catch up

Levi:
Hazel eyes, very alert, sweet double chin, drooling, naps on belly, loves to smile and coo, 3 months about 15 lbs, size 2 diaper, not sleeping through the night, first few tears when cries.

Isaac: potty training (again), loves to repeat words...anything you say! He recognizes colors. Loves to wear anything that is like a superhero "green: Hulk, red: spiderman, etc" Listening to music at night that has a violin reminds him of Woody, and the drums, Diego. Serious meltdowns in the morning and after naptime. LOVES his Superman toy and takes him everywhere, with his trusty sidekick, "lion." Today he kept telling me, "I want lunch!" but I couldn't figure out what that meant! Quesadilla? Sandwich? Cheese? Cereal? no....he kept crying...we settled for "toast."

Austin: Stubborn or sweet! Wanted to get rid of him at the local Goodwill yesterday. Told him to change his attitude or I would leave him with the workers. He got out of the car, climbed into the Goodwill truck and sat there! That was not supposed to happen! He is supposed to be scared of doing things like that. Told him I would sell him for 3 bucks. He didn't mind!

Trying to find things to motivate him to STOP talking at school and getting on "yellow." This week, it meant putting up a "No talking" sign on his desk and the reward? A badge that says, "good student." Ironically, by making that sign he stayed up later, 9pm...so the next day he got put on yellow for doing the "chicken dance" during math time...a result of not sleeping enough! :(

Wesley: Thinks mom is sneaky these days b/c I ate one of his donuts over the weekend. He was in big crocodile tears b/c of it saying that, "Just b/c you're the mom, doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want! You didn't even save me a bite!" I was caught red handed and didn't know it was his!

Recently he told me has "no friends" at school. That broke my heart. Now we are working on how to "be a friend" and invite others to play with him at school. I see Wesley's good heart and I know he is a sweet boy...but, that doesn't mean that he shares that with others at school. He did make principal's list with straight A's! He is also really excited for baseball season...and beating kids at tetherball is a daily goal.


Adrienne: busy busy busy; having four kids has thrown me off a bit. The expectation of TRYING to be a "good mom" is really hard at times. I am doing my absolute best to do all of the "check off lists," yet I still feel so scrambled up: Give the boys one on one attention daily, do family prayers and scripture study, sit down on the floor with Isaac and listen to him talk about Hulk, or how he is "strong" (as he takes his shirt off), help them with homework, give them fresh air and exercise outside, make homemade meals, comb their hair and help floss, wash their clothing, smile at them and give them kisses, etc. It's all so much all the time and all so demanding!!! Sometimes I just want 10 min. of SILENCE and no one around so I can get my thoughts together.

This morning for example, as Isaac is screaming over Austin touching his toast at the breakfast table, I am trying to stay patient and read the scriptures. "Learn about Korihor and why faith is so important!" I was yelling out over Isaac's meltdown cries. All of this is happening while I am also trying to make Jared's turkey wraps for lunch, feed Levi on just one side (no time for both), give Wesley and Austin a little bit of "spiritual" food, and not lose it emotionally!

Mornings are spent at the gym, running errands, doing play dates or cleaning. I find that my afternoons/evenings are packed with homework, supplemental "mom" homework (reading or Saxon math workbooks), teaching a piano lesson or two, trying to motivate WESLEY to practice piano, calming down a mad Isaac (with a Buzz Lightyear movie), prepping dinner before 5pm (feeding missionaries once a week), just ended soccer/football season and starting up a baseball "coach pitch" season with two practices a week, doing my Spanish class once a week, trying to maintain sanity between all the taunting/fighting/crying/tattle telling that happens with three active boys, NURSING, and the list goes on and on and on with dishes, vacuuming, laundry, etc. My poor blog is suffering, not to mention the nagging feeling of wanting to catch it up!

Jared: started new job with Merrill Lynch and is studying full time daily for a huge Series 7 insurance test in a few weeks, ward mission leader and busy doing mom's honey 'do' lists at home, purchasing things for our home and breaking up boy fights! lol