Thursday, February 28, 2013

Becoming a Brood Mama

 For a while now, I've contemplated changing my blog name.  I suppose I'm still somewhat semi-hip (emphasis on the semi) and semi-young, but I feel like more and more that it's less a part of my identity.  As the years have gone by (4 1/2 since I started this blog!) and the kids have added up, it's less about me being young and hip, and more about trying to figure this whole parenting, mamahood thing out while trying not to be overrun by the brood...because that's what I am, a Brood Mama.  This is even more apparent to me as we prepare for Mowgli #5...

due to arrive on September 12th!

And, so, I present to you my new blog title...

Musings of a Brood Mama

Thanks for sticking with me through all these years!  I'm planning on lots more of them :)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Nuddy Pants Oak and his mad skills

Poor Oak seems to get often overlooked.  I suppose that's what happens when you're one of many.  Tonight, Spencer took the 3 older hoodlums out sledding.  Oak didn't really enjoy it much last time (at least after the sled tipped over onto him mid-ride :P), so he stayed home and hung with me.  I gave him a bath, a few extra cuddles, and put him to bed early.  It was nice to be able to focus all my attention on just the littlest for a bit.  While bathing him, I had my book out to read like normal, but then, instead, I brought out the camera instead.  I can't honestly remember if I have any bathtub pictures of Oak as a baby, which, ya know, kind of makes me sad.  He typically bathes with one or both of his older sisters and when there's multiple squirmy, wet, naughty bodies in a confined space, the camera usually stays put away (poor thing deals with enough on a day-to-day basis getting swiped to take random pictures of lalaloopsies and close-shots up noses.  It's not long for this world, that's for sure).  Anyway, so I pulled out the camera and took a few shots.  On a whim, I also took a short video clip to show off his mad speaking skills.  Ok, so maybe they're not super-mad, but they're much-improved since we started speech at the beginning of January.  He knows over a half-dozen signs, says well over a dozen words, says a few animal sounds, and is starting to babble a little bit too.  Overall, vast, vast improvement.  I just thought I'd share for those interested in seeing it. Enjoy!




If you're ever on the phone with me and you hear a squalling, angry Oak, this is the face that goes with it.  He had just figured out I was withholding skittles from him.
(what, you don't keep skittles in the pocket of your cardigan?)

He was much happier after I gave him the goods


And now for the video...


The End

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

better late than never

I was reading my cousin-in-law, Gretchen's, blog yesterday and loved her yearly New Year interview tradition.  I know it's a little late (as in, 2-months-into-the-new-year, we've-already-got-our-taxes-done, it's-practically-spring sort of late), but I couldn't resist the temptation to steal the tradition and I didn't want to have to wait for next year.  I figure better late than never, right?  I wanted to record exactly what they said, so if there's lots of ummms, and hmmms, now you know why.  I love how the exactness gives a little peek into their head and lives.  Anyway, without further ado, here are the Lifferth Chillun Questions & Answers for 2013...

SCARLETT - age 4

1. What is your favorite color? ummm...yellow
2. What is your favorite toy? ummm...hmmm...my legos
3. What is your favorite fruit? ummm...hmmm...blueberries
4. What is your favorite TV show? Scooby-Doo
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? umm...hot dog!
6. What is your favorite outfit? this nightgown!...because of the princesses!
7.  What is your favorite game? umm...ummm...Uno
8. What is your favorite snack? umm...uh...you know the peanut butter crackers with peanut butter inside.
9. What is your favorite animal? ummm...horsies
10. What is your favorite song? I Love To See The Temple
11. What is your favorite book? Betty Bunny Wants Everything
12.  Who is your best friend? Reesie
13. What is your favorite cereal? ummm...cheerios
14.  What is your favorite thing to do outside? ummm...play
15.  What is your favorite drink? pop
16.  What is your favorite holiday?  ummm...Christmas because we get all the presents!
17.  What do you like to take to bed with you at night? my bear, like my white one. I like to be with my friends, like at church.
18.  What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? umm...did we already get that? ummm...rice crispies
19. What do you want to do in 2013? ummm...play outside.  When it's summer I like to play outside.
20.  What do you want to be when you grow up? a mama
21.  What is your greatest memory from 2012?  Dr. Seuss Memory [game]

GEORGIA - age 5
1. What is your favorite color? pink...light blue and pink
2. What is your favorite toy? hmm...I don't know...I'll think of it...Lalaloopsies
3. What is your favorite fruit? hmm...well...peaches.  Why do we never buy peaches?
4. What is your favorite TV show? Care Bears...What is my next question, Mom?
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? hmmm...jelly sandwiches
6. What is your favorite outfit? hmm...let me just think of it.  Well...well...I don't know.  Ah-ha! I know! My pink sparkly skirt and all of my dresses in my closet.  And is there any other questions?
7.  What is your favorite game? Candy Land.  I'm getting used to Candy Land, but I'm not getting used to Memory.
8. What is your favorite snack? [licks her lips] mandarin oranges
9. What is your favorite animal? hmm...I don't want to say...unicorns.  My real favorite animals is ponies.
10. What is your favorite song? Fairies and Giants. I had it in Music.
11. What is your favorite book? my favorite book is...I don't know...Betty Bunny Wants Everything
12.  Who is your best friend? In school? Baileigh, Aaron, Andrew, and Kai
13. What is your favorite cereal? rice crispies and frosted flakes
14.  What is your favorite thing to do outside? play hopscotch
15.  What is your favorite drink? milk lemonade
16.  What is your favorite holiday? what are holidays? I forgot...I know, I know...is Easter one? Easter and Halloween and Mardi Gras.  I like it a looooot.  Actually all.  They're so much fun.
17.  What do you like to take to bed with you at night? my big stuffed bear and Unicornia and Unicornia's mother (that's my pillow pet)
18.  What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? hmmm...[Georgia: "What does that say?" Mom: "It says 'hmmm'" Georgia: Do not write that!"]...jelly sandwich.  I kinda like those.
19. What do you want to do in 2013? what is 2013? Hey, stop writing, "What is 2013?" When is 2013? And do not write that down! Is 2013 warm? uhh...watch TV.
20.  What do you want to be when you grow up? a fashion designer
21.  What is your greatest memory from 2012? hmmm...playing



EZRA - age 7

1. What is your favorite color? orange, black, red, gold
2. What is your favorite toy? mmm...my legos
3. What is your favorite fruit? mmmmm...red apples
4. What is your favorite TV show? Wild Kratts and Popular Mechanics for Kids
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? jello
6. What is your favorite outfit?  I don't know
7.  What is your favorite game? Sorry
8. What is your favorite snack? chips...dorito chips
9. What is your favorite animal? mmm...shark is my favorite animal in the sea and snake is my favorite animal on land.
10. What is your favorite song? I don't know...We Are Golden and the ball song and Dynamite
11. What is your favorite book? I don't have a favorite book
12.  Who is your best friend? Simon and Tony and Liam
13. What is your favorite cereal? rice crispies
14.  What is your favorite thing to do outside? mmm...mmmm...I really like to play soccer
15.  What is your favorite drink? grape juice
16.  What is your favorite holiday? Christmas...because we get presents.
17.  What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Bear-Bear
18.  What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? waffles with powdered sugar
19. What do you want to do in 2013? hmm...have a fun time
20.  What do you want to be when you grow up? an engineer
21.  What is your greatest memory from 2012? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

Friday, February 15, 2013

i'm stuck.

 I can't decide if it makes me a good mom or a bad mom that I totally recognize Oak's "I'm stuck" cry.

This is what I found when I got around to hunting him down.

 (yes, I usually make him wait a few minutes after the whining begins...I figure he'll be less likely to get himself in the same predicament another day if he has to wait a bit.  I'm mean that way.)

...considering I totally forgot to give Ezra and Georgia breakfast before they left for school this morning, I'm gonna go with bad mom.

ps. he toootally wasn't smiling when I found him.  He just smiles anytime he sees the camera come out.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

georgia on my mind

If Georgia's future fiance doesn't sing this to her at some point in time, I just don't know if I'll be able to let him marry her.


consider yourself warned.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

mean, catty rant

I'm going to be really catty and mean for a second.


[deep breath]


I've been seeing this pin around on pintrest and I can't help but grimace and roll my eyes whenever I see it.

'cause, well, I hate this girl.

Ok, I don't HATE hate her...but kinda I do.

She's had one, ONE pregnancy and she thinks she can go around and tell the world how to stay cute and little all through pregnancy (just like her!), which, of course will help you lose the weight fast postpartum.  Because, of course, she only gained 20 pounds with her (single!) pregnancy.

oh puh-lease.

Now, I do give her kudos that she knows what's she doing nutrition and exercise-wise.  She's written a book, been on TV, yada, yada, but she still rubs me wrong.  There's nothing wrong with her advice, per se, she's just so darn preachy and all self-righteous about it.  She is just listing 10 obvious health and body facts about pregnancy (embrace your changing body, eat every 2-3 hours, prepare healthy meals, etc) and acting like that can make the difference between a 20 pound (just like her!) and a 45 pound weight gain during pregnancy.

Which isn't even the worst of it!  The worst is she shows all these pictures of herself and her cute little belly and implying that you can somehow keep a cute little belly (just like her!) by making sure not to eat for two (does anyone really think they can eat for two anymore while pregnant? really?).

I'm sorry, but that's just not reality!  I've had multiple pregnancies with different activity levels and eating habit during all of them and I have gained 35-45 pounds with every single one, regardless!  I've talked to lots and lots of different women about their pregnancies and some women are naturally small gainers and some women pack on more pounds.  Pregnancy is just like that!

Also, your weight gain doesn't always dictate your belly size. Sometimes you just get big and sometimes you just stay smaller, regardless of weight-gain.  Some women will just always be big while pregnant and some women will always be on the small side.  It has so much to do with how you carry, your height, your torso length, where you gain your weight at (boobs, belly, hips, etc) while pregnant.  You can't just peg it on good eating habits and low weight-gain alone.

Which leads me to my last irritant...I take issue with her implications because (sorry if this doesn't make sense to you never-before-preggers and non-other-people-studiers)...she's a boob gainer.  There, I said it.  She says herself that her chest got a lot bigger during pregnancy and it's obvious in the first picture she posts that she's fairly busty during that point in her pregnancy (5-6 mo along).  It's just my personal observation (which you can feel free to disagree with), but a lot of time (but not always) if a girl's bust gets a heck-of-a lot bigger during pregnancy, she carries just a bit smaller on her tummy.  I don't know why, it's just something I've noticed during my many years of mommyhood (not to mention I'm a young mormon mom...so believe me when I say I've seen/known a lot of pregnant girls).  So, when she implies that you can look like her all through your pregnancy, I get really irked.  Not only is it soooo not true, but it is all the more likely to make some other poor girl really doubt her own body (which goes against the very first piece of advice listed (in big, bold letters) to Embrace Your Body!) which helps absolutely NO ONE during pregnancy.

blah. blah. blah.

This is me sticking my tongue out at you, Miss Michelle.

Ok, I think I'm done.

rant over.