Is it summer yet?!

"MOM?!" *said in LOUDEST whisper he can muster.
"Mmm-hmmm?"
"Is it time to wake up yet?"
"....yeah, that's fine, you can get up."
"MOM?!"
"Yes."
"Is it summer yet?"
"No, not yet."
"MOM?!"
"...yes?"
"Can I wear my shorts today?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"AND MOM?!"
"....yes, Linus..."
"And can I wear my flip flops too?"
"Yes, Linus, wear whatever you want."
"MOM?!"
"What, Linus."
"It's not summer yet so I have to wear pants."
"Linus, I tell you this every morning, you can wear shorts in the Spring time as long as it's warm outside."
"BUT MOM! I want to wear my long pants!"
"That will just make you hot today, it's supposed to be hot today."
"BUT MOM! It won't be hot today, I know it! It's not summer yet."
"...it can be hot in Spring too-"
"-BUT MOM! I WANT to wear long pants!"
"Linus, do you want to be really hot today?"
"No."
"Then you need to wear shorts."
"BUT MOM! I really really want to wear my pants today!"
"....okay, fine, you can wear your pants, but don't complain to me if you get too hot, okay?"
"Okay."

....."MOM?!"
"...what Linus..."
"I think I want to wear shorts and my flip flops today. Then I'll look like a super bad guy."
"Okay, Linus, whatever you want."

This happens just about every morning. If only it were just summer, then he would know that it would be hot outside everyday. Come on, summer, hurry up already!
I made up my own sewing project! So I was going through Craig and my closet this season and Craig has a whole slew of shirts in there that he hasn't worn since high school (...and frankly they're so large I wonder how accurate that statement is, I wonder if he ever wore them or just put them in his closet when he got them as hand-me-downs and pretended to think he was going to wear them someday...). I decided I'm going to transform some of said shirts into dresses for the girls. I was at Target the other day and really really wanted to just take every girl's dress off the rack and take it home, but although Target is affordable...they really aren't affordable at all if you are used to filling your closets with thrift store clothes. SO, I'm going to put my creativity to use. Here is my first project: I was finished and was so frustrated that I wanted to throw it away because I messed up in so many spots, but then I counted to ten, took a deep breath, and then sewed some ruffles on the front and Chloe fell in love at first sight. Guess that's all that matters. Here's to better attempts next time. And maybe some patterns? If I get motivated enough...

Having fun out in the sun anyway, though. Even though I'm sort of wincing inside each day it gets hotter this early in the season because I'm worried about how hot and dry it will be around here come July, I just LOVE this extended Spring we are getting. All the flowers bloomed perfectly and didn't get smashed to pieces by a freak snow storm. Our monster crab apple tree in the front yard looked like a Spring scene in a Jane Austen book. The grass is lush and green, and although our poor trees took a beating last fall when we had a really early wet snow, they are leafing quickly and hopefully will last a few more years yet. The coolness of our house in the hot months sort of depends on the shade from those trees, and we already lost a portion of it because our neighbor did what many neighbors around here had to do after the storm in the fall and chopped down the tree in their yard, which helped to shade our house in the summer. But the kids are loving being outside every day and are doing what kids to best, like:
 

Growing up without permission.

Smiling all the time.

Making new friends. This is Winus the worm and the real Winus is smitten.

And being creative.

In other news, I am going to HAWAII in a couple of weeks. I am both terrified and so excited I can't wait another day. It's just my brother and sister and mom and I, the cast list for the trip changed so many times, but in the end, it worked out to be just us and I'm thrilled to spend some time with my siblings and mom, however I get anxious and work up a clammy sweat when I think about being gone from my kids and husband for almost two weeks. Craig is being a wonderful husband, though, and while I'm sure he has his own reservations about the trip, he has not spoken a word to me about them and continues to assure me that it will be good for me to spend some time with my family, good for him to spend some time with the kids, nothing bad will happen, he will be fine, the kids will be fine, he's actually going to cook the whole two weeks, and to try to enjoy myself. And try I will. Finally got a swimsuit ordered last night. And may even get a real tan this year, watchout!

Easter. Late.

Egg hunts are just the best. Chloe would agree with full heart, and she and Linus had a blast decorating eggs as well. Odell enjoyed watching while munching on animal crackers and squawking when she wanted her drink from her high chair next to the table. We also had a lovely morning on Sunday, finding eggs (Easter Bunny was very creative in where he hid those eggs- in fact there's still one hidden in our curtains in the front room, but don't tell Linus, he's still looking for it). Then we cuddled up on the couch and watched the new bible videos on Christ. I cried, the kids asked a couple of questions, then we pushed the fast forward button to rush and get ready for church since it started an hour early beginning Easter Sunday.
Tonight I am sitting on the couch with my fleece blanket, eating Goldfish (my secret indulgence) and drinking cream soda (...my real secret indulgence) and watching You've Got Mail because I found it in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart and couldn't pass it up. Craig is playing basketball at church, should be home right in time for the final kiss and sit and scoff at it and completely ruin the moment. As usual. And then I'll kiss him and tell him to go take a shower because he will stink.
And that's all I have to say. Goodnight!

Conference Commotion

Okay, Moms, I need your help.
This specifically applies to those of you who faithfully try to watch all four sessions of the LDS General Conference twice a year at home with your kids.
I always hear older moms talk about how nice we have it now that we can watch conference from home now that you can access it almost anywhere, and while I definitely appreciate being able to at least glean something out of each session, I'm not so sure how easy we have it. When I was growing up, we all went as a family to ONE session out of the four of the broadcasted conference at church and it was usually the last one, Sunday afternoon. Which meant that the rest of the time we simply had no access to the other broadcasts and our parents sure as heck weren't going to dress us up and bring us to all four two hour a piece sessions, one was good enough and then you got to read the rest when they came out in print.
Now let me clarify something here. I. LOVE. CONFERENCE. It's better than Christmas. I love sitting and just soaking up the spirit and the messages from each talk and listening to them speak about my every concern. I love the feeling of absolute spiritual satisfaction when it's all over and my cup is full for the next six months. I pine away the days I can get the talks in print. But this is precisely why watching it with the kids makes it so difficult for me.
Let me clarify something else here. I. LOVE. MY. KIDS.
Just in case the next explanation makes you think otherwise.
When you have small children, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, it is HARD to watch conference at home. Okay, maybe it isn't for you other mothers with small children, but that's why I'm blogging about this. It's hard for me. We spend more time during conference finding things to help occupy our children, getting snacks, getting drinks, stopping fights, getting everyone their own space, getting coloring sheets out, stopping Odell from ruining said coloring sheets, picking Odell up, putting her down, picking her up again, putting her down again, wincing while Linus does his thousand year cat dance on my lap trying to find the right position to cuddle only to bite or pinch or wipe boogers or do some other malicious activity two seconds later to make him get off, console Linus after he melts down for having to get off my lap, repeating previous few steps two or three times, answering the million question game ("why are they old? why do they wear suits? why are they talking? what is this thing I found on the floor? can I eat it? why not? why are they wearing red dresses? why are they singing? why do I have to be quiet? can I play the piano right now? what? No, Mom, I couldn't hear you, WHAT?! WHAAAT?!?!?"), shushing, disarming, and usually finally breaking down and just playing with the kids during this time than I do actually watching it....*sigh*. It's exhausting.
 Maybe I just need to be patient and wait until they get a little older and realize now is not the time for enjoying conference like I used to. Obviously at least to some extent that is the case. I definitely am grateful that the kids are at the very least getting exposure to it. I know that despite all the fighting and crying and snacking and separating and questioning that they are getting something out of it, and I often acknowledge to myself that that's worth it. I'm glad that they get more exposure than just ONE session out of every four, BUT, I also often think that there has to be a better way.
SO: I have six months until the next conference. Anyone have any creative ideas they want to share? Before you direct me to more coloring sheets, while that sometimes works for Chloe, Linus really has no interest in it whatsoever and if he even picks up the pencil at all, it's usually only because he's taking it away from one of his sisters to bother them. We're working on him, we really are...
We don't even make them watch all of it, we want them to be there when the prophet speaks, that's really our only requirement for conference, but they don't want to go play somewhere else, they want to play where we are. Yes, I'm glad they love us so much to want to be around us, but they also get bored quickly with us and I'm not sure how to convince them that conference shouldn't have to be a stressful time for everyone and that they can play or whatever without tearing my nerves to shreds.
GUH.
Other than that, I loved the bits and pieces that I gleaned and can't wait until it comes out in print.

In other news, I've been absent lately and I apologize. I'll have to update more later. I have in my possession an iPhone 4s, recently acquired, and am having fun with it. The recording fun family times sort of fun. Like this gem here. It's kinda long, and I'm sure I get much more enjoyment out if it than anyone else does, but I do love this little guy...all recorded on the iPhone by the way...

Have yourselves a great night. :-)