Only Emmett

About 6 months ago I remember wondering if Emmett would EVER make it out of his terrible three stage.  I felt like he gave me a run for my money every day of my life, and I just didn't know how to handle him.  The doctor summed it up at his 3 year visit, "Feelings get hurt VERY easily at this age," she said.  You didn't have to even be mean to hurt his feelings--LITTLE changes in the day would shatter his tranquility.  I am so happy that we're finally past that...tantrums and bawl-fests don't happen every hour anymore...maybe once a day.  And he's finally able to understand the rationality of consequences and can make agreements.  With the maturity that comes with this stage, his hilarious personality is shinning through more, too.  Here are some favorite recent quotes:

D-Jo:  You're so cute.
Emmett: I'm not cute, I'm awesome.
Mitch:  You're cute in an awesome way.
Emmett:  NO.  Cute is cute, and awesome is awesome.

Whenever something doesn't go his way, or when he doesn't want to do chores anymore, you can find him saying, "I have no energy.  Carry me."

I love to kiss his cute little face, but he tells me, "I'm allergic to kisses!"

Mitch got a laugh out of this one first:  Emmett was heartbroken about something that Mitch wouldn't let him do (it was probably something a good parent would say, like, "No, you can't eat the entire bag of butterscotch chips and skip out on dinner" or it could have been over sharing a toy or something), and Emmett had a MELTDOWN.  Now imagine Luke Skywalker's facial expression in Star Wars when he gets his arm sliced off and finds out that Darth Vader is his father.  Emmett will make a face like that in his melt down and point with all fervency, "See my face?  THIS IS A SAAAAD FACE!"  It's so funny!

When the kids are not quite asleep, but pretend to still be asleep, Mitch calls them "Faker Bakers".  The other day, Emmett was being a faker baker as I was bringing him in from the van.  I could tell he was tired and wanted to fall asleep.  I took it as an opportunity to tell him things I want him to know at a moment I knew he would hear me & not talk back.

D-Jo:  Oh, I'm so lucky!  This is such a special boy.  I love EVERYTHING about this little Emmett.  I'm so lucky to be his mom.  There's no other Emmett in the world that could ever make me happier.  I know his daddy feels the same way about him, too. (Kept saying mushy things like that.)
Emmett (eyes still closed--methodically moves his thumb from his mouth):  LAME.
D-Jo: What?  You're awake?  Did you just call me lame?
Emmett:  Yes!  Haha!
D-Jo: Do you even know what lame means?
Emmett:  Lame is stuff you want to throw away.
D-Jo: Take it back!

He's such a tease!  He was calling me lame, because I was being mushy.  In this family, it's seriously something only Emmett would do.  He's one of a kind, and he makes me laugh. I'm so glad he keeps it real for me--I don't know what I'd do if I had boring cookie-cutter kids.  It's a good thing they all come with their very own ideas and personalities.  It keeps my life interesting, that's for sure.

Pajama Pants

 

As far as mother-in-laws go, I happen to have the BEST one.  I'm not just biased, either.  You could look the world over, interview millions of people, and still find that Myrna is the cream of the crop.  There are days I sit and contemplate what I can learn from her, and how I can be like her, so that I'll know what to do when my kids get married and I become a mother-in-law.  I think it's probably hard to let your little boys grow up and get married and start families of their own, because that's when everything really changes.  I am personally dreading the separation factor someday--not that I don't want my little boys to grow into wonderful men, because I do.  I'm afraid that they won't come back and visit me all the time.  One thing I'm realizing, too, is that this is the only phase in my life where my little boys will only be MY little boys (and Mitch's).  Someday I'm going to have to share them with other families--which is not a bad thing--I'm just realizing that I need to enjoy this time in my life with my kids for what it is, because it won't always be the same.  It won't always be like this, and they won't always want or need me.  I certainly hope they'll always want and need their mother, but I know it'll probably be in different ways and I know that change can be hard.

 

At any rate, Myrna made all of her kids and grandkids matching pajama pants for Christmas with matching T-shirts from Hawaii--the ONLY stipulation was that she needed us to take family pictures in them.  Her words have been haunting me for months: "I don't care if you never wear them again, just take a picture in them for me."  That was Christmas Eve--I was ready to take a picture then and there, but it was decided we should take the picture on Christmas morning.  But then the Plague of 2012 happened and Mitch and Tyson were puking for Christmas.  So, here we are.  It's APRIL.  She has NEVER said anything negative, even though she could have.  She could have bawled us out and told us to get our act together and quit taking so long, BUT SHE DIDN'T!  And I'm so grateful for her kindness, love, and patience.  So that she doesn't think we're ingrates, here are our family pictures (Mitch set up the camera and we snapped photos with a remote...we had to get creative to keep the kids interested enough in hopes that we would MAYBE snap one good shot). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(We moved locations once we realized that the flash brings out the smudges on the glass door of the fireplace.  Oops!  Haha!)

Mitch and I think this one is hilarious.  We're trying to figure out what exactly happened to merit a baby that looks dazed, a 3 year old with a scowl, and a funny smile from our oldest.

 

 

Ta-Da!  Mission Accomplished!

Expectations

Have you ever had anyone tell you how AWESOME an experience is and so you go into the adventure with HIGH expectations and get LESS than you bargained for?   It might not matter that the reason you had a bad experience had to do with the fact that you or your kids were sick when you went, or maybe you just had a bad attitude, or maybe the event wasn't your "cup of tea".  ALL that matters and all that you remember is that it was SUPPOSED to be OUT OF THIS WORLD, and you left DISAPPOINTED.

 

Well, we had the OPPOSTIE of that situation happen to us!  We were told how HORRIBLE the Sea Life Aquarium was and to NEVER pay full price (so we took coupons), and we thought it was going to be like any other place in the Valley of the Sun, and what we ended up getting was an AMAZING DAY!

 

 

The sea life was UP CLOSE & PERSONAL!

We saw a SEA TURTLE!

We pet STARFISH!

We put our heads in VIEWING HOLES so we felt like we were IN THE TANK!

We saw HUGE STINGRAYS!

We almost got eaten by SHARKS!

We had time as a FAMILY!

We thought we would hardly spend any time there, but we almost didn't plan for enough time to see everything!

 

We saw lion fish!!!  We love lion fish!

And we saw JellyFish (not pictured), but Emmett is STILL talking about the jellies!

We learned that Daddy seahorses are the ones that get pregnant--which could be the reason they look like they're sick--poor, little, nauseus daddies!  Throwing up might just help them feel better.

 

Maybe we were absolutely satisfied because our kids LOVE animals, sea life, and nature.  Maybe we were excited because we got a rockin' deal with the newspaper coupon we clipped.  Maybe we were satisfied because we expected NOTHING and got BLOWN AWAY. 

And maybe I should just tell you NEVER to go there unless you get in for pennies, because you'll HATE it--and then maybe you'll wind up like me. :)

Doesn't Get Better than This

I sat down to document something else, but I just couldn't get past these adorable pictures that Mitch took of the boys.  Could life get any better than this?  No way.  And who needs professional photo shoots when your husband can catch what life is really like with these kids? BLISS.

I actually wasn't here at the park with them--Mitchell was letting me sleep in.  We were supposed to be having a special breakfast for my dad's birthday on this particular morning, but that blew up, because the ONE person who was essential to the celebration had a meeting no one else knew about, haha.  And so Mitch took the boys to the park and they ate their very own, special, cereal-in-a-cup-with-a-spoon-at-a-park breakfast.  And by the grins on their faces, you can tell it was a SMASHING SUCCESS--as is ANYTHING they get to do with their DADDY.

Jesus Loves YOU

It has been an amazing ride to be a part of the Easter Pageant this year.  It has definitely been a sacrifice and a different experience than I ever imagined with the kids.  I am so grateful we did this as a family,  I am so grateful for the way we all grew as individuals in the gospel and how we came closer as a family.

All my life I have dreamed of what it would be like to be a mom with the opportunity to take my children to the knee of the Savior.  I look forward to the day he will come again, and with all my heart I HOPE that I will be able to take my kids to see Him, to learn of Him, so that HE will bless them.  I don't know when the Lord will come again, so in the mean time, moments like this in the Easter Pageant are as close as we're going to get.  This scene is one of the most pivitol moments in the Easter Pageant for me.  I have pondered it for the last few weeks.  Even though there are MANY in the crowd, you NEVER feel as if you're insignificant, and when He looks in your eyes, you KNOW he loves you.  I wish everyone could see the Savior looking back at them and that image could stay in their minds.  Sometimes it's easy to feel like we're not important because there are so many people in this world.  We need to remember that God knows us and He loves us.  He created us and is aware of everything that happens in our lives.  We need to turn to Him and try to live like Him.

Here are some of the highlights from the rest our family:

MITCH - One night he was holding Emmett and had a special moment by the Savior in the Triumphal Entry, and then in the mob scene, the actor who plays Christ looked at Mitchell as if, "You, too?"  It really seemed to hit home for Mitch.  There were people who had been close to Jesus who still turned from him.  How often have we felt the Savior's love and seen miracles in our lives and yet our actions betray Him?  We MUST do everything we can to come closer to him.

TYSON - One night I asked him what his favorite part of the Pageant was, he became thoughtful, but then I said, "Didn't you say it was the Triumphal Entry?"  He responded, "No.  I said the Triumphal Entry was my favorite SCENE.  My favorite PART is helping people to feel the Spirit in their heart or soul."

EMMETT - Emmett was cranky some nights and I didn't think he was getting much out of it, but one night he almost missed the Triumphal Entry, and he told Mitch - "It's Hosanna time!"  Another night, he started singing the Finale song out of the blue and he knew almost every word, "Today I saw Jesus, the Savior of the Earth, I heard the angels singing as they herald at his birth.  Today I saw Jesus, the Christ, my King.  My Savior, my Redeemer, forever I'll sing.  I know He lives!"

MILES - In the Healing and Teaching Scene one night, Miles acted as if he understaood everything that was happening.  He doesn't talk much, but this night he smiled when the blind man could see again.  When the adulteress came on stage I said, "Here comes the bad lady," and Miles said, "Uh-oh".  I stayed in character and said, "Here's the true test.  Will Jesus choose love, or will he turn her away."  And Miles said, "Uuhv" for love.  I was absolutely amazed.  Another special thing happened with Miles yesterday.  He said, "Jesus" for the first time as he pointed to his picture at a baptism we went to.  I had hoped that Miles would take his first steps at the Easter Pageant.  That will come in time.  I can't think of anything better to come as a "first" from this experience for him, than for him to learn to say the name of the Lord.


Happy Easter, Everyone.  I know that Jesus atoned for our sins and for our pains.  He died and on the 3rd day rose again.  We can live again and will live again someday, because of the promise of the resurrection.  What a beautiful day.  I know He lives.

The DREADED Stitches

We've had a pretty insane life lately.  I've been working little side jobs (tutoring/office work for my mom/teaching piano) to get out of debt faster while I stay home with the kids.  Not to mention, we've been busy with other extracurricular activities and have helped out with the Easter Pageant.  All of last week's evenings we were busy as a family.  So Sunday came and I was happy to have a "day off".  The joke was on me.  After church, my husband just wanted to leave the house & go to our family dinner early.  I said, "Well, we can still go early, but let me clean the kitchen first."  That was my first mistake. :)  I sat the boys down to color pictures for my brother, Taylor, on a mission in Guatemala, and 20 minutes later when my dishes were done and my kitchen looked great, Emmett got up from the table to get something and RAN INTO the corner of our island counter.  Our kids have hit the counter many times before, but this time, the counter THREW him back, and he kind of flipped back to the floor.  Mitch and I ran to him and picked him up and when Emmett moved his little hands from his face, blood was EVERYWHERE.

 

 

This is after he was all cleaned up and it was still gaping.  Poor Tyson had the hardest time with the blood.  He looked up and his voice started shaking, "Oh my!  This is scary!"  Once I confirmed that the eyeball wasn't injured and that it was just the eyebrow, I told Tyson "Don't worry, it's just a head wound--they bleed a lot, but he's going to be okay."  As the wound kept bleeding and I could tell a butterfly bandaid probably wouldn't work with the hair, I told Mitch I thought Emmett needed stitches and as we were gathering things to go Tyson re-entered the room and I said, "Buddy, you might want to say a little prayer for your brother." Without hesitation, voice still shaking, he said, "But I JUST did!  That's where I was!  I ran to my room and said a prayer!"

 

Bless his heart.  It made me so happy that his first reaction for peace and comfort and help was to pray.  I believe it helped, too.  Some might call it a coincidence, but Emmett's wound quit gushing blood about the time Tyson was praying.  Never underestimate the power of a child's prayer.

Tyson was coaching Emmett all the way to the doctor--"It's going to be okay.  It might hurt a little, but it will help you.  You're probably going to have to have stitches, but you'll be okay."

 



 

My poor children--we we ALL there for the papoose, the crying, the screaming when the stitches really did hurt even though he was supposed to be numb.  I had to tell myself that I was doing the right thing and that I was being a good parent.  My anxiety level was rising with each stitch. Finally at the end of the 3rd stitch when I couldn't take it anymore the doctor said, "We're done!" And I said, "Thank goodness!"  What a miserable experience.  :)  It's a good thing Mitch was there, because Emmett just wanted his daddy.

 

 

Mitch made me laugh, because he bought mustaches from the little vending machine to cheer up Emmett.  Emmett would begin to crack a smile but after half a second he would remember that he was still upset.  We tried to tell him he looked like a pirate or a ninja, but he didn't like that idea until the Tylenol kicked in.  When he felt better then we were trying to get him to calm down with his ninja moves.  :)

 

The picture is a little washed out, but there's a scrape under his eye, too.  I am so grateful he didn't lose an eye.  God created eye brows for a reason, and I'm so grateful it saved my little boy's eye.

 

Out with the Old...in with the Swagger Wagon

When we had Miles, we were cramming 3 little boys and 3 little car seats into the back of a Dodge Neon.  I literally had to shove the back door closed, because the car seats were a 1/2 inch too bulky for the back of the car.  However, my car was paid off, and we're on a really strict debt snowball, and there was no way I was going to get a new vehicle with a payment.  I was ready to run our car into the ground, puttering on it's last breath, before I bought another.

 

 

Mitch on the other hand was anxious for a new vehicle whether or not we were in the middle of our debt snowball, and he felt like it was not unreasonable to put aside $500-$800/month if we could work extra and eventually purchase a vehicle that would last a long time.  Those numbers were way too astronomically high for me, because I could just see our debt snowball being on hold forever and I could our student loans hanging over us into our 90's.

 

The kids hugging "Roberta" good-bye.

 

The solution:  We called Dave Ramsey for advice.  :)  He said that Mitch and I were both on opposite extremes and that we needed to meet in the middle.  He also said it's hard to fit 3 chihuahuas in the back of a neon, haha!  He also brought up that our vehicle probably still had value--which it did.  He also gave us a lot of hope by encouraging us--he was happy because Mitch & I we're on the same page with our goals to get out of debt and stay out of debt and said that we were just working out some of the little nuances on our way to our end goal.  He was proud of us for not wanting to finance a vehicle and said he's really excited for the next decade of our lives.

 

By the end of the summer, we got $2200 for our neon.  And the 2nd van we looked at from online postings happened to be listed by Mitch's cousin (but we didn't know it was his until we met up to look at the van).  It was so funny.  We did a test drive & were sold on it!  We knew he wasn't lying to us about the car's history, and it was in our price range.  They had just had their 6th baby and needed a bigger vehicle, too. Haha!  We were happy to take their awesome van off their hands and pay for it in cash.  I bought lego head decals to celebrate this milestone in our lives, because I felt REALLY OLD owning a minivan. 

 

The kids loved it--there was so much space & I could fit a stroller in the back AND buy groceries AND have all 3 car seats in AND there was STILL room!  

 

Mitch calls our van the "Swagger Wagon" sometimes, to help us feel cooler as parents of 3 driving a minivan.  And we've named the vehicle "Van Solo" since our kids were obsessed with Star Wars at the time. 

 

Life is so good!