Random

It always drives me nuts when my pictures get all messed up but I'm much too lazy to put them in the right place and I've got lots to do today--a poster for a Relief Society activity, loads upon loads of laundry, this post, dishes, etc, all in two hours.  So, the pictures will just have to stay all jumbled and out of order.  

Last week it was gray (all week) and humid (most of the week).  The last few days have been really pleasant though.  Last night I sat on my deck while I quizzed Will on his spelling words.  It was so nice and I enjoyed having a deck, looking into my backyard and not seeing neighbors right behind our house but instead a crazy jungle of a forest.  I thought, "I could get used to this" and then I promptly got five mosquito bites.  These mosquitoes need to leave so that I can keep enjoying my yard and deck.  It puts such a damper on my happy thoughts.  Bleh.  

On Saturday I went to some antique shops with a friend of mine.  I found this cute, but not cheap, window frame.  I have been thinking about this spot in our hallway upstairs where I wanted to hang pictures of some of our ancestors.  I thought the frame was a fun way to tie in the old and the past so I bought it and it's really fun.  I absolutely believe our ancestors are so close to us in spirit and that they protect us and help us and I wanted to have them their pictures in a place where we could be reminded of their continued help daily.  

Also, we have a spot in our house for a gratitude wall.  I have had one since college.  Sometimes we are better at keeping it up than others.  Once we fill the paper I take it off and put it in a binder.  I finally got it put up here--this time in the kitchen where we will see it regularly and hopefully be better at writing things down.  

I have been on the hunt for a cork board and I found one at office depot that was pretty boring and small and more expensive than it was worth.  I was so pleased this week to find a huge one that was framed at a really cheap price at some weird store with random things at discount prices.  Mike hung it for me and it's perfect for what we need plus looks nice with the frame.  

For Family Home Evening I was trying to think of something to do and then I remembered the headphones that came with the piano and we have a fun evening of karaoke.  The songs had to come from the Children's Song Book and the boys thought it was pretty fun.

Piper and sleeping is still so irritating to me.  I can't believe she is almost two and I'm still complaining about it.  I really thought we had a good thing going before we moved here.  She naps most days now (we had a rough patch there when we first moved here) but not without a lot of complaining on her part.  The other day I overheard her talking to her little "baby" in the kitchen.  I peeked my head around the corner and she was pushing her baby in the stroller and saying, "No night-night, baby.  No night-night."  If she could talk for real I'm sure she would have added, "I'm not a mean mommy and I won't make you go to sleep."  Another example:  I was upstairs hanging my window frame and she was calling for the boys who were outside.  I yelled down to her that I was upstairs and she could come find me.  She yelled back, "I no upstairs.  No night-night."  Sigh.  Sometime I go to find her in her bed doing somersaults and other times she goes to sleep fine but not without protest and not without making me feel like I'm the worst mother in existence for making her nap.  She is by far the worst sleeper of my children but let's be honest, none of my kids were awesome sleepers--well, Isaac did become pretty awesome and only stopped at four years.  That was pretty awesome once we got past those first nineish months.  

Anyway, while she isn't a great sleeper, I pretty much adore her and so does everyone else in this house.  I LOVE seeing the interactions she has with her brothers.  This week I drove Isaac to scouts and left him to take the kids home until it was time to get him again.  Piper was quite worried that I was leaving Isaac behind.  She just kept looking at me and saying, "Isaac.  Isaac."  Like, "Why are we leaving him!?"   She also explodes with joy when they get in the van after school!  I hear, "Brothers!  Brothers!"  and then she says over and over, "Guys?  Guys?  Guys?" until they answer her.  

Mike and I planted some things in the garden.  I do love that we can grow things here.  We planted broccoli (a staple in our home), raspberries, blueberries, parsley, and grapes.  We are at the end of the growing season so all but the parsley and broccoli will not really produce until Spring but it's fun to have some things planted.  Mike also started a compost pile and he loves it.  He got out his book called "Let it Rot" so he could read up about composting again.  It stinks.  I hope the smell won't get worse and irritate all the neighbors.  

I think that pretty much explains all the pictures.  The one with Piper on the stairs at the park was to document the fact that me saying to her, "Piper, it's time to go.  Mommy is leaving" means nothing to her.  She just says with a smile, "Bye-bye Mommy" and then promptly goes back to playing.  She is such a lovable stinker.