It’s amazing to me how much easier a room is to keep clean when you take everything out of it! Literally–I have furniture in my living room–well and the computer I’m typing on–but all of the other “stuff” has been sorted and either put away, packed or tossed! The kids do bring a toy in every so often–but I can get those picked up pretty darn quick! It’s when everything starts piling up on top of itself–that my life is out of control! I finished the windows last night, and the room this morning has a golden glow. I love it–I love the look, I love the privacy and most of all, I love that the big dog has been silent all day!

I will do a quick toy run through during nap time, and the room will be perfect once again!!

Middle Man’s first grade class headed to the Nature Museum yesterday for their end of the year field trip. He loved it! Apparently they have a whole room of just Butterflies. You walk in and they are flying all around you. I guess it does sound pretty cool. They also have a theater set up and they got to watch a play. Narnia–he was so excited because he loves the movie Narnia–actually-he loves C.S. Lewis stories-but he was not happy that they cut out so much of the movie. I tried to explain it to him that the movie is over 3 hours long–and they couldn’t make you sit for three hours–that would be the entire field trip–so they shortened it, so he could go see the butterflies too. Nope–he was not having it! He is a little “OCD” on these kinds of things!! So I just changed the subject back to the cool butterflies. He really wants to go back so Katerbug can see them.

I took the little ones to lunch just now. It’s kind of funny–McDonalds is giving away Shrek The Third toys–and we just can’t seem to get the one that the kids want! My boys want Donkey so bad, they wander the house going “I’m Gorgeous!” So now my 4 year old says it, followed immediately by the 2 year old. The statement is cute by Donkey–but he hold nothing on my baby!! It’s too cute! I’ll try to get it on video later, and get it up here! “I Go-gas” or something there about!!

Loretta over at Just Not Martha totally tagged me! So here it is: Seven Random Facts meme. I’m not sure there are 7 Random Facts–well, at least they aren’t ‘un-known’ facts–’cause I’m NOT giving up my secrets!!

1-I have no thyroid! Yep, my oldest son killed it–or at least the antibodies that my body made to keep him on board for 9 months, killed it!! After he was born-the antibodies are supposed to be absorbed back into the body. Mine went on a killing spree! Attacked my poor unsuspecting thyroid–and totally killed it! I lost all of my baby weight within 2 weeks,and I was back to being skinny and cute. Then within the next month–nothing changed–I gained every pound back–and I’ve never been able to lose it! Darn those antibodies!!

2-I used to speak fluent Japanese, lived in Japan for 18 months. At one point I could read kanji–but in the 14 years since I’ve been home–I lost most of that. I can pick out a character here or there–but I’m still perfect with my hiragana and katakana.

3-I met my husband, got engaged, got married and had my reception at the Salt Lake City Marriott Hotel. He was a Chef–I was accounts payable. He transferred to Utah from Chicago–and I snatched him up just 1 month after his bet with the Executive Chef expired stating that the Chef thought he would get married his first year in Utah! That expired in October, and we started dating November 17!

4-I suffer from depression! I was always one of those people who just thought that depression was something that someone could just smile through. Boy was I wrong. It is amazing how black a day can get–and really everything in the day is perfect–but I just can’t see it. I forget to take my “Happy Pills” everyday–and the slide downhill is so slow and so gradual that I don’t realize that the reason every little thing my kids do to drive me nuts–are just normal–I just can’t cope with them that day! My kids are fine–great even—I’m the problem–I’m so happy to have found out that it’s just a little pill that can help me. I really don’t care what Tom Cruise has to say about it!

5-I always wanted 8 kids. Baby number 1 was colicky and for the first 6 months of his life I was done having kids. My older sister Susan asked what happened to the 7 other kids–and I told her that this first one had murdered all of the others–but then he got to be so irresistible–that I had 3 more in quick succession. I would love more–but I would have to find a new man–because Hubby was done after 2, so when we hit 4–he took matters into his own hands!! If ya know what I mean!!

6-I taught myself to play the piano. When I have time to actually sit and play–I can really make pretty music–but because of the 4 kids and the fact that they tend to pound on the piano–it is desperately out of tune–so even if I found the time to play it right now–I’m afraid that it would sound more like screeching cats than music!

7-I would LOVE to go to Poland. I’ve been working with the genealogy of my husbands family, and found them all in little villages around Pilzno, Poland. Kozia Wola, Zajaskowich, Lipiny–ect. I want to go and just walk through the cemetery and find all of these people that I’ve been studying. It would totally bore my husband–so he can’t come with me!!

Ok, that was 7, and that was hard!! Now to make it even harder–I have to tag people! So I’m going for Steph, Peg-meister even though she’s out of town!! Sally, and Jenny. Oh, Oh, Oh–and of course—-Deezer how on earth could I leave Deezer out!! Ha–you have all been tagged!!

Since my birthday and Mother’s Day are just days apart, everything kind of get rolled into one celebration. Our wedding anniversary is just two weeks later–I can tell you–I’m spoiled throughout the month of May! This year my in laws are taking a trip next week, so the weekend of Memorial Day my husband and I will be dropping off all 4 kids, and heading out for some very much needed “married” time! I can’t wait–I haven’t actually gotten some alone time with my husband in sooooo long! Definitely since the new restaurant opened!! So that will be the best birthday/Mother’s Day/Anniversary present of all!!

All I can say for my birthday dinner out—FABULOUS!!! We took the kids to Japan 77–it’s a lot like Benihana–they cook at your table and charge an arm and a leg for it! Well, my kids thought it was the greatest thing in the world. They ate like true Sumo wrestlers as well. Which was good-J kept being shocked that he kept starting more food. It was a lot of fun, and I know our Chef enjoyed cooking for our table–with three little kid thrilled with his cool performance–what chef wouldn’t love that!

I took B-man’s car seat into the restaurant with us, and he was angelic! I was so proud of him. I normally hate sitting at the same table with people that I don’t know–but since there were 6 of us on a Tuesday night, there were no stragglers to sit with us. I LOVED that!!

It was a really great night! It cost a lot of money–but hey–this is the kind of night that makes it exciting to go out with my kids!!

I’m having all sorts of problems with my new computer today! I’m not very happy about it! You spend a ton of money that you’ve skrimped and saved to buy a new computer. All that is offered out there are computers with the most AWFUL Vista as it’s operating system–so bugs and all–you take it home! I’ve been using the new computer for about a week, and finally–there is a birthday post that I want to make today–and I need to use the scanner than came with the computer. NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS!! Why?? Because the scanner software isn’t compatible with Vista. In order to download the patch you have to follow the directions on the screen–fine–but by the time it’s finished it’s uninstall and restarted the system-I can’t get back to the screen! So now I have to install it wrong-again–get the screen–copy it down (’cause I can’t print) and then uninstall it only to install the patch and reinstall it!!

Sounds like fun doesn’t it? I HATE VISTA!!!