Another day has come to an end. My piano keys are covered in nutella
finger prints, baking dishes line my counter top, my floor is laden with
crumbs, and stacks of folded laundry are covering my couch. Last nights
bed time frenzy caused for a lot of pondering and slowing things down
today. I probably put Joseph back into his bed at least a hundred times
over the course of three hours, which naturally caused me to lose my
cool a bit. Bed time ended in tears for both of us, and I've been
thinking about it ever since. I realized that I have been in a hurry to
get things done (like brushing teeth, jammies, stories) just so I could
have time to myself at night. I've caught myself hurrying things along
throughout the day as well, for no real reason. As I've been
thinking about this, I've just felt really really silly because
honestly, I have ALL the time in the world! Why am I hurrying my way
through some of the most precious years of my life? As I was scrolling through motherhood quotes on pinterest, a few caught my eye and I stuck them on my fridge to remind me to slow down each day, and to be cheerful while doing it.
And so today, we took it easy. When we were out running errands, I worked really hard at not hurrying everyone along. We took our time at the library picking out a gazillion new books, and I even managed to laugh when I had to chase Joseph right out the library doors where he was trying to "return" a book in the slot that he randomly selected from the shelf. I took time to have meaningful prayers with them, to pull them in close and kiss their little faces all over. I sat and watched patiently as Joseph giggled and played with the ladybugs that were hiding in the carrot tops I dug in the afternoon. I watched from a distance as Camilla and Hyrum played kindly together in the sandbox. I smiled as the sun glimmered through their blonde hair while the wind whisked it up and down. I memorized their little smiles and I captured the moment in my mind for later.
Camilla has grown and matured so much! As I tried to coax Hyrum to come to the dinner table, she cheerfully jumped off her chair and tickled him to the table. I love her creativity and ability to be a peacemaker. She is really coming along with her reading and loves learning new words and trying to spell things. She has memorized her days of the week and always knows what day it is, and what is coming up. She is still really into My Little Pony and her stuffed animals. She is awesome at getting herself dressed in the morning and making her bed. She has also said some pretty great prayers this past week thanking Heavenly Father for at least five things each time. She really has a strong desire to do right and to do things that will please her parents. Her memory amazes me and makes me realize the importance of FHE lessons we've had in the past. I couldn't have asked for a better first child. She is super forgiving as I make my way through this motherhood gig one day at a time. She loves to talk and tell really animated stories! She also loves her swimming lessons and has really come a long way in the water this year!
Hyrum is quite the character. Often the things I say go in one ear and out the other. He spends the day in his own little world of sound effects and make believe. I'm pretty sure Santa is going to bring him some dress up clothes so that he doesn't have to use the Sweet tarts box as a sheath for his sword anymore. He has started to enjoy play time with his little brother and it's so fun to hear the two of them do sound effects together. He is full of awesome dance moves, and loves to strike ninja poses while we are out and about. He also loves to play with my hair, it's cute. Today he was riding his bike while standing up and he was quite proud of that. When he got tired he came over and sat beside me on the back driveway. I snuggled him in close and we had a little moment. He is still my little tender-heart and I am constantly having to remind myself to take time to cuddle and hug him throughout the day, because he needs it!
Joseph is really becoming his own person lately. Last week when we were in Calgary Mike pointed out how much Joseph is changing and developing his own little personality. When we go for walks he is usually running ahead making super hero flying noises with his little lips and pointing his fingers side to side. He still loves jumping and climbing! On the plus side, he has learned how to get off the trampoline without just running over the edge. His speech is really developing! He talks a lot about Daddy and how he's away for work and when Daddy comes home he will say, "Happy, Home". It really is sweet. He is always happy when Daddy is home. One of my other favorite things he says is "WOWEE" when he wants a lolli. He is putting together two and three word sentences, and acts out a lot of what he says. Bed times have become rough and most nights lately he will pat his pillow after I've tucked him in which is his way of asking me to lay with him. It really melts my heart, but I know it can't last forever, especially after baby comes. For the last three months or so he has been waking up multiple times a night. I'm not sure if it's just a bad habit now or what, but it sure is exhausting. Despite being up half the night, he still starts his days around (or before) 6:00am with a smile on his face. He is due for another hair cut since it's starting to poke in his eyes lately, but Mike and I just love his curls in the back.
I am grateful for General Conference this weekend. It has truly been a time for reflection and goal setting in the Stannix home. I am so glad that I can start out fresh each day, striving to be better than the last. And I am super grateful to be a mother, even though it's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. As I sit back and re-evaluate my priorities, take the time to slow down and really enjoy my role, life is wonderful. I love love my kids and feel so blessed!
