Mommy in the Making

My daughter, Aurora, is such a mommy in the making. I always check on the kids before I go to bed and when I went into her room, this is what I found. All the stuffed animals and dolls that she usually goes to bed with were all neatly lined out on her floor and covered with blankets. Can I hear an "AHHH..."? Now if only I can get her to do the laundry.......

The Church Mouse

Church this past Sunday was such a stimulating experience. I was sitting in our usual place in our chapel. We still have an older phase building and the chapel divides into 3 parts with a curtain separating the sections. It's pulled back during Sacrament Mtg though and we sit next to one of those curtains. During the sacrament (when everything is pretty quiet) I looked over at the curtain and noticed a movement. I kept watching and all of the sudden I saw a little head poke out....then the whole body...of a mouse!!! I wasn't terrified, but I didn't want it anywhere near me.

I leaned up ahead of me and told the man sitting in front of me that there was a mouse in the curtain. My intent was just to let him know so he wouldn't set his toddler down near a mouse that might want to play with her. The funniest thing happened though...He saw the mouse and completely froze. I mean, like eyes wide hands shaking froze. It was the goofiest thing I've ever seen. Then, the couple behind me saw the mouse...and then the older couple behind them. This lady kept stamping her feet anytime the mouse came near. That thing was really fast too.

So, with all the foot stamping, shaking hands, frozen eyes, and tiny screeches going on I couldn't help laughing silently through most of the sacrament. Jesse, my 3-year old decided to get in on the action. He noticed the mouse and loudly said, "Look, Mommy, a mouse. He's my best friend! We need some cheese to feed him." Everyone around us was busting up. I'm sure the Bishop thought we'd all gone crazy.

It wasn't until the mouse starting CLIMBING THE WALL that I realized something needed to be done. I found our "take care of the building" guy after the sacrament and quietly let him know that there was a mouse in the curtain. I asked him if there was anything that he could do. His response was very succinct, "Yeah, I'll just wack it!" WHAT??? Are we on the Sopranos or something? But there he came with a wad of paper towels. I wanted to believe that he was just going to catch it and release it outside, but I got this horrible mental picture of his huge hand swishing the life out of it after catching it. WHEW!!

Everyone can relax....once he came over with his wad of paper we never saw the mouse again. It must have heard him say "wack" and decided to hit the pavement...or whatever. I hope it didn't climb the wall and is now residing in the lights above. Oh, ick!! Now I won't be able to sit through church quietly again.

We picked up Aurora's glasses today. She loved them...but I think she liked the case more (it looks like a little pink purse). She said that everything looked bigger. I think that's a good thing. She only wore them for 15 minutes and then took them off. I guess I'm going to have to work on a schedule for her to build up her "wearing time."

Appointment Crazy

The kids and I made a round of doctor's appointments early this week. Regan had a well child visit with the pediatrician early Monday morning. Everything was going great! I had bribed the kids well and I thought this was going to be a breeze. Regan was smiling, the kids were quietly playing in the waiting room. This is SO not a big deal, right? Yeah, right! As soon as we went through the door to our room with the nurse, I knew with the instincts of a very scared mom that things were going to bust wide open. It started when Aurora and Jesse decided that the chairs in the room were "not soft" and there were no "toys" in the room. So, Jesse decided to search the room and collect every piece of garbage off the floor (who would have thought the doctor's office would have so much trash? Maybe I need a new dr?). Then, Aurora started complaining that her "tummy is so hurting, mommy!" Jesse was obsessed with the trash can. FLIP, BANG, FLIP, BANG, FLIP, BANG (up and down went the lid). Regan was wailing at the top of her lungs because anyone except me was within 2 feet of her. Bless his heart, the dr just kept going with his nicely rehearsed speech, of which I could've recited by heart. Heellllooo? Did I look like a new parent? I already knew that you aren't supposed to put your baby on the bed and walk away? Is this really what I'm paying for? After everyone got there shots (Regan) and flu mists (Aurora and Jesse) we went home to recuperate. Well, at least I did!

The next day, Aurora had an eye doctor appointment....her first ever. I thought she would do okay. She knows her alphabet and she likes being the center of attention. I brought the candy and the toys...I was going to be prepared this time. How hard could this be? Did I not learn anything from the day before? As Aurora sat in the chair in the room, I began to get nervous. They put up the screen with all the letters on it and asked her what the first letter was. I guess she couldn't see it because she just started to sing the alphabet....Jesse joined in also. So, the doctor put up the pictures for her. Again, the first picture is?...."Umm, I think it's a birthday cake." YES!! That one's right! Next?..."Ummm, I think it's a basketball." OKAAAAYYYY, it was a boy on a bike...close enough. Next?..."Umm, I think that one's fog." (jaw drops) WHAT??????? FOG????? Oh, what did I do to deserve this? I guess Jesse was embarrassed after that too, because he started yelling to her what they were. "It's a car....It's an airplane..." One right after the other. I was furiously trying to cover his mouth while stifling a laugh. I couldn't believe my crazy kids. After all that, the doctor said she needed glasses. So, now we will get to experience the pleasure of a 4-year old in glasses. JOY!

FOG???

Fall is in the Air

I love this time of year...the weather is cooler, the breeze is blowing, the trees are changing colors, and the MOST important part - it's darker earlier (so my kids don't complain about going to sleep sooner). I've been busy this week redecorating my bedroom and pulling up all the dead plants in the yard and replanting new plants. I only have about 45 mins to an hour between when my kids go to bed and when it's too dark outside to do anything, so I have to do everything outside in stages. I know...I know...I could do it during the day, but then my kids want to "help" with everything. The last time they both competed in "who can get the wettest" contest and then I had another load of laundry to do and mud to clean up. Easier just to wait.

Redecorating the bedroom was a lot more fun. I picked a color scheme and then just went from there. Out went the TV also....now that Andrew is gone, I don't watch it in the bedroom anymore, so the room already looks bigger. HA! HA!

Somthing funny happened this week that I just have to tell everyone about. My older two kids, Aurora and Jesse, like to play in Aurora's room for a while during the day. I was walking past her room and I heard Jesse start moooing. I peeked inside and saw Jesse on his hands and knees on top of Aurora's bed and Aurora had a bowl underneath him pretending to milk him. She said, "You have to squeeze the udders to get the milk, Jesse." WOW! I just bust out laughing! Then, I laughed even harder when I realized Aurora had pinned her hair clips to the front of Jesse's shirt and pretended they were the udders. I recently found out they had learned this from an episode of "Blue's Room." What a hoot! My kids crack me up all the time!

Sigh....Moan....Sigh

I always say prayer individually with my kids before they go to bed. Jesse, my 3-year-old, doesn't like to say his prayers anymore. He used to love it! I guess he's too grown up now. I try to encourage him by starting it and then waiting for him to continue. I think he knows what I'm trying to do and he's already starting to rebel at the tender age of 3. Here was our prayer tonight:

Mom: "Dear Heavenly Father...."
Jesse: "thank you for this day. In the name of Jesus...." (very fast)
Mom: "THANK you for our blessings."
Jesse: sighhhhhh...."in the name of Jesus....." (very fast again)
Mom: "PLEASE bless Daddy in Utah."
Jesse: sighhhhh/moan....."in the name of Jesus Christ...." (very fast yet again)
Mom: (trying not to laugh) "PLEASE help us to sell our home soon."
Jesse: SIGHHHHH & head shaking..... "in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen" (very, very fast)
Mom: "Please bless Jesse James that he will sleep well tonight. In the...."
Jesse: SIGHHHHH & more head shaking.... "NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, AMEN!!!" (very, very, very fast as if he's afraid I'll start all over again)

It was too cute....I hope he didn't see me laughing. I tried to hold it in until I left the room. I think I'm going to have to practice more with him soon. Maybe Heavenly Father has a sense of humor too.

Right Of Passage

Today was our Primary Presentation at church. AHHH! That precious time of year when the children in our ward stand up and give us all they've got: booger picking (& eating in some cases), hair pulling, burping, tripping, panty flashing, etc. As I sat there, a baby on one leg, and a toddler on the other, I tried to see past the people sitting in front of us to witness my firstborn in her very first Primary Presentation. The Joys of Motherhood, I thought. But as the first song started, I looked around and couldn't see Aurora anywhere. My son said, "Where's Aurora?" and I had to tell him that Aurora was up there SOMEWHERE and that we should just keep looking. Frantically I looked back and forth, leaning this way and that way. My kids probably thought their mom had lots her marbles, but I was NOT going to miss this right-of-passage. Little did I know that my daughter was sitting up there, arms crossed, refusing to sing and complaining that she wanted her Mommy. So much for a right-of-passage!! I'm glad I didn't know then (as I was debating if it would look silly to stand up and watch with both kids on my hips) that it was all the leader could do to keep her up there (Aurora's a strong girl). However, about half-way through the program I finally saw her stand up and start singing. Whew! That was a close one.

We had been practicing her part at home the past few weeks, and let me tell you - I don't know who wrote this presentation, but I don't think they were thinking about the actual AGE of the kids when they assigned parts. A 10-year old had a part that said, "Tithing helps pay for temples" while my kid (with 4 years of experience on this earth) had a part that said, "and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;" ......HUH???? No wonder none of the Sunbeams had their parts memorized! But she did a great job anyhow!

Well, it was a fun day for one and all. Only 2 falls, a couple of heavy breathers and 2 class clowns. Not a bad way to pass a Sacrament Meeting. And my daughter's right-of-passage happened without any major catastrophes. I can't wait until next year!!!

Play Date

I took the kids to the park today for a play date with some other mother's in the ward. We just started up again when school started and we meet every Thursday. This was the first time I'd been able to get out to one. They always happen during Regan's morning nap, but she was up this morning so I thought, what the heck? Let's get ready and go.

I was the only mother there with THREE kids (all under the age of 4, I remind you!), and it was a nightmare running from slide to swing to monkey bars to stroller and then back all over again. I think I lost 10 pounds just from all the runnning. Who thought these play dates were fun? At one point I had all three of the kids in swings and as I started down the line (push, move to the right, push, move to the right, push, all the way back again) I felt like the human version of a robot. I looked around at all the other mothers, sitting and talking, and I felt like maybe play dates just don't work when you have more than 1 child with you. I guess I should've read the fine print before I packed everyone up. At least I got the exercise, right?