Adam's 'Friends' Birthday

 We had Adam's 'friends' birthday party. As always, Adam was a character. There is a waterfall in the 'Aquatic Center' and Adam always finds the best ways to utilize it. Todd, Spencer, Lily and Sara all climbed in the pool to help Adam celebrate with his friends. He [Adam] had quite a few friends show up. There were even kids that I used to have in daycare that he has known since he was a baby.
 Todd was a hit with the kids. Not only was he playing in the pool with them, but he also played 'tag' outside while we were waiting for the kids' parents to show up. I saw him bent over and gasping for air a few times, but he had a great time being the biggest kid there. I think I'll keep him.
 Sara was loving the pool. Valerie held her the entire time and let her splish and splash. She had a great time. Even when kids were splashing and getting her wet. Sweet Baby!
 There were 2 fun filled days of birthday parties. Lots of friends, fun, and family. What a great day to be 7.

Adam is 7... YAY!!!!!!

 Adam is 7 years old. His birthday is today. Happy Birthday Little Man. We had a little family get together tonight and his 'friends' birthday party will be tomorrow at the swimming pool. Everything was Ironman. He's my kid that loves Super Hero's.
 He was so funny last night, because he could NOT go to sleep, he was just to excited. I love that gleam in his eyes. He woke up with it and went to sleep tonight with it. What a great kid he his. I just adore him. Anyway, Todd got him a remote control Monster Truck, I got him an iPod shuffle, Lily got him Indiana Jones Lego's, Spencer got him an Ironman game for the Wii, Sara got him 'Underdog' the movie, Uncle John and Aunt Lacey got him a big Indiana Jones Lego set and Uncle Joey and Denise got him a Big Ironman action figure. That's a lot of a 7 year old. He was so excited. There will be even more presents tomorrow.
 Sara pulled herself all the way up tonight. Look at her. What a big girl. I snapped this picture really quick because I knew she would be crying soon. And sure enough, she started to fuss. She can't quite figure out how to sit down after she pulls herself up, even to her knees. She just cries until some comes and gets her. She'll get it soon and then she'll be cruising around, grabbing everything off the coffee table and what ever else she can reach. She a genuis I'm telling you.

30 Things

1. Any nicknames? Aunt Mimi
2. Mother's Name? Candy
3. Favorite drink? Coffee
4. Favorite celebrity? Justin Timberlake
5. Love Your Job? CEO: Bates Inc. I keep everything up and running, noses and other body parts wiped, kids loved on, Hubby happy, dinner cooked, and sometimes laundry, ect....
6. Birth place? Ogden, UT
7. Favorite vacation spot? Camping, but I really want to go to Hawaii with my crew
8. Favorite pet? Charlie
9. Ever been to Africa? No, but I'm dieing to go.
10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Yep
11. Ever been on TV? Nope
12. Steal any traffic sign? No
13. Favorite Guilty Pleasure? Tivo
14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 5-door
15. Favorite salad dressing? Homemade ranch
16. Favorite Pie? Orgasm Pie (It's actually Key Lime By Nicolle)
17. Favorite number? 7
18. Favorite movies? Sense and Sensibility
19. Favorite dessert? strawberry shortcake
20. Favorite Food? Chinese and Italian
21. Favorite day? any day Todd has the day off :)
22. Favorite Brand of Body wash? The Body Shop and Dove
23. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
24. Favorite smell? My Sara and Lily's Hair
25. What do you do to relax? read
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Still the CEO of my household
27. Furthest place you will send this message? Washington, Michigan, & ?!?!?
28. Who will comment to this the fastest? Everyone, I hope.
29. Favorite Reality Show? American Idol & Run's House
30. Favorite talk show host? Mama Oprah

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And We're Off............

 When I woke up today, I realized the craziness that was going to start up again.
 My sweet little Sara is sick. She has slept really sucky for several days, she's been tugging at her ears and has a runny nose and a nasty cough. Thankfully, she had a well baby check up already scheduled this morning at 11:15. Yay! So Todd and I got the boys off to school, Lily & Sara dressed and headed off for Evanston. I swear it was crazy. We got there in enough time to go to Walmart. (I HATE Walmart.) Got diapers, pull ups, and laundry detergent. When we were there we also grabbed Adam's birthday presents. (His birthday is May 29.) Anyway, when we were done at Walmart, we headed to the Doctor's office. We soon found out that Sara is 16lbs, 26 inches long and is in the 50th percentile for all babies her age. Imagine that, my baby is normal, not a little on the chubby side. Anyway, while we were there, we also found out that Sara has her first ear infection and bronchitis and needed her shots. Poor baby. I was just telling Arlene early last week that Sara has yet to have an ear infection. All three of my older kids had major ear infections by this age and both boys already had tubes. So Sara is doing ok with one ear infection. After the Dr. app. we stopped in at McDonald's for a drive through lunch and headed home. When we got home we grabbed the boys from school and went and got Sara's prescription. We hustled back home had dinner and Todd, Adam and Spencer, headed off for Spencer's game. Lily and I stayed home and snuggled Sara. (Spencer got someone out. What a big man.) At the end of the day we were exhausted and everyone was ready for bed. We all crashed and tried to get some sleep so we could start all over again in the morning.

Grateful Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, as a nation we are supposed to reflect about and honor our Soldiers who have lost their lives in service for our country. These men and women are selfless and are absolutely worthy of a national holiday. Thank you to all service people. Even though I don't support this war, I support you.

On Memorial Day when I was younger, my Nana always made Pat, John, Joey and I go with her to my Mom's, my Grandpa's and my baby cousin Amanda's graves and 'fix them up'. We would clean them up, (she never thought the cemetery workers did a very good job, plus they were "always trying to cut down her tree") and make sure there were fresh flowers on them. The graves always looked great. She would always have a new arrangement to put on each grave and a crap load of others from years gone past. She always made sure everything was just so and wouldn't leave until the graves looked beautiful. This was always something that creeped me out, I don't like cemeteries, I don't believe for one second that's where your loved one is actually at, but I admired her for taking such great care of her loved ones that have passed on. Memorial Days were always a reflection for her. She would remember our loved ones and kind of be 'down in the dumps' all day. She deeply loved everyone that she had lost and wanted to make sure she was still taking care of her loved ones. And now, as an adult, I rarely go to the cemetery, even on holidays such as today. I hate it there, it still creeps me out. But my memories of my Nana and what a wonderful Grandmother she was, will always pop in my mind on Memorial Day. Maybe I will make it to the graves to 'fix them up' someday, who knows.

Lazy Sunday

 Wow we are lazy today. Our lives have been crazy and when we have some down time we savor it. Quintin and Savanna came over today. The boys played Halo 3 for a while then went outside and rode around on scooters. Savanna and Lily played dress up and dolls. The kids had a great day. Poor Todd is on the dreaded graveyards again. So he slept and I did, well, nothin'. It was great to have a whole lot of nothing to do.
 I think this picture of Sara is adorable. She is so very round. She's sick right now. I think she might have an ear infection. But it Memorial Day weekend and there are no Dr.'s available unless you go to the ER and she's not that bad. Our Dr. isn't a prescription writer so we would have to wait it out for a few days anyway, at least until the symptoms persisted. Anyway, even though she's fussy, she's still wonderful.

Fun With John McCain

M.C. CAIN RAP

Moose Mania

 

The Moose made it into our back yard tonight. You wouldn't believe they are that big until they are right up close. The boys were outside playing and came running in screaming that there was a Moose in the back yard. When they ran in they conveniently forgot to close the back door. I kind of freaked out, I was thinking that I didn't want the Moose to wander into my basement. (This Moose has been around the neighborhood for years. He's pretty comfortable with people.) So a went down stairs and closed the basement door and just watched this Moose wander around and checked everything out. He just seemed to sniff everything. Then just walked out of the yard. And was then in the front yard, which to my dismay, my garage door had been open. So I quickly closed the door, but it wouldn't quiet close because a skate board was under it. All this time, the moose just looked at me like I was a crazy crack lady and went on his way through the neighborhood. Fun, Fun.

 

 

Isn't She Lovely & Val's Graduation

 Sara is 8 months old today. Time is flying by. She's crawling and trying to pull herself up. She's clapping and eating solids. What a big girl.
 Val has graduated. YAY!!!! Good job Val. We had a big party for her at our house. Todd's sister's son Chad had promised Val a cheese sandwich for graduation and he delivered it during the ceremony. He's a big kid. We love him though. There were lots of gifts, food, fun and happiness. Val plans on going to college at BYU Idaho in the fall. We are so proud of our sweet Valerie. Love ya!

Tuesday Grinde

 With Sara crawling now, we find her in some funny places, for some reason she loves getting under the end tables and the coffee table. Now this wouldn't be a bad thing if she could just get OUT from under them.
 Spencer had another baseball game. He's cheezing it up for Todd in this picture. Lily, Sara and I stayed home, but Todd said he did really well. He hit the ball and made it around the bases. He was also able catch and throw the ball with better accuracy than before. He's improving every time he plays and seems to have a little bit more confidence. He's doing great.
 I have to tell you about a fun thing that happened to our Valley this week. We had NO water, anywhere in town, from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon. (Those with wells were fine.) There hasn't been school in two days and some, if not most of the restaurants in the Valley closed down. This has all been a big ordeal for our little towns. And now, since the water came back, we are on a boil order. And the water is extremely dirty. It's been nasty. We were informed if we washed our hands with the water, we would need to use hand sanitizer afterward. I can't tell you how much fun this was with four grubby kids. I braved the grossness and took a shower, but I was afraid for the kids to bath in that brown water so we went to my friend Janey's house for their baths (she has well water, which wasn't near as hard as our water.) She was welcoming and more than willing to let us barge in on her. Anyway, we made it through and now we are even more thankful for fresh, clean water.
 It's funny because it's not really something you think about until it's not available. And when you're out of one of your utilities, you feel a little lost. I'm spoiled, I know it! And I like it that way.

Sara's Clappin' To NKOTB

 Sara learned to clap and mimic a clap on Friday. The Today Show was on the TV and Sara learned to clap. She copied the audience, who were, for some reason, clapping to and excited to see New Kids on the Block. Sara started clapping and enjoyed the excitement because she sat there forever, just clappin'. Now when you clap, she claps too. So cute. The next picture shows what a'studier' she is. She tries to figure out everything. She's by far the most content baby we've had. When she's board, she simply moves on the something else. You rarely hear her fuss, but we do have to go looking for her once in a while. We usually find her under the table, munching on Cheerios. Told you she's a smart girl.
 Saturday, Arlene and her kids came over. She brought with her, her 13 year old named Kodee, a 10 year old named Konnor, and a 3 year old named Kamryn. All the kids that were here and the kids around the neighborhood had a squirt gun fight. (That's right, it was warm enough for a water fight, YEY!!!!) Arlene and I hung out all day and had a BBQ in the evening. It was so fun to just hand out and not have an agenda.
 I wanted to show you what Sara does when she sees a camera. She squints and closes her eyes. It's amazing how many pictures I take just to get one shot. She's so funny, plus look at her trying to pull herself up again. Stinker. You can almost see how red her hair is in this shot. We also found a freckle on her leg. That's a common thing with redheads. We have freckles in places where the sun has never seen. My little Sara has yet to be out in the sun, mostly because we haven't seen it much, but also because she is white as a ghost and will probably sunburn in front of the TV.
 Now to my other kids' whiteness. Adam was slathered in sunscreen, well almost, you can see where the sunscreen was rubbed to, and more importantly, where was missed. It's almost like someone had a hand full of sunscreen and touched his shoulder. Spencer has one similar to it, but not quite as prominent. Both of the have weird and tiny sunburns on there shoulders. My poor, ghostly white, children.

10 Quirks About Me

Do I have quirks, hmmmmm..... those that love me say "hell ya!" She has a lot more than 10. But 10 is all I'll tell you about.

1. I am a freak about my flip-flops. I only like Skechers flip-flops and I have about 20 pair in all shades and colors. I wear them from Feb-Nov come rain, sleet, sunshine and even snow.

2. I HATE to be hot. It makes me feel like I'm suffocating. My shirts are usually cut a little lower, I hardly EVER wear a coat and I am usually the first one to turn the air conditioner on.

3. I have a night time routine that I rarely miss. 1. Check on the kids, (make sure they are breathing and covered up.) And lay their clothes out for the next day. 2. Do the dishes and clean the kitchen. I can not stand a messy kitchen. 3. Check my email. I'm not really sure why I do this one, it's not like many people email this late at night. 4. Put a load of clothes in the dryer and set the washer to go off at 6:00am to wash a load of clothes. (yes, it has a delay.) 5. Brush my teeth, wash my face, feed the dogs and fill up the humidifier. And then, finally, I can go to sleep.

4. I want my kids' feet to be measured before I buy them new shoes. My best friend thinks this is ridiculous, but I think it's important. Every stinkin' time I have bought the kids shoes without measuring them first, I end up taking them back or the grow out of them with in a month. Plus, I went MANY years of my childhood in either shoes that were to big or way too small. I refuse to do that to my kids. (I want to give a shout out to Keri for this one, She taught me well.)

5. My couch is usually full of clean, unfolded clothes. I have to wash and dry them on an OCD basis, but I hate folding them and putting them away.

6. I love color. Especially reds and earthy tones. They redder the better.

7. I am almost always in my nightgown. There are days that I shower and change in a clean nightgown. And when I get home, I usually change into my nightgown before Todd even gets upstairs.

8. Religion. I love to learn about religion. I'll listen to it and learn about it all day. But I HATE when people force their religious beliefs down my throat. Back the hell up.

9. I seriously think I have ADD, I can't possibly finish a thought in my head before another one starts and one subject leads to another REALLY fast. There are times I don't finish a conversation before I start a new one, and the more tired I am the worse I get.

10. I am have come to admit that I am a control freak. I know where it stems from but I don't know how to fix it. I feel like when I'm not in control, the world is spinning out of control. Can you say THERAPY?!?!?!?

Spring has Sprung

 It's hard to believe but spring has finally sprung. Lily is in a skort and tank top kind of shirt and not even shivering! It's finally a beautiful day. Hopefully the snow is gone for the season.
 Sara did a really cute thing this morning. She has started to try to pull herself up, but can't figure out how to sit back down. In this picture she was screaming mad because she had stood up by the water but was struggling to sit down. When I sat her down she was fine. It cracked me up. (Take a look at those adorable chubby legs. We call her our Michelin baby.)
 Adam has found a new 'hair do' that he loves. And he insists on combing it himself. The fabulous 'hair do' consists of a Mohawk down the middle and he combs the sides forward. (I wish I would've gotten a better picture of his hair.) Todd and I think it's very 'Flock of Seagulls'. But he loves it. And is so proud that he does it all by himself. He makes me smile everyday. He's always coming up with new and creative things. He's so fun. My little, mini comedian.
 Spencer got to play catcher last night and even though it's his least favorite position, he was really good at it. Look at that fabulous stance. He also hit a ball and made it around the bases, and he helped make a few plays that got the other team out. Plus it was warm enough so Adam and Lily could play without freezing their fannies off. It was a great night.

Spencer's 1st Baseball Game

 So, the last post I was a total drama queen, feeling a little sorry for myself. This is a happy post. Spencer had his first baseball game. His coaches are Doug and Janey Rees. I've been friends with Janey since 5th grade and she and Doug got married 1 month after Todd and I did. We have kind of grown up together and experienced a lot of things at same time in our lives. Anyway, Doug and Janey are great coaches and are so good with the kids. Spencer thinks they are great. He got to play several positions and was improving every time he had an
 opportunity to make a play. He was up to bat twice. Both times he struck out, but being his very first baseball game ever, he was learning quickly and improved his stance and positioning with every swing. Unfortunately, he was very hard on himself and got in the Suburban grumpy as hell. (I just don't understand where he gets this from.) But he will continue to get better with practice and time. And not be so hard on himself when he isn't perfect. (Practice what you preach I guess.)
 Adam and Lily played and played at the park while we were there. It was a terribly cold night. I thought it was supposed to be spring. Well, I guess if you've ever been to Wyoming, you'd know that that is spring. Snow one day and 75 degrees the next. Anyway, most of the parents were cuddled under blankets, cheering the kids on. It was a great time. We know almost everyone there so you can catch up on town gossip or just visit.
 This moose was behind our back yard and then migrated to the neighbors yard. I think it might be the same one that has lived here for a couple of summers. He just wonders around. My dogs think they are very brave a bark at him constantly. If he [moose] were ever to wonder INTO our back yard, the dogs might not be so brave.

Comfort Through Loosing Someone

This is going to sound weird but death brings an odd peace into my life. My counselor says it's because it's familiar to me, it's what I know. That sucks. I don't want to feel that way. I have gotten to the point that I rarely cry at funerals. I'm not a cold person, I just don't have a lot of emotions when it comes to the funeral part of death. Pat was teasing me tonight and said I probably have the funeral home on speed dial. I can call them and say " Hey Bill, I want package #2 casket #7 and call me after you've talked to the life insurance company." (I know you think you shouldn't be smiling right now, but it's how you get through the day sometimes.) The sad/odd thing about all the deaths that I have experienced is that the funeral director knows me by my first name, which might not be out of the ordinary for someone who has a normal name, but when you have a name like Melea, you end up being called Mrs. Bates a lot. This is the same funeral director that was around when my Mom passed away 20 years ago and he came to get Nana from my house when she passed away a few years ago, and my Uncle a few weeks after that, so I feel like I have a working relationship with him. Too many deaths.

Todd and I are trying to maintain open conversation with our babies. Thursday night we sat down and talked to the kids about Grandpa's passing. Adam is our kid that gets it all out there, he has a massive break down and then dances down the road. Anyway, when Todd asked him if he understood what it meant that Grandpa had passed away, he said "It means we need to take care of Grandma." What a great kid. We had a whole different thought in mind, and this was his thought. Something totally different and yet absolutely real. Spencer tries to remember his last conversations and repeats what he had said or done. Lily looks at pictures and says "Grandpa's Dead!" She also repeats this to everyone she sees.

Adam also figured out the other night, while he was having a conversation with his Uncle Mark, that he doesn't have any Grandpa's left. How sad for him. I never new my Dad's Dad, but I adored my Mom's Dad. So my kids have one Grandparent left and she has never really wanted to be involved in their lives. Hopefully that will change. They need someone besides Todd and I to adore them.

I feel like my kids have experinced a lifetime of death in a matter of a few years. I'm not always sure how to help them or what to say, but I feel like as long as we are together we can make it through anything.

Sara's 1st Tooth

 My sweet little Sara has her 1st tooth. It popped through on May 11. What a big girl. She wasn't fussy or grumpy or anything like that. Just her sweet little happy self.
 We get so many comments about what a great baby she is. Smiley, happy, and really just kind of goes with the flow. She's such a joy. I smile everyday because she's mine.

15th Anniversary

 Todd and I have officially been married for 15 years as of yesterday at 11:04. I want to do a little tribute to this man that I love so much. There are so many things I love about him. First and foremost, Todd has treated me like a treasure for almost 16 years. He loves me for me. He believes in me. He sees the best in me. (Which is sometimes easier said than done.) He adores me. He thinks I'm sexy. He understands me and protects me. Most of all respects me. He has been an incredible husband for our entire marriage. He has filled my heart in the empty spaces, helped me let go of my sadness. He has made me see life through a new set of eyes. He has helped me with abandonment issues by constantly standing by my side. He has been a remarkable father. He loves our houseful of kids. He chooses to see the best in them. He spends time with them and makes them feel like they are a priority. And he tries to never put anything else above them. He enjoys them and their separate personalities and is so excited to see them grow into the little people they are. He has been a remarkable son. One that most parents would be blessed and honored to have. He tries to take care of his mother and puts up with her when no one else can. He adores his Dad. He loves and respects him and has always strives to make him proud. I know sometimes he [Todd] thinks he falls short, but in his Dad's eyes, Todd is a treasure and has said more than once how much of a joy Todd was to raise.
My Sweetie, is a Man above Men. The best there is. (Corney or not) He completes me.

Loosing Norm

The life and times of Norm Bates. What a great man this guy was. There are so many words that describe him. Sweet, loving, kind, generous. He was witty and smart. Sometimes serious and stoic. He loved his Sawmill and his Music. There were many summer nights you could see him out on his fork lift(always in his signature overalls), moving logs around, then ride by his house later in the evening and you would almost always hear him playing his guitar. He loved his family and his friends. He loved his community and was dedicated to helping it. He played for endless dances and donated logs to many businesses. He loved his grandbabies. I heard "Rotten little kid" spoken to my kids several times. This was always a compliment. My kids adored him. Todd adored him.

My sweet father-in-law passed away May 7, 2008 in Salt Lake City surrounded by his kids and wife of 40 years. He left us with a smile on his face, which told most of us that Ruth was with him. He fought a courageous battle with so many health problems for many years. His body finally gave up the fight. He was 73. A good life, full of love. Our world is missing one more father, one more wonderful guy.

Spencer's 1st Baseball Practice & Gum

 Spencer had his first baseball practice last night (Tuesday) and did a great job. He has never played any kind of baseball or teeball before so I was really impressed with how well he picked up on everything. When he is confident with what he is doing he will be amazing. He such a great kid. Summer (if it ever gets here)is going to be fun.
 "Run, Forrest, Run!!!!!!!" Forrest Gump reference we make everytime someone is running!! I just had to say it. I'm a dork.
 Adam was being a monkey at the playground. It's so good for him to run and get all that energy out!
 Lily thought it would be fun to have a gum necklace. That's right, a gum necklace. It was in her hair and stuck to all those little tiny hairs on the back of her neck .