Mommy Tag!

1. Typically, what time do you wake up?
Around 7:30 when my older kids get up for school.

2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed?
Around 9:00. If I'm lucky the babies will go down that early too!

3. How long have you been a mommy?
Almost 10 years now. (Wow, scary!)

4. How old were you when you became a mommy?
20

5. What is your favorite kids tv show?
I love that a lot of the old TV shows are coming back or that you can get them on DVD now! I love Fraggle Rock, Gummi Bears, Smurfs and Care Bears. Of todays shows I get to pick a variety because my kids are on two different levels of tv interests! Of my older kids shows I really like American Dragon Jake Long, Hannah Montana, Drake and Josh and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. For my little kids I really like Word World, Seseame Street, Barney (though I do agree that it's cheesy), Backyardagains and Wiggles (the older shows)

6. What is your least favorite kids tv show?
For older kids I HATE Sponge Bob Square Pants (why do shows now days have to be so disgusting?) I am told that I am the only person in America that doesn't like that show but I know that is not true. I've talked to other people that don't like it either. I don't like a lot of shows so this list could go on forever so I'll stop here.

7. What is your favorite chore?
Probably washing walls. I'm kind of weird about it. I even do it at other peoples houses! I know quite a few people that I swear never wash their walls! (by the way, thank you so much, Mother, for this weird eccentricity!)

8. What is your favorite meal to cook?
I'm kind of a perfectionist about cooking. I'm not a hugely talented person in the kitchen but I am a stickler about the way things are cooked. There is one recipe that I make, Heavenly Hamburger Casserole, that I really like to make because I make it better than anyone. I'm really not being egotistical. I just have a very specific method for making it which is perfect and I am very strict about making sure it is perfect!

9. What meal do you cook most often?
I really can't think of anything that I make more than something else. I hate eating the same thing over and over again so I try really hard to have a wide variety and not repeat the same meals a lot over a short period of time. Usually no more than once a week.

10. What is your kids favorite meal?
They, of course, love spaghetti and love most of the casseroles I make especially my Heavenly Hamburger Casserole.

11. What is your favorite thing your husband does with your kids?
I love it when Rich helps the older kids with their homework or takes them somewhere with him individually. It really pulls at my heart strings! With the little kids, I love it when he reads them a book or just plays with them on the floor! But my all-time favorite thing that my husband does with the kids is when my big, mountain man, bear of a husband paints my girls fingernails with those tiny little bon-bon nail polishes!!!

12. What are 5 things that make you smile when you're being a mom?
#1) When I hear Jocelynn and/or Kaiden playing and/or talking with Brenna and/or Sawyer very sweetly and they don't know I can hear them...
#2) Any time any of them come up and hug or kiss me!
#3) When Jocelynn and Kaiden are nice to each other.
#4) When Brenna holds Sawyers hand and sings the Barney "I love you" song
#5) When I catch my older kids saying a prayer.

13. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be?
So many places... but I think I want to take them all to Disney World one day and when they are old enough to really appreciate everything about it!

14. When was the last time you went out without your kids?
Stephanie and Britton watched them for us last Tuesday for about an hour while Rich and I went to buy him a new suit. I very rarely get the opportunity to go out with my husband without kids, and even more rarely by myself with out kids or husband.

15. What is your favorite past time/activity to do with your kids?
With my older kids my favorite is going to any new place with them. Like a museum or something. With my younger kids my favorite is playing on the floor or bed with them.

16. Name one thing you said you would never do as a mom?
So many things! But one of my biggest things was leave my kids in the car while I went inside somewhere for a long period of time. Now, I will leave them in the car if I'm running inside to pay for gas or to buy one gallon of milk or something like that but if it is going to take longer than 5 minutes I always take my kids in with me.

17. Name one thing you do, that your own mom did?
I make my kids stand in the corner or hold up a wall when they are misbehaving.

18. What is your favorite quality your mom has?
Her undying enthusiasm about everything!

19. What is your favorite kids book?
Of course, Harry Potter! But for little kids I love Dr Seus's ABC book.

20. What is your advice for new moms?
Don't let people tell you how to raise your kids!! (I can NOT stress this enough) Don't allow people to constantly give you unsolicited advice, suggestions or to tell you what they did with their kids; unless you want to be mentally unstable after a few years! As my pediatrician always tells me "go with your own insticts" you are usually right! Don't let anyone talk you out of doing something with, about or for your child that you feel is right or necessary, no matter how many kids they've had or how much experience they think they have. THEY ARE NOT YOUR CHILDS MOTHER and sometimes they need reminding of that fact! And ask for tips, advise, and personal experiences from others as you need or want it.

21. What is the most heartbreaking/scariest moment as a mom?
I have unfortunately had some of these. The night Kaiden started hemmoraging after his tonsilectomy and had to have emergency surgery. It took Richard and 2 male nurses and one male tech to hold him down to get his IV in. It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. Also when Brenna was a new born and was very sick we had to take her to Primary Childrens hospital. We had to leave the room while they worked on her and just listen to her scream her little lungs out. Those kinds of things you never forget when you're a mother!

22. What is your most joyful moment being a mom?
There are so many things that my kids do that make my heart burst with joy. ~Jocelynn always makes friends with the kid at school that no one wants to play with and this is something she has done from the time she was 2 or 3 years old. I remember the nursery leaders at church telling me that she did that. She also quietly teaches her little sister so many things that you have to be really paying attention to catch.
~Kaiden is so sweet and sensitive. He can be so gentle and always so concerned about Brenna and Sawyer and worries about them being safe all the time. All of his teachers have told me how sweet he is to everyone. He is so enthusiastic about things and he holds on to things very passionately.
~Brenna asks me to kiss her "owies" now and she says "I love you too" when you say "I love you" to her. And I love how she tries so hard to be a big kid and do everything that Jocelynn does.
~Sawyer just learned how to say "thankyou" and I just love to watch him. I can see him learning something new almost every minute of the day as he tries to do things that Brenna can do or observes what is going on around him.

23. When was the last time you were told "I love you" by one of your kids? Just before I came downstairs to work Brenna said "I lub (love) you!"

24. When was the last time you told one of your kids "I love you"? My poor kids... just about 30 minutes ago before I walked back down the stairs to my office again. I tell them probably about 100 times a day! At least the older ones get a break from it while they are at school!