Anyone still bothering to check my posts?

It's likely anyone reading my blog before has given up checking it for updates. April and May were simply insane months. . .and nearly drove me to it myself. To summarize: hope that you never, ever get multiple kids with lice in your home, particularly girls. . .while juggling a part-time to 30 hr job per week, dr appts, or eczeyma infections make your child's skin look like "raw meat" in Todd's words--all beyond the normal every day activities. It was not a fun couple of months.

But, here we are just in time for another change any day now. Lice is gone, job is over, Kayla's skin is almost looking normal--and with another girl coming any day now, I don't even have to change my Blog title.

Baby comparisons

Each of my kids is here shown at 4 to 4 1/2 months of age. Thought it'd be fun to post.

Kayla:Getting into the Music

Kayla started in nursery last month. The first Sunday she went in, I put her down on the floor and she got this huge frown on her face and these crocodile tears coming out her eyes, without actually crying. It took her a few minutes after I left til she got distracted by the toys enough to get over her pouting, and she's done fine ever since.

Last Sunday, the Primary chorister, our friend Shauna, went into nursery to do some music time for the first time. She related that her visit to the nursery had a mixed reception--some of the kids could care less and basically went about their business while she tried to sing, while others participated. Happily, she said that Kayla got involved with the singing--swinging her arms like she was conducting along with Shauna, and loved doing the motions for the songs, like springing up on "Sunbeam" for "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam." It's not too surprising since she really enjoys our singing time as a family at bedtime. She'll stop what she's doing and we'll hear her "ba-da-ing" along, the extent of her singing up to now. She just wouldn't be a part of our family if she didn't like music.

On a side note: she isn't talking much yet, still just the basic Mom, Da, tha(t), yea. She communicates well, just not with words.

Soap Opera of a Seven Year Old

If Emma knew I was writing this, she would be soo embarrassed, but I had to take a few minutes to record the drama that she is so tortured by right now--mostly because I'm so surprised that boy drama has already started in our household.

Last year her neighbor Will had a crush on her, as related in a post from Sept I think. Well, Emma is in the throes of unrequited love for him while he's moved on to another girl it seems. Here are some updates of comments Emma has been making over the past few weeks.

Today at recess Will was talking and walking with Faith and he ignored me. Why can't he like me instead?

Mom, it is going to be so long before I can do anything about loving Will. I have to wait til I'm sixteen before I can tell him I love him. Its so hard.

I listen to love songs and think about Will [and looks at the picture she drew of him]. I bet he doesn't do that and think about me.

I need to get a shirt like Faith's, then maybe Will will like me like he likes Faith.

Emma turned 7 last week. We had what seemed like a week-long celebration. That Wed night we had a special family dinner with cake to celebrate, then Fri night she had a sleepover party with some of her church and school friends. Sat after overnight guests left, she got to go outfit shopping with our good friend Yvonne, followed by an evening at Peter Piper Pizza with Grandparents and Aunt Tracy, Uncle Royce, and cousin RJ. Whew--it was busy. But she said "this is the best week of my life!" Thanks to all our family that sent cards in the mail as well.

I posted a few pics from Peter Piper-a fun evening for all three of them, not just Emma. Kayla couldn't get enough of the carousel ride and Abri loved carrying around her own set of tokens and putting them into the rides and games. Emma was disappointed that the prizes that she wanted were all too many tickets. We ended up "saving" a large no of tickets that we could redeem the next time we go (probably for Abri's birthday) and hopefully have enough for one of the bigger prizes then. Definitely a lesson in saving now so you can get what you want later. Sad part is, she was hoping to get a baseball we had seen when we went to PPP at Abri's birthday party last year, only to find out it was no longer a prize. When all is said and done, it's also a lesson that you don't always get what you want when you save because the items aren't always there anymore.

Funny Observations

Abri: [On seeing a stray dog across the street] It's a DOG! . . .but it looks like a cow.

Emma [at Peter Piper's for her Birthday]: I hope they don't sing to me. They don't always sound very good when they sing for birthdays at restaurants.

You are Special

Our primary gives a paper plate to a child the Sunday they are spotlighted with a message glued to the back: "You are special. . .as a child of Heavenly Father. . ." which asks family members to each tell the child something special about them as they sit around the dinner table that night, with the plate as their special dinner plate for the evening.



Abrianna was spotlighted today. So, at dinner, we went around telling her why she is special to us. Emma started. "Abri, I think, I mean, I know you are special because you are nice to me and nice to Kayla and pick up things when Mommy and Daddy ask you to when Kayla has gotten them out." [This is true the a lot of the time, though, not suprisingly, not all the time.] My comment: Abri, I love that you love books like Mommy does and that you listen well to your teachers at preschool and church and do what they ask." Todd: "Abri, I love that you tell us such cute stories."



Then, Emma came and whispered to Todd and I individually, "On 1, say, we love Abri, and I'll count". She counted down from 3, and on three (rather, one) we all chimed in. Abri looked rather sheepish, and smiled so sweetly and said, "Guys" rather drawn out, in this tone of, "you sound so silly but I'm so pleased that you said it." It was a funny moment to which I can't do justice.



Additional notes: my friend Rachel told me that Abri's favorite vacation, as shared during spotlight time, was "when my family goes to McDonalds." [We go so rarely now that she probably would consider it a vacation.] Emma related in the car on the way home from church that she and Abri were both standing up for a long time as they narrowed down who the spotlight was because they share so many of the same things. The spotlight hints: she has two sisters; her favorite place to visit was Grandma's; favorite food: macaroni and cheese; favorite activity: movies; favorite colors: pink and purple. We definitely have a houseful of girls.