spring is here

 spring is here

spring is here

it's my favorite 

time of year!

Anyone heard "Little Bill" sing that one?  

It's playing on my internal stereo system right now. 

 I like it better than the "Lemonade Mouth" song that I couldn't get out of my head yesterday (something about determinate?).  

Mercedes told me to sing "Popcorn," so that would be in my head instead.  I promptly told her that I wasn't in the mood to have "the popcorn song" playing just then.  Aside from "bubble guppies," popcorn is the kids' fave song to sing together.

On Wednesday the boys and I took a fun trip to Home Depot, which only included one trip to the public potty (Lincoln wanted to participate - perhaps it's his turn to be trained?), and where we purchased some fun plants for the front yard.

Last fall we ripped out all but two plants from our front yard.  It felt quite overgrown to us.  Here's a pic of what it looked like before we moved in:

Before

We kept the beautiful Japanese Maple, which Brent thinned and shaped, and one of the front bushes.  Out came the huge pine-something-or-other that was almost as tall as the house.  We ripped out the huge flower bed shown on the left as well as some gi-nor-mous shrubs.  It was pretty, but overgrown.  In fact, we didn't realize just how big the yard was until we ripped everything out.

Once we started on the yard we didn't know what to do - it was so very overgrown that I just wanted to start over.

So we did.

We soded the flower bed to the left, and now the kids have a fun little hill to roll down (which they love).

Eventually I'll put a current picture up, but we still have some work to do.

So far we've planted a Mandevilla, which will climb the (stage) right porch column.  Brent's not too excited about that - he despises vines.  We also added: some tall grasses (one red and one green), a gardenia, a pink azalea that is bursting with blossoms, two hydrangeas, a weeping lavender redbud tree (an online purchase, so it's bare and just looks like a stick in the ground right now), some beautiful vinca (ground-cover) and just two annuals - a yellow begonia and something else I don't remember the name of.

I didn't expect to enjoy yard work, but it's very fulfilling.

I love to make things pretty.  It's nice to have some color in front of the house.  We have a long way to go, which includes planting some annuals on Saturday, and finding a dwarf cherry or apple tree.  I'm excited to finish the planting phase and add some kind of border to the beds and then mulch them.

I dreamed about having our very own home for so very long and it's as great as I'd hoped.  So much fun to put my own footprint on it.

azalea

begonia

mandevilla - I think I'd like to get a white one, as well

periwinkle vinca minor

the hydrangeas will probably turn blue

weeping redbud - I'm sure it will take years to get this big.
Maybe by the time we move...?

Thanks, Dad for answering all of my questions each time I call.  I don't really know what I'm doing, but I'm having fun!  Here's to hoping everything lives...

happy kids

As a family, we've been talking about gratitude this week.  For family night on Monday, Brent taught a lesson about gratitude - what it is and why we need it - and then made a gratitude chart.  After dinner we talk about what we're grateful for that day, and make a "tally" of each for the day.

Mercedes is really getting into it.  Last night after our "charting," Mercedes said "I feel really happy."  This morning she said to me, "Mommy, thank you for making pancakes.  I've been thinking about gratitude a lot so I wanted you to know that I'm grateful."  And a few minutes later, "I love you mommy."

Since before our family began, I've worried about my kids.  Of course I've worried that they might develop some disease, or get hurt in an accident, etc, but most of my worry concerns their spirits rather than their bodies.  I've worried that they might forget who they are, how much they are loved, that they are children of the Divine King.  I've pondered ways to help them to remember - always.

This morning I had an epiphany, for which I am grateful.

Habits.

Instilling habits.  It's important.

We try to read the scriptures and pray together each day.  We go to church each week.  We try to have Family Night every Monday evening.  We spend time together as a family.  I encourage the children to be friends to each other, to look out for each other and cheer for one another.  We hug and cuddle and kiss.  We express love often.  We try to have family prayer each morning before Mercedes leaves for school, but some days are just crazy and we forget.

This morning was one of those forgetful times.  I was making breakfast and then making lunch and then doing Mercedes hair... and suddenly it was time for Mercedes to be out the door.  So I walked her to the door and we took a minute to pray together before she left for the day.  I said, "Would you like to say it or would you like me to say it?"

She wanted to say it and as she began I thought: this is not JUST about asking for her safety and protection before she leaves this house.  We are creating a life-long (hopefully) HABIT of prayer.  She will eventually be so used to doing this each morning that it will be automatic.  She will naturally reach out to her Father in Heaven in prayer.  AHA!  I can help to instill habits within my children that will strengthen them, that will stay with them!  What a wonderful tool, and blessing.

I am grateful that our kids like to kiss each other.

I am grateful that our children (in most cases) come to us as helpless babies, that we have time to learn how to parent them.  Because I sure need the time.  I am... how do you say... a SLOW learner.  But I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and strive and try, and I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who does not leave me to do it alone.

he's lost it

He lost his first on Sunday right as we were leaving for church.

He wiggled and wiggled it all morning and then asked daddy to just take it out, "because it's bothering me."

I can't get over how different he looks to me.  

I don't want my little Cooper to grow up yet!

from the mouths of babes

Cooper to Brent during church on Sunday: "Can I get some help here?"

Lincoln (yelling) during church: "Wet's gooooo!  I want to weeeaave!!!"

Lincoln to Brent this evening:  "Daddy - you poop."  After which he stuck his nose in Brent's bum.

Mercedes: "Why is everyone being so mean to me today?  I was trying so hard to be good and have a good day and everyone is just being mean for no reason!"

Cooper in response to my question of "why did you poo in your pants?" was: "because I waited too long to go to the bathroom?"

Cooper: "BOBO FACE!!!  ha ha ha ha ha!!"  

Me: "Where did you learn that word?"  

Cooper:  "I made it up!"

Lincoln with his face 1/2 inch from mine: "Mom-meee!!!  Dad-deeee's home!!!! Yay!!!"

Mercedes:  "Mommy, you're the nicest person ever."

Cooper: "You're the meanest mommy ever."

Lincoln after Cooper was put in timeout in the "high-spot" (a place he doesn't try to escape from):  "Poopah ah ah ah ah timeout ah ah ah high-pot?"

Mercedes: "That isn't FAIR! I NEVER get to watch my movie at movie-night.  Cooper ALWAYS gets to pick it."  (He picks 5% of the time).

Cooper: "Mommy, I love you."

Lincoln:  "NOOOOOO!!!!!  Go AWAY!  Leave me ALONE!" - after waking up from a nap.

Cooper: "Don't TALK to me!"

Have I ever mentioned that we're a very loud bunch?

Most of our speaking would be considered yelling by normal people.

I blame it on the percentage of hearing I lost from repeated ear infections as a child.

My mom used to always say, "Lisa - we're all in the same room."
Now I say that to my kids.
Repeatedly.

But its likely that we're just plain loud.

Happy Spring!

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