Jon Hates IT!

Ah HA! You have opened this hoping for some new light and knowledge to spew for from my tapping fingers. You are hoping for a laugh, a giggle, a chuckle, and perhaps a story to share with your friends about Monica and her crazy family and the dumb things that happened to them this week.
First off. School is really working for Erica. She informed us that “Dot’s have a new name they are named ‘periods’. And the Dots in a Dot-to-Dot. Are really named periods.” She tells us that sometimes the teacher has to tell her to get to work and that she needs to be quite. Next week is parent teacher conferences. I am nervous to be told that Erica needs to tone it down a bit.
Wyatt and I are getting along better with the nursing thing. People ask me if he is a good baby and I of course respond that they can believe what ever they want to believe. If they want to believe that he sleeps all through the night and politely asks for some thing to eat, and only poops his pants at 10 and at 4 then they can go ahead and believe that. Those of us with less cordial babies will continue with our 3 am feeding and the 4 am diaper and the alarm clock then going off at 6 am to get the kids out the door to school! We are getting LOTS and LOTS of sleep.
William has forced me to learn to shut the door to my bathroom. He is a full fledged toilet paper prep engineer and I am often finding the roll all prepped (unrolled) and half of it sent to it’s watery grave. The ole’ plunger has been used to unstop William’s mess my bathroom on more than one occasion. In other news he has taken a few steps but not more than two at a time. He cannot be convinced into walking back and forth between two people. Most of his steps I am sure he does unintentionally and usually between two chairs or the like. He does think that climbing into the dishwasher is a fun past time. (I think he is looking for seconds) And watching him eat of late is quite humorous or really gross depending on your point of view. Since cutting his molars he is much more efficient at the chewing process and since that realization has been made Will literally STUFFS his mouth full of food. Then soggs it up, and often realizes that there is just to much in his mouth and begins spitting it back out. (yes that is the gross part). But when he is shoving it in you would swear that the kids hasn’t eaten in days. He is shoving it in so fast! That is the part that is funny!
Hunter-- HEE HEE! Yeah well Hunter made it though another week again didn’t he! A Kitten has adopted our family. All of the Kids are deeply enthralled. They have named the said Kitty “Georgia” they all play with and hold and pet the poor cat to pieces. Hunter is totally fine with being with this kitty when it is being totally controlled by someone. But one day while the kids where at School Hunter got out of the house without me knowing and was soon screaming bloody murder. When I realized that he was outside and that his cries were hysterical!!!(understatement) I was sure that something must be dreadfully wrong. SO I tore outside to find out what had happened and Hunter is running for the house as fast as he can and the cute little kitty is following him at a dainty trot. Apparently Hunter was sure the cat was going to get him. He has had many dreadful encounters with the cat and is electing to stay indoors when the kids are at school so as to not have another run in with the cat. (It must be noted that this kitten is the most docile feline in the world. She has not scratched, bit, or clawed, one of my kids despite their manhandling of the poor thing.)
Marcus was the special person at school this last week. Apparently that is a big deal. He brought home this huge poster where the teacher had written down a list of his favorite things and that kind of thing. And all of the kids in his class colored a picture for him that he got to bring home with him. They are very treasured pictures and we are suppose to love ALL of them. I hung the huge poster up and am waiting for the opportune moment to circular file the 25 drawing sent home with him.
Stiles is of course being the best boy in the world. He is happy to do his jobs every day. His bed is always made and his room is forever clean, his homework is always done perfectly. He never fights, teases or manipulates his siblings. He does everything I ask him to do the first time and I’ve got some ocean front property I’ll sell you for dirt cheep! No honestly He is a great son and I love him dearly. We do butt heads and one day I might grow up enough to get over that. I just hope it is long before he becomes the same headstrong teenager that I was. I am defiantly running out of time!
Jon went hunting with is buddies this last weekend. He was the caller and they tried really hard to get his friends an elk but I think Billy will leave the hunt empty handed this year. While he was gone I decided that I was out of time if I wanted to have my Kitchen painted before we had everyone over for Wyatt’s baby blessing. So upon surveying the work to be done I decided that I really just needed the paint. So After Jon left for the mountains I left for Home Depot and came hope with the supplies I needed. I spent one day masking the entire room and prepping every thing that could possibly be prepped and then that night I put the kids to bed and started to actually paint I finished painting at about 3:30 that morning and I love the results. I spent the next day putting everything back together and cleaning up. Then I took cute pictures and posted them on my blogg and waited for Jon to come home. He of course had no idea that I had under taken any such project and proclaimed that he “Hated it!” I told him that since he was not willing to do the work he could not complain about the work that was done. Some moral of the story about a little red hen comes to mind. Got to love that guy though he has not said anything except that he hated it and has since left the whole thing alone. I think it will grow on him and eventually he will like it or he might be willing to help me with the next project either way I win.
The Church is true. And Families can be together for ever. (as much as you think you might be better off if you weren’t stuck with us, it is for your own good!)
Love you
Monica, Jon , Stiles, Marcus, Erica, Hunter, William, & Wyatt Woodin

A MAKEOVER !

As my husband was away hunting the big mighty elk, I was more anxiously employed. My Kitchen has been in makeover stage for a year now. When we bought the house it was Wallpapered in some very early 90's Country blue and mauve hearts. Under that was some 70's avacado green and harvest gold baskets of food. And that Paper was stuck directly onto the sheet rock. So I stripped and then textured and then masked everything and finally last night I stayed up until 3:30 am and painted my heart out. Here are my results.

This is Jons elk

The door leading out to my garage

Coming down from Jon and I's bedroom

Now I need some new window treatments fo finish off the room


the view from the livingroom




Yes! I have completed this project- well almost I still need to do behind the fridge, maybe next year!

clear your calander, you have been invited...

hear ye hear ye!

We plan to bless Wyatt Logan Woodin on October 11th. Sacrament meeting is at 1:00. We plan to attend the whole block session and then have a potatoe bar potluck meal about 4:30ish. ( if you would prefer to only attend sacrament meeting our house will be open and you can skip out on the rest of the meetings)
This is the same weekend of Trevors Wedding, If anybody would like sleeping accomidations at my house holler first to get the good bed! (okay it is just an air mattress or a hide a bed, but your choice!)
Our building is located on Yellowstone about 5 1/2 miles north from the chubbuck freeway exit. The building is brown in color. You will pass a purple colored building and the Tyhee stake center before you get to our building which is on the reservation. If anybody needs directions to our house feel free to call!

Please let me know if you think you are coming so I can get enough potatoes in the oven! 237-1719 or just email me back.

M is for Mcdonalds

SO I am suppose to come up with an entertaining story or two to make you all smile and think your life is fairly easy and calm compared to the whirlwind catastrophes that happen just off of Tyhee road.
Well the first story is a big laugh at Jon and his good humor about losing his hair. OnMonday for FHE we all jumped into the Hot tub and with all of the talk of “who does Wyatt look like?” Marcus put his face right next to Jon and called for my attention and asked if he didn’t look just like his DAD. Well I responded with a noncommittal “You look like one of my Woodin Boys, and they all look like their Dad.” Then Marcus was quick to point out that even though they may look alike that Dad had a big M on his head where the hair was, or rather was not. We laughed and giggled and made a few jokes such as DADDY has a M on his head because it stands for Monica and he loves mommy very much, and No wait if he is upside down it is a W for Woodin. But the best was “Dad you should get a job at McDonalds, because you already have the M on your head so it would be easy for you to work there!” after that comment Jon turned the subject away from his receding hairline. But I have been laughing all week. I thought you should all get a laugh in at Jon’s expense and then laugh at you own hair while you are at it.
One of the other great stories of course involve Poo. And I am not talking about a cute cuddly bear in a red shirt that likes honey. I have two stories actually. The first one finds William front and center. One morning I just kept on getting a wiff. And I checked and changed his diaper a number of times that morning in anticipation of finding and getting rid of the offensive odor. And every time I changed that boy I found a wet but not dirty diaper. Now since I am an excellent mother and am always on top of EVERYTHING about noon I decided that it was about time to get Will out of his sleeper pajamas and into some other clothes for the day (party because he had played in the toilet and was very wet now) and as I was pulling he jammes off I again got a very strong wiff and a poo pebble rolled out of the sleeper foot of Williams Jammies and I now knew what I had been smelling all morning. Somehow the poo pebble made it’s way out of the poo catcher and down the leg of my little boy. Since Will doesn’t walk yet the pebble remained in a fairly round shape and was not squished into a toe jam type concoction, however if I thought Jon had smelly feet, Will’s foot did indeed stink!
My other Poo story is about Hunter. He pooped in the toilet this week and we all did a dance! However any further potty training exercises will be delayed until he can say a few more words, and less grunts. He was only successful because he had been stripped naked in anticipation of a tubby and then realized that he did not have a proper poo catcher in place he related to me in grunts and gestures his predicament which would truly be mine in a short while if I did not intervene. I did in fact intervene and like I said we all did a dance.
Erica was kept home from School last Monday because she was sick for the previous 3 days and I thought it best to be sure that she was not sick before I sent her off to infect other Kindergarteners. She was VERY Mad at me. However on Tuesday when I woke her up and instructed her to get ready for school she demanded that she was “TOO HOT” and could not go to school today. She of course was no longer running a fever and was perfectly fine and I kicked her out the door to school. The faking sick to get out of School has already begun!
Wyatt has finally begun to gain weight, At his two week appointment he was at 7.0lbs and his birth weight was 7.6lbs. So when he was three weeks old I took him back to the doctor to have him weighed again and he was weighing in at 7.8lbs I was very relieved. He has been a much harder baby to nurse than my other babies and I was just kind of an anxious mess that whole week. But in the mean time I think it was a good thing for me to stop and realize I couldn’t just feed him for ten minutes and call it good. That I needed to take a half hour to an hour to make sure He was getting enough to eat. This has been hard on my kids and husband that I just go to my room and shut the door and tell them to “figure it out! Mommy can’t help you right now!” Jon has been taking it extra hard!
Stiles has not done anything major to report on besides make me crazy. But he is always trowing numbers out into a conversation such as “well I haven’t eaten anything in like 15 hours, or I’m reading this book and it has like 950 pages, or it is father away than grandmas woodlands house, like 20 miles.” And I know that it is a part of figuring out math and numbers and time and distance and all of that stuff but he then usually turns to me and wants me to verify his statement and so often I will try to correct his number to a more accurate number and then the argument begins. He is sure that he is right and that I am wrong and wants me to get up and prove it, But I am usually Nursing, cooking, cleaning, or otherwise occupied and I just can’t right now. Some how I end up the bad guy and he is the one throwing around crazy numbers like 98% of the time! ( please see the joke in my throwing out random numbers so that this is the funny part of the story)

The church is true. We love you always

Love Monica, the big “M” (aka Jon) and our 6 kids

elk season

Dallan,

I do nor have great things about Powell to tell since I was at home missing out too! It is really mean of Mom and Camille to take off together and leave me without my daily dose of them both. Especially with ‘Skype’ I get all hooked up and then they take off! I di enjoy talking to MJ and Crystal this week but I really struggle without Camille and Mom so I played a bunch of Solitaire on the computer this week.
Jon went hunting this week. YES I let him go. Yes My baby is not even 2 weeks old. Yes I do deserve a place in heaven. But the best news is this. JON GOT HIS FIRST ELK! If you don’t count the one He and DAD spotlighted on the farm last year. He is excited, I am glad that it was hot enough this week he decided to haul the dead animal directly to the butcher so that the meat wouldn’t spoil in the heat, and now that he has filled his tag the pressure for him to run up to the mountains is off. He will still go to help out his buddies but he won’t try and go for an entire two weeks at a time. That makes me happy:}
William took his first steps this week. But is not interested in trying to hard to take many more. He is so content to just sit around and watch us all. But he loves to sit in my lap when I am talking to someone on Skype.
Erica and Jon were sick this weekend. Erica ran a fever for three days! Luckily the only time she decided to throw up she made it into the bathroom. I decided to keep her home from school today just to make sure she was over her illness. She was pretty mad at me all morning that I wouldn’t let her go to school.
I know this is not a long letter but Wyatt has started crying again and so I must go be a mommy.

We love you

Love Monica and the mess of folks at the Woodin Nickel

Labor Day

Dallan, Sept 7 2009 LABOR DAY

We should feel totally ripped off this week. Mom and Dad and a few of our siblings have departed south in an epic journey to reach red canyon walls and warm blue water. Yes they are hoping for smooth waters and no winds. It does give me the itch to waterski, or even strap on the wakeboard. A bit of short-ropin’ would be fun as well. But alas I am at home with nothing better to do than laundry, dishes, and diapers. Not that I’m complaining. I love being a mommy. But being at Powell would be major fun.
So last week you got a statistical report as far as your newest nephew. I though I might give you more of a status report this week as to how things are going. Wyatt was easily my easiest delivery and my recovery has been amazingly fast. I won’t bore you with the whole labor and delivery details but I was induced and from start to finish it was only 6 hours of doctor intervention to get Wyatt here. I did not get an epidural this time We only has time for a spinal block and that work beautifully. One of the side effects of that drug is when it starts to leave your system you itch all over. I seriously would have loved to have had a huge sheet of sandpaper to rub up against . And in case anybody was wondering YES I did get a dose of nubane. That was nice.
Adjusting to Wyatt at home has been pretty easy. Stiles is always trying to haul him off and Between him Marcus and Erica fighting over who gets to hold him next… Well I have had to intervene before the tug-a-war got out of hand. Hunter tries to pick up and move Wyatt as well and just today I left Wyatt on my bed and picked up a few clothes to turn around and find that Hunter had moved/dropped Wyatt off of the bed and Now Wyatt was on the floor. Don’t worry though, Hunter was tucking another blanket around his baby brother and was anxiously “taking care” of him.
Erica want’s to all the time be touching the baby especially when I am nursing Wyatt. This wouldn’t be To bad except she wants to touch him with her feet and her elbows and her hair and her nose and every part of her that is not her hands. (she is driving me a bit batty)
William is by far the cutest with Wyatt. When Wyatt is in his car seat, William will crawl over and put his head on Wyatt’s Chest and lay there and cuddle with him. Will wants to hold Wyatt and touch him and snuggle with him. It is almost like he his saying to Wyatt. “Man, I’ve missed you these last 14 months. It is about time you got here!” And Will decided that now he needs to grow up a bit and is testing out his sea legs a bit and trying to walk around a bit. He is beginning to cruise along the furniture and is always begging any adult to hold his hands and walk around with him. Grandma was stellar at walking around with him, she was willing to take little bitty baby steps to get where they were going.
Hunter has decided to take the getting booted out of the big baby seat with a flourish. He is making drastic improvements in his speech. And is excited to be the man of the house during the day. Hunter is as happy as a clam to kick Stiles, Marcus and Erica out the door in the morning to get on the bus. When they go out the door you can just see him grinning from ear to ear and then he looks at me like. “Good, now I have you all to myself mommy, So what are we going to do now?”
I am of course tired, and sleepy and a bit cranky by late afternoon. But my body is less round in the middle now and I am okay with that. I can not tell you how much weight I have lost in the past 11 days because quite frankly my scale broke about 5 months ago and I was okay with that. But I do know that I did not get heavier than Jon.
Jon is still unsure how many children he has, but he loves each of them so much. He is gearing up to go elk hunting sometime later this month/week/day. I don’t know but he is itching to go. I am terrified to have him go. I need him around to help me deal with all these little kids, but maybe, just maybe he will be able to bring something home this year.

We love you and pray for you always.

Monica and Jon, Stiles, Marcus, Erica, Hunter, William, and Wyatt.

Wyatt and William

we were getting ready to take Wyatt to his doctor's appointment so that Wyatt could be circumcised and I guess William was feeling his pain and wanted to let him know that it would be all right. So Will crawled over to Wyatt's car seat and laid his head down on Wyatt and just snuggled with him for about 4 or 5 minutes untill it was time to go.
I just think that these Picture are so Precious.