Gazing

Check this out.  This was in response to my last post.  It is a picture of Rhon at a birthday party where the girls were dressing up.  She was 4, or just barely 5 (I can't remember when Kylie's birthday is).  Aspen must have thought it was funny enough to take a picture.  Aparently, she has had this "quirk" for a while now.  I doubt she will get over it any time soon.  

Quirks

#1  -  She will laugh and cry at the same time.  Usually it works like this:  She will start crying about something dumb, Nate will make fun of her, then she starts laughing.  Her cry turns into this psycho, freaky laugh-cry that makes me worry about her saneness.  Sometimes she will go back to crying, other times the laugh goes on... too long.

#2  -  She will stare at herself in any mirror, any time.  It is pretty funny when I am in the bathroom (not usually on the toilet, but sometimes) and she tries to tell me something.  She will watch herself the whole time.  Most of the time, she will get distracted and not be able to keep her mind on what she is trying to tell me.  So the story takes way longer than it could have.  She will fix her hair, smile, make flirty faces, etc.

#3, AKA "Baby Girl"  -  She cries every time she has to get up in the night to go to the bathroom.  Not only that, but she is completely disoriented.  This happens every night between 11 and 12, so we are usually awake to watch the spectacle.  Here is how this works:  She starts to cry in her bed.  If I think it is taking her too long to get up I will go in and help.  I will find her flopping and squirming all over.  If she manages to make it out of her room by herself, she will do a number of things.  I have seen her go into our room to pee, walk into the family room with her pants down, try to open the door handle (that isn't there) on the wall, or stand around in the bathroom not knowing what to do.  One time I went to check on her in the bathroom and she was trying to put her panties on over her PJ pants.  Poor thing. 

#4  -  He is a great eater, but he will go Kobayashi on his food.  That is to say he dunks EVERYTHING in whatever liquid he happens to have on hand.  He routinely dunks his pizza into Root Beer.  What a way to ruin both.  The water dunking is even worse.  Why would you want to water down your food?  Then he will try to shove disproportionate amounts of food in his mouth.  Without fail he will try to swallow the massive bites he has just taken - way too soon.  

#5, AKA "Baby Dude"  -  He has lots, but I chose his ability to stand on his head.  He started crawling, earlier than any of the others,  because his balance is amazing.  He likes to use his feet (not knees), and head.  He doesn't move like this too much, but he will just hang out upside down.  It is hilarious, and he does it all day.

The Fat Suit Is Comin' Off

                                                    

                                                     Mega Fat Suit

Here I am about 60 pounds overweight.  I only lost 22 when the huge baby came out.
                                                                      

Mega Face Fat Suit 

What am I storing in those cheeks?  Maybe food I could eat while at church.  Since I was hungry ALL DAY.

I have lost 10 pounds in the last few months.  Just 25 more to go.  I feel like there is hope for me.  I have spent the last 7 years of my life (only with a bit of space between Dare and Mads) either taking care of a baby inside of me, or trying to feed one.  

I like exercise, thankfully.  Because I also like dessert.

Pina Colada

There is only one thing better than having an Otter Pop (or six) in the summer.  And that's a Slurpee.  Getting those perfect, wonderful, freezy, airy, sweet, tart, flavorful drinks has become a Summer-Saturday family tradition.                

                                                   

                                                       

                                                   

Unconditional Love (?)

Last night was the fourth night in a row.

He says he is scared, and I feel bad for him.  I let him lay next to me on the couch.

He doesn't sleep.  He flops, kicks, squirms, rolls, pats me, and elbows me.

I fall asleep before him.  It is about 1:00 am.  It is worse when I am sleeping.  Somehow my senses are more acute.  I feel his movements 10 times more, and I wake up each time.  

He is asleep.  Daddy puts him in his bed.

The third night he goes to bed early but wakes up at 3:30 am.  He feels well-rested and hungry.  I know this because he brings me a pudding to open.  I do.  

He gets bored, and decides kicking me in the face would be fun.  It's not.  

He brings me books to read to him.  When I don't answer his calls, "Momma, Momma, doing?" he pats my shoulder to double his efforts.  I tell him books are a good idea, but to read them by himself.  He doesn't like that response.  He starts to pat Daddy.

I decide to go to the family room.  Daddy needs the rest. 

On the fourth night, he screams again because he is scared.  Daddy goes to lay down with him in his bed.  He sleeps.

Pictures of a sleep deprived child throwing a fit.

We have not been the best of friends the past few days.  I am having a hard time being sensitive to his problems and feeling sorry for him.  My love must be conditional.  No sleep = no love.

Dynamite

We had our last soccer game on Saturday.  It was really fun for both of us.  Dare didn't get into it as much as I thought she would, but she got a couple goals, and she says she had fun.

There was another girl on the team that wouldn't leave Dare alone.  The first few games were the worst.  She would tug on her shirt, try to hold her hand, and give her hugs.  I thought it was funny because you could tell Dare doesn't have the patience for that kind of treatment.  She would run away from her, and push her hands away.  I tried to keep one of them sitting out all the time, but the girl would follow Dare off and tell me she wanted to sit out.  I wonder if Dare is used to more mature behavior because she plays with a 6 and 7-year-old all the time (that isn't to say that my older girls are soooo mature).  But that is how I would have been at that age, so I think it is hilarious.
I think the experience was good for her.  And look how adorable she is!

For me, the coaching was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be.  I would do it again anytime.  Our team was really well behaved, and talented.  We won all but the first game.  And the kids worked so hard... well, most of them.

Dad's Day

Here are some of the best "Dad" moments.

Reading with the kids

Throwing them down the sledding hill

Holding baby #5 

This was the first Father's Day we have celebrated with 5 kids.  It is a difficult job being a father of 5 kids, (I'm not giving him too much credit, it is WAAAAAYYY harder to be the mother).  But Nate does a incredible job.  I am really glad there is a day we have to celebrate him, and treat him extra special.

Nate has many "good dad" qualities.  He is one of the best.  My favorite thing he does as a father is how he teaches the kids everything he can.  He will always give them honest answers to any question.  I doesn't matter to him if it seems complicated, or might take a while to explain, he loves the opportunity.  Because of this, they know all about gardening, cooking, weather, traffic, animals, poop, how paper is made (this one comes up a lot), fire, etc.  The list is endless.  I know my patience for questions is shamefully low, and I don't usually know the answers, so he definitely makes up for it.

Last night I asked the girls individually what they loved most about Dad.  I wrote their answers down for him, but one thing they all said was that he is funny.  Tonight when he was making us all laugh, I stopped to look at him.  He had the most satisfied smile on his face.  I know being a father is what he loves, and making our children happy gives him the greatest joy.   

Nine of Life

I have been married (to the same man) for 9 years today.

We're perfect for each other.

Sunday

This is probably not going to make sense, or be funny to anyone, but I had to write it down, and this blog is my new favorite thing to use to remember stuff.  So this one is for me... and you, if you keep reading.

Nate and I had uncontrollable, tear-filled laughter this past sacrament meeting.  It lasted somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes.  Luckily we were in the back row, so there weren't many people to witness the rudeness.

The speakers didn't take enough time, so the bishop got up to speak at the end.  I missed most of what he was talking about, which happens to me a lot.  But something he said caught my attention.  He was talking about someone being stranded, and how he debated killing himself.  I looked over at Nate and asked who he was talking about.  Nate, with his quick wit, said Brother Parker.  I turned away, not thinking much about the fact that Nate is always playing jokes on me.  I continued to listen, growing more and more confused.  The bishop told the story, and I listened intently.  At one point he said, "And as you all know, he was able to... (something, I can't remember)"  I think it was the "as you all know" that topped it off.  I was thinking, What?  Should I know this?  Is Brother Parker's story common knowledge?  I had NO idea he was stranded on a island.  

It seemed so fantastical, and I almost didn't believe it.  But that is what Nate said he was talking about, so I went on believing.  Finally, after many mind struggles and much confusion, I looked over at Nate.  He was laughing at me.  The funny part here is, is that after seeing Nate laugh, my first thought was not that Nate was joking with me.  I asked him if the bishop was making it up.  That sent him into a new fit of laughter.  Then he told me that he was talking about Tom Hanks when he was in that movie, Cast Away.

I know he was laughing at the look on my face, and his cleverness.

It is really fun to watch Nate laugh.  He is usually on the other side of laughter... the one who causes the laughter.  So when he is laughing so hard he almost has to put SCM down, for fear of dropping him, and tears are streaming down his face, you know that something is really funny. Ian is usually the only person who can make him laugh like this.  But I am taking credit for this one, even though it was Nate's doing.

                                        

I thought this was a good opportunity so share this picture.  I took it when Jen was at church with us because she had her camera.  He naps with SCM in sacrament, and with Mads in priesthood.  I don't care if he sleeps, as long as he is helping out with the kids.  And I can't get them to sleep at church.  

Kindergarten is Over... Tear

Rhon graduated from kindergarten.  We were all worried there for a while, but she managed to pull through in the end.

I didn't think I would mind as much with her moving on to first grade like I did with #1, but I do.  It's such a peculiar, difficult, uneasy feeling having a kid away from you for most of the day. She has been my rock for a long time.  I am literally scared of the youngest three when I am by myself.  I count on Rhon to keep everyone in line.  She is a natural leader, so Dare will do whatever she does, and Mads will do whatever Dare does (heaven help me), and I am sure it will continue on with SCM. 

Plus, I will just miss her.

She is ecstatic, of course.  Well, as ecstatic as she gets.  She is a very calm, cool ecstatic.  She is thrilled about eating lunch at school, having 2 recesses, being with Stir Fry, and riding home with Becky.  The whole idea is so natural to her.  Just another thing she takes in stride.

Just a few pics I took of her throughout the year.

This is at the zoo field trip.  I didn't see much of her, because I couldn't keep up with her group. I had the three youngest in tow. 

This was the "Nursery Rhyme Festival".  The kids memorized the nursery rhymes and made back drops.  They chose a character from a nursery rhyme and stood like statues until their button was pushed.   Kids from other classes, and families would go around pushing buttons. Then they would recite and act out their rhyme. Rhon was Jill from Jack and Jill.

She had to do a presentation on an animal.  She chose the white rhinoceros.  She did a really great job.  I was able to be there for it, and Stir Fry even asked her teacher if she could come to support her sister.  I could tell she was nervous.  She kept messing with her hair.  I don't think public speaking will be easy for anyone in our family.    

Just picking her up.

She was almost always last in line.  I'm not really sure why.  If I know her, it was because it was just too much trouble to rush.

Congrats Rhon!

 

Good One

I was a good mom today.

I spend a great deal of my life feeling guilty about one thing or another, but today I am guilt-free. Here's why:

I saved SCM from choking.  This was the second time this week.  I even vacuumed today, but he still found something on the floor to try and eat.

I danced with the kids.  They love Another Postcard by Barenaked Ladies, and Dirty Little Secret by All-American Rejects.

I didn't make the kids eat left-overs for lunch.  I really just wanted them all to myself, but I made it seem like they were getting a treat by having PB and H.

I let Stir Fry listen to the same song over and over.  She can get obsessed with learning the lyrics.  This time it was Wong Fei.

I didn't yell at all.  I even talked Mads out of throwing a fit because he didn't want to get buckled into the car.  I just asked him why not, and told him why it was important.  He was distracted enough to forget he was upset.  Nor did I yell when he smacked SCM.  Or when Dare got out of bed for the blue-gazillionth time.  It seemed so easy.  Yelling sucks.

We went outside to ride bikes.  This was hard for me today because it was cold outside.  Yes, it is still not warm.  Dumb.

I planned out my summer art class for the kids.  Hopefully my enthusiasm holds up for 9 weeks. 

I had a vegetable rich dinner ready by 6:00 sharp.  Okay, maybe 6:15.  Definitely by 6:20.

I gave the kids an extra 10 minutes to play before bedtime.  Tomorrow is the last day of school after all.  I know that is not that generous, but they were pleased.

I gave out about 1000 hugs.  SCM only slightly whined when I squeezed him too hard.

First Grade

I love the end of the school year.  There are always fun activities planned, and there is a certain kind of excitement that only comes with vacation anticipation, changes in schedules, a sense of accomplishment, anxiety over missing friends, warm weather, and uncertainty for the school year to come.   

Bryn had a "Purple Cow Poetry Picnic" a few days ago.  There was a list of poems the first grade learned throughout the year.  This was their chance to recite the poems and perform little skits along with the words.  It was really fun.  The camera I brought is not good for distance shots, so this is the best I could get.  I thought it was funny, because that kid next to her is so much taller than she is.  He is probably about average height.  She did The Purple Cow by Gelett Burgess, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field, and My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson.  After the kids were done, we had purple cow cookies and grape soda floats.

Bryn brought a book home that she made recently.  They have been making and writing books all year, but this one was particularly funny.  It is called The Bryn School.  Here are the words:

If I ruled the school, I would have no books. 

I would make the children have no parties and no field trips (except me and the three best students).

I would have no desserts (except me).

They will give me pictures every day.

They have to be good or else they will get kicked out of the school.

They give me money every day.

They will wear brown.

No pets at school.

Work all the time.

No fun at all.

They make me queen.

They have to give me everything.

No black hair.

The scary thing is, is that I wouldn't put it past her to enforce these rules if she were in charge.  She can be a bit self-centered.  And she really likes money.  But I think she was trying to be funny.  I think the "no black hair" was her way of saying I wasn't allowed there.

Pics

We have had our computer for almost a year, and I didn't know it could do this.  We now have a new, fun family activity that will occupy us for hours and hours.

I thought I would share some of my favorites.  Don't be surprised if you see lots of pictures like these in the future.