Sleeping Like Babes

It's 2:00 in the afternoon and Tess, Chase, Nate and Nina are all asleep while the older 4 are out playing on the slip and slide....I'm golden for a few hours.

Can She Do It?

You know the story we hear all the time in church about the boy running the race who trips and falls and then gets back up, just to trip again, but still finishes the race? I feel like that will be me this week and there better be some applause on Saturday, even if it's only me clapping.

Ryan and Colleen are doing a fireworks stand this week and I will have their 4 kids until Saturday. Tess' picture aptly portrays my emotion as I watched Colleen drive off and I thought about the millions of plates of food I will be preparing this week. The food is bought, the tent is up and the kids are excited. May your thoughts, prayers and the force be with me for the next 6 days. I think I'm-a-gonna need it. If we can make it through the baby battle royale with Tess and Chase, then the race will be won, hopefully without too many trips to account for. I can hear the applause already.

Lake Day

Could there be a more perfect summer day than one spent at a lake? The Sellicks went to Twin Falls and joined the Hopkins at Bass Lake. It is located deep in the canyon and is surrounded by a golf course. The view was perfect (except for some incredibly unsavory bikinis), the kids were occupied and the conversation was spirited. Whits and I had some deep discussions about "A Man for All Seasons" and our thoughts on Thomas More. We are both still trying to reach a conclusion on that one. Whitney, ever the good sport, took the kids on two separate canoe rides. Me, the unpregnant one, waved at them from the shore. She wins the "Good Mom" prize today, although I come in a close second for fitting in 4 hrs. at the lake and a baseball game all in one day. While some may scoff at such a feat, it is a feat to me just the same. I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this. It also amazes me that kids can bury themselves in imported sand in good ol' Idaho...they don't need no stinkin' California beaches to have fun!

Side note: Why is it that I can look at myself naked in the mirror, blush a little, feel pride in the the 4 babies this body has carried and yet still admit that I should probably not go with the bikini to the lake and there are dozens of women out there who cannot reach the same conclusion? For heaven's sake! Spare my burning eyes and the splitting seams of the poor bikinis being tortured.

See slide show to the right to enjoy our day.

Boy Versus Girl

Our regular sitter Bridgette is at basketball camp this week in Utah, so I have lined up her 12 year old brother Brandon to come and watch the younger three kids while Olivia and I are at a stake Activity Day gathering. I visit teach their mother and Brandon popped in to say hi and we were talking about watching the kids and I told him I didn't know whether or not I would leave Tess. He plainly told me it was fine to leave her, as I had told him it would be during her nap time and she would likely sleep a majority of the 2 1/2 hrs. that I will be gone. I then asked the GOLDEN question: "What happens if she poops her diaper?" Without batting an eye and as serious as global warming he said, "She'll be fine. It's only 2 hours." He was drop dead serious too. No joking going on. Only a 12 year old boy would not worry about a baby cruising around in a poopy diaper and could also live with the smell for 'only 2 hours'. His mother came to his rescue and told him to call if said diaper occurs. I still haven't decided if I'm leaving her...

Granola Chix and Baby Chicks

I spent last week laying low in Pocatello with my mom enjoying a little down time with nowhere to go and nothing to do. That's my ideal summer week. We spent the time walking, shopping, talking and going to bed way to late. Now I need to catch up on my sleep!

Granola Chix: My Mom's good friend Barbie is a fabulous cook and always has fabulous recipes. My mom was talking about this recipe she has for granola and how her family just loves it and she can never make enough of it. I off handily told her to get the recipe and the next thing I knew we were making 3 double batches. I've never chopped so many almonds in my little life. My arm still hurts...As promised, the granola was yum and worth the time to make. Nate gobbles it up and discovered he LOVES it on vanilla yogurt. It was very easy to make and I now present you with the recipe. We experimented with it a little bit and tweaked it to our liking. Feel free to do the same and report back if you discover something fabulous, because I know you are ALL going to go right out and get the required ingredients. Right?

Granola
*6 cups old fashion oats
*4 cups your choice nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans)
*2 cups your choice dried fruit (raisins, craisins, crancherries) We used crancherries-So Good!
*1 cup wheat germ
*1 cup flax seed
*1 cup coconut
*2/3 cup olive oil
*2/3 cup honey
*2/3 cup maple syrup

Chop fruit and nuts and mix with dry ingredients in large bowl.

Bring to a foamy boil wet ingredients. Spread syrup over dry ingredients and mix to coat. Spread into 2 large cake pans and bake at 325 for 20-25 min. stirring every 10 min. Voile!

*Note* We were VERY generous with the coconut, olive oil, honey and maple syrup. We used almost double what the recipe called for. We also decided after making all 3 double batches that we would prefer it with less nuts. Next time we will only use 3 cups. There is a lot of chewing needed for the full 4 cups. It's a jaw work out for sure.

Baby Chicks: Since my sis doesn't have a blog and will not announce with banners and loudspeakers, I will speak for her. She will be adding to her absolutely darling family with baby #5 just days before Christmas. It will be a busy month. They will move into their new house and have a wee one all at the same time. It's a good thing I'm only minutes away. I might have to put her tree up ; ) She's already sporting the teeniest, tiniest baby bump, which is so cute on little her. Hank has taken to calling her 'Baby Mama' and I think it suits her just fine.

Product Endorsement

My sis Whitney gave me this fabulous bottle of wonder elixir. It's called "Wait a Minute" from Bath and Body Works. It dries nail polish in 5 min. flat. Functioning, cook dinner, comb hair, go to bed dry. I painted my nails just before bed last night, waited 10 min. then went to bed and I woke up to still flawless nails. A must have for the on the go gal...or guy depending on your lifestyle ;)

Aloha to Our Favorite Boy

Dearest U.B. Here is a little taste of home. There's a whole crowd anxiously awaiting to see you again.

I'm again mighty loud in these clips, so turn the volume down a touch.

Another Good One

The Neider Clan had another good weekend together and I'm wishing I wasn't home typing this, but still with my family chewin' the fat. My Uncle Darryl is opening a Five Guys restaurant in Midvale, Utah and Saturday was a training day for their employees, so family and friends were invited to come help with the training. I decided that was a good reason to head to Utah and then spend Father's Day all together. Everyone seemed to like the idea and to Utah we headed. We were lucky enough to get to see Kirsten and Mike and their darling kids, Rosy and Mike, Grandma Donut, Natalie and Dustin and Darryl and Anna Marie. It was a mini-family reunion. The food was great, but the conversation was better. James and I might do a triathlon now after talking to Kirstin about her and Mike's experience. I'm still trying to decide if I'm brave enough.

Sunday was spent hanging with the fam at Ryan and Colleen's. We always enjoy being together and doing nothing but visiting and telling stories. It was nice to be with my dad on Father's Day. He's a good one I tell you! The weekend was also a hit, as James and I found a baby hiking backpack through KSL classifieds and were able to buy an almost brand new carrier for a steal of a deal. We've got some hiking to do and Tess will now be riding in style. We got to take Grandma home on the way to pick up the backpack and that was fun to listen to her and James exchange witty remarks back and forth. That ol' bird is smart as a whip. Nothing gets past her and I was amazed she kept up with James. I had a 'moment' when I went inside her home and saw the table I ate many a breakfast at on Boyd St. in Pocatello. I have not seen that table for a long time and it made me mighty homesick for my Gramps and a bowl of cereal. After seeing my teary eyes Grandma offered to let me take one of the chairs home and I almost took her up on the offer. I need to eat some gunpowder and cowboy up a little bit. I'm such a boob my Grandma is offering me the furniture from her home! It was a good way to spend Father's Day though, with the father of my children, my own father and sweet memories of a Grandpa whom I admired and loved fiercely. Good times.

So True

My sister-in-law Angela sent me this and I laughed my way through at how true it all is. I wonder what happens with the 4th, 5th, etc.? I just barely did the pacifier thing this week and yesterday at the library I was feeling bad that Nate hadn't been going to the Preschool story time. YET...Tess didn't catch the bubonic plague (cross our fingers) and Nate is just as smart as Liv and Mark who made it to every preschool story hour offered at the library. Although I still feel guilty as I type that last sentence.

Maternity Clothing:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby:You don't bother because you remember that last time breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin, you deduct it from his allowance.

Coin Story: At Olivia's game on Wednesday one of her coach's 2 year old son slept the entire game snuggled in blankets on the grass. I'm still amazed he did this as the wind was blowing like crazy. It's been nonstop here in Burley for 2 mos! Anyway he woke up at the end of the game and his dad had wandered off and he was crying so I went and picked him up. Through his semi-closed mouth I could see something silver and chunky. I told him to spit it out and out popped a silver dollar! How crazy is that? He had just slept for 2 whole hours with a HUGE coin in his mouth. I took him to his mother, who also happens to be an Emily, and she just laughed and said, "I was wondering where that coin went."

His birth order.....#5!

Know-It-Alls Needed

OK expert mommies...this summer is going to kill me...literally...in the ground...with my hair pulled out...nails bit off...tongue slagging out of my mouth...kill me.

What should I do about my darling, sweet 3-year-old Nate who cries from the moment he wakes up until he goes to bed at night? There are no sweet moments in between his bouts of hysteria. He has been miserable ever since his brother has been on hiatus from school. Much of it has been Mark driven, but for the most part he cries about everything. For example, I made turkey sandwiches yesterday for lunch and he wailed and gnashed his teeth for 20 min. because it wasn't peanut butter. My stubborn self will not give into such bratty behavior and I refuse to break and make another sandwich just to quell his tears. I tell myself I'm not going to to yell and get frustrated, but dang it! It's just so hard not to go bonkers while he's crying and I'm trying to calm him down and he won't be pacified. Any suggestions on how to create that "Love at Home" song here in Burley? I won't embarrass myself on national television by inviting the Super Nanny into my home, so I need some thoughts and suggestions. I've got my thumb on the other 3, it's that melt your heart faced Nate who is digging my grave.

James: "Want to go for a Sunday drive?" Emily: "Let's go!"

This time of year we are always itching to go somewhere, anywhere. After dinner we loaded up the kids to go for a little drive up the mountains to the east of our home. There is a lake up there our kids love and we wanted to see how much snow was still on the roads and if they were passable yet. We're ready for s'mores! Doesn't that sound like a pleasant Sunday evening?

This drive involves many twists and turns. I was feeling good about my mothering self as my kids listened to a book on tape while they watched the scenery. Everyone was pleasant and quiet. I was relishing the moment. The only small commotion was Nate complaining about needing to 'pook', but he was smiling the entire time so I didn't take him seriously. We made it about 3/4ths of the way up the mountain before hitting snow drifts, turned around, made our way back down and then all of the sudden ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE...James turned to look at Mark and saw 'the look' and asked him if he was feeling well. Mark is prone to car sickness, but stated that he was doing fine. Not 2 seconds later every last bit of rice and broccoli he had for dinner came shooting out of his mouth. Needless to say, choice words started flying. It was James not me I promise. Mark then started crying and Livvy started griping about the smell. The van did smell delicious let me tell you. I wish I had smell-o-vision so you could all enjoy the sweet aroma of undigested dinner. As we were all remarking about the disgusting smell and Mark was bemoaning his fate, Nate gasped, "Me too!" and up came his dinner as well. By this point in time the only thing one can do is laugh and laugh and take some pathetic pictures. Ah! The joys of parenthood. You have not truly experienced it until you clean up not one, but TWO pukey boys. BTW-rice and broccoli don't just rub, scrape or scrub off. They cause one to have to go the extra mile to rid them of their yummy evidence. So much for a pleasant Sunday drive.

There is a silver lining to it all though...our landlord is a car dealer and his detail shop is right directly in our backyard. We called him to ask for puke tips and he showed up, opened up his shop, helped strip the van down to nothing and our car has now been detailed top to bottom. I'm guessing it's so clean James is going to make the kids put on booties before they can get in the van now.

Calling All Readers

My cousin Kirstin has started a Blogger Book Club with the first book (play) for June being "A Man for All Seasons". You're invited to join in and discuss this with us at Blogger Book Club. I ordered my used copy online from Amazon for way cheap. Come one! Come All!

Taking Stock

Nate and Tessie wanted to make sure our food storage was all in order. The mess grew considerably after this clip was taken. Notice Nate's answer to my query about who would clean up the mess.

P.S. SuperG-You're not alone!

Book Worms

We started our summer book worms this week and I get so pleased when I see my kids reading up a storm. Mark, never one to fit the mold, likes to read in unusual places. His newest love is the "Nate the Great" series and he spent a good chunk of his afternoon reading on the kitchen counter.

J&E = 4EVR

James and I celebrated our 12th anniversary this weekend in style. We hired a sitter for the night, yep the whole night, and took off to Twin Falls not to return until this morning. It was the most pleasant getaway of my little life. We got the 'King Mezzanine Spa Room' at a brand new hotel in Twin and hunkered down for some much needed relaxation. This was accomplished by the HUGE spa tub in an upstairs loft overlooking our room and its accompanying big screen television. We were livin' the high life, sparkling Red Grape Juice and all. I have to admit it was the nicest room we have ever stayed in...Happy anniversary to us!

James teasingly told me he wanted 12 surprises for 12 years, which I was happy to provide. I had fun coming up with all of his surprises, especially the box of Cracker Jacks. They do come with a prize in everyone you know! James surprised me with the Queen Bee bead to add to my Pandora bracelet. This is my newest craze, along with my mother and sisters. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my bracelet. It joins my 'Lots of Love' bead, baby carriage bead, and birthstone bead. Now I just need about 15 more baubles and I'm set. The Queen Bee has been my favorite from the jump and I was tickled to get it. Don't those of us of the female persuasion all think of ourselves as the Queen Bee? I certainly do.

The best part of our evening was laughing and talking about our last 12 years together and relishing in the knowledge that we have never been unhappy. Have we had our share of below the belt punches? Of course! Yet we have managed to maintain a deep happiness with one another that we couldn't imagine sharing with anyone else. To share something personal-In James' card to me he wrote, "If eternity is half as good as the past wonderful 12 years, I can't wait."

Favorite Wedding Memories:
*Driving to the Logan Temple together and seeing all of the spider webs covered in dew on the reeds as we drove into town.
*Sitting in a sealing room across the hall from the actual room we were to be sealed in, holding hands and giggling at each other (yes James giggled) not believing we were finally going to be sealed to each other.
*Not being allowed to look at James during the ceremony and dying to.
*My dad blowing his nose in my veil after the ceremony.
*Loving my friends and family who came.
*Ripping up the sign that Colleen had written and placed on our bed at our house a few days earlier...we were official!








I raise my glass of grape juice to you all in a toast, "Here's to Eternity!"

Put Me in Coach

*WARNING* I yell REALLY loud. You may want to turn the volume down before watching. I'll be much more conscious next time I tape. My apologies!


Here's the Sellick Sluggers in action. Livvy is first doing machine pitch and then Mark is second hitting off a tee. I wish we could get them not to worry about their helmets. We are a continuing work in progress. We love going to the ball field and watching them play. We especially love t-ball and the confusion that is sure to come with every game. MVP goes to a kid on the team opposing Mark on Saturday who would hit the ball, storm the pitcher's mound and then walk to first, walk to 2nd, walk to 3rd and then walk home every time he was up. I don't know if I had more fun watching him saunter around the diamond or watching his exasperated parents. He wasn't about to put forth any effort. It's enough to make a parent proud.