A Week to Remember

I had a fabulous weekend.
Fabulous.
Make that a fabulous entire week.
Plans sure changed a lot, and it was crazy with a capital K, but I loved it.
To make a very long story short, I have started a new, fun opportunity for me.  I get to help edit podcasts for the Power of Mom's website.  Love it.  LOVE.  This is something I have been looking for!  Not only do I get to help (in a very tiny way) a cause that is bigger than me, it is a cause that I believe in!! Furthermore, it is something that I can do from home- something that really takes very little time, and I can do it while my children are sleeping!! I can contribute!
Accepting this opportunity meant a bit of a schedule shuffle last week to make all of our plans work.  Our camping trip with cousins got bumped to earlier in the week.  We spent the night at the sand dunes and think we all STILL have sand in our ears.  Cleaning out the dutch ovens this morning reminded me of how much I like "camping food."  Lets eat dutch oven every night, ey?  I think I might gain 30 pounds if we do...  Guy and Eddie sure loved the massive sand dunes.  I (of course) forgot the camera!!  I hope to steal pictures from our cousins camera- I'll post them when I get them!  They played and played and trecked up those dunes!  BOY HOWDY were they dirty!! Millaker stayed in my arms.  I'd prefer she not eat all the sand...
Thursday we packed up and headed off to my moms to clean up!  We had one last chance to visit with my sister and her family before they packed up VERY early in the morning and headed home.
Friday I took Millaker (leaving the hubby with the oldest two) and headed to a wonderful, inspiring two day Mom Retreat in Park city where we talked about how to take care of our needs- really focusing on different, often overlooked aspects of our lives, how to create better family systems including family laws (rules and consequences), the family economy and the family culture.  We also spent a whole morning learning how to better organize our minds and lives so we could spend more time being there for our family!!  Wow.  Amazing doesn't cover this!  Not only did I meet and rub shoulders with people (moms!) that inspire me, but I SAW in real-time so many small services.  A sweet mother helped hold Millaker so I could jot down notes and give my aching arm a rest.  Sweet moms didn't flinch when she babbled, wailed, or smelled.  It was bliss.  I came home on an emotional high and am excited to implement things I've learned!! I felt so inspired to work harder, to not quit when being a mom is tough, to really BE THERE and enjoy the moments that arise instead of overlook them in the business of life.
My head feels busy, busy, BUSY!  But I'm excited.  Its the good kind of busy.  It makes me love life even more.

Renamed!

I give up.  Royal titles are few in number.  We're going with nicknames they get on a regular basis.
The boy (previously known as Mason/ Big Brother etc) will henceforth be known as: Guy.
The middle child (aka Lady) is now Eddie.
Baby Girl: Millaker.

... Don't Ask.

King and I might stay the same...
    
            for now...

Editing software is nice...

Picture attempt 6 million and 3.

On Easter we tried to get a few pictures of the three kiddos together.  Wouldn't a picture of all three dressed, with hair combed, and all smiling be nice?  It would.  In theory.

It didn't happen.  But here's our attempts.

Brother gives a kiss.

 Hey you! Third child! Over here!

 No, over HERE!

This is as close as we got...

Ok.  You win.  Photo session over.

Before I quit.  Though they were taken the day before, these two pictures of Brother and Lady with King make me melt just a tiny bit.  Oh, I love them! 

And while the oldest two happily hunted, the littlest did her favorite thing:

Yes, we have TWO finger suckers.... lucky us.

Must...eat...something!

Lady, as you know, has a fettish for sucking her fingers.  Despite our best efforts we can't shake the habit.  Vinegar, Tabasco Sauce, Long shirts with the sleeves sewn up and early bedtimes have all failed.  This morning Aunt A suggested to her, "Why don't you suck your toes instead?"

She tried.

For Dad...

A recent conversation with my father went something like this:
Dad: How come you never update your blog?
Me: We see you all the time! You don't need updated pictures!! ... and I have three kids...
Dad: So you can do it with two, but no more blogs with three ey?
Me: ... uh...something like that...
Sorry.
In my defense!!!:  1)  We DO see dad lots.  2)  Three words: Weekly family email.  2.5) 90% of the people who read this blog GET the family email... 3) We're improving and the future looks bright!  Why?  We've hit a HUGE milestone around here!!!  BABY IS SIX MONTHS OLD!!  I don't know what about the first six months is so difficult for me.  Oh wait, yes I do... mom doesn't get enough sleep.  So my Dad won't panic that I don't like my children, I'll clarify.  Newborns are cute.  Extremely so.  This baby number three is the smily-est we've had yet!!!  And its a good thing too- because moms (me) are generally in a severely sleep-deprived, irrational state the first few months.  But then little miracles happen.  They learn to smile.  They follow you around the room with their eyes.  They coo.  They get so excited to see you that their whole body lurches in the cute out-of-control way that babies have.  Then they start reaching for you!  Somewhere in this process they start napping for real!!  And around five to six months we start to realize that we're sleeping more!  AND ITS A BEAUTIFUL THING!!!

So, dad, here is your update!!  We're doing good!!  Life is great!!  The oldest two are figuring out playing together. Still.  Some moments are great, some I wonder if they plan on being best friends or mortal enemies when they grow up. 

 The good news is they are full of incredibly funny things to say.  Its nice that Lady is finally a talker.  Our favorite words for her are: Spot! (Now upgraded to, "That's MY SPOT!!"  This is heard EVERY morning when the kids pile into our bed to wake us up!)  SELF! Upgraded to, "Do it my my self!"  This is also heard daily.  Multiple times I might add.  Brother is becoming a four year old comedian.  He loves to play with words, rhyme, and in general is laughing about something he's said or trying to make me smile.  He is a huge help with baby (who really needs a nickname here doesn't she...) and is always getting her a toy or playing with her.  Although she CAN roll over, I fear she might never do it on a regular basis because brother will get her anything she needs as often as she needs it.  We're raising queen number two around here!! Her big sister has already claimed the first title.

On a final note: we were sent THIS link the other day and it has become a FAVORITE of both the kids and myself.  Lady constantly asks to watch "movie" and sing.  This is what she's asking for.  I find myself singing it around the house too...

 Have a great day dad!  See you this afternoon!

Not exactly humble...

We've been a little busy.
But! Some LONG overdue projects are done!  And truthfully, I'm not sure the pictures does EITHER project justice!    The bathroom was my project.  King hates H.A.T.E.S. painting.  So when the pink was FINALLY too much, I tackled that myself. 

Before:

After:

...I haven't hung pictures yet.  I'm trying to figure out what to put there.

 

Do I paint the vanity and surrounding wood?  White? Do I stain it darker?  What do I do?! Suggestions please!!  I also want to frame out the mirrors with white molding... another rainy day project I guess...

Before:

Yes.  That is CARPET in my dining room. Blech.  Hello grape juice stains!

After

 

Now to replace that table or at least the chairs.... one day...

Good work King! With my dad and brother-in-law's help- they did a good job!

Responses.

Me: I love you, Son.
Him: I do too.

??

Me: I love you, Lady.
Her: Ok.

Four

I'm late.  Again.  Nearly a MONTH ago, this guy turned F.O.U.R.  Wow.  I can hardly believe it.

Of COURSE we had to have green everything.  Green jammies (the norm), green plate (normal), green PANCAKES made in various shapes and sizes per request, green milk (...wierd), and even a green dinosaur  cake.  Ta Da!  Not to toot my own horn, but yes, that's my own work.  

This boy is growing up so fast!  He is a GOOD helper and a very kind boy.  He LOVES to learn about everything, especially all things space, dinosaur, and number oriented.  He can count to 49 (then he says 40 again), count by 2's to 20, by 5's to 50 and by 10's to 100 (thank you leapfrog).  He is learning to write his letters and loves to do it!  

He loves to help with his baby sister!  He is constantly trying to make her laugh!  He loves to come give me hugs and kisses!  I could go on and on- but most of all, he is a good boy!  We love having him- even if he insists on getting older, and older, and older...

Lately.

Finally!  We went on a trip!
We took a mini vacation down to St. George.  We left for my Mom's Monday, then down to an aunt and uncles on Tuesday.  We went to the rec center, hiked twice, watched a movie, went to the family fun center where the boys rode a go-cart and then we all went miniature golfing.  It turns out our kids are TOO miniature for that still...Brother would hit the ball (like he was holding a bat!) and then run catch it and put it RIGHT next to the whole where he'd hit it again and again and again (one inch away mind you) until he hit it in.  Sister mostly sucked her fingers and picked up Brother's ball.  We had a great time though:great food and great company with family.  Because we stayed with relatives it was REALLY cheap.  
Now I'm wondering if I'm ready to get back to "real life".  I've been having a REALLY hard time being patient and calm lately.  Is it because I have three kids?  A crazy 2 year old?  That I have a "new" (almost 5 months old) baby?  That I need a swift kick to the pants?  Possibly all of the above.  So- like every Sunday- I'm setting some small weekly (and some other short term) goals.  In truth, if I accomplish them it will be HUGE.  I find that if I share them with you all, it makes me feel more accountable and I work a tad harder at them.  So here goes:
1)  BE PATIENT.  I can talk nice, be calm, and listen longer.  I AM NOT IN A RUSH- even though I sometimes think I am.  What is the hurry.  The only deadlines in my day are breakfast, joyschool, naptime, dinner, bedtime.  Time in between is flexible and I need to remember that. SLOW DOWN.  Enjoy.  R.E.L.A.X.  This week:  I will put MYSELF in timeout (10 pushups) when I speak unkindly to the kids.  They have a consequence.  So will I.  (I hate pushups...)
2) Now that I just said slow down, I'm adding things:  Work.  Hard.  See progress.  (I miss that some days).  Do yard work, start on the list of projects you have in your head.  Next up is yardwork and picking a color for my currently PINK bathroom.  It needs some new paint desperately!  If I wipe it down one day, prime it the next, paint it the next, and do finishing touches the next- I SHOULD theoretically be done in a week.  My goal is to have that painted before the end of April. This week: Spend at least 4 hours doing yard work.  Even if its just 45 min a day.
3) First things first.  I keep postponing scripture study to the end of the day when its quiet.  That is fine.  It works.  But once the kids are asleep- I NEED TO DO THAT FIRST!  This week:  Make scripture study the FIRST thing that happens after kids are asleep.  It can be during nap time (if all are quiet) or when they are in bed.  100% scripture study this week.
As Brother now says, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."