This is Getting Ridiculous

Leah is giving up naptime. Rather, I'm withholding it from her. I am tired of keeping company with her until 10:00 at night because she is rested and refreshed from her 2 hour afternoon nap. So, rather than fight that battle any more, I decided that she could quit napping and start going to bed at a decent-for-a-3-year-old time.

Only, it's not really working. She puts up with quiet time- reading books or coloring or watching a video from the library- but then she is a bear in the afternoon. If I put her in the car, she falls asleep. And if we stay at home, I find her like this.Poor Adam didn't know what to think when he walked into his bedroom and found Goldilocks asleep in his bed.

And just now! As I am typing this up, Leah has started snoring on the couch. I guess I'll be spending another late night with my girl.

But Wait! There's More!

After a few minutes to catch our breath at home, we headed down to Indianapolis. We had a tasty picnic lunch in the Canal District, then piled into a paddle boat for a little sight-seeing/work out.
Side note- isn't my sister just adorable? Look at that smile! Those teeth! That tan... I'm so jealous...

Leah is staring at Allison rolling down a hill. I'm so sad I didn't get to see it.
The paddle boat is something I have wanted to do in Indianapolis since we moved here. We started out all squished into the front seat- the kids were too terrified to let go of us. But paddling with Adam on my lap made for one painful leg cramp, and we quickly moved Leah to the back so Adam could sit between me and Allison. And then it was so much fun. It was a cloudy day- perfect for paddling- and the Canal District in Indianapolis is so pretty- lots of bridges and fountains and posh buildings. And no one fell into the water. Phew!
Then we headed over to the Children's Museum to check out the Barbie exhibit. Allison made it so much fun for Leah (and me!)- and we spent all of our time trying outfits on the dolls and ourselves, sketching costumes, and admiring the decades of beautiful dolls. We're not really Barbie girls, but that exhibit is just cool.

Peaches and Cream Barbie- my favorite outfit as a child.

And the bottom right picture is Mariposa Barbie- from Fairytopia, I think.

Then it was off to the carousel (poor Allison had to ride next to Mullet-Boy), the ice cream parlor, and the End of the day parade. We could have easily spent another 4 hours at the museum, but that's just one more reason she'll have to come back to Indiana! For now, another great day of the trip was done.

Happy Fam-iversary!

Today is our 7 year fam-iversary (aka 7 years since our first date, in case you don't know what that made up word means). I won't say that the time has flown by. It has been, and continues to be a wonderful journey, comfortably traveled together. I'm amazed at how perspective on little hangups changes when you're committed for the long haul. It reminds me of this quote by Gordon B. Hinckley-

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey … delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

I am grateful to be able to say that life, for us, has included an abundance of bliss, an easily proffered degree of mutual toleration, and children that are growing up to be fantastic people. It makes the journey quite an enjoyable one.

Discoveries

Discovering that, instead of taking a nap, this big boy can just CLIMB OUT of his crib, walk across the room and pound on the door until I open it.

Discovering that olives make great accessories!

But let's get serious here. They taste good, too.

Discovering that skipping naptime is not the best option.

Discovering that our best friends are the ones we live with.

Second Wind

Our second day in Chicago started out with a huge and delicious breakfast delivered to our hotel room. We had survived the night without Jason and we actually got a good night's sleep once Leah was isolated in a bed of her own and no longer able to kick or twiddle anyone's hair in her sleep. We were ready to hit the town.

We spent most of the day at the aquarium. Since the kids and I had been there a few times before, it was fun to see it through the eye's of a first-timer.
Plus there was the added benefit of knowing what to see and what to avoid. We even had perfect seats for their aquatic show Fantasea- just two rows behind the girl that is "randomly" chosen out of the audience to fly across the sea in a boat and interact with the beluga whales, sea lions, and dolphins. We also got to see the American Hawk and penguins up close. It was an amazing show.
My favorite part of the aquarium was the lunch- we were dining with the dolphins, and I felt so much like the mom instead of the kid. "I just paid $7 for that sandwich- you're going to eat it, and you're going to like it!" We don't usually buy food at the museums, and I had total sticker shock.

After the museum, it was time to go shopping! We ended up at The American Girl doll store- a place that I'm sure Leah will appreciate much more when she's a bit older. It was so girly and fun!

It was all about pink frosting and sprinkles.

Then it was time to head home. I could have easily dragged everyone around the city for another day- we didn't even get to go to the beach or see the temple. But it had now been two full weeks since the kids and I had been home, and with a 3 hour drive ahead of me, the fun had to end somewhere.

And it was an awesome trip. I loved seeing Chicago through the eyes of Allison. Without kids to wrangle or a schedule to keep, she caught a glimpse of the city that I have only experienced once (in life BC). Just take a look at all the amazing things she saw!

This and That

We have been enjoying the fruits of Jason's labor in the garden. We got one onion, two carrots, three peppers, and countless tomatoes. It has become quite addicting being able to pluck one or two (or in tonight's case- 12) romas out of the garden for dinner. We've learned that gardening is definitely an active activity, and I think next year we'll try harder to make a smaller selection of fruits and veggies more... well... fruitful.

Adam is SUCH a messy eater- is this a baby thing? Or a boy thing? Nightly baths are a must, especially when there are entire chunks of dinner smashed into his hair.

For all of the bugs that we have discovered in Indiana, the butterflies are Leah's favorite. She even got to touch the wings of this one.


The kids got into my bag yesterday and used my lip gloss to turn themselves into tigers. Sure, they are completely adorable, but some days I feel like there is nothing in my house that is just mine anymore. Does forced selflessness count for anything?

Joy School

Leah started Joy School this week. She has been asking me for months now when it will be her turn to go to school, and the day finally arrived! She put her backpack on the night before, and hasn't taken it off yet.

The class starts at 9:00... don't laugh, but that is pretty early to be up and out the door for us- just ask Adam.

But Leah was so excited to get to school, she was up and ready waaayy earlier than necessary. After a few "first day of school" pictures,

she had had enough,

and was ready to get on with it.

So far she has only had good things to say about the experience, and I absolutely love that she is getting a little extra stimulation every week. Not to mention the quality one-on-one time I'm getting with Adam, as well as the chance to tackle my to-do lists with one less 'helper'.

The class rotates between the houses of the students, and next week it will be at our house. Leah is thrilled that her mom will be the teacher. We'll see how well I do corralling 7 kids (plus Adam) for 2 and a half hours!