Cost of Living...

We've all heard the estimates on what it costs to raise children. I think I may have even posted something about it at one point in time. What we don't hear about very often is how much it costs to raise adults. Patrick and I went to Kohl's with all four children to get some clothes for him and I. Who would have ever thought we would walk out of there with $230 less in our pockets? I need to learn to sew.

Day Three...

I woke up a tad bit early this morning to create another artful masterpiece. This time being on Raya and Malia's hair. It was the annual Crazy Hair Day at school and my children were totally down with participating...


On another note...when you go to blockbuster to rent a Wii game, make sure you have all the equipment it says you need before you rent it because they won't let you exchange it because you were too dumb to look on the back...I just basically gave them $10 bucks tonight...Yay for dumb people!!! Somebody has got to keep the economy going...

Commitments

Committing myself to too many things is my specialty. I don't know what I would do except surf facebook all day if I didn't have more than enough stuff on my plate to start and/or finish...I think my biggest problem is that I WANT to do all these things... If I had to choose a headline that explained my life right now it would be: Mother of Four Enters Mental Institution... "So Many Things...So Little Time" As I check each project off my list, I add a new one. The latest project I've created for myself is...Drum roll Please...Posting to this blog every day this month. Rest assured my faithful blog followers, I am committed, however, don't be surprised if you read a post that has much to do about nothing...

April Fool's

It's April Fool's Day today...I tried to make people believe that I was pregnant again, but only a few select people were dumb enough to believe it...everyone else saw right through me. I've lost my convincing touch. I used to be able to make people believe anything. I once got a few co-workers of mine to believe that I was a topless singer...I had to tell them that I really wasn't for rumor sake...so I've lost my touch, or maybe I just didn't put in the right amount of effort...

Patrick came home with these today:


Inside the card it said "I'm a FOOL in love with you...Happy April Fool's Day"

I'm still wondering if it's a joke....

Ok, I know it's not. That was really thoughtful of him...

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

It was only recently that I learned what "Everything and the Kitchen Sink" meant. I was a judge at our church's annual Chili Cook-off. One of the categories I was judging was called "Kitchen Sink"... I had no idea how to judge that category so I sucked up my pride and asked what "Kitchen Sink" meant. I was informed that it basically meant a whole bunch of random ingredients thrown together.

Now that you know the meaning behind my blog title, you can appreciate the random stories from my life these past few months.

I've Got Talent Yes I Do...

Raya and Malia participated in their school's Variety/Talent Show. I was so looking forward to my girls being gone an extra hour three days a week for rehearsal, but it didn't happen that way. You see, their act required some "special lighting" and being the devoted mommy I am, I had to figure it out and make sure it worked during rehearsals. Unfortunately it took every rehearsal for me to get it just right. I was also asked to video tape the night performance and sell DVD's to the parents. It proved to be a little bit more difficult than I anticipated, but I was able to make a fairly decent profit doing so (Yay me!). Below you can view Raya and Malia in all their Variety Show Glory...



A Year Remembered...again...

I have been doing the Elementary school's yearbook for the past three years. I enjoy doing it, but at the same time, it is A LOT of work. It really takes up 3 months of my year. I have another lady who helps me out quite a bit, but when it comes to designing and creating the actual book, it falls on me. I am a self proclaimed perfectionist when it comes to my art so you can only imagine how many times I did something for this book, only to re-do it time and time again. Thank goodness for deadlines. I never thought that I would say that, but I am truly grateful for the deadline given to me for this project. The process of creating a yearbook starts before school even begins. For those of you who don't have children in school or your children don't go to school around here, we start school in August. Yes August! Even though I don't get down and busy on the yearbook until after the holidays, I am still brainstorming and submitting ideas for this. The deadline given to us was March 30th. That's tomorrow. I finished the book last week. What a weight off my shoulders. I am so glad it is done! The theme this year is "We Spy Excellence"...Let's just say that I rocked it and I'm not going to be humble about it. I made this book interactive on each page and totally rocked the cover...Check it out...


(You are looking at the front and the back of the cover...it will be folded in half.)

Carly Walks!

Ok, so I would have to go and get my calender to check the actual date that Carly started walking and let's face it, it's Sunday and I feel like being lazy, so I won't tell you the actual date, but I will tell you that she was almost 14 months old (which is my latest walker). It's such a bitter sweet feeling. My baby is growing up and we won't get to experience these stages again. One thing is for sure, I am going to miss her alligator crawl.

Carly has gotten some more teeth, she still climbs on everything including my night stand and the fire place. She loves playing outside and has scrapped up knees to show it. Her hair is curling up in the back but straight on top (a curse given to her from her momma), her language is changing but she still only says two things ("dada" and "uh oh"). She loves to draw and loves to play with her doll house baby. She loves to jump...jump on the bed, jump on the ground and jump on the trampoline. She loves to throw everything, and last but not least, she loves to dance! I turn on music and the girl shakes her bootie (and her head but I think that's more to get herself dizzy than anything else).

California law states that a child must be one AND 20 lbs. for them to be forward facing in a car seat. All my girls had to wait until they were 15 months because they just couldn't get up to 20 lbs. until then...I weighed Carly on my bathroom scale last week and it said that she was 20 lbs. exactly so I went and got the convertable car seat out, cleaned it up, and put her forward facing. A couple days ago, we made a trip to the doctor only to find out that my bathroom scale lies. (I knew it! I don't weigh as much as it said I did...conspiracy I tell you) She weighed in at a little over 17 lbs. She's the size of most 9 month olds...I came home and put her infant car seat back in the car. It's ok, it keeps her a baby longer but I love watching her grow and master all these new things and because she is our last, it is a constant reminder that they are only young for a very short amount of time...Children grow up too quickly. The following is video of Carly's first steps:



Let the Productions Begin...

I've been blessed to have been given many opportunities at the girls' school to film some of the plays that are being produced their. I have done 3 different teachers last year and have and will be doing them again this year. It has proved to be worth the money in the past and hopefully will again this year. The next three months will be filled with Mrs. Booth's THERE'S A RUMPUS IN THE RAINFOREST, Mrs. Johnson's STONE SOUP, and Mrs. Rugg's...well, I'm not sure yet because the students are actually still writing it. I enjoy creating the covers and labels for the DVD's and doing extra things like Soundtracks and Video Montage's...I am so grateful that I have the ability to do these things, make money from it, and still stay home with the kiddos...

Photography...

I have mentioned time and time again that I am not a professional photographer. I enjoy it, but honestly don't think that I would ever want to go into business doing it. With that being said, I enjoy it enough and people think that I am good enough that they have asked for me to do some pictures of their children, grandchildren, and **GASP** Weddings! Imagine the pressure one can be under photographing a wedding when they didn't go to school for the right lighting and such...There are no re-takes! I was able to photograph Patrick's cousin's wedding a few weeks ago and since she got married on one day and then had her reception the next day, I was able to print a few pictures so she could display them at her reception. Imagine my surprise when the lady at photo counter asked to see the copyright release. All I could do was laugh...Me, good enough that you need to see a copyright release...nahhh! So I had to sign a release form so that the "real" photographer couldn't sue them...Apparently this happened with this couple's engagement pictures I took as well. Jessica told me that the photo center asked for a copyright release as well. I think I am going to have to write a note that says something like "To whom it may concern. It has come to my attention that I am a good enough photographer that whomever is printing these photos needs a copyright release from me so that they can pick up the photos ordered without being harassed. I, Rachael Durling, am the taker of these photos and give permission to Jessica, her husband, her mother, her father, her in-laws, her grandparents, her brothers and sisters, her dog, her cat, and even the mouse living outside their house permission to print these photos however and as many as they so please...Seriously..."

Meet Titus...



No, he is NOT our dog, but I named him. My dad brought him home from the pound. He asked the kids what they thought he should name him. Ethan said Sparkle, I said Titus...I immediately texted all my sibling's to tell them that dad had got a new dog and to call him and tell him to name him Titus. One after the other they called my dad saying "I heard you got a new dog and his name is Titus"...The dog is now named Titus. He is a very good dog coming from the pound. He rarely barks and is very tolerant of the kids especially Carly who enjoys stepping on his tail and hitting him on his back (she's really trying to pet him). The best part about Titus is having the luxury of an animal for the kids, but not having to take care of it...

Sickness...

We are currently fighting bronchitis here in the Durling household. I got it first only to pass it along to Carly and then onto Patrick. Patrick has been down all week with it. Carly has also been fighting a double ear infection...Oh what fun it is to take care of a sick family when you yourself is also sick...We are at the tail end of it (cross my fingers). Here's to hoping Malia, Raya and Ethan don't get it now...

Surprises...

The other day I was in the office working when all of a sudden I heard the vacuum cleaner going. The girls were at school and Carly was sleeping...It could have only been Ethan. I went out to the living room to see what was going on and there I found my sweet son vacuuming the living room after he had cleaned it entirely including folding blankets and putting them away...It is surprises like these that help me to know that I am doing a good job raising my kids.

Tests...

I got a letter last month that told me that Malia had taken a test that she passed which titled her as "Gifted and Talented" I already knew that but now the letter made it official :-)...First graders take this test to qualify them for the GATE program. If they pass this test, they then take the SAT10 test to see if they qualify for Rapid Learner (a curriculum accelerated program within their grade). Malia just finished three days of testing and we should get the results soon. If she gets into the Rapid Learner program, she will be basically learning one grade ahead. She will also get many other opportunities that traditional second graders don't get including learning Spanish...We'll see what happens in the next few months.

Spring Cleaning...

My oh my...wherever do I begin...yesterday, Patrick and I spend 10.5 hours cleaning the garage. We have "Bulky Trash Pick-Up Day" on Tuesday and thought it was time to get rid of the broken toilet, broken water heater, old high chair and some other big items we had stored in our garage...We also are saying goodbye to our old couches that we've had for 5.5 years now. They've had a good life, but it is time to say good-bye. Saying goodbye to an old couch means I got to say Hello to a new one...A BRAND NEW one...this is the first time in our married life that we have had a brand new, out of the cardboard and plastic factory wrapped box, no other random people's ooooie goooie bodily stuff on it, couch...We have a new rule in our house...No stinky, dirty feet or food allowed near the couch...so far, so good. I also found treasures in the garage...My grandfather's life history. His actual hand written life history..not the photocopy that I've seen a few times. I found my grandfather's flag that was draped over his coffin at his funeral and...all of my sibling's school stuff including birthday cards given and other mementos my mother kept. I found things that I drew when I was in the same grades my kids are in...I am going to have a hay day going through all that stuff and putting them into the computer so that I can make some cool Christmas gifts for my siblings...

Twilight...

Ok, so I am admitting to having Obsessive Cullen Disorder...I mean really...who else goes out and buys the DVD the day it comes out and watches it ten times in one week after blogging about how they hated it...I'm not a psychiatrist, but I don't need to be one to know that I am completely addicted...*sigh*

Wiinitus...

We got a Wii..No, it's more like...WE GOT A WII...my husband rocks...and is trying very hard not to get mad because he can't beat me in Tennis...hence, the wiinitus...my wrist HURTS...but it's worth it seeing Patrick bite his tongue and try his hardest not to throw the remote when I kick his butt...The week after we got the Wii...my sweet husband bought me the WiiFit...Oh nelly...another battle began with the headbutting soccer balls...

Lastly, but surely not least...

A Reliable Internet Connection...

I could use the excuse that our Internet really had been sucking and worked whenever it wanted to for the reason I haven't been blogging, and truthfully, it was about 5% why I haven't blogged lately. I wasn't planning on posting anything about switching our Internet connection over because our old connection really sucked, but after uploading the video and all the pictures to this post, I couldn't help but say something...What a difference...It was super fast...which is how I need things to roll these days...

So there you have it, Everything and the Kitchen Sink...Life is hectic but good. Things are getting put back to normal slowly, but they are coming along. I know that my posts have been few and far between, but I am dedicated...In fact..I think I am going to do something that I saw on my cousin in law's blog at one point...I am going to make a goal to post something every day for the month of April... so check back...until then...peace out!

Blogging Withdrawels

I know that you are super excited to see a different post from me because you are having serious Rachael withdrawals...I hate to bring you down from your high, but this post is to just let you know that 1. I'm still alive. and 2. I'm having withdrawals too. Blogging hasn't been far from my mind, but more important things are showing their silly faces and it keeps being pushed further and further back. I promise I'll return shortly...My life is slowly turning back to normal...in the meantime, know that I haven't forgotten about you...I'll be back soon :-)

Something to Post

I feel like I need to post something. Quite frankly it's because I am a tad bit embarrassed of my previous post. I mean, is it really blog worthy? I guess to some people it is, but to me, I honestly don't know why I wasted my time.

I actually have quite a few things to blog about I just haven't had a chance to really sit down and do it the way that I want to. I guess I should just for warn you that there will be another lengthy post coming up soon.

I am a pretty observant person. I am always constantly watching and looking and possibly staring. I get to see all sorts of stuff. I was walking in to the church the other night and this is what caught my eye...



I guess I am just drawn to anything "Cullen" these days. I immediately thought that I have got to get me one of those, but then I thought about it a little and realized that I actually don't drive like a Cullen and should probably just put it on Patrick's car...without him knowing...