Preston

We're in the middle of Brain Balance and I'm tracking the progress of both Dylan and Preston on a blog specifically set up to document all of that.  Today Preston and I had a conversation that I wanted to share on my personal blog so I would remember.  I thought it was a little too personal to share with the world.  Preston was getting ready for bed.  His mind is so awake right now, and he's growing in leaps and bounds.  This is how the conversation went tonight.

P: Mom, is this way left and this way right? (pointing as he asked)
M: Yes, this is your right hand and this is your left hand.  Good job!
P: I think it'll be left then right then left again to get there.
M: To get where?
P:  My mission.
M:  Oh, yeah.  Well, maybe.
P:  I'm just not sure how to get there yet.  I guess Jesus will tell me where to go when it's time for me to go on my mission.
M:  Yes, Preston.  I'm sure Jesus will tell you where to go.
P:  I guess I'll just have to eat gluten on my mission, right?
M:  Yeah, you can probably eat gluten on your mission.
P:  Am I going to need a cell phone on my mission?
M:  You will probably have some sort of a phone so you can contact people.
P:  I'm just going to be so excited to tell you all about my mission when it's over.
M:  Yeah, bud.  I'm going to be so excited to hear all about it.
P:  You will?  You're going to want me to tell you all about it?
M:  Of course!
P:  Don't worry, Mom.  I'll tell you all about it.  I'm going to do so good on my mission.  You're going to be so glad!  And then maybe we'll have a party.
M:  A party?  Oh, you mean when you get home?  Yes, I'm sure we'll have a big party when you get home to hear all about your mission.


I seriously can't believe how mature this conversation was, not to mention spiritual.  This kid.  He's pretty amazing!  He has a heart of gold!  It's incredible to see how much the Brain Balance program is helping him already!  I can't wait to see how he continues to grow and develop this year.

Lessons Learned From A Princess Party

Today is Marissa's 4th birthday!  I honestly cannot believe she is that old already.  It seems like yesterday she was a baby.  And barely walking and starting to talk.  But nope, she's officially a preschooler!  Anyway, we had a fun party that kind of evolved as time progressed.  Over the years I have learned to tame my excitement towards themed parties.  Now I try to do simple, affordable, but fun and meaningful for the child.  That's not always easy to do.  Even pre-pinterest, I was a little out of control with my desire to tie everything together perfectly.  So...here are a few of the lessons I learned from my very first "princess party" (in no particular order).

1. Pinterest is evil...and awesome at the same time!  If you can get some ideas without going crazy or feeling totally inadequate, you can save yourself some time and effort.  But it's easy to get sucked into the black hole of Pinterest never to be heard from or seen again (just ask Marcos)!

 2.  Practical gifts are not what kids want.  For me, giving dress-ups is painful.  They aren't even real clothes.  But it was the only thing Marissa really wanted this year.  So she got two dresses (the first two non-hand-me-down dress-ups she has ever owned).  

3.  Four year old girls are one of the sweetest creatures to walk the earth!  They can also be the sassiest at times (but that's another post...and picture).

4.  Tell people you are having a theme party.  You never know who else may have had a similar party in the past.  You might end up hitting the jackpot and be able to borrow a bunch of cool decorations...FOR FREE!  Thanks Amy!

5.  Every little girl wants to feel like a princess.  And when she does, you're probably doing something right.  Not in the "I'm so spoiled I don't know what to do with myself" sense but in the "I am precious and treasured beyond measure" sense. 

6.  I'm only going to have a 4-year-old girl once.  I must cherish these moments!

7.  Brothers are cute, protective, and Marissa's biggest fans.  They also LOVE Olaf.  

8.  Getting 4 kids to smile simultaneously is nothing short of miraculous.  I'll take 2 out of 4 any day!

9.  Babies don't hold still for long (especially 10-11 month old boy babies).  Baby Olaf looks like he's MELTING! 

10. Even if you aren't planning on throwing a friend party, when your only daughter wants a princess party, you have a friend party.  

11. Girls pose! Even when they don't realize they're posing.  I think it's hidden somewhere in the second "x" chromosome. 

12.  I am still a total a tomboy!  And the mom of 3 boys. Look at the arm on those beautiful girlies!  Way to knock down the cups, chicas!

13.  Twirling in a princess dress is a MUST! 

 14.  Simples games are the best!  Throwing snowballs at the "ice castle" was a total hit with this crowd!  They could have played it forever!
15.  Four friends at a party for a 4-year-old is plenty.
16.  You can't invite everyone you know.  It isn't personal, it's practical!
17.  Pleasing the birthday girl is what matters, not what the rest of the world thinks.

18. Again, tell people you're throwing a party!  You might end up with a guest appearance.  One who brings darling princess crowns and wands for all the guests.  And then hosts a fun sing-along.  

Thanks MaryJane! 

19.  I can almost see why people buy pointless accessories for their daughters.  I may be super practical and frugal but LOOK HOW CUTE!!

20.  I just LOVE this girl! 

21.  A sing-along is a total hit with a bunch of Frozen fans!  Really!

22.  Kids love opening presents! (Shocker, I know!)

23.  And have a difficult time not helping the birthday girl to open presents.  ;) 

24.  My sister has an amazing cream cheese frosting recipe.  

25.  I can cook, bake and follow a recipe, but I will not be hired any time soon as a cake decorator.

26.  Despite my lack of skills in the decorating department, a simple cupcake with a Frozen character on a stick is a total hit with the 3-4 year old crowd (and the Olaf fan club)! 

27.  Magical moments don't happen every day!  

28.  Be grateful when you capture one! 

29.  Marissa is actually quite good at sharing if people ask her nicely to play with her things.  Not so much when things are taken from her (as is often the case with her brothers). 

30.  She's happy in the old hand-me-down dress-up as well as the new ones.  It doesn't seem to matter as long as it's sparkly, shiny, and you can twirl in it. 

31. Olaf is cool enough that a 10-year-old boy is willing to participate in a Frozen birthday party. 

32.  Middle Olaf was even willing to pose with Elsa.   

33.  Having Baby Olaf sleep during the princess party was BRILLIANT!  Big pat on the back for me right there!  

34.  Pay attention when your baby starts crying.  I was so excited to finally get a shot of him with his Olaf shirt that I didn't realize he was being bit by ants.  Poor kid!  

35.  Moms sometimes do stupid things to get a good picture of kids.

36.  And it's usually still worth it to us when all is said and done.

37.  Sometimes little princesses just want to play babies and watch Frozen and that's okay.   A couple games got postponed for after the party.  

38.  Have a plan, but learn to go with the flow. When it was clear we had played enough games, we postponed the rest for later.

39.  Big brothers like LOTS of games.  

40.  A simple game in the backyard with siblings is a beautiful thing!

This one was called "keep the ice blocks on Christoff's sled" and was really fun for my boys (and Marissa).  

41.  Sometimes you start out alone on a journey... 

42.  ...but realize you need help (or would rather work as a team) in the end!

Happy birthday, Princess Marissa!  We love you more than you will ever know!  Thanks for all the life lessons today and every day.  :)

A Moment Of Joy

It's been a rough month!  We had two birthdays in March, plus we're getting our house ready to sell (which I've found that after ten years  and four kids is quite a process).  I've been so busy working on the house, and Marcos has been way busy at work.  Needless to say, the kids have suffered.  It's been chaotic and our routine has all but dissolved.  The last couple of days, Dylan has been in his room for timeout more than he's been out.  I've screamed.  I've cried.  I have not been at my best.  Today we were able to watch General Conference as a family.  We put out treats with words and the kids could take a treat when they heard the word during a conference talk.  It was a pretty good conference session with all the kids participating.  After, we ate lunch and the kids asked Marcos to jump on the tramp with them.  And he did.  I stayed inside with Caleb and cleaned up the kitchen.  But...I want to take a moment to reflect on the pure joy I feel right now.  Not the chaos I've been dealing with or the fear or sadness, but the pure joy.  Watching my husband jump with the kids on the tramp while I hang out with the roley poley cheerful little caterpillar, inching his way along the floor in the family room brings me such joy.  So here is a glimpse into what brought me joy today.

Caleb Turns 7 Months

Caleb 5 months (January 2014)

Caleb 6 months (February 2014)

Caleb 7 months (March 2014)

Okay, at this point, I'm thinking blogging, journaling, etc. is a complete loss. I'm so far behind, my computer is a mess, and I've lost pictures. It's devastating! So I've been doing nothing. But there is this nagging inside me to journal, to capture little moments of my life and the lives of my children. Even if it's incomplete. Even if it's not perfect. Even if it's not Pinterest worthy (gasp). So here we go. As I said before, we are having some issues with our computer and consequently our pictures from the last few years. So I can't post exactly what I would otherwise post. But...Caleb is now 7 months old. He has reached some fun milestones over the last couple months that I thought I should mention. Two days before he turned 6 months, he got his first tooth, and four days after that his second one came in. He has been rolling around and scooting trying to explore his world and get into everything in sight for about a month and a half now. He didn't love solid food the first time he tried it, but after a couple more attempts, he is sold. He LOVES squash and bananas and we will continue introducing more food a little at a time. Caleb is very mellow and happy. He is usually content to play on the floor and interact with those around him. He is very tolerant of older siblings, cousins, and even the dog. However, once he is mad, he is definitely irritated. He can go from 0 to 60 in no time at all, and his squeal is as high pitched as any I have heard before. He sounds as if he's about to lose his voice when his squealing goes from happy to mad. It's very unique to him. He can balance on his legs (like our other kids have done with Marcos) but does not choose to very often and instead will let his legs buckle under him when Marcos tries to do "tricks" with him. He is wiggly and squirmy when it's time to change his diaper. He's definitely inquisitive and on the move right now. He is very social, but laid back. He laughs, but in a very chill, mom-you're-so-silly kind of way. He smiles and interacts, but on his own terms. He is a joy, and we are so lucky to have him in our family!

Valentine's Day

If you know Marcos, you know he has the biggest HEART ever! He would do anything for anyone.  He would literally give others the shirt off his back. It's just who he is. But, he's never been a good gift-giver.  EVER!  It used to bother me.  I am sentimental and think a lot about gifts before making the perfect purchase.  But I've had to learn to manage my expectations a bit.  Unfortunately, Valentine's Day is pretty much just another day around here.  After many years of hurt feelings and wondering why Marcos just didn't get it, I stopped worrying about it.  Some people are better at some things than others, and gift giving is definitely not his specialty.  Marcos was out of town on Valentine's Day this year so I didn't give the romantic holiday a second thought.  I helped the kids decorate boxes and get a few valentines ready for a party with friends and called it good.  So imagine my surprise when I opened up the door on Valentine's Day and there was a delivery from 1-800-flowers with my name on it.  Yep, the kid went all out and got me not one, but two dozen assorted roses.  Super impractical, and very cliche, but I have to say, I really did LOVE getting flowers.  So, I thought it was worth documenting this historic occasion.  Happy Valentine's Day, Marcos!  Thanks for being mine!