Tips For Nuts

Cyndi sent me this blog link for Tip Nut some time ago and I LOVE IT! This newest entry has to be the tippiest tip by far, though. I am always, ALWAYS desperate for organizing ideas.

http://tipnut.com/projects-organize-home/

The first organizing idea is my favorite. You could make covers for the bins to match your decor in any bedroom, living room, laundry room, etc. And I know you can get those plastic bins at dollar stores. So...voila--tres cheap decorating and storage idea!

Cool Beans!

In the mix of my hectic day....a messy house...loads of dishes and laundry...a doctor's appointment, Emily's first ear infection, a surprise visit from a friend, and a trip to the park, I noticed a few really cool things.


The winter flower box I planted. The flowers on the left are closed until late morning, and when they open they are bright blue. Brilliantly cool!

The way the light was coming in through the "church" window on the landing of our stairs. Righteously cool.


The way Dallin set up his robot collection on his dresser. Technically cool.


The water sparkles on the wall made by the very nifty bedside pitcher that my friend Ethel gave me....the glass fits inside the top of the pitcher, like a lid. Refreshingly cool.

Entrepreneur????

Soooo.....with the economy woes, and what nots, the car business has been in the dumps. Which, unfortunately effects yours truly. So I've been racking my brain trying to come up with ideas of how I can help out my family so we don't end up in the poor house. (exaggeration not as big as I wish it was).

Here's one idea...have any of you talented blog readers had any experience with this....?

My sister Cyndi's friend Channon does Heritage Makers....evidently it is huge out west, but VERY new on the eastern front. In fact, she is the only active consultant in the Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland area.
I have tried other "stay at home-mom" style businesses before, and have always been disappointed, and have actually sworn them off. However, this sounds like a lot of fun. I LOVE PICTURES...and I LOVE WRITING, and I LOVE PEOPLE....
Channon made a book for my niece Claire a few years ago, and I was very impressed with it, and it would be TONS of fun to do things like that.
So what do you think...am I crazy? Any of you westerners ever heard of it??? Do you like it???

p.s. don't worry if I join, I won't push any of you into any uncomfortable "will you have a show for me" moments....I'll set up a separate blog for that...tee hee!

Nursing Blues

Emily thinks she is done nursing. I always have this problem...I introduce solids and my milk producing mechanisms instantly think they are allowed to go on strike. Emily has been so grumpy and so hungry that I ended up giving her a bottle of formula and of course SHE LOVED IT! So....I think I may be done nursing too....which is unbelievably depressing...she is my last baby and I wanted to nurse forever. Sigh.

"I Did It Mommy!"

Little Girls and Shoes....nothing more fun.

Audrey is passing along her obsession with shoes!
Mickey Mouse Crocs...no less!

Haven't Mentioned My Fifth Kid in a While!

Emily is almost seven months!

Here is what she is up to:

• Rolling all over the place!
• Scooting on her tummy and almost crawling!
• Second tooth coming in!
• Sleeps 12 hours a night!
• Loves all her sister's and brother...to death...they make her so happy!
• Still, not the happiest baby...fuses more than any of my others, and does not like to be left a lone for one minute! (Not that I'm complaining...just an observation).
  

School Pics

Here are a few pictures from first day of school...not the greatest. Dallin had "issues" with smiling:) In retrospect...maybe I should not have taken pictures with them facing the sun...duhhh. Poor Anna could not stop squinting.

Maybe I Should Too!

So I started reading the two greatest blogs a while ago...CJane Enjoy it, and Nie Nie Dialogues. I think I discovered them by clicking on a link from a friend's blog...maybe you Natalie??? I've been hooked ever since.

"Nie" is an avid vegetarian, she always lists the best recipes. C Jane is her sister and I just love her blog...it's full of humor, spirit, and she always writes in a way that really inspires me to be a better mom/person. I thought I would share these posts from their blogs...I want to eat just like Nie....the food just looks so beautiful and yummy and soooo good for you. I could be a vegetarian...meat isn't "all that" And maybe....I just will:) Hah Hah...If only I could convince my husband!

I love how C Jane likens her sister's way of life to the word of wisdom... I know I'm supposed to eat that way...and have thought a million times over that I live every part of the word of wisdom...except, the parts about how I should be eating...hmmmm, I needed a wake up call!

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%20week

http://blog.cjanerun.com/2008/09/marrow.html


Side note: Sadly...a few weeks ago Nie Nie was in a serious plane crash with her husband...they are both in critical condition... Cjane talks about it in her post. I've been so inspired reading about their story and the way their family has dealth with such an enormous tradedy.

Tid Bits...

When Audrey wants a drink of milk or a drink of juice...she comes up to me and says in her two year old language...
"mo-mm-y....meelk or duce peez."

She means one or the other...milk or juice. But thinks they are both called "milkorjuice" because I used to give her the choice. Now they have one name. Not just milk. Not just juice. I always get it wrong...I pick the wrong one, and she gets mad at me, and yells..."NO, NO, MEELK OR DUCE" So I have to get the other one out...whichever one it happens to be that she wants.

Makes me laugh every time.

The Rogers Family Blog

I realized something today (especially after Jeff made a comment to the same effect yesterday)....My Rogers's Family blog has turned more into a "Nicole" blog. Sorry. I need to post more about my kids and the family...that's what this blog is for, not for my "wanna be cool blogger" ramblings. Maybe I should start another blog. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Did I mention that I am addicted to blogging too??

Confessions of a Facebook Addict

It's interesting how you keep yourself occupied. When I had to stay off my foot totally for two weeks I became obsessed with two things...Twilight, and Facebook. What can I say...I was stuck in a chair all day long, and the olympics had not started yet. So...I read, and piddled on the computer. I finished reading all the Twilight books the first week, so that obsession has faded, but Facebook is another story. I am completely addictded.

It is so much fun to reconnect with old friends, and I love seeing what everyone is doing all the time. But I have had some bizaar side effects. I think my cyber world is creeping into the "real" world. So, here is my confession...

I've started thinking all my thoughts as "status updates." All day long I've caught myself doing it. I swear I'm loosing it! Here is my morning...in status update.

1."Nicole is positive Dallin's teacher thinks she is a crack head mom, after sending him to school on Monday. Oopps! He really wasn't supposed to go to school until Wednesday...some stupid "introduce kids to kindergarten thing."
2. "Nicole is wondering if it was a good idea to let Dallin do the dishes...there is water all over my kitchen."
3. "Nicole is feeling a little silly after realizing her neighbor saw her hopping around on one foot trying to dance with Audrey to a Gwen Steffani song."
4. "Nicole is wondering if all this dust is just a fact of life, and to stop worrying about it so much."
5. "Nicole is going to finish school shopping today, even though it is the 2nd day of school.

There are a lot more updates rolling around in my mind, but I'll spare you the gorey details.

So...what do you think...am I totally insane? Has anyone else started to think in "status updates?" Is facebook a secret cult that brain washes you???

Home Decor

I want my living room to look like my blog...I love the colors...and the patterns....I wonder if I can find decor that looks like this???

End of Summer Report

So, I thought I would report back to everyone since summer is almost over and let ya know how my first summer with five kids ended up turning out.

I had some hits and some misses. It definitely did not go as perfectly as I had imagined, but it was a huge improvement over summer's past..

Some of the big successes were the cameras...the kids loved this. I am planning on posting some of their cute pics. They loved the summer journals, although they did not keep up with them as much as they wanted, they still loved writing "summer goals" and were good about journaling on the big activities. We had fun making bags for them and t-shirts. The girls were able to make some cute jewelry and we made puppets. One of the big hits was when we made homemade watermelon and lemon Italian Ice....so yummy! Anna learned how to cook a whole bunch of stuff...mac and cheese, muffins, grilled cheese, eggs.
We did not get to go on as many outings as I had hoped, but we definitely hit the beach and library a couple of times. We got to visit family and go to quite a few amusement parks, which is always a hit!
There were a only a few things I wish I would have been better about. School work...we did a lot of hooked on phonics and reading but that's about it. We had lots of lazy days but who cares...it's summer "break" right? No TV was hard...they watched more, and played more video games than I had planned.
All, in all, I think they had a fun summer, and I am considering it a success. Although, the last month has been pretty much a wash since I broke my foot...oh well, I have many, many more summer vacations to perfect.

Back to Schooooool!

6 more days!

Just What I Needed

Lately, I have really been feeling the pressures of having five children. If any of you have ever wondered what's it like to be a mom of five this blog entry I read says it all....
http://segullah.org/small-epiphanies/having-a-large-family/

Never, Ever, EVER!

There are not that many things that I am scared of in this world, I think I am a pretty adventurous person. However, there are a few things that really freak me out. My biggies are flying, (my closest to a phobia), sharks, lightning, crossing bridges, and motorcycles. I know that the fear I feel for these things is completely irrational. I know the chances of getting struck by lightening are astronomical and being in a plane accident is like one in a gazillion. And that a bridge collapsing would like never happen. But, none the less, these things cause me great anxiety. I mean I literally work up a sweat every time we cross the bay bridge. What's weird is I would not have a problem at all bungee jumping off a bridge, or sky diving from a plane...I love adrenaline rushes.

My irrational fear of motor cycles is stemmed from an article I read one time, about how if you own a motor cycle, you are 99 percent likely to eventually be in an accident. Hello...that means if you own one, you are guaranteed to crash. This fear has never been that big of a deal...I've just always said there is no way we would ever own a motorcycle. Over the years, people have told me I am pretty silly for feeling this way, and I know when I have quoted the article statistics people have questioned my information. This summer though, I have to say my "irrational fear" of motorcycles has become very real. My Uncle David was in a very serious motorcycle accident this summer...his foot was almost completely severed. He's had to go through a ton of rehab, and was in the hospital for a month, thankfully he is doing really well, and his foot was able to be saved. Sadly, I found out this morning, that my mom's cousin Butch was not as fortunate as my uncle. He was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday. I have not seen him in years, but I remember him from Christmas Eve's at my Aunt Peggy's house and I always thought he was so cool. I was very saddened to hear about this and feel so bad for his family.
I can't imagine loosing someone that way. So unexpectedly. Both of the accidents were caused by other careless drivers. I know that we all take risks every day that we don't even think about...driving, crossing the street, swimming in a pool, however I am more positive than ever that no one in my family will ever be allowed to own a motorcycle. You are so unprotected and at the mercy of drivers who just don't see you. My love goes to Butch's family.

Friends

My friend Bethany is coming to visit this weekend...whadda hoooooo! I'm so excited. I have not seen her in three years! Bethany has been my friend since we were 12! I remember going to her house the very first time and her getting mad at me for saying "I"m sorry" too much. Yes...for those of you who have experienced the agony of my apologetic ways, it was a bad habit even back then.

Bethany is one of those friends that you know will be apart of your life forever. My friend Heather is like that too. We've know each other since our very first year of girls camp and have never lost touch! Now that I think about it I've been able to make a few friends like that in every place I have ever lived. High school, college, when Jeff and I moved to Idaho. Amazingly, here in Salisbury (the "armpit of the east coast," as my brother-in-law likes to call it) I have been fortunate enough to acquire one or two "friends for life." I even share a few of Jeff's friends for lifers.

Friends for life are so different from those everyday, ordinary kinda friends. Ya know, those people that you really, really enjoy being around, and even hang out with quite a bit, but if they ever moved, you probably would not keep in much more contact than the occasional Christmas card. I'm not saying those kinda friends are not any less special, or not as "friendly" they just don't quite inhabit the same place in your heart as friends for life do.

I won't go into the specifics of what exactly a friend for life entails, I know you know and I'm sure you have had enough of the gushy forwarded "friend" e-mails to last a life time. But today, I was just thinking how much I love my friends and that even if we cannot talk every day I am thinking of you, and praying for you, and counting the minutes until I get to see you again!

In the mean time....

So it's been a while. I have had a tremendous amount of STUFF happening. July was our crazy birthday month. And I mean crrrrrazy. So many birthdays, so little time.
Anna turned ten which was super hard for me. I couldn't get it out of my head that she had gotten so big and so smart, and so helpful, and so sweet, and so caring, and so lovely, and so beautiful and so considerate, and so spiritual, and so insightful, and so empathetic and so tall, and so grown up, and so truly, absolutely amazing............without me realizing it. I should realize it, she's around 24/7, but man it hit me like a ton of bricks, that my little girl is not that far from being all grown up and I'm losing precious time. Before I know it she'll be 12 and then 14 and then graduating high school, it's just not fair.
As for the other July birthdays, I turned a whopping 33...woo hoo, no tah dah's there. And Audrey turned TWO!!!! That was a ton of fun. Two year olds are a blast, and I can tell that Audrey is gonna be one of our best two year olds by far. She is our little ray of sunshine and we are so glad we have her to wake up to everyday.

Other Fun July Stuff:

• Fourth of July trip to Ben and Cyndi's where we celebrated the fourth with cook outs and tent sale fire works. We also celebrated Lori Noelle and heard Ben give an awesome baby blessing.
• My niece Elise came to stay for a week which was so much fun...we LOVE her.
• Lot's of beach trips.
• Water Park in Ocean City. I was finally able to go on rides...I'm not pregnant for once...woo hoo.
• Busch Gardens trip. We love that place. It's so beautiful and me and Anna went on every roller coaster, she loved it. Dallin rode the Big Bad Wolf, what a big guy!

Over all, July was a pretty good month, except for the last couple of days, which I will explain, on a much more gruesome note.

Last week, as many of you may have already heard I broke my foot, in an all to Nicole-esque fashion (typical klutz that I am). I stepped on my dumb belt buckle as I was taking off my dumb pants and the dumb hook, latch thinggy, punctured my dumb foot and then went in so far the dumb thing broke my bone. Dumb huh?? It was pretty painful. The doctor said that the chances of something like that happening are like one in a million. He told me I would have been better off having a bullet go through my foot...nice. I am stuck on my glorious gluteus maximus for 2 weeks and then in this big black DUMB boot for another 4 weeks. It's been an adventure. I have had many wonderful people helping me out, whom I am eternally grateful for. We've had dinners galore...(chili twice, chicken four times,ugh), everyone is really helping with the kids, taking turns taking them and coming here to help and yesterday, my very lovely friend Nancy cleaned my WHOLE house, and I mean the whole thing. She cleaned all four bathrooms did six loads of laundry and mopped all my floors, I LOVE HER!

Summing up:
July was a great, super fun, perfectly summerish month!
August ended before it even begun, my stupid foot is putting a hold on any more fun. Hopefully my best friend Bethany's visit in 2 weeks will make it all better.

Emily

Emily is 4 and a half months old...can you believe it?? She is getting so big, I thought I would post a picture since it has been forever.

Pictures from Audrey's Surgery

She was such a brave little girl!