December 2012 Update

Tonight Jonathan wouldn’t stay in his room to go to bed despite repeated requests on my part because according to him something in the in the room smelled really bad. He must have a good sense of smell because I couldn’t smell anything. I came in my room and heard him get out of bed and go to the bathroom. I went to check on him and threaten him with a haircut with clippers. He doesn’t like it when I use clippers to cut his hair so I figured this would be enough of a “catastrophic consequence” to get his attention. I found him standing by the sink with one foot in the sink and the water running. Sure enough he had decided that the terrible smell must be his own feet. I helped him wash each foot and sent him to bed with my clipper threat and he hasn’t come out since.

I told Mary how the kids have been especially disobedient since Mike is out of town. She swears that the only reason is because they don’t believe in Santa and that it works wonders in children’s behavior. I wish someone had told me this six years ago! No wonder her kids are so well-behaved. As soon as I get a chance to talk to Mike, we’ll need to discuss this idea. Maybe a Christmas elf will suffice?

To preface this next paragraph I need to mention that a month ago Jonathan asked me how much I weigh and Michael explained that he shouldn’t ask women that since they all don’t want to weigh very much. The other day Jonathan asked me how tall he was when he was two since he read that if you double that it is a good indicator of how tall you will be as an adult. I told him he was just over 3 ft which means he will probably be about my height or maybe a little taller. I explained that I’m really tall for a girl and asked if I seemed taller than most other moms. He waited a few seconds thinking and replied, “You do seem taller, but to be nice, you only weigh an ounce.” I asked him if I seemed meaner or nicer than other moms and he replied “nicer”. Phew, he's still young enough to consider me nice. I guess he must notice those bedtime stories and scratching his back.

Tonight I was feeding Ryan and looking up at the other three kiddos on the top of the boy’s bunk bed. Gracie was dancing around the bed singing, “follow the prophet, follow the prophet, follow the prophet, don’t go astray” in Gracie talk. It’s one of her new favorite songs along with a random “jamming, jamming, strawberry jamming. We’re looking for friends and we’re jamming.” song from a Strawberry Shortcake movie I checked out from the library last month that we haven’t been able to get out of our heads. It was just one of those happy moments to see my little people all ready for bed and being so nice to each other. They get that way (nice and sweet) when they’ve already done bedtime routine and know the next step is actually having to get their heads on their pillows. They innately know that if they argue or misbehave in any way there’s no chance of staying up longer.

In a slightly more introspective vein, Elder Perry’s last two Conference talks both refer to what a great mom he had. She set up desks in their kitchen to teach them, made sure his bed was not too hot, not to cold, always made sure he had folded clothes in his drawers, played ball with him, took him on drives to the canyon and taught him the gospel. Recently, whenever I want to slack in my duties as a mom, I say, “What would Elder Perry’s mom do?” As a kid I remember my mom as much like her, sewing our Halloween costumes, involving us in service by having us sing to the elderly people in the neighborhood, and curling our hair and ironing our clothes every Saturday not to mention sitting through church with all six of us little kids while my dad was on the stand (little did I know what super hero material that last feat alone must have required). Between Elder Perry’s mom and my own, I’m constantly finding myself wondering how they did it and how much my kids are missing out on.

My dad is a jack-of-all-trades. One of his loves is plants. Many years ago, even before I was born, he ordered some plants imported from South Africa including an Encephalartos horridus. He needs to find it a new home and is wondering if Joseph or I would like it since it thrives in hot climates. This was my response.

Hi Dad, Thank you for the offer. I like the idea of having a plant you've cared for for 35 years because I love you but the sharp cactus look is a little scary and I think it may be out to poke someone.

Thank you, Love, Ruth

I hope he didn’t automatically think of me when he was thinking of which child’s personality would best be compared to the prickly plant. A small part of me worries that he did. Come to think of it, I think Mike got me a little cactus when we were dating…

Tonight Michael left to a Stake Priesthood Meeting around bedtime and Jonathan proceeded to make our bed (which had been used earlier in the day as a trampoline/wrestling ring), fold James' favorite blanket, set the kitchen timer and sit still in a chair practicing being reverent for what would have been twenty minutes had I not sent him to bed after five. I don't know what got into him but hope this kindness streak continues when he wakes up.

Gracie has started potty training and stayed dry both yesterday and the day before. I've been so happy about how she is doing since it initally looked like it may be a long journey to have any successes. Now she tells me "Good job Mommy!" everytime I use the bathroom. She claps for herself everytime we ask if her underwear is dry. Today was the Primary Program in our ward. The boys did a great job. James kind of stole the show with his intensity singing the songs and his charming smile. His line was "I am happy when my baby Ryan puts his hands on my face". Jonathan's was, "I chose the right when I helped my uncle move". Thank you Joseph and Nicole for the experience he could share with the ward. Anyway, Gracie started singing her little pee, pee song and signed "potty". I told her to wait since she had gone fairly soon before church and it was right when James was getting up to talk. She said, "pee, pee" to me and peed all over me. I should note here that she doesn't do the let-a-little-bit out pee pees. Its all or nothing with her so I suddenly felt warm fluid running down my legs and onto my shoes. I had to leave the second half of the meeting, run home and clean up before I gave the R.S. Lesson.

The boys usually ask if it will be a hot or cold day to gage what clothes they should wear in the mornings. This morning I found James standing in the doorway to his bedroom with only his underwear on and a somewhat grumpy look on his face. I asked, "Where are your clothes James?" He replied, "Jonathan told me there is no weather today so I'm not wearing anything."

Sulking

I'm so sad about the election results! I've been irritable and grumpy ever since I heard Obama won. I want everyone who voted for Obama to have a terrible Thanksgiving and Christmas. Does this mean I'm a poor loser?

James has been eating some of his Trunk-or-Treat candy. I have insisted that he share with Gracie so he just brought me two candies to unwrap for him. He gave me a yummy candy to unwarp for him and a tootsie roll to unwrap for Gracie. He didn’t fool me. Tootsie rolls have never been on the top of my list of favorites either.

The other day Jonathan came home and wanted to play “baseball” (plastic bat and ball) in the backyard with James. After about five minutes James came in saying he wouldn’t play anymore unless he got a turn. Sure enough Jonathan was just using him as his personal pitcher. Gracie also tries to play with the boys and they won’t let her so she gives them a piece of her mind (not that you can really understand many of the words she’s saying), but she sure holds her own getting her head in their faces and telling them off, “Joshfin, James, younotbe nice!”

Jonathan loves anything science related. He was reading a kid’s version of a human body encyclopedia and telling Michael and me all about the four ways the human body gets rid of water yesterday. Since he seems so interested in the book I said maybe he'd be a doctor someday like Uncle Joseph or Grandpa D. Mike asked him what he would want to do. He said something to the effect of, “I’m not sure but I know if I am I want to work with a major organ.” Mike, “like what?” Jonathan. “The brain, the liver or the kidney.”

After church, we put Gracie and Ryan in bed, threatened Jonathan and James with serious consequences if they fought with each other and took a much anticipated Sunday nap. We had the elders over for dinner at 5:00 so I got up around 3:30 to feed Ryan, change diapers, clean the kitchen and house and make dinner. I tried to wake Mike up three or four times to help out but to no avail. After sending in at least two children to try to wake him up without success, I decided to stop nagging and instead closed the bedroom door, opened the vent, and turned on the air-conditioning to freeze him out (keeping in mind that in order to save money, he is very vigilant about keeping the air conditioning off). Sure enough, five minutes later he was out of bed. Why I haven’t thought of this earlier is a mystery to me. We enjoyed having the Elders over and James insisted on us singing, Families Can Be Together Forever, except when he prays for it (which he regularly does) and says the name of the song he prays that our family can “live” together forever. There's a part of me that likes the idea of keeping our grown children at home with us though Mike isn’t quite as keen on the idea. Maybe we can compromise and they can live on the same cul-de-sac.

Gracie's Friend

Gracie's new favorite song is No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. The other day she sang, "No more Ryan on Mommy's lap!" in Gracie speech. We have a very nice woman come and work with her on speech every Wednesday at 4:00. We call her "Gracie's friend". It is heavenly. She comes with toy bins, sits on the livingroom floor and gives her one-on-one (with siblings sitting around watching), while I can make dinner, clean or take care of another child. Then, at 5:00, she packs up and Gracie and I stand at the door. Gracie waves and yells, "bye friend" about 10 or so times and we return to normal life.

Two Wheels!

After only one crash into Gracie's stroller yesterday and a "Oh no, not again!" followed by a small crash into Ryan's car seat this morning, James has learned to ride a bike. He wants to ride all night promising he'll move out of the way if he sees any car lights.

Michael is reading The Hobbit to Jonathan and they both quite enjoy it. They only have two or three chapters left. Tonight, Michael was talking to him about what he thought might happen in the last few chapters and Jonathan said, "Well, I kind of read the last page or two of the book already so I think... Wait, do you want me to tell you what happens?" Mike was shocked that Jonathan read ahead. Funny boy.

The other day I asked Jonathan, "How did this house get so messy?" He replied, "Maybe the leprechauns got their calendar mixed up." He didn't fool me.

James prayed tonight and said, "Please help me have lots of energy so I can go." No wonder that kid has so much energy!

We got back last week from a wonderful Donaldson family reunion in Lincoln City/Depoe Bay that Grandpa and Grandma D. planned. It was wonderful! The kids haven't stopped talking about it. Every day was filled with fun activities, yummy food and great company. The best part for me was seeing my parents and all of my siblings, their spouses and children as well as my Grandpa Donaldson and Aunt Rebecca. The boys especially enjoyed their whale watching boat ride, spotting a few deer from the backyard playground, hiking, swimming, flying kites at the beach on a perfect windy day, touring the Tillamook cheese factory (James even made his own little muffin making factory out of blocks the other day). Grandpa and Grandma D. gave all the parents a chance to go on a nice Sea Food dinner date and they even provided babysitting for all the grandkids which is quite the feat considering all the six year olds were considered the "big kids" of the 20 children. We also had a very delicious Sea Food dinner and Mo's. The coastal area of Oregon was breathtakingly beautiful and green with scenic views at every turn. A kind lady at church invited us over and showed off her outdoor electric train which the boys couldn't get enough of. I enjoyed a game night and talking with my brothers and sisters. We couldn't have asked for a more fun vacation.

A couple of times this week Gracie and James have climbed into our bed, James where Mike sleeps and Gracie where I sleep. They get a kick out of it and hide under the covers and pull down the blanket, with Gracie repeating, “wherehe go? Derheis!” It makes our day.

Jonathan finished school this week! Unfortunately he has been really sick with a fever and sore throat and it looks as if he has lost a little weight. He also has napped on his own accord the last two days which isn’t like him. He’s been speaking in a high-pitched voice and refusing desserts so we figure he must be really sick.

I have a couple of educational workbooks I have Jonathan work on. He was complaining that I am making him do this even though it isn’t the school making him do these books.

Him: “Mom, It’s for kids in second grade so I can’t do it!”
Me: “You know you can do it Jonathan.”
Him: “I’m already the smartest kid in my class. Well, uh, (kind of embarrassed look on his face). I didn’t say I was the smartest kid in the school.

The funny thing is that after he gets going in the workbooks he seems to really enjoy it. It is enjoyable to see him grasp some new concepts. I had some successes here and there as a missionary teaching people but teaching Jonathan to read was what I think was my first real success teaching a subject where I could see the results. It’s given me confidence to try new subjects with him, I just need to get up the courage to make and plan and follow through which is my current struggle.

When Ryan cries, Gracie covers her ears. She doesn’t like me feeding him and puts her head on top of his to get her face up close. I gave her a little bottle with water in it for her to feed her baby doll but she ended up drinking out of it instead. I’m quite sure that if I let her have access to a bottle she’d take it in a heartbeat.

Gracie continues to give the boys kisses before bed. Tonight James wouldn’t let her kiss him (something he learned from Jonathan) so she climbed up on his top bunk and got under his covers pretending to snore instead. She and James enjoyed dancing with me to The Beach Boys, Do You Want to Dance music. James insisted that I replace the word “baby” with “big kid” for him. It was cute. At the part of the song where the music goes higher, I moved their hands up higher and higher and wiggle around having what appears to be the time of their lives.

Today the boys learned about the pioneers in church. I asked James if he is kind of like a pioneer and he said no because they could walk, “14 miles per hour.” I’m guessing they taught him that they walked 1,400 miles. Of course, hoping that this would be a good time to teach the kids I talked about how our trials are different from theirs but we also need to have faith. Jonathan referred to the primary song, To Be a Pioneer. I love that he and James are learning and remembering things from church. Thank goodness for good primary teachers.

Jonathan got me a cup of cold water and poured it for me at dinner. Michael and I gave him lavish praise hoping to encourage this gentlemanly behavior. Of course, as soon as James saw what was going on, he ran over the counter and got Gracie her Sippy cup of milk. We couldn’t give enough praise to our two helpers. There’s got to be some way to get them to be this helpful all the time.

James is quite the speedster on his little bikes. One has training wheels and the other is a big plastic one with three wheels. He goes as fast as he can and loves the chance to show off.

Sunday July 15, 2012

Gracie loves to climb onto the boys' beds to give them kisses and pretend to sleep on their beds. She loves to tackle her brothers and to "hold" baby Ryan. She tells him, "quiet" when he cries. She loves to climb on things at the playground but isn't able to keep up with James. She will sometimes just be hanging on a bar at the playground until I can get over in time to help her down. Gracie is our first child that appears to be able to carry a tune. Tonight she sang the word "Mommy" over and over to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star perfectly.

Ryan smiles and coos. It appears that I'm his favorite person in the world, at least for now. I can already tell he will be tall and have pretty eyes. He is starting to lose some of his hair. Today and another Sunday, our bishop's wife, Sister Stearns, held him for the second half of Sacrament meeting so I could hold Gracie. She offered to hold him every Sunday for us. I hope I am a nice lady like that when I'm out of the baby stage. Gracie is quite posessive of her spot on my lap at church. This is good in that she doesn't want to give it up to anyone so she just sits there for the entire meeting.

I taught the 12- and 13 year-olds at church for a lady I Visit Teach. It was fun. I enjoy teaching Relief Society but this felt a little less offical. The lesson was on Dealing with Anger. I thought it was good for me. It reminded me of an experience that happened a few weeks ago. I ran into Wal-Mart with the four kids to get a few items we needed. James wanted an ice-cream as we were leaving and I told him, "no". So, he ran away in Wal-Mart. I left Jonathan with the baby (in his carseat) and the shopping cart at the checkout and went back in the store holding Gracie and calling out for James. Of course I was scared that he'd be kidnapped and I was worried sick. It ended up he was hiding behind an aisle. I don't think I had ever been so angry at him. I suppose that is how Heavenly Father is with us. We put ourselves in dangerous situations (i.e. jeopardize our salvation) when we sin.

Mike is busy as Ward Clerk, with work and school. Mike took James with him to do ward clerk stuff after church for an hour because James is right at the age where he fights with both Jonathan and Gracie. However, Gracie and Joanthan are too far apart in age to fight and Ryan is too little. So, it was actually relatively easy to watch the other 3.

Mike's mom and Duane were gone but Michael still used their house to do schoolwork all day yesterday. He took Jonathan so there would be one less kid for me to watch. Jonathan just read books for at least 3 hours until Grandpa got home and he could be his little sidekick running errands for the evening.

Jonathan finally was able to keep a beat with the metronome today. Both Michael and I were very proud when he caught on after several attempts.

Update

I was just replying to an email from my mom about jackets she has for Gracie and James and figure I should just copy and paste it since I've been doing such a terrible job of updating this blog.

Thanks Mom. James' jacket is starting to get a little small on him so he may be able to use Jonathan's old one. I just got two more of the bins I have up in Gracie's closet to store the boy clothes in. They fit great and I think they will be pretty useful. Gracie will be able to use a jacket for sure. Thanks so much. She is getting quite cute- very affectionate with all of us and saying "thank you" a lot. She qualifies for speech therapy but James doesn't. It should be an hour a week for her. Ryan (still getting used to the name) is doing pretty well. If he cries I usually can calm him down by holding him so that is nice. He is a pretty good baby but cries just enough to keep us humble. I think he will have pretty eyes. Ammon's family continues to be a huge help with Jonathan. Jonathan has finished the two first Singapore math books and has done a great job. He is very proud of himself. He enjoyed showing it off to Joseph. He has been showing a lot of interest in piano and I really need to get started with teaching him.... I am looking forward to my three hour "break" tomorrow when I'll drop James and Gracie off at the house of the lady in the ward. I am planning my errands so I can use each minute wisely. ;) I tried calling a few different times to reach Dad on Father's Day but wasn't able to get hold of him. I hope he had a nice one.

Love you,
Thanks,
Ruth

June Update

We had a baby three weeks ago. His name is Ryan Jacob. We enjoy having him although this getting up all night part is tough on me. Mostly just that I feel tired and less patient and occasionally emotional and overwhelmed during the day. My mom (Grandma D.) came out and helped babysit while I was in the hospital and helped in a million ways for the week after we came home. I went into labor the night of the 17th and decided not to wake her up to tell her because I knew she’d need all the energy she could get since she’d be watching the other kids. When she woke up she asked Mike (who had returned from the hospital) where I was not realizing that I had already had the baby. What a blessing it was to have her here helping, supporting and loving (meals, reading to kids, helping pack Jonathan’s lunches, even taking a nap with baby so I could sleep). It was nice just to have her around to keep me company since Michael has been so busy with school and work. The other children are adjusting fairly well in their own way. Gracie isn’t ready to give up her spot on my lap quite yet but is quite motherly with the little fellow and jibber jabbers in her a high pitched voice to him. James has been acting up a little more and had a little emotional breakdown with Grandma before we came back from the hospital repeating, “I only have one brother”, however, soon after bringing the new baby brother home he changed his mind and told us, “OK, we can keep my baby brother.” Phew, thank goodness we had his permission! He and Gracie especially like to hold him and Jonathan is helpful getting diapers for me and even pushed James on the swing the other day since I couldn’t. Jonathan likes to calculate how old baby Ryan will be whenever he is a certain age. He is adjusting the best out of all of us, I think. Michael was very supportive while I was in labor and taking a week off work to help out.

Jonathan continues to improve with his reading and math. Grandma D. taught him some piano while she was here and he really enjoyed that as well. He helps the kids around him at school. For Mother’s Day he made me a heart booklet saying sweet things like, “My mom is as pretty as a rainbow. My mom says the most important rule is to treat others the way you want to be treated”. My favorite was, “When I am at school my mom dazes in the sun”. He has started selling ink on eBay with Michael’s help and is enjoying that special job. The name he uses on eBay is Ink Boy.

James says he has a “flavor” instead of a fever. I had referred to taste buds and he thought I said “taste bugs.” He didn't like the idea of having bugs in him. We had a guy come and spray around the house on Friday because we’ve been getting ants in our kitchen. James told him all about where the ants were and how he and Jonathan would spray them with spray bottles. He told the guy a couple of times. “Now, member (his way of saying remember), it is my birthday in July and I will be four.” James has surprised us a couple of times with the details he remembers from a while back (who wore flip flops like his at the swimming pool months ago, an airplane logo he had seen months before, stories about Jesus making mud and healing a man’s eyes that he learned at church). He loves to ride his new bike with training wheels and a bell and tells people all about it, never forgetting to mention the bell.

Gracie loves to chase Jonathan and James around the house and tackle them with hugs. They try to get her to chase them and she happily obliges. She loves having Jonathan spin her around in Mike’s desk chair and could sit there for hours spinning if everyone were up for it. Her favorite song is Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree.

Oh goodness. I’ve been so terrible at keeping track of all the cute things the little ones have been up to. Here is a quick list before I forget. Tonight during FHE, Jonathan said he had been inside the temple. It ends up he was talking about when we had visited the Ochre Mountain temple open house while visiting Utah which must have been at least two years ago. I thought it was neat that had made such an impression on him that he would remember it. Gracie’s newest favorite phrase is, “HereIgo, boo!” while she covers her eyes to play peek-a-boo. She loves chasing her brothers around and they are both usually quite sweet with her. Jonathan was out of school for the month of April so we put him and James in swim class at the local community college for the month. Jonathan has improved a lot and can actually somewhat swim freestyle which is really neat to see. James meanwhile just enjoyed charming his teachers. Whereas the other kids in his class managed to walk around the pool to get to their towels despite being wet and cold, he talked both different teachers into carrying him across the pool after each class. We also saw him rubbing noses with one of his teachers. Who is this kid anyway? Jonathan impressed Mike the other day by answer Mike’s tough question. If you make $5 an hour, how many hours do you need to work to make $88? He thought about it and answered, “17 or 18, but like one half, kind of”. The real answer is 17.6.

Jonathan and James are running around the house with a little timer that goes off pretending they are running away from bad guys. I just heard Jonathan say, “James, the bad guys are there breaking the commandments.” On Saturday Michael watched the kids while I went to a Relief Society gathering and ran errands. He has been so busy with school that this was the last Saturday I remember where he’s been available to help and it was a very nice break. I came home and found that Michael and the boys were wearing name tags that had the letters POTUS on it, with their names on the back. Jonathan had made the name tags and they stand for Power of the Universe. They had their own little club. I also came home to a huge mess. The boys had made a huge barricade throughout the entire hallway with toys, baskets, Gracie’s toy kitchen, and chairs. I couldn’t even get back to the bedrooms. It’s nice to know they are having fun. We have started having the boys sit still and quiet for 10 minutes every day to practice being reverent. It’s been really good for all of us. The other day we had Jonathan sitting for his 10 minutes in a chair outside the bathroom watching James and Gracie take a bath. They are pretty cute together in the tub. After what must have been at least 15 minutes he asked if he could finish the rest later. It turns out the timer hadn’t been working so he had just been sitting there being reverent for who knows how long.

We went to the library this morning and I checked out, The Days Are Just Packed, a Calvin and Hobbes book for Jonathan. He read it in one sitting. Should I be concerned?

Tonight at dinner James prayed, "Please help Daddy to have lots of homework". Seeing as how busy Michael is tonight and has been for the last few weeks I may need to speak with James about what he is praying for.

Easter 2012

The other day Gracie decided to take her little pink stroller on a stroll around the cul-de-sac. Jonathan and James were dressed in their matching swim outfits and flip flops ready for swim lessons and following her around the cul-de-sac to make sure she was safe. Jonathan ran back to warn me about the little escapee. I always worry about cars backing out of driveways so ran up and joined the little stroll. I love the way the boys look out for their sister. Jonathan has school off for the month of April so I’ve been trying to do little reading, math and art activities with the kids. Until two days ago James was napping consistently so I’d use that time to do a little activity with Jonathan then take a nap while he played computer games on PBS kids. It was cute because he came in and asked me how to spell, exist. I helped him on the computer and it ends up he was answering a question. It was what is your favorite thing and why? His response was, “Mom, because without her I wouldn’t exist.” I was so flattered. Easter Sunday went well. I gave a talk in church and a lesson in Relief Society. It is quite the relief to have those over. I sat far in front of the opposite side of the chapel because all the kids insist on sitting either on my lap or next to me in Sacrament Meeting and Gracie is quite clingy to me. They did better than usual at church when I'm sitting with them. Jonathan gave me some big waves from the back of the chapel – so thoughtful. They all looked quite sharp and adorable in Easter outfits from Grandma and Grandpa D. Thank you! Jonathan did a great job reading a scripture in primary. Gracie loves to gibber-jabber, dance with her brothers and chase them around. The boys love my bedtime stories about two boys named J1 and J2 who go on adventures with their dad in cars that transform. They also enjoy wrestling with Mike. This morning Mike woke up from a dream and Jonathan was there right next to him on the bed wide eyed, with a big smile to greet him. Whenever the kids come into bed for cuddles I wonder how in the world some parents sleep in the same bed as their kids. They obviously must not mind little back scratches and wiggling toes. I found a paper in the mailbox with lots of letters on it. James was sending it without a stamp or envelope. I hope the mailman enjoyed it.

Donaldson Visit Part 2

Grandpa and Grandma D. enjoyed a few more days at their own hotel here in San Diego last week. Grandpa ended up spending an afternoon and evening helping with a needed van repair. They took one day to visit Mom’s aunt and cousin and Dad’s Uncle Dale and Aunt Barbara but we still had a great time with them. We were able to meet up with them at the beach and they were sweet to have the boys over for a sleepover on Friday night. Grandpa told them some fascinating bedtime stories, with good moral lessons, which seem to have had a lasting impression. He also took them out on a trolley ride the next morning and they stopped for ice-cream and smashed pennies on the tracks. Mom’s friend, Tana died while she was here but we are grateful she took a break from serving all the people she helps in Provo to spend time with us here. We sure appreciate them coming down. It's so nice to have their support.

Visitors

Grandpa and Grandma D. came to San Diego for a dermatology convention/to visit us! We’ve had a great time so far despite it raining all weekend and Grandpa being gone at meetings. Of course the munchkins love all the extra attention and I have been overjoyed to have extra hands around to help on the rainy days when we haven’t been able to get out. Today was sunnier so hopefully they will get a few nice days before they leave. Some of the highlights so far:

-Going to the beach with Grandma and the kids. I pushed Gracie on the swing while the boys and Grandma ran down to play in the water. It was great to have someone else to watch the boys while Gracie and I played.

-James looking out the window yesterday afternoon and saying, “Nope, he’s not home yet”, waiting anxiously for Grandpa.

-Having Grandpa help us out by teaching the boys some good life lessons: beating Jonathan at chess and walking home on a windy cold day with James, who was being punished for acting up in the car.

-The boys and Gracie having fun climbing all over Grandpa and playing games and reading with Grandma. The kids also enjoyed putting on a little dance show the other night for all of us. Gracie is quite cute moving her little arm again and again when she dances. They brought us blankets and pillows so we could comfortably enjoy the show.

-The boys have loved the ice-cream sandwiches that Grandpa pays as “rent” for letting them use their mattresses. It’s only fair seeing as how he
bought James his mattress anyway.

-Going out to The Fish Market with Dr. Bradshaw and his wife. I tried to get a babysitter but wasn’t able to. However, the kids were actually quite well behaved despite my worries. Jonathan loved playing hangman during dinner and made it all the more fun with his interesting spelling of words. We also met up with Grandpa's friend Doug and his boys.

-Grandma helping me with laundry, cooking (even helping make a meal for a new mom in our ward) and watching the kids while I went to my doctor’s appointment. It is always so hard to find someone to watch the kids during the day, so this was much appreciated. They left to stay in a hotel for the rest of the week so it can be more of a vacation for them but it was especially nice to have her extra help.

-Getting a babysitter and going out. Mike and I haven’t been out in quite some time and it was nice to just enjoy time with Mom and Dad without the little people. The kids seemed to have fun at home with the babysitter. I think this is the first time we’ve left all three of them awake with a babysitter.

Library, Leprechauns, Lester and Little People

I went to the library yesterday with James and Grace. As James ran ahead I made Gracie walk rather than carry her like she wanted. I figure she needs to learn a little more independence and just finished a book by John Rosemond which has inspired me to be more strict. As I slowly walked next to her toward that library I noticed James playing/dancing on the sculpture in front of the library singing, “I’m trying to be like Jesus”, over and over loudly enough for the listening pleasure of every patron coming in or out of the library. For a brief moment I enjoyed the anonymity of slowly walking by Gracie while people passing by couldn’t help but notice James. Once he saw me though, he stopped to yell, “Hi Mom”. Yes, he’s mine.

I had really been looking forward to having an hour or two to read my current book from the library or practice a couple piano songs last night after the kids were in bed, but instead found myself staying up until bedtime working on a leprechaun trap for Jonathan. I mentioned to Mike that Jonathan is only in kindergarten and if I’m up late working on his project, this is certainly not a good sign. Mike agreed. I ended up cutting a hole in a box, covering it with green “grass”, a rainbow and pot of gold and putting a little sign up that read, “Little People’s Swimming Hole” with a picture of a leprechaun in a swimsuit and hat. The blue swimming hole is actually not water, mind you; it is only paper and tissue paper waiting to trap an unsuspecting leprechaun. I was quite proud of the final product so when I get around to posting pictures, you will all have to email me telling me what a clever mom I am for making such an amazing trap. Mike’s, “its cute honey” simply didn’t do it justice. I should however, mention that Mike did a great job of showing the boys exactly how the trap would work on the unsuspecting leprechaun at breakfast this morning by acting it out with an Irish accent and all. The boys asked for an encore. Had I only known he had these hidden abilities we may have married sooner.

I’ve been reading a Miss Piggle Wiggle book to Jonathan and enjoying it immensely since I remember reading Miss Piggle Wiggle books when I was young. As he drank the last of the smoothie directly out of the blender at breakfast I suggested we invite Miss Piggle Wiggle’s pet pig, Lester over to teach him a few manners and he was quite responsive to the idea.

James was in Time Out for taking a toy from Gracie and Gracie decided to put herself in Time Out next to him on a chair.

Gracie and James joined me for my OB appointment. James enjoyed hearing the baby's heartbeat. The doctor was sweet to listen to his heart too. James thinks it sounds like a train. Gracie, of course, just sat on my lap sucking her thumb the entire time (even when the doctor measured my belly) other than when I had to put her down to step on the scale, during which minute she was fussy. James said, "Now Gracie won't get any ice cream". Obviously, my good-behavior bribe was forefront on his mind. He had to go potty and said, "Mom, you can hold the cup for me." I had explained why they needed my urin sample. I guess he just figured they needed his too.

Today, James decided that rather than take his pull-up off, he'd go ahead and wear his underwear over his shorts. What to do with this little guy...

A couple in our ward is moving to AZ and kindly gave us three 50 gallon water storage containers. I've been wanting one for quite some time to make sure we have a solid 3 month supply so this was quite the blessing. Yesterday evening we took the seats out of the van and Mike and Jonathan drove over to pick up the containers and use Jonathan's birthday yogurt coupon from school. Out of the 10 flavors of frozen yogurt, Jonathan chose double cookies and cream and plain tart. He piled up all sorts of toppings and the two of them quite enjoyed it. I think those two have similar tastebuds because they like all the same foods. James says he wants to go out with Mike like Jonathan did because he "wants to copy them because he loves them".

Gracie has quite the hard time going to nursery but is always really proud of herself after we pick her up.

I have Gracie give the boys kisses goodnight before bed and Jonathan always smiles and tries to avoid them. Tonight she still managed to get his nose.

James came in to our room the other morning to tell us that "babies are taking over the world". I'm not sure if that meant Gracie, her dolls, or both.

James likes to say, "Look how tall I am!", and then lay on the floor and say, "Look how long I am!" His current favorite song to sing to us is, I Like to Look for Rainbows.

I've started reading lessons with James and he thrives on the attention. I tell him he is doing a great job and he says, "Yeah, because I'm a big kid!" It's fun to have that little time together each day. He has just learned to write his name, yay!

Gracie stands in front of the potty and holds her shirt up. I think she sees too many boys standing up to go potty around here.

Jonathan went to Sea World for a school trip today. James really wanted to go too and got all dressed with a hat on saying he likes to "copy Jonathan". He was so sad. An otterpop seemed to help.

Jonathan was on his way to school and wearing a hat. I asked him for a kiss good-bye and he said, "Sorry Mom, the hats in the way". I'll have to remember to warn his wife before they get married that he won't kiss her while wearing a hat.

Jonathan's 6!

At his six year checkup, he was 60 lb. 9.6 oz. (96.24%) and 4’1.5"(98.18%), obviously a big boy. His hair is quite blond and has lost most of the red, especially when its cut short. He’s a bright kid and gives great cuddles when he wants to. Now that he is six, he can tie his shoe (mostly), make his bed (mostly), pump independently on a swing, ride a bike and does a pretty good job at soccer, baseball, football and wrestling with Mike.

On his birthday morning, I made pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream and we all said something we like about him. I mentioned that I like it when he helps out his siblings and James followed up on that saying that, “Sometimes, Jofin does my job of making Gracie happy.” It’s cute that James sees that as his job.

I invited Grandma and Grandpa Neyens down for dinner and ice cream. Jonathan requested pizza which made that part pretty easy. Mike was late coming home from work but made it in time to help the boys complete the “quest” I had planned. Jonathan got a paper with specific instructions that he had to read out loud and off they went on their mission. They started out by painting blob monsters by blowing finger paint through straws and adding crafty eyes that stick on. They each had to pop six bubbles. Next, they had to rescue some Lego guys that had been frozen in ice. Since it was already dark, they did this in the bathtub by spraying them with water guns and breaking the ice with a wooden hammer. Next, they had to get their capes by getting across the livingroom covered with lasers (string). They decorated some R2D2 robots and saved Princess Gracie from the monsters (we had previously painted) by hopping on pillows over the carpet which was hot lava. Finally, they had to shoot helium balloons with nurfball sling shots and decode the secret message saying that the cake and presents were on the table in the kitchen. Grandpa and Grandma D. gave him a very fun rocket ship alarm clock, kid’s camera and science kit that are much loved and perfect for him. Grandpa and Grandma Neyens gave him a little camouflage bag sewn just for him with Grandpa’s old plastic soldiers from when he was a kid. Mike and I gave him a telescope and some building toys called zoobs. During his little “quest” he said, “This is the best birthday ever” so I guess that means he had a great day.

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. We had pancakes, strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast which made Jonathan’s morning. Mike and I wrote "love letters" to the kids and they each got a little educational book type present and a Kit Kat bar. Gracie got a My Little Pony book which James has really enjoyed. Grandpa and Grandma D. also sent little Snoopy themed Valentines. There are few things as fun as getting something in the mail when you are a kid.

Before I forget to record it, I'll write about Gracie on Sunday. I was making all the last-minute preparations for my talk and couldn't have Gracie "helping" me on the computer so I locked myself in our room on Sunday morning and didn't let her in, despite her knocking. She eventually sat down with her back against the door, and sucked her thumb, waiting for me to come out. Mike mentioned she was just like a little puppy dog waiting there for me.

Her lucky Daddy got quite a few kisses from her this morning and of course can never leave without a hug and a kiss from James.

After getting Gracie in bed for nap, I took advantage of the chance to finally run an errand or two without the munchkins. I received two phone calls during my outing. One was from Jonathan followed by ones from James both asking that I come home as quickly as possible since their bouncy balls were in the car.

Mike has been busy all day with schoolwork so when he was finally available after dinner tonight, the boys requested that we play Heads up 7-Up, and wrestle. Heads Up 7-Up was enjoyable although we need more people and Gracie decided she would help by touching thumbs as well. When it was time to wrestle, I sat on the couch and folded laundry. Jonathan and James both took their shirts off (somehow they got the idea that this makes them look “tough”) and wrestled each other, Michael and Gracie. They are pretty good at being soft with Gracie when they tackle and she likes running toward them and Mike and getting big hugs. It was quite the intense wrestling match. The boys had to take breaks to get wet washcloths to keep them cool since they were working up such a sweat.

I was quite proud of myself on Friday because I made a cute robot Valentine box for Jonathan and a teacher Valentine with play dough, sharpies, smarties and bubbles in a Mason jar with a note for his teacher:

Even “doh” I usually like to “play”, thank you for helping me become a “sharpie” and a “smartie”. I hope you have a “bubbly” nice Valentine’s Day!

Jonathan

His teacher said he had written an amazing story about going to the dentist describing pressing the button on the elevator and going to the third floor and lots of other details from visiting the dentist. She mentioned that he had also read a chapter book to the entire class! I thought Jonathan would be happy to talk to me about all of this but it was all I could get out of him to find out that the book he read to the class was, Gilbert the Surfer Dude. He explained that Gilbert in the book, had a sister named "Wily". "Wily?" "Wily, with an L." We need to work on the L sound some more.

As we were getting into the car Jonathan said, “Mom, you’re talking to me like I’m three!” OK, Mr. grown up 5 year-old, almost 6. Tonight I was telling James about what he was like as a baby and he replied, “Mom, your being so mean. I’m not a baby!” Of course, he was sucking his thumb at the time and Mike pointed out that babies suck their thumbs. He replied that “sometimes big kids suck their thumbs too.”

This morning I went into Gracie's room to find a sideways pack-n-play surrounded by toys. The boys were keeping Gracie away because she was throwing "bombs" (stuffed animals) into their fortress.

The boys had dental check-ups. No cavities, yay. The dentist asked James if he sucks his thumb and he said, “Not anymore because I’m a big boy”. I’ll have to remind him of that at bedtime.

He helped me make pancakes and my bed this morning as well as clean the house. He’s my little helper and says he likes “serving me”. I guess I can’t beat that.

Another trip to Costco being serenaded with Jesus Wants me For a Sunbeam. All these couples that choose puppies over kids just don’t know what they're missing.

A girl from Jonathan’s class at school showed up at his karate class on Friday night. Mike says Jonathan just stood a few feet from her smiling and waving until she finally noticed him. They were good buds during karate. Mike mentioned that there was a lady there with a new baby. Her dad and sister were there to help her out and see if she needed anything. I'm jealous.

FHE last night. Gracie fell off her chair which was scary since she hasn’t quite grasped the idea of “bum on the chair”, and the boys sure seem to be able to move quite a bit and somehow still keep their bums on the chair. Mike was talking about The Family: A Proclamation to the Wold and they continually jumped up and gave us hugs throughout the lesson. Jonathan told us he was “plants and pets” at school yesterday as if we should know what that means. I hope he did a good job.

After swim class yesterday, James growled because he was cold. I said, “Hey, are you a little tiger, or a little boy?” He decided he was a little tiger.

If people at the park or Costco ever wonder if we are LDS, they are sure to know once they hear James singing, Give Said the Little Stream and Nephi's Courage.

We had FHE last night rather than Monday since Mike had been working late on Monday. Anyway, I was excited because I had planned a fun lesson and game so it was actually planned out ahead of time, yay. One of the ideas is that the kids can choose sticks with pictures that say "Sing like a Mouse" or "Sing like a Lion", a robot and so forth. Part way through the songs Gracie started to attack Jonathan with hugs and kisses. He obviously enjoyed it although he tried pushing her off to no avail yelling, "ahh, Get her away from me!"

James has been especially sweet these last couple of week by bringing me flowers in from the yard. The other day I turned around from the sink to find him standing there in an army hat with a flower for me. Unfortunately, he ran into some thorns yesterday and came in with a hurt saying a leaf had broken his arm.

Another cute thing James has started doing is saying, “well” before he answers any questions. It is quite endearing.

Gracie likes to pray folding her arms with a thumb still in her mouth.

James: “Mom, Gracie stuck her tongue out at me.”

James: “Mom, Gracie kept kissing me while I was watching Curious George today.”

I’ve been a little worried that the boys have forgotten anything they learned in their summer swim classes so I put them in a little half hour 3 days a week, swim class. Today was the first day. It was especially cute to watch James because he just kept looking over at me and Gracie and smiling. I had to tell him to look at his teacher. I think I’ll sit further away on Friday.

This morning the boys jumped in bed with me while Mike was in the shower. They waited patiently until he came out of the bathroom to surprise him by pulling the covers down and saying "hi Dad". What a wonderful morning greeting.

Last night Mike was doing his normal review of the day with the boys. They get two punches on their punch card if they were really good, only one if they were mostly good and none if they were naughty. James sat down next to him and said, "Dad, you’re supposed to say, 'So how was your day, James?'"

We read The Story of the World to Jonathan most nights before bed. Last night he asked how many years a civilization lasts -deep thinker. A lot of the reading is about wars over religion so Mike said something like, "You know, they shouldn't kill people to make them be there religion, they should just say, 'Hey, do you want to come to church with me?'" Jonathan replied with, "But what if they say, 'No way, I don't belong to your (some funny name like l-cap)'." He explained that was his nickname for religion. Oh man, this kid has got one interesting personality.

Grandpa and Grandma D. sent Jonathan all sorts of plastic bugs, bug books and bug magnets for Christmas. After finding bug after bug around the house today I told Jonathan that we need to find a container to store the bugs in. He whispered to me, "I have some in my pocket." I guess he figures that's a good storage spot.

Yesterday evening after a long day of watching the kids while Mike did school work, I ran by the grocery store with the three of them to get some milk and a few other food items before Sunday. At the do-it-yourself check-out James screamed when Jonathan took the items he wanted to check. Of course, I just tried to get out the door as soon as I could and get home. Before dinner, James said a prayer and included at the end, "Please bless me to not scream in the grocery store." After the prayer Mike said to me, "Oh, so that's why you had that look on your face when you walked in the door." I'm just wondering exactly what that look was.

James was a little hesitant to go to Sunbeams today but smiled when his new teacher pulled a Mr. Potato Head out of her bag. He says he likes his teacher and she likes him too. The nursery leader says she really misses him because he was such a good helper. Two more weeks until Gracie starts nursery. I'm obviously looking forward to sitting through two hours of church without roaming the halls. ;)

This morning I woke up to James sitting on the rocking chair singing to Gracie in her bed. He really is so sweet to help her in the mornings.

This morning, the boys decided to play in their ship (Gracie's pack-n-play) covered with a blanket. They ate ice, drank water, and ate crackers for quite some time. Mike says that's what being a boy is all about.

On Christmas Eve we spent most of the day at Grandma and Grandpa Neyens' house. We had a delicious brunch, the cousins exchanged $5 gifts, watched a movie and ate pizza. The kids were teasing Grandpa about having been naughty that year (according to Grandma), and Jonathan started saying, "Grandpa was N-O-D-E, thinking that spelled naughty. When he noticed people were laughing, he corrected himself by saying, "Grandpa was N-O-D-Y."