calm between storms

The week between Aunt B and Grandma visits is very routine.  Good thing because E's sleep schedule is way off.  I think he is transitioning to a new nap need of less nap.  Haven't quite got the new need and time down yet but 1 o'clock church sure doesn't help it one bit.

This week is also the week that I teach preschool so not as much is happening other than school and cooking food for these hungry ones.

We did go to the post office.  T noticed a no sign and said "Look W.  No foxes allowed".  It did look more like a fox than a dog, but got me laughing pretty good.

W is in love with Where's Waldo books.  She found them in the bookshelf.  They have been there about 2 years because J was certain they were ready for them, but now is the time for them.  Good thing she has a new interest because T only wants to play Lego cars. 

The other day they were getting a bit grouchy, so I decided they needed some soggy freezing fresh air.  They all disagreed.  Whatever.  Time to use those big muscles, kids!  They didn't want to leave their Legos and Waldo books. 

T has taken to wanting to "practice being a papa" and change E's diapers.  I do not object and neither does E.  E doesn't squirm a bit when T is doing it.  I don't let T wipe, but everything else he does really well.  First time around.  I seem to remember T practicing on Piglet when he was younger, too.  T also loves to use his strong muscles to help his siblings, including train rides around the house.

He pushes E and W in a big box that he has figured out a way to wedge a flashlight into it for a steam hole or a light, depending on what time of day it is.

E's word vocabulary is sky rocketing.  I just now realized that I should be speaking Spanish to him because he mimics whatever I say when I point to things.  Maybe he will respond back in Spanish when he is older.  Maybe.  The older kids no longer respond to me speaking Spanish.

I finished some scrap booking when my sis was here.  I was very overwhelmed by the amount of artwork saved that I think I 'm just going to take pics of her cute stuff.  We'll try that next.

W made three cat beds with boxes, pillows and blankets in her room one day.

T really likes taking care of people.  E's diapers, washing W's hair and taking off her toenail polish.  W obliges every time

W made a bunch of  "cakes" with her pillows.  The bows are frosting.  This was after cake decorating for her bday

Did I mention that T and E got part time work at Enron? 

E really likes W's beautiful shoes

A princess

a montster

another monster

Princess in her castle.  W spent a ton of time on this one

a crown she made

One mommy time I made this for her

Mommy and W standing on the shore at the beach together

This is W's drawing of what I drew for her

W's drawing of our house.  The bush between the trees is her rhody bush. 

E loved this pic.  He pointed to it and said manzana every time he went in W's room

This one I am saving a hard copy of.  T painted this for W's room

W drew our kitchen at night.  She had a dream that there were two kitties popping up behind the counter.  She even drew the dishwasher.  Totally didn't get the Martin Luther King Day lesson about having a dream

Aunt B.... come and gone already

Aunt B showed up for the annual bday trip.  She decided she wanted to go to Canada.  We picked a science museum and a light rail excursion.  I asked the big kids what their favorite part of the trip.  W said eating fruit strips and T said playing with his cat ear head band (some very soft and fuzzy).  So why did we drive all the way there for that?

Here are some things that I think they liked.  E liked the gecko.  Aunt B said he looked at it for about a 1/2 hour.  E also liked the snake.  Aunt B says he watched that thing for 10 minutes.  E also liked looking outside at the boats and the snake. 

The life sized beaver dam was a hit for all of them.  The only reason they left it was because other kids came in to check it out.  Once those kids left they went back inside to be beavers.

Aunt B had to tell me about E's experience because they got separated from us.  B thought we were ahead of her, but we were way behind her the whole time.  We got stuck in the shadow box area for 10 minutes and she kept going.  We also got stuck at a ball and water exhibit for 15-20 minutes. 

This exhibit had a ball launcher that shot balls up to a second story level of water.  The water was then a waterfall that let the balls go downstream.  T loved launching those balls.  They worked as a team.  T stood in front of the launcher so no other kids could take his spot while W went a grabbed balls.  Usually at least four.  One time I think she brought back 8 of those things, stacked up to her chin.  T would then try launching all of the balls at once.  I had to keep telling him to let the other kids have turns while he awaited her return.  It was a very difficult thing for him to do.

We went on a train ride while taking a snack break.  The train was so exciting that they couldn't eat snack, so we ate snack near the stairs at the train station before going back to the museum.  We thought the train would bring us to a pretty water front, but it brought us the sea bus terminal.  Hmmmm.  We ate snack anyway.

Aunt B loves how big E's vocabulary and imitation skills are picking up speed.  She points to objects in books or in blocks and he knows the word, spoken in a cute E accent.  She likes how he pretends to be a kitty, just like T, meowing so cute.  Or how he cooks W's My Little Ponies with Mommy's real potsI always think I will get so much more done while family is here because there is another adult in the house.  But then I get distracted because there is another adult in the house.

Aunt B wanted to be with the big kids and do some big kid things.  I suggested that she take W to the BAM  (funny huh) as I had heard it was nice and have never been there before.  It was nice in that there were interactive displays great for kids, but it was still an art museum.  Mostly a bust.

Next was trying to get a train ride in for T.  We had this idea that she take him to the light rail in town, but decided probably not a good idea as getting back would be a bit of a navigational problem with a giant car in small lanes and parking spaces.  Take II.

She also wanted to go to Canada, so we went. I tried talking her out of it.  It is very much the same terrain, just even colder and darker than here.  She was pretty good in that she wanted to go somewhere fun for T and W.  So we picked the science museum.  Boy was it fun!!  It was a kid museum times 10.  And even better, it had a light rail station across the street.  Perfect!

E hung out with Aunt B almost the whole time.  T and W got stuck playing forever in the shadow box and B walked right by us unknowingly.  Boy was E happy.  He got to do everything his pace.  And the big kids were happy about doing things their pace.  We stayed at exhibits for a long time.  E looked at the gecko for about 1/2 hour.  B says she's never watched a gecko so long in her life.  Then E watched a snake for another 10.  Then he got hungry and tired so good thing mom showed up.

We ate our snack on the train ride.  Well, that was the plan.  But the train ride was so exciting that T and W couldn't eat so they looked out the window.  The section we went on was mostly underground, but whatever.  It ended at the sea bus terminal, so there was lots more to look at, but we finally found a quiet spot just outside the elevator.  B calls it the homeless family snack.

B thought the "blocking bunny" sign on the light rail was so funny.  It had a huge cartoon pink bunny (looking like a family relative to the Energizer Bunny) on a subway making it hard for people to get on, off and in/out of their seats.  The sign was a reminder to the passengers to not be a blocking bunny.  Well.  3 small kids, a stroller and two adults walking around town definitely qualifies us as blocking bunnies.

The next excitement was planning and making the bday cake.  That was Aunt B's job.  We talked about what kind of cake Aunt B was making for them the next day.  T asked if he could have it for breakfast and Aunt B said "that's a really good idea".  Good grief.  You have to be careful about stuff like that.  T woke up and said "where is Aunt B?  She needs to get up and start working on the cake".  I gave them cookies for breakfast since to them the promise was being broken the cake not being made for breakfast.

Aunt B made dinner a bunch.  All of which mommy liked, but none of which the big kids and E really liked. 

The last night B was here we had a sis date where we went to dinner and somehow got started on all the Dadisms.  Here are a few things we thought of:  goodie, eggies now, duplo, bunnolls, pick it out, bucktooth.  Dad says they are mostly things B invented, but she doesn't remember.

Probably how we mimic E.  We all do a lot of hoo-hooing like an owl since that is one of the first things E really started saying well.  E also loves to say minion sock, fuzzy, the sun is out, the diaper goes outside, I'm full get down, and fake laughs.  B also thought fake laughs of E's were soooo funny.  They are.  Who doesn't love E?  Anyone outside the family I'm sure, but no one inside the family!

T loves loves loves to build.  J got him a few legos sets between Christmas and bdays.  He hasn't even looked at the Thomas track he got since legos.  He also got a set of a select real tools and put together a piece of furniture himself, with me helping a little interpret directions.  But even then, he already gets how to follow directions after building legos by directions.  Sometimes he gets too excited and sees the next part and doesn't follow them exactly, but for80% of the time, he is following those directions.  He wants to build all day.  He was a little annoyed that we stopped to have a park break because he had a to have a long pause from legos.  Ok.  we found his main interest for the moment.

the snowflakes we made at the BAM as blankets for the kitty

B and E

E playing with us at the park

fake laugh through the bars

Come along fuzzy.  Let's cross this bridge together

Mommy!

"fishing"at the park

T!  I think you almost caught that "fish"

Running to catch up the siblings

eating Aunt B's iced oatmeal cookies

E on the way to Canada

W overlooking the water at the science musum in Canada

Lunch in front of the elevator.  Someone looked at us like we were homelsss or something

T and W's bday cakes

blue tongue!

Add caption

real tools and first tool box

T working with his assistant

first use

B's bubble hat for E

stack

Aunt B torture

Enough

Bear feet

relaxing like Grandpa

Happy New Year!

Wow!  I had no idea my kids are completely capable of staying up until midnight.  I guess I thought they couldn't do it because I can't do it.  I completely fell asleep much much much earlier than midnight. 

I had told them earlier in the day how New Year's is celebrated.  Eat all sorts of yummy food, bang pots at midnight and stay up playing games and watching movies.  Boy were they excited!  And they totally did it.  Not E.  I put him to bed right before I fell asleep.  But really!!  And what were they doing while Papa was in charge?  Watching Dora movies.  Dora movies are apparently very exciting.  The next day was torture because everyone was grumpy, but to be expected. 

T had his first talk in church.  We practiced in family home evening.  On Sunday during sacrament meeting he asked when it was his turn to go up and give his talk in front of the kids.  He did a very nice job.  He knows to speak into the microphone and the right speed.  W was a little sad because she didn't get to hear it.  Someone in her class said they had to go potty so the teacher brought them all except T and she was gone, but no worries.  Mommy heard it!

E had his first day of nursery the same day T had his first talk.  He didn't like it.  Poor kid!  And to make matters worse, he had cut his sucking finger and couldn't even suck his finger to help himself feel better.

About his finger.  Man.  E is one tough kid.  When he first cut it, he didn't even cry.  The only reason I knew he cut it is that he started bleeding.  Good thing I was standing right there!  I tried washing it to see where it was but he didn't really want me prying his hands open, so finally I wrapped a cloth around it to get it to stop bleeding.  We watched movies for 10 minutes and then I pulled the cloth off.  It started bleeding again, so I just got a really big bandaid that had cloth part all the way around his finger so no tape would be stuck to the wound and held it for another 10 minutes until it seemed to stop bleeding.  Then he wanted to suck on it, so I put two more bandaids on top so he couldn't fit it in his mouth.

No more blood oozed out for the rest of the day so I thought we were good.  But that thing was nasty from the day, so I tried changing it and found it was still bleeding when I tried to take the bandaid off.  Hmmmmm.  We went to InstaCare and waited around forever.

But it was worth it.  After 2.5 hours we were seen.  They snipped off the flap of finger and cauterized it with silver nitrate.  he had done a good job, but no serious damage.  He only cried when they put the silver nitrate on.  And they were not too gentle about washing it and taking the bandage off.  They were trying to work fast.  Now he has a small hole in his finger that is healing nicely.  We got a video of him saying bandaid ouch.

All day, off and on, usually when he wanted to suck his finger, he would look at it and say "Bandaid ouch"  but that is it.  He wasn't in any more distress than usual except for not using that hand.  Oh!  This mama felt so sad when I finally saw how deep it was.

W is so kind to her siblings.  It amazes me how much she notices and then cares for them.  T was asking for ketchup and right away said "I'll get it for you T!" and ran to the fridge.  She also collected a whole bunch of E's favorite toys to play with while I was getting ready to keep him happiest. 

'Chef' making gumbo with papa after our snow trip

taking notes from the pro

Cute E at the park

W was taking good care of E.  She got one of his favorite toys, plus his blanket, and was giving him rides in his box up and down the hallway

Playing ponies with E.  She used tissue paper to make beds and blankets for the ponies

W and T used J's clothing stack as a pony playground and pony caves during their pony play time

So J started ponie wars.  While W was sleeping, he arranged the ponies in her room.  when she woke up this is what she found

E really likes to turn the pages of the scriptures.  He likes the sound I think.  Amazingly he hasn't ripped any pages

We took T to the model train festival.  He is E riding in style

 

E/Mommy time at the open gym while the big kids are in school.  He loves it here!!He goes from one big toy to the next with such glee

W and T informed me that they were basking in the sun.  There wasn't any sun because the sun had already set, but there was blue sky.  Really cold, though.