This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://counttherodriguezes.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://counttherodriguezes.blogspot.com/atom.xml.

Holidays and New Years

It was really a nice and relaxing Christmas. No crazy gifts (Ok, well...we did get the kids an air hockey table. We didn't really have a place for it, so it's taken over our schoolroom/library. Don't worry, there are still books and the computer--for now. The computer might be relocated as I'm kind of worried about a puck being hurled across the room and hitting the screen!), no crazy schedules, no crazy food (just our traditional Swiss Rochlette), no crazy people (OH, wait! I'm talking about us! I'll take that last phase back!).

We are slowly getting back into the swing of things with school and CHORES. It seems that when we have a break, the chores seems to go out the window. Everyone gets a break (except me, but I'm mom, so that's OK--I'll get mine when they are all out of the house and then I won't know what to do with myself). I introduced a new chore system yesterday (It seems like I always have a new system--but my theory is if it works for a week, it's been a success!). It was a success, if the only determinates are if the chores were done. Everyone did theirs, there was just a bit to grumbling and crying and whining and well... you get the picture. Hopefully that part of it will diminish once the newness has worn off. My goal is to outlast my kids in this one. We'll see how it goes.

It was great to see family and spend time with them. I'm so grateful my kids have cousins that they know and I get to spend time with my brothers and sisters. We have an awesome family. I can't wait to spend more time with them and with those who we didn't get to see.

I am trying to read more and exercise more and eat better and be a better mom and serve more and be a better teacher and (do you think that's enough resolutions?). I just want to be a better person all around and am trying to make a little progress each day. So when you check my blog and there is nothing there for months at a time, just remember that I am busy with my little clan and sharing what is going on in our lives just didn't make it high enough on the TO DO list that day.

He really does exist!

So...here he is! Looks just like the rest of them:) I still think he's really cute!Here's an almost smile...But for the first month, this was what we saw...

He's getting so big so fast!
Todd and Kent hanging at the Fourth of July Parade...

Like Mother, Like Daugher

I was just going through some pictures and ran across this one. I sure love my little girl!

Bizarre!!

I'm use to not being able to find things at my house. The screwdriver, the duct tape, any bowl I might need to make dinner, etc. Just normal things with a houseful of activity. But....today, I'm putting the washed laundry into the dryer and was about to put a dryer sheet in when...THE DRYER SHEETS ARE GONE!!! Dryer sheets? Who would take a WHOLE box of them? I understand maybe one or two, but the whole box?! Of course, no one knows anything about it, so I guess we'll just have static clothes until they are found.

When it rains, it pours!

Our house is OLD! And so, we never know quite what to expect. I thought I'd share what we've experienced in the last month. The Monday before Christmas, I was washing dishes and heard a strange "whoosh," As I looked up, a waterfall was flowing down the wall behind the refrigerator!! Todd rushed down to the basement to turn the main water valve off so we could find out what was going on. We discovered that the pipes upstairs had burst due to the cold. Fortunately, we have a friend who's dad is a plumber. He hadn't left for Christmas break yet, so he came over and replaced it for us. Meanwhile, the kids were trying to mop up about an inch of water on the kitchen floor! I wish I had had a video camera going, because it was really quite funny!!!

A couple weeks later, Todd got up to go to work and none of the water in the house was working. We discovered that the main water line had frozen. A couple days later and a brillant husband, and we had water again with no broken pipes, thank goodness!

During all this, the bathroom sink decided to call it quits for awhile. We could not use the hot water or the drain, so we brushed teeth and hands in the bathtub.

Then, the toilet handle decided to break. For a couple of weeks, we were flushing the toilet by pulling a string Dexter had tied to the chain. I don't think this one affected the kids too much as it seems as though I am the only one who flushes the toilet anyway!!

Talk about your memories! I'm sure someday we'll look back and just laugh and laugh (at least I hope so!!)

FOOD

I know we have a large family, but it has always kind of confused me when people ask me about the amount of food I cook. "You must cook for an army," kind of comments. I really haven't felt as though I've had to cook a TON of food to feed everyone...that is until now. Maybe it's that Dexter and Preston are older, or maybe Emiline really does feel like she needs to store extra food in her thighs, but lately, the normal amount is not enough. It almost works, but if Todd wants anything to take to work the next day, I'm going to have to up the ante. Doubling I'm good with, but 2 1/2ing, I'm going to have to work on. Maybe I'll get all my little math quizzes to help me:).

I really love my family!!!!!