March Rundown of the kids

I keep feeling like I need to write... but where?  I guess here works.

I learned something about cleaning this week: clean the floor first.  A lot of places say clean the counters and tables first because things can fall onto the floor, but I disagree.  When you have little children who can spread a mess on the floor very quickly, I think you should clean the floor first, and fast.  I now put it before the dishes after a meal.

The Lord commanded us to study Isaiah.  It's something I've been meaning to do for years.  I have the book Isaiah: Prophet, Seer and Poet.  I just started reading it after owning it for over 6 years.  I love it already and I can't wait to learn more about Isaiah.  Right now my plan is to share things with the kids at bedtime as I learn them and hope some of it sinks in.  Even though I took a class on Isaiah from Ann.... that one guy's wife.... I still don't feel like I know much about Isaiah.

I'm realizing my time rocking Camryn is very important.  It's really my only quiet time to myself during the day--other than 'quiet time' which doesn't always happen.  I'd like to set up her room as a learning place for myself, with a corkboard of things I'm learning or studying.  I usually do my scripture study during that time, I just wish I could write while I'm holding her!  I can't figure out a good way to get my feelings down.  Technology needs to catch up to this.

Camryn is very sick.  She's had goopy eyes for a few days now.  When she wakes up they are so crusty she can hardly open them.  I've given her at least 2 baths a day for the past few days because that's the only way to clean them out.  The whites of her eyes are still white, but the eyelids and below her eyes are swollen and red.  Poor thing.  She loves reading books.   She's not near as fidgety at this age as the other kids.  She has this cute thing she does when she wants to point something out, she just holds out her arm in the direction of the interesting thing.  A lot of people think she's trying to get them to eat something or for them to hold her, but it's just her showing off what she has.  She reaches so far, it's adorable.  She dances and bounces her little legs when she hears music.  She loves mama.  I hold her a lot, but she's getting more and more adventurous.  She took her first steps on March 3rd, but hasn't stepped since.  She has the biggest toothy grin, I love it!  She likes to make spitting noises back and forth or other funny sounds.

Madison is sick, too.  Josh stayed up in the cities last night to get trained by a doctor in men's sexual health. This is all so he can do better at men's fertility.  Madison came into bed with me twice.  She's either a nightmare or a dream at night.  Really.  She either will not be consoled or she's an angel and says nice things "mommy, I love you so much.  Mommy, you're so beautiful.  Thank you for this, mommy, thank you for that."  Sometimes she's both.  She'll be an inconsolable nightmare and then switch to an angel.  When she's inconsolable I sit by her bed and try to calm her down.  I pat her hair, but she yells at me, I fix her blankets and she screams.  I ask her what she wants and she just lays there and cries.  But if I leave she throws a fit loud enough to wake everyone up.  Being a kid must be tough.  Sometimes I wish I could remember how tough it is.  Earlier this winter when it was crazy cold outside--like -40 or something--I remember I had the worst night with her ever.  After trying forever to get her back to sleep, I marched into my bedroom and said "Josh, if you don't take over with Madison, I'm putting her outside."  I don't know why I still think that's funny.  She always wakes up an angel in the morning.  Love that girl.

Michael is very matter of fact.  He loves to play superheroes every day all the time.  He also loves competitions.  He likes to see who can run the fastest where, who is going to finish that first, who is the strongest superhero, all of that.  His favorite superhero right now is one he made up himself--Super.  Not Superman, just Super.  He likes bedtime stories with Super and all the others, but Super always wins, has the most powers, and saves the day.  He is still a daddy's boy, although he is starting to like me again after about a month when he didn't care for me at all :)  He even suggested I switch families.  Funny kid.  I'm glad we're on good terms again.  I let him sleep with me last night.  He's a completely different boy at bedtime than at any other time during the day.  At bedtime when the other kids are asleep, he is so cuddly, cheesy, cute and sweet.  He says things he'd never say at other times.  He even tells me he loves me!  He holds us close when we say it's time to leave.  He still stays awake every night until about 10.  We put him to bed around 8:00.  He lays there and rolls around, pretends he's blowing something up, looks at books now and then, all kinds of things.  He just can't fall asleep.  He is reading now--just short bob books, but what a blast!  The first time he really got it a couple of weeks ago, Josh and I both just sat there in shock.  It's a weird feeling!  He loves doing crafts and learning new things, when he's in the mood.  He's very rule oriented.  He loves technology like most kids.  Loves the wii, loves the ipad, loves the computer.  I'm so thankful we're buds again!

Being a mom is the best.  I'm so excited for so many things and the time is flying by.  I wish I could keep perspective and enjoy all these moments for what they are.  I think I'm getting better at that.