Pre School Graduation and Dance Recital

Lexi had her preschool graduation this month.  It was such a fun event.  Cole came home from work to attend and Grandma Janet came too.  Lexi got her certificate and wore a cap and gown.  After she got her certificate they performed several songs for us.  Lexi did a great job.  Carter and Trevor both liked watching the program which was a pleasant surprise.  I am proud of Lexi for doing so well in preschool this year.

Lexi also had her dance recital this month.  It is one of my favorite things to get to do as a parent.  She didn't disappoint.  She was by far the best dancer in her class.  She has a lot of natural talent and focus that help her excel.  I think next year we are going to try a little more regimented program at a new studio to see if we can help her develop her natural talent.  When we asked her what her favorite thing about the recital was she said going to the bathroom and washing her hands because it tickled.  Go figure.  I laughed so hard.  Grandma, Grandpa, and Jolene came to watch and after Grandpa treated us all to Culver's ice cream to celebrate.

Life

Being a Mom is such a roller coaster.  It is so hard but at times it is so wonderful.  I feel like most of the time I am stuck in the so hard part but hope as my kids get a little older I will deal with things better.  I want to be better at documenting more of the day to day of my life.  Not just the big events in hopes that it can be of more benefit for future generations.  This week has been hard because preschool and dance are over for the summer.  My heart aches at the thought of Lexi going to school and not being my little girl anymore.  She still says I am her best friend and loves me.  I know that won't always be the case and it is so hard to realize.  I feel like I've failed her and missed out on so much.  I didn't enjoy it all enough or teach her enough.  Despite my failings she is such a great girl.  I am so lucky to have her.  She is helpful, happy, kind, creative, and smart.  It has been a challenging week because the kids have had major boredom issues.  The beginning of the week Carter started on a biting rampage and left Lexi with several bite marks.  I have tried every form of discipline with him and have yet to find something that works.  After the increase in biting I tried to never leave the kids alone and provide more things for them to do.  Well, even after all of that all I heard all week was fighting and complaining of boredom and what a mean Mom I am.  I am so burnt out and it is only the beginning of the summer.  I hope we all make it.  On the positive side Trevor has been napping much better and in his crib so that has helped me have some freedom to get things done and play with the older two.  This stage of life is so hard on marriage.  We never have time to even talk to each other.  The minute Cole comes in the door everyone wants his attention and I usually hand him the baby as well so I can make dinner.  Dinner is a battle we spend trying to get the kids to eat and so we still don't talk.  By the time the kids are in bed I go to bed because I am getting to little sleep with the baby waking up so we still don't talk.  Before you know it it's been a week and we still haven't even heard how life is going for each other.  I am always burnt out.  So there you have it.  The truth.  Life is good but life is also hard.  Each stage has its rewards and challenges.

Memorial Day

We had a nice Memorial Day weekend.  We ate out at Olive Garden and Carrabbas which was really fun because I ate dairy.  We went to Hollywood Connection up in West Valley.  It was fun.  It was the kids first time roller skating and it didn't last long.  Carter never really did it but Lexi liked to keep trying.  She almost broke her arm so we stopped.  The kids got to ride rides and drive bumper cars.  I loved watching Lexi drive.  She was so happy.  Carter hated the cars and screamed the entire time.  Trevor was really good and liked watching all the commotion.  He has gotten more content the last week or so because he's gotten better at holding things so he entertains himself by playing with his binky and burp cloth.  He is always putting my hair in his mouth and I am contently pulling out wads of hair from his hands.  On Sunday while the kids napped I watched my Grandpa Bills video and my Grandma Donnas video.  They made me cry but it was a good cry.  I am glad to be part of their family and for all the memories I have of them.  My favorite part about my Grandpa's interview was where they ask him to talk about his Mother.  He says how he enjoyed talking to her.  I found that beautiful.  My Grandpa was so quiet and hardly ever talked but he could talk to his mother and enjoyed talking to her.  I hope to be like her.  He also talked about his wife (my grandma Irene).  He says she is the most charitable person he knows.  Even in elementary school when she would notice someone didn't have something she would try to help them or if someone was left out she would befriend them.  I admire that so much and hope to be like her too.  I love learning about my ancestors and am so grateful for their legacy.

roll

Trevor rolled over today. I totally missed it. cole took him for a minute when he got home from work today and within those few minutes he rolled over. I still haven't seen him do it but I'm pretty surprised he already did it at only four months old.

Cutie Mark

Lexi loves my little ponies.  She tries to tell me about their cutie marks and names a lot.  One day I  told her she had a "cutie mark".  I told her it was the skin tag on her ear.  She'd never seen it before.  She loved it.  I told her Carters cutie mark was his red birth mark on his check that we only see when he's hot or mad.  Trevors mark is his chin or his eyelash that is longer that the rest.  Then Lexi said that my cutie mark is my big red mark on my leg (my scar from my leg surgery).  Cole's is his stub thumb.  It was silly but fun to think of all our unique physical attributes.  I love all my families "cutie marks!"

Easter

I think Easter is my  favorite holiday.  We started off the week watching the video of Christs last few days on earth.  I love watching those with my kids.  I think we all felt the spirit and the kids had great questions.  Carter talked about it for days.  He would remind us to be nice like Jesus.  I was especially grateful to be reminded about the resurrection with the passing of my Grandma Donna.  I've missed her more and more lately and am glad I can see her again.  I wish I could show off Trevor to her.  She would love him.  I miss having someone to go visit that was always glad to see me and made me feel like I'd done something good.  All of the older people I used to love to visit have passed on.  It is hard for me.  When I feel like doing something good I want to go visit them but they are gone.  I only have one grandparent left, Irene.  She is such a remarkable lady.
The day before Easter we went to the Highland egg hunt.  The kids had fun finding eggs, decorating a cookie, and seeing the bunny.  Later that day we went to my Moms house for a family party.  It is one of my favorite things I do all year.  We ate, visited, and had a egg hunt.  The little kids had so much fun playing together and got along really well.  I love my family.  I am so lucky to have such great aunts, cousins, etc. Sunday the bunny came and brought some trinkets.  We went to church and then got to go to Maleah's for dinner.  It was a great day.

Carters 3rd Birthday

Carter is such a fun boy.  He turned 3 on April 18th.  He was excited for his birthday and it was extra special because Cole happened to have the day off.  We went to Pizza Factory for his birthday and to Trafalga.  That night we had my family over for a cake party.  Carter loved all of his gifts and was spoiled.  He got a bag pack, 2 airplanes, clothes, hungry hippos, balls, and more.  The cousins had fun playing soccer outside and Carter loved all the attention he got.  Carter is a wonderful boy and has a very tender heart.  He often provides me comfort and is sensitive to me when I feel bad.  He always says thank you and tells me he loves me multiple times a day.  If he knows he's done something wrong he will often come tell me he's sorry even hours after its happened.  He loves to follow Lexi around and tortures her endlessly.  He doesn't like doing things alone.  I tried to take him to the park while Lexi was at preschool but when we got there he wouldn't go play because there were other kids there.  He wanted to wait until they went home.  I told him if he didn't go play we would go home and he was okay with that so we left.  He still loves my hair and his thumb.  He will tell me he wants to snuggle.  I am lucky to be his Mom.

3 months old

Since Trevor is almost 4 months old I thought I'd better document what he was like at 3 months old.He got a cold the day he turned 3 months old and it was really bad.  He didn't sleep at all and I took him to the doctor.  They did a blood test and everything turned out fine but it was hard.  He weighed 12lbs 9 oz when I took him in.  He discovered his hands.  He loves to eat them.  He also loves my hair.  I now have both boys always grabbing and playing with my hair.  I am always pulling hair out of his hands that he has removed from my head.  He also likes to play with his burp cloth and anything that he can "accidently" grab.  You can tell he is trying to figure out how to puposefully grab things but can't yet.  He has also discovered his voice in the last week and often screams high pitched happy screams that sound like singing ahh.  He loves to he held and thus he usually cries if we don't hold him.  He hates his car seat and screams the entire time he is in it.  He ususally does ok if Lexi is in the car but the minute she leaves to go to school or dance he cries. Lexi is a great help to me with him in general and likes to play with him.  I have been packing him in a front pack at the grocery store rather than his car seat because he cries if I don't.  He sleeps pretty well at night, much better than the other two did at this age.  He has slept untnil 5 three different times but sometimes only sleeps 3 hour stretches.  The norm is 4 to 6 hour stretches.  He gets distracted while eating and will just sit and smile at me instead of eat.  Its funny and frustrating.  I can't help but smile back though.  He is a terrible napper and will only sleep about 40 minutes in a crib for a nap but if I hold him he will sleep 3 hours.  My favorite thing about him is his smile.  His eyes turn almond shape and his body squirms with excitment when he smiles.  It is wonderful.  We like to call him little T sometimes.  I love having him around and he is exactly what we needed. I am one lucky Mom.