Movers and Shakers

On Tuesday nights from 6:30-7:15 pm Aidan has his "movers and shakers" gym class. Usually Matthew takes him, to have some one on one time with him (Emma's class is Monday nights), but after the AWFUL day I had this week, Matthew and I decided that we BOTH need to have one on one time with Aidan. So, we got my mother to babysit Emma and Parker, and off we went to class! It was really nice to be in the car just with Aidan, talking to him about his day and what he was looking forward to in class. Afterward, Matthew and I took Aidan to get ice cream and it was really nice to just be together the three of us. Aidan LOVED it. I could tell he felt special and singled out, and it was amazing what a few hours alone with Mom and Dad did for him. He talked about it all the next day and was actually better behaved. Matthew and I decided that as the kids get older we want to do Mommy/Daddy dates with them once a month. One day that is just theirs with us, doing something fun. I think it will help them, and me, a lot!

Snow...Tucson Style!

I know, I know, for all those who are not native to Tucson (myself included) THIS is not snow--not how I knew it to be growing up anyhow, but yesterday, here in the desert, it got cold enough to actually deposit some snow on the ground. And seeing as I NEVER get to see snow on the ground around here, I'll take it!

One Of Those Days...

Today was one of those days, where all I wanted was a pair of red, ruby slippers that I could clap together while chanting "there is no place like before the kids were born, there is no place like before the kids were born..." That might sound awful, but today it rang true. I woke up to screaming, and I should have known right away that the rest of the day was not going to get any better. It was piles of laundry, a sink full of dishes, a family room floor strewn with toys, a constantly crying 19 month old, a mouthy, disobedient three year old, and a sweet two month old that just sat in his bouncy seat, patiently waiting for his mommy to have time for him. I love my son Aidan, I really, really do, but most days, and today in particular I don't like him very much. I can't figure out if he's jealous of his siblings, or just one of those kids that needs constant attention and activity, but today he was a tornado of trouble. He kicked and punched Emma every chance he got (which is why my 19 month old was constantly crying.) He wouldn't listen to anything, and every other time it was time to go potty, I'd find him peeing in the tub, because according to him it was "more fun." Nothing worked. Not coloring, playing playdo, going outside and playing on the jungle gym, not taking THREE walks around the neighborhood, or making cookies...by the time Matthew got home I had turned into a stressed out, impatient, screaming mess of a mother, that had everyone, including Matthew staring at me wide eyed, wondering "what's wrong with Mommy?" I HATE days like today. Days where nothing goes right and everything is too much to handle, and when it's all said and done, and the kids are asleep, and looking angelic, the guilt of my bad parenting kicks in. All I can do is try better tomorrow, right? It's a good thing kids are so forgiving...below are a couple of pictures that remind me why I became a mother in the first place.





Aidan after church yesterday. We were there for 5 hours due to the baptismal preview we had to attend right afterwards. He fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up even when I was putting his jammies on!



















The one thing Aidan is for sure, is a great big brother. From the moment we brought Parker home from the hospital, he has been attentive, loving, and kind to his baby brother. I am grateful for that.

Parker's Baby Blessing

Yesterday we had Parker's baby blessing. Lots of family was able to come, and it was a special day for us. Here are some pictures of the festivities after church.

25 Things About Me

One of my friends tagged me on facebook to write 25 things about myself...I thought I would also post them here:

1. I knew, after my first conversation with Matthew, that I was going to marry him, even though he was dating someone else at the time.
2. I don't like ice cream.
3. Arizona still doesn't feel like home.
4. I can't eat left overs...something about the way food tastes when it's reheated is gross to me.
5. I miss living with Hannah and Brie.
6. I am always rearranging the furniture in my house.
7. I am a neat/clean freak.
8. I love to scrapbook.
9. I am constantly changing my mind...hence #6.
10. I am not naturally maternal. Mothering has been a learned behavior for me, and I have a long way to go.
11. There is no one that makes me laugh, even to this day, the way Molly used to.
12. I love all things Jane Austen.
13. I am an insomniac.
14. I love balsamic vinegar with just about everything.
15. I am still madly in love with my husband after 6 years of being together.
16. I've had one poem and one prose piece published.
17. I wish my parents were still married.
18. I've always wanted to play the piano, but have no musical ability whatsoever.
19. I worry about EVERYTHING.
20. I am adopted.
21. I hate sticking to a schedule.
22. I love to cook and/or bake.
23. I want to travel the world someday.
24. My favorite thing to do, is to curl up in bed with my husband, and watch TV or a movie.
25. I love it when it rains.

Emma

Don't get me wrong, boys are great. I have two that I love very, very much. But there is just something so special about having a daughter. Maybe it's because I have two boys that I feel that way, I don't know. All I do know, is that this little girl has added so much to my life as a mother, and to our family as a whole. She has such a sweet disposition, most of the time :) She is naturally loving and affectionate, and is always hanging onto my legs and running up to me and giving me hugs and kisses. She loves to listen to music, and has the cutest little dance she does to her favorite songs. She is genuinely funny and almost always has a smile on her face. She is quick to forgive, especially her brother Aidan, who at the age of three, sometimes has a difficult time being loving to her. She follows him around and always wants to be where he is, even after a fight or the occasional wrestling match with him. She has an infectious laugh, which sometimes makes it hard to discipline her, but overall she has been an angel child, and we couldn't imagine our life with out her!

Also, as she has started to talk more, she has adopted an adorable language of her own, where most of the words that have a "K" in them, have been substituted with a "P." Here are some examples:

Milk= Milp
Parker= Parper
Book= Boop
Work =Worp
Park= Parp

Catch up

Over the last few weeks we have taken lots and lots of pictures of Parker, fun in the snow, and Aidan and Emma in various stages of cuteness. We have not taken lots and lots pictures of the trips to the emergency room, trips to the doctor's office, or the many trips to the pharmacy to pick up all of the medicine we have been on this last month. Whew, it makes me tired just writing about it! But we are all doing better now, knock on wood, and will hopefully stay healthier during this new year!