Grateful For...

People are doing the daily gratitude notes on facebook right now. It's too much pressure for me, but I've got a couple. Saturday: Grateful that the shed is done! A neighbor came over and helped us get shingles put on. We borrowed a roofing gun from another neighbor so it only took a couple hours. I think last time it took 3 or 4 days... We've started moving things into the shed. It still needs some caulking and paint, but we aren't going to stress about getting that done. Today: Grateful for AAA. Kimball looked for something in the van last night and left all the lights on. It wouldn't start to take the kids to school this morning. So, we got a jump and took it in for a longer charge. Grandma just happened to take the day off today and took kids to school for me, too. I'd be mad at Kimball, but I forgot something pretty important the other day, too. Guess that's just what happens when you are so sleep deprived. We've been up with sick Ian and sick baby for about 5 days straight now and it's taking a toll for sure.

Love Notes

Alex wrote me the sweetest card today. The spelling was absolutely precious, so I have to type it up here. So, so cute.

Dear, Mom  I Love you. Love, Alex

I Love you. I realy hope you have a grate year. I like it whin you hug me. I like doing fun things with you. I like going to plases with you. I realy thingk we shood have a rool that we would get to go sumware if we are nise. If we are nise for one day mabe we cud get a candy. I thingk we should mabe get a littel treet if we are nise. I realy want this house to not have any fighting. thangk you for everything you do for us. I (heart) mom.

Later today, I caught this cute happening.

Who needs sleep?

Last night I got to take Ian to the ER. We've had lots of croup in our house before, but he woke up and couldn't stop coughing and couldn't catch his breath. When he breathed in, you could hear the asthma in his voice and there was an extra hoot as he pulled air through his throat. He couldn't even get enough air to talk to us which freaked him out. We got him to go back to sleep for about 20 minutes and then it just started again. Painkillers didn't seem to be helping, either. Anyway, as soon as we were in the car, the cold air opened things up and he talked the whole way to the hospital. The doctor said that is a good remedy, to just sit in the car for a bit, but only about 30 minutes after being in the hospital, you could hear the asthma and stridor coming back. They did a breathing treatment and gave him some epinephrine cough syrup. He slept quite well after that, but I only got a combined 4 hours. Anyway, Ian was pretty happy at the hospital. He loved all the attention and blowing clouds. I'm not sure if it will re-inforce the whole "We only go to hospitals in an emergency" idea, but he was pretty cute sitting there with his big eyes. He is so smart and kept commenting on things the doctor had said. He just doesn't miss a beat. For a moment I remembered how little and precious he is. He's always so fearless and even in the hospital, he didn't show an ounce of vulnerability, but there was a time that I held him in my arms and had to help him with everything--I think.

Then, because I'm crazy, I went to a class tonight with a friend and stood out in freezing temps to catch up for an hour. I thought we'd be done any minute but we just kept chatting! It was so cold and so fun at the same time!

Harmony

This morning in the car, the song Brave by Sara Bareilles came on the radio. Yes, I am sick of it, but apparently my kids are not. I realized they don't spend nearly as much time in the car as me, listening to the same top 40 songs every day when I tried listening to some books on cd and they turned into little gremlins. Anyway, this morning they all started singing with the chorus and hearing all their voices sing together was so pretty! I started dreaming of church songs we could sing as a family or a Christmas song they could perform together and then realized that I should just enjoy the moment and their beautiful voices. They are so sweet and for 5 minutes they were getting along, no one was fighting or complaining about something someone else did. Just sweet sounds and happy children. (Well, Ian told them all to stop, but, you know, you can't please everyone.)

Piano Progress

Ella and Alex are taking piano and it hasn't been a picnic. They are moving along, but I often have to help them during their practicing and let's just say it's not the funnest thing in the world. They just finished working on two duet songs together and we are all happy to be moving on to individual pieces. Plus, Alex had shingles for 6 weeks in September, requiring him to learn all the music with his right hand. sheesh! Anyway, I was helping them tonight on their songs and got some fun stickers for Alex if he did what I asked. He did great! He stuck with it all the way through the last song and it was so nice. Then, Ella started work on a really challenging song. When her teacher was giving it to her, her face was full of shock and dread. I sat on the side with a look of, "I'm so sorry." It's a bunch of chords with a strange rhythm and the whole song is played in B flat minor. I mean, seriously? Anyway, she just had to learn one measure and tackled it head on. It was awesome to see both of them move forward with a little determination, compared to whining and complaining about it.

At the end of their duet recital, I was complimenting them on how well they did, even with just a couple mistakes. Alex said that while he was sitting waiting to go, he thought that if he said a prayer before he went, he would do a really good job. I was really proud of him for thinking of that all on his own. He is such a great example sometimes.

Helper

Today, Ian was a big help with Emmett. Emmett is getting more fussy with his teeth. All four across the top are coming in at the same time! But Ian has been running to the rescue, bringing him toys and showing him videos on his Leappad. When Kimball started going to get Emmett. Ian said, "I know how to calm him down!" I'm glad he can be a helpful big brother.

Teething Cuteness

Teething is sad. It makes Emmett sad and he is never sad. But, he does this adorable thing with his tongue as he runs it along his new teeth. He is working on top teeth, his fourth and fifth at the same time! Today in the car he just started giggling for no reason. Must have been a pain-free moment.

It all works out... sometimes

Last year Will and Alex played chess after school and Ella sat and did her homework in the library. This year, the librarian checked with the office and they said that students must be enrolled in a club or have parental supervision after school. I told Ella that it was not going to work out for me to drive up and back twice with baby and Ian after school (round trip of 25 minutes). Plus, the thought of entertaining baby and Ian for 45 minutes or so while we waited was not so exciting. If she couldn't do chess, I'd have to take the boys out. It was a stressful day and I was tired. I knew that it would be awful for Will and Alex, but couldn't quite bring myself to working out a resolution. So, I went to pick her up and as we sat waiting in the car, I thought maybe she could get a ride home with someone we know who lives in our part of town. Just as we were getting ready to drive around to get the boys, this family friend was driving through the parking lot. I walked up to her and worked out the details. In my stress and frustration (lots of frustration) I wasn't able to acknowledge how nicely that worked out for everyone, without even having to make a phone call. Someday, when I am well rested, I will be very grateful for that. :)

Love Fest

For a while now, since about 5 months, Emmett has given Kimball and I these sweet little love-fests. He grabs both sides of our face and yanks us close to give us big slobbery, kisses, sometimes while pulling off our ear or our hair. Anyway, it's fun and I love getting lost in his sweetness. Tonight, Will sat down and got his first love-fest, pain and slobber free. 

A New Start

Last week, Ella's primary teacher emailed me asking for something about her from when she was little. I drew a blank and then checked through the blog and found some adorable things that were written about her when she was 3. I was so grateful that I had taken the time to record those moments, even when they were short and felt like they were a small beam of light in an otherwise cloudy day. I thought I really should try and take that up again, recording the little moments that make those positive impressions in my heart because they are forgotten too quickly and this is an easy way to jot them down. So, here's a whole bunch from just recently.

A couple weeks ago I was listening to some comedy cds and started thinking about my life in "bits." I was doing the dishes and this popped into my head. "Wow, I am really fast at unloading the dishwasher. I mean, if you can't get all the silverware in one hand to put it away, you are just doing something wrong. Sometimes, I think I am like Cinderella, only, at this point in my life, I would want to live her life in reverse! I would take caring for three grown adults over five children anyday! And I would take comfortable, worn rags and soft shoes over dresses and high heels, too!" Breanne said I needed to write it down, so there it is. :)

A little while ago Ella plopped down on the couch next to me and said, "Mom, do you like having so many kids." I think I might have been nursing at the time. I pursed my lips and said, "mmmhmmmm..." She continued, "I mean. What are the advantages and disadvantages to having a lot of kids." My chest was constricting slightly. Quick, think! I mean, I'm not going to tell her it's so awful, don't ever do it, and yet, I also don't want to paint a fantasy picture of me running hand in hand with all my little ones in a meadow, you know? I somehow barked out, "The pros are lots of love. The cons are lots of work." I just wanted the conversation to be over, fast.

Ella and Alex had a piano duet recital on Saturday. They did really well, though, up til then they had a rough go of it. They were butting heads and getting sloppy and careless. There were only two small stops in the songs and looking back they did great, though I was a nervous wreck through it all. On the way home I was trying to tell Alex what a great job he did. He said, "I thought of something and I thought it might work, and it did work I think, but I thought about it before, so I thought I would just do it." (I encouraged him to tell me what he did...) He said, "Before it was our turn to go up and I knew it was almost our turn to go, I said a prayer that we would do really well and not make any mistakes and I think that's why we did so good." What a sweetheart. After all the stress and frustration trying to get them to practice and get ready, here he is offering a sweet prayer before his performance. He is such a good example to me.

Will played the violin for the Primary Program for the last time last week. He's technically already too old, but they thought it was close enough to have him accompany "Love One Another." When they asked me about it, I said, "Ahhh, we have been playing a duet on that song together. It's really pretty." The ideal would be me playing with him, but there wasn't enough time for me to get it right and up to speed. So, they shortened the song and added the choir singing to the arrangement and he practiced it a few times. It turned out so beautiful. He hit all the notes perfectly and followed  the speed just right. The way the violin sings it's own melody around the lines of the song is just poetic. I thought about last year's program when he played a really fast, intricate part and years before when he has played other things and all the way to when he was like 6 and sang "I love to see the temple" in the most perfect pitched angelic voice. I am so grateful for the gift of music and for his quiet confidence and kind heart. It felt like the program was going along just fine and then it soared. I might be a little biased, but I was so grateful for that memory and for how grateful I am to have Will in my life.

Some sweet moments of the day today were: working on decorations for the Christmas party. Ian was full of rapt attention all day long. He was very sweet and following me around everywhere like a little puppy. The other day he wore his Halloween costume to school and was so quiet in the car I don't think he spoke one word which never happens unless he is asleep. I thought, "Who knew a little anticipation and excitement was all he needed to stop talking for a little while!" Ian also had a little violin lesson today. He actually knew some parts of the violin and guessed the A string! I think he probably knows a few things just from seeing and hearing Will practice. He is so excited to learn it. I'm not sure how gentle he will be with it, though. For now the violin stays up high in a closet and only comes out once in a while... Tonight for family night we really got laughing good. It was the first time I think we have all just enjoyed the time together and had fun. It felt really nice.

Yesterday my sisters all came over for lunch. That was a great feeling, too. There is something strengthening and comforting at the same time about having siblings around. Which reminds me of my 5k run with Adam. It was awesome. I have a time I can actually count as a good time. Not great, but good. Adam was great to run with. I had to walk a few times and felt guilty because he slowed to a slow jog. So, I'd cut my walk short and run back up to him. Later, when I told him I went faster because I felt guilty for slowing him down he said, "I wasn't doing that for you! You'd come running up and I'd think 'Break's over!'" haha I don't know if that's really true, but we had fun and it felt good. Forget running from zombies, running from valley-girls might be more effective....