Visitors

On St. Patty's day, we had some special visitors!  My mom's parents live in Cache Valley.  We invited them down to lunch for a visit, since I couldn't go anywhere.  They came down in the morning and spent most of the afternoon here.  It was awesome!   I love that my kids are getting to know them better.  I've gotten to see them much more often now that I live close. They are so patient and fun loving with my crazy boys!  Grandpa brought lots of old photos of his life.  We went through them all and I learned lots of new things about him.  He was an adorable little boy that loved his dogs and a good strong LDS youth. I found all his stories and pictures fascinating! 

When I was in college, before I got married, I would visit their house for a weekend here or there.  I called it my cabin in the mountains. It was so nice to get away and feel the love of family.  (I also always took my laundry. haha.)  I love them so much and have so many happy happy memories with them.  I'm so happy I get to keep creating good memories with them and my kids are getting to know my wonderful grandparents too. 

Knee Surgery

So back in January, I tore my ACL.  After finding out all my options, we opted for surgically fixing it, which in my case was actually taking a less used tendon in my hamstring and making a new ACL. Isn't modern medicine amazing?!  Not to mention our bodies and how they heal and adapt.  After asking around, I found out it would be ideal if I could have some live in help.  So my mom came to my rescue!  You are never too old to need your mom.  She came out for almost 2 weeks! We could NOT have done this without her. Mike and all my kids have been super helpful, but Mike is gone most of the time, and kids can only do so much for themselves. 

The surgery went well and I had also torn my meniscus and there was something else, but I was pretty drugged up when they told me. Ha. I was expecting much more pain.  I was only on the prescription stuff for a day or two.  And I'm able to walk on it pretty well. I have been recovering with as much down time as I can make myself do.  My mom and a really fun project (future post) made this much easier.  

I sat in my bed for a week on this machine that keeps my knee elevated and moving and an ice water knee brace thing that is AMAZING. I could get up and move around a little, but as soon as I did swelling went crazy. That's really the only issue I've had is keeping swelling down.  It's important.  But other than that my range of motion is good, walking is good (with crutches), I'm sleeping great (thanks to everyone else getting up with kids at night), seeing great improvements every day, and feeling good.

We had a permanent bed party for a while. I'm really glad we upgraded to a king recently! 

I'm hoping the kids remember this part of our experience.  We've had lots of reading time and snuggling in mom's bed.  Unfortunately that's about all I've done with them, so I'm hoping they remember this and not me being unfun.  Spencer loves to toddler around my bed and play peek a boo at my bedroom door.  It's adorable.

I tried staying in my bed, but after a few days, I ventured downstairs and stayed on the couch during the day.  It was SO nice to be part of things, but I wasn't as good at staying still and swelling was worse. 

My view. :) 

I'm grateful my mom is so willing and awesome!  So grateful for modern medicine to give me a fully functioning knee again (eventually)! 

Kid Imaginations

The kids love to use our patio chairs for an imaginary train, airplane, car, and all sorts of other things.  When Isabelle is around, she is so good at creating and imagining that keeps the boys entertained forever.  When she's gone, they just don't last as long.  We love our Saturdays with "the entertainer" all day. :) 

Dr. Seuss

Isabelle's first grade did a cute little Dr. Seuss program for Dr. Seuss Bday.  It was cute.  They opened with a song in Chinese by Isabelle's class. It was packed.  I thought I'd be able to see....but this was my view...

I couldn't see a thing....except these cute boys

And then someone moved their head just so and I saw my cute little girl and took a horrible picture. :)

From what I heard it was good. Haha.  

Her Chinese teacher, Ms. Wu.

More Snow

The kids have not had enough snow to satisfy them. (I on the other hand have had plenty) The tiniest flurries bring them all outside. Spencer just loves to be outside. He wants shoes in hopes he gets to go outside. 

I love babies in beanies!!!! 

All done outside....not a happy camper.  

So Random, So fun, Saturday

I had a pretty bad fall recently, and I took it easy for a couple days.  A couple Saturday's ago, I didn't do anything but be entertained by my kids.  No chores, just fun. I was laughing all day.  They had a really fun day. 

I made waffles for breakfast, then the kids rode their bikes outside. It started to snow for the first time since Christmas-ish! It wasn't enough to play in yet, so we played in the house.  Built a fort, they put on a magic show for me while I sat, they made a bird's nest out of a torn up newspaper, they had a wrestling match, they did their "Cowabunga Bay" at the bottom of the stairs, they built Legos.  They threw wet cotton balls on the shower walls (not quite sure why this was a game or fun, but it started in Luke's room, I made them move to a non painted wall...I'm a good mom. haha).  They painted and took a long bath together and played forever.  After a decent snow around 5ish they played in it for a bit. 

Isabelle started the magic show and then the other two boys followed.  A facebook status during the intermission of the event..."My kids are putting on a magic show. "close your eyes, mom!" an easy request at 3 in the afternoon. Do I have to open them upon request? And kid magic shows are super entertaining, but not necessarily very magic."

Spencer and hats...he loves helmets too. He wore this most of the day. I put it on him 30 times, at least. 

Pillow cases (still with the pillow in apparently) make great substitutes for magic hats. 

Luke also loves to wear his helmet.  Not sure if this is just because he can't get the buckle off by himself or he actually likes it, but he wears his helmet a lot. 

 Then it started to snow again, and apparently there was a wardrobe change, this is the same day (I actually had to check the dates!), This time there was more to play in so it was super exciting to the kids.  Spencer in general has been difficult to keep in the house lately, by time I made it to the door, he was outside in the snow barefoot. 

Apparently Isabelle was barefoot too...

These really should be marketed as dog AND toddler doors.  He has discovered how to get out.  He's been able to come in through it for a while, but now he likes to go out.  Like I said, I've had a difficult time keeping track of him with appropriate clothing.

(Oh and Michael was barefoot too...Seriously!  Where was their mother?!?!?!)

It was just one of those days that bedtime came around and I realized I was smiling at my kids all day.  Found these couple that Isabelle snapped at some point. Not super flattering, but a good memory, nonetheless.   When you just decide all the chores can wait and you just are going to play with the kids, all the stress goes away and we just have fun. I love getting to play with these kiddos.

Cowabunga Bay

One of the kids favorite things to do is make this pile of all the blankets and pillows they can find and put it at the bottom of the stairs.  They call it Cowabunga Bay (which is actually a water park in the area we have never been do....I have yet to figure out the connection on this one).  Then they take turns jumping and sliding into the pile.  It's a ton of fun (until it's time to put it all away anyway, haha).  They've started making a game out of putting it away too. This happens a couple times a week at my house. I'm glad I'm a cool mom with stuff like this and embrace the creativity.  The kids really really enjoy it. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a super fun Valentine's Day this year.  Mike and I are not romantic people. We are not Valentine's Day type people at all.  My kids were so excited for V Day for their friends and school, and I kinda felt bad that their parent's should show them some extra love. So, while Mike went to work, we planned a family Valentines Day party and cleaned the house in the morning.  I took the kids to Chick Fil A for lunch as a special treat then we went and delivered some sugar cookies and hand made valentines to Mike at the dealership. Each kid had made Mike a valentine and made up a Valentines song.  It was pretty funny.  It was a good way to break up the long lonely Saturday.  On the way home we stopped at a fun park.  I learned I can't do playgrounds until my knee is better.  That bark stuff is a no go on the knee. It was a beautiful no coat afternoon at the part in February, a little windy, but still fun.  Spencer LOVES to swing!  He would scream and throw a fit every time I took him out. Even just suggesting it, he would grunt, scream, and shake his head no.  It was funny. We came home and I started cooking for our family party. I made a "Fancy Dinner" with fancy dishes and yummy salmon. 

Then we did our games.  Isabelle made a cute "Pin the heart on the card." 

Then we did bowling. They made a shape of a heart out of the pins.  This game didn't last long because of our destroyer baby.  As soon as they got set up, Spencer invaded with knocking everything over before the ball could make it to the set.  

Then we played a stacking game with conversation hearts and finished up with Valentine Bingo.  The kids had so much fun.  

We finished the night with valentines I made for the kids, valentines from grandmas and a little trinket. These lip whistles. It was a hoot. 

He's really doing a lot of cheesy faces for the camera. 

And he's learned to fold his arms. Too much cuteness. :)  

It was such a fun family evening and especially because the kids did most of it.  My kids are looking forward to next year.