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Cathy, I don't think you're really going to believe this one.

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One Man's Trash...

With spring comes the fun job of spring cleaning. During the first week of April our city provides a free junk pick-up of anything two men can carry. At about ten o'clock at night we set out our kids' destroyed "clubhouse" (the gargantuan box that my mom & dad's 73 inch flat screen TV came in), their broken picnic table(notice a pattern here?), an old unused sand box, and an old, faded, mildewed scarecrow with a severed head.

We noticed a truck pulling a trailer drive past several times as we made trips back and forth to get our junk. We were so surprised the next morning to see the only thing left at our curb was the cardboard box. What could someone possibly do with a mildewed, decapitated scarecrow!? Some people live for city wide trash pick-up week. This whole week I've seen people driving around with trailers mounded high with junk. It's pretty crazy.

My dad has a friend that used to set things out at his curb just to see what people were willing to take for free. The funniest thing was a BOX OF SAWDUST! He set a box out at his curb, and stuck a sign on that said "FREE." The next morning it was gone. What's one man's trash is another's treasure, that's for sure!

And She's Off...

Mallory started walking about a month ago. Drew especially seems amazed. Every time she walks, he excitedly proclaims, "SHE'S WALKING!"

Also in the video, you can see her signing "more." I love baby sign language! I think it helps so much with communication. We're both less frustrated when she needs something.

Yesterday at the store, she was helping me push the cart. When she noticed the dairy section was within her reach, she toddled over to inspect its contents. She picked up a package of biscuits and started signing "more" meaning she wanted to eat them.

Congratulations Williams!

Our very dear friends, Scott & Jessie, welcomed sweet baby Quinn yesterday! We are so thrilled for them, especially because it took several years for them to "order" her. Baby Quinn is also welcomed by big sister Anna who is 8. Congratulations Williams!

Snaggle Tooth

How funny is this?! Usually babies get their bottom two teeth first, followed by their top middle two teeth. Mallory has one of her top teeth and the one right next to it. It cracks me up!

Our Monkey Girl

Mallory scaled our barricade last week. She's takes after both Ross & Elizabeth. She climbs everything like Ross and is afraid of nothing like Elizabeth. This could prove to be a very dangerous combination!

Trampoline Trauma

Last week I was blogging about pet peeves. Here is one I have about myself: Why do I laugh when I see someone get hurt? I'm not such a bad person that I laugh when blood and extreme pain are involved, but sometimes it's pretty funny when I see someone injure him/herself. Why do I do that? It annoys me, but darn it, I can't help it sometimes.

Case in point-today at my parents' house Elizabeth had been begging Edward to bounce her on the trampoline. Finally he was ready after what seemed like an eternity to Elizabeth. He ran out to the trampoline and took a flying leap without using his hands. That was pretty impressive. Before Elizabeth had time to get on, Edward started jumping as high as he could. And let me tell you, he was going HIGH. Unfortunately on the fourth jump, things took a turn for the worse. He jumped WAY too close to the edge and lost control. It looked like slow motion (later he told me it felt like slow motion too). The poor guy had one foot go off the trampoline and one foot go through the springs. He landed on the metal bar, his legs dangling on either side. Luckily (if I dare use that word) he was leaning back a bit, so his tailbone took the brunt of the impact. As he waddled in the house, I was telling myself, "Don't laugh. Don't laugh." I couldn't even open my mouth to say anything. I saved the laughing until after the door closed. When I could finally compose myself I was able to go in and ask if he was alright. When he was able to get his breath back, he told me it hurt - pretty bad. I couldn't hold my giggles in any longer. I have to say Edward is so gracious to my insensitive laughing. He laughed right along with me.

The poor guy had an ice pack down his pants for the rest of the night and has been pumping ibuprofen like it's candy. He's set his alarm clock for 2:00 a.m. so he can stay on top of the pain.

I told him I'd go to the pharmacy and pick up a donut cushion if he wanted. He sits at work nearly all day, so it was the least I could do. After getting to Walgreens I wondered, where would one find a hiney donut cushion? I giggled some more at the thought of asking an employee. I did a couple of laps at the store without success, so I did have to go find someone. Guess what? The employee that I found goes to church with us. That made me giggle even more as I felt the need to describe a little of the incident. In fact, I'm still giggling as I type this. Shame on me!

To make the situation worse, Edward is flying out to Salt Lake City on Friday to drive his youngest sister home from college. They will be making the 20 hour drive in two days. He'd better pack his donut.

Up Close & Personal With a Dead Cat

We spend every Sunday evening at my parents home for dinner. One Sunday a month my 95-year-old great grandma joins us. Today was our day with Grandma. When it was time for her to go home, Drew decided he wanted to ride along with my parents to take Grandma home. Apparently, he got an eyeful of dead cat at her house.

My dad was in Grandma's backyard fixing something while Drew played close to him. Dad heard Drew say, "That's really freaking me out." Dad asked, "What?" as he continued with his chore. Drew replied, "That. And it's teeth are scary." Dad decided he'd better investigate and found a dried up cat carcass in Grandma's backyard.

I asked Drew what it looked like, and he said it was brownish black and it's mouth was open revealing it's teeth. Earlier when Dad gnashed his teeth to demonstrate to Mom & Grandma, Drew told him with a straight face, "I can see your nose hair."

Drew also told me it smelled so bad that it smelled "worse than dead fish." That must have been pretty bad. I asked him how he thought it had died. He told me he was pretty sure a dog ate it and then spit it back out. He then proceeded to get a stuffed dog and demonstrate.

That was the highlight of his day.

*P.S. I think this picture is so funny. But what wacko would have thought to make that sign? Funny.

Annoying

This post is dedicated to some of my pet peeves. If you don't feel like reading through my complaints, feel free to move on.

It bugs the snot out of me when strangers comment on my kids' tears! Mallory was so tired of grocery shopping with me today. I can usually calm her down when she cries, but she wasn't having it today. I was on my last aisle at a small grocery store, and I just wanted to get my last few items and check out. An older woman was standing in the middle of the aisle taking her sweet time. I couldn't get around her, so I was getting ready to say "excuse me." She turned around and said with a smile, "Somebody's mad." Yes, ma'am. Somebody's mad. Thank you for noticing. Why state the obvious? As the great Bill Engvall says, "Here's your sign."

So, here are some more of my pet peeves:

1. Hearing someone's nose whistling
2. Pregnant ladies that wear shirts that are too short to cover the bottoms of their bellies
3. People that stand WAY too close when talking to me
4. The overall lack of customer service these days (Wow! I really sound old.)
5. Hummers. Really, people. Come on. We aren't living in a war ravaged society.
6. Children who blast me in the house with a water hose :)

So, let's hear it. What are some of your pet peeves?

Farewell, Shadow!

Well, we've said a quick "HELLO" and "GOODBYE" to our cute, furry friend, Shadow. Don't worry, she's still alive and well! After all the stinkiness and accidents, and my aggravated allergies, we've passed Shadow along to a new family. We met up today and made the trade-off. My house smells better already!

We've kind of been kicking the idea around for a few days. One night this week at dinner, we took a vote. Elizabeth was the lone holdout, but after Shadow filled her litter box and the aroma filled the kitchen area, Elizabeth was finally on board.

So at 11:00 Thursday night I posted the info on Craigslist.org, and we had two people who wanted her by the time I checked my e-mail at 8:00 a.m. the next day. We made arrangements to meet up this afternoon so the kids would have time to say "goodbye."

I told Drew yesterday morning, and he smiled great big and started clapping. I told Ross & Elizabeth when I picked them up from school. Elizabeth immediately began sobbing. She said she never agreed to it. When I reminded her of her vote, she said she only told us maybe. She was in tears throughout the evening. That part is the hard part for us. We hate that her heart is so broken. Eventually last night, Drew came in and said, "I changed my mind. I really don't want Shadow to go." He then worked up some tears as well. Ross is completely fine with the decision. His vote was solidified even more when Shadow pooped in his game room about 10 minutes after we got home last night. I guess she had to give us one more for the road!

I quit!

Do you ever have one of those days at work where NOTHING seems to go right? That's how I felt at my job today. The majority of the day was wonderful. The weather was great, so I decided to put Drew and Mallory in the double stroller and walk to get the big kids from school. It's only about a mile and a half round trip. Great! That went smoothly enough.

As soon as we got home, the kids got a snack and then headed outside to enjoy the beautiful day. Elizabeth came back in and changed into something cooler because she was hot. That's pretty normal for her. Ross changed into junk clothes because he was going to practice "sliding" for baseball. Fine. Then Drew went up to his room for a LONG time and came back down wearing his same clothes. Still fine. After a while, Ross came in and asked if they could play in the sprinkler. The high today was 64 degrees. I suppose it felt like a tropical day to them because of our crazy winter. I said, "NOOOOOO WAY?" I did tell him thanks for asking, though, and not just going ahead anyway. He told me Elizabeth didn't want him to ask. I gave them a lecture about what they could and could not do outside, with strict instructions not to play in the water. Elizabeth asked if they could play in the grass. That should have been a red flag to me because they always play in the grass. I didn't think any thing of it and told them they could.

So I had just laid Mallory down for a nap and was straightening up the house. I heard some playful screams outside and again didn't think anything of it. After a bit it dawned on my to go check on them to make sure they were following my rules. Knowing my children, can you imagine what I saw when I peeked out the window? Ross had his shirt off and baseball pants on and was indeed playing baseball. Elizabeth was in her swimming suit, holding the hose and spraying a swim suit clad Drew. Again, it was 64 degrees. You know hose water is freezing in 94 degree weather!

I opened the dining room door, and from inside I screamed at her to "stop this instant." She turned to look at me, smiled, hesitated for a moment and then proceeded to blast me INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!! I quickly turned and shut the door. I was so shocked at what had just happened that it took me a moment to move. I opened the door to try to talk to her again, and the same thing happened. I was able to yell to Ross to turn off the water. She then turned and blasted him. I made a dash to get the hose away from her as she turned her attention to my decoy, but she's a fast one. In between my hiding in the house, I was yelling every threat to her that I thought would get her to stop. Nothing. I told her her Easter candy was gone and it was all mine. With joy she yelled, "I don't care!" and then stuck her tongue out at me. MY BLOOD WAS BOILING and there was nothing I could do!

At that time, I got a phone call from Ross' coach telling me that because it was such a nice day, they would be having practice outside instead of in, and that it would start at 5:00. The current time was 4:07. I was thinking, "Great! You have NO idea what is going on here. I have to rectify this situation, get the kids cleaned up, wake up Mallory, and have him there in less than an hour. No problem!"

I then called Edward to tell him about practice and about the watery standoff that was taking place in our backyard. He told me as long as she wasn't hurting anyone, let her continue and he would take care of it when he got home. While on the phone with him, I peeked out and saw Drew with his trunks at his ankles taking a leak in a huge puddle. I know our neighbors are so glad to have us in the neighborhood. So I ignored her for about 5 minutes. When I checked on her again, part of the backyard looked like a flood, and I couldn't sit by and watch her destroy it. She had dropped the hose, so I made my move. I got to the faucet and tried to unscrew it, but the darn thing wouldn't move. Of course! By that time she was on to me again. I ran into the garage and got a wrench. I waited for her to let go of the hose, and she did. I felt like I was in combat. I got over to the faucet and began unscrewing it. While I was doing that she came up and wiped mud on my shirt, laughing all the time. I honestly think steam was blowing out of my ears. I told her to park her heine on the bench immediately, to which she replied, "NO!" She then skipped down to the trampoline and started bouncing away. I honestly didn't know if any neighbors were taking this in, so I decided to wait a few seconds before approaching her for fear the authorities would be called.

When I got to the trampoline, I told her I would have to call the police - maybe she would be willing to listen to them since she wasn't obeying me. That finally worked. At that point she did what she was told and began cleaning up.

I'll spare the rest of the details, but we made it to baseball practice only 10 minutes late. At the ball field, there is a large dirt mound. I told Elizabeth & Drew not to play in it. Apparently the last hour didn't make any impact to her because she went there immediately. Drew on the other hand just milled around it. I honestly didn't have the energy to deal with her, so I just left her alone and was going to let her dad handle it when he got there. After about 10 minutes, the temptation got the best of Drew and he was in. I waited about 3 minutes, packed up the diaper bag, stroller, and Mallory and headed over there to tell them we were leaving and Ross would have to be picked up later. As I was telling them we were done, Drew tripped and skidded down the dirt hill and landed in a large mud puddle. As he tried to stand up, he lost his balance and fell back into it. He was covered front and back. At that point, all I could do was cover my face and laugh. What else could I do? He got to ride home in his underwear, and all three had baths before 6:00.

Back to Elizabeth - how do you punish such blatant disrespect? She never does these things to her Dad. I honestly feel like why do I even bother trying to mother her. When Edward got home he talked to her, and she cleaned the house and did chores until bedtime. With as much work as she did we need to start calling her "Cinderella."

If I worked at an actual 9:00 to 5:00 job, I would have definitely quit today. Can you blame me?

Sleep tight!

On Sunday night, Drew asked if Ross could come down and sleep with him in his bed. We agreed because we didn't have school the next morning. About a half an hour later, Drew came back downstairs and told me Ross was crowding him (that's kind of what you get when you share a twin bed!). I just told him to either lay right next to him or climb up to his bed. Several hours later when I went to bed I found this scene:

It cracked me up! The next morning he told me he just stood up and put his head on his pillow and fell asleep because he didn't have any room in his bed. How is that possible?!

Easter with the Felkers

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, my dear friends and loved ones. I wanted to share how important and significant this holiday is to me. However, I really struggled with this post. Why? Mostly my blog is so light-hearted and silly. It is filled with the craziness of our family's everyday life. My personal relationship with the Savior is so sacred to me, and I did not want this post to be put into the same light-hearted category as my others. After much thought, I did want to share some of my feelings on the Savior because my desire to be like Him is absolutely a part of who I am.

My favorite artist is Liz Lemon Swindle (LDSart.com). Her life-like paintings astonish me. I want to share some of my favorite works of hers.

Jesus - What a beautiful, pure image!
Why Weepest Thou - This is a portrait showing the love and concern Mary Magdalene had for the Savior. You can feel her anguish as she realizes His body is missing.

She Shall Bring Forth A Son - This painting is my favorite. I could stare at it all day. Mothers, think of the feelings you had as you met your child for the first time. Combine those feelings with the knowledge Mary had that she was holding the Savior of Mankind. I can't even comprehend what she must have felt. This painting is so tender.

The Holy Men - I love this one too! These are the wise men paying homage to the young king. By the look on His face, He doesn't seem to know who they are! I wanted to share what Liz Lemon Swindle said about this painting. I couldn't have said it better myself: How wonderful to consider that moment when three or four or twenty holy men knelt at the feet of the holiest man of all, though yet in the body of a toddler, and worshipped Him. (Matthew 2: 8-12)

When Did He Know - I just saw this painting for the first time tonight. The title really struck me. I suppose I have never thought of that before. When did he know? At what age did he gain an understanding of who he was?

Let The Children Come - The Savior loved children. We all know of the story of when He was teaching all day, and some of the people brought their children to Him just so they could see Him and He touch them. His disciples shooed them away so as not to bother Jesus. When He saw this He was very upset. He told them, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." - Mark 10:14 & 15

Friends - I think it is impossible not to smile when looking at this painting. Jesus is talking to and listening to this beautiful child. Don't you think we wants to do the same with us?

Hold On Tight - What a perfect name for this painting. We have to "hold on tight" to the Savior and His teachings. If we "hold" onto Him, he will lead us back to The Father.

Worth Of A Soul - This one pierces my soul. I almost feel as though I should turn away and not look because it is so intimate. I have always felt humbled as I think of how great the worth of a soul is to the Savior and to our Father in Heaven. Let's think of our own children. Would we be willing to put a price tag on them? $100,000? $1,000,000? $1,000,000,000? Of course not. That's how Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father feel about us. That's how they feel about the scummiest, most vile human beings too. They are also children of God. We are not to judge anyone as to think they are "worthless." That one can certainly be hard.

Seeking The One - In this one, the look on the Savior's face is one of waiting. Waiting for us to come to Him.

Of course I could share more, but I think I'm running out of room. I love the Savior, Jesus Christ for so many reasons. His ability to love everyone - not just the people who were kind to Him; He showed love to His enemies as well. Think of the words He spoke to the Father as he was being killed: "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

I love Him for being willing to show us the way. For example, we've been commanded to enter the waters of baptism. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5) But the Savior was perfect! He had no need to be baptized! He was willing to do so because the Lord commanded it to be done by all men.

I love Him mostly for His atoning sacrifice. Have you ever taken the time to ponder that? His atonement on my behalf, let alone on behalf of all people ever to have been born is almost incomprehensible to me. It is almost impossible for me to grasp what He did. I am eternally grateful for His sacrifice for me.

Smelly Cat

I think we're figuring out why we got the cat for free. Yes, our sweet little furball knows how to use the litter box, but she just chooses not to always use it. She uses it when it's convenient for her, which is about half the time. With four kids, we DO NOT need to deal with cleaning up her messes! If she doesn't get her "business" figured out, I'm afraid she'll be getting a new family. We're not willing to sacrifice our carpets for a Smelly Cat. Surprisingly, all of the kids are okay with that.

Anyone have any ideas as to how to litter box train a cat 100% of the time?

Rain, Rain Go Away...

We're going to be going to school until August, I just know it! Due to TONS of rain we've received over the last 24 hours, school was cancelled again today because of the risk of flooding. The rain is suppose to continue for the rest of the day today. I guess because we live in such a rural area, some of the country roads have been closed because the water is overflowing the creeks and rivers, and the buses can't get to the kids who live there. Another day stuck in the house! Aahhh!

Family

Our family gathering over the weekend was certainly a bittersweet one. Edward's Grandpa John Sargent passed away last week at the age of 86. He lived a long, mostly healthy life that was filled with serving others. He served his country as a young man, served his community as a respected physician, and served the Lord in many ways. He and Grandma Edna served a medical mission to Mexico City shortly after his retirement about eleven years ago. This amazing family lost its patriarch. I'm so thankful that I know his family can be just as amazing in eternity as it has been here on Earth. Grandpa Sargent was buried to the left of Ed, Edward's father. On the right of Ed is baby Kathryn's grave.

It's sad to see our loved ones' sad. My heart was sad for Grandma Sargent. She has always said she wanted to be the one who goes first, so as not to be left behind. I thought she seemed to be coping pretty well.

That was the bitter part. The sweet part was seeing our family that we don't get to see very often. It was so exciting to see the Sanders, whom we haven't seen since August. It was also wonderful to see some of Edward's aunts & uncles that we haven't seen in years! One uncle we hadn't seen in 9 years!

I can't help but think that's just a glimpse of what it will be like as we see our loved ones on the other side of heaven. Our joyous reunions will be so sweet!

This is just Edward's family - all 34 of us! A family photo was taken of the entire Sargent family, but I don't have a copy of that yet. We literally took up the entire middle section of the chapel.

Mallory and Katrina get reacquainted.

Mallory, Audrey, and Aubrey

Reunited And It Feels So Good...

Oh, Drew & Sterling. Their bond is indescribable. Even though they're separated by about five states, their love and friendship picks up the second they see each other. There is no warming up to each other. It is immediate. They pick up right where they left off the last time. Cousins and buddies squabble, but not these two. They are the yen to the other's yang.

During the funeral service, I overheard Drew tell Sterling, "I wish you didn't live in Florida. Maybe your dad could get another job." I feel the same way too, Drew. ;)

It was absolutely heartbreaking when we told them it was time to leave. They got the saddest looks on their faces, then hugged and loved on each other. Drew turned to me very sad. Sterling walked to his dad. John picked him up, and he buried his face in his shoulder and sobbed. Ouch! Then as John was carrying Sterling, and I was carrying Drew, they began reaching for each other.

The two months until they see each other at Mary's wedding is like an eternity to them. We might as well explain to them it will be twenty years until they meet again. Jan Ellen and I even talked about if it was just two weeks, maybe even a month, they could stay together at one of our houses. Two months, though is a bit too long for four year olds to be away from their families. If we could all be so lucky to have a Sterling/Drew relationship!

Elizabeth's birthday party

Thank goodness Elizabeth's birthday was so close to Easter this year. It certainly made planning her party a lot easier! She wanted to have an Easter Egg hunt! EASY! The girls had a bunch of fun doing it. We have a great yard(s) for an egg hunt.

"Funny Scott" as Drew calls him, went out of his way to entertain the boys during the party. ;)

Once inside we played some games. This was one where the girls (and Drew) had a dress-up race. They looked so lovely!

These are the easy bunny cupcakes Elizabeth picked out. They are made from big & small marshmallows, colored sugar, and jelly beans. Thanks Family Fun Magazine! You always suggest such cute, easy ideas!

.Chocolate

It's official.... She's a Felker. Chocolate makes her happy.

Also, when she takes a bite of something she particularly enjoys, she goes, "Mmmmmm." Her first time doing that was after eating Krispy Kremes. Can you blame her?

District Wrestling

Finally, I've found time to post! After a very crazy couple of weeks, I'm back. I've been busy with planning a birthday party, postponing said party due to the death of Edward's Grandpa, remodeling a bathroom, having the party two days EARLIER than originally planned, traveling to Sikeston for the funeral, caring for a sick baby, feeling sick myself, etc.... I hope things can slow down a bit this week!

Last weekend was Ross' last wrestling tournament for this year. He took part in the district tournament in the St. Louis area. He got manhandled his first match. I don't remember the score. He was doing awesome his second match, and was winning all the way through. Then in the last period, he made a wrong move and the other boy took advantage and pinned him. It was a double elimination tournament so he was out. He was devastated. One of the reasons wrestling is NOT my favorite sport is seeing how crushed most little guys are when the lose. Ross' record this year was 5-0 going into this tournament, so he was so disappointed in his losses that day. He's already started his baseball season. Off to the next sport....

In between Ross' matches he shared his MP3 player with the kids to kill some time.

It's pretty fun to take a busy 10 month old to a crowded tournament for about 4 hours. Not really. Luckily, she slept for a while in between the bleacher seats.

So, it makes a mom feel very comfortable to see not one, but two boys being taken to the hospital on a stretcher for possible neck injuries during the tournament her son is wrestling in. Two boys (one in the 12 year old division & one in the 8 year old division - Ross' division) were taken out on stretchers just about 10 minutes apart from each other. I was sick at my stomach upon seeing this. Edward keeps trying to find out how these boys are doing, but he's been unsuccessful. Scary!

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!

Yesterday was Elizabeth's 7th birthday. What a shot of life she adds to our family! I have always felt that one of her purposes in coming to Earth was to bring happiness and joy to our family. She certainly has always done that. She joined our family at such a sad time. She was born exactly two weeks after my brother, Joel, died. I feel like she was sent to us at that precise time to help our hearts heal.

She is also special in that she has a "twin cousin." Edward's twin sister and I had baby girls 9 hours apart. She gets to share her birthday with her very special cousin, Julia. Elizabeth and Julia have a bond that is different than the rest of their beloved cousins. It has been neat to see that relationship.

Elizabeth is a funny, happy girl and is always very willing to share with others. Several times a weeks she saves special treats such as candy or drawings to share with Mom or Dad or her

brothers. She tries hard to please others.

We were laughing yesterday about some of the funny things she has done over the years. One of our favorite home videos is of Elizabeth at 22 months old. I asked her, "What's your name?" With a straight face she answered, "Stephie Felker." I asked, "How old are you?" She replied, "Sive (five)."

One evening when she was 3 she was in charge of Family Home Evening. She wanted to play "School," and of course she was the teacher. As she was at the head of the class giving us our lesson, she tooted. She didn't crack a smile or even mention the slip-up, as is often done. Ross, the student, made some comment about it, and as seriously as could be she replied, "Well, sometimes things happen in America."

And of course the most famous "Elizabeth Story" - the one that has literally traveled the country is the "Aldi's Incident." Drew had just been born, so she had just turned 3. What possessed me to take two rowdy toddlers and a newborn shopping escapes my brain to this day. Nonetheless, we were in the GIGANTIC check-out line. We were the only group with children; the rest of the shoppers were senior citizens. Of course all eyes were on us as we were the most exciting thing in line. On the other side of the metal railing separating the grocery store and the bagging area was an inflatable child-size jumping pit. On the pit were plastered 894 signs that read, "DO NOT TOUCH!" We were waiting patiently in line when all of a sudden Elizabeth broke free from me and ran at full speed for the jumping pit. I didn't want to run after her and leave 1 month old Drew in his car seat at the top of the shopping cart - that always has made me nervous. So from line I was yelling every threat I could think of to get her to stop, but nothing was working. Finally, something worked and she stopped before entering the Inflatable Wonderland. All eyes were still on us. As she made her way back to me, I picked her up and whispered, "Who do you think you are making happy - Heavenly Father or Satan?" She raised her arms above her head and yelled, "SATAN!!!!" I could do nothing but laugh.

Happy birthday, Lizzy!

I'm a M. O. A. L. F.

In case you don't know what this stands for, I'm a Mother Of A Little Felon. I received my first disciplinary call from the school about my child. The said child is Ross.

I got a call from his teacher today telling me that he carved his name into his chair. I really tried not to giggle as she was explaining his infraction to me. She said she explained to him that her future students wouldn't want to sit in a chair all year that said "ROSS." I certainly don't mean to downplay the situation, but really? Have you ever sat in a chair that someone had written/carved on and could think of nothing else than that graffiti? I can come up with a better reason as to why he shouldn't have done it. She did too, but I thought that reasoning was amusing.

He was missing recess, thinking of how he could rectify the situation, as she was calling me. His idea was to do chores to earn money to buy a new chair. At 40 bucks my house is gonna shine! He also thought he could try to use sandpaper to fix it. That could be a possibility. So, his teacher made him call me himself and explain the situation. He did, and he didn't sound as upset as I thought he might be for his first trip to the principal. That's right, the principal got involved as well as the janitor. This was serious.

Later in the afternoon I went to the kids' school to attend the Valentine's party that was rescheduled for the second time due to the snow and ice we had for two weeks. Let me tell you, the carving was MUCH BIGGER than I was anticipating. Again, I had a hard time not giggling. On the back of his chair (the part that his back rests on) "ROSS" is carved in about three inch letters! Oh man!

So, the teacher was pretty serious about the situation. She kind of acted like he defaced the U.S. Constitution. Again, I'm not trying to downplay what he did - it was wrong. He said he just wasn't thinking. I believe that, because he's really a good & responsible kid at school.

Later in the day, I ran into the principal. With a smile on her face she asked if we had everything under control. I said yes and apologized. She started laughing and said she had three kids so she knows how that goes. Then she started laughing hysterically and said, "Maybe next time he won't write his own name."

*Another note to this story is how much Ross is like his father. When Edward was in the second or third grade another kid talked him into writing a cuss word (which, of course, my darling husband was clueless of the meaning) on the wall of a tunnel on the playground. His crime was discovered, and he had to bring a note home to his parents telling them he was caught writing the F-word. The funniest thing is he was spelling it wrong! He had the middle two letters mixed up.

Oh, the joys of parenthood!

Mallory's favorite pastime

Mallory LOVES helping me unload the dishwasher. If I have the door open she's climbing into it the minute I turn around.

She had her 9 month check-up today, only it was a month late - she was 10 months old yesterday. She weighs 18 pounds 8 ounces and is 29 inches long. She is right around the 50th percentile for both weight and height.

She crawls every where, especially up the stairs. That is where she heads every time we turn around, so we have to watch the sneaky little thing like a hawk. She squeals with delight when we spot her on the steps. She also coasts around the furniture and is even daring enough to take a couple of steps. She is still very wobbly, but she doesn't seem to have much fear of things - just like her big sis.

She is a little jabber-jaw and is always talking or singing. She can say light, kids, hi, bye-bye, Mama, Dada, no-no-no (while shaking her finger), and now cat (she says that one ALL the time).

The Wright Family Rock Band

Last Saturday we all went to my brother Aaron's house to play his Rock Band. Very fun! We all took turns jammin'. Next time I want to get a babysitter so I can enjoy myself a little more!
Ross, Elizabeth, Emmaline, and Mary Catherine rocked out to Weezer's "Say It Ain't So."

Even Grammy & Grandad gave it a shot. Be sure to watch my dad singing his guts out to Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive."

Ross plays a little riff.

Aaron, Tommie, Andrea, and Edward earned almost 4 stars for their rendition of "Dead or Alive."