We Made it!

We made it through another week! Gooey cinnamon buns to celebrate!

Fine Arts Afternoon

Today we did early naps and then took off to the school for their Fine Arts Afternoon. The choirs work so hard every year for festival season and I love that they set up a few rows of chairs for parents to drop in and see them perform at the school. 

The boys and I wandered around and checked out the art displays. Camilla's class had pictures of birds (hers is the purple one in the middle, top row). 

Hyrum's class did seals (his is somewhere on the right hand side if I remember correctly). 

By the time the first choir made their way into the gym, the little boys were already getting antsy. I gave them each a piece of bubble gum in hopes of making it through at least a few of the songs. Previous experience taught me that they hand out medals at the end of the performance and ask parents to come and present their child with the medal.

Hyrum got to play the sticks for "Who Built the Ark". He did such a great job keeping the beat. Joe sang along in the audience and hummed the tune for most of the afternoon afterwards. Just as Camilla's group came on stage, Ollie decided that he was done. I waved at her and then hustled my very loud boys out of the gym smiling through frustration. I had to wait until the end of Camilla's performance before going home, so we checked out the turtles at the front office, they soaked their shirts at the drinking fountain, and took liberties running down the halls despite my pleas for walking feet, and there may have been a wrestling match at the bottom of the ramp to the gym that just about did my patience in. When they had finished up their final song, I pasted a smile back on my face, walked up to my girly and put the medal over her head with a kiss. I told her how good she sang (from what I could hear in the hall). She hugged me tight and granted me understanding and forgiveness. Next year, I might get a babysitter!

Finding Beauty

 This morning we woke up to the most beautiful frost. Everything was adorned in white and sparkling in the morning sun. We are all finally adjusting to this crazy time change, and instead of having to drag the kids out of bed at 7:30am like I have the last few mornings, everyone was up shortly after six. The heat vents in the kitchen filled up quickly with children and blankets. They all huddled together and warmed up while I whipped up a batch of syrup and some french toast. After a rather late bedtime last night there were a few yawns and a few complainers. I glanced up to give a spiel on gratitude to a certain boy who was very ungrateful for his breakfast when I caught Ollie out of the corner of my eye holding his empty plate on the top of his head, syrup dripping down his face, grinning ear to ear. Funny, yes...but now "give the baby a bath" was added to my daily to-do's. 

 

 The little boys and I got ready for the day and then hopped in the van to grab some groceries. We were lucky enough to get out of the house before the sunshine melted away the gorgeous frost. Even though I am itching for Spring, I am grateful for the beauty that can be found in Winter. We took an extra long drive to the grocery store to admire the frosty trees, fences, and structures.

 The rest of my day was spent playing with the boys and making up pie crust! I love reasons to celebrate and today is Pi day (3.14), so of course, we had to eat pie. I started a butter crust for my first ever lemon meringue pie while the boys finished up their lunch.

 The two little boys had very short naps (partly thanks to the beaters whizzing in the kitchen while I made up the meringue).

 I was a little bit excited to pull this beauty out of the oven mid afternoon to cool. I couldn't wait to  dig into it with the littles after dinner!

 The filling for the chicken pot pies simmered on the stove all afternoon. I made two nice sized pies for dinner and they were delicious! I loved being able to use my Grandma's pie plates. They are well loved and well seasoned. It was great to have a few moments to think of her today. I miss her.

 After protesting his chicken pot pie for like an hour, Hyrum finally ate it so that he could get a slice of Lemon Meringue. He happily licked his plate clean and ate the leftover dessert that everyone else left behind. It makes me laugh so much watching him pack away food. I am already dreading the teen years with four hungry boys to feed! 

The warmer weather has been so inviting lately and we are enjoying some more outside time. It warms my heart to see the kids playing outside again with friends around the neighborhood. Yesterday the boys ran around the deck in sweatshirts and enjoyed a picnic on a blanket. Oliver is constantly begging to go outside. I spend most of my time lately dressing and undressing him as he is constantly in and out. The sun is so warm and wonderful and I can feel Spring right around the corner. Thanks to the extra fresh air and exercise the children practically fall into bed at days end.

Satisfying Cravings

 The sun is waking up earlier and earlier each day, making my mornings go so much smoother. There's something about daylight that just makes everything better. I was practically giddy when I opened the blinds to crystal covered trees glistening in the morning sun. As we drove to the grocery store I admired the beauty all around. If it has to be Winter, at least it can be pretty outside. The snow in the fields sparkled as the sun made it's way above the horizon. And since I couldn't exactly pull over every time I saw something sparkly, I took a mental picture and soaked it all up in the quiet of an early morning drive. 

 I made sure to pick up some raisins at the grocery store. We don't usually have any on hand because no body in this family even likes raisins. I have had the hugest craving for oatmeal raisin cookies for the last little while and today I was going to make them. By the early afternoon I had six loaves of bread ready for the oven and a cookie jar full of oatmeal raisin cookies.

 I ate so many I thought I'd be sick, but they were so darn good and helped curb the frustrations of the day. Although, it looks like eating them all will just be up to Ollie and I since no one else in this house likes them (the raisin thing).

 Ollie woke from his nap and went outside to play with Mr. Sun. It was a bit on the chilly side, but he hardly minded. When I figured he would be cold I opened the back door and called him in. He shook his head, turned around, and ran away as fast as his fluffy snow suit would allow him. He crawled, rolled, and walked through the snow for quite some time before he decided he was ready to come inside and warm up. He lives to be outside.

Last week I picked up some cotton in lovely Spring colors. I've been crocheting dish cloths when ever I have a spare moment, and I am in love with this new basket weave pattern. They are big, and thick, and elegant. There is something about using handmade items that I enjoy. I appreciate things more when I've put my own time into them. I admired them all day as I filled my mind with dreams of Spring.

Making Slime

We woke to more snow, and cold. While we are ready for Winter to be done, it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon.

So I loaded the boys up in the van, and off we went to the store to buy some glue to make slime! I walked out of the store with Ollie on my hip, and a bag hanging from my arm.  Fin ran ahead, stopping only when his tippie toes hit the curb of the sidewalk. He gets as close as he can to the road, but knows to wait. I grabbed his hand as he started to run again, "please walk in the parking lot, okay bud?" He looked up at me with a goofy grin and then decided that if he couldn't run he would just hop the rest of the way to the van. With Ollie on my hip I tried to time my steps to Fin's jumping as the bag swung on my arm. That boy is such a go-getter.

I googled a quick recipe for slime using white glue, baking soda and contact solution. It took us a couple of tries to get it right, but it was so fun once we did! I joined the boys at the table for a bit because playing with slime is way more fun than cleaning a house...

Naps were had....

Blueberry muffins were made...

I feel like I've been doing a lot of baking to survive these last few months of Winter. The kids came home and inhaled deeply through their noses, "MMMMM!" I lost count of how many Hyrum ate. The slime was a hit with everyone while I made dinner. No Monday blues over here today!

Welcome March

The old saying, "In like a lion, out like a lamb" definitely rings true this month. The majority of our province has been under a snowfall warning which is expected to start here tonight. And while I'm a little bit done with Winter, there is a small part of me that is looking forward to hunkering down with the littles for the next few days here at home. I've had so many thoughts going through my mind and weighing on my heart over these last couple of weeks, and I feel like I just need a few days to hold my children close, bake up a storm, and enjoy the calm that comes with the yarn running through my fingers as I finish up a blanket I've been working on. 

My desire to write is always nagging in the back of my mind and I've been so disappointed in recent posts that have been left wanting for more depth and emotion. Winter has just about sucked everything good out of me, and I am hanging onto the simple pleasures of life as I go about each day. I relish in blue sky mornings, frost covered trees, afternoons spent snuggled up reading to the kids, the smell of baking that fills our home, getting out in the sun when it's warm, and evenings by the fire. These are the little things that are helping me survive until Spring.

Something that has brought me great peace lately is music. I love when Camilla pulls out her violin each morning to practice. She is always plays as the sun wakes up. The pink glow in my livingroom this morning was perfection. Her teacher is wonderful and she is learning so much. Between her violin and the boys playing piano, our home is always filled with music. When I get a few minutes in the morning I love to play the piano myself and let the emotion flow right out the ends of my fingers. Music has always been a source of relief and peace for me.

I've been borderline cranky this week and super short on patience. Sometimes I wonder if its because my expectations are too high. Are the kids really being more terrible than usual, or am I just more moody and sensitive? It's probably the latter (coupled with the fact that there's a full moon this weekend)...My mind feels so unfocused lately, so I've been trying to set some goals for myself to help with that and take my mind of other less important things. This afternoon we cooked up some happiness in the kitchen. I grabbed the brightest bowl I could find (yellow is such a happy color) and got Joe to help me make up some lemon pie filling and cream puffs.  "I'm going to be such a good baker when I grow up," he said as he stirred. The kids were super excited about it when they got home from school (I may have eaten five...darn stress eating). Boy can those boys eat though! Hyrum polished off four waffles the other morning at breakfast. I couldn't help but stare wide-eyed in disbelief across the counter as he polished off his last few bites.

Finley asked me today on our way into the city if I loved Moana. It's his very favorite show. I told him I did and then he responded, "Oh. Well. I don't love Maui, I JUST love YOU!" He is the sweetest kid ever. I wrote it down on my phone to bring me a smile when I need it. 

Goodness, this mothering gig is hard, and rewarding, and intense, and chaotic, and sometimes super lonely. But it's taught me so much about myself, who I am, and what I can handle. The joys of motherhood come in waves. Some days I experience the highest highs and other days the lowest of lows. The trick is not to let those lows swallow you up. I'm slowly learning how to resurface quicker when the waves of life knock me down. Most of the time it's by focusing on the little, every day joys and the things that matter most.

"As mother, teacher, or nurturing saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting." ~Russell M. Nelson

Skate, Skate, Skate

 Today I took the boys to the school where we got to watch our little miss get recognized for her efforts and hard work in class. The school picks a few students from each grade to be student of the month, and Camilla was so excited when her name was called. 

 This girl has a determined personality and tries her best at everything. The other day she brought home a spelling test with every word correct including the bonus. I adore her bright personality and her spunk and desire to work hard.

 The afternoon brought us to a nearby pond. I noticed it was cleared off when we went for a walk earlier in the day and the kids were so excited to hear the news. They slung their skates over their shoulders and practically ran down the block when they got home from school. 

By the time I got there with the little guys and the dog, they were already laced up and skating circles around the pond.

 It was such a beautiful afternoon!

Monday Mishaps

 Today was a doozy. I woke to bad news and tried to sort it out as I flipped pancakes for breakfast. I ended up burning the entire first batch and the littles were extra hungry this morning for some reason. I was grateful to Mr. Stannix for waking early with Ollie and letting me get an extra half hour of much needed sleep. The big kids helped me pack lunches while Oliver screamed at my feet and Joe and Fin fought nearby over a blow up hammer that wasn't even blown up. We read scriptures through screams and protests from two little boys, prayed, and sent the kids off to school. Hyrum ran back a few minutes later with tear filled eyes to grab his forgotten backpack. Thankfully his sister asked the bus driver to wait. I kissed his head and yelled an "I love you" as he sprinted back out the door and across the street. 

Then I began the morning tidy. I stripped the blankets off Fin's bed and threw them in the wash, picked up all of the dirty clothes from the upstairs bedrooms, and pulled Ollie down from the table a gazillion times. When the bedding was dry I spent a good chunk of time putting it all back together. I hate stuffing duvet covers... Fin praised and thanked me for his "fwesh sheets". He protested nap time, but the bags under his eyes told me he needed it. I was stuck in a power struggle with that dear three year old of mine for quite some time before he finally gave in. 

Joe and I enjoyed some quiet time together while I prepped the bread dough for the oven. He begged to push buttons on my computer and it turned out to be an awesome learning experience for him! We grabbed one of his readers and he spent all afternoon typing sentence after sentence with minimal supervision. The keyboard is all pictured in uppercase and most of his words in his book were lower case which made it all the more challenging for him. He loved every minute, and learned so much! After three lines he was spelling words from memory and recognizing letters much quicker than before.

 Ollie woke up after a nice long nap and begged to spend some time outside. It was such a beautiful day that I was left wishing we had gone out earlier to avoid all of the meltdowns and frustrations. Joseph joined him and the both of them played for a good hour or so wandering around the yard and soaking up the sun. At least out there he isn't climbing up on things, dumping out everything, taking off my couch cushions, and playing in the dog dish.

When Finley woke up I discovered he had wet through every single piece of freshly washed bedding. The timer on the oven was ticking down with moments to go. Fin was super cranky (rightly so) and wet. Ollie was screaming outside. I ran around the house like a crazy lady for a few minutes until we got everything sorted. Joe kindly helped his little brother up out of the snow, Finley went for a bath (despite his screams in protest), the sheets went back into the wash for round two, and the bread didn't burn. I was so angry about having to stuff that stupid duvet again. It all sounds silly now that I type it, but man it was a hectic few minutes.

The big kids came home and hopped up to the counter for warm bread and honey. They told me about their days as they licked sticky fingers. It is one of my favorite things, everyone gathered together in the kitchen chatting and enjoying fresh baked goods. Then Camilla washed up for her violin lesson and I took the boys downstairs. Once she was finished she offered to make brownies for family home evening tonight. She was determined to do it all by herself, so I set everything out with measuring cups and gave her minimal help. She accidentally poured way too much salt into the batter, and I bit my tongue hard as I spooned it out. I mustered up my best end of the day smile and comforted her with an "it's okay, everybody makes mistakes sometimes." We ran out of icing sugar, so the icing ended up being super runny. She added green food coloring and loaded it with sprinkles. They tasted pretty good all things considered. Ha!

 Reese and I took in the sunset as we watched the boys play from the deck. I let out a sigh of relief at the thought of a brand new day tomorrow. I love the orange glow the sun casts on my kitchen at days end, bringing warmth and hope to my heart. Shortly after the last of the suns rays disappeared behind the rooftops, I called the boys in for dinner.

Then during the happy chaos and chatter at the dinner table I looked over to see Finley scooping salad on his plate like it was going out of style. The salad tongs were so much fun to use that the entire bowl ended up being scooped out. I motioned to Mr. Stannix and we both immediately broke out laughing.

Joe got out of bed a few times tonight just to give me a hug. "Mom, you're the luckiest because you have kids that do this..." He squeezed me tight and planted a kiss on my cheek. "A million and three," he says. He's been keeping count all day. A few days ago he hugged me out of the blue and I told him how much I loved it and how I need a million hugs each day. Now I get hugged every hour (sometimes twice an hour) and I totally love it! The big boys whispered together until they fell asleep and it warmed my heart to hear them getting along so well.

The Acreage

We are hanging out at the acreage for most of the week while the big kids are off school. It's been a while since we've been out for a long visit and they have been counting down the days. Camilla even thought ahead enough to do her own laundry, fold it, and pack the clothes that she wanted to wear. It's crazy how independent they are getting!

We have been waking up early to the most beautiful sun rises that paint the sky in purple, orange, and pink. 

I baked up a crazy big lemon loaf and chatted with my Mom.

The early mornings brought early naps.

I had one of those "since-when-did-you-get-so-big" moments with Hyrum and had to snap a picture. He is trying to grow his hair out because he likes it spiky and long. He is developing his own sense of style and I just love him so much. I sure wish he would stop growing up though!

Despite the cold, we did make it out for a little bit of exploring. Ollie and his side-kick didn't last too long, but the three older kids wandered all over the acreage making tracks in the deep snow.

Evenings were spent looking at fabric and piecing together a woodland quilt that I've been dying to sew. I am in love with the teal blue, and I kind of have a thing for foxes.

Mr. Funny Bones

This boy spent the day at the hospital with Daddy. He came to my bedside sniffling in the middle of the night, and thinking nothing of it, I just pulled him into bed with us. In the morning he couldn't move his arm and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Apparently he fell out of Camilla's bed in the middle of the night. I suspected a broken collarbone...Five hours and a sling later and my suspicions were correct. He has officially taken over the apple tv remote and has his older siblings waiting on him hand and foot. He will be spending the next three weeks in the sling and will need one more xray to check how it's healing. We have been to the ER more with this sweet boy than all of his siblings put together. And not just for common coughs and colds either. He keeps us on our toes! Not a whole lot slows him down, so hopefully he keeps still enough for it to heal up well! I'm super grateful for Mr. Stannix being flexible and able to come home from work so I didn't have to lug everyone to the waiting room to get it checked out.