Not My Favorite Day...

 You may ask, "Why did you take four kids, under seven, grocery shopping on your once a month trip?"
Or "Why did you assume that the kids would play happily out in the fresh air while you put Brigham down for a nap?"
And I would reply: Honestly... I'm not entirely sure.  Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment.  Maybe I wake up with too much energy and too high of expectations.  Maybe I just imagine I'll get in some extra teaching moments or that I might be that lady that you overhear people talking about, saying, "How does she do it?  Isn't she brave!  Such well behaved children.  Isn't that precious!"  But believe me, I certainly didn't imagine that I was going to run over Amberlee's leg with a loaded shopping cart, or that Brigham was going to have a panic attack at the checkout stand if he I didn't give back the half eaten case of unpaid for strawberries, or that Seth was going to sit in a muddy pothole and stop traffic while I was trying to get kids buckled and in the car, or (not to be too personal) that is was going to be a "heavy flow day" requiring the stylish tied sweater around the waist trick, or that for the kids "Fruit Prize" if they were good (ha, you can tell I've lowered my expectations-- no actually the girls were very helpful... almost too helpful :), Autumn was going to pick a $6 mini bag of out of season cherries (which were absolutely scrumptious by the way!) and Amberlee was going to insist on the $8 pre-cut melon platter. (There was no talking her out of it!)  She worked hard to earn it, not to mention getting run over, and it was very difficult to muster up the patience to explain that she could have an entire cantaloupe to herself for less while two little boys were screaming in my ears.  We will definitely set a $1-2 price limit next time... or perhaps I might really simplify things and just leave the kids out of the equation. :)
Now isn't that a novel idea.

And after single-handedly loading, unloading, carrying up the stairs, and putting groceries away, maybe I just thought I deserved a small break and they deserved some fresh air.  How was I to know they would find a mud pit and come bellowing for me at the door just as Brigham had finally dozed off.  Little did I know that things were just about to get a whole lot messier.  So much so that, on top of stripping the mud-caked girls down, I would have to un-suction-cup a very stuck, very sad, and VERY MUDDY Seth from the mud pit, who deftly got me quite muddy in the process, grabbing my freshly shampooed hair, etc.  So instead of scrubbing the tub that was on my list, I was scrubbing boots, coats, hats, gloves, pants, socks and a dry clean only coat for about an hour, all creating a very chocolate milk looking tub... if only, I could certainly use a jug right now.
*For your info, they got a cold shower and did a whole list of chores for me. :)  However, the tub remains on my list.

The first words out of Autumn's mouth were, "Maybe we'll be in the news paper!!!"  How can you not smile-- just ever so slightly.

All thanks to this...

This is their favorite page of my scrapbook.  I love this news paper clipping of my older brother Abe (Isn't there some of my Seth there--maybe it's just the mud that is confusing me)... but I didn't know I would have to experience it first hand in the middle of winter.  It's all a lot better in print.  And that would be so typical of my cute, skinny, carefree-young-mother Mom not to be bothered.  

Still trying to be more like her.  Sigh. 

 

This is definitely one of those times when pictures just don't do it justice... I wasn't in a happy enough frame of mind to continue shooting.
 

Yes, I get a lot of help around here.  Brig has become as common on the counter as the toaster or the bowl of fruit.
 

 

Thank goodness they are so independent. :)

This just cracked Doug and I up.  Seth came out yesterday with his shirt inside-out and unbuttoned, his pants backwards, no underwear, and his shoes on the wrong feet... that has to be a record. :)
But hey- I'll take it, at least he is trying pitch in.

Making a Splash...

We decided to spend our Civil Rights Day swimming- it is a rare moment when we all have the day off, so we wanted to do something fun. We got there and I got all the floaty toys blown up and the girls dressed down (quite timidly- that was a new experience as all they old ladies doing water aerobics were quite free and easy.  I had to talk to the girls about not staring.  :)  Anyway, it didn't take long to realize that in my rush to get everyone else's stuff, I forgot to put my own swim suit in the bag... so I had to watch the fun from the side lines, (and luckily they had a fitness room and I got to get a good workout in- much needed. :)
Doug is so fun in the water- he was teaching them tricks and they were having a blast. Brigham is totally a "water-baby"! I have never seen him smile more- he just kicked those little legs and literally soaked it all in. He screamed bloody murder when I tried to take him out three hours later. He even escaped once and nearly dove right back in and had to be rescued. He was ready to take up residence. :)

I walked in to Doug and the boys reading so cute the other day, I just had to snap a picture.  I mentioned a post or two ago how we have struggled with bedtime, and this has really seemed to help them wind down and stay in their beds a bit.
. 

He returned the favor minutes later.  :)  I have actually been having Autumn read to me each night before bed, and she is doing really well.  Amberlee is quite patient, because I know she is just dying to tell her the words. :)
 

Bring Your Own Sunshine...

"Hey Sunshine... I haven't seen ya for a long time."

That is sure how I have been feeling, and it is almost colder when the sky is deceptively clear.  We hit a wall though- I didn't care how cold it was, I needed to soak in even just the littlest bit.  We walked and walk and then we found a good place to stop.  We ran around playing that fox and geese game and making snow angels.  For a while, and I literally just sat facing the sun willing it to soak into my soul.  (I am GOING to invest in a light-box.)  And despite Seth's {constant} complaints of cold on the way home, I felt better.  Even with their drippy noses and crazy neediness, these kids and their smiles warm my heart.
 

This is what happens whenever I try to get Seth to pose... 

 

 

And back inside with rosy cheeks waiting for hot chocolate...

I love that these girls are getting to the age where they loose track of time and stop complaining about the cold because they are having so much fun sledding.  We live in a great town loaded with perfect sledding hills!  Lucky!  We can pretty much walk out the front door and we're in business. :)

"Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine."

-Anthony J. D'Angelo

Take a Bow...

This little lady just started official dance lessons this week.  I think she was in heaven!  It was part of her Christmas- she wished for dance lessons so Santa brought the outfit and we signed her up.  I think she is going to have fun.  She has a really nice teacher. 

 

While Autumn was busy dancing... I was trying to think of how to kill time.  We were going to go to the library, but ended up having to park so far away we didn't have enough time.  Fortune smiled upon us when we passed the fire station and the nice firefighters opened the door and asked if the kids would like to see the trucks and have a sticker.  Pretty much, it made Seth's day. :)
 

 

Amberlee had all kinds of questions and they were doing testing, so they showed them all the equipment   They were such nice guys- I don't think they even knew how much easier they made my day! :)
 

Then we stopped at the local book store and the kids read in this cute little room- so bright and fun!
 

We having the STRANGEST boys on the planet!  We are having the hardest time figuring them out.  I just keep thinking they will eventually grow out of their weird sleeping and eating habits.  Is not a bed a wonderful thing?  Apparently not to them.  We find them all over the house.  Suggestions?

Bundled Up...

I love this little bundled bunch!  I got to head to the temple with some friends and the kids always love walking around.  They were good sport to brave the cold.  It was VERY chilly! We are just trying to snuggle up and stay warm and happy during these cold gray months. :)

 

Autumn snapped a shot of us sporting our hoods. :)  Amberlee is pretty proud of her new coat.  (I found it on sale and I just couldn't pass it up.  She had to earn a lot of stickers to earn it.
 

This was a couple weeks back-- the beloved chain has since come down, but speaking of "cold" we made snow flakes to hang in the window one family night.

The boys thought they made good hats.

Love Somebody? Yes We Do!!!

This is one LOVED man.  We had fun spoiling him for his birthday.

I got lots of help eating... I mean, making the cake. :)
 

A while back, I gave Doug about 10 different birthday scenarios (Ex. Big party celebration with lots of friends.  A low key evening at home. etc) and he opted for "low key"-- which seems so lame if you love planning parties and if it the big "3" "0", so I opted to push "low key" to the limit. :)  The girls and I planned a big treasure hunt around the house with clues to match the gift.  There were 30 coupons, gift cards, and fun prizes.  I had to get pretty creative, but it turned out really fun and he was a great sport- I think he rather liked that pampering. :)
 

One of the coupons included dinner at a local restaurant (I was too beat to bake after all that work :) and the food was delicious!  Then they signed us up for their birthday club and we got a free meal and they brought out a HUGE (as in half the cake) slice of chocolate cake...
 

 

The boys were glad daddy decided to share. :)
 

 

We were "caked-out", so my Coconut-Lime Cake got to wait a day. 

We had some friend over for dinner and sang happy birthday to the cute 3-year-old birthday boy. :)
(I didn't have enough candles, and I figured he got the idea.) 

Happy Birthday to my very BEST friend.  I love you deeply!  I'm lucky to have you by my side.  You make me so happy!  I'm glad you were born!

Back-Tracking because... "I cried the day that I took the tree down..."

Oh- isn't it sad when it is all over?  Doug just sent me some pictures from his phone.  We were having camera issues that day- isn't that so sad?!  A day you really want it to work, so we don't have amazing pictures- the lighting wasn't great, but here are some snap shots of Christmas morning.  It was magical and so fun for the kids! (Hope you can see their happy faces.)

Note from Santa- he liked his orange and brownie.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Kind of scary of me, but I was modeling my cute new sweater jacket that Doug got me- perfect for running.  It even has the long sleeves with the thumb hole that I love.  He is the best!  And Santa brought Autumn a ballet outfit and she is starting dance lessons.  I think she is excited.
 

 

 

 

We went shopping while Aunt Catherine was her.  The boys got bored and found the mirror- it was highly entertaining. :)