Kid Notes June 2016-October 2016

KID NOTES: June 2016-October 2016

Aila, after lunch, "mom, my hands are clean because I licked them off."

Emerson. 9 mo: standing up to the tub. Loooooves bath time!

All I had to do to get "you're the best mom in the whooole world" was to help Abram make a leopard mask out of paper. :) 

Abram: "mom, emerson's warm-blooded today. Feel him, he feels warm."

Aila, master staller/manipulator/etc, during her typical bedtime antics...comes out and says, "mom, I'm cold..." "Ok let's put another blankie on." "No I just need the van (fan)." "The fan will make you colder." "....well actually I'm hot...." "Aila, it's time for bed." "Ok" and runs back to her room, only to turn around and run back to me, "mom, I'm gonna close the door, ok?" "Ok goodnight."

Aila, "mom, my leg is 'sword' and I need ice on it!" (sore)

Aila, "mom, can Em eat rice?" "Yes." "Okay, well I put some on the floor for him to eat."

Feather-brained Monday morning--had ballet for Aila and swim for Abram and Aila at the Finley center. Halfway there realized I forgot Aila's swimsuit ("Aila I think you'll have to miss your swim class today" "that's okay mom")...and a couple min later, realized I also forgot towels...and my phone. Parked and opened the trunk to find it empty--forgot that we had taken out the stroller the day before. So I put emers on my hip (along with all our gear)...so after ballet class, we used Aila's leotard (sans tights) for swim lessons, the picnic blanket for a towel, and we all survived. And when we got home and I realized my t-shirt was on backwards... (???!!!!) at least it was just a plain colored crew neck. 

Abram got out a cutting board and requested that he have lunch on it instead of a plate, "because i might have lunch on something like this at kindergarten. I saw it in a berenstain bear book."

Aila runs up to me with a huge Costco bag of pistachios. "Mom, can I please have some mustache-ios?!"

Em tries to escape every time I want to change his diaper. Looks back at me and grins, then turns and speeds away (army crawling). 

Abram and Aila always want to go get in Em's crib with him after his nap. 

Camping at grover hot springs: we had been saying, "we're going camping at Grover's" for days...when we got there, Aila kept saying, "but where's Grover?" And "where's Grovers' mommy?"

Abram: "mom is there anything smaller than 1/4?" 

Emerson full out crawling at 10 months. Mamas boy--I came in to Sunday school late; as soon as I walked in, Emerson (on Ben's lap) couldn't stop making anxious noises and when I sat down, he literally jumped on me and started laughing and making loud, happy noises. :)

Abram to Aila, "because I'm a big kid and you're a little kid." "I'm not a little kid!" "Well, you're just kind of in-between."

Abram asked, "what's more than 1/2?" "3/4" "oh, because a half moon is 2 quarters..." "Yes...."

Abram asking lots of questions about the earth and Gravity..."don't the people on the other side of the world feel like they're upside down? Are they hanging from their heads?"

I took the kids to frozen yogurt today! I was cracking up because as they watched the cars drive by (as we so often do ourselves), Abram said "I bet the kids in those cars are feeling sad because they asked their mommies if they could get frozen yogurt and they said no." 

Abram beginning French immersion school next week--I've been pulling out all the words I remember from 7th grade French class and teaching them to the kids...today aila said, "mom, how do you say 'bonjour' in Japanese?"

Images of summer...piles of sand in the entryway, Popsicle-stained cheeks, sunflowers in our garden inches taller every day, baby legs kicking kicking kicking out of the baby swing, Abram waving at me and giving a "thumbs up" during his swim lesson, Aila's hair bun bobbing up and down as she attempts to blow bubbles in the pool in her little pink suit...

Abram likes to ask lots of math questions. Me, "wow, how did you know that?" "Well I just like to think about math a lot while I do Legos. I just think about math every half second!" Aila pipes in, "who's math???!!"

Today at Abrams violin lesson he played his favorite song...and you could tell it was his fave because he played with feeling. It was wonderful and beautiful and his teacher was amazed and I wanted to cry. He's growing up and maturing so fast. 

My favorite with Emerson--at bedtime in the rocker, he lays his head on my shoulder while I sing. Periodically, he lifts his head up to look at me and sometimes plants a little slobber "kiss" on my face, then lays back down and tucks his arms in. So so sweet. I also love watching him eat Ben's face when he gets home from work. 

Abram, talking about earth and space, "so...where does gravity and no gravity connect??"

Very proud mom moment: Abram came home from school and said, "some kids in my class say 'pitcher' when they really mean 'picture'."

Aila to me, after first day of preschool, "I was so excited to see you. I was a little bit nervous." (Contrasted with Abram when he started preschool, "I wasn't nervous one tiny bit. No, I didn't miss you at all.")

Aila: "I'm 'exciting' for Emerson because he's turning one soon!" (Excited)

Abram: "mom, does counting ever stop? Or does it go on and on?" "Nope, it keeps going and going and going..." *he thinks deeply* "...so how does....whoa.....WHOA!!"

Emerson loves waving. The first time I saw him do it was when we were at a restaurant and he was looking out the window and turning his little wrist. And sure enough, I looked and there was a lady out the window waving at him. Now he does it when I lie him down for bed. He looks up at me and waves both hands and jabbers "die yie" (night night) while smiling, of course. 

Emerson bday. We played a couple simple games and made him the center of attention, which he loved. He seemed to know we were celebrating him and just babbled and babbled and babbled. So sweet. Then we (Abram and Aila) opened presents while Emerson climbed on the boxes, we sang to him, and he even got a little taste of (decreased sugar) zucchini cake. He felt special. We feel so blessed to have him in our family! For me, and I dare say the rest of the family, he has been a manifestation of God's love. 

Emersons first words (10-12mo): da-da, ma-ma, die-yie (night-night). 

"Aila, what did you do at preschool?" "Painting, painting, and more painting!!"

Abram had his first soccer game last week (and two more this week). He had been waiting for months!! He was so excited he was literally jumping and leaping around the field the first 10 min but not really touching the ball. But after that he decided to get aggressive and scored 4 goals! 

Aila, "mom, I just put a booger in my hair."  I love her honesty.

Had my first solo-with-kids soccer game tonight. Thought it would be a piece of cake because last time Emer basically stayed on the blanket and picked grass while Aila was content with half a stick of gum. This time, however, I spent most of my time removing Em from the soccer field, keeping a bee away from Aila, and asking Aila to stop throwing grass in my hair, while simultaneously doing a terrible job keeping a conversation with a couple of nearby parents...who watched in humor and also thought Emer was a girl. Haha. Meanwhile, I saw Abram dribble the ball down the field a couple times and he finished sweaty so I think he had fun. 

"Abram, what's your favorite thing about kindergarten?" "Racing with my buddies at recess." "What's your 2nd favorite thing?" "Playing soccer with my buddies at recess." "...what's your 3rd favorite?" "Playing freeze tag at recess!" 

Aila "mom, can I wear goggles when I get baptized? Cause I don't want water in my eyes!"

Aila "mom, watch this!!" (Throws up a ball and catches it) "I very catched it!!" 

Abram, one morning after practicing violin, "mom, I just looove May Song! I want to practice it aalll day! Like 5 hours a day!" I actually had to coax him away from practicing to get his shoes on for school.  *THIS IS NOT AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE*

Abram, "I'm learning 3 languages. English, French, and baby." (He frequently 'translates' Emerson's babbles...and also tells me what Em's babbles are in French--"Mom, he just said a French word!")

Aila: "there's an excellent girl in my preschool class." "Oh really? Why is she excellent?" "Because she makes excellent fairy houses."

Aila, to a woman at church, "I can't imagine where my mommy went!!"

Aila, in the car with windows down: "mom, emer's hair is like a ball of fire!" (wind blowing his hair)

Out in the garden with the kids and I put a zucchini and single cherry tomato on the wooden railing. A minute later I turn around and emerson has chipmunk cheeks and the tomato is missing. Abram and Aila can't believe he would actually eat a tomato! Then we go inside and he happily eats four more. 

October 2016: Emerson's first steps! 

Traveling to Texas for Ben's family reunion....Had a stressful day of traveling including almost missing our flight in Oakland due to crazy, crazy traffic and Emerson pooping everywhere during the flight...and the (large) lady next to me appeared to be taking a nap so I tried to quickly change him on my squished lap and she woke up halfway through...whoops...Ben was rows away from us and poor Abram was next to me with messy diaper basically in his face..."Mom, I wish I was sitting with Daddy"...  But we made it alive!! 

Kid Notes January 2016-June 2016

KID NOTES January 2016-June 2016

Aila potty training: my genius idea was to allow Abram a reward as well if he helped her go. He was all over it--reminding her to go ("do you need to go potty?"), turning the water on for her to wash her hands, and praising her, "you went potty, good job!"  

Diaper-free, treats for everyone, success all around. 

Aila: "Mom, can I have some stirrup on my pancake?"  (syrup) 

Aila: "I'm a princess!!"

Abram: "when you die, will you still remember me and your life? How?"

Abram shared his "kibble" from preschool with Aila--only one animal cracker and one gummy bear. Broke cracker in half and tried to cut gummy bear in half. Each got three cheese puffs 

Abram: "mom, guess what? I just can't stop thinking about Lego sets! I just keep thinking and thinking about them. When I'm 25 I think I'll still be thinking about them. I'll have to do a LOT of extra chores and get a LOT of money for Lego sets!" "And when I'm a grandpa I'll still like Legos. Even in heaven if there are Lego stores I'll go to the Lego stores!"

Observation at preschool for Abram--teachers only had good things to say about him--great spatial awareness, plays well with everyone, solves problems without teacher, raises hand, loves imaginative play, plays with lots of different toys, good at cleaning up, great fine motor skills, physically--can run, jump, leap

Made Positive reinforcement sticker charts--Aila refused to wash her hands after going potty and Abram said, "remember Aila, don't follow Satan or you won't get a sticker on your chart."

Aila: "I need a mack-in!" (Napkin)

Aila: "Abram,  you have to be quiet when I'm on the phone. ...(bustles around and talks on the phone...) "Abram, I'm so proud of you for that while I was on the phone!" Haha

(This is from Ben) Abram was humming Praise to the Man while building Legos and he came in to the kitchen where I was and said, "dad, do you know that I pretty much always hum that song when I build Legos?" Me: "oh, really?" Him, "yeah, I really like it and like the tune and my favorite prophet is Joseph Smith." Me: "wow, great" him: "I even sometimes hum it at breakfast and lunch."

Aila singing 'BOM stories'..."long ago their fathers came from far across the street..."

Abram to me: "I got in my car seat the first time you asked!!" Then Aila, "yeah and I got in the five and third time you asked!!"  Me "yep!"

Brought home leftover croissants from YW. Ben told Abram it was a French food. Abram: "I reeeeally wish I can serve my mission in France!!"

Classical cello in the car: Abram "I loooove this music!"

Trying to get everyone in the car...Abram comes and I say "where's Aila?" "Oh, she's coming. She just likes to take her time."

Abram: "we're getting Helaman balloons for daddy!" (Helium)

Park after violin lesson: simple joys of the heart

Abram--up close to his face, his innocent blue eyes...growing up way too fast--he now has little freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose. 

Aila--filled my heart to watch you as I helped you across the zip line. Your hands clutched the handle above your head and I looked up and smiled at how your arms were squishing your little cheeks out, your happy brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight as you looked ahead, with your little nose sitting right in the middle of all that

....Abram racing around as fast as he could with Aila bustling behind him; their eyes glittering every time they completed a task at hand--climbing the slide, jumping off the step, ...love seeing their rosy cheeks and sweaty heads after working so hard and exploring the new park. 

Abram "how does the ocean keep its height AALLL the year long?"

Abram and Aila set up a restaurant. Abram served me lunch and it cost $208.00, however, my baby's food was free along with a complimentary booster and baby toy.  Aila served me a smoothie and it cost 5 (hold up five fingers) minutes. :)

At the park, Abram trying to convince Aila to go on a new slide: "Aila, its okay. Sometimes you have to try new things. I'll go with you."

Abram: "is Santa nocturnal?"

Abram: "How does your phone send a text message to all the YW's phones?"

Aila, "and I looked everywhere and it wasn't everywhere but then I found it in the bathroom!"

After returning from Utah for 2.5 weeks, Emerson made the softest, sweetest little coos this morning, looking all around his room, as if to say, "I remember this place."

Emers gets so excited when he sees siblings. Waves arms, kicks legs, open mouth smile....

Abram, looking at emers "he looks bigger than yesterday!....mom, does Emerson know he's a human?"

Abram "mom, my preschool is really good. We should send Aila there when she gets older."

A & A winking eyes. Abram: "Mom, are our eyes connected together?" "No, just connected to our brains." "But not connected together and THEN to our brains?" "Nope." "Oh. I thought they were connected Because Aila can't close one and open the other at the same time."

After talking about reusing and recycling at preschool: "mom, you should reuse that bagel bag!!"

Abram was like a celebrity at preschool after missing three weeks from being in Utah. Lots of hugs, everyone wanting to sit by him, moms telling me how excited their kids were when he came back, etc. 

Aila: "Mom! I have my princess dress, my crown, and my wand...and now I'm gonna fight people!" (eek)

We had our first ever official family council with the kids and discussed how to decrease the whining going on around here. Aila suggested dried mangoes as a reward for using nice words and voices. 

Aila, very alarmed voice, "MOM! Emersons eating his spit up!!" Me: "He's okay, Aila." (Insert sweetest, high-pitched voice:) "It's okay, Emers, you can eat your spit-ups!"

Abram pulled out a white almond out of the mixed nuts: "mom, I think this almond came from Russia or the North Pole." "How come?" "Because it's white." 

Abram made a Mother's Day preschool gift, and as all the other mothers opened theirs at pickup on Friday, he insisted on hiding it from me and saving it for Sunday, Mother's Day.  So cute and thoughtful. 

Picked up Abrams soccer uniform...by the time we drove to Costco, he had his shin guards on, and by the time I nursed Emerson in the car, he was all suited up. :)

Aila, the morning after her 3rd bday, "Mom, is I'm three??"

Aila: "I can spread my blankie by myself because I'm a big three-yr-old!"

Me to Aila "you're a smart missy!" Aila: "AND I'm a sweet missy!"

Abram refused his snap peas at lunch, but I told him he needed to eat a veggie. He said he wanted a salad. So I said he'd have to make his own because I was putting Aila and Em down for naps. And I came back out to him eating his spinach, carrot, pecan, almond salad with ranch. ;)

Memorial Day: driving into the cemetery to visit my great gma and gpa's graves, Abram said, "I think these were great people who did what Heavenly Father asked them to do." Sweet, sweet boy.

Abram, "Mom. I reeeeally want a treehouse. When can we build a treehouse?" "Well, we can't build one here because we don't own this house." "Well when will we own a house?" "Houses are very expensive so we're saving up money to buy one someday." "You can use my money!! I want a treehouse even more than Lego sets!"

Emerson: army crawling at 7 months. Absolutely adores big brother and sister. 

Abram strep throat. Me, "I think we should give you some medicine. Does your throat hurt?" Aila, "mom, I need some medicine because my feeling hurts!"

A note from Sis Murazzo, who helped in nursery today: "I had so much fun with Aila today! She and I need more play dates. I think we read 15 books. She kept wanting more and more. She knows her animals very well and we decided she needs a kitten. She called and talked to you on the phone for a while, but for some reason, Ben didn't pick up when she called.  She is so much fun!"

Afternoon at the park: the simple joy of pushing Aila and Abram in the swings; Aila's brown eyes sparkling with pure glee in the sunlight, saying, "faster mom, faster!" Abram's sounds of joy as he swings higher and higher, just learning how to pump his own legs...with emerson on my hip, flapping his little arms in excitement and scrunching his nose in a huge smile as he watches their delight. Then I take a turn and swing with Emer in my lap, and watch his little legs kick with excitement, his wispy hair against my face. And I have the thought: I am living my childhood dream of being a mother, loving and laughing and playing with my kids. My heart could burst. What a blessing.

October 2015-January 2016

KID NOTES October 2015-January 2016

Me "is Matthew the only one you played with at preschool today?" Abram "yeah because he's more clever than the other boys. And so am I." Upon further inquiry i learned that clever means how fast you can run. 

Abram: "Aila, I'll hold your hand during the car wash so you're not scared." "Oh, so I don't cry?" "Yeah."

Aila in a high-pitched voice in his face, "oh hi baby Emerson! You're okay! You're okay!"

Me, after aila peed on the carpet, "pee-pee belongs in the potty, not on the carpet." Her: "no! Pee pee belongs on the carpet, and that's the truth!!"

This morning as I'm hurrying around trying to get things done, Abram calls out from the BR, "mom, there's no more toilet paper!" I go out to the garage for more TP, pass Emerson and hear him poop in his diaper...then I come in from the garage and aila says, "mom, I'm poopy!"  Just takin' care of business around here... ;)

Aila: "mom, when is it thanksgiving and we eat too much pie?" (Been reading thanksgiving books lately...)

Abram having a whiny evening: "I just wanna be sad!!" "You want to be sad?" "Actually I don't but I just want what I can't have!!"

Abram: This sweet boy got to the kitchen first this morning. I heard him out there but hurried and jumped in the shower. I came out to find that he got out bowls and spoons for everyone, poured us each some Cheerios and milk, complete with honey drizzled on top. He even colored and cut out a turkey to put under Ben's bowl to make it extra special because he's sick. THEN, after church, he worked so hard making a cheese/mayo/mustard/kale sandwich, which he cut in half and shared with Ben.  Plus, I came home from meetings to the sweetest fall leaf necklace he made for me!!! Enough to make me cry, he's so sweet. 

Costco two days before thanksgiving with three kids (emers in wrap)--man said he passed us a few times and thought I was doing amazing. Thought about it all day--nice words go a long way!

Ben: "we're going to the temple today!" Aila, "can i come?" "Yep, we all get to go!" "Is Jesus gonna be there?" 

During sac mtg: helping Abram stay reverent--open his BOM to a picture of Christ. He says, "what is he looking at?"  Me: "I don't know, what do you think?" Him: "I think he's looking at someone who needs help." Me: "Do you think he loves that person?" Him: "Yeah."

Aila: "because I'm a big goal!!" (Girl)

Me nursing Emerson and I hear Aila, "mommy, I'm getting messy!!" Makeup all over her face. 

Yes, Aila is very transparent....yelling from across the house, "mom, I'm eating gum from your diaper bag!!"

(Driving) Aila: "look, mom, the clouds are pink!" Abram: "the clouds aren't pink, Aila, it's just the sun reflecting on them." "Oh."

Abrams Q's about Santa: "are there two santas? Because how does he get to aaaaalllll the houses in the world?" "How do the reindeer fly?" "Do the reindeer ever fall off the roof? How do they fit? How many are there?"

Abram: "mom do frogs know they're frogs?"

Abram: "how did Mary and Joseph get made if they were on earth before Jesus was born to make them?"

Aila watching byu bball with Ben: "did it go in the hula-hoop?!"

Primary nativity practice last night. Abram is a shepherd. Everyone keeps telling me how great of a singer he is--knows all the words and sings out. 

Aila holds her baby and bounces and shushes her. :)

Aila: "actually, I don't want my pb&j. I just wanna dance. Can you turn on a song for me?"

Aila: "mom, can yer -----?" (she says "yer" a lot)

Aila, opening the fridge, "mom, where's the Thomas??!!" (hummus)

Abram: "it's noisy at our house. I think we can only have one more kid in our family."

Emerson: showed off his strength and coordination by rolling over back-to-stomach several times and stomach-to-back once before turning 4 months. Our pediatrician was impressed. 

Moved Aila into Abrams room so we could move Emerson out of ours. The first night Aila kept talking to abram and she kept both of them up late. Second night, Abram said: "Aila, you can't talk to me tonight. It's time to sleep." Third night, I hear: "abraaaaaam!! Aaaaabraaaaam!" I go in and find Abram fast asleep with Aila standing up, distressed in her crib, "mom! Abrams not talking to me!!!"

Abram: "I'm going to remember this birthday for the rest of my life. Even until next Saturday." 5th birthday--Wade's came to visit, Ben and I decorated with balloons and streamers (specifically requested by Abram--where to put streamers, etc), played games (all thoroughly thought out and directed by Abram--musical chairs, Simon says, laughing game, pop balloon to get candy, race game, superhero/bad guy game), made Lego masks, rode bike to park, went to ihop for dinner where he got pancakes and a free ice cream dessert, opened presents, and had a Rice Krispie volcano cake made by Gma Karen. Such a fun day!

The morning of his bday, I heard him and Aila chatting--"Abram, let's talk about your bday!" "A-wuh, it's already my bday so there's nothing to talk about!" 

Lying down with my newly-turned 5-yr-old tonight, my heart teetered between joy for the blessing of this precious boy in our family and mourning for his fastly-disappearing little-boy years. But he put it all into perspective as he sleepily said: "I'm a special boy forever and ever and ever." "You're right, Abram. I love you." "I love you." Happy birthday, sweet boy. 

Me getting Emerson to sleep in his room, Aila comes in and says, "mom, can we have gum?" I shake my head no.  I hear her run down the hall to Abram and exclaim, "she said yes!!" 

(Me getting Emerson to sleep again) Aila: "Mom, can we watch a movie?" I shake my head no. Pitter-patter down the hall: "She said yes!!"

Costco run with all three kids... I finally unload all the groceries in the rain and have two out of three buckled in car seats when Aila says, "mom, I need to go potty!!"  She has a pull-up on and most of me wants to tell her to go in her pull-up but she did that earlier and was really upset by it. Sooooo, I put the carrier back on with Emerson, lift A & A back into the cart. (Still raining.) We book it back in to Costco, get to bathroom and thankfully the handicap stall is open. (Where's the "mom with three kids 5 and under" stall??) we all go in and I hurry and put Aila on the potty. ... I'm holding her arm so she doesn't fall in...(Tick tick tick)..."Aila, are you sure you need to go?" "Yeah." Sits there looking at me (I'm still holding her and yes, emers is still in the carrier and I'm sweating.) Then Abram, "mom, I need to go too!" "Okay, just wait till Aila's done...Aila, should we just try again at home?" "No." Just looks at me. (Tick tick tick...) then FINALLY, the sound we are all waiting for! Her little face lights up, "Mom, I'm going!" Thank goodness. Then Abram gets a turn, and by this time I need to go too. After getting everyone's hands washed and dried (we took up all three sinks) I go against my usual and decide we all earned Costco hot dogs and smoothies to share.   *Phew!*  Just another day in the life of a mom and her three littles...

Aila potty training: my genius idea was to allow big brother a reward as well if he helped her go. He was all over it--reminding her to go ("A-wuh, do you need to go potty?"), turning the water on for her to wash her hands, and praising her, "A-wuh, you went potty, good job!"  Chocolate chips all around!

January 2016: finished first read-aloud chapter book with Abram! (It only took one day but he was really excited about it!)