Erica fishing on the 4th of July

I just love this shot of the back of my daughter holding her princess fishing pole.

Willy Joe and Wyatt Logan

So I guess that Wyatt is a pretty comfy guy because William is always sitting on him in his swing chair. In the picture they are actually both asleep. Wyatt really doesn't seem to mind. Yes after I took the picture I did move Will to his bed. Wyatt was left there.

My Valentine

MJ. FEB 14th 2010 Happy Valentines Day! We are home from church…sick!
The beginning of this week started with a round of potty training. I was feeling very determined. Hey I was washing Hunters cloth diapers out in the toilet what makes underwear different right? Well after 3 days of setting Hunter on the Toilet every 20 minutes only to have him pee all over 2 minutes after getting off of the toilet and having 0% success of ever making anything go into the toilet we threw up the white flag and said no more! (Jon wants me to try with William…yeh right!)
Hunter did turn the ripe old age of 3 this last week. We had cake and ice cream. When it came time for presents he opened a kid size snow shovel from Aunt Nanette. He giggled with glee then immediately took the shovel to the back door, opened the door, threw the shovel out into the snow, then slammed the door, and came back to his party. I was laughing so hard. He then proceeded to put everything else AWAY as he opened it up -socks, clothes, toys, they were all carefully put away before the next gift was opened. Apparently he had heard my threats to throw away toys that were not put away. And did not want that to happen to HIS new things. We told him that his shovel could be inside hanging up by his coat. He had much fun with the shovel on Saturday helping mom shovel the walk. And as soon as he came inside he hung up his shovel before he did anything else. I wish he would rub off on his siblings a bit more. Maybe because he has seen what treasures Mom throws out when the big kids are off to school…Who knows.
William has stepped up and is currently filling the shoes of his older brothers. If it can fit inside a toilet He is usually found throwing it in. Jon and I have spent much time this week dipping into the porcelain thrones around the house and fishing out what Will has thrown in. multiple times a day, even multiple times an hour! The worst thing I found this week was my table cloth! But it would take too much time to list all items. Will has also dumped out Jon’s file cabinet -while Jon was in the room- Whew I lucked out on that one. Pulled books off of the book shelf , no make that pulled ALL books off ALL book shelves. Done science experiments with gravity and threw everything he could get his hands on down each and every flight of stairs. And even launched himself out of his highchair and found that gravity does indeed work on little boys as well. Threw every DVD he could get his hands on into my shower. And Sits on top of Wyatt when ever he gets the chance. I think he is timing himself on how fast he can get Wyatt to cry loud enough to get mom’s attention. Wyatt is catching on quick. William is turning into quite the menace and Jon and I are just scratching our heads wondering how our perfect easy going baby turned into a Tasmanian devil over night! In the mean time we continue to gather great writing material.
Hunter is not be left out in the cold when it comes to a bit of a mess. In Erica’s room is a very large and deep closet. I keep my extra bedding in this closet. Sheets, pillows, blankets ect. Hunter has found that he can climb into the topmost shelf and then he becomes almost invisible, since I usually do not look for my children in my linen closet. It has become his favorite hideout this week. I have not been to concerned he really wasn’t messing things up and frankly I was too busy chasing after William’s messes. Well last night Hunter pulled out ALL of the items in that closet and then threw them onto the floor of the other closet in that room. Then to make matters worse. He got into the fish food and it was sprinkled all throughout. And then to top off his mess, HIS DIAPER LEAKED! That sometimes happens with cloth diapers. (it might have been Wills he was in on the mess at the end) So now all my nicely folded sheets and bedding are now unfolded and sprinkled with foul smelling fish food and urine! Needless to say my washer and dryer will get quite the workout this week catching up on all that bedding.
Stiles woke up this Friday morning and came into the kitchen and complained that he had red bumps all over his arms and legs. I took one look at him and could see that the bumps were all over his face as well. I thought for a moment that he must be having a severe allergic reaction. But then he said. “Mom some of the Kids at school have something called Fifths disease?, or something like that.” And as soon as he said that I knew that I was looking at a child with fifths disease as well. So he got out of school on Friday. He was most disappointed to miss his Valentines’ Party. But I went to the school and retrieved his Valentines and passed out his. Since then was have quarantined ourselves hoping not to spread it around. The hardest part is that you are contagious before you break out but you have no symptoms other than vague flu-like symptoms. And When you do break out well lets just say that Stiles is a good looking kids and he looks AWEFUL! He is being tough about not scratching but he looks pretty miserable.
So because We decided that we had better lay low for the next few days in case one of our other children was in the contagious stage of the disease, we skipped out on church and other activities that were planned for the Valentines Day weekend. One was a date that Jon had planned for us to celebrate the 11th anniversary of Jon and I deciding that we should get married. We were going to go to Idaho Falls and go to a movie and dinner at olive garden. I was so excited. And then well pretty bummed that life got in the way. Jon came through though and surprised me with a dozen red roses and some sparkling cider in tall glasses out in the hot tub. I guess dates at home can be fun too.
Normally we would have spent Saturday at the pool or theater or up at the riding arena with our kids. But since we were stuck at home we had to come up with a few things to entertain ourselves for the weekend. We decided that the Garage could really use a good cleaning out. Nothing too intense. But it has been accumulating items for quite some time. Well in the midst of cleaning it out Jon picked up the cooler that he had used last to go hunting. -HE had not cleaned it out even after I reminded (nagged) him about it for 2 months. The cooler needed an intense rescue effort. Jon just opened the top and said I’ll just leave it here to “air out” I told Him that wouldn’t work Seeing how he put it right in the way to the freezer and since the Cat would get into it. He still couldn’t see the problem. He was sure He couldn’t hose it out outside because, well it was outside and winter in Idaho. So I suggested he take it inside and clean it out in the tub. (not gently and loving like, more demanding and letting him know that I think he is an incompetent idiot) In the end I got all puffy and upset and drug the cooler inside myself and cleaned it out, muttering many choice words and letting Jon know that his lack of responsibility for the things we spend hard earned money was just not cool! HE is so sweet. Instead of pointing out all of the things I do to make him crazy and drive him up the wall he gives me a kiss and reminds me that he got me flowers and that he loves me. I still cleaned out the cooler without his help. But he did change 3 diapers this weekend. I must say that he is the perfect guy for me.
Until next week, Let me just say that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well I guess I would like to be 20 pounds lighter but that is just vanity. And I’m okay with being VAIN.
Love you all tons. We hope that we can come to Dallan’s report next Sunday but we might still be in quarantine mode. If that is the truth, you can all laugh at me behind my back and I will never know.
Monica and the Woodin Nickel Knuckleheads.

fire and brimstone

MJ, FEB 8 2010 For all of the men out there you are on a countdown to Valentines Day…DO NOT SCREW IT UP!
So Erica says to me. “Mom, I really do love my name Erica but I really would have liked it if my name was Princess!” She named her Doll she got at Christmas You guessed it “Cinderella Princess” She use to name all of her toys and dolls “Beauty” I tried to convince her that her name was beautiful and that Her middle name Esther was the name of a Queen. And that the meaning of Erica Esther is ‘ever powerful star” she was not convinced Princess was just more beautiful…and Dad calls her that.
Erica has finally decided that She Loves Dad and I the same. After almost an entire year of affirming to Jons Ego that she Loves him more that he is her Favorite, I sat her down after many vain attempts to buy her Love and told her that she didn’t have to love me More than Daddy but that she could love us the same and it would be okay. It wouldn’t mean that she loves Daddy any less. I figured my word were falling on deaf ears but apparently she thought about it and 2 days later of her own accord told Jon that she loved Mom just the same as Dad. But that SHE was still Jon’ favorite. It is nice to be removed from the chopped liver list to the I love you too list.
Marcus received a Soccer ball for his birthday. Apparently it has made him quite famous at school because after I requested that the ball not go to school one day I was met with all sorts of arguments about how the other Kids will be mad when they don’t have a soccer game at recess because the ball is not there. SO I continued to let the ball go to school. Well apparently it got kicked over the fence. And A teacher has to go get it out of the farmers field. So for the past few days Marcus has been without his ball. I was wondering about how the games were fairing with out the use of a ball Marcus told me “It is OKAY Jeffery brought his ball so we can still play” apparently the recess game is VERY important.
So I will have to dodge lightning and brimstone this week. At church it was of course fast and testimony meeting. I really wanted to hear my boy’s testimonies so I pulled out two brand new crisp dollar bills. And offered one to each of my boys if they would bear their testimonies. They willing marched up to the stand and gave very honest as a child can be testimonies and then came back to the bench and demanded their dollar. I did pay them. I thought it was worth a dollar a piece to hear their growing testimonies and build their confidence in sharing them. But Jon told me I should not do that again and that it was naughty. But I have seen him do the same thing to the boys for a piece of candy. SO perhaps both Jon and I should watch out for lighting bolts.
Even though the dumb groundhog saw his shadow I saw buds on my cherries tree this weekend and the warm weather on Sunday put a bit of a spring fever in my heart. I am getting anxious to mow grass and plant a garden. The pulling weeds I can do without.
The Super bowl was a bit of a letdown especially since I was cheering for the colts. Jon has Peyton Manning’s rookie card and it is signed. We were hoping for a win and then we were going to maybe try and sell it. But alas we will put it away and hope for the day when Payton wins a super bowl and then we can sell the card to the highest bidder.
William is deciding that anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you! HE is right there side by side with Hunter doing all of the things I wish they would not. Stand on the table. Torment Wyatt, Dump out all of the toys. Help themselves to the fridge… When Wyatt gets mobile I am in trouble.
I went to Camille’s Jewelry Debut show and I am so excited for her show and for the excitement that was generated in her behalf. I am looking forward to Crystals show but I am not sure I will be able to attend in person. I’m just going to need a catalog and then I can shop over the weekend at mom’s for Dallan’s homecoming.
Well MJ there is lots of laundry and other messes to get to and even though I know that they will be there tomorrow I best go get on them today. Work HARD! You are not a farm boy for nothing! And even though you rode short bus I still have faith in you!
Love the Woodin Nickel Knuckleheads.

Expounding on Nicknames Woody's Sister

Expounding on nicknames.
My family pointed out that I missed some nicknames that were quite common and used in abundance While teasing names from my childhood of Monica Wonica Poo were not readily mentioned the Nickname that was used to tease and torment me as a teenager was mentioned. I do not know if “Woody’s sister” is in fact a true nickname because I was called that by people who really did not now me well at all. And I feel like only those truly close to you can dub with you a new name that you will unconsciously answer to. As I attended High school it was on the heels of two of my three older brothers. With the last name of Woodland all of my older brothers were dubbed by their friends, their enemies, and the football coaches as “Woody.” I entered the Halls of Minico High School an eager sophomore hoping to have my own identity and felt it slip further and further away as I sat in each of my new classes and teacher after teacher, even the girls PE teacher, would pause after calling my name and almost incredulously ask “are you Woody’s sister?” and there it was, those who did not know me had an instant name for me purely by association. Most of them had no Idea who this “Woody” was. But the name itself lent its own impression and I was thus called all of my sophomore and Junior year. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I figured as I began my Senior year I might be able to emerge from this Woody’s Sister shadow and throw the nickname to the side of the road, I was ready to have my own identity. Alas. My younger Brother Seth entered the Halls of Minico High and was instantly the big man on campus being a sophomore, and allowed to play on the varsity football team. “Woody” was soon well known to the people and I was reduced again to being “Woody’s Sister.” Now do not get me wrong, being Woody’s sister was not all bad. But I was glad when I did graduated from High School and was looking towards Higher Education that finally the nickname would be gone. However, my two oldest brothers lived in the same apartment complex as I did at ISU and the name was applied again. You would think that I might eventually get away from this name but as I look at my Husbands Last name of Woodin and the 5 son’s I have, and I am sure that in time my nickname will morph in to “Woody’s Mom” and that my dear Daughter will be stuck with the nickname of “Woody’s Sister” whether she likes it or not. I do draw some consolation that most of my nieces might suffer right along with my daughter, and that most of my sister-in-laws will be “Woody’s Mom” right along with me.