My Babies are Seven Months!

I know, I know. I haven't updated in forever. It's probably not going to change. My life is insane 98.9% of the time! But I did manage to put together a cute little film strip of the twins that I took on their 7th month anniversary!

Ripley loves to sit, and can do so for quite a long time, happy as a clam. Scarlett refuses to do anything of the kind. Although, I did stand her up against furniture and she was all about it. And Ripley would NOT do it. So it makes me wonder if Scarlett will walk first!

They love solids. I got a Baby Bullet for Christmas and it's the best thing EVER. I just really like making their food and it saves me a lot of money. And the food is so much better. The other day I made them peach/apple, and I wanted to eat it myself!

I love them at this age--able to entertain themselves, but also immobile. Neither of them ever seem to flip over the other direction once they are on their bellies, so no rolling yet. Maybe they'll be like Afton and never roll over at all!

Well, seriously, that's all the time I have. I DID post on my Realscrappy blog with pictures of my new 2011 Yearbook that I just got in the mail, so feel free to check it out if you haven't already!

Christmas Heaven and Potty Training Hell

We had a fabulous holiday. I loved Christmas this year. Afton was a total blast. She totally got it, and she is seriously the funniest thing! I got a lot of really great stuff--surprisingly, I am totally LOVING my Nook, which I didn't expect. It's just so darn convenient! Trevor always does such a great job with my Christmases! Here are a few photos from our fun holiday!

The chaos at our annual Nielson Family Party.

Afton and Tyson bouncing on their "horsies" that my Mom gave them. Afton calls hers "Wilford."

Mom made had the grandkids all do a little act to "Rudoph the Red Nosed Reigndeer. Though why Rudoph's nose was in the middle of his forehead is a mystery to me...As you could predict, Afton LOVED performing for her family--probably more than any of the other grandkids!

 I had to include this one for those of you out there who remember my nephew Sam but haven't seen him in a while. Yeah, he's HUGE. Only 14 and over 6 feet tall! Certainly didn't get it from the Nielson side of the family!

My awesome sister Jen playing with Scarlett at Mom's party. I actually rarely held them at that party...

Our tree on Christmas Eve, after Santa came to visit.

Afton on Christmas morning in her Fairy gear, and playing with the microphone I got her. She loves it! Only...she tries to eat it more than sing into it...

Trevor's awesome grandmother, Luzenia, and his Dad, Stan. The babies got a lot of attention Christmas afteroon at Trevor's parents house!

I surprised Trevor with a new Lord of the Rings sword--this one is the Sword of Isildur.

Afton got some "Bitty Babies" from American Girl for Christmas. We HAD to get her her own set of twins! One that looks like Scarlett and one that looks like Ripley! Only, we named them Rose and Lily.

You know it's a successful Christmas when you get BOTH your mothers crying. My mom cried when she got the book I made her that had notes from all her Grandkids and her kids. It was called "I Love  You Because..." And then Karen cried because Stan, with Trevor's help, got her wedding rings re-made--her ring was stolen in Hawaii when Trevor was a little boy. She still had the band, but not the diamond ring. So Trevor picked the diamond and had his friend Ryan re-create both the ring and the band.

But, although Christmas was just heaven, the week following was pretty  much Hell. I am back at school today and TOTALLY ok with it. And that is because, starting December 26th, our campaign to potty train Afton began. It was the only time I had that I KNEW I would have a full week with her to really teach her to get it. Otherwise I'd have to wait until Spring Break. My other goal was to FINALLY get the twins to eat solids. They just always spit it out. It's taken them forever to learn something that Afton picked up after only a few tries!
And now, a week and a half later, I have a potty-trained kid and twins eating solids. And I am EXHAUSTED. A classroom full of 7th graders is a total piece of cake by comparison. But today was a big day because it's the first day that Afton went the whole day without an accident. I'm so proud of her! She's still in pull-ups at night, but she's getting through her naps, and most of the time she gets on the potty without our urging.
One thing that is hard about potty training is that EVERYONE has an opinion. On one hand, you want to ask for advice--your friends and family have done it themselves for their own children, and what better way to figure out how to do it than to ask those who have done it before? But the opinons on "the right way" are so diverse, and then of course every kid is different.

I decided to follow the advice of my mother-in-law on this. She purchased in ebook about 3-day potty training that she used to potty train my neice Madison. Totally worked. The problem I am have is that you need 3 days straight with no distractions--a tall order when I work full time and the kids go to FOUR different people for daycare. So I knew I had to do it over the break. Then Trevor would be home to help me. Because we had so many distractions, it took longer than three days--but she got better at it every day!
This is what bothers me most about potty-training advice. I'm so tired of people saying, "Just wait till she's "ready."

What does that really MEAN?

I am sure that if I wait and wait and wait, one day she'll be old enough and prepared to just choose to be potty trained and it will be done in a day. And I'm sure if it worked that way, she'd have far less accidents and it would be a lot easier for me. My sister's little girl did that before she was 18 months old. My other sister's little girl(s) did that at the age of 4. Well, I'm not waiting until Afton is 4!! I really don't think that "ready" means that they completely figure it out on their own without me having to teach her anything. I suppose I could wait until my twins are "ready" to eat solids when they are asking for it. But...no. I need to teach them how to eat solids, just like I need to teach Afton to use the potty. And if I choose to teach her, rather than waiting for her to teach herself, then I need to be prepared to have a hellish week, a few accidents, and constant worry that she's about to have one. Is it worth it? Heck yes. I spend approximately $40 a month on Afton's diapers. Add wipes, and that's about $500 a year. I'm just poor enough that I'd much rather use that money for something else. So yes, its worth it. Plus--only two bums to change now instead of three.

Afton is ready, in my book. She's intersted in potty training. Seems to understand the concept. She's watched her cousins and friends use it. She is physically capable of pulling down her pants and getting on the potty by herself. And she can certainly communicate with me when she needs to go. What else is there?

Thus began our long week. I almost gave up the first day, I was so frustrated. But I kept on--I would NOT let the first obstacle be my last. So we worked on it, and each day she got better. She is finally getting through her naps without an accident, and she is so proud of herself when she does it right! Stickers are like the greatest invention ever. She'll do practically anything for a sticker.

But I'll tell you what. I am so freaking sick of poop!

Tomorrow she will go back to daycare. I hope she does well. I hope we don't have to start all over once her schedule changes.

Well, there you go! Christmas Heaven and Potty Training Hell!

Afton the Performer

I love my little girl Afton. She is seriously such a little joy to me. It's so fun to watch her go through each stage, and she is growing up so fast! I guess that is what the oldest child gets--they are the first to do everything.

Afton has no fear. She loves talking to complete strangers. I love how she is young enough to not be afraid of anything. She doesn't care if the stranger she talks to is in a wheelchair or handicapped, if they are old or another race. She loves everyone. Though sometimes it scares me that she isn't afraid of strangers. How to teach her to be careful, but not lose that love she has for everyone?

She's just such an outgoing little thing. She loves music. Even in the womb, she would move a lot when music--particularly classical--was being played. This was not a phenomenon I experienced with the twins, though Ripley does seem to calm down quicker when you sing to her. When Afton hears music, she just has to dance! And she likes to sing along, even if she doesn't know the words. She sort of sings the last sound of each word as if she knows it. So cute.

So here's my new Afton story. On Saturday morning our ward had our ward Christmas breakfast. I almost didn't go because we were so tired and had three parties that day. But I love breakfast and I knew Afton would love. I couldn't guilt Trevor into it, however, so he stayed in bed while I packed up all three kids and went to the stake center.

At the breakfast, we sat at the end of one of the tables so I could get out easily and manage the twins. They had scheduled the West Jordan Madrigals to be there to perform, and they performed on the back half of the cultural hall, so we had front row seats. Afton was glued. She absolutely loved it. She somehow knew not to get out of her seat or go run around--she watched avidly, clapping heartily after each number, and sometimes, grasping the back of her chair while she shook her little booty. She just loved it!

The performance was excellent. When it finished, they left, and I resumed a conversation with the person next to me as I bounced both babies on my knees. Then someone said something--I looked up, and there was Afton. She was standing in the middle of the stage where the performers had just been, grinning ear to ear. And then--then she started to dance. She was totally into it. And because only seconds had passed since the performance ended, everyone was watching her and clapping. She loved it. There was my kid, performing in front of some 100 people, not remotely nervous!

By total chance, I had our flip camera in the pocket of my coat, from the night before when we went to the Festival of the Trees.(Where, by the way, she was WAY more interested in watching the performing group than looking at the trees!) So I managed to get a little of her performance on tape. But it totally does not capture fully how freaking funny it was. I love how she just grins when she's the center of attention. Remember her 2nd birthday when we started to sing and she started to grin ear to ear when she realized it was all for her? Yup. That's my girl. I wonder where she gets it?

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

 

Excuse the Mess, We're Making Memories

I saw this sign on Pinterest:

I've thought about it a lot. It's an idea that's been in my head for some time now--the idea that while I'm just keeping my head above water and trying to get through each day, paying bills, making dinner, making sure the house isn't a total wreck--in the meantime, my children are making memories. A normal day for me can be a turning point or an oft-repeated story for them when they get older.

Example:

ME: I'm in the playhouse one afternoon, sitting at the top of the slide, preparing to go down. Then, I notice at the bottom of the slide, SOMETHING is there. It looks like a snake. What if it's a snake??? Yes, it does look remarkably like a piece of jump rope or something...but WHAT IF IT'S A SNAKE??? What if I slide down and it gets me? This is not a chance I can take. The results would be too horrible. I need to be SURE it's not a snake. I sit there. I think. And then, I remember that there is one person whose always on my side and will make sure I'm ok and that the snake doesn't get me. "MOM!!!" I scream. No answer. Mom is inside and probably can't hear me. "MOM!!!!" I yell again. And again. For quite some time. Suddenly Mom is there. I tearfully and disjointedly explain that there's a snake at the bottom of the slide. Mom reaches up and picks me up from the slide and carries me, crying, into the house. As I pass the slide I get a better look at the snake. It is only a piece of jumprope. I'm sure glad Mommy rescued me anyway.

This is how I remember it. I'm sure my mother, on the other hand, has totally forgotten this incidence. Now that I'm a mom, I think I can imagine how her side of the story went.

MOM: Crap. I've got to get these dishes washed before the kids come home from school. Oh, and I've got to switch the laundry over. Where did I put that other glove I found? Was that Megan crying? Huh. Oh, there it is. I'll put it up here in the closet. Now for that laundry. Wait--was that Megan crying? I guess I'd better go look. She's in the backyard by herself. Man, I've only got five minutes and they'll all be home and wanting a snack. Oh yes, there she is. What in the world is she crying about? "Are you ok honey? A snake? That's not a snake. Come inside." Now what can I make them for lunch?

To my mother, this was just a normal incidence on a normal day. To me, it became a memory I still carry with me thirty years later. Why do I remember it? Why is this particular memory still there? Is it because I learned that Mommy will always save me? That I shouldn't be afraid? That some things appear worse than they really are? I don't know. But that day, Mom was doing the dishes, and I was making a memory.

And now I am the mom, and I wonder what is happening each day that, for me, will be insignificant and forgotten, and for them will be something they remember forever?

 I remember going up to Oregon to visit family as a child--it was a magical place. We'd spend hours chasing barn cats, wandering the farm, playing in the irrigation ditch. Now, I go up as the adult. And I just sit and visit with everyone and thoroughly enjoy myself, not really paying attention to what all the noisy kids are up to--as long as they aren't crying or bleeding, I'm good. I don't really realize that they are off--having adventures, creating memories they will always cherish, while my conversations with relatives, while enjoyable, will likely be forgotten forever.

Some people spend their entire lives trying to "get over" their childhood. But I was one of the lucky ones that had a wonderful childhood. I grew up in a loving home and was taken care of and loved. I remember my childhood as magical. Can I really make my children's childhood as magical as mine? Can I make my home the comfortable, loving, friendly place that my own home was, growing up? Or is this a magic I even create? Don't children create the magic themselves?

We were watching slides at my parent's house the other day. One of my sisters noted the clock that was in the background of one of the slides--it was the clock that hung in our kitchen for most of my childhood. And we were all like, "Oh! Remember that clock! Wow! Look at that clock!" And mom is probably like "it's just a clock I got for my wedding. Big deal." Was the clock magical? No--it was just our memories that made it that way. It was just a symbol that reminded us of a simpler time when we were comfortable, happy, and loved.

I feel this pressure to give my little girls what was given to me--a backyard that has good grass and a big playhouse and an interesting layout where they can dream and imagine and play with their friends. Right now my grass is so course and gross that you can't walk on it with bare feet, and we can hardly afford to fix it right now. I feel so bad that I'm not giving them what was given me. I'm so worried that they won't have the magical memories that I had.

But then I have an evening where we're all playing together--I'm stealing Afton's nose and she's running to Daddy, and he picks her up and "hides" her from me while I try to get at her, all the time she's letting out peals of laughter. Trevor and I hold the babies facing each other, and they giggle as we fly them around the room in our arms, Afton in the background trying to fly too. Afton goes to Grandma's house and plays in Grandpa's shop--which she talks about non-stop on the way home. Or she goes to her other Grandma's and reads an Elmo book, crying and crying when I come to take her home. These are different memories than the ones I had. And I don't know which ones she'll take with her into her adulthood. I guess all I can do is make sure that most of them are as happy and comfortable and loving as I can. All I can do is make absolutely sure that she and her sisters know they are loved, that we will do anything to make sure they are taken care of and happy, and that, when the sad times come or when they are scared, we still have each other. I think that has it's own kind of magic--the kind of magic that settles over an ordinary day and makes it into a learning opportunity and a memory that lasts a lifetime.

So even when life is a little bit messy--and my house isn't so clean--it's ok, isn't it? We're all just making memories!

Halloween

MY.LIFE.IS.CRAZY!!!!

Here's a picture of my girls, Little Bo Peep and her sheep for Halloween. Its the best I can do right now!

Five Minutes of My Life...

The Big Picture...and other random stuff...

Yeah, I know. It's about time I updated this blog. I HAVE been updating my Realscrappy blog, and some of those posts were really involved and took a lot of work. But man, free time is so difficult that I'm afraid this blog has gone on the back burner. Whenever I get a free minute, I have the hardest time choosing what to do. Surf Facebook and Pinterest? Do I work on my scrapbooks? Read my book? Work on the paper dolls I'm making for my neices birthday party? (They are going to be SOOO cute!) The other night I chose Lord of the Rings. Trevor and I watched about 45 minutes of the first one. We'll just work our way through them all. It will probably take two years. In fact, I think Afton will be potty-trained by the time we finish all three of them. (Which is going to be a LONG time from now)

 So I'm far too disorganized in mind to make an organized post. So I'm just going to take a page out of my friend Heather's book and just be random. Sometimes, those random posts are the most entertaining to read.

Pinterest - Ok, shameless plug. I am SO getting into this. If you aren't on Pinterest yet, consider it. Here's why:
1. It's a place to put all those little ideas and thoughts that come to you while surfing the net. Instead of bookmarking that tutorial or saving that picture you like, just pin it. You can come back to it later when you are ready. Where is that tutorial I was looking at for how to _____________? That's right I pinned it. I love that.
2. If you are like me and don't like surfing the net for random tutorials and ideas, you can just see what other people pinned and borrow their ideas. I am so overwhelmed with ideas and inspiration when I'm on that site!
3. I have made two recipes now that I pinned, and I loved both of them!

4. It has hilarious pins like this one. This one had me laughing out loud at 3:00 a.m. while I was pumping last night!
Ok. No more plugging. Just go check it out.

Movies - Despite my lack of time, I do manage to watch some TV. It's something I can do while feeding a baby. Or sometimes it's the only activity Trevor and I have the energy to do after the kids are finally asleep. Other than Lord of the Rings the other night, we also watch Chuck a lot, which is our new favorite show. We are working through season 3 and we love it! We watched Thor the other night. Eh. The best thing, of course, was Thor's chest, which got way too little screen time. I'd have liked more of the chest and less of--well, everything else. It wasn't that great of a movie. The love story was SO unbelievable. I felt like I was watching a video game. I swear, the world he was from is just like one of the boards on Mario Cart. (and if you've seen the movie, you know that "Rainbow Road" looks JUST LIKE the Bifrost!)

Sleep...or the lack thereof....I'm actually writing this the next morning from when I started it. Mondays and Tuesdays are crazy as I help Trevor out the door with the three kids. And then--a half hour of peaceful bliss. It's pretty much the ONLY TIME I'm EVER in the house by myself since I had the twins. I relish it. And it's so short. This morning I planned to spend my half hour going back to bed, but the temptation to do other things won over. We don't sleep much these days. The babies are no where near a sleep schedule. They do great from 7:00 to about midnight, but after that it's anyone's guess. Last night they were up every hour and a half. We are both irritable and ornery with lack of sleep--especially Trevor, who has a much harder time going without. I just don't know what to do about it.

Paperdoll Project - So my sister-in-law asked me to make some paperdolls for her daughter's birthday party in December. Wisely she asked me early, because they take a lot of time to make. But I am LOVING it. It's been so long since I was able to really draw anything, and so I've fully enjoyed it. Right now I'm working on making the dolls. I draw them, scan them in, then use Photoshop to perfect them. Then I reprint them and back them with several layers of sturdy paper. That's where I'm at now--the part I hate. Backing them is NOT fun. But here is a picture of a few of the dolls! I'm making ten of them. It's going to take forever. But then I get to design the clothes and that's my favorite part!

My Little Girls - I love my babies. All three of them. Even on days like today. It's now the evening, and I'm exhausted. The only reason I even have a minute right now is because I'm pumping. (that's right, I can type AND pump. I'm that awesome.) Its almost 8:00 and I haven't eaten anything in hours because I haven't had time. This is the first time I've sat down since getting home. Its just constant. BUT--really, isn't this worth it?

 Right now Afton is downstairs watching An American Tail which was one of my favorites as a child. It's so cute listening to her trying to sing along. She loves to learn the words to songs and sing them. Today in car she was doing quite well while watching Beauty and the Beast. We just put her in a "big bed" and she is so excited about it. It's actually the daybed I got for Christmas in 1988 and used until I married Trevor!

The twins are starting to laugh and smile, now. And that makes them SO much more fun. They are starting to interact. My predictions, based on what observations I have made so far:

1. Scarlett will roll over first. She will also discover her hands first
2. Ripley will talk first and probably walk first, too.

The Big Picture- My life is hard right now. No question. I am so crazy busy. I am a very efficient person that can get an astounding amount done in a very small amount of time, due to my complete ability to ignore small details and rush through it. I am a "big picture" person, and I can look at something and do things in order of priority to get it done. But now--now I have way more stuff to fit in than even I can handle. And that means that sometimes the laundry sits clean in its basket for several days. The mail doesn't get picked up and Netflix sits for a ridiculously long time before I remember to put it in the box. Making dinner is rare, and when I DO make it, its leads to a much more stressful night. Its taken me four days to start and finish this post. My kitchen is cluttered, my front room is littered with diaper bags and baby blankets. But I am trying to remember the big picture--those are little details now that have to be low on the priority list behind playing with Afton, taking care of the babies, and being with my husband for the few precious hours we are all home--before we all have to go back to work and daycare again.

But I am a happy woman. I have a loving husband, beuatiful children, a roof over our heads and an AWESOME new van. What else is there? And sometimes, I even find the time to be silly.