Baby Predictions

For my lesson tonight for Family Home Evening, I read a story about a boy who is concerned that there is no room for their new baby to be. He was concerned that there was no room for the baby's dishes, no room for a baby bed, no room for a baby chair, no room for a baby seat in the car, and no room for the baby at church. I thought it was very fitting for our situation! We do have room in our car for one more car seat, and we can fit a baby bed in our room, but when the baby moves into the crib in the kids' room, we'll have to figure out how we're going to fit six in that room. In the story, the mother always replies to the boy's concerns, "We'll find room", and that's exactly what we'll do. Adding another chair to our kitchen table will be tricky, but we'll figure it out when the time comes.
We also talked about the kids when they were babies. We compared what time they were born, how much they weighed, how long they were, and what room I stayed in at the hospital with them.
Zoe was born on March 18, 1999 at 8:55am, 8lbs 2 1/2oz, 20 1/2 inches long, Room #705
Emily was born on May 3, 2001 at 4:57pm, 7lbs 11oz, 21 inches long, Room #714A
Eleanor was born on May 15, 2003 at 10:54am, 8lbs 13oz, 21 inches long, Room #710B
Zachary was born on March 7, 2005 at 2:31am, 8lbs 10 1/2oz, 21 inches long, Room #702
Kate was born on February 6, 2007 at 11:06am, 8lbs 14oz, 21 inches long, Room #715
Then we all guessed the date the baby would be born, what time, how much he will weigh, and how long he will be.
Matt predicts that "Taco Bill" will be born on July 3rd at 5:47pm, weighing 8lbs 10oz, 21 inches
I predict that "Taco Bill" will be born on July 3rd at 9:45am, weighing 8lbs 12oz, 21 inches
Zoe predicts that "Taco Bill" will be born on July 2nd at 7:45am, weighing 8lbs 11oz, 21 inches
Emily predicts that "Taco Bill" will be born on July 4th at 7:00am, weighing 8lbs 7oz, 22 inches
Eleanor predicts that "Taco Bill" will be born on July 1st & 2nd (at midnight), he will be little, but 40 inches long!

What do you predict?

Janet and Steve, we received our package today from you. The kids excitedly opened it after the mail lady delivered it, and they immediately spotted the package for them in the box and opened it. It was fun listening to Zoe read the book to her siblings. You always pick out the best books! I'm anxious to be able to use the burp cloths and blankets, and the changing pad is perfect since I always change diapers on our bed. THANK YOU! One of these days we'll have baby news for you!

Enough with the twin dreams

Zoe had a dream the other night that I had twin boys. Judy Booth came up to me this morning at church and told me about a dream that she had about me having twin boys. There is only 1 baby boy inside of me and he is the LAST ONE, so why these dreams about twins???

Many people at church were surprised and/or disappointed to see me still pregnant today. What will they think when I show up next week still pregnant? I really hope I'm not, but it's possible.

A sweet sister at church today gave us some frozen meals and muffins to take home. I often wonder how she feels about seeing my pregnant self every Sunday since she got pregnant before me and was due in April with her first child, but she miscarried around 4 months. She has never acted bitter or hurt, but I just wonder what she thinks. I do know that it was very thoughtful of her to provide us with food, and I just received an e-mail from her letting me know that if we need her help with child care, laundry, etc., to give her a call and she will be over. She is a very sweet sister indeed.

Pictures Galore

But none of "Taco Bill" yet.

Zoe took this picture of Kate. Eleanor was picking Kate's nose, so Zoe wanted a picture of it. Eleanor is obsessed with making sure she is well groomed and has taken on the responsibility for the rest of us as well.



Eleanor took these pictures.


I cropped the next two pictures to get my big butt out of the picture.




I took these pictures today. We are on our way to take a ride in Don's boat. Kate is our only child who likes wearing a hat at this age. It may be because she can't get it off. I wasn't going to put it on her this morning since it was cloudy out, but she insisted on wearing it. She pointed to it and whined. She also insisted on placing her binky handle under her nose. Zoe used to do the same thing.


The rest of the pictures were taken on Don's boat. Here is Zoe taking a break from wiping water off the seats on the top deck.


Leaving the harbor.


When Eleanor spotted Fort Knox (which you can see on the right in the picture below) she excitedly exclaimed, "It's Egypt!"

Emily and Eleanor enjoyed pretending they were princesses on a ship and Pippi Longstocking on a ship. There was a lot of singing and dancing around.

We were in the boat parade which participated in the "blessing of the fleet". The girls thought it was so neat that we were in a parade. Then we went on a seal watch and enjoyed spotting seals on an island. We even saw some seals poking their heads above the water. Unfortunately, my memory card was full at this point, so I didn't get any pictures.

Feel free to be born, "Taco Bill"

Matt woke up this morning feeling better, but he stayed home from work. So I was able to take Zoe to her swimming lesson by myself and then Zoe and I went to my doctor's appointment. All is well and we are still waiting. I was given permission to have the baby this weekend as the receptionist looked for an open appointment next week with my doctor and couldn't find one. They ended up squeezing me in for an appointment on Tuesday. I hope to be in the hospital on Tuesday, but I'll probably end up at my doctor's appointment.

We got a letter in the mail today from Eleanor's school and we found out that Mrs. Pelletier will be Eleanor's Kindergarten teacher. She is the teacher I had requested and we are all excited that Eleanor will be in her class. Zoe and Emily think it is neat that Eleanor will have the same teacher that they had, and Eleanor feels the same way.

The kids and I went swimming this afternoon. Kate stayed home with Matt, and my Dad stopped at the pool as he was driving by and noticed my car was there, so that made the afternoon swim easier. I was not up for a long afternoon today, so going to the pool sounded much better than sticking around home. Today has been the first day that I have felt ready to have this baby. I am moving slower and slower each day and I am tired of being pregnant. I'm trying to enjoy these last days of being pregnant since the plan is that this is our last baby, but it's getting harder to do.

Matt and I went on our last baby-free date night tonight (hopefully!). We went to Bar Harbor to eat at Miguel's, we played miniature golf at Pirate's Cove, and we stopped at Walmart to pick up baby necessities. See "Taco Bill", we're ready for you now, so feel free to be born...okay, so I haven't packed my hospital bag yet, but I promise it's on my list of things to do tomorrow.

1 week and counting!

Hopefully, it will be less than a week, but really by now I should know not to hope for such things. Today has been a long day. Zoe had her swimming lesson this morning, which went well. The kids were good and Zoe enjoyed her class. She is in the intermediate class now, so she does a lot of swimming back and forth practicing different strokes that she has learned in her other classes. She was also introduced to the side stroke, which they will stick with until the 4 in her class (Zoe is the only girl) master it and then they'll learn the breast stroke. Zoe is the youngest in her class and she gets tired quicker than the boys, but overall I think she did great today.

We spent most of the day at home. I washed the kids' bedding today, which produced more heat to our already hot house. I felt like I was moving in slow motion all day.
Zach wanted to talk with my mom today on the phone, so I called her at work to see if she had a few minutes to talk to Zach. He was so cute pacing around as he talked to my mom with one hand in his pocket. Zoe thought it was the cutest thing, too.


I decided to take the kids swimming this evening because I needed a break from the house and we really need to take advantage of these days without a baby to take care of. Yes I am anxious for our baby to be born, but I also know that life as we know it is going to change when that happens, so we'll do as much as we can while we wait for the big day.

Matt isn't feeling well again. He is having a tough year with sicknesses. He had Peter come over this evening to give him a Priesthood blessing. It was a beautiful blessing, which assured us that Matt's illnesses would pass in a season. We also heard about the many blessings that we have received from Matt's church service and his faith. We definitely have been blessed! So now this baby needs to wait until Matt is feeling better, and I have a cold, so it would be nice to be over that before delivery day, and my mom informed me that Monday is not a good day for her to take off from work, so now the earliest "Taco Bill" can be born is Tuesday. I've said all along that this baby will be born in July, so that would work.

Confession

My actual due date is today. I am sitting here at the computer updating you, so obviously no baby yet. I'm not surprised. Zoe was my only baby due early...1 day early because I had a scheduled c-section. Emily was 7 days late, Eleanor was 6 days late, so when I was pregnant with Zach I figured he would be 5 days late. Nope, 10 days late, and then Kate was 11 days late. So I came up with my own due date of July 3rd, but I've been telling people today that today is my due date because it really is and I like to hear their responses. I took the kids to story time this morning and when the librarian heard that today was my due date, she just couldn't believe I was there and kept saying what a strong woman I am. I'm just keeping busy because sitting at home dwelling on the fact that I'm tired and anxious to have a baby makes the day go by SLOW. I took the kids to McDonald's for Sundaes after story time and a man asked me if all the kids around me were mine. When I said yes, he let out this loud laugh that said I was crazy, but since I had the same thought about him, I wasn't offended by it. I did notice as the kids and I sat down at a huge table that if Matt and the new baby were with us, we would fill up all the seats. I don't think of our family as big until I notice things like that.
I took Zoe, Emily, and Eleanor to the pool this evening. Zach was taking a nap when Matt got home from work, so Matt stayed home with Zach and Kate. I was able to swim and play with the older girls, which was nice. One of Zoe's classmates, Bella, was at the pool, so Zoe was able to play with her in the deep end. It was Zoe's first time in the deep end without me and as I watched her, it struck me how old she is getting. *sigh*

My doctor is on vacation this week and I'd really like him to deliver this baby, so I'm willing to wait until next week. I'm hoping for any day next week except for Friday since it is the 4th of July and my doctor will have the day off. Monday would be nice.

Swimming Adventures

We made it through another day of swimming lessons. The kids found a puddle to play in, which kept them entertained for most of Emily's lesson.

We brought Zach's box of cars and trucks and the kids had fun pushing them through the puddle and I would have been content to let them do it through Eleanor's lesson as well, but then Kate decided it would be more fun to throw the cars into the pool. So the cars and trucks had to be put away and we went out onto the grass. We stayed on the grass through most of Eleanor's lesson, but Zoe was pretty tired of getting Kate off the stairs to the pool and bringing her back on the grass, so that's not a good place for us to hang out either. So, we learned today that no toys can be brought to the pool that Kate can throw into the pool, and I can't sit on the grass and watch Eleanor swim and keep up with Kate at the same time.

Somehow, I managed to get some pictures of Emily and Eleanor swimming.






The girl behind Eleanor in this next picture is one of Eleanor's new friends that she met at the park several weeks ago, saw at Kindergarten screening, and they are now in the same swim class.


We went to the pool this evening as a family and had a fun time. It was the first time that Matt has joined us at the pool and it was nice having him there. Even with both of us there, Zach needed to be rescued as he started to get into water that was over his head. Eleanor's swim teacher, Jen (who is pictured below with Eleanor) saw him and got into the water to get him. Every summer, one of our kids gets saved by a lifeguard. So hopefully this evening was our one time for this summer!

Swimming Lessons & Dating

Emily and Eleanor started their swimming lessons this morning. I had it all worked out that we would be at the pool for a half hour on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday until I realized that I had signed Eleanor up for the wrong class. Now we are at the pool for an hour on Monday and Tuesday and a half hour on Thursday and Friday. Zach and Kate did a great job waiting through the lessons today, but as we were leaving Zach kept sticking his finger in the water of the pool and didn't want to leave. Waiting for Eleanor to change and go potty after lessons was a nightmare with Zach mad because I dragged him into the locker room and Kate wanted to walk around outside the changing room. I think Eleanor will be changing at home tomorrow. I fear that the more comfortable Zach and Kate are at the pool, the harder it's going to be to keep them out of the water and content to sit and wait for Emily and Eleanor. We may have to sit on the grass outside of the pool area and wait if they get too restless. Add a baby to the mix in a few weeks and we'll really have some tales to tell! Emily was nervous about having her class in the deep end, but she did a great job swimming with the kick board. As Eleanor's class marched to the deep end of the pool at the end of their lesson to jump into the water, Miranda encouraged Eleanor to get her knees up and march...and I immediately had the thought that Eleanor marches to the beat of her own drum in her own way.

Our family had a nice discussion this evening while eating dinner about dating and choosing a husband to marry. I think it was our first real family discussion at the dinner table. The topic came up when I pointed out to Matt that we received Mallory's wedding announcement. Zoe and Emily wondered if Mallory's husband was a member of our church and we talked about them getting married in the temple. Eleanor was curious about how Matt and I met and wondered if we were in love before we got married. Questions kept coming up from the kids and Matt and I asked them questions to think about, like what is a good age to start seriously dating to look for a husband. It was fun to stick in comments about the silliness of kids their age having a "boyfriend" and asked them if they thought they would marry anyone in their school. The answer was an obvious no since the boys in their school are not members of our church...exactly, so does it make sense to date them? Matt kept driving home the point that they should look for someone who will have a career that pays good money. Zoe mentioned wanting 7 kids, so I encouraged her to find a husband who also wants 7 kids. It is so important for the kids to realize that they need common goals with their spouses BEFORE they get married and to not get trapped in thinking that they can convince their spouses to change AFTER they get married. So anyway, I really enjoyed this conversation with the kids. We had fun talking together and it was a fun topic to discuss in an informal way.

Appreciating the help

Sacrament meeting goes pretty well these days, until 2 children want to sit on my lap...the lap that is just not there anymore! Emily was a huge help today as she held Kate, while I held Eleanor, who was being a bit challenging and needed some Mommy time. For the record, I must say that Zoe is always wanting to hold Kate during Sacrament meeting, but usually Kate wants me to hold her or she wants to sit on her own. Kate was content to let Emily hold her during this particular moment and it was helpful since I was holding Eleanor. Emily is a great helper and she proved it last night as Zoe, Emily, Eleanor, and I were at a birthday party and Emily put herself in charge of getting the wrapping paper and putting it in the trash bag after a present was opened. As we were leaving the party, the dad commented on what a great helper Emily was and he was very impressed with her. Emily is also a great helper at home. She is the one who cleans up the best and the fastest when it is time to put away toys and get the living room and bedroom back in order. We appreciate all your help, Emily!

Today was the first time in awhile that I have not been in charge of Sharing Time. It was nice. Mallory, who is visiting for about 5 weeks this summer, who was a counselor in our Primary a few years ago for the summer, and who was in young women's when I was Young Women's President, has been called as a counselor in the Primary, for the short time that she will be here, to help us out. The timing is perfect since I will get a break from Sharing Time a few Sundays before the baby is born, when I am finding it hard now to motivate myself to do anything productive, and a few Sundays after the baby is born, when the motivation to be productive will return, but the baby will sense productivity happening and will either need to eat, be cuddled, or need a diaper change just as I dive into a project. One less thing to do for the next several weeks is appreciated. :-)

We made a new Family Home Evening spin wheel today to include Zach and we added the song to the list of responsibilities. Zach has been wondering the past few weeks when we go over who is doing what for FHE, what he is doing. We have been letting him pick a song to sing before the prayer since he was not officially on the wheel, and we have sung "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" many times! It is time for him to take on new responsibilities and he is very happy about that.

Just tired

I hate missing a day of blogging now because some of you will think it's because I'm in labor. No such luck for last night, although I did have my first Braxton Hicks, which I find annoying. Matt was ready to rush me to the hospital, but as I keep telling him when he asks me if I'm in labor, it's not July yet! Many people keep saying that this could be the baby that comes early or at least on time, and it could happen I suppose, but I'm not convinced it will. Plus, my doctor is on vacation next week and I'd really like him to deliver our last baby, so we have to wait until the week after my actual due date anyway.



I made charts for the kids to help keep them focused on getting ready in the morning, doing chores, and getting ready for bed at night. They love checking their charts to see what needs to be done, doing what needs to be done, and then checking off what they did. Eleanor is even helping out more and has said her prayers and has listened to the scriptures consistently the past 2 days. I hope their enthusiasm lasts throughout the summer! I think the fact that they are getting paid to stay on task will help. :-)

2 weeks and counting!

Zoe and Emily had their last day of school today. It is very fitting that tomorrow is the first day of summer and the first day of summer break. Eleanor is so excited that the next time Zoe and Emily go to school, she'll be going too!

Matt and I had one of our last remaining date nights together without a baby this evening. We did not take our dinner or shopping without a baby for granted. I think we can all agree that I have a great mom for giving us so many opportunities to get out as a couple! Matt and I do appreciate her and the time we get to share together.

Baby Shower

"The gang" (minus Zoe and Emily who were at school) got together today at Jenn's and had a surprise baby shower for me and "Taco Bill". What fun!
I actually like this picture of me. I'd use it as my blog profile picture if I could figure out how to do it.







Looking at all of these cute clothes is making it more real that we're going to have a baby! Soon!


"Taco Bill" is not an acceptable name among the moms, so I listened as Jenn, Andrea, and Christy mentioned names that they like. We're still deciding here.

Thank you gals for a fun afternoon and for being such great friends!

Soon to be Kindergartner

I just slept through half a movie, but I can't let another day go by without blogging.
Eleanor had her Kindergarten screening today. When I asked her what her favorite part was about being at the screening in her school she exclaimed, "everything!" I met with Mrs. Pelletier who was Zoe's and Emily's Kindergarten teacher, which was fun. Nothing has really changed since Emily was in Kindergarten, so we secretly talked about the fact that the principal has been taking parent requests, even though she told her staff when she was hired last year that she didn't like doing that, so it wouldn't be done. When I met with Mrs. Marble, the principal, I was listing Eleanor's siblings when Mr. Eberhardt (a special ed teacher) overheard me mention Zoe and he told me what a sweet, sweet girl Zoe is. That was nice to hear. At the end of the conversation with Mrs. Marble, I asked her if she is taking parent requests. She hesitated and I mentioned the fact that Zoe and Emily had Mrs. Pelletier and I'd like Eleanor to have her too, but then I had to add that I'd like Eleanor to get the teacher that best fits her. I keep joking with Mrs. Pelletier that she may not want Eleanor in her classroom because she is a lot different than Zoe and Emily...but she would be a lot of fun!...when she's not trying to get Eleanor to stop talking or pick up after herself. Usually we have to wait until August to find out who the Kindergarten teacher will be, but we should know sometime next month since the new principal wants the decision made quicker than before. I'm glad because I hate waiting until August!

Happy Father's Day

I'm just realizing that I should have taken a picture of Matt with all of the kids today. Oh well. I think Matt had a nice day. The kids gave him cards throughout the day and we went over to my parents' home after church for dinner. Zach kept saying "Happy Birthday" to Matt. This is the second Sunday now that Kate has noticed her daddy sitting up on the stand during Sacrament meeting and shouts, "da-ddy, da-ddy" over and over again. It was very fitting today I suppose and it IS cute, but I wish she wouldn't do it. How can people concentrate on what is being said at the pulpit when this cute 16 month old is talking to her daddy on the stand?

I was looking at quotes about fathers last night and I saw this cute one by Jimmy Piersal, on how to diaper a baby, 1968.
"Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again."
Speaking a father's language, I love it!

Our children are blessed to have such a great dad. They may not realize it now, but someday they will. He teaches them so much and he's always looking out for them. He is willing to be a hands-on dad and helps me out whenever he gets the chance...which is whenever I let him or the kids let him. He is fun and quite entertaining. He challenges the kids and wants them to be productive and hard-working, which can result in a lot of whining and resistance (one of the things they will appreciate later in life). He is a worthy Priesthood holder who teaches them the gospel and sets a good example for them. He goes to work and provides for them. He mows the lawn, that he'd rather not have, so they can play on the grass. He fixes things and solves problems, so life runs more smoothly and conveniently. He is smart and tests their knowledge to make sure they are working at the level they are capable of. He longs for the day when he can sit by the woodstove with his children reading at his feet. I'll definitely take a picture when that day happens! He loves them.

Happy Father's Day to all!

Summer is almost here...let's celebrate!

Zoe took this picture of me this morning with all of her siblings trying to sit with me in my chair. She said, "I'll take a picture and then you can put it on your blog to show you had a tough morning." A future blogger in the making.


One of Emily's classmates and close friends at school had an end of the school year party this afternoon. It was a lot of fun! I debated whether to take the younger children or not, but since Matt ended up attending, conducting, and speaking at a funeral today, I brought all of the kids. I'm glad I did because they all had a great time.

The bounce house was a favorite of Zach's and Kate's. It was nice being able to stick Kate in there and not have to hold her or chase her around all afternoon.








There was an art tent where the kids could paint and decorate surf boards and flowers.


A swimming pool and sprinkler were available to cool off in.


Here is Emily with her friend, Daisy.

I forgot Zach's bathing suit, but I told him he could swim in his shorts. He finally decided to go swimming right before we left, but he kept trying to take off his shorts because he didn't want to get them wet. I had to keep a close eye on him to make sure he kept his shorts on!

They had lots of yummy snacks, cake and ice cream, giant pixie sticks, and water balloons to play with. The party went from 1-3pm and we left at 4pm. Even then I had to drag my kids away from the bounce house. I love summer days like this. The ones that involve a lot of play and sun, so when the children lay down at night to sleep, they don't have the energy to play anymore, fight, or ask to be tucked in 10 times before they fall asleep!

A perfect moment

Eleanor, Zach, Kate and I ate lunch at the McDonald's in Walmart today after picking up Eleanor's pictures. The kids were little angels. I can't complain about one thing. An older couple commented as they were leaving what great kids I had and they couldn't believe how quiet they were. They said their 3 year old grandson would have been bouncing off the walls. I assured them that I have had those moments as well, but they didn't believe that my quiet kids could act like that. Believe it! They also gave me the credit for such well behaved children, credit that I didn't deserve. I got lucky that this spur of the moment decision to eat at McDonald's went so well. I don't want the blame if my kids are acting bad, so I can't take it when they decide to be on their best behavior either. I am currently reading "I was a really GOOD MOM before I had kids" and a lot of it focuses on the fact that as moms we judge each other and constantly compare ourselves with other moms, which I agree we do. Even these grandparents compared their grandson to my kids and probably judged the mother. I LOOKED like the perfect mother with the perfect kids at that moment, but catch me in a few hours and see what the picture is then. Right now I am sitting in front of the computer while my 3 & 5 year old watch "The High School Musical Concert". Am I in the "good mom" or "bad mom" category now? We need to remember that every child, every mother, and every moment is different and we go through different moods and levels of energy. So many different things factor into every choice we make. It was nice hearing how well my children were behaved and I was pleased with their behavior, but as I'm sure you all know, that doesn't make them perfect and it doesn't make me perfect, even though it may APPEAR that way.

3 weeks and counting

I had a few one on one moments today that I so enjoyed. Eleanor and I cuddled for a bit this morning while she watched a movie and I read my book. Then this afternoon, Kate and I cuddled outside for awhile. It is so nice when I get to cuddle with the kids without one of their siblings wanting my attention or wanting to be held, too. I cherish those moments!

Give me a dang binky!

It is 8:48pm and Kate is still awake because no binkies can be found. Zach is still awake too, but he doesn't have the same excuse. I just talked with Matt who is on his way home from church meetings and he is going to stop at the store. I really hope he makes it there before it closes in 10 minutes. We are in for a long night if he doesn't. I briefly thought about taking advantage of this opportunity to get rid of the binkies for good since I can't find one, but I am not ready to take that step. Kate keeps saying "binky" and crying. It is so sad.

What else can we talk about while Kate is crying and we wait for a binky? Zach not only enjoyed watching the sprinkler today, but he enjoyed getting wet, too. He also wore his hat all day. He really likes it.
Kate loves to eat oranges, but the juice from them keeps staining her cute clothes. I use Spray 'n' Wash, but it's not getting the juice out. Any suggestions? I put a bib on her when she eats them, but she still manages to get juice somewhere on her clothes.

Matt came home with no binkies, but he had the thought on his way home to look in several places, like my church bag and the diaper bag. The first place he looked, in my church bag, he found a binky. Kate must have dropped it in there when she was looking out the window to watch the kids outside. I'm glad he was inspired to know where to look. Happy sleeping!

Kids' room organized - check

I finished organizing the last "problem area" in the kids' room today.

Miscellaneous toys have been stored behind the bed, plus I have been putting more miscellaneous stuff behind there since I've been organizing the room. I took everything out from behind the bed and found new homes for everything, so here is the end result.

My goal was to have nothing stored in this area and I succeeded. :-) Hopefully, it will stay that way. Did you notice I took down the Christmas lights that were in the room? They stopped working a few days ago and they have been falling down in spots, so I got rid of them today. Zach hates the dark and when he woke up in the middle of the night a few nights ago to total darkness and stumbled into our room crying, I ended up turning the bathroom light on for him, but he didn't wake up last night and I'm hoping that having it darker in the room will help him and Eleanor to sleep better at night. They each wake up at least once during the night and ask me to cover them up and this has been going on for awhile now. Last night was the first night in a LONG time that all the kids slept through the night. It would be nice to have more nights like that before the baby is born.

I set up our sprinkler this afternoon for the kids. Yesterday was a better day to use it since it was hotter, but we didn't have time before Family Home Evening. The sprinkler is definitely the way to go. It is so easy to set up and put away and the kids had a great time.




Kate isn't convinced yet that getting "rained on" is great fun, but she did enjoy being outside. She was quite upset with me when I brought her inside because she was turning into one big bug bite and I was getting bit, too.

Zach thought the sprinkler was fun and he loved to watch it, but getting wet is still debatable.

Zach does know that getting a hat just like daddy's is very cool!

He also knows that daddy can wear his hat whenever he likes, but Zach has to go fishing on Saturday to wear his. How fair is that???

We found out today that Mrs. White will be Emily's 2nd grade teacher next year. We know little about her. She has been teaching at the middle school, but I don't know for how long. I do know that she has taught elementary before. I hope Emily has more to tell us on Thursday when she meets her new teacher and classmates.
Zoe will have the same teacher and class that she has had this year. I think Zoe is a bit bummed that she isn't going through the excitement of a new teacher and class, but I think she'll enjoy getting back into the swing of things in the fall with Mrs. Lalonde. She is such a great teacher!

My mom treated me out to dinner this evening and then we did some shopping at Walmart. It was fun to get out. Thanks again, mom!

Eleanor's wish

Early this morning, Eleanor asked me if she could go next door to Jenn's house. I told her that Jenn hadn't called to invite her over, so no she couldn't go over. Not long after that Jenn called to see if I could watch her 2 youngest children so she could go on a field trip with her oldest. So Eleanor was able to play with her friends here...and then when Jenn got back Eleanor asked if she could go over to her house. So now Eleanor is right where she wished to be this morning, over at Jenn's. And I am enjoying some quiet time with Zach as he watches "Lazy Town", and Kate is sleeping. Even though I am sweating to death, I am enjoying this moment.

A favorite recipe

We went over to my parents' home after church today for a delicious meal. After heating up the kitchen on the this hot, humid day, it was decided it would be the last cooked meal at their house until the fall. My parents' house is always cool, but we managed to heat it up with our stove top meal. Zoe had requested the haddock that I make. She is the only one of our kids who likes some of the meals I make.

Saucy Skillet Fish
6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds halibut, haddock, or salmon fillets or steaks
1 medium onion, sliced (which I don't use)
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (which I don't use)

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Add fish and shake to coat (if using fillets, cut into serving-size pieces first). In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender; remove and set aside. Add fish to the skillet; cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish to a serving plate and keep warm. Add sour cream, basil and onion to the skillet; heat through (do not boil). Serve over fish. Garnish with parsley.

I put the sauce in a bowl to be served on the side. My sauce is the sour cream and the basil. I am not a big fish fan, but this haddock with sauce is very yummy!

They're here!

I took Zoe, Emily, & Eleanor to the Bangor library today for the Doll's Day Tea Party. The girls had fun dressing up and dressing up their dolls. Emily brought her Nikki doll and Zoe brought her Julie doll because the Emily doll and the Josephina doll had a chance to attend last time. Eleanor loved the flowers in the middle of the table. She kept touching them and then the peddles would fall on the tablecloth.


The "doll lady" who has over 1500 dolls showed the children 3 of her dolls. All of her dolls are from foreign countries. She brought dolls from India, Japan, and Africa to show to the children. She was a funny lady and she kept the kids entertained. Then a young woman who sells tea showed the kids how to make this white tea. It was neat to watch the tea part grow.

Zoe was concerned that they would have to drink tea (she was concerned about the same thing the last time we went), so she was happy when the lady announced that chocolate milk, milk, and apple cider would be served if the kids didn't want the "children's tea." The girls ate dainty treats with their "tea" and filled up since the tray kept coming around. There was plenty of food and the library workers were doing their best to get the children to eat as much of it as possible. Then some of the children went up front to introduce themselves and their dolls, but my girls were not up for that. They willingly marched in the parade though around the library. All of the children looked so cute all dressed up, carrying their dolls and stuffed animals around.

When we got home, there was a box waiting to be opened...shoe bags!


Zoe and Emily were very anxious to open the bags and get them into their closet so they could fill them with shoes. It was fun to hear their enthusiasm and to see them organizing. :-) The shoe rack that will go by the door hasn't arrived yet, though.

And here's a picture of Kate after she found a hat and put it on. Whas up?

Look at her belly!

Still organizing

Today involved more organizing in the kids' room and my weekly trip to the doctor. My appointment was scheduled for 9:45, but because my doctor did an emergency c-section this morning and then delivered another baby, my appointment was changed to 12:45 and I saw the midwife. Eleanor came in with me and Matt stayed in the waiting area with Zach and Kate. Kate had a great time throwing the big legos around and had even more fun aiming them at Matt's head. Meanwhile, Eleanor was excited to hear the baby's heartbeat, but she was bored waiting for the midwife to come in. She got excited the first few seconds of hearing the heartbeat and then it was old news. I think she'll opt to play in the waiting area next time. The exciting news during my visit was the negative result from my Group B Strep test. The first time out of 6 pregnancies to test negative. Woohoo!

Here is a picture of the area I organized yesterday.

I added the boxes of toys today that are to the left of the stackable bins. The boxes of toys were already organized, I just moved them from a different spot. I wish I would have taken a before picture because this area looks so much better now than it did before.

I moved this container from my closet to the kids' room today. It used to hold my shoes, but I emptied out my shoes a few weeks ago since I had the idea to use these drawers for "Taco Bill's" clothes. I decided today to fill the top drawer with Zach's miscellaneous toys, which Zach and Kate have easy access to now.

I also cleaned out the bottom of their closet on the left side, which used to be home to my sewing machine, sewing container, baby bathtub, blankets, and sheets. Everything has a new home except for the blankets. I'm not sure what to do with those.
Here is a different view of the bookshelf area and you can see Kate deciding which toy to play with. It's a challenge when I'm trying to get the room neat and organized and the kids are going behind me playing with all of the toys that I just organized!


This container was by the bookshelf originally and the top and bottom drawers were overflowing with Zoe's and Eleanor's stuff. The tops to these containers were sagging down from things sitting on top, which made it hard to shut the top drawer, so I removed the tops and put toys in the top drawers that the kids can play with. Kate loves to play with the baby dolls, so now she can get to them whenever she likes.

The overstuffed toy box is an issue that I can't seem to solve. I try to simplify some toys in it, but never manage to part with anything and the toys inside are too big to fit in other containers. So we'll just deal with the overstuffed toy box for now.

Zoe and Emily had their special "beach lunch" at school today. They wore their Hawaiian shirts and received leis for the occasion. They listened to steel drums, were entertained by teachers, had a chance to win a prize by getting a lunch tray with a red dot on it (which neither of them won), and had fun!