Teaching Me Patience

Avery Ann.  Every day I think to my self, "she is in our family to teach me patience.  I must have patience with her."  Sometimes I have to remind myself of this fact hourly, or minute by minute.

Here are a few examples that have happened just in the past 2 weeks.

She has started to really love "mothering" Eli.  When I am feeding Eli in his high chair she will come and push her way in between me and him so she can push food in his mouth and "feed her E-I".  She also likes to find the containers of baby puffs in the pantry and then dump them all out on Eli's tray whether he is sitting there or not, just so we can be prepared.  She wants to be there during every diaper change..with a wipe in hand so she can help.  I found her this morning trying to lift Eli up to put him in his bouncy seat.


I bought her some "training pants" the other day.  She picked them out.  I believe she thinks she looks like Noah and Gage when she wears them.  A friend said it's only a matter of time till she tries going potty standing up.  I know this is true.  We aren't working so much on potty training, but she loves to wear her "pants" around the house like this. (especially when people come over)

Monday night during family home evening we were trying to get everyone to sit still and have a lesson.  Avery somehow managed to hide behind a chair, take off all her clothes, including diaper and then presented herself in front of the family by singing "Shake your Booty, Shake your Booty!" all while dancing in the buff.  I can positivity say that this Monday night was NOT one of our most spiritual family home evening lessons we've ever had.

Sunday morning we were trying our best to get everyone ready and looking nice for church.  After struggling to get Avery's hair a little decent we found her 5 minutes later looking like this.  She said she was "underwear man, like Noah"

Oh, she is such a fierce Underwear Man!

But an ultimate patience lesson came this morning.  And it wasn't even 8am yet.

The boys were ready for school and playing nicely (for a change) downstairs.  I was gathering some laundry upstairs so I could start a load before we left for school.  Then things got quiet.  And I noticed the door to the boys room was closed.  And I couldn't find Avery.  This is a very bad combination.  Especially if you are a fish in our house.  Usually I find Avery trying to catch our poor goldfish with her hands, or trying to jab them with toys when I have this 3 combo (quiet, door shut, no Avery).

I was prepared to give the "leave the fish alone" lecture when I opened the door.  Instead I found this!

Yeah, she somehow found a bottle of spray sunscreen and was busy spraying and wiping it all over the wall.  Have I mentioned how unforgiving the paint on our walls is?  It is.  Magic Eraser leaves big marks, washer and soap don't do anything.  I am really struggling because my boys have never really colored on walls at all, but Avery sees everything as a huge canvas waiting for her artwork.  Then this!  It's such a mess, I've tried wiping it and wiping it, but because of the lotion it's just leaving a huge mark!  Any ideas?

I also found nice coloring she did too behind the door with a marker.  While it was nice, pretty and pink (she pointed out to me), I am going to have to hide Gage's art supplies even higher.

Needless to say, Avery spent a while in her crib this morning.  She can't get out of there.

I sent Wade and email with these pictures that said, "We will never get our deposit back from this out.  Let's take it out of Avery's college fund."

And after all this, I got her shoes and socks on I stood her by the door and told her to wait while I grabbed my shoes and purse.  I turned around and she was gone!  This time I found her at the same spot - behind the boys door with shoes, socks off and some of my make up in her hand!

The trouble Avery finds is 3 times the amount of trouble my boys have every found.  If all girls are like this, bless all of those mothers out there who have more than one!

I love Miss Avery Ann.  I really do.  Most of these "patience lesson" make me smile and laugh.  I am glad that I do have another girl in our house full of testosterone.  She's only 2 and already claps her hands and yells "YAY" when I pull into the craft store parking lot!

But man, I had no idea just how much patience came a long with all that pink!

Easter 2011

Despite being sick we were able to make some great memories this Easter week. We started the week by starting our tradition of reading special Easters stories and scriptures every night. I love this tradition. It really helps us remember the real reason we celebrate Easter. That is, if Wade and I can ever make it through the stories without crying.

Wednesday I felt like my pink eye was no longer contagious.  I took Avery and Noah to playgroup for a little toddler Easter Egg hunt.  I was supposed to be the organizer of the whole shabang, but thanks to good friends, we just showed up with our eggs and had a good time.  Avery would only pick up pink eggs.  Then she only wanted to eat the pink wrapped candy.  Silly girl.

Saturday was our ward breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt.  Despite Avery's expression, they all had fun.

We colored eggs.  We made resurrection cookies.

Sunday we went to church and then to my parents house for Easer dinner and a little egg hunt in the backyard.

Noah was so mad that there wern't as many eggs as at the church hunt.  He would probably be sad to know too that I used the candy from the eggs on Saturday in the eggs on Sunday.  HA!  We don't need more candy around here.

Then we had a new item of business this year.  The Easter Egg Roll.  Wade had been telling the kids about how when he was younger they  they would take real hard boiled eggs out and roll them down a hill and the person who's egg broke last won!  So we tromped out to the hill on the second lot and of course, the event was a hit!

After a few trial runs on the grass, they boys moved up to heavy duty egg rolling exercises and used the street.  This is when things got dirty.

Noah's egg broke, but the yoke continued.  Wade said this was fair game.  It was pretty funny to see them chase after these silly eggs.

Of course, Avery Ann had to join the fun.  In her Easter dress, messed up hair and pink rain boots.  Oh, how we love this girl!

Happy Easter.

Rice Heat Pack

We've all been sick around here off and on since March. It's been Lovely.  Last week it hit me pretty hard.  Nothing like mom getting sick with a cold, pink eye and double ear infections.  The only thing that helps me when my ears ache is a nice heat pack.  I love our heat pack, we've had it years and it smells yummy and works great.  The only problems is, I can never use it, because someone always steals it from me!

So...last week while we were waiting the hour and a half wait at the pharmacy (GRR, I'm not bitter or anything) I was keeping my children from destroying the store because Gage was home with a cough too and we were all sick and not feeling good but Wade couldn't get the prescription for us because residency is dumb and honestly I would never ask anyone for help anyway... was walking around  and got the bright idea to make these crazy kids their own heat packs.  A few clearance washcloth packs, a large bag of rice and (finally) my antibiotics, we left the store and all went home for a nap.


(and yes, sometimes, I really, really love the strike through option!)

The next morning when we felt a little better I whipped these babies out on the sewing machine.  They are nothing fancy, but they are a huge hit.  Noah has his warmed up at bedtime every night.

Wade came home from work impressed that I did this, he said I needed to be watching movies and taking it easy, instead I was sewing the kids heat packs.  Uh...did he see quality of these?  They are not fancy/smancy.  In fact, I sat Gage up on my lap and had him sew his himself.

Then he walked upstairs and saw that we had also spilled half a bag of rice in the process.  Thank you Avery.  Thank you Wade for being patient with our way messy house while I was sick.

And I finally have my heat pack all to myself again.  Although after doing this, I really want to make myself a new one too. Not with clearance washcloths either.  Another project.  Another time.

Eli Crawling

One week in and I  finally got a good video of  Mr. Eli crawling this morning.  I thought it was pretty sweet that Noah gave him a kiss when he reached his goal.  Then while watching the clip, Noah told me that he was just spitting in Eli's hair.

Nice.

Either way, check out our E-I move!

Have some time?  Check out Avery and Noah.  Poor Gage, I didn't have a blog in 2004.  He felt a little left out when he saw this post, maybe someday I will find a video of him crawling and upload it.

Sunday Photo

Today we spent the afternoon at my parents house celebrating and eating Easter dinner.  We ate a lot of yummy food and watched Eli crawl around.

I couldn't help but look back at last years Easter picture and notice how much everyone has grown up!

2010:

2011:

Of course Eli tried to take a a dive off the tree stump.  Good thing Wade caught him right after I snapped this picture!

Crazy kids.  We love them all.  

Happy Easter!

projects

We've been in this house almost 2 years, and Wade's residency is only 3.  In the (almost)11 years we have been married, we typically move every 3.  That being said, I am really starting to get a little antcy.  I am starting to look around and come up with all sorts of projects.  With only a year left, some are worth my time, and others, well, I am starting to just make my list for things I want in our next house.  I am really looking forward to finding our next house that we will be staying in for a much longer time.

So, anyway -I picked two small projects to work on last week.  Before Wade's parents came to babysit in March, I gathered all our medicine and put them in a bin on top of the fridge.  I thought this would be easier than them trying to find what cupboard I have what in, and this is a really good place to keep things away from Miss Adventure-Will-Eat-Anything-Avery-Ann.

The bin on top of the fridge has really been a good solution. It's easy to access, it holds everything we need, and Avery can't reach it.  But I was starting to feel like we were a walking advertisement for Kroger brand medicine.  See for yourself.

So I covered it.  And made Avery pose with it after she signed a contract saying she would NEVER play with the contents or learn to climb on top of our fridge.

Next up, our shoe bin.  Or lack there of.  My mom came to visit us the first week we were in Iowa to help us unpack and settle in. It was really nice of her, and we celebrated her birthday together that year. (at a zoo if I remember correctly).  She bought us this shoe rack, which at the time worked great for our family.  There were only three of us.  Wade, myself and Gage was only 18 months.  I think our family has grown a foot or two, or three or four (actually it's six) since then.  Besides, Wade's ginormaous size 13 shoes never really fit well in this bin anyway.

One trip to Ikea, a couple hours later and our shoe problem is fixed!  I can even fit 3...yes THREE pair of Wade's mondo shoes in one bin!  The boys share a bin, Avery & Eli share a bin and I have a bin.  I was really tempted by the 4x4 larger bin, but I would have put it on a different wall.  It  would have been nice to have some more shelves, but we put it on our "next house"  playroom list.

Now if I could just get them to put their shoes in it and away without me reminding them.

Joy.

Gage takes home a ribbon

Early in March Gage's science project won an alternate ribbon at the school level.  Basically that meant that if anyone dropped out he would get compete at the district level.  Well, lucky Gage, someone dropped and he got the chance to compete at the District level, which is held at the Western Washington Spring Fair.

There were a a lot of projects this year - if I remember right, there were something like 500.  I think 5th grade alone had 94.  I prepped Gage on the way to the awards ceremony that not everyone would win a ribbon, but just participating at the district level was a big honor.  He seemed pretty okay with this.

The first award the announced was a people's choice award.  People attending the fair voted on the projects they liked the best.   Four students won and we were both shocked when they announced his name!
(I didn't even have my camera out yet, I really had to scramble!)

Go GAGE!  (if you click to enlarge, his face looks shocked too!)

I think part of the reason he won people's choice is the picture by his left shoulder. (click to enlarge)  We broke his experiment into steps, and had pictures of each.  He said we had to include this last step and labeled it, "eat it".  Then the best of all was his concluding statement..."I just like to eat them"

Way to go Smarty Pants Gage!  We are pretty proud of our little scientist!

Sunday Photo

Mr. Sun paid us a visit today.  I feel like he is a long lost friend.  It was nice for us to get some fresh air. Miss Avery kept saying "No" when I would ask her to sit down by her brothers.  Gage and Noah used their light sabers to "bang the flowers off the trees."  Happy Day.

Crawling

And we have a crawler.  I'm not sure why we were encouraging him, now we have even more little bodies to keep up with!  I'll have to take pictures and a video this week!

matching preschool game

We drink a lot of milk at this house.  Believe me, that is not an understatement.  Every two weeks I load up on 4 gallons of milk at Costco, then I usually pick up another gallon at a grocery store sometime in the middle.  That is a lot of milk.  The jugs are recyclable.  But not the lids.  A couple months ago  I started saving all these little circle. They do have a lot of potential....and so  this week decided to do something with a few of them.

An uppercase/lowercase matching game!
Supplies:
1 -ABC place-mat. (or make your own)
26 milk lids (and this didn't even make a dent in my collection!)
and a sharpie!

I wrote lowercase letters on all the lids and let Noah go to town!  He had fun matching all the letters up and telling me sounds as he went.
(anybody see what is wrong with this picture?  I can tell you a few things...First - notice Avery...she is shoving cherrio's in Eli's mouth while I am distracted taking a picture and do you notice how close she is to the sharpie I left on the table?  BAD combination!  BAD!)

Since we were working on sounds as we went, it was also a good opportunity to spell and sound out a few simple words.

It ended up such a great preschool activity!

visitors

Monday morning during breakfast the boys noticed that we had visitors in our backyard! There were two little finch birds flying in and out of a birdhouse that we have on our back fence.  We all tried to be really quiet and watch them.  I attempted a few pictures.  (I couldn't get very many considering the zoom.  And then Avery banged on the window excitedly yelling, BIRD BIRD!)  I lifted Noah up to look in the house yesterday and he said he couldn't see any sign of birds or a nest, so maybe they were just visiting for the night.  We were all really excited about the prospect of actual birds living in the house though.  Bird seed is making an appearance on my grocery list this week.  Maybe we can convince our little friends to stay a while.

Sunday Photo

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.  Four little bodies.  Eight little hands.  Eight brown eyes looking at me for direction, comfort, love.  Lots of mess.  Lots of laugher.  Lots of fights.  Lots of meals.  Diapers.  Laundry.  Then Sunday comes around and I sit back Sunday afternoon and just watch them.  Overwhelmed? Maybe at times.  Tired? Without a doubt.  But I don't know where I would be without them.  I know my house would stay clean, but what fun would that be?  They keep me going.  They inspire me to have more patience and be a better person.  Oh, how I love my Sunday afternoons!

Egg Hunt Homework

I combined some old plastic eggs we had out for Easter decorations and Gage's 10 spelling and reading words (plus random math problems) to make a fun game.  This is an easy way to keep him studying the weeks words.  Noah likes to hide the eggs.  I think a ABC version for Noah is next up on my list!