Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails...

Well, if you haven't guessed by the title (and the crotch shot)- It's a BOY! I was expecting it to be a boy, but secretly wanted a little girl. Of course, Heavenly Father knew this little man was meant to come to my family so I am totally cool with it. Chloe on the other hand insisted she was moving out if it was another boy... I'll fill you in on her decision later. I know the moment she lays eyes on him and holds him she's gonna be in love. I am excited because I can finally start shopping and planning. Plus, I need to pick a name and on and on. Oh, this is gonna be fun. And, no I won't be trying for a girl. Thanks for asking.

Won't need to buy T P for awhile

We got wrapped again. The sad thing is that it happened in just 20 minutes. Jon and Hunter came home from BMX around 11:20 and no toilet paper in sight. Chan comes home at 11:40 and it looks like Winter Wonderland. Whomever did it is much better at wrapping than the last person who papered us. Seriously though- I didn't know people wrapped before midnight. This is the 4th time in recent memory we've been got. Chandler and Hunter both have friends spending the night which equals a bigger cleaning crew. Unless Jon gets to it first...

BMX Grand Nationals Day 4

Well, we're home. Trophy-less. Which stinks and is a giant letdown. I won't go into logistics, simply because it is super confusing, even to me. Hunter was able to advance the farthest and was a shoe-in for the mains (trophy race) until he was crashed into by another kid. He was thankfully not hurt, but his bike got tangled up with another kid's bike and his shoes were still clipped into his pedals. By the time he got up, it was too late. He easily had 2nd, possibly 1st. We left immediately after he was eliminated. He was very upset for the first half of the drive and finally cheered up after several hours. Jon missed his last race because we had like 30 minutes to to pack our hotel room, they wouldn't let us check out late. Bummer. And, we know how I pack. When we made it back to the track, his group was on the gate. He would have never been able to wade through all the people to get on the gate. Hayden had 1 chance to advance and couldn't pull it out. He needed to come out in 1st place and ended up 2nd. I am sad about the results, simply because you pump yourself up for it, spend the money, the drive, being away from family on Thanksgiving and BAM, it's over before you know it. We had fun though. The boys got really neat swag bags, I got a BMX MOM decal for my van, they each got T-shirts and caps, and most importantly- tons of memories.
So, til next year. Hopefully we'll have better luck. Especially now that Chloe wants to try and I am being begged to start racing as well. Not sure about that last one...


grossest snack ever! Chocolate dipped dill pickle. Positively obscene!


Chloe texting and I-podding


Chloe and Hayden in the shoe shine chair at the hotel


me in the car, trying to be cute and cheer up my kiddos


Jon on the phone


Hayden, oh so tired!


Hunter, being upset about today's race

BMX Grand Nationals Day 3

Here's our day in a nutshell. I wish it were longer and more exciting, but I am TIRED!

The kids and I slept til 9, which was heaven! Jon went to the track to check the day's schedule AND went to the laundromat to wash my jeans.

We missed the hotel breakfast, bummer. So, we headed to the track and Chloe and I watched one round of our boys racing. Then we went to Target for breakfast/snacks and me a book. We got granola bars, trail mix, pretzels, beef jerky, and bottled water. It was only a regular Target, that was all they had to offer. Oh, and I bought New Moon...

Back to the track for 3.5 more hours of racing. I watched my boys race, but passed on everyone else. I was reading, Twilight. I had never even heard of it til about 6 months ago and then this movie hype started, so I gave in. It's better than I expected and not quite as cheesy as I had heard. Being an avid reader who would read the phone book and who can finish a giant book in under a day, I rarely turn down books. Except certain cheesy drugstore Harlequin type novels. Twilight was pretty good, I finished it this evening. And I have New Moon in my purse for tomorrow.

Racing finished at 4:45, so we headed for a late lunch/early dinner. We were starved for "real food", having eaten only snack-y stuff all day. We chose a really neat little diner. Not exactly grilled fish and veggies, but charming and yummy nonetheless. I am so nervous to see the scale when I get back.... yikes!

We headed back to our hotel at 6. Jon and the boys watched football, Hayden watched Transformers, and Chloe surfed the net. The kids managed to roam the halls quite a bit. Tonight there was a pretty big football game on and the entire hotel was in a frenzy. Most people on all 9 floors had their doors open and you could tell who was rooting for who. Our team (OU) beat OSU and Jon is giddy.

On to the tub at 9:30 til 11:00 with my book. Laid out clothes for tomorrow, brushed Chloe's hair, and now I'm blogging.

I am way too tired to describe each and every picture like I normally do, so I'll tell you now in random order: boys, Jon and Chloe, Hayden's owie from yesterday's crash complete with description, and the diner and it's funny menu. Good night, thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow with a wrap-up and hopefully photos of the big fat trophies my boys won. Basically I am crossing my fingers and thinking positive.





















P.S. I was most baffled by "wet french fries" on the menu, which sounds all sorts of wrong. Apparently they are fries drenched in gravy. Terrible name for terrible food.

BMX Grand Nationals Day 2

Last night after I posted we stupidly stayed up way too late. Hayden had fallen asleep pretty early and woke up as the rest of us were going to bed. So, we put him on the sofa sleeper with the TV on. That didn't work so well. He was freaked out by noises in the hallway, a shadow he kept thinking was a coyote, and he kept trying to play musical beds with the rest of us. I was still awake at 12:45. I also woke up three more times. I was hot. I was cold. I had to potty. Our clock rang at 5:30. Which is a completely un-normal time to awaken, in my opinion. Everyone was so tired we couldn't stop laughing, not sure why? We were at the breakfast buffet (which is awesome by the way, they have everything and it's free!!) by 7 and at the track by 7:40. The boys (Jon included) all raced three times. Which isn't a big deal except there are over 300 rounds to wait through. Put it this way, we were there for over 9 hours. Today's race was the ROC race (Race of Champions) and was for the people who placed in the top 10 in their age and class. They are all three in the top 10. So, it's kind of a special pre-race. You have to qualify for it, which they have worked hard for. Unfortunately they didn't do so hot today. They tried, but this being a national competition, it's very intense. Today they were competing against the best of the best from almost every state. And, poor little Hayden crashed pretty hard. He is ok, but the sad thing is he was looking like he was gonna end up doing really good. Lucky for them, they have Saturday and Sunday to make up for it. Not so lucky for me and Chloe. Sitting on hard bleachers for 9 hours is rough. We each read four magazines, painted our nails, walked around, ate snacks, took pictures, etc etc. We are so planning better tomorrow. Not sure how, but I am working on it.

Myers' boys having a snack between races


me and the Chlo-meister taking even more pics of ourselves


Chloe, she was super proud of her new outfit


Hayden in action


Jon in action


Hunter in action


Hayden asleep early again tonight. He is awake and hyper. Help me.

Men vs Women: packing for a trip

Women's idea of packing

clothes and shoes: Simply multiply the amount of days you are gonna be gone
times 2, and voila, you know exactly how many outfits, shoes, and coordinating jewelry items to bring. (This doesn't include family members, which differs for boys and girls, obviously. Same formula can be used for daughters, boys will need enough clothes to last half the days you are gone since they will more than likely not change all that often.)

undies and socks: more than will be necessary, because who wants to be caught in dirty undies in case you get hurt and have to be rushed to the ER. Heaven forbid you have skid marks, them nurses and doctors have probably never seen the likes of that!

towels: beach and bath. There are never enough in the hotel rooms, plus the towels by the pool are usually only 16x16. Barely big enough to dry your butt.

throw blankets and pillows: 1 for each person traveling. Makes the drive more comfy and the sofa bed in your hotel room cozy. The poor soul sleeping on the sofa sleeper will be oh so appreciative.

snacks, drinks, and chocolate. Duh...

camera, laptops, cell phones, navigation system, and chargers for all. And they say men are into electronics. Yeah right.

air freshener and candles. If you are traveling with boys this is a must. Farts and socks seem to ooze from their pores, especially when traveling.

cosmetics, hair dryer, brush, straightening iron, and hairspray. We don't roll out of bed looking this hot!

books, magazines, cards, crayons, DVD player + DVDs, and handheld games. This is for any/all children to remain occupied. This way our husbands can concentrate on the road. Not so we can exceed the number of bags we have already packed. Nice gesture on our part.

toiletries. The ones in the hotel suck. At least at the hotels I can afford. Plus, the bottles are so small you can barely read the directions.

laundry bags. Separate ones for under-things and clothes. This one keeps your luggage smelling fresh. Imagine finally getting home and opening suitcases for unpacking only to be knocked out cold by the odor of dirty clothes. Simply stick it in back of truck, in your car trunk, or on your roof rack. This is so the car stays as fresh as possible.

The largest first aid kit ever created. You never know when someone might have explosive diarrhea. Accompanied by a rash, stuffy nose, migraine, and a cut that's bleeding profusely. You might be thanked later, maybe...

and...

Men's idea of packing

toothbrush

1 change of clothes (1 extra underwear and pair of socks)

the shoes they are wearing

car magazine to read in hotel bathroom (which they will read cover to cover while their family dances outside the door waiting to go pee)

bag of peanuts and gum, in case they get hungry on the drive

1 wallet containing no cash, only an insurance card, debit card, and driver's license

For sure they won't need more clothes, because duh, there are laundromats somewhere along the way. They also won't need a map or navigation system because men never get lost. Forget snacks, there's a McDonald's on almost every corner in America. And on and on.
Men can think up an excuse or reason for everything. So, you see what I mean. Men and women are SO different, and whether they admit it or not; they need us! This post is for every over-packing woman and the men who love them. When your wife busts out the good snacks, your favorite pillow, or a toy to occupy your crying kids, thank her. There is a reason for her madness. So you can drive her and your children safely, be comfortable while doing it and have happy memories of your trip. You're welcome.

P.S. click here for an example of my packing for a recent trip.

In a nutshell

Lots to say and not alot of time, I have a softball game in an hour.

So, here's the deal:

My bad news was about church. They changed the boundaries in my ward. So, after finally getting to know a handful of people I am being sent to a new area. I had a really hard time fitting in and felt like I had started to belong a teeny bit. I guess the hardest part was Sunday. I honestly thought more people would care that I was going, but no. I had five whole people say they were gonna miss me. I shouldn't have been surprised. I kept to myself and almost always went alone. I kinda feel as if I had been a more important figure in my ward, Sunday wouldn't have been a huge disappointment. But, I am not sad or mad anymore. I am excited for yet another new adventure. And, just a little side note: only me and ONE other person are leaving...

Next order of business, sickness. This is the third week in a row that I have had a sick kid at home. First Hunter had fever and a mild sore throat 2 weeks ago, last week was Chan and the "rash debacle". Now, it's Hayden. He has been running fever since yesterday morning. It has never gone below 99.5, so today they were able to squeeze us in for an appointment. And, he has strep. My poor baby. He was right, this is the sicko time of year. So, he is home with me til Wednesday. He even asked me if I would take a nap with him today. He hasn't done that in 3 years. So we napped, and I must have been super groggy when we cuddled and he kissed me on the lips... Crossing my fingers that no germs jumped off his lips and onto mine!

And, last but not least. Weight. I am hovering at anywhere from 15.5 to 16 pounds lost. Which really annoys me. I can notice a slight difference, but I want more. I have zero motivation. Things have just been so busy lately. My eating is fine, I am just not exercising. I am really not sure what to do? I keep saying I am gonna go for a walk or bike ride with Jon each night. But, the DVR is always calling my name. Loudly. It also bugs me that even though I know I am doing better, to the "world" I am still the fat chick. I really shouldn't care what other people think, but I do. I wanna be the hot mom, not the fat mom with the big butt.

Girls Only!

Today Jon and the boys headed to Waco to watch OU play Baylor (Go Sooners! Final score: OU 49- Baylor 17, yay OU!), so me and Chloe had a girl's only day. I let her choose the activity if I could choose the restaurant. Well, she chose the mall. Wouldn't have been my first pick, but to her the mall is like, amazing or something. I found it to be hot and crowded. People tend to flock to the mall as if the end of the world is coming. Put it this way, I'll NEVER go the mall on a Saturday again! We ended up eating first at my favorite place, P F Chang's where we shared lettuce wraps and crab wontons. Chloe isn't 100% fond of Chinese and I am still on this diet thing, so we just shared the appetizers and each had one of those shot glass desserts. Chloe had chocolate cake and I had carrot cake, Yum-O! We then went to Bath and Body Works for air fresheners, hand soaps, and bubble bath, and to Claire's so Miss Chloe could get her ears pierced again. Yes, I gave in. She now has two holes in each ear, but is only allowed a teeny earring in the top hole until she's older. She is very proud of her earrings, such a little princess. We made a final stop at Target and played with all of the Halloween goodies and bought a few necessities like Diet Dr. Pepper, Halloween Oreos, and some crazy candy I couldn't resist. We had a fun day, but we are both glad it's time to settle down, we are exhausted!

Chloe showing off her earrings


Queen Momma and Princess Chloe


Me and Chloe, again...


Another earring shot, I told you she was proud!


The CANDY! Gross huh?

Worn Out

We have spent the better part of the last 4 days at the BMX track in Desoto for the Super Nationals. The boys worked really hard and we are so proud of them. Of course we would have loved all 1st place finishes, but it will take time. Hayden brought home a pretty cool trophy. Mostly I was glad to be able to share our new obsession with some family and friends. The boys had quite the cheering section, yay! We had a good time, but man we are exhausted. Poor Hayden raced his last race burning up with fever. I am not quite sure what is going on.... He is now fresh and clean, dosed up with Motrin, and crashed on the couch with Miss Coco. I am so glad we are home, too bad tomorrow is not a school holiday. But, I will finally be able to get back to my to-do/Spring cleaning list. I have about 10 days before the calendar fills up with more stuff to do. So, I will be on turbo starting tomorrow morning. Here are a few photos. These were taken in the car on the way home. Of course I was too busy flapping my jaws at the track to take photos there. Can you tell the kids were just slightly tired? Thanks to those of you who could come out and watch the kiddos. We really appreciate it.

Home Safely

We made it back in one piece, yee haw! We are probably the most tired we have ever been. We had a ton of fun and are kinda bummed that it's back to the grindstone tomorrow. Especially Chloe, she wants to go back. I honestly think she would be fine traveling the country watching her brothers race. Staying in hotels, eating out, etc. She is kinda down about school tomorrow and our trip being over. I have been trying to cheer her up this evening. We deep conditioned her hair, painted toenails, and ordered tickets to the Hannah Montana concert "movie". She seems to be snapping out of it. The boys I think are more tired and are glad to sleep in their own beds. Hayden did ok this weekend, but did not make any of his main events. We purchased a small trophy for him, so he wouldn't feel left out, because Hunter hit the mother load! He got 4 trophies!! He got a trophy for qualifying for his main event, a 2nd place trophy (it's over 3 feet tall!), and two 3rd place trophies (they're over 2 feet tall). He is on cloud nine! I am so proud of my boys! Anyway, just wanted to update everyone on our weekend. I am going to be adding my links and photos back on here tomorrow or the next day, so bear with me. I am also hoping to get a few videos on here of the boys racing. So, check back often. Have a happy Monday!

She doesn't wear short shorts...

Oh my goodness! What a conversation Chloe and I had this evening. We (me and the kiddos) were in the car and I had told them in a nice way, that they all needed to take nice long baths. Being in a closed vehicle with 4 kids with the heater running and it starts to smell kinda like a dirty sock, if you know what I mean. Anyway, Hayden asked if he could shave, with his new Spongebob "shaving kit" and promptly broke into a song about shaving in the bathtub. I told him that I shave in the tub because it's easier than shaving in the shower. So, Chloe asked if she could shave her legs in the tub. And, I about choked. Then she told me that all of her friends shave their legs AND their armpits... So, now I have a dilemma: when are girls old enough to shave??? I mean she's only 10! I kinda thought 12ish, but I am not sure?! Chandler started shaving when he turned 13, but he had these walrus like whiskers practically growing over his top lip. It was necessary. Hunter will be 12 next week, and although he's getting this dark brown peach fuzz, it will be a while I'm thinking. I can't remember when I started shaving. So, opinions??

Doing our part...

Here at Myersville we're doing our part to conserve water. In fact, the boys are really working on it. They NEVER flush the toilet. Now that's a scary sight for Halloween morning.