Good-Ness!

I made chocolate cupcakes today. Complete with icing! All made from scratch! And it's the first time I've done something like that and let me tell ya! WAY fun!!

Well, I just put the kids down for bed and GOOD-NESS!! Putting kids to bed is a VEEEEERY long process! They change into their pajamas (plus you have to actually FIND them clothes and if your kid's the kind of kid who wears like five outfits a day because they get them wet or dirty or whatever, then it's an even LONGER process!), then after that, they have to brush their teeth. Which I won't even go into that! Then they sit down and read scriptures. Only... it's not really reading it's more like repeating. Like little parrots. And while one of them is talking the rest of them are fluttering all over the room and falling over the couch cushions and making lots of noise. THEN after that you read stories to them. And that part is usually a little better. The kids listen to these stories and you, as the reader, forgets for a few minutes that you're actually surrounded by kids. You're sucked away in the story in another world.. even if it is a kids world with pink ponies and lollipop trees, until, that is, one of the kids spits on another one and Armageddon rolls in. Then it's Time Out and when that's all over you finish reading and it's time for prayer. And that's usually pretty quick. After that it's a matter of sticking the kids into bed and, for this family, each of the kids gets a song before bed. And then there's ALWAYS an argument that goes something like this: "I don't want the same song as her!" "Well, I WANT the same song as him!" "Well, let me see the Primary Book to pick a song!" And then I say things like, "You're three! You can't even read!" But, I allow them to flip through the book anyway and randomly pick a song and if it's one I don't know I cheat and sing one that I do. THEN after that I say goodnight and escape to the living room. And then, one kids wants water, one kids needs to use the bathroom, one kid wants to tell me something important, etc, etc. And then, after all that, one kid tells on another because they're out of bed and I have to remind them that THEY are out of bed too, and that goes on for a while. All of this usually takes an hour...

But then... it's two hours later and the kids are talking to each other through the walls and making farting noises with their arms... I've told them, oh, at least a dozen times to be quiet. I guess I could go and open a can of spankings. Or ignore it. Or try to be intimidating.

...I can't remember where I was going with any of this.

Anyway, I think my favorite part of the evening was when the kids were snuggling up next to me while I was reading. That was fun. And I actually took all four of them to the store today. I had two in the cart and two next to the cart. I kept getting these looks like "Oh you poor poor thing." The cashier two isles over even thanked me for coming in. Hah. But it was good. The kids were all very well behaved. (Mostly.) Anyway. I think I'm going to go do something strictly non-kid-ish. ...Like play tetris.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of milk

Frosting:
1 package chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line 20 muffin cups.

FOR CUPCAKES:
COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup.

BAKE for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with Milk Chocolate Frosting.

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
MICROWAVE morsels, butter and salt in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Transfer to large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in sugar alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla extract.

After feeding the kids ice-cream for eating all of their dinner the following conversation occurred:

Child 3: Julia, are you 'donna have ice-cream?
Me: No.
Child 3: How come?
Me: I just don't feel like it.
Child 1: Are you sick?
Me: No.
Child 1: ..Then what's wrong with you?

Soooooo

My work is done! Now all I need is to be interviewed. I had to drive this morning with all the kids just to pick up a piece of paper! But it was okay. The kids only argued a little... And it was kind of funny. "He's spitting on my carseat! He said meany! I'm thirsty! The baby is asleep! She's being rude! I'm thirsty!" And so on and so forth. But mostly the kids just jammed out with me, listening to Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5... and, yeah, I'm not gonna be a good mom. ;)

When we got to the doctors the kids were a little worried. I had been telling me them that I had gotten poked with a needle and that there was some blood and they all wanted to see my booboo. When the three-year-old today asked about my booboo AGAIN and I told her AGAIN about the needle, she looked up at me and said, "Oh... what's a needle?" So, yeah, when we were getting out of the car the four-year-old hesitated before jumping out and asked "...Are we gonna get poked too?" I laughed and explained that it was JUST for me that and it was JUST a check up. After that everything was great. The kids were teasing each other on the drive home saying things like "You have a creepy face! Well, you have a creepy ear! Well, you have a creepy hair!" and things like that.

Anyway... I think we may go visit my sister-in-law today and play with her kids. RIIIIGHT after naps, of course. Can't skip those! Anyway, just a quick update. I'll be calling my bishop soon and asking him about when I can get everything finished.

Being a Mommy is Hard!

Goodness! Being a mommy is hard! Are kids always testing your patience or do they ever take a day off? Yesterday was excellent! I got laundry done, did all the dishes, vacuumed out the van, mowed part of the lawn, had several good play times with the kids and finished my day watching a movie with my sister. ..Except that by nine o'clock I was spent and was ready for bed. So we didn't actually finish the movie. But oh well! Next time!

But today was rough. I think Sunday's are hard. Especially when you get all the kids up and ready and you still have an hour left to kill and so you spend the morning reading stories to them and then when you finally pile all the kids in the van, with plenty of time to spare of course, you discover that the van wont start! And THEN your little sister has to come and rescue you and by the time you get there you're late and the one year old decides that she wants to talk all through Sacrament Meeting so you spend the rest of the meeting out in the hallway!

..I mean ...Not that that's ever happened to me or anything. Just saying.

Anyway, for those who haven't heard: I'm babysitting my cousin's four kids for two and a half weeks while she and her husband are out in France. Like France, France. The real deal! And babysitting is going great! Of course I don't think I have EVER talked so much in my life, in fact I think I'm loosing my voice because of it. And my staying-up-late kick is just about dead. I'm noticing that I'm going to bed earlier and earlier and earlier. Pretty soon I'll be going to bed the same time the kids do! And every time my sister comes I bombard her with all the "adult conversation" that I'be been craving all day because, of course, you can't talk to the kids, and yet I spend that time talking about the kids!

And I sure love these kids! And they're all so very different and awesome in their own little way. And babysitting is great. I highly recommend it to every girl before they start having their own kids. Especially if it's for several days. ...I actually just got asked a few days ago if I could babysit ANOTHER family! But it's only for a few days, not quite a week. I think if I could have this as my job instead of making sandwiches all day, I would be a much happier person. Not that I'm not happy. I am... It's just. You can't have wrestling matches with a sandwich. Or tickle fights with vegetables.