Thankful Thursday

Even though I sound busy (yah, right!) I'm not! I am just exhausted, but hey- it's called being a mom of 3 with my oldest not yet being 5. I don't know how those of you with more little ones do it! Kudos! Anyways, survival is what I am thankful for today. I have a long list, so please bear with me.

First of all, I am thankful for the Dollar Store. How else could I afford toys for my kids every now and then? Especially when we have been out running errands for 4 1/2 hours straight and they have found something they "really need!" at every store- I get to bribe them with the knowledge that we'll be hitting your store last and you are bound to have something "totally awesome" that they will get to pick out. Oh ya, I forgot- your thank you is a double one. Thanks for making your toys so cheap so the really cheaply-made toys my kids end up choosing break and are usually in the garbage by the end of the week so I don't have to feel guilty that I only buy my kids toys from the $ store!

Next, I am thankful for Baby Einstein Videos. Yes, I am an awful mother who puts her kids in front of the TV for 1/2 hour every-other day with this video so I can run in and shower without my kids standing at the door banging while yelling "MOM!" or just crying until one of them is successful in getting the door open only to have three very cute peeping toms invade my shower. I had to invest money into this- I think I got it from Wal-mart for $14 or something, but that is 10 minutes of quiet that I get to enjoy- and that is $14 well spent!

On to the Costco baby wipes. I love them. No, they aren't as good as Pampers sensitive skin or whatever else you want to compare them to, but they have always gotten the job done for me. In fact, I keep one package on the changing table, one under the sink, one in the diaper bag, one in the car, and another in the kids bathroom and I must say I use them to clean up EVERYTHING unless it is germy enough that I need a Lysol wipe! They are very cost efficient too- I am too cheap to buy them otherwise. My mother-in-law thinks I should just use a wash cloth for most of my clean-up needs, but I don't like the smell (even if it's a new wash cloth) or the residue left behind. Plus, it just seems that my kids' faces shine so much more after using a wipee!

While I'm on a roll, I am VERY thankful for my bug guy, Kevin, that comes and sprays, and sprinkles, and gets rid of cobwebs, and anything else he does. I love how he tries to ignore my kiddos who are standing at the window with their noses pressed against it watching his every move! Plus, I hate bugs (shudder!) so I owe him a BIG thanks!

Ok, my kids are driving me nuts as I am trying to type, so I will finish up and get off the computer now. I do have one last thing before I go, and at risk of sounding corny, I am thankful for my kids routines throughout the day. Even though they get up way early (6:00 a.m.), they have a routine that we all follow and if we deviate at all, it's ok. I just love that they are always in bed by 8:00 p.m. without much struggle most nights (they aren't perfect!) except during football season and that we are following the word of wisdom with our "Early to bed, early to rise" routine. (yes, it's part of it!) Plus, with them in bed by 8:00, I get some much needed down time and when Cauley happens to be home, we get some much needed alone time!

That's how I think I survive in a nut shell- ok, so I didn't mention the chocolate and Caffeine-free Diet Coke, but those will have to be saved for another time- they deserve their own posts!

Anything new?

Ok, so I have been a total slacker blogger lately, but life gets busy sometimes. I have been reading all of your blogs thanks to google reader as I am preping for preschool (I CAN do 2 things at one time!) so I have kept up with all of your happenings, but sorry about the lack of comments- I haven't even posted anyhting new on mine!) I just finished one of my favorite topics in preschool today- "Super Safety!" It was almost too much that I crammed into the past two weeks, and after my first student left today, I realized I had forgotten to go over the stop, drop and roll in detail-oops! (today was all about fire safety and smarts.) Anyways, the kids had a great time and I am worn out, but next week is a new topic which is already to go so no more working on preschool this week- yay! Now I only need to get ready for the mini enrichment which I am in charge of tomorrow night, get caught up around the house, restock our bare pantry and frindge, throw a baby shower on Sat., have fun at Parker's b-day party, and attend Stk. Conference. Tyli is being evaluated on Friday for her lack of getting around upright, but that should only take a few hours in the morning. Maybe I'll have time to post something else this week! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED- it just might happen!

I have come to my decision...(I think)

I believe I have come to my decision about whether or not I will teach preschool again next year. I decided I WILL be teaching beginning early August (same as Cauley's school schedule). I will be making lots of changes in areas that will absolutely bore you all to death, but some sort of contract needs to be made for next year, as apposed to this year. I also decided to change the days I teach from Mon. and Wed. to Tues. and Thurs. Anyways, I am only going to take 8 next year and have already got 3-maybe 4 signed up, so if anyone is interested, please feel free to email or give me a call.

jamirclark@gmail.com

First swim of the year

This week has really started out hot. I decided it was time to get into the water for our first swim of the year even though I have yet to turn on my AC. (I'm cheap, what can I say?) I mowed the lawn, blew up the pools, filled them, and then sun screened my kids, got them into their swim stuff, and we headed outside for what I thought was going to be about 10 minutes of fun. WRONG! After the first 20 minutes of laughing at and with my kids, being splashed and doing some splashing of my own, I couldn't coax anyone inside. Oh well. The boys had fun running and jumping into their pool, and didn't care that they were filling their pool up with the grass I had just mowed. Tyli liked crawling around and splashing, then got brave and started standing up and then jumping down. Then she really got brave and got out and crawled over to the boys' pool so they could splash her when they jumped in, which she found hilarious! They really had a great time in their new pools Grandma Kathy gave them for Easter! They lasted a little under an hour before the wind came up and McKade and Dallin got chilly. Tyli I had to literally take out of the pool kicking and screaming! It is supposed to get a little cooler the rest of the week, so we'll have to wait until it's warmer again before we swim again. I am just excited because Aunt Jeni starts her swim lessons the first part of May, and all of my kids are VERY excited!

You know you're really a mom when...

• You count the number of sprinkles on each kids cupcake to make sure they're equal
• You have time to shave only one leg at a time
• You hide in the bathroom to be alone
• Your child throws up and you catch it
• Someone else's kid throws up at a party and you keep eating
• You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance
• You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching
• Your child insists that you read "Once Upon A Potty" out loud in the lobby of a doctors office and you do it
• You hire a babysitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night talking about and checking in on the kids
• You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it's the only one your child eats
• You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi's mother
• You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then you obsess when he skips in without looking back
• You can't bear to give away baby clothes--it's so final
• You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "Not in your good clothes."
• You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you
• You read that the average five-year old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is "above average"
• You say at least once a day "I'm not cut out for this job," but you know you wouldn't trade it for anything!

Thankful Thursday

Yep, it's Thursday again. Today I am grateful for our beautiful spring weather. How thankful I am that it is warm enough, and not hot, so that my kids can go play outside. Is that bad? I love that I can send them out when they get too wound up or when I just need it quieter. No, really, this year we've been blessed with great weather! I love taking my kids to the park, going for bike rides, taking walks, playing in the dirt hills (Pecan Trees) by our house, and just being out in our backyard playing baseball, soccer, football, and light sabers. Dallin has discovered hopscotch and wants to play all the time, and the boys LOVE racing Daddy around the pecan trees. Tyli's favorite is the sandbox. We get diaper fulls of sand, leaving more sand on the changing table than in our sandbox! Bath time always makes me laugh as the water turns a dark brown color from my kids being so dirty. Hey, they're kids- they wash up well! The only downfall is that we all have seasonal allergies, leaving my kids with swollen red eyes and runny noses for the past 4 months now, but now we have Children's Zyrtec- and it's WONDERFUL! This weekend is supposed to get hot- lower 90's, but I'm sure we'll still play outside. Maybe we can get the new little swimming pools out and have our first "swim" of the season!

Tyli's 15 month check-up

I took Tyli to her most favorite place on earth today- the Doctors! (She actually started to cry as soon as I dropped off the boys at Grandma Kathy's house, and it just got louder and louder from there!) Everything went well, other than the screaming on Ty's part! She is still monsterously HUGE weighing in at 23 lb, 12 oz. (85th%) and measuring as tall as a tree at 32 1/2'' (still 99%). Her head matches the rest of her body, measuring at 19! (95%). The only concern is she still isn't walking (Dallin didn't walk until almost 16 months, so I'm not overly concerned) so we are being proactive and having a physical therapist from the state dept. come and evaluate her. Dr. Jones checked her hips, knees, ankles, feet, leg bones, and spine for anything unordinary, but he thinks she may just be too stubborn to want to walk. (She'll walk perfectly fine around the house holding onto just one of my fingers, but the second we let go, she heads to her knees! Talk about frustrating!) I agree, but have also agreed to be proactive. After the 3 shots we got to leave, but because Dr. Jones wasn't around, she didn't even really cry for the shots. He told me today that he is making it his personal goal to get her to smile at him sometime in the future- if even just once! Tyli got a care bear sticker when we left that she wouldn't let out of her site until bedtime tonight. It was so much fun!

Thankful Thursday

I can't believe it is Thursday again already! My how time flies! Today I am very thankful for my hearing. I am not blessed with the ability to hear everything as most of you are, but I can hear lots of things, and I delight in all the sounds of spring, as well as the everyday sounds. As a child, we discovered I wasn't hearing everything I was supposed to, and after extensive research found that I can hear only 80% in my right ear and 05% in my left. My family hated it because I was constantly saying "What?" (Cauley probably hates that too.) Anyhow, I can hear lots of things and as I sit here typing (which has been a while now because I never learned to type right) I can hear the birds singing outside, airplanes flying overhead, cars and trucks driving down the big road by our house, Dallin sneaking food out of the pantry (DALLIN!), dogs barking, and children playing outside. Most of these are pleasing, but what a blessing to be able to hear these wonderful sounds! In situations like mine, you learn to not take advantage of the small, everyday things. Let's "hear it" for our ears!;)

Happy Fools Day!

Dallin is hilarious! Yesterday, during preschool, we were calendaring and talking about it being the last day in March- today being the first of April. I told them about April Fool's Day and gave them a few examples of some tricks or jokes that they could do. Dallin kept smiling and I could see his little mind going a mile trying to find a way to trick me. All day long yesterday he kept saying "I am going to joke you so good, Mom!" Well, he went to bed and everyone woke up as usual at 6:30 except Dallin. I went about my morning as usual, and when walking into the kitchen around 7:30, I heard him yell "Come on, Mom! Wake me up!" I went into his room and could tell he was fake sleeping so I said "Wake up Dallin. You really slept in this morning. It's time to get up!" He started laughing, threw off the covers showing that he was already fully dressed, and yelled "Happy Fools Day, Mom!" It was so cute I started laughing. I told him to say April Fools next time, but that he got me good and he said he couldn't remember what he was supposed to say. It was really cool that my 4 year old came up with that by himself! Now he keeps hiding and jumping out and scaring eveyone with April Fools!

Google Reader

I have had a lot of you asking me about this. I only know about it because of Jane (thanks, Jane!) and it is fabulous! IT is Google reader. Like all of you, I have hardly any time to sit and read everyone's blogs, but find them so uplifting and fun that I make time, only to find out that most of you didn't have the time either therefor you didn't update your blogs. That is wher Google Reader comes in. If you go to your gmail account inbox (your gmail email) up at the top there is a little word that says Reader. Click on it. Then, click on add acount and add your favorite blog addresses. Then, instead of clicking on everyone's blogs to see if they are updated, just go back to Reader and it will tell you who updated and you can read their blogs on that page or click on them and it will take you there! (the only downfall is you can't read private blogs from Google Reader.) Anyways, there you go- that is how I find a few extra minutes to update my blog for all of you to read. Try it-

Prom 2008

Cauley is so cute- He asked me to prom- again- for the third time! (I had to say no last year because Tyli was still too little.) His choice of school dance to chaperon is prom because since more people are a little more dressed up, you would think they don't act as crazy. (supposedly.) Anyhow, we got a babysitter (thanks to my wonderful in-laws, Mike and Kathy!) and drove to Tempe for a night of excitement. We got to the Waterfront on Lakeshore Drive a little late, but we got there and jumped at the chance to be the ones to guard the "Hidden Cove." (Right by the back gate.) We moved a bench in front of it so we could sit next to the lake and still see everyone as they had to come by us to get their pictures taken. It was nice not having to listen to the music they were playing inside and see how awful the kids were dancing! We had a blast seeing a lot of Cauley's students and athletes all dressed up and eating the yummy desserts. I was still in shock at what some of the students actually wore! As a mother, there is NO WAY I would let my son take a girl who was wearing some of those dresses and Cauley and I both agreed it'll be a challenge to find something modest for Tyli to wear when and if Cauley ever lets her go on a date, let alone prom! I do have to say that J.M. (used initials so as not to offend) by far got away with the cheapest date for the night spending a whopping $16! (It cost $120 at the door for a couple to get in, but he ended up getting "hooked up" by a stuco member.) I think it's funny that he and his date ended up eating at Panda Express! We left a little after 11:30- WAY after my bedtime! Cauley and I were both starving so we found an Arby's before heading home. It ended up being a great time! Maybe next year I'll get dressed up for the big event like I did last time we went!

(Dallin took this picture of us before we left. He is a good photographer for a 4 year old!)

Clark Family Car Wash

On Saturday my car got a bath, a much needed bath, mind you! The boys just took off their shirts because they usually get soaked from helping Cauley wash the cars. I love watching this whole ordeal go down!

Fun idea

This was one of my fabulous ideas that I got out of a magazine. I made all my preschool kids a bracelet using jelly belly jelly beans and stretchy string. They turned out really cute, and the kids had a blast wearing and eating them. The only downfall was that they couldn't wear and eat them at the same time or their wrists became incredibly (and edibly) sticky! It was so much fun that I made bracelets for my little nephews in Georgia and also my sister in law and my other nephew who live here. I think these are worth making again, so if you have any requests, please let me know!

Our Other Blog

For those of you who don't know, Cauley has a seperate blog (long story) which contains pictures of my family at crazyclarkclan.blogspot.com. Check it out- he does an awesome job! I just haven't taken many pictures lately so there's not much to add- sorry!

Thankful Thursday

Lets see. I am very thankful for families! (Mine is the BEST!) I am so grateful for my little family of 5. Cauley is the best husband anyone could ever ask for, and my 3 wonderful children make me laugh and smile daily and are always amazing me with new things. Then there is my extended family- the Clarks and the Ruths. Anyone who knows the Clark family and all of Cauley's siblings know how awesome they are! There's Mike and Kathy (Mom and Dad), Cauley, Jennifer (who's married to Ryan with Brent, Mike and ...), Stephanie (who's married to Brad with Parker and Bryce), and then Jeff. I truly am grateful to have all of them in my life! On the Ruth side, there is Jim and Debi (Mom and Dad), Jeni (twin sister who's married to Luke with Carson, Colton, and Brooklynn), me, and then Scott. Wow- how did I end up with such supportive, loving, caring, wonderful, hard working, and amazing family?

Blessed

Sometimes I wonder why it is we are so blessed, but I know. We are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us indefinitly, that's why. There need not be any other reason!

Yesterday, we had to get out the door to our appointment with our favorite tax guy- Kent Ellsworth. (Cauley's uncle. Thanks, Uncle Kent!) Anyways, the car was driving "loose" and I just had to get there, so I did. When Cauley showed up, he noticed the flat tire first thing. By the end of our appointment, the tire was still only about 1/2 flat, so we decided to drive 1/4 mile down the road to a gas station and fill it up to see what would happen. However, by the time we got it to the gas station, the tire was completely flat. We started looking around for a tire store, and lo and behold, there was one right next door. It was a Discount Tire Store, which I had never been to one before. They immediately got to work for us, removing the screw I had run over, fixing the hole, and filling it back up with air. I think they were hurrying because our kids were running around the tire store being a little louder than their usual customers. Anyways, Cauley decided to take pity on the tire people and take the kids next door to the gas station for Slurpee's. As soon as he left, they finished our car. I was a little intimidated, thinking they might charge us a lot for fixing it, but the nice tire guy told me "No charge!" What! It said it was $104 for the big screw hole! Nope, they did it for free! AND, the gas station attendant only charged Cauley for 1 Slurpee! (She said she didn't care when Cauley told her what she did!) Does anyone else ever get this kind of "luck?" I truly feel like Heavenly Father is constantly watching over me and my family. I am so grateful for family and friends in my life who are constantly there for us in all situations. We truly are blessed!

I COULD take offense to that!

Have you ever had a moment with your kids- you know, the moment where you just can't take anymore? Well, yesterday we had one of those moments! McKade was so grumpy, Tyli wouldn't let me put her down without screaming, and Dallin insisted he had to eat AGAIN or he would die! (He had eaten literally ALL day!) Anyways, I tried to be the good mom, take a breath, and sing a hymn. (Better than yelling, right?) Well, McKade started yelling "Stop singing!" over and over again while covering his ears. I told him I like to sing because it makes Heavenly Father and Jesus happy. I started singing again to which he replied with a very grumpy face, "Stop singing! You are making Heavenly Father and Jesus so sad. You sound so bad! Stop singing! You sound aweful!" The only thing I could do was laugh after that. The really pathetic part is that he kept repeating himself- even after I stopped!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We sure did! The Easter Bunny brought us lots of unneeded candy and deoderant, fingernail polish, and coloring books. We went to Steph and Brad's Sacrament Meeting because they blessed their baby, Bryce. He is so adorable! (Pictures to come soon!) Afterwards, we went to Phil and Gloria Greer's house for a yummy dinner and then we finished our fun evening off by going out to see the cows and going for a ride on the new limo golf cart behing Brad and Steph's house. So much fun!

Thankful Thursday

Today, as usual, I am thankful for a ton of things. However, maybe because it's spring break, I am so very grateful for my husband, Cauley. I can't begin to express what an awesome person he is, but I'll give you a little glimpse as to why I love him so much.
I love it when he doesn't have to go to work and lets me sleep in- even if it's only until 7:30! I love that he thinks he has to make pancakes or waffles for the kids on his days off. I love that he is such a great teacher to his students. I love that those he coaches respect him so much, as they also know that he is an awesome person. I love that he works so hard at everything he does, and isn't afraid to go the extra mile. I love when he calls me from school during his prep hour, or whenever, especially when he calls to see how preschool went for the day. I love when he comes home and after putting everything down, he comes to me and gives me the nicest hugs and kisses. I love that he cooks dinner when I've had a tough day or am too tired, and he doesn't even complain about it! I love that he helps take care of the kids and dishes after dinner so I can clean the rest of the kitchen. I love watching him wrestle with the boys and somehow play with Tyli at the same time. I love that he doesn't mind changing REALLY stinky diapers for me! I love it when he doesn't let the kids treat me unkindly in any way. I love it when he does his church calling, as I know he has hardly any time to accomplish all that is expected and required. I love seeing him go out and serve and exercising his Priesthood Authority. I love it when he lets the kids come down on the field after a football game and run around and play in the ice. I love that he acknowledges his family when everyone goes to his games. I love how he tells me to go unwind by taking a bath and that he'll bring me ice cream while I am having some "me" time. I love it when he takes initiative and does the laundry. I love it when he lets me sleep and gets up with a child in the night, but don't love it so much when he pretends not to hear them. (I just kick him until he gets up!) I love it that he is so big and strong. I love it when he holds me in those big arms and just holds me. I love that he loves me unconditionally and tells me so any chance he gets!
I LOVE YOU, CAULEY!

Dallin's Talk

I love it when my kids get to give a talk in primary! Everytime Dallin has spoken, we have made sure he has his talk memorized, which after primary, he usually comes home and calls everyone he knows and gives them the talk. Cute. Well, needless to say, I was a very bad mom this week and didn't get his talk together until Sunday morning. OOPS! (Ok, so we were all sick all week long, but hey- my bad!) He did an awesome job memorizing it (thanks to 2:00 church!) and was ready to go. The microphones weren't working, which was an advantage point. However, when Dallin got to the picture of Jesus raising a child from the dead, instead of saying "Jesus raised people from the dead.", he said "He helped people from deadness." I just about lost it! I was glad nobody could hear him anyways. And for the record, I have NO idea where he came up with it!Great job Dallin! I love you!