Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Lillia's eye drama!
Posted by Gini at 11:45 AM 7 comments
Thursday, April 17, 2008
my little runaway
Bennett had a really difficult day today. He was a little off when he came home from school, but he said everything was o.k. He even got all his work finished at school, which doesn't happen very often. We were in the middle of cleaning the house when he got home so I gave him a list of his chores and he got to work. A little later I found him screaming at Isabel. Apparently they had different cleaning strategies and so I split them up by giving them jobs in separate rooms. I thought things were o.k. and then a little later Isabel was crying and Bennett was screaming again. Come to find out, Isabel was putting a toy away and had to walk by where Bennett was cleaning. Bennett didn't want Isabel in the same space and threw a hat at her, which hit her in the eye. Instead of apologizing he started screaming at her, telling her to get out and not to come back. I was really angry and told him, yelled at him, to knock it off, and to control his temper! While I was mad, I was screaming at him to control his temper! (quick someone sign me up for mother of the year!) A little later, Bennett finished his chores, so I said he could go out and play ball with his Dad. I was finishing up with the laundry, and having the kids put their clothes away. I called outside for Bennett and didn't see him, so I asked Jason to check upstairs in his room. Bennett wasn't there, so Jason went outside to look around while I checked the rest of the house. For some reason my kids think it is funny to hide in closets and under beds while I'm looking for them, so I was searching the house. Still no Bennett, I got this feeling that He had run away. He has never does this before, but I really felt that I needed to drive around and look for him. I quickly headed out the door, and went to the school first, thinking that he would go somewhere familiar, but no luck. I thought, maybe he went to his grandparents house, so I headed that way. About two miles down the road, I see Bennett walking on the side of the road. He has his back pack on, stuffed full, with his hockey stick poking out. I pull up along side of him and ask where he is going, he says "I don't know." I open the door and tell him to get in, trying really hard not to get mad, but the thought of all the bad things that could have happened to him start racing through my mind, and through my tears, started asking what he was thinking, where was he going, where did he think he would eat dinner and sleep. Then I saw my purse on the car seat, opened with my wallet out and opened. So I ask, "Bennett, did you take my money?" He shakes his head yes, and says "I thought I would need some for food." I was so angry by this point I thought I had better not say anything else, until I calmed down. We got home and Jason took him out and had a talk, then they headed to baseball. When they got home Bennett said he was sorry, and that he was mad because he felt like no one in his family loves or cares about him. We had a long talk, and I told him how much we all love him, that it is o.k. to get mad, but not o.k. to take it out on the people around him. I hope it sunk in, but I am really worried about him. He is at a really hard age, he is no longer a little kid, but still not a teen, and is feeling lost. I tried to explain to him about puberty, and that he would sometimes fell sad or angry because of the chemical changes in his body, and that it's o.k. to feel this way. That it's normal, but it is not o.k. to act out in these ways. That he can always talk to me about anything, and I will always be there for him. I don't know if it helped. I can remember trying to run away when I was little, and I think I turned out o.k. Maybe I am making to much of this. It just really freaked me out. Does anyone have any advice on ten year old's? I need help!
Posted by Gini at 8:40 PM 6 comments
Saturday, April 12, 2008
summer race schedule
Since spring has finally sprung, I am planning out what races I will be doing this summer. I have tried to find one a month, so that I stay motivated. I would love to run these with someone else, so if anyone is interested, let me know. Most of these races have a 5k, 10k, 13.1, and 26.2. So even if your not up to the 13 miles, you could do 3 or 6 miles. I am planning on running the half in all of them.
June 14th: Bear Lake 1/2 marathon
July 19th: Bryce Canyon marathon
(I was planning on doing the Boise, fit for life race, but Tresa reminded me it was the same day as Whitney's wedding!)
August 23rd: Mesa Falls marathon
August 30th: Salt Lake 1/2 marathon and relay
September ?: Rim to Rim in Twin Falls (this one is only 7.5 miles, but I have heard it is really hard.)
Hope to hear from some one who wants to run with me!!
Posted by Gini at 2:51 PM 7 comments
family ride
Posted by Gini at 2:09 PM 5 comments
message to Ava
The Erickson family is a tight group of people. Not just the siblings, but the cousins as well. Since Jed, Emily and Ava have moved away for school, my kids have taken it kind of hard. They love Ava so much, and miss her. The little ones don't understand why they can't go play at Ava's house today. We explain the best we can, that they have moved far away and it is a long trip to go and visit, but the kids, Will especially, don't like that reasoning at all! We just watched a video of Ava on their blog, and the kids couldn't stop laughing. At the end of the video, Ava said "when are you going to come visit me?" Well this started up the whole conversation again. No we can't go see Ava today...etc. So the kids decided to make a video for Ava to let her know how much they miss her. As you can tell it was scripted, they decided before hand who would say and do what. It took three takes before they were happy with the video!
Ava, We hope you like the video we made for you, and we hope you are having fun in Chicago!! WE LOVE YOU!!!
Always,
Bennett, Isabel, Evan, and Will
Posted by Gini at 11:11 AM 2 comments
Friday, April 11, 2008
funny questions
I was sitting down eating lunch today with Evan and Will. We had the funniest conversation, it went something like this:
Evan: Mom, what day is it?
Me: It's Friday.
Evan: What day is it the day after that?
Me: It's Saturday.
Evan: What day is it after that day?
Me: It's Sunday.
Evan: What day is it after that.
Me: Well, that's Monday. (thinking this was the day he was looking for, since earlier he asked what day he had school again, but Evan continued)
Evan: What day is it after that?
Me: It's Tuesday. Evan why do you want to know?
Evan: Well, when is it going to be tomorrow?
Me: (through the laughter) Since today is Friday, tomorrow will be Saturday.
Evan: How can Saturday be, Saturday and tomorrow?
By now I was laughing to hard to answer. But really, how do you explain tomorrow to a five year old? Where do they come up with these questions? Sometimes they are to smart for their own good! This is just a normal conversation around the table in my house. I love my kids! They make my day a little brighter.
Posted by Gini at 1:30 PM 1 comments
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Baseball draft
Picture this, the sun is shining and temperatures are upper 40's, no wind at all, kids outside playing baseball enjoying the nice spring weather and preparing for baseball tryouts later in the day. Everyone very excited about the nice weather. Now picture this, Black skies, whipping wind, mixed snow and hail, temperatures lower 30's. Kids outside in winter coats and hats trying to play their best baseball for the coaches who will be drafting them later that night. Trying desperately to catch the balls with frozen hands and feet, and trying to run, but slipping on the now snow covered grass.
Posted by Gini at 11:23 AM 3 comments
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Over active tongue!
Lillia has always had a "thing" for her tongue. When she was born she came out licking her lips and sticking the thing out as far as she could. She seriously did it for hours. Even now she comes crawling up to me with her tongue sticking out as far as it will go, panting like a dog. She even gives kisses with her tongue!(that's actually a little gross) I don't pretend to understand it and I'm sure she will eventually grow out of it, but for now, it is one of the funniest thing she does, so I thought I'd share it.
Posted by Gini at 10:17 AM 5 comments
Sunday, April 6, 2008
conference weekend
I have been extremely worn down lately. Feeling the weight of being a mother of five, a wife, a sister, and even a daughter. I think the stress of my Mom's sickness has really gotten to me. It is so difficult when someone you love is sick and there is nothing you can do to help. I think that most women including myself, are born fixers. We see a problem and we just want to fix it, right here and now. I want to be in control, I want to find a solution. With my Mom's cancer, I feel very helpless. I want to help her, but I can't.
I have also been feeling a bit overwhelmed with being a Mom. I hope I am not the only one who feels this way from time to time. When you feel like your best is not enough. When you feel as if every effort you make goes unnoticed and unappreciated, and every decision you make is the wrong one, and you wonder if you are totally screwing up your kids!!
O.k. I do have a point, I promise this blog entry is not all gloom and doom. My point is I was so very excited to hear conference this weekend. I needed it so badly. To feel the spirit speak to me that every thing will be alright. I was not disappointed!! Conference was wonderful. It is amazing how a few hours can makes weeks of heartache disappear. How wonderful is the gospel that it can make even hard times make sense.
My three favorite talks were President Monsons, Elder Russell Ballards, and Elder David Bednars. President Monsons talk inviting the "less active, the offended, the critical, the transgressor" to come back "and feast at the table of the lord and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the saints." I loved that comment, and thought of my own brothers as he spoke. I loved that I could see that he truly meant it as he said, "come back". I could feel his love for them as he spoke. I also enjoyed his closing comments about his family and his wife. Its good to see his sense of humor. Jason told me that at the priesthood session he talked of a little boy he noticed at a conference that he spoke at. This boy kept copying his every move. When he would scratch his head, the boy would scratch his head, if he crossed his legs the boy would cross his legs. The whole meeting this little boy copied him like this. So when he got up to speak, he wiggled his ears. Jason was laughing so hard at this, because our new prophet has, well, very large ears, and he said watching him wiggle them was quite the sight. President Monson said he knew that this was one thing this little boy could not do. He is such an awesome man, and it was very cool getting to sustain him.
Elder Ballard's talk, was for me, very uplifting. To hear the wonderful comments he made on mothers and how difficult and yet wonderful, motherhood can be, I felt as if he was talking directly to me. I liked the comment he made that "there is no one perfect way to be a good mother" he said what matters is that " a mother loves her children deeply, and in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." He also urges young mothers to live in the moment more, enjoying each day of their child's development, but still encouraging mothers to take time for themselves. Reminding us that we only have them in our homes for a very short period of time. I do think this is something I need to do more. I feel like I often rush through the day and my to do list, not taking the time to really enjoy my kids. I really needed this wonderful talk.
I also loved Elder Bednar's talk about prayer and action. It helped me to see that even though I feel helpless right now with my Mom's illness, I can take action and through prayer, get the answers I need. I feel so full of love and the spirit tonight. I am truly thankful for a prophet to guide and lead us. I know that President Monson is a true prophet, I know that the quorum of the twelve and the seventy have been called of God to serve today. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ is the only true church on the earth today. I am thankful for my savior Jesus Christ and for his atoning sacrifice he made for me. I am thankful for my Father in heaven, who I know loves me, and has made a way for me to return and live with him again. I am thankful for the plan of salvation, that I can be with my family forever . I am thankful for the Holy Ghost, that he bares witness of these things to me. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Posted by Gini at 9:18 PM 8 comments
Thursday, April 3, 2008
JASON
How long have you been married?
We got married in December 1996. Going on 12 years now, WOW!
How long did you date?
We only dated for two months before we got engaged! I know it's pretty fast. I can remember Megan saying "wow, you guys are sure moving fast." It was before I really knew Megan, and didn't quite know what to make of the comment. But, she was right. We were moving fast and it all worked out o.k.
How old is he?
Jason is 35, five years older than me. His family likes to tease him about that fact a lot. Especially since I'm younger than his younger sister, Susan and his younger brothers wife, Megan.
Who eats more sweets?
With out a doubt, I do. I have a weakness for sweets.
Who said "I love you" first?
Jason did, although he now denies it. It was after only three days, which I clearly remember because I thought it was kinda weird. I didn't say it for a while after he did, but I do remember wanting to say it long before I did.
Who is taller?
Jason is taller, but not by much. When I wear heels, we are the same.
Who can sing better?
I sing better, although I think if Jason tried he could really sing. He is always trying to sing as bad as he possibly can. Especially when he gets with his brothers.
Who is smarter?
I think we both have our strong subjects, but over all, Jason.
Who does the laundry?
I do the laundry and Jason does the ironing. I think it's a good combination.
Who does the dishes?
Mostly me, but every now and then when I've had a hard day, he does them. It makes me smile. :)
Who pays the bills?
Jason does, I have no idea what is in the account. I spend and he gets upset, it's kinda our thing. Jason is really good with the money and takes great care of me and the kids.
What are his hobbies?
Roping, roping and more roping!!! He also loves to play basketball, golf, and tennis.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Jason does. I don't know why really, we just have always slept that way. It's funny how that happens.
What are his guilty pleasures?
My cookies, he loves my cookies, and I love to bake, so it's a good match!
Who mows the lawn?
Jason does now, but before we got a tractor lawn mower we shared that job.
Who is his best friend?
His best friends are his brothers. They have so much fun together, and it's really funny to sit and listen to them talking, I laugh until my side hurts.
Who cooks?
I do ALL the cooking. He tries every now and then, but for all our sakes, I cook. Once for my birthday, he made me breakfast. He made pancakes from scratch, because I like them so much better than the mix. He put in way to much baking soda, I mean WAY to much. Isabel took the first bite and told me they were really gross. So I tried a bite, and because he had gone through so much trouble I smiled and swallowed the bite. Jason saw right through me, and took a bite of the pancake, and about threw up! So i figured that I didn't have to eat them. The pancake seriously bubbled in my mouth. I do love him for trying.
Who drives?
Jason does all the driving. Every now and then when we are on a long trip he will have me drive when he gets tired. I think it's a guy thing.
Who wears the pants?
I think that depends on the issue, but we pretty much share the pants.
Who kissed who first?
I made the first move, and Jason was happy to go along with it. I am not shy about that stuff. I also made the first move when we met. We were at a club and I saw him watching me, so I asked him to dance. The rest is history...
What was your first date?
Jason took me horse back riding. It was really cool, except I am allergic to horses. I didn't know this because I had never been around horses before. I spent most of the night sneezing and blowing my nose. To be honest, I was a little surprised we had a second date!
Who proposed?
Jason proposed. Jason had a roping in Winnemucca Nevada, and asked me to go with him for the weekend. At first I told him no, because I had to work, but he was very persistent, so I rearranged my schedule so I could go. I didn't drive at the time so he had to come to Bozeman to pick me up (three hour drive) just to turn around and drive back and head to Nevada. I thought It was crazy to do all this extra driving just so I could watch him rope. We had only been in the car about an hour and Jason said he needed to get out and stretch. So he got out and I stayed in the car.( I didn't realize that he wanted me to get out also) He casually says "will you get my sun glasses out of the jockey box for me"(the "jockey box" is the glove compartment for all you normal people) I opened the "jockey box" and saw the ring box sitting there. I looked over at Jason and he was just grinning, it was really cute. I opened the box and saw the ring, gave a little squeal and jumped out of the car. Jason then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Now remember we were just on the side of the road, so all these cars were driving by honking. It was pretty funny. I said yes and he put the ring on my finger. It was about ten times to big!! It didn't even fit on my thumb. So on the way through Pocatello, where he bought the ring, we stopped and had it sized. I was not to happy because I had just been given the ring and now I had to give it up for a week!! He later told me that he was going to wait and ask me over a romantic dinner but he was so nervous and couldn't wait that long! He is so cute. When we got to Winnemucca, a lot of his family and friends were there for the roping. We told them we were engaged, but no one believed us. They thought we were joking because I didn't have a ring. Talk about rubbing salt in my wound!! Every time we drive past that spot on that highway, we look and say AHHHH. I know were cheesy.
Who has more siblings?
We both come from large families, but Jason's is bigger. He has 5 sisters and 3 brothers.
What is your favorite thing about him?
I have so many things I love about Jason. I love how adventurous he is. He is always up for anything even if he has never done it before. I love what a good Daddy he is, the kids adore him and look forward to spending time with him. I love how he takes care of me and the kids, and how we never have to worry. I love his competitive spirit, he is so much fun to watch when he's roping or playing basketball or tennis. He gets so into it, and he is really good. He's pretty much good at everything he tries, which can make me sick sometimes, but I really do like that about him. I love how he can talk to anyone, even if they are a total stranger, he can start up a conversation and talk forever.(he gets that from his Dad.) I love his smile. He has a smile that brightens my day. Even when I am in a bad mood, he will smile and it makes me smile.I love that I can be myself around him, and know that he won't criticize or make fun of me.(I am a big dork!!) He is a great husband and father and I still, after eleven years of marriage, feel that I am lucky to be with him.
I tag Yumi and Rachel!
Posted by Gini at 7:31 PM 9 comments
U of U gymnastics
Isabel and I went to a U of U gymnastics meet on Friday. Trena had a few extra tickets and since Isabel is a big gymnastics fan, we were all over it. We had the best time. We left for Utah after Isabel got out of school Friday and we met up with my Aunt and Uncle, Kathy and Lance. Two of my most favorite people in the entire world!! They are awesome. They took us out to dinner, and then off to the meet where we met up with Kirk and Trena and the kids. Isabel and I had never been to a gymnastics meet before, and didn't really know what to expect. It was quite the show! When it started, the lights went off and as they introduced the team, the fireworks and the strobe lights got going. I felt like I was at a concert. Utah's team is ranked number two in the nation and beat the number one ranked team. They rocked, so it wasn't really a fair match against BYU. There is one girl on Utah's team that really stood out of the crowd, Ashley Postell. She was really amazing and so much fun to watch. She got a perfect ten on the beam, which was I think, the coolest part of the night. She did a back handspring, 3/4, into a handstand on the beam!!! It was incredible! She didn't even wobble. It is all Isabel has talked about since we've been home. We had such a fun time, thank you Trena for the tickets!!
Posted by Gini at 6:46 PM 2 comments
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Our little gymnast
Isabel has been taking gymnastics for quite a while now. She is getting really good, and can now do a back handspring on the trampoline by herself, but is still a little nervous to do one on the mat with out a spotter there to catch her, just in case she falls. Her coach says she is ready to do it, and barely touches her when she is spotting her. But Isabel is still to afraid. Hopefully she will have enough self confidence soon. We are going to Utah on Friday to a U of U gymnastics meet. Isabel is really excited to see the gymnasts compete. She has never competed before, and the competitor in her is really excited to start. I don't think she is quite ready for that just yet, but soon.
After our crazy schedule last summer with three kids playing baseball and soccer, and me coaching two soccer teams with Lillia in tow, we told the kids they would each have to just choose one sport this summer. Isabel was devastated!!! She cried and cried and just could not decide which sport was her favorite. She even started having nightmares about it! So I gave in, and told them they could play both. So I guess it will be another crazy summer! I can hardly wait until next summer when Will is old enough to play also! (can you hear the sarcasm dripping from my voice?):) I really try not to over schedule my kids, but now Isabel has gym, piano, and soon baseball, and soccer will over lap for a week or so!! She is definatly our little athlete. The boys enjoy it, but don't really care about the compitition. Isabel wants to get down and dirty!!! She gets that from her Dad!!(that is not at all on the Browns side!)
Posted by Gini at 5:10 PM 14 comments
Easter Sunday
The kids looked so nice on Sunday morning in all their Easter clothes. They really wanted to wear them to Grandma's house and hunt for their Easter eggs in them, but Mom is just to mean to let them do that! I think it was about 42 degrees, and where the snow had melted, was now a mud patch. So the nice white things got put away after church.
We went to Grandma and Grandpa Erickson's for dinner and fun. Johnnie and Treena, J.T. and Amanda, and Jake and the kids were also there. Megan was not feeling well, so couldn't come. (we missed you Megan!) Dinner was great, as always, and I had planned a few games. First we had the Easter egg hunt. There were a few places out in their yard where the snow had melted, and the kids had fun running around finding the eggs. I had to keep reminding Bennett and Isabel that the little kids needed to find some eggs too! They were really good at sharing and put the eggs back for Evan, Will, and Malory to find. After that we had the "guess how many jelly beans are in the jar" game. After some very different guesses (we had all the way up to 9000, thanks to Will) Grandpa ended up guessing the closest and winning the jar of jelly beans! There were actually 635 in the jar, I know because I counted every "flippin" bean! Next came the spoon race. I paired up the kids according to their age, so Isabel and Bennett, Evan and Jace, and Mallory and Will raced against each other. It was so funny to watch. We played this game out on the deck, since it was the driest place. I think the kids enjoyed this game the most. Although it was pretty tricky for Malory and Will. The last game we played was the egg toss. I had the "big kids" play this one with us. I think that was a mistake, because Jason, Jake, and John don't follow directions very well! They were throwing it when they were not supposed to and throwing it up as high as they could. It was very unorganized! Grandma and Grandpa, ended up winning even through all the confusion. I think they have been practicing! If the Olympics had an egg toss competition, those two could enter and win the gold! We had a wonderful Easter and hope everyone else did as well!
I have to apologize to Jace, From where I was standing it looked like Evan won, but after watching the video I think that was a tie!! Good job Jace, nice comeback!
Posted by Gini at 3:27 PM 3 comments
decorating eggs
Posted by Gini at 2:40 PM 4 comments
plucking?
I think Will has been watching me a little to closely! I found him in the bathroom, up on the counter with my tweezers. I asked him what he was doing he said, "I'm trying to get all these widdle hairs!" Through my laughing I asked where He had seen this, and he replied, "I watch you Mom." Maybe he needs to spend a little more time with Dad! You can't tell from the picture, but his poor face was bright red where he had been plucking!
Posted by Gini at 2:16 PM 5 comments