More Pictures of the Man Cub...

The Arrival

Brigham Scott Stewart

8 lbs 6 oz

21 inches long

All Boy

Gallery Night

Amberlee just finished up her last day of school today.  She has had such a great year!  We feel so lucky that we came across such a great school and teacher!  She has loved learning and she has been a little sponge this year.  Her class just finished up an amazing Expedition on Plants.  They built planter boxes (Amberlee is standing in front of the one she helped plant and paint) and had a booth at the local Grower’s Market where they taught how to plant seeds.  They also spent the last day of school today at the Backyard Harvest.  It has been such an awesome experience and we’re so proud of Amberlee.

These pictures were taken at Gallery Night held at Amberlee’s school.  It was a neat event to display some of the final projects and things the students learned.  It was pouring rain and pour Amberlee’s class had theirs outside in the little greenhouse- Amberlee was getting soaked for the picutre. :)  They showed off their planter boxes and some of the field work and expeditions they took.  It was pretty fun, and I think Amberlee was pretty tickled with herself.  The kids enjoyed watched a little play some of the older students put on- it was really cute.

By the way… no baby yet, in case you were wondering. :)  We’re hangin’ in there.

Today, Instead of Having a Baby…

…I got a kiss on the forehead at 5:30am before Doug headed off to work. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I got up early (but not that early), fed kids and walked Amberlee to school. I loaded Autumn and Seth into the stroller and we walked to the doctor’s office for the weekly allergy shot. I got to sing 5 Little Monkeys 10 times with Autumn, followed by 5 Little Ducks, and The Wheels on the Bus. We waited for a long time in the office (and I fed them fruit leather and read them more than five books) and talked to a lot of old people. When people asked me when I was due, I got to say, “Today, but no one told the baby.” Which was kind of fun. I got to listen to them tell me about their Grandkids and see smiles show up on wrinkly faces. I got to wipe sticky hands and faces from an orange sucker.

I walked further down main street to the closest drug store (which also happens to be a very cool toy store) where I picked up my 5th extra large container of extra strength TUMS this pregnancy. It was VERY overpriced, but I had walked all that way and I was desperate, having gone a whole weekend without… (I was hoping I could hold out, but no such luck. :) so I bought it, while the kids played with a cool Thomas the Train set longer than I usually let them, and they were very happy.

Then we dipped our hands in the fountain, and I had to pull Seth away…

…And he FINALLY said “Bye Bye Water!”

(Autumn was having a really hard time getting me in the picture, as you can see at the top. :)

Then we picked Amberlee up from school and raced home. I was VERY MUCH in last place.

I fed them chicken salad sandwiches and put Seth down for a nap. I watched the girls pretend to be Fairies, Princesses, then Dragons, and when it got too loud, I sent them outside. I sorted out a bit of trouble with Amberlee and she had some “cool-down” time in her room, while I folded 5 batches of laundry and watched all of the Hulu clips for Ellie Kriegor and Melissa d’Arabian. We put away laundry and welcomed home daddy. I did dishes and listened to a cool book on tape called Raider’s Ransom.

I pushed the kids on the swing and watched them ride bikes.

I was inspired by the food network clips to make a yummy dinner of Pulled Barbequed Chicken sandwiches and honey dew melon.

I did the dishes again. I got to bathe the kids. We had an awesome family night lesson by Doug about blessings. We played “I’m an Old Lady with a Stick and a Staff…” which Seth was really good at and loved because he wanted to hold the staff, but we stopped when he started whacking people, however, he did make all of us laugh. Then we ate Spicy Butterscotch Pudding that I made (I’ll post the recipe on my food blog soon! It was delicious!) and we brushed teeth and put the kids to bed VERY EARLY. (I can still hear the girls talking and Seth whining, but there has been some peace.)

And that was pretty much my day so far. (That about sums it up: TUMS, Kids, and Food.) Maybe a baby tomorrow. Maybe not. I just have big, late babies, and that’s ok. My Grandma says I can thank her for that. :) So thanks Grandma, because all in all, it was still an ok day. I haven’t lost hope that this little baby boy will eventually come.

To Market, To Market…

We hit the local Farmer’s Market this Saturday.  I don’t know why I enjoy that so much.  It just feels good to get out—like we’re doing something. :)  We don’t even buy anything usually, just fun to look around.  They had a fun Jamacan Band playing and the kids had a blast playing in the Friendship Square Park… particularly Seth.  He just loves getting out.

Ok… I guess sometimes we get things… the “instant gratification” kinds of things.  Doug got this yummy Greek wrap and Seth was a fan.

Seth was beat after a day out on the town, but that didn’t stop him from wanting more…

This is the totally typical scene now at our house.  Seth wants to LIVE outside.  (Doug thinks we should get a chain and collar, and a dog bowl and just let him.  “Poor Seth D., out there all alone.” “Don’t worry Autumn, it’s a warm night.” :)  He BEGS me to take him and he brings me his shoes every five minutes if they aren’t already on his feet… and sometimes when they are.  “Cars,” “Shoes,” and “Outside” are his favorite words.  He loves riding bikes and wandering… he just makes me nervous if he’s on his own- I've already found him holding up parking lot traffic sitting in the middle with his big wheel (with no intention of moving)- boundaries are lost on him… and I almost always have to carry him in kicking and screaming, even after I’ve indulged him for a VERY LONG TIME.  Not sure what we’re going to do about this this summer, but we’re working on it.  Open to any ideas. :)

Ask Now, Ask How… Ask Amberlee

So Autumn has this dress she is really worried about. It has a small loop hole at the top, and the girls are VERY concerned that it is not modest. My solution oriented Amberlee decided to solve this problem with one of her creations. Using pipe-cleaner, tape, and paper, she presented Autumn with the perfect “elegant” solution. Autumn was totally on board- the “perfect fit,” she said, when she holds it up just right. Just got to love these girls and what they come up with, not to mention the "righteous desires." :)

Ice Cold Milk, and an Oreo Cookie…

I snapped a picture of the kids munching an oreo cookie before they went to bed- this daylight thing is throwing them off and they don’t think they need to go to bed as early. :) Love those piggly-wigglys though. Here, they are putting the left–over Easter candy to good use.

We’re gearing up for warmer weather here- it has been SO NICE to have some beautiful sunshine. I was at the Dollar Store and I had the idea to get each of the kids a water bottle of their own- now I can kind of make sure they’re getting enough water, and we’re not going through a million cups! Just an idea I’m throwing out there. I even got a blue one for the baby… although he probably won’t get to break it in until next summer. :)

Oh Seth… growing up with sisters.