Right now, the kids all sleep SO much better when they are in their own rooms. 95% of the time they also stay in their own rooms now that they are separated. Before, we would have at least one kid in our bed some time during the night, every single night.
Before "the moving of beds" a few months ago, Dallin and Ellie were in one bedroom, and Isaac was still in a crib in our bedroom. The third bedroom on our main floor housed the treadmill. We moved the treadmill and Dallin downstairs (it's an unfinished basement, but Dallin thinks that is so cool), and shuffled Ellie and Isaac down the hall from up in their own rooms. I works out great and Dallin thinks he has the greatest room in the house! I was so worried to put him down there for so long. I think sometimes my worries get in the way of him growing up and being himself. When I get over it and "get out of his way" he does great. He's a lot like his dad that way, pretty laid back about life changes and other peoples personalities.
We love our sleep. I love the winter months just because it gets dark early and I can get the kids in bed and asleep by 8. Last night, we had them in bed at 7 and then sat down and watched 17 Miracles together. Such a good movie. It was nice to watch especially yesterday because I had to stay home from church with a sick baby.
Paul and Isaac taking down Dallin's bed to take down stairs.
This funny kid is every where now. He is starting to stand quite a bit, but not enough because I feel like all I have done the past 2 weeks is hold him. He's has a cold, and cough for two weeks now, and just yesterday a fever. I must say, though, I am getting really good at doing EVERYTHING while holding a 21 pound baby. Yesterday, Ellie and I made dinner, while Isaac had a front row seat (or hip) to it all, and Paul was taking a nap the whole time (I have to give myself props to make my tired self feel better, okay? ;) I love this kid to pieces.
HELP ME!
Speaking of Ellie....We were making a pasta salad and I was talking to her in an Italian accent (which sometimes sounded Jamaican). She picked up on it and for the next hour spoke with an accent and named all of us funny "Italian" names. She then set the table and during dinner kept getting up from the table to bring bread to everyone and pour drinks. She kept saying "para ti!". I told her she was my sous chef, and she called me her "soozsha". It was hilarious.
Paul playing with the new camera
Christmas brought a new camera ...present money from my parents, selling our iPod to Santa (Dallin was not happy about this one*), and our present to each other, we were able to get a DSLR. We have had fun playing around with it and look forward to learning how to use it to better document life.
Baby, it's cold outside.
It finally snowed a bit. Paul went out with the kids and built a ginormous snowman. I think he used up all the snow if the front yard and some in the back to make it. Ellie's preschool teacher gave (made?) her a really fun snowman kit complete with hat and scarf. Two days later and Mr. Snowman is leaning pretty bad, but hasn't fallen over yet. We will see if anyone knocks him over on the way home from school.
*One day, Dallin asked if he could play a game on the ipod. I told him that we didn't have it any longer because we sold it to Santa. He burst into tears and declared that he was writing a letter to Santa. He gathered up paper, pencil, and scissors, and cut out a one inch by one inch square. On it he wrote, "Santa, breeng bak ipod". I let my kids know that parents have to help Santa out and that they don't just get things for free from him (because some kids get A L$T and some don't). I told him that we sold it to him so that we could get something better. "Okay," he exclaim, resolute. He then sat down, erased "ipod" and wrote, "indiana jones 2 lego wii and webkins" and was happy from then on. Santa did bring him a webkinz that he named Chim Pan Webkinz Duncan (and he never mention the lack of the wii game).
