May 14, 2012

Random experiences I want to remember about this past week

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 8:52 pm

I had so much fun being a mom to my kids today. They did so many cute and funny things. I wanted to try and remember some of them:

  • Alisa (4) has refused to say prayers for a long time. She would not help us and we decided not to fight it. So we have been saying her nightly prayers for her for a while. Recently she became much more helpful and would do 1 or 2 things in each prayer. Today she did the whole thing by herself and she even add “And I’m thankful … that I love Hyrum.” It was very sweet.
  • Alisa has also never had a desire to repeat anything if we want her to. So she would never repeat prayers, scriptures, lessons from FHE, etc. This past week she suddenly wanted to repeat things. On Sunday she wanted to read scriptures a lot. So she repeated 10 scriptures straight! Joe was reading to her about Jesus being baptized. After they read and discussed their readings together, they watched the Bible Video of Jesus being baptized (especially looking for the Holy Ghost coming in the sign of a dove). She was so attentive. I love this newfound side of her.
  • Hyrum (2) and Alisa did a great job sharing and taking turns today. I tried to complement them frequently for their good behavior. When one had something that the other wanted, they came to me and asked when it could be their turn. I told them to ask the person who had it. An example – Hyrum had the new pink “bike” and Alisa wanted it. She came to me asking when it could be her turn. I told her to ask Hyrum, not me. Hyrum told her in 2 minutes. True to his word, after a few minutes he got off and told her it was her turn. This happened many times throughout the day. I loved it!
  • During Alisa’s songs before bed last night (she and Hyrum get 2 nightly from each parent with a total of 4 songs each) she wanted song 42. I was kind of not in the mood for playing games, and told her that I didn’t know which song 42 was. She insisted that I did. When I continued to tell her that I didn’t know, she said “It’s song 42 in the Children Song Book!” Finally after she realized that I really didn’t know which song she meant, she consent to tell me “Away in a manger.” Her memory is way too good.
  • We played baseball for our home evening activity tonight. We used whiffle balls and a plastic bat. We helped the kids hit for a while and then decided to teach them to run bases. After designating 1st and 2nd bases as trees, and 3rd base as our mailbox, I pitched to the kids and then Joe. Joe helped them hit it in the road each time and then tried to get them to run to the bases as I went chasing after the ball. It was hilarious. Alisa was upset that one tree was left out and ran there between 2nd and 3rd base. At one point, I held Benjamin (now 5 months) and Benjamin held the bat. Joe pitched to us and we managed to hit the ball. Of course we got out before we made it to the tree, but that might have been because I was laughing too hard. All in all it was a great activity.
  • During FHE I was giving a lesson on the roles of Mommy’s and Daddy’s. We started off discussing that the Family Proclamation taught us that a man and a woman needed to be married. I showed a picture of Joe and I outside the Idaho Falls Temple just after we were married. Alisa said that we needed to go inside the temple to be married. I told her that she was right, but that the Temple is a very sacred place, and so we can’t take pictures inside the temple. We get married inside and then take pictures outside. Alisa then said something like “and then you get a big treat in there.” Joe and I couldn’t tell what she meant, but she was adamant that we got some treat in the temple.
  • This past Sunday Alisa actually responded to an adult in Primary. She usually acts really afraid if she is spoken to, but she actually participated in the game during singing time. What a big moment for her (and me). I think I may have broken the ice a bit last week when I asked her to be my special helper and pass out some rocks for my sharing time. I am excited that she may be coming out of her shell, so to speak. Not many people know just how smart she is. They also started learning the song “I like to look for rainbows” which Alisa knows from us playing together in the Primary songbook. As soon as our pianist started playing it Alisa said “That song is in the Children’s Songbook!” The music leader was delighted that Alisa had volunteered a comment. I’m waiting for her to someday shout out “And it’s on page 103!”

April 25, 2012

iPhones, bubbles, and other random pictures of Alisa and Hyrum

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 2:52 pm

listening to Hymns on Daddy’s iPhone

Hyrum “singing”

Benjamin is 4 months

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 2:30 pm

Benjamin continues to be my angel baby. He is always content and rarely expresses displeasure. Except when he gets hurt, like when Alisa knocked over a chair on top of him or when Hyrum dropped the broom on him. But even then he only cries for about 10 seconds. He sometimes has a hard time if we keep him up too late at night, but don’t we all? Benjamin rolled over from back to stomach for the first time on Monday. He has been rolling over (usually accidentally) from stomach to back since the day he turned 2 months old. It was so fun to see him try repeatedly to roll over to get his toy cube. And just after I had mentioned to Joe that he rarely tries to get anything out of reach. Way to prove me wrong, Benjamin!

Benjamin stopped sleeping through the night around 3 months old, but does go down to sleep earlier-around 8:30 at night. A rough schedule of his day would be the following:

  • 7:00 wake up
  • 9:-11 nap
  • 11-1  wake up and play
  • 1-3 nap
  • 3-5 wake up and play
  • 5-6 nap
  • 7-8:30 wake up and play
  • 8:30 pm -7:00 am sleep with a dream-feed at 10:00 and a nursing around 4 am

Of course, Benjamin deviates from this schedule when we are out doing errands or the like. His play time usually consists of playing with his toys, playing with his family (he loves to laugh at Alisa and Hyrum), and having tummy time.

Here are some pictures of Benjamin. He didn’t like the grass very much, but his serious face and chubby cheeks made me laugh a lot.

April 12, 2012

Finger Paints

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 3:16 pm

I made finger paints a few weeks ago. My kids loved them. I think I got them a little too thick and goopy, but they were lots of fun. I even painted a bit. Alisa’s friend Brendan B* (a boy that I watch 2 days a week) was over that day and he had so much fun. He even forgot to talk about video games.

April 11, 2012

Date Night

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 9:47 pm

Joe and I enjoyed a mini-golf date last Saturday. We are trying for at least a montly date. Benjamin still tagged along, but we left Alisa and Hyrum home with Uncle Anthon-their favorite babysitter. We enjoyed our dinner and mini golf. I started out with an amazing hole in 1, but went downhill from there. Joe was much more consistent and ended up winning by 6. Here are a few fun pictures-most didn’t turn out too well as we were surrounded by black lights.

Joe with a very pink face.

I used Benjamin’s blanket to try and light up my face. It didn’t work too well.

This gigantic eye of a whale made us laugh.

Easter 2012

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 9:41 pm

We had a fun Easter this year. Saturday was a day spent on egg hunts and candy, and Sunday was a day celebrating the Resurrection.  I didn’t want to make the same mistake that I did last year (when we attended Provo’s Easter Egg Hunt at Pioneer Park–it was WAY too crazy). So we planned on having our own Easter egg hunt as well as stopping by Smiths for their Easter celebration.

We went to Smiths as planned and had to split up as Alisa and Hyrum were in different divisions. Joe went with Alisa and I went with Hyrum–until Alisa changed her mind. Then I went with Alisa and Joe went with Hyrum. I tried to explain to her to pick up the eggs and candy and put them in her basket. She seemed to be pretty OK with it. And then they started the “hunt” using the loud speaker. I say “hunt” because it was really just a whole lot of candy dumped in front of the meat counter. Alisa wouldn’t budge. She wouldn’t pick up anything. She wanted me to do it for her and claimed that she was scared. Knowing full well that she needed to just get over her fear, I refused to pick up anything for her. I don’t understand her fears. First she is started of Christmas presents and now she is scared of picking up candy? I was hoping that by me refusing she would overcome her fear, but she didn’t. So all the candy got picked up by the other 7 children. Their mothers and fathers decided that they each had way too much candy, so they asked their kids to fill up Alisa’s basket with some of their candy–which they did. So Alisa ended up with eggs and candy after all. The eggs even had coupons for free fruit snacks and pudding cups. Alisa told me later that she would have gladly picked up eggs at our own house.

Hyrum loved picking up the candy and eggs. Joe knew the eggs must be special, so he instructed Hyrum to go for the eggs first. And then Hyrum started picking up candy. He was so funny and had to show every piece to Joe first. It was mainly salt water taffy, smarties, Dum-Dums, and Laffy Taffys. He would pick up one, look excitedly at Joe and then tell him what color it was. He took his time as did the 4 other kids his age.  All in all, it was very laid back and nothing like last year at the city hunt.

At home Joe and I did an egg hunt and filled 36 eggs with 1 jelly bean each. Joe “hid” them out in our backyard and then Alisa and Hyrum went looking. Of course Alisa was too scared at first, but she eventually got over it. Then they enjoyed eating some of the jelly beans. My kids are so great at rationing candy. They have 2 pieces after lunch and dinner each day and we will have enough to last at least a month, even with me snacking on the salt water taffy. :)

Joe showing Alisa an egg and her turning away to hide so that she can’t see it.

On Sunday, we watched part of the “Lamb of God” with Alisa and Hyrum. I wanted Alisa to understand the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. She was a bit timid in the movie, but I expected that. I felt like it went really well and I felt the Holy Ghost as I tried to teach her of the important role that Christ had played. I am so grateful for our Savior.

April 2, 2012

humor in a night accident

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 2:17 pm

Hyrum was showing a lot of interest in using the bathroom, so I made some Koolaid and game him and Alisa lots to help him practice. While it did help him spend a lot of time in the bathroom, it also created an unforeseen problem. Alisa drank so much as well that she ended up wetting the bed at 3 the next morning. She was really confused and sleepy and was sad. It’s the first time that has ever happened. I helped her get cleaned up and she complained about being cold. I explained that it was because she was so wet and that changing into dry clothes would help her be warm again.

The next day I wanted to teach her that if she went potty right before she went to bed, she wouldn’t wet the bed again. However, I suppose I chose my words poorly. This is how it went:

Me: Alisa, remember how you wet the bed last night and woke up really cold? We should go potty now so that you won’t be cold in the night.

Alisa (with a really confused look): No, Mom. I wasn’t cold. The pee was warm.

Saying goodbye to the Froggy Potty

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 2:10 pm

In my ideal potty training experience, I would have never chosen to use a small potty. However, due to Alisa’s fears of using the large toilet, Joe and I decided that we wanted to have Alisa out of diapers, even if it meant buying a smaller potty. We felt like the main transition would be using the potty and that the other transition (small potty to regular toilet) would be fairly easy. We never realized that Alisa would use the small potty for a whole year. However, that time has finally ended due to nothing short of a miracle.

Alisa has a very strong will and would not go on any other potty. When we went to Grandmas or camping, we would have to bring her potty with us. She was very good at emptying the potty herself and wiping herself, and even waiting until we were home to use her potty. We just had to make sure she had gone before we left the house in the morning. A few weeks ago on Sunday, I asked Alisa if she needed to go potty before church. She said that she didn’t. I was fairly certain that she had not gone yet that day, but I wasn’t willing to cause a huge tantrum. So I explained to her that we needed to go to church, and that if she needed to go when we were at church, she would need to use the church’s toilets-we were not going to come home to use her potty. She said OK. (Usually this discussion would cause her to realize she actually did need to go so that she wouldn’t have to go at church.) When she still maintained that she didn’t have to go, I dropped the subject, but secretly wondered if she could last through church. So we went to church without her going.

About 15 minutes before church let out, Alisa’s teacher came to find me. She explained that Alisa really needed to go potty. I asked friends to look after both Benjamin and Hyrum (as Hyrum doesn’t like Nursery right now) and went after Alisa. She was hysterically crying in class that she wanted to go home and dancing terribly. I felt so sorry for her. I brought her out into the hall and tried to calm her down. She didn’t. Our conversation went something like this: (Alisa is screaming all her responses)

ME: Alisa, I think you need to go to the bathroom.

Alisa: No I don’t, I want to go back to class.

ME: Alisa, you can’t go back to class, because you really need to go to the bathroom. Let’s go use the bathroom.

Alisa: No, I don’t want to go to the bathroom at the church. I want to use my potty.

ME: Remember before we came to church that I said we couldn’t go home to use the potty? I have to teach Primary and can’t leave right now.

Alisa: Can Daddy take me home?

ME: No, he is teaching the Young Men. We can’t go home. You can either go potty on the church toilet, or have an accident on the church floor, but we can not go home.

Alisa: I don’t need to go potty anymore.

ME: I am pretty sure you do. If you continue to hold it in any longer, your bottom will hurt.

Alisa: I WANT MY BOTTOM TO HURT!

And so on. I think you get the picture. I was grateful that most people steered clear of the hallway. I finally convinced Alisa to come into the girls’ bathroom to hopefully be a bit quieter. I focused all my efforts at reaffirming my love for Alisa, but being firm that we were not going home. I was also praying that we wouldn’t have a huge accident. Finally Alisa said in a very scared voice “I want to use the church potty.” She had me help her sit up and leave while she went to the bathroom, but I was so relieved. She was too, and I held her for a while to help her calm down.

Since that experience, we talked to Alisa about how proud we were that she had been so brave. She had been really nervous, but was very brave when she needed to be. We also talked about how her potty was getting to small, and that we thought she was big enough to use the regular toilet. I asked her when she thought she could give it up. Her answer “after Christmas.” I tried not to laugh and instead asked if she wanted some choices. I gave her the following Saturday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. And she picked Tuesday. When Joe got home, she surprised us all by telling him how excited she was to put her potty away in the shed and that we would get it out again for Benjamin in a few years. (Hyrum already uses the big one, so no sense in complicating the process.) Throughout the week leading up to that Tuesday, she would randomly decide to use the big toilet. When it came time to put away the Froggy Potty, no tears were shed and Alisa felt no remorse. What an amazing miracle!

March 30, 2012

Alisa at 4 years

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 10:34 pm

Here is a sketch of Alisa at 4 years old.

Age: 4 years

Height: 40.75 inches

Weight: 37 pounds

Clothes size: 4T-5T

Shoe size: 8 (almost 9)

Favorite Foods: yogurt, fruit snacks, chicken nuggets, noodles and white sauce (alfredo), granola, anything sweet, most fruits and veggies

Favorite Stuffed Animal: The white kitty Grandma S* gave her last Christmas

Favorite Doll: “New Baby” aka her 12 inch Corelle doll (each arm or leg has been sewn back on multiple times.)

Favorite Toys: her babies (and their accessories)

Favorite Songs: “As a Child of God,” Away in a Manger”

Favorite Books: Kitten’s First Full Moon, Froggy Gets Dressed (and any other Froggy book), The Saggy Baggy Elephant

Favorite Store:  Still Maceys (Where else can you ride in a car-cart and be given balloons and smarties by the store employees?) although Orem Smiths is a close second as they have child-sized carts.

Favorite Park: Pioneer Park because it has swings

Daily Routine:  Alisa gets up between 7 and 8 on most days. She is usually not the first to wake up, but if she is, she will go back to sleep or stay in bed until someone else gets up. She sometimes still takes naps during the day, depending on how behavior in the morning. She knows if she is cranky and throws tantrums, that means she is tired and she needs to take a nap. If she has been a good listener and happy, she knows she gets to have “quiet time” in her bedroom and she comes out at 2:30 or 3:00 (I tell her the time and she comes out on her own as she can tell time). If she naps, she generally has a tough time falling asleep until around 10:00 pm, so we like it better when she doesn’t nap. Then she is tired enough to fall asleep at 8:00 pm. She enjoys getting out and going places, especially if they are parks or the library. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we watch another boy her age (Brendan B*) from 8-4. She enjoys playing with him, although sometimes they act more like siblings than friends. It is also sometimes hard because Alisa loves pretend play and creative things and Brendan only enjoys the video games he brings.

Friends: Brendan B*, Hyrum, Emily P*, Abigail P*, and her sunbeam class at Church

Favorite Activities:

Reading Books, or rather having me or Joe read to her

Drawing and coloring with markers, crayons, or watercolors

Playing with her dollhouse

Playing with her piano keyboard

Drawing outside with chalk

Playing a number of made-up games, such as the Monster Game (kids take turns being monsters while the other kids hide in their play house), Explosion Man (I think this started out as a replay of a video game one of her friends had seen, but I helped them morph it into a game where they pretend that Dinosaurs are attacking them), and the Car Game (where they run cars to and from Alisa’s bedroom)

Playing hide-and-seek and red-light-green-light with our family

putting on puppet shows

Pictures:

being a great helper

this is her nervous face

March 7, 2012

Updated Living Room

Filed under: Uncategorized — kseeg @ 10:46 pm

Here is our new living room. We got a new lamp, hung a new picture, rearranged furniture, and put up new curtains. It feels a lot more open now.