Welcome to my official journal. Up until this point I have written these things in a real journal, but recently I have been pretty behind. I made the difficult decision of making my journal digital. Some of the posts I figure I can share on the Hazard Chronicles since some people actually care. I am using the same format I use in my journal, and it is a pretty long post. I will not be surprised if you skipped this post entirely. Here is an in depth update of our family.
Maren
Maren is officially a toddler! She is a cute little walker and I love to watch her wobbly little body and her incredibly huge smile as she toddles from place to place. She is still in the stage where crawling is faster and occasionally she will drop to her knees and take off. She has pretty good balance because she has been perfecting it for the past month when everything she did she was standing while at the same time refusing to walk. Up until 2 weeks ago she had only taken about 10 steps. Then, one morning she just took off! I counted 45 steps in a 10 minute period. She finally decided that she was ready.
Maren is officially a toddler! She is a cute little walker and I love to watch her wobbly little body and her incredibly huge smile as she toddles from place to place. She is still in the stage where crawling is faster and occasionally she will drop to her knees and take off. She has pretty good balance because she has been perfecting it for the past month when everything she did she was standing while at the same time refusing to walk. Up until 2 weeks ago she had only taken about 10 steps. Then, one morning she just took off! I counted 45 steps in a 10 minute period. She finally decided that she was ready.
Maren has always been quite the talker. She babbles and talks constantly! She almost always has what sounds like a running commentary about everything. When we are in the car I can tell when she falls asleep because suddenly it is quiet.
She has started copying everything we do, and she is pretty good at copying words too! We are working on asking for more. Right now our sweet little calm girl just throws her arms out and screeches when she wants something or when she wants more food. It is so out of character for her that it is funny, but it definitely has to stop because it isn't going to be funny forever...
I played make-believe with Maren for the first time last night! We were playing in the playroom and she started feeding me with a little spoon and plate. She just giggled the entire time! She is growing up so quickly.
She loves to say 'no' in a high sing song voice while shaking her head and smiling. It is a fun little game for her and she is pretty cute. She doesn't actually act on it with defiance, but she enjoys saying it to every question. We have recently been getting more emphatic nods for yes.
Maren LOVES to put things in and take them out. It doesn't matter what she is playing with, but she will find some kind of container for the in-and-out game. Her favorite place, however, is the bathroom. She loves putting the garbage from the trash can into the toilet!
Now that she is more mobile she is exploring everywhere! I have taken her on the stairs a couple of times to gshow her how to go down. Then, one day I found her downstairs. Since then she has gone up and down perfectly and has not fallen once. I am proud of her, and now I have two toilets to protect her from!
She loves to say 'no' in a high sing song voice while shaking her head and smiling. It is a fun little game for her and she is pretty cute. She doesn't actually act on it with defiance, but she enjoys saying it to every question. We have recently been getting more emphatic nods for yes.
Maren LOVES to put things in and take them out. It doesn't matter what she is playing with, but she will find some kind of container for the in-and-out game. Her favorite place, however, is the bathroom. She loves putting the garbage from the trash can into the toilet!
Now that she is more mobile she is exploring everywhere! I have taken her on the stairs a couple of times to gshow her how to go down. Then, one day I found her downstairs. Since then she has gone up and down perfectly and has not fallen once. I am proud of her, and now I have two toilets to protect her from!
Maren is beginning to take a place with her brothers and sisters. They love to play with her and she is becoming excited to play with them. I love this stage! I love having kids so close together that get along so well!
Adalie
Adalie is no longer a chubby little toddler. She has officially hit the 'little girl' stage. Her little face is so angelic, and her blonde hair frames it perfectly. She is adorable!
The other day Evelyn came downstairs with a large handful of Adalie's hair! I almost cried. I went upstairs and was happy to see that the damage wasn't as extensive as I had originally thought. It is noticeable if you look closely, but at first glance it isn't too bad. She just has extra large sideburns and a little bit of a mullet going on. Who knows. This may become fashionable again soon.
I have always been a strong advocate for letting a child decide when he/she was ready to potty train. Adalie really tested me on this notion and I am glad that she eventually proved me right! By the time she was 3 1/2 she had only gone on the potty one time in her life (I think it may have been a fluke!). She seemed very interested, and she was an excellent 'tryer,' but nothing would happen. She was waking up dry every morning and going very infrequently throughout the day. Finally, about a month ago I decided to take the kids out on a 'date' and get each of them big kid underwear. Both of them were completely on board and ready to go. That day I just put them on to see what would happen. This was on a Monday and Adalie finally went in the potty for the first time on Wednesday night. From day one I put her in big girl underwear at night because I knew she could do it. Since that Wednesday she has not had a single accident. Hooray!
Adalie is no longer a chubby little toddler. She has officially hit the 'little girl' stage. Her little face is so angelic, and her blonde hair frames it perfectly. She is adorable!
The other day Evelyn came downstairs with a large handful of Adalie's hair! I almost cried. I went upstairs and was happy to see that the damage wasn't as extensive as I had originally thought. It is noticeable if you look closely, but at first glance it isn't too bad. She just has extra large sideburns and a little bit of a mullet going on. Who knows. This may become fashionable again soon.
I have always been a strong advocate for letting a child decide when he/she was ready to potty train. Adalie really tested me on this notion and I am glad that she eventually proved me right! By the time she was 3 1/2 she had only gone on the potty one time in her life (I think it may have been a fluke!). She seemed very interested, and she was an excellent 'tryer,' but nothing would happen. She was waking up dry every morning and going very infrequently throughout the day. Finally, about a month ago I decided to take the kids out on a 'date' and get each of them big kid underwear. Both of them were completely on board and ready to go. That day I just put them on to see what would happen. This was on a Monday and Adalie finally went in the potty for the first time on Wednesday night. From day one I put her in big girl underwear at night because I knew she could do it. Since that Wednesday she has not had a single accident. Hooray!
I recently met a new friend at the park. Her name is Ellen and she has kids that are ages 5,4,3, and 1. Coincidentally this matches up perfectly with my kids (5,3,3, and 1). As I talked to her I found out that her husband had passed away quite suddenly from a heart attack 4 months ago. Ellen came over to our house for Sunday dinner (Logan had an excellent idea to pair up the same age kids into teams to create their own pizzas for dinner), and I had the kids over for our weekly Tuesday playdate. This is where the story about Adalie begins.
A few minutes after Ellen left, sweet Adalie burst into tears. I tried to talk to her, but she was crying too hard. I brought her into her room to have a little 'break' until she felt better. A few minutes later she joined us downstairs, but as soon as she came into the playroom she burst into tears again. I took her to the stairs and asked her what was wrong. She responded with a question through her tears, "Is your papa dead?" I hugged her tight and told her that Grandpa Kelly had died, and he was now in Heaven. I told her that I was big when he died, and that he didn't die when I was little. She continued to cry and she asked if my other papa was dead. I thought she must be talking about Heavenly Father and I responded that he was in Heaven and he loved her. She continued sobbing as she asked if my other papa was dead. I realized that she meant Logan. I told her that Logan was perfectly safe and he would be coming home after work. She let go of a huge sigh and hugged me really tight. the poor girl thought her daddy may have died! Knowing that her friend's daddy died really hit home to her. It was SO sad. The rest of the day she followed me around hugging my leg and asking for me to carry her everywhere. This is very uncharactoristic of her, and luckily it has improved greatly.
Jackson
A few minutes after Ellen left, sweet Adalie burst into tears. I tried to talk to her, but she was crying too hard. I brought her into her room to have a little 'break' until she felt better. A few minutes later she joined us downstairs, but as soon as she came into the playroom she burst into tears again. I took her to the stairs and asked her what was wrong. She responded with a question through her tears, "Is your papa dead?" I hugged her tight and told her that Grandpa Kelly had died, and he was now in Heaven. I told her that I was big when he died, and that he didn't die when I was little. She continued to cry and she asked if my other papa was dead. I thought she must be talking about Heavenly Father and I responded that he was in Heaven and he loved her. She continued sobbing as she asked if my other papa was dead. I realized that she meant Logan. I told her that Logan was perfectly safe and he would be coming home after work. She let go of a huge sigh and hugged me really tight. the poor girl thought her daddy may have died! Knowing that her friend's daddy died really hit home to her. It was SO sad. The rest of the day she followed me around hugging my leg and asking for me to carry her everywhere. This is very uncharactoristic of her, and luckily it has improved greatly.
Jackson
Jack is doing an excellent job in his speech classes! He has been doing fabulous for about a month now. His teacher approached me after class last week and confided in me that she was struggling to make a break through with him. She was looking for extra CE courses that may be able to help her specifically with Jack. Then one day something just changed and Jack started improving quite rapidly. He made breakthroughs with sounds that he had been struggling with, he talked up a storm, and everything he was learning just seemed to click. he went from getting around 55-60% accuracy to 88-90%! On Tuesday he had 100% accuracy for the sounds he was working on! I am so proud of him.
About a month ago Jackson also started talking a TON more. His preschool teacher commented on how he started raising his hand, offering comments, and asking questions. Normally he is just happy to sit back and soak in the information while answering questions when specifically asked. This past month he has been a complete motormouth! I have also noticed him pronouncing a lot more sounds with his words.
About a month ago Jackson also started talking a TON more. His preschool teacher commented on how he started raising his hand, offering comments, and asking questions. Normally he is just happy to sit back and soak in the information while answering questions when specifically asked. This past month he has been a complete motormouth! I have also noticed him pronouncing a lot more sounds with his words.
Jack has been in the 'potty training' mode for a while. He has had his ups and downs, and really it is just what he decides to do that day. He does really well for about 90% of the time.
Jackson loves to sit on the porch and wave goodbye. Jack loves to wave when Logan leaves for work. He will also wave to anyone else who is leaving our house. When he waves to Logan or me he will sign 'I love you' and he will blow kisses. He is a sweet loving boy!
Our little Jack is quite the intense climber. When we go hiking the kids generally find rocks to 'rock climb' on. Adalie and Evelyn take the 'ladder climber' approach by looking for hands and feet very systematically as if they were climbing a ladder. Jackson is completely different. He will literally throw his body in weird positions to get himself up the rock. There are many times when his body is completely parallel to the ground, and other times when he will throw his limbs in crazy ways to get to climbing holds. Anything within the reach of any of his limbs seems to be fair game! He is intense and creative when he climbs. It is pretty fun to watch.
Jackson loves to sit on the porch and wave goodbye. Jack loves to wave when Logan leaves for work. He will also wave to anyone else who is leaving our house. When he waves to Logan or me he will sign 'I love you' and he will blow kisses. He is a sweet loving boy!
Our little Jack is quite the intense climber. When we go hiking the kids generally find rocks to 'rock climb' on. Adalie and Evelyn take the 'ladder climber' approach by looking for hands and feet very systematically as if they were climbing a ladder. Jackson is completely different. He will literally throw his body in weird positions to get himself up the rock. There are many times when his body is completely parallel to the ground, and other times when he will throw his limbs in crazy ways to get to climbing holds. Anything within the reach of any of his limbs seems to be fair game! He is intense and creative when he climbs. It is pretty fun to watch.
Since Jack entered nursery he has had the ability to completely take control of a room. I love this quality about him. It is in the way he walks, the way he holds himself, and his demeanor. He still has this ability wherever he goes, and other people notice it too. He is very secure with himself and he is ready to take on anything! I hope he keeps this amazing skill.
Somehow Jackson can pack away food like a grown adult. He must get this from his Papa. He can eat SO much food!
Another thing we have noticed is that sharing is not one of Jackson's favorite things. He wants it and he wants it now. He is getting a little bit better, but it is definitely something we are working on!
Evelyn
Evelyn
Evelyn is SO ready for Kindergarten! We are registering her on Wednesday. She is reading simple books on her own. She has a thirst for knowledge and she wants to learn everything.
Evelyn gets really into the subjects she is learning in preschool and she loves to do more at home related to those subjects. I have a hard time keeping up with her creative side at home because she has SO many ideas for crafts and things to do.
I am constantly amazed at the knowledge that Evelyn has about the gospel. She just soaks in information! She learns principles and figures out how to apply them in everyday situations. She also loves to tell Adalie and Jackson stories and 'teach' them about Jesus. She watches about 1/2 hour of television during quiet time and she normally watches scripture movies. She loves these movies and she loves to use the plot lines to play pretend.
Evelyn gets really into the subjects she is learning in preschool and she loves to do more at home related to those subjects. I have a hard time keeping up with her creative side at home because she has SO many ideas for crafts and things to do.
I am constantly amazed at the knowledge that Evelyn has about the gospel. She just soaks in information! She learns principles and figures out how to apply them in everyday situations. She also loves to tell Adalie and Jackson stories and 'teach' them about Jesus. She watches about 1/2 hour of television during quiet time and she normally watches scripture movies. She loves these movies and she loves to use the plot lines to play pretend.
Ever since Evelyn was young she has gravitated toward one-on-one play as opposed to group activities. She does pretty well when there is one person to play with, but she tends to avoid groups or decide not to play when there are a lot of people around. She really enjoys playing with Logan and me. She sometimes seems more interested in her friends parents than in her friends. I think this is a charactoristic of being an only child. On Tuesdays I have started inviting A, J, and E's friends over from 12-2. This time is one-on-one friend time. On Thursdays we have park day which is fun group interaction. I love having these things built into our weekly schedule. I think it is great for all of the kids.
Evelyn has always seemed to be my 'angel' child. She is very consciencious of the rules and she tries very hard to obey and be 'the good child.' Lately I think she has been pushing this stereotype. I have been having a tough time keeping up with her behavior! From painting half the house (and Maren) with blue nail polish, to coloring on the Television with yellow crayon, to telling lies and outright telling on siblings for things that she actually did, to blatantly disobeying me right after I ask the kids not to do something. I am not sure if she is doing these things for attention or just to push her limits, but I am going crazy! Any advice?
Despite the limit pushing Evelyn is still extremely caring and kind. She has the ability to recognize other people's emotions and she has the caring attitude to jump right in and try to help. She is very thoughtful of her siblings and she goes out of her way to take care of them and help where she can without being asked. I sure love her!
All of the kids
Despite the limit pushing Evelyn is still extremely caring and kind. She has the ability to recognize other people's emotions and she has the caring attitude to jump right in and try to help. She is very thoughtful of her siblings and she goes out of her way to take care of them and help where she can without being asked. I sure love her!
All of the kids
It hasn't been just Evelyn that has been struggling to listen and follow rules! She is the most noticeable because it is very out of character for her. Logan and I are in the process of trying different things to see what will work. Right now we are doing the 'love and logic' thing and telling them that it is very sad that they broke the rule and going right into the consequence. We are trying to not make a huge deal out of it so that the kids don't do it for attention. We are also trying hard not to say negative blaming statements to them.
I love how well our kids get along together! I am SO glad that they are all so close in age because they are a very tight knit group. Occasionally they will fight or disagree, but that is definitely not the norm. That is also to be expected because they are siblings and they know each other so well! I love seeing the different relationships that each of them have. Evelyn and Jackson will seek each other out when there is an exploring opportunity, Adalie and Evelyn play quiet games together really well, and Jack and Addy just seem to click with each other. I think the balance of power is so equal that they just play awesome together.
Quiet time is constantly a work in progress. This time is essential for me to regroup and be a 'nice mom.' Maren and Jack are really the only ones who still take a nap. Adalie will occasionally take one and Jack will occasionally stay awake. During this time I take advantage of the opportunity to let the kids play one-on-one with each other. The beginning of quiet time I let Maren play in a room alone with one of her siblings. Each child then has time alone for about 1/2 hour. After that I let Evelyn and Adalie play together downstairs or outside. If Jack is awake I let him play with Evelyn instead. I think this is great for them, and it is good for me too.
Quiet time is constantly a work in progress. This time is essential for me to regroup and be a 'nice mom.' Maren and Jack are really the only ones who still take a nap. Adalie will occasionally take one and Jack will occasionally stay awake. During this time I take advantage of the opportunity to let the kids play one-on-one with each other. The beginning of quiet time I let Maren play in a room alone with one of her siblings. Each child then has time alone for about 1/2 hour. After that I let Evelyn and Adalie play together downstairs or outside. If Jack is awake I let him play with Evelyn instead. I think this is great for them, and it is good for me too.
It must be mentioned somewhere that during this time in my kids life they are eating a TON! I can not believe how much the four of them can go through in one meal, then it seems like they are hungry an hour later! I have noticed big growth spurts in all of them during the last two months. Adalie seems to be slowing down a little bit, but the others are still going strong.
Occasionally I hear Adalie and Jackson in their rooms singing during quiet time. I hear them singing about whatever is on their mind. It is really cute. The other day Jackson sang Happy Birthday for about 35 minutes. It hasn't really been anyone's birthday recently, but he was really into the song.
Occasionally I hear Adalie and Jackson in their rooms singing during quiet time. I hear them singing about whatever is on their mind. It is really cute. The other day Jackson sang Happy Birthday for about 35 minutes. It hasn't really been anyone's birthday recently, but he was really into the song.
It is crazy how much kids abilities change from summer to summer. This is probably the time that I notice the most growth with my kids. The growth is so gradual, but suddenly we are doing things we haven't done for five months and the kids seem to have changed so much! This year the kids are so self reliant, and I don't feel like I have to have my eye on them every second. Although Maren is definitely moving toward needing constant attention. So far at the park she stays within a 5 foot radius, but that will change very quickly when she realizes how much exploring there is to do!
This is going to be an excellent Summer. It will be filled with rock climbing (we found an excellent place for the kids to rope up and climb), hiking, backpacking (Logan is planning one-on-one trips with the kids), beach trips, picnics, BBQ's, Park visits, outdoor exploring, river trips (we have a little inflatable that fits our family), and much much more!
Bring on the Summer!
Me
I have been having an excellent time doing marketing for Heartwood. I feel like Heartwood is truly a company that Logan and I run together, and it is so fun! I have no marketing experience and I have enjoyed discovering this talent. It is so much fun to look at every aspect of Heartwood and know that Logan and I created all of it.
Recently I have decided to do a little bit more interpreting. I have been doing odd jobs here and there, but nothing consistent. I recently turned in my application for an interpreting agency. I was excited to hear back from her saying that she wanted me as an interpreter even though they were not planning on hiring anyone. She also told me that I had an impressive resume. That made me feel really good. I am working hard at home with kids and keeping the house up. It is good to know that beyond all of that I have an impressive resume. :) My goal with interpreting is to have one job a week (about 2 hours). I think this will be perfect because I can still feel like a stay at home mom, but I can also have something that is just for me that I love.
I have been able to feel pretty balanced lately. I feel like being a mom is a constant juggling act between all of the different roles that I play. I feel like the balance between being a mom, wife, working out, studying the scriptures, marketing for Heartwood, and reading books for myself is kind of coming together.
Logan
Logan is an awesome Papa. He is excellent at finding time to spend with all of the kids, finding time for us to be together, running Heartwood, and doing a long list of things for himself.
He has a new belay device that was created for climbers to safely climb while belaying themselves. It is safe, or he wouldn't be doing it. :) He has been going to Q'emlin park and climbing during his breaks at work. He is absolutely loving it!
Us
Logan and I are excited for Spring/Summer weather because it really opens the door to opportunities for our weekly date night. Our date night has actually become our date afternoon because we want to take advantage of the sunshine for outdoor activities. This week we went rock climbing and we are excited to go for a long bike ride next week. We will definitely be doing a lot of both of these activities. We also have many other things we will take advantage of.
Logan and I love long talks. This may sound weird to say, but it is important because it is a big part of our relationship. There is so much to talk about! Lately we have been having a lot of in depth conversations about the church. We have also been listening to debates from Intelligence Squared and that has spurred some great conversations.
I sure love my husband and our family!
We are both very happy with our crazy, loud, unpredictable, loving, busy lives.
This is going to be an excellent Summer. It will be filled with rock climbing (we found an excellent place for the kids to rope up and climb), hiking, backpacking (Logan is planning one-on-one trips with the kids), beach trips, picnics, BBQ's, Park visits, outdoor exploring, river trips (we have a little inflatable that fits our family), and much much more!
Bring on the Summer!
Me
I have been having an excellent time doing marketing for Heartwood. I feel like Heartwood is truly a company that Logan and I run together, and it is so fun! I have no marketing experience and I have enjoyed discovering this talent. It is so much fun to look at every aspect of Heartwood and know that Logan and I created all of it.
Recently I have decided to do a little bit more interpreting. I have been doing odd jobs here and there, but nothing consistent. I recently turned in my application for an interpreting agency. I was excited to hear back from her saying that she wanted me as an interpreter even though they were not planning on hiring anyone. She also told me that I had an impressive resume. That made me feel really good. I am working hard at home with kids and keeping the house up. It is good to know that beyond all of that I have an impressive resume. :) My goal with interpreting is to have one job a week (about 2 hours). I think this will be perfect because I can still feel like a stay at home mom, but I can also have something that is just for me that I love.
I have been able to feel pretty balanced lately. I feel like being a mom is a constant juggling act between all of the different roles that I play. I feel like the balance between being a mom, wife, working out, studying the scriptures, marketing for Heartwood, and reading books for myself is kind of coming together.
Logan
Logan is an awesome Papa. He is excellent at finding time to spend with all of the kids, finding time for us to be together, running Heartwood, and doing a long list of things for himself.
He has a new belay device that was created for climbers to safely climb while belaying themselves. It is safe, or he wouldn't be doing it. :) He has been going to Q'emlin park and climbing during his breaks at work. He is absolutely loving it!
Us
Logan and I are excited for Spring/Summer weather because it really opens the door to opportunities for our weekly date night. Our date night has actually become our date afternoon because we want to take advantage of the sunshine for outdoor activities. This week we went rock climbing and we are excited to go for a long bike ride next week. We will definitely be doing a lot of both of these activities. We also have many other things we will take advantage of.
Logan and I love long talks. This may sound weird to say, but it is important because it is a big part of our relationship. There is so much to talk about! Lately we have been having a lot of in depth conversations about the church. We have also been listening to debates from Intelligence Squared and that has spurred some great conversations.
I sure love my husband and our family!
We are both very happy with our crazy, loud, unpredictable, loving, busy lives.
