May 2023

 

We started May off with a new tradition: May Day baskets!  

Not long after delivering our baskets I found the sweetest note taped to my door from Hinckley:

"Dear Mom, thanks for a wonderful day."  Oh, he may never know how precious that note was and is to me.  

There were more than a few moments like that in May.  Don't get me wrong!  There was plenty of chaos and tears, too.  But it was a good month.

For example, halfway through the month we celebrated Mother's Day and it was the best yet.  The boys put so much love and thought into their cards.  Hinckley made me three of them.  I loved every minute of the day.  

At church the children sang "I Often Go Walking," which is a song about mothers.  Then they brought roses to their mothers so I got two.  The boys were glowing they were so proud.  Then there was a luncheon for the women the second hour and cute Israel was passed around by a couple of sweet friends.  It was just delightful.  

Even though the photo we took that day makes me laugh (we should definitely recreate this when the kids are grownup- Israel's posture and facial expression are hilarious!) I'm so glad I could capture a moment from such a good day.

"The is the way of the moms" 

Another reason May was a good month is that little Israel started sleeping more.  He still has reflux and I still give him medicine for it every day but man, it's more manageable than before.  

This (above) is him at 3 months.  We went to the doctor a couple days later and discovered that he is in the 70th percentile for weight and 65th for height, so he is still easily our biggest baby.  And what a cute little chunky monkey!  His smiles are just adorable.  He talks and squeals all the time (I wish I had a video- he goes, "Aaaahhh!" starting with a high pitch and then going down.)

Halfway through the month he proved that he could sit in his bumbo chair, so he's made progress in his head control, for sure.

At the end of the month we went up to Utah so Dane could bless him (finally!)  It was so simple and sweet.  We held the blessing at Bob and Marti's home and some of our sweet family members were able to come and share that time with us.

Things that stuck out to me in the blessing were that God would "prevail in [Israel's] life" and that he would serve a mission and be a worthy father, who would "bring [his] children to Christ."  We learned not too long ago that one interpretation of the name Israel is "let God prevail," so that was a beautiful thing to hear. 

This was a great trip for many reasons but I think having Israel meet his grandparents was the best part.  

Lucy has had quite a month!  While I wouldn't say that she is potty trained she is determined to potty train herself, little by little.  

My, has it been a different experience this time around than when we potty trained the boys.  They suddenly were interested in the potty and got it, pretty much overnight.  Lucy, on the other hand,  has been reading her potty book and talking about wearing undies for months and months now but still keeps having accidents.  

At the same time, however, she is way more independent than they were.  She can take off her clothes, climb onto the potty, do a decent job of wiping, climb off, redress and wash her hands- all by herself!  I had to help the boys with all of the above.  So I guess it's a fair trade-off.

We were using candy as an incentive but have recently changed to pennies and that seems to be s/// bf ddoings the trick.

Who knows?  Maybe by the end of June she'll have it down.  We'll just have to see.

I mentioned earlier that our trip to Utah was wonderful for many reasons.  Another big reason we loved our trip was because Lucy finally got to ride on a real horse (or pony, as it turned out.)  

This little girl has wanted to ride horses ever since she first saw one in a book.  Back when she was first learning to talk she would see a horse in a book and try to ride it.  This was why she got a bouncy horse for her birthday and another one at Christmas, both of which are very well loved.  

So when we put her on top of a pony at the This is the Place Heritage Park she was on cloud nine.  As she went around she kept saying, "This is fun!" over and over.  We could have come just for that and I would have gone home happy.

She certainly has a mind of her own.  She will show up wearing the funniest things, like this day with a huge dress from a box in her closet (I've gathered it up in the back so it wouldn't fall off of her) with shin guards and giant cleats.  She thinks she needs to put my deodorant on her arms (all the way  down to her wrists), makeup remover on her legs and my chapstick all over her face (even though she claims it's just for her "wips" each time.)  My deodorant was actually missing for a couple of days and, sure enough, she knew where it was, safely tucked away in her bathroom.  

Yep, she makes us want to pull out our hair sometimes.  From her messes to her fibs ("I did wash my hands.  Right here..." and she'll walk up to the wall and pretend to wash her hands) it can be a lot. It's a good thing she's so stinking cute. 

Listen to Lucy:

• "Banquet" (blanket)
• "Popsiticle" (popsicle- and boy does she love them! She leaves sticky drips in our kitchen all the time.)
• "I want eggies, Mom." (pretty much every day she wants an over easy egg or two.  Not that I blame her, because they're delicious!)
• "I gobble you up!" (She pretends to eat us- we've had to remind her not to actually use her teeth...)
• "In the name of Jesus Baby Christ, amen." (She has been making this little joke for a while when she prays.  It can be a struggle to keep a straight face to correct her but we're trying.)
• "I DID!" (yelled in a sweet but very insistent way, often about something she didn't actually do, like wash her hands or poop on the potty...) 
• "It's too wate!" (Often the answer when asked if she wants to go potty.)

Boy did Hinckley have a good month!  He got his first wiggly tooth at the beginning of the month and lost it toward the end of the month.

He scored so many goals on his little soccer team that I'm a little worried how he'll handle his next season when joins the older players (he'll be in the K-1 bracket this fall.)  When they played a team that played good defense he really started to get worked up.  He even stomped off the field in tears at one point when one of them blocked his shot.  Thankfully, Atticus gave him a good pep talk and he was able to get one goal in toward the end of the game.

May was another cricket month here and so he spent about a week catching crickets every day.  I'm pretty sure I heard one of the boys say that their record was 18 in one day before releasing them.  

As of May 22 this boy is officially headed for Kindergarten!  What a year it's been for growth.  He identifies all the alphabet and beginning numbers and writes them all so well.  I love his hunger for knowledge (he asked to start Kinder math early and often asks for extra work when it comes to math and copy work.)  His memorization skills are absolutely incredible.  Without seeing it he can memorize poetry and scripture passages with very difficult vocabulary and wording.  Sometimes I am stunned by what he can remember and understand at such a young age.

As fun as it is to see him grow physically and mentally, we are far more concerned about his little heart- his relationship with God and others.  While he does, naturally, have a tender heart, I've been concerned of late that it is getting harder.  He can be so grouchy and even downright mean to us.  This is probably why I have been so grateful for people from church who have reached out to share how much they love and appreciate him.  

While he is occasionally reluctant to participate when we read the scriptures (or comply with any of my ideas) I have heard from several people about his answers and understanding of gospel principles and Bible stories.  In our primary group for children, a profound answer will come to a question and everyone will look around the room, wondering who it came from at first.  Then, they'll realize it was Hinckley.  It has been reassuring to hear that our grouchy little guy is listening.  

Favorite food- stuffed French toast, Least favorite food- meat, fish

If I could go anywhere I'd go to- Heaven

Favorite song- Mandalorian

When I grow up I'm going to be- Army man

Hinckley Speaks:

• "Is pee edible?"  ("Yes, in emergencies.") "Like what?" ("Like, if you were marooned on an island or stranded somewhere without water.") "Or if you got really thirsty at a park?" ("No, we would go home and get water.") "What if we were camping and didn't have water?" ("Hinckley, I would drive home.  You don't need to drink your pee.") "I'm going to try it." ("Please don't drink your pee.")
• Do adult soccer players get treats after their games? ("No.") "Then why do they want to play?"
• "When I get married I'm going to stay home with the kids and my wife can work."
• "I'm not constipated, I just don't want to poop yet."
• "Can you please introduce me to your brother?" (about Uncle Rick at the family reunion.)
• "Are we in Utah yet?"  (Asked for the dozenth time, to which we both respond, "No.") "What the heck?!"

Atticus had another great soccer season with his recreation team, Lightning.  They took second place again.  Atticus played his heart out that last game and we were so proud of him for not giving up when the other team scored.  He played pretty much the whole game and they didn't score until our little man was subbed out, so he was upset but got back out there and didn't give up.  He played until the whistle and then broke down and sobbed on the sideline.  

Our plan is to have him try out for club this summer but we are very reluctant to leave this team.  We have seriously LOVED it.  The kids work so hard, the coach is so good with the kids and the parents are just awesome.  We'll see how things go with this next potential step.

Soccer isn't the only area in which his hard work was rewarded.  Atticus got Hinckley and some other friends to work like Trojans in our neighbors' yards.  They pulled weeds and made some good money for their efforts.  They also washed one neighbor's car.  Atticus is really hoping to start cleaning garbage cans if he can. 

His long term plan is to save up for a vending machine and then make his fortune with the vending machine.  Whatever he ends up doing, we love his drive.  It will take him far.

And now he's a Third grader!  Man, he grew a lot this year.  

Favorite food- Spaghetti, egg in a hole

Atticusisms:

• "It's Mother's Day!  Let Dad take care of the baby.  You should enjoy yourself!"
• (Hinckley- "Are you going to have a wife?") "Maybe.  I don't want her crying and sad to death if I die in the army." (Mom- "What about me?") "Dang it!"
• "Can I please watch KFC?" ("You mean Studio C?") 
• (After being told by his dad about Old Uncle Joe who used to use a belt to spank his children.) "Is Uncle Joe still alive?" ("Yes.") "Is Dad going to call him to get some tips?"
• "How could Jesus let Lazarus suffer like that?" (As we were reading the story in the Bible.  It was a beautiful discussion.)

Here are some more reasons we loved our trip to Utah at the end of the month.

1. Mimi's baby chickens

2. Fun times with my family and with Bobba and Nana

3. This is the Place Heritage Park with Bob's side of the family

Lucy wasn't the only one who got to ride a pony.  The boys kept saying "Giddyup!"

There was so much to do and learn there!  Here are the boys doing the "handcart adventure" with Bobba.

And seeing their Great-Grandparents and cousins there was such a treat.  

Out studies this month were focused on Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War and Latin American countries.  

We talked a bunch about Brazil and the Amazon rainforest.  We made Brazilian brigadeiros (chocolate truffles,) read some fun books like Afternoon on the Amazon and  The Umbrella by Jan Brett, and watched Rio and Rio 2.

And now it's summer!  Hooray!

April 2023

April was a much easier month than March.  It started pretty hard but gradually got much more manageable.

Early in the month we celebrated Easter.  It is my favorite holiday and easily the most important so I really like to make it special and memorable.  The trouble was that I had a baby in my arms every spare second.  Still, I plotted and made plans and the second my hands were free and children weren’t around I tried to get different things ready and write down ideas.

Sadly, the night before Easter Dane came down with a stomach bug and was in a rotten mood so our actual Easter started out very, very sad.  We had made special plans but didn’t get to do them so I decided to take my kids to the park, angry and hurt. 

As we pulled in, I saw scores of families gathered to celebrate and I could barely keep back the tears. We had no family or friends to celebrate with and no plans (anymore.). I felt so sorry for myself.  I prayed in my heart to stop feeling such anger and disappointment and that the children could still have a good day.  

Then little miracles started happening.  First, a nice lady and her daughter offered my kiddos some snacks.  They were waiting for her family to join her and she could tell I was struggling (and not just with a crying baby.)  

Then one of Atticus’s good friends just happened to show up at the park.  They hadn’t seen each other in months and the boys had a blast playing with him.  Then, when we got home two sweet friends invited us to come over for lunch with their families.  I cried as I accepted the invitation.  Easter was saved!  

We had a wonderful time with those families and when we got home I got my bearings and we were able to do some really fun, Christ-centered activities to end our day.  By the end Dane was feeling better and we ate a great dinner.  

The moral of the story is that the atonement can heal anything: lives, families, marriages or even a fractured, disappointing day.

Israel’s mystery difficulties didn’t go away but things have gradually gotten easier.  The most difficult part of the days have been nights.  It is so hard to get him to settle down at night.  After observation, research and prayer we felt that he was probably suffering from GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease.)  This explains why he has never been able to sleep on his back and has such a difficult time staying asleep.  I wear him all the time and spent most of the month sleeping in a recliner while holding him upright.

Our pediatrician prescribed medicine that seems to be helping.  We've also taken him to a pediatric chiropractor three times and that also seems to be helping.  Things aren't perfect but I'll take any improvement!  

Something that has made this such a better month has been his smiles.  This little boy is so sweet and interactive!  It started right around six weeks (the peak of his colic) but has just gotten better and better.  He tries to talk and has such a sweet, pure voice, moving his tongue around and often gurgling as he does so.  It is the BEST!

He turned two months old on the 21st and he weighed in at 12 lbs 11 oz a couple days later.  He was in the 60 percentile for weight and height, if I remember correctly.  The doctor was very impressed with his strength, joking that he got a "triple A+" when she watched him raise his head and look around.

Here are all four of the kiddos in the same outfit.  Top L-R Atticus & Hinckley, Bottom L-R Lucy & Israel.  You can see the resemblance but I also see such differences!  It looks like our Israel will have blue eyes like Atticus and he seems to have a dimple on his chin like Hinckley.

Here we are with a friend whose beautiful little man was born just a few days before Israel.  We're hoping they're best friends in the making...

Below you can see him in the hot tub with Dane for his first time ever.  He seemed to enjoy himself.

This month was a rough one with Lucy.  She started throwing up, on and off, back in March and it just kept happening.  We'd go a day or two with no vomiting and then she'd wake up early from a nap or yell out in the middle of the night with throw up in her bed.  She also had diarrhea on and off so it was just so puzzling and frustrating.  We're still unsure of what was happening.  Was it teething?  Was she eating and/or drinking too quickly?  Was it a stomach bug?  As I'm writing this she has gone three days without any vomiting so we are praying that it has passed.  It is so hard to stay up with other children when you're already up so much with a baby.  

I wish I could say that we handled all of these episodes with poise but that is just not the case.  I've yelled a lot and felt so upset.  Especially when she threw up in the car a few days ago.  

Yet again, I have had to rely on the atonement to repent and try again each time, apologizing to sweet Lucy for yelling and trying harder to keep my cool the next time.  

Aside from the sickness, she is just so adorable.  She has started waking up earlier and opening her door (she's been such an amazing sleeper for all this time) and while it can be frustrating if she gets up too early, she is so sweet and happy to go in the stroller on a run with me or watch me work out.

Her favorite dress is the "red dwess" and she would wear it every day and night if we let her because it's so "petty."  Her favorite books are the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books, especially the two Pig books, as well as the I Want to Potty book (she wants to wear underwear so badly and has gone #1 and #2 on the potty here and there but just doesn't seem to be ready yet.)  Her favorite songs are "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam," "I Love to See the Temple" and "Are You Sleeping?"  She is singing more and more.

Listen to Lucy:

• "I wake up.... Good morning." (even if it's in the afternoon after a nap.)
• "Don't put it away, Mom." 
• "Don't close it, Mom." (the door)
• "I pooping."
• "This_______ yucky!" (about any food she doesn't want to eat, whether or not she's tried it.)
• ("Lucy, will you open the door?") "No!  I.... mean!  I... mad!"

Boy, did Hinckley have a better month!

Yes, he didn't want to go to his first soccer practices but man, he made a 180 and worked so hard at his practices and games.  So much so that he scored 6 goals in one game!  In his most recent game he scored 4 goals!  It is so fun to watch.  He looks so happy every time and is becoming so confident.

He still has tantrums but is back to being his sweet, cuddly self.  

He is getting so great at reading and loves it so much.  He often asks for an extra page.  This is also true of math.  He asked to start Kindergarten math and has been consistent in tackling at least a page every day.

The other notable thing that happened for Hinckley this month occurred the day after Easter.  We were at the Dinosaur Park when he found a baby bunny!  I sure wish I had gotten a picture.  

Hinckley Speaks:

"Mom, where is the Dead Sea?" (I start to explain...) "No, I mean the "empty sea." (..."Ohhh!  You mean the 'MTC'?")

Atticus started a club this month.  It all began with a hole that he and Hinckley started digging in the front yard.  We've let them dig before, looking for gold and treasure but they always gave up shortly after beginning.  This time it was different.  They kept digging and digging and ended up making a pretty impressive "trench" as they called it.  It was meant for nerf warfare and it got quite a bit of use.

Since they had the equivalent of a treehouse or clubhouse in our urban habitat, I guess it was only natural for the kids to form a club.  Atticus elected himself as the leader (I think he might call himself the "general" or the "president") and has assigned every other kid a special role (things like, "spy," "bodyguard," and lowly positions like "cook"- that was mine.)  

It has been both fun to see them use their imaginations and frustrating to have a mess in our front yard, so we gave them a deadline: May 1.  The kids lived it up and even put a cast off rug in their hole to make it more comfortable.

There was great mourning the day the trench was filled in but I feel confident that their little hearts will go on.  

The soccer season has gone on and Atticus has been loving it.  He puts his heart and soul out on the field every game and it is fun to watch.  

I just love how well-rounded he is.  He is a great athlete but also such an inquisitive, intelligent little fellow.  One day I peeked out the front door and overheard him explaining inflation to his friend as they sat in the trench.  He was right on with his explanation.  And he also learned how to play "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" this month on the piano.   

There were also hard times for the boys.  They both got a stomach bug toward the end of the month.  Thankfully, it was short-lived but man, it made us sad to see them down.

For homeschool this month we learned about Africa, slavery in the United States, mammals and reptiles.  Man, it was good to do a bit more.  

While studying Africa we rewatched The Lion Guard, read several picture books and made dodo (fried plantains), peanut soup and fufu (we used plantains and sweet potato.)  We finished it off with the best movie.  It's called Animals are Beautiful People and I highly recommend it.  

Our animal study led us to the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary again.  We love it!

We listened and read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm and Wilderness Babies, read many picture books, made animal snacks, did a couple animal drawing tutorials, and watched a whole bunch of animal documentaries. 

We also got to take the boys to The Stinky Cheeseman and other Fairly Stupid Tales, a production at the Smith Center, with our homsechool coop.  It was so fun to get out with just them and we laughed our heads off at the silly jokes.  Atticus is now begging to go more, telling me he would love to see a symphony.  We'll have to fulfill this wish soon!

And now it's May!  Hooray!