Trick or Treat

Our Halloween preparations were a bit behind this year. Usually we carve pumpkins the Monday before Halloween, but life's been busy! I told the kids we were just going to do it on Halloween day and Camilla made sure to let me know that she would like us to do it after school because she doesn't want to ever miss out on any traditions. She is a girl after her Momma's heart!! I love traditions and it's been fun creating them with our family of littles over the last few years.

It's a good thing we did wait until after school because Camilla was a champ at scooping out pumpkin guts. Neither of the boys were very into it. Hyrum asked to wash his hands a few minutes after touching the insides of the pumpkin.

We took our time and I let them do most of the work!

When Finley woke up he was pretty excited to join in on the fun!

"Ewwwww!"

I made them all pose on the front porch nice and early in the evening to get a picture of their costume choices. Finley used Hyrum's old superman costume from when he was that age. Joe chose Spider man. Hyrum wanted to be a ninja and Camilla and I came up with the grape costume together.

Daddy got home from work just in time to join in on the fun!

We went up our street and back. We took the GoPro and got a video of it all, but I haven't had time to upload it yet. Finley got tired after two or three houses and decided he'd rather stand in the middle of the sidewalk and eat his chips then walk to more houses. He didn't quite get the concept of trick or treating. It was super funny. Near the end we were wishing we'd brought the wagon. The two little boys were done by the time we made it back to the house, but the older two went back out with Daddy for a little bit longer. They came home and excitedly went through their loot. Daddy and I picked out the yucky stuff and they put the rest away for tomorrow. After tucking them into their warm beds, I turned out the light in our dear jack-o-lantern and joined Daddy for a spooky movie. 

A Quick Visit

 We slipped out to the acreage last week for a quick visit. I wanted my grandparents to be able to meet Oliver before he got too big for them to hold and cuddle. We drove out Thursday afternoon since Camilla had no school the next day. 

Friday morning we woke up to the most beautiful snowfall. It was wet and heavy and stuck to the branches of the trees around the acreage. It was so nice to cozy up inside and visit with everyone.

 Ollie was quite captivated by Gramma and grinned constantly while they visited.

 The little guy has chilled out quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. I love his little personality. He's pretty easy going like the rest of them!! 

 I hardly got any pictures of the other kids. They were busy playing with auntie's puppies and building lego all day long. Hyrum really enjoyed building this lego plane and was quite proud of his work!

Camilla and auntie Emma dug out Gramma's paints one afternoon and painted some awesome pumpkin pictures. I was so proud of Camilla's work I had to snap a picture of it!

Before we left I went over to visit my Grandparents one last time. Gramma didn't want any pictures taken, she hadn't had time to fix her hair yet. My sister snuck this one of Grampa and Oliver. His middle name, William, is my Grampa's first name (but everyone calls him Bill). I wanted to make sure I had a picture of the two of them together. Grampa told me that Oliver farm equipment used to be some of the finest farm equipment around. I held my Grampa's shaky hands before I left, gave him a hug and told him I loved him. He has a hard time saying that "L" word, but I can always feel of his love when we visit!

Kicking Off Halloween

 Tonight we kicked off our Halloween celebrations with the Ward Halloween party! Some amazing organizing went into this event and it was a huge success! For lack of energy and creativity this year most of our family went as Oilers fans. It was a gutsy move on our part given that pretty well everyone down here are die hard Flames fans. Everyone kept telling us how 'scary' our costumes were. You'd better believe the Oilers are scary, they are doing great this year!! 

Oliver got to wear his new little Halloween outfit that a friend gifted us. He wasn't too sure how he felt about this spooky holiday!

 Camilla wanted to be Elsa again so she could dance with her friends in a princess costume. We added some sparkly gel in her hair and she brought Sven along for the ride.

 The kids had fun going through all of the different stations in the classrooms. 

 Eating doughnuts off a string without the use of your hands is a pretty fun tradition!

 Once they finished with the games we all hung out in the gym and dance the rest of the night away!

 Camilla lost her SECOND tooth at the start of the evening. I kept it in my pocket for the rest of the night for safe keeping.

 The Halloween candy was very much enjoyed by these two crazies!

 I got a kick out of Joe's dance moves this year. I love that kid!!

 Happy Halloween!!

Life lately

The months are flying by and the days seem to blend. I can't believe October is almost gone! I've had this post sitting in my drafts folder for a little while now, adding to it here and there whenever I have a few minutes. Although we're getting into more of a routine around here, most days are still a sleep deprived blur. Sometimes when I think back to a couple of days ago I can't seem to remember anything significant about it. This is why writing is so important to me. I like to document our days because I want to hang onto the tiny details of life that slip between the cracks and sometimes go unnoticed. I don't want to look back at these fleeting years with our littles and wonder what we did or forget the cute stuff they said.

Thanks to the darkness of Winter creeping up our mornings begin before the sun even rises. Lately I wake snuggled beside a little boy or two who crept into my bed sometime in the night for warmth or comfort. I always let them stay because I know it won't last forever and sometimes they need those extra snuggles. Joseph's tummy wakes him up each morning and it isn't long before he starts asking for breakfast. "Please make me breakfast mom," he says. Then he throws his head back and slouches his shoulders and adds rather desperately, "I'm BEGGIN' you!" The older two get themselves dressed first thing and wander upstairs for breakfast. While they eat I pack Camilla's lunch and listen to her read. We do a quick scripture study and family prayer and sometimes they have a few minutes to play before we wave Camilla off on her bus.

One morning while I was making breakfast the kids came up and excitedly led me downstairs. They had spontaneously decided to clean the whole basement without being asked. "We wanted to make your heart happy," they said. They were all being so sweet and getting along so well that it made my mamma heart swell with pride.

Oliver usually sleeps through the school routine and wakes shortly after the bus drives by. He greets us with morning smiles and sweet baby coos. Joseph sits near him as I change his diaper and sings him a song. One morning he was singing "A Bushel and a Peck" and said, "you bet your dirty neck I doooo!" I started laughing and he knew it didn't sound quite right so he asked, "Mom, how does it go again?" He asked me the same question each time he got to the end of the verse and Oliver just smiled away at him.

The boys spend their mornings playing together! Most of the time they get along so well, and then sometimes my eyes start to twitch when I have to listen to Finley scream in frustration. Usually when I go down to see what's going on I find Joseph with a sly smirk on his face. He delights in bugging his little brother to no end and I never know whether I'm more upset at Joseph for bugging or at Finley for his ear piercing scream!

Fin is at such a fun age right now and I'm soaking up all his cuteness before the terrible twos set in. He loves to copy and mimic everything and sometimes its hilarious! If Ollie is screaming in the car Finley will start imitating him. He sounds like a monster growling. He also copies Joe when he throws his tantrums. Every word and action right down to the shrugging, stomping, flailing like a rag doll and the "No, Mom!" It's hard to be serious when I'm watching one real tantrum and one fake tantrum. Finley has become quite the actor! Eventually, Joe forgets what he was whining about and ends up furious at his little brother. "Make him stop copying me mom! I'm BEGGIN' you!" And I can't stop laughing.

Sometimes when things get too crazy or a diaper is too messy I run my toddler a mid afternoon bath. He enjoys the quiet time, and so do I. When his fingers turn into raisins and his bath water is cold I snuggle him into a warm towel and wiggle him into a fresh outfit. 

The demands to play are never ceasing. I often have to look at the pile of dishes or the mess of toys and decide that I've cleaned enough. It's so hard to allocate the proper time to things. I would love to spend all of my day light hours playing with the children, but then they wouldn't have clean clothes or clean plates to eat off. I try really hard to rotate between cleaning and playing. The boys love when I get down on the floor with them! One afternoon I started a tickle fight with the little boys downstairs. They jumped all over me, I rocket shipped them onto the couch and we had so much fun! Hyrum came home from the park and came downstairs to see what all the noise was about. I'll never forget the way his face lit up when he saw what we were doing. He ran over without hesitation and joined in. It was so fun! 

I was able to put together a few crafts for the kids this month. While the two little boys are napping my big boys and I craft at the kitchen table, talking in whispers and creating. Looking at their pictures hung on my wall brings me joy and makes our home a happy place!

 

Shortly after Camilla gets home I feel about ready to put my feet up for the day. We all have a little snack together and I listen to Camilla tell me about her day. They all head off to the park to meet up with friends and Finley plays at my feet while I do up the dishes and start dinner. The toughest part of my day is when everyone comes home hungry, the baby is crying and I'm trying to get dinner on the table. These last few weeks have been tough with Mike working late to meet a deadline.

After dinner it's straight into jammies and bed. We have a quick scripture study and family prayer to end the day. When we say "Amen" Finley goes around the circle and gives everyone a goodnight hug. "Nigh-nigh Hy-errr. Night Joes! Wah-you Ah-me-ya!" Sometimes he goes around a few more times and the kids begin to smile and giggle. Then they all agree that Finley hugs are the best!

After doing bedtime solo for almost a week I think I've finally figured it out. Five against one really isn't fair and some nights leave me in tears. Fin is a ball of energy at bed time and by the time I pull up his covers his wiggly body is halfway out of bed again. I tickle him back into bed and pull up the covers as he kicks them off again. I finally give up and let him lay half in his bed while I snuggle Joe. Finley hops in and out of bed while I give Joe his back rub and then the baby wakes. My patience is almost non existent at this point. I nurse the baby while I rub Joe's back and begin to sing primary songs to save my sanity. Joe turns over to tell me he loves me and smooches my cheek. I sing and sing for a good twenty minutes until I'm interrupted by Joe's snoring. I sing one last song, Give Said the Little Stream. Tears fall on Joe's pillow as I sing. Sometimes I feel so small just like that little stream. Sometimes I wonder if I'm making a difference as a mother. I give and give of myself each day until there's almost nothing left to give. I can't help but wonder if the little things and efforts I put in each day will add up to something someday.

Once the house is quiet I usually head into the laundry room to switch over the clothes. On this particular Friday I open the dryer to find the kids clothes tie-dyed red and blue. Someone left wax crayons in their pockets and they melted all over everything in the dryer. Tears of frustration fall down my face as I pull the clothes out one by one and place them in a laundry basket, knowing most of them are beyond saving. 

After folding and tidying and spending some time with Mr. Stannix it's time to tuck Ollie in for the night. I finally fall into bed shortly after eleven. As soon as I fall asleep my favorite preschooler wakes me to help find his lost car. After checking all over his bed and the floor I kiss him good-night with a promise to find it in the morning. He's not too happy about that and before I know it my toddler wakes with the sniffles. I take turns laying with each of them until I hear the baby squeaking and stretching in the next room. I tip-toe across the cold hardwood floor with my eyes half closed and let out a sigh, knowing I have another night of musical beds ahead. After rocking the baby back to sleep he lets out the cutest little giggles that make his whole tummy shake. That sweet little moment is what carries me through my nights.

People keep asking me if I'm okay, if maybe I need to see someone for professional help because I'm sometimes weepy and my days are long. I only wish they knew what I do each day, and that my tears are sometimes out of mere exhaustion. As the mother of a newborn I don't get breaks (except when dear friends kidnap my kids so that I can nap). I like to think that I can do it all and it's hard to accept help. If the kids have a problem it's my name that gets yelled to come and fix it. The fighting is tiring and makes me wonder if I'm not teaching them enough or if they're just being kids. I'm constantly on the move from sun up to sun down and then sometimes still walking the floors to soothe the baby, calm a crying toddler or check on a sick child's fever.  So am I okay? Well, sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy, but I'm pretty sure that's normal for the mother of five small children. 

"Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones."

~Jeffery R. Holland

Freshly Bathed

 Today I woke with two little boys snuggled on each side of me. When Ollie woke to nurse I carefully scooped up Finley and tucked him back into his toddler bed. After nursing the baby back to sleep I tucked him back into the crib and went to the kitchen to start some bread. The rest of the morning escaped me and before I knew it we were waving Camilla and my friend's little guy off on the bus while the dough finished rising in the pans.

We enjoyed fresh bread and honey before 9:00am! 

 Ollie soaked himself in baby barf shortly after waking up and I decided to give him a warm bath. Finley walked into the bathroom as soon as I turned on the water and started taking off his clothes, thinking the bath was for him. I ended up with two freshly bathed boys this morning!

 There are few things in life better then snuggling a freshly bathed baby! Their skin is so soft and clean and they smell so good. I soaked up some baby snuggles while Finley finished up his bath and then dressed them both in warm clothes.

With dinner in the slow cooker and the two little boys napping, I sat down with my hook and yarn and practiced a new stitch! This herringbone hat turned out adorable and fits Ollie perfectly. Crocheting helps me feel like I've accomplished something during the day, because it's the only thing that doesn't get undone again by days end. 

Second Autumn

 The weather has been so crazy around here! We've been enjoying our second Autumn very much! I love that it's been warm enough to bring baby out for fresh air and sunshine. Finley loves it when I take him to the park with his brothers. It's so crazy how big he seems now that we have a new baby. He has grown so much over this last month and it's been fun watching that personality of his develop! He's become super independent at the park and gets up to the funniest things. Happy second Autumn!

Super Toddler

This little boy is at such a fun age right now! He is Go-Go-Go from the moment he wakes up. He has an infectious belly laugh that makes everyone around him crack up. He's a little parrot these days and loves to copy everything everybody says. He is super cute, and uses his cuteness to try and get out of naps and bed time. After he got out of bed for the fifth time this afternoon I watched him run across his room and take a flying leap onto his bed. Normally, this wouldn't have been all that funny, but today he was wearing his superman costume and I had to laugh! I watched from the cracked bedroom door as he rolled and turned on his little toddler bed. A few minutes later I came back to check on him and found him sleeping sweetly with his legs crossed. Even super hero's need their sleep!!

Monkeying Around

We enjoyed a nice, lazy Saturday with Daddy today. The littles raced to the end of the walking trail and climbed trees while they waited for us to catch up. They could have stayed there all day I'm sure! They are all getting so big!

In my Kitchen

Halloween is right around the corner! We needed a little pick-me-up today, so I mustered up some energy (and cleaned all the dishes off my counter top) and made up a batch of sugar cookies. Finley helped me roll and cut them into pumpkins and ghosts. We decorated them after school with some friends. It was the perfect thing to keep everyone happy and busy (and save my sanity).