"CODE YELLOW!"

Please, someone tell me that you relate to this. Or at least tell me that I'm not a horrible mother. Bad, maybe. Crazy, very possible, but please... not horrible. So, here's the story:

It's Spring Recess, which means that my kids have school off. Yesterday, we played and went to a movie. Today, however, I had to run a few errands. Easter is rapidly approaching and I needed a few last things. So Parker, Macy and I venture off to run to a few stores leaving Summer and Aubrey home watching the Disney Channel. Perfect!

So, we filled up the tank with gas (which seriously hurt my bank account), made a Costco run (complete with treats on the way out) and then went to Target. As we are getting ready to leave Target, we decide to look at some shoes. Now, anyone who knows Macy at all knows that she is not one to sit still. So, she is trying on shoes and having a grand old time. Parker wants me to look at something, so I leave Macy on the cart (it's one of those 2-seater carts) with instructions to sit still and i walk over to Parker while he shows me a pair of shoes. When i return about 20 seconds later, Macy is nowhere to be seen. "Macy", I begin calling. She's probably trying on more shoes. "Macy", i keep calling, searching every shoe isle. Nowhere. Okay, she has wandered off... typical. So I enlist Parker's help and now we are both looking for her around the shoe isle. "Macy"! At this point, it has only been about 1 minute, but i see an employee and decide to enlist her help as well. Another set of eyes couldn't hurt.

Me (calmly): "Um, excuse me... could you just help me look for my little girl? She was just here a second ago and has just wandered off."

Her (frantically): runs to the next nearest Target employee and grabs her walkie-talkie and proceeds to proclaim for all employees and nearby shoppers to hear, "CODE YELLOW... I repeat CODE YELLOW! We have a Code Yellow in shoes. All available employees to shoes!"

Within about 3.2 seconds (seriously - it was that fast) there are about 12-14 employees now searching for my child. How embarrassing! They start asking me questions like 'How old is she?', 'What color is her hair?' and 'What is she wearing? Before i could finish the interrogation, here comes a superviser guy telling me to follow him to Guest Services. But just then someone exclaims "WE GOT HER!" So they reluctantly hand her over to me (with their judging eyes, I'm sure), watching for my reaction. Am i going to beat her? Hug her? Cry with joy? (Actually it was none of the above). So, the crowd dispersed and i was left with my little run-away. We had a little talk where i gave her the "you have to listen to mommy and stay in the cart" speech. Which, incidentally, is the same one I give just about every (bleepity-bleep) time I shop with this girl. And don't even get me started on the seat belts in shopping carts - I gave up on those long ago! So, where was she? Hiding in lingerie, about 5 feet from the shoe department. She even heard me calling her name and just didn't respond. Tell me, what am I supposed to do with that?

So, how horrible of a mother am I? C'mon, give it to me straight up... I can take it. Let me have it. I'm sure I deserve it!

So, there was my joyful afternoon of running errands and losing my child. And after all of that I forgot to buy the Easter ham! I really am losing it! But I have to say that while I think that Target over-reacted (or maybe I just under-reacted), i was EXTREMELY impressed with the way they handled the situation. They were on it like a fly on, well, you know. Had it been a real emergency, they would've been prepared. I'm just glad they didn't go straight to lock-down mode. Now, THAT would've been embarrassing! Moral of the story: Think twice before asking an employee for help. Or the obvious... don't take your eyes off of your children in the first place.

On a lighter note, here are some cute pictures of the kids eating their favorite lunch of Top Ramen. We've had it at least 3 times this week! Mmmm, sloppy good!

Tagged (a bit late)!

This is a tag from a few weeks ago, but it was a fun one and i didn't have anything exciting to post about anyway.

5 Things I Did Today:
1. Had lunch with my husband (Carls Jr.).
2. Arranged playdates for 3 out of 4 of my children.
3. Did 3 loads of laundry.
4. Worked out at the gym.
5. Made a dinner that did not require the microwave... with steamed broccoli and all.

5 Things I Need To Do:
1. 3 more loads of laundry and put above 3 loads away.
2. Taxes (ugh!)
3. Finish painting garage.
4. Take dog in for shots and haircut.
5. Plan YW lesson

5 Places I've lived:
1. Portland, OR
2. Fountain Valley, CA
3. Provo, UT
4. Draper, UT
5. Sandy, UT

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Taking care of my 1-year old Parker and pregnant with Summer.
2. Putting in a yard at our old house... all by ourselves.
3. Probably mopping that stupid white tile kitchen floor (i hated that floor).
4. Taxes (ugh!)
5. Doing lots of scrapbooking. My, how times have changed!

5 of my Bad Habits/Qualities
1. I tend to underestimate the time it takes to do things. This sometimes (okay, often) makes me late.
2. I procrastinate... big time!
3. I buy too much "stuff" - especially if it's on sale.
4. I am stubborn and hate to apologize first (just ask Steve).
5. How about you tell me... it's always enlightening to get another point of view :)

5 Things People Might Not Know About Me:
1. I like to read self-help books.
2. I wish I would've gone to beauty school.
3. I don't regret anything I did in life, only things I did not do.
4. I sometimes dance when I'm by myself. The music just takes me over!
5. I have a weird ability to memorize numbers.

5 Things I'll Do If I Strike It Rich:
1. Go on a phatty vacation with my family!
2. Buy a new car - one without a mouse living in it.
3. Put aside money for college and weddings.
4. Do an Aly overhaul, if you know what i mean.
5. Buy all of you new cars (hey I'm rich, why not?)

I tag anyone who reads this and feels so inclined to let us get to know you better! Have a great day!

Cute Pictures

Jennifer posted some great pictures of our Heber trip on her blog. To view them go to reesmemories.blogspot.com or just click on Rees under my friends and family list.

I Love Heber and "I'M RUNNING AWAY!"

Part One: I Love Heber

Jennifer and Craig and their 3 adorable kids came for a visit this weekend so we went to Heber for one night. Oh, how I love Heber. It's such a getaway. Here are some things i love about Heber:

1. The house! The house is absolutely beautiful and set up in such a way that we all get our own rooms - including the kids (the bunkroom). It's large enough to where you never feel crowded, yet cozy enough to just sit and sit for hours. We hang out mostly in the kitchen, where we are constantly grazing on Rebecca's goodies and pouring never-ending Diet Cokes.

2. The company! I love spending time with the various family members who come in for long visits or even just for dinner. We can talk for hours about everything from current events to whose blogs you just have to read. It's adult conversation and for me, it's great!

3. The entertainment! For the girls, this usually means the outlets. For the boys, it's snowboarding or 4-wheeling or shooting BB guns. I got in a little shopping yesterday and found some cute things at my new favorite store, Aeropostale. For the kids, there is never a lack of something to do. There's always sledding, games galore, dress-ups, electric Jeeps and Hummers, cousins and so much more. Entertained kids means a break for momma :) Usually spent catching up on my celebrity gossip and lounging in my PJ's way too long.

4. The food! Okay, for those of you who know Rebecca you know that she is a phenomenal cook. So great that my kids told me she makes Top Ramen better than me. No really, they asked me to get "her" recipe because it was so much better than mine. Her dinners are always amazing (i must've eaten a full pound of her meatloaf on Sat. night) and even better, she truly enjoys feeding her family. Again, this momma gets a break. And i can't forget to mention her breakfasts. She is the alltime, number one short-order cook for breakfast. So much so, that if she's making bacon but one of her grandkids wants ham , she probably entertains the idea of sending Chuck to the store for some ham (he would do it too, anything to keep the grandkids - and his wife - happy). She wants everyone to feel special... and full. Mission accomplished!

5. The beds! Heavenly Beds, move over. These beds are sooo comfy. Maybe that's why i sleep in every time I am there :) Well, that and the fact that Macy goes to Marmie's bed in the morning instead of mine. And that's just fine with me!

Anyway, i could go on and on, but let's just say we always have a great time in Heber. So thanks, Marmie and Poppy, for moving so close and for making Heber a special place for all of us. What a blessing to be a part of this great family!

Part Two: "I'M RUNNING AWAY!"

Okay, sooo funny. Tonight we were visiting with our dear friends and neighbors, the McDougals, where they gave each of our girls a chocolate gold coin in honor of St. Patrick's Day tomorrow (Lori is a holiday nut). Since we hadn't had dinner yet (they were hoping for said Ramen noodles above), we kindly collected them and told them to wait until after dinner to eat them. Fair enough, right? In the meantime Steven proceeded to eat Summer's chocolate coin without even thinking... or so he says. This upset Summer - apparently she REALLY wanted that chocolate coin. She ran home in tears, and was unable to control herself - I'm talkin' screaming, flailing, gnashing of teeth out of control. When i told her to either get control of herself or to go to her room, she got up and declared, "I'm running away!" I told her i would miss her as she shut the door behind her. She was gone, and i was... well, laughing. She proceeded to run down the street and stayed there for about 15 minutes (mind you it was about 25 degrees outside). The older neighbor lady even came out to see if she needed help. What she must think of her parents! Then, I kid you not, Aubrey asked if she could have Summer's room since she was running away. I laughed hysterically. Steven finally went and apologized and promised to get her another gold coin, so Summer came home and all was well with the world again. The kids got Hot Pockets for dinner (I know, pretty pathetic) and they were off to bed. Oh, the power of gold!!! Too, too funny. I'm sure it won't be the last running away episode we deal with... not with the estrogen going on in this house over the next few years. Are you sure I wasn't meant to have all boys???

Again, i forgot my camera. I will start taking more pictures soon, i promise! But Jennifer took some cute pictures of the girls with Marmie and Poppy after they went to church. I'll post those when i get them from her. Have a great day everyone!!!

FINALLY... A NEW POST!!!

Okay, first let me apologize for how long it's been since i last posted. I realize that you are all sick of the "Bad Hair Day" post. It wasn't all that great of a post to begin with. I don't even have any good excuses... just been doing too much lately. What have you been doing, you ask? Well, let me tell you:

1. Karen's baby shower - Alisa, Jennifer, Summer Sheets and I threw a baby shower for Karen last Saturday at my house. We served yummy Cafe Rio-style taco salads, fruit, cheesecake and pie. We even threw in a little 'Martha Stewart' and made up some fancy, homemade decorated rice-krispy treats for a party favor. I was quite impressed with our abilities to put everything together. So, I spent a good part of the week cleaning... as if anyone is even going to notice that my baseboards in the dining room were clean. I realize I have issues (thanks, mom!) It didn't help that the one time i hire a cleaning lady, she leaves unexpectedly after 90 minutes. Hey, at least my shower got a good cleaning. Do you think the guests noticed that, too? (Like i said... issues!) But I can't wait to meet Karen's new baby girl due on the 29th (Kate???)


2. Parker's Birthday - my sweet little boy turned 11 last week. We went out to dinner (his choice) on the actual day with Marmie, Poppy and Aunt Karen (remind me never to eat at an Asian Buffet again). Then he had a boy/girl late-over party at our house on Sat. night. They played the Wii, watched a movie, ate pizza and listened to music REALLY loudly. They even did a little dancing, but when i joined in, i was told i was "embarrassing him". It's finally happened... i embarrass my own kids. Give me a moment to wipe away the tears :("


3. Re-doing my downstairs bathroom - I spent a couple of late nights (as in 3:30am - when else can i work with no interruptions?) re-painting the beadboard and re-wallpapering my main floor half bath so it could be done before above said baby shower. I painted the beadboard a cream color and then glazed it with a brownish glaze. I did the same to the inside of the door. Then I stripped the old wallpaper (what a pain) and re-wallpapered a really cool pattern that goes well with my family room. It was one of those projects that I thought would take a lot less time than it actually did. But I'm really happy with how it turned out. Next time you stop by and take a pee at my house, please do take notice :)


4. Painting and organizing my garage - yes, to answer your question, i AM psychotic. As if a garage really NEEDS painting! But i did it anyway to make it look... well... less garagey. We got 4 white storage cabinets which we are calling lockers for each one of the kids. Their snow gear and a few toys fit perfectly inside. Then i had to re-paint the door to go with the new color of the garage. Remember, psychotic! I hear recognizing the problem is the first step to recovery...

5. Craft room - this has turned out to be an ongoing project, but I DID get the room painted and everything is back in the room ready to be put away. Unfortunately, that's the hardest part. Will take pictures when I'm done.

6. Visiting with Mom - my mom came in for a long weekend visit about two weeks ago. It's always fun to hang out with her no matter what we are doing. She is the MASTER of home improvement projects so i love to bounce ideas off of her. And, by the way, she looks absolutely fabulous. She's lost a few pounds (which she didn't really need to do), and just looks super great!!! Love you, mom!

7. Kids and dog - as if the previous 6 items were not enough, i do have 4 kids and a dog to tend to. Parker is getting really into girls and friends. We went to the "maturation program" with him at school last week (i.e. sex ed). Steve and I only laughed about half the time. Parker covered his eyes anytime the guy put up a new overhead. It was quite entertaining. Summer is busy with basketball on Saturdays and Sparta soccer training during the week. She will be my sports' girl. Aubrey puts on make-up and my high heels any chance she gets. She loved hanging out with the older kids at Parker's party. I'm worried for the teenage years. And Macy, oh Macy. She took scissors to her third article of clothing yesterday - aaahhh! She also tells anyone within earshot that "boys have armpits and girls don't". What she actually means is that boys have armpit HAIR and girls don't. Why that is important to her right now is beyond me! And then there's the damn dog. No, he is not in my good graces right now. He chewed my shoes (see picture), STILL pees and poops in the house, runs out the door and far, far away anytime the door opens and still bites and scratches Macy (although she deserves it with the way she treats him). Life is complicated enough without the dog to contribute. But he IS really cute and the kids love him. Okay, and i do too, a little. So I guess he's staying. So, THAT'S life at the Ellis house.

What's up next for me, you ask? Well, I really need to concentrate on working out and eating healthy. Alisa is my inspiration - she looked so great. And bathing suit season is right around the corner and let's just say, things aren't pretty right now. Also, our Stake Pres. challenged our stake to read the Book of Mormon by September. It's been a while, so i think i will take that challenge. If anyone wants to join me we can do it together and lean on each other for support. That always helps.

Well, there it is. Wow, i feel like I've just been to a shrink. It feels so good to let it all out. And I promise not to go that long between posts again. Blogging is definitely a great way to feel connected. Hope you are all doing well. And if you're not, then post it on your blog... i want to read ALL the juicy details :)

Aly