Memorial Day 2014

We hiked Sycamore Canyon with the Hays family in the morning.

It's a mile up and I fully expected to have a bunch of whiners, but I was pleasantly surprised!! 

They were great hikers! Notice the rope tied around Madi's waist - the girls used it to hold onto while climbing the steep parts.

Even Cal got out and hiked half the way up!

Talk about the "lone and dreary wilderness" . . . I hadn't been up there since the fires a year or so ago. It definitely wasn't the prettiest of hikes I've ever been on, but it sure had a lot of great rocks . . .

At the top!

Our view . . .

After some snacks and pictures we headed back down.

Then we headed home to clean up and take naps before joining Boppi and Grandpa Al for dinner!

We ended the night with Boppi's homemade waffle cones!! Mmmmm. . . . 

If only I could freeze time . . .

Spencer and I are constantly telling the kids to stop growing, but for some reason they just keep getting bigger. Trying to bottle it all up!

Heat Wave

This week has been a scorcher here in California! I have never known Camarillo to hit 100 degrees, so this must be some sort of record! And actually today got up to 103! We've been dying over here, especially since we don't have AC! It's hard to want to do much when it's so stinkin hot! Lucky for us, my good friend went out of town for the week and left us the key to her pool. We've gone everyday this week!

Ice cream cones are always a nice hot afternoon treat too!!

Mother's Day 2014

Since I was away for my birthday this year, I was extra excited about Mother's Day! In my mind it was a second chance for Spencer and the kids to love, adore, and honor ME! :) Plus, last year was kind of a bust and I was excited to see some of the traditions that Spence and I had talked about doing, and teaching our kids, actually happen. I'm sure Spencer felt a little bit of pressure in making sure it was a nice day for me, but it all honesty I really just wanted a day of happy, helpful, non argumentative children! Oh, and I also requested a picture of the 3 kids with everyone's best smiles! Ya, that was a hard one. Especially since we were trying to hustle out the door in the morning for 9am church and then Calvin was exhausted after church.

The girls were over the moon excited about Mother's Day and spent the week making me all sorts of crafts, cards, and projects at school. You would have thought I had a dozen children with the amount of cards I had to open Sunday morning!

Unfortunately, my wishes for a morning to sleep in were crushed at 5:30 Sunday morning when I heard one of the girls come out of their bedroom. Of course I wake up to everything and had to go investigate. I found both girls squished together into the chair at the art table, excitedly working on another project. When I asked them what they were doing, they quickly shushed me away. I happily obeyed and crawled back into bed for a few more minutes of sleep, until they were by my side asking if I was ready to open all my presents! Oh boy! But how could I honestly be mad at these sweet little girls and their excitement to get Mother's Day started!

Notice the clock - it's not ever 6am yet! Thanks girls!

This was the card the girls were working on together at 5:30am:

On the back of the card they made a little pocket and filled it with all the change from their piggy banks. As they showed it to me, they quickly reminded me I'd need to pay my tithing first of course. Sweet girls. (I snuck the change back into piggy banks later).

This one Madi made at school:

One of my favorite cards was a little story:

"The Very Special Mom"

By Madilyn Jenkins

Once upon a time there was a very special mom. She worked for her children. She spoiled her children by doing fun thing with them. That's why they deserve a day everybody remembers them. I think they should have a day with more fun spoiling than just remembering them - like breakfast in bed and lots of others. Continued on the back of the card: Mother's Day is a special day that we do fun things to our mother's.

This is one story I wish were a little longer. I really want to know more about the "lots of other" stuff that happened when the "very special mom" gets spoiled.

Here's another card I thought particularly clever:

Madi drew pictures around the circle of things that are special/important/meaningful to me: home, family, clean house, mom and dad, beach, running, blogging.

Madi also gave me a pinch pot she had molded and fired at school - to put my jewelry in.

Elle had planted a flower and then stuck inside the flower pot was a picture of her taken at school, holding a sign that says, "I love you mom!"

 She made this one in her Primary class on Sunday:

Between school and church projects, and the girls singing in sacrament, my day was already off to a perfect start!

Spencer made Mother's Day dinner (I had requested taco salad). I felt a little guilty doing absolutely nothing to help. Instead I sat and watched "The Ten Commandments" with the kids! Spencer's parents were in Utah for the weekend, so the dinner was completely in my honor! Dinner conversation was the best - Spencer and the kids went around the table telling all the things they love about me! 

Then ice cream cones for dessert!

How grateful I am for these 3 sweet little kids that made me a mama!

Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite moms out there - those who inspire me in my desire to be a deliberate mom, those who encourage me when I'm having a rough day, and those who love and support me despite all my weaknesses. And I'm so grateful for my mama who helped me become who I am today, and my mother-in-law who raised a son perfect for me! Sure love these amazing women in my life!

Close call

Last Friday I had a particularly scary incident at the pool with my little man. One I really don't want to write about, but I haven't been able to get it off my mind all week. After playing in the water for about an hour with my kids, I wanted a minute to relax. So I waded over to the kiddie end of the pool and sat on the step. I was in eye shot of all three kids (plus my friends' kid I was watching). Calvin was wading around at my feet, the water was maybe up to his waist line. Then one of my friends came and sat down next to me with her one year old. It was nice to have some company. I was fully aware of Calvin who was playing on the steps next to me. He begged for me to take off his water wings which I did since he was right next to me and wasn't going to go anywhere. My friend was catching me up on some other friends who just moved. I don't remember exactly what we were talking about, or how long it had been since I last looked at Calvin (maybe 5 seconds, maybe 10?), but when I turned my head. I saw him face down, arms out, floating on top of the water! In that spilt second my mind thought, "Oh look, he's swimming", but then just as fast dismissed the thought to, "oh my goodness, he's drowning!" All in this same second of time, I reached out and grabbed him out of the water. Thankfully he was fine. He didn't cough up any water, didn't seem to have even swallowed any. He cried immediately, but just for a few seconds. I think he was just scared if anything. I know I definitely was! My heart didn't stop pounding for a good 5 minutes. We sat there and snuggled the rest of the time in the pool til I called it a day and headed home.

It wasn't until that night when it really sunk it as to how fast a kid can drown. Spencer was especially disturbed by the whole thing and read me a couple articles about how drowning is the "silent killer". While it was particularly hard for me to hear at that moment, I know it's good for me to be more aware and cautious at the pool. I just couldn't get over how I hadn't even heard him fall. He didn't splash, cry, or struggle. It was quiet and quick. I guess you could say I'm grateful for this little incident. It's definitely taught me to watch my kids more carefully. Elle (who can't swim) was floating around in a little tube that afternoon. How quickly she could have gotten pulled down by another kid, or slipped under. And all it takes is a minute.

For days after the incident, I'd look at Calvin and the image of his little head, face down in the water, arms out, not moving, would pop into my mind. I couldn't help but then proceed to smother him with kisses and hugs. I vow to be a much more cautious mom from here on out because I don't ever want to think about life without one of my babes that I love so dear.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

In April . . .

We enjoyed General Conference at the beginning of the month.

General Conference always means cinnamon rolls . . .

and happy children (well, at least while they're eating their cinnamon rolls) . . .

and good note takers (most of the time).

Adam, Lora, and Houston were in town the entire month. But with my Ragnar race and General Conference the first weekend, Spring Break in Brentwood the third week, followed by Easter, then our trip to Utah the next weekend, we only had one weekend to hang out. I was able to watch Houston one morning. The boys got along great . . .  as long as it was on Calvin's terms. 

Sadly, for most of our interactions, Calvin would totally freak out and cry the entire time. I actually think it might have been Adam he was scared of!

Then as soon as Adam, Lora, and Houston were gone, Cal would immediately calm down and talk all happily about Houston, like they were the bestest of buddies (which they will be someday- I just know it)!

I just get so bugged when Cal's so emotional around strangers. He doesn't want anyone to look at him, tells everyone to "stop it" and begs for me to "hold you". He's usually super sweet - always saying the cutest things, singing all day long, giving lots of great hugs, quick to say sorry and make it all better! But actually, the past week or so he's been super cranky. He's in the the "MINE!" stage and insists that everything had to be done his way and on his time. We've recently had to crack down and be more firm.

He is pretty funny though and is always trying to make us laugh!

We had a full week of 90 degree temps (not normal for Camarillo)!! We were all melting!

April is quite the birthday month! Not just in our family, but for the girls' friends as well. One Saturday Madi went to 2 birthday parties. Check out what the balloon man made for her and Elle at one of the parties! 

Madi's primary teacher keeps doing amazing things. The Sunday we flew home from Utah we got to see this picture posted on facebook, telling us about what they learned in class, before we even got to see Madi!

April also means dentist appointments for both girls! And they were both champs! 

Elle was a little nervous, but I'm pretty sure Madi was excited! Madi's become quite obsessed lately with picking and flossing her teeth - she's totally her mama's daughter. The best was when she kept calling for me, "Mom, check out all this plaque I got off my tooth!!" I couldn't have been more proud!

Love these sweet sisters that have sadly started fighting a lot more than usual. Nothing boils my blood more than to hear my children fight.

And now onto May. . . just can't seem to catch a breath these days! I got teary eyed the other day when I realized we only have a little over 5 weeks of school left!