And the Winner is...

Round number one of today goes to Colby! He is down right kicking my butt today. I cannot keep up with this little tasmania! He is bored. And that is a really bad thing. He has been doted on all his life by his brothers. So with them at school, and Cael busy watching a movie, that he has tried to watch several times but only last about 2 min ea time, he is desperately trying to find something to do. While folding clothes he came in and yanked all the towels to the floor and ran. This kid doesn't care about being spanked, yelled at, put in time out, or any other form of punishment. He just fake cries and looks at you with a mad face, and then goes at it again. Next, he came into the kitchen where I was mopping and flopped on the floor right in front of me and started fake crying. When that and several others attempts to entertain himself did not work, he turned his attention to Cael. I think that Aunt Randi taught the boys about his next trick. He came and jumped on Cael's shoulders (who was sitting on my bed watching a movie) and grabbed his ears and fell back onto his back and yelled motorcycle and started making reving sounds. Cael, at the mercy of a ear steering motorcycle maniac, started screaming. I couldn't help but laugh, which actually made Cael laugh (I don't know how, it looked pretty painful) which in turn made Colby laugh. Colby is yanking his ears everywhere, and we are all laughing. Mother of the year I tell you! Next, my little crazy decides to watch with Cael. I go and do some laundry and clean his room, to come back into my room to see him eating chocolate frosting with his hands out of the tub from the fridge. Luckily it was on Chet's side (hehehe), so mine doesn't look like someone pooped everywhere. I was so mad that I was not being gentle wiping him down. I told him that I was so mad at him, and without him even taking his eyes off the TV the entire time says, "uh... WHY?" all whiny. That only took about 30 min of scrub time to get the comforter somewhat clean. And now.... he has been in the kitchen while I have been writing this. I better run and see what my next task is... until then, I start round 2!!!

Ha

The Parkers have a problem. We cannot keep a disc from scratching. This is caused because Mom and Dad do not watch the kids with DVDs and we have not been consistent with them when they do touch them. It just is not a battle we have ever picked. So... when we are on a trip and they want to watch a movie, it's a little rough. Cars was really frustrated because we would get them going and then they would start skipping, and we would have to start all over with another disc. Cars, very frustrated, hands Chet a disc and says, "Just ha it!" Chet was like what the heck are you talking about? Cars repeats it to him again, this time with more emphasis on ha. I started to laugh because he was talking like we should know what he wanted and Chet and I were confused, to say the least. Finally, even more frustrated, he pretends to be "ha-ing" hot air from his mouth onto the disc to clean off fingerprints (which is the problem 90% of the time) We got a pretty good laugh out of it. "Could you please clean off the fingerprints?" would have worked pretty good too. Instead, we ha it off!

It's Just Logical

Cars was sitting in my bathroom watching me get ready. He was talking about how the kids at school think Justin Beiber is gay. I asked him if he knew what that meant and he said yes, when two boys or two girls love each other. I asked him if he thought that was right? He said, "No! If two boys got married, they could never have a baby. If two girls got married they might could have one, but they would not be good parents. The one would just scream all the time and the other would probably just cry all the time. They wouldn't be good for each other." He just shrugged his shoulders, like, "There ya go folks. There's the facts!" Oh my, gotta love how he views girls. He does think that we are crazy... emotionally. He always talks about how girls cry instead of just say what they want (Luckily Chet taught me a LONG time ago that if I just tell him what I want instead of cry he would almost ALWAYS do it. It's been fabulous!) I love to see the logic in kids. Most of the time, they are more right than not! Chet and I do balance each other out. I'm more emotional and irrational, and Chet is more factual and black and white. I think we do a good job together!!!

Jesus Want Me For A Sunbeam

I really couldn't tell you what Cael will seem to gravitate towards for a career. He is probably my most liked boy as a whole. He is very personable and happy. He smiles at everyone and will talk to strangers at WalMart. He talks to all of our cashiers and tells them all about life. (I have no idea where he gets this from... hehe!) Every time he sees you, even if you have only been gone for 30 min, he gets really excited and says, "MOM!!!" in a high voice and runs to you and gives the biggest hug ever. (Chet rec'vs this EVERY day when he gets home for lunch and home from work.) Everyone at church, the play area, the neighborhood, LOVES him. He is a very special boy!!! He tells me things that makes me believe that he is in "close contact" with Heaven. (Oh my, when he says his prayers every time he starts out with "Heavenly Father, we have some things to say", which I have come to believe is misinterupted from his brothers saying, "We thank thee for this day." It is SOOOO funny!) Cael has been really good to entertain himself too. For a while I had to keep him within arms distance, but I think we have moved past that stage. So yesterday he was on the back porch playing. The next thing I know, he is singing at the top of his lungs, "Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam!" Then he was performing too, putting his hand out to help express himself as he held the note. He knew every word to the song, and kept repeating it. It was cute! I love his innocense! He says what he loves most about me is that I love him to lots of pieces (I always tell him I love you to pieces) I do love that boy to pieces! Since turning 4 he has become KING BRAT, but I tell him, "What happened to happy Cael? I sure do miss him." And then he will smile and say, "I am right here. Sorry!" It usually lasts about 5 minutes. Love him, love him, love him!

Village Inn

Saturday mornings are my favorite. Chet and I used to switch off who got to sleep in. Now, we both usually do until about 8. By then, the boys have been in a hundred times asking what's for breakfast, can we ride the four wheeler, when can we play with friends, are we going anywhere, etc. This Saturday, we ended up with all 5 boys in bed with us, moving a hundred times a minute, all jockeying for a warm spot next to one of us. It made me smile! Then, I remembered Chet's boss telling us the night before about a great place for breakfast. We have never taken the boys out for breakfast unless we were out of town. The place was a business that allowed smoking, so we passed on it, but I asked Chet if we should Village. He said, "Sure!" I jumped out of bed and told the boys to all get dressed. There was immediate excitement. They all wanted to know what we were doing. I told them we were going to take them to a village. Caden thought that meant the rec center. He thought that was my code. Carson thought we were going to Casper. Carter thought we were going site seeing to some old desserted village. It was funny to hear them, and made me excited (I LOOOOOVE experiences, and this was going to be a new one!) We all got loaded up and headed there. I asked each boy what there favorite thing was about Mom, Dad, and that we have done as a family. It is so telling when you listen to them. They really just love the things that take time. Love spelled T.I.M.E. Carter loved most about Chet that he comes down to help him say personal prayers every night. All the amazing things he does and is, and that was what Carter loved most. I love it!!! We all went, ordered what we wanted, had a super grouchy waitress (about 60 and not impressed with my cuties!), had everyone in the restaurant stare at us for at least a minute (trying to figure out if they were all ours I am sure!), and I enjoyed every minute of it. The boys were FANTASTIC! No spills. No breakdowns. No fighting. Just laughing and talking and joy! Pure joy!!! I love my family! I love that Chet is willing to make memories! It's not easy work, but worth every minute and penny!

Deodorant

Chet has early morning meetings every Sunday. It seems to be the highlight of the week for the boy that gets to go with Dad that week. He takes one boy every week, and it rotates. This Sunday was Carson's turn. On Saturday night he had all of his church clothes out, they have to be able to get themselves ready to go with him. He came into our room and made sure that the Kindle was plugged in so that it would be ready for the next day. He was excited it was his week. When Chet got out of the shower Sunday morning, he yells from the bathroom to see if I had seen his deodorant. It dawned on me that I had seen it the night before in the boys bathroom. Chet yells for Carson, who is in his bathroom fresh out of the shower. He asks him where his deodorant is. Cars replies, "I have it. Hold on." Chet tells him to get his butt in there with it, and Carson, totally bugged informs Chet that he is not done yet and will return it when he is. I was laughing so hard. Chet was just looking at me like, you have got to be kidding me!!! Carson walks into the room and hands Chet his deodorant about 30 seconds later and tells him that he cannot find his, and turns and walks out. Chet was a little shocked I think, just standing there wondering if that just happened. I was laughing so hard, Chet didn't know what to do. He finally just looked at me and smiled and walked back into the bathroom and closed the door. Hey, at least they are clean and care, more than he can say for some of his young men. Nothing is really his own. The father of five boys! It has been known a time or two that his tooth brush was used by a boy or two. They act like it is no big deal, since they just can't find theirs. (I am really laughing out loud writing this. Just imagining Chet's face, and imagining the boys just taking everything like it's common property. Chet usually doesn't know until much later when they inform us like it's nothing that they used it a couple times last week. Too funny!) I love my husband and his relaxed personality! Who is ok with that! I would be a crazy women, freaking out at them! Maybe they use mine, but know I would lose it at them, so they don't tell me... ooooo, no longer laughing out loud! Gross!!!!

Live Through It

Today while walking out of the gym, Cael runs right in front of two ladies to push the handicap button and automatically open the doors. (Sorry Chet, I know you would hate that I let him do it, but he LOVES it!) I was a little embarrassed that he cut them off but then he put out his hand like he had just served them something and ushered them through the doors. It was quite cute. He was proud. I love to see his excitement for little things, especially if he is helping someone. These women were probably high 30s, young 40s. They looked good. Not like they had 5% body fat, but I would have taken either body. One said to the other, "Do you remember those days?" while chuckling. The friend says, "Yeah! I never thought I would live through it. Every day felt sooooo long. It went so fast! Glad it's done." I am so sick of hearing that I will miss these days some day. I do believe that I will miss them, bits and pieces. I wanted to hug these women! I wanted to say, "Thank you for remembering every day felt soooo long, and thank you for saying it went way to fast, and thank you for reminding me that I need to CHERISH every good moment, and laugh more at the bad, so that when it's gone, I can say, That was fun, but on to a new stage!" When I hear from every old lady that has ever went to Walmart that I will miss these days of taking 5 boys to the store, I laugh. I hope these ladies are right, but I will take the good looking 40 somethings passing comment, and try to remember that it will pass too quickly, and even though Chet seems to work each day for 40 hours, I need to enjoy the now for what it is! I am so lucky to have 5 AWESOME boys! They are amazing boys, and they deserve the BEST!

Cheating

As we were kneeling down for prayers tonight, I see that Caden has green pen all over his leg. I asked him why in the world there was pen all over him. He told me that he just likes to draw on himself. Chet takes a closer look and realizes that it is math facts. He instantly accuses Caden of cheating. Caden gets all this attitude and says, "Dad! I'm not gonna be all uhhhhhhh...(as he pretends to lift up his pant leg and crank his leg to his face and look geeky at his leg). Do you think I would do that? No!" and then just rolls his eyes like Chet was sooooo stupid. He also informed us that he didn't need to cheat at that because he already knows them all. Usually that kind of attitude would not be ok, but I tell you what, I had to laugh out loud, A LOT!!! I was cracking up so much Colby was putting out his leg and saying leg and then laughing. Caden cracks me up. He is way too cool for school! Sometimes he frustrates the crap out of me, but man he is cute too. I pinned him down tonight and asked him why he was so cute. He was just laughing and I said, "Because you have an awesome mom, and every time I kiss you, you get a little cuter. That's why you are so cute!" He just kept laughing but didn't up much of a fight. He loves my kisses!!! Love my Cade-A-Babe!!!