kids conversing

I wish I had an ongoing tape recorder of the conversations that take place in this house. And only two of our soon to be four kids are really talking. Addie says Dada. That's it. Just Dada. I'm the one who takes care of her night and day but whatever.

Me: Mya, sit up and eat your dinner please. Why are you under the table?
Mya: Because Winter won't stop staring at me!
Me: She's staring at you because you are so pretty and she loves you. Now sit up please.
Winter: No, that's not it. I just want to.

Mya and Winter often take turns driving me crazy these days. It's nice of them not to team up on mommy so I am thankful for that. I think they each like it when the other one is in trouble so they exaggerate their good behavior. 

Winter is actually becoming more manageable...or I'm just getting used to her shenanigans? Either way, I find that I'm getting equally irritated with them both. That came out negative. I should add that they are equally fun and adorable too! ;)

I think Winter may be growing out of some of her disobedience and is learning that the punishment is not worth the crime. And I have figured out what works as far as getting her to do something when she doesn't want to. So yay for that. We have entered the crying phase though. Not fun. Anytime anything happens that she doesn't agree with, she hangs her head and cries. A little silent crying isn't so bad...I can handle that. 

Mya, however, has developed some sass and is incredibly stubborn lately, especially when she is tired. She likes to do this copying thing that drives me nuts. And sometimes when I ask her a question she just stares at me blankly if she doesn't want to answer. Not cool. She is also talking back a little bit. The other day, Dan told her to put her shoes on and asked her to feed the dogs as well. Her response was, "Well, this is your house so you need to do it." I laughed and Dan got angry. 

cheese

I took these at Descanso Gardens last week. I got one good one and 10 bad ones. Thank goodness for smart phones. Imagine if I had to waste a roll of film on these uncooperative stinkers. I would never take pictures of my children if we were still in the 1980's. Maybe that's why I don't have very many pics of me as a toddler...

This tiny request from mommy to pose for a quick pic turned into a screaming baby, a chance for Winter to annoy everyone and a fed up Mya... and me, well we left right after this. I have a huge new appreciation for child photographers. Sounds like the worst job in the world to me.

toddler season

Ugh, I forgot just how exhausting this stage is. Adelyn is still a joy... most of the time. She sleeps and eats great. She's a happy baby. I really should not complain. And yet, I will! :) 

She's pretty manageable at home if we are downstairs not emptying the dishwasher. Any chore is ten times harder with a toddler, especially if she can reach the area that you are working with like the dishwasher or the dryer. 

I still do not enjoy taking her to the store with me... any store. I can't win. She is only happy if she is in the back of the cart throwing out whatever she can reach. If there is a bottom to the cart, I can put one of those little hand held baskets under it for groceries and carry my purse to ensure she can't touch anything. But then she just tries to climb out. I'm running out of options. These days, you'll often find me waddling down the isles at Target with a toddler on my hip trying to squirm out of my arms. Fun. 

We took her to Mya's school this morning to watch Mya get an award for excellence in writing. Go Mya!! I guess all those notes to mom and dad paid off.

The whole time Adelyn was throwing snacks, squirming out of Dan's arms, emptying mommy's purse, crawling away as fast as she could or throwing mommy's phone. It's okay I got a life proof case. Indestructible. Best investment ever. Actually someone gave it to me. I told Dan I was so happy he was there. How am I supposed to stay seated for over 30 minutes while 30 kids receive awards with a crazy 14 mo old wreaking havoc right next to me. Forget about getting pictures. 

This stage of life is just insane. It's pretty crazy with one or two little people but we just keep adding them! I don't blame strangers when they give me a wow look when I tell them I'm pregnant with my 4th. I rarely have them all with me so they say, "Awe, you are going to have your hands full with two!" I love telling people it's number 4. I get some weird satisfaction when I get that you poor thing look or why would you do that to yourself look or the most common you're an idiot look. I just keep saying, "What's one more?" Haha, what's one more? The tip of the ice burg that's gonna kill me, that's what. Time will tell!

vday

My mom and sister always yell at me when I haven't posted in like 3 days. I'm busy people! I've actually been really into this mom FB page where you can buy and sell stuff... so yeah, I've been super busy!

Sorry Mom! Here's a couple pics to hold you over for a day or two...

This was Valentine's Day. I told Winter to wear pink or red as instructed by her teacher...

Only in Kindergarten will kids proudly sport a giant heart for their parents. 

romance

Before we got married and had kids (which pretty much happened simultaneously) chocolates, flowers and a night on the town in a sexy dress and heals sounded just about perfect. 

Look at us. We have no idea what we're in for...

My idea of romance has changed a bit... well a lot, because this happened:

I do love chocolate but I eat it year around so Valentine's Day is no exception. Flowers are nice but not in my messy kitchen. I typically want flowers only if I've cleaned the house and am expecting guests. A night on the town sounds okay but somewhere quiet, low key, nothing fancy and I'm wearing a t-shirt, maxi skirt and flip flops. Dan will most certainly be wearing a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops as well. That's kind of cute that we're so on the same page.

You know what says I love you more than anything? Chores. That's right, we're talking toilet scrubbing, dish washing and laundry folding. You really want to make me swoon? Take the kids for an hour while I browse the aisles at Trader Joe's. Is that sad? I don't think so. That's just my reality.

So this Valentine's Day, I've come up with my top 10 most romantic gifts. Dan has done his fair share of all of these. If everything were ideal, since I'm a stay-at-home mom, I would do all of the housework and kid related duties and he would go to work and come home and handle the man stuff, yard work, fix-it lists etc. That hasn't been the case a lot of the time because when you keep getting pregnant and having babies, things become a bit more challenging. My mind is willing but my body is weak. Dan picks up a lot of the slack. Anyway, just wanted to give you props for that honey! So starting with 10, here it is:

#10 - School drop-offs and pick-ups. Dan actually does this pretty much every day he is home. And I SO appreciate it. Addie is not a great car traveler so this becomes a whole ordeal. I have to pack car snacks and toys for the ride which is only like 10 minutes. But then we have to wait a few minutes for Mya's class to get out. Winter's is a bit easier but I still have to carry the baby in with me and she wants to get down and play so yeah, not super fun. This really should be higher on the list but I'm spoiled and I suppose I've saved the things that are a little more rare for my top picks.

#9 - Make dinner. Again, Dan does this one pretty much every night he's home. I make the salad and sometimes rice or something but he does the bulk of it. I love that it's kind of a team effort with us. And when he takes care of the whole meal including sides and setting of the table, it is SO nice. 

#8 - Do the dishes. I didn't used to mind dishes when I first got married because I didn't grow up with a dishwasher so having one made it SO much easier. However, the novelty wore off quickly and the daily scrubbing and loading and unloading of the dishwasher became one of my most dreaded tasks. So when Dan does it for me, it's so sexy! I also have a babysitter that puts the dishes away when she takes care of the kids. She's my favorite ;)

#7 - Give the kids a bath. This includes the baby. The big girls are pretty easy these days. You just have to remind them to focus, wash their hair and body and get out. The baby is a bit more work but super cute. She loves the bath probably more than anything. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it's the last thing I want to do at the end of the day when I'm exhausted. And bending over the tub to wash a slippery baby with my pregnant belly isn't fun these days. So yes, I love it when Dan does it and I don't have to.

#6 - Do a complete load of laundry. Wash, dry, fold, and put away. I actually don't mind laundry. I kind of enjoy it in a weird way. However, there just isn't enough time to keep up with it or remember to switch it over and fold it and put it away. I often come upstairs to go to bed and see a mound of laundry on the bed that I've forgotten about. So when I get help with that, it's one less thing for me to do. Mya loves to fold laundry. And I love her for that.

#5 - Get up in the middle of the night with someone. When you have 3 kids and two dogs, odds are someone is going to need something in the middle of the night. If I don't have to get up, that means I get to go back to sleep with a smile on my face. 

#4 - Clean the bathroom. I rarely express my desire for the bathrooms to be cleaned. But they rarely are because I hate it so much. It is definitely my least favorite chore. So yeah, I really appreciate it when it is done for me. We hire people to clean the house a couple of times a year and I get giddy thinking about the sparkly shower and clean white toilets afterward. Oh yeah!

#3 - Take the older girls to the park or somewhere out of the house. This is something that I do because it makes the girls so happy. Going to the park is really not something I look forward to but it is free and local and so good for all of us to get out of the house for a bit. It has become a chore with the baby though. She is not at an ideal age for the park. She wants to climb around with the big kids now. So this pregnant mama doesn't get to sit on the bench and chat with other mamas like she used to. The park is actually a workout these days. The thought of someone else taking them is really lovely. 

#2 - Change a diaper, 10 bonus points if it's poopie. Dan does not change diapers. He has a pretty disgusting job at times so he's requested a break from bodily fluids at home which I totally understand. However, poop is still gross each and every time I see it. I thought I would get used to it or not mind it much after a couple of kids but nope. Still gross. Changing a poopie diaper for me definitely says I love you. Yeah baby!

#1 - Watch the kids while I go grocery shopping by myself. This is what I crave daily. I just want to be alone. Doesn't every mom? 20 bonus points if I get to go have a pedicure instead. This kindness will always be rewarded ;) 

Yeah, things change. Way less romance but a lot more love! <3

spill it

I was talking to a friend the other day about the dreaded chore of picking up the kids from school. I only have two to pick up right now. And Dan gets them most of the time. Not looking forward to four different pick-up times.

She had a totally different perspective. She said she loved being the one to pick the kids up because their excitement is at its peak during those first few minutes. They spill everything right away. Ask them an hour later and they rarely have anything interesting to say. 

It's so true. Kids love to tell the best part of the day or a weekend or vacation right off the bat. They just can't wait to share it. Our 6-year-old little neighbor was gone for a long weekend with her dad in Oregon. We were outside when they pulled up just getting back from the airport. She raced down the street and said, "Hi! I touched a waterfall!" It was so cute. I couldn't help but laugh. 

Mya and Winter both had a really fun weekend with their Aunt Wendy and Uncle Mark. Before we could even hug them, they were shouting out their favorite parts like, "I rode a horsey!" and "We had Mickey pancakes!" and "Look what I got!"

This changes my attitude a bit when picking up the girls now. I feel kind of privileged to be the first one to get the inside scoop on their day, even if it is about the boy that threw up in class that morning. 

14 months

Addie is 14 months old. We think she's pretty smart. Not quite walking yet. The other two girls were 14 months when they started walking too. My theory is that their small feet make it difficult to balance =)

just the 3 of us

Dan and I usually go to Hume Lake every year for the annual firefighters retreat. This year it happened to fall a couple of weeks before my due date so we chose to change things up. We got a killer deal on a friend's beach house and spent two nights and 3 days in Newport instead. 

My mom watched the baby (Addie loves her) and my sister and her husband (still recovering) watched Mya and Winter. They went to the Aquarium of the Pacific, a farmer's market, and ate Mickey pancakes. And my friend Elizabeth (best dog sitter ever!) stayed at our house and watched the dogs. It takes a lot of people in order for us to have a couple of days alone. We are oh so thankful for them! And I don't think anyone missed us. They were getting way to much attention for that, especially Otter and Twitch. 

(I told Wendy to write her phone number on their arms in case they wondered off. She took it a step further and made signs.)

(This was a couple of months ago but they look pretty much the same)

We really had the loveliest time. Dan and I get along so nicely when the kids are not around. We slept in, walked to a cute little breakfast spot a couple of blocks away, went for a bike ride, played some pool, played at the Balboa Fun Zone where Dan won me a teddy bear and ate at nice restaurants WITHOUT KIDS! 

Dan also got to try paddle boarding for the first time. I opted for a kayak. Standing on a board for an hour while balancing my 7 month pregnant body didn't sound too smart. Next time I'm all over it. Dan loved it and wants to figure out a way to do it daily... hmmm. Swimming pool?

We found the best sushi place too, San Shi Go. We've been on the hunt since our old place closed down last year and finally found it! Too bad it's a bit of a commute...

Good-bye Newport Beach. We love you so much. 'Till next time!