Perspective

I really don't like the pink house down the street. I just really wish they would paint it a different color.

Olivia has a different view on the matter...
"I wonder who lives in the pink house. It is so beautiful."

Sammie, tell me a story

Sometimes I ask my kids to tell me a story just for a good laugh. The things they say are so funny. Today Sammie told me a story...
"Once upon a time there was a good bad guy. Then a bad bad guy came and killed him. Bad bad guys don't wear any color of the rainbow. They wear just black. But the good bad guys wear lots of colors."

4 months=great baby

Abby had her 4 month check up today. She is now 24 inches long and 12lbs 130z. She is just about the same size Olivia was. She is such a great baby lately. She sleeps all night long and has been much better at taking naps and I haven't even used the swing for her naps in about a week. Hopefully she will keep this up.

She loves her hands. She stares at them and holds them together.

She rolls over both ways. I think this one wants to be on the go.

She can hold her head up really well when she's on her tummy.

She still loves to smile and has even started a cute little laugh.

Lots and lots of spitting, drooling, cooing and squeaking.

She likes to get my attention with her little squeals.

She is a happy little thing and just loves to hang out on her blanket, roll over and look at what everyone is doing.

Love, love, love her!

"I just don't feel like I'm six."

Olivia has been anticipating her 6th birthday with much excitement and eagerness. She doesn't like being one of the younger ones in her class at school. So the day came. "I just don't feel like I'm six," she said several times during the day. I think she was expecting some sort of transformation? Maybe she would look different when she looked in the mirror? A little taller perhaps? No, just one day older than yesterday. We tried to explain it to her, but she just can't get over that she feels no different as a six year old than she did as a 5 year old.

Today was her birthday party. A house full of little 6 year old girls was a little more loud than I thought it would be. Olivia wanted an "all girl" party, except for her daddy of course, so that she could do all things girlie and oh did we girlie it up around here. Lots of pink and an all chocolate cake and jewels were her requests. Can't get more girlie than that. The girls wore flower headbands and necklaces, made bracelets, decorated jewel boxes, and danced to princess songs and Taylor Swift. I love planning and decorating for birthday parties...almost too much and I have to stop myself before I go overboard. Happy birthday to my favorite little 6 year old. We love you and the bundle of girlie-ness that you are.

She knows it all

Sammie was putting her shoes on by herself.

Me: Honey, you need to switch feet.

Sammie: No! I need to switch my SHOES. Feet are just stuck to your body. If you take them off you have to sew them back ON.





Well, excuuuuuse Me.

I feel blessed

I know that it is a little early for the "Thanksgiving Gratitude thoughts," but I have just felt so peaceful today. I really do love my life. Though things are far from perfect, (I actually have a goal of not yelling at my children this week), I feel so much gratitude. Life is good. I have 3 healthy daughters, an amazing and good husband, a nice little home and just a satisfying life. I daydream about fixing up my house more or moving somewhere else or having more "things," but then I realize that I have everything I could ever want or need. Sure, I have to put some things on the back burner and I question if I can handle this parenting thing. It really hit me the other day when I was at home and it was so quiet with Olivia at school. Time goes too fast. I was getting teary eyed as I was cleaning the kitchen, a common time for self-reflection for me, and I was feeling like I was taking my life for granted.

The words of President Monson came to mind,

"My brothers and sisters, there is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today. If you are still in the process of raising children be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will--to your surprise--miss them profoundly."

These words have often come to mind since I first heard them. I was probably being a tad dramatic, but I felt like my oldest was growing up so fast and I was trying so hard to remember life when it was just her as my baby. Thank goodness for those scrapbooks :) But, I realized that I can never go back and so I need to be better at enjoying each day and each moment. We only get one shot at this life and so make the best of it!

Queen of the Playground

Olivia had a somewhat rough first week of school. Her best friend from last year moved and while recess is normally her favorite part of the day she was finding herself feeling very lonely. At first I felt bad. Then she was tellling me how she doesn't have any friends because no one wants to play what she wants to play. So now I wasn't feeling so sorry for her. She just wants everyone to do what she says and they won't be her friend unless they do? Not so nice.

This week she has discovered that boys will do whatever she says. She has come home happy every day.

This is the new blanket that my mom made for Sammie. She is very attatched to her "Night-Night" and her old one had to be replaced. It was getting holes in it. This new one took the place of the former without missing a beat. I must say that Sammie has not been the easiest little girl this summer. Adjusting to a new baby sister and having a crazy summer schedule really brought out her not so good side. So many times I was missing the old Sammie who was so sweet and carefree. Well, she seems to be coming back now that we are on more of a routine and she is getting more attention with Olivia at school all day. I love the happy non-tantrum throwing Sammie. She is so much fun and hilarious too. Sammie is ALWAYS thinking and will say the most random of things. They usually happen in the car and completely out of the blue. Like, "Mom, why do we have elbows?" and "I have all my teeth. My teeth are not missing" and "When I am in first grade then I will not be in Kindergarten anymore like Olivia." Then she went on again about the teeth today as she was trying to tell the dentist while he was counting her teeth with his hands in her mouth. She kept shaking her head away so she could tell him all about how she has NO missing teeth. She has ALL her teeth. She was firm and matter of fact. Her little mind is always at work.

Here is a little conversation I had with her the other day.

Sammie: Can you play with me? Mommy, which princess do you want?

Me: I want Ariel.

Sammie: No, you have to have Cinderella.

Me: Then why did you ask me to choose?

Sammie: You can choose but you have to choooose Cinderella.

So much for agency when dealing with a 3 year old.