Bathtime

He started crawling yesterday. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! My life is over.

YES! (the party's over)

I will let the pictures do most of the talking, but here are a few details. We had Emma's 6th birthday party yesterday. Her birthday isn't until October 11th, but we will be out of town. For some ski-wampus reason I wanted to give her a "friend party", so I decided to get it out of the way early before we have to get packed and all that. We did a princess party, although she had more boys than girls at her party. They didn't seem to mind though. We had Sean's parents here for the weekend and it was fun to have them. Emma was thrilled that they could be here for her party, and Sean's mom was a ton of help with everything from decorating to averting a near cake disaster, to holding Spencer so we could actually get things done!

More Skirts!

Just had to put a picture of my latest creation on here. I cut off a pair of Kenna's jeans that were too short for her and sewed some fabric on the bottom for a skirt. Then I made a purse to match! Sean is ecstatic that the 'second child syndrome' as he calls it seems to have failed last week.

Devil's Slide

Tonight for FHE we took a drive up Weber Canyon to "Devil's Slide". As you can see from the pictures it is a cool rock formation that looks just like a slide. On the way there, when we told the kids we were going to Devil's Slide, Kenna said "Can I go on the slide?" We told her she could go on it if she still wanted to once she saw it. When we got there we said "Okay girls, go down the slide!" Let's just say they were less than enthusiastic about the prospect. On the way back home, the kids were being loud and rowdy in the car, so Sean said he didn't want to hear one more little peep out of them. Then, of course, Emma says "peep" in the littlest voice she can muster. We both just started laughing. We told them if they could keep quiet for 2 whole minutes we would turn some kid songs on for them. I kept saying "1...2...3....go" and this was inevitably followed by bursts of giggling from the backseat. Sean and I couldn't help laughing too.

Sned Party

This past weekend we went to my Great Grandma Snedeger's 90th birthday celebration in Sigurd. Here are a few pics of the fun!

FRUSTRATION

Today is one of those days, for sure. When I feel like crying but I am too busy putting out fires. The girls have done nothing but fight and cry and have fits. Spencer is sitting here arching his back and screaming while kicking me, just to get my attention. Sorry, I have lunch to make for the rest of the family. The house is a disaster, when I just spent 2 hours straightening up like 2 days ago. Why can't it stay perfect?? I know we must have opposition, but sometimes I wish the scales were tipped just a little more toward the good.

The Snuggle Bear

Sunday Spencer and I took a nap together, and today he fell asleep on Daddy. He is growing up way too fast.

Pretty in Pink & Positively Purple

Well, I am proud to say that after months of Mackenna waiting patiently for her skirt and bandana they are finally done! I did Emma's months ago and didn't realize how much work it would be with all the gathering. Anyway, I have been sewing a lot in my 'spare time' (what's that??). Okay, I have been ignoring the kids and house to sew - more truthful. Both of the girls filled their marble jars. They get a marble everytime they obey or refrain from arguing or whining if I say "no", do jobs, little acts of service, etc. Kenna filled hers a couple days ago, for which she got Friend Bear. So Emma has been going crazy trying to fill her jar, asking if she can have a marble for things like eating, using the bathroom, or simply getting up in the morning. Sorry honey, it doesn't quite work that way. So today Sean told her if she organized the shoe closet she could earn the rest of her marbles. Yes! Now she has the Prince from Barbie as Island Princess. She has been wanting a prince for her barbies to marry for a while. I never dreamed that Mackenna would be interested in it too. Today their barbies were fighting over who got to marry the prince. (This was after Mackenna stopped crying for 20 minutes because the prince told her barbie she couldn't be in his kingdom). Well finally they worked it out, and the next thing I know the poor prince is tied up with a string of beads and both barbies are taking turns jumping on him. I guess girls stick together, even in Barbie's world. We will seriously be considering buying Kenna a prince of her own lest the girls get creative and discover plastic polygamy.

Date Night!

Earlier tonight I said to Sean "Why don't we rent a movie tonight?" and he said "Why don't we get a babysitter and go out?" We decided his idea was best. So tonight we went to dinner at Red Robin and then stopped at Target to find the elusive green razor scooter we have been searching for for Kenna; we ended up settling on red, since she is also obsessed with Lightning McQueen. Then we went to see Bourne Ultimatum. Sean and I agree it was the best Bourne movie so far; although the camera was way too shaky and I have a bit of a headache from all the car crashes, nose breaks, and gun shots. Spencer decided it wasn't worth waking up for time after time, and finally fell asleep. We stuffed cotton in his ears, that may have helped too. My only disappointment about the movie is the lack of love story between Jason Bourne and Niki Parson. There were hints in that direction - enough to make you want more. Oh well, those of you who have seen it know they left it open for another, so I can only hope. On a different note I have decided that a good babysitter is worth her weight in gold. We usually have one girl from our ward babysit, and she is phenomenal. She always has the house spotless when we get home regardless of how it was when we left, and she has only turned on a show for the girls once, for 1/2 hour. Tonight she couldn't come and we were getting desperate, so we called a different girl who we have not had before. We came home to pizza crust on the table and children that had zonked after 2 successive movies. At least they were in their PJs and asleep and safe, right? Props have to be give to Sean as well for keeping all three kids home with him while I went to get my hair cut and permed today. I think he could tell how much I needed some "me time". I am the luckiest girl in the world!

Already Obssessing

Today has been a better day. Yay! Oh, wait, we haven't been home really. Oh well. Right now the girls are watching 'Rescuers Down Under' which Emma has chosen for the 4th day in a row now. Spencer is sleeping and I am sitting on my butt trying to remember why I turned on my laptop in the first place. Oh ya, to do bills. I keep messaging people and getting sidetracked. I am just loving the quiet. So, a couple weeks back I bought some green fabric to make Kenna a green princess dress (green is her favorite color). Then I saw a Princess Fiona dress in the Target Halloween section and thought 'why bother making it?' She loves Shrek and says she wants a Shrek & Fiona party for her next birthday (March). So I bought the dress and the gears are already turning in my head on how to make a Fiona Princess cake. Already obssessing. Tell me, why am I already thinking about her birthday when Emma's party is in like 2 1/2 weeks and I don't even want to think about it? Oy. On a different note, I think Spencer is about 2.5 days away from crawling. After I laid him in bed last night I heard the dreaded 'thunk' followed promptly by his crying. I went upstairs to see that he was sitting up in his crib (wasn't he laying down a few minutes ago?) and he had bonked his head on the crib bars. Then this morning I left him in his room on the floor while I went to sort laundry (there isn't as much hair on his carpet as mine.....time to vacuum). When I left he was on his belly and when I came back he was sitting up. "How did you do that???!!!" I shrieked, and he smiled. So I put him back on his belly just so I could see. He stuck his rump up in the air and backed onto it. It was funny. In some ways I think his crawling will be easier - at least he'll entertain himself with it for a couple days. But when the excitement wears off he'll be able to find me wherever I go! And then there are my four sets of stairs......

Bittersweet

So, even though Sean and I were both dead tired last night (due to no sleep the night before, due to a certain 7-month-old) we laid in bed and revamped our parenting tactics. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. For the last week Mackenna has been having accidents, several times a day. She gets right in front of the potty and screams "I can't hold it!", waits 30 seconds, and then wets her pants, the floor, bath mat, whatever is there at the time. It has been happening 3-5 times a day now. I didn't know what to do, so I told her I would take away her Care Bears, one by one, everytime she had an accident. Needless to say this broke her heart. I took her fluffy Wish Bear last night right before bed and felt horrible about it. I kept feeling like it wasn't right. She earned it a couple months back for having no accidents. So to me it was only logical to take it away. I was reading when Sean came upstairs and said he didn't think we were taking the right approach with her. See, she is so like him. Threats and extra force don't work on her at all. He said he thought she was crying out for attention, since Emma has started soccer and school within the last 2 weeks. Mackenna's school is still under construction, so she won't start school until Oct. 1st. He said it is hard to be the 2nd child and watch your older sibling get to do everything first, while being told you are too little to do the same things. Yesterday when Emma left for school Mackenna kept saying "I don't want you to go.....I don't want you to go...." and she put her backpack on and waited with Emma until she left for school. So, we decided that she needs a little extra something. Somehow, along with a whiny and attitude-clad almost-6-year-old, a very fussy and exhausting 7-month old, piles of laundry everywhere, clutter around every corner, and of course, the few precious moments of ME time i get every day, i now need to try and spend more one on one with Mackenna. This morning I let her paint and then right before Emma left for school I sat down and read books to them. I want to start working on school stuff with Kenna too - I just feel completely overwhelmed. It's all I can do to not cry my eyes out while I'm writing this. 95% of the time I feel that I was not meant to be a mother at all, even though I know the opposite is true. I had a mission president who always told us that our mission was a template for our life. I never understood in full what that meant until now. Spending one on one with my kids when I'd rather be reading or blogging is just as hard as golden questioning complete strangers when I'd rather stay in my apartment. Putting my heart and soul into parenting is just as hard as putting heart and soul into missionary work. There are a couple differences; I can go to the store any day of the week (except Sunday) and I got to choose my companion. But the work is much harder, because I have a vested interest in the outcome. 18 months from now I will still be worrying and caring about my kids. Never have I felt that I needed the Atonement more in my life than right now. To be honest I am scared to death that I have been entrusted with these precious spirits, when I am such a selfish person who often bows to the 'natural man'. I suppose this is all training for Godhood, right? Although, if ataining Celestial glory really means bearing children for eternity and having spirit-brats forever, I may opt for the Terrestrial. Okay, burn me now, please. On a more positive note, I gave a Book of Mormon to the African American lady that has been giving me cooking lessons, and she called yesterday to say that she loved it - that it was the perfect gift at the perfect time for her, as she had just lost a close family member, and that it was giving her a lot of comfort reading it! Life is so bittersweet.

In the Kitchen

Here are a couple really yummy desserts for the slow-cooker. Best of all, they are super easy too!

BAKED APPLES

6 medium apples
2 T. raisins
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 T. butter
1/2 c. water

*Core apples and place in slow cooker. Mix raisins, sugar, & cinnamon; fill center of apples. Dot with butter. Pour water around apples. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.


BROWNIE PUDDING CAKE

1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cocoa
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 T. oil
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. boiling water

*In a medium bowl combine flour, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 T cocoa, baking powder, & salt. Add milk, oil, & vanilla; stir until smooth. Mix in nuts. Spread batter evenly in the bottom of a lightly buttered slow cooker. Combine 3/4 c. sugar & 1/4 cocoa; gradually stir in boiling water. Pour liquid mixture evenly over batter. Cover & cook on high 1 1/2-2 hours; turn off heat & let stand for 30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

Grandparents Day

I am so annoyed right now! I just typed a huge blurb about everything we did this weekend and then when I highlighted it to justify, it disappeared. And no, for all you blog natzis, it didn't autosave the text, just the entry title. Oy! Oh well, I guess it was just a travel log anyway. Let's see if we can make it more interesting. Sean's parents were in town this weekend. Since it was Grandparents Day today Brooke and I thought it would be cute to do something special for them. So we had the kids make cards. Inside the card were felt cutouts of their hands and a sort of interview thing we did with them about Grandma and Grandpa. I asked them questions like "Grandpa's hair is.....Grandma is funniest when....My favorite memory of them is...."etc. Then I cut felt princess dress pieces out and glued them on the front of the card, and let the girls decorate them with pens and glitter glue. They went crazy, as you can see from the first picture. It was a fun weekend - full of eating out, soccer games, and kids, kids kids.

Can you tell the REAL Grumpy?

Thank goodness for Shopko! We are now at the end of our quest for the elusive Grumpy Bear (even if he is tie-dyed). The funny thing is, in this picture she was in a good mood and couldn't do a geniune grumpy face. But most the time she has no problem with grumpy faces. As my mother-in-law says: "There was a little girl with a little curl right in the middle of her forehead....and when she was good she was very, very good; but when she was bad she was horrid." Whoever wrote that must have been looking into the future at Mackenna!

Tired

So today I finally found out that I had cryptosporidium two weeks ago. NASTY. It makes me sick to think about it! Oh well, at least I got some weight loss out of it, right? Anyway, I haven't been able to post due to being very busy. Not anything special, just Emma starting school, Sean's parents visiting this weekend, soccer, Halloween costumes, and now a birthday party for Emma. We will be in out of town the week of Emma's birthday, but she wants a friend party. So I think we will have it the last weekend of September. She is getting a pink tiered princess cake with pillars in the middle and everything. I ordered this cake decorating set from Betty Crocker - hopefully it will come before the party! If any of you are thinking I am insane, you should know that I planned Mackenna's 3rd birthday party with a Care Bear theme at least 3 months before and it kept me up many nights. It may seem psychotic, but we had Care Bear games and a kick-butt 3-tier Care Bear cake. This time I am like "do you think anyone will miss it if we don't do treat bags?" I don't even want to do games or anything. I am so tired! And there is just way too much going on right now. Spencer has been unbearable lately. I must be the teeth. He is up several times a night and only cat naps during the day (somewhere between 2-3 less-than-an-hour naps). He is rarely in a good enough mood to eat baby food, but he will down muffins, french fries, toast, any table food we give him. He is trying to hold his sippy cup but gets mad and throws it on the floor. He WILL NOT be put into either of his bouncers anymore. I am trying to enjoy all his little phases but I am so fed up! I just want a good night's sleep. Maybe Grandma & Grandpa Pulsipher will take him back to California with them for a week! I am a horrible mother to have such thoughts. Although lately I have been thinking, that when my kids are grown and I am looking back on this roller coaster, I won't wish I had done more; I'll just wish I hadn't been so hard on myself.