0 There are two sides to every story...

There are two sides to every story...

3 I L-O-V-E ‘For Better or for Worse’

I have always loved this comic strip, but I am loving it even more since they started it over and I am in a similar life ‘season’ as the mom.  Here’s what’s been happening lately (LINK) 

1 Easter

This past week Allie came home from preschool with a construction paper egg.  She wanted to color another, so I cut one out of white paper.  Of course Kylie had to have one, too so I cut another…and another…an another…

For two days I cut and they colored/painted MANY eggs with friends.

(Hayden, Alyssa, Allie, Kylie)

Here’s what our living room wall looked like Easter morning. 

Saturday the girls ‘hopped on down the bunny trail’ at Lee’s grocery store with their cousin Alyiah.

 

Saturday after conference we got together with the entire Schwartz clan.  There was an indoor egg hunt with all the cousins and dying eggs when the daddies when to priesthood session.

1 a New Toy for Daddy

Nate picked this go-cart out of a scrap heap he was cleaning up last week.  He and Dirk had a crowd of eager passengers following their progress at tuning it up.  Eventually they got it running fairly well and gave rides around the cul-de-sac. 

 

Kylie and Simon were happy to sit in the go-cart during all the work. 

1 Chore Charts

In an effort to provide some structure to our days now that I’m working at home again, we’ve been using sticker chore-charts. I’ve been amazed at all the things the girls can do and how helpful they are. Working together to do the laundry and dishes has given us more quality time together and I feel like a better mother, too.

The Chores (Revised several times)

1. Morning: make bed, get dressed, get hair done
2. Dishes: empty/load dish washer
3. Laundry: cycle the washer/dryer & sort dry clothes
4. Allie-preschool on laptop & Kylie-put away books/art supplies
5. Basement: put away tops
6. Nap time: go down without a fuss
7. Afternoon: put bikes in garage/ pick up all toys
8. Bedtime: PJ’s on, clothes in basket, brush teeth
9. Night time: go down without a fuss

The Basic Rules

• The girls have about the same list of chores, which are listed with picture icons
• Each day they complete a task, they get to choose a sticker for that square
• Each day they don’t do a task, I draw an “X” on that square
• If the girls do something ‘extra’ chore/task, they get a star sticker
• A start sticker can go on any square with an “X”

1 I go looking when it gets too quiet

This morning I stayed in bed as long as my bladder would let me.  I am just so tired even though I’m in the ‘energetic’ middle trimester.  I crawled out of bed when the screaming got too much; from my bladder, stomach, and from the girls.  However, by the time I finished in the bathroom, the house was quiet so I went right to breakfast.  I enjoyed my frosted flakes in peace but then got an uneasy feeling about what the girls might be up to.  It didn’t take long to find them.  There were in their room watching movies on their travel DVD players.  What smarty pants to set them up all by themselves…although it is a no-no in our house.  I snapped this picture and shut the door.  Time to get in a few hours of work.  We’ll start on our morning routine and chores later.

0 Finding a new normal

After Nate’s slow winter last year, we decided to try something different this year.  Nate stayed home more and I increased my work load (from 30 hr/wk to 40 hr/wk) on campus.  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I put in 10-12 hour days on campus (crashing in the evenings) while Nate took care of the girls and housework.  Tuesdays and Thursdays Nate worked while I stayed home (still putting in 5-6 hours of work). 

Now that its spring Nate’s work is picking up and I’ve dropped back down to 30 hr/wk, staying at home all but Mondays.  I have been really surprised by how loving my girls have been to me.  They’ve been all cuddles and hugs throughout the day.  We’ve been loving the nice weather.  Here’s some pic’s from our neighborhood park. 

We’ve also been working on a ‘new normal’.  I’ve made the girls sticker charts to set up chores.  Its been fun to see the girls learning to do new things and take responsibility.  They LOVE to help with the dishes and laundry.  Its not been all roses; Allie’s had a cold and Kylie (a.k.a. Cinderella) still has plenty of terrible-two-year-old tantrums. 

 

2 The Neighborhood Bike Gang 2010

Sometime yesterday Kylie finally ‘got’ how to pedal her bike.

She can’t quite keep up with the big kids, but she is quite pleased with herself.

Simon, Lincoln, Allie, Rayden, Alyssa, Jet, Kylie

0 Catching up after a long hiatus

So…after being largely absent from my blog, I’m hoping to be back.  I posted so much tonight, that when you get to the bottom, click on 'older posts' to see the rest.  It wouldn't all fit on one screen!  My pregnancy has calmed down (I’m 22 weeks along) and I’ve dropped from working 100% to 75% now that Nate’s work will pick up with the warming weather. 

• Kylie got into Grandma JoAnne’s lipstick: she’s big enough to know better!

• Allie learned to ride her bike without training wheels.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

• The girls ‘snuck’ the last bit of cookie dough when my back was turned.

 

• The warming weather is music to our ears!

2 First baby picture

A few weeks ago we had our ultrasound and Nate made sure we didn't find out the gender.  It will be a fun surprise.  I am anxious to meet this little bouncing baby of ours!  The due date is officially July 19th, but I'm hoping for sooner rather than later...within healthy reason of course.

1 Photo Highlights of February 2010

• While the Staffords were visiting, we had a Valentines Day party at home. Maren brought an art project (little note pads to decorate with heart animals), we played V-day BINGO and we decorated cupcakes.

• The girls finally filled their WAY-to-big sticker charts so they got their reward: a Strawberry Shortcake pool playset. Notice Kylie’s blue dress…she has worn it over every outfit and PJs for 24 hours, 7 days a week, for over a month.

• One night when we went in to check on the girls before retiring for the night ourselves, we had to look around to find Kylie… what buddies they are. I hope they stay so close in the future.

• While Nate was on his annual ‘BROTHERS GOLF RETREAT’ in St George, the girls and I headed to Rexburg. Grandma Martha helped the girls make paper bag dresses, just like in the book ‘the Paper Bag Princess’. They also got to make cookies with Gma and read books with Gpa.