Daddy and I both hit the snooze button on our alarms and stay in bed until the last possible minute. The children soon begin trickling into our bedroom. Joe hops up for a cuddle, followed by Hyrum who is carrying his egg carton boat. He is anxious to float it, remembering the promise I had made him the night before. Joe flicks my light on and wanders over to his room to get dressed while I make my way to the kitchen. Between waking up three times to find someones lost nickel, changing bedding in the middle of the night, and a teething baby I didn't get a whole lot of sleep.
Finley plays quietly in his crib while I mix up a batch of pancakes to fill hungry tummies. I put the first one on to cook and retrieve Fin from his crib. He bounces with excitement when I walk into his room. As I near the edge of the crib he scans around for a "peace offering" and quickly passes me his sippy with a sleepy smile. I scoop him up and nuzzle his cheeks. He kicks his legs happily so I set him down to run. He quickly finds his way to the table and everyone enjoys pancakes and homemade syrup. While they chow down we do a quick morning scripture study and send our school girl off with a family prayer.
I spend the morning listening to Joe and Finley giggle with glee as they chase each other around the main floor and I do dishes. I fall in love with Finley and his bo-legged walk, teetering side to side, laughter sneaking out with each step.
While I clean the kitchen the boys float their boats in the tub. They are over the moon with excitement as they blow the sails and watch their boats swirl around. Hyrum makes plans for a crows nest on top of the sail and spends the day planning and scheming.
After lunch we head out for a walk. We check the mail and make our way to the park for a swing. Finley's giggles rise up from deep inside his tummy and fill the air with pure joy. After a while we begin our short walk home. The boys find giant puddles and can't help but sprawl out in them, snow gear and all. They came home drenched, smiling from ear to ear. I am so looking forward to Summer.
Before long it's nap time. Joseph begs to stay up and since bed time's have been a little tricky I oblige. We have quiet time while Finley snoozes. Inevitably as soon as Joseph stops moving, he falls asleep (far too late in the afternoon). I let out a sigh and lay a blanket on him, knowing that this will destroy bed time, he looks so cute though!
When Camilla gets home from school they all take to the back deck for a picnic and fresh air. It almost feels like spring. Finley runs around the deck smiling his toothy grin, feeling free. I am excited for him to experience the outdoors in the warmer weather!
I put dinner in to cook and then head down stairs with the littles. I relax on the couch with my crochet project in hand releasing the craziness of the day out my finger tips. Finley brings me toy after toy, pleased with my gratitude, and before long I have a lap full of farm animals.
Camilla takes an interest in her baby brother and pulls him up on her knee for a snuggle. She kisses his head and smells him. Even at one year old, he still carries that lovely baby/toddler scent. Something in between baby shampoo and arrowroot cookies. He smiles as she bounces him up and down on her lap, and I can't help but grin as they show love to one another. The play on the floor together and he tackles her to the ground with glee. It is noisy, but the kind of noise that fills me to the brim with joy. I love seeing my children interact with each other and show love.
Joseph clutches a handful of papers, his new bed time story, written and illustrated by his big sister earlier that afternoon all about a happy family with a mom, a dad, three children, and a baby. He can hardly wait for me to read the three pages to him at bed time.
Hyrum gets up from his drawing and joins Camilla and Finley on the floor, playing and laughing. They talk about how much they love their baby brother and how much fun he is to play with. Then Hyrum comes over to observe my work. He tells me how much he wishes the blanket I'm making was for him. Joseph comes over and compliments my color choices and tells me how much he wishes I would make him a blanket for Christmas. I wrap them in the small bit that I have completed and they smile.
Soon Daddy is home and we gather at the table for a late family dinner. I am pleased as they eat their plates all gone for once. Then the bedtime rush ensues. The littles wiggle into their jammies with many reminders, and then they brush their teeth. Night prayers are said and Daddy and I divide and conquer. I take the younger two up while Daddy reads with the older ones.
I finish off my night with my hands in a hot, sudsy sink of water. I leave the kitchen clean with a candle flickering on a freshly wiped counter. The time after bedtime is so important. Spending time with Mr. Stannix, or working on my crochet projects soothes me after a long day. We relish in it until we can hardly keep our eyelids open and then we turn out the lights and head up to bed.
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