Swimming Pool Nightmare!

A prior post talked all about how much I love summer and mentioned swimming as one of my favorite activities. Well, after an experience at a public swimming pool yesterday, I think we've all been scarred for life, and may never go to a public swimming pool again!
As soon as we got there we all jumped into the lazy river, which is particularly my favorite (have I ever mentioned I'm figuring out a way to put one of those around the perimeter of our yard:) After a couple times around the circle I started thinking, 'Wow, this place is extremely crowded today'. So next we went to the kiddie pool. Again, "Wow, this place is busy today!" So we jumped out to go get in the main pool. Then we realized it was completely vacated and the lifeguards were not allowing anyone into the pool. I figured they were just doing a pool check, but when a half an hour had passed I thought maybe I should ask what was up, but was afraid what the lifeguard might say. My worst suspicion was validated...."Someone pooped in the pool!" Yikes!! The main pool would be closed until 5 pm until the Health Department could come out and check the water. We jumped back into the lazy river, though my anxiety level was too high to really enjoy myself. But I didn't want to be a party pooper (excuse the pun) since we had just gotten there. So we went around the lazy river a few more times when my friend announces that she just saw a mom carrying a baby who had diarrhea that was oozing out of the swimming diaper and was dripping right into the water of the lazy river.
At this point we decided the party was over. We gathered our things and went to the admissions desk to see if we could get reimbursed since the main pool was closed and we'd only been there about 45 minutes. They were kind enough to reimburse us, and while I was standing at the window my friend said, "Be careful, there's throw up behind you....don't step in it!" I couldn't believe my ears. Poop, and now throw-up, are you kidding me!! As I peddled backwards and tried to catch my balance, I realized a kid had just thrown up about a foot behind me. I'm sure I got the over spray. Again, I was glad I didn't have to witness it like my friend did. I'm sure after that and the runny poop, her eyes are scarred for life! So we took our refunds, stepped over the throw up and went home. I lysoled the bottom of our shoes, washed our swimming suits on the 'sanitize' cycle, and we immediately all took hot showers.
Later that night I mentioned to the girls we could go swimming at the public pool again (because I assumed they were disappointed that we left so soon). Lauren yelled, "I never want to go to that place again in my whole entire life!" That's my girl!!!
So the moral of the story.......put plastic swimming cover-ups over your child's swim diaper (a new Utah health department rule). I'll be purchasing AJ one as soon as I figure out who sales them. And don't go to public swimming pools.
I wonder if the Lever's (Matt's sister) won't mind if we hang out at their poolside the rest of the summer. Or maybe I can talk Matt into putting a RUSH on our own backyard swimming pool project.
p.s. sorry if I completely grossed you out!

Two Men Fighting Over Me

This morning my two favorite men woke up before me and were in our bathroom together when I got out of bed. Anthon was hanging out on our tub step while Matt was getting ready for work. When I walked in the bathroom to brush my teeth, Anthon said, "Mom, I love you....you my girl!" Matt said, "NO, she's my girl!" AJ yelled, "NO she my girl!" This went on and on. It made me feel so loved and special:)

AJ is my little man. I really have enjoyed having a son! He actually is always telling me that I'm his girl. And out of the blue he's constantly telling me that he loves me.....and that I'm "beautyful" ( as he pronounces it). He's getting so big in so many ways, and yet he's still my baby is lots of ways. He'll say, "Mom, hold you, hold you" which means he wants me to hold him. He's getting his grammar more correct, and the girls and Matt tell him to say it properly, it's "hold me", but I'll be sad the day that he's always saying it correctly.

Matt announced the other day that we're going to buy him a twin bed this weekend (he's still in a crib. He'll be three in September). It made me really sad, actually. I'm always asking Anthon if he'll stay little forever. Usually he'll say, "No... see... I'm getting bigger?!" The other day I must have sounded desperate because when I aked if he'd stay little he sighed and said, "Okay....fine!"

But it's been just AJ and I alot this summer. It seems the girls are off doing something with friends so AJ does and goes everywhere with me. When I shop he becomes my fashion consultant (the other day I was trying on sunglasses in Target. It's kind of sad I relied on a two year olds opinion to help me decide on what to get. I got the ones that made me look "rock and roll"), he's my little baking assistant, and my favorite LITTLE man!

Parade Fun

Yesterday the girls were in the Pleasant Grove Strawberry Days parade with their Dance Company. They were so excited to be in the parade. Shirlene was excited because this meant she didn't have to come up with her own entry. You see, last year I asked them towards the end of summer if there was anything they hadn't done yet during the summer that we should try to do before school started. Both girls said they wanted to be in a parade. It seemed impossible at first (their dance group didn't do any parades last summer), but my creative juices instantly started flowing and myself and the girls began brainstorming. Then I put our plan into action, called Highland City whose parade wasn't until August, and we made our own entry for the parade. It was called "Fairy tales Really Do Come True", and they were wedding princesses (which was completely their idea). We talked their awesome cousins (Kade and Jaron Lever) into being in it as their princes. We decorated our convertible and I drove them in the parade. We bought huge things of candy at Costco to throw to the crowd and they had a blast! (Not sure it'll ever happen again!) So, thank you to the Pointe Academy, I am very glad that they had reason to be in a parade this year. These are pics of Saturday. And then of last years entry!

Summer-The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I absolutely love spring and summer. One of my most favorite sounds is waking up to birds chirping outside the window. That's when you know it's warming up outside.

We are absolutely enjoying our summer. We've had 3 summer kids parties at our house to celebrate this time of year.

In February we asked the children if they wanted to take a family vacation this year or put a play area in the yard. Lauren and Micaela had to think for a little bit and then announced they'd go with the play area, even though it was a hard decision for them. We bought a "spring free" trampoline, a sandbox, and play structure. We've already had lots of fun on the new equipment. AJ and I enjoyed an outing together to go haul the sand. The sandbox is only 7' hexagon, but it took almost 2 yards of sand. I rented a Home Depot pick up truck, switched AJ's car seat out, and headed for a trip out West to a quarry to pick up some play sand for our new sandbox. After I made it back to the house and started shoveling out the back of the truck, I realized how much sand 2 yards really is. We did all of this while the girls played at a friends house. I'm kind of crazy and very independent and extremely impatient when it comes to projects....in case none of you knew that about me. My mother thought I was insane to put AJ in a Home Depot truck and go get sand by myself. It all worked and was a fun little project. He and I had fun playing while we shoveled the sand.

I also bought a 12', 30" pool from Target. The kids have had so much fun in this. It's enough water they can really swim and have been out there everyday. It has made me excited for when we get our in-ground pool. Dream on......one day!?

Summertime is the best time of the year......swimming, snowcones, running on the grass barefoot, BBQ's, picnic lunches, parades, fireworks, beautiful flowers. We love it at our house!!!

Father's Day

I don't know how you all feel, but summer seems to be flying by!

It's hard to believe Father's Day is already come and gone! We enjoyed the Saturday before Father's Day with my Dad. We had him and my mother over for Saturday brunch and then went and saw the Kung Fu Panda movie. Sunday was a quiet day at home with Matt and the kids. The kids each presented Matt with a gift they created. The girls gave framed artwork. We put a frame together of pics of AJ and Matt at the spring BYU football game. I was pretty darn proud of myself since I"m not really that crafty. It seems extra difficult with children, and then I never like what I make. This gift, however, came together pretty well. It seems that when I'm shopping for craft materials while dragging 3 children through several stores, and after many bribes and meltdowns, I give up and usually wind up improvising because I can't finish my shopping for just the right stuff for the project. This "BYU" gift came together with only one trip to Walmart, and one trip to Roberts.........a cheap picture frame, pictures of AJ and Matt, BYU scrapbook paper, and stickers! Matt loved it and AJ was very proud of his gift.

While wrapping the gifts the girls found this enormous gift bag that was stored with all of our wrapping stuff. They thought it'd be hilarious to have AJ hide in the gift bag as one of Matt's Father's Day presents. He jumped out and said, "Happy Father's Day", in his two year old way that completely melts your heart!

I hope Matt had a wonderful day! He is such a wonderful husband and father. I honestly could not ask for anything better. He treats me with such love and the kids absolutely adore their father. We are lucky to have a man who leads our family and strives to make us better as a family unit!

Dance, Dance, Dance

It seems that my girls love dance. Especially Micaela! All day long they are continually making up little dances, often to a song that they also make up. So I sit on the couch and they put on a little show for me. Because Micaela is such a little ham, they are usually quite funny, and Lauren usually winds up laughing so hard she can hardly breathe.

We switched dance studios last year to the 'The Pointe' (if you've watched Fox 13 lately, they've done little spots on them because two guys from 'So you Think You Can Dance' perform with Odyssey Dance, a professional dance group, who rehearse at the same location as "The Pointe")

They tried out again and are both on "company" this coming year. Lauren will be doing 3 hours of dance a week, and Micaela 2 hours. They love "company" because they like to learn dances and perform, and especially love the costumes. In this picture the girls were flamingos for their ballet dance, during their end of year recital which happened last month. They were in the same ballet class together this past dance year. It's fun having two girls who are so close in age and are best friends, too!

Matt Couldn't Have Been More Proud of His Boy!!

Matt was taught as a young boy that it's not appropriate to be the aggressor, but if someone is giving you a hard time or hurting you, then it's okay to take care of business. So the story goes that when Matt was a child, an older neighborhood bully liked to pick on him as he walked home from school. Matt's father's council regarding this problem was, "Son, punch him square in the nose....and he'll never bother you again." The next time the kid tried to harass Matthew, he must have taken care of business adequately because the bully never bothered him again. It seems Matt would like to pass this same philosophy on to our son.
It's as if Matt already has Anthon in training. He is already teaching him wrestling moves, they both box on a heavy punching bag, and then put their moves into more practice while playing the Wii. Matt loves having a boy!! But up until now, all of AJ's aggression has always been at inappropriate times. For example, punching Matt in the eye and kicking his stomach during scripture study, or tackling the neighborhood girl down and pinning her in a wrestling move because he was mad that she was eating a meal with us, and worried she might eat all our pizza (the poor little girl couldn't move at all and was just in the fetal position crying, while AJ kept punching her in the head). That is until today...................
Our backyard neighbor was substituting in Anthon's nursery today. She said that AJ had built a tall tower of blocks with Matt at the beginning of nursery. After Matt left, AJ was very protective of his tower. The bully of the group came up and knocked AJ's tower down on purpose. The neighbor said she was not exactly sure who threw the first punch, but AJ was definitely in their swinging and it was a full-on first fight during nursery class. . She said she was proud of AJ for taking care of the situation, and wished he could show her first grader a couple moves so that he could also defend himself when it was necessary.
When I told this story to Matt, he couldn't stop laughing, and yet he was beaming with happiness and extremely proud of his son. He asked AJ specific questions as if wanting the play-by-play, and then began coaching him on how to improve for next time.

Okay, I finally gave in and decided to make a blog!!

I must admit, I do enjoy reading other peoples blogs. That is when I get to time to. Just when I think that all of my children are very involved in some type of activity that will keep them occupied for awhile, I try to quietly sneak into our office for some quiet time by myself. But usually just a few minutes into my personal computer time, it seems that I get discovered. Then the next thing I know all three of my monkey are hanging off me and our one office chair, very interested and curious as to what I am doing. The endless questions and AJ pushing random buttons and reorganizing our desktop usually causes me to quickly end my computer time.
So, you may ask why I am admitting that I 'gave in' to creating a blog. What's the big deal, right? .... Everyone has a blog these days. Well, that has been my issue. You see, I married into a family with 7 siblings, all of them, as well as my mother and father in law, have had a blog. I was interested in doing it, but didn't want to seem like I was just a follower, and doing it because it was the 'family' thing to do. I didn't want it to seem that I was succumbing to any type of family pressure. So I held out for my own time frame. And now seems like as good time. (Also, I started to set one up months ago and got stuck on what I wanted to call my blog spot---so don't expect anything too creative out of me) Also, since I have a bit of a competitive nature, I decided to think of it in terms that I beat Angela in creating a blog. You see, now she is the last and only one that does not have a family blog. I'll let you know how it goes Angie, and tell you if it really is as fulfilling as everyone pretends.:)