Things I am Thankful For

Occasionally I have been known to have a pessimistic attitude about life. This is not always the happiest way to look at things so I am trying to better. I have many things to be thankful for, but sometimes my hardships or problems seem so big I can't see the forest for the trees. To help remind myself of my many blessings I will list a few things I am thankful for.

1. Our Wednesday at the Zoo and Tracy Aviary. Now as a family we try to get out and do things together. This is not always easy for Matthew since he does not enjoy crowds or anything that is not in his regular routine. It is rare we can do any of these activities without a meltdown or screaming of some sort. I must say Wednesday he did terrific. We had no meltdowns and not very much screaming which made the day even better. I can mostly handle the bad days if there are a few days of exceptional goodness sprinkled in between. The hard days really make me appreciate the really good days that much more.

2. I am thankful for the funny things my kids say at times. We have been trying to teach our heathen kids manners especially around the table for dinner. It sometimes hard to say we don't burp or toot at the table and maintain a straight face. Last Wednesday over lunch we had a good discussion on proper table manners in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner as so we would not offend anyone with out bad manners. One of the key points was we don't burp at the table. Well during Thanksgiving dinner the next day Josh was eating and then burped very loudly. He thought by just saying excuse me it would make it ok. After he said excuse me I reminded him about our discussion the day before trying not to mention any specifics. Daniel thought he would help things out by yelling to Josh with a very full mouthful of chewed up turkey where bits of it fell out while he was speaking, "REMEMBER, WE DON'T BURP AT THE TABLE, JOSH!" Good thing Daniel is there to remind us all of our manners even though he is one of the worst offenders.

Daniel can be a little forgetful at times. He has been known to forget to wipe after using the bathroom. Sorry if that is a little too much information. He told Aaron and me tonight that when he forgets to wipe it makes his bum sour. Aaron tried to ask/correct him, "It makes your bum sore?" Daniel just said, "Nope, it just makes it sour Dad." It was hard to keep a straight face.

3. I am thankful for Aaron's job and that we have enough money to meet our needs--maybe not all our wants, but at least our needs are met.

4. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who does know me and care about me. Even though I have pity parties for myself occasionally, I know this is just part of life and I need to be learning something. I guess He is trying to teach this old dog some new tricks even though I am pretty determined not to learn anything and think my way is best. I eventually find out I am terribly wrong and then see the light or so to say.

5. I am thankful for a good family who tries to support us through our trials. Even if it is just a word of encouragement it is still appreciated and sometimes just what I need to hear. We are trying our best with the hand we have been dealt, but sometimes things don't work out according to plan.

6. I am thankful for a good husband who is truly my best friend and confidant. He has really been a rock lately since with this pregnancy I seem to fall apart at the drop of a hat. He is getting really good about dealing with a shoulder sopping wet from a very tearful wife. Even a song or a sweet poem can bring tears to my eyes. This is so not like me so he has to just roll his eyes, be ready with a tissue and let me cry. It is going to be a long pregnancy.

7. I am thankful for the chance to have children. They teach me a lot about patience--even more than I care to learn. It makes me even more excited for Aaron's sister Jill who just found out she is pregnant with her first baby after her third round of invitro fertilization. We found out this week and are so excited for her. Children really are a blessing. I do love my children even though sometimes they can push me to my limit.

8. Cheesecake--'nuff said.
9. Bubble baths
10. Good Books

Thanksgiving and Black Friday (The Other Holiday)

For Thanksgiving this year we headed to G&G T's house along with my brother and his family and my own G&G (my mom's parents). G&G T were gracious enough to make a Daniel friendly turkey which was a good thing since he ate a ton of it and not much of anything else. Daniel is definitely a carnivore!! I got to bring the "smashed" potatoes and a dessert for Daniel. Grandma T made a few dishes just for Daniel so he could enjoy Thanksgiving, but they didn't compare to the turkey in Daniel's eyes. Dinner was delicious. Grandma T even set up a craft for the kids to do which kept them busy for a little bit. Then after a few meltdowns and some broken toys that afternoon we decided it was time for us to come home. Before we left we did get a picture with Great G&G Gee. When we got home I got out my Black Friday ads and called my sister when we made up our game plan. I was rather disappointed in what the sales were this year so I just planned to go to be moral support and an extra pair of hands for my sister. Fortunately or unfortunately--depending on how you look at it--I didn't remain empty handed. I came home spending a lot more than I had planned on, but at least Aaron and my Christmas is now done. I guess that's a good thing. I thought everyone else's Christmas was taken care of as well until we went to visit Santa tonight. The kids all had turns on Santa's lap and told him all different things than what they had told us. Seeing as Santa had already gotten what they had originally asked for and had never heard of any of the new stuff, I think I will be planting quiet suggestions of what they really want to help them really make up their minds. We saw Santa at the Christmas Tree Jubilee in Ogden. It is a mini charity like Festival of the Trees benefiting special needs kids in the area. We love going to this every year and this year was no different. Sarah didn't care for Santa, but the rest of the kids loved telling him all the things they wanted and getting their picture taken.

Free Day at the Zoo

Wednesday the zoo had a free day and all the kids were out of school so I thought why not. I was even more excited when Aaron decided to take the day off to go with us. It was nice because I really needed the help. It was a clear day, but very cold when we got there. It warmed up a few degrees, but winter is officially here I am afraid to say. We got to see most of the animals, but since we got there first thing in the morning some of them were still in their enclosures where the public couldn't see them. We got to the monkeys (all different species), elephant including the baby elephant, giraffes, etc. We were a little sad to find out the lion had passed away a few years ago so we didn't get to see any lions. The kids fit right in with all the wild animals since they were pretty crazy, too. After grabbing a quick lunch we then headed over to the Tracy Aviary to check out the different birds. I have had a pass there for awhile and have yet to make it there so we decided to check it out. It was nice because we were the only ones there. Josh and Daniel kept themselves busy by chasing the peacocks all over the place. They never caught up to them, but it got some of their energy out. It was fun day.

What are We Thinking?

Sometimes, well often times, I wonder what goes through my kids' minds and I am sure people wonder what goes through my mind. Here are some examples: Thursday morning Josh woke up early of course, but good thing for him he obeys and stays in his room until it is time for breakfast. I was up pretty early because I can't sleep so I was listening to them play. I heard Josh cough a few times, but didn't worry about it. When it reached the right time for breakfast Josh came upstairs and said, "Mom, I just ate a button." I guess that is what caused the coughing I had heard earlier. Now this stands to reason--why did you eat a button. I asked him, but he just looked at me blankly and didn't have any reason. Wonder what it tasted like, but not enough to try one myself. I do feed my kids honest!! I don't know why he felt the need to eat a button. I have heard of pica, but what nutrient could possibly be missing from his diet to drive him to eat plastic buttons?

Another example happened just this morning. Josh and Daniel took a shower and while in the shower they stopped up the tub to get a few inches in the bottom of the tub to play with. Usually this isn't too much of a problem because they keep the shower curtain closed which contains most of the water. After their shower Daniel came downstairs saying Josh was washing his clothes. Fearing the worst and needing more details Aaron called Josh downstairs to see what was going on. I guess Josh felt the need to "wash" the towel in the nasty post shower water in the stopped up tub to get it "clean". He then shoved the newly "cleaned" towel in the dirty clothes hamper while being sopping wet. Awesome! I guess we will be doing a load of laundry today, Sunday, of all days. We are trying not to let Josh see us laugh, but we can't help, but wonder: Honestly, what was he thinking?

Another example happened yesterday. Josh and Daniel had a shower in the morning and my kids are not picky about what they wear. Aaron or I usually just pick something out and put it in the hallway for them to get dressed in when they finish their shower. Josh and Daniel got out and dressed. It wasn't until the afternoon that Aaron went upstairs and found some underwear laying in the hallway that suspiciously looked like the pair he had given Daniel to put on that morning. He asked Daniel if he was wearing underwear and Daniel swore he was wearing underwear so we believed him and went about our business wondering where the suspicious pair of underwear came from. It wasn't until Daniel decided to go potty later in the afternoon--the kind where you sit down--when he yelled, "Dad, I don't have any underwear on." I would think that would be uncomfortable while wearing jeans, but I guess it wasn't that bad for Daniel at least because he went for most of the day like that.

People are going to be wondering what I was thinking when they drive past our house. We decided to put up our Christmas decorations yesterday. I know it's before Thanksgiving, but Christmas takes so much work to set up I want to get my maximum amount of enjoyment from it. That way by the time New Years comes I am more than ready to get everything back to normal. Here's a picture of part of the living room. Last night we all went to a rodeo. We won some tickets from a radio station and decided to go because, hey, it was free. We had a few strikes against us, though. One strike was it started after my kids' bedtime. On the drive to the rodeo all the kids, except Matthew, fell asleep in the car and some of them are not fun to wake up--the biggest offender would be Daniel. He takes after Aaron in that department. We stayed as long as the kids were good and left when we couldn't stand to hear the whininess anymore. It was a fun thing to do and I think the kids liked it, but they would have had more fun if they weren't asked to stay up so late--9:30pm. That's when you know you have little kids vs. big kids because my kids still like to go to bed early unlike the tweens/teenagers that can stay up all hours of the night. I like this age, though despite the late night whininess.

Good Things Come In Threes?

I had an OB doctor's appointment this morning. This one we had been anticipating since our baby is far enough along in the pregnancy we should be able to tell what the sex of the baby is for sure. As the doctor was measuring the baby he saved the best for last--the gender. We were pretty sure it was a girl so we didn't expect anything else. BOY were we wrong!! It appears as if our little fetus girl has sprouted a third appendage between her legs and is really a BOY!!! I have keep telling myself good things come in threes as in three legs over and over again because I still don't believe it. We were so shocked. It was just two weeks ago the doctor told us he thought it was a girl. The doctor did ask us before he checked what we thought it was and we said a girl without a doubt. When he found the gender part he just sat there, "Hmmm"--I think he was trying not to laugh. I made him check again and then asked him how sure he was it was a boy. He just looked at me with a look like are you serious? and said, "Um, I think this is a sure thing." Here is the proof of that third appendage in between the legs in the second picture:

Now we are going have to try and figure out sleeping arrangements and a name for the new little boy since we had everything set up for a girl in our minds. This baby has been nothing short of surprises from the beginning! All I can say is poor Sarah--however, this will guarantee her to be majorly spoiled, but well protected with four boys looking out for her.

In other things Josh had red ribbon (aka drug prevention) week about a month ago at his school. For fun they had a drawing where everyone in the school got their name put in the bucket. The prize was 3 students got to eat lunch with the DARE officer at a local restaurant. They even got transported to the restaurant in the DARE patrol car to and from the restaurant. Josh happened to be one of the three lucky winners. However, when the day came for the lunch the school cancelled and rescheduled for later in the week. They then cancelled that and we never heard anything more about the lunch so I tried to help Josh forget about it since he was so disappointed. Well come to find out they rescheduled for yesterday and Josh was able to go. He thought it was great to ride in the DARE car with the police officer and the other two students to Sonic Drive-in. He enjoyed the whole thing and hasn't stopped talking about it since. I am glad it was a good experience and that he was finally able to go.

Orange and Sarah

Daniel had another belt test for karate last Thursday. He did well and moved on up from a yellow belt to an orange belt. He is pretty excited. He has been doing his karate moves all night after receiving his new belt at the belt ceremony today in karate. His Sensei said Daniel would be the first student possible to smile his opponent to death. He is a little bit of a ham, but I still love the little "Hi Mom!" waves throughout his karate class. The video is a small clip of the actual belt test. I am glad they make some allowances for the younger students since they don't have the greatest attention spans.Sarah had her 15 month check up today. She is doing great--she still isn't talking much, but at least she is using sign language to communicate her basic needs. Her stats are 21.6 pounds (25th percentile), length 31 inches (25th percentile), head circumference 45 cm (just under 50th percentile). She is growing, learning and is developing a sweet personality when she isn't showing her stubborn streak. She hates milk, but loves juice so I am trying to think of ways to incorporate the milk fat back into her diet since she refuses to drink it. Man, I wish I had that problem of needing more fat in my diet instead of the opposite!!

The Crystal Ball Says...Surgery

There will be surgery in Aaron's future as well as lack of dollar signs in both our futures. Such is life :). He went to the Orthopedist today and it looks like a right lateral meniscus tear in his knee--which of course, according to our luck, needs surgery to correct. He has an MRI on Thursday morning to make sure that's the proper diagnosis. From there it is a follow up appointment to discuss the MRI results and to plan the surgery. I am hoping to drag it out until our flex spending account starts up again in January, but we'll see how fast things get moving. The sad thing is he doesn't even have a good story like he did it skiing or something else--he did it while playing volleyball of all things and that's kind of funny to tease him about. Anyway, I would rather have him get the surgery sooner than later since the longer he waits the more pregnant I will be and we can't have both of us out of commission at the same time. It also isn't very fun chasing after kids while being hugely pregnant so I am hoping Aaron will be able to run after the kids before long. After the surgery there will be about a four month rehab--yup, I said a four month rehab--including physical therapy and crutches hopefully graduating into a huge brace sooner than later. What a way to kick off the New Year right?!?

Sarah is starting to turn into a girly girl and I LOVE IT!! She loves to dress herself even if she can only drape the clothes around her neck as in the video clip. She will pick up any piece of clothing and try to put it on anytime. She must be a fashion diva. She also loves putting her shoes on, and after a few minutes taking them off as well.

She also loves to pose for the camera. In this picture she was crying right before I brought out the camera and once she saw it she immediately stopped crying and started posing and smiling. What a ham! She even has started letting me do her hair for longer periods of time and it's fun. I love having a girl and hopefully by the end of the week I can definitely say I will be having two girls!!! YAY!