This morning Keith woke me up and said if you want to see something cute go look in Elizabeth's room. I crept to her door so I wouldn't disturb her. Elizabeth door was open just a crack and I peeked in to see her talking to Aven. "You're going to be a good mom and a good big sister when you grow up." "Let's get that lipstick off" (it was lipgloss) "Want to watch some Netflix and snuggle with me?"

Elizabeth told me that she got up to use the restroom and went to check on Aven upon finding her awake Elizabeth took her into her room to play. Adorable.

That's right I saved a life.

At lunch today Weston was sitting at the kitchen table and somehow got his foot stuck in the back of the chair. I took off his shoe and picked him up a little and his foot slid right out. When I got back to my chair Weston looks me in the eye and says "Thanks, for saving my life." Anytime buddy, anytime.

Spelling

I have never been a great speller. I am so thankful for spell check that will edit all the words that I continually spell wrong. I can remember being in 3rd grade and working so hard on my spelling lists and still not get a 100% on them. Fast-forward 20 something years and Elizabeth has spelling tests now. It brings out all the old anxiety that I use to feel but if we work on the words every night she almost always gets a 100%.
On Mondays her teacher gives her class a practice spelling test. If you get a 100% on it then your words for the week are the challenge words which are 5-7 letters if not you have the regular list which is 3-5 letters. This past week she comes home on Monday and has missed 4 words on the practice test. I asked her what happened because in the previous 3 weeks she has only missed one word. She tells me "I wanted to miss a few words so I didn't have practice the challenge words."  I was impressed, she is 7 and thought about how can I make my homework easier for this week. Trying not to smile I explained to her that she always needs to try her best so that she can continue to learn and get smarter. I am sure I wouldn't have thought to do this at her age. It stinks having smart kids. =)

Everyone needs a little positive affirmation

I posted this on Facebook but thought Weston deserved for me to put it somewhere that we will see again.

Weston has been full of positive affirmations for me recently. As we were walking in the door yesterday after picking him up from preschool he told me "Good job taking care of Kenzie mom."

This morning just before we were leaving to take Elizabeth to school he was sitting in the hall and had his legs stretched out as I stepped over his legs he tell me "Good job stepping over my legs mom."

 Lastly, all last year I dropped Elizabeth and our carpool kid off at the park behind the school and they have to walk through the gate at the back of the school. This year I have been taking her and our new carpool kid to the front of the school. I was talking to the new kid and drove right past the street I needed to turn on to go to the front of the school. I couldn't help it, I was on autopilot from last year. This morning I made the turn and Weston tells me "Good job turning on the right street mom."

How I love this little boy. I think I really needed to hear someone tell me over the past two days that we can celebrate the little things.

One of my sisters asked me yesterday if my ob has ever asked me if I have felt overwhelmed and not felt like I was a good mom. He said to her that most LDS women feel like they have some standard to live up to, feeding their kids better, having a clean house etc. I told her that my Dr has never asked me that and honestly I don't feel like I have to be like everyone else. My house isn't as clean as it should be, my 1st grader goes to a public school (horror of horrors), she didn't get straight A's (just one B), I almost never update my blog, I am horrible at crafts, not creative, my dinners are not a healthy as they should be. With all that I still think I am a great mom. I play with my kids, we have learning time they are on a great sleeping schedule. Most important they love me and I love them. I love to see their little faces. I love to hear them tell me stories. I love to see them when they learn something new. I love to have Elizabeth read me stories. I don't feel bad for what I don't do and feel great for everything that I do do!

I finally downloaded pictures from my camera here you go....

Elizabeth's 100th day at school. She is an old lady.

Thanks for the stickers gma and gpa Castillo!

Camping over spring break. We were the only ones to camp at this campground it was awesome. 

If you look really close you can see a caterpillar on the stick Elizabeth is holding.

Coming home we stopped in Superior and played at the train park.

Customary Easter picture. Elizabeth didn't want to have her picture taken.

How I love my boys. 

Kenz loves to help clean. If I am cleaning and don't let her help she will throw herself on the ground and cry. 

Happy 33rd Birthday Keith!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kenzie Benz!!

(So sad no 33rd birthday pics of me)

Great Grandpa Emery's 92nd Birthday.

I found the key to have everyone look at the camera and smile. Hold up a box of candy.

Elizabeth's dance concert. 

Mother's day. 550ish photos on my memory card and only 5 with me in it. I need to hand Keith the camera more often.

My beautiful mama.

At the Chandler Air Park for Weston's 4th birthday. 

Sorry for the the photos I thought that was the best way to show the last four months of our lives. 

Family is the Most Important

Elizabeth loves to ask questions especially when we are in the car. I always thought that the questions would end but even at six she is interested in everything and wants to know how it works.

Elizabeth: "Mom, why do people like stuff"
Me: "People like stuff because they think that it will make them happy, but what is really important?"
Elizabeth: "Family. If I had a whole bunch of stuff I would give it all away so that I could get married and have a     family."

This conversation really made me think. I was prompting for the answer family but I didn't think she would say all she did. Family is the most important thing. What would you give up for your family?

Like Elizabeth I would give up and do aeverything for my family. We all have the days when we are peed on at church... cleaning up puke at 3am and wish we could change our life right then but when I hear Weston say to me (at least 5 times a day) "Mom I sooo love you" and if I don't respond immediately he says it again I wouldn't trade my family for anything.

Poor, poor Weston

This week I took Weston and McKenzie with me visiting teaching. This particular lady has three boys so Weston loves going there because there are always lots of cars, trucks and trains to play with. His current obsession is trains. He loves them. If you are driving down the road and drive on the bumpy side he starts shouting train train. Any horns train train! Anyway he found a big train there and played with it the entire time. When it was time to leave I asked him to put it away. Of course he told me no. I asked him again NOOO. I told him that we could not take the trains they are not ours and he needs to leave them. He puts the trains down and has the saddest most depressed look on his face. Then he starts crying. Not a I can't have it cry but I am heartbroken cry. We go out the door and he starts wondering towards the neighbors house just sobbing. We got home and played with his little trains and all was well with the world.

Weston loves taking his trucks, planes, or whatever boy toy he has to the store. I do not mind because it keeps him entertained while I am trying to get a few things. On Friday we were walking into Safeway and he tripped. His trucks went flying out of his hands as he fell. A lady was walking out at the exact instant and picked up the trucks and handed them to me and walked off. Weston saw her pick up the trucks but did not see her hand them to me and thought the lady was walking off with he trucks. He started screaming hand outstreached screaming, until I showed him I had the trucks and he instantly stopped crying.