Brinton Family

HAWAII VACATION

2010-11-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Dave had a business trip to Maui, so I got to tag along. I had a few tag-alongs too. Derek, Julie, and Grandma. We got to stay 10 days and it was fabulous. Derek loved the beach and the girls got to go parasailing. We got to play tennis everyday and spend a lot of time at the ocean and the pool.

This is the view from our balcony at the hotel.

Here is our parasailing adventure.

We had to double up so I got to go with this person named Gale.

HALLOWEEN 2010

2010-11-05T13:34:00.001-07:00

Another fun Halloween has come and gone. We didn't expect much trick-or-treating time when we started in the pouring rain. But Chris drove them around for a couple of hours and they took in quite the haul.

BIRTHDAYS

2010-11-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Chloie had a fun birthday. She got to go to Stadium of Fire with Chris. We went to eat at the Spaghetti Factory and got to sit in the trolley. She helped make her birthday cake which was a butterfly

For Branson's birthday, we had the week of Branson. Dad was gone on his birthday so we had a party before he left. Then he got to go to Classic Skating with friends. Then we had a party with a train cake on his real birthday. Plus, he got what he has been wanting soooo bad. A motorcycle.

Cassidy go to have a few birthday parties too since mom and dad were in Hawaii on her birthday. Good thing Chris was around to throw her a party and aunt Vickie took her shopping.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-05-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

Cassidy got to sing at the BYU softball game. Her main goal was to sing loud. I think she accomplished her goal.

What does a mom do?

2010-03-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

We went on vacation a couple of weeks ago. Cassidy was talking to Dave about it and asked him these questions:

Is Chloie going to miss school?
Is Branson going to miss school?
Am I going to miss dance class?
Are you going to miss work?
Is Mom going to miss....um.....driving?

I guess it's because, even while on vacation, I still got to feed, clean up after, and take care of the kids. So I didn't have to miss out on much.

SNOW!

2010-02-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

The kids love playing in the snow. Even Derek was a pretty good sport. Hopefully we have one or two more years where sledding in the back yard is still fun.

Our baby is ONE!

2010-02-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Derek is already one year old, although it is hard to remember life without him. He started walking just before his birthday. He is a happy boy (unless he is being tormented by his brother or sisters). He hasn't mastered sleeping through the night, but has managed to do it once or twice. He loves to eat!

Happy Birthday Derek!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-21T12:36:00.001-08:00

I guess it's about time I added a few Christmas photos. The kids said this was their best Christmas ever!

Haloween 2009

2009-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

The kids had a fun Halloween this year. They got quite of bit of candy between the ward trunk-or-treat and trick-or-treating. I keep finding candy wrappers around the house so obviously I didn't get it all confiscated in time.

Thanks to Aunt Brisa for hair and make-up.

Of course after the school, ward, and dance parties, the kids didn't want the same costumes by the time Halloween got here. So these are the trick-or-treat costumes. Thanks to Chris for taking them around.

Fall Pictures

2009-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

We missed out on our regular pictures with Cami this year so our friend Netta offered to snap a few shots of the kids. She did an excellent job - especially with four kids and the pushy mom attempting to help, but just getting in the way. Thanks Netta!

Cassidy turns 3

2009-10-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Cassidy's birthday was on Thursday so we went to Kangaroo Zoo. That's where Branson wanted to go for his birthday, but we couldn't work it in. So we went a little late and called it good for both birthdays.
Cassidy wanted a barbie princess cake because that's what her cousin Brylee had. I made an attempt, but it didn't turn out quite like I had hoped. The frosting was too runny, the doll was too small, the cake was falling apart, and the kids kept sticking their fingers in the frosting. But that didn't matter to Cassidy. She loved it anyway! You have to love 3 year olds.

Oh What Did We Do in the Summertime

2009-10-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Before winter gets here, I thought I would post a few pictures of our favorite summer activities.

Camping at the Big Horn Ranch

Riding scooters and playing at Classic Skating

SWIMMING!

SOCCER

MORE SWIMMING! - We love 7 Peaks!

First day of dance

2009-09-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Cassidy has been looking forward to starting dance class for a long time. She loved her first day.

She is excited that her cousins Alli and Brylee are in her class.

Branson's attempt at hairstyling

2009-08-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

So here is a picture of Branson's first attempt at hairstyling. I hope he doesn't try it again anytime soon. Grandma had to get out the clippers to make him look presentable.

SCHOOL - YEAH!

2009-08-28T20:44:00.001-07:00

This was Chloie's first day of 1st grade. School starts at 8:00 and she normally wakes up at 8:30 or 9:00. Let's just say this is going to be a difficult year!She looooves iCarly and had to have this backpack.

Fun with food

2009-08-28T20:40:00.001-07:00

The other day I got distracted while feeding Derek and left his food within his reach. He thought that was great fun.

That's going to leave a mark!

2009-08-18T19:25:00.001-07:00

If you want to see what caused this face, watch the video below.

OUCH!

Chloie's head bouncing off the diving board while doing a backflip doesn't seem quite as painful anymore (in comparison anyway).

Derek

2009-08-18T18:02:00.000-07:00

I forgot to include a picture of Derek at the crawdad outing. He was having fun too.

Hooked on Utah

2009-08-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Gary, is doing a television show called hooked on Utah. It is a guide to outdoor activities to do in Utah.

One episode (will be on Saturday, September 12, 6:30 p.m., channel 5) was about catching crawdads, so he recruited the Trane family to go crawdad fishing.

After the catching, came the eating. The food was (using a nice word) interesting. I wasn't brave enough to eat a crawdad, but Chloie tried one. My sister Julie was forced to try one too. She wasn't too happy about it.

The Trials of Isabelle

2009-08-10T10:23:00.001-07:00

We were talking about temples during family home evening last night. We were playing a little question game the kids brought home from primary. One of the questions was: How many oxen are there holding up the baptismal font and what do they represent? Chloie hollered "12". So Dave whispered the rest of the answer to Branson and he shouted it out - "The Trials of Isabelle".

VACATION!

2009-08-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

California, here we come!

Our vacation to California was a lot of fun. We had a great time at Gale's! It was fun to see some old friends - Gale, Korie, and Amy. (Of course that also includes James, Brock, and Jesse.) We would have gotten to see more of them if we wouldn't have hit traffic just outside of Las Vegas. Yes, I said traffic!!! Out in the middle of nowhere!! It set us back a couple of hours and I was a little testy by the time we got there. Despite the long drive, Chloie and Cassidy were in heaven playing dress-up with Morgan, Elizabeth, Anna, and Kate. We could have ended the vacation there and they would have been happy.

Kate just needed a little pick-me-up that morning!

Branson was the only boy around. He didn't want to join the dress up party, but he had no trouble riding around on the pink car.

We then went to a resort in Indio where we: ate breakfast, went swimming, ate lunch, played ping-pong, went swimming, ate dinner, played tennis, watched movies, and finally went to sleep. Then got up the next day and did the same thing over again. The kids loved the swimming pools and the lazy river. I figured at some point they would get tired of swimming. Nope! We stopped on the way back to spend the night in Vegas and had just enough time to, you guessed it, go swimming!

This was the view of the swimming pool from our balcony.
And the kids' favorite - the lazy river.Chloie loved playing ping-pong.And taking pictures of people playing ping-pong.I was happy Chris was able to come with us to help with the kids.
I have decided that I could use a full time nanny!
It was a great trip. We had a lot of fun and are ready to go again!

More stuff

2009-07-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of things happening this summer

CHLOIE TURNED 6!!

She had a fun day getting her nails done,
going with friends to 7 peaks,
playing tennis, and a firework show in the back yard!
What a great birthday!

A big thanks to Chris for the pink birthday shoes!
THE SUNSCREEN INCIDENT!

Just another one of Branson and Cassidy's messes.
They said they wanted to "help" me by putting on their
sunscreen. But they were supposed to be putting on
their pajamas. At least Cassidy had already done that.

OUR TRIP TO ARIZONA

We went to Arizona a while back to visit cousins.
I am just now getting around to posting a few pictures.
At Peter Piper Pizza

The glasses were a big hit at the redemption counter.

We always have to go swimming.
And it doesn't matter what we look like.

Future American Idol?

2009-06-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Chloie got to sing at the softball game during the 5th inning stretch. (She had done it earlier, but I missed getting it on video - you know how you push the button to record but really turn it off.) So they let her come back and sing it again. I wasn't sure she would actually do it, but she did a good job.

Chloie's Artwork

2009-04-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to put together a few meaningful things to post, but after a couple of weeks trying, this is the best I can do.

CREATIVE ART WORK!

Chloie loves to draw. I have tried to get her to quit drawing on walls, carpets, furniture, and important documents around the house. This is her latest project. (I guess I forgot to mention to her that the other kids were also off limits.)

EASTER SUNDAY!
It is a bit difficult to get a good picture
before church when it starts at 9:00 am.

CHLOIE LOST HER FIRST TOOTH!
The tooth fairy pays out a lot more now than what I remember.

FAMILY VACATION

We took the kids on a "vacation" to Ogden. They don't care where it is as long as there is a swimming pool. My kids wish they were fish. Cassidy wore her swimming suit around the house for 3 days before we left.

Bitten by the RSV bug

2009-03-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone in our family has taken a turn to be sick for the past few weeks. We figured that it was just a matter of time before Derek got it. Unfortunately he didn't handle it well and ended up in the hospital on Wednesday. It is hard to see little ones so miserable. He is home now and doing well. And I get to sleep in my own bed. Three nights on a hospital cot is not fun. Thanks to all those who were praying for him.

Derek's Blessing Day

2009-03-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

We blessed Derek on Sunday. Although it was stressful getting the whole family to church on time by 9:00 and have the house and food ready for the get-together after, it is always a special day to bless a baby. It is a unique feeling to be around a new born baby that has just come from our Heavenly Father.We were so happy to share the day with our families. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such great people.

Temple Open House

2009-03-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to the open house at the Draper temple last week. I think Cassidy was out to set a record of the shortest walk through. We couldn't keep up with her. She did stop for a minute at the "swimming pool" - I think she was hoping to jump in. Luckily someone was there to stop her. The most memorable thing for Branson was....the cookies. I told them earlier if they were reverent they would be able to feel the Holy Ghost. Cassidy was on the look-out for the "ghost" and was disappointed that she didn't get to see it. Chloie's favorite thing was the bus ride. We did have a good family night discussing temples so maybe they will remember something meaningful from the experience.

"Four Kids"

2009-02-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law gave this quote to me and I have to say that I am in total agreement.

"The way I see it, if you have four kids, you don't really have to do anything else, ever. Three kids is a handful, but one that many people manage to hold. If you're a mother of four, you definitely don't have to have a career or volunteer for the school fund-raiser or even bring an appetizer to the dinner party. In fact, people give you a lot of credit for wearing both earrings and knowing how to spell CHAOS and ANTIDEPRESSANT. Four kids gives you a pass for every forgotten birthday, overlooked appointment, and missing form. Plus, you can be late for everything the rest of your life and never return phone calls. Who's gonna blame you? It's like having nonthreatening cancer, forever."

From The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

Our first stitches

2009-02-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

So Cassidy is the first one in the family to get stitches. I wasn't betting on her. But Branson was involved and that was a sure bet. He was pulling her along the floor on her blanket. He yanked it out from under her and she went down hard. She was bleeding pretty badly and it was hard to tell how bad it was, so I just grabbed her and my wallet and my dad drove us to the urgent care. It wasn't as bad as I had originally thought it was going to be and she ended up with 8 stitches. She hardly even moved and didn't cry at all while the doctor was stitching her up. Nobody in the office could believe it. She was a trooper!

On the way there, I realized what good luck it was that I was already showered, dressed, and had my teeth brushed. That may not seem like an accomplishment to most people, but for me that is quite an achievement. Of course it was 2:30 in the afternoon. Had it happened before noon, I wouln't have been so lucky. Some days I wonder why I even bother getting dressed, but now I have the answer. If you have an emergency and need to run a child to the urgent care, it is a plus to have on clean clothes and have your teeth brushed. It has given me renewed determination to accomplish that goal each day! (And hopefully before noon.)

The New Arrival

2009-01-17T18:23:00.001-08:00

He's Finally Here!

Seven Year Anniversary

2009-01-12T07:31:00.001-08:00

Today is our 7 year anniversary. I have seen wedding photos on others' blogs on their anniversaries and thought it was fun. So I got out a few of our photos to share. (Plus I look a lot better then than I do now so I would much rather show them.) It seems hard to believe that it has only been 7 years because I can barely remember what life was like without a family. I feel really blessed that I was able to coach for all those years and make all of the great friends that I did. But I am extremely grateful that I have been blessed with a great husband and (in 2 more days) 4 children.

Christmas Fun

2009-01-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

A few of our family Christmas activities.

Visiting the Lights at Temple Square.
I think the kids enjoyed theride on Trax more than
seeing the lights, but it was a fun family outing.

For some reason Branson has in his mind that Jesus is a giant and lives
with the super heroes. I have tried to explain that Jesus is not a giant,
but after seeing this statue, I don't know how I will convince him otherwise.

Making gingerbread houses at Grandma Brintons.
I think Cassidy ate more candy than actually made it on her house.

Family Christmas parties.
Chloie and Branson as an angel and a shepherd.
Cassidy got to be a sheep.

Sledding in the back yard.
Cassidy loves it!
Snow in the face doesn't stop her at all.

Christmas Day.
Dave didn't get home from work until after 9:00 so the kids had to hold off seeing what Santa brought until then. Good thing Chris was here to keep them busy. They had a great time
with all of their toys. The only thing Cassidy asked for was candy, so she was happy eating the chocolate out of everyone's stocking although she really likes her gymnastics barbies.

Picture with Santa

2008-12-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Chris thought it would be fun to take the kids to the BYU family Christmas party and I made the mistake of telling them they were going to see Santa Claus. It was over an hour wait before we made it to Santa, and they got to sit there just long enough to snap this photo. For the amount of time spent to get this picture, I have to share it.
Chloie made good use of the time standing in line working on her photography skills -she took quite a few pictures. Here is a sample of her work.

More Gratitude

2008-11-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for good friends - especially Chris. Julie says that everyone should have a Chrisser and I agree. And I am grateful that she loves and spoils my kids. Let me just say that if it wasn't for Chris, my kids would never see Disney on Ice or go to the Circus, just to name a few things.

I am grateful for all the help I get from my parents. It is so great having them here. I am so lucky that I can go grocery shopping without all three kids. That alone is a lifesaver, but they help me out all of the time. I probably wouldn't leave the house if it weren't for their help.

I am especially grateful for a good husband. He helps me out and never complains when the house is a disaster. He is a great dad - the kids can't wait for him to come home to play. Not to mention those times he has attended weddings, games, and volleyball functions. I really appreciate him - definitely worth waiting for.

Being Grateful

2008-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

Allie has inspired me to take some time to write things that I am thankful for. It gets too easy to get caught up in seeing what is not going right instead of focusing on those things that are. So here goes.

I am thankful that my kids are healthy. Hopefully that will continue and include the new baby.

I am grateful that my kids are being more helpful. Chloie has turned into a model child these last few days. I don't know why, but I am definitely thankful for it.

I am grateful that my body still works. I spend so much time complaining about how broken down I am and thinking about all that is wrong with me, I don't appreciate what I do have and what I can do. I really liked that part in the movie .....(can't remember the name of the movie, or the exact quote for that matter, but it was the one with Kevin Costner as the rescue swimmer) .... where the older lady is talking to Kevin Costner about his efforts to outswim a 20 year old. From what I got out of it, she was grateful for her sore knees - it reminded her every day of how she walked up and down the stairs to take care of her husband. They were kind of like a badge of honor, reminding her of something she could be proud of - like she had "earned" them. So I have bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, but my kids know if they need something in the night, I will be there for them. I have brown spots on my face and am carrying a few extra pounds. But in reality, it is a small price to pay to be able to be a mother. Don't get me wrong, I will still be trying to lose weight and looking forward to the day the spots will go away, but maybe, in the meantime, I can remember why I have them and appreciate the opportunity to raise children.

Halloween

2008-11-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

The kids Halloween costumes.Lucky for me Chris was around for trick-or-treating this year.
I had to be at volleyball and Dave was working, but they didn't have to miss out.

Chloie was a good sport at the ward party.
She didn't get an apple, but she sure went for it.

Picture Time

2008-10-24T08:09:00.001-07:00

This year picture day wasn't turning out quite like I was hoping for. It was early and cold. The kids were tired and it was a bad hair day all around. Cassidy wouldn't cooperate at all. I told Dave if we get anything good, Cami is a miracle worker. I shouldn't have doubted her. Thanks Cami for another great job!

Cornbellys

2008-10-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

Chloie, Brooks, Branson, Bronco, and Cassidy

We went to Cornbellys for Branson's pre-school fieldtrip. The kids had a good time except for Cassidy's attempt at the slide. After her first two tries, we had to find another way to get her down. They really had fun "shaking their feathers" with the chickens.

First snow

2008-10-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

During the first snow of the year last week, the kids were able to make a snowman. They aren't quite outfitted for snow this year, but luckily some of the last year's stuff still fits.

Announcement

2008-09-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

The kids have an announcement to make.

Yes, it's true! I have now decided to have a good attitude about it. I have come up with things that are positive about being pregnant and having four kids.

- You have an excuse to be fat
- You have a good reason to take a nap
- You don't have to fast and there's no guilt involved
- No monthly issues!
- You can eat whatever you want and call it a "craving"
- Hopefully it will get me out of the PTA
- We'll have an even number at amusement parks
- Even teams - 2 on 2
- Chloie doesn't have to ride in the back seat by herself

Trip to New York

2008-09-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

My sister and I took a few days off "work" and went to New York. It was fun to get away although maybe a little ambitious for someone my age and so out of shape. What I learned from this trip (or what it reinforced that I already knew) was that I need my SLEEP!
We spent a few days with my friend Lisa who lives in Connecticut. We were roommates in college so we spent most of the time remembering the funny stories of the good old college days. (I can't believe I can remember that far back.)
We went to 3 days of the US Open. It was totally fun to be there - especially the first night after we left our seats in the nose bleed to get down on the third row for the James Blake night match.

If you look closely a few rows behind James Blake, you can see me calling my husband and telling him to record the match in case we were on TV. Then you can see Julie asking the security guard if he thought we might be on TV.
We also stayed with Rebecca, another friend from college. She was brave enough to go into the city with us at 4 a.m. to go to the Regis and Kelly show. Of course, with our luck, they weren't taping so we ended up going to the Today show. You know those people who look like idiots when the camera comes on. Well, I was one of them. In my defense, it was really early in the morning and I was sleep deprived.

If you look closely in the background you can see the big arm waving - that's me! I just kept following the camera around trying to get on TV. (And I am not sure why because I wasn't looking so great!)
We did a few more New York things and flew home the same day. We were up for almost 24 hours and I have still not recovered. But it was a fun week!

Cassidy's Singing Debut

2008-08-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Cassidy loves to watch Chloie's dance video - she will watch it over and over and over. So I decided to video her so we can watch something else for a change. She was a little more interested in the camera than she was in singing, but isn't that the way it always goes when you want them to perform.

Brian Regan

2008-08-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

We went to a Brian Regan concert the other night. I am usually not a fan of concerts. I rarely even go to movies. But this was great. I was laughing the whole night and even supported the idea of him coming back for an encore. If you ever need a laugh, check him out on youtube.

Chloie's birthday

2008-07-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Chloie just turned 5. Yeah, I finally have a child in school! I thought I would try to make her a fun cake so we attempted a princess castle. Julie's comment was, "no way did Stephanie make it - that goes way beyond her capabilities." I let the kids help so it turned into a longer project than I had intended, and about half way through I thought it would have been cheaper and easier to buy one. But Chloie was pretty excited about it, so I guess it was worth it. And so what if I didn't get the floors vacuumed or the dishes done before the party, we had a princess castle cake!

Turning 40

2008-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

For my 40th birthday Dave threw me a surprise party. It was a lot of fun to have him do the organizing instead of me. Thanks to all of you that came to the party! It was definitely memorable. Remember when you were 20 - thinking all those 40-year-olds were practically in the grave? Now that I am 40, I look at those who are 20 and think they seem like they are 12. The truth is, 40 isn't as bad as I thought it might be, but I have noticed in the last couple of years I have really started to slow down. Of course, I don't know if has more to do with age or the three young kids. (Although I am leaning towards the kids.) Anyway, for those approaching the dreaded 40, here's my advice. When you get to be about 37, start telling people you are almost 40. Then, by the time you actually turn 40, it seems like you have been there for a while and is it less painful. And by that I don't literally mean less painful. Believe me, every year (or should I say day) I get older my body is feeling more pain. Another idea - take up tennis. On my league team, I think I am the youngest. So even though I am slow, I can still hang in there.

Funny how kids' minds work

2008-05-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

I just had to write this down somewhere before I forgot. We went to the library today and the kids get to pick their books for the week. Chloie must have been in the Christmas section because we ended up with "The Little Drummer Boy". So we read the book and were talking about how even though we don't buy things for Jesus, there are things we can do for Him. Then Chloie had a great idea. "We could buy a balloon and send it up to heaven - that's a way we could give Him a present. And we could send one to President Hinckley and Joseph Smith." I guess those are the three people that she knows will be in heaven.

Mothers

2008-05-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day I made my mom a DVD of all of the kids and grandkids. I thought I would just put together a few pictures and it turned out to be 40 minutes. (Remind anyone of the volleyball videos?) Anyway, while I was looking for music I found this song by Carnie Wilson and I really liked it. These last few weeks Dave has been out of town and I was feeling that I am not doing anything really significant with my life. I have been cleaning up a lot of throw-up and poop - that is in addition to the usual diaper changing. I have been making not-so-healthy meals (I could be in a study on whether kids can survive on dino-nuggets and mac & cheese). And I have yelling so much that I expect a policeman to show up on my doorstep for disturbing the peace. On top of that, someone in my ward stood up and was talking about sitting behind a woman who was having trouble controlling two or three young kids and he thought, "great, I guess I am not going to get much out of this meeting". Yes, it was me!! He went on to make a point, but I don't remember what it was, I was just thinking of what a loser I am. This song just makes me think how insignificant all the little small things are. So if Chloie isn't wearing matching socks, or Cassidy's nose is a"ucky" as she calls it, or my dishes didn't get done - it doesn't really matter. My job is to love them and help them become good people. Anyway, it just made me feel good about being a mother.

Chloie's dance

2008-04-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just playing around and thought I would try adding some video to the blog. Chloie's dance class did a little number at Thanksgiving Point for the Tulip Festival. We were there for about 45 minutes before it was her turn. Of course, right when she started, Branson had to go to the bathroom. Isn't that how it always goes?!

Let the blogging begin!

2008-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

So I have finally decided to join the blogging scene. I still haven't jumped on the text messaging bandwagon, but I do have a cell phone that I actually take out of the van on occasion. (You have to actually leave the house for a cell phone to be necessary.) Of course while I sat down to begin putting in a few pictures, my kids were creating messes around the house. First of all, Cassidy got a can of milk out of the refrigerator and poured it all over the floor. I had just cleaned that up when they moved on to the laundry room. They decided to empty a whole container of laundry detergent. In case you didn't know, laundry detergent is very slippery. Cassidy slipped and fell and hit her head and got it in her hair and eye. She kept trying to get up and kept falling down. Her eye was red and swollen for a couple of days. Anyway, that pretty much sums up life around here. As I am cleaning one thing up, they are off creating disasters someplace else. Sometimes I think I would just like to throw all of their toys away because I am so tired of picking them up. And wouldn't life be easier if you only had to worry about 2 meals a day? What is the deal with lunch? I just get one meal cleaned up and it is time to think about another. Of course food is something I look forward to. So you can probably guess that I haven't been too successful shedding the weight I have gained. But my Christmas present was babysitting at the gym so I am hoping to change that soon. Can't wait to get back in shape.