HaPpY BiRtHdAy DiL!!!

Happy Happy Birthday to my favorite 9 year old in the whole wide world.  Nine years ago today I got up, went to work, had  a fellow employee walk in and say they had a dream my water broke at work, then a couple hours later it actually did. Don't worry, it wasn't like there was a water puddle in the middle of Taco Time.  But it was enough I knew I had to leave.  Went home, showered (nobody wants to smell like a taco the first time they have a baby), went to the hospital and had me a baby.  Dilon decided to come 3 1/2 weeks early.  He always has been such an agreeable kid.  He must have known I was ready to be done.  He was healthy and strong and everything went so great.  Dilon is the little peacemaker in our home.  He has such a great heart.  Love this kid!

Birthday Boy

This was the first picture I took when he woke up.  Notice anything strange about it?  That's right, there's grif being a creeper in the background........with his hand down his unders.  Why?  I don't know why they always have to be fishing for something.  I know it's a guy thing but why does stuff like that always end up in my shot?  More importantly, why do I think I have to share it with the world?  Because that's life at the Wright house.  No sugar coating here. 

Here's the new --no more creeper-- pic.

This is how I know dax is absolutely my child.  It was 8:30 in the morning and he had to clean up the mess the crepe paper made.  LOVE this!  He even made sure he got all the tape off the walls.

and Baylor is just so blasted cute I had to throw this on here too.

so sorry

I would sincerely like to apologize for my previous post (run rudolph run) if anyone was offended.  I was told it was a bit mean making fun of people.  In fact i'm pretty sure someone, and by someone I mean nate, called me a rude a$$.  I think he was kind of kidding so I guess I will forgive him.  Really though I was doing it all in good fun.  I'm sure there is plenty about me that people like to make fun of as well.  I guess they are just not rude enough to say it out loud.  Here's to me working on my Christlike attributes.

run rudolph run

I'm in one of those moods.  I saw something that I thought nobody should ever do.  Then once my crazy mind starts turning I just can't shut it down.  I started thinking about a bunch of things that people should never do.  Here are a few. (and yes, I am slightly ocd so I like to make lists)

**Never eat rudolph.  This is what started the whole thing.  I turned it to a cooking show, thought it was interesting, then I found out the host was eating reindeer meat--who does that?

**Never wear spandex in public unless you are going to the gym.  Even then it's iffy.  When we went to Disneyland I could not believe the number of people who showed up in spandex.  It is the happiest place on earth people.  Lets keep it that way.

**Never play peek-a-boo with a kid in the back seat while stopped at a stop light.  Other drivers may or may not think you are crazy.

**Never mop the kitchen floor right before lunch time.  It has been proven (at this house) that every single child eating will spill something on it.  

**At the risk of offending many people with this one I am still going to say it -- never drive a mini van unless you have 3 or more children.  Why would you want to drop your coolness level down ten notches just for the practicality of van.  Ok, secretly I really do want one.  I just can't afford to lose any more of my coolness.  I'm teetering on the edge of extreme nerdiness as it is and that would just push me right over.  Am I already over the edge and I just don't know it?  Come on--someone tell me the truth.  I can handle it.

**Never tell your mom you're not scared of her.  If she's anything like my mom, I guarantee you will be scared of her after saying it.  Learned that the hard way.

**Never blow your nose in a restaurant.  It kills me how many people do that when others are trying to enjoy their slimy clam chowder.  gag!  The only thing worse is when they follow it by sticking their kleenex covered finger up their nose, all the way to their knuckle just to fish out what they couldn't blow out.  You know who you are.  Stop it!

**as long as I'm making you gag, please never ever pick your scabs off your neck in public and eat them.  Yes, I have actually seen this--more than once.  Do you think I could make this stuff up?

**Never let other people see that you still know how to do the Macarena.  It wasn't okay then.  Not okay now.

**Never get in line behind an extreme couponer.  If you see someone holding a pen and folder turn around and run baby.  I repeat, turn and run.  I think stores should have designated hours for those who have more than 3 coupons.  Let them all wait behind each other.  I'm all about a good bargain but come on people, it's getting annoying.

**my kids should learn to Never keep going into the pantry during dinner time.  I know you are in there spitting your dinner in the garbage.  What you don't know is I am just putting more right back on your plate.  Don't mess with me.

**Never challenge your grandma to an arm wrestle.  She just might win.   In my defense, I can't help that she is freakishly strong.  She is married to a farmer and raised nine kids.  I should have known better.  Well played grandma, well played.

**Never ask a stay at home mom what she does all day.  You may not live to see the next sunrise.

**Never bite off more than you can chew.  Literally.  It's not attractive to see what is going on in there.

**If you are an adult male Never admit to loving the Twilight series.  Always, always say that your wife made you go.  All of you adult females who go with your girlfriends and wear "team edward" shirts like you are still in high school, it's time to stop doing that now. 

**Never try to teach your kid to ride a bike, without training wheels, in the path of a mailbox.  Actually, if you have a tough kid, go ahead and try it.  According to nate it is quite hilarious.  

**On a similar note, Never get in the path of the before mentioned bike riding kid unless you want to look like you are dancing on hot coals in front of your neighbors.  Do I go left?  Do I go right?  Left? Right?  Left? Right?  (it's a hard decision when you are about to get plowed over.  Who knows what direction they are going to take.)

** Never wear shin high socks with capri pants.  Actually, if you throw on a fanny pack and a visor it's okay.  You go ahead and rock that look.

Wow, I apologize for that long post.  I extra apologize if I have offended anyone.  But that sure felt good to get off my chest.

compromise is a beautiful thing

Nate wanted to have a lazy Sunday and relax. 

 Dax wanted to play.  

This was their compromise.

**Notice nate's purple ankle.  That is his good one.  Since the ankle he had surgery on is finally almost healed he thought it would be fun to roll the other one at work.  At least he didn't break it.  That would have been super fun to have him back on crutches.
I'm thinking about getting him a walker to use on a daily basis.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL--the WRIGHT way

So we headed to Heber this weekend for the 2nd annual Scott Wright Family Reunion.  It is so awesome that they have to have not one, but two fun filled days of festivities.  Josh and Jami were in charge this year and decided to play a little game of let's make a deal.  If you didn't come dressed up you didn't play

Scott and Karen--I think Karen looks great in red!

 No matter how hard I try, I still cannot control my husband.  Trust me when I say this hillbilly costume is better than what he was going to be.  He wanted to support the opening night of the Olympics and go as Michael Phelps.  Lucky for you, we couldn't find a speedo.

I think karissa and micah are trying to look away but can't quite do it.  He had a bit of a hypnotizing effect on everyone that night.

 There are just no words to describe uncle andy.  What would we do without him?

 Josh and Jared told us a pretty great bedtime story

Dax is the cutest lil pirate i've ever seen

 Don't worry, Melissa really was excited to play the game.  She must have just caught a glimpse of Nate.

 Grif trying to make a deal with Wayne Brady (aka Josh)

 Pick me pick me pick me (seriously though, look at andy the polka dot man.  He is hilarious)

 Dax makin a deal

 Staci, stacey, stacy....shoot, I really should learn how to spell my family members names.

 Should I be concerned that my child is surrounded by choking hazards?

Pizza anyone?

Nate even walks like a hillbilly.  A little too naturally I think.

Pretty sure he is pulling his shorts up higher.

 I knew you all wanted to see just one more shot of him.  Jami  thought she was giving him a zonk of spam and sardines but nate thought he had won the big deal of the day.

 David....it's not that hard of a decision

I'm always an angel.  The closest I could come to the devil was to be a deviled egg (thanks for the idea linsey, even though your egg was way better than mine.)

 Sorry I didn't get a picture of everyone.  I tried to get a group shot and there are still several missing from it.  So many Wright's, so little time.

Those Wright's will wear ya right out

With age comes wisdom.....or something like that

As my birthday for the year quickly approaches I have started to realize something. The older I get, the more I know about random nothingness.  I can't tell you much about History (okay,  I can tell you pretty much absolutely nothing about History), can't help Nate with his Trig, i'm lucky if I can remember most of the continents on any given day.  I'm really not selling myself well here am I?  The reason I let you know all of this is because there is a lot I do know.  A lot I have learned over the years.

Here is a sample of some of the things I actually have learned:

I've learned that I no longer have the ability to hula hoop.  I could have hula hooped for hours in grade school.  Who would have known that having 4 kids would stop that super awesome talent.

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I've learned that there will always be tiny finger prints on my sliding glass door.  I'm pretty sure the windex just spreads them.

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I've learned that no one will ever, ever love my boys the way that I do.

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I've learned that I will never be able to experience the joy of wearing skinny jeans (again, those 4 kids will do that to ya).

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I've learned that I can talk on the phone, vacuum, and hold a baby on my hip all at the same time--who needs to be able to hula hoop when you have super mad skills like that?

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I've learned that I try to talk cooler than I actually am. I use the words:  totally, awesome, lame, blasted etc. etc. way too often.

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I've learned children are parakeets.  I seriously need to start choosing my words wisely.

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I've learned that I can't keep eating donuts and pepsi for lunch anymore. 

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I've learned that I just need to let go of my favorite jeans that will never fit again.  By some miracle I just keep hoping they will someday. But no matter how much I try to suck it in, it's not going to happen  (stupid donuts and pepsi).

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I've learned that the older I get, the more I am losing my mind.  Example:  I hurt my finger the other day, went and got a band-aid.  Put it on.  Went half the day wondering why my finger still hurt.  I had put the band-aid on the wrong finger.  One that didn't even have a scratch on it.  Seriously, how does that happen?

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I've learned that my dinner will always be cold. Somebody always needs something at dinner time.  By the time I sit down to eat it's a lost cause.

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I've learned that the toilet paper roll will always be empty even though I swear I change it every time I am in there.

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I've learned that there is nothing better in the whole world than having two little chubby baby hands grab your cheeks and reel you in for the sloppiest kiss you've ever had.

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I've learned that when nate makes fun of me for trying to dance he secretly loves it.  The fact that he is still with me after seeing it is a miracle.  That my friends, is true love.

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I've learned that no matter how old my kiddos get I still have to check on them at least three times after they have gone to bed to make sure they are still breathing.

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I've learned that dirty dishes are like rabbits.  Put two in a sink together and before you know it they have multiplied.

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I've learned that I can wake from the deepest sleep possible at the slightest sound of a gag.  Be in a kids room and to the bathroom in 2.7 seconds flat just to avoid cleaning puke off of the bed/floor/walls/ pj's.

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I've learned the word "mom" comes out of a kids mouth about 573 times a day.  The word "dad" about 2.

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I've learned that a messy house will still be there tomorrow.  Dang you cleaning fairy--why don't you want to visit me?

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I've learned that when I am in a crowded place and someone says "mom" I automatically say "what".....along with 5 other women.

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I've learned that "go ask your dad" is NEVER the right thing to say.

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I've learned that no matter how hard I try, calgon will never take me away.

We are living in a material world

I have had an I can't stand clutter and I want it all out of my house week.  I'm not one to keep a lot of unnecessary stuff around my house.  I enjoy taking bags of clothes and toys and random stuff  to the DI.  Really I should be saving it all and start having yard sales.  There are three problems with that for me 1:  I can't stand to have that much stuff laying around my house at one time 2:  It seems a bit awkward for me to have strange people roaming through my yard deciding if my stuff is good enough for them and 3:  how in the world do people know what to ask (as far as price goes) for used stuff.  I would feel bad if someone wanted my super cool item that I thought should be worth at least 20 bucks and they only want to pay 50 cents.  Don't they realize how cool it is? (which is totally why I am getting rid of it in the first place, right?)


Anyway, I got a bit side tracked there.  My point to this is we all have too much crap.  We complain and complain that we always want bigger or better.  Bigger houses, better cars, new phones, computers, ipads, clothes etc etc etc.  This list could be ten pages long.  Why do we need it all?  I want to go back to the good old days when families with ten kids lived in a two bedroom house.  Everyone had chickens and grew their own food.  Clothing was worn until it absolutely couldn't make it through just one more kid.  Moms got to stay home instead of having to go back to work to help pay the bills.   Don't get me wrong here.  I am so grateful for modern conveniences.  I love that we have been blessed with so much stuff.  But that is all it is.  Just stuff.   Some days it is just too much.  When we have people in three different parts of the house each watching their own t.v. I think there is something wrong with that. But do I actually do anything about it.  No. (go me!)


Yesterday I went to put some toys away and realized that what we had was insane. There is no way the kids had played with 90% of the toys that were laying around. So I dumped them all out.  Got rid of a great big load of garbage.  A large load of DI toys and STILL had a full toy box, 3 large bins full of toys, and a wall lined with large cars and trucks.  This doesn't even count the toys that are in their bedrooms.  What kills me the most is I have toy clean outs like this about 3 times a year.  Then today I went to put laundry away and realized all of the drawers and closets were so full they were starting to vomit all over the bedroom floor.  So I made the boys play dress up -which they LOVED- and we still have so many clothes it is pathetic.  Dilon and Grif are at an age when they can pretty much share their clothes (I think that means I had them way to close together).  Would you like to know how many t-shirts they have right now that fit them.  Go ahead and take a guess.  43!  That's right FORTY THREE!!!!!  I just made myself go recount because I still can't believe that is accurate.  It sure is. Those are just the t-shirts.  They still have long sleeved shirts, church shirts, hoodies, jerseys and t-shirts that I am making them use for pj's.  I'm telling you.  I am ready to donate it all, move to a farm out in the middle of nowhere, get rid of the stinking internet, cell phones, t.v.'s, toys, yada yada, buy me some chickens and shut all of this worldliness away!



**as I re-read this post I know I sound totally ungrateful.  I really am thankful for all I have.  This blasted world has just made so many things unnecessary.  It doesn't seem right when I have so much and there are people who can't even feed or clothe their kids.  And I still complain about wanting more.  Looks like it's time to get my priorities straightened out.

My little hoover

Baylor is a pig.  Is that rude to say about your own child?  Am I missing some sort of loving motherly quality that those mom's who don't say comments like that have?  Anyway, he really is a pig.  This kid never stops eating.  I am pretty sure he out eats me.  I take the kiddos to school lunch every day and you should see him there. The other day he ate 3/4 of Dax's sloppy joe.   Forget baby food.  He won't touch the stuff anymore.  He thinks he has to have what everyone else is having.  After dinner when I put him on the floor he goes around and picks up the food under the chairs to eat.  The worst is when he thinks he is starving to death and you don't feed him fast enough.  Looks a little something like this:

  Those are big old crocodile tears running down his face.

I do love how cuddly he is lately.  He is full of kisses.  I tried so hard the other day, and when I say "I"  I really mean dilon, tried so hard the other day to get a shot of him giving me a kiss.  It wasn't working so great with our super awesome camera that takes approximately 37 seconds between snaps.  Guess I should invest in a fancy schmancy one that takes one right after the other.  Oh well, my little cheapo camera works just fine for what I need (well except for when I am yelling at dilon to get a picture of baylor giving me a kiss.  It went a little something like this: "dilon! hurry!  take the picture! He's gonna do it......now!"  It's like when I make the kids stop and fake pose for something.  good times). The only picture that even kind of resembles a kiss is one where I look like I am going to suck his lips right off his face.   I was going to spare everyone and not post it, but nope.  You're not that lucky today.  So here is the best "kiss" shot dilon could get:

He looks a bit frightened, doesn't he?

He doesn't care about what's going on around him or how many pics I am trying to take.  He's my happy little man (as long as his belly is full).  Love his cute little face.

***Special shout out to my awesome photographer--thanks dil!

Out of the mouths of babes

I wish I would have been writing down everything that my kids have said on a daily basis the past few years.  They come up with some of the most random things.  So far today this is what I have heard:

These are the regulars(I hear all of these EVERY SINGLE DAY)

**No!
**So sorry mom
**I love you
**You're my best friend
**What's that?
**Where's dad?
**Can I play the wii
**Can I play the computer
**Can we jump on the tramp with the sprinklers
**Do I have to?
**It wasn't me
**MAAAAAAAAAA, I'm done
**Baylor smells bad
**I'm hungry
**Can I get a motorcycle (okay that one was nate but I pretty much just consider him one of the kids)

These are the randoms

**Ma I peed on my feet (dax)

**I'm the king of the world!  (grif)
    No you're not.  Jesus is.   (dilon)

**Did they glue your neck together?  (dilon)
    Yep.  (me)
     Did they use elmer's or a hot glue gun?  (dilon)

**Can I play the wii? (dilon)
    No.  (me)
    I'll play just dance so it is exercise.  (dilon)
    The answer is still no.  (me)
     It is exercise!  Why can't you understand that?  (dilon)

**What do you want for breakfast?  (me)
    ice cream  (dax)
    I don't think so  (me)
    but it's sooooo good  (dax)

**Who peed on the toilet?  (me)
    not me  (dilon)
    not me  (grif)
    ME!  (dax)
    Dax, you don't even  use this bathroom. (me)
    Oh, it was gus gus.  (dax)

**I think tomorrow I will shoot a gazelle.  (grif)

This was seriously all in one day (well except for the king of the world one.  That was a couple of days ago but I thought dilon had a very valid point.)  I can only imagine how long this post would be if I could remember all the little crazy things they say to me.  Never a dull moment with little ones.

another life lesson

I love it when I can learn something new (unless it is something Nate was right about and I was miserably wrong about, then I can do without those).  This last little lesson in life could have been skipped all together and it would have been just fine.  Here's a little tidbit of advise for ya:  NEVER EVER EVER EVER schedule two surgeries between spouses six weeks apart, especially when the first one wasn't healed all the way.  What the heck was I thinking.  I know what I was thinking, I was thinking I didn't want to die from the goiter that was choking me in the wee hours of  the night.  Now I am thinking I should have taken my chances for a couple more months.  I posted earlier about nate's foot surgery a few weeks ago.  Well I went in to get my thyroid removed exactly 6 weeks from the day nate had his surgery.  Nate got off of crutches on Tuesday and I went under the knife on Thursday.  They said my surgery wasn't too bad so I figured it would be fine.  Poor nate has had to do a lot of running to help me and his foot is so swollen he can't even get his ugly, never should have been invented because they are not the least bit flattering, crocs on.  His leg looks like a tree trunk and his foot, well that just looks like an overinflated foot balloon.  I am grateful though because I am feeling better everyday.  Four kids can just wear ya right out.  Thank heavens for good family.  Nate's family had the boys for a few days and my shitster (sorry I can't help it. not appropriate, but there is a super funny story that goes with that) has picked up the rest of the slack.  Grandma Taco flies in from Ooooooooklahoma -where the wind comes sweepin down the plain-today so that will be nice to have her here for a day or two before she starts her, as moe would call it, totally awesome alaskan adventure.  (I swear, i'm not still on pain pills. This really is just how lame I am).

I was having, yet again, another stupid mom moment on Wednesday and left my flat iron plugged in while I went to switch the laundry.  Baylor decided it was time to explore, went into the bathroom, pulled it off the counter, and picked it up... by the hot part.  I thought dax was killing him he was screaming so loud.  Took him to the doc and he had deep 2nd degree burns. He said we were lucky, it was almost another trip to Primary's with him.  Then I had to turn around and ship him to Heber for a few days.  Super big thank you to grandma squeaker for taking him back to the doc and taking care of him when I couldn't.

I think he is flipping me the bird in that picture.  I would be too.

Glad to have both surgeries over.  Ready to be back to 100%.  We are almost there though so that is good.  I have realized how grateful I am for good health.  Even with our annoying little struggles we are so healthy and blessed.  I can't imagine what some people go through on a daily basis.  This makes me appreciate life and all that I have.  I need to quit complaining and realize just how good everything is.

Now I can officially say I am cutthroat.  Not entirely sure that is a good thing.

p.s.  by far the worst part of the surgery was having the suction tube yanked out of my neck before I came home.  That sucker was long and the dang surgeon (who told me it wouldn't be too bad) just kept pulling and pulling and pulling.  I pretty much passed out on the bed.  Nate didn't even hold my hand.  So just a heads up, if you ever have your thyroid removed be prepared for the drainage tube coming out. It's super Awesome!