L-O-N-G Week (and a long post)

 It has been one heck of a LONG week for me.  I started it last weekend with a horrible flu bug.  I don't usually get the flu, but I got it really bad last weekend.  I spent all day Saturday sicker than I have been in a long time.  I thought I was doing okay Sunday, but then had a relapse on Monday and became sick again.  I had to call in to work and I hate to do that and have rarely had to.  I think I must have weakened my immune system because now I am fighting a cold.

 Tuesday was great.  I was still a little weak from being sick, but I went shopping with my friend Janet for new clothes for the new (skinnier) me and enjoyed every minute of it.  I spent all my Biggest Loser winnings on clothes for myself.  I guess I mentioned it on facebook but not here.  I got a close second in the Biggest Loser contest at work.  I was less than .5 percent away from the first place winner.  Even if I didn't place first, I reached my goal weight at home and lost 25lbs in about 12 weeks.  It feels great and I'm really proud of myself.  I weigh less now than before having three kids so I can't complain.

Wednesday and Thursday were kind of crazy.  It was the Relief Society Birthday dinner at church and I am a committee member that is in charge of putting it all together.  I got a little stressed about getting everything done, but it turned out fun.  We had a small set of cupcakes or a cake for each birthday month.  I signed up for one, my mom did, and then we ended up making one more that someone canceled on.  Here are the August and November cakes I made and a cute September one my mom did:

(Sorry they are sideways...I can't figure out why they do that. )

 August Sunflower:

November Turkeys:

September Back-To-School:

We cleaned all the bird poop off our play fort from outside and Kim has loved it.  She likes to go down the slide the best, but hasn't figured out how to get herself back up to go again.

 Love this picture of her.  You can see some of her curls.  These are even slept on so her hair is usually even more curlier than this!

Taylor has been an awesome big sister lately and was trying to help her get back up.

  Checking out the dog that she lovingly calls "woof."

 More quality big sister moments:

 When I was sick on Monday, Kim desperately wanted to leave the house.  She went and got my hat on and cried at the door.  Poor baby...

Some of Taylor's random art work from school:

 Easter Recap:

So...the bike the Eater Bunny brought Taylor was just barely too big.  She could have grown into it, but we wanted something she could ride now. The Easter Bunny left this note on an exchanged bike outside:

 Taylor modeling her new new Easter bike:

 So there's the end of my L O N G post.  

It was easier to catch up all at once than in a bunch of smaller posts.

Kimberly Jane

 Lee let Kim walk outside like this.  Can you believe it?  (She had just had a diaper change so she wasn't wearing pants.  She had on one of Kadie's shoes and one of Taylor's, and she begged for her coat to go outside...who could resist saying no to that?)

 On Tuesday I was doing dishes and Kim was playing.  I could hear her but couldn't see her.  This is what I found when I came around the corner.  She had climbed into our game closet all by herself and was just happily sitting there...Glad she stayed put long enough for me to snag the camera.

Happy Easter

 How lucky are we?  Grandma Jane came to visit the few days before Easter.  We haven't been up to see her lately so it was a pleasant treat to have her come visit us.  The older girls soaked up all her attention and loved having her read book after book to them.  We also got to take her out to eat and go on a few walks!

 Happy Easter!

 Dying eggs is a science...

 The get to pick three colors each.  Kadie liked purple the best.

 Our Easter eggs ready to go! (The bunny was a present from Grandma Jane and it sings with it's ears flopping up and down.)

 Easter Loot:

 Taylor's New Bike:

 Kadie's New Bike:

 Kim tries her first peep.

 (What is Easter without peeps?!?)

A post about me...

A lot of my posts are about the kids, but I never really put much about my self.  Anyone curious about what I am up to these day?  To start with, I am currently working at a daycare.  I was working half-days, but recently extended my days a little longer.  The older girls really like going and would complain that they didn't get to go, so if I work a few more hours a day, they get to spend a little time there playing rather than just going to school and then home.  The best part about it is that I am in the same room as Kim.  I get all my work done, but still get to be a part of her day!   We started out in the baby room back when she was seven weeks old, but now we are in the one's.  Up to fifteen one-year-old kids can make for a crazy day, but I like spending the day with Kim and my other girls are close by.

 

At work, we are in the final three weeks of a biggest loser contest.  I have been going back and forth with the owner for first place.  It has been fun to push myself and I can hopefully win it and get a little spending money for new clothes.  It is awesome to be the master over at least one aspect of my life!  To date, I have lost 20 lbs and hope to lose about 4 more.  After doing that, I will weight a little less than what I did before having kids!  I am excited.  (As it stands, Taylor only has claim on about two pounds and then all my 'baby' weight will be gone!)  I was fine with the way I looked before starting, but it is fun to set a goal and try to reach it.

As always,my favorite hobby is reading.  I have a Kindle Fire and I love, love, love it.  Moving past that, one of my new favorite things to do is trying new recipes.  I am super excited.  Last week I splurged and bought myself a scotch laminator.  I don't know why, but I have always wanted one. I have been transferring my favorite recipes onto note cards and then laminating them.  It will be nice to have all my favorite recipes in one spot.  Well that's pretty much it in my life right now.  Tune in next week to see more about the kids!

New Tastes

 Have I mentioned that we love nice weather?  We like to play outside a lot after we get Taylor from school.  Kim discovered the girls' stash of sidewalk chalk the other day.  She tasted a piece or two but wasn't impressed.  She figured out chalk works better to color with than to eat.

 We are soo excited.  Kadie decided she wanted her hair cut the other day so we went to the store and she actually went through with it.  She has not had it cut since the end of two, beginning of three.  It was long and getting kind of scraggly.  We have tried a few other times where she said she would do it, but she would usually freak out as soon as she was sitting in the chair.  Once they even got the wrap on, but that was the end of it.  All the other times we would just leave since a hair cut isn't worth the scene she would cause throwing a fit.  This time she climbed in the chair and did great!  She didn't cry and sat very still like a big girl.

 We love the new look...and she likes that it doesn't take as long to brush!

Warmer Weather

 We've had a couple of days that have been warmer so we have taken advantage of the nice weather to be outside.  Remember this car that Kim got for Christmas?  She was finally able to use it.  Judging by the look on her face, I think she enjoys the car:

 

 We love to go on walks and on weekends, we drag the kids along too. 

 We spent two days at the park this weekend since it was so nice out.  Kim wasn't sure what to think of it.  She was afraid to walk on the wood chips and would either cry to be picked up, or hold her feet up when you went to put her down so that her feet wouldn't touch the ground.  Silly girl!  The park was a popular place to be and the older girls enjoyed running around and finding friends to play with.

In an unrelated post, Kim is continuing to feed herself:

It's getting messier!

Growing Up Fast...

 Kim is so funny.  Any time anyone in the family is eating anything, she feels that she should be eating too.  Lee was eating a snack and she got to sit in a big girl chair to join in on the food.  She looks so grown up...

Remember the "cheese" smile from last week, here it is again:

...and again:

 At daycare with mommy, Kim gets to use a spoon and feed herself.  Anytime I try to help, she gets mad at me.  Apparently she wants to be like the rest of the one-year-old kids and do it herself.  She is starting to get the same attitude at home.  Rather than fight it, I let her eat a yogurt by herself.  She did a pretty good job.  Most of it actually made it to her mouth:

Taylor is growing up so fast too.  She performed in her first grade class music recital of "Down on the Farm."  She got to be a chick out on the floor for the first number.  It was adorable!  She also got to play a rain stick for another number.  She did a good job singing and we are proud of her.