Backwards

This is kind of how my day went today...

After much practicing, lifting and lowering his one leg, 

Hyrum can finally climb on to his car all by himself.

Backwards...

But none the less, this boy couldn't be more proud!

I could just eat those cheeks!

Spiritually Uplifted

Today I had the privilege of attending a Stake Relief Society activity. It's always hard for me to work up the courage to actually go, but I always come home grateful that I went. Mr. Stannix gladly watched the children all day and encouraged me to go. I always like to get there super early so that I can find a table and have other people join me, I don't like doing it the other way around because I'm a super shy type when it comes to things like that. It started out with an awesome brunch with delicious fruit and muffins and then we moved on to the service projects. There was lots of sewing and knitting going on. I tied quilts for a good two hours and my fingers are still a bit numb. I think all together we all tied 60+ quilts. They were all so gorgeous too, the type that are hard to give away. I hope they will make someone feel loved and warm.

After the service project we had the privilege of hearing from Sister Wendy Watson Nelson (here and here). Her talk was great and just what I needed to hear today. 

She talked about how before we came here we all made "premortal commitments". These can be covenants, talents, promises, and help us find out who we really are. It is important that we find out what these are and maybe try to list them so that we can better ourselves and learn how to better "fill the measure of our creation".

She told us how our Spirits long to PROGRESS. If we aren't progressing and learning our spirits will probably not be happy. Sometimes I can get in this rut and it seems that if I start praying and studying and desiring to progress I begin to feel much better. 

She talked about how angels are on our right hand and our left and all we need to do is ask for them. This was very comforting to me and something I had never really thought about before. 

The last part of her talk focused on the importance of being holy. What would a Holy woman do? She talked about how important it is as mothers to "keep our homes and the hearts inside of it pure". I love love loved this point! It awakened in me a new desire to keep the hearts of my children pure and holy and watch closely what we are allowing into our home. She shared a story about a couple who did a spiritual inventory of their home and got rid of bad movies, music etc so that the spirit could be there in FULL ABUNDANCE. Ask ourselves, "Whose agenda is this supporting?". 

She then spoke of the importance of being WITH our children and not just around them. Sure as mothers we are home with our children daily, but she talked about playing WITH them and spending time WITH them. Last week I kept the computer shut down during the day because I felt that it was something that was hindering me from spending quality time with my children. This limited blog time, facebook time, e-mail time...and it was wonderful! We sang, danced, watched Little House on the Prairie and played silly games together. Those were the happiest days I've had in a long time. I now have a new found desire to spend time WITH my children. 

She talked about seeing each child as a child of God. As we see them with these new eyes we will have an increase of love for them and be more careful with our words and actions. She said, "You can comfort them best and that is your PRIVILEGE". Wow, what a great perspective to have up your sleeve for those late nights and tough moments.

She quoted an awesome verse from Doctrine and Covenants which talked about how "ye must practise holiness before me continually". I am still pondering on this and am so excited to bring this into my daily life with the little things I do each day. When faced with a challenge, a troubled toddler, a screaming baby, I can ask myself, "What would a holy woman do?". 

I came home so excited to share these things with Mr. Stannix and to share my thoughts, desires and struggles. I am so glad I have a husband who is willing to listen to me, hold me close and dry my tears. Today has been an emotional day (in a good way) and I loved the feelings of the spirit that I received. I got a little jealous of Daddy's today. I walked in the door and the look of excitement on Hyrum's face was the best thing ever. His eyes lit up when he saw me and a huge grin spread from ear to ear as he opened and shut his little hands and waved hello. I was so glad to be home to mommy my children and hold them close.  

Flour Tortillas

Today was pretty good. I definitely felt the tired, end of the week feeling that comes with Friday. We had to get out of the house so we hit up the swimming pool for most of our morning. The kids enjoyed it! Then we had some chicken noodle soup for lunch to warm us up. "This soup is warming up inside my belly, mamma," is what Camilla said. All day today she's been calling me "Mamma". I blame Little House on the Prairie. That girl seriously loves that show, and I'm not even kidding. It's sweet. She's been calling me it all day but I still have to register it before I answer her. Hyrum discovered the garbage today (yuck) and is enjoying the world at this new found height.

For dinner I decided to try out home made flour tortillas. I tried a recipe a few years ago and love this one way better! The texture was great and they tasted way better than store bought! I rolled them out so thin that I could see my green counter through them, but they are super sturdy and didn't break when I would flip them over. They were a little small though. I might double the batch next time and just make them bigger. I've been thinking about trying out some Cafe Rio recipes for a while. It was Mr. Stannix's favorite place in the whole world to eat while he was on his mission in Utah (and still might be). I've been told he would (if given the chance) take a flight down there just to have lunch at Cafe Rio. I've found some fun recipes people have made claiming to taste like Cafe Rio and figured I'd have to perfect the homemade tortilla before I could try any of 'em. 

After dinner we cruised around Wal-mart. We needed milk for the weekend and also saw that Dr. Seuss books were on for a pretty good deal. Hyrum fell asleep in the cart and Camilla just had fun chatting our ears off about everything. 

Then it was bath time. Hyrum stood up in the tub so many times that I'm surprised he even got wet. He's such a mover now! Camilla protested like crazy when it came time for hair washing... After prayers Daddy took the girl upstairs to read her some Dr. Seuss. I cozied Hyrum up in his favorite soft blanket and we snuck up the creaky stairs to have a listen. I went into our bedroom across the hall and layed on our bed with Hyrum on my chest. 

Mr. Stannix's voice was so lovely to listen to. Listening to him read is one of my favorite things. His voice was so soothing. Hyrum suddenly became limp and he drifted off to dreamland. Then kisses were had and lights turned out. I enjoyed my boy for a few minutes and then took him over to his crib, smooched and hugged Camilla good night and headed down stairs. A day well spent.

The Weak of Stomach

Today was a busy, productive day for me. I was done two loads of laundry, breakfast, dishes, folding, and tidying all before 10:00am. For the rest of the morning and afternoon I watched my friends sweet little girl. The kids played fairly well together. We brought out the blocks, the tunnel, the little chair, dolls and strollers to keep us all occupied. It worked out well. 

After lunch Hyrum was a little antsy given that it was almost his nap time so I lifted him up on my shoulders to keep him occupied. We bounced and danced around the house while the girls played. Then Camilla ran to the bathroom to use the potty and I heard Hyrum let out a big burp, followed by puke running down my hair and face. It was thick and white and pasty. I imagined this is what it's like when a bird flies over and drops that white stuff on your head...I lifted him off my shoulders and bent down to sit him on the floor. He had puked on his white sock, so I proceeded to wipe it up. As I bent over to wipe his sock off puke dripped down my stray strands of hair and onto the floor. Dripped! I could have vomited myself, but at the thought of having to clean THAT up, I talked myself out of it. I let down my messy bun and stuck my head under the shower to rinse it out. I shall never forget March 1st of 2012. 

After a good visit with friends, our house was once again just the three of us for the rest of the afternoon. Hyrum went for his nap without complaint and Camilla and I turned on some Little House on the Prairie at her request. It was fun to snuggle up on the couch and watch it with her. I then remembered the pail of ice cream in the freezer. Last night after dessert I had left maybe one scoop in the bottom (don't ask me why). I pulled it out, drizzled some Caramel on top (if it was Mr. Stannix it would have been chocolate) and grabbed two little spoons. We then sat on the couch together and ate ice cream, right out of the bucket, and giggled. Oh how I cherish those little moments Camilla and I can share together.

This month I am excited to cook some green food and celebrate the Irish in me! 

Happy March everyone!

Stinky Feet

As I type this post I am listening to the sound of snow melting off the roof.  
 

Drip 

Drip Drip 

Drip

When I was out visiting my parents last, my girl and I started a new game that has continued until present. We were laying on the floor relaxing and enjoying having nothing to do. All of the sudden her feet made their way near my face.  I grabbed her little piggies in my hands and brought them to my nose for a sniff, "PEE-YOU!" She burst into a little girl giggle fit and insisted I do it again. So I sniffed those little feet (that didn't actually stink) over and over again exclaiming, "Pee-YOU!" "PEEEEEE-You!" just to hear that sweet little belly giggle of hers.

Now, sometimes when she's bored, she'll ask to come sit on my lap. Then she will ask, "Mom, please play stinky feet?" I smile and the game begins. It's something quite silly really, but it's something special that we share, just the two of us.

Mr. Determination

This morning, tiny feet overtook my kitchen. Hyrum was hard at work pushing his sisters pink chair around the kitchen floor. I side-stepped him the whole morning while I made breakfast, but he was a little man on a mission and hardly noticed that he was sharing this tiny space at all.

He grunted as he tugged and pushed that chair around and the odd time I'd hear a little giggle or get a huge triumphant smile from him. He was so proud to be up on his little feet cruising around. 

New Cutlery!

We got a gift card for Christmas to use towards new cutlery and today I finally cashed it in on a brand new, shiny set of cutlery! I was so excited that I washed them up and we used our brand new forks to enjoy our Grilled Chicken Caesar salad for dinner. The big set (for eight people) was on clearance and marked down a couple of times which allowed me to buy another smaller set as well.

We'll never have to buy cutlery again! I am excited to use them to enjoy delicious meals as a family. I am excited that we can have many friends over to enjoy delicious meals with us! It also made me excited for huge parties and family gatherings. Easter. Christmas. Thanksgivings! Oh the possibilities. So if you ever come to dinner at the Stannix's, you can be rest assured that you won't have to eat with your hands (unless of course you want to).

And just because I am in love with this boys long, dark eyelashes, his baby blues and his crooked smile, I thought I'd post a picture!

Claim to Fame

Our house woke up super early this morning. Hyrum wanted his bottle at 7:00am and soon after his sister was awake. I went downstairs with the kiddos and Camilla wanted "bepest". After a cartoon or two it was time for Hyrum to get a bum change again. I put him on the floor in the hallway and changed his bum while he screamed "Wah! Wah!". At the same time Camilla was trying to talk over her brother, "I have to go pee! I have to go pee!" over and over again until I acknowledged her. When everything settled I went upstairs and related my story to Mr. Stannix.

...."Wah! Wah!" "I have to go pee!" "Wah!" "I have to go pee mommy!" "Wahhhhh!"....Then we laughed together and he pulled me into bed for a morning snuggle. Seconds after I hit the bed we heard, "Mum, I need a wipe!" We both burst out laughing and laughed really hard and then I headed downstairs to help out the girl in the bathroom. Ah, the life of a mother.

We spent the afternoon braving the blizzard outside (seriously like 2 feet of snow overnight) and went to Costco to pick up my pictures. We decided to make Grampy's Taco's tonight but I needed corn meal. We checked high and low at Costco and had no luck. We hit up Safeway on our way home and they were out of corn meal. I even made a stock boy check the back for me. Since both the kids were napping we went to the good ol' IGA near our old place. I love that store, they always have what I need. On our way there Mr. Stannix had his "Claim to fame". They were talking about TV's on the radio and he text in about the story of Camilla spraying our TV with water. It was read over the radio and they gave him a shout out. Awesome. He was pretty excited.

When we got home we unloaded the car and then Camilla hung outside with Daddy while he shoveled the bazillion inches of snow that dumped last night. We're walkin' in a winter wonderland once again.

Then Mr. Stannix started dinner. Grampy's Taco's take a while to make, but it's a fun process. We cranked up the music, danced, sang and flipped taco's (it's all in the lips or so I've heard). It was a great thing to do on a Saturday night! The first three flopped and mangled and ended up on the floor. Mr. Stannix is back to pro status though and flipping tacos could be his next claim to fame! When we had stuffed ourselves full of yummy goodness we counted up our toothpicks to see who ate more.

The kids went to bed shortly after dinner because we took so long with the prep work. I am so proud of how easily they both go to sleep. Prayers, stories, hugs and kisses, lights out and they both lay quiet in their beds awaiting sleep. Now it's time to tidy up the house and get it ready for Sunday!

Boycotting Naptime

Camilla's bed was clunking as she moved around upstairs, likely tucking in all her teddy bears and baby dolls for nap time. Hyrum was sleeping soundly in his crib and I prayed that she wouldn't wake him up. Having missed his morning nap, he really needed this one! I sat in the big chair in the living room and read my scriptures with my ears nice and big to hear any movement upstairs. The bed was still clunking and Camilla was whispering to herself and her baby dolls. I stood at the bottom of the creaky stairs and said "Shhh!" for what seemed like the millionth time. She got out of bed three times to pee, and I tucked her back into bed three times. After an hour or so I heard Hyrum say, "OoOo!" I scooped him from the crib, kissed Camilla good night for the 10298th time and headed down stairs. After a bottle I sat Hyrum in his saucer so I could do my hair in the bathroom (Hryum sometimes likes to dump Camilla's potty on the floor and play in it, hence the no babies in the bathroom rule). Since I shoveled the walks and made a batch of bread this morning I hadn't done anything more than dress myself. Mr. Stannix wanted to take us for dinner tonight to celebrate him not having to work tomorrow and I gladly welcomed the break from cooking. I wanted to look good for him, like really good, so I spent a few minutes dolling myself up for dinner while Hyrum chatted at me from his saucer. When I finally finished, Camilla was still rustling around in her bed. I went up to quiet her once more and try to get her to snooze. As I stood on the landing between the two bedrooms she had noticed my change in appearance.

"You don't have your glasses on!"
"Nope, I took them off and put in my contacts"
"Ohhhh... and your hair is all dry? After your shower?"
"Yup"
"Ohhh.... Did you do it?"
"Yes I did, do you like it?"
"Yes. Can you turn around so I can see your ponies?"
"Sure"
"It looks pretty Mommy"

I walked over to her bedside to pull up the covers once more and tuck her in.

"Thanks! After your nap I will brush your hair for dinner tonight with Daddy"
"Ohhh...Okay. And baby can come to dinner?"
"Of course"
"She wants to fly there"
"Okay! Now it's time to go to sleep"
"Ohhhh...."

I kissed her on the forehead and went back down stairs to Hyrum opening and closing cupboard doors. If Camilla doesn't fall asleep, I think I'll just go up and take her place on that comfy bed of hers. I'm exhausted!

Under the Table Smorg

"Sweet! I scored myself half a chocolate chip cookie AND a cracker today!"

Yes you did, buddy. Yes you did.

Your chipmunk cheeks gave ya away this time!