Happy Fourth...

Before you begin your reading of this blog post, keep in mind the state of my mind..
I have had it up to here with many things.. (envision my hand at the level of my eye, which puts it at roughly 4 foot 8; my stature is 5 foot 2 and a half.. don't forget the half.)

1- this mystery illness that has had Ashley being a slightly different version of herself since Monday evening.
2- Peyton's sleep habits. The sleep habit that has her head on top of my own, and her feet in Merrill's face, instead of in her own bed. I have been so sleep deprived, that I usually wake, to find her in our bed, not knowing how or when she got there.
3- Girl hormones. Can't they just learn to get along already?!
4- Fireworks.

My rant today, is addressed to my dear, patriotic neighbors.

Dear Neighbors,
While I too, am ecstatic to be a citizen of this country, I am not ecstatic of the hour in which you choose to set off your celebratory fireworks (both legal and illegal).
I am well aware of the parameters in which we are all allowed to ignite the colorful and loud things made in China, but propose that we limit them to the day of the fourth itself. Why celebrate three days before and three days after the fourth?
Last night, while I was barely awake, trying to enjoy time with my husband, time I wished were alone time ;), I couldn't enjoy it. My 17 month old daughter was tossing and turning, she had stopped honking our noses and repeatedly demonstrating where our eyes were, but she was awake. Not asleep. I will tell you why the sandman wasn't able to take her off to dreamland.. your fireworks. With every "pop" her eyes would pop open themselves, and she would then sit up, then eventually settle down, only to be disturbed by another "pop". Cycle repeats, and I lose it even more.
That was fan-tastic.
It was nearly 11 pm. I was tired.
I still am.
I would like to suggest that we enjoy deploying our fireworks (I have them, I like them too..) on the day of the fourth, during the times that are reasonable... after 8 am to roughly noon-thirty.. a break would then commence for my youngest offspring's nap time, and the lighting of the fireworks my be continued at 3 pm until.. well, I'll be generous and say 11 pm. I think that is reasonable.
Now don't think of me as your neighborhood bitty, think of me as a mother on the brink..
I have no where else to go.
I do not have the desire to infect the rest of the nearby population with Miss Ashley's "mystery illness" (there is no sign of a rash.. yet.), and therefore, will not be visiting ANY public venue. The driveway of my own home will be sufficient this evening as we light, and enjoy, our LEGAL fireworks, during the agreed upon hours.
Thank you for your neighborly consideration.
Mindy Pitcher

Why I blog..

Isn't it fun to be an individual? To have your own thoughts, feelings, experiences.. your own life?
I love my life.
I love to blog about it.
I began blogging after a good friend (one of my best!) introduced me to the concept.
Okay, it was really a while after..
I was kicking around the idea, wondering who would want to read anything about my little life, and then I heard the talk from President Eyring.
I had to do it.
I blog to record, remember, to share my testimony, to keep in touch, to make some laughs (now and later).
I want every aspect of my life to be here, for my family, for the future.
I don't publish every post I compose. There are some that are too sacred for the world wide web to view. Someday, they will be published, and bound in a book, for my family to view.
I blog about the good and the bad. There are no secrets. I want my children (and grandchildren, and so on) to know about my struggles and challenges. It just might help them someday.
I do not dwell in the past, but I do remember it. Sometimes there is a little spark of a memory that leads into something so much bigger. I feel an urgency to record those things. I don't want to lose any of them.
While I am aware there is an audience, I don't blog for them, completely. :)
It is definitely incentive, knowing that someone else might enjoy what I have to share. An audience also makes me feel accountable... what if they expect it?
Then I must blog it.
I have received comments and e-mails from some who do not care for my posts, claim that I am "living in the past".. I know some have stopped reading.
Good..
I don't blog for them.
I do it for me.

Here's some fun numbers...
I have posted about these subjects multiple times.
I thought it was fun to see how many times in the past year and a half (roughly) I have posted about them.

Merrill-65
Lynn-118
Ashley-121
Peyton-134
Prayer-37
Chocolate-4 (Whaaat?! Only four?)
Faith-12
Ben and Jerry's-3 (shocked at this number as well..)
Blessings-37
Tag(s)-29
Birthdays-29
Pregnancy-30
Food-6
The old "ex"-2

It is also smile-inducing and very heart warming to see the names of many good friends and family members included in the blogged about moments of my life...

Resurrection of the "Rose Petal Cottage"..

The girls were much more than excited over the resurrection of the "Rose Petal Cottage" from the depths of the crawl space.
It is the perfect toy for Peyton's age and stage right now, she loves it.
The girls got the cottage for Christmas a year ago. It was packed away much too soon as they were abusing and mis-using it.
Turning it on it's side, trying to bring the other half to enclose them within it's walls, the frame of it ending-up being bent horribly.
They were using it as a boat. Just like the Jaredite people I am sure, making their boat "tight like unto a dish". They tell me now it was supposed to be the Titanic.
I knew that Santa would not be happy about that, so I broke it down, packed it away out of their sight and hoped they would forget.
I had hope I could re-gift it to Peyton.
But there were pictures from Christmas day.. unless I never "got around" to scrapping them.. no one would be any wiser.. he he he..
If you don't scrapbook it, did it ever really happen? ;)
The day it was put back together, and only the half that was un-damaged by the past adventure, there were ground rules laid out.
1. The "Rose Petal Cottage" is now Peyton's. It, and all accompanying pieces, are property of Peyton's and therefore, stay in her room.
2. There will be no using the cottage in a fashion that is not intended for the use of the cottage. (i.e. no boating adventures.)
3. The cradle and changing table are for dolls only. Do not use them as step stools, or to try to change Peyton on them.
4. There is a sink in the cottage, but it can only be filled with imaginary water. Real water does not cross the threshold of the bedroom's doorway.
All violators will be punished accordingly.
So guess what happens later that day?
I am working away in the basement, trying to hide any signs of babies, the furniture and toys they use (out of sight, out of mind..) and I hear a thud, followed by a Peyton cry.
I run up stairs to find her laid out on the hallway floor right outside her bedroom door. Ironically, the floor is slick with a clear, wet substance.
WATER.
I love the injured party and enter the room to find the culprits, eating otter pops and breaking multiple rules of the penitentiary.. er.. umm.. I mean household..
In reference to a previous post:
1. Ask before you take.
2. EAT IT OUTSIDE!!
3. Throw away your wrappers when you are done. (There was garbage on the floor.)
4. Water, in a bowl and in the sink of the Rose Petal Cottage.
Wow.
I think I need to have their hearing checked.
Otter pops were confiscated and thrown into the trash.
By the way they both wailed, you would have thought they were just told they would be banned from all things pink for the rest of their existence.
It got better for them as there was a round of spankings for all, and time-outs followed.
They were grounded from the resurrected playhouse for the rest of the day, and otter pops were off limits as well.
Whoever taught them to use scissors... so help me when I meet her!
Peace has now been restored. They now have a new-found respect for the law in these parts.
The Rose Petal Cottage has recovered, and shows no signs of trauma.
All four are getting along well now.

Hello, again..

We took another trip to the InstaCcare last night.. made our hectic evening that much more..
I had a bridal shower to be to.. I was one of the hostesses, kinda had to be there.
I was gathering everything, needing to get there to help set up.
Ashley had been on and off with a fever for the last day, so Merrill was going to stay home with her, but he calls, he's locked his keys in his office. I have to run him the extras.
I am gathering kids, rushing to get everything done, and there on time... find Ash, asleep, and wake her up. She is hotter than hot. I take her temperature. First shot, the digital thermometer reads 106.8?!
Another try.. 104.9, still, not good.
I give her Motrin, and get on our way.
Merrill takes her to InstaCare.. I take my stuff to the shower and he promises me with updates.
Now let me back up to a couple of very important points..
1- Merrill HATES the doctors, hospitals, etc. He gets so ill.. that might be a contributing factor in the size of our family. It was such a miracle he was up to taking her himself instead of substituting for me at the shower!
2- Ashley had said, this whole time that she's been running a temp., that she feels "fine". She is totally herself, nothing hurts, she's running around and playing, but somehow, needs an afternoon nap... she was getting so annoyed with me, repeatedly asking her if she felt okay, if anything hurt.. "NO mom.."
So we are at the shower, just getting into a game, and my phone rings.
"They have been running tests, they can't find anything, they need to draw blood."
Merrill + needles + blood + the subject being one of his offspring = a gihugant disaster... his family knows this. HIs mom keeps Lynn, Peyton is a whole other ball game, she comes with me, after she's covered me with something black.. oh, and her too.
I speed.
I get there right after the blood was taken.. they are both doing fine. :)
Ashley is just laying there, with her hot pink bandage, making fishy lips, giggling. She tells me every detail.
"I had to go tinkle in a cup, but I couldn't go, so they gave me apple juice, and after I drank it, I went tinkle.. then, they took the shot needle, and it kinda hurt, but I didn't cry.. I didn't even say ouch mom!"
She is so tough!!
Merrill was pale. He just nodded his head.
"I was trying to distract her, keep her focus on me, but she wanted to look. She seriously didn't even say 'ow'."
She is amazing... this is proof that she really is mine, despite who she physically resembles.
The doctor basically said that she has a "fever without a focus". They couldn't find anything wrong. The only diagnosis we got, was that it is probably Roseola..
I am amazed at Merrill, that he held a cup while his daughter peed in it, that he was well enough to relay information to me, and to the doctor, and most importantly, that he didn't faint, when the needle came out, or when it went in.. love you Mer!!
As for the diagnosis, we'll just have to wait and see.
Blotchy rash, anyone?
Until then, we'll just be kicking it at home, quarantining ourselves! :)
We've already gone through two bottles of ibuprofen between little miss "P" and Ash..
Good times at the Pitcher's!

** Lynn and I went to my softball game last night, after all was well. Lynn sat, bundled-up in the dugout, while we played our game in the on then off again rain, and the thunder, and the lightning... that was fun!

Panic mode..

Peyton was a little "off" Saturday.
She didn't eat much.
She slept a lot.
She wasn't interested in swimming.
She just wanted me.
I wasn't thinking anything of it until I got her out of the tub. Pool water and sunscreen make a tub mandatory. Come to think of it, she didn't enjoy the tub as much as she usually does...
While getting her dressed, I noticed she was quite warm.
I took her temperature and it was nearly 102.
This is not normal, as you should know.
I gave her Tylenol, and nothing happened. Okay.. it lessened her temperature by MAYBE a degree.
I took her to InstaCare only to find that they were closed.
Really? 6 pm and they are closed?
That made me second guess my feeling that something was wrong.
There was this one time, I learned a great lesson about the power of Prayer and Motrin. I quickly prayed, and waited the little bit to give her Motrin.
My little girl was back.
We enjoyed South Ogden Day's fireworks seated in our traditional spot on the hill of the Catholic church, watching the girls run around and play.
After the show, I didn't expect Pey to go to sleep very soon, she had had 3 naps during the day. Four if you count the partial nap on the way to the pool. But she zonked.
2 am came with Peyton calling just for me.
Her temperature was back. A screaming 102.9.
All she wanted was to be held. I got her to take some Motrin, she talked to me while I got her a drink, which she downed, and then we went to the basement to cuddle.
She fell right back to sleep.
I couldn't.
I hopped on the Internet, because that is what a mom in this century does.. that and because I didn't have a doctor economically priced and available at that particular time.
The CDC's website and a 2 am wake up call by a sick baby are things that mix together to incite panic.
Have you read the symptoms for Swine Flu?
Maybe it was just the hour, or that she's my baby, but I was sure she had it.
That was an interesting night of what someone might try to call sleep.
I had to remember Merrill's prayer that night as we put the children to bed..
"Bless Peyton that all will be well with her."
I slept after that.
She woke up early, thirsty, and hot, again.
We went to the InstaCare.
Many questions were asked. As soon as the question about Daycare was answered in the negative, the doctor was quite confident that it was not Swine Flu.
He listened to her breathe, checked the nose, mouth, left ear, then right ear...
And that's where he found it.
An inner ear infection.
His diagnosis was that she was at the end of an upper respiratory infection, the ear infection sprang from that fountain of illness.
She never let on for ANY of it.
Well, besides the slight runny nose..
I am reassured that she really is mine. My mom tells me that when I was the same age, I had similar symptoms. Slight fever and acting fussy. She took me into the doctor to find that my ear drum had burst from a wicked ear infection. I had never cried, never indicated that my ear was even bothering me.
Yeah, she's part me, despite who she physically resembles..
Dad tries to reassure me further, as he chuckles while watching Peyton suck on her fingers and twirl a pig-tail.
I used to suck my thumb and twirl my hair.
I have only myself to thank for the orthodontist bills that will one day come for both me and her.
I sucked my thumb incessantly, sucked the nail polish-like deterrent that would be brushed onto my thumbs that was supposed to keep my from sticking them in my mouth in the first place.
I am also to blame for my un-repaired overbite because I refused to wear head-gear for most of high school..
Needless to say, I need to get Peyton off those fingers.
Our second ear infection EVER in this household of little girls is doing better..
I am still being taught lessons on the power of prayer.

New do..

I saw this here a long while ago..


I thought to myself, "Self.. your little sweeties will NEVER let you do their hair that way.. dream on."
Then I saw it on little Kysa at a baby shower and KNEW I had to bribe one of them into it.
Yesterday, Ashley, who is always a sweetie, was in an even sweeter mood, and let me have full control in the hair styling arena that day..
So, I went for it.
The only moment of tears was when Lynn got all excited for the nearing of the end, to see the finished project..
"Your're going to have little messy buns!! How cute!"
Then the tears commenced... "NO!!! I don't want them to be messy!"
"They are supposed to be messy.."
"MOM!! Lynn said my hair is messy!!!"
Oh my..
It did turn out cute, if I do say so myself..
Lynn even asked for me to do it to her hair.. her long, long, LONG, hair. This is also the girl who wants to brush her own hair and wear only a headband.. trying to talk her into a side pony is pushing it.
Part of the way through the process, she began to cry.
"WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS?!"
This morning, after seeing Ashley's hair after a night of slumbering on it, Lynn said, "I think we should cut my hair so it can be like Ash's.."
Lynn cut her hair?! GASP!
We'll see how long that thought sticks around...
I had to include this one of Ash and Pey.. too cute!

Big plans..

This post is taken from a conversation I had with Ashley the other day while she was seated atop this warm black inner tube..
"Mom.. I like Lake Powell.."
"I like Lake Powell too Ash.."
"Can we PLAN to go there sometime?"
"Sure.."
"Mom.. I like riding on the water wienie at Lake Powell.."
"It's fun isn't it?"
"Yeah.. can we PLAN on riding the water wienie when we go to Lake Powell?"
"We sure can.."
"I don't like falling off though.. we need to CANCEL the falling off part.. okay?"