Day of Make Believe

We were out and ready to go by 8...

We went to the Babies R Us opening.  We went because I needed to get some items and it is SO much closer to the house.  It was the GRAND OPENING.  How lucky for us these people were there...

Scarlett YELLS Grobee!!!! It was SOOO Adorable!

And of course the older kids were excited to see PLEX

We could hardly contain ourselves.

We probably sang Don't Bite Your Friends 7 times while we were walking throughout the store.

I think I was more excited then the kids, I can't get enough of Yo Gabba Gabba!

Geoffrey the Giraffe!

And then we saw him...

Lucas asks him...

What is your name?

He replies " I am ST Six Hundred and Forty Four"

Lucas says oh yea?

I am ST Six Hundred and FORTY FIVE!

Bridget smiles and High Fives Lucas like yea burn! haha.

Or my dad's favorite MoVal term " YOU GOT MOATED!"

We were supposed to meet up with friends for lunch but it didn't work out.

So I took the kids to Chick Fil A.

We hardly ever eat out so when we went in the kids thought we would see Carter Cody and Emma since the last time we went to Chick Fil A they were there too. Uh, no that was like 6 months ago. Hahaha.

But of course as we were leaving the Cow comes out.

On the way to PreSchool Lucas asks who are we going to see for dinner?

I said no one why?

He said "Oh man I was having such a great day full of Make Believe"

"You know Bridget...those people are just in costumes."

Bridget --- Like Halloween?

Lucas "Yes. Just Like."

It was a fun day and we didn't get home from everything we did today until 1, but the kids are down for nap and I still have time to relax before we start it all up again. :)

blarg

0-6 weeks not my favorite. My least favorite weeks are week 3 and week 7.  Once you hit 8 weeks you are golden. At least that is my experience with MY children.

Today marks the day of the 7th week for Juliet.  She has caught up from all of the non-BMs to having an explosion every hour.  She has been very uncomfortable all day and has had this grumpy demeanor all day.

After talking to a friend on the phone, I know its just a short weird period in every one of my kids life and it will pass...so far it always has, its just frustrating at the time when you are going through it at that moment.

She is still a great sleeper and awesome and wonderful-like all babies are, its just wearing when you have to tell 3 kids to leave her alone, or stop touching her or let her sleep and then when they do she wakes up and is covered in a light yellow substance. Usually all down her back. Haha.

yes we are 4 for 4 with kids who sleep with one eye open...thanks A LOT NATHAN

So what do I do?  I talk to the little sunshine in the house. She always makes the day better.  

Oh Scarlett - I love you. :) I especially love how you can't say the letter S when a consonant is next to it...

"-nowman!" "gary pidas"

I also ask Lucas to be the awesome big brother he is and read to Bridget so it will distract her long enough to forget about the crying baby who is on her 4th bath of the day.

I then tell Bridget how lucky I am to have another Mommy in the house (very very sarcastically) and she lovingly smiles because she doesn't yet understand sarcasm. Especially mine.

Then I do what is the running joke at Nathan's office and I bake.  The joke is that if its below 50 degrees the next day there will be cookies from me in the office for everyone to eat.  So far...this has been true. Why disappoint, why prove them wrong?  Today I made toffee cookies. Mmmm.

So that was today, you can bet that tonight I will be praying for a BM free day from my sweet 7 week old and nothing else to change because even the hard days are worth it.  I would never want to trade my kids (maybe Bridget J/K) or my life with anyone. :)

Things to Think About 4/11

The get-it-done list for April... straight out of the "gentle reminders" section of my 6 years of Martha Stewart Living magazines. Started late? Check out the other months here. I have also added my 2 cents. :) Happy Cleaning/Organizing/Planning.

• Clean stubborn spills and splatters that have hardened on the interior of your microwave. Place a wet dish towel inside, and heat it for about thirty seconds. The steam will loosen buildup; use the hot cloth to wipe it away, placing a folded dry cloth over the wet one to protect your hand. Remove any residual odors by heating a bowl of water with a few lemon slices in it for thirty seconds.
• Wipe out garbage cans. Wash the interiors with a solution of one gallon hot water and one-half cup washing soda, such as Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (available in the laundry aisle of most grocery stores).
• Clean dirt and lint from inside your washing machine. Wipe the interior with a clean, damp cloth, then run a short hot wash cycle with detergent; rinse the empty machine with a plain water cycle. If the machine is exceptionally dirty, fill it with a disinfecting solution: 3/4 cup chlorine bleach and 1 tablespoon powdered detergent for every gallon of warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then drain and rinse a few times.
• Get your gas grill ready. Wash the outside with dish soap and water; rinse. Scrub burners with a grill brush; clear clogs with a pipe cleaner or needle. Spray the interior with a grease-cutting solution made of one part distilled white vinegar and one part water. Close lid, and let sit for at least an hour; scrape gently with a putty knife.
• Have your lawn mower tuned up and its blades sharpened. Refill gas containers and buy oil for the mower, as well as for other small-engine equipment, such as a week whacker. (Make sure that you buy the correct formula for each machine.)
• If you don't use them year-round, pack up room humidifiers for the season. Before storing, replace old filters, and remove mineral buildup. Soak interiors with undistilled white vinegar, and scrub with a soft bristle brush; rinse with clean water.
• Clean window screens. Bring screens outside. Stand them against a wall or lay them on the ground. Using warm water and mild dish-washing detergent, clean mesh and frames with a scrub brush. Rinse with a garden hose, and air-dry. During the rest of the year, keep screens clean by wiping them with a soft brush.
• 72 Hour Kit Swap Out.  It's time to rotate through your food.  For us we take out things that melt like granola bars, fruit snacks, etc.  Most of the time we have dinner out of our 72 hour kits and for FHE restock them! Try it its so fun!
• Schedule a tune-up for your car. Request that your tires be changed or rotated, the brakes and fluids checked, the wiper blades replaced, the air conditioning system and four-wheel drive serviced, and the under-body steam cleaned. Drop by the car wash for a detailed cleaning on the way home.
• Road rules. Properly inflated automobile tires ensure better handling on the road as well as optimal gas mileage; keep a tire-pressure gauge in your glove compartment and check the pressure monthly. The right tire pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a sticker on the driver's side door-jamb. Consider filling tires with nitrogen, an option at auto shops; it maintains pressure longer than regular air.
• Pack or restock a car breakdown kit. Fill a canvas bag with such items as a flashlight and batteries, fix-flat spray, jumper cables, flares, motor oil, and a small tool set. Stash the kit in your trunk.http://nvwitteandkids.blogspot.com/search/label/Things%20to%20Think%20About

Happy vs. Not So Happy

This morning the girls were playing beauty shop in the bathroom...

This makes me happy

 There was laughter and singing and what seemed like a good wholesome activity.

-Then-

The phone rang.  It was Nathan wanting to go over the game plan for the evening.

I was downstairs feeding Juliet when it happened.

I should know not to leave ANYONE ALONE with WATER.

I hear screaming and yelling and my favorite Scarlett quote

"Stop touch-in-me BRIDGET!"

"GO WAY BRIDGET"

I run upstairs and I see what had happened while I was away...

No one would tell me what happened. Which means no one would fess up to how it started.

There was WATER all over the floor, all over their clothes, all over the counter, the mirror I mean they must have just had a spraying war!

I was not so happy.

I almost burst out in screams because they know better.

-But-

It wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. The floors, the counter, their clothes and the mirror would have still been wet.  So instead I took the spray bottle away, made them clean up the water and gave them the brushes and combs and said your hair is wet enough, finish up.

It took everything within to stay calm.  We have had this problem before.

I just don't see the purpose in screaming or getting mad when they were just being kids.

Isn't that what kids do?

So on they went doin some hair.

I stayed near so I could hear them singing. 

Scarlett needed to have the bottle in her lap.

So I sat on the tub ledge and talked to my girls while they were pretty-ing up.

It was more fun for me this way.  Had I gotten mad they would have been in their rooms and I wouldn't have been able to witness my girls being girls.

I love how Scarlett's shirt is completely soaked. Haha.

I love my kids, I truly do.

I am grateful that even when they are naughty they are still cute and genuinely apologetic.

I am grateful that I get to be their mom.

This makes me happy.

Mmmmm

Remember yesterday when it was 80 outside and my kids ALL needed sunscreen because it was sunny and hot?  Well today was a completely different story.  It snowed.  Like a lot, like enough to build a snowman!

We opted to skip the outside play and experiment in the kitchen.

Sunday is the day we usually have a big breakfast since we were blessed with 1pm church for the THIRD time in our SIX year stint in the ward.  Today I practiced my bread making skills and made up a recipe for wheat cinamon swirl bread.  Besides cooking it for too long (about 3 minutes too long) it was SOOOOO good.  When I practice a new recipe I make it in 3 mini loaves so I can really pick it apart and figure out what went wrong or right...in this case I cooked it too long. But it was still edible and sooo good! Tip...if your bread is over cooked put it in a bag while it is cooling...the steam will soften the crust of the bread while its cooling! :D

We listened to conference and everyone was SOOOOO good and listening SOOOOO well to the speakers. It was awesome. What I love especially about conference is that I get to bake all day in my yoga pants while Nathan does this...

and this...

...during the breaks. It is lovely!  For dinner we had Corn Chowder and our Fav 20 min Breadsticks. 

I also had time to make Chocolate Reeses Pieces Cookies. :) 

I love conference for the talks for the stay at home for 2 days straight without leaving, the relaxed atmosphere and the FREAK weather we seem to get. I love how unpredictable our springs in Colorado are! :)  We watched The Errand of Angles tonight...my friend Erin Chambers is in it.  I met her at an airport a long time ago and you will never believe this but...she is on General Hospital right now!  Crazy right? She looked familiar to me and I facebooked her a few weeks ago and we have been emailing friends since! :) 

More random pics from today...

What a great weekend full of kids smelling and saying Mmmmmm.

Weekend Warriors

Its conference weekend! I made an "Important Person Match-Up."  The kids had cards and velcro on the backs and on the wall was a poster board with velcro.  Once they recognized the speaker they matched the important person to their picture on the wall.  I wish I had a picture of it but they put it in their room for tomorrow and they are all already in bed. :(  Tomorrow!

Between conference was nap for the kids and Nathan got right to work.  Nathan also let the kids dress themselves, I need to write that out before I post pictures.  Okay.  This is what we were up to...

yea, see what I mean...sweats, flipflops, tank top and headband.  at least he tried!

This is the playset that came with the house.  Nathan took the swings off...

Then the ladder and other parts.

Lucas was in charge of removing bolts and screws.

Scarlett's job was staying in the rock box.

Bridget's job was to show off her assets...I mean move the slide.

Nathan moved the whole thing and reconstructed the playset. Turning it into a clubhouse/fort.  We were going to just buy a new playset but after helping the Montgomery's move and seeing their 3 story fort he was convinced he could build something awesome WITH the kids.

He fixed the picnic bench, added walls, moved the ladder and opening, added a roof and still is not done.

Bridget was concerned about Daddy's throat being dry so she was in charge of the water too.

After that it was time to go in for 2nd session. I LOOOOOOOVED Richard J. Maynes talk.  It was like he was talking to me, telling me I was right about everything I believe in and am doing in our home.  LOVED it!

Then it was time for Priesthood session so I took the kids for a bike ride...

these pics are from yesterday, but it was like deja vu  since the timing was the same and we went to the same place...

Except Bridget FINALLY took this hand me down velvet dress off that she got from Emma.

It was practically glued to her ALL day yesterday.

The kids were FILTHY when we got home.  I hate it because its so gross but I love it because it means they played hard.  It was nearly a perfect day! 

Harder than it has to be...

Do you remember when Burger King had that commercial out about the Left Handed Hamburger and if you could prove you were left handed you got the first burger free?

I was looking for the commercial on you tube but no luck ... I did however find this...

Oh yes, Little Michael is actually Carlton Banks from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Woah!

Back to the left handed burger - I was so excited about it I called my Dad because he is left handed and He busted out laughing, I was totally serious until I realized it was April 1st. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid...

Anyway...I sent this to Nathan today


Yea - the nerd didn't buy it.  I should have known.  His response was "Honey, its harder than it has to be!" Whatever. Just Whatever.  Lucas totally thought it was awesome.  Hahaha