Allowance

This year we decided to start giving Victoria and Karissa an allowance. So far it has taught them the value of money pretty well. Victoria has bought a few things with her money and is learning about saving for things that she really wants. Karissa is learning too, but she's content with what she currently has.

For a few months now, Victoria has really wanted another "American Girl Doll". A couple of her other friends have two or more, so she wants more as well. Of course, her first "American Girl Doll" is actually an Our Generation Doll from Target. She knows it is, but she calls it by the other name anyhow. I told her to save her money and she can buy one.

The other day I was at Target and I noticed that the Our Generation Dolls were on sale for $18.99. So, Saturday, when the girls were upset that they couldn't go to the spring game at the U of M with Jason because it was snowing and way to cold to go to a free game, I told them I'd pay them their allowance early and we could go buy new dolls. Even though Karissa didn't voice that she wanted another doll, she was on board! They counted their money, brought their purses to Target, picked out their dolls, and paid the cashier, with a little help from me. We were so excited, though, that we forgot to pay tithing on it (oops!) So that will have to come out of next month's allowance!

Karissa with Ayla

Victoria with Charlotte

Some Favorites

Here are some favorites from the past week of spring break:

My crazy-cute kids on a rock in Palmyra.



Not to be out-done, Erik had to do it too.



Loves his Easter ball!

A log cabin they found at the Botanical Gardens.

Erik has discovered his hat isn't so bad!

Stream we walked along at the Botanical Gardens.

Warmer days are coming! Now if I can only get rid of this second cold in three weeks!

Easter Surprise

We wanted to surprise the kids for Easter and take them on a trip to Palmyra, NY. for the long weekend. We figured we were in a hotel over Christmas, why not over Easter? Victoria is studying church history in Primary, we thought since Palmyra is only 7 hours away it's the perfect destination.

We arrived in Palmyra on Friday afternoon and went straight to the publishing site for the Book Of Mormon. We had an awesome tour there and enjoyed learning all the work that went into printing the Book of Mormon. The kids played at an old aqueduct afterwards.

 Learning how the printing process works.

The aqueduct.

The next day we went to the Sacred Grove, first thing in the morning, just as Joseph Smith had done on a spring day. Though it was definitely earlier in the spring season for us than when he went, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. We even heard a woodpecker. We could feel the Spirit there just as if we were in a temple. Afterwards we saw the Smith farm and home.

No leaves yet, but gorgeous!

 Coming out of the woods and going into the farm.

We hiked up the Hill Cumorah next, Austin was tired and hungry at this point so I carried him up and he perked up for the run down, but more tantrums ensued afterwards. The rest of us enjoyed a picnic lunch and the visitor's center.

Monument where the gold plates were buried.

 From down at the bottom.

Just in time for Erik's nap we drove out to the Whitmore Farm where the church was organized exactly a week after the day we were there, in 1830.

 (Erik was sleeping...)

We promised the kids we'd take them to a new playground everyone told us about, so we did.

We had our "Easter dinner" that night. I had a ham in the crock pot, which was way overcooked since it was a very small one, but after I cut off all the burnt outside, the inside was still super tender and juicy, much to our surprise. Potato pearls, peas, and rolls I brought from home went with our ham with jelly beans and special cookies the kids picked out for dessert. Our room not only had a microwave and fridge, but a nice sink, counter top, and cupboard as well. It was made for Mormon families traveling! Ensign magazines and pictures of the historic sights of Palmyra were some signs that Mormons own the place.

Our room.

During sacrament meeting the next day, Austin wet his pants and Karissa wasn't the happiest, but the meeting was nice. (Austin still has to be reminded to use the bathroom every hour, which made it tricky driving out there, but he did better driving than during our sight-seeing!)

To finish off the trip we stopped by Niagara Falls. We had brought our passports and put them to use by crossing over to the Canadian side to get a better view. And it is better!

Canadian side

American side

We went through Canada driving home, as well, since from Niagara Falls it is faster that way.

Victoria did an Easter egg hunt for the kids today, including Logan, the boy I watch. I liked doing a hunt after Easter, it made the holiday more meaningful for the kids.

Geer School

The second graders read and study the history of the Plymouth-Canton Community here in MI. Many of Victoria's friends got to go on a field trip last year to the Geer School, an 1880's one-room schoolhouse. She was very excited for her turn this year. The highlight: she got to dress up like "Laura Ingles", one of her  favorite characters, recently. She has always liked to pretend to be a pioneer, so this opportunity was great for her. She also got to bring a lunch from "the olden days". A hard-boiled egg, homemade bread, cheese, an apple, and a peppermint. We didn't use any baggies, just wrapped it all up in pieces of fabric and put in a basket. She helped me make the bread the night before, which I'm sure was a bonus for her since I don't know how many other kids actually brought homemade, whole wheat bread. (That just happens to be up my alley.) I don't know exactly what she did that day, but they did hold school at the schoolhouse and learn reading and math, probably history too, just as they would back in the 1880s. They got to play games played back then as well.

Oh, I almost forgot the other highlight: riding the bus!

A Trip to the Dentist

Austin's first trip to the dentist was a success! He was very interested in watching his sisters' get their teeth cleaned first. He couldn't wait for his turn and kept asking when it would be. Then, the time came!


He looks like such a happy boy, smiling up at the dentist. 20 teeth, just the way it should be.

Then he got his teeth cleaned. He loved Mr. Squirty!

 No cavities for anyone! Hooray!

My 35th Birthday

Did you know that I'm 35 now? Crazy, huh?! Not that I think 35 is old, it's just that I still feel like I'm in my mid-twenties. One thing that tells me my calculations are correct is the fact that I finally feel like I'm getting better at this mom-thing, not that I know all the answers, but I've experienced many situations and mothering challenges, and now I can say, "Okay, I've done this before, and I can do it again!"

Potty training, for example. I felt motivated last week after talking to my sister and discovering her 2 1/2-year-old is being potty trained. I told Austin about, and he didn't care one bit. Instead of doing what I usually do, asking him, "Do you want to go potty now?" to which is usually a negative, I said, "No more diapers, you're going potty!" What do you know, it worked! He's been wearing undies since last week and I'm still together to talk about it! I still have to set the timer, but we're making progress.

It was similar with weaning Erik last month. I decided we were done, and cut out his nursing before nap and bedtime (we had to do one more each after a few days so I wouldn't burst), but he did well and now he's sleeping through the night!

I guess being 35 means I'm getting more confident in my abilities as a mother and enjoying the good as well as the bad. And I can really say now that I am. My girls have gotten so big so fast that I know that time does fly and these days with kids crying at my feet while I make dinner, fighting over a toy, being sick on my birthday, and poopy diapers will be over before I know it and then I'll have more disturbing mothering issues to deal with!

Okay, enough with that. Obviously, being home the past 5 days, with the exception of church, with sick Karissa has made me think a lot. I still had a nice birthday, better than I thought it was going to be, considering the way the day went on Monday. 


Erik was really interested in the lighting of the candles.

My friend whose son I watch 3 days a week, brought these lovely cupcakes from Just Baked. Samoa, carrot cake, salted caramel, red velvet, strawberry, and cookies 'n creme. They made the party! The kids had the pizza Jason had picked up the day before from Aldi (take 'n bake) and Jason brought home Panera Bread sandwiches for us. Then I got to taste-test each of these beauties with the fam. I liked the strawberry best. Jason and Victoria though strawberry and carrot cake were best. Karissa ate some of the salted caramel and Austin had some strawberry.

What a candle-blowing team! How do you like Austin's undies?

Victoria suggested playing Spoons later, which we did and it made my day that they wanted to play one of my favorite card games.

Here's to another year!

Balloon Boy (and Other Things Cute)

Remember the balloon that Jason got Erik for Valentine's day? He loved it!! That boy would carry his balloon everywhere! The balloon went to the grocery store, on a walk with us, to the museum, and anywhere else we went where I thought it wouldn't be a distraction, like church. Luckily, we were able to get him to let go of it in the car before going into church. It was difficult for nap time and bedtime, though. He would hold onto it with such a good grip, I had to pry his fingers open to tie the string to the side of the crib so he could stare at it as he fell asleep.

It  became too much though. One time he wanted to hold the string as it hung down from the crib. When I checked on him later, he was still holding it while sleeping and had turned, so the hand holding it was under him. It wasn't wrapped around him at all, but I suddenly got really worried that one time it would be tangled around his hand too tightly, or somewhere worse, and I started to freak out. I just decided the balloon, and Austin's would have to go. I sadly deflated both and disposed of the evidence. Now the balloons are out of sight, out of mind.

Other Things Cute: can you believe how old he's getting?!

At Miller Elementary, the girls had the option of dressing up like their favorite Dr. Seuss character today. Karissa wanted to be Thing 1. I realized now that I didn't take a picture of the back of her hair. It's just a hair piece, so it only covers part of her ponytail. Victoria didn't want to be twins with Karissa and was going to be Cindy Lou Who, but changed her mind last-minute. 

Karissa's a cute little thing!