okay Jen, these pictures are for you, so you can see my hair. I love having my hair short. I just do. I love long hair, but on me, well lets just say we don't get along. This is our christmas tree that has a serious "leaning tower of piza" thing going on. We put only the non breakable ornaments on. David loves touching the tree. And then there is the snow. keep it comming! I went to the store to get dinner and groceries, and when I got to the checkout the snow started comming down. I had to keep my self from jumping up and down in the line. Totally giddy with excitement! By the way, the reindeer is the only outside lights we put up this year. KISS, definitely keeping it simple this year!

Monday...what does it say to you that I can't even remember Monday this week!~

Tuesday...RS carolling which I ended up missing, although I did spend my lunch hour at work picking up hot chocolate, and other miscelanious goodies for the night. Ran home and worked on a veggie tray for work. Winslow whipped up a masterful dinner. And then a training at work followed by our department party. So glad I went to the training. It was all on transitions and I learned a ton!

Wednesday...Went to the Dr. with Rachel and David.
Rachel had totally lost her voice and i was concerned about her cough. Dr. snuck us in, so I had to race out of work to get her there before he left to his clinic on the other side of the mountain.
Rachel wasn't too bad.
He heard David coughing coughing and took a look.
Poor kid had a FLAMING ear infection.
"I am suprised he's not screaming his head off!"
4 perscriptions later (2 for each kid) we headed back to work.
Spent my lunch hour mailing Christmas packages. That evening was our program for the Childcare Center @ 6 followed by Jacob's choir concert @7.
--- left work at 4:45
hit Sonic on the way home
was supposed to be back at work at 5:30
scarfed down dinner and got to changing kids into church clothes
things were going according to plan until David pooped EVERWHERE!!! All over him, got on me, Not a happy moment. Had to ask for forgiveness of a few choice words grumbled!!!
Threw David in the bath. Thankfully Winslow made it home and took over bathing, while I whisked the others to the Center.
Jacob had a headache. Gave him a huge pepsi and kept telling him to drink it. (I'm sure the other parents thought I was a stellar Mom!)
Program went great. Kids were so cute. Totally forgot the camera~!
Rachel sang her heart out.
Winslow and Jacob rushed off to drop him at the auditorium while the rest of us finished up at the center.
Went to Jacob's program. He plays the bells in the bell choir. SO AWESOME! It's his second year doing this. He is such a talented kid. I am so proud. His headache got worse and you could tell. Spent a lot of the night pacing thru the back of the auditorium with David who was tired.
DID I MENTION I TOOK AWAY HIS BINKI THIS WEEK>WHAT WAS I THINKING@!!! He is doing great, but it's hard on mommy!
whew what a day!

Thursday...Came home on lunch to make spanish rice for Winslow's department party, and hooked David up to the Nebulizer. Started feeling not so hot~ After work, rush to the stake center with the kids for caroling on a wagon. drop them off. Take David home to Winslow (cause he is coughing like crazy!) and then rush over to the assisted living center to meet the primary kids. Sing, sing sing. Get my kids into my car. Abby is dancing like crazy!!! She had to go to the bathroom so bad, and I have this thing about public toilets. Race home. Lie on the couch and feel crazy exauhsted while Winslow makes Poppers. Go to Winslow's department party. Lots of food. Fun people. SOOO tired. Winslow can tell I am wiped. Takes me home by 7:30 and puts me to bed! Sleep forever. (totally ignored my CRAZY DIRTY HOUSE....when did all this dirt and junk take over!)

Friday...wake up early clean the kitchen. Make cookies for the hospital potluck. Drink some hot herbal tea to soothe my throat. Winslow is Superman again and finds 2 more rolls of toilet paper. We were down to a half roll. (how did that happen, we always have an extra CASE!! I am totally loosing it!) Run run run. Come home totally wiped. So glad it's friday.

Tomorow Abby and I will drive to Snowflake to get our hair done. Girl time! Then we will meet Tami for an exchange of goodies! Hopefully I can get some laundry done. I am SOOOOO behind. then we will clean the church building.

Aren't you just tired from reading all this! Maybe we will put up the christmas tree tomorow night~

I don't know if this will work, but this video is hilarious. Laundry is NEVER ENDING at our house. Makes me crazy. I'll wash, I'll dry, I'll even fold...SO WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT IT AWAY!

Stinkin Cute

My Kids are stinkin cute. I know I am biased but I think they are. So I went to decorate for Christmas and decided I definitely need more room! We don't even have a place to put the Christmas tree this year. Maybe if we cut all the branches from the back of the tree we can place it flush against the wall. Oh I can hardly wait till we finally add on. (ONE DAY!) Jacob and Winslow are out cutting more wood today. The girls and I made COOKIES! YUM!! Got the Christmas music on and I am still chilling in my jammies. LOVE IT!

Lost

So I really have two very different posts to put under this heading, so please bear with me.

Yesterday, I was in with my toddler class and the after school teacher came to my room and asked, "Was Jacob supposed to be on the bus?" YES!!! But he wasn't. So she took over my class and I hit the phone. I called the Bus Barn and they called his after school bus, and his morning bus. Neither one had seen him on the bus. (they are both friends of ours, so I knew they would KNOW if he had been on the bus.) Then they did an all call to all the buses asking if Jacob was on any of the buses. He was not. I became frantic. Tears started streaming down my face. I called his school. He was not there. His homeroom teacher was in the office and said he had seen Jacob walk out with the kids to the buses. Jacob had mentioned a combined intermediate and middle school band practice earlier in the week. I had told him he was not allowed to go. I didn't have a note from school and the timing did not work with my work schedule. I asked the secretary if there was any way he might have gone to the middle school for band practice. "No, there is no band practice today. There is practice tomorow, but only 1 student is going. If they were going anywhere else besides their regular bus they have to have a note." Jacob did not have a note. "Are you sure? Because he's on the snare drum and they have asked him before to go." (The previous time I talked directly to his band teacher, it was during school time, & there was a teacher who walked them from the intermediate school to the middle school. AND HE HAD A SIGNED NOTE FROM ME!) "No, there is no band practice today." I was totally FREAKING OUT! I started calling Winslow's extension at work, NO answer. I dialed his secretary, NO answer, I dialed his department head, No answer. I dialed over and over again and finally one of the massage therapists answered the phone. " I need Winslow NOW! It's an emergency." I heard her whistle and yell for Winslow. (Understand they call him Doctor McNeill, and you do NOT whistle for him, she could tell I was frantic.) "Winslow put a move on it, your wife is on the phone and she is totally frantic!"
"Winslow, they can't find Jacob, he's not on the bus, he's not at school!" I'm pretty sure he said "I'm on it." One of the other teachers said she saw Winslow tear out of the parking lot. At this point my boss walked by where I was (she had previously not been in our department or I am sure she would have known what was going on.) I was sobbing by this point as I explained what was going on. "Calm down." she told me. She had me call home to make sure he wasn't there. No answer, just the machine. "He can't get into the house, it's locked. Winslow's going there." My sobbing voice messages are still on the machine. It's heartbreaking. I just kept thinking. "Was this morning the last time I will see my little boy?"
My boss went to call the bus barn again from her phone. And then she called the police.
I started calling anywhere I could think of. Except I was having trouble remembering numbers. It was so frustrating and I didn't know what to do. Finally I got a hold of one of Jacob's good friend's mother. "Parker said something about band practice today." "Thanks."
So I called the middle school. "Hello, my name is Melissa McNeill. I've lost my son Jacob McNeill. Is there any way you can check the band room to see if he came there by mistake today?" At the same time I saw the band teacher's husband (he works at the hospital) coming to pick up a child. "J.... are they having band practice today, we can't find Jacob anywhere. Can you call your wife and see if she has seen him." He called her cell and I called her room extension. As I was leaving a message the Caller ID showed the middle school calling me back.
Jacob was indeed at the middle school HAVING BAND PRACTICE@!!! Remember the one the intermediate school told me wasn't happening today!!! So I called the intermediate school to let them know. Which was where I found my husband who was there with the principle trying to find my son. Needless to say there was a huge lack of communication between parents, teachers, schools, etc. Winslow says the principle was headed to go speak with the teacher last he saw her. I know the teacher and really like her. But somehow there was a big problem with this practice. Kids should NOT have been allowed to cross a MAJOR ROAD, by themselves, without parent permition, after school! It was just a bad situation. So Winslow went to get Jacob. And I began calling back ALL of the people I had called previously. The whole ordeal was right at an hour. Soo grateful he was safe. Sooo grateful for All those who helped to look for him. We stressed the major importance of knowing where he was at ALL times. He wrote an apology note that he will be giving to teachers, bus drivers, and others who worried over his well being. It was really a tramatic thing for me.

So if that isn't enough here is part 2. On a different note.

We've had some staff changes at work. Some members of our Team are no longer with us. So today we were told of staff members leaving us and what our positions would be. I am no longer in the Toddler room. This grieves me greatly. I was so looking forward to being able to enjoy more time watching my little man grow. This is trully my favorite age. I have so come to LOVE LOVE LOVE my toddlers. I love to hear them say my name. I love to hold them and hug them tight to make their ouchies all better. I love hearing them laugh. I love singing to them. I love watching their faces light up. I love watching them learn and take milestones. It's different than when I left the afterschoolers. Whom i love too, but differently. These toddlers spend their whole day with me. They depend on me. They love me. And I love them. So I feel Loss. I've cried quite a few tears over this. But I know it will be okay. The Lord Loves me. And He has a plan for me. I will be working in the baby room tomorow. These babies are sweet and bring a new kind of love into my life. I know David's teachers will love him like I loved my toddlers. Tonight, tonight I will cry and ache and miss all the things I had planned, the children I adore, the days in the toddler room. And tomorow, I will give myself to the sweet babies who will be in my charge.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths.

Stay at Home Mom... for a few days anyway!

So recently Rachel was sick and David too. I ended up being home from work for 4 days. I did enjoy getting to spend time at home with my kiddos. It was quiet, peaceful. David and I played cars. Rachel and I read books. We cuddled on the couch, I did laundry. It was a good break...well if you don't count the fevers and not feeling good!
Rachel and Abby both had birthdays this last week. Rachel turned 4 and Abby 7. For FHE we talked about the days they were born. It was a neat feeling remembering those special days. How precious it is to be part of God's miracle of giving life. I threw Rachel a Fancy Nancy Party and Abby is getting one this week. Party plans include...nail painting, pin the jewel on the tiara, make your own bracelet and wand, and ice cream sundaes! All those fun girl things. Winslow helped me get ahead of the game and my house has actually been clean 4 days in a ROW~~~ Magical!
Sweet moments this week.

• David hid his cars one by one under the couch, and then took them all back to their bucket one by one. He squeled with delight as he drove his car on Winslow's chair. And then giggled as Winslow drove the cars on HIM! And his latest phrase is "oh yeah."
• I listened in on Abby reading to Rachel last night. OHH! so sweet to have sisters.
• David loves to eat MnM's and Candy CORN! He gets so excited his eyes get big and he claps his hands and says "YEAH!"
• Jacob lost his first MOLAR this week. Big Moment in a Boy's life.
• Worked out 3 days in a row (well fri, mon, tues...that count's doesn't it!!!)

Had a few rough days recently. Tears, frustration, and questions. The past few days have given me moments of peace and contentment. And I am grateful for that.

Do you love music? I DO!!! Music makes so much of my mood! Love to Jam out when I am working out... Love mournful music when I want to cry...Love classical when I need a release.
Can't wait for the day when my piano is IN the house again!!! I SOO MISS IT!

I love that my kids love me for me. Love that they are forgiving. Love that they are so trusting. Love that they will snuggle and give me HUGS & KISSES!!! Love that my husband is SOOO thoughtful. Superman. He trully is....and he's HOT!! (maybe just to me....but that definitely COUNTS!)

So I will enjoy my day off tomorow...Veteran's Day. And time spent Home. My Haven.

Halloween With the McNeill's

So our Halloween was short and sweet this year. The kids trunk or treated in Showlow with Tami's Family, and Rachel and I went to the Urgent Care. She is still sick and they're not sure what is it. Now David is sick. BUMMER.

Jacob was Harry Potter. We even dyed his hair dark Brown. I actually sewed his robe. Thanks to my mother for her many hours on the phone and over the web cam trying to help me sew on those stinkin sleeves. NEVER could have done it without you.

Rachel was Cookie Monster. So sorry you were sick kiddo. She wore her costume for all of about 10 min so we could get a picture.
Me... love it when the picture turns out good.

The Boys. Superman (going incognito of course,) and David the Lion. He LOVED his costume. Wore it every day all week long. He'd bring it to me and say "on, on."

Abby was FANCY NANCY. Totally went with her flair for the dramatic. Complete with lollipop lips. She couldn't wait to get started in on the CANDY.