2.19.2013

{ Some Randomness in Our Lives }

As I was sorting through some pictures of the last few months, I found some great random ones that made me smile. Life with kids..7kids…can create the best memories. I find myself trying to laugh more than cry just to make it through. I wish I was a better advocate for messy fun (I’m working on it), but I think I am getting better at just turning the other cheek to those messes that just can’t be helped. I secretly wish I wore my motto bold and proud-it would sound something like this:

If it can be:

  • cleaned up
  • mopped up
  • swept up
  • dried up
  • wiped down
  • picked up
  • redone
  • remade
  • fixed
  • or lived with broken…

then we’re good.

Here’s a few examples of what our random life consists of these days.

Exhibit A

spaghetti names blog-1

This is the result of littlest Starbuck kid (not pictured) sharing his dinner with the floor. In his valiant efforts to not waste such precious goods, smart older brother (who’s sporting a great post nap hairdo and church pants with shirt that’s not a white button up shirt  because he takes it off the second we are home from church) gets to work showing the rest of us his great new spelling skills. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

spaghetti names blog-2

Lovely. Makes a mother’s heart proud to see her kid learning to spell. And we’ll just overlook those nice clean floors shall we. It was Sunday, I was pretty sure I was resting that day from all sweeping responsibilities.

Brooke was not about to be outdone…

spaghetti names blog-3

…have I mentioned how alike those two are? Wow. Two peas in a pod for sure. Everyone else was about to join in the fun, when I called it quits. I am still a work in progress. I wish I could have just joined in and started spelling things out too, but it was late, and I was getting grumpy. Boo Hoo. Someday, I’ll let loose a bit more.

Exhibit B

cereal blog-1

What’s this grand concoction you may be wondering? Dinner I created for the night? As much as I don’t always love to cook, and we do have the two cereal meals a day limit…no it’s not something I can claim credit for. This is the result of spending too much time in the garage trying to organize things with your husband who actually has a free day off, and your two year old decides that waiting for you is really far too much to ask. You want cereal, you get the two best kinds available (obviously Honey Nut Cheerios and Trix were the cereal of choice), as some extra sugar, because I’m pretty sure those two kinds don’t have enough already, and bon appetite! Yeah, we caught it before any milk was actually added and too much sugar was consumed.

Exhibit C

washing machine overflow blog-1

In case you were wondering what happens when too many suds have a party in a low suds front loading washing machine…I’ll save you some time. This is what that fun would look like. So if maybe you were trying really hard to get your whole house cleaned for some youth to come stay at your house for a weekend Youth Conference, and you were trying to wash lots of towels and bathmats and one of them maybe had a spot on it that you were a little unsure about-though in your gut you maybe knew it was baby shampoo that someone spilled on the mat, like half a bottles worth, but you decided not to take the time to further investigate, but just threw it in the wash as is…Yes, you would definitely get this as an outcome. No worries. Nothing a little soggy trip of carrying really heavy towels outside to rinse off in the water spicket on the side of the house can’t fix (because there are so many suds they are just clogging up the laundry room sink)the whole time wondering if the neighbors are watching you from their windows, and maybe are worried for you that your washer had broken and you had resorted to hand washing your clothes for now. They might think you were ever more odd than you are, and really pity you for all the laundry you would have to do by hand, in a cold water spicket in 40 degree weather for 7 kids.

Yea, just in case you were wondering, I got ya covered. No need to wonder any longer.

2.03.2013

{Seven for Sunday}

I know I should be frantically catching up on the several months past posts ( I’m slowly getting there, one post at a time) but my mind is full of these precious memories I don’t want to forget. I feel like my days are chalked full of these little bits of my kids life that I don’t want to slip into the nethermost part of my brain. They are the details you promise yourself you will never forget, and then two years from now, you struggle to remember even the smallest part about their mannerisms or their favorite things. I hope I won’t forget those too soon.

1. Ryan has been talking so much lately, and the other night he was wandering around telling us all sorts of things. It made my heart ache that he is growing up. I feel like I dwell over it on a daily basis. When did two feel so old? He promised me that he would stay my baby forever tonight..and we shook on it, so I think we're good. He shook and then he promptly said the words, “I promise” which made my heart ache even more-there he was already breaking his promise and growing up on me.

2. Ryan is learning to say his prayers by himself. He says “Heavenly Father, Christ, Amen. He likes to say it all the time, and just starts saying it anytime anyone else starts to say a prayer. Scott gets to the most upset, and insists on correcting Ryan EVERY time that Scott is the one saying the prayer. It only makes Ryan start all over again and keep saying it.

3. When Scott says the family prayer, he does this funny thing, when he holds his hand up to “silence” everyone before he can pray. We try to tell him we are being quiet, but it kind of just fuels the fire even more. He shakes his head, put’s his hand up firmer, and just shh’s us.

4. Austin was so concerned last week about going to do fast offerings. He is taking his new calling as the Deacons Quorum president very serious. His ride fell through and he was afraid to wake Aaron up from his short nap on the couch to tell him. Aaron had come from meetings at church to home teaching, and crashed for a few minutes of rest. I offered to start vacuuming the floor under the table in hopes of helping to arouse the tired bishop, and Austin quickly agreed so he wouldn’t have to be the one to wake him. I assured him that dad was really the nicest one to have to wake up. Me on the other hand… When our impromptu vacuuming didn’t work, I told Austin,”What if someday you are a missionary and there is a door you don’t want to knock on?” He quickly responded,”Ohhh, Okay, I’ll wake him up.” Just like that. No more fears or hesitation. It made me wonder what man this young boy will turn into. I am pretty sure it’s going to be the most amazing person..the kind you watch from afar and wish you could set your daughter up with. The kind that makes you proud. Note to self-I think that means “brings honor”.

5. Brianna had a friend over and they were at the kitchen island talking while they waited for a ride. Her friend wanted to tell her something from a text on her phone. Brianna encouraged her to go ahead. Her friends response was, “Right here?” as she kind of motioned to going upstairs to talk privately. Brianna immediately said, “Yeah, why not?”. “Oh, okay,” her friend responded. I kept myself busy cleaning whatever it was that needed cleaning there in the kitchen so I could stay in the loop. Staying in the loop requires the utmost self control to not talk or respond even when you want to. I told Brianna later how much I liked how she felt she could say things around us. She brushed it off like it was no biggie, but I think she was happy that she’s okay with that too.

6. Brianna like to borrow my clothes a lot. She begs me to accompany her to her closet at night and help her pick out her clothes for the next day. I think I might have to be her college roommate, just so we can still have each others wardrobe. I like that she likes some of my outfits lately. Especially when I come out on a Sunday morning and she sees some new combination I put together, it’s that look of envious surprise that her mom could actually come up with something stylish. Well…her mom and Pinterest, we work together sometimes.

7. Brooke got a haircut and loves it so much. She keep brushing her hair nonstop, and admiring herself in the mirror. At times it really doesn’t take much to please her. I think her and I..we are a lot a like. I got this new bright pink apron the other day that I keep admiring too. I put a hook right next to my pantry door, so I can hang it there and admire it all day long. It’s the perfect bright pink color that I love so much right now, and looks so fancy. You know the kind..The ones with intricate designs sewn on it-like your grandmother painstakingly hand sewed it, but it really says Made in India on it, and you picked it up down the street at TJ Maxx. I even try it on and walk around all serious like a real chef. I may have even been inclined to cook something. Yeah..those little things- they make me happy.