Leprechan Trap

At school this year Isabelle read a book about catching Leprechans on St. Patrick's Day so the evening before the eventful day she set to work building a trap.  She worked on it for a while before I realized she wasn't going to go to bed until it was done so I jumped in and helped with the basic design then she added all of the perks - a cozy place to sleep, some water in a tiny cup, a little bit of cereal, and crayons and paper for messages.  She set up the trap with a sparkly brooch that I had in my jewelry box that was my Grandma Allen's.
She set it then went to bed.  In the night (I think it was 2 or 3 am) she woke up crying saying she was never going to find a pot of gold so we went downstairs to check the trap. 

What we didn't find was a leprechan.  What we did find was this note: (can't find the note right now) and the tiny bowl full of gold pieces for her to share with her siblings.  She was delighted and went back to sleep very peacefully.  In the morning she was so excited to show Ryan and Ashley the fruits of her labors.  They were excited to be beneficiaries of her creativity.

She was so pleased with the result I'm sure we'll be doing something for our leprechan next year - although I'm hoping it's not a trap.  :)

Easter Clothes

I'm aware that we're a week early, but when Izzy wants to look nice today and I'm not sure if we'll be battling over it next week, we get the others ready (today Ryan was the one who fought ironically), whip out the camera and attempt to get an Easter picture.

I didn't get a great picture of Ashley's dress, I'll have to try again next week but she looked beautiful and she LOVED her dress!!  I recorded her walking home from church a little bit because she was being so cute.  I think she was enjoying the swish of the skirt.  I let her wear it after church over to Grandma's house for dinner so she could show off and boy did she.  She kept twirling for people and was so cute.  Later she wanted to play outside so I changed her clothes and she cried.  She cheered up once Scott took her out to the swing but as soon as we got home and she saw her dress (which I foolishly had not put away yet) she started to cry and tried to figure out how to get her pj's off so she could get dressed again.  She is so cute.

Izzy was also excited about her dress although she's been wearing hers for at least a month (as long as the dress is modest and appropriate I don't fight her about what dress she wants to wear to church).  She was excited because this was the first time I took her dress shopping.  I was surprised about how difficult it was to find something that was modest and nice enough for church and appropriate for a 7 yr old who wears a size 10.  Sweet girl, somethings are challenging about being bigger than everyone your age.
Anyway, because she chose it, she loves it and she liked how I did her hair as well (which is a smidge surprising - we don't have much happiness over hair).  (She told me this week that she wished she lived with Cassie, my sister, because Cassie does fance hair.  I was a bit flabbergasted because she hates when I do her hair and won't let me do anything fancy in it.

Ryan didn't love dressing up for the pictures/church, but he was cute about trying to find spots to take the pictures over at Grandma's house.

Ashley favorites

"Dad", "Ry" and "Sees" (Sis or Iz, not quite sure which) - usually called in a very loud voice - repeatedly until they respond appropriately.
Binkie, Boppy and Blankie (she has several blankies any one of which will do) - theoretically just for bedtime but really whenever she is really sad or sleepy.
"Na" (Hannah who lives across the street.  She is Izzy's friend but she loves to play with Ashley and Ashley loves her attention).
"Micah" (Hannah's younger brother that Ash either is happy to be with or torments as she chases him and takes whatever he has. The poor little timid boy is nearly two years older than her and easily a head taller but Ashley is a bit domineering right now - I have to watch out that she doesn't scare him.)
Bubbles - she tends to dump the bubble containers and lick the bubble wand, so we don't do them as often as she would like.
Tractors/Helicocpters/Airplanes/Trains/Buses...she loves them all unless they make too much noise and then she is nervous.
Dancing - any music will do and she loves to have someone dance with her.  Telling her she is a beautiful dancer is often the best way to make friends with her - that or commenting on her shoes or fingernails.
Painted nails and sparkley shoes - she is definitely a girl.

Drawing - pens, markers, crayons, pencils, paper, furniture, walls, bedding, body parts - nothing is off limits to her.  She has the creative bug that I keep hoping I can figure out how to control.  :)

Baking - particularly anything sugary that uses flour and chocolate.  She loves to play in the flour and she loves dipping her fingers into whatever it is for a sample.

Putting off bedtime - she'll need a drink, a new story, to play with the big kids, to lay in sissy's bed, whatever she can think of to stretch out her bedtime.

Straws, they are a toy, not a tool.

Notes from Izzy to Ryan

Last week after having a big fight I had the kids say several nice things about each other.  Izzy didn't want to say them, she wanted to write them.  These are the notes she wrote to Ryan:

Dear Ryan
I love you. And I lik your toy.

Dear Ryan
I love you so so so SO much.

Dear Ryan
I spy you being nics to me!

Dear Ryan
Ther is mony!  (accompanied by a $1 bill)

Dear Ryan
All of thees meschis are rill and I men rilli
(All of these messages are real and I mean really)

Sweet, sweet girl.
Oh how I love her.

It's a boy!!

We had an ultrasound yesterday (16 1/2 weeks) and we took the children with us.  It was a very sweet little experience.  One of Jennie's friends who is an ultrasound tech at a doctors office met us at her office yesterday afternoon and did our ultrasound.  The kids were pretty fascinated with what they got to see.  The baby was very wiggly, in fact, he looked like he kept squirming away from the ultrasound.  He also looked like he was trying to suck his thumb several times with a little open mouth and his little thumb being brought up to it. 
When she got to the shot of the tush it took Ryan a minute to figure out what he was seeing but as soon as he figured it out he was ecstatic!  Izzy is less excited but I'm pretty sure that it's all related to the fact that we'll probably put the baby in Ryan's room and she's not delighted about that.  Sweet girl - she loves to be the mother.  When Ashley was tiny there were several nights where Izzy would wake up to help with her in the middle of the night.  What a treasure it is to have such helpers!
I worried that it might be a problem to have the kids there (especially Ashley) but they were fantastic.  Ashley was even enthralled although I doubt she really knew what she was seeing on that screen.

Bottom line: everything looks good and we are so excited!

It's hard to believe how blessed we are.  I won't lie - there have been many times throughout our family years that I doubted we would ever be in this place - not just being pregnant but looking at having 4 children.  It's miraculous and joyful and wonderful.

Last night as I chatted with Ryan before bed we were talking about all the angels who helped to get our children to our family:  Scott's parents and my grandparents specifically.  I have had many tender moments where the Spirit has testified to me that our dear loved ones who have passed away have the opportunity to be our angels and have been involved in our lives.  After our discussion as I walked out of his room he sweetly said, "I wonder which angels are working to get Alex here."  (Alex is the name he has decided he wants so he is calling him that already.)

We are so very blessed.

Ryan

Today during the last hour of church we had a meeting that the Bishopric wanted as many people to attend as possible, so to that end they shifted things around in Primary and Nursery so the teachers could attend.  One thing that they did was to have the older children (Ryan's age and up) help with the younger children.  Last week Ryan came home from church and told me what was going to happen and said he didn't want to go today because he was worried about helping with the younger kids.
As it turned out, he was responsible for one little boy - our 4 yr old neighbor.  He said he was very difficult and his friend was assigned the girl who was an "angel".  He came home and said he was so tired and now he knew what it felt like to be a teacher.  He also said, "Now I really respect kids."
When Scott came home from church he reported that he had met with the Primary President who reported very positively about the children who helped and said that Ryan specifically did a really good job.
I think Ryan was quite pleased about the report.
It amazes me how he is growing up and getting to be so responsible.
Also during Sacrament Meeting this week and last week he sat quietly next to me (folding paper airplanes) and at one point during each meeting made a comment about what the speaker was saying.  I was delighted to know that he is hearing more than I think he hears - two weeks in a row!!

I'm so proud of my boy.  I am so grateful I am his mother.  I love him.

Ashley grins

Ashley has a new "Big Smile" that takes nearly her whole body to communicate.  We all think it's adorable and she trots it out at the store and in church to charm those around her as well.  She just smiles and smiles until the person she is smiling at sees her and then she is rewarded by their delight - seriously she is so funny.  Here is a pic of her demonstrating the "Big Smile" at Isabelle's request.