Weekend Update

Well, I hope y'all are staying warm wherever you are. We're really excited to finally be out of the teens today (woohoo we're at 23 degrees!). Hopefully life will be able to get back to "normal" soon. Since the kids and hubby have been home all week I haven't really had a chance to use the computer much. I've been wanting to update our blog for a while... so here you go!

I took these pictures of the kids and don't have any fancy editing software that I can combine photos, so you get each one with all its quirks. At least they have character!

The kids are being so great lately, they play well together for the most part. They're really nice to include everyone in a lot of their play as well. We haven't had a many fits and meltdowns as we used to, maybe because mom hasn't been have as many? Or is it the other way around? It always come back to the chicken and the egg, doesn't it?
We've been having a family game night on Thursday each week. And we have family movie night each Sunday, if the kids are reverent at church. Those that don't earn it have to go to bed while the rest of us watch a movie... its made for a lot more reverence on the Woody bench at church! I have loved having some planned fun with the kids. It so great to spend quality time together and I love that my kids love it!
They are all growing up so fast! I can hardly believe how time just flies on by. We are SO blessed to have each of these special people in our family!!!
Bolton: Well you had an update on him not too long ago, but he has changed since then already! Not only is he crawling, but he is now pulling himself up to stand and moving his feet a little bit once he's up holding onto things. Yesterday he climbed his whole body up onto a lego box (about 8-9 inches tall) while trying to reach one of Eliza's toys. He tumbled off it and felt pretty sad.
As you can see, he loves meal time! I recently was having a difficult time getting him to really eat when I decided to try one of my sweet mom-in-love's tips to give baby his own spoon... he was thrilled! And he ate much better that meal.
Getting plenty messy in the course thereof...
He still loves to play with anyone who will give him a smile. Jonas and Bryant both take him up or down the stairs and play with him if I need to get something done (like blog ;)). He's quite a little head banger too. When the other kids are in bed and its just Ethan, Bolton and me, he just sings and dances for 30 minutes straight.
And lest you think its all sunshine and roses, he gets upset too. Not very often and he's quite easy to calm, but he's finding his little voice to let us know he's unhappy with things. Most often he only gets this way if he wants something or someone to play with.
Eliza: She is a talker. I don't know if its because Levi was so far behind or if she is really just a good talker, but wow! She talks and talks and we understand most everything she says, unless she's doing her whiny baby voice, then we don't understand anything she says...

She recently started adopting a phrase that I use countless times a day, "the boys" and "guys." I'll tell her she's silly and she'll say, "I'm not silly, you're silly. Daddy's silly. Bolton's silly. The boys are silly." Or if she needs help sometimes she'll yell, "Hey guys! Somebody get me down!" She has the cutest little voice too, its just so funny to hear!
I put her down for her nap one day with a shirt and skirt on, when she got up she had a pair of jammies on too, the shirt over her shirt, the pants under the skirt. Then she put on her boots and jacket. She was quite the sight to be seen. She definitely has an opinion about what she wears. I love it.

The last few weeks I've been feeling terrible because everytime anyone starts to sing "I Am a Child of God" she starts to cry, "No, not that song! I don't want to take a nap!" It makes me feel bad that I've ruined that song for her. So, we've been singing other songs at naptime/bedtime. Last night though, I asked her what she wanted to sing, she didn't know, so I started one she usually requests, "No! Not that song!" So I started another, then another, then another... nothing was right. So I told her that I would count to 5 and she could tell me what she wanted to sing or I wasn't going to sing. At the end of the count, she just raised her shoulders in and "I don't know" way and so I said goodnight.

A few minutes later I heard her standing at her door singing, "I am a, I am a, I am a dah" over and over. So I went in and put her back in bed and asked her what she wanted me to sing. She said it again and I figured out that it was I Am a Child of God. She let me sing the whole song to her and it was so sweet!

I also love that she just thinks she's one of the boys. She plays Star Wars with them, she plays Mario with them, she wrestles and jumps just like she's one of them. She has so much fun when they come home from school. And they are so great to let her play with them. Levi especially, he loves being a big brother. They have so much fun chasing each other. He loves to take her blanket and run away, she chases him and they laugh and laugh. Levi wanted me to take this picture the other day, it makes me smile.
Levi: This little guy has grown up the most lately, in my opinion. His speech is so much improved, he's just happier and easier to be with. Of course, he's still Levi and that means he's still very head strong, but he is just so pleasant most of the time.

He likes school, but I have the hardest time convincing him to get ready for school every morning. He likes it except for nap time. I really have a hard time with full day pre-k and kindergarten... the only reason its full day is because its basically daycare, they spend the afternoon at recess and taking a nap. What's the point of that?! I think he doesn't like his teacher a lot either, but he loves her assistant teacher, thankfully! She's great!
He's such a loving little guy, throughout the day, he just randomly pops out, "I love you, Mom!" But don't be offended if you tell him you love him and he says, " I don't love you, I like you." He saves his love for mom and dad exclusively these days.

He loves playing with his siblings and is learning more about compromise than he'd like to. He's a big personality, with a big voice and a big heart.
Jonas: He really likes school and is loving learning to read. I wish you could all see the look on his face when he reads a new word or finishes a book. He is struggling a bit with reading, but is getting more comfortable and confident. I'm afraid he's got second child syndrome, since his big brother excels at a lot of things, he doesn't think he's any good at them. He's got a quite the brain for problem solving and number though. Its fun to see how different my kids are.
Jo continues to keep us laughing. He is the life of the party (and you know its always a party at our house). He is really being helpful with Bolton and Eliza lately. He is also learning how to clean up (its about time!) and will do it quickly with the right incentive. He has a major sweet tooth and isn't a fan of the infrequent treats we're having lately. He wants something sweet after lunch, dinner, and breakfast if I'd let him! His laugh is like his daddy's, very contagious. I'll have to post a video of us watching Home Alone at Christmas time, its hilarious! Just this photo is enough to bring a smile to my face, though.
Bryant: My goodness, I can hardly believe how grown up this guy is! He just read Harry Potter 4 on his own! Yep, my 7 year old just read a book that was over 700 pages! He loves to read and feels so grown up that gets to stay up later than the other kids to read. He's also reading the Book of Mormon with his dad in preparation for his baptism in a couple months. Its amazing to listen to them talking as they read, he understands a lot. He also talks a lot... it drives Ethan crazy sometimes, after each verse, B will say, "Hey Dad..." and talk about something totally unrelated. Ethan and I went on a date the other night, we drove around town for an hour just chatting and it was so nice to not have any interruptions from our little conversationalist.
He is such a fabulous helper with the house and kids. Just this morning the kids were begging for breakfast, Ethan was peeling himself away from the covers and going out to help them when he saw Bryant taking care of it. What a sweetheart!
He is developing quite the habit of playing video games, much to my chagrin. But its a good motivator and he gets a lot of joy from it. He and his dad bond over Mario, its great fun.
Ethan: My cute hubby is such a hard worker. He sees a lot of patients every day. Then he comes home and helps with the house and kids. Then he takes on additional projects like mending fences, building things for our home, trimming trees... you get the idea. It was probably a welcome rest when he had oral surgery (in preparation for an implant) a couple weeks ago and had to take it easy for a few days. I don't know who I'm kidding the man loves to work and goes crazy if he has "nothing" to do for a couple days.
I remain busy with trying to keep my house clean, my family fed and happy, and my sanity in tact (trying being the operative word here). I set some goals for myself that I'm working on, I'll have to post about them sometime... and I'm currently doing 14 Days of Valentine's for my kids and hubby. I realized that Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love love and expressing it to my family is the best! Yes, showing them I love them all year is awesome, but the kids especially love the special gifts, notes, treats they're getting right now.

Whew! I have a big family... hope you are doing well and staying warm!