Toothless

I seriously can't get enough of these toothless little grins.
Today, as I gently poked his sides I actually got a few little giggles too!


Life is Good

Dear Mr. Stannix,
We are halfway through our visit at the Acreage. We all miss you a lot. Camilla keeps asking where you are and when you're going to come to Gramma's house. At breakfast today I glanced over at Hyrum and couldn't help but smile. He had some nice bed-head, I think he's almost ready for another hair cut. Gramma removed his shirt and put a bib on him so that he could go to town on his bowl of porridge. His legs were crossed, the way he has crossed them since birth, and the expression on his face told me that life was good. For some reason it made me think of you and I wanted to let you know that life is good, and we are all doing well! The children love the extra space to run and play. Hyrum and Camilla run circles around the pool table until they are out of breath. Hyrum is Grampa's shadow and loves going with him to the garage to sit on the quad while he works away. Camilla built a pretty sweet helicopter out of the tinker toys today, I'll have to take a picture of it for you. That girl has some serious talent. Joseph is loving the extra interaction. He loves to snuggle Gramma and have conversations with Grampa. Tonight he coo-ed and talked to himself in the mirror for a good five minutes. It was the cutest thing ever and made me smile so much, I wish you could have seen it. He has such a sweet little voice and is talking more and more. I'm sure you'll notice a bit of a change when we see you again on the weekend. Other than that, I spend my days visiting with my Mum and Dad, baking cookies, reading my book, and finishing up your blanket. Thanks for sending me home, it's been a nice break.


I Love You!
-AJ

A Country Visit

With Mr. Stannix working long hours, my sweet Mum came up and picked up the kids and I and brought us to the Acreage for the week. On our way out we stopped in to visit Gramma and Grampa Martin at their farm outside of Drayton. The last time I had been there was when Camilla was a baby, so it had been a while. We pulled up to their cute framed log home and were welcomed by the neighbors dog. As we walked up to the front door they both opened it to greet us. Grampa was in his western shirt and Gramma had on an apron. I loved this. I always picture myself later in life as that Gramma who welcomes the kids home in an apron and barefeet. I adore their little western home with the upstairs loft bedrooms. Grampa's home made wood furniture and trinkets decorated the livingroom and a mounted deer decorated the wall above the big fireplace. We had a nice little visit in their cozy livingroom. Soon Gramma was asking what we'd like to drink and our visiting moved to the kitchen table. We enjoyed a bowl of homemade soup while Gramma put together a plate of baked goods for dessert. Gramma removed her apron for pictures and I admired her western belt and tucked in shirt. We left just before dark to finish the rest of our drive home. It was a great visit! 

 



Unforgettable

Sundays are always unforgettably busy these days. The whole day is a whirl wind until everyone goes to bed and I get to sit down next to Mr. Stannix for our weekly planning meeting. A few weeks ago we made the mistake of napping the kids after getting home at 2:00pm which resulted in Hyrum sleeping until 7:00pm, and then brownies and a movie for everyone. Today started out a bit slower for me which was nice. The kids all slept until after 8:00am which never happens anymore. It was only because Camilla had tucked into our bed in the middle of the night and I ended up in hers after the morning feed, but I'll take it. If I'm being honest, her bed is the most comfortable in the whole house. I got the kids up and ready while Mr. Stannix took off to his Sunday morning meeting. We enjoyed dried cheerios since the milk was sour, toast and jam, and a bit of fruit. I hopped in the shower while Joseph was sleeping and the other two were finishing up breakfast. Joe slept longer than I thought he would which allowed me time to blowdry and do my hair before church. Once the kids finished breakfast, we all headed upstairs to get dressed. We even managed a few spare minutes for some pictures before Daddy came to pick us up for church.

 

 

We walked out in the freezing cold and piled everyone into the car, only to unbuckle them a few minutes later when we arrived at the church. Camilla is really good about taking her jacket off and hanging it up while Hyrum runs around playing "catch me if you can". On a good day Joseph is already asleep and I wrap him up in his blanket, but today he was very awake. Knowing I had to play the opening hymn, Mr. Stannix agreed to sit with the kiddos instead of helping the young men with the sacrament. After a quick chat with the organist, she thought it was actually the fourth hymn she needed a hand with, so Mr. Stannix went to help the boys out anyways. Just as the meeting started Joseph puked over my left shoulder and down the side of my shirt. I shrugged as I wiped it off. A few moments later he did a nice little number over my right shoulder. I officially smelled like baby barf and had the wet stains on my t-shirt to prove it and the meeting had hardly begun. Before I knew it, the organist was making hand signals at me and it turned out that I needed to play the opening hymn. It was just being announced, so I had to move quick. I passed off the baby to our awesome nursery leader who was sitting in front of me and another sister jumped up to sit with the other two. I jumped off the organ after I finished to join my kiddos for the hardest part of the whole meeting. I juggled Joseph and two busy children while we sang another hymn. During the Sacrament portion, the kids started getting on each others nerves. Hyrum had Camilla pinned  by the wall while he pinched her right on the back of her arm. I picked him up with my one free arm and chucked him over my legs and onto the other side of me on the bench. He protested loudly. My face grew hotter and hotter as the meeting progressed. I was sure all eyes were on me and my crazy children (really no one noticed). Then Camilla had to pee, even though I told her three times to go before we left the house. Daddy offered to take her and Hyrum soon followed, and I soon followed him. As I walked down the aisle three sets of hands went out with kind looks as sisters offered to hold Joseph for me. I politely smiled back thinking I could handle it. Hyrum ran like a loony around the halls before I finally picked him up to bring him back in. That kind of thing doesn't fly with us. I walked back into the chapel with Joseph cradled in one arm and Hyrum propped on my hip in the other arm.

 

After that meeting was over we made our way down to the Primary room to help/watch Camilla do her Scripture. Super funny. She's not shy at all, and that's good (sometimes). I then made my way to the mother's room to nurse Joseph for most of Sunday school. Relief Society was spent bouncing Joseph to sleep in the back and waiting to jump on the piano for the closing hymn. And then before I knew it, it was time to go pick up the kids from their classes. It's always fun having more kids than arms. We slowly made our way across the gym to the side entrance. Hyrum ran around the gym repeating, "Run run run!" over and over again. I had to smile as I watched his gangly legs skip and run in the wide-open space. With he and Camilla running in two separate directions it was hard to get a handle on them to guide them out the door. Then Camilla makes her way out and books it to the coats to hide underneath them until I arrive. Thankfully there was a smart mother sitting at the entrance with her kids, treats in hand and willing to share. I went back to the gym to find Hyrum running at the edge of the stage with a basketball in hand. Worried that he wouldn't see the edge and stop I sprinted across the gym (as fast as you can sprint with a baby in your arms) to be there incase he fell. I propped him up on my hip again and we made our way out of the gym. Daddy joined us shortly after, thankfully.

 

Our afternoon at home consisted of left over tacos for lunch and afternoon naps for most. I enjoyed snuggling Joseph. Camilla cuddled in on the other end of the couch and fell asleep quickly. And I sighed a breath of relief... until next week. 

On a Saturday Night

It's Saturday night and all of the Stannix's are in the kitchen making up a batch of Grampy's Tacos.  Mr. Stannix had to work today and thought it would be a fun treat to make these up together tonight.   My mouth has been watering all day.  I always enjoy cooking in the kitchen together, especially when I get to watch Mr. Stannix flip the tacos high in the air! It truly was a Saturday today. Hyrum stayed in his Pj's all day and graced us with phrases like "No Way!" when asked to do something. It's funny to hear him say it and I have to try really hard not to laugh. Terrible twos here we come!

My Chubby Joseph

There are somedays when I wish it was summer so that Joseph could just wear diaper shirts around the house and I could enjoy his roly-poly legs. 

Bath time is a good time to do that though, and I just can't get enough of this kid! 

It's our special one on one time together. 

Could he get any cuter?

**Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Mamma today!**

Resolutions

 I somehow made it through my day today without snapping a single picture of the children. It's been quite a day. It seems everyone is suffering from lack of sleep which makes for very cranky children first thing in the morning and lots of sibling rivalry. I was recently enthralled with this book by Linda Eyre and have been thinking about this quote a lot.

"I relaxed, settled back a little, closed my eyes, and remembered that life is not one exhilarating joy after another. But the occasional flashes of real joy make us able to chalk up the rest to experience."

Right now I feel like I'm chalking up a lot to experience. Having three kids three years and under is no easy task, and let's face it, some days are just plain hard.  Lately I've just been trying to let go of things and enjoy a little more.

(Our family in Silhouettes)

I kicked off the year feeling very excited and super motivated to magnify my role as a mother. I wanted to focus more on my children's nutrition and have healthier snacks and meals. I wanted to be able to spend more quality time with them laughing and playing. I wanted to work harder at keeping our home tidy, and the dishes caught up. Above all, I wanted to improve the general feel of our home. I was sure I could have a softer voice when it came to addressing the children and discipline. This seems to be impossible somedays, especially when dealing with tricky situations with a baby screaming to be fed in the background.

Each night before bed I pray for strength, self control, and the ability to use a quiet voice. Most days go really well and I'm able to succeed. And then there's those hard days where you feel like pulling your hair out or poking yourself in the eye because no one wants to listen to you. A certain three year old has recently developed very good selective hearing. It's those tough days where I go to bed feeling guilty and ready to throw in the towel. I find myself wishing I had spoken a little more kindly when a certain little boy visited my bedside at 5:30 in the morning requesting pancakes.  Or feeling badly for shushing an excited little girl who had no intention of waking the baby when she climbed down the stairs exclaiming, "Good morning Mommy!"

There's so many times during the day when I struggle to keep my cool. Sometimes it's in the heat of a really intense sibling rivalry. Or when I come into the kitchen to find my toddler has stabbed my chicken pot pie so many times that the crust has been obliterated. Or when both kids tumble off the couch and cry after I've asked them for the tenth time not to jump on the couch.

Sometimes at days end I feel really discouraged and think to myself  well, you definitely didn't win mother of the year today...

The great thing is that I get to try again tomorrow. My children are ever forgiving and we do share special moments throughout the day that make everything else seem small and unimportant. Hyrum excitedly exclaiming my name as he runs up and hugs my legs or Camilla arguing that she loves me "the mostest" definitely make this motherhood gig worth it. As long as I can dwell on the positives, I think we'll be okay. And who am I kidding, this really is the most rewarding job in the whole world.

Days End

Night times around here are pretty exciting. I am happy to announce that everyone ate their dinner all gone tonight! My kids haven't been loving dinner time lately. Yesterday night I made them sit at the table for quite a while. Eventually Hyrum got the brilliant idea to dump his soup all over the table, after which Camilla used a paper towel to "clean it up", resulting in my whole table top being smeared with orange colored soup. I forced a smile as I wiped it up, and bed time soon followed. Tonight we had cranberry chicken and rice which is always a huge hit. I walked back into the kitchen after checking on baby Joe to find Camilla sitting on top of the table spoon feeding her brother the rest of his plate. He ate every last morsel of rice thanks to his sister.

After dinner usually comes baths. Hyrum whines the whole time I wash his hair and then plays with the bath toys. Camilla then tortures her brother with the squirt toys and then we pull the plug when the water is too freezing to stay in any longer. After everyone is cozy warm in their PJ's we do scriptures and prayers. Sometimes this is completed with a screaming baby, Hyrum making car noises and Camilla peeking and giggling, but at least it gets done. Then we all climb the stairs, turn on the space heater and read stories. After we finish each of the children make their way to their beds and say their prayers. Hyrum is at the "repeat after me" stage and is adorable. "Kee-koo day, Kee-koo family, pees bwess Joo-peh..." I love that boy. After a tickle session for each and big kisses and hugs it's lights out. Soon enough drinks of water are requested, Hyrum is running out of bed to chat with his sister and the giggling commences. FINALLY they all fall asleep, and it's onto phase two of my evening.

Joseph and I make our way back downstairs where he plays on his play mat. He's getting a lot better at entertaining himself and enjoying floor time.

While he coos and hits his toys around, I start the nightly tidy. As I go into the kitchen I discover the drum set and building blocks stacked up beside the counter. Camilla used them while I was busy to sneak the left over chocolates beside the cookie jar. It makes me grin and I have to secretly give the girl props for her ingenuity. I then go around the livingroom with the laundry basket and grab all the toys, crumbs and left over cookies. Once that's done I take it to the office and sort it all back into the toy bins. I like the kiddos to have a clean start to their day each morning.

 

 Soon Joseph has had enough of his play mat and needs a change of scenery. Since it's close to 9PM and Daddy still isn't home from Young Men's I decide to bath him. I run the water in the bathroom sink nice and warm and add a squirt of baby soap to it. Joseph splashes his arms and legs around while I wash his sweet face, the crusty puke under his chin rolls and the rest of his rolls. I talk to him and make eye contact as I wash and he smiles back nice and big. Bathing him is my favorite, it always makes him happy.

Baby on My Bed

The late afternoon brought me this...

The Cookie Jar

Yesterday the kids and I made up a DOUBLE batch of big soft Gingersnap cookies. They are Daddy's favorite. Would you believe that this cookie jar was full to the brim just one day ago? I'm sure Mr. Stannix and I had at least ten a piece last night while snuggled up to our favorite show. I dipped mine in Milk, Mr. Stannix drank Juice.

Tonight the kiddos enjoyed cookies and milk as a bed time snack. They were so cute and giggly at the table. I love those two! Hyrum will  come up to me randomly during the day when he knows the cookie jar is full and go, "Pssssst. Coooooookie?" So adorable. Now if I could just keep the cookie jar full, we'd be set! Cookies and milk every night for everyone! Yum.

Two Months

Dear Joseph,
Today you are two months old! I can hardly believe it. You are such a handsome little man and I adore your smiles and coos. You are already quite the people-person and love to be looked at and talked to. Your most favorite time to interact is still late at night, but I'll take it. Your little grins are priceless and when I get them I can't help but squeeze you tight and smooch your chubby cheeks over and over.

At two months you will sleep for an hour at a time in your crib. Once I got a three and a half hour stretch out of you. Your favorite place to sleep though is snuggled up on my chest, beside me in bed, or in the wrap. You will also sleep for a long time when I put you in the swing so that I can get things done.You still sleep the longest and hardest first thing in the morning, but we're working on getting your days and nights switched around.

You love your big brother and sister and always have the biggest grins for them. Your big sister is very good at watching you and keeping you safe for me while I tidy or do the dishes. They both love you very much and you are constantly smothered in kisses and gentle hugs. Hyrum is always extra concerned and will say "Jo-peh pying!" every time you are crying. Camilla likes to tickle you under the chin and giggles at you when you smile.

Just before bed you enjoy your Daddy time. You will smile, blink, turn your head and coo while Daddy talks to you. I enjoy watching you interact with your Daddy and seeing the excited look on your face as your arms flail around beside you.

While I was nursing you the other day you were wearing your little man nighty and I loved holding your chubby feet in my hands. I feel like it's a bit unfair that time seems to go so quickly. You have lost that light weight newborn feel and can be quite a lug to bounce to sleep already. I love seeing all of the rolls on your thighs when I diaper that cute bottom of yours. It means that you're healthy and well and that I am doing my job.

I feel a special closeness to you after all of the time we get to spend together at night. You struggle to get comfortable and have a hard time with your burps sometimes. The older you get the easier things are getting and your becoming more content. It's been such a relief and it's nice to be able to relax a little bit more and enjoy you. The love I feel for you is amazing.

I'm not sure how I'd describe your personality at this point. When you are happy, you are such a joy to be around. You seem to have very soft, kind eyes and a quiet way about you. You don't mind sitting in the background and watching everything go on around you. I am excited to see your personality develop more over these next few months. 

I feel so blessed to call you mine and am excited for the months ahead! Keep growing little man! I love you.

-Mom

My Hockey Nut

My little boy has such a love for Hockey. Today he emerged from the front entry way wearing Daddy's giant mitts as Hockey gloves. His tongue was sticking out which meant he was concentrating extra hard on hitting that ball. The cuteness factor was so high that I almost died and had to jump off the chair to snap a few pictures.

January's Spring

This morning when I opened the front door to grab the mail I couldn't believe how warm it was. The air was crisp and fresh and smelled of spring. As I did the morning clean I cracked open the sliding door and upstairs windows, I couldn't help myself. While cleaning the children's room I had the thought to rearrange it so that the crib was away from the window. I followed through as a last effort to get little man to spend more time in his crib at night. Each child seems to have their own little needs and I think Joseph just likes to be close to someone while he sleeps. We'll see how tonight goes!

After lunch I looked outside at the sunshine and icicles melting. It was too warm to pass up a good afternoon outdoors! We kiboshed nap time and suited everyone up to play in the snow.  Since it was almost 10 degrees I decided to bring Joseph out to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It was pretty bright on his little eyes at first, but he got used to it. 

He was so cute, I could have taken a million photos with those chubby cheeks, sweet little lips and sparkly baby blues. Not to mention the perfect lighting! I love the way the sun casts and orange glow over everything mid-afternoon.

The kids had a lot of fun and really enjoyed getting out of the house for a few hours. The first thing they found were the puddles of water. Camilla even brought her rubber ducky out for a swim. It was pretty cute.

Joseph eventually fell asleep, so I set him down in his seat so that I could play with the kids. We constructed a snow man in under five minutes and spent the rest of the time searching for things to dress him up with.

Camilla was so focused and precise with everything she did and loved putting the arms on. I love that girl and her little personality.

 

Hyrum was just loving life! He is such a giggly boy and so fun to be around. We had a fun game of hide n' seek between our two little snowmen. His little tooth filled grins were absolutely priceless.

Little Joe enjoyed his very first afternoon nap outdoors all cozied up in snow gear and a blanket. I sure do love my kids and it was nice to take a full afternoon to just play with them and enjoy each of their personalities. They are all so special and unique in their own ways and it's nice to see the similarities and differences. I think the fresh air and sunshine was definitely needed. We were all suffering from a bit of cabin fever!

Wee Little Pirates

My house is being taken over by wee little pirates today. We woke up to snow again and Daddy has the car for the week so we needed something to keep us busy. The kids are having fun with it! They've spent the morning sword fighting and running around the house.

Hyrum likes to use his sword as a pirate telescope.

"Arr Matey's!" 

Hyrum's a pretty cute little pirate in his tight green pants!

He also makes a handsome little sailor when he turns his hat to the side.

We had to get Joseph in on the action too!

So far there's been lots of jumping on the couch and sword fighting. 

I think we'll spend the afternoon building a pirate ship and searching for buried treasure.

Then we'll all take really long pirate naps... 

I can always dream right?

My Little Sunbeam

Camilla's second week in Primary was a total success.

She loves her teacher and seems to be adjusting well to the change.

All week I've been hearing stories of her first week from different people at church.

"Did you hear about Camilla's first week in Primary?" 

A lot of them were pretty funny.

"Sister so-and-so knows the answer".

"I just always twirl to this song when my Mommy plays it". 

She is a total ball of energy and talks pretty much non-stop.

Gotta love her!

The Thing about Winter

The great thing about winter is that I can pull all of my groceries to the front door on the sled! 

It's a great time saver!

Hip-Hip Hooray!

Joseph slept a full three and a half hours in a row last night IN HIS CRIB!

This boy has only used his crib a handful of times since birth.
Usually we're up past mid-night hanging out or nursing often.
Most sleep happens with him snuggled up with me.
We've been in survival mode for the last couple months.
Whatever had to be done to get some sleep was done.
The awesome beginnings of sleeping in his crib were brought on by
a sweet prompting received late one night after everyone else had long gone to bed.
Try the soother again.
I held it in his mouth for a long time while we walked the living room floor together.
When he was finally asleep we made our way up the creaky stairs.
I gently placed him in his crib and tip-toed across the creaky old hardwood.
It felt so good to snuggle under my duvet next to Mr. Stannix
and sleep soundly for three and a half glorious hours.
So glad for answers to prayers.

Even Joseph seems to be shouting hooray!

He has been a much happier baby now that he's well rested.

I adore the way he sleeps with his hands in the air.

I am in love with the squeaks and grunts that accompany his stretches.

I feel a deeper love for this little boy after all of our long nights together.

After last night there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

At Sea

Today was the hardest, longest day we've had in a while. I came down with the flu on Tuesday night and spent all day Wednesday on the couch while my littles took over the house. When I heard plastic crunching in the kitchen I went in to investigate and found Hyrum and Camilla sitting under the table eating cheerios right out of the bag. It made me giggle a bit. It wasn't long before cheerios could be found all over my house, underneath the couch cushions, and in the bathroom. Come mid-morning I decided to put up the baby gate and barricade everyone in the living room. We may or may not have watched Disney movies all day long. I was so achy and tired and it took everything in me just to pick up all the dirty diapers and vacuum the cheerios up at the end of the day. Thank-fully Joseph has been a gem and has been going to sleep with little or no bouncing. Last night he simply layed on my shoulder while I patted his back. As he drifted off to sleep he would nestle his fuzzy little head into my neck. I love kissing the top off his head. The kids went to bed in the same jammies they wore all day and slept in the night before. All in the name of survival I guess.

We definitely have a bad case of the coups here today. There has been non-stop whining, crying, biting, toy stealing, complaining,  head bonking, and falling off things. It all started bright and early with Hyrum coming downstairs before 6:00am. Camilla was close behind and asking for breakfast on her way down. I asked if she wanted toast and Hyrum immediately ran to me repeating, "I uh tooooast!" over and over. I smiled, "you want toast too, Hyrum?" "Yeh-Pee! MMM gooo! Toe!" Ah he cracks me up. He then asks for jam repeatedly until I respond, only his J's still sound more like D's. I then asked Camilla if she had a good sleep and she goes, "yeah, I just slept for five minutes!" Then Hyrum interrupts, "Fweeping! Fweeping! Five min!" Before we knew it Daddy was heading out the door with Hyrum shouting, "Wub you!" I then read Hyrum The Cranky Bear book which he calls "Cwanky Beaw". Later on when I was playing with Camilla's hair Hyrum ran up to me begging, "Pet me! Pet me!" and pushing his head into my hands. I literally burst out laughing.

Although the day was chaotic and exhausting, a moment of peace finally came in the late afternoon when I was nursing Joe on the couch. Both kids had just woke up from their very short naps and quietly came downstairs. One by one they began climbing over my outstretched legs and snuggling under the blanket. Before I knew it Camilla had taken us away deep into her imagination. My floral couch suddenly became a huge boat lost at sea with a captain who we called "hey man". We rolled over huge waves and saw whales and sea lions on our adventure. It wasn't long before the sizzling slow cooker in the kitchen became a scary monster, a dragon in fact, and it was in pursuit of our ship. When Hyrum had heard the slow cooker sizzling earlier he was legit afraid and ran to me in tears. This time he just pretended to be afraid, letting out that funny scream of his and shouting, "MUH-UH! MUH-UH! Twuick! Hide! AH!"

Finally we landed on a sandy beach so that I could bounce Joseph to sleep because he was crying. "Joo-peh pying" says Hyrum. Camilla responds, "Don't say stupid Hyrum!". I must admit when he says Joseph's name it does sound a bit like he's saying that word. While I rocked the baby the kids made sand castles on my living room floor. Camilla's imagination continued to run wild and her brother wasn't far behind trying to repeat everything she was saying. The story got pretty intense and I wish I could remember all of the details. I love that girl and her ability to escape into her imagination and bring the rest of us with her. It was the quietest hour we had all day, and it was pure fun! I may have even caught a few winks while we were sailing and pretending to be "fweeping" with our eyes closed. Bonus!

Poor Mr. Stannix is feeling under the weather as well. By the time he got home we both plunked down on the couch and let the kids have their way with the house until dinner was ready. 

Afternoon Sun

This afternoon I enjoyed some quiet time with Joseph on the couch soaking up the afternoon sun that always pours through our living room window before it begins to set behind the rooftops across the street. This is one of my favorite things to do in the afternoon. The warmth of the sun on my skin reminds me of Summer and makes me feel warm all over. Today I enjoyed connecting with Joseph though. I propped him up on my legs so we were sitting face to face. I love when he makes eye contact and coos at me. His newest trick is to form his lips into a tiny little O shape while he makes conversation. It's pretty dang adorable.

They're All Mine

Today I ran some errands with the kids. One of the stops on my list was AMA to get Joseph's birth certificate. I parked the car and unloaded the stroller from the back. Joseph was still crying, he's not a fan of his carseat. Since the lineups can be long, I decided it was best to keep everyone belted in to something. I buckled Hyrum into the top of the double stroller, Camilla in the bottom, and put Joseph's carseat on my arm. The walk from the car to the front door was just enough to put Joe to sleep. I lucked out and was first in line before a mad rush of people came in. I was quickly helped by a lady at the desk. The children all sat quietly, Hyrum staring at the big TV screen and Camilla playing with a toy she brought from home. As I filled out the paper work the lady looked over at my kids and said, "you've got your hands full today don't you?" I politely smiled and quietly chuckled to myself. Then she goes, "are they ALL yours?" I proudly responded, "yep, they're all mine!" Oiy, I've only got three and people are already asking me these things.

As I left, pushing the double stroller with Joseph's seat hanging from my arm I couldn't help but smile. All of the older people smiled politely at me as I made my way to the car. I fumbled in my jacket pocket looking for the keys and finally found them between toy cars and a soother. I looked back at my kids and smiled once more. Yep, they're all mine.

In My Kitchen

In my kitchen this morning I have...

 a brand new little Sunbeam finger painting away,

 a sweet baby boy sleeping in the swing,

a cute little baker mixing up cookies,

two blonde cookie monsters,
(One with breakfast smoothie still on his face)

three dozen of my Mamma's oatmeal cookies,

one batch of bannock frying on the stove, and dinner in the slow cooker.

On a side note, don't these two look a-like?!

Aint Nothin' Better

There is nothing better than a freshly bathed baby.

Except maybe the cute, roly-poly seven week old 

in my bathroom sink.

Everyone's Des-hausted

Today was the last weekday that we got to spend with Daddy before he goes back to work on Monday. When Hyrum came to my bedside this morning I may or may not have led him back to his bed to catch another hour of sleep. He lay quietly in his bed and soon dozed off while I nursed Joseph back to sleep in the big green chair (and caught a few winks myself). Our house didn't really get going until 8:30 this morning when we all came downstairs and I whipped up a batch of pancakes for everyone to enjoy. 

Joseph snoozed away the morning and I had to wake him to get him in his snow suit so that we could run some errands.  Mike dropped Hyrum and I off at the grocery store and took Camilla with him to get his skates sharpened. As we walked through the front doors we were greeted with a "Happy New Year" from our favorite check-out ladies. They all asked where Camilla was and were sad that she wasn't there to talk to them. We then started our usual tour around the grocery store, beginning in the produce section and working our way aisle by aisle. Because my little man still wasn't feeling too well, we skipped our free cookie at the Bakery and made our way down the canned fruit and cracker aisle. Around the freezer section Hyrum started to get bored and dropped his "tool dudes" on the floor. We helped an elderly lady find the maple walnut ice cream she was looking for and carried on to the next aisle for garbage bags. By this time Hyrum was resting his head on the cart, watching the floor as we took on the rest of the store. We reached the meat section in no time and were soon on our way to the till for check-out. Shopping seemed to take half the time without Camilla there to chat with everyone and follow me around the grocery store (I still missed her). After taking care of the bill we waited near the front entrance for Daddy. It wasn't until then that I noticed Hyrum had actually fallen asleep. I let out a giggle and watched out the window for Mike to return.

I got in the car to a very excited little girl who had a lot of fun with her Daddy. She told me that Daddy got her triangle treats because she was "SO good and only ran away once". She had a grin from ear to ear. We rushed home, unloaded the groceries, and made some lunch. Mike chowed down and then headed to the bank for his meeting. While he was out I made up some buns for dinner, tidied up, and nursed Joseph while the other two napped. Mike returned with a big smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye and a dozen orange roses. I was definitely not expecting it. I love "just because" roses. The smell of fresh roses quickly filled my kitchen as I unwrapped them, cut the stems and put them in a vase. I am going to be so sad when Mr. Stannix goes back to work. These last two weeks have been great! If I could have him home with me every day I would. And not just because he's done almost all the dishes and put the kids to bed pretty much every night, I just love having him around, and love spending time with him.

Mike requested to BBQ tonight for dinner, so I made up some hamburgers and we unfroze our sliding door with a kettle of water so he could have deck access. The kids had fun making faces at Daddy through the glass door and passing him the BBQ sauce and plates.

Joseph has recently started settling more and has some awake time during the day to play and coo at us. The kids love this and love talking to him. I will often put my face close to his to make eye contact and say, "Hi sir". Tonight I caught Hyrum nose to nose with Joe saying "Hi....Shir". Joseph was grinning and cooing right back. Those two are so cute together. Joseph loves when the kids are in his face and talking to him in their little high pitched voices. He will give them the sweetest little grins. Mike and I will often watch this and smile away ourselves. I love our little family and the relationships our children are building with each other. I adore Josephs interactions, his sweet little grins, and his soft looking eyes.

After dinner Hyrum went and played with Daddy. Joe was sleeping in the swing and Camilla still had her dinner to finish so I decided to clean up a bit and do some dishes. While I stood at the sink with my hands in the hot soapy water I was serenaded with Camilla's own version of Jingle bells where she would make up words for the parts she didn't know. I smiled as I scrubbed at pots from lunch and washed the plates. Her little hands danced around the table with the last of her bun which she was refusing to eat. The bun then became a bed for something and I heard her say, "Phew, I'm going to bed, I'm so des-hausted!" She continued to play with her food, poking her finger through the top of her bun and turning it into an umbrella to keep her dry from the rain that seemed to be pouring down from the kitchen ceiling. Sometimes I wish I could take a peek into that girl's imagination, it's a good one. She finished off with a rendition of the ABC's while I poured Hyrum a bath. Once Hyrum was splashing around in the tub she informed me that she didn't want a bed time snack and asked to be excused. Oiy, dinner is a challenge with this little blondie.

And now I think it's time for me to finish up the nightly tidy of the living room and start getting ready for bed. After the night I had last night and our busy day today, I'm feeling a little bit "des-hausted"!