This Week

I have mixed feelings about this week.  Rather then his typical two nights of class, this week there is class three nights, plus homework.  Boo.  I am not looking forward to three long days with out Brent.  One day he doesn't even come home until after class.  This means Croix doesn't seem him that day, at all, not even for one minute.  It's sad for both of them.  I'm going to hope Croix has a wonderful week and is happy, playful, and sweet.  Not clingy, grumpy, and whiny.  I better set up some playdates and figure out some structured play time.
This week also makes me so super duper happy!  Brent's first class, of his last class is on Thursday!!!  The end is so close we can almost taste it!  This also means after February there is only one class a week!  Then at the end of March, no class!!!!!!!

If Croix and I have a rough week I'll just think how we are almost done.  The end is near.  We can do it!  We can  hang on for 8 more weeks!!!!  A mere 50 more days!

I think I'm going to go start planning a Graduation party!  Whoot! Whoot!

Hummm

We were at Ikea yesterday.  Croix noticed this little baby, I did too but that's not the point of the story.  He kept looking at her.  Then after a little bit when they had stopped to look at something and we had stopped to look at something Croix points at the baby, taps me, and signed please.  I laughed.  Sweet, cute, funny.  Then in church today he saw a baby in a pew behind us and pointed at the baby and signed please.  Is it possible Croix wants a baby?  It will surely wreck his little world, at least initially.  Can he even understand that?  Once I would say no way, but twice makes me go hummm.

On a side note I really need and want to get back into the habit of daily scripture study.  I was always so diligent about this, until I had a baby.  Now I'm so on again off again.  I just haven't figured out where to put it in our schedule.  So where do you fit scripture study into your day?

Happy Sabbath everyone!

Little Helper

Croix has been very interested in helping me lately. The other day when I was cleaning the kitchen I sprayed the oven gave him a paper towel and let him help. Beside him trying to eat the paper towel with the Windex on it it went pretty well. I've ordered some all natural all purpose cleaner, perhaps not edible but certainly not harmful.

Love my little man!

Daddy

Croix seems to have figured out what nights are school nights for Brent. This past Monday he must have just known Brent was going to leave. He refused to stay in his high chair. He just wanted to sit on his Daddy's lap. It was sweet and heart breaking all at the same time. So Brent and Croix ate dinner together. I had made plans to go to a friends house right after dinner. We all left the house at the same time. Croix did seem a little confused when he realized Brent was not in the car with us, but at least there was no inconsolable crying this week. Perhaps I'll make a habit of having somewhere to go Monday nights. It seemed to make Brent having class a little easier on Croix.

Hiking

We went on a quick hike this weekend. Croix seemed to enjoy himself most of the time. He would start to get fussy riding in the backpack and I would scoot close to a tree and let him feel some leaves. We gave him a couple different rocks to check out. He did really well. We'll have to do it more often!

Little man hiking by himself.

Mama and Croix

Can you see Brent and Croix in the far right?

Daddy and Croix

My view

Checking out a rock

Melting

Croix just melts my heart.  He has done the sweetest things the past couple days.  A couple days ago we came home from a friends house.  It was late, past his bed time.  We had left right after dinner so I did not get anything cleaned up before we left, this included the beans I had given him to play with while I was cooking dinner.  As I was getting milk for bed I was kicking beans into a pile and saying how I was going to have to clean those up before I went to bed.  Croix went into the laundry room, got the broom and started "sweeping" the beans up.  Then after a minute he went and got the dustpan to finish up the job!  What a sweet boy!

Today as I was heading up stairs to put him down for a nap he leaned toward me, obviously wanting a kiss.  I happily obliged.  After I kissed him he smiled and said "thank you".  I don't think I could love him more!

2011 Goals

I'm so excited for 2011.  It's going to be a great year!  I can just feel it! I feel like I'm in a great place in life.  It's a great time to work on improving.  We sat down as a family and made personal goals. 

Croix's Goals

1. Go potty in the toilet all the time
2. Learn to eat with a spoon and fork
3. Learn to drink from a cup
4. Keep learning words

Brent's Goals

1. Graduate School
2. Spend more time with Croix
3. Rebuild savings

Terina's Goals

1. Potty train Croix
2. Watch less tv
3. Be healthier ie: exercise more and eat healthier
4. Rebuild savings
5. Get knocked up
6. Read Book of Mormon
7. Start book club
8. Go on a long vacation
9. Be more aware of the needs of those around me.  Take action when I see a need.
10. Continue to improve housekeeping.
11. Have Family Home Evening every week
12. Floss more
13. Take Better care of skin
14. Start the Personal Progress Program. Depending on the requirements for leaders earn Young Womanhood medallion. 
15. Plant a garden

Half way through January and my home is looking pretty good.  I've started my book club.  I haven't watched tv in two days and Croix has only watched a few shows.  Off to a great start.  I'm excited because a lot of these goals are just going to be learning new habits.  Hurry of bettering ourselves!

Playtime Fun

Croix has been getting painfully bored lately. He gets tired of me, tired of our house. I've been trying hard to watch less tv, which means Croix is watching less as well. This means he's even more bored. The other day I realized more structured play would probably be helpful. He has also been so attentive lately. He seems like he just wants to learn. He's picking up on new signs really well and very quickly. He's also been wanting to help, help with dinner, help clean up, just help.  I posted a facebook status asking for ideas for crafts, projects etc for a 16 month old. Anything I can think of seems too advanced. I got a lot of great ideas as well as good references to websites and books. I'll share those at the bottom of the post.
Today we tried to have some structured play time. Croix loved it! I was thinking I'd get maybe 15-20 minutes of playtime, he was occupied for about an hour! We started out making play dough. I brought all the ingredients to the table (I think that was his favorite part, that he got to stand on a chair at the table) then we added and mixed all our ingredients. I did the cooking  and coloring of the dough. He didn't really get it. He played with it for a minute but wasn't overly interested. I thought about how much he enjoyed mixing the ingredients for the play dough and came up with something new. I busted out a pack of pinto beans three bowls  and some measuring cups. He loved it! I eventually gave him a funnel and a water bottle to play with too. He loved it! We even pulled everything back out after dinner so Brent could check out all the bean fun and he sat happily on the floor moving beans from one bowl to another for thirty minutes! Guess what Croix will be doing while I'm fixing dinner! I'm excited to try new things with him and help him learn and grow! Here's to many more fun craft time posts!

 With all our ingredients set out.

 Tasting the flour.

 Mixing

 Ta-da!

This was so funny.  I was trying to get a shot of him playing with the play dough.  I was leaning further back to get on his level, so he started leaning back!  Monkey see monkey do.

 Fun with the beans

 When Brent came home we bust out the beans again so he could see how much Croix loves them.  They had fun together.

 I think I'm going to start calling them my magic beans.  I pulled them out while I loaded the dishwasher.  Usually Croix is pulling out all the dishes, climbing in the dishwasher, impossible to keep out of everything. With the beans out he didn't bother me at all!  It was unbelievable!  Magic beans!

Some of the links are just to blogs some are to activities I thought looked fun.

http://www.abcand123learning.com/

http://activitymom.blogspot.com/

http://activitymom.blogspot.com/2011/01/baby-activity-sticks-in-container.html 

http://preschoolprofessional.blogspot.com/2010/02/build-name-recognition-with-this.html 

http://gironlife.blogspot.com/2010/03/aidenzilla-or-alphabet-learning.html

http://littlepageturners.blogspot.com/2010/06/fishing-for-feelings.html

http://littlepageturners.blogspot.com/2010/08/myo-awesome-spelling-train.html

http://activitymom.blogspot.com/ 

http://ucreatewithkids.blogspot.com/

http://structuredplay.blogspot.com/2011/01/learning-shapes.

html http://ucreatewithkids.blogspot.com/search/label/toddlers

http://www.create-kids-crafts.com/playdough-recipes.html 

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/ http://www.abcand123learning.com/

http://mommyme-thewonderyears.blogspot.com/search/label/Toddler

http://sphickman.blogspot.com/2009/09/montessori-toddler-class.html

http://www.ittybittybookworm.com/?catID=14351

http://montessorimom.com/toddler-scope-and-sequence-lesson-ideas-practical-/

http://totallytots.homestead.com/ABC2.html


http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/

http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/

A big thank you to all my friends for sharing their knowledge!

Warrior Dash

We are all signed up for the Warrior Dash! We're so excited! Well I'm so excited Brent is a willing participant. It's going to be cray fun though! Run through tunnels, hay bails, leap through fire, mud pit, rappelling, junk yard, oh man! It will be a blast! We've got a few friends who are signed up with us.  You should join us!!  Time to start training!

New Trike

Despite not being not quite big enough to use it properly Croix loves his little trike.  My smarty pants husband thought up the great idea to use a dog leash to pull it!  Croix loves it!  He also sits on it inside all the time, climbs all over it.  He thinks it's great!

 Stopping to check the mail

 Checking out the cars we pass by (I like how you can see his reflection in the truck. No way my car is that clean!)

 He LOVED the garbage truck!

 Such a proud Dada!

 Looking up to Dad

 Do you think he enjoyed himself?

 Walking along

He also thinks it's fun to give his giant bear (really the thing is bigger then he is!) a ride on his trike.

New Wall

I got tired of the wall in my living room.  I decided to take down the shelves and do something different.  I figured since I have so many wonderful pictures I would do a picture wall.  I also wanted something to break up the pictures a little bit.  I decided some letters would be nice, too bad I'm broke thought right?  So I made my own.  Cost me a total of $3.72. (disclaimer I did already have the frames laying around my house, I even had some unused ones from our wedding, FIVE years ago!)

Before

During

 mmm, isn't he sexy!

 After

 The Letters

 I made the letters using $1 tissue paper from Walmart a diaper box, and a little modge podge.

Example

Of course we all know as a parent you are your child's greatest example.  They will learn what makes them who they are from you.  The Last Sunday I heard something (can't remember exactly what) from Sister Ipson in her young women's lesson. I love how the spirit works. I was sitting in a lesson for the young woman obviously not about parenting but the spirit spoke to me what I need to hear in my life.  Here is what I wrote down

The best example my children will have of Heavenly Parents will be Brent and I as their parents.

I don't think I heard much of the lesson for the next 5 minutes or so as I thought about this.  It's kind of heavy, deep.  All this past week it's been on my mind.  This little sentence, just 18 words has really caused me to ponder.  It makes me want to be so much a better person.  It also makes me think about what a blessing it is to be a parent.  Through this experience of parenting I am learning more about my Heavenly Father then I have in my previous 27 years!  Being a parent certainly helps me to have a greater understanding for my Heavenly Parents.  For instance how I will let Croix cry if he wakes up from a nap after only 30 minutes.  I, as his parent know he just needs more sleep.  He will be miserable the rest of the day if he doesn't get it.  So Croix cries.  How often does our Heavenly Father let us cry, to get to something in our lives that we really need.  As the parent, he knows we just need to have this experience to get to something better.  It also makes me think of how I let Croix make mistakes, so he will learn.  Often at this point in his life it's in regards to climbing, so he often falls.  I know that if he falls he will learn not to climb what ever it is.  It might hurt him a little in the moment but in the grand scheme of things it will be a helpful lesson learned.  I always offer comfort when he comes to me after he's fallen.  Is that not exactly how our Heavenly Father works?  We have agency, we make mistakes, he's there for us to turn to for comfort and guidance.  I knew these principles before becoming a parent, but I have always experienced them as the child.  How different it is as the parent.  I also love how I feel so much joy on his behalf when he learns and grows.  I think my Heavenly Father certainly rejoices with us in our lives as well.

I think I'm going to make this a focus of my scripture study.  To seek out examples of Heavenly Father's nature as a loving, all knowing parent.  If I am the best example Croix will have of that then I better start learning more about it.  I think studying the Saviors life will also be helpful.  After all Christ did say;

John 5:19
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

When I was going through infertility I wondered why we as mortals not only have the opportunity to be parents, but are commanded to "multiply and replenish the earth".  As a woman who wanted nothing more, and yet was unable to do so this commandment was one I struggled to understand.  The best I could understand it at that point was because our Heavenly Father wants us to have joy, and having children is a great joy.  I now understand it even more.  We are also commanded to become like him.  Being a parent, creating life, nurturing and teaching, is the closest way we can be like our Heavenly Father here on earth.  With this realization the word gratitude does not quite touch what I feel about the blessing of being a parent.

Deja Vu

I've had some weird deja vu lately.  First I found out my sister in law is pregnant.  We are so excited for her.  Upon finding out when she is due I thought, maybe we'll be pregnant together.  Then I was flooded with deja vu as I remembered thinking, even saying the exact same thing when she got pregnant with her first.  We had just started trying to conceive and the thought of being pregnant at the same time as my sister in law was exciting.  Then she had her baby, we were still not pregnant.  Then he turned one and we were still not pregnant.  His birthday party was a little heart breaking for me.

Then my sister got engaged!!!  She asked me if I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding.  After saying yes I thought I probably should let her know there is a possibility I could be pregnant by then.  Might be important to conciser in regards to dresses.  So I said, just so you know there is a possibility I could be pregnant.  Who knows, probably not just saying there is a chance.  Again deja vu.  When my brother got engaged he and his fiancee asked me to be a bridesmaid in their wedding.  The wedding was still over a year away, we had just started trying to conceive.  I told them, just so you know, there's a chance I could be pregnant then, heck might even have a baby by then!  The wedding came and went, no pregnancy.

Weird right?  Both of those happened with in a few days.

Well a while ago it had been 38 days since my last period.  I did not feel pregnant at all.  Did not really think I was pregnant.  Then one day I had some spotting and then nothing.  I had some spotting when I got pregnant with Croix.  So It made me wonder.  I stopped myself from counting out what month I'd be due, how far apart Croix and baby number two would be.   Wasn't going to go there.  But I couldn't stop wondering if I could be.  Brent and my good friend convinced me I needed to take a pregnancy test to find out.  I was going to wait a few days, just give it a little bit.  She had just gotten pregnant and had an extra test from the three pack she bought, since it only took them two months to get pregnant.  They insisted, I agreed.  In retrospect it's not that surprising, but in the moment it was very surprising to me the emotions that peeing on a stick brought.  I was scared.  Oh so scared to take that test.  I was angry, very angry that I had to take a test.  I knew that it was negative!  There was no hope it was positive.  There was no reason for me to feel those things.  There was a chance I could be pregnant.  There was nothing to be angry about.  There was absolutely nothing to be scared about, either way was fine.  If we would have been pregnant it would be great, if not totally fine too.  But there I was scared, angry, and sure it was negative.  It was negative.

I guess so many negative pregnancy tests effected me a little more then I knew.  I hope that since I experienced those feelings in relation to taking a pregnancy test, thought about them, acknowledged them, that next time I take a test, positive or negative it can be the new experience that it really is.  This is a new time trying to conceive.  This is a new opportunity.

Faith Proceedes the Miracle

I'm a little hesitant to post this.  I don't want people feeling sorry for us, this is not the purpose of this post.  I really just feel too overwhelmed with the love and blessings of a tender Heavenly Father to not share.

This is prefaced by another story that is really too long to tell.  I'll just give the short of if.  We got lazy in paying our tithing (unintentionally) and had to pay a large amount. I went to transfer the money from our savings to our checking and accidentally transferred it to the credit card.  Basically I paid off the credit card balance and it then had a credit on it.  There went our tithing.  Gone.  So we saved all the rest of the end of the year.  Barely got it together but paid our tithing.  Between no clients for months for me, paying for school for Brent, paying our tithing, our savings is now wiped out. Gone.

At the start of the new year I decided we are not getting behind on tithing again.  January 2nd I pulled out the check book to write a check.  Brent said we did not have enough money right now to pay our tithing.  We headed to the computer and pulled up our bank account.  Took the current balance subtracted all the bills that we would need to pay before Brent's next paycheck.  We would have about $80 left.  If we paid our tithing we'd be in the red about $50.  My heart sunk.  We really did not have the money to pay our tithing, it just was not there.  I thought about saying, well maybe we should wait two weeks then.  Then I had a feeling things will be ok.  With a  prayer and faith I wrote a check and gave it to the bishop.  It has been a long, long, LONG time since I've had to have faith my finances would be ok when paying my tithing.  The Lord had never failed me in the past, but I was never worried about buying diapers and feeding a child before.  Again I knew it would be ok.  I'd hustle up a massage or two, and we could buy food and diapers.

Sunday even, just hours after I paid our tithing I got a text from a client wanting a massage.  It almost brought tears to my eyes.  Such quick and obvious answer to my prayers.  It was just for a 60 min massage, so not enough to buy food, but enough we wouldn't be in the red.  Two days later another client contacted me to schedule a 90 min massage for her and her husband.  Food and diapers and a little left over!  Tears did come!  How great is my God!  He loves me.  He hears my prayers.  He in his love and kindness answered them.  How could I ever have worried?

PS.  Please do not worry about us.  We will be fine.  We will now make it through January just fine.  Then we will get our taxes.  Then we will pay off my car.  Then Brent will graduate.  Then we will pay off Brent's car. THEN we will be more then fine, we will be comfortable and rebuilding our savings!

Poo in the Potty!

I've notice that Croix seems very aware of when he's going poo lately.  Despite being told by multiple people that he's too young to start potty training I decided to put him on the toilet when he looked like he was going.  The other night he got that look so I rushed him to the bathroom, put him on the toiled and he did it!!!!  I praised the heck out of him.  We looked at his poo and clapped and made the biggest deal out of it.  I haven't caught him with his poo face again, so so far it's been a one time occurrence but I must say it's pretty exciting.  Yesterday my Mother in law told me she did the same thing with Brent and he was poop potty trained by 18 mo!  Here's to hoping I can pull that off too.  Either way it makes me excited to think that we'll most likely be out of diapers by the end of this year!  Woo! Hoo!

This is the only picture Brent managed to snap.  Not very good.  Croix kept trying to shut the door, it was funny. Also, he just seemed so small on that big toilet.  As big as he is getting, he is still just a little guy!