Where to Start...

Do you ever sit down to blog and then just stare at the screen wondering where to start, or try to figure out what's "worthy" of mentioning? I don't want my posts to just be about how I struggle day to day trying to stay sane, or describing how much work my kids are, but honestly that's my life so I don't have a lot of material to draw from. I feel like I waste a lot of time trying to phrase things eloquently, and I do a lot of revising after words, so I'm just going to type things out as they come to my mind and hopefully it won't sound too jumbled.

Last week Gabe drove to California for his Grandpa Roberts funeral and I got to experience being a single parent for 4 days. I kept it simple, doing frozen pizza for dinner, cereal for snacks, neglecting house work and letting the kids stay up late. During this time I was also prepping for a yard sale I was doing with a neighbor, so our living room and garage were full of boxes so I could organize everything. I'm surprised my kids didn't ask me if we were moving. I of course stayed up way too late the night before the yard sale doing last minute things and then decided to bake cookies and brownies for the kids to sell. They are earning money so we can go visit Grandma and Grandpa in Texas. I did get everything done, but only got 2 hours of sleep, so the next day was an adventure. Gabe was still out of town, so I had to stay in our garage or in the kitchen with our garage door open so I'd be available to be cashier when people were ready to pay. It made nursing a little awkward and timing my bathroom breaks a little tricky. My kids survived mainly on cookies and brownies from the bake sale and Mason was running around the block in his pajamas and a soggy diaper for the first few hours. Our garage is still in mayhem, but our living room is almost back to normal.

Last Sunday I was asked to meet with the bishop after church, so I knew a new calling was most likely going to be extended to me. Either that or I was going to be asked not to bring my boys to church anymore because they were too much of a distraction (I wonder if that has ever happened before?) My bishop told me I had been requested to be a R.S. teacher and then tentatively asked if I thought I would be able to handle accepting the calling. I was very tempted to decline because honestly I don't have a lot of spare time and it will be difficult for me to make the time to prepare my lessons because I have to read over them 10-20 times in order to counter my nervousness and bad memory. I knew my bishop would understand if I declined, and I have plenty of good excuses to not accept, but I knew in my heart that I would be able to handle it. (Now I just have to figure out how).

In the meantime I have been struggling with a lot of back and shoulder pain from some of my ribs being out of place. My chiropractor asked me if I was nursing because that can put a lot of stress on your back and neck. I guess after 5 kids my body is having a hard time keeping up. I know if I started exercising again it would help, but that is something all of us women "know" but knowing and doing are two very different things. Right now sleep is more of a priority because if I don't exercise before my kids wake up, then I never get around to it. I always start my day with good intentions, I'll stay in my pajamas and I'll keep putting off taking a shower because I tell myself I'll get the chance at some point... 2 days later I still haven't exercised and I'm past due for a shower : ) Embarrassing as that is, I know I'm not the only one.

One-On-One With Gage

It was a little tricky holding a baby and a camera at the same time, but I didn't drop either one, so I don't think I did too bad.

Luau Party

This year is our kids year to have a friend birthday party. Brianna wanted to have a Luau themed party, and lucky for us the Dollar Store was a great resource for decorations. She had fun greeting all of her friends at the door and putting a lei around their necks. I made her a brownie cake, because in my opinion brownies are much better than regular chocolate cake, and I made a yummy peanut butter frosting to go with it. She and her friends had a lot of fun playing limbo and the candy bar game. The candy bar game is also great for a family night activity, so I will explain how to play at the end of this post for those who are interested.

Tiki Brownie Cake

Brianna and her friends

Of course a typical day at our house always includes a few mishaps, a.k.a. "things that make Mommy upset". The two "mishaps" that I will mention both include Tucker. First, he and his friend "Little Hayden" thought it would be fun to rip holes in our trampoline net enclosure. I don't know what they were thinking or why they did it, but Tucker's explanation was "I don't know, we just did it". He and Little Hayden are now grounded from the trampoline, and I am going to attempt to repair the rips in the netting with nylon thread. The second mishap involving Tucker came about when I gave him gum. Of course before hand I went over the rules, 1. The gum stays in your mouth 2. You don't play with it with your fingers 3. You spit it in the trash when you are done, and he assured me he would comply. Big mistake! A half an hour later it was stuck all over his face. I had Gabe rub peanut butter on his face and let is soak in a bit so it would be easier to remove. Tucker is now grounded from gum.

"The Peanut butter solution"

The Candy Bar Game:
You need a large Hershey's chocolate bar, an 8x8 metal pan, a clean Phillips head screwdriver, a dice, a winter hat, a scarf and gloves or mittens. You put the unwrapped chocolate bar in the metal pan and place it in the middle of the table along with the screw driver and winter items. Everyone sits around the table, taking turns rolling the dice, trying to get a six. When someone rolls a six, they quickly put on the winter items, then they use the screwdriver to break small pieces off of the chocolate bar and then eat them. Our rule is that you can only eat one piece at a time and the first piece has to be completely gone before you can pop another one in. In the mean time all of the other players quickly continue rolling the dice trying to get a six. As soon as another six is rolled the first person has to stop immediately and quickly remove all the winter items so the next person can get started. For older kids you can use over-sized gloves or mittens to make it harder. We tell our kids that if someone has the misfortune of not getting to eat any chocolate, they will get a piece at the end.

Bitter Sweet

There is something about a baby's laughter and smiles that is so contagious. Gage is all smiles and dimples right after he has been fed. Of course that starts me laughing and he in turn starts laughing and cooing, then the hiccups follow. All of my boys have been really "good" babies but Gage is the only one that has had a naturally happy disposition. I didn't know babies good be so responsive and aware of their surroundings at such a young age. My other kids usually slept and ate for the first 3-4 months of their lives. It has been a bitter, sweet experience with Gage in that he is such a blessing in our lives and brings a happy spirit into our home. But at the same time it's a little sad knowing this is the last time we'll get to experience all the fun baby stages for ourselves. So I am just trying to enjoy every moment and am in no rush to have him grow up.

Is This Really My Life?

This is the kid's last week of school and then it's official, I am going to lose my mind!  That's how I felt last Friday during Tucker's kindergarten graduation when the sudden reality of having all 5 kids at home 24/7 hit me.  I have contemplated hiring a Mother's Helper again part time, but I think if I can get organized and have a morning schedule set up for the kids, then I can maintain my sanity (or what's left of it).  Last Wednesday I had one of "those" moments at the end of the day where I questioned, "Is this really my life?"

The day began when I accidentally slept in to 8:30am, the kids are suppose to leave for school at 8:25am.  I quickly threw food into their lunch bags and drove them to school rather than having them ride their bikes.  When I got back from dropping them off, Tucker did his morning jobs, then went out to ride bikes with "Little Hayden" (his friend who lives down the street).  Twenty minutes later there was pounding on my front door and I could hear Tucker crying in the back ground.  I opened the door and saw a man carrying Tucker in his arms.  Apparently he fell off his bike in front of his house and had hit the back of his head.  (Disclaimer: my boys did have bike helmets up to 4 days before this incident, but we sold Tucker's at a yard sale because it was ill fitting with the intention of buying him a new one.  But of course that has not happened yet).  After applying an ice pack and letting him watch tv, he was back to normal.

A few hours and 3 loads of laundry later, I dropped Tucker and 3 bikes off at the school, then stopped by the house of a ward member who lives on the street behind us, to pick up a swimming pool she no longer wanted.  Mason was in the van sitting in a booster rather than his car seat, but I thought I didn't need to worry about him getting out because I was standing a few yards away and could notice if he escaped.  BIG mistake!  He did slip out, and he was so sneaky about it too.  I didn't hear him open or close the door, but I did hear my neighbors van make a beeping sound like the door locks were activated.  I went to check on Mason to make sure he hadn't gotten out of our van and into hers.  I couldn't see him in either of them.  So I started calling his name and began searching her front and back yard but found no sign of him.  We checked inside her house then checked both vans again, it seemed like he had just vanished into thin air.  I called across the street to a man who was cleaning out his garage and asked if he had seen a little boy get out of my van.  He said he had seen him, but hadn't noticed which direction he went.

I started to get a little panicky, but at the same time was trying to reassure myself because I didn't think he could have gone too far.  I began running through all the neighbors backyards (not many people have fences dividing their yards) while calling out for Mason.  My heart was beating faster, not from running, but from the thought that I may have really "lost" him this time or someone may have lured him into their house.  The whole time I was praying "please let me find him" over and over in my head.  I stopped running and started to carefully survey all the backyards hoping to catch a glimpse of his bright red sweatshirt.  My head turned to the sound of a little door shutting closed, and I noticed a little play house in one of the neighbors backyards.  I didn't see any movement coming from it, but I began walking over and called out, "Mason are you in there?"  There was no answer, but I kept walking closer.  I again called out, "Mason are you in there?"  As I drew near I saw a little figure crouching down inside and heard a little voice answer, "no".  A flood of emotions washed over my body, relief, joy, frustration and exhaustion.  I carried my screaming 2 year old back to the van and left my neighbor with the realization that her 3 boys were a piece of cake compared to my single toddler (I can only assume).

The rest of my day was a whirlwind.  The older kids got out of school early and Hayden had a friend come over to play for a few hours.  Many of the neighbor boys were also over playing in our backyard, so I was continuously going in and out of the house to smooth over arguments, fix bikes, hand out snacks and talk to neighbors who had come over to see where their boys were.  During this time I was trying to cook rice on the stove top for dinner, but I was never in the house when it began to boil, so it would boil over.  I would turn the temperature down, but would again get preoccupied, so it would stop cooking.  It took me 2 hours to cook my rice!!!  I informed Gabe later that evening, that we would be buying a rice cooker on our next trip to Costco.

The rest of the day included the following:  Hayden biting Little Hayden because he jumped in the sand box and wrecked the project he had spent over an hour working on; one of the neighbor boys getting hurt on our trampoline while playing a wrestling game; Me going outside every few minutes to make sure I knew Mason's exact location; Gabe getting home late from work because his car didn't pass safety inspections and required a new set of 4 tires (not cheap with a BMW); Arriving late at Brianna's 4th Grade Drama Production; Coming home to a mountain of sandy clothes and shoes by the back door and a trail of sandy debris up the the bathroom; Then remembering I never got a chance to eat dinner. 

When Gabe asked me how my day I had gone, the only description I could find fitting was, "It was a marathon of a day".

I know we all have those days when we wonder how our lives got so crazy so fast, and wonder when the day will come when we no longer feel we are on autopilot and can flip our mental switch off of "survival mode".  I know that day will come, but I think when it does arrive I might be surprised to find it less satisfying than I had always imagined.  Some of my craziest of days have also been my kids favorite days, and they contain our fondest memories.

Cutest Baby Ever

Tucker has told me on many occasions that Gage is the cutest baby ever. He also tells me that our "next" baby will be a girl so she can marry Gage. So he may not be the most reliable source, but some of his notions are spot on.

Aquarium

During the kids spring break last month we went to the "Living Planet Aquarium" in Sandy. It was our first time and I took all 5 kids without Gabe. I did lose track of Mason a few times, but luckily friendly people would help out and keep an eye on the other kids while I would go round him up. I usually found him trying to unlock the "employee only" doors. He did have fun looking at all the fish, but he just has an innate desire to escape.

They had some pretty big fish

Mason loved this boat! He would have played
in it the whole time if it was up to him

Sizing up the ocean plant life

Hayden checking out the new penguin exhibit

Tucker hiding in a cave

Mason squeezing through a crack in the cave

The kids got to touch the sting rays

Mason jumped ship before I could get a picture of all the kids in the canoe

Gage

Gage's baby blessing

On Saturday April 23rd, Gage was blessed in our home by his Grandpa, Terry Gosney. Elizabeth (Gabe's sister) had graduated from BYU a few days earlier, so we had family in town to celebrate two special events. We held the blessing pretty early in the morning, so I kept it pretty low key. The kids were still in their p.j.s and I didn't bother putting on make up. Gage enjoyed all the extra attention and didn't mind having to wait an extra hour to nurse.

Gage and Grandpa Gosney

Grandpa and all five kids

The Gosney Girls (minus Deon and Kelsey)

The Gosney Guys: Devon, Gabe, Gage and Thomas

Our first photo as a family of six, err I mean seven (thanks Jenny)

Tucker and Mom (dang that boy in photogenic!)

Tucker loves to hold Gage, he asks at least 10 times a day.

I'm still here...barely

Things are going great, life is just really busy! Gage is growing like a weed and is pretty content, depending on the day. He has struggled with tummy troubles, but sleeping on his stomach has helped and also Gripe water. Even when he has to be bounced for awhile or just held for an hour, he's not the most high maintenance child in the house. That roll has been filled by Mason. I'm not complaining, but he is the reason that I only get on the computer twice a month.

Let me paint a mental picture for you. All of our doors that lead outside are triple locked. One is at the very top of the door that our kids have titled "The Mason lock". Our fence gates have padlocks and his room has a lock. Yet we are constantly finding him outside, or in the van or rummaging through the garage. Yesterday morning I was nursing Gage in my room and I was startled by the garage door opening (our bedroom is above the garage so you can hear and feel when the door is activated). I knew I had locked all the doors the night before and had checked them again before I went to bed. I called out to Gabe to run down and see what was going on. He found all the doors still locked, but the front window was open and the screen had been kicked out. He found Mason in the van in our garage playing in the driver seat. Luckily we had unlocked one of the backyard gates for the older kids the day before, so he was able to get through it and into the garage, rather than taking off down the street.

We are planning on putting some type of GPS device on him, for his safety and our sanity. He has been returned to our house by complete strangers, he has been found inside many of our neighbors cars. He will walk into neighbors houses and make himself at home. He has intentionally locked me out of the house many times and I've had to beg and bribe him with chocolate or ice cream to let me back in.

Escaping is not his only hobby. He is a master mind at getting into anything and everything. Last week I bought some hamburger buns for a BBQ and hid them in a non-food cupboard so Mason wouldn't find them. I came downstairs the next morning to find him sitting on the stove top eating a hamburger bun. On the counter next to him was the bag of buns, mutilated by a knife he had to used to open it because he hadn't been able to undo the twisty tie.

I do love this child, but I really don't get a moment's rest, unless he actually does take a nap and doesn't use his binky to unlock his bedroom door, (the door knob locks that can be opened with a coin are a joke to this boy).

...It is now 24 hours later since I started writing this post, Mason got up from his nap and I never got a chance to return to the computer. I ended up saying "heck" to house work and took him out front to play with neighbors while us mom's visited a little. We were sitting on the neighbors lawn and Mason was playing in their garage with a few other kids. All of a sudden the sprinkler system came on. We rushed into the garage and found Mason standing on top of their freezer with his hand inside the sprinkler control box. Aghhhhhhhh! We went home after that. I just have to remind myself, on an hourly basis sometimes, that I do love this child.

Well, Gage is now awake and crying so I'll have to be done. Hopefully I'll get the chance to post some pictures soon, just be patient with me.