February's Lost and Founds

I love being an activity days leader!  Rachel is in my group which makes it even better.  The girls are at a fun age and are pretty easy to please.... thank goodness.  We had a "pink" table manners activity in February.  Everything was pink.... cupcakes, drinks, candy, ice cream.  I felt bad I filled them up on goodies right before dinner, but hopefully they didn't snitch on me when their parents wondered why they wouldn't eat!

Kaden played on an indoor soccer team this winter.  Unfortunately, they lost every game, but he says he still had fun.  I say they did pretty darn good for never having a single practice!  Kaden prefers defense and he did a great job! 

Helloooooo...... Eliza?  It took me a minute to figure out where she was!  Oh yes, the bathroom cabinet.  Why didn't I think of that?!

Two years worth of our "family history".  And that, my friends, is why I blog.  I had layout issues, though.  Something didn't get saved right so when I opened the package and looked at my books, the covers didn't look like how I had designed them..... but I'm not about to pay for new ones.  I will live with it.  (Deep breaths, deep breaths...)

Eliza knows how to get around in style!  All she has to do is crawl to the doll stroller, say "A-a-a-a" and someone will put her in it and take her for a spin.  I have a feeling when it warms up a bit more we'll be taking many walks, multiple times a day.

She's happy to just hang out in the stroller too.  We've gone through two or three other strollers with the other girls.... I give this one a couple more weeks before something rips, tears, or breaks off!  (Hopefully not while Eliza is in it!)

Haley got a really bad cold (probably RSV) and would actually sit still long enough to take a nap!  Of course, I hated that she was sick, but that girl is go, go, go.  It was kind of nice to cuddle her and peek at her sleeping.

In this picture she was jibber jabbing to herself and then it was suddenly silent.  I covered her with a blanket and she slept for a couple hours.

And maybe, just maybe I'll stay caught up instead of cramming things into one post AND maybe I'll use my real camera in March.... maybe.

Job Chart

I made a job chart a couple months ago.  It worked really well for the first two weeks, BUT it required me to switch out jobs daily and I just don't keep up on it like I should.  The kids don't mind doing their jobs when they have a chart.... for the most part.... but I just never have them all sorted and ready anymore.  Instead, now I just tell them what to do and that makes the whining and refusing easier for them.  Then I start raising my voice and our happy little home becomes a not-so-happy place to be.  I thought my job chart was helping me simplify, but it ended up complicating my life.  Then I came across this free website www.myjobchart.com.  I think my life will forever be changed!

You customize it to meet your family's needs.  Each child has their own job chart (manged by you).  They login and check off their completed jobs.  Each completed job can have a point or monetary value if you want (totally determined by you).  It keeps a running total so you and your child know exactly how much they've earned.  You can set it up so they can see what rewards they can earn like cash, toys, vacations, outings, etc.. You can even print off the week's job chart if you need a hard copy to remind you what everyone should be doing.  It also frees up space... no more charts hanging on the fridge, wall, bulletin board.  I just set mine up today so we'll see how well it works for us, but I'm optimistic it will be what I was searching for.  I'll let you know how it goes and I would love to hear from you if you have tried this (or something similar) or are going to try it.

{heart} Day

Remember last year's valentines?  I do.  (They still haunt me!)

I didn't want to make that same mistake and I am not sleep deprived this time around (that was my excuse last year- I had a newborn.) so I made the kids their own.  That way I know exactly what the sentiment says.  We just cut them out, the kids wrote their names on them, stapled the candy to the back and done!

I always loved it as a child when my mom had a little something for us on special holidays so I've been trying to do the same.  Nate and I (well, who are we kidding?  It was all me, but Nate and I are a team so he gets credit, too) gave the kids a little valentine's gift for family home evening.  I told them our love for them "grows and grows" every day.  Inside was a pot and strawberry seeds to plant along with some "dirt" (whoppers and jr. mints) and worms (the gummy type!).  The kids had fun watching the flat pellet grow into potting soil.  Now they're all planted waiting in the kitchen window to grow.... oh how I hope they grow.... the kids were so excited the next morning wondering if they had grown overnight.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Nate and I went out on an early valentine's date Friday since he was going to be out of town on Valentine's Day.  We decided to surprise each other with a $20 gift.  I must say it was fun to have a gift all wrapped and official like.  We never really do much for Valentine's Day so it was a nice change.  I know a lot of people don't like being "forced" to show their love, but I say if you have a good excuse, take advantage of it!  We went out for sushi....

Yes, that's our meal.  It was delicious, but I am a sushi weakling.  I can't eat more than 1 1/2 rolls.  2 and I'm toast!  It has taken me a few years to like it and now I find myself craving it.  And looking at this picture makes me want to run and get some right now!  One thing I like about going out for sushi is you can have a good conversation while eating it.  It seems a bit more intimate.  Maybe because you're sharing food, I don't know.  It's just different than your typical restaurant experience.... at least for me.

So now that I have given you my sushi philosophy there was one more thing on my mind about Valentine's Day.  When I was at the store getting the candy for the kids classes I over heard a grumpy husband talking to his wife and it made me sad.  She said in a very sweet way, "Should we get the kids a little something for Valentine's Day?"  He gruffly and very indignantly said, "NO!  They don't need anything."  Then they walked off to the checkout stand.  My heart broke a little for that family.  Maybe he was just having a bad day or was tired of Wal-mart (I don't blame him if they had been there for a while and still had to wait in the Saturday night lines... shoot me now!), but all the wife wanted was to do something a little special for their kids and he was so rude about it.  Made me grateful for my dear husband who doesn't always understand me, but always shows his love for me and our children.  That's all.  I'm done now. :)

Man Crush

My husband isn't the only guy who develops a man crush now and then, is he?  He is working in Texas this week and so happens to be doing work for a lady whose husband is an FBI agent, but maybe not your run-of-the-mill agent.  More like super awesome, save the world, if what he's doing hits the news media he totally screwed up agent.  Nate is in heaven.  I think he met the guy once months back.  He asked her in joking if he has done a background check on them (Nate and all the guys he works with) and she said, "Probably."  Not that they have anything to hide.... unless you count, well, let's not go there. ;) (I'm totally joking.  They are spic 'n' span guys.)   He also told her to tell him he wants to read his memoirs when he's all done saving the world, even if it's when Nate's 82.  I knew he liked the whole mysterious, secret agent type books and movies, but seriously?!  I really hope Nate doesn't have a career change in mind!!

Lake

Last Saturday we went to Utah Lake with some friends to let the kids walk on the ice and feed the ducks.  I was a bit hesitant at first to step foot on the the frozen harbor.  I've never had a desire to walk on a frozen lake and images of it cracking and someone falling in were all too vivid in my mind.  I'm pretty sure our friends thought I was a freak (for lack of a better word).  The kids took off onto the ice and left Nate in their dust.... uh-uh, no way!  I had to bring out "mother bear" and tell (yell, holler, scold) them (and Nate) to stay close to each other.  Then I finally meandered my way to them.  Of course, it was fine and no one fell in, but the thought of it was always right there.  They all loved playing with the buoys.  Pushing them in as far as they could then letting go.  Rachel said she was a little nervous the whole time.... she must be my daughter.  I used to be rather fearless, though.  Not so much anymore.... sometimes a good thing, sometimes not.

See?  I had reason for concern.  A big, huge crack in the ice you're trusting your childrens' life with.  (Okay, fine that was a bit dramatic.)  :)


Feeding the ducks was much less stress.  There was a really cool black swan.  It was the favorite.  Then the geese decided to show up after a while.  They were loud and rather greedy.  Honk!  Honk!  But it was a beautiful day and a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Today's Joy

What?  A joy?  Did you think I forgot about my joys of the day?  Well, I kind of did, but I have a cute one for today.  Of course, bear in mind that I am the mom and I think a lot of what my kids say and do is cute.  This little conversation was between me and Haley this morning.  She's been labeling everyone boy or girl lately.  She must have just caught on to the whole gender thing.... mostly anyway.
 
Haley: "Mom's a girl.  Liza's a girl.  Haley's a girl."
Mom: "What's Dad?"
Haley: "A boy."
Mom: "What's Tye?"
Haley: "He's a buddy."