Lunch with Ty

We got to go to Ty's work and eat lunch with him. We all got our rooms clean, so I let the kids get fries on the way, which Jacki loved. She also loved her "frosting" (frosty.) Ty's been working a lot, so I've tried to find ways to see him more and have more "quality family time" (to quote the Berenstain Bears.) I've had Ty start taking me on dates again too. It's been fun. One night we went shopping, last week we went out to Avatar and Iggys with Ty's brother and wife, and this week we had our family date, and the kids loved getting out. We've gotten so busy, and by the time we are all home- we just want to relax. More often than not, I go to bed early, so it's been good to do things together.

Elmo got hit with a stick

Jacki just woke up and came in and told me that Elmo is hurt. Elmo is her big stuffed red animal. I went in with her to see what was wrong. She said that someone hit him with a stick. (We had watched Anne of Avonlea recently, and one of the students "was administered the strap.") I had to try so hard to not laugh as we examined Elmo.

Toddler Time

I don't think we've been to the Treehouse with Wes yet, so we went for Toddler time today. By the time we got there, only 1/2 hour was left, which was enough for me. It was hard to keep them both in sight. I needed leashes. They had fun. Wes did get scared of the talking man display that you can see in the back of the picture where they are on the horses. I think we covered the whole place in that half hour. It was packed but good to get out.

You're gonna miss this

Yesterday we had a busy day. Ty had to work and get a barley blend made. I had to get ready for our dinner group with couples from the ward (I'm really glad I had an excuse to have to clean and bake, but I didn't get a lot done while Ty was gone.) I'm loving trying out new cheesecake recipes. My family knows I love cheesecake, so Jojo and mom gave me a spring form pan, and I am glad for any excuse I have to make one. I've made the blue ribbon and the New York Cheesecake. Blue ribbon is my favorite so far. Ty and I are learning about cheesecake recipes and baking processes. It takes a whole day to make these (figuring in the chilling period.)

Ty got home in the afternoon. Even though he shoveled before he left, he had to shovel two more times that night. He also helped me clean. Jacki didn't want to have a nap and had to be coddled (she had to sleep in mom's bed and I had to lie down with her, which I was more than willing to do- yeah for nap time. None of those things worked, so when Ty came home, he made her go to her room to sleep. Wes woke up right about that time and wanted to come in the kitchen with me. I tried to barricade him out with chairs, but he made it in and slipped on the wet floor that I was washing. Then, I tipped my bucket and spilled water everywhere. He came in again and slipped, so he had to be caged in his crib for a while so I could finish. He got the most hysterical he's ever been. As soon as I finished, I got him out, and he wanted to be held, so it was hard to get anything done.

Then, Jacki woke up and wanted to go to grandmas, and I wanted them to go to grandmas. Ty went into Jackster's room to figure out why it stunk so bad and found two diapers she had stashed. He made her throw them away, and she brought them down to the kitchen and filled the room with the smell of urine. I made her trudge right out to the garbage can with her boots on and tried to keep from gagging. As I took them over, the country song, "You're gonna miss this" came on the radio. The words are coming from someone older with kids raised to someone raising kids. The young parent is glad to get through each stage, and the older parent says, "You're gonna miss this. You're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish this time didn't go by so fast." My friend that has five young children said she hates it when people tell her to enjoy the time while they are young because it goes by fast because it doesn't feel like it's going fast some days. I can relate. Some days feel so slow, but I totally trust the wiser ones that have been through this, so I was thinking about the things I'm going to miss. I'm going to miss watching Jacki learn how to do things like talk. The other day she said to me, "Don't eat with your mouth full." I'm going to miss Wes laughing hysterically whenever I do a coughing sound at him (hard to explain.) He thinks it's so funny. I'm going to miss seeing the kids play with their daddy. They light up around him and are so excited to see him. I'm gonna miss Jacki coming in to my room to give me a hug and a kiss and tell me her bed is too hard. I'm gonna miss hearing Wesley babble and play in his crib. I'm gonna miss Jacki's honesty, "I see a bum. I see a belly poking out (both said to me.) So, ya when I think about it, there is a lot I'm going to miss....but not the stashed diapers or tantrums!

Klondike

Here are pictures from the Klondike. Ty said he was plenty warm. The scouts were pretty impressed with his homemade chili (made by dumping cans and adding a little chili powder.  Ty said that they were amazed with the bread sticks and cookies that he brought up. That made me smile.

Water mustache

We had a family date night last night. We went to Lowe's to find some boards to help me in my quest to overcome my weakness of disorganization. Right now I'm working on the pantry. The kids were so happy to get out of the house. Jacki loves Lowes and "The depot." Ty played with
Wes. He had his measuring tape that he would flip out towards Wes. Our lil guy loved it when it was close enough that he could touch it, and he laughed. Lowe's has drinking fountains. Jacki went over there a couple of times. She told me she couldn't drink anymore because she was going to get a water mustache.  We drink a lot of orange drink at our house, and if Jacki doesn't use a straw, she ends up with an orange mustache, so she figured that she was going to get a water mustache.

Our family adventure also took us to Hastings. I promised Jacki that she could get a new strawberry shortcake movie if she had a nap and picked everything off the floor so I could vacuum (anything to avoid bending over.) She was so excited. She liked that store and all the candy toys. We had to keep telling her to come with us. Come to think of it, she ran away at Lowe's too, and one of the workers told Ty which way she went.

We ended our night out with a pizza to go from Pizzeria. It was bbq chicken. They put a little fresh parsley on it, and Jacki said, "Yuck, there is salad on my pizza." (She's not a fan of salad, and we like to tease her about that.)

Missing Dad

My friend Pauline gave me an amaryllis bulb to watch grow. It just bloomed this week. On wikipedia, the amaryllis is described as follows:

"The botanic name Amaryllis is taken from a shepherdess in Virgil's pastoral "Eclogues," from the Greek ἀμαρύσσω (Latin amarysso) meaning "to sparkle."^[4]

As a flower symbol it has come to mean "Dramatic"."

Pauline gave the flower to me to remind me of my dad and grandpa who have passed away. Then, I read my friend Edythe's blog about her memories of her dad and listened to music on it called Daddy's girl, and I teared up yesterday and hope that I have a couple of guardian angels that are helping me from paradise. I am a lot like my dad. Grandpa was my mentor. I spent a lot of time with him the last year or so of his life, and he adored my little girl and loved our visits. I'm really glad that I've had these reminders of these two important people in my life. I had a brain hiccup, but I just remembered where I was going with this and came back to finish this post. I know that they are a part of who I am-- just like all other friends and relatives that have impacted me. Elder Anderson gave a recent fireside. He said, "Just as our life began before our birth into mortality, our life does not end with the stopping of a heartbeat. We will continue on. Who you are—you, the distinct individual—you will always be you. Some may say, “I don’t like myself.” Sorry. You can shape who you become, you can be more than you are today, but you will always be you." I know that my dad and grandpa are continuing on and have thought about my life and what I need to do in life as the "distinct person" that I am. I love the general authorities way of encouraging us to all "sparkle" like the amaryllis no matter where we are or how the world sees us. I think it's so important to teach our kids that they are special. Already, my three year old says things like, "I can't do that good enough, etc." I help her as much as I need to and then let her shine. There is nothing like the glow that comes through her face as she says, "I did it." Ty has done this for me. I told him that he has always treated me like a 10 cow wife (jonny lingo). He doesn't care about mistakes. He openly admits to the ones he makes and moves on. I hope that our kids are able to cope with life like Ty does and realize how great they are.

Enjoying life without letting the policeman run us over

The kids have been feeling better, and Jacki was really excited to go to the library. I told her it didn't open until 10. She looked at the clock and said it was nine (she doesn't understand how read the minutes yet.) We read a few books and then went. We had gone a couple of blocks when she told me that she needed to put her seat belt on. I told her that we need to wear seat belts so we can be safe. She said, "Ya, and if we don't, the policeman will run us over." It took me a second to realize that she meant to say "pull us over." I told her that they pull us over not run us over. She told me that there weren't any policemen out, so I went back to telling her that we need to wear seat belts so that if we get in a wreck we don't go through the windshield. She couldn't understand why that would happen. So, we moved on to eye spy.

On a different note, I felt like I needed to quit my job at the end of October for a lot of reasons that I won't go into. I have really tried to enjoy being home with the kids, but I admit that there are times that I miss work. Whenever I hear stay at home moms say that they love every minute and there is nothing they'd rather be doing, I wonder what's wrong with me. Last night for example, Jacki and I were making dinner- potato logs, and I told her she could do the shaking after I finished cutting up the potatoes. When I was ready, I yelled to her, and she didn't answer me. I went up to find her. She was in her bathroom with poop all over her and in her pants. I dropped everything to clean up the mess and give her a bath. We had a talk about not messing her pants.

After dinner, we were hanging out on my bed getting ready for scriptures, and I smelled poop. I didn't know if I was just imagining it, but it wouldn't go away. Ty came in and told Jacki she stunk and had to go take care of it. It turns out she had pooped her pants again....de ja vu....So, like I said it was one of those moments when I wasn't loving being at home. I talked to Ty about it, and he said that there are plenty of times that he would take poop and doing dishes over what he has to do, and I realized once again that there is poop that we all have to deal with (literal and figuratively.) I know that work isn't a fairytale either. I've been there, but this last time that I did work I tried to really appreciate the opportunity, even though I didn't love everything about it. I've realized that those people that say they love their jobs (stay at home mom, career, whatever it may be.) don't love the crap, but they don't let it ruin everything else that they do love. I won't ever love changing poopy diapers.

No hope for good education

I remembered a scene from the movie Baby Boom yesterday. The mom's are sitting around at the playground watching their kids play, and one mom is really upset because she just found out that her child didn't get into the preschool that she wanted. She says that if he doesn't get into the right preschool, he won't get into a good primary and secondary school, and then he can forget an ivy league college. Then, when Diane Keaton admits that her child isn't signed up for any schools and can barely hold a cup, the upset mom said, "I thought I had problems."

Well, yesterday I started calling preschools. My baby girl wants to go, and I think it would be good for her. I thought that I was calling in plenty of time (they don't start until fall.) Well, the first one I called said that she would put me on her waiting list. In a couple of weeks I would get an email either saying it was full, or saying there was room. The next one told me that her 4 year old class pretty much fills up automatically because she has a three year old class that just moves up. She did think she has at least child changing schools and one opening. My mother in law referred me to her. She actually taught my husband. When she found that out, she said she would move us to the top of the list. So maybe I haven't ruined Jacki's chance for a good education after all ....hahahaha.

I'm going to press the button

Jacki and I are both ready for dad to come home. Jacki just asked me, "what's taking dad so long?" We've had a big day. Jacki just said, "You really wear me out but I love you anyway mommy." That's from one of our favorite books, (but it's the other way around.) I thought I'd better update our blog. I've been putting it off because I really want to put in pictures from Ty's Klondike which aren't on the computer yet, so I've been procrastinating.

At our house the coveted task is to press the garage button. If we want to light a fire under Jacki to get her out of the car fast and into the house, we say, "I'm going to press the button." Wes has caught on to and wants the be the one to press it. He has enough motor control now and is strong enough to do it. Yesterday when Ty came home from work he came in and said, "I pressed the button," (just to rile up Jacki.) It worked. She said, "aaaahhhhh."

My brother Jord just sent me these pictures he took while he was visiting us. We miss JOJO! We had fun with him. Jacki loves to cheese it!

Haiti

K, so I was having a pity party yesterday- not really feeling and dealing with kids that hadn't had naps. I've been watching the news lately, mainly for the weather, but fox13 was covering the earthquake in Haiti. They said it is estimated that 50,000 people have died. I thought maybe I had heard wrong, but in the recap they said it again, and I just saw some of the pictures on msn's home page. Unbelievable....I really am so blessed. I took a minute to put life into perspective and realize that just to be in a warm safe house with my little kiddos was such a blessing. I'm impressed with everyone who is helping, and I'd like to help in some way. I don't have money or ability to go over there, but I'm determined to find some way to do something. Right now, all I can think to do is pray for those people that are affected.

I spy with my little eye

When we ride in the car, Jacki and I play I spy. We have our own simplified version. For example, instead of saying, "I spy with my little eye something red (fire hydrant), we say I spy a fire hydrant. The other day she said, "I spy with my little eye something with glowing eyes." I wondered where she had picked up on the "my little eye" part and where she thought of the glowing eyes. As I'm sitting here typing, she's watching her Bernstein Bears movie, and brother bear said, "I spy with my little eye something with glowing eyes." He found the neighbor's cat while they were playing the game. She really remembers what she sees and hears.

Chocolate cow

Well, I didn't sleep well. I went swimming with Elise Hardy this morning and came home and went back to bed. I didn't get up until the kids got up. In order to buy some time to dry my hair, I let Jacki watch Bernstein Bears Fun at the Park movie. She was really upset when I told her it was time for breakfast, and she would have to pause her movie. She threw a tantrum and slithered on the floor like a snake. She gave in when I gave Wes chocolate milk. We don't usually buy it, but Smiths had it on sale, and it's her favorite. She cheered up and ate her rice crispies after that. I asked her where chocolate milk comes from. She said that milk comes from a cow, so chocolate milk comes from a chocolate cow. The other day she told me that rice krispies are her "very favorite" cereal.

REALLY????

My sweet brother Jordan is still in town on his school break, and so I took advantage of it and took him shopping with me. (He had to chase Wes around the store carrying a stuffed animal.) Jacki made him look at the toys.

Well, I'm getting to the part in pregnancy where nothing is comfortable, and though people tell me "you're tiny," it doesn't make the pants fit. I don't like prego pants either because they hug me too much. I just want to be comfortable. I found a pair of pants under $3 at Ross....yeah...until I took them out of the bag at home and saw that the gray plastic tag that beeps when people steal items was still on there. It did beep when we left, but the loss prevention lady told me that it was because we bought a movie (which was the Berenstain bears movie that Jacki got Jordan to get for her. I didn't even give permission for that one.) I asked her if I could take it off. She said that I would have to bring it in to the store.....REALLY....that's totally not worth it. What a pain, but I turned it into an excuse for Ty to take me on a date yesterday. My mom told me that she had the same thing happen at kohl's, so we took hers back too. I told Ty I couldn't believe that they had put a tag on a $2.50 pair of pants. We figured that they put those on everything when they come in- no matter the value, but we still had fun cracking jokes: "Don't let the pregnant lady get away with the $2 pants."

We did have a great date though. I read my friend's Marisa's cool blog post about their marriage counseling session and just preventing problems. I don't have the luxury of having free counseling, so I thought I'd be my own counselor/therapist and counseled myself to go on more dates to spend time with Ty without the kids. It was great.....hard to breath though....the air was sooooo cold. Ty noticed a big dent on the passenger side of my car when he opened my door.

Wes is trying to put his fingers in the shredder and crying, so that's all of my "really" moments for today.

Baby

I haven't said much about the baby yet. Ty thinks this is our most active baby yet, which is saying a lot. Jacki made my belly do the wave. I believe it. I'm so exhausted. It must be from being pounded from the inside all the time. I told my doctor that I had so much more energy with the other two during the 2nd trimester (I wondered if depression or anxiety was making me tired.) He didn't seem concerned and said that the reason why I had more energy is because I didn't have the other two. He compared them to the dementors (spell check doesn't like this word by the way.) in Harry Potter that suck all of the energy out of you.

The picture on the left is our baby's first picture.

We had the typical 20 month ultrasound in November. The doctor couldn't find the corpus collosum. It's that gray part in the middle of the brain in the picture below. The doctor said it separates the left and right side of the brain, and they don't know exactly what it means if it isn't there. So, I haven't said much about it (since we have no idea what it means.) I did tell my mom about it, and she told my sister that there is something wrong with my baby. She's been really worried about him and prays for him a lot.
This baby has had an extra ultrasound, and we go in for a MRI the end of this month. I don't want people to worry, but prayers are always appreciated. (I am worried about being claustrophobic in that machine they use. (Of course I'm taking my MRI knowledge from fox 13's series House, but the ultrasound doctor suggested maybe I should take a Valium....good idea....maybe I should take a Valium to deal with the rest of motherhood too. That might help me chill out next time I have to help Jacki clean out her toy chest.

I'm going to have a photo album full before he even comes out. I like that each of these ultrasound pictures say what they are. The ultrasounds have gotten better with each child, but I still like the helps. So, here's the face, and the doc said that he is very good looking.
Here is a foot.
We're getting excited to have another baby around here. Wes isn't a baby anymore!!! It's also going to be fun to have a baby the same age as his cousins. (Rachie's twins will be born within weeks...maybe even within days of our sweetie. We'll see where this baby takes our lives. I've quit my job....it was too much, and the boss needed someone who could work more and whenever he needed them, and it was too hard. I told him that it would be easier for him to find another accountant than it would be for me to find someone to watch 3 kids under the age of 4. I've tried to really enjoy being home and spend more "quality time" with the kids rather than just babysit.  Jacki and I worked on her first talk this week. Every day she asks me what day it is. Today I told her it is Saturday, and she said, "What do we do on Saturday." I sang her the "Saturday is a special day it's the day we get ready for Sunday song." She got excited and said that Sunday is when she's giving her talk. I've also been reading her Disney stories. (We really want to go to Disneyland now.) We played the wii too, and she was able to do a fast serve on the tennis game and got two strikes in a row in bowling. I adore these kids!!!!

Where's the binky

Binkies disappear so fast. Wes will have one in his mouth, and then it's gone seconds later. It couldn't have gone too far. One time I found it under Ty's desk. This week I found toy in Jacki's toy chest. I think the craziest place I've found one is in the bag of flour. Then, I found one in the toilet. Where's the binky is a constant adventure around here.

A stitch in time saves nine

"A stitch in time saves nine." Ty taught me this phrase the other day after I spent FIVE hours stitching up the bed. The stitching and binding on our mattress started coming undone, and then the kids helped it by pulling the string. They thought that it was a lot of fun to pull it and wrap it around them. So, new years day, Ty took Jacki to the Princess and the Frog movie, and Wes was having a nap. Ty had washed the sheets, and I figured he was giving me a clue that the bed really needs to be stitched up. He told me later that he just hadn't made the bed, but I figured it was about time that I fix it. It's one of those projects that I never seem to have time to do, so I made myself do it. My back hurt so bad after that and needed some major adjusting. Ty is my personal chiropractor this pregnancy. My back needs to be popped everyday.

This baby must be doing cartwheels inside of me. It feels like a big stomach ache. Ty likes to feel the baby and the other day he said, "whoa, that was a big one." I gave him some attitude and said, "Really, honey if you can feel him, I can definitely feel him." I also give him attitude when he tells me that my belly is getting big, "Really???" I've whined more this pregnancy than the others. Ty's handled it well though and hasn't complained about my whining or lack of energy.