a load of pictures

+For some reason I really love this picture of these two kids.  I wish Beckett would have stood with them but he only wanted to stay by my side and wouldn't pose for me.  Oh well, these two are adorable too!  And the next picture is super cute too.  I didn't even tell them to pose or anything.  In fact I was trying to tell them to hold hands but they wouldn't.

 +I'm just so excited because Emery actually wore something different to church yesterday.  AND she wore a new pair of sandals that aren't plastic flip flops!!!  Man I was so happy.

 +I went on a spur of the moment shopping trip Saturday evening.  Steve told me to just go and he would put the kids to bed so I went to the mall to look for a few things I had been eyeing.  I got Emery a bathing suit that we had seen online but was sold out and the store only had 2 of them and one was her size!  It was meant to be.  I also got her that new dress and a few other items that she told me she would wear.  You don't even know how hard it has been for me to pass up so many cute clothes because Emery just won't wear them.  I just did a return to Target of shoes and clothes that I had bought for her and she refused to wear any of it.  I wasn't about to keep stuff that she would never wear.....though we do have some items I can no longer return and she has never worn them before.  Makes me sad.

+Chandler lost another tooth the other night (I think Thursday 5/23/13).  It was so funny because he came downstairs after getting put to bed and said he couldn't go to sleep because his tooth was bothering him.  I went to look at it and it was so so loose.  Just hanging there.  I had no idea he had a tooth that loose!  So then I got a little napkin and told him I just wanted to feel how stuck it was.  I honestly wasn't trying to pull it out....yet.....but when I went to feel, I literally just picked up the tooth out of his mouth.  I think it was just sitting there.  I didn't say anything and I took my hand out and Chandler was just feeling around and it took him a good 30 seconds or more to finally realize that his tooth was gone.  It was hilarious....we laughed and laughed.

+This is the hideout all the neighbor kids have made in our woods.  They had the best time a few Saturday's ago just playing and playing all day long out there.  They made a "feast" and did all kinds of stuff.  

+Emery and Zane had their own "fort" separate from the others.  They tried to lure kids over to them.  They all play so nicely together for the most part.  I love seeing Emery's little personality when she is around kids she loves and there aren't adults around to make her feel shy.  Surprisingly she is the ring leader a lot of times.  

+Just chillin' having a cookie after church one Sunday.  Actually I think this is from two weeks ago when we came home early because Chandler still had his rash and the other kids had gunky eyes.  The following week, there was an email from the primary that said there had been kids with pink eye and other illnesses in Primary and to please keep your kids home if they have it.  So we felt justified in coming home after Sacrament meeting that week.  At least it couldn't have been our kids they were talking about...hopefully not.

+The past week or so the kids have been all wearing big t-shirts to bed.  It is so adorable....more so because Chandler wears Steve's shirts, Emery wears mine, and Beckett wears Chandler's.  I love it and they have so much fun every night going to our closet to choose a new one.  Choosing pj's has never been so fun and fast and easy.  They always have so many issues at bedtime and complain about everything but with their new chosen style, they are fantastic.  They got the idea because Chandler complained one night about why he didn't have any nightgowns...I know, kind of humorous.  So I told them about how when I was a girl sometimes I would wear a big t-shirt to bed when it was super hot.  And that was that, they loved the idea and most nights they have been sporting over-sized t-shirts.  

+Emery and Beckett lovin'.  What more can I say?

+Beckett on his worst day or pink eye.  They never were really glued shut or too gunky but just puffy and pink.  Like my wise dad told me, I spend money and bring them to the doctor and get drops and they would clear up in a few days, or I could wait a few days and they will clear up on their own.  That's just what they did:)

+They were a sad looking bunch that morning.  Emery's eyes were swollen and red too.  

+One of the funniest things to me is how Beckett sucks his thumb while on  the toilet.  I always hold him and we don't use the little seat but for some reason he wanted it this day.  I just had to capture a pic of my baby boy sucking his thumb while doing his business.  When I'm holding him on, he will suck his thumb and lay his head on me.  His teeth are already looking crooked....he's a pretty constant thumb sucker.  Though I don't think he does it while sleeping which is good.  

+Last week we played a lot of baby dolls.  We hadn't played babies for a long time and suddenly Emery has been wanting to again.  Beckett is all into too and it adorable when I see him just playing and holding a baby and being cute with it.  He was pretty mad that Emery had a baby carrier and he didn't so I fixed him up a cute sling for his baby.  It was perfect and so adorable on him:)

+Saturday morning I decided we should hurry and get to the strawberry field before it got crowded and hot. I had bought some rhubarb (for $4/lb...how absurd when my parents have it growing out their ears!) and was craving a strawberry rhubarb pie.  Plus I wanted Steve to come since he never gets to come strawberry picking with us because I always go during the week.  

+Funny thing about Beckett- I tried to put a Red Sox hat on him and he looked at it and freaked out saying, "no, daddy's daddy's hat!".  He wouldn't wear it because he was sure it was Steve's hat and not his.  I even showed him the two different hats and he wouldn't buy it.  

+Sunday I put some of those delicious Strawberries to good use and made the yummiest strawberry lemonade.  It was so tasty.  I kind of followed this recipe but used lemons instead and I didn't add as much water.  I didn't really measure and I also added lost of ice to the blender to make it more slushy.  So really I didn't really follow that recipe:)  I also had lots of chunks of strawberries which was super tasty.

+I was thinking of taking pictures of it to post the recipe but then I didn't.  I made a comment about being trendy and putting it in jars and Steve rolled his eyes and made fun of me.  So I told him he couldn't have any...I felt bad later and let him have some:)

 +We went for a walk in the woods after dinner yesterday.  We came out at the field's behind Chandler's school and the kids found these big patches of clover and had so much fun playing in them.  They were tearing it up and laying in it and just having a blast.  I love when little things make kids so happy.

+Steve and I just sat on the grass and chatted while the kids played for awhile.  Then we finished our walk home back through the woods.  It wasn't all nice and dreamy though, I did complain in the woods because there is too much tall grass now.  The woods are so much more enjoyable in the winter when everything is dead.  And I kept feeling like I had ticks crawling on me and I have an intense dislike towards ticks.  They gross me out a lot.....like a lot a lot.  

+Then we got home and the kids played in the backyard for a while before it was time for our strawberry rhubarb pie and bedtime.  Beckett LOVES jumping on Steve and wrestling him.  Did Steve grow a tiny Beckett head??  Kind of looks that way:)

+Today we have been just enjoying the beautiful weather.  We've tried accomplishing a few things outside but haven't done much.  Steve is now at the pool with the kids and I'm home while Beckett is napping.  I plan to have a little hot dog cooking in our fire pit for dinner.  Hopefully I can get to the store to get the stuff though...Beckett needs to wake up soon.

last week stuff....

I've got some catching up to do.  I never gave Steve the shout-out he deserves.  Two weekends ago Steve finally got his Boy Scout Wood badge award.  He wanted us all to come see him so we tagged along.  

The kids were adorable walking in.  Chandler had so many questions about what a college was like and how he had never been to one (umm...he went to BYU last year?).  It was at the south campus of Central Piedmont Community College.  Super tiny campus- 2 buildings!

We did ...um...partake of some of the chips and lemonade they had there for all the people doing scout training.  I had to keep the kids occupied since Steve said it was at noon and it really didn't happen until almost one.

Finally they started the awards and Steve got his neckerchief, woggle, and beads put on by his mentor.

Then he got his award. I didn't give Steve the credit he deserved.  He spent all this last year (mostly summer) working on all the requirements to get it.  He was gone for lots of training and he did lots of stuff at home.  I'm proud of his hard work.

Good job Steve!

That night we went to the Charlotte Knights baseball game.  Chandler's school had a special night where part of the ticket sales went to the school and you could show up early and walk on the field for a "parade".  It was funny because we found out our neighbors were going too and then when we were at the game, they showed up and their tickets were right next to ours.  How coincidental is that?!  We had a good time and the kids stayed up way too late.  They didn't get to bed until 10 and we even left early.  It would have been fun to stay for fireworks but with church the next day and the kids super antsy it was time to go. 

Here are some of the cute things Chandler made for me at school.  Emery made a little hand print flower with a poem.  Translation of Chandler's writing:

Makes cookies

Oh so nice

The best mom

Hug

Exercise

Runs

I just love that he acknowledged my efforts at exercising.  Even though I just walk now and don't do much.  

The purse translation is a little harder. 

My mom's name is: kchenu (i enjoyed his spelling efforts:)

Her hair is: bran (brown)

Her eyes are: boloo (blue)

She weighs: 80 pounds (I like that one:)

She is 40 years old :(

Her favorite food is: zokene (zucchini- no idea why he thinks that, I hardly ever make it and usually don't really like it when I do)

My mom is special to me because: she my mom

And now you can see why Chandler is in OT for handwriting.  This is actually some of the best I have seen from him. 

This past Monday Chandler woke up with a rash all over his face.  I sent him to school and of course got a call at about noon.  His teacher thought it was hand/foot/mouth which I knew it wasn't but wanted him to go home so I had to go get him.  I brought him to the doctor that afternoon and she just said it was a rash and gave him an antibiotic and a stupid $40 steroid ointment for the itching.  I'm so mad about it all.  So the next day his rash was worse but I sent him to school because it didn't really bother him and I knew it wasn't contagious.  He stayed all day but when he came home he told me how embarrassed he was on the bus and didn't talk to anyone and they were all asking him what was wrong.  I felt so bad.  I talked to my dad and he said it sounded like an allergic reaction to something and those prescriptions wouldn't do any good.  So on Wednesday he woke up and was so swollen.  This picture was from Tuesday I think.  It got way worse than this picture.  He stayed home Wednesday because I felt so bad for him and it is very embarrassing.  Thursday I sent him to school again but they called me again all worried and when I showed up to bring his lunch to school (we were rushed that morning), his teacher said it looked like he had pink eye and she wanted him to go home.  So we just went home and Friday i just kept him home too.  So he barely went to school last week.  His rash is finally almost gone.  We have no idea what caused it.  The only thing we could think of was last Sunday we took a walk and we were picking honey suckle and sucking the nectar out of it.  Maybe he is allergic to that???  I'm just glad he is almost back to normal looking because he really did look awful and almost like Will Smith in that movie where he is on a date and eats shellfish and swells all up.  Poor kid.

 

Since Chandler was home with us on Wednesday I decided last minute to bring all the kids strawberry picking.  The strawberries are finally ready.  They got pushed back a few weeks later than normal because of bad weather.

You can see how swollen he was in this picture.

After picking strawberries, I thought I was being a nice mom by buying a funnel cake and their very own slush but all they wanted to do was play with all the cool toys there.  So I ended up eating most of the stuff:)  And then when it was time to leave of course Chandler flipped out wanting his slush which I drank and he turned into the most devil child ever.  I don't need to relive it but he spent a long time in his room when we got home.  I was so mad at him. 

Last Friday night Chandler went on a father/son camp out with Steve.  He was beyond excited and they had a great time.  Chandler finally got to use his fishing pole which he has been dying to use.  Didn't catch any fish but I think he was satisfied just using it:)  Steve called me at about 10:45 at night and I was going to bed and all of a sudden he put Chandler on the phone.  I was like, "what the heck are you doing up still?!".  Guess they all were having way too much fun.  That is why dad's take their sons camping....there are no rules with dads:)

Beckett's FIRST haircut

So last Friday (May 10th) I decided to just go ahead and take the plunge and cut Beckett's hair for the very first time.  Yeah, he's 2 years and 3.5 months old and has never had a haircut before.  Most kids are getting their first haircut before they are a year old.  Not Emery and Beckett.  Emery was just a month older than Beckett when she had her first cut.  These two have my thin hair and grow it slow....I was bald for a looooong time.

 Before:

Yeah, it looks terrible here because it's wet and combed.  It didn't actually look this bad...it was so wispy I could just sweep it up and it kind of just stayed curled up a bit:)

After:

 So Friday I just cut the wispy pieces off the back.  He wasn't really cooperating and kept whipping his head around so it was hard for me to see what to cut.  It made a huge difference and he was adorable.  All the neighbors noticed that evening when we were out playing.

(a little side note:  When we were out playing one of the neighbor kids Emery's age came up and said, "Hi Beckett, you look just like my dad....or Mr. James!".  He was referring to the fact that Beckett was wearing a muscle shirt.  His Dad and our other neighbor always are wearing sleeveless shirts while mowing and just hanging around.  I thought it was super cute and funny when he made that connection.  He's also the kid who saw me slide open my super ghetto phone to text and told me I had a "really cool phone".)

But Saturday morning, I got looking at his hair and decided to be brave and cut some more.  So I went crazy and he sat on the counter in our bathroom looking in the mirror and I cut his hair all over his head.  Top, sides, back, everything.  He was so much better behaved and I chopped off a lot.  With it shorter on the top, I can now spike it.....and you know I love a little hair spike on my boys:)

Would I be vain to mention how perfect shaped our kids heads are???  They really have the best shaped heads and profiles and I just love them.

 Seriously, I wish you could all come witness how adorable this kid is.  He really is the best little boy and so funny and has the best personality.  Here I had told them it was nap time and he proceeded to pretend to be asleep in the swing and even laid on my shoulder "sleeping" while I carried him inside.  He's obsessed with fish and wearing clothes that have fish on them.  He is amazing about going potty and insists on standing on the stool to go.  He has been dry every night this week.  He only will wear his underwear that has tractors on it.  He loves saying the word "pancake".  I don't know why but it's hilarious when I tell him to do something and he responds with, "o-tay pancake!".  He makes the best faces and rolls his eyes and gives sideways eyes just to make us laugh.  He gives the best hugs and squeezes so tight and says, "monkey, oooo, ahahah".  He loves hugging and kissing everyone goodnight.

I had a doctors appointment this week while Emery was at preschool.  So it was just me and Beckett which doesn't happen very often.  He was so adorable.  He walked in with a little truck in his hand and drove it all along the counter while I was checking in making great noises.  Then he looked and me and said with his questioning face (he kind of twists his mouth to the side and squints his eyes), "baby, belly??".  We sat down and he was just non stop talking so loud.  He was the only kid in there so I felt like he might be bothersome to others but he was being so dang cute just pointing everything out and talking so much.  He kept asking me, "doctor?".  When I had to pee in a cup, I asked him if he needed to pee too and he said yes and then proceeded to get a cup and insisted on peeing in it also!  Thankfully he didn't flip out when I told him his pee had to be dumped in the toilet.  Then when we were in the room waiting he questioned "doctor?" again and I said, "yeah, we have to wait for the doctor and then we can listen to the baby" and then he said, "baby, bumpbump, bumpbump".  It was the cutest thing that he was imitating the heartbeat sound and remembered from past visits.

Okay, I guess that's all for now.  I have a tons more to post about but that will have to be another day.  I'm off to bed so I'm not so tired and falling asleep during the day.

Mother's Day

I decided that I'm not really a fan of mother's day.  I love my mom and I love celebrating her but as far as celebrating me being a mom.....my expectations are way too high.  You know I expected my children to wear what I wanted them to wear to church (the boys did awesome but the girl threw her normal fit and wore the one and only dress she will wear right now which she wore last Sunday and probably the one before too).  This too shall pass....right??  One day I'll be able to dress Emery all up cute again, I sure hope so because it is killing me right now how she won't do her hair or wear any of her clothes and wears dirty flip flops to church.  I expected the kids to be on their best behavior (Chandler was flat out AWFUL during church...it's sad when our 2 year old is better behaved than our 6.5 year old).  But he did redeem himself in the afternoon when I spent nap time with him playing games and snuggling watching a show.  I was trying to have the attitude of being around my kids and embracing motherhood and I think I did pretty well.  Sometimes the not so great stuff just overshadows the good stuff.    

The kids did humor me and take pictures after church.  They didn't pose and smile like I wanted them too but that's okay.  My face looks like I'm 9 months pregnant which I hate right now.  

But I'm so grateful for the chance to even be a mom.  And a mom x3.5 at that!  We've had to use medication to get pregnant with all 4 kids so it truly is a blessing that I'm having yet another kid.  I seem to get lots of questions about if I wanted to get pregnant and I always think, "uh, yeah, we have to pay money to get pregnant....it doesn't just happen" but we are so lucky we haven't had to go as far and expensive as IVF or anything like that.  

This little guy is what is making me excited to have another boy.  I'm so glad I have Beckett and his little personality.  Man he is cute.....and check out his new big boy haircut.  I'll have to do a separate post about his very first haircut.  He looks like such a little boy now. 

I did get a pretty great Mother's Day gift.   I told Steve all I wanted for our anniversary and mother's day was a new camera.  He opted to save a thousand or so and get me a new lens instead:)  I'm okay with that for now though because I have been wanting a new lens and we got one that will hopefully work on a new camera too so it can carry over when we do get a new camera.  We got a 50mm lens.  I think it's this one though we bought ours at a local store. 

Steve showed me this video yesterday.  It's hilarious!

Anyway, I love my moms and I'm so glad I have my own mom and my mother-in-law around to help, listen, encourage, support, visit, love, and ooh and aww over my kids.  Happy Mother's Day!