Ants Marching

On Christmas Eve, we loaded all the kids up in the van and took them to see the Princess and the Frog. We have only been to the theater a handful of times in the last three years, so this was a big deal. Originally, J and I were going to go by ourselves because that's what J wanted to spend some of his birthday money on. E ended up getting some cash for Christmas and immediately asked to go with us. The other two were free admission, so there we were with everyone going. In the car on the way, E - her voice almost inaudible due to her bubbling-over excitement - said "I've only been to the theater twice in my life! I'm as excited as an ant!"

The movie? I loved and hated it. The bad guy is a voodoo guy and they just went a little too creepy with the "friends from the other side". We probably won't be buying it. It's a shame because the rest of the movie was quite lovely.

M, M, M. On Christmas, she wanted an orange, but for some reason forgot the name so she kept asking for a "yellow".

During dinner Christmas night, I was trying to coax her into eating a little bit. It was a futile effort given the amount of junk she had been eating all day. She was a little old for this tactic, but I figured I'd try the plane technique. Just as my plane came zooming in, M picked up her cup, aimed it at my plane and said "Pow! Pow! Pow!" My plane was no match for her anti-aircraft weaponry. I'm afraid I lost the battle and she scampered off to play.

This morning Joe and I were reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1 - thanks for the B&N gift card Tom and Camille!! We are only one chapter in, but that chapter was fantastic! I love the humor and how engaged J is in it already and the voice feels authentic to me. Anyway! When we stopped J started talking about what had happened and was trying to figure out what was going on. He said "I'm not confused, my brain is just tangled up. I need to get it all sorted." I liked how he phrased that.

Happy Anniversary!!!

These last 8 years have been a whirlwind of fun. When Cathy and I sat down in the Mall on our first real date (after talking about wedding rings - does that make it surprising to anyone that we were married that same year?) and started talking, if someone would have walked up and told us that 8 years later we would be married, living on the other side of the country with four kids...well, I think Cathy would never have dated me again and I would have laughed my head off.

Now, I am just exceptionally grateful that Cathy finally gave in. Thank you Cathy for a wonderful 8 years. Here's to another 60 (at which point we will both die peacefully in our sleep).

Childhood Christmas Excitement

I love how they get just as excited over an apple as anything else.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

W's first Christmas

So, I ask for your indulgence as I share my little photo shoot. I just can't squeeze this baby enough.

Bwa ha ha ha!!

I finally won! J, E and M each said "dada" for their first word. On Wednesday, W looked right at me and said "Mamama!" I'll take it! He was sick and wanted me to pick him up - he was sitting with Matt - and that's when he said it. I love my little mama's boy!

Falling Down, Gently Down

On Friday, The kids loved catching the snow on their tongues

And their hands.

Then on Saturday, we got all bundled for an afternoon of real snow fun. This is about as far as M got. Because of the sleet that came down late Friday night, the snow had a hard crunchy layer that completely freaked her out. She went inside to sit with Dad and W (W was so bundled that he promptly fell asleep.

J and E, on the other hand were reveling to the max.

They stayed outside for a couple of hours then came inside for some hot cocoa. The perfect winter afternoon!

Content In Spite

So, the title of this post was originally going to be - "People Stink!!!!!" but I just don't think I could do that without being ungrateful. First, there is snow! How could I be upset at the world when it is a winter wonderland outside? Heavenly Father knew how homesick I was for the snow...and here it is! I am not self centered enough to think that this whole storm was on my account, but it is nevertheless a tender mercy.

Second, we have money for Christmas. Matt checked our bank account this morning before we were going to go out, and we were SEVERELY overdrawn. That is one of those heart-stopping moments. Someone had cleared out our account using a fake card at an atm. Fortunately, it was fishy to begin with, so our bank called us to verify the transaction (we had already reported and started the fraud process but apparently the two departments hadn't talked yet). They have the person on the atm camera, so it is just a matter of time. But, about that whole "time" thing...our account is suspended for ten days. That would put it the week after Christmas. We were planning on getting 99% of our Christmas today. For some reason Matt's boss hadn't given him his Christmas bonus yet, so he gave it to him today - half cash, half check. The cash was more than enough to get us through the next ten days including Christmas presents. I am so thankful for that!!!

Speechless Wonder

4 INCHES AND COUNTING!!!!

Whew!

We've had sick kids this weekend. M was coughing and congested on Friday and then started running a low-grade fever on Saturday morning. E caught the cold - minus the fever - that night, and W got it Sunday morning. Thankfully the girls are pretty much out of the woods. W - not so much. It's really quite sad. He lost his voice, so you can't really hear him cry. He hasn't been out of my sight for more than a few minutes all day, and will probably sleep with us again tonight. Last night I felt like one of the bears in the bed and the little one said "roll over, roll over!" But, instead of one of us falling out, one got in. First W around ten, then E around midnight, and finally, I was quite incoherent when M joined us so I didn't catch the time.

As a child, when I had colds I would walk in my sleep. I also occasionally talk in my sleep - usually when I'm sick or really really tired. Apparently, M is taking after me. On Sunday afternoon, she was asleep on the couch when she all the sudden started talking as if she was in the middle of a conversation. We looked over and she was still totally asleep. A few minutes later she burst out singing the theme song to Dora the Explorer. So funny! She was talking again last night.

Here's our butterball. He loves rolling up into a ball and grabbing his feet every chance he gets. He very rarely lays flat. Here he is trying to eat his feet. I don't think he needs the extra calories!

Matt had a week off of work last week. On Saturday evening, J asked him when he was going back to work. Matt asked if J wanted to get rid of him and J responded "No, I just want the money." Matt and I burst out laughing, and he was a little embarrassed. I felt bad. He said that he just wanted us to be able to have food and a place to live. I wonder if he thought that we weren't going to have those things because of Matt's vacation. Poor boy!

This is how W falls asleep - hands clasped looking quite angelic.

Yesterday was an REM kind of day. know what I mean. There's just something soulful and soothing about REM. I know that sounds a little weird, but there you go.

Best Present Ever

Yesterday I had a very nice evening with my family for my birthday.

W was very intent on trying cake. Next birthday party, maybe!

J gave me the best present of the year. We were sitting on the couch watching a movie when he turned to me, looking terrified, and said "Mom, I need to tell you something."

I said okay, and he said "It's about your sewing machine."

Noooo! My brand new sewing machine that is smack in the middle of all my Christmas present preparations. I asked him what happened, and he explained that when he was picking up the living room, he accidentally broke it. The machine is fine. He broke off a little piece of the plastic drawer that stores stuff under the bobbin etc. He was almost crying when he told me. And then he did start crying. I was SO proud of him for telling me. Chances are good that I would have never known how it happened as the sewing machine was in a corner and I wasn't going to use it until today. He told me on his own and he told me the truth even though it was really hard. That is about the best present ever.

Super J!

Happy Birthday (yesterday) J!

I can't believe you are seven. You're a pretty cool cat and a wonderful big brother.

It has been so fun and amazing and heartbreaking to watch you grow so fast.

For so long you were my little buddy. Just you, me and dad hanging out and having fun. You were the little man of the house when dad had to travel for work. French toast on our balcony and throwing rocks into the fountain. The Christmas you got your geotrack train and last year when you broke your leg. Seven years of memories that started with the very best birthday present I have ever gotten. Thank you for coming to our family!

Also, congratulations on student of the month!!

E-isms

I know I've been posting about E a lot lately, but she is just in that phase where she says the funniest things. Last night she said she was so hungry she was "monkey hungry". After church she said that it was "as cold as a nut outside!"

In other news, M was sitting at the table, and Matt told her to wipe her mouth off. She looked at him with a confused look on her face for a minute, then opened her mouth and started wiping it with the napkin, still looking confused. We got it straightened out and she wiped off her chin.

Aw Man!

E just drew a picture of a machine. It's called a Bilg machine and turns people into cookies. She said there was a man in the machine right then because he thought it was a good place to take a bath, but he was turned into a cookie. Poor sap!

I hope, I hope, I hope!

I may be getting an early birthday present. I just looked on the ten day forecast, and Saturday is supposed to have rain mixed with snow. Maybe it will just go to straight snow. Here's to hoping!

How Could You Not Love 'Em?

The other day, I was getting M ready for church. As soon as I took off her pajamas so she was just in a diaper, she twirled around yelling "I'm free!"

That night, M and E were taking a bath together. When I came to get them out, E stood up, looking completely indignant, and said "Mom! M got me wet!"

Later Sunday night, we were watching those little sponge capsules that grow in warm water. When J got his - a moose - he said "Last time I had a crocodile, which was cool, but this one goes 'wha -wha-wha-whaaa'" I suppose you'd have to be there for the full effect. But, it was funny.

Tonight, before bed, all the kids were drawing stories. E's went something like this: "This is Mr. Potato Head. These are all of his owies, so here's his medicine. Here's his dad. He was shrunk by his mom. That's her right there. She shrunk him with the medicine that's supposed to be for Mr. Potato Head. But - here's the funny part. the mom has shoes on her feet AND her hands!" This last bit was absolutely hilarious to her, contrasted by the matter-of-fact conveying of the previous part of the story, I found it rather funny myself.

W started cereal last night. He is so thoroughly excited about it. Tonight when we were eating dinner, I had him on my lap and he was intently watching every bite I took. He started crying when I didn't share. I told him he wasn't quite ready for chili but for some reason he din't understand. He got his lovely rice cereal later. Here's to hoping he sleeps through the night tonight!

W is camera shy. Every time we whip out the camera, he immediately stops whatever he was doing and stares at it. So, tonight, when we saw him reading this story to himself we tried to film as incognito as possible. Here's the best we could do. I hope the cuteness comes through. He was turning the page earlier, but can't quite get it here. He's such a cute little chubs. I totally get that line from Where the Wild Things Are "I'll eat you up, I love you so." He's just so cute I can hardly stand it.

One last thing. Happy Birthday Dad!!! I love you!

Blessed

I am so extremely grateful for Matt's job. No one is recession proof, and I am grateful that Matt has been able to stay employed. As I was pulling out of Walmart this morning there was a panhandler in the typical spot (the spot that has been nearly perpetually occupied for the last several months now). I rarely have cash, so I usually just fiddle with my radio, or check my mirrors, or talk to the kids, all the while feeling horribly uncomfortable and just a bit guilty. Today, I had cash. I pulled out a dollar bill - not much, but as much as I could give right then - and stuck it out the window for him to grab. On his sign he said that his wife just had a baby and he lost his job. I don't know if he is being honest, but every time I have thoughts like that the scripture in Jacob runs through my mind "And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

"Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

"But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God."

After the man walked away, E asked what he was looking for and where he lived. I explained that he didn't have a job and since Daddy has a job and we have food and a warm place to live that we need to help him so that he can buy food for his children. As I explained, a rush of gratitude nearly overwhelmed me. I felt truly, truly grateful. It was such a sweet teachable moment for me to remember how amazingly blessed I am.

Hero Lessons

The other morning, J was ready really early, so he had time to play. I heard him in the hall giving E instructions on "runs and flies". He was teaching her how to be a super hero. They practiced running and flying and when it was time for him to go, he gave her a few last minute tips. I am thankful for a son that is such a great big brother and one who plays with his sisters so well.

Congratulations!

Today I'm thankful for a new nephew! John and Jen had their fourth child yesterday and he looks so perfect! I can't wait to see him in person! Welcome to the family Jordan Richard!!

Raspberries!

Today I am grateful for raspberries - and not the kind you eat.

Our day started quite early - with waking Will up at 2:30 a.m. to feed him. At 6:30 we were out of the house to drop the girls off with a friend. I am so grateful for the two friends that helped us today! One watched the girls, the other came to our house ridiculously early to help J get to school. At 7:30 we were at Brenners Children's Hospital. W had a minor birth defect. We have known about the surgery since he was born, but they had to wait so that he was old enough to handle the anesthesia. It is such a blessing that he is such a big boy! I can't help but think it made a difference with his surgery.

Can I just say how much I love Brenners? I don't know if any of you have been there, but we absolutely loved our time there! Everyone was so kind and wanted to make sure that we didn't just understand, but felt comfortable with everything. They were also so considerate of our sweet baby. They didn't just stick him in the crib and wheel him back, the doctor held him and the anesthesiologist took the crib so that it wasn't quite so scary for W. Half way through the procedure, one of the nurses called out to the waiting room and let us know that everything was going well. It was really a great experience, all things considered.

While Matt and I were waiting, I was overwhelmed with gratitude. We have four children, and not one has ever been hospitalized. I am so thankful for the health that my children have enjoyed. We have had seven years of blessings. I am also grateful for capable doctors and the amazing innovations of medicine that make things possible to make our lives easier.

W handled the anesthesia alright, but has been a little sad and groggy. When he was awake, for the most part he was fussy - understandably!!

Just after scriptures, W started laughing. Then he started doing his most favorite thing in the whole world...blowing raspberries. So, today, I'm grateful for raspberries and for the return of my happy baby boy!

Catching Our Shadows

I am grateful for talents and that J is starting to learn to play the piano. This summer, I tried to start teaching him, but it didn't go well, and I told him that if he really wanted to learn to play the piano that he had to want to do it - I couldn't make him do it. So I told him to tell me when he wanted to start learning again. Well, last week he did. (I'm so glad that actually worked - knock on wood!). Today, after working on piano, he said that we still need to catch our shadows. I asked what he meant by that, and he said that I had said that we need to catch up to where we were when we quit (I made him start all over because he had pretty much forgotten everything). He then said that we were so far behind ourselves that we need to "catch our shadows". I thought that was such an interest phrase. I love it.

Yummo

Today I'm thankful for the smell of $0.60/lb turkey roasting in the oven. Yes. I'm cooking turkey a week and a half before Thanksgiving. We're going to a friends' for Thanksgiving and having ham. I just couldn't pass up the sale. They did have $0.40/lb turkeys, but they were sold out when I got there. Oh well. I'm still stoked. Is there anything cozier than the smell of turkey roasting? It's probably a conditioned response. So, I will be sitting in my house with my eyes closed, blocking out the sunny 70 degree weather, pretending that I'm stuck in the blizzard that is hitting Utah and surrounded by the comfort of the holidays.

Say What?

Here are some of my favorite misnomers from my children.

"tomato" = tornado

"bless you" = a sneeze

"smoshmallow" = marshmallow

"maggers" = grandma

What are some of your kids' words for things?

Smoshmallows

So, I'm going to taking a cheap shot, and say that I'm thankful for my kids today. Endless entertainment and joy. They all call marshmallows "smoshmallows".

Goin' Courtin'

Today I'm thankful for dates! Tonight, Matt and I are teaching the "Marriage for Mormons" monthly meeting our ward is doing, so, we got a sitter, and in T-5 minutes and counting we will be off. I'm so excited! (about the date part not the teaching part)

Rain, Rain is falling down

I love rain! Even though it's been raining for days straight, even though it's flooding, I still love it. I just can't get enough of the gentle drumming on the roof and cozy, gray-cotton covered sky. Call me crazy, but I am thankful today for rainy days.

Snap Shots

Today I'm thankful for funny stories that make me feel normal. I love seeing the frustrations of motherhood from someone else's perspective. It helps me to find the humor and the beauty and the joy in all those things that sometimes just plain drive me crazy. I appreciate those things because they help me to take a step back and really see my children as the beautiful and imaginative people they are. Tonight when I was reading the girls a bedtime story, E fell asleep. I looked down at her sleeping and saw this wonderful little person that is usually moving so quickly that I can hardly keep up. I loved being able to sit there for just a moment (M was eager to get things going so a moment was all I had) and forget the power struggles we have been going through and just capture one little snap shot in the middle of the hurricane that is life.

Saweet!!

Today I'm thankful for Triple Coupons at Harris Teeter. For $3.95, I got well balanced lunch and dinner for everyone, and our family home evening treat - and a couple other miscellaneous items. Yay!

Awww.

Today I'm thankful for sweet kids. In J's Thursday packet (where they send home the things they have been doing, announcements, etc) I saw one of Joe's assignments. It had four sections that were supposed to be filled in. One was titled "What makes me happy?" He had drawn a boy and a girl. I asked him to explain it to me, and he said that he was the boy, and M was the girl. He said that M makes him happy. Things that a parent loves to hear.

Make 'Em Laugh

Today I'm thankful for contagious laughter.

Mmmmm

Today I'm thankful for homemade cinnamon raisin bread. This afternoon I'm trying it with freshly ground wheat and oat flours. We'll see how it goes.

Too Many To Narrow It Down

Today I'm thankful for quite a few things. Here are just a few.

Kissably chubby cheeks and thunder thighs

Gum getting stuck three inches from the tip of E's hair rather than by her scalp. Here's her shortened do (Hooray for Halloween)

Free Admission day at the Science Center

This is a picture of the girls running from the life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex that roars when you walk by.

VOTE

Today I'm thankful for the right to vote. I haven't paid much attention in the past to the "little" elections aka the nonpresidential ones, but I am making amends. Even if you haven't informed yourself enough yet, we live in the age of the internet. You can get years of archived news articles etc in one sitting. Be informed. Go vote!!

Thanks, Honey!

Today I'm thankful for a wonderful, supportive husband who is willing to drop everything when I need him. I'm thankful to be married to someone who doesn't make me feel stupid or silly even when I'm doing something that may well be stupid and silly. This may sound cryptic, but well, what can I say. Thank you, Matt.

November

Today, I am thankful for electricity and clean clothing. When we got home from church, the power was off. We looked in the cupboard and fridge and realized the only thing we had on hand that didn't require electricity was peanut butter sandwiches. Luckily the power came back on about an hour after we got home. I'm also grateful for clean clothes. Our washing machine broke, and we had so much laundry that there was no possible way we could wait for the repairman, so off we went to the laundromat. That was quite the adventure. But, now we have clean clothes!!

Happy Halloween!

We celebrated Halloween last night at the trunk-or-treat. Tonight we will probably just watch movies. We had a lot of fun. Here are the three olders in their costumes - and I love the "deer in the headlights" looks on E and M's faces. Not sure what that was about. J was so excited about his costume. I couldn't find a superman costume at Walmart (how ridiculous is that!), so I spent $11 buying a pair of thermals and red sweat pants (that I cut into shorts). I used the cut off pieces of the sweat pants to make the symbol, and we already had the cape. I'm not ubercreative, so I was pretty impressed with myself. E was Snow White (of course), and M was a flapper girl.

M won for best children's costume. I think she's cute.

The scarecrows.

W spent the whole evening trying to eat the yarn straw from his hat and sleeves.

He's just so cute! I can't get over it!

On the Road Again

Yesterday, I decided to take my camera along as I walked J home from school.

He found this walking stick last week (unfortunately, it got stuck in the stroller wheel, so this picture shows it about a foot shorter than it used to be.)

Finding treasures along the way. Both J and E are in love with finding rocks...anywhere.

There is a row of stumps along the way. The kids were so excited that I actually let them stop and play on them instead of making time like I usually do.

And where were W and M? Snug as a bug in a rug, as they say.

M loves W's swing. I thought about not letting her in it until I realized she weighs about the same amount. I'm picking my battles. (I have no idea why this suddenly decided to underline. I'm not trying to highlight this section).

I decided to break out the exersaucer. W...tolerates it. You can kind of see the red blotches on his face in this picture. He always gets blotches when he's upset - not just when he cries. It's kind of funny.