Owen trying to cuddle with Ellie during scriptures (she's looking pretty squished)
Impromptu splash park stop on our way home from Annie's 2nd grade awards program . . .
My morning felt very 'if you give a mouse a cookie'-ish. Isaac had a blowout diaper as we were leaving the water park. It got all over the car seat. And then all over the seat of the actual car. So I came home and got said boy car seat and seat of car cleaned. I got out the pressure washer. I decided to not only clean the one seat of the car and the one car seat, but more of the seats of the car, and all of the car seats. Then I decided the van mats needed to be done. Then I decided I could pressure wash the strollers while I have the pressure washer out. Then I decided to spray out the inside and outside of the van doors, and it was time to get out the wet dry vac. Two hours later, I am done cleaning up the mess from one blowout diaper. :-)
June 30, 2014 in pictures
So proud that this little guy has figured out how to swallow two of his pills now . . . that makes life easier on both of us.
Radical self care. When Greg got home I decided to get out for a minute to deposit some checks. Got distracted.
June 29, 2014
I gave Isaac a dime at church. A few minutes later he informed me, "Mom, I am going to take it home with me. I might drop it though," as he shoved it in his pocket. " if I drop it at church, I will pick it up. If we are walking out to the car and I drop it, that might be trickier. But I will find it. Then if I drop it I the van, well, that will be okay, because it will be trapped in the van and I can pick it up. Then in the garage it should be extra hard to find so I shouldn't drop it. But then in my house I can drop it and pick it up and drop it and pick it up and drop it and pick it up and pick it up and pick it up all the way to my room. Then I will put it in my Batman piggy bank. Or my other piggy bank. Or just in a cup. That's a good idea, right Mom?"
Me, "Shhhhh, it's prayer, dude."
June 28, 2014
Around 11AM this morning, Greg came home with a few bags of strawberry transplants from friends of ours. Around noon I said, "Hey. I keep hearing about that whole 'rain gutter strawberry gardens' thing." By 3:30, he'd put this together for me! AND, it only took two Home Depot trips!
June 27, 2014
Just want to go on record. My kids have eaten Rice Chex for lunch for the last four days. And had it for breakfast a couple of those mornings.
June 26, 2014
He really, really loves when Melia comes over for Speech.
June 25, 2014
Such a beautiful post on how everything can get caught up around one issue, and we lose sight of just how much people are going through that is affecting their own day to day lives. Their own heartache. I loved this quote, "I don’t want to wrap my heart in a box; I want to wrap it around people." This last couple years have been heartbreakingly difficult, lonely, scary, soul crushing, terrifying and hard, as my worry sometimes consumes me and my heartache for my kids brings me to a breaking point, but have also taught me just how much I need people in my life that I can open my heart to and be real with. And because of those who carefully wrap my heart in their love, encouragement and tenderness, this last couple years have also been beautiful and encouraging and a time of great growth and love and faith. It would be great if we could all find that in each of our homes, our families, our faith communities, our friends and our neighbors -- but even when life seems like a sea of strangers, God always seems to provide us the key people we need to get through.
"I don’t necessarily have to be my sister’s keeper, or teacher, or leader or preacher. But I do want to be my sisters’ sister, able and willing to carefully hold and consider whatever precious, wonky, struggling, stubborn or fluttering part of herself she chooses or needs to share."
We need each other. We need people we can be open and vulnerable with; to be real and to feel accepted in all our realness. Who love us because of and in, not despite, our mess. After all, "We are all just walking each other home."
http://segullah.org/daily-special/courage-dear-heart/
June 24, 2014
Getting ready to pretreat Isaac's shirt . . . Not quite sure where to start . .
June 23, 2014
Few things bring
me as much joy as listening to Ellie in all her enthusiasm and self-confidence. She was in the kitchen working on her 'secret surprise'. (Unloading and loading the dishwasher -- my idea of an awesome secret surprise too). Suddenly she exclaims, "Wow, I am a GENIUS! I have no idea why nobody else has ever thought of this!"
Not quite sure WHAT genius-never-thought-of-dishwashing-technique she's come up with (or how messy it is), but I love how excited she is by her own creativity and genius.
(Turns out, she figured out you don't have to use a scrub brush to wash the dishes -- you can apply the soap DIRECTLY TO YOUR HANDS and wash dishes with your hands. Genius. (Though probably not patent-able. Or that effective.))
June 22, 2014
Aww Sunday mornings, you are too predictable with the sick kids and the copious amounts of 'Frozen' :-(
June 20, 2014
My kids have spent most of the morning playing on various devices. I would feel bad about this, but since I had a whopping 3.5 hours of sleep last night dealing with Sickly McSickerson here, I'm considering it a blessing.
June 19, 2014
There is a few problems with this picture. First,
And not least, is that my baby is sick and throwing up. Second, that green sheet he's on, that is where I am supposed to sleep. That blue area over there, is where he supposed to sleep. It has several layers of blankets and towels and other puke proof paraphernalia. But he doesn't want to sleep over on the blue blanket. He only wants to sleep where my feet are supposed to go. I guess I'm better off than Greg though, he doesn't even get to sleep in the bed anymore. Someone was displaced for the night so mom could do the all-night puke-watch.
June 18, 2014
101 degree fever :-( I expect to accomplish nothing this week.
June 16, 2014
Argh! We'd finally had a good couple weeks where Isaac wasn't complaining and crying every day over stomach aches. Then this last week, I've watched my baby curl up on the floor crying most mornings over a stomach ache and awful gastro issues. I've been hearing him whimpering in bed since 6AM, but every time I check on him he was still asleep. I've been trying to go in and wake him up since 8:15. At nine AM I brought him into my bedroom to wake him up more, and I gave him breakfast in bed. After five minutes, he'd had one or two bites, then curled up and fell back asleep. I hate that he feels this crappy all the time and I can't seem to find anything to help him or find any answers. I don't know if there's anything I've ever been through that has been harder or more stressful than chronically ill children with no real answers or clear direction of what to do for them. It breaks my heart each and every day.
June 14, 2014
I love sleeping babies. Although, babies still napping at 6PM make me a wee bit nervous for bedtime . . .
June 13, 2014
Dog pile on uncle Cody. Cody, while I was trying to get a picture, "can we hurry up this process!" Isaac responded with a triumphant yell, "I am working my process right on Cody's head!!
June 13, 2014
I'm 90% positive I will never ever catch up with laundry this summer. Between the outfit changes, swimsuits, the hundreds of towels . . . not to mention the sheets, blankets, pillows and pillowcases that Owen peeing through his diaper adds to the mix.
June 12, 2014
Well child check ups. Ellie, "this gown may be a little bit too big!"
June 10, 2014
Owen using a comb to achieve the awesome hair height that this picture doesn't do justice to . . .
June 9, 2014
How many cousins can fit into one wagon?
I don't know if anyone else will fit :-). Family home evening at grandma's house . . .
June 8, 2014
This is what happens when Owen gets a chocolate chip cookie at grandma and grandpa's house for the drive home :-)
Grandpa KC is so sweet -- he's been actively working on his chocolate chip cookie recipe, and I think every time we've gone over lately he's had a fresh batch of gluten-free dairy-free chocolate chips for the kids, with a whole extra plate to take home for later. My kids are so lucky to have grandparents who bend over backwards without a second thought.
Is it possible to own too many children's books? (At least they're organized -- more or less!)
June 7, 2014 - Rodeo pictures (Mom, Annie, Ellie, Grandma Karine, Aunt Star, and Uncle David)
After watching the mutton bustin' at the rodeo, Ellie is very insistent that we need to buy her a sheep.
June 4, 2014 - Thanksgiving Point
June 2, 2014
This is only two of my three sleeping children . . . I feel like this is a miracle, but a miracle I will be paying for at 10PM tonight . . .
June 1, 2014
Aw, the wide eyed terror of the Young Men when we visit a new Ward and I show up with gluten free Sacrament bread :-)
May 31, 2014
Annie's Baptism Day
May 30, 2014
Is it bedtime yet? I'm becoming convinced that 2 1/2 hours sleep last night wasn't enough. At least not
at the
ripe old age of 35. Maybe back when I was 34, but not anymore.
Someone talk my kids into letting Mom go to sleep at 7:30PM -- it'd be the best birthday present ever.
Thanks for the birthday wishes! I'm going to crash now -- at 9:30PM. 'Cause I'm 35 now, and that's when us old people go to bed on Friday nights :-)
May 29, 2014
Isaac, "Mom, give me a fruit snack right now or you don't get to be in my Super Fun Happy club!" Sadly, I don't negotiate with terrorists.
(I've been informed I'm in the "Boring Club" now.)
May 28, 2014
Feeling a little too proud of myself this morning -- I got the girls showered, hair ACTUALLY done, breakfast on the table and lunches packed with at least ten minutes to spare. That beats yesterday when I was shoving them out the door having only half eaten breakfast, with the bus in sight. Morning accomplished. (Owen and I are even dressed and ready to go -- make up even! (on me, not Owen)). Isaac's walking around buck naked, but that's pretty much normal for like noon or so, so I'm not counting that against us.
May 27, 2014
Ha! I just had to talk to Ellie and one of her friends about how they are six and Isaac is three, and even if he's annoying them, they do not get to chase him off by spraying him with the hose. "You guys are the older kids, and if you're having problems with him you have to come talk to me." Isaac interjected, "I'm younger and a lot littler than you guys! I'm way little!" Um, dude, you outweigh each of them by at least 6 pounds -- I wouldn't bring your actual size into this, stick with the age argument :-)
May 26, 2014
Backyard "jacuzzi" with Uncle Cody
May 23, 2014
Isaac after giving me a dozen kisses, "Mom, do you know why you get so many extra kisses ? Because I love you all the way up to the planet Lexicon. You are just the nicest."
May 21, 2014
Now that this tiny 'big' girl is six, she was able to go down the big water slide at the Rec Center. And she went down it about 100 times :-)
Isaac: "Mom, if you ever had another baby, could we please name it Paddington Bear Johnson? I love the name Paddington. But we'll call him 'Lovable Paddington Maddington Crazy Lazy Daisy Bear that was Unlovable but only Loved by Mom, Dad or Owen.'" So, that's what we'd call him for short? :-)
May 16, 2014
Isaac's take on Quilted Bear upon his first time going there. "Everything in here is SO adorable!" Also, "And everything in here is fragile. Very fragile, be careful."
May 15, 2014
Another one bites the dust. That's five missing teeth. She lost the last two in the last week or so, just in time for her 8th birthday :-). I didn't even know she had another lose on til she came home tonight who her latest loose tooth in her hand :-). Just in time for her baptism photo session tomorrow. :-)
After several hours outside today, Isaac has some very pink shoulders. "Bug," I said, "That's why I told you to keep your shirt on." (The shirt we put on him several times. We also had to put underwear on him several times -- the kid is a nudist at heart.) "You should've put more sunscreen on me," he said sadly. "You should've just kept the shirt on," I replied. "Everyone should've taken off their shirts and you could've put sunscreen on us, then if we chose to take off our shirts, we were covered," he responded. "Really, I think this was only a problem for you, and the shirt really would've taken care of the problem . . . "
Dear Hilary's Body,
I don't know if you didn't get the memo, but since you took a few days off last week to repeatedly vomit, you are out of sick time. You do not get to now contract some horrible sore throat, body-achiness type illness. You had your time off; you wasted it puking, you're done. Please proceed immediately back to normal and get out of bed and go feed your kids breakfast.
Never mind, they've already gotten themselves Fruity Pebbles. You have 'til lunch. Then you're back on the clock.
Sincerely,
Hilary's List of Responsibilities and Lack of Patience for This
May 11, 2014 (Star's ER trip)
May 11, 2014
Isaac riding the rocking horse at Grandma's house, shouting loudly, "The British are coming, the British are coming!!" Someone has been watching "Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego" on repeat while he's been sick.
May 10, 2014
At least Ellie's being polite about it :-)
I promised Isaac a York Peppermint Patty if he would poop on the potty. After the third try, with no success, he came up to me (pants still around his ankles), and said sadly, "Mom. I don't think I've been eating enough vegetables." After a pause, he started walking out of my room towards the stairs (with pants still around his ankles), "I think I'm gonna go eat some broccoli."
BWAH HA HA HA HA!
Saturday morning at Grandma Karine's house
May 9th, 2014
Isaac, at 6:45am, came in to my room, gently moved the bowl I had been sleeping with since the illness terrorizing our home hit me now. "Mom, I'm just going to move this bowl over to your desk. Then you can come downstairs and make me breakfast! And if you need to throw up again, you can just run back upstairs to your bowl! Come on!"
May 8th, 2014
Isaac finally got a second wind, which was nice, because he's been the sickest of all my kids so far this week. He brought up how "TV makes me sleepy" and I reiterated this is why we don't want to watch too much TV on normal days, because it makes our bodies drag and feel tired. But he quickly added, "But, I've been throwing up, so this became a TV-all-the-time situation."
Four for four :-(
I knew Isaac was feeling sick when he took a nap this morning. Then when he shot up suddenly crying, "I need to throw up," I grabbed him and ran to the bathroom. I went to go get a bowl out of the kitchen, and in the 20 seconds it took me, he fell fast asleep on the bathroom floor. My poor baby.
May 8, 2014
Another one bites the dust. Annie came in at 2AM to inform me she'd just thrown up. The amazing thing about a sick seven year old though -- she made it to the toilet. And continued to make it to the toilet every time she threw up last night. She didn't create a single stitch of laundry. (Except her bedding we'll wash after she's well). I couldn't believe the difference -- especially since Ellie was sometimes throwing up at the same time, and that took a lot more hands on Mom-management. It turns out it's true -- things do get easier the older they get! (Except all the things that get way, way harder, of course.)
May 7, 2014
Should've known. I got the LAST load of the pukey laundry into the dryer and not ten minutes later Ellie started throwing up. Really, I have nobody to blame but myself :-)
Two things of whininess, then I'm going to bed:
1.) WHY do they ALWAYS get sick at night?! It's like it's not a real flu bug unless Mom's losing major sleep.
2.) On one hand, I'm glad they're off track, so Ellie's not missing school. On the other hand, we have a new Thanksgiving Point pass burning a hole in my pocket and tomorrow will be the third day we've stayed in and done nothing. This is shaping up to be the worst off track break this year.
Oh, and one more for good measure -- I've done 12 LOADS OF LAUNDRY in the past three days. TWELVE. And it's begun again. Grateful for giant high capacity washers and dryers, 'cause if I had to old school it over to a laundromat, we'd seriously just be throwing away multiple bedspreads and pillows. :-)
Owen just smacked his giant two year old forehead into my nose -- in one of those instant-tears-blinding-pain kinda nose injuries. Then he started kissing my face repeatedly in apology, knocking said forehead into my nose a few more times. He's so sweet it's painful :-)
May 6, 2014
So, we had a whole conversation recently about how mermaids aren't real. (Ellie was really disappointed, because she really thought that's what manatee's turned into when they became human.) While talking about more scientific stuff, the subject of asteroids came up. Three year old Isaac said, "Asteroids aren't real, they're just pretend." His sister's objected and told him asteroids were real. He was insistent they were wrong. Then he whipped out what had to be the ultimate trump card in an argument.
Isaac, "Back before I was born, I was spending some time with Jesus. And Jesus took me on a space walk to a star of His, and I asked him, 'Jesus, is that an asteroid?' And he said, "No, Isaac. It does not produce heat and light, so it is not an asteroid. Asteroids aren't real.' So, Jesus told me."
(He was thinking of shooting stars -- how they're not actually shooting stars. They're rocks and other space stuff that while traveling through space creates heat and light. Thus his confusion and references. :-) Or maybe he just wasn't listening well when Jesus was going over all this. :-))
How does someone who was up all night sick, and who is still feeling like this, still wake up at 6:30AM? My children appear to have never heard of 'sleeping in' . . .
May 5, 2014
My poor baby . . . he has been puking on and off for a couple hours. He is so tired he keeps falling back asleep in between every dry heave :-(
May 1, 2014
Milestone at our house -- Annie came in from outside and tattled on her siblings to her Dad. In Spanish.
Greg and I sat down to talk with Isaac about how his diet will be changing (taking out rice, corn and oats, then eggs and fish and nuts again, as well as his standard gluten/dairy restrictions.) We explained that the rice and corn are probably part of what is making his stomach hurt so often lately. He explained to us, "No, it's not rice. Rice doesn't make my stomach complain." So Greg asked, "Bug, what makes your stomach complain then?" "Vegetables. Mainly vegetables. All vegetables, really." And this is why three year olds are not allowed to manage their own medical diets.
April 29, 2014
I have no idea what you do with a three and a half year old who refuses to potty train. We've bribed, we've made a game of it, we've sticker charted like no others, we've done skittles, we've picked out prizes, we've promised a freaking pet fish, we've taken away 'big boy privileges', we've had him stay home from activities, he hasn't got to stay in the IKEA playland, and he is so far from caring about any of it that it feels like this is never going to happen :-( Then add to Isaac peeing on the stairs the first time he's agreed to wear underwear in over a week, and Owen peeing through his pajamas not once but TWICE in his crib today (this morning and at naptime), and I would seriously give pretty much any amount of money to learn the magic secrets to potty training. And to not have to do so much laundry. Or carpet shampoo so often. I don't think there has been a single other thing I've ever tackled as a mother that has made me feel more helpless, useless, incompetent, inept, discouraged and disheartened. I hate potty training.
April 28, 2014
Feeling so blessed and rejuvenated and on top of the world! Had a great girls' weekend with some of my favorite people on Earth, drove through some of the most beautiful places on Earth, got to meet a ton of new friends, did something that filled my cup, was a part of something bigger than myself, and was privileged enough to be given the opportunity to speak at a wonderful Conference. Unforgettable experience. And not having to cook for anyone for five days was a pretty sweet added bonus:-)
April 22, 2014
Bribed them with a trip to the pet store
April 21, 2014 - Isaac's latest scope
April 17, 2014
So, I decided at the last minute to get more yard work done so I could take advantage of the County dumpsters that were still on my street today. So, I furiously worked to throw out leaves and sticks and dead plants I gathered, as I watched the truck that was going around and covering up the dumpsters get closer and closer. "I'll work right up until they cover up the dumpster in front of my house, and just get as much done as I can until I'm out of time." As they closed in, I tried to get as much done as possible, so I could feel satisfied with a job well done. They got to our house, and waved at me as I dumped my last basket of leaves in. Then they passed my house without covering our dumpster. Dang it. :-) I worked for another 40 minutes, getting gross and sweaty (and now needing to shower again for the day) before the ridiculously kind and considerate County workers made their way back to my house to cover the bin right before the big trucks came to take it away. That was so kind of them. I'm kinda bitter :-)
April 16, 2014
Ellie, musing: "Mom. Do you think it's weird that the bus drive wears a seat belt, but everyone seems to be fine with none of the kids wearing seat belts? Hmmmmm."
Me: "Isaac, did you get out these fruit snacks?" "No! It was Owen!" "Isaac. Owen is asleep right now. Ellie is at mini-music. You are the only one home." Isaac, "Hmmmm. Well, when Owen wakes up, it will definitely be him!"
Lessons learned today: Ellie's a deep thinker. Isaac's a liar-pants :-)
Also, she decided it was because she's SUPER slow at getting out of seatbelts, and assumes other kids will be as well, and the bus driver is probably pretty fast. So if there's a fire, it all makes sense.
Can't decide if that's genius or morbid?
April 14, 2014
Isaac curled up on my bedroom floor, taking the pillowcase off the pillow, and turning it into a mini sleeping bag. He seems comfy.
Isaac: "Mom, do you know how rainbows start?"
Me: "How, Bug?"
Isaac: "It all starts with evaporated dinosaur pee . . . "
This is what happens when you try and teach a three year old boy about the water cycle.
Vacuuming the floor this morning, and I could tell the vacuum wasn't working well. So I started to take it apart. I found three crayons, two monopoly hotels, four dice, and two socks. This is what happens when the kids are kind enough to help vacuum :-) I'm pulling all the stuff out, and Isaac walks in and comments, "Oh yeah, I did that! I mean, we have SO many socks, right? So I just got rid of those ones for you." Thanks kid.
April 12, 2014
Ellie, to Isaac, "ISAAC! If you don't move right now, I might accidentally throw this in your face!"
Me, "Ellie!"
Ellie, "What? I said ACCIDENTALLY!"
April 10, 2014
Just paid the hospital for Isaac's next scope -- I think it'll be the first time our credit card company doesn't freak out about the charge, 'cause we only have one charge going through rather than four co-pays. Finally, a medical bill that doesn't look fraudulent :-)
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