Emmy's SIX!!!

Can't wait!!  Show me the presents!!

 Emmy is my "Little Cooker" so she was ecstatic to get cooking stuff!

 And, of course, she insisted on helping to make her own birthday breakfast!

 Ta-Da!

Her party was at the Red Butte Kid's Garden. 

 

That's our EMMY!

Mother's Log July 2015

July 2

Kassi is officially done being a baby.  She had been asking to sleep with her sisters for a while but I kept telling her that only big girls could sleep out of the crib and she wasn't a big girl because she used a binki.  Well, about a month ago she got a bacterial infection on her lips from her binki so I finally had it and cut the tip off.  She got so mad at me!  Through her tears, she marched into her room, took her blanket, pillow, and sleeping buddies out of her crib, and went and climbed in bed with her sisters.  She hasn't had any desire to touch the crib since.  And she hasn't asked for a binki.  Just like that.  All grown up now. 

July 4
Instead of celebrating Independence Day as planned, we spent last night in urgent care. Emmy decided to go for a bike ride at our friend's home on a hill she'd never ridden, without parental consent or a helmet. Eight stitches and two hours later, we barely made it to back to where we could catch the fireworks show.  She's all red white and blue on her face today but acting like nothing happened.  I'm scarred for life!  There was so much blood and they had to stick a needle into her eyelid from the outside to the nose to get it numb enough for the stitches. This child is so wild!  This makes a total of 19 stitches on her face now (not counting the time they glued her chin back together).

While we were at urgent care, though, Emmy had every nurse ogling at her.  The one assisting us asked Emmy why she wore glasses.   Emmy responded with almost the exact words that the doctor used to explain her lazy eye and need for glasses way back in January!   I marveled aloud at Emmy for being able to remember all that.  Her was response was "I just know it BECAUSE it's in my head!"  We were right by the nurses station and that little "Because!" got every nurse laughing and several poking their heads in to peak at this uninhibited child.  She made several more comments starting with "Because" and soon all the nurses were quoting her. It was pretty cute. 

July 5
Jer and I went upstairs to go to bed last night and, once in our room, heard the sound of feet shuffling down the hall and stairway. Jeremy went downstairs to investigate and I checked on the kids.  I was surprised to see that it was Kassi who was missing from her bed!  Jeremy found her asleep on the family room floor!  We've done insomnia and night terrors with our kids so far. Is it possible that we have a sleepwalker on our hands? 

July 24
I am getting to the point where I may stop liking holidays with fireworks.  Two hours before the Independence day fireworks, Emmy split her forehead open.  Then two hours before the Pioneer Day fireworks, we were at a parade.  Sami was in this one as a SBO for her school and we cheered her on.  Then, with only ten floats left, I decided to start packing up.  Next thing Jeremy and I knew, Kassi was missing. Gone.  We couldn't see her anywhere!   We both scanned the field of people behind us but we didn't see her.  So Jeremy headed South on the parade route and I headed North.   It was almost eiry.  There was a band playing and so many people everywhere.   I seriously felt like I was in some drama movie where the evil man steals the child and leaves the mom crying out in a crowd of people and noise.  I was about ready to give up looking and turn back when I saw a police officer.   I told him I had a missing child and that's when I lost it. Saying it out loud just made it real.  He radioed it in and got all my details.  Just then a woman from my new ward came up, gave me a hug, and asked if I was OK.   It was then that I noticed I had the attention of almost every mom around me.  They all asked what she looked like and started searching. Perfect strangers were helping me look.  I had forgotten my phone so I couldn't check in with Jeremy but I suddenly felt impressed to go back.  On my way back, I saw my friend who had been watching the parade with us.  She said Jeremy had found Kassi!   Apparently,  when she heard me say I was going to start packing up to leave, she headed for the car in the parking lot behind the big field.  An older man had found her and kept her in one place until Jeremy went searching the field for the second time.  At that point, she realized she was lost and was crying. How we had both missed her the first time we looked through the field, I don't know, but I am so grateful for that man who stopped her.  And in awe of those willing to help look for her.    Thank goodness for good people!
When I got to Kassi, I picked her up and just held her.  She cried in my shoulder and said, "I lost you, Mommy." 
My heart was still racing two hours later when fireworks started but I was so glad to be home, watching from the safety of my back yard, and holding Kassi.

July 29

Kassi LOVES the water!!  She has become a little fish.  She will dive into the water and swim under it to wherever she wants to go.  However, she doesn't really know how to come up for air.  So she will swim until she suddenly realizes she needs air and then, if she can't touch, she will just stop and start looking around for something to grab and pull herself to the surface with.  It makes getting in the big pool rather nerve wracking for a parent.  Swimming lessons are almost just as bad because she will often jump off the bench and swim to her teacher, whether her teacher knows it or not.  She did learn today,  though, to swim to the surface long enough to get a gasp of air.  Then she kind of bobs there, slowly sinking, because she doesn't know how to start swimming again.

July 30

She did it again!  Kassi dissappeared on me again today at Cherry Hill water park!  We were waiting for her sisters to finish a slide and waljhng around together.  When the girls finished, they came running to tell me about the ride.  As they surrounded me, I sensed more than saw Kassi leave us.   I made my way pass the girls but too late. She was gone.   We spent the next five minutes seachibg everywhere.  Finally Sami thought to climb the stairs to the ride they had just finished and there she was, standing in line.   Sheesh!  Where's a leash?!

July 31

Emmy's birthday was this week.  She turned SIX!  She was so funny.  Whenever we are celebrating someone else, she gets cranky because nothing is about her.  But on her actual Birthday, she is the biggest Birthday Sweetie!  She was super sweet to everyone--especially her sisters!

She gave up her towel after swim lessons because Kassi was shivering so much.

She was also super cute!  She got a ladybug umbrella as one of her gifts and spent the whole day under it to "keep the sun off."  She was more than happy to let others under it with her if they felt too hot. 

Emmy did have her moments of not wanting others to touch her presents without her but when I asked her what her favorite part of the day was, she said, "It was mostly about being with my friends and my family"

And when I told her that her day had to end, she sighed, smiled, looked me in the eyes and said, "That's okay."  

I love this girl!!  She can be overwhelming in her energy sometimes but she has the biggest heart.  :)

Mother's Log June 2015

I turn 33 this month.  Double three's!  (Funny enough, it's a month of 3's as Kassi turns 3 the end of the month.  That's okay.  3 is my favorite number!)  I feel old and yet young at the same time.   Because I was so young when I had Sami, I tend to run in circles with women who are older than I am.  So everywhere I go, I feel like a baby.  At the same time, 33 feels so much older than 32.  Probably because I'm pregnant and my body just feels achy all the time.  But being in your 30's is just so different from your 20's... All of sudden, you're very aware that you are not invincible.  That your body is aging.  Wrinkles and grey hairs start appearing and you actually start questioning that decision you made in your 20's to age gracefully and not fight it.  :)  Hopefully, the desire to raise five daughters who love themselves in the bodies they have will keep me from letting my pride get the better of me.

June 4
Sami graduated from elementary school today.  Waaaaaaa!!!!

I'm so tired.  I have been going constantly for three days. Field day, meetings, end of school activities and gifts for teachers, celebrations.  I have had almost every hour scheduled.  I have eaten out for 6 out of my last 9 meals.  and I still haven't recovered from three days of recitals and the last soccer game of the season all with a hubby out of town that I went through last week.  Feeling my age and pregnancy here.

June 5
School is done!!  It's the first day of Summer Break!!! 
And Jeremy and I spent the morning at a funeral.  Jeremy's good friend lost his son last week.  The boy was only 15.  What an incredible experience the funeral was, though.  Both parents spoke and bore testimony that their son was in good hands, with a loving Heavenly Father and Savior.  It was such a powerful meeting.  Jeremy and I were truly touched.  The selfless expressions of faith and understanding of these two people was such an example to me. 

While we were gone, though, the piccolos
(Em and Al) decided to hold the beta for some reason. We've had that fish for two years and today they decide to hold it.  So random...  anyway, we'll just say the fish didn't make it.  So we came home to a mess of fish water and a dead fish.  The thing that got me was the extreme lack of remorse on the part of the piccolos.  Should I be concerned??  One thing is for sure:  we will not be replacing the fish any time soon.

June 10
The older girls have started swim lessons but I didn't think Kassi was old enough so I did not put her in.  Big mistake. I thought we could just stay and swim after at open swim and that would make it OK but I was very wrong.  Kassi was miserable.  Then I found out she was actually old enough so I put her in a couple days late. Today was her first day of lessons and she was so happy!  Afterwards she exclaimed "that was so fun!"

On that same note, Kassi was moping yesterday about not getting to swim.  She was in a little sun dress with panties but had snuck a swim diaper and swim suite into the pool bag before we left the house. She was so mad at me that I wouldn't put the suite on her.  So she was walking around moping.  At one point, she looked over her shoulder at the lessons in the big pool and accidentally walked right off the edge into the kiddy pool!  She was shocked and drenched.  And I didn't have any more clothes for her so I put her in a too big swim cover and a diaper.  What upset her the most?  Her panties got wet and she had to put a diaper on.   :(  poor baby. ;)

Going back another day, we did stay and swim for over three hours after lessons on Monday.   I put sunscreen on everyone when we arrived at the pool but completely forgot to reapply (we had only been planning on staying an hour or two).  When we got home, everyone was bright red.  Sometimes I feel like such an awesome mom... not.

June 16
So that was last week. Yesterday we showed up for swim lessons and Kassi didn't want to do it.  She wouldn't even get in the big pool. She wanted to play in the little pool.   Her class eventually moved to the little pool and she got in but would not participate. I realized that, due to chilly weather last week, we had gone home after every swim lesson and not stayed to play. Maybe she thought that if she went to lessons she would not get to play later.  So I made sure to give her lots of free play time after lessons and told her this morning that if she went to class she would have lots of fun play time.  Today... was even worse.  She didn't want to go to class. She wanted to play in the little pool. She wanted to play on the slide. She wanted a sucker.  (All things I told her I would let her have/do if she went to class)  but she DID NOT want to go to class. She wouldn't even go near them when they moved to the small pool. She did sit on the side and start screaming when they went diving for rings because that's her favorite thing to do. But she wouldn't join them. When they finished with the rings and moved to something else, she had a full blown tantrum.  It got to the point where I had to chase her while she wailed around the pool.  Once I finally got her (and the attention of every person at the pool) we went straight to the car where I had to use every bit of strength I had to wrestle her into the carseat.  She has been thrashing and screaming at me for 20 minutes now while we wait for her sisters to finish their lessons.  In the world of stubbornness,  this child takes the cake.  I am contemplating never returning to that pool...

June 18
I'm so grateful  for a husband who is able to give sound advice when I'm a wreck.  After the experience at the pool two days ago, I was determined we were finished with lessons.  Why on earth would I want to torture both of us again!?  But Jeremy had an idea and talked me into taking her back and trying one more time.  This time, though, we arrived early and Kassi was not in her swimsuit.  I acted as if we were only there to have the other girls take their lessons.  Kassi watched for a minute and then said she wanted to swim.  I reminded her that it wasn't time for play swimming.  If she swam, it would be with her teacher for her lesson.  And that if she went to class, we would have lots of playtime in the pool later that day.  She immediately announced that she wanted to go to class!  And she went!!  Both yesterday and today without giving me any trouble.  Jeremy calls it a joint triumph since I stuck to my guns and refused to let her swim for fun the day she threw the tantrum and he talked me into taking her back but making it her idea.  I call it an interesting insight on a certain daughter's stubborn streak.

June 21

It's Father's Day.  A bitter-sweet day really.  Very sweet because I took time to recognize the wonderful husband and father I am married to and what a good man he is.  He is an amazing companion for me, father for our girls, and provider for all of us.  I don't know what I would do without him.  And sweet because we spent the day in Idaho with Jeremy's family celebrating the his Grandpa who is still with us and doing well.  What a blessing!  But it's also been terribly bitter as it's the first Father's Day I have not had a father of my own to call.  I miss him very much.

June 27

Kassi turned three this week!  THREE!  My baby is officially a BIG Girl.  And she won't be the baby much longer... That's always the worst part about having another baby--It makes your previous youngest look so big!  I will do a birthday post for her soon so more to come!  

June 30

After almost 13 years of marriage, we have finally gotten into the habit of constant family scripture study!  We do it every weekday morning and I have really noticed a change in my days because of it.  There was a conference talk in April about the importance of arming our children with righteousness before sending them off to school or play.  I hope that our family scripture and prayer time is doing that.  We keep it simple.  We read one column which usually means everyone gets one verse.  We're not in a race to get through it so it works just fine.  Emmy is starting to get better at reading and will read all the small words in her verse then repeat the bigger words with us helping her.  Kassi is still at the age of just repeating after us but she's noticed the way Emmy is doing her verse, so after whatever we tell her to say she throws in random words like "and" "of" "or" and "the."  It's become very humorous.  

Kassi's THREE!!!

Good Morning Big Girl!!

 

 POOL PARTY!!!

Kassi LOVES the pool.  She would spend all day, every day there if she was allowed.  And so it made the perfect birthday party for her just to have treats by the pool and swim for hours.  It was so hot though!  The Jello was a really bad idea.  The kids were too excited to swim to eat it right away and before we knew it, the jello melted, the bears sank, and the sharks ate them.  At least that's what it looked like after the first hour.:)  

 Our Little Fish!

 Happy Birthday to You!

LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!!

Mother's Log May 2015

May 8
Spent the day in St. George with the O family while the Dads were getting CLE'S.   The kids were so cute today!  Ally and M spent most of the morning in a closet talking about secret spy club tactics with a Where is Waldo book and creating a play.  Then Ally, Emmy, and M acted it out for us.  It was about a princess going missing and something to do with a tiger and a lady in waiting in disguise...
Played tennis with Sami for a little while.  I can't wait for her to start taking serious lessons this summer so we can really play together.  I need a tennis buddy.
Kassi is who really cracked me up though.  She had a little pink car floaty that she buzzed around the kiddy pool in.  She wouldn't take it off, even though submerging all the way into the water would have been warmer.  Then while Jer and C played tennis, she sat on the back of the couch and looked longingly out the window at them while yelling, "Dad!  Help me!!"  As in, come save me from the confines of this condo and take me with you!  Then tonight we were reading scriptures before bed off of my phone and everyone was taking a turn holding the phone and reading a verse.   When it's Kassi's  turn, we usually just have her repeat after us.  This time, though, she wanted to hold my phone.  And then she said, "I do it!" And started pretending to read.  She went into this elaborate story that we could only understand half of about Mom, Dad, temples, and some other stuff.  I kept trying to get her to repeat the actual words of her verse but she kept insisting she could do it herself.  She had us all crying with laughter.  It was knd of those moments you wish you could can for later...

May 19
I love girls nights!  Tiff and sisters and I took mom out for a going away dinner tonight.  It was nice to just sit and have grown up girl talk. 

May 20
I had a great date with Sami tonight!  We went to La Caille for a sixth grade field trip.  LaCaille is a very expensive and elegant restaurant located on 22 acres of gorgeous landscaping along the base of the mountains outside of SLC.  The kids learned about table etiquette at school this year so this was their chance to practice.  (One of the teachers knows the owners and has been taking the sixth graders and family members there at a very discounted price for years.) We walked a bit of the grounds. They had peacocks and swans and incredible gardens.  Then they took us into a large atrium for dinner.  Both Sami and I tried our first escargot.   She really liked it.  Snails are too chewy for my taste.  There was even sorbet to cleanse the pallet between courses.  Sami was so nervous about getting her etiquette correct.  It was very cute.  Such a fun evening!

May 21
There she goes, melting my heart again.  Kassi was in the car and started singing "Let it go, let it go, I just want to go home!"  Then when we got home, she went and sat on the big kid potty all by herself and tinkled.  No help at all!  Then she went upstairs, ran straight to her sisters' bedroom where I had just tucked them in and said into the room in the sweetest voice ever, "Goodnight sisters!"  Such a sweetheart.  Of course this was all in between all the tantrums about wanting to carry the take out bag from the restraunt,  wanting only mom to buckle her, not wanting her sisters to sing in the car, and wanting to brush her own teeth.  There's no such thing as perfection, right? 

My mom moved back to my hometown today.  I have to admit it will take some adjustment not having her around anymore.  I will miss her.  But it's for the best for everyone that she moves on.  It's been almost eight months since my Daddy passed away...

May 27
Emmy had her end of kindergarten testing today.  She got all her Zeno words except ARE.  I have tried everything I can think of to get her to memorize that word and she still isn't getting it... she passed though!  First grade here she comes!! 

Sami gave her oral report and slide show on her country report she's been working all year on.  We didn't have time to get the parent demo in before the school one so she did it for us tonight.  It was very well done.  However, when she got to famous people, the third person she mentioned was an MTV personality known for her experience in pornographic magazines and exotic dance offs.   As she listed off the woman's "accomplishments" Jeremy and I just looked at each other and then I couldn't help but start laughing.  "Did you say all that in front of your class today?" Was all I could get out.  Not all of it but some of it, was her response.  We haven't gotten a call from the school, though, so apparently the teacher wasn't paying full attention.  Whew!  It warmed my heart to know that Sami is still innocent enough not to know what all those things were.  And it provided Jeremy and me with a good teaching opportunity. 
May 30
I had a slightly upset, gurgly stomach as I was rocking Kassi tonight and she started  giggling.  I asked her what was funny and she told me the baby in my tummy was tooting!  Goofball.

Mother's Log April 2015

April 4: 
I usually love Conference weekend. And this one has had a lot of anticipation because it's also j's birthday and Easter.  This morning we woke up, had a great breakfast, did our Easter Egg hunt, and watched the first session of Conference.  then we got some bad news. Jeremy's grandpa is in the hospital with pneumonia and the bacteria is in his blood stream.   He's on a ventilator and non-responsive.  He's just been life flighted to Twin.  Easter and birthdays and conference talks will have to wait.  The girls are home with Mom and Jeremy and I are on our way to Idaho. 
April 5:
We almost lost Grandpa last night. Jeremy and I stopped by the hospital as soon as we got to Twin, then checked into barf hotel (haven't been back here since the stomach flu of Thanksgiving).  We had just fallen to sleep when Jeremy got a call from his uncle to get the hospital.  grandpa started to A-fib and his blood pressure dropped so low, they didn't think he would make it.  At 4am, he finally stabilized and Jeremy came back to the hotel.  Being pregnant, I had stayed at the hotel to try to get some much needed sleep.   I don't travel very well anymore.  I am especially worn out because we just got home from our Spring Break trip on Thursday.  Anyway, Grandpa is now stable but he's still not responding.  We plan to head home tomorrow.  I miss my girls already. Today is Easter.  I've always been with them on Easter. 
April 11:
Grandpa woke up and is in a recovery home.  He is somewhat responsive but still very worn down. Sami and Jeremy went to see him.
April 18: 
Long Week.
House remodeling.  Three nephews (ages 1, 5, and 7).  Auntie visiting.  Fevers all around.  School Events.  Two days of carpet installation.  I'm beat.
April 20:
The house is finally DONE!!  Well, phase 1 anyway.  We still have a couple odds and ends to finish up.  A closet.  Some flooring.  Some baseboards.  But it's finally presentable!  We have been living in construction mode since the basement flooded right after Christmas.  It's so nice to have things more livable.  The hardest part has been these last four weeks and dealing with 'Richard the Handyman' who did all the mudding, painting, and finishing work. That is a man I hope to never have in my house again.  He was crude, rude, and wreaked of cigarettes.  Not to mention he was SO SLOW.  His part was only supposed to take 40-60 hours.  He took over 150 hours.  But he's gone now.  The appraisal (yes Jeremy decided to refinance because we finally sold our other home--woo-hoo!!!--right on top of everything else) is over.  The house is beautiful.  My life can mellow a little.  Phew! 
April 28
My first baby grew up on me...  Sami is already spending time at the junior high and I want to cry!  yesterday, I took her to the Junior High for an interview for which position she would have.  As I watched her hurry into the school without me-without even looking back-I was astonished to see how grown up she's become.  Then today we went to a sweater fitting meeting and she found out she was selected as the 7th grade student body secretary, which is the position she wanted.  I also received a phone calll informing me that she is getting "kidnapped" by the older officers at 5:30am on Friday for an initiatory surprise breakfast.  (A tradition that apparently goes back generations)  but my initial thought was-  what!?  You're doing what to my baby at 5:30 in the morning???  They grow up too fast...

Also today, I spent the day with Ally on a field trip to Thanksgiving Point children's museum.  I was in charge of Ally and one other girl.  The other girl wanted to stay at the giant jungle gym where the teacher was supervising for the majority of the time we were there so Ally and I explored much of the museum just the two of us. It became a fun Mommy-Ally date!  

April 30
I took Kassi with me to get a pedicure today.  She was so good!  She just sat in the chair next to me and patiently watched my treatment.  We were in a spa so she had to be quiet.  The cutie whispered every word she said.  When it was all done, she got to have her nails painted too.  She sat and watched her nails very intently and proudly.  She was getting to be all grown up like Mommy!  Such a doll!