Okay, okay, I know I have been slacking yet again! I have really wanted to post stuff, but just haven't had the time. Last week was CRAZY! I finally feel like I can breathe again. Forgive the long post, but I need to get this all down so I don't forget!
On Monday, it was my turn to have the kids for the kid swap. It turned out pretty well. Caden, Kent, Mallory, Sydney and Eldon had a lot of fun together. Six hours wasn't really that bad, but I didn't have a second to do anything but play with them. This is one thing that I like about the kid swapping. For once, I really have to focus just on the children. I don't do anything for me...I just spend time with them. We play, we laugh, and we have a good time. It does come with some craziness also.
The three older kids are on the road to diaperless days. They are all doing really well, but this day was a doozy! To top it off in the morning I had Syd in underwear in the morning because she had a yeast infection and I was trying to "air" her out. Right before Karyn showed up with her kids, Sydney pooped in the underwear -- that was #1 of cleaning poop out of pants. Shortly after the kids were there...Kent pooped in his pants (#2)! Then later that day Caden decided he wanted take a turn so he did his business in his pants *joy* (#3). Kent was so excited to be here today he had multiple accidents... So by the time Karyn got here he had gone through all his changes of clothes, and only had a shirt and underwear! Like I said...whew! Overall they are doing lots better, and I will have them again this Friday.
It does sound like alot of work, and some people may think that I have absolutely insane for wanting to do this, but it really is working out. Karyn is an absolute doll to work with. It is so refreshing to get a "no strings attached" break every other week. And as time goes by we will get a better grip on doing more constructive, and imaginative things with the kids.
On Tuesday and Thursday's Caden has Joy School. Joy School is a pre-school co-op that is taught by different mothers. The curriculum is based on different Joy's ie. Joy of the Body, Earth, Honesty & Communication etc. We also teach a little Kindergarten preparedness. I really like the program, and Caden absolutely loves it! I am in it with about 5 other mothers. So that means that I teach the kids once every 5 weeks. This was my week!
It is always fun when we have Joy School at our house, but by the time they leave our house is a wreck! It is amazing what 6 little 3 & 4 year olds can do in just 2 hours! To top it off it was raining on one of the days so they were confined to the inside. Usually they do the majority of the playing outside, and it keeps my house somewhat manageable, but lets just say that I am glad that my week is over and I won't have to teach again for another 5 weeks!
Some other fun news is our upcoming Family vacation. Now before you think that we vacation all the time, and have lots of money...we do not. It just happens that we just got back from our Anniversary trip, and this deal feel into our laps.
My sister, Nancy, is also a flight attendant. After our trip we were over at their house for dinner. We were talking about how fun it would be to go on a trip together. We really wanted to go on a Disney Cruise. We chatted about it for a while, but just kinda dismissed it because we figured it wouldn't happen for a while. A couple of days later we got an email from Perx (the interline travel agency) that had a screaming deal for a Disney 11 night Mediterranean Cruise in May! She called me immediately and said that they were going to book it. Shawn had to talk to his boss to see if he could get the time off, but we really wanted to go!
In the mean time we needed to get all of our passport stuff in order. Shawn's passport is expiring in May. Mine wasn't going to expire, but it was still in my Maiden name...so that needed to be changed. Our kids didn't have any...so that is when the adventure began. I went to the file to get the kids birth certificates. I have a file for each one of us that has all of our "important" papers. I found Sydney's, but when I went for Caden's both his birth certificate and social security card were missing! I racked my brain trying to figure out where it could be! It was so frustrating! If I couldn't find them I would have to drive down to vital records, and wait in line to get a new one! For days this past week I looked everywhere. With all the kids around this week...yes my house was a mess, but not that messy! I searched and searched, and finally conceded that on Friday morning I would wake up and drive down there to get a new one.
That night before I went to bed, I got down on my knees and prayed. I asked Heavenly Father to help open my mind so that I could remember where I had put the documents. When I got up in the morning, I got the kids their breakfast and thought I would look in the files one last time before we headed off for vital records. I sat at the desk, and thought I would go through all the files just in case they got stuffed in the wrong file folder. I started at the front and went one by one. Half way through it dawned on me! A few months ago I had to use his birth certificate and social security card to register him for something and I had put it in a different folder to bring it there! I ran to the pantry, and lo and behold it was stuffed there in the back. I hadn't even thought to look there because I had organized it recently! Heavenly Father is an amazing person! He really does answer our prayers! Even it is for the simplest thing of finding a birth certificate!
On Friday the Elder's Quorum (group of men in church) and their families came over to our house for a shin-dig. It was an "Incredible" Movie night. They brought a projector and then taped up a sheet to our back wall and we watched Incredibles and had popcorn, candy, and licorice! It was a blast, and I can't wait to do it again!
On Saturday we got to make the trek to the post office to process, and submit our passports. It was to open at 7:30. I wanted to be down there by 7 so we wouldn't have to wait too long, but with kids...you never seem to get there when you want to. We did get there before 7:30, but there was already a line formed. Those are the times when I would just love to say...excuse me, but I have 2 children that aren't going to last very long...could we cut :) Instead we were polite, and waited. In the mean time, Caden said he needed to go potty...there was no bathroom. So I told him to wait. Sydney proceeded to scream whenever Caden got near her or cry whenever I walked away for a second even though Shawn was standing right next to her! When we finally got up there we were told that we would have to expedite them because it is taking 10 weeks instead of the usual 6 weeks to process! That meant that we had to pay $60 additional for each passport!!!! That was frustrating, but I guess it is better to be safe than to be sorry! We need them by May 25. So two hours and a whole lot of money later we were finally done! Now we will just have to wait to get them in the mail!
We did actually book the cruise, and are really looking forward to it. It will be the only family vacation that we will take this year. I am excited to be able to spend time with Nancy and her family. I hear that Disney Cruises are the best, and who could beat the ports that we will be going into! The only place in Europe that I have been to is Madrid, Spain (we went there for our honeymoon...my husband served a mission there.) The cruise starts in Barcelona and then goes to several places throughout Italy and France!!!!! This will be an unforgettable experience!
Sunday, was a little quieter. We went to church as usual. In the morning I got a call from the music leader in Primary (class for the little ones). She was ill and wanted to know if I could fill in for her. I was happy to do it...this was my previous calling (job) at church. Every thing went okay at first. Caden just started going to primary this year, and had never been there when I was teaching. I have to say that I was disappointed when I first got released from my calling, but I now know it is for the best. Caden was terrible! He didn't want to sit in his seat because he wanted to be by me. When I made him go sit down he began to cry. Then through out the whole time I was teaching the music he cried off and on. They had to take him out of the class several times so that he would not distract the other children! Why does our children act so differently when we are around!?
It truly was the week of having visitors at our house! It was fun, but had me completely and utterly exhausted! This Monday I got to drop my kids off at Karyn's, and get some things done, and I finally feel like I am accomplishing something! I think that I will actually be able to post a Tackle it Tuesday today...I am hoping to do my laundry room...so check back later!
Overall we had a great time. Disneyland is so much fun during the holidays. I can't imagine the time it takes to decorate that place! It was a crazy thing to do right before we moved, but it had been planned and paid for before all the house stuff came along. We came home on Sunday morning, and moved the following day! Things are finally starting to settle down. We have settled on having our 3 ft Christmas tree, although Caden isn't too happy about it. This year Christmas is very simplistic. I think I was lucky enough to get any shopping done.
Note to self...do not move during the month of December.
I hope you all have a very wonderful and Merry Christmas! 
Anyway...that is where I have been. Sorry to those who have been wanting to see all about James' 30th Birthday party. I promise the pictures are coming soon. Here is a sneak peek. 
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