Real Adventurers!

One of the best things about being a parent is finding the right time to teach your kids some of the things that you love to do. Saturday was the first time that we ever attempted to teach any of our children how to rappel. Rappelling has always been an activity that Tim and I have really enjoyed doing (even with my severe fear of heights). Tim usually does some crazy stuff when he goes, and it never really occurred to us to take the kids. They were always too little.

All that has changed! We strapped Orion into a harness, showed him the basics, and then there was no stopping him! He is a natural! There are some things that Orion takes too without hesitation and rappelling is one of them. Rigel was the next one to try, and it was the same for him. He watched Orion and his dad enough that he knew he was an expert. The thing that worries me the most, is that he has no caution. He steps off the cliff like it wasn't even there and glides down the rope like a pro. Being a mom, my heart jumps every time he even gets near the cliff. Watching the kids learn is harder on my adrenaline than doing it myself.

The girls haven't given it a try yet. Not because they don't want to, but because they were busy with birthday parties and friends when we decided to go. Vega is the only one that has no desire to participate. I can't even get her to put on the harness. This actually makes me happy, because I don't think my heart could handle Vega going over the edge of a cliff!

After teaching some of the kids to do something he loves, Tim decided to do some more fun stuff that we love doing together. So, on Sunday we went rockhounding! This is something we have taken the kids to do since birth. All of our children love to hunt out the most precious of rocks, whether it is pretty rocks in the neighborhood, or fragile crystals out in the desert. The kids are constantly rockhounding. This time we went to find us some geodes.

Geodes are those rocks that are the ugliest things on the outside, but have the most beautiful array of colors and crystals on the inside. They are pretty easy to find if you know where to look. The kids started out picking up the ones on top that were so pretty, but they were soon passing those up when we taught them how to dig for the good ones. In the end, Tim walked away with one the size of a basketball! Each of the kids found their own personal treasures, and I had some of the most petite ones with the most complicated structures inside. For me, it is all about the fractals.

Knowing you can really enjoy some of your favorite activities with your kiddos is one of the greatest things that parenting has to offer. Having them finally come of age where they enjoy what your teaching them is a lifetime of reward! Remember to have fun with your kids! They aren't just there for you to worry over and boss around, they are here for the love and fulfillment that you can only receive from God. Through Him, we learn how to love our own kids and through Him they learn to love us back!

Never Forgotten

Having today be the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, I have decided to tell a little about my adventures and emotions that I had throughout the day.

We started the morning with a little bit of a talk with all the kids. Tim and I wanted to make sure that they understood what would be going on today. We told them about what happened on that day, ten years ago, and we told them about what we did. About how Tim had to continue working even though he wanted to come home and be with us. We told them how I called up Aunt Jeni and we just spent the whole day in shock and confusion together at my house because neither of us wanted to be alone. We explained that all there was on TV for three days was news, and for some reason we couldn't turn off the TV the whole time.

Tim and I have a deep respect for our country. We are both very patriotic individuals. We believe that liberty is more important than security and that freedom isn't free. Talking to our children about some of these ideals can be a little overwhelming for the smaller ones, but I think the older ones were very respectful and understanding about what our decisions are when it comes to our country.

We watched some documentaries about the stories of the people that lost their lives that day, including Flight 93. We talked about the heroic things that the people on flight 93 did. After we learned about some of the names and faces of 9/11, we went to the Memorial Field that is located in the Civic Center in Sandy, Utah. They have a flag placed in the field for every individual that had lost their lives in that attack on America. Tim and I took the children and looked on every tag until we found all the names of the people we talked about today. Including a 3 year old girl named Dana that was on AA Flight 77 that had crashed into the Pentagon. It made the day very real for them. Even Rowdy Rigel was calm and respectful as we read the names on the flags.

Passing on your beliefs and instilling patriotic values into your children is one of the most important lessons you can give to a child. None of them could remember that day, and two of them hadn't even been born yet, but allowing them to see the magnitude of this day and that we don't tolerate terrorism was very important to us. It was an emotional and solemn day, so we had to end on a lighter note. We took the kids out for BBQ and ice cream and they all let the blanket of sorrow be thrown off of their shoulders. We explained that the Fourth of July was for celebrating, but this was the day for remembrance.

My mission in this life, like it states in my tattoo, is to serve God, family and country (in that order). I haven't posted in a long time, but I hope to get back into the swing of things now that my schedule is stable and the kids have started school once again. In the meantime, have fun in your adventures!!!!

Amanda

Train Ride

*I apologize in advance for no pictures. My camera is broken*

The day started out pretty much like any other day. I woke up to the kids fighting over the computer and the ever dreaded sound of "mo'om." I was feeling kind of lazy, playing cards with Rigel and Ara, while still lying in my bed and in my jammies, when the phone call came. There was a cancellation at the Dental Clinic up at Primary Children's, they could bump Vega's appointment up if I could get there at 3. It was noon. "No problem," I said. Vega was in serious need of a dental visit and I wasn't going to pass this up. It was then that I came up with my brilliant plan. I was going to take the train! I hadn't taken the kids on the train since they were little and it was high time I took them again. I packed my backpack with treats, drinks, activity books and colored pencils and we were on our way!

When we got to the train station, I was already running late when I noticed the train was getting ready to depart. I grabbed the kids, skipped the ticket booth and jumped on the train a mere 5 seconds before it left. Orion was ready to panic! We got on the train without paying!! I knew I was busted when I did it, but I didn't think I would feel so guilty when my own child pointed it out to me. I fumbled over excuses, but promised him when we stopped at the station to switch trains I would get the tickets and it would be okay. He was soothed for the moment.

When we got settled, Rigel was in the window seat. He hadn't remembered ever riding the train, so he was pretty excited. When the train started to go fast he jumped into my lap, it scared him to death! After I calmed him down and convinced him he was having fun, I turned to look at Ara. She was clinging to the seat. "What is wrong?" I asked. She kind of looked around and then said, "There are no seat belts, I have to stay in my seat somehow!" I gave her a chuckle and helped her to relax.

It was really kind of fun, the kids were asking all sorts of questions about the places we passed. I was able to point out an old house we lived at and we passed right by Daddy's work. When we got to the station to switch trains, you could tell Rigel was nervous again. I bought my tickets without incident and Orion was very relieved. I really love when things go smoothly.

On the next train, there was a man that seemed to think we would drive him nuts. He took one look at me and my brood and turned to sit somewhere else. I think it is so funny when people are shocked that they are "all yours?" Of course they are all mine! I wouldn't be insane enough to go on adventures into downtown Salt Lake City with anyone elses' children, just my own!

When we finally made it to Primary Children's the man told me how well behaved my children were. I love it when people notice my kids for good reasons instead of the usual awkward ones!

I work really hard on having well behaved children in public, it is when they are at home that I want to pull my hair out.

The appointment went well. Mostly because of the super fantastic Forever Young Zone that they let my kids play in while I visit with the doctors. Let me tell you! They have video games, arts and crafts, barbie houses, train sets, even an electric keyboard with head phones for the musicians. But, the best thing of all...SUPERVISION! Someone else took over for a minute, so I could focus on Vega's dental visit.

Apparently, Vega is a "fascinating subject" her bone structure has changed since she was 2 and I get to do all the genetics testing and see all the specialists that she had to see when she was little. I knew this day was going to come soon, but I swear it snuck up on me faster than expected. If you have a child that requires "special care" you will totally understand what I mean. The time between doctor visits and tests is really a scary thing. Getting MRIs and echo cardiograms. Having them treat your child like a subject instead of a kid. It can really get you worried.

The train ride home, I was dealing with exhausted children. They all made dolls at the Forever Young Zone and were quietly playing with them, as I was stuck in my own thoughts about my next journey with Vega. The transition to the next train was a little scary this time. Rigel had left his doll on the seat and Ara tried to go back and get it. I had to jump in front of the doors before they closed and grab Ara before the train took off with just her in it! That got our hearts pumping a little, so I decided to pass out drinks and treats while we waited for the next train. (Rigel was also heart broken that his doll was gone forever. Luckily, he had an older brother that made a doll too. Orion knew he was to old for the doll, and gave him to Rigel. Sometimes he can still be a sweetie).

I am thankful everyday for the kids God has blessed me with. They make it so my wonderful ideas for adventure go off without a hitch! I'm pretty sure life for me would be pretty boring without them to keep me entertained.

First-Month-of-Summer Blues

One of my favorite things about my job is that I get the Summers off to spend with the kids. The first three weeks are so much fun! We go exploring in the hills by our house. We find all the local parks and visit them one by one. We get all of the bikes fixed and functioning to last us for another year. Yep, those first three weeks are amazing.

Slowly, without anyone expecting it, the monotony starts to sink in. The kids are sick of what the outside world has to offer. They want to play the computer, or watch videos. They are starting to say those two most dreaded words in the English language... "I'm bored!"

With boredom, comes fighting. The whiney voices start going, the teasing and altogether obnoxiousness that having five kids in one house for three weeks straight causes. It can't seem to be avoided! (Did I mention I don't have a vehicle this Summer, so I can't really escape like I used to be able to?) To add to this, I have school work that I am behind on, so every little shriek, whether good or bad just grates on me like nails on a chalkboard! How can I think with all this chaos going on around me?

I do what any mother on the brink of insanity would do.... I borrow a car and load the kids up for a trip to the dollar store! Oh wonderful, amazing dollar store! With all your cheep paper and crayons and coloring books. Your little craft kits and dinky toys. Your puzzles and notebooks, bubbles and jump ropes, playdough and cookie cutters! I can spend $20 dollars and come away with a menagerie of things for the kids to do with their time. Did I mention all the candy a child could ask for that even their little piggy banks could afford?

When we finally come back home, the house is silent. AHHHHHHH, I take a sigh of relief and get back to work on my latest research paper. The children are all behaving like angels at the kitchen table with their little projects and other various things from the dollar store. So what is the cure to the-first-month-into-Summer blues? The beautiful, blessed dollar store in all of it's cheep, dinky gloriousness!!!!!

I Scream, You Scream!!!

Remember when your parents would take you to an ice cream parlor and you got to pick whatever flavor you wanted? You ran over to the freezer and stretched up onto your tip toes to see what bountiful colors of ice cream awaited for you to choose them. It would always blow my mind how many different flavors there were. Of course, I would always choose the most colorful ice cream I could see (usually bubble gum) and then I would savor every lick that dripped down my arm. There was always an older brother or sister or my mom and dad to say, "let me help you, before it drips all over." but I would guard that ice cream like a lion on a zebra!


I was so excited when I found out there was an ice cream parlor opening up right here in Eagle Mountain! I finally get the opportunity to let my kids experience the ice cream parlor feeling with out the "Cold Stone" price. We walked in and my kids did the exact same thing that I always did... they ran over to the counter, (they actually had step stools, so no getting on tip toes) and made their eyes pop out of their heads because of the excitement of the various colors!



Vega was the first to choose, she didn't even blink when she said, "mint chocolate chip." The other kids took a little bit more time to decide on which new flavor they wanted to try. Ara didn't take very long to choose the most colorful flavor she could see (she is exactly like me you know). This time it was Playdough. Orion followed closely with cherry chocolate chip and Centauri wanted coffee (leave it to her to test her limits of what she could get away with). Rigel actually pulled out his own money from his pocket (the money he has been saving for a big barrel of cheese puffs) and requested a double scoop. In this amazing double scoop, he had Playdough and pistachio, (a choice he would later regret, he didn't like the nuts). I had Caramel Caribou, yes, I do have actual taste buds now.



We sat outside enjoying our ice cream with grins on our faces and ice cream running down our hands. Of course, I had to do it..."Rigel, let me help you before your ice cream gets all over." As he pulled it away, it toppled off the cone! With my cat like reflexes, I caught it with the hand that was not occupied with my own ice cream cone! He was so relieved, he did let me help him a little, but only after giving him my cone to "hold."




We walked home with sticky fingers and sticky smiles, but it was soooooo worth it!!! Letting my children experience a moment of genuine happiness that I myself got to experience as a child was one of the best feelings I have had in a long time. As a child, I never really thought of sharing that type of thing with my own children, but as a mom, I cherish every second of their sticky, happy grins!

Out of school/In school!

Having the kids out of school for the Summer is one of my favorite things in the world. There are so many things that we love to do together. The problem I am having this Summer is that I am in school. My school isn't your average go-to-class-and-do-your-homework-deal. I am doing a blended format of schooling. This means I do most of my classes online.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being in school too, but I get so caught up in my everyday life, I forget to do school. Suddenly, it is Sunday and everything (that I had all week to do) needs to be done and turned in by midnight! Monday morning, I'm promising myself that I am going to get my work done early this week.

I start off with good intentions. I wake up super early while the kids are still asleep. I start my reading Monday morning, everything is going great until I hear, "Mom, What's for breakfast?" One of the kids heard my breathing or something (I swear they just sense when I'm awake) and woke up to see what I'm doing. Since spending one on one time with each of the kids is really important to me, I stop what I'm doing and find out what is going on in this child's life.

The day goes on with one adventure or another, the next thing I know, it is the weekend. The only time in the world I get to spend with Tim. I can't waste my weekends on school! We spend the weekend doing family things and just enjoying each other's company. As Sunday comes to an end, I think, "OH NO!!! I have a report that is due at midnight!!!" and the cycle starts over again.

I think my kids need to start telling me every night to get my homework done. That is what I would do to them when they were in school. What if I can just get some motivation for getting my homework done, maybe if I offered my self a reward when my paper gets written? How about setting the alarm for a certain time that would be best to do the work? Those would all be great ideas, if I would ever stick to them!

I don't know, maybe it is just to hard to be in school when my kids are out of school. What do you think?

The Shoemaker.....

Have you ever heard "The shoemaker's children have no shoes"? Well, the cabinetmaker has no descent cabinets. What is up with that? My husband, (sweet man that he is) is one of the finest cabinet makers in the world. He builds furniture and kitchens in multi-million dollar homes, yet he comes home to a house where the cabinets are falling apart and I have one room with no furniture in it at all.

One of Tim's chests that he designs.

I can't blame him for being tired and not having the time or energy (not to mention the money) to fix our cabinets. I recently discovered that the same applies for the Child Psychologist. I am aware of so many methods of raising children, I have a million theories and I have worked with tons of kids. Some parents call me a miracle worker because of what I have done for their kids. Why can't I figure out what to do with my own kids? Actually, just one in particular... Rigel. For the most part, I have fairly well behaved children. They have their moments (we all do) when they fight and generally just drive me crazy, but for the most part, they are good kids. Rigel, on the other hand, is the most unusual kid I have ever met.

He can't let us take pictures of what is going on, they have to be of him.

This morning, he woke up seemingly in a good mood. As we went about our day, he decided to be clingy, which happens occasionally. So, being the mom that I am I played a game of Monoploy Jr with him, (in which he won..AGAIN!) and we talked and had a happy time. He decided he wanted to earn gems, (a reward system where he trades gems in for money at the end of the month) so he does his jobs and looks for other things to do.

It was a wonderful day... until Uncle Christian came over. For some odd reason Rigel thinks he needs to be the center of attention when his Uncle comes over. The way he does this is by bugging everyone else in the world until someone punishes him. Punishment usually involves his gems being taken away. When that doesn't work, he gets his hands on the wall, when that isn't working, he goes to his room. I am now, pulling my hair out!! He has been in his room three times and he doesn't show signs of stopping.

Every other child in the world responds to consistent consequences except for my boy! The Psychologist's kid. I have everyone else's children figured out except for my own! It has been this way since birth. Everything I have done for all of my other kids has NEVER worked for Rigel. Sleep training, potty training, time outs, positive reinforcement, unpleasant deterrents.... nothing works! He has done everything the way he wants to, at his pace, when he decides that is what he wants to do. If you have children like this, it can be a very frustrating thing, just know that you are not alone. Someday my kitchen will be amazingly beautiful, and someday, Rigel is going to be grown up and dealing with kids of his own. In the meantime, I just have to keep believing that what I am doing is working. In the end, the journey won't be as frustrating as we thought it was at the time. After all, hind sight is 20/20.

Alien Abduction!!!

Once upon I time I had the sweetest little boy. He would do anything for his Mama. He was happy and easy going. Rarely did he ever throw a temper tantrum and when he did, he would always apologize and give hugs to make it better.

As he grew, he had the same personality. He would test his limits every now and again, but he was always so polite and kind. His sisters loved him and he loved them. He was a protector and a friend. He also had a little brother that loved him and wanted to be just like him.

This little boy was named Orion. His Mama was always so proud of him! He wanted to be just like his Daddy. He loved cars and trucks and building things. He always wanted to help cook in the kitchen and when I asked him to help clean up, he would say, "okay, Mama!" and do it right away. Oh, what I sweet little boy I had!

Suddenly, without warning my sweet little boy was abducted by aliens! He was taken away from me and in his place a strange being stood! This other being was tall and awkward, he was ornery and rude. If I asked him to do his job, he would yell at me and tell me that I make him do everything. I don't understand where this rude, disrespectful person came from. He looked like my Orion, but he didn't talk like him, he didn't smell like him, and worst of all, he didn't act like him.

I am convinced that my sweet little boy has to be in there somewhere. Every now and then I get a glimpse of that young man that was so polite, but all to quickly the alien rears his head back and bellows about how life isn't fair! He yells at me that I don't understand, that he hates me and that he doesn't want to be here anymore! I can't get rid of this alien, he holds my sweet little boy hostage inside of him somewhere.

I have an idea! Maybe if I can establish boundaries and lay down the law, but keep our dialogue open. Maybe, I can save that sweet kid inside. If I can patiently wait through the outbursts and teach this alien how to deal with all this emotion that he doesn't know how to deal with, maybe, my kind and loving child will emerge into a respectful amazing adult. If I can just walk him through this patchy time letting him know I will never stop loving him, I think, in the end, he might just be okay.

Dirty little freaks

There are some days when I look around at the families in our neighborhood and I wonder what goes on in their houses with their families. My children are independent and loud! They run around the neighborhood like a bunch of wild Indians. The rest of the neighborhood seems to hide in their houses all day. I don't usually hear from their kids or see any activity at all.

The wildest Indian of them all!

Maybe the reason that my kids are always outside is because we don't have any TV in our house. There were many days in my childhood where I would sit in front of the TV all day. I never really watched anything, but I did watch everything. I didn't really make the choice to not have TV in the house, it just sort of happened. When the analogue signal was turned off, we couldn't afford the converter box. Since we don't have satellite or cable, we have no reception. Therefore, we don't have television to vegetate in front of.

Water + dirt=mud! At least they know their math.

Another theory is that our house is really too small to have 5 rambunctious kids in and live comfortably. We are always bumping elbows and being general Space Invaders. There is lots of fighting about this or that and chaos reigns. What choice do I have but to tell them all to go outside and leave me alone!

This is actually a rare occurance for Vega. She never takes off her shoes!

In any matter, my children come home covered in dirt and all matter of filth. They have torn clothes and scuffed knees. The girls' hair is always flying all over the place and it doesn't matter that I just did it 5 minutes ago. When it comes down to it they are dirty little freaks. The funny thing is, they think that is the best compliment they have ever heard! I guess since I say it in the most loving way I can think of, they wear it like a badge. This is their theme song: Raise Your Glass. I love my kids' independent sense of self! The way they have confidence in themselves and know that they don't have to be like everyone else in the world.

I'm happy I have my beautiful kids and their messy faces and sense of adventure. If I didn't teach my kids to enjoy life to its fullest, I may as well just produce little Ken and Barbie clones.

But that is a blog for another day!

Allow Myself to Introduce.....Myself

When I originally started this post, I figured it would just be read by my friends and family. You know, the people that already know me. Well, I found out this is no longer the case. There are people from all over reading my blog and wondering who I am. Allow myself to introduce..myself.

I am Amanda. I was born a Robinson, but I will die a Watt. I came from a polygamist family of 13 kids. (My mom had 7 of them). Every single one of my brothers and sisters are a valuable asset in my life. We didn't always have the best childhood, but we made the most of what we had and we are all fairly good friends now.

These are my mom's kids, I can't find a picture of the rest of my family, but I love them just the same!!!

I met my sweet husband and soul mate at the tender age of 7. He was the first person I dated, the first (and only) person I have ever kissed and I have no doubt he will be the only person that I will ever be with. The best part is, all of that stuff goes for him as well.

He only has eyes for me!

I am 32 years old and I live in Eagle Mountain, Utah. This beautiful little town that I live in is just about the best place a person can live. The air is clean, the people are friendly, the neighborhoods are safe and everyone knows who I am. Being a substitute teacher for Alpine School District, I specialize in the Special Ed classes.

If there is anything to know about me, it is my love for children! I have a passion for kids with special needs and a desire to help counsel girls that have been sexually abused or assaulted. Thus, I am a student of psychology. I will soon have my Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a concentration in pediatrics. I will go on from there to obtain my Master's and eventually my Phd in Pediatric/School Psychology. The ultimate goal for both my husband and I is to open a ranch for girls that have been sexually abused or molested. We will be doing animal therapy on the ranch with a major focus on Equine therapy. It will be called The Return To Innocence Ranch.

Is there anything more innocent than that sweet face?

I have a lot of interests and things that I do in my spare time, but my main focus is my family. Everything I do and say is usually thought out and spoken with care. I spend most of my time teaching my children by example the way to being a healthy and happy adult. I calculate my interactions with everyone because I want my children to learn how to relate with other people. I am in no way perfect, I do yell at my children every now and then and my husband and I do get into arguments. The key is to follow through to the end and to show them that it is not possible to be good all the time, but it is possible to correct mistakes and to learn from them.

I really don't like to talk about myself, but I thought it should be known by all who they are reading about and the motives I have behind the interaction I choose to have with my kids and my husband. This will be my last boring post, I promise! I just had to get all the introductions out of the way so we could start on the meat and potatoes of what really inspires me... my own children.

My Partner in Crime

When I wrote my post yesterday, I realized that I didn't make any mention of my partner in all of this parenting. Since today is his birthday, I will devote this blog to my beloved soulmate and partner in crime. Tim Watt is one of the most amazing people that I have ever met. He is wonderful husband, an amazing provider, and most importantly, a super, excellent daddy!

Tim works hard at a job he hates, to provide a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. It is a huge responsibility to take on the care of 5 kids and a wife (luckily, I'm really a low maintenance person). He is so talented in his woodworking skills. If you want to view his stuff, you should check out his website www.lincolnfurnituredesign.com (I know, a shameless plug, but it is my blog). He isn't perfect by any means, and he will be the first person to tell you that. He is, however, perfect to me.

When it comes to parenting, we don't always agree. Me being a Psychology Major, I tend to try to find the whys behind the bad behavior. After figuring out the underlying cause, I use different methods depending on the behavior to correct it. Tim just tells me that I am looking for excuses and I just need to punish them. He always resorts to putting the kids hands on the wall, regardless of what they have done. (Putting hands on the wall is a type of timeout where the children must "assume the position" of a person being arrested by a police officer for a certain amount of time that varies for each child.) I prefer natural consequences and positive

reinforcements, but the way we work together is a great balance that, I think, works for our family.

It is so much fun to have my man home. When he comes home from work he doesn't just kick back and watch TV or anything like that. He makes it a point to find out how my day was and to see if I need help doing anything. There are some days (like last night) when he comes home and makes dinner. He likes to help me cook and it is one of the best things that we do together. He loves to grill and he also enjoys dutch oven cooking, (we compete together and win prizes! It is so much fun!).

We all sit down as a family and eat dinner. This is when the kids get to talk to dad and tell him all about what is going on in their lives. I believe this is a tradition that is not done enough in this hurry-through-it world. After dinner is when he gets to unwind and relax. He usually does this by watching a show on Hulu, (he tries to make them kid friendly until the kids go to bed), or by playing a few games on the computer. If we are running low on funds, he will go out to the garage and work on his furniture. There are some days that it seems he never stops working.

Weekends are the best with Tim around! He is such an adventurer. If we can't go camping or hiking or something else like that, we find a park so he can go coin shooting with his metal detector. This is one of the kids' favorite activities, because if they stick around, he always hands them what he finds.

When you see him, he seems a bit intimidating. I know there are many people that don't think he is the perfect specimen that I think he is. He is gruff sometimes and he doesn't like people to break through his shell. Only the kids and I really get to see the wonderful man that he is. The rest of the world usually gets to see this side of him:

To us, he is funny and smart. He keeps us stable and he keeps us happy. He is a rock in our family that we know we can count on. He does silly things that make us laugh, he is thoughtful and loving. I don't know what I would ever do if I didn't have him to help me raise these kids. Our family is whole thanks to the amazing man that helped to get it started. So, happy birthday My Love! You are the most wonderful person to have ever entered my life.

Time to Begin

I had a friend of mine tell me that she thought I should write my own blog. I am doing what she suggested and finally putting myself to it.

If there is one thing that I am constantly doing, it is parenting! Why not do a blog on something that I am doing everyday of the week, 24 hours a day. I know there a lot of you out there that can relate.

Hopefully, I am able to write a funny, insightful, and possibly exciting blog for all you out there that want to know what it is like to be the mother of 5 awesome kids that I had the joy *just slightly rolling my eyes* of having in 6 six years.

When they were babies, it was as scary as anything, I still don't know how I survived those early years. Now they are older, the oldest one is 13 and the youngest is 6, and I have a new

adventure with them everyday. Having independent children is more fun than the baby stage, but I still loved every second of my babies.

If I'm going to do a blurb on parenting, I may as well introduce you to my victims, er... I mean, um... children.

My oldest, Orion, is one of the smartest kids I know. He plays basketball, the saxophone, the clarinet and also tries my patience like you wouldn't believe. He is going throu

gh puberty which means he can change his mood at the drop of a hat. It also means that whatever he is feeling, he blames on me. He is 13 years old and is an amazing kid. He learns quickly and has so many ambitions it is hard to keep them straight. He loves to build and create, cook, and when he wants to be, he is the best big brother in the world! (Note the "when he wants to be" part.)

My next angel, *smirk* is Vega. Although, she is legitimately an angel. She was born with a genetic disorder called cranial facial dysplasia. She has a lot of severe disabilities, but it could be worse. She is able to walk, talk and sass, just like the rest of the kids. She is also going into puberty which is scaring me to death. I mean my other kids I can handle, but I'm not ready

for my Vega to hit that milestone. She is 11 years old, loves Batman, Superman and all manner of other superheroes, and she adores a new pair of shoes. She loves to draw, color, paint, or anything else that she can create with her own hands. She prefers it quiet, but rarely gets that. If you offer to let her sleep over at your house, she will be your best friend forever!!

Now for my middle child, Centauri, she is 10 years old going on 20. She has decided to take it upon herself to be the second mother of the household. (Whether anyone wants her to be or not.) She has the best sense of humor and can get a laugh out of anyone. Tauri is very shy, when it comes to meeting new people (or even doing new things for that matter) it takes her forever to warm up. Once she does, however, she takes complete control and turns into the leader

of the pack. She is very bright and she loves going to school. Her teachers have always had her helping tutor the other kids, because the way she figures things out in her brain is so advanced, they can't keep her busy with her own math problems. She excels in everything she does and I am so proud to call her mine!

My fourth child is the child that my mother said I would have as repayment for who I

was as a child. Ara, my 7 year old, will be turning 8 in about 20 days. She is exactly who I was as a child. She is talkative, outgoing, over-emotional and super whiney. She doesn't have as many social issues that I had as a child, but she suffers from the same know-it-allism that I had. She is so pretty with her amazing freckles and she has a great sense of humor. She is sensitive and loving and cares about every animal that walks within a 50 yard distance of her. Her heart is always open and she is loved by everyone.

Last, but certainly not least, is my whirlwind. If I had Rigel first, I would have done everything in my power not to have any other children. He is 6 years old and I sometimes don't know what to do with him. From the very beginning he has been different. He is not Autistic, but he does suffer from SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). Which means everything he touches, hears, smells, tastes and sees is more intense than what we perceive them to be. He has a super nose that can smell a piece of candy being unwrapped in Japan. He knows the difference between the chaos of Wal-mart on a Saturday and the peacefulness of the Smith's on a Sunday morning. When he is hungry you may as well just run away screaming. He is also the absolute sweetest kid there is. He is so loving and kind. He is always thinking of ways to make his daddy smile.

As you can tell, all my kids have interesting names. I will choose to tell you all about how they got their amazing names for a day when my adventures get me nowhere. (You can just remind me later, I'm pretty sick of writing right now.)

I guess that wraps up my post for now, but look for some super exciting adventures to come next time on..... Adventures in Parenting!!!!!