100% Safety NOT Guaranteed

I wish I was one of those mothers who had an eagle eye and could keep their children safe from anything and everything dangerous, but experience has proven to me that I will never be that mom.

This little Anna sure does keep me on my toes. I didn't think I'd need to be buying more baby gates for our last child, but every time I turn my back she is on the kitchen counter. So, some gate purchases are in order! How did I manage to have three boys and she be my first real climber?? Somethings I'll never understand!

Besides having to be constantly on guard when she is around, Anna is very pleasant and happy. A definite keeper! She is starting to have preferences like what shoes or hair accessory she wants to wear. Her favorites are her rain boots or pink cowgirl boots and she loves her hats! And when she lays down for a nap, DO NOT leave these things anywhere in her sight--too distracting for her. She loves them that much!

Anna is starting to talk more and more, answering questions with yes and no head shakes and demanding attention when she wants it. She's really good at that! Check out this funny layout I did of her...I am tickled pink, though, that her favorite thing to say is "Mommy, Mommy." Melts my heart every time!

And just like my other children, Anna is so different and distinct--a true individual--and plays such an important role in our family. I know it sounds cliche, but I can't believe we lived so long as a family without her. Her brothers adore her (except when she loudly proclaims her desires) and she in turn looks up to them and follows them. Evan is her best buddy, Jared is her protector, and Tyler is her cheerleader. We are all definitely fans of this cutie girl!

I treasure her presence and spirit everyday and am so happy to have her entrusted in my care.

I Vow...

...before you, my loyal readers, and anyone else who can hear my shouts of frustrations to NEVER EVER take my four children out alone in public again. If you do see me out and about with them, please tell me to go home.

My biggest struggle (right now)

<--Yep! This is it. This child here. This crazy one. It amazes me how one little soul can make me feel like a failure as a parent...

Really there isn't anything wrong with him. It's all me. I just struggle with trying to know the best way to parent this energetic, sassy, goofball!

How do I play off his strengths? How do I encourage him to progress without nagging him constantly? How do I help him realize that there will always be consequences for our actions? AHHHHH...

Now don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade this spunky kid in for anything in the world. He is my cuddler, my carer and nurturer, my beautiful blue eyed boy. He's a smart, smart kid who just needs a kick in the pants here and there (not really, folks) to get him going! He's always up for a good time. He loves his family dearly and is always protecting his younger siblings. He looks up to his older brother, but doesn't feel the need to be just like him--I love this about him! He has the craziest imagination and an endless amount of energy. He is sensitive (which is why I'm struggling to find the best parenting balance--who wants to constantly be herded). Jared responds to love and affection and is always willing to share a hug with me. Seriously, sweet and sour, sugar and spice, etc...

I worry about all of my children to some degree and I guess now is my time to focus on this one. Reality though, I think we are seriously lacking some Daddy attention here...Let's face it, children need their fathers. Almost makes me feel bad for taking him away again for our cruise (in a week and a half!!!!)...

Not really, though, because children also need their Grandma's!

So for now, I will cherish the peaceful, happy moments I have with him (and they DO exist regularly) while pushing forward in teaching this child--and counting down the days until Rob returns...

Too wise...

Sometimes, I think my Tyler is a little too wise for his age. This child is a sponge and challenges me often with my knowledge--and often he is right! Such a know it all...

I had an interesting conversation with him yesterday about politics and the upcoming election.

"Mom, who are you going to vote for, Obama or McCain?"

"Well, I don't know yet. I need to look some more at the issues, at what they say they're going to do as President."

"But they always lie, so how will you know?"

See, this kid is so stinkin' wise! This conversation soon turned into a discussion about faith and having faith in who we chose, but that no matter who is leading us, we need to try our best to do what is right and stay close to the Lord because he won't lie to us or lead us astray.

So, Tyler had the idea that we should have a Family Home Evening about the election and compare the two candidates and then we could have a pretend election where the kids could vote. Rob and I are also going to add a few other things to the ballot--like what is the best way to protect their bedroom from danger, or what should be the reward/consequence for completing/not completing their work. And they will have to campaign a bit for what they think would be the best solution. What do you think?

I am so proud of Tyler. I'm amazed at his constant desire to not only be right all the time, but also do what is right. He is always thinking and questioning and then drawing remarkable conclusions. He is such an example to his younger siblings and has really stepped up as the example since Rob has been gone so much. And I have appreciated so much all the help he has given me. No, he's not perfect. He often gets frustrated with his brothers and me. He has a moody streak like no other (wonder where he gets that from) and he hates work as much as any other kid. But he loves trying new things and sharing what he's learned. Right now, his goal is to read books 2 levels higher then his tested reading level and to learn how to do a wheelie on his bike. Over the past few months, he's taken a stronger interest in sports--maybe having a male teacher has something to do with this--not just playing them, but knowing stats, etc...

I think I've got to be one of the luckiest moms on earth to have Tyler as my son.

There's Something About Evan...

I just love this kid!! He has so much stinkin' personality I can't stand it. I remember back in the spring, wishing Evan would talk because I knew he would be hilarious to be around. Now he talks up a storm and cracks me up on a daily basis--I'm sure he'd crack you up too but he often needs a translator!!

His speech has just blossomed over the past 6 months. And between preschool 2x a week and speech therapy 3x a week, I have faith that he will soon be catching up! Oh, and he is doing so well at both of his schools. I've actually seen him sitting and he's had no accidents and he has been even caught walking in a line!

Evan loves his Star Wars (I'm sure this is no surprise to you). Love when he starts singing the Star Wars theme song at the top of his lungs when the movie starts--drives his brothers crazy!
Even just last night while we were at the mall, Evan challenged the mall security guard to a pretend light saber dual. Gratefully, this security guard was willing to play along. Who would have known what could have happened to him if he was attacked off guard!

And although Evan is primarily loud and boisterous, he has his sweet side, too. I love when he jumps in bed with me in the morning and says "I wub you, Mommy." Or when he jumps on my back to give me a big squeeze, love it! And when he does something wrong, he always remembers to say "I sorry Mommy." How can I stay mad after that?

So, just letting you know how much I love me a bit of Evan!

On another note, as much as I love my little guy, I'm having a parenting dilemma. Evan keeps sneaking into Tyler and Jared's bedroom and breaking their Lego's. Any ideas on how I can help the older boys feel like their room is "safe" from destruction and keep Evan out??

Woe is me...

I haven't blogged lately. Just haven't been in the mood.

But someone (Denise) said I should at least do a "Woe is me. My husband has left town again" post.

So, here it is. My whining.

My memory card reader has malfunctioned. Can't get the pictures off my camera.

The toilet seat fell off.

Something stinks in the laundry room like dirty feet and I can't find it.

Evan refuses to take off his new Darth Vader costume.

Evan tantrumed for 1 hour straight this morning.

Tyler bumped his head on the tree right before he left for school this morning. I assume he's okay because the school never called.

I woke up with a migraine.

Yet, went to the gym anyways, so I could have an hour break from Evan.

Enough whining.

I have so much to be grateful for.

Rob will only be gone for two weeks this time.

A week after that we will be on our cruise sans children!!

I can't wait for the boys to come home from school, so we can play.

And I can take pictures of them with my new awesome zoom lens (even though I can't get the pics off the computer).

Evan does look cute in his Darth Vader costume.

Anna is in a good mood today and she enjoys going to the gym child care.

I have no sick kids.

My migraine isn't that bad today.

I'll get to talk to Rob in a few minutes.

I could go on and on. Feeling much better now.

And here are some pics with my new lens (while sitting on my front porch) that did make it off the camera...

Asian Weekend

Friday night--Thai
Saturday afternoon--American Chinese (aka Panda Express)
Saturday night--Korean
Sunday--Japanese

Rob brought home from Japan these packets of curry sauce from a popular curry house called Ichibanya (or CoCo Curry House??) whose slogan is "Good smell. Good curry." Being that the directions were all in Japanese, we decided to wing it tonight for dinner and give it a try. All we could tell was that they could not be microwaved and that they needed to be boiled for 5-7 minutes (??). We added some vegetables, pork and rice and had THE BEST DINNER EVER!! Kind of reminded me of my favorite chicken curry bowl from Teriyaki Stix!! Yummy! Now that I know there is a delicious alternative to sushi, I know I could survive in Japan! Maybe we should consider relocating there!!

Signs that your babysitter is AWESOME!

Today, Rob and I left at 7am for a lovely day at the D.C. temple. We had plans to return by noon, but didn't get back until almost 2 pm because of how busy it was there. Leaving the kids with a babysitter is hard for me during the day. In the evening--not a problem because they're up for a short time and then they're sleeping the rest of the time.

Katie was the kids sitter today. She used to sit for them a lot when Tyler and Jared were younger. And she's on our list of all time best sitters!! She plays with the kids, takes them outside, let's them stay up late (not one of my favorites, but the kids love it), and really cares for them. And when I know I'm going to be gone for a long time, Katie's the one I call!

Another reason I love Katie is because she LOVES my kids and thinks they're cute and knows exactly what I want to know about them after not seeing them all day. Here is her report...

Anna is obsessed with her mommy! All day she sat where you sit, touched all your stuff, and asked for you all day long. Sadly I did not have the camera with me when she took the diaper bag off the banister...I helped ...and trotted around with it on her shoulder singing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" It was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Tyler is soo well behaved. He was really polite and helped me out a lot while I was there. I was shocked when I asked the kids to clean up their rooms and the bathrooms. He had already been up for a while and he was playing with Jared and Evan and instead of whining he just shrugged and headed upstairs. He rocks at PS2, I have yet to master it at my house. When I asked what the boys wanted to do after lunch Evan and Jared wanted to watch Star Wars and Tyler wanted to play a game. I told him that we could still play a game downstairs but again instead of whining he watched with us and gave me the much needed play by play. Thanks Tyler!

Jared will be an awesome Daddy! Constantly throughout the day here was caring for Evan and Anna and solving problems before I realized they existed. He had two apples all to himself today at snack time and lunch. Tyler and I doubted out loud that he could do it but he did and when he was finished he had the most pleased little face for proving us wrong. He also helped clean without whining he actually looked like he was having fun...this makes me question his sanity but whatever...

Evan is the most charming kid ever! He was very sweet and cuddly for most of the day and he went potty twice! I made his bed but he picked up the rest of his room himself.
I think he has a crush on Luke Skyewalker but when I asked he informed me that he will be Spongebob for Halloween.
Quotes:
Evan holding up his light saber: I got this for my birthday it's purple.
Me: You got it for your birthday that's cool!
Evan: Yeah. Happy Birthday to me! I Luke Kyewalker!

I hope she's not embarrassed that I posted this, but I loved it and wanted it documented!! I love how she sees the best qualities in my kids and has their personalities pegged! Thanks for making my day all the better, Katie!

Grouchy Love

Sometimes Evan just wakes up in a foul mood (don't we all at times). Today was no exception. Everything you'd say to him would be returned with a grouchy "NO!"

Do you need to use the bathroom?

"NO! DON'T GO BATHROOM!"

Would you like a waffle for breakfast?

"NO! NO WANT WAFFLE!"

Who wants candy for breakfast?

"NO! I WANT WAFFLE!" (not that this was really an option, it was just a test)

This mood progressed into the afternoon.

Lately Evan has taken to sitting right up next to me to tell me that he loves me. So sweet. And so, in all his sweetness, he plopped him self down next to me this afternoon.

"Mom, me wub you!"

"Oh, I love you, too, Evan."

"NO! ME WUB YOU!"

So even in his grouchy state, his love for me does not change. It's just LOUDER!

Busy but Boring

I've been a bad, bad blogger this week. Who knew that life would get crazier once my hubby came home??

Here's what's been filling up our time:

--I've re-committed myself to regularly going to the gym. I made it 4 times this week AND Anna stayed in the child care. Woo hoo...this really is INCREDIBLE news! So, maybe, just maybe I'll be a bit more fit before our cruise (28 days to go--but who's counting)!!
--Evan started preschool this week. And so far, he's surprised me by being "good". And no accidents! And I actually saw him SITTING on a chair! This is just all too much for me...
--Rob and I went out for lunch on Monday. It was so nice to get reacquainted!!
--Said goodbye to my awesome church calling on Wednesday night. I was the secretary in Young Women's. Fiona got all of us departing ladies a bundle of flowers that smell SO good! I'm gonna miss these ladies, the young ones and the older ones.
--While I was at the church that night, I was able to meet some of my "new" friends--well, hopefully one day they'll be friends--if I don't scare them away with my quirky personality.
--Decided to be adventurous and went to the new churches playgroup on Thursday morning. I don't think there are typically that many people who come, but there were a ton that day. I think they may have been a little curious about the "new" one...
--Went to an awesome Enrichment Night on food storage and had one last evening of fun with the girls--ha ha, just kidding--you can't get rid of me that easily!
--Rob and I went on another date to a Japanese steakhouse on Friday night. Rob is hopeful that I will one day "like" sushi, but I'm very hesitant about eating a slab of raw fish. I can handle the rolls, but not the slice of octopus on a clump of rice. Blah...

And here's probably the nicest picture of Evan on his first day of school. He's such a goof ball!And his first day of school layout.

A Little Game

Tyler, Anna, Rob, Andrea, Jared and Evan

Check out our souvenirs from Japan! Kokeshi dolls. There is one for each member of our family. Can you guess who is who?? I'll have a random drawing of those who guess correctly "who is who" in left to right order. How about a $5.00 gift card to Rita's, just cause I'm in a good mood today!! Sorry if you don't have a Rita's nearby you, but maybe someone you know does and you can share it with them. Anyone is welcome to give it a try!! This silly little game ends tomorrow at noon (EST).

**I loved Lia's eye patch guess for Jared. They actually go by height, but Jared's not too happy that Evan's horn things on his head make his "taller." We had two guess right...Melanie is the winner. I'll bring it over soon, lucky lady!**

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Our family has lived in this area for over 7 years now. It has become our home. A large part of what has made us so comfortable in this area has been our church and the congregation (ward, we call it) that we meet with every Sunday for three hours. Even though I don't see most of these people outside of church, they have been such wonderful examples to me, good friends and my family away from family. And the thought of not seeing them on a regular basis just kills me.

But our congregation just grew and grew while a neighboring one did not, so the "powers to be" decided that part of our congregation would be moved to the smaller one (this is called a "ward split") and our neighborhood was part of the move. I am so, so terribly sad today. I'm sure I'll see a lot of them often, but what about the goofy librarians, and my kids Sunday School buddies, and Yoda, and my "no-Sunday School" buddies because we're always in the foyer with our young ones, and the Young Women (ugh, the young women don't get me started on them--it's like I sprung a leak), and what about all of the teachers who have taught me and my children so much. I'm going to miss these regular associations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for change, for meeting knew people, receiving new callings, having new opportunities to serve, but I don't remember what it's like to be the "new one" and I don't remember if I'm very good at it!

Along with this big change, Rob will be "released" from his service as a member of the Bishopric (our ecclesiastical leadership). That in itself brings on a whole other flood of emotions! Our family and lives have been so greatly blessed since he received this calling to serve. We have never been in a happier and better place as a family. Even though it has required him to be busier and away from home more, we managed to become stronger and better because of it. Funny how the Lord blesses us this way.

I will now not have to sit by myself while wrestling two little ones and shushing two older ones during Sacrament meeting. Evan and Anna have never sat with their Dad during church and Tyler and Jared don't remember sitting with him. They actually said they'd prefer to stay with their friends over having their dad sit with them! I'd be willing to make that sacrifice, too!

So, I feel like I'm saying a "mini" goodbye today to two things that have played such a HUGE role in my life and my family's over the past 7 years.

It's hard.

And I know it will be okay.

But that's why I'm sad...

Konnichiwa

We sure are happy to have you home! Perfect timing, too. Something screwy is going on with my computer. And I'm really sad tonight, so I need ya, babe. I'll let you all know why tomorrow...

Something kind of fun!

Look! I have my own "blinkie"! Pretty crazy, don't you think?

Signs of a good day...

1. Snacks at the park(Not only did she eat her snack, but everyone else's, too, even a nasty pb&j sandwich that was laying around...gross!)

2. Swinging at the park(No worries! This is a happy picture. Extremely happy. Maybe TOO happy. Had to bribe him with McDonalds--a.k.a. Star Wars toys--to get him off the swing!)

3. Buddies at the park(Evan and Brandon were full of giggles and requests to go "HIGHER!"--Oh no! Is that Anna running off? This is probably when she snuck off with that sandwich!)

4. Dirt at the park
(Evan's sweaty head covered in dirt and mulch probably tops Anna's pb&j stint! EEWWWW!)

5. Mini camera lesson at the park (thanks, Tamee)

If you want to know how my days with Evan and Anna have been since Tyler and Jared went back to school, you can look here.

Today was a good day.

1st Day Celebration

I think it is an understatement when I say that moving to where we live was an "answer to our prayers." I have the BEST neighbors and they have really looked out for me while Rob has been away.

And the kids have instant playmates, which was not the case at the townhouse.

Today after school the neighborhood kids got together for a bit of a celebration for surviving their first day of school--snow cones and grilled hot dogs for all! Diane and Mike have "connections" and brings home the funnest party supplies (the snow cone machine and huge moon bounces to name a few). Snow cones were a summer staple around here and a favorite of the kids. And after a hot day, who wouldn't want a snow cone--they were a favorite among the adults, too!!! P.S. Good news! After Jared's first day of school, he was most excited to tell me that his two front top teeth are FINALLY growing in!! After the "trauma" the dentist said that there was a large possibility that he would be toothless until age 8 or 9. He lost them when he was 4! So, good thing cuz the teeth next to them are pretty loose--could you just imagine the grin on this kid if he were missing four top teeth??!! Makes me almost wish they weren't coming in--is that horrible or what!! And don't you just love this picture of him--he's so goofy, but so photogenic!!

Their bags are packed, they're ready to go...

Ugghhh...this day is always bitter sweet.

Tyler and Jared both had a bit of nervous excitement as they got ready this morning. Remember those first day of school jitters? I so remember them! I think I have just as much nervous excitement as they do, for them. I sure hope they meet good friends, enjoy learning, connect with their teachers, etc... I sure do miss them already!

A Hidden Gem in Manassas

I've heard a bit here and there about this whole geocaching thing, knowing that this was something my boys would LOVE to do. A "treasure hunt"--come on, what little kid would not dig that!

My brother Jeff took the boys out a few times, in search of buried treasure, while they were in Buffalo and we've know found two this past week! I'm not "hooked" quite yet, but it definitely has potential to be a Kunz Family pastime. If it wasn't so darn hot today and if Evan wasn't Mr. Crab, we may have even had a good time!!

The cache today took us to a fun little park hidden up on a hill in the middle of an apartment complex. We even had a bit of a history lesson, too!The boys loved that there was a "real" canon that they could sit on and get an incredible view of Home Depot! Gotta love that! As you can tell, though, Evan could have cared less!
Jared was our lucky treasure finder today! He was so excited to find it, but rather disappointed when he found that it had been "muggled" (did you know geocachers use Harry Potter terminology? Hmmm....). We filled it back up with some of the kids junk--another plus to geocaching is that I don't have to throw the kids little "trinkets" away, they freely give them away now!
Poor Anna was sweaty and hot, having to stay in the backpack the entire time. When I finally put her down, she just wanted out!
I tried to take a (good) kid pic for Rob at the cache, but some (one) of the kids wouldn't co-operate...I wonder which one...
In case you couldn't figure it out...Anyways, fun little park with a water fountain, history lesson, plenty of area to run around, benches to sit on, a quite cemetery AND a cache! If you're interested, let me know and I'll get you the coordinates!

My Sweet Husband

So, Rob has purchased a gift for me. No Japanese souvenirs for me! If you want to know what my super nifty surprise is, you can check it out at my new super secret crafty blog here. Now, this blog is still in the works. I just tried to change the background and screwed something up, so it is what it is for right now, until I can figure out what I did wrong. Enjoy!

P.S. My husband ROCKS!!!!

CVS

Ever heard of it? Nope, not the pharmacy! Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome.

Jared has CVS. He was diagnosed over 3 years ago after months of constant vomiting. Here's some basic info from the NDDIC (National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse):

In cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS), people experience bouts or cycles of severe nausea and vomiting that last for hours or even days and alternate with longer periods of no symptoms. CVS occurs mostly in children, but the disorder can affect adults, too.

CVS has no known cause. Each episode is similar to the previous ones. The episodes tend to start at about the same time of day, last the same length of time, and present the same symptoms at the same level of intensity. Although CVS can begin at any age in children and adults, it usually starts between the ages of 3 and 7. In adults, episodes tend to occur less often than they do in children, but they last longer. Furthermore, the events or situations that trigger episodes in adults cannot always be pinpointed as easily as they can in children.

Episodes can be so severe that a person may have to stay in bed for days, unable to go to school or work. No one knows for sure how many people have CVS, but medical researchers believe that more people may have the disorder than is commonly thought (as many as 1 in 50 children in one study). Because other more common diseases and disorders also cause cycles of vomiting, many people with CVS are initially misdiagnosed until the other disorders can be ruled out. What is known is that CVS can be disruptive and frightening not just to people who have it, but to the entire family as well.

For more in depth info, you can click here.

Luckily for us and Jared, his case is not that bad. In the past two years, we've only dealt with the cycles a handful of times. But poor Jared is often found complaining of "stomach aches." I always struggle with sending him to school when his tummy hurts. Usually, I do send him though because his cycles don't begin during the day--typically they begin in the wee hours of the morning.

Jared's CVS seems to be triggered by viral infections (sometimes just a cold) or over excitement (long fun trips). Sometimes it'll last just a day, sometimes several days and sometimes it'll be random days within a week or weeks of time. It's so up in the air. I guess we could let it confine us, but what fun would that be! Jared would be sad if he had to miss out on all the fun. And it's SO random.

Today, we will miss having to see The Clone Wars again (a secret "yippee" from me...shhhh) as we ride this cycle out--hoping that he's just "sick" this time.

Well folks, there you have it. Your lesson for the day. Maybe you can take this info, store it away into the corner of your mind and share it with someone who needs it one day (you'll seem so knowledgeable)!