What is important

Well after many nights of fighting bedtime and getting frustrated with little people that continue to come downstairs, ask for drinks, cry over brushing their teeth, yada yada yada...I have come to accept that bedtime is kind of like dinner time, family scripture time, movie night, etc.  I have to make time for it and keep to the schedule and treat it as important as any other important time of day.  Once I accepted that I was able to come to terms with the amount of time it takes to do this for 5 kids!

Tonight we started with baths (15 min) for all 5...I'm sure it took longer because I think I asked Brayden 5 times to get out of his tub!  Then it was pajamas and brushing and flossing, followed by family prayer.  Then back upstairs to tuck in bed and read a story.  I finished all that and sent Sean up to listen to Taylor read to him.  She loves to read her princess story book every night and is doing awesome I can't deny her that!  He'll have to do the tickle too since none of my kids can go to sleep without a back tickle.  I only wish I had a tickle person to do that for me every night! 

So we haven't really had a chance to sit down as a family and do our New Year's resolutions, but the other night I had everybody sit on the couch and talk about one goal as a family...to read the book of Mormon completely by the end of the year.  We basically figured out how many chapters were in the book and how many days in the year and decided with one chapter a day we could finish in the fall!  So, being in the electronic age, Sean, Brayden and I all got our phones and ipods out and set a recurring timer that goes off at 6pm every night that sounds like a doorbell, reminding us to sit down and read scriptures together.  It's awesome!  So anywhere you are, that is what happens.  Today it rang while the kids and I were finishing dinner at the table, so we pulled out the books (Ipad actually) and started reading.  Halfway through Sean called from his car on his way home and listened in because his alarm had gone off too and knew we were doing it!  I love it and can't see how this will fail!

Drew started his choir back up this morning and he has to be at school at 715 so I got all the kids ready early and Taylor and Brayden went early with him and just had breakfast at school, something Taylor has been asking me to do forever!  She had cereal and Brayden had a cinnamon bun...they were pretty happy about that!  Drew has also been studying for his spelling bee coming up next Friday.  He has 450 words to memorize so he studies 50 words a day.  We look up the definition first so he knows what it is and then he takes the time to memorize them before I quiz him on it.  The words range from 4th-8th grade so some of them are pretty tedious!  Today some of the words were geologist, unpredictable, compendium, interrogative, disingenuous, coat, left, lid, and desktop...to name a few!  He's got a quick, keen mind and I can't wait to see how he does.  There are 20 competing in his school, 5 4th graders and 15 5th graders.  If he wins he moves onto the Collin County Bee, then if he wins he moves onto the Dallas News to compete, then if he wins he moves to Washington for Nationals!  Ha!  So he is only focusing on the first round here as that would be a great accomplishment!

Brayden continues to be an amazing brother to Nina!  He is my go to with all things Nina!  He knows exactly what she needs, what makes her happy and what makes her sad.  He is so sweet with her and is so sweet to watch.  He's doing great with his indoor soccer and I see so much in him as an athlete as I did in me.  It's like I'm looking into the past sometimes watching myself play, which is both scary and exciting!  I was such a stubborn basketball player and always thought I knew everything, I also thought I was the best player and that if everybody on my team was a clone of me we would always win since I always knew the right things to do!  Ha ha!  So Brayden has some of those same qualities and has said almost the same things to me when he's frustrated with his team.  He is such a great athlete though, I know with that determination he will be awesome at whatever he decides to play!  I think he needs braces soon and talks about that a lot, asking all kinds of questions that I don't have the answers to since I didn't have them!

Taylor has been reading like a pro every night and steps right in with the scriptures too!  I'm learning that I need to take the time each day to just sit down and talk to her because I find it easy to ignore her throughout the day, being one of the middle children.  The other night as I was putting her to bed I took the time to just aske her about her day and talk with her and she wouldn't shut up!  I loved it and loved listening to her talk about her friends and school like I hadn't heard her talk before.

Lotti is a munchkin and so much fun!  She is starting soccer next month and I can't wait to watch her.  I'm counting on her being a force to be recconed with, unlike her sister on the soccer feild who skips around chasing butterflies and talking to her imaginary friend!  Oh Taylor...anyway, Lotti is a little firecracker and keeps us on our toes.  She loves to change her clothes at least 2-3 times a day and emerges from her bedroom with her hands on her hips expecting a compliment!  Very cute.  She also just entered the sunbeam class and it's just crazy to see her in there on Sunday while I play the piano. 

Nina is almost 9 months!  Wow...time flies!  She hasn't taken her first step yet and I'm not holding my breath.  She walks around furniture very quickly so I'm thinking maybe soon.  She loves food and I'm still getting into the hang of feeding her.  A bottle is so much easier but she definitely isn't happy with just that anymore!  She sucks her thumb which is handy because when she is tired or unhappy she can soothe herself and I don't have to worry about finding her soother or sticking it back in her mouth.  I feel a slight connection with her because I used to suck my thumb.  I remember I wouldn't suck it at all during Kindergarten but as soon as I got home I would grab my blanket upstairs and stick my thumb in my mouth!  Ah...I can't even imagine Taylor sucking her thumb at this age!  So we'll see...it might just be a crazy habit to break but we will do it!  For now it's super cute!  She has slept 12-13 hours at night since she was a couple months old and still going strong and for that I am eternally grateful!  With 5 kids I really need my own time at night and my sleep so it's awesome!

Sean is currently trying to find a job for when his fellowship ends at the end of July.  We have been looking all along the southern states and there are some good opportunities, just hoping that something might come along here in Dallas.  Something just recently came along and Sean hopped right on that train as soon as he could!  We should probably know by the end of the month how that job interview worked ou  so we're keeping our fingers crossed so we can stay here and not have to move!

Anyway...I have to go to the grocery store which is a thorn in my motherly side!  I hate doing it and try to avoid it at all costs...if only I had a personal shopper!  arg!

L