Crafternoon

Today brought about a spontaneous trip to the library! We picked our sister up from school and headed to a friends place to pick something up and learned of a fun program going on at the library. I wasn't planning on being out for long. Ollie had no socks on and a wet post-nap diaper, but I decided to go for the half hour anyway. A little while after arriving Ollie peed out the side of his diaper soaking the carrier and my sweatshirt (too much information?). I decided  to endure the rest of the craft and pasted a motherly smile on my face. I helped Joe and Fin make their little planter cups and watched the older two craft away across the room. It was so worth it for the grins and excitement!

A Spring Sunday

 On this Spring Sunday I woke and admired the fresh tulips on my dining room table. Then I rushed around feeding and dressing each child and making sure the diaper bag was stocked with necessities. 

I am always the last one to get ready and today was no different. I threw on and took off about three different outfits before I settled. 

Then I run a brush through my hair and sit to nurse the baby while listening to the older kids find their church shoes. Joseph has taken it upon himself to help Finley put on his jacket and zip it up (since he can do zippers now, YAY!). Everyone hustles out to the van and gets their seat belts on  acts as though they've escaped from the zoo. Every blinker is on, every door is open, some are shedding tears, there is screaming (I won't tell you who from) and we were supposed to leave ten minutes ago.

 

 After church is probably my favorite because I get to snuggle up next to this handsome little boy and watch him drift off to sleep. He seems so grown up lately I can hardly handle it! Those long lashes of his get me every time!

 The afternoon sun was calling us outside so we went for a family walk after dinner. We watched the geese fly overhead in their famous "V" formation. The children stood in awe as we watched and listened. We saw a red breasted Robin in a tree and listened to it's familiar Spring song. The children climbed the tree at the end of the trail like they always do, even higher than last time! 

 Finley was tickled to be allowed to walk to the dog. I hung back with him and listened to his sweet little voice, "Doooood dirl, Reesie! Tum-on! Wet's go!" I wish I could freeze him at this stage. He's so darn cute!! Happy Sunday!

General Women's Session

I look forward to the General Women's session of conference with eagerness to be uplifted, edified, and feel of the sisterhood of other women watching around me. This year my mom was down visiting my sister for the day, so Camilla and I took the afternoon and spent it with them! We left home shortly after lunch and went dress shopping together. I didn't have much luck, but Camilla found a pink, long-sleeved dress in just her size that she wanted to try on. Because most of my kids have been raised on hand-me-downs, this was a special experience for us both. Rarely do we go shopping and even more rare do we have time to try things on. We left the shop hand in hand, and the sun warmed our faces as we walked to the car. 

We arrived at my sister's with a few hours to visit and enjoy a yummy dinner! We made it to the church just as the broadcast began and found some seats near the back. Oliver happily giggled at his aunt and Camilla took notes the entire time. When I told her that I had missed part of the last talk because I was out with Ollie she happily exclaimed, "Don't worry! I took notes for you!" Her little scribbles will be tucked into my journal to smile upon again at a later day. As always, the talks were great and the spirit whispered to my heart some things that I can improve on, as well as confirmed my Saviors love for me.

 "When we spiritually lean unto our own understanding we lean away from the Savior."

-Bonnie H. Cordon 

"Holiness is in the striving and the struggle to keep the commandments. Holiness is making the choices that will keep the Holy Ghost as our guide...If we are to be holy we must give time to holiness."

-Carol F. McConkie

"When we have become distracted, doubtful or discourages, may be accept the Lords invitation to drink of his living water. When life seems unfair...may we remember Martha and declare our similar certain witness."

-Linda K. Burton

"Those who do not see their weaknesses do not progress. Your awareness of your weakness is a blessing as it helps you remain humble and keeps you turning to the Savior. The Spirit not only comforts you, but He is also the agent by which the Atonement works a change in your very nature. Then weak things become strong."

-Henry B. Eyring

Afterwards we took a trip over to Marble Slab for some ice cream and sat and visited for way too long. Camilla sat next to us with her legs dangling from the chair, swinging them happily as she chatted our ears off. I'm sure she felt grown up, and I hope she felt special and loved.

I was so glad that my mamma could make it!

Camilla was glad to see her auntie. It was a wonderful night all around!

My Sunshine

This week has been rough. Mike's been working so hard and long that he practically falls into bed after arriving home. Last night tears fell as I rocked Ollie to sleep for the third time, dreaming of crawling under freshly washed sheets and resting my tired body. Just as I gently placed him in the crib I was interrupted by my five year old who came to tell me he had just puked all over his bed. I changed his bedding while the baby screamed, then sat in the rocker and started all over again. Shortly after crawling into bed my sweet toddler woke with a nightmare. It was well past midnight before I even fell asleep and the rest of my night was spent jumping at the first sound of dry heaves, nursing the baby, and sharing my half of the bed with my preschooler. I woke exhausted to Mr. Stannix kissing me good-bye for the day and my four year old asking for breakfast.

As I go through another day of mothering, mopping up puke, and giving comfort there is a feeling of loneliness in the back of my mind. But when my sweet children smile at me, wrap their arms around my neck, tell me a funny joke, or ask me to sit with them "just a little bit longer mommy" that feeling of loneliness fades and becomes replaced with swells of love for these little blessings that I get to learn from each and every day.

The Big Melt

Today we woke to wet grass and rain streaked windows. It's finally starting to feel a little bit like Spring! This afternoon I went out with the boys to the park. They enjoyed splashing in puddles and swinging high! Ollie even had his first swing at the park and loved it! We are looking forward to warmer days and more sunshine!

Happy Spring

We are combating "The Monday's" with warm, gooey cinnamon buns for breakfast, and long afternoon naps! Happy first day of Spring!

Terrible Two's

All in all, this boy hasn't been TOO terrible. 

But this happened today...

And I had to laugh.

And take a picture.

No body liked that flavor of toothpaste anyway.

St. Patrick's Day

 We woke up with big plans for St. Patty's day! We had friends coming to play and I was supposed to be babysitting in the afternoon. All of our plans quickly changed after Finley turned green in the face and ended up barfing up the small bowl of lucky charms he ate for breakfast. We canceled out plans and hunkered down for a quiet day. Joe helped me make our traditional green cupcakes and we iced them after lunch! Finley put himself for a nap whenever he was feeling bad. I finished the day with two loads of bedding to wash, but thanked my lucky stars I didn't have to mop anything up off my floor! The older kids built a leprechaun trap and almost caught one! They were thrilled when he used his magic dust to escape, leaving behind a trail of green glitter. It was a good excuse to put my NEW vacuum to use and Fin was more than happy to do it for me! 

Fine Arts

This afternoon I dropped the boys off at a friends and attended the Fine Arts afternoon at the Elementary school. The back of the gym was full of artwork from each grade and all three choirs gave an amazing performance! 

 

Camilla loves choir and has been blessed with an incredible music teacher and choir director. Next week they will be performing in Drumheller and then in Calgary in April!

 I loved being able to watch my girl sing her heart out without having to worry about her brothers being too loud or too crazy in the audience. It was nice to focus on her and cheer her on.

 After they had finished all of their pieces they invited parents up and presented a medal to each child. This girl is getting so big!!

 Her class displayed artwork depicting different perspectives. It was fun seeing the creativity and differences between them all!

 Despite some snow this morning, the afternoon treated us well and we enjoyed soaking up the sun with a picnic on the deck.

Daylight Savings

This week has been a lot of early mornings with Ollie waking shortly after Daddy sneaks out to the gym at 5:00am. While the rest of the house sleeps, we snuggle in our big bed and wait for the first rays of sun to peek through the window. My body is weary from being up most of the night and I am desperate for another hour of sleep that I know will never come.

Our mornings have been filled with imaginary play and kindergarten work books. My house is often filled with ninjas and if I'm not careful where I walk my feet scream in pain after stepping on the hundredth Lego of the day. The boys fill the sink for their Lego boats and play shirtless in the water. It isn't long before their jeans are wet and water is everywhere.

The warmer weather brings a morning walk because we could all use a little fresh air after hiding out in the basement during this cold snap. We all return home with runny noses and smiles on our faces. 

Noodles are requested by some for lunch. My stubborn toddler rests his chin on his folded arms and stares at his food refusing to eat...again. Upon closer examination I find two big molars growing in which have made sleeping and eating difficult this past week. 

My afternoon is filled with sticky fingers and food covered faces as they race around and play. 

There's red lollipop in the dogs hair from the day before, but she is still happy to jump on the dishwasher door and pre-wash a few things while I'm loading it. With so many sticky kiddos she pretty much requires a bath once a week it seems.

Hyrum comes into the kitchen walking with a stiff body, and then jumps with both feet. When I ask what he's doing he shrugs and says, "I just wanted to see what a toy feels like..."

 

We pick up Camilla from school and take Joe to his chiropractor appointment. Everyone behaves well and listens great! I praise them and tell them how much I love them and they are quick to return the sentiment. 

The late afternoon brings coloring at the kitchen table. They smile as I proudly tape their artwork to my kitchen wall to display. The children have learned about rainbows this week and each picture has a rainbow, pot of gold, or a leprechaun as we get ready for St. Patty's day. 

 

While I make dinner Joe starts making me crazy and then runs away shouting between giggles, "AH! run for my life!!!" By the time I catch him my anger has melted slightly and I hug him tight and laugh.  He is the only kid who can drive me so crazy and make me love him so much all at the same time.

Daddy is working late tonight so we have an earlier dinner. My toddler hardly takes one bite before he excuses himself from the table. I put the little boys in a bath, start the shower for Camilla, and load the diffuser with some Peace and Calming before bed. I quickly do dishes while listening to Hyrum sing to himself rather than eat his dinner. His made up songs make me smile.

When I go to get the boys from the tub I discover that they have flooded the floor with water...again. This time it takes five huge towels to mop up and miraculously didn't leak down into the basement. 

Once everyone is jammied, Camilla turns on the Moana soundtrack and dances with her little brother. She has him put his feet on hers and it's about the cutest thing I've seen all day!

After that it's bed time routine. We brush teeth, watch a quick church video to settle, and pray together. I sing to the boys while I nurse the baby. Just when everything is still and calm, the dog jumps up and barks at Hyrum singing in the tub. I wait again for the boys to be still. Camilla sneaks in and rubs my back tenderly and whispers, "The ceiling started leaking, don't worry, I put a towel down." sigh

 

When the little boys are finally asleep, I tuck Ollie into his crib and head downstairs to read to the big kids. I find the dog eating poop from the diaper pail and my patience is oh so thin. She gets put outside while I clean up the mess and direct the littles (with less grace than I'd like) through their bed time routine. 

Before long the house is finally still. I sit in the rocker and put my feet up for a few minutes, letting out a sigh of relief. Daddy finally arrives home from a long day at work and brings me a yummy burger to lift my spirits. We snuggle up to a show and it feels good to be together again.

Stow Away

When you're heading out to a dentist appointment and Reese thinks she's coming too.

Great to be Eight

This afternoon Camilla and I attended a little "Great to be Eight" event at the church! The primary did a great job of putting together treats and introducing the almost eight year olds to all of the fun stuff that they have to look forward to in the coming year! It's crazy to me how fast time goes. This little lady is growing up and looking forward to her baptism with excitement. It's fun helping her prepare and watching her learn. We sure love her!

Traditions

We are on church cleaning duty again this month. It's a wonderful opportunity to serve! The kids like it because after their jobs are done, we get to go for ice cream. As Camilla put it, "It's tradition". I love traditions that include ice cream, and I think Finley does too!

Oliver: Six Months

 It's amazing how half a year can go by in the blink of an eye! This boy is six months old and loving life. He brings me joy every day and I am so glad that he's a part of our family! He is such a special boy, always happy, always smiling even when he's struggling through teething and a cold. 

 He gets more fun every day! He has almost mastered sitting, is sleeping better at night, and has even started babbling non-stop. He carried out a whole conversation with someone the other day. All he said was "Ba-ba-ba" but man it was hilarious! It's so fun taking note of new things that they weren't doing the day before. It all goes by so fast!

 He has recently discovered his toes and they have quickly become his favorite thing to play with. They are always tucked up where he can reach them while he rolls around the floor. Sometimes he will even suck on his big toe.

 He adores his siblings and anyone who will give him the time of day really. People often comment about how happy he is, and he really is. I joked the other day that he's such a good baby that he makes it hard not to want more! We are seriously lucky with this boy. My very favorite thing though is when he wraps his arms all the way around my neck and presses his face against mine. He just learned how to blow raspberries on my cheek and it leaves us both laughing. I am so glad to be his mamma and can't wait to watch him grow!

The Sniffles

The snow has returned in full force. This morning after Camilla left for the bus I grabbed a shovel and started clearing the walks. Joseph was quick to join me and after explaining what was left I had to go back inside to sooth a crying babe. Joe came running in a few minutes later, frustrated that the snow was so heavy and he wasn't strong enough to push it. He stomped back down the steps and tried again. The next time he came in with a smile and exclaimed,"Mommy, I said a prayer and Heavenly Father made me strong! I can push the snow now!" I beamed with pride at my little guy, set a contented babe in the lap of his big brother, pulled my mitts back on and joined him in the driveway again. 

I spent the rest of my day surrounded by little people. I cleaned up the kitchen, baked some bread and put dinner in the slow cooker. I also wiped this boy's nose about a hundred times. We've all got a pretty bad case of the sniffles over here. 

Sowing Seeds

 I am ready for Winter to be over already! I've been looking at cute little herb gardens and pots of spinach on pinterest and can't wait for Spring to come. I have loved the idea of having Spinach growing indoors all year round and now that the stores are bringing out their soil and seeds again the boys and I spent the morning buying seeds and planting things. It was fun to answer all of their questions and see how excited they were about the growing process. 

I'm still on the hunt for a cute little herb planter, but for now these pots will do the trick!

 One thing I love about having Hyrum home for Kindergarten is the spontaneous opportunities we have to learn and practice. 

He got to use his spelling and writing skills to label the pots for me and I was super impressed with his neatness.

 Joe especially loved getting dirty and spraying the water!!

 We were fascinated by the different shapes, sizes, and colors of the seeds. I love the way their curiosity teaches us each day!

After Joe photobombed the tenth picture of the morning I decided he was too cute not to capture. I sure do love this boy and his zest for life!!

Toothless

After we arrived at the chiropractor this morning Camilla came to the front to show me a cool trick. She could twist her loose tooth all the way around and she thought it was hilarious! Loose teeth gross me out for some reason!!

She spent the rest of the afternoon playing and twisting it and wishing Daddy was home to pull it out. 

And then to her brother's delight, it came out while they were playing Wii. As I nursed the baby to sleep they all whooped and cheered for that dear sister of theirs. Now I just need to remind the tooth fairy to visit tonight!

Sweet Potatoe

 Ollie loves food! I cracked open a jar of sweet potatoes at lunch and scooped out the top quarter of the jar for his first try. He ate it up pretty quick and cried for more. So I scooped out another quarter for him to eat and he excitedly waved his arms around as I spooned it into his mouth. 

When that was finished he protested rather loudly. I cleaned out the rest of the jar, warmed it up, and fed it to him. Once we were finished his hungry tummy was satisfied and he had a nice, long afternoon nap!

This kid is growing up way too fast!!