Updates

Steve and I have been looking for jobs for months now. He is working with my brother-in-law doing cabinetry/woodwork for now, but it's not a permanent situation, so we've been stressed about finding something. I got a job at the new ROSS store in Farmington, which is awesome, cause it will be right down the street from our house and in a brand new building. I'm sad about becoming a working mom again, but I've been spoiled for a long time not having to work, and it's only part time. At least for now Steve can stay home with the boys while I go to work, since working with Rob is really flexible. Not sure what we'll do when he has a more consistent job schedule, but we'll deal with that when we come to it.

Joshua is just dying to start third grade at Farmington Elementary. He's nervous about starting a new school again, but he can't wait at the same time. We need to figure out what scout group he's in... I'm kind of awful at stuff like that and haven't made it happen yet, even though he loves scouts. He's turned into an 8-year-old, for sure, complete with refusing to make a regular smile whenever a camera is around. He's goofy and outspoken, and I am loving it (most of the time). ex: On the fourth of July I was in a rotten mood, and I said, "Steve, I'm not gonna lie to you, you're being way annoying." Steve said, "You're being annoying," and Josh said, "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but you're both being annoying."  Couldn't have said it better myself. He's good at saying what he thinks without being mean, and he always adds a little something to soften the blow ("I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but...").  He's still super sweet, too. Last night when I was tucking him into bed, he said, "Mom, did you know that my Teddy reminds me of you? When I'm with my Teddy, I think I'm with my mom. Did you know I love you as much as I love Teddy?" That part of him will hopefully never change; he's always loved me most of all and is never afraid to say it.

See? Crazy faces.

Asher is going to be 6 in September. He's starting Kindergarten this year, and he's totally psyched. He wants to start right now! He's always saying hilarious things, which is nothing new, and lately he's taken on an adult, sarcastic tone/vocabulary. (I wonder where he got that?) He still entertains and charms everyone he sees, and somehow he still gets Grandma 'Chele to carry him on her shoulders. He's an amazing big brother, always looking out for Max and trying to cheer him up when he's sad or make him laugh. He's always the first one to tell me if Max is upset about something (after Max does, that is). Did I mention he's an amazing artist? Because he totally is. I'm so impressed every single time he draws something (which is almost all the time)! Between his artistic talent and his musical talent, we're in trouble for the teenage years. 

Max... where to start? He's a 2-year-old already. His birthday isn't until November, but he's got the Terrible Twos, and he's got them bad. Just like Asher, though, he maintains his adorable-ness, so it's impossible to be mad at him long. He throws fits and hits me, but when I make a sad face and say "ow," he hugs me with his head and says, "Sowwy, Mom," over and over until I say it's ok and hug him back. He can talk so well now, there's absolutely no guessing what he wants. Some of my very favorite phrases are: "C'mon, guys!" (which actually just sounds like "mon, guys," while he gestures with his arm for you to come with him. It's so cute, it's impossible not to get up and follow him.)  "Sowwy, Mom," which is the sweetest and saddest thing I've ever heard, and the other day he pointed at Kimi's baby and said, "Dute baby!" Haha! Cute baby! He LOVES babies and baby dolls, and is always really careful with them. When he falls down or runs into something (all the time), he comes to me with a sad face and says which body part is hurting, like "Arm!" or "Toe!" Then he tattles on what did it, pointing at the offending object, like, "Ash-ER!" or "Chair!" He's been refusing to sleep lately, and if I don't go in there to get him when he yells, "Mom! Stop! Don't!" he sings, "Twiiiiinkle, twiiiinkle staaaaaar!" He does the sign for lots of things, which I love, and he has a glare that could kill when he's mad... which is a lot lately. His favorite thing on the planet is the swing in my mom's backyard, and yesterday when we got to her house he said, "House! Yay! Wee!" When he's happy, his whole entire body shows it, and when he's sad or mad... well, you know it. Not sure where he got that, either... ;) 

Sorry I've gotten lazy with this blog... it's turned into all pictures and no words, I know! I use up all my words on my writing, and occasionally my public blog, and lately I don't even have a card reader to upload pictures! Some day I'll have enough money to replace my laptop screen, and that will help. :) Mostly, though, I'm just enjoying summer and spending a lot of time outside!

Moving

We're moving! We found an apartment, we made the arrangements, now all that's left to do is all the hard work! Packing, moving, unpacking... etc!  I'm pretty sure everyone has already read that, but if you haven't, there it is!

This means you probably won't be hearing from me for a week or two while we get things set up at the new place, and clean up around here at my Mom's! I'm not sure how long it will take for us to get Internet where we're going, because, well... Internet is expensive! I will, however, be at my mom's often since we aren't making the kids switch schools in the middle of the school year again... so don't give up on me yet!  I'll be back here and there, and when I'm established... be prepared for pictures. :)

Wish me luck! Moving sucks.

Oh, and if anyone has any advice about squeezing 3 kids into 1 bedroom, that would be great too!

Babies & Updates

Has anyone seen this documentary?

I watched it last night on Netflix while my husband was out with friends, and I have to say, I thought it was awesome. Watching the babies (and mothers) in other countries and what some of them have to do is seriously humbling. It really makes you realize what you're complaining about and how so many of the ways we judge each other about being "good moms" is purely cultural.

I highly suggest watching it, and even sharing it with your kids. My boys watched about half the movie with me, and they loved it. They laughed and laughed at some of the parts, they asked a million questions, and we were able to talk about a lot of things I never would have thought to bring up if we hadn't been watching different people do different things than we do.

As for an update, I guess it's been a while!

Steve is still trying to plug his way through school and work, and he's finding it difficult lately. I think the stress of being sole provider for a wife and three kids is getting to him. Also, we're still living in my mom's house, which is stressful as it is, with the pressure of wanting to get our family into our own place again. I wish I was better at expressing appreciation and gratitude... I am really not good with words in that way. You just have no idea how impressed I've been with his ability to put his all into this marriage and rebuild something broken. We are so lucky to have each other.

I'm halfway through my first semester of college, and although I dropped my dance class, I'm going strong in my marriage and family relations class, absolutely loving it. I have an awesome teacher and the subject is right down my alley, so I think it's the perfect way to ease into college. Next semester.... two core classes. (Scary!) Other than that, my focus is on therapy and eating healthy. I have always been an "I'll eat what I want and you can't stop me!" type... but recently I've adopted some new eating habits and am trying to stick with them as religiously as I can. So far I feel MUCH better and have lost about 7 lbs, so I can't complain about that! I don't even need coffee anymore to stay awake because the food I'm eating is keeping me feeling good longer. General progress in the main areas of my life, but the personal areas of my life are struggling a bit. If you haven't heard from me in a long time, I apologize. I'm a terrible friend when I'm trying to be a good student (or anything else, for that matter).

Joshua is still loving second grade, and he's slowly but surely improving academically. It's not a matter of knowing the material, but his drive isn't quite where it should be, and we're working on it. He needs a lot of motivation/reinforcement, and he's doing much better. He brought home three math "tests" this week that all showed improvement. (He's very motivated by candy, lol.) I'm really proud of him, and I can hardly believe he's so old. Almost eight...

Asher is such a fun 5-year-old! I can't even describe to you the adorable things he does and says. He's always cracking us up and giving us grief at the same time! He loves preschool, but always counts down the days until he can go to Grandma 'Chele's. He really doesn't understand why we can't live at Grandma 'Chele's house, and everything is just a stepping stone to the weekend when he can see her again.

Max is so huge! I know I always say that, but seriously... he's at least 25 lbs now. He turns 1 in less than a month, which blows my mind, and he's taken several steps at a time. If you could only see how much he wants to walk! Everyone who sees him says, "That is NOT the same baby I remember!" And they aren't kidding. He looks so much different, but he's also got such an opposite personality! The little Max we brought home was miserable and screamed all day and all night... I thought I'd been cursed with an unhappy baby. So not the case! He is happy almost all the time, he sleeps almost the entire night without waking up, and he is so curious. I never had a baby this pleasant - he's always friendly and smiling and laughing. Food is his favorite thing, and he never goes more than an hour without begging for food by smacking his lips together. I hope he keeps up this love for food, but we're still struggling with allergies. He's still allergic to something, but I don't know what, so I guess we'll be heading back to the doctor for allergy testing. Poor baby.

Well, there you have it! We're all alive and well, just getting through the day. :)

Things I'll Post Pictures of When I'm Not So Exhausted

• Roofing. We are re-doing my mom's roof, so there's been a lot of hot, sweaty work, and a ton of mess. Thank goodness for good family and good neighbors, or we'd be up there for a month working! It's a long process, but with a lot of help it should only take us about a week.
  
• My mother-in-law threw me a(n early) birthday party! I got presents, cupcakes, and a light-up crown. :)
  
• Max's TWO new teeth!
  

It may be a few days, though, because I am beyond exhausted from dance + roofing (don't be fooled, I haven't been up on the roof... I'm the fetch-it girl who stays safely on the ground, picking up shingles!) and Max has a cold + teething. The combination = no sleep & utter exhaustion.

Shortest Summer of My Life (Ramblings)

What happened? Summer finally came... and then... well, now it's ending. How is this possible? It just started. I know summer is short... but after the longest winter of my life, this is by far the shortest summer I've ever had. All of a sudden it's getting cool at night, school is starting, and all of our fall birthdays are right around the corner.

So here's how it is: School is starting, and I am a complete stress case. There is A WEEK AND A HALF until school starts, and less than that until Josh's school starts. I can't believe it's already here, and I am terrified. Steve will be starting his third semester at Salt Lake Community College, I'll be starting my very first semester at SLCC, Josh will be starting 2nd grade (2nd grade???) and Asher will be starting preschool. How we're going to get everyone to 3 different schools at 4 different times plus Steve's job, with only one car, is beyond me. I have absolutely no idea how we're going to accomplish it; all I can do is hope it all works out. I feel like we're doing the right thing by starting school right now, so I can just hope the Lord will help us accomplish it.


Why am I terrified of school?

1. I am no good at making friends. Seriously. The people who love me didn't come to that realization until well after they met me (with a couple of unique exceptions I could count on one hand). I tend to make a harsh first impression, and I'm nervous about that. People who meet me generally get the impression that I am not a nice person. I can't imagine where they might get that idea.... ;) 
2. I am taking a cardio fitness class and a jazz dance class. I haven't done any dance since I was 15, and even then I wasn't very good at it. I am completely and totally out of shape (if anyone is considering having their third kid... think long and hard before you make that leap. Even if your body bounced back after #1 and #2, #3 will throw you for a loop). Last Wednesday I started Zumba class at Centerville Academy and I am not kidding when I say it NEARLY KILLED ME. I am way too out of shape, and there's no way I can change that enough in the next week and a half to be able to pull off two fitness classes (on the same day, twice a week!) very well. 
3. I am already grasping at the edges of life, desperately trying to hold onto sanity... how can I add homework and complicated scheduling to what's already got me crazying? (What, you don't think that's a word? Live with me for a week, you'll think otherwise. With me, crazy is a verb.)
4. Lots of time away from my little ones. I am craving it like you wouldn't believe... 6 years as a SaHM has brought me to a place in life where I am pretty desperate for some Aubrey Time out of the house, but honestly, even an hour away from them still makes my heart ache.

Why am I excited to start school?

1. I will be FORCED into shape. 2 cardio classes twice a week (if I skip my classes I lose my financial aid), walking around campus, plus less time sitting around at home with full access to my fridge, AND free gym access? It can only mean a better body (as long as I don't snack on garbage while I'm at school). 
2. It's about time I get on with MY life. I have spent the last 7 years doing everything for my kids and my husband, and it's time for ME. I haven't had a job for more than 6 months our entire marriage, I haven't gotten any education since high school... it's time I have something to put on a resume. It's time I start something that can bring in money. It's time I learn something new that isn't about newborn sleep schedules, vaccinations, and baby-proofing. My mind is craving stimulation.
3. The government has sufficiently recognized how broke we are and will be paying for it. I won't have to pay a dime, and I can't think of a better thing in life than a free education.

I've been putting off registering Josh for school because I am unwilling to accept that he's so old.  I'm excited he's going back, though, because he's been so bored and under-stimulated. That's my fault; I should have done a better job keeping him occupied. I am definitely not a good homeschool mom! Grandma Miller bought him a Mario Kart backpack and lunchbox, just like he asked for, and he can't wait to use them.

Asher is going to start preschool through Head Start this year. He's turning 5 next month, but he's like me and missed the deadline for Kindergarten, so he'll be starting school next year. We haven't done preschool before now because it's so expensive, but Head Start is going to allow us to get him some pre-school training before Kindergarten. He definitely doesn't need it academically; he's already got his whole alphabet, numbers, etc. down, and he's starting to read... but I think socially he's going  to need some practice. He doesn't spend much time around other kids (except his cousins), and he tends to conflict with kids his age. His school schedule is going to be the hardest one to orchestrate... no idea how I'll get him there and back. But he needs it, so we'll figure something out.

So many things are starting, and I'm not good with change... so I'm using most of my energy trying to keep my stress level down and not getting too panicky about it. I do best with just one or two things to concentrate on, and this is far beyond my comfort zone. I guess you could say I'm not supermom... but I think the changes that are coming are good.

I hope everyone else has had a fantastic summer... Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite thing you did this summer... or even the thing you're most looking forward to about fall! I'm craving some feedback. :)

Random

My Josh is so old! 7 1/2 years old now... about to be a second grader. I can't believe it. He's still the biggest sweetheart; there isn't a day that goes by when I don't thank the heavens for this boy!

Miss Madi in the flowers. She's so adorable!

Max is getting closer to crawling every day! He is getting big and even pushing his stomach up off the ground. Scary!!


I am sooooo not ready for baby-proofing!


Madi and Max! She says, "Hi Mac-sh!"


My niece Madi (and Elizabeth) is here for 4 weeks! :) We are so happy to have the girls for a longer time! She put on this headband and said, "Aubrey, look!"


Max has a cold. Needless to say, I am getting NO sleep at all, and all the sleep he's getting is on my chest... like this.


Last week we went to Baskin Robbins and I caught my husband giving Max his first taste of ice cream! He LOVED it, of course, and begged for more. Too bad he's allergic to milk...