Up before the Sun

 I woke up this morning feeling pretty good! Joe and I got a few hours of snuggle time before the rest of the house woke up. We kissed Daddy good-bye and headed upstairs for morning chores. While we tidied the bedrooms the sun was just waking up for the day. The boys room was immersed in the most gorgeous orange glow. I couldn't resist taking pictures!

This little boy is 16 months old today! I can't believe how fast time has gone by! He loves to babble lately. He also shrieks when he's happy and shrieks when he's upset. We ran the hallways at church for a while yesterday and he shrieked like crazy with excitement! He keeps me on my toes, that's for sure. He usually chills in his crib while we clean up the clothes and make beds in the morning. A bed is in his near future since he can almost climb right out now!

By mid-morning we were needing a snack, so we made up our traditional St. Patricks Day cupcakes. The older two were helping me mix, and then Camilla had a meltdown over something or other. All of the sudden, mid meltdown, Camilla exclaimed, "He bit my bottom!" in her English accent. She laughed while the tears remained on her cheeks. I then saw Joe's head pop up beside her and burst into giggles. Joseph had tried using his teeth to help him up. Such a funny boy...

 

Making cupcakes and wearing green are about as festive as we seem to ever get for this holiday. I pinned a bunch of cool green meal ideas on pinterest and had intentions of making green bread, but none of it happened! Good thing those cupcakes are so delicious!

Last night after the kids went to bed I made up these great little job charts for the littles! They are already pretty great at doing their jobs, but I wanted to give them more accountability and desire. Hyrum pulled his off the fridge first thing this morning and asked me about it. Once I told him he could color on it, he was sold. I've never seen that boy work his way through his jobs so fast! He even brushed his teeth! I'm hoping that this will help our home be more organized. I also copied the design and wrote up some family rules taken from President Hinckley's Six B's. Mr. Stannix and I brainstormed for a while last night on what we want our home to be like. This morning I felt inspired to look up the Six B's and incorporate them into our home. I totally remember when he gave this talk. I loved it then and I love it now! This rule chart is pretty much our lesson for FHE tonight.

In my searching today I stumbled across some really great talks. I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can become the mother I dream of being. The very title of this talk peeked my interest.

"You are creatures of divinity; you are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, if you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner."

-Gordon B. Hinckley

I have felt this very way for the last little while. Like my life is drifting by and I'm not doing the things I'm supposed to be doing. It's a horrible feeling. Reading this talk gave me a sense of worth and a great desire and drive to do more each day to become that person I want to be with limitless potential and endless charity. 

"There is nothing in all this world as magnificent as virtue. It glows without tarnish. It is precious and beautiful. It is above price. It cannot be bought or sold. It is the fruit of self-mastery."

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Ah, self mastery. That sounds nice...

On the bottom of our family rules I also attached a favorite scripture about organizing our homes. While studying online I also came across a great talk from President Monson. 

"By being consistently good, we can ensure a house of glory."

-Thomas S. Monson

"Clean thoughts, noble purpose, a willing heart, and ready hands are all features of a house of God."

 -Thomas S. Monson

I am excited to put what I've learned to use! Mr. Stannix and I also had a great chat last night about the use of time. Time management seems to be one of the hardest things to master these days. There's just so much in a day to distract us from the things we should be doing (like teaching kids, studying scriptures, serving friends and family, making healthy meals etc). This week I'm hoping to spend more time on those things that matter most!

 

A Day of Rest

Sunday's are always a day of rest in the Stannix home!
I just can't resist a sleeping baby in a white onsie!

Father Son Moment

Saturdays are always pretty special around here because Daddy doesn't have to go to work (except for next Saturday and every one after that until the end of tax season). Joseph sure loves his Daddy! They shared a glass of water on the stairs this morning after breakfast. It was pretty cute. Joe does this thing where he tilts his head to the side and tries to look deeply into your eyes. I wish I got a better angle, but still an adorbs picture of this little man and his favorite Daddy.

 

We spent the afternoon driving in our new van and stopped off at the John Janzen for some indoor play. The littles needed to burn some energy and had a lot of fun making friends and playing tag and stuff. Apparrently Joe didn't get enough climbing and sliding time...

 

He is a non-stop climber these days and it seems like I'm pulling him off tables and chairs every five seconds. Sometimes when he turns around to sit down, his bum is just inches away from the edge. He is one busy busy boy!

St. Patty's Party

 Today we enjoyed the annual St. Patrick's Day party with my cousins and their lovely kiddies.There was lost of fun crafting and lots of green food to enjoy! The littles had fun decorating these shamrock hats.

Hyrum got pretty into it.

Joseph hammed it up for us!

 

I'm pretty sure Camilla covered every inch of hers!

We were also privileged to have my Grandparents there to celebrate with us. It's always a treat to watch them interact with their great-grands.

We enjoyed green drinks, green egg salad sandwiches and some veggies for lunch. 

We also managed a few funny group shots before everyone went home. 

Love those little leprechauns of mine!! Thanks for the fun day cousins!

Breaking out the Rubber Boots

I have been in love with this gorgeous weather! All of the extra sunshine this week has been wonderful. Today we brought in our rubber boots from the garage and found some puddles to splash in. We began while Joseph was napping. The older two ran up and down the sidewalk through the puddles.

 It's so fun to watch them together. They are such great friends! Camilla is the best puddle jumper I know. She's also had an extra year or so of practice than Hyrum.

 When Joseph woke up Camilla let him borrow her rubber boots so that he could splash with them. She was also a great big sister and made sure to pick him up and dip his feet in several times to "show him how". She's such a helper!

 Joseph really enjoyed being able to walk and splash. He also loved looking at his reflection in the puddles, it was pretty cute.

 Though his eyes are closed in this picture, I still find it adorable! I love that whispy blonde hair and the way his diaper waddles while he walks. I am going to miss this stage so much!

What a Day

This is another long blog post about the craziness of parenting littles. If you don't want to read it, I'd understand, but if you do read it, I hope I can at least make you laugh! Sometimes things can get pretty crazy around here, and though there I days I want to forget, I know that I will want to remember them later!

Last weekend I left my car keys in my jacket at the Acreage so when I woke up this morning I was sure to grab the other set of keys from Mike's coat pocket and put them in the basket. I made everyone some breakfast and then we all hugged and kissed Daddy good-bye. After breakfast we went upstairs, tidied the rooms and got dressed. Camilla put her swim suit on under her clothes to make things easier for swimming lessons. We packed a towel and headed out to the car. I belted everyone in and then ran back inside for the keys. Turns out Daddy grabbed the keys and put them in his pocket out of habit. I quickly mapped out a bus route and grabbed some change. We had to move quick to make it on time. I threw Joseph in the hiking backpack and strapped the other two in the stroller and went on our way. I had no watch or phone to tell the time. We just missed the bus I wanted to catch, but waited around for what seemed like forever for the next one while I handed baby cookies back to Joseph and popped wheelies with the stroller to keep the older two occupied. Finally a second bus came along and when we finally pulled into the transit center the clock read 9:31am. Camilla's lessons had already started. I felt a little discouraged and wondered if we should keep pace. I asked Camilla what she would like to do and she still wanted to go. I still had at least another ten minutes of walking/jogging to do with Joe on my back just to make it to the Rec Centre at a decent time. My legs pretty much felt like Jello half way there after a block and my face was red and hot. As we rolled up to the door I had Camilla whip off her boots and unzip her jacket. We probably looked hilarious coming through the doors with me hurrying, "Take off your shoes Camilla....!!!" I'm sure I looked like a crazy lady. Camilla was giggling. One of her shoes flew out the side of the stroller and we had to reverse to pick it up. She had her shirt off just as we got into the change room (which was switched to the men's for today only). I quickly slid off her pants and socks and sent her on her way! We were lost for a few seconds since the change room was a maze! Camilla joined her class and I took the boys to the dryland area to let them stretch their legs. I was pretty much sweating and feeling exhausted. Camilla got in 12 whole minutes of her 30 minute class. Worth it? I still haven't decided. 

After her lesson we made our way to the change rooms to get Cj dried off and let everyone have a potty break. We then walked back to the mall so that I could run some errands while we were out. The puddles on the path were still icy, but melted enough that they cracked as we walked over them. Camilla and Hyrum would freak out every time thinking we were going to fall through the ice into a pond or something! I went to the bank to grab a bank draft for our new vehicle (more on that later), but apparently only Mike is able to do that. We then went and got my watch battery changed so that I could watch the time on the way home. I also had to pick up bus tickets for Mike, but apparently they only take debit for those now and my debit card is broken (should have gotten that fixed at the bank). I didn't have enough change to make it home on the bus, so I crossed my fingers that my transfer would still be good, or it was going to be a heck of a walk. The driver forgave the five minutes extra and let me on (but honestly, I had three kids with me, how could he not?). 

We made it home safe and sound just before lunch. It felt good to get some exercise and enjoy the fresh Spring air. The weather was great for walking and I just wore my hoodie. When we got home we discovered that Uncle Arland had picked up the keys from Daddy and tried to catch us at the pool to drive us home. I felt bad that he had driven all that way and missed us! He said he heard Hyrum in the changeroom, but somehow we didn't connect. 

We all enjoyed lunch (even though Hyrum screamed through most of it) and then Uncle Arland offered to babysit while I ran to get the registration for the new vehicle. Since I was still waiting on some documents, I wasn't able to go. I put Hyrum for a snooze. All that fresh air tuckered him out. When I came back down I saw Camilla cuddling Joe to sleep on the couch. I decided to let them be until he fell asleep. It was the cutest thing ever to just watch them from the stairs. Camilla is such a gentle big sister and probably one of the best four year olds I know! She loves watching Joseph for me and does such a good job! He slept on her for close to an hour, and she wouldn't let me move him!Moments like that are so so precious! I can't believe how big  this little girl of mine is getting! She is so responsible for her age and I'm so glad to call her mine!

 While everyone was quiet, I made a few phone calls and put some dinner on. I tidied my disaster of a kitchen and managed to wipe down Joe's highchair.  My watch died again just before dinner. I think it's time to invest in a new one. Arland and Naomi offered to watch the littles while we went and picked up our new van! By the time Mike was finished work it was getting pretty late. We quickly signed the documents, got our keys and got home just in time to tuck in the kids for the night. All I could think was Whew, what a day!

The Perfect Handlebar Moustache

If you're ever wondering how to get the perfect handlebar moustache, just ask this guy!

Above Zero

 Mr. Stannix and I spontaneously decided to spend a weekend out at the Acreage. The littles have been begging us to go for a few weeks now, so it was time. I was so looking forward to it! I can't describe the good it does my soul to get out to the country for a few days. It took us a while to get everyone to sleep. My parents weren't quite home from work yet and when I tucked Hyrum in he said,
I just miss my Gwampa..." 

Mornings were early and spent eating Gramma's pancakes and coloring.

Since the temperature was well above zero we spent the majority of the day outside! Joseph loved being able to walk around and explore. I let him take the lead and quietly followed. We walked to the end of the lane and enjoyed the sound of the snow under our boots. 

 

It made me laugh when he would stop to see if I was still there. Then he would point and carry on down the lane. I sure can't wait for Spring now!

 

Grampa took the littles on a sled ride. Hyrum preferred to ride on the quad with his Grampa while Camilla and Joe sat in the sled.  Camilla took such great care of Joe and they both loved being pulled around the subdivision.

In the afternoon we left Joe at home and took the older two out skating at the oval! It was a bit wet, but they didn't mind so much. Camilla loved learning to skate!

 

Hyrum just walked around the ice feeling special in his hockey helmet. I think it might be time to invest in a pair of skates for the little man. No matter how much I tried to hold his hand, he always refused it! He's such a goofy boy.

Daddy was a pretty awesome teacher! He's been skating practically his whole life! Camilla enjoyed the one on one time with him. 

It was nice to spend time with the older two. We realized how simple and easy things could be with just two, but wouldn't change what we have! We are looking forward to enjoying the outdoors more this Summer and taking the littles on some hikes!

In My Kitchen

In my kitchen today I have two tough bakers! We made up some big soft gingersnap cookies (they're Daddy's favorite) and enjoyed them with some milk!

Camilla has been cracking me up all day today. Her favorite phrase is, "I rather think..." So I will hear things like, "I rather think I like these cookies" or "I rather think these would taste better with milk!"

 

My house smells amazing! But now I have a big mess to clean up.

Life's Lessons

It was just a few minutes after five when I rolled over and looked at the clock. Joe was awake crying in his crib. I went into the dark room and patted his back with the fingers crossed on my other hand hoping he would go back to sleep. No luck. We snuggled downstairs until I heard the older two whispering, Camilla getting out the cereal and milk and Hyrum protesting something with that high pitched scream of his. Morning had come. I groggily made my way upstairs and handed the kids a brownie since we didn't have time for a real breakfast. They played and ran around the house while I asked them (not all that politely after the tenth time) to get their shoes and jackets on. We had to drive Daddy to the clients today to save him from a six O'clock bus ride. I was glad to do it since it meant we got to see him for just a little while longer before work. I popped some bread in the toaster for Mr. Stannix and then took the kids out to the car. We were all still in our Jammies except for Daddy of course. We made it home with enough time to get everyone dressed, rooms tidied and morning prayers said. The children quickly ate breakfast before we were out the door again and on our way to CJ's first swimming lesson. As we left I realized that Hyrum's pants were on backwards. I shrugged and off we went. Camilla loved her lesson, and did good! I kept Joe in our hiking backpack and Hyrum played in the "dryland" play center on the side of the pool where we could easily keep an eye on Camilla.

We got home, played with our favorite friend while her Mamma ran some errands and then made lunch. I tried putting Hyrum for his nap, but he wasn't feeling tired enough so we opted for a movie instead. By the time we finished, the littles were feeling hungry, so we went up for snacks. On my way up the stairs, Hyrum  turned and said, "You're my bestest Mudder ever". He also had some great squeezes and hugs for me today. Moments I will cherish always. I got the older two some yogurt and then I slipped upstairs hoping for a few minutes of peace. I came back down to all three children quietly eating a yogurt. Camilla had gotten Joe his very own and he was enjoying it thoroughly. After he had finished, I stripped him down to his white onesie. There's something about a baby in a white onsie. I could have hugged and squeezed him for the rest of the day... He toddled around the kitchen while I cleaned up, scrambling up on the kitchen chairs and finishing up everyone's left overs.

After a late dinner, Joseph went right up to bed while the other two had a quick bath. Hyrum went to bed earlier than usual since he didn't nap. By eight our house was silent. I kissed Mr. Stannix good-bye and took off to take advantage of 10% day at the grocery store. We had run out of some staples like salt for baking, butter, ice cream, soda crackers and fruit smoothie ingredients. My list was a mile long, but I was excited to tackle it sans kiddos and take my time at the grocery store. I grabbed my cart, took off my gloves, and reached into my pocket to find my list was no where to be found! I spent a good chunk of time browsing the aisles and trying to trigger my memory. I think I only missed two things. The guy who bagged my groceries said something like,"I bet you don't have to come back for a while!" I explained that I have three little kids and only like to go out once a week. He replied, "Wow, I'm never having kids, they're expensive!" I smiled and went on my way. I got home way too late, but enjoyed some time to myself.

And now here I am, going over the moments of my day. The stress from this morning has almost been forgotten, but not without lessons learned. I've learned I need to slow down a little, relish in the moments that I have with the children while they are still at home.  Even though it's tough when Joseph wakes so early, I have vowed that from now on, no matter how early in the morning, my children will always be greeted with a simple "good morning" and a big hug.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." 

~Leonardo Da Vinci

I've also learned to laugh more. The other day we were all at the mall. Camilla was sitting in the bottom seat of the stroller. We were walking fairly close to the wall and suddenly I heard a "clunk". I looked down to see Camilla rubbing her head. She had been looking out the side of the stroller to see where we were going and I hadn't noticed. I bent down beside the stroller to see if she was okay. As I spoke to her I started to giggle. I couldn't control it. Thankfully she joined right in and we had a good laugh together. I may have laughed quietly to myself all the way to the doors. It felt good to laugh like that again. Sometimes I'm just plain too serious. Today Hyrum decided to sit in the block bucket and got stuck. I also may have laughed a lot as I pulled and pulled on that bucket to get it off. My goodness, these kids are a riot.

I'm finally starting to feel like my "old self" again. It feels good to be back...