Kids are Funny People

I have thousands of pictures I could share, and millions of stories bouncing around in my head. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I'm spending most of my time these days just living life and running out of time to talk about it!

This, gem, however, needed a quick share.

Alyssa, fresh from the bath and resembling a cute little girl instead of an straggly orphan child, is jumping on her bed.

Me: "Alyssa, your bed is not for jumping on."

Alyssa: "I wasn't jumping!"

Me: "I can see you jumping!"

Alyssa: "Ok, I'll close the door."

Eric and I just looked at each other, stunned. Alyssa: 1 Parents: 0. It's hard to consistently enforce the rules when you are surrounded by little lawyers with the gift of gab.

And now, 11 reasons why my kids can always make me smile:

St Malo California

Well, school has started here and getting back to life as normal reminds me that, once upon a time, I used to be good at blogging!

At what point do you give up on catching up and just decide to plow ahead? I suppose now is as good a day as any!

A few weeks back we got to spend a week in St Malo Beach in California. This year my brother and his kids were able to come from Iowa! It made for good conversations and game nights, but also added the noise and chaos of three more small kids. 

The only downside to the trip was a ridiculous allergic reaction to mosquito bites. I got three on the same foot and it swelled so much I could hardly walk for several days. It was a week before I could move my toes!

It's hard to see in a picture, until you realize that my toes are closer together because of the swelling and all of the wrinkles and veins are hidden...

God's Toddlers

Just before her first trip to Disneyland...

Determined to grimace because I asked her to smile!

Alyssa is 2.5. Fiercely independent. Determined. Focused. Infuriatingly stubborn. At any given moment, she is most likely doing exactly the opposite of what I'm asking her to do, usually while yelling or screaming in frustration.

And I'll admit it, sometimes she is not the only one yelling in frustration.

At times of quiet, late at night when the kids are finally sleeping, I've been puzzling over how to be her mother. How can I help her master new skills while bringing the volume level down? How can I handle her outbursts without adding some of my own? Why is her behavior so difficult, and why am I not showing more love and patience? I think we've all been there.

Last week I spent time thinking about how I could keep my cool, and praying about how to be a better mother. It's hard not to get down on yourself when you replay those moments in your head and realize that you could have given a hug instead of a frown, or a minute of quiet instead of yelling back. I prayed to feel more love for her even in the hard times, so I could have the patience to handle the chaos. I prayed to see her as our Heavenly Father must see her, a small child trying and struggling to grow up.

Instead, I saw me, and I learned something.

I am God's toddler.

I ask for something, and He tells me it is coming. Do I sit and wait, patiently, quietly, until it is time? Or do I keep asking, and asking, and asking as if I'm not sure He really heard me the first time?

I am trying to learn something new, trying to master a new skill. This parenting thing is HARD, but I know I'm supposed to be able to do it. So I just keep trying, harder, louder, not understanding why it's JUST NOT WORKING. Do I listen to His guidance and advice? Do I let Him show me how? Help me? Do I even let Him stand in the same room and gesture in the right direction?

I am frustrated and worn-out from all of my struggling. Do I let Him comfort me or am I too busy being grumpy to feel His love?

I get frustrated with myself because I want to be better, I know I can be. I fall short, and I have trouble accepting that. I want to be able to do everything right! Can I see that He recognizes the effort? That He is excited for the steps I am making and not solely focused on the outcome?

I hope the next time I find myself pushed to the breaking point, I can take a step back and realize that when I comfort her and teach her with love, I have a Father looking over my shoulder and guiding me too. I won't always be perfect, and neither will she, but "this too shall pass" and toddlers grow up.

Even God's.

Rachel 3-5 months :)

I like to post as least once a month. Just to keep from getting too behind and to keep in touch with family and friends who are far away.

And then the realities of three kids, a part time job, and Eric's busy season hit. Ha! I swear, if I didn't have to look decent for work everyday I would forget to shower. Have I mentioned that this job has been good for my mental health?

5 months: first time in a swing!

My newborn is no longer a newborn. When she was 3 months old I finally posted her two month stats.  I suppose it's now time for her four month stats and some updates on her new tricks.

4 months

Stats at four months (on 1/11/13)

Weight: 12 lb 4.5 oz (10%)
Height: 24.75" (50%)
Head: 40.75 cm (30%)

4 months: getting some snuggles

Based on her stats two months previously, she's still a lightweight, no longer tall for her age, and her head is growing at an alarming rate. Realistically, her weight is consistent because she flirts with the nurse while on the scale, her length fluctuates because she stretches out when she's excited, and her head measurement is a complete guess because she's fascinated by everything and successfully yanked the measuring tape out of the nurse's hand.

5 months: giving some sass

She started rolling back to front occasionally over Christmas break, just before four months, but didn't really get good at it until 4.5 months. At five months she suddenly flipped front to back after a bath and hasn't looked back since. She spends her time rolling back and forth and occasionally log rolling across the rug. She's a sneaky thing. I'll put her down on the floor somewhere, glance away to get something for another kid, and turn back to find her facing a different direction or in another place. Yet when I sit there and watch her, she doesn't seem to move very much!

3 months: tummy time

5 months: rolling and grabbing

Favorites

Things to look at: people. all people. Her whole lights up whenever a face appears in front of hers. Except for the first deep brunette she met, which apparently freaked her out about dark hair. Topping the list is Scotty and Alyssa, her two favorite people by a substantial margin. She also loves her Nani a lot.
Things to do: roll around, put everything in her mouth, make excited noises
Songs: the Rachel song, When I am Baptized (I like to look for rainbows) - she sings along every time!
Books: anything the bigger kids are looking at. Very tasty.
Places: anywhere outside, in someone's arms (or my wrap or sling)

5 months: in the wrap

Least Favorites

Things to look at: anything that's not moving or singing at her. She gets lonely without hyper kids in her face or snuggles from mama.
Things to do: get stuck on her stomach, get tickled (she rarely giggles and when she does it sounds like a bad fake laugh!)

My favorite things about Rachel

5 months: loving her Scotty

She was meant to be the third child with very high energy siblings. A head appears inches from her nose, bouncing around and singing loudly in her face--and she smiles. EVERY TIME. And occasionally grabs a nose or a handful of hair. I call it her self-defense mechanism. She falls asleep easily 90% of the time and sleeps through the chaos of kids running in and out of a room only a foot away from hers. She'll fall asleep on the floor with kids running in circles around her. She can transition from sleeping to waking instantly without being thrown off for the entire day--especially if she gets a solid morning nap. Unlike the first two, she doesn't mind her carseat or rides in the car. She likes to snuggle and calms to me, but she mostly just wants interaction. If she was my first kid I probably wouldn't think she was so easy because she likes constant entertainment--which Scotty and Alyssa are much more equipped to provide.

5 months: pat-a-foot with Alyssa

She is so engaging! I took the kids to story time at the library last week and the librarian commented to me how aware the baby was. She watched the kids help with puppet show, and looked at the pictures in the book. She even caught some of the bubbles at the end. She watches everything and is always trying to grab things, eat things, and communicate. Her whole face lights up when she seems someone and she coos and sings and yells happily all day long.

5 months: Alyssa was singing her songs when she woke up and Eric walked in to discover this

 She is working on sitting up independently, and can balance fairly well without tipping. She gets excited when she sees her toes and tries to eat them, so she often folds in half but she is very capable of holding herself up. The next adventure is starting solids but I'm in no rush. She nurses well (especially since I cut my hair and she can no longer tangle it all up) and doesn't seem interested in regular food. I've sneaked her an occasional bite of ice cream and she is still clueless about spoons or opening her mouth.

Rachel's Blessing

So this post is almost exactly two months late, but whatever! I'm juggling three kids, a busy husband, and a part-time job--I'm impressed that anything gets done around here. Just don't look in my fridge; we've been out of milk for 2 days and we still have tupperware with Thanksgiving leftovers...

ANYWAY.

October 14, 2012
Our sweet baby Rachel Marie Larsen was blessed by her daddy,  and both sets of grandparents got to be there. It was so great to have Charlie and Leanne out here! Leanne was super woman, cooking freezer meals and helping with the kids while I worked even though she was down to one arm.

the Larsens

her sad face is adorably scrunched up :)

the Mary Poppins feet!

Love!

I love this little peach dress! It actually belongs to one of my mom's dolls and it was the dress I was blessed in as a baby.

Alyssa also got to wear it. See any resemblance?

Alyssa, 1 month: BIGGER eyes :)

and pointy ears

but they both do "that tongue thing"

More kids means decent looking family pictures are harder to come by :)

with Nani and Papa

P.S. for the curious, we all agree that Rachel looks more like Scotty as a baby, with the same furrowed brow and big ears. Her head isn't as round as his was and she has the pointy chin like Alyssa.