Still alive...

We're still alive. I'm just a little (well, more than a little) overwhelmed trying to deal with headaches and migraines. Coping with the medication that really isn't helping as much as I'd like it to but isn't sparing me the nasty side effects (like all the weight it's making me gain no matter what I do and the crazy moods). And if that was all... there's the end of the school year, all the testing I help with at the school and the end of school year outings and projects that I can't say no to. Ah, the stress! And that bring me back to migraines and headaches. Alright, I done complaining... for now... I promise that I have plenty to post about, with all the projects and outings, and I promise I'll TRY to post it soon.

Cute

This morning, Henry and I were watching the Extreme Home Makeover episode from last Sunday while I was folding laundry and ironing. Before I go any further in this story, I admit that I usually get misty-eyed at least once during each episode. Now, back to the story. At one point in the show, Henry looked at me and asked “Are you crying?” I answered that yes I was chocked up because the family’s baby had died and pointed out to him that he was crying too. His response was: “I’m not crying! I’m sweating out of my eyes.”

Sleepover

So I haven’t been detailing what we have been up to, well mostly what Tyler and the kids have been up to. I’m on an other medication (added to the other one) for a little over a month, my migraines and headaches are much better but I’m dead tired all the time and I sleep I’m not kidding around 12 hours a day and sometimes more. I pretty much go to bed at the same time the kids do and Tyler wakes me up before he leaves for work (I have the best husband in the world!). Not the life but the neurologist said he would keep me on the medicine for 4 months migraine/headache free and then wean me off and I’ve decided being a zombie for the next few months is worse getting rid of the migraines and headaches. Anyhow, now that my health is out of the way, a lot has been going on around here.

First and foremost, Olivia went to her first sleepover that was not at a family member’s house.

I was very worried because we all know that Olivia is not a great sleeper. She has nightmares most nights, wakes up screaming and is afraid to go back to sleep. Plus, she has started to sleepwalk. It is pretty funny but not the best for sleepovers. However, I know her friend’s mother and after discussing my dilemma with her, we decided that we would give it a try. Olivia had an awesome time and slept great. Anna, I may have to send her to your house more often!

You should have seen her getting ready for the sleep over, she was so happy. Definitely a moment to remember.

F.R.O.G.

Last Sunday our ward had their baptism preview. I had never heard of a baptism preview, and I’ve been in Primary for the most part of the last ten years, but I’m glad we had one. It was great. Olivia’s teacher, the CTR 7 teacher, was in charge and she did an awesome job. She explained about baptism. She didn’t dwell on the spiritual part, she left that for the bishop, but went through all the other little details (i.e. what will you wear, where is the font, what could/should happen during the baptism meeting…) She had the bishop, the cub scout leader and the activity days leader talked about all the fun things they will do with them once they turn 8. At the end of the meeting she presented each child turning 8 this year with a frog she made. She explained what F.R.O.G. stands for (Forever Remember Our God). She explained that after they get baptized everything counts but also that they can count on Heavenly Father to always be there for them. The frog is to remind the children that Heavenly Father is always watching and loves them. She even added a ribbon on the right side of the frog to remind them to always choose the right.

Olivia loves her frog and she's excited that she’ll be baptized this summer.

Looks like a 7 year-old

She might talk like a teenager but she definitely looks like a 7 year-old. Nothing says 7 like missing teeth and she has a few of those. Yesterday, Tyler finally pulled the top one free after letting it dangle by a thread, literally-it was really gross, for a couple of weeks. There was a lot of screaming, howling, giggling (from Henry) and attempted biting. Now, if you listened to Olivia’s version of the story, Dad pulled a tooth that wasn’t even ready to come out with pliers. For the record, the tooth had been ready to come out for weeks and the pliers were necessary because her teeth are tiny and Tyler’s fingers are huge. He wanted to get a good grip so that it would be fast and painless. Now, the tooth is finally out and…. she definitely looks like a 7 year-old!

7 going on 16

Lately Olivia has been acting like a teenager. I remember teenage years so I will admit that it’s not full- blown teenage attitude yet but still very similar. She doesn’t want me to do her hair anymore because I do “baby hair”, meaning she won’t sport pigtails, braids (especially if there are two of them) and any colored barrettes (instead she wears my brown and black ones.) It’s kind of cute that she cares so much but isn’t she two young to want to look “cool”?

The teenage thing isn’t in the looks only but definitely in the attitude and language. Last Saturday I went to Gymboree to spend a gift certificate I had and was about to expire. The kids didn’t really need anything but I figured it was free money anyway. So I went to the store and found what I knew Henry wanted right away. I couldn’t make up my mind for Olivia. It was between a cute summer dress and an equally cute puffer vest. So I decided to call her and her ask what she would prefer. Here is the conversation we had:

Me: Olivia, it’s mommy, I’m at Gymboree and I was wondering if you’d rather me get you a dress or a puffy jacket with no sleeves.

Olivia: What kind of dress?

Me: A summer dress, it’s really cute, it’s… (and I describe the dress)

Olivia (very nonchalantly): I’ll take the sweater.

Me: You mean the puffy vest with no sleeves?

Olivia: Yeah, whatever!

I’m not sure if I should see the humor in the situation or if I should be worried. It was quite funny so for now, I’ll laugh.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Olivia is mostly sweet, loving, caring, helpful… Henry not so much. I mean has his sweet moments but lately they have been overshadowed but the dread of Mr. Hyde imminent reappearance. They are moments when I can see the cute little boy who would come to me every 5 minutes asking for “love” (a hug), who would play sweetly for hours in a corner, and smiled all the time but mostly I hear “No!” “I don’t want to!” “Why?” “You’re the meanest mommy in the world” “Why do I have to do everything!”… ... And right when I’m about to lose it, he comes and gives me a hug or says “I’m sorry mommy, I love”. I love the sweet moments, and I cherish them but let’s face it, nowadays there’s a lot more whining and crying than anything else.

New Beginnings...

So I haven’t been posting anything. I said I would write about what I like about Christmas and I never got around to it. Maybe next year. December was an incredibly busy month and I (and things I like to do) definitely got put on the back burner. It doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good Christmas or that I didn’t do anything fun; I had great times with family, I did do a few knitting projects as Christmas gifts and I had the best time making a family tree for Tyler’s parents (now I want to make one for me and my parents). I am ready, what am I saying, I can’t wait for a new year, for new projects, new goals…

You win some and you lose some

Let me start by saying that I love Christmas. I love so many things about Christmas, and I will be sharing some of the things I love soon. But for now I will recount what happen yesterday morning. It’s not all bad, actually it started very nicely, but as always, you win some and you lose some.

It all started when the kids woke up and realized that there had been a major snowfall during the night. From that very second on, the only thing Henry had on his mind was playing in the snow. He begged and begged to walk to school until I relented. I admit that my car would probably not have made it to school as it was still snowing bit and the roads in the neighborhood had not been plowed but I want to make sure to point out that it was Henry idea in the first place, he wanted to go walk in the snow. So we bundled up (hats, gloves, and snow boots) and started for school. The kids had a great time running in the snow, throwing a few snowballs, making a couple of snow angels (you win some) until about a 50 yards from the school gates and Henry started screaming, I mean really screaming, people could probably hear him within a ½ mile radius. “You’re the meanest mom in the world! It was all your idea! And now I’m going to freeze to death!” So we went to the gates, I kissed Olivia goodbye and we went back home (about ⅓ of a mile) with Henry screaming the whole time (you lose some). I have to admit it was a little bit my fault; I hadn’t bought the kids good gloves yet, and the only ones we had that fit their growing hands were the wool ones that get soaked really fast when playing in the snow. I was very calm, I didn't respond to his accusations, I just grabbed his little hand and walked home. By the time we finally got home, Henry (who had taken his wet gloves off) was a sobbing, red-faced and red hands, with snot coming out of his nose mess. And then I did something only the meanest mom in the world would do: I took a picture of him.

After a few minutes in the warm house, Henry calmed down and told me I wasn’t the meanest mom in the world. He also said that he was sorry he lied because it had been his idea to walk to school in the snow. We hugged and I got him settled into a nice warm bath with tons of bubbles. After his bath and dressed in warm clothes, we sipped hot chocolate and Henry said: “I never want to walk to school in the snow ever again.” And halfway through the afternoon, he was ready to go out and play in the snow again. As soon as I get some chains on my tires, I’m going to go buy the kids snow suits and waterproof gloves.

The meaning of Christmas

Tonight, I attended a beautiful Christmas program. The program wasn’t about how today’s world sees Christmas. It wasn’t either about service or gift giving. It was about the women at Christ’s birth: Joseph’s mother, the inn-keeper’s wife, the shepherd’s wife, Elizabeth and Mary. It was about what these women saw and testified of. Some of the program was from the scriptures, some was what they might have thought, and all of it was wonderful. In the excitement of all the store-bought items we desire and the lights and the window fronts and streets, we tend to forget about the true light, the Savior. These women saw what was truly important; a son, a grandson, a second-cousin, a child, a savior. They saw Jesus as we all should see Him, as a child, then a man, who was born on this earth, lived, learned, loved all and ultimately gave His own life for us. Christmas is about remembering that He lived and how He lived His life. It’s about trying our best to pattern our own lives after the Savior’s. I love this picture of the child Jesus praying with his mother, Mary. It reminds me that, as a mother, the best way to emulate the Savior is to love and teach my children about Him. I love the Savior and my family. I love the spirit of Christmas that puts everything back in focus. As President Monson said during the Christmas devotional in 2006: "Most of all, let it be a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the worship of the wise men." Merry Christmas!