Preschool Graduation

Davin is officially done with preschool!  Today was his graduation.  The graduation was really cute.  The kids all sang some songs for us and then they each got a graduation certificate, a cute gumball bag from their teacher, and their very own "sleepover pet."  The pets were Webkinz, which Davin LOVES.  As soon as he realized he got to pick one he couldn't think about anything else.  When Miss Mikki called his name to give him his certificate he went straight for the pet table instead.  :)  At the end there were some treats set out.  Unfortunately most of the kids in Dav's preschool class will be going to a different elementary school than him for kindergarten next year, so he likely won't see most of them again, but I'm glad he had a fun year and made friends.  

These are his little preschool buddies.  :)

He loved his teacher, Miss Mikki too.  This is what I put together as a thank you gift for her.  It's a planter pot and behind the flower is a packet of Dahlia seeds and a Target gift card.

I am so grateful that we found his preschool.  It was a good fit.  He learned so much and got to do lots of fun crafts and activities with his buddies.  He learned all of his Kindergarten sight words, passed off lots of take home reading books, can count to 100+, knows all of his colors and shapes, the days of the week and months of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.  Davin is a smart kid and is very excited to go to Kindergarten in the Fall!  I'm so proud of him.

8 Months

Beckett turned 8 months old yesterday!  That just seems way too big.  The first year definitely goes by faster with each baby, which means that with #4 it's going by at warp speed.  It makes me a little sad and there are moments throughout my days when it hits me that these are my last days, weeks and months with a little baby.  I know I'm going to miss it, so I try to appreciate the snuggles and giggles and babbling and even the crying (but especially the snuggles).  :)

Beckett at 8 months is pretty much the cutest ever.  He blows raspberries and babbles in his crib when he wakes up or decides he is not ready to fall asleep at nap time.  He has 3 teeth and is cutting 4 more right now.  He is a good eater and eats baby food twice a day.  He is easygoing and doesn't seem to mind too much when we haul him around to soccer games, preschool, the grocery store, etc.

He is finally sleeping through the night!!!  Hooray!!!  He usually goes to bed between 7 and 8 and wakes up in the morning between 5:45 and 6:30.  I don't love the early mornings, but I do love not being up in the night.  I think he will settle into a later wake up schedule when he is done cutting these teeth.  He also takes two naps a day.  Usually not really long ones, but 1-2 hours each.

Davin calls him the leader of the babies.  Both of his big brothers like to feed him baby puffs.  Talia is less loving.  She mostly steals his toys and books, but she does like to give him kisses and get his diapers when he needs to be changed.  He loves watching TV.  Especially Baby Einstein or Elmo.  He is a very good, easy, fun baby and we love him to pieces!

Summer is Coming

We finally got a real taste of summer last week!  The weather was actually hot, like high 80's and even 90 one day.  It was so fun.  The kids played in the water every afternoon.  I squirted them with the hose, they played in the wiggly sprinkler and Talia and Beckett are loving the water table!  After the first warm day that we played in the hose out front, the word got out and the second day we had 4 or 5 neighbor kids getting wet and sunbathing with us.  It is going to be a fun summer!

Mother's Day Weekend

Ian really outdid himself this year for Mother's Day.  I had a wonderful weekend!  Friday Ian came home with tulips for me.  They are beautiful!  I love tulips and I couldn't bear to cut any of the ones from the yard so I was really excited to have some inside too.  That night we went out on a really fun date to a Lyceum Orchestra with Peter Breinholt concert.  It was outside at the Thanksgiving Point garden.  Not only was the music wonderful and the weather great (we got sprinkled on a tiny bit at the very end), but it was also free with our membership.  Can't beat that!  

We really did have a lovely time. I must admit we played Settler's on Ian's phone during the orchestra's 40 minute performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony.  But it was beautiful.  And Peter Breinholt's songs were emotional and fun.  Loved it.  Love my husband.

Saturday morning I got to sleep in.  When I got up the house was quiet.  Ian and the kids went and got donuts for breakfast!  I showered in peace while they were gone.  We went to Davin's soccer game.  It was really muddy!  Talia was NOT a happy girl when she stepped in this mud hole and got wet and dirty.

That afternoon I went to a friend's baby shower and had a nice time visiting with some other ladies in my ward and eating the yummy shower food!  Later that afternoon Ian sent me off on a girls' night with my good friend, Alison.  Our husbands got us mani/pedis and then we enjoyed some Indian food for dinner.  It was really good to just talk with Alison and enjoy a little break from our kiddos.  Alison especially needed the break since she and her husband, Kerry, just adopted two little boys from Ethiopia last week!  Anyway, definitely a fun Mother's Day gift.

Sunday morning I got to sleep in a little bit and then Ian made me an omelette for breakfast.  I loved coming downstairs to see my three handsome boys snuggled up happily on the couch watching TV. I am so lucky to have such sweet, good, adorable kids.  Being their mom is a privilege.

After breakfast, Weston gave me his gift.  It was a cute poem which he read to me out loud complete with props.  :)  Love that boy!  Davin made me a card at preschool but he couldn't wait until Sunday so I got it on Friday.  Ian gave me a card, a silver heart necklace and a beautiful mommy ring!  I absolutely love it.  It's simple and just my style.  It has each of the kids' birthstones set in the middle.  I love it and am glad that he got me something I can wear every day with any outfit.

We got to talk to our moms and I went to church with the boys.  Talia fell asleep right before church and took a much needed nap until it was almost over.  Ian grilled burgers and hot dogs for us for dinner.  It was wonderful.  We spent the afternoon/evening relaxing on the front porch.

Honestly I didn't need the gifts or cards.  I would have been happy with the thought and effort I could tell he had put into the weekend.  The gifts certainly didn't hurt, but I was just so grateful to be shown so much love and appreciation by my family and especially my husband.  He took care of the kids and the house as much as he could and was so open about his appreciation for me.  It is so validating and uplifting to know that I, and the things I do for our family, are valued.  He is the best and I am a lucky girl.

Superheroes

Sorry for my bummer post last week.  I really was having a crappy day but I am happy to report that the next day was better and now I'm wonderful.  I even felt better getting that post out.  Weird right?  Anyway, I guess I should probably tell you about all the fun/quirky/kind-of-lame stuff we have been up to lately! 

Last weekend was busy and super fun!  Ian and I went with a few other couples to see Iron Man 3.  Ian was super excited about it.  I was excited, but maybe not super.  The movie was really fun and definitely way better than Iron Man 2.  And I loved getting to go out with other couples!  We stayed for almost an hour after the movie just chatting with our friends.  By the time we actually were leaving the theater we ran into another couple of buddies!  Haha ok, not really, but there were these Iron Man and Iron Patriot guys out in front of the theater taking pictures with people.  I hesitate to post this pic because I look really bad (Yikes!  I swear that outfit looked cuter before I left the house) but it was too fun and touristy feeling not to share.

That Saturday Davin had another soccer game.  Afterwards Ian took Talia on a bowling date.  She is obsessed with bowling since we went as a family a month or so ago.  She had a blast going bowling and out to lunch with her daddy.  She pretty much asks to go bowling every day now and gets upset when the answer is no.  I guess the next time the answer is yes she will be extra happy about it!

While Ian and Tal were out the big boys really wanted to set up a fruit punch stand.  They have never done anything like that before and Weston was stoked that I said he could do it.  He got it set up all by himself and I helped him make the Kool-Aid.  He and Davin took turns running or riding Talia's trike around the neighborhood yelling "Fruit punch for sale!!!!  10 cents!!!!" at the top of their lungs.  It was hilarious.  They ended up mostly doing a trade business with the girls next door who were selling popcorn.  But after about an hour or so a few neighbors (who happened to be Weston's primary teachers) walked by with their kids and bought popcorn and juice.  I think the grand total profit for the day was 1.00 and 6 cups of popcorn.

It was a beautiful, warm day.  That evening was our ward's Spring BBQ.  It was fun to get together and just chat with friends.  It was a long, busy day though and the kids were tired and ready for bed by 7:30pm.  So was I!

Sunday was Cinco de Mayo and we were invited to a friend's Mexican BBQ.  It turns out that the best place to have it was our house, so we ended up hosting 3 families and us Sunday evening.  We had delicioso street tacos, fresh salsa, beans, chips and nacho cheese, and fun homemade limeade.  The kids ran amok in the backyard and we ended the night with a round of the Name Game.  We all agreed we might have to make it an annual tradition.

Finally a few random cute kid moments from my days at home . . .
The nice weather has allowed us to head out to the little park by our house almost every day.  Talia loves riding her bike there, going down the slide once or twice then riding home.  When our new neighbor was there with her daughter it was all I could do to convince Tal to stay and play for awhile.  Beckett loves when I take him in the carrier.  He gets to be more a part of the action.

I also took a few pics of my pretty yard.  I especially love my tulips! I'm so glad they grew and finally bloomed!  After I killed all the plants in my front planter last summer I was worried I had a black thumb, but the tulips are gorgeous and the perennials I thought were toast last summer are green and vibrant!  Yay!  I have fun watering my plants and I'm surprised at how proud I am of them.

As much as I really do not love Winter, I really do appreciate Spring.  This is the tree in our backyard.  The first photo was taken April 26th.  And the second was taken two weeks later.  It's amazing!

 

I washed the boys' sheets last week and discovered some Sharpie markings on Davin's sheet.  Later that day I asked him if he had written on his sheet with a marker.  He said he didn't do it.  I pressed him that someone must have done it.  I saw a light bulb go on in his head.  He looked and me and said in all seriousness, "Mom!  I know who did that.  It was a ghost."

Hmm I'm not buying it.  I proceeded to explain that (hypothetically speaking, of course) if I ever caught him writing/drawing on anything that is not supposed to be written/drawn on he would lose all instruments of writing/drawing for a whole week.  :)

Now that Beckett can sit up without assistance he is really into playing with Talia's princess castle.  She doesn't like to share, but it's something she's going to have to learn.  Luckily Beckett is pretty easy going.  I just get a kick out of how excited he gets when I put the castle in front of him.

Talia is a goofball and loves this sunglasses-helmet combo.  She says "Mom, I supa cool huh?"  She also loves her first nightgown.  She wears it almost every night now.  I need to find her another one for the summer so she doesn't freak out on laundry day.

Tal is really into Wreck It Ralph right now and this getup make me want to nickname her Major Body Odor or maybe Swizzle Malarkey.

Blah

Today I feel like a failure.  I am anxious and grumpy.  I can't focus and I keep thinking about all of the things I haven't done right over the last several months.  It feels awful.

The rational part of my brain knows that I'm being ridiculous and that nothing is all that different than it was a week ago when I felt happy and confident.  I keep trying all my tricks to snap out of a bad mood.  We've been on a walk in the sunshine.  I visited with my neighbor while our kids played at the park.  I've blasted good music and danced.  I ate chocolate.  I got dressed.  It's really just not helping.  Maybe cleaning my house this afternoon will make me feel better.  Or possibly an hour on the elliptical with Psych. Or a good night's sleep.

I have been snappy with my kids all day which makes me feel even worse.  I forgot to send a stuffed animal and a snack with Davin for his preschool's teddy bear picnic.  I have a long list of to do's and only two items crossed off.  The kids watched movies all morning.  Mom of the year over here.  Please let tomorrow be better.

Spring Fun

We have been so busy lately!  I'm definitely phasing into the busy, running around season of motherhood.  It will only get busier from here on out.  It definitely makes me grateful for the rare days where I have nowhere to be.  Like today.  Which is why I'm finally getting around to posting about all of our fun activities.

Soccer is still going strong.  Davin is no more motivated to get in there and go after the ball than he was at his first game, but he seems to be having fun, so I'm not too stressed about it.  We will give him a chance to try a few different things.  Maybe soccer is just not his cup of tea.  He tells me he wants to try karate next.  One thing is for sure, he looks adorable whether he scores a goal or not.

This is pretty much the only time he kicks the ball in his games, so I had to get a video of it.  

Thanksgiving Point extended the Tulip Festival, so for FHE last week we went to the Children's Garden.  There were still some beautiful tulips to see and the kids loved playing in the water.  It was a nice, warm evening.

Just a couple of days later we woke up to late snow!  It was really coming down.  It all melted and dried out by the afternoon, but it sure was cold!  Gotta love our bipolar Spring weather here in Utah.

In honor of the cold weather I finally made time to try out my Aunt Pam's homemade granola bar recipe!  Oh my goodness these are delicious.  And they are really not hard to make at all.  The hardest (aka more time consuming) part was wrapping each bar individually.  I felt extra domestic making these because I was able to use the honey powder from my food storage.  Definitely cheaper and healthier than the store bought variety.  I'm a fan.  Maybe you will be too!

Aunt Pam's Homemade Granola Bars

2 c. old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
1 c. flour (wheat or white)
3/4 c. toasted wheat germ
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. honey (pour in the oil first then use the same cup)
2 t. vanilla

Mix all of the dry ingredients, then add all of the wet ingredients and mix well. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray cooking spray on the foil. Pat mixture into the foiled and greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until pale golden around the edges. Cut into bars while warm, then allow to cool before removing and wrapping bars individually in foil.

***This recipe works really well doubled and baked in a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. The mixture is too thick to use your KitchenAid. You really just have to do it by hand.

One evening the boys got to snuggle up and watch Superman with Ian.  They love watching "adult movies" (we are trying to having them not use this terminology to describe movies that aren't animated since it kind of sounds bad). :)

By the end of the week the weather was all warmed back up.  Weston had been asking me for a buzz cut all week.  I decided it was cheaper for me to cut his hair and a buzz is the only style I am capable of.  So Thursday afternoon we made the change!  He loves it and said it makes him "feel like a new kid."

Finally a few videos of the little ones.  This first one is my most adorable daughter singing (It starts as Twinkle Twinkle, but then she morphs it into Popcorn Popping).  She can be so super cute when she wants to be.

And when she doesn't want to be . . . it looks a lot like this.  Oh the 2 year old tantrums of a little girl. 

Beckett is pretty much always adorable.  Even when he cries.  He loves watching Ian play guitar.  This was after dinner while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  I had to hide behind the armchair when I was done because if he saw me then he would no longer be content to just sit and listen.