Sweet Dreams

Sometimes I wish I could just settle down right where I am and take a quick cat nap.  If only she would do this on a daily basis....no such luck.

Walking... well almost

Eliza started to take a few steps this month.  We help her get her balance, she takes a few steps then she either loses her balance or gets silly and plops down.  All my other kids walked at 12 months.  She is 15 months so I feel like she's way behind, but she'll "get it" soon.  She is always so proud of herself when she does it.  I mean, look at that smile....

She also loves to stand up in her highchair.  The strap is lost so buckling her in isn't an option.  Luckily she doesn't climb more than this.... yet.

Whatever it was she ate sure looks like it was yummy!

Mini-Vacation

Nate and I took the kids to the Zermatt Resort in Midway for one night.  (Thanks to Nate's uncle for the hook-up.)  They got to miss school and swim.... what more can a child ask for???  The pool was NOT warm the night we arrived.  Eliza started crying when her foot touched the water so we spent most our time wading our feet in the hot tub.  When we came back to the room the kids filled up the tub to get some more "swim" time in.  The next morning Nate took them swimming again and he said the pool was much warmer.  I'm glad they were able to enjoy it before we left.

Rachel was in dire need of new clothes.  She's growing like a weed and her taste in clothes is changing.  (Can you say Tween?!)  So we did some shopping in Park City.  Nate and the 4 youngest kids sat in the car and watched a movie while Rachel and I got our shop on.  It was fun.  I did go over the movie time by about a half hour so Nate was DONE.  I felt bad, but we got some fun things so it was worth torturing Nate for bit. :)  I have to say, sometimes those 24 hour mini-vacations are just as great as the week long ones.... sorta.

Busy Bee

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day isn't really on our radar around here.  I mean, yes, we wear green and usually our breakfast has something colored green, but leprechauns don't visit and leave goodies.  My kids always wonder why and I never have a good reason.  I don't think they are scarred for life so it's okay.  That's what I tell myself anyway.  The tooth fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa are about all this household (ahem... the chief executive officer.... a.k.a. Mom) can handle.  This year we had green eggs and green pancakes.

I bought myself a green shirt for the day tyring to be more festive than usual.  Usually I'm scrounging through my closet trying to find a green shirt that will actually pass as "green".  So we took a quick picture before school.

The kids also had their Arts Festival after school on St. Patrick's Day.  They decorated 2 liter sodas for the soda pop walk.  I thought they were very creative.  I heard Tye's kind of fell apart by the time he got it to school.  I guess I should have had him use more tape and glue!  I hope it still looked sort of like a mummy for whoever won it.  Rachel made the gumball machine and Kaden's was the ninja.  They were so excited to participate in the soda pop walk at the Arts Festival, but none of them won one.  They were bummed about that.

 

Rachel sang in the school chorus for 10 minutes or so then she got her face painted with Haley.  We walked through the "wax museum".  I couldn't believe how still those kids sat there.  They were dressed up as different influential people from the past.  Eliza was fine for the first few minutes, but then something or someone scared her and she cried and buried her head in my shoulder.  I can see how it could put off a creepy vibe for her.  Our kids molded some clay and painted a little then we left.  I only bought 11 tickets and that hour it took to use them up was plenty long for me and Nate.  Some people had 30+ tickets.... I was probably a cheapskate, I guess.  It was a school fundraiser so maybe I should have been more supportive, but do you ever feel like you're constantly donating money for this or that?  Hopefully my $8 contribution helped. :)

To end on a St. Patrick's Day note.... Tye no longer calls it "Thanks" Patrick's Day.  I am sad about that.  I guess I'll have to thrive on Haley's and Eliza's mispronunciations of words.

Bobblehead

Tye came home from a birthday party with the pinata.  He said it was broken open by the first kid in line.  I guess that would explain how the majority of it was intact.  He somehow pursuaded them to let him keep it.  He cut out eye holes and went around for a week with a baseball bobblehead!  I tried to throw it out (it was making a mess of little white and red paper everywhere), but he saw it in the trash and got it out.  I think Nate succeeded last week, though.  I haven't seen it and Tye hasn't asked about it.

Correction

Apparently Goldie (the dead goldfish) is really named Orangey.... my bad.  Rachel informed me of this this morning.

March Came In Like a.....

Lamb in the world of weather.  Nice and pleasant.  But inside our house it felt more like a lion....

This little lady was really sick all last week.  The doctor said it was RSV and on top of it she had ear infections. With her tubes in place she was an oozing mess for a few days.  It was really sad.  She got put on an antibiotic and breathing treatments and then started to perk up.  She hardly ate any solid food for a week.  Luckily she would drink so we fed her that way and she stayed hydrated.  I didn't get much done and got behind on most things, but I was able to do a lot of snuggling so I guess that makes up for it. :)  The doll stroller was the one place I could set her and she wouldn't automatically start crying.  It was nice to use both arms freely for a few minutes!  Today she's back to her happy self.

Goldie died.  I discovered him belly up while the kids were at piano lessons.  I noticed his water was rather murky.  (I had just cleaned it less than a week before.)  And then I saw him.  It startled me and I distinctly remember gasping.

We had a brief funeral in the bathroom.  Poor Goldie.  He lasted about 9 months.  That's a record around here.  Kaden brought him home on the last day of school.... who gives LIVING creatures as prizes without parental consent, pray tell?!  (I'm a stickler when it comes to pets.  I'm not a zookeeper.  Although, sometimes I wonder if I'm raising human children or something entirely different!)

Haley has started to be a bit naughty again. I'm not sure what triggers it, but my fridge, I'm sure, did nothing to offend her.

And then it gets TOO quiet and I discover Eliza's whole dresser unloaded on the floor.  (Eliza is not happy I'm just standing there not even picking her up.  I mean, seriously, how rude could I be?!)

Really Random Thoughts

My mom watched my kids so I could go to my ward's Relief Society meeting tonight. Brad Wilcox was the speaker and I loved what he taught us. He gave us some really good insights to ponder and to apply to our lives. It was a much needed break for me. I have been kind of grumpy for a couple days so I feel much better now.

I just signed off one of my kids' folders and realized school is 2/3 of the way over, done, finished.... can't wait for summer! Last summer was a bummer. This summer is going to be the exact opposite of bummer. Of course, I'm not in charge of life, but I'm excited to try to do the "normal" summer things instead of sitting in doctors offices half the time. I guess I should bite my tongue. Nate's jaw surgery is up in the air.  (His orthodontist says there's a possibility he won't need surgery.... yay! But we won't know for sure for a couple months.) And he's getting a second opinion on his eyes and their problems so we'll see what happens with that....  ugh! Forget I said anything. I am happy with life right now as it is. I feel a bit guilty and selfish wishing for complete "normalcy". At bedtime tonight Kaden was asking about marriage and temples. So I explained that we get married in the temple so we can be married for time and all eternity. That even when our spouse dies they are still our husband/wife, but those who don't get married in the temple after they die aren't married anymore and can't be with the person they love. (It's not like I've never taught my kids this stuff.  In one ear out the other, I guess. I didn't go into the work for the dead.... another day.) Kaden got teary and asked how things would be if Nate hadn't survived his motorcycle accident and if he'd still be his daddy....  my heart broke. I hate that my kids have to have thoughts like that. I know death is a part of this life. No one can escape it, but my babies shouldn't have to worry about their daddy not being around for them. I definitely have a better appreciation for each simple day, poopy diapers and all. :)

On a funnier note, Tye asked me to tell him stories about my childhood.  So I started telling him about kindergarten.  I told him my teacher's name was Mrs. Butler.  Then went on telling him about a playhouse that was in the kindergarten room and the huge blocks we could build with and climb on.  I told him about the two boys who would each kiss me on a cheek then run to the back of the line at recess.  (He giggled, but said he doesn't do stuff like that.)  Then he said in all seriousness, "So your teacher was Mrs. Butthead?"  I laughed and laughed.  I corrected him and we giggled some more.  I love my boys!