Oh what a lovely day.  Sometimes I feel like I am on a roller coaster and I can not get off.  We have had some interesting things happen in our life.  I went for a school meeting for Kaleb last monday.  Earlier this year we had taken Kaleb in for some testing at Kumon, a tutoring place.  He tested as having dyslexia.  It kind of freaked me out, but Mom does great and she was very helpful and supportive about the whole issue.  So I started looking into lots of programs and things that could help Kaleb.  I discovered Brain Gym on the internet and it turns out Mom had the whole program.  What a blessing.  Well, we have been doing the Brain Gym every morning and it was helping, but we dragged our feet about other programs.  So finally I decided to get him tested through the school.  The meeting on Monday was to talk about the test results.  Kaleb tests average on everything, but visual recall on a small section of the test.  Three of the testers all found the same thing and suggested we take him to an eye doctor to have his eyes examined.  They concluded from the test results that Kaleb does not have a learning disability and that letter reversals were normal till age 9.  So anyway we are a little relieved and now know Kaleb is brillant, but needs to try harder.  

Mark got a little trailer that hooks on to the riding lawn mower.  The kids are having so much fun riding in the back of the trailer.  Mark originally got it to fix our driveway with all our pot holes.  He would ride the lawn mower up to the empty lot next to our house and fill the trailer with dirt and then drive down the driveway and unload all the dirt into the holes.  This process was taking a long time and in the meantime our neighbor was watching him.  He came over and started laughing at Mark.  He told him it would take him a week to do all of this and put trap rock down.  Our neighbor does this for a living and Mark and him figured out the cost of Mark doing it by himself.  The cost would be 750 and our neighbor said he could do it for 1,000.  We jumped at this offer and now mark and I can give rides to the kids instead of hauling dirt.  Today the kids had a playday with friends.  I was driving all the kids down the driveway in the trailer, except Kayden who was riding his bike.  We were going to feed our neighbor's horse some grass.  All of a sudden Kayden's bike chain broke and he could not ride.  I could not help him because I had a trailer full of kids.  We stopped at the horse stall and I look over and my other neighbor's friend is helping him put the bike chain back on his bike.  He tightened it with a wrench and put wd40 on the chain.  What a nice guy.  I am glad because I could not of fixed the bike or fit it in the trailer.  I am so glad for my yard.  I don't know very many places I can ride a lawn mower with a trailer full of kids and feed horses not even going on the street.

I am really working on my yard.  You may not be able to tell that much if you are from the west.  Every time I dig I hit about 10 rocks.  My whole yard is lined in rocks.  I am trying to get other things to grow other than hosta.  Hopefully the whole Young family will be able to see our house and rocky yard in August.

Cooper is still potty training and today he peed through 4 pairs of underwear.  He sure likes to tell everyone he is potty training, but not actually go on the toilet.  Somedays he stays dry and others not at all.  He sure likes to pee on rocks and trees.  

Colton is crazy.  He is climbing up our playset clubhouse all by himself and trying to go down the slide.  He mastered the little slide and moved on to bigger better things.  He likes to follow his brothers and they like to move.  He likes to do a trick of standing on our kitchen chairs and hanging his one arm and leg off the chair.  He loves to giggle and explore.  He has lots of bruises to prove it.

Kaleb and Kayden are going to a Karate weapons clinic on Saturday.  I don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing.  They might be able to take anyone down with a swoop of their foam numbchucks.  All I know is they love Karate right now and we are supporting.  

On Fridays a friend and I switch watching each other's children.  Today was my turn.  Cooper was in with his little friend eating a snack.  I told them if they finished their snacks, I would give them a brownie.  I walked out of the room and overheard Cooper say,"hey Sarah Ann would you eat my bread."  She said, "No."  He was trying to get the brownie without eating the snack.  How do they learn these things so young.  They were all outside and I heard Kayden telling his friend that our neighbor had seen a bear in their yard.  I heard his friend say he thought it was a good idea to go inside.  They left Cooper and Sarah Ann outside.  I then heard Cooper ask Sarah Ann if she thought there was a bear.  She said no and they continued playing.  So trusting.  Cooper is still potty training, I am beginning to loose hope.  We were in the bathroom going potty and so was his friend.  He went potty and then she went potty.  He looked at her and got real upset.  He asked why she did not have a penis.  I explained that girls do not have a penis.  He said it was unfair and that he wanted to be a girl.  Hopefully he won't be upset for the rest of his life.  I doubt it.  All the boys I know like being boys.

I made some delicious french bread and some eclairs.  I could not get mom's recipe, so they were not as good as she makes, but they were still good.  Who knew that one day we would all turn out like our mom.  Not too bad.  I find myself saying so many things like she used to say to me.  I hope my boys turn out just like Mark.

I am sure that everyone has heard about China.  It makes you so grateful for what you have and all the comforts we enjoy.  I cannot complain about my life.

Yesterday was wednesday and Kaleb and Kayden have karate.  We were out doing yard work so the boys could earn extra money to go to karate camps.  I went inside to get their uniforms ready and they were dirty.  I put them in the wash on the quick cycle.  They got their shirts and jackets on and we were waiting for their pants to finish washing.  When they finished we jumped in the car and I hooked them to the window so they would blow as we drove and hopefully dry.  On the way to karate lots of people were staring and wondering why we had pants hanging out our window.  The boys were laughing so hard.  We pulled up the karate and got the pants out and they were still damp.  The boys put them on.  Kaleb did not want to go inside because he was so embarrassed, but Kayden was ready to go.  Kayden could care less what people think of him.  Well we ended up turning around and going home.  They will do a makeup class on monday.  Well we tried to be efficient and get it all done, but it did not work out.  I almost made Kaleb go in, but remembered how I felt when I was young and got embarrassed.  Sometimes it's not worth all the craziness, but I am sure they will remember this driving experience for the rest of their lives.

I have been running this week.  I have gotten up at 5:45 to go on tuesday and thursday.  I thought I was going to die, but I am making it.  I run with 2 friends and we run 3 miles.  I am wicked sore, but I think I might get in shape after all.  When I was in Utah Kim went with me to try on a swimsuit.  I got the kind with the little skirt.  When I tired it on she said I should get the regular bottoms.  I lifted up the back to show my legs and butt.  She said, "  the skirt looks cute."  I have to realize that I am getting older and everything is heading south.

Life is getting more interesting every day.  Cute little Colton is starting to really climb up everything.  I walked into the kitchen and he was sitting on the table.  I could not believe that he could get up there already.  He climbs up the chair and then onto the table. He is climbing up the stools and reaching for things on the counter.  Luckily he is so cute.  When I picked up Kaleb from school he was walking around and saying Hi and waving to everyone.  I can't hold him anymore.  He just wants to walk and move.  He likes to go down slides.  He climbed up our little slide and went down by himself.  

Kayden and Cooper had a play date with some friends today.  When we got there they were running late so we waited for them.  They drove up and Kayden opened the door of their car and said this car is freakin messy.  I was so embarrassed.  I need to teach him manners.  Kids just say what they think.  

Well today was mother's day and it was really nice.  I am still at the stage of loving mother's day.  Mark made me breakfast of crepes with strawberries and whip cream.  We all got to go to church together, which was great.  The primary sang and did a great job.  Kaleb and Kayden had to be persuaded to go up on the stand, but sang when they got up there.  The boys all made cute pictures for me and Cooper made a darling colored noodle necklace, which I wore all day with pride.  I usually do not wear too much jewelry, but I loved this necklace.  The men made dinner for the moms.  Mark was in charge of the dessert and luckily the cake auction for the young women was last night.  We bought 3 cakes and a box of chocolate covered strawberries.  We took 2 cakes to share.  It was a great day.  Today at church the young women came up to me and said that I must love cake.  I told them I did like cake, but I bought so many cakes to support them to go to camp.  Our ward probably thinks Mark and the boys and I will eat all the cake by ourself.  Well I guess we could.  Then we really would have to start a weight loss clinic.

First Blog

I guess it was just a matter of time before I had to get up with technology.  I really am bad at staying in contact with friends and family, so I decided I would bite the bullet and get connected.  It is May 8,2008 and I just got back from women's conference in Utah.  I left my four boys home with Mark and they did really well.  Mark cleaned and cooked and cleaned and cooked alot.  He worked so hard and did not sit down.  He also lost 6 pounds because he did not sit down.  I should open up a weight loss clinic involving my four boys.  They can get anyone to lose weight.  

I was extremely spiritually uplifted and enlightened at women's conference.  I am really glad that I am a women and appreciate my influence in the lives of my children and family.  I was also able to attend the temple twice and really appreciated the closeness of the temple.  It was amazing to drive five minutes and be at the temple.  

As many of you know I have been Extremely afraid to fly and in preparation to fly I was so nervous and my stomach was tied up in knots.  I had trouble sleeping the night before and I was feeling so sick.  The morning of my flight I felt like I was going to throw up and I could not calm myself down, I had thoughts of not going on my flight and just staying home.  I was too anxious to see my family and have the much needed time away and be spiritually uplifted.  Mark had given me a blessing the night before and I had been praying like crazy.  So I went to the airport with my mother-in-law and still thought I was going to die.  I started getting dizzy and really sick to my stomach.  We boarded the plane and as we were taking off I grabbed the vomit bag and started heavy breathing.  I was sweating and feeling so sick and praying the whole time and all of a sudden I felt fine.  I wasn't scared anymore.  Heavenly Father just took my fear away and I was okay.  It was amazing.  I had never had anything happen like that.  It was a miracle.  I just had to walk out and Heavenly Father did the rest.  I think that was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.  I was so limited with this fear and now it is gone.

My boys and Mark are happy for me to be home.  Mark appreciates me more and he has even been making the bed in the morning and taking the garbage out without reminders.  Colton did not like me for the first day, but has now warmed up and is back to his cute self. He is into everything and climbing up everything-chairs, stoves, and stools.  Cooper is still potty training peeing in lots of underwear.  He is so cute and talks nonstop trying to keep up with Kayden.  They both keep talking and telling the other one to stop.  Cooper and Kayden are always entertaining me with their tricks.  Kayden is the smartest boy in the world and knows everything.  Let's just hope he keeps up this great confidence.  He loves to give family home evenings up in his room and is always planning them.  He loves to write and learn and sometimes wants to give up playing with friends for learning.  He is always counting and learning about the world.  He wants me to cut off my mole on my face and watch how they do it.  Kaleb is now a yellow belt Karate boy and thinks about all the other belts he will earn.  He is so focused on earning money to go to the extra camps.  He tries to do all sorts of chores for money.  He ask if he can get paid 50 dollars to clean the whole house.  I asked if he would pay me 50 dollars to clean the house and he said no.  He loves music and wants to play the piano, guitar and drums.  If you are ever missing a CD, it will most likely be in his room.

I love my boys and so glad that I am their mom.   Alissa