thief

It seems our bird feeder feeds more than just birds...

ahhh...

I feel so much better.

Today the sun was shining. It was warm - 80 degrees!

Ana said, "I like this nice, spring breeze."

We did play group at the park. I got a sunburn.

I cleaned my kitchen and my bedroom and got started on the laundry.

Then I cleared out our flower beds while the kids played.




I am tired. But it's a good tired. It's a "I actually accomplished something" tired. "Summer time" tired. I love that kind!

I live for days like today.

spring! spring! spring!

Even though the entire week is forecasted to be rainy, it seems spring has finally sprung in Vermont. We couldn't resist Easter photos by our neighbors daffodils.

(I made their ties. Every year I swear I'm going to make Ana's Easter dress, and every year I end up buying one the week of Easter. But this is the second year I've done Jack's tie. I love how Jack's turned out, but Dave's needs a little tweeking... I just love match-y stuff!)

We had a fun filled weekend with friends, but we somehow forgot to buy eggs to dye. I know, I'm lame. But Easter was a wonderful day. I think think the best part was Ana singing "He Sent His Son" and "Jesus is Risen" with the rest of the primary during Sacrament Meeting. She sang very enthusiastically and slightly off-key and it was equal parts tear-jerking and hilarious. After Church, we played outside with sidewalk chalk and blew bubbles and relaxed and ate mashed potatoes and gravy and starburst jellybeans. What more can you ask for? Except, I guess, dying eggs. And taking pictures of all the fun stuff.

Happy Spring!

a list

Things I could do if I spent less time on the computer:

*learn to knit
*learn Spanish
*read
*sew
*housework (not that I would do this, but I could...)
*sleep
*go through that box of stuff that needs mending that has been in my craft closet forever.
*paint the kids' dresser
*practice the piano

I've been thinking a lot about this the last few days. Some of us may be addicted to Angry Birds. Not to mention any names.

(And maybe his mother too.)

There are things I want to learn. I am a smart person, and I don't think God gave me that gift to spend all my spare time on facebook and blogs and Dave's Ipod.

Not that I want to quit the internet all together. I like this little space of mine and I like to think that those who stop by like it too. It helps me organize my thoughts. It helps me remember life.

The truth is, there are so many good things to be found online, and I often find myself getting caught up in them. But I don't want to be so focused on good things, that I forget the best things.

It's all about finding a balance. Drawing that line. I'm working it out in my head where it is. I'll let you know when I find something.

mornings

I'm not a morning person. It's not that I'm grumpy or anything. It's just that Dave and I are night owls and we stay up way too late for our own good. Dave doesn't need as much sleep as I do. Usually he leaves for school before the kids wake me up. They are my alarm clock, and they are not early risers either.

I recognize that the current state of things will mean a big adjustment for Ana when school starts. So, I am ready to make a change to our morning routine.

So tell me, what is your morning routine like?

Do you have a strict schedule filled to brim with activities or more laid back?

Are your kids early risers? Do you wake up before them?

Do your kids have morning chores/responsibilities?

Is your house a mess on Mondays, too? (Just say yes and make me feel better.)

Come on internet friends, help me out here.

kick off

We kicked off Spring Break with a walk in the park. Saturday was bright and beautiful.







The rest of the week has been cool and rainy. So we've sat at home.

I think so far it's been much more of a break for me than for Dave. He's taken over kid duty for the most part. And he let's me sleep in most days.

Here's to our last Spring Break ever.

funny things

My kids make me laugh.

***

Me, while doing Sharing Time in church: We all make mistakes don't we. I know I do.

Ana, out loud to the entire primary: Like when you put me in time out?

Me: Well, that happens because you made a mistake.

Ana: Oh, I know some mistakes that you make....

Me: Let's move on. ...

****

Ana, while walking through JCPenney toward the men's department, looking for Dave: I smell men, Mom. It smells like Daddy. (Another lady overheard this, and laughed out loud.)

****

Jack, during prayers: Bless Mommy to be good at home and do the dishes, whatever dish she wants to clean.

***

For as picky as Jack is about his clothing, he was willing to wear this mask around all day chasing Ana (or Thomas).



In other news: Dave is home for the week for Spring Break. Woohoo!!!

one change

Sometimes I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life.

I like four seasons. By the time summer ends, I generally welcome the cooler weather, the color change, and eventually the falling snow. This year was no different. Fall was divine, and our white Christmas and snowman-building adventures did not disappoint.

Until February. Hell may very well be an endless northern February... or March.

And now we are a week into April and today may very well be one of the first nice days we've had in weeks. This spring as been slow-emerging to say the least. Even when the temperature crept into the 40s last month, it was too wet and slushy and melting snow-y to really do much outside. Now the only snow left is what had been piled from the roads, and today is promising to near 50 degrees.

This spring has not agreed with me. February gave me the grumps. I was frustrated with almost everything: my house, my children, my husband, my wardrobe, the snow - you name it, it annoyed me. Then we got a blizzard the first week in March, and it plunged me even further. My emotional self got the better of me, and I was a wreck. I didn't want to get out of bed. I yelled at the children. I just wanted to sit around and do nothing. It wasn't pretty. Then one night, after an emotional torrent, I was lying in bed wondering what was wrong with me. And I heard a voice.

It was my own voice from about 5 or 6 years ago. Back when I thought I had it all figured out. (Before motherhood stretched me in ways I never thought possible.) I had been talking to one of my sisters who had been struggling with life, and I had said to her (or thought to myself afterward), "Are you reading the scriptures and praying? Life is better when you do."

And that is what I heard myself say a month ago. And I realized, pathetically, that those things had been sketchy at best.

So I committed. I would stop trying to change everything at once, and just change one thing: read and pray every day.

The outcome:

*My children did NOT magically become more obedient.
*My house did NOT magically become cleaner and more organized.
*It continued to be cloudy and cold for weeks.
*And I am still in the annoying "maternity clothes are too big, regular clothes are too small" stage of pregnancy.

And yet:

*I feel better. I have been more patient, more willing to serve. I have more motivation to do housework. It is easier to smile. Life has been better.

And the only thing that changed was that one, essential thing.

Now I am ready to change one more thing.

*** this sat in my draft for a while. I don't want to forget the moment, though the thought is incomplete ***

I was in bed this morning, in the semi-conscious state between awake and asleep, and I felt the baby kick. I mean really kick. For several weeks I've felt her move around most evenings, but this time was different. Very Chuck Norris-esque. My eyes came open and I lay still for several minutes, hoping to feel it again. A few more times, and then she stopped, and I drifted back to sleep.

I'm 22 weeks along. In some ways it seems like it's going quickly, but I feel so anxious for this little baby to be in our family, and really August can't come soon enough. Ana and Jack like to hug and kiss my belly and tell the baby they love her.

so we watched TV all weekend

We spent the weekend lounging about watching TV.



Ana ate doritos on a ... fishing pole thing. (And snuggled Daddy, which they both loved.)



Jack did lots and lots of puzzles. We bought each kid a new one for the weekend. (Actually Ana's was a pack of 3 puzzles.) Jack mastered his fairly quickly.



So he moved on to Ana's. He really is quite the puzzle master.



We were watching General Conference.

It was incredible and uplifting. They are inspired words of God, both spoken and sung. I am excited to read them again. I love conference weekend. If you want to know what Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) believe and what our leaders teach, pick any talk and listen to it. We learned about how to be better parents. We learned about loving others. We learned about the importance of covenants. We learned about prayer and how to receive our own guidance from God. We talked of our Savior Jesus Christ. It was beautiful.

I love conference weekend!