Ruby had a birthday bash.

Six of the most outgoing, extroverted, loud girls joined her to celebrate.

They sang "Happy Birthday" and then sang it Stevie Wonder style.

They imitated teachers and funny classmates.

They said things like, "My signature color is red, white and glitter." (Ruby)

They ding dong ditched the boy that lives down the street.

It was the easiest party I've ever thrown. A group of kids from a school of the arts can really self entertain. They are their own drama in a good way. They love to sing. They LOVE art. And in sixth grade they are all still so kind and generous of spirit.

What a great way to celebrate a great girl.

This week someone grew.

He climbed in my car after lacrosse practice, I looked over at him, and he filled the whole seat. His knees hit the dash. His shoulders stretched across his chair. And his boy-sweat-dirt-smell filled the remaining space.

I knew it was coming.

But it still fills me with awe. I have a mini man. Or a man man. Or a teen man.

So I took a little trip.

 With my sister and best friend (next to Jeremy!), Vanessa.

 To Scotland! Home of cool, Harry Potter telephone booths.

 Glasgow University.

 And best of all, Molly, my sister who's going to school there.

 We biked around a beautiful island.

 Toured the castle in Edinburgh.

And loved each other.

Motherhood is funny.

Wyatt: Today at recess girls chased me.
Mom: OOH. Ashton loves to be chased by girls.
Ashton: Correction. Ashton loves to chase girls.

Except when it's not.

Kids: Wah wah wah. I want wah. I want wah. I want wah.
Mom: Well I want things too like no more crying and peace on Earth.

There are a few frequent going-ons in the Anderson household.

Ashton falls asleep in church and Cade nestles a Kix on his lip for the rest of the service. He then takes this picture with my phone (I'm in the bathroom with peeper Ivy). When Ashton awakes, he eats it! Yum!

Ivy starts saying, "YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF THE FAMILY!"
I say, "YES, I AM!"

Wyatt decides for his oral report on Delaware's Striped Skunk he needs a costume and wears it with pride.

Ruby attends Young Women's New Beginnings, says the theme with loud gusto, and gets crowned so that she will always remember her divine heritage and potential.

...no picture of Cade, but he is working furiously to get ready for a Concerto competition. Last month he started two hour a day practices. Now he's back down to an hour. It's a ten minute piece and when he practices, his concentration is so intense it almost gives me a headache! I never dreamed I would have a kid with this kind of musical talent, perseverance, and discipline.

Look inside your soul and tell me, at what point do you scream, "Enough!"

Is it when you find the new roll of wrapping paper undone down the upstairs hall?

Is it when you find the third pair of panties peeped on the bedroom floor?

Is it when you find the birthday present for Abbey B. opened and played with?

Is it when a totally naked three-year-old body flashes across the room yelling, "Accidents!"?

Is it when all the above happens in the span of five minutes and is just one small part of a naughty day?

Gosh, I love this girl.

Ivy has the sweetest, kindest, patient, and gentle church nursery leaders. They are mothers themselves, relaxed yet organized, timely yet flexible. They lay on the floor and read stories. They sing songs and do crafts. Ivy is the only girl with eight boys.

So what does it take to get kicked out of church nursery from the likes of saints?

A little foot stomping. A little control freak. A little "my way or the highway." A little bossy-pants.

As we sat in a chair in the foyer waiting for the attitude to dissipate, the lips to unpurse, and bossy to agree to apologize before we would go back, Ivy said, "Ugh mom. Don't talk about this. It's giving me a headache."

This week Ruby asked me if it was true, what everyone says at school...that blondes are dumb.

Now you know why I will not let her fly alone to Utah this summer to stay with her friend.

Some kids don't like wet panties.
Others don't care because there's always a backup in mom's purse and they have no shame.

This is how we left the church last night at 6:45 p.m. in 22 degree weather. 

Ivy waved goodbye to all we passed.

Last week I decided where I wanted doors, what size they should be and which direction they should open.

I decided where to put my light switches and what they should and should not control.

I decided how many inches spread a toilet should have from wall to wall (32").

I decided a $6,500 bathroom floor was getting crazy and I decided I needed to start over at the tile store.

We're finishing the basement (big YEA!!) but if I don't focus my thoughts and start pulling it together, Ruby might be deciding on a new mom after I forgot her at ballet for 25 minutes.

Mondays

I still need to fold the laundry and it's almost 9 p.m.

I still need to take a shower.

I still need to read the scriptures.

My socks stink.

But I did get Ashton to school in time for his turn giving the morning announcements over the school's PA system. Barely.

Wyatt was only ten minutes late for Kindergarten. And he ate breakfast.

Ivy didn't wet her panties until dinner, which means we went the bathroom at the grocery, the gym, Costco, TJ Maxx, and Home Depot.

The laundry is almost done.

It's only 9 p.m.

New Year 2013

I woke up in a panic.

Where have the last two years gone? Are my old posts around or have they been lost in some cyber world, never to be remembered? And if they are lost, so are my memories. Ugh. Is this a sign of dementia, old age, or just motherhood?!

And then I realized that if I do not post I will forever forget Ivy saying, "Mom, you make the best pot stickers in the whole world" (even when they are frozen/fried and from a bag a la Costco).

And what if I forget that last week Wyatt told me, "Mom, no one loves you as much as I love you."

Things like that are worth holding onto.

I especially don't want to forget Ashton's indoor soccer game last week when he was on fire and actually dribbled through some one's legs!

Or Ruby's first babysitting job and how excited she was when she came home after successfully putting two darlings to bed...texting me after each was tucked in. She loves her new ipod touch. It makes her feel so grown up.

And what if I were to forget that this week was the week Cade started letting me kiss him goodnight on the cheek again after a month of eighth grade angst?

Ahhh...so as much as it hurts I HAVE to record life. As it is. In the middle of all the craziness and yelling and laughter. If not it might go away forever and be forgotten. How sad that would be.