Quiet Time Dilemma

I need advice!!

The past couple weeks I've been having my kids go to their rooms for "quiet time." This means that for a half hour they go up in their room, close the door, and play with toys quietly in their rooms.

Here is the problem: Chase spends almost the whole half hour either crying or coming out of her room to use the bathroom. Ryder is a perfect angel. He could probably spend a full hour in his room playing by himself.

So, my question is: what should Chase be doing? I've given her special toys, different toys each time, etc. But, I don't think she knows how to play by herself! How can you even teach this? Your suggestions are appreciated!

Verbal Gems

I had to post this for posterity/grandparents!

I know I just posted about Ryder, but this kid is really cracking me up!

Top 3 awesome things he's said this week:

1) Me: Ryder are you going to get married someday?

R: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What did I tell you? What did I tell you?! I'm not getting married! :)

2) Chase was dancing around the kitchen and Ryder observed and said, "Great dancing Chase, bravo! Bravo!" (Where does he learn this?)

3) Our family was in the kitchen doing different activities: coloring, baking, drawing, playing with toys, and Ryder stops coloring to make some awesome remarks. :)

Ryder: We live in a dirty house.

Rocky: Who makes it a dirty house?

Ryder: The kids.

At least the kid is honest! haha

My Little Hero!

Lately I have really enjoyed Ryder. I know that sounds like an awful/odd statement, but I have enjoyed watching him learn new things, mature, and say some funny things. :) He really is a sweetheart, but I think back to the terrible twos, (and, let's face it, the not-so-pleasant threes) and it amazes me how much he has progressed.


















Ryder has such a funny sense of humor. Today he was talking about what would happen if he didn't have a mommy or daddy [some positives and some negatives :) ] But, he said, "If I didn't have a mommy, then who would wipe my bum?" Lol!


















When we went to pick Ryder up from preschool today, he showed me this cute sticker he had earned for being good. He then proceeded to put in on Chase's shirt because he had missed her so much! (15 minutes later they were fighting, but that's a different post!) He really is a sweet brother to Chase, and I'm excited to see how the receive our new baby GIRL!! :) They've already started to kiss my belly and say "Nice baby," as they pat it. haha



















Ryder really was my hero today because when I was buckling them in the car after preschool I accidently locked the keys in the car with both of them buckled in. So, I had to have Ryder get out of his booster seat, climb into the front seat (child safety locks), and unlock the door. He did it!! It only took about 5 minutes, which saved me time and cash! Thank you Ryder buddy! :)

P.S. No, this is not a recent picture of us (I will post a new one in 6-12 months time).

Halloween

Trunk or Treating







Ryder's little buddy



















Rocky's parent's came to visit...












Leftover Halloween candy!







































PS Sorry this looks so ghetto, but unfortunately Blogger is lame and it won't let me fix stuff because I don't speak html. BOO!!

A Prompting...

Tonight I was reading the Engsign, and I came across something that really spoke to me. I felt prompted to share this quote and some thoughts about it.

President Marion G. Romney said, “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity--the pure love of Christ--will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.”

About 2 months ago our home teachers came and challenged us to read the scriptures with Ryder and Chase. Rocky and I have been doing this on our own, but we really hadn’t been doing it with our kids. They suggested that we read only a few verses with them. So, we started that night--reading and discussing what we read with them--and we’ve continued to read with them every night (but 1) since then.

I testify that what President Romney said is true. We have experienced more reverence, more respect and consideration, less contention, greater love and wisdom, Ryder and Chase listen better, and we do feel more peace, joy and happiness. Now, do they listen each night? No. :) But, when we discuss what we’re reading with them and how it applies to their lives, I see them learning and growing. We ask them questions like, “If you have a problem and mommy and daddy aren’t around, who can you ask?” And we discuss how Heavenly Father hears and answers our sincere prayers.

I don’t want to sound self-righteous in any way. I know many of you are probably already doing this, but I challenge you to start (if you aren’t already) reading the scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon, etc.) with your kids, and I know it will increase the peace, joy, and happiness you feel in your homes.

When you start wearing your fat pants...

You might be pregnant!










It's true. I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, and I'm due April 16th. I'd like to say I'm having twins (because I seem to be increasing in size at an exponential rate), but then I'd be having twins... :). Rocky would love that!

I will find out what this little bundle of joy is in the middle of November. I will keep ya'll posted. Luckily I'm on some medication, so things haven't been too bad! :)

Mr. Ryder

I'm slow getting Ryder's preschool pictures posted but they're still adorable! :) He started Wednesday, September 7th. He was very excited, and I was so excited for him. We went and toured his preschool (which is at a sports plex). Every Wednesday takes swimming lessons as part of the preschool and on Thursdays he takes a gymnastics/tumbling class as part of the preschool.

It was both sweet and heartbreaking for Chase to send him off to preschool. Once we got home from dropping him off, she seemed a little depressed and lonely...and laid down on the couch for a little while quietly (SAD!!). When Ryder got home from school I had to tell him how much Chase missed him. He was thrilled! He did this cute little laugh and gave her a big hug. He told her not to worry.














The second day I was an evil mother! Chase wanted to take her backpack for the ride, so I agreed. In the car, Ryder gave Chase his most prized possession (his blanket) and told her she could hold it while he was gone so she wouldn't be sad (I was beaming).
When we got to the the preschool I told her she could wear her backpack inside like Ryder (Oh, BIG mistake!). We all walked in, and Ryder proceeded to go put his backpack in his cubby. Chase followed him and tried to put her backpack in another kid's cubby. I had to crush this little girl's heart by telling her that she would be going home with me and not staying with Ryder. It was very sad. She bawled, and I had to bribe her by telling her I would take her to the store and get her a treat (Twix solve so many problems).
When Ryder returned from school he was excited to see Chase, and he asked her if she was sad when he was gone. She said, "Yeah." So, I guess they really do love each other after all! I have this as evidence one day when he's being a complete bully older brother!! :)

Chasey Girl

This morning Chase wanted to wear the new shorts we bought her last week. So, she put them on, and then requested that I cut the tags/label off in the back (these often bother her).

We went downstairs, and I got the scissors and just as I was about to cut I said, "Hold still so I don't cut you."

Then she said very seriously, "Don't cut my bum off!" haha

I told her, "I would never do that!" (between fits of laughter).





*My friend Nikki took these pictures.

NC house sneak peak

When the kids and I came to the house last Monday, Rocky had these surprises for us...










































































We are eagerly awaiting our bedroom set and couch (coming Saturday), but Rocky proved to be quite the interior designer! He put all of these decorations up himself while we were away. Several of them he purchased himself. He started to wonder if the people at Hobby Lobby were questioning his sexuality. Good thing he is confident in his artsy skin! :)

Messages to Heaven

Last Friday would have been my dad's 70th birthday. Before he died he ordered a bridge, and for his birthday we had the bridge installed with a plaque commemorating his life. We had a little ceremony to say a few words about him, and then we all wrote messages which we attached to a balloon. After singing "Happy Birthday" to him, we let the balloons float to heaven. One of my nieces wrote on her message: Grandpa, Happy birthday! I really like your birthday and I hope you like your balloon.

Pajama Buddies

Chase's favorite thing to do lately...




















































Ryder was calling her "Buddy" (a combination of Woody and Buzz).

2 posts in 1 day--oh my!

Blonde (modeling for a project of Rocky's).

Brunette.

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.

Gloating

Don't you hate it when people post their awesome pictures from Hawaii? Well, that's why it took me so long to put these up. I felt smug doing it. But, with this crappy weather, I guess I just want to go back in time.

So here are some pics from February when Rocky's amazing parents took us with them to Hawaii! Don't be hater. :)

<---Someone had to tame this beast.

<----These flamingos were on our hotel grounds.

I'm still trying to teach Rocky how to ride like a cowboy. :)

<----

Susan and Kent. Rocky's parents. They are the best!

<---

We went snorkeling and the boat also had 2 slides and a diving board. We whipped up a routine for the passengers.

<---- :)

<---How did this picture get in here?

LUAU!!

<-----

The Nuggets of Motherhood

*Pun intended.

You know those shining moments of motherhood? When you get that warm fuzzy feeling, and think to yourself, "I just love my kids!" This...was not one of them.

Today started out well. The kids were playing well. Usual routine. But, when we arrived at my sister's house, Ryder's inner beast was unleashed. I won't get into specifics, but I'll summarize by saying that 2 changes of underwear (see title above if you're confused), and 3 time outs later I was at a crossroads. Should I use the boxing gloves or the broomstick? Broomstick.

No, it wasn't pretty folks, but I tell you this so that when you and your husband are observing little Timmy playing quietly with his chemistry set and Sally re-reading the encyclopedia {those are your kids names, right? :)} you can think to yourself, "Wow, we really are great parents. We never have to raise our voices, and our children listen intently to ever word we utter."

Now, before I get out of hand, let me just say: I did learn something today. I learned that motherhood is the hardest job I've ever had. I used to think I was patient, kind, understanding, and loving. But, now I know I'm not any of those. Not perfectly, I mean. But, I guess that's why motherhood is the most rewarding job I've ever had, too. Because it's not about controlling your child and molding them into the perfect version of yourself. It's watching them grow and make choices and help them become the best version of themselves.

The Bad, The Very Bad, The Good, and The Ugly!

The Bad:

January 3rd we received a call from our neighbors in Spanish Fork informing us that our smoke alarms were going off. They told us that they would use our spare key to investigate. We thought (hoped & wished) that it was a fluke. Nope. It was $10,000 worth of damage they were hearing!
Our neighbor, Russell, went inside to find that our kitchen floor was flooded. A pipe had frozen and was draining from under the sink into our dishwasher, which in turn flooded the entire kitchen and bathroom floor and seeped into 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the basement. Was the basement finished? You might be asking--yup. {Insert vomiting sound here.}

The Very Bad:

The 2 questions that ran through our mind were: 1) How did this happen? 2) Will our insurance cover it? OH BOY...well, this is where it gets VERY bad because question 2 is determined by question 1. The answer to question 1 is: Our pipes froze because of the temperature. Rocky's face drained of all color when he realized that he had turned off our heat!!!! Will the insurance cover that? NO. No, they won't cover that teeny mistake. We were sick, sick, sick. Where would we come up with $10,000 (or more)?

The Good: {Insert sigh of relief here--if you've read this far you may be emotionally invested.}

Rocky talked to the insurance adjuster and answered all his questions honestly. I was feeling bitter because I felt we were going to be punished for Rocky's honesty. We could have lied and said the heat was on, and the insurance would have happily paid. But, when Rocky told the guy that he had turned the heat off--things were NOT looking good. (Why is this in the good section?!)
So, we prayed, and prayed, and fasted and called relatives and friends and connections who we thought could help. Then, a miracle happened! It turns out that after talking to our neighbor, and a different neighbor, and the restoration guy they all said that when they went into our house that the heat was, in fact, on. We wondered who had turned it back on. Maybe someone who had walked through our house, a realtor, or an angel! :) But, that simple fact changed everything because now: OUR INSURANCE WILL COVER IT!!
We are thrilled and we feel very blessed! It's quite amazing, really.

The Ugly:
Well, this is going to seem so trivial after that epic disaster, but I had a sore throat/cold/man voice for a full week. It was NOT pretty! That's all on that one. Seriously.

This all adds up to an eventful January, and I feel like I need a vacation--which I will be going on in 3 weeks! Hurray! Pictures to come. :)