Not Much Here

I don't really know what to write about we haven't been up to much. I checked my phone for pictures that could inspire me as far as what to write about and this is what I found.

Kade in a cute new outfit.

Abby with Kade's helmet. 

A family portrait that Tia and I worked on together during conference. Tia also added her cousin Roxy in there.

Kade and Abby in twinner pants and sleepy positions.

See what I mean not a whole lot here. I spend a lot of time with my twins because they don't go to school. I didn't realize how much I missed having my big girls around until Monday when Kylee stayed home because her throat hurt. Yes, there were time it would have been easier for her to be at school. I could have gotten more done and had more alone time, but I loved having her for just a little bit. We read, did her math homework, ran to Sams Club, and just normal stuff, but it was fun to have someone that interacts with me to do it all with. I love doing my stuff with my twins, and I feel so blessed to have them in my life because I don't have to do things alone, but it was fun to have Kylee around.

Conference was this weekend. We missed Saturday Morning Session because we had soccer games, but we listened to all the rest. It was so good. This year was the first year I didn't go to women's session at the church. It was a little weird, but by the time I got dinner on the table it was like 5:50 and I wasn't even dressed yet. Plus, it seemed like a lot to just dump on Gaupo. 2 baths, 2 showers, feeding 4 people and yourself, plus putting 4 kiddos to bed. It's a lot normally but by yourself its really tough, so I stayed home. I watched it all. I watched some while I finished dinner. Gaupo still did all the baths and showers, but I helped with lotioning and feeding the babies before their bed time. Plus, I was here to help keep the big girls downstairs while he cared for the twins. I still got a lot of the meeting and think I made the right choice, although, I do not plan on doing that all the time. My favorite talk from conference was Pres. Nelson's talk in the Women's session. It added so much meaning and purpose to me receiving my endowments. It blesses me and my family so much. It gives me priesthood power that I can use in my own and families lives. I am not a Priesthood bearer, but that does not mean that I do not have priesthood power. I don't know it was really good and meant a lot to me.

I had parent teacher conferences this last week too. That was a little rough. Like as in I cried as I went home after them. I want so bad for my kids to get school and to do well, and they struggle with it. I think it is just so something I never expected to have happen that it takes me back every time. My kids are trying and they don't cause problems at school. Plus, this year is so much better than last year, so really we are doing so much better, but it was still hard to hear that my children were struggling academically. I think its hard because there is only so much I can do. Forcing it down my kids throats, making them practice practice practice and not get to play, or stressing our whole family out over it isn't going to do any good in fact it will probably do just the opposite, so we just do what we can. Conference gave me some areas to focus on and so we work on those and just hope and pray that between the help they get at school and what I can do here is enough and that they will be okay. It's hard. I sometimes wish I could have a conference that all the teacher said was your kid is doing great, they seem to understand everything and are right were they should be. They have great behavior.... You know that kind of conference, but that isn't the case, and that is okay. Or at least it is now. We keep working and trying. They will be okay, and one day that conference might happen, but if it never does than it doesn't and we keep trying our best and keep moving forward because I plan on my kids being great people anyway.

That's pretty much it from here. We still do soccer, school, work, and play. The weather has been awesome, but threatens to go south later this week, so welcome Fall.

Tons of Poop And The End of Nursing

This last week was so crazy and stressful. I am a woman who loves her schedules and the predictability that they bring to highly unpredictable things like kids. Last week my twins made life really crazy.

Last week, 4 out of the 7 days (probably I honestly cant remember but a ton of them) when we got the twins out of bed in the morning they were covered in poop. Like a couple of times I really just wanted to throw their jammies away instead of washing them out. They were so gross. I have no idea why there was so much or what was going on. They didn't have fevers, rashes, or anything like that just tons of poop. I mean Kade is popping out teeth like crazy. He currently has four you can see plain as day, one cut through, and one more cutting through. Plus, you can see his molars swelling up his gums in the back. Abby doesn't seem to be getting teeth, but she was doing it too so who knows. All I know is Saturday night I looked at Gaupo and was just like what is going on there is so much POOP! Both of us are kind of just in awe.

Another big unplanned event was Abby decided she is done with nursing. She is totally good with a bottle. I actually think better than Kade because she actually will hold her own bottle, but yeah she just stopped. It could be because she tried to bite me a couple of times, so I spanked her mouth and she was like enough of that and just wouldn't do it. I don't know, but if she's going to bite she can be done. Anyway, Tuesday night she tried to bite me, but she did latch on again and nurse. However, Wednesday morning she wanted nothing to do with it. She did nurse at 11:00, but after that I could never get her to do it again. She always just kept her jaw tight, squirmed away, and protested. I wondered at first if it was a growth thing, or teeth, or phase, so I tried to pump to keep the milk supply around, but my body doesn't pump, my life is really crazy to try and relax enough to get the milk to let down, and it was so hard. Finally, I just had to accept that she was done and that nursing was history for her. However, with no weaning time, Oh my has the engorgement been awful. Saturday was the most painful day and Gaupo had to work and I had to coach a soccer game, and well we survived. I wasn't as patient of a coach as I would like to be and it was hard to do things with the kids because any touch on my chest was just so painful, and sometimes it hurt without out any help. It was a pretty rough day. I totally recommend not stopping all at once if you can help it because it is super painful. It was also very emotional. When I am stressed I get angry and Wednesday morning was not a good morning because Abby wouldn't nurse, I couldn't get the milk to let down, there had been tons of poop, we were running late for school, and as immature as it is I thought "it's all Abby's fault. If she will just nurse none of this would be happening right now." Poor Gaupo didn't really want to go to work because he could tell I was having a really rough time of it. He told me when he left call me if you need anything and I was enough of a mess I shouted, "No, I don't need help. I can do this. You have to work." Poor guy. I could tell he didn't really want to leave but he really did need to so, I felt bad, but luckily it worked out.

Thursday was the craziest morning of the week. We had a huge mess in the twins room with poop and everything. So, I got that all cleaned up. Then I tried to nurse Abby and she of course refused. So, I tried to pump as my girls are running around not getting their lunches ready, and breakfast is not being made. Gaupo is having to feed Abby so I can pump, and when I am pumping and all those things are happening its like watching mini-bombs go off all over my house. Anyway, we are behind because it took a long time to pump. So, I am trying to get everyone breakfast. I had had to change another poopy diaper before breakfast. Feeding breakfast, rushing the girls to eat so we can go and Kade just pukes. Just total fire hydrant. His tray does not catch it all and so now I need to do a bath again, plus there is throw-up everywhere and I am suppose to be out the door in about 5 minutes to get the kids to school. I am pretty sure I can't make it at this point, so I reach for the phone to call my carpool buddy, but then I decided, No, I can still make it. However, the girls are totally freaked out, so when I went to put the phone down they yell, "No, Mom! Call Sis. Bailey, Call Sis. Bailey." I figured if my kids thought I should tap out then it was time. Thankfully she is awesome and came and got the kids. I had barely bathed Kade and waved to them as they were running to her car. Then I got the mess cleaned up, and twins to nap. I decided I wasn't going to call my mom instead I was going to read scriptures, pray, you know ground myself that way, and I did and it went great. Then the twins woke up Abby refused to eat, so I tried to pump and while I am pumping the twins just want me, but I can't hold them because I am pumping and Kade tried to climb on the couch and feel and he needed comfort, it wasn't going well. So, I decided that I had had enough of the crying and whining and I needed OUT! So, I loaded them up in the bike trailer, called my mom and talked to her while I rode my bike to a park and let the twins swing and then rode home. It was much needed break. I don't honestly remember what happened that afternoon, and I know I made it through soccer practice and dinner, but it was a crazy, crazy day.

In fun things this last week, we had one of my favorite days at the school--FOX TROT! It is the schools fundraiser for the year and I actually don't like fundraisers, so the funding part I don't like, but the FOX TROT I love. Gaupo had the day off, so I ran with both Kylee and Tia in their portions of the race. They both did great. Tia ran four laps and Kylee did 4 3/4 laps in their allotted times. It was fun to be outside in great weather and run with them. Its fun to chat, to urge them to keep going and to watch them just keep trucking along. Plus the continuous fun music. It is just fun or at least we really like it. Plus, the shirts this year were cool.

Tia running. She is the one by the edge of the sidewalk on the right.

Me and Tia

Me and Kylee

Kylee running.

This week is going a lot better. It is still a little crazy because I feel like that is sometimes the way it is with four kids, but its a lot better crazy just the normal--parent teacher conferences, soccer, doctor appointment, and stuff like that. I love my fun family, but boy oh boy are some weeks really crazy.

***As I was getting the above photos off my phone. I looked back at the rest of my pictures from Sept and we had a really good month. Its a pitty I didn't write more about it but good times were had memories made and life lived.

Kylee playing soccer. She is the one in the green.

Abby swinging at the park.

Kade swinging.

Tia got new glasses.

Family truck ride before the family bike ride.

Family bike ride. My handle bars, Kylee, and the two specs further up Gaupo and Tia.

Tia (red Shorts) and Kylee playing by the river on our bike ride.

Kade with Gaupo at the river.

Abby's toes in the river.

Me, Tia, Kylee on the bike ride.

Tia wearing the Armour of God. Come Follow me Win!

See it really is great.