Sarahisms

Sarah has been asking to go potty all the time (even waking up at night to go).  It is not easy to remove her diaper and put it back on again.  So, I decided to just go for potty training.  AGAIN.  I have been working on her photo book for her birthday.  My last sentence in her book last year was that she wasn't quite potty trained, but would be soon!  Hmmm...one year later.  Anyway, today they brought her from nursery so I could take her potty.  I got her on the potty and as soon as she started to go she said, "TA-DA!"  Love it!

Jars of Kindness

We have been having a rough time speaking kindly to each other (especially in conversations between Libby and Sarah--but occasionally I have trouble with this too :).  So for FHE the other night we each got a kindness jar.  When we are kind, we get a penny in our jar.  When we are unkind we lose a penny.  It sounded like something my mom would have done with us--maybe she did.  It has been amazing how they caught on to the concept.  They are so unhappy when they have to lose a penny.  They have really worked hard on being kind.  I have even had Libby say, "No thank you Sarah,"  (then turning to me) "Now can I have a penny--I was kind!"  Or "Mommy, you are going to lose a penny if you don't turn on a movie for me (or do something else that she wants)."

Tomorrow night is the moment of truth.  The FHE where they get to go buy some treat with their pennies.  (I have long since stopped actually remembering to put pennies in the jars--better fix that!)  I think the real treat has been having them work on kindness!

Libbyisms

This week Libby was practicing her scripture for primary.  She started saying it in a funky accent.  I asked her to please say it normally.  She informed me that she was saying it in Spanish that she learned on her mission.

On Friday we were leaving the gym to go have a playdate with the Fillmore boys.  She got so excited and told the ladies that we were leaving to go see her "husband" Reid.

Sarah is wearing panties today.  I asked Libby to help her put on clean ones after she had a little accident.  Libby gave her this lengthy and adorable lecture on how to put on panties.  Then proceeded to help her put them on backward.  I couldn't stop laughing.

Baby Ben

 People ask me all the time how Ben's sisters like him....how could they not LOVE this little face!

I have been enjoying taking pictures of Ben lately.  It is so much more fun now that he can  hold his head up better.  He has gone back to sleeping through the night.  6 nights in a row I believe.  Hooray.  

Heal ME!

On Sunday Libby had a freak illness.  After church she started complaining of her stomach.  She started running a fever.  I thought I was certainly in for a night of cleaning up barf.  During the afternoon while she was crying and writhing she took breaks to watch Living Scripture movies.  One was The Miracles of Jesus where Christ heals a particularly dramatic woman.  In the evening Libby kept crying--"Jesus, please heal me!"  It was so cute.  And actually, there was no barfing.  She got up a couple of times in the night.  Once because she had to go potty and once because she bonked her nose (or was that last night)? On Monday morning the fever was gone and she was better.  I think her prayers (and mine) were heard!

My Surprise Date

Derek worked every night this week but one.  4 Mariners games, 1 Sounders game and a movie theater shift.  (and actually he worked the movie theater last Friday and Mariners last Saturday).  Then, when he is home between his regular shift and these night gigs, he is exhausted.  Put all of this together and there has been a lack of quality time together lately.  So I decided to surprise him.  Now I am not at all good at keeping secrets.  But I did it!  I managed to connect with Jen (adopted sister) and we decided we would go to the movie theater and see Derek and a movie on Friday.  (I forgot to tell her it was a surprise though...)  I lined up a babysitter without letting Derek know (which was pretty tricky), made cookies, got the girls and Ben in bed and headed off to the theater with some cookies for Derek.  It was hilarious how I felt.  I was so excited.  Like a high school or college girl taking cookies to a love interest.  Jen got there before me and Derek asked her what she was doing.  She said, "going to a movie with Trish."  He said, "Trish, my wife?"  I got there just after that.  It was a blast!  We didn't actually go to a movie (I wanted to see the Help, but they didn't have it) so we talked to D, went and had dessert crepes at a shop next to the theater, and then talked to Derek some more.  It was so fun to be out.  It was also fun to give my husband a happy surprise.  I am always happy to see him, but usually I am thinking more of how he can help me with the dishes, or dinner, or changing diapers.  It was nice to be reminded that I am actually still in LOVE with him!

Ups and Downs

This week I made stewed tomatoes.  Some I canned and some I froze.  I am writing this to remind myself in writing that I should not be doing any big projects like this when I am on my own with 3 children.  I had my worst parenting meltdown ever on Tuesday night trying to get the girls to clean up.  But I made it through and so did they.  Whew.  The week got better from there!  Ben is eating in the night every night again.  Not sure what I am doing wrong.  Hopefully it is the cold and a growth spurt or something,  I am exhausted.  One night this week I had to get up with all 3 for different reasons.  Bleh.  I am ready for 2 or 3 full nights of sleep in a row!

Milestones

Ben has his first stuffy nose.  Bleh.  Hard on a baby since they have to suck to eat.  He is confused about how to eat when he can't breathe.  Libby started this cold.  I think Sarah and Ben are both coming down with it today.

The Girls' New Room

TA DA!!!  I wanted to take the polka dot theme to the wall.  So I bought these wood circles on line.  Then I painted them white and made them into "frames" for some of the pics that I wanted to display from the recent months.  Not sure if I love it, but I do like it a lot.  I have to keep walking in there to see how I feel.  Anyway, it is something new and fun, and I managed to accomplish something.  That is big right now! 

Summer Adventures

For the first part of this year I thought we would never have summer.  Now it is here in full force.  So, we are taking advantage of it!  We decided to try a few of the 31 flavors the other night.  Sarah chose mint chocolate chip and she ate every bite of her huge cone.  Libby chose cherry jubilee and she ate all of hers too!
I enjoyed pistachio almond (and I am sure Ben enjoyed it a few hours later :).

Then yesterday we went to Matthew's Beach on Lake Washington (thanks Auntie Jen for suggesting it!).  It was really nice to bask in the sun.  Jen took the girls out in the water in their life jackets.  After I fed Ben, he got his first "front facing" ride in the front pack while I put my feet in the water and watched the girls play.  Sarah was not into walking in the water (the bottom was super gross and seaweedy.)  Neither was I, but I did it :)  After the beach we got dinner at Burger King (Derek ended up going straight from the Husky game to work at the Mariner's game so he missed the entire adventure) and had a picnic in the car.  I was exhausted by the time we got home, but it was so great to feel the sun on my skin and see the girls have a good time.

The BONK Bed

I have watched altogether too much HGTV while nursing Ben.  I got a bee in my bonnet that I needed to redo the girls room.  So, they got a bunk bed, aka the Bonk Bed.  We ordered it almost 3 weeks ago and it finally came yesterday.  They were so excited that bedtime was awful last night.  But it is adorable.  In this picture you will notice that the walls are PURPLE.  That was the first part of the project.  Once I get the rest of the decorating done you will get more pics.

Dance Lessons!

Yesterday was the beginning of a new era for Sarah--she started dance lessons!  I think we were equally excited.  I just love the energy in a dance studio.  Libby was sad that she isn't in Sarah's class (especially because I recruited two of Sarah and Libby's friends to be in Sarah's class).  But they both did great on their first day! (Sarah looks a little unhappy in this picture, but she wasn't.)

Cute Kids

This is Libby and Sarah playing Bridesmaids (Libby wouldn't let me get a picture of her) but they were both wearing a tiara, a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, dress up shoes, a tutu, and they were carrying flowers)
Ben in his sailor onsie for church last week. Check out his fat rolls! He is getting so big!
Ben's sisters are already dressing him up. Here he is with a paper bowl hat. So cute!

Postpartum Life

Ever since I had Ben I have been in a bit of a postpartum funk. I could function and get everything done, but everything was a little less fun, a little less bright. Finally, this week I feel better. I feel like a fog has lifted. I had a great talk with a great friend, a trip to the temple with my husband, and all of a sudden I feel like my body has turned a corner. It has been 12 weeks. I wanted this to happen sooner, but I am glad that it has. Having a baby wreaks havoc on all systems. I am glad to be recovering!

Libby and the Belly

When I was pregnant, Libby was very interested in my belly. She would touch it and kiss it, very cute.

When I came home from the hospital, she got very confused. Ben was here (she thanked me frequently for bringing Ben home from the hospital) but I still had a belly.

Then she got my first glimpse of my post baby belly..."THAT'S DISGUSTING!" she proclaimed.

This week she paid me a great compliment. She patted her belly to indicate a nice flat stomach and said, "Mom, your belly is starting to go back!"

But then she saw my belly later that day and said, "but it is still disgusting."

Thanks Libby!

She is a master of telling it like it is. Today in church I ate some Cheezits. She came back from the bathroom, and I said something to her. She got a whiff of my breath, covered her face and said, "WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DID YOU EAT? EWWWW!" Oh I love her.

Lectures from Libby

Libby has become quite the "Little Miss Bossy Pants." (Where did she get that?)

On Saturday she climbed onto the step stool up to the counter where I had been cutting bread for a sandwich (no, not homemade). She said, "Mom, IT IS NOT OKAY TO LEAVE A KNIFE WHERE A CHILD COULD REACH IT!" She continued to go on about this horribly unsafe habit of mine of leaving knives where children could reach them (remember the knife was safely up on the counter out of her reach, except that she climbed up where she could reach it in order to be able to lecture me). She ended the lecture with, "but I am not a child. I am a big girl." So apparently there was nothing to be concerned with anyway.

Thoughts on Parenting

Parenting right now is so fun and challenging and frustrating and amazing.
I feel like I should record some of what I am doing so that Libby and Sarah (and Ben) can look back and laugh at what I did to get them to behave (or tried to do). I am constantly switching back and forth between the carrot and the big stick. I bribe and/or threaten about a million times a day. Here are my most popular "carrots":
A Movie (or an Episode of a show)
Candy (particularly Reese's Peanut Butter Cups)
Graham Crackers
A Story
Preschool (I do a little preschool with them and on the day of preschool they have to behave if they want to have preschool)
Hmmm...that's about it. I probably need more carrots in my bag. I would add painting, coloring, play dough except that they require more attention from me that I just can't give consistently right now.

My most frequent "sticks" (not in any particular order, because I do what fits the crime and the moment):
Spank (99% of the time just the threat works. I don't usually have to spank.)
Time out (Libby sets up the time out chair and gets herself in it when told--but it is the most hated punishment right now).
Sending toys to "time out" or the "garbage" (when doing clean up)
No Movies
(For Sarah) I will send her blankie to time out (if she won't stay in bed at night)

I am always working to pick the smart battles, the battles that are for things that matter to me most. Right now we are working on reverence during prayers (okay--at least holding still) and finishing meals without getting down. I feel pretty unsuccessful for awhile. Then somehow things click.

The other morning was amazing. Libby had been really miserable at bedtime. She cried and carried on for various reasons. When she woke up the first thing she said was, "Mommy, I am sorry I cried last night at bedtime." So cute!

Libby's Dance Recital...

So this was in June, but I had to wait for the official DVD I bought (they don't let you film it yourself.) I cut out just her dance so you could see. She didn't cry this time before hand. It is hilariously cute. (Libby is second from left.)