Middle Child Syndromes

I heard a one cute & one disconcerting comparison from my kids yesterday.
Here's the cute--
Sydie: (trying to wake her up)
"I feel like a bear that is trying to hyberate (that's how she said it) and it's not spring yet and someone is trying to wake me up!"
Here's the disconcerting one---
Katrina: (after getting in trouble for being mean to Sydie)
"I feel like I'm the dirt and Sydie's the flower. "
This is not the first time Katrina has had this issue. As she was watching Fred Claus she paused the movie and said. "That's how I feel! I'm Fred Claus and Sydie is Nicholas!"
Maybe we should stop telling her to be more like her sister! (kidding).
She's got some issues evidently. She went on to accuse me of forgetting to wish her happy birthday last year and not making Christmas Eve very special. Wha? This girl has memory issues as well.

Or maybe this is a classic middle child syndrome because Coby is saying this sort of thing on a regular basis. Like on Sunday. He told me that if I had only one cinnamon roll left and had to share it with one of my children I'd share it with Ace and not him. He apparently always gets the raw end of the deal as does Katrina.

So this week I'm going to focus on the middle children. I'll let you know if it works.

Happy Birthday BWD

BWD's birthday is February 23rd. I am late publishing this, but didn't want to miss out on a little birthday tribute in his honor.
Here are a few of the many things I love and admire about him:

• He is a funny guy. He can totally crack me up.
  
• He keeps his bod in good shape. He's athletic.
  
• He brings me flowers from the store on a pretty regular basis for no reason.
• He helps me clean. He'll clean without me asking all the time.
• He is always trying to improve himself.
• He can fix almost anything that breaks.
• He plays/wrestles around with the kids. They can always count on him to play, even if he has only one minute, he won't turn them down.
• He takes care of me if I'm sick.
  
• He is a wonderful example for our kids.
• He smells good (that's really a big one for me).
• He tries to look young and has a youthful personality.
  
• He doesn't watch sports or play video games for hours on end.
  
• He makes the most of his time.
• He is driven.

LOST stuff

Losing your stuff can be a huge distress, believe me, I've had my fair share of losing things this last month. I left my wallet at King Soopers in the self-check out lane. I then lost my Ipod Shuffle which just about killed my workouts. And yesterday I happened, through a series of events, to lose my keys as COSTCO. Left them in one of two carts actually, that could have been anywhere on the premises. Brilliant move. I got them back within 30 minutes thankfully. Luckily I got all my lost things back eventually.
However, nothing is of more joy than losing your first tooth. NOTHING. For all my kids this is the unsaid graduation out of babyhood. I think Ace's enthusiastic words were, "I wish I were a dinasaur with millions of teeth and could lose one every day!!!"
Sydie lost her first tooth last Sunday in sacrament meeting. She was sitting on my lap and I asked to see how loose it was. Note: This tooth was ready to come out 4 months ago. I was seriously surprised she hadn't swallowed the thing while drinking. Anyway, she usually doesn't let me touch it, as she was afraid of the unknown pain of losing her tooth. But on this special day, she actually let me wiggle it, and while I had a chance, I pulled--and out it came. Sydie was shocked and beaming. She was going up to complete strangers and letting them know of her missing tooth. She couldn't wait to tell her first grade teacher and within two days of losing the first one, had managed to get a second tooth, through much wiggling and pulling, out of her mouth as well.

25 Random Things You Should Know About Us

1. BWD has to eat his Doritos with Chocolate Milk. The one isn't complete w/out the other.
2. I microwave things in same double digits (ex. 22 or 77 seconds). It's a HUGE time-saver people.
3. Ace refuses to even try cereal with milk. He thinks he'll gag and barf.
4. Coby asks an abnormal amount of questions if you catch him at the right time. Like right before going to bed.
5. Katrina gets her nickname for mass destruction whenever she plays or eats.
6. Sydie thinks her blankie is a real living thing with feelings.
7. BWD has been seen laying his head down on Koda and proclaiming how much he likes him.
8. I had to do community service as a payback for some pranks I pulled. Police were involved.
9. Ace could wear socks and/or shoes with holes and not notice or care until we say something.
10. The worst possible thing you can take away from Coby is treats.
11. Katrina can open her mouth HUGE. Dentists and Orthodontists love her and always comment on how great of a patient she is.
12. Sydie has a loose tooth that can lay flat forwards and backwards but refuses to fall out. She refuses to let us just pull it.
13. BWD is really competitive. He also is a born entrepreneur.
14. I have worked as a downtown hot-dog vendor, furniture salesperson, a cookie lady, Payless Shoes employee, been on commercials (TV and radio), a make-up artist, worked in rewards dept. at Nu-Skin, assistant sales for WordPerfect and Covey Leadership, janitor, waitress, night-shift assembly line worker at HP & a hair stylist. Phew!
15. Ace is a total morning person. We've never had to wake him up for anything he's suppose to be to in the morning. If he's still in bed we know he must be sick.
16. Coby heard a commercial about someone choosing between sex and food. He said "I'd WAY rather choose food than expressing my feelings to the girl I love." He talks about expressing his feelings on a regular basis (like when he dances he's expressing his feelings and playing the piano helps express his feelings.) Kind of weird but funny.
17. Katrina is a night owl. She hates getting up in the morning and takes forever to fall asleep.
18. Sydie writes us notes on a daily basis. Most of them go like this: "I love you so much, do you love me? Circle yes or no. We always circle yes a few times.
19. BWD loves to watch tennis and motocross. But doesn't really watch or have an interest in any other professional sport.
20. I love to sing off tune (on purpose) to get a good laugh out of myself. No one else seems to think it's that funny except Ace.
21. Ace should have grown up as a farmer/hunter. He would much rather work outside than anywhere else and loves to shoot things with his airsoft gun. Plus # 15....see?
22. Coby loves to cook. Wants to be a chef/piano player/soccer player/work for his dad when he grows up.
21. Katrina is quite funny. Coby who was frustrated with getting another cold said "I wish there was something that could suck up all my snot".... Katy: "It's called a KLEENEX".
22. Sydie keeps her room really clean and gets in cleaning moods all the time. When it's time for her to go to bed she discovers she's in a cleaning mood quite often. I will actually let her stay up for a while just because how can you turn down a child who wants to clean???? She has my #.
23. BWD uses a glove when filling his tank with gas. It's his GAS glove. Just one. He just hates the smell of gas on his hand.
24. I can (usually) figure out long or short sentences that only have the first letter of each word with ease. I talk like that all the time at home. Here's a sample: TTGTB, BYT, PD, OOT, & MR. I once won a scavenger hunt game that was using only the first letters of sentences for clues. It's kind of a dumb talent. Also, here's another thing my kids decifer. They know they are to stop immediately doing whatever they're doing if they hear me say "A-Ba-Da-Da"....
25. Our family all watches and really loves American Idol. The girls (& Coby) even pretend play American Idol. They are both the contestants and the judges. They're ususally commenting like Simon would.

Cell Phone Conveniences

Since two of my 4 children now own cell phones, I've found a surprising advantage. They are the perfect replacement for home intercoms. Not that we have ever had a home intercom to replace, but you know what I'm sayin'.

Here's a few examples:

• Here I am, upstairs, all comfortable in bed and I realize I forgot to tell Ace something. He's down the hall in his room. I'm lazy. I simply call him on his phone in the comfort of my own bed. Done!
• Ace is sick, lying in bed and needs some water. He calls our home number, I kindly oblige. Twice. As I type this he's calling me again. This is now verging on annoying--I'm thinking it's time for a pitcher.
  
• Sydie will find one of our cell phones lying around, call me--and request my presence wherever she's at.

See? No yelling and no searching around looking for a family member. I'm seriously considering getting one for the the two girls only to use in the house.

Coffee Confessions

Since the opening of Lifetime Fitness Dave and I discovered a really great smoothie called "Mocha Madness". When I first ordered, the lady said that it didn't have REAL coffee in it, just stuff that tastes like coffee. Done. I'm all about taste without the guilt. I've been drinking these probably once a week for the past year and LOVING it.
Today I asked the lady to give me the exact brand of stuff they use so that I could just start keeping it stored at home w/out having to pay 5 bucks every week for it.
I look it up online, Dr. Smoothie.com, and here's what I found:
"Ja’Mocha is an exceptional blend of rich Ghirardelli Cocoa combined with a deep, dark roast Colombian coffee. Rich, creamy and satisfying…..For that great “coffee house” taste, just say “Ja’Mocha”!! "
So there ya go. I've been drinking coffee for the past year--and there's my confession for the 3 people who actually check out my blog. It all makes sense now though. The craving every day. The excessive energy right after drinking it. The lingering in the coffee isle just a little too long.
This totally destroys my whole piousness now doesn't it? I'm RUINED I tell you!

Summing up the HOLIDAZE

Our kids said (and I agree) it was the best Christmas ever this year.
We can chalk that up to the 7 days of Christmas, created by the Downs family and implemented by us this year. I rarely turn down a good idea.
Here's how it goes; Each day leading up to Christmas the family does something we normally don't do, (i.e., no tv, video games, chess playing, everyone off doing their own thing...etc.) something memorable and big and FUN. One of the kids would open up a little note (that happened to rhyme really cute), explaining what we were about to do.
Day 7: Flashlight Tag! One of my favorite nights actually. I felt a little like Jack Bauer on 24.
Day 6: The boys went skiing, the girls rang the salvation army bell. Not quite fair as far as fun-ness, but our girls still had fun. How can you turn down a few dollars to those cute girls?
I'm telling you--salvation army should always have kids ringing the bell.
Day 5: Family Christmas party at BWD's brother's house. I discovered a new soup I love--cream of mushroom. We also did the whole white elephant thing. After we got home we made our very own donuts! Everyone donned an apron, we made 'em, cut 'em & fried 'em! They were nothing like Crispy creme, but it was pretty fun to use a deep fryer.
Day 4: Watch old family video and then make one of our own. We couldn't do part 2, because Austin was really sick, but the watching was hilarious.
Day 3: We went dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh ride through our neighborhood! Okay, more like trotting verrrrrry slowly, but still--very memorable.
Day 2: The Marshmellow Gun War. Matrix music blasting in the background--mini marshies covering our main floor. Every man (woman, girl) for himself.
Day 1: Christmas Eve--tradition continued here. We read the Christmas story, sang songs, got the cookies made for Santa, opened our new pj's from dad and headed to bed before the big man arrived.
Christmas Day: The Usual. Started the morning at 5:00 a.m., with Katrina announcing what everyone got. Santa did not disappoint, and I think Katrina's relentless letters to Santa letting him know that even if he left her coal, she still thinks he does a good job helped.
Fast forward--
New Years Eve: Ice skating at Southlands, followed by Pizza & Maggie Moos ice cream. Some of our friends came over for a little partay later that night.
New Years Day: We Fondued like nobody's business. That's always a good time.

I don't have a lot of pictures and I'm very bitter about it, but here's what we've got that turned out!