Bad Neighbors

So I was thinking today, why is it that everywhere we've lived we've had to put up with terrible neighbors? Is it that people are so self absorbed they can't think of anyone but themself? We passed our upstairs neighbor on our way out this morning. I waved, received nothing back. I think I've only seen this lady smile once or twice since moving in. Usually she has a scowl on her face. She seems to be one of those people who is bugged by everything and tells me how loud my children are every chance she gets (in a passive aggressive way of course). Now, I can understand that this is an old home with high ceilings, plaster walls, and wooden floors. We really try to keep the noise to a minimum, but short of soundproofing one dwelling or the other, she is not going to be happy. And quite frankly I'm tired of "walking on eggshells" in my home that costs me $4,000 a month. Not to mention we hear every step they make too. I think they have taken to clomping around in shoes as loud as possible to "make their point". It really doesn't bother me though. We only have to put up with this for 6 more months, so why get upset? Besides that, the kids are always quite by 8:30 pm at the latest and I have to hear them quite later than that. I don't get why she lets things bug her sooooo much.

Then there were the boys from hell we lived by in Alabama. How any mother can be so oblivious to the perverted nature of her own children, unless she is that way herself, is beyond me. Her language left much to be desired, so who knows what else was going on in that home?

Of course, don't forget the neighbors with the uncontrolled barking dogs at all hours of the day and night in Alabaster. We tried knocking on the door in the dead of night, talking to them about it at a decent hour, calling the police, just about everything short of poisoning their dogs (believe me, we thought about it). Then, when one particularly vicious collie of theirs continued to get into our backyard, it again took police to finally put an end to that.

We always try to be good neighbors, be polite, considerate, take gifts/dinners in, etc. I know we've not been perfect and I'm sure we've ticked our share of people off (although I would have to say inadvertantly, or through complaining to them about their kids/dogs.) I wonder how much nicer a place this would be to live if everyone took a minute to think about others?

HO HO HO. . .bah Humbug

So, I'm tired and grumpy. Daniel has a night time hacking cough that has kept me up for the past 3 nights in a row. It's starting to wear on me. So is he. Poor guy. He has been into everything today. Has pulled out everything from every place he could reach, including my flour, my brownsugar, paper plates & cups, cooked asparagus from the fridge, knocked over the Christmas tree, pulled blankets out of drawers, and the list goes on. Sigh...now I remember why they are called the terrible twos. His new word this week is "WHY?" He asks why after just about every thing you tell him or ask him, but at appropriate times. It's pretty funny. I took him to see the Christmas lights at the temple last night while the other kids were at church. I took a bunch of pictures, but can't find my UBS USB whatever it is called chord. Kyrie was the last one to upload pictures, but claims she put it away with the camera. I'm not sure if maybe it was lost over Thanksgiving and I hope I can get a new one.


Jacob is home "sick" from school. He was crying this morning that his stomach hurt. I made him get ready, got to the school to get out, and he starts sobbing again. Last time he did that he really did start throwing up, so I let him stay home. Now he is wishing he was at school because his class is making paper snowmen and gingerbread men. How do I know this? I volunteered to make Latkes for their Hannukah party. Seeing that I'm not Jewish and have never made them before, I hope they are good. I figured they are pretty much like hashbrowns and hey, since I'm an Idaho girl, surely it couldn't be that hard? So, happy Channukah everyone!!! I'm off to take a quick nap before I have to pick up the other two from school.

Christmas Trees and I HATE WEEKENDS!!

So, I put up our tree and decorated it yesterday with the younger boys. We judiciously decided that Kade and Kyrie should not put up their keepsake ornaments this year since Daniel is so set on removing all of the ornaments. I don't think any of my other kids have ever messed with the tree as much as he has in one day. He is going to drive me nuts. He didn't bother grandma's tree over the weekend. What's the difference?

Speaking of weekends...I hate them!!!! By the time Sunday night rolls around I am so sick of my kids that I feel like a horrible mother and can't wait until Monday morning so they will be off to school. One would think that they would do what I ask them to and help me clean up. But just the opposite. I can't keep anything clean Sat/Sun because they do almost nothing that I ask of them and their dad isn't around to enforce anything. Today Kade got a good "whooping" with a belt and still won't do what I've asked. I think mentally I go nuts with the clutter and mess and it makes me physically sick/depressed. So, along comes Monday and I can clean up again and start the whole laborious process over. I do not envy single mothers who have disobedient children.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

What does one get when attempting to travel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on I-15 the Wed. before Thanksgiving? No this is not a joke with a great punch line. Normally the trip should take between 3-4 hours. It took us 7. Yes SEVEN!!!! It is hard to imagine if you didn't see it, but there was bumper to bumper, stop and go traffic, everywhere you looked and drove. We then managed to drive through to SLC arriving there at a great 5 star hotel aptly named the BS Inn, at 5:00 am to sleep for 3 hours. Waking totally refreshed we then drove on to Pocatello. I think from leaving our home in Beverly Hills, picking up Grandpa at LAX, and on through to Poky took 17 hours. Going home Monday morning, being able to drive between 80-90 all the way, with many more stops for running around, eating, gassing up, etc. took only 12. Whew...note to self...remind the cheap husband that unless he plans on doing the trip himself next time, he can spring for airplane tickets.

Once we arrived we had a great time. Amidst the turmoil of 22 grandkids being crammed together in confined spaces, adults who have different ideas about acceptable levels of cleanliness and voicing opinions on such matters, I realized why it is I love coming home and seeing everyone. Even though it is always utter chaos it is a chaos I love and cherish. We even had great grandma there completing four generations on my mother's side of the family. We were lucky enough to visit with Grandma/pa Foster for a little while too. We really don't get to see our families enough. Now with Wade interviewing everywhere except where I would like to settle, I'm even more worried about this.

I guess we've always known that our living arrangements were temporary, and now that they will become more permanent I can't seem to make up my mind where I would like to live. Everything sounds awful, somehow not just right. I've decided this has more to do with fear than anything. Can I really be old enough now that we will settle and have a real job? What will the schools be like? What will the ward or branch be like? Will any of us be able to make new friends again? Living here has made me realize that we really had things good in B'ham and we miss it. Crazy that I would now consider the south "home" seeing how I couldn't wait to move away for the past 11 years. I'm all but begging Wade to find a job close to family or friends and not make us all move so far away from both. LA has a way of creating a love/hate relationship for the city and all about it and for the most part we can't wait to leave. Sadly, after each interview he comes home loving where he was thinking it is the best place to raise a family. I'm sorry, but Minnesota and Ohio just can't be where I'm supposed to move to next.

The Great STINK of Beverly Hills

So apparently every Oct/Nov people in the BH use manure to fertilize their lawns. The smell is so awful it makes your eyes water and one could seriously vomit. It's everywhere you go and I think I totally prefer the liquid fertilizer that TruGreen uses.

Weaning the young 'un

Well, it is a bit latter than I had hoped, but I've had it and am attempting to wean the youngest, who will be two in a couple of weeks. Borrowing a quote from one of my favorite books, "I'm his brand of heroine" I swear he has wanted to nurse as much as he did when he was a newborn lately. Well, the mean ole momma has cut him off during the day and is only nursing him at bed time, well and nap time, and then those lucky family members who have the pleasure of hosting us over Thanksgiving will have to put up with his wailing and gnashing of teeth when he gets completely cut off. My apologies are offered in advance. Unfortunately I'm afraid if I try to do it while living in the apartment the upstairs neighbors would call the police thinking I was murdering my child in the dead of night. He has taken to hitting his head on the hardwood floors and crying thinking that since he has an booboo his mommy will cave in and nurse him. Right now he is climbing on me and trying to lift my shirt, cry, wail, kick me, scream some more, pretend to be hurt, the list goes on and on. We have frequent talks about how only babies need "num nums" as he calls it and that big boys don't and he is a big boy now. He cracks me up as he will tell me some long story about him being a baby or something that I can't compeltely understand. I know he is thinking right now that his mom must be mad at him or something for withholding his absolute favorite thing in the whole wide world. MEAN MOMMY!!!!! sigh....I hope I can hold out long enough to get the job done!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! and rude people too

Here are our little spooks.....


























We had a great Halloween. The boys and I only had to trick or treat for about 4 blocks before everyone was ready to go home. Daniel hadn't had a nap at all and didn't get to bed until around 9:00. He was gone by that time. While T-or-Ting he was soooo cute. He loved the decorations and would say "monster monster" or "spider" and didn't want to leave the houses that had them. Same thing happened at Trunk-or-Treat. A few things were too scary for him, but for the most part he loved the decorations. Especially this one skeleton that would shake and sing when you walked by it. He kept running back to it over and over again.

Now onto rude people...It is absolutely unreal. I think nobody worries about anyone else except for numeral UNO and they are all so inconsiderate. Even the kids. We ride bikes or walk to school for the most part and parents and kids alike will be walking across the entire span of the sidewalk and instead of scooting over or walking single file to let someone by you have to go around off of the sidewalk or onto the street. Drivers don't give pedestrians and bikers the right of way unless they absolutely have to and they will let you know you are in their way by honking or using sign language if you get my drift. When we do drive to school it is just as bad as LA has to have the worst drivers in the country here. People dropping their kids off will pull over to the side and then when they are ready to go they just pull out and go regardless of any car right next to them. My fear is I am becoming just as rude and impolite as I drive around in the madness. It is really hard to remain cheery when everyone else is just the opposite.