Dance Recital

Today I had a small Pampered Chef party. My sister KarraLee is a consultant and she hit me up for another show. I really do love their products, so it's fun to see all the new ones and great uses for them. We had the Aloha Pizza, which uses chicken that she cooked in the microwave. I think I am going to do that a lot now! It tasted great and it doesn't heat up your kitchen! It was so delicious.

This afternoon was Eliza's dance recital. She was nervous off and on today and got really nervous when she realized she was going to be up on stage in a school cafeteria. She said she said a prayer and I told her I said one for her, too, and she seemed to like that. But she was a star! She was confident and seemed to remember both dances. We think she has bit of a talent for dance and can stay on rhythm and has great form. Her class of four girls was so cute. They did 2 numbers--"Honestly Daddy" which was tap and "April Showers" which was ballet. After the first one, she came back by us with a big grin. I asked her if she was having fun and she said, "Yes." I think she likes it! After it was over we gave her flowers and so did my parents. She was so pleased about that. She kept talking about getting flowers at her recital and we were planning on do it all along. But we were trying to hide them so they would be a surprise. On the way there she was mopey and in her best Eeyore voice, she said, "I guess no one is getting me flowers." It was funny. We were all pleased with how she did.


Look at that toe pointing!











Tonight I stayed home with Ellie and Hattie, and Brian took Eliza and Libby to the 5A state track meet. They had fun until the girls got tired of it, so they came home. He did get to see the 4x100, which is always a favorite.

Hattie has been smiling a lot more lately. It's adorable!



I also took some pictures of my new nephew Luke last Sunday. Isn't he darling?



It's late...better get to bed!

Auction

This morning Brian helped a friend of ours move-in. I am so excited she is moving back here! Then we did "chores" around the house most of the day. Libby and I took a little trip to Wal-Mart, too.

Tonight was our youth auction/fundraiser. My brother--the young men's president--and I were kind of in charge of the whole thing. He did most of the work, but I helped out a lot with the auction. We had a lot of great items including two tickets to the Suns' playoff game this Tuesday which went for $750. There was also a 16 ticket suite to a Coyotes game, food, 2 jerseys and you get to meet Wayne Gretzky. That went for $2050. We raised $7750. Sweet! It is amazing! I think we ended up with 2 dozen cinnamon rolls when we want them, caramel brownies, babysitting from one of the young women and Brian won a sailing trip on Lake Pleasant. He is so excited for that.

Now it's off to bed for early church in the morning.

Date

I was so tired this morning. And afternoon for that matter! This morning I watched Eliza put on a recital for me (she was inspired by the dance concert last night) and Eliza and Libby colored while I got ready. While Eliza was at preschool, Ellie, Libby and I played outside for a little bit and then in the playroom. Libby has really been into puzzles lately, so that has been fun to do them with her.

The new McDonald's by SuperTarget is now open, so I got that for the girls for dinner. Then we went to pick up our babysitter. For our date, we first got the van washed. Man--it really needed it! Then we went to my parents' house because Hattie needed to eat. While I was feeding her, Brian went and got some take-out for our dinner. I got Babbos and Brian got Pei Wei. We grabbed a few groceries on the way home, and that was our date! Hattie has been so fussy this afternoon and tonight. I guess she didn't like me eating the peanut butter rice krispie treats. Won't do that again. She got even though with a big spit-up on me and down my shirt. Nice.

Tomorrow is the youth auction fundraiser for church, and I need to finish all the bidding sheets. ...better go!

Dancing, Shots, Fabric (again)

Today was a good, busy day. This morning included coloring pictures, playing some volleyball outside and hosing off the front porch. Some birds decided to make a nice little nest up high on one of the pillars by our front door. And birds=droppings, so we had to hose it off, only to have more appear later. Ugh!

This afternoon Hattie had her 2 month check up. She is 11 pounds 6 oz and 24" long. She got 4 shots and an oral vaccine. She was dozing on me before her shots, then cried during, but right after I picked her up, she fell right back to sleep. What a trooper. After we got home, my sister-in-law and her kids came over and I helped my niece with volleyball.

This evening after dinner, I took Eliza to see a couple of my young women in their dance recital at school. Eliza loved watching all the dances and it was fun. They did a good job. Eliza came home and wanted to dance. I am sure that is what we'll do all morning. :)

I found tons more fabric I love. This might be a new favorite. Love this. And this. And these.
Here are the ones I made for the baby shower:


Happy weekend. Yay!

Fabric Fettish

The baby shower went well this morning, but the mom-to-be thought it started at 11 instead of 10. So we waited around for her to show up. It was fun to visit and munch on the yummy food. Everyone seemed to like the burp cloths. I think I am obsessed about making them because I can't resist the cute fabrics that are available. Some of my favorites are Amy Butler and Freshcut by Heather Bailey. Yum! I know I'll be on the hunt for other cute prints.

Right now we are watching American Idol--the results show. The show last night was great. I hope Jordin doesn't go home. Hers wasn't the best. What did you think about Blake? Loved his performance. We listed to it twice and liked it even better the second time. I wonder which two will go home. My prediction is Chris and Lequisha. We shall see!

Favorites

Here are some of my favorites or good things for the week:

--Lemon Cooler Cake (from Costco). Yum!
--a clean, clean sink (Thanks to Bar Keeper's Friend!)
--brownies from Boston Market (yes, I know they are chocolate, but Hattie hasn't complained yet)
--Ellie's sense of humor. She is so funny and loves to make us laugh.
--Man vs. Wild. Brian and I catch bits and pieces of this show once in a while. He is crazy!
--Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe is so funny.
--volleyball. I started playing women's volleyball at church last week. Tonight we only had three on our team, but we only lost both games by 3-4 points.
--the resort. Last night after family home evening, Brian took Eliza and Libby swimming. He said it was a little cold, but they had fun. I am sure it's just the start of a lot of swimming this summer!
--surviving Father's and Son's outing. I even braved the mall with everyone and one stroller! I picked up my jeans from Buckle after having them hemmed. Man are those pants comfy. I'd better limit my lemon cake and brownie intake so they fit.
--making some dang cute burp cloths for a baby shower gift. I think I have a new addiction.
--FINALLY feeling better. After two weeks, it's about time!
--May! It's my birthday month. I'm getting old!

Happy Tuesday.

Pictures

It's been a long process and it still isn't fixed, but here are a few pictures from Hattie's blessing.

Here is what else has been going on:
Tuesday: I'm getting old...I can't remember. Oh yeah..Brian's mom watched the girls in the afternoon so I could rest and try to shake this sinus thing that keeps dragging on. That day it felt like my head was in a vice. That is not so bad anymore, but I still don't feel 100%.

Wednesday: Preschool. Mutual.

Thursday: Trying to get my girls to get along. Ugh. Libby was on one today. We made a trip to Costco and 31 flavors where I bought my friend Rachel an ice cream cake for her birthday. Tonight I went to a Cookie Lee party for one of my young women and her mom. I bought a little necklace for the girls and I bought a necklace with a crystal-lined circle. I don't think that was a very good description, but it's pretty.

Tomorrow: It's Father's and Sons. Most moms love this campout. Ugh! Not me--not when you have FOUR daughters. So that means Dad leaves and I'm here with all the girls. Wish it were a daddy/daughter campout. :)

Bad Blogger

It's been a while that is for sure. So it's time for a quick run down of what's been going on.

Thursday--had a camp leader meeting. Felt sick...sore throat, congestion.
Friday--still stick...body ached, too; girls had runny noses. Eliza didn't go to preschool. No date night either--I didn't feel up to it. Brian took Eliza, Libby and Ellie up to his parents' cabin up near Mund's Park. They were so excited and had a really good time. I was able to get a lot of work done, so that was nice.
Saturday--Hattie didn't sleep that great and decided she needed to be held at 4 AM. So that is when I got up. I got ready and by 7:20 I dropped her off at my sister-in-law's house. She watched her while I went out to the temple with the young women. After getting back home at about 1:30 and getting Hattie, I came home, made dinner for a friend who just had a baby, fed Hattie and held her all afternoon...she was soooooo fussy....more than she has ever been. It was weird. Brian and the girls got home around 4, then Brian got the babysitter and we were off to deliver dinner, then I took pictures at a family party of one of my parents' friends. ...feeling a little better at this point
Sunday--Ward Council meeting at 7 AM, church at 9. Brian brought all the girls to meet me there. He did pretty well. We'll have to get Eliza not wanting to do her own hair. It was a bit interesting. I convinced her to let me help her with it before she went to primary. I started feeling worse during church--more stuffy, coughing attacks, etc. I ended up leaving before Young Women's started. Unfortunately, I was supposed to teach, so I was bummed about not doing that. But luckily another leader let my class come in and join them. She saved me! I even got a nap that afternoon which was heavenly. That night we went to Brian's parents' house for dinner. It was a fun time. Brian had to leave early to go to a meeting, but Eliza and Libby were well behaved so that made it easier. It was a little busy with Hattie and Ellie, but I survived with a little help from others.
Today--Eliza and Libby were a little rambunctious this morning. Eliza had preschool. Stopped at Target for a couple of birthday gifts. Family Home Evening. Still feeling crummy. It's like I get teased...feel better, then bam...feel yucky again. Oh well. I'll keep plugging along! Now I have quite a bit of work to get done. Unfortunately Hattie will need to eat soon and she doesn't think she can sleep unless she is being held. Today I let her "cry it out" for over an hour. I did go in once, but she NEVER gave up. Ugh. Anyone have any suggestions!?!!?!

OK--I'll try to be better. I still can't access the pictures from the other computer so I wonder if anyone is still reading this if there aren't pictures! ha ha! Happy Week.

Virginia

Before I ramble about my life, I thought I would pay respect to those who died in the Virginia Tech massacre. That is just awful. I remember when Columbine happened, I was outside my classroom waiting for my professor to come to class. When she came and after she let us in the room, she told us what had happened. It was a solemn day. This week has been solemn too for what happened. It is just so unfortunate that they lost their lives at the hands of such a sick person. It makes me nervous since I'll be sending Eliza to kindergarten in a few months. What are things coming too? I heard on Oprah I think that some teachers are afraid to give students an "F" for fear of the aftermath. That is just too bad. When I taught high school and even at the community college, I didn't worry about that. Luckily I had pretty good students. Who would have thought teaching would be a high-risk profession? In an e-mail from a friend today, she mentioned that one day it might be home-school for us. We decided if that happened, I could teach English and reading, she could do science and we'd find others for the other subjects. Actually doing it that way wouldn't be too bad.

I pray that Friday proves to be uneventful in light of past events.

In other news, today was a techie day for me. I finally got my iPod back!! I got one for Mother's Day last year and somehow Brian decided he would like one and somehow it became his. It's all a blur!! But we had quite a few World Points on a credit card, so we redeemed them for another iPod. I can't wait to get my music on there and get going!

In addition to an iPod, I got a new phone today. My phone met an untimely death on Saturday when Ellie put it under running water. It didn't like that! I had been wanting a new phone, but I wasn't going to be getting one this soon. Brian was able to get me the one I really wanted and he got a great deal on it. It's the LG enV. I love it so far. It is a "bar" phone but then opens up to a keyboard. It is great for texting and it has a great camera. I am excited. And sorry if you've tried to reach me on my cell phone--I haven't been ignoring you! Now I'm back in service except my contact info isn't on my new phone.

The week is half over! Here's to a great rest of the week.

Tuesday

Happy Tuesday. How is everyone's week so far? Let's see...yesterday was a bit of a busy day. While Eliza was at preschool, I took Ellie to the doctor. She has had a runny nose for quite a while. I felt it was allergies since none of us got sick during that time, but I wanted to get it checked out. Mothers know best: Allergies. The doctor prescribed Zyrtec and we started that this morning with her. I hope it helps! We saw another doctor at Pediatrix and I really liked him, too. I am very happy having switched over to this practice. After Brian got home, we ate dinner and had home evening taught by Eliza. She had made a little booklet of pictures she had drawn (Jesus' birth, Him teaching people, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.) It was very cute and a cute lesson. Speaking of cute and Eliza...we were driving yesterday and she said, "Mom--you know that scrapbooking song?" I was trying to think what that was, then realized it was "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. (It talks about writing your own story, etc). She was complaining we hadn't heard that song in a while. But it was cute that she called it a scrapbooking song. Later last night, Eliza and I went to visit my friend Rachel who just had a baby. She was so darling!

Today is a pretty laid-back day...no preschool and no where to be at a certain time. Now it's time to get ready! Sorry about not having any photos to post. We haven't had a chance to fix the network issues.

e

Blessing Day and More

Today was Hattie's blessing day. It always makes me nervous since everyone comes for it. But it was a good day. Hattie cooperated and it worked out that she ate at about 8, so with church at 9, she wasn't fussy or hungry. She looked so darling in her blessing dress that both Libby and Ellie wore. Brian gave her a very sweet blessing. He is always so good about their blessing days. A few days or so before all the girls' blessings, he always spends lots of time with each one and thinks about what he is going to say. I love that. But it went well and Sacrament was actually relaxing. Eliza sat with her cousin and Libby was entertained coloring. Brian had Ellie and my mom held Hattie. I could actually listen!! But Hattie is so special--we are glad she is in our family. I will post pictures when we get our network fixed...it is giving us issues. :(

That was most recently..but this week has been busy. Yesterday was Brian's company picnic. Part of it was like Friday the 13th a day late. It was out in Tempe and it took us probably an hour and a half to get there. Everywhere we went, there was construction and detours. Once we got there, Hattie had dirtied a diaper, which had leaked all over her onesie. So we had to take care of that. The rest wasn't too bad, but it started a little harried! They played a softball game that Brian was supposed to play in but as it was getting ready to start, Hattie needed to eat and there was no way Brian could leave me alone with Ellie as I was feeding Hattie. Such is life, I suppose. Last night we got a babysitter for a little bit while we picked up Rubios for dinner and did a little shopping. I’ve succumb to the fact that I need some new clothes. Before the picnic I tried on 4 pairs of shorts and none of them fit. It was depressing. So last night we headed to the mall and I checked out Buckle. I had heard a lot about their jeans, so I wanted to check them out. So this leads me to my Ode to Buying Jeans...I haven’t bought new jeans in a while, and usually when I do I buy like a "size" like 6, 8, 10, etc. Here they are labeled by the waist size. I had no idea what my waist was, so I help up a pair to kind of gauge to see. That's when the employee comes up and asks me, "Have you bought jeans here before?" Hmm...how could she tell. Maybe it was my elastic waist capris with the salsa stain on it or my t-shirt with either a spit up or snot stain on it. Good thing she couldn't see into the dressing room and she could see my nursing pad 1/2 hanging out. Nice. I felt like a train wreck, but I guess that is my story every day! Anyway...so I get trying on pants that the employee thought I would look good in. She kind of sized me up and then decided on a few pairs. I started trying them on and some fit, some didn't. I found a couple that I liked, but the jeans there are more than I've probably ever spent on jeans...except maybe my Guess jeans I got 15 or so years ago. Before I bought any I checked out another store but didn't like the fit of them. So I went back and splurged on a pair of jeans. I decided on the Big Star Casey jeans. Definitely a splurge for my thrifty self, but I do like them. Yesterday my brother Brian and his wife Kamille also had their third baby. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz. and they named him Luke Thomas. We went and saw him after church today and he a cutie.

On Friday, Kamille had her baby shower, so after that I guess she (and the baby) decided she was ready!

Let’s see…what else…it seems like we are just doing the regular stuff here…preschool runs three days/week, mutual on Wednesday, a trip to Costco, etc. Oh yeah…on Tuesday I had a baby shower here for my good friend Rachel. She is going in tomorrow to have her 4th baby. It was a fun shower and fun to hang out and chat.

Have a great week.

Easter

Our Easter weekend turned out nice. On Saturday morning, Eliza and Libby were up, dressed and ready by 6:20. They were excited to go to the Easter party at my parents' house. I was, too, but not enough to be up and ready by then! Needless to say, I got up and ready, too. After everyone got to their house, we ate the yummy BBQ lunch and the kids played charades. They had fun guessing what each person acted out. Then they went outside for the Easter egg hunt. (Sorry the outside pictures are so bad! That's what happens when I forget to change my camera off the AV mode when the aperture is set at 2.8. Oops!) Once the eggs were collected, the kids enjoyed singing "Tootie-Ta", led by my brother, Brian. They all get such a kick out of that song. After laughing and singing, my brother Dan and his wife, Chris, had the kids decorate little cakes shaped like eggs. They came up with some creative creations! Then it was inside to do the annual "fish pond" that my parents do. Each kid gets to go "fishing" and they catch some really great things: chocolate bunnies, an outfit, McDonald's gift card and an Easter dress. All the kids had a great time. Eliza and Libby fell asleep on the way home, they were so worn out. Too bad they woke up when we got home!










Sunday morning was an early day, too. I was sitting in the rocking chair in our room, feeding Hattie and dozing off when Eliza came in at about 6 and said, "He came!!" The Easter bunny had eaten the snacks they left out the night before (a Kit Kat and a bunny-shaped candy). Then she ran back out and found the baskets, of course. She came running back in with her two gifts in her hands and was so thrilled and excited. She proceeded to bring in and show me what the other girls got, too. Libby got up soon after and got to see her basket, too. Eliza got a Junie B. book and the new Charlotte's Web movie. Libby got a Curious George book and the game Connect 4 and Ellie got some new shorts. Thankfully they didn't notice that Hattie didn't get anything. It was a little hectic and busy getting everyone ready, but we made it to church on time. That was another crazy adventure. I am glad my parents came to help me out. Ellie is just at that hard stage to have in Sacrament meeting. She wants to be up and moving around all the time. Sacrament was really nice though with all the music and talks about Christ and the resurrection and atonement. In YW, I taught the Laurels and I focused on Jesus' last days, like what happened the week before he was crucified. I really enjoyed preparing the lesson and learning about what that week was like. It was really humbling to learn about that and compare it to what I was doing this past week. ...doesn't even compare! Each girl got a paper bag Easter basket filled with 8 empty eggs. When I talked about each day before the Crucifixion, they each got an item to put in the corresponding egg to remind them about that day and how they can apply it to their lives.

For Easter dinner, my brother Brian and his family came over along with my parents and my Grandpa and his wife Dovetta. We had a great ham dinner with potatoes, rolls, veggies, fruit and cake and pie for dessert. It was a great Easter despite the face that Brian wasn't with us. He got home a little before 9 last night. Fortunately everyone was sleeping (except Hattie) so we could talk about the trip and catch up on the weekend. I am so glad he is home!

Today was preschool and playing outside this afternoon. It's getting so hot! Ugh. I wish it was still cool outside. Tonight before Family Home Evening, we went to McDonald's so the girls could spend their gift cards they got from the fish pond.

OK--off to do some work and to get the house ready for a baby shower tomorrow night.

Girls Weekend

Brian left last night and headed to Flagstaff with his brother Jared and sister Laura. They drove the rest of the way today with his parents, other brother and sister (not all in one car though). There was a viewing tonight and another viewing and the funeral tomorrow. The girls and I are surviving fine so far. Today we colored quite a bit. Eliza had preschool and I did a Target run. This afternoon I had a presidency meeting. And this evening the girls and I ate pizza. After Ellie went to bed, we colored Easter eggs and filled plastic eggs with candy for the Easter party at my parents' tomorrow. Then it was off to bed for them.

On Wednesday, Eliza had a field trip to the fire station. My dad was nice enough to take Eliza and Libby on the field trip. They had a great time, especially trying out the fire hose!

That night, I had mutual and we did our cooking certification with the girls for camp. The camp directors did a great job planning and organizing it. It went so smoothly and the girls seemed to enjoy it.

Last night I went to a Stake Leadership Training. I really learned a lot that will help me in my young women's calling. One training was based on this talk. I really want to apply the suggestions in the talk. I started with the first suggestion in our presidency meeting by focusing on each girl and her needs.

All right--here's to a good night and a fun Easter-y day tomorrow.

Birthday Boy

Yesterday was Brian's 28th birthday! It didn't start out so great as he got news that his grandpa Trimble up in Utah passed away. I guess he didn't ever want Brian to forget the date! So that was sad, but he is definitely happier and having more fun there since now he can run around and see much better. Several years ago his grandpa was hit by an out of control truck and it resulted in having one of his legs amputated at about the knee. He wasn't expected to make it then, but he did and has enjoyed many years of farming with one leg! His eyesight was also failing, so now he can see and run and walk. He also had a couple of brothers who passed away as babies, so I am sure that was a happy reunion to meet them.

The rest of the day was pretty normal. For his gift, he got tickets to the Rush concert in July. The tickets went on sale at 10, but there were some special presales over the weekend. By the time he could buy tickets yesterday morning all the 100 level seats were taken!! He was bummed but is excited to go anyway. I also got him an i-Tunes gift card. My parents got him this book that should be here any day and a gift card to Albertsons. Sounds funny, but it's right by his office and he likes to go there and get lunch sometimes, so it will be perfect!

Last night we enjoyed cake and ice cream to celebrate!

Yesterday I also bought tickets to this. Brian, Eliza and I will go. I am excited and excited to take Eliza to a little cultural/fine arts event.

Today was Hattie's one-month well check. She is 9 lbs. 9 oz and 22" long. She sure is growing!! But the doctor says she looks great! She also had one shot and didn't like it at all. Poor girl.

I'd better go...I have tons to do this week.

Favorites

I thougth it would be fun to make a list of a few of my favorite things right now:

--Capriotti's "Slaw Be Jo" sandwich--A couple in our ward opened up one of these sandwich shops at 91st and Thomas and we tried it out for lunch today. I had the slaw be jo--roast beef with cole slaw, mayo and russian dressing. Yum!!! I can't wait to go back and try the cheese steak.
--Rosie O'Donnell. I know. I loved her show when it was on several years ago, but then I kind of turned her off and didn't pay attention when she was going through some "issues". But now she is on The View and I'll catch it every once in a while, while I am feeding Hattie. She just makes me laugh. I really enjoy listening to and watching her.
--Dryer's Light Almond Prailine ice cream. ...with Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel topping. I looked and noticed there are 14 servings in the carton of ice cream. I wish it lasted me 14 days. I'm stocking up way faster than that. Can you say, "Portion size?!?!?"
--Chrystalyn' s (my sister-in-law) homemade rolls. She brought us a dozen today and there are 2 left. The girls helped us, too! But yum.
--General Conference. My favorite talk today was Elder Holland's talk about words. Loved that one and it's one I needed.
--I would love to buy some clips from here. Or here.
--Or a skirt from here.
--Love Brian singing Primary songs to Eliza and Libby as he is putting them to bed.
--a freshly bathed baby.
--Super Target.

Happy Saturday.

What We've Been Up To

Laundry list of what we've been up to the past couple of days:
--coloring (with Eliza and Libby)
--playing the Wiggles game and Guess Who with Libby
--went to Enrichment last night. We celebrated the Relief Society birthday (165!). It was decorated so cute and springy--green and pink. They served dinner, then had a few people talk about how they have been served in various ways. I am so inspired to serve more. For our "gift", each sister got a wooden board that said, "Serve" with "Do It" across the middle. I have it on my counter. I left with a resolve and desire to serve more--I am excited. This morning in the car, I was telling Eliza and Libby about enrichment and how we can pray to know who to serve, etc. So in our prayers this morning, Eliza said, "Please help us know who to serve. Please help the Holy Ghost tell us who to serve. And please help Mom to serve us more." Yikes! Not what I had in mind, but it was cute!
--took Eliza to a friend's birthday party at the park today
--my cousin came over this afternoon to help out with the girls so I could get some work done
--worked on editing the Designing With 2008 calendar
--worked on editing Heidi's class for her BPS class
--date night: picked up dinner for me at Paradise Bakery and Brian got Pei Wei. We took it to my parents' house so I could feed Hattie; got two baby shower gifts for showers coming up

That about sums it up! General Conference is this weekend. I always love watching it and learning so much.

Easter Pageant

Tonight for mutual the young men and young women went to the Easter pageant out at the Mesa temple. I hadn't been since I was in high school, so it was neat to see it again. I took Eliza with me and she enjoyed it. She didn't like the ride over or back because she said all the kids just talked the whole time. She didn't like that!

Can we talk about American Idol for a minute??? First of all, Sinjaya...give me a break. When we saw him last night we were like, "You've got to be kidding me." It is like a big joke now to see his next antic. And then...the kicker was that he didn't even make it to the bottom three. This is getting ridiculous. I was sad to see Chris go--Sinjaya better be close behind.

Chores

We are on week two of successful chore charts. I was a little nervous how things would go--wondering what I would have to do to bribe them to get them done. But I haven't had to do anything, surprisingly. They just like the fact that they are "done" with their chores for the day. I think people push their kids to be successful at sports or dance or gymnastics or music, but they forget to teach them how to work, which is ultimately what will really make them successful in life. So with that in mind, I wanted to start them on more chores and responsibilities around the house. Not that they didn't have any before, but it's more structured and they have a few new ones. They now have to clean their room (make bed, make sure clothes are put away and things put away), clean a bathroom (wipe it down with a cleaning wipe), help with laundry (they bring clothes in from their room, sort, fold, put away or start a load or move it along--depending on what needs to be done that day), empty silverware from dishwasher if needed, and they take turns either emptying the bathroom trashes or cleaning the playroom. So far so good. They have done a really great job doing their chores. Last night Libby knew she had to clean the playroom, so right after dinner, she said that is what she was going to do. I didn't hear from her for a little while, and when I went in there, it was seriously spotless! It was cleaned better than I had seen in a while and totally organized. So funny! And tonight she helped Eliza empty the silverware but then proceeded to empty all the rest. She left some things though for Brian that she couldn't' reach to put up. Look how she arranged them.



But I am glad they are doing well so far!

Today is so windy. Ugh. That is the one weather condition that is not my favorite at all.

Date, Weekend and Today

Friday night we had a short date since we did get to go to the basketball game on Tuesday. We just ate dinner at home, then went to Costco (looking for a new printer) and Super Target. We bought new pillows and some other stuff.

On Saturday we hung out at home, then went to my niece's baptism. After that we went to Cheesecake Factory as a little celebration. All the girls did pretty well for eating out and how long it took to order and get the food. We couldn't feed Ellie fast enough, that is for sure! She enjoyed more bread than anyone, sliders (mini cheeseburgers), stuffed chicken tortillas and chicken salad sandwich. She is an eater! That night I went to the General YW Broadcast. It was excellent...great speakers and messages. My favorite quote was about modesty by Elaine Dalton. She said, "Modesty is not a matter of being hip. It is a matter of the heart and being holy. It is not about being fashionable. It is about being faithful. It is not about being cool. It is about being chaste and keeping covenants. It is not about being popular, but about being pure." Love the contrast of the words.

Sunday morning started early (4:45) with feeding Hattie and getting ready for my 7 AM meeting. I wasn't sure how it would work with Hattie's feeding schedule, but it seemed to work out. Brian got them all ready and Hattie took a bottle just fine. Church went well. For the past couple of weeks we've been going into nursery with Ellie since our other option is to roam the halls or sit in the foyer with her. She loves it in there and does great. Yesterday Brian walked the girls to primary and on the way he opened the door to nursery and Ellie walked right in and got playing. I spent the last hour with her in there so Brian could go to class and she did well. The Oreo and goldfish crackers probably helped, too. Only 7 more weeks until we can leave her!!!

Sunday evening we had dinner at Brian's parents' house. The kids had fun playing together after and even enjoyed a fun game of kickball. Libby really picked up on that and seemed to love it.

Today started out with baths for Eliza and Libby. Ellie slept in until 9:15--which is normally unheard of--and when she did, I was welcomed with a smelly mess. Nice. After getting that all cleaned up and getting Ellie a bath, too, we played until time to take Eliza to preschool. It was a very busy day as I was always up doing something. I think that is what things will be like for a while!

Ok--off to do some writing!

Sinus Pressure

On Tuesday night, Brian and I got to go to the Suns' game. Some friends were going out of town and couldn't use their tickets, so we were able to enjoy them. They were in a suite, so that was fun and couldn't have been more perfect since we took Hattie. She slept the whole time, but we were able to leave her in her seat and just put her in the little room there. We also enjoyed some finger foods. The Suns won, too, so that was a plus. Luckily it was spring break, so finding a babysitter was easier. Oh--I put that photo of Hattie in there because a lady in the suite was looking at her and she said, "Oh, he is just sleeping through it all....It is a boy, right?" Um, no, I don't know what mom would use a pink, fairy blanket for a boy. Oh well. Wouldn't you guess it was a girl?!?

Wednesday was one of my craziest days. We started by picking up Sarah--our babysitter in the morning. She watched all the girls (except Hattie) while I went to my doctor's appointment. This is the appointment I made a long time ago with the dermatologist to have her check a couple spots I wanted to make sure didn't need to be removed. It was a little crazy there with Hattie who wanted to be held...kind of hard when you are supposed to nearly strip down and wear a paper gown. But we survived. And the spots I was concerned about were totally fine, but there was a little freckle/mole she was concerned about near my temple. So she took it off right then! It really didn't hurt--not even the shot, so I was glad about that. From there, I raced back home and picked up Eliza and Libby so they could play at their cousins' house. Sarah stayed at our house with Ellie. I went to Brian's office to take a conference call for some work I am going to be doing coming up. I also ate lunch there--Brian surprised me and had gotten me my favorite salad from Babbos. Yum! After the call, I had to orient my new Personal Progress person for Young Women's, then it was taxi-time again to pick up Eliza and Libby, then take Sarah home. Woosh!!! Busy day. That night I went to Becky's for a scrapbook night. We mostly chatted, but Kristi helped me work on baby shower invitations for a friend who is expecting.

Today Brian just went into work for a couple of hours, then he came home so I could hopefully get a nap. I've had some sort of sinus something going on, and the pressure in my face is excruciating! It feels like a terrible toothache, but I've had this happen before and know it's sinus related. Ugh! But he played with the girls and took them somewhere this afternoon and I actually took time to take a short nap. So nice!!

Now it's time to work. So I must go. P.S. The other day, Eliza wanted me to go outside and take her pictures...she is good at posing, huh?!

Weekend

Here are a few random photos...the ones of Hattie on the floor between the chairs is explained in an earlier post. The note on the counter was one of Eliza's "secret services." And dress ups were from Sunday.




Things have been busy! Let's see...On Saturday morning, Brian helped out with an Eagle project at the shooting range. Eliza and Libby had a primary activity day, so I took them to that at 9. They played some games, did a little bit of service by cleaning the toys in the nursery and had cupcakes. As a handout, they got a folder that had little slips of paper that said, "You've been secretly served." They were supposed to do service around the house and leave the note. So after getting home, Eliza did various "chores" and left her notes around the house. It was very cute.

The rest of the day the girls played outside off and on and got worn out! That night we got a sitter and went out. We ate dinner at Chili's, then we went to Mountain Ridge's play...Cinderella. The girl we went to see who is new in our ward played the part of the Queen. She did a great job and has a very nice voice. It was a really good play all together. After that was over, it was time to come home and Hattie had had enough.

Sunday was my first time back at church since having Hattie. Brian had to fill in at the 7 AM meeting, so I had to get all 4 girls and myself ready and to church. ...Happy to say we made it about 10 minutes early and I don't think we forgot anything. I had matching shoes on and fully dressed (I hope). I had to revisit the mother's room when Hattie needed to eat. There are quite a few women who use it now, so I have get better at being discreet while nursing. I am not very good at covering up with a blanket and getting Hattie started eating. I must practice or else flash everyone in there! After church we came home and got ready for Sunday dinner. My grandpa came over along with my parents. I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes. We also had corn and my parents brought various Popsicles and ice cream bars for dessert. We had a youth fireside that night, so I went to that, came home and visited with our home teachers and went to bed. I was so tired!

Today Eliza didn't have preschool, which was kind of nice since we didn't have a time schedule. After morning naps though, I ventured out to Target with all 4 of them! It was a sight I am sure, but we survived. I got one of those carts that has a spot for 2 kids in the front, then a cart in front of that. So Ellie was in one of the seats and surprisingly, she did great! She sat there the entire time. Libby and Eliza traded off (fought over) the other seat. Hattie did well about 1/2 of the time and cried the other half. We got a lot of looks at Target. Someone said, "Are all these girls yours?!?!" Ha ha!

Weekend is Here!

The rest of this week has been much of the same. On Wednesday morning I went with Eliza to her preschool "field trip" to Papa John's Pizza. The kids saw how they made pizza and toured the store. Then we went to the park so they could eat the pizza they made. That night I went to mutual. We did a spotlight night of one of the girls, so we played her favorite game (Catch Phrase) and had cookies.

Thursday and Friday Eliza had preschool, so that was our afternoon. The mornings are spent getting ready. Yes--it takes nearly all morning!

Tonight we would usually go on date night, but our regular sitter couldn't watch them until tomorrow night, so we hung out here and will go out tomorrow night. I think we'll get some dinner and one of my young women is in a play at her school, so I think we'll go watch that.

Sleep is getting a little better, I supposed. She is up about every three hours, but she is doing better about going back to sleep or I can put her in her car seat and she is content, then she'll fall asleep. Not the best habit I am sure, but if it means sleep I am all over that right now!

A Better Night

Last night, thankfully, was a better night. After I put Hattie down at 8 or so, she slept until 11:45, then she slept--albeit in our bed--until about 3 when she ate again and slept until 7:30. I got more sleep so I was happy about that.



Today was filled with taking care of and entertaining the girls and trying to keep Libby from holding Hattie's hand too much. That girl is obsessed with hands--just like she is with Ellie's. She can't walk past her without putting her thumb in Hattie's palm and gritting her teeth.



We also picked up the CD of photos from Becky that she took on Saturday. I used a few in Hattie's baby announcement, but here are a few other favorites.








Tonight Eliza was holding Hattie in the playroom while I did somethings in the family room. One time when I went to check on her, she had made her a "bed" on the floor with a doll pillow and blanket. The second time I checked on her, Hattie was in the doll crib. I had to rescue her and take her in the other room with me.


Tomorrow will be a hectic day. We have to be at my parents' house at 9:30 to drop off Libby and Ellie so I can take Eliza to her field trip at Papa John's by 9:50. Then at night, Brian is going to a G3 concert with his brother, so my cousin is coming over to babysit while I go to mutual.

A Better Night

Last night, thankfully, was a better night. After I put Hattie down at 8 or so, she slept until 11:45, then she slept--albeit in our bed--until about 3 when she ate again and slept until 7:30. I got more sleep so I was happy about that.



Today was filled with taking care of and entertaining the girls and trying to keep Libby from holding Hattie's hand too much. That girl is obsessed with hands--just like she is with Ellie's. She can't walk past her without putting her thumb in Hattie's palm and gritting her teeth.



We also picked up the CD of photos from Becky that she took on Saturday. I used a few in Hattie's baby announcement, but here are a few other favorites.








Tonight Eliza was holding Hattie in the playroom while I did somethings in the family room. One time when I went to check on her, she had made her a "bed" on the floor with a doll pillow and blanket. The second time I checked on her, Hattie was in the doll crib. I had to rescue her and take her in the other room with me.


Tomorrow will be a hectic day. We have to be at my parents' house at 9:30 to drop off Libby and Ellie so I can take Eliza to her field trip at Papa John's by 9:50. Then at night, Brian is going to a G3 concert with his brother, so my cousin is coming over to babysit while I go to mutual.

What's New...

On Sunday I stayed home for one last week since Hattie isn't even 2 weeks old. I kept Ellie home with me, too, so Brian could actually go to Elder's Quorum without having to leave. But of course, Ellie and Hattie were on opposite schedules. So I only got to shower but no nap or rest. That afternoon we went to watch one of our good friends and one of Brian's young men--Tanner Davis--open his mission call. He is going to Bangkok, Thailand. Should be a pretty interesting mission! While we were there, the Davises had ice cream sandwiches and ice cream bars. Ellie saw everyone with one and she was nearly drooling. Our Bishop saw that and offered her some of his. And she totally chomped off a bite. She probably ate 1/3 of his ice cream bar. It was pretty cute and funny! She loved it. That night we went to my parents for dinner.

Today went pretty well with all 4 girls. Eliza had preschool, so that broke up the day. This afternoon while Ellie took a nap, we went out front and Eliza and Libby rode bikes and played.

Have I mentioned that Hattie has had three terrible nights?!?! She does not want to go right back to sleep after she eats. She wants to be held. Ugh. I am worn out and I am sure Brian is, too. Last night I finally brought her in bed with me and she slept great. I think she just wants to be held and cuddled. Nice, but not during the night! Tonight I just fed her and she went right down, so I hope it's a sign for a better night ahead.

Back to your regularly scheduled date night...

Yesterday was my first day all by myself! I think I survived! We made it to preschool on time and I picked her up on time, too! After preschool, the girls helped me make and frost cupcakes. Can you guess which ones they did? :) At least they tasted good.

Last night Brian and I went on our date night, but we did have a cute little guest: Hattie. We ate dinner at Bravi's--an Italian food place. It was pretty tasty. Then we went to Payless and I bought some shoes with a gift card I had gotten for Christmas. They are some slip-on/mule type tennis shoes. After taking a break to feed Hattie, we finished our date doing a little shopping and browsing at the new Super Target. I tell you--it is so handy to have it so close.

Today we took a little day trip up to Wickenburg. We found a park there and had a picnic lunch--the girls had lunchables and Brian and I had a fresh deli sandwich he picked up this morning from none other than...Super Target! After eating, the girls played on the play set they had there and they also threw the Frisbee around. On our way out of town, we stopped at the Tastee Freeze to get some ice cream. I think everyone had a great time and Hattie did well on her first road adventure.

Soon after we got home, Becky came over and took Hattie's newborn pictures. I can't wait to see them--I think she got some cute ones.

Tonight we hung out at home. Brian's brother's wife and daughter came over to see Hattie, so it was fun to visit with them. Then the girls got a bath and are in bed!

Euphoria!!

Guess what opened just a short 4 minutes from our house??? SUPER TARGET. After we dropped Eliza off at preschool today, my mom, Libby, Hattie, Ellie and I went and checked it out. It is so nice!!! All of the regular Target stuff plus groceries. It doesn't get much better. And it's so close to our house. Now it's not 10-15 minutes to the nearest store! I told Brian it is going to be dangerous that it is so close.

Today was good, despite being up three times last night. We hung out this morning and my mom came over around 11. We made it to preschool on time, so that was a success! Then we had a fun Target adventure and made it home in time to feed Hattie and pick Eliza up from school. Eliza had dance this afternoon, so while Ellie napped, Libby and I went out front so she could ride her bike.

Here's to another unpredictable night!

Oh yea...I forgot to mention this, but how hard is Hattie's name to say??? Yesterday at the doctor's, the lady at the front desk called her "Haiti". Um no, she is not named after a country. And there are two "t"s in her name, so it's pronounced "Hat-tie". I didn't know that would be another problem with her name. Oh well. People need to learn to speak! Just kidding.

And Don't Count on a Salesperson to Make You Feel Good Either

Sorry the one picture is sideways...I didn't have time to turn it yet. But that is Hattie at 5 days old. And the other is Ellie laying so cute on Brian at my parents' on Sunday. She is a daddy's girl. And so is Hattie. ...and Libby. and Eliza once in a while, too.

I was nursing Hattie this afternoon and the doorbell rang. I wasn't going to get it, but someone was going to bring dinner tonight, so I decided to cover up and get it just in case. Bad choice! It was two girls--actually young ladies--they were 19 and 21. They were going around selling magazines to earn "credits" that will help them improve their life, etc. You know the story. Making small talk, they asked how many kids I had. Well, first, they wanted to see the baby. I was like, "She is eating." They asked me how old I was. I told them 28 and the one girl turned to her friend in disbelief and said something like, "Is she for real? No way!" I was feeling pretty good about myself thinking...wow--they think I look so young. Then she said, "I thought you were for sure like 34 or something." Nice. I for sure won't buy your magazines now!!!! I wasn't going to anyway, but I was like, please no! Don't tell me I look older than I really am. Oh well.

Today was a pretty good day. Hattie had her newborn check-up with Dr. Kleiner. We are taking her to Pediatrix and I really like it so far. He is a great doctor, so I am glad we decided to go with them. Our neighbor across the street is a pediatrician with this group so we thought we'd give it a try. But Hattie checked out great. She was 7 pounds and 20 1/4" long. I felt good after getting all 4 girls out the door, dropping three of them off at my friend Leslie's house and getting to the doctor on time!

Last night was a little rough. She ate at about 12:30 and didn't go right back down to sleep. We tried the pacifier, the bouncy seat, letting her cry, etc. Nothing worked, so at 3:30 I fed her again. Even after that she cried herself to sleep for a minute or so, but then she slept until 6:30. I was so tired this afternoon. For her naps today, I tried rolling up blankets and putting on either side of her and at her head. She slept for over 4 hours this afternoon. I hope it has the same effect tonight. I need some sleep!

Don't Count on Your Kids to Make You Feel Good!

OK--this lesson was learned over the past few days with comments from Eliza and Libby like the following:
"Mom do you have another baby in your tummy?"
"Mom--it looks like you still have baby sister in your tummy."
"Mom--when is your tummy going to go down."

Nice. It's only been 5 days, true, but ugh! Come on stomach!!! Go back to normal!!!

I was also trying to talk to Eliza about needing her to be my big helper and I told her, "It's hard to have 4 kids." Her reply? "Well, that girl has 8 kids." I guess at church today Brian pointed out a lady in our ward who has 8 kids. So I guess my 4 is no comparison to her 8. Oh well. Nice try.

Today Brian took Eliza and Libby to church. I stayed home with Ellie and Hattie. It wasn't too bad, but there was always something to do and someone to take care of. This evening we went to my parents' house for dinner. Everyone came, so that was fun. Dinner was delicious--roast, carrots, green beans, veggies and dip, mashed potatoes, etc. Yum! Hattie had a graet time on her first outing from the house. She got held a lot and was in heaven.

Better get to bed...who knows how long I'll get to sleep!
Oh yeah---nursing is going much much better. I don't dread feeding time anymore. That was a good $125 (ouch) spent!

Semi-Real World

Today I felt like I was fed to the wolves. Well not really, but Brian had to go in to work today for a couple of appoinmtents and for a vendor faire that he the first Friday of each month. My mom came over and was my saving grace--she took Eliza and Libby to the grocery store and to take Eliza to preschool. So that allowed me to just have Hattie and Ellie. But it was still a hard day! The hardest part was trying to keep Eliza and Libby from mauling Hattie. Libby kind of follows what Eliza does, so Eliza is really my biggest challenge. She thinks she can pick up Hattie and hold her any which way, etc. A little mother for sure, but we need to have a talk with her so she is more helpful than making things harder for me. I am worn out and my back hurts...probably from holding Hattie and/or Ellie.

I also had a lactation specialist come over tonight to help me out a bit. Things starting hurting A LOT again and I wasn't about to just "tough it out." So it was either get help or go staright to bottles. I decided to try this route first. I used her with Ellie and she came and helped me out again. I hope I can work it out. She said she would help next week, too, if things didn't improve. I hope they do though.

In other random news...what is up with American Idol? Why in the world didn't Sanjaya get voted off? I can't stand him! He reminds me too much of Michael Jackson. And why in the world is Antonella still there. She was terrible for the past two weeks. I don't get it. I hope they go next week!

Tonight Eliza and Libby are having a sleepover at their cousin's house. So Brian and I will get a little break.