Happy Birthday to Me (Saturday)!

Things I have learned in my 36 years:
*If you are a mother of little girls, hair elastics multiply in the dark corners of the house and then scatter themselves (because "no one" left them there) all over the floor.
*The kids always want to play in the room you just cleaned.
*Good sewing scissors really do go dull if your kids take them and cut who knows what with them without your knowledge.
*I understand now why Dad would always say in the evenings: "The kitchen is closed!" There are times I would really like to hang yellow police tape around the entrance of my kitchen in the evenings afer I have spent much (much!) time cleaning it for the night. (Please see above post about kids wanting to play in the room you just cleaned.)
*Boogers that are wiped on the wall and left to dry for a very long time do not come off easily, and will usually bring the paint off with them when you finally resort to scraping them off with a straight edge razor, leaving you to wonder what looked worse: the boogers on the wall, or the wall with the paint peeled off in little booger shapes.
*Typing, sewing, or playing the piano with a little one on the lap usually results in pain and misery for both you and the little one. (Yes, there is one on my lap as I type this. I am watching hit little chubby finger slide ever so slowly toward the buttons that he knows will cause me great distress)
*Laundry, like hair elastics, multiplies like rabbits and will, if left unattended, cause you to forget the true color of the carpet in your laundry room.
*Little boys really do ENJOY making their sisters scream.
*Babies and toddlers have little sensors in their heads that will wake them from the deepest of sleep at unusual hours when they sense Mom and Dad are about to spend some "quality time" together... or "wrestle." (to use a word Liseanne has used before with her children)
*Kids' underwear really doesn't need to be folded.
*Stretch marks do not go away. Ever.
*It takes 3.5 seconds for the average toddler to break a pair of glasses.
*Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are about the best invention ever.

So there you have it. Life according to Melinda. I would just like to close with the second verse of "Happy Birthday" (Thank you, Grandma Beverly) as sung to me by Emma. "May your birthday be bright! Full of toys and delight!" Much love to you all!

"Let the beauty we love be what we do."
~Rumi

Happy Easter!

Here are just a few pictures from our family Easter egg hunt on Saturday. (Yes, I finally figured out how to add pictures!)

If you're going to laugh about it later...

Some of you already know this story. Others may not. This was one of those times when I needed to actually apply the motto that I live by: If you're going to laugh about it later, you might as well laugh about it now.
A few weeks ago, after having returned from a very fun snowmobiling trip to Island Park, Morgan broke out in a terrible rash. There were red spots all over her abdomen. They were red, swollen, itchy, and had a white head on them. Now, I have had the chicken pox before. In fact, I still have a few reminders of them left on various parts of my body. But I have never actually "seen" them from a mother's point of view. But these were definitely chicken pox. I called a nurse on our street and described them to her and she said that they definitely sounded like chicken pox. (Before I go any further, let me assure you worried mothers that I did indeed have my children vaccinated against the chicken pox. There. Now that I have clarified that, I will continue.) I kept Morgan home from school, and the nex day, wouldn't you know it, Madison broke out in the same "rash." Caleb got a few the next day, and Emma even had a couple on her belly also. So being the good mom that I am, I kept all my kids home from school that week. I made an appointment with our doctor on Wednesday for Morgan since she seemed to have them the worst. He took a look at them and seemed a bit uncertain, but agreed that they did indeed look like chicken pox, but if I wanted to know for certain, they would need to do a blood culture. So I told Morgan it was time to be brave, since by now, I had the school calling me and asking me to verify if this mysterious rash was indeed what I thought it was. Morgan was brave, blood was taken, and Doug (the doctor) said he would call me that evening. He didn't call me back that evening, or the next, or the next, or even the two nexts. (Due to contruction on the building, the phone lines had been down and he didn't even have access to Morgan's results. I forgave him after he told me that).
By Friday night I was about ready to pull my hair out since all my kids had been home all week and I wouldn't even let them outside. I was venting at my neighbor about it all and she asked if she could bring over a movie for them to watch. I graciously agreed and she was there in 5 minutes. I brought Morgan over and had her show my beloved neighbor her the spots all over her abdomen. After having one look at them, our conversation was as follows:

(Sandy, the wiser neighbor and mother)-Did your kids spend any time in a hot tub over your vacation?

(Melinda, the naive mother)-Yes they did. They were in one every night.

(Sandy, the wiser neighbor and mother and owner of a hot tub)-They don't have the chicken pox, Hun. They have what is called the "hot tub chicken pox." You get it from spending too much time in a hot tub where the chemicals are out of balance. It's called the hot tub chicken pox because it looks just like them.

(Melinda, the naive mother who has no hot tub)- "......."

I was speachless. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or hug her for delivering my children (and myself) from the quarantine of our home. Of course it was great news, but I had just kept all of my children home from school the last week of the term. (Can you say "major missing assignments"?) I had to actually just sit in my room for a while and decide if I was going to laugh or cry. And then I remembered my motto (which I really hate applying when you don't feel like it):

"If you're going to laugh about it later, you might as well laugh about it now."

I took all my kids out of the house the next day and took them to the mall. =)

Playing Tag

So is this like phone tag or what? I think Liseanne tagged me, or maybe it was Joanna, or both of them. It's been a while....Regardless, I thought I would sit down and answer these questions. I'm averaging about 1 post a month. That's not too bad, is it? ;)

A-Attached or Single?
Attatched
B-Best Friends?
Mike, Joanna and Liseanne, and Lisa. Can I count Emma also since we always do everything together? I love that little giggly imp.
C-Cake or Pie?
Are we talking about making them or eating them? If it is eating, then I choose gooey chocolate cake with lots of yummy chocolate frosting. But I would rather bake a pie any day.
D-Day of Choice?
It used to be Thursday when Mike and I would go out to lunch, but we don't do that anymore since I drive the Kiddie Kollege carpool now. So now, I guess I would have to say Sunday since our meetings start at 9. =) I enjoy having the whole day as a family and not "need" to do anything like cleaning. I can be laid back and not feel guilty about it. (Dear Heavenly Father, this is not a request for a more stressful calling...Please do not interpret it as such. Amen.)
E-Essential Item?
My running shoes and my i-pod (and about 54 degrees outside)
F-Favorite Color?
Orange
G-Gummy Bears or Worms?
I never have liked gummy things. Pass.
H-Hometown?
West Point, Utah growing up. Raising my family in Syracuse. =)
I-Favorite Indulgence?
a good book and a bowl of popcorn when the kids are in bed, or a concrete from Nielson's Frozen Custard when I am craving sugar!
J-January or July?
July! July! July! I love the 4th of July! I've already been trying to figure out what kind of July 4th outfits to make my kids this year. =)
K-Kids?
Five of the little kidders. And now I'm done. Period.
L-Life isn't complete without?
I should say something sappy and sentimental like, "Mike and my children" but that is boring, even if it the complete truth. So I will say..."music." Still not very exciting, but again, the truth.
M-Marriage Date?
January 27th, 2005
N-Number of Brother's and Sister's?
3 Brothers 2 Sisters
O-Oranges or Apples?
which ever is in season. Oranges in the winter and apples in the fall. It's hard to beat a home grown apple.
P-Phobia and Fears?
Having Cam sneak outside and wander away for good or get hit by a car... ok, different topic, please.
Q-Quote?
"If you're going to laugh about it later, you might as well laugh about it now."
R-Reason to Smile?
I just found out the 4th Twilight book comes out August 2 of this year. =D Go, go, Edward!!!!! Wooooo hooooo!!!! <3 <3
S-Season of Choice?
Autumn, hands down. The others aren't even close.
T-Tag Three People?
Are we playing kissing tag yet? Because if we are, my list would probably include Antonio Banderas, Matt Damon, or some other movie star hottie. And let's not forget about Edward. Although kissing him would probably feel a bit cold. (I can live with cold.)
U-Unknown Fact About Me?
I'm learning to play the bass guitar.
V-Vegetable?
Corn on the cob, or just about anything from my garden. I love most all veges.
W-Worst Habit?
chocolate... =(
X-X-ray or Ultrasound?
What kind of a question is this?! Ultrasounds are more fun, but I will say X ray since I am done having kids! ;)
Y-Your Favorite Food?
Popcorn!!!
Z-Zodiac Sign?
Aries: a big fat ram with horns.