Soft Spot

Gentry has always had a soft spot for well, soft spots. As a baby she would always lay her head on a pillow or the armrest of the couch. When we would play on the bed she would always seek out the pillow and lay her head on it. I have a pillow in her crib that most times I find her laying her whole body across it - lengthwise. Sometimes when I put her in her crib with her head on the pillow she immediately crawls on the pillow so her entire body is on it. Funny little quirk but definitely a noticeable one.

Christmastime

Tonight I laid on the couch (with a sore neck muscle) and put Christmas music on while the kids danced around. They had so much fun and Gentry was so cute imitating everything they did. She ran around in circles for the longest time. I don't know if there is anything better than watching your children share in and get excited in the joy of Christmas. It reminded me of so many childhood memories of Christmas.

And all your dreams of open spaces,
you find in your childrens faces,
one by one.
Harry Chapin - Story of a Life

Dreamland

If you ask Lauren what she dreamed of upon waking from a nap or in the morning, she always replies "naps!" What a sweet thing to dream about.

D$#@% Cats

We have a lot of stray cats on our property. In order to scare them away I started tapping/banging on the window and yelling "scram" really roughly. The kids quickly followed suit and whenever they see a cat on our lawn they yell. The best part though is Lauren - when she yells 'scram cat' the scram sounds like 'damn'. On more than one occasion (once with my mother-in-law) she has run to the window and starting yelling 'damn cat damn cat' really rough and loud. I've had to tell people what she really means.

Sailboat Picture

Posted by Chris:

Was just up in my office working about 10pm when Vince came in to show me his latest drawing. He said Dad this is for you. It was a pretty darn good picture of a sailboat. Better than average since I could see right off what it was (sometimes some explanation is needed). Anyway, I was admiring it and Vince told me all about it and how it was me and him in a sailboat. I asked him if he'd enjoy someday going sailing with me. He paused and said, "um, no thanks." I followed up to see what that was about and didn't get a straight answer.

He started talking about fishing in the ocean. He said that on his next birthday, if I get him a gift that turns out to not work very good, then (and this part was with great enthusiasm) that maybe we could go back to the store and buy him a fishing pole! I thought this was kind of funny for a couple reasons: One, on his last birthday I bought him a remote control car that didn't work very good so we took it back and he got to pick out any gift he wanted. He chose a car track toy thingy with a jump. So he must be thinking that is a cycle that will repeat. Second, we don't really go fishing. We've been to a fish pond a couple times but it was a while ago.

Few weeks back Vince saw a picture of Jesus walking on the water and helping the apostle who had started to fall in. He started explaining the story to me--I was pretty surprised. Then he said "only Jesus can do that in his flip flops."

Primary

Today Chris and I got to go in the Primary to hear/help Hadley with the scripture and prayer. I love doing this because it also means we get to go and watch them both in there. Vincent is such a crack-up that he sits in the front row with his sunbeam class and his arms folded tightly across his chest. He is such a good little boy - in Primary.

It was doubly exciting because Vincent was spotlighted as well today! They turn off all the lights and the leader uses a flashlight and reads off 'favorite' things about a child until there is only one standing. Chris and I could see Vincent holding his hand up the entire time just knowing it was him. He was so excited and yet so polite/reverent.

I also dropped Lauren off in nursery today which is always a crack up because she never even looks back when she gets to the door. The leaders always comment on how happy and sweet she is. She truly lights up in the nursery when she arrives. I am thankful for her 'go-getter' attitude and am delighted that she will still be in nursery when Gentry joins her.

Outing

Today I took all four kids to Knotts Berry Farm by myself! It helps that we have seasons passes and that Lauren wouldn't take her afternoon nap. So I kept her up, waited for Hadley to get home from school and then told them that I was thinking about going to Knotts. I reminded Hadley and Vincent that I might need a lot of help and we may not be able to go on or do all of the rides that we want to - they are so awesome and great! It was a successful trip and so fun to just the spend the day having fun - or more like watching them have fun b/c I can't participate with everything since I had Gentry. Seriously though, they are so good at listening, staying close and understanding when they have to fore go a turn. I cannot wait until they are all older and we can go and do more fun adventures all together. My kids are awesome!

Ages & Stages

Hadley still has a love for learning and is curious about so many things. The other night after the others were put to bed, she and I played with her dollhouse and started getting silly. She laughed sooo hard and it was fun being silly/joking around with her. I am glad for her sense of humor.

Vincent (three days shy of turning 4) is such a cute and kind little boy. People always comment on how well he speaks. He loves all things baseball and his cousin Wyatt b/c he loves the Angels too. Tonight we celebrated his birthday and he got Hungry Hungry Hippos game from Grandma and Grandpa Tigger and Chris and I got him an RC car. Sometimes I feel it is difficult having a boy b/c I'm not familiar with their likes/dislikes but other times it is so fun to get him perfect boy gifts.

Lauren is 26 months old and speaks so much! Her sentences have become longer and more complex in the last month or so and she commonly says sentences of five words. She is so cute to put down at naptime: first she gets her blankie and bottle and I let her turn on the overhead fan and pull the chain to turn the light off. Then she climbs into her crib (she is the first child to be able to climb into her crib while she still sleeps in it) *none learned/tried to climb out. She lays down and I cover her up.

Gentry (8 months) has wasted no time trying to keep up with her siblings. She crawls, can still barely sit up though, and kneels and/or stands up at her toys. She can pull herself to kneeling but not quite up to her feet yet. She also likes to climb on anything. Boxes, stools, and yes, the stairs now too.

I am so grateful for healthy and happy children who appear to me to be enjoying their childhood. They are excitable - which I love and really notice is one of the most exciting aspects of parenthood. It is so fun to start and have new traditions and celebrate things with them.

First Christmas

I'll never forget our first Christmas eve in our new home on Yorba street. Chris came home for dinner that evening and we had kielbasa casserole (one of his favorites) while the kids had popcorn chicken. It was memorable because it was our first candlelit dinner. We turned out all the lights and the kids enjoyed the bright flames.

After opening a few gifts that Hadley bought from her school gift shop we read the story of the first Christmas in Luke and tried to have as reverent of an evening as possible with a five, three, almost 2 year old and a sleeping infant. Hadley was so excited to give her gifts - stuffed turtle toys for Vincent and Lauren, a key chain for daddy and a resin teddy bear holding a heart for me. I love that she could have the chance to really feel the true meaning of Christmas - selfless giving. And how excited she was to give and make others happy.

After the kids went to bed I made 'preparations' for the morning and laid down on the couch and found It's A Wonderful Life on television. I can never watch the entire movie but am always amazed at how much I enjoy it and will watch tidbits of it whenever I get the chance. I can't remember what Chris was doing for the most part - I think he was doing work upstairs in his office. I just remember being sooo happy. I don't think life can ever get better than Christmas eve. The tree lights on, gifts under the tree, and sleeping children awaiting the magic of all that Christmas is.

I remember this evening so vividly though and figured there was a reason for this and that I should write it down.

Bedtime

Tonight I thought about how much I will miss having all four kids with me in every room I go and before bedtime. While the kids took a bath, I nursed Gentry. The three older ones were being silly and playing while we put on pajamas in Lauren's room and they jumped on the bed and played games for the next 50 minutes or so - laughing and jumping - while I cleaned up in my room. Gentry played on the floor and the kids were holding hands and all jumping on the bed together. I wanted to try and capture this moment for myself. Someday our bedtime ritual will be different - maybe even more complex (if that is possible) and I will long for the days when my four kids just played with one another and waited for me to guide them to bed.

I'll have to remind myself of this as well on most nights that I do the bedtime routine all by myself with four kids. I can't wait to be able to sit and read stories to them all and cuddle with each one. Considering I do bedtimes 98 per cent of the time by myself, I think I am going to miss the routines with little ones.

Temple Song

Lauren loves to be rocked before bedtime. Her favorite song request is the "Temple Song" (I love to see the temple) or "church song" (I am a child of God). I love singing/humming these tunes to her before putting her to bed. We are starting to expand our repertoire to telling stories, talking about our day and new church songs. She is so fun to sit and hold and rock with her bottle and blankie at night but even better when she wakes cheerfully in the morning. Most mornings she just waits in her crib for someone to come in and get her and then jumps up and smiles.

Two Years Old and thoughts

It is amazing how different "two" can look amongst children. I only say this b/c Lauren is such a different two year old than Hadley. Tonight she put on her pajama bottoms all by herself! She is such an independent little spirit and always insists on doing things 'self'. She can ride Vincent's tricycle - a skill Hadley was uninterested in learning until she was almost five. In the same ways Vincent takes after or looks to Hadley's example, Lauren does the same with Vincent. They are much more alike - except for tonight when I came downstairs and saw the girls both sitting with open library books on their laps. Vincent has NEVER looked through a book by himself. There again, Hadley at age two was well-versed and read books to herself all the time while Lauren is just becoming interested in them.

Ask more than just me but it feels like Lauren has been with us forever. There is no way she has only been here for two years, most of which she was just a baby. I don't know why this is. I have caught myself checking, double-checking my math and her birth date. It is amazing.

Every day I am amazed by the new skills they all acquire. I can't believe that I have two children who can dress themselves (for the most part). Maybe I never thought the day would come or I thought I'd always be dressing four kids but it doesn't happen like that. Someday we'll say goodbye to all diapers for good. Someday every one of them will dress themselves. And you know what . . . I think it'll be okay b/c then I know we'll be on to new and better things and doing more stuff.

"I have only known her for two years. But if you took every memory, every moment, if you stretched them end to end--they'd reach forever."
Jodi Picoult -My Sister's Keeper

This phrase struck me after Lauren's 2nd birthday this past week and thinking about all the memories of all of my children. As a mother, the memories of every moment are indelible.

Sick Days

Having sick kids is never a picnic. While some kids seem to handle illness better than others there is usually a little silver-lining: cuddling. Oh and letting them watch as much television as they want guilt-free - that is, I don't feel guilty. I love that since my kids are still all so young when one, or two, or three, or all of them are sick, I try to throw out all other considerations. We hunker down for sick-fest: blankets and pillows on the couch, television, movies, whatever you want to eat, whenever (within reason). Of course it makes it much easier if a)there isn't an infant/baby who depends on you for pure sustenance and b) for everyone to be sick together or at the same level (rare). As frustrating as it can be, sometimes it is nice to have no better excuse to let bedtime rituals/routines fall by the wayside than they are sick - nothing else.

Now sick kids during the middle of the night? Whole other story.

Holidays

I love how the holidays take on a whole new meaning when you have kids. Actually, older kids. Since Hadley started school she 'gets' holidays a little bit more and it is fun to be excited with the kids for them. I am fortunate that I get to stay home with all of them all the time so a goal of mine is to keep with doing holiday festivities.

Swing Shift

Vincent can be a handful when Hadley is away at school and it is late afternoon when a nap would do him the most good. The past few weeks I have tried my best to set aside this time to give him my full, undivided attention. If both Lauren and Gentry are sleeping this is made quite easier. We've played board games and computer games and he even sat and let me read him some library books. I wish I could say that it makes him less cranky later in the evening but that isn't true. However, I get to go to bed knowing that I put forth the effort and spent some time with him. It seems like every night I go to bed thinking about how little one-on-one or significant time I got to spend with any of the kids. It is amazing how long and slow a day can seem and also how quickly it can go by. Trying to do a little more with my kids and a little less of everything else is hard when you are task-oriented like I am. It feels so good though to have spent time with them during the day.

I was told about a talk Sister Julie Beck shared at a meeting for women. One woman summarized it as:

She talked about how she manages her day and uses her time. She shared with the audience the following:

"Sister Beck said she learned how to prioritize her time as a wife and mother while observing her father-in-law, a steel worker who at various times in his career worked the day, evening or night shift. She said she realized she was working all three shifts simultaneously, and she had to prioritize the demands on her so she could provide the service her family most needed.""The most valuable time of the day for a family," Sister Beck said, "is the afternoon/evening shift.""Be at the top of your game on swing shift," she said. "People are hungry, people are teachable. You feed them; that's when you serve them the most. Plan for swing shift, and then work the rest of your day around that."

For some reason this concept has really resonated with me. I find I am tired and feel somewhat lazy in the afternoons and always felt guilty if I wasted this time with a little nap or me-time doing something I enjoy. Now I actually try to plan to do those things so that I can be more attentive later. Obviously I imagine this will really mean even more when I have several children in school and so on. I love the point she makes about them being more 'teachable' at that time of the day. It is so true and I need to be on the top of my game for those opportunities.

Servicing Others

A lot of people offer help (namely visiting teachers) or ask if there is anything they can do to help, myself included. I've found that usually they are well-intentioned or genuine but just don't know how or what they can do to help. Sometimes we have to think a little bit harder on ways we can help someone. We have to be willing to give help that is 'outside of the box'. (As a side note, when someone offers you help, they usually mean it. Take them up on it.) I've come up with some ways to help or be helped:

1. I'd like my visiting teacher to come over and help a child read or read to my children so I can do some things at home in peace. This also doesn't require me to dress the kids, pack them up, drop them off somewhere and be back at a certain time. I can do laundry and work around the house while they are entertained.

2. Instead of bringing me sweets or cookies, how about a nutritious or healthy snacks. My kids will already eat anything sweet on their own - that isn't a novelty. But what if someone dropped off a new healthy snack that their kids enjoy - my kids just might enjoy that. Not to mention: I don't really need any more treats around the holidays to hide from my kids.

3. One things I did for a busy mom that I visit taught was created a FHE packet that included a lesson, activity, and refreshments. I was already making or preparing one for my own family so I just made an extra and dropped it off for her on a Sunday or Monday.

Jackpot

As I was walking out of a store the other day with all four kids in tow an older man passed me and said, "Wow, you really hit the jackpot!"

That is such a new and refreshing way of looking at it. I love that I didn't get the typical, 'wow you have your hands full' or 'wow I bet you're a busy mom.' How many of us moms think we hit the jackpot with our full brood?

He was right, I did hit the jackpot! My kids are so great that I willingly take all four kids out and they know how to behave.

Someday

Hadley asked me the other day what I'll do when I don't have any kids to take care of? Interesting question coming from a five year-old to a mom who sometimes can't imagine a day like that. And yet, I know it will come.

I asked her what she thought I should do and she responded that I could help other people or do things for others.

I am so happy that she sees that as a viable and respectable practice because I strive for that one day. Today I am in the service of my children, later it can hopefully be for others. It is so important for my kids to see me serve others as much as I can right now. I want them to know that there is no better way to spend your time.

Seasons

When people say "they grow up so fast" I hope to think to myself, 'nope, I was there for every day, hour, even minute of it. the timing seemed just about right.'

I've felt this way with all of my infants - actually that they can't grow up fast enough. More importantly though, I think I can genuinely say that I have tried to enjoy each stage for what it was - even the infant stage that I didn't care very much for. With Gentry especially I've tried to hold her more or longer or just relish in her stages. I never want to look back and think sadly that 'they grow up so fast and I wasn't there for nearly enough of it.'

Another advantage of having all four kids close together is that I really am here for every minute of it. Sometimes this is frustrating but I genuinely feel like I am getting my fill of their childhoods - at least I hope so.

I remember reading an article by a mom who talked about being in your child's stages and then moving on to the next. She wrote about how it was like seasons - we always seem to get our fill of a season, excitedly welcome the next one, and on and on. (I especially do this - every season seems just two weeks too long but it makes you appreciate the next season that comes along. A couple months ago I was relishing in the fall season and now I can't wait for Spring!) As she put it, if you just enjoy the season you're in, then the following season comes naturally. Once elementary school years were finished, the chapter was closed and her and her child welcomed middle school. Again, I hope having several children close in age helps me to really live fully within their seasons and then welcome the next. What is challenging is having multiple children all going through different stages. I'll never have to say that I wish I had been around more for so and so, or as much as I was with the [first] or [last] one. This is my season - four kids, all in my home, all under my influence (almost solely) and all dependant on me.

Of course I know there will be times when I see old pictures or videos of when they were younger and miss that. This is to remind me that I lived that life to the fullest (as is possible) and my kids had me for all of those moments.