Wednesday, February 27, 2013

February 27, 2013




Today is "Dress Like you Favorite Character from a Book" Day at school.  Kate and I thought and thought about what she could be.  It is pretty tricky to try to think of both a book you like with a character you might be able to look like.  Then smart little her thought of something perfect.  "Pinkalicious"    So today we got ready for school with all the pink clothes we could find layered a top one another, our pink watch, pink hair ribbons, pink shoes, pink nails and lots of pink makeup.

The 2nd picture is of the Get Well Cards her class made her while she was sick and away for a whole week or school.  Two weekends ago Kate's lingering cold (from Jan 29th)  turned worse, and she had a fever again of 103, and she basically has been laying on the couch in my electric blanket for most the month whenever she is home.  With the spiked fever, I guessed that she had pneumonia so we got her into the doc.  Her and I went over.  And they were super concerned for her.  I hadn't really been, she didn't seem that sick to me.  But they sent us over to the hospital for every test imaginable.  After x-rays, blood work, and meeting with a respitoray therapist who did a nasal wash (which sounds kind enough but is basically an  NG tube)  we returned to  paediatricians.  Tests concluded that she did have pneumonia and also influenza B.  She was given an antibiotic shot and we were sent home with a script for more antibiotics.  Amidst the testing, I called Jake and asked him to come lend a hand because I hate doing those kind of things by myself, and I can't go into the x-ray lab pregnant, hold her in my lap for blood draws because I don't have one etc.  He took her home when we were done, and I went to get the script.  Lucky for Kate they happen to have a unicorn that projects stars on your ceiling at the pharmacy, something she has mentioned to me a time or two before.  Despite it being very overpriced it was purchased and brought home for my very brave girl.  I feel so bad for Kate and all the stuff she has to endure with all her illnesses.  As if tummy stuff was not enough, tests and shots for other stuff seems unfair.  She handled it as brave as she could and is such a trooper.  She got to spend the next two days watching movie cuddled up in my heating blanket and watching movies and was all better.    Kate has a great attitude and I'm so grateful she is our oldest.
This morning I woke up to her and Sam cleaning their room without being asked????  I'm not sure what spawned it other than love for me and wanting to be kind.

Monday, February 25, 2013

February 23, 2013





He is four- see him telling me with his fingers!

I'm very broken up that I will no longer be living with a three year old boy.  Because he has officially turned four.  Sam has loved his birthday!  Loved it.  And nothing makes me happier than my children being happy, especially on their own special day.

A little bit about Sam at age Four.

Height:  37.25 inches  3%
Weight: 32.8lbs  22%

It has been a busy year for our family and for Sam, and he has taken it all in stride.  He started the year with lots of tummy problems, and he was such a trooper, allowing lots of tests, spending time at the doctors and obeying his mother always asking "does this have sugar in it?"  because he knew he couldn't eat it.  Sometimes he still asks even though he is allowed sugar now out of habbit.  He made the moves without much trouble and has been so very helpful to me while I've been sick and pregnant.  He also mostly got over his obsession with only wearing certain kinds of clothes and rarely throws fits when getting dressed.  He spends a lot of time alone with me while Kate is at school and M is taking her nap, and we love it.  We cuddle up and look up stuff on the computer, practice letters, or watch movies or run errands just the two of us.  This fall we planted some bulbs in a planter together and he remembers the project all the time and reminds me or asks me about our flowers, that just the two of us did.  Sam loves projects and because he does he gets a lot of special alone time with Dad too.  He loves getting his tools he got for Christmas out to help Dad build shelves, hang something or work on the car.  He really is our helpful guy.

The biggest milestone he made this year was completing potty training in the early fall.  He also learned to ride a bike without training wheels in the fall too.  He has started to learn to read and come a very long way in school knowledge like letters, numbers, shapes.  He has learned so much this year.  Another milestone of course was going to Primary.  Sam is a sunbeam!  We love hearing about what he learns.  Sam has always had a special spirit but as he becomes more vocal we become more aware of it.  He is always asking questions that surprise us about heaven and Jesus.  He always has such sweet prayers, thanking Heavenly Father for Jesus, asking for blessings for others, and often just telling Heavenly Father something from his day, the other day in a prayer he added "and I am turning 4 soon."  I love when he tells his Heavenly Father what is going on and on his mind.

Sam is a really good sibling too.  Although he and Marianne annoy each other sometimes, he can be really sweet.  Just today at the store he kept seeing things he though she would like and asking if we could get something for her.  Of course Sam and Kate still play all the time as well and Sam is happy to have Kate direct him in the play.  He has been mostly good about letting her play with all the Legos he got for his birthday.

Sam is a planner and a worker.  He is constantly... and I mean constantly talking about when he grows up and what he wants to do.  He wants to be a worker (builder he means) and tow truck driver, a regular truck driver, a fireman and a farmer, and sometimes a pilot too.  He is always telling us about the apples he will grow on his farm, the dog he will have as a fireman and the truck he will drive as a worker.He likes a lot of tractors and vehicle but excavators have quickly made it to his favorite of all time.  A truck is not a truck to Sam, he can name you about 12 different kinds of trucks and tractors.  Just yesterday he told us he might just drive his tractor in the sky and scoop up the moon and put it in our backyard.  Just today he told me about how when he is a worker with a wife he is going to scoop all the pirates and throw them in the dump. He often includes his parents, siblings, grandparents and friends in his future plans.

Sam is usually also the first person to wake up each morning.  He comes in my room, finds a pillow I keep for him beside my bed and lays down, but never without asking "can I sleep here mom?"  When I say yes, he usually catches a few minutes of sleep on the floor beside my bed.  He spends as much of day driving vehicles around the living room and kitchen as doing anything else. And sometimes when I really look at Sam like when he fell asleep on my lap at church a few weeks ago, I can't believe how handsome and adorable he is.

Sam always says " I know that"  all the time in response to everything.  and "awesome!"
Sam's fav. color is" Blue"
Sam's fav food is "hamburgers and Samwiches and hotdogs and eggs"
Sam's fav toy  is his new transformer he says
Sam's fav thing to do is "projects with Mom" and "work with Dad"
Also he thinks his name is Samurai.  Mostly because we always just call him Sam.  And he knows he has a longer name.  But he often forgets Samuel and thinks Samurai (another nickname) is his real name.

Sam is an incredible boy.  Although I don't want him to grow up one more day, I can't wait to see all  that he becomes.  He is such a great combination of sweetness and boyness, helpful and spiritual, obedient and fun. He is all that I could have ever dreamed up in a son.

Happy Birthday Sam.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Feb 21, 2013





We celebrated Sam's birthday today.
More than a month ago he decided on a Lego Helicopter birthday.  A Lego Helicopter Birthday.  And it was mom's job to make that happen of course.
The invitation went out and the planning begun.  Except Sam called the invitations "tickets" and expected everyone to bring and present the ticket to get into the party.  Well of course right.   We have never thrown a kid birthday at our house  If our kids (who are all still very young) have had friends involved it has been because we invited them to come somewhere.  This year, we are doing the real at home all out kind of birthday.  What fun!  Sam and Kate both helped in the prep work and the decorating we started two days before.



Yesterday in excitment over his big day I found Sam in the living room, looking at this decoration we made chanting "S.A.M... S.A.M" over and over again.


Sam reminded me that last year his room was decorated when he woke up.  He asked if his room could have balloons in it and if Dad would come in and say "It is your birthday Sam!" to wake him up.  Sam woke up early though, discovered the decor and couldn't go back to sleep he was too excited for the day. 



Here is Sam this morning laying on the rug.  He is so anxious and excited for his birthday I think he might explode.  He is dreaming of his presents.  He has been talking about a big helicopter he saw at the store a week or so ago.  Don't worry, it came- and tonight- when he was suppose to be trying to sleep he came out and asked me "who gave me that talking helicopter?"  When I reminded him it was from Dad and I he told me it was his favorite toy.
 Why does he have to actually look so old too.




 We made some sweet Lego figure masks.  Everyone that came over today had to take a picture with Sam with one.  They were so fun.

Sam helped me make the cake yesterday.  But the LEGO helicopter was added as a surprise after he went to bed.  The bottom is lego candy which Kate and I found when she helped me get things for his birthday.  You could actually build with them.




Gift bags for our guests.  We invited 7 kids, but from only four families- It ended up being the perfect amount of kids.


We had kind of an all day party.  We celebrated at lunch as a family.  Grandma and Grandpa Anderson dropped by with a balloon and present and Sam got to open his gifts from us as well.  We let him blow out candles and eat his big cake.  We made these cupcakes for the kid party.









That is a four our out of Paper Lego's in the back.  It was Sam's favorite decoration he told me.


 Grandma and Grandpa in their LEGO masks.

 Kate picked out this Star Wars mask, then picked out a Lego Star Wars bag to match.  It was a challenge to get her to pick something at the store.  This was like the 8th thing she picked, the first 7 were all things that were way too expensive or more something she would like than him.
  That big helicopter with lights and sounds he had been eyeing.  Really we got off easy this year as far as gifts go.  All he wanted was Legos and helicopters.  Does he think you only get gifts that match the theme of your birthday which is why he picked both Legos and helicopters

 Sam was anxious to "do the cake"  After the candles and cake he said "now I'm four"  I think he thinks you don't turn the new age until the candles are blown.   Little does he know we are celebrating two days early because it was a good day to have a birthday party.  I like the idea you turn the new age with the candles.
 Licking the frosting of the helicopter so he can play with it.

 Party time starts.  While we waited for everyone to arrive, each kid colored their own Lego figure.  They were more into it than I though they would be actually.  Especially Kate and Marianne our girls.  They each colored four more or so before bed tonight.
 Lego masks with friends.


 Sam plays a Lego memory game on my computer.  He wanted to play it at his party, so we made a big version and played.  We had some very well behaved kids for the most part who would sit and take turns playing the game.
upc
 Sam blew out candles on a cupcake and then we ate cupcakes with our friends.  Sam told me the cupcakes were his favorite part of the party.  He did seem to enjoy when all the kids were looking at him and singing to him, I think he felt special to be the center of attention.   There was also pizza, building with blocks, and a balloon pirate game the kids made up when they were waiting for me to get the cupcakes ready.
 Sam's sisters were great sports to enjoy the day and not be jealous.

This guy is so special.  Really.  I couldn't want anything more than for all his dreams to come true.  Everyday, but especially this day.  He is my favorite boy in the world.
Happy Lego Helicopter Birthday to my Sweetheart!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Feb 17, 2013

 Kate thinks it is too bright outside.  Yes the sun is out.  She likes her Valentine's clothes I've picked out.  And shows me that it is perfect because her tights have a heart on the bum.
 I picked out Sam's clothes today.  It was just the plaid shirt and sweater.  But he insisted he wear a tie to church.  So he picked out that red one to "match" and also insisted he tuck in his shirt.  Remember when we couldn't get him in a collared shirt last year.  He's got church clothes down now.  Because it is his birthday this week, he came out of primary with tons of goodies.  A mirror with a picture of Jesus on it that he sang primary songs into until he fell asleep in his bed last night.  And a coupon to collect a bag of treats from the bishop.  Which he did.   And was completely over the top excited about.

   Marianne is obsessed with a cat that lives across the street.  She is pointing at it now, and will not look at me for any of the pictures from here because she is trying to get the cat to come to her.  This week when I let her outside to play, in a matter of ten minutes she was covered in mud and snow and puddles because she chased the cat all over the street.

My crew for church on Sunday.
Dressed in red and pink for Valentine's.
We all went to church- first time nobody was sick in three weeks I think.
Marianne went to nursery for the first time.  Say it is not so.  She is 18 months old.
We even managed to go to choir practice and make cookies as a family yesterday.  The girls spent the morning feeding Cola a bag of cheerios and squealing in delight about it for a good 30 minutes.  Nobody had to leave a class or sacrament meeting because of a disruptive kid (except to get Kate a drink because she couldn't stop coughing).  And grandma had us over for dinner.
Sometimes Sundays are my least favorite days. And sometimes they are my favorite days.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Feb 14, 2013


Valentine's Day.
Some how Valentine's Day has crossed over officially.  From a day of romantic love to a holiday with our kids.  Considering it is difficult for me to get off the couch I am feeling so pregnant, I put a lot of effort into making the day fun for everyone.    I decorated the house with balloons and streamers and cut out hearts the night before. Jake rounded up pink sprinkle doughnuts and a treat bag for each kid the night before.  In the morning we exchanged gifts and we let the kids go at the goodies all morning.  It meant a serious sugar crash before 10 am which was not the best.  But we got a great photo of everyone smiling at the fire place just before Kate headed to school.  Then Sam and I headed out to deliver some Valentine's he had made.  He was feeling left out when Kate was making her school Valentine's so he used some of her left overs to make a few for friends.  The kids had been looking forward to Valentine's Day so much.  I told Jake "I feel like they think every holiday is such a big deal, they talk about it for weeks, and make plans"  He tells me "well that is because you always deliver"  Have I spun myself into a lifetime of high expectations for each holiday... it looks like it.  At least I enjoy it normally.






 Each child received and invitation to a Ball to  be held in our living room that evening.  Both Kate and Sam seemed pleased.

When Kate arrived home from school, we got ready.  They picked out perfect outfits I thought.  Then we had a fancy dinner.  Home made heart shape chicken roll pies.  Red Jello.  Asparagus and sparkling cider.  Then after the dance begun.  I had spent the afternoon hanging up the only christmas lights I could find- which happened to be multi colored and red streamers.  I announced each child into the room with a trumpet sound.  They didn't really get that part.




 I started to dance with sam, and Jake with Kate.  But soon after Kate insisted Sam was more her size. It worked out great.  The two of them danced together- which meant I only had to share Jake with M once in a while.... who wanted to dance with books in her hand, and then not dance at all just read books on the couch, but got it together for some serious moved towards the end to our delight.



 We finished the evening with individual strawberry shortcake parfaits that were beautiful if I don't say so myself.  And watching Beauty and the Beast all cuddled up in my electric blanket.  When Jake went to the store for kid Valentine's he almost came home with their own electric blankets, it may have been wise since they are obsessed with mine.