Life As the Lonely Wife!

Darrell has been traveling so much lately and it has been so hard getting the kids everywhere they need to be, along with homework done, dinner made, and showers done. Last week I attempted to take all the kids to Lexi's softball practice and by the time the hour was done I was ready to cry! I am not made to be able to watch so many kids at once! I fully admit I'm a control freak, I like my kids to act a certain way and definitely behave when we are out in public! Carly and Chase were playing on some bleachers and I heard a "pssssssssssssss" noise. I turned around and both of them were pretending to pee on the bleachers! I about died! At least they weren't really peeing, but still to be pretending- my baby girl was doing that!! Then Chase was pretty much smothering a little baby girl- he LOVES babies! Caleb was playing soccer with other boys and slide tackled one and really hurt him. During all this I'm suppose to be watching Lexi at her first practice! Ashlee was at a friends house, she had a theater rehearsal and my friend kept her for me (luckily!) We were to the last 15 minutes of practice and I could hear a siren. We are in tornado season now- but I've never been outside when the sirens went off. I freaked, but kept a calm look on the outside! I grabbed Lexi really quick and basically was out driving a storm I could see out my window! I felt like I was in the book Night of the Twisters!! Lexi was very scared, she knew what the siren was since we practice tornado drills. (I told you I was paranoid, there aren't really many tornado's here- just a lot of warnings and crazy looking storms- but I will be prepared in case one actually hits!!) Anyway, I stopped at my friends house to get Ashlee, and she was crying. She is our little meteorologist- she knows the weather and can follow the storm trackers better then I can! I had 14 minutes according to my neighbor to get in shelter. We hurried home and all the kids climbed in the tornado closet. I turned on the news and it looked like the storm would pass us, but we needed to wait another 20 minutes to be sure. Now imagine this- 5 kids from the ages of 7-3 in a closet that is about 6ft by 3ft, it also has bins filled with sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and 5 72 hour kits, needless to say it was crampy! It was now 7:30, no one has had dinner, showers, but at least homework was done. Ashlee has said 4 or 5 prayers, Lexi is singing songs with the kids to keep them entertained and stop the fighting- and I'm trying to watch the storm tracker. Finally it passed and we warmed up left overs, showered everyone, and all kids were in bed by 8:30- only an hour late! I called Darrell on his phone and left him a nice message informing him that he should appreciate being in an airplane and being cozy- while I was freaking out at home.

This week I really didn't want to take all 5 kids to Lexi's practice and one of my neighbors offered to keep the 4, so I could have Lexi alone. I was so thankful! I actually was crying! I didn't realize how hard this would be- in so many ways! Darrell and I have been out one time since we've had the boys. Caleb and Chase are good boys, but Chase can be a handful. Lexi was so excited to be alone with me and made the comment, "Wow! It's just you and me!" I felt horrible! I need to do more one on one things especially now that we have more kids! It was so nice to sit through her freezing practice and be able to cheer her on and see everything she was doing. It was also nice to not have to out drive a storm on the way home! My Bishop and his wife watched all 5 kids so Darrell and I could go on a date- it was the best time we've had in a while. There has been so much drama concerning the boys parents that we just feel like that's all we talk about. It was nice to have a night to talk about anything, except that!

This week I had 3 parent teacher conferences- all were great! Lexi is loving the gifted program, and I love that her teacher continues to keep her challenged. All her grades are 96% and up. Ashlee's teacher is having her tested for the gifted program. I am always so worried about Ashlee, she is the youngest by far in the 1st grade, but has the highest grades in all subjects. She is like a mini adult, very much a perfectionist, but also loves to have fun. I don't want her to be too hard on herself- if she misses a question she gets so upset with herself. So we are working on that. All her grades are 99% and up, I think she's really only missed 2 questions on her tests. Caleb also had great things said from his teacher. He totally amazes me at how smart he is! From all the chaos he came from- he still does so well in class! She said he has some of the best scores in his class also. It was a huge relief to leave all the meetings and know the kids are doing well. Chase is doing so well now! he was completely antisocial when he got here- he had no idea how to play with kids. He was on ADHD medication and we took him off it in the first 2 weeks- he seemed like he was always in a daze. He has attention issues, but I don't think he's much different then any other boy. I am going to have him tested though- he shows a lot of signs of a learning disability, and I want to have him ready to go back home and not have to be on the medicine. His teacher is very happy with the progress he's made in preschool- he loves it and is now very social. We are working on things like personal space- he literally gets in your face when he talks, and we are working on enunciation. Carly is my energetic princess who loves to keep up with the boys. She was looking through the Friend last night and said, "Look Mom, that says Lexi." I am so shocked that at barely 3 she is reading familiar words like stop, Wal Mart, Lexi, Ashlee, Carly, Chase, Mom, Dad, Caleb.... The list goes on and on! I am so thankful for these little kids! It is so hard at times, but then you get a moment that is so rewarding that makes it all worth it! It could be a major thing like great grades, or a little thing like a smile, but it is so worth it!