A dream

I have wanted to go to Sea World for a very long time, probably since Jr High, and we have been talking about going for a long time. It was a lot of fun and awesome to see the animals there. Thanks a ton to Aunt Julie for coming with us!! And since we went in September it wasn't crowded--so basically it was perfect.

Here we are at the Shamu Show


This is exactly what Belle has been playing the last few days--riding on Shamu. There is a part in the show where the crowd chants "Shamu, Shamu" and then the whale splashes into the crowd. Belle has also been playing this.

Just a cool pic

The polar bears were up and about and eating/swimming. It was fun to watch. Obviously Buggie Boo is impressed.

Belle being Belle.

Newport Beach

Well...the pics you have all been waiting for...
Last week we spent a few days in California, staying with David's sister and her family and doing some fun things.
Here's our day at the beach





We had a fun day at the beach. We all ended up with a little sun burn, but enjoyed the day. Well--all except maybe Keith enjoyed the day. He enjoyed the first hour or so when Mom was letting him eat the sand.

Belle loved to run through the wet, soft sand. It took her a little while to warm up to something new, but once she warmed up she had a great time. David swam out past were the waves break and actually swam in the ocean.

PS

This artist had some strange political message with this painting. I am going to pretend that it is really for what I want it to be;-).

El Vendedor de Alcatraces By Diego Rivera

I stumbled across a very inspiring message today. This woman is carrying a heavy load--and it is a beautiful load. And even still, she is not alone. Her burden is being lifted from behind from someone she can't see--but who is there. I think I have been trying to hard to carry my load alone.

My load is also a beautiful one. I can't imagine being without my beautiful, wonderful, even if exasperating, children. It hurts more than I can say to think of anything bad happening to them. They are beautiful. And even still, I am not alone. I think it means that even the most wonderful things in our lives can be hard. And that it's ok to have hard days--it doesn't mean you are weak, it means you're human. But it makes it so much easier when we realize and remember our burden is not ours to carry alone. Maybe that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to someone reading this, but it took a weight off my shoulders this evening.

D&C 84: 81-84 "Therefore, take ye no thought for the morrow, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. For, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin; and the kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, are not arrayed like one of these. For your Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things. Therefore, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself."

We survived today.

I always have lots of big plans to get lots of projects done when my kids are sleeping and hardly ever do. This week I decided to do the peaches at night. Why? Because I tried during the day and had one bottle done by three in the afternoon, was frustrated, and had frustrated kids. So I buckled down to make myself do it. And now I know why I don't do projects after the kids are asleep. Because I wore myself out and didn't have any energy left for the day. And it was a rough day that has left me seriously doubting my parenting abilities. It was mostly just all the problems we have been having over the last little while amplified by tired Mom and kids.
Here's the run down:

No naps to speak of for anyone, all of us tired and cranky. Belle had a meltdown and woke Keith up from his nap, Keith had a meltdown and woke Belle up from her nap.
Keith a HUGE bruise on his head from falling off the bed and not onto the floor but--the vacuum. I think the floor would have been better. Don't ask why I put the crawling boy on the bed in the first place. I've been asking myself that question all afternoon.
Belle had an accident on the couch less than 2 minutes after I asked her if she needed to go potty and she said no.

So....no more projects. ever. doesn't matter if the kids are asleep or awake in the end it makes us all completely miserable. Basic house work only. Sorry Mom and Dad, but your yard is suffering severely under these conditions.

After a day like today, I need to vent. If you don't want to read the venting, stop reading now.
Don't kids come with some sort of manual??
Every time I think I have solved Keith's no-napping problem we start to have problems again. It seems like I find something that will work, and then he figures out that "oh, that means a nap" and refuses to do it again. Like at about 3 months when I couldn't get him to nap and finally used the swing for about 4 days. After that he would just cry every time I would put him in the swing. It seems we have been going these rounds constantly because FIVE MONTHS LATER--we have the same story. Last week I had a perfect way for getting him to nap without crying, and it worked for about four days, and now he just cries when I try it. BOY! NAP already!!

And Belle--is it a two year old thing to have to FIGHT for everything you want them to do??? She fights me to get dressed, brush her hair, use the bathroom, take a nap, eat, etc., etc., etc. I try to use Love & Logic and give her some control over these things but when we are both tired L & L goes out the window for both of us and it's a tooth-and-nail power struggle all day long. Is this normal?? I know I have a very stubborn and strong willed girl....but THIS?? And we have gone back about 4 or 5 months on the potty training thing. If I let her wear a pull-up she'll tell me "Mom, I peed in my pull-up". Doesn't that mean she knows better?? She just refuses to go until it is an absolute emergency. She'll hold it and hold it and dance around and tell me 'no' she doesn't need to go until she's telling me "I need to go potty" and then just GOING where ever she is, with no effort to get to the bathroom! WHY???

All of this is probably made worse by the fact that of the last twelve days David has been home less than two. We are all tired, and Belle keeps "watching out the window for my Daddy to come home" several times a day. He'll be home tomorrow at bedtime but has his annual brother's ball game on Saturday which will most likely be an all day event, so that puts it all the way to Sunday before we will get relief. Granted--he has the rest of the month off and we are going on a little vacation--so hopefully it will be worth it--but we are plain worn out. I guess I should stop whining about being tired and go to bed then, eh?

Hey, Mother!

I just finished a putting a box of peaches into 3 1/2 gallons in the freezer. Why am I up blogging? I'm not really sure.

I have several posts swirling around in my brain that I want to get out, all of which would take more energy and time than I have right now. So...just to update a little on what has been going on around here.

Keith started army-crawling last week and is getting really good at it. Today he followed me all the way down the hall to the bedrooms where I was putting away laundry. Then all the way back when I went to put the laundry basket away. His two bottom teeth make his smile super-cute, and he weighs 21 pounds.

Belle when I was putting some toys away:
"Hey! Mother! what are you doing? Don't do that, sweetheart! I'm still playing with those toys!"
Today it was similar "Belle, are you done playing with the Legos? Should we put them away?"
Belle: "yes, but I'm not going to help. You do it Mother. Here's a couple for ya to put away" (handing me legos).


Belle was really sad when Ky and John left. Partly because she will miss them, partly because they took their "Horton" movie with them (Horton hears a Who). This is the first experience with her actually asking for a specific thing. I didn't want to just give it to her because she asked, but thought it would be an OK thing for her to have. So she earned it. She put toys, books and shoes away, and even put peaches in bottles. She was so excited waiting for it she made up a little "Horton dance".

She got it a week ago. I think we had it memorized after a few days. I really have to limit how much Horton she gets to watch a day. This will pass, I know, but she LOVES Horton the Elephant. We have got a lot of leverage out of this movie. She can't watch it until she eats all her dinner, etc.

Now I'm going to stop wasting precious sleep time and take my tired body and mind to bed.

Too bad...

you don't come to church with us. Here is what you could have witnessed today.
Scene: All is quiet as the Sacrament is being passed. Keith on my lap, Belle on David's.
Action:Keith frantically moving, moving, moving trying to get everything he sees to check it out. The boy does not sit still long enough to get his nose wiped. (side note--how does one give a hair cut to such a boy??) He succeeds when Mom is occupied getting a water cup. He gets a couple of water cups of his own. Water splashing all over our laps. Wet spot on the floor where the cups landed. Small chuckles heard coming from behind.
Whew.

Scene #2: Keith & I in the Mother's lounge shortly thereafter. Belle and David quietly sitting in the meeting.
Action: Belle "I need to go potty!!" David, feeling warmth, jumps up to run her out. Too late. Belle, as David is taking her out, VERY loudly exclaims: "The pee is running down my leg!!!!". Wet spot on the bench where....well, never mind. A few sideways grins seen in the congregation.

David, knocking on the door of the Mother's lounge, looking like he had the accident himself. They go home to change. Me awkwardly asking a member of the Bishopric if the cleaning closet is open and if the church happens to keep Resolve in stock.
Whew.

I think we need to move. How embarrassing.

Super de-Duper FAST

When I was a kid there was a TV show that this teenage girl was from a different planet and she could stop time. The plot usually involved her fixing her mistakes by stopping time for everyone else. I could use a similar sort of power. The kids are just growing up way too fast.

Last week I was feeling rushed to get home from a family event and I couldn't get Belle off the trampoline at the house we were visiting. She just stuck her little head out the trampoline net and asked "Mommy, will you get up here and jump with me?"
And the thought came to me about just how much longer is she going to be asking me jump with her? Want to sit on my lap to read a story? Or ask me to watch her go down the slide, run in the backyard, play with her toys...etc, etc....all too soon she won't want me to do those things anymore. We were the last to leave the family event.

Keith is in a similar state. Already he doesn't just stay where you put him, won't sit still long enough to cuddle unless he is going to sleep, and what is that in his adorable sucker-face kiss he gives? Ouch! Teeth!

I would like to just stop them from growing up somehow. But I guess they need to experience all the different stages of life, too. Hopefully, at least, we will have perfect memories someday so we can remember EXACTLY how those sucker-face kisses feel, and all the giggly-silly expressions on their faces when we play.

Here are a few evidences of them growing up:
Belle's first pig tails!!



Keith being big enough to play in the tupperware cupboard in the kitchen.