A day early

Decided to do my Sunday post tonight.  My last two posts were mostly boring because I haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately.  So I made a concerted effort to take pictures this week.

Not a whole lot going on this last week.  I volunteered in Emilia's classroom on Wednesday afternoon and Steve had Ben and two other friends over to play a game that night. Today I helped Alison unpack some of her boxes in her new house.  I was supposed to help her move, but I got there late and they had already finished packing up her old apartment and drove over to her new apartment.  So then on the way to her new apartment, I had to make a quick stop to pick up some goat milk, got stopped behind two Trax crossings, drove like 15 blocks past her turn-off and finally made it there when all the rest of the help was leaving because they were done unloading.  I'm such a slacker.  I stayed and helped unpack her kitchen to make up for it. But then she let me have some leftover pizza, which my family ate for dinner. So now I owe her again.

Cecily keeps waking up 3 or 4 times a night to eat.  She's been doing it since Thanksgiving.  And I'm tired. zzzzzz.....

I have decided that I must not be making enough milk for her to get full, so we decided this week that we're going to do most of her feedings with goat milk.  (Hence the stop to get goat milk.) I'll try to breastfeed her twice a day and see how that goes.  Hopefully my milk won't just dry up, but if it does, oh well. I won't miss breastfeeding.  Just the savings. :)

So here are some pictures from this last week.
Mira being goofy:

The cute and smiley Cecily:

Me feeling skinny.  I've lost about 20 lbs since Cecily was born. Skinny jeans are a fad that's grown on me, I guess.

Cecily having some cuddle time with Daddy right before bed. 

And these videos are adorable.  I hope all you family members who are getting these posts through email are clicking through to watch these videos.  My kids are awesome! And adorable.  Have I mentioned adorable? :)
A chat with Mira
Cecily Crawling!

Bubby Sue (with some facebook funnies)

Not much happened this week. I went and help Alison pack on Thursday night. Saturday Steve took the girls to Kangaroo Zoo--a bounce house place.  It makes me all sorts of happy to say that Mira is asleep in her bed in Pinkie Pie panties right now.

She is such a contradiction for me.  She makes me angrier than anyone on this planet has ever made me.  EVER.  But she also melts my heart. all. the. time.  And she is SO stinkin' cute!

She says "Thank you, Momma!" so sincerely over the funniest things.  Like when she gives me her binkie in the mornings.  She doesn't like having to give it up, but we only let her have it when she sleeps.  But she knows she's got to, and when I take it she says, "Thank you, Momma!"  Most of the facebook funnies below are from her.  And she just has her own unique way of pronouncing things.  Which you can see in the video that I linked to at the bottom.

9/28/13
Cecily wouldn't take a bottle this morning while I was gone garage sale-ing. When I got home Emilia told me, "I made up a song I was singing to her. It went, 'Be normal. Drink your milk--from a bottle without crying.'" I'm sure that was very comforting to Cecily. 

9/24/13
[Some background info: noses make noises in our house (My nose says "Ah-woo-gah"); Emilia has called Mira "the peachy squeeze" for over a year now.]

Cecily was sitting in her bumbo the other day and Emilia was talking to her. Emilia likes to squeeze Cecily's arm and say "Hello, Beep Beep!" But she took it a little further. "You know how a little girl grows up, Cecily? First they're a beep beep. Then they become a peachy squeech. Then they grow up to a honk honk, then an ooga."

11/8/13
Also, it's totally adorable that Mira's fill-in for the word "small" is cute--in any situation. She was putting away the clean silverware today from the dishwasher and pulls out a soup spoon.
Mira: Mommy, this a big one, right?
Me: Yes, Sweetie. That's a big one.
Mira (pulling out a regular-sized spoon): This a cute one, Mommy?
Me: Yes, that's a small one. Good job.
 
12/12/13
I crocheted a nativity for my kids so they would have one to play with this Christmas. The best part is, Mira calls them her "ginger mans."

12/17/13
Mira is being really cute today. Perhaps to make up for her shenanigans yesterday. A couple tidbits:
Mira (putting on sunglasses in the living room at 9am): Mommy! It's dark in here! I can't see.
Me: The sunglasses make it dark, huh?
Mira: Yes! We fix it. We need....assessories! (she runs off to find some)

A moment later...
Emilia (also in sunglasses): We look like you mommy. We're wearing glasses!
Mira: Yes! We need decide what's for dinner.
(Apparently that's what we serious mom-types do.)

At the lunch table, Mira is eating a granola bar.
Mira: Momma, pretend this is a bad guy.
CHOMP! She takes a loud big bite.
Mira: I bite his head off.
In the car on the way to my parents house...
Mira: Mom! a speedamint!
Me: Really? Where?
Mira: There! There's another one. Daddy! There's a speedamint!
Me aside to Steve: She's saying "speed limit."
Steve: Oh, I see. So, Mira, what's *your* speedamint?
Mira: A girl! (said with both the 'r' and the 'l' as a 'w')

On the way to grandma and grandpa's today, we were playing "I spy with my little eye..."
Mira: I spy...little eye...something a house!

Video of:
Mira telling me the name of a hair elastic.

Big steps

This last week we did nothing.

At least it felt a lot like nothing.  I started potty training Mira on Tuesday, and honestly, I am THRILLED at how well it's going, I just had to stay in my house for 5 straight days.  And I don't do well with being cooped up indoors.  Especially in the winter.

I am happy to say Mira is taking to it very quickly.  I think the key this time was that I prepared her for it.  I let her pick the day of the week she wanted to start and we marked off the calendar every day until it was the day she picked.  Each day we would mark it off and say only ___ more days until you get to use the potty! It helped that Emilia was excited for her to start using the potty, too.  If Emilia thinks its cool, then Mira is all over it. She went to church today wearing a pull up and we had an accident, but it was the only one of the day.  She did awesome. I'm very proud of her.

I also noticed this week that Emilia is getting really good at sounding out words.  She picks up library books and sounds out the first few words on the page. She picks words off signs, boxes, advertisements, buildings, and reads them.  She is doing amazing.

Cecily will not be outdone either.  She is rolling around like a pro.  So much so that she has knocked over plants and pulled stuff off shelves even though she started out at the other side of the room. She is also pushing up on her hands and knees and trying to go.  She's successful, only in the wrong direction.  She goes backwards a lot.

Friday Emilia didn't have school for SEP, so Haylee and Dylan and Lincoln came to visit.
Saturday was Steve's work "Christmas" party. We got sitters (yes, plural) and got dressed up in our best inexpensive version of 1930's nightclub garb.  We then set off for "The Underground" in Provo where they had a "mini" casino set up.  They were full-size tables, but not very many of them.  Five blackjack tables, three craps tables, one roulette table and one texas hold em table. They gave everybody $350 in chips which we could gamble with at the tables, and then at the end of the night, you turned in your winnings for entries to a raffle that will be held Monday at work.

Inside Sales where Steve works has grown a lot over the last year (probably quadrupled the number of employees) and I think this party was a product of some growing pains.  It was a terrible venue for 300+ employees and the fun stuff was under-staffed and over-crowded.  It was the same thing they did last year, and I would be happy to have them do it again next year if they get a larger venue and more tables.

Tonight we had the whole family at my parents house for celebrating January birthdays.

Although I had a lot of frustrations this week, I think overall, I can count it as a pretty blessed week.

Christmas visitors

This last week has been busy!

Last Sunday, my family got together to celebrate Christmas. We all gathered at Ben's house and opened gifts and ate lots of tasty food and played games.  A pretty typical family gathering for us. Fun and relaxing and filling.  And I didn't take a single picture. Erg.

Monday, I knew I had to get my house clean and my laundry done and girls bathed because Tuesday the Nelsons (with Jane and Meg) were going to be here and I knew I was going to be at Grandma and Grandpa Watts' house for most of the week.

Grandma had craft activities for the girls to do Tuesday morning. They all made mice out of acorns and little birds nests out of the tops of acorns.  They turned out really cute. I was actually out Christmas shopping when this happened, but they all look like they are having fun! :)

Tuesday night we had the Watts' traditional family Christmas Eve dinner and then a little program. The kids acted out the Christmas story from Luke 2. Except Emilia. She wanted to be a shepherd and in the commotion someone else was given the shepherd costume. She was bawling that she didn't get her part. But she was very mature and calmed down quickly and came and watched the rest of it. When it was over, she put on the Mary costume and was happy the rest of the evening. Until we had to go home, of course.  No pictures there either.

Wednesday was Christmas. We unpacked stockings and opened gifts from each other. I had a small meltdown because I felt rushed to get back to the Watts' but felt like we didn't have time to relax as a family.  My good husband figured things out with me and we had a good rest of the day. The girls got to open even more presents from Grandma and Grandpa, including new Christmas dresses, which they wore to church today.  I (and Steve) got a brand new knife set! I wasn't expecting that, but I look forward to using my shiny, new, sharp knives.  Once again, didn't take a single picture.

(Do you see a theme here?)

Thursday, Nick (Grandpa Watts) wanted to have an outing, so he took us all for a ride on Utah's commuter train, the Frontrunner, up to Salt Lake where we walked around Temple Square and then had lunch at the new City Creek Mall. This was a bit of a misadventure for us. I thought Cecily had a fever when she woke up that morning, but Steve thought I was overreacting.  Well, at lunch, she was burning up and threw up on Steve twice.  Mira was also sick with a cold and REALLY cranky. We decided to take our girls home right after lunch, so we headed out to catch the next train while everyone else went to the Joseph Smith Memorial building so they could go to the top of a "skyscraper."  Jane is really into skyscrapers right now. Well, on our way out, Mira dropped her brand new replacement stuffed siberian tiger. She got one when Nick and Wilda took us to the zoo, which she lost about 6 weeks ago during a trip to the grocery store.  For Christmas, we got her a new one, and since everyone was bringing a toy to entertain them on the train, she picked her new "Stripes" as her toy.  We kept telling her that she needed to let us carry him while we walked around downtown so she wouldn't lose him, but she was cranky and sick and even more stubborn than usual.  So exactly 1 day after she got him, he was lost again.  Somewhere between the food court and the elevator (all of 150 yards) he fell off her lap and someone picked him up and kept him. Frustration with Mira and mall-going-humanity ensued.  The sad part is, I don't think she learned anything from this.  She kept asking if she could play with Stripes the whole way home on the train. And the funny part is, after we looked over that 150 yards three times and asked at the customer service counter and left our name and number in case anyone turned him in, everyone who had gone to the "skyscraper" beat us to the train. Sigh.

I did get a picture though! Ha-hah!

The 4 girls. Jane is glaring at Mira because Mira kept asking if
she could have Jane's bunny since she didn't have Stripes.

Cecily being very happy despite being sick.
Kate and Nicole and Grandpa Nick are in the background.

Thursday night, the Strattons came from Arvada and we hung out with them and had a lovely light dinner. (Strattons are Steve's second sister and her family. The Nelsons are Steve's third sister and her family.)

Friday, I wanted to have a little bit of a quiet day. Steve had to work, and everyone was either skiing or ice skating, neither of which I was going to attempt with three girls, two of whom were sick.  Nicole did bring her older girls down for a couple hours in the morning, but then we just had naps and took down Christmas decorations in the afternoon.  I helped serve at a wedding reception for the son of a family in our ward that night.

Saturday, we headed back up to the Watts'. The Strattons and Tristan and Nick and Wilda went to try out the Flowrider at Provo Beach Resort, but the rest of us stayed there and had lunch and hung around.  After lunch I went to exchange some Christmas gifts.  I'm excited about the scarf I got! While I was out, Heather (Stratton) called and invited me to join all the girls for pedicures.  It was so fun and I now have silver sparkly toes. Yea! Then we had pizza for dinner, put the kids to bed and us girls made necklaces and crocheted scarves while the boys played board games.  So fun!

The Nelsons and Strattons headed out to see the other sides of their families today, so we stayed here, went to church, and had breakfast for dinner after everyone except Emilia had afternoon naps.

Except for the kids having colds, I would say we had an exceptional week. Thank you to all of my family who spent time with us.  I can't think of a better way to spend the holidays!

This week in the fastest post ever

Or the fastest post I can manage.  I'm kind of long-winded.

Last Sunday we had a birthday dinner for me at my parents house.  I got some fun gifts: money for new clothes (which I have already spent :)), a vegetable steamer that goes in a pot, and a Ninja food processor. Yea for small kitchen appliances!

Ben and Haylee came over with the kids Monday so Steve could show Ben his new game, The Lord of the Rings Card Game.  They played and our kids played and Haylee and I talked.  It was good.  We're doing it again this week.

I worked on Christmas gifts most nights, we did lots of Christmas shopping, I actually got some exercising in.  Cecily has been sleeping better at night--though not during the day--and I haven't been sick, so I've had the energy to exercise.  It's been wonderful. Exercising really lifts my spirits.  Emilia was sick home from school for two days because of a fever and a cough, but wasn't too under the weather.  She napped one day and I had all three of my children napping at the same time for about an hour.  It was bliss.

Friday night, Steve's work paid for us to go see the second installment of the Hobbit.  I was unimpressed.  The free admission probably wasn't worth the babysitting money we paid. But oh well.  At least I got a date with my husband.  That's worth something.

Yesterday morning, Steve and I were discussing what we needed to get done for the day in our bedroom when Emilia comes in and says, "You guys have to come see what I made!" Usually this means she made a big mess in an attempt to make something she thinks is cool.  I was a little apprehensive because I just cleaned the living room on Friday.

This is what she made:

It was her worm-mobile.  In the cartoon show Wild Kratts (that she loves right now), the characters get "creature powers" and one of them is about worms.  The Kratt brothers drive a "worm-mobile" around trying to figure out why worms come up out of the ground when it rains. (This is after they shrink themselves to the size of a worm, of course.) Emilia is in the front seat of her worm-mobile, Mira is in her seat behind her, and Daddy and I are on the couch, which was behind Mira's seat.  She even had cup-holders (you can see hers next to her chair). The Christmas bulb under her foot was a light that she could shine on things, and she used the wand in her hand to steer. It was quite cute.

I realized when I went to write this post that I still haven't posted about our trip.  I guess I will have to try to fit that in soon. Probably not this week.  Maybe after Christmas. We'll see.

Thanksgiving and being sick

I've missed a few weeks now.  I was doing so good, too. I think I will be able to get back into the swing of things pretty easily, though. 

The reason I missed the first two weeks is because I was sick both Sundays.  Totally not fair to get a nasty, I-can't-talk-for-two-days cold, and then two days after recovering, get the stomach flu. I suppose getting the stomach flu is inevitable when cleaning up after two girls who it took by surprise at 3 o'clock in the morning three days apart. Don't think about it too hard, but Emilia was stuck on the top bunk and I ended up cleaning the mattress, all her bedding, and the carpet until 4:30am, at which time Cecily decided it was a good time to eat.  Lots of lost sleep lately.

During that time, we also got a visit from the Nelson family, including Emilia's favorite cousins, Jane and Meg. The girls had a blast playing both here and at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Emilia got to be VIP at school the week she got sick, too.  Her teacher was so nice and extended her VIP privileges another week, since she was sick for two of the five days, and since I was also sick a different two of the five days, she didn't get her VIP poster (the kind that tells about her and the things she likes that they hang next to the door for the week) until the day before she got sick.  When she did get her poster, though, it was stinkin' amazing. :)

After recovering from being sick the second time, it was time to get us ready for our vacation.  We have been planning to visit the Nelsons in Arizona since they moved there in June, and Thanksgiving seemed like the time to do it, since Steve would have two days off anyway.  Emilia has been praying multiple times a week for six months, "Thankful we can see Jane and Meg at Thanksgiving." So, even though we had just seen the Nelsons the week before, we packed our car to the gills and headed to Arizona last Sunday.

Of course, we had planned to leave Saturday morning.  But Steve got the flu.

I'll tell you about our trip in another post.  But I will say that it was SO wonderful to see so much family.  I love you all tons! I am very grateful to have been able to see and catch-up with you.

And now I am grateful to be typing this from the comfort of my own bed.  We made it home safe a few hours ago.  I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

And here are some videos of my cuties being cute. Just click on the link(or copy and paste it into your browser address bar if it doesn't show up as a link) and it will take you to the video.

Mira dancing.  She's got moves.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=631452653562878&l=5286392777866183375

Mira making Cecily giggle:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=631456030229207&l=4511431601330025117

Cecily giggling:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=631459350228875&l=7656933992104363058

Halloween Madness

On Monday, I recuperated from last week and did a little shopping for fall clothes for the girls. Tuesday, I had to go grocery shopping and take our clothes to a laundromat because Home Depot couldn't deliver our new washer until Wednesday (and then we missed them anyway--apparently when you knock on our door at 7:15, we sleep right through it). Wednesday, Emilia had her Kindergarten Halloween Program, and then our ward did a Trunk-or-Treat at 5pm. I'd never heard of a trunk-or-treat until I moved to Utah. Basically all the families who want to participate, park in a parking lot and hand out treats from their trunks instead of having the kids go door to door. I painted the girls faces a little different this week. Mira was a tiger.

And Emilia was a leopard.

Grandma and Daddy came to the program. A shortened version of it is at the bottom of the post.

After trunk-or-treat, we had dinner and then carved pumpkins.  Emilia didn't like sticking her hands in, but she liked pulling the seeds out of the muck.

Mira, was all about getting dirty.  She stuck her whole arm in and clean out at least as much as I did.

Our finished product.  Emilia wanted it to look like a kitty.  I think we did pretty good.

Thursday, Emilia got to dress up for school again because they had a costume parade.  I wasn't able to go because it was right in the middle of nap times, but she said it was okay that we didn't make it and she had fun seeing all the different costumes.

At 3:30, Steve's work had a party.  It was pretty lame. They said they were providing dinner, but all they had were barbeque beef sandwiches and some veggie trays.  My kids ended up eating cookies for dinner. Perfect for Halloween, right?  I decided to go as a gypsy, because it was the only costume I could think of that I didn't have to buy anything for.

Steve's finished costume included wings and gloves.  He's holding his tail to the side.

The three kitties were adorable, again.

Here is Emilia's recital video. The sound on it is terrible, so I added some captions to help with understanding the words to the songs. But mostly, you should just watch Emilia, because she's so cute. :) I find it especially funny that she keeps shushing the boy next to her because she thinks he's singing too loud. Funny girl.