THAT Time Has Come.... *Post Edit*

About 6 years ago Target changed their prescription drug bottles (can I just stop right here and mention how much I simply ADORE Target? Okay, just had to get that out there :) I personally loved the new design, and with the color-code system (each member of the family has their own color so meds don't get mixed up) it was even better. With 2 tiny children, and just having found out I was pregnant with my 3rd, we were purchasing quite a few medications at our house on a yearly basis. I remember choosing out which color each of us would have and when the time came that any one of us would need a prescription filled, letting the pharmacy know which color went with who.

Well, around the time Daphne was born, I remember thinking "Hmmmm, we've used up 5 of the 6 colors. I wonder what will happen when I have 2 more kids? What will they do?"

So then Bear came along and with that, we had used up all 6 colors that the Target Pharmacy offeres: Me:Red
Andy:Blue
Laylah:Purple
Jonah:Green
Daphne:Yellow
Baron:Orange

Well, today I had to take Magnus to the doctor because he's been sick the past week and not getting better. We found out he has double ear AND eye infections. Poor baby. I received 2 prescriptions for the little guy and on the way home stopped at Target.

Right then , I remembered something....we had no colors left! What were they going to do?! I also had to admit to myself that I am a total NERD for thinking about this the past 6 years and that I was finally going to find out what would happen!!! Are you as excited as me to find out?!?!


Well, that's just what you're going to have to do. Wait with me. Because I was in a rush and dropped them off because I knew Andy would be going by there later and could pick them up.

I do have to mention though, when I explained the situation to the pharmacy tech, he just laughed and laughed and thought it was so funny that I had 7 people in my family and that he wasn't sure what they would do..... I know you're all on pins and needles waiting to find out what happens!!

Hahahahaha......

*Post Edit*
Total let-down to my expectations.... they gave Magnus the color orange. So, my two youngest are both orange. That is not very creative. I am a bit disappointed.... ;)

A Chocola-"Tea" Party

Whew!! What a party. I am so glad it's over. It took up an entire 2 weeks of my life. It was a huge success and Daphne loved it.

When she told me that she wanted to have a "chocolate" party, I immedietly went to my dear friend Ira (she needs to open a party planning business-she's amazing) and asked her what I should do. Between her, Google, and some ideas I found on a few other friend's blogs, we came up with a Chocolat-"Tea" Party.... get it? A chocolatey party? Haha...I found these super cute invites and included some delicious chocolate with them-the info part slid into the teapot as the lid.

We set a beautiful table for afternoon tea (hot chocolate) and some chocolatey snacks

rice crispy treats, 2 different flavors of marshmellows, pretzels, and fruit to dip into our chocolate fountain

I got this idea from my friend Miranda's blog-super cute for our skewers

tiny cupcakes for our party-everything is cuter when it's a mini version :)


Ira made this darling sign for me

The place settings



The hot chocolate maker made the "tea" a breeze

Take home favor-a little purse filled with everything a girl needs-lip gloss and nail polish to touch up any chips :)



One of our games was Put the Lid on the Teapot. The girls earned their boas by playing this game

We also played Musical Teapot (the teapot was filled with beaded necklaces and whoever was holding the teapot when the music stopped got to reach in and take one) and read the adorable book "Tea for Ruby"


Here is the basket for our "stations". We had 3-hair, nails, and make-up, to be beautified and ready for our tea party. After the girls completed the 3 stations, they received a beaded bracelet

At the hair station, they received a flower clip in their hair (I MADE these!! Proud? Yes, yes you are :)

So, after the girls arrived (they all looked SO adorable dressed in their Tea Party finest!) we read Tea for Ruby and talked all about our tea party manners and how we need to behave at a tea party.

I then turned on the tea party scene in Alice in Wonderland for the girls to watch while we rotated them through our 3 stations and they got all nice and pretty for the tea party
Ira and her daughter Hannah came to help me with the entire party. She is such a wonderful friend. Ira did the make-up, Hannah did the nails, and I did the hair.

The girls all dolled up and watching the movie



We then played our party games to earn the rest of our tea party attire. Here is Musical Teapot
Daphne choosing a necklace

Playing Put the Lid on the Teapot


Daphne choosing her boa



All the girls waiting patiently for their turn

Finally! All decked out and ready for our Chocolate Tea Party! Such darling girls!



Yum Yum! Perfect Tea Party manners!


That's right Birthday Girl.... use that napkin!

Having a grand time


Daphne "leading" everyone in singing Happy Birthday to her

After we washed 10 little hands and faces (and tried to spot clean a few dresses!) it was gift time! Daphne received lots of fun presents-barbies, make-up, a princess phone, and littlest pet shop-all things girly! I had to include the picture below. She received a chocolate treat making kit-perfect for a chocolate lover like her! Can you tell that she liked it?! :)

After we passed out 10 little purses and ten pink and brown balloons, it was time to say farewell to her friends. Daphne loved her birthday party so I can say it was a success!

Daphne turns 5

My Daphne girl turned 5 on Thursday. She has been so excited to turn 5, mostly because a) She gets to start kindergarten in August and b) She no longer has to take naps. She is so funny.

We started out the day with her choice of birthday breakfast. She wanted powdered sugar crepes, hard boiled eggs, and pears (she always chooses the weirdest combinations for her birthday meals). She got to open one gift (her birthday outfit) and was just so happy all day long. I had planned on taking all of my kids to Funland's softplay area after the other kids got out of school, but Daphne, Baron, and Magnus have been so sick all week. They have had horrible, nasty coughs and noses, and I didn't want to infect the entire place, so we stayed home all day. Daphne chose chicken fingers, home-made fries, artichokes, and crescents for her birthday dinner. She also wanted raspberry lemonade, of course.

Daphne was very eager to open presents. She has been asking for the same thing for 2 months. Barbie and her walking horse. She saw it at Kohl's in November and has been talking about it ever since. What I found interesting is that she didn't ask for it for Christmas. Just for her birthday. Funny how their little minds work.I found this used book on Amazon for $0.01! It is Daphne's absolute favorite book. We have checked it out at the library and renewed it 100 times. Not quite sure why she likes it so much, but she does. So I got her her very own copy. Unfortunaely, Andy was the photographer and missed her initial, thrilled excitement when she opened it and saw what it was. It was adorable :)

I had ordered this cd player/karaoke/mp3 hookup player the day after Christmas. By her birthday (the 13th) it still hadn't arrived. I was so mad and when I called they told me it would be arriving the 14th. Lame. So I wrapped a picture of it along with the cd's we got her and I was very surprised that she knew exactly what the picture was ("that's a cd player!") and was very excited for it to arrive the next day.

She looks a little bored in this pic, but I promise, she likes getting new clothes :)

Receiving some green is ALWAYS fun :)

And finally.... the long-awaited Barbie with her walking horse Tawny. Daphne was thrilled when she opened this gift and immediately opened the box up and played with it the rest of the night. Funny side-note: The horse needed batteries to walk and Andy put them in and it wouldn't work. I asked Daph if she wanted to return it. She said no, that she didn't care if it worked, she just loved this horse so much. I asked Andy if he put the batteries in correctly and he gave me a look like "Duh, you think I would put the batteries in wrong?" Well, later (as Daph was playing with her new horse) the battery pack had been left on the couch and I sat down to feed Magnus and picked up the pack and examined it. One of the batteries was installed incorrectly. I fixed it, put it in the horse and Voila'! The horse walked. Happy day. And of course, I had to give Andy a hard time :)

Daphne receieved a cute dress, leapster game, candy, and drawing pad from her Papa Bry and Grandma Claudia. She received money and a darling book called "You Know How Much I Miss You" that was recordable and Grandma and Grandpa Collette read the book and recorded their voices reading it. It was very cute. Daphne and all the other kids love to sit and listen to it. Her Aunt Rachel and also all 4 of her wonderful great grandparents sent money and cards. She was so excited all week whenever she received a card in the mail. Andy and I got her new clothes, boots, a necklace, cd player, cd's, the walking horse, and a book. She loved it all.

I asked Daphne what kind of cake she wanted and I can't believe how specific she was. She told me she wanted me to make her a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and decorate it with a clock. What?! Well, that's what I did. it turned out pretty comical, especially after the cake split down the middle and fell apart. At least I got a picture before that happened :) Notice the time? 5:00? get it? Okay, so maybe I'm the only one who thought that was clever!

Notoice it starting to split already....

yummy


Look! Her cd player was delivered while Daphne was at preschool on Friday. She was so excited to come home and try it out. It is a huge hit and all of the kids love it.

Daphne at 5

Daphne is such a fun girl. She is so sweet and cute. She has an electric personality and I cannot believe how many people comment to me how sweet she is. Her primary teachers, preschool teachers, friends mom's, and random people at the grocery store will tell me how sweet and wonderful she is. Here's an example: I was waiting in line at the store to check-out and it was at Christmas time, so it was super busy. An older woman behind me was going through her purse and it dropped on the floor and everything spilled out of it. Her stuff, including coins, receipts, lipsticks, etc. flew everywhere. Daphne immedietly ran over to her and started helping her pick it up off of the floor. It took her about 5 minutes and the lady had tears in her eyes after they cleaned it all up and she told me what a special little girl I had. Later, Daphne told me that she knew that the right thing to do was to help that lady.

She is also hilarious. I just cannot believe some of the things that come out of her mouth. She always has us all laughing around the dinner table. She is very smart and has an amazing memory. Several times a primary teacher or preschool teacher has told me that they'll ask a question to the class that they don't think anyone will know the answer to, but Daphne will know the answer. She loves to read and retains information. She can count past 100, and taught herself how to write her name before she started preschool, as well as the entire alphabet. She is always asking questions about everything and she will remember the answer you give her. She loves to ride her bike and scooter and play with friends, and also sing and dance in dress-ups. Barbies are her favorite, but she also likes her Baby Alive and taking care of her. She asks to color or play with play-do at least once a day. She and Baron have become very close since we moved to Virginia and play really well together. She adores Magnus and loves to make him smile and also read him books and play puppets with him. When he was first born she didn't pay a lot of attention to him, but over the past several weeks, she has loved to help out with him and has become much more involved. She loves to play nintendo with Jonah and pretend with Laylah. She likes to play with Sadie and take her for walks. She is so good to share her toys and has gotten so much better about her fit-throwing. She rarely gets into trouble and is a very good listener.

She has become a little bit pickier with her eating, but she will always try something once. She loves fruit, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, cereal (frosted mini wheats the most), and eats veggies, but they are not her favorite. She loves treats, especially chocolate. She is pretty little still. I think she weighs 35 pounds and is about 38 inches tall. I'll find out for sure at her 5 year check-up next Tuesday. Baron is going to be passing her up in height soon-he passed her up in weight over a year ago.

As you can see, Daphne is a complete joy. I adore her and apparently, so does everyone who knows her.

Happy Birthday baby girl.

*post edit*

Daph had her 5 year exam.... I was a bit off and she's grown! She is now in the 50th percentile for height and weight. She's 38 pounds and 41 inches tall.

Whiner+Complainer=Me

I should not be blogging right now. I have so much to do that I cannot even think straight. I hate when people complain about how busy they are, like they are so important and they have so much to do all the time. Yet, here I am, doing just that. Haha :)

I'm sure my husband is tired of listening to me complain. I'm sure my mom is too, but she never says so. So here I am, complaining to all of you. And myself. I really try not to complain a lot, but once in awhile, it feels really good to just get it all out there and get it all off my chest. And for some weird reason, this is a break for me to get to write and slip out of my reality for a few minutes. I used to blog a lot more and now I always feel too tired or too overwhelmed or too busy. I miss my daily or every other day postings. I'm trying to get back to that. But for now, here are the many reasons why I cannot (in no particular order except maybe my subconscience told me to do it in this order ;) do that just quite yet.Laundry-It. Never. Ends.

I do not know why, but I cannot seem to get on a regular schedule with laundry. I can never seem to get it all done. Even when I do a load or two a day, it just doesn't happen. We're always digging through laundry baskets of clean clothes looking for matches to socks, underwear, or outfits to wear. About once a month I take a whole day and catch it ALL up. Linens, towels, blankets, clothing, and odds and ends. And then it's all clean and put away and I think "I am not going to let it get out of control again". But then it does. The only thing that makes me feel remotely better about this is that people who have 2 or 3 kids will ask me "HOW on earth do you keep up with your laundry?! I cannot even keep up with mine and I have half as many kids as you do!" So, that makes me feel better. A little :) As I write, my washer and dryer are running and there are 5 loads of laundry waiting to be folded.

It just occured to me that maybe I should just stop buying so many clothes.....

Medical Bills Suck

Andy's company is based in Utah. So they use a Utah based insurance company. We are on the one national plan that they have, which is really crappy. Everyone out here has problems with it apparently. It is extremely frustrating and I have spent literally hours on the phone this past year figuring out medical bills with providers and our insurance. Because we had a baby using it, there are about 100 different doctors trying to get money from us right now. I ignored it for awhile and one night Andy and I decided (well, more like Andy forced me ;) that we needed to figure it out. The picture above is after 4 hours worth of work figuring out who needed what (insurance info, getting paid, remaining balance owed, we needed to call them, etc, etc) and a sticky note was placed on each one telling us what went where, etc, etc. SO time consuming. Isn't this the insurance and providers' job? That's what they get paid for, right? Stupid waste of time. Still, it has to be done. Luckily it's almost all figured out, and everyone has been paid (thanks to my awesome hubsters.)

Birthday Season Begins

After July, I heave a sigh of relief. You see, Jonah is (well, WAS :) the last birthday of the year in our family. After July, I didn't have to worry about birthday gifts, parties, special outings, etc.... until January when it all starts over again with Daphne. We have a birthday every month (except 2 in April, none in March.... which is why I always claim Baron should have come 2 weeks earlier so we could have a January (Daph), February (me), March (should have been Bear :), April (Andy, and really Baron too), May (Laylah) June (actually, no birthday here, but it is our anniversery month which is still a big celebration and involves gifts, so good enough :), and July (Jonah).... and now Novemeber (little stinker Magnus messed up my perfect schedule :) from January thru July just about. But, I digress with that ridiculous little episode of explanation.

Anywho.... it all starts up again. And since the day after Christmas I have been planning and thinking about Daphne's birthday. It is her first "real" friend birthday party this year and she is super excited. I have been planning it, shopping, running errands, and figuring everything out. Birthdays are a big deal around here and I try my best to make them as special as possible. That's how I always felt growing up and I want my kids to feel the same. I want them to know that their birthday is all about THEM and they are special and loved in every way. Although, I don't know why that when I start to do something, it somehow consumes my every thought, and my life, until it is over.

And it's not over for 2 more days....

Icky Sicky

My kids have all been sick since my baby was born. Sure, we've had a very few, sporadic, wonderful days of cough-less nights. But, for the most part, the Booger Monster, Cough Queen, and Fearsome Fever have reigned superior in our home. It just keeps passing from one person to the next until it gets back to the one it started with. I know it's to be expected with 5 little kids in my home, but I sure do tire of it. And it is super sad to listen to my 2 month old have coughing fits and try to cry in between. And also spit-up mucus. Gross.

Luckily, the winters are shorter here and spring comes mid-March (for real.... not like those teasers in Utah where it's 60 degrees one day and then snowing the next ;). I was just telling a friend that I was so glad it has JUST been coughs and colds and not The Pukes. But I forgot to knock on wood because this morning Jonah woke up with just that. And dashed all my hopes and dreams of having a full and productive day of errand running (last minute stuff for Daphne's birthday), visiting teaching (my partner and I had appointments set up for all 4 of our ladies in one day!! If you've ever lived out of Utah, you know how rare and wonderful that is :), 2 appointments with friends who were helping me with a few different things, a workout at the gym that I'll now have to go and do tonight, along with a hair appointment that will be moved to tonight also. I guess I'll be up late. Again.

Sick kids suck.

Time for Training

I don't know how I used to fit the gym into my schedule. I never used to miss a day. And I used to think that everyone who said they were "too busy" to fit in a work-out were lame and full of excuses. I always did it, so why couldn't they?

Well, now I know. After being out of the habit for nearly 5 months, working out is so hard to squeeze back into my schedule! I know I have to do it, and I want to do it, but actually getting it done is another story. I went at 1 in the afternoon yesterday, sacrificing my kids' naps, because that was the only time I could go. Which made them ornery, which made me ornery and by the time I got home and got showered, it was time to make dinner, do kids' homework, eat dinner, get kids ready for bed, run a few errands I had to run, and then put myself to bed. It took away my "folding laundry time" (it's beginning to sound like a vicious cycle, this schedule of mine... ;)

Craziness.

Business.

I hate it....

but I love to work out.




Everyone is Busy

It all boils down to one thing. LIFE. Everyone is busy. I know that. You know that. But doesn't it feel good to complain about it once in awhile and get some sympathy?

Okay, okay, I really don't want anyone's sympathy.

I just like to complain sometimes ;)

M at 2 Months

Magnus' blessing picture courtesy of Emily Horrocks Photography

My baby is 2 months old. We all adore him around here and love him to pieces. Even when he's a stinkpot :) Actually, he is really pretty good. He isn't an angel baby like Laylah and Baron were. He's not a devil baby like Jonah was. He's somewhere in between, kind of like Daphne was. He is very serious and has really just started smiling and cooing. It is the most precious thing ever, and since they are kind of few and far between, when he is in a smiley mood, I will drop anything and be late to everything just to sit with him and make him smile at me, until he's ready to be done and then my life can carry on. I actually asked the pediatrician about this because it seems like my other babies were smiling way earlier and way more by this age and she said it was more conducive to his personality. She spent a few minutes interacting with him and playing with him and told me that he's more laid back and more serious and just likes to take the things in around him.

He is such an excellent sleeper. He goes to bed around 9, sleeps anywhere from 6-8 (and has even slept up to 10) hours, wakes to eat, and goes right back to sleep after I change his diaper. He is excellent in that way. During the day, he demands to eat every 3 hours on the dot, which I'm fine with as long as he continues his night routine. He is a quick nurser and is done in about 10 minutes. If we go anywhere in the car, he immediately falls to sleep and won't awaken unless it's time to eat or we take him out. He is a great baby. The only complaint I have with him is that he gets fussy in the evening. Around dinnertime and until bedtime, he wants to be held constantly, and if his demands are not met, we are subject to an extremely loud, obnoxious screech that lasts until he is lifted off of that couch or out of his swing! He has a REALLY loud cry. It hurts my ears and is quite unpleasant. The kids will actually plug their ears when he starts to cry. He has an adorable pouty face (that some of you may have seen on FB :) that he will do right as he's about to cry or gets upset about something. It is so cute! He is quite the wiggler (I should have known-he was my MOST active baby in utero :) and when he is awake, he is moving. He wiggles his arms and legs around non-stop. He also rolled over from stomach to back several times in a row right before he turned 2 months. He is big and strong. He weighed 15 lbs. 7 oz. at his 2 month appt. (97th%) and was 25 inches long(97th%). He'll be out of that infant carrier in no time! Which is good, as I can barely lift it now.

Anyway, we love our boy. He is sweet and cute and fun. And 2 months old-wow :)

A Dream of Mine

I love to excercise. It makes me feel great about myself, it makes me feel productive, and it is a wonderful feeling to know you are doing good for your body.

I have a had a membership to Gold's Gym for nearly 6 years now. It was there that I gained knowledge, experience, self-confidence, muscle, weight (well, I have been pregnant 3 times during those 6 years ;), and a love for cycling.

I love to cycle. I love the feeling I get when I sit in that familiar seat, start my legs pumping, get into the zone and just imagine myself riding through a desolate countryside, alone, on my bike. I love feeling the sweat drip down the side of my face and down my arms that tells me I am working, and working hard at that. I love that when I am finished, I can take 10 minutes to completely stretch my body, this way and that, and feel amazing and accomplished. It is a wonderful feeling.

That's why 2 1/2 years ago I decided to do a triathlon. I really enjoy swimming and running is slightly enjoyable (even though I am the s-l-o-w-e-s-t runner I know) so I thought a triathlon would be just the thing for me.

I educated myself, found a few races I could do, and looked into training schedules. I was getting ready to sign-up for my first race when I had a few set-backs. Some interesting health problems arose. I had to see several specialists, one of which was booked up and I wouldn't be able to see him for several months. I felt like I should stop training and just worry about my health for the time being. I wanted to make sure everything possible was being done for me and I didn't want to do anything to myself that might be harmful. After I saw my reumatologist, he told me I could indeed excercise to my heart's content and do any race I decided to do, but that I just needed to listen to my body and make sure I felt okay. He also told me that biking and swimming were great because they are low-impact when done properly. This news excited me and although it was too late to do a race that season, I could definitely do one the next year. So that's what I planned to do.

That summer more health problems arose and back to the doctor I went. I had so many tests done, labs performed, medications taken, MRI's done, and blood drawn. That fall in the midst of this, we found out we would be moving our family across the country in the middle of winter. As you can imagine, a triathlon, although still a dream of mine, was probably back in the furthest recess' of my mind.

Finally, in January, after a lot of medication, I was deemed healthy. Well, healthy enough. My endocronologist recommended that if I were going to have any more children, I should do it ASAP. Even thought we had a huge change coming up the next month, Andy and I decided it was time for our final child to join our family.

With the packing and craziness, moving, and good-byes, having another child kind of left my thoughts. I didn't think much about it for several weeks. After we arrived in Virginia nearly a year ago, I had joined the Gold's here and decided to look into triathlons in my area and maybe sign-up for one to do during the summer. I found one and signed up. My heart did a little jig. I was finally going to do it! Something I had dreamed about, had such a long time goal for, and just really wanted to finish what I had started.

That weekend I found out I was pregnant. Thrill! I was so happy.

Then I tried to talk Andy into letting me do the triathlon anyway. I would only be about 16 weeks along. He said no. I begged. No. I asked that if the doctor cleared me to do it, could I? He said... maybe! So, I called my doctor thinking that since I was a fit, healthy woman, he would indeed let me do it. The answer.... of course not. No way. No how. Especially with my health problems. Boo :( I gave up.

But guess what?!? I had my baby! I am healthy as can be! (so far...cross your fingers for me!) I went back to the gym for the first time a few days ago and I feel great! Oh, how I love to work out. And guess what else?

I think my dream can finally come true.

Auld Lang Syne

A new year has come. And what a year we had. It was full of up's and down's and lots of emotion, just like life should be. So many things happened. It was quite a year for change. And last year also happened to be the first year I made a New Year's Resolution. I think we can safely say I kept it. Remember what it was? I came really close to breaking it a couple of times there, but I prevailed :)

This year, I have heard several people doing a new thing instead of resolutions. They have chosen one word or phrase to style their year after. I liked that idea and think I will copy. I always was one for copying :)

My word this year will be "Improve". It is a year for change for me. I know last year was full of changes, but last year was a lot of change that I didn't have much control over. This year, I want to change many things that I have direct control over. I want to improve my health, my attitude, my ability to have patience, my knowledge of the gospel, and several abilities I have let fall by the wayside as motherhood has basically taken over my life. I love the fact that I am a mother, but that is not the only thing I can do. I can do much more, I just haven't chosen to do so in the past few years because my life felt complete in what I was doing. My children are getting older and more independant and I feel that I can do some things that I have been wanting to do for me, which I feel will only improve myself and help me be a better mother and wife in the end.

So, to all of you out there, good luck with your new year, and any "improving" you choose to do :)