Well thanks to my sister my blog looks cute and she has inspired me to write something about my crazy life. We had a really great Christmas and there were only tears one time when Mitchell got hurt. I got a nap so life was good. Thank heavens Santa brought a marble track that all our kids have loved beyond our wildest dreams. It is happy times at the Wilson's home. Well it is only 2 days after Christmas but 2 days of happy children feels like years of bliss. We have loved being with family and friends this holiday season but also miss our family and friends who are not with us.

Who is that girl?

BEFORE SURGERY

4 DAYS AFTER SURGERY - it isn't bad lighting just bad bruising
1 MONTH AFTER SURGERY

So I know it has been a long time since I updated my blog but there is a reason... I was busy getting a new face. I had jaw surgery about a month ago and lets just say this was way worse than I thought it would be. I won't go into all the details but I will look different and I am not sure if it is a good different. Life long friends don't recognize me and people think that I am "Natalie's sister." That is ok with me because my sisters are so beautiful. Anyways my kids wouldn't talk to me at first and Mitch just kept on asking me when I was going to look normal. This is normal, well almost. Within the next year all the swelling should go down so that I can smile normally and I should have most if not all the feeling back in my face. That will be happiness. Also in 1 1/2 weeks I can start chewing food again which will be very exciting. I already can breath so much easier and I can feel my teeth touching so I know I am going to be able to chew my food which is why I did this whole thing in the first place. Thank goodness for insurance. I am sure glad I didn't have to pay the $50,000 that this surgery cost. So enjoy a few snapshots.

A Teenager!!!

So we have a teenager in the house. Hannah turned 12 on September 9th. We had a fun little party with 3 friends. They got their fingernails and toenails painted. We had a candelight dinner on china and her friends made her a dress out of tinfoil complete with jewlery, shoes and a veil(this was too cute and pictures don't do it justice). We also watched a movie. It was so fun!!! Elli want's the same party for her birthday. Sorry kido, this party is reserved for when you turn 12 years old. Something to look forward too.

A Little Dirt

Ok seriously. Do you have to pour dirt on yourself? This was Connors favorite past time at our reunion this summer. Every time I turned around this kid was dirty. There was a reason I only packed navy blue and black clothes for him. He was happy and that is all that mattered. Connor had a great time with his cousin Tyler who is younger but bigger than him. (Everyone is bigger than him.) I asked his mom how big Tyler was. She said 43 pounds. Connor then turns to Tyler and says "so I hear you are 43, I am 4." Comments like this make this dirty kid bearable.

Bird Flu

So it is hard to see what this picture is so let me just tell you. Connor found a dead bird at primary softball. His dad then told him to pick it up and show it to me. Brad was a good 200 feet away from me with his nifty camera ready. This would be Connor showing me the dead bird and me freaking out. Later I was asked by siblings if Connor was going to get the Bird Flu. He ended up not feeling too well a few days later. It had nothing to do with the bird but I of course blamed Brad for telling his son to do such a foolish thing. The problem is there were other fathers watching the "little joke". (I must admit it was pretty funny!)

Triplets and Dandelions

Ok so this is going to be a problem. School starts in a one week and this is what Elli loves to do. Sleeping in until 8:30 or 9:00 makes for a happy girl. This whole 6:30 a.m. thing is going to be rough and we may not see her cute dimples as often as we would like. Her summer has consisted of sleeping and watching T.V. She however began to help out with Joyce and Kerry Greens triplets. She has gone from couch potato to a baby magnet. She has enjoyed learning how to change diapers, get babies dressed and make them laugh. Hannah has even enjoyed having Elli tag along when she babysits. It is almost like a sister bonding time...almost.

Elli had a great time at our family reunion in Island Park, Idaho. Cousins and dandelions. What could be better? Thank goodness Brad has such a good camera to capture the moment.

Cell Phone

If you need to contact Bethany you will have to schedule an appointment. She is very busy. She can't even put down the cell phone to get a picture. She is very busy designing things on the computer and running her own business. It is called Bethany Dr. She has recently received her own bedroom. She got kicked out of living with her sisters. She couldn't stay out of all the big girls items such as make-up, clothes, music, etc. It has worked out well but somehow she still ended up with pink eyeshadow on when she went to church today. Interesting how that happens.

Muscles

Mitch has been growing this summer. I told him sunshine, water and sleep will make him grow. We have been outstide swimming everyday for the past 2 months (lots of sunshine and water) and he has been sleeping in until 7:23 a.m. (oh yes he always gives me the exact time he wakes up.) He has seriously grown almost 2 inches. It is kind of exciting to have him move in to 6T clothes. Yeah thats right. He is a little too skinny to fit in the size he should be wearing at 8 years old. But take a look at those muscles. Women would kill to hang on those arms.

The Hair Do

So this is what happens when you have great hair and use a teasing brush. Nice Elli but I am not sure I want you to do my hair.

Summer Is Here

Summer is here and that means swimming, swimming, swimming. It also means cranky kids because all they do is swim but I love the smell of sun screen and seeing kids run around in their swim suits all day which means less laundry to wash. Connor even sleeps in his swim suit. It has been cooler than usual this summer. We went to Usery Pass on Memorial Day weekend since it was in the 80's. Elli was visiting cousins in Oregon but we dragged Grandma Wilson with us. It was so fun and Connor, Mitch and Brad made it to the top. Everyone was happy until the trek down when kids were falling right and left. Good thing I brought band aids and wipes to clean up the huge amounts of blood the kids said they had but the pin sized spots I saw. I am just glad to have my kids home and not to have a schedule. I say that now but by the end of next week you may see some kids for sale on eBay.

Mitchell's Baptism

Mitch was baptized on May 17, 2008. What a handsome boy. It was a great day and we are so thankful for everyone that was able to come on that special day.

Give A Husband A Sewing Machine And He Will Make A Dress

2 years ago for Mothers Day Brad gave me the ultimate gift. He made me a dress. I have decided to wear that dress to make other women jealous that their husbands don't sew for them. There is a story behind the dress but for now you can just enjoy the photo.

The Little Girl Who Played Hookie

Yeah she is cute but what a stinker. I love this little 5 year old but she is smarter than her mom and knows what to say and do to get her way. For example on Friday she woke up and said her tummy hurt. She ran to the toilet and looked pale. After I discovered her in the bathroom I gave her a bowl and told her to go and lay on the couch. Moments later she flung her helpless body on the couch and remained there until I figured out how I could take her to work with me. Once I got things organized I heard Mitchell say "great now I am going to get sick." She replied in her confident voice "yeah but if you do you get to stay home from school." Are you kidding me? What on earth am I supposed to do with a child like this. This is why it is good that Brad takes such cute pictures of her!!!!

One Amazing Van

So here is my question for everyone...How many things have to break on a car before you decide it is time to put the baby to rest. I mean honestly, lets just think about this for a moment. I will give you a little background in case you haven't seen or heard me driving down the street. Shortly after we bought our van I ran into the side of a piece of red scrap metal, (Brads car), and put a serious dent in the side of our new van. For the past 7 1/2 years I have had to look at that dent and know that it didn't do one hint of damage to the piece of junk car that is laying in a junk yard somewhere. Next, the front passenger window broke and won't roll down. This may not seem to be a problem but this morning when I went to roll down the window (even though it hasn't worked for the past 3 years I still try everyday for some stupid reason) to say goodbye to Elli I realized it didn't work and so I leaned over and opened the door and yelled "Bye Elli". She didn't say a word, just gave me the look, you know the one..."I don't know who this woman is and why is she saying my name." I embarrassed her but I actually think it was the incredible squeaky brakes that made children in the neighborhood cover their ears as I came to a complete stop that really embarrassed her. I wish that was all that was broken but I'm just getting going. The side door, yes the one that all 50 million children that I cart around each week, works only on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1:00 and 1:15. If you try to use it any other time just know that you will have to stand there for 5 minutes pushing the button just trying to get out. Some children I am sure have thought I was trying to hold them hostage as they frantically tried to escape the crumb infested van. Sometimes the speedometer doesn't work. "Really officer I know you clocked me at 45 miles an hour in a 25 mile zone but I swear it said I was going zero miles an hour." Yesterday I went to unlock the front passenger door and noticed it wouldn't unlock. Brad was a sweetheart and fixed it but now it makes a horrible noise every time the doors lock. The doors automatically lock when you accelerate to 10 miles an hour so I hear that noise every time I drive. At first I thought I had been shot and seeing the crack in my windshield it could have been confused with a bullet hole. After realizing I was still alive, I came to the conclusion that this is the noise that would just cause everyone in the car to say "what was that?" every time we drive somewhere. If you add that noise and the noise that my steering wheel makes, that's right it is a noisy steering wheel that sounds like wires are rattling and a fire is about to start any second, and the noise that sounds like the motor is going to drop out of the car but that only happens when you use the right blinker and turn right, you have one very unique car. The sun visor clip is broken so it can occasionally hit you in the head and leave a bump but that is ok because I am married and wouldn't want anyone trying to pick me up as I drive past Mountain View with my filthy car that usually has foot prints on the windshield which are not from an animal but children. Sometimes when I am feeling daring and adventurous or like I want to participate in Fear Factor I venture to the back of the car. I have nightmares for weeks afterwards as I see what little pigs have been doing in the back seat. Let me tell you it isn't easy to get hard candy out of the cup holder when a bottle of water has been poured into it and then baked in the 150 degree sun for a few weeks. Apparently a science experiment was being conducted but I think my children lay in bed at night thinking of things they can do to make me so mad that I run away. Then they could get a new mom that is fun and has milk and cookies waiting for them when they get home from school and wears a dress and high heels and a smile on her face all day long. No Leave It To Beaver at this house!!! Mitch and Bethany both told me today that we had to get a new car. The locking door noise frightened them again just like it did yesterday and it will tomorrow. Anyways if anyone is looking for a car let me know, maybe we could give you a good deal.

Our Cruise

True Vacation

Brad and I went on a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbean. We planned this trip about a year ago and it was so wonderful to truly relax. Our ship held 3,000 passengers and had an ice-skating rink, in-line skating course, movie theater, water slide, rock wall, work out room (my favorite thing) putting green and Broadway stage. It was amazing. The dining room was unbelievable and there were 3 dinning rooms on the ship. Each night there was of course an fun animal left on the bed made of towels. We saw Broadway shows every night on the stage in an theater that held 1,500 people. The service was unbelievable. I had a steak for 7 nights in a row (I'm not very adventurous) and Brad enjoyed trying new things and often times ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts (it was gourmet food so the portions were smaller than a normal restaurant or so that is what we tell people). Our server for dinner was from India and said they stay on the ship for 6 months and work everyday and then get 2 months off. I felt guilty enjoying myself so much when he was working so hard. We took the elevator only 1 time the whole 7 days and so we did an awful lot of walking. We would actually have races up the stairs. Brad was winning in the beginning but that is only because I had to wear cute shoes on my cruise and couldn't skip steps as fast as him. We met some really great people Kristin and David Pratt and Bea and Bob Ball who sat at our table with us. It was so fun to get to know them. We did a lot of fun things together and enjoyed teaching them the game Greed. It is a dice game and I would carry the dice in my purse and we would play whenever we were together and whenever we could find a table.
Brad loved having his new camera on the cruise. He took about 500 pictures. It was crazy and he even bought a yellow fanny pack (the only color the cruise carried) to carry his spare lens. There was a bit of teasing going on from our new found friends since he truly did look like a full blow tourist with his fanny pack, big camera, baseball hat and backpack. I just tried to walk a few feet in front of him so that people wouldn't think we were together. Of course I am just kidding and I am proud of Brad and his new hobby.
Brad and I are early to rise early to bed kind of people but we ended up staying up until at least 11:00 every night. There were so many activities each night. It was truly an amazing vacation that we both desperately needed. I had contemplated taking our kids on a cruise someday until I heard about some kids on the ship that ended up spending $1,000 on video games without their parents knowing it. I will think again about taking those people that live in my house and call me mom.

Spring Break 2008

Spring break was a blast this year. We actually went somewhere. Hannah and Brad were on a school ELP fieldtrip that ended at the San Diego Zoo, so I packed up the other kids and my mom and headed to San Diego. We picked them up at the zoo and spent a few days visiting the Bird family. We took the kids on a hike and then flew kites in the park. Connor was so upset that his "Car" kite might fly away. Tears were shed but luckily the park that we were flying the kites at had a playground and that made life better.


We took our kids to a family fun park called Fiddlesticks. Bumper boats, race cars and goofy golfing. What a fun day! Thank goodness we had a gift certificate and coupons. We brought Mitchell's friend Annika who is going to marry someday with us. She is loved by all in our family and brings a calmness to Mitchell and a smile to his face. Of course when you take 6 kids to a fun park you are bound to forget to take one of their pictures. Sorry Hannah we do love you and know that you were with us having fun but no picture to prove it.

Brads Picture Masterpieces

Brad loves to take pictures and it is amazing what he can do with a little digital camera. Just wanted to share a few favorites.

Has Mom Lost Her Marbles?

So I was sick of the fighting, yelling, biting, hitting, screaming and just being plain mean in our house so I came up with a plan. It was going to be expensive but so would counseling so I decided to give it a try. I gave everyone 10 marbles. Everytime they were unkind they lost a marble and at the end of the day they would be paid $.05 for each marble they had left. If they were really good the whole month they could earn $14.50. They of course were excited by this figure but in my heart I hoped they wouldn't quite reach it. I would need to pick up a second job to pay for their happiness. This little marble plan has been working quite well. I have not lost a single marble. It has nearly been 7 days. That is the longest I have ever gone without yelling at my kids. Mitch isn't far behind. He only lost one. And this nearly broke his heart. Connor isn't doing so well and I decided that he isn't getting any money. He can just have his marbles back if he will stop crying when I take one away. Bethany is at least trying. She went 3 whole mornings without waking up crying. That is how we know that she is awake. Mornings are not a happy time at our house. Hannah and Elli have been playing together. It is a mothers dream come true. I have actually been hearing words like thank you. I didn't know that my children knew those words. Hopefully after a month this will become a habit. It is just nice to be nice!!

The Missing Worm

Bethany came home one day from kindergarten with a learning backpack from school. It was filled with activiies she could do at home and then take back to school. The catch is that if she lost any of the pieces it would cost $20.00 for the backpack. Of course we had good intentions of not losing any of the pieces but Bethany and her brothers found the plastic worms inside the backpack just too irristable. Behind their parents back they took the plastic worms outside and began throwing them in the air as high as they could. It was good times for them I am sure. Of course we did not know any of this was going on until we were weeding the flower bed and found 2 plastic worms. We then realized there was still one missing and that darn worm was going to cost us $20.00. I prayed for 3 days that we would find the worm. I offered a $5 reward for him but he was nowhere to be found. I gave it one last effort and made my children put on their jackets since it was a freezing 50 degrees outside and begin the final hunt. After pleading with Heavenly Father one more time Brad announced he had found the worm. A rush of gratitude ran through me. My children didn't understand my excitement but I knew that we had a little help finding the worm since it was stategically placed on the roof of the house. How it inched its way up there I will never know but now he is with his other worm family. Bethany has been banned from bringing another backpack home. That is just too expensive of a learning project for our family.

Words of Wisdom from the Wilson Children

• Bethany said that she wanted to save her money so that she can go to Disneyland to see the fakish realish princesses.
• So Connor was playing "Hide & Sink" with his friend Tyler and Jacob. It was sooo fun!! He also loves to eat "auchos" not to be confused with nachos!

Connor Go Back To Bed

My son Connor is a very funny 3 year old. He can drive me crazy but what would life be like without him coming in to my room at 5:45 in the morning and climbing on my bed and saying in a loud voice "Mom did my tooth fall out?" At 5:45 in the morning I really don't care about my kids teeth. Just get off my bed and go back to your room.

Ice-Cream Party

So my son Mitchell came to me and asked why they (he and his siblings) never get to have a party. I wanted to tell him that everyday of his life was a party but then I realized he just needed some time to socialize since he is only at school for 6 hours everyday with his friends. I decided because I am crazy that I would let the kids have an afterschool ice-cream party. We ended up with 21 kids walking home from school and then we had ice-cream with toppings galore followed by several games which I participated in. It actually turned out to be a very fun party and my kids thought I was a great mom until I told them it was time for their friends to go home. Oh well, I was "The Worlds Greatest Mom" for a whole hour this week which is something to brag about in my book.

I am a mom of 5 crazy but beautiful children. I barely have time to remember to feed them so I hope that I will have time to blog like all the other cool moms on the block. My sister tells me this is easy so I will see how I do.