Three Year Old Boy for Sale!

Please consider purchasing a three year old boy named Cameron Payne. We will accept offers from the top bidder or name your own price! Listed below are the warnings that accompany this purchase. We have tried to disclose all information we have and give you a fair warning. However, we cannot be responsible for future mishaps that may occur with this purchase.

• has required the rental of a carpet cleaner several times for dumping various items on the carpet, including an entire bottle of Hershey's chocolate syrup, cookie dough, popsicles, ice cream, etc. We did have a fridge lock for a while, but he figured out how to unlock it. Last Tuesday he cracked a dozen raw eggs on the living room carpet. (We should just buy a carpet cleaner.)


• no longer requires afternoon naps, will go to bed around 7:00-8:00 and has been known to wake up around 5:45, has been known to take mattress off of his bed while he should be taking a nap, has broken a square hole in his bedroom blinds so he can peek out of window, will often get in bed with and wake up his baby brother.

The "peek" hole in the blinds

• loves to sneak in the minivan to play with buttons, radio, and eat all of mom's gum, put 56 pennies in car radio and we needed to get another one, bless the Honda dealers who got this for us free of charge, last week both he and his brother got in the van--I found one-year-old Conner with a mouthful of gum.


• loves to stick items in the VCR including toys, Hershey kisses, grilled cheese sandwich, etc., last week he found a sharpie (usually hidden very carefully) and scribbled all over the fridge.


• found Daddy's razor during his sister's birthday party and tried to shave, resulting in a bit of a bloody mess


• has been known to bite his siblings, friends at play group, and even other children at the gym; has been suspended from the gym childcare and had to miss a friend's birthday party due to his biting.


• is mostly loving to his baby brother, but did cut both sides of his lower cheeks by cutting them with a pair of scissors, also tackles his brother at times.


• found an iron not plugged in upstairs, plugged it in and burned some of the carpet and his hand.


• his newest trick is playing with the kitchen sink faucet that can spray water, he loves to give the kitchen counters and our window a squirting down.

Well, there you go! Anyone interested in making a bid? Here are a few positives that may come from this purchase:

• Cameron is a happy and loving boy. He does love to please when he can. This week he started saying, "I'm going to be a great boy!" Sometimes he asks, "Are you happy, Mommy?"


• He will be calm when he has his milk and his nigh-night. He also likes to be read to. He likes to watch Dora, Diego, and Thomas the train.


• Trains are his very favorite, but he also likes fire trucks and motorcycles.


• He has a twinkle in his eye and a very sweet, but sometimes devilish smile.

Well, as you all know Cameron is not really for sale, but I wouldn't mind if he went on a vacation for a while. He keeps our life interesting; I'm constantly wondering what he'll be up to next. We're hoping Conner is a little less "spirited." I am reading a book to help me cope with Cameron called The Spirited Child. Many of us have been blessed with a spirited child who teach us patience, tolerance, and unconditional love. The Lord knows what He's doing when he blesses us with these spirits. I believe I was intended to be Cameron's mother and pray for the patience to teach and love him.

Computer Broken -No Blogging for a While

Our computer is broken so I have not been able to blog for a while. I'm using a friend's computer. I have several things I have wanted to post. When it's fixed I'll have to post every day for a while. Hope everyone is doing well!

I'm Sill Alive!

I want to apologize for not posting for almost two weeks. First, I was so busy with Girl Scout cookies and everything else that I couldn't even get to the computer. Then, starting last Tuesday, I came down with the worst flu I have ever had. I'm usually very healthy and rarely get sick; I attribute it to my exercise and getting enough sleep. Well, I can't believe how this flu hit me and it lasted for so many days. The worst part was the chills and body aches. I think I probably took ten hot baths in one day just so I could get relief from the chills. I also went outside to sit in the car to get warmth from the sun. Once I'd get to sleep, I would wake up in a cold sweat and freezing again. My muscles ached and I felt nauseated. The only other time I felt like this was when I had a breast infection. Lloyd stayed home from work on Thursday to take care of the kids. He was so wonderful to bring me soup, Motrin, a change of clothes, or anything else I needed. I am starting to feel better today. Courtney had the same flu for over a week. Kylie has an ear infection, but only missed a couple days a school. We pray the others don't get it. I am so glad I am a healthy person. I can't imagine having a chronic illness. Mentally, I have missed going to the gym; I hope I can go back on Tuesday. I spent some time this evening getting caught up on my posts. I'll try to be more consistent. Tomorrow I'll try to leave some comments on some blogs too. Thanks for your understanding.

P.S. I forgot to mention that I did go to Weight Watchers on Friday, February 22. I did gain .6 since I ate pretty bad over the Presidents' Day weekend. I actually thought I was going to gain more. Well, since I've been sick I haven't had to worry about overeating too much. I'll weigh in again this Friday.

Family Photo Collage

As I mentioned in earlier posts, we take a family photo once a year. I've always wanted to display these photos, but I didn't want to hang a bunch of frames on the wall. Well, I think large photo collages must be the new thing because I've been seeing them everywhere. Well, I decided to buy one and put all our family photos in it. So here it is, our family photos from 1995-2007, along with one picture of the three girls and one of the two boys. Of course, some pictures are better than others. My favorite is the one in the middle.

P.S. Just so all of you know, I know you can't click on the photos I have moved when I create my post. I left this one at the top so you can click on it. My friend told me to try to cut and past my photos instead of dragging them, but I can't figure that out either. I'm sorry if anyone has tried to click on a photo and it won't enlarge. I did all the photos on my previous post large so they would be easy to view.

Our Home Has a New Look

As I mentioned in some earlier posts, we had the entire inside of our home painted. No, we didn't do it ourselves, but it was still a lot of work. We are so glad we did it. It feels like we have a new home now. We should have done it a long time ago! The guy who painted our home did a fantastic job. He was very helpful about recommending different colors. He believes you should paint with varying shades of different colors to add contrast and dimension. The entry way was painted with a medium blue. The kitchen was painted with lighter and darker shades of the same blue.

The Entry Way

The Kitchen

In the living room we painted two walls a medium beige and one wall the same dark blue as the kitchen.

The Living Room

The downstairs bathroom is a brown beige.

Our bedroom is two shades of sage green.

The girls had their room painted lavender. It's a little tricky because they have this hot pink bunk bed that was given to us. Their bedding is purple and pink so it kind of ties things together.

The kids' bathroom was painted a powdery blue. We changed the decor from colorful daisies to safari animals. Since it took me almost seven years to redecorate, we figured the boys might not be too excited about a flower bathroom for the next seven years.

We're glad we could make a few minor changes to our home. I was amazed at some of the stuff we had hanging on our walls. It's great to have a fresh look!

My Valentines

This was a simple Valentine's Day card I sent out to family members. It's actually a pretty good picture of the five kids. I am absolutely amazed when I look at this picture. I really can't believe I am the mother of these five precious spirits. They mean so much to me and I am so blessed to be their mother. I just wanted to share some of my feelings of love for each of them as we

celebrated Valentine's Day, which has always been one of my most favorite holidays.

*To My Oldest, Courtney - I have a great understanding and love for you as the oldest child. Since I was also the oldest I know it can be challenging at times. You are expected to be the example and always asked to help. Courtney, I think Heavenly Father wanted you to be the oldest so you could lead your sisters and brothers. You are such a righteous and loving daughter of God. Cameron, your "birthday twin" adores you and loves you so much. Your sisters want to be like you too. Courtney, you are very secure with yourself. You don't work too hard to impress others and are so happy when others succeed. I know I am suppose to be your mother and teacher, but you teach me so much through your example. Thank you for sharing your kind heart with our family. I love you.

*To My Second Daughter, Katelyn - You are such a friendly girl. You always have something to tell me about your day at school. You are so talented at school, ballroom dancing, reading, etc. I also love to see you make new outfits; I know you love fashion. You are a good helper to me. You are sensitive to others and their feelings. You always have something funny to say to make life interesting. I am so blessed to have you as my daughter. I love you.

*To My Youngest Daughter, Kylie - I always remind you that you are my last little girl. I am cherish my opportunities to tie ribbons in your hair, dress you in frilly dresses, and watch you play dress up. I know you'll be all grown up before I know it. Kylie, you are a very smart girl --sometimes too smart for your own good. You love to write letters to other people. I love it when you give me hug and kisses. I love watching you run out to the car every day when I pick you up from school. It's been fun seeing you learn gymnastics. You have a beautiful smile and are so special to me. I love you.

*To My First Boy, Cameron - I never thought having a boy would be so different than the three active little girls who came before you. Cameron, you truly are a "spirited" child. You go and go and go. You make our life very interesting and always an adventure. I love when you sit on my lap when I read you a book. I love to observe your obsession with trains. You can always spot a train or hear a train no matter what. I think your two favorite things are your Thomas the trains and your green nigh-night. You love Conner and always want him around even when he's taking a nap. You are so sweet when you say, "I love you, Mommy." You have such a zest for life and show so much excitement in what you do. Despite challenges at times, I love being your mother and wouldn't change a thing. I love you.

*To My Baby, Conner - You will always be my baby. I wish I could freeze you and keep you as my little one forever, but I know it doesn't work like that. I do find it funny that I commented once babies start walking, they are not babies any more. Well, at fourteen months you have no desire to walk. All your sisters and brother walked well before this age, but you'll have nothing to do with it. Maybe you secretly want to be my little baby forever! I love to hold you and kiss your neck. I love playing peek-a-boo with you. I love watching your precious little face as you take in the world around you -- as you watch your sisters and brother or learn how to play with a new toy. I tease all the kids that you are my favorite because you don't talk back to me, but it's true. Thank you for being the love of my life. I can't be in a bad mood when I look at your innocent little face. You are a gift from God to me. I love you.

*To My Husband, Lloyd - I can't believe we've known each other for almost 16 years, that's almost half our lives. I literally cannot imagine my life without you. Your constant love and patience with me is amazing. You are so quick to forgive my mistakes and shortcomings. You'll do anything to make me happy. You are my supporter, my encourager, my companion, and my best friend. I think our only regret is that we don't have more time to spend with each other. We love our little children so much, but also look forward to our years together as a couple. I wouldn't want to spend my life or eternity with anyone else but you. I love you, Lloyd.

Definitely Not Mother of the Year

I debated about whether I should share some things from this post. I don't want people to think I am an irresponsible mother. But I decided to share anyway. This is my life even though it's crazy. I think all moms feel guilty a lot. There are so many things we could do better at. We feel inadequate and pray we're not letting the Lord down with these spirit He's entrusted to us. I share these things so I can laugh a little at myself. I know all moms do the best they can and love their children unconditionally.

Well, last month Kylie got the Principal's Award and received the award at a school assembly. I didn't want to take Cameron to the assembly because I knew how difficult he would be. I left him at home to take a nap while Lloyd slept in the room next door. When I came home from the assembly, I immediately noticed a bunch of items on our roof. My heart sank. I knew Cameron had opened his bedroom window on the second story and had pushed off the screen. For a second, I thought Cameron was actually sitting on the roof. As I got closer I realized he wasn't on the roof, but I still wondered if he had gotten out and one of the neighbors had rescued him. I rushed upstairs to find him safe and sound. Thank goodness! I don't know what would have happened if he had fallen off the roof! He could have fallen so easily since it's a sloped roof and very slippery. We do think he went out there because we found shingle debris on his pants. Angels must have been watching him. Here's a picture of the roof.

This picture shows the slope down to the ground.

I have finally come to terms with the fact that Cameron doesn't need naps any more. This has been hard to accept, but he will go to bed earlier so that helps.

The second reason I am not "mother of the year" happened in December. I took the three girls out for lunch and bowling. We were so excited to eat at Red Robin. We went in and quickly ordered our lunch. After we had been there for about ten minutes, I screamed out pretty loudly. Our server asked me what was wrong and I told her that I had forgotten my baby in the car. I went to get him out of the car and he was still asleep. I felt like the worst mom ever! Luckily, it was winter and he had only been out there for ten minutes and he was still asleep. I never thought I could do something like that. Five kids has been a real adjustment for me and sometimes I think I'm really loosing it. Sometimes I get so busy with one kid I neglect the others. Here's a picture of Conner falling asleep in his exersaucer because I was too busy to properly put him for a nap. If you look closely you can see chocolate on his mouth from candy the kids feed him.

The final thing I wanted to mention was a comment from Katelyn. I wanted to make something for the people I visit teach so I decided to make banana bread. I made some for my family too. Katelyn was so amazed. She asked me, "Mom, did you really make this bread? With flour and everything?" Yes, I must admit I rarely bake from scratch. I usually use a cookie or cake mix. I think my daughter thought it was a miracle I could make something without a mix.