Nothing exciting

I finally have the kids room arranged in a semi perfect way.  I figured out a set up  in which the kids are able to keep it clean!

 We turned the bottom of the closet into the book fort/ safe zone.  I took the shower rod curtain thing and put it in the doorway (the closet door has been removed) so the kids can draw the curtain and hide if they want.

 Heidi's bed has it's own little corner and bookcase, something I hope will help keep her in bed at night.

 The dresser got moved out of the closet and into the open, it sort of gives Alex her own little bed nook and a home for ALL the stuffed creatures.

 This is my favorite part.  I organized the books by color, hoping Alex would learn to put them back when she was done. It has worked like a charm!

 Tyler's brother made the girls coat hooks for Christmas (how cool right?) and that is where they have learned to hang their coats and hats.  They have done pretty well at putting their coats away, and not just dropping them on the floor.  Underneath we have a shoe box to throw the shoes, so we can always find them.

 Then we have the letter wall, with the exact same prints that I remember having on my wall when I was a kid!

 Over Alex's bed I got a huge family picture print out on this fantastic sticky paper from 'Paper Coterie'. It is the coolest thing ever, like a giant sticker that never gets unsticky.

 We have yet to transition Heidi into an acceptable bedtime routine.  It seems that unless I lay in bed with her for an hour, no matter what we try it ends up with her wandering the room reading books until she collapses from exhaustion.

 It's pretty cute though, after the tantrum subsides.  This little girl is way ahead of the curve and quite the handful.  She talks like a pro and much to the surprise of the nursery leaders at church today, already tells us 75% of the time when she has to go (to the bathroom)!  Unfortunately she talks back like a 3 year old and children this age have no filter whatsoever.  She got in trouble a few weeks ago and I swatted her bum. She promptly went to find Daddy and told him (with bottom lip extended) "Mommy hit my bum!"  He then brought her back to Mommy to mediate.  Today in church she picked a boogie, showed me, and when I tried to clean it away she started chanting "This is MY boogie, DON'T take it away from me Mommy." When such a small child talks back so perfectly, it is very hard not to bust out laughing!

For Heidi's upcoming 2nd birthday we bought her a GIANT teddy bear.  One of those things everybody wants but can never justify buying (right?).  This is exactly what I wanted to get for Alex for Christmas, but couldn't find anything like it and settled for a big carnival St. bernard that is not cuddly at all.  So when Kate told me about these from Costco, I had to get it.  Since it arrived I've taken it out of the box to cuddle with every night after the kids are in bed.  Then, right before falling asleep it goes back into the box for the day.  It is that fantastic of a bear.  I can't wait for another week until her birthdayt!!!!

Easter, Kidney's and Croup

Last week we got hit by croup.  This was my first experience with the disease and it has NOT been fun.  Heidi came down with that terrible cough just before my Mom and brother came into town for Easter weekend. Not Ideal.

Fortunately and unfortunately she was mostly miserable at night and still got to participate in the backyard easter egg hunt and a bit of the other fun.

It was also the weekend of my Nephews baby blessing and so we were torn between spending time with family, and possibly infecting the baby.  Hence Tyler and Heidi spent a lot of time at home together, while Alex and I got to enjoy Grandma, family and fun.

Sunday after the blessing most of the family stuck around to chat for a few hours.  It was quite fun seeing everyone, relaxing, chatting and watching the kids run around after each other.

The week before Easter I went to find some matching Easter dresses for the girls.  Not the best timing, everything was picked through!  The only thing I found in their sizes that coordinated happened to also be the one outfit I couldn't walk away from.  Little matching sailor dresses with hats!  Of course the kids refuse to wear the hats, and white was probably the worst color to buy for Heidi, but Sailors! I'll only be able to dress them up as sailors for so long until they refuse.

It was a fun weekend.  We got to swim and play and mostly relax and catch up.  The girls got some good bonding time with their Uncle David who may or may not be the favorite.




















There was even a few hours of Great Grandma and Grandpa Asay time, which it seems is becoming too thin and far between.

Heidi was a bit distressed at being swept up by Grandpa Asay, whom she has only met a handful of times.

But it only took a moment of being held and scoffed at before she warmed up.

Monday morning I got hit with the sickness.  No surprise since Heidi had been unable to sleep the last few night and therefore ended up in bed with Mommy, breathing in my face all night.  It has made for a difficult few days, but also helped me justify a bit of R&R.

Alex and I are working on her being shy.  I was pretty pleased when she warmed up to Grandpa so quickly.

The last month Alex has been feeling the urge to pee almost constantly.  To the point that she has been visiting the bathroom every 15 minutes (and sometimes MORE frequently) for about 2 weeks now.  She will sit on the toilet bawling because the potty will not come out.  Monday I was at my wits end and we went to the Pediatrician.

After an eternity of trying to get Alex to pee in a cup (for the millionth time this month), and a slew of tests, we were referred to a Urologist who happened to have an opening immediately!  Cranky Heidi was making life miserable at this point.

The Urologists office was full of Grandma's and Grandpa's. While screaming children are common place at the Pediatricians office, I couldn't help but smile inside at how we must be spicing up their doctors visit as Alex screamed bloody murder while I pinned down her arms and legs so the nurse could do a simple bladder test (which consisted of pointing scanner on her belly).
     I didn't know whether to laugh or cry while I was trying to schedule a bladder ultrasound for the next day as Alex kicked the front desk whining that she had to go potty and Heidi simultaneously pulled down her pants and walking around insisting that she also had to pee.  If it wasn't for the older lady sitting in the waiting room, trying not to burst out laughing, I might have lost it at that point.

Experimenting with the camera during our nice Sunday afternoon walk/chat.

The next morning Alex got the croup and had to fast through breakfast which I thought would make for a cranky preschooler, instead it turned her into a half dead sack of potatoes which I had to lug here and there through the hospital until we stole a wheelchair.  I entertained her by reading the 3 Bears during the ultrasound and when we came home she insisted on eating mush like the bears.

Alex informed me that she was eating her mush like her Daddy AND her grandpa.  You see, Grandpa mixes the sugar and honey into the mush before eating, and Daddy plops it onto toast to deliver it to his mouth.  She was very pleased with herself.

That afternoon we trekked BACK to the Urologist to find out that Alex is a perfectly normal and healthy little girl.  YAY and boo.  After two days full of sickness and doctors visits we are back to square one, minus the worrying that she had some sort of bladder cancer.  But at least I don't panic a little every time she runs to the potty anymore.

Michael and Baby Bridger enjoying a stroll on blessing day.

I've inherited a LOT of great people through marriage.  Sister-in-laws, parent-in-laws, cousins, grandparents and friends.  I've been very lucky.  But one of my absolutely favorite people of all time, who I am so glad to be related to and therefore connected to forever, is my brother's Father-in-law. Uncle Al is a hoot!  My girls got to know him and Auntie Pat (who spoils them with the cutest bunnies every Easter) when we visited them in Canada last spring.  They are an extra set of Grandparents to my kids and although not technically, I consider them an extra set of in-laws for myself.  Uncle Al has the most outrageous sense of humor and French accent, and always has Alex wrapped around his finger (and vice versa) when we see them.  Sunday afternoon he lulled Alex into a nap by reading and translating little French storybooks to her, it was so precious.

Bridger and his Dad's Dad's Dad.

 Another development during the week of no sleep and coughing is that Heidi decided she no longer wanted to be confined to the crib, she has been able to climb out for awhile now but chose this weekend to rebel.  Amist everything else on Tuesday I found time to take down the crib, rearrange the room and put up her big girl bed!  I had rationalized that at least this way she could climb back into bed without our assistance.  I'm now quickly remembering the horrors of training a toddler to stay in bed at night.  

 Here is the wonderful Auntie Pat with little Bridger, shooting up like a weed!  Pat is so fun to sit and chat with and I'm excited that she will be around for the next month helping Danielle out with Bridger as she finishes up the school year.  The sweet pink Easter bunnies she picked out were the perfect thing for our sick week, and haven't left the girl's side during the many doctor visits and lazy movie afternoons this week.  How many people can say they are so close with their siblings in-laws? After last years Canada trip I have to say that I think it needs to become a tradition. Maybe not every year, but I need to get the kids up to visit their other other Grandparents every now and then right?

Warm Spring Days

I'm officially done mourning our lack of a winter and am ready to pack up the snow clothes.  

 As fun as sleds, red noses and hot chocolate on a snowy day are,

 NOTHING beats the park.

 Especially if that park is shared with best of friends, on a warm spring day with a picnic.

 Add a couple of toddlers on bikes excited to venture past the driveway for once,

and 2 little Miss. Sunshines,

and it's a recipe for success.

I don't know if I'm ready for the melting hot days, pit stains, and sunscreen of summer.

But I'm going to suck every minute out of the blossoms, green grass, and jacket weather while I can.

 And I'm pretty sure these guys will too.

The March wrap up

I could sum up the last couple weeks with this picture...

sleeping sick Alex.

 But there was plenty of good things that happened, besides all 4 of us getting sick, and 3 of us spending days throwing up into bowls and toilets.

We enjoyed a wonderful picnic at the park!

 Annie was disappointed that Heidi wouldn't share her chicken and juice.

 This girl is a dipping Queen.  She is the complete opposite of her mother - in that she LOVES sauces!  Each chicken nugget gets dipped 10 times so she can lick off the sauce and dip it again.  She eats ranch with a spoon.  It's disgusting.

 Having a 4 year old is a wonderful thing.  The sadness at her growing up so fast is being replaced by the JOY of having a child willing and able to listen, help and entertain herself for a bit.

 But then I see this one again and almost get baby hungry.

 Heidi is still the Master of goofy faces.

 We've visited the ducks a few times and taken plenty of walks.  Alex can get her Dad to carry her anywhere, and Heidi NEVER wants to be held.  Of course with Tyler carrying the larger child, and Heidi refusing to let me even look at her, we often fall behind.  I've implemented a NO CARRYING RULE.  I figure she needs to learn to walk now, because there is no way I'm carrying her all the way to Missouri.

  Heidi at the duck pond is a fun thing.  She stands WAY too close to the edge though, and nearly falls in the water each time she throws the bread.

 Alex is learning patience with Heidi, and Heidi is getting better at playing along with Alex.  I was thrilled to walk in on them having a tea party in the living room one day.

 I spent a day trying to potty train Heidi.  I think she is ready, I just picked the wrong day.  Once again, Alex is a great helper.

 We got to spend a day with Alex's favorite thing.  I may not be quite ready for another baby, but the girls have proven that they are ready for one.

 I couldn't help snapping a picture before we had a short lesson on "sometimes less is more."

 Alex wanted to spend every second by cousin Bridger's side, and when he was napping she would run in to check on him about every 10 minutes.  It was precious.

 Heidi really doesn't like birthday hats.

 Tyler was a great sport on his birthday.  He put up with all my birthday traditions, and Alex's insistences to do things just so.  He even tilled the big garden out at Grandma Jakes house for me!

 That evening we got babysitters and went "camping".

 Fancy tin foil dinners, 3 different campfire deserts, and plenty of wood to burn.  It was so much fun being able to relax and enjoy a campfire without worrying about kids.  The best part was that Tyler started the fire with our new flint.

My favorite part was finishing the night off with some flashlight photography tricks.

Conference weekend was WONDERFUL!  We got to listen to a living Prophet and all the Apostles speak.  There were so many messages I felt were just for me, and I got to enjoy some of them while laying in the tent outside with Alex by my side.  She got a jelly bean for each time she picked out a special word from a talk (prophet, Jesus, etc.), I was impressed how many she caught! I'm already looking forward to the next LDS General Conference in 6 months, it was great.