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Someday, I will not procrastinate with my free books and actually do a journal it a bit more.  

Me:  what's your favorite part of school?

Wesley:  coming home.  

Me: Why?  Don't you like preschool and seeing your new friends?

Wesley: That's cause I miss you.

Ahh..... I miss you too.  His second favorite thing is playing

Indoor Camp Out

The kids have wanted to camp out, however I know they have a hard time falling asleep outside and the weather is great.  So we brought it indoor to their bedroom.  We practiced our cutting and glueing to make the fire from a brown paper bag turned inside out.  We then put a flashlight inside to help it glow.   We had a great time making memories, we sang song, told scary stories and ate s'mores.

Well scary according to them 

Wesley". A man exploded like a bomb. BOOM!"

Amelia" one day a pony was flying in sky, it bumped into a bird 'Boo'.  And it fell from the sky splashing into cows  milk. And she said sorry"

I didn't catch Emily's but it was about a skeleton in trees in the dark night.  

Backyard treasures

Normally the kids chase frogs and toads, bunnies and squirrels.  But today they found two monarch butterflies.  I am sure they were already injured and dying and not solely from the kids' fascination.  They are beautiful.

Wesley's first day of preschool

The kids first day of school and the house caught on fire, phone rang to say Millie ran away, and I accidentally cooked dirty socks in waffle iron and sent them to school for wesley's waffle sandwich and then I woke up.  Phew...
I am so grateful that today was nothing like that but instead filled with excitement and only a few tears.  He loved his first day of school and made lots of new friends.  He was a upset about not getting to ride the bus home the first day and very tired.  But overall a great day.

Rough and tumble

Unpublished post from July 26 2012

background story.
Our little Amelia is a high maintenance baby. She fooled us the first month or so by being so perfect, but ever since she started teething ( at 2 1/2 months), she demands me me me all the time. (And yes she really started teething that early the bottom teeth were fully popped thru by her 3 month birthday and two weeks later her top four popped thru and by four months she had 8 teeth. Watch out cause she is a vampire and will bite. She has always had a strong attachment to her mommy. Around 6-7 months she started having breath holding spells. http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/breath-holding-spells-topic-overview

She generally has them when I walk away from her. The first time it happened I was holding her and set her down at my feet to start cooking dinner. She let out a short single whine nothing else. I figured she was fine till I felt a tug on my pant leg and heard a thud. I turned to see her blue and passed out on the floor. She was only out for a few seconds. A few days later she was playing on the floor and I walked upstairs. I hear a thud, turn to find her in a seizing and losing consciousness.  Rushed her into the doctor only to be told it was bhs and I needed to see a psychiatrist.  She was only doing it for attention and to manipulate us.   Screw you doc,  but she has no control over. Whit thought I was exaggerating and a hypochondriac, till he witnessed it as well. There is nothing to do for them and children will grow out of it, around 6 to 8.  WHAT???? years of this. NO THANK YOU. I keep an eye out for them but try not to rush to her, if it is bad I will hold her until she is back and then set her back down.
On to today... Amelia has been sick off and on with a fever and a cough. Yesterday she had a fever and was real lethargic. She was following me down the stairs.  I reached the bottom of the stairs, turn to see her start a spell.  And in my worst parenting moment, I am not able to catch her before she tumbles down the stairs.  She is unconscious, gains consciousness and then immediately as another spell.  We rush her in, she gets an x-ray.   I am so grateful she is alive and no serious injuries. Black eyes heal and bruises fade.  For now I can't take my eyes off of her.

Life through rose colored glasses....not here, but I sure want outsiders to only see the positive.  Yet life isn't always so positive.  My apologies to those really close who get an earful of the downs / stressors in my life.  And let's face it married life with kids has it's share of them even for the seemly perfect family.  I really dislike the airing of dirty laundry publicly and I don't ever want my kids to be scarred by something I couldn't handle.  They are kids after all. But as I was talking with my sister,  I realized just how important some things are.  Not because you are trying to get attention or embarrass other but because you and others in similar situations (and them) need to know the strength you gained from enduring.  I sure wish my mom had left more specific details about the struggles and health issues I had as a child.   As I looked over my neglected blog, the real issues that we have been dealing with have been passed over and the highlights of " normalcy" are in their place.  Issues that are infact our lives.  Issues of being developmentally delayed,  autism spectrum, involuntary breathe holding spells, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and childhood apraxia of speech,  As I try to recap before I forget they will not be in any particular order.

Cookies

We love pb cookies mostly for the pure simplicity and ease. The kids have the perfect mixing ratio, (where as I usually over mix). I love their excitement as they watch the cookies bake.

Dyeing Easter eggs

I wanted to dye Easter eggs but the I could only imagine the spillage would be greater than than the coloring of eggs. But luckily Pinterest came to the rescue. Now it sure was messier but the kids loved it and clean up was a breeze. Plus nothing else was dyed. It became a combination of fingerprinting and egg dyeing.

Pity party, table for one please

I realized today how fast my little kiddos are growing up and just how much I am missing with each one. I feel like I am losing out on the greatest moments of their life because I am always busy in the background cooking or cleaning or trying to have everything perfect. Mostly in slow motion because my brain is to tired and fried to be clearly organized or remember where I put anything. Now this might be better if things were getting done or if I had something to show for it. A clean house, or great meals on the table, perfect kids, a perfect birthday party, or even a good looking me... But nope. I got nada. Instead I don the mommy perfume ( baby spit) going on day 3 or 4 of not showering. That once was pulled back hair has now been pulled out by the kids , still in my Pjs because they are the only things that fit cause I am now 40 lbs overweight. And my kids may or may not have the berries washed off their faces from meal time. And poor Charli wants to eat again. It is a far cry from mental picture in my head of how life should be. I look around and feel like everyone is moving on and going somewhere (with their perfect hair, slender bodies and clean house), while I look like i just got out of bed after a late night. And the house is about to be swallowed up in dirty dishes and laundry.
Charli is going to be 4 months in a week, Amelia is now two and Wesley is three and in sunbeams. All I really want to do is sit and read with my kids, play trucks with Wesley or house with Millie. Or just sit and talk with Charli and soak in all her smiles. And I want pictures to capture it all. I can't even remember the milestones for a four month old or what it is we should be working on. And secretly I don't do tummy time like I should because the thought of her crawling around and then running is too much for me to handle. Wesley and Amelia no longer have craft time each day. I can't find the time to sit and work with them on their letters or colors, but we have an app for that. (tis with shame that I admit that). Parenting is now 50 % us and 50% iPhone /iPad. There is so much to teach them and yet an electronic tablet is doing it instead of me. Don't get me wrong I love the iPad / iPhone. I just wish there was an app that would clean my house put good food on the table instead. If only.....

Waiting for Wesley to finish his timeout.
You would think friends like this wouldn't mind sleeping in the same room, but nope. We are still working on that transition.

He can't sleep without them. I have noticed that his bed collection is growing though. the easiest way to get him to sleep is to offer him a trade of a truck for 15 min. He chooses bed every time.

Amelia's first tea party

The guest have all arrived and she has prepared and cooked her very first tea party. I hope to be invited some day. And get more than yucky soup ;)

Let's get back to blogging

Sadly I don't have time to write a real post, but here is picture of today in attempt for me to get back on the ball.

Amelia is one determined little girl to keep up with Wesley. At the beginning of last week she started cruising along furniture and walking with the two handed assist. Eight days later, she is taking her first steps. Last Thursday (12/22/2011), I noticed her trying and on Saturday she successfully took a step.

Wesley has had a few moments of jealousy with Amelia, but for the most part he adjusting very well. He is very independent doesn't like to be bothered. He is always on the go, exploring and figuring things out. Most of the time he's dragging something around whether it be his lion by the tail or a computer mouse or something else with a cord.

Everyday life of Amelia

March 24, 2011- Amelia's first visitors were her cousins Emily, Ashley, Jonny and her Aunt Christina


March 25- Meeting the big brother


March 26- Grandma Adams and Amelia on the first day home


March 27 - Fresh after a sponge bath


March 28- Soaking up the sun rays to due jaundice


March 29- She is a very alert baby


March 30- Girlin' it up - (Just for daddy)


March 31- snoozing during what is hopefully the last snow fall


April 1- More awake time


April 2 - Napping with Mommy


April 3- listening to Conference in her own way


April 4- loving those fingers


April 5 - Chubby baby

Amelia Jean is here!!!!

Amelia Jean Adams
March 24, 2011 at 4:10 pm
8 lbs 15.5 oz and 22 inches

Birth Story: So to continue where I left off .... at the 39 week appointment I measured at a 3 and she was sure I would go into labor naturally by the weekend. Even with the super moon, nothing happened, on Monday the 21st I was at a 4 and I was just excited that I was making progress. My induction was pushed back til Thursday the 24th, which I was okay with because I really just wanted things to happen naturally. They were predicting a winter storm and my doc wanted us to stay in town just to be on the safe side. After much debate Whit and I packed up and went and stayed with Christina, leaving Wesley at home with Grandma Adams. We waited and waited, trying everything but Castor oil to bring on labor but nothing happened. I am pretty amazed at what people swear brings on labor, the best one was to sit on a washing machine. ( OK I didn't try that either).

So Thursday morning came and still no signs of her coming on her own so we headed to the hospital to be induced I was dilated to 4 and 75% effaced. She broke my water to see if that would get things happening on their own, but nothing happened so by 9:30 I started getting pitocin. Around 1 I was only at a 5-6 and getting pretty uncomfortable. By 2 I was ready for my epidural and still at a 6. The epidural really hurt going in and I started getting a dull headache, which we just passed off as not eating for a while. After I laid on my back for the required time I rolled over on my side, still waiting for the epidural to kick in. But the pain kept getting more intense and the back pain was off the scale. After half an hour I couldn't take it any longer and called the nurse in to see if I could get more pain relief. She did a quick check said that I was ready to go. They quickly got everything ready and called the doc who's 15 minutes away. I am feeling every contraction not at all happy with my failed epidural. After an hour of intense pushing and pain, baby Amelia was born sunny side up. She is beautiful and perfect.

My headache had become extremely painful during the delivery, but we still just thought some food and drink would help fix it. 2 hours later it was so bad that I couldn't stand anything, especially movement, sound, or light. I sent Amelia to the nursery and asked Whitney for a priesthood blessing. Turns out that it was a complication from the epidural. They say a "wet tap" occurs in only 0.5 % of epidurals, where the spinal fluid sac is punctured and spinal fluid leaks out. It was absolutely awful and not worth the little pain relief it offered or money it cost. Plus my back has been in the most intense pain and recovery has been really rough. We are so thankful that Grandma Adams has been here to help.