"All Things Girly"

If there is anything which describes my little Lexie, it is definitely "all things girly." I'm not sure where she gets it from, as there are times I certainly wish I were a bit more girly. Her features are girly; I think even as a tiny baby, when you aren't sure if the baby is a "he" or "she" and you find yourself checking the color of clothing or for a bow, or are asking the parents, "What's the name?" as you mumble over the he or she part, even then, Lexie looked gilry. She has beautiful eyelashes. She has always had mannerisms which are unmistakeably the mark of a little lady, which I call her at times, hoping she will one day grow into a lovely lady (I'm still hoping this will occur for me, but I guess it is a life long process.) She stands with her little hip sticking out and her hand on it. She loves shoes, and has since around 18 months; she had a pair of black patent leather shoes she always wanted to wear. People warn me to watch out for when she gets older, that girls are harder than boys but I'm so glad I have Lexie and grateful she has a sister. I have two sisters and can't imagine going through life without them. There is a special bond between sisters and I look forward to watching this develop between Anna and Lexie. Lexie has more fashion sense at two, than I do at twenty-eight, she must get this from her aunt Jessica a quality I must admit I'm envious of. Although, luckily since I don't have it, I have a sister to help me with it. She likes having her hair fixed, and I like doing it. I look at all the little girls hair at church to come up with new ideas of how to do it. She has a bracelet she got for Christmas, we just pulled out a few weeks ago and it hasn't left her wrist since. I have a feeling it will be there until it breaks. So I think I've made my point that Lexie encompasses all things girly, and I wouldn't change her. I hope she will always be sugar and spice and everything nice, since that's what little girls are made of. I love you Lexie!

Don't worry though, she's not so prissy she can't ride her tractor in her Easter dress. What a gal!

"Phases"

Well it is official Anna is no longer an infant. Of course she hasn't been for awhile now, but it seems more real as we are entering a new phase. She is starting to crawl; say da da, much to her father's delight; tear apart magazines and put anything she can find into her mouth. There is always a sadness when an old phase ends and a new begins. I'm sure you know what I mean. There is a wave of nostalgia as I think of the events of Anna's birth, her falling asleep on my chest, remembering how tiny she was and how much I love new babies. The new offers excitement and a little trepidation as I will be entering uncharted waters with three mobile children. Life is about to get a little more complicated. I'm not looking forward to three spoon feedings a day for Anna which have already began and then the cleaning out of the highchair, a job I do not enjoy.
Lexie has started into a whining phase which I'm not at all happy about. Suddenly just this week, if I'm holding Anna she wants me to hold her, and then she starts bawling and whining. I'm hoping this stage is short lived and then on to greener pastures. I still think she is a doll and love all her funny little quirks; like she needs five different gadgets to go to bed with, her blanket, care bear which is affectionately known as "baby", her green toy car, a thing of silly puddy which she calls her potato. She also calls baboons "baboobs" or "babooms" which, makes me laugh, and has called me a "baboob" a few times this week. Also the worst insult you can receive from Lexie, or Andrew for that matter,is, "You Peacock". So beware if you are called a peacock at the Ward home. I love her, but the incessant whining must stop.
Andrew is actually entering a very fun age. He is 3 1/2 and he is been getting a little easier for me over the last month or so. I'm able to reason with him a little. It is so fun to watch as he plays and I can see his imagination at work. Today he had a little hanger and a big hanger and he was the little hanger, even calling it "Andrew Nicholas, now you stay here" and the big hanger was"Daddy." I thought it was funny. He was flipping the hanger around the door knob and telling me to watch it do a normal flip, or a falling flip. I also think it is so interesting how kids have no judgement they accept everything for how it is they don't see race at all. The other day I said,"Lexie you look like me right now," as her hair was wild and she was being a little naughty(this is when she looks like her mom). Andrew followed it up with," yea and I look like you Daddy." It makes perfect sense if a little girl looks like her mother then a little boy should look like his Dad. I wonder when he will start noticing the difference in appearance between himself and the rest of the fam. He has really been fun lately and I'm enjoying the phase he is in and hope it lasts. The picture of Andrew is so you can see his beautiful eyelashes, one lucky boy and lookout ladies.
And finally I can't wait for may bad hair cut "phase" to grow out. This is one phase I'm going to wish away.

Easter!

I love Easter and always have. It definitely has the best candy, colors, flowers, and it comes at a time of year when I'm so ready for warmer weather to finally arrive. We had a nice holiday. Neither Jeremy or I had to work. We survived sacrament meeting, which honestly with our kids the ages they are is a challenge every week. Some weeks, or most, I wonder why we go. The kids got way too much candy and I have had to monitor their consumption according to how well they eat at meals, which for the past two days has not been good. So they haven't gotten much candy, well that is to say that I have given them. They have had plenty they sneak and that which grandparents gave them. We haven't completed all of the Easter festivities I want to, so we are going to continue the holiday through April so we can dye eggs and do the twelve days of Easter, just a little thing to help the kids learn the meaning and reason behind the celebration. I can't help but think all of the running around sometimes detracts from the holiday though. I'm not sure how I would do it different though.

On a different note, I have forgotten that being a mother is the hardest job there is. How could I forget? Well Jeremy has been home, I've been at work and after a few days with Jeremy back to work and me at home I find myself exhausted tonight, and running short on patience with my kids never ending excuses to get out of bed. I wouldn't trade it for anything though. Hope you all had a nice Easter.

"Oh Boy, I got Joy"

So, Andrew attends a singing class every Tuesday afternoon. He came home singing:
"Oh Boy, I got joy. I do. Do you? It's next to
my heart, it's next to my head in a minute or two.
Ooh boy I got joy."
I'm telling you it is the cutest thing in the world. His little eyes, well actually, his big eyes get very animated; they twinkle and sparkle even more than usual. Sometimes when he sings he repeats the next to my heart and head part 3 or 4 times; or you may get only one verse of it. But, anyway this little song of his has gotten me thinking about Joy.
What brings me Joy? What is it that, at times, it seems so elusive? Sometimes I feel joy readily and then there are other times I think: when I have this or get to this stage, or if only... The list of why we are unable to feel joy NOW can go on and on. As I have been contemplating this topic, reading and studying, I've come to a few conclusions.
First we are meant to feel joy now and the only way to do this is to live in the present. The past is past an there is nothing we can do about it; the future isn't here yet so what is the point in obsessing over it. And so, the only way to feel joy is to do it NOW. So I have really been trying to live in the moment, be present or whatever you want to call it. Whether I'm at work and would rather be home, stuck in a traffic jam, or cleaning the toilet, I'm really trying to enjoy the moment I'm in and recognize I have a choice in the matter of weather I am enjoying what I'm doing. Life is so much better when you accept the present for what it is and then proceed to be happy about what you are doing. Abraham Lincoln was right when he said,"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
So for today the things which bring me joy:

• Andrew saying, "Lex, you look like a princess."
• Having the elven year old girls in my ward tell me they voted amongst themselves on the cutest baby in the ward and Anna is it. Of course I agree but it is an unofficial title as no formal vote was held.
• Jeremy is finally back to work after a nearly 5 month hiatus. We are so glad his hand has improved and he is able to return to work. It has been a challenge, but I feel I've learned some valuable things.
• I am finally done with three consecutive "lump sum contracts" for those of you who are work you friends, you know what this means and I'm so glad to be able to have some time back for myself and see my babies a little more frequently.
• And finally taking bath with a good book.

These are just a few things I thought of off the top of my head. Nothing to exciting but I'm finding more and more happiness comes in the little things, hey, Laura like the good laugh at work about the Elmo underwear, love ya and love working with you. Anyhow I'm going to keep on working on living in the moment and if I ever find my video camera which somehow got lost over a year ago when we moved, I'll put Andrew on singing his darling song which has inspired all the thinking about JOY! happy blogging

Smells That Transport...

I’m sure you are reading this title saying to yourself, “Huh?” But, I’m sure you know what I mean, let me explain. The other day I was in Wal-mart and I smelled this particular brand of baby lotion I used with Andrew and I was pregnant with Lexie. I was instantly feeling a bit nauseous and queasy, as if I was pregnant again, which let me assure you I am not. So, smells do transport.
Lately as I have been longing for warmer weather and it certain to reach us before I know it, I’ve been thinking of smells of spring and summer and can hardly wait. I think of the smell of rain, swimming pools, sunscreen, summer barbeques, vine ripened tomatoes. Doesn’t just thinking about these things remind you of particular memories and experiences in life? Like the smell of Tommy Hilfiger Cologne reminds me of my boyfriend my sophomore year in college
I remember one day when I was maybe eleven or twelve, it was a summer rain. It was a downpour for a few short minutes; which is rare for Utah summers. My best friend growing up, Natalie, and I decided we wanted to wash our hair in the rain. So we did. We really weren’t able to get a good rinse but it is a fond memory I have, and the smell of summer rain takes me right to it.
Close your eyes with me for a minute and think of the smell of fresh cut grass; can’t you just feel a warm breeze on your face, the sound of kids playing outside, lawnmowers going. I can feel my hands digging in the warm earth, and just feeling at peace with life. All this comes just from thinking of the smell of fresh cut grass; and so I stand by my title, smells do transport. I am thinking of smells of summer, and willing the warmer weather to arrive soon!

Ideas for Moms

I've decided to pick a topic each day to write about on my blog; so for today I've chosen to write about a few ideas I've been trying out with my kids.

A friend from work, told me about an "activity chain" she made for her kids. So we made one today. We wrote down ideas of activities we can do each day and the plan is to take one link of a day, and do the activity written down. We wrote down things like: fly a kite, have a race around the block, Lexie's idea was, "have a soda pop", a hint to me- maybe I need to quit drinking soda. I thought this was a cute idea and so we are trying it out. Andrew and Lexie don't totally get it yet, but I think after we start using it, they will really enjoy it and look forward to taking links off each day, and coming up with activities for our future chains.

My second idea, which we have been doing for about a month now, is keeping a gratitude journal. Each night as part of our bedtime routine we write down five things we are thankful for. I'm hoping this will help us cultivate thankful hearts, and recognize the many blessings in our lives. The other day I heard Andrew say, "Lex, what are you grateful for?" This was a gratifying moment as a mother. We get a lot of repetition. Andrew is continually grateful for car washes, his cousin Isaac, all characters from Mickey Mouses Clubhouse, and I occasionally make the list (Momma, he says.) Lexie's top three are deer (we saw a few on the way home from my moms the other night and she has talked about them ever since), stars, and again characters from Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse. This has been really enjoyable for Jeremy and I. Jeremy has been good to do it even on the nights I am at work. The next day he will ask me if I saw what the kids wrote down.

The last idea we have been working on is our vision boards. This idea is really in its infancy. So the idea behind the vision board is to put up thoughts, pictures, goals, things we want to have happen in our lives, on our "vision boards" and then put the board somewhere we see it often. I want the kids to develop the habit of goal setting. Andrew saw a picture of Paris on a movie and he said, "Look that's beautiful." So we have a picture of Paris on his vision board to remind him that if he wants to and it is important to him he can go there. I have a picture of Greece on mine, and I'm hoping to make it there. Andrew says he want to play the harp when he get bigger, so we are going to put a picture of a harp on his vision board. Lexie's is a little sparse at this point, but she has a picture of Jesus with the children and a wedding picture of Jeremy and I; these are a work in progress. Once we have more going on with them, I'll post a photo. Well I think that's it for my ideas. Try them out, if you want, and let me know what you think!

Baby Anna

Little Anna, you are nealry six months old here. What a sweetheart you are. I tell you what if all babies were as good as you people would have a hundred. I know everyone is thinking well Kim you're well on your way to a hundred with three, three and under, but I wouldn't change it. I love being a Mom, and most days things go pretty well. Today We drew handlebar mustaches on Andrew and Lexie. Andrew likes this, and this way he can have make-up on but in a macho way. See, he always wants to put make-up on when I'm doing mine. We played chase, had tickle fights, and did zerberts on each others tummies. Anna has been such a joy, she loves her cereal. I've never had a baby who loves cereal so much. Lately Anna has been talking up a storm, especially at church. Although it seems to be her growling bear voice she tends to use at church. She has also discovered her feet this week. I love the happy baby pose. Today she was sucking on her toe, so cute. Well this is all for now. I'm going to go ahead and post this and try and add another picture later, so I'll see how it works.