I can't believe it's February!

I've noticed a general trend in my ability to post.  Lately, most of my posts have been entered on Sundays that I have to stay home with sick children.  Today is no exception.  Ruby has a high fever, headache, and is very dizzy when she's not on IBProfen.  As a result, I wanted to post several posts which I've had ideas about, but I slept instead.  Maybe I really needed that additional boost.

I can't believe it's February!  January started off with a bang.  School hit us hard.  I've been up to my eyeballs trying to catch up with all of my children and their various activities.  This month has consisted of:  Drivers Ed for Garrett and Cali, Lena's 4th birthday, Mckenzie and Ruby quitting dance, Pep band for Garrett and Cali, 10 different doctor's appointments, choir, Cali's tryouts for drum major for marching band (she and two others were chosen!!!), activity days for Mckenzie, FHE, Garrett's early morning seminary, Primary dinner for James, Mckenzie, Ruby, Lena, and Ladd, Garrett and Cali starting winter training for track, New Beginnings for Cali and Cecilia (we missed half of it because of a mandatory drivers ed. parent meeting), James' ballroom, Pack meeting and scouts for James, Ladd's crazy work schedule, Cali's sectionals for Symphonic Band (she's the section leader), YM/YW activities for Garrett, Cali, Cecilia, and Jarom, 1 trip skiing, Garrett's 4 12 hour school days because of doing "range" (think drivers ed.), Jarom and Garrett's court of honor (Jarom's technically at a Star rank!!!), James' ballroom "camp" at the high school for three days that ended with his performance during the "Dancin' up a Storm" for the High School Ballroom Dance team, Ladd's Deer Valley work schedule, Cali doing "oberservation" (another Driver's Ed. term), visiting teaching, Cecilia's 14th birthday, van needing to be fixed, Ruby's play practices for the elementary's school musical, Garrett taking "road" and passing the driver's ed driving test!, my book night for the "Deliberate Motherhood" book up in SLC, Jarom's winter campout, babysitting for Sherilyn -- all day, Garrett's first missionary prep class, trips to Mapleton, Garrett's band field trip, a few date nights with Ladd, washer door not working right, James' science fair project, Garrett's science fair project, Cali's leadership classes for marching band, Ladd and I's get-together with catering at Texas Roadhouse, Cali's Miamaid presidency meetings, Ladd's game hours on Saturday's with his brother's,  me reading several books including "Deliberate Motherhood" (loved it!!!), Ruby's 100's day, Relief Society's kick off meeting for the new year for me,  the book club for "Deliberate Motherhood"that I went to, working on Jarom's Duty to God, Lena and Alyssa's shenanigans, Cali's early morning temple trip, Garrett's helping with a Eagle court of honor for a friend of his, me failing to keep up with the house and it's rapid degeneration, Cali and Garrett and I going to his friend's missionary farewell, Jarom and Mckenzie's sleep-over with Kimball and Hope and Kasie, Ruby's doughnut date, Garrett's meeting with Brother Johnston about his eagle project, pregnancy discomforts and lack of sleep, Visiting teacher's, choir performance, sick kids, Ladd and I's temple trip that took up my whole day, shopping trips at Walmart, Garrett and Cali driving whenever possible, snow and more snow, me falling twice on the ice (that freezing rain day), Cali and Cecilia's movie night with the Miamaids, Cecilia's testimony time during Sacrament Meeting, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Mckenzie playing with her friends, shoveling the snow, and James' essay's on snakes he has to write.

I think I got it all. . . .  It's not in any particular order.  Any wonder I feel like the chaos is overtaking me?!

Our Doctor's appointments consisted of:  two with my OBGYN doctor's -- one of which I showed up but didn't appear on their schedule (I'm at 32 weeks!  Wahoo!!!), Lena and Cecilia each had a well check visit, Garrett had a follow-up on his tonsellectomy surgery, James and Alyssa both were taken in because they weren't feeling well (James' prognosis was he was feeling nauseous because he's been swallowing snot!  Never heard that one before! -- both Alyssa and Lena were pretty sick there for awhile.  Lena was the one that sounded worse, but Alyssa scared me the most by not eating and drinking hardly anything.  I had to force feed her for awhile.), Alyssa's 2nd trip to the foot doctor -- this one finally did the trick with her plantar's warts, thankfully!!!!, My visit with a nutritionists, my visit to the neurologist, and Jarom's medicine check with his doctor.

During this last week, I finally decided that even though my children and our calendar seem overloaded, I would need my children to do more chores for me.  They've been doing basic straightening and barely helping me with some dishes and putting clothes away.  So, last Monday, I wrote out a weekly chore chart for the kids based on what our needs were, and, wala!   I actually got to things that have been months in the waiting!   I cleaned my shower, some messes Lena and Alyssa have made, and even ironed some of Ladd's shirts!!!!  Earlier on during the month, I tried to find some papers I needed to fill out for one of my doctor's visits.  I sorted through all the papers that day and even got to some of my "hot spots."  When the kids starting straggling in from school that day, Jarom said, "Mom!  The house looks so nice!!!"  My kitchen floor wasn't swept or mopped and my vacuuming wasn't done.  I'm not sure all the dishes or laundry were even done that day, yet my house was clean to him!!!!!  It's good to know what constitutes a clean house for him!!!!  I never did find those papers, though.  Ladd did finally approve my ideas to conquer the paper trail.  It's a start in the right direction!!!!  Now I just need to begin!!!!

And now, on to February!!!!