What a Wonderful World

Yesterday, while staring out the window at the flowers etc, Emily announced "I love this world!"  I said that I did too.  Then she said, "This world has ice cream stores."  Yes.  Yes, it does.  For the rest of the day, everything was in the context of being in "this world".  Mary is her best friend in this world because she has long beautiful hair just like Emily (her words).  And, apparently there are no bumble bees in this beautiful world.  Personally, I like the bumble bees.

Morning Bliss, and Musicals

Almost without fail, Mary wakes up in the morning before Emily.  That doesn't last long.  I take her downstairs to eat, but as soon as I leave her a lone for a minute she's right back upstairs waking up her sister.  That's just how life is supposed to be; no Emily-free for Mary.  She usually throws some books onto Emily's bed and crawls in with her giggling until Emily is awake enough to go downstairs.  Mary leads Emily by the hand to "help" her do all of the morning things.  This blissful start to the day inevitably ends at some point, and if the roles were reversed it would be anything but pleasant, but it is so fun to see the cute girls so inseparable in the mornings.

The kids love to sing, Mary perhaps the most, but they all sing a good share of the day away.  For awhile now, Joe has been singing to narrate his life.  Now the girls do it as well.  When they are playing, it is a full-fledged musical happening right in the grand halls of our family manor.  Yesterday, for example, I ran upstairs (okay, I'm nine months pregnant - I huffed and puffed upstairs) and the girls were playing in the hall.  Emily was singing "We're jumping and jumping and jumping.  And it's so beautiful!  We're going to the princess castle and we're jumping."  Mary was right behind her jumping from cushion to cushion singing "jumping, jumping, jumping."  I always talk about how awesome it would be if real life was like a musical with everyone bursting into syncronized song and dance at any given moment.  Now I know.  It is awesome!

Labor anxiety

So, with less than three weeks left, I have been thinking about the actual delivery and I've honestly been freaking out a little bit.  How ridiculous is that?  I've had three nearly perfect births, so I should have a "been there, done that" attitude, right?  Maybe it's because I've been there and done that that I'm a little nervous.  I just keep thinking "I really have to do that?!?"  My mom assured me that once labor started I would remember that I really am capable of doing what I need to do. Regardless, the baby can't stay in there forever, so I guess I'll just have to buck up and get over it!

Yesterday, I was curled up on the couch watching a movie.  Matt was on one side, and my feet were right next to the other arm rest.  Emily came up and asked if she could sit right "there" pointing at the square foot of space formed by my bent leg.  I said that I didn't think there was room.  She proceeded to climb up anyway, and as she did she replied.  "Just move your legs and it'll be fine."  I suppose that's true.  I just needed to make room.

Just Some Pictures of the Girls

Independent

Mary is into the independent phase.  Every time I need to get her dressed, it turns into a knock down drag out fight.  The irony: she loves getting dressed, she just has to do it herself (except for when she thinks she can get away with running around in just a diaper).  She hates having a dirty diaper, but if I suggest that we change her diaper or assert my will over hers (as she perceives it) it turns out...less than pleasant.If SHE tells ME about her diaper, she just runs over and lies down and cooperates.  I am SOOOO taking her lead when it comes to potty training.  I see the writing on the wall.  This is a picture of her dressing abilities from this morning.  (Sorry about the bad picture, Mary is so hard to get a picture of without reinforcements or catching her off guard). I did finally get her dressed appropriately before we left - miracle of miracles!

Chill Out!

So, I have officially begun nesting.  Last night, after I finished reading the girls bedtime stories, I folded the pile of laundry on my bedroom floor.  After I finished that, I started picking things up from the little corners.  I saw this quickly devolving into an all night affair, so I had to force myself to leave it and go to bed.  My bedroom really didn't need to be deep cleaned in the middle of the night!  Then this morning, I attacked the kitchen.  Not just normal cleaning, I got out the antibacterial cleaner and started attacking every surface I could find.  I didn't have time to do the floor before my dr appointment, so it is still bugging me to death.  Nesting is nice because you finally have the energy and desire to take care of your house, but it's horrible because (at least for me) it feels like the clutter in your house and the unseen germs and the long-since-forgotten junk drawers are closing in on you!  Well, hopefully I will get it to a point soon where I can just calm down and relax.

Tell Me a Story

About once a month, we have a Family Home Evening without a "lesson" and do some activity.  Last night, we went to the store and got ice cream and ice cream cones, came back to the house and told each other stories while we ate them.  The kids LOVED it.  They are always begging me to tell stories to/with them.  Matt definitely won the prize for the most enthralling stories of the night. He told the kids stories about growing up in Oklahoma with his brothers.  The kids just ate up every word.  It helps that Matt is a natural oral story teller.  Joe is taking after that, I must say.  I recognized a lot of elements in his stories from various other sources, but the stories as a whole were great.  He already has a feeling for story arc and pacing.  He still writes stories all the time.  His latest is about a super hero named Changer Guy who has the super powers of all the major super heroes, and he changes into whichever one will be best for the particular situation he's in at the time.  

I love all of my little story tellers!

Nothing to report

I feel like I am stuck in the Waiting Place.  Waiting for the all-important month of June.  Waiting for Will.  Waiting for family to visit (I can't wait!!).  Waiting for the right of way people from DOT to contact us so that we can actually make plans for the rest of the year.  I feel like my whole life is on hold.  I know everything will work out, but I'm having such a hard time being motivated to do anything.  

I have paid more attention to my kids the last couple of days though.  I've really enjoyed them more than I usually do when I'm caught up in executing my elaborate plans that I think are what make up my life.  Why don't I take more days where I stop what I'm doing every time someone asks me to read a story and sit with them to read it?  Or sit and color with my 3 year old?  Or sit and laugh at funny faces with my one year old?  Or listen to my kindergartener read?  I really need to give myself permission to do those things more often.  One day maybe I'll learn the secret of keeping the house running and enjoying the kids all at the same time.  I'm sure there's a trick to it.  Well, until then...I'll be waiting.

Happy Birthday!

I am a lucky woman. I have the best best friend in the world and I get to live with him! He puts up with all of my female craziness and all of my bizarre quirks. He is wonderful to talk to. He supports me in all of my dreams. He loves our children and shows it. He is such a great dad and you can tell by how much the kids adore him. He is a worthy priesthood holder and blesses our home with that. I'm so grateful for someone to laugh with and someone to plan with and someone who makes life interesting. And, someone who stayed up with the kids all night because it is Mothers' Day - completely ignoring the fact that it is his birthday.

I love you, Matt! Happy 30th Birthday!

The Decline Begins, Breaking the News, and Emily's Mystery Illness

I started painting the other half of our downstairs hall this morning (I guess some may question the wisdom in this, but we already had the paint, and if it helps give the appraiser a better impression it will be worth it - and it's the only thing we're doing to the house).  Two months ago, I painted the whole living room - two coats - in one morning.  One month ago I completed the bathroom and half the hall, again in one morning.  This morning.  Yeah.  I finished 3/4 of the first coat and had to stop because I felt like I was going to pass out.  I know I'm one month away from delivery, but It's so frustrating to see how much less I can accomplish!!

We told the kids last night that we're moving.  Joe had written earlier in the day for his writing assignment that he likes our home, and drew a big picture of it.  So heartbreaking!  I think he took it alright.  We'll see.  We talked about how when we are trying to be good and keeping the commandments, that Heavenly Father will bless us and watch over us.  I think that made him feel a little better.  It's just frustrating because we kept reassuring him that we were going to live in this house for awhile.  Hopefully this will be a good learning opportunity rather than making him feel like nothing is certain.  On the other hand, I guess nothing is certain accept the gospel.  And that his parents love him.  He did seem pretty excited to look for a new house that has a fence and some real grass (as real as it gets here in NC).

On Sunday, Emily started getting a fever.  She was kind of cranky and lethargic, so we watched her, had her rest that afternoon, you know, the usual.  The next morning, her fever was worse.  We started giving her tylenol every four hours because the fever would spike again after about 3 1/2 hours.  It took at least an hour for it to kick in at all, so Emily would have about an hour and a half in the four hour block of peace.  She couldn't get up or her head would hurt, and her stomach was hurting.  But, those were the only symptoms.  She even ate and drank as normal.  This kept up until Wednesday when it started breaking up a bit and Emily had more energy.  When she woke up with a fever again on Thursday, I decided I really did need to take her in.  The dr was flummoxed.  No ear infection, no other detectable infection and no strep.  Well, she's better today.  And, the best part is, she's not whining!!  I know that is so selfish to complain when she has been so miserable, but whining and crying for 24 hours a day for four days was testing my patience!  So, whatever it is has passed, thankfully.

Life Is Funny

It's amazing. I seem to always think I know what is best and what decisions should be made based on my imperfect vision that I always overestimate. And then I learn, yet again, that I have no clue what lies ahead and so I should just trust in Heavenly Father and not myself. On the flip side, when I do choose to listen, I often don't understand why certain decisions are better than others. Eventually, everything becomes clear, however, and I learn the same lesson. There is a plan and an order in my life, and if I try to micromanage that plan without relinquishing control to the One who really does know what's going on, I mess things up more often than not and learn things the hard way. Today has been one of those learning days. From our answer about Joe's schooling to why I felt so good about choosing a house in a neighborhood that I wasn't crazy about, things are beginning to clear up as they always do when you let go enough to let Heavenly Father step in. Things are still a little hazy, but I'm starting to see objects in the distance take shape. And it is reassuring to know that when you make choices that you know were the right ones, everything will work out!

Outed!

Two weeks ago, in primary, Joe's class was learning about Laman and Lemuel.  His teacher asked the class if they knew what being lazy meant.  Joe chimed in "My mom's lazy!"  Ouch!  Ah well.  I guess if you base that on the state of my house or even my pathetically short blogs of late, that may be close to the truth!