At Three Months...

I wish I knew how to do side by side comparisons.  This is the best I could do.  First, the tummy shot in chronological order.  

Seth - my baldest baby

Sam (poor Sam.  This is the only 3 month photo I could find of him that wasn’t glued down to a page).  Too bad it wasn’t a more smiley photo of him because he was SUCH a smiley baby.

Henry.  He has such a round face and my only baby who had eyelashes.  Click on photo for some major “awww”age.

Daniel

Who do you think he looks like?  I think he definitely leans towards Seth in facial shape, eye shape and expression.  

Next, onto the side lean pose...

Seth 

Sam (hmmm....this looks familiar.  And who let me have baby photos taken with a glaring red background???)

Henry

Daniel.

Still seth, me thinks.  But those pensive eyes have a lot of Sam in them.

Now for the laughing pictures.

Seth

Sam (there is only one other pose that I have of him at this age and he’s not laughing in it either.  But, you’re getting used to this image of him now:))

Henry.  A cropped version of a previous pose.  Oh my goodness, I loved those cheeks!  And he gets my vote for best eyebrows.

Daniel.  He’s such a mixture of all of them.

Because I look at them so much, they really just look like themselves to me.  It’s fun to hear others give me their opinion of who Daniel favors.  Today, I got a “me” vote.  I never get votes.  It’s funny because he does bear a strong resemblance to Seth, who is a mini-Jay.  I think they’re all adorable.  How fun.  

Daniel - 13 Weeks or 3 Months Exactly!

All of my other boys have a three month studio portrait.  Even though I know photography has exploded and these kinds of pictures are the equivalent of school photos, I wanted Daniel to get studio portraits so I could compare each boy’s looks at three months.  Because we do not even have a studio portrait place in my town, I had to travel an hour south and spend way too much money to get my hands on these very mediocre pictures.

It was not a pleasant experience.  I had to talk the photographer, who, I believe, was still in training (I was eavesdropping on one of her phone conversations) out of using all sorts of gaudy props.  All I wanted was a clean, white background and she used this horrid beige blanket and that was to cover up the even more horrid white pillow with a ring of frilly lace around it.  Seriously.  I can’t imagine that pillow being suitable for any kind of picture.  Daniel wasn’t even smiley (probably because the photographer had exactly ONE trick - clapping).  He did smile in the above shot which is probably why the package I chose is loaded with this picture but I also splurged and bought the CD with all the pictures.  I just uploaded it to my computer and I feel like I need to edit them.  The lighting is bad.  The picture is often off center.  Sigh.

I’m going to dig up the other boys' 3 month pictures and we’re going to see who this little man looks the most like.  In the  meantime enjoy these cute shots...

And these not so cute ones (unfortunately, there are a lot more where these come from).

She really tried to sell me on these “blended” photos.  Weren’t these all the rage in the early 80s?

A Fine Balance

Piano has been a mixed bag this school year.  Both I and Seth and Sam’s piano teacher have had babies this fall and winter and both of us took a month off from piano after our respective deliveries, much to my boys’ delight.

In spite of the frequent hiatuses, it’s been a positive thing.  I wrote last year about girding up my loins in my piano battle with Seth, but because of several factors, mostly the time off but also some better music selection by his teacher, I haven’t had to put on my armor yet.  Of course, that also means neither boy has progressed as much as he potentially could have but not as much doesn’t translate into not at all.  I’m proud to report that both are improving and playing increasingly difficult music.  Sam, my perfectionist, fights or ignores my requests to practice even more than Seth because he hates doing things that aren’t easy for him and piano isn’t easy.  Seth also ignores me but fights me so much less than last year that it feels like success.  Maybe that was his sinister plot all along.

Five weeks ago, Seth’s teacher sent him home with Bach’s Minuet in G Minor saying she thought he could learn it quickly and play it for our local Bach Festival Student Recital.  Considering we would be gone for an entire week at Taos over winter break, I expressed my concern about his ability to learn it well enough to have the performance be a positive experience.  She trusted Seth’s abilities and we’ve been forging ahead.

I was quite impressed with how quickly he learned it.  More than impressed, I was kind of giddy.  I love listening to my children play the piano.  It’s horrible, I know, because I should just want them to do whatever things they enjoy and are interested in but I selfishly want them to be pianists.   Beyond my own selfish interests, I also I think they have the natural talent, opportunity and means to learn to play the piano and when those variables are combined, the could becomes a should - both for their own musical benefit and as a benefit to their future families and wards.

Back to my giddiness, I enjoyed every moment of his performance today.  Yes, I wish he had been able to perform it without any mistakes but I was proud of how he handled his nerves and his mental lapses.  It’s so clear to me when I watch him play that we learn music so differently.  He had no interest in taking his music up to the piano with him.  I convinced him it was in his best interest as he has only been playing it from memory for two days.  If you watch the video, you can see his brain resetting from playing it by muscle memory and ear and switching back to reading the music.  I never would have done that.  If I have music in front of me, by golly, I’m going to use it.  But, I have never, ever been able to play by ear.  As frustrating as it is to watch him ignore his perfectly marked music, I must admit that I admire his gift.  I hope he one day appreciates it as well.

I think the biggest compliment was what the director of the Bach festival told Seth’s teacher after his performance.  He is a piano and organ virtuoso and he told her that even though Seth messed up, he could tell he understood the piece and played it musically.  I told Seth that I feel the Spirit when he plays.  I do.

It’s still a tightrope that I walk - nagging just enough to get him to practice but not too much that he resents it altogether - but I’m hopeful that experiences like today, mistakes included, convince him that he’s too talented not to play.





please excuse the shaky camera work. I was holding Daniel with my left arm and, several times, felt him start to fuss and bounced him up and down with my arm.

Pass

Maybe it’s the three times Daniel woke up crying last night.
Maybe it’s the four hours of standing in the wind today watching soccer games.
Maybe it’s grocery shopping at Walmart on a Saturday.
Maybe it’s all of the laundry I need to do.
Maybe it’s thinking about the long day ahead of me tomorrow (church, Seth playing at the Bach festival, stake leadership meeting all with a baby who won’t take a bottle in tow.  So not a day of rest.).
Maybe it’s the cheesecake I just ate.

Whatever it is, I don’t feel like writing today.

Book Review #5 - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

I bought this book as a Valentine’s gift to Jay and I actually thought this would be a nice “in between” book from my usual fare and asked if I could borrow it.  I had no idea.

John Le Carre is the pen name for David John Moore Cornwell, who, for a brief period of his life, was an actual British spy, keyword being British.  I was clueless from the get go about his use of British spy vernacular .  Terms like scalphunter, the circus, lamplighter, babysitters, and ferrets were unabashedly dropped and Le Carre wasn’t going to explain any of it.   He expected the reader to figure it out.

I appreciate his confidence in the learning curve of his readers but if felt a bit like going to a Star Trek convention armed only with knowledge of the “Klingons” and discovering how grossly underprepared ones vocabulary is in that world (How do trekkies remember it all?).  Considering this was my very first Le Carre book, I was reasonably confused.

Add to the unfamiliar jargon characters alternatively being referred to by their first, last, code or nickname, a plot that is not moving chronologically and setting frequently shifted mid chapter with no announcement and I came to an early conclusion that I did not like this book.  Mostly because I hated that it was above my ability to understand.

Surprising even to me, I stuck with it.  Perhaps George Smiley’s pathetic personal life amidst his own genius made him a sympathetic protagonist to cheer for.  No, that’s exactly why I held out.  The author takes his time developing each character and even though I didn’t appreciate it at the time as character after character was being introduced, each of his characters, whether major players or small-time support, felt full and real and utterly believable.  I enjoyed how the author allowed the narrative to reveal the hero, Smiley’s, insecurities as well as his spying brilliance.  And even though it doesn’t make for a very exciting plot, I also appreciated the frequent mentioning of how tedious, tiring and boring spy work actually is.

I’m glad I stuck with it because by page 300, I was hooked.  Sure, there were only 381 pages in all but this twisty story of who is who and who did what and with whom and where and when for the Russians finally becomes clear as Smiley interrogates and unravels each kink.  For me, the pleasure came from little insights Smiley gave as he figured it out.  The anti-climax of it all.  Sadness, almost, at ruining someone’s life - even if that person was a traitor.  Feeling small and mean towards a former friend who was never a friend.  Yes, I believe this almost discarded book was completely redeemed by George Smiley.

I’m nervous to attempt another Le Carre because I don’t like working so hard for a story, but now that I’m not a complete Carre novice, I may embrace my new knowledge and peek into the world of George Smiley once more.

Isn’t It Lovely?

It was the perfect almost officially spring day.  So warm.  No coats or jackets required.  We sat on the grass at soccer practice and basked.  

And little boy experienced his first day in the sun.  I think he liked it!  (He’s going through that odd phase of babyhood where they do a constant stomach crunch in their carseats.)  I got him out for a bit too but it was hard to keep the sun out of his eyes as he didn’t have the good sense to keep his head still.  

Come and get me!!

What You Missed

The Time Capsule experiment was informative and all but I missed real blogging.  Here’s what I would have posted on those days but in a more truncated format.

Day One.  I’ve lived in this house for nearly two years.  And for nearly two years, I have believed that the locks on all five of the window doors (does that make sense?  The doors that are glass instead of wood) don’t lock.  I figured it was a design flaw and that when we remodel in a year or ten, I’d replace them with doors that lock.  Call it naivety, call it cheap, call it irresponsible, but, yes, that means in the nearly two years that we have lived here, we have never been able to “lock up the house.”  Not at night.  Not on trips.  Never.  So far, so good.

Well, each of those locks are bolt locks underneath a lever handle and when you turn the bolt knob, nothing happens.  I’ve never claimed to be very handy or intuitive when it comes to how things work but I’m going to go out on a limb here and claim that if you see a knob for a lock underneath a handle, turning it should produce some sort of locking action.  Yes?  It doesn’t on these doors hence unlocked doors for two years.

Last Thursday, my son’s friend came over and while they were out on the trampoline, they left the door to the deck open and when I went to close it, it wouldn’t close.  The bolt lock was out and hitting on the jamb, preventing it from fully shutting.  The bolt was out!  How did it get out?  I turned the knob.  Nothing.  As any intuitively fix-it-challenged lady might do, I started simultaneously furiously turning the knob while pulling up and down the the lever handle.  It turned.

I played around with it while the door was closed.  It locked.  Apparently, all I needed to do these past two years to be safe was to raise the lever handle and THEN turn the bolt knob.  Because that is how these doors lock.  All of them.  So, if you were ever thinking of breaking into to my home to rob us, you’re too late.  Uh-oh!  Someone learned how to lock their doors! (said in the voice of Happy Gilmore learning how to putt.  It’s my husband’s fault that I know that movie at all).



Knob turned to the right to lock.  Doesn’t lock.




Door handle lifted up.  Door locks.  Obviously!

Day Two.   I rediscovered a CD in my car that I haven’t listened to in months.  Track five is Florence and the Machine’s Cosmic Love and I just can’t get enough of it.  The drums!  The harp!  The belting!  It made me miss singing so badly.  I don’t even really sing like her - in that style - but I couldn’t help repeating the song over and over and singing out as loud as I could in my car.  Of course, I don’t understand all of the lyrics but once I get a general vowel sound going, I'm good.  I’ve never been a lyric perfectionist.  You say tomato.  I say ah-ah-oh.  Moral of the story is:  I want to sing!  Loudly (or softly if the song called for it) and with emotion.  Wearing sequins would be a plus but it’s not necessary.  Preferably, loud (or soft) emotive singing would be done without the bad ward choir.  But,  I fear it’s not going to happen.



Disclaimer:  I had never seen this video before searching for it to add along with this blog post.  Love the song but ne’er fret, my wishing does not include wearing a pair of cut out leggings.


Day Three.  Second trimester report cards came home.  I am so pleased that each of my school-aged boys are blessed with the kind of intelligence that makes school less of an academic struggle.  Seth got all A’s and one B and the B was the direct result of missing assignments.  The middle school has a website for parents to log on and check grades and assignments and towards the end of the trimester, Seth was missing all kinds of assignments.  Some he had forgotten to turn in.  Some he just didn’t do.  I was emailing teachers and turning into the worst sort of nag but all of his grades came up once he turned in the work he is perfectly capable of understanding and doing.  But, some of the reading assignments were from newspaper articles he couldn’t find again and, thus, the B.  So, while I am pleased that Seth is intelligent, there is an exasperation that he is so disorganized.  We’re working on it.  I’m proud of him making the Honor Roll even though I’ll never, ever display those sentiments on the bumper of my car.




Seth gets his certificate and window decal from his group of core class teachers.



Immediately goes and acts cool with his buddies.  Totally ignoring the embarrassing lady with the camera nearby.

Sam had no problems.  He is bright and organized.  In fact, it annoyed me a bit to get his report card because his teacher almost universally marked his grades as “3”s which, translated, means, “achieves target” (2s are “approaching target" and 4s are “applies at a higher level”.  1s are “requires assistance”) even though he gets pulled out of her class every single day to do differentiated math, reading and language arts with the G/T teacher.  How can he be doing above grade level work outside of her class and still be “at grade level?”  He has completely different spelling words than the rest of the class.  He frequently comes home with some random math puzzler worksheet (like complicated sudoko or multiplying fractions) that is really hard and has nothing to do with what he’s currently learning but is her way of challenging him, I guess. I’m not trying to be obnoxious and I do like his teacher for making the effort to push Sam academically, but if he’s above grade level - give him the 4!  I know he’ll have them on his next report card and my guess is that by waiting to give him a 4, this teacher believes the raising of the grade will somehow reflect her awesome teaching abilities.  Perhaps a cynical and bloated opinion of a biased parent but my opinion nonetheless.

Henry’s report card makes me smile.  Henry, Henry, Henry.  For years, I was worried about Henry having a learning disability.  With his speech delay, it was hard to know what he knew.  Thankfully, I’ve learned that he is very bright.  He does have some other delays, like trouble with his fine motor skills, and the normal boys lengthy attention span delay, but he’s doing well.  Getting all 2s and 3s.  He did pull a couple of “N”s, however.  I remember a few Ns in my own elementary heyday.  Mine were in “avoids unnecessary talking.”  Apparently, I’ve always been wordy.  Henry gets his “N”eeds improvement in “does quality work” and “demonstrates consistent effort.”  His teacher has been on my case about Henry’s deficiencies in both these areas all year.  She is not a big Henry fan.  One of her main gripes is that he does not take the time or seem to care about coloring inside the lines.  He also does not use enough variation in his colors.  One purple or brown crayon will usually do!  I happen to think that pretty colorful pictures are not all that essential to one’s education but I am not a Kindergarten teacher so what do I know.  This comment on one of his take-home papers made me laugh.  Don’t overdo the high praise!  We wouldn’t want Henry to get a big head now!




I guess accolates like “Good Job!” and “Terrific!” are out of vogue in the Kindergarten world.

Day Four:  Did you read the news article about Tide laundry detergent being a target of thieves?  I guess there’s a black market for it.  Let me repeat that.  There is a black market for laundry detergent.  Having white whites and bright colors has joined the seedy underworld of drug trafficking, guns and prostitution.  I buy Tide.  I’ve also learned via Pinterest that blue Dawn dishwashing liquid solves just about all of the world’s problems.  I bet that’s the next at-risk item.  Good thing I have figured out how to lock my doors.

Day Five:   We had to do throw-downs in the body sculpting class I went to.  If you remember from back in my Biggest Loser posting days, this exercise is performed by lying on your back and holding onto the ankles of someone who is standing above your head.  That person “throws down” your legs and you try to keep them from touching the floor, bringing them back up for another throw down.

I had a baby 12 weeks ago.  I have no abdominal muscles.  Imagine my shame when I was the last of the 12 people in the class to complete the exercise.  The shame didn’t come from being last but from the eleven spectators thinking they were helping me by clapping and cheering, “Come on, Lucy!  You can do it!” while I struggled.  Sometimes, being supportive is overrated.  Sometimes, you just need to look away.

Book Review #4 - Delicacy

If ever I chose the right book to read at the right time, this book was it. I’ve been muddling through books for what seems like years, liking some well enough and recognizing some that deserve to be categorized as amazing (i.e. Unbroken) but, it’s been a long while since I’ve picked up a book that I didn’t want to put down. It seems even longer than that when the book also qualifies as great.

Even so, I’m nervous giving this an “amazing” rating but...I’m going to! Because, I loved it. It’s easy to read and funny and sad and unusual and interesting and thought provoking and exactly what I felt like reading.

I read a translation from the original French and there were only a few times when it really felt like a translation. The rest of the time, I felt like the english language was used perfectly. As a brief plot summary, Natalie, a beautiful French woman marries the perfect man for her who then dies. The rest of the book deals with how she moves on and how others treat her.

Except it’s more than that. I copied and pasted this from dictionary.com.


del·i·ca·cy   [del-i-kuh-see]
noun, plural -cies.
1.
fineness of texture, quality, etc.; softness; daintiness: the delicacy of lace.
2.
something delightful or pleasing, especially a choice food considered with regard to its rarity, costliness, or the like: Caviar is a great delicacy.
3.
the quality of being easily broken or damaged; fragility.
4.
the quality of requiring or involving great care or tact: negotiations of great delicacy.
5.
extreme sensitivity; precision of action or operation; minute accuracy: the delicacy of a skillful surgeon's touch; a watch mechanism of unusual delicacy.

It’s about all of these things!  Foenkinos takes each meaning of the word and layers his story with various situations requiring one or more of the definitions.  It is perfectly titled - one of my very favorite things in literature.  I almost feel annoyed when I read other reviews or, worse, the book jacket and it is simplified as a sweet romance.  Because it’s really about how and why people feel and think and do.  It just also happens to be sweet.

Such a pleasure to read.  I guess a movie is coming out as an adaptation of this book soon.  I have no idea how that will work because, in my opinion, this book’s strength is not its plot or even its characters.  It’s beauty is in the unspoken thought, reaction or motivation.  How they’ll translate that into a screenplay is beyond me.  Maybe it’ll work.  But, I doubt it’ll be anywhere close to as captivatingly delicate as the book.

Daniel - 12 Weeks

It’s been a confusing week for your mom. You were becoming so calm - so much more aware and comfortable on your own. Then, this week it’s been fuss, fuss, fuss and sleep, sleep sleep. I suppose it could be the bad cold you might still be getting over. It might be teething. It might be a growth spurt. I forgot how unsure everything seems with a newborn. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.

I love your voice. You have the sweetest coo. Your voice is a bit husky and you sure like to talk. You have sharp little nails that just might stay sharp because I always seem to cut your skin when I use the clippers. I’ll look into getting a pair of nail scissors. We might have more success that way.

You’ve slept every night in your swing. You love motion and the swing gives both of us a full night’s sleep. You nap in your crib. I’ve even taken you to the gym daycare twice. I don’t think you like it too well.

Once again, you hate the bottle. Oh, Daniel, it’s food! I know you aren’t trying to win a battle of wills but it sure seems that way.

We’ve also introduced you to the Ergo carrier. You really like it. Everytime you are in it you fall asleep. I’m glad there is a way to enjoy soccer games without holding you in my arms because, even though you’re small, you are heavy!

You’re almost three months old!

Time Capsule Round Up

I just couldn’t do it anymore. For the other days, I would continually log my day by speaking into my iPhone and it would translate it into a note for me. Then, on my computer, I would edit it and fill in gaps. I don’t know why I didn’t keep up with it on Saturday and Sunday, because I wanted to include a weekend log as those days are totally different than weekdays, but I was weary. It’s exhausting thinking about every minute of the day, not to mention really, really boring blogging.

BUT...for the sake of record keeping, I’m going to quickly note our weekend activities. Details about time will be missing, but my posterity will just have to use their imagination to fill in those gaps. Baby Daniel still needed to be fed. And, sadly, as of 2012, we still can’t teleport. I’m really hoping that mode of transportation becomes available soon. In the meantime, imagine me in my car. A lot.


SATURDAY: (Jay is on call and gone the entire day)

Breakfast
Soccer Gear Roundup (Seth can’t find his shin guards)
Drive hour south for Sam’s soccer game. Has to be there by 9:30
Drop Sam off and find sporting good store for Seth to buy new shin guards with his own money
Watch game from 10-11:30 (game started late). Daniel in front carrier. It’s cold! Henry finds other kids to play with on the sidelines. Visit with all the parents.
Sam’s team wins. He scores 4 goals!
During game, Henry needs taken to the restroom. Daniel needs to be fed.
Feed kids lunch at Costa Vida.
Drive 15 minutes north to next town for Seth’s soccer game at 1:30.
Visit with all the parents. Seth’s team loses 0-3. They played 14 year olds.
Stop at DQ for post game treats.
Drive home.
Home by 3:45 pm. We’re all tired.
Start fixing dinner. Ham and potato soup.
Boys alternate taking baths. Seth goes first (keeps spiking a fever. Probably shouldn’t have played)
Daniel is super fussy. Being out in the wind all day probably wasn’t his favorite thing, even though he was well covered. I wonder if he is teething this early????
Jay comes home and everybody eats together but me. Feeding Daniel.
Phone keeps ringing for Jay. Something is on the TV.
Put Daniel in his swing and I take a bath.
Read scriptures with boys and send them to bed. Decide whether or not I have the energy to pick up the house.
Do dishes, fold laundry, sweep floor and wipe down kitchen at 9:00 at night. Glad to go to bed without such a mess.
Wake Daniel up to feed him (can’t believe he’s still sleeping).
10:00 bed.

SUNDAY: (Daylight Savings Time Begins. A cruel and unnecessary time change, in my opinion).

5:30 or 6:30 woken up by Daniel (I was seriously off all day). I changed all the clocks in the house sometime during this hour.
Breakfast for everyone. Jay is gone feeding cows.
Get ready for church. Make bed. Iron white shirts. Comb everyone’s hair. (always glad for boys on Sundays. Making girl’s hair cute would take so much more time).
Jay and me take separate cars to church because I have meetings afterward.
Arrive at church and nurse Daniel until after the sacrament is passed.
Listen to speakers and then play for the YW special music. Enjoy the rest of Sacrament meeting calm as Jay takes Daniel out and Henry sits with his cousin Ethan.
Do church business (callings, meet with secretary and lady helping us with our fundraiser for camp) during Sunday school hour (so bad!)
YW. Got a new 2nd counselor so get her orientated a bit. Jay has Daniel during the whole block and I can hear him crying out in the hallways most of the time.
BYC for an hour
Home. Jay is tired and flustered by Daniel’s constant fussiness. Boys are watching Selection Sunday for NCAA tournament and NASCAR. Daniel is asleep in crib because he wouldn’t take the bottle I had pumped for him that morning.
Fix dinner. Hamburgers, Luna salad and frenchfries.
Eat together as a family
Dishes. Wipe down kitchen.
Daniel wakes up starving (I hadn’t fed him since before sacrament meeting!) Jay takes older boys with him over to feed steers and visit his parents.
Take Daniel over to Jay’s parents house to visit with them and Clark and Stephanie.
Home at 8:30 pm. Read scriptures. Family prayer. Get backpacks ready because I KNOW monday morning will be rough with sleep and time change.
Do stuff online (buy graduated cylinder for Seth’s science fair project, email, call my dad, get texts from lady who can’t be camp director, text bishopric member)
Read in bed for a bit

So, you want to know what I’ve learned from all this logging? I’m busy! Way busier than I thought I was. Honestly, I’ve always considered myself a lazy person. There are so many people I know who seem to get more done, keep a cleaner house, have more fun with their kids and I supposed I couldn’t do those things because I wasted time. But, I really don’t. I actually don’t know how other women manage. I have no idea how my life would work if I had to work outside the home in addition to getting all of this crap..er...stuff done. When would the laundry get folded? I have a hard enough time with that job as it is. Grocery shopping? Preparing food? Exercise? Family time? I mean...did I ever log reading with my kids? Nope. Henry does not get much story time. We don’t often go to children’s museums or swimming or to the library for fun. I go to the library but it’s usually in and out for a book I’ve put on hold. I get that my kids are in school so those events won’t happen until Daniel is old enough to need to be stimulated like that but most of my time is spent running kids around from place to place and cleaning up. It makes me want to say “blech.” It could be considered joyless except that it isn’t. Odd, right? We are happy. Busy but really happy. I consider our freedom and abundance to be busy with these things a great blessing. I wish I had more time to be a better friend but I appreciate the effort of my family to stay close to me and hope my friends know that I love them even if I don’t stay in touch with them:) Blogging and Facebook are about the only way for me to be a friend right now.

I hope if this does get read in 50 or 100 years, it’s considered a good, happy life. Maybe it will even seem simple and old-fashioned. I love serving my family. They are my favorite people and I want them to be fulfilled and satisfied. It’s interesting to me that keeping track for one week can’t possibly cover all of our “normals.” It’s a good start but even this week will be quite different (don’t worry. I won’t be logging it).

Looking forward to more March Madness blogging but I am glad the Time Capsule is over.

Time Capsule - Day Four

6:30 Wake up before everyone (except Jay. He’s already out the door - running and feeding cows)
6:35 Daniel wakes up.
6:35-6:50 feed an absolutely charming Daniel (he’s so smiley!)
6:45 Everyone else comes downstairs grumpy and tired
6:50 Feed Henry a muffin, Sam a muffin, Seth some Lucky Charms (we’re super healthy around here)
6:55 Make lunch for Sam
7:00 Instruct Sam and Henry to get their stuff together and get in the van.
7:10 Henry can’t find his shoes
7:12 Henry and I are grumpy at each other as I drive him and Sam down to the bus with Daniel on my lap.
7:17 Realize that we missed the bus. Turn around to go get Daniel’s car seat so I can drive them to school.
7:18 While inside, find Henry’s shoes on the floor in the mud room. Special mom eyes, I guess. Tell Seth to be ready in 20 minutes.
7:20 Drive Sam and Henry to school
7:30 Help Henry change from his boots to his shoes. He has a meltdown in car.
7:35 Drive back home to get Seth
7:45 Leave car running and go inside to let Seth know I’m back. Notice Henry’s homework folder on floor of mudroom full of the homework we stayed up late finishing. Grrrr.
7:45-7:50 Change into my workout clothes so I can run homework into elementary school and be ready at 8:30 when Stephanie comes to pick me up for our 9:00 Totally Toned class.
7:50-8:00 Drive Seth to middle school.
8:00 Gas light comes on. Realize I’ve drive 379 miles since Monday afternoon. Drive to gas station to fill up.
8:10 Drive back home realizing there is no way I can get Henry’s folder to him and still make my workout. Decide he’ll have to face the consequences for forgetting it. Realize that consequences for forgetting Kindergarten homework should be an oxymoron.
8:15 Nurse and change Daniel. Worry a little that Jay is still not home.
8:15 - 8:30 continually look out window while I nurse and wonder where Jay is.
8:35 Stephanie arrives. I tell her to leave her boys with me and go to the class. I wait and worry about Jay. Maybe he got hit by a car or broke his leg on his run?
8:40-9:00 Talk to Ethan and Caden while they eat their breakfast. Unload dishwasher. Load dishwasher with breakfast dishes.
9:00 Jay comes home from a long run. Realizes I had a 9:00 class. He apologizes and I fume and start to vigorously clean the kitchen.
9:05-9:50 Scare Jay with my icy daggers. While annoyed, I am incredibly productive and fold a load of laundry, make my bed, clean my bathroom, pick up living room,wipe down kitchen counters, sweep floor, take out trash, walk trashcan to end of driveway and pick up mudroom.
9:50 Realize everyone makes mistakes and that I still have time to make another class. Tell Jay I am going to the 10:30 spin class. He is visibly relieved.
10:00 Leave for spin class
10:10 Call Sarah
10:30-11:30 Spin up a sweaty storm. It felt so good and all of the morning’s cloud went away.
11:45 Home and relieved to discover Daniel still asleep. Turn on shower.
11:50 Finally get in shower (it takes forever for the hot water to reach our master bathroom)
12:00 Get dressed, spritz sea salt onto my wet hair so it can air dry, put on make-up.
12:10 Jay asks me out on a lunch date.
12:15 Nurse and change Daniel
12:30 Drive to mexican restaurant with Jay and Daniel. Talk about politics, sports and hornet’s nest that Jay stirred with his email to the club soccer lady.
12:45-1:15 eat a hasty lunch of fish tacos while bouncing a very fussy Daniel on my knee. He’s kind of a lunch date killjoy.
1:15-1:30 Drive home. Stop for a soda for Jay (still haven’t had one since the day before I delivered Daniel).
1:45 Read Delicacy
1:55 Nurse Daniel
2:00 Sam and Henry arrive home from school.
2:00-2:30 Ooh and Aah over artwork and other school work sent him in Friday folder. Look at both boys 2nd trimester report cards.
2:30-2:45 Listen to Sam practice the piano while reading book. Put Daniel down for a nap.
3:00 Seth home from school. Looks pale and sick.
3:00-4:30 Read and finish book with lots of interruptions. Boys watch Florida Alabama Men’s basketball game.
4:30-5:00 Read and respond to annoying commenter on Goodreads. Send texts to sister Emily. Jay takes Seth and Sam with him to work with their steers.
5:00-5:30 Thaw meat for dinner. Update time capsule log. Eat too many Mini Cadburry eggs (they are of the devil!)
5:30-6:00 Slice tenderloin into thin strips for mongolian beef. Start rice in pot. Slice up green onions.
6:00 Boys home from working with steers. Dinner is ready but Daniel is crying now.
6:10 Nurse Daniel while boys are at the table eating
6:20 Join the group at the table. For about five minutes. Daniel is super fussy.
6:30 Do bicycle legs on Daniel to try and relieve what I think is a stomach upset from gassiness. Texts with Stephanie and the mom of Seth’s science fair partner about getting the boys ready for science fair. Jay does the dinner dishes.
6:45 Change into pajamas because its going to be a long evening of holding an angry baby.
7:00 Start watching Netflix documentary called American Teen with Jay. Interesting but annoying to watch because our DVD player is on the fritz and would continually freeze. Boys go downstairs to play the Wii.
7:05-8:45 Watch movie while taking turns standing and holding Daniel in the football hold - the only position in which he doesn’t cry.
8:45 - Daniel finally nurses and starts to fall asleep.
9:00 - 9:15 Sit in chair rocking Daniel and wonder why he is so fussy sometimes. I think he must need to poop. Jay gets boys in bed. I regret not calling the boys down to read scriptures and have family prayer.
9:15-9:45 Read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in bed. It is one of the most difficult books I have ever read. Jay falls asleep reading his book.
9:45 Lights out. Oh yeah! It’s Friday night. We’re wild and crazy people!

Time Capsule - Day Three

6:15-6:25 -meditate. It's going to be another long day.

6:25-7:00 - breakfast for boys.  Make lunches.  Eat poppy seed muffin for breakfast. 

7:05 - drive boys down end of driveway with Daniel on my lap to catch bus.

7:15-7:30  - Nurse and change Daniel.  Put in crib for morning nap.

7:30-8:00  - Clean kitchen from last night's dinner mess and breakfast.  Put a white load in washer.  Load dishwasher and start it.

8:00 - talk to friend, Lori, on phone about how New Beginnings went.

8:25-8:35 - vacuum floors.  Wipe off dining room table.  

8:45 - scrub out toilet bowls in master bathroom and main floor bath.

8:50 - switch clothes from washer to dryer.  Put in load of colors.

8:55 - make bed

9:00 - upload photos.  Post blog.  Return emails.  Call Middle school to excuse Seth who is home sick again.

9:05 - check Facebook

9:10 - change into workout clothes.

9:15 - nurse Daniel

9:25 - get in car to drive to gym.  Call Jen to wish her a Happy Birthday!

9:45-11:00 - personal training session with Kim.  Got all my measurements taken and weighed.  I'm getting back in the game!  And it was a really hard workout.  

11:05-11:15 - drive to park to meet Stephanie who has Daniel

11:25-12:15 - grocery shop at Walmart with Daniel in Ergo carrier



found his thumb on the ride home from Walmart! 

12:15-12:45 - nurse Daniel and watch video from facebook about Joseph Kony and the campaign to arrest him.

12:45 - 12:55  - bring in and put away groceries from car

12:55 - change Daniel's diaper and put in crib for afternoon nap

1:00 - eat  Southwest chicken salad for lunch.  Talk to Seth.

1:15 - move colors to dryer.  Fold white load.

1:30 - start making dinner.  Triple batch of my sister-in-law, Tara's, mac-n-cheese.

2:00 - 2:30 research about this Kony guy and why this video is going viral.  

3:00 - dinner made and kitchen cleaned up.

3:10 - changed from workout clothes into everyday clothes.  Still haven't showered though.

3:20 - get piano books ready and afterschool snacks for Sam, Henry and Sam's friend.

3:30 - command all boys to get into car.  

3:35-3:50 - drive Seth to piano lesson.

3:55-4:10 - drive Sam and Everett to soccer at middle school.

4:15-4:30 - drive back to piano lesson.  Call my mom and talk to her and Sarah who are both at Jen's house.

4:30-4:35 Drive around to keep Daniel asleep.  He wakes up.  Park and nurse him.

4:40 - Seth done with piano lesson.  His teacher comes out to car to talk to me. 

4:50-5:10 - drive to Lori's house to drop off dinner.  She's trying a GF diet for one of her kids for two weeks and it can be overwhelming to think of meals at first.  Plus, I just like her.



get behind slow car on the way.  Guess what make and model????

5:10-5:30 - drive to middle school to wait for Sam to finish soccer practice.

5:30 - 5:45 - watch Sam practice with his team in the cold rain.  Hold Daniel outside with blanket and coat around him.

5:55 - home.  Preheat oven and put macaroni and cheese in.  Set table.

6:10 - Clark and Stephanie come over with Ethan and Caden for dinner. 

6:20 - sit down to dinner.  Daniel won't stop fussing so I stand and eat at the nearby counter.  Love watching Henry enjoy his younger cousins.



Ethan and Henry playing telephone with their cantaloupe rinds.

6:40 - try to nurse Daniel to calm him down but he won't have anything to do with it.

6:50 - excuse myself to my bedroom to see if a quieter room will help.  It doesn't.  

7:00 - give Daniel a bath to calm him down.  He loves it.  Jay does the dishes.

7:10 - put Daniel in PJs.  Try to nurse him again.

7:15 - nope.  But he will suck on my finger.  He falls asleep.

7:20 - 8:00 - sit on couch with Stephanie and Sam and chat.  Sam needs a little bit of help with his long division homework. Clark and Jay are nearby talking about cows and imaging and surgery of the foot.


8:15 - Clark and Stephanie start rounding up their boys to go home.  I realize we still have Kindergarten homework to do and start looking for a baby, toddler, preschool and school picture of him.

8:25 - give Seth some NyQuil to help him sleep.

8:30-8:45 - help Henry finish his homework.  Jay holds a fussy Daniel.

9:00 - 9:15 - nurse Daniel to sleep.  He's pretty cute.

9:20 - answer call from Lori thanking me for dinner.  

9:35 - 9:50 - check Facebook.  Update daily time capsule log

10:00 -get ready for bed.  

10:20 - lights out

Time Capsule - Day Two

4:30 nurse Daniel
6:15 nurse Daniel. Change diaper
6:45 wake up boys with salsa music.
7:00 breakfast of muffins
7:15 make lunch for Henry and Sam. Get backpacks ready
7:30 get in car to drive all three boys to school
8:15 return home. load breakfast dishes into dishwasher
8:20 -9:20. Blog. Upload pictures onto computer. Exchange texts with YW from last night to see if she's doing better today
9:30 Get dressed. Nurse Daniel, change his diaper
9:45 leave for Suzanne's house for card making class
10:10 get to class. Put Daniel down on her couch for a nap
11:00 Daniel wakes up. Nurse him and change his messy diaper
11:20 -12:00 cut, stamp, glue and embellish cards while Daniel kicks on floor
12:00 Daniel starts crying. Feed him again
12:20 Suzanne holds Daniel while I stamp
12:40 Put Daniel in his car seat and try to finish cards while rocking him with my foot
12:50 Suzanne Holds Daniel again while i finish up. Has big poop blow out
1:00 Change daniel's diaper. put him in car seat and leave with cards unfinished




1:10 On way home, check voicemail. call Lori back
1:20 Get to Subway for some lunch but realize I left my purse at Suzanne's. Start driving back.
1:30 arrive back at Suzanne's for purse
1:35 drive different way home and get pulled over for Speeding.
1:37 Daniel wakes up in nonmoving car
1:40 finally moving again. Cop gave me a warning
1:45 stopped for Navajo taco for lunch
2:00 home. Nurse Daniel. change diaper. Put him in crib for his nap.
2:15 - 2:45 Find and make invitation for YW daddy daughter date on computer
2:45 shower and get ready
3:10 wipe down master bathroom
3:15 make bed
3:20 cream cheese chicken chili in crockpot
3:25 load car with piano books soccer bag and Daniel
3:30 pick up boys off bus at end of driveway
3:40pick up Seth at middle school
3:50 stop for pre piano lesson milkshakes at sonic
4:00 piano for Sam. Drive back to middle school for soccer
4:25 leave sick seth at school for soccer soccer
4:30 Drive back to piano to pick up Sam
4:40 Drive back to middle school
4:45 talk to Emily on phone while driving and once parked at middle school
5:10 nurse Daniel in car
5:30-6:00 play with Daniel on lap. Watch Sam and Henry kick ball back and forth. Watch Henry run a couple laps around track.



5:55 walk over to Seth's team so Seth will remember he has to leave practice 15 minutes early so I can get to YW on time.
6:10 get the boys to Stephanie's.
6:20 Drive back to church
6:35 arrive at church for YW new beginnings
6:45 accompany opening hymn
6:50-7:30 listen to speakers, accompany special musical number
7:30-8 talk to friends, YW, and bishop
8:15 drive Mikayla (a YW) home and talk
8:40 home
8:45 eat crock pot chili for dinner and hold Daniel
9:00 change Daniel nurse Daniel talk to jay about his day (picked boys up at 7, fed boys dinner, fed Daniel a bottle, tried to reason with an unreasonable 11 week old about needing to be held by someone standing up.
9:30 put a sleeping Daniel in the swing for the night (I’m scared I’m becoming dependent on this thing! He sleeps so well in it! But, I know he’s got to go back to his crib as soon as his sniffles are gone)
9:30- 10:25 read news on my phone. Text a few people. Finish time capsule logging.

I don’t know what I was thinking signing up for a card making class last month.  I am not ready for those kinds of activities and while I now have 12 cute cards to use, it was a very frustrating and sticky three hours.  All in all - NOT my favorite kind of day. Busy but no workout, my house is a mess and no family time.  :-(

Time Capsule - Day One

6:30 wake up to nurse Daniel. Change his diaper (he slept through the night!  In his swing (to keep him from getting too stuffy.  But...still!)

7:00 wake up Seth, Sam and Henry.  Sam and Henry will miss their 7:10 bus.  Seth is sick and coughing.

7 to 7:30 serve Sam’s Club muffins and juice for breakfast.  Gluten-free Udi muffin for Sam.   Make Sam a lunch. Get Henry’s backpack ready, socks on and sign Sam’s homework folder.

7:15 nurse Daniel again while commanding action from chair.

7:30 drive Sam and Henry to Sunnyside

8:00 return home and clean up kitchen

Unload dishwasher then load dishwasher.  Wipe down counters.  Wipe of dining room table.  Sweep floor.

8:20 Move clothes in washer to dryer, Add one more load of clean, unfolded clothes to huge basket.

8:25 make my bed

8:35 get into van with Daniel to drive to gym for kickboxing class.  Leave Seth at home alone.

8:40 call Middle school to excuse Seth.

8:55 park at gym and nurse Daniel in car

9:10 walk inside to drop Daniel off at gym day care, see 10 toddlers with one 20 year-old man watching them all, smell poop in the room and refuse to leave my baby there.  

9:15 back in van.  Drive across town to office depot.  Shop for home organization supplies and make music copies for Young Women.  Daniel starts to scream.

10:00 Drive home.  Call 11-year old scout leader about Seth missing scouts today.  They were swimming at the Rec Center and that’s about his least favorite thing ever even when he’s not sick. 

10:15 until 11:20 organize microwave shelf.  Daniel asleep in his carseat.

before



after

While organizing, friend Lori calls for help and information about how to cook Gluten-free.

11:30 nurse Daniel.  Load Daniel back into carseat. 

11:50 drive to spin class. Talked to Jen on phone on the way

12:00 switch cars with Stephanie who takes Daniel with her.

12:00 - 1:00 Spin and Tone class at gym.

2:00 Fix Seth lunch.  Eat leftover beans, rice and asparagus for lunch.

2:15 while eating, call Bank of America to close old account

2:30 load lunch dishes into dishwasher

2:35 Daniel fussing in carseat. move him to his playmate.

2:40 Answer phone call from friend calling to make sure I’m still ok with her son coming to our house after school since she is out of town.  Can’t get off of phone with her as she starts talking bout soccer and elementary school principle selection.

2:45 read email from bishopric counselor about YW camp leader business

2:50 Call potential camp leader to talk about logistics and week of girls camp

2:55 Move Daniel to new bumbo chair while I try to fold laundry

3:00 he’s not having it.  Feed Daniel.  Take thirty minutes to snuggle with him, talk and play 

3:30 Henry, Sam and Sam’s friend home from school.  Get them a snack of grapes, veggie straws and juice.

3:35 ove Daniel to swing

3:40 continue to fold laundry.  Finish third load.

3:45 help boys with homework

3:55 fill out form for Sam's gifted and talented teacher

4:10 tell boys to get in the van

4:15 tell boys to get in the van again

4:25 Tell Seth to practice piano while we’re gone.  He does (I think). 

4:35 Drop Sam and and his friend off at soccer practice at the middle school and realize we are 15 minutes late (oops!)

4:45 bust a move to get Henry to speech across town

4:50-5:15 wait for Henry at his speech therapist.  Try reading a few chapters of “Delicacy"

5:00 Daniel fusses.  Nurse him.

5:20 Drive to post office drop off letter

5:30 Drive to middle school to pick up Sam.  Talk to Sarah on phone on the way.

5:35-5:50 Get out of van with Daniel as he is crying and wants to be held.  Talk to other parents who want to see him.  Find a tree off in the distance that Henry can pee on.  Meet Sam’s new coach.

6:00 drive home

6:15 start making dinner.  Pancakes, hash browns and sausage. 

6:20 listen to Sam to practice the piano

6:45 sitdown to eat dinner without Jay.  He's still at work or feeding steers or helping his dad with baby calves.

7:00 nurse Daniel. Tell boys from my chair to clear off the table

7:20 Jay comes home

7:25 fold fourth load of laundry

7:30 answer call from a distraught YW who wants advice and comforting.

7:45 put all 4 loads of laundry away.  Lose my cool when my boys are goofing off instead of helping.  Feel very, very tired.

Pick up upstairs bath that has tissue all over the floor (Henry!!)

8:00 take Daniel from Jay who has gotten him dressed for bed and changed his diaper but is still crying.

8:10-8:25 nurse Daniel while the family reads 2 Nephi chapter 24 in Book of Mormon.  Smile as Jay explains to Henry who Lucifer is and when Henry responds, “But we chose God’s and Jesus’s plan, right dad?” and then they high-fived.

8:30 Family prayer 

8:35 I feel grateful while Jay cleans the kitchen and I continue to rock Daniel to sleep.

8:45 all boys in bed.  Daniel goes down for the night swaddled in his swing.

8:50 - 9:20 Jay and I talk about our days and the crazy presidential primary elections for 30 minutes 

9:25 play my turn on online scrabble with my brother and mom.

9:30 blog

9:45 take a shower

9:50- 10:15 read in bed

10:15 lights off and asleep

A 2012 Time Capsule

Mercy.  I am tired.  It’s been a very full day.  In an odd twist of things, I’ve been off a day all week.  It took a conversation with my sister to get me back on track.  My watch didn’t take into account leap day so, in my mind, today was the seventh until about 1:00 pm.  It’s weird to be that mentally off.  In a way, I feel like I’ve time traveled.  Too dramatic?

Like I said, today has been really full.  Part of that was me working hard to get things done - doing things that, perhaps, didn’t need to all be done today.  Part of it was that a lot of things needed to be done today and now that I’m exercising again and have a baby, the available hours to get those must-dos seem to be less.

While I was doing one of the numerous chores of the day, my mind wandered to a scene in the movie, “The Help.”  If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll remember when Minnie was teaching....can’t think of her name, but the white trash girl who was trying to impress her husband and didn’t fit in with the southern bell snobs....her, how to cook fried chicken.  Do you remember seeing that woman killing a chicken with an axe?  Then, the next scene was Minnie cooking it up in a frying pan.

I started to think, “What if I had to find the time today to kill a chicken, pluck its feathers, find meat among all the vessels, tendons and bones and cook it?”  It felt totally overwhelming to even imagine having to make that kind of effort for a meal, much less a noon-day meal.

That got me thinking to how convenience hasn’t seemed to free up our hours as much as it should.   Things that used to take all day - washing, ironing, mending, cooking, wood chopping, gardening - are all either picked up in a store in less than an hour, stuck into an automatic machine or picked up.  So what, pray tell, are we doing all day?

I’ve never been drawn to “This is what I’ve done today” blogs.  I love knowing what’s going on but I like to read about the meaning more.  For that reason, I’ve usually avoided writing logs of my days.  But, today, in this busyness amidst the convenience, I thought it’d be fun to make a record for myself, or my kids or my grandkids so they might know what a day was like in 2012.  I don’t pretend to believe my day is typical of everyone’s.  I’m spoiled in some ways and hard up in others.  But, maybe my grandkids will read this in fifty years and say, “You had to actually vacuum your house?  There wasn’t a robot to do it?” Who knows?

I originally thought I’d post a day in the life of Lucy in 2012 but I don’t think today was typical.  I don’t want to skew my own results.  So, boring as it may be, and in the spirit of posting daily, I am going to turn my blog into a time capsule for the next week.  I figure a week’s log will average out my normal routine.  I’ve kept track of today and it’s been much more difficult than I thought it would be.  It’s almost like trying to keep a food log.  It’s hard to remember to write everything down.  And, I haven’t written everything down.  You won’t have to suffer through me writing about my using the bathroom.  Except for that sentence.  I guess I just broke my own rule.

Need to go to bed.  So, so tired.  G’night.

Daniel - 11 Weeks

Loves to move.  Loves his swing.  Loves his momma.

The Law of Moses

Having my sister-in-law here for a month has more perks than just having a workout buddy.  With her quick wit, love of games and educator know-how, I asked Stephanie to teach the Young Women lesson today hoping the girls would enjoy a different voice and perspective than the ones they hear every week.  As I knew she would, she turned a not-this-again lesson about our attitudes towards our divine roles as wife and mother (mine obviously needed an adjustment) and made it fresh, interesting and completely true.  I'm inspired to be a better wife and mother not to mention a better teacher of YW lessons.

In fact, I was so uplifted I had planned on summarizing her lesson as my blog post today.  I got as far as the parking lot of the church before my mood shifted.

While I was buckling Daniel into his car seat, Seth and Henry were fighting over a bag of frosted animal cookies.  Seth was begging Henry to let him have one and Henry was refusing to share.  Seth asked me to step in as mediator and impose the redistribution of cookie wealth but instead, I reminded both about The Golden Rule and that while sharing is nice, because we'll all be in the position of wanting at some point in our lives, it shouldn't be forced .  Even though I silently curse teachers who bring treats to primary because of the inevitable bickering it causes on the ride home, I'm still pretty sure the old saying "Life Isn't Fair" holds true. You cannot dictate generosity or harmony.  It's a lesson my children and, apparently, President Obama need to learn.

Before I could enjoy my majestic mothering moment, I beheld a gooey mess in the cupholder next to Henry's seat.  Beside the gooey mess was my tube of Burt's Bees lip balm - sans balm.

"Henry!  Did you steal my chapstick?!?  Did you ruin my chapstick?!?  What did you do to my chapstick?!?  Why do you always have to make such a mess and ruin things!!?!?!"

The tears immediately started because he is emotionally fine tuned to respond with tears when he knows he got caught making mischief and pleaded innocence. It was an accident.  His lips were chapped.  He didn't mean to.  Wah, wah, wah.

"Hand me those cookies!"

Sniff, gasp, sob, "My cookies?"

"Your cookies!  Give them to me!"

He reached forward and handed me the bag and I proceeded to smash them with my thumbs.

Shriek, wail, scream, "THOSE ARE MY COOKIES!!"

"That was MY chapstick!  It doesn't feel good when someone ruins your things, does it?!"

"But, I'm sorry!  It was an accident!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, too.  And our things are still ruined.  Sorry doesn't undo it."

I think he was shocked that I did it.  I am actually quite shocked that I did it.  At that moment, I was so tired of him ruining my things or his dad's things or his brothers' things and things in the house that I just wanted him to feel a bit of what it's like to have something you don't want ruined....ruined!  I wanted to get even.  In other words, I wanted what's fair.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.  A smashed bag of cookies for a ruined tube of chapstick. I can't decide if we're both blind now or if Henry needed this lesser law moment to help prepare him to one day live a higher law.  A day that includes sharing and generosity and respect and benevolence.  A day where he keeps his hands off of my things.

I've learned a lot today.  Like most Sundays, I've realized there is quite a gap between who I want to be and who I am - how I want to parent and how I actually deal with things. I can't help but wonder if Heavenly Father is holding our bags of frosted cookies and thinking about smashing them because we deserve it.  I doubt it.  I've been told He lives a much, much higher law.

Does it make me meaner that I took a picture of his ruined cookies?

Daniel Update:  He is still super stuffy and has a cough but he was worse yesterday which means, hopefully, that he is already getting better.  Still eating well and still sleeping a lot.  Now that I'm not freaking out, I'm trying to enjoy the quiet.  

Sad, Sick Baby

Sam helps hold a baby who wants to be help during our busy morning

I kept him home from well meaning but touchy people at church for six weeks.

I have hand sanitizer in my purse, in the diaper bag and next to the mobile diaper changing station.

I have dutifully barked at whichever boy has the most current drippy nose to "Get your face away from him!"

He's immunized. I breastfeed. I haven't taken him to the gym day care once. It feels like I'm fighting an unwinnable war because, in spite of all my effort, my baby is sick.

I know babies get sick. I remember being a laid back germ moderate who understood that kids get sick and then get better. Just like the rest of us. Then, Henry scared us by succumbing to a winter newborn's worst nightmare: RSV and Strep Pneumo, and was in the PICU for two weeks before it was safe for him to breath on his own once more. When I realized I was to have another winter baby, some of my earliest concerns were the dreaded seasonal viruses. As a student of microbiology I understand our severe disadvantage in the battle against germs. We are horribly outnumbered.

The stuffy nose started in earnest on Thursday. It's almost surprising it's taken him this long to get sick considering the non-stop rotation of colds that have infected his older brothers since before Christmas. Even I have managed to stay healthy, though I did have a cough and 24 hour fever that came and went last weekend. Yesterday, the coughing joined the lambs legs dripping from his nostrils. Today, he is sleepy and lethargic. I am monitoring every diaper change to make sure he's not dehydrated and timing how long he nurses because Henry's symptoms came on so fast and before I knew it, I had waited too long to get him help. His first illness fell on a weekend too. Doesn't it always seem that kids get sick on weekends?

I slept with him in the chair off and on during the night, trying to keep him elevated to help him breath. He also had a turn sleeping in his swing and car seat so that I could get a few hours of non-vertical shut-eye. I know it's a good thing he's so sleepy because our bodies do their best recovering and germ fighting while resting but it makes me scared too. How I wish I had a crystal ball to know if this will turn out to be a normal, run-of-the-mill cold or if my mom heart is going to be challenged another time.

I'll keep you posted.

Back In The Saddle

Literally.

I’ve been hitting the gym again with my sister-in-law, Stephanie. She and her family is here for the entire month of March as Jay’s brother, Clark, is doing an internship with a local podiatrist. When she expressed an interest in being workout buddies or watching each other’s kids so we could both work out this month, it was just the spark I needed. Since she’s been here this week, I have been back at the gym for an hour class four times. And I’ve got the my-whole-body-hurts shuffle going on to prove it.

Monday, we started with Body Sculpting. There were many, many lunges involved and my quads are just barely recovering. Did you know toilets are as low to the ground as they are? I swear, they always seemed a reasonable height before but that was when my muscle fibers weren’t desperately trying to rebuild. Now, I know why handrails are advisable to the weaker or poorly balanced members of society.

Tuesday, we went to two separate classes and took turns having the three boys (Daniel, Ethan and Caden). I went to Brazil Butt lift. It was more of a “it’s at a convenient time” choice than a wise one. Lunge burpees with a jump in between? I’m not certain I was quite ready for that class but love the teacher and the music so it wasn’t a total disaster. I have no idea if the pain I experienced the rest of the week was from day 1 or day 2. It just hurt.

I skipped Wednesday. Stephanie went to Zumba but the YW I had assigned to be in charge of that night’s activity bailed on me via text message and I had to spent some time coming up with an activity for our 40 combined youth. I went with 3-D kickball and it was kind of a nightmare. Sure, some kids had fun but those are the kids that manage to have fun no matter what you do. I lost the less confident, the less athletic and the less outgoing. Is there a magical activity that doesn’t lose these kids????

That meant I was ready to go Thursday. Jay had the day off so Stephanie and I both managed to go to Kickboxing. The teacher who does the Brazil Butt class also does Kickboxing and I think she’s my favorite teacher. She’s hard and uses good music and uses the beat of the music. I don’t know why all teachers don’t but a lot don’t. It’s just background noise for them, I think. I enjoy the beat and it helps me keep going when I’m tired. I kept up pretty well with the class until we had to do six sets of 15 pushups and 30 crunches at the end. My shoulders, chest, wrists and abs are NOT ready for 90 pushups. It was not pretty.

And today, we went to spin. On a bike. With a saddle. Get it? Probably didn’t need to spell it out for you quick-minded ones but I thought it was clever. I remember lots of seat pain when I first started spin but, ready for another cliche, it was just like riding a bike! I’m cracking myself up! Seriously, I was expecting it to be a lot more painful than it was. I loved it. I love spin. So many calories burned. So sweaty. I miss the teachers who use the music better but, oh well. It was still a good workout. But, am I the only one that likes to spin my legs to the rhythm of the song? I just think it helps. This teacher just had one long workout track playing where all the songs were the same beats per minute.


I know it’s only been a week but I’m so happy to be working out again. It was wonderful to show up at this place where I invested so much of myself in the early months of last year and to be so warmly welcomed back. I know that wouldn’t have happened had I simply showed up at the local rec center or one of the other more anonymous gyms in town. I love that my sister-in-law is willing to do these tough classes with me and love that our sweet mother-in-law and husbands are on board to help us with the kids when they can. It’s going to be a great month (workout wise. It’s still March. I haven’t forgotten).

Hello, You.

March is my nemesis month.

I was complaining (gasp! I know. So rare) to Henry about how much I hate the sound, feel, look of wind and he looked straight at me and said, “In like a lion and out like a lamb.” As if that makes it better.

O.K. I’m impressed with his memory about a complicated adage about the weather patterns in March. I’m quite certain I only recently figured out what that old saying meant. But still, March is yucky.

February uses up all of my later winter cold weather tolerance. I know it’s still weeks and weeks and weeks away but I’m ready for the snow to be gone....now. And I’m ready for some flowers....now. Sadly, they don’t even pop up until April, sometimes, May.

So, to help me cope with what I consider the longest month of the year (and, technically, it is. So, I’m right technically and emotionally) I am going to post every single day. Because nothing moves a month along quite as swiftly as when it is filled with daily deadlines. I'm calling it the real March Madness and you can expect great things. And mediocre things. And some pretty awful things.

Let the madness begin!