Found it!

It has definately been one of those weeks.

I'm sure we all know what I'm talking about.

I forgot to send Landon's lunch money check so many times that the school actually mailed me a 'free and reduced price lunch' application.

I sent Austin to school with his invention convention project only to find out that the due date and judging were finished the day before.

A certain couple of my children (they will remain unnamed...) came home with mid-term report cards riddled with missing homework assignments (most of which turned out to be in their binders...).  Hmmm, I wonder where the organizational handicap came from?

I intended to post some pictures of our President's Day weekend but I haven't been able to find my camera or purse all week.  I wasn't terribly worried because I had my wallet and there really isn't anything of value in my purse...  It turns out both (purse and camera) were in the pile of winter clothes (from the previously mentioned fun President's Day weekend) next to the washer that didn't get sorted until an hour ago when Landon desperately searched through everything to find his snowboarding gloves.  They were found, but unfortunately they spent the week in a damp pile of coats and they smell like a wet dog.  So...in an attempt to compensate for my poorly organized week (will I regret weeks like this in my old age?  that is one of my biggest fears...), I am sitting up waiting for the wash cycle to finish on the washer so I can put the gloves in the dryer and Landon can go snowboarding tomorrow with his clean-smelling gloves. 

As far as physical organization around here we are actually doing pretty well.  We have a good system with the kids rooms going.  I must say that I love the hangers from Costco that are black and kind of velvety.  Awesome.  Since the four boys share a room, we have to be very particular about what gets to stay in the room.  

Each boy  has two big totes that fit under the bunk beds.  (I need to take a picture of that project one of these days.) And each boy also gets one drawer (in the only dresser that fits in the room) to keep his own stuff.  Or course it only takes ONE day of someone throwing clothes on the floor and the room is {trashed} as Landon would say.  But it doesn't take long to pick up.  Everyone has been doing great getting homework done (turned in??) and getting instruments practiced as long as I hold the controls of the Wii hostage until it is all done.  Amazing what a little bribe will do.

I would definately say that the organizational issues are mostly in my head.  I don't mean I'm exaggerating them, I mean that I can keep physical things around me fairly organized (except for socks) but I cannot keep my kids and all the activities and deadlines and motherly chores organized.  ugg.

Thankfully I have friends who understand me and call regularly to remind me and give me ten minute warnings when it is time for things like birthday parties, scouts or my week to teach in Relief Society.  Really, I would be lost without Brittany's scheduling reminders for me.  I'll have to remind her to remind me to say thanks sometime!   

Random Sunday...

Did you know that baboons eat gazelles?

Or that the Sperm whale dives to the very bottom of the ocean and eats giant squid?

We must thank National Geographic for this exciting Sunday of trivia.

Dallin stumped Rustin (first time ever?!) in our family-invented children-need-an-activity-that-doesn't-involve-wrestling, church trivia game--

Q: Did Martin Harris believe the church was true.

A: Yes, he did.

"WRONG!" Dallin announced with a smirk.

Correct answer:  He didn't believe, he "knew" the church was true. 
That little tidbit was picked up from the youth trip last summer to the pageant "Martin Harris:  the man who knew."  Those who knew him at the end of his life wrote that Martin Harris told everyone around him the he didn't believe the church was true, he knew it. 

Smarty pants.

We found some really old home movies from Tennessee.  We made some caramel corn so we could properly enjoy them. They were hilarious to watch.  We realized that we have lived entire chunks of our lives that seemed totally important at the time that we don't even remember now.  What a strange thought.  I wonder what we won't remember from today...

And after much trial and error I have found my favorite Sunday morning muffin recipe that doesn't require pumpkin or applesause (which I may or may not have on hand...).

Cinnamon Spice muffins

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated!!)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/3 c. margarine melted

1 egg

on top:

1/2 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the dry stuff and then add the wet stuff.  stir just until combined.  I  used my brand new pampered chef 3 oz. scoop to measure the batter into muffin pans and they were perfect.  Sprinkle about 1 tsp of cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of each muffin before baking.

Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes.  Or in a convection oven--375 for 13-14 minutes.`

 I double this recipe.  And just in case you're wondering, if you accidentally add twice the amount of sugar called for and don't realize it (of course we are never distracted on Sunday mornings...) until too late, the muffins are still great.

inspiration

I think I've mentioned before that these winter gray skies are playing with my mind. 

So I have been in search of new foods and I have found the best source of inspiration ever!

www.thepioneerwoman.com

  **c If you're bored or your husband is gone for days at a time you should read the black heels to tractor wheels story on the home page of the site.  Totally entertaining!

We ate it all and even gave a couple of bowls to the downstairs missionaries.  

I also made these delicious cupcakes last weekend.  

 

They were as good as they look.  Just for fun (and because we love peanut butter) we put a Reese's peanut butter cup in the center instead of the Hershey's kiss.  Then we smeared a layer of smooth peanut butter on the top of the cupcakes before we dipped them in the ganache.  

YUM...

Rustin and Dal and Lan went up skiing today.  Actually the twins are snowboarding.  Let's get that straight.  They were all thrilled to be able to get out of dodge.

We have Stake Conference this weekend which means Rustin will be gone most of the day Saturday but he will get to sit with us on Sunday. Yea!

Benson is bouncing around me the last few days.  He is currently randomly inserting letters as I type, so excuse any unnoticed typos.  

r3evdc dbtghkiklo;[[]]]]]]]]]

An oldie

This is the oldest picture I have on our computer.  Little Jenna.  We are still so happy to have a recessive-gene eyed child! I still remember that day in the hospital when I realized that I had a daughter.  I could wrap her in a pink blanket and put bows in her hair! Precious. 

She is a delight in ways so different from her brothers.  She plans and prepares ahead (imagine that!).  She has to take 100 small treats to school on Friday for the 100th day celebration (nothing else to do in early February...) and she has already got it all ready to go. 

Right now she is a jump-rope enthusiast.  Its always fun to watch her grow.