March still? April fools!

Pherson is already 4 months old! It goes by so fast. He's still waking up 2-3 times a night. I could probably shoot for sleep training, but I confess I've been lazy. I'm hoping to get him only waking up once in the night within this next month. And take a look at his statistics (ok, for some reason that part isn't working on my blog. He's 14 pounds 2 ounces and 25.5" long)- this kid, who was born the smallest, has surpassed Tupp and is quickly gaining on Cash. He might end up being the big little brother. 

He's started trying to roll over. Technically he rolls over, but  he hasn't figured out how to get his hands out from under afterward, gets supremely angry and then he rolls right back to where he started. And last night he rolled from his tummy to his back, according to Oma. He's really taken an interest in trying to manipulate his toys and, of course, everything is already going in the mouth.

Clay is going for a new look. I joked with him it's part of his mid-life crisis. It's kind of Buddy Holly meets mustache hipster. He's looking to grow out the 'stache and curl the ends. Who knows after that. The other thing that slays me is, me being chained to glasses or contacts all my life, he who has no need of them is now wearing fake ones. Ah well, I've got my red hair.

For Clay's birthday we went to our local Puerto Rican restaurant. If you've never had Puerto Rican food I  highly recommend it. And the kids love it too. While we were waiting Tupp danced up a storm. She loves to dance and then afterward she insists you clap while she bows. HI-larious!

The first Saturday of Cash's spring was our ward's Young Artist Festival where the youth share their talents. There was a cute dance choreographed for each main age group, and both Cash and Tupp participated. But the best part of the evening was Cash sharing his magic tricks. Clay had practiced them with him and it became a magic/comedy act. Everyone said it was the best part of the evening.

Normally we try to schedule vacations, if we take any, in off season so we get the best prices and the least crowds or competition. But now that Cash is in school we're kind of bound to that schedule. So we decided to use his spring break- it was the best "off season" we were going to get. We decided to go to Yosemite since I found a nice deal for lodgings on Groupon. And then Clay talked me into doing Disneyland while we were at it. We left Sunday afternoon. All went well until the last hour of the trip. We had stopped for dinner and loaded up, only to find that the last leg of the journey was FREAKISHLY, INSANELY WINDY! Our poor little Tupp, who hasn't gotten car sick since we turned her carseat around a year ago (bless her heart) maxed out and threw up twice in that last hour. Thankfully Gigi had given the kids each a bucket for the trip full of fun snacks and toys to play with so we emptied out Tupp's and used it for barfing instead. Yay for little clean up! Our hotel had a play structure to play on and our room was delightfully spacious, clean and renovated. We walked to the nearby restaurant in the morning and had breakfast before heading to the valley.
We drove around first and then stopped at Yosemite falls.

It's a small hike, probably only a mile, and was perfect for our littles.

Then we had lunch followed by another 15 minutes hike to see Bridal Veil where we got soaked.

Just before we got there I'd discovered some settings on my camera application for my iPhone. Here's the panorama I tried.

Clay wore Tupp for some of the hiking since she isn't quite able to go a mile yet. She is such a tactile little monkey- she kept rubbing his arm. And when she was down walking she was rubbing all the fence post and got herself a couple of splinters. Crazy girl.

We went back to the hotel and then had some Mexican food. In the morning we headed out and drove at a snails pace with the windows down and air on so Tupp didn't toss her cookies. Finally out of the mountains we sped down to Santa Clarita. It was not without incident, and if you really want to know I could tell you, but we are grateful that we were again blessed with easy clean up. ;)
After an all day drive Clay dropped us off at the hotel and then went to do his uncle's taxes. The kids and I went for a walk in the neighborhood behind the hotel (can I just say I am amazed at how much my kids can walk!) and then on our way home picked up some In N Out for dinner. We took it back to the hotel (across the street) and then after dinner went out for one last walk to see the pool before getting ready for bed. My first mistake was that Tupp was tired enough that she was past ready for bed. Anyhoo, when we were going back through the lobby she fixed eyes with someone and wasn't looking where she was going and ran into a wall or something. Yes, my second mistake was that I wasn't paying her enough attention and didn't eve see what went down. The front desk got us ice and gave her a cookie which I used to bait her into letting me put the ice on her head. After about ten minutes of that we went back to the room and I slathered her with Desitin. That stuff works like a charm. Here are her before and after photos:

The next morning there wasn't even a bump!

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel (gotta love free breakfast bars) and then took our time heading down to Anaheim. We had three different kinds of poutine (well known dish from Quebec involving french fries, cheese curds and gravy) from two different restaurants and played at the beach.

Tupp announced to me she was making sand temples. 

Cash was playing in the waves and running around.

We'd also hit a target just before since Tupp needed a sweater (the one I had brought had taken the brunt of the car sickness on the way to Yosemite).

When we got to The Islander (our favorite hotel in Anaheim, just so you know) we quickly unpacked, gave the kiddos baths (since they were covered in sand) and then went to have dinner and hang out with our good friends Mark and Lora Spencer and their littles Porter and Naomi. Man we wished we lived closer to them- our kids get along so well. We're thinking of having Cash and Porter become pen pals.
That night the kids got to sleep in bunk beds for the first time. It went well- nobody fell out. During the day they are like a toy for them. After breakfast (fyi: most of the food we ate was store bought. we were lucky that all of our rooms had both microwaves and refrigerators- awesomeness!) we took the shuttle to Disneyland. We hit toon town first with Rodger Rabbit's ride. I will say that my one regret was not waiting 20 minutes in line for Tuppy to see Cinderella. She doesn't know about it, but I know she would have loved to do it and the line got longer and longer over the course of the day to where the wait was 40 minutes. My number one complaint about Disneyland is, for a place that should be fore the children, you don't feel like you can just relax and let the kids go and do what they want to do because of how expensive it is. We had one day and I couldn't bring myself to spend any of that time waiting in line to see a character when there are rides to ride! I finally relented and, per Cash's request, we saw Mickey after waiting about a half an hour. And in the end, Cash was a little crushed that Mickey didn't say a word to him. I did make up a good excuse about how if he got in a conversation with him he'd have to do it with every child and then everyone would have to wait in line longer. Sufficed well enough. They also went on Tom Sawyer Island, Pirates of the Carribean, Star Tours, Buzz Lightyears Blasters, It's a Small World, the Jungle Cruise, and the Tree House. We had an amazing Monte Christo sandwich and saw the parade. Man my kids love to wave. And Cash brought the $5 he had left in his wallet and purchased a pirate hook.

After another all day drive back home, which was long but uneventful, we are back to the grind. Tupp is still wearing dresses. The hard part is getting a sweater on her. I was going to have my friend Cazra cut her hair, but now she wants to start putting clips in it.

If I she doesn't let me put her hair up it's usually filled with food by the end of a meal and who has the time to give baths after every breakfast, lunch or dinner?

I often get the question of "so, how are the kids taking the new baby?" The answer: they love him. Cash loves to tell Pherson about his day and explain all sorts of things (last night it was basketball) to him. Tupp loves to share things with him and every time she hears him cry she says "mamma! Baby kywing! He need mamma milk! You go get Pherson!" She helps change his diapers and has been practicing in her own babies- putting them to bed, rocking them, nursing them. I must be doing something right since she seems to have a pretty good hang on it.

I love spending lazy mornings with my crew. Cash and Tupp come upstairs on the weekends and hang out with Pherson and I until we're all motivated to go down and make breakfast. Dad is usually updating us on interesting facts about what's going  on in the world. Yesterday we learned about jump rope competitions, of all things.

I found this on Pinterest and vowed that I would make it for Pherson for Easter. This one ended up being for Cirkl's new little one due this month. But I did make one just like it and Pherse did wear it yesterday. I've got modifications I plan to make, but it worked well enough.

I threw my back out just before our anniversary. Not that we were planning anything for it- Clay had to go work in Virginia City. I managed to degrade it to the point that I needed help walking- whether it was clinging to walls or a person. Thankfully I am much improved, but I have to remind myself to take it slow. I can't afford to miff this- too much mommy stuff to do! I've missed holding my Pherse, but he's been a champ and only got a little lonely. My sweetie sent me flowers and my favorite candy and it was a pleasant surprise to find on the doorstep.

Well, I guess it's onto April. I was looking at my calendar and realized it's only two more months and then Cash will be out of school. So excited and can't wait! I'm still thinking of homeschooling, but in them meantime he's doing well enough and picking up the language fairly well.

Love and health to you all!