Swinging Brothers...

 

These boys love to swing. Sometimes I avoid parks that have them because they don't have enough or they are being used and they whine or fight over who gets to go, or I am swinging them wrong not high enough or they are going twisty. The complaints never end. But when the stars align there is just 2 open swings and I am really in a swinging mood I will let them go for about 20-30 minutes just like this. Under dogs, screams of happiness, and lots of laughs. They pretend to kick me in the face and I pretend fall, that gets them laughing every time.  They are happy as can be an everything is right in the world! Such a dream day at the swings. 

 

Sacramento Zoo

We hit the Sacramento Zoo today and it was a fun day with the boys. Max got to ride the tain, see his hand with the ticket in it? So excited. Cracks me up what little kids get excited for. What a life he is leading! 

Check out this baby of mine! What a big boy Noah is. His smile is one of his best features. He loved seeing the animals he could, this boy loves animals and really would just want to pet all of them if he could. He especially loved watching the otters swim all around and move really fast, made me think of him actually, because boy he is getting FAST with his walking. He goes from not caring a few weeks ago to running away from me...not a good sign for what is in our future! 

 Of course Max found a tractor!! The boy is full blown obsessed. 

And how cute is that little zoo keeper face? Honestly being his mom is the best thing in the world. I love him so much. He has really blossomed and whenever we are out and about I always recognize what a big boy he is becoming. He is turing 3 way too soon it breaks this moms heart ! 

 

Jill comes to town!!

My very best friend Jill Tuttle Taylor came to town because her younger brother Darin was getting married. It is always a treat to see Jill. We have known each other for years and have been through so much together. Our 2 kids are the same age and it is always fun to get together. She lives in Texas now and one day I hope to go see her there! We had a short time together but we made the most of it with a day at the splash pad. I hope Max and Carmen can become long distance buddies and then see each other at BYU?!!

 

 

 

Later that night just us girls got to sneak away for some ice cream. We sat around and talked for hours. We stayed till they shut down the place and kicked us out! I am so blessed to have the best friends around. We've been through so much together since elementary school, and added Cari in during high school! We have 8 children between us all and have 4 awesome marriages that we've all lucked out and our husbands are great friends too! I can share anything with them, ask them questions, and talk about anything from motherhood, to world events. These are my people and I feel so re-energized and ready to take on the world after are night out! I love my friends dearly they are like another family to me. Until next time Jill!! Come again soon! Or girls trip right??!!

Besties!

I will say it a million times I have the best friends around. These are just a few that I love and are my dearest friend...minus Jill in Texas who we love and miss and want her to move here!! We had a fun BBQ at the park to kick off summer. I wanted to catch us all. I have known Cari and Cortney for so long and now am getting to know Markie and Annie super well too. I know their husbands from high school and wrote Tristan faithfully on his mission. I even mailed him a wedding announcement to Manchester England! We are so blessed to get to stay home and be moms together and that our husbands are such great friends as well, they often meet up for lunch and have man dates. We are planning some fun things this summer. It is always a bit crazy when we gather because the amount of children we have fun it's always a great time. We laugh a lot! Love my friends! 

Date Night!

Look we are on a date! I even got a sitter, which is sorta amazing because are kids don't do well with them. I got them all put to bed then we hit a late movie. Star Trek! Love going to the movies, drinking all the diet coke I want and even splurging for a soft pretzel and the yummy oozy cheese that will kill us one day! It was a treat and I forget how much I love being alone with Larry!

Funny Things About Max...

Lately I have noticed that Max really likes to line things up. I am trying to be a funner mom and actually play with Max more not just have him do it alone, which he is good at but I want him to remember me sitting by him playing on the floor. I know he won't remember how clean are house was, or if I looked nice that day, or If we ate a delish gourmet meal, but he will remember his mother taking the time to play with him. The best days are when I give up any agenda and just play with my kids. I am happier and so are they.

I have noticed though in all this playing that Max really likes things just such. It is almost frustrating to the point of crying (on my part) when he gets angry that a toy won't stand up a certain way, or doesn't work like he thinks it should function. I have looked for toys that can't break easy, have easy functions and are easy for him to hold. I know also that he would love certain toys but his patience just ins't ready for them yet. I go out of my way to make things just right so he doesn't get angry because of his personality.

I have found that chunky toys would well and things he already loves like tractors and cars. He has a big collection of hot wheels that works well. Every time he goes to target if he is good he gets to pick our a 97 cent one. I love watching his little imagination develop and grow. He is starting to role play with the toys a little and likes when I join in. He had the army men saving all the princesses the other day which was so cute, he lined them all up, just like his cars! Oh how I love learning from him. I have learned a lot of patiences and to plan ahead and be prepared for all his little ocd needs!

 

 

Larry's Last Final.

Larry is off to take his last final of the semester. He came by the park that we were playing with really quickly to say hello and see the boys before heading off. His work is close so it is always easy for him to pop over on a lunch break and see what we are up to if we happen to be in Folsom. Today we had gotten Jamba Juices and went to a shady park, it is starting to warm up and feel like summer! The boys have no clue what Larry does or that he even goes to law school but they always enjoy when he comes around. Good luck babe! 

Mothers Day 2013

I am a mom who is still learning to become a mother. I am a mom who looks at other moms for advice, who reads books, and is trying to develop her mom philosophy. I am a mom who is starving for information on development, communication, and child rearing. I am a mom who cares.

I am a mom who was made to have babies. I am a mom who gets pregnant without trying. I am that mom who people sometimes hate because of that. I am a mom who loves to be pregnant and I am a mom who loves to give birth. I am a mom who looks forward to her next baby, whenever that may be.

I am a mom who worries. I don't worry about their every day safety...infact I am low key about that. I don't worry if they fall, eat dirt, break a bone I think it is all part of being a kid. I do worry about their grades, self esteem, peer pressure, dating, sex, drugs, helping them gain a testimony. I am a mom who worries about not providing well enough to give them the life we dream of having. I worry about lost opportunities because I didn't push them hard enough, or breaking their spirit because I pushed too much.  How do you teach them to be good people, not the bullies, not the ones who make fun of other kids or don't stand up for what is right?? How do you just let them go off into the world. These are the things that keep me up at night. I am a tried mom.

I am a mom who wants the best for her kids, like every mom. I want them to have a good life, a joyful childhood, and to look back and say my parents were awesome and they tried their gosh darn hardest to help us become amazing people. Is this a dream? Is this unrealistic? I guess then I am a mom who dreams.

I am a mom who wants to always see the best in her child, but also knows there is a time and a place for time outs, discipline, and teaching. I am a mom who loves her children unconditionally. I am a mom who feels that love deep down in her core. I am a mom who hugs, kisses, and holds her children. I am a mom that realizes my children love to be loved on. I am a mom who always wants her kids to have that physical connection to her.

I am a mom, and this mothers day I want to celebrate the good days and the bad days. The days where I worry myself sick about the future. The days where I cry because I was awful to them, or cried, or lost my patients. The days where we did nothing but play and everyone went to bed happy and tired. I am a mom who was born to do this, who has given up an worldly ambitions to be a mom. The world says I am not good enough, other women say it is a waste, but I am a mom who knows that if I can change my children for the better, and give them the mom the deserve that they will change the world. I am a mom that knows that I can change the future just by being a mom.

Mothers Day Flowers..

These babies are beautiful. I love fresh flowers and I have never had tulips before. I love how fresh and springy they look. What a treat! 

Camping In The Backyard...

The Father and Sons camp out was this weekend, and Larry had class on Saturday early in the morning so there was no way he was able to make it work. Sometimes I wish he didn't have that excuse and I could send him off with both boys for the night. He did make it up to Max and have him do a campout in the backyard. He has a fire pit and hot dogs and smores, and then when it finally got dark they went to bed. I think they lasted till about midnight then came in! 

Max was super excited for the tent and for the blow up mattresses he kept bouncing around like a trampoline. He loved the smores and ate more then he probably should have. I love Max's enthusiasm for everything that is new and exciting for him. I am sure years from now they will all go to the father and sons campout and have a great time. For now this worked out just great and everyone ended up with a good night sleep in their own beds! 

 

 

 

 

Freshly Bathed Babes...

We are very much into routine around here. The boys always get a bath at bedtime, get in jammies, and get stories. Now that it is getting lighter later into the evening it is harder to get them inside to go to bed. It always makes me laugh that once I've washed their bodies, got them all ready to sleep that they escape outside to play some more and basically get messy all over again. Sometimes it is nice because they can get their wiggles out other times it can feel like double the work. Sometimes I try to be the fun mom and let it slide, their only young once. Other times the grumpy tired single mom comes out and I lock them in the house as they are screaming and crying to go outside. I always prefer the later mom...that mom has had enough sleep, drank a lot of diet coke, and is not feeling the stress of being alone so often. I like that mom much better then the ugly grumpy one that comes out all to often at night. Tonight I let them play, get dirty again and have a great time. But you bet I did not re-bath them and they went right to bed in those probably dirty jammies! :) That's real life right there people!