The Blahs of January

It felt like January would never end this week. The ice continues to melt but it is still present in patches here and there. We make random escapes outside then rush back in when the wind pushes us back inside. Everett and I took several walks after lunch this week. He was excited when we walked around the block three times in a row. Evelyn loves when I skip with her in my arms. I love watching her cute cheeks smooched up in her cute yellow bonnet. Everett is quite the chatter box when he gets me alone. I had to memorize the names and colors of the Power Ranger MegaForce and Samurai this week. He kept going "angry squirrel" on me when I mixed up a name or color. Don't worry I am getting better at whipping out my inner ninja ranger.

The funniest thing happened this week. When I first tried to potty train Phillip he fell into the toilet. I walked in on him happy as a lark being a potty monster. Yesterday, Everett fell into the toilet. His bum was stuck, his shirt got a little wet. He was not a happy lark. He is not a natural potty monster. I found him purple in the face from crying (for 38 seconds). This little event showed me once again how different our two boys are. On one hand there is wild, lovable, happy, Phillip. On the other is emotional, cuddly, lovable, and mood swing Everett. I wonder what a match between Angry Squirrel and Tasmanian Devil would look like! Heh, I get a daily front seat. Happily, most of the matches end in lovely days filled with imagination and a squabble or two.

Monday evening Amelia taught our lesson. With a little bit of guidance from Justin and mostly her own initiative she prepared her lesson. She taught us that we are Children of God. Justin and I loved her notes she prepared on two small squares of paper. We absolutely love watching our children grow in Christ and the gospel.

Tuesday and Thursday preschool was at our home. It took a lot of time to keep the house somewhat de-cluttered so we could have school in the living room. Amber taught so I assisted her. I get to teach this coming week on the letter Q. I really don't know how some mothers keep their homes orderly and neat all the time. It seems really boring to clean all the time. I enjoy spending time each day playing with the kids. Lately, my goal is to play 1-2 board games with each child, read several books, and play a fun game of their choice. Yesterday Phillip and I played Uno. Little stinker won three times, I lost three times.

Evelyn learned how to growl like a bear this week. She sounds like a pretty kitty meowing. It is hilarious. Evelyn absolutely loves to read books. I heard some strange sounds coming from the kitchen. She was loudly reading an animal book, sounds and all. She continues to hone her dancing skills. My favorite is the naked knee bopping. The boys turned on the iPod one morning. A U2 song came on just as I removed Evelyn's diaper. I now am in possession of the cutest video of Evelyn dancing naked. The boys are dancing "BAD" which includes donkey kicks, ninja moves, and a certain amount of jiving. The boys danced around in undies. I was highly entertained for several minutes. They danced "bad" for a good long while. I ruined their fun by getting clothes on them before library time.

Wednesday and Thursday Phillip complained of a sore throat. I gave him pain relief and sore throat spray. By Friday it was evident he had Strep Throat. Amelia was also complaining so I kept her home from school in case she came down with Strep as well. I accidentally hung up on the scheduler when she called. By the time I got a another call back the only appointments open were at 11:00 or 11:40. Shoot. If you can't get an appointment before 9:30 you must plan on waiting over an hour. I packed snacks, games, books, and paper prepared for a long wait in the lobby. I earned a gold medal chasing Evelyn all over keeping her out of offices, from tearing up magazines, and spitting half chewed snacks on the carpet. Phillip napped under a chair. Amelia did an amazing job reading books to Everett. Justin stopped by the clinic one his way home for lunch to get Everett and Evelyn. That made the rest of the wait much easier. We finally saw the Doctor at 12:25. I know that does not sound painful, but with 4 active kids it was not so fun. Phillip's Strep test came back positive in a matter of minutes. We walked out 5 minutes later with a prescription. We all earned a Sonic slushie (for Phillip's sore throat and a treat for the rest of us).

Friday evening and Saturday morning I hosted a slew of Valentine Mini Sessions. I was delighted to meet 5 new families this time around, 3 families were returning customers. Poor little Leah was not so happy with my plan to take her photos. Her sister Nora was excited so I captured a couple cute ones of her. Leah came back the next day not crying but not happy to see me. Some kids are like that! Sheena, maybe we need to have some play dates! I enjoyed creating three Valentine sets for folks to choose from. Evelyn scraped glitter off one of my props, spreading red glitter on her hands, the floor, and carpet. Vacuums lose against glitter. I was dismayed since the prop in question was borrowed from a friend. Grrrr. I removed the remaining glitter and painted the heart pink for the next day. Later my friend said the sign sold and the heart needed to be red and glittery. Evelyn! You are over the top helpful.

Justin and I are very excited to take a retreat the end of February from the 23rd to the 28th in Monterey, CA. It was quite nerve wracking to book tickets, find a hotel, and decide on dates because of so many people involved in the decision. Looks like my Mom will be able to come out and watch the kids for most of the time. We might need to find some folks to watch the kids if mom can't come. I am excited to see my Grandparents, stay in a hotel without kids, eat some good food without worrying about wasting food or a kid throwing food, and resting. Sleeping. Yes, I am very excited about no agenda. The last time we went on a solo trip was when I was 8.5 months pregnant with Everett.

**I overheard Amelia randomly say "My underwear are so clean they don't even have a dust bunny in them!"

**My friend Nora Betony asked me to sew up an Apache Camp Dress for her 2 year old granddaughter. I am a little intimidated to whip up a dress from only a photo. Especially a dress with sleeves, zipper, etc. I hope to get it done before Catalina's birthday.