Easter Trip!

We drove through the night to get to El Paso early Saturday morning.

Sunday morning the kids got Easter baskets.

Later that day Carmen had her cake and presents.

And an Easter Egg hunt!

And an empty pinata.
And Carmen got a new princess to add to her collection!
And Isaiah got Krispy Kreme to keep him busy all the way home!
This was our trip to El Paso for Easter. Grandparents threw Carmen an early birthday party. We had a great time and the kids got lots of candy and presents! It is good to get home though.

Journal Entry

This is how today went:

Last night (I know, this doesnt really seem like part of the day but it is) I could have gone to bed by 12 or 12:30 am as I have been getting to bed earlier lately but I felt like I hadnt seen Nick in weeks so we stayed up chatting and laughing until about 2am. I know, bad thing for parents of three kids (especially with one in school) to do. I enjoyed that time with him, going over the day, and the kids, and laughing about silly things people do and say. After reading scriptures and praying, we went to sleep. This morning Isaiah beat the alarm by about ten minutes. He started with a simple "Mama, down now!" and when we didn't respond right away, it turned into a loud cry. Nick got up and got him and his blanket. I heard Nick struggling on the couch to keep Isaiah calm but it didnt work so I got out of bed, grabbed Isaiah and his blanket and bottle (yes, we're lazy- but in our defense he is a thumb sucker and if it werent a bottle, it would be a thumb- and hes getting his calcium). I layed Isaiah in bed next to me and I stroked his hair and tickled him a little and just cuddled him. He cheered up, was happy and climbed out of bed and back into the living room happy. I was too hungry to fall back to sleep so I asked my wonderful husband to make me a PB&J, which he did, I ate and went to sleep while he took Julian to school. I woke up at 10 and sat on the couch for a little bit playing DS with Carmen then started getting ready for my doctors appointment while Nick took a nap. He needed to be up in time to be at the school at 12:30 to read to Julians class. I set the alarm on the cell phone, put it next to Nicks head and the kids and I left at 11:25. I made it to the doctors office at 11:40 for my 11:45 appointment. The appointment went well, baby is doing well and I am now on my weekly appointments. Only a few weeks left! When the kids and I got back in the van I called Nick to make sure he had left. I called him four times and he didnt answer so I called one of my sisters to call the cell phone I had left near his head because it used to be her phone number and is not programmed in my phone. He called me and said he has just woken up, the alarm hadnt gone off! I ran home, threw the kids in the house and I rushed over to the school, making it into the class room at 12:35. Julian was so upset. Nick had told him he would spend lunch with him and then go read to his class and when Nick hadnt shown up even the teacher was concerned. I explained that I had just come from the doctor (being 9 months pregnant sure helped my reason) and I read to the class. Julian was SO happy. I finished reading at 12:45 and I was home by 1. After Nick got ready for work we went to lunch at Subway. The kids dont like the Subway apple slices because they have peels so Isaiah ate them like watermelon. Then Nick left to work and I went to pick up Julian. Julian thanked me for coming but kept asking why his dad hadnt shown up. The only consolation I could give him was that Dad is planning on going to lunch with him next week and bringing him a suprise meal. I decided to take the kids straight to Target to get a gift for a birthday party Julian is attending tomorrow and when I was driving down 43rd Ave at McDowell I saw a fist fight taking place between four guys at the Shell Station. I called the police non-emergency line and they took my information and as I was driving away from the area I saw police cars headed in that direction. The kids and I had a talk about bad guys and police. Hehehe, I love getting to talk to the kids about reasons to be good. We went to Target and got the things we needed, including marked down Easter candy. When going through the toy aisle Carmen grabbed a toy she wanted and I kept telling her no, that her birthday is next week and we will save our money to get it for her birthday. She kept crying and crying and crying until I realized she was then crying because I had run over her foot with the cart and her poor toe skin was all scuffed up. Isaiah made me carry him through almost the entire trip throught the store, causing me to have 5 minute apart Braxton-Hicks contractions that lasted until two hours after we got home. The rest of the evening was a Spongebob/Fox News marathon as I was too tired to do much of anything. I fed the kids dinner and they finished up while I was on the phone with my sister in Utah. While I was on the phone with her Isaiah had gotten into the pantry and poured Raisin Bran all over the coffee table and was eating one flake at a time, not even touching the raisins. It was everywhere! So I cleaned up the table and changed Isaiahs diaper and found simple cleanup things to do until 9pm came so I could vacuum without it costing me more at the peak rate! The rest of the night was easy, reading scriptures, praying, pj's, brushing teeth and sending kids to bed. After putting them to bed I realized that the watermelon that I had cut and wrapped a few days ago was bleeding all over the counter, I had to clean up the mess and bleach the counter. I rinsed and stacked the dishes in the sink (I'll wash them tomorrow). Now Im just waiting for Nick. Now the reason I decided to document today is because yesterday Nick was all upset saying that he feels like every day is the same. I can say that no day is the same. Sure some days are similar but I am glad they are similar. We are healthy, he has a job, our routines with the kids are consistent, and I like it. Of course, he wasnt talking about daily routines but the fact that each new day has not yet brought him a truck, a camaro or a motorcycle. I doubt tomorrow will bring him one either but for me at least, it will be different than today.

Family Fun

Last week my family came to visit. I cant just say parents because there are still 4 siblings of mine living at home. They also have three foster kids but they stayed behind. This is some of us at In N Out. From left to right, my little sister Jessica, my teenage brother Ryan, my Aunt Rebeca, Carmen, my Dad, Julian and my brother Mark. They love chocolate shakes!

My teenage siblings, my brother Mark and Julian went to Stratum Laser tag in Mesa. Next door to Stratum is a bouncey house place called Xtreme Play. My mom and I took my sister Jessica, Carmen and Isaiah there but Isaiah didnt have sock (required) so we ran next door and caught Julian before entering his first laser tag game so he could lend Isaiah his socks. He is such a good boy.

This is the smallest of the bounce houses. It is for ages 3 and under. Isaiah played basketball for the whole 2 hours we were there, never once going down a slide.

He is obsessed with basketball!

Carmen and my sister Jessica went down the second biggest slide but Carmen refused to go down the biggest slide. She actually climbed to the top then sat in the corner for 5 minutes scared before going back down the ladder backwards. I highly recommend Xtreme Play. Adults arent allowed on the equiptment but I dont mind that at all, I dont have to worry about big teenagers pushing down my kids. They also have alarmed wrist bands so kids dont escape, they have a sitting area with a couch and TV for parents and kids to rest, they have a video game area with a Wii and a few playstations, an air hockey table and a gated toddler area with toddler toys. All that is included in the price and play is unlimited. Adults are free because they dont go on the equiptment, ages 3 and under are $5.95, ages 4 and up are $8.95, Mondays are family days where children are $5, they are closed Sundays, and there is also a snack bar with pizza, nachos, icees, candy, t shirts, and socks! Im sure one of our kids will end up having a birthday party there!

Stratum and Xtreme play are located just north of the 60 on Stapley (east side of the street). And for those of you who didnt know, In N Out is south of the 60 on Stapley (west side of the street).

A is for Alphabet, B is for Basketball, K is for KindergartenLaureate

Isaiah loves basketball. He would have done a little better and more if he wasnt watching a game on tv at the time. He learned his letters by playing a VTECH computer at every meal, its the only way we can get him to eat. Our kids dont like eating so we always have had to distract them from ages 6 months to 3 years. This one was his.

And this is the award Julian got today at the Monday Morning Assembly. He got the Kindergarten Laureate Award (and a free kids meal from Mimi's Cafe!) We are very proud of our smarty pants.

Looks like who??

Me and Nick

me

julian, carmen, isaiah

Nick

carmen and isaiah

me

Carmen, Nick, Julian

Every time I am pregnant I wonder what/who the new baby will look like. So I want you guys to decide who each of our kids so far looks most like and predict what you think the new baby will look like.

Foggy

Will I ever recover? I feel like I am in a constant fog. Im always so tired I cant look people in the eye, I stare off into space, I hear only about half the things people tell me, I dont have energy to play with my kids or even have conversations with them, and my husband is waiting for me to 'come home.' Because Ive been so tired, Im far behind in a lot of things. Nick asked me to mend two pairs of work pants a few weeks ago, and at this very minute they are still sitting where he left them, untouched. Sure I could do it now, but that would require me getting up and walking around to find the thread, thread the sewing maching, pin the pants, get back up to find my scissors, and so on. I know, Im complaining a lot about something so minimal, but Im really that worn out. My mornings are no better or different than my nights. Just foggy and tired. I may as well not even wear my contacts! I also havent had the energy to think about preparing for the new baby, or even to think much about the fact Im going to have another baby! My sister Amanda is coming for a week in April to help out and I am SO excited. Im making her take Julian to school AND pick him up every day that week. Im hoping next year we can find someone to carpool with because this year has sure been a long one. Now Im going to go, not to bed, but to wait for Nick to come home, so we can salvage what is left of the day to finally have time for just the two of us to sit and relax and talk because this is the only time we have for us... between midnight and 1:30 am.

And tomorrow will start again at 6:45 am. But on a lighter note... Avocados were 25 cents at Walmart! YAY! Dont worry I will be just fine. I have Cherry Pepsi in the fridge, its almost the weekend, and I only have two months left until the baby is born, and then six months after that til he sleeps through the night! WOO HOO!

A two week slice of my life.

Heres what went on in the last couple weeks:

-Had my gestational diabetes glucose test. Hate the orange flavor but Im not diabetic.
-Nick and I had our anniversary.
-The inlaws came to visit.
-I went to the mall, bought Julian LEGOs at the Lego Store.
-Nick, Julian and Grandpa and Aunt Cory went to the drag races with friends Morgan and Seth (pictured above with the geico gecko)
-Bought Carmen sparkly shoes with sparkles, a bow over the toes and an elastic band.
-She cried for me to cut off the elastic band.
-She cried for me to put back on the elastic bands.
-I took the worst ever trip to Walmart with the kids. Isaiah screamed the whole time. He didnt have shoes on, couldnt walk around, so spent the trip up and down the aisles in my arms hitting me and kicking my belly. Carmen cried because we could look at the shoes.
-Babysat a lot.
-Bought lots of food at frys. About 10 boxes of cereal.
-Learned of my brothers car accident. He wasnt at fault, everyone is fine.. but the truck. Broken axle and drive train.
-Learned that Isaiah knows most of the letters in the alphabet
-Monday through Thurday I go to bed at 2am and wake up at 645am.
-Got a gift and card from Nick, just because.
-Bought Nick NY Strip steaks in return for the gift and card.
-I ate salmon for the first time in about 4 or 5 months
-Ate at Chipotle, Wendy, Jack in the Box, KFC, Panda Express and McDonalds. When Im not running, Im dead tired, way too tired to cook food my kids probably wont eat anyways.
-Decided Isaiah wont let us break him from a bottle or his crib anytime soon.
-Found out when Mom is coming to visit
-Found out when my whole family minus half the family is coming to visit.
-Handfulls of people asked me if I'm ready to have the baby and/or if Im due really soon. I have more than two months left.
-Went to the Modest Mouse concert in Tempe. Was the only largely pregnant woman there.
-I mopped the kitchen and bathroom
-I paid the bills
-Nick juiced a few bags full of lemons and I froze the juice
-Carmen washed her hands with half a bottle of shampoo
-Julian finished his 25 book goal for school and recieved yet another book it award
-Julian and Carmen got bikes from their grandma
-I took the first trip alone to the store in over a year and I felt like I was floating on a cloud all through Frys
-I made Julian mop the bathroom floor for 'missing'
-Isaiah made us bring our little tikes basketball hoop into the living room and refuses to eat, only play basketball all day long
-We made fruit pizzas last night for Mutual
-I had a dream I stole a Gatorade
-I gained a few pounds
-I wondered how I will ever get the energy other people have. One day Nick will be on a normal work schedule and I will be able to be a normal mom. We look forward to the day when Nick can drop the kids off at school on the way to work, I can spend the day cleaning, doing visiting teaching, hosting playdates, shopping, I can then pick up the kids from school, make dinner and have it ready when Nick gets home, go to bed at a reasonable hour and be ready to do it all again the next day and have evening free for a date with Nick or a girls night out or a double date. Right now we are disorganized and inconsistent. Nick gets home late, we go to bed late... an NO I cant go to bed before he gets home, I cant sleep without him here. I get up with the kids I babysit, he gets up to take Julian to school. I try to take a nap when he leaves to drop him off, then I get up and he goes to take a nap and by 1:30pm we are both awake and Im rushing to make lunch for us before I leave to get Julian and he gets to leave for work and in the evening I have to do my chores and shopping with the kids by my side. Im very very thankful for Nicks job and that we have a wonderful family, home, food to eat, we just look forward to the day when we can have the blessings of early to bed early to rise. In the meantime though, we acknowledge the blessings we have been given.