Bobby's Sunday Summary

Sorry I haven't done this in a while, Mom I am not dead, don't worry too much.  Life gets crazy some times, and some things fall to the bottom of my priority list.  These past two weeks two big things happened for me.  The first was a week ago, and it was the Ward party.  It was not that different from a typical Christmas party except for the addition of one thing.

Some of the members of our ward got a little ambitious and roasted a whole hog.  Sadly it was too big to fit in the roasting box in one piece, so they cut it in half.  It was also too big to easily fit into the gym where we were having the dinner so they took it to the kitchen.  The effect was still nice, but not as dramatic.  Sorry about the picture being so fuzzy, I took it with my camera.

Here they are working on the other half of it.

After being back for half of Saturday and all of Sunday I was off again, this time to San Francisco for a conference.  Susan already told you about her experience while I was away, Don't worry I am taking the week off to try and help make it up to her.  For me it was a fairly normal trip, except for one big thing.  When I went to pick up my rental car I was informed that they were out of the little cars that I am allowed to rent, so I had to pick either a minivan or a Mustang. Can you guess which one I picked.

Sadly it rained most of the week so I never took the top down, despite it being in the 60s.  Oh well I didn't have much time to drive anyways.

100%

My hens' daily egg production has been 100% these last two days. Sometimes the smallest things make me surprisingly happy.

The big things do, too. On Tuesday, I was in dire straits. It was my first day with four kids to myself. My mom and sister had gone, Bobby was out of town at a conference, and I hadn't slept in two days. I was afraid to think about the next day and didn't dare ponder the three days ahead of me before Bobby would get home. People always ask me how I'm doing, but I don't tell them the full truth because I don't think they really want to know. Well, two friends asked and I couldn't keep myself together a moment longer. They swooped in today and took the big boys away to play. I caught up on sleep while Matthew napped. The quiet house cleansed my senses. The weight was lifted. I started to think more clearly. I started to feel like myself again. I don't know how to express to these friends my deepest thanks. I don't know how to repay them.

And here's the kicker: they aren't the only ones who helped me that day. Anine and Kiersten shuttled my kids as part of our regular carpools. Lara fed me lunch (through one of her awesome freezer meals). Terra took Alice to piano lessons, fed her a snack, and kept her until 4:30.

I have no room to complain, only thank. God performs his loving service through others. I get that now. When the time comes, I hope that I will be as ready to serve as these women are.

Goldilocks was a third child

Watching James last night at the ward Christmas party, I suspect that Goldilocks was the third child of four, her younger sibling was brand new, and her family was attending a church function in the woods when she wandered off.

Last night, James could have stumbled happily into a pit of vipers and made friends with all of them before we even noticed his absence.

Argh!

I'm more than a little frustrated with him and myself...going out in public with James is a whole new adventure now. We'll find a strategy that works for us eventually. No worries there. It's just one more growing pain in the mix :)

Crazy Night

Sooooooo, Matthew slept through TWO night feedings last night! But I was still awakened every couple hours...

8:30 PM
Matthew falls asleep, due to eat next at 9:15. I put on my PJs and tell James good night for the last time (he's been staying up later in his room lately). I make the mistake of telling him I'm going to go lie down in my bed. He runs up to me at his doorway and asks in a quivering voice, "Me lay down in Mommy's bed, too?" My sleep-deprived and emotionally tipsy heart almost bursts on the spot and I say "Okay." Bobby is out of town that night, so there is plenty of room :)

10:45 PM
I get kicked in the face by James who has somehow migrated all the way across a king-sized bed and turned 90 degrees. I take him to his own bed and go back to bed alone.

12:05 AM
The fire alarm starts beeping because of low battery power. I replace the battery. I wonder why Matthew is still sleeping...he skipped the 9:15 feeding and should be waking up about midnight to eat. I wonder if maybe he's experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, then I realize we don't have a carbon monoxide detector and we could all be poisoned in our beds tonight! I barely suppress the panic, manage to cram the paranoia deep down inside and put "carbon monoxide detector" on the shopping list for tomorrow. I go back to bed.

2:00 AM
I hear crying, but it's not Matthew. It's Robert in the midst of another episode of growing pains. I rub his toes and suddenly I hear James scream-cough and then start to cry in his room. I fear vomit and start to panic. I run down the hall to wake my sister who is visiting/helping this week. She rubs Robert's toes and gives him pain meds while I assess James' needs. To my relief, there is no vomit. I soothe him back to sleep quickly (I suspect Robert's crying woke him up) and go back to Robert. We rub some more and say a prayer together. Robert tells us the pain is now manageable and he sends us away. I go back to bed.

3:15 AM
Matthew FINALLY wakes to eat. Hallelujah. Skipped feedings can be quite uncomfortable until the body adjusts. I go back to bed.

6:30 AM
Alice and Robert wake up ready for another day. I ignore them. James wakes up and I must get out of bed or terrible things will happen. I make waffles (why not?). The kids don't like them (apparently lemon-blueberry-coconut isn't a winning combination) and we get on with the rest of our day.

What a night!

Mini Photo Session Success!

A friend of mine took these neat picts of the kids recently. They were allowed to wear what they liked (hence the two outfits for Alice and Robert's Superman costume). I simply asked her to capture their personality and relationships. If James had been even the slightest bit smiley, and if Matthew hadn't been starving, it would have been "perfect." Such is life with small kids :) I'm glad she captured what she did because I've fallen in love with these kids all over again:

I love that toothless smile.

So silly and so fun. Alice truly is Robert's best friend.

He's had an itchy nose this winter. I love how matter-of-fact he is about it. He'll be talking to me or asking a question, then screw up his face all funny while I respond.

Such a serious James. He's normally as crazy as the other two.

I'm glad my friend could capture a brief glimpse of how much James loves and trusts his daddy.

Matthew on THE blanket my newborn picture was taken.

Every angle of Matthew's face reveals a different kid to me. I just had to include several shots.

See? Different kid. Which one of these pictures is most like the man he'll grow into?

It looks like a smile, but it's actually a wince. He's not fond of tummy time.