How you know you live in SE Queen Creek

1. Mullets on a daily basis
2. Livestock on your way to the grocery store
3. Been stuck behind farm machinery getting to the post office
4. You drive 45 minutes to get to your doctor/dentist appointment
5. You're in the checkout lane at Fry's for twice the amount of time it took you to load your cart
6. You can count at least ten hybrid vehicles on your way up Ironwood Rd
7. Date night consists of McDonald's or Sonic and a quick stop at Walmart
8. You've ever said this: "We live out here, WHY?"
9. You too are praying for a Taco Bell and a Target
10. Wrangler's, boots and a ten-gallon hat in front of you in line at Blockbuster

Time For An Actual Update

So I finally got Ezra to sleep, Kleven is occupied in his room with his milk and a plate full of bologna and will hopefully pass out soon in that general area. I managed to find the way to my computer after tripping over a bazillion little plastic animals, a heaping pile of shoes that mysteriously found their way out of my closet, and finally what looks like a snow storm in the living room- which upon furthur inspection is the remains of the styrofoam packaging from an earlier delivery. Crickets are chirping behind the baseboard in here and I am so tempted to find a crowbar and put the stupid things out of their misery. Can't I just have a few moments of peace!!! There are dishes in the sink-of course, clean laundry that still needs folding, my bed is in need of sheets, Kleven needs more bologna, milk and now carrot sticks... seriously. And here I sit- on the computer when I could be doing so many other things. Theproblem is that I don't know where to start. I really wanted to get the floors cleaned before the pest control guys get here tomorrow, but that's so not gonna happen. Days like today completly wear me out. We got the oil changed in the Prius-which meant I got to leave the house twice today- once to follow Chris to drop the car off and again to take him back to get it. I did three loads of laundry, got Kleven's bed up off the floor and onto a boxspring and frame-finally!, watered our sad flower bed, took a shower, nursed off and on all day, read a pile of books, changed a thousand diapers, started cleaning my craft room, drew up plans for custom medicine cabinets in the master bathroom, vacuumed a few rooms, and somehow make myself presentable enough to go next door for cake and ice cream for Brad's 30th b-day!
...which leads into me feeling like a single parent with Chris in school these days. He is SO busy! He only has classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights- which conflict with my own activities throughout the month- but he meets with his "school groups" on occasion for projects and things. Most people would think I am spoiled to be a SAHM with a husband who works from home, but in my opinion it only makes it harder. The boys and I have to go about out daily routine without interrupting important phone calls or study sessions and its hard for Kleven especially when daddy comes out of his office to play for a few minutes but then has to get back to work and closes his door. I feel bad for whoever is on the other end of the phone when that boy starts pounding on and kicking the door while screaming at the top of his lungs.
Kleven has become quite a character these days. He all of the sudden started recognizing his letters and will randomly start reading letters off of things like the keyboard or Uncle Tyler's tailgate. I can point to any uppercase letter and 99% of the time he gets it right. I give all the credit to his nifty LeapFrog toys. I had nothing to do with it. His other new thing these days is shooting at things. He uses his fingers for a gun and points them at whatever or whoever it is that he dislikes at the moment. Like when I tell him "NO"- I get shot at. He doesn't have toy guns, but he has friends that do and our rule has always been that he can only shoot rabbits... thanks to Joe and Raynee :) I don't really know how to react to that behavior- I guess I'm just hoping its a phase he'll outgrow- SOON! Also- he begs me to go to school at least twice a day. I wish there were a structured Pre-PreSchool that would take an un-potty-trained two-year old. Anybody? Oh- and he eats like a snake. Hardly anything for a couple days and then all of the sudden he's cleaning out the fridge and the pantry in one motion.
Now it's Ezra's turn! Our chunky wee one is suddenly five months old- the fastest five months of my life! He has cut a tooth and had his first haircut all in the same week. He is such a happy baby! He sleeps well and eats really well, and is attempting to get his knees underneath himself to crawl but we don't encourage it so much this time around. We aren't in a hurry to get him mobile. He loves his big brother, his silky blanky, and drinking ice cold water from mom's cup... you should see the way he kicks and squeals when I'm standing at the fridge filling my glass. And he's SO strong! The way he grabs for everything in front of him... he so determined. I just love my boys- all three! That is what gets me through days like today. I know that the laundry and the dishes will never go away- but I feel so much at peace knowing that I spent quality time with my family. I can go to bed tonight-after I put the sheets back on- and feel like today really was a good day!

Sneak Preview!

I am always excited to get mail... (I assume most of you reading this can relate to the excitement that comes with getting mail) but yesterday was a Special mail day for me! I finally got my order of tin ceiling tiles! I have been bugging a manufacturer of this product to become a distributor for them for about a year now... the kinks aren't yet worked out but I can use my designer discount to order them anyway- so that makes me happy. Now I have to get to work finishing, mounting, and distressing... I have to have them done by October for a boutique in Mesa. More on that later....

7 Random Things About Chris

Chris was feeling a bit left out when he read my list so I told him he needed to post his own. That was a week ago...and seeing how he has had so little time to do so, I have taken the liberty of doing it for him! This should be fun!

1. Chris has lived in Utah, Idaho, Florida, Scottsdale, Russia, Tempe, Mesa, Higley, and Queen Creek in less than thirty years.
2. Chris was a cheerleader... (I was not! I merely hung around them a lot and after high school helped my brothers coach a squad)
3. He hates shredded meat and BBQ flavored foods; he claims he could live on bread and cheese alone.
4. He can speak Russian and learned Macedonian and SerboCroation- just in case we ever visit Bosnia, Serbia or Croatia!
5. He is a rock star-gone-family man. ( and I might add Handy-Man)
6. He hates to sleep under the sheets.
7. Chris has caught the "Green" bug- almost all our light bulbs have been changed out, he drives a Prius, and I believe we had an agreement this past week that our next house will be built out of entirely renewable and energy efficient materials.

It hard to keep this list to seven things. As I sit here pondering what I'm going to write next I can't help but dwell a bit on who is as a father, a husband and a man. I have so much respect for him and all that he does to support our family. He works so hard. He is a good role model to others. He has a passion for learning and he's a good student. He loves being a dad! He has righteous desires. I enjoy watching him change and develop into the kind of man our boys will strive to be like one day. Thank you for being you, babe! I love you! Now get back to studying- you have class tonight!

Oreo's and Toes for Breakfast

I have no idea how many Oreo's he actually ate. All I know is that there were a whole lot less in the box this morning than there were last night. And of course my sweet chubby one has found his feet. I didn't realize he liked the taste of baby lotion so much!