Pony Tail Up.

Mom finally decided to do Marianne's hair

It only took seven months.

Here is an after pony tail, and before pony tail shot.

She is adorable either way, there is no denying it.!

Kids at the Dr.

Between today and last week I have had all three kids at the Dr's for shots and blood drawing.

It has been an interesting study on how different each of them are.

Kate: I had to take Kate to get some Kindergarten shots. I didn't tell her until we were already in the car. Then I told her. She screamed and bargained me to take her home. She cried and whaled. And begged and begged and begged to just take her home. Once there ( I had to literally carry her out of her car seat into the office) She cried and cried. When I told her she could choose to have the shots in her arm or leg she kept saying "lets make a deal" and telling me reasons why neither would work. In her legs the nurse would have to see her underwear, in her arms she would no longer be able to write because her arms would be too sore. In the end me and the nurse pinned her down. She couldn't be calmed and we just strapped her down and went for it. It broke my heart, and I know shots are tough, but she was mighty ridiculous about it. Once it was over she cried for a minute. Then said without any more tears "those were just little shots mom" And was totally fine about it from then on out. I hate lying to my kids, but next time I won't tell her where we are going.

Sam: Sam is having a lot of tummy troubles. Did I already tell you about how Jake and I sent the better part of a week collecting his poop into cups, mixing his poop with other solutions, freezing his poop, smearing his poop onto post cards and putting them in the mail. All per Dr's instructions of course. Did you know there was fecal matter being mailed from place to place on a daily basis? Me neither... and gross. Sorry for the gross details. But this is our life. In addition to the mountain of poop we sent them they needed some blood. five viles. What was ordered called for 9, but they can't take that much blood from a kid that only weighs 31 lbs. So Jake and I took him to the lab today. We had a pediatric appointment and the lab ladies were excellent with him. But it was rough. Jake held him in his lap, arms wrapped around and holding his arm down. We told Sam we were taking him to the Dr's so they could try to find what is wrong with his tummy. He sat in Jake's lap no problem. He even rolled up his sleeve on his own. I think he though he was having his blood pressure taken. Last time at he docs he had that done and I told him they were seeing if his muscles were growing, and he kind of liked that. This he did not like. He watched the needles, though I tried to talk to him and distract him. Mostly using a snail in a jar he caught in the garden in the morning and brought along. The nurses were loving him too. His chatter and handsomeness. All brave and happy Sam, until they put the needle in. The crying and tears. But no fight, he held perfectly still, and looked at me with his teary eyes, then back to the needle. He was okay after they did the 1st arm. But they didn't have enough. So they had to do the other arm. He cried again. I can remember standing behind the two lab ladies and he was looking straight at me. They finished and wrapped his arms up. I carried him to the car. He was sad, but cheered up when I mentioned that because he was so brave we could go buy another train. Then we went to target (and got him a juice smoothie from the cafe as I was afraid he was going to faint from all the blood they had taken) and shopped around and and he forgot all about it. He has been fine all day and told Kate later "my shots were really bad". (This is because Kate calls IV's really bad shots, and regular shots "tiny shots" ) He wanted Kate to know what kind of shots he got. He was a tough guy. But boy it breaks my heart.

Marianne- Then I returned to the doc this afternoon to get Marianne some shots. We are so behind with her shots (oh me). Two in one leg -resulted in one "ahh". Then one shot in the other leg (one little "ehhh") and that was it. Then all smiles and laughs and charm for the entire office. Seriously. She didn't even cry out really. Usually when I take Marianne to the doctor I am corralling two kids along too. But not today. I dropped them off at Jake's office and made them play computer games while he worked for almost two hours so I didn't have to bring them along. And it was awesome. Everyone of course loves Marianne, especially when her sibling aren't making tons of noise and climbing all over everything and distracting from her overall cuteness. "sexy body" "Damn girl" "what perfect thighs you have" "I am looking for my own baby just like that one" and "look at those lips" all comments from the staff directed at my Marianne as I carted her around the office sans clothing for the appointment. She is pretty much the cutest baby they've ever seen I'm sure (or so says her mother)

Despite it being hard to watch you kids be in pain, and the heart breaking of Sam asking me to fix his tummy and being able to do nothing and it be unexplainable, despite how exhausting it is to just be running back and forth to doctors visits and labs all the time....

it was a really great day.

We spent the morning collecting snails out of the yard and putting them in jars for Kate's show and tell.

We spent lunch having a picnic in the front yard, and watching a blue jay sneak our crumbs.

We spent the afternoon playing outside in the backyard (yes even me) games, and wagon rides.

We spent after dinner with Dad watching him fly his new helicopter.

Now we are sitting together in my bed. They are eating popcorn and watching a movie before bed while Jake is at basketball. All cuddled up just like I like.

And there were lots of smiles today.

Man I love those kids.

33

the kids explain their cards to Jake. Kate drew a card of a balloon with a stone tied to it so it wouldn't float away, with clouds in the sky, stones on the ground and Jake and my heads with crowns because she said we are a king and queen.

my dear husband had a birthday this week.

he deserved a great day, and we did our best to make that true.

the night before me and the kids "sneaked" to his office and filled it with treats and balloons.

the kids loved that part. the loved sneaking the keys, buying the balloons, and in the morning when Jake said he was going to work the kids excitement for his surprise bubbles out in the forms of "don't eat all your chocolate!" and " we put something in your office" and other attempts at hints. When he got to work he found his office surprise. And the kids are still talking about it.

Jake's away from home office gave us a lot of opportunity to surprise him this year.

I told him to come home by 4:30. I wanted him to know I had some plans for him but not what.

So when I showed up at his work at 2:00 to steal him away from work to take him to see "The Hunger Games" I think it was another great surprise. I handed him the tickets and he replied "where are the kids?" His mom was kind enough to come watch them at my house.

We hurried to the show. And it did not disappoint. Of course it is the first movie we have seen in like 3 years in a theatre and because it was we treated ourselves to gigantic diet pepsi.

We returned home to anxious kids. I had helped them put up streamers before I left, wrap presents, decorate a cake. When I told them I was taking Jake to a scary movie, they said maybe they should get him scary plates and cups.... they think birthday's have to have a theme. They had many suggestions usually an army birthday, lots of ideas including anything they deemed manly. They had lots of ideas to buy him for his birthday. Kate's idea- a farmers hat. Sam's idea- a tree saw. I took them to the store and they picked out a remote control helicopter and he was pleased with it. They were bursting with excitement as they watched him fly his new helicopter. Then recited "Happy Birthday" perfectly multiple times then helped him blow out his candles. We talked a lot about our kids the whole day. How they make birthdays so much fun.

Watching them was such a clear moment of joy.

Watching them be so excited for their father.

Because not only do they have a super love for birthdays.

They love their dad.

They love him so much that they want him to be so happy on his special day, just like me.

They love him because he loves them so well.

And that just makes me love him more, and them more.

I am a blessed woman to have him and them in my life.

Grandma MaryAnn

My sweet Grandma Wood passed away today.

After a long, brave three year battle with lung cancer.

I treasure these pictures of her with my children.

It made me so pleased to share my children with her and she made it very obvious how pleased she was with her great-grandchildren.

Her with Marianne feb 2012- Marianne gets to meet her namesake

Her with Samuel 12-09- She spent Christmas with us.

Her with Kate 4-07 Kate was just days old and she came to Utah just to meet her.

She was such a wonderful matriarch to our family.

I'm so proud to have a daughter named for her.

And to be her granddaughter myself.

I have lots of wonderful memories of my grandmother.

Lots of silly things- like how she would always threaten to sell us to the indians.

Lots of selfless things- like how if you complimented something she offered to give it to you

And and example of both- how as a young teen we went for Thanksgiving to her home. In (what seemed like the middle of the night to a 13 year old) I heard (robbers) in the kitchen. I finally braved up and went to see what all the noise was, and of course it was her, in the wee hours of the morning in the kitchen beginning the prep work for a Thanksgiving dinner I most certainly took for granted until I cooked my 1st Thanksgiving just years ago.

We love you Grandma!

Dreams

Most of the last 15 years of my life, I've had crazy dreams. I may have had them before then too, I just can't be sure.

Dreams that are crazy crazy.

Mostly apocalyptic.

My kids got the crazy gene dream it looks like.

They certainly don't dream like their father- who has recalled a dream perhaps three times in our entire marriage.

Scary dreams have been sporadic here and there from the kiddos.

But seem to have increased in the last few months especially with Sammy.

The latest from Kate and Sam.

Sam this weekend came running in to cuddle after a scary dream.

I comforted him and he feel asleep talking about feathers.

In the morning he recalled what made him run for his mama.

An angry "mingo" or flamingo for those of you who don't speak Sam.

He recalled its angry eyes, its feathers, and that it was trying to come inside and bite his shoulder. He says he said "shoo shoot" but it wouldn't leave

but Jake and his muscles (Sam flexes his muscles to tell me what he means) gets it to go away.

Kate last night came running in after a scary dream. She use to have more of a problem with scary dreams but they have tapered off.

But last night- she cut off a sharks tail off and tied it on a seahorse. I am guessing this made the shark angry.

It was scary though it sounds to me like she won that fight.

Her dreams always seem to have sea creatures.

My latest dream, this weekend as well.

Me trying to gather our things to head home from a trip only to have buses of migrant people seeking refuge from (everywhere else but where we were vacationing) because there has been a (plague, flood, war) I am unsure and all the (food, water, resources, children's clothing, backpacks) in a 4000 mile radius happen to be just what I own and brought on vacation. Me trying to sneakily pack our car with our belongings so we can leave without me being mobbed for a capri sun.

Oh to interpret our silly half awake minds.

Though it makes me sad to hear the children express real fear, I get a real laugh at their true terror from things like "mingos"

My Brain is Fried

Remember that commercial from when we were youth.

The egg, sizzling in a pan. "This is your brain...on drugs"

Steer clear of drugs = No egg fried brain... or so I thought.

It seems though that having three children has similar results.

I'll spare you the the saga of me battling small house fires & carbon monoxide yesterday, and an unrelated flood this morning. You should know however it ended with me feeding my beautiful home made chicken pot pie to our dog for dinner and us eating egg sandwiches. That, my friends fortunately, is the most tragic part. I will share with you that it has most everything to do with me never having a minute to use my brain.

I'm not going to blame Marianne (and her internal clock that says 3:00 am is go time)

But let me remind you... last night was not the 1st small house fire I have battled since her birth.

Fires may be the extreme example of me loosing my marbles, but they are not the only one.

Prompt and responsible me has been late and missed countless meetings and appointments in the last few months attributed soley to a soggy brain.

I've lost multiple credit cards and a drivers license, the keys to our safe, and many other things that aren't as important.

I never manage to get home from the store with everything on my list... even if I made a list... and even if that list only had three thing on it.

"Where is my cell phone" I am always googling because I want to find one of those sites that will call it for free... because it is always lost. Always.

Last night as I was getting ready for bed I realized it was lost again.

The last place I had seen it was on the lawn, where it had been thrown when I evacuated the children to the lawn during yesterday's drama.

I called it. And heard it ringing somewhere out in the dark. And because I couldn't find a flashlight, crawled on my hands and knees until I felt it. Of course it was upside down so I couldn't see it lighting up. Of course.

And the list goes on and on.

Being an individual with a well working brain most my life it is a frustrating thing.

We joke that our girls have so much beautiful hair (and Jake has none) because when they were born Jake gave his hair to them. A sweet little family story.

The larger sacrifice I fear has been made by me. Our children also seem smart. Is it because when they were born I gave them my brain???

My friends warned me that three kids was the kicker.

They were right. I am sure moving right after having a baby doesn't help much either.

The strings to my sanity are wearing thin.

Tell me friends with lots of children... will my brain ever return?

Will I ever be able to remember things, not feel scattered, at least not almost catch the house on fire twice a year (please let it only be twice this year).

At least some how I am yet to lock myself out of car or house this year.

Something to build upon I guess.

Funnier still, I love those kids so much I kind of still want more of them.

And in the future (far future).

When we perhaps have another child.

You can- instead of sweet layettes- give me the following items as baby gifts

Fire extinguishers

carbon monixide alarms

plungers

flashlights

back up cell phones

personal organizers

copies of keys, kept at your house for when I need you to bring them to me

and a free pass when I forget to come to your birthday dinner.

Family Pictures

We had our family pictures taken last night.

I think more than anyone I have anxiety about getting family pictures taken.

Maybe it is because if it is something important to me my kids will always misbehave/ get sick/ etc.

Maybe it is because I know how horribly family pictures can go having done a lot for people over the years.

They are long overdue.

I have a hard time committing to a photographer. Finding somebody who doesn't cost and arm and a leg, but is at least a better photographer than I is a tough line. It seems all the photographers in my price range are usually pretty bad photographers. Which is why I was super happy to find this one. She seems at least a bit better than me, and her prices were super reasonable- plus she will sell me the digital copies.... a must on my list as well. I guess I am a picky portrait taker.

It seems like it takes everything out of me to get them done.

Getting clothes ready- keeping these clothes clean, trying hard to make sure somebody doesn't get a bruise or scrape in the week before, having haircuts, no red and runny noses, and then the day of it is just one big dance trying to keep kids happy, fed and rested in perfect timing so that when the appointed time comes they are the most possible level of content or compliant. Not to mention trying to keep my own anxiety as invisible as possible so the kids don't pick up on it and act out accordingly. I refused to bribe as I find it makes kids even more emotional.

Not everything went perfect. My baby who is usually one smiling fool some how couldn't fall asleep for her afternoon nap and was there for more tired than usual. The children' were a little more silly than they should have been, and there was a stray dog that was running around us and knocked Sam over resulting in tears. But it was as painless as it could have been.

This is the only picture I have so far. I don't love it. But I like it at least.

After years of trying to have our picture taken. Then waiting because we would soon have a new member. We finally have a new family picture.

I'm so glad I bit the bullet and finally just did it.

I love my little family and I am glad to have a picture taken by somebody else.

I can't wait to see more.

Lucky Three

Three Little Leprechauns'

Left you this treat.

Snuck it to your door,

Then ran down the street.

Can you guess who we are?

Don't flip the card till you're through.

Leprechauns' like riddles

And we hope so do you.

We are silly, near your age,

and yes very short.

We do Leprechaun things

Like the Leprechaun sort

One of us is a girl

who likes dress up and Barbie

and her hair is not nearly

as red as it should be.

One of us is a boy

who likes tractors (they are green)

and would trade all of his Shamrocks

For Lightning McQueen

.One of us is a baby

Round as pots of gold

She smiles and laughs

And is so fun to hold

We use to live far

Several rainbows away

But now we live near

So we are closer to play.

We think you just swell!

So friendly! first rate!

So we are wishing and hoping

Your St Pattrick's is great!

We just did a little door bell ditching as lephrachauns today. We left some treats, this poem and this picture. It took us a really long time. Partly because we got lost three times, basically trying to get to or from each place we went. We only went three places after all. But the kids were such troopers. Laughing and running and giggling all the way. And not one fell asleep though we've been in the car for way to long. Sam kept begging to take one to his "johnny friend" who lives in Utah. I mean asked me at least 40 times in the last two hours. Kate deducted from the poem I wrote that Shamrocks must be pacifiers (she didn't know what they were and that IS what Sam trades in for LIghting McQueens). She is my logical puzzle solver. Marianne sat in the car sweetly in her green shirt- with something else green spewing from her nose..... yes we are still getting over colds. Everyone was a bit terrified when we returned to our car to hop in and run and bees and snuck in while we were out. I guess everyone likes a little sneaking.

The rest of our fake St. Patty's ( I realize it is actually tomorrow, but our tomorrow is busy) included. green breakfast, and green dinner, a little hiding and finding game and green milkshakes. Jake pinched Sam when he wasn't wearing any green. Lightly I am sure. He came screaming, sobbing, to me in the shower. I thought something was actually wrong. I got out mid shower to console him. Then I found out he was just being a baby. Later Sam got it. He would only drink out of a green cup for "patrik day".

Enjoying Spring

I took both these photos while we were playing in the backyard today I uploaded them and thought they were funny. Funny because the top is the best picture of the older kids I got. Hair all messed up, funny faces and in the dirt... with lunch on their faces and what was around the third outfit for one of them for the day. A contrast to miss Marianne. She looked so perfect in her spring dress. Smiling at me with her toes in the nice green grass.

My Family

We have a bit of a sick house again.

Sam and I came down with really bad colds and fevers in the middle of the night.

and Marianne has been a little extra fussy- she could be sick too but she can't tell me.

So we had a slow sleepy day.

I have an awesome husband. He worked from home, and mostly didn't work so he could take care of the kids while I slept attempting to fight off strep throat. Then shared with me that he worked up a sweat being mom for the day. (it is a lot of work being me thank you)

My kids noticed something was a bit different with me.

This morning Kate said to me "mom why is your face sad?" I told her I was sick. she asked me if I wanted to hot chocolate. I think she meant tea- I always make her some when she is sick. She got the hot chocolate out and got some for herself instead when i told her no. It was a sweet gesture. I heard her playing happily by herself most the day, and saw all her dolls lined up in the playroom when she was asleep. She kept on thinking of fun things she wanted to do and telling me about it with so much excitement in her voice. Everything from a dress she wants me to make, from the purple bows she had the groomer put in the dog's hair today. Such a happy girl. she had a fortune cookie with dinner, and I wasn't there. She can running in to tell me how her fortune was something about being on top of the world and how it was so perfect for her because she is going to be a "space girl" when she grows up. :)

Later Sam came to cuddle with me in bed bringing me a cup of ice to be nice. He asked "can you show me pictures of Jesus Christ?" so we looked some up on the computer. Then he asked if we could look at pictures of him when he was a baby. So we did. Who is this kid I am raising? He is such a sweetie. I hope he doesn't feel as horrible as I do. He sure has a better attitude about being sick then I do.
And of course despite being a little under the weather, Marianne had lots of smiles for me all day and didn't whine to much that she was mostly left to roll around on the floor alone all day. I still find my heart skipping a beat to get her out of her crib when she wakes. I always already miss her even when I am sleeping.

Even sick I am such a lucky lady.

Marianne

Minutes from crawling this one is.

and getting more adorable every minute.

My Dad made a comment this week about how I must love Marianne extra special because my entire blog is devoted to pictures of how fat she is.

It is true. I have an obsession with this beautiful baby of mine, her smile, her charming ways, and even her fat rolls.

Monterey Bay Weekend Trip

We went away for a little three day trip to Monterey. We'd been planning this for some time, finally a get away after the moving.
We are loving all the places we can visit in California on one tank of gas!
 Our 1st stop- Dennis the Menence Park.
 Despite being named for an obscure cartoon nobody ever watched, it is an awesome park.

Jake and Marianne go on the zip line

Kate and Sam find there way through the maze.
The kids love this park.  Usually it seems a bit busy, but today it was just us and two other families with small children.  There are so many play areas, the kids just run from place to place.

There was only a little more than an hour of sliding and riding until some how we had three children who needed new pants because of accidents.
Such is life with three kids 4 years old and under.
 So the park time was cut short.
 We cleaned up at our hotel, then headed to get some seafood for dinner.
Bubba Gumps of course.  I can never get enough crab in my life.
The kids were well behaved too- but maybe because their dinners came in a carrier shaped like a pirate ship.  Lucky us too we got a booth with an ocean view.

We stayed in a new place for us, the Best Western Victorian Inn, just off cannery row. It was close to a lot of stuff, so we could walk instead of having to drive and find parking. It was nice and came with a full breakfast so we would recommend it.  We loved walking to and from things, and checking out the shops along the way.
Here are all the girls cuddled in bed. Sam got jealous so he wanted a picture cuddling mom too.

Day two we headed to the aquarium. It is one of the best aquariums in the United States I bet. If you had a better attention span than a toddler you could spend two days there. We got in a whole morning and called it good.

My favorite part- where you can go under this glass and let the waves crash on top of you. The kids liked this part too.

Star fish and sea cucumbers to touch.

Sammy and a shark

Chasing seagulls and pigeous.

The kids real favorite park of the aquarium was the little kids play zone, with slides and fish custumes, not even real fish.
I think we like to take our kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium because we both have memories as children there.  His most clear memory is actually the huge whales hanging from the ceiling in the entry.  Mine most clear memory is watching seals off the pier.

That afternoon- a trip to the candy store I believe it is called the Candy Baron, to pick out baskets of candy. So fun. Kate kept reminding me that I told her we could do this. She couldn't wait to go.  We had tried the night before but they closed early so we had to go back the next day.  The saying "like a kid in a candy shop" is not a saying for now reason.  It was a great time.  They mostly picked out 47 different kinds of salt water taffy.  They couldn't believe their luck when we got back to the hotel and I told them they could eat as much as they wanted.

More afternoon at the beach. The kids were sure to not bring our candy to the beach like last time.... when the seaguls attacked our candy and left none for them.

Digging in the rocks and sand could have been an all day event for Sam and Kate. The loved it. We are bundled up in hats and coats, but it was around 62, just a little windy. A great day for the beach. I went to the car to feed Marianne, and then the kids and Jake saw some sea otters. Darn it and me missing it.

Day three. After a morning check out we went the My Museum, a new find for us. It was the kids favorite thing of the whole trip so I'm glad we didn't skip town early. Sam dressed as a fireman the whole time and ran around from phone to phone saying " Hello how are you" then hanging up and saying "some one is in trouble" Kate liked the ball machines best. If you are planning a trip to Monterey, I would say this was a must must must with little kids.

It was great to get away. We have been anticipating a little trip for some time, the kind we use to do before Marianne joined our family. It won't be long till Kate is bound to school and we can't just up and go any day we'd like-so we have got to make good use of these last few school free months.

I Like Big Babies....

I cannot lie.