Just another day!

I came home from work today to find:

I only worked for 3 hours today. I figured Rylie would be OK. She tattooed everyone. The girl's are covered in silly drawings and words. Good thing for washable markers. But if Rylie doesn't stop drawing on them, Ryann will never get a clue!

Also, Ryann was half naked. She had a swimsuit top on and no bottoms, jumping on the trampoline without a care in the world. Life would be so easy if we were 3 years old all of the time!

Dylann was doing tricks with Payton. She has Payton lay on the ground while she swings over the top of her in the tree swing. Payton just laughs and laughs.

There is a down side to the hours of fun with the kids home alone. Ryann bit Payton. This is the third bite for the day. I do not know what to do with Ryann. She and Payton fight, Payton hits and Ryann bites. I put her in time out, to which Ryann laughs at me. Any advice out there? I guess she comes by it naturally. My brother was a biter, he was not allowed in Nursery because he bit the other kids. I have not had a biter before, so I do not know how to stop it.

On a better note, I finally have a flower! I grew it all on my own from a seed. Now those of you outside of Randolph will think that is a silly thing to be proud of. Randolph has a very short growing season. by the time we have our last Spring frost, we get our first Fall frost. This year I planted a million seeds in our front flower garden, and this is the first to bloom. Yeah!

Bubblegum, Markers, Pedicures and a New Kitty!

First, a disclaimer - yes, Ryann is always in her unders. I cannot keep clothes on her! I try to pick the photos that are discrete. I am not a bad mom! She just is a spirited 3 year old!

I am tired of Ronda yelling at me! I have been very busy lately and not able to update my blog. I am sure there are gasps of horror out there every time my blog is accessed because I am not an avid updater. Yea right!

Life is pretty much the same here. Busy, busy, busy. Summer is flying by. School will start in 4 weeks for my very sad children. I must say that I am looking forward to school, the kids are less destructive when they are not toiling around the house all day.

Thanks to Ryann, there is never a dull moment around here. The older girls ask Christopher and I all the time if they were as weird as Ryann is. With each child, they have gotten Weider! Rylie was silly and hated her hair done. She would leave the house with piggie tails and before we hit the car they would be history. Messy was best. She still hates to do her hair. Dylann was rolly polly silly. She had a belly laugh like a man at 3 months. She was in to everything. Kendall is just a ham. She loves to be watched.

But Ryann is all of the above! And not afraid of anything, except loud noises. She spends a lot of time with her hands over her ears. Recently she gave herself a pedicure. The other girls got out the polish while I was at work. Ryann stole it and made herself pretty. Good thing for swimming, it helps loosen the polish from skin.

The next fun came when her and Payton tried to color themselves with markers. Payton wanted to make herself chocolate. We had smelly markers and chocolate was her favorite.

The latest documented fun with Ryann was bubblegum in the hair. It started with her trying to steal the bubblegum at the grocery store. Then on the drive home she popped a big old piece in her mouth, got it all nice and gooey, and POW -- right in the bangs! We tried the peanut butter method. It helped get it from her scalp to almost the end of her hair, then it was scissor time. She now looks like a blond vol kin.

And our final fun is the new kitty - from Ronda - that is near death at every moment. Ryann cannot leave the poor thing alone. His neck is going to be an inch longer than a normal kitty by the time he figures out how to defend himself from her! If it does survive Ryann, it will have to hide from Christopher. He has been out of town for the past week and a half and told his girls "HECK NO!" to a new kitty! Tiger French Fry Stapel, may he survive the Stapel house!

My Grandma Salt

The past week has been a crazy mess of emotions. Grandma Salt, my mom's mom, who will be 92 next month, is in the hospital. I realize the days are numbered for her. 92 years is a long time to be here in this life, and she is so ready for the glory that awaits her in the next.

It is a major rush of emotion to realize that life is coming to an end. She had a bad gallbladder that caused a blockage which led to pancreatitus. She was at death's door, gave her last testimony, and SURVIVED! She is now in a rehab facility recovering her surgery until Friday. Then it is back to the "Senior Community".

My grandma is the most amazing little woman. She is, maybe, 5 feet tall, with a 10 foot tall personality. I love all of her silly-ness and spunky-ness. She has been through so much in her life. I love to listen to her talk about her childhood, and what it was like raising my uncles. She has such a strong testimony of the Gospel. I am so inspired by her.

Why am I a mom??

Sometimes I take for granted that I am a mom of 4 cute, silly and wild little girls. I have complained of the fighting and crying over nothing, the messes and - the fighting! But I am so blessed to have my girls!

I was watching a show last night with a mom who tried for 7 years to have a baby, finally having a baby boy. I also watched a very touching video of a young couple who lost their baby boy the day before he was due. I am going to be better about appreciating each moment I have with my girls.

I am blessed to have never have had a miscarriage. I did have troubles conceiving Kendall and Ryann. 4 c-sections were not a blast, but it was worth the pain to get my girls. Each baby had troubles when they were born: Rylie having pneumonia and a pneumothorax; Dylann having trouble keeping her body temperature and being as orange as a carrot for weeks; Kendall with worries of baby diabetes due to the fact she was 9 lbs. 5.7 oz. at birth (12 days early); and Ryann pooping in my uterus and breathing it in. But all are healthy and fun and, did I say WILD!

Rylie is so preteen! She just finished 5th grade and will be bussed 30 minutes each way over to middle school in the fall. Scary! She is not so fond of babysitting the others, but gives it a go when money is involved. She is so grown up.

Dylann is a total girl. She worries about everything and everyone. She copies down numbers off of infomercials on how to save the animals. She wants to join the Peace Corps and save the world.

Kendall is a tomboy. She loves to get out and get dirty, play sports and hang with the guys. She is a rockstar and a pirate. She plays the drums and writes songs.

Ryann is a nut! She has more fun getting in to trouble than staying safe. She loves dirt, being naked - outside where everyone can see - and can find a way to make me crazy at every moment! She is very 3.

I would never trade my life of being a mom. I know I take it for granted and don't always remeber the blessings they each are to my life. I cannot imagine my life without them.