Nightmares

Belle- "Mom I don't like nightmares...."

Me- "I don't either Belle, do you have a lot of nightmares?"

Belle- "Yes, I dream about them."

Me- "Well what are your nightmares about... what scares you?"

Belle- "Mr. Waternoose!"

Me- "Mr. Waternoose!!!!!? Off of Monsters Inc.?"

Belle- "Yeah Mr. Waternoose!"

REDOUBLING

We are going on Day 7 of Belle's croup (at least it is just the cough now instead of being in bed for 4 days), Cash's runny nose/cold, and Paige's runny nose/cold... And I have to admit yesterday for Labor Day I was convinced after much praying that my kids would be all better ready to have a party... I got very discouraged and totally felt sorry for myself, because Belle woke up coughing worse than ever, Cash started coughing, and Paige had a runny nose.... When all the kids were down for their naps I vented my head off to Monkey... Man I feel bad for him. I said how I can't stand my house, I have been trapped in it for 5 straight days, I was alone with all weekend, My kids are mean to me... Belle was yealling all day like "MOM WHERE'S MY FOOD", "GET ME A POPSICLE MOM", "I WANT IT NOWWWW!" or just saying "NO" No joke.... for 3 days she has been like that and Cash of course does everything Belle does but more extreme... so he has been a bundle of joy!. Of course they would get in trouble but how much trouble or things can you take away from a child who is just sick in bed or a child who is just as tired and mad as you are?? My patience was gone and it has been gone for some time now.  I told Monkey how my life feels like it will never change... I told him to be honest I am a bit jealous how everyday he goes out learns and progresses and I am stuck in a sick never healthy home and I and EXPECTED TO DO SO! I feel awful how I even said this or felt like this but I told him I don't even feel like praying for help anymore because it doesn't seem like Heavenly Father wants us to get healthy and I am suppose to go through this. Poor Monkey he always gets the brunt of everything... Anyways after a very long "always me... selffish" speech I decided to study my scriptures for the day... and of course I open to this...

D&C 127: 2&4
2 And as for the ^aperils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the ^benvy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ^cordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God ^dknoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in ^etribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

I read this scripture and felt my anger leave and just started to feel bad.... Joseph Smith went through so incredibly much more than I will ever have to go through, and yet he glories in tribulation. Are you kidding!? I honestly felt so bad about how selfish and ungrateful I have been feeling. Joseph Smith went through trials that lasted which seemed like forever and he still had faith that Heavenly Father would deliver him from them all. I only am dealing with sicknesses over and over but Heavenly Father has made my kids healthy each time. I started to feel very overwhelmed... like my trials are so small and I am not dealing with them very well.  How can I do this without going completely mad?!? Then of course I read this verse.... 

4 "... let your ^bdiligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they ^cpersecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven."

REDOUBLED oh dear..... Even though that makes me extremely tired thinking about REDOUBLING everything... I know that was an answer to prayer. As much as I don't like this saying Hang in there hahah I know that's what I got to do and do it with a good attitude... so we have been working on a lot of learning since we have been stuck inside and...

I am so excited... being a stay at home Mother these are the things that excite me....

Belle has learned all the sounds to the letters and is now sounding out words. She can read CAT, MAT, SAT, PAT, BAT and DAD, SAD, MAD, TAD, LAD, BAD! I am so thrilled we are starting to work on the "ot" words!

Cash has learned all the sounds of the letters and can look at BAT say BAAA AHHH TTTT.... He can't quite put it together but her is getting close. AND he now is going number one on the toilet which he calls "yellow"!!!!! So we use about 1 or 2 diapers a day! 

AND....

After a long talk about saying please and thank you or you get nothing, if you scream at Mom you get ignored, if you are whining you can whine in your room by yourself, or if you say "I WANT....." at all... you go straight to your room..... All day so far I have had the most polite children, that even went down for a nap without screaming or whining. Just... okay Mom!

That is progress! 

I am so happy for both of them. They are so extremely smart! I am so glad that even though I pray for my kids to stay healthy and I feel like my prayers are never answered... I AM WRONG... They are ALWAYS answered but in a very different way, just in a way that makes me want to grow and be better. That makes me feel that no matter what... my Heavenly Father is still aware of his very IMPERFECT daughter.

Wrapping Summer Up....

Summer is over.... what on earth happened?! This summer has felt like a blur. It was here and now gone. We tried to make the last of our summer as fun or spend as much time out doors and with the people we love. We went to our ward BBQ which was simply a blast. The primary kids did a pioneer parade/march with balloons. It was so fun to watch the excitement and seriousness on Belle's face! She held her balloon so proudly and Cash clapped so hard and long for her! Cash thought Belle was so cool... 

Lots of summer days were spent with friends... We have new neighbors- which happens to be our old neighbors and our kids are so thrilled to have Claire, Ian, and Olivia right across the street.We have been going on walks and escapes to the school park, Our favorite one was with Skylar and Parker!

It's also been a sad time- we had to say goodbye to a friend that I feel became one of my close friends... Karen and her family will be seriously missed! The kids will miss Jackson who played Monster and damsel in distress with Belle and Cash will miss trying to sneak a kiss from Risa or trying to hug her neck! Karen we miss you so much already!

We spent so many days outside with friends playing volleyball, play dough, bug finding, hide n seek, chalk, you name it we probably did it!

Aunt Katrina got to come see the kids and meet Paige for the first time before she headed to teach English in China!

Then one of the most exciting things of the summer was one of our best friends... Jimmy and Vanessa came for a short day trip visit! Whenever I see these two life gets so much better! It was so fun having their kids over. Braden and Brynlie are so big now. The kids loved each other! I wish so badly that we lived close. That day we ended up, talking, riding bikes, doing a camp fire, playing in the river, eating some good Tai food, kids wrestling Jimmy (Cash keeps telling me that his best friend is Jimmy), and laughing! I love this family so much. I am so glad we got to spend time with them- even though it was so short!

And to make summer fun and healthy... Banana ice cream and my Mom's cobbler. This ice cream is frozen bananas and a tiny bit of milk.... that is it and it's so good! So healthy! So dessert! Love it!

This summer Belle has become scared of the dark. So I let her crack the door... but she is afraid it will close so she puts her guardian unicorn to protect her from the monsters. It's so sad but I am glad her magical unicorn helps!

The rest of this summer was getting sick, doctor visits, picnics, getting new sparkle shoes finally for Belle, late night movies, Paige sleeping till 5:30am, SUSHI 3 nights in a row and then anytime we went to the store, talking and laughing on the couch after kids fell asleep, falling more in love with Monk Man (cheesy but not kidding!), 0 calorie drinks, sonic slushes... grape and blue coconut, and finally the day came for Dad to go back to school... Sad day... The kids asked about a 100 times why he had to go back. I felt like asking it too!

We had such a great summer together despite all the madness of being what felt like constantly sick. You know I am really looking forward to the Fall! The smellls that are filling stores of cinnamon vanilla, pumpkin spice, harvest apples, etc! The changing of the leaves. Pumpkin patches and endless hot chocolate! Cool nights and kid friendly scary stories! Library rentals of little witch or Charlie browns pumpkin patch! Excitement of Halloween costumes- which Belle picked for all of us already... Tinker Belle, Peter Pan, Hook, Tiger Lilly, and a baby mermaid! We will see if I can pull it off. Sugar cookies the kids frost and deliver.... reading favorite books on leaves! Although summer is the best for endless fun.... Fall is my favorite for it's warm, fresh, crisp feeling! I am so ready!

Too fast...

Weighing at 14 pounds our Paige Rae is 10 weeks old and she'll be 11 weeks in 3 days. This little girl is such a bundle of happy now. She has gotten out of her major fussy stage of crying a lot to lots of smiles! She makes me laugh out loud all the time. She is so loud- it's almost like she is trying to talk to me all day long. She growls at me if I am not hurrying when I feed her. Church meetings are impossible for me to attend because first she doesn't sleep and second she is so loud she disturbs the whole class- everyone is laughing at her in a very spiritual moment! So we roam the halls or feed twice in the mothers lounge!

She is finally loving other people... which is nice because I can get a break here and there! She loves Monkey~ when he gets home and holds her she smiles HUGE and just stares at him forever! She is a sweet heart! I feel like time is going to fast. Everyday she gets so much bigger. She is wearing 6-9 month clothing and has rolls on her rolls.. which is my favorite. She eats still 12 to sometimes 15 times a day.... She can't quite get enough. She does still cry a lot- I feel like she has issues with her tummy. Anytime she goes to the bathroom she acts like it kills and she is a spitter upper. So I hope that ends soon so she can catch a break. Yesterday we went and she got her 2 month shots. Oh man she does not handle shots to well. She got a temperature right after and could not sleep from a seriously runny nose, making it super hard to breathe. She just cried and cried last night I finally held her close and around 5am she feel asleep in my face. Lets just say I am not looking forward to her 4 month shots. Paige is so aware of everything around her- she takes maybe 2 naps a day and falls asleep for 20 mintues here and there. I love being with her. Usually Monkey is the one the kids have wrapped around their fingers but Paige has me completely around her finger.

Belle and Cash can't get enough of her... Especially Cash... He absolutely loves Paige. He has a special spot for Paige. I always catch him laying by her and singing lullabies to her. Paige my little sweet heart I am so happy your in our family. You have made everyday so much better. I love you!