ben's update

6 month birthday

Hey Mikey, he likes it! (first time trying food.)

If I hang close he loves the exersauser for a good 5-10 mins.

my bjorn buddy

Mr. Happy.  He's a big boy (I should be so skinny, and so toned from nursing and caring this sweet baby around.)  He is so sweet.  I am twitterpatted by this lovely baby.  I cannot believe how fast time is passing.  I  have to remind myself to set him down to practice rolling over, and sitting alone.  He has done pretty well with baby cereal and applesauce and sweet potato.  He tolerates most things but loves his mama, his hands to chew on, snuggles, nursing, sibling love (at a distance esp.), kicking it with daddy, and watching the kids play outside. 

rowan's update

Everything Row says right now is so adorable. 

• "I need hold you." (when she wants to be picked up)
• "Oh honey, it's okay." (as she pats her dolly, or talks clara)
• "I need cozy, I need cozy." (when she wants to be tucked in to our bed)
• "no-no, I love you buddy."(she calls noah no-no)
• "I love you so much."
• She calls Grandma Peggy "grandpa" and aunt becky "ducky" or  "aunt duck"
• I need my daddy. (always)

While she was on the HUGE horse she yelling "get away, get away".  She can be very independent.  Dangerously adventures,  super sweet with animals, super silly (loves to dance with undies on her head), crazy squealer, would love to run around in just a diaper and seems to always need her face wiped. 

clara's update

My clara jane has been through a lot. She has been poked and prodded more than most and is always so brave. With her melt downs escalating I have felt the need to be more proactive in hoping to get questions answered. A good night of restful sleep has been very sporadic and I have seen the correlation between difficult sleep and difficult days.  It seems like in just the few minutes after waking I can tell what my day will hold.  We went to a sleep specialist and eagerly awaited the results of a sleep study.  Some things were ruled out (like sleep apnea) but other things just brought on more questions.  I feel like there is no quick fix and sometimes just have to take things day by day, hour by hour (minute by minute). Josh has helped me shift my perspective which has given me even more patience and love. Even on the challenging days I am amazed at how resilient, loving and sweet clara is.  A few things I've noticed lately..

• She's very articulate.  "Mommy, I distinctly remember..."
• After singing on the stand for mother's day the first thing she said was, "Mommy, Sister H. has on an everyday shirt."  (The lady in the congregation was wearing a T-shirt that said I heart mom on it)
• She likes her hot chocolate to the "tippy, tippy top with a million mountains of chocolate"
• She sings "I often go walking" song so beautifully
• She loves giving her babies baths
• She takes safety precautions very serious and looks out for her siblings. 
• Grandma Peggy was wearing fuzzy slippers with her Sunday dress, and clara politely told her that her shoes don't go with her outfit (pretty funny knowing the sweet ensembles she chooses for herself)
• Clara is almost finished with her first year of preschool, is preparing for her first dance  recital, and is excited to participate in a theater camp of Peter Pan.

noah's update

• Noah is finishing up his Kindergarten year, enjoying his last days with Miss Thornell.  He is also finishing up a good season of soccer on the "best team ever white knights". 
•  Noah loves skateboarding and saved up his allowance for 6 wks to buy his very own (he had borrowed his cousin Jack's).  Walmart had it on sale for $7 dollars so he even had a few bucks to spend at yard sales as well.   
• Noah was on his way to perfect attendance 2 wks until school was out (nothing I was pushing, he has just been super healthy this year)  He said he didn't feel well so I checked his temp and asked about symptoms (none/none). After deliberating I sent him off to school...ten minutes prior to school letting out he threw up in class.  I felt SO terrible!  He winded up having strep and was out the rest of the week.  
•  Noah is obsessed with singing that song, "tonight, we are young, so we set the world on fire"....even the little girls are singing it!  He gets pretty pumped. 
•  On my birthday I was making lunch and he said mom "what do you feel?" "Do you feel my love?"  I certainly did. Clara followed by holding her heart and sending love.  best. present. ever.

noah was a rattlesnake in a desert habitat for school.  The note said to have them come to school in costume. By the time we came for the program there was little left resembling a snake but he remembered his 3 facts great!

mother's day

Mother's Day Weekend:

• amazing breakfast--check
• both clara and noah went up and sang in church (clara squeezed and held on to noah's arm--darling)-- check
• daddy tackles my looming to-do lists, cleaning out the fridge, car, and picks me up my favorite Sweet Tooth Factory treats--check, check, check
• A healthy dose of meltdowns to keep it real and remember what motherhood entails--check
• Great visits with mom, and mother in law--check, check
• four beautiful children who I am so blessed to be their mother--check, check, check, and check!

Josh made this year very special.  I have loved our tradition of a picture heading in to church on mother's day.  And yes, Rowan brought that quesadilla right on in (we woke her from her nap to make it to church on time), always keeping the congregation entertained :)

a noble attempt

We are "that family" at church...getaway toddler, crying baby, if I leave with one they all try to escape.  One difficulty is our chapel is filled by 10 till so the overflow is usually our option and the gym on folded chairs makes getaways all the easier and noisier. Still, there are plenty of families that manage.  I've taught many a lesson at family home evening on being reverent in which the kids can be model students.  We've role played, bribed, threatened and still struggle.  My latest attempt was this simplified quiet pocket of activities.  I think there was a few more minutes of quiet (but not much).  We'll keep working on it, I think time is on our side for this struggle.
The pocket activity:
The puzzle used craft sticks, glue and picture. This idea came from pinterest...I wish I could link you but it was one I didn't pin, I saw a picture and figured it out.
The paper pocket:
 I got old scrapbook paper and sewed up the sides after I folded it, and then added some stickers a notepad (5 for $1 at the dollar store) and a few colored pencils. 
Note: I made them the same to nix squabbles about what someone else my have and tried to make it activities that didn't just turn church into playtime but a quiet time to listen and have little hands occupied.

here comes peter cotton tail

We enjoyed a beautiful Easter weekend.  We skipped the city hunt for a little one in the neighborhood at the Seely home.  It was just a beautiful morning in a beautiful yard.  Later that afternoon we went to the Sarvela home for an Easter extravaganza...egg dying, hunt, and dinner.  It was such a fun, fun time.  We rounded the Easter weekend off in Springville with the Stika crew to enjoy a delish Easter dinner and celebration of Josh's b-day.  With all those fun celebrations I kinda felt like there was no need for the Easter bunny to stop by on Sunday morning.  Noah came home from school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday wondering if it was still Easter because the kids at school said the Easter bunny had already came and gone.  He was pretty devastated.   So Thursday while we were cleaning the kids found an egg with a note/clue to find a basket where grandma and grandpa would soon be living.  That sneaky Easter bunny, how did we miss that egg ;).  So Liss saves the day again...the Easter bunny left a basket for Noah, Clara, and Rowan and the magic keeps on glowing.