New Years Fairy

When I was a child we had a magical, generous fairy that visited every New Years Eve and left a special toy to ring in the new year. I loved the anticipation of waiting for Santa Clause on Christmas Eve and then a week later waiting on New Years Eve for the fairy. One particular gift that stands out in my mind was a baby doll that the fairy left me. The reason I remember this doll was because of the horror I felt when I discovered that the fairy had left me a doll with brown skin............before you go and accuse me of being racist please remember that I was 5 and a little girl that could only imagine mothering a baby that was truly her own. After a few days I am happy to report that I "accepted" that baby into my growing family after my mother explained the process and concept of adoption. I laugh now when I remember how many "babies" I cared for at that age just confident that I would be the BEST mother when I got older because I thought "Really, how hard could it be?" LOL, LOL. It is not hard when they have a button to stop their crying and do not produce massive filled diapers at 2,4, and 6 AM. Ok, I have gone a little off subject....I have fond memories of the New Years fairy and she became even more special to me when I discovered as an adult that the New Years fairy was my beloved grandma Zabriskie. It gave me another reason to add to the list of a million reasons that she was the greatest person to enter into my life.

2007

I cannot believe that 2007 is almost over and at the same time, I feel really relieved to see it end. I didn't have anything too horrible happen in 2007 but I am a little off and prefer the even numbered years to the odd......?? I can't explain why. Some highlights of 2007 in the Borowski home.

1. One more year of nursing classes over and done with!! I will be an RN before I know it.
2. An auto accident in October which resulted in my new beautiful SUV.
3. Jaxson entered nursery which leaves me with two silent hours of church every Sunday.
4. A trip to Calgary in October
5. A trip to Utah in June
6. The introduction of the Wii into our home (that was added by Jade and Connor)
7. We welcomed a new member named Archie in February of last year. Connor's beloved hamster Archie is still alive and doing well.
8. hmmmmm, I'm running out of highlights.........
9. Shannon finally caught the dreaded Lyme's disease after obsessing over it for the past 4 years we have lived in Jersey
10. We took a trip to the Pocono Mountains in August

All in all, this year was not different from the view of an outsider looking into our family life but this year did bring some much needed changes to our family life and the results have been love, peace, and contentment. For the year of 2008 I hope to find our family still full of love, peace, and contentment and know that the only way to keep achieving these qualities is with a CHILDLESS cruise to a warm sandy place! LOL,LOL

Our December photos 2007

bread no more

I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of my bread machine. We had 7 good years together where we enjoyed bread, rolls, cinnamon rolls, and bread sticks. I am truly lost without it. I had planned to make Connor's teachers cinnamon rolls for Christmas and now I am lost. I am hoping for a Christmas miracle. (such as a bread machine left at my front door) LOL,LOL
(crazier things have happened) I have used this machine for the past 7 years to make my holiday rolls!! Our taste buds will be missing those fresh from the oven homemade rolls this Christmas.

Am I the only one truly traumatized from high school that I STILL have nightmares weekly about it? People in your past are there for a reason. I believe there is a reason they did not make it to your future so I wish they would butt out of my dreams!! I want to have dreams of sandy white beaches and exotic vacations. Not nightmares of shallow people and trying to get my high school diploma at the age of 28.

Blast from the past

I had to put this picture in from last year. I don't know what Connor is doing??? maybe laughing? The most important part of this picture is the PJ's that we are wearing. Check out the matching reindeer PJ's that we bought (on seperate occasions) We truly are mother and daughter. We laughed so hard when we discovered that we both purchased the same PJ's for each other.

It's beginning to feel alot like Christmas

It is almost Christmas time!!! I cannot wait. My tree has been up for three weeks, I have made Christmas cookies, and my Christmas cards were mailed out a week ago. My presents are wrapped, presents have been shipped, and now I am just waiting..............I can't wait to see what Santa will bring me this year.

Snowfall

We had our first snowfall last night. The boys couldn't wait to put on gloves, hats, and boots and venture out into the winterwonderland.

Guess Who??

This photo is a flashback from 2004. Can anyone guess who this is and tell me what is unusually funny about this picture???

Parenting lesson hard learned

As a parent, I have made my first horrible mistake. We got the boys a dog and it didn't work out so I took the dog back. The dogs personality did not match with Jaxson's and I was afraid that one of them would get hurt. (Jaxson got a bite on his cheek, VERY close to his eye) What I didn't expect was the heartbreak that Connor would feel over losing his doggie. I will NEVER in my life forget the disappointment that I saw in his eyes when he got home and realized that Kacee was gone. He cried for 45 minutes. I have agonized over this because I know that Connor really wants a dog but at the same time I realize that Kacee was not the right dog for our family. I also realize that while Connor is sad, he is 4 years old and in a few weeks when he is getting ready for Christmas and opening presents, Kacee will be a memory in the back of his head. The first reaction when I saw that Connor was so distressed about Kacee was to call Jade and tell him that we were going back to get the dog. I just wanted to do anything to make Connor feel better. Jade refused as he suspects that he was allergic to the dog. (adding to the list of reasons that Kacee was not the right dog for our family) As I lay in bed last night with Connor listening to him talk about Kacee and realizing that his heart was breaking I couldn't help but think of how God must feel everytime we feel disappointment. We are his children and it must just break his heart to watch us go through sorrow and upset in our lives. I knew last night that I could easily go back and get Kacee and end all of Connor's suffering but it was not the right choice. As I am sure that many times in our lives when we are going through trials, God could easily "fix" our sufferings and make our pain go away but it would not be the right choice. While it seems like this is so small and meaningless, I came to realize how much love a parent feels for their child and how much pain they can feel from watching them suffer.

No more dog

No more dog. Dog + Jaxson = TROUBLE!!!!

Our new dog

This is the newest member of our family. A Jack Russell named Kacee. Yes, she has ALOT of energy but in this house, the energy is free flowing. She is three months old and just LOVES Jade. For those members of my family, we did NOT pick the name Kacee. She was named when we got her. She is NOT named after my little sister.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!! As I lay in bed this morning with Jaxson snuggling next to me, I realized how lucky I am. I have a home to live in, a car, my husband has a job to pay the bills, and I have two wonderful, healthy children. Can it get any better than this? Maybe but I will take what I have.

Leaves

I have been MIA. I stay grounded most of the time and while I seem to be just one skip and a jump ahead of the next project, I gave up this week and just slacked. I have been thinking alot about my family, especially the women that make up my family and I realize and I am thankful to be part of a family full of strong independant women. My grandmother was the best woman I have ever known. I came to realize this week that the reason that my mother is such a wonderful person is because of her mother. I am so proud to know that I come from a long line of wonderful women. My grandma, my mom, my aunts are all the best! I realize that part of what makes us great is traits that are passed down to us from those people in our lives that influence us. I reflected alot on my childhood and how happy those women made it for me. I want to pass on those traits to my children and live as happy as I did in my childhood.

My favorite childhood memory is raking leaves at my grandma's house. I still hear her laugh and remember how she would jump and bounce around in the leaves with me. I realize that I am part of a different generation that seems to be preoccupied with being busy and not taking the time to jump through the leaves with children. This past Friday I dedicated my whole day to my children and tried to live as carefree as they deserve to. We spent the morning raking leaves and then dashing and jumping through them until they were scattered all over the yard again.

I pray that my children will remember my mother and myself as strong women that knew how to forget the cares of the world and just have fun.

Jaxson's birthday

I cannot believe my baby turned 2. The past two years have gone by so fast. I love Jaxson for his spicy personality and the way his little arms wrap around my neck when he gives me hugs. I am making a mothers prediction that Jaxson will grow up and become an actor because he likes to make facial expressions to match his mood. He loves Thomas the train and wrestling with his brother. His favorite word to use is "this" and I hear it about 100 times a day as he points to objects with his middle finger. His nicknames are JJ,JT,Jaxs,Jack, or Jaxson Tanner when he is in alot of trouble. We recently had to move him out of his brothers room because Connor was complaining that he couldn't get any sleep with Jaxson in his room. It seems that Jaxson likes to crawl into bed with his brother and kick him. He loves his new room and bed but it is a real chore getting him to fall asleep because he likes to lay in bed for a few minutes and then get up, open the door, and come downstairs. His vocabulary is expanding and he says ball, choo choo, bye, moo for a cow, baaa for a sheep, roof for a dog, meow for a cat, this, all done, up, yes, no, spongebob, bath, and my favorite....poop.

I have been tagged

I've been tagged by Melody. The rules...player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves at the end of the post, player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules!Here are six things about me that I hope most of you don't already know...

1. I have this reoccurring nightmare that all my teeth fall out. I have to go to the dentist and get dentures and I am devastated. I read in a book of dreams that it means that I tell people too much information about myself and them regret it. (that is TRUE)

2. I hate country music. I cannot stand to listen to music about love, tears, and beers.

3. I had a 4.0 GPA before I started nursing school. I cannot get an A in nursing if my life depended on it.

4. I can pick up objects and pinch people using my toes. It borders on the lines of a talent according to Jade and is the only thing close to a talent that I possess.

5. I am extremely shy. It really takes me a while to feel comfortable around people especially if I am in a new situation. I come off appearing to be stuck up but I am really just insecure and shy.

6. I am the third of four girls born to my father.

I am tagging Tiffy, Amber Stecher, Sara B, Crystal, Nikki, and Amber Johnson

Sorry, nothing to exciting to share about myself because if I possess it or if it has happened to me, I have already told you about it because I am open to sharing.

Wonder Woman

I wish that I could be wonder woman. I thought of the perfect person today. The perfect woman would be a combination of all the women that I know. If I could design myself over again, this is what I would construct.

I would care for my house the way my friend Tiffy does
I would have Carrie's brain
I would have Kristen's mothering abilities
I would have my mom's nursing skills
I would have Rachel's legs
Melody's baking abilities
Candy's spirituality
Susan's creativity
and Angelina Jolie's lips...........

Is that asking for too much??

halloween

This will be fast and painless. School is busy. Very busy. I'm counting down the days to Thanksgiving because I really need a break. The car is not repairable so we have been car shopping. I want an SUV and Jade wants an expensive little sporty car. The kids are crazy but aren't they always? I watched a terrifying movie the other night and I am thankful that a devil has never gained possession of my body (yet) so I must be doing something right???

Tell me who are you?

So I got an email the other day asking people to email me back with one word they could use to describe me. I was delighted when I opened my email the next day to discover that 18 people had responded to me. I did feel a little nervous when I first started opening them just waiting for the "truthful" eye opening words, but since I only sent the email to friends, I got the responses that they were forced to say. A few of my favorites: funny (by far the one I heard the most), charitable, thoughtful, busy, sexy, beautiful, and soft. (I hope that doesn't mean that I indulged a little too much this summer) So, I started thinking about the impression that we leave on people. I made a goal a few months ago to work on some areas of my life that needed improvement. I would love to say that I am always the cheerful, wonderful, and caring person that most people see but this is not TV. I am not always the nicest nor perfect person but then again, who really is? Then I got sentimental because I started thinking about some of my stronger qualities and I realized that some of the very qualities about my family that drive me crazy are some of the best qualities that I have inherited. All the good qualities about me that my friends and loved ones see are just glimpses into the personality and qualities of my parents. I by no means think that I am a funny person, despite what my friends say but my mom is by far the funniest person I have ever met. She makes me laugh harder than anyone I know. I get my sense of humor, compassion, determination, and endurance from my mother. From my father I inherited understanding, belief, a habit of picking my cuticles while driving, and the ability to work hard. From both of my parents I was taught charity, sympathy, thoughtfulness, and love. From becoming a parent myself, I have learned the value of appreciation.

The scene of the accident

About a month ago, Jade made the fatal mistake of commenting that we have never been involved in a car accident. So, while out with the boys today, I got rear ended. HARD! I had stopped to make a left hand turn and the guy behind me was on his cell phone so he smashed right into the back of me. We were in Jade's dumpy Hyundai Accent so I was grateful that if I had to get in a wreck that at least it was the "back up" car. I had Connor with me and it makes the accident look very suspicious when he gets out of the car and says, "Mom, do we get a new car now? Because I don't like this car." My back and neck are a little sore but we are fine. The back of the car has some damage and I will take it in tomorrow for some estimates!

Fall

I don't miss Utah on a daily basis anymore but after seeing these pictures of the beautiful mountains covered in Fall foliage.......I find myself VERY homesick! I miss the smell of Provo Canyon in the Fall and the bright color of the leaves. I want to drive in my car to Rock Canyon and climb to the top of the peak and look down at the valley.

What I miss most about Utah is having the ability to drive two sick boys over to Grandma's house and ever so gently open the car door and "deposit" them on Grandma's doorstep.

(I have to give credit to my friend Melody for the first beautiful picture. I took it from her blog)

The perfect wife

I took this from Sara's blog site because it put a smile on my face!! I agree with Sara that with these expectations......THANK GOODNESS FOR PROZAC!!! LOL. I actually could think of a few women that do almost everything on this list. I will be 100% honest and admit that I don't do half of these things.





The Girl in a Whirl
by ‘Dr. Sue’
(a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do
If you only knew how.

I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake,
I upholster,
I scrub,
and I pray.

I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

I help in their classrooms!
I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice!
I cut all their hair!

I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.

I play the piano!
I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle!
My checkbooks all balance!

Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)

I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all …

I track my bad habits ‘til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed!
My toenails are polished!

Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.

I do genealogy faithfully, too.
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!

I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children!
I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.

I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!

(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)

I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.

I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all …

I write in my journal!
I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.

My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s!
And their bedrooms are clean!

I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires!
I fix the sink’s leak!

I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.

I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!

These things are not hard;
It’s good if you do them;
You can if you try!
Just set goals and pursue them!

It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!

It’s easy!” she said …

… and then she dropped dead.

Ashton's wedding October 6, 2007

I love my boys

preview of Halloween 2007

Anxiety

Being a mother is a no win situation. I came to that conclusion tonight. Jade's niece is getting married on October 6th and we are jetting to Calgary, Alberta for a weekend to be a part of the festivities. After booking the flight we realized that one member of our household does not currently possess a passport. (Jaxson) As silly as it sounds, they will not let Jaxson travel with us if he does not have a passport. We tried to apply for one but it takes too long for the process. Our only option was to drive to Philadelphia and wait in long lines to apply for an emergency passport for him. While making the decision, I envisioned what this trip would be like with Jaxson. It takes a whole day to travel to Calgary and we are leaving on a Thursday and coming home on a Sunday. That is a long plane ride and a short trip for a two year old. I decided that for my own sanity, I would leave Jaxson with a close family from church. And, I felt comfortable with my decision until tonight. Suddenly anxiety has struck and the thought of being without my baby for 4 days has me completely undone. I am not thinking rationally. My mind is playing tricks on me, imagining how Jaxson will be devastated and confused that we are all leaving him. I am terrified that he will think that he has been abandoned. Suddenly I feel this urge to make a will and designate custody of Jaxson if anything should happen to us. Even more insane, I am actually considering the trip to Philly to get the passport and taking Jaxson with us just so I will not be "dying" without him. Truth be told, I think this whole experience will be more beneficial for me than for him. I realize that somewhere in the back of my crazy thinking, that I really need to do this. I need to leave Jaxson because I have never left him before. I need to learn to let go. I mean, people leave their kids all the time and go on vacation......right? right? right? Please tell me that I am not a bad mother for leaving him behind..........

Ticks

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am terrified of ticks! Not only do I obsess endlessly about them but I am ashamed to admit that I have even dreamed about them. It comes as no surprise that I let down my guard for a split second and a tick took the advantage to bite and infect me with Lyme disease. I knew from reading that Lyme disease was painful and an awful infliction but NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined it felt as horrible as this. To make it even worse, I had an allergic reaction to the first antibiotic they put me on and spent an hour and a half with my head in the sink and toilet. Going off topic just a little, I have never understood why people throw up in the toilet. When I am feeling sick to my stomach and feel sensitive to sights and smells, the last place I want my face is in a dirty toilet. The same place that people dispose of their bodily wastes. Anyhoo, I am on a new medicine and aside from fatigue and some leg aches, I am recovering.

The miracle of birth

Despite feeling like I had a truck dropped on me, I dragged my sorry butt to clinical last night and had an AMAZING experience. I got to observe my first birth. Well, my first birth without me being the one who is birthing. Let me tell you, when you are not the one pushing and crying with exhaustion, it is such an amazing and beautiful experience. I met the couple when I first arrived at the hospital at 4:00 PM and stayed with them until she delivered at 8:15PM. This mother was such a trooper. She pushed for 3+ hours!!!!! This was unimaginable to me because I barely had to push with Connor and Jaxson was out before the doctor got into the room. (no pushing involved) Being on the other side of labor is such an experience. You forget how scared and confusing it is to be a first time mother getting ready to deliver. This mother was so amazing. She was the one doing all the work and we were just holding her legs for her, yet she kept thanking us for "doing all the work" She labored for 22 hours, pushed for almost 4 and the end result was a beautiful little girl. I cannot begin to explain how incredible it is to see the human body deliver another human. I was able to watch every process of this little head coming down and to see the little eyes open for the first time. The most spiritual experience in the world is seeing another person open their mortal eyes for the first time and if I chose to go into labor and delivery I have no doubts that I will be close to heaven every day that I work. How amazing is that? The only other experience that can top that is to be with someone when they close their mortal eyes for the last time, and the peace that you feel when their spirit leaves this world. I have also had many experiences being on that end and I can testify from personal experience that the feeling of closeness to heaven is the most powerful and peaceful feeling in the world. I have concluded that it is that powerful feeling that persuades spirits to leave the spirit world and come to earth and also that feeling guides them back home. I can only imagine how wonderful it must feel to know that you are returning back to the presence of God. I think of how hard it must be to leave those you love and have decided that it must be such a wonderful feeling to return back home that the joy overtakes the pain. I did not understand at the time why I was inspired to select nursing as my lifelong profession, but after last night I have no doubts.

Nursing Class of 2009

My friends have asked recently what the future nurses from Helene Fuld are like. Everyone is curious to know what kind of people are interested in joining the nursing field. My male friends want to know if the woman are beautiful and have any plans of wearing raunchy nursing outfits while my female friends want to know more about the muscle capabilities of the future male nurses. Recently a friend asked a question that no one has asked me. She wanted to know what positive qualities my nursing friends possess that will enable them to be compassionate, caring nurses. So, I thought about it and came up with the following list:

Carrie: Carrie is a walking brain. If you need an answer, and you want the correct one, Call Carrie. Not only will she be a nurse who always stays on her toes, she is one of the best listeners I have met in my life. She listens without giving her opinions or forced advice.

Nick: Yes, he brings muscle but he also brings the strongest desire I have ever encountered to help another person out. He is sincere and will be a nurse that makes his patients feel like they are important and that they are listened to. His sense of humor doesn't hurt.

Rachel: Rachel shows determination and will. She doesn't give up and works very hard for everything. She will give 110% to her patients and will guarantee that they get the care they deserve.

Donna: Donna is the perfect example of long suffering and hard work. She is going through so much right now and yet she never complains and she just does what she needs to. She will be an excellent nurse because she can put aside her problems and just focus on someone else 100%. She is very giving and sincere.

I could go on and on and on. I could give one reason for everyone in that class to persevere and press forward with nursing because they are all going to make excellent nurses. I truly hope that everyone in my program makes it through because I realized when that question was asked to me that everyone in my program possesses a quality that will make them compassionate, caring nurses.

My boys

I love my boys. I don't just love them because they are my boys, I love them because of their individual personalities and for the strengths and weaknesses that they each possess. I was holding Connor's hand in church yesterday and as I looked as his chubby, short hand I reflected on how blessed my life has been. There was a point in my life that I believed I would never get the experience to look at a little hand that I had helped create or look into a face where I could see part of myself looking back at me. Now, I wake up every morning to the sounds of four little feet running towards my bed where I am then smoothered with hugs and good morning kisses. I will never do anything better in my life than what I am doing right now and that is being a mother to my boys.

Shannon's childhood theories

I look at my children and long to go back to the golden days of childhood. I envy the innocence they possess about the outside world and the extreme joy they experience from the simple beauties of life such as finding a butterfly during a morning walk. I started reflecting back onto my childhood and found great amusement on some of my childhood "theories"

Death
As a child I could not comprehend that death was something that would happen to everyone. I believed that if someone died, they went to heaven and they got to pick one friend that would come up and join them. (It made sense at the time) I thought I could live forever as long as none of my closest and dearest friends had any desire to spend eternity in the heavens with me. (the real reason that I fed them all "mud pies" made with real mud plus charged them a dime for my delicious dessert)

Vampires
This is something I believed in with all my heart. I slept with a wood stake under my bed and would have consumed large amounts of garlic if my mother would allow it. I came up with the theory that as long as I kept my neck covered by blankets while sleeping, I would be safe from any vampires feeding off me. To this day, I still sleep with the blankets tucked all around my neck but more for habit instead of fear.

Earwigs
I had a fear of Earwigs. I hated this little bug with all my heart because I had a fear that they would get in my ear and pinch my eardrum until I couldn't hear again. The few times that I suffered from ear infections I truly believed that it was caused by an earwig that had crawled into my ear. I came up with my own theory that the earwig evolved from the potato bug (those little bugs that curl into a ball when you touch them) so I exterminated all potato bugs that I encountered convinced that by doing so, I was ridding the world of ear destroying earwigs. This theory was destroyed this summer by my friend Sandy who informed me that the earwig does not evolve from the potato bug.


Ahhh, to be a child again. So innocent and carefree. I recently called home from school and had the following conversation with Connor who answered the phone.

C: "Mom, why you turn the toilet blue"
S: "It is a cleaner that mommy put into the toilet to keep the toilet clean"
C: "But mom, it makes my pee turn green!!! That is silly"

I wish the only concern I had about my day was that peeing into a blue toilet turned my urine green.

Pocono mountains

We are back from the Pocono mountains. It was beautiful and such an adventure. (2 bedroom cabin for 4 adults and 2 children)

It has been a week since my last post. Besides having the Outlaws here, I also started school again and I am ready to quit. I forgot how much I truly hate school. I have a lot to accomplish this week. I must now cram for my first exam since I missed all the study groups this weekend. I also must find a babysitter for my kids since I start clinical next week and Connor starts school on Thursday. My library books are at least a week overdue and I think I have one nerve left and it has been hanging by a thread. The plus side, when faced with an overwhelming amount of stress, I forget to eat and may actually lose a few pounds.

This is a picture of the fish Connor caught. Despite it's size, he was VERY proud that he caught it all by himself.

Rub a Dub Dub

My boys LOVE bath time. It is one of my high times of the night. Bathtub not only gives me a full 20 minutes of sitting peacefully on the bath seat waiting for them but it also begins the bedtime routine.

WARNING: This post may contain photos of children in the bathtub. Although no parts are shown, some "sensitive" individuals may find this offensive. (I guess I should have posted this at the beginning) LOL

What's new

Where have I been?? Trapped inside for the third day of continuous rain storms. New Jersey hasn't seen rain almost all summer and now we are making up for it. The rain just keeps falling and falling and falling..........

School starts next Monday and even bigger than that is the arrival of the "Outlaws" also known as the Borowski's (Jade's parents) on Friday. We have a fun trip to the Pocono mountains planned and Jade has planned a boys night out to the Philly's game.

I am so excited that my dear friends have finally welcomed their son Benson Ross Powell this past weekend. If I didn't have this rotten cold, I would run down to the hospital and just smoother him with love. (imagine his luck) Connor is still baffled and asks us about a hundred times a day how a baby could come out of Nikki's tummy. (Thank goodness the outlaws are coming, I will let them answer that question)

My question for the day.........How many times a day does Spongebob actually come on TV? Or, I should say, does Spongebob ever not play on TV?

Butterflies

As a child I remember finding butterflies everyday. I remember laying in the grass and watching them fly over me and catching them in jars to take a closer look at the patterns drawn across their wings. As I got older I didn't find as many butterflies as I did in my youth. I remember a period of time in my teen years when I actually believed that the butterfly population was becoming extinct. I took my boys on a walk yesterday and while we watched all the butterflies I pondered why they suddenly returned to my life. I realized that the butterflies never disappeared but that I had just stopped taking the time to look for them. Another wonderful blessing of motherhood. I love the fact that having children makes me return to a childs level and stop to see the world as they see it. I realize that as an adult I get so busy sometimes that I forget to stop and really appreciate all the beautiful things around me.

Jaxson

Lately I have been looking at Jaxson in a new light. I tend to look at him and notice only his "dark" side but I have spent some time really examining him. Yes, he has a "spicy" temper but he is also a very loving boy. He is not a pleaser as he dances to the beat of his own drum and NO one elses. I have really grown to love and appreciate all of his facial expressions. He definitely lets you know if you have done something to make him upset by the look on his face.

I cherish our mornings together when he wakes me up before my eyes are physically able to open completely and we lay together on the couch watching Spongebob (which was his first word). He has set his own routine and insists on having waffles for breakfast every morning after a good 30 minutes of Spongebob.

I will be the first to admit that I was a little disappointed that I did not get my girl but I would NEVER trade Jaxson for anything. The biggest joy in my life is watching my two boys wrestle on the floor and then love each other. Before they go to bed every night, they wrap their little arms around each other and give each other a big kiss. Jaxson adds spice to this family with his "spirited" personality and I shutter to think what his teenage years hold but I love him all the more for fierce personality he possesses.

Swimming

My kids love swimming. (well, Connor is finally learning to love swimming) I really should rephrase that statement and say that Jaxson loves swimming. The kid is a fish. He would jump off the side of a pool and nearly drown and still come back for more. I admire his fearlessness and cherish his unknowing innocence. Connor sees pools as the dangerous traps they are. They look beautiful from the surface but underneath all that beauty is a big hole filled with tons of water that is just waiting to cover your whole body with it's endless weight. Jaxson tends to see swimming pools in a different sort of light. He views all swimming pools as giant bathtubs with endless possibilities. I thought that I would teach him a lesson a few weeks ago, and instead of rushing over to save him when he jumped off the side into my friends deep pool, I let him go under for just a second. I expected to see some sort of fear in his eyes when I pulled him to the surface but instead, I saw a look of exhilaration. And that put fear into my eyes. We went swimming today with our friends and I snapped this great picture of Connor finally being brave enough to play in the water. It was only when I got home and downloaded the picture on my computer that I noticed the faint sight of something or I should say someone in the background. Take a wild guess who the someone is....................

(for those who couldn't see the someone, it is Jaxson the fish with his face almost completely submerged while his older brother wouldn't even get his chin in the water)

BBQ

We spent Saturday at the annual ward BBQ. It was good food, friends, and HOT HOT sunshine. As previously promised, here is best picture I am willing to offer of my cropped hair. No, my face is not normally that shiny, it was only 100+ degrees outside and I just had to wear makeup. I wouldn't want to scare the ward members!

Philadelphia Zoo

We had a busy weekend. We spent Friday at the zoo with some friends. It was REALLY hot but most of the animals were active (no, I am not referring to the children, although they were active also). We met some friends at the enterance as close to opening time as mormonly possible and spent the next 3 hours walking through the zoo. We got some beautiful pictures of the elephants. The elephants will be leaving the zoo soon so it was wonderful to see them one more time before they leave.

We had a total of 5 boys and two little girls. The boys had a blast and as you can tell from the "serious" faces in this picture, they were exhausted at the end. Connor has really taken an interest in photography and insisted on bring his camera to the zoo. After being in possession of his camera for a mere 5 minutes I was alarmed to find that he had taken 66 pictures!!!! Since we had only been to the elephants and the hippos I decided that it would be best for me to carry the camera for him.

The Simpsons

What we would look like if we were Simpson characters. I designed them on a website from pictures we had on our computer!! LOL

Karma

I am a believer in Karma. What goes around, comes around. In high school I was such a strong believer in Karma that I lived my life in such a way that I would do unto others as I would have done unto me, because of fear. Fear of what would come back around to me. As I became older, my views relaxed and I realized that Karma was just something that mother's made up to instill fear into the hearts of naive children. Or is it??? Recently I switched blog sites because someone was leaving anonymous nasty comments on my blog site at msn. (I knew who it was) Tired of deleting them, I just switched my blog site. Imagine my surprise when the "suspected" person called me yesterday begging for help. Apparently, the suspects computer had crashed and they had been left with no Internet access. Luck? Revenge? I say "NO!!!" That is a true example of Karma. I bet Earl Hickey would agree with me. (Earl Hickey is the man in the picture above for those of you that do not watch the TV show What About Earl)

P.S. I did in fact help this person with their computer problem because I would hate for bad luck to come my way from refusing help. I guess I am asking for trouble by blogging about my secret happiness at their "misfortune" SHOOT! Bad Luck will be coming my way.

My Spiderman

Since it was another day of rain, we decided to make Connor into a super hero. As you can see, his superhero of choice is Spiderman. This kid cracks me up because not only did he have to have his face painted like Spiderman but he told me, "Wait mom, I gotta do my spiderman moves!!" The picture on the left is his "fighting pose while the picture on the right he is demonstrating how he shoots webs out of his finger. Go figure. I wish I had that ability. Have you ever been talking with someone who just goes on and on and on and you wish that for one moment you could shoot a web out of your finger right over their mouth?? (yes, I am a little grouchy today but don't even try to tell me that you have NEVER wished the same thing LOL)

Good bye Gussie

We went out to the Olive Garden on Wednesday night to say good bye to Gussie. She is leaving New Jersey to start her career in Florida. We are going to miss her! Now, take a guess how much money it takes to feed 5 girls?? I bet no one will guess correctly (and keep in mind that one of them was with heavy with child) Some of the topics from the evening included: diet sodas, cheesecake, Bunco, world peace, saving the world, oh wait, another conversation. It was nice to get out without the guys and enjoy good food and girl fun. I was so high on Olive Garden pizza and dessert that I went out for a hair cut after. I will save that picture for another post. I will just warn you in advance that my instructions were to cut the hair to the shoulders......FAMOUS LAST WORDS!!!!!!

The Beach

Jade took Friday off and we headed to the Beach!! The boys loved running in the waves and playing in the sand. We had plans to go to Cape May but somehow we ended up in Wildwood. (I told Jade not to fully trust that GPS system) Despite being Wildwood, it was a beautiful beach. Connor and I caught two crabs which he kept in his sandbucket right until the minute we were going home. I checked his pockets when we got to the car because I was sure he was going to bring those crabs home. We had lunch at a beach grill and for a treat, the boys each got an icecream. Connor picked the Spiderman icecream and Jaxson picked the Spongebob.

All in all, it was a great day. We came home and finished the day off with dinner, followed by baths and Jaxson was put to bed. Connor discovered it was the Spongebob marathon on Nick so we stayed up until 11:30 PM watching it. Since Friday was so action packed, we relaxed on Saturday. For the first time, in a VERY long time, the whole Borowski house took a nap at 1 PM today. (make sure you write that down in the record books) I am less than pleased to announce that Jaxson is not doing so well in his toddler bed anymore. It has been a week and he has discovered that he can get out of bed after mommy leaves and bang on the door. We are working on this pitfall and hopefully it will be resolved soon. I am almost ashamed to say that he got up at 5 AM this morning. Even more ashamed to admit that I did not even hear him. Jade was the unfortunate one that was disturbed by his pounding on the door for freedom. Jade only complained a little bit because he is trying to lay low right now since he just booked a flight to go to Florida in September without the family. He is going down to spend time with his friends. I am jealous so he is trying to kill me with kindness.

Rainy Days

What do you do on a rainy day? PAINTING! It was raining on Wednesday so I let the kids paint. The sweet little girl with the ringlets is Kylee and I am babysitting her for the next 5 weeks.

Paint: 4.00

Time painting: 30 minutes

Clean up Time: 60 minutes

Memory: Forver!

I'm new

I have decided to leave the world of msn and jump over to blogger. I have many friends on blogger so I must join the crowd. (I have always been a crowd hopper) I do not have a lot to post as this weekend has been spent home indoors. (close to the bathroom because we are all sick, if you know what I mean) I will post more later.