Under Pressure

I thought I had the day planned out so well. 

Hit up the Lulu outlet.  Looking for a pair of studio crop pants.  Didn't happen...but I didn't leave empty handed.  ;o)

Go to Gilroy and help my friend Aimee with her daughter's birthday party. And help her make some Braided Bread Loaves.

Head over to my mom's house and look over food storage stuff.  Trying to be prepared for whatever...

Drive back up to Gilroy, start a movie for the kids (I promised them earlier this week they could watch one on Friday), and start/eat dinner.

Meet at the church to clean the building and finally come home.

My plan fell apart while at my parent's house.  I stayed too long so there was no time to come home, for the kids to watch a movie, or for me to make dinner.  So I took the kids to McDonalds for dinner, then got stuck in a long line at the drive thru had to wait 20 minutes.  Yikes!  But they did get milkshakes!  :o)

We were a tad late for building cleanup but made it in time to help vacuum. 

Pulled into the driveway at 7:30.  Had the kids in bed by 7:40.  This gave me exactly 20 minutes to make and eat my dinner if I was to get my Healthy Habits Point for no eating after 8.  I made it happen.  Haha!  I have never eaten that fast in my life.

Being Healthy

We had a lot of fun today.  My mom came up to spend the day with us.  We had the intention of talking food storage options and ended up spending the whole day outside.  Whoops!

On Thursdays the parents of the students in Payton's class have a standing play date at the park behind the school.  We haven't been able to go lately because of vacation, illness, weather, etc. but today we decided to go for a little while...or 2 hours.  Haha!  The kids were having a great time, they played on this spinning thing for the majority of the time performing "tricks" for us.  So cute!

As we were leaving the park the kids reminded me that I had told them that we could go on the walking trail near Payton's school with my mom today.  I totally forgot,  so I told them that we could go for a little while.  Two miles later... 

The trail has little stretching/exercise stations along it and the kids had fun looking for each one and trying out the exercises.  Once we got out on the trail about a mile out the kids started complaining about be tired so mom tried to mix it up on the way back to the car by having them walk in different ways including playing leap frog with her.  Haha!

Dinner was an experiment this evening.  I tried out a new recipe, Quinoa Patties.  I was pretty much proud of myself for even trying to make the recipe.  They ended up being little bland.  OK a lot bland.  Haha!  I just need to figure out a way to make them have a little bit of zing.  Tonight I added mustard.  I will have to figure out what to try next time.

Go Healthy Habits Challenge!

Full Day

Boy oh boy today was a full day.

After sending Payton and Lincoln off to school, Austin and I headed to my friend Jessie's house for a short play date.  Jessie and I had a great visit and the boys played nicely.  It was so nice!

Every day while we wait for Payton to get out of school the boys play in the dirt.  They get it everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  They dump in on their own heads.  Why? 

On our way out to the car, the kids always take the "Secret Passage Way" a little path behind a row of bushes.  Well, today the kids all went behind the bushes and when Payton got to the end she climbed this little tree and was so excited about it and asked me to take a picture.  While I was taking this little gem, little Austin who we always have to drag out from behind the bushes decided to turn around and go out the way he came in and then kept walking.  We couldn't find him anywhere, it happened so fast.  He was on the other side of the campus when we finally found him.  I kept telling myself to stay calm but the more time that went by the more helpless I felt.  In reality it was only a couple of minutes but it felt like so much longer.  I am so glad that we found him and that he was OK.

On Sunday, I went to our Stake Primary Training Meeting.  One of the speakers talked about visiting the less active members and also about how it may be a good idea to take something, anything, big or small.  She brought a homemade braided bread loaf as an example of something you could take.  She brought the recipe too.  I took a copy thinking maybe I would try it sometime but probably wouldn't because it looked to hard.  :o)

Well, I am going Visiting Teaching tomorrow morning and thought, "Why not?"  So I tried it and it actually turned out.  I am not sure how it tastes but it sure does look pretty.  So excited that it worked!  So excited!

After I was done putting the ingredients in the bread maker to make the dough.  I turned around and found that this precious little guy found the sprinkles and a bag of BIG marshmallows.  Haha!  Busted.

Lastly, I tried my hand at making sweet potato chips.  I thought they were pretty good.  The kids didn't.  Haha!  I think they really wanted to like them.  Oh well.

Night Terrors?!?!

Little Austin has been through quite a bit in the last week.  Last week, each night he would spike high fevers 102.6, 103, even 103.8.  The doctor said Roseola.  Friday morning his fever broke and we appeared to be home free.  He was a little irritable but I thought it was understandable given the high fevers and all.

Saturday night it began.  The crying.  The screaming.  I felt so bad because I guess I slept through an hour and a half of screaming while Dave tackled it alone.  The funny thing is that I was dreaming that he was crying and I was getting really annoyed in my dream.  Haha!  It lasted for 5 hours.  We tried everything even bringing him into bed with us, which we NEVER do.  Nothing helped.

Sunday he was ouchy all day and didn't take a nap.  We were hopeful that he was so worn out the he would just sleep Sunday night but that was not the case.  It was a replay of Saturday night all over again.  I was ready to take him to the ER.

So this morning I made an appointment with the doctor thinking he had to have an ear infection or something that would explain this odd behavior. 

The doctor couldn't find anything.  No ear infection.  Nothing.  I wanted to cry. 

She seemed to think that he may be having night terrors.  I thought, for 5 hours straight?!?!?  How horrible.  I am not sure I am on board with him having night terrors but I don't know what else it could be.  I am just hoping that we do not have another replay

Family Home Evening

Proof that we had Family Home Evening.  :o)  Payton called me out on the carpet not to long ago at church when someone mentioned the importance of FHE.  She looked at me and said, "Mom, we haven't had FHE in a LONG time."  Whoops!

On Pinterest, I found a website that has FHE ideas that follow the Primary Sharing Time Outline.  It was so nice, and easy to prepare.  The kids loved it.

Primary Participation

Lincoln, our little sunbeam, was asked to give the opening prayer and scripture during opening exercises in Primary.  He was SO EXCITED.

He did a great job and even said the majority of the prayer on his own.  We are so proud of our little man.

Cheat Meal and SUGAR

I love Saturdays when we don't have to be anywhere or do anything.  For the most part stress free.  :o)

Payton got a bucket of crayons, markers, paints, you name it for Christmas.  She has been using it almost every day.  Today when I got home from the store I found Payton and Lincoln being creative with glitter glue.  super cool!

I am at the end of week 2 of our Healthy Habits Challenge.  Two things I absolutely love about the challenge is that we are allowed one cheat meal and one sugar or soda freebee each week.  It just so happened that my cheating happened all on the same night.  Haha!

My cheat meal was actually not bad.  I had a Filet mignon, steamed veggies, and a salad.  Where it fell apart was when they set Payton's french fries down right next to me and Payton said we could share.  :o) 

I decided my sugar freebee for the week needed to be my favorite dessert Sweet Retreat frozen yogurt.  Delicious!

Everyone else liked their dessert too.  Including our little Austin.

Pinewood Derby

Tonight was the long awaited Pinewood Derby.  Ever since I mentioned going to the kids they have been over the moon excited to go.  Asking if today was the day and today I got to say, yes!

I was asked to help out with refreshments and the kids room during the Pinewood Derby tonight.  We had popcorn, pretzels, M&Ms, grapes, and apples.  It was a hit and ended up making a big mess.  Haha!  At least everyone had fun.  :o)

Payton and Lincoln were so excited to see the track in person.  I told them it was like a super huge version of Austin's little ramp race track that was as long as the gym.

Since we were there early the kids got to run a test car down the practice track.  That may have been the highlight of the evening.

Checking out the official track with daddy.

Waiting for the derby to start.

It has begun!  Lincoln watched the whole thing until the finals and then disappeared into the kids room to watch the movie.  But he did tell Dave that he wanted to make his own derby car for next time so he could run it down the practice track.  Good times!

Painting, Popcorn, and Making a Book

Boy oh Boy, today was a full day.  After I got Payton and Lincoln off to school I took our little Austin to the doctor.  He has had really high temperatures every night since Monday, the highest being 103.8.  Last night he was up several times crying,  I felt so bad for the little guy.  Anyway, the final diagnosis is Roseola.  Boo!  I hope this fever breaks soon so he can start feeling better soon.

When we got back from picking everyone up from school the kids insisted on painting something.  They wanted to paint yesterday but only had time to play with play dough before Payton's dance class.  So I decided to kill two birds with one stone.  I had to pop popcorn for tomorrow's cub scout pinewood derby and needed to do it outside.  So they painted, Austin napped, and I popped popcorn.  I guess that would be three birds with one stone. :o)

We made a whole lot of popcorn for tomorrow.  The kids had fun sampling it.

Sometime between painting and popcorn Payton and Lincoln decided they were going to make a book.  So they started making all the pictures and then Payton wrote all the words.  It was funny listening to Lincoln saying what he wanted the page to say and Payton simplifying it to words she could spell.  Haha!  Really cute.

Free Time

Payton went back to school today and the boys and I stayed home, played games, and just laid low because of Austin's fever. 

When we got home I tried testing out an idea I had after attending a meeting on the transition of kindergarten to 1st grade.  See, in kindergarten they have homework once a week.  But in 1st grade they have about 10 minutes of homework every night.  Yikes!  Anyway, I thought about making a routine for when we get home so that when 1st grade comes around we are all accustomed to having some quiet time devoted to homework.  Maybe the routine would be having a snack then doing a worksheet or two out of the summertime workbooks we got over this past summer.  Well, the kids loved it!  Well, at least they liked it today.  Haha!  I just let them do as many pages as they wanted.  Lincoln did 3 and Payton did 4 then they were off to something else.  PLAYDOUGH!

Casa De Fruta

Neither Payton or Lincoln had school today so we planned to meet Great Grandma Vella and Amma Sandy at Casa De Fruta for lunch.  We have met there before and the kids had a lot of fun playing and exploring the area, so we thought why not do it again.

We enjoyed a nice lunch with only a few little outbursts from the kids.  It is definitely difficult finding a "healthy" option when going out to eat.  A few of us in our family have started a Healthy Habits Challenge.  It is a 10 week challenge that taps into several areas to help us be healthier, one area being our diet.  Have no fear, I did find something!  :o)

After lunch we headed out to play.  Poor Austin made it 5 minutes before he fell backwards of the last step of the train and hit his head on the pavement.  I look forward to the day when we can go on an outing with out someone getting hurt.

In addition, The fever he had that I thought was related to teething has turned out not to be.  Tonight it was 103.8.  My poor little guy.

The kids remembered from the last time we were here, the Casa De Sweets and had asked if we could stop there on our way home.  I agreed that they could each pick one treat.  Payton chose some Hello Kitty Candies and Lincoln chose a monkey stuffy.  Of course, I did have to talk him down from the $35 dollar tiger but hey, he made a healthy choice.  :o)

Happy Hollow

No School!

I asked what the kids they wanted to do today and both said they wanted to go to Happy Hollow.  So off we went.  I know.  I know.  What a nice mommy I am.  ;o)

We met up with our friends, the Crawford family, and had a blast.  It amazes me how well all the kids get along and how much they all like playing with each other.  It was such an enjoyable day!

The park was super crowded because of the nice weather and it being a holiday so we found ourselves visiting spots we wouldn't normally visit.  Honestly, the kids played on the copper statues at the front of the park for about 20 minutes, I think the only reason we moved on is because they started getting hungry and we decided to go in and find a place to eat lunch.

We watched the puppet show, The Frog Prince.

Lincoln and Kimmy rode the Frog Hopper.

Then everyone but the littles rode on the Swings.

They occupied themselves on the BIG playground for quite awhile.  And if keeping track of four kids on a three level playing structure filled with lots and lots of other kids isn't stressful I don't know what is.  I am just glad Austin decided to take a nap in the stroller at that point...one less moving kiddo to keep track of.  Haha!

We moved on from there and planned to go visit the animals and Merry Go Round, with a brief stop at the restrooms.  The kids decided we needed the map to find our way.  It was so cute.  They kept trying to take us to the farthest bathrooms.

Little Austin is so cute with the animals.  He loves them so much, any animal it doesn't matter.  He went right in to the petting area and walked right up to a goat.  No fear.  I am going to have to keep a close eye on him.

Lots of fun today.  We actually accomplished everything on Payton and Lincoln's to do list, which also included putting together puzzles and playing Yahtzee for Family Home Evening.  It was really fun just spending time with the kids and not having to worry about being anywhere or getting anything ready.  Hope they had as much fun as I did.

Family Birthday Party

Why not?  Let's have another party!  Haha!  Tonight we celebrate with the family.

Lincoln was adamant that Damian and Julian were coming.  He asked all day long if they were coming.  He wanted to do the Alligator Hunt with them.  They definitely added a level of excitement to the game.

We changed the game up a bit and manned all the alligators that the kids were hunting for so that they would jump out at them when they walked by.  It was so fun!

The Alligators...Papa Ralph, Papa Don, and John.

The Hunters...Payton, Julian, Lincoln, and Damian.  With help from Austin, Uncle Anthony, and Uncle Steven.

There was silly string EVERYWHERE!  It was so fun to watch.

We had a BBQ for dinner.  So great!  It is January and we were eating outside.  Then on to PRESENTS!

Lincoln received many more fun presents.  Legos, Spiderman Sleeping Bag, Spiderman Jacket, a Darth Vader helmet, and a piano that makes all sorts of inappropriate noises (burping, farting, throwing up, etc).  Thanks Uncle Anthony!  ;o)

Cupcake time again!  Love it!

As everyone began to leave, I went to find Lincoln so he could say good bye.  I found him sitting on the couch reading the Cars book he received from his Auntie Jenny.  It was so cute, I had to take a picture.

Here is to four days of celebrating Lincoln's birthday in one way or another.