Stadium series avs game

Today was amazing and tonight was amazing.

The weather was awesome. I stayed in bed this morning until I went to pick up my Walmart grocery order at 8:30 and then I walked around the block and talked to Emmy and then chris brought all the kids outside and we had Brady try out a bike with training wheels and ride it up to the playground (Abigail pushed Elizabeth's stroller) and honey told me about the avs alumni game from last night. By 11:30, I was getting a headache from not having eaten since the night before (eating is such a nuisance) and I needed to prep everything for a babysitter, so I walked Elizabeth home and put her down for a nap. I got something to eat and hung out on the driveway with chris and he kids a bit while doing laundry. I contemplated giving up on life and rested in bed for an hour (headaches apparently give me severe mood swings) until I felt like I could handle hard things like standing up and putting away laundry. I helped the kids and cleaned up and laid out pjs and gave Christopher cleaning tasks and all the stuff that makes me think "this is sooo not worth it" a million times. Also during this, Elizabeth had woken up around 2:30 maybe and of course she refused to eat (surprise surprise) so I pumped a bottle and, instead of giving it to her, kept it on the counter for the babysitter to give her later (Elizabeth doesn't care if she's fed or not... Maybe she gets that from me?) and she hung out on my bed for the next hour and a half I think while we were all doing our things. The girl is an angel. I have no idea how I got so lucky with a second angel baby, but she really is divine. She'll be 9 months tomorrow... Maybe I can get my act together and write a post. 

I picked the babysitter up, gave her the rundown in the car, showed her how to swaddle Elizabeth, left, did my makeup in the car, and then texted her all the instructions too (because I waaaay over prepare when it comes to leaving our kids with babysitters. To be clear, it's more out of concern/convenience for our babysitter than for our kids) and still had plenty of time to join the fun conversation in the car with Bri and Kelsey who we picked up on the way. 

We found $5 parking (hallelujah since the regular lots were $50 for the night) and walked to coor's field. This was all great for my Fitbit I've been trying out the last couple of days since my watch broke (RIP... It was a good 15 years). We walked around some and then went to our seats which were actually in a suite. The food was good, the seats were great (the way the ice arena was set up, our level of seats had the very best view), and the game was absolutely awesome. Andy grammer had a little concert before the game started. And in case you're like me and think you have no clue who he is, I'll just tell you that I'm positive you could have sang along to all the songs he sang because I had never heard of him and was completely surprised to find that I actually knew all the words to all the songs. Whoops. The game was high scoring and the goals were awesome. Like really really really great goals. It was so insanely fun. The fray played during second intermission and there were fireworks and lights (everyone in the outfield had bracelets with lights coordinating to the music) and I loved it. I think some people probably wished it was louder or more concert like but I thought it was perfect. Also, Claude Lemieux (a really good retired hockey player) came to our suite and did a Q&A and signed autographs and took pictures so that was super cool. I really liked him. He just seemed like such a quiet and sincere guy. Especially when he was talking one on one with this guy I was standing next to (since I was the creeper that snuck into that conversation). During second intermission, we went up to where Mark and Nate were sitting so chris could visit with some clients and I hung out with Mark. We went back to the suite for the third period. It was exciting with more goals and penalties and power plays and all the good stuff but the red wings scored with just a few minutes left and hen scored an empty next with a few seconds left (since we'd pulled he goalie). It would have been fun if we'd pulled off the win, but honestly, it was an amazing game... I don't even care. I had so much fun. 

We met up with bri and Kelsey and mark and Nate and walked back to the car together. I love how something as ordinary as walking a few city blocks (actually it was about a mile) to the car can be so fun when you're with fun people. Mark and Nate got player cards of themselves before the game and it was just fun talking about trading cards and making jokes about mark (since he lacerated his kidney playing hockey) being the fantasy player that gets injured and is out the whole season. That and the drive home was just all fun and conversation. I forget how much I enjoy interacting with people over five feet tall. 

But of course the first thing I did after I got home from dropping off the babysitter was head upstairs to wake Elizabeth up and smooch her cheeks for five minutes before changing her diaper and feeding her. She has this laugh lately that I can only describe as the baby version of a Suzy butler laugh. Family, I'll try to get it on video and you can tell me if you agree at all. Anyway, it's just this constant laugh that she does when she's happy and I just love it. She actually nursed really well (because she was swaddled and it was during the night... For her) and I loved it. I just sat and watched her and held her tight. My only thoughts and focus were how much I love her. She is perfection... I really can't say it any other way. I kissed her cheeks for another five minutes before putting her back in her crib and listening to her Suzy butler laugh herself to sleep. 

It was seriously such a wonderful day. So many of my days seem monotonous and just kinda blah when I'm wearing sweats and fighting with little people about what color sippy cup is best, but today was just one of those days that I felt more myself and more alive than half asleep. ; ) 

And for that I am so very grateful. 

It was just really an especially great day. 

Ps- the cotton!!! I LOVED the cotton at the game!!!
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/high-winds-cause-fake-snow--blizzard--at-nhl-stadium-series--video-034822640.html

just a little picture

to brighten your thursday.

Elizabeth has teeth!!!

Elizabeth May end up outdoing Brady as the slowest teether ever. Check it out. My phone autocorrected may to be capital. Coincidence? 

Anyway, you can't see them, because her tongue is always out, but today I could feel that at least one of her teeth has broken through! Woohoo! Now hopefully tomorrow I can take a few pictures of her gummy smile before these things get legit. 

I hate that I've been so terrible at blogging lately but I do feel good about how I'm detaching myself from my phone. I'm sure it'll just continue to take more time as I keep working to find the right balance. 

As a short catchup,

Elizabeth loves tummy time and laughs all day long. 

Brady is cute and hilarious as always but has now developed a fear of jungle animals in our house that manifests itself in the middle of the night (the past two nights)

Abigail is doing so well with school. Her reading, writing, and math skills blow me away. I love watching her learn. 

Honey is continually becoming a better version of himself. He is so good at helping with the trash, dishes, kids, and cleaning. I really appreciate how muh he is helping out at home when he's around.

And I've successfully given up facebook for an entire week. I'll write a real post on this soon (I started one the other day but didn't get more than a paragraph) but in the meantime, I'm feeling super super great about this. 

Happy Monday! 

Brady got a haircut

Saturday 2.13.16

Today was super fun. Chris and I took turns trying to sleep in this morning and then finally started the day a little before 9:30. We all hung out and ate breakfast and then went to Bri and Kelsey's around 10:30 for valentines festivities. They had some craft stuff and sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles and drones (for the boys). So we went over and Brent and Klaudette and Nate came too. It was a lot of fun. 

I think we left around 1:30 and came home for a bit. Chris fed the kids and took them outside to play (it's sunny and 65 and practically summer over here) while I fed Elizabeth (who was exhausted from being awake all morning) and held her after she fell asleep. She is precious beyond words. Also, such Rosie cheeks. I seriously can't get over them. 

After an hour, Elizabeth woke up, and honey and the kids found us and it was a crazy party of five in our bed for an hour until we left for the Hilliers. Brent and Klaudette were sorting through stuff in their garage (they're purging most everything) when we got there. Klaudette gave Abigail a trim and then gave Brady a full new do and chris his usual haircut. Then, as usual, chris was ready to peace out and I was the one making myself cozy and talking to Klaudette forever. Tonight I spent my time trying to convince her to keep their house and renovate it instead of selling it and having to find a new house. They'll probably still sell, but I just had to give my two cents. 

We'd planned to go to Chili's for lunch. And then bumped it to dinner, and then just scrapped it because it was so late. So the kids got dinner at home while we all hung out in the kitchen and then honey cleaned the kitchen and I got all the kids to bed. 

It was a really great day. 

Abigail's crafting style is "thorough."

It's like I put blush on her every morning. 

The boy loves shoveling snow. Also, again and again... This is seriously the best weather for playing in the snow. 

Before

During 

And of course I forgot an after. I used this blog post to "shop" for a new style for Brady. http://thesqueezeblog.com/2014/08/22-really-stinkin-cute-haircuts-for-toddler-boys/

My goal was to take Brady from 15 to 17, but we kinda went a little too short on top for that. My intention for summer is for him to have a 1 or 7, but I don't know if I'm brave enough to go that short. I just know I can't keep it as long as last year summer though... He was always so hot and sweaty. Anyway, we'll see. He's my only kid with real hair so I live out my dreams through him. While praying that someday I get a girl with that kind of hair. ; ) 

Also, Elizabeth won't need a haircut for a long time, but hold me to it, this is what I'm gonna do for her as her hair gets longer. None of the scraggly business I put up with with Abigail (who is still, and will be forever, trying to grow her hair out as long as rapunzel) who was always trying knots and making things really tricky. Elizabeth is gonna have to sport a little bob for me. 

So, sorry for the teaser... I'll have to get a picture of Brady's short little crew cut tomorrow. He's always precious no matter what. 

The days are long

I can't remember when it first started (maybe when Brady gave up naps or when Abigail started school?), but my days continue to feel like two days. Every night, I think back on the first half of my day and it weirds me out how it feels like yesterday. And how are my days so busy all the time?!  Like I don't have a job or extra curricular stuff that I do. I'm just a stay at home mom and that's it. But yet my goal today was to do a load of whites and I had zero time for that and now I'm really going to be scraping the bottom of the barrel. I mean, my initial plan was to do it yesterday or the day before yesterday or whenever it was that I did the two loads of colors. But that didn't happen and neither did today. Every day so busy. Oh, that must have just been yesterday because the day before yesterday I think was my migraine day. I was out of commission the whole day. See? Yesterday feels like the day before. Because every day is two days. 

Today I woke up at 7 with my alarm and can't remember why it took me so long to get out of bed. Maybe I kept pressing snooze because I was exhausted  and then Brady came in and wanted breakfast of course. I woke Abigail up at 7:45 or so and then got in the shower. So she got ready and the kids ate their oatmeal. Elizabeth woke up sometime in there and I got her out at 8:45 and brought her with us to drop Abigail off at 8:53. That's what time we said goodbye. It's a new record for us. Sweeet. And she was pretty in pink all decked out for her valentines party. And she had hand written her name on all of her sticker box valentines yesterday so she was pumped. She waved by to Brady as she walked into school. I loved that part of my day. 

I finished getting ready and got the kids dressed and we dropped a box by goodwill, swung by chick fil a for a chicken biscuit (because it was 10:27 and I couldn't restrain myself), and went to costco (returned a puffy coat, moldy cheese, and got another $87 back for what they overcharged me for prescription glasses last time instead of long sleeve shirts). Then we shopped and I only spent 40 something dollars. This is the first time ever that I have actually left costco with more money than when I arrived. Woohoo! On the way back, I dropped off a few things at the library and even had time to put away the new costco cheese at home before getting Abigail from school. 

The kids and I were so excited about the great weather that they skipped snack/lunch and went straight outside to play. I put away costco stuff (and partially carved up the rotisserie chicken) and tried to feed Elizabeth (she was not interested in nursing today) and then went outside to join the kids. I got Elizabeth in her stroller and we were about to head around the block for a little bike ride except that Presley came home right then so we went to say hi. The kids played while Stephanie and I caught up a bit and then Abigail said she actually did want to walk around the block with Brady and Elizabeth and me still so she left Presley crying with a "I'll be right back!" And when I turned around, she was no where to be found (her bike was still on the sidewalk) and Brady was already turning the corner on his bike. I yelled at him to come back (he paused in his place) and then ran back to the house thinking maybe Abigail had gone in to get a coat. She wasn't there so then I was frantically running back outside and around the block to find Brady (who had decided to keep going and not return home like I'd yelled/asked him to do. Awesome. I can't find two of my three children. A minute later, I see Abigail running down the street and I yelled at her (I tried not to except that I was livid) what on earth did she think she was doing ("well I wanted to be first ahead of Brady so I ran the whole way" ...why is she so competitive??? She didn't get that from me) and I yelled for her to go straight inside and then I continued up the street and around the corner to find Brady just peddling his little bike. I was still so angry. I told him to go to his room and then I went to mine to calm down. How many times can I tell my kids that they can not go around the block without a grownup and if they can't see me, then they're too far?!?!  I'm dying here. Anyway, I calmed down and had a chat with them on the sofa, short and sweet, about creeps that can kidnap little children. Abigail had tears in her eyes. I hate to scare her, but it is what it is. By then it was 2 and natalie came over because my friend/visiting teachee had a meeting and needed someone to watch her kid. Abigail went back to play with Presley and Brady and natalie just played in the snow in the yard while Elizabeth and I hung out on the driveway. The weather was so beautiful. I was almost sweating at times. It's my favorite weather for kids to play in the snow. Brady had on a long sleeve t shirt, jeans, and snow boots and he was just perfect. Also, my other favorite part of the snow is that when Brady plays baseball, the baseball stops where it lands... Baseballs don't roll in the snow. ; ) 

Natalie got picked up a little before 4 and Elizabeth was exhausted (shed caught a 20 minute nap in the car earlier on the way back from costco, but then is gotten too busy to put her down for a nap) so I took her up to feed her and out her down. Brady came in a few times wanting to kiss her (allllways! It's cute but annoying when she's so easily distracted while nursing) but I kept motioning for him to just leave. Eventually he stopped coming in and I noticed the house was silent. After I put her down I went to investigate. Sure enough, he was asleep in my bed. That's the third time this week he's done that. It's awesome when it happens at 9:30 or 10. Not so much at 4:30, so I snuggled him gently to wake him up but make it seem like an accident. I read him a few things out of the ensign that was on my nightstand and eventually lured him out of bed telling him that if he and Abigail cleaned up, they could watch an episode of Mickey Mouse. But Abigail was so hungry she was almost crying (hadn't eaten anything since she got home from school) and Brady kept trying to sneak back in my bed to go to sleep, so I made them tacos (which took less than five minutes because the precooked meat from the freezer only takes two minutes in the microwave. The kids downed their tacos and some pineapple and then we're fine to watch Mickey Mouse. Honey got home while they were watching and made his own taco which officially started our nighttime routine. Elizabeth woke up while the kids were getting ready for bed and reading books and the avs played a great game (Abigail is super into it now that she inserts bad show to read the scores at the top of the screen... Seriously, she is so competitive!) and Brady (despite a number of attempts to fall asleep in my bed) managed to stay awake until his usual thing of going to bed when Abigail does. 

I fed Elizabeth solids and got her swaddled, nursed, and in her crib and then eventually got myself to bed. Ye kitchen is a mess and the dishwasher if still full of clean dishes from when he ran it last night. Honey has promised to take care of both of those tomorrow morning. 

So that's how I managed to not do a load of whites today. I'm optimistic about tomorrow. No shopping, no watching someone else's kid, and no half day kindergarten. Just a blank slate day at home with my three kids and some nice weather. Maybe I'll even be able to sneak a nap in there. Every day is just an adventure. 

I'm lazy

Saturday I stayed in bed for most of the day. Because I'm lazy. And I just wasn't really in the mood to be out of bed. It made me feel like crap to be so lazy but also, it's so hard to function when you're so tired. Why do I never feel well rested?!

Sunday was the super bowl. We were invited to several super bowl parties, but after attending one two years ago (I think... Whenever the Broncos played last), I decided that I didn't want to do that again. Nothing huge, it just didn't feel like Sunday that day and I didn't like it. So this year, we politely declined and stayed home. Honey watched the game periodically (he pauses and then watches fast and then pauses again) and I checked the score on my phone ever hour or so. I will say though that I was really pulling for the Broncos and am super glad they won. Also, you should have seen all the blue and orange going on at church that morning. Also, I took a much needed nap from 4-6 or something. Hallelujah. 

Monday- I remember that it wasn't memorable. How's that? Just kidding. I'm recalling parts of it now. Brady fell asleep while I was putting Elizabeth down for her morning nap and he actually slept from 10:30-1:30 I think. Honey was worried that he might have trouble falling asleep at bedtime but I told him I had zero worries about that because having him nap was soooo worth it. I am blown away at how different my life would be if Brady still napped. When Abigail got home from school, it was like she was my only child. So she got a little snack and we used dry erase markers for her to practice writing her name a ton (to get ready for signing her valentines) and we read together and it was great. The moment that the other kids woke up though, things were back to hectic and me being frazzled. In case anyone was wondering, I don't do extremely well with three kids sitting on me... Which is what happens when Elizabeth needs to sit in my lap (because we were on the sofa) and Abigail likes to snuggle in close and Brady thinks he's a lap dog. Anyway, I'm trying to learn. ; ) the rest of the day was me trying to be nice and patient despite having a headache and dealing with a slew of visiting teaching crap. 

Tuesday- my headache was worse... And stayed bad. I attempted as much time in bed as I could. The kids were pretty good. They made messes while I was in my bed with Elizabeth (gave me flashbacks of when I was bedridden with morning sickness with Elizabeth) but cleaned then up alright without much trouble. I ran to Walmart as soon as honey got home at 5:30 and stopped home for a minute (that turned into 15 minutes because Elizabeth woke up from her 4 hour nap and I wanted to feed her) before heading to our RS activity. It was about heavenly father's love for us and a chocolate fountain with lots of sipping options. I loved hanging out with friends. My headache continued to be atrocious, but it was a nice escape not to think about it for a bit. Coming home, I walked in the door to find my two kids asleep in their beds and my baby happily watching my honey finish the dishes. I won't lie, he gets better and better with time. He's so much better at anticipating my needs (and the needs of our household) and fulfilling them than what he used to be. I just really appreciate all of his help. Especially because I haaaate doing dishes. And then I got Elizabeth to bed and honey and I watched the bachelor. They swam with pigs in the Bahamas. Which was awesome because I was literally googling that island earlier today looking at possible travel destinations in the Bahamas. Seriously, what're the odds?!

Anyway, my headache is still killing me and I feel super nauseous from it so I'm gonna hope I can fall asleep and then hope even harder that I wake up feeling just fantastic. 

; ) 

Also, Elizabeth is about as slow of a teether as Brady was and I've been watching her two bottom teeth hang out under the surface of her gums for the last week. They haven't poked through yet, but apparently it's less painful than it was because she is happier when she's awake and is sleeping better for naps and at night (just waking up once around 4:30 or 5:30) so that is wonderful. January was a bit of a struggle in that way, but February has luckily brought some relief.  I'm happy for her... When I'm not too busy mourning the loss of her happy, gummy smile. She's the funnest baby ever. Also, she tolerates a lot. 

Hearing test, car hit, new dress

Today was fun. 

Abigail brought home mr. Bear yesterday but we've been so busy that we couldn't even do anything fun with him. But it didn't even matter because this morning I told Abigail that she write in his journal himself (instead of me writing it all) and she was actually for it! She did a great job. I forgot to take a picture but it was something like "mr bear and I played with Brady by his morning we read books."

After I got Abigail from school, we went straight to meet honey at costa vida for lunch. It was delicious as always. 

Then we went to Abigail's hearing evaluation. She was adorable during the "games" that the audiologist was doing with her. She would smile and giggle and bounce forward on her seat. 

The lady kept saying how sweet Abigail was. And it was true, she was being super sweet. That lady was luckily not around when we were in the waiting room and Abigail was having an outburst so bad ("BRADY! YOU'RE THE MEANEST!!!") that I was worried people were going to think she had autism or something else like that. Anyway, she did great and Brady played food toys. 

She did hand motions as she repeated words back to the lady. 

And this is apparently the room where they do the newborn hearing screening. Abigail had a newborn hearing test done in this giant throne of a chair. She liked it. 

We stopped by home just long enough to pick up a book that was due, and 15 others that we were done with and then returned them to the library and hung out there for a while. I got all the kids in the car and then was putting the stroller in the trunk when a lady (on her third attempt to get in the space next to me), hit my car. That made me sad because my car is less than a year old and only has a few thousand miles on it, but really, it was a blessing that it was all as good as it was because the lady was super polite and fine and even though all three of my kids were in the car (Abigail and Brady in the process of getting buckled), there was no worry of safety for any of them and really it's just a scratch in the paint. Honey is naturally much more annoyed than I am. But that's understandable because he's the one that's gonna be dealing with this all. He's already been on the phone with insurance people and whatever. He takes good care of me. 

We watched a little hockey tonight. Check it out. Just 24 hours ago, we were standing in that very spot having our picture taken together. Hey Gabe! It's like we're bff. 

The hockey watching party. Elizabeth even had her hockey stick while Brady looked at hockey pictures on Chris's phone from last night to compare them with the players he was seeing on tv. 

Klaudette and Nate stopped by to drop off a kids john Deere gator (since she's purging hardcore these days) and of course brought other stuff too. In there was grandpa RB's Book of Mormon from his mission. I was so touched. The R is for Robert... Brady's middle name. Also, Klaudette brought me a dress. Before I even saw it (it was in a garment bag), she was all "you're the only one skinny enough to fit this... I used to wear it back in the day... It belonged to my grandmother" and I was immediately curious. Well, it was love at first sight. I accepted it and then tried it on first chance I got and then again after everyone was in bed. I rolled up one sleeve to make it a little more my style since I normally wear cap sleeve stuff. Aside from that, I made zero changes and the dress fits me like a glove. The pictures don't capture it well, but it is so beautiful and, as I said, fits me to the very millimeter. Now I just can't gain any weight. Also, hopefully it still fits my chest okay after I quit nursing. 

I'm so excited to wear it when the weather warms up. 

So today (despite my car getting hit) was a success. And I am beat. 

Avs meet and greet party

Tonight we got a sitter for the girls and took Brady to this avs thing at the Pepsi center. It was a lot of fun and I loved seeing Brady enjoy it all. Meanwhile, Elizabeth slept the full four hours we were gone (this has been my strategy lately with her to put her to sleep right as the sitter arrives and then tell them to just put a binky in her mouth if she wakes up... It's had perfect success the last 3 or 4 times) and Abigail was beyond thrilled to get the babysitter all to herself. I asked chris if she was sad as we left and he said "she started to whine until I told her she could play the jungle game (some Book of Mormon board game) with Trevor and then she was beyond happy. So, it was a win win win all around. And an extra win for me. 

Here's a picture of me with my three favorite hockey players*. It was super awesome. I can't remember who the guy on the left is though. ...just googled the roster and I think it's Blake comeau.

We took more pictures (like with THE joe sakic!), but lots of them are on honey's phone and I'm crazy tired right now and about to fall asleep. So, that was our night. It was great. 

*currently, my three favorite hockey players, in order of preference, are honey, Brady, and Gabriel Landeskog. This guy...

Snow day

Today is a snow day. So of course my kids woke up at 6:50, 7:10, and 7:20. I begged my honey not to go to work but blast that man, he shoveled the driveway and went anyway. 

Anyway, somehow it's 8:20 and I still haven't gotten out of bed. And while my main motivator should be to take care of my kids who are running rampant through the house (and one happily kicking and squealing in her crib), I think the thing to pull me out will be my hunger. I currently have a headache from hunger and am happy to report that it is my first one in a long while and that I don't get headaches so often anymore. 

Also, remember when I mentioned that Abigail was doing so much better in the morning? Maybe it's the snow day or maybe I jinxed it. It's been an hour and a half and I've asked her a million times and we're getting no where fast. Which I guess is fine because we don't have anywhere to go today. Also, just for the record, Brady is butt naked and refusing to put on clothes. 

It's gonna be real interesting when Elizabeth joins the ranks of these crazy kids.