Spring break- a week in pictures

Over Spring break this year we made an all-too-brief trip to Utah to visit Rob's family and my girlfriends that live there. We fit in as much visiting and sightseeing as we could in only six days and came home exhausted and a bit sad that we didn't have more time, but so it goes.  I kept my camera ready for once, so buckle your seat belts and secure your tray tables in their upright and locked positions... this will be a whirlwind photographic flight!

Visiting with Rob's great aunt Elizabeth was our first stop the morning after we arrived, which was maybe a tactical error, as the kiddos were jet lagged and a little bit horrible while we were there.  She was very understanding though and we did get this sweet picture of Amelie and her beautiful great-great aunt.

Grandpa Anderson won Toby's immediate and lasting admiration when he asked him to help tighten some bolts.  They also played Mexican Train (dominoes), Ticket to Ride, and spent hours discussing dinosaurs and fossils.

We went with Grandma and Grandpa to the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point and had a great time learning, playing, and exploring.

That is a giant sea turtle skeleton chasing Charlotte and Toby.  

"Swim away!"

We had to go have lunch at our alma mater after that, buy some new BYU swag, and teach the kids about lounging on the quad. Amelie was unimpressed, but Charlotte thinks maybe she would like to go to BYU and major in art.

Then we took advantage of the availability of free babysitting and went on our typical Utah date- dinner at an Indian restaurant followed by a drive and walk around in the mountains. 

Rob was daring enough to cross this "bridge" while I stayed safely on the bank and took his photo.

He made it to the crazy rocks on the other side and of course had to climb on them.  Though you can tell, even he is a little tense with that balancing boulder so nearby.

On Friday we invited some of my old friends and roommates, and some of Rob's cousins to join us for a picnic in the park.  Here is beautiful Anna with Rammy.  He has dimples every bit as deep as hers, which are amazing!  Also, despite having not seen each other in a looooong time, Anna and I were wearing the exact same shirt in different colors.  Too funny.

Anna (with Rammy,) Karen (with Amelie,) Me, and Alecia (with Austin.)  

I am blessed to know so many amazing women!  (Note: Karen's hair is not gray, she came directly from the school where she teaches and had been playing the part of Ilsa from Frozen for her students that morning because she is a cool teacher like that.)

Sweet Cissy and her oldest, Matt. 

Cissy and I were friends way back when we were teens!  She hasn't aged even a little bit.

You might think we were done with dinosaurs, but you'd be wrong!  The Natural History Museum at the University of Utah was hosting a special exhibit on the history of chocolate with a guided tasting, so obviously we had to go to that!  I loved the interactive exhibits for the kids like this one where Jake explored a replica of a dwelling for ancient man that had "peek-a-boo" type doors to learn more about what different parts of the space were used for.

Rob's parents, sisters Becky and Rachel, and cousin Annie and her kiddos joined us for this one and we spent like 3 1/2 hours there!  It was a great place but we didn't even go to one level at all, because by this point a few of us were starting to come down with colds and were feeling tired and achy.

We rested up and went to church on Sunday.  After that, Rob was still feeling pretty awful, so he stayed home with Charlotte and Amelie while the boys and I went to have dinner with my friend Suzanne and her family.  Connor had to go to bed early, but I did get a picture of Gracie in all of her fancy finery chilling with my boys.

I love whenever I get a chance to spend time with this girl, but it was like a speed-talking marathon as we tried to fit a few years worth of visiting into a couple of hours' time... while supervising our kids!  

Monday was our last day in Utah.  We had planned to see more of Karen, but she was sick.  And I also had hoped to see my friend Sarah, but circumstances prevented that from happening as well.  Rob's sister and her family live about 100 miles away and had just had a new baby, but we couldn't seem to fit a visit there in to our schedule either. So we talked Grandma into visiting Temple Square with us.

Oh, and one more museum.  The Church History Museum has a fun exhibit about the pioneers, so we made a quick visit there and let the boys use their muscles pulling a handcart.

Then we visited the Conference Center which was completed in 2000.  This place seats 27,000, if I remember correctly, and there are extensive rooftop gardens and beautiful original pieces of artwork.  We enjoyed our brief tour.

This is the view of the Salt Lake Temple from the roof of the Conference Center.  We had such a nice visit, and only wish that we could have seen more people and spent more time with those that we did see.  We came home quite worn out and a bit under the weather, but we are sure to all be well again in time for Easter.  Thank you to Rob's Mom and Dad for hosting us and feeding us such yummy food! We are so glad we were able to make the trip and spend time with you.

"It's not fair to me, Mom."

I have done blog posts focused on three of the kids in the past month, and I can't leave out my little Bear. I hear "It's not fair to me, Mom" at least once a day from this guy lately.  We even had a family night lesson and discussion about what "fairness" means.*  He wants so very, very much to keep up with Charlotte and Toby and he does not understand that being 2 1/2 is not the same as being 5 or 7.  It doesn't help that people who meet Jakey for the first time assume he is at least 4 years old.  He speaks very clearly and has a HUGE vocabulary for such a young person, and he is the size of many 4 year olds.  But there is only so much a little guy can do.

Jacob has been trying to give up his afternoon nap.  The result is that he is now falling asleep wherever he is when he reaches the point of exhaustion.  Of course, he makes himself as comfortable as possible first.

Sometimes he just can't fight any longer though, and we have to keep a much closer eye on him during bath time these days.

I try to do things with Jakey one-on-one when Toby and Charlotte are at school and Amelie is napping.  Sometimes we play a game or play catch or read books. One day last week I taught him how to paint with watercolors and this was his very first painting.  He did a great job!

I hope that Jake knows what an important part of our family he is and I hope he doesn't rush to grow up too fast!  He doesn't even like me to call him my little bear right now... he corrects me and says, "I not bear, I big brother now." I love Jake's determination and his gentleness with smaller children and babies.  He is tender-hearted and tough at the same time.  I predict he'll be a champion for fairness and sticking up for the little guy whenever he gets the chance.  

But he will always be my little bear.

*For those who are curious, we illustrated the principle this way... I asked if I filled identical sized baskets with toys for each kid, would that be fair?  They said yes.  So I filled one for Charlotte with all of her Barbies and their gear, and one for Amelie with one stuffed animal.  The kids said it wasn't fair.  Charlotte had lots and Amelie had one.  

So I took everything out of Charlotte's basket except one Barbie shoe.  (Exaggeration helps in these lessons.) Now was it fair?  They each have one.  They about had a cow then, yelling "no! that's not fair!" 

"What if they each have only a Barbie?"  "Amelie is too little to play Barbies!" 

The point?  Fairness does NOT mean that everyone has the same. Every person is unique and has unique needs and desires.  Fairness, in regards to our family anyway, means that everyone has what they need and that their wants are provided for as thoughtfully and equitably as possible within our means.

ballet angel

This past week was all about the Columbia County Ballet's production of The Roar of Love!  You may remember that Charlotte was a Pony in this production (that tells the story of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) last year.  This year she was an Angel.  The Angels and Stars come on stage to celebrate after Aslan comes back to life.

We had two rehearsals downtown in Augusta this week and then the BIG SHOW was this afternoon.  Charlotte, of course, did fantastic.  I am also proud of myself for conquering my fear of the "ballet bun" and for volunteering as a stage mom and helping to get the Stars and Angels dressed, on stage, off stage, and undressed today.  35 little girls!!!  Whoo, it was loud in that dressing room, and I am tuckered out!  Now here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Outside the theatre, just before spacing rehearsal.

Dress rehearsal. Check out that extension! 

(And notice the bun is staying put as well.)

Charlotte was at the front of a line of girls and was worried about remembering all of the cues and hitting the marks on the stage, but she did really well in the performance.

So sweet... and serious.

Happy ballerina after the performance!

With her best ballet buddies, Adair and Skyler.  

These three girls have been in the same ballet class for three years now and get along so great.

take me out to the ballgame

Today was the opening day of T-ball for Toby. I have never been much of a baseball fan, (huge understatement,) but something magical happened today when Toby suited up in his Braves uniform for the first time and now I am LOVING baseball, small town America, and apple pie!

He warmed up with a game of catch before the teams paraded onto the field at 9 am, listened to a speech from the mayor, had a prayer, and sang the national anthem.  I am telling ya, opening day of baseball in a small town is pretty awesome.

After the opening ceremony we had some time to kill with group and individual photos before his first game against the Cardinals.  I got him a hot dog from the concession stand and we visited the bounce houses.  Then Rob arrived with the three other kiddos just in time for game time at noon.

Bench talk is serious stuff.

Next up to bat for the Party Box Braves is #10 Tooooooby Anderson!  By the way, I asked Toby if I could call him "Smalls" like the main character in The Sandlot. (Toby's favorite movie.) He replied that I could call him "Medium" because he is not very small.  I also spent most of the morning calling him "Party Box," because of the shirt, and because I think it would be a rad nickname.

Rounding the bases!

For some reason, he felt the need to hold onto his batting helmet as he rounded the bases.  Those little circles make great handles.

And in the field.  

Toby played left field and short stop today, but will try out all of the positions over the course of the season. Toby was very serious the whole day... he is not fooling around out there.   

I am so proud of my little baller!  

Amelie at 6 months

My sweet baby is growing up!

Amelie is now 6 months old! She had her check-up yesterday and is a very healthy happy girl.  She weighed in at 17 lbs. 10 oz. and was 26 and 3/4 inches long.  She was in the 85th percentile for height and weight and even head circumference. She has chunky thighs, bright eyes, and a smile that literally stops people in their tracks.  Everywhere we go, she turns strangers into friends... that kinda reminds me of my mom.

Amelie is VERY strong-willed and determined.  She wants to feed herself, and she does not like any of the baby foods that she has tried over the past month.  She likes to be held upright, never lying down, and she prefers the one who is holding her to stand.  Sitting down will likely cause an Alarmelie to sound.  She has gotten better about riding in the car, and seems to resign herself to being strapped into the carseat now, which is a huge improvement.

I can't decide whether she is right or left-handed, but I suspect she is another lefty.  That would mean 3 of our 4 kiddos are lefties.  Rob and I are both right-handed, as is Toby.  I think being a southpaw is cool!  Globally, roughly 12% of men and 10% of women are lefties.

Amelie likes to sleep on her tummy.  I generally nurse her before bedtime, but if she is very tired and already well-fed, we will just lie her down and turn on her seahorse which lights up and plays music for a little while and she will usually zonk out without too much fuss.  We have found with our kids, that it helps us to have portable bedtime routines and sleep cues so that when we travel we can still help the kids feel comfortable and "at home" in strange places.  She got this seahorse from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas and hopefully this will work for our Ami too.

 

Finally, our girl is plowing through milestones so fast it is hard to keep track.  She can roll tummy to back and back to tummy.  She is cutting her first two teeth right now.  She can sit up mostly by herself.  She is eating baby cereals and first foods and joins us for all meals in her high chair at the table. She has recently started "blowing raspberries" and experimenting with sounds her tongue makes.  (This involves an immense amount of slobber.) She can pick up small objects with her fingers and pass them from one hand to the other.  And sometimes, when she is really upset about not being picked up, she says "mmmamamama."

Sometimes I jokingly ask, "Whose idea was it to have all of these kids?!?"  But baby girl, there is no way our family would be the same without your sweet smiles and giggles. 

Happy Half Birthday Ameluska!

Calhoun, GA and Savannah's baptism

A few weeks ago we took a mini-road trip around Georgia.  Rob took us to Calhoun, GA where he attended high school and showed us the sights.  Behold!  The sights!  Just teasing... Calhoun is a small town.  Much like the one I grew up in waaaaay up north.  Ha!  We even went to church there on Sunday morning and visited a small branch of our church, where Rob seemed to be a bit of a celebrity.  This part is no joke.  I have never in my life been personally welcomed to church over the lectern and had everyone in the chapel turn to stare and smile at me. And this was no brief greeting!  It went on and on.  And where was Rob while this was happening?  In the foyer with the baby!!! Holy heart attack Batman, I was very overwhelmed, but very welcomed.

We also took the kids to New Echota. I had never heard of it before, but it was at one time the capitol of the Cherokee Nation.  (Before the Trail of Tears.)  There is a museum there now and historical park to explore.  It was a perfect outing for our own little tribe to get some wiggles out and learn about a different way of life.

Our best group shot... sun in the eyes and all. Sidenote: I cannot imagine living in a home that size with four kids. But so many people did just that, back in the day, with many, many more kids.  The handwoven baskets inside were gorgeous though.  I would happily take those home with me.

We spent the night in a hotel near the highway and took our bathing beauty for her first swim in the hotel pool.  (Check out those rolls!  I love 'em.)  Amelie did pretty well in the hotel room overnight.  Jake is still our most restless sleeper and luckily Rob shared a bed with him! Every time I looked over there Jake was in a different position and he even fell out of the bed once. (That didn't wake him up though.)

We also ate THE WORST Chinese food in the history of takeout.  Initially we wanted hoagies because I forgot that we were in rural Georgia... and there was not a single place to get a hoagie, (not even a Subway,) in the whole town!  So Rob improvised and brought back THE WORST Chinese food.  Seriously, I actually gagged and ate a granola bar I found in my purse for dinner instead. (Rob concurred that his food was bad, but mine was truly inedible.)

And finally, we ended our road trip on a fabulously happy note.  We drove up to visit Rob's sister and attend the baptism of our niece Savannah.  (Dressed in white in the center.)  Our kids love getting a chance to play with their cousins and we are so glad we got to share this special day with Savannah.  Jake had no nap and was feeling pretty anti-social by this point unfortunately.  I bribed him to be good by telling him there would be cake after the baptism.  SO of course the moment Savannah came up out of the water Jake declared, "Now we eat tate!" Love that goofy little Bear. 

Dr. Seuss week

'Twas the week of Theodor Seuss Geisel's birth, 

and the kids came home from school with looks full of mirth. 

 "I'm to dress as my favorite, I'll be Cat in the Hat!"

 "Me too, I'm Fancy Nancy or something like that!" 

 Their teachers were devilish and missed not a trick, 

they added crazy hair day, crazy sock day, yeah... they laid it on thick. 

 I went straight to work with sewing machine and hairspray. 

The can I've had for two years? Almost used in one day. 

 I whipped up a tall stripey hat and bow tie, 

 my cute little Toby... perhaps I did cry.

The hair and socks were no biggie, they were quickly done.

I'm more stressed about the upcoming required 'ballet bun.'

And last but not least, the accessory stash barfed-

Beads, jewelry, curls, heels, bows- topped with a real Parisian scarf!

I made their fantasies real! I created their looks!

I love Dr. Seuss and his inspirational books!

ice, ice baby

I know, I am a dork, but I couldn't resist.

Well we thought our January snow day in Georgia was sooooo novel, and then Mother Nature got some sort of silly idea she would send us an ice storm to follow up in February.  Not as fun.  First of all,  our power went out for 24 hours, then was on for a day, then back out for 8 hours (through the night at least, which is simpler.)  Next, you can't go out and "play" in the ice and slush that followed. And finally, the kids ended up missing an entire week of school because of the power outages!  Here are a few snapshots of us passing the time.

While we had power, this is where we'd find Toby... with his two newest best buddies Mario and Luigi.  Interesting development: our sweet, kind, gentle little man is AWFUL at playing video games with others.  He left Charlotte behind so many times (which caused her guy to die,) and snagged all of the goodies that would pop up, so she stopped playing with him.  Total surprise alter ego.

I found a mix & match monster pattern online and printed it out.  Charlotte made this felt monster almost entirely on her own during her week off, and everything is sewn (not glued.) I tied knots, helped stuff him, and gave instructions.  He turned out really cute! Now she is working on different ones for Toby and Jake.

When the power was out, the kids enjoyed sitting by the gas fireplace, using flashlights, playing board games, and just generally being homebodies.  They got along surprisingly well.  We had plenty of food on hand with leftovers, sandwiches, and salads and were able to move fridge items to the garage to keep cold so we didn't lose any food.  Also, since we are on city water and have a gas water heater we even had hot and cold running water!  So nice.

Everything outside was coated in thick ice.

It was very beautiful, so we had to take some pictures before it melted.

Trees with leaves on them were most likely to have limbs break and that is what caused such extensive power outages.  On Saturday after the storm, Rob had the opportunity to go out with a "Mormon Helping Hands" clean-up crew.  They cut up fallen trees and limbs at homes of the elderly and disabled and dragged them to the curb for the county to collect.  He loved being out of the house and doing something to help others... and manning a chainsaw for the day was a fun perk too.

I loved the quiet, dark, stillness of the ice storm.  No sound at night, no street lights, no cars driving by. Finally, just when things seemed they were getting back to normal, we had a 4.1 earthquake!  Rob and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie when the house rumbled loudly and shook.  Neither of us had ever been in an earthquake before and it was so surreal that we just sat there through it... and then laughed and ran to check facebook to confirm our suspicion.  What a nutty world we live in. 

And here is a question for our science-nerdy friends... this is the grill of Rob's truck.  On the top two bars the icicles hung down, but on the bottom bar they stuck straight out.  How is that possible?  So strange.