The Family Journal

I have checked the mail a gazillion times this week and today I finally got what I've been waiting for! I ordered volume II of last years blog book a little while ago and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Each book seems to have it's own little quirks and this one is no exception. For some reason the background on the front cover didn't stretch all the way to the edges, and I'm sure there's a spelling mistake or two. We have quite the collection of blog books now and I look forward to organizing the next one in July!

After we got back from our walk to the mail box, we decided to soak up some sunshine in the backyard. Despite the serious look on Joe's face, he really enjoys the outdoors and would stay out all day if he could! I can't wait until Summer when we can spend all our time outside!

My Little Picasso's

This morning we woke up to snow again. I enjoyed an early morning chat with my Mamma where she reminded me that a little spilled water on my floor is nothing to get upset over (it's the weather I tell you!). After I got off the phone, I took a deep breath and taped some paper to the wall so that we could spend the rest of the morning creating a giant masterpiece. I love the crayola finger paints because they are 100% washable. My walls and floors weren't hurt in the least bit, and the littles had so much fun just being left to it!

 We started out with a nice blank piece of paper. Joseph loved getting messy! I often think of Ms. Frizzle off the magic school bus, "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" That attitude is pretty much a must when you have children.

 And boy did they love it!

 I just took a step back, ignored the blue paint on my baseboards and watched their excited eyes.

 We had some serious moments. I love that face!

 Lots of concentration!

 And a little bit of fun!

 Mr. H couldn't resist squishing and paint between his fingers!

 He's all about exploring things by touch and feel.

 

 Love these littles of mine!

 Joe enjoyed a bath in the sink while we finished up!

Life Size

 Camilla and Mr. H spent the morning making a life sized version of themselves. I traced their bodies on a big roll of paper and let them color and cut it out. Camilla painted her finger nails and colored her shirt the exact same as the one she was wearing. Hyrum wanted his to be a super hero with his favorite color shirt. It was a fun way to teach them about their bodies and give them a sense of self identity. Camilla loved it! She's such a funny girl lately. This morning she paid Hyrum 10 cents to make her bed! She's pretty resourceful when she wants to be!

Morning Snack

Best. Buds.

Wiggles and Giggles

Whew. It's been a rough day around here. It all started when we woke up on the first day of spring to find the sidewalks covered in white and giant flakes still falling. My cough has now transferred to two of my three littles. Camilla's got a cute "stuffed nose" voice, and Joe is just plain grumpy. I spent the majority of my day doing impossible tasks (like spooning cookie dough onto a cookie sheet) with Joe propped on my hip while he whined. When I needed to put him down he would sit at my feet and cry, or latch onto my leg, or chase me around the kitchen screaming... On top of an awful croup sounding cough, he is also cutting a couple of teeth. I figured I might lose my sanity by lunch! He napped two and half (I say half because one was a ten minute snooze in the van) times today and still fell asleep at his regular 7:00PM bedtime.

While I put him to sleep I listened to Camilla downstairs, "Just one more bite Hyrum. That's it! Now eat this one, this is the best part. Almost done. Good boy Hyrum!" Such a little mommy that girl is. She was determined to get both of them some dessert and sweetly helped him eat his dinner. I don't know what it is about that boy, but the only way he ever eats his dinner all gone is if someone else feeds it to him. I also have to chuckle at Camilla because she always sits at the dinner table with one cheek on and one cheek off, or both feet on the floor so she can stand and wiggle while she eats. I always have to giggle when I tell her for the gazillionth time to glue her bum to the chair and she pretends to do it. But it only ever lasts a few minutes before those toes hit the floor and her wiggles return. I love her. 

Whenever I needed a pick-me-up today I pulled out the video camera so that I could watch this. I can't wait for Joe-Joe to return to his giggly self again!

Hard Work Pays Off

 Camilla has been working hard at making her bed, getting dressed, and keeping her room tidy for three months. We made a deal shortly after she watched "Frozen" at the theaters that if she did all of her chores each day, she could earn some money and buy the movie herself. She did it! She used her Christmas money from Great Gramma and Grampa Purdon as well as her chore money and bought the movie all by herself. To say she was excited would be an understatement. As we walked into Best Buy, she turned to the guy manning the doors and quietly (but proudly) said, "I'm just buying frozen...." She was practically vibrating at the checkout and was excited to get home and watch her new movie. She can quote practically the whole thing just after seeing it in theaters. I love this girl of mine and I hope she remembers that hard work and saving pays off! I came down to check on the kids while they watched and Camilla exclaimed, "I don't even know I'm watching this!!!" which can be translated to, "I can't believe I'm finally watching this on my very own couch!" I washed the floor while they watched and she assured me that if the floor wasn't dry when the movie was done, they would just stay down there and watch it again. 

We also took advantage of the warmish weather and clear sidewalks and used our bikes to get the mail today.  The kids had a rough time re-learning how to peddle, but once they had a bit of practice they were able to get it again. I can't wait for warmer weather and sunshine!

We also had a hilarious episode the other night that I don't want to forget. I was inside watching Joseph finish up his dinner (because that kid likes to eat A LOT) when I heard the two kids frantically yelling my name. I rushed out to see what was the matter. Camilla was screaming and tugging on Hyrum's hand which caused Hyrum to lose it. Camilla was yelling, "Mommy! Hurry! He's going to sink! I don't want to lose my brother forever and ever!!!!" Hyrum was frantically crying, "Mommmy! MOOOMmmmmy!" over and over again. I fumbled into my shoes, noticing my neighbor was out on his back deck taking out the garbage (how embarassing)...Once I got closer I figured out the problem. We tugged and pulled and wiggled but couldn't get those boots unstuck. I finally picked Hyrum out of them and we surrendered them to the mud for the rest of the night. Everyone was so covered that we stripped down on the back deck and went for baths. Looking back on this still makes me laugh. I always feel bad giggling when my kids are in distress, but it was seriously so funny that Camilla thought it was quicksand or something. Ah, I love them.

Camilla brought me a pair of Daddy's dress shoes today and asked, "Mommy, Why does Daddy wear heel shoes to work?" Love the things kids say!

A Mess of Happiness

I love when our home is filled with music! There's a song that I sing to Joseph each day before he goes to sleep. Every time I start to sing it, he lays his head on my shoulder with a big grin. I sing it different ways each time, kissing the back of his neck, or hugging him tight while I sing. Sometimes it's goofy and we have a good laugh before he drifts off to sleep, and sometimes it's just quiet, and nice. The song is called "A Bushel and a Peck". My Gramma Hudkins is a huge fan of Doris Day. The very first time I heard it was when my Gramma Hudkins sang it to Camilla as a baby while they rocked in her livingroom. I will never forget that moment and I treasure that song so much. Until just a few weeks ago I never really knew the other verses, so I would always just sing the first one over and over. I finally pulled it up on Youtube the other day and fell in love with the second verse, particularily the line, "You make my life a mess, a mess of happiness."

Lately our home has been just that. A mess of happiness. It seems I always have pots and pans strewn across my kitchen and socks in every corner. By the end of last week, I gave up and just let the littles go crazy. I had to get dinner made, and they were occupied. It's hard to plug your ears and cook though!

Notice Joseph's missing sock!

After dinner, the boys went for a bath. They had the cutest messy grins you ever did see.

Even as I type, I have snot on my shirt and macaroni smudges on my jeans. But I do love our messy, happy life!

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!