The Energy Crisis

Yeah, we're having an energy crisis. It's called TOO much energy in our household (well, some more than others these days!)! Talk about untapped natural alternative resources! Jackson's turning 4 is a perfect example of the energy needed to run this country for the next 20 years. I'm sure many of you can relate. Want to boost energy levels? Add "sprinklers" (sprinkles) on a cake, "fire" on the candles, balloons, and a couple of presents, and you're sending a man to the moon!
Funny, birthdays seem not to have the same effect on me these days... I did receive what I perceive to be a mixed compliment from Josh after my hair appointment this week. I came home with way too much blond in my hair and he told me I looked like Hillary Duff. I actually don't know who she is, but I have an idea that she is a teenage icon, for good or bad I really am not sure. The point is, looking like a teenager isn't really what I was after...
Speaking of looks, our little Aubrey has hair that people pay good money to achieve -- highlights and lo-lights... plus she's got much darker skin (tanners would be jealous) than the rest of us. One of her nameless siblings was teasing her and calling her "brownie" so Josh told them all that it is illegal to make fun of people with darker skin. I'm so glad he's sensitive to her "ethnicity", since she is from the same two parents.
Benson has his own look this last year as he has a special ability to swoop the top/front of his hair into a perfect point, which I fondly call his "pinecone". Apparently his friends have tried to duplicate it, but they don't have his natural ability! It defies all laws of gravity and has become his signature style, plus it makes him look even taller than he already is. I was cutting his hair tonight and he wanted me to make sure I left enough for the pinecone. Maybe I call it that because it is pointy and sharp and could easily be mistaken for a small weapon...
So bringing my point back to my original thought, looking like Hillary Duff (and therefore looking younger-- I think I'll take that as a compliment after all) does not necessarily mean that I have the ENERGY of a teenager. I am more tired than usual this pregnancy and so I ride on the waves of their energy to get me by! If only we could bottle it up, and find a way to run our vehicles on it-- perhaps like the Flintstone's vehicles, by foot... that's some forward thinking for you right there.
p.s. As I am not truly a tree hugger but more of a wallet hugger, I would encourage you to look at really getting a vehicle that runs on alternative fuel. We purchased a used suburban a few months ago that runs on natural gas ($0.85/gallon in Utah!). I know, I know, the irony of an oversized SUV that saves the environment...
p.s.s. I just googled Hillary Duff, and I look nothing like her (thanks anyway, Josh)...

Appreciating NORMAL Drama

Routines are settled, things aren't so crazy anymore... so what makes life exciting? Other people's drama. That's right, friends and family can create quite a lot of entertainment. Just look around: we have single cousins going out on crazy dates, a friend with a stalker, and my sister who just stays one step ahead of the law (now THAT would make some kind of blog entry). It's a lot easier to watch the drama than to have it be happening to you. I'm thinking that my turn for drama will come soon enough, but in the meantime why not enjoy the break?
Oh, you really bought the idea that we have no drama in a household of seven (soon to be eight)? We've got drama, but just normal drama. Here we go, I know you want me to go back to the stalker story or my sister's wild lifestyle. But think about it: Why is it we're all drawn to drama? What with the news, the latest movies out.... I'm here to tell you, enjoy your normal drama. Maybe you can relate to some of ours until you get your own:
1. Michael is looking for another car to buy that runs on alternative fuel.....ooooo, drama. (well, it is exciting in a techno-moneysaving-way).
2. Emily (me) is trying to find clothing that either minimizes my looking fat or accentuates the fact that I am PREGNANT so that I am not accused of hitting the twinkies a little too hard.
3. Benson is trying to convince an English teacher that she needs to grade his homework so he doesn't lose his cell phone privileges. She says she gets to it when she feels like it. The horror of not having a phone!!
4. Joshua is trying to avoid having me cut his hair. He thinks the grown out hair looks like sideburns, real manly if you ask him. Dodging the scissors-- real drama...
5. Jessica had to memorize the preamble "We the people......" and was just sure that watching it over and over on youtube was the best way to learn. Since when has youtube become an educator?? "Mom, it's not fair! All the other kids get to learn it from youtube!"
6. Aubrey is frankly drama-less. She goes with the flow on everything. No stirring, no problems. But if I were to really dissect what gets her "uppity" it might be... she worries about us forgetting to pick her up from activities. Now why would a fourth child worry about such things?
7. Jackson creates his own drama regularly, i.e. "Oh, no! Mom! My leg is cut off!" (It's actually tucked up behind him). Or "My nose is yellow!" (yeah, just playdough stuck to his face). "I'm starving!" (throws himself to the ground in a near-death pose). If he were to actually have a true medical emergency... heaven help us.
We live in a day where the news on the front page is so outrageous that we can't appreciate normal drama for what it is.
Perfect example JUST NOW..... the girls and Jackson just came running in to tell me there's a SNAKE UNDER THE FRIDGE!!! Really? It's not the water hose? If there IS a snake.... oh, the drama of family life!

5 +1=6x

Three things tell me that fall is in the air: I've turned off the fan by my bedside, the kids all seem to be coming down with random sicknesses, and today I actually saw CHRISTMAS decor at Costco (what is up with that??).

TOP 10 for this week:
1. The girls came up with a brilliant idea to solve the "unfairness" of having a new baby brother. Unfortunately I am not willing to have twin girls next just to even out the boy/girl ratio.
2. Did I say or do something at church to warrant four different neighbors to bring by treats for our family within 2 days? Maybe it's because I'm looking pregnant now which automatically puts me in the "hey, you're lucky I made dinner" pose.
3. I started going to water aerobics at the rec center and I am a new woman in my weightless water body. I was actually warned by one lady that I needed to remember to behave in the water because I seem to be forgetting that I am pregnant and should move more cautiously. She's just jealous 'cuz I got moves she hasn't done since 1967...
4. The neighbor with 2 girls that Jackson loves to play with called today to warn that her girls have lice. I got to play momma monkey and comb through his hair looking for eggs and larvae. Isn't there a vaccine for that yet? The verdict: we narrowly escaped an outbreak of Rice Lice.
5. Benson and his fellow 9th grade cronies made a pact for this year's yearbook photos, taken a couple of days ago. They all went to the thrift store together and bought the ugliest sweater vests they could find ON PURPOSE just to be funny. Oh, it will be funny all right.
6. While the boys attended father/son's campout, the girls and I hosted a party for all the moms/daughters left behind. It was so fun to see a million girls giggling out in the backyard, basically miniature versions of the moms doing the same...
7. Sunday evening was spent at Grandma and Papa's house (my parents) where Grandma let Jackson make brownies all by himself in a pan the shape of a ghost. He proudly invited everyone to try his "holy ghost brownies", and since they were straight from the oven they actually did give us a warm feeling inside. ;-)
8. I had a tough time getting out of bed today, so luckily I had Jackson (who used his new "best manners" in a cooing voice to coax me): "Mommy, please may you get up for my cereal?" So I slowly sat up on the side of my bed and rested. He patiently looked at me and realized I needed more help. "Mommy, please may you stand up?" I slowly stood and stretched. "Mommy, please may you walk?" He brings a smile to even the sleepiest mom.
9. Michael finally took the busted fridge on the side of the house to the dump. Funny how happy that made me. It's all perspective.
10. I'm feeling LOTS of baby kicks now- this little one is making his mark on my heart already. It never ceases to amaze me how love bucks mathematical logic. Instead of dividing your love among your children because of one more child, it only multiplies.... wouldn't that equation look like 5+1=6x?

Making announcements

When you tell your children that there will be a new baby coming to the family, it's never quite the experience that you picture in your mind. It's like getting kool-aid when you were expecting soda. The kids over-all were OK with it, although some acted as though we had made an executive decision without properly putting the matter up to vote. (Which we had.) Perhaps the older ones know all too well the challenges that a baby will bring: more babysitting, crying, and needing attention... while the younger ones are thinking about how cool a real live baby doll could be: dressing the baby, teaching it to say their name, getting the baby to laugh... put both perspectives together, and it's a little closer to the truth anyway...
Then the countdown until the ultrasound began about 3 weeks ago. Jackson said if it was a girl then the girls could have it. Josh said he hoped it would be a boy, but if it was a girl then maybe the older girls would leave Jackson alone. Everyone was anticipating and predicting with all kinds of strange logic, but in the end, again no vote-- it would simply be an executive decision made by One.
The kids came home from school yesterday and were desperate for us to tell them what happened at the ultrasound appointment (OK the junior high boys forgot to ask) and I announced we would tell them over chocolate cake after dinner. Needless to say, I had forgotten to buy the ingredients and ended up spending 2 hours at gymnastics with a nervous first-time daughter... things were definitely not going according to plan. I came home, fed everyone randomly and then finally called everyone together to make the announcement. "Where's the chocolate cake? I thought we were having chocolate cake!" --Benson obviously has his priorities in order. We prepped them all, reminding them it is not a contest of boys vs. girls, and that a healthy baby was most important. Everyone agreed that they would be happy either way. Since Jackson had been at the ultrasound and nobody had thought to ask him, we asked him to tell everyone: "The doctor says it's going to be a boy" he nonchalantly mentioned while playing with a toy. The girls went speechless, looked at each other, and began weeping and wailing while the boys smirked and reminded the girls that now it would be four against two-- what brotherly love. Josh, our more sensitive son did try to comfort the girls by telling them "don't worry, maybe mom can just have another one after this one." Ummm, yeah. About that.
I've decided that the whole family council idea is nice in theory but it brings dynamics of it's own to the table. It's efficient, and it's a great way to make official announcements, but... like I said, it sometimes gives you the kool-aid effect.