purpose of this club is to get her grandkids reading and thinking about good books. This is how it works. She will buy each grandchild who can read a book that is a challenge for them. After they read it, they need to fill out a book report form and send it to her with a request for a new book. She will honor this request and hopefully create a lifelong love of reading and learning because of it. And don't worry, she couldn't forget about the non-readers so she got each of them a subscription to Zoobooks and made a little animal report form for them to send back to her.
Yesterday she took us to Borders and let everyone pick out a book Andrew picked Of Mice and Magic, by David Farland, Madeline picked Ruby the Red Fairy, the first in the Rainbow Magic series by , and Ben got A Frog in the Bog, by Karma Wilson. They were all so excited to get home and start reading. For my kids it's just is way cooler if Grandma asks you to read than if mom does--I'm sure the prospect of getting free books doesn't hurt, but there is just something about Grandma that makes my kids want to do whatever she asks them to! I sure am lucky to have such a great mom and I really don't know what I would do without her. She is such a great influence to me and my kids and we are beyond lucky to have her!

Running

If I didn't know that I had run a marathon, I might not believe that I ever could do it again. I also can't believe how easy it has been to push aside my passion for running and how hard it is to find it again. I have the desire right now but just not the drive to get myself out of bed and hitting the pavement. I tend to blame it all on Sarah and the lack of sleep she has cost me over the past nine months, but I also know that part of the blame lies on me too. (And this week all of the blame lies on Harry Potter) It's so hard to find my motivation when it is just me going out there all by myself. I miss the days of having running buddies and looking forward to good company on the run. Now all I see is the mountain I have to climb, or should I say run, to get back to where I was before. But I guess that my goals shouldn't be to be back where I was, but rather to just be back!

In fact this week I got to run (OK sort of run) a 5K with my friend Jessica. We were both looking forward to it and were rather disappointed by the fact that Jessica had a full blow asthma attack about a mile into the race. While it definitely wasn't my running ideal, I will say that it sparked a fire in me that makes me want to get out there and start trying again. Hopefully that fire will stay lit and the next time I have a running post, it will be because I'm on my way back!

Yeah mom--you saved the day

Yesterday Ben was slightly distraught because he couldn't find a few of his toys that he has become particularly attached to recently. He came to me near tears and told me about his predicament. I was able to quickly help him find his toys and then I got the best thank you I have received in a while--
"Yeah mom--you saved the day!"
His little comment was delivered with such sincerity that it made me smile all day long! I think most of all it made me realize that it doesn't take a lot to be happy and content. I feel so lucky that I get to observe my kids on a daily basis! I love the pure excitement and exhilaration they exhibit when something goes their way. I think that we all could learn a lot from kids; they know how to be happy. They know that happiness comes from little things and little moments and that is all they need! I think that when the Savior taught that we should become more like little children this is one area that he intended for us to think about. So often we look at what we need to make us happy instead of what we have, and then the worst part is that we pass those negative traits on to our kids. I hope that I can learn from my kids and find joy in the little moments and never forget to look at what I do have because I know that I have a lot!

Poor Sarah

Sometimes I feel bad for Sarah. Since she is the fourth child, I think that she gets pushed aside more often than she should. Right now there are so many other people with other needs, that are more pressing--or at least the whining that accompanies them makes them more pressing. And since the above mentioned whining makes me want to rip my ears off, I tend to take care of the other kids problems and just let Sarah do her own thing until she really needs me. I do feel guilty about this, but thankfully I know that I am not a bad mom. Heck, sometimes I even spend time playing with her when I don't absolutely have to! I guess I just feel bad when I look back at the things I did for and with my other kids that I just can't do with her. Most of them are just little things like playing with her toys with her, letting her help, and I use the word help very loosely, me with the dishes and laundry and other various chores. I can vividly remember Andrew, and even Madeline, being under my feet when I did anything. I also can see the smiles on their faces while they were there. But with Sarah, I have Andrew and Madeline to help me out while I quickly get the job out of the way that I don't want her involved in! (I am now realizing that Ben didn't get a lot of the same experiences that Andrew and Madeline did, so I will have to say poor Ben too!) I guess that if I sat and thought about it, I could be racked with guilt all the time about what I am depriving my children of. But instead I choose to look at the fact that even though Sarah (and Ben and those other ones too) misses out on a lot of things that her siblings got to do and have, she will never for a minute doubt that she is loved by me. And if that is the only thing I can give her, I know that it will be enough! Life's to short to wallow in the guilt that is motherhood, so instead, I will just try my best which will never be good enough, but it will be enough!

Lunch date

Today was a great day, I got to have lunch with my friend Jayne. I have know Jayne for most of my married life and for a few years in there we were inseparable. I don't think I was capable of making a decision without talking to her first, and forget about going anywhere by myself. We were so in codependent that there were many times we ended up grocery shopping at the same time, pushing our carts around Macey's together with Andrew and Ethan in tow. (We may have planned that and then just pretended it was a coincidence--I can't remember.) I think that we probably still would be in that same boat, or at least swimming pretty close to it, if her dumb husband didn't have to go off and do the whole med school thing--didn't he know that was really going to mess with my social life--GOSH! (said in true Napoleon Dynamite form). For the first few years she was gone we did a respectable job staying in touch and keeping up on each others lives. But somewhere between both of our third and fourth children our relationship suffered --we almost became only Christmas card friends. Now thanks to her, I have found a new hobby--blogging--that helped me reconnect with her. Lucky for me, I called her to discuss her blog and we realized that there would actually be a moment that we could see each other. Lunch was great--it reminded me of all the fun that we have had together. She is such a great person who has made such an impact on my life and I will be forever grateful for her friendship, her laughter, her sense of humor and her example. I guess that you know you have a true friend when you can get together after so long and just pick up right where you left off. Thanks Jayne for being a great friend and I'm just so glad that I have found you again! Yeah blogs!

When I grow up I want to be . . .

If you would have asked Madeline what she wanted to be last week, you could have got one of many answers: a teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a mom, a lifeguard, a gymnastics coach, or a pet-doctor, just to name a few. But this week, we have a new answer that might stick around for a while because she has some experience to back it up. Her new answer is "a hair cutter." Thankfully her hair-cutting experience was not performed on herself or any of her siblings. (We haven't been fortunate enough to have that experience--yet). It was on our 17-year old neighbor Lance. After all, I think only a teenager would be nice (and stupid) enough to give such a great responsibility to a five year old. Lance is one of our favorite people. He is definitely more than a neighbor to us and we love so many things about him, and now we have one more to add to the list. He was actually the one who gave Madeline the idea to cut his hair. All the young men came over to our house for ice cream after doing a service project. While they were here Madeline, of course, wanted to show off her flipping skills on the trampoline--after all, it's much more fun when you have an audience. She and Lance had a conversation that went something like this:

Madeline: "Lance, I can do a back-flip on the trampoline."
Lance: "Really?"
Madeline:"Yes, and I'm really good."
Lance: "Well If you can do a back flip, I guess I'll let you cut my hair."

At this point, Madeline's eyes got as big as pancakes and she couldn't even wait to answer. She ran over to the trampoline and started jumping. Then she did her back flip with ease and grace, hopped down and immediately said to Lance: "Let's cut your hair." So we went in the house, got our clippers, put on a #2 and let Madeline go to town. She was very nervous and tentative at first. I think she asked me, Craig, and Lance at least three times each if it was really OK. Once she realized that it was, she very cautiously proceeded. In fact she was so cautious that Craig stepped in and tried to take over the job. He proudly announced that all of his friends used to let him cut their hair in high school. In fact he was ready to do the whole job, but Madeline got mad at him and said "Dad, Lance said that I could cut his hair, it's not you!" After a few more runs through Lance's hair, Craig finally handed over the clippers to Madeline, although he wasn't really happy about it. (Hey--maybe he's found his next career move!) Once she had the clippers back in hand, Madeline slowly and astutely finished up the job, running the clippers over one spot of Lance's hair at least 15 times. And for Craig the highlight of the evening was that Lance needed someone to tidy up Madeline's finished product. Craig was handed the clippers and grateful to once again have the chance to finish his masterpiece! In the end, Craig was smiling because he got to have his turn in the spotlight, Lance was smiling because he was sporting a new "do", but most of all Madeline was smiling because a whole new world of possibilities had just been opened up to her!

Blue Room Memories

Until tonight, we had a room in our house that was painted two shades of blue. A dark blue racing stripe just about halfway up the wall and then a lighter blue background. As we were painting over the blue walls, I made Craig reminisce with me about our most memorable moments in that room because it does seem to me that by painting over the colors, I might start to forget the times we spent in that room. So without further adieu, I give you my blue room memories:

* It was the first room we really painted and I vividly remember going to home depot and picking out two of their Disney colors that I just knew I would love. I just didn't realize that it would be so hard to find bedding to match-despite never loving the bedding, I always loved the paint.
*Every single one of my kids has called the blue room their own--sometimes two at a time.
*Andrew was the first one to have that room and that is where I started giving him quiet time and where he in turn ended having quiet time. (He emptied every single one of our books on to the floor of his room one day during his quiet time and it was such a mess, that I decided I'd rather keep my eyes on him than trust him alone in his room).
*Playing hide and seek with all the kids and always hiding around the side of the dresser or in the closet, or even on the shelf in the closit.
*Hiding from crying kids in that very same closet.
*Putting up our bunk beds and laughing as Madeline drove Andrew crazy night after night because she needed to sing or talk to herself until she was ready to sleep, which was usually for about an hour every night.
*Going into the room one night past midnight and watching Andrew throw up over the edge of the bunk bed, just barely missing Madeline's face as she sat up to see what was happening. Then both kids being wide awake because of the trauma and excitement of the moment--we decided we were having a midnight pajama party in their room.
*The dumb car rug that I hate, but that we haven't gotten rid of because of the frayed carpet underneath.
*Peeling all the paint off the wall with Andrew.
*Changing diapers and wrestling babies.
*Andrew sitting in that room with a fat lip because of his stitches, but with a big grin on his face. (Technically the room wasn't blue yet!)
*Playing hide and seek and sticking Ben on the shelf in the closet and the laughs that ensued as soon as Andrew and Madeline saw him sitting there.
* Craig going in and laying down with Andrew every night for a heart-to-heart and quite a few giggles. (While I sat in the other room fretting about Andrew getting too wound up to fall asleep_
*Reading stories
*Watching the kids use the rocking chair like an amusement park ride--the kicking them off that very same chair
*Rocking babies--and big kids too!
*Family prayers.

I'm sure that my list could go on and on as I sit and think about all the little things we have done in that room, but I think that I can also safely say that most of all I remember love in that room. If think about it, I can almost feel the love I had as I brought each new baby home and rocked them in that chair and the love I felt as we peeked at the kids before we went to bed, and the love I felt in so many other moments shared in there. So, blue or green, I know that room holds a hundred memories and will make a hundred more,and that if I think about them for too long, they will make my eyes moist, because after all, it really is all about the love!