What Were We Thinking?

Developmentally Appropriate Parenting

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 18:30:00 +0000

This is the final post in our series on answering the question “How do I parent a difficult child?” Now that we have learned the importance of taking care of ourselves and we know what our child’s temperament is, let’s make sure we are parenting with developmental appropriateness. Developmentally appropriate parenting is an approach to parenting that accounts for both the age and the individual needs of each child. As children grow and develop, their needs, concerns, and abilities will change. The way you parent will also need to change. Not all children develop at the same rate, so what worked for one of your children may not work for another.

To modify your parenting to fit your child's stage of development, you must have some knowledge of what development is, why it happens, and what it means for you as a parent. Galinsky (1987) presets six parental stages to match the child’s different developmental stages. A condensed version of these stages are:

Image-making (pregnancy). Parents begin to shape their role as parents before the baby is born. They begin to form images in their minds of how life will be with a new baby and what changes will take place.
Nurturing (birth to 18-24 months). Parents form the bonds of attachment and learn to balance the needs of the baby with work, partner, social life, other family, and household needs. This stage lasts until the child learns to say “No.”
Authoritative (2 – 5 years). Parents begin to establish boundaries and rules for their children. They will also begin to establish discipline. Rules are often quite black-and-white during this stage to ensure the child’s safety. This is when parents should explain the reasons for the rules and guide their child towards autonomy so they can develop the ability to make appropriate choices on their own.
Interpretive (5 years – adolescence). Parents should be starting to teach children to take the perspective of others, to interpret the behaviors of other people and react accordingly. Children are often learning to cope with changing peer dynamics such as bullying, peer-pressure, peer-comparisons and establishing a role within a group of friends. Parents can help their children navigate these difficult social situations.
Interdependent (during adolescence). This may be a difficult time for both parents and adolescents as the family tries to find a balance between increasing freedom and independence for the child and maintaining the authority of the parent. Disagreements often happen and there is the added pressure of outside influences. Effective and respectful communication is important during this stage, not only between the teenager and their mother or father but also for the parents to communicate with each other.
Departure (late adolescence to adulthood). The departure stage is when the child reaches full or almost complete independence. It does not necessarily coincide with the young adult physically leaving home. Parents and children can form new roles and begin to communicate on a more level ground. This can be a sad time for parents as they redefine their identities but can also lead them to rediscover their own individual pursuits.

Difficulties most often arise when parents are using a style that is inappropriate for the age of the child, either below age-appropriate level or above age-appropriate level. Some parents refuse to change their ways as their child develops, and then find themselves wondering why they are having a tough using techniques that had worked so well before. The answer may simply be that they are clashing with their child's needs at that point in their development. Good parenting is flexible, and it needs to be tailored to fit with your child's stage of development.

Some things that Steinberg (2004) shared are “when your child develops from one stage to the next, he is changing on the inside as well as the outside. The stages of psychological development that children go through are reasonably predictable. Neither you nor your child can control the nature or pace of her psychological development any more than you or she can control the nature or pace of her physical development. The same forces that are changing your child for the better as he develops are usually contributing to the parenting challenges associated with that period. Once you understand this, you will start to see the difficult times in a more positive light.”

Children are here to be loved not controlled. We need to make sure that the parenting we are doing is always done with love. When you feel like you have messed up, take a step back, and start fresh. Children are very forgiving. Forgive yourself, you are doing a great job!

Resources

Galinsky, E. (1987). The six stages of parenthood. Perseus Books.

Steinberg, L. (2004). The 10 basic principles of good parenting. Simon & Schuster.

TEMPERAMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 18:00:00 +0000

In this second post on tips for the burning question “How do I parent a difficult child?”, we will discuss temperament and understanding what it is and how to parent according to it. Temperament is a personality trait that tells us how we will react to the world around us. It is determined by how individuals act and interact with others. Each person has their own unique set of personality or temperament traits that we are born with. These traits are part of who they are and they are not chosen. Understanding your child’s temperament can help explain their behavior and it can change how you feel about it. Knowing your child’s temperament can help you set realistic expectations for them. You have probably known your child’s temperament since they were born. For example, Charlie is such an easy-going baby, or James really likes his routine.

Sometimes, your child’s temperament is very similar to that of your own. In other ways, it can be quite different. This can be challenging to parent, especially when they are different from one another. There is no right or wrong temperament, every person has their own unique style of thinking, acting, and interacting with the world. Taking the time to learn your child’s temperament can help you develop a strategy to meet their unique needs.

When determining the type of temperament your child may have, raisingchildren.net.au (2020) suggests you consider these three qualities:

“Reactivity: this is how strongly children react to things like exciting events or not getting their own way. Reactive children tend to feel things strongly.

Self-regulation: this is how much children can control their behavior, including the way they show their feelings. It’s also about how much children can control their attention and how persistent they are.

Sociability: this is how comfortable children are when they meet new people or have new experiences.”

When you have a child with a difficult temperament, parenting can feel like a losing battle. Children with difficult temperaments tend to be highly emotionally reactive and sensitive to their environments. Reactive kids also have high energy levels and need more time outdoors. They may also have a hard time winding down and need a good bedtime routine with a relaxation technique to stick to. Difficult temperament kids don’t mean to be difficult. They deal with the world in the only way they know how. However, it’s still important to teach your child appropriate social skills, offer support and unconditional love, and take time to help them get through the more difficult situations. Your goal is not to try to change your child’s temperament. It should be to help them adapt to difficult situations and avoid power struggles and issues common to children with difficult temperaments. Learning to make small adjustments can help make things easier for both of you.

Children who tend to stay calm when they feel emotions like excitement or frustration are more self-regulated. They are not as impulsive as a highly reactive child and can focus their attention for longer periods of time. Less self-regulated children might find it hard to focus their attention and may need more encouragement to finish tasks.

Children who have high sociability like to be around other people and must learn to occupy themselves. They are also very adaptable and can cope with changes very easily. They enjoy having lots of new experiences but will still need one on one time with you. Low sociability children are good at playing by themselves and don’t usually need help finding something to occupy themselves. They like have a routine and are not as adaptable to changes. They need to learn coping mechanisms to hand change.

In the book, “The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting” Steinberg states, “although you don't have control over everything your child encounters, when you do, try to take your child's disposition into account. If your child has a short attention span, don't plan family outings that require a lot of sitting still. If your child is very active physically, choose activities that let him run around and burn off steam. If your child is easily scared, try not to expose him to things that are likely to frighten him. Just think about his temperament, beforehand and use a little common sense” (p. 79). Remember that trying to fight your child’s temperament will not change it. If you learn to work with it, rather than against it, you'll both be a lot happier.

References

Raisingchildren.net.au. (2020, Oct. 30). Temperament: What is it. Australian Government Department of Social Services. https://raisingchildren.net.au/newborns/behaviour/understanding- behaviour/temperament

Steinberg, L. (2004). The 10 basic principles of good parenting. Simon & Schuster.

SELF-CARE

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 17:30:00 +0000

A question that many parents have is, "How do I parent a difficult child?" While that is not a simple question to answer because all children and parents are different. Perhaps it is by becoming a better parent and learning new strategies. In the next three blog posts, I will share a few things that I have learned from taking the parenting skills class at BYU-I and the NEPEM (National Extension Parent Education Model) that will hopefully help you as your raise your children.

This first post will cover self-care and why it is important in raising happy, healthy children, especially difficult children. The World Health Organization (2021) defines self-care as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Self-care begins with being conscious of your own needs and how much you can give. As a parent, it is important to take care of yourself. If you are like most moms and dads, you get so busy taking care of the kids you need to be reminded to take care of yourself. An important step to becoming a better parent is by practicing self-care.

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR PHYSICAL SELF?

Regularly eat healthy meals

Get exercise

Get enough sleep

Get regular check-ups

Spend time outdoors

Take a break from electronics

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL / EMOTIONAL SELF?

Spend time with friends

Say no to extra responsibilities

Work on your marriage or other relationships

Practice gratitude

Express your emotions

Forgive yourself and others

DO YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR CREATIVE / SPIRITUAL SELF?

Allow yourself quiet time to reflect

Attend worship

Write in a journal

Spend time in nature

Enjoy a hobby

Learn to do something new

What happens to a PARENT when he or she neglects self-care?

The world often pressures parents to give so much to their children that they neglect themselves or feel like they are being selfish or that it is a waste of time to make themselves a priority. This puts undo stress on their mind and body and can lead to significant health issues like high blood pressure, depression, and anger issues. Parents should never feel guilty for taking time for themselves.

“Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more. From a physical health perspective, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Spiritually, it may help keep us in tune with our higher power as well as realize our meaning in life” (Glowiak, 2020)

What happens to a CHILD when a parent neglects their self-care?

It ultimately teaches our children that its okay to neglect things like eating healthy, getting exercise, maintaining friendships. Parenting can become more challenging because it takes energy to be a good parent. If we are tired, irritable, or sad it becomes more difficult to care for our children and our homes. It is also a good idea to teach your children how to practice their own self-care. Not all self-care needs to be done alone. In fact, if done with your children, it can create a bonding experience for you.

If we fail to take care of ourselves, how can we have anything left to give to others? An old African Proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Do not be afraid to ask for help when it is needed. There is nothing to be ashamed of if we are on empty and we just can’t do any more. Self-care is personal maintenance that is performed by the individual. Only you know what you need and only you can act on it. Start today with a bones day!

References

World Health Organization. (2021). What do we mean by self-care.

WHO. https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/en/

Glowiak, M. (2020, Apr 14). What is self-care and why is it important for you. Southern New

Hampshire University. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/health/what-is-self-care

It's like a slap in the face!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:35:00 +0000

These are just a few of the sentiments that we yell at each other as we are leaving the house or getting out of the car. It is always a competition to see who can be the loudest. The best is when I am in the drop-off line at school and I yell (and I do mean yell) as they are walking up to the school, "Return With Honor!" The kids just love that one...especially my high school kids. Although, now that they drive themselves everywhere, I don't get to do this to them as often and that makes me sad.

Today as I am getting ready to walk out the door for work, Sierra is telling me to return with honor, etc...when Brooklyn yells down the stairs,

"If you don't use the talents God gave you, it's like a slap in the face."

That's a new one!!!

She completely threw me off, I had no idea how to respond other than to say, "Uhmm, thanks!" then turn around and leave.

Now that I have had time to digest the words, I can't wait to throw them back at her when she doesn't want to practice her violin. Oh how she is going to regret this one.

Muahahaha!

eeeeEEEEKKKKK!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:53:00 +0000

On Monday we went over to a friends house for a barbecue and swimming. It was so hot, we came home completely exhausted. By the time we got everyone through the shower, swim clothes washed, scriptures read, and had prayers, I was ready to just lay my head on my pillow and fall into a deep sleep. The dogs had other intentions. We put them in their crates and they barked and clawed constantly to get out (not normal for them). We let them out and they would not lay down. They kept coming in and jumping on and off the bed. They would go into the family room and bark then come back and jump on the bed. Phyn kept biting and tugging on my hand. Drove me crazy and I kept yelling at him to lay down. Finally around 12:30, they laid down.

Naturally after all of this, we slept in. Tyler and Kayla even missed Seminary. I got up, got them up and got into the shower. In the meantime, everyone slowly got up and started getting ready to leave. James no sooner stepped out of the shower and Brooklyn screamed. James and I shrugged it off because she tends to scream over anything and everything, especially when she is tired. About 3 seconds later, she screamed the most blood curdling scream I have ever heard. James took off running out of our bathroom thinking that someone was trying to break in (it happened to some people in our ward last year). Then we heard Brooklyn yelling, "it's a rat, it's a RAT!" I ran into the family room telling her that it was probably just a mouse and to settle down.

The next thing I heard was, "get it!" James had given the dogs the command to go after it. Sure enough it was a huge, ugly rat. IN MY HOUSE! The dogs caught and killed it in a matter of 30 seconds. James called the exterminator and I spent the rest of the day sanitizing my house. We have no other signs of rats so the exterminator thinks it came in through the dog doors looking for food or water. I think that thing was in my house all night and the dogs were trying to tell us. We just didn't listen.

Now that I am feeling OK being in the house, I walk up to the front door and find this snake trying to find his way in. Fourth snake since we moved in at the end of February. Not how I prefer to be welcomed into the neighborhood.

I am seriously considering selling and moving away now.

Should I?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 15:45:00 +0000

Dear Chronicles of Slattery,

How dare you try to guilt me into getting back into blogging? Not cool, NOT COOL!

Pythons in Texas?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:19:00 +0000

I have been taking a lot of flack around here for not keeping the blog updated. Mostly by my husband, who I assume is the only one who reads this thing. I decided to share something that one of my little girls told me this morning at my crossing.

She rode up on her bike and declared her apologies for being late this morning. Then proceeded to tell me that she found a baby python in the street and decided to pick it up and throw it into someones yard. She said, "I had to do it because there are lots of dogs and babies in the road in our neighborhood."

Now I am know that I am not the smartest person, but I am pretty sure that there aren't any wild pythons slithering down the streets of suburban Houston. Perhaps it was a pet and someone's baby carried it out to the road on the dog.

This story entertained me almost as much as this one:

One day I had a boy come up to me and tell me that he had lost a tooth at school. For those of you who don't know this, but losing a tooth at school is the epitome of cool. He was so excited. I asked him if the tooth fairy came to his house. He said yes, so I asked what he gets. He told me $10. I was stunned and told him that when I was a kid all I got was a quarter (or whatever loose change my dad had in his pocket). He got a surprised look on his face and then said, "It was probably because when you were a kid the cost of gold was not as much as it is now." --uhm, OK!

Tomorrow is the big day!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I am really nervous about having surgery. I find it interesting how I questioned whether or not I should go through with it. I have known since we had Brooklyn 11 years ago that I was done having babies. I was so sure that I even had a tubal ligation done. Which is permanent and can’t necessarily be reversed; you can have in vitro fertilization done and go that route if you decide later on to continue having children. So when the doctor said that we had exhausted all other methods of treatment for the issues that I have been suffering for several years and that the only option left was laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, all potential options of having another baby were gone. I have to admit that it didn’t really bother me until James brought it up. Then I went back and forth for a few days. While it would be fun to have another baby, our oldest is 17 and our youngest is 11, it would be like starting a whole new family and I don’t have the energy for that anymore. The four I have now drained me. The benefits of this surgery are astronomical. It is going to change my whole life and I look forward to that. Another benefit, if we do get pregnant, I will know for a fact that it’s not mine…James will have some splanin’ to do.

We are so blessed to have wonderful friends who have stepped up without even being asked to help out with the kids and meals and support. I even have a friend flying in to stay with me while James and Tyler are at high adventure camp. I so appreciate everything they have done and are going to do to help.

Here’s to a successful surgery tomorrow!

I Mustache You A Question...

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:31:00 +0000

Have you missed us?

Who said NO? We have been up to a lot ~~of nothing~~ for the last five months. Since our amazing Disney Cruise, ~~we have been crying our eyes out~~ James and I have planned our "year of the parents" vacation. We are going to Hawaii, if my dad will agree to loan us his house for a week, that is. We have gone vegetarian! Yep, we only eat meat on social occasions when there isn't another option. Or at least I do. James and the kids eat meat anytime they can. They even asked for "real" meat for their birthday dinners. Eventually they will succumb and see the brilliance of my ways. They can't deny the benefits we have already seen.

James took a new job with GE, he is the Global Key Accounts Executive. It is going to be less travel and when does have to travel it will be international. He also went back to school to earn his BA in business management. He is very excited about the new challenges in his life.

I have been keeping busy with my church callings, the kids, the house and of course all of my little and not so little projects. I think I have about five going right now, however James thinks I have many more than that. Hopefully I will finish them all, SOON! I finally graduated college and got a new car as my graduation gift (Best husband EVER!). After many visits with my doctor and several alternative trials we have decided that it will be best for me to have a laparoscopic hysterectomy. I will be having it done in June. The kids and I are then planning a trip to Idaho for the month of July.

Tyler has been busy with choir. They took their spring trip to San Antonio this year and went to the Alamo, Six Flags, and Sea World. He went on the trek and had a wonderful experience in the heat of Texas. He started driver training and is doing very well. I think he just about has all of his hours completed. Can't wait for him to be a full fledged driver. He also turned 17 last month. It scares me a little that he will be on his mission in just two years.

Kayla turned 15 in January and she can't wait to start driver training. Me, not so much! One teen driver is enough for now. She also went on the trek this year. It was fun making her skirts and bonnet. She had a great time. She has loved seminary this year, had a good year in school, but is ready for summer break.

Sierra is perfecting the art of drama around the house. The littlest things send her off into a fit of yelling, crying rage. I hope she grows out of it and soon. That way I don't have to kick her out or build her a shed in the back yard to live in. She is having fun in Young Women's and has made a lot of great friends here.

Brooklyn is just her go lucky, take it as it comes self. She has been busy with projects for school. First was her science "egg"speriment. She tested different liquids to see what they would do to egg shells. Vinegar will dissolve it off leaving the egg intact. It was very cool to see. Her project this week is on a famous Texan. She chose Laura Bush. We have learned a lot about her.

I now mustache you another question...

Did you know that Duct Tape makes one with mustaches on it? How cool is that?

Disney Dream

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Please don't be jealous! We had another fabulous time cruising with Disney. Here are some of the pics.

Demolition!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:29:00 +0000

We proclaimed both houses winners and decided it was a tie. I decided to declare the 11,032 votes from Healdsburg, CA for Christmas Zoo as null and void since I think there was a little bias involved. Any-who... after all of the work we put into the design and decoration of the houses, we couldn't just throw them away. We decided to demolish them with the RC monster truck and the RC nitro car. Perfect way to celebrate Christmas Eve, if you ask me and of course you didn't.

Matthew was distraught over the destruction because, "we put so much hard work into them."

We Need Your Votes!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:29:00 +0000

Last night we hosted the 1st Annual G/L Gingerbread House Decorating Competition.
We need your help deciding on the winning house. Please leave a comment with your preference by December 24th. Here is the list of official rules:

Gingerbread house must be built prior to competition. Not decorated...
All items in the kit must be used.
Each family is to provide one quart ziplock bag of dry food items from their pantry for the other family to use. Items must be edible.
Each family can bring one quart size bag of items to add to their house (must be edible). You may also provide up to 2 cups additional frosting in Christmas appropriate colors.
One hour to complete.
Each person in the family must contribute.
No pyro technics, electronics, smoke generators (for James), dancing girls, live animals, insects or other hazardous materials...
Visiting family should bring any special cookie cutters, rolling pins etc...

Each family started with this kit from Sam's Club (shout out!).

Option A: Christmas Zoo

Option A: Side View

Option B: O Holy Night Before Christmas

Option B: Side View

Both families had so much fun trying to decide what to make the other family use on their house and it was equally as fun trying to incorporate those items into our themes. Can't wait to do this again next year because we know which family plays dirty. We look forward to seeing who you choose as the winner. Thanks in advance!

WANTED...

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:29:00 +0000

Dog sitter needed for first week in January. Dog (Cooper) believes he is part parrot, cat, and big game hunter. Potty trained and very cuddly. Daddy not included! Please RSVP ASAP!

Thanksgiving 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:40:00 +0000

I am thankful for my sweet little family and their willingness to pitch in and help out, even at 0730 on a day they could be sleeping in. I am thankful for my awesome hubby and the support he gives me to know that I am worth it. I am thankful for my puppy to keep me company during the day when everyone is gone. I am thankful to be living in Texas and for the wonderful people here. I am especially thankful for the joy the Gospel brings to our lives. I am thankful for our generous ward and the incredible friends that we have made there. I am thankful for my super talented sister-in-law...see pics below. All-in-all I am very blessed and thankful to have the knowledge of that.

Brooklyn eyeing the mini apple pies we made.

Sierra peeling potatoes for 6...I think she is overdoing it just a little!

Sierra set the table complete with name places.

Dinner is served!

One year for my birthday, Myla made me some awesome mini turtles.

When I saw a pattern for a mini sock monkey I asked her to make me one.
She did it, without a pattern. She is FREAKING amazing.

I've been busy...

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:50:00 +0000

I went a little crazy making things for my little sister's first baby, Jackson Pope.

Car Seat Tent/Canopy

Rag Quilt for Jackson Pope

Curtains for Nursery

Curtains for Nursery--I made 3 sets

Please VOTE!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Sierra could really use your votes. She would love to win the pumpkin carving/decorating contest at our orthodontists office. Please go HERE and cast your vote for photo #4. Anyone can vote!

Brushing Bob

It's Only Funny Until Someone Gets Hurt...

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Then It's Hilarious!

The last few weekends Sierra has been going over to our good friends the Leone's to practice her drama club skits with their daughter and when I go to pick her up we end up staying and playing basketball for several hours. Then we are scrambling to find something for dinner so I can send the kids to bed. Friday we decided to make it an "official" evening of B-ball and pizza. Unbeknownst to the Leone's we decided that we should wear uniforms. I went to Walmart and found everyone matching shorts and shirts that were all way too big on us, tube socks, headbands, and wristbands. We looked absolutely ridiculous but the looks on their faces when they saw us strutting up their driveway were PRICELESS. Best night in a long time. Then today in church James got a text from Brad asking, "No uniforms for church?" That's right, I take that challenge and the creative wheels are turning. Stay tuned to see something in the next couple of weeks that will surely top these uniforms.

If you don't laugh at this, you must be DEAD!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:22:00 +0000

This made me laugh so hard I have TEARS running down my face and legs (that is a whole other story). I could totally picture James and I having this same argument.

MUST READ!!! Knock Knock!!!

This morning I had a fight with Victor about towels. I can’t tell you the details because it wasn’t interesting enough to document at the time, but it was basically me telling Victor I needed to buy new bath towels, and Victor insisting that I NOT buy towels because I “just bought new towels“. Then I pointed out that the last towels I’d bought were hot pink beach towels, and he was all “EXACTLY” and then I hit my head against the wall for an hour.

Then Laura came to pick me up so we could go to the discount outlet together, and as Victor gave me a kiss goodbye he lovingly whispered, “You are not allowed to bring any more g-damn towels in this house or I will strangle you“. And that was exactly what I was still echoing through my head an hour later, when Laura and I stopped our shopping carts and stared up in confused, silent awe at a display of enormous metal chickens, made from rusted oil drums.

Laura: I think you need one of those.

me: You’re joking, but they’re kind of horrifically awesome.

Laura: I’m not joking. We need to buy you one.

me: The 5-foot tall one was $300, marked down to $100. That’s like, $200 worth of chicken for free.

Laura: You’d be crazy not to buy that. I mean, look at it. IT’S FULL OF WHIMSY.

me: Victor’d be pissed.

Laura: Yup.

me: But on the plus side? It’s not towels.

Laura: Yup.

me: We will name him Henry. Or Charlie. Or O’Shannesy.

Laura: Or Beyoncé.

me: Or Beyoncé. Yes. And when our friends are sad we can leave him at their front door to cheer them up.

Laura: Exactly. It’ll be like, “You thought *yesterday* was bad? Well, now you have a enormous metal chicken to deal with. Perspective. Now you have it.”

Then we flagged down a salesman, and we were all “What can you tell us about these chickens?”, as if we were in an art gallery, and not in a store that specializes in last years’ bathmats. He didn’t know anything about them, but he said that they’d only only sold one and it was to a really drunk lady, and then Laura and I were all “SOLD. All this chicken belongs to us now.”

So he loaded it onto a trolley, but Beyoncé was surprisingly unstable, and the giant 5 foot metal chicken crashed over onto the floor. And Laura and I were all “CHICKEN DOWN! CLEAN-UP IN AISLE 3″ but he didn’t laugh. Then the manager came to see what was causing all the commotion, and that’s when he found the very-conservative salesman unhappily struggling to right an enthusiastically pointy chicken which was almost as tall as he was. The salesman was having a hard time, and he told everyone to stand back “because this chicken will cut you,“ and at first I thought he meant it as a threat, like “That chicken has a shiv!” but turns out he just meant that all the chickens’ ends were sharp and rusty. It was awesome, and Laura and I agreed that even if we got tetanus, this chicken had already paid for himself even before we got it in her truck.

Then we got to my house and quietly snuck the chicken up to my front door, rang the doorbell, and hid around the corner.

Victor opened the door and looked at the chicken in stunned silence for about 3 seconds. Then he sighed, closed the door and walked away.

Laura: What the f*@#? That’s it? That’s the only reaction we get?

me: That’s it. He’s a hard man to rattle.

Victor was surprisingly pissed that I’d “wasted money” on an enormous chicken, because apparently he couldn’t appreciate the hysterical value of a 5 foot chicken ringing the doorbell. Then I said, “Well, at least it’s not towels” and apparently that was the wrong thing to say because that’s when Victor screamed and stormed off, but I knew he was locked in his office because I could hear him punching things in there. Then I yelled through his door, “It’s an anniversary gift for you, a-hole. Two whole weeks early. 15 YEARS IS BIG METAL CHICKENS.”

Then he yelled that he wanted it gone, but I couldn’t move it myself, so instead I said okay and went to watch tv. Then when the UPS guy came I hid, but he was all “Dude. Nice chicken” and Victor yelled, “IT IS NOT A NICE CHICKEN”. Which was probably very confusing to the UPS guy, who was just trying to be polite, Victor. Victor seemed more disgruntled than usual, so I finally dragged the chicken into the backyard and wedged it into a clump of trees so that it could scare the snakes away. Then I came in and Victor angrily pulled me into his office so that I could see that I’d stationed Beyoncé directly in front of his only window. And I was all “Exactly. YOU’RE WELCOME.” I told him that he could move Beyoncé if he wanted to, but he totally hasn’t. Probably because of all of the giant rocks I piled on Beyonce’s feet to dissuade burglars. Or possibly because Beyoncé is growing on him. Still, I can’t help but think that we wouldn’t even be having this argument if Beyoncé was towels. Honestly, this whole chicken is really a lesson in picking your battles more carefully. Plus, he’s awesome and I can’t stop giggling every time I look at him. Beyoncé, that is.

Best. 15th anniversary. ever.

Found this story here. Thank you for the laugh Bloggess.

Junk Drawer Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Before

I bought a bunch of these yard sticks at Home Depot for about 60 cents a piece for another project that I am working on.

I cut and glued and here is what I ended up with. Whole project took about 15 minutes and cost less than $2.

Now I have organized junk! Best part, I can take it out if I don't want it anymore.

After

This is what I do...

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:37:00 +0000

...when I am waiting for the kids to get out of Seminary and I am afraid to fall asleep. I used stuff I found in his car. He was probably ticked I took all of his gum out of the package. At least I didn't chew it first, right?
*giggle, giggle*

Do you think James got the message?

Kayla has been telling me that they have been planning to scare me when I fall asleep in the driveway. She told me that they had something planned for today. I wasn't really sure if I should believe her or not because it wouldn't surprise me if her teacher had planned something with them. Their motto this year is, "whatever happens in Seminary, stays in Seminary!" That scares me a little. Good thing I have my "attack dog with built-in force field!"

He doesn't like being up so early either...

FYI I LOVE DIY

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:19:00 +0000

I am currently obsessed with DIY right now. I have so many projects that I want to do and have so little time. I have no idea where to begin. I also found this site and fell in love with the "roadkill rescues." I just wish that I had the nerve to get out of my car and pick up people's discarded furniture. Over the last three weeks I have seen many items that I think would have made great additions to our house once I added a little love. Alas, I have not stopped to get the items only to regret it later. James tells me that it is not a big deal to go through other people's garbage because they are throwing it away for a reason, THEY DON'T WANT IT ANYMORE! So my fall goal is to actually find a great piece of discarded furniture and make it my own. If anyone has anything they want to get rid of, let me know and I will take it off your hands.

Summer's Over, REALLY?

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:03:00 +0000

Although the summer season hasn't officially ended, the end has come to our days of sleeping in, afternoon swims, daily movie nights, and just plain laziness. We almost finished our "summer bucket list." OK! We completed half of the list. I think that is pretty dang awesome considering the entire month of August was over 100 degrees. I have been working on a few projects, will have pictures at a later date. I have also been seeking some kind of employment that does not include fast food or retail. So far, no luck!

Check out my AWESOMEness! I made my own ice packs.

These little lizards seem to be EVERYWHERE!

If you rub their bellies, they fall asleep.

If you rub their backs, they get mad.

Cooper still trying to catch one of those sucka's!

He spends most of his time walking the perimeter of the yard pretending to be a big bad guard dog.

What a Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:03:00 +0000

We had a pretty successful first week of school. Tyler and Kayla have seminary each morning at 0600. We have to leave the house by 0545 to get there on time. Then I have to pick them up at 0645 and take them to the high school which starts at 0725. They are really liking school. It just took some getting used to having almost five thousand other students in the halls. I totally forgot to get first day pictures of them. What can I say, it was early? So I hope you enjoy this picture of a lizard that I took in the backyard.

Cooper is pretty sure that he is going to catch this guy. He watches for him to come out every day.

Brooklyn and Sierra are also enjoying school. They too go to rather large schools, in the one to two thousand range. Brooklyn goes at 0815 and Sierra goes at 0855. I am not sure that I like the staggered start and end times. I am sure that I will get used to them though.

Brooklyn 1st day of 4th grade.

Strike a pose!

Sierra 1st day of Middle School.

Now you are just showing off!

Sisters = love

Kayla doing art homework.

Brooklyn showing off her new green shoes.

Fun in the Sun at Stewart Beach, Galveston

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Brooklyn sorting her shells

Sierra, why must you always stick out your tongue?

I think Kayla and Shelby, aka Smudge, are having a dance party.

Synchronized swimming anyone?

Pretty Birds!

The water was so warm

There's your beautiful smile

Brooklyn trying to hide the fact that she is eating something

Nice to see them getting along

I like clouds

Cooper not really enjoying the ocean.
He was scared of the waves and we wouldn't let him chase the birds.

Tons of people

Look at this cool shell I found

People watching! A very entertaining activity.

Pretty girl!

I love that this photo is blurry. I don't know why.

Another pretty girl!

Not a pretty girl, but definitely a handsome man/boy.

James making sure we didn't lose any of the kids in the waves.

Sidewalk Chalk Drawings

noreply@blogger.com (Sandi) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Guess which one is MY favorite?

Kayla's

Sierra's

Tyler's

Brooklyn's

Shelbylyn's

Shleby's feet. She really got into the drawing...