And I came to the realization

About October and for a little while (I'd say a total of about 6 months or so) I've been having someone come in to clean once a week. GASP! SHOCK! I've heard all the reactions. Some think it's very lazy on my part to have someone else come clean my house. Others think it's great. For me, it was a way to buy myself a little more time during the day to spend with my boys who are growing by the second and I can't get them to stop, so I just have to run along side and hope I don't miss too much. BUT, after some minor uncertainties in Jason's job, we decided to cut out the "fluff" expenses as we like to label them on our budget. I happily volunteered the cleaning lady since I've been cleaning my own house for years and done a very nice job. It was definitely a luxury to have her come once a week and finish up whatever I didn't get to, but certainly something we could do without.

Well, we miss her terribly. It's been about three months or so since she last came and unfortunately all traces of her are now covered by dust and fingerprints and some kind of residue I can't get out of my tub quite the same way she could. I try to get caught up on everything so that my house can be the oasis of clean I require for relaxation. But to listen to my boys, I haven't been relaxed for a couple of months now. So, do I trade off some time with my kids to get the house clean or just give in and let my awesome lady come back once a week. I know, I know. Millions of mothers have done my job for generations before me with no hired help. But my grandmother has long since passed away, and my mom's cleaning lady isn't nearly as good as mine..... so her advice goes out the window. This week will be the ultimate test. We have a week long trip to southern utah and camping in the sand (I do cringe a little as I type that). So we'll come home with gear full of sand to a clean house and I may very well lose my mind. Or just hire our cleaning lady back! :-)

Great thought

Jason's aunt Peggy posted this onFacebook. Thanks for the uplifting reminder of the importance of loving, caring parents and family.

"All children need a laptop. Not a computer, but a human laptop. Moms, dads, grannies and grandpas, aunts, uncles – someone to hold them, read to them, teach them. Loved ones who will embrace them and pass on the experience, rituals and knowledge of a hundred previous generations. Loved ones who will pass to the nex...t generation their expectations of them, their hopes, and their dreams." – General Colin L. Powell.

Date night with Davis and Jason

Mom kept Davis overnight alone on Thursday night, so Friday it was Carson's turn to head out and Davis got mom and dad all to himself. We did have to deliver Vanessa's Sweet 16 birthday cake. But we went to the Training Table (which Davis calls Training Wheels) restaurant for dinner and Davis loved being the center of attention.

After dinner we headed over to make our cake delivery which I think went well. Sandra and Vanessa both seemed to like the cake, so I really hope that they did. It was fun (and exhausting) to finish!
Carson has mastered riding his bike WITHOUT training wheels. He's very proud of his new trick (turning around) and loves to show how fast he can go. I just can't get over how fast he's growing! We're just itching for spring and summer so we can spend more time outside. Too bad we woke up to snow this morning! Sheesh.
In other news, we kept Jason's niece Sierra overnight for a few nights while her mom and dad packed up and moved all their belongings from Washington state. We're glad to have them closer to family, even if the transition is difficult. Sierra was such a good baby.... as long as she was sleeping or being held. I think that's pretty normal for that age. And she was so much fun to have. I'm glad I was able to spend some time with her.

Riding the train

This weekend Grandma B kept the boys overnight on Friday so Jason and I could have a date night. I decided to finally give in to the many repeated requests to ride the train. So, the boys and I jumped on at the downtown Salt Lake Station and rode it to Ogden where Grandma B was waiting on the platform. The boys had lots of fun. I think they mostly liked the Pez and Sprite I gave them as their snack.

After I rode the train back to Salt Lake and met Jason at home, we went shooting at an indoor range. It was pretty fun. I think Jason was ready to go before I was. I don't buy all the ammo we were shooting, so I could have kept going all night! It did make me feel good that I was completely out-shooting two guys next to us. I'm pretty sure it was their first time though.

The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet. We had all Jason's family come over for dinner on Sunday evening. It was a nice surprise! They even brought all the food to eat! Now that's my kind of company! :-)

Where to begin......

Since I don't scrapbook, and I don't keep a journal, I figured that posting every once in awhile on a blog would make up for both. It's a nice thought at least, right?

So, I'll begin at the beginning...... well at least at the beginning of this month. Carson has started school at Driggs Elementary and LOVES it. We had been doing an online school offered by the state and it had been going well. But, alas, he is almost 6 and getting more stubborn by the day so we decided it was probably in everyone's best interest to have someone else teaching him for the remainder of the year. He says his teacher is just a little nice, but he absolutely loves riding the bus and sitting by his friends. I have a hard time believing that he is actually big enough to go off on his own and ride the bus and get home. The over-protective mother in me wants to hook him up to one of those little leash backpacks you put on toddlers and keep him right next to me. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't allow it.
Davis on the other hand, is really having a hard time adjusting to life without Carson. We met some friends at the park today and Davis just stuck to my side like a sticker in my shoe lace. He becomes so shy and introverted whenever he doesn't have Carson to blaze a trail for him. It's been good for him to be on his own. It's definitely a growing experience for both of us.