Our sweet little girl

Nicole sat upstairs crying for a while this afternoon. She often does that when she's completely worn out, so I didn't pay much attention at first. Finally, I realized the wailing was only intensifying, so I walked upstairs to investigate.

Nicole was sitting on the floor with wet pants. She was sobbing at that point, so I asked her what was wrong.

Between wails, she said, "I made my pants wet and now my Mommy be so sad!"

What can you do but pick up those sweet little children, wet pants and all, and give them hugs and kisses after such a sad comment as that?

Tooth Fairies and Tooth Elves

I don't know how a lost tooth is handled in other homes, but in our house it is a rite of passage and a BIG deal. Scotty lost his first tooth this afternoon. He put his beautiful, white tooth under his pillow. Sometime between now and tomorrow his tooth fairy (or tooth elf) will show up and give him money. They always leave a note behind to introduce themselves. Sierra's was a tooth fairy named Lucinda. Matthew's was a tooth elf named Gelf. Who will visit Scotty? We'll let you know tomorrow! I'll post a picture as soon as I find the cord to the camera. grrrr.

Thoughts on Facebook and High School

I signed up for Facebook yesterday, at the request of a friend. In 24 hours I have reconnected with nearly 50 people! It's amazing how much technology helps us along.

But here's the thing: The more I read about how people from high school are doing, the more I remember how HARD it was growing up out in California. I always felt like I had friends, but I didn't fit in. Now I realize that was EXACTLY right. My best friends were the ones I knew as a young girl, not the people I met in Jr. High and Highschool.

My values and lifestyle are so different from most of my old classmates. It makes me feel so grateful to be where I am, and to have the friends I do now. So, if you're reading this, give yourself a hug from me and big THANK YOU. It means you've made my life happier, just by being a friend.

Oh, and one more thing: Isn't it nice that we only have to be Freshmen once?

Nothing like Facebook to bring life into perspective.

Thanksgiving thoughts

This year's Thanksgiving weekend was one of the best I remember.

We started off by CLEANING. The hardest part of teaching preschool is that I don't put the amount of time into cleaning that I should, and we were behind.

On Thursday, we had 30 people here for dinner, dessert, and lots of entertainment. I love to see my family, laugh with my siblings, laugh at the funny things our children say, and hold the sweet babies. I love sitting with my mom and discussing scrapbooking retreats, talking to Dave about politics, and reminiscing with my family about the many, many memories we share. Our dinner was the best ever. WOW, have we come a long way with our culinary expertise. we finished the evening tired, overstuffed, and full of new stories.

Friday was a down day. Once in a while, it's nice to have no plans. We slept through black Friday, had a late breakfast, and wondered if our stomachs were going to survive the gluttony from the day before. I planned December's preschool curriculum, caught up on laundry, and played games with Matt. We set up our Christmas tree and put out our decorations for the holidays while watching The Polar Express on tv. Each time we move, I suddenly look around and our house feels like home. As I admired my angel tree and placed our breakable ornaments high above the kitchen cabinets, I realized we are now home.

Saturday was another cleaning day. I can finally say that our house is clean! We had some old friends we grew up with in California over for pizza and dessert. For four hours, we caught up on our lives and let our children run and play together. Friendship runs deep, and it's hard to believe some of us hadn't seen each other in ten years!

So today I'm finishing up my preschool plans, went to church and taught 6 adorable 5 year olds, and went to choir. We're preparing for a Christmas presentation, which is my favorite part of the year. Matt informed me I could take a nap (which I did) before he crashed. The kids have been sitting at the table for over an hour going through each page of the Sunday paper putting initials by everything they want. Sierra and Matthew are making lists of all the songs they like with the optimistic hope they will receive MP3s, Ipods, and/or a new stereo for Christmas. Oh, the optimism of children. Someday they'll learn what a budget is.

So, with these happy thoughts fresh in my mind, I'll put the computer away and make dinner, bathe my children, and clean what little mess is on the floor. Real life starts tomorrow, so my goal is to keep the momentum of the weekend and sail through the Christmas season with joy and happiness.

I'm thankful for my family and friends who have brought so much joy into our lives. I'm thankful for the traditions and memories we share as a family now. I'm thankful for the gospel and knowledge of who Christ is and what a huge part he plays in my perspective of life and eternity. Everything else somehow fades in the background, and I realize the best things in life are never bought - they're experienced - and that's what makes my life worth living.

Priceless Moments

Sierra and I decided to make some brownies one night. The problem was, we couldn't agree what kind to make. We compromised. Sierra made the traditional brownies, and I made deluxe fudge and walnut. My sister took this picture, and I'm so glad. These are the memories I want to keep.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our new house

My favorite room is the kitchen. Our old kitchen was galley style, which made multiple cooks difficult. The sink faces the tv. Washing dishes is now much easier because I can watch tv while cleaning.

This is our family room. We liked the niche for our tv because it wasjust high enough to keep Nicole out of the dvd and vcr. At least, that was our plan. It took her exactly two days to push our kitchen chair over and make a mess.

We opted to take the formal dining out and have room for our piano. This is our front living room. Note the white walls. Matt still remembers touching up our house in Orem, so I'm having to wait for his amnesia to kick in before I mention putting up some colored accents.

This is our master bedroom. Note the big windows. We are SO HAPPY to have a bedroom that's not in the basement.

Moving is always exhausting. Here's just one room in our house after we moved the boxes in. We unpacked clothes, food, and beds the first night. Sleeping on a mattress was a must.

Sorry I'm not posting pictures of the front. I don't want pictures with our address posted here. We'd love visitors, though, so call me and I'll give you our info.

Thoughts on Potty Training

We decided two weeks ago to potty train Nicole because she's two and a half (almost to the day).

Although she's #5 and I should have this down to a fine art, my experiences with my boys were so bad I did some more research, asked a lot of friends' advice who had more success and fewer horror stories, and decided to take a deep breath and plunge right in.

Our first two days were great. Nicole loved her doll that goes pee, although it wasn't quite as successful as we'd like because she wanted to drink out of the doll's bottle instead of the doll! We have a pretty pink potty chair because she's the youngest and I'm no longer gender neutral. I felt so warm and fuzzy that I was being a good, responsible, loving mother. Since Nicole ate about 2 pounds of suckers the first day, she was very conscientious about going as often as possible. Then, disaster struck.

We ALL got the flu! Do you have any idea how disgusting this whole process is when the kids have diarrhea? Speaking from LOTS of stories and experiences on this subject (my mother being the recipient of most of the horrified calls during Scotty's training days - thanks for keeping most of your laughs quiet) I immediately put her back into her pull-ups. It saved a few screams and tantrums on my end.

After 10 days of passing this miserable bug around in circles, it finally ended, but the result is a happy, although stubborn, fair weather potty-goer.
Nicole has decided that she will go to the bathroom under two conditions: 1. We're in preschool and somebody else needs to use the bathroom. Result: two unfortunate "accidents" in preschool, one bruised head (Nicole's, as a boy pushed her off the toilet), and several near misses
2. We have a REALLY yummy dessert that she wants. Suckies, as she calls them, are no longer good enough. Now she wants "big sips" of "Diet Pipsi or Diet Dr. Papper" and big cookies or cake. Too bad we don't have the desserts around a whole lot, and I don't like to share my drinks.

One of the hardest things about this entire process is the complete lack of modesty on the young child's part. Since I'm musing over my long, painful history of potty training, I thought I'd write a few of my favorite memories. Most relate directly to this lack of modesty issue.

1. Nicole had a successful session in the bathroom during preschool, and threw out her pull up instead of putting it back on. While I was reading a story, she decided to do some pirouettes on the edge of my chair (any idea where this is heading?). Since that's a normal thing for her, I ignored it, until I noticed all the heads were turned toward Nicole. She was doing pirouettes all right, and giving the class a full moon in the process!
2. Last week we heard screams outside, so we ran out. Nicole was chasing two of the neighbor boys, completely naked, down the street. I had to grab an angry, slippery, and very strong little girl and march her into the house to get dressed. Half an hour later (no joke) she stopped screaming and resumed life as a dressed person.
3. Matthew preferred to put underwear on his head instead of on his body.
4. Scotty was known to come to the table without his pants on more than once.
5. A nephew of mine was once over when Dallin decided to take off his clothes. This particular nephew is VERY modest. He suddenly started gagging, pointed to the middle of the room and said, "Dallin's (gag) naked! (gag) Please get him dressed! (gag) (gag)"

So, as we head carefully into the weekend, my supposed time to really focus on getting the process mastered, I know deep down it's just not going to happen. We're too busy and I don't have the time needed to get this one finished.

Nicole's the caboose, and I'm looking forward to getting off this train and catching another. It's called - terrible twos, threes, and fours. But that's an entry for another day.

Just what I needed

The other night I was feeling CRANKY. I'd spent too much time working on preschool stuff so the house was a mess, the kids needed baths, dinner was late, and I had a UFO (unidentifiable foul odor) coming from somewhere in the back of the basement.

As I sat on the couch and sulked at my unfortunate evening (although I knew it was really my fault) Matt suddenly walked in and announced in a cheerful voice that I had four minutes to get my shoes on and meet him in the front yard.

I debated for about thirty seconds whether I was going to listen to him or not, because we all know misery loves company and he was too happy. I finally decided I'd follow him out and complain about the activity if I didn't like it. I made it outside with about 15 seconds to spare.

Matt had two bikes waiting and ready to go. He simply handed me mine and said, "Let's go." We rode straight into the darkness and headed for a trail that runs along the river near our home.

Have you ever ridden a bike at night under the trees? It's a GREAT experience. We narrowly missed some late-night walkers, but other than that we did ok. The moonlight hit us full force every time we came out of the trees. After the darkness, it was blinding! We listened to the crickets, ran over a few unfortunate grasshoppers, and followed the quiet whisper of the river as we slowly wound from one end of the trail to the other.

By the time we returned home and headed for the hot tub to soak and watch the stars, I realized my bad mood was gone, and I was able to fall asleep with a smile.

Thanks, Matt! It was just what I needed.

Settling in

We've been in our new home for over 3 weeks now, and it already feels like home. It took me a good six months in our last house to feel like we were really living there. The ward is very welcoming. I found out that I am NOT the oldest person on the entire street, and I'm enjoying the social aspect of having excuses to go out and meet new people. It's one of my favorite things to do; I love to meet somebody and have a name and a face to match to a previously unnoticed home.

Matt managed to wait a week before he planted a garden (It's 30'X20') It seems to be doing well. He also used a neighbor's tractor to pull out some brush, level the back, and get ready for the landscaping we will someday do. Watching his grin as he hauls dirt reminds me of the boys while they play on the Wii. It's sheer delight.

Life hasn't slowed down for us, but the activity is pleasant and exciting. Matt, his brother Mike, and a man named Travis are finishing the basement. They hope to be finished early next month. It's going quickly, and I love to walk down when they are finished for the night and try to figure out exactly what was added in.

The thought of teaching preschool is a dream come true for me. I've missed teaching for so long. I have one class completely filled, and the other two are very quickly getting filled up. The thought of teaching a preschool and having two of my own in the room is so exciting. Dallin is so smart, and I worry that right now he is so unmotivated. He will blossom this next year, and spending time with Mom who is not sidetracked on the endless phone calls that come from Real Estate will be a huge change. We are preparing for the changes by revamping our schedules and working on regular chores, homework, and having the family work together and do meaningful activities.

We have a 15 year old girl named Beth who comes and spends lots of time with our family. She is here most Mondays, and occasionally comes to spend the night. We have enjoyed our time iwth her, and discovered today that she loves fishing. It was 100 degrees outside, but we trecked to the trail by the river that flows 2 blocks from our house. We fished under a bridge that had complete shade and a slight breeze. No fish were caught, but we had a lot of time to relax and play.

Matt has been swamped with all his projects. While he is still working at Reams, he bails me out when I get overwhelmed with Real Estate and takes the files over once we near closing. I don't know how it would work if he didn't take th e stressful situations and make them work out. I prefer to work on the computer behind the scenes, show homes, and write up the offers. It's a great partnership; one that I never believed would work so well. He 's also doing the basement, tyring to work with the investment company he and a friend started two years ago, start the yard, increase our garden size, play with the kids, and still give me a break when I've had enough craziness for the day. I don't know what I would do without him. He's the Sunshine behind the raincloud that always comes through. As a result, he is my best friend and my favorite person on earth.

The kids are adjusting slowly. THe lack of established friends has been hard, but they are quickly adjusting. As soon as Sierra is in activity days and Matthew is in Scouts, I think they'll do better. Scotty, Dallin, and Nicole have children on teh street to play with, but still prefer to stay home.

All in all, I am feeling so blessed to be here. I love our house, our yard, our quiet street, our neighbors and ward, the peace the permeates throughout the neighborhood, the safety we feel as we go walking, the trail that is so close by, and the fact we have a three car garage that will eventually be used for both cars. Most of all, I'm at peace. More than I've felt in many, many years.

We are almost finished unpacking the basement boxes, and my two biggest projects are to put up blinds and finish setting up the preschool. I'm excited about having worthwhile, fun things to do with Dallin and Nicole next year so they aren't bored.

Please come visit. We're ready adn look forward to sharing our room with neighbors, family, and friends.

Love,

Heather

Moving Daze

Well, it's really going to happen. We finally found a family to rent our house in Orem, which means we are going to qualify for our loan and move to Spanish Fork. I had myself convinced it wasn't going to happen, so I stopped packing for a few weeks. We suddenly have 4 days left to pack, and then we'll be moving in.

I'm having a hard time believing we're about to make such a change. Sure, the house is covered in boxes and I've accidentally packed WAY too many items I shouldn't have; but I still do the same dishes in the same sink and make the same beds. It's all so familiar and routine. The fact we're counting down the days is not sinking in.

We coming up with the "Oh! I guess we have to . . . " statements. Simple things, like calling to have our mail forwarded, realizing we have to actually finish painting in the back bathroom, and I can no longer postpone cleaning out behind and under the refrigerator and oven. Oh! I guess I have to clean the oven this week. See? It doesn't end.

We haven't made a change like this in so long, I'm wondering what our new neighborhood will be like as I'm realizing I have so many friends here to say goodbye to. The goodbyes seem fake, because my brain isn't processing the fact that we won't be bumping into our neighbors in Orem anymore, and we won't see them on Sundays. We'll have a few weeks of fuzzy memories of new names we're supposed to remember, but can't. It will all be a blur.

I know we'll have a few weeks of confusion as we unpack, but we will suddenly find ourselves settled in. I'm wondering if that's when the Moving Daze ends. I'll find myself standing at my new sink, but I'll be washing the same dishes.

Who knows? But until then, I need to get packing. I just realized I haven't started my food storage room, and hope I have enough boxes. Dried apricots, anyone?

Our trip to Moab, April, 2008

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Mother's Day

I once had a daughter who acted so sweet
She charmed every stranger she happened to meet.
With smiles and curls and dimples so dear
She brightened the day of all those who were near.

But then on her birthday she finally turned two And started to act out and throw tantrums, too. She knew what she wanted and let everyone know
I was shocked at how long her tantrums could go.

But today at church she took the cake and won a new award
Five minutes into nursery she decided she was bored.
The nursery leader tried to hold her and keep her in her place
And sweet Nicole then turned - and slapped her in the face.

The leader was astonished - Matt and I were, too.
When Nicole was brought to me with "I think she wants just you.
Please hold her for a bit so the leader can calm down
Then I'm sure she'll be welcome back - the leader'll come around."

So, Mothers, this poem's for you, when your children misbehave
No matter when or where, even on Mother's Day.
Remember who's in charge, and know that it's not you
It's going to be the darling one who recently turned two.





Written by a loving mother, me (Heather Mendonsa) 5/11/08





Happy Mother's Day





Unfortunately, this poem was inspired by actual events. It was not based on a true story, it is a true story.

Ice Cream Boy

Matt brought home about 12 gallons (yes, gallons) of ice cream from work that had ice on the outside so they couldn't sell it. My grandfather would be so proud. Needless to say, we have ice cream every night for dessert because, well, it's there and we love it. Last night, Dallin burst into tears. WHen I calmed him down enough to find out why he was crying, he said Scotty had eaten his ice cream! We looked at the bowl, and sure enough, it was empty. Since Scotty had chosen Cookies and Cream and Dallin had chocolate, the ring around Scotty's mouth and chin confirmed it. I was dumbfounded. Scotty never does stuff like that! So, we asked him why he did it. He said, "I wanted it. I said I was sorry!" Hmmm. I think we need to work on apologizing. Somehow, I think our children have missed the part that they need to mean it.

Building at the speed of light.

We checked our house on Monday, and the foundation was poured. We came again on Friday, and the house was completely framed! I'm posting pictures that were taken only four days apart! The bottom picture is Nicole climbing out the basement window.

Sierra's birthday

Sierra turned eleven this month! She had a slumber party with several friends and mom. Our rule is, if they want to have a slumber party they have to allow me to stay with them the entire time or forget it! I heard more jokes and funny stories than I have in years, and Sierra and her friends had fun painting toenails, making key chains, bead necklaces, and EATING. The family room was covered with sleeping bags, and it was lots of fun. It's hard to believe how fast these little guys grow up.

Matt is 35!

Today is Matt's 35th birthday. We surprised him at work by stopping by to say hello. What he didn't know was that we decided to "decorate" his car. I was called a turkey as he attempted to drive away and his car was covered with crepe paper and blue writing in each window.

The decorating backfired, however. We had reservations to eat at Ruth's Chris Restaurant in Salt Lake shortly after he got home. We had no time to take off the writing before driving away. I realized my mistake as we drove up to the valet parking. The attendants were decked out with red (seriously) jackets and all the trimmings. We were surrounded by Mercedes, a beautiful Porsche I'm still trying not to covet, and other exotic, beautiful cars. We pulled up in a silver Intrepid with phrases like "Over the Hill" and "Old Fart" printed on the windows in blue. Oh, well. Maybe we'll gain some dignity and poise after 40.

By the way, Ruth's is VERY expensive, but I can truly say it's the best cut of steak I have ever eaten! Happy Birthday, Matt! You deserve the best!

Dirty faces

I was looking through all the old pictures and posts and realized almost all the pictures of our children show dirty faces! Occasionally, they really are clean. I guess the most priceless pictures for a mom are the happy, dirty faces that show how much fun these little guys have.

Our Baby is 2

Nicole turned two this month, which is hard to believe. She speaks in full sentences, throws tantrums like a champ, refuses to give up her bottle, challenges us at bedtime by walking out REPEATEDLY, gives the nicest hugs, says the cutest things, and has the entire family wrapped around her perfect, chubby little finger.

Our New Home

We signed papers to build a new home in Spanish Fork about two months ago. As the days quickly flew by, my belief it was going to actually turn into reality dissolved. I finally convinced myself last week that something terrible was going to happen, the deal was going to fall through, and I was wasting time trying to clean out cupboards and pack.

The builders broke ground on Monday, put in the footings on Tuesday, and put laid the foundation today. We drove out twice to see what's happening and enjoy our newest adventure.

It's hard to describe my feelings as we walked around the perimeter of our property and explored all the unknown nooks and crannies of the yard. Seeing the forms ready to be poured with cement is so exciting, but my strongest emotions came as I stood in the culdesac and looked around.

When I was a little girl we lived on top of a mountain and down a small dirt road. I remember swinging and singing songs while my neck was craned back as far as I could manage so I could look up at the blue sky above me. The feeling then were feeling of freedom and peace. I felt the same as I looked at our future home. The recent drizzle brought out the scent of freshly cut wood (one of my favorite smells). The sky above was so blue, and the air was so clean. We have no traffic in this area, and we are surrounded by empty alfalfa fields and houses. The streets are extra wide and invite moms to go walking or jogging and feel safe. We saw dozens of children playing in the streets and riding bikes, not worried about passing cars because there aren't any.

One of our new neighbors poked his head over the fence (I told him I'll probably call him Wilson, but his real name is Tony). Another came over to discuss plans for future fences, property lines, and fishing. Matt's going to like him!

Overall, it was a peaceful, surreal afternoon that I know I won't soon forget. Changes like this are so big, and knowing we are moving to such a peaceful, happy neighborhood is so exciting. We lasted 5 years in Orem, but my soul's ready for a smaller town.

I'm posting pictures of the finished house, and will probably post many, many more pictures before we are ready to move.

Winter time

This winter we've had more snow than I remember. It seems we have a new storm every three or four days. I spend a lot of time staring out the windows at the beautiful flakes. We also enjoy sitting in the hot tub and watching the cloudy sky through our snow-covered trees. I know it's cold, but wintertime is so magical! I can honestly say I love the snow.

My boys, however, are so tired of being cooped in the house. The continuous snow is beautiful, but it makes outdoor recreation difficult. This week, they learned how to do cross country races in our family room. Scotty, Dallin, and Matthew run tirelessly in circles, counting laps as they speed around the loveseat. Nicole joins them, but she seems to spend an awful lot of time on the floor being trampled. I wish I had half their energy!

Sierra "inherited" a full ream of paper from a friend, and she is working very hard to use it all. She has created an entire town with buildings, people, trees, etc. Each piece is drawn, colored, and then cut out. She occasionally enlists here brothers help, which is delightful. It makes a momma happy to see all five children sitting together drawing, cutting, and creating while they each discuss the characteristics of whatever they are working on. (Sigh). Sometimes I wish they could stay this age forever.

PS Can I just say how much I love having a 4 wheel drive in all this snow?

Heather's deep though for the day

Moving is a lot like pregnancy. You spend the first few weeks wondering if it will really happen. You spend the next bit getting organized, cleaning, and preparing for the change. But by the end, no matter what anybody says, you just want it to BE OVER WITH. It's a necessary evil, and one with a short memory span because we all seem to do it again and again.

We're Moving!!!!

Yes, it's official. We are moving to Spanish Fork in late May/early June. We are building a home on a .41 acre lot, which is almost double the size we have to play in now. The house is a two story, and we're finishing the basement so I can teach preschool. I'm getting very stir crazy being shut up in the house with nothing to stimulate my overactive imagination and teaching itch. The preschool will (hopefully) cure both. The hardest part of the move will be saying goodbye to our friends in the ward and neighborhood. It's interesting how you sometimes don't know how attached you've become until it's time to say goodbye. I'm glad we still have four months to pack. (See blog above for my deep thought on packing)

I'll post pictures as soon as we have some. They should break ground within 6 weeks.

NO! NO! NO! NO!

Nicole will be two in March. Her favorite words are 'night night' and 'no'. The kids have been working hard to teach her how to say yes, but they haven't yet been successful. On Monday, I had a piece of candy I offered Nicole. She immediately said no, so I started putting it away. Naturally, she fussed because she really wanted it.

I said, "You have to say 'yes' if you want to eat the candy."

Nicole scrunched her face, twisted her mouth like she'd eaten a lemon, and said in a pained voice, "JJJJhhhhheeeeeesssss." And reached for the candy.

The things we do to teach our little ones to be positive!