Popsicles

Spencer wanted to make Popsicles the other day. So, we juiced a few oranges and a grapefruit, poured the juice in the little containers, put them in the freezer and they couldn't be ready fast enough!

These were left-over. Perfect snack.

The other day Ivy froze her hands b/c she wouldn't let me teach her how to hold it. She held it by the frozen juice part. But today? She let me show her.

So.

Darn.

Cute.

1.09 spencer's new bike

It's all rusty now, thanks to our Massachusetts humidity. But here he is, in all his glory. And I should have clarified before, he is NOT angry. This is his "rough and tough, lean, mean, hulk fighting machine" look. :)

going out.

We went to sweet tomatoes before we left Florida.

2 mentionables. . .

First, what's different about these 2 pictures?

I had some stains on my skirt, so I soaked it in oxyclean. . . but forgot about it for a week. After washing it, it looked so white and new, and I thought "Yay!" So, I wore it out to lunch. Then I held Ivy. She jumped around a little and next thing I know my thigh is hanging out. I had only been up to the salad bar once at that point. . . and who only goes up once at an all you can eat?!

So, I improvised with our camera bag. Luckily we had taken it. haha.

Sadly, the skirt barely lasted until we got home. I took it off and it was practically in shreds. Non-salvageable. Darn. I really liked that skirt. It's probably already decomposed in the land fill by now. I guess I have to be careful with that oxyclean!

Next, lunch was free for me. Yay! Talk about a bang for the buck.

A little history. . .

I always find stuff in my food--hair, mainly. I'm notorious for it. I think everyone would find more in their food if they paid attention. But alas, I seem to be the one to end up with "the goods" in my meal.

This time was no different.

I was saving the best bite for the end. As I put it on my fork, and almost to my mouth, I noticed my broccoli was moving. "uh, that's not normal," I thought. And upon reinspecting my food I realized it was a creepy, crawly, green bug. Sick. I couldn't eat anymore. Brian took my plate up to the manager and the manager (bless him), said, "oh, that again," (What? this happens often? haha), "which table are you?" he asked. And he was about to give us all a free lunch, but we just didn't feel right about that. So, my lunch was free. After Brian told me that, I decided bugs aren't so bad. . . when they're free. . . so I headed back for more! haha (controversial? haha)

2nd to last stop.

maybe we had the best friends in florida. yep, I think so. they took us boating a couple weeks before we moved. mmmmm. so fun. so amazing. thanks peeps. fun to know ya!

and then we stopped on a little island. maybe it was really cold. and maybe all those shells were really sharp. but maybe we liked it anyway.

alright, no maybes about it. we had a great time! :)

and then we fished. well, jeff fished and i reeled it in.

and then jonah and lance reeled in another one.

and then we let them go.

and then the boys went to bed. and sometimes, that's the best part of the day for me. :)

yep. they're social. they don't want to miss a thing. not a thing before their lids shut. and then it's dreamland. . .

it makes me tick.

I don't feel like I have a lot to talk about with people, I don't mix well. It's understandable given the croud I try to mix with. . . um, can you say "really smart people," who study all day long every day? Yep, I don't mix well. Picture me (stay at home mom with my own children as my primary interest and concern), at a party with 50 engineers. who also graduated is a masters in business. from MIT. Yep, awkward! I feel like the only thing I have to talk about are my children. I'll be honest, it's all I do. And people tell me to broaden my horizens and find ways to "fill my well" outside of motherhood, but motherhood IS what fills my well right now. And being better at mothering and nurturing my children are what makes me feel successful. It's my business. my career. It's what keeps me ticking everyday. It's what I can talk about. Don't try to talk to me about politics. for some reason I have just NEVER been interested. It doesn't mean I don't have an opinion. It just means I won't talk about my opinion b/c HERE, in bean town, I feel like I have to have a source to back up everything I say. So, I jsut keep my mouth shut. I think I'm more silent now than I ever have been. What's that saying? Something about, 'the more you talk to sound smart the more you reveal your ingnorance. . . smart people listen" . . . or something like that? Well, I have learned to keep my mouth shut. Not b/c I'm smart or informed on the matter at hand, but b/c I probably don't know any better anyway. Yeah, conversations stall pretty quickly with me here in beantown. I'm comfortable on the playground though. And I like people. I might not have much to contribute to a conversation, but I have questions! So, I like to learn about people. The only way to become more like them is to learn more about them.

I want to be calm, happy, kind, patient, in control. I want to be eloquent (but darnit, I'm not there yet), and have a beautiful attitude. I want life to be sweet and fun. I want a clean home, happy, inquisitive, confident children. I want them to be obedient, but not b/c they fear me. B/c they love and respect Heavenly Father and learn to trust that I'm trying to do His will. I want them to know the good and choose the good b/c they are happy when they do. Not b/c they'll get "in trouble" if they don't. We are happy when we choose the right. We are free when we choose the right.

and here are some things that help me. things that make me tick.

baby wearing, holding kids, singing, brite music, shepherding a child's heart book and lectures online, reading lessons, homework (homeschooling possibility)--just exploring different options, playground, scriptures, regular FHE, talking to the kids like they ARE my best friends. friends, family, reading others blogs. knowing there are other options. park. dinner together. cleaning together, READING, goal charts, explaining things in detail. talking about heavenly father and jesus a LOT, including them in our lives. Teaching our children that we are trying to do what he wants us to do and that we're not their enemy or just bullying them or bossing them around. taking pictures to remember. remembering that they were given to me for a reason and I was given to them for a reason and we all get second chances. admitting I make mistakes--"I did that wrong, let me try again." getting advice from other people. networks ARE important outside of business school! haha

I can't say a lot about myself other than I am a mother. And I'm so blessed to be a mother. I love being a mother, even on the hard days. Here are some things that get me through those hard days and help me be even better on those good days.

I feel most successful when: I read to my kids, we clean together, we talk about things, we play together, I have meal plans and we choose healthy options, when I teach my kids about nutrition and THEY make the right choice--ex: we went to a party last week and they only had a few options for food. BBQ pork, mac&cheese, fatty sausage. Lance wanted the sausage and I said, "sure, you can have it, but can I show you something?" "Yeah." I lifted him up and pointed out that all the little (and some BIG) white spots in the sausage were actually chunks of fat. "It's o.k. with me if you choose that, but I just wanted you to know." "Yeah. . . I won't have that." he said as he looked down, head sagging. (and for some reason I felt bad!?) "No, really Lance, you can have it, I just wanted you to know, that's all!" "No mom, it's just fat, I don't want it anymore." and so it goes...

having universal consequences when "natural" consequences haven't been thought out. . . building trust. hearing and repeating phrases I've learned from friends. I didn't think of it and often it's uncomfortable to say, but the more I say it, the more it becomes a part of me and my kids expect it and say it back to me. :) calming tense situations through song. taking away the tv, signing time.

The resources seem endless and I feel like it's impossible to get to everything I already have at my fingertips. I just wanted to share what makes ME tick, what works for our family and what makes all of us the most happy. :)

Ivy :: 8.5 months

When she's happy, her tongue sticks out (curved up at the end--with a point),

and she sings "lalalalalala."

When she's distressed she cries, "mamamamama."

She army crawled at 5.5 months, on all 4s at 6.5 months.

She's been pulling herself up to stand for quite some time. Now she walks along side objects and occasionally stands on her own.

When she plays, she loves to kneel.

She smiles at everyone, laughs at most and lunges for people when she's really excited.

She does NOT have stranger anxiety.

She has a distinct scream when she wants me to rescue her from the boys.

She weighs 20.8 pounds.

She loves to jump. When I hold her in my lap with my hands under her arms, she jumps several times, then weakens her knees and buries her head in my chest and laughs. Over and over and over.

She loves bath time.

She still wakes several times a night to feed. I know, I need to sleep train her.

She hates getting strapped into her car seat.

She loves to explore and has no fear of wandering far away.

She has never eaten "baby food." She eats fresh fruits and veggies, cut up.

She has 2 bottom teeth.

She has green eyes, brownish hair.

She is happy. All the time.

She makes all of us laugh and smile. All the time.

What in the world. . .

are these?

Will I ever post again?

I don't know. I just have too much to do. Too many other things I'm concerned about. And I've stopped taking pictures since we moved. I got out my camera yesterday, lance was all bundled and playing in the snow. Fun boy. But that's it.

I'm still unpacking. It's slow going. But I'm almost finished. Now I need to mop the floors (still haven't done that since we moved in...yuck.) Wouldn't be so bad if it were just our grime, but it was messy when we moved in. I guess I'm just telling myself Ivy will have a stronger immune system b/c of it.

I know, now that I'm a mother of 3, even I'm astounded what I'm willing to let go. Priorities. I keep telling myself that. haha.

later. v

Well, I didn't get it done.

I thought I would have more time to sort and post pictures. But the day has come. We're packing the trailer (shhhh, don't tell brian i'm on the computer--I'm supposed to be checking on the kids. . . ), we have family pictures on the beach in 1 hour and 40 minutes, we're going out to dinner to celebrate our time here in sun-shiny state, and we have a million other things to be doing to prepare for our 8am departure tomorrow!

I can't believe how fast this internship has come and gone. We're heading back up to boston (to arrive on the 27th of january), to finish Brian's schooling (to graduate in June) and really look forward to seeing our friends and living at westgate again.

But, Florida now holds a very special place in our hearts and we'll miss our friends here WAY TOO MUCH. I'm sad to leave such good people, but in all honesty, good people aren't scarce. They seem to be every place we've been. :) I'm glad for that.

Alright people, wish us luck as we make our trek back up to frigid temperatures and a school that takes way too much of Brian's time away from us. This really has been a 7 month vacation! We've loved it here and we're thankful for wonderful memories!

See all you Bostonians soon!

the kisbys are out!

Spencer has an imagination.

He uses it every day.

Backlogging--making gingerbread houses.

It's in the title. We made gingerbread houses. I'm just now getting around to sorting pictures. I figure since we're moving this coming saturday morning and I won't have internet access--at least blogging access--for a couple weeks, I may as well do some catching up. :)

This is my first time ever baking gingerbread. It was fun. I really wanted to let the boys help me roll it out and cut shapes, but the dough was more sticky than I thought it would be. And lets face it. I just couldn't give up the control of having near perfect shapes for our houses. They got to decorate them at least.

For the rest, the pictures speak for themselves.

Brian did help with getting the structure to stand, but the boys did surprisingly well decorating their own houses. And eating all the frosting. And then asking for more. But there wasn't anymore. Because they ate it all.

I waited until it was the children's bedtime. And then I let Brian put the kids to bed while I decorated. In peace. And quiet. Thanks Brian. :)

I don't know why we don't have pictures of the boys houses. Oh yeah. . . they trashed them before I could get the finished product. Oh well. To kids it's just a cookie, frosting and candy. Who cares what it looks like.

It's no tropical cabana, but mine was the tastiest of all. I'm sure of it.

And this little guy? I have to say he must have been most impressed with my house as well. His eyes are popping right out of his head!

December twenty-sixth.

beach. sunshine. warmth.

ivy sleeping. boys playing with dad. swimming. splashing. taking pictures.

eating oranges. grapefruit. carrots. drinking water.

meeting new people.

spencer playing in the sand.

lance kicking a beach ball. ball floats away. bye-bye beach ball.

happy. thankful. excited.

sunburns. smiles. tears.

clear sky. ocean sounds.

sand castles. collecting shells.

family. love. joy.

perfection.

because i love them.

I was once given advice from a friend that I've come to appreciate greatly. It was advice she was given by her mom and although not originally intended for me, it was something I needed to hear. I'm surprised at how much I've revealed in the past in my blog. My struggles mainly. I guess b/c I'm not talking to someone's face it feels like a "tell all" journal. A place I come to to let out my frustrations, excitement etc. Although I've received many helpful and encouraging comments, I realized after talking to my friend, that I didn't want to be so negative about my boys.

The advice. . . "you need to stop writing negative stuff about them or they'll come to believe it and become that person." I guess I always assumed that if my boys didn't "know" any better about my writing about them, then there wouldn't be a problem. I assumed that if I didn't say anything to their face then they wouldn't be able to become something other than decent men. I feel I was wrong in those assumptions. Mainly b/c actions speak louder than words. I don't tell them they're "rotten boys" or anything like that. (I don't feel they're rotten either...), but they see me struggle every day. They can see that I have no idea what to do or how to react to certain things and it excites them. Unfortunately to the point of disobedience quite often. But, I'm betting that a lot of their behaviors spawned from my expectations, even IF I never verbalized those expectations in the first place.

My expectations were never that my boys would be disobedient. Rather, that they would do something (probably mostly out of curiosity than anything else), and I wouldn't know how to handle it. They sense that and act accordingly. We all know kids are smart. We all know they understand more than we think they do. (Even though we know that...) I really think they don't mean to "act up." I do, however, think they sense my own insecurities about myself and my role as a mother and act on that. Anyway. . .

I was thinking a lot this morning about this. I was wondering how to make things different. I was thinking of all the people I could call or email about it and then I thought, "I'm going to dedicate a blog to them, because I love them." So, here I go.

Lance. I love you. I love you because you're kind, funny, affectionate and inquisitive. You're intelligent, you're artistic and creative. You're outgoing and you find a friend in anyone. You have a great memory and speak fondly of those you love. I love you because you love me. You give me hugs and smooches, you help me when I need it. You pick up your toys and put away your clothes. You're good at cleaning the toilet, tub, and doing the dishes. I love you because you want to play with me. I love you because you're a creator. You're going to go far in life. . .I love you b/c you love to snuggle with me, read books with me, draw with me, chop veggies with me, ride bikes with me and sing and dance with me. You're such an entertainer. I love you because you try, even when things are hard. I love you because even when you sneak something you tell me the truth. I love you because your imagination is WILD! You're so much fun. I love your courage in sharing the gospel--unfiltered! Your faith astounds me. I will miss you when you grow up.

Spencer. I love you. I love you because you're sweet and tender. You're strong, you can do most things for yourself, but I love that you let me help you. You're a softy inside. I love you because you have a huge heart and you aim for acceptance and approval. I love you because you use your imagination. I love that you have an imaginary "baby bee" (who is by the way, always responsible when something bad happens.) I love you because you're a jokester. A good jokester. You're jokes are hilarious. I love you because you forgive me and want me to be happy. I love you because you're brave. I love you because you remind me of the Savior when I need it most. You're always talking about Heavenly Father and Jesus and I love that about you. I love to hear you talk with them, especially when you don't know I'm listening. I'm excited to see the man you will become but I mourn how quickly our time together will pass. I will miss you too, when you grow up.

I hope I remember all the things I love about my boys every single day. I hope my expectations of them are always high and that as their mother I nourish their minds and hearts. I hope their earthly experience with me is fulfilling. I hope that no matter how quickly time passes or how fast they "grow up," that they'll always remember how much I love them. I hope they feel it, even when I am frustrated. I hope I teach them well enough so when they are out on their own, they make the right choices. I hope they always remember Heavenly Father and Jesus and develop a strong, personal relationship with Them. I hope when they get married and have children they will remember their time with me and improve upon that. I hope they are a better spouse and parent than I have been. Nothing wrong with improvement right?! :) I hope they always have high aspirations and accomplish great things in their lives. I mostly hope that no matter how long we all live in this life, we will be united eternally. I know we can be, I just hope we will.

You know what show I love? The Cosby Show. I aim to be that kind of parent, but really, . . . is that even possible? I love that show.

The end.

the hooded towel.

No, this is not what's up my sleeve. I've had a few people ask me how to make these and thanks to Diana for showing me how--I can now show you! Seriously, this is the simplest project I've ever done.

And then I forgot to take a picture of this next step, but seriously, I think there are plenty of pictures. After cutting the tip off, press together and zig-zag the edge of that open seem there, (the cut edge of the hand towel that runs down the center)--this keeps it from fraying.

In my history of making these towels, (all in all about 4 now), I have broken 4 needles. These babies are thick.