Catch-up Like a Maniac

I'm behind. I'm behind on life. This is going to be a hodge podge of whatever I feel like so I can consider myself caught up in this area.

Sprout Moments that I remembered to write down over the last who knows how long. So many missed gems. (I'll have to work on this.):

"I'm going to sneak an ax into heaven so I can whack Satan with it."

Sprout playing a game by himself:
Sprout 1:The Spanish are coming! The Spanish are coming!
Sprout 2:Dude, we're the Spanish.
Sprout 1:... ... ... The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming!

I'm the littlest scoop! (How he hears and sings "Little Deuce Coup")

I am a strong and powerful man for I have lived as long as you, the mother of the house. (Says this to me out of the blue at lunch one day.)

I never get cold unless I'm out naked in the winter.

Look! My first freckle! (The excitement at this discovery was adorable.)

He's finally branching out from pirates and ships, but they are still the favorite thing. His imagination takes him all over the world and into many different universes. He can legibly write his name and loves working on "preschool" things that includes practicing tracing and learning letter sounds. He loves being read to. His favorite books are The Magic Tree House books and would probably sit all day to listen if I would sit all day to read to him. He enjoys composing music and songs and is pretty good at storytelling.

Little Lady Moments that I'm recalling from my head because I just realized I hadn't been writing them down anywhere. (Big, fat, mommy shame on me.):

Her response after I rushed out to her screaming on the patio: "There was a spider on my neck and it bit me."
I was on the phone with her dad, so I put him on speaker and told her to tell Daddy what had happened: "There was a spider on my neck, and it bit me, and it punched me."
Mr. Mitchell: "Oh, yeah? Did it spin kick you, too?"
Little Lady wails: "Yeah!"

Me: "It's time for you to take a nap."
Little Lady: "No. I think we shouldn't." Proceeds to try to walk out grandma and grandpa's back door.

She did not like the noise of fireworks, but she did enjoy watching through the window, licking it while she was at it.

She loves to comb and brush my hair. Sometimes it feels very nice, sometimes it hurts like the dickens. She loves taking care of her baby and plays 'little mother' to EVERYONE in the house very often. She's a stinker about eating, likes to pick fights with her brother, and is most definitely in her terrible two's. She dances and sings between taking care of her baby and messing with her brother.

Sweet Baby Moments as I can currently recall:

She is a great, big wiggleworm! I can't hold her in my lap and sing to her or play little games with her because she won't stand for it. She must be squirming and constantly moving. She is usually happiest on the floor or being walked around. She loves watching her older siblings and is tickled when they sit and talk to her. She isn't scooting yet, but I keep thinking it will happen any day. She has two bottom teeth that came in a few weeks ago when she turned 5 months. She's still fussy, slobbery, and running low-grade fevers, but no other teeth have come through. There's not even any swelling yet. Poor baby. She's been sleeping through the night for almost three months, but she's not a great napper. She tries to wave and clap. It's pretty cute. At her four month check-up she was in the 3-4 percentile for weight, but she's been chunking up since she started solids. I'm very curious to see where they have her sitting this time. (And, no, nobody's obsessing over the percentiles or the baby's weight. She's perfect.)

Alright. Pictures and any thoughts that come with them. I have no memory of the last time I posted, and I'm far too lazy to check, so I apologize if these are repeats. Let's get this show on the road.

Grammy visiting shortly after Sweet Baby was born.

They all like to be on the floor together.
Sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's murder.

Sweet Baby was blessed in my old blessing dress, just like Little Lady was.

This picture only focused on my sister. I guess she's the star of the family
We surprised my dad for his 65th birthday with the presence of all 7 of his children.

Easter egg hunt in jammies before church.

Rockin' the Easter duds.

Exploring with Daddy...

...while Mommy searches for her sanity.

Sister bonding.

Daddy loves to tickle her. He can't help it.

He figured out how to turn the hose on and proceeded to soak everything in sight.
I was not happy. He still tries this.

Waiting for the boys to come back with the kayak so we can have a turn.

Fun time kayaking on the river.

4th of July games - it was more fun than it looks. This pictures looks like torture.
 Although, at one point, my brother referred to it as the divorce game. So...

The boys' game.

The girls' game.

The baby's game.

Cousins.

Pretty sure Little Lady was having meltdowns all day.

He LOVED doing sparklers and watching the big kids light the fireworks.

Ok. Hope you enjoyed!

March 2016

March this year consisted of a bridal shower (see prior post), Easter, and family pictures.

I made Caleb a bow tie with better luck than last time, but it still needs work. The Easter egg hunt had to be confined to the front porch since it was raining.

Sprout enjoyed stealing his sister's eggs out of her basket, and Little Lady was just thrilled to have a basket.

We attempted our own family pictures this year with our new tripod. They 'll do. :)

Happy Sundays

Now that I'm working Tuesdays - Saturdays I have gained extra appreciation for the Sabbath Day - the day of rest. The past two have been especially nice:

Easter! We had a fun Easter weekend with two of my brothers and their families. On Saturday we dyed eggs and had an Easter egg hunt. Each grandchild got a dozen eggs, including C.G, who napped through the entire thing. Consequently, we all helped dye C.G.'s eggs (not that he could have done anything if he had been awake). It was fun.

C.G. is represented by the monitor hanging off of the pink basket.

Even if pictures of myself are less than ideal, I usually put them on here anyway because, hey, it's life and it's real; however, this time, the only picture captured of me was sooooo horrible I left it out. Imagine Mrs. Wishy - Washy in a baseball hat and you've got me.

On Sunday we had a very pleasant day at church and a lovely Easter dinner. C.G. also got to finally play with his eggs. I wish I had captured his face when he first saw the basket. His eyes were huge and his mouth was gaping, and he could hardly wait to get his chubby little hands on the thing.

The following Sunday was General Conference for the LDS church. There were many wonderful things said, including appropriate responses to a lot of things for which our church is currently under attack, but that's not really the most memorable thing for me.

Something that was said Saturday morning has really struck a chord with me since I heard it: "There are few things more powerful than a righteous mother's prayers." Wow. That was huge to me. I have such a huge responsibility in being a mother, and Heavenly Father has trusted me to raise one of his amazing children. I have a lot of work to do as a woman, a mom, and a disciple of the Lord, and hopefully it will all culminate in me being a righteous mother who can pray powerful prayers for her children.

The second thing that has been on my mind since conference was the talk given by Elder L. Whitney Clayton called Marriage: Watch and Learn. I loved it - the entire thing. Mr. Mitchell and I are going to read it together and make a few goals as a couple based on this talk. I think everyone should read it. Seriously.

*I think I should get a round of applause for typing this thing one-handed while comforting my little fuss bucket of a boy this afternoon. (Teething?)