Obsession

When I was in middle school, I was completely obsessed with New Kids on the Block. I was unequivocally in love with Jordan Knight. I had posters plastered all over my wall and every teen magazine that published their pictures. That's normal for a pre-teen, I think every female out there has had a crush on someone.

Well.... now I'm the 30 year old chubbalicious mother of five and I have found myself obsessed with the Twilight books. I've tried to keep in on the down low because it's silly, really. But recently my fabulous friend Kim took me to a pre-screening of Twilight and I have once again found myself identifying with crazed fans who profess their undying love for Robert Pattinson who plays Edward.

So now, I'm coming clean. I think I need something like an AA group or rehab. It's ridiculous. I have not gone as far as to have posters of him plastered in my room. My husband most likely wouldn't approve. Needless to say, I loved the Twilight movie.

Funny Kids

I live in a family of comedians. Chase is the funniest. He has a pretty quick wit and sometimes he just comes up with things out of the blue and we just die laughing! A couple weeks ago we asked the boys to turn off their bedroom lights and of course, they start to complain about having to go downstairs when Chase suddenly says "Don't worry! I've got it covered, I'm a professional!" I started laughing so hard at the way he said it because he was so serious! Now, whenever I ask him to do something, he tells me not to worry, he's a professional.

Every month before my monthly visitor invades, I tend to get a zit. Well, this month I got 4 huge ones. One night, Carter and Kenzie are cuddling me on the couch and Carter looks at me with this thoughtful look and the following conversation took place:

Carter: "Mom, you look like......"

Me: "A princess?"

Carter: "Um... no. Princess's don't have zits silly!"

Me: "Then do I look like a fairy?"

Carter: "No, fairies don't have zits either. Maybe you'll look pretty again when the zits go away."

Now, the conversation sounds mean, but Carter was so thoughtful when he was talking to me that it was hard not to laugh. He never did tell me what I looked like.

The cutest was the other night. Carter has had a really bad cough. I had to wake him up to give him medicine. I didn't know that he and his dad had struggles over the kind of medicine Carter was taking. Apparently Doug had to almost force Carter to take it. So, my baby is half asleep and he takes the little dosing cup from me and takes a little sip. Then he looks up at me with a pained expression and says "Cwap mom. Did Dad tell you to do this to me?" Doug and I cracked up.

I love my kids. Sometime I'll have to post a video of Garrett doing his belly dance and his booty shake. I'm worried the kid is gonna grow up and be a stripper.

Kids

So, we've been having this issue with Ethan. To avoid getting into trouble, he's been hiding stuff from us. Examples:

He hates math, so one week he ripped off the math pages from his homework packet and threw them in the garbage and covered them with bread. I have to sign this packet every week and as I'm signing it, I notice that there are pages that have been ripped off. I ask Ethan where his math is and he says he doesn't know. Then, he gets upset because he can't find the pages.... the kid is a fantastic actor. He had both me and his dad completely going for his little show. Then, as I'm walking by the garbage can I notice all these whole pieces of bread. Something tells me to investigate and low and behold, there's the missing math pages. Of course I made him complete the math pages during his free time and he had to go to bed early. I just couldn't believe he did that!

Then today, my neighbor comes over to see if her son can hang out with us while she and her husband go to Costco. Her son is in Ethan's class and we're chatting about that when she asks me about a "Stop and Think" paper that Ethan supposedly received for getting into a fight. These papers are given to kids who misbehaved, they have to answer some questions about their behavior and how they can make changes. They're supposed to bring it home, discuss it with their parents, have their parents sign it and take it back. (I think it's TOTALLY stupid and ineffective....) Apparently, Ethan got into this fight about a week ago. I didn't have a clue. So Doug and I sit Ethan down to discuss what happened. He explains that some kids were teasing him about liking a girl, they wouldn't stop so he pushed a kid down. Then he shows me the Stop and Think paper and he FORGED MY SIGNATURE!! Obviously the kid is in trouble and Doug and I are totally shocked.

I know my kids aren't perfect but Ethan has always been a good kid. I would expect this kind of stuff from one of the other boys because dealing with them is like dealing with comedic monkeys, but Ethan has always been so responsible. Honestly, part of me wants to laugh over this because it really is funny in a tragic sort of way. I'm just concerned that he feels he has to hide things. I always thought I'd be the mom that had open relationships with her kids. Apparently I was wrong. Any suggestions on how I can get my kids to talk to me?

Veteran's Day

I got an email this morning from my friend Joy that was about the men and women who are still fighting in Iraq. They're not fighting a popular war, but just like with the unpopular Korean Conflict and the Vietnam wars, men and women are still fighting and dying and making incredible sacrifices no matter how the war is perceived.

My husband's grandfather fought in World War II as a pilot. He was required to do things that he never imagined he could do. His worst memory was of flying his plane so low that he saw the women and children in the village he was ordered to attack. That story is just one of many he had to endure. He is such a tender man and it's extremely difficult for him to talk about his experiences during the war. He is now nearing his 90's, he is losing his vision and his hearing and he is forgotten by most, but not by us.

We have a family in our neighborhood who at one time had three family members in Iraq. The father and two sons. I have the utmost respect and reverence for a wife and a mother who can have that much strength to endure having her husband and sons overseas fighting a war that is criticized and ridiculed. I have no idea if I could do that and I hope I'll never have to. They have always held my admiration and I'm grateful for the sacrifices that their family has made for mine.

Today is a day to be a patriot and remember all of those who made these kinds of sacrifices for us. It doesn't matter what you think of what is happening over there or who our president is or is going to be. I'll just be grateful for what has been done for me.

It's November!!

I didn't realize that it's been so long since I've posted anything! Probably because there's nothing earth shatteringly new with the Montrose's. October was a crazy month, end of the 3rd Quarter and Doug and I both had mountains of work to get through. Thankfully, October is OVER!!

I have no real comment on Halloween. I hate the "holiday" but my kids were precious. We had Batman, a Star Wars Clone Trooper, a Bling-Bling Rapper, a Fabulous Witch and a mini-Darth Vader. They got tons of candy and we were all on a 3 day sugar high. The candy has mysteriously vanished. I guess the candy fairies finally took pity on this worn out mommy.

I'm bummed about the outcome of the election but I'm not at all surprised that Obama won. All of my opinions and fears aside, I think it's amazing that this country elected a minority to the White House. It just proves that we've come such a long way from the racial injustices of the past. I'm trying very hard to be optimistic since I can't single handedly change the outcome of the election. My super powers don't extend that far!

Another observation... it snowed. Bad news, it;s freezing! The good news, I got to break out my eclectic collection of scarves and mittens!! There's nothing I like more than accessorizing, even if I'm accessorizing a coat.

Doug's company announced their first wave of lay offs. They laid off 300 people company-wide. Only 15 people were laid off in Utah and they were given incredible severence packages. However, it's put us on edge a little. The CEO held a meeting yesterday with all the managers and basically said that the job cuts were precautionary. He addressed Doug's department, specifically saying that they were the safest because they were the most needed when products were released. We believe and trust the CEO. Henry-Schein and Dentrix take very good care of their employees. Earlier this year, the spouse of one of Doug's co-workers was killed in an accident and Henry-Schein payed for the funeral and set up trust funds for the family. We feel safe because we know Doug won't just be booted out onto the street with nothing, but it's always best to be prepared. We're also sad for the people who lost their jobs.

I'm so looking forward to Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday! Mostly because it's the only time of year that my WHOLE family gets together. All my cousins, my brother and sister, and parents and grandma and my aunt. I look forward to it all year! Plus, it's the introduction to the Christmas season.