the diaper shack

I recently read that in Holland the people take special care of their homes and cottages making them look beautiful and making them feel like peaceful sanctuaries. Many people actually name their cottages and place those names above their doors. They often choose names like Sunbeam, Sunny Corner, Peace Haven, Tranquility, etc. I was talking with Wes about what name we would give our home and we jokingly came up with The Diaper Shack.

I am sad to say that lately we have been living up to that name. This past month we have been bombarded with illnesses of all kinds. My housekeeping has taken a hit and some disaster usually strikes just after I clean, so it usually only stays clean for a day or two. I can't grab a shower most days till after 5, which means I am in my pajamas most of the day. I'm also lucky if I get Halle dressed at all. I find myself barely getting my prayers said before I collapse on my bed in exhaustion wondering what I actually did that day. I have to shove medicine down Halle's throat twice a day. I broke our blender. We found one of the windows in our basement is cracked. It looks like the culprit is a bb gun. My calling is taking me out of my home more than I thought it would. It kills me that I don't have the opportunity to put Halle to bed on Wednesday nights. I barely paid our bills on time this month because I forgot about them due to the fact they were hidden under all my stuff on my desk. Wes is in the middle of an intense semester. Our library items were overdue. I have a mountain of laundry that needs to be tackled and Halle has no clean pajamas. Halle asked me if she could go "nigh nigh" today and if you know her then you know that means something is way out of whack.

We are not drowning, but it feels like we are on our way down.

Our home definitely feels like a chaotic diaper shack.

I am in need of some major organization tips.

Ideas? What works for you? Please.

thank heavens

The ear infection of misery came to visit this week.

And thankfully after one long night of screaming and a whole afternoon spent at the BYU health center

She finally dozed off.

Thank you mom for taking my practically hysterical phone call at 6 this morning.

Thank you mother in law Michele for coming, holding her while she slept, letting me sleep, and enduring a very long doctors visit.

Thank you ibuprofen.

Thank you antibiotics.

i am mama

Last night I found myself holding my crying, sick Halle.

I found myself up at one in the morning watching Finding Nemo because she couldn't sleep.

I found myself up at two in the morning laying in my bed in the dark watching Halle crawl all over me until she eventually fell asleep propped up against me.

I found myself looking for binkies tangled up in bed sheets all night.

In the morning I found myself wishing for just a little more sleep.

I found myself eating three cookies for breakfast because I felt like I deserved them.

I found myself reading the same books over and over in my bed with Halle.

I found myself discovering and then smelling unidentifiable brown smudges on pajamas and furniture and eventually determining that they were in fact poo extracted from a diaper.

I found myself canceling a playdate we had scheduled for the day, due to her nasty cough and extremely runny nose.

I found myself changing Halle into her infamous elephant pajamas because 1)there was poo on her other ones and 2)they make her incredibly happy.

I found myself making Halle mac and cheese and letting her eat it on her princess couch in front of monsters inc. because it makes her happy.

And now I find myself blissfully happy that this little girl calls me mama and knows mama can make everything better.

check up on it

No, not the Beyonce definition of "check up on it."

The type of check up on it where I check up on how I have been doing with my goals for the year.

• Attend the temple at least once a month: We barely made it on the 30th. We can do better. However, it is absolutely wonderful no matter what day you go.
• Eat better: Made some great eating choices this month and lost some poundage. But, I still don't have complete control over myself. Still snagging one too many spoonfuls of Halle's mac and cheese.
• Read some classics: So far I have finished Jane Eyre (my new absolute favorite book), The Picture of Dorian Gray (A great story about vanity and being a good person), and To Kill a Mockingbird (loved it!). I am in the middle of Anna Karenina and really love this goal.
• Plan a trip: Still in the works. We are thinking Disneyland. We just need to make it happen.
• Learn to bake something: I baked blonde brownies and cupcakes last month that actually turned out. I am working my way up to baking this beauty.
• Serve my family, neighbors, and nursery tots: This goal should be revised to include my young women. And I think taking care of a sick baby is enough serving for a whole month. Now, serving my neighbors is another story.
• Do pilates: It's easy to accomplish a goal when you love what it is. I love pilates. For a couple of weeks I thought Ana Caban might seriously injure me, but I got the hang of it. I have never felt so strong or flexible before.
• Teach Halle to share: Let's just say that yesterday at nursery she had to be kept away from the other children because she was a little too aggressive.
• Be lovely: Not fair. This month I was sick. It is impossible for me to be lovely and sick at the same time. At least that is my excuse for this month.

vintage valentine

I found this free downloadable and printable vintage valentine card and matching envelope here.

A cheap and lovely way to wish your sweetheart a happy valentine's day.

progress

Halle learned to fold her arms each time our family prayed when she was about 11 months old. True, it only lasts for a few seconds and the rest of the prayer is spent running around, asking for food, and saying hi to everyone. A few months later she started to say "amen" after the prayer was finished. Since then, we have been working on getting her to close her eyes during the prayer.

A few weeks ago we decided to have family night in the bathroom while Halle was taking her bath. I said the prayer that night and before we began we asked Halle to fold her arms and close her eyes. No reaction. So, I started the prayer and about halfway through she closed her eyes for the first time. The prayer I said was full of lots of laughter coming from me and Wes and I will show you why. This is the way Halle closed her eyes during the prayer:

happy birthday

Grandpa Nimer!

Is there anyone as patient as you that can sit and clip the grandbabies fingernails especially with the way Halle squirms?

Thanks for doing the little things and being a wonderful "pampa."

We love you!