la piggy primavera

How cute is that little spring piggy?!

The little piggy tail, and piggy cheeks, and the teeth that you could drive a truck through... drive me wild! I just want to eat her up.

Brynley's hair is getting so long (comparatively) so fast that it's now all in her face unless I do something with it. Thursday I put it in a real, true piggy for the first time. Lots of water and a little banana crust leftover from breakfast helped it stay in really well.

It's so cute, but it makes me a little sad that it makes her look so old.

*sniff*

first field day

Friday was Bailey's first Field Day.

The students take the afternoon off from books and learn team building skills by competing against other classes in their grade. After being sick for most of the week, I was glad to see Bailey feeling well enough to run around. (and we were lucky they rescheduled Field Day from earlier in the week due to rain!) Like everything else in Texas, Field Day is a BIG DEAL. All the parents/grandparents/monkey's uncles come to watch. We brought Bailey lunch and ate our McD's in the cafeteria with her. The we headed out to the field. It was a L-O-N-G three hours for these spectators...

...Brynley was a little restless and wanted to get down and crawl around. She LOVES grass!

Benson also wanted to get down and run around...in the races with "Bubs." We also spent much of the time trying to keep warm. I was fooled by the sunshine and temperature, and didn't take into account the COLD wind and humidity. Poor kids were FREEZING.

We cheered on Bub as she competed in race...

...after race.

Followed by some relays...

...and just plain ol' fun...

like splashing your teacher (and self) by sitting on a water balloon.

Guggy got there just in time to see Bailey race, warm up the kiddles, and replenish the bribes (snacks).

And a snow cone to top it off! Bailey said, "It was the best Field Day EVER!"

a beautiful mess

In my Early Childhood training in college, we were constantly taught that childhood was about the process, not the result. This is really hard for me. It's hard to find "joy in the journey" and easy to get bogged down by the constant mis-fires of parenting. At the end of the day usually all I can see or think about is what I didn't get accomplished.
The last few weeks have been particularly challenging. We've all taken turns being sick. I get stuck in the house for days at a time, and it shows. The house is a mess. We are all restless and irritable. I'm exhausted. As my Mom says, "I'm up to my armpits in alligators."

Today I was really feeling it. And then I remembered something I heard, from someone who really knows. I've read and heard this article numerous times and consciously tried to store it in my scattered brain for days like today:

"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likely hood you have occasionally felt the pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn't appreciate that time of your life as much as you should have.... If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware

that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface,

the toys scattered about the house,

the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will - to your surprise- miss them profoundly."

{Finding Joy in the Journey, Thomas S. Monson. Ensign, November 2008}

I've spent too much time worrying about what I missed during the day, that I really missed it. Yeah, my house is still a mess. The laundry is still waiting to be done. And the kids are still sick. But...Bailey learned to tie her shoes today. Benson learned to successfully clear his dishes off the table without breaking or throwing them. And Brynley said "muh" (more) and "zdd" (slide) purposely, for the first time.

And that made it worth it all.

{and this post is to remind me}

To Day I Feule Sik

Bailey left this message on her easel last night. I found it when I tiptoed into her room late at night to put away laundry. It was too cute not to post.

Being sick is miserable. Poor thing.

Notice the rosy, feverish cheeks? Notice she's wearing a coat over her fleece jammies because she keeps getting the chills? She's been under the weather for a few days. I think it's the flu. ugh.

the birthday boy

A few days ago (March 1), Benson turned THREE!

B @ 3:

*LOVES all things "Junior" (Junior is what he calls ALL race cars) and cars

* 33 lbs, and 3 ft tall

* Likes to pretend he's a "Baby Jaguar"

*Loves to snuggle

*Loves to stick his tongue out when pictures are taken.

*Still carries a Bee (binky) and Ah-Ahs (monkey lovey) everywhere.

*Speaks in full, complex sentences

*Sleeps in a big-boy bed

*Loves to play outside

*Loves to run, jump and climb on anything

*Worships "Bub" (Bailey) and Dad

*Finds Brynley incredibly pesky

*Likes to help Mom cook

*Goes through about 10 napkins per meal, because he doesn't like food on his hands/mouth.

*Eats everything. All day long.
*Believes that Mom's kiss fixes everything.

Benson had two days of celebrating...due to Dad having school on Monday nights. So...on Monday, he opened a few of his presents

...like his Trio Blocks and "Birthday Monsters" book from Guh and Popf L. Along with some new "juniors" and a racing ramp from Mom and Dad, and a "Big Junior" from the Sisters.

We also went to lunch with Dad, and then to Chick-fil-A in the evening to play.

Then on Tuesday...

Benson had his cake and party.

And he opened even more presents...

{Like:}
*Backpack, binoculars, and clothes from Guh/Papa W.

*Big Blue Junior and clothes from the Stewarts

*More Big Juniors from Gavin and Laynie

*R/C car, potty, and undies from Mom and Dad

{which he thought was hysterical}

*More clothes and books from Guh/Popf L.

*Target Card from Aunt Kate and Brody (to buy MORE Juniors)

He love his cake I made so much, he tried to make the cars drive on the track when I wasn't looking.

{it was a hair raising birthday}