The ears in the genes

One of Autumns cutest features are her ears. I recognized them right away and they still make me giggle on a daily basis. Not so much for the dignified look they give her, but because they remind me of one of my favorite people.




My grandma Helen was one of those awesome grandmas who could not bring herself to discipline us, no matter how much we needed it. She had a steady supply of ding dongs and twinkies in the cupboard, and yes, she had these same droopy/projecting ears. It was hard to find some pictures of her ears, as her hair or a scarf was usually covering them.

But in a long lost album, there was the evidence. It makes me smile to know that grandma takes great pleasure in this connection with her great granddaughter. I know she loves it because....



she would always point out that another lucky girl got these ears as well.



Oh, Autumn, if nothing else, you have two ladies who will understand. Now we just wait to see if she gets more from grandma. The genes that carried her double D's, as the girls of the family know, seems to be long gone. Now we have renewed hope that perhaps they will reemerge.

I love and miss you grandma, but love this new reminder of you!!!

Strategery

Busy, busy, busy! That is how I feel. (I'm sure you all can relate) Autumn is 3 months now....(I know....so fast) Life is rolling and I hardly know what day it is, or look at my calendar. I can only focus on the day ahead.

Here is Autumn with her adoring cousin Lydia. Their bond is so cute!


There has been a learning curve to having four kids, but for me, when life gets hectic, I start implementing schedules and new strategies. Here are a few that I am trying.

First, a new morning schedule. It may seem a bit over the top, but I needed a way to have a more peaceful start to the day. The kids got alarm clock for Christmas and at 7AM, the morning strategy begins.



*** I have the kids in different places doing different things. So, while Madeline eats breakfast, Jaxen gets dressed and cleans his room. While Madeline does her chores, Jaxen is brushing his teeth and so on. (Elijah is just running around or watching some tube) This has really cut down on the bickering and goofing off. Every step changes by the clock, so it is no longer me nagging and yelling, it is the schedule being the "boo bah" (for you Shawna), not me.

I also must say, that they really do help me out. I need a team effort to get it all done.

*** I get dressed in my work out clothes and don't change until I get my work out done. (often I don't change even if I work out, but that's beside the point)




*** I leave the vacuum out until I do it. So, pretty much my vacuum is always out, but I think my floors are cleaner.......eventually anyway.


*** Dinner and lunch prep: Since the mid-mornings are the calmest, I decided to do all that I can to take chores away from the evenings and put them into this time. I prepare most of the dinner and make the kids lunches for the next day.

*** Rather than waiting for Jason to watch the kids for me to exercise, I teach at my house twice a week. This way I get to see some friends, pump some iron, have a little chat and I don't have to load the kids into the car.

*** I am finally learning the benefits of cooking double batches and freezing. There is nothing better than defrosting and heating, it makes me feel so smart!

*** With all of this, the greatest trick I have found is living by family. Not just any family, but the greatest, most thoughtful people I know. Without my asking, my mom and Jason's parents step in and save the day almost daily!!!! Thank you for seeing our needs and filling them!














In general, I just want more calm and less rushing around. I just know there has to be a way to have order and peace.....right???? It's not a perfect system. I still have trouble finding time to take a shower and get ready properly for the day. I only make a real dinner about 3 or 4 times a week. (Jason's schedule helps me on this) I need to learn how to use coupons, plan meals for the week and get my food storage going. (not to mention doing my scripture study and daily prayers.) I guess it's time to get strategizing.

Fender Bender

Driving with Autumn to pick up Elijah from grandmas, I was hit from behind. Luckily everyone was fine and the woman who hit me was very nice. I still cried, I think from fear and anxiety of having a baby in the car. My poor car is going to need some work.

Our entertainment

I can't even remember the last movie I saw, but my life is anything but boring. We have traded in nights out on the town, for nights at the rec centers and schools. Instead of following current events, we are following the progress of Elijah's speech therapy and Autumn's growing sense of balance. It's funny, I used to start to feel crazy without some alone time, but lately, I feel totally and completely entertained by the Pinewood Derby, the cheer performances and celebrating with Elijah as he is mastering is "K" and "G" sounds.





















I wish I could say that we were saving money, but all of these kid's activities don't come cheap. Thanks goodness, Autumn can entertain us by just flashing those big smiles!

Jaxen turns 9

Get ready for lots of birthday posts. Jax, Madeline and Eli are all within a few weeks. We start with Jaxen. Tomorrow, he turns 9!!! He will spend his actual birthday skipping school to hit the slopes, but we spent the weekend in celebration of his big day.

The first sign to me that my little boy is growing up was that he choose "Rib City" for his birthday dinner, rather than McDoanlds. He ordered a full rack, finished them off and still ate the rest of Elijah's unfinished entre.





We had a simple, football themed party. I love how easy the parties get as the kids get older. The boys just ran around, ate and caused only a mild ruckus in the neighborhood.











Getting sappy:


To be honest, these events have made me a little sad. It's hard to believe how fast he has grown up. The hardest part for me, is the fact that over the past few years, I feel like he sees me as the crazy task master. Jaxen is one to push the limits, test the boundaries and can bring out parts of my personality that I am not proud of. Having little Autumn has reminded me of how I felt about him when he was a baby and has made me determined to get our relationship back to where it was. I love Jaxen so much. He has an incredibly tender heart and has strong emotions. I think this is why he can push my buttons so easily. My desire for him to succeed can overtake the tender feelings and at times put us into a battle of wills. I have one more year until the double digits, he is half way to 18. If we are going to make it through the teens, I need to get some new habits. I'm not even sure what the steps are, but I'm starting with a public declaration of my plans. Any ideas or suggestions of resources would be much appreciated.

Autumn Blessed

What a simple, sweet day. The family gathered, she was given a name and a blessing and it just felt like a happy day. Among other things, Jason blessed her to be a peacemaker and that she would be a good friend and confidant to those around her. These stood out to me and, from what I gather of her personality so far, these rang true.

Thanks to our family for extended their hours of being dressed up. It means so much that Autumn has so many people to love and support her.

(I got a little camera happy, but that hat just had to be documented.)