parent trap

I read an article last night about parenting which was all too true in many ways. I would link it but there are some questionable words in it so I won't. The main idea of the article was that parenting is the pits 90% of the time, but that those few moments of peace, love, sharing, teaching, etc. etc. make up for it and that the 10% of magic make up for the rest of the mayhem.

So, in no distinct order, here is my list of top ten reasons to be a parent:
1) I love being silly and goofy, and I am finding that the older I get the rarer it becomes. But with a little help from my kids I am able to burst through that shell and have a giddy good time every now and then.
2) Hearing the words that I am the best mom in the world for making the best dinner in the world (minutes after being told the complete opposite).
3) Big hugs when I come in the door.
4) Peaceful, sleeping angels.
5) Morning cuddles.
6) Being shown their imaginative wonders.
7) Reading stories.
8) Being freely forgiven. I think children really are the best at forgive and forget. I always think of this when I hear the Savior's words to become like a child.
9) That moment when their eyes light up and they understand something new.
10) When a baby learns to crawl. That is just the best.

Parenting certainly isn't as easy as I thought as a young adult, but it is a bigger blessing than I ever imagined!

catch up

I can't believe how fast the first three months of school have been. The big boys are thriving and loving being in school. The little boy is growing so big, and his hair has fallen out on the sides and now he has an awesome mohawk. Yes, a mohawk. Princess has just entered the right of passage of all Stone kids; and now she has glasses, too. Basketball season is in full swing and we miss seeing Daddy.

Some things that I want to remember:
Enoch was reading really well the other night, and Levi noticed and praised him and really encouraged him. Enoch loved the attention and it made my heart warm up a bit. Its a little nerve racking having 2 so close together, I don't want competition to hurt their relationship.

Dinnertime is a little crazy most nights. We have started playing two games that bring lots of laughter onto the menu. It usually starts out with Knock Knock Jokes that make absolutely no sense, and then we move into movie quotes. Last night Josh quoted someone from Atlantis, but no one (as far as kids go) was getting it. Monet piped up Finding Tyrus (instead of Nemo- Tyrus is a most beloved cousin) and for some reason we were all laughing hysterically.

Thad really is such a sweet sweet baby. He is getting older now and likes to play with toys and cries when it falls or is taken away. I think this is so cute and could just eat those chubby little cheeks of his.

enoch turns 5

Enoch turned 5 way back in August while we were in Utah. We celebrated there with ice cream at the creamery. Then we celebrated again with my fam in Waterton with a cake on the long weekend. Just when I was beginning to think I was off the hook as far as a party was concerned, we celebreated again in Sept with a party. he had 5 friends over for a Pirate Party. The boys all really loved to throw water balloon "cannons" at eachothers boats, trying to steal the other team's treasure. It was fun to do and I was amazed at how well behaved all those kids were.

thank you september

Has this not been the September of a lifetime!??! When school started cold and windy on Aug 31 I thought we were in for it. But everyday since has been beautiful, with even some days that hit the 30s in the fall. I can never remember that happening before in my life.
Other than great weather, September has added some more great memories to my life this year....

I turned 31. I love having a birthday at the beginning of September because often I get to celebrate with a long weekend. I remember feeling pretty honoured as a child that the whole country took a holiday to celebrate the day my mom was in Labour with me. This year was no different, and my family got together in Waterton for a weekend of camping and yes, some bears.


The boys are in school. And loving it!! Levi is in grade one and has adjusted to the longer school day very well. Enoch is in kindergarten and only wishes he had school in the mornings, too.


Thad is getting too big for words. All I can say is it is not fair. September has really been a growing month for him.

Monet is a cute as ever, with an attitude to match. September for her means lots of trips to the park and extra long swingtime with no big brothers to spoil the under-ducks. It also means baking together.

September has brought to me a new love in my life; family history. We went to the family history centre in Lethbridge for one of our Young Women's activities and I have been back a couple times since. It is seriously fun, guys!! It's like facebook for dead people.

student life

Josh and I headed back to student life for a solid week. It was great.

At first I was totally and completely opposed to the idea of going to BYU education week in Provo. We have four kids, we can't afford it, Thad is too little to leave my side, we have a flourishing garden to tend to, my calling at church..... all sorts of reasons not to take off for a week.

But, like usual, persistence wins and I conceded. And am I ever glad we went!!!

The kids travelled great (on the most part), and Thad was not even a problem. Not in the slightest. He took a bottle when needed and timed his feeds and poops on the long drives as though he knew what was most convenient. My cousin and her husband graciously let us stay in their house for the week. Did I mention they live 2 minutes from BYU???? I did miss my YW, but we made it back on time early Sunday morning for me to attend YWs. My parents also took care of our garden when they got a chance and picked veggies and watered for us. Thanks Jamie/Rob/Mom/Dad!!!!!

The week was incredible! We swapped kids back and forth and attended great classes on a variety of topics. From symbolisms in the scriptures to temple like homes to parenting to money matters to hope in the atonement to teaching kids a through z. The kids had more time with their Daddy than they have had in forever!!! And I had some alone time listening to great teachers. Ahhh, how peaceful. If anyone has been there before, they know how great it is down there. If you haven't been but are thinking about maybe going in the future, I highly recommend it. There are so many things to do with your kids down there, and many of them are free.

Here are some pictures for a quick run-down of what we enjoyed:

Conference Centre and Temple Square

Bridal Veil Falls

BYU Creamery

Fun activity at one of the many FREE museums on campus

Kangaroo Zoo

Went back to Temple Square on our way home

good reading

What do you do for scripture study? I am usually pretty lame and do nothing but read with the occasional underline. Josh started a discussion blog for the Book of Mormon. If you are interested in reading cool info and/or adding your own, please check it out.

word from the wise

We just spent a really great weekend with my extended family. My father is the oldest of 11 kids, and so when we all get together it is quite the event. We hiked in Waterton, went to the good ol' family fishing hole, and of course had a family sunday dinner. It was great to catch up with aunts, uncles and cousins. My sister-in-law asked my grandma what is the one piece of advice she would give to someone raising kids. My grandma answered: To never yell at your kids. A couple of my aunts overheard and affirmed that they had never been yelled at.

So, if Grandma, mother to 11 children could get by without needing to yell, I guess I can, too.

july in a nutshell

Thad's Blessing Day (technically this was June)

A couple weeks ago we went to Montana and stayed at a cabin on Ashley lake for a week. That was fun, as always. 15 kids 8 and under makes quite the household, believe me! I am just glad there are people out there crazy enough to rent to us. Highlights of the week would have to include Monet falling in the water twice on the first day, going for little runs/bike rides with Josh, listening to Brian Reagan (water?), and all the yummy food. I think the week was maybe a little overwhelming for my new brother in law, who is used to life as a bachelor most of the time. HA! Just wait till next weekend when we do this again only this time with all of my dad's siblings.


Another memory to record is when we went to Harry Potter 7 Part 2 in Kalispell. I have never been one to take babies to movies, but Thad is so good that I thought, why not? He is always asleep by 9:30 and the movie starts at 10. Turns out he doesn't like movies very much. I spent the first half of the movie in the back of the side aisle burping and nursing the little guy, feeling a little sorry for myself that I was alone while all my family was watching from their comfy seats eating popcorn and the cheap candy I had snuck in from Wal-Mart. But then I really thought about it, how much I love my little boy. Would I really want to trade any moment I have with him for a silly movie? Of course not. Now that I think about it, why did I even care at all in the first place? Where were my priorities? Its amazing how a change of attitude turns a situation around.
We also did bears hump way back for Canada Day. That was fun, the boys did it all by themselves, I was impressed and they really enjoyed it. Josh had Monet on his back and I had Thad in a sling.


Enoch is now a crazy man in the water. No problems with waterslides or getting his face wet. Lessons have done wonders. Monet erased the last 4 months of footage on our video camera. Levi gave a great talk in church last week and even bore his testimony at the end. Thad smiles at us when we play with him. I did a super sprint tri yesterday in Raymond. Josh started tearing down two of our three chicken coops. That was the fastest July ever.

All our boys.

Monet likes to pretend she is a baby.

Can you believe his hair? It does that all by itself

everything enoch

Enoch finished preschool. He will be in Kindergarten next year, I can hardly believe it!! He is pretty excited and has a very positive attitude towards school. I think it helps that Daddy is down the hall, how cool is that?
Soccer for Enoch has been a little trying. He didn't enjoy it too much and was glad when it ended. He still enjoys playing soccer in the backyard, and when the mosquitos are gone we will be doing that more often.

Swimming lessons are on for Enoch right now. He is still nervous of deep water but is being brave and listening to his teacher and doing everything she asks with a little coaxing. A promise of a new lego set next week when we go to Montana might help a little bit, too.
Enoch really, really, really loves his baby brother. I will find him sitting by Thad just staring at him. Enoch is always so excited when Thad's eyes are open - which is still not all that often. He loves to help me and is always willing to throw out the dirty diapers and fetch me things that I have forgotten.

A new love Enoch has found is banana bread. He loves it!! Aside from Lego, his interests right now are Thad, Ninjas and Star Wars. Spiderman is starting to be replaced..... We are also working on riding a two wheeler. This is slow going, but if he keeps at it I think he might be able to by the end of summer.

all about levi

With four kids keeping up is a little difficult. There is always so much going on and so many little people that want my time and attention. Here is what is going on these days with Levi:
Soccer ended last week. The mosquitos were so bad! He got bit on his ears and they puffed up to twice their size and stuck straight out. I really should have gotten a picture, it was something else. Levi was able to play for the last couple weeks and got some goals and has improved quite a bit. He even has some moves and is learning to pass.

Kindergarten Grad was the night I got home from the hospital. My parents were nice and stayed in town so that I could go without having to take either of the younger two kids. Levi was very cute and the whole class participated. He got to share his favorite kindergarten memory, which was "going to the police station and making orange julius'." The teacher also spoke about what everyone wanted to be when they grow up. Levi's desire is to be a Lego Engineer. Sweet, eh?

Josh (and I when he is not around) have been reading Harry Potter to the big boys. They finished it last week and we watched the movie Sunday night. It was fun to see the boys be so excited as they saw things they had read about. Enoch could not contain his excitement when Harry caught the snitch in his mouth, and Levi was beyond delighted when Griffindor won the House Cup. Levi really enjoys reading, especially when it is with his dad.
Having read Harry Potter, Levi has become very interested in chess. I taught him how to play and was surprised he actually can follow the rules. He taught his babysitter to play, too. We have been playing lots of chess lately as a result, and have tried out checkers, too.
Levi has been fantastic with his new baby brother and has been a big help around the house. He now does most of the vacuuming has started to help clean the bathrooms, too. Swimming lessons are in full swing right now and he loves having it every day. Lego is still the best thing on earth as far as this kid is concerned.

how are things?

Many people have asked how things are going with a new baby and all. Things are good. I feel blessed and happy. Josh is almost done school. The big boys absolutely love having a baby brother around. Enoch, especially, loves the idea of being a big brother to a little brother. They are helpful and kind and Levi even vacuumed for me today!


And Monet, well, this picture sort of sums it all up......





This was during dinner and she had a meltdown and plopped her head right into her meal.

thad

Sunday was a beautiful day in Stirling. I am sure half the town saw Josh and I walking with the kids in tow, knowing that we were trying to walk this baby "out." Sunday night we watched a movie, and again, I was walking, but this time on the treadmill. About 2:30 am my water broke, and by 3:00 I was starting to have some contractions. After a week of picking up the house everynight in case something happened, I did nothing at all Sunday night. So I cleaned the kitchen and the living room till 4am. I didn't want things to move too fast so I tried to slow things down by having a bath and just trying to relax.

By 5:30 things were HURTING, so I woke up Josh and he got ready. We called our home teachers and they were here just after 6:00. We left for Lethbridge, only making a quick stop at the school so Josh could leave some sub plans behind. They checked us into the hospital, and to my surprise, before they checked me for progress or anything, the nurses led me right into a delivery room!!! No waiting in a pre-delivery room for me this time. At 7:00 I was 4 cm, and within 45 min I was 10cm!! Wa hoo.

I remember telling the nurse when I was 9 cm and holding that she could let me push cause I have small babies with small heads. She didn't seem that amused, nor did she let me push. But finally I got my chance and I was ready to pop this baby out. I thought it would be a MAXIMUM of two contractions of pushing, cause, well, that's all it took for Enoch and Monet. But it really took almost half an hour to get baby out this time. I recall telling Josh "I am going to die." I don't recall screaming lots, but my sore throat for the rest of the day told me differently. It felt like I had been at a very exciting hockey game the night before.

At 8:12 am, out came baby (we had no name at this point), and all I could think was, "Who is this?" He was so different!! He was CHUBBY. And he has HAIR. And his head was BIG. The nurse now laughed, referring back to my comment about babies with small heads. It was an excrutiating process, but at least it was quick. For the rest of the day my main thought was, I am never doing that again!!!!! But already the pain is forgotten...
Cause now I have the most adorable, cuddly, sweet baby: Thaddeus Luke Stone, or Thad. He is a very good baby so far and smells divine and has the most kissable little (or big) cheeks and has the softest skin and the furriest head of hair. Oh! I love him!! The other kids are all pretty crazy about him, too. Even Monet. You can tell she is not all that pleased with my lack of attention for her, but at the same time her attention is focused in on the same little being. She loves to call him cute, which is funny cause often it comes out as "Baby toot!," which gets the older boys roaring with laughter.

I am so grateful for my new baby boy. Yes, I thought he was a girl. Yes, I had hoped he was a girl. But I am so glad to have a new boy addition to the family and wouldn't have Thad any other way.

grad

Went to our first small town grad last night. I have to say, it has its perks!!!!

The theme was Western, with a quote from a Paul Brant song - "Small Town, Big Dreams."

The things I really liked about it was with a graduating class of 17, each kid gets to participate. Each graduate was introduced and spotlighted on stage, telling of their accomplishments and what they had planned for the future. In the teachers tribute to the students, he mentioned everyone of them. The class of 2011 also took a moment to thank their parents and went out in the crowd to give their moms and dads flowers and cards and hugs. (One guy had nothing for his mom and he was lovingly heckled by the stands, it was funny). They also had a picture show of all the graduates. Like a wedding video only it is for a high school class. OH! and the whole town shows up after dinner to hear the speeches and see the show.

With a class of 800, there was nothing so personal for us back in the day. It was pretty cool to see.

play

Josh was in the school play last weekend. He was asked to be the "Teen Angel" in Grease. When I found out about the request I laughed hysterically. I really couldn't imagine Josh singing on stage in front of people and acting out the words. But he proved himself to be quite the hit. I was impressed. I doubt I will ever see my husband again in sparkly silver shoes and a white sparkly fedora. Way to go, Teen Angel!!!

today

Today I:

- went to Levi's Outdoor Fun Day at school
- weeded the garden (OK, not all of it)
- planted some annuals
- had a nap
- made chicken noodle soup
- mowed the inner lawn
- shampooed the main floor carpet
- bathed all my kids
- cut Josh's hair
- got a very sore back
- am very tired
- am not yet in labour despite trying to over work myself

anytime baby

You know that list you have in your head that you want to get done before baby arrives???? Mine is just about done. Done enough that I won't mind a bit if baby decided to show up sooner than later. Some of the things we've accomplished are:
- clean out fridge/freezer (my MIL helped with this one and did the oven/stove, too while she was at it!!!!)
- made some freezer meals
- organized kids clothes for summer and got baby clothes out
- cleaned my room well
- went to Calgary and got my American passport
- cut the boys hair
- prepare and send off taxes

Things that are still on the list:
- clean the kitchen light over the table
- organize my craft stuff
- plant my annuals
- pick a name!!!

Other than the name thing nothing has me too worried. But really, we have nothing. I liked Esther but found out last night Josh isn't too keen. So we have nothing. Boy or girl, nothing. Maybe if its a girl we can just call her Baby and if its a boy we can call him Buddy.

lately

We went back to the Dr's a few days later to re-x-ray (is that a word?) Levi's arm. This new Dr was really smart and asked for both elbows so that we could compare good and bad. Turns out his elbow is NOT dislocated, and IS broken. Poor guy. His half cast is all he needs, though, and according to the specialist in Lethbridge who looked at the radiographs, if you were to break your arm this is the way to break it. Levi has been rather..... emotional at times. Very sadly he has fallen THREE TIMES onto his arm while playing outside or even lego at the table. That sure isn't helping things heal quickly. The last few days he has been more calm and I am grateful for a husband who can give blessings of peace, comfort and healing to a very sad little boy.

Enoch has been picking up reading recently. When we read scriptures at night he will sound out words pretty well. (The short ones, of course). The best was when he read people as pee-op-po-lee. We all laughed our heads off at that. He is really loving school and has fun helping Daddy around the yard. That kid is a shadow of Josh's, for sure. Loves to do absolutely anything with him.

Monet runs the roost around here. I admit I am looking forward to having a real baby and not just a self professed one in the house. Her hair is long enough for a little pony tail in the back; so cute! She is my shadow and likes to "help" me weed the flower gardens and plant seeds in the vegetable garden. She still hates it when I sing to her but she will now let me sing My Heavenly Father Loves Me, since there are actions to it. Potty training has been put on hold as she refused to use it after our last trip to Calgary. One day I will be diaper free...... one day........

This last is from Easter in Saskatoon.

soccer playas

I don't know how many times when the boys were in my belly, that Josh made the joke while they were kicking, "oh, looks like he's gonna be a soccer player."

They are now. Levi and Enoch are on the same U6 team here in Stirling. I debated putting Enoch in, but he insisted that he wanted to play. I think he hates it. He is definitely the slowest and smallest on the team. He never gets the ball and usually spends most of his time watching from a distance the pack of kids and the ball; he doesn't even try to run after them. And thats if he's standing up. He might just be sitting on the field staring at the grass. That seems to amuse him, too.

Levi on the other hand, being among the oldest on the team, has been doing well. He gets the ball and dribbles it and all that jazz. Unfortunately last night on a break away a good defenseman stopped him in his tracks and they both went down; with Levi landing on his elbow. Now he can be quite dramatic at the best of times so I sort of ignored his crying at first. But when it continued for an hour after we got home, we decided to take him into Raymond to the hospital. A couple x-rays later shows no broken bones but a dislocated elbow that for one reason or another the doctor couldn't put back in place. So Levi gets to wear a half cast for the next few days and then we go in again for more x-rays. I am ashamed to say I had to really hold back the laughter when Levi asked me about the worst day of my life. He was pretty sad. He wanted to know about Daddy's, too. What was sad, though, was when he asked me if he was gonna die. I assured him no such thing was going to happen, it was just a sore arm. He also wanted to know if he was hurt or wounded. What's the difference? I am not sure, but he seems to think there is one. Hopefully next week soccer won't be quite so eventful.

fabulous weekend

A couple weekends ago I got very spoiled and spent some much loved time with three of the most awesome girls I know. We used to be 4 very silly girls in high school. Nowadays we aren't quite so ridiculous, until you put us together. It was so fun to laugh and talk and spend time with these girls that I have known for so long.

Recently I talked about reading my journals. I made it through HS safe and intact, and much of it had to do with having these three girls around. Yes, we were idiots sometimes; but we all shared common beliefs and I was never afraid to be who I was when these people were around. We have always been able to be just who we are around eachother. (For better or for worse). I love these girls more than I can really express, and am so glad that dreams of fab 4 reunions as teenagers actually come true, even into our thirties!!!

The weekend included dining at Chiantis, a favorite Italian restaurant that is sort of a tradition for us. We also watched the infamous music videos - for years around new years we would sing and dance in front of a camera thinking that we looked real cool. Watching these videos now provides endless laughter and we wonder what on earth we were thinking. What is even more funny is that we would get other people to watch these. My apologies if you were one of them. At least we have stopped that bad habit. We also got manicures (don't really care for) and pedicures (love) and ate a lot of candy. The weekend flew by and was so fun. Thanks to a great sister, husband and mother-in-law who all watched the kids so I could really enjoy my girl time!

the blanket

Monet got a wonderful, cuddly, cute, soft, pink blankie when she was born. She loves it and sleeps with it every night.

We left it in Calgary a couple weeks ago, and had a difficult night the first night back. She quickly adopted a new blankie that Levi liked and all was well again.

BUT - then we went to Saskatoon. We had arranged for the blanket to meet us there, but that fell through. We soon discovered that the combination of Monet without her blanket and without her own bed equaled a complete disaster. Well, a disaster if sleep is something that you require or want.

Monet did not sleep. No naps unless she was sleeping on Daddy's chest, she would not fall asleep at night. Not even with me laying next to her bed for HOURS. She would eventually sleep in MY bed, between me and Josh. Not so comfy when you consider we are used to a king sized bed for two, and we were sharing a futon for three. AAAAAAHHHHHhhhhhhh!!! It was pretty awful. Needless to say we took the long route home and stopped in Calgary on the way to Stirling. Monet slept that night at her Gramma's without a fuss or tear, all night, with her beloved blankie. And I am happy to report that she has been sleeping happily ever after ever since.

easter

This past weekend we went to Saskatoon. It was really awesome to see the old haunts and places that were such a big part of our life for 4 years. It was even better to see our roomies of 3 years and hang out with them for the weekend, along with their kids. Pam and I are both very pregnant which made it extra fun - you can complain all you want about how sore you are etc to someone else who feels the exact same way.

It was also so nice to go to church! How I miss Wildwood! So many familiar faces. So many new ones, too. It was great to catch up with friends, but I quickly realized that next time I need to plan for a girls night or something. 2 minutes at church really just doesn't cut it. Not one little bit.

The Easter Bunny came while we were all at church, and the kids had a blast searching for candy with their cool Easter buckets. Levi and Enoch definitely got their fair share of the candy, the younger kids were just as happy with a few jelly beans and chocolate eggs. We had a great dinner with ham and twice baked potatoes. MMMmmmmm. I asked Levi to sum up what Easter means, worried he might talk about the candy. But he didn't, he summed it up with "An empty tomb."

How grateful I am for a Savior who lived, died, and lives again! I love Easter. I think maybe even more than Christmas. Its really the same celebration, but in the spring this time. What's not to love?

32 weeks and counting

Is it bad to admit that I haven't been all that excited about this new baby?
Until now.

Don't get me wrong, I have always been happy that we are expecting, and this is something I wanted, I just haven't really had the time to think much about it.
Maybe its spring. Maybe it is the fact that basketball season is over. But as this baby in my tummy is super wiggly and as I am getting pretty big and uncomfortable, the thought of meeting this new little spirit is SO EXCITING!!!! I have to admit, I am baby hungry and am feeling lucky that I won't have to wait too long to get my fix.

april

So this winter was cold. And snowy. I have to admit that as I experienced my first AB winter in 5 years, I thought quietly to myself that the winters here are a little colder than I remember, and just as windy. At the same time, though, I was thinking that things were pretty good and glad the -30 never lasted more than a week or two. I also observed that snow that falls in a certain month usually melts in that same month. Whenever I was feeling sorry for my cold self, I would check the weather network and just be glad that I wasn't still where I was last year. (No offense to any who live there, it is just way colder there!!).

But now I have learned that this winter was an extra cold one for these parts. That is music to my ears. For the last four years February and March have crawled along at such a slow pace that it was hardly even possible to believe. But now, here it is, April, with snow patches here and there on the ground, and I can almost see flowers. The kids play outside regularly. I am so excited for spring, I just hope that when it comes it stays with a vengeance.

levi is six!!!

and a half.
Oops.


After posting Monet's birthday pictures, I realized I haven't documented anything for Levi.

We had a fun party back in November. Levi wanted to have a fishing theme, and we went with that. We danced to Under The Sea, played Pin the Fin on the Fish, made our own tackle boxes, and had a fishing pond. The kids loved it. It was a little crazy cause Josh was working during the party, but the boys were all well behaved and had lots of fun.

Levi is a sponge for information. We have a hard time keeping up with him. The questions that he thinks of! We have regular conversations about infinity and numbers and such. He loves lego and anything related to it. Levi can work his way through a computer better than my mom. He is a joy to have in the family and (almost) always tries to do what is right.

two!

The Monette turned two last week. Or was it the week before last??? How times flies!
A few things I want to remember about her from the last year....

We began potty training. Way before we ever attempted it with the boys. And with pretty good success, on her part, at least. I think she would be better off if I wasn't slow and pregnant and tired. Before our last trip to Calgary she was going maybe 5 times a day, as long as I reminded her. What I want to remember about this is how proud she is when she is done, insisting that I clap for her, and doing a dance and spinning around afterwards. So cute. I also figured out what her best bribe is: youtube. Candy? Works a little. Praise and stickers? Not so much. But the privledge of watching a Pluto or Snow White clip??? You betcha.

In January we switched Monet into a big girl bed. We had to dismantle the boys bunk bed because they kept moving the rungs on the top bunk to make a slide (ya --- a little unsafe!!), so we needed somewhere to put it and Monet's room was the best, if not closest choice. That change of course prompted some nighttime undertakings on Monet's part. We would always find her undressed, sometimes undiapered in her room. That evolved to undressed and redressed with whatever is lying around, only now inside out. She didn't love sleeping by herself and would usually fall asleep at the door, making it necessary to wake her up so we could actually get in there and move her back to bed once we were going to bed. It was a little exciting, opening the door at 11pm not knowing what she'd be wearing or what she'd be cuddling.... she's pretty good now and stopped taking off her jammies once we stopped putting them back on her.

Monet is a helper. She loves to put the soap in the dishwasher. She loves to put things "away," and even do little errands for the boys. She gladly puts her own diaper in the garbage. She loves to read and color with her brothers. She LOVES babies and is so interested in them and has a hard time believing me when a "baby" is as old as she is. I hope her interest and love for babies lasts through this next big change in the family. Monet, like the rest of our kids, loves her Daddy and is always wanting to cuddle with him. She loves to be tickled and loves the piggy game with her toes. She actually lets me do her hair and doesn't put up a huge fight like I always thought she would. Love pig tails. Love her.


Can't believe she is two! Time has flown.