Spring in Full Swing

zoo keeping
oh the sun!
little guys hidden in the yard.
pile of chalk as bright and cheery as the day
the zoo
Today it is hot. 70 degrees.

Tomorrow it is suppose to be 77.

????

Yes it is February.

While Marianne was taking her afternoon nap the kids went on an "adventure" around the front yard. They have learned to ask to go on "adventures" now, since the last "adventure" they went on was breaking into our neighbors backyard through their broken fence slat and I couldn't find them until I saw a hot pink blur between the fence slats next door. Lesson learned for me and them.

They like the front yard. The little landscaped area with palms and rocks they call the zoo or the jungle and pretend to be lions. The looked for bugs too. one bee and one worm.

I'm loving this spring. I was out in jeans and a long t-shirt. And sweating. Looks like I will have to get a new wardrobe. Darn it :)

6 months old.

documenting the rolls above.

My Marianne is 6 months old.

My baby.

How did this happen?

I have shed actual tears over it. More than once.

I love her so much.

It certainly doesn't seem like just 6 short months ago we didn't even know how wonderful she was yet. It seems like we have known her for ever.

She has literally consumed my heart.

She has brought me smiles during some harder than usual months.

She always has smiles for me.

I call her "my beauty" and "my angel baby"

At six months she smiles and jabbers around. Saying "hi" "mom" "mama" "dada" of course just randomly and in no way aware of what she is saying. The kids love when they catch a word she says and always tell me "Marianne said..." I can't wait until she actually says words.

She usually falls asleep without too much of a fight.

She rolls over and over and over until she get stuck under the furniture.

She sits up. She reaches for toys. She scoots to reach things she wants.

She laughs at everything.

She loves to eat, and eat, and eat. She has only turned away food or a feeding a handful of times in her lifetime.

She still sleeps beside me from around 3:00 am until 7. And I love it. I wish I could cuddle her more. Take a nap together a few times a week like I was able to with my other babies.

My Marianne. I am so glad you are mine.

Grandma Came To Town... and brought her IPAD

Grandma Anderson came to town.

She spent almost 4 days with us.

Taking us out for treats, and to the park, and babysitting, and buying me vintage suitcases and general helping with kids.

It was a nice little vacation for me.

Although I hardly feel rested because we always stayed up way to late chatting.

She brought her IPAD. We don't have one. We have considered getting one but now know it will not be a purchase in the near future. Because our kids were obsessed with it. Obsessed. Grandma helped them download funny apps and stories. It was a special treat.
She also brought Sam his birthday present early. And he was in love.

"I'm a basketball player" he would say.

My two year old boy saying "basketball" is hard to beat on a cuteness scale.
She attempted to take a family picture of us all together on our way to church.

Of course it was mostly a hilarious fail.
We loved having her stay and can't wait for her to return with my lil sis for Spring Break.

Day of Love

Valentines Day should be a big deal around here.

It is basically the day Jake and I decided to get married

We had been broken up for almost four months.

Jake asked me to go out with him and his friends for the night (to see if we could be friends again)

They had a fun little party for the evening.

I'm not sure if it was because it was Valentines Day and love was in the air,

or his huge muscles and sweet smile,

but we ended up totally making out.

We had been the on again off again sort.

We had said we were not going to date anymore unless we were going to get married.

I think that unspokenly mean we weren't allowed to make out unless we had agreed to get married either.

So that night kind of sealed the deal.

We've rarely been apart since.

I attempted a photo shoot for Valentine's Day last week.

It didn't go well.

There are no picture of Kate because she was literally running naked through the house screaming because she didn't want to wear something red. I gave up on her.

Sam wasn't so cooperative either. As you can see.

But Marianne.

She never fails to give me the smile I want.

That smiling pile of chubbiness.

When I was attempting to take Sam's picture he pulled a decoration off the mantel. It crashed down on to my head, splitting it open. Blood gushing from my head I called for Jake to help me. I think it resulted in a concussion because I've had a headache for a week now.

Oh the silly things I do.

Funny enough the picture Jake took of my head, so I could see the damage, looks like a blood red heart.

Oh Valentine's Day.

Church with Kids.

This girl is growing up.

Some days she is pleasant. She is helpful, sweet, tries to get her siblings excited about things.

Other days her ears don't seem to work.

Yesterday she came home from church in disbelief that Daniel was protected in the Lion's den. Like we haven't done that story at least five times before for FHE and she was hearing it for the 1st time.

She clamored on about Daniel in the halls as we exited church. People commented on how precious it was.

We met with the a member of the bishopric yesterday. With Sam in our lap, that is where he almost always is during church. Sam saw a photo in the office.

"President Thomas" he exclaimed.

Yes our two year old is a well educated sweetheart, we assured the counselor.

And secretly felt like awesome parents for ONE moment.

We needed to as I had left sacrament one time with Sam, sunday school three times with Marianne- then gave up and didn't try to re-enter, and only caught the last few minutes of R.S. due to crying whining kids. jake didn't make it to any Sunday school because he was taking care of Sam. I wanted to be in class. I haven't been in class for over two months because of sick kids or crying kids. When I did make it into R.S. I stood in the back rocking a baby. I saw several women on their phones on pinterest and texting from where I was- one even took a phone call that did not seem urgent. It made me so angry. Why don't they take care of my crying kids and I'll sit and listen to a lesson. More whining from me.

What a surprise.

Baby Love 6 months

I am always talking about how fat Marianne is. Then I came across this picture of Sam around 6 months old. She might not be the easy winner of the "fattest baby" contest like I thought. It is hard to believe he was ever so chubby now.
Here is Kate around 6 months old. She is the smallest at this age for sure. Sadly she was born in an era where I was not strapped to a DSLR all the time. So her baby pictures are about 10 a month total. Not like the around 1400 Marianne has already.

Looking at the baby picture of Kate I realize that M and Kate are looking very different these days too. M's hair is still dark brown. Her cheeks take over her face instead of her eyes like Kate. And she is fatter and always smiling.

I couldn't love these babies more!

Happy Birthday Dog

This picture is from 2008- I just like it. Little Kate and Big Cola out in the backyard in Heber.

The kids are obsessed with birthdays.

Sam has been asking every day if it is his birthday yet.

Then they realized that they didn't know when Cola's birthday was.

I'm not the kind of pet owner who celebrates... or even remembers when by dogs birthday is.

But the kids were adamant. She needed a birthday.

Jake remembered I got her for myself for my graduation from college. That was the last week of April 2004. And she was 10 weeks old. With that reasoning we decided Feb 10 would work.

So we put it on the calender. Another thing the kids are obsessed with. The calender.

This morning we made her a cake.

The kids thought we should invite the dogs behind the fence that Cola barks at over as her friends.

We didn't.

Dog Bones with frosting on top. With ham on top of that. With sprinkles on top of that.

We let her come in the house. The kids were so excited for her. We all sang then gave her her "cake".

The we all said nice things about her.

The best thing the kids could come up with was that she eats the bees so they don't sting them.

They are right.

She does eat bees and wasps.

It is appreciated.

She is a good dog. Happy Birthday Cola.

Sometimes a Fort is All You Can Do.

Sometimes all you can do is build a fort.

We were suppose to go to Monterrey this week.

I had us booked at the victorian inn on cannery row.

Three days and two nights of whale watching, aquarium going, beach walking, crab leg eating family fun.

We really need a vacation after all.

Then the day before we were suppose to go our kids woke up coughing, fever, another ear infection here, lots of whining every where.

I thought we were in for it again. A whole week stuck at home and going to the doctors.

So I called the hotel. They wouldn't let me cancel our reservation with 24 hours notice but kindly let me move it.

Then miraculously (humidifiers, vicks, tylenol,ear drops, prayers, jake sleeping on their floor later) they seemed recovered.

The kids were disappointed. There had been a fish picture on the calendar. They were confused why we were not going. Sam kept saying "I want to go see the fish mommy"

Kate went to school. Sam and I went to the nursery to buy some plants.

a tender mercy. The nursery has a big koi pond. The owner asked Sam if he wanted to feed the fish for her. This was almost as good to a two year old as any trip to an aquarium anyways.

So instead of Monterrey.

We have been baking, cleaning, cuddling, park going and building forts in the living room.

Forts the whole family can fit in.

And the laptop too for watching movies together.

No crab legs. But lots of ketchup sandwiches (Sam's new and constant request)

And instead of the beach- we've been at the park lots.

It is 72 degrees here this week. I've been sweating outside in my short sleeves.

All I can say is, I'm in TROUBS this summer when it is actually hot.

I Love Babies

I am thinking about renaming the blog

something like

"The blog about Marianne and nobody else"

It seems fitting.

I love babies what can I say.
In particular this one.

Who tipped the scales at just under 18 lbs today. 17lbs 12 oz

Not bad for a 5.5 month old baby.

She was seeming particularly large this morning.

Maybe because I had to sweet chance to hold a new nephew last night. At one day old he weighs 8lbs 11oz but still seemed to tiny.

Why do babies grow up so fast. I just love babies.

I didn't always.

Before I had my own children I didn't really care to hold other peoples babies.

I didn't have that natural ooohhh and awe for them.

I was not dying to go see the babies my friends and family had. I didn't get it.

Then I had babies.

Babies who grow too fast.

And now I get what is so precious about a brand new little baby.

Because what once was 6lbs 9 oz, is now 18.

What once would sleep in my arms for hours on end, is now a rolling, giggling, food eating, baby.

This blog seems like it should be named "The blog all about Marianne and nobody else"

I do have other children. They are just usually grumpy and streaming snot these days. We have new colds it looks like today, and ear infections.

Some how M seems to stay a bit healthier then the kids.

I just don't know what to do anymore.

I refuse to put them on antibiotics again. They've only not been on antibiotics for about a 12 days since we moved.

They are coughing and sitting next to me on the couch.

I miss when they were healthy and we had fun all day.

I miss them.

When they are not sick they are funny and charming and silly and sweet.

Sick they are not very much fun. I don't blame them.

If I was ever going to have a full on mental break down.

It would probably be around now... don't you think.

Good thing I have a fat happy baby to cheer me up.

Meeting A Name Sake

Marianne with MaryAnn Wood her maternal maternal great-grandmother.
Marianne with her Great-Aunt Carol. She really is great too. We have been so lucky, Marianne and I have spent a lot of time with Aunt Carol this year.

I had put my camera away before Marianne was held by her other great-aunt. So no pictures. But Marianne almost immediately spit up all over her Great Aunt Marilyn too. What a trooper.

Sunday seemed like the perfect chance to go and visit my Grandma Wood. She only lives a little over an hour away now. She has had a lot of health problems lately so we haven't been able to visit yet (my three loud kids are overwhelming to anyone). But Sunday my Aunt Carol as well as my Aunt Marilyn and Cousin Tina were all there. So Marianne and I decided to make the trip alone. Marianne was named for this beautiful grandmother of mine and I thought it about time they meet.

Marianne really turned on the charm for everyone.

Doing all her best tricks, like smiling, giggling, goo-gooing, and rolling all around for the better part of 5 hours.

She won over everyone of course, even me. She was simply delightful to enjoy without the other kids around.

I enjoyed visiting with these four wonderful women.

Grandma Mary Ann is one tough cookie. She has has a hard life, and continues to, but she is always full of grace and love. She seemed proud to have a great grand daughter named after her. I know I am proud to have a daughter with such a wonderful namesake. Most of all I enjoyed a still moment watching Marianne and Grandma cuddle together in grandma's bed.

Marianne Sleeping, Play Dates, and Mountain Moments

This chubs is still adorable as all get out.

This is how Marianne sleeps. She rubs that blanket-that silky blanket- all over her face, and in her mouth, and then sucks her thumb and falls asleep all covered up.

Just some pictures to post, and this about today.

A few weeks ago I signed our family up to host the ward play date.

We went to one before, it was fun.

So why not welcome everyone to our home to play.

So at nine am they started coming.

I think we ended up with 12 moms and about 30 kids.

It was crazy town.

Meltowns over toy trains, slammed hands in the door, every snack I had in the house gone,

crazy town.

I always think my house is kid proof. I have three kids you know.

But I am always wrong.

I ended up collecting things and pilling them on the kitchen counter.. until one of the little girls figured out how to pull the stool from the bathroom and use it to climb up there too.

Nothing and nowhere was sacred.
Jokes aside, I was happy these women felt comfortable enough to bring their children to my home and chat with me about homes and preschools and toliet training for the better part of two hours.
But next time I host, I think I will do it at the park.
After the chaos had exited I inlisted the kids to lysol down the house.
Then we piled in the car to go to Costco for lunch. But then I realized I had lost my card. So happy meals and the park were what came about.
They were happy about it. And so was I. Me and M sat on the bench together while the kids played. The sun warmed me up despite a little wind. And it felt like spring at home.
The park was quiet but us, the airplanes buzzed over head, I sat finishing up the loose ends of the kids happy meals and I could see. THE MOUNTAINS.
and it did my heart some good. Things felt like normal.
Like so many afternoons spent at our Wheeler Park, with the airplanes, and the sun cutting through the cold breeze, and the quiet park, and of course much larger mountains.
Almost like a late May afternoon in Heber.
We will take that for a start to the weekend thank you.

A Little Love

Kate came up with the idea to make these lips all on her own.

Making some decorations.

Sams says he is making a Valentine for me

" I wub you soooo much mommy, I wub you becuuuuz, I wub you becuuuuz, more than Daddy"

Awesome Sauce Sam. I wub you too very much.

our festive results
Because I was taking pictures these two joined in on the action with their cameras as well

Bits of my Babies

Helping Mom in the kitchen cooking.

M has been sleeping almost all day the past two days. What a sweetheart she is. She is sick, with a fever, and cough, and likely ear infections, but she tries to be happy anyways. Until 11pm when she is so tired she just can't stand it and can't sleep because she can't breathe. Then it is up to me and Jake to rock her to sleep. She has slept in our arms a few nights in a row now. Though it is rough to care for a sick baby, it is kind of wonderful to be forced to hold a sleeping baby for hours on end. I usually don't just hold and cuddle and stare at my baby who is growing up way to fast for hours on end like I would like too. She is now over 17lbs. This girl has literally gained almost 3 lbs in a month.
one more with the toes

Kate dresses up like a cow girl. Dress up is every day at our house, but a cow girl is new.

Though just days ago I vowed never to let me children out of the house again for fear of more illness, I have already caved. They were outside today after lunch and loving every minute.

Hard Weeks Have Highlights Too

We had another hard week here.

Everyone but me had a fever. Some up to 104. They was lots of crying.coughing. snot.

From everyone else.

And other than a melt down moment where I was sure our children were going to die from pertussis. (I hadn't slept for more than two hours at a time for 9 days).

I escaped illness. I'm not sure why as I am usually the one with no immune system.

Thankfully though, so I could hold down the fort.

Amist again what has been one of the hardest weeks of my life (I seem to be having a lot of those these days), there are always good things to be found with my wonderful crew.

--Sam finally falls asleep one night embracing his big tiger in his bed. When he is sick he just falls apart. in pieces. with constant tears. Usually that means he needs me every minute. It also results in lots of "mommy I love you"
--My washing machine finally came. And it is a beautiful thing. I've done about 17 loads so far trying to catch up. It is energy efficient and thus makes and "whoo whoo" sound. Sam thinks and owl lives in our house now. Oh how I love modern appliances.

--My new mattress came. I am told it is comfy, and it is big, but I am yet to sleep in it.

--I haven't slept for more than two hours at a time, for no more than 5 hours a night for about 9 days now. I'm not good on no sleep. I am cranky and I get angry at the kids a lot more. But I mostly attribute the 5lb weight loss I had this week to it, so it is not all bad.
--Kate cut her hair off. She was in my bathroom with kids scissors for no more than 20 seconds. She said she was playing Rapunzel. ERRRRR you Rapunzel. She started crying hard when I took the scissors and attempted to fix it, which meant cutting the other side off- and according to her making her look like a boy. It makes me so sad. Jake convinced me not to keep the blonde locks piled in my hand because it would make me creepy. It was sad to throw out. She looks little again. And of course I just scheduled family pictures. But hair does grow eventually, and she's cute no matter what. I actually had an appointment to cut my hair off today- but canceled it. I don't want Kate and I to have matching hair cuts.

--My brother has been fighting bad guys in Utah. Hearing this story, then seeing it on the news, was a highlight for my week.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-restaurant-employees-capture-suspected-robber-20120124,0,4235547.story

Chores for Kids is a Better Day

I have been up since 4:30 am.

That is super rare for me.

Getting things done today. Yesterday was a horrible day.

Horrible.

My kids have ear infections again. and colds.

I feel like our life in California might be fun except for the fact that we have been miserabley unhealthy since we arrived.

I don't know what I expected seeing as how every time we come here for christmas we return home with our worst sickness for the year and a few ear infections.

After going to the doctor and waiting an hour, then being seen for 45 minutes, we had to travel around to three different pharmacies to get their antibiotics.

I thought this was ridiculous.

It certainly was exhausting.

Especially when it takes me 10 minutes just to get through an intersection because I still don't know my way around and it is rush hour, and that actually means something here.

What should have taken an hour or two ended up taking more than four.

Partially because we had to stop for dinner as it was almost seven and we still had not gotten their prescriptions.

I thought moving to the big city was suppose to make it so I could get to places quickly and have access to more stuff.

In Heber it would have taken me less than 45 to be in an out of the doctors and home with meds in hand. and I would have been irritated it took so long then.

Finally we gave up- took everyone home- and I went out to try to retrieve antibiotics alone.

I felt like I was in some kind of epidemic movie where medicine was not available.

But the pharmacies all acted like it was super routine and couldn't believe I didn't call ahead to see if they had it in stock.

It is an antibiotic.... is that not what half the people at the pharmacy are there for?

As I set out alone I realized I was singing the 12 days of Christmas loudly in the car.

And realized that I had actually cracked. gone mad. my brain was fried.

There really could be no other excuse for my choice of song and volume alone in the car.

I forgot to mention that the washing machine broke.

A victim of the move I think. It is unfixable. Dead. and spewed water all over the laundry room floor.

We ordered a new one. It was suppose to have two day shipping.

But of course it wasn't in stock either.

Why is nothing in stock around here.

So what I thought was going to be two days without a washer, has turned into 6 days without a washer plus sick kids.

It is kind of my own personal hell. Me and all my germ-a-phob ways.

Attempting to purge the house of germs without a washer has been mostly unsuccessful.

Thankfully it should be here by Thursday.

And if you see my kids wearing pj's that are too small for them at the store mid afternoon, it is because it is seriously all that is left.

Good thing I would never see anyone I know at the store though.

Remember how I use to go to the store and know every single person there?

Listen to me whine. I am getting pretty good at it.

Back to today. I was up with cranky kids at 4:30 am. When I got them to bed I couldn't sleep, so I started on chores.

Turns out you can clean almost the whole house super speedy when everyone is asleep. Then I instant messaged with Amy (who is in Switzerland now), showered, made breakfast and ordered myself a new king size bed.

The fact that I couldn't have fit in my bed if I wanted to go back to sleep because it was too full of a husband and two children pushed me to finally order it. Also I went ahead and ordered Amazon Mom style- diapers and wipes and pullups for the next month.

Determined for today to be better I then read the Ensign online.

About now children were waking up.

I fed them.

Administered those stupid antibiotics that cost me my entire day (and completely ruined the budged for the month as if the broken washer hadn't already- hence the no guilt purchase of a bed).

Then told them we had some chores to do.

Whining happened.

You better believe it. (where do they get this stuff)

Once they saw it was cleaning the play room they were a little less resistant.

Once they saw I had an new organizer the needed to pick toys to go in-they were a little less resistant.

Once they saw it was -dump all the toys in a tub of bleach and water- they got into it.

And helped me sanitize all the toys.

I told them there were more chores to do.

More whining happened.

Perhaps they are getting their whiny ways from me.

Then I told them it was to watch some of our Disney movies and find the broken ones so we could do this replacment program.

Then they were happy to help.

It is kind of the worst chore any parent could ask their kid to do.

Watch all the Disney movies and find the broken ones. Sarcasm.

I think today is going to be a better day. For everyone.

Though I just heard from the couch.

" DO we REALLy have to WATCH ALL of these MoVies!!!**" in a whining sound of way.