Jayson Dodge

I smell like baby barf, my car is a mess, I don't remember the last time I had time to shave my legs, I consider it a luxury if I had time to blow dry my hair, makeup is rarely an option, I wear sweats daily and sometimes they are actually clean, my "big" t-shirts aren't quite so big anymore, my toe-nails are in need of attention, I'm dressed up if I am wearing earrings with my big t-shirts, shiny silver strands keep popping up on my head, I consider 4 hours of consecutive sleep a good night, my girls don't get their hair combed as much as they should, I have knots in my back and my neck from bouncing and rocking and holding...


Oh wait, was that Michelle's exact post from a couple of days ago? Yes, yes it was. It must be because I was TAKING CARE OF HER BABY! Just kidding Michelle, he's awesome. He hums to me when he is eating and just about to fall asleep, he gives me huge smiles when he is just waking up from a nap, he lets me do his hair in a really cool faux hawk and he has a tiny dimple on the left side of his face when he smiles really big. But I do smell like baby barf ALL the time. You would not believe the amount of barf that comes out of this kid! I can't believe he gains any weight at all.

My advice to my sister Callie who thinks she is ready for a baby, RIGHT NOW, take one for at least three days and then decide. I LOVE babies, everything about them. The smell, the taste, the sounds, the feel of their chubbers, tiny little hands, not to mention their irresistabe cheeks....both sets. I love having a baby in my house, the whole feel of it, the way their littlle eyes roll back in their heads when they're eating, like they are in heaven, I love it.

HOWEVER, I do NOT want one PERMANENTLY in my house. So bring on the new babies! I would love to take care of them for you whenever you want (as long as I get the ok from my husband of course). I will love them, wake up with them in the middle of the night, bounce them when they are fussy, clean them up when they are pukey, all of it. For me, it's like having a new toy for a couple of days. Which is why I have to get the ok from my husband because I tend to ignore everything else while I play with my new toy. BUT, I will happily give them back when you come home.

Mantastic!

That is not a word you say? It is. Mantastic. Look it up in the Joy Dictionary of Words and it will be there with a picture of Dave as definition. Many of you know me and you know that I pretty much can't function without my husband. I go through every day waiting for 5 o'clock to come around so I can have my partner back. Dave can do anything I can do. Aside from pregnancy, labor and breast feeding, he and I are pretty much interchangeable. Sometimes, I think he missed his calling because he would be an awesome mom. Right now he is the team mom on Kevin's basketball team. He rocks it. Anywhere he goes, he knows he has to take at least two kids, usually the littlest. Even to his own haircuts, little league pictures, grocery store, the dump, where ever, he's got the babies. In the morning, he makes lunches and gets the older kids off to school so I can get myself and the younger ones off to the gym. He can even manage a pretty decent pony tail if I can't get to Janee's hair. The list goes on but most of you know all this already. He takes such GREAT care of me!

Last week, Dave was called away to Las Vegas for a big home show for his fabulous iron doors, from MONDAY TO FRIDAY. A whole week on my own, what was I going to do? I can't manage my whole household ALONE. Let me make a disclaimer. I know there are several of you out there who do this type of thing on a regular basis. I bow down to you, you are my idols. That is not me. I just might have a break down. Any way, I settled in and prepared for the worst. Imagine my surprise!

Monday night, I did family night. I got everyone showered and put to bed on time. I also had to do the "pre-cleaners clean" all by myself. (This is harder to do than you might think.)

On Tuesday, I actually got up in time to fix lunches, and get everyone ready and myself off to the gym. (I also got to have the cleaners come but that is totally fair since the scary house looks the same clean or dirty.) I also got two girls to dance, I got Tate to basketball practice, I made dinner and I actually made it to Enrichment night. (I did have help with that one since Greg picked Tate up from practice for me.) Showers, bed, like clockwork. (Except I did have 2 children in bed with me because I couldn't manage to tell either one of them "no")

Wednesday, more lunches, off to the gym. I made dinner AGAIN, girls picked up from dance, Tate to mutual, girls home from dance, Tate home from mutual. Homework done, showers, bed on time. (Again, 2 children in bed with me but I think Janee suffered the most. She said Jarem and I both snore. So go sleep in your own bed, I do not snore.)

Thursday, more lunches, off to the gym. This day I actually made dinner ahead, had Tate put it in the oven because I had to go to SCOUTS from 4:00 - 5:00. Rush Kevin to basketball practice right after scouts and home to do dinner. Pick up Kevin from basketball. Thursday night, I am having such a great time by myself, I tell Greg and Rebecca to go to Las Vegas over night to check out the home show Dave is at. No problem, I'll take ALL 10 KIDS.

Friday morning, I GOT 7 KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL AND MYSELF OFF TO THE GYM BY 8:00 IN THE MORNING! Friday= PIZZA DAY woo hoo, no lunches! Boys to school, babies to naps. Things ran totally smoothly until I had a retarded Dr. who decided to make me wait an hour for an appt for Trigg which made me get Saydie to gym late and I BARELY got Kylee to her voice lesson on time. Picked up Saydie from Gym. Otherwise things were great.

Laundry got done and put away on time.

House stayed clean (all 400 square feet that I call my own, but it does include a kitchen and a kitchen's a kitchen, right?)

I went tanning...twice. (This is very important)

My bed got made.

I did my hair and make up every day (well, one day was a pony tail but that's done, right? It was raining!)

Got Tate and Kinsey off for Baptisms for the dead at 4:00 am and then back to school because mysteriously, they were just barely too late to catch the bus.

I even managed to get the baby potty trained, kind of. Who knew he'd rather be naked than wear underwear? (Pull ups at naps and diapers at night)

I went to bed every night feeling totally accomplished and fulfilled. I wasn't frustrated, didn't feel the need to complain, there was no yelling, no crying, in fact, I enjoyed every minute of it. I had several positive and uplifting conversations with Dave. Don't get me wrong, I would NEVER want to live without Dave but I felt pretty good about the fact that I could. Now it may have had something to do with the fact that my baby is almost three and I do have a 12 year old who helps a ton but still, I felt pretty good. Five kids is five kids.

Dave got home late Friday night and I was thrilled to see him of course. I told him all went well and everything was fine. We went to bed that night (so happy to have just Dave in bed with me) and I have to admit I was feeling kind of smug about my awesomeness. Then I looked over at him. I saw him on his knees and I knew. That was why I had such a great week. I knew that every night and every morning he was gone, he was on his knees and that is why things were so good for me at home. He was STILL taking care of me. He is "mantastic" and he is all mine. Although, he is pretty lucky too. Not every guy gets to be married to someone who can do a PERFECT DOUBLE STAG after five kids while holding his hand. Just look at that form, it is pretty rare. The real question is, WHY would I do a double stag? The answer is, because I can! It was fun too. I probably couldn't do it again though.

Wash or not?

To wash or not to wash. I was told by Rebecca (and not in her indoor voice either) that I do laundry WAY to often. I do laundry twice a week, Monday and Thursday. At least one whole load is made up of blue jeans. Every day my boys wear jeans, they put them in the dirty clothes. I, personally wear my jeans at least twice before I wash them but maybe that's because they stretch out the second day. Rebecca says her girls wear their jeans more than once before they wash them so what do you think? Are a 10 year old and 12 year old boy crusty enough to wash their jeans every day? That is the question. I know I am a little hyper-sensitive about clean clothes so...

Any day, is a Beach Day!

No trip to California can ever be complete without a trip to the beach. Rain, shine, or FREEZING cold, we will be there! I told my kids to get their swimsuits on and my brother in law, Austin said, "the water is freezing, there is no way they are getting in the water." I just said, " I know my kids and they will get in at least to their knees and I don't want sandy, wet pants." He still said, "no way." Sorry to rub it in Austin. Not only did they get in up to their knees but they all got in ALL the way. Jarem's full body dunk was not on purpose, poor kid. He got totally blind sided by a huge wave, along with Cole.






The beach we were at had a big sand ledge that the boys liked to run and do front flips off of.After the kids tried to thaw out from getting wet, they walked down the beach to see the "big rocks". I let Dave go with them because I was freezing and hey, if you've seen one big rock, you've seen them all. Besides, someone had to keep Gramma Storer company. They were really cool though. The kids had a blast climbing all over them.













Not pictured are Jared, Wendy, Cole, Kate, Lizzie, Sarah, Austin and Gramma Storer. Apparently my camera gravitates to my own kids. I'll try to be better at that. Also not pictured is the attack of the birds. The kids (oh yeah, and Dave, his dad and Austin) had to take random food and stand in the middle of the beach and try to get the birds to take the food from their hands. There were a million disgusting seagulls everywhere. Sarah was terrified, she has a thing about birds. Personally, I don't see the attraction to a bird attack but hey, whatever. The kids love it and Trigg can spend hours feeding and chasing the birds. When it comes to the beach, we mostly only see his back side. We had an awesome picnic lunch and a fabulous time!

Here is Jarem after his encounter with the wave. Like I said....freezing. But was it worth it? Heck yeah, worth every minute!