Connor is 2!!!

Monday I went and helped in Lauren's class and just did other Monday clean up.

Tuesday we cleaned up more around home.  Alan decided to work on the brakes on the car some.  He didn't get much chance to start them very early and stayed up late working on them.  I was too tired and went to bed.

Alan tells me this is really the suspension, but you get the idea...

Wednesday morning he told me they weren't finished and we couldn't drive the car.  We called some friends and they were able to take Jared and Lauren to school.  I tried to help Alan with the car a little bit before he went to work, but didn't get it done. We just stayed home again that day and played around here.  After work a guy from our ward that Alan works with came over and helped Alan.  He had worked on brakes some before.  They got them back to working.

Thursday was Connor's Birthday!!  We had to go to the store for a few things we needed and couldn't get earlier in the week.  Jared had cub scouts.  We made a frog cake for Connor.  In the evening we had a fun family party for him.  I also baked some cakes for a cake I was making for a friend.

Best Buddies

Connor made a similar face for all his presents.  His surprised look is great!

Friday I spent most of the morning working on a cake for a friend.  She was throwing a bridal shower for her sister.  We went to story time at the library.  After picking up Jared and Lauren we dropped the cake off.  Then we went to Frazier Farms and some other shopping we had to get done.

Decorating their own cupcakes with left over fondant and gum paste...and just being silly!

Saturday I went to a visiting teaching drive thru.  It's how they did Visiting Teaching Interviews.  We just pulled up on the back side of the church and we were given a paper to fill out about visiting teaching and breakfast (banana and muffin and water) by our visiting teaching district supervisor.  Then we just waited until a member of the Relief Society Presidency was able to climb in our car and see how our visiting teaching was going.  It was pretty fast and a fun way to do it.  They sent around sign-up for time slots so everyone didn't show up all at once.  We went to a builder workshop at Lowes.  That afternoon we were able to get some work around here done.

Sunday we went to choir practice before church.  After church Alan and I had to go to a teacher training meeting.  Alan has the responsibility to train all the teachers in the ward, so he had to present at the meeting.  I just had to go listen.  Our kids just went and played in the nursery with some other kids whose parents both also had to be there.

Chinese New Year and Hair cuts!

Last Monday after dropping Jared and Lauren off at school I went to the doctor for my 6 week check.  It was really more like 7 weeks...  Everything looked good.  She was able to check the pathology report from my gallbladder and that all looked good too.  Bradley and Connor and Camilla were all good for the appointment.  Cami slept the whole time and Brad and Connor sat on a chair and played starfall my whole appointment.  When it was done I said time to go and they said already?  It was a pretty quick appointment which was nice.  Once we got home we had a couple of minutes to get these guys a snack and feed Cami and pump.  Then I dropped them off at a friend's house so I could go help in Lauren's class.  They had a fun time playing.  We came home and had lunch and did a few little things, but then it was time to go get Jared and Lauren.  After school we played outside for a while.  Alan had a long meeting at work.  Since he had left his bike there last Thursday he got a ride to work with his friend (I couldn't drop him off because of my appointment).  Things are his work are kind of crazy with the guys up stairs (management).  I don't really know what is going on, but there will be some changes after the next shareholder's meeting.

Tuesday I spent all day cleaning and organizing the toys down stairs.  We had moved our entertainment center/ shelf thing and there were still some games that were down plus a huge box that I never fully unpacked because I wasn't sure where to put them (I really wanted to get rid of them, but the kids want to keep them.)  Every time I asked them to clean up the other toys they would just throw them into the big box and not really put them away...even if they had a home.  I reorganized some of the shelves and put everything in the box plus some others away.  It took me all day...with the interruptions I had.  After school we played outside.  Alan called while we were out there to say our home teachers were coming that night.  I was glad I had cleaned it up.  When Alan got home he hurried and cleaned the floors for us.  We were still eating dinner when the home teachers got here, so we took a break and then finished dinner after they left.  Several mornings we woke up freezing because our heater didn't run over night.  We aren't sure when it stopped working because it had been so warm the week before.  All that really needed fixed was a battery which was easy, but the first one that got changed didn't work.  That's why there were a couple of cold mornings.

Wednesday after dropping Jared and Lauren off Bradley and I (and Cami) went and toured a preschool.  We are trying to decide where Bradley should go next fall.  Alan stayed home with Connor until we got back.  Our tour took way longer than I thought it would.  When we got home Alan went to work and we went to playgroup...kind of.  Playgroup was at chick-fil-a so on the way we decided to just stop and play at a park.  We went to craft time at the library after school.  They got to make Chinese lanterns.  We played outside and I was surprised when Alan came home a little after 5 since he went so late that morning.  Alan went home teaching that night.

One of our neighbors has this sign that they put sometimes when kids are playing.  Connor likes to dance with the sign...it is just his size.  He has done it several times now.  He started all on his own and I think it's hilarious.

Thursday we were just here at home all day.  Alan got up early and went to work early to make up the time he missed the day before.  Here at home we worked on a little bit of laundry and a few other things.  I'm really not sure what we did, but the day just flew by.  Jared had cub scouts that afternoon.  He got to go see a botanical garden at the house of a member.  They have 3 acres and he has been collecting palms and other plants from all over the world.  I wish I would have known before dropping Jared off that they were going there.  She said we could go too, but it was the one time I didn't grab shoes for Connor and everyone else was wearing shorts and t-shirts and it was a cooler day and to be out for an hour they would have needed some kind of coat.  Jared said it was pretty cool at the botanical garden.  Thursday was also 4 weeks from my surgery so I could start lifting Connor again...and I have :)

Friday I watched some kids in the morning.  It was the first time they have come since having Cami.  The little girl who used to cry half the time only cried for about 5 minutes and even came and sat by me on the couch.  They came an hour later than they used to, so we didn't make it to story time.  After school we went to the library because we had a book we couldn't renew.  I had to feed Cami in the car and then I just ran in and dropped it off.  Then we went to Frazier Farms for our produce shopping and then over to Food 4 Less to get a few things so we could make a yummy Chinese dinner for Chinese New Year.  When we got home we played outside for a little while then we came in and made won tons, cabbage, broccoli, and rice.  We cooked the rest of the won ton filling and ate that with our rice too.  It was a yummy meal.  Won tons take a while to make.  While Alan and I were working on them the other guys watched Mulan.  It was their first time...we borrowed it from a neighbor.  We all ate with chop sticks.  It was kind of slow...and I'm not very good left handed :)

It was the 100th day of school so they dressed like they were 100 years old...and smiled like it too :)

Here is our yummy Chinese New Year dinner.  It doesn't look like much but it is tasty.

Saturday we had a nice slow morning.  I cut all the boys hair and Lauren got a hair cut too.  She has been wanting one for a while and I finally just did it.  I maybe should have taken her somewhere to get it done, but she loves it how it is.  It is good enough for a 6 year old.  We went to the library for their Chinese New Year celebration.  They had a fun coloring page...which was huge.  They also had some paint so they could paint some Chinese characters.  We listened to a Chinese harp and got to eat some Chinese food.  A local restaurant donated the food...Spicy King.  After reading through their 5 page menu (it was huge!) I think they brought fried rice and Chicken with explosive chilies.  It was pretty spicy.  Then we did some more shopping at food 4 less.  We came home and had dinner.  Everyone else watched part of Mulan 2 (It was with the Mulan movie we borrowed).

Hanging out while the boys get their hair cuts

Done!

This one is to show how much we cut off.

 Finally mom cut my hair.  I love it!

Playing a game..house.

Blanket rides...I think

A pretty big lizard that must have fallen into this tub outside.  He hadn't had much to eat, but was still alive.

Today has been a good day.  This morning we all went to choir for the first time.  The kids played at their house during choir.  It went fine, so we will try going again.  I taught primary today.  The class is already big and we had a visitor too.  There were 10 kids and 2 teachers and Cami in our  small classroom.  We haven't had a table the last few weeks.  It is hard to teach without one, but we can't find one and there really isn't room for one anyway.  We are hanging in there here.  Sometime during the week I remembered how a few months ago Bradley would point out bird of Paradise flowers by saying I see paradise.  When he would say it back in October I was thinking of paradise in a physical way...the weather, the beach...all the ways people traditionally think of paradise.  At the start of this last week I was thinking how hard it is right now...I'm still recovering, I'm super tired, Alan has to deal with some crazy/ uncomfortable things at work right now...I wasn't able to see paradise.  When I remembered Bradley saying I see paradise it helped me see a spiritual paradise...to count all my blessings and see all the good.  Once again I can see paradise.

Mormon Batallion Celebration

Monday was a no school day.  We spent most of the day working on Jared's hero project.  It wasn't what I was hoping to do, but it needed done.  He had kept putting it off.  Jared had chosen Charles Dickens for his hero.  He really had read a lot about him and knew everything he needed to it just all needed to come together.  We were able to play outside some for a break.

Tuesday we took Alan to work in the morning after dropping Jared and Lauren off at school.  Then a little later we took Camilla to the doctor for her weight check.  She was up to 9 pounds and 15 ounces!  She gained 6 ounces since the Thursday before.  I was pretty happy because I had been working so hard at it.  I feel like it is all I did all weekend... feed her.  We played outside after school.  Alan got picked up from work from a guy in our ward to go to a party/meeting for a blog called hack a day.  Two other guys from his work went too.  It was up in LA.  He got home pretty late that night.

Tuesday morning when I woke up I found Bradley sleeping in the stuffed animal box.  He must have gone back to sleep there after going to the bathroom in the night.  Looks cushy!

Wednesday we went to playgroup.  It was out at Sunset park in San Marcos (not that far really) and Bradley and Connor wore their swim suits and played in the splash pad...yes it was that warm.  I really love that we can play outside in January in shorts.  I went to a parents meeting at the school that night to learn about the STEM fair they will be having in March  (district )and May (their school).  These guys are excited about the project possibilities.

Thursday was just a normal day...mostly.  Not much going on just scouts in the afternoon.  Alan got sent home in the early afternoon.  There was an attempt at his work to get rid of the current CEO and a few people in the management by some other people in management.  I guess he wasn't told anything though when he was told to leave.  Someone saw the locks on the building being changed as they were leaving.  Alan went with some other guys at work to see a movie and then he got a ride home.  That night Alan went to an Elders Quorum Activity at the church.  They played ultimate Frisbee in the the gym.

Friday Alan was home all day which was nice.  I took Jared and Lauren to school in the morning.  Then did a few things around here.  Alan was going to drop us off at story time and then go to the car parts store, but we were a few minutes late to story time.  I ran in to return some books before dragging everyone in with me and it was over.  I had forgotten it was a special day...they had some circus performers there, but it only lasted about 10 minutes.  On my way in I saw a guy with 3 clubs and another guys with a mini bike.  It would have been fun to see if I remembered, but since I didn't and I saw what it was I wasn't too disappointed that we missed it.  I was also glad Alan hadn't just dropped us off and driven away since it was over before we got there.  We all went to the car parts store and to Frazier Farms and Food 4 Less.  We got home just before time to pick up Jared and Lauren.  Later that afternoon Alan changed the oil in the car.

Saturday we went to the Mormon  Battalion Celebration...Celebrating when they arrived here in San Diego.  We got there in time to be in the parade.  They had costumes and everything to be in it.  Alan got to pull a handcart and the kids got to ride in it.  Bradley really didn't want to be in it and really didn't want to ride in the hand cart, so he and I just walked along/ watched on the side.  Since we were there in time for the parade we got to see Keegan.  Elder Briggs had gotten to help set up and be in the parade, but then had to go.  It sounded like he had big plans for later with a baptism interview and baptism.  It was fun to see Keegan at the temple in Provo when we lived there and then here in San Diego when we lived here (We don't actually live in the San Diego mission, so it never occurred to me that we would run into him here.).  We had a lot of fun at all the activities they had for the celebration.  After the parade we went around to different booths like rope making, brick making, making rag dolls, quilting, toys, laundry, cooking a biscuit on a stick and a few others.  It was at the Old Town State Park.  I was really tired, but the kids really wanted to pan for gold so we went to the Mormon Battalion visitor's center and panned for gold for a few minutes.  All the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Before the parade started and before she was recruited to ride in the handcart she was going to walk with the laundresses.

In the ranks for drill.

Look left

Front of parade

You can see Keegan in this one.  He is in the 3rd row back with a green shirt.

Connor peeking through a little rip in the cover.

Sunday was a good day.  I went visiting teaching and  Alan had ward council before church.  After church we did stations and just had a good day here.

Getting Back to Normal

Monday I started taking and picking the kids up from school again.  That morning I went to help in Lauren's class.  Bradley, Connor, and Camilla all went to play at a friend's house.  My friend was telling someone else that she was getting to watch Cami and said something like she is an Atherton she probably doesn't even cry.  Bradley and Connor are always really good when they go over there and helpful to each other.  They all survived and she said Cami did great.  Bradley and Connor played play dough almost the whole time they were there.  That night we had Family Home Evening.

Tuesday like most Tuesdays we didn't have anything on the calendar.  I worked on laundry as much as I could and dishes and other things around the house.

Wednesday I went visiting teaching in the morning.  On the way to the sister's house I tried her gate code or what I thought was it and it just wouldn't open.  We were supposed to be there and she only had so long before she had to take her daughter to kindergarten...which added to the urgency I was feeling.  So I started to turn around to try a different gate but the turn around place is a really tight turn.  My wheels got stuck....front ones on ones side of the island, back ones on the other.  After going back and forth and back and forth several times the guy working on the grounds came over and said "I put in code"...so he did and the gate opened.  Then I had to go back and forth and back and forth to get back so I could go in the gate.  I felt pretty silly doing my 20 point turn (or so) to turn and turn back.  The gate code had changed, but we did make it for a nice short visit.  We went to play group.  I was grateful to the friends that put Connor in the baby swing and took him back out.  He was in the swing for probably 30 minutes.  It was nice to not have to chase him and help him around the play ground since I'm not supposed to lift him.  We also went to the craft at the library.

The shelf fell out and Connor found a new place to play and hide.

Thursday we picked Jared and Lauren up at school and took Cami to the doctor.  Camilla had her 1 month check at the doctor.  She looks good, but she is not gaining weight well.  She only weighed 9 pounds 9 ounces.  She gained 4 ounces in the last 4 weeks.  The doctor said I would have to supplement her feedings.  He figured it is probably a supply issue and she is not getting enough.  His guess is that my milk supply is down from the surgery.  If it's not my milk supply then there is something wrong with her and we will have to do lots of testing.  On the way home from the doctor we dropped Jared off at scouts.  I came home and read all I could about increasing milk supply and supplementing her.  I'm not sure I decided on the best way to do it, but it is a way that will work for us...I hope.  I decided to feed her and pump after every feeding and then feed that to her too if she would eat it and make sure she was eating every 2 hours.  I wasn't really surprised she wasn't gaining.  She didn't seem to be getting heavier to me and her little cheeks were getting thin but I didn't want to hear it all the same.

Friday was a no school day for Jared and Lauren.  It is nice they get a 4 day weekend.  We went to story time at the library and  played outside, but the rest of the day for me was spent feeding Cami and pumping.  I didn't get much else done.

Saturday I made 2 apple pies in the morning.  One was for a funeral and one was just for us.  I had the pie crust and filling in the freezer so it wasn't too hard.  It was stake conference for us and Alan had a priesthood leadership meeting and then he just stayed and went to the adult session.  The youth were invited (and will be from now on?). I wasn't sure who to get to babysit so I just stayed home.  I spent most of the day pumping and feeding Camilla.  Before his meetings Alan changed the shocks in the car.

A picture Alan drew.  A cross between 2 animals.

Sunday was Stake Conference.  It was a broadcast from Salt Lake for all of southern California.  We just went to our building to watch it with the other ward that meets in our building.  We did stations and had fun as a family and I focused on feeding Cami.  Alan moved the entertainment center/ shelf thing to another wall and put up our white board where it had been.

How she really felt about the whole thing.