Harvest Party, Dr. Party, and Caramel Apples!

These pictures are from last week, that I forgot to post.  Melanie was being really sweet and giving Amy hugs.

Friday was also a day off of school for the boys.  We didn't have much planned.  Except for the evening.  Melanie slept in after having a terrible night.  I think she was starting to get sick.  I put her down for a nap at 9:00 anyway, because we were doing shots at 10:30.  She woke up in time, but was really fussy.  The shots went as well as could be expected.  I told the kids on the way there that they were getting flu shots as well.  They didn't have the flu mist like I told them - oops.  David and Timothy did great, and Amy screamed, and I had to hold her.  She acted like she couldn't move her arm for two days.  Melanie got several shots, and was not happy in the least.  However I gave her the binky, and she calmed down before Amy did.  We went over to see Aaron.  He was a little behind already, so we just said a quick hello and then headed home.  Melanie was fussy pretty much all day.

The Intermediate School puts on a Harvest Festival every year.  They have games and a haunted house.  The 6th graders are in charge of the haunted house, so David volunteered to help with set up, and running it.  So after a morning of cleaning and playing and eating lunch, I took David over to the school for the set up.  Then I put Melanie down for a nap.  I then realized the 4th graders are supposed to bring cupcakes for the cake walk.  So I made cupcakes while she was napping.  After I picked up David at 3:00, I decorated them like mummies - I didn't get a picture - sorry.  It took a long time because Melanie did not want me to put her down at all.  She had a slight fever.  David had to be back at the school at 4:30.  Melanie fell asleep on the way back home!  She didn't nap for long though.  We got ready for the festival and the football game.  At about 5:30 we headed over to the school.  We got our hots dogs and soda.  Melanie enjoyed the bun.  I had her in the umbrella stroller, and she enjoyed that.  I let Timothy wander and participate in the games.  Melanie and I followed Amy around to do the games.  I tried to catch the score of the BYU - Boise State game when I got a chance.  I was pleased that we were winning.  Amy tried every game except the basketball free throw.  Her arm still hurt she said.  When we did the cake walk there were about 20 kids roaming around the numbers.  Luckily it only took about 5 numbers called before Amy won.  She picked out a cupcake with purple frosting, but then learned they could get an ice cream cone, and she wanted to trade.  They gave me a McDonald's ice cream coupon, and told me to keep the cupcake.  Then she was upset because she thought she could eat the ice cream right then.  Oh boy.  Eventually I ate the cupcake.  It was almost time to head to the game, so I had Mrs. S* get David out of the haunted house, so he could eat his dinner, and then change clothes and go to the game. 

Melanie fell asleep on the way to the game.  I was sure she was sick now.  She woke up when I took her out of her carseat.  We found seats at the game.  Aaron joined us a few minutes into the game.  By then we already had three touchdowns.  One on the opening drive, then a fumble which led to another touchdown, and then another one after few more plays on the next drive. I missed the fumble and touchdown because I was taking Amy to the bathroom.  Melanie didn't last long and was asleep by about 7:15.  She stayed asleep until about 9:00  The second half went quickly with the rolling clock again.  It was great to see that BYU beat Boise State while watching the high school team roll to another victory.  The other team eventually score a touchdown, and it seemed like we were getting new players out on every play.  I wonder if everyone got a chance to play that game.  It was close to 9:30 when we got home.  Thankfully Melanie didn't protest when I put her down for bed, even though she'd only been awake for 30 minutes.  However she didn't sleep well at all, she started getting a runny nose, and a cough.  First cold of the season. :(

Saturday was better.  Aaron was on call, but only had a couple of patients to see.  After a morning of tearing out the garden we had a small lunch and got ready for the B*'s welcome dinner.  There are two new Dr.s at the clinic (peds and OB) and they are married.  So Dr. S* put together an event for them.  It was at the winery we went to last year.  The big difference was the weather.  Last year it was cold enough that the pond was partly frozen over.  The weather this year was cool, but sunny, and perfect for playing outside.  While Melanie took her afternoon nap I made a Greek Salad to go along with Aaron's roasted red pepper hummus.  The party went from 2-5.  We mostly ate all sorts of food and chatted.  The kids had fun playing outside.  Aaron took Melanie out while I finished eating and chatted with friends.  When I went out to find him Melanie had fallen asleep.  Her two naps earlier that day were both very short, and she wasn't feeling well, so she needed that extra nap. There were no major mishaps (like stepping in the pond) like last year, so it was pretty successful.  The kids also enjoyed seeing all the horses.  Apparently there is a horse riding event that does a winery tour - rides from winery to winery all over the valley.  There are over 500 participants.  After we returned we watched some football, and had a small dinner, and got ready for bed.  Aaron got a page letting him know there was a mom about to deliver.  A few minutes later through a facebook post I found out who it was.  Aaron can't tell me who he sees in clinic or at the hospital, so it was odd knowing who was having the baby, but it's OK because he wasn't the one who told me, right?  The baby still hadn't arrived when he got there, but did soon after.  So he was home by about 9:00.



Sunday was a good day.  Aaron was on call again, but just had the one baby to see.  Poor Melanie had a runny nose and kept sneezing.  She took a good morning nap, but I had to wake her to get to church.  She was really fussy during sacrament meeting, and Aaron ended up with her out in the hall for a good while, and I then I took her out for a bit too.  She was better in Sunday School where she could roam a bit more, and eat her Cheerios.  I neglected to mention that Melanie figured out ho to open the snapware container that holds her snacks.  She uses her teeth.  Haha!!!  So she dumped them several times.  She also takes everything out of the bag, so I need to be careful about where I put things.  Phillip taught Sunday school, and I guessed (educated guess) how many temples there were when President Hinckley announced the building of the small temples (47 in case you are wondering) and got a chocolate bar as a reward 90% cacao!  Really dark! Relief Society was great as well.  And I finished up my month of conducting the classes, however that means it's my turn to teach. Yikes! There are so many good talks and topics to choose from.  I hope it goes well.

I met with Joyce afterward to brainstorm new ideas for the monthly Relief Society meetings.  We ended up being the last ones in the building, and it was raining outside.  Melanie was really tired, and fell asleep on the way home.  She took a really long nap.  It was close to 4:00 when she woke up.  In the mean time we had lunch, and Aaron was about to go home teaching, but got called into the hospital.  So I started on the caramel apples.  Apparently I didn't get the apples cold enough, because the caramel just slid right off.  And my white chocolate chips are great for cookies, but don't melt well, so the semisweet had to be good enough.  They weren't pretty, but they were delicious! 

 Amy basically ate the caramel off the outside of the apple

 my sad looking, but delicious tasting caramel apple

 Apparently Aaron didn't want his picture taken

 Melanie had fun eating the apples in the bucket.

Timothy made quite a mess

Backing up a bit... Aaron made a delicious chili for dinner, and we decided to save it for the chili contest at the Halloween party at the church later in the week.

Adventures in Family Potraits

Last Thursday was a rather busy day.  The kids were out of school for Parent Teacher Conferences.  Aaron was also off from work, so I thought it would be a great day to have Family pictures taken.  I know a couple of amazing photographers, and had a hard time picking one.  It boiled down to one was available and one wasn't.  That made it easy for me to choose.  Then I realized the rest of the day was already pretty busy.  So it went like this: 
7:00 scriptures and breakfast
8:10 Melanie and I leave for the clinic
8:40 Melanie's 12 month check up.  Everything looks great.  I chat with Dr. W* for a few minutes, he checks a few things, I decline the shots as we will be taking pictures 90 minutes later.
9:15 We come back home, Melanie falls asleep.  I get everyone ready in their picture clothes.
10:20 April arrives.  We move props to the truck and head out to our destination.
10:30 We arrive at a beautiful orchard that now has yellow leaves.  Leaves are scattered on the ground as well as still in the trees!  Perfect!  We have bribed the kids with a special dinner, and it works for everyone, except Amy. 

Oh Amy....  She is my stubborn, sassy, smart little girl, and she does not want to smile, or even look at the camera!  So we try a few things.  We do some individual shots, and try walking and running.  She plays on the hay bale.  We got some great pictures, but none of the ones with us sitting down are print worthy.  We are running out of time.  Aaron has a meeting at noon and the rest of us have parent teacher conferences at 12:20.  April offers to come back that afternoon.  So I say we'd discuss it and get back to her.

11:40 we get back to our house, transfer props back to April's Jeep, Aaron takes off for his meeting.  April and I try to look at the pictures, and agree there aren't any great ones of the whole family.  Thanks to Amy.  April leaves, and I fix lunch for the kids.

12:10 We hop in the van and head to the intermediate school.
12:20 Timothy's teacher is up first.  We discuss his grades - nothing to worry about.  We talk about his behavior.  While he talks out of turn and interrupts often, she says it's not out of control, and he'll wait when he's told to.  Then I ask about how other kids treat him.  I know he gets picked on and I wanted to see how it was being handled.  It hasn't gotten to the point where they have contacted me, so I wanted to know what was happening.  It seems they are doing great, and I let her know my concerns.  I'm so glad he has a patient, kind, and soft spoken teacher.  She is perfect for him!
12:40 Time for David's teacher.  I just meet with his homeroom teacher.  She has nothing but good things to say.  His grades are outstanding, and she said he is the kindest, most generous, and helpful student she has had in a long time.  I was glad to hear that.  I wish he was more like that at home... :)  She says that he helps some of the other students who are behind.  I go home happy!

1:00 Melanie takes another nap.  Aaron and I discuss when we can attempt another photo shoot.  After his meeting he has to take the reject pumpkins back to the farm and pick up more for Saturday's pumpkin sale.  He thinks he'll be back at about 4:30, so I call April and say we'll meet her at the orchard at 4:30.  We decide that if Amy doesn't cooperate Aaron would take the boys to dinner, and I would stay home with the girls.  The rest of the afternoon goes off without a hitch.  Beside the normal squabbling. 

4:30 We get to the orchard Amy seems to be in a good mood, and then she jumps and trips and bump her knee.  We think that will be the end of it.  However, she surprises us and was much more willing to take pictures the second time around.  So we spend about 30 minutes getting more family pictures, and some of her.  I think April said she took over 1000 pictures between the two sessions.  Although she says she wasn't charging us more to come back, and that she just wanted to make sure we were happy with the pictures, I tip her.  She deserves it after having to deal with Amy.  I can't wait to see them.  That's the big difference between professional pictures, and our own digital camera.  We don't have them instantly.  That and the cost.

5:00 We head home, do some clean up and then drive up to the kid's favorite place - Old Country Buffet.  We have a coupon, and the kids only cost 99 cents on Thursday nights right now.  So it was rather busy, and we wait a good 15 minutes before we got inside.  We search for a place to sit, and eventually find a table.  We hadn't even sat down before we got a text asking us if we were enjoying our dinner at OCB.  Apparently Phillip and Julianna happened to be driving by while we were looking for a table and saw us through the window!  We all enjoy the dinner, and I eat too much.  We hurry out of there to get home by 8:00.  Then it was off to bed!!! 

Not So Epic Fail, and Successful Fun Dinner

Saturday was another busy day.  It's becoming more common for Melanie to wake up at 5:00 or 5:30 am, and instead of getting up with her I take her downstairs on the microfiber couch and we fall back asleep until David comes down to shower, or I can hear Aaron waking up.  Of course he turned off the alarm, and didn't get up until 7:15.  I woke up around 6:30 and Amy and I made some breakfast.  Amy complained about a sore throat.  Aaron and David were planning to be out the door by 8:30.  Christopher was dropped off here and the 3 of them went to sell pumpkins at the car wash across from Costco.  The other scouts and leaders met them up there.  I took the rest of the kids over to Crystal's to practice the song I was singing in church the next day.  I chose my favorite Primary song: "My Heavenly Father Loves Me."  We went over it a couple of times, and then I took the kids home.  I put Melanie down for a nap, and the kids did their chores.  I started on applesauce.  I also brought all of the butternut squash inside.  I neglected to mention that I had picked all of the ripe squash the day before.  I washed them off, and brought them in.  Then Timothy and Amy started helping me. 

 just the ripe ones

They also helped with the apple sauce.  Melanie had woken up somewhere in there.  At some point I noticed Amy was missing.  I went to find her and she was her bed and she has a bit of a fever.  She eventually fell asleep.  I had to call Eric B* and cancel the play date we'd set up for that afternoon.  It was a quiet lunch.

After lunch Melanie napped again, and Amy woke up.  She seemed to be better.  So I got her some lunch, and then I went to take a shower, but the phone rang.  It was Aaron's mom.  We chatted for a while and then my dad called, so we talked for a while and I gave up on taking a shower when Melanie woke up.  Then we all cleaned up the play room while I followed the BYU game.  The kids watched a movie, and I did some more cleaning while listening to the BYU game.  It was a very exciting game, and I was thrilled that we won.  I knew several people that attended the game, since we lived about a mile away from the stadium some 6 years ago.  Other friends from BYU that now live in the area (one family drove 4 hours to attend!) also got to go.  Someday I plan to take my family to a BYU game.  Who know when that will be though.  I made some dinner, and when I went to call Amy down she was asleep once again.  Poor girl.  It was a quiet dinner.  Aaron and David were busy selling pumpkins, and didn't get home until late.  They warmed up some dinner as I was putting Melanie to bed.  That woke up Amy.  So she came down really groggy, but hungry - a good sign.  So I got her a couple of things to eat, and then she got ready for bed.  It took her a while to go to sleep, but she was good and just stayed in bed.

Some of the pumpkins they sold

Sunday morning Amy seemed back to normal other than a little sore throat.  That was good because we had a lot going on that morning.  Melanie took a good nap in the morning, and woke up just before it was time to go to church.  I had time to do her hair and load up the van.  Aaron had left earlier with David to find a place to park the truck with some of the leftover pumpkins.  It was invitation Sunday, so there were several small talks about the basic principles of the gospel.  I guess my choice of Primary song was spot on for the topic.  When I got up to sing I nodded to Crystal to let her know I was ready, and she turned pale, she had forgotten and didn't bring her piano book.  So I gave her my music thinking that I knew it well enough.  Well all I could think of was one phrase, and after repeating it a second time, I knew I wasn't going to make it through the song, so I stopped and announced that I forgot the words, and took a look at the music one more time.  The second time through was much better.  Somehow I was able to keep my composure.  I figured it wasn't worth freaking out about.  It wasn't a professional performance, or a judging competition, so I just started over.  After Sacrament meeting  I left Melanie with Aaron, and set up for my Sunday School lesson.  When I dropped off the Epsom Salt on Thursday, Phillip mentioned that he may need a sub for Sunday School.  So I asked him again on Friday when he was here for Melanie's birthday.  He said he would need a sub, so I offered to do it.  The lesson went pretty well, and got to give away 5 of my butternut squash at the end of the lesson.  Aaron had to take Melanie out in the hall for most of the lesson, because she wasn't content with me being at the front of the room, and Aaron holding her.  Cheryl had to go home, and Julianna was still sick, so it was just Bonnie and I for Relief Society.  I was planning on conducting anyway, but I didn't have anyone to let me know about announcements.  Jennie did a great job on the lesson.  Melanie actually sat on the floor while I conducted, and was happy the whole time! 

Melanie surprised me by not falling asleep on the way home from church.  So I kept her up and fed her some lunch before putting her down for a nap.  I wish I could have taken a nap.  Aaron and David went home teaching, and then we had some dinner, FHE and dessert, pretty normal for Sunday.  We also got to Facetime with Aaron's family.  I can't believe Brandon will be home next week!!!

Monday morning it was back to work and school.  I got my exercise in, but didn't do much else noteworthy.  I was however drained by the end of the day.  Tuesday the girls and I went up to the city after taking the boys to school.  After lunch I took Amy to preschool, Melanie got a nap and I got a few things done. Including cooking garbanzo beans in the pressure cooker.  I had bought some tahini paste at the store that morning and wanted to make some hummus.  It was delicious.  Maybe a little too much tahini.  When I picked up Amy from preschool she was coughing.  Maybe she was running around a lot, but that cough didn't go away.  By the time I was done making the hummus, I only had an hour before dinner time.  I didn't have time to make pita bread, so I figured I'd do something quick.  When I saw the hotdogs in the fridge I thought my kids would love to have the mummy dogs Beverly had pinned in Pinterest.  I had bought the crescent roll dough that morning as well.  I don't usually have that on hand.  So I did it.  And the kids thought it was great.  Sometimes I can be the fun mom.

After the kids were in bed I made this for breakfast.  Aaron needed something to take to work. He took half of it, and the rest we ate over the next couple of days.

Wednesday I exercised and did laundry.  Amy was still coughing, so I was pretty sure she wasn't going to preschool.  Bummer.  I made some pumpkin bread with the last of the butternut squash I cooked up last week.  I called Melissa to let her know Amy wasn't coming to preschool.  I knew Amy would be disappointed, but I couldn't let her go coughing all over the place.  I went to find her and she wasn't in her room, or in the play room (the lights downstairs were all off), she hadn't gone outside because the doors were all still locked and Max was laying on the deck.  If she was outside he'd be with her.  I went downstairs to check the playroom and I found her in the family room wrapped in a blanket fast asleep.  I guess it was more than just a cough.  She slept from about 11:30 until 1:30.  Melanie and I ate lunch without her.  She did eat something when she woke up.  Melanie was napping by then.  I started on the pita bread so I would have time to make it.  The kids got home as I was baking them in the oven.  They had a snack, and screen time.  I finished up the laundry, and was just about to start on dinner when Aaron called and reminded me that mutual started at 6:00 instead of 7:00.  So we just had hummus and cucumber pitas sandwiches.  How sad that I have used up all my cucumbers.  I have to buy them at the store now :(  Aaron came home changed his clothes, grabbed some dinner and was out the door.  Later I took the boys to scouts.  It was pack meeting for Timothy and he got a few belt loops, and his Wolf Badge, a gold and a silver arrow.  Of course I missed part of it because I had to change Melanie's diaper.  Amy was still coughing so I wouldn't let her play in the nursery.  Afterward it was time to go home and put kids to bed.  Aaron didn't get home until 9:00.  The youth had gone to a haunted corn maze, and it was a long activity.  When I went to check on Amy because she was coughing I smelled a messy diaper.  Melanie must have fallen asleep with a messy diaper.  So I tried to change her diaper while she was sleeping.  The funniest thing was that it didn't wake up up, rather she kept trying to roll over and go back to sleep.  So I had to do most of it while she was on her stomach.

Melanie in Her New Birthday Dress

 Before her morning nap I took some pictures.  She wasn't cooperating very well.  She was tired, and was mad that she couldn't crawl around very well because the dress is so poofy and long.

 That's the "get this things off" look

 But then after church she was happy and I took these two

" Aren't I adorable?"

Melanie is One!!!

It's always amazing how quickly time passes.  One year ago I was bringing home a brand new baby girl.  As of Friday I have a 1 year old again.  Life is different than it was a year ago, and I love it!  Melanie is the sweetest little girl.  I have a hard time not calling her a baby.  In comparison to her siblings she really is quite different. 

• While she has the same color hair as Amy, she doesn't have as much of it.
• She and Amy have blue eyes, but hers are darker
• Melanie loves to make noise, but has yet to say her first word.  Or so I thought until I was discussing this with the sister missionaries and realized she has two words:  "All done" which is just "ahhh" while doing the sign, and "da" for "that".
• She is not walking.  She is the only one of my kids to not be walking by her first birthday!  It's nothing to be worried about, just something different.
• She doesn't wave "bye-bye".  I guess we don't do it often enough.

There are similarities as well:

• Like Amy and David - she still isn't sleeping through the night. Although last night she initially had a hard time going to sleep, but slept until 4:45am which is the longest stretch of sleep ever!!  It gives me hope!
• Like Amy she loves to feed herself.
• Like Timothy she makes a huge mess while feeding herself
• Like Amy she won't let anyone but mom hold her, but will go to dad if mom isn't there, or has something she wants.
• Like Amy has no interest in the bottle, and doesn't seem to want to wean right now either.
• Like the boys she will drink whole milk.  Amy refused until she was almost 18 months old. 
• Like all of her siblings she loves books, and loves to point to things on the pages.

 Some of her favorite things right now:

• bath time - mostly putting her hands under the running water, and splashing.
• doing pat-a-cake.  She'll clap, and attempt to roll her hands, and puts them up for "throw it in the oven"
• crawling up and down the stairs
• following her siblings (and me) from room to room
• dancing (swaying) to music
• 
  

I don't have her stats now, but her check up is this week.  Only a week late - that's pretty good!  Here are some pictures I took over the last week or so.  There's a lot of them!

 Eating a pepper

 

 She started doing this on Tuesday - it was so cute, and so funny!

 Here she is being silly at lunch on Wednesday

 She didn't want to sit still for her monthly picture

 sitting up for birthday breakfast

 messily feeding herself

Here she is opening her presents on her birthday.  She didn't want to do it, so we gave up halfway through.

 I took some later throughout the day 

 After the kids got home from school we had her open the rest of her presents

 She enjoyed it much more then

 I love this reaction!

 She wasn't so sure about the headband

 I went for really simple with her cake

 She wasn't sure what to do after we sang to her

 But she enjoyed her cake

 She loves the camera

We had a pretty busy day for a birthday.  While she napped in the morning I decorated her cake, and showered.  Aaron had the day off, but needed to get a few things done around town.   At 1:00 Emma G* (oh that could be confusing) came over while her mom (Shari) had an appointment.  The sister missionaries came over to visit with me, then Shari picked up Emma, and the boys came home from school.  That chaos caused the sisters to stay longer than expected.  Aaron was outside talking with the fencing guy (we might put in more fencing and a gate).  The kids got a snack, then Melanie opened the rest of her presents.  Later we started on dinner.  We did carnitas again.  We invited Philip and Julianna over to celebrate with us.  They were still feeling blah, but they weren't contagious anymore.  They had cake and ice cream with us, and then chatted for a bit before they headed home and the kids went to bed.  It was a fun day!