knuckleheads

* the fun just never ends *

seriously?

This is what I'm eating right now at 1:00AM while writing this blog post. Yes, that's right, it's a Sprinkles cupcake. A Sprinkles carrot cake cupcake with cinnamon/cream cheese frosting. And I don't care if I puke, pass out from a sugar coma, have to take Exedrin during the night before my head explodes, wake up with a sugar hangover, or all of the above. My stress meter hit *BOING* this evening and you just gotta do whatcha gotta do. So after taking comfort in diet Coke and Ruffles while watching last week's "Office" - and pretending an extremely loud and obnoxious guy movie was not blaring from the other room - I remembered: Sprinkles! The gateway of Sprinkles frosted bliss was waiting for me! HURRY! BECAUSE MY BUTT IS NOWHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH.  

This week was such a crazy week. Mostly good crazy. Here we're celebrating Daniel's 24th birthday.

These photos speak for themselves. Which is why my photos are rarely in focus when these 3 are together.

They are just ridiculous.

Please feel sorry for me.

Weirdsmobiles.

And the Mouse our poltergeist has finally fallen off his nut... gone a bit too far... lost his marbles... sat on his Pop Tart... you get the idea. I never know what type of upside-down-ness I'm going to wake up to - and have to clean up after. It's giving me major GRIEF!!! Perhaps he needs to be reminded I KNOW WHERE HE SLEEPS.

Really Mouse Mr. Poltergeist? Every end table and foot stool in the house?

Even the kitchen table? SERIOUSLY? Okay Mouse Mr. Poltergeist, that's it. I'm taking it to the mattresses.

Suffice it to say the above photo is how I am feeling - as well as why I excused myself from the dinner table and left. The house. This pink framed goodness is one of my favorite things. It is not popular with the rest of my family for obvious reasons. I made it a long time ago. Yes, those are real Exedrin. It resides in a sea of testosterone-filled frames on the Boy Wall. I *adore* the Boy Wall! But this is my little beacon that something female exists here. Not that I don't love my guys. I'm confident you all know how much I *LOVE* my guys!!! But sometimes - like tonight's mini meltdown - no truer words have ever been uttered.....

Ahhh... I feel much, much better now :D

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND EVERYONE!!! XOXOXO 

24

It's impossible for me to fathom, but 24 years ago today I gave birth to our first son Daniel. I was 24 myself, and John was 28. We didn't have a clue what we were getting into. The nurse had to show me how to diaper a baby before we brought him home because I didn't even know how to do that :/ Poor little innocent Daniel, fresh from heaven... mixed up with two new parents who are going, "how do we get it to stop crying?". Lord have mercy.

 But that sweet baby was the most beautiful baby on earth, and changed our lives forever. We are better people because of his birth, and continue to be better people because of the person he has become. I remember when he was younger and would lament about "the good old days" before his 2 younger brothers were born and ruined his life. How he felt so much pressure being the oldest and having to set an example. I would always tell him, "Daniel, you have to trust God. He knew exactly what he was doing when he sent you to us first. He knew what kind of older brother you would be. He knew what kind of example you would be. He knew what kind of person you would be. And you have never let him down." And it's true. Daniel is a great older brother, a wonderful son, and a fantastic person. It would be nice to see him a little more often when he's not working hard at BYU, in a 3rd world country, or keeping In-N-Out in business. But we treasure our time with him, and are so proud of him and how he's making the world a better place.

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY DANIEL ~ WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

a stellar weekend

So seriously, after such a couple of stressful weeks, of which I shall spare you the details, we had such an amazing weekend of fun and frivolity. Our college boy came home with his friends, and together our two families shot up the coast to Santa Barbara to see Jerry Seinfeld, live and in person, one night only, sold out, and it was hands down one of the greatest evenings ever! SO. FUNNY. I am not a big comedian fan on average, but come on - this is Jerry! JERRY! Our friends Lisa & Dave had seen him before and loved him, so when they heard about Santa Barbara we bought tickets well before the holidays last year and the countdown to "Jerry" began. Well let me just say, our entire family enjoyed every minute of his performance. I laughed so hard my stomach muscles (rarely used) still hurt, I've never seen my eighteen-year-old smile so much at one time (he admitted his cheeks were sore), and even the Mouse laughed through the entire performance. So enough said - if you ever get the chance, GO. 

(*photo credit Lisa Larsen - I can't figure how to get mine off my phone!)  

Ah, here is my favorite thing in all the world, my three boys all under the same roof. And doing something fun together, like watching a movie. When they're laughing, and enjoying each other's company, and having a good time without hurting each other. Or without breaking something. 
And what weekend would be complete without me Nairing Daniel's hairy arms? That's right. I promised him that if he showed me how to use Photoshop to put a watermark on my photos then I would Nair his hairy arms. I think that's a pretty fair trade-off. And he totally came through on his end of the deal so of course I came through on mine. Besides, he helped me with all the groceries too. He's so helpful that way. And it's not his fault that he's the Missing Link. The poor guy is so hairy I have to shake his sheets outside before I can even wash them. Poor guy. It drives him crazy. So the least I could do is Nair his arms. Oh I love that boy :)

What a terrific weekend - I hope you had a great weekend as well. 

Secret Insanity

Ah, here we are at the peaceful Walker home during the Christmas holidays. Carols playing in the background, the house smelling of pine and treats, hot cocoa at the ready... a study of everything the season should be...
Ah, here we find the Red Power Ranger, home from college, relaxing with his dad in front of a crackling fire. The picture of holiday bliss...
Ah, a few more lovely details of a Walker Christmas. Stockings lovingly handmade over the years, precious to each one of us, like seeing a beloved old friend each Christmas.
Yes, yes, the happy couple in front of the tree Christmas morning (still tired. no make-up). Happy for the season, happy to not be old geezers yet (just go with it), happy to enjoy the rare occasion of having all three boys under the same roof.
And speaking of those three wonderful boys, just look at how adorable they are :) The Red Power Ranger age 22, the Mouse age 13, and the Complex One age almost 18. Have you ever seen such handsome boys?
REALITY CHECK. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE TOGETHER. IT'S LIKE THE THREE STOOGES ESCAPED FROM THE ASYLUM.
This is what happens nearly the whole time they're awake, all day long. They stink, and they make unspeakable noises, and they break things, and they sneak into my shower, and they make incredible messes, and they brawl. Brawl, brawl, brawl. Today I caught them smacking each other on the head in church. And yes, that is the Complex One being ground into the carpet by the Red Power Ranger. 
And the NOISE! They are SO LOUD! SO. LOUD. Here they are playing an innocent Nintendo 64 game. No blood & guts. No death & destruction. But you can hear them playing even the simplest game all the way down the freaking street. All the way down. The freaking. Street. 

Okay, I admit I am loud at times. My husband has had it with me. He won't even sit next to me when we play games anymore. And I do have a really loud laugh. Really loud. Really loud. But come on! I mean seriously!  
Not to mention our coffee table which has now been transformed into an internet cafe. Admittedly, one laptop is mine. And the cup of diet Coke. Okay, and the catalog. With my cell phone on top. Hmmm, what else do we see..... dog brush, assorted glasses, a school book, a lint roller, scriptures, the TV controller. Kind of like playing "Where's Waldo", eh? And endless cords. Cords and cords and cords. My favorite thing.

And Christmas is now GONE people! GONE! All packed up and put away. Look at my little dining room. It looks like a bare wasteland. Not a trace of the most amazing Christmas we just had. It's all been wiped clean. Ready for the new year. Sniff :( 

But you know I'm just spouting off. Because you know I absolutely *adore* my boys. My stinky boys. My loud, loud, LOUD boys. Their messes. Their endless cravings for Wendy's. Their hysterical impersonations. Their incessant movie quotes. Their brawls. I love it all because it means they are here together. And when they start growing up and moving away, that's too rare. So I cherish every moment I can with them. 

As I type this ending, the Red Power Ranger is resting on the couch with his head on my dog Angel :) And the Mouse is watching the Complex One play a computer game. Watching with his head on the Complex One's shoulder :) Too few and far between, these moments. 

I'd better get to bed before they start fighting and I want to throttle one of them ;)

Friday pics and a poem.

Gosh, do I love my boys. And I have a confession to make: I was just kidding when I said it's obvious something is seriously wrong with them :) Just a little Walker humor because all 3 of them are notorious for making the dorkiest (is that a word?) faces EVER when it comes to photographs. I have an entire file of incriminating evidence - the most recent ones being from Europe last summer. For instance, snapping what would have been the perfect shot of them on beautiful Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. As I clicked the camera, once again in that split second, they all managed to make ghastly faces. I distinctly remember a woman who was on our tour and sitting nearby, saying to herself "Three boys in Europe........ I don't know how she does it" :) Well, I do it because I love those three wonderful boys with every fiber of my being. 

Right now I am particularly grateful for my firstborn, who is an amazing human being, and whom I miss very much because he is away at college. I will leave you for the weekend with a clever little poem he just sent me:

A Poem For My Mother's Blog

to be most clear

the purpose of this poem is thus:

to play on witty rhymes while I discuss

my mother's blog

blog rhymes with dog

and  many a picture of dog

there are on the blog

luna and angel, both eskimo breed

of whom we can read

stories of poop

and their antics and deeds

i know these fine two

and their wittle wet nosies

their popcorn scented toesies

and their infamous poo

and i must say their antics

(especially when angel goes frantic)

is a sight to be seen

and a sign of their love

for 'der mommy'

on this blog there are paints

and, with a canvas and brush

and my mother's touch

these paints are arranged

in a tender beauty

blog rhymes with Europe

if i say it does

because

'tis worth noting that we went

and dined with the Queen

and Charlie Sheen

and David Beckham

digress you say?

a pang of jealousy perhaps?

very well: moving on

on this blog there are stories

of memories and lessons learned

like our trip to Lucern

like a Sandpoint reverie

and it's incredible photography

and also there are smiles and peeves

and glasses half full

and chicken guts

on this blog there are boys

of which i am one

and though years may keep falling

like autumn leaves

landmarks of life still help me to see

how our imperfect family

fits perfectly for me

I love you mom!

Happy weekend everyone!