March 31 2013

Easter.  Check.

That is kind of how I feel.  Exhausted and glad it is behind us.  One of the last two things I hope to get done before the baby comes.

This year the children each picked and set out their own buckets for the Easter Bunny to fill.

I was woken around 5:30 by Sam, who had already checked and confirmed the Easter Bunny did come.  I told him to go back to bed.  He slept by me for another hour or so.  Eventually the whole crew was awake and at their Easter Baskets.

Some favorite items.  For Marianne- the bubbles.  We had to blow bubbles for the better part of the next three hours for her.  Seriously.  Jake fell asleep on the floor in the living room for an hour.  I pretty sure he might have thought it was only five minutes, because when he fell asleep and woke up we were doing the same thing. blowing bubbles.  Until the kitchen floor was soapy and slippery.

Kate- she said her bubbles, but she seemed pretty excited about both a slap braclet and some stamps.

For Samuel, no doubt the Lego robot guy.

Between what the Easter Bunny brought, the Easter basket Grandma had for us, the Easter egg hunt prizes and the birthday gifts Amy's family gave our kid, I think we will be putting away new toys and prizes for the next few days.

I put my best efforts into pancakes that looked like bunnies, and I'm pretty proud of my results.

Then we had church to get ready for and sweet new Easter clothes.  Be prepared to see those clothes a million times because the new baby has matching duds too waiting for her.  And I forced the children to take pictures in the new Easter clothing, which brought them to tears of course.

I don't know why I try  It seems like I always put so much effort into holidays, and all I want is happy kids and a few picutres, and the picture always seem to make everyone angry.  

We went to church, and Kate got to give a scripture in Primary.  She recited a resurection scripture so proudly and perfectly, which was my favorite moment of the day.

Then it was off to Grandma's for dinner.  We had a large crowd, lots of food, too much good food.  And even an Easter Egg hunt.

Now we are home, the children are slowly coming down from a mild sugar rush and the excitement of the day and I'm about ready to fall asleep right here mid typing. 

How grateful I am for my sweet family, to spend this day with them, and the opportunity to spend eternity with them because of my Savior

March 30, 2013

This is what our Spring Break looks like so far.


The kids - mostly Kate- has been talking about how everyone she knows is going on vacation but us for Spring Break.  Really I had no idea there was such an exodus for Spring Break, because it does seem true that half the city has left.  I don't know that we have ever done something for Spring break, but of course we have never had school to work around until this year.  We tell the kids we can't go on vacation because Mom might have a baby while we are gone.  Maybe next year.  They are already planning their own trip to Disneyland for next Spring Break.  I hope they are not disappointed next year too. I had considered making a stay-cation at a hotel near by where we could swim and play.  But sleeping in a room with all the children when I already can't sleep just didn't seem worth it.

 Last night Kate thought she saw a nieghbor girl packing her car to go on vacation too and started getting all teared up.  We have been planning her birthday party for during Spring Break and she is sad so many people can't come.  Like I said, we didn't realize that so many people lived Spring Break up, and with a baby coming  in the next two weeks we didn't have a ton of options.  One of her favorite friends moved this week too.  I know they are silly little sad things but it breaks my heart to see her sad.
And to disappoint the kids that we are being boring and not doing anything for Spring Break.  Why did they have to learn Spring Break was even a thing.

The 2nd picture I found when I uploaded the pictures onto the computer.  Somebody snapped this picture of me I guess when I was asleep or resting on the couch.  It is often where I can be found these days.  I'm pathetic, and huge and my feet swell to a painful size if I don't keep them up almost all the time.  I'm having contractions mild ones, starting just like with Sam, about every evening somewhere between 3 and 5pm, that last until around 9pm or sometimes through the night.  Hopefully they will do something eventually... other than make me completely exhausted.... like make me have a baby.  I told you that most my posts from here would be "where is this baby?" "why can't I just have this baby?" etc.

Jake has been working on the yard for his Spring Break.  Trying to level the dirt and rocks to something that will eventually be a lawn.  It is funny that I only hope my girls will find a man someday that knows how to do things like drive a tractor?  The big yard we were super excited about seems very daunting at this point.  We have made two planter boxes and filled one with small shrubs and pansies.  It took an entire Saturday, plus  another hour another day.  At least it is preventing me from planting my garden to early like I always do.

Happy Spring Break.   It will hopefully be our last week with only three kids.

March 26, 2013

We dyed eggs on Tuesday. The children had been anticipating it a great deal since they saw the egg dye kit I had in the pantry.    Marianne loved it, even though we didn't let her have any dye- only color crayons and stickers.  Sam made every one of his eggs green.Did it have something to do with "Sam I am and green eggs and ham?"  He also has picked out a green easter basket.  If you ask him he will tell you his favorite color is dark blue, but I think he is lying.  Kate and I couldn't really get a pink or purple dye to work out, but we did get some glitter eggs that turned out nice.  Jake made the most professtional looking egg the BYU egg.  They all turned out very bright because they were dyed in pure vinegar- which in the end ate away some of the shells and made them hard to peel.  And nobody has eaten one egg since we made them.  I guess I better make some potatoe salad or something.

Speaking of eggs.  Did you notice the goose egg on Kate's head.  My first call from the school nurse office was last Friday.  Kate had tripped just walking and falling flat on her head without catching herself at all with her hands.  She had a goose egg that was about two inches from her head- the biggest any of our kids have ever had by far.  With the nurse saying "we don't THINK she has a concusion...."  it was pretty bad.  Kate blamed it on the snow boots I made her wear since it was snowing.  With in a day or two it looked a ton better thankfully, but she still has a four inch bruise on her forehead.

March 21, 2013

notes from the day.

1.  I will officially not be pregnant in one month.  I have an induction scheduled for the week after this baby girl is due- on April 22.  That is a very good thing seeing as how I'm to the point where I just can't move.  A special blessing kept me capable of handling the house and kids alone while Jake was on his trip, but it has hit me big time now.  Actually about two days before he came home I felt her drop into my hips, which is when it becomes really hard for me to move, stand, sit, lay, or do anything aside from being in the shower or a bathtub.  I keep having contractions- similar to  with Sam, every evening starting somewhere between 3pm and 6 pm and lasting for three or five hours..  I had them for three weeks with him before my water broke.  Can I hope I'm on the same track?  They are exhaustingly consistent.  And this time they seem to be in my back more than I can ever remember before.  We were up until 1am last night with me keeled over the ottoman trying to get them to relax so I could sleep.  I can't say we didn't have the most recent show we are netflixing on that may have partially kept us up that late too.

2. Seeing as how  I am becoming less able to move, we spend most our time in the living room.  Me on the couch, and the children playing with the toys that are spreading upstairs despite the toy room downstairs.  I try to convince them to read book or color near by so I don't have to move.  Marianne is having a vocabulary break through, partly due to all the book reading.  Her favorite book is a  book about a bunny named Jake who packs a bag of snacks then feeds them to different animals who help him on his journey.   She always picks to read the book.  But she thinks it is about the apple in his backpack not the bunny.  She love apples.  Loves, loves, loves them.  She eats one a day.  It often takes her most the afternoon to get through one.  I give it to her whole.  I think she likes it because it feel good on her teeth and gums.    Sometimes it has almost become her third thing.  Her blankie, her baby, and now sometimes an apple too, all have to go everywhere she goes.

3.  The kids seem to try hard to be good, then crash and fight and argue and talk back.... then try hard again.   I try not to yell at them when they fight, argue, talk back and generally make trouble when I feel like I do.  Tonight   I put Marianne to bed.  Sam was at scouts with Jake, and I told Kate to she could either get ready for bed and go to bed or help me do chores to earn a dollar.  She picked chores.  And she happily did chores with me for the better part of two hours and got to stay up until almost ten at night.  She usually doesn't fall asleep until 10 or 11 anyways.  Often I am not sure she is capable of the chores I ask her to do she complains to much about them and requires constant supervision, revision, direction etc, but she proved it was not so tonight.  She cleaned rooms without direction, sorted laundry, and even did chores she figured out on her own  and all with a smile.  I told her "why don't you pick up ten things in the living room"  and she responded" why  don't I pink up eleven".... um okay. Her attitude and hard work was rewarded with three dollars.  She has been working really hard to save up for a Leap Pad which is like $89 and she despite months of working is at around $15.  Sam pitched in for a minute too and our house is back in a state of semi- livable.

4.  Today we got something done.  Not what I would say is what I normally deem an acceptable amount for the day, but considering the exhaustion/ not really able to move me- we did alright.  My two goals for the day were to
1. wash the beds (Sam peed the bed last night making this a must on the list).  Done.  Finally around 8pm when we normally put them in their beds.
2.  Find and return a library book that has eluded us for two weeks.  We borrowed a stack of books weeks ago and returned the rest on time, but one book could not be found.  I figured it would show up some time.  But it didn't.  So a more concerned effort commenced this morning, digging through our own personal stacks of books it was found by Sam.  I laughed when I saw the title of the book "The Elusive Moose"  It was returned to the library.

 Somehow instead of resting during M's nap time, Sam and I hit the mail box, bank, scout office, library, wal-mart for groceries, and did some visiting teaching.  Yeah.  It was the most productive two hours I've had in some time.  We also re-packed what had become a very scarce emergency food/diaper bag I have in the car and packed a bag for the kids for when/ if we leave to have a baby ad they end up a somebody's house for the night.
Later tonight babies were bathed, homework was completed,  reading was practiced, and of course the house was cleaned with some very helpful children.

One day of nesting energy I guess anyway. I'm sure because of it tomorrow I'll be puking and sick on the couch.

March 12, 2013

Sunday Portraits.
It is becoming kind of a thing for me to snap a few pictures of the kids before church on Sunday.
We don't have church until 1, so there is just too much time.
We usually go to choir practice, make some treat,s read, and still have time for lounging.  Usually we are even dressed and ready to go too early.

Sunday I asked Jake to take a few pictures of me pregnant.  I usually have this done at least ever trimester with the other births, not this one.  At least I'll have one picture to show the new babe how large and miserable her mother was.  Still almost five more weeks to go.  Jake is on a business vacation to Thailand for the next nine days. (Don't get be started about how the one time he has ever been offered an all expense trip to come out to a conference for a company he works for who would also welcome him to bring a guest and I couldn't be just a little less pregnant so I could come too) I'm sure I won't have a baby seeing as how the earliest any baby has come from their due date was Sam- who was all of about 18 hours early.  The rest have been very late.  But I jokingly told him if I could have the baby while he is gone (and get out of the last 3.5 week of pregnancy that for me will likely be at least 4) I'd not care if he wasn't there.  Of course I am mostly kidding,  Mostly.  These last weeks are the hardest.  Daylight Savings, having the kids all on my own, and the uncomfortablness of my body is resulting in no more than 2 or 3 hours of sleep in a row at any time.  In my mind I should be sleeping in in a hotel, ordering room service then headed to the beach while I wait for Jake to be done with his meetings while I plan where we might go on an elephant jungle cruise later, but instead it is diapers, laundry, and dinner.  I'm not jealous or bitter about it one ounce..... huh?


The kids have been fairly good for me so far.  Kate and Sam are both saving for something they want, so almost anything will be done for a monetary bribe.  It is not the best parenting, but if it results in happy children obeying and doing favors for me this week I don't much care what kind of parenting that look like.  Jake left them a small wrapped gift with a number on it for every day he is gone. They opened the 2nd today and are already talking about #3.  More bribing because I tell them they can't open the gift utnil they are dressed and the living room is at least clean.

The kids were all lined up on Sunday reading books on the couch.  Jake and I looked at them, and they all looked so similar, especially in size.  It is hard to believe we will have another child lined up with them soon.....hopefully sooner than later.  If past pregnancies are any indication I'm sure the majority of blog posts from here will be "why I haven't I had this baby yet.... I'm so tired of being pregnant.... Why won't this baby be born" type of posts.  At least we'll be busy on our own without Jake this week, and then have birthdays, birthday parties and Easter, and Spring Break to distract us those last few days.

March 9, 2013

It is feeling like Spring around here.

I believe this week we are expecting 63 degree weather... just perfect.

And the kids have been loving being able to play outside.

I love it too.

The problem 

They always want to play outside even when we have one of those in between Spring  days that require a hat and boots.

Kate came home from school on Friday

 and her and Sam had been looking forward to having some friends come over, when they couldn't they demanded they get to do something fun still.... and in that mind that was playing in the rain.  Well alright I guess.  Boots, hats, and coats later, and umbrella's of course they were shoveling dirt and gravel into buckets and instead of using those umbrella's for themselves, they were given to the buckets of dirt to keep them dry.

M love hats now.  I need to get the picture from the Lego exhibit off Jake's phone, but here she is headed to that wearing a hat over her face. "HAT"  she'll ask.
We spent Saturday afternoon at the free  Lego Art Exhibit in Park City.  If you have kids who like Lego's it will not be a waste of thirty minutes.  Sam most especially thought it was "awesome"

January Iphone Gems

Some Gems from Jake's Iphone

1-4   Jake took the two older kids bowling.  I didn't go and stayed home with Marianne.  I found these posed shots on the phone.

5.Our first meal in the new house.  McDonald's Happy Meals.  A good choice as it was 6:30 and they were starving and because we were trying to get a few things done, they had no toys. The kid meal toys satisfied for a few minutes anyway

6.The first tub.  Jake and I were working in the house, I heard a thud, and went to see.  It was just Mary diving into the bathtub head first, just following after the kids.  They were all inside.  And laughing.  Do you love Kate's feet up, she is already relaxing settling in.

7.   Jake's finger splint.  He broke his finger Thanksgiving Day playing flag football with some friends. Remember how he has only broken bones on Thanksgiving Day.  He was almost not going to go in, he went in the day after.  Not only was it broken, it was broken clean through, with only skin and some tendons holding it on.  He wore the splint for as long as he could stand it- which I think was 4 weeks or so.  

8.  Jake' sprained his ankle really bad the night before we were suppose to move.  It looked horrible.  And I thought it was broken.  He was a trooper and carried furniture and boxes for three straight days on it.  I thought perhaps we should just postpone the move.  It was gross.  But seems to have healed, as he is back playing basketball with friends twice a week again. Thankfully we had several friends show up to help us move, and my mom helped move half the boxes I think too.