Some things

Eloise is so funny. She just laughs at everything and totally pushes buttons, but then cheesy grins. She can get her way out of everything! It's so funny. I freaking love her. Today I turned the water on to heat up for a shower, and she got her bath toys out of the cupboard. When I told her it was for a shower and not a bath, she turned around, deposited the bucket back under the cupboard, and walked away. It was really funny for some reason.

Conley leaves a cup on the fridge ledge where the water spout is. Haha just leaves it there. So he can easily access water when he gets thirsty. I asked him if that was why he left it there and he said, "yeah." hahahahah

Conley wanted to read Jesus's birth story for extended reverent scripture time today. It was sweet. We talked about it a lot throuhgout the month. So I talked about Joseph Smith and the plates. I made little cardboard and foil plates and buried them under a blanket and stuff. It was fun. Also, after church, the nursery leaders gave us Conley's and Eloise's blank pictures of Joseph Smith and the first vision. When I was snuggling with him later after we got home (he totally cured my headache on my bed), I asked him what he learned at church. He said idk. So I said, "Donald Duck? Mickey Mouse? Woody? Buzz Lightyear?" And finally he giggled and stepped in. "No! No! joseph Smith!" And I said, "What did he do?"

"Went into the woods and kneeled down."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted to see Jesus."
"Why? What did he ask Jesus?"
"Which church he should go to."
"And what did Jesus say?"
"He said he should go to Jesus's church."

It was so cute and sweet. I always want to ask lots of questions. And also to not get caught up in details or check boxes or whatever, and focus on conversion and asking questions and forging a strong relationship with Heavenly Father.

Eloise has been saying more and more things. She definitely says "no" the most. Haha. This week she said "Pay Pay, no." She was talking to Perri, whom she calls "Pay Pay." Her hair is just past her shoulders. So soooo unbelievably soft and beautiful, curly and bright bright white-blond. She just melts me. Her cheeks and nose and smile are just to die for. I told Joseph the other day, and I'll tell you here, that the best word to describe children is "delightful." She has been delicious and delightful at every stage.

Christmas lights and Conley said something sweet

Conley has been yell-crying lately and it gets so loud and obnoxious. I have been patient for the most part. We figured out that drawing on the dry erase board helps him calm down. So I offered that today, and he drew for a while. He ended up drawing Jesus. "Look, Mom! I drew baby Jesus! But I didn't draw the hay or the manger yet. I'm gonna draw that now.....Look at the manger, Mom!" And it was a little baby with hay under it. So sweet. He also came up from the basement and I said, "I thought you wanted to be in the basement and play." And he said, "I came up her because you're up here and you're my favorite thing." It was so sweet and I loved him for it.

We went, the four of us, after dinner, downtown to the Union Pacific headquarters to see the big Christmas tree and the train that goes around and around it. The kids just loved it. Then we walked across the street and walked down the river trail and saw all the trees with lights on them. It was so pretty. Eloise loved it. She walked a little and held my hand, but I held her close the rest of the time and she just kept looking above her head, so fascinated by all the lights. I used to think my dad was so cheesy when he'd talk about family time and how it was so precious to him. But seriously it is the best. I just relish in it.

Christmas break 2018

Uhhh the kids are so yummy and delicious right now. We just sit and watch them. I'm trying to make my motto nowadays "get on the floor"--because I want to remind myself to focus on the kids and soak them up and not worry about cleaning or other stuff. And to just be there and play with them. They are so cute and fun to play with. Conley loves everything Spiderman. Whenever I say something bad that happens, like someone dies or someone gets scared or kids are mean at school (which is one of the reasons I gave to him tonight when he asked me why he is going to do school at home), he always says something like, "But Spider-man comes in and saves them!" But usually it's really intricate, and less sensical. Tonight's: "But Spider-man jumps down through the rook [eye squint and fake laugh] and then he pushes all the mean guys out of the window and they fall down, but they land on the cars but the cars don't get smushed, they just go down [uses hands to show pushing down] and the guys land in the soft seats." I thought this was so sweet, that he was trying to be kind even to the mean guys.

We have been talking about service and giving gifts around Christmas time instead of just getting things (he's not getting much this year). And he just loves talking about service. He points it out all the time. And he likes doing it. Today we walked around the house and found pictures I'd hidden about service. One was a girl writing letters, one was a sister helping her brother on his bike, one was a happy face and sad face, one was a family. He was so sweet. We made a list of things we can do to give gifts, and I want to talk to him about them every day, so that we can get away from tangible presents and stuff. I read an article from Boystown about how to help your children be grateful, and that is one way they suggested: make lists of things to give. A few more ideas:

1. Make a memory mosaic of pictures of your favorite memories throughout the year
2. make gifts to give
3. pick a toy to give away
4. choose what actions to give
5. practice showing appreciation (include for things they DON'T want)
6. give them gifts of attention, and maybe point those out.

And the other day he said something funny too. I was putting him down for bed, and he wanted all these stories and books, but Joseph had already read to him. Anyway, so I sent him into bed, and I said goodnight and he said, "Wait! Do you know how to get to the North Pole??" It was so cute and funny. 

And tonight he said the sweetest prayer. "Heavenly Father, we're grateful we could be together to learn about service, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." He doesn't like praying very often. He always wants me to say it. He has been loving Reverent Scripture Time, though. He loves the stories and books and stuff. 

And Eloise has just beena snuggle bug. We picked her up from Beth's house late (she was already asleep), and when we got home, I got into bed with her and we snuggled belly to belly and it was just so nice. She seriously is just the snuggliest baby. She LOVES Joseph. He just got out of school on Friday, and she hasn't let him put her down since:).  I definitely have to steal my snuggles from her, and usually it's only by tickling her, or by giving her food. Or the occasional book. I just love her so much. She is saying so much--mostly jabbering still. So funny. So expressive and happy. She has so so many sounds. She says, go, don't, spicy (picy), nan (conley), nana, papa, beshie, pay pay (Perri), baby, bee bee (binky), eat, may (Mavis), nana (banana), cheese, cheese (Jesus).  It's delightful. 

Eloise talking

Tonight in the bath, I'd say a word, and then Eloise would copy it. She was really close on most of them! So cute. We said, bath, dad, mama, go, truck, car, dog, car, water, bed, milk, cheeks, prom-ise, asleep, and others. She is just adorable.

She also has an adorable kissy face.

Thanksgiving week 2018

This was such a fun week. Perfect. Fun. Delightful. Funny. Relaxing. Tasty. Easygoing. Just wonderful.

It started off wonderful because Joseph was off school Monday and Tuesday, unexpectedly (the computers were down at Creighton, so they couldn't access patient health records and therefore didn't want to do work in the clinic). So we had two extra days with Daddy and husband. The kids just loved it, especially Eloise. She followed him around. She goes back and forth yelling "Mama! Dada! Mama! Dada!" It's really fun. When you hold her, she wraps her little arm around your neck and holds onto your neck fat with her baby fat hands.

Here are some things we did:

• Nana and Papa came
• We went to Home Depot Saturday morning; Conley loooooved it. So much so that he invited everyone to go there instead of the zoo later that day. "Have you guys seen Home Depot?" And when we got into the car that day for the rest of the day, he said, "No! I want to go to Home Depot!" He read the F R E E sign at the front of the store, too. We made gingerbread men out of wood and paint. Conley didn't really like that Eloise and mama finished nailing first. He loved all the sticker decorations.
• Monday and Tuesday (this is Joseph) Eloise seemed so happy to have him home and she would randomly wrap her arms around him. She knew that it was extra time with Daddy.
• On Friday we went to Wheatfields in the morning. The caramel rolls are so so good there. We also got hot chocolate. And then a breakfast burrito, which was so far from NM but still really good. Then we went to Mulhall's and it was so gorgeous and magical. Tons of decorations, set out so perfectly, and the reindeer were so fun to see. And the Christmas tree tent smelled like absolute heaven. And then we went to Menard's and got the fullest and cheapest tree we've got yet. It's so pretty and perfect. Conley rode from Mulhall's to Menard's in the truck with Daddy and he loved that. Then we went home and decorated the tree and put up Christmas decorations and it was so fun. And Conley lovvvvved it. I made him a shelf just of kids' decorations (nativities and stuff), and he reorganizes it (and the bottom ornaments, with Eloise) all the time. This morning he was sweeping up needles with his hands. It was so cute. When I asked him at bathtime what he liked best that day, he said decorating the Christmas tree. He was so focused that day he could hardly sit down to EAT! It was so cute and funny. We also watched Polar Express, had wassail that Papa made that day, and ate cashew chicken that Joseph made. 
• Joseph was just so sweet and funny and kind to me Friday and Saturday and Sunday. It made everything so easy. 
• On Thanksgiving, Quinn and I ran a half marathon. That was awesome! It was hard and hilly. But the weather was so incredible and perfect. I loved it. The run was honestly really wonderful and fun too. I tripped at the end and my mom caught it on camera! Haha without knowing it or meaning to. 
• Thanksgiving dinner food was pretty good. I got a lot of it prepped and cooked the night before, so if nothing else, I was low stress the next day and proud of myself:).
• The kids were so fun and easy at Beth's house. 
•  

So so delightful

Conley and Eloise. Wow. Right now I am in a phase where I am just so happy with them. I just eat them up. I love every minute of watching them play or playing with them. They are fun and funny and so cute. They both snuggle so good. They both looooove reading. Conley has loved it for a couple years now, but Eloise has just started realliy loving it; and for most books, she will sit still. She brings me books all the time to read to her. And we will sit, all three of us, on the couch, me in the middle, with my arms around each of them, and read books together. And it only stops when I stop it. They could go on like that for hours. It's been so fun. Conley actually learns from the books and talks about things he saw or remembers from them. It's amazing and so cute.

Today Conley played at Benjamin's for a few hours. Eloise and I gave a friend a ride, and then had just under an hour to hang at home. And that's just what we did. I just sat on the floor in the kitchen and watched her play and ate with her and just laughed at her. She's got this big cheesy grin lately. Her gapped teeth just stick right out, because she squints her eyes and nose and sticks out her chin. It's amazing and so cute and funny. She loves laughing and she loves playing. She gets a playful look in her eye when she knows I'm playing. And she just loves it. She also loves candy! Gosh I have to hide it from her. She really has a sixth sense for it, I swear. I love holding her. She's still little. And she melts into you when you hold her. She was a pumpkin for Halloween today, and she loved wearing her costume. And at each house she just stared at the person until they gave her a piece of candy. She loves going on walks. She really just loves everything. Tonight she didn't want me to carry her around! She just wanted to walk, like Conley, I think, and get candy from all the places.

Conley and I just love spending time together. I tell him that and mean it just about e ery day. And he always smiles so warmly. I love him so much. He loves making things. We made a fuzzy green spider out of pipe cleaner the other day. We made pumpkins with paper, and today skull masks with paper and sticks. We made pumpkin cookies yesterday. He loves creating things. ANd he is creative! He made a web with electrical tape. It mostly looked lik a circle or something, all around the edhe of our kitchen table. But it was sweet. And today he said he likes violin! This made me so happy because for a few weeks, he really didn't like it. He has been practicing with Joseph and that has made it morefun for him. We had his first concert today, and he did really well. He didn't pay the two hardest songs right at all; he has a hard time getting Mississippi stop stop down. But I'm not worried about it. He'll get it eventually. I mostly just want him to enjoy doing something and work towards a goal. And focus on another teacher, other than me or Joseph😊😊Aso the other day, he saw some (TMI) period bathroom stuff and aske dabout it. So I told him what a period was lol. And asked why women have eggs, and I said because that's how they have babies. And then he said he wanted two more babies. And I said we probably weren't going to have anymore, and he said, "but i want a Perri." It was very sweet. I told him that I just wanted to spend tim eiwht him and Eloise though. He seemed OK with it. Then the next day he and Eloie played with a baby doll for like half the day. Fed her, put a blanket on her, pushed her around in their play shopping cart. It was really sweet. I think it's good for them.

He also said, the other day, out of the blue, when we were crawling on my bed to snuggle and read: "I love having time with you." My heart melted. I just love him so much.

I love the relationship I have with my children. The other day the thought just hit me, how special a mother to child relationship is. It's like nothing else. They love you, need you, want to be with you, can't live without you. It's so special and unique and unlike anything else. I feel so incredibly fortunate to experience it. I feel so undeserving, too.

Thailand and other lately

The kids have been doing so many funny and wonderful thing lately. Conley is just such a good big borther, especially when he is well rested and fed:) Sometimes he will wake up and just want to cuddle with Eloise. Right when he wakes up is my favorite, because he always plays with my hair or softly runs his little hand on my arm or something He is just so precious. He's been listening really well,and he loves getting things explained to him. He is really into stories lately; he will do aything if you have a story for him. It's so cute. He also loves singing and talking and playing, and something he sings and talks really loud. He just has this arsenal of energy and if he hasn't run around for a while or something, he just is really loud lol. Sometimes it's strt ways to calm him down. Asking usually isn't enough, although he will lower the volume for a little bit for me. He loves picking Eloise up and moving her around. He tried to get her on his bed or the couch ,and I have to tell him not to because she could fall off. He is really good about prote ting her and being aware of what she is doing. Like he will shut the basement door if it is open and she i walking toward it (we keep it closed usually because of the stairs_. He loves playing with her and being around her. They are the sweetest cutest pair.

Eloise is gettign busy! She has figured out how to climb up onto just about everything. She pulls herself up onto the kitchen chairs and then climbs up onto the table. If she can't get down, she just stands there and loudly, sing-songly says, "Mom! Mama! Mom! Mama!" She has "mama" and "dad" mixed up a little bit. She uses "mama" for both, which is funny and fine with me. Since being back from Thailand, she is having a hard time sleeping straight through and also being on her own. She is tired and clingy. So I'm just trying to keep er close and do what she needs me to do.. It's hard, though. There are lots of dishes in the sink! And it's 4:30 AM, and I'd like to go back to sleep, since both the kids are back down, after an hour or so of playtime, ut I also want to get some stuff done that I know won't et done throughout the day. Like journaling! So I'm typing, and laying my head on the couch with my eyes closed.

So they loved Thailand. Conley got a little overwhelemed with the hustle an dbustly and meeting lots of epole. But he loved playing with little Thai kids. He made friends with them really easily. He loved khaw niw and muu bing and cocoa yen, I never once ate a whole coca yen before he stole it from me:). It was cute. He also loved Sevens, randomly lol. He also loved the red nom briaws. There weren't any run ins with dogs, and neither of them got one mosquio bite! We were so blessed. So blessed. Conley loved the palne rides. Even the super long ones! They were sooooo much better than I expected. He shocked me: I told him in Tai Pai, "Conley, we have to get on another plane, and then we will be in Thailand," and he said, "We get to get on another  plane??" He was so excited lol. What a sweetie.

I got so grateful for carseats, not because of the safety they provide but because of the fact that they strap th ekids in!!! Gosh it was stressful and isane keeping those two cats sitting down, or just keeping them from crawling all over or to tthe front or whatever.

Yeah so Eloise loed everything abot THailand. THey slep amazing once we got there. And they are doing all right adjusting back here. Actually notreally lol. Tongiht is better than last night for sure though. Just one hour of play time in the middle of the night and two nights ago it was more than that. Shoot Eloise just woke up. I should be sleeping right now lol.

Eloise loved playing and walking around and eating and yeah. She is such a mover, you can't keep her still really. But all the khon thais were obsessed with her and wanted to play with her and hold her, so I feel like I got lots and lots of breaks

Conley talks about killing a lot. Like killing bugs or bd guys. I'm trying to channel it away from killing, because I don't like it and I don't see violence as necessary. But he did say soething really sweet the other day. on the plane back home. I was telling him a story about the scritpures. ANd randmly he asked why Jesus got killed. So I told him why the jews/romans killed Him, and then I gave him a more spiritual explanation of why He died for us. And he responded with: "I'm gonna go to Ameria, and get Moroni's sword out of his...place, and I'm gonna kill those bad guys and unnail Jesus from the cross." It was so sweet.

He has been asking lots of Why's lately, which I really love He wants to learn, and he's good at it.