Shower Time

When James was little I hated showering during nap time because it seemed like such a waste of precious time. When he was very small I would lay him on the bathroom rug, once he started moving at 5 months he would sit at the end of the tub shower. In Provo I would have him watch Little Einsteins when it was on Disney at 9 am (back in the time of free cable from BYU).

The best though was when we moved to Houston we had our amazing master bath that was of course attached to our bedroom so I would sit him on the bed where I could see him and give him a special basket of toys reserved just for "shower time". He would sit and play for up to 15 minutes while I showered and got ready.

This worked for two reasons: 1) our bed was (and is) over 3 feet off the ground so it's not easy to get on and off for a 16 month old, and 2) he was not Matthias.

I thought about this today as I grabbed a quick shower while all three kids played kitchen in Hannah's room. The one room I feel safe leaving her in for a few minutes while I shower. Generally I do wait until nap time, but occasionally I leave the kids in her room for 5 minutes while I shower.

I'm sure I never showered with Matthias awake at all. I'm actually surprised I showered at all when Matthias was small. But I can only recall 4-5 times I haven't showered in my life as a mother.

Matthias Chatter

Matthias: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Me: Um, a mom.
Matthias: You are a mom.
Me: A grandma?
Matthias: No, you have to be something cool. Like Wonder Woman.


Me: Preschool is about names tomorrow so you need to take something about your name for show and tell. Maybe your name pillow?
Matthias: I want to take my Spiderman pillow.
Me: But it's supposed to be something abou-
Matthias: Spiderman has a name. It's Peter Parker.

But then...

Your husband leaves work early to stop by home, more than enough people show up to help the youth so he gets to stay home the rest of the night, and your baby takes a break from crying and fussing to learn how to crawl! Amazing.

You know those days...

The ones where your baby was up coughing until 11 pm the night before at which point she stopped breathing and so your husband rushed her into instacare at the hosital. You finally got to bed at 1 am and your kids still woke up at 6:30 (even the sick baby who was up all night). Not to mention the time she got up crying and the time your five year old had a nightmare.

You rushed everyone to get ready and out the door (sick baby included) because your preschooler had a fun robot class he had been looking forward to for a week. Only to arrive at the Y a 25 minute drive from your house and find out the class was canceled. The same class you called about the night before to make sure was still going to happen. The class you called about 2 hours earlier to ask a couple questions about. That class. Canceled. You left your house at 9:14 and they called at 9:15 to let you know. About the cancellation (seriously).

Sad boy, no time to buy groceries with only 2 children. Not good since there is really not much fresh food in the house owing to the fact that 2 weeks ago you spent 35% of your budget at Whole Foods, which was yummy, but did not stretch too far. Looks like more pasta for dinner tonight. Or PB & J.

So you drive all the way home and the sick baby falls asleep for the second time that morning. You want to curl up in the bed, but realize you have too many children running about. Instead decide to reply to an email.

At which point the five year old informs you your three year old is coloring on the floor. You've been working hard to end tattling, but seriously don't you want to know there is black crayon being applied to the carpet before it covers a 3 foot square area. Judgment skills are lacking in both children.

Oh, and your husband is going with the youth straight from work and won't be home until after the children are all asleep and your hair has all been ripped out.

You wish you could call your best friend to relieve you of some children while you take a nap, shower, read a book, lay in the covers and contemplate never coming out...or at least until the temperature has risen 40 degrees. Then realize while you've been blessed with many close friends none live within a 500 mile radius of you.

So you curl up on the floor and cry, hoping Matthias can't find any of the crayons you hid.

Hannah Mae is 1

My baby girl turned one today! She still seems so little and like a baby, where the boys were full on toddlers by their first birthdays. Which is totally find with me...she still loves to sit in my lap and snuggle. And she doesn't even stand up in her crib let alone jump out...


Since we have way more baby toys than we need and NO girl toys we got Hannah little girl stuff. Now instead of playing knights and super heroes all day, Hannah and I can cook for knights and super heroes all day. =]




The boys also got her a My Little Pony (yes, I'm trying to relive my childhood...unfortunately there was no Lickety Split, so she got Rainbow Dash...boys' choice since it is blue). But I have to say seeing a pony with sparkling pink hair on my couch is really weird, I'm thinking "who left a toy here??" But then Matthias tried to melt it on the lamp and life felt more normal.


Put together the kitchen in the morning and opened gifts. Then we went to Olive Garden for lunch thanks to some gift cards!


We made chocolate lava cake and had black raspberry chocolate ice cream (because it's pink). I think this flower cake is the cutest cake ever and by far the simplest which is saying a lot because my cakes are not complex.








Happy Birthday Princess!

Happy Valentine's Day

from Hannah...

Pillowcase Dress

Hannah has really been deprived thus far in life by not owning a pillowcase dress. But I remedied this problem last night. While searching for Easter Dresses (which by the way is SO much more exciting, and expensive, than searching for Easter Ties) I came across some pillowcase dresses for the umpteenth time. Not surprising since they are everywhere these days. Well, the Easter Dress definitely needs to be much more poofy than a pillowcase dress, but still the girl needs a pillowcase dress.

So, rather than pay $22 for one (yeah right) I figured it was time I finally made one so I stood up and walked over to my scrap fabric. One hour later I was showing this beauty to Taylor


(the dress, not Hannah...she had been peacefully sleeping for many hours by this time).

The next one should come out in about 30 minutes I guess as I measured the sleeping babe and various pieces of her wardrobe as well as setting up a custom listing and answering a convo on etsy during the one hour.

This dress is definitely my first success in clothing! It actually fits and is not too short and too wide which is my normal clothing issue. I'm very satisfied with this dress! And Hannah feels oh so cute!

**hat courtesy of Kim Dibb, leggings courtesy of my Mom.