Dyeing Eggs

 Today we spent the day watching General Conference. It began with a solemn assembly to sustain our new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson. It was such a neat experience as I hardly remember the one that took place for President Monson. I am so grateful for continued revelation and the joy and peace the gospel brings. There were so many amazing talks and quotes that touched my heart today! 

With conference taking place, and family far away, Easter feels a little bit weird this year. Last night we did our traditional egg decorating after dinner. It's so fun to watch the kids creativity grow each year.  I love the way that they look forward to traditions!

This year, Camilla thought it would be fun to use elastics on her egg so that it would have cool patterns after it came out of the cup of food coloring. The boys all followed suit and we had some pretty cool looking eggs!

Finley dyed every single on of his eggs purple. It's his favorite color right now for some reason. So funny!

Ollie colored his egg blue, and then promptly smashed it and ate it. 

Joe made sure to take his time and was very careful with his color choices...

Daddy did Uno, Dos, Tres, and Quatro from the movie we had seen at the theater and the kids thought it was hilarious. 

The Easter Bunny hid them very well and the kids had fun finding them this morning!! We enjoyed traditional egg salad sandwiches for lunch, and another session of General Conference this afternoon while the children quietly played and built lego.

Ferdinand

Today we took advantage of $3.00 movie tickets (a Spring break deal) and brought the whole family to the movies! Mr. Stannix loves the theater and was so excited to bring all of the kids to experience a movie on the big screen. Only the older two had ever been, so Joe and Fin were pretty excited to watch a movie at the theater for their first time. As we loaded them up, Mr. Stannix worried we wouldn't have enough time to find good seats by the time we made it into the city. A plan was put into place for me to take half of the kids and rush into the theater and grab seats while Mr. Stannix took the other half of the kids to the concession to grab popcorn and drinks. 

When we arrived Mr. Stannix had barely turned off the ignition before he hopped out of the van and peeled open the doors. I felt like we were in the middle of a military drill as we hurried the children from their seats and shuffled them into the theater. I was the last to join the group as I fiddled with Ollie's belt, slung the diaper bag over my shoulder, made sure to lock the doors, and hurried across the parking lot. Joe, taking up the tail end of the big kids group, tripped a few times on the sidewalk. I caught up to him in time to help him up and hold his hand the rest of the way in. We turned the corner to enter the theater only to find that the doors were LOCKED! We had arrived so early, in fact, that the theater wasn't even open yet. I laughed out loud (and hard) as we lined up outside with very few other families who had arrived as early as us. Yes, Mr. Stannix loves his movies!

The little guys were so excited when the credits began! The look of amazement on Joe's face as he looked down the row at us was priceless. Unfortunately, Ollie only lasted through the credits before he started whining for drinks of Daddy's pop and pretty much took over the bag of popcorn. He and I quietly exited the theater and grabbed the stroller from the van. We wandered around the mall for the next little while, and he even got a nap in! Mr. Stannix was super dad and did amazing with four littles. They were so tired after that they slept all the way home!

Playful Pup

This morning I looked out the window to discover big, fluffy flakes falling from the sky. This Winter has felt so long already and I am so over all of this crazy snow! Watching our wookie pup play in the white fluff helped me see a tiny bit of joy in it. While my boys beg me every day to get their bikes out of storage, at least someone in our family is still enjoying Winter.  

Easter Cupcakes

Before the kids left for school today they shared a brilliant idea for Easter cupcakes. "You could put mini eggs on the top and they would be like bird's nests!" So, this afternoon I mustered up all of my energy and whipped up a batch of my very favorite, fluffy, moist vanilla cupcakes. I piped some vanilla icing on the top and added some mini eggs. The kids were super excited when they walked in the door and smelled the aroma of fresh baked cupcakes. I may have eaten three...

Mr. Sun

Today was practically T-shirt weather. We are crossing our fingers for Spring! It was so nice to play with Mr. Sun this afternoon on the back deck.

The Bunny Banner

This week we got out the Easter banners and hung them in the kitchen. Time is just flying by and I can hardly keep up with things these days. 

Oliver is at such a super fun age! Some days I can feel the terrible two's around the  corner, and other days I just want to squeeze and hug him all day long. He is such a nut lately and we love his scrunchy nosed grins and funny faces. He is giggly and crazy and busy and all over the place.

Nap time is always a very welcomed rest for this tired mamma. We both use the time to recharge for the after school rush. I love staring at his lashes and admiring his chubby pink cheeks. It's a good thing he's cute!

Hot Water

After having no hot water since Sunday, the littles are thoroughly enjoying WARM baths tonight! Poor Mr. Stannix woke Sunday morning to a broken hot water heater while he was watching the littles. Nothing was open, so I called a plumber on Monday. They were able to come late afternoon and take a look at it. After discovering some bird remains and other unmentionable things in the bottom, they had no luck getting it working again. We had to order a new tank (thank goodness for savings), which they promised would be in the next day. At the end of the day they called and told us that they had just received the hot water tank and wouldn't be able to come until first thing the next day. Meanwhile we've been boiling the kettle for dishes, taking cold showers, and tucking our kids into bed all grubby at night. They didn't mind so much, it was like camping! One morning as I boiled the water for dishes, and used the tap water to rinse them, I noticed it was coming out warm! "Mike, you have to get in the shower RIGHT NOW! It's WARM!" I shouted. By some miracle it stayed hot long enough for Mr. Stannix to enjoy his first warm shower in days.

Ollie sat in his bath so long that he turned into a prune. He enjoyed every minute! 

The kids were squeaky clean at bedtime, and Joe's feet smelled so much better! We will never take hot water for granted again! 

Naptime Shenanigans

Oliver is such a busy boy these days. Even after a long walk around the block before lunch, he decided that he needed to rearrange his room before falling asleep. Apparently he likes his bed better in the middle of the room! 

We Made it!

We made it through another week! Gooey cinnamon buns to celebrate!

Fine Arts Afternoon

Today we did early naps and then took off to the school for their Fine Arts Afternoon. The choirs work so hard every year for festival season and I love that they set up a few rows of chairs for parents to drop in and see them perform at the school. 

The boys and I wandered around and checked out the art displays. Camilla's class had pictures of birds (hers is the purple one in the middle, top row). 

Hyrum's class did seals (his is somewhere on the right hand side if I remember correctly). 

By the time the first choir made their way into the gym, the little boys were already getting antsy. I gave them each a piece of bubble gum in hopes of making it through at least a few of the songs. Previous experience taught me that they hand out medals at the end of the performance and ask parents to come and present their child with the medal.

Hyrum got to play the sticks for "Who Built the Ark". He did such a great job keeping the beat. Joe sang along in the audience and hummed the tune for most of the afternoon afterwards. Just as Camilla's group came on stage, Ollie decided that he was done. I waved at her and then hustled my very loud boys out of the gym smiling through frustration. I had to wait until the end of Camilla's performance before going home, so we checked out the turtles at the front office, they soaked their shirts at the drinking fountain, and took liberties running down the halls despite my pleas for walking feet, and there may have been a wrestling match at the bottom of the ramp to the gym that just about did my patience in. When they had finished up their final song, I pasted a smile back on my face, walked up to my girly and put the medal over her head with a kiss. I told her how good she sang (from what I could hear in the hall). She hugged me tight and granted me understanding and forgiveness. Next year, I might get a babysitter!

Finding Beauty

 This morning we woke up to the most beautiful frost. Everything was adorned in white and sparkling in the morning sun. We are all finally adjusting to this crazy time change, and instead of having to drag the kids out of bed at 7:30am like I have the last few mornings, everyone was up shortly after six. The heat vents in the kitchen filled up quickly with children and blankets. They all huddled together and warmed up while I whipped up a batch of syrup and some french toast. After a rather late bedtime last night there were a few yawns and a few complainers. I glanced up to give a spiel on gratitude to a certain boy who was very ungrateful for his breakfast when I caught Ollie out of the corner of my eye holding his empty plate on the top of his head, syrup dripping down his face, grinning ear to ear. Funny, yes...but now "give the baby a bath" was added to my daily to-do's. 

 

 The little boys and I got ready for the day and then hopped in the van to grab some groceries. We were lucky enough to get out of the house before the sunshine melted away the gorgeous frost. Even though I am itching for Spring, I am grateful for the beauty that can be found in Winter. We took an extra long drive to the grocery store to admire the frosty trees, fences, and structures.

 The rest of my day was spent playing with the boys and making up pie crust! I love reasons to celebrate and today is Pi day (3.14), so of course, we had to eat pie. I started a butter crust for my first ever lemon meringue pie while the boys finished up their lunch.

 The two little boys had very short naps (partly thanks to the beaters whizzing in the kitchen while I made up the meringue).

 I was a little bit excited to pull this beauty out of the oven mid afternoon to cool. I couldn't wait to  dig into it with the littles after dinner!

 The filling for the chicken pot pies simmered on the stove all afternoon. I made two nice sized pies for dinner and they were delicious! I loved being able to use my Grandma's pie plates. They are well loved and well seasoned. It was great to have a few moments to think of her today. I miss her.

 After protesting his chicken pot pie for like an hour, Hyrum finally ate it so that he could get a slice of Lemon Meringue. He happily licked his plate clean and ate the leftover dessert that everyone else left behind. It makes me laugh so much watching him pack away food. I am already dreading the teen years with four hungry boys to feed! 

The warmer weather has been so inviting lately and we are enjoying some more outside time. It warms my heart to see the kids playing outside again with friends around the neighborhood. Yesterday the boys ran around the deck in sweatshirts and enjoyed a picnic on a blanket. Oliver is constantly begging to go outside. I spend most of my time lately dressing and undressing him as he is constantly in and out. The sun is so warm and wonderful and I can feel Spring right around the corner. Thanks to the extra fresh air and exercise the children practically fall into bed at days end.

Satisfying Cravings

 The sun is waking up earlier and earlier each day, making my mornings go so much smoother. There's something about daylight that just makes everything better. I was practically giddy when I opened the blinds to crystal covered trees glistening in the morning sun. As we drove to the grocery store I admired the beauty all around. If it has to be Winter, at least it can be pretty outside. The snow in the fields sparkled as the sun made it's way above the horizon. And since I couldn't exactly pull over every time I saw something sparkly, I took a mental picture and soaked it all up in the quiet of an early morning drive. 

 I made sure to pick up some raisins at the grocery store. We don't usually have any on hand because no body in this family even likes raisins. I have had the hugest craving for oatmeal raisin cookies for the last little while and today I was going to make them. By the early afternoon I had six loaves of bread ready for the oven and a cookie jar full of oatmeal raisin cookies.

 I ate so many I thought I'd be sick, but they were so darn good and helped curb the frustrations of the day. Although, it looks like eating them all will just be up to Ollie and I since no one else in this house likes them (the raisin thing).

 Ollie woke from his nap and went outside to play with Mr. Sun. It was a bit on the chilly side, but he hardly minded. When I figured he would be cold I opened the back door and called him in. He shook his head, turned around, and ran away as fast as his fluffy snow suit would allow him. He crawled, rolled, and walked through the snow for quite some time before he decided he was ready to come inside and warm up. He lives to be outside.

Last week I picked up some cotton in lovely Spring colors. I've been crocheting dish cloths when ever I have a spare moment, and I am in love with this new basket weave pattern. They are big, and thick, and elegant. There is something about using handmade items that I enjoy. I appreciate things more when I've put my own time into them. I admired them all day as I filled my mind with dreams of Spring.

Making Slime

We woke to more snow, and cold. While we are ready for Winter to be done, it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon.

So I loaded the boys up in the van, and off we went to the store to buy some glue to make slime! I walked out of the store with Ollie on my hip, and a bag hanging from my arm.  Fin ran ahead, stopping only when his tippie toes hit the curb of the sidewalk. He gets as close as he can to the road, but knows to wait. I grabbed his hand as he started to run again, "please walk in the parking lot, okay bud?" He looked up at me with a goofy grin and then decided that if he couldn't run he would just hop the rest of the way to the van. With Ollie on my hip I tried to time my steps to Fin's jumping as the bag swung on my arm. That boy is such a go-getter.

I googled a quick recipe for slime using white glue, baking soda and contact solution. It took us a couple of tries to get it right, but it was so fun once we did! I joined the boys at the table for a bit because playing with slime is way more fun than cleaning a house...

Naps were had....

Blueberry muffins were made...

I feel like I've been doing a lot of baking to survive these last few months of Winter. The kids came home and inhaled deeply through their noses, "MMMMM!" I lost count of how many Hyrum ate. The slime was a hit with everyone while I made dinner. No Monday blues over here today!

Welcome March

The old saying, "In like a lion, out like a lamb" definitely rings true this month. The majority of our province has been under a snowfall warning which is expected to start here tonight. And while I'm a little bit done with Winter, there is a small part of me that is looking forward to hunkering down with the littles for the next few days here at home. I've had so many thoughts going through my mind and weighing on my heart over these last couple of weeks, and I feel like I just need a few days to hold my children close, bake up a storm, and enjoy the calm that comes with the yarn running through my fingers as I finish up a blanket I've been working on. 

My desire to write is always nagging in the back of my mind and I've been so disappointed in recent posts that have been left wanting for more depth and emotion. Winter has just about sucked everything good out of me, and I am hanging onto the simple pleasures of life as I go about each day. I relish in blue sky mornings, frost covered trees, afternoons spent snuggled up reading to the kids, the smell of baking that fills our home, getting out in the sun when it's warm, and evenings by the fire. These are the little things that are helping me survive until Spring.

Something that has brought me great peace lately is music. I love when Camilla pulls out her violin each morning to practice. She is always plays as the sun wakes up. The pink glow in my livingroom this morning was perfection. Her teacher is wonderful and she is learning so much. Between her violin and the boys playing piano, our home is always filled with music. When I get a few minutes in the morning I love to play the piano myself and let the emotion flow right out the ends of my fingers. Music has always been a source of relief and peace for me.

I've been borderline cranky this week and super short on patience. Sometimes I wonder if its because my expectations are too high. Are the kids really being more terrible than usual, or am I just more moody and sensitive? It's probably the latter (coupled with the fact that there's a full moon this weekend)...My mind feels so unfocused lately, so I've been trying to set some goals for myself to help with that and take my mind of other less important things. This afternoon we cooked up some happiness in the kitchen. I grabbed the brightest bowl I could find (yellow is such a happy color) and got Joe to help me make up some lemon pie filling and cream puffs.  "I'm going to be such a good baker when I grow up," he said as he stirred. The kids were super excited about it when they got home from school (I may have eaten five...darn stress eating). Boy can those boys eat though! Hyrum polished off four waffles the other morning at breakfast. I couldn't help but stare wide-eyed in disbelief across the counter as he polished off his last few bites.

Finley asked me today on our way into the city if I loved Moana. It's his very favorite show. I told him I did and then he responded, "Oh. Well. I don't love Maui, I JUST love YOU!" He is the sweetest kid ever. I wrote it down on my phone to bring me a smile when I need it. 

Goodness, this mothering gig is hard, and rewarding, and intense, and chaotic, and sometimes super lonely. But it's taught me so much about myself, who I am, and what I can handle. The joys of motherhood come in waves. Some days I experience the highest highs and other days the lowest of lows. The trick is not to let those lows swallow you up. I'm slowly learning how to resurface quicker when the waves of life knock me down. Most of the time it's by focusing on the little, every day joys and the things that matter most.

"As mother, teacher, or nurturing saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting." ~Russell M. Nelson