What We've Got

We've got LIGHTS!

Here JC is, enabling me to check "install motion detector lights" off our 2009 to-do list!

Doesn't he look studly? 

...Yes.

We've got A NEW CLEANING LADY!

The kids were especially content one morning early this week; I was playing with them on and off, straightening up on and off.  It seemed, more often than not, there was Bethany at my side saying "Can I help you, Mama?" (She calls me mama whenever she's not mad at me. Then, I'm just "Mom"...I like being Mama better!)

So, I saddled her up with the vacuum in the music room, thinking I would let her push it around and get her fill. Low and behold, she not only enjoyed herself but did a great job!

At first, Ben thought he wanted to help.

After he dropped out, she kept going with a vengeance.

Even getting corners...

And attempting to get underneath all she could too!

Well! I'd say I better enjoy this phase while I can!  

You know, over the last couple of years I have had house help on and off depending on what was going on at the time...I still utilize my Mom's generous offer to take the kids for a good majority of a day once a week so I can keep on top of things here...but anyway, there's just something unsettling about hiring someone to clean my house for me. Don't get me wrong; it was a lifesaver at the time and I wouldn't change that I went that route...but I just love feeling connected to my home in that way. I found myself looking forward to the day when I would be able to work on my home with my own hands and provide a good environment for my family by keeping it clean and inviting. I'm still far from where I'd like to be as far as keeping up on it goes but in reality, we're still sort of moving in! Lots of organizing and small projects that take time as well. I'll get there. 

SO, the point is, I'm so excited to be doing things like vacuuming, especially with my kids. Serving and caring for each other through taking good care of our environment together is something I look forward to immensely and I'm so glad it's already starting!

We've got COLD!

The weather up and changed on us this week! Last week we saw temperatures in the eighties one day and moving into this week, we were suddenly down in the forties! Thirties at night! Now, I know this is by no means super cold weather when considering how cold winters get elsewhere. But, it was such a change-up for us that we had to marvel at it a little...and of course, get out and enjoy it!

Ben, looking dashing in his fleece beanie. So cute.

Just runnin around...

Bethany snuggled up in her swing and spent her time outside spinning away!

James, for the few minutes he indulged me and kept his hat on, was a bit mismatched but I'm not juding...

Especially considering MY footwear. This is what happens when my "attempt to get dressed before JC gets home from work" khakis meet "my feet are cold on the kitchen floor" fuzzy socks and then together they meet my "downstairs outside" shoes that have been sitting on our back balcony for the last two years.

She looks like she's in a catalog. She could judge my footwear.

For some reason, the cold had Scout acting up. He kept climbing into the little playhouse above the slide and bugging the kids. Then he would run out the window...

down the side of the playhouse...

...and hide inside until, at the moment I least expected, he'd run at me fullspeed and pounce at my ankles. Or my shoulders. Whichever he felt like. I'm not kidding. He can jump up and grab on at my shoulders...and attack. 

The kids would laugh.

Ben DID eventually come to my defense and try to talk some sense into his furry friend.

We've got CITRUS!!!

My neighbor (the same one that gave me the stalk of a bush to grow into my own bush...may it rest in peace) brought us an amazing bunch of citrus last Sunday! Lemons, grapefruit and oranges to eat and juice to our hearts' content! Turns out Bethany and I love grapefruit while the boys will stick to their sweet oranges. And the lemons...well...I'll have to experiment with some recipes this week perhaps...Here's what last week brought in this area:

Orange and Honey Cooked Carrots

I'm sorry, I just had to take a picture...it's so colorful and lively! Oh, and the smell...

Mmmm.

I found a recipe online (I love having a laptop in the kitchen!) and it turned out not-too-bad. Next time I'm going to tweak it to be more flavorful. But, oh yes, there will be a next time...even if it's just to see this sight once more.

Ooh, maybe next time I'll try with lemons!

We've got COLDS!

(not to be confused with COLD. We had that too.)

At this point, I don't even remember what day this was! But, one day, James woke up with a fever and stayed pretty miserable all day. Bethany and Ben were warm and congested but not hit quite as hard as our sweet James.

He spent much of the day standing in the middle of the floor, shoulders hunched over, saying "Mommy, I cold." (would not let me put socks, a jacket or a blanket on him)

"Mommy, I tired." (would not let me hold him, help him sit or lay down or put him in his bed)

"Mommy, I don't feel good." (would not drink the juice laced with herbs and vitamins or eat the fruit I kept offering him...nor was he interested in a backrub, cuddles, or laughing at anything funny I did or said...well...I thought I was funny...)

"Mommy, I sad, I miss Daddy." (would not talk to JC on the phone during his lunchtime)

It got to the point where it was just too heartbreaking to watch him stand there so miserably, so I decided some kind of intervention was in order and what resulted was a dinosaur nest. Apparently, all our resident dinosaur needed was the apropriate resting place for him to recover from his illness. I twisted together our large tent-making sheet and a big blanket, made them circular-shaped and voila...a nest.  I didn't have him quite convinced so, on a whim, I included dinosaur food/leaves surrounding the nest. I needed something to use that broccoli for anyway.  

It worked. He finally sat down to rest and get warm.

And finally eat something. So did his siblings. That broccoli was gone in like, five minutes!

And I had a happy boy.

Who was, finally, able to get a much-needed nap.

This is how dinosaurs say good night.

Since I had been spending much time on James, but also needed to get dinner going, I indulged Ben in a little Elmo. JC had picked up a new Elmo movie for the kids for Valentine's Day and left it for me to use when most needed.  Since I had started feeling un-well too...it was needed. :) Dad saved the day even though he was at work!

Later, after naptime and dinner, it was all any of us could do to keep ourselves out of fever-ish tears, so we all settled in for a repeat of "Elmo Loves You" to wait for JC to get home from work and make us all a little bit less miserable.

The kids kept crying for him which was even more heartbreaking than James' defiant stand-off/refusal to be comforted earlier. 

So, I gave them pictures to hold.

Here's James, gazing at his.

He gets back to the movie but keeps a firm hold on his daddy.

Ben layed on the floor with me. And the link-a-doos.

Bethany held her picture on her lap and kept mumbling "...daddy..." Look at her flushed cheeks! Poor baby girl.

JC got home to us early that night. And got us all tucked in for bed and feeling a bit better, just like I knew he would.

We've got ONE BABY DOWN, TWO TO GO!

Or, at least, that's how I measure my progress in getting back in shape! 

I finally hit a major milestone...got all the baby weight off...from Ben! Haha...yeah, I've had three babies' worth riding around on me for a while and I am finally back in the game, getting back where I need to be.  It feels fantastic to be making progress. There are a lot of reasons it hasn't happened before now but it's all about slow and steady and I'm just happy the pace has picked up a bit due to some harder work on my part and the decision to actually make choices consistent with what I know.  Isn't that just the key? Anyway, I've still got a ways to go but I'm a third of the way there! 

I'm actually one of those people who love working out, so it's so great to be fitting it back into my schedule more consistently.  I love feeling stronger and healthier because that is one of the best things I can give myself, my kids and my husband.  JC is a major support to me and I'm lucky to have him encouraging and complimenting me along the way, not to mention being willing to be on baby-monitor-duty while I'm out in the workout room shaking my groove thang.

By the way, Yoga Booty Ballet has changed my life.

You think I'm kidding.

Best thirty dollars I ever spent.

So, now, I'm working off James...hopefully I'll be back here within a few months declaring another baby down!  

Something about that doesn't sound right...but you know what I mean...

We've got A STOMACH BUG.

(Yeah, that one doesn't get an exclamation mark.)

So, last night, about midnight, Bethany was our first round of changed sheets, new pajamas, a drink of water and comforting (all while being immensely grateful for my talent of breathing without smelling).  About four a.m., James was round two...then round three...then later in the morning, round four. Poor baby, everything always hits him hardest.

Things seemed to clear up for them pretty well through today, though Ben has had tummy troubles all day, diaper rash and the highest of all the fevers. 

Couldn't tell ya what it was...but hopefully it's nearly gone. 

But not without skipping church, canceling dinner plans with JC's dad and canceling two playdates for tomorrow. :( 

Oh, and not without VERY restless kids. I fear for the week we may have, trying to keep them resting and recovering while at the same time trying to keep our sanity and for heavens' sake, without TOO much TV time. I'm so tired of that thing. But grateful for it. It's a love/hate relationship we have. (Though it probably hates me more than loves me for all the times I have neglectfully allowed the kids to color all over its screen...handprints, scribbles, mooshed banana...I'll tell you one thing though, it LOVES JC for being the one to finally buy a screen shield for it...)

SO...what we've got is a pretty average time around the Ballard Household, though I will take less sickness and more warm weather please. (I will curse myself for that request come summertime)

It was a lovely Valentine's Day weekend though...I surprised JC with babysitters Friday night and dinner at our usual Valentine's spot, Flancer's Cafe in downtown Gilbert.

(Story:

The day before JC left on his mission, we spent the whole day together. Nothing romantic, necessarily, though there was definitely love involved. Flancer's is where we ate lunch. In the corner booth. Buffalo Chicken on my plate and Philly Cheese Steak on his. Lovely March weather.  Anyway, now it's our spot.)

So, dinner at Flancer's (This time Chicken Parm on my plate and BBQ Chicken on his) then on to a movie of his choosing (though he did let me choose between two he narrowed it down to)...We saw Push.

Eh.

Side-note...The best part was the two couples that came in half an hour into the movie, parked themselves on either side of us and proceeded to make out through the entire movie.  The best part of THAT was the guys seemed to care less about all the affection they were getting...they were watching the movie more than anything! I wanted to be twelve-ish and giggle. Instead I was just embarassed for these chicas.

Hey, I know what it's like to be time-starved and really want to enjoy the precious time you have out with your honey. I wouldn't doubt these girls had a kid or two at home that kept them from expressing said affection in a more private setting some of the time. But...uh...kids DO sleep at some point in time and, in the very least...you own a car, do you not? Haha...anyway...

Let's keep it classy.

But, back to the weekend...up until the stomach bug stuff hit, it was nice and chill.  We celebrated Valentine's Day, cleaned out our cars, read books, went to the park, had our normal Saturday night whole wheat cheese-less pizza (well, for the kids at least) and watched some home videos. Good stuff.

I think I'm off to watch some recorded Monk'n'Psych with JC before bed and perhaps make a vauge outline of ways to keep the kids happily less-active during the next few days. Crafts? Books? Some new made-up game? I guess we shall see.

Oh, by the way, Monk'n'Psych refers to the two episodes of our shows that come on on Friday nights...we always end up watching them later in the weekend and refer to them as one since...well...that's how we watch them.

One more by-the-way...JC got me Season 2 of Ugly Betty and the Pixar Short Film Collection this weekend. 

Stoked.