A laundry basket concert

Our girls are extremely imaginative.  They can turn almost anything in a toy.  I keep trying to catch Livi's plays she puts on with her toys, they are always amusing.  I never seem to have the camera handy.  Yesterday they decided to put on a concert using the empty laundry baskets.  (Normally these are used as traps and horses) Here are some of the video I was able to capture before they moved on to a new game. 

   

Black and Blue

This is what Emme's face currently looks like.  Isn't it pretty.  Friday morning it was a struggle for us to get going.  Alex didn't sleep well that night and the girls didn't go to sleep till late. Of course they had to be up the minute the sun was.  (They literally come in and tell me the sun is up every morning so I need to get up no matter what time it is. ) So that morning we were all a little cranky.  After breakfast the girls began arguing over princess dolls, horses and a dinosaur.  No matter what the toy was if Livi had it Emme wanted it.  About ten Alex goes down for his morning nap.  Which means they are quiet or they sit in time out.  (Well Livi on the couch making faces at me and playing quiet and Emme plays in her room)  Both were playing quietly Livi was doing a play with her dolls on the fireplace and Emme looking at books.  I had the great idea that I would go take a shower by myself.  Being a Mom of three I rarely do anything by myself.  After a couple minutes Emme came in screaming.  Matt woke up and tried to find out what was wrong.  Her and Livi were playing with Alex's ball.  Livi threw it at her and it hit her face.  Poor Matt went to get something cold for her eye.  (He only had two hours of sleep) He brought back a bag of peas.  Which were open and the fell all over the place.  The next trip he brought back a ice pack.  While she iced her eye she insisted I lay next to her and watch Sheriff Callie with her.  I always love cuddle time with my little girl.  Plus I got to finish my book.  She even wanted me to read it too her.  Later she told me she couldn't help or go to bed because her eye hurt. This will be her excuse for everything for a while.  Got to love being four. 

Valentine's Day

For the first time in six years Matt and I got to spend Valentine's Day together.  Our first Valentine I was in Alaska and he was in Utah.  The past five years either we both worked or he did.  So this year he finally had the day off.  The thought of crowded movie theaters or restaurants didn't thrill either of us. I have never been one for tons of noise or crowds. So instead we decided to go get a couple of red box movies and get some take out from Red Dragon Bistro.  (They have yummy Chinese food that isn't overly greasy)  We got Escape Plan with Arnold and Sly Stallone.  Love it.  But I have always been one for a movie where things blow up.  We also got Ender's Game.  I loved the book.  I have always been a big fan of Orson Scott Card.  It was good.  But there were some things left out that annoyed me like his relationship with his siblings. Or what his siblings were doing while he was at battle school.  Some movies just don't live up to the wonderful books they come from.  But then again the girls and I just finished Stuart Little.  Let me just say the movie was way better then the book.  So far they are enjoying Charlotte's Web and the BFG more. 
  With girls we made Valentines and sugar cookies to pass out to the kids in their classes at church.  They had more fun passing them out in the rain.  We gave them each a cute valentine heart with chocolate.  They then got to go to the Lego movie with Matt's parents and have a sleep over with their grandparents.  Of course we kept Alex with us.  He is such a happy little boy though I wish he would sleep through the night.  I have never seen a baby laugh so much when he gets his shirt changed.  He giggles over most anything. 
 He loved having Mommy and Daddy to himself. 

I wanted a picture of Alex before Church.  Emme wanted a picture with her brother.  Where was Livi?  Twirling

Chewing on his fingers in his Daddy lap. 

She wanted to take a picture of me too.  She loved her heart pancake for breakfast.

Her Valentine from mommy and Daddy

Livi loved it.  It had two of her favorite things Princesses and Chocolate

He was just hanging out in his high chair. 

We went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch.  This is how he was when we walked in. 





 

Alex's first swim

Today we took the kids to the pool.  It had been awhile and the girls were super excited all morning. They were literally bouncing off the wall waiting for us to leave.  We had been waiting for Alex to get a little bigger so playing in the pool would be more enjoyable for him. He loves playing in tub.  The girls had fun on all the slides so much we could only get them to go around the little river twice and they kept demanding to go back to the alligator slide.  Alex had fun in his orange floatie.  He loved kicking his feet and watching everyone.  He was so tired at the end once he was dressed he fell asleep in his Daddy's lap.  The girls wanted to play longer.  We were there two hours and they were upset when it was time to leave.  Then Emme asked to go to the splash park which I had to explain it wasn't open for a couple months.   
  

Alex sitting in the his floaty

 

Having fun on the slide

 

Smiling at his Daddy

 

Emme getting ready to go down the slides again

 

Alex was so tired after swimming

 

Isn't she so cute

 

Playing in the fountains

 

The frog is her new friend

 

He fell asleep once he was dressed

 

Our silly girls

Belated Christmas present and a Rolling baby

I probably should be doing another load of laundry but I decided I should take a quick moment and update our family blog.  This past couple weeks have been busy and full of illness.  Not sure how but I re sprained my right wrist.  It is an old injury (I have lots of those from my days working with kids with mental problems.)  It doesn't seem to want to heal.  It will feel fine and then I wake up it will ache and cause pain with every twist.  Matt woke up one morning with stomach flu symptoms soon me and the girls followed. Of course it was New Year's Eve and I had planned to take the girls to a fun run.  But everyone was sick so maybe this summer we will find one to do as a family.  Thankful all Alex got was a runny nose as flu can be dangerous for him.  (Yes everyone has had their flu shot except Alex who is too young.  Ask Emme she will tell you all about going to jail to get her shot)  I was called at the Family History consultant in our ward and have been trying to find time to prepare a lesson.  Good thing I know the material well that I can teach it with out much preparation some weeks and since I run on about four hours of sleep every night.   Though I am ever so thankful to my wonderful husband who will take care of Alex once a week so I can get a full night sleep. 
    Alex has turned four months.  He has started rolling over to his stomach but instead of trying to learn to roll on his back he is trying to crawl.  He lays on his stomach and pushes with his feet.  He gets very angry as he doesn't get any where but maybe a couple of inches.  He has discovered the love of rice cereal and his high chair.  He loves to just sit in it chew on his fingers and laugh at who ever is giving him attention. Alex loves to smile and laugh.  When I put him on the floor to play and I go into another room and come back he is not anywhere near where I put him.  Emme claims he rolls.  However he never does while I am watching him so I am think she is moving him to mess with my mind.  Alex now weight 18.13 lbs. and 26.5 inches tall.  His big feet hang over the edge of his car seat.  He has is wearing 6 month clothes only because of his height.  He looks like he is drowning in the them.  His heart condition remains the same and we continue to watch him closely.  He will have another echo cardiogram when he turns one.  Till them his doctor takes his vitals closely and we watch for certain signs.  She finally gave the ok to move him into his crib.  Which he is slowly adjusting to.  In two weeks he will have to see a plastic surgeon as the hemotomas on his head from his birth are calcifying which means he might need another surgery but we are praying that he wont need it.  You would never know he has health problems from looking at him.  Our giggley red headed blued boy.  His sisters just adore him.
   Today we got a belated Christmas gift.  The mail must be really backed up in Alaska because it was mailed before Christmas.  It was from my older brother Chris and his wife Melissa.  It was so thoughtful and unexpected.  My brother and his family live in Wasilla Alaska.  We haven't seen them in nearly five years.  They have only seen the kids in pictures and talked to them on the phone. They sent the girls each a cute jacket from Alaska Chicks which has really cute clothes.  And me and Matt each gift cards to Olive Garden.  (when I was pregnant I crave Olive Garden like crazy)  Even being so far away they took the time show us they were still thinking about our kids and us.  Honestly I would have been happy with a Christmas card.  The girls refused to take the jackets off till it was dinner they didn't want to get them dirty.  Someday our goal is take the kids to Alaska to meet all their cousins, aunts and uncles.  It will take a lot of saving though. Sad Face :(

He just laughs and smiles even when he is being naughty.

He loves chewing on his fingers and drooling. 
We are expecting that four teeth will come in at once like his sisters

The back of their jackets. 

She wanted to take a picture to show her Uncle Chris and Auntie Mel her pretty jacket.

She was so happy she couldn't contain herself she was all over the place. She loves pink

Finally got miss sassy to take a picture in her new jacket. 

  

A Tale of Two Showers

So I probably should have named this the A tale of three showers because basically in the last four months all three of our bathrooms have been effected.  Two days before Alex came into our life.  Two of our showers decided that they wanted to add to the drama in our life by dying.  (Our dish washer died three weeks before thankfully it was fix before Alex came)  We couldn't figure out why the basement smelled musty.  Finally we discovered there was a large crack in our master shower.  Which at the time was the only shower upstairs.  Because of the crack it flooded the basement bathroom.  So being on bed rest and having to go downstairs to use the shower was not fun.  So the day after I had Alex that shower began leaking too.  Matt and his Dad were able to fix the basement shower.  (My Dad fixed the big hole in the wall that was left when he came to visit)  We looked into several options to fixing the shower.  Sears wanted to charge us over 10 grand and during their visit managed to insult our religion and intelligence.  So we went with the option of Matt's cousin. He has done work for his parents.  It cost a lot under two thousand.  He ripped out the ceiling which put insulation every where since we were going to have a light put in.  He also put the shower fixture in our kids bathroom so that we now have a shower in there two.  Now we just need to add the tile to that bathroom.   With Christmas and construction our house was a mess, dusty.  Till the shower was pretty much done we had to sleep in the basement.   Since it was so dusty and cold in our room.  The house is nearly back in order and the new shower is so pretty.  

This is after the shower was completely ripped out there is a lovely hole into the attic. 



Getting closer

 

 

 

 

 





Isn't this so pretty

Christmas Day

Christmas this was kinda of a mess.  We were having our master shower redone so our house quickly became a mess.  Then of course we kept having random bouts of sickness and Alex is teething.  Alex decided letting me sleep in Christmas morning was not going to happen.  So me and him went to hang out in the front room till the girls woke up.  Poor Matt had worked all night so he was exhausted throughout the day.  The baby gate was wonderful the girls stood there and begged me to let them in.  Once they woke up their Dad we opened presents.  They were excited over every little thing.  It was so much fun to watch their excitement.  They played till it was time to get ready to head to Matt's cousin Marnie's home for Christmas brunch. Christmas brunch is always full of yummy food.  We could only stay for a bit since Matt needed to get more rest.  The girls had fun with Aspen and playing with her nephew's toys.  After we got home Matt's parents came over and the girls open their presents.  Then it was family nap time while I put together two princess castles. (stabbing myself with a screwdriver the princess sing along castle is annoying to put together.)  For dinner we had the Olsen tradition dinner my Mom's Cheese Lasagna.  We had fun playing with hungry hippos and their elephant game.  Marnie, Troy, Aspen and Zayne came over to bring the kids their presents.  We also skyped with my family in Washington.  The kids got to see their Grandparents, Aunt Sarah, Cousin Monica and Aunt Mary and Uncle Alan.  After a long day of too much chocolate, toys and no nap for Mommy I was glad the day was over.  With the kids in bed it was time for White Christmas with Danny Kaye.  Because Christmas is not complete without this movie. 

Alex hanging out with Mommy

The girls playing with their Snow White Cottage and Mega Blocks

Loving their stockings from Santa.  Emme was thrilled with her Doc McStuffins underwear

Matt was so tired but liked the present the girls got him from the dollar store Bungy cords

The girls each got a necklace Emme decided the Rose on hers made her Rudolph

Each got a book



Alex got clothes as he keeps growing to fast

My new shoes

They got new sheets , comforters and a rug for their room.  Emme got Doc McStuffins and Livi got Tangled

They got lace up cards in their stockings

I have decided she is made of chocolate

Aspen holding Alex

Emme with her lunch

Alex first time in a high chair loved it.  Or he loved the tiny bits of waffle he got. 

Livi playing with Zayne's train set they love trains

Emme playing with his tool bench



On the floor mat

Opening presents with their grandparents

New clothes

They each got a cabbage patch doll

She got the Ariel carriage

Clothes for Alex

Playing with the klip klop castle. 

He rolled over on his tummy by himself while we were playing hungry hippos

The nets from the Elephant game became accessories real quick

Alex got a glow bug from Marnie and Troy

Emme got a robot puppy and Livi a robot kitty. 

Our family before Church of Sunday before Christmas