I'm a Big Girl Now

So this week I've realized how big Anna is getting. She climbs on everything, especially any kind of seat, stool, or step, that can boost her to new heights and adventures. Also, she loves to follow me around and do anything I'm doing. Last week, I started to vacuum when all the sudden I looked behind me and she was pushing her little vacuum behind me. Every time I do anything she is my little mimic. I have to say, I eat this all up. My favorite was when I was painting my toe nails (which are already chipped!) and she plops down beside me and points to her toes. She sat super still and after wiggled them to show off their pretty pink. How fun is she?

Yesterday, she found her helmet, that is way to big for her still, and put it on her head and said "bi(ke)" and waddled over to Harris's bike. Aaron had to document this accomplishment as a proud papa and medical care provider. You see, bike safety is already ingrained in her little mind.

So, maybe I'm writing more to show off my darling girl and these cute pictures, but who would think children would grow so darn fast, my ever-living exclamation on this blog. The best is that she loves to watch movies of herself as a baby and we are not sure she knows it is her, even ones that were only taken a few weeks ago. It might be hard to watch kids grow up but, what is better than seeing them become so smart and curious. I remember why I hate/love this stage: they are into everything, yet, because of that, every day is a new adventure. Today's was that is is so amazing that water comes out of a garden hose (picture Anna looking down the hose)I have to admit, it is so much more fun to drink out of a hose than a regular old plastic cup, Anna thinks so too. Anyway I guess I'll let her grow up, but time better crawl.

Mother's Day-pros and cons

Mother's day can be good or bad it depends on how you look at it.
1. It is good to sleep in a little bit.
2. It is bad (or sad) to realize that your baby's diaper had overflowed from all the watered down root beer she had drank the night before.
3. It can be good if you snuggle with your kids and husband in bed all morning. Thank goodness for 1:00 church.
4. It can be bad if you make mental lists of how to improve as a mother as you listen to the sacrament meeting talks.
5. It can be good when your husband has been listening to all the hinting about you needing a good dictionary and thesaurus (especially the Oxford American English type.) and he actually remembers to get it for you.
6. It is bad when you worry what all the clanging in the kitchen is when you have been sent to bed by your eight year old and told not to get out.
7. It is good when you realize that all the banging is yummy French Toast that your husband and son made for you.
8. It is bad when your one year old daughter decides she needs to share the french toast too and spills syrup on the comforter, creating more laundry to do.
9. It is good when the nursery workers tell you just to leave your crazy seventeen month old child in there, it doesn't matter if it is a month early.
10. It is bad when you sit in Relief Society missing her and sad that she is that grown up.
11. It is good to go see our wonderful moms and be grateful that they put up with temper tantrums, attitudes, poopy diapers, and crazy ideas.
12. It is bad to have to squeeze two visits in such a little amount of time after getting out of church at 4:00.
13. It is good to realize how lucky I am to have my children.
14. It is good to snuggle your daughter as you carry her sleeping from the car.

Another quick thought:

If you give a Mom a muffin,She'll want a cup of tea to go with it.She'll pour herself some.The tea will get spilled by her three year old.She'll wipe it up.Wiping the floor, she will find some dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do some laundry.When she puts the laundry in the washer,She'll trip over some snow boots and bump into the freezer.Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan dinner for tonight.She will get out a pound of hamburger.She will look for her cookbook (101 Things to Make With a Pound of Hamburger).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.She will see the phone bill which is due tomorrow.She will look for her checkbook.The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two year old.She'll smell something funny.She'll change the two year old.
While she is changing the two year old the phone will ring.Her four year old will answer it and hang up.She remembers that she wants to phone a friend to come for tea on Friday.Thinking of tea will remind her that she was going to have a cup.She will pour herself some.And chances are......If she has a cup of tea......Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with itAuthor: Kathy Fictorie

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful moms I know.

Things Not to Forget

There is something about going on family vacation that makes you appreciate life more. I had forgotten this. Yes, I remember the long drives as a kid and the arguments over who sat where in our big blue van and who was trespassing on who's seat room. Yet, I will never forget how close I felt to my family afterward. We would do all kinds of things to commemorate the vacation. I think we didn't want it to end. As I remember these fond memories, I am so glad to experience it with my family as the mom. This past week my children have seemed so precious to me. First of all, I think all husbands should get a week off every couple months. Not to sound spoiled but, what isn't better to being able to have your best friend with you 24/7? Some of you might say this is overkill, I might have said that before this past week, but there is nothing like waking up next to Aaron, spending the whole day together and then going to bed at the same time. I also miss Harris terribly when he is at school. The house is way to quiet. I miss all his jabbering about Pokemon or Chaotic or whatever the new craze is. I miss his keen observations and his jokes involving plays on words. Anyway, all these thoughts have brought me to one conclusion: there are oodles of things I never want to forget. I think that is what blogs help us do: capture and store fleeting thoughts and memories. So, if you will indulge me for a moment, I have complied a list of things I really hope never to forget.

1. My name (it could happen...Harris already accuses me of not responding when he calls me

2. Harris calling his friends 'dude' and saying 'sweet'

3. Harris saying peppy-oni

4. Harris calling a candy necklace a "Paul Simon" when he was two

5. Anna's two-step dancing

6. Anna singing Baby Bumble Bee and emphasizing 'ouch'

7. Harris getting baptized

8. Harris's mis-matched button job on his scout shirt

9. Anna saying "night, night" and blowing me a kiss

10. Anna calling Ellie next door 'baby' and demanding we need to go see 'baby' every time we are outside

11. Anna seeing baby cousin Avery for the first time

12. Anna stealing Harris's corn bread

13. The things I find in Harris's pockets

14. Family Dance Parties

15. Harris on California Screamin'

16. Harris holding Anna for the first time

17. Anna exclaiming "bro-bro, bro-bro!" all the way to get Harris from school

18. Harris's tea party for Anna

19. Hiking after a rainstorm

20. fishing in Idaho, Falls Creek Falls

21. Idaho (it really can be memorable.)

...to be continued