Parenting with Love OR Logic.

Parenting with love OR Logic should be the name of the game. So, which is it? Love or Logic. For example: When your 13 year old comes home, roots through the sacks on the counter, finds a decorative candle wrapped in tissue, opens it, smells it and then decides to light it. Seemingly innocent...except when the candle was intended as a birthday gift for a friend. Love tells me to dismiss it and perhaps buy a new candle for the friend. Maybe I should have left a sign out telling exactly what was in the tissue paper and the intended purpose of the candle. That's where I went wrong. Why should I expect my 13 year old to ask if she could light the candle? That's just silly. Definitely should have put up a sign. Logic tells me to smack her up-side the head and then stomp down to her room, root around in her personl effects, maybe finding an incriminating note from a friend detailing who has a crush on who, then innocently posting it on this very blog. That's logic for you. Tit for Tat. I guess the reason I am a little chapped about this is because I walked (pioneer-style, pushing a stroller with two other children hanging on, because my car battery was dead), in the heat and spent close to the last twenty dollars I had to procure the said candle on the very day of the friend's birthday!! JUST NOW - Josh walked in and said "Uhhhhhhh, like, uuuummmmm, when are WE going to have any money?" Is that a riot? I said "Uhhhhhhhhh, like, uuuummmmmm. what do you need?" He says. "Weeelllll, uuuuhhhhh. I just really NEED that one jacket at ABERCROMBIE!" Love - "Well honey, seeing as how Dad doesn't get paid until Friday, you will have to survive a few more days without it. Then on Friday, right after school, we will drive down to Gateway and grab that jacket for you. Is that going to be OK?" Logic - "Dude, IT'S FREAKING 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE. WHAT THE JUNK DO YOU NEED A NEW JACKET FOR ANYWAY? ANYHOW - GET A JOB AND GO TO YOUR ROOM!!" See how this works? Also, if you know anything about Love and Logic, you know that as your child grows, you are supposed to allow them more freedoms and more opportunities for growth. Right. I have completely screwed this up. My children are doomed. I started out with them making a lot of their own choices and having a lot of freedom. Now, they can't even go to the bathroom without asking permission. I even interrogate them after. Did you pee or poo? What color was it? Did you wipe? Did you wash your hands? I won't get any grosser than that. Needless to say, it seems like I am tightening my control, rather than helping them make more of the their own choices. I am sitting here laughing to myself because if these sentiments where to be read by a select few (Jon and Em or Misty and Lane) I would be much more graphic.
Why can't I be like other bloggers? Posting cute pictures and telling what we did for the Fourth or showing the cute sand castle we made in Florida? I need to change my ways. Sorry guys. It is Mrs. Nice Gal from now on. Love ya!!!!!

I don't really have anything to say.

I was chatting with a good friend of mine (Linda) at church today. We were talking about what we could put on our blogs. It gets addicting. Believe it or not, I do not always have an amusing anecdote to share with the world. Linda and I decided that maybe we could share something nice and uplifting. I will do so at this time and then maybe something will come to me. MY nice thing is what a wonderful church I belong to. Don't worry anyone (Joelbaby), I am not preaching. I just really think I belong to a wonderful organization. I speak of this because, I recently watched the Relief Society broadcast and had the privilege of hearing from Elder Uchdorf (spelling?). What a fabulous man he is. I was very touched by his words. One thing that he said (I can't remember if he was quoting or what) got to me. He said something to this effect; We can be happy if we have our prayers answered, but we can be happier if we help to answer prayers. I just wanted to cross-stitch that on a pillow right then and there! I know that I always feel happier when I am in the service of my fellow man. How about you? Anyway - here's something kind of fun that I got from my sister-in-law. It's the ABC game.



A - attached or single? - duh, attached
B - best friend - jim from the office (JK - Mikey)
C - cake or pie? - cake of course. Pie isn't as reliable as cake.
D - day of choice - Monday, kids back to school, Mike to work, house to myself.
E - essential item - diet pepsi
F - favorite color - it used to be purple, but i think it's now blue
G - gummy bears or worms? - NEITHER!!!!!
H- hometown - I guess I would say Sandy
I - indulgences - going to bed early, cinnamon toast, Dr. Pepper, cherry cordial candy kisses, reading a non-thinking book.
J - January 0r July? not a big fan of either one, but July is better because of Lake Powell trips.
K - kids? indeed! 5 little woodlets. 4 girls and 1 bubba.
L - life is incomplete without? - my kids, my husband and the gospel.
M - marriage date - July 18, 1991
N - number of siblings - 3 brothers and 1 sister
O - oranges or apples? apples but only Gala or Golden Delicious or Carley says caramel covered.
P - phobias or fears? - flying (especially at night, I always count the seats to my nearest exit, and I pay attention to the instructions), bowling shoes and bats.
Q - quote - "pants always beats no pants" Jerry Seinfeld and "All because two people fell in love." - NOT!!!!
R - ring size - no clue
S - season? fall - love the pumpkins
T - tag: tag three friend ( how the h to you tag someone?)
U - unknown fact - I don't really have any secrets. It's all out there baby.
V - very favorite store - I think we will all agree with this: Target.
W - worst habit - eating a bowl of cereal in the middle of the night.
X - x-ray or ultrasound - I guess ultrasound. Babies are much cuter than broken bones.
Y - your favorite food - homemade mac & cheese and of course, chocolate.
Z - zodiac sign - Aquarius and my Chinese sign is the Dog. BTW - I was once so into the Chinese zodiac that I could tell anyone what animal they were. I forgotten it all now thank goodness.

After I started doing this I started to wonder if the origin of this game was Match.com or something. Kind of suspect I think. Love to all!!

Do you ever stay up nights?...

Do you ever stay up nights wondering about stuff? Some of you may know that I am a semi-professional insomniac. I usually get about three hours of solid sleep before Autumn yells from her bed "CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!!!" Not, mind you, "Mommy, may I have chocolate milk?" Just "CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!!!!" I usually stumble in and get her an ounce of milk and leave it on her head board. She never actually drinks it, which leads me to believe that perhaps she is having nightmares about some sort of dairy product invasion or cow mud-restling-mania or some such. ANYWAY - at that point in the night, I am up. So inevitably I think about stuff. The other night, for reasons that will remain unsaid, I was dreaming of how to best embarrass and/or humiliate my son. As you have read, he bugs me sometimes. I love him so so so so much, but he still bugs. So I have devised the following. I will release a photo. Of Josh in rollers. With his hair all girly. Granted, I did create this monter, however, it was only released to a selected few. Now all the world, or least 5-10 of my faithful blog readers, will have the evidence of one very silly and boring Friday night at the Wood Household. OK, my pictures aren't the best, but at least there are now pictures!!!!!! Hooray for Crazy Cow!!!!!

Seriously, Josh is my bud and I don't know what I would do without him and all the help he gives me when Mike is gone. He is a good sport and I know that he will just laugh when he hears what I have done!! Love your guts #33!!!!!!

So what other things do I think about when I am up? This is a dangerous question.

Here is a list anyway:

1. stuff to blog about

2. why I am sleeping on the couch and Mike is in a nice comfy bed

3. what to have for breakfast

4. is being "it" good or bad? (this was last night, thanks to an episode of Seinfeld)

5. thrilling thursday (hopefully this will end soooooon)

6. how to bottle pears (thank you so much Marianne)

7. other stuff to blog about

8. what is the minimum amount of housework I can get away with tomorrow and have Mike still think I do something during the day.

9. what is that funny sound? (i have tracked down many a strange sound in the wee hours)

10. should I shower tomorrow or not?

I don't know. Maybe I am just a little off. What do you think?

Love to all!!!!!!!

Just stuff that i have been thinking about...

First of all, whenever i try to make a new post, I post it right after I write the title. Then I have to go back and edit it. I am soooo dumb. It really is frustrating to be this dim. OK - here's is my list of things I have been thinking about. Let's call this the LOVE/HATE game (I read it in a book) Play along with me at home...

RULES: You either have to LOVE IT or HATE IT. No in between.

Let's start with an easy one:
SQUEEZE CHEESE - Love it, no explanation necessary
THE PHRASE "ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE" - HATE it!! Sorry - too cheesy
VINYL PEOPLE STICKERS ON REAR WINDOWS OF SUV'S CHRONICALLY THE FAMILY TREE INCLUDING THE PETS - DOUBLE HATE IT.
THE PHRASE "IT IS WHAT IT IS" - HATE IT, but have been heard using it.
SISTERS-IN-LAW - Love Them, I've been blessed
TEENAGERS IN "LOVE" - Hate it
THE NEW FALL OUT BOY SONG - Love it!!!!!!
THE TWILIGHT SERIES I FINALLY READ - Loved it, sorry Carrie
SATURDAY FOOTBALL AND SOCCER GAMES - Love it, even when both teams lose!

Enough of that games. It is sometimes fun to play this game with your kids, like, in the car or in the dentist office or sometimes even in church. It it way better than I Spy.

I feel that I need to clarify a previous comment on my "teenagers suck..." post. Underwear is usually only crunchy when a 14 year old boy has been playing football in the same said underwear without in-between-practice washing. These aforementioned underwear will most probably be tossed eventually. I know, yuck.

Here's another one:

DISNEY'S CAMP ROCK - HATE IT!!!!!


Someday soon I will actually learn how to post photos onto this thing.. Wish me luck with this project. I will need lots of Dr. P and lots of Autumn free time!

Love to all!!

Just trying

Hi again - I know, a record setting 2 posts in a week. Marvelous. Will wonders never cease? As you can see, I have attempted to snaz up this blog. Just so we are all clear, it took me two days to change my background color. It's not my fav, but will due for now. FYI, the entire time I have been sitting here, Autumn has been pecking me to death and several pesky flies have been niggling me. Just trying to be up with the times and be cute like the rest of you. Have a good weekend!!!!

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Teenagers and how much they (can) suck!

OK! I know that the title of this posting sounds mean, but I believe in honesty. Let me illustrate for you what I mean. Yesterday, I was on my feet all day and consequently spent a sleepless night in pain. My shoulder hurt, my back hurt, my hip hurt and my HEAD HURT!! Here's why. Yesterday, I thought "Hmmm...what can I do to today to show my family that I love them?" The answer came to me in the form of freezer jam. My kids (and husband) really like strawberry freezer jam. So, I went to Costco (a sacrifice in and of itself) and bought 2 flats of strawberries. Also, I bought a "cube" of Diet Pepsi and a 40 pound bag of Marie Callendar's corn bread mix, because one can never have enough of these two items. (By the way, taking Autumn and her American girl doll to the store can become extremely tedious, due to the fact that the doll looks an awful lot like a "small person" or in layman's terms, a "dwarf" or a "midget". You can't believe how many people stop and stare! Autumn makes me buckle the doll in to the cart, so, once people realize that it's just a doll, they then think that I am "special" person who has no children of my own, so I carry around a replica of one because they don't immediately see Autumn as she is usually hiding somewhere behind the large sacks of flour or sitting on one of the display bikes. Weird. I can't imagine what people must think when she (Autumn) makes me buckle in her naked,footless,Bratz Kidz doll. HMMMMM.....Must rethink what I allow Autumn to bring to the store with us... ANYWAY!!!
I get home and start making the jam. Now, for anyone who has made freezer jam, you know what a process it is. Yes, it is realtively simple, but time consuming and messy. So, after I make the jam, I thought, "What would go better with homemade freezer jam than homemade rolls and homemade chili? My kids (and Husband) will really know that I love them if I make those." So, needless to say, when the kids got home, all of these delicious (and homemade) items where magically ready for them to consume. Here's where the sucky teenager and (tween) part comes in. Sorry Josh. So Josh comes into the house filled with the wonderful aroma of baking bread and says "Hey, did you buy my Season Pass to Brighton yet?" I say "No dear, but I did make this delicous jam that you love love love!" He says "Well, when are you going to have some money?" I say " Have some homemade chili and hot rolls before you go to football sweetie!" He says "You guys owe me money anyway. You owe me like 85 dollars for mowing the lawn!" I say, "Well, we will gladly pay half of the $279 bud. We said that we would." He says "OK, when are you going to have my twenty dollar allowance then? That, plus the $85 is half." Now I think "What grade are you in? Half of 279 is 140." But I don't say this, I just go about my duties folding his crunchy underwear and stinky socks (which still stink eventhough I have washed them). Josh disappears for minute and then comes back and POURS HIMSELF A HUGE BOWL OF COCOA PUFFS!!!!!! I stay calm and try not to think about the lovely and delicious homemade goodies sitting on the counter. He manages to scarf down three gigantic bowls of Cocoa Puffs which he claims he doesn't like and then goes in search of more food becuase he is extremely hungry and has to eat before football. HMPH!!
Next sucky teenager. Do you all remember Carley? My do-gooding and loving child who, despite a streak of stubborness, was always her mother's champion and right-hand man? Well , her name is now Erin. Carley has morphed into a gum-smacking,i-pod jamming,nail-biting, Twilight reading, TEENAGER!!!!! Sorry Carley! The other day, I decided to perform an experiment. I wanted to see how long it took Carley to speak to me after she walked in the door from school. Also, I wanted to see what she might say once she did finally speak. So, she came in as usual listening to her I-pod, kicked off her flip-flops, threw her book bag on the floor, grabbed her book and flopped onto her usual spot on the couch. By the way, she hides behind the pillows on the couch so that no one will know she is there. I have also found her reading in the nook under the desk in the office. At least she is reading, right? So the experiment went as follows. I did not say anything to her first. It was killing me not to, but the conditions has to remain in control. So, after TWO HOURS she finally said to me, after I answered the phone, "WHO WAS ON THE PHONE?" That was it. No "Howdy, Mom", no "What's up Mom?", no,"Gee, the house looks nice mom" . Just, "WHO WAS ON THE FREAKING PHONE, MOM?".
I have to be nicer now. I love to tell stories about my kids. While there are occasional exaggerations, my accounts are pretty accurate. OK, some embellishment may be present, but what do they say about poetic license? Does that apply to blogging? I want you all to know how much I adore my children. Life would mean absolutely nothing without them and Mike. I have to tell them that I love them too, because they are usually the first one's to read my blog. I love being a full time Mom, even to burgeoning teenagers. They are way more fun than I ever thought they would be. I hope they know that. Anyway, more stories to come later, mostly about Autumn and her speech impediment. Can someone be vocally dyslexic? Here's a teaser...Try to decipher the following Autumnism's. You get a dollar if you get them right!!!!

1. Picky Mancake
2. Bonus Jothers
3. Freckled Spog

Tune in next time for the answers!!! Love you all!!!!