Goodbye hole in the wall!
Hello more cupboards!

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!

(ok one person requested that I blog more)
But as far as I'm concerned that's popular enough...tehe

So what's new at the Parker house...hmmm.

Well Aubrey received the honor of Student of the Month for November. For the second year in a row...both in November. Which is driving Connor CRAZY, because he has never been student of the month, which as it turns out is just a perk for Aubrey. Gotta LOVE sibling rivalry. She has also been getting straight A's the whole year. Aubrey with a poem book she wrote

Connor passed of his Wolf requirements in Cub Scouts over the Thanksgiving weekend. (6 months early). He absolutely loves scouts, which I'm pleased about because I haven't had to ever nag him about it. He also has a new friend Spencer that lives 2 doors down. Spencer's family is awesome and Spencer is a really nice kid, so we are happy about the whole thing!

Connor being a goof-ball

Alli is loving preschool and I love that she loves it. It has kept her busy and happy. With both of the older kids at school all day there isn't much for her to do, which is a first for her. She has always had at least Aubrey home to entertain her. She is really struggling with being alone. Olivia isn't quite old enough to play with, for any extended period of time at least. So tuesdays and thursdays are more difficult and lately she starts asking "when are the kids going to be home?" around 12 noon. After the holidays I think she's going to start swim lessons at the local indoor pool, that should keep her busy. Alli with her birthday presents

(the scooter, hat, and gloves)

Olivia is growing up so fast! She has been walking since a week before Halloween. Olivia is into board books, cars and trucks, and she loves to carry around one of Aubrey's purses. She gives the BEST hugs and kisses and is in love with her puppy. I could write all day about how amazing she is and how smart, and cute. I'll spare you.

A moment of her just being silly and cute!
helping put up Christmas decorations

It's funny because we can always tell whether the kids get their coordination from Sean or I. Connor started walking at 10 months, running the next day and before that he was climbing on EVERYTHING. Coordinated- mom. Aubrey was slower to walk and hasn't stopped falling over. Uncoordinated- dad. Alli was walking at a year and dancing quickly after that, dance lessons came naturally. Coordinated- mom. Olivia wasn't walking until 14 months, it's been over a month and a half and she is still bouncing off walls, cupboards and people...she hasn't quite figured out her breaks yet. Uncoordinated-dad. It doesn't seem to bother either Aubrey or Olivia to have no coordination and luckily for them, I know coordination can be learned.
Now don't get me wrong, Sean isn't what you would call a klutz but smooth and graceful are definitely words that would not describe anything he does. Or anyone in his family (God love them) for that matter. And before Sean becomes the victim in everyone's mind, he is aware of this.

Speaking of Sean. He is working his hiney off even though things are slowing down. In part due to seasonal demand as well as the "slowing economy". While some of his friends in the industry have been laid off, Sean remains confident in his job security. So for now we continue to be thankful for his job and our hearts go out to those going through job loss and financial struggles during this holiday season.

I am officially registered as a student at Salt Lake Community College. I was so worried that my classes would fill up and there wouldn't be any room for me, which led to me stalking the internet registration status for a week. Not making it in would have been a HUGE set back. For anyone who doesn't know I will be going into Cosmetology. Sean is super supportive and (pre-maturely) looking forward to a 2nd income. No pressure, sheesh. I totally feel that this is the right choice for me at this time. I know it'll be hard with young kids but we'll just work through it like everything else. Plus, I could be proven wrong but I think I have some natural talent in the area. So count down begins...one month exactly! I will be taking two Cosmetology lab classes, one Cosmetology Theory class and one business HR class (online).

So there you have it. That's how we are these days. I'll have to write all about the Holiday festivites and Shenanigans!

You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!

So I was at Target tonight. Alone, with Olivia. I was enjoying my time when I wandered into a "situation" in the baby clothes section. It was ridiculous! A woman (possibly the aunt) was chasing 2 kids around the ages of 2 and 4 around UNDER the displays of high chairs and playpens etc. Around all of the boxes. For those of you who don't have babies yet, those boxes are heavy and not steady. The 4 year old was saying "come this way" to the woman and she was saying things like "no I think I'll go in/out this way...uh oh, watch out (little boys name)...just a minute i have to get (boy)." Girl: "This is so fun I had no idea" as the sound of boxes tipping and moving. Umm HELLO dangerous! As if that wasn't bad enough what I think was the actual mom of the kids was changing a diaper, A POOPY diaper on one of the larger boxes under the display. Are you KIDDING me?! Don't get me wrong I get the chaos of kids. I understand the need to change a poopy ASAP, yeah I get making do with what is available...BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORE??? She was less than 30 yards from the bathroom. Next time you buy a large purchase for a baby beware of what's on the outside of the box....ewww!

Happy Birthday Alli! and Megan's off to school!

Alli is 5! actually she will be on Friday but the way things have been going I should get this blog done before it becomes a procrastination issue!
Alli is is preschool and LOVES it! Her personality has just exploded over the last few months and she is adorable. She cracks me up almost everyday. Lately she likes to talk about her future. She is "going to be a singer like Taylor Sift" and "color her hair yellow." It's so much fun to tell her that she can be whatever she wants to be as long as she works hard. And that she is beautiful the way she is. I believe she will do what she wants and will be successful, too. She loves to help out and she has this determination about her she's had from the day she was born. She is still fiercely independent (don't know where in the world she gets that from!). We are still told often that she is my "mini megan", strangers, family, friends, Sean someone usually has something to say about it. I don't mind, but I'm sure it might be a problem for her as she gets older. Oh well, we all have our issues. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLI WE LOVE YOU!!

And now on to me...my favorite thing to blog about...HAHA.
Actually for once there is news about me. Way back in August/September I made up my mind to go back to school. It has been something I have been looking into and talking about since Connor and Aubrey were little. Some things I considered going for were nursing, teaching, and cosmetology. Well I made the decision and will be going for Cosmetology. While Nursing and Teaching are valiant professions I need to do something with some more flexibility. I am hoping after gaining some experience, to have my salon in my house. Until that time comes I'll start out going to school at night taking as many classes as I can handle so that I can get finished as soon as possible. Then the plan is to work in a professional salon to gain some experience for a year or 2 and then finally build a salon in our house. In the meantime Sean will be starting internet classes sometime next year in hopes to finish his bachelor and continue on to his masters. OY its just the beginning...but it's the beginning of the end!

A new Post! Things I've Done

It's seems like I am falling behind on my blog, ugh, just like everything else right now. There just isn't enough time in the day. I'll have to explain in more detail later. But for now I thought I would post a blog that I saw on my cousins page. Here it is...

To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done. Happy discoveries!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I'm including Orchestra and a few Quartets)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
I hope to one day
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
sign language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
(well as close as you can get in the US I went to the museum in DC)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Parkers- Sick Again

Well, just when I was getting a handle of all that was going on everyone gets sick. Alli started it all with a bout of strep throat and after a round of antibiotics it persisted. Sean took her to the Dr. which doesn't happen all that often. When he (dr.) said since it didn't respond to antibiotics it was probably viral, sean insisted he check anyway. Go Daddy! Sean was right and the Dr. was surprised and prescribed a stronger med. Well unfortunately stronger didn't mean tastes better so we spent a week playing the "If you take your medicine..." game with Alli. It was bad. Fortunately no one else caught it which is an amazing blessing.
Although, I rejoiced too soon. The next week we got a call from the school saying Aubrey threw up in class. Poor girl I felt so bad for her. This time it was a different story, because from then on every 2 days someone else was sick. The next victim was Connor who was at a soccer game when it hit. Then Monday it was Olivia. Then Wednesday it was me and Alli. It brought back all sorts of memories of morning sickness...so glad that is over with! I knew that morning it was bad so I had Sean call a friend in the ward to watch Olivia while I spent the day with Alli puking and sleeping. We were sick buddies. I do not know what I would have done if I had to take care of Olivia all day, I mean, what else do you do with a 1 y/o when doing anything vertically is impossible? Anyway, I was so thankful to have someone to call on. Lucky Sean was the only one who didn't get it.

But now we are all feeling better. Just in time, too. This Saturday we are going to go to Provo so my cousins can take some family pictures. This was my solution to avoiding the high cost of a pro...2 BYU students who are creative and love kids. So instead of paying hundreds of $$ we promised them dinner in exchange for their services. I am scheeming another plan similar to this one to get Sean and I a weekend away w/free babysitters. If there's one thing I've learned about college students...you can get them to do just about anything for a good home cooked meal. Plus my cousins are awesome so they would do nice things for me anyway. I will post some pics when we are done. We haven't had a real family picture since Aubrey was a baby...that is sad!

I'm back...again!

I'm sure there was more I wanted share however, as it often does, life got in the way. I don't remember exactly what it might have been. Thats ok, there is something else that has been on my mind A LOT.

So Olivia is trying to walk. She isn't much for adventure so it seems like it has taken a bit longer for her to master new skills. Specifically, crawling and walking. Although, the reward is her extreme satisfaction with herself when she gets all "risky" and takes 3 or 4 steps. My infatuation w/my baby is probably nauseating but I would like to explain why.

It all started with my grandma. Who all growing up was my biggest champion, loved me unconditionally and supported me always, there really just aren't words. She survived a massive stroke while I was pregnant with Aubrey (2001). This was devastating for me, but she is a survivor and though she was not the same, she lived until November of 2006. During this time I had some amazing moments with her, precious times I will never forget. Shortly after grandma passed I was surprised by my pregnancy with Olivia. It was January, flu season and I thought I had the flu. Then a week went by and it occurred to me that this was not the flu. So went the rest of my pregnancy...I hugged a bowl 24/7 until at 20 weeks I found out I had gestational diabetes. When my blood sugar was under control the nausea was better but not gone completely. Needless to say, I thought this pregnancy would never end. Then our precious Olivia was born. Of course there was not even a question that I would give Olivia the middle name of Margaret after my grandma.

Three days after Olivia was born Sean's grandpa passed away. Just days after Sean and the older kids returned Sean and I were talking about our newest member. I was concerned that her color was just not right at times. I was worried that I was seeing things due to hormone overdrive and sleep deprivation. As we were discussing this our baby just stopped breathing. It took me a moment to really see what was going on. Even though she was breathing again, we both realized that this was serious. Knowing if I called 911 we would have to go through the local hospital first and I just wanted to go to Primary Children's. I got us in the car as fast as possible and drove with one had reaching back to her head, so I could feel her pulse through her soft spot. She seemed to be ok from what I could tell when she was checked out at the hospital her oxygen level was 91. Which is ok but definitely not ideal. They decided to check me in and monitor her. After hours of observation and waiting for the Dr. they decided that her oxygen levels weren't very stable. They had to check for infection which meant blood draws as well as a spinal tap for meningitis. Everything came up normal but thankfully they trusted me and saw that something was going on. The first day at the hospital was a round of preventative antibiotics and closer monitoring of her heart, lungs and oxygen as well as a GERD test. That night was a defining moment for me. I had enough time on my hands to convince myself that I was in fact crazy enough to land my baby in a hospital attached to wires and being pricked and prodded like a science project. I finally surrendered to exhaustion only to wake 2 hours later with 5 nurses surrounding the tiny hospital crib my baby was sleeping in. Monitors politely chiming, in reality indicating a serious problem. As they departed one by one I asked one who looked familiar, "what happened?". She calmly explained that Olivia, once again, stopped breathing only this time her oxygen level dropped to an astonishing 49 (low is below 92). They all rushed in to assess the problem and went to work. As I looked over my baby I realized that she had acquired a new hospital accessory, oxygen tubes. Then all that she said was a blur, except that she explained if this had happened at home it was likely that Olivia would not have recovered. That is the moment I realized that I was there for a reason. I had gone to the hospital the night before, determined to "save my baby" for a reason. If I was not so sure before that point, I knew in that moment I saved my baby. Olivia was just one choice away from being another tragic statistic of SIDS. Often a syndrome that hits randomly without any signs or symptoms. We spent the next 6 days in a blurry cycle of napping, feeding, nurses, feeding, poking, feeding, doctors, and feeding. Finally every test was exhausted. There were several small diagnosis, GERD (acid reflux) shallow breathing as well as underdeveloped lungs (which is common in babies born to diabetic moms). Both the dr. and myself felt confident in sending us home with precripts for GERD and oxygen tanks as well as an oxygen monitor. While it was nice to be home again I became mom again to the older kids as well as 24 hour nurse to Olivia. As you can imagine she was attached to my side all day and night. We were literally inseparable for the following weeks until her pediatrician was confident in her ability to thrive off of oxygen. That was a really hard step for me to take. I was so used to watching her monitor and having the oxygen to rely on. I kept a spare tank around for the next month, just in case.

It's now been a year since that ordeal and I have thought so much about the entire experience. While I had moments of clarity and definitely a fear of the worst. I don't think I fully comprehended how close Olivia was to dying. Forgive me if I sound overly dramatic. I was living in survival mode, taking care of the basic needs of a newborn, feeding, changing. As well as checking monitors, adjusting oxygen giving meds by the clock. Then on top of that taking care of the house and older kids. I am so blessed to have such a supportive, understanding, helpful husband, I could not have made it. So now, a year later, I can breath. Not only that but I see this brilliant little person growing and thriving. Not only that but everyone loves her! Now I'm bragging (like I said, is nauseating).

Aubrey turns 7!

Aubrey Faith Parker- September 2001

This year we decided to do a joint birthday party with Aubrey and Olivia. It will probably be the first and last combined party but don't quote me on that. Aubrey was great and didn't mind at all. This year Aubrey is all about Hannah Montana, Littlest Pet Shop and spending more time with her friends. For the most part she is a great sister, however she has her moments...DRAMA! Aubrey loves school and makes friends with everyone. She will probably be getting glasses as she is slightly farsighted. She also decided to cut her hair last week and she had it CHOPPED off. She is our girly girl and spent a lot of time looking at her new do. I'll have to take a picture of her and post it. She loved all of her presents but a couple of her favorites were a shiny pink purse and a Hannah Montana doll. Aubrey's strengths this year are reading and spelling and she actually likes doing homework.

September 13th, 2008

My baby is getting older!!!

Olivia Margaret Parker 1 week (September '07)

Olivia is 1! I can't believe it. So much has happened in the last year it's hard to believe it's only been a year. On the other hand I can't believe my baby is 1 already! We had a combined birthday party for Olivia and Aubrey (her birthday is September 13th). Since we waited to have Olivia and Aubrey's party together I got cupcakes to celebrate on her actual birthday (September 2nd).

Here is a list of things my 1 year old can do:

• giggle like it's nobody's business (she has the best giggle)
• say words like: Mama, Dada, Baba, dog (which is the first part of the word "do-") bye-bye
• wave hello and goodbye, when she feels like it
• give kisses (open mouth)
• cruise along the furniture
• stand w/out holding on to anyone/thing for support
• crawl like there's a fire
• peek-a-boo
• play w/cars and trucks and go "vvrrooomm....vvrrooomm"
• she LOVES looking at board books
• she gives great hugs, too!

She is just about ready to walk and it could be any day. Even after 4 kids I am still amazed at all that happens in the first year.

September 2nd 2008
After her first cupcake- she loved it!

Olivia's First Birthday Cake

I'm a slacker!

I am falling behind on my blog!! Sorry to anyone who cares ;) I will be updating at least ONCE this week, hopefully more. There is a lot I want to share! We've been really busy. See ya' back soon!
Love, Megan

Continued: I'll chase after your kids, too...

Yeah...we weren't even CLOSE to being home to 8...it ended up being closer to 9. Connor's soccer game started at 6:00 so we were 30min. late! oops. Although it was over earlier we were home later.
As the game ended the kids were running around letting off some extra steam and we were slowly making it back to load up the van. Just as I put Olivia in her seat I saw a little girl SCREAMING and running after or away from/to something. She was screaming "MOMMY, MOMMY, MOMMY....". The only thing I could think to do was start running after her. We were parked behind the Jr. High and I finally caught up to her in the front. I think at one point she was actually running away from me. Once I caught up though I just kept reassuring her that I was going to help her. I also realized (while chasing her) that she had been left. So many things were running through my mind..."she couldn't have been left"..."OK I am the only one chasing her"..."no one is turning around". When I caught up to her, 1st I was surprised by the lack of concern that everyone around had, people were just ignoring the entire event, getting in their cars and leaving. Even while I was struggling with her, because she wanted to continue running down the street, which was dangerous for obvious reasons. Finally she quit struggling and realized I was going to help her and keep her safe. Sean finished loading the kids and hopped in his car and drove up to where we were and called the police, and then ran back and got the van. At this point it had been a while and I realized it was going to take some time for her parent(s) to come back. One other mom from our team parked near us and asked if she could help, I asked her to stay for a while in case she needed to make a statement for the officer. Everyone else had left. In the mean time I was just talking to her to earn some trust and find out whatever we could about her family. One other family from the other soccer team, stopped by to tell us her last name and offered to take her home (which I was not ok with...lost child, not leaving in a strangers car...not on my watch) when the officer explained that's not a good idea, they left. After about 45 minutes I let my girls out of the car to talk to her (at this point she told me she was 4 and I explained that I have a 4 year old, too and introduced her to Alli). We also gave her a Happy Meal toy the girls had in the car (Littlest Pet Shop are always a hit with girls). The 3 girls sat on Sean's trunk and talked for a bit until finally, her dad pulled up. He explained that he and his wife were here separately and each thought they had her and after he returned home they obviously realized the mistake. Reasonable explanation. We finally left at 8:15 pm. Moral of the story; you can never over-communicate when it comes to your kids. Now, I understand being totally embarrassed being the parent in that incident and all I wanted was to know what happened and after waiting over an hour with a strangers child I would have been plenty happy with a simple "Thank-You". Don't get me wrong I didn't do this for myself, I'm not looking for a pat on my back, high fives or an award. I did it because in a split second I was told to, in my mind and my heart I knew that I had to. I was just utterly astonished at others lack of concern. For all anyone knew I was trying to kidnap that girl but people were waving and smiling at me (it also would have been nice to have a little help, I am NOT a runner). Wake up people! Pay attention to the people around you and the "gut" feelings you have. I hope that if I make such a mistake or my kids are in trouble, or harms way that there is someone to chase them, or protect them or whatever it is. We can't always be there for our kids and we have all done thoughtless things. Our kids will all be more safe if there are other people who aren't afraid to just make sure they are ok. We can't be afraid to show concern for others. I would rather look like a complete idiot/jerk 100 times before there was 1 time help was really needed.

Naptime is Over!

For me that is. Since school started I have been taking it easy and enjoying the fact that I don't have to worry about what 2 of my kids are doing for a few hours during the day. I knew it wouldn't last long because I always find a way to be busy and when I can't? Well, there is plenty of housework to occupy my time...that's never ending. I did not know however, that my "lazy days" would end with such a BANG!
I started the day off getting the kids ready for school as usual. Last night I got a call from a Board member of the new charter school in Tooele. She asked if we could meet at noon...no problem. After I hung up I realized I had an appointment for Connor and Olivia for check-ups and shots for Olivia. The Dr. appt. was at 10am but I didn't think about the time AT the Dr as well as the drive to and from Salt Lake. I knew it would be pushing it but the matter was urgent and I knew they didn't want to wait another day to get started so I just decided to play it by ear. Anyway, I got the girls ready for the day, myself ready and pulled Connor out of school. We all rushed to the Appt. and back. To my delight I was less than 10 minutes late and they had double booked meetings so my being late turned out to work for all of us. Our meeting was supposed to be less than an hour but ended up being 2! In the mean time Aubrey and Connor were home (they walk to and from school). So I spent time juggling the tasks at hand as well as fielding phone calls from the kids (only 2 one from each, asking what their jobs were!!! I love having responsible kids!!!) but I also had Alli and Olivia (who had not had a nap all day and wasn't all amused by our need to continue the meeting...it HAD to be done, though.) Poor Alli didn't have lunch yet (it was 2 before we left) but survived on a bag of Cheez-Its and a box of crayons. She also spent time educating 2 second grade boys on the art of wearing 2 shirts (an "under-shirt" and an "over-shirt"). Finally the meeting ended and I left with my list of assignments for the next day or 2. I felt so bad for Connor and Aubrey, they of course could have cared less and were happy to get their pity drinks from Sonic. So that brings us to 2:30! So went the afternoon- Olivia down for a nap- Convincing Alli, in vain, to lay down and watch a show (code for take a nap already)- helping the kids with homework- trying to get some things done for the charter online- pick up the mess that has been stewing for the last 2 weeks-playing referee to Connor/Aubrey, Aubrey/Alli, Alli/Connor etc.- more email correspondence (I'm not going to lie there were a couple of fun ones to/from friends)-hosting an impromptu Wii party with some boys from the neighborhood- charter school phone calls- getting Connor ready for the soccer game at 6:30 (this was at a 1/4 to 6 and I realized dinner would have to wait if we have any chance of making it on time. We'd be home by 7:45, right?

To Be Continued...

A Letter to my Fellow Voters!

Dear Friends and family;
At this time I do not wish to make a political statement, however I have received many forwarded emails that raise my level of concern for this nation to new heights.
The emails I have received are regarding both McCain and Obama many of them claiming that each is a blatant liar and we should fear for our country if we vote for _____. [fill in the blank w/your most fearful choice]. The thing that worries me isn't what any particular email claims but that most, if not all of them are a spin on partial truths or that they are just plain lies meant to persuade the reader to vote for one candidate or the other. Here's the bottom line: If you are going to vote PLEASE DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!!!! Because of the emails I have received I started checking the facts and trying to go to the place from which they originated. What bothers me the most is that one of the early candidates was Mitt Romney and during his campaign so many lies were told about Mormons. I hated thinking that there really were people out there who thought that my religion secretly practiced polygamy. That we were a secret cult trying to take power over the world and make everyone mormon. I hated that there were actually people claiming to be experts on my beliefs that knew nothing of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There are many examples, but my point is, I am not going to make my political decisions on any email I receive but I will make them based on the facts, the debates and the research I do to find the truth. Honestly, I do not know who I want to vote for, I personally don't feel good about either candidate, equally. I will continue to research, watch the debates and interviews and look into both of their voting records to make my final decision but I will not decide based on exaggerated claims about any particular candidate. I also realize that my opinion is not a popular one. I am a Utah Mormon aren't I supposed to be a die hard Republican? (I am in fact not registered with either party which opens a whole new bucket of worms, which you can ask me about if you want to hear my opinion). In the end if I continue to feel apposed to both candidates I will choose to vote for neither candidate. (a first since the time I have been old enough to vote).
Thank you for your time!
Love, Megan

I would love to hear what you have to say on this topic!

ahhhhhh (sigh of relief)

Alpine Coaster



Alpine Slide



So Sean and I did go out for our anniversary on Saturday not too late...usually it takes us months to catch up on important dates we miss. Anyway, we went to Park City and went up to the resort where they have a ton of activities. First off we got a late start b/c I wasn't fully recovered, health wise, from Thursday. I wanted to drop the kids off by 11 am but we didn't leave the house until 2:30, not bad considering we knew we wouldn't be back until late. We got to the mountain and decided to ride the Alpine Slide and Alpine Coaster. I had the ambitious idea of mountain biking but considering the late start we opted out. Once we were there we decided that we would tackle mtn. biking next time, it looked like so much fun. I was so excited to get my adrenaline pumping. Once upon a time I was quite the dare-devil. I needed this away time SO badly. This summer has been so challenging and an emotional roller-coaster so a real coaster was a great way to just get it all out. For a moment we considered going to Lagoon, but once I realized this would probably be one of the busiest days since school started we went back to plan A. It was nice to get away from the kid responsibility for a while and be out of mommy mode. I was me, and with my husband...who I still love! We committed to do something exciting together every three months. There is something different about going out and doing something fun and exciting and doing something other than dinner and a movie. Although before that I really want to go back and do the Ziprider. I need a little more excitement in my life! I learned that we don't have to go away over night every time to get away (we really couldn't afford it this year anyway). Sometimes it can be enough just to go and do something different than the norm. Anyway, our anniversary was saved after all!

Anniversary?

So as petty as this might seem, one of the reasons I love my blog is because I can whine and complain and vent about things that may not mean anything to anyone but me. This is one of those times. So feel free to skip it if you aren't in the mood. I'll understand. Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. Please hold off on the congratulations and applause because this story only gets worse. The reasons this is so not my anniversary!!!

1. Sean is working late, tonight!
2. I had a root canal last week got an infection and went back this morning (after spending the last week in pain and hopped up on Lortab) when the dentist decides he needs to numb me up cut open the gum and scrape out the infection and stitch it back up. Trust me, this experience was even more unpleasant than it sounds and yes Sean is working late!!! Don't get me wrong on any other day I would be more than happy to endure this procedure for the sake of my dental health, but did it have to be today? I didn't make it home before the numbness wore out and I spent half the drive home holding back tears. OUCH!
3. I had a total of 20 minutes of "sleep" last night due to said infection.

Today is SO NOT our 9th Anniversary!
I'll update you when we actually have it! Thanks for enduring my complaining.

Connor's Baptism

Wow, I can't believe I haven't done this blog yet! So a month go Saturday my baby boy (who is old enough to reject this title) was Baptized and confirmed as a member of our church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The whole event was wonderful although more stressful than I would like to admit. The stress was due mostly to the unknown factors. Since Connor is our first to participate in this sacred ordinance I wasn't exactly sure how to plan. My main concern was for him. I wanted Connor to know of the commitment he was making and I wanted him to take it seriously. Which to me seemed nearly impossible, however I have learned from past experiences, especially with Connor, I need to have more faith in the abilities of my son. Connor really is a special child of God with a kind heart and a loving and innocent spirit. He might go to school with the goal of becoming the "class clown" (a high honor to a rambunctious boy) or lie in his bed and come up with such grand ideas as giant spit wads. I know deep down (sometimes not as deep as others) Connor is amazing. I know that many of the "talents" I work on reining back in this growing boy (independence, humor, invention, strength and undying courage) will one day make him the amazing man he is destined to be. His baptism was just the beginning. Today he came home and proudly announced that he was asked to give a talk in Primary (the children's Sunday school) at the last minute. Since he obviously didn't have time to prepare anything he bore his testimony. All on his own. I was so proud that he would happily oblige and that he was proud of what he did.

Thank you Aunt Laura, Uncle Jim and Grammi for traveling so far to show your love and support!

We've been on "vacation"

If that's what you call driving 26 hours with 4 cranky children who would rather be anywhere else but the car for the next however many hours. But we did have a good time while we were in Spokane, WA (where I am originally from). We stayed with Sean's grandma Clegg who was very sweet to put up with all of the rowdiness that comes along with us. Spent a lot of time with Matt and LeeAnne (Sean's aunt and uncle) and their kids Josh and Amanda (11 and 9) who by all intents and purposes are considered cousins to our kids. We also got to spend an afternoon at my Dad and Step-Mom's alpaca farm-the kids LOVED the animals as well as ladder golf. The kids also loved Dads ("Grampa Mark") silly jokes. Connor and Sean were treated to a Spokane Indians baseball game by Uncle Matt. While at the game Connor was "privileged" to witness first hand what a transvestite is. We are proud to announce that he does not want to be one when he grows up! We were also treated to lunch by my Aunt Laura who took us to McDonald's where my cousin Carson works. Carson did an awesome job and it was fun to see him in action! Later we went swimming for a bit. Hopefully next time we can make it for a trip to the cabin or at least spend more time together! While it's a long trip we are glad to make it year after year to visit our much loved family!!

While I kept forgetting my camera I did remember to bring it for swimming fun!


Olivia's Pool

Connor and Carson posing with their goggle's



Alli- the bathing beauty!



Aubrey being unimpressed with the sun-smiling anyway

Well that was short lived : (

So we HAD a new dog and then he started biting. First it was Aubrey, he got her nose. But we figured it was a one time incident Then Connor started reporting that Jack "tried" to bite him, but neither Sean or I saw it so we thought that Connor might just be a little worried. In the mean time Aubrey was wonderful and made friends again with Jack and wasn't afraid of him at all. Then Jack was outside playing with the kids and some of their friends in the neighborhood (I was watching from inside). I noticed that he was getting a little too excited so I brought him in to calm down (the dog). About 10 minutes later the door bell rang. It was our neighbor with her son. Jack bit his ankle, punctured the skin and left a bruise! I felt SO bad. It was at that point that I decided Jack had to go back and couldn't stay. We gave the owners we bought him from the opportunity to take him first and they did. So we are back to being dogless. We aren't sure where to go from here. Funny enough Aubrey was the most upset about Jack leaving and was the first to ask when we get another dog. We are going to take a break for now. Maybe we'll try again next year.

Very Inspiring!

This is what being a parent is all about!!
Watch the video after you read this. It is totally amazing.
A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a
marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says
'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon
together.Father and son went on to join other marathons,
the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's
request of going through the race together.One day, the son
asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman
together.' To which, his father said 'Yes'
too.For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest
triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events
of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112
mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2
mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big
Island. Father and son went on to complete the race
together.
To view click on the link below
Team Hoyt

Meet The Newest Parker!!!

This is Jack! He is an 8 month old Wire Haired Jack Russell Terrier. We bought him from a family in Orem who was really sad that they had to let him go, which means he was well taken care of and Loved so much! He has a kind and happy temperment (even though it looks like he might be angry in the first picture). He LOVES playing with the kids and doesn't even playfully nip. He is very smart and very intuitive. He already knows lots of tricks...sit, shake, lie down, dance, speak, come, stay, drop, and roll over! Connor has plans to teach him more. These pictures were the ones posted by the original owner so as we get to know him and take some pictures of our own we will post more. Wish us luck!

The Obsession Continues...and an update.

Well, I am now on book #3 of the Twilight series. The first two books I finished in one day each. This time I am taking my time. Book #4 isn't out until sometime in August so I have nothing to rush into. It is so exciting when I find something I enjoy reading so much! It's also been nice to have something to distract me from the ground hog days of summer.

Connor has been at Scout Camp the last 2 days (no over nights just yet). Apparently it hasn't bothered him that the thermometer has held steady in the 90's. I can only imagine the relief he has felt spending 2 days without his sisters. Just up in the woods with a bunch of boys doing boy things. Last night he told of his adventures learning to shoot a b.b. gun (honestly I don't know how to spell it) and getting a compass. When I arrived to pick him up he asked if his leader could just take him home...I think he has been craving this time for 6.5 years! As soon as he got home he started asking for a pocket knife. In true parental fashion Sean and I made him wait for the answer, "Let me talk to Dad about it", "Mom and I need to talk about it", "I don't know that's a lot of responsibility for an 8 year old boy...", "well....". We must be crazy because we ended up saying yes. He proudly made his purchase with some of his birthday money along with a whip...yes a WHIP. Not exactly what I was expecting him to come home with today but he said that he decided to buy a whip instead of a treat for himself. As long as he's not using it on his sisters I can't exactly argue with that. He is growing up so fast.

Olivia has started crawling!! Well sort of. She does 2 real crawling steps and then goes straight to her stomach to her own version of the army crawl. She is definately getting where she wants to go. Her new favorite toy is the door stop, I can count on a good 5 minute stretch to get something done if I set her in the right spot..."booiiinnngggg...booiiinnngggg...". I'll have to put up more pictures of everyone! Check back soon!

Parenting

We were at the church for interviews on Wednesday. Aubrey and Connor rode their bikes and were already on the way home. I told Alli she could ride her scooter home while Sean walked. I had the van so I had to drive home. Sean didn't realize that I told Alli she could ride her scooter and simply told her to get in the van. She came STOMPING out to the van and this is how the conversation went...

Me: Alli, what's wrong?

Alli: I'M SO MAD

Me: What happened?

Alli: I'M NOT TALKING (as she stomped around to her side of the van)

All I could do was laugh as Sean walked out. I told him what I just saw and asked what happened. He said "I just asked her to get in the van". At this point Alli had begrudgingly got in her seat and buckled her seat belt and jammed her thumb in her mouth. So we opened the door and explained that it was just a mix up. That did the trick and she was magically happy. She popped out of her seat said "Mom, I'm going with Dad, it will be ok, you drive with Olivia and I will see you at home, ok?". As if I didn't know what the plan was. Silly Alli.

I have a funnier story that isn't appropriate for public display feel free to ask me in person. Alli is a very clever girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR!

Connor 1 week

Connor is 8! I can't believe it!!! I have been a mommy for 8 years now, it just sounds crazy to me. He invited a bunch of friends over and had a blast. I promised water games but it was only 70 degrees out so I let them do water balloons which was enough fun. The rest of the time they ran around like crazy kids, had cake and ice cream, opened presents and sent them on there way. We had a rodeo to go to.
Notice how he hammed it up for the camera. I usually try and get him to act normal. These are funny, I might just let him do it.

Connor 8 years old!

Yee-Haw! The Parkers Visit the Rodeo

Last Friday the girls performed at the rodeo. We weren't there for very long about 1/2 an hour just to watch them dance. I have to say that I thought that Aubrey would have remembered her dance steps as she is an old pro at this point and I expected Alli to not really enjoy it too much but do her best. I was surprised that it was exactly the opposite. I was even sitting there thinking to myself "This is really Aubrey's thing maybe we'll get Alli into sports next year". For those of you who don't know Aubrey inherited her (ahem!) coordination from the Parker side of the family (which means there's a lacking in that department). Alli takes after me in so many ways, she's a bit of a tom-boy, but still very girly. So back to the story...Aubrey went on first and she did ok but she forgot a lot of the steps which surprised me. (I've seen her in class and she knew the steps). She said she had fun so that was all that really mattered. Then it was Alli's turn. She got on staged and HAMMED it up. She started by looking for me and once she found me she waved really fast and yelled "Hi, Mom!" then blew a few kisses and started her dance. For a 4 year old she did really well. At the end all of the dancers got on the stage and did a big group dance "The Cha Cha Slide" This is when I could see they were both having a blast. They have one more real recital next Saturday so we'll see if anything changes. Either way they have both really loved going to dance class and they like getting all dressed up in their costumes and putting makeup on and getting their hair done.

When we were at the rodeo for the girls dance I started thinking it would be fun to take the whole family Saturday night. I talked to Sean about it and we agreed the kids might enjoy it. Saturday afternoon we had Connor's birthday party. After that we got the kids ready and went to the Rodeo. I wasn't really sure what to expect since the last rodeo I went to was years and years ago in Spokane. I was pleasantly surprised! It was very family friendly, they had all sorts of games and fun things for the kids to do. Plus they had all of the yummy food...funnel cakes, kettle corn all sorts of fried stuff. Right as we were getting ready to buy our tickets some lady handed Sean 2 adult tickets and said "do you want these some guy just handed them to me". So Sean yelled up to me (already at the ticket counter) just get the kids tickets. Then the same lady turned around and said "oh here, I have 2 coupons for the kids" free entry. Sean who was right behind me at that point "never mind, just 1 kid ticket". Thank you to whoever that was b/c our whole family got in for $5! This turned out to be a better idea than I thought! (saved us $30!). On top of that the rodeo proved to be entertaining for everyone. Although it was FREEZING cold and windy with a few short rain showers to top it off. At one point a fireman handed a blanket up to Sean who was huddled w/Aubrey and Alli trying to keep them warm and said "Here, they look cold". Towards the end Aubrey was dying to get warm Olivia was bundled up in a sweater and blankets and Sean (big tough guy) was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Connor and Alli wanted to stay and watch the bull riding so Sean took Aubrey and Olivia back to the van until the very end of the bulls. I stayed and watched several more events until finally the much anticipated bull riding. Connor was enthralled with these men riding the bulls. Awww, he's a little cowboy at heart. We all survived and came back together to watch the fireworks. By the time we got home the kids were all passed out. It really turned out better than I had expected. We plan on going back next year.

When in Rome, do as the Romans. When in Tooele, go to the Rodeo!

Seattle...Is that you?

It's raining so hard outside that I forgot we moved back to Utah. I'm not complaining.

So Much!

There has been a lot going on at the Parker home since I last blogged.

School is out! I have very mixed emotions about this yearly event. I would be lying if I said "I love it when school gets out!" because my kids are home all the time I find myself entertaining kids for an extra 6 hours a day. This is tricky for me because away from the structure of school they long for the freedom that comes with long summer days. As well they should, they're kids, it's their right. However, as a mom I have learned that all kids need structure, everyday. Without it they become wild, like feral cats. Then when it is time to return home for the night it's like corralling unbroken horses- nearly impossible- at least not without a fight. It's this balance that I find challenging. I love that I become their teacher, to show them the world around them, to broaden their horizons. I love teaching them and watching them learn. It's both exhausting and exhilarating. I also love not having to arrange our schedule around school. This is especially annoying when you have a little one in Kindergarten. It seems like they are in school just in long enough for all of us to get settled into doing something (a project, grocery shopping, playing a game) but never long enough to finish before it's time to pick them up. This summer we celebrate 2 out of Kindergarten!

We've already had a visitor! Not the kind you want anyway...

If you have lived in new construction in Tooele (or most places for that matter) you know where your house was built. I happen to know that our house was built right on top of a field. A large field that was home to many animals. Some of these animals are not always willing to give up their homes so easily. The farmer moved the cows and horses and put up new fences to make sure that they were out of the way. We did not have a cow or a horse visit. More unwelcome...we had a MOUSE! What I believe was a very fat pregnant mouse. We knew from our previous experience that mice are everywhere around here and we have been checking the garage weekly for evidence of the critters and up until this point hadn't found any. That was until Friday. The kids were all out playing with the neighbors when there was a sudden noticeable drop in noise. As I was going out to check on that (as any mom knows you don't worry unless it's too quiet) Connor came running in..."Mom, Mom, Mom we found a mole!!!". Huh?! So I went out to see this "mole" they were talking about. Sure enough there was a pile of dirt along side a golf ball sized hole in our side yard. So I watched and waited along with 6 kids for this "mole" to appear. It was quite entertaining. Dirt would fly out of the hole, you could catch a glimpse of feet and then a nose. When I finally went in, bored of the event, I heard yelling. "Mom, we got it out!". Oh no...I ran back out and they were trying to catch it. This was the slowest, fattest mouse I have ever seen. I allowed them to catch it, once to put it back in the hole it came from. Don't get me wrong, I don't want a mouse at my house at all, but I felt that the job of ridding of the pest would be best left up to Sean. Plus, it was a pregnant mouse, I have a soft spot for pregnant creatures. For the rest of the day I found myself as part time neighborhood mouse hole referee. I opened the window right above the hole and began "nobody touch it!"..."no digging!"...keep your fingers out of the hole!!"After the word spread we had visitors from far and wide (kids from the neighborhood) all speculating the nature of this animal and how best to deal with it. One kid wanted to keep it as a pet, one kid wanted to "kill it", I wanted all of them to leave it alone. After 6 hours I thought I should put up a little mouse fence and start charging admission. I don't think I did my job very well because eventually at some point in the day someone (a male child) decided the best way to get the mouse out so everyone could have a good look again was to put water down the hole. I do believe that Mickey is no longer with us. That put an end to that.



Saturday while at our trip to Costco I came across a new book series that I LOVE! Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I have heard word of these books but I try to steer clear of super popular books. I don't like reading something because it's popular I have my own unique taste when it comes to reading. I also don't like to waste time on something that isn't worth it. Another negative as far as I was concerned, vampires are included in the story line. I like reading books that even if they are fictional they are believable, plausible if you will. Vampires don't fit into that catagory. So I just cancelled these books out all together. But we were at Costco and the book was $6. It's a hefty one at 500 pages and I figured that it would be a good one to take along to the park and other places moms go that are more entertaining for kids. Little did I know what I was getting into. I'm not sure what it was that first drew me in. Stephanie Meyer is a brilliant author. She is amazing at drawing the picture for the reader. I was also captivated by the relationship that Bella (the main character) has with her Mother and Father. It mirrored mine with my own parents as though she knew me personally. Then Bella's relationship with Edward (the love interest) was so intense and written so well, describing almost unbelievable passion so that it takes you in, without being vulgar or graphic, there is no sex and no nudity. It's great. So I finished the book on Monday. Even I was surprised at this, I did feed the kids and make sure everyone was well taken care of. I just spent every spare second I could reading this book. I will be getting the next one on Thursday. I spent some time with Sean explaining the book and I said 3 different times "It really needs to be made into a movie". Guess what? I was doing a google search and found out...it is! And it will be released in December. I will SO be there!

update

I just thought that I would update everyone. Everyone seems to be feeling better, although, I have been holding my breath just standing by in case we aren't clear yet. I have also been in a blogging rut. There isn't too much going on right now we are all in limbo waiting for school to be out (next Thursday). I am doing my best to keep everyone on their nightly routine and schedule in a vain attempt to thwart grumpy moods from lack of sleep. Understandably the kids do not understand why they are going to bed when it is still light outside. I remember that feeling, and now I know how my mom felt. They really think they would be happy going to bed at 10 pm and waking at 6:30 am. I know for a fact that this is not the case and the battle ensues. Luckily Sean is home this time around (actually this is the first time since any of the kids started school- Connor was in K back in 2005). I have to give him credit because he has done a whole lot of the bedtime stuff since he started his new schedule. He's a good Daddy! He has also done a great job of watching the kids while I go to my monthly Bunko games to have a night out. I am also proud of him for taking Connor and his friend to the Stake Father and Sons Camp-out. It was a great experience for all of them. Connor's friend's mom is single and wasn't feeling well so in taking him Sean helped her and gave her son a good experience. I know from growing up in a single parent home how important it is to have someone to do the things that can't always get done by one person. I hope Sean and I can continue to give support whenever it might be needed. To anyone we know for that matter. We have been so blessed to have people to call on when we have needed someone to watch our kids at the last minute, or needed backup when I was so sick w/Olivia, or when she was in the hospital. Also, growing up there was always someone to support my mom when she needed it. There were a few people who were such good examples to me and my sister who opened their homes and hearts to us and a lot of people to give rides and teach some life lessons. If I made a list it would probably go on forever! I feel extremely blessed that Sean and I might be in a position to help others out. I am also grateful that Sean is willing to be so giving of his time. Thanks Babe! I love you!

Tag You're It!!

I've been tagged ~

A) pick up the nearest book
B) turn to page 123
C) find the 5th sentence
D) post the 5th sentence
E) tag 5 (or more) people

A) A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
B) did it
C) ok
D) "Cooperation is alien to the ego, except when there is an alternative motive."
I like the next sentence better: "The ego doesn't know that the more you include others. the more smoothly things flow and the more easily things come to you."
E) I tag Andrea, Timani, Renee and Maegan

You Pick...

what to label this blog-
Here are the options:

1. $200 later! no seriously $200!
2. Glad I have insurance!
3. Really? We have to go to the Dr. again? Really?
4. Sane in an insane World- or is it Insane in a sane world?
5. If it means saving her eye I'll give her the upper hand this week.
   

Wow! This last week has been insane. Just as I start feeling balanced and sane, comes along a week to challenge it all. It wasn't really all that exciting either. It all started with an eye infection which is more annoying than dramatic in any fashion. But wait, just when we thought that we had Alli's pink eye under control- WHAM! - Just like that, she woke up on Saturday and it looked like someone had punched her in the eye, except for the bruising part, her eyeball was RED. Anywhere you would have expected white was blood red. So as much as I hate doing it, I called the Pediatrician's office and took her in on Saturday. After looking over it an hmming and hawing (the noises the best dr's make when they are researching) he put some drops in it and lit her eyes up under a black light. That's a wild thing to see. He was looking for open sores on her eye ball and sure enough there they were like 4 twinkling stars in the night sky no bigger than the tip of a ball point pen. As pretty as it sounds, this is not what you want to see because this means that what is causing all of the pain and ooze is in fact not the easily treated Pink Eye. No, its worse. We were looking at a virus. (IE Herpes Symplex-cold sore or Chicken Pox in the eye). This isn't very common but it does happen. So lets start the tally:

Dr's Visit Saturday- $25 co-pay
Follow Up Sunday- $25 co-pay
Meds for eye and ear infection- $40
Ophthalmologist Appt (Tuesday)- $25 co-pay
Thank you Dr. Smith! He gave us samples for the new eye drops for Alli and also looked at Olivia's eye and gave her a sample for her medicine b/c she also had an (bacterial) eye infection
Follow up w/Pediatrician (wednesday- ear)- $25 co-pay
Follow up w/Ophthalmologist (friday- eye)- $25 co-pay

Total: $165

Oh but we aren't done. Sean has been feeling under the weather and his ears started "bothering" him (which means it feels like someone stuck an ice pick in his ear) so he stopped at the urgent care on the way home. He has a sinus and ear infection. BTW when Sean wants to go to the doctor there is seriously something wrong!

Urgent Care- $25 co-pay
Meds for Seans ear infection- $12

That's not all. Olivia has an ear infection, too!

Dr's visit- $25 co-pay
Meds- $12

Grand Total (so far): $239

I am so thankful we have insurance! The cost of all of this would be unbelievable with out it. My only question- Does it have to all happen in 1 week?? I am frazzled. Let me tell you how fun it is to put drops in a 4 year olds eye- IT'S NOT. I have been reduced to bribery and Alli is loving it.

1 cranky 4 year old+1 cranky baby+ 1 cranky husband= 1 cranky mom

There is an end to this. Right?

There's a Connor in My Tree!

Connor sent this ball up into the tree so with the help of Sean he was attempting to shake it out. Obviously he wasn't going to be able to climb all the way up to get it down. So we watched this attempt for a bit and then Sean decided he was going to knock it out by throwing broom stick into the tree (think modern day spear). Both Connor and I warned him not to hit the boy in the tree but none of us thought that the broom stick would hit the tree and shoot right back at Sean. No one was hurt but we all got a good laugh at Sean, surprised, dodging the wayward spear. Eventually both the ball and the boy came down from the tree and both survived the adventure.

Diaper Update!

So we have had our cloth diapers for a week now and I LOVE them. I wish I had some funny or entertaining story but the truth is that cloth diapering is easier than I thought it would be. Here is what I have learned in the last week.

1) Use the right detergent and DO NOT use very much. I know it sounds counter productive but it's true. I started out using Tide Pure Essentials lemon and after 3 days I started up the wash with the diapers in it before I added the detergent and the water started bubbling up like I added 1/2 the bottle. I had no idea that the diapers were absorbing all of that soap and it wasn't getting rinsed out! So after about 4 laundry cycles w/ 2nd rinse on I was satisfied enough to toss them into the dryer. So here is what I learned to do by trial and error: I run the diapers one cycle in warm water w. Arm and Hammer FREE of perfumes and dyes and I only put in the detergent to just under the #1 line. Then I run them in a 2nd cycle w/ 1/2 C of vinegar only. This disinfects them. The smell of vinegar is completely gone by the time they are done drying.
(I use Arm and Hammer b/c it already has the baking soda in it and we all know what baking soda does- neutralizes odors.)

2) Flushable liners are a MUST. At least for me. You see, if you don't get the flushable liners you get to spend some time washing poo off a diaper before you put it in your washer. I don't know about you but I like to spend the least amount of time possible w/poo. These inventions are GENIUS! All you do is dump the liner w/the poo into the toilet! It's amazing. $12 for 200 liners. The best part is the poo is gone it's not sitting in the garbage or diaper pail, it's gone.

3) If you are gone all day and you choose to cloth diaper you have to carry your dirties around w/you. I would suggest if you are going to go through more than 1 diaper other than the one baby has on (2 total) I would bring along disposables. On the same note bring along a freezer ziploc bag to put the dirty one(s) in. The only problem I have w/carrying around dirty diapers is that after a couple it gets bulky. The ziploc bags hold in the smell fine.

4) If you know your baby is wet...you have to change the diaper. This is what disposables have over cloth. The moisture will stay right on baby's skin which will equal rash in no time. Because you have to change baby more often I would recommend 6-8 diapers/day. We are still using disposables at night because of the rash issue and we only have 5 diapers. Also if you have a heavy night wetter cloth may not hold it all. I have read that you can purchase microfiber or fleece liners to keep the bum drier (microfiber absorbs and holds more fluid and fleece will wick away the moisture. After we get more cloth diapers we'll start working on the extras.

The bottom line (hahaha bottom) I wish I had done this sooner. Obviously we haven't totally given up disposables but I have used less than 7 disp. diapers in the last week, which from my estimation is down from about 45/week. Yay, us! We'll use even less when we have more cloth dipeys. It's taken Sean a little longer to adjust (cloth diapers require instruction which typically is not a mans best friend) but he is becoming more familiar. He even took over the washing for a couple of days when I was hit with the flu. So now that I am the local cloth diaper expert I would be more than happy to show them off and answer any questions. I will post some cute pictures of Olivia and her new dipey's soon.

I love to see the temple!

This past weekend we had some visitors. My friend from High School, Sara, and her mom and sister as well as her son Easton were here for a quick visit. We had Saturday to experience Salt Lake before they left to go back to Spokane on Sunday. Sean took the older kids for the day so I could have some freedom. We started out visiting Ikea, having lunch at the Olive Garden (pretty much a tradition for Sara and I when we get together) and then we parked and rode Trax into downtown. Saw "Baby Mama"...hilarious. Took a walk through Gateway and then went to The Garden for dinner *a restaurant with this awesome view of the Salt Lake Temple. It was so fun getting together, catching up and having a few laughs. These are some pics I took while we were out and about.

Because I'm a Little Crazy, That's Why

Well we're (ahem! I'm) taking the plunge and making the switch to "cloth" diapers. I wanted to make this change when Alli was a baby but that was a little too ambitious at the time w/3 kids age 3 and under. Cloth diapers have come a long way since diaper pins and the Gerber "prefold" cloth diapers and plastic diaper cover. Not to say there still isn't some extra work involved but I am ready for the challenge. We have definitely put our share of disposables in the land fill to decompose over the next 200 years.
Now, I don't consider myself one of those "granola" types but over the last few years it has become clear to me that there is an abuse of nature that is taking place. I believe we can all form our own opinions on all of the environmental issues that are out there. Then decide for ourselves what we can do. There certainly isn't a shortage of information. I think, however, it is hard to deny that garbage is not a problem. I'll admit that after living in the Seattle area, where recycling is required and you actually pay a monthly fee to not have recycling service, then coming back to Utah where there is a shortage of services, it felt strange to not sort my trash. Anyway, back to the diapers...the reasons I am going to try this out are very simple.

• I hate spending $40+ a month for anything that is going to be pooped on and then thrown away
• I learned how long it takes for disposable diapers to decompose and I was sad that my great great great grandchildren will be sharing a world with the poopy diapers of my children. Talk about leaving a legacy!
  
• It's more cost efficient. Although in searching out our product I have found that you could, if you wanted to, spend just as much or more on inserts, accessories, sprayers, pails, totes, covers, services etc. for cloth diapering as you would for disposable diapers. Although over time I think that cloth still comes up more cost effective.
  

I have thought this through and decided whether its cloth, or disposable you have to change it just the same. I plan on making it less icky by putting all messy diapers in a pail and doing one small load/day. If we decide that this really will work for us I will purchase more diapers and try to do a load every other day. Considering the amount of laundry I already do, 1 small load isn't a big deal. I also bought extra inserts called "doublers" as well as flushable inserts for when we are leaving the house and for anytime I might know there is going to be a "special delivery". I am also a realist, I know that there are times when I will still need to use disposables. So I have a plan and I am ready to dive right in, I'm just waiting for our products to arrive.

To learn more about the effects of disposable diapers: real diaper association and cotton babies.com just the basics
To see what we ordered: the diapers, the liners, and the flushables

I'm sure there will be some things to get used to and some adjustments to be made. I will keep ya'll posted on how its going. Wish me luck!

For the record: This is just information about what we are doing. Just because we are making this choice don't think we are trying to convert everyone else. If you aren't ready to give up your Huggies just yet, enjoy the entertainment that is sure to follow...something funny is bound to happen we are talking about pee and poop here!