You can't put a price on a night out.......

(well, actually you can!)

Dinner: $24 (and we even shared a plate)
Parking: $5
Movie: $9.50 (we used a $10 gift certificate I won at BUNCO)
Babysitter: $25
Five hours away from the cares of parenthood and the fact that we are unemployed, the ability to converse without being interrupted every five seconds (unless you count the waiter), and an opportunity to rekindle a stress/tension filled relationship in need of SERIOUS nurturing: PRICELESS!

I had a girls night planned for last night but canceled when Rob suggested we go out together instead. Things have been TAD BIT stressful around here and life has been taken way too seriously. We needed time away! So we found a sitter (already having filled our grandparent quota for the month) and headed out for the night. We tried to forget the fact that we are unemployed, are moving in with Rob's parents in two weeks, and really should not be spending any money and just enjoyed ourselves. We had such a good time. Just like the good old days!

We learned a few things..............#1 Sometimes money can be well spent even if it is on frivolous things, #2 We ARE still friends and love being together, and #3 Our lives are NOT coming to an end (even if it feels like it)..........we've just hit a rough patch, but we'll make in through as long as we do it TOGETHER!

Deep......I know.

Eventually we had to come back to the real world...........

Le Sigh.....

but at least the kids were already in bed.......fast asleep! :)

Can't get better than that!

Being a working mother is hard...........

and I only work 2 hours a week (Okay, that is not entirely true. I do put in a few hours of prep time as well, but only get PAID for 2 hours).

I don't know how all y'all do it! More power to those of you that HAVE to work a 40 hr and actually make it work. I have a hard enough time not neglecting my kids as it is.

I do love my job though. Especially now that MY classes are MY classes and I can do with them WHATEVER I want. It is a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. Literally! I get three times the workout, I get to listen to a lot of awesome music, and hang out with some really fun girls while I am at it.

Besides, how many people get to work out at work instead of complaining about not having time to "fit in" a workout because of work.

I'm sure with a few lesson's of "life balancing" I will be able to do a bit better.

I am working on it though......I find that the less time I spend on the computer.....the more I get done that NEEDS to be done.

Hhhmmmm...........thought provoking.............I guess I should go now................

Praying for Chuck E Cheese

Our kids are really quite funny (be sure to check out the last post as well).

Our kids have been DYING to go to Chuck E Cheese for a LOOOOONG time.

We've had to tell them over and over again that we can't go because "Daddy doesn't have a job" but have promised that as soon as Rob secures employment that is first on our "to do" list.

So....Cael (insisting on praying by himself) has included Chuck E Cheese in his prayers.

They go something like this:

"Heavenly Father, thank you day, pray Daddy get job, thank you for day, we go Chuck Cheese, Heavenly Father, we go Chuck Cheese, have no bad dreams, we go Chuck Cheese, Daddy get job, have no bad dreams, go Chuck Cheese, Daddy get job".............sometimes he eventually ends it. And sometimes......

.....he starts all over again. It can be a very long process.

The other day Rob brought up a good point. He said, "When I FINALLY do get a job and we FINALLY get to take the boys to Chuck E Cheese, I don't think Cael will have anything more to pray about. What will he say?"

Good point, Rob. What WILL he say?

I guess we will have to find a new focus for him. I have a few brainwashing techniques I'd like to try.

Maybe........"Bless me that I can be nicer to my brothers, and obedient to my mommy and daddy, and not scream like a banshee for any and every little thing that may or may not happen to me at each and every moment of the day."

Hey.....one can hope. Maybe it will work.

On the "job search" note,

Rob is still searching.

Thanks for everyone who fasted with us today. We felt your support and prayerst and whole heartedly appreciate it.

Rob does have two job interviews this week and 4-5 more in the wake (3 or 4 of which are government jobs which means what?...........................a long wait and a lot of patience).

He is going to try to find a temp job or any job for that matter (Albertson's here we come) in the mean time.

Rob's parents have graciously offered their home to us in the event that we have not found a "enough money to support your family" kind of job in the next three weeks. They are willing to give up their own bedroom to make us more comfortable. We could not be more grateful for their willingness to take us in for a short time.

Either way we will be moving out of our rented house by the end of the month. We hope by then Rob will have secured employment and we will be able to find another house in our ward to rent. We like our callings and would hate to uproot the kids more than we have to (including removing Gabe from his school/teacher/friends).

I guess only the Lord knows what lies ahead. We know whatever happens will be for our good (whether or not it almost kills us) and we will be able to get through it and be stronger for it.

Wish us luck and if you remember to, throw a prayer heavenward for us. We could really use it.

Kids.....such concrete thinkers!

Several months ago (in fact, over a year....I think) we were attending Stake Conference out in Spokane Valley. As we were getting out of the car, Gabe asked "what that tall thing [was] (pointing to a large water tower (which Spokane Valley is covered with))? Before Rob or I could answer, one of Rob's favorite young men's leaders, who is known for his teasing, told Gabe that it was full of hot chocolate. Gabe protested, saying that there couldn't be hot chocolate in there but with 2 hours of persistent reassuring from said young men's leader, Gabe was convinced.

So.....today as we were driving out to the "valley" to watch the Super Bowl with Rob's parents, Cael spots one of these water towers (a big silver one with red and blue stripes around the middle) and says, "Look Gabe, It's a space ship." He repeated it several times while Gabe persisted with a "no, no, no, no, no," until Gabe finally said, "NO CAEL, IT'S NOT A SPACE SHIP........THERE'S HOT CHOCOLATE IN THERE."

Seriously......after all this time he STILL believes that they store hot chocolate in those things.

Funny, funny kid.

Gabe is SO concrete in his thinking and will believe ANYTHING he is told (as long as it doesn't come from Rob or I).

I can just see him 10 years from now dragging his high school buddies up the ladder, on a cold winters night with a promise of "the worlds best hot chocolate."

Hopefully he figures it out before then.

Otherwise he, and they, will be SORELY disappointed.

Poor Gabe!

Poor Gabe.....the kid NEVER get's enough sleep..........

and usually Cael is to blame for it.

Cael is our "wired" child. He gets up early (like 5:45AM-6:15Am) and has a REALLY hard time winding down at night, too. Lucky for him, he get a nap in the middle of the day.

Gabe, on the other hand, is not so fortunate. He has afternoon kindergarten. Not good.

At night, Cael can often be found crawling into Gabe's bed (trying to sleep with him), or trying to shake him awake if he has fallen asleep too quickly. In the morning, as soon as Cael wakes up, he yells Gabe's name until he accomplishes his goal of waking him.

Gabe's like a walking zombie most of the time and is always complaining of being tired at 10:00-10:30 in the morning ("Mom....I'm tired, I don't want to go to school").

So....where is this all headed.

The other night I went in to check on the boys before I went to bed.

After re-tucking Cael in, I moved up to Gabe's bed.

I looked at him for a minute (savoring the sweetness of a SLEEPING child) and lifted my finger to stroked his cheek.

The second I touched his skin he stirred and I heard the softest mumble escape his lips.....

He said,"Get out of my bed."

NO DOUBT in my mind he thought I was Cael.

It was hillarious.

I had to hold back my laughter.

Even in his sleep he is tormented by his brother.

Poor kid!

Any ideas.....other than putting them in seperate rooms?