The best cure for a case of the grumps...

Last week i 'm not sure how to put this nicely but i was a beast. I was so grumpy i could hardly stand to be around myself. ya it was bad. I really didn't even know why. Track season is about to start...which is like a death sentence for a coach's wife and i will have a brand new baby before the season is over. Therefore my husband spontaneously decided that we needed to get-a-way for the weekend. Why he wanted to spend extra time with me when i was so grumpy is beyond me. What can I say. He's a good man. We dropped off the kids with Mark and Rosie (seriously i think we owe them my sanity and our marriage), drove out to The Woodlands and enjoyed a relaxing hotel stay, shopping, a matinee showing of The Blind Side, oh ya and my fav...yummy Cheesecake Factory. Seriously you know you're old and prego when you get more excited about a comfy bed, not having to make the bed, and eating food that someone else cooks than some big exciting night life scene:) Needless to say i came home feeling very full and very refreshed. Almost as refreshing as those strawberries spilling all over my cheesecake! Thanks hubby. I think i can make it. See ya in June:)

Backwards

I started noticing that things are a bit backwards around here. Last week we started preschool again. I was teaching so i actually woke up early, showered and set the breakfast table before kolby woke up... this never happens in my house. I went to wake him and he was genuinely suprised to see me. He said, "Wow mom, you set the table for me?" A little pathetic that my 4 year old is shocked to not have to be the responsible one in the mornings:) Then out of no where kolby started making his bed. I asked Daniel if perhaps they'd discussed this in their PPI. nope. He came up with it all on his own. After a few days he decided to make my bed for me too while i fixed my hair. When he couldn't get the pillows just right i told him not to worry and that i would do it. He said, "NO mom I want to help because that's just what families do". And for FHE this week we were discussing things that our stake presidency has asked us to do. Kolby decided that he needed to say his prayers by himself every morning when he woke up. The next morning we were about to eat breakfast when he said he'd be right back. He ran upstairs, said a prayer, and then joined me at the table. Ummm let's not mention how I am totally not the example of this behavior. Yesterday Kolby told me that when he is a dad he will sleep in my bed and i will sleep in his little dinosaur bed. He will need to sleep in for a long time and i will need to set the breakfast table. I'm so glad he's got it all figured out. So despite the fact that sometimes my little man can drive me bonkers, I'm beginning to see that this whole time i had things backwards. Perhaps he's here to parent me:)

Needed this one today..again

When i first becam a mother i was browsing the BYU-I bookstore and came across this quote. I had read it before in my religion class but it didn't have as much meaning until i became a mom. I recently created a bulletin board at church that included this quote and thought of it today during YWs. Hope it can inspire you the way it does me. “She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the admiration and the plaudits of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose influence will be felt through generations to come,… deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God.” -David O Mckay (Quoted by Ezra Taft Benson Mothers in Zion)

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

I promise not to break out in song...although i am slipping off my shoes (Nike's not loafers).

After months of cold rainy days here in Texas of all places, we finally had a drop dead gorgeous spring day. Yes i realize its still January but that is spring usually in Texas.

The kids and i took a walk down memory lane...we walked to the duck ponds where we used to walk nearly everyday when they were babies. We ate our sandwiches and threw the crust to the ducks. Then we walked to the park, ate the rest of our picnic lunch, and played on the slide. After 4 hours we were all in need of a potty break so we came home.

Its amazing how some sunshine and fresh air can lift your spirits and make you feel totally rejuvenated.

Finished this book last night.

I saw him on Oprah a long time ago. My mom lent me the book. Once you get past the sadness of his situation the book turns out to be quite inspiring. Its really the perfect January book. If you want a little boost to achieve that list of goals you just made or to finally accomplish those childhood dreams, i definitely recommend this. Its only 200 pages or so and very easy to read. He comes across kind of arrogant at times but humorous too. It was thought -provoking to say the least. I find myself viewing myself, my family, and my world in a whole new light...and if a book can make me do that, its definitely worth a blog post:)

Favorite quote: "Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier."

Today's lesson kids: enjoy the sunshine, stop whining, dream big!

No more bum changes

Looks like i won't be changing this sweet little bum any more.

Last week Olivia was potty trained! Its been a pretty low key thing around here, i never like to push them. But all of a sudden it just clicked with her.

She pees and poos on the toilet everyday. I may have to knock on wood here but so far only 3 accidents in a week. She's still in a crib so i make her wear a diaper to bed, more for my own convience than hers:) I've discovered that potty training is just as much if not more training for the parents than it is for the child.

Daniel and I both noticed her change in behavior too. I think all this extra attention is really helping her be that sweet baby i knew she always was. I feel bad that it took potty training to make me stop everything and spend a few days just at home with her. I was asking her every 20 min. if she needs to go potty, praising her, and helping her put stickers on a chart. She just seemed so pleased with herself and so happy to be the center of attention in the family.

Monday we let her pick out a toy at the store. It took us a pathetically long time to choose something. She's a huge follower so we had to tell her that she had to choose. Kolby tried to get her to pick a monster truck or a fire truck but eventually i held up a dora doll or a my little pony and she chose My Little Pony.

I'm so proud of my baby girl...i mean big girl.

Now with all that money i'm saving on diapers i'm gonna stock up on size 1 diapers for the final round of bum changing... coming soon.

Cycle of emotions

This past week has been full of mixed emotions for me. I watched too much CNN for my prego emotions to handle and couldn't help but cry for the people of Hati. I tried to explain to my 4 year old that sometimes bad things happen for no apparent reason. Later in the week i heard of two girls from my home ward who dealt with the loss, the worst i can imagine, the loss of a child. I couldn't help but feel so sad for all the loss others seemed to experience last week. And then of course came the guilt for my own complaints of such meager things. And, like clockwork, then came the overwhelming feeling of gratitude. Mostly today i am grateful to have experienced this cycle of emotions without having to personally experience the loss. Just give me gentle reminders Lord and I promise to pay attention.

All the Single Ladies

Olivia was practicing her girlie ways just before she left for Monster Jam where she was surrounded by men.

3rd Annual Monster Jam

The Spectators...

Every night for the past few years kolby tells us that he's going to Monster Jam "after til Christmas". Well this weekend was "after til Christmas". This year Daniel extended the invite to his dad, brothers, and their 2 youngest kids. Oh and even Olivia got to go too. I attempted to blend her in with the crowd by dressing her in the most rocker-chic/wt outfit I could find.

The Show

The Winner

I fully expected the kids to be wasted by the time they got home at 11 after having no naps. To my surprise and entertainment they were shouting "Grave Digger won!" and waving their flags.

I on the other hand enjoyed a relaxing evening with my sis-in-laws and ate yummy Mexican food.

gaining weight, losing patience

So this is me...22 weeks. I swear i tripled in size over the Christmas break. oops. i can totally hold a perfect basket ball shape. I was saying how large i was aloud and perhaps my hubby forgot to tone down the honesty with a prego woman because he told me i looked "at least 7 no more like 8 months along". gee thanks.

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And this morning my 4 year old woke me up to tell me that he cooked his own oatmeal. I jumped out of bed and immediately smelled something burnt. Kolby had climbed on a stool, lifted my huge Costco box of oatmeal out of the pantry top shelf, opened the package, climbed on the counter, poured it in a bowl, climbed on a chair and put in the the microwave for who knows how long and with who knows how little of water. I still can't get the burnt oatmeal out of the bowl. Yes i could have been burnt alive in my sleep. What a great mom i am. Can i really get mad at him for my neglegence? sigh.

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Then Olivia decided to get out all my nursing bras, dump oatmeal all over the table, clog a toilet with a roll of tp she used to wipe her nose, attempted to get out all the games that i just organized, shove a DVD in the player the wrong way, trample my bulletin board project, get out my lip stick, lotion, and perfume, get gum stuck in her hair, ruin the dry erase markers, and as i typed this she rubbed green chapstick all over her body. After each of these she just asked "why?" when i said please don't do that. She is now in the tub about 5 feet away from me and saying, " I love you mommy". Feeling guilty for telling her she's driving me crazy. that is until i realized she is dumping buckets of bath water on the tile. sigh.

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I swear i do supervise my children just not when i think we're all sleeping and not when i'm still cleaning up the most recent mess of a 2 year old.

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Any one know where i can stock up on patience before i add another trouble maker in the mix?

2010...a good omen

What better way to celebrate the New Year than to eat buckeyes with your sis and watch your fav team win the Rose Bowl?! Let's Go BUCKS!

I felt so proud of Kolby getting so in to the game. I explained the rules since he thought they were all just fighting over the ball and knocking each other on the ground...i suppose he was right. Obviously i still have much to teach him though since when he found out we were all routing for the white and red team he felt bad for Oregon and said, "GO Green Team". It was shameful really. I still have years to brainwash the cut-throat football attitude in him no worries.

!

New Year's Eve 2009

We started the morning with a girlie nail party while the boys played golf.

My sister and I started a new tradition last year. We decided to have a "Chinesse New Year". Which basically means just going out for Chinesse food on New Year's Eve. Yeah we're pretty awesome! We kept the tradition alive and enjoyed some super yummy food then went home to play games and help ourselves to more drinks and snacks.

The kiddos got to stay up until 9:00...they thought it was fun:) They are party animals!!