Birthday Girl!

It's 2 days late here, but I'm wishing my sweet Jessie a Happy 8th Birthday!! We certainly didn't forget her birthday. In fact, we celebrated at the exact minute she was born. I told Jessie about how Daddy and I were watching Batman cartoons in the hospital (thank you epidural) the morning she was born. The nurse came in to check on me and said, "It's time to have a baby." I remember suddenly wanting to put it off after anxiously awaiting her arrival for so many weeks. I wanted to finish watching the cartoon and get used to the idea of actually pushing out a baby. No such luck, the tv was off and I was getting ready to have our baby girl, my firstborn, sweet Jessie. The eight years between then and now has been a wonderful journey through motherhood. Jessie is a light in our home and I hope the next eight years doesn't seem to go by so fast.
AND, to make me feel even older, J is getting baptized tomorrow. She is ready to take this big step at church and we are pleased and thankful to see her growing up so gracefully.

Winding down

We have been back from vacation since Monday (the 4th) and I'm still not unpacked. It's all Stephenie Meyer's fault. <-----This book came out on Saturday. It was great timing because we were staying in a cabin with the extended family and I got enough time to plow through the first half of the book before I got home. J and Toby stayed with Gramma & Grampa an extra day so I had plenty of naptime at home to finish it. Even though I really didn't like book 3 in this saga I had to finish the series. Breaking Dawn was okay. There are parts I really don't like, but being a person who wanted Bella to end up with Jacob, I am okay with the resolution at the end. Even if it is wrapped up in a perfect bow. I think Dave enjoyed his updates every 50 pages or so. He made the best of losing his wife to a book for a few days by getting a play-by-play. We both agree that Ms. Meyer's werewolves are pretty cool.

We drove up to Pinecrest Lake last Thursday to spend a long weekend with Dave's family. Grandpa & Grandma were so generous to offer to take Jess & Toby with them the entire week. They left on Monday and we were without 2 kids until Friday. It was weird. I thought I would have all this time to do things on my I'm-always-too-busy-list, like sort and clean the big bookcase and paint the rest of the living room. I didn't get any of those things done. Logan enjoyed being the big boy in the house by talking my ear off and getting into all sorts of uninhibited trouble. Dave and I ran some errands and took the Elders to dinner at In & Out with the 2 youngest kids. It felt strange to always be looking for the other 2 kids out of habit. J and T had a wonderful time with the grandparents and Uncle Sam and his friend Isaiah. I'm sure they were sufficiently spoiled for the 4 days they spent without Mom and Dad. Unfortunately, the altitude change from sea level to 5500 feet in 3 hours was a lot for their bodies to handle. Both Jess and Toby had fevers and slept a lot for a day or two. I'm so, SO thankful neither of them were "puke sick" the kids call it. That happened to Jess a few years ago and she spent two days on the couch at the cabin trying to stay hydrated and not throw up a meal. Thank goodness we had a washer and dryer. I am always digressing............so, our long weekend at Pinecrest went well.

I am of the opinion that packing up clothes, toiletries, tents, food, cooking utensils, toys, basically everything to exist at a dirt campsite for a week with four young kids is NOT a vacation. Crazy really. We tried it semi-on-our-own last year in a tent trailer and I didn't enjoy it- way too much work. Staying in a cabin this year was wonderful. Even though the beds weren't the best it was a million times better than sleeping on a sagging air mattress or camper bed. Nothing beat using a real shower every night to bathe kids and self then lounging on the couch with a good book or playing games with the fam while Mom made killer banana bread in the kitchen. We stayed in the Robin Hood cabin which had a nice layout. When Dave and I got there Mom and Dad gave us the loft with a 1/2 bath for our family so we all slept there together. The loft overlooked the main living area and made for a sweet dart gun war. I'm suddenly tired of writing the details so here is the brain dump version:

All the kids were addicted to swinging in Uncle Mark's hammocks at their campsite
Logan was Uncle Mark's shadow one lazy afternoon- they talked superheroes, laughed and listened to Logan's little CD player- Uncle Marks book did not get read
Jessie and Toby enjoyed swimming at the logs in the lake(a big string of floating logs tied together)
Sydney got reacquainted with Gramma Grace after not seeing her for 5 weeks
We took the kids kayaking with Aunt Tori, Aunt Denise and Uncle Arnold
Huge dart gun wars in the cabin with our little family and one with Grandpa/Sam/Isaiah
Stayed up until 2 AM reading and talking with Grace- we missed her while she was in Portugal
Played Kubb-the Viking Game with anyone who would play at Mark/Lita's campsite
Jessie got smacked in the head by a falling branch while standing under a tree- Grandpa stripped the branch and Jess claimed it as her walking stick
Dave was so excited to "teach" us how to play Mao- we played almost every night
Good food and relaxing with our young family
No schedule!

Logan and I are playing "Eye Spy" while eating our chicken nuggets and cucumbers (power lunch) at the table.

Logan says, "I spy something with big hair."

Mom: "Hmmmm. Daddy," I guessed.

L: "NO! Daddy has a skunk stripe!"

Yep, even the kids notice your grey babe. We still love you of course, especially since we helped your skunk stripes along.

merry unbirthday!

It's been half a year since this little soul joined our family. Really? That time shot by. She is so sweet, happy and mellow that it doesn't feel like she is a newborn. I could have 1 or 2 more precious babies like her. One of the things my Mom always says is that "it was like Christmas every morning waking up to her babies." I emphatically agree. I live for that moment every morning or first thing after a nap when Sydney (and all my babies) see me, smile so big, and wiggle arms and legs with delight and anticipation. I have been so blessed with healthy, easy-going babies. Sure, they all have their screaming fits, tantrums and stubborn streaks but they are few and far between. I love being Mom! Happy 6-month birthday Squeezy Bear!

Sydney at 6 mos: this precious girl is always happy, she smiles and squeals when her brothers and sister get close to play, curls her toes on her right foot and flairs toes on the left foot just like her Daddy (look at the picture), she hasn't made up her mind about eating rice cereal and mashed fruits/veggies yet, likes to stick out tongue and spit raspberries- while eating said solid food, can sit up unassisted for about 30 mins. at a time, gets excited by rattles and listens to them intently as she moves hand back and forth slowly (pretty cute to watch!), she still has a clogged tear duct since a couple weeks after birth, loves water and taking showers with Dad, spent a good 30+ minutes in the pool with the family and learned to splash with her hands, loves to snuggle and nurse to sleep, Daddy coined nickname "squeezy bear" because she repeatedly squeezes her hands on things and bodies- it tickles!, starting to belly laugh at peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake and other games, weighs 16 pounds- size 3 diapers- size 6-12 month clothes

These photos make me smile. I couldn't resist taking some quick shots after church before this dress is too small. My Mom saved a few of my baby clothes and this is the last of them that will fit. Ah, time does fly...........

Beware Old Ladies!

I was in the office supply aisle of the store a few days ago when, what I assumed to be, an older woman and her mother passed by us at the end of the aisle. Sydney was sleeping in her carseat resting on top of the cart. Logan, who's mood sets the tone for any outing, was entertaining himself quietly in the cart. Jessie and Toby were playing I Spy or something around me. I was actually enjoying our time out of the house and everyone was well-behaved. So these two old ladies walk by and all the sudden I hear, "Oh look. In my day those things were called mohawks!" out of the old lady. It is true the boy's mohawks are like flashing neon signs in a store window- they attract attention much more quickly.

Sidenote: I have a terrible track record with old ladies while out with the kids. Either they get mad at me for something that is not in my control (like having to wait behind my cart full of groceries in the check out line instead of going to the express lane) or they are just rude and grouchy. I have long considered any old lady hostile territory until proven otherwise.

So the mohawk comment comes floating my way and I braced myself. The daughter comes closer and says, "Oooohhhh. Is the baby a girl? That's so sweet, you have two of each." Jessie and Toby launch into the names, ages, and current likes of each child while I anxiously wait for them to leave us alone. They popped the bubble that was my ideallic shopping experience with my young kids. Plus, I hadn't determined if the old lady was a friendly or not. They kept walking past the aisle and as the daughter leaves my line of sight she says, "Good Luck!" I had to stop and process that for a second. The way she said "Good Luck" you would have thought I shuffled in the store in my pj's with black bags under my eyes and 4 dirty, slobbery kids hanging all over me and filling the aisles with whining and crying. The kids were perfect and I even had on earrings, a little make-up, and wedge sandals that matched my outfit. Her comment momentarily ruined my day, but I didn't dwell on it long. I am well aware that anywhere I go, most people give me a second glance because a young mother with four kids is such a rare sight where we live. I wouldn't have it any other way.