thoughts on a sunday

• Brian came home from rugby on Saturday looking like this.  We were all kind of fascinated by his mud tan-line.  The kids could not believe their eyes seeing their daddy so dirty.  I love the hand print on his  sweaty back.  Silly boy.  Can you believe I let him in my shower?!

• We went to the Beaverton farmer's market on Saturday.  It was fun to see all the vendors and check out all the goods.  We walked away with some nice fruit and lettuce, and of course caramel popcorn.  You know, the necessities.

• McKay just might be the oldest child to sit in a five-point harness car seat.  Probably not really, but I definitely feel like everyone else has moved on to a back-less booster with a seat belt.  Our neighbors have twin girls who are three that are in a back-less booster and I really can't believe that they are 40 pounds.  Anyway, while Carson was riding in the car with us last weekend, we decided to move McKay to the third row of the car and use a seat belt instead of his buckles.  He wanted to drive around all day just to be in a big seat belt.  He thought it was so great.  I think we're going to get him into a back-less booster, and give Elle his seat since hers is a huge throne fit for a queen.  It will be nice to eliminate the throne and hopefully give us more room to fit all three car seats in the car more comfortably.  

• A potty update:  She's doing great!  The potty jar is almost empty and she has been going number one and number two almost all the time at home, and even out in public.  She uses both the big potty and her little potty, and is on her way to being fully trained.  I just realized one day that if I put her in undies and started the day off that way, that she would tell me every time she had to go.  If I started her in a diaper, she wouldn't say anything.  So it has actually hasn't been too bad, after the initial go at it.  We need to finesse it, definitely, and we haven't even gotten started on wiping or hand washing yet.  One thing at a time.

• I was complaining about my pregnancy mask, which for those of you who don't know or who are lucky enough to avoid them during pregnancy, it's just pigment darkening on your face that can sometimes resemble a mask.  So basically it's like I have huge brown spots on my cheekbones- that kind of look like sun-freckles.  Big ones.  Anyway, I was complaining about it one morning, and McKay was watching me lament in the mirror and he looked up at me and sweetly said, "Mommy, you still look good to me."  And there it is.  That's all I needed to hear.  

• McKay had his last day of preschool on Friday.  They had a little program that the kids were proud of, and McKay got a trophy.  He was so excited.  He put the trophy in the middle of the kitchen table so we can always admire it.  He's done so well and has grown so much this year. 

• Ellery has been really into Cinderella this week.  One morning I was singing So This is Love to her and it got stuck in her head the whole rest of the day. She went around singing and dancing and floating around like a princess the whole afternoon.  And when she sings, she likes to close her eyes, you know, because that must be how Cinderella does it.  It's pretty much precious.  She really enjoys and audience while doing this too.  We've also been serenaded with Sing Sweet Nightingale over and over and over.  She is one cute little girly-girl! 

• For our family movie last week we rented Little Rascals.  The kids both loved it and watched it several times before we turned it back in.  It's been fun to hear them both quote lines from the movie at random and laugh at themselves.  The current favorite:  "Do you like pickles?"  "I think they stink!"  They could not think that was more hilarious.  

• This week's movie was Dennis the Menace.  Today we've had many discussions about robbers.  

• Remember how I saw a coyote and Brian didn't believe me?  Well, guess who else saw one?  All of us.  At the temple.  I love being right.

• Brian and I were having a conversation while driving in the car.  McKay piped up behind us and said, "Dad, if I were you I wouldn't even say anything."  We wondered where he was going with this, and when we asked what he meant, he said, "When I'm a dad, I'm not going to say anything to my kids and just let them do whatever they want."  Lately he has been fantasizing about being a grown up, because "grown ups can do whatever they want."  I hope he's not disappointed when he finds out that's not true.  

Happy Sunday!

on our program

My little boy colored this picture of Jesus on the front of today's program.

He made sure to color the owies on his hands and feet.

Can you see them?  They're red.  

I thought that was sweet.

That's also a mouse and a bird.

And a note to Brian about how I can't handle sitting in church anymore.

Even on a soft bench.

like father like son

We are learning that there are some things here in Portland that you just do- rain or shine.  The fathers and sons camp out is one of them.  

Gray clouds were looming overhead all day, and the forecast called for rain throughout the night.  I was grateful I was not a father.

McKay could have died, he was so excited.  For him it was the very best day because he got to go to Jaxon's house in the morning, and Tallan came over after school to play, and then camping with dad.  

There is a lesson I keep learning over and over as a parent: sometimes it's better to keep things a surprise, for my own sanity.  This day would be a good example.  He was so excited about having his friends over and going camping that it was all just too much for him.  He drove me crazy right up until they pulled out of the driveway.  It was just too much for a little boy to be excited about!

The rain came about an hour after they left.  It rained.  It rained the whole evening.  It rained while they ate cobbler.  It rained while McKay ran around with his friends and while Brian and the other dads pretended they weren't as miserable as they were.  It rained the whole night.  

Brian was proud that his baby, um, I mean his tent, held up and they were warm and dry in the morning.  We also learned that when it's raining at a fathers and sons camp out most everyone will be gone by 6:30am the next morning.  

Even though it was kind of miserable, at times even for McKay, it was still fun.  It was kind of a big deal for me to see Brian take our boy to his first ward camp out.  

I imagined him as a little boy going with his dad and brothers and it was another one of those moments that I felt really old and oddly responsible for these children we have.  We are the ones making their memories.  We are the ones taking them on camp outs that they'll look back on as adults.  Well, Brian is, thank goodness.  

But it's a weird feeling to sit back and think of how much you are influencing another's life as a parent.  I was proud that Brian would sacrifice a nice, dry bed to make that memory.  And as Brian's dad says, the ones you remember are the ones that are less than perfect.  

As for me, I got to spend my night with this little thing.  We had pink ice cream with sprinkles.

  It was a good night.

thoughts on a sunday

Brian has nicknamed Carson "King Baby".  My kids are completely obsessed with King Baby.  Really obsessed.  He is perfect!

• Earlier this week we went on a walk between rain storms.  We decided to take advantage of the sun, which we haven't seen a lot of, and try to seek out some puddles to jump in.  We walked to the duck pond and saw all sorts of cool things.  I left my phone and my camera at home because sometimes I let those two things distract me from really enjoying the little moments I have with my kids.  I really love being their mom- even though just being their mom is completely exhausting to me right now.  I wouldn't trade this job for anything.    

• Ellery is obsessed with wearing her rain boots because she knows that she can stomp in puddles only when she's wearing her boots.  She wants to wear them all the time.

• Ellery calls fruit snacks, "snook snacks".  That's all.

• McKay is obsessed with coloring right now and I have a fridge overflowing with pictures to prove it.  He was feeling frustrated because his pictures don't look like mine do (yes, we both color at church. . .it keeps him interested if I'm involved) and so we had a talk about how taking more time and practicing would help him get better.  Well, he took it to heart and has been coloring ever since.  His Alvin and the Chipmunk book is pretty much full and he definitely has improved.  He's very proud.  I'm loving his determination to do things lately.  I see it as a wonderful trait in his little personality, that will benefit him continuously throughout his life.   

• After wearing worn out running shoes to work and school and now clinicals for the last five years, Brian's knees have finally begun to protest and the second-class shoes are not cutting it anymore.  A pair of Croc's are on their way.  I hope they help.

• McKay's swimming teacher's name is Curtis.  I just can't correct him when he refers to him as Cartis.  I can't.  I hope Curtis doesn't mind.

• Ellery came up to me the other day and said, "I have a nipple on my face."  Pretty sure she thinks any sort of bump on the skin is a nipple.  We had a talk.

• Speaking of swimming lessons, I might as well record a lesson that I learned this year.  Private swimming lessons are the way to go.  McKay had private lessons last summer and learned to swim shortly after working with the one on one teacher.  Now he is in a class with four other kids and he spends most of the 30 minute class time sitting on the steps watching other kids take their turns with Cartis.  It's just not as cost-effective if you think of how many minutes they actually spend learning to swim with a group class.  We'll do private for sure next time. . .maybe even this summer.

• Mckay and Brian went on their first father's and sons camp out.  It was raining.  More on that later.

• Brian and Elle came with me to my OB appointment on Friday.  Ellery convieniently pooped right when we got to the room, like she does.  Brian was changing her diaper on the exam table when she said, "No!  I don't want my babies to come out here!"  She says that her babies will come out when she's a "little momma".  

• One of my favorite treats this pregnancy has been apples dipped in peanut butter.  

• I got quite a surprise on Saturday morning when my doorbell rang.  I was about to ignore it, thinking it was the neighbor girl, when I heard another loud knock.  I opened the door to see my cute little nephew Carson sitting there on my doorstep.  Jana had totally surprised me and is here right now visiting with adorable Carson!  I was so surprised and so happy to see them.  What a good sister I have.  I love her and I'm so glad that she's here.   

Happy Sunday!

plan b

Potty day. . .turned into potty weekend. . .turned into five days later.  

We had a few successes.  Several failures.  

But when on day five she kept saying she had to go poop and really meant pee, I realized what I had kind of known all along:  she wasn't ready.

Instead of packing the potty, the undies and all the rewards up to save for a do-over, I decided to move on to plan b.

The potty jar.

We're taking it nice and slow and she is more in charge of when she wants to go.  It's definitely going slow, but today we had three successful pees- all on her own.  

She might be getting it.  But then again, we might be doing this all summer.  

It's okay.  Thankfully Brian and I are both a lot more relaxed this time around.  I know eventually it will happen.  She won't be in diapers forever.  

On a related note, guess what I found stuffed in McKay's jeans pocket during the heat of potty training?  

A pair of tinkerbell undies.  They had Tink's brown-haired friend on them.  Looks like someone wanted to stash them away for himself.

thoughts on a sunday

• I was feeling kind of down this weekend.  My life is so wonderful, and I am blessed- I realize this- but that doesn't mean that life doesn't get to me sometimes.  Doesn't it get to everyone- sometimes?  Life is wonderful, but that doesn't mean that it's not hard.  My problems aren't huge.  They aren't dramatic.  But still, there are problems, and worries, and stress.  And sometimes I wonder if this overcast weather makes me more depressed than I realize.  I was pleasantly surprised when all those feelings were overpowered this afternoon by a feeling of peace and gratitude.  I'm grateful for what a good day of church can do.  I feel uplifted.  I feel happy.  What a blessing the gospel is, and how powerful the whisperings of the Spirit can be.  So thankful for that.

• By the way, it totally hasn't been overcast here.  It's been beautiful.  Guess I can't always blame the weather.  

• I am amazed at how well Ellery can identify her surroundings.  Every time we drive by, Ellery will proudly announce, "There's Albertsons."  or, "There's McKay's swimming lessons."  What really gets me is when we're on the freeway and she can spot Chuck E. Cheese every single time.  She always gives him a little wave.

• On Tuesday we were headed out the door to go to swimming lessons and my car wouldn't unlock.  Then I noticed that McKay's light was on.  It is the number one rule in our car to not play with the lights.  The battery was totally dead, but luckily Brian was home.  He jumped it, but the alarm was reset and the horn would not stop honking.  It was about twenty minutes of honking before we could reset it.  McKay missed his lesson and we had a big talk about not touching the lights.

• Listen, I know these thoughts are becoming more like the Matthews family nature journal, but I saw a coyote running across the street last Sunday.  It was a baby.  Brian doesn't believe me.  I think I know the difference between a dog and a baby coyote.  We also saw a huge frog today on a walk and it was very exciting.  You really don't have to make fun of me for the enjoyment I find in seeing wildlife.  I already know I'm totally nerdy.  

• Baby Maya was left in the bottom of the shopping cart at Target.  So far, Ellery hasn't noticed, although she did rename one of her other babies Maya.  I was panicked and wanted to go and get her, but Brian said her head was falling off, so we just left her there.  

• While in Utah I got Ellery a bright yellow skirt at Walmart for $1.  I didn't really know what it would go with, but for $1 I just got it anyway.  Well, guess who loves that bright yellow skirt and wants to wear it every time she sees it?  I have had to become quite creative.  I'm rethinking the purchase.  She's also very into wearing two pony tails in her hair.  She will grab them and pet them and tell everyone to notice them.  My girl has a lot of hair.  I want to cut it into a cute bob, but someone's daddy is attached.

• This week, McKay had bike day at school.  McKay has been excited for this day for a long time.  He could hardly wait to show his teachers and friends how he could ride his bike.  A few minutes before leaving for school McKay was riding his bike when one of his pedals fell off.  I tried to screw it back on, but as McKay put it, "Mom, you can't fix it because you're not a tool guy?"  I tried and I tried and then finally realized I had to think of a new plan.  I called my friend Mailee and asked to borrow her daughter's bike.  I told McKay that I found a bike for him to use, but that it was a girl bike- Dora to be exact.  At least it wasn't a pink princess bike.  Anyway, he had a few concerns about this, naturally.  I told him it was either the girl bike or his scooter.  He decided to just be okay with Dora.  I was so impressed with my little boy's maturity during this glitch.  He had been so looking forward to zipping around on his bike.  I was feeling more upset about it, I think, than he was.  He didn't throw a fit, didn't whine, didn't cry.  He did explain to everyone first thing about his pedal, but then he rocked that Dora bike.  He is the youngest in his class and the only one to be riding without training wheels.  He pretty much thought he was a celebrity.  I love that boy.

• Yesterday we all went out to watch Brian play rugby.  He's good and I was proud of my cute rugby player.  

• I heard there is a Winco in Orem now.  We do most of our grocery shopping at Winco.  So here's what I want to tell you.  Go to Winco.  Go to the bulk foods section.  Scoop yourself a big bag of blueberry yogurt covered pretzels.   I don't even like yogurt covered pretzels.  But these.  These are so good.  You can thank me later.

• How come maternity jeans are so awful?  I have a few cute pair, but they are sagging in the bum an hour after I put them on.  I hate constantly having to pull them up.  Another thing I'm not loving- my lovely pregnancy mask.  

• I am, however, kind of getting really excited for this new little girl to come.  I am still scared to have three kids, but how fun that I get to have a sweet little baby to snuggle and love in a few months.  I love her already.  

Survivor finale is on- gotta go.  Happy Sunday!

thoughts on a sunday

After a yummy dinner of homemade lasagna, we went on a Sunday walk. . .until it rained.

• For family home evening this week we played Simon Says.  When it was my turn to be Simon, I decided to have them hop like a bunny while wiggling their tails, and making a bunny face.  I almost died laughing at Brian being a bunny, wiggling his tail and making a bunny face.  I then had them flap like a bird while jumping around in circles.  My goal was not to get them out, but to just keep watching Brian do silly things that I ordered him to do.  It was fun for me.

• We were in line to use the bathroom at the library.  The little girl who was ahead of us was taking a long time and her mom kept telling her to hurry because there was another little boy waiting to go to the bathroom (McKay).  Finally, she finished, and as McKay was standing there doing his thing he said, "I'm sure glad that I don't have to use my bottom to pee like girls do- they sure take a loooong time to go potty."  And so he's realized.

• This week in the mail we got three pieces of exciting mail.  Not bills, junk or advertisements- but real, personal mail from people we know.  It makes me want to write more letters to the people I love because how great it is to open your mailbox and see someone's handwriting greeting you in the mailbox?  Priceless.  By the way Lindy, when McKay opened his letter he whispered, "wow," in complete amazement.

• I have started walking.  I had stopped exercising all together the last couple months, and I was feeling it. Can I just say that being in shape before and while you're pregnant is such a good idea.  I was in great shape (for me) while pregnant with Ellery and boy can I tell a difference.  It is just a better experience all around.  This last year- with not knowing our future plans, a busy church calling, selling a house, moving and starting from scratch in a new town- I gained weight.  I like to have all those excuses as to why it happened, it makes me feel better!  Anyway, then I got pregnant on top of that extra weight.  And I wonder if that is why this pregnancy has been harder on me.  So now I'm walking so I can feel better!  So far it's working!    

• On one of my evening walks this week I passed four deer in the middle of the street in a neighborhood.  I had never been that close to deer before and it was pretty cool.  They didn't even seem scared of me.

• I can feel this baby move a lot now.  She has started dancing on my bladder regularly.

• Ellery and I are in love.

• Don't worry, Brian just did two spinals this week.  Yep, on real patients.  He also was excited to show me a fully stocked epidural tray (okay, no meds, but all the rest).  I was interested as long as he didn't show me the big needle.  He really wanted to show me so that I could be an "informed consumer".  I told him that he was informed enough for the both of us.  He showed me anyway.  I screamed and covered my eyes.  I might be mad at him in a few months.  It's really big.  I wish I didn't know how big.

• Whenever we tell Ellery not to do something she gets really mad and says, "No. Don't say that!"  It doesn't ever work for her, but it sure makes me smile.  We actually find it hard to discipline her though, maybe because she's always been our little baby and I feel like she's not old enough.  She is totally old enough.  She can be a little stinker.  Mostly when I want her to come to me.  She just smiles at me and knows that I can't make her come unless I get up.  She usually waits until I get up.

• At dinner the other night McKay had a very inquisitive and serious look on his face.  He announced that he had an important question.  As serious as can be he asked, "So, I was wondering, when are we going to get a dog?"

• You are looking at the proud owner of a Silpat mat.  Happy mother's day to me.

• There is nothing better than a freshly cut pineapple.  I could possibly eat a whole one by myself in one sitting.  One of my very favorite things to eat.

• This morning, while snuggling in bed, McKay asked, "When are we going to get our zoo vaccines?"  

• I had a nice mother's day with my sweet family.  I always tear up when I see my little boy singing to me in Sacrament meeting, and today was not exception. . .except, I couldn't actually see him, he was behind the pulpit.  Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about how lucky I am to have my two beautiful children and that I get to be their mother.  I once heard someone say that mother's day should not be a day off, but a day to enjoy being a mother to your kids and reflect on how blessed we are as mothers.  I like that idea, and although I did get some "time off" today, I sure enjoyed being with my kids and counting my blessings.  I love them.  

Happy Mother's day!

two wheeler

We were at McKay's friend Tallan's house one night last week and as we were leaving Tallan hopped on his bike and showed us how he had learned to ride without training wheels.  

McKay was very impressed/extremely envious of his friend's new skill.  

As we drove home I could tell it was really bothering him when he basically picked a fight with me and gave me major attitude about something totally unrelated and threw a two-year old style tantrum.  I could tell he was really upset that he still had training wheels on his bike and it just came out on me.  

The next day when Brian came home from school McKay asked him if would take off his training wheels.  He had calmed down and was not a little demon child anymore, but was still anxious to ditch those training wheels.  So Brian took them off.    

Daddy getting him started.

But he got the balancing thing down pretty quick.

The adorable cheerleader.

Going faster and farther.

High five after a successful practice.

Proud daddy, prouder boy.

And now. . .

He's zipping around, turning, starting and stopping by himself, and going down hills.

And getting cocky enough that he's even ran into a few poles and street signs because he's so cool he doesn't have to pay too much attention.  

He also thinks that anyone who's outside while he's riding is watching him with wonder and awe.  You can see it in his face.  

And he still couldn't be more proud of himself.  

I love that he had such powerful determination to learn something and accomplish it.

I'm pretty proud, too.   

thoughts on a sunday

• I thought about doing a quick post that only said: fevers, potty training, and constipation, but I find myself in a quiet house with everyone "resting" at the moment, so maybe I'll say a bit more.

• We are on day three of potty training Ellery.  We are frustrated.  I knew that she would either be really easy or really hard to train.  So yeah, she's proving to be hard.  It's funny, with McKay, Brian and I got so frustrated we worried that we were going to hurt him.  We had to escape to Grandma's after two really hard days so we all wouldn't go insane.  Well, there is no going to Grandma's here in Oregon, so we're on our own, but luckily we don't want to hurt her.  Ha!  Can you laugh with me about that?  Have you been there?  Or are we horrible?  Anyway, we must have learned a little bit about patience from last time, but that doesn't mean that it's going any better than it did with McKay.  It's worse. . .and I think she's not ready. . .and they really have to be ready.  After two days of doing pretty good, today (day three) has gone downhill.  She is constipated, won't pee or poop in the potty.  Just crying because it hurts or having accidents on the floor (straddling McKay's cowboy rope to be exact, much to his disgust).  I don't get why she won't go in the potty anymore, especially since she kind of likes sitting on it.  We'll see how tomorrow goes, then I might just bag until she's five.  :)

• I don't want all of this to be about potty training, but while we're on the subject. . .We watched an Elmo video about potty training.  They had a bunch of kids on the show saying different words to describe pee and poop.  McKay was very interested in this and wondered how we could watch such a potty-talk filled show.  And when Brian sang a little song to Elle about going poopoo in the potty, he was really confused.  "How come dad is using potty talk?"  I explained to him that when we're potty training we can talk about those things to help Ellery learn to use the potty.  His face lit up and he immediately said, "Knock, knock?"  Who's there?  "Poopoo!"  What could I say?

• Both my kids have this weird fever thing and McKay has been waking up at 4am for the last four days with an itchy cough.  I give him cough medicine and a drink and send him back to bed but guess who's just lying there awake for the next two hours?  McKay.  Poor kid goes back to bed and lays there waiting for it to be light enough to come back into our room.  And I know all he can think about is eating breakfast, because that's the first conversation we have every morning.  He snuggles up next to me and tells me that his tummy is grumbling and then we decide what that tummy wants to eat.  So this morning, we were all up by six- which never, ever happens.  And that tummy wanted Frosted snowFlakes for breakfast.

• Today the kids and I made oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies.  They are delicious.  I did something I had never done before, which is use half vanilla extract, half coconut in my usual chocolate chip recipe that just calls for vanilla.  I suggest trying it.  I love the subtle coconut flavor.  

•   It's now May and this is McKay's last month of preschool. . .this year.  He will be going again in the Fall.  We decided a long time ago that we would most likely have him do two years of preschool and start kindergarten when he's six.  His birthday is just a couple days before the deadline.  I hear from most everyone I discuss it with that this is a good decision, but that still doesn't mean I take it lightly.  I am worried about whether it's the right decision for him.  I think he'd do fine starting this year, but I think he'd do even better starting the next.  But I keep thinking about me and Brian.  We were both born in June and I was the oldest in my grade, by a lot, and he was the youngest in his.  This was actually a difficult thing for me because my group of friends were always the kids in my primary class, and those kids were a year ahead of me in school.  I was friends with those girls all throughout elementary, junior high and high school, so it was really hard to be left behind when they all went on to the next school.  I remember in eighth grade my friends had all gone to high school and on the first day of school I had absolutely no one to eat lunch with.  That was a hard year.  Going to college with my friends was why I graduated high school a year early.  I didn't want to be left behind yet again.  Oh this is getting long, but maybe you can see why I am stressing over this.  I want to make the best decision for him, but that's hard to do when you don't know what's in his future.  

• Please let my baby come in September so that I don't have to deal with this again.  

• My baby is huge.

• Or maybe it's just me.

Happy Sunday.