Father's Day to the Fourth...

The summer has gone surprisingly fast so far! As much as I hate the summers here because of the intense heat and constant sweating, even that hasn't seemed so bad. Maybe after four years I'm finally acclimating. Who knows. We've only had a handful of 100+ degree days and 4th of July weekend was actually quite cool! We're also gearing up for a big family reunion in Las Vegas next week. We'll be flying and it will be the first time as a family. We've already pulled out ten pieces of luggage and there will probably be more! Should be crazy. My point is that time seems to be moving quickly as we look forward to our big trip.

 Let's rewind back to Father's Day though. Like I mentioned before, Clark really made me feel special on Mother's Day and I wanted to make his weekend great as well. However, I STINK at giving gifts. I overthink, overanalyze, return what I bought, or talk myself out of buying at all. Father's Day weekend approached and I was still empty handed. Although in my defense I told him he needed to take a long morning and go golfing with a friend. Timing was bad though and that didn't work out. Instead, we headed to the outlet malls (huge mistake on a Saturday) and Clark got a new work bag that he has desperately needed and wanted for a while. He said his torn up college backpack just didn't look too professional anymore. His new 'messenger bag' is pretty awesome and certainly makes him look more legit so I was happy that he got something for himself that wasn't a new dress shirt or slacks. His most important request of the weekend though was that we all went swimming. We made that happen at a neighbor's pool and had a great time! The kids are getting so good and kicking around on their little noodles and had a great time. I guess their swim lessons had SOME impact.  Later that night we hired a babysitter and had a night out with friends.  We enjoyed good conversation, chips and salsa, and frog legs (not me!)!

Beyond that, the kids made a special craft and had some good wrestling/hugging matches on the couch after church. Clark was totally bummed he didn't get a chocolate bar but instead was given a flower. Poor guy. Luckily I made him some peanut butter balls that morning so he got his chocolate fix. Overall, a great weekend for a great guy.

 

We acquired some superman capes from our good friends and the kids have LOVED wearing them.  Especially because Clark has started watching animated superman and batman episodes with the kids so now they really get into character.  These pictures were taken post-pajamas and pre-getting dressed.  I couldn't reign them in from their intense rescue missions so it was all done in their underwear and diapers.  Then they all started pretending that they were falling and they each rescued and helped each other up.
 

Caleb's preferred method of helping up didn't always work out...

I recently found out about some special kids summer movies showing at the big Cinemark theater.  Admission is only a dollar so I packed up the kids and gave them their 'first' movie theater experience.  The movie was Ice Age: Continental Drift which wasn't terribly exciting and we only stayed an hour but they all LOVED it.  From getting their own tickets, handing it to the theater employee, getting their own seats, watching a HUGE screen, to eating snacks in a dark room, they felt super special and excited.  They are still too small for the chairs which kept folding up on them so we all ran out and got some boosters which solved that problem.  I enjoyed the morning just as much as them and loved seeing their reactions.  I mean, the movie theater is a pretty exciting place even for adults so it was quite the experience all around.

I actually had a weekend away this past month because I was invited to be a part of a special friend's wedding (next post).  It was held in Idaho so Clark and his mom (the stars aligned and she happened to be flying our way on that particular weekend) were on their own for a few days.  They went to Kid Mania, Eisenhower State Park, swimming, walking, crafting, etc...  Sounds like they were busy and had fun.  I got to spend a few days with Gram when I returned from Idaho and even got to eat her Taco Soup!  YUM!  Still need to get the recipe.  We're so grateful she was able to come and help.  Leah is holding a craft that Gram did with the kids while Clark was working one morning.  I told her to smile and this is what I got...

The only bummer of the weekend was that they weren't always open to letting Gram help with things or assist them in certain ways.  Had to be on their terms.  They weren't shy about vocalizing it either.  The 'independence' thing is fine to an extent but it is extremely magnified when three kids are doing it at the same time, all saying the same things.  Their behavior is totally a product of their situation and I'm convinced that one or two of them wouldn't act the way they do if they didn't have siblings who made a fuss over everything.  So of course they all copy each other and it seems a little over the top.  They do it with us (Mom and Dad) but when someone else enters the picture it just seems all the more crazy and inappropriate.  So Clark and I started some manners training and are calling the kids out on everything they say that isn't kind or polite.  We're also working on teaching them how to talk to other kids and each other.  We feel like we're correcting all day but we know it'll be worth it and will impact both friend and family relationships.

Enough about the woes of two-year-olds, let's talk about our awesome 4th of July weekend!  The Sunday before the holiday, Clark and I had a conversation about what we were even going to do.  We had no plans, not even anything tentative.  But then the 4th rolled around and it was a busy busy day.  Our friends, who we love and who love our kids, invited us to come out on their boat so the kids had another 'first' out on the water.  They were all super excited and loved "going fast."  Once we got out on the lake, we all took a dive in the water and the kids floated on the tube.  Although they weren't thrilled, each of them took a turn with Dad to get pulled on the tube.  Zachary cried the whole time but claimed he "loved it" when he got back.  Leah was actually pretty brave and happily got on the tube, and Caleb had to be convinced.  They were all smiles once they were done and talked about it in the days to follow.

Then I convinced Clark to get on the tube with me and we had fun for about five minutes getting pulled behind the boat.  Five minutes of fun for a few days of soreness.  Definitely worth it.  Being on the tube took me right back to elementary and middle school when I often went out on the lake with my friends and we would tube for hours.  With the water splashing in my face, I felt young and carefree.  I like those moments. They energize me.

Clark also got up on skis for a bit as well as our friend driving the boat.  By that time everyone was getting tired so we headed for the dock and went home for a nap.

We finished the day with more swimming, a pool side BBQ and another 'first' for the kids with corn on the cob (which they loved), buckets of water in the backyard, pizza dinner with the missionaries, and fireworks in the backyard.  The trio were crazy about their pop its and sparklers.  Clark bought some cool-looking tank fireworks that ended up being totally lame.  We'll stay away from those next year.   We didn't go out for the big fireworks and were happy to put the kids down at 7pm.  We were all exhausted.

The rest of the weekend got filled up with yardwork, going to World War Z, Yoga, grocery shopping, and all the little stuff in between.  I should know better than to think that we will have boring holidays.  They always get filled up and we end up sprawled on the couch from exhaustion.  I just wish Clark could get paid for staying home all day, everyday.  We all sure love him around the house.

Now life is back to normal (besides being sunburned and sore from all our festivities) and Clark is actually really busy at work so we can't wait to head to Las Vegas.  More time with Dad around and more time with family!  

The Beginning of Summer...

Yesterday I went to the kitchen to start making dinner and all three of the kids' straw cups were in the sink. I didn't put them there. What followed was a little proud moment knowing that some things we say to the kids sink in such as, "put your cups in the sink when you are done." For some reason though, "do not steal things from, scratch, bite, or push your siblings" still hasn't quite stuck. Guess we'll keep working on those. I read an article online that said as parents we should never say the phrase, "how many times do I have to tell you?..." because kids need constant repetition and it's just part of the process. Definitely creates some challenging moments though when you really feel like you've said something 100 times.


So the kids are getting super quirky. I don't know if that's just a toddler thing or a personality thing. Zachary is the quirkiest and has developed some OCD tendencies about his toys, where they go, which bib is his, etc... His attention for detail is pretty astounding and we've had to start marking cups, clothing, and toys with the letter 'Z' so he can see the letter and not have any meltdowns about what is or isn't his. Ownership at this age is important so again, I don't know how much is the stage and how much is personality. However, from what I've heard, and I've heard quite a lot, is that Clark was VERY quirky and OCD'ish as a kid so Clark has a deeper understanding and patience for it than I do sometimes. We've had to start locking him in his room at night because he was coming out so much...for no apparent reason, just standing in the hall and crying subsequently waking the other two. So the baby monitor is back in action and he's been told if he needs to go potty, to talk into the monitor and NO CRYING! Sounds cruel when I write it down but it has worked and we hope to break him of his habits soon. Last night there was no noise from anyone until a sweet voice came through on the monitor at 4am and said, "mama, I need to go peepee." So we did our thing and went right back to bed. Perfect.

His favorite songs at night time are Jesus' Baptism and Nephi's Courage (only the second verse about the boat). One funny thing I want to remember about Zachary and hope to catch on film sometime is that he LOVES to chase birds. One time at a park in a matter of 30 seconds, he was a whole soccer field away because he just loves to keep on chasing them. Not sure if he thinks he will catch one or maybe he likes it when they all fly in the air. Either way, it's something he CANNOT resist doing if there are birds on the ground. Definitely keeps the birds out of our backyard!


Caleb's quirkiness is a little different. We've always said he is passionate about everything and he definitely still is. If he's not screaming at the top of his lungs about every hour, it's not a normal day. Sometimes he plays REALLY well with either Leah or Zachary (never all together) and sometimes he is in total loner mode and wants to be left alone. If anyone comes near him, the screaming commences. I was at a playdate recently and he started screaming and the other moms jumped up in panic mode like Caleb was trapped under a piano or something. No. Leah had just messed up the way he had his cars arranged. That's what I'm saying.  And the way his face gets all contorted when he cries it's hard not to smile when he's coming toward you for assistance. His stubborness and need to be independent has been taken to a whole new level lately. No helping, assisting, choosing for, or hurrying up this guy. He's on his own schedule and runs his own life.

Getting him to fold his arms for prayers is a whole huge ordeal every night. Clark starting doing candy bribing for that and what do you know...Caleb has starting being compliant at prayer time. Caleb is having trouble right now differentiating between real life and pretend. He really truly believes he is Penny from the movie Bolt and asks us to say, "Goodnight Penny" (as opposed to his real name) when we leave his room at night. He tells me he is Penny about 50 times a day. We've tried to tell him he is just pretending to be Penny and that his name is Caleb but he's not buying that. He's Penny and that's just the way it is. He's also obsessed with Christmas music. When we ask him what song he wants before bedtime it's always Jingle Bell Rock or Frosty. Then when we're in the car he requests a Christmas CD to listen to. So currently we are listening to Kidz Bop Christmas Album in the car. Whatever.


Leah is quirky in a whole other girly way. She's constantly changing her mind about everything. One night she will die if she can't sleep with five different bears and blankets. The next night, she cries if you try to put those same things in her bed. She suddenly wants nothing to do with them. One day she wants to try to use the potty; the next day she cries if I even suggest it. I tell her sometimes, amidst all the indecision, that she's driving me crazy. So she says to me the other day that I'm driving HER crazy!  Ha! I'm sure I do drive them crazy but they've never told me until now.  She is like a last-trimester-pregnant lady all the time. She loves to nest. She nests everywhere in the house. When she wakes up, the first thing she does is grab some bags, fill them up with random toys, take the bags to a random area of the house, take out and line up everything, then totally desert everything. Only to start up a new nesting area somewhere else.

She loves bags. Not like purses or hand bags but the bags I used to put my piano books in. They are soft and can hold a lot. Some nights she wants all her blankets stuffed into a bag. So weird. She hates playing alone EVER so is usually bothering someone in some way. This is a bummer because it often results in timeout which she HATES with a passion. However, if one of the boys is in the mood for her chasing and pretending, it's pretty fun to watch and can last up to an hour sometimes. After someone prays, she always comments on what a wonderful prayer it was and whenever I put her down for a nap she says she hopes I have a good nap too! When I dropped her off in nursery last week she yelled across the room, "See you next week mama!" Still working on the concept of time. :) Her favorite song at night time is Nephi's courage but she likes all three verses and will sing the chorus a really awkward way....emphasizing the wrong words.  Pretty funny.


All quirkiness aside, their lives are all about just looking for a good time.  I thought going down to the local arboretum would be a good time but I was totally wrong.  It was fun for about 20 minutes but how exciting can looking at flowers really be for these guys.  They wanted to poke things, run where they shouldn't, jump in the fountains, etc...  However, before they all got difficult,

they ran across the bridge...

smiled for some pictures...

showed me how old they were...

gave hugs...

explored the pioneer area...

made funny faces...

and chased birds.

We finally made it clear across the park to our final destination.  The petting zoo. 

Caleb and Leah weren't interested and said they'd rather sit and eat crackers.  Which they did in their awesome shades.  I'm sure onlookers thought they had been abandoned.  Zachary really liked touching the animals and pet a bunny for a while as well as a couple goats.  Sometimes I hate to have certain kids miss out on things they enjoy just because the whole group doesn't want to participate.  We may have to start breaking off more and more as they develop hobbies and interests that will likely be completely different.

After a horrible walk back to the car, we made it home and I said I would not go back until they were much older or I was prepared for them to play in the water areas.  Not the best outing we've had but I suppose they all can't be perfect.

Clark was gone to California for a week at the end of May.  It just so happened that we received a TON of rain that week and our grass grew to record heights.  It was so long.  The boys were LOVING pushing their trucks in it, hiding in it, and laying in it. Too bad we couldn't keep it long.  Long grass attracts ants, chiggers, and a bunch of other unwelcome bugs.  They enjoyed it while it lasted though.

Clark encouraged me to join a local gym so that I could go enjoy some classes while the kids were taken care of in the Kids Club.  It's been great so far and we've even signed the kids up for swim lessons as a bonus from my joining.  They get four, 30-minute lessons and had their first one last week. They basically stayed in the shallow area, learned to blow bubbles, kick their legs, scoop up water, and lay on their backs.  They all hated being on their backs and just wanted to play with the water rings so I felt bad for the teacher who was having difficulty controlling them all.  I stepped in a tried to help with what she was doing and hoped that she wasn't secretly thinking I was being totally overbearing.  Next week they'll be in the deep water so I'm not sure how it's going to go.  Our expectations for these lessons are not for them to become awesome swimmers right away.  We basically just want them feeling more comfortable in water, learning how to move their bodies, and being ok with getting water on their heads and swimsuits.  Surprisingly this has been an issue in the past.  It was pretty sweet though to see them all lined up listening to their teacher.

Clark's trip to California was fun and relaxing for him.  He spent some time at his folks house and also up at a friend's cabin near Lake Tahoe.  Of course weekends like that always go so fast and are jam packed with activities but he said it was really good to get away and not have any work obligations to attend to.  While up at his friend's cabin, they went for a 'run tour' as he called it.  They had no idea where they were going but set off to see what they could see, exercising along the way.  They came across some incredible trees and he says the pictures don't do them justice.  Apparently they were HUGE!  After three hours of running and exploring, they found a place to eat and had some well-deserved juicy burgers.

With this trip piggy-backing his Brazil trip, he was GREATLY missed at home by all of us.  It's always a welcome relief, for many reasons, to see him come through that back door.  The kids didn't have anything to complain about especially after he pulled out his old pog collection, old He-Man toys, and a Polly Pocket from Gram to play with.  They have LOVED all that stuff.  Who knew Pogs could be such a cool thing for two-year-olds.

In preparation for Father's Day, we met up with some friends and did a special craft for their Dad's.  I even brought the popcorn maker so that we could make some after crafting.  The kids LOVED it.  Popcorn really is pretty fascinating AND delicious.  Perfect combo.   Wish I had a picture of all their excitement and delight.

Lastly, Clark has recently recovered his long board from a friend and was dying to take the kids out.  He took them one by one down the street and they could not have been more excited to do this with him.  They could hardly sit still while waiting for the next ride.  However, in my neck of the woods we rode our skateboards a little different.  Everyone piled on and we leaned and swerved together as we rode down the sidewalk.  Always made for a good time so I set the kids up.  Although Clark was totally skeptical of my approach, they all loved cruisin' down the sidewalk together.

Summer is in full swing around here so we'll be looking for ways to stay cool while also preparing for our big family reunion next month.  Should be an quite an adventure flying with these three crazies. Not any crazier than going to the grocery store I suppose.  :)

As Zachary would say, "Bye!  Love you!  See you soon!"

Time Doth Softly, Sweetly Glide...

All the cribs are officially gone at our house! Well, one technically is still being used as a toddler bed but we have definitely moved on to the next stage...big kid beds and all the joys that come along with them. For the most part, transitioning to big kid beds has been really positive for the trio. Since everyone has their own bed, we've actually started having some individual reading time 25 minutes prior to bedtime. Each kid has a lamp and gets to sit on their beds and read. This gives Clark and I a chance to go into each room, read a book or two with each child, say individual prayers with each child, and sing a song. It's quite the process but I think the kids enjoy it just as much as we do.  We still need to paint or stain the beds but we're going to wait on that until we actually use them as bunk beds.

Of course big beds come with some big steps toward independence. We CANNOT help anyone up into their bed or else the whole process has to start over again. Let's just say it's really long to begin with. I try to keep my cool as each child climbs slower than molasses into their beds and creeps toward their pillows but I admit there are nights where I start to lose patience and get upset with the shenanigans. That's pretty much the case with everything we do now. I can't assist them in much of anything without them getting upset that I'm interfering. If I put a sock on, they've got to take it off, try to put it on themselves, then resort to asking me for help when all is said and done. Most parenting books say to plan extra time into the day for this new found independence but holy cow, sometimes I feel if I make one wrong move with these kids I can set off huge temper tantrums. Heaven forbid I try to help put their bibs on, pull a shoe off, or take a book out of a basket. Yeesh! Of course we give them lots of choices and options to try and get things moving but I've just learned that if I want them to do something, I'll ask them if they want me to do it. The answer is always an emphatic NO but then they are focused on the task and it gets done. The worst is car seats. I can't help them into the car or into their seats. I rarely can help bring the straps around their arms and they all insist on doing the easier part of the harness. This process has taken up to 25 minutes before. It's been a delicate balancing act  between allowing them the freedom they need but still exerting our authority on matters so they know that ultimately, mom and dad still control the show.

Enough of that.  A few weekends ago we headed an hour north of the metroplex to get away for the day.  We planned to build a fire, hike around, and possibly play in the water.  Eisenhower State Park is beautiful and the day could not have been nicer.  We bought all the kids some camping chairs so they could have somewhere to sit around the fire.  I told Caleb to smile to show off his chair and this is what I got...

Zachary spent time amongst the weeds and flowers and picked me a beautiful bouquet which he subsequently smashed into the cup holder of his camping chair.  He LOVED sitting and picking flowers.  It was so funny cause usually he's running around.

Once we got set up, we decided to go for a nature walk and happened to end up at this awesome, sandy beach.  We were not prepared with any of our water gear but the kids were so anxious to get in the water.  So Clark ran back to our picnic area while we did our ghetto thing and stripped down to diapers.  Not one of our finest moments as a family since everyone else there was totally decked out with toys, swimsuits, shoes, etc... but whatever.  On the walk back to our picnic area, Zachary AND Leah decided to take off their clothes in the middle of the street because they were so wet.  Plus no one had shoes on.  We looked like a hot mess as a family.  Oh well.  The kids LOVED the water although they didn't venture far.  We will definitely be going back.

After getting all the sand off and changing into dry clothes, we cooked some hot dogs and learned some valuable lessons in the art of camping.  Like not to use DuraFlame logs and to actually bring plates and silverware.  It was pretty chaotic for a bit but the kids were so good while we figured out the fire.  They all sat on the blanket and chowed down on watermelon and chips.  All of which Caleb threw up in the middle of the night.  His eyes are bigger than his stomach (just like Clark...Red Vines??) and because we weren't paying that much attention, I'm pretty sure he ate half the bag of chips and a quarter of a watermelon.  They all weren't hardly hungry by the time hot dogs came around but s'mores were a different story.  Caleb had about three of those too.  Poor guy.  Totally overindulged.  He also took a nose dive off the picnic table and hit his head really hard.  That could've contributed to the whole vomiting in the night.  I don't know.  They are all still talking about the marshmallows and how we cooked them so I think they had fun.  We've discovered that Zachary is a chocolate fiend and Leah absolutely despises it! 

So day camping was fun and the kids have enjoyed their chairs since.  Hauling them around the house for different activities and even eating some meals outside in them.  Let's hope they hold up for a couple years.

I always get a crack out of the fact that they love to wear glasses.  I can't imagine what people think when we're out walking and they see these three chillin' in their shades.  What sets it over the top is that Leah's are Velcro and go around her head.  Love it.

We have been reading Maisy books for the past year and the kids have enjoyed them all. They love all of Maisy's friends and talk about them frequently while playing.  They received a Maisy matching game for Christmas and some Maisy episodes to watch which have also been well-loved.  They are starting to lose interest now since the books are pretty basic but when I saw Maisy was going to visit the library, I knew we had to be there!  I also knew that although the kids said they were excited, they were going to be TOTALLY freaked out by a real life Maisy.  I had little to no expectations going in which, I believe, made for a fun time.  There were some Maisy stories and a video before Maisy arrived and the kids enjoyed that. 

Then the big moment arrived....

and this is how they all looked...

Oh man.  I was laughing and got some video of their fearful reactions.  They acted the same way with a life-sized Easter bunny and Santa Clause so it is what it is.  There was a little craft that we grabbed and decided to do at home.  Panda is Maisy's bear and the kids loved putting their own Panda puppets together.  They are always so patient with crafts like this because I have to do all the gluing and they just sit and watch until it's their turn.  Those are the times I wish I had a few extra arms attached.

We attended another library activity that was a puppet show of a book the kids like.  The puppet show was totally disappointing and boring but there was a cute Mother's Day craft that was handed out.  We did it right there on the floor and the kids loved it.  The craft was tissue paper and a sticky craft paper in the shape of a flower.  Each kid had their own bag and pulled the tissue paper out very purposefully and carefully to stick on the flower.  It was fun to watch.  Sadly, they all said their flowers were for Dad so I totally got jipped on getting a flower.

However, I wasn't worried because Clark built me wonderful flower boxes equipped with a sitting bench in between.  Each child chose their favorite flower for me and Clark filled in the rest with white and yellow flowers (wish I knew their names).  Considering we have killed EVERYTHING we have planted in our yard, the flowers are doing remarkebly well!  I've made a special effort, because studies say so, to touch the flowers and talk to them while I water them.  We'll see if it makes a difference.  I am determined to keep them all alive because it is just so pretty back there with all the colors and I can see Clark's love and effort in the project.

Mother's Day was pretty terrific this year.  Besides the flowers, Leah and I painted our nails for the first time, I received chocolate covered strawberries from a Young Woman fundraiser at church, I got to sit through Sacrament meeting by myself (this was really by default because all the kids were sick), and Saturday night I stayed the night at a hotel by myself!!  This sickness has hit our whole family and Clark has recently been gone for a week out of the country.  There has been lots of crying in the night, midnight dirty diapers, and visits to the bathroom for Zachary.  To top it off, our neighbor is temporarily watching her sister's dogs that bark up until 11pm some nights.  I felt just as sleep deprived as I did when the kids were first born.  I needed a night of uninterrupted sleep.  A night where I didn't wake up in a panic because someone was screaming.  A night where 630am would come and I would just keep on sleeping.  I actually got the idea from a motherhood book a couple years ago but had never thought twice about it until the week before Mother's Day this year.  In fact I couldn't stop thinking about it so I told Clark, if possible, we should make it happen. And we did.  It was great.  Might be a yearly tradition.  :)

Basically Clark out did himself this year so I am feeling the pressure for Father's Day!  He deserves some special treatment so I'll see what I can come up with.

His business trip to Brazil was a bit stressful because we couldn't contact each other easily but he had a great time so it was worth it.  Surprisingly I had a GREAT week with the kids while he was gone.  I think mentally I knew I didn't have any help so I had to be on my A game.  Time passed quickly, the kids were SO well-behaved, and I really don't remember feeling any tension or stress the entire time.  I truly believe it was a tender mercy from Heavenly Father because our lives are not usually like that.  You know, some days time can seem to move so slowly with the kids and me trying to find ways to entertain them.  But while Clark was gone, there would be some afternoons where I'd sit on the floor to play with them and all the sudden two hours had passed.  Truly a blessing.

I was driving home from church on Sunday singing "Love at Home" because it was the closing song in Relief Society.  I sang the line, "time doth softly, sweetly glide, when there's love at home."  I couldn't believe I'd never noticed that line before because it rang so true to me at that moment.  Time can be painfully slow and the days painfully long sometimes as a mother of toddlers, but those are the days I'm impatient, annoyed, distracted, etc...  Time really can sweetly and softly glide if I just choose to share more laughter, smiles, and love with the kids.  They make my world incredible and if I just let myself be WITH them in their world, the clock is irrelevant.

Mother's Day 2013 is certainly one to be remembered.