Helloooooo out there!

Hey everyone! I have missed blogging and all your comments! Things have been CrAzY around here. BUT... I just finished all the fam's Halloween get-ups and I can't wait to show you! What are we this year? Well here's a hint: It's a little Scooby and a little Doo... Trouble is there are only four of the cartoon gang and there are five of MY gang. So what the heck am I going to be?

Pictures coming soon! Have a happy day!

Skunks skin???

I was helping my four-year-old get dressed this morning. As I adjusted the elastic in the jeans (love those adjustable jeans!!!!) I asked if I had made them tight enough. He said: "Not yet. Mom, could you just make it as tight as a skunks skin?"

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This kid keeps me laughing and on my toes!

You know you're pregnant when...

Woo-hoo, I am ready to announce that there is another Bingham bun in the oven! I have been trying to think of fun ways to share with all of you and this is the best I could do:

YOU KNOW YOU'RE PREGO WHEN:

• Your favorite foods look nasty and the things you used to despise look delicious.
• You can't get enough of the said "previously nasty" food. (Who knew I would actually enjoy onion rings? It was a one time thing apparently. I think they are gross again).
• You feel like crawling in a hole with just the toilet for a friend.
• You can't walk by baby clothes with out saying "aaawwhh."
• Your house goes to pot because you are to tired/sick to clean at night.
• You feel like you are bursting with the BEST secret ever!

I could go on... but you get the point. Living in the community that we do, I get a mix of support for big families and gawking astonishment for my insanity. We are really excited and have waited a long time for this little gift from heaven. I am past the sickly stage and am on to the UGLY- "I don't fit in anything but am not big enough for prego clothes" stage. I guess that is the blessing and the curse of being tall and carrying inside... I don't look pregnant for a while, just overweight. Ug! So, with that said, you can understand why the blog post have been sporadic.

Chug-a-lug

I grew up with six brothers, so someone chugging out of the milk bottle was not an uncommon sight. Since my marriage, I have tried to re-humanize myself and have not drunk from the milk jug for many years. I have never seen my husband chug either. So with this in mind you will understand my surprise when I saw my two-year-old son chug like a pro this morning.

He was helping me set out breakfast by getting out all the cereal boxes. I told him we were having pancakes because there wasn't any milk. He told me that there was milk and opened the fridge. He pulled out the gallon that had about a fourth of a cup of milk left in it. He showed it to me, looked at the bottle, back at me... and then removed the lid, threw his head back and chugged. He glanced up at me to see if he was in trouble. I was standing there with my mouth open. (Not knowing whether to laugh or grab the camera first. I wish I had a picture to show you!) After a moments hesitation, he broke into a huge smile and said, "Yum!"

Does this kind of thing come ingrained with little boys... kind of like everything from sticks to spoons turns into a sword or gun when they get a hold of them?

Motherhood is not for sissies!

Today was yet another day that started with the tragedy of mom making children clean their room. They were awakened early enough to get the job done AND still have time to get ready for school. Of course the "cleaning time" was dawdled away and the "getting ready" time was fast disappearing.

A few "Life ruining" punishments were dished out and things still weren't done... that's when the daddy came up with a solution. He came to me first (bless his heart) to ask if I could handle the punishment. (Side note: it's really hard when the daddy dishes out a punishment and then goes to work... leaving mommy with the fun job of following through with whatever he has decreed. Arg! So I really appreciated my man thinking ahead on this one).

He asked me to let them go to school in their PJ's because they had used all their "getting ready time." I was horrified. First, because I knew how awful my girls would feel and the possible teasing they would get. And second, I was envisioning the things that teachers would think of ME as the mother. (Because, like it or not, it seems to reflect on the mother... not the father, when kids show up at school looking frumpy).

It took me a moment of agony to agree to his request. My only request: "Would you take them to school?" (Because I KNEW that my six-year-old would melt into a puddle of tears the minute she arrived at school and was forced to get out of the car in her pajamas. That would make me turn into mush and either the whole "punishment" would go down the drain or I would not be able to drive home because I would be in tears too).

Being a mean/good mom is so HARD!!! We all want our children to be happy and enjoy all of the delightful things life offers. But we are also responsible for these strong minded, determined, leaders of tomorrow... we have the privileged and trial of raising them to be good, kind, responsible people. The responsibility often rests heavy upon our shoulders as we try our best to set their feet on the paths of righteousness. So yes, its is true: Motherhood is not for sissies!

Oh, and you might like to know that the girls were able to get ready in an amazing record time of about ninety seconds. They went to school looking darling, I dropped them off feeling proud of them, AND their room is clean. Sigh... if only I knew for sure that this scene wouldn't be repeated later this week!

What to do with a day off???

I have recently started preschool for my four-year-old. It's wonderful! I trade with another mom. We teach twice a week at our home and then trade the next week. The BEST part of the deal is on the second day of preschool we also invite the younger (two-year-old) brothers. This means that once, every other week, I get two hours ALL TO MYSELF. The only problem is picking what to do with these coveted two hours!!!

I have lots of hobbies and projects that have been on the back burner for... how ever many years it's been since I have had more than one baby... All these things sound like so much fun to me... but which to choose and where to start? And in the end, I usually have spent my "day off" just wandering around wondering what wonderful thing I should do.

I told my husband this morning about my "day off" and asked in awe: What should I do?

Ben was in the room listening to our conversation. He said, "Mom, when do I get a day off?"

Peaceful Serenade

"Peaceful serenade" might not be the first thing the neighbors are thinking right now... but I am being serenaded and things are peaceful (as my two boys are well entertained). When was the last time you let your inner musical genius loose on a set of pot and pan drums?

Best fun of the morning!