Amanda is 29 years 5 months!

Whoo-hoo!  I get a post!  Why not, right?  So, here is an update on me, my favorite topic.

I feel like I am finally getting into a good routine with Logan, but I am still a little surprised at how much having three kids (especially since the older two are both home and neither nap or do quite time) sucks up all available time.  I am not tired, thanks to sleeping in until 8 am almost every morning (and Logan sleeps well, just waking up once or twice).  But gosh, those 2 hours at night after the kids are asleep and before I go to bed are precious.  So, I’m still struggling how to do those – spend all my time washing dishes, exercising, and reading scriptures?  But if I do that every night I go crazy, because I need something for me.  That is just fun.  We’ll see …

I have been trying out a few new recipes, mostly from a vegetarian cookbook I got for my birthday.  I tried one I really like – Bulgur and green lentil salad with chickpeas.  I think that might become a lunch time staple at least once a month.  And it lasts like a full week almost.  The roasted parsnips were good, but not worth the price.  Homemade spaghetti sauce is pretty darn good – the kids won’t eat it (except Andrew who only wants to eat the carrots in it, silly boy).  I really need to try out the mandoline and yogurt maker I got for Christmas but haven’t had time.

Otherwise, highlights of the month were “hiking” (which really isn’t with two slow-poke kiddos) around the Confluence area (but at least I got to try out my new hiking boots) and getting to finally go on a date with Katsu.  It’s been since like my birthday.

I have been going positively crazy this month from living in this tiny apartment.  Sometimes, I feel totally claustrophobic and like there isn’t a single square inch of our house that I can walk on without stepping on something, a door that I can open without having to move something, or something that is generally driving me crazy.  I try not to complain (well, I try at least a little bit), but the lack of a garage, back yard, washer, dryer, bed, own room, own bathroom, table with enough chairs for everyone, etc. etc. just drives me nuts sometime.  I CAN NOT wait until we live in a house! 

I have been trying to give up most sugar (and some white flour, though I am going to work more on this later).  It feels so much better not eating the massive amount of sugar I feel like I was eating before, especially so after Christmas in over.  I really am bad at moderating sweet things, so this is good for me.  And I have lost 5 pounds in the last 3ish weeks, which puts my weight back to pre-Logan-pregnancy.  I would still like to lose more weight though.  My body is still very very flabby – I feel like I have a bowl full of jelly.  Sigh …

My new years resolutions are somewhat amorphous, but I think I have done a good job of being on my computer less, spending more time playing and talking with kids, and working on the sugar.  Scripture reading is okay.  And Katsu and I went on a date, so that one is good for the month!

I have read some this month or so.  The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks – I liked this because it was interesting and it made me feel a little closer to knowing more about science and Katsu’s work (he works with Hela cells sometimes).    Good calories, bad calories – So, so.  This was recommended in some lectures I am watching on food from Yale.  I loved the first part with the history about the science, but once he got into what he believed, I thought his analysis of the science was less thorough and believable.  A better criticizer than promoter, perhaps.  The mission of motherhood – I enjoyed this and loved the thoughts it gave me about being a mother.   Mommy’s locked in the bathroom – I didn’t think this book was that useful, but a fun read while nursing.  Micro – I enjoyed this for a fun fluff book, but definitely not as good as most of Crichton or Preston’s books.  Flourish – I mostly skimmed this books; some interesting ideas, but a little too wordy. How children raise parents – I really enjoyed this book, especially the beginning because I feel like that is really what parenting is about for me – changing me and making me a different person.  A life that says welcome – I really want to do more entertaining and basically haven’t because our apartment is so small, but this was somewhat encouraging (now, if we actually had more than 3 chairs for the table …). For women only – I thought this would be a dumb book, but I actually thought that some of the things it uncovered were really really useful, especially her analogy about how men are so visual.

Oh, and I wanted to post a picture of the completed three boy’s stockings since they are my life’s work … well, just slightly after the actual raising of the three boys.

Seth is 2 years 7 months old

ABOUT SETH THIS MONTH:

Two, especially since Logan was born, seems to be tough on Seth.  I do see a little light at the end of the tunnel.  Logan is starting to get into a better routine and when Andrew is at preschool, I usually have at least an hour of just Seth time.  I think that is helping a whole lot!

Seth is two.  What can I say.  He is really trying to assert his independence, figure out what he can do, and push everyone’s buttons.  A few examples.  Seth always takes his shoes and often his socks off in the car.  Once, while nervous waiting to see the doctor this month, as I tried to find the socks and shoes he had thrown off, he took off his pants, too!  Seth refuses to do most things we tell him, but mostly just to see if he can get away from it.  He really really hates time out and I don’t have a really good place to do it (we are crammed into our apartment like sardines).  So, he has to sit on a time-out chair.  Either I chase him around the apartment every time he gets up (which ends up taking an hour to do a 2 minute time-out), or I just put him between my legs and force him to sit for 2 minutes.  Not very effective, but I have to do something. 

Because of his 2-year-old-ness, I have let him have complete control of potty training.  I told him, when he is ready, we will switch to underwear.  And that he has to be potty trained for preschool.  Some afternoons he wants to wear underwear, but usually he says that he will start on Thursday.  We’ll see about that.

Seth has been more emotionally needy because of Logan and was waking up a lot at night and needing Katsu.  He still is, but it feels like it is getting a little better.  He also has been giving me a lot of spontaneous hugs which is definitely new.  He still wishes Logan wasn’t around.  He tells me that he wishes “Logan was back in my tummy” and wants him in the crib or lying down when he is awake.  But sometimes, he will try to play with or smile at or talk to Logan.

Seth is really really into Cars 2, fighting, wrestling, and good guys (or cars) and bad guy (or cars).  We are really trying to teach him to use his words and I can see it helping a bit, but he throws A LOT.  Now, at least, he says, “I want to throw this toy at Andrew” and sometimes he doesn’t do it.  Kill is still one of his favorite words.  And poopy.  It’s lovely.

Seth has had this weird “rash” for the last few months that was growing in a curvy line from his chest through his arm pit and to his back.  The pediatrician had no idea what it was (thought maybe shingles??) and so we took him to the pediatric dermatologist this month to have it checked out.  So, they knew right what it was – a birthmark!  Not what I expected.  And it will probably keep growing.  So weird.

Something I don’t think I’ve ever written about.  Seth always says the exact same prayer no matter what.  It is “Father, thank you, Amen”.  No matter the occasion.  We were having some bad weather the other day and he was concerned, so I said to say a prayer, and that was it.  So cute.

Seth still likes train tracks, but is really into games right now.  Especially the new Cars 2 game, but also Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherrio and Memory – all of which he wants to play every day.  That and building guns and dinosaurs out of Trio blocks.  He likes to play more on his own.  During our time, he’ll play a little, but he gets mad whenever I play with him, because invariably I will do it wrong, so we usually end up playing games, reading books, or doing crafts.

Seth is a perfectionist in some ways.  He really wants to do things the right way, and usually to the level of Andrew’s ability or better.  He gets frustrated when he can’t do athletic things like he thinks he should be able.  He is really starting to get frustrated that he can’t write.  Andrew is always telling him that he didn’t make letters and that those are just scribbles.  Seth is trying really hard to make letters and I think he is doing a good job, but he gets frustrated because it doesn’t look as good as he thinks it should.

Academically, Seth is doing really well – mostly osmosis from Andrew, because I don’t really work with him on those things.  He knows most of his ABCS and even knows the sounds for some of the letters.  He knows all his colors and shapes and can count at least to 20.  He counts to 10 in Spanish pretty well, too (that is from reading millions of Dora books which are his absolute favorite).  He also speaks really well and is drawing pretty well (his rocket ships look pretty much like rocket ships to me).  He is great at circles, but is still working on straight lines and triangles.  He absorbs a lot – he knows all about Andrew’s preschool and is very excited to go.  He even knows the names of almost all of the kids in Andrew’s class.

Oh, I think Seth is mostly done with naps.  I this point, I don’t think he’s taken one for almost 2 weeks!

I am loving Seth and his sweet hugs and kisses this month!

FUN THINGS SETH DID THIS MONTH:

CHRISTMAS!!!  We watched the Muppets movie the night before.  And left cookies out for Santa.  (Though the boys refused to ever see Santa and tell him what they wanted in case he changed his mind).  Seth loved all the presents he got – a firehouse Trio set (now usually used to make guns) from Santa, new Play-Doh set from Santa, dress up hats from Mom, dress up clothes from Sarah and Danny, books from Michael and Meghan and also from Martha, Lincoln logs from Grandma and Grandpa, a new outfit from Grandma Clo and Grandpa Dick (that Seth was SO excited about he started unzipping his pajamas immediately to wear them) and some toy people from the Book of Mormon, and a big slide and horse from Ji and Ba.

- Rest of Texas.  Grandpa took Seth on outings everywhere – feeding the ducks, to the park, around town – he had SO much fun.  He also loved playing with the toys at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  And spending time with the relatives.  Also, he got to experience playing old school video games (sigh!) – Mario and Duck Hunt.  Of course, Seth was very frustrated because he wasn’t as good as he wanted (or as good at Andrew at duck hunt).  And dancing along with us to Just Dance 3 (though he was too shy to do it for long).  And going out for ice cream!

- New Years!  We threw a little party with everyone and the boys at 6:30ish before the boys went to bed after having yummy appetizers.  The boys loved making so much noise!!!  The next day, Katsu gave the boys traditional new years money (otoshidama).  Seth is still a little young, but thinks it is fun to play with.

- Trip to the zoo and the science center (finally getting out after having Logan).

- Going with Katsu to the consolate (they were visiting at a hotel near the airport) and then sitting in the car in the cell-phone lot and watching planes for half an hour.  They got ice cream, too, which is always a thrill.

- Watch the movie Ice Age 3 at the History museum.  Seth enjoyed it and loves all the snacks.  He fell asleep near the end of the movie (while sitting up!), though, poor thing.

- We went to a Chinese new year party that someone in our stake threw for this group of people that meet for Chinese Sunday School.  Somehow, we always get invited along and we’ve been a couple times.  Anyways, after getting pretty lost going there, we made it.  The boys had a blast.  The adults all made loads of dumplings together and then we ate lots and lots of Chinese food (Seth was in heaven).  Then, they had a presentation about the Chinese new year and the host had made a Chinese dragon out of paper which all the kids held up with sticks and ran around and around the house.  It was pretty fun!

- On Martin Luther King Day, Katsu took the day off and we went to go look for Bald Eagles near the Confluence where the Missouri and Mississippi rivers meet (about 20 mins from our house).  Seth was kind of having a rotten day – he wanted to hike, but as soon as we walked a bit, he started throwing a fit and wanting to be carried and saying he was tired.  We first went to Chain of Rocks bridge and walked part way before they closed it.  Then, we went hiking around the Confluence and had a picnic lunch there (the weather was lovely!) and then we went to West Alton to the Audubon center, but Seth fell asleep and so he had a nice nap in the car while Andrew and Katsu finally spotted a real bald eagle.  Then, we went out for dinner at Dickey’s BBQ which Seth loved.  They even have free ice cream cones.  A beautiful January day.

- Making snow man and having a snow ball fight with Katsu.

FUNNY THINGS SETH SAID THIS MONTH: (note – I really should keep better track of this)

Katsu: "You are my favorite 2 yr old, give me a hug"
Seth: "I gave you a hug yesterday, I can give you another one some other time"
Andrew: "Aww, I can give you a hu~g, I give you a kiss, too"
Seth: "I give you kiss tomorrow"

)

Dress up Clothes

My sister made super cute dress up clothes for the kids for Christmas which went great with the hats that I bought them for Christmas.  I always wanted dress up clothes as a kid, and so I have been dying to get them for the kids for a while.  Anyways, the kids being kids were non-plussed originally when they got the clothes and would not try them all on and so my sister never got to see all the fruit of her labors.  Of course, the kids love them now.  They always seem to take awhile to warm up to new things.  So, since it was my sister’s birthday today, I finally remembered to take pictures.  The boys, of course, didn’t want to match clothes with hats and had their own ideas about how things go together.  Thankfully, they are pictures not videos so you don’t hear the comments that go along with the pictures – most of which are along of the lines of “I am a bad <fill in correct title here>.  I am going to kill you”.  Sigh.  Where do kids (boys) get this from?

The pictures:

And Logan being his cute chubby self:

Andrew is 4 years, 8 months old

PICTURES:

ART PROJECTS:

ANDREW THIS MONTH:

- Loves Logan and babies.  He has latched away from his love of Seth and now loves Logan and wants to talk to him and hold him and play with him all the time.  Same way with other little babies, too.  It’s sweet, but a little hard on Seth.

- Easier to rationalize with, but always wants his own way.  But he is starting to “get stuff” when we talk about stuff.  Like, I told him how much it means to Katsu if it is cleaned up when he gets home, and Andrew has started cleaning up really well.  When he is motivated, he really is motivated.  He does his chores thoroughly (although not that happily) and even asked for more jobs.  We’ll have to come up with something.  Oh, and he is finally realizing what the idea of a bubble is!  Or at least, he knows I have a very large bubble.

- Sees to be expanding some of friends at school, but still working on social skills.  He mentions playing with some of the boys (yeah!), though he still loves the girls.  He still gets really upset whenever he feels like someone is breaking the rules (like, the boys gets ahead of him in line or more legitimately pushing him).  He is having a hard time at playgrounds, though- he doesn’t want other kids to be there, doesn’t want to play with anyone but Seth and then is mean to other kids.  We are working on it, but I think he is just bringing a lot of aggression at having a new baby onto those situations.

- Getting better at riding bike, kicking, throwing.

- Loves to joke, have fun and cause a little trouble.  If he can do something to make him laugh, he will.

- Loves to watch self in mirror.  It is SO frustrating because their closet has mirrors on it, and when I am trying to get through to him about some discipline issue, he just looks at himself in the mirror.

- Really getting better at writing and is starting to learn some spelling / reading.  He loves this new scrabble game he got (thanks Kiyo and Hiroko) and wants to play it all the time.  His drawing is also so much better than it used to be.  He is always coming home from preschool with cards for people – like one said “I love you Martha.  Thank you” for our neighbor.  He says he doesn’t play enough at preschool, but I am pretty sure that he spends a lot of free time writing.

- He loved spending time with relatives, particularly Grandpa and Meghan.  One day, he started crying because he was going to miss seeing his aunt so much.  So cute.  Of course, he also cried when our vacation started because he was going to miss his preschool friends so much.  And was hugging all his friends.  He is an affectionate guy.  He also enjoyed spending time with his uncle Danny – who was trying to teach him all about army people and World War II.

- Andrew has been having stomach aches almost every day.  His preschool teachers said that I needed to spend more one-on-one time with him (I’ve been trying!).  Poor guy.  I think it is mostly psychological (gets to go down to the nurse), but I hope it’s not physical.  He does tell me he needs to eat more fruit and vegetables.  Which is good, because he is a lot more fussy about his food.

- Loved our trip to Texas but was glad to be home, too.

FUN THINGS THIS MONTH:

- Andrew’s Christmas program at school.  He was Joseph in the Living Nativity; his headdress was bugging him a little bit, but he was cute.  They also sang some Christmas songs.

- Winter craft day at the Library.  The boys made bird feeders out of sort-of-stale bread, but you would think they were starving because they were both eating SO much bread!  They made some pretty nice paper chains, too, but afterwards, Andrew wanted to put everything he made on the tree, even the pictures that he colored.

- Cookie Decorating Party at a friend’s house.  Andrew had so much fun and just sat and decorated cookies for like 30 minutes.  He was in love with the pretty colors (pink and purple) and the pink candy corn.

- Ward Christmas party, theme of Back to Bethlehem.  Andrew had fun winning a dreidel and making wax candles.  But we were all tired, so we got out early.

- Silver Dollar City on the way to Dallas.  Andrew loved all the Christmas lights and riding the rides.  The kids weren’t too impressed with the shows, but it was a fun little trip.  Of course, the kids probably enjoy going to McDonald’s on the way almost as much.

- CHRISTMAS!!!  We watched the Muppets movie the night before.  And left cookies out for Santa.  (Though the boys refused to ever see Santa and tell him what they wanted in case he changed his mind).  Andrew had a bit of a hard time because he felt like some of Seth’s presents were cooler than his.  I was a little worried because it seemed like he didn’t get the presents he wanted (like the pink Trio set).  But now I can see he loves all the presents he got – candies, a race car Trio set from Santa, dress up hats from Mom, dress up clothes from Sarah and Danny, Lincoln logs from Grandma and Grandpa, a new outfit from Grandma Clo and Grandpa Dick and some toy people from the Book of Mormon, and a big slide and horse from Ji and Ba.

- Rest of Texas.  Grandpa took Andrew on outings everywhere – feeding the ducks, to the park, around town – he had SO much fun.  He also loved playing with the toys at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  And spending time with the relatives.  Also, he got to experience playing old school video games (sigh!) – Mario and Duck Hunt.  And dancing along with us to Just Dance 3 (of course, he called it a “workout video”).  And going out for ice cream! 

- New Years!  We threw a little party with everyone and the boys at 6:30ish before the boys went to bed after having yummy appetizers.  The boys loved making so much noise!!!  The next day, Katsu gave the boys traditional new years money (otoshidama).  Andrew is starting to get more interested in money, though he says he wants to earn more so he can give it all to poor people.

- Trip to the zoo and the science center (finally getting out after having Logan).