Park Days

On Sunday Ben gave a talk about being humble and thanks to my advice it went really well ;). He started with a story about being duck taped to his siblings and how they had to humble themselves and rely on each other in order to stay upright. In primary Ashlee was teaching and we had a smaller class than usual (the troublemakers were all gone). She's great with the kids and I really like being in primary again. 

On Monday I had a dentist appointment to go get my permanent crown and Lucy came with me. The dental assistant asked Lucy if she wanted to put it in. Instead of ignoring him, like my shy girls tend to do,  she said "nope." I'm proud of her for speaking up, lol. The crown fit super tight and uncomfortable at first but now it's fine. I really need to stop with all the dental work though. It's expensive and no fun to get. After the appointment we did some shoe shopping for Lucy since her last pair had engine oil staining the bottom. We found some for a good deal and also found Steven another jacket so he can at least rotate black hoodies now. It's seriously all he wears. 

Tuesday we had some problems with the sump pump in the basement so Tyler took off work to fix it. Steven was off all week for mid winter break so he helped Tyler. I offered to buy Steven lunch since he had been a good helper, but told him he would have to drive to go get it so he refused. This not wanting to drive stuff is really getting frustrating and was a frequent argument this week. It happened again on Wednesday when I asked him to take Ben and AJ to Andrea's house. It took threats to get him to do it. I hate that yelling and threatening seem to be the only way to get him to react. 

Wednesday afternoon Lucy had her friend Claire over and I took all the girls to the park and met Grace and her kids there. It was a beautiful day and the kids played so well together. I probably talked too much though. It's a genuine problem of mine. That evening we had just finished dinner when Julie sent me a text asking if I wanted to go for a walk with her, so I did.  I was impressed with how she knew literally everyone we walked by. 

Thursday I woke up with a headache but it faded by lunch time. I still didn't feel great but I was functional. I got Steven to drive me to the Dollar Tree after Ruby's first nap but only because I promised to drive back home and pick up Wendy's on the way. After school, the girls and I went to the library and then walked to the park for a bit. I thought the walk would help Ruby fall asleep and take a quick nap but she fought it until the end. She really never sleeps when I want her too. Still the girls had a good time getting out and Penny was sweet and got some books specifically to read to Ruby. 

By the time Friday morning hit I was definitely sick. Achy, headache, congestion, runny nose...I spent most of the day trying to take it easy because I've got a lot going on next week and I need to be healthy. Saturday was more of the same R&R. I have my parent teachers council tomorrow and Lucy is talking for the first time in sacrament so I'm really hoping to feel better. 

Ruby had become a rolling machine and rolls onto toys and into furniture. It is very traumatizing for her. She is starting to eat the food I offer her more often than not. She is still not wonderful at night but her cuteness is her saving grace. At least she typically doesn't wake up more than once in the middle of the night. Although sometimes she wakes up a couple times before I go to bed, like she is having a hard time getting settled.

And also this week....we have had some very Arizona reminiscent sunsets...

Valentines Day

Sunday was a grumpy day for me. I was irked that Primary still hadn't released the teacher I was supposed to replace and so things were weird. I was irked by the teacher that ended up teaching my class because she simply told the kids that they would be cut off from Christ if they make bad choices and told them that there was a commandment to not get tattoos. I had to bring up the fact that there is an Atonement for when we make mistakes and that there is no commandment that says anything about tattoos but we are told our bodies are a temple. Then Tyler's sister's family came over and he spent most of the time quoting and talking about a book they all like (which I have not read) with them while I dealt with a crabby baby. Then Tyler washed some dishes he made but didn't wash Ruby's dirty bottles that were there too. It was just one of those grumpy days. But Steven was happy to be celebrated again I suppose...

On Tuesday the grumps were still there. I was feeling especially grumpy with Steven and I yelled at him pretty hard core. He has been procrastinating writing an essay that was part of the pre-enrollment for Community College. Due to his unwillingness to write it, I couldn't figure out if he was being lazy or just not wanting to do this early College program. The outcome of the blowout was that he would either write 3 reasons why he should do the program or 3 reasons why he should not and there would be no screen time until he did that. I did not behave my best and my language was not very clean with him...but I finally got him to move into action. He wrote three reasons why he should do the program. So I took those reasons and helped him turn them into an essay. We are just going to keep moving forward with the enrollment process even I have some concerns about him sticking with it.

Wednesday was Valentine's Day and it was a good day to finally move past my cranky hormones. In the morning I gave the kids their love gifts and a box of chocolates as per tradition. Steven and Ben got Lego sets. Lucy and Penny and  got stuffies. And Ruby got a crinkle book. No pic of Steven because he is up too early for us.

 

Penny made everyone nice (and honest) cards. Steven's said "you are a good brother but you can be mean sometimes but thats ok". Lucy's said "You are a really nice sister. But you can be annoying sometime. But that's ok you are still nice" Mine was all nice and helped soften my cranky heart.

For lunch on I decided to be fun and make some pink heart pancakes. While making them I accidentally dumped pancake batter all over the stove top. That was super fun to clean up. 

We also decorated and ate some delicious heart cookies. 

Tyler was at work and then we were off that night with various kids' activities so we didn't really do anything special for Valentine's Day. I did get him a record and make him a nice card and he got me some new headphones so we didn't totally drop the ball. 

Thursday while the kids were at school, Caroline and Grace came over for lunch. Grace talked a bit more about being done with the church and how neither her, or her daughter believe in God and how that is tough for her husband and son who do. I bet it is tough for them because it was tough for ME to hear and I am just a friend. She made a comment how she understands that some people "just need to believe that there is a God." I have had too many experiences that point to the existence of God but she unfortunately hasn't and/or isn't willing to try or see Him. It makes me sad.

Thursday evening the girls had their volleyball games- both girls won their games. I didn't get to stay for Lucy's because I went with Melissa to a RS Activity. Honestly I haven't been to one in years and didn't really want to go to this one but Melissa had to lead music there and didn't want to go alone. It was mostly empty nesters there. It was about making a Christ centered Easter. At one point they had everyone come up and finish the sentence "Because of Him..." I didn't love being put on the spot and I don't think I was the only one that felt that way but it was still pretty  spiritual activity. One of the ladies next to me left the room in tears. I talked with her later and she was super embarrassed because she said it was over something silly- not being made captain of a team she particpates in because she can't do Sunday games. I don't think it was silly and we had a nice conversation about it. Despite not wanting to go, I am glad I was there so if nothing else I could be a listening ear for her.

Friday my biggest excitement was a trip to Costco to get some things. Friday Steven's biggest excitement was driving him, Ben and AJ to the May's house for a movie night. It was his first "solo" drive. When we told him he would have to drive if he wanted to go, he shut down and said he did not want to go anymore. And it took a lot of coercing (which started off nice and ended very angry) to get him to go. I understand that he was nervous but we have got to find a better way to deal with what scares him. Shutting down is not an option but I also don't want to have to yell at him to get him to do something. Ugh. Anyways, he  did go and he did a good job driving according to Ben.

Saturday Steven had another archery tournament and Ruby and I went to watch him. It was a pretty enjoyable experience and he ended up scoring a 231 which is good. This was the only picture I managed to get of him. He insisted Ruby be in it.

This week Ruby mastered the art of rolling BOTH ways! It's as if she heard the dr say she couldn't roll because she was chubby and she wanted to prove the dr wrong. She started Monday and just got better and better each day. She now can roll herself around a room which is trouble. Her siblings leave so many small things everywhere. Night-time is still unpredictable with her. Mostly she just wakes up once but there are nights still where she wakes up twice. I have been having troubles falling asleep and back asleep so I still just feel permanently exhausted. Ruby is also still flakey with food. She tried prunes this week (to help with the poop) and seems to love them. She also tried carrots this weeks and seems to be *meh* about them. 

Steven is 16

 On Sunday I taught my first parent teacher's council and I feel like it was a success. I had a variety of parents in it- from those with young kids to those with adult kids- and the size was just right- maybe 15 people. We had a really good discussion about what a gospel centered home looks like and what our role is in it. There was only one left field comment so that was a relief (the person suggested all children should only have 20 minutes of screen time a day). The Stake President even attended my class and mailed me a nice card complimenting me and thanking me for a good spirit filled discussion.

Monday my friends came over for lunch and we all had a good vent session. It was a nice break in my day. It was also nice to have it at my house so I didn't have to worry about leaving all the kids with Tyler working in the basement- I feel like I have been using him too much lately. And my kids are pretty well behaved and didn't bother us while we chatted. Also having my kids nearby kept my friends language in check ;)

Tuesday Ruby had her 6 month well check. It was a nice quick visit. The Dr wasn't too worried that Ruby is behind on her milestones. She said that because Ruby is 89th percentile for weight and 99th percentile for height, it's probably a little harder for her to roll over. She basically called my baby chubby, lol. I can't believe Ruby is 18lbs 15oz already, she really is growing fast. The vaccinations were not fun as per usual. She turned tomato red as soon as she got the first jab and was pretty cranky and had a loss of appetite for the next 24 hours. It was sad. 

Tuesday night the girls had volleyball practice and Tyler had neighborhood treasurer stuff so I was the lucky one to go and hang out at their practice with Ruby. Ruby did really well until we got near the end and we needed to walk the halls for a bit. 

Wednesday night I ended up taking all the kids to their activities at the church and Tyler stayed home with Ruby. Seems I am slowly getting back to being the chauffeur again. Grace was there so I was able to chat with her which was nice. The Bishopric was also there and gave me compliments on my Sunday parenting lesson so that felt good. Even if I am awkward about accepting compliments...

Thursday night the girls had their first volleyball game of the season (and Penny's first ever game). The games overlapped so Tyler came so we could split up. I watched all of Penny's game and her team won! Penny's first serves did not make it over the net but the rest of her serves did- yay! And she actually went after the ball a few times and made contact with it once (even if it went wild)! When her game finished we went and caught the end of Lucy's games (her game was in the main gym, Penny's had been in the aux gym). Lucy's serves are really getting good and she is doing better at going for the ball. Her team won as well and we had the fun of listening to another teammate's sibling be an amazing cheerleader from the sidelines. He was funny and would tell Lucy (and everyone else) how good they were doing.

Friday I spent the morning making a cake and some cookies for Steven's party. I made my first ever ice cream cake and it turned out good. Now I feel like I can totally make one again. It was easy to make and way cheaper than buying one at DQ. That afternoon the kids had some friends over and I started to feel a bit like my pre- baby self. I could actually interact and be the "fun" mom, ha. Ruby and I hung out with them at the beach where they played volleyball and played on the playground. The weather was amazing- in the 70's- it was just a bit windy at the beach. Then after we came back home, I put Ruby down for a nap and then took Lucy and her friends to the Dollar Tree. They all picked out a wooden craft to paint so that gave them something fun to do when we got back home. Later they all played some games outside. 

Saturday was Steven's party. I figured teens can eat a lot and made and bought so much food for them. The 4 teens he had invited decided not to eat so much and we had way too much food. Lots of extra pizza, chips and other junk. I guess that's better than not having enough though. They spent most of the time playing games on the Switch. They also had a tournament with the game "Lego Brawl". Steven won first place, Max second and Mia third. A bit of birthday luck for Steven. Halfway through the party me and the girls went for a walk to the library. It was back down in the 40's which wasn't as great but it was still a nice outing. It was especially nice to escape from the noisy party. His friends are seriously sooo loud. Around 4pm all but Max left and then Steven went to Max's house. He has his license and could have driven...except we haven't notified insurance yet so not yet. Soon we will be paying a fortune and he will no longer need rides. Exciting right!?

Snow and Oil

Sunday I taught my first primary class and they were a wee bit wild but it's such a short time that it really doesn't bother me. They had fun but I'm just not sure I did a good job of actually getting the spiritual message I was going for out there. I've got to figure out how to balance the spiritual and the fun. This coming Sunday I will be teaching the parents in the Ward so that will be a whole new adventure. Sunday night we celebrated Mariah's birthday. We had tacos and butterfinger cake. I think she felt loved. It was wild chaos with all the kids per usual. 

Monday I had another visit to the dentist. This time was to get my temporary crown. They did not numb me up quite as much this time but he killed the gums around my tooth. The dentist is not my favorite place to go.

Tuesday morning we had a good snow and ironically this time they did not give us a snow day. The roads were awful and it took an extra 15 mins to get the kids to school. My tires lost traction a couple times, scaring the poo out of me. BUT it was nice to have the kids at school and have some quiet time with Ruby. Caroline was super nice and picked up my kids for me so I didn't have to deal with more driving on bad roads again. 

Wednesday the kids built a snowman and snow babies and they made sure to give them butt cracks per Poppy Hatch's request.  

While they were busy making snowmen, I was busy cleaning out couches and behind things. This was inspired by a lost school book. While looking for it, I realized how gross the nooks and crannies of our house had become. 

That afternoon Steven had his second road test and this time was a success! We celebrated by having his favorite, Subway, for dinner. The Subway by our house had some major slow issues so it took an extra bit but the (toothless) lady was nice and used some coupons for us to make it slightly cheaper. 

Thursday while waiting in the car drop off line for school, Lucy made an epic mistake and stepped on a bottle of engine oil. There was oil all over her shoes and the carpet in the back of the car. I took out the removable rugs, wiped up what I could and then, thinking I was clever, put baking soda on it. The baking soda became an awful paste that I then had to try to wipe/ vacuum off. However, I think it did help with the smell...After all that Fiasco I cleaned out the guest room while Ruby napped and then when she woke up I got some lThovely gravel stuff from the auto store to try another angle with removing the oil spill.

Friday the girls had a reading test at their school. Normally they take like 10 minutes and annoy me because I have to drive all the way out their for a 10 minute test. Well apparently this time they couldn't find the book for Lucy to read (missing books seem to be a theme for me this week) and instead it took 40 mins. I wish I could have had a heads up that it was going to take so long. Afterwards we hit up Old Navy for leggings (because Penny's leggings all had holes) and got some really good deals. I got a couple pairs that were only $1.75. Then that night we watched Mariah's kids so her and Jeff could go out on a date. Redd was funny and drew a pic and said I wasn't in it because I was in heaven. I asked him if that meant I was dead and he just kept saying no, I was in heaven. Still think that sounds like he killed me....

Saturday I went to Target to find some shirts to match the leggings I had bought for the girls, lol. Once again I got some good clearance deals. I spent the rest of the day getting things done around the house. The kids were all over the place. Lucy was gone all day at a friend's house. Ben had two friends over. Steven and Tyler were off at an archery tournament. Steven got a 232 and a 241, he is really improving. And Penny and Ruby got to hang out with me.We did do a trip to the library where we saw a giant, floofy dog that kids were reading to. We heard its owner say that it weighs 92 pounds. That's a big dog. 

Ruby had a pretty good week as far as sleeping goes. Mostly just waking up once at night. I am hoping she sticks with that. I feel like walks outside help so we just have to bundle up and go out in the cold. I have stopped pumping and now only nurse when she wakes in the night. I didn't think I would be sad about stopping nursing but oddly I am. It is so exhausting and time consuming and I don't miss that aspect. But I do miss the one on one quiet time with Ruby. Ruby also turned 6 months this week. I still try solids here and there with Ruby and she has become pretty set on only eating banana consistently. Sometimes I can get her to eat baby oatmeal and I wasn't too successful with sweet potatoes. She still only rolls belly to back. Sometimes she gets close to rolling from her back to belly but then she quits. My kids are never much into hitting developmental milestones early...let alone on time. It is hard not to worry about that. There was a baby at the girls volleyball practice that was smaller than Ruby and crawling about and climbing on things. Maybe my babies are just to chubby, but my babies sure are cute.