Yay for Dads!

Once upon a time, Joe volunteered to teach Dakota’s Kindergarten class about money. He spent a morning with the class and taught them financial literacy --- on a five-year-old’s level. He was such a hit, that when Emma was in Kindergarten, the teacher asked if he would come back and do Junior Achievement. Of course he agreed. He taught five classes that were basically economics --- on a five-year-old’s level.

The kids loved him!

This year, when I went to Kindergarten orientation for Colin, the teacher approached me and said, “I’ve already signed up your husband for Junior Achievement. I hope that’s okay!” I reassured her that he would do it every other year until we run out of kids. He’s only halfway done :)

This year, he combined a few lessons and went to Colin’s class four times. Colin loved having him there! Mrs. Bailey loved having him there! And I’m pretty sure Joe had more fun then anyone! He brought some of our toy animals that sing and dance…that kept the kid’s attention. They learned about animals, planting gardens, doing service, raising money…and some other good stuff. He’ll take a year off, then go right back when Camri is in school.

Yay for Dads! Yay for busy Dads that make a point to help at their kid’s schools! Yay for Dads that make their kid feel like a million bucks! These are the things that kids remember. Let’s all give him a silent cheer!!

Just for kicks and giggles

This week is going to be a little crazy and a lot busy. BUT, we were able to have a nice, relaxing weekend to gear up…here’s a peek.

Grandma and Grandpa came over for a little dinner, a little New Moon, and a little ice cream. The kids swarmed Grandma… Since Easter Sunday falls on General Conference weekend this year, I caved and let the kids wear their Easter outfits to church. I made the girl’s skirts (thanks to an awesome pattern and fabric from my dear friend Pattie!!)…so of course, we had to take our annual Easter pics in front of The Tree.

My Darlings!! That night, we hung out with the kids and just took some time to chill…. Today, I finally finished the car seat canopy for baby girl. I made it from scratch, and even figured out how to faux-hemstitch so I could crochet the edges. It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself…and matches the car seat too!! The best part of the weekend though? Joe took over…which allowed me to take TWO NAPS!! That’s right…one on Saturday, one on Sunday. It was luxurious :)

Bring it on, week.

24

When I was pregnant with my last baby, I felt like I would be pregnant forever, especially at the end. I even dedicated a blog post to the last seven days…and he was born three days later. All of my kids have come early – two weeks, one week, ten days, nine days…so four days early seemed almost overdue.

Fast forward to this baby. I think she has a mind of her own, and may decide to make an appearance sooner then later. I’m 24 days away from my due date, dilated to a 2 and 50% effaced. The contractions come and go, but I’m pretty sure baby girl won’t wait until April to come.

So, here are my musings of a pregnant lady…before it’s too late.

• Being pregnant with number six is WAY harder then being pregnant with number one…or two…or three.
• It’s nice to have older kids that can help out.
• Ligament pain is real! So is heartburn! So are hormones!
• Knowing what to expect can be scarier then having no idea at all.
• Maternity clothes are so much cuter then they were eleven years ago. Joe bought me some cute jeans that were sized “extra-small”…I say, brilliant marketing technique, jean-makers! Nothing makes you feel better then wearing extra small maternity jeans! Even if you know in your heart it isn’t true.
• I don’t care what anyone says, washing and folding baby clothes and blankets before baby is born is very satisfying.
• One of the gifts that pregnant women get is to feel their baby move around. I will miss that. A lot.
• Stretch marks are forever.
• Even though I’ve done this before, I still read and re-read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”.
• You come to think of your ob/gyn as one of your best friends and feel like adding him to your Christmas card list.
• Usually the last month drags on and on, but this time it is going to fast. Is it because it’s my last baby? Is it because I’m not ready? Is it something else? I’m not sure, but let’s hit the brakes already!
• I’m very, very, very grateful that we have family close by, waiting to get that phone call to come be with the other kids. We’ve even had neighbors (and a few strangers) offer. It’s nice that we don’t have to worry about that.
• I think it’s fun when people ask me, while nodding their head yes, if this is my last…and then I answer, “Oh no, we’re just getting started!!” The look on their faces is simply priceless!
• I appreciate –and revere- the fact that my mom did this eleven times. I honestly don’t know how she did it, but she pulled it off and will always be the Golden Standard of Motherhood in my eyes.
• I can’t wait to meet the little peanut. She surprised us in all the best ways by coming into our lives, but I have loved her since the two lines showed up on the first pregnancy test (and the next four, just to be sure…like I said, we were a little surprised). She will be a welcome addition in our home and I know she will bring something very special to our family. I am grateful for this magnificent gift from heaven.

So, here’s to another 24 days of pregnancy….give or take.

okay…

Family night is fun, right? Sometimes it’s fantastic and we have a pleasant moment with our kids. Sometimes….not so much. We have learned that short is sweet if you want to keep their attention.

This week, we had a rough start trying to get the kids to calm down. (I’m thinking they have a touch of Spring fever). Anyway, we asked them to sit down and I took the book “Martha Speaks” away from Camri. She was not pleased.

After several minutes of crying and begging to have her book back, I tried to divert her by asking her to pick out an opening song.

Through a stream of tears she looked at me and said, “Okay, Mom, when I’m done crying, THEN I’ll pick an opening song!!!”

30 seconds later, we were singing “Families can be together forever.’’

Ahhhh, Family Night, what would we do without you?

Birthday boy

Last weekend was so fun! I believe in miracles because two days before the show, I was able to score four third-row tickets to the Brian Regan show…from the box office, no less, so I didn’t have to pay the $500 bucks that some “brokers” were asking. Since Joe’s a twin, we usually plan to do something with Jake and Liz. I was feeling bad this year because nothing was really coming together for us…and then it did.

I don’t know if you know Brian Regan, but if you enjoy laughing until your gut aches, I highly recommend him. Even the guy that opened for him was really funny, “HELLO SALT LAKE!! Welcome to our show at Really-Hard-To-Pronounce-Hall!!!” Yeah, it was at Abravanel Hall :)

For the next two hours, we laughed and laughed and laughed. I thought for sure I’d go into labor right then and there. I felt like I had just finished an intense ab workout…and jaw surgery…and strep throat. It was awesome!

We left and went to dinner at Carver’s….two words for you – grilled brie. Dinner was so good, the company was even better. The weather was rough, but the day was unforgettable!

We love you Jake and Liz…and Happy Birthday boys!!

Service is cool

In March, the kids had two Fridays in a row off school, so I tried to plan some fun things. First, we went to the Church museum…but you already know that. The next week, I was at my parents house and my mom was finishing up a quilt she had picked up from the Humanitarian Center downtown. She had made three or four quilts and after she finished this one, she was going to bring them back. Hello?!! How about a day of service?

On Friday, we loaded up the minivan and headed down to the Humanitarian Center. What a cool place! They do everything from baby jammies to first aid to water purification to toys for kids….you name it. We picked up some supplies to make a few more quilts (that will be our Spring Break activity), and dropped off the finished products. We looked around and the kids got excited about some other projects they could do.

It was neat to see how organized the welfare program of the church is. When there is a need – anywhere in the world – they are prepared to jump in and help. So many times, they are among the first responders to a catastrophe. I remember when I was younger and there was heavy flooding in the Midwest…I was reading a newspaper article and the author quoted one of the mayors who said something like, “We have especially been impressed by two groups of people who have been serving our community nonstop: the Mormons and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.”

I feel so blessed for our circumstances, we have somewhere to live, something to eat, clothes to wear…not to mention clean water and accessible medical care. It’s nice to know there are programs like this set up to help us help others.

After we left, quilt supplies in hand, the kids asked if we could do some other projects too. They had seen some children’s blocks made out of plastic canvas and wanted to try those. So, for the rest of the day, we worked on blocks. After a couple of hours, we had finished almost three blocks…not super productive, but I loved how my kids took great care in making them look good because they knew they would be giving them away.

See, service is so cool!

Joe

I am so glad that my in-laws wanted a girl. After three boys, they tried for a girl and instead got twin boys :) That decision has made my life better then I ever thought possible.

Thirty-three years ago today, Joe was born – right after Jake. I was already two years old, walking and talking…no clue that my future husband just entered mortality.

I waited for him my whole life. We lived five minutes away from each other, went to high school in the same city, and worked in the same strip mall for a few years. But we had to meet across the world in France. I love our story.

If you know Joe, you know he’s a pretty organized guy. So here is my bullet-point list tribute to the best man I’ve ever known.

• He is gorgeous. Just take a look for yourselves.
• He is a really good dad.
• He is extremely generous…with his time, his resources, and his talents.
• He loves football. He played in high school and was named all-region. His teams are BYU and Da Bears.
• He is a good son, good grandson, good brother, good uncle, and good cousin. Not because he wants people to notice, but because he loves his family THAT much.
• He is an amazing cook. He kicks my butt in the kitchen and I think I’m pretty good. He has a knack for putting unusual ingredients together to make something fabulous.
• He is one of the best teachers I’ve ever seen in action. Whether it’s at church, to our kids, or at the University, he knows how to get a point across to others. It’s a gift, really.
• He loves the temple.
• He is really good with money.
• He works really hard at whatever he is doing. If he’s helping you move, you can bet he’s got one side of the piano all by himself.
• Oh, and he’s strong.
• He loves to work in the yard and takes great pride in making it look nice.
• He is really funny with a dry sense of humor. He’ll make you laugh when you least suspect it.
• He makes me feel safe.
• He would never write a list like this about himself. He’s just not that guy.

This is just a glimpse of the man I love…

Happy Birthday Joe!!

What to do…

Last Friday, the kids had no school…the first of many days that they will be home in the next month or so. The weather was nice and they had helped me all week to clean and de-clutter our house…it was time for an outing.

I decided to take the kids downtown to the Church Museum, it’s such a cool place!

We saw a replica of the bunks that families shared while crossing the Atlantic to America… …and we were thankful for our own beds, improved travel, and each other.

This is what the boats looked like…

We saw Angel Moroni… Some cool Native American art…And of course, the amazing “I am a Child of God” exhibit that kept the kids entertained FOREVER!!

The weather was so nice that we decided to walk around Temple Square after we left. But first, the log cabin right outside… Surprisingly, there weren’t many weddings when we were there. Usually it’s packed with people, but we only saw one wedding party. So, we were able to get a little bit closer to the temple and take some pictures.

I love these kids so much!!!!

Haircuts and good vision

It all started with a new pair of glasses. Koko has had trouble seeing at school, so we took her in to have her eyes checked. Sure enough, she’s nearsighted. She picked out the coolest glasses in the joint and they finally came.

With her new glasses, she wanted a new haircut. How is she growing up so fast?

Of course, with Dakota’s hair cut, Camri didn’t want to feel left out. I trimmed her hair, and she demanded that it “be short like Koko’s!”. Well, okay then. Two down.

Well, Emma can’t be the only sister with long hair, right? Shoulder-length hair it is! Then, Shaggy…er, I mean Colin had his turn. And last, but not least, was Baby Beau. Now I can’t call him that because he looks so darn old! I think I’ll keep all these cuties :)