Evan loves doggies! He thinks he is one. He pants and gets so excited. He loves to play with my Grandma Diamond's pug Puddles. I think Puddles is rather scared of Evan though. How can anyone be scared of sweet Evan? (okay, he has been know to pull his tail before). So, we made sure to bring the camera over to my parents to document Evan and Puddles. Of course, Ben wanted to show off his mug in the video. :)
Okay, so anyone that knows me or at least has dropeed by my house before (particularly unexpectedly) has seen that I am not the most naturally organized, clean person. And yes, three little boys don't particularly help the situation. Though I hate to admit the problem probably started long before they came along. I am easily sidetracked, so I have found that routines help me a ton. I saw mention of this website called FlyLady on Tina Bushman's blog (thanks Tina!) and looked at it and started getting the emails. What a blessing this has been. Just goes to show that Heavenly Father knows me and what I needed. So, if there is anyone else out there like me I recommend checking it out. The house and I are definitely not perfect yet, but Flylady says that's okay! Anyway, thought others out there might find her useful too. Her website is www.flylady.net. Here is something off her website and something from one of the emails I've gotten.
Dear Friends,
With our personalities we often expect the worst. People in the field
of psychology call this catastrophising. (my dictionary can't spell
this word LOL) Think of it this way. Someone in your family did not
call you when you thought they were supposed to. You immediately start
thinking of everything bad that could have happened to them. You work
yourself into a tizzy and when they eventually call; they just forgot.
All the while you are upset; your adrenalin is pumping and you can't
settle down.
We have set ourselves up for this by allowing our minds to run rampant
thinking the worst. Did you know that we can do just the opposite of
this and set ourselves up for more disappointment?
This is when our imagination takes a simple event we are going to
attend and make it much more glamorous and special than it really is.
One of these events is the holidays. We spend hours dreaming of how
wonderful it is going to be only to be disappointed by it inability to
live up to our expectations. Our wedding day can do that to us too. We
expect that this is going to be the greatest day of our lives and if
that were to happen what would that say for the rest of our marriage.
Our imaginations cause us to live in a fairytale where everything
works out and then when it doesn't occur the way we have imagined we
are devastated.
This devastation is caused by our perfectionism. Expectations that no
one or any event can live up to only come true in fairytales. I am
trying to figure out why we do this to ourselves. It is one thing to
have hope but it is an entirely different thing to exaggerate or
project an outcome on people's reactions when we cannot read their
minds and we don't have a magic wand.
This type of perfectionism is all about control. We want to be the
director of the play we have staged in our head. We want everything to
go just as we have planned. Then when it doesn't go just the way we
imagined we lash out at the people who didn't play their parts well.
If for some reason you don't say what is on your mind then you take to
your bed and complete the process of closing out the real world more
than you already have.
When you are putting a project together, planning an event, making a
gift or writing a letter; during the time of the planning if you are
projecting in your mind the reactions, responses, compliments,
conversations of what will happen upon the completion, you are
setting yourself up to be disappointed. You have taken what should
have been something fun and something done out of love for others into
it all being about you.
Looking for validation from others instead of looking for it from
yourself is going to make you miserable. If you need others to tell
you how wonderful you are to feel good, you have to ask why. You
can't clean, stop smoking, lose weight, declutter or anything else if
you are only doing it for the recognition of others. You have to do it
for yourself.
We have to catch our brains before the plot and scheme to destroy our
peace. Don't allow yourself to project unrealistic outcomes. Be happy
with what is. Don't make things worse than they really are or set your
expectations so high that nothing can every live up to them. Setting
the bar of expectation so high that no one will ever be able to reach
it only allows you to always be the victim and the martyr. In your own
mind you believe that others really did let you down which makes you
right in your feelings of being let down and victimized. You are only
a victim of your own thoughts. Be happy with what is and enjoy the
process. Don't allow your perfectionism to ruin another event in your
life.
Are you ready to FLY by living your life instead of wasting away in
the pages a fairytale?
FlyLady
Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don't know where to start? Don't worry friend, we've been there, too.
Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE) system, and anything else that is on her mind.
When you join FlyLady, you will receive daily FLYmail. Your FLYing Lessons will guide you through babysteps to help you set up routines, get rid of your clutter, and put your home and life in order. FlyLady's approach has worked for thousands. Join anytime you want (there is no cost involved)! You are not behind - you are just getting started! Read FlyLady's personal testimony in WhyFly? Don't be overwhelmed by all the material on this site - take it a little piece at time - baby steps. To get started, check out the FLYing Lessons - it will tell you how to begin. You can have this peace too, and it won't cost you a dime!
Yes, Gena is the main and only blogger up until today. I thought I would add a few comments here and there and everywhere.
Here is a cute video and some pics from Josh's Valentine Day Kindergarten Love Program at school. It was pretty cute. Josh was really cute. He is the one up front and to the left. Ben danced along most of the time, clapped when everyone else did, and kept giving me hugs and kisses - I guess love was in the air!
So one night while getting ready for bed the boys ended up all trying on this hat of Ben's and I had to take a couple of pics. Naturally, Evan was smiling until he saw the camera. Oops, I guess I forgot to rotate his pic. Sorry!
So, here are the boys washing Daddy's car. They loooove this thing! Can't blame them. The title are some Benisms for the car. He can spot a BMW a mile away and both him and Josh always say how fast the car is and chant "top down". One evening when Josh was driving in it with Daddy he said all excited like, "Daddy, I can see the stars." The last picture is the bath that happened after the car wash..too cute! The car has been "asking" Steve and I to take it to the beach. So we are hoping to comply with its request as a belated Valentines date this weekend. Unfortunately, Steve has been slaving away at the office lately and we didn't get the chance to go last night. 
The title for this post is inspired from the days of driving around (wildly I might add) in my brother Billy's 300Z listening to the song Body Movin' by the Beastie Boys blaring. Thanks for the memories Bill! Anyway, this is a video of the boys getting their groove on at Aunt Kimberly's wedding reception in December. They had a great time!
Now that things have settled down from the move and the computer is up and running I'm going to post a couple things from the past couple of months. After several weeks living out of suitcases in a hotel we are happy to be home. I'll have to take some pictures of the house and post them soon.
Well, here are some pictures from Christmas. Hey, better late than never!
Josh and his legos - he got a few this Christmas.
Evan, learning the ropes of opening presents.
Ben's showing off his football skills with his new football. He carried this with him all around the store when Steve bought it for him.