Little things

Nothing spectacular has happened at the Watson household. . . . .no funny stories. . . no races or car accidents. . . . just everyday living. . .I really don't have any particular reason for posting other than I suppose the little things. Every couple of months or so I get to thinking, "What do I need to do to get my world 'on track' and feel like I have myself all together." I just know my world will come together when (just fill in the blank). . . when I create a regular exercise routine. . . when I get the twins potty trained. . . . .when I . . .when I . . . etc. After I come up with a big mental list of "when I's" I re-realize that there is always something. . . .just as I get potty training figured out (YIPPEE!) someone goes through a tantrum stage. . .once I get through the tantrum stage. . . .something else. For me I've realized that there will always be some sort of hurdle. I have learned to focus on the moments. I have a big confession to make. . .our house isn't always smooth sailing and wrinkle free. In fact, we have more than our fair share of tantrums, crying, arguments, "that's not fair's". . etc. .The way this mom make it through the day isn't by having everything under control and by having my world 'on track,' but it's found in the moments. The moments that make me smile. . .the funny stories the kids say and do. . . the "pretty moms". . .the three hugs extra at bedtimes. You know the little things. . .

I heart Summer

Graduation

There was a little part of me that was grateful that Max's Preschool didn't have a full blown graduation. Maybe it's because I didn't attend my own High School Graduation or my college graduation, but I've never found a big celebration and a peice of paper rewarding. . . . for me the accomplishment is found in the process. Max had an amazing year full of incredible accomplisments. He was anxious to go to school EVERYDAY, loved learning, and insists on taking his teacher and friends to kindergarden with him. I'm tempted to write about how smart my Max is . . . how he learned the alphabet, to count, read, socially interact with others. . .blah . . blah. . blah. . but the thing I am the most excited about is that partnered with his preschool we have instilled a love for learning at such a young age. It's exciting and I'm excited for him. On Max's progress report his teacher writes, "Max has been a delight to have in class. He has learned so much this year and always tries to do his best. I will miss him. Keep reading." Since he looks so cute in his little hat we just might have to have our own little graduation party in the back yard. Good Luck Max!

Dumbo

Did you know that Clowns are mean to Elephants? At least that is what Max told us when he was frightened and clinging to my leg the last day of preschool. He was just sure that if clowns were mean to elephants the clown would be mean to him. Tim talked him into staying for the circus shortly after his teacher took off the dreaded hot clown costume and they had a really great day. I am amazed at how much information children pick up from their parents, other children and the especially the television. It really does have a profound effect on their little minds and shapes their thinking. Max's favorite movie has been dumbo and in that movie Clowns are mean to elephants. . . .:) I have made a mental note to be more aware of my actions and words personally. . . .Create a more structured play environment and monitor the playtime they have with their friends. . . .And to carefully observe the programs they watch on television. Who would have guessed Dumbo would instill some sort of fear in my 4 year old. . . .can you blame him. . . .clowns are mean to elephants. :)

Grandma would be so PROUD!

I have to admit that it looks like my little ones inherited the green thumb gene. They think all this potting and yard work is quite fun. Jacqualynn thought it was not only fun to fill her broken yellow pot, but to walk around and help everyone fill their pots as well. . . .that was until she got a little dirt on her crocs. Dirt on her face. . .fine. . .dirt on her dress. . fine. . .but dirt on her shoes. . NO WAY! The boys were begging to flood the sunflowers with the hose at least every second. They are just sure that with extra water, love, and attention that the flowers will suddenly spring up. Isn't that how beautiful pots happens?? I guess my job from here on out is to either pray for sunflowers or sneak to Home Depot in the night and purchase seedlings. Good luck to ME!

Myfamily.com

For all you Myfamily.com followers I posted a bunch of pictures. I'm sure you are thinking how can there be more pictures. . . but there are. . .check it out when you get a chance. For those that don't know about myfamily you can click the link under favorite websites. Thanks for being apart of our life.

Something Just for ME!

This year I wanted really beautiful, overflowing pots full of flowers in my front yard. I am pretty much clueless when it comes to beautifying a space, whether it is a room in my home or completing an outfit. . . CLUELESS. I always miss that touch that makes whatever it is extra special. I almost did an Internet search to gather tips on how to pot beautiful flowers. Thank goodness I saw my neighbors gorgeous pots filled with perfectly placed flowers. . . . there was no question in my mind that she was the potting expert. It really wasn't very difficult creating a masterpiece pot once we got started, but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that I could not have made my pots that beautiful by myself. . . . . .Thanks Laura Lee Potting was GREAT fun. I had no idea that so many little flowers would fit in one small pot opening. I know it seems silly, but every once in a while I have to plan to do something just for me. Whether it's a dinner out, a quick trip to Target, a run around the block. . . It really helps to make my mommy world go round. . . .for Jacq it is shoes, this week for me it's flowers. I heart flowers. ;)

Accidents Happen

I layed in bed a couple extra minutes this morning telling myself that it was going to be a really great day and that no matter what happen it was still going to be a really great day. I'm pretty sure that I needed those extra minutes and I think I could have taken even a little bit longer and felt good about it. . . .
I thought "load up in the van, Grandma and Grandpa Watson are taking you to Tooele for the day", meant load up the van. Little did I know that it really meant, Max. . .Barrett. . .why don't you help yourself to Grandma's Car, knock the shift stick out of gear, freak out while it rolls down the drive way, cruises the hill in front of our house, up on the grass and hit the fire hydrant for a sure stop. Did you know that is what "load up in the van" means?? Luckily everyone was unharmed and will live through the event. Max was a little rattled and has the tennis ball bruise on his forehead to prove it. . . after all it's not everyday you're the driver in your first real accident (especially at age 4).
Grandpa Watson surveyed the damage and reported that not even the paint had been scratch. Just a little dent. :) After they left I had a little chuckle, I'm pretty sure the entire bumper has to be replaced. Thanks Grandpa for helping me not stress out about the damage while I was consoling my rattled child. Anyway, it was a still a really great day and as Grandma Watson pointed out at least the car didn't run over any of my other children. Good point Grandma Watson. I am grateful for that. The Watson's have adopted a new rule. . .Accidents may happen, but let's avoid them at all cost. . . .No more playing in cars. ;)

Future Entrepreneur

10 cents for Lemonade!
With a sales team like this it looks like early retirement for Tim and Shauna.

Simply Mom!

I think Mother's Day has officially become my favorite holiday. Not because I love a bouquet of flowers or sleeping in, breakfast in bed, or my children's best behavior at church (best behavior. . . what's that??). In the past Mother's Day to me was a day strictly to let my Mother know how much I appreciated her. She is pretty amazing. . . She wants to know every detail, trial, challenge that is going on in my life. . . Max's life. . Xander's life. . .etc. . .what is Jacq wearing. . .how is potty training going for Barrett? I'm pretty sure she planned a trip to Mexico where there was no communication the week of Mother's Day just so I could realize how much I rely on her. WOW! Did I ever miss her.

Not only is Mother's day as an opportunity to honor and respect my Mother as well as other Mothers in my life, but it has also become a day to celebrate Motherhood. This week I needed a little mommy pick me up. Something that would inspire me to be "Super Mom." I love that word. . .what does Super mom mean??? I suppose I wish I had the energy I needed to have an immaculate house, no weeds in my flower beds, wash the cars on Saturday and heck even get that shower in the basement finally finished. . . .(it's only been a year!):) I would of course still need the energy to sing to my children, read them stories, play games, drive them to soccer, kiss their skinned knees, and make them feel like nothing else in the world matters but them. I would never have a negative thought. . . .not another diaper . . . you didn't big potty in your underpants, did you?. . . .Barrett is naked in the front yard again .. . . did Max sneak off to the neighbors. . . .will my children ever be able to sit reverently in church. . .. "Super Mom" would always find time for herself. . . Squeeze the gym in, scripture study, find herself a hobby, love and support her husband unconditionally. . I think a "Super Mom" can do 40 things all at once and do them all well. . . Anyway, I could really go on and on about what it means to be Supermom in my world. I realized that mothering isn't always about being super. . .it's about being simply mom. Today I can't tell you if my mom had perfectly organized cupboards or if we had scripture study every single night, but the one thing I can tell you is that she was and is always there with a listening heart, she took the time to attend every single one of my sporting events, and musical performances. She may have tried to be "Super Mom" and she could have been, but the times that stick out the most in my mind are when she was Simply my Mom and that is the kind of mom I want to be. Thanks Mom for being Simply Mom! I love you! :)

Weekend Away!

Tim and I snuck out of Utah Valley for a romantic Triathlon weekend. :) I chuckled when I re-read that sentence. How can a triathlon weekend be romantic? Surprisingly enough it was romantic and restful. When we have friends that go out of town and leave their children they talk about how they missed their children like crazy. I didn't! :) I enjoyed every child free moment and just enjoyed being with Tim. We ate Olive Garden in, slept, had some special quiet time, slept, slept. . .I think Tim was amazed at how many cat naps I could fit in a 28hr period. Triathlon events are hot, long, and pretty amazing. I am amazed at how these athletes are able to challenge their bodies. Tim competed in what is called an Olympic Triathlon(1.5k swim/ 26.2mile bike/ 10k run)-He decided it was time to graduate from the sprint course and compete with the big boys at a more manly event. Next month he's up for the 1/2 Ironman. Not only was it a long event, it was an exteremly challenging course. My goal would be to not rest, walk, or throw up, but Tim's goal is to be faster today than he was yesterday. And he was!
You would think that our fun filled St George weekend wouldn't have any more surprises. . . . Every time I looked at Tim I had to do a double take. With his new haircut I could hardly recognize him. Something happened at registration. He went in with hair and handsome and came out...bald and beautiful (at least he thought it was beautiful!) I have to admit that as the hours pass his hairless head grows on me more and more. I didn't forget to mention our incredible babysitting crew. Thank you to Grandma Watson and Auntie Nana! You guys are great and we love you! The kids had a blast and can't stop talking about their weekend. . . .

Little Red Box

How can I not love this smiley, singing, dimpling little boy!?! He is pretty adorable. I know my children are pretty far from perfect, but there are days when I want my very own literal little red box. There are moments and memories that I want to hold onto forever. Can you imagine having a "little red box" and pulling out the very best memories of your life. Sitting here I think to myself . . what would I pull out? There are really so many amazing moments in my life. I am a pretty lucky girl to be blessed with such an amazing life. Just like Max I would pull out all the most important people in my life. Pretty sure that is all of you! Thanks for being great!

Slip-N-Slide Fun

Happy Birthday!

I love my amazing husband and sweet children, but some of my favorite times are "SISTER" times. There are times when nothing is as good as a night out with the girls. Girls night out with no kids pulling at my legs. . ."excuse me mom". . ."excuse me mom". . . no crying, no stinky pants, no "You need to love your brother," "give your sister a love," just me with the girls having a night out. Jen, Kiss, and I had a great time at CPK. First things first. . .I just can't get over delicious food. . . .I had the best "Steak out" salad. Second, When the girls get together the whole world stops spinning and we just laugh (way to loud), talk about things you don't talk about (boobs), and just have way too much fun. Time flies way too fast and our outing is usually too short. Thanks for having a Birthday Lyss! We need more birthdays!

Merry Maids??

There is no need to call the Merry Maids with these three workers around. The truth is if I want to get anything done I have to be a touch creative. When the vacuum turns on our house turns into an Indy 500 race track. The boys run around like speedy race cars spreading there legs as far as they can possible stretch in order to create a tunnel for the vacuum to travel through. It takes a little bit longer to get the cleaning done, but the way I see it at least there aren't crumbs from breakfast and dirt tracked in from outside. Anyone want to borrow these boys for an afternoon?? They are Spunky kids with creative minds and I could use a break! :)

To Tip or NOT to Tip...

When you read a really great blog do you feel inspired to leave a tip? How 'bout if your checker at Albertsons does a fabulous job, do you tip? But if a server does a mediocre job do you still feel like you need to tip?
Last night I had a hot date with a beautiful woman and our waitress was tolerable at best (really a C- performance) but I still felt like I had to tip. Why is this? I did a quick survey with some of my friends and the resounding answer was Yes you have to tip. Odd, I thought. Servers accept the job knowing the wage. If the pay is too low they should negotiate it. Why should I be guilted in to leaving a substantial tip to cover the employee's inability to negotiate an appropriate pay? And why is it only expected to tip servers?
I can count on one hand the number of times I got a tip (thanks Brooke and Jason)- and I do important work- I mean come on, what is more tip worthy a great home loan (arguably the most important financial investment most people make) or the delivery person who brings out plate of spaghetti and random offerings of beverages? I mean come on, the server doesn't even cook it! Pssshhh.
I got to talking with some kids at the office and we decided it is more appropriate to tip for services that we couldn't / don't want to provide ourselves. Example-the doctor who delivered my babies-without them we would have been in a real rough spot... yet no tip. The guy who fixes our cars... or repairs my racing bike, again important work that I can't do, but no tip. However, the teenage gal who walks back and forth 30 feet to a kitchen... TIP.
Crazy, I tell you. My little brain just doesn't understand. What are your thoughts? Let's weigh in here. . . Tip or no tip- and when!?

Shoes. . . Shoes. . . Shoes. . . .

This week I discovered a little secret about our sweet Jacqualynn Grace. Not only does she love to accessorize, but she is beyond obsessed with her shoes. :) Little lady is prefectly content in her world as long as she has on a pair of shoes. I'm pretty sure that when she grows up she will have a closet full of trendy shoes, garden shoes, flip flop shoes, and rainboots. Last night she was literally roaring for her shoes. Jacqualynn was screaming so loud Tim thought I should take her to the emergency room. After a good 40 minutes of trying to troubleshoot this little 18 months old's world, I thought maybe we should introduce her to a new pair of jelly shoes. Sure enough Jelly shoes make her whole world go round. Needless to say she calming went to bed with a grin on her face and new jelly shoes on her feet. We have literally changed Little Lady's shoes 5x today. She knows exactly what she wants when she wants it and it usually has to do with her shoes. I think we are in big trouble. . . .

The Big Debate

Yes, it's true the big debate has started. No conclusions have been drawn just my all knowing and knowledgeable insights verses my darling, but young 4-year-old's opinion. Love him more than anything, but I am growing tired of hearing all about his friends. . . ."Mom can I have a friend over . . . ". "Mom can I go to Ethan's House.. . . ." "Mom is today a friend day. . . . " "Mom. . .Mom . . " I'm telling you the list of friends this and friends that goes on and on. He is just sure that if he wasn't the most popular kid in the neighborhood/preschool that the walls of his little world would come crashing down. I'm sure that you have drawn some conclusion as to what this all knowing and knowledgeable mom has to say about this. . . . first, I have a small disclaimer for any of those friends I have out there reading this. . . . .I love all my friends. :) I wish Max could understand that I gave him 3 little built-in permanent best friends. Their names are Alexander, Barrett, and Jacqualynn Grace. :) They are close enough together in age (3 years, 3 weeks) that he shouldn't really need additional friends. I told him the other day that friends were over-rated. That was sure a big mistake and I'm pretty sure that got under the little guy's skin. In fact, he started to negotiate with me. For a 4-year-old he actually put his thoughts together rather well. He went on to name one of the friends that I run with. . ."Mom, you have a friend, Lauralee, and you guys go running together, so that means I can have friends." I'm pretty sure he really meant to say something more like this, "Mom, you have friends, and since you do things with your friends, I should be able to spend every waking minute either playing at a friend's house or having half the neighborhood over to mine." Well, my little negotiator broke me down. I want to say we had half the neighborhood over (it felt like a lot of children), but in reality we had a handful of kids over and a few mom's today to play. I'm secretly hoping that my sweet Max has had his "friend fix" for a couple of days, but I'm sure I will hear all about friends in the morning.

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. ~Author Unknown

I'm pretty much a cracked egg, but I have to admit that my world lights up when I hear from an old friend. Heck, when I hear from any friend! I guess friends aren't so bad. Thank you to all you friends out there.