April Memories

There have been so many times this month when I've wanted to blog about something but then never took the time and so I'm sure I've now forgotten some of those sweet moments but here's a really long post and my best at remembering.

Sam had a very extended birthday this year.  His birthday was Wednesday and he had a fun party so we didn't go out to dinner on his actual birthday.  I had a groupon left to Chuck E. Cheese, a birthday must, so we spent the morning there.  He really wanted to go to Chuck-a-Rama so we went there for a really late lunch.  Neil met us there and after filling ourselves to the brim we dropped Lucy off at Allison's for the day and me and the boys went to Hollywood Connection.  The kids love this place.  It was not busy at all so luckily I found the Hunger Games book in the van and plopped myself down on a central bench and began reading.  When the movie came out everyone on facebook was going crazy about how it was the best movie and the books are so good and yada yada yada I was intrigued but when I heard that the premise of the book was that children/teenagers were sent into an arena to kill each other and that only one person survived I was so turned off.  There was no way I wanted to read that.  It is so barbaric.  Well I gave into peer pressure.  I wanted to see the movie but I needed to read the book first.  So while at Hollywood Connection this slow reader got about half way through the book and I was hooked.  I could not put the book down.  To put your mind at ease, the boys were totally safe.  After a ride they would come to me and tell me where they were off to next.  We'd all go play mini golf together and I'd just follow reading my book. From where I sat I could see all the rides.  We were there from 4-9.  I'm so glad I did not have Lucy because we would not have been able to stay very long so it worked out.  Allison really enjoyed being Lucy and I was happy not to have her.  Back to the Hunger Games.  I finished the book the next day and I was totally consumed and nothing got done around the house.  Many of the young men had read it and people at work were talking about the movie and so Neil decided to read it and we'd talk about it and when he finished we wanted to go see the movie.  Being the cheap skate I am I only wanted to go to the first showing because it's only $4 instead of the $8 but with soccer and work that was not going to work so one night after dinner we're discussing our week and Neil says lets just go tonight.  At first I refuse but then the desire to see it overtakes me and I say yes.  The movie starts in 20 minutes and of all days that day I had not taken a shower and my hair was a greasy mess.  I tell Neil if he can get a sitter I'll quickly get ready.  I've never gotten ready so fast and even washed and blew dried my hair.  If I was actually going on a date with my sweetie, I wanted to look somewhat decent.  We got a sitter and we were off.  It was so exhilarating to be so spontaneous because we're not like that at all.  We are very much planners.  So the movie, I liked it, I didn't love it.  I was not disappointed but I did not think it was the greatest thing ever.  As always the book was so much better.  It's not a movie I would add to my personal collection.  Since we had read the first we had to read the other two.  Neil told me no matter what I do don't buy the second until a Friday so that when I start to read he'd be home to watch the kids.  I'm really that bad.  If I'm reading a good book I become totally consumed and the kids are able to watch tv or play on the computer as much as they want so they like it when I read a book.  Neil and I fought over who got the book during the day.  It was fun but we both finished it.  I wanted to buy the third but didn't want to fork over more money so I decided to wait until I could get it from the library.  That stinking Neil secretly borrowed it from someone at work and began reading it and accidentally left it at home one morning and I found it and it was mine from then on until I finished it.  I really enjoyed the series probably because I haven't read anything in so long but the second book was my favorite of the three.  I'm ready to read them again.

I came downstairs one morning and found Lucy sitting on a stool at the counter with a bandaid over her mouth waiting for breakfast.  Once I told her to keep it there all day she immediately removed it.  The sweet silence only lasted a moment.  She is talking more and more everyday but that's not what bothers me.  It's her screaming.  She can now say every one's name in the family but only we can probably recognize it.  She has demanded to be part of the meal and family prayer rotation.  Every time we kneel down for prayer and ask who's turn it is her hand shoots up and she's saying me, me, me.  She still only says the beginning sound of each word.

Little Fashionista

Lucy loves to draw and if she ever finds paper along with a pen, crayon, etc. she's is down on the floor coloring.  She gets so proud of her pictures and comes and shows them to me all the time.  Lucy has begun changing her clothes several times a day.  I always laughed when my friends would complain about their daughters doing this but I'm not laughing anymore.  She'll often grad two pairs of shorts and will get frustrated when she can't get them both on.  I find clothes all over the house and I never know what's clean or what's dirty and in the sense of I'd rather be safe than sorry I throw it in the wash.  An increase in the laundry load is not a good thing.  I am amazed at how different girls are from boys innately.  They are just so different from such a small age.

For several days whenever Lucy would get up from her nap she'd take her diaper off and so I would go get her and she'd be naked.  I figured she was trying to tell me she needs to go to the bathroom so in hopes of getting her potty trained I took one of her crib sides off so she can get out of bed on her own in hopes she'd go to the bathroom when needed.  Lucy has only gone to the bathroom once in the toilet and that was at the Aquatic Center but she sits on the toilet almost every day.  Even though I would love to have no kids in diapers I do not push potty training.  I didn't train the boys until they were ready around 3-3 1/2 and Conner has never wet the bed and Sam and Mikey have only once.  Changing sheets on bunk beds every day is just something I can not handle so I wait and have had great practically overnight success.  Transitioning to a toddler bed with the boys was a breeze.  They all stayed in their beds pretty good and waited for me to get them in the morning as if they were still trapped in their crib.  Lucy is a totally different story.  She gets out of bed several times a night before she falls asleep or she's up playing with the toys in her room instead of sleeping.  Her naps are not as good as they used to be which makes her extra ornery.  In her crib she was always asleep by 1 but now she doesn't fall asleep until 2 or later.  She is totally loving her new found freedom.  It's been about two weeks and she's getting a little better.  I'm tempted to put her crib back together but am too lazy.  I did put a child lock on the inside of her door, which totally defeats the potty training element, and all hell broke lose.  She was kicking her door and screaming bloody murder.  She did not like being trapped in her room.

Jazz Game

Neil got free tickets to the Jazz game from work and so he took the boys again.  Luckily it was probably the best game of the season to go to.  I don't remember who they played but they went into triple overtime and ended up winning.  Way to go Jazz.  It did get a little long for Mikey and Sam but they were good sports.  Conner was so into.

Smarty Pants

We finally got the test results from Conner and Sam's Spectrum (full-time gifted program) testing.  Both Conner and Sam have been accepted into the program and I am just so thrilled and proud of them.  There was not doubt in my mind that Conner would make it but I wasn't so sure about Sam just because only 10% of the students who were tested were going to get in since it was a pilot program for the 1st grade.  They both scored in the 97th percentile on the nationwide test.  I couldn't believe it.  I never told Sam the real reason why he was being tested because there was such a slim chance he'd make it in.  I just told him it was a test to see how well his brain works and to do his best.  I remember the first day of testing he came out and said that was fun and I asked him what was fun about it and he said it was fun filling in the bubbles.  Conner knew what the test was for and his teacher really pushed him and thought he'd be great in the program so he was excited to find out he made it, Sam on the other hand got real upset and began to cry.  If he decided to do the program he would have to change schools and he would miss all his friends at Lincoln. As parents we really wanted them to give the program a try but did not want to force them so a little coercing was needed.

Right now they are on a year round schedule and we had the whole month of April off which was going to be like their summer vacation so we did a ton of fun stuff and were rarely home.  One of the things we had planned to do was to go to California to visit Ryan and Heather and take the boys to Legoland.  We were really excited to go and were planning on going for a week but when we looked into Neil's time off he only had about 3 days he could spare since he needs to save his time off for trek and scout camp this summer.  A quick weekend trip to California was totally stressing me out but this was our vacation so I was going to suck it up.  When the boys got accepted we realized that we'd actually have a summer now and we live so close to Lagoon (12 minutes) it would be fun to get season passes.  It would cost about the same to get season passes as we would have spent for a weekend in California and we would be able to have a summer of fun.  Neil and I knew what we wanted to do but once again we wanted to let the kids decide since it was their vacation and we wanted them to be happy with whatever decision was made.  Now the season passes were contingent on both Conner and Sam being in the Spectrum program (otherwise Sam would only have a 3 week summer vacation) so Sam had two big decisions to make and guess what he decided. . . Spectrum and Lagoon!  Neil and I are so excited for a summer of fun but are sad to not to get to see Ryan.  We took the kids the following day and can't wait to go back more.  We're thinking Wednesday is going to be Lagoon day and Neil will meet us at the park after lunch and we'll spend the day there each week.  I'm really nervous to go there by myself but I know I'll do it but it's hard because Conner wants to ride the thrill rides that no one else can or will.  So it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.  

Here's the kids after their first day at the park.  They had just run through the sprinklers

Now I hope we won't be written up for being Utah's worst parents but on this day Lucy did not feel great.  She had a low grade fever and it seemed to be allergies, runny nose, itchy eyes and throat but she acted fine.  We had promised we'd take them to Lagoon and neither Neil or I wanted to go by ourselves the first time so we stuck Lucy in the stroller and that is where she stayed the whole time and was content.  We were only there from 5:30-7 so not too long.  The boys were just so happy and have been talking nonstop about when they get to go again.  Hopefully this Saturday!

So with Spectrum the kids will be going to Mountain View Elementary which is probably 3-4 miles from our house but with traffic it takes about 15 minutes to get there.  Going to a new school means lots of changes and some I'm not so excited about like having to drive them every morning and picking them up.  It's been so nice to have them walk to school every day.  I don't have to try to fight with Mikey or Lucy to get ready in the morning so I'm really dreading that.  We'll be on a traditional schedule which I am sad about.  This year I have really embraced the year round schedule and have loved it.  It's been so nice to have these 3-5 weeks breaks throughout the year and to be able to go and do things when very few other people are there. It's been a great break for them as well as for me.  I'm always a little sad to send them back on track because 3-5 weeks is a perfect amount of time to have fun and not run out of ideas and get bored.  Now 12 weeks off in the summer, I'm not so sure about.

I am very excited for the opportunities this will provide for my kids.  Conner is just starting to get bored with school.  He's such an easy going kid that he usually finds joy in anything but lately when they've been doing fractions he bored.  Sam is always off task and goofing off but I think most of it is because he already knows  what they are learning.  I'm excited that they will be stretched.  Lincoln is a title I school and there are a lot of kids who struggle with school and being a teacher I know that those are the classroom teacher's greatest concern.  The students who get it don't get much attention and I totally understand it so I'm excited for them to be with peers who are at their same level.  It will be interesting to see how Conner does because ever since kindergarten he's been labeled as the smart one, the kid who knows everything.  He'll no longer have that label and will be with kids who know just as much if not more than him.  

As already stated Conner is so excited to learn new things.  He is always telling his brothers learning is more important than having fun.  I don't agree with that statement.  They are both important.  You'd think we brain washed that kid or something.  But that's Conner's personality.  He loves to learn about anything and everything.  Sam is the exact opposite.  He's all about having fun.  If he learns something along the way great but it's all about his friends.  Because of this I'm more concerned for Sam and how he will adjust.  He'll definitely add some pizazz to the class that's for sure.

As a parent I'm a little anxious for next year wondering if we're making the right decision for them.  I feel good about it and I figure we try it out for a couple of months and if one of them doesn't like it he'll go back to Lincoln.  I'm so proud that they are both so smart.  Doesn't every parent wish that.  I just wish I could take credit for it but I can't.  They've been blessed with great minds and I am so thankful but I do know they come from great stock on both sides.  I know parents with special needs children struggle with trying to figure out what's best for their children and the same with me.  It's a huge responsibility to try to meet their needs and help them reach their potential.  I am thinking this is an answer to many prayers.

Special Date
Conner earned enough check marks to go on a special date.  Before we bought the Lagoon passes he had wanted to go roller skating and Neil would have taken him but since we got the passes he changed his mind and since Neil was sick I got to take him.  We went after soccer was over and got there about 2.  It was so busy because there was a national DECA convention and all the participants were at Lagoon.  There were 10 chartered buses in the parking lot.  So it wasn't the best day to go because there since the lines were long everywhere.  Conner was in charge and I told him I would ride whatever he wanted.  We started in the rock-a-plane line but it was moving so slow and after 30 minutes we were still nowhere near the front so he decided to try Colossus.  Once the again the line was so long and after 30 minutes Conner really had to go to the bathroom and we had at least another 30 minute wait so sadly he decided to leave to go to the bathroom.  It was such a bummer to be there an hour and still have not ridden anything.  After 5 o'clock all the DECA people left and we were able to ride anything we wanted with a short wait time.  It was the cutest thing.  As soon as we'd get off a ride Conner would grab my hand and say come on mom let's go to this ride and he'd start running pulling me along.  He was just so happy and we had the best time together.  It was nice just to be with him and talk with him.  I know I say it all the time but he is such a good kid.  Wise beyond his years.  After Lagoon I took him to Kneaders to get a treat and we had some quiet time to talk and I asked him if he ever even thinks about making a bad choice (because he rarely does that I know of) and he seriously said he does but then he thinks of the consequences and knows that it would not be worth it and and would not make him happy.  I asked him if he wanted to serve a mission and he said of course and then I started talking about the future about him leaving home, getting married, having kids, I don't know what got into me and it made Conner get emotional and so I quickly changed the subject and told him for now he gets to be a little boy, just a little boy and have fun like we did today.  Maybe he could be like Peter Pan and never grow old and he reached out to me across the table and just hugged me.  The sweetest boy I tell ya.

Money is really important to Conner and he works hard for it and plans what he is going to by so it surprised me the other day when we were in Target and he told me he knew what he wanted to get me for Mother's Day.  He has been pestering Neil all week to take him to the store so Neil took him last night.  I have no idea what it is but I can't wait.  He is also making something that he's so excited about.  This morning he came in my room and asked me if I had found my gifts yet and how many days until Mother's Day.  He's so excited too.  We don't do gifts for holidays so I'm really surprised that he actually wants to buy me something and with his own money none the less.

Conner has been so lovey lately which is unlike him.  He usually doesn't give hugs but lately he always is and is snuggling in bed with me.  It's really sweet.  He's like me, you better take it when you can get it.

Sam only needs one more check mark to earn his special date and he wants to go to Lagoon too but Neil gets to take him.  I can't wait to hear how that goes.

Second Recital

Conner is still taking piano lessons and doing pretty good if I do say so.  He doesn't like practicing because it takes away from his play time but he does it with enough prodding.  He had his second recital and did a great job.  He is able to play with two hands a little bit and has learned to play Teach Me to Walk in the Light from the Simplified Hymns book and is learning How Firm a Foundation.  I love hearing him play songs that I know.  It sounds so good on the little organ we have.  We need to buy a real piano for him to practice on but the yard comes first.  If there's any money left over a piano or carpet.  I want carpet more.

Swimming

We went swimming twice while we were off track.  The first time we went to the Clearfield Aquatic Center and the second time to Layton Surf and Swim.  Surf and Swim is just a big wave pool and so I bought all the kids goggles and one snorkel to share and dive rings.  They had the most fun diving for the rings.  The boys are like fish and you can't get them out of the water.  Lucy is pretty apprehensive about the water and it takes her awhile to get in.  I mostly sat with Lucy and we threw the ball around.  We can't wait to go swimming all summer long at Lagoon and at Seven Peaks.  It would be great if I could get Lucy potty trained by then. 

One thing I am excited about is my new swim suit.  I scoured the internet for a modest suit that was inexpensive.  I wanted shorts for the bottom, but not those spandex ones or boyfriend ones, but ones that actually cover my bottom and a high scoop top.  I can't wear a v-neck one.  I wanted a suit that holds everything in and I don't have to worry when kids pull on it and I found one at Kohl's which is perfect and didn't break the bank.

I just wish the top was pink and that I looked half as good in it as the model but oh well.  That's going to take along time to pull off.  I love that I am covered and completely comfortable.  I hate being in a swim suit but having kids means I have to get in the water.

RAK

I had quite a few bad days this month.  I wish I could blame it all on PMS but I can't.  I was just in a bad mood for whatever reason and no matter how hard I tried to be positive the negative came out.  I think part of it was having the kids home full-time, having extra kids, lack of sleep, Neil was sick and not much help, etc. etc.  Somebody was in tune and dropped this off randomly on my doorstep and it totally brightened my day.  The kids definitely loved the candy.  It just made me happy that the Lord was aware of me and used someone to pick me up.  I hope that I can be that person for someone.

                                      

After this I told myself no matter what I am going to be positive and not get mad at the kids.  The next morning Lucy was so ornery and just screaming nonstop about I don't know what.  I was about to lose it but then I remembered my goal so I started to sing a Primary song to stay calm and Lucy looked at me and started to scream louder and stamp her feet and then put her fingers in her ears to plug them and drown me out.  It made me laugh so hard.  She was like mom, I refuse to be happy.  You can't make me stop screaming.  The picture is still in my head of her stomping and her pigtails going up and down screaming at the top of her lungs.  My little stubborn girl, you make me laugh.

Flour Power

I accidentally left the flour on the counter after making rolls and Lucy took full advantage of the situation.                 

                                      

 I was kind of glad she finally got into the flour because I have pictures of the boys in the flour when they were babies and I needed one of Lucy to put up in the kitchen.  She's much older than they were and not nearly as messy but it's still cute.

 Look at how happy she is.  She loves to help me in the kitchen making dinner.

I just added this picture because when Lucy came down the stairs wearing these glasses Conner said look mom, Lucy looks like a movie star.

Worker Bees

Cleaning the blinds has been on my to do list for months and I just have not done it.  The blinds in my kitchen behind the kitchen sink are just awful.  I don't think they've been cleaned in 3 years.  I hate to admit I'm that bad of a house keeper.  I don't know why it's so hard to do.  Things like the blinds I see everyday and think to myself how gross they are yet never clean them.  I guess it's hard enough keeping up with just the day to day things I never get around to deep cleaning like I should.  Come Conner and Sam to the rescue.  They wanted to do some extra chores so I told them I'd pay them $.50 a blind and they were so game.  They have cleaned almost all the blinds in the house and they did an awesome job.  Those blinds in the kitchen Conner spent an hour on each one getting clean and he never complained.  I blasted music and they said it was fun.  

I am so glad that they enjoyed cleaning.  It really helped jump start me into some spring cleaning.  I washed all the main floor windows inside and out with a mixture of 2 c water, 1/4 c vinegar and a few drops of  Dawn and then I squeegeed them.  They are so crystal clear and sparkling with no streaks.  They are amazing and make me so happy.  I have left the blinds pulled up ever since because I love the view crystal clear view.  I never realized how dirty the outside windows were.  I just now need to clean the screens and the second story windows but I'm scared to get on the roof. 

 While those two were busy cleaning the little ones were busy water coloring.  It was so nice to be able to make dinner one night without everybody underfoot and vying for my attention.

Yard Work
When Neil and I bought our house we decided that he would be in charge of the yard.  I hate hard work and so he is allowed to do whatever he wants.  We've said that this is the year we're going to get our yard looking good but Neil has little time to do much of anything so it doesn't look great.  It doesn't help that both our lawn mower and the trimmer are broken.  We've borrowed a mower recently.  Well out front on our curb we have 3 trees in beds that were totally overgrown with weeds and so one day I realized Neil's never going to be able to get to this so I have to suck it up and just do it or else it won't get done and so I did.  The kids were playing good so I went outside and started weeding.  After about 20 minutes Conner came out and asked if he could help.  Well of course so he helped for about 45 minutes and asked if it were possible to get paid for helping.  I told him that I can't pay him for every little thing he does around the house and sometimes we do things just to help.  He was fine with that and continued to help.  Then he asked if he could possibly earn some computer time for helping and I said that seems fair.  We agreed he'd earn as much time as he worked outside.  He ended up working for 2 hours and we got one side of the curb done.  When he went inside to play the computer Sam came out to help realizing that he could earn computer time.  We cleared the other side in about an hour.  They were both great helpers and it was really nice to have someone to work with and talk to.  I don't remember what we talked about but we did the whole time.  I just remember Sammy asked a lot of questions.  He's quite inquisitive.  We filled the garage can 3/4 full with weeds.  That's how bad it was.  I still need to go back and cut down the little suckers.  The plan is to lay down tarp and then put rocks or bark on top but I need to research that some more.  I need to find something that will kill the weeds but not affect the trees.

Stephanie's Having a Baby Boy!

Stephanie, Grant's wife is expecting their first baby, a boy, within the next 9 days so the Hibbert ladies all got together on Saturday and had a little shower for her.  We ate, tied (really Linda) baby blankets and talked all about motherhood, parenting, babies, etc.  It was fun to get together with just the women with no kids or husbands.  I don't think that has ever happened before.  We're all so excited and happy for them and are anxiously waiting for the text to announce Steph's in labor.

 I had a lot of fun making some homemade gifts the baby.  Why is it I'll make all these cute things for other people but rarely for my own kids.

 These are called a bapron and another friend received them at a shower so I had to learn how to make them.  I need to make some for Lucy because they really protect a kid's clothes and they are so cute.

I have seen these little ensues all over the web and decided they were too cute not to try to make so here's my first attempt.  I wish I would have made a solid colored tie instead of the paisley but it's still cute.  I'm so excited to have some ideas of things to make little boys.  I have no idea how it fits a baby since I don't have a model so I hope it looks okay on little baby Hibbert.

Cute Sayings
I wish I could remember all the fun stuff the kids have said lately but it has left my brain.  One thing I remember is Mikey got up one morning and just started doing his chores without anyone asking him and I was so proud of him so I was giving him a lot of positive reinforcement and Sammy says we get three rewards when we do our chores:  a clean house, a happy mommy, and a check mark.