Doodles Is Five!!!

Cam turned five on Feb 27. I'm lame and am just getting to posting! I have pics, but they are on my camera, and I'm on my Ipad. He had preschool on his birthday, which made it easy for last minute shopping and cleaning for his party!! Two hours with only one kid running around! It makes it easier, trust me!! We had all the cousins, and grandparents come over. We sang happy birthday. We had cake and ice cream. It was a good time!! I am having a hard time with him being five! this means I will have TWO kids in school next year. This FREAKS me out!!! It means I only have two more kids before they are all in school! I'm sure there will be a time when I'm glad all my kids are in school, but for now, I can't wrap my head around that! I'm not cool with it! 

I sure do love my little Doodle Bug! He is such a sweet little boy, with such a strong personality! I'm one lucky momma to have such amazing kids!

Heavy on the Mind...

Danny has decided to apply for LVMPD!! He put in his application a week or so ago. It seems only natural. Everybody in his family is either a cop or in construction. Since building has pretty much come to a halt, he's been working at Lloist (Chem Lime) for the last two and a half years. He hates  his job!! He said he'll continue to work there if he doesn't get on with LVMPD. But, we're hoping for LVMPD!! With that being said.. One of my Facebook friends posted a video the other week. It was a cop in Florida, I think, who had stopped a truck. He had drugs pulled out of the truck one guy leaning against the truck, another still in the truck. The police officer told the guy who was standing outside of the truck to take off his jacket and put his hands back onto the truck. The guy kind of resisted, but started to take off his jacket. While this was happening, the guy still in the truck started to get out. The cop yelling for him to stay in the truck, the guy keeps coming. The officer draws his gun, and the guy starts shooting the officer in the chest, over and over again. Then the guy who was leaned against the car grabs his gun an starts shooting over and over again! The cop was probably shot around 30+ times.. All caught on his car-cam. I know this doesn't happen everyday, but it does happen!! It terrifies me!! After seeing this video, Danny becoming a cop and possibly getting shot to death has been heavy on my mind a lot lately. I've of course always had a just-in-case plan, but I do NOT like to think about the possibility of him passing away. We ARE supposed to grow old together, and die together like in "The Notebook" (haha cheesy, I know..) But, this is my plan! (I type with tears in my eyes...) The thought "what would I do?" comes to mind all the time. Who would take care of the kids and I? Who would watch the kids if I had to go work full time? How would I even face the day? How could I come home to an "empty" home everyday? Am I strong enough to get through something like that? So many things run through my mind... Being a cop, you could get killed! KILLED!! I know his job now has some risks, being a contractor has risks, but NONE of them are being SHOT! I freak out if he's a few minutes late getting home from work. I worry about him falling asleep and crashing his car. I worry everyday that he's not home. I worry too much! I guess that I just worry too much.... I also worry about what Danny would do if I died young. Who he'd remarry to. Would I approve of her raising my kids? Would she love my family as much as I do? Of course I'd have no say, but, hopefully he'd make the right decision!! Hopefully he'd find an amazing babysitter. And so on...  Anyways... I hate the subject of death. I've dealt with many deaths, but they're usually grandparents, aunts, uncles. A few cousins, but none recent. Friends. Friends of friends.. It all just sucks!! I just wanted to get this all out of my head! I don't like thinking about it. Hopefully it'll go away now that I've "written" it all down...

Alex is Seven!

Last Saturday, February 1, Alex turned seven!! He's had the "most epic two days!" (his words). Friday after he got home from school and Danny received a text from Alex's friends mom. (They're in our ward, she didn't have my number, our house phone is broken and is now a toy. Her husband had Danny's number. Just had to clarify...). His friend Brock wanted Alex to play over at his house. Alex was SO excited!! I dropped Alex off and he stayed for almost two hours, without me! Most parents are probably like, "So what? Big deal..." For Alex, this is a HUGE deal!! He's attached to me by the hip! He worries when I'm not around. It was AMAZING for him to play for a couple hours, at his friends house! I got a text from Marquessa (Brock's mom) saying that she was bringing Alex home because he told her he was ready. When she dropped Alex off we invited Marquessa and Brock over for cake and ice cream Saturday afternoon. We usually just have a small family get together. Our house is too small to hold a bunch of people. The cousins (on my side) were all here. Aunts and uncles were here. Sister from another mother was here with her kids. Last, but not least. Brock and Marquessa were here! It was fun. We had cake and ice cream. Stupid me didn't get enough balloons for every single child (ghasp!)  Lara's older three took a balloon, Brock took a balloon, and I had two. Needless to say, my kids fought over the balloons for three days (until the balloons lost air).  Note to self: buy enough balloons for EVERY SINGLE kid! Lesson learned. Alex opened his presents. Brock gave Alex art supplies! Alex's favorite thing in the world is to draw and write books! Grandma gave him $5!! I got him "Cloudy With a Chance of Meat Balls 2", Mine Craft (on his nabi), and Danny got him a "skate board". We have long hallways of laminate flooring in our house. I've had fun riding the "skate board" through our house.  Who says your too old to play with your kids' scooter? Not I!
We've watched "Cloudy With a Change of Meat Balls" only about 12 times this past week.. "Free Birds" is now out on dvd-blu ray. Guess what Cam's getting for his birthday??!!! It's in a few weeks, so that is what he gets! He can not wait for his birthday! He asked if Brock could come to his party, too. I told him if Brock can, he's invited! Gotta LOVE "birthday season!!" ! That's it for now. I'm so lucky to have my amazing, healthy kids! I love them all so much!

Everything and Stuff

This weekend (the  24th) Danny and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary (woohoo!!). We went to Mesquite and we saw "Lone Survivor", then after we went to dinner at The Panda Garden. Our waiter was terrible!! We went birthday shopping for Alex, then came home.
We've all been battling a terrible chest/sinus cold thingy... We've all had such terrible coughs!! It has not been fun! My nephew was diagnosed with influenza recently. It terrifies me! I do NOT want any of my kids to come down with it, but I'm super worried about Elyse, since she is only 10 months old. I HATE illness!!! I'd like to just keep my children in a plastic bubble this time of year. I know keeping them from all illness would do nothing for their immune systems, but it's frustrating for me!
Lice is going around the Elementary school. I got a letter stating that somebody in Alex's class had lice. They checked all the kids and said that they should continue to be checked for the next two weeks.  I'm not cool with lice.. If one kid gets it, it's a matter of time before the entire family and or school gets it. It's disgusting!! (no, Alex does not have it.)
Soon, our family "Birthday Season" will be in full force! You know how there's a holiday season that consists of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years? Well, we have "Birthday Season" it start's with Alex- on Feb. 1. then Cam- Feb. 27, then Elyse- March 13, then last but not least, Jonny- April 11. We really did try to spread them out, but it didn't end up that way. We are happy that we have all our little munchkins, even if their birthdays are super close to each other!! It gets expensive, being  a couple months after Christmas, but it's cool!
For today- we are ditching church.. We all still have coughs and runny noses. I think that the "sickness" part is over with, but our coughs and constant nose blowing is quite annoying!
Life has been pretty uneventful. Doing the day to day thing. Life is good!! I can't complain too much!

Happy New Year!!

2013 has brought us so much!! Our last baby, and first daughter was born. Pregnancy with her was interesting... Kidney stones, blood thinner shots, Rogham shots (with every pregnancy.), gestational diabetes... It was fun!! Ending up in the hospital when she was seven weeks old for a nasty bladder infection!! We found out she had VUR. I'm so over it... And, I swear. Everything that goes around, she catches!! All my kids do. It gets frustrating. I'm sick of having sick kids! Back to the good- Like I said. Sweet Elyse was born. Alex finished kindergarten and started the first grade. We are so lucky that both teachers were/are amazing!! Cam started preschool. He LOVES Mrs. Myrna and the "white" teacher (referring to her blonde hair). Jonathon refuses to nap in his room, so Elyse does. I pretty much let him sleep where he lays down for naps, I know I'm horrible. Jonathon is Mommy's good little helper! Elyse thinks she rules the house. She is little Queeny in the making! It doesn't help that she is completely spoiled! Danny got a promotion at work (forever ago) and is the Kiln assistant. I still don't know exactly what that entails, but he assists the kiln! LOL! Though he loves  his schedule, it's not my favorite.. He works four days, then three off. Work three days, then two off. Work three days, then three off. Work four days, then seven off. He gets two weekends off a month. It feels like I NEVER see him on his work days. As for me. I try my hardest to keep this house somewhat livable. My kids are slobs. It's hard when they are so young. Alex gets tired of doing everything. Cam is A.D.D. like his mother. He gets side tracked very easily. Jonathon will put something away, just to pick it up three seconds later to play with it. I'm convinced that he likes everything out where he can see it. Elyse is a baby, clean is not in her vocabulary. I'm sure my hubby gets tired of coming home to toys everywhere. I'm tired of it, too. I have tried to train my kids to keep their toys in their rooms. I have failed. I have not made any stupid resolutions this year. I never stick to them EVER! I just hope that I can become the person/mother/wife I strive to be. Although, I do hope that I can sleep train Elyse. She has been so spoiled up to this point. Hearing her or any of my babies cry, makes me nervous. When they get big, it doesn't bother me, but infants!! I can't stand it. She sleeps in Danny's and my room. It's the only place available, unless we put her in Jonny's room. Then they'd both cry all night. I want her sleeping better before I move her, but it's hard to let her cry when she's right next to your bed! I've sadly contemplated moving her crib into my closet, just so I wouldn't have to hear her cry. My mommy guilt kicks in and I pick her up. I know it only takes a couple days of crying before they just stop, but it's hard for me. I have visions of my babies dying. It'll happen. I will sleep all night again! I'm so thankful for everything that I have.  I am very lucky! I'm looking forward to, hopefully, an amazing year this year.

We Need a Little Christmas!!

Okay, so I've had a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, this year. I have no reason to not be excited! Danny worked his tail off so we'd have enough money to buy presents. But, still. I've not really "felt" it this year. I really want Christmas to be about Jesus' birthday, not about presents. I'm trying to teach the kids that it's not all about Santa, reindeer, and presents. I told them that if it weren't for the birth of Jesus, there would be no reason to celebrate. There'd be no Santa or presents. I guess it frustrates me. I do get it, though. When I was little it was all about presents, and who got what, and more, ect.. I love the imagination of little kids. I wish I could go back to the time when I believed in Santa, leprechauns, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and so on. I love to see the excitement in their eyes. Especially on Christmas morning when they see all the presents for the first time. It does bring joy to my heart, but it's just so much. I know there will be a time when they get the true meaning of Christmas, and that it's not because of Santa and presents. Christmas is just such a selfish holiday. it's all about the "I wants". I get a list of "I want" all year round. I want this, I want that. Mom, can I get that for Christmas? I know it'll possibly be this way their entire lives. The truth is, is we already have so much. So much to be thankful for. It seems like that is never enough. We cant be thankful for the toys we have,. The toy that have been sitting in the bottom of our toy box's for the past year. We don't care that we've lost interest in them. We want more, because it's never enough. I'm not wanting to be a "lame" mom who doesn't get her kids presents to teach them a lesson. I just don't want to give them everything they want. I do want them to learn. I do want them to be humble, and thankful. Someday they will see, I'm sure. There's more to life than presents.

Halloween (and everything leading up to it)

My sick baby girl :(

Not the best pic,but the best one I had..

Alex at the pumpkin patch. I think that's his friend Jacob?

Elyse's first Halloween

First, the entire first grade class got to walk to the pumpkin patch last week on one of the days they actually had school (they only had shcool Monday and Wednesday). On Tuesday I had a parent teacher conference with Mrs. Barlow, Alex's teacher. She told me how much she loved Alex and how she thinks he's the greatest! She told nme how smart he was and how she felt that he was going to grow up to be some kind of prodigy and she'd be so proud because she taught him in the first grade. He is a very smart boy!! He loves Mrs. Barlow and I'm so happy she loves him, too. I always get nervous, because I never know how people are going to react to Alex. He has SO much energy!!

On Wednesday they went to the pumpkin patch. Alex brought home an awesome pumpkin!

Friday was the annual Bradford Halloween party. Elyse had woken up not feeling so well. Me, being an awesome mommy figured it was teething :/   . She was super fussy, needy, slightly boogery, diarrhea. I just didn't think a whole lot of it. Go me!! We went to the Halloween party. I was dressed as a witch. Cam and Alex zombies. Jonathon a monkey (the same one Cam has been the past two years) and Elyse was my little black cat. We had Jumbalaya, which is one of my favorites! Lots of treets, which is always amazing, and the kids got to play with cousins and friends. We went home Elyse hardly slept. Woke me up often.  Saturday, she was the same. Super fussy. We all stayed home and lounged around the house all day. Sunday, Elyse was still pretty fussy. We all went to church and Danny came home after sacrament meeting with Elyse and Jonathon so they could take a nap. Elyse slept, Jonathon did not!  When Danny picked Alex, Cam and I up from church I noticed Elyse was running a fever. I took her temp and it was 100.1. Being very low, I didn't think anything about it. I noticed that I couldn't see any teeth under her gums trying to poke through. Ive had three different kids teeth. I know all kids are different, but none of them ever ran a fever before the teeth were just about to poke through. Ruling out teething, I just thought she had a mild infection her body was trying to fight off. We go to Grandma and Papa Bradford's house for dinner. Elyse, still cranky and slightly feverish. We go home, I give her motrin becuase fevers spike at night and I put her to bed. She again didn't sleep much. Monday came. After having so many days off of school and Elyse not sleeping, I had a hard time waking up! I got Alex off to school, the bus was 10 min early, so we'd made it just in time. I did laundry all day, while Elyse slept most of the day. Her fever was gone all day, but came back after I put her to bed. The same thing Tues. I had a refill on one of her antibiotics, so I decided to start giving that to her on Wednesday, because when she'd woken up her fever was back. The last time she had a fever for three days, we ended up in the hospital for an entire week! It was horrible. Thursday, Halloween. I got Alex ready for school. Putting his Halloween costume in his back pack and sending him off to school. It was the first day Elyse woke up with out a fever. I noticed a bit of a rash on her forehead. It wasn't a rash i'd ever seen before, but wasn't super worried. I figured it could be a fever rash. She had a blow out later in the afternoon, so I stripped her down and noticed that the rash was on her back, too. I texted my mom the pic, and she said "that looks like strep.". I of course felt horrible. It totally explains her behavior in the past week. Cam went to his preschool Halloween party. When I picked him and Christopher up they told me it was the best day EVER! They had capri suns instead of water to drink, with lots of treats! They were so cute! Doodles, Elyse, Jonny, and I came home. ELyse went to sleep, Cam and Jonny played outside while I cleaned the house. Alex got home from school. I threatened the kids that if they made a mess in my freshly cleaned house, there would be NO trick or treating. Needless to say, they kept the house clean! While I was sweeping my always dirty, no hope that they'll stay clean for longer than five minute floors, I saw a penny on the floor. Don't have any idea why, but this inspired me that we should go visit Aunt Alene. Completely out of the blue thought. I texted mom, Lara, and Nadja that I was going to take my kids over to see her and that they should come, too. She LOVES when we bring our kids over to her house. We have A LOT of kids between just the three of us! My four, Lara's five, Nadja's three. It's a lot of kids. Brenda got our pics, the kids got candy and then we left to meet Danny at his Parent's house to start the trick or treeting extravaganza! We did that neighborhood then wen't to Collette's neighborhood, because we wanted a coke, lol. We got home about 8:00. Danny went to bed, Elyse took her medicine then went to bed. Jonathon fell asleep in the car, so I put him in his bed. Alex and Cam played for a llittle while, then they too, wen't to bed. I watched "The Conjuring" by myself. Not the smartest move. It was just as scary the sceond time. Elyse has scarletina. A form of scarlet fever, go me!! She is on her third day of antibiotics, because I had some in the pharmacy, so I started giving them to her.  My kids are eating their Halloween candy and all is good in the world again!