Number Nine

Nine years ago, on September 26, 1999, I became a mother when Richard Taylor Jackson III arrived two weeks early in Provo, Utah. What a miracle it was to welcome this new little life into our family. A blessed day indeed. What a ride it has been. Being a mother has been the most joyful and challenging job I could ever have. And that is because I have amazing kids. Trey was my number one. Lucky me. So here's to my sweet Trey. Happy Birthday kiddo. We love you. Enjoy your big day.

Nine Reasons To LOVE Trey!

1. Trey made me a mom. I loved the almost 2 years I had with him as my only buddy. I took him to work with me at my dad's office. He was my shopping buddy and constant companion. I did not leave him over night until I gave birth to Josh and Matt. I still love to sneak off for one on one time with my big man. He's a lot of fun to visit with and hang out with.

2. Trey is a great big brother. I guess that is what happens when you are the only single birth among twins. It doesn't matter that me made is debut alone. I actually think he really likes being different. He reads to Josh and Matt. He'll play and wrestle with Brynn and Kaitlyn and he loves to battle his brothers on the PS2. Yes, he usually is the boss creating the rules, but hey I guess you've earned being the oldest of five and the only one with out a buddy.

3. For the past five years each morning when woken, he sticks out his arm waiting for his cup of "special chocolate milk." He guzzles down his can of chocolate Ensure Plus. I love it. No matter what he eats for the rest of the morning, I know he started it off right.

4. I love Trey's passion for reading. He devours books like no other. There are so many stacks of books on the end of his bed that it makes it difficult to keep the covers straight. His teachers rave about his ability to read and he currently has the highest amount of reading count points in his class.

5. Trey is fantastic at spelling. I do not possess this gift. No matter what insane words his teacher throws out at him, by Friday he'll can spell them out perfectly. This takes so much pressure off me since I have to work with Josh and Matt on their lists as well.

6. Trey knows the scripture stories by heart. Our bishop gave him is own set of scriptures when he was baptized last year. Since then he has been plugging away reading the Book of Mormon on his own. Each night we read a story or two out of the Book of Mormon reader. With just a single word clue, Trey can repeat the story leaving out little detail. Truly amazing.

7. Trey has a big heart. He'll give me a big hug and kiss daily and tell me I'm a great mom. What better pick-me-up is there than that!? He cannot watch movies when children get into mischief and you know they'll get in trouble. He cannot watch a show where someone is going to be hurt. He has a soft heart. And if any of his siblings go missing, for even a few seconds here in the house, he's the one calling their names and searching for them until they are located. He really is a sweet, thoughtful boy.

8. Trey has a love of music. You can constantly find him at home or around town with a set of headphones on listening to the iPod. He loves finding new artists on iTunes. He memorizes the lyrics and has a great singing voice. He is excited to start piano lessons in January and is dying to learn how to play the guitar. I love singing along with him at home or in the car. Music can stir the soul and bring happiness into a dull day.

9. Rich often says Trey is my clone. From our personalities to our facial expressions we seem to mirror each other. For good or bad, I enjoy having a child that I understand. And while at times this can frustrate me to no end, I realize that its because I can see myself in him and I want him to be better than me. And I have no doubts that he will.

Love you TREY!! Happy number nine!

Obsessed

I have written before that I often have a one track mind. When I set my mind to do something, you really can't stop me, even sans husband and with five kiddos tagging along. I simply make up my mind, usually jot down a list and I'm off hurrying to work on the task. My focus shifts as fast as the first goal is complete. It doesn't take long to find something new to fill my mind and time with.

I think this quality is a mixed bag of sorts. It's great to focus and get things done. But does it always have to be right now? Probably not. But I still do it anyway. I have a hard time putting it off once I get going. Rich, the sweet husband he is, has known me long enough to just go along with me. You see patience is not always my strong point. Maybe that is why the Lord gave me two sets of twins. He knew I needed working on. Last week one of my goals was to collect these. Yes, they are Happy Meal toys. But do not be confused. These are not just any silly old toys. These are Madame Alexander Dolls and I've been collecting them for years. Since 2002 to be precise. I wrote an entire Tuesday Tell All Post about collections and these little beauties happened to be the main focus. I love them. And now my girls love them. Great minds seem to think alike. And of course we had to collect them all.

I may seem like a freak, but I do go to great lengths to find these little bits of plastic. I call different McDonald's to see which dolls they have that day. I went to 3 different restaurants in an afternoon. Why? Because I don't want to have to hunt and search and think about it for long. I simply want to get them and be done with it. Sure, I could have hopped on eBay and bought a set for $20.00, but that seemed a bit overkill. I could do this on my own. And my girls enjoyed it as much as I did.

It's always a nice moment when you get your hands on the last one and know your insane trips to McDonald's are over. It's not like I don't like the place, but one can only eat so many Happy Meals in a weeks time. Thank heavens for chocolate milk and apple dippers that last a bit longer than french fries and a coke.

The day I found out about the dolls was a bit crazy. I just happened to go inside McDonald's on a Friday two weeks ago so they girls could play a bit. Since school has started this has been our weekly ritual. Go to lunch with the boys at school and then hit McDonald's after for a bit of food and fun. When we walked in I wondered if they were still going to have the Star Wars toys Matt liked. You see I only get a Happy Meal if I REALLY like the toy. Otherwise I only buy from the dollar menu. My eyes moved toward the toy display and to my amazement I spotted the word Madame Alexander on the side and my heart skipped a beat.

Then two things happened. I realized I left my cell phone home so I couldn't call and tell my mom or Marcie the good news. Then I read the sign on the cash register that said CASH ONLY. Their credit card connection was down. Not good. I only had 40 cents to my name. Really not good since Kaitlyn was hyperventilating "Toy, Slide" and Brynn had already climbed by herself into one of those nasty child chairs and was relaxing as we stood in line. We had to make a hasty exit and it hurt me as much as the girls. I was dying to get the dolls. I told the girls I had no money and I needed cash. They started chanting "No Money, Cash." It was cute, but also totally true.

So we drove to the McDonald's down the street that does not have a playland. We exited the van and walked inside only to spy the SAME SIGN. Augh!! Now I was desperate. I had to remove two VERY HUNGRY girls from our second McDonald's and quickly get to our bank. School pick up time was fast approaching and I was not going home empty handed. Plus I don't think the girls would have let me.

We finally got to the ATM up the street and the fellow ahead of us was having a very hard time working the machine. Seven minutes later (I know I was watching the clock) with 5 cars lined up behind me, I finally withdrew the needed cash that my daughters were cheering for. I happily held up the twenty dollar bill and smiled 'Cash'. We were finally in business.

We raced to McDonald's breezed through the empty drive thru (glad to know I'm not the only American with no real money in her wallet) and got a Dorothy and Glinda doll. Heaven. When I got home I called my mom, left a message with Marcie and sent out emails to family and friends that I knew collected. A week later we had all 12 dolls. Really we probably have like 20 dolls, but whose counting. Oh yeah, Rich is, but like I said he plays along. Thanks babe. Really.Obsessed? Maybe. Relieved it's over. YES! I'm a nut, but a happy nut with really cute dolls my girls are constantly packing around and playing with. Good times. Good times. Now I'll have to find something new to do. Oh yeah, like transfer ALL my photos to my external hard drive so I can once again upload photos from my camera. Like I said the fun never stops around here. Even for a moment....

FACTS

The real story behind the "FACTS" of life....

FACT: The school called last Wednesday. It was Matt's teacher. She kindly asked me if there was something going on with Matt. Puzzled I answered "No." She continued, " Has anything been going on at home?" Holding in my panic I said, "What do you mean?" "Well, Matt fell asleep in class this morning. Is he on any medicine or does he have any health related issues?" Oh my goodness. I felt relief and embarrassment at the same time. "Nope. He just stayed up a bit too late last night. His grandparents are flying in today. And we had a crazy weekend with Trey breaking his arm," was my reply. "I promise to get him to be EARLY tonight."

BAD: Never in my life has the school called to tell me my child had drifted off to sleep leaving the teacher worried and confused. Yes, I remember little Tyler Orton falling asleep during singing time in 1st grade and kind Mrs. Hales told the rest of us to let him be. He had been up early taking care of the animals. Sadly I had no such excuse. Wake up call to me and our bad sleeping habits.

GOOD: Kids have been in bed as early as 8 PM since last week. A true miracle for us. And it's great. I have to admit, I'd happily take a phone call like that if it helps transform me into a new, bedtime driven woman.


FACT: Last week my little brother Jeff called and asked me if I would like to use their extra Oprah ticket. He and his wife called for FIVE consecutive hours the day the tickets for the 2008-2009 season were released, finally got through and their intense diligence was rewarded with 4 tickets to her show. The taping would be on October 1, 2008. And I would need to be Chicago at the Harpo Studios no later that 7:15 AM that morning.

BAD: I have 5 littles, a hubby who works insane hours, has no control of his schedule and a plane ticket to Chicago with only one week advance would be FAR out of my budget. This would be a no go, but I truly appreciated the generous and thoughtful offer. Hopefully it will work out down the road one day.

GOOD: The day after the phone call from Jeff, I called my mom. She happily told me she would be the one using the Oprah ticket. I was beyond thrilled. It was perfect. She would be flying out to Milwaukee on Monday, September 29, which happens to be my brother Brad's birthday and he lives in Milwaukee too. She would be going to Celine Dion with Jeff and Sarah on Monday night, celebrating Brad's birthday, and would drive to Chicago with Sarah and the two other ladies. I would have thought it was fun to see Oprah. She's ecstatic. She even googled "What to wear on the Oprah show." Not white or cream. I loved it. So glad the ticket found its way to its rightful owner. PARTY ON MY FAMILY IN WISCONSIN!!

FACT: Trey broke his arm, making it impossible for him to throw a birthday party at the Kid's Place since all you do is climb up rope jungle gyms like at Sea World and run wild with your friends.

BAD: He was sad not to have a party. He told me he would rather not have one at the house (we are on a every other year party plan), but wait until next year and have it at the Kid's Place.

GOOD: Since there was no party to host or plan, we came up with an alternative celebration: A Day in Louisville. Far better than spending $100 at a place swarming with kids and chaos. The kids were not in school, we we headed west around 1 PM, spent a few hours crashing at the Underwoods (A MUST on Trey's birthday wish list) and had a magical night at the Bluegrass Balloon Festival. Amazing, beautiful and must be repeated every year until we move. Perfect and a special birthday Trey will never forget.

FACT: Trey turned 9 on September 26, 2008.

BAD: I only have 10 more years until I send this boy out on his own to serve an LDS mission. I have been married for 11 1/2 years. Time goes by TOO FAST! I freaked out the other day realizing he'll be dating girls in 7 years. Josh and Matt turned 7 in June. Where is my life going?

GOOD: I get 10 more years of having Trey home with us. I get a decade longer to teach him the ropes of life, build his testimony, instill values and help aid him in making his dreams come true. Even when he grows up, I'll ALWAYS, ALWAYS be his mother. And everyone needs their mom no matter how old you get.

FACT: Brynn is potting training herself. None of my other children did this. Ever.

BAD: This means she is constantly stripping down to nothing, hoping on and off the potty and rarely goes. Kaitlyn often decides she wants to join in the fun, gets naked too and then the two of them battle out in the bathroom about who gets to sit on the toilet. And we are still going through at least 10 diapers a day. Minimum.

GOOD: None of my other children had in inkling of using the toilet until well over 3 years of age. Brynn is so thrilled when she goes, she glows and talks about it for a full five minutes (that's like a eternity for a 2 year old.). Every time she goes, she insists on calling someone. Thanks to all who kindly listen to her near undecipherable conversation. "Poop potty. I big girl." Yes, you are. And Kaitlyn's sweet rebuttal "Me poop. Nope. All gone." Makes me laugh every time.

FACT: The girls love to tidy up. They love to help. They love to clean with Mom's cleaning supplies. They used the last inch of liquid Joy to clean my leather couches in the living room last week.

BAD: They used an INCH OF LIQUID JOY to clean my COUCH!

GOOD: I have the cleanest couches around. Promise.

FACT: My computer's C drive is beyond full. Often when I try to open 2 Internet links it will shut down my connection- too much information for it to handle. I am unable to correctly download photos from my cameras.

BAD: I am unable to download much needed pictures from my camera. Freaking out here! There are so many pictures I want to post (Jackson's visit, Trey's birthday, balloon glow) and my computer is not allowing me too. Not good. Not at all.

GOOD: Searched Amazon.com for a great little external hard drive and hopefully by tomorrow my cool new gadget that holds TWO MILLION photos should be arriving via free shipping (I love that!). I can't wait. But I have to admit, the reason my hard drive is full is a good one. I mean, when is having too many photos a bad thing? And I know the real culprit that caused my current situation- my new fabulous camera. The night I downloaded the software, my computer was sunk. Oh well. Sometimes you've gotta pay the price for the good stuff. And I'm willing to pay the price. Until tomorrow. Then I'm praying I can fix my problem. Wish me luck.

FACT: Rich's call schedule one week off, one week on for an entire month. This adds up to one horrible month, but then some extra downtime after since he has no call the next (about) 6 weeks after.

BAD: His weeks on call are long for him. Late nights at the hospital, early mornings with the boys. He was unable to come to the Balloon Glow with us. He won't be able to come to Perryville Battlefield with us on October 10th. He'll be on call for the Sunday session of LDS General Conference. He will be on call on his birthday on October 9th. Being on call really stinks. Over worked, under paid and a very stressful job.

GOOD: After reading every film, every scan, he gains more knowledge and become better at his job. He is not on over night call until January. He is NOT on call when Trey broke his arm. He was NOT on call when his parents came in town. He was NOT on call in the morning of Trey's birthday. He will be off on Saturday- a soccer game, baseball game, conference and priesthood meeting. Oh yeah, and when he's on call I don't cook. Drive thru here we come. Not bad for us. Or my kitchen. It finally stays clean.

FACT: Rich will spend all of February 2009 living in Washington DC for medical training.

BAD: One month alone in dark, cold February with my kiddos here in Lexington, KY.

GOOD: He gets the weekends off, so hopefully he'll visit us. It gets dark early, which means neighborhood kids won't be ringing my door bell at 8 PM. I might just get my kids to bed EARLY every night. And one full month of not cooking, playing games for FHE and being mom and dad to my kids. Bonding experience for sure.

FACT: The first day of fall was September 21, 2008. It was 90 degrees outside. Really. And we haven't had real rain in 2 months.

BAD: It would seem inappropriate to pull out my darling Frankenstein and set him up on the porch when I would be sweating and getting possible heat stroke from the work it would require. My lovely flowers are still blooming bright, but the poor grass is nearly dead from drought. And I miss my lovely mountains showing the early changes of the leaves. After 8 years of living away, it is still something I long for.

GOOD: Last Friday there was finally a bit of chill in the air. While it certainly isn't sweater weather, I think I'll be happy to pull out the Halloween decor on Wednesday, October 1- the first official day of Halloween. I'm smiling all ready. With the coolness in the air, I'm ready to bake pumpkin bread, make soup, pull out the Jack-o-Lantern soap and burn the 'Leaves' candle. Man, I do LOVE fall. Love it completely. Even if the leaves have just barely begun to change an my girls are running around in shorts and flip flops. That's OK. It's coming and that is enough.

FACT: Good times. Good Memories. GREAT FAMILY. One very happy, blessed girl.

Life

As seen through the eyes of Kaitlyn and Brynn.... Brynnie BrynnMiss KaitlynBrynn's Motto: Life's too short. Never slow down. Except to give loves to the neighbors cat or pick delicious strawberries.NEVER let mom put a bow or clippie in your hair! (no matter how hard she tries...) And always eat the good things first. Like Tic Tacs for breakfast.Kaitlyn's Motto: I am as sweet as I look. I might be a bit more shy, but I love to be silly, dance and I give the best hugs around. Really.My mom loves it when I say, "Oh man!" or "Oh gosh!"My little MamasPutting babies to bed.SAY CHEESE!Smile for the camera!Now check the LCD screen. (I have no idea where they get it from!)One cannot take too many photos of your babies.Brynn's tried and true techniqueKaitlyn is a bit more steady on her shots.Making do with camera #2Click, click, clickAnytime is a great time for a picnic.Anywhere. Day or night. Inside or out. We'll make ourselves at home. MAKEUP!!

Lovely.FASHION! Make it colorful and FUN!And don't forget to DANCE!Ring around a rosie, a pocket full of posiesAshes, ashes We all fall down!Partners in Crime. Two peas in a pod. Very Best Friends. Perfect.