January Activities 2015

The month of January brought beautiful weather so we spent a lot of time outdoors. We watched Bentley's football games every Saturday, and practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We went riding bikes, feeding ducks with grandma, playing at parks, and going to the bike park with jumps. My kids also love going to a new indoor trampoline and parkour park. They leave my side as soon as we are there and I practically have to drag them out when its time to go. I love it because I am able to watch them but also sit and take care of sophia or visit with friends. January has been a crazy month just because the holidays are over and it was time to get back to a schedule. My good friend Adell and my wonderful mom took care of carpool the rest of December and they still help me out with that but I have had to juggle naps to get him picked up on the days I do it. It is tough trying to pick up Bentley from school right during the other kids nap times. Some days they just don't get a nap but thats ok. I am still trying to find a good balance of cleaning the house, playing with the kids, working, and teaching the kids. I tend to want them to only play with one toy at a time so that I can clean the house and keep it clean, but I am realizing I am probably too strict on this rule and the kids don't have the freedom to create and really play. Hopefully I will find a good balance for them and me. Jon is getting super busy with work as things start to warm up. He is a great help to me and has really taken a lot off my plate. He helps the kids in the morning and gets Bentley off to school so that I can either feed Sophia or get rest because I was just up feeding her multiple times at night. He also helps with dinner! Why is it that the kids all fall apart at dinner time and I have no patience left? Well I am just glad that most days I am able to get a nice meal on the table but when I can't Jon is there to save the day. Sophia is still a wonderful happy baby. Yes she still gets up around 2:30 and 5:30 but that is better then every 2.5 to 3 hours! She nurses well and is pleasant almost all of the time. The kids love to hold her hands and talk with her and it just melts my mother heart! She is good while I run kids places or have errands. She likes tummy time, her swing, and bouncer. Her favorite though is to be tummy down on mine or Jon's chest snuggling. We are so blessed by her sweet countenance. The older three kids are really growing up. They are either playing really well together or fighting but I think that is pretty usual for their age. They are all learning well and having fun discovering new talents and things. Bentley is doing well in math and got recognized in school for being a math master. I had a meeting with Bailey's teacher and she had all sorts of good things to say. She said Bailey was a good role model, that she was super smart and learning well, and that she was a good friend. Wyatt learns a lot from his older siblings. He talks a lot more and is super independent. He loves all things ninja turtle and riding his strider bike. He is a goof ball and loves to tease. We have to remind Bentley that he is just a little boy and to ignore him if the teasing gets out of hand. Bailey just takes matters into her own hands and usually ends up hitting Wyatt so we are trying to work on that. I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for my family and for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that on rough days I can say a pray and ask for help and that my Heavenly Father will hear me and answers prayers. I always feel more at peace on the days I take time to communicate with my Heavenly Father. It is when I allow myself to become prideful and try to do it all on my own that things get out of hand and I become a grump. I strive to be better each day but know that I am far from perfect and that I need to humble myself, be less judgmental, and work harder to incorporate prayer,scripture study, and service into my days.