Brothers

Look at these boys who have joined our family! Aren't they cute!? Aren't they lucky to have a brother so close in age?
At this point they are noticeably different in age but soon enough people will ask of they are twins. Michael is still definitely a baby with no hair, 2 teeth, and no verbal skills but he is a big boy.

With only 6 inches and 6lbs different, Michael is catching up. I am pulling out clothes for him that are size 12 months. Levi just grew out of them!!
aaaaaand they are done taking pictures.
They are so lucky to have older brothers who LOVE them too!

I first published this post without this paragraph. I have been thinking about how I am doing having 5 kids and figured some of you where wondering how I am doing too. Some days I love having 2 babies. I really do love the cuddles, the kisses, the new learning on both our parts. I love their smiles, their laughs. I would never take back having two babies so close together.

Some days I wonder what in the heck I was thinking having 2 babies so close when I already have 3. I get bored with the routine. Not bored because there is nothing to do but because there is too much to do that is not fun. There is too much cleaning, too much "entertaining", too much poop, too much cooking. Some day I want to just cry in bed. Those are days like yesterday when Levi hurt his leg again and I really thought it was broken. It just makes me tired. I don't cry in bed. I just keep going and doing.

It is just a wonderful challenge to make sure I am doing the best I can at making sure these kids are being taught the best things. They need to me to be nice. They are good kids that just need direction everyday. They are awesome. Life is awesome but tiring :)

The Inevitable

I think it was inevitable that at least one of my kids would have glasses.


Fortunately it is the one I trust a little more to not lose them or break them. Plus, he loves looking more like a "nerd" :)

Since I am on the subject of Jt, I mine as well brag a second cuz he is so cool. Today was the awards assembly and he made honor roll, and he received an a award for having over 300 accelerated reader points (kids with over 25 and 50 got awards and then there was Josh), and for getting the highest Math grade for all of 4th grade in a Math a thon. What a kid!


So proud of Rory too for getting an Achievement Award. What a gal!!

Levi is 2!

I can't get this kid to take a normal picture to save his life
Oh, what to say about Levi. . .he is. . .fun. . .busy. . .full of energy. He is not mischievous, stubborn, or naughty on purpose. He is ready to be a big boy and do what the big boys do.

He is actually calming down quite a bit. When we first moved in with Grandma and Grandpa T he screamed a lot. Happy, mad, sad, glad all required this very high pitched scream. It was a head exploding scream. All of us worked really hard to teach him how to talk because it seemed his lack of communicating was causing the chaos. I would have to say the plan worked and he is much easier be around.

He loves to give kisses, laugh and play play play.

He just discovered trains and is in LOVE.

I love the new words he pulls out of his hat daily and how he brings me his sippy and says "no ni night" over and over to make sure I understand that even though he wants milk, he is not going to bed.

He know what he wants and like most kids, it involves sugar.

I love this kid to pieces.

Enjoy the video of the birthday cake and his awesome reaction.

Another Break

This time the break involved this very very dangerous object onto the very very hard surface:
and involved this very quiet, mellow child:

Since then, she has calmed even more down and only sits and reads books all day long.

To make matters even more hilarious, she broke it the day Levi got his cast off. True story.

Spring (gimme a) Break

Well we didn't go swimming or go to the beach but my children ended up being burned much worse than they ever did in Cali. Look at this sad face.

Jt was swollen for a week. He did not look like himself. When the swelling went down, they all had sores on their faces. I am sure you can guess what did them in.



Over spring break they went skiing twice. The second time it was SUNNY. They had so much fun with their dad but they had such sad faces.

Another day was free screen time day and another day we went to the Discovery Museum. another day we made owls. Aren't they too cute? The kids play and sleep with them too and they makes all the fuzz while cutting and sewing worth it.


How do I get so much sewing done? With a lot of "help" :)

Accompany

This kid- oh this kid of mine! My heart is so full of love for this amazing kid. I can't say he is perfect but dang, he is so awesome.
My kids come home for lunch everyday and I left lunch out for JT so I could take Simeon to a playdate's house. I came home and he had eaten, emptied the dishwasher, loaded the dishwasher with the night before's dishes (the dishwasher was running during and after dinner) and was washing the pots by hand. I asked him why and he said because he thought I was taking a nap. So dang cool.
He bought his own ski season pass and goes with Roger weekly. The other 2 don't get to go often because they don't earn it. Jt earns it 10xs over. He is so helpful with cleaning, household projects, and the babies. He will work all day on Saturday around the house if we are. He cleans up after himself. He independently cooks eggs for breakfast and makes dinner on occasion. He is respectful to Roger and I. He makes excellent grades and is in the 6th grade accelerated math class. He is so dang awesome.
Is he perfect? Nope. He can be a big punk to Rory and Simeon. Other than that, just about.

Here is a video from this morning. He is accompanying the 4th and 6th graders at their school assembly. He brought tears to my eyes yet again.

Walk Through Part 4 Outside

(I still am looking for the motivation for the last walk through my house. I have yet to do the basement but it really is boring!)

I bought some bulbs before we closed on the house thinking it wouldn't take so long to close and/or I could plant before we closed. The snow came early and long and my chance left. Even though it is too late, I thought I would plant them anyway. When we bought the house, everything looked dead. I had no idea that come spring, I would have a hard time finding a spot that didn't already have bulbs and perennials sprouting. I am talking thousands. A neighbor came by and assured me these are not weeds!








There are sprouts everywhere!!

The people that lived here before the people who lived here before us took amazing care of their yard from what everyone is telling me. The woman carefully picked which trees were planted based on uniqueness. She had rose gardens that were envied. I know some of this through neighbors but mainly from the daughter. She is in my ward.

The people that bought it intended on it being a flip. When the market went south they were stuck with it. Then the man lost his job and went a little awall. He raised goats and chickens and dug trenches to collect rain water. He built sheds and chicken coops and goat pens. They did not water anything. When they foreclosed and took everything they left all the junk in the backyard and dug out fruit trees. The trash is gone but we still have holes and such to deal with.

With that in mind, let me take you through our yard. It has been gloomy like this for far too long.

First off is the front yard. This tree was something I initailly wanted to get rid of. I thought it was a lone wind breaker type tree. Apparently everyone in the neighborhood LOVES this tree and it is expensive. I looked into trimming it to find that it would kill the tree. It has started to grow on me. Some call it the Dr. Seuss tree. I see Gandolf from Lord of the Rings.
Going through the fence on the left.
Going to the back corner and turning around. Hey there Roj. On your way to get rid of the last of the sheds? Thank you!
Turn just a little to the left and there is the house.

Walk to the left to the next corner. Watch out for all the holes and left over glass.

This is the only good climbing tree but it has been trimmed badly because it is up next to power lines. Roger is trying to trim it.
Turn around and look back towards the corner from whence you came.

Look around me in that corner. Why oh why is there a mound of dirt around this cherry tree?


Look to the last corner. Hello wonderful concord grapes! and Hello little bit of sun!Turn the camera to the right a bit and you can see the house. In the farthest corner there is a plum tree.


Walk to the last corner and turn around.
I was planning a garden but I think I am chickening out this year. There is still so much work to be done. We have 26 trees that need trimming and I bought 4 more fruit trees that I need to decide where to put. I also want to see where the best sun is come summer. We are going to till the whole backyard and plant new grass. I need to figure out how to tend to the things we do have. Add 2 babies to that and I am overbooked. Maybe next year. . . or maybe just a few veggies :)

Pillows

I started this pillow a few weeks ago and made the top all in one day with Rory's help (she made the flower). It's been laying out untouched since then and I finished it today!


Also today, I made this pillow! The second one is on an old wool sweater of mine:) I may go back in a sew a straighter line instead of following the sweater curves.

I have been trying to tie in the orange couch from Roger's parents with my grey walls, white trim and cream, grey and orange curtains. If only the curtains were white. . .

I really am trying to get over my need to not mix cream and white. Aren't I silly that it bothers me so?

Swept Away

My last house was mainly carpet. My bathrooms? carpet. My dining area? carpet. It was a whole heck of a lot of vacuuming. It was bad quality carpet too. I hated carpet.

This house? A ton of hardwood floor. Although I much much prefer this, there is so much sweeping to do and let's face it, my slave of children stink at sweeping. So I sweep often. Oh, to move chair and stools to only move them back and 2 seconds later a sweet almost 2 year old crumbles a cracker. I cried once.

It helps to have 1 of these.
But really, after sweeping 2 days ago I get this:


Not fair- there are toys in there. Okay, I will take those out:
Then 2 days later:
Gross huh? Doesn't help that I do things like:

There's nothing to do but just do it!

Two Days

Two days after we were given a Trampoline, Levi landed wrong on his leg.

This lovely lady came to the rescue!

Levi is starting to crawl around with the cast on and will crawl to something and stand up on the good leg. He will also climb up a stool and then climb onto the counter. Nothing is safe. He is also still desperate to jump on the trampoline so I go out with him and hold him while I bounce. Women who have had 5 children have no business jumping on the trampoline, even after relieving themselves right before going out.