Christmas 2010

I realized today that I don't even have any pictures of Christmas 2010. We were leaving for Disney World the day after Christmas, so we had a rather small Christmas, but pictures would've been nice still. Actually I did take them, but I remember being at Disney World frantically going through my camera deleting pictures to make room for more (something I'd planned to do BEFORE) we got there, but hadn't. And when I got to the Christmas ones I was just sure I had uploaded them to my computer before we left. But alas, I must not have. So no pictures from Christmas 2010. Which is a bummer because Coleson and Hunter both got a pretty cool gift. Jared and I wanted to give them money to spend on the trip (and limit the number of "mom, I want that's") so Jared got $100 in 1 dollar bills. Then he taped 50 together and rolled it up. After the time it took to tape the 50 together he figured we'd just hand the other boy his money in an envelope. So the roll was to both of them (just so they'd both get the effect. Anyway, he rolled it up and made a little dispenser box for it. When the boys opened it together their eyes nearly popped out of their heads as they unrolled it- it stretched nearly from one end of the family room to the other. It was pretty cool- I have to say. Then we detached them all, and each boy had an envelope of 50 1 dollar bills for vacation.  What a great idea that was.  They were so extremely frugal with that money.  They kept a tally on the front of their envelopes of what they'd spent their money on.  Nature took over a little and Hunter was a bit more antsy with his money.  But he had plenty to spend.  So when we were at the Buzz Lightyear station on Day 1 of Disney World, and he just had to have the light spinner toy- he got it and loved it.  Coleson, naturally, hoarded his money all week and barely spent a dime.  He was saving it for the Star Wars exhibit at Hollywood Studios on Friday.  And it's a good thing he did because he found a place to build your own Light Sabers!  It was more money than I would've spent and that's ok because he had almost all of his left.  He happily (more like giddily) built his own saber and paid for it.  Jared and I still bought all the kids a few things through out the week, but they did enjoy getting their own money for Christmas to spend at the park.
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Edit...I did find Christmas pictures!  Yay!  Here they are.

Thanksgiving 2010

We decided to try something new this year. We stayed home. Just the 6 of us. No stress getting ready for a houseful of people. No traveling long distances. No cooking for hours only to eat it in 30 minutes. Well okay we did do some cooking- what's Thanksgiving without pie? We volunteered to take pies to the local homeless shelter. So we all got up and made apple pies together that morning. That made it all the more fun. And then the boys helped me deliver the pies. The lesson I was hoping to teach them- made. The look on their faces to see people right in front of them who have less than they could imagine. Then the buttons popping off their jackets as the folks sang their praises for bringing their pies. Yes, that was a lesson learned and a wonderful way to spend a Thanksgiving morning. We did return to our own small feast that afternoon, but just kept it low key. I wondered if I'd miss the BIG, but I didn't. It was quaint and relaxing. We really enjoyed it.

Sacrament Meeting Program

Today was the yearly Sacrament Meeting Program at church. It's a time that every adult looks forward to each fall. It is such a joy to see all of the sweet children up there on the stand, belting out the songs they've practices OVER and OVER and OVER again (sometimes I actually feel bad for them, as I think to myself in primary, "Do we have to sing that AGAIN?"). And the little cuties all line up to recite into the microphone the little script line they have been rehearsing at home for weeks. There is always one adorable child that more or less screams into the microphone bringing on chuckles from the understanding audience.
So, like I said, today was the big day. Coleson was prepped and ready. No freeze-ups this year, like last. He had that line MEMORIZED. Bring it on! Hunter, well, he was flat refusing to even stand up- much less say his line. With MUCH, MUCH coaxing and proding (alright, I just about drug him up there) he was able to make it to the microphone. He said his part- whew! Stress over? No! With nothing else to occupy himself with, he took to disassembling the choir chairs that are bolted to the floor and to each other. I was trying to lovingly lean over to him and convince him to stop doing it (as I didn't really want the congregation to see me bop him on the back of the head). But he was practicing his octopus impression (all hands) and I couldn't stop him. I was reassembling them as quickly as he disassembled them. When the program was FINALLY over, I was exhausted!! I returned to Jared, who simply sat smiling at my struggle from the audience seats, and frankly handed him a pile of screws and bolts that needed to find their homes. He chuckled, knowing there had been something going on up there, just not knowing what. Leave it to Hunter!

The 4 B's

Apparently Jared and I like to canoodle in January because we've had 3 of our 4 babies in October- within a week of each other. "Oh that's cute," you say. But keep in mind, that means 3 birthdays within a week. And this year was full of big ones and a baptism- thus the 4 Bs (idea borrowed from a sis-in-law).

Coleson turned the BIG 8 on October 6th. We are so proud of him. He is growing up to be such a wonderful young man and such a great example to his brothers and sister. He is gentle, kind, considerate, creative, and just plain fun too. He is doing wonderful in school and loves making new friends. But, as I expressed to him at his baptism, he will always be my baby. It seems like just a few days ago that it was just Coleson and me. We spent our days playing together and sitting in his comfy spot reading books. Where did that time go? Why didn't I do more of it all? It's going so quickly. And now my baby is 8 years old. I tend to get sentimental about these things. But seriously, his time with us is almost half gone. Ok, ok I'll pull it together. So Coleson's baptism was on October 16. It was a beautiful baptism. I have to admit that, although I've helped with several other baptisms, planning our own was nerve-racking. I was so worried that some glitch would come up. I ran around the morning getting children ready and preparing food for the lunch afterwards. As we rushed out of the house and off to the church building I looked at Jared guilt ridden for the raised voices and tears to get us out the door. I told him that I was done. It didn't matter anymore if food wasn't ready right on time, or if someone had to wait unexpectedly, or if I misspoke during my talk (all this coming from me who stresses over everything and wants everything perfect- especially for such a HUGE day). But I told him I was finished stressing for the day. Coleson wouldn't care or remember any of the other details, but if I was wound so tight and caused him to stress- that would cause him stress and that he would remember. Somehow I was able to follow through and let go. The day went beautifully. The baptism went smoothly. That included me giving a talk and Coleson and I doing a special musical number together. All went beautifully. I was so grateful. (As a side note: Coleson handled the one snafoo like a champ- I forgot to pack a clean dry pair of underwear to change into- so he laughed and went commando. Thanks for being easy going dude).

Katelyn turned 3 on October 10th. She had a beautiful princess party. Special thanks to cousin Elena for letting us borrow a few of her dress up gowns. The girls came ready to primp and dress up. We painted nails, did their hair, each girl got to pick a dress up gown and we took their pictures. Then we played princess games, made magic wand and crowns, drank pink princess juice and had princessy snacks- served by butler daddy :) It was just a perfect beautiful party and all the girls had a wonderful time. Especially our little princess.

And then there was Ethan. He turned the big 1 this year. My little baby- 1. Can you believe it? Now he's toddling around the house, chatting up a storm, and he just won't stop growing. He had a ball shoveling into his own little cupcake on his tray. What a cutie! 1 of the 4 cutest kids ever!!

If Only's

I woke up the other morning in an "if only" mood. "If only" my house was arranged differently. "If only" I could redo my kitchen. "If only" I didn't have a 35 foot long hallway- that I must walk at least 100 times a day! "If only" my laundry room was near my kitchen. "If only" I could happily dance through each day to 'I've Got the World on a String'. "If only" my kitchen magically cleaned itself 3 times a day. "If only" my children giddily came in the door each day and eagerly sat down to do their homework- yea right! "If only" we could afford the vacation we'd been saving for before our financial upset this year. "If only" Ethan would STOP spitting up everywhere. "If only" I could find the time to sit down and do what I want to do. "If only" I could be spiritually in tune every minute of every day. "If only" I could never yell at my kids again. "If only" I could get my kids to listen.

"If only, if only, if only".

Some days are like this. We all have them. I tried unsuccessfully to pull myself out of the slump. Finally I gave in and let myself wallow in it for a few hours. Katie and I cuddled up and watched a movie. We had snacks for lunch while my mood continued.

After nap time, I shook it off. So I'm working on being happy and content with what I've got. My hallway is great exercise; my laundry room is great and at least it's near the kids' bathroom; at least my children giddily come in the door (even if the homework part isn't as giddy); at least our kids are getting to learn from watching us save for something we really want; my life is not set to music, but I do have a cd player in the kitchen; at least Ethan is weaned now and spitting up less; ocassionally we have a whisper week or whisper Wednesday and quiet things down a bit; someday I will find the time to do what I want- there will be plenty of time for that when my kids are gone, for now I'm their busy mom. I'm working on all the rest of the things.

Katie (sleeping?)

We found Katie like this during nap time today. She is sound asleep amidst all the contents of every drawer and shelf in her bedroom. She looks like she must have been redressing herself and couldn't decide what to wear. And then played with every toy she owns. And then, in utter exhaustion, fell asleep among the debris. I opened the door to check on her and almost burst out laughing. This will be fun to clean up...later.

Another feather in my cap

Our family LOVES to travel. We just always have. Somehow the stress of hauling babies and toddlers from point A to point B is considered by us worthwhile once we've enjoyed the pleasantries that our destination has to offer. We've had some really great getaways - and a few disasters too. But we like to focus on the positive (especially when it comes to travel) and so, like the expectant mother delivering another child who suddenly remembers just what level of discomfort is in store for her, off we go again.

Last weekend we struck out on another Harrington Family Adventure. The kids were counting down the days until our trip. I had the bags packed a day early. Our hotel was secured at an amazing price. The teachers were notified of the early pickup (making sure to leave AFTER Coleson's spelling test- much to his dismay). The children behaved like angels in anticipation of their visit to ... (drum roll here) Lego Land. Friday morning came and I showered and got ready, then finished the last minute packing of pillows and snacks. It's always amazing to me just how much 6 people "need" even when it's just over 2 nights. Although, in my defense, once you've gathered your items for 24 hours, all you need to do is add more clothes, and you're ready for 2 weeks. Anyway, I packed the truck while Ethan took his morning nap. I was even ready 30 minutes early- nearly unheard of for me. I called Jared as I drove to pick up the boys from school, fully expecting him to say that he was delayed at work. But, also nearly unheard of, he was right on time and headed home. Wow! So I swung by school to collect our coveted children who were leaving school early (!!!) , then met Jared at home, and (here's something amazing) we left on time. Jared's parents are temple workers up at the Chicago temple and they had just finished their 2 day shift, so they were just going to watch our kiddos at our hotel room before they headed back home. Then we'd stay on for our weekend of fun.

So, the trip started off, and, this can't be stressed enough- ON TIME. I can't recall a single temple trip that began in such an unusual way for us. Usually, we are half an hour later getting out of the house than we'd hoped, then hit some amount of construction or traffic that is nearly unavoidable in street torn Chicago. Then we drop the kids with Jared's parents in the before mentioned arrangement and arrive at the temple with mere minutes to spare- feeling slightly used up and more ready for a nap than a spiritual experience. But this trip did not start off that way. I was sure something would arise. It was only a matter of time. The drive went smoothly- little construction, slight traffic. So when we arrived at the hotel earlier than expected I was floored. We snuck all our children and their accompanying essentials up to our room without being noticed. One entire suitcase concealed sleeping bags and pillows for floor bound big kids. It was the first time we'd attempted all 6 of us in one room. We were trying to save a buck, so on top of getting our room at a NICE hotel for only $42 on priceline- we only got 1 room for all of us. That also went shockingly smoother than expected. Jared's parents settled into the room and playing with the kids and Jared and I decided we might as well get ready and go- even though we were EARLY. What an amazing, incredible, wonderful difference it made to arrive at the temple without a rush.

We enjoyed our time at the temple and then a quiet evening in the room with the kids. Everyone slept well, even though Ethan started the day a little earlier than we would've all liked- at 5:30 Chicago time. So we figured since we were all awake we might as well enjoy a delicious breakfast at the nice restaurant downstairs. During breakfast we told the kids about the big surprise we'd been giving hints about- dinner at the Medieval Times Theatre, with real knights and all. It took Hunter (also known at our house as Hunter-Man and Knight Hunter) a few minutes to put it all together in his head, but when he did, we got just the reaction we'd been hoping for- jaw dropped completely open and eyes nearly rolled in back of his head. Yes!

By the time we finished breakfast and packed up our little room, the rest of the world was waking up for a Saturday morning. We hit the LDS bookstore first to look at a few things Coleson was wanting. Then off to Lego Land. It was a really fun place. The boys could have spent days there without boredom. We are real Lego freaks over here. Jared's still 7 years old in that regard, because he gets just as excited about new sets as the boys do.

One of the things that is so fun about being the mom is getting to scout and plan fun outings. When I was a kid my mom was our family's travel agent. She found awesome activities, both common and off-the-beaten-path, and negotiated great deals. Now it's my turn. I love finding things that I know will thrill my kids. And when I find the one and only internet coupon tucked far away in a small window- cha ching! It's just so fun to see the look on their faces when they see something they love and go someplace they've never been to before.

If you've never been to Medieval Times Theatre, you should- especially if you have any knights-in-training around your house. The food was delicious, even though you eat with your hands to be period correct (thankfully the lights were dimmed so everyone couldn't see me covered in oils and sauces), the knights were talented, the show was amazing, and the music was so enthralling that Coleson was bouncing in his chair to the beat of the war drums. FUN FUN FUN!!!

And as we were driving home Sunday afternoon, Jared says "that was a hit- nice job mom". Thanks, dear. It was a great weekend. A really great weekend. And we really needed it. And it was made soooooo great because the boys were in an unusually peaceful mood (little to no arguing and fighting) and they grew ears for the weekend (even if they suddenly fall off Monday morning when we're getting ready for school- at least they were around for one heck of a fun weekend).

Another feather in my travel agent cap. I'm thinking something in the Smokey Mountains next time.

No such luck

I guess the third time is not the charm. It's back. YUCK! What's wrong with me???

Tick tock

I am a procrastinator. I always have been. I hate it. I will not always be one. If something is coming up, I think about it frequently, knowing that I've got plenty of time to prepare what needs done, but waiting until just before the deadline to do it. Why?? It drives me crazy. Example- Coleson brought home a scholastic book order form 2 weeks ago. I promptly (and proudly) took the time to sit down with him right then and decided on what we wanted. BUT I didn't fill out the form and write a check. Instead I put it back on his school pile on the island. Then I looked at it and thought about it everyday for the 2 weeks. Then, the day it's due, we are in our morning rush when I go "Ahh, I have to fill out that form and write a check this morning!" Why did I do that?!?!

Also, I can't be on time anywhere. True I have 4 stragglers that help with my tardiness, but still. And even on the rare occasion that I don't have all 4 in tow, I think "well I don't have the kids to get ready so I can clean this and this or do such and such, then get ready, and I'll still be on time". Then I'm late. So it's not so much the kids- it's me. (As a side note, I will say, that I'm never late because I'm just sitting around relaxing- it's always housework). I feel like I'm always racing against my old nemesis- the clock!

To compound the problem, I married a procrastinator. What a pair! The unfortunate thing about the two of us working together at this problem is that he doesn't- he's just fine with it. So my concerted efforts to be on time, or on task promptly, are often thwarted. It's like dragging along 5 spades in a plow, plunged deep in the ground. It often leads to frustration and the all-to-frequent yelling. I'm still working on it. I will not always be late everywhere I go. I will not always put everything off till the last minute. I will change. Recognition is the first step to recovery. Wish me luck.

Third times a charm

This is my online journal, so I record things about me. So, just to warn you, this post contains graphic material.
I have mastitis- AGAIN! It sucks!! Third time in five months. And this is by far the worst. The first time I woke up in the middle of the night with stabbing horrible pains and a huge breast- that would otherwise have been my dream come true- except first, they were uneven, and second, OUCH!!!! And then I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. Silly doctor didn't even look to see that the medicine he prescribed was in the same family as the ones I'm allergic too. The on-call doctor who changed the meds was like "oh you never should have had this medicine". Oh thanks, doc. Second time, I caught it quick and got medicine in me before it got bad. Awesome. This time, I just got hit with all these flu-like symptoms (which I had the first time), but no breast pain. So I thought I just had the flu. Then like a day into it, my breast almost exploded!! In like a matter of a couple hours it started hurting, then turning that familiar red splotchy, then swelling. And swelling, and swelling. Now I've got a huge like D on one side and a little A on the other.
Solution- sorry Ethan, you're getting weaned. Poor baby, he LOVES to nurse. So I'm crossing my fingers that this is the last time.

Creek'n

A few Saturdays ago we went hiking at the Potholes at Fall Creek Gorge. It was a beautiful day about 82 degrees or so (not too hot for hiking) and just right for splashing in the creek. I've had friends who have gone before and I had gone a long time ago on the way home from girls camp. But it'd been a while. It was almost completely unmarked. We drove past the creek'n entrance several times. And then we discovered the reason it wasn't well marked was because it was actually against the rules to go wading in the creek. Now, usually we are pretty good about following the rules (if not at least to be a good example), but this time we just kinda pretended we hadn't seen the sign. And on we went.
Once you get down into the creek bed, it doesn't take long to find where it starts getting interesting.

This is us at the beginning of the trail.

This is where it's starting to get fun.

Each of the 'steps' up is like a pool filled with water. You have to get through the pool to get to the next step. Some of the pools were taller than Katie and up to the boy's chests. This made it even more fun. Hunter has always been a little skittish around water, but it took him all of 3 seconds to realize that this was a challenge that wouldn't get the better of him. Note in the picture above that he is way up there ahead of me and Coleson. I think he was having so much fun that he forgot to be afraid.

After getting completely soaked, my jeans started feeling like weights on my legs. But it didn't slow the boys down.



Around our house, Saturdays are often either project days or one of us has to go somewhere. This was a super awesome way to spend a Saturday- way better than errands. One of the most lovely days we've had together in a while.

Cut!

After every baby I get a massive makeover. It makes sense to me. You know, drop the 30 pounds that were seriously making me feel frumpy, get my nails done, a new hair-do, maybe a massage. It does wonders. So after Ethan was born, I wanted to get my day at the spa, but just never made the time for it. Before I knew it he was 4 months old. I still hadn't had that "me" day, but it didn't really matter, I was pretty consumed in mommy-hood and didn't have time for cute anyway. Then I figured I'd just wait till summer. The longer my hair got, the more emotionally attached to it I felt, and the more I wanted to cut it. Two conflicting emotions. I decided to chop it as soon as I got it long enough to donate to Locks of Love- a great organization that collects lengths of healthy hair to make into wigs for children suffering from cancer. I wanted to be part of something great like that. Finally, I reached the required 10" length and made the appointment with excitement and trepidation. Before I knew it there I was in the chair. So here's a before, during (notice the mixed emotions on my face), and after. So in the end, I miss the pretty, long hair, but who has time for that? And it was always falling in my face. Now I do my hair in 5 minutes or less- my kind of maintenance. And the best part is that I got to help do something wonderful for someone's sick child.