This & That

Yesterday we went to the Dr. for a well check on both kids.

Wilson at age 2 1/2: 64% for height 50% weight

Zina at age 4 1/2: 65% height 50% weight

I guess I feed them the same things or something...

The Dr. ended up giving Wilson, who had been running a fever for a day or two, a breathing treatment. He screamed. I held the mask on. It was not fun. He won a $3 helicopter out of the whole ordeal. Today while we were snuggling on the couch he looked up at me with sick sick eyes and said, "Mama, tan I doe to duh doctor today?"

I think the helicopter strategy worked.

I cannot, however, get him to eat much of anything. I've offered everything under the sun. The reply is always the same. A very polite.

"No Thank you"

"No Thank you"

"No Thank you"

Finals week + constant fever = 1 sad Wilson.

or maybe it equals 1 sad Momma.

Either way we were super happy tonight when Wilson felt good enough

to wrestle with Papa.

So sad..or mad..or something.

This has resulted in a few slow days with little sleep, and lots of cuddling.

Zina really wanted to make cookies, but they had to be cookies we'd never made before.

We made these Chocolate Hazelnut cookies.

Yummy.

Don't make them.

You'll eat them all.

Or you will come home from church and find out that your husband who stayed home with your sick 2yr old ate them all.

Either way.

They

are

good.

And since I'm trying to take more pictures of this pregnancy here is...picture #3. That is two more than my other two pregnancies. Mission completed.

This was taken at 32 weeks. Don't I look thrilled.

February 14, 2010

Zina and Wilson finding love notes and treasures in the Valentine's Day envelopes.

The treasures. We've never given gifts for Valentine's Day before, but Zina picked out the fabric and I told her I would make her a play dress which just happened to be finished friday night soooo, we went out and found Wilson some new "running" shorts & a "flyer"shirt. (two of his favorite things).

Our romantic valentine's day dinner. Kids included. Zina was SO into this.

Sure love these three!

Can't wait to make it four. :)

Love.ing

This fairy princess

blue skies.airplanes

best friends.make believe

this pose

cousins.10 minutes away.everyday

Valentines Love

I have to say that Valentine's Day is really so much better with kids. I guess the more love there is to go around the better, and boy have we been feel'n the love. :) I saw these cute little envelopes on this website and thought that I could throw something like that together. Each morning the kids rush to their envelope to see if there is a new love note in it. It's so fun to read them out loud for them. It starts our day off on such a positive note that I really think it has made a difference in the rest of our day. We might have to figure out how to make this a daily thing instead of just a countdown to Valentine's thing.

Zina begs all year round for pink heart cookies and Valentine's day is when they are actually in season. We made these on Monday for our family home evening treat that evening. Zina was in charge of the lesson and decided she wanted to do it on love. She talked about how we can show each other love and how Jesus showed us He loved us by dying on the cross for us so that we can be together forever. She also wanted to talk about how rainbows show us that Heavenly Father loves us. She did a great job for her first time at the lesson. She was pretty excited about getting to those pink cookies though. ;)

We ended up making the cookies for Uncle Marky's Valentine's package. Don't you just love Wilsons with the candy hearts piled high.

I thought Mark's cookies was so funny. I'm sure Elder Keeler will enjoy it. (Hopefully he can read it after they get tossed around in mail.)

Tuesday we had a Valentines Party for preschool and then today we thought we'd do it again with younger siblings and mom's. Any excuse for a party right?

The kids loved decorating their bracelets, exchanging valentines, eating cupcakes, Valentine's Bingo, and chasing each other outside.

Cute bags for their Valentine's that Kristi made. She always has the cutest ideas!

Wilson is trying to show off his bracelets. His creation is on the other arm - of course.

And maybe we are all pinked out because this afternoon the kids wanted blue play dough. I ordered up blue spaghetti with meatballs, blue heart bread, blue ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate sauce, and blue lemonade. And while the chef's whipped up my delicious meal I took a lovely nap in the sunshine.

p.s. We made heart decorations for our window the other day that we found here. Zina really enjoyed it and Wilson loved destroying the crayons for the wax.

Saturday Reflections

1.At the beginning of this week I read the article in this months Ensign about Father's. The whole time I was reading it I just felt SO grateful for Mark. That seems weird to me. I didn't think about my own Father or my Heavenly Father. I just thought about Mark and they were good thoughts. It made me happy. He makes me happy. Here is one of my FAVORITE things that he does:

Each morning Mark gets up early and then goes and wakes up his Zina Zee. They visit and, if I'm still asleep, make breakfast together. Zina loves those special mornings with her Papa. And Mark loves to gather the family at the breakfast table before he has to leave. And I love that he wants us to start his day. Monday mornings Mark has exams and is usually gone to school around 5 or 6am. Those are sad mornings. On mornings when Zina wakes up first or I wake her up her first question is always, "Is Papa gone to school yet?" The kids run to open the back gate when Papa leaves and cry and cry if they didn't get to say goodbye. Every night at 6pm they start watching and listening for that back gate to clang open and Papa to ride his bike in from school and then it's always a joyous chorus of , "PAPA PAPA!" I don't think there is a sweeter sound.

2. Zina Zee

Has started to be REALLY responsible. She loves to wake up, make her bed, get dressed, brush her teeth, make Wilson's bed, make my bed and then surprise me with all that she has accomplished already in the morning. I LOVE IT.

She is quite the little mother and is very anxious for Baby Sam's arrival. When viewing the picture of Uncle Matt and Aunt Michelle's new arrival, sweet, little Brigham she could hardly help herself and said, "Oh Momma, I just want to jump right into that picture." She loves to love and help other peoples children and gets very shy and embarrassed if I think she's helping just a wee bit to much.

She has got some sass. Sometimes when she has certain opinions that differ from my own she will tilt her head, sniff with her nose in the air and say, "Huh, well I have a better idea and I'm doing it my way."

She is very into beautiful things (including herself). She loves to exclaim, "Don't I just look beautiful today!" I'm not sure if I have fed this vanity or if it is a phase that will pass. I do say things like "Good Morning Beautiful" just as I say "Good Morning Handsome" to Wilson, but Zina has definite opinions about beauty. She tells me each day how to do her hair ( and usually begs to have it curled) has started wanting to only wear skirts and dresses and absolutely refuses to wear her little mermaid panties because in her wistful words, "there just TOO beautiful Mama." It's almost painful they are so beautiful.

The other day at Preschool (as related to me by Max's mom Lindsay) Max burped and said excuse me. Zina promptly (in her now-it-all-motherly-way) informed him, "You can also say Excuse moi. That's French for Excuse me." (Any Fancy Nancy fans out there?)

This girl is all expression - In her face, her voice, her attitude. She feels deeply, and strongly and she shows it and I am so grateful for her. I am excited to see the ways in which she will grow and learn when this new little baby joins our home in 8 weeks - each day she amazes me with the mature little girl she is becoming!

3.Wilson Needs His Mama

and if Mama is frustrated or short with him then he really really needs his Papa. This boy is affectionate. If you are standing right beside him he still needs you. If you are holding his hand he still needs you. If you are holding him in your arms he still needs you. If you are holding him in your arms with his arms around your neck and his cheek pressed against your cheek then his needs are filled. Often, as in pretty much every night, I hear the pitter patter of little feet and know that it is my Wilson needing his Mama. Sometimes it happens at 2am, or 11am or 5am but it always happens. He climbs in bed and has to lay on the same pillow as me with his little cheek next to mine and then he will smile and slip back into sleep and if I'm lucky will stay asleep when I roll over my (rather large self these days) so that my back is to him. If he were awake he would instantly "need" me again. I have thought about "fixing" this little habit before new baby comes, but secretly I smile when I hear that pitter patter, and I love those little cold toes tucked under my legs and I like trying to sneak out of bed in the morning so that I don't wake up my sweet peaceful Wilson. It's nice to be needed.