Life and dying eggs

So I went to a family history conference with my Mom on Saturday and one of the classes we attended was "Authentically telling your story".  Maybe I have been super sunshiny (if that's a word) on my blog so I will try to add some of "real life" to it.  I think maybe it's been so sunshiny because that is what I want my kids to remember.  I really do enjoy being a Mom.  There are days that are more difficult with kids not listening and throwing tantrums and time-outs but overall we have a lot of fun playing games and stories and being outside together.  I guess I just don't take pictures during the super stressful times. :)  But here it is.  (Oh and I do try to authentically tell my story in my journal... hopefully my journal isn't all gloom and doom days or sunshine days either... If it has been I will work on it so that my posterity will know the struggles and triumphs that I get to go through in this life.)

Today we got ready for Church (kids slept in!) so I had to hurry a little more than normal.  I always feel like I am pushing us out the door; however, we did make it 5 minutes early!  Hurray for little miracles!  My lesson went surprisingly well even though we have very chatty 9-11 year olds.  I think we stayed on topic and that hopefully they learned at least one thing and felt the Spirit... if so I succeeded.  Sacrament meeting wasn't quite the wrestling match it has been.  Clark is finally settling down (cross my fingers!).  He is so wild sometimes.  Tyler did have to take him out right at the last 20 seconds of a beautiful violin solo where it seemed there was no noise other than the music because he somehow got both his shins on the bar of a chair in front of us.  What was so funny about it was that after Tyler got up with screaming Clark, two other dads carrying their toddlers left with screaming children.  There were lots of people laughing at the end of the song.  I only felt a little sorry for the single sister that performed the musical number hoping she knew that it wasn't directed at her and merely at the irony of the screaming children when the Spirit had been so powerful for one moment!

Well I decided it was a good day to dye eggs since Easter is next week... I have to admit Addison did awesome and we didn't have any major spills.  Clark was sad at the end when I no longer allowed him to drop the egg into the dye... He crushed the first egg he had, yes I hard boiled them and I let him dye it anyways! He did enjoy it while he was actually involved in it though even if I was a little stressed and kept repeating "careful, don't drop the egg in the dye Clark!" "No, the egg can stay in it for a while."  "Leave it alone for a minute!" "Don't splash with the spoon!"  okay you probably get the picture so here are the pictures we actually got while trying to not dye our children and the kitchen...

 Me concentrating on not letting the eggs just plop into the dye...

 Clark upset because I had had enough dye splashed on me...

Addison displaying an egg that I think I attempted to draw a bunny head on...

Friends and the Zoo...

 Yum! A jaguar eating a scrap of meat...

 The "Merry-go-round" was probably the biggest hit.  We thought they were having Disney princesses coming to the zoo today which is why we went on one of the first warm Saturdays in the Spring... however we were misinformed and it was just Disney radio that was there.  Still fun.  Addison "won" some Nemo magnets for the fridge.

 Round and round they go... We went with our friends the Johns' from our ward.  We each packed a picnic and had a good time hanging out and seeing the animals.  Our friends are right beside Tyler and Clark in the picture below. I guess Clark was adimant about getting the polar bear next to Mommy (I wasn't riding :) He was lucky enough after waiting through two other rides to be one of the first in line to choose where he could sit.

 Addison kept winking at me... It was really funny. Glad I could get a picture of it.

 Addison and our friend "little" Lydia (does that make me "big" Lydia?)

 Our kids love the new Rocky Shores at the Hoogle Zoo.  The seals are some of their favorites.

 Addison in front of the polar bear. Clark kept kicking his shoes off and got restricted to stroller riding with no shoes so I don't have as many pictures of him.

Kids on the rhino plus my big belly already... sigh... At least I finally look pregnant and not just fat! ;) So not only did we get to hang out with our friends the Johns' but we finally got to hang out with our Gurr friends (as Addison calls them).  It was a blast to catch up after a few months of not seeing them.  So good to have friends that live fairly close!

Spring is Coming!

 We decided that since the weather is warming up and these little birdhouses were only $1 and our kids love to paint... the combination was perfect for a Sunday afternoon activity.  Addison is very excited to hang hers up for the birds although she wants to add a pink roof to it after the yellow paint dries.  Clark was a little disappointed I would only let him use one color.  He chose green but wanted yellow and blue later...

 Both the kids were concentrating so hard.  Addison made sure to get around all the edges.  It really did turn out pretty good.  I loved seeing Clark's little tongue come out as he worked to get it all covered in paint.  He even painted inside the bird house so the birds could have some interior paint ;)

 Later today we went outside for a walk and then had to stay out and enjoy the dry ground for a while.  Clark has discovered his big trucks from the sandbox already.  I can tell he is going to love being outside this spring and summer.  He is getting so grown up!  Addison really needs a bigger bike but is a little nervous about it so I guess we will enjoy having a little money in our bank account until she is ready. 

 Of course Lulu had to join in the fun.  I love watching her run eights around the yard for no reason other than excitement at being able to play outside with the kids.

 Our baby girl is growing up so fast and is more beautiful everyday it seems!  Tyler thinks he needs to get a shot gun already... I think we have a few more years... at least I hope!

Oh another one of Clark's new loves right now is sprinklers.  He absolutely is fascinated with them!  He was stuck on clocks and Temples for a while and still really enjoys pointing all of them out, but when we are outside man this boy can find every sprinkler in a manner of seconds!  As we were on our walk every four feet or so he would say "there's 'nother spinkerler." What a silly boy that we love!

Anticipation

 So I have been a little bit excited about having another girl and trying out my newfound love of sewing.  I sewed this panel onto minkee for the backing.  I decided not to do batting because I want her to be able to drag it around and snuggle it easier. (Both my other kids have a love for soft blankets of course so do I!)  I had fun "quilting" using the sewing machine.  I don't have any formal training so I winged it, but am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  I also tried my hand at doing aplique on the carseat canopy I made the other day.  The little bird at the bottom doesn't stand out quite as much as I would have liked but still for my first real try I was pleasantly pleased.

 This tag blanket was the first thing I made for our little girl on Valentine's day while Tyler and I watched "Back to the future" I sewed and he drew. (We are so romantic....) I wanted to try working with the minkee backing before trying a full size blanket.  It wasn't too bad thus being willing to try the blanket.  :)

I also made these easy peasy skirts out of some jersey fabric that my Grandma had. I inherited by choice all my Grandma's fabric since she no longer sews.  I am loving it!  These projects have been completed over the course of several weeks not just in the last few days just to clarify! I am busy with my kids plus 3 extra that I babysit for part-time.  Life is good.  I just wanted to share what I have been up to and keep record for posterity and such.  As long as no one looks too close at my projects they will do just fine!  :)