Halloween, Buying a house, etc...

So I just thought of something. What if they made a handbook. A handbook for moms. So we weren't so lost and our learning curve wasn't so horribly messy. Like my house for example. Nobody told me in a matter of three years I would go to well kept and clean to weevils eating off of popcorn kernels that have somehow made it to random hidden corners in my home. Or laundry than NEVER stops! It never stops. One load done and that accomplished feeling is there for like seconds before you trip over three other baskets that need attending to. I'm a mess! Any who, even though I went at it without a mother handbook - I have to admit I'm getting the hang of raising three small children and having some small semblance of a clean and organized home... Wish me luck on the next 18 years though... I don't know how long I can keep this up ;)

 Sprained my foot real good this week missing a step and trying to keep Madison from hitting payment cause I was holding her.... 

So the news- I'm going to lead with Will and I---- drum roll please........Tomorrow we sign on the home we have been living in Kaysville!!!! We are so excited and are going to be so poor! I'm all about having a charlie browns christmas in exchange for a house though-- so sunny days are here again!  We spent the last month redoing the kitchen - the landlords did some cost sharing to put in granite countertops and Will and I worked side by side late into the night for days on end to get our cabinets painted. I have never heard that guy groan and moan so much! But in the end he and I couldn't be happier with the results. Now all we have left is a little decorating and subway tile backsplash!

Before

After

After subway tile

As for Ben-- growing up fast and still in never ending motion. He is Curious George on steroids. Always into things- not trying to make trouble but somehow trouble always finds him! He is doing great in his Spanish immersion preschool, on his violin and with his site words and other homework we give him everyday.... smart as a whip he is. He is so excited for the holidays that a week and a half before Thanksgiving he asked if he could write up his Christmas wish list and send it to the north pole.... needless to say for sure Santa's going to give him priority this year cause he will have lots of time to plan--- now if we only had a chimney for Santa to shimmy down (that was Ben's main concern last Christmas "how will santa get our presents to us? we don't have a chimney")

This was Ben's Birthday cake request! He wouldn't let me put a toy superman on top! 

I had to make it out of fondant!

James finally picked up talking and he does not stop!!! He talks and talks and makes us repeat everything he says! He will ask me permission to turn into a Tiger than run around the house making tiger sounds and clawing at Ben and then come back and ask me permission to be a dog. This process repeats itself over and over for hours on end! He loves hugs. The minute he gets hurt in any way he runs to me and says "cuddles!!!"

Madison is DARLING! She is my little girl. She is independent and driven and determined and thoughtful and so cute. She plays by herself reading and building towers with blocks (I still haven't got around to getting this girl dolls yet -- She is destined for tomboyhood if I don't intervene soon ;)  She refuses to sit in high chairs so she eats all of her meals standing up and about once or twice a day she takes a tumble off of them-- this girl has more bruises than her brothers ever did. But even with all the falls she keeps on getting up!  She and James argue and fight over toys and Ben dotes on her all the time- his hugs are a little rough but she seems to take them well.

Well I've written enough to fill a few journal pages so I will bid you adue until next time :)

All my love,

Summer

Below are our Halloween Outfits this year

The show must go on

I don't want to miss out on a minute of my children right now. Maybe I'm through a tough parenting spot or something but my kids are just soooo cute right now. They say and do things that make me just melt all of the time!

Ben for example has become one of my favorite people to conversate with. His conversations are fascinating and fact filled. He doesn't miss a beat. His memory is better than mine-- for example we were talking Big Hero six and he told me the bad guys name was Callaghan and the stuff that protected him during the explosion were mini bots and so on and so on. The details this kid can recall are fabulous... Speaking of details we had our first birds and bees type conversation. We talked about keeping our private parts covered and he told me that I didn't keep mine covered... Then referred to six months ago when I had been breast feeding Maddie. He said "Mom sometimes I saw your milking parts and I did not laugh..." He was very proud of his accomplishments. He is so fun to talk to right now.

Ben in his Spanish immersion preschool class

James is talking more clearly and more often and Will and I couldn't be more thrilled. He says things like "I like it mommy!" Acutally he says that phrase a lot. He seems to like just about everything. His shoes, his toys, some food... and etc... Today he took off out the door with his brother and turned to me and said "Bye Summer" He is also almost tototally potty trained. I am not going to jinx myself and say he is totally potty trained because then he will start having accidents again- but for now he is doing spectacularly.  He also had birthday recently and we made a car cake. James made one of the cars and was so cute to point it out to everyone. He is three years old now. He plays and bickers with Madison all the time now- it is so cute the way they steal each others toys. If one has it the other has to be screaming about not having it.

The car James made is closest to him

James and co. had their faces painted on his birthday

Speaking of Madison, what a treat it is to have a little girl. The other day she dressed herself for the first time. As I was going to put pants on her she hooped up a ran over and grabed a tutu and bumpkins and handed them to me. It was so cute! Ben took his first shot at giving her a haircut last week and now she has bangs. And Maddy has a multitude of teeth coming in right now-- I count six in total. Its made for some crazy nights-- but not anything a little tyelnol hasn't fixed.

As for Will and I we are hoping to buy the house we are renting this next month. I hope I hope I hope it works out. Will is still liking his job and still waiting for a promotion. I'm still up late working. I usually get to bed about 1 am... We can't complain. We are so happy to be together and that our life seems to be coming together slowly but surely.

Stay tuned for another episode another day~

Love,

Summer


Ps we have been busy the last few weekends Will put together a small shed for the boys bikes(not pictured), cut down two trees in our back yard, and fixed up the shed in our back yard and helped Tyler cut down trees in Dad Clarke's yard- -see below

Ben and James burning the rest of the two trees we cut down in our back yard

This is Will on the roof cutting dads tall tree and then the next day helping Tyler get the branches to land in the right places... 

 We were the peanut gallery, Ben kept saying "cut to the left dad! Cut to the left!

Journaling

The journal must go on. My kids will want to know all the details of these years they won't remember - so it is up to me to provide the dialogue. I admit to understanding now, though, why my mother's journal entries about us were at times short and lacking in detail--- I AM SO TIRED all of the time. At the end of the day writing just seems like another task on the list that never ends..... Here's hoping I survive these young mom years ;). So lets cut to the topic matter:

Ben had a blast with his cousins this summer. He seems to prefer hanging out with the teenagers- as is evidenced with the scratches on poor Kobe's face ;)  Ben is very bright. He is very detailed. He likes to understand and he asks a lot of questions. Really I think he gets into so much trouble not for the attention but to test all the hypotheses he has rolling around in his brain.  "If I turn on this hose and fill up this bucket to the top-- how heavy will it be."  That isn't to say he doesn't do things for attention, because that very bucket experiment lead to Will and I being soaked with the hose later...

James just had his Tonsils and adenoids taken out and tubes put into his ears. It has been a MISERABLE week! Half the time he has just been drowsy and out of it and the other half he complained and looked like he was really feeling poorly! It broke my heart. I think/hope the worst is over though! Knock on wood. We will see if this all helps to improve his speech in the next two months because chronic fluid in the ears made him two times as likely to have a speech delay-- and I think we were definitely starting to see the fruits of the delay. He was really cute before the operation though- he ran up and down the halls with a red wagon and teddy bear saying hi to all the nurses and patients and drs. --- James doctor -- Dr. Richards -- said he wished all of his patients were like James.

Madison finally decided to walk! at 17 months!  I was worried she would rival James 18 month record. She is into everything and actually our first climber. She loves to climb up and down stairs and onto tables and couches. Her brothers never did that. We are also seeing hints of her personality. I am guessing she will have more of my personality than she does Will's-- which I feel like Ben and James are more like their dad.... Madison is dynamic and outspoken and smiley. She waves at everyone and everything- even trees.

Will is starting his next set of RHIA classes and we will hopefully be done with this certification by next spring. I am still working late into the night and early morning hours but am determined to switch around my schedule to wake up earlier and work instead of go to bed so late every night-- wish me luck!

Love,

Summer

Spring 2015

Lots on the update Blockette so lets get started

Ben got glasses. He can't see things close up... He has had them for a few days now so I don't have a determination yet as to if the glasses are helping his behavior- but word on the street is if kids need glasses that young usually their behavior is affected -- and it improves when they get glasses. So I'm crossing my finger there. As far as other pieces of Ben's puzzle- he starts swiming tomorrow - he loves the water but it has to be on his terms so it will be interesting to see how/if the swim teacher can get this kid to put his head under water or lie still enough to float on top of it. He kept things live at his preschool graduation by being the wiggliest kid in the room. But you could see he was really enjoying himself so I was overall pleased with his performance. Ben asks "why" all the time right now and insists on texting grandma or calling his aunts and uncles. He is sweet and has a generous heart always giving James the plate that he wants (even if it was intended for Ben) and always making sure Madison gets whatever food he gets. He is great at sharing and is very gracious with whatever he is given. I love him to the moon and back!

James is potty training-- but I have decided that really potty training is another word for months of accidents with a few wonderfully dry underpants days intermixed. (I'm sure any mom who has that train in a day or two experince will think me a bad trainer but I am happily horrible at potty training). Another thing about my little James is he has decided to for go pronouncing his words- enough so that his pediatrician reccomended speach therapy-- we are going in for an assesment this week.  James is still my baby- I wonder if he will always be- because Madison and him were so close in age I just see them as the same age sometimes :) Or if it is because he needs me- Ben doesn't seem to "need" me as much. James is always quick to grab my hand and to ask for help. Those blue eyes always seem to say-- 'but mom can you do it? I'm too tired to feed myself ;)"

Madison is my little star. My girl. I couldn't be more happy to have my own little princess. She is very bright and determined. Her brothers adore her and always want to share with her. First thing in the morning when we hear her the three of us (Ben and James and I) run into her room. I get her out and the boys proceed to smother her with hugs and kisses -every morning! It is soo cute! She isn't walking yet and she is pushing 15 months- so we will see when she decides to take off- she is close she takes one or two steps but then falls after that.

My husband is my everything of course. Last night he took me out to a fancy dinner and walked me around Farmington Station. I still feel so lucky to be married to him. I love him more everyday! As for his work-- he finally got the approval from them to continue with school - but on their dime. He should be able to finish up his Health Information Management Certificate in the next year. As for yours truly I'm feeling a little less crazy with my work/mom balance - it was pretty crazy right after Madison was born. I think that is the latest and greatest on us--

Below are the pictures of our latests and greatest adventures- including Ben at his preschool graduation.

Summer