I {heart} Violet

Violet learned how to "pump" on the swing today! She has been outside swinging for about 45 minutes now with a huge smile on her face, singing, "Up! Down! Higher! High!"

It is a wonderful thing to see your children grow and learn. It makes my heart feel like it might burst with happiness. 

Also, conversation from the drive to school today:

Clara is discussing the wonderfulness of her "feets."

Violet: "Feets . . . ? I have feets."

Me: "Do you have feets or feet, Violet?"

Violet: "Feet!"

Me: "Right! You're smart. What about if you had only one? What would it be called?"

Violet: " . . . skipping."

Hahahaha! I love my Violet so much.

She is the sweetest little gentle spirit. She is in her own little imaginative world most of the time and goes through this life pretty quietly most of the time.

She slept in till 10:00 yesterday(!!!) and laughed when I told her that it was almost time for Elsie to get home from school.

She is teaching herself how to read(!!!) and writes almost all of her letters perfectly. As we drive she is often telling me what simple words on signs say and I find little notes from her everywhere that say "I {heart} MOM" or "I {heart} DAD" or insert any one of her sisters' names, which she knows how to spell. (Don't credit me. All but Hazel has learned to read and write almost entirely on their own by observing their sisters. So incredible to me!)

She also loves to pray and says fantastic prayers full of thanks for things like stickers, stars, Pinkie Pie, pillows, hugs, and happiness, while asking for help with awesome things like not picking her nose. (hahahahahaaa!)

I {heart} Violet.

Unpacking . . .

It'll kind of be like unpacking your house after someone else packed it up. You're never sure what's in the box and all too often you've got a bunch of random things in there that don't belong with the rest and you don't really know what to do with them. Yep. That's what this post is going to be like.

Speaking of unpacking, I've still got about 25 boxes to unpack. I'm not thrilled. I'm tired of unpacking. I feel like I've been unpacking for 2.5 years.

It's been foggy for the past three days. Everything is covered in hoarfrost. The weeping birch trees look like frozen fountains. It's kinda magical.

Hazel, Elsie, and Lilie can think of nothing but going to see their cousin, Winston, who is now a mere 30 minutes away. I don't blame them, those Moores are pretty great.

All three of them are also adjusting to school really, really well. I know I mentioned this in the last post, but seriously, I can't even express what a relief this is for me. I worry so much that we're damaging them by not allowing them to put down roots anywhere, but they are a testament to me that we have all the stability that they need right here within our family. They teach me.

Violet and Clara have watched too much TV the past two months.

Violet and Clara are learning to play really, really well together. It makes my heart happy. Today they are dressed up as a princess and a jack-o-lantern.

Orange is Violet's FAVORITE color. That makes me happy.

Clara doesn't really love clothes. Unless I put her footie pj's on backward (we had to cut all the "footies" off months ago), she wakes up naked, freezing, and in a soggy bed (because she also takes off her diaper) at about 2:30 every morning. Since implementing the "straight-jacket" sleeping method, we've all been much happier.

Violet is getting new glasses sometime this week. I am really hoping that it (again) helps mellow out the melt-downs that are so uncharacteristic of her pleasant, easy-going personality. Winter comes along and she spends lots of time drawing and her eyes get so tired. Her old glasses are too small and hurt her ears, so she doesn't keep them on.

Amid the thousands of wonderful things that I've not recorded in the past year, Violet got her hair cut by her Aunt Genny this last Thanksgiving while we were in Utah. It's adorable and she loves it.

Clara loves to dance. Any music results in a spontaneous dance-party.

Clara is SO SASSY! Many, many unexpected things in her life are met with, "Why you do dat???" One of our last nights in Sandpoint, she was playing chase with Daddy and I scared her as she came flying around a corner. She jumped, squealed, and then immediately said, "Why you scare me, Mom?!!!" We took the girls to see "Frozen" a couple weeks ago and right at the most intense part of the movie, it's silent, and the princess has just turned to ice. Everyone is very sad, of course. Clara yells, "WHY YOU DO DAT, DAD???!!!" It "broke the ice" (haha) and everyone in the theater laughed.

My girls are growing up so much. While I was at our new place with the movers to unpack the truck, Hazel stayed home from school and babysat her three younger sisters for NINE HOURS - and was still smiling when I relieved her at 5:00. I was only a 1/4 mile away and checked on her frequently throughout the day, but she did awesome. I really count on my Hazel. She loves to read, loves to talk, loves to be with other people, and loves learning. She has one of the most pure hearts I've ever known.

Lilie reminds me of myself daily. She loves creating and colors. We had a tour of their new school the Friday before everyone came back from Christmas break and she asked repeatedly about the art class. :) She is an incredible artist. A true introvert, it is so hard to pull information from her about her day and what's on her mind anytime but in the quietest one-on-one moments. She talks plenty and LOUDLY, :) but it's hard to hear what's in her heart without listening. I'm trying to learn how to listen better.

Elsie is such a little people-person. She is loving her new school and LOVES being the "new girl". Her teacher adores her and commented on how wonderfully she's transitioning - as if she's always been part of their class. At her first parent-teacher conference in Sandpoint, her teacher had talked about the possibility of moving her up a grade. She's ready, both intellectually and socially and only misses the cutoff by a month. Nels and I spent a day or two thinking about it and in the end decided that she's right where she needs to be. She is really starting to develop helping others and reaching out to those who may be struggling as a big part of her personal identity. We feel that it's a benefit for her to be older in her class. It thrills my heart to see her take others under her wing so much. She is such a warm person.

This is Elsie with her friend Henry before we left Sandpoint. He was in both her Pre-K class last year and her Kindergarten class this year. To say that he LOVES Elsie would be an understatement.

Nels? He's doing good. He likes his new job and he even gets to come home for lunch on a regular basis. He told me last week that because of security measures, working real late at this job isn't even an option!! Can you believe it?! :) Really, they seem like a great company. And starting today Nels and I are doing another 30 day sugar fast - like we did last January. Gotta get ready for Costa Rica this summer! :)

As for me, I'm really looking forward to the day when I break down the last box. In the meantime, I scheme all day about what I want to do that evening when the kids finally go to bed and I "clock out" for the day . . . so far I haven't been able to actually DO that since we moved in, but I keep hoping.

(my first knitting project - in our temporary apartment - before the boxes and boxes and boxes came)

And most days, since I don't leave the house (and sometimes when I do), I wear something colorfully crazy --- because it makes me happy (and sometimes hides my hair that I haven't washed in three days).

I'll have to remember to pair up that hat with the orange tights, multicolored skirt, and blue slippers I'm wearing today. :)

Summer Perfection: Part 1

From the get-go, we've always said that Sandpoint was a temporary move. A rest stop on the way to . . . wherever . . . we're going . . . eventually. :)

"Somewhere we'll stay for, I don't know, probably three to five years."

But you know what? I don't know how we'll EVER leave.

Not with weeks like this.

Today as I sat on the beach talking to friends and watching my kids play in the water, sand, and sunshine

I made a decision.

Honey, if things don't work out at Coldwater, we're livin' in a tent! (it can be done! we know a man who does.)

Seriously. How is it that you are not ALL living here with us?!

Clara, at almost 2, is still the sweetest little feisty angel. She holds her own with four older sisters and rolls with the crazy when we stay at the beach for five hours and miss naptime.

Monday she just snuggled right up on my lap mid-afternoon and fell right into dreamland. Holding my sleeping baby is like dreamland for me . . .

Tuesday we skipped the beach and I cleaned my bedroom. A miracle that resulted in the discovery of my keys (missing 10 days) and my glasses (missing 3 months).

Wednesday Nels skipped work and we took the girls to Silverwood. A blast that resulted in the realization that Hazel and Violet don't really love rollercoasters and adrenaline makes me talk a lot.

Dinner at Olive Garden with my beautiful girls, a (yet again) angelically nap-less bebe, 

and their handsome dad.

Today was just summer at it's finest.

Poor Lilie inherited her daddy's pink skin.

diving Elsie

While my angel baby AGAIN slept at the beach, for the first time since we moved here, I went swimming. It was SO FUN!!! Lilie, Hazel, and I swam out to the logs separating the beach and the boats with our friends the McClellands and played King of the Log. It was awesome. I love good friends!

After four hours in the sun, we returned home to pick thimbleberries across the road and golden raspberries in the backyard.

thimbleberries: fuzzy, delicious cousins of domestic raspberries

my "I'm ecstatic that I've not had to water this green grass once this summer" face

my "I'm in heaven" face

Again, I need to ask: how is it that you are all not living here WITH US?!

On the Mend

That last post cracks me up!

I was so frustrated and SO mad. It was one of those weird days.

Then I spent Friday and Saturday sick in bed. It was sad. See?

very pathetic and pitiful.

But I did get to listen to almost the entire book of "Unbroken" and Nels was an amazing Mr. Mom on Saturday. That wonderful man washed and folded ALL the laundry! I should get sick more often.

In other news, some good things:

• We hung up Nels's hammock last night in the backyard. Hello, old friend! We haven't enjoyed one another's company for nearly two years. You were missed. Welcome to paradise!
• I love riding lawn mowers. - Unless I'm drugged on Benadryl. Then they lull me to sleep. A summer job discovery. Ever since, I lay off the drugs when I'm mowin'.
• I can see the floor in my van. The WHOLE floor. It's a miracle.
• Nels played catch with me yesterday. Makes me SO happy. and sweaty. I played varsity softball when I was a Freshman, then we moved to Bountiful when I was a Sophomore and I never tried out for the team because I was too intimidated. Another true story.
• Lilie has a great eye and is an excellent batter.
• Violet loves kickball! When Daddy played with the girls the other day, she was the only one he could keep interested. I think we're going to have to give it another go.
• Clara hates her snipped-off binkies and tells me off every time I give it to her. She, too, LOVES the riding lawn mower. She has become the tantrum queen. She is also a champion sleeper.
• Elsie needs a break from technology. :) The other day she was playing "Dinosaur Train" and after regaling me with "facts" like, "Mom, did you know that dinosaurs lived in outerspace?!" (I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding there) exclaimed, "I love information!" Trips to the non-fiction section of the library are forthcoming.
• Hazel and the hammock are going to clock a lot of hours in this summer. That girl loves to read. She's burned through almost the entire Percy Jackson series (along with many other books) in the last couple of months. 
• Three more weeks of school! - Then I'm toying with the idea of going AWOL for the entire month of June.

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