2nd Happiest Place on Earth!

Let me just start by shouting out ... "I LOVE IKEA!" I would like to say that it is due to all of the time I spent in Denmark .. ikea is really reflects Scandinavian style ... but back on point, I loved it even before I went to Danmark. Probably the clean lines in the design or the minimalist approach or even just the simplicity of everything ... I LOVE IT!!

Well, the boys love it too ... there is a play area and good lunch/dinner food ... and of course, $1 ice cream.

So, I packed up all of the boys yesterday afternoon and we hopped on the freeway to the 2nd Happiest Place on Earth!

The trip was as expected ... I found a couple GREAT solutions to current issues at my house ...

This is going to solve my "boys messy room" issue. I bought one for both of my older guys with the idea that they can put all of "their" stuff in it that doesn't fit tidily in their dresser top organizer ... wish me luck & we'll see how it goes!!! The beauty of this lies in the peace from knowing now they have one place that neatly zips to dump all of their junk instead of pushing it under the bed!!!

Next, for me ... I keep lots of information in little folders ... I have a School folder, a Scout folder, a Church address list folder, a weight loss folder, a Christmas folder and a good idea folder ... yep, lots of folders. I like to label them with cute labels, but this is a topic for another time. I have run out of space and found these cute, minimalist magazine files. They should work perfectly and they have a spot for another label!!! YAHOO! Plus, I love the green color!

So, I found my great finds and treated the boys to lunch + dessert. It was a good trip ... I also learned a couple things ...

1) Everything is better after eating Swedish meatballs with syltetoj! YUM!

2) There actually can be a place for everything ...

3) My soon to be 17month old is He-Man! He wouldn't stop carrying around this stool ... I was so impressed!

life anew ...

this post is strictly mine ... i love to share pictures about the boys and our lives together, but i am going to take this one just for me.
it seems everything has been whirling by as if i have been in a tornado of thoughts, action and time itself.
life is precious.
and not nearly long enough.
this is the year i will turn 35. for some reason, i really feel like it is the middle of my life, like i am some how passing that imaginary threshold into the second half of my life ... maybe 70 just seems like such a nice round number ... not really sure why. it is not fear, that spurs my invigorated resolve, but a concern for the time remaining.

it seems the approach of the end the beginning of a new year always incites introspection.
am i the person i want to be?
have i reached the apex of my personal possibilities?
have i attained the characteristics i hold in highest esteem?
am i selfless?

i am blessed ... but i am not yet where i need to be ... once again, i have fallen well short of my personal goals and expectations. this is sad, but i am not low. there is only improvement to be made.

hope is the beauty of life.
will is its strength.

with this new year - i will become more like my Savior.
i will track my success and report, not the details, but the joy in my heart.

so, anew i write today with fervor and hope ... here is to a new year and a better self!

This past Wednesday we went on an adventure to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido with Mama & Papa Hayden, Auntie Ashley & Jack-a-baby!



Just inside, there is a beautiful bronze statue of a Rhino ... on the way down to the park, Evan kept saying he was going to 'ride on a rhino' ... this was it! :)




Josh spent the ENTIRE time in the stroller - poor kid! But Evan was in & out!



Me & My little sis, Ash!




The gorillas were so interesting and 100% CREEPY!!! The one closest to the camera kept watching us! I wonder if he thought we were creepy, too!





All of the boys! They didn't last sitting here so nicely very long.





In the middle of the park, there was a nice grassy viewpoint where you could catch a glimpse of the bigger animals in the remote parts of the park. We came here to "rest", but the boys ended up wrestling! Thankfully, only 1 minor catastrophe ... a small bloody nose ... but didn't bleed too much and he was back up and running within 1 minute!





Lucky boys, Mama & Papa Hayden treated the boys to a ride on the carousel! Evan wanted to see the elephants (and kept reminding us for most of the day) so it was fitting that he chose an elephant to ride!







Poor Josh was beat by the end of the day! What a total cutie!

Christmas Planner

I love Christmas! Everything about the season. The carols, the cookies, the colder weather, the gifts, the pagents, the lights. I love EVERYTHING about Christmas and I never want to miss a thing!!!

So, this year, I have created a new Christmas Planner. Created especially to manage multiple projects/dates/etc. It is still a work in progress, but I think the skeleton of it is pretty good ... but there is always room to improve, so next year's will even be bigger and better!

My planner is in Microsoft Excel - consists of 10 linked worksheets. If you don't have a Christmas Planner that you like, let me know ... I don't mind sharing! Just email me at Teresa@TeresaHeaton.com. (unfortunately, i can't figure out how to post an excel file here!)

Happy Planning & Merry Christmas!
Teresa

I love Fall!

We don't have much of a fall here in Riverside. It still hasn't seemed to cool down. It is nothing like growing up in Oregon, where you definitely saw a distinct change in weather. The one change that has occurred - thank you to the lack of daylight savings time - it gets dark so much sooner than it used to. YAHOO! We are finally able to breakout the candles. (When we were first married John used to always say that the house looked like a Catholic church because of all of the candles. I must have picked this up in Denmark ... there are candles EVERYWHERE and it is beautiful!)

So, we have taken to having dinner every so often by candle light. The boys love it, I love it ... John thinks it's weird - but whatever! It is fun!

My how Halloween has changed ...

This Halloween we did things a little differently. We all went trick-or-treating as a family which was really nice. Usually, I am stuck at home passing out candy as the boys go out knocking on doors with Dad. It was so fun to see the boys excitement. Nick - was our sprinter - he would run up to the door before everyone else and lasted about 45 minutes. Tyson wasn't always fastest to the doors, but he was the last one ready to call it quits! Evan was so excited. He could hardly believe that if you knocked on someone's door and said "trick or treat" that they would really drop candy into your bag! It was amazing to him!





So here are my little "trick-or-treat"ers ... Tyson was a Jedi Padiwan. Joshy was Superman, Evan was a Pirate - the eye patch, earing and hook, didn't last very long ... we weren't far into the trick-or-treating before he just looked like a kid with a skull & crossbones bandana on his head ... side note, we lost that somewhere in the neighborhood, too. Nick was a zombie. This was a very last minute costume. I was in the middle of sewing a mummy costume for him the night before when Evan grabbed my rotary cutter and cut his finger. After two hours at urgent care - he is fine by the way and unstiched - we were late to the ward party and Nick had to wear his vampire cape from last year. Saturday was so full, that I never found time to finish it. The flip side ... at least we know what he will be next year!

It was a very interesting night, to say the least ... here are some of my observations of how Halloween has changed since I was a kid ...

1) Parents didn't have bags ... yep, I saw several parents coming up to the door with their kids asking for THEIR bags to be filled as well ... TOTALLY WEIRD!

2) Girls costumes covered more ... every time we passed a girl that wasn't dressed up as a disney princess, I would hear "I am so glad we don't have a girl" from John ... it seems the disney princesses were THE ONLY modest costumes for girls.

3) Some parents dressed up ... mostly mothers and please, refer to #2 ... horrible.

4) Parents didn't walk around with Beer in their hands ... these parents were always nice and happy to be out and about, but seriously now, they are walking down the middle of the street with children dressed up, the streets aren't well lit (but the parents sure were) and they didn't seem to think being impared is a bad idea? I actually passed a guy pulling a wagon full of ice and beer ... a walking misdemeaner?!?! Great examples for their kids - not to be too judgemental, but come on!

5) Not many people gave out candy ... maybe it was the recession or maybe I just grew up in a great neighborhood, but it seems only a fourth of the homes had their front porches lit.

6) Haunted Houses ... gotta tell you, this was great! Some people really went all out and it was a blast!

Even with the weird things, Halloween was still a blast and I was so happy that to hang out with the boys!

Congratulations Nick!

I received a call a couple days ago from Nick's teacher. Letting me know that Nick would be getting an award this morning at the school assembly and inviting me to attend! I am so happy and proud of him! The little boys and I went and Nick received Student of the Month for his class and as a super surprise, he was also chosen as the Lower Grades Student of the Month ... each Month out of the pool of Students of the Month are chosen the "School Students of the Month - one for the k-2 and one for 3-5. I am so proud of him! He was beaming and really trying not to seem too proud of himself!

A friend of mine from Little League was there with her Father. He kindly offered to let me run up and take a picture while he watched the boys (who were sitting nicely in the stroller due to the chocolate milk and doughnuts I had bribed them with) ... he only asked me to "hurry back"! It was very sweet. He mentioned that due to his job we missed all of these types of things for his kids, but he won't miss them the second time around for his grandkids now that he is retired. I immediately felt so lucky that I could attend these functions. As the kids grow, I am sure they won't care if they were student of the month or won some elementary school award ... but I am SURE they will remember that I was there. I am so blessed.

(here is a picture of the prized trophy for the lower grades student of the month! YAHOO!)




(I tried to take a one-handed picture of the both of us ... didn't work - but he is so cute, had to post it!)

Start with the end in mind ...

Most projects you really have to "start" way before you actually "start". There has to be some type of plan to put into action to accomplish whatever goal you have in mind.

Well, what happens when you want to accomplish long term change, not just a short term project. What about changing habits or solidifying character changes? How do you plan for living, fluctuating, long term personal change?

Starting with the end in mind is the key ... I realize this, but what are your practical tips and applications for affecting these types of change? Would love your input!?!?!

how it is ...

So a couple days ago, while the big boys were in school and Joshy was napping. I was holding Evan, giving him kisses, and talking to him. I told him he was MY baby (I tell him this all the time, like I did when Tyson and Nick were younger ... something about this age, they love to hear it, maybe instilling a sense of security and love ... not sure ... anyway, he loves to hear it. He always smiles and it melts my heart.)

So, after I said this to him, I asked him "who loves you?" hoping for a response like "Mama" or "Daddy" or "Jesus" or "Heavenly Father" ... what does he respond with ...

"Not Nick" ... and there you have it ... true brotherly love.

I needed a Time Out

It seems I have been struggling for sometime now ... we all do at different times during our lives, and this just seems to be my "off" time. One of the hardest things for me has been my perceived distance from the spirit and the Savior. I have prayed and prayed, seen small miracles and still felt so far away from Christ. Looking back at my life, I can see the times when I have been close and I could never seem to find the reason for the great chasm between my spirit and the Savior ... well, I have finally been enlightened.

My Step-Mom, Sister Lisa and I all went to "Time Out for Women" this past weekend, presented by Deseret Book. Never having gone before, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Friday night, seemed like a bust as it was mostly music and I think we were all yearning for something a little meatier! We ended up leaving early and goofing off with treats (LOVE OLIVE TAPENADE, by the way ... seriously, my favorite!!!). We watched The Proposal, which fit the chick-flick requirement in the girls club bylaws and just relaxed.

What I was hoping to accomplish was just to take a step back, re-evaluate and take stock of my life. This is essential for me every once in a while, just to keep myself in check. After the bummer of Friday night, we went to Saturday's conference with the agreement that if it turned out to be more of the previous night, we would leave early and go sit by the pool.

Saturday turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I heard some of the most amazing presentations and had an epiphany! Yep, a true epiphany!!! I realized that (due to a very spiritual and enlightening talk by Brad Wilcox) part of my chasm ... part of the spiritual sickness in my life was because my own view of my Savior was limited and incomplete ... let me rephrase ... I realized I was LIMITING his access and influence in my life.

I have always taken the scripture to heart ... for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2N 25:23) ... but rather than revelling in the grace, I have always felt strongly, that it was "AFTER all we can do" that the Savior comes in ... I realize that I was viewing the Savior as an "in case of emergencies" rather than a companion and friend. I realized that I was severely limiting my relationship ... I started imagining what it would feel like to only call my Family members when I needed something from them ... what kind of relationship would that be?

When baptised I took upon me the name of Jesus Christ. I made the decision to be his. I became his partner in my own salvation. He did all of the work, all that is still left for me is to walk hand in hand with him through the rest of my life.

After so long ... I feel renewed. I feel hope. I feel peace. I feel blessed.

Future Missions ...

During Sunday dinner last night, John asked the boys where they wanted to go on their missions ... here are the responses:

Tyson - Japan or Kentucky (KY because of Kentucky Fried Chicken ... we don't eat a lot of fried chicken, so he must think he'll get more if he goes to Kentucky!)

Nicholas - England, like Dad

Evan - CostCo ... must be the "try-outs" calling his name

Joshua - John suggested Iraq and this doesn't really seem like a far off possibility ... if the 2nd coming comes before then ... which I am really hoping for ... it will be nice to see the Savior again, this time with Mortal eyes ... get prepared everyone!

So, not really sure why 2 of my sons mission desires revolve around food, but so be it!! :)

It is NOT just me! YAHOOOOOO!

Not that I am trying to be entertained by someone else's exasperation, but ... I do feel relieved, almost elated!

I was walking in Target (side note: where i get the craziest looks and it is really humorous ... people can't believe that I have 4 kids, let alone 4 boys ... way too funny!)

Anyway ... back to walking in target ... when I came across a Mom explaining why they weren't going to wait for a flu shot ... something about it taking too long, longer than they were originally told ... and to my complete joy, her son was arguing back, basically telling her that he understood and she didn't and she was wrong ... again, these are not his words, these are my way to describe the underlying thought in his remarks ...

Now to the joy part ... it was this point, I realized, that it is not just Tyson and I that have these SAME conversations ... I had long since wondered why my 8 year thinks I am such an idiot. But now I realize, it isn't just him ... and I feel comforted in the fact that other sane, competent mothers are going through the same inane conversations trying to logically prove a point to a young, illogical mind .... I love it!

Hallelujah!!!

WE MADE IT!!! Or at least almost! 12 days of John being gone and 11 nights of me sleeping with a big wooden bat next to me ... seriously, not even sure that I could swing it hard enough to do any damage to anyone in the event someone breached the security of my deadbolt!!!, but I guess an intruder dying of laughter at me trying to defend myself with a 100lbs. bat is still dying ... back on subject ... HE IS ALMOST HOME!!!
I have always been thankful for my husband (some days more thankful than others :) )but I have definitely realized how much of a team we are and how much I depend on him. It seems like eons ago that he left - so much has happened since then ... amazing how much happens in 12 days. I have always been one of those girls that loved the idea of marriage, even though I had serious commitment issues, I never doubted the idea that through a marriage two people grow together and become a whole, much more stronger than they could ever be alone ... kind of like a couple of flashlights being paired together and becoming a lighthouse light, rather than just a bigger flash light ... if this attempt at an analogy makes any type of sense. I don't know how single mom's are able to manage ... well, scratch that, I think I do and at this point, I just thank my lucky stars and a merciful Father in Heaven for one of the greatest blessings in my life ... John.

Well, anyway, here is to a happy Wife, now that her husband/best friend is almost home! YAHOO!!!

LA County Fair

I love the fair. Growing up in La Verne (which is just north of Pomona and borders the LA County Fairgrounds) we would go every year. We haven't gone in since Tyson was probably 4 or so, I am diametrically opposed to paying as much to go to the fair as I would on Disneyland.

This year, however, we were able to take advantage of a Friday promotion and get it almost free! We were able to see the animals at the big red barn, play in "under the sea" exhibits, see mini-monster trucks (which seems like an oxymoron), smell the wonderful fair smells, see all of the amazing & obnoxious lights, experience the not-so tempting petitions by the carnies and the boys ate funnel cake ... thanks Uncle Taylor!

We had a lot of fun until it became like an outdoor club ... not going on a Friday evening again, too much beer ... as a side note, do we really need drunks at a fair, with kids, vomit inducing rides and games requiring the throwing of darts?!?!?! seriously, I can't fathom the rationale here ...

One of the funniest things ... every kid area, had these murals with the faces cutout so someone (kid-sized) could stand behind and show their face in the funny scene ... well Nick, being the funny imaginative kid he is, just LOVED these, he would run up to each one, pose and want his picture taken. Tyson was a little more demure and Evan just thought it was cool that he could get out of the stroller built for two ... and then there was Josh ... stuck or strapped in as usual.

The Fairplex also has a train museum, that was amazing! It was open so we were able to go board and investigate up close some of the trains. We didn't go in all of them, but we will definitely go back to see them.

All in all, we had a fabulous time. Next year, John will have to be there with us!! :)

Lastly, you have to see this last picture ... I SERIOUSLY couldn't believe it ... check out the sign at the very center - it says, "meatlovers icecream" ... what could that ever mean!?!?! I wasn't brave enough to ask, I honestly don't think I want to know ... at another kiosk, I saw a sign for chocolate covered bacon - not sure if I can imagine anything grosser!!!

minty fresh ...

Yep, I have proof! It only takes 1 minute to cover yourself and your brother in toothpaste. (At least that is what I am assuming as I was literally only in the bathroom for one minute ... it may have taken less time, however, knowing these two boys, they may have been laughing together about it for 30 seconds!) UGH!!

The Swallows of Kabul

Just read this book, it was a short read and beautifully almost poeticly written.

It is one of those books that is going to stay with me for a long time. Did I enjoy it? Will I read it again ... not so sure. Through it one can really gain insight into another life or lives ...

Set in Kabul, you see how prosperity, hope, compassion, literally die under oppression. The idea of forced participation and forced integration into someone else's belief system is so foreign to us in the US as it is the exact opposite of the notion that so joyously gave birth to our country.

What is so interesting to me is the greatness of God that I have seen through this book. Not only, in the blessings I personally have, being a citizen of this great country and being sealed in the covenants of God and having his gospel truths ... but before that ...

I don't think one can truly understand what was at stake in the war in heaven if lucifer had gotten his way ... the harshness of this realization that it probably would have been close to what I saw in this book, is stupefying. Without the growth that comes from making our own good choices and growing from them, we would find no more satisfaction in life than pebbles in a stream, completely content to let the water roll over them or push them here or there at it's will.

Without freedoms, we are condemned to be acted upon which results in the retraction of our good character rather than its splendid growth. Human nature it seems filters this powerless feeling of being acted upon into aggression over those limited choices individuals do have ... human relations, respect and compassion.

So, why is this book still something that I am pondering ... questions still linger closer to home ...

1) do i truly appreciate what i DO have?

2) am i teaching this appreciation to my children?

3) are my children feeling this freedom or do they feel oppression from me? do they have enough room to grow in their delightful free agency in the limited sphere that i give them? or do i need to easy up ... (there is an easy correlation in this book to all walks of life, speaking specifically about children, we have all seen through the eyes of personal experience to children oppressed - verbally, physically, mentally abused, often - that act out in horrific manners as bullies, frustrated by the lack of compassion, free will and hope at home)

4) - MOST IMPORTANTLY - the divine blessing that is service and compassion ... through these two acts, we are able to see and promote the best in our world and well as men in general (meant as a species - although men do need more help than we women, do!! :) )

What an amazing gift this is, this life. So much to learn so much good we can do.

Just thought you might want to see what the boys looked like this morning ... for some reason they are facinated by faux-hawks!

I, Teresa, do hereby bequeath ...

For YEARS, I have been thinking about the need for a will. Some way to make my (& my husbands) wishes known should we pass prematurely ... and even more vitally important, keep my children cared for, safe, and let them know that we had taken the time to (get organized) think about the horrible possibility of something happening to us before they were grown.

Not a happy thought, to say the least ... and that is probably why it has taken me so long to officially do anything about it. But, with the thought of my husband leaving Sunday on his current business trip, I seriously started to unravel a little. While, I know nothing is going to happen to my him, while he is gone, the thought of him being so far away and us not being prepared, left me breathless - in a bad way!

So, I spent a couple hours, using a silly little "fill-in-the-blank" estate planning software, I had purchased a number of years back to the very least bring me some peace until we get something a little more detailed in place.

So, this is my reminder to all of you, that haven't put anything in writing, yet ... "get-er-done" ... especially if you have children. The last thing you want to do, is leave this earth without a plan for them or your assets. Luckily, in this day & age, there are so many quick and pretty painless ways to put something together ... attorneys, legal documents you can purchase on the internet ... pretty painless and will give you such a peace-of-mind.

Public Library

I had wanted all summer to take the boys to the library. For some reason or another, it just never happened ... seriously ridiculous, I know ... really why couldn't we find even 20 minutes for the library?!?!

I think I was probably just dragging my feet a little ... the closest library to us is tiny and the children's section consists of roughly 1 shelf of books - ok, really not that bad, but you would be surprised that this description isn't far off ... obviously, it just wasn't a big enough priority for me this summer.

But I really love to read and want my boys to discover that passion, too ... so, we went today. I decided to take them to another library, that is a little further and newly refurbished. It was beautiful ... but again, it was tiny and a bigger selection than my first local experience, but not what I was hoping for. We found a couple of books and went to check out - I needed to get a library card, but alas, I didn't have anything "official" with my current address on it. (i am pretty tired of the nomadic life I lead - but that is a topic for another post) ... so, we slid the books neatly back to their alpha-numeric homes and retreated, somewhat reluctantly. As, we walked out, I told the boys of the new shift in our plan ... go home, eat dinner, get what I needed to receive a library card, and go downtown to the "MAIN" library.

This appeased them for the moment and secretly, I was elated, thinking the downtown library HAD to be the experience I was looking for! I wanted the boys to feel an actual wave of excitement course through their little bodies as they enter the library, to see with wide-eyes the thousands of books and "possibilities" that reside in the hundreds of shelves. To feel the awe and wonderment of the thought "that you really can learn just about anything in a library".

Well, after dinner, we finally made it down. We all got out and put the youngest two in the double stroller and waltzed inside. I was a little worried about the noise the babies would make - remembering as a child that it was almost worse talking in the library than talking in sacrament meeting ... but we went straight to the kids section and had a ball.

The children's section consisted of two rooms ... one for reading books, as big as a class room, with narrow isles - like a library should be - and several, but not too many, chairs. Then, there was another room for 'picture' books with smaller sized chairs, blocks, puzzles and a few chairs ... I seriously think I found library paradise. The little kids could play and keep themselves busy as I helped the bigger two find what we were looking for.

Well, long story short, we had so much fun, found some great books and are planning to go back in two weeks!!! Can't wait! (hopefully, next time I will get to pick out a book for myself!)

Poor Neglected Walls ...

Have you ever noticed how versatile walls are? They hold almost anything imaginable ... artwork, of course ... kitchen utensils, bath essentials, (what a killer rhyme) ... white boards for notes & reminders ... hats, coats, scarves, clocks, books on shelves, TV's & other electronics.

The possibilities for creative asthetics with inherent functionality is almost endless.

So, next time you need to "re-oganize" a room, don't forget to fully utilize the walls. This is my newest project ... we'll see how it goes!

By the way, here are some great pictures I had stashed away in my "binder of good ideas" (most likely from Queen Martha - she is inspiring! or PB)

Potty-training!

Ugh ... well the horror is over. At least mostly. It seems Evan is well on his way to become a fully functioning male. He stands up & while his aim isn't great (but really, you show me a man that has perfect aim and I will show you one that cleans the toilets!) ....

OK, scratch all of that, just while I was finishing that last thought, I heard the dreaded words, "pee-pee in my pants, mom. pee-pee in my pants."

Actually, it was the other accident instead, which thankfully was rather easy to clean up as it wasn't that big of a mess! He has made progress, so other than the odd, ill-timed accident (such as now) maybe we are done!

Three cheers to Captain Underpants!

Evan

A little about Evan ...

A girl friend of mine, while we were playing at the pool, once looked at me and said while looking at Evan, "Teresa, he is just so damn cute." I replied with a "yes, Heavenly Father knew what he was doing, because if he wasn't so cute, he'd be in a lot more trouble.

Evan is my mimic. He speaks relatively well because he practices so much. He only stops talking to sleep and ends up repeating what everyone else says. Most of the time it is cute. The only times it is challenging is when we are in the car and he says, Mom ... Mom ... Mom ... Mom ... (without stopping, regardless of my reply for 10 minutes).

Because he has always been a great orator, we have had some trouble when his lips and mouth aren't up to the task of enunciating the words his minds wishes to speak ... words such as "Truck" and "Flag" have presented particular embarrassing moments.

Evan is definitely the life of the party. He loves to laugh and joke and tries to get everyone else to join in as well. At dinner time especially, he will say something that he thinks is particularly funny and start laughing so raucously, until everyone else starts laughing as well.

He is also Mr. Mischief. One of my favorite memories of Evan was when he was 11months and still very new to walking. Nick was playing with toys on the bottom stair, using it as a table of sorts for his battle. Nick was completely enthralled in play and oblivious to Evan's quiet advance. He took advantage of an opportune moment, when Nick turned the opposite direction, to steal one of the toys Nick was using. The second his chubby little fist closed around the toy, he turned 180 degress with an enormous grin on his face and started running away as fast as his little legs could carry him from Nick. Which wasn't very far, as he fell three steps later and Nick was able to forcefully dislodge the stolen item from Evy's hand. I could see in his eyes that he knew full well what he was doing and had purposefully taken his brother's toy with the sole purpose of annoyance. It was then, that I realized what I was in for ...

Even with his penchant for forcing conflict, he is a very sweet boy and loves his Mom. He is still at the point, when he injurs himself, that a kiss seems to make everything completely better. Throughout the day, he is constantly running to me crying and stops the second, the kiss seems to sink in. I love this and don't let one opportunity pass to give him kisses.

Evan is so smart. Part of being a mimic, he has learned some things much faster than the other boys. He knows how to count. Likes to sing the ABC and other songs ... especially "itsy-bitsy-spider".

He loves to play in a group, but thankfully, he is also very content to play alone.

One of the cutest things he has started say is "My Boys". We refer to Tyson & Nick regullarly as "The Boys". "It's time to pick up 'The Boys' from school." "Take it to 'The Boys' room" ... etc. Well, Evan has taken it a step further and often asks, "Where are 'My Boys'?" "Let's get 'My Boys". I love it. It just warms my heart to hear how much he loves them and wants to be with them.

Botanic Gardens

We were looking for something interesting to do outside this afternoon and found the Botanic Gardens at UCR. I HIGHLY recommed it! It is free to the public and has some really good trails. John was amazing and took Josh & stroller off-roading on the more rugged trails and we all had a great time. It was beautiful. Probably even more amazing in the spring, but well worth getting outside for a while.

This is just inside the park.

Evan with his Botanic Bingo - these free sheet were really cute, but didn't last long.

The boys inside of a wooden "green house".

I loved the flowers. I took a bunch of pictures. Part of our outing was supposed to be a scavenger hunt of sorts for a picture of the most interesting thing or just the best picture. The boys were so interested in everything else, they didn't want to take pictures.

There were turtles!!! It was so neat to see them. There were probably about 15 or so. It was so fun. The boys were enthralled.

Chocolate covered Josh

We came to one point with some large rocks and an opening to a beautiful view. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Nick & his "hunting" pose. He was keeping me safe from bobcats, lizards, etc. ... didn't see any bobcats, but there was one on the brochure, so Nick was ready!

Nick and I on these beautiful, rustic, weathered benches.

First Tenet of Organization ....

The First Tenet of Organization ... as I see it ... is 'Everything has its place'.

The basis of organization is making sure there is a place for everything, even if that place is the trash can or recycle bin. Clutter is the ultimate organizational foe and must be fought relentlessly to conquer.

Here are a couple ways to deal with Physical Clutter ...

Mail ... specify a place for 1) Outgoing mail; 2) bills to be paid; 3) mail that has a task associated with it, such as a dental reminder to make an appointment or coupons to cut; 4) items to shred & Most importantly, have a recycle bin close by for all of the junk mail & envelopes

School Items ... for those of us with school aged children ... schools tend to send home immense amounts of paperwork in the form of notices, awards and completed work. I have found having a small folder usually suffices to keep all the notices/student handbooks, etc. for the year. Also, having a special place (such as the refridgerator) to post the childs most current or favorite paper/award, etc. makes for happy kids (& proud teenagers, too ... even though they may not show it). Just remember, after a set amount of time - week or month or until the next item is brought home, take down the paper and either store it right away in a specific place (not in a stack).

Other Organizations ... most hobbies (sports teams, clubs of any sort, memberships, etc.) have paperwork associated with them. If you don't have to access this routinely, this would fit nicely in with other files. However, if you will utilize the information regularly, best to keep it in a folder or binder (depending on quantity of items) and neatly stacked with other like folders.

Other People's Items ... if your house is like my house, the other occupants often get items out, forget to put them back and leave. Having a bin for each person in the family works well. Items go in the bin until the end of the day/night when the owner of the basket is required to return the items to their place.

Purse Hanger

We women love our purses! We buy them to match our shoes, a special outfit, for everyday of the week or just because we may need a pick-me-up. (a new purse usually does the trick, by the way.)


One problem I have always had, I never had a good place to put my current purse when I am home. In my closet, I lovingly keep my purses on a shelf for themselves, where they stay all tucked into their own little sleeping bag to keep them dust free. But my current purse would get set in a chair or - heaven help me - on the floor, until it was needed.


Voila! I am happy to say, that I have found a solution that works for me and may help you. I have been using this for sometime now and love it!


I use a 'wreath hook' on my home office door. I am not sure it 'wreath hook' is technically the correct term ... it is a thin piece of metal that forms a gentle hook on one end and slides over the top of the door on the other. This can be used on almost any door and may work especially well with a walk-in closet.



Here is an example. They come in multiple colors - I prefer silver - but you can find almost anything if you look!

(This can be found at the Container Store.)

Josh

I want to write a few observations about each of my sons, mainly to keep the memories fresh and for the future when I eventually make this into a memory book.

So, I will start with Joshy. He is such a joy. He is an easy going child by nature and definitely a lover. He will cuddle with me more than any of the other boys did at this age. I am not sure if this is my memory or due to the fact that he is content to look around and take everything in. He isn't like Evan, who is always busy and in such a rush to do anything and be in the middle of everything.

Josh also loves to be outside. He would rather be outside doing anything than inside. He is also rather quick and has started sounding more like I imagine a Pterodactyl would sound, than a boy. He voice is normally quite deep and resounding. But he is so pleased with himself that he can get around on his own - what wonderful freedom! - that he has started screeching a little. It is very cute.

While outside, Josh loves to roam and is especially facinated by Tyson's skateboard. This is a little worrisome, but we'll keep an eye on him.

Josh is a good eater and many times will out-eat Evan. He is tall and big for his age, I am sure due to the fact that he eats his weight in food daily, but no bigger than Tyson was at this age. He does, however, have amazingly large hands and fee. I noticed these from birth, so I imagine that he will be pretty tall when he finally stops growing.

Joshy also has the cutest, genuine smile. He is quick to laugh and likes to join in when the rest of us are giggling about something. His joining in is a source of amusement to us all and tends to extend the laughing.

One of my favorite memories is of Josh squishing his face after tasting something new. It didn't really matter whether it was sweet or sour, whether he liked it or not ... he would always make the same face. It was extremely cute.

At the End of a Busy Day

It is usually at the end of a very busy day (as they all seem to be at this point in life), the entire family is wiped out and ready to call it a day when, unfortunately, the house usually looks as bad as we do.

I have committed to myself to make sure the house is clean every night, so the next tumultuous day can start fresh. I say clean, but clutter free is possibly a more accurate term. I have noticed, when the house is put away before bed I sleep better and actually wake up in a better mood.

Now, with 4 small kids, this is NO small task. I have figured out a couple of tricks that make the evening chores more of a quick run through rather than an all out war!

Daily Tips for a more Managed Home:

1) De-clutter as you go - when leaving a room, glance around to see if there is anything out of place that can be put away right then (this will save a ton of time at night)

2) Make sure beds are made in the morning - unless you like the bedding thrown around during the day or toys hidden under blankets

3) Wipe up spills as they occur - it is easy to fall into the "I'll get it in a second" mentality, but the result is usually a bigger mess the later you tend to it and requires a lot more elbow grease to clean it

4) Sweep the kitchen & dining room nightly

5) Kids bin - rather than running back and forth all day to children's bedrooms, each child has a basket to fill with items that need to be put away and they are required to empty it nightly ... this may work well with a spouse as well

Good luck & good night!
Teresa

And so it begins ...

Once upon a time, I was extremely organized. I never missed a birthday, always remembered to call and followed through on every promise. I was known professionally by my peers for these attributes. When I left the corporate rat race to stay at home with my (then two) sons and ultimately help my husband start his own business, things slowly changed.

Years later, I remember my husband asking in a loving, teasing way “Didn’t you used to be organized ... What happened?” UGH!!! One really analytical and deep introspection later, I realized just how out of hand things really had gotten. Needless to say, this was not one of my best days!

Happily now on the “Road to Recovery”, as I call it and implementing tools learned professionally, I am starting this blog to help others that may be momentarily life management challenged or just looking for small ways to improve.

I firmly believe in collaboration being the best igniter of creativity, so if you have ideas or comments, I would love to hear them!

Happy Organizing!
Teresa

Back to school night

Officially, our 4th back to school night. We missed (thank you lucky stars!) the beginning blah, blah, blah by the principal. Every year it is the same old thing, teacher introductions, reminders to the parents to not call their students cell phones during school hours (how is this not common knowledge!!!) & pta introductions.

I seriously appreciate the participation, but it has been the same for the last 4 years, at this point, I think I could do a pretty good job with the announcing! :) Ok, I am not that cynical.

But, on to the important stuff. The class rooms. While neither classroom, is ornately decorated, each seemed rather oddly clutter free. I am not sure if this is an improvement or detraction. Tyson's teacher is all business and as I understand it there is a lot to learn in third grade - multiplication starts soon, the always looming language arts and of course the STAR testing! Nicholas' teacher is quite friendly and seems to be less rigid, for lack of a better description. I am excited about both and heard good things so far both from student regarding teacher and teacher regarding student. So, I am confident and looking forward to a great year!

As a side note, we received Tyson's STAR Student Report in the mail last week and he scored the highest level ("advanced") in both Language Arts & Mathematics. We are really proud of him for trying so hard and paying attention last year!

I meant to take pictures and completely forgot - oops, I know ... what kind of Mom forgets this stuff ...

McDonalds

This past Friday, to do something fun for the boys - with a gift card from Mama Hayden - we all went to McDonalds for dinner. There is one not to far from us in Norco with a huge indoor play area. The boys love it as they can run free and I love it due to the fact that they are completely contained! (yahoo!)

I took a few pictures because it was so funny. Tyson has this completely "cool" thing going on. Nick is just Nick. Evan can't stand to not be involved AND he has started eating hamburgers, which seems to be a rite of passage in a young male's life. Then to Josh ... Josh is so cute and still content to eat while the others play. I am not sure if this is personality or if he hasn't realized how fun it is to bounce off the walls yet.

Ahhhh, parenthood! I love every (alright, almost every) minute!