Dylan's 6th and Isaac's 4th Birthday celebration

2/11/12

Instead of spending money on a party, we spent money on Sea World passes! We got them through AAA, which isn't much of a discount, but it's something. Dylan and Isaac got free preschool passes for there and Busch Gardens so Steven got the pass with the parking included. We invited Mom and Don and had so much fun!

 We started at the touch tank and bought food to feed the rays.

 We went under...

 then over the dolphin tank. So close!

 Our first show was pretty amazing with lots of big sea mammals and splash zones and flying/swimming trainers.

 The Shamu Rocks show was amazing too!

 Isaac has a phobia of these cargo nets. I went with him. Look how far he came! But then we had to go back down. Oh well.

 The boys loved the ship/play area!

 We met my mom's sister and her husband at a Mexican place in Orlando for dinner. It had been years and years since I had seen Uncle Brad! Since I was a freshman at BYU. I get to see Aunt Peggy more, they're both amazing people. Uncle Brad was there for continuing education. I think he's an anesthesiologist  He puts people to sleep - as you can see from the picture, he's quite good at it.

(And since I'm over a year late on posting this in March 2013, we went back to Sea World with the kids once ourselves and my parents took the boys back themselves once too while Steven and I ran in the Savage mud race. Steven used his dual pass for Busch Gardens a couple of times too.)

Les Miserables!!!

Les Miserables was the first Broadway Show that Steven and I saw together.  We saw it 11 years ago in NYC.  For our 9th anniversary, Steven bought us tickets even though it wouldn't be here 'til February.  Awesome gift!  The kids' tickets were free.  Tyler cried w/ my mom while we got dressed up (in a non-nursing-accessible-dress.) 

 A man pointed out that the kids were wearing ties, but Steven wasn't.  But then again, Steven's shirt was tucked in, so we're even-steven.
It was the family night, so the kids participated in some Les Mis-related crafts and fun before we went potty.  They made French and student rebellion flags. 

 And they drew their castles (or anything they love) on a cloud. 

 They were excited because we borrowed my mom's CDs to get the kids familiar with the songs. 

 Aren't they cute?! 

 Family date nights are fun. 

 They weren't even tired through intermission.  But after a song or two of the 2nd act, Isaac whispered that he was ready to go home.  We were in good seats right in the middle, so leaving wasn't an option.  We should have left at 9pm at intermission, but didn't.  So Isaac slept in my lap covering his ears.  Then Steven carried him out. 

They sing "Look down, look down, look down, look down," "Master of the House," and a lot of "Can you hear the people sing? It is the song of angry men" at home and request the songs when we're in the car.  So my mom won't be getting her CDs back just yet.  Those were the first EVER CDs she got.  We gave them to her for Christmas one year.

sundays

real quick:
Tyler is sweet and cute.

 even when he poos the most grossest poo ever in the middle of Sacrament meeting and I change him and scare away another nursing mother and have to change him into pants with a monkey tail. 

It was gross.  He started eating some solid foods, so I guess I should have seen it coming. 

"I used everything sticky, but not honey."

1/25/12
While Tyler and I napped (Oh how I love to nap), Isaac was busy wrapping what he hoped to be his own present.  We bought Dylan a Spiderman web shooter for his birthday (which is the day after Valentine's day.)  I told Isaac it was a present for somebody but not for him and that it WAS a good idea to get one for Dylan, so maybe we should.  I told him that he shouldn't get his own presents, so it probably wasn't for him. 

He came up and told me that he was wrapping the present.  I asked if he found wrapping paper.  He did.  He said he found "Easter wrapping paper."  It does look like Easter wrapping paper, now that he mentions it.  He said the wrapping paper wasn't working though b/c the glue sticks weren't sticking.  I asked if he tried tape.  He said that it ran out then he added, yes, "I used everything sticky, but not honey."  This, I had to see.  Sure enough, on the carpet, I found a sticky mess.  He had used kid siscors, that's good.  And although he had put away the "sticky" things, I found evidences of not only a glue stick, but regular glue, clay, and even Dr. Pepper flavored red chap stick and tape.  He brought me the Tide To Go pen and asked me to open it because he needed help.  I told him what it was and he put it back.  I told him to bring back tape, not believing that it was all gone since I had just bought a 3 pack.  Well, he found a roll w/ tape still on it.  He taped a little more, then said the tapes WERE all gone.  I agreed, even though he had just pulled at an odd angle or something and the ends were lost on the roll - you know how that happens w/ packing tape.  So I got out a Spiderman gift bag and put the whole mess in there.  He's happy.  Except he must have overheard me "reading" The Secret in the car and is staying really positive about it being for HIS birthday.  We'll see . . .

Dear Tyler, you're 5 months old

Dear Tyler,
You're 5 months old now!
You are ticklish, so I can get smiles out of you! 

 You're really getting chunky thighs.  They're smushy and I love them.  You've been wearing pants a lot, but whenever you're in a onesie, I can't keep my hands off of them, and neither can anybody else:)

 You have beautiful eye lashes and skin still. 

 You rolled over!  You first did it on my bed when you were starving (or you thought you were.)  You rolled your face towards me, and since our bed rolls towards the heaviest thing (me in this case), you were determined.  You smushed your face down into the sheets and I found myself starting to cheer you on, then you did it!  The rest of your body followed 'til your arm was stuck under your tummy. 

 You can grab things and can actually bring them to your mouth!  That seems like such a huge accomplishment. 

Happy pose

 Now a gangsta pose. 

I have so many pictures I could share, but I'll break it up into another post I think. 
You're sweet, but you're what I call my sweet inconvenience in the evenings.  You need me.  I've tried to not nurse you to sleep, but you don't cry yourself to sleep yet.  You just cry and cry and cry.  It's not usualy that loud, but still, it doesn't stop.  If we pick you up, that'll usually do it, but even when you fall asleep, you wake up when we put you in your bed until you've worn yourself out. You will fall asleep next to me for naps, but I can only nap like once/week. 
You ate some of my baked potato this evening.  I mushed tiny thin layers between my fingers and put them in your mouth.  That was your first real food besides rice and oatmeal cereals.  Then I gave your prunes this evening.  I gave you a bottle of formula this week before bed. 
You keep bonking into my cheek bones.  I try to kiss you or hold you and somehow even though I know that has happened, it still keeps happening!  It doesn't seem to phase you. 
You like to be upright but will still lay on your back just fine.  You have sometimes done little sit ups, but not too much. 
I keep trying to give you pacifiers and your thumb, but it doesn't really work.  Sometimes you gnaw on them but that's about it.  Rarely you'll suck on one right after eating when you're sleeping. 
I usually stay up late until you wake up between midnight and 3am.  I only do that a couple of nights a week though.  And sometimes you win and I just put you in bed with me initially. 
I love you. 

...And he ate it. Gross!

Isaac can make his own sandwiches.
He has always loved dips and condiments.
So he decided to add them to his bread-palate and sandwich them for the travel into his mouth's palate. 

 Commonly, he paints the bread with globs of jelly, honey, ketchup, honey mustard, regular mustard, and peanut butter. 

Dylan told him that it would probably taste like a bug. 
Isaac said "It does - it tastes like a bug.  And I like bugs!"
. . . And he ate it.  Gross.

December To Do: Gingerbread houses

12/10/11
We made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and left over Halloween candy (and candy canes from a package from Lacey.)

 Did you know that if you take a picture, you can eat your cake house and have it too?!

 I like the posts and lintel and door and door knob:)

December To Do: Roller Skating

12/10/11
I got excited for December and made a to do list of Christmassy things. 
I had Ice Skating on there.  Steven pointed out that we should probably start with roller skating.  Then he pointed out that one of us would be stuck holding the baby so we should only pay for one adult.  And he further pointed out that the designated baby carrier should stay at home since he didn't like to skate even though I thought the baby carrier could double as a tripod. 
So I took the kids to a local roller rink.  They weren't that bad! 

 I took each of them around once while the other took pictures. 

 Then we stayed on the carpet. 

 and lived happily ever after. 

The end. 
P.S. Santa got Isaac roller blades for Christmas!

8 kids here = no hands for taking pictures = a picture-free ramble post

Me: (to Steven) The problem with having so many kids here today, is that I don't have an extra hand to take pictures of our fun.

Steven: (sarcastically) Really?  That's the problem?

Me: (smile)

Anyway, I had all 6 kids here and my friend Rachael came with her 18 month old twins. Our messy playroom made her daughter cry b/c it was way too over stimulating.  The living room almost made me cry because while I made brownies before Rachael came over, the kids dumped out the Gunny bag and started coloring!  It had been clean 5 minutes before!  Embarrasing. 

Then, picture this, 8 legs hanging down from our orange tree.  Picture perfect, but I didn't have hands to find and assemble the small camera and didn't risk the bigger one.  Then, Rachael put one of her kids down to run for the tree because a voice from the tree was crying wolf that he/she (I don't remember which) couldn't get down.  They can all jump from that high and didn't look entangled so I wasn't worried.  Maybe she has more of a mom instinct than I do.  She also scooped out a mouth full of dirt from Ivy for me.  AND she brought hot dog buns and cheeze puffs since I didn't buy buns to go along with our hot dogs.  She also cut the oranges for us.  I love somebody who will see what needs to be done and will do it and doesn't make me feel like a total crazy lady.  I felt like one all on my own today - limping, grilling while holding a baby, nursing right out in the open (back yard) while squeezing honey mustard and ketchup on 4 buns with my freshly washed and dried hair tied back out of my face.  (Yea, I showered this morning and am proud of it - that should add to the crazy lady list because normal people do that every day.)  I don't think she's ready for more kids yet after seeing me today.  Hers are pretty close to being perfect, except they're normal.  Perfect kids wouldn't be normal, but hers seem wonderfully happy and sweet.  We talked a little about parenting and I caught myself doing things I know not to do - like saying "don't climb that fence."  I think I could fill out a paper parenting test and could get an "A."  But talking the talk (or writing) and walking the walk are totally different.  Rachael makes me a better person.  Her blog got me to actually really commit to doing FHE (Family Home Evening) every week.  And I did that Jinglebell Run with her too.  I don't think I blogged that yet.  It was Dylan's first 1 mile fun run!  She got me to join her book club too.  She EVEN brought me the book on tape today!  She's an enabler for good.  I should be like that.  Instead, I'm a crazy lady w/ too many kids.  (And I want one more. - Told you I'm crazy.)

After she left, it actually got a little more normal and I almost wished she had stayed so she could see.  The kids went to the bathroom (including washing hands with soap) and got pillows and blankets for story time.  Dylan took the short couch, Isaac took the floor, Noah was already asleep in Dylan's bed by the time the first story was over, and Malia took the treadmill.  (I pick my battles - it was unplugged.)  Again, a camera would have been useful b/c maybe you had to be there to be able to picture this.  I held Tyler while Ivy slept in the pack 'n play.  We read 3 books and sang all the verses to "I Am A Child Of God."  I went up to try to take a nap with Tyler.  He fell asleep on me.  Then I remembered that I may not have turned off the grill.  Dang.  I had to get up.  Success!  Tyler stayed asleep on his side! Ivy was sleeping, Noah was sleeping, but I had to put Malia in Dylan's bed and had to confiscate her toys then she sept a long time.  I threatened spanking Isaac - I don't remember why but it worked and he was still and slept.  I whispered to Dylan that he could color.  The grill WAS off.  That's good.  I tried again to take a nap since we're all sicky with runny noses.  Tyler woke up a little after that and just wanted to smile and jump. 

Yady yady ya, I took a Valentine's Day picture of Olivia while Vicki held Ivy, I tried to nap on the couch next to Tyler sleeping in the swing, we made pizzas with left over hot dogs for the pepperoni's, we ate spaghetti, we had a good family night lesson with an activity and craft, Tyler cried with rice cereal, and all 4 of my boys are asleep now!  I finally have time to take a picture, but all that's left is a sink full of dirty dishes from the day.  Speaking of which, gotta go.

P.S. It's 11pm now:
I decided that I should link to Rachael's blog, b/c if you really want to know her, who am I to hold you back?  (My sister asked.  They may have met at church??)  Rachael brought over home made brownies and onesies - perfect for a summer baby, right after Tyler was born.  I had recently read that she was expecting her 3rd baby and told her that congratulations were in order.  Sadly, she told me that she had actually miscarried.  I was at a loss for words.  Why was she bringing ME gifts when I should be comforting HER?  Especially bringing me BABY gifts!  She's the kind of person who notices where she could be of help and then she does it.  And she stays perfectly happy and healthy and organized and can think clearly.  She gave me a Christmas gift, and that's after she held a white elephant gift party w/ real girly gifts.  I haven't given gifts to people at church (that I remember) because if I give a gift, I have to give one to this person, and that person, and where do I stop?  And I might not have it as together next year, so maybe I shouldn't start something that I can't keep up.  I don't think she has those useless thoughts.  She wants to do something and does it.  End of story.  I won't care if I never get a gift from her, or if somebody else got something and I didn't - and she knows that.  She has a solid testimony of our Savior too.  I asked something about one of her babies who are in heaven now, and she said, like I could tell she had said lots before, that she knew she would get to raise him later and she is excited to do so and mentioned something about Christ, I think.  All while I'm nursing a baby and putting a kid in time out and she's cleaning up water cups or something.  I know she must always have a prayer in her heart and has the Holy Ghost as her guide at all times and in all things and in all places. 

Also, instead of doing the dishes, I just caught up on this blog.  Shawni's another person who I'd like to be.  Her kids are a little older, so that's good.  I mean, if my kids were older, I'd hate to read back what I should have done, you know?  Anyway, she has a lot of people who realize that she has a good head on her shoulders and they ask her questions.  My question, is where she gets the book that she compiles all of her Christmas cards in?!  I want double sided 4x6, 4x8 and 8x10 slots!  I don't get that many Christmas cards, but maybe in 10 years I will.  she's almost 10 years older than I am. Her parents started Joy School and wrote "The Entitlement Trap."  Her parents taught like my wonderful parents taught.