Update

Thought I'd give a quick glimpse into the lives among we Riches'

Todd is still plugging away at his business.  Things have slowed down a lot, which always makes us nervous.  Especially when the bills start stacking up.  However, we've been through this every month for the last 7 months and right at that moment where I feel the shingles coming on and Todd is getting cranky, a client pays Todd for the work he's done, and it just-so-happens to be the very amount we need to pay the remainder of the bills.

We are both too scared to ever STOP paying our tithing, for this has been a testament to us that if we pay our meager tithes, we will be watched over and taken care of.  I have stopped doing the monthly "budget" because it NEVER adds up and only frustrates us.  We don't bring in enough income to cover the bills and the kids needs, but when it all comes down to it, we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our kids and delicious food on the table, and only one way to explain it.

Todd is also teaching a REVIT class at the Community College Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  It's so great that he gets to be here and help me get the kids all settled into bed before he goes.  That's one area where we have all been spoiled, is having Todd around so often.  I was joking with Todd today about some people having to adjust to being home with their spouse after retirement.  I rather like it, so it wouldn't be too much of an adjustment for us.

I am mommying.  Sometimes I am really hard on myself, and sometimes I need to be hard on myself.  There is always room for improvement.  I can spend too much time on-line, making cards or reading books.  Then when I am on-line, especially on Pinterest, and I see all of these super cute monthly activities my friends pin and I am CERTAIN that they do every single one of them with their kids, cuz I see pics of them on their blogs a week later, I feel even more as a failure.  I didn't make a green breakfast for my kids on St. Patty's, no leprechaun's hid gold around our house and I was lucky that I even had some kind of clothing with green on them clean for the kids to wear.

My saving grace has been the Zumba classes I have been teaching.  I get such a high from dancing with the ladies and knowing that I have gotten a good work-out for the day.  My physical results aren't what I had hoped for.  With the increase in age, I know that there are even more changes that I need to make.  It used to be that I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and barely worked out at all.  Now I do Zumba 5 days a week and haven't lost a dadgum pound and my bum cheeks still clap together when jumping around.  I suppose it's time to step up my game a bit and change my eating habits, do I dare cut out my daily dose of Diet Soda?  I need to start running too, but when?  I don't know.  I have 4 kids under the age of 7 at home.  Yes, I know Todd works from home, but he is working.  I can't abandon him with the kids in the hopes that he will have to rush off to a client meeting or take an important phone call.

I was recently released from the Primary Presidency and put in as the ward chorister.  I have mixed feelings about the change, but know, without a doubt, that this will be much better for our family.  Todd is the Young Men's President and as he puts it, I am too.  We are busy planning the ward's Youth Conference and having so much fun doing it together.  I am so anxious to see how their "Amazing Race" turns out this summer.

Connor has a whole new group of big teeth growing in.  It is so hard to understand the boy when he talks, because everything is so slurred together.  And he complains that he can only eat on one side of his mouth because he is missing so many big teeth.  I am a little worried about him.  He has some interesting quirks that I wonder if other kids see at school and think it marks him as weird (think of that one little boy on the show, "The Middle."  Then again, I would much rather have a weird kid who sees choices as black and white and wants to do anything but make the wrong choice and constantly do "transformer hands" and obsess over video games than a kid who wants to impress the crowd and make choices that will make life harder for him (and me).  I can be so hard on him when he makes a wrong choice or does something mean because it is so out of character for him.  I feel so blessed to have Connor in our family, he is always planning FHE and reminding us to have it, can be found in his room reading and cross-referencing a Friend magazine with his scriptures or the picture Book of Mormon.  I'm not fit to be this kids mother.

Abi, on the other hand, is a crowd pleaser and has a hard time making a choice on her own.  She will easily follow the crowd.  She informed me recently that she doesn't want to dance any more. So we pulled her out of her dance lessons (I suppose she is capable of making some choices on her own).  She keeps telling us that she wants to do gymnastics or soccer.  Hopefully we can get her into one of those soon so she can try it out.  Since starting preschool in the Fall, Abi has already started reading and I love hearing her try to spell out words and sound out every sign she sees.  She is also a whiz at math and after Connor leaves for school in the morning, she will find his Rocket Math worksheet and attempt to do the problems on her own, even asking me to time her!

Carly Belle has remained in dance, as the world is her stage and she must constantly be moving or singing or something.  I think she and I are very similar in that respect.  The joyful little tease does everything in her power to egg Dakota on to get a squeal out of him.  Carly lives in an imaginary world and I love listening to her play school by herself and carry on as though there is a full room of children listening to her every word.  I know what it is like to live in her head, and I hope she stays there...for a long time....and doesn't let anyone make her feel like her constant happiness and joy is a bother.  Those people are just jealous.  Sometimes, I think I can be one of those jealous ones.  Being an adult bites.

Lastly is our Tiny Todd.  This kid is a crack up and COMPLETELY different than the other four, especially his older brother.  When you picture a little boy, Dakota is IT.  Stinky, dirty, silly, rowdy, noisy, naughty...but he can cuddle your more than any of my other babies did, make your heart melt with his smile and sing along with the radio at the top of his lungs.  Turn on Adele next time you see him to prove it!

So as you can see, we are plugging along.  We are happy together, we don't have any money, but we are so rich.