I Can't Handle It!

(Warning: If you can't handle throw up talk, then do not read.)

My poor 3 almost 4 year old is sick with a yucky cough again and sometimes the phlegm builds up and it makes him throw up. I have always had a very sensitive gag reflex. It is so sensitive that even just hearing the sound of someone throwing up makes me gag and I almost throw up myself.
I was hoping that being a mom would give me some extra strength in this department, especially when my own child is throwing up. No such luck!
For the most part I have been lucky enough to have my husband home when these episodes occur. But the last two times I have had to "deal" with it myself. When I say "deal with it" I am really not saying much.
For example, today my son started coughing and he had the "look" in his eyes. I asked him if he needed to throw up and he just nodded. So I helped him run as fast as he could to the bathroom and had him lean over the toilet. I was going to try and stay there to help him, but as soon as I heard him I immediately started gagging and had to leave the room and cover my ears. My sweet, sick boy just stayed there and did what he needed to do in the toilet and told me when he was done. He just took care of everything himself. I am definitely not going to get the mother of the year award for this one (not that I was getting it anyway). I am just grateful that he has figured out what to do. I did help him wash his hands really well and rinse out his mouth (does that count for something) :(.
I hope my daughter can be as independent in this department as my son. But who is going to hold her hair back when she gets sick. AAAAAH, I guess I will just have to figure it out when the time comes.

Well it's about time!

We finally had our ultrasound today. I am 21 weeks along and this is the longest I have had to wait to find out what I'm having. Well, it's a.......

GIRL!!!!!

Even though I already had a boy name and Luke's room is big enough for two, we are super excited to be having another girl. Now I need to start thinking about girl names. I had a hard enough time coming up with Katelyn's name so this should be another challenge.
My due date is still April 10th. The baby looked great on the ultrasound and is weighing about 14 ounces right now.
We just pray that she will not be colicky like Katelyn was as a newborn!

Flu Shots

Last Tuesday I took my kids to the doctor for their flu shots. Katelyn also had to get some of her vaccinations done at the same time. Luke did not want a flu shot and kept telling me he didn't need one. But he didn't give me a hard time going to the doctors.
While we were in the room waiting for the nurse, he started to get upset. I told him it would be really quick and would just pinch. The nurse told him the same thing, but he didn't want to hear it. Finally, she just gave him the shot and he got so mad. He said while crying/yelling, "I told you I didn't want a flu shot. My arm didn't say it needed a flu shot." He continued to go on and on and at the same time Katelyn was starting to get upset because Luke was crying so loud. So she got her FOUR shots (poor thing!) and cried for a few minutes and then stopped. Meanwhile Luke is continuing to go on and on about not wanting a flu shot. I tried to explain to him that it was over and he could stop crying now. But he didn't want to stop. He wasn't crying from pain, but was crying because he was so mad at me for being "mean"(that is what he told me) and making him get a flu shot.

Guess what? We have to go back in a month for another flu shot. I guess he has to have two this year. YIPEEE! It will be right after Christmas so I am hoping he can bring one of his new toys to distract him.

Who would have thought...

• that I would still be dressing my kids in shorts and t-shirts at the beginning of November? (not to mention that their shorts and t-shirts are starting to get to small, but I have to make them work)
• that the innocent runny noses we all had last Saturday would turn into horrible colds and coughs accompanied with throwing up and lack of sleep?
• that this would feel like the longest week of my life? (I will blame this feeling on being sick and confined to the house.)
• that brownies make you feel better when you are sick? Luke knew this when he asked if we could make brownies. He said, "I think brownies will help us feel better." Boy, was he right, at least for the moment while I was eating the brownie.
  
• that Katelyn would be such a good helper with the laundry? I didn't and I am usually trying to shoo her away as she pulls all the folded clothes off the couch and puts them back in the basket. This time I had her hand me the clothes out of the basket. She even took the time to shake the wrinkles out of the clothes before handing them to me. I hope her love for doing laundry stays with her and she can take over for me. :)
  

Halloween Past and Present

It has been fun to look back on Luke's Halloween costumes and see what he was interested in at the time. Of course, he didn't care his first Halloween.

Our chunky, cute frog.
2004

Bob the Builder
2005

Mr. Incredible
2006


Homemade Robot Costume
(Luke insisted on this one.)
2007


I was lucky enough to borrow Katelyn's costumes for the past two Halloweens. It has been great and free! Thank you Melissa!

Katelyn as a Sweet Baby Cow
2006


Front and Back view of the Ladybug
2007

Not a Baby Anymore

Over the past month Katelyn has been doing things that make me realize she really isn't a baby anymore. Now some of the things she has learned to do are a little late compared to other children, but I'm just happy she finally figured it out. Here are some of her latest things...

I can put her hair in pigtails!!!

She loves the computer and has figured out the mouse is an important part and loves to click away.

She loves to empty out any cupboard that has yet to have a safety lock on it

(The important cabinets already have locks but I am ready to put them on every cupboard.)

She loves to wear "bracelets" and thinks she is so pretty when I help her put them on her wrists.

She is climbing the stairs and would do it all day if I let her. We are still working on how to come down the stairs.


And finally...
(please ignore my not so patient way of telling Luke he is in the way. :) )

The SUPERS

(pictures taken a year and a half ago)

Luke loves the new PBS cartoon Super Why. With Luke's great imagination and creativity he often pretends he is a superhero. After seeing this cartoon a few times he has decided he is Super Kid. He has also made me Super Mommy(don't I wish) and Katelyn, Super Baby. I guess Daddy doesn't get to be a Super because he is usually at work when this pretending is going on.
Along with being Super we also have powers. These are the powers Luke thought of all by himself...(just imagine Luke saying these in an announcer's voice while progressively getting louder)
"Super Kid has the power to move his brain." (Huh?)
"Super Mommy has the power to eat." (No kidding!)
"Super Baby has the power to scoot." (I wish that power would turn into a walk.)

Did you see...

Monday's Oprah with Jessica Seinfeld talking about her new cookbook? I am too tired to figure out how to do the link, but the book is called Deceptively Delicious. If you didn't see it, she uses pureed veggies and fruit and puts them in foods her kids like. I love the idea of getting Luke to eat more fruits and veggies without the fight. I'm thinking about trying it out. "Thinking" is the key word, let's see if I actually do it. I wonder if the recipes are really as good as Oprah said they were when she was trying the food on her show.
If you saw the show or have tried this method before, what do you think?

Letting Out Some Frustrations

Last Thursday and Friday it was so beautiful outside in the mornings. So after I put Katelyn down for her morning nap Luke and I went out into the backyard. We don't have much of a backyard to play in yet, but this hill of dirt was all he needed. He loved pounding away at that hill and I couldn't help but think that it probably felt good to him to pound away his frustrations. He probably wasn't thinking that, but he was a much happier kid when we came back inside. Maybe I should have been the one on the hill pounding away. :)


We had a good day today. No major problems. I am trying to be more calm, consistent, and focus on the positive. AAAAH, it's not easy, but it worked today. Here's hoping tomorrow is a good day too!

Power Struggles

Power struggles have been my life the last three days with a certain 3 1/2 year old. I am not sure what has gotten into him, but it is wearing me out.
There has been many crying, screaming, hitting, etc. sessions with this boy of mine. Some of those things he was doing and some of them I was doing. :) I promise you don't need to call CPS, but it has been hard to keep my patience.
Sometimes I get so frustrated because nothing seems to work to get him to listen and obey. I feel like I have tried many things... talking to him, giving him choices, having a fun FHE about listening and obeying, time outs, alone time, ignoring him, etc.
I just received a little bit of hope reading through a random person's blog. They were talking about their teenager and what a sweet person she has become. But that wasn't always the case. I guess she was a very difficult toddler and child. The writer of the blog commented that she feels like the strongest personalities are being sent to the earth, she referred to them as "powerhouses." She continued to say that she felt when they get older and learn how to handle their strong spirits, you will be amazed by who they become. I am going to hold onto that hope and advice for now and pray that it is the case for my child. Because at this point, I am not sure how to handle it.
Any advice? Please share!!!

This Party of Four...

will be a party of five in April! Baby number three is due April 10th. I am 10 weeks along and we are so excited!

I have been very tired and more sick with this pregnancy than my others, but I am very grateful that everything is going well so far.

I apologize that this isn't a very personal way to let everyone know the news. I would have loved to call all my friends and family personally, but this was the easiest way. And I am all about the easy way these days. :)

San Diego Family Vacation

We got back yesterday from San Diego. We had a great time, the weather was the BEST, it was beautiful, and we are exhausted. We went to the beach twice and spent a full day and half day at Sea World. It is always fun to go to Sea World and see the shows and amazing animals. But I think the kids loved the beach more.
Luke never wanted to leave and Katelyn was way into it. Scooting around and playing in the water. She even managed to eat a few handfuls of dirt (it grossed me out, but she was too quick to stop) and came away with a diaper full of sand. Thank goodness for the warm outdoor showers to clean the kids off before getting back into the car.

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

(I am so glad I was able to get that couple in the last picture behind Kevin & Katelyn.)

HELP! How do I get this slideshow to fit correctly on the page? I am so dumb when it comes to stuff like this. It is amazing I even figured out the slideshow thing. If anyone can help me that would be great.

This Is One Way to Get Around

For those who haven't seen Katelyn's scooting abilities, here she is...
(Ignore the first 15 to 20 seconds of her playing and my lovely voice. She will eventually start to scoot in the video.)




She used to pull both legs in at the same time, but has recently started using one leg than the other. (I think she is getting too big and tall to do it the other way anymore.) This past weekend she decided to try some crawling on her own and can totally do it, but I guess she thinks scooting is better for her.
If you come to my house you will usually find Katelyn in a shirt and diaper. This became necessary after wearing holes in several of her cute shorts and pants.

I'm not sure this...

is very comfortable. Katelyn decided to wake up at 5:30 this morning and that was too early for me. So I let her fuss for awhile and she fell asleep again. This is how I found her at 7:00 am.

Water Cheetos Anyone?

Luke has been "cooking" with water, bowls, and a spoon for the last couple of days. Here he is making some water cheetos. You should try them, they taste just like water.

The Proper Way to Eat Cake

Step 1: Pick up the whole piece of cake with one hand.





Step 2: Close your eyes and use two hands to stuff as much cake as you can in your mouth.






Step 3: Check to see if you made a big mess.





Step 4: After the first round, beg for more
cake and ice cream.




Step 5: When the begging doesn't work, crying usually does.







Last Step: After your mom gives in and gives you another tiny piece, eat it and than lick the spatula that she accidentally left on your high chair tray.

Numero Uno!

From this little baby so sweet and cuddly in grandma's arms tothis one year old who is so full of energy

loves feeding herself cake, and is still sweet.

It really is hard to believe a year has gone by already. I was working on Katelyn's baby book last night ( I know, I am quite behind, but I am determined to finish it before she starts school.) and seeing all her baby pictures brings back so many memories. Some memories that I am glad are over, like the colic stage, but most of them I really miss. But that's life and there are so many more fun and exciting memories and milestones to come.

This is what has been goin' on...

Playing in the rain!

Painting wooden airplanes.

Replacing dead plants with new plants in the front yard.

Celebrating Katelyn's and Nathan's birthdays.
(They are a week apart, Nathan was one on the 1st and Katelyn will be one tomorrow!)

Devouring cake! It is what we do best!

Emptying all the kitchen cupboards.

Love/Hate Relationship

I cannot decide if I love or hate the Smith's car shopping carts. You know the red, green, or blue two seater cars attached to the shopping cart. I was thinking about this after my last shopping trip with the kids.

Here are some of the reasons I love the carts.

1. They are pretty much the only way I can convince Luke to go grocery shopping without a bunch of tears.
2. He buckles himself in (Safety First!) but he cannot undo the buckle. Therefore, he is pretty much trapped in the car unless I free him. I'm sure this won't last much longer, but I will take it while I can.
   
3. Because he is trapped in the car he can't play with the car toys they have in several locations of the store. He still begs, but at least he can't get out. Sometimes I am nice and will let him play for one minute.
4. It helps him let out some creativity as he pretends to really "drive."
5. It puts a smile on my face when he asks me to stop and undo his seatbelt so he can put some "gas" in the car. (This has happened twice and he will really go through all the motions of pretending to put gas in his car.)
6. Luke cannot put unwanted items in the cart.

Here are some reasons I hate the carts.

1. They always look so nasty and I am sure they are so full of germs. But so are all the carts. (However, I did invest in a shopping seat cover for Katelyn and LOVE it.)
2. They are so BIG. Have you ever tried turning around in an aisle? I have many times, forgetting how big I was with this cart, to only barely make it without knocking a row of items off the shelf. Sometimes I am not so lucky and end up picking up several cans of green beans off the floor and while I am doing that Katelyn is usually grabbing some more to decorate the floor.
3. I usually don't go fast enough for Luke.
4. Luke is constantly talking to me but I can barely hear him because he is so FAR in front of me. (Maybe that's a good thing sometimes.)
5. There isn't as much space for the groceries. So I am usually balancing several items on top of each other hoping not to smash the eggs or bruise the bananas.
6. They are a pain at the checkout.

That's all I can think of right now, but I am sure there are more to add to each list. Well, it looks like I have the same amount of reasons for loving and hating these carts. So I am still undecided.
If you have experience with these carts, what are your feelings?

A Challenge

I saw my name at the end of Heather's challenge so I am assuming she meant me. Am I right Heather? :)

4 Jobs I've had
1. Data entry for a medical billing company
2. substitute teacher
3. first grade teacher
4. a mom

4 Movies I Can Watch Over and Over
1. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Best 80s movie)
2. Runaway Bride
3. Grease
4. This is hard, I don't really enjoy watching movies over and over. Um...The Count of Monte Christo.

4 Places I've Lived
1. Middle East
2. California
3. Virginia
4. Provo

4 TV Shows I Enjoy
1. The Office
2. American Idol
3. Oprah
4. Design shows on HGTV

4 Places I've Been on Vacation
1. San Diego
2. Utah
3. Virginia
4. Disneyland
(I think I am due for an exciting vacation.)

4 Favorite Restaurants
1. Applebees/chicken oriental salad
2. Claim Jumper/stuffed baked potato
3. Cafe Rio
4. Red Robin

4 Websites I Visit Daily
1. email
2. myfamily.com
3. blogs
4. more blogs

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now
1. on a fun vacation
2. sleeping in my bed
3. at the beach reading a good book
4. with all of my family

4 People I Think Will Do This
1. Paige
2. Amanda
3. Kerry
4. all my sisters in law ( I couldn't just pick one)

Swimming Lesson Torture

Luke is not a swimmer but when I mentioned the idea of swimming lessons to him, he got excited. So I decided to go through with it and signed him up. The cost was only $25 for 6 lessons, so I thought if it didn't work out I wouldn't be out too much money.

(Look at that happy face, this was before the first lesson started.)

Monday, the 16th-First lesson
Luke is excited! My cousin's son is in the class too. I think that was the main reason Luke was excited. He puts on the life jacket and gets in the water. Phew, no screaming or coming back out of the water like I expected.
He is scared, I can tell by his nervous laughter, but no crying yet.
Time to put their heads under the water. Luke is not liking that idea. The teacher asks me if he can make Luke do it. I say ,"Go for it." (I know, I'm a mean mom, but he has to do it sometime.) He swallows some water and is a little shaken up, but no crying and he survived. He tries everything else with major coaxing and does not want to let go of the teacher. (Is that a smile? This must have been before they attempted any swimming and definitely before putting his head under the water.)

(Not crying, but will not let go!)

It was so hot this first day and the pool did not have any shade. I was sweating like nothing else by the time the lesson was over.

Wednesday, the 18th-Second Lesson
Some major bribing was needed for Luke to get dressed and get in the car to go to swim lessons.
(I promised he could go to the dollar store and pick out a toy if he at least got in the water and tried everything.)
He gets in the water, no problem. Again, I am surprised.
He is in the water for a few minutes and than the tears start. He doesn't want to let go of the teacher but eventually does. He doesn't want to jump of the side but kind of does it. The whole time he is crying and saying, "I don't like swimming." "I want to get out."
Okay, I am starting to feel bad now. This is pretty much torture for him and for me to have to listen to him. (Did I mention that none of the other kids cried and did just what the teacher asked?)
We did go to the dollar store because he at least attempted everything. The bribe for the next lesson involved no crying.

(I'm sorry, there are no pictures from the crying session. I was trying to keep Katelyn from slipping out of my arms and into the water. But I do wish I would have taken at least one.)

Friday, the 20th-Third Lesson
Best lesson yet...we didn't end up going.
Katelyn woke up with a fever and I didn't want to take her out in the heat and have to struggle to get Luke in the water.

Today-the 23rd-Fourth Lesson
Another great lesson...we didn't go again.
Luke got sick over the weekend and still wasn't feeling great this morning. I decided it wasn't worth it.

Fifth and Sixth Lesson
Not going to happen for us. He has already missed two days and will be even farther behind than he already has been.

Am I giving up? Maybe. But I don't want to traumatize him anymore. Maybe we will attempt lessons again next year. I think Luke just needs more experience in the water before he has structured lessons. So I think that means that I am going to have to spend some time in my swimming suit at the community pool with my kiddos. ( I have already done it twice and believe me, it is not a pretty site. But I will do it for my kids.)

11 MONTHS

• loves to play in water
• makes the airplane and car sounds when playing with Luke's toys
• not so fond of her baby doll yet
  
• pretends to talk on the phone
• "dances" when she hears music
  
• "tried" to put her shorts on the other day (she lifted her shorts up than her leg)
• loves to eat and will eat almost anything
• thinks "no" is funny
  
• loves to play peek-a-boo, hiding and chasing games
• loves her big brother
• loves shoes and feet
• has no desire to stand or attempt walking
• is finally trying to pull up on things
• scoots or bounces on her bum, she is getting pretty fast
• finally a good sleeper!!!!!!!
• likes to "read" books
• she has quite the personality

This is what Katelyn does, most of the time, when we try and help her stand. Every now and than we can get her to focus and balance.

Teamwork!

Luke plays the keys while Katelyn plays the pedals. I'm glad to see they can help each other out at such a young age.

Swimming in the Garage

Yep, that's right, we set this pool up in the garage and let the kids have some fun. Since our backyard is not in any condition for a swimming pool, the garage was the next best thing. The kids didn't care and had a great time. I think Katelyn drank half the swimming pool and Luke was in charge of the hose. Luke thought it was funny to get Katelyn in the face with the water (she was actually a good sport about it), but he didn't like it so much when we did it to him.

Waiting and Watching

This has been a popular spot for Luke and Katelyn the past few Saturday mornings. Kevin has been putting in a retaining wall. He tries to get out there as early as he can because it is 100 million degrees outside!!! Luke & Katelyn love to pound on the sliding door and watch him work. I think they would really like to be out there "helping", but they can help better from inside.

Attitude Adjustment

Luke had finished playing a game on the computer and told me he was going to turn the computer off.

I said, "Don't turn it off. It is okay to leave it on."
He said, "But I want to turn it off."
I said, calmly, "Don't turn it off."
He said, "I'm just going to turn it off."
I said, not so calmly, "Do Not Turn It Off!"
He said, "Mom, you have an attitude. You need to change it."
I laughed and said, "Why do you think I have an attitude?"
He said, "Because of the way you talk to me."

Oh man, I think I do need an attitude adjustment. But if only he would listen the first time, not the third time!

An Interview about Daddy

This was an idea I stole from someone else and thought I would try it with Luke. (However, some of the questions are my own. :) ) This was supposed to be posted for Father's day, but I am just getting to it now. Better late than never, I guess.

Luke's (3 yrs. old) interview about his daddy:
What is your daddy's name? Kevin and Daddy Spiderman

How old is your daddy? I don't know. Take a guess. UUUM....four.

How tall is your daddy? a lot of tall

What color are your daddy's eyes? blue

Is your daddy strong? Yeah! How strong? like this (and than shows his muscle)
Where does daddy work? (hesitating) uuh, work What does he do at work? gets something... that's always fun!

Does daddy ever get mad at you? Yes

Why does he get mad? because I hit sometimes

What does daddy do when he gets mad at you? Calls the police and puts me in time out.

What fun things do you like to do with daddy? play games, play toys, go to Home Depot

What is daddy good at doing? playing games What else? opening doors (this made me laugh out loud, it is important to be good at opening doors :) )

Is daddy your best friend? Yes!

Why do you love daddy? Because I do! (Well said!)


We love our daddy! He is the hardest worker, so fun, willing to do anything for us, a worthy priesthood holder, and the best daddy!

Taking advantage...

of a couple good weather days. Last Thursday and Friday were so nice. I was able to take the kids to the park. I took them by myself on Thursday and than Friday evening we all had a picnic and played at the dinosaur park. It was so much fun to be outside and not "die" from the heat. (I know "die" is a little dramatic, but I really am hating the heat we have had yesterday and today.) Our fast food picnic


throwing food to the ducks (Luke was pretty scared when they would get close.)


nervous smile as he was being brave and standing by the duck pond


Katelyn loved swinging