Bed Head

Our week has been very quiet and low-key. The children have been sleeping until almost 8:00am each morning and it's been glorious. One thing that brought me joy today was Hyrum and his awesome bed head. Each morning my Mamma has made us up a "smoo-ee" to go with our breakfast. The children LOVE them. By the end of the glass they would each have an awesome mustache and a smoothie uni-brow to match. That plus Hyrum's bed head totally made my day!

Toothless

I seriously can't get enough of these toothless little grins.
Today, as I gently poked his sides I actually got a few little giggles too!


Life is Good

Dear Mr. Stannix,
We are halfway through our visit at the Acreage. We all miss you a lot. Camilla keeps asking where you are and when you're going to come to Gramma's house. At breakfast today I glanced over at Hyrum and couldn't help but smile. He had some nice bed-head, I think he's almost ready for another hair cut. Gramma removed his shirt and put a bib on him so that he could go to town on his bowl of porridge. His legs were crossed, the way he has crossed them since birth, and the expression on his face told me that life was good. For some reason it made me think of you and I wanted to let you know that life is good, and we are all doing well! The children love the extra space to run and play. Hyrum and Camilla run circles around the pool table until they are out of breath. Hyrum is Grampa's shadow and loves going with him to the garage to sit on the quad while he works away. Camilla built a pretty sweet helicopter out of the tinker toys today, I'll have to take a picture of it for you. That girl has some serious talent. Joseph is loving the extra interaction. He loves to snuggle Gramma and have conversations with Grampa. Tonight he coo-ed and talked to himself in the mirror for a good five minutes. It was the cutest thing ever and made me smile so much, I wish you could have seen it. He has such a sweet little voice and is talking more and more. I'm sure you'll notice a bit of a change when we see you again on the weekend. Other than that, I spend my days visiting with my Mum and Dad, baking cookies, reading my book, and finishing up your blanket. Thanks for sending me home, it's been a nice break.


I Love You!
-AJ

A Country Visit

With Mr. Stannix working long hours, my sweet Mum came up and picked up the kids and I and brought us to the Acreage for the week. On our way out we stopped in to visit Gramma and Grampa Martin at their farm outside of Drayton. The last time I had been there was when Camilla was a baby, so it had been a while. We pulled up to their cute framed log home and were welcomed by the neighbors dog. As we walked up to the front door they both opened it to greet us. Grampa was in his western shirt and Gramma had on an apron. I loved this. I always picture myself later in life as that Gramma who welcomes the kids home in an apron and barefeet. I adore their little western home with the upstairs loft bedrooms. Grampa's home made wood furniture and trinkets decorated the livingroom and a mounted deer decorated the wall above the big fireplace. We had a nice little visit in their cozy livingroom. Soon Gramma was asking what we'd like to drink and our visiting moved to the kitchen table. We enjoyed a bowl of homemade soup while Gramma put together a plate of baked goods for dessert. Gramma removed her apron for pictures and I admired her western belt and tucked in shirt. We left just before dark to finish the rest of our drive home. It was a great visit! 

 



Unforgettable

Sundays are always unforgettably busy these days. The whole day is a whirl wind until everyone goes to bed and I get to sit down next to Mr. Stannix for our weekly planning meeting. A few weeks ago we made the mistake of napping the kids after getting home at 2:00pm which resulted in Hyrum sleeping until 7:00pm, and then brownies and a movie for everyone. Today started out a bit slower for me which was nice. The kids all slept until after 8:00am which never happens anymore. It was only because Camilla had tucked into our bed in the middle of the night and I ended up in hers after the morning feed, but I'll take it. If I'm being honest, her bed is the most comfortable in the whole house. I got the kids up and ready while Mr. Stannix took off to his Sunday morning meeting. We enjoyed dried cheerios since the milk was sour, toast and jam, and a bit of fruit. I hopped in the shower while Joseph was sleeping and the other two were finishing up breakfast. Joe slept longer than I thought he would which allowed me time to blowdry and do my hair before church. Once the kids finished breakfast, we all headed upstairs to get dressed. We even managed a few spare minutes for some pictures before Daddy came to pick us up for church.

 

 

We walked out in the freezing cold and piled everyone into the car, only to unbuckle them a few minutes later when we arrived at the church. Camilla is really good about taking her jacket off and hanging it up while Hyrum runs around playing "catch me if you can". On a good day Joseph is already asleep and I wrap him up in his blanket, but today he was very awake. Knowing I had to play the opening hymn, Mr. Stannix agreed to sit with the kiddos instead of helping the young men with the sacrament. After a quick chat with the organist, she thought it was actually the fourth hymn she needed a hand with, so Mr. Stannix went to help the boys out anyways. Just as the meeting started Joseph puked over my left shoulder and down the side of my shirt. I shrugged as I wiped it off. A few moments later he did a nice little number over my right shoulder. I officially smelled like baby barf and had the wet stains on my t-shirt to prove it and the meeting had hardly begun. Before I knew it, the organist was making hand signals at me and it turned out that I needed to play the opening hymn. It was just being announced, so I had to move quick. I passed off the baby to our awesome nursery leader who was sitting in front of me and another sister jumped up to sit with the other two. I jumped off the organ after I finished to join my kiddos for the hardest part of the whole meeting. I juggled Joseph and two busy children while we sang another hymn. During the Sacrament portion, the kids started getting on each others nerves. Hyrum had Camilla pinned  by the wall while he pinched her right on the back of her arm. I picked him up with my one free arm and chucked him over my legs and onto the other side of me on the bench. He protested loudly. My face grew hotter and hotter as the meeting progressed. I was sure all eyes were on me and my crazy children (really no one noticed). Then Camilla had to pee, even though I told her three times to go before we left the house. Daddy offered to take her and Hyrum soon followed, and I soon followed him. As I walked down the aisle three sets of hands went out with kind looks as sisters offered to hold Joseph for me. I politely smiled back thinking I could handle it. Hyrum ran like a loony around the halls before I finally picked him up to bring him back in. That kind of thing doesn't fly with us. I walked back into the chapel with Joseph cradled in one arm and Hyrum propped on my hip in the other arm.

 

After that meeting was over we made our way down to the Primary room to help/watch Camilla do her Scripture. Super funny. She's not shy at all, and that's good (sometimes). I then made my way to the mother's room to nurse Joseph for most of Sunday school. Relief Society was spent bouncing Joseph to sleep in the back and waiting to jump on the piano for the closing hymn. And then before I knew it, it was time to go pick up the kids from their classes. It's always fun having more kids than arms. We slowly made our way across the gym to the side entrance. Hyrum ran around the gym repeating, "Run run run!" over and over again. I had to smile as I watched his gangly legs skip and run in the wide-open space. With he and Camilla running in two separate directions it was hard to get a handle on them to guide them out the door. Then Camilla makes her way out and books it to the coats to hide underneath them until I arrive. Thankfully there was a smart mother sitting at the entrance with her kids, treats in hand and willing to share. I went back to the gym to find Hyrum running at the edge of the stage with a basketball in hand. Worried that he wouldn't see the edge and stop I sprinted across the gym (as fast as you can sprint with a baby in your arms) to be there incase he fell. I propped him up on my hip again and we made our way out of the gym. Daddy joined us shortly after, thankfully.

 

Our afternoon at home consisted of left over tacos for lunch and afternoon naps for most. I enjoyed snuggling Joseph. Camilla cuddled in on the other end of the couch and fell asleep quickly. And I sighed a breath of relief... until next week. 

On a Saturday Night

It's Saturday night and all of the Stannix's are in the kitchen making up a batch of Grampy's Tacos.  Mr. Stannix had to work today and thought it would be a fun treat to make these up together tonight.   My mouth has been watering all day.  I always enjoy cooking in the kitchen together, especially when I get to watch Mr. Stannix flip the tacos high in the air! It truly was a Saturday today. Hyrum stayed in his Pj's all day and graced us with phrases like "No Way!" when asked to do something. It's funny to hear him say it and I have to try really hard not to laugh. Terrible twos here we come!

My Chubby Joseph

There are somedays when I wish it was summer so that Joseph could just wear diaper shirts around the house and I could enjoy his roly-poly legs. 

Bath time is a good time to do that though, and I just can't get enough of this kid! 

It's our special one on one time together. 

Could he get any cuter?

**Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Mamma today!**

Resolutions

 I somehow made it through my day today without snapping a single picture of the children. It's been quite a day. It seems everyone is suffering from lack of sleep which makes for very cranky children first thing in the morning and lots of sibling rivalry. I was recently enthralled with this book by Linda Eyre and have been thinking about this quote a lot.

"I relaxed, settled back a little, closed my eyes, and remembered that life is not one exhilarating joy after another. But the occasional flashes of real joy make us able to chalk up the rest to experience."

Right now I feel like I'm chalking up a lot to experience. Having three kids three years and under is no easy task, and let's face it, some days are just plain hard.  Lately I've just been trying to let go of things and enjoy a little more.

(Our family in Silhouettes)

I kicked off the year feeling very excited and super motivated to magnify my role as a mother. I wanted to focus more on my children's nutrition and have healthier snacks and meals. I wanted to be able to spend more quality time with them laughing and playing. I wanted to work harder at keeping our home tidy, and the dishes caught up. Above all, I wanted to improve the general feel of our home. I was sure I could have a softer voice when it came to addressing the children and discipline. This seems to be impossible somedays, especially when dealing with tricky situations with a baby screaming to be fed in the background.

Each night before bed I pray for strength, self control, and the ability to use a quiet voice. Most days go really well and I'm able to succeed. And then there's those hard days where you feel like pulling your hair out or poking yourself in the eye because no one wants to listen to you. A certain three year old has recently developed very good selective hearing. It's those tough days where I go to bed feeling guilty and ready to throw in the towel. I find myself wishing I had spoken a little more kindly when a certain little boy visited my bedside at 5:30 in the morning requesting pancakes.  Or feeling badly for shushing an excited little girl who had no intention of waking the baby when she climbed down the stairs exclaiming, "Good morning Mommy!"

There's so many times during the day when I struggle to keep my cool. Sometimes it's in the heat of a really intense sibling rivalry. Or when I come into the kitchen to find my toddler has stabbed my chicken pot pie so many times that the crust has been obliterated. Or when both kids tumble off the couch and cry after I've asked them for the tenth time not to jump on the couch.

Sometimes at days end I feel really discouraged and think to myself  well, you definitely didn't win mother of the year today...

The great thing is that I get to try again tomorrow. My children are ever forgiving and we do share special moments throughout the day that make everything else seem small and unimportant. Hyrum excitedly exclaiming my name as he runs up and hugs my legs or Camilla arguing that she loves me "the mostest" definitely make this motherhood gig worth it. As long as I can dwell on the positives, I think we'll be okay. And who am I kidding, this really is the most rewarding job in the whole world.

Days End

Night times around here are pretty exciting. I am happy to announce that everyone ate their dinner all gone tonight! My kids haven't been loving dinner time lately. Yesterday night I made them sit at the table for quite a while. Eventually Hyrum got the brilliant idea to dump his soup all over the table, after which Camilla used a paper towel to "clean it up", resulting in my whole table top being smeared with orange colored soup. I forced a smile as I wiped it up, and bed time soon followed. Tonight we had cranberry chicken and rice which is always a huge hit. I walked back into the kitchen after checking on baby Joe to find Camilla sitting on top of the table spoon feeding her brother the rest of his plate. He ate every last morsel of rice thanks to his sister.

After dinner usually comes baths. Hyrum whines the whole time I wash his hair and then plays with the bath toys. Camilla then tortures her brother with the squirt toys and then we pull the plug when the water is too freezing to stay in any longer. After everyone is cozy warm in their PJ's we do scriptures and prayers. Sometimes this is completed with a screaming baby, Hyrum making car noises and Camilla peeking and giggling, but at least it gets done. Then we all climb the stairs, turn on the space heater and read stories. After we finish each of the children make their way to their beds and say their prayers. Hyrum is at the "repeat after me" stage and is adorable. "Kee-koo day, Kee-koo family, pees bwess Joo-peh..." I love that boy. After a tickle session for each and big kisses and hugs it's lights out. Soon enough drinks of water are requested, Hyrum is running out of bed to chat with his sister and the giggling commences. FINALLY they all fall asleep, and it's onto phase two of my evening.

Joseph and I make our way back downstairs where he plays on his play mat. He's getting a lot better at entertaining himself and enjoying floor time.

While he coos and hits his toys around, I start the nightly tidy. As I go into the kitchen I discover the drum set and building blocks stacked up beside the counter. Camilla used them while I was busy to sneak the left over chocolates beside the cookie jar. It makes me grin and I have to secretly give the girl props for her ingenuity. I then go around the livingroom with the laundry basket and grab all the toys, crumbs and left over cookies. Once that's done I take it to the office and sort it all back into the toy bins. I like the kiddos to have a clean start to their day each morning.

 

 Soon Joseph has had enough of his play mat and needs a change of scenery. Since it's close to 9PM and Daddy still isn't home from Young Men's I decide to bath him. I run the water in the bathroom sink nice and warm and add a squirt of baby soap to it. Joseph splashes his arms and legs around while I wash his sweet face, the crusty puke under his chin rolls and the rest of his rolls. I talk to him and make eye contact as I wash and he smiles back nice and big. Bathing him is my favorite, it always makes him happy.

Baby on My Bed

The late afternoon brought me this...