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I just loved this rendition on one the kids favorites books “If you give a mouse a cookie.” I would change the “coffee” to hot cocoa.

IF YOU GIVE A MOM A MUFFIN…

If you give a mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She’ll look for her cookbook (”101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger”).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are…
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie

Last week 2 of 5 got to go to a YMCA camp with her classmates for 3 days.  While she was away I thought I would surprise her by cleaning and rearranging her room.  What I didn’t realize was that I was the one who was in for a big surprise.  First I waited till the last day which I realized was a huge mistake as I moved her bed.  I really had no idea how much junk could be shoved under there.   Here is a little inventory:

1- About a tree worth of paper!

2- Food storage for about a week!  (ok maybe just a few days but GROSS!!!!)

3- Approximately 25 writing utensils…not counting crayons.  And probably   10 were permanent markers!  Gulp!  (thankfully there was no writing on the walls!)  Where does she find this stuff???  The next time the kids complain that they need a pencil to do homework I’m gonna say : “look under 2 of 5’s bed there is bound to be at least one pencil there!”

4- Clothes galore!  Probably a whole new wardrobe!  Socks!!!!  U know how I hate socks!  Well here were some of the missing socks!

5- baggies!  Why I ask you did she need baggies???

6-  I can’t even remember how many cups!  Thankfully none had leftover milk in them.

So that is in a nutshell what she had under her bed.  This does not tell you what I found under her dresser, in the closet or in her drawers.  I threw away about 3 grocery bags shoved full of junk!

Needless to say I was scrambling for like 3-4 hours trying to get it all cleaned up before she got home.  I got the majority of it done.  The closet is probably going to be another hour so we might get that done this week.  Cuz this week is spring cleaning week.  What better way for my kids to spend their spring break than by helping me detail clean the house?  heeeheee!

Every now and then I can do something that my kids say makes me awesome.  Sunday was one of those days.  On our way home from church our dear friends the Hudson’s pull up next to us at a traffic light.  We occassionally have a friendly competition on who can get home first because we live on the same street.  Their engines revvvv and we give them the look “Bring it on!”  This time the Hudson’s pulled ahead.  We approached the light to turn towards our development.  There would be no way to pass them now.   With the kids cheering me on I attempt a daring move.  We cut through the Goodwill parking lot.  The kids are pumping me full of “yah mom!!!  OHhh this is soo cool!!!  You’re the best!  Go mom, go!!!!”  We drive down the steet laughing and giggling and park in front of the Hudson’s house.  As the Hudson’s pull up we are all yawning, stretching, and giggling.  The Hudson’s facial expressions were too funny!  They thought they left us in the dust!  Ha we showed you guys!  Don’t mess with the Trekky clan!  We laughed about it throughout the day.  I love seeing my kids laugh.  Even the 2 littlest one were cheering and laughing.  Before I sign off  let me assure you we were  not driving like raving lunatics.

This past Saturday was 1 of 5’s first temple trip. Fortunately Trekky man and I got to go with him. It was such a beautiful experience. I loved seeing all the youth in white…especially my own son dressed in white…in the Lord’s house. Of course I was bawling! Having my child be worthy to go to the temple of the Lord is just the icing on the cake. Between me and my friend Nicole’s tears we could’ve filled the font lol!

This morning as we were getting ready for church I was getting frustrated with the lack of movement coming from my kids. So I was a bit ummm cranky. 1 of 5 was exceptionally calm and helpful this morning. I told him how nice it was to see him this way. Then jokingly I said where did the old 1 of 5 go? He replied I left him at the temple. I was so touched by this. It has been absolutely beautiful to see this change that has come over him ever since we went to the temple. I know that the spirit touched his heart at the temple. I feel so blessed that he has wonderful leaders and teachers at church. I have my struggles with 1 of 5 but I feel so honored to be his mother. He is teaching me many humbling things that I need to learn. What a blessing it is to me to have him in my life.

I’m a firm believer in work!  I want to raise my kids to be hard working citizens.  I truly believe this starts in the home!  Because of this I have great  expectations of  my kids when it comes to chores.  I am constantly amazed at what my younger kids can do.  I often task the older kids to helping me with folding laundry.  I never really considered that my 4 year old daughter could contribute to that…well she could do washclothes.  This past week 4 of 5 came to me and asked me how do I fold a shirt.  So I showed her.  About 10 minutes later I went into her room to find that she had pulled out all her clothes from her drawer.  Oh great I thought!  Another clothing mess!  I said “4 of 5 what are u doing with all your clothes out?”  She matter of factly replied “I’m organizing my drawers!”  Sigh ok I thought I’ll come back and put everything away later.  When later came I went in and opened her drawers…. this was the part where I had to pick up my chin off the floor.  She had meticulously folder each of her shirts, pants, and laid them so neatly in her drawers.  Heehee silly 4 of 5 you should’ve never showed mommy that you can do that!  (insert evil laugh)  That is one more chore added on to her list

Today the weather was so nice that 4 of 5, 5of5, and I went out in the backyard to start a little (pre) spring clean-up.  We picked up sticks,  toys, several washcloths, a couple of my spoons,  cups, and raked up leaves.  No matter how many times I tell my kids to leave my kitchen things in my kitchen they always end up outside.  Next time I’m wondering where a certain utensil is I’m just gonna send the kids out back on a scavenger hunt and I’m sure they’ll find ….well something hopefully that I can wash and use.  Yes we were raking up leaves.  We did get a lot of leaves raked up in the fall.  We thought we were so good because we started raking  right when the first leaves were hitting the ground.  But well when you end up with like 45 bags of leaves….sometimes you get behind.  So today we gathered  enough leaves to fill 3 bags.  It felt so good to work with my kids.  Then after we tossed around the wiffle ball.  It was great fun!  Working with each other can be fun and enlightening.  We work together everyday after dinner.  We clear off the dishes, rinse and put them in the dishwasher, wipe off the table, chairs, and sweep the floor.  The kids have learned that when we do it together we get it done quickly.  We almost always have some fun music on too.  So amidst all the work we put in some moves too!

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th President of the Church, counseled, “Children need to work with their parents—to wash dishes with them, to mop floors with them, to mow lawns, to prune trees and shrubbery, to paint and fix up and clean up and do a hundred other things where they will learn that labor is the price of cleanliness and progress and prosperity” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 707).

So today I’m up in my room and hear a crash.  2 of 5 runs up to tell me what 1 of 5 broke.  He busted the bottom of a planter.  UGH!  So I’m thoroughly irritated because I had told him previously on many an occasions not to horse around in the Living room.  Horsing around includes: no throwing stuff, no jumping on the furniture, no climbing behind the couches, and no pillow fights.  I don’t  know  how he did it only that he did it.  He decided on his own that he could fix it.  So the new product was brought upstairs for my eyes to behold.  The bottom of the wooden planter is taped onto the main body of the planter.  I had to laugh.  It  reminded me of this show on PBS that Trekky man and I used to watch a long time ago called the Red Green Show.  Red Green is a total lover of duct tape.  I see my son going down this same road.  It is amazing what you can do with duct tape.  Wonder what 1 of 5 will come up with.

I get these family gems sent to my e-mail daily.  Today this one just helped remind me of how our home should be.  Even when the kids are home from school Just thought I would share.

“May we . . . demonstrate kindness and love within our own families. Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells.”  Thomas S. Monson

I’ve been operating on very little sleep for the past week or two.  I get into this cycle of insomnia and it is awful!  Then for the past week Trekky man has been sick and  was sleeping down stairs so I wouldn’t hear him snoring (thanks to the cold), and so he could actually lay some what propped up and breathe.  So…. I’ve been dealing with any kids who have woken up during the night on my own.  Now I’ve been spoiled our whole marriage.  Trekky man is usually the one who deals with kids during the night.  I do a fair share too, but because of my insomnia he tends to do the majority at night.  So this week has been unusually hard.  5 of 5 has climbed into bed with me pretty much every night.  4 of 5 has as well a couple of times.  I am just too tired to move them back, and if I get up and do something it tends to wake me more.  Anyhow….with that preview of the week I was overjoyed to find out we had a 2 hour delay this morning.  Ahhh I didn’t have to arise at 6:30!  So the older girls got up and packed their own lunches, ate breakfast, fed the little ones, and while I was in the shower my friend Nicole picked them up for school.  Then I came down the stairs………… this is where the pain comes in!!!!

I look into my kitchen and see my 3 year old sitting on the bread machine pretending it was a toilet and making peeing sounds,(thankfully he was still clothed), I see pretty much every serving bowl out of the cabinet filled with chips and chocolate animal crackers….they were also spewed all over the floor too, ohhh and don’t forget the cat food that was dispersed around the room too.  I really should’ve taken a picture but just hastened to clean it up.  Sorry but I’m sure u can just imagine it!  So was the 2 hour delay worth it???? I’m  trying to decide while they are  upstairs happily eating chocolate animal crackers for breakfast.  Some days are just like that!