Just Us

While Mr. Stannix is off at the movies and my kiddos are fast asleep, I thought I would take a few minutes and post about our day. Today we were able to spend some family time together, just us. We had a lazy Saturday morning (the best kind) complete with pancakes and strawberries for breakfast. We then took off to the legislature for a few hours with the kiddos. It was chilly, but Camilla still loved it!

 She loved splashing her toes in the water!

Daddy chased her around for a good 20 minutes jumping and splashing!

Camilla finally got cold enough that she wanted her towel on and we snacked on some fishy crackers.

Finally it was time to go home for naps! We ended up sleeping the afternoon away. Camilla even fell asleep AGAIN on the couch after she came downstairs. It was definitely a lazy, lazy Saturday. When Mr. Stannix woke up, he told me he'd do dinner tonight! Then he took Camilla to the golden arches. He asked me how hungry I was when he left and I said HUNGRY!

Camilla got her very first happy meal and was SUPER excited about it. Daddy and Camilla were chanting "Fries" the whole way home. Mr. Stannix surprised me with a DOUBLE big mac. I'm not sure I'll ever eat another (that's a lot of meat) so I took a picture. It was delish though. Then I dipped my fries in my oreo frosty. Mr. Stannix knows me too well! All in all, a success. 

After Mr. Stannix left on his "man date" it was time to bath my babies and get them ready for bed. I just love Hyrum's soft baby skin after he's been bathed. Clean babes are so sweet and fresh! There is nothing better. We then spent the last half hour before bed rocking out to a fun CD with our shakers. I am definitely tired now! We finished with a quick story from the Book of Mormon and then Camilla said the night prayers for us. She's gettin' good! Now both my babies are sleeping and I think I am about to join them!

Swaddled and Snug

The secret to making this little boy happy is simply to swaddle him up tight and snug. If he is ever fussy, I will lay out a blanket and fold the corner down. As soon as I place him on the blanket and begin the swaddling process, he is full of little grins and becomes suddenly content. He loves these big, cotton blankets. He loves to touch them, and grab at them. When he is upset, sometimes I will just put one on his tummy and he will grab at it and feel it with his little hands and bring it up to touch his face and then he is happy once again. When he was just a month old, I was nursing him and noticed all of this "finger jam" (ya know, like toe jam, but between the fingers). He had played with his blanket so much that he had developed finger jam. It took me a while to peel all of the fuzzies out from between his fingers and every wrinkle on his little hands, especially when all he wanted to do was clench his little fists. I bet I could have built a mountain with all of the lint I acquired. Moral of the story, swaddled equals happy.

Just Like Mommy

Every Wednesday morning we walk to the park to meet up with friends, and yesterday was no exception. Around 10:00am I started asking Camilla to get her socks, shoes, baby etc. I put Hyrum in the baby wrap and wheeled the stroller around to the front door so Camilla could get in. When I came back inside, Camilla was patiently waiting in the entry way with her baby in her stroller. She insisted on pushing her baby to the park all by herself. I quickly switched Hyrum from the wrap to the stroller and we were off!! He enjoyed his very first stroller ride.

Camilla was very good and followed me the whole way to the park. It took us a good half an hour to walk there! Her little legs ran almost the whole way. Hyrum just chilled in the stroller.

Camilla still had energy when we arrived at the park and ran and played with all of her friends. When she finally tuckered out, it was time to go home for lunch and naps.

I folded up her baby stroller and put it away for the walk home so that Camilla could ride in her stroller. Hyrum snoozed in the wrap the whole way home.

The rest of our day was good. Camilla was excited when Mr. Stannix arrived home from work. We ate dinner, had baths and got ready for bed. Camilla seemed a bit chilled after her bath and her forehead was slightly warm. She was happy to get some sleep. Mr. Stannix and I enjoyed an episode of Smallville together on the couch. In the middle of the episode, I heard, "Addie, need some Wa-wa please?" My first name has been used a lot lately by our little girl. I'm not sure how I feel about that. After filling her sippy, and continuing with our show, I heard coughing and choking and sent Mr. Stannix up to see if she was okay. She had blown hamburger and cheese chunks all over her bedding, pillow, hair, and face. I stripped her down and sent her to lay in a nice warm bath while Mr. Stannix and I (T-shirts over our noses) cleaned up the bed. She slept pretty good last night and seems to be feeling better this morning... Chicken noodle soup for lunch should do the trick, and then off for naps!

A Time to Reflect

I was in my kitchen last night tidying up before bed and making some toast when I noticed an orange glow coming in the window. I went to the front door and saw the most vivid colors of orange and pink that I've seen in a long time. The sun was just setting and casting a glow on everything it touched. The wet pavement made the perfect landing for the sun's rays. I stood on my front porch listening to the rain trickling down. It was beautiful, and breath taking. A view that would stimulate all of your senses at once. I had to take a picture. I never wanted to forget the view from my front door.

Yesterday was one of the hardest days that I've had in a while. Camilla got out of bed a zillion times when I tried to put her down for her nap. It took an hour and a half to finally get her to stay in her bed. After that hour and a half I felt like the worst mother in the world. I lost it after about the 10th time carrying her up the stairs and putting her back in her bed. We both shed a few tears, hers out of sadness and mine out of frustration. I wish I could be the calm mother that never raises her voice. I wish I could keep our house in order whilst finding time to play all day with the children. I wish I had more patience. All in all, I was feeling pretty bummed last night. When I went to put the camera away in the office, I glanced out the balcony door and noticed a rainbow. I called Mr. Stannix in to share in the moment with me. Together we looked out the window at the rainbow, so delicately placed in the glowing sky. 

To me, rainbows mean a fresh start. I was looking forward to waking up today, and having a fresh start. I was also hoping that Camilla would make her way into our room for a morning snuggle so that I could get my good morning hug and giggle with her in bed. Hyrum woke up and found his voice. He was screaming and cooing while Daddy was in the shower this morning. Soon, his big sister made it into our room and greeted us with an enthusiastic "Good Morning!". It is a good morning, and I hope my day will be just as good.

Two Year Old for Sale

We have a two year old for sale or trade.

She's very creative, and loves to play with blocks.

 She's willing to try anything, but gets bored very easily.

She will sing "I am a Child of God" to calm a crying baby.

She's a really good climber, and can climb her way into a crib at the drop of a hat!

She is a talented dancer and loves to "shake-a bum bum".

She's a really big helper, especially when it comes to setting the table for dinner.

She's pretty care-free and likes to splash and sing in the rain. 

She is a really great big sister, and loves to cuddle!

 Did I mention she gives really good smooches?

She's a bit of a dare-devil, but it will keep you on your toes and help you loose those few extra pounds.

If any one's interested, leave me a comment and I'll get back to ya!

***

On second thought, maybe we'll keep her.

The Deathly Hallows

This last weekend Mr. Stannix and I had the opportunity to see the final Harry Potter movie, sans kiddos. My Dad and sister babysat for us! We took off just after 10:00pm to the theater. We got out the door and Mr. Stannix was already walking 10 feet in front of me because he was so excited. It's kind of a running joke between us. Any time there's a movie/theater involved, he gets so excited and walks so far in front of me! I only had to remind him that we were on a date, and then he held my hand the rest of the night! The theater was buzzing with excitement and there was Harry Potter fans dressed up all around us. It was super fun to see. We bought a slush at the concession and waited in line to enter the theater. When it was time we got our tickets scanned and picked up our shnazzy pair of 3D glasses. Mr. Stannix had reserved GREAT seats, right in the middle of the theater, level with the screen. We then lounged back in our chairs and waited for the show to start. When it started, I leaned over and whispered to Mr. Stannix something like, "It's only been 10 minutes and I already have goose bumps up my legs". Overall I thought it was very well done! Only a few things I would have changed. When the movie finished, Mr. Stannix grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd and out of the theater. It was way past midnight, which meant it was way past our bed time. Mr. Stannix wasn't feeling well from all the 3D-ness, so we will be seeing it again soon, this time in 2D. I am seriously contemplating reading the books again, Mr. Stannix will be shocked!

A Weekend Outing

With Mr. Stannix all done his CASB for a bit, we had some time to do some fun things this weekend! On Saturday we got to spend the day with my family. I had some fun things that I wanted to do. It was a great day full of outings and relaxation. In the morning, my Dad, Mr. Stannix and Emma went to the temple. After they got home, we all had lunch and then headed out to catch a train. We explored the farmers market for a little while and then waited in line for the 3:00PM train. 

Grampa and Emma walked the tracks with Camilla while we waited, it was cute!

The tickets were so old school! I loved the whole experience of purchasing a ticket and then getting it punched by the conductor. Mr. Stannix felt like he was boarding the polar express!

Camilla had so much fun jumping from lap to lap and looking out the window as we went through the tunnel and over the highlevel bridge. 

Camilla made friends with the boy next to her.

When we reached "the end of the line" a lot of people got off the train. We got our tickets punched for trip 2 and then Mr. Stannix grabbed a seat near the front and waved me over to steal a romantic moment. I loved it!

Something about being on an old train and sitting by my Mr. Stannix...

Finally, we reached the end of our line and said good-bye to the old train car.

 We spent the rest of our afternoon in the wading pools at the Legislature. Auntie Emma had fun with the kiddos and even tried out carrying Hyrum in the baby wrap.

 It was fun having Gramma and Grampa there to play with and snuggle the kiddos!
My Mum is beautiful!

 Uncle Chris had a lot of fun with miss Camilla. I enjoyed some time with Mr. Stannix!

 Camilla had a blast in the water, even when she was shivering she didn't want to get out!

 Even Grampa joined in on the fun! We had a nice little splash fest.

 Camilla didn't mind being splashed at all!

 I think this picture sums up how much fun I was having that day!

 Then it was time to walk back to the car and head for home. It was such a beautiful day. I felt so blessed to be surrounded by family. The memories created were priceless!

Going to the Moon

The other morning I was upstairs putting Hyrum to bed and I could hear Camilla singing "Happy Birthday". I went down the stairs and found her like this...

"Tooo youuuuu"

It was hilarious. On this particular day, she was cracking me up all morning. Sometimes I miss the imagination I used to have as a kid. I think it's easy for it to get lost when you become an adult. I'm so glad I have children to remind me how fun it is to play pretend. For example, Camilla showed me that crazy carpets make the best rocket ships that money can buy! Her and her baby zoomed to the moon and back all morning long!

"Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! We're goin' to the Moon!"

And just because I haven't posted much on our little man for a while, here's some new pictures! I think he's pretty stinkin' handsome!

Daddy Buys the Treats

The other day Camilla spotted a bag of Oreos on the top shelf of the pantry and asked if she could have one. I took the bag down and opened it up. She pointed at it and exclaimed, "Daddy go shoppin'!" The night before, Daddy had indeed come shopping with us, and put the Oreos in the cart. I guess she knows who buys the treats around here! As I watched her eat the Oreo, I wondered who taught her the art of eating an Oreo cookie. It was perfect -- Twist, pull, raise, lick.  The only thing I might add would be a glass of milk!