Sibling snuggles

I jogged 6 miles on Thursday with the two little ones. The first 3 miles I was a little warm in my jacket and long pants. It felt nice and there was barely any wind. When we turned around to head back, I thought I was at the North Pole. The wind picked up and I was now running into it. I was freezing cold and wishing for a hat and gloves. The kids were unusally quiet and I figured they had fallen asleep. (That is why I went at nap time) Fortunately, since they were sleeping they couldn't complain about the cold. When I got back, this is how I found them







Aren't they precious?



Yesterday when we went for a jog I was in in shorts and shortsleeves and was still sweating like a pig. Gotta love the ups and downs of fall weather.

Haircut

This may be the shortest I ever gone. I like it except that its hard to pull it all back when I work out.

When I grow up....

I want to be this girl. She has the best job!

I went with Katy's class to the zoo last Tuesday. When we first got there we went into a classroom in the main entrance. This girl was there teacher for the next 45 minutes. She talked to them about physical and behavioral adaptions. She'd bring out an animal and ask the kids what adaption each animal had to help them survive. Then she helped them determine whether it was a physical or behavioral adaptation. Then each child was given the opportunity to touch the animal if he/she wanted. She skipped right over the chaperones and I was disappointed that I didn't get to touch some of them, especially, the African hedge hog. I was proud of Katy, who eagerly touched all the animals. That's my girl!! Seriously though, this would be the best job. I could teach, but never have homework or tests to grade. If there was a disruptive student, I wouldn't be stuck with them all year, just 45 minutes. The kids would be excited to hear from me, since I'm someone new, somewhere fun. And, I could play with neat animals. I'd especially liked the toad and python. It was freezing cold day and spitting rain periodically, but we had a blast.

The Ball Python
My charges for the day

Waiting for the bus to go home

Apple Picking

Although Bella, Jacob, and I went apple picking already this year, the older two hadn't gotten to. Since the girls had a day off and I needed more apples we decided to go today. One of the closer orchards had a book reading and signing today. The author is a grandma who lives about an hour from here. She has written a series of 12 books. The first two she's published, involve apple picking and pumpkin picking. I was interested in seeing her books so I wanted to go that farm. I ended up buying both books once we got there. What can I say, I'm addicted to children's books. I was disappointed in the apples though. We had called before we left to make sure the Fuji apples were ready and were assured they were. However, we we got there, we were told that they had been mistaken and they Fuji's weren't ready. We rode the tractor out to the varieties that were ready, only to discover that they were all buggy and gross. It was hard to find apples that were good and it ended up being a mom job. The kids couldn't reach the few good ones we found. It was hard to get enough to fill one bag and I had originally planned on buying several so I could can some applesauce. I felt extra bad since my friend had wanted to go to a different apple orchard. Even though the apples were a bust, it was still a fun morning. We enjoyed spending time with friends and playing in the kid area.

The fuzzy wuzzy I found had just peed on Xandy's hand. Don't you love her face?



I just love this little guy. He insisted on having apples in his bag to carry around. He also wore those gloves all morning even though it wasn't that cold out.

Corn Maze

Some of my favorite college memories involve going to large corn mazes, and I hadn't been to one since. Once little kids came, it didn't seem a very pratical family affair and it wasn't at the top of the priority list for our rare date nights. This year I decided the older kids were at an age where they would really enjoy it. I found a corn maze about half an hour north of us. Saturday we decided to try it out with the Pearsons. The maze was sponsored by the town's recreation department. Not a bad way to earn some cash for the rec dept. They had a little concession stand and other activities you could pay for also. The prices were reasonable and Bella and Jacob were both free. One ticket got you into any maze as many times as you wanted. The first two mazes were actually one big interconnected design with an entrance and exit on both ends. The third maze opened at dark and was "haunted". Each group was given a flag to raise if they got hurt or lost and wanted help. Each person was given a piece of paper divided into 10 numbered squares. Scattered throughout the maze were ten stations with paper punches of various designs. If you punched all the sqaures with the corresponding design, you recieved a free soda. This little game added a whole new level of excitement and adventure as Katy and Xandy tried to find each station. Its was light when we started but dark by the time we finished. After it got dark, the maze quickly filled with large groups of crazy older kids. I think as long as we still have little ones we'll stick to the daylight hours.

The maze design

There was a giant "sandbox" of dried corn kernels that the kids could play in. They all had lots of fun burying themselves and others with the corn. Unfortunately, I am finding little corn kernels all through the car and house. We did not do a very good job at leaving the corn behind! Jacob orginally was having fun covering himself with kernels and even letting others cover him. Then Bella went crazy throwing corn all over him. It was going in his mouth and pelting him in the face. After that, he did NOT want to be covered. Even when I tried to cover his legs and my legs together he would hold his up in the air.

Birthday Trip to the Zoo

We wanted to take Jacob to the zoo for his Birthday. He LOVES animals and the zoo goes well with the Diego theme. Unfortunately, he was under the weather that week so we didn't go. The next week-end was conference and there just wasn't time in between sessions. With the weather turning colder and the Halloween festivities approaching we decided we'd better fit it in this week-end. We went Saturday morning after picking all 4 kids up at the neighbor's. Yes, all four kids went to a sleepover. Go ahead, say it. I know you are all thinking I'm crazy for sending my 2 year old to a sleepover. Although, as my brother said maybe its not as much crazy as really smart! Jared and I were trying to find a babysitter to go out, and the neighbor girls wanted to have a sleepover with our girls. Since they also have a little boy a year older than Jacob they just decided to have him come as well. He did really great. I was a little worried for their sake, but Jacob even slept in a big boy bed with his friend. I must say it was pretty nice to come home to an empty house.

Anyway, back to the zoo. It was Ottertoberfest this week-end. There was plenty of german food and polka music to go around. I thought it was great that Jacob kept jiving to the the Polka music. That's my boy! Next week is the start of Boo at the Zoo and they were starting to put up decorations. In honor of Jacob's B-day, we let the kids ride the Carousel. Jacob loved riding the Jaguar since it reminded him of Baby Jaguar on Diego. (as I was adding pictures Jacob came in and saw this picture and starting jumping up and down repeatedly saying "Jacob and baby Jaguar")

Feeling a Giraffe's tail

BOO!

Last week for family home evening, we "BOO"ed two neighbor families. The kids LOVE doing this. They put on their running shoes and dark hooded sweatshirts. They get quite a kick out of hiding and being sly. Jacob and I stayed back. I figured me running and carrying him would not be very inconspicuous. He wasn't sure why Dad was leaving with all the girls without him, but we had fun hiding on the porch. We didn't put a ghost up on our door. We figured it would be fun for the kids if it came back to us in a few weeks and we didn't mind booing people a second time. We were pretty surprised when we got booed the very next night by one of the families we had booed.

A letter to myself

Dear Terra,

Yesterday, as I found myself up to my elbows in dishes and laundry while wearing a t-shirt and sweats, I wondered what had happened to the girl I used to be. At what point did I become a slave to the timer placing my toddler on the potty every 20 minutes anxiously awaiting for the prized bowel movement. Instead of stimulating debates and intellectual conversations, my days are now spent teaching the ABC's to a preschooler. Was I really once an all-conference runner? What happened to the girl who had a BYU term paper nominated for publication? Where is the student who could correctly indentify most plants, and animals she came across. Did I really know every last detail of the photosynthesis and respiration cycles? I can vaguely remember looking forward to my genetics tests, like a detective turned loose on a fresh case, anxious to solve the mystery. Where did she go, and why did she take her skinny body with her? What about the goals she had, will they ever be realized? A Master's degree? A Doctorate? Will her education ever go beyond a Bachelor's degree? Will she ever get the chance to research plants in the Rainforest? Will there even be any Rainforest left to study in assuming she ever reaches that point? Will she ever get to run a marathon? (I am working on this one for her. I just have to hope the knees on this overweight body start cooperating!) Did I fail you, former self?

Then I glanced over at the toddler and preschooler playing in the same room as me. I saw their glowing smiles and precious faces. I felt the joy of their arms encircling my with hugs while plastering sticky kisses on my face. I contemplated their innocent spirits and their complete trust in me. I felt the weight of the responsibility that comes from being their mother along with being the mother of their two older sisters. It is my job to help them learn all that they can about things temporal and physical. It is my job to help them realize their Divine Nature. To teach them about God, his love for them, and his plan for them to return. It is my job to help them learn to love the earth they have been given as a home. To teach them to care for it. It is my job to teach them how to eat healthy and maintain an active lifestyle, to treat their bodies as temples. It is my job to instill a love for reading and learning in their minds. It is my resposibility to help them learn good from evil and instill a sense of integrity in them. It is my job to help them reach their highest potential so they can be the doctors, teachers, and leaders of tomorrow. It is my job to show them that being a parent is more important than any other title they may ever carry so that they can help the next generation raise to its potential. This is the legacy I can help leave.

I may not ever accomplish all the goals you set fifteen years ago. I may not ever be "important" through the eyes of the world. I may never again fit into my favorite pair of size 6 jeans I refuse to part with. I may not ever have more than a BS title after my name, but I will have the most important titles I can have on this earth: Mother, Mommy, Mama... I will know that despite all the things I didn't accomplish, I did the greatest thing I could on this earth, the thing the Lord most wanted me to do. I was a mother. So, if you ever feel frustrated and disappointed with what I have done with your life, remember that above all else a mother's purpose is to care, prepare, to nurture and to strengthen all her children. These are the goals I'm striving to complete for you. These are the goals that truely matter.