From Snow to Sun!

It feels like we've completely gone from winter to spring-ish summer overnight!  I suppose it hasn't been that dramatic but I've been so busy the past few weeks (2 baby showers and costumes for a Women at the Well presentation!) that it's kind've crept up on me.

This is the quilt that I made for my brother Mark's new baby.  His wife Adrienne requested the color scheme and I had this awesome pattern I was wanting to try.  It's not really baby size, more of a throw, but it turned out beautifully!!  On the back are the tumbling blocks with some of the drawings that my other sister-in-law Denise had done for me.  I just traced them onto the fabric with fabric markers and a light box and they turned out amazing!!  We are definitely going to have to collaborate on future quilts!! 

One of my rules is that I need a picture of the baby on the quilt so hopefully I'll get one of Remi soon!!

I made the kids a rainbow for St. Patrick's day dinner.  Strawberries, carrots, and food color dyed pastas.  It didn't make them eat any more than they regularly eat though! 

This is William's version of a funny face.  He's mimicking Megan the best way he can.

We went to the Arboretum twice this week!!  Once on Wednesday with friends and once today for Abby's birthday (post about that later!).  Both days were amazingly beautiful weather and we had a great time.  I tried to make the girls wear cute dresses today.  I succeeded with Abby but Megan insists that Sunday dresses are only for Sundays so she wore a cute "play" dress with leggings that didn't match and Halloween socks.  Our family pictures ALWAYS reflect what our family is truly like I think! 

No, not a random boy.  He's our friend Ammon and he's almost exactly a year younger than Abby . . . and the same size if not bigger!

Megan made the "A" honor roll for the 3rd 9 weeks (yay!) and also was student of the week!!  I also got a note from her teacher that her reading was recently tested.  She is at level M/30 with a rate of 141 words per minute. By the end of first grade, goal is to be a J/18 with a rate of 60 words per minute.  She is awesome!!  She is now reading "in her head" because she says it's faster (well it is) and really enjoys books and magazines about animals and bugs believe it or not!  One of her requirements for playing on the computer or tablet is to read her scriptures first.  She's in the Book of Mormon stories reader and doing great!!  And she remembers every day which is pretty impressive.  Or technology is a good motivator!

This lovely lady on the left is my amazing friend Jenn who is having her fifth child and fourth boy and has NEVER had a baby shower.  So we remedied that last night and it was awesome!  That's her daughter Madi and her sister and her daughter who came for a visit and the festivities!!

The happy birthday girl!!  So excited to be 5 (more on that tomorrow).

And our trip to the Arboretum today. 

Attempted family pictures.  Not bad!!

Back to Happy

Most days are good.  Chopper worries that when I post things like that last one that I sound depressed or whatever.  Maybe I do.  But we have a great family and a fun family and a good life!!

Last week we had some really good friends from Idaho come to visit!!  Ok they're not from Idaho technically anymore -- they're currently from Memphis, TN -- but he was interviewing for fellowship positions (Pediatric ENT) and the family came with to see us!!  Well, I'm sure that's not the only reason but I'd like to think we are the best reason!!  

Anyway, we ended up with cold, rainy weather both days so we took a trip to IKEA and stayed home and played.  And I didn't take a single picture.  Terrible!!!

But we enjoyed having them so much and picked up as if we'd never moved!  I love friends like that!!  

Then Thursday we got ANOTHER real snow!!  This basically sets a record for Texas I think and even though the official amount was 3.5 inches, some areas reported 6-7!!!  School of course was cancelled and Chopper went out with the kids and built a great snowman.

It was melted pretty good by the afternoon.

This week has been spring break and our spring weather is back and beautiful!!  Unfortunately, we've all been sick and so plans to do lots of fun things, including checking out Austin -- have been put on hold.  But the girls have been good -- very minimal fighting -- and so I haven't been too upset by sitting around and recuperating.  It's actually kind've nice.

I have to post this though:

Abby is our cuddlebug for sure and when she takes a nap with you, this is how she has to sleep.

 

She used to wake up with Chopper in the mornings and climb into bed with me until it was time to get up for school.  I never could go back to sleep with her right next to me so fortunately she doesn't do that anymore but if she takes a nap, this is where she wants to be.

William on the other hand has to have his face pressed up against the bars of his crib. 

He spent one night in his twin-size bed and has refused after that. I haven't pushed the issue really.  He's also started taking off his clothes and diaper but I'm still not sure he's ready for potty-training.  I'd like him to talk a little more first.  But maybe that doesn't matter.  I don't know.  I am taking things slow with him though.

 

 Eating snow! 

I finished the quilt for Mark and Adrienne's new baby girl Remi.  For some reason the colors look really washed out to me -- they're more vibrant and not as pastel as they look here but both the front and the back turned out beautifully. 

 

The birds are actually drawings that my sister-in-law Denise did for my girl's room.  I traced them onto the fabric with a light box and I think they look amazing!! 

Now to get it in the mail!!

The Worst Part

I've been connecting with ladies who have lost children lately.  It's kind've one of those things where once you get THERE, you find everyone else who's also THERE.  And quite frankly, it's a beautiful thing to talk about Aaron, cry, listen, cry some more, and not only feel like I am helping and supporting other women, but they are helping and supporting me.  Empathy is an amazing thing.

On the flip side of that, I now dread the question "are you going to have more children?"  More particularly, I dread that question coming from people who don't know me.  Aside from the whole -- none of your business thing -- how do I even answer that?  "Well see, we actually did have more children, but . . . "

It happened yesterday at the dentist.  3 kids in the office for cleanings at one time, especially when it's William's first time, equals a lot of chaos.  So when the hygenist says "you're a busy momma" I just smile and nod.  But then I guess because my kids are all stacked together and William looks like he's the age where there should be another one, the question comes.  

And I hate it.

Over Christmas I actually had a woman not only ask me but proceed to tell me that I should have 4 children because 4 is an awesome number and it would be even better if I had another boy because then I would have 2 boys and 2 girls and that would be just perfect, don't you think?

Yeah it would be.

Spend the next 2 hours trying not to cry while my children play because we just got there and I can't leave now.

So I'm trying to be understanding, really.  Although obviously this stuff bothers me because, hey, I'm STILL thinking about the Christmas incident.  But I'm trying to use it to learn to keep my own big mouth shut when I should.  And I sometimes remind myself of things that I have said to people, particularly other women or mothers, that really -- what was I thinking?

Maybe it's not a very positive post today but it's been on my mind -- the things we say to others with or without meaning to.

Ok so a slightly humorous story to lift things up a little bit.  Our children have terrible manners -- table manners in particular.  And I'm working on them.  Last night was going great until Abby got upset and so how does Chopper dispel the tension?  With fart noises.  Within seconds Abby was happy again.  And I was grateful we had no visitors for dinner.  Also, that means I get to blame him now.