4th of July 2011

I am totally slacking on the blogging/picture thing. I blame it on the big belly and lack of desire to run and grab the camera every time I think (or don't think) of it. The fourth of July is no exception. I didn't bring the camera to the parade or to the park. I also neglected to bring it to the BBQ we had that night. I know I shouldn't blame my laziness on my big 35 week belly, but it's just so easy! So, here's our fourth of July in ONE scrap book page-how depressing. We actually did have a good day. One look at Julia's hair by the end of the day should prove how busy and how much fun we really did have celebrating our freedom and the greatest country on earth!

Esplin Family Reunion

Every year around the 4th of July my family has the Esplin reunion on Cedar Mountain at our favorite place called, "Memory Meadow". This reunion is my mom's side of the family and we didn't go last year so I thought we had better get there this year. I'm actually glad we did! 

Todd was gone on another fire in New Mexico so it was going to be just me and the three kiddos, but the night before, my brother called and asked if I wanted to ride up with him. Heck YES! The kids loved riding with Uncle Jeff. When we stopped in Cedar and Jeff bought them a treat (cotton candy and drinks) and then we got back into the truck, Payton said, "Jeff is my favorite uncle!" Can't buy our love, huh?

There were plenty of things for the kids to do when we got there. Payton's favorite was the 4-wheelers. He loves to drive but he's not allowed to drive with just anyone. They have to be 16 or older. It was tough to get someone to go with him all the time. By the end of the night I finally allowed him to do the loop by himself with strict rules that if I saw him going too fast or being too crazy he would not be allowed to do it again. That was enough for him to know he better be good. Of course he was ready to do it again after he got back but it was time to put the 4-wheelers away and start the program for the evening. bummer.

Porter loved riding the horses. You would think that after the first time he got bucked off he wouldn't get back on...but he did. I guess it was after the second time he got thrown off (or I guess he back flipped off onto his head "into a soft spot") that we called it on the horses. Not his day with the horses but he still loves them.

Julia played in tents, rode 4-wheelers and horses, climbed mountains, explored caves, anything her brothers were doing, she was right there with them.

One of the things they did was a treasure hunt for all the kids. Julia and I didn't keep up very well but we had a cousin who made up the treasure hunt to let us know which spots to be at for the treats. For the final treasure we all rode in the back of a truck or trailer down to the mammoth caves. Inside they found marshmallow guns for everyone. The kids (and adults) loved them and we had a marshmallow war between the kids in the truck and the kids in the trailer the whole way back to camp.

I didn't get a ton of pictures, but I'm finding myself not taking too many pictures of events lately unless they come to me as I'm sitting in a chair--I'm too lazy to get up! We did have fun and made it back safely to find our dad home from his fire and waiting for us.

Father's Day Weekend

Todd's been gone on a few fires this year so it was nice to have a weekend together as a family. We took a quick trip up to Yankee Meadows and did a little fishing. The weather was perfect and we actually caught something. We ended up bringing home four fish for our dinner the next day (which was Father's Day). When we got home that night, Todd got a call to go out on another fire to New Mexico. There are three GIS Specialists on Todd's fire team and they are supposed to rotate around on the fires. Luckily, it was Todd's turn to sit out so he got to enjoy his Father's Day at home.

When we went to work Monday, he received phone calls throughout the day from his team asking questions and needing help with certain things. When he came home Monday night, he let us know that his team needed him and he needed to pack and hit the road the next day.

It's hard for him to be gone but at the same time we really could use the money so I don't want to complain too loudly. Our family has actually started getting into a routine (some not so good) when he's gone and we seem to manage just fine. I guess it just makes me glad that we were able to take a weekend and do something together as a family...and we all actually enjoyed it!

Mother of the Year Award

Last night before she went to sleep

While she was sleeping I snapped a quick pic

  One eyed Willie. Cyclops. Sloth (from the Goonies). Mike Tyson. Call her what you will but she doesn't look like my cute little Julia.

Todd is gone on another fire and I had tried so hard all day Sunday to keep the kids from playing with friends. Every time we would go outside, a new friend would show up and we would end up going into the house because it was easier than telling the friend(s) to go home. That evening, after the third attempt to go outside and ride scooters on our own property, I caved in and let them ride scooters with their friends. It was just easier. The scooter riding turned into a game of tag on bikes--well to be more specific it was cops and robbers with the big neighbor boys (dad's) being the cops and all the kids were robbers.

Julia was being so good to just stay on our drive way and ride her scooter but after she saw all the chasing and fun in the street she thought that was the place to be. I went and got her once and brought her back home but once was not enough. I shouldn't have been so lazy and should have really enforced her not being allowed in the game because soon after I gave the boys their 15 minute warning that it was almost time to come in Julia and one of the neighbor girls had a head on collision. I would love to blame it all on Julia and the lack of her watching where she's going but the truth is that it's my fault for even allowing her to be out there with the bigger kids at all. 

After the crash we picked both girls up, inspected them and I noticed blood coming down from Julia's eye and it was very swollen. I tried to stay calm and walked into the house, followed by three concerned men and what felt like 20 kids. I quickly put some ice on her eye and then the men began their diagnosing. Once said, "I think she's got a broken cheek bone". Another said, "Her eyes are really dilated". The third said, "I think it's all just swollen". I only wanted to agree with dad #3. I can handle scrapes and bruises but to think she had a broken cheek bone was NOT what I wanted to hear.

We got all the kids back to their homes and my kids into their PJ's and were about to say our evening prayers when my neighbor came back over with his wife and an ice cream cone to share with Juls. They even offered to give her a blessing if I wanted. I really thought the swelling had gone down some and it looked better than it had when it first happened so I thought she'd be alright. It was still so neat that I am surrounded by worthy priesthood holders that are willing and able to assist if needed.

I'm so grateful that it wasn't her eye that got hit or hurt in any way. It was extremely close. There's probably a reason we shouldn't play with friends on Sunday...or ride scooters/bikes in the dark. Maybe both?

This morning while in the tub. She did not want her picture taken.

Pictures were more fun when she could make faces

Ain't I a beaut!

Summer School

Porter got to attend Kindergarten earlier than we expected this year. He was accepted into the Cub Academy which is a summer school program held for two weeks at the Elementary school. I was so excited because Porter doesn't want to have much to do with mom teaching him letters and things. Thus the reason he was accepted...he knows NOTHING about the alphabet (with the exception of the letters in his own name). He has been loving going to school in the mornings. His first day I asked him what his favorite thing they did was and he replied, "Playing with toys and riding the bikes!" Hey! I wanna go to Kindergarten if that's what they're doing!

It's great that he's getting this opportunity to see what Kindergarten will be like in the fall. He can't wait to ride bikes with his brother to school.

Quote of the Day

Mom: Porter pick up those underwear on the side of your bed and put them in the dirty clothes basket.
Porter: Those aren't mine! I smelled them and they smelled like Payton's butt!!

Porter Potty

 This post is all about Porter. 

(The name Porter Potty came from Todd's g-ma Wittwer. She has nick names for everyone and puts them on place cards for Thanksgiving dinner.) I just needed to write down a few funny things I want to remember about this boy before his mom gets too old and forgets.

He doesn't sleep in his bed the right way. He likes to lay with his pillow at the foot of his bed and sleeps on top of his covers with just his blanket from G-ma Turek over the top of him. Sometime in the night (yes, EVERY night) he will come into our room and sleep on the floor until morning. Once Todd's gone to work, he will crawl into bed with me until we HAVE to get up.

Another funny thing he does is when he has to go pee. I know some boys have been taught to 'shake it' when they are done. Porter prefers to slap his tummy three to four times to shake off any excess. I can always tell which boy is in the bathroom when I hear the slap. I love it!

Since Todd has been gone, I've been the one to take the boys pee at night, right before I go to bed. It's really helped cut back on the amount of peeing the bed at night lately. Very rarely are the boys awake enough when we take them that they pee right away. It takes some convincing and some waking up to get them to cooperate. The other night I took Porter to go to the bathroom.He staggered in with his eyes half open. He did the duty and then turned to walk out with him. He didn't come with me. He fell forward into the toilet. Luckily it was just his hand that got good and wet and needed some soap and water before he went back to bed. It gave me a chuckle.

Then last night he woke me up in the night crying. I asked what was wrong and he said he accidentally threw his pajama's into the toilet. I was too tired to care about it that very second so when I got up 30 minutes later to take care of it I found his PJ's and undies both soaked in the toilet. Fun times here at 3am (and I don't even have a newborn...yet)
Porter is a lot like his mom because he bites his fingernails. The way we are different is that he can also bite his toenails. I can't even attempt to get my feet that high, nor do I want to. We brush our kids teeth right before bed. One night I went to brush Porter's teeth. He was stalling big time and I was getting impatient. He finally put his fingers in his mouth and pulled out two or three fingernails he had bit off and was saving/chewing...who know what?? I brushed his teeth and as soon as I was done he put them right back in his mouth. Weirdo, huh?

The last silly thing I wanted to post about Port is his love for Popsicles. He asks for them ALL THE TIME no matter what time of day it is. Of course today was no different. I had to run something down the street so I gave him a Popsicle and told him I'd be right back. When I pulled in 5 minutes later, he was outside eating his treat along with some noodles left over from the spaghetti we had a couple nights ago.

What would we do without this kid??