Survival

Over the past few weeks, we have been in survival mode at our house. Survival mode is not pretty. It's not fun. It's not easy.

For me, this is what a day includes when I am in survival mode:

-getting the kids to school
-feeding the kids three meals a day (not necessarily homemade, not even necessarily nutritious.)
-giving Peter and Henry naps.
-getting homework done.
-reading the scriptures
-getting four kids to bed.

The number of things that don't make this "survival list" is staggering. The list doesn't include:

-showering
-doing laundry
-picking up toys
-cleaning the house
-doing the dishes
-combing my hair
-getting Henry a vampire costume
-making dinner
-going to the grocery store
-bathing the children
-returning phone calls and emails
-posting on the blog

Honestly, the list could go on and on and on of things that don't get done when all I'm trying to do is survive the day.

And to what do we owe this lovely state of affairs.....?

Yes. Don't faint.... but number five is on the way and due to arrive in May. We are so happy and will be even more excited when I get over this "morning" sickness and get back to being a real mom.

Until then, we'll just keep on surviving the best we can.

Piano Recitals

Growing up piano recitals were some of the most painful moments of my life. I can't think of a time when my heart would pound harder, my palms would sweat more profusely or my vision would blur more. I was not good in those situations. Very seldom, if ever, did I make it through a recital without a missed note, an incorrect count or both. To this day, I wish I was better at piano, but given the choice, I would never wish to revisit those experiences again.

On Saturday, Abby had her first recital and as we sat there waiting for the recital to begin I realized I was getting nervous for her. She had spent weeks practicing her piece and had it memorized perfectly, but as the time for her to play got closer I felt that familiar feeling of my heart pounding and my palms sweating.


Fortunately, Abby doesn't seem to have inherited my lack of confidence or my inability to play the piano well under pressure. When it was her turn, she calmly walked up to the stage and with great poise announced her piece: "I shall play 'Rainbow Fish', by Kathryn Rollin."

She looked so tiny up there next to the huge grand piano and she struggled to get the bench into the correct position. Her little legs didn't reach the pedal if she sat on the bench, so she just kind of leaned against it with one foot on the pedal and played her song.

She played it beautifully and confidently and didn't make a single mistake. When she finished she took a bow with a huge smile on her face. My heart calmed, my palms dried, and I was so proud of Abby and what she had accomplished. She was wonderful. Her first recital is done - and was done well and somehow, I'm already excited for the next one.

Halloween

Halloween has come and gone and suddenly it's November! Like most children in the country, my kids started discussing their costumes shortly after school started and in the end, these were the choices that won out.


Abby decided to be a Geisha (or a girl from Japan or a Japanese princess depending on who was asking the question - just don't confuse her with Mulan.)


Isaac went with with traditional favorite of Indian - or Native American. Andrew single-handedly made the top/cape portion of the costume. I admit I was skeptical when he came home with a piece of leather and some lacing, but he really pulled it off and Isaac loved his costume.

After months of asking if he could be a vampire, the night before Henry's preschool program, I was able to convince him that he should be a pirate. Luckily he agreed, because I had done nothing to get a vampire costume ready and had no back up plan if he refused. Henry really made a cute pirate and he grew awfully fond of the old pair of red shoes he wore. (Maybe too fond of those shoes.)


Peter learned to walk just a few weeks ago and he made the cutest toddling pumpkin you've ever seen. He has also developed a sixth sense for candy and can find it hidden anywhere in the house. He also has three older siblings who are willing to feed it to him on demand. Needless to say, Halloween is his new favorite holiday.

This is Peter's newest expression. He walks around like this all day long.

It was a fun Halloween that seemed to last all month. We had a trunk-or-treat, a preschool program, two parades at school, a parade at the "assisted-living facility" where Andrew's grandma lives, an amazing potluck neighborhood party, and of course, trick-or-treating. We have enough candy to last throughout the year and well into next year.

Anyway, good times. Now we all need to come down off our sugar highs.