9 years ago I became a mother and we welcomed Zoe to our family. I had a scheduled c-section with Zoe because she was breeched, coming out feet first. It was weird to have my own child and not have a labor/delivery story to share. One minute I didn't have a baby and then the next I did, it was easy as that. Taking care of Zoe for the last 9 years hasn't been that easy, but it has been worth it.
Zoe had a great birthday today. She wanted to get up early this morning, so she could open a gift before going to school, so she happily went to bed around 7:00 last night. She opened her card from her Aunt Kris and family and enjoyed all the pictures and the bookmark that were made for her. Then she opened her gift from her Grandma and Grandpa and was happy to see the American Girl TV for her dolls that she had asked for. She left for school very happy! At school, her teacher and classmates took time to make cards for her while she waited at her desk. The card is actually a paper that says "Birthday compliments to you" and the classmates write what they want to in a balloon on the page. She said this is their birthday tradition for all the students. Zoe and Emily watched "Survivorman" this afternoon while waiting for dinner and her family party. My parents came over and we ate Zoe's requested dinner ~ Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, and cranberries. She had also requested lobster, but at $11.99 per/lb, I told her I would buy her one when the price went down, way down! Zoe received most of what she wanted for her birthday...a gift card from Lands' End and a pink Nintendo DS Lite. She received several things like books and a password journal that she wasn't expecting and enjoyed getting. We sang Happy Birthday (Eleanor was by far the loudest) and Zoe blew out her candles. She was anxious to be done her cake so she could call her Grandma back and check out her new goods. Zach on the other hand had been waiting to eat the cake all afternoon and enjoyed every bite.
I'm glad you had a great birhday, Zoe. Enjoy your last year in the single digit numbers!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Emily started off her morning with a fall out of her chair while drinking her chocolate milk. I think she went to lean on the chair that is usually beside the one she was sitting in, but it wasn't there. She ended up with a minor cut on her chin. It was so sad to hear her sobbing as the other kids were laughing because she fell. They did quit laughing eventually when they realized that she was crying.
Emily made sure she had plenty of green on today. She was concerned that she didn't have green socks, but I assured her that it was okay to wear socks that weren't green. When she came out of the bathroom after getting ready, Matt & I noticed that she had blood on her shirt and realized that it was from the cut on her chin. I asked Emily if she had another green shirt to wear and pointed out the blood. I'm so glad she had another green shirt to wear because it would have devastated her if she didn't have a green shirt to wear to school.
Emily pinched me this afternoon for not wearing green. And she confessed that she didn't wear the purple sweater today that she normally wears to school because well, it's purple. She is really taking this green day seriously!
Zach is doing great going pee on the potty (he only had one accident today) and he often just goes into the bathroom without telling me and goes pee. But there is more progress to be made with the poop. He pooped on the floor today in the kids' room. I'm going to make 2 new sticker charts, 1 for pee and 1 for poop and see if that motivates him.
We watched an episode of "Survivorman" this evening with the kids before they went to bed. It took place in the desert. I was on the computer while watching the episode and Eleanor came over to me and said, "Dad says when we go to Utah, he'll take us to the desert! Will you come with us?
Me: "Yes."
Eleanor: "Yay! There's food there. Do you like to eat worms?" (It was cute how sincere she asked the question.)
Me: "No."
Eleanor: "How about the red things?" (Scorpions)
Me: "No."
Eleanor: "Does Dad like the red things?"
Me: "You'll have to ask him."
So Eleanor goes to talk with Matt. She comes back a while later and informs me that we can bring our own backpack of food, like fruit snacks and cheez-its and toast if we can. Apparently the critters of the desert didn't appeal to her either and she seemed quite relieved that we could eat our own food.
Emily made sure she had plenty of green on today. She was concerned that she didn't have green socks, but I assured her that it was okay to wear socks that weren't green. When she came out of the bathroom after getting ready, Matt & I noticed that she had blood on her shirt and realized that it was from the cut on her chin. I asked Emily if she had another green shirt to wear and pointed out the blood. I'm so glad she had another green shirt to wear because it would have devastated her if she didn't have a green shirt to wear to school.
Emily pinched me this afternoon for not wearing green. And she confessed that she didn't wear the purple sweater today that she normally wears to school because well, it's purple. She is really taking this green day seriously!
Zach is doing great going pee on the potty (he only had one accident today) and he often just goes into the bathroom without telling me and goes pee. But there is more progress to be made with the poop. He pooped on the floor today in the kids' room. I'm going to make 2 new sticker charts, 1 for pee and 1 for poop and see if that motivates him.
We watched an episode of "Survivorman" this evening with the kids before they went to bed. It took place in the desert. I was on the computer while watching the episode and Eleanor came over to me and said, "Dad says when we go to Utah, he'll take us to the desert! Will you come with us?
Me: "Yes."
Eleanor: "Yay! There's food there. Do you like to eat worms?" (It was cute how sincere she asked the question.)
Me: "No."
Eleanor: "How about the red things?" (Scorpions)
Me: "No."
Eleanor: "Does Dad like the red things?"
Me: "You'll have to ask him."
So Eleanor goes to talk with Matt. She comes back a while later and informs me that we can bring our own backpack of food, like fruit snacks and cheez-its and toast if we can. Apparently the critters of the desert didn't appeal to her either and she seemed quite relieved that we could eat our own food.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
One of those church days
Zach throws a major tantrum during the Sacrament because he didn't get to put his cup in the tray where it is supposed to go, after he tried putting it back where he got it.
Zach let's me know that he needs to go potty after we get settled back into the chapel after the tantrum, so I take him out again and he goes pee on the potty. :-)
Eleanor, Zach, Kate, and I are listening to the last talk during Sacrament meeting in the Primary room after Zach goes pee on the potty...Zach gets a look on his face that makes me wonder if he is pooping and sure enough we go into the bathroom and see that he has pooped in his underwear. I clean him up while Eleanor is demanding that I help her wash her hands and Kate is crying because she wants to be picked up. Sacrament meeting is over as we exit the bathroom.
2nd hour summary: No nursery leader...need to find a substitute. Come up with a snack for nursery and the CTR 4 & 5 class since the subs don't have a snack for the kids. Kate is cranky. Aimee tries to get Kate to sleep, but has no luck. I need to finish preparing my Sharing Time, the Singing Time activity, assign scripture, talk, and prayers for next Sunday, write down what is happening today for prayers, scripture, talk, and prayers. Aimee tells me I need a backpack for Kate. I remember there is one in the car, so she goes to get it. We get Kate settled into it, but she doesn't like it. I have Matt take Kate out of the backpack a few minutes later and he takes her with him into his office. I complete everything I need to do. I get Kate back after I walk by Matt's office and Kate, Kate cries, so the nursery sub picks Kate up and I take Kate from the sub.
3rd hour summary: Kate is still cranky. Esther, who usually gets Kate asleep for me during the 3rd hour is not at church today. I do Sharing Time while at times Kate clings to me and at other times she is entertained by Tasha. We have 2 new boys from the Philippines in our Primary and today was their first day. They are good and smart, but they are boys...we are used to a Primary with mostly girls. I am still trying to get their names down. While I help Jenny read a scripture during closing exercises and I hold Kate, Kate makes all the kids laugh and Jenny thinks she is making them laugh. Emily does a great job giving her talk. She does very well reading my writing that I had written in a hurry in the morning, not thinking that she would be reading it. I had told one of the nursery subs that Zach is potty training and that I would be in to check on him, but I never do. Zach stays dry all through nursery. :-)
This was Kate's first Sunday walking around by herself and everyone had fun watching her.
We go to Jessica's baptism after church (a Primary child). Zach declares he needs to go potty right after Jessica is baptized. Zach decides he wants to go potty without the Dora insert. He climbs up on the potty and goes pee. More progress...he doesn't need the insert anymore. :-) Zach LOVES to flush the toilet and the toilets at church are fun for Zach to flush because they are fast and loud. So Zach finds any excuse to flush them. He wipes himself then flushes. He sits on the toilet many times in a row to pee, sometimes peeing, sometimes not and flushes. He is on a roll and Kate is trying to play with the toilet paper and she is crying because I won't let her. I leave Zach in the bathroom to give Kate to Matt, who is at the other end of the building. I go back to Zach, who is now ready to get his pants on (after I had tried to convince him for the last 5 minutes!) and is hollering to me. We finally leave the bathroom. I am ready for the progress of going potty without having to totally undress from the waist down, especially when shoes are being worn! I miss the talk on the Holy Ghost and the confirmation and everyone is pretty much gone by the time we make it back to the cultural hall. I find Matt and Kate in the clerk's office counting tithing and I rescue a crying Kate.
The kids and I eat in the kitchen with the Speranza's while we wait for Matt. Then we end up in the nursery where most of the kids are pretending to be cats. We finally leave church around 3:30pm.
Zach let's me know that he needs to go potty after we get settled back into the chapel after the tantrum, so I take him out again and he goes pee on the potty. :-)
Eleanor, Zach, Kate, and I are listening to the last talk during Sacrament meeting in the Primary room after Zach goes pee on the potty...Zach gets a look on his face that makes me wonder if he is pooping and sure enough we go into the bathroom and see that he has pooped in his underwear. I clean him up while Eleanor is demanding that I help her wash her hands and Kate is crying because she wants to be picked up. Sacrament meeting is over as we exit the bathroom.
2nd hour summary: No nursery leader...need to find a substitute. Come up with a snack for nursery and the CTR 4 & 5 class since the subs don't have a snack for the kids. Kate is cranky. Aimee tries to get Kate to sleep, but has no luck. I need to finish preparing my Sharing Time, the Singing Time activity, assign scripture, talk, and prayers for next Sunday, write down what is happening today for prayers, scripture, talk, and prayers. Aimee tells me I need a backpack for Kate. I remember there is one in the car, so she goes to get it. We get Kate settled into it, but she doesn't like it. I have Matt take Kate out of the backpack a few minutes later and he takes her with him into his office. I complete everything I need to do. I get Kate back after I walk by Matt's office and Kate, Kate cries, so the nursery sub picks Kate up and I take Kate from the sub.
3rd hour summary: Kate is still cranky. Esther, who usually gets Kate asleep for me during the 3rd hour is not at church today. I do Sharing Time while at times Kate clings to me and at other times she is entertained by Tasha. We have 2 new boys from the Philippines in our Primary and today was their first day. They are good and smart, but they are boys...we are used to a Primary with mostly girls. I am still trying to get their names down. While I help Jenny read a scripture during closing exercises and I hold Kate, Kate makes all the kids laugh and Jenny thinks she is making them laugh. Emily does a great job giving her talk. She does very well reading my writing that I had written in a hurry in the morning, not thinking that she would be reading it. I had told one of the nursery subs that Zach is potty training and that I would be in to check on him, but I never do. Zach stays dry all through nursery. :-)
This was Kate's first Sunday walking around by herself and everyone had fun watching her.
We go to Jessica's baptism after church (a Primary child). Zach declares he needs to go potty right after Jessica is baptized. Zach decides he wants to go potty without the Dora insert. He climbs up on the potty and goes pee. More progress...he doesn't need the insert anymore. :-) Zach LOVES to flush the toilet and the toilets at church are fun for Zach to flush because they are fast and loud. So Zach finds any excuse to flush them. He wipes himself then flushes. He sits on the toilet many times in a row to pee, sometimes peeing, sometimes not and flushes. He is on a roll and Kate is trying to play with the toilet paper and she is crying because I won't let her. I leave Zach in the bathroom to give Kate to Matt, who is at the other end of the building. I go back to Zach, who is now ready to get his pants on (after I had tried to convince him for the last 5 minutes!) and is hollering to me. We finally leave the bathroom. I am ready for the progress of going potty without having to totally undress from the waist down, especially when shoes are being worn! I miss the talk on the Holy Ghost and the confirmation and everyone is pretty much gone by the time we make it back to the cultural hall. I find Matt and Kate in the clerk's office counting tithing and I rescue a crying Kate.
The kids and I eat in the kitchen with the Speranza's while we wait for Matt. Then we end up in the nursery where most of the kids are pretending to be cats. We finally leave church around 3:30pm.
Setting new goals
I had a nice day at the temple today. The ride there was a bit slower because of the rain/snow mix we were riding in, but we made it safe and sound. We passed a few accidents, one involving 2 tractor trailers which didn't look good, but we didn't have any problems. I think my busy week caught up to me today as I was sitting through the sessions and having a hard time staying awake. My Mom had to nudge me at one point when I was dozing instead of participating. Not good. It was nice to be around adults today and to get out of the house. Going to the temple is always an uplift and helps me to focus on what is really important in my life...the gospel and my family. I set a new goal on the ride to the temple to write down a church to-do list every month which would include the Relief Society lessons, Sunday school lessons, visiting/home teaching, Primary, 72 hour kits, food storage, and family history (that's what I can think of right now). I'd like to be working on everything at least a little bit. This goal came about after I admitted that we are ill-prepared for an emergency and I have not read from the Joseph Smith manual yet or kept up with the Sunday school lessons this year. Matt and I have been slacking with our home teaching and my lack of desire to work on family history needs to change. I know the saying, there is a time and season for everything, but I also believe that we get done what we want to and I am a much happier wife and mother when I am immersed in learning and serving in the gospel.
Zach woke up with a dry diaper this morning, which is a major change! He stayed dry all day and he's even using the Dora toilet insert that goes on the "big potty" now. More progress. :-)
Zach woke up with a dry diaper this morning, which is a major change! He stayed dry all day and he's even using the Dora toilet insert that goes on the "big potty" now. More progress. :-)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
It's all about the aim
Zach had another good potty day. It started out interesting as he sat on the potty this morning and started peeing before he was aiming into the potty. Zach got himself, the rug, the floor, and the laundry basket wet. So into the tub Zach went, the rug went into the washer, and I cleaned up the basket and floor. The aiming issue with boys is definitely a big difference than girls. A girl would have only peed on the potty chair and/or floor in this case. For the rest of the day when Zach went potty, he would say "not on the floor!" He is more careful now about waiting to pee until he is aiming in the potty.
I guess the effort of dressing and undressing to go potty has become too much of a chore for Zach because he spent most of the day naked. In his naked state this afternoon, he started grunting. I hurried him into the bathroom before he pooped on the floor. I must say I am looking forward to my day at the temple tomorrow. Matt will be taking over potty training duties for the day. I hope it doesn't mess up our progress.
Zoe stayed home sick today. Her stomach still hurt this morning, but she only threw up that once before bed. She was feeling much better this afternoon and was up and playing.
I have been hot most of the day and I thought I was going to burst into flames this afternoon. I remembered Eleanor being near the thermostat this morning, so I checked it and sure enough, it was set on 74 degrees!
Emily's class chose to watch 101 Dalmations II today for their class points reward. Emily has a big class and most of her classmates are boys, so I think earning these points is a huge deal. Her teacher does a great job and has a ton of patience. I'm glad Emily has her this year.
I guess the effort of dressing and undressing to go potty has become too much of a chore for Zach because he spent most of the day naked. In his naked state this afternoon, he started grunting. I hurried him into the bathroom before he pooped on the floor. I must say I am looking forward to my day at the temple tomorrow. Matt will be taking over potty training duties for the day. I hope it doesn't mess up our progress.
Zoe stayed home sick today. Her stomach still hurt this morning, but she only threw up that once before bed. She was feeling much better this afternoon and was up and playing.
I have been hot most of the day and I thought I was going to burst into flames this afternoon. I remembered Eleanor being near the thermostat this morning, so I checked it and sure enough, it was set on 74 degrees!
Emily's class chose to watch 101 Dalmations II today for their class points reward. Emily has a big class and most of her classmates are boys, so I think earning these points is a huge deal. Her teacher does a great job and has a ton of patience. I'm glad Emily has her this year.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Food Meme
Cindy tagged me and so I will share 5 food facts about myself.
1. I cannot skip breakfast and it is probably my most favorite meal of the day. I could eat breakfast food all day long.
2. Having lobster on my birthday has become a tradition. Yummy!
3. I am a chocolate fan, but I don't need to have it everyday. I am a bigger fan of chocolate desserts than fruity desserts.
4. I enjoy cooking dinner for my family. I feel like a good wife and mother when I have a delicious, nutritious meal on the table for all of us to eat together.
5. I don't bake a lot of desserts and it's rare that we have dessert around the house because I would be too tempted to eat it all. I have little self control when it comes to treats. We do have more treats around when I'm pregnant, which would explain my 11 pound weight gain a few months ago and my 7 pound weight gain last month!
Okay fellow bloggers, if you read this meme and you haven't done it yet...you're it!
1. I cannot skip breakfast and it is probably my most favorite meal of the day. I could eat breakfast food all day long.
2. Having lobster on my birthday has become a tradition. Yummy!
3. I am a chocolate fan, but I don't need to have it everyday. I am a bigger fan of chocolate desserts than fruity desserts.
4. I enjoy cooking dinner for my family. I feel like a good wife and mother when I have a delicious, nutritious meal on the table for all of us to eat together.
5. I don't bake a lot of desserts and it's rare that we have dessert around the house because I would be too tempted to eat it all. I have little self control when it comes to treats. We do have more treats around when I'm pregnant, which would explain my 11 pound weight gain a few months ago and my 7 pound weight gain last month!
Okay fellow bloggers, if you read this meme and you haven't done it yet...you're it!
Day 4 of Potty Training
Zach went the entire day dry! (except for a minor wetness right before bedtime) He was willing to go potty every half hour today and he peed every time. :-)
Kate has discovered the fun of "Ring around the Rosie". The older girls go slow with her, but Zach whips her around and she laughs as they tumble to the floor. She is pretty much walking all the time now.
Zoe's Paper Mache Pluto is done and she'll be taking it to school tomorrow, along with her typed report that she will read to her class. That is if she is feeling well in the morning. She threw up before she went to bed. Sickness or nerves???
Click on over to Matt's blog to see Zoe's project.
Kate has discovered the fun of "Ring around the Rosie". The older girls go slow with her, but Zach whips her around and she laughs as they tumble to the floor. She is pretty much walking all the time now.
Zoe's Paper Mache Pluto is done and she'll be taking it to school tomorrow, along with her typed report that she will read to her class. That is if she is feeling well in the morning. She threw up before she went to bed. Sickness or nerves???
Click on over to Matt's blog to see Zoe's project.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Day 3 of Potty Training
Zach continues to make progress with the potty. The yellow water didn't seem to motivate him as much today, so several times I took him into the bathroom kicking and screaming, shut the door, and told him we weren't leaving until he peed (and hoped that he wouldn't decide just to pee in his underwear). Both times I did this he peed on the potty. He only had one pee accident today and he pooped once in his underwear, but later on he pooped on the potty (I heard him grunting and rushed him into the bathroom), which was another break through I think because after he pooped and got to dump it into the big potty, he tried hard to poop again, but no luck. As I write this I'm thinking this might be too much information for you, but this is the excitement of my life right now, so you get to read about it...and probably someday Zach will hate me for writing about it. I was wondering today how long it will take for him to notice when he needs to go to the bathroom and go on his own. I was pleasantly surprised this evening when I went into the bathroom to check on the girls who were getting ready for bed and found Zach going potty. He was probably just copying the girls, but it's more progress. I am exhausted. This potty training is wearing me out! Oh yeah, and Kate pooped in the tub while I was giving her a bath this morning. More excitement!
Eleanor gave me some teenage attitude this evening...
Me: "Eleanor Marin!...What are you doing?" (She was squeezing water from a paper towel onto the kitchen floor)..."Throw that away right now!" (Can you tell my patience was running thin by early evening?)
Eleanor: "Okay, okay...chill!"
I think I'll take her advice and go chill right now. I must rest up for day 4 of potty training.
Eleanor gave me some teenage attitude this evening...
Me: "Eleanor Marin!...What are you doing?" (She was squeezing water from a paper towel onto the kitchen floor)..."Throw that away right now!" (Can you tell my patience was running thin by early evening?)
Eleanor: "Okay, okay...chill!"
I think I'll take her advice and go chill right now. I must rest up for day 4 of potty training.
Yellow water
Zach was more willing to sit on the potty today. Yesterday I would count out loud to 60 when he sat on the potty, so he wouldn't just sit down and then stand up and say he was done, but today I had the thought to bring books into the bathroom and read to him. He sat much longer as I read to him (as I read "Put me in the zoo" over and over and over again!) He peed a few drops a couple of times this morning, so I was happy with that progress and he got to put stickers on the "Zach peed or pooped" chart that he was banned from using yesterday. The breakthrough came this afternoon when he peed a lot on the potty and discovered he could make yellow water! He wanted to make yellow water over and over and over again...yay! We spent about an hour and a half in the bathroom after this discovery. He would pee, dump it into the toilet, pee, dump it into the toilet, over and over again. Later on when I asked him if he needed to go pee he said no. I asked him again a few minutes later and he said no. Then I asked him if he wanted to go make yellow water and he enthusiastically answered YES! So now instead of saying pee, we say yellow water. Hey, it works!
When I left this evening to go grocery shopping and to stop by my parents', Matt & Zoe were in the process of fixing Zoe's Paper Mache project. It had deflated and was looking pretty bad, but it's looking much better now.
Today Eleanor asked me if we eat animals. I said yes and she shouted, "WHAT???!!!" like she's a vegetarian and was extremely offended. She then asked what kind of animals we eat. I mentioned chickens, cows, and pigs. Then she asked me about frogs. No, we don't eat frogs. Apparently she does because she told me so and told me how good they are. I'm still wondering what triggered this conversation.
When I left this evening to go grocery shopping and to stop by my parents', Matt & Zoe were in the process of fixing Zoe's Paper Mache project. It had deflated and was looking pretty bad, but it's looking much better now.
Today Eleanor asked me if we eat animals. I said yes and she shouted, "WHAT???!!!" like she's a vegetarian and was extremely offended. She then asked what kind of animals we eat. I mentioned chickens, cows, and pigs. Then she asked me about frogs. No, we don't eat frogs. Apparently she does because she told me so and told me how good they are. I'm still wondering what triggered this conversation.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Paper Mache & Potty Training
Zoe got up at 5:20 this morning with Matt to get some rowing in before getting ready for school. She did 1000 meters and then 500 meters. She went to bed early last night, so she would be ready to wake up early this morning. She really seems to enjoy rowing...and getting up early on her own to do it is proof! Usually she's trying to get a few more minutes of sleep when I wake her up at 6:00. We'll see if she gets up early tomorrow since it is almost 8:00 and she is working on a Paper Mache project.
This weekend Zoe claimed that her teacher gave her newspaper to do a fun project if she wanted to and then proceeded to describe Paper Mache. She wanted to do it Saturday afternoon when I was busy doing other things and I told her that we could do it another time...we'll put it on our list of things to do. Then I read an update from her teacher this morning, which was in Zoe's backpack. It explained that the children were expected to do a project relating to the planet they picked to learn about, so this Paper Mache project turned into more than just something fun to do. It needs to be done by Friday. Zoe is making Pluto (which is now not even considered a planet I am learning). Step 1 of the project is now complete...and Matt and I are left to clean up the mess as Zoe heads to bed, wanting to get up early again tomorrow.
Zach was wounded during FHE this evening. During the game of charades when the girls were acting out "reading while dancing"...very badly I might add, Emily knocked Zach down (after knocking him down a second before and saying she was sorry) and he bumped his nose on the floor. It bled a bit, but he is fine.
I just remembered going over our schedule for the week as a family last night and Matt said "Monday is FHE" (Family Home Evening) and then Eleanor claimed that Tuesday was BRI. It was so cute!
Day 1 of potty training has ended. Zach received many stickers for sitting on the potty today.
But the day ended with no stickers on the "Zach peed or pooped on the potty chart".
And I am currently washing the different pairs of underwear and pants that he wore today. I am ready to go relax and read and forget about potty training until tomorrow!
This weekend Zoe claimed that her teacher gave her newspaper to do a fun project if she wanted to and then proceeded to describe Paper Mache. She wanted to do it Saturday afternoon when I was busy doing other things and I told her that we could do it another time...we'll put it on our list of things to do. Then I read an update from her teacher this morning, which was in Zoe's backpack. It explained that the children were expected to do a project relating to the planet they picked to learn about, so this Paper Mache project turned into more than just something fun to do. It needs to be done by Friday. Zoe is making Pluto (which is now not even considered a planet I am learning). Step 1 of the project is now complete...and Matt and I are left to clean up the mess as Zoe heads to bed, wanting to get up early again tomorrow.
Zach was wounded during FHE this evening. During the game of charades when the girls were acting out "reading while dancing"...very badly I might add, Emily knocked Zach down (after knocking him down a second before and saying she was sorry) and he bumped his nose on the floor. It bled a bit, but he is fine.
I just remembered going over our schedule for the week as a family last night and Matt said "Monday is FHE" (Family Home Evening) and then Eleanor claimed that Tuesday was BRI. It was so cute!
Day 1 of potty training has ended. Zach received many stickers for sitting on the potty today.
But the day ended with no stickers on the "Zach peed or pooped on the potty chart".
And I am currently washing the different pairs of underwear and pants that he wore today. I am ready to go relax and read and forget about potty training until tomorrow!
Wild
It is now dark when I wake up in the morning and I don't like that. It's hard to get ready for the day when it is pitch black outside and you just want to crawl back in bed. I did notice this morning that it does get light by the time Zoe & Emily will leave for school, so that is good.
I don't know if it was the time change or what, but my little ones were wound up today and other children were too! I had the thought before church that Eleanor is a wild woman as she sang at the top of her lungs and twirled around without a care in the world. She was quite noisy as we practiced singing in the choir...it's a good thing our choir director and choir members are patient and loving because otherwise we would have been kicked out of the choir weeks ago!
Right before the Sacrament was passed, Eleanor decided she needed to go to the bathroom. I told her she could wait, but she was not waiting and making a fuss, so I ended up bringing her out into the foyer. I refused to take her to the bathroom until we had the Sacrament, so she sat on the couch and played with another little boy and some toys...not reverently and not looking like she REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. After the Sacrament and a bathroom break, we made it back into the chapel, although Eleanor wanted to stay on the couch and play. Instead, she played with her classmate, Nathan who was sitting in front of us. It was one of those Sacrament meetings where there wasn't enough me to go around...Zach wanted to sit on me, Kate wanted to sit on me, and Eleanor was avoiding me and doing what she pleased.
Eleanor "read" a scripture today during closing exercises. When Eleanor gets up to the microphone in Primary, she gets really close to the microphone and talks really loud, and she laughs a lot. When we were done the scripture, she tried to put on a show, but she wasn't too successful as I yanked her away from the microphone. That's my Eleanor.
Kate is walking more these days. :-)
I have been prepping Zach for potty training this past week. Every time I change his diaper, I tell him that on Monday (tomorrow) he will pee and poop on the potty and wear underwear. So this afternoon I was encouraging him some more by repeating a line from the potty video we have that says, "No more diapers for me!" which I wanted him to repeat. He came back with, "No more diapers for Mommy!".
I have no problem changing a 2 year old, but when my children hit 3, something goes off inside me and I am ready to potty train. So Zach, starting tomorrow it is no more diapers for YOU...until you go to bed.
I don't know if it was the time change or what, but my little ones were wound up today and other children were too! I had the thought before church that Eleanor is a wild woman as she sang at the top of her lungs and twirled around without a care in the world. She was quite noisy as we practiced singing in the choir...it's a good thing our choir director and choir members are patient and loving because otherwise we would have been kicked out of the choir weeks ago!
Right before the Sacrament was passed, Eleanor decided she needed to go to the bathroom. I told her she could wait, but she was not waiting and making a fuss, so I ended up bringing her out into the foyer. I refused to take her to the bathroom until we had the Sacrament, so she sat on the couch and played with another little boy and some toys...not reverently and not looking like she REALLY needed to go to the bathroom. After the Sacrament and a bathroom break, we made it back into the chapel, although Eleanor wanted to stay on the couch and play. Instead, she played with her classmate, Nathan who was sitting in front of us. It was one of those Sacrament meetings where there wasn't enough me to go around...Zach wanted to sit on me, Kate wanted to sit on me, and Eleanor was avoiding me and doing what she pleased.
Eleanor "read" a scripture today during closing exercises. When Eleanor gets up to the microphone in Primary, she gets really close to the microphone and talks really loud, and she laughs a lot. When we were done the scripture, she tried to put on a show, but she wasn't too successful as I yanked her away from the microphone. That's my Eleanor.
Kate is walking more these days. :-)
I have been prepping Zach for potty training this past week. Every time I change his diaper, I tell him that on Monday (tomorrow) he will pee and poop on the potty and wear underwear. So this afternoon I was encouraging him some more by repeating a line from the potty video we have that says, "No more diapers for me!" which I wanted him to repeat. He came back with, "No more diapers for Mommy!".
I have no problem changing a 2 year old, but when my children hit 3, something goes off inside me and I am ready to potty train. So Zach, starting tomorrow it is no more diapers for YOU...until you go to bed.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Row row row your boat...
We all took turns on the rowing machine this morning before going about our day. Matt records the times on the internet, so we can see where we rank with the rest of the world. Zoe is ranked #40 in the world. She is really getting into this rowing and tries to beat her previous time each time she rows. Matt has started her training to be the best and she doesn't even know it. But she doesn't need to know it because she naturally has the competitive spirit within her and probably has the same goal for herself.
I took Zach to Walmart this morning to have his picture taken while my Dad took Zoe & Emily to their basketball practices. Zach has a history of crying while the lady is trying to take his picture, but today he was all smiles and very cooperative, although he refused to lay on his tummy.
I have been going to Walmart to have the kids' pictures taken since Zoe was a baby, so I know the drill, but a lot of things were different today because the studio is going digital, so the camera is different, the screen you see your picture on is different, you now only have 8 seconds to see your picture and decide if you want to keep it because then it will disappear, some prices are different, there are more options for borders and ways to make your pictures look different, and the printout you take home is different. But my sticking to the traditional package has not changed, I still get to choose my background, and the majority of the time I walk out of there having spent less than $10.
I treated Zach to the McDonald's that is in Walmart since he was so good getting his picture taken. Plus I wanted to fill his tummy before doing some shopping before going home.
I took Zoe & Emily to a birthday party from 4-6pm at a bowling alley in Bangor. That seems to be the popular birthday party around here. Bowl for an hour, eat pizza, open presents, and eat cake & ice cream. Zoe is now deciding if she wants a bowling party for her birthday. We really need to decide in the next couple of days since her birthday is only 10 days away!
Matt cut 2 inches off from Eleanor's hair this evening. I'm surprised she let him cut it, but she seems happy with it. Her hair is still plenty long, but it is more even now.
I took Zach to Walmart this morning to have his picture taken while my Dad took Zoe & Emily to their basketball practices. Zach has a history of crying while the lady is trying to take his picture, but today he was all smiles and very cooperative, although he refused to lay on his tummy.
I have been going to Walmart to have the kids' pictures taken since Zoe was a baby, so I know the drill, but a lot of things were different today because the studio is going digital, so the camera is different, the screen you see your picture on is different, you now only have 8 seconds to see your picture and decide if you want to keep it because then it will disappear, some prices are different, there are more options for borders and ways to make your pictures look different, and the printout you take home is different. But my sticking to the traditional package has not changed, I still get to choose my background, and the majority of the time I walk out of there having spent less than $10.
I treated Zach to the McDonald's that is in Walmart since he was so good getting his picture taken. Plus I wanted to fill his tummy before doing some shopping before going home.
I took Zoe & Emily to a birthday party from 4-6pm at a bowling alley in Bangor. That seems to be the popular birthday party around here. Bowl for an hour, eat pizza, open presents, and eat cake & ice cream. Zoe is now deciding if she wants a bowling party for her birthday. We really need to decide in the next couple of days since her birthday is only 10 days away!
Matt cut 2 inches off from Eleanor's hair this evening. I'm surprised she let him cut it, but she seems happy with it. Her hair is still plenty long, but it is more even now.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Happy Birthday, Zach!
Matt got up early this morning to exercise. I was worried that the rowing machine would sound really loud at the crack of dawn when the rest of us were sleeping, but it wasn't bad at all. I went back to sleep when Matt got up and it didn't wake up the kids. When Zoe & Emily got up, the rowing machine was still in the middle of the floor, so they had to get on it before Matt put it away.
Zach got up after it was put away and he kept pointing to it saying he wanted to get on the boat. The rowing machine is a big hit around here!
Zach woke up to his activity cart and he loves it...and his siblings love it too!
Here he is showing off his new hammer.
Zach let everyone play with it except Kate. When Kate tried to go near it, she got knocked down.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning and everything still sounds good with the baby. Matt was able to be at my appointment since I didn't get in until an hour after my appointment was scheduled because my doctor was at the hospital. I was content to read my book and wait (my mom watched Eleanor, Zach, & Kate). After my appointment, Matt & I went over to Pizzeria Uno for lunch. We were so happy to have a date lunch together!
We celebrated Zach's birthday at my parents' home with our family, Mom & Dad, and Donna, Doug, Philip, & Aly. Zach had been anxious all day to have cake and after hearing about presents before dinner, he was anxious to open his presents as we ate dinner. The moment finally arrived and the party began.
I sang Happy Birthday to Zach this morning when he got up, so for the rest of the day when we would say Happy Birthday to him he would say, "to you!".
Have fun being 3 Zach!
Zach got up after it was put away and he kept pointing to it saying he wanted to get on the boat. The rowing machine is a big hit around here!
Zach woke up to his activity cart and he loves it...and his siblings love it too!
Here he is showing off his new hammer.
Zach let everyone play with it except Kate. When Kate tried to go near it, she got knocked down.
I had a doctor's appointment this morning and everything still sounds good with the baby. Matt was able to be at my appointment since I didn't get in until an hour after my appointment was scheduled because my doctor was at the hospital. I was content to read my book and wait (my mom watched Eleanor, Zach, & Kate). After my appointment, Matt & I went over to Pizzeria Uno for lunch. We were so happy to have a date lunch together!
We celebrated Zach's birthday at my parents' home with our family, Mom & Dad, and Donna, Doug, Philip, & Aly. Zach had been anxious all day to have cake and after hearing about presents before dinner, he was anxious to open his presents as we ate dinner. The moment finally arrived and the party began.
I sang Happy Birthday to Zach this morning when he got up, so for the rest of the day when we would say Happy Birthday to him he would say, "to you!".
Have fun being 3 Zach!
A day of visitors
This afternoon my visiting teacher came over for a visit with her husband (Judy & Jerry Booth). I always enjoy their company and the kids do, too. Judy is very good about remembering birthdays, so she brought Zach a present, which he immediately opened. He got some new trucks and he played with them for the rest of their visit. Zach will turn 3 tomorrow!
My Dad, Donna, Doug, Phil, and Aly surprised us with a visit after the Booths left. Everyone had a great time with Zach's dart guns. There were darts flying everywhere! Eleanor sang for us and put on quite a show. She was imitating High School Musical songs and moves with a lot of hair flipping, strutting, and attitude. She had us all in tears from laughing so hard!
Aly stayed awhile longer after everyone left. The kids went outside to play and they made a snowman before coming inside.
Aly & I left after the kids came inside to meet my parents and Donna & Doug at "Just Barb's" for dinner. I enjoyed the food and the company. While I was gone, Matt was busy setting up his new rowing machine and getting the kids fed and ready for bed.
The rowing machine comes apart in two sections, so we are able to move it from the middle of the floor when it is not being used. Where there is a will, there is a way! Matt has been wanting a rowing machine for quite some time now and he is happy he finally has one. It's not as big and bulky as I expected, so I'm happy about that.
To the left of the rowing machine is Zach's new activity cart that he will wake up to in the morning. It was originally a Christmas gift, but we didn't get it in time for Christmas, so it has turned into the perfect birthday gift. The activity cart is not as big as we expected, which makes it a perfect size for Kate. But the activities will be perfect for Zach. I'm already anticipating fighting between Zach and Kate as Kate tries to push around Zach's cart. It could be interesting!
Matt wanted some before the rowing machine pictures of himself, which I took, and then I had him take a picture of the growing me.
My Dad, Donna, Doug, Phil, and Aly surprised us with a visit after the Booths left. Everyone had a great time with Zach's dart guns. There were darts flying everywhere! Eleanor sang for us and put on quite a show. She was imitating High School Musical songs and moves with a lot of hair flipping, strutting, and attitude. She had us all in tears from laughing so hard!
Aly stayed awhile longer after everyone left. The kids went outside to play and they made a snowman before coming inside.
Aly & I left after the kids came inside to meet my parents and Donna & Doug at "Just Barb's" for dinner. I enjoyed the food and the company. While I was gone, Matt was busy setting up his new rowing machine and getting the kids fed and ready for bed.
The rowing machine comes apart in two sections, so we are able to move it from the middle of the floor when it is not being used. Where there is a will, there is a way! Matt has been wanting a rowing machine for quite some time now and he is happy he finally has one. It's not as big and bulky as I expected, so I'm happy about that.
To the left of the rowing machine is Zach's new activity cart that he will wake up to in the morning. It was originally a Christmas gift, but we didn't get it in time for Christmas, so it has turned into the perfect birthday gift. The activity cart is not as big as we expected, which makes it a perfect size for Kate. But the activities will be perfect for Zach. I'm already anticipating fighting between Zach and Kate as Kate tries to push around Zach's cart. It could be interesting!
Matt wanted some before the rowing machine pictures of himself, which I took, and then I had him take a picture of the growing me.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Shouldn't we get snow on a snow day?
The day started out like the others during the week. We got up at 6am. Matt got ready for work, Zoe & Emily got ready for school, and I made lunches for Zoe & Emily. Matt, Zoe, and Emily headed out the door at 6:55 and I got Eleanor in the tub for a bath. At about 7:18, Matt called me from his cell phone and said the bus hadn't come yet, so he was wondering if school had been delayed an hour or something. I turned on the computer and checked the local news website to see if anything about our school was posted there. To my surprise, many schools were closed, including ours. It wasn't doing anything outside. I had heard that we might get some freezing rain today, but it never crossed my mind that school would be cancelled. So Zoe & Emily came back inside and Matt headed to work. I had all the kids ready for the day (including 3 baths) by 8am. Pretty impressive I think. I was happy when my Mom called a little later to invite the kids and I over. Getting out of the house sounded delightful and the kids & I looked forward to it. We got a little bit of freezing rain this morning, but most of the day was just cloudy. It was cold this morning, but by this afternoon it was in the mid 30's. I'm sure it is tough on days like today to make the decision about closing school, but I think today was a wasted snow day...a snow day that the kids will be making up in June. It was nice however for the kids to get some unexpected play time with their cousins.
Kate was so cute acting like a big girl at my parents'. She was sitting at the kids' table trying to get a drink out of an empty cup. She would take a drink, put the cup down, and then put her hands on her legs and wait, and then do the whole process over again, and over and over again.
The kids decided to exercise with me this morning. Toward the end of the workout, Emily was wondering (while whining) if we were done yet. I had to remind her that she was choosing to exercise and she could stop whenever she liked.
On Monday, Eleanor exercised with me and when the instructor said, "Okay, now speed it up", Eleanor replied, "Hey! That's what Daddy says...speed it!"
I forgot to post these pictures of Eleanor yesterday. She built a lego house for the Care Bears, which ended up being their castle.
I wanted to get another picture of her because she was barely showing in the first picture, so here she is in her modeling pose.
Kate was so cute acting like a big girl at my parents'. She was sitting at the kids' table trying to get a drink out of an empty cup. She would take a drink, put the cup down, and then put her hands on her legs and wait, and then do the whole process over again, and over and over again.
The kids decided to exercise with me this morning. Toward the end of the workout, Emily was wondering (while whining) if we were done yet. I had to remind her that she was choosing to exercise and she could stop whenever she liked.
On Monday, Eleanor exercised with me and when the instructor said, "Okay, now speed it up", Eleanor replied, "Hey! That's what Daddy says...speed it!"
I forgot to post these pictures of Eleanor yesterday. She built a lego house for the Care Bears, which ended up being their castle.
I wanted to get another picture of her because she was barely showing in the first picture, so here she is in her modeling pose.
It is bedtime!
Yesterday was a fun day off, but I have had one long, tough day today! I'm not sure what was bugging Kate today (teething, cold, or me being gone most of yesterday), but she was CRANKY. She took a short morning nap and then a few hours later she was acting tired again, so I put her down for another nap. Normally she is happy when I put her down for a nap and she looks at a book with her binky and blanket, but she would not settle down for another nap the rest of the day. She wanted me to hold her most of the day, but when I would sit down with her, she would get down to play, but as soon as I would get up to do something productive, she would cry and want to be held again. She finally fell asleep in her high chair watching Zach play on the computer.
It was a short nap because Zoe & Emily soon arrived home from school and the noise level increased. So by the time we sat down to eat dinner (which wasn't until after 6:30), Kate was exhausted. She ate her slice of pizza and then crashed.
And this is where she remained until the kids were ready for bed and in bed.
Eleanor's saying of the day:
"Is Daddy going to work today?"
Me: "Yes"
Eleanor: "Is you staying home today?"
Me: "Yes"
Eleanor: "Whew!"
I printed out a numbers worksheet for Eleanor to do this afternoon. I figured she would enjoy doing it because it involved cutting out numbers 1-10 and then gluing them on the matching numbers. She loves to cut and glue! I then tested her number recognition and laid all the numbers out in a random order and asked her to give me numbers in a random order. She had no trouble until I asked for the #8. And then she wasn't sure about the 9 and 6. Then I had her put the numbers back in order again which she had no trouble doing. She was still unsure what the 8 looked like and wasn't sure which way the 6 and 9 went, but she has no trouble counting from 1-10 and she can figure out which number comes next with no trouble..from 1-10 anyway.
I helped Zoe with her homework this afternoon and when we were done, she complimented me by saying, "I'm glad you're smart." That was much sweeter to my ears than hearing her say earlier that I never do any work!
It was a short nap because Zoe & Emily soon arrived home from school and the noise level increased. So by the time we sat down to eat dinner (which wasn't until after 6:30), Kate was exhausted. She ate her slice of pizza and then crashed.
And this is where she remained until the kids were ready for bed and in bed.
Eleanor's saying of the day:
"Is Daddy going to work today?"
Me: "Yes"
Eleanor: "Is you staying home today?"
Me: "Yes"
Eleanor: "Whew!"
I printed out a numbers worksheet for Eleanor to do this afternoon. I figured she would enjoy doing it because it involved cutting out numbers 1-10 and then gluing them on the matching numbers. She loves to cut and glue! I then tested her number recognition and laid all the numbers out in a random order and asked her to give me numbers in a random order. She had no trouble until I asked for the #8. And then she wasn't sure about the 9 and 6. Then I had her put the numbers back in order again which she had no trouble doing. She was still unsure what the 8 looked like and wasn't sure which way the 6 and 9 went, but she has no trouble counting from 1-10 and she can figure out which number comes next with no trouble..from 1-10 anyway.
I helped Zoe with her homework this afternoon and when we were done, she complimented me by saying, "I'm glad you're smart." That was much sweeter to my ears than hearing her say earlier that I never do any work!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Girls' Day Out
Out of the blue yesterday Eleanor started talking about how I used to go to church by myself, and then I had Zoe so I went to church with Zoe, and then I had Emily so I went to church with Zoe and Emily, and then I had her so I went to church with Zoe, Emily, and her, and then I had Zach so I went to church with Zoe, Emily, her, and Zach, and then I had Kate and now we all go to church together. It amazes me how well she catches on to relationships and the order of things. She understands that her Grammie is my Mom, and her Aunt Donna is my sister. It naturally makes sense to her.
This morning while looking at the calendar, Eleanor pointed out that at the end it would be Christmas. I thought she meant the end of March, so I told her it wouldn't be Christmas, it would be April. She replied, "And then you'll die." I told her I didn't think I was going to die in April and then I asked her if she meant Christmas would come at the end of the calendar. She replied, "Yeah, and then you'll die." I asked her why I would die and she answered, "Because you'll be with Jesus and you'll die." I think she has death on her mind from watching the movie, "Finding Faith in Christ" which has scenes of Christ dying on the cross (which really had her concerned that she would die on a cross like Jesus). We talked about our spirits the other day because she was concerned about ghosts and we explained how we all have spirits in our bodies, but when we die our spirits will leave our bodies and go to the spirit world. She really absorbs information like this and remembers it.
You can read Matt's blog to learn about the new repairs our Yukon needed today. An interesting part of the story is the fact that as we passed Scott (our tow truck driver) yesterday and Matt waved and said we would count that as our Home Teaching visit, I had a brief thought that we should get STRANDED once a month so Scott could tow us out and we could count it as a Home Teaching visit, but I did not think that we needed to BREAK DOWN every month!
When Eleanor realized that Matt was staying home for the day she asked, "Daddy, why are you staying at our house?" She was a bit confused that Matt had come back after leaving to go to work because that is the routine for most days...Daddy goes to work, Zoe & Emily go to school, and Eleanor, Zach, Kate, and I stay home. So WHY is Daddy home???
Having Matt home for the day turned out to be great for me. My planned girls' night out turned into a girls day out. My Mom, Donna, and I went shopping and ate lunch at Miguel's (a new Mexican restaurant in Bangor which is not as good as the Miguel's in Bar Harbor in my opinion). But it was nice to have a peaceful lunch together and the food was good, but they didn't have the Quesadilla that I love on their menu which was disappointing.
My Mom & I went to the viewing for Aimee's mother for part of the evening and then we watched "The Game Plan" before I came home. It was a cute family movie.
Now I am up way past my bedtime and I am going to be dozing tomorrow as I am playing with Eleanor, but I'm glad I had this day and evening to spend with my Mom and sister, and I am thankful to have a husband who encourages me to get away when the opportunity is there. :-)
This morning while looking at the calendar, Eleanor pointed out that at the end it would be Christmas. I thought she meant the end of March, so I told her it wouldn't be Christmas, it would be April. She replied, "And then you'll die." I told her I didn't think I was going to die in April and then I asked her if she meant Christmas would come at the end of the calendar. She replied, "Yeah, and then you'll die." I asked her why I would die and she answered, "Because you'll be with Jesus and you'll die." I think she has death on her mind from watching the movie, "Finding Faith in Christ" which has scenes of Christ dying on the cross (which really had her concerned that she would die on a cross like Jesus). We talked about our spirits the other day because she was concerned about ghosts and we explained how we all have spirits in our bodies, but when we die our spirits will leave our bodies and go to the spirit world. She really absorbs information like this and remembers it.
You can read Matt's blog to learn about the new repairs our Yukon needed today. An interesting part of the story is the fact that as we passed Scott (our tow truck driver) yesterday and Matt waved and said we would count that as our Home Teaching visit, I had a brief thought that we should get STRANDED once a month so Scott could tow us out and we could count it as a Home Teaching visit, but I did not think that we needed to BREAK DOWN every month!
When Eleanor realized that Matt was staying home for the day she asked, "Daddy, why are you staying at our house?" She was a bit confused that Matt had come back after leaving to go to work because that is the routine for most days...Daddy goes to work, Zoe & Emily go to school, and Eleanor, Zach, Kate, and I stay home. So WHY is Daddy home???
Having Matt home for the day turned out to be great for me. My planned girls' night out turned into a girls day out. My Mom, Donna, and I went shopping and ate lunch at Miguel's (a new Mexican restaurant in Bangor which is not as good as the Miguel's in Bar Harbor in my opinion). But it was nice to have a peaceful lunch together and the food was good, but they didn't have the Quesadilla that I love on their menu which was disappointing.
My Mom & I went to the viewing for Aimee's mother for part of the evening and then we watched "The Game Plan" before I came home. It was a cute family movie.
Now I am up way past my bedtime and I am going to be dozing tomorrow as I am playing with Eleanor, but I'm glad I had this day and evening to spend with my Mom and sister, and I am thankful to have a husband who encourages me to get away when the opportunity is there. :-)
Monday, March 03, 2008
Practice makes perfect
Kate showed off her walking skills for the Primary kids today. She still prefers to crawl, but she practices her steps more and more each day.
When we got home from church this afternoon, I made pancakes for the kids & myself. As I was about to flip Eleanor's pancakes, she instructed, "Flip it hard!" with much enthusiasm.
We had our Family Home Evening tonight so my Mom & I can attend the viewing for Aimee's mother tomorrow night (and have a girls' night out with Donna (my sister) as well). The kids were understanding about this change in our normal routine, which was nice. It worked out well that yesterday I had Matt pick up the cupcakes that Emily had requested for the treat, so we were prepared for all of FHE today without knowing we needed to be.
Zoe hasn't been feeling all that great today. She complained of a headache, sore throat, and stomach ache during church today. She fell asleep on the way home and rested for a bit before eating. She was feeling much better this evening. We all have one or more cold symptoms. It has been going on for about a week now and we seem to be getting worse as the days go by. I keep reminding myself that I would much rather deal with colds than the flu!
Zoe has been thinking a lot about what she wants for her birthday. She has reached the age of wanting expensive gifts. She would like an mp3 player, a nintendo, a palm pilot, a Lands' End gift card, a $92 suitcase for her American Girl dolls, and "Coconut" (a stuffed dog for her American Girl doll, which is $19 and looking very affordable!). The good thing about this expensive list is that I told Zoe we couldn't afford a big party with friends AND an expensive gift, so she has chosen the gifts instead of the party. :-) She did name a couple of friends that she would like to invite over for cake and ice cream which is doable.
I listened to the CES broadcast this evening featuring Julie B. Beck as the speaker. She is one of my favorite speakers to listen to and one of Matt's as well. Even though it was a talk for young single adults, I got a lot out of it. I find that to be true as I read articles in the church magazines that I think I won't get much out of because they are written for a group of people (such as singles, divorced parents, elderly, etc...) that I am not a part of. I actually get more out of those articles sometimes than other ones. It was fun to listen to Sister Beck's talk as a mother to gain knowledge and advice to pass on to my own children as they become single adults. I liked the point made that a temple recommend = obedience to the gospel. A young woman or man that knows that their date holds a temple recommend also knows that their date keeps the word of wisdom, attends meetings, lives the law of chastity, supports leaders, etc... What a great tip for a mother to pass on to her children!
When we got home from church this afternoon, I made pancakes for the kids & myself. As I was about to flip Eleanor's pancakes, she instructed, "Flip it hard!" with much enthusiasm.
We had our Family Home Evening tonight so my Mom & I can attend the viewing for Aimee's mother tomorrow night (and have a girls' night out with Donna (my sister) as well). The kids were understanding about this change in our normal routine, which was nice. It worked out well that yesterday I had Matt pick up the cupcakes that Emily had requested for the treat, so we were prepared for all of FHE today without knowing we needed to be.
Zoe hasn't been feeling all that great today. She complained of a headache, sore throat, and stomach ache during church today. She fell asleep on the way home and rested for a bit before eating. She was feeling much better this evening. We all have one or more cold symptoms. It has been going on for about a week now and we seem to be getting worse as the days go by. I keep reminding myself that I would much rather deal with colds than the flu!
Zoe has been thinking a lot about what she wants for her birthday. She has reached the age of wanting expensive gifts. She would like an mp3 player, a nintendo, a palm pilot, a Lands' End gift card, a $92 suitcase for her American Girl dolls, and "Coconut" (a stuffed dog for her American Girl doll, which is $19 and looking very affordable!). The good thing about this expensive list is that I told Zoe we couldn't afford a big party with friends AND an expensive gift, so she has chosen the gifts instead of the party. :-) She did name a couple of friends that she would like to invite over for cake and ice cream which is doable.
I listened to the CES broadcast this evening featuring Julie B. Beck as the speaker. She is one of my favorite speakers to listen to and one of Matt's as well. Even though it was a talk for young single adults, I got a lot out of it. I find that to be true as I read articles in the church magazines that I think I won't get much out of because they are written for a group of people (such as singles, divorced parents, elderly, etc...) that I am not a part of. I actually get more out of those articles sometimes than other ones. It was fun to listen to Sister Beck's talk as a mother to gain knowledge and advice to pass on to my own children as they become single adults. I liked the point made that a temple recommend = obedience to the gospel. A young woman or man that knows that their date holds a temple recommend also knows that their date keeps the word of wisdom, attends meetings, lives the law of chastity, supports leaders, etc... What a great tip for a mother to pass on to her children!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
More white stuff
Eleanor & Zach met Doug for the first time today. It only took an introduction for Eleanor to decide she liked him and felt very comfortable around him (she is one of those children that is social, which is nice in most situations, but the fact that she would walk off with a stranger without thinking twice scares me). Zach on the other hand needed more time to warm up to him, which did happen awhile later.
It snowed at least 8-10 inches today. Zoe, Emily, & Aly had fun playing outside and making a snowman. It's quite an impressive snowman!
Eleanor & Zach played outside, too, but not for as long and they only went out once whereas the older girls went out a couple of times.
Mom, Donna, Doug, Phil, & I played a game of Phase 10 this afternoon. It takes a lot longer to play the game with 5 people! But it was a lot of fun. Mom was the winner. Zoe was bummed that she didn't get to play, but she was watching "The Secret Garden" when we started the game.
Zach fell asleep while we were playing cards and while he was watching Dora. He is just in heaven when he gets to watch Dora! Can you find him under the blanket and pillow?
I found out today that our Primary President's mother passed away yesterday morning.
Matt spent most of the day playing and working in the snow with his friend, Don. He joined us for dinner at my parents' home and then our family headed home. I took these pictures as we were leaving.
It snowed at least 8-10 inches today. Zoe, Emily, & Aly had fun playing outside and making a snowman. It's quite an impressive snowman!
Eleanor & Zach played outside, too, but not for as long and they only went out once whereas the older girls went out a couple of times.
Mom, Donna, Doug, Phil, & I played a game of Phase 10 this afternoon. It takes a lot longer to play the game with 5 people! But it was a lot of fun. Mom was the winner. Zoe was bummed that she didn't get to play, but she was watching "The Secret Garden" when we started the game.
Zach fell asleep while we were playing cards and while he was watching Dora. He is just in heaven when he gets to watch Dora! Can you find him under the blanket and pillow?
I found out today that our Primary President's mother passed away yesterday morning.
Matt spent most of the day playing and working in the snow with his friend, Don. He joined us for dinner at my parents' home and then our family headed home. I took these pictures as we were leaving.
Friday, February 29, 2008
TGIF
My Mom came over this morning to watch Eleanor, Zach, & Kate while I went Visiting Teaching. It was very sweet of my Mom to give up her sleep- in time to help me out. :-) My Mom had taken the day off since my sister, my sister's fiance, Doug, and two of her kids (Philip & Aly) were arriving today for a week's vacation and my Mom picked them up at the airport. My Dad brought Aly over to play with Zoe this afternoon and then I brought Zoe, Emily, & Aly over to my parents' home for dinner this evening. We picked up pizza on our way. We met Doug for the first time this evening and he had Emily laughing all through dinner, so he has nicknamed her "giggles". Doug reminds me of my Uncle Phil. He is very nice and he fits right into the family.
I completed my goal for the week of exercising 3 times. :-)
I spent most of the day reading. That's the trouble with me starting a book, I just read, read, read and I neglect everything else. I'm not done my book yet, so there is more reading to be done.
The brakes got fixed on the Yukon today. It is so nice to apply the brakes and not hear any scraping!
Matt is waiting for me to watch "We are Marshall", so I will "talk" to you tomorrow.
I completed my goal for the week of exercising 3 times. :-)
I spent most of the day reading. That's the trouble with me starting a book, I just read, read, read and I neglect everything else. I'm not done my book yet, so there is more reading to be done.
The brakes got fixed on the Yukon today. It is so nice to apply the brakes and not hear any scraping!
Matt is waiting for me to watch "We are Marshall", so I will "talk" to you tomorrow.
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