Tag, You're It!

Do you remember as a kid playing tag? It was so fun! I always wanted to be "it". As an adult, however, the game tag takes on an entirely new meaning. I was just telling John a few days ago how lucky we have been this winter. We got through all of the holidays without anyone being sick. I was hoping that we would just get through the end of March with no illness. But, karma kicked in and suddenly everyone in our house got sick. It started with just Gavin. He had the stomach flu for a couple of days. I can handle that, then it snowballed! By Saturday night ourhouse was just one giant toilet bowl! Everyone was puking everywhere. John and I felt okay, which was really lucky becuase boy did we have our work cut out for us! All night we were tagging each other, saying it was your turn to go and clean up yet another bed. We changed the kids sheets about 3 times each through the night. By about 6 am we were lying in our bed, delirious from exhaustion, telling the other that we would pay a million dollars if they would just take another turn. We bartered with money, doing dishes, changing diapers, you name it! All Sunday we just walked around like zombies! The good thing is that stomach flu doesn't last verylong. However, that karma came back, and now Doc has crupe and I'm home while John works! I guess he'd better start paying up!!

Home Alone

You know how after a few years of having kids you really miss having time as just a couple. You always say how great it would be to just have one night away. You count down the days when your kids are off to college. You're sure that if you could just have one night alone that it would just make your whole family happier. Well, I'm here to tell you not to give in to all the hype! Don't listen, it's all a big fat lie! John and I let the 4 older kids go and stay over at my sister and brother-in-law's apartment for the night. The kids were so excited, they packed their bags, got out the sleeping bags, and made sure that they brought movies to watch. John and I were probably more excited than the kids. We had a countdown going to when they would be picked up. It was just going to be us and the baby (who mostly sleeps). We couldn't believe it. Our dream of one night was finally coming true!. Then they came and picked up the kids. We hugged them and waved as they drove away, and then the tears began. John kept reminding me how unsafe cars are and that it is almost inevitable that you will get in an accident one day. I had every worst case scenerio running through my mind. I was sure that in an hour my precious babies would be calling me in tears that they missed me and wanted me to come home. We both said a prayer together and tried to relax and take advantage of our newfound freedom. We put in a movie and tried to enjoy. The minutes couldn't have gone any slower. I think I called over there about 8 times in 2 hours, just to make sure that they were breathing. John and I went to bed, but of course couldn't sleep. It had to have been the longest night of our lives!!! We woke up exhausted. When the kids finally came home they just went on and on about how much fun they had. They said that sleepovers are the best and that they wanted to have one everynight! I didn't want to ruin their fun, so I played along and told them that I was happy that they had such a great time and that John and I were just fine at home. However, I'm pretty sure that the next time someone wants my kids to sleep over, one of them will get some strange illness that doesn't make them feel sick, but that is highly contagious, so they can't go. And, the next time someone tries to sell me that line that it's so great when your kids are gone, you just need one night alone, will have an earfull on how preaching propaganda is just wrong!

Family Home Evening (or lack thereof)

It's so funny that when you become a mother you are just sure that you are going to be great at it. You make all of these plans; you are going to only feed your children organic, homegrown food; you will teach them to read by the time they are 2; they will never miss church, and they will be the only toddlers in sacrament that are taking notes. Then the day comes when you realize how completly wrong you were! 6 years into motherhood and I'm pretty sure that my kids think that potatoes come out of the ground as french fries; they are in school but say that their favorite subject is recess; I'm almost positive that the bishop is going to lovingly ask us not to attend until our children are grown. Nothing works out like you plan. Tonight was family home evening. I spent all day making plans, looking for the perfect story out of past issues of the friend. I made an activity that I was sure was going to wow my family. Then comes time for FHE. It was Graci's turn to pick the song-she picked High School Musical; it was Gibson's turn to say the prayer-he blessed the treat and his toys. Then it was time for the lesson and activity. About halfway through my story on how families are eternally linked I look up and notice that my perfect little family wasn't really paying attention. Gavin and Gage were making faces at Gunnar, trying to make him laugh. Gibson was pretending that he was a jedi and was waving his light sabre around (a red straw). Graci was quietly singing to her Dear Darla. And John, the patriarch of our home, was fast asleep. I was going to stop, but I then the stubborness came out in me and I had to finish. I spent all day on this and I didn't care if I was talking to myself, we were going to have a spiritual experience! I got through the lesson and did the activity by myself. Gavin said the closing prayer and the children quickly ran to the kitchen for their cookie. Needless to say, it was not as successful as I had hoped. The rest of the night I beat myself up, wondering where I went wrong as a mother. John went to work and I got the kids teeth brushed and I put them to bed. A few minutes later I went to check on the boys. All three of them had their arms and legs hooked together and they were laughing. I asked them what they were doing and Gage said, so matter of factly, "Mom, we're a forever family so we are linking together."

The Smell of a Rose

Children will never cease to amaze me. You worry like crazy about them and it turns out that they have just gotten into trouble. Example-For the last few days Graci has had terrible breath. I have brushed her teeth and tounge, had her rinse with mouthwash, everything that I could think of and nothing helped. Then I decided to call the doctor because it was getting worse. The nurse said that sometimes that is a sign of an infection and that I should bring her in. So I get the rest of the kids over to Granny's, the whole time worrying that Graci has some terrible infection in her body. We get to the doctor and he starts examing her. He looked in her eyes, her mouth, and then he got to her nose. He said that he can't see in one nostril. He gets a light and looks closer and says he thinks that something is in there. He goes and gets a tool (tweezers) and pulls out of my little princes's nose a big, hard peice of gum!!!! She must have stuck it up there days ago! It was smelly and the most disguisting thing I have ever seen. Graci just sat there like it was no big deal. I am happy that we found out what the smell was. I thought that she was starting to rot or something, turns out she just needed a place to stick her gum.

Gunnar (aka the caboose)

Gunnar was born this November. I think that the Lord knew how crazy my life was so he sent an angel to be with me. He is the sweetest baby ever! In his whole 12 weeks of life I have never had him have a good, loud, long cry. He is happy all the time. He sleeps all night long. Seriously, I don't know if it is normal to have such a perfect baby. Not only is he the sweetest thing ever, he is also the cutest. Now, all of my kids are cute (not that I am bias), but Gunnar has these rolls of baby fat all over his body that just make my heart melt! I can sit and squeeze his cute body all day long. I don't know if there is anything better in life than sitting and rocking a baby. You would think by my 5th I would be growing a little tired of them, but I'm not. A baby brings a spirit to your home that isn't like anything else in the world. I am so grateful and humbled that the Lord has blessed John and I with so many little people to watch over. I just hope that I can help them keep the sweet spirits that they have now as they get older. I want the twins to always be curious (just maybe not with powdered sugar). I want Doc to always want to dress up as baboom. I want Graci to always tell me "Dear Darla". And I want Gunnar to always let me squeeze his sweet cheeks!

Princess Graci

Graci was born in 2006. I couldn't have been happier to finally get my little girl. From the second she got a little bit of hair (and I mean a little) I was putting pigtails and bows in it. I love to dress her and play with her. Even though she is my little sugar she definatly has some serious spice! Everytime we tell her "no" or "don't touch that" she will break into tears and yell "Leave alone me!" and run to her bed. She also has the gift of quoting movies (I think it's in the Erickson genes). She watched Little Rascals a few months ago, and one day she was coloring on a piece of paper and talking. I went and asked her what she was saying and she said, "Dear Darla, I hate your stinkin' guts. You make me vomice (she says instead of vomit). You're the scum between my toes. Love, Alph Alpha". I laughed for 20 minutes and then had her call everyone we know to say it over the phone! She now has a stuffed monkey named Dear Darla! She is a doll! I really believe that the Lord sent her to me as my therapist. Anytime that I'm having a bad day I can go play with Graci's hair and have her tell me "Dear Darla" and the world becomes a better place.

Doc the Entertainer

Doc was born in 2005. He has always been our little entertainer. He has a better imagination than anyone that I know. He loves movies as much as his dad and can quote them better. His favorite movie is The Incredibles. He wore that costume almost everyday for a year. This year he was spiderman and has worn his costume out. I wish that I could videotape him 24/7. He is hilarious! His two new favorite movies are High School Musical 2 and Breakin'. He knows all the songs and dances from High School Musical and put's a show on for me everyday. He and the other kids also love break dancing. They have me tie one of John's long tube socks around their heads so they look like sweatbands, they take their shirts off (including Graci-she likes to be one of the boys) and then they break dance around the house. They do tricks and flips, they spin around on their knees, it's awesome! I really never need to watch TV. I can just send Doc down to watch a movie and he will come up and recreate it for me. I'll take that over TV anyday!