Easter Weekend 2014

The kids woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to find their Easter basket loot. 

Then we headed over to Grandma Ruth and Grandpa KC's house for a super fun Easter Egg hunt

Then over to Grandma Karine and Grandpa Robert's house

Some of the boys were getting tired at this point . . . 

No family gathering would be complete without some time in the sandbox.

Sunday morning we got some pictures taken before Church

And back over to Grandma Karine and Grandpa Robert's house to play outside

 Great Grandpa Powell had fun with the littlest kids inside for awhile . . .

Quarterly Update??

Wow, it's been longer than I realized! I'm more behind that I though -- oh well, here's three months worth of Facebook posts to catch up . . .

January 16th
Isaac asked me if I wanted to play Candy Land with him, but I was in the middle of a graphics project, so I asked him if he could wait for a little bit. I finished up, then came in and said, "Hey Bug, let's play Candy Land now!" "No thanks, Mom! I'm playing Curious George on the computer, and it's a one player game."
Everyone sing with me now . . . "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon . . ." Awww, parenting fail! (Am I the only one who has that song go through my head during random parenting moments?)
 
January 18th
I usually like to smugly point out to Greg that the kids were all in bed and asleep by 7:45 on the nights he's not home at bedtime (to be manipulated by their cuteness, and therefore they all stay up later when he's around). So it TOTALLY serves me right, that it is TEN FREAKING O'CLOCK (yes, that's an actual time), and ALL FOUR of my children are awake and talking and giggling and playing pretend and doing all manner of other adorable things that are designed to DRIVE ME CRAZY.
I might not mention this to him when he gets home:-)

Owen heard Greg talking about leaving tonight, so he ran up, and leaned down and started to try and untie Greg's laces to get his shoes off. 

January 19th
We haven't even left for Church yet, and fussy Owen has already exhausted me and totally set me on edge. These are the times I miss having a newborn that I could go sit in the Mother's room and nurse, while leaving Greg with all the other children in Sacrament Meeting  :-)

January 20th
I gave Isaac two Hot Tamale candies 'cause he used the potty. Two. Two little red candies. Five minutes later I came back into the kitchen and both of his hands are sticky, wet redness, his face is literally dripping with bright red drool, he's rubbed his nose at some point and it's bright red, and it's all down his chest and pants. The counter has red hand prints, and red drops of spit.
Seriously?! Two! Two pieces of candy. And I need to give him a bath and wash the counters.

Two Year Old Comparisons

January 27th
Owen before and after his haircut

January 28th
Ellie is a little TOO excited about her colonoscopy on Monday . . . she's excitedly picking out flavors of popcicles and jello and gatorade for her cleanse the day before. We shouldn't have told her a week head of time . . . all I've heard about since is how many times she's going to eat jello that day! :-)

Owen pretty much LOVES sucking on limes. For the 20 minutes he sucked all the juice from four halves of limes after Daddy had used them for cilantro lime dressing, he only did the 'pucker' face the one time (in the photo). Then when we had spaghetti, he asked me to dump a lot of "Daddy sauce" on it (the cilantro lime stuff). He is SO his Daddy's son! :-)

January 31st
Eeeep! This is what I get for showering. My kids just finished off a whole case of Happy Baby pouches . . . that was a $17 snack.



 
My girls spend most of their time upside down lately . . .















February 2nd
Well, all four kids have their procedures tomorrow -- if y'all could keep us in your thoughts and prayers -- not only that the kids do fine with being put under, the biopsies and the scopes, but that the results give us some more answers. Tomorrow's the big day -- fingers crossed!
(Also, you've never seen children SO excited about colon prep -- Isaac's first words upon waking today was a "It's Ellie's really weird day!" Which is how they describe the honor of being the kid who only eats jello, popcicles, and several bottles of gatorade mixed with miralax for a whole day. My kids get excited about strange things. You should hear them talking about tomorrow, when they get flavored masks (they get to pick the flavor of knock out gas for surgery) and their very own hospital pillows to take home, and unlimited slushees! Gonna be a party!)

You know, I just have to gush for a minute . . . I have some really awesome kids. They're so strong and resilient and kind and amazing, and happy and sweet (when they're not rotten :-) ). They kinda blow me away with how well they roll with the punches of life (far more graciously than I do), and while I wish I could protect them from every little thing, they don't need me to -- they are so much stronger than I think I even realize.

Ultimate Super Bowl menu at our house: green jello, yellow popcicles and some clear chicken broth. Clear liquids for the win! Don't be jealous.  

Just blew our medical budget -- paid Ellie off to finish off the last of the gatorade/miralax. $10 poorer. All in $2 bills. That was the only way she'd make the deal. :-)

February 3rd
Been lying here wide awake since 3:05. Finally gave up trying to go back to sleep at 4:45 and hopped online. I hate hospital day insomnia.

Isaac after changing into the hospital gown, "Mom! I got new socks!" He repeatedly ran around the room, skidding to a stop over and over, "And these socks are not for sliding, they are for sticking!!"

Boys are both in post-op and doing well. When I came into recovery to see a half-out of it Isaac, the first thing he said to me was, "They have gluten free cookies," then tipping his head towards the nurse, "she told me." Then he promptly fell back asleep.

I am home with the boys (the girls are still at the hospital with Greg, but should be discharged sooner than later.) Everything went really smoothly -- and Primary Children's is definitely a well oiled machine! Everyone did so great accommodating us and keeping everything and all the info moving. The kids are all doing well, although Ellie was sadly still pretty miserable when I left . . . she definitely had the worst time of it today. Thanks for all your prayers . . . keep your fingers crossed that we get good news back from all the biopsies!

February 5th
I had someone ask me the other day where my girls get their curly hair. It comes from both sides of the family, and I myself have fairly curly hair -- the problem is it either turns out frizzy or big . . . I usually straighten it since it tends toward the frizzy end of the spectrum, but today was less frizz and more big than normal . . .
Now where they get their blonde hair? That's all Greg :-)

February 11th
We haven't even started yet, and I can already tell bedtime tonight is going to go as well as yesterday . . . which included the following conversation:
Me, "For the love, I would sell them to the highest bidder . . . "
Greg, "They're cute, I bet we could get a good price for them!"
Me, moaning, "No, they'd just bring them back -- they're too expensive to feed, nobody will take them! And the circus can't take them 'cause they can't even eat peanuts! Why do food allergies screw everything up?!"

Why yes, this is what my house looks like on the second day off track when I had a graphics job I spent most of the day on. The best part about this -- besides the legos, puzzles, overturned couch cushions, painting mess, Valentine's crafts, colored pencils on the floor, etc. -- I totally had one of my best graphics clients come over and SIT UP TO MY TABLE to work with me for awhile this evening. (We shoved all the painting, Valentine's cards and letters to friends out of the way first -- I did not get the colored pencils picked up off the floor first though.)
 

February 12th
We are so efficient -- it's only February, but we're already a third of the way to our out of pocket max, and we haven't even got the bills from surgeons/anesthesiologists, and we're already spent ALL of our flex spending money. Go us! (The rest of you suckers are gonna be rushing out in December buying contacts or something to try and use up the rest of your money! We got ours done and over with, not even a 1/6th of the way through the year.) :-)

February 14th

February 17th
Isaac just ran around outside, totally naked, spraying himself with a squirt gun the whole time and giggling. Earlier, Ellie asked if she could put on a swimsuit and run through the sprinklers. Owen kept running outside without shoes on. Dear children, that's just the sun -- it does not actually mean it's summer :-)

February 18thIsaac in the middle of the night, "Mom, I'm going to come sleep in your room for awhile, because I had some bad dreams and they really hurt my feelings." 





What kinda moron makes an 8AM appointment for FOUR kids for the dentist?! (The kind who REALLY wanted to get it done while they were off track, even though their Dentist was taking two full weeks of that off track time off for vacation). Three of those kids, that while off track, have made it a new habit to sleep in 'til about 8AM. I even planned ahead and slept Ellie and Isaac in their clothes today, only to have Ellie change her mind about her outfit this morning and Isaac to have peed through his diaper. Even when I try to be organized it backfires :-) They are eating now, and I'm practically hovering over them with washcloths and toothbrushes ready to pounce as soon as they stop chewing. :-)

Got all four kids teeth brushed, and to the dentist's office by 7:55AM. Win! Pulling up to the parking lot, Isaac laughs, "Hey Mom, we forgot to get me shoes!" Fail!  :-)

February 20th
Apparently my children were playing in the basement, turned ON the outside water (the valve is in the wall of their play room), then went out back and turned the hose on. Two days ago. Looking outside this morning, Ellie happily exclaimed, "Look, Mom! We have a lake!" Sure enough, the hose is running, and something is broken now (probably due to freezing), so I couldn't turn the hose off, and had to run downstairs to turn off the valve.
I may have repeatedly muttered that we're not going to Disneyland this year, 'cause we will have to pay our water bill and repair who knows how many pipes this Spring . . . 

February 22nd
Typing in the date on the computer, and totally froze and could NOT remember if it was 2013 or 2014. When I just had one kid I couldn't remember the date. Two kids, I couldn't remember the day of the week. I'm slipping fast here . . .

February 25th
So glad I have a three year old. Without him, who would be there to loudly yell, while I'm on the phone with a graphics client, "Mom! Come check this out! I just pooped out a giant candy cane shape made of poop! It's so cool! Come see this!" While I'm trying to shush him, "Can we take a picture?!"

Tired Owen with Daddy after Church last week -- it's not enough to self soothe when one is this wiped out, you gotta share the love.
 

February 26thHe didn't want to wear shoes out last night, but he wouldn't go out without his polar bear hat and mittens . . .

February 28th
Zoo Day -- While Winter is Acting like Spring

 

March 3rd

Ellie got into Dual Immersion! We're so excited for her to start this coming year -- and Annie's so excited to start sharing more of her Spanish knowledge.
And Elles rolls her r's like nobody's business already
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pUIB_weEJg

March 5th

You can be having a half way decent day . . . then the three year old poops his pants. And thinks nothing of it and lounges around not on one, but two, of your couches. Then you remember life sucks. UGH!! Children are gross . . .

I may have just promised my two middle kids their very own pet fish if they can go two weeks without pooping their pants. If this works, I'm gonna kick myself for not doing it sooner. Also, if it works, I'm gonna kick myself 'cause I just committed to buying stupid fish.

March 6thMy three and five year old are outside, having set up shop, selling sheet music they wrote/drew themselves on lined paper. They're gonna make a killing . . .  :-)

Isaac was deciding who we could do without in our family.
He was all, "Not Dad, he's awesome."
Then we got to me, "Yeah, you could go . . ."
"Who will cook you food?!"
"Hmmm, OK, you can stay around for a long time ago."
Me, keeping track of who's staying, while counting on my fingers, "So, Dad stays, Annie stays, Ellie stays, Isaac stays, Owen stays and Mom stays."
He quickly responds, "Whoa Mom. You're just for a long time ago. You just go ahead and put that finger down now."
Thanks a lot, dude.

March 9th

Day Light Savings Fail -- Church started 2 minutes ago, and Annie's not even awake yet, Ellie's crying in the bathroom soaking an ingrown toenail, and the boys are still in pajamas. Not our best transition to a new time . . .

I'm a little disturbed that Ellie has used this excuse more than once . . .
In discussing her in grown toenail (ouch, poor thing!), and how she needs to STOP BITING HER TOENAILS if she wants this to stop happening. Then we heard the GROSSEST excuse for it, "But sometimes I'm just SO hungry!"
[SHUDDER]
We, once again, explained we are happy to give her food when she's hungry, so no eating toenails and fingernails -- but then she pointed out sometimes at Church and School she's hungry and what else does she have on her?
Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

March 10th
Best family portrait ever! Of the best family ever! We are so ridiculously attractive.

Me: "Guess what, Owen? Uncle Cody's coming over!"
Owen: "Ummm, no. Not Cody. Melea come over." (Melea is his Speech Therapy, and every other Wednesday morning when I tell him she's coming over, he talks about it all morning excitedly.)
"No, Bug, not Melea today. But Cody's coming!"
Angrily yells at me, "NO! Not Cody! Melea! Not Cody!"
"You'll have so much fun with Uncle Cody!"
"No, so funCody, Melea!"
His Speech Therapist will be so pleased -- at both his preference to her over all other house guests, and to his ability to put together five word sentences! :-)

March 15th -- Zoo Day






March 16th
'Tis the season . . . Grandma Karine and Grandpa Robert just got a few new feet of sand for the sandbox this weekend, and the kids had a blast burying themselves in it while the weather is nice . . .

March 17th

Isaac, yelling at his sister, "Ellie! You do not control the world! Only Mom does!"
Finally he agrees with me :-)

Helping in Grandma's yard -- mostly by playing in the sandbox.

March 25th
Mothering guilt is spendy. Ellie came home from school, sad that kids got Oreos for someone's birthday and she didn't get any. So I just spent $23 on amazon to buy a six pack of gluten free Oreos :-)

I asked Greg, "Do you think if I learned all the lessons I'm supposed to REALLY quick, we'd figure out the kids' medical stuff faster??" He was all, "Honey, that's not actually how patience works . . ." :-)

April 4th
The two year old just shoved my 21" iMac off the counter, and the outer shell to it shattered in a couple places. It does seem to work still. Nobody was injured in the crash to the floor. Yet, I still really feel a strong desire to lock everyone in their bedrooms and try to do some meditative breathing or pillow punching . . .

April 5th - General Conference

We made it a whole minute and a half into Conference before Ellie suddenly yelled, "MOM! He said 'Jesus' and you haven't given me jelly beans yet! Bingo! Bingo!!"

"Music, Mom! MUSIC! He said 'music'! I need another jelly bean! Get 'em out! Hurry!!"

"Mom! He said Jesus!!!" "Shhh, Ellie, it's the prayer."

April 7th
Owen does this scrunched-up-face, eyes-tightly-shut cheesy smile to charm people. Annie, sighing happily, "Mom, Owen looks so cute when he does that!" Ellie, sighing the same way, "Yeah, he looks exactly like he has a brain freeze."

Found the perfect little walk that all the kids can do without getting whiny :-) We parked at Smith's, then walked to the library where we stopped and played and read and picked out books for awhile, then walked back, bought everyone bananas (and I got some grocery shopping done) and called it a successful Family Home Evening. The kids were SUPER excited when the grocery store had some Udi's gluten-free brownie bites on a closeout deal, so we got those as well as the promised bananas.

April 8th
Just because I assume if you haven't hidden my feed yet, you're comfortable with this kinda talk . . .
We've been listening to a lot of the kid's CD "Here Comes Science", by They Might Be Giants. (Isaac asked me to sing him the "Bloodmobile" (about the circulatory system) song for bedtime tonight. I can't sing it well enough yet, so we settled on me repeating the chorus to "I'm a Paleontologist".) One of the songs about 'gas, liquid, solid' states is a big hit around here, and causes lots of discussion about what in their environment is a liquid, what is a solid and what is a gas.
This afternoon, Isaac was helpfully explaining it to his sisters like this, "This plate is a solid. The air we breathe is a gas. All my poop lately has been a liquid."
BWAH HA HA! Greg and I busted up laughing. Then went to go open up another box of diapers.

April 9th
Again, I consider this your own fault if you haven't blocked my feed yet . . . (if you haven't yet, I assume it is because you are the facebook equivalent of a rubbernecker -- just can't turn away . . . )
Isaac was in using the bathroom, and I hear the toilet flush, and the faucet turned on. "Good job, Bug!" I called from the other room, "You're washing your hands without me even having to remind you!"
He calls back, "No, I am using my hands to wash the toilet since I got poop all over it!"
[facepalm]