Lesson on life

This morning Garrett woke up with a blood nose. He gets them a lot, particular during allergy season. I was worried sending him off to school that it would be a problem, but by lunch when I didn't hear from him, I figured they had gone away. Wrong!

As I was waiting for him to walk off the bus this afternoon, I could see the bus driver waving for me to come to the bus. As Garrett started down the stairs, I saw the big tears in his eyes. He ran to me, and said, "I don't want to ever ride the bus again." Okay slow down, little guy.

Garrett explained that it was hot on the bus, so his nose started to bleed and he couldn't get to his tissues in his backpack or pocket. He's two "friends" that were sitting by him, started to make fun of him, and moved to another seat leaving him alone. They then encouraged others to say things to him like, "You're gross!" "You're sick!" and "Nobody wants to be around a bloody boy!" I know that six and seven year old boys are immature and even silly sometimes, meaning to hurt, but it still hurts when your the same age and on the other end. The two little neighbor boys that did this are never been my favorite. In fact, we don't associate with then other then riding on the bus with them for ten minutes both ways. Fortunately they are in First and Second grade, and make up good excuses for not being able to play with them. Also thank heavens started in October, their mother goes back to work and they'll be staying at the after school program. I know I'm mean but I don't like em and would LOVE to eliminate them from Garrett's life.

After calming him down and myself down. Getting his blood nose to stop. Talking a little about the situation, I decided to distract him until we both could claim down, and have Keith the voice of reason chime in. Garrett wanted to watch Scoobie Doo and I made soup. As I was stewing over Garrett's situation, I realized that he needs to have these experiences so build confidence, self esteem and understanding about how to treat other. Having a blood nose is not a bad thing and you know how to handle them when they happen, even it Mom, Dad, your teacher or any other adult it there to help you. You are a great boy no matter what other say to or about you. You need to stand up for yourself. So tomorrow you need to tell, (your friends) that what they did hurt your feelings and explain why, when and how you handle blood noses when they happen. But most importantly, I want Garrett to learn to have compassion for others with everyone else is laughing at them, whatever the reason.

Things I love right now

I love that it is finally FALL

I love it when Garrett comes home and eats bananas on the counter like a monkey.

I love it when Kendall play make believe. She's great at pretending to move make believe objects around the house.

I love that Taryn still love to play with my hair, even though it is a little painful.

I love that we have a new baby coming to our house.

36 weeks and 50 lbs

Decided that I needed to have a memory of how gigantic I am when pregnant, so that when my girls are pregnant, 25 years from now, I'll remember the discomfort of this blessing.

Garrett's first day of school.

Garrett has been so excited to get back to school.

While I have spent the summer trying to decided what grade to put him. We started Garrett in Kindergarten at our local public school last year but pulled him out because we felt like he was too young to thrive in such a big and crazy classroom. Last year Signal Hill Elementary was taking in extra children from another school in our distract that add a high population of ESL learners, and a large classroom. I know we made the right choice, because Garrett did GREAT at Manassas Christian Academy, and ended the year with Mrs. Fowler recommending him to progress to the First Grade, but I still wasn't convinced.

I realize now that he just needed one more year of preschool or Pre-K to learn how school works. And private Christan school was just what he needed and I needed to not worry about my little guy being prepared to public school. Manassas Christian wasn't really a strong academic school but they were big into manors, rules, structure and independence. All the things that build a confident student. They made Garrett a good student, who feels good about himself.

So with that base, and after talking with multiple educators and parents that we respect, I decided to have Garrett go to Kindergarten this year at Signal Hill Elementary. And after one week at school, he thinks he's superman. Mrs. Surber loves him and lets him help the other kids since he's such a "smart boy"

This a Garrett with his buddies Julia and Anthony at the bus stop. Yes, they are 7 and 8 years old and Garrett just turned 6! Those Jones' genes are amazing!

Note: Garrett is starting the year off in size 2 shoes, 7-8 pants and shirt. Let's all take bets on what he'll be at the end of the year.

Kendall's off to Preschool

Yippy! We got into Grace Children's Learning Center for preschool. We have been on the waiting list this summer, so I had pretty much given up hope when they called me the Monday before school started to let us know we had were in.

I mix up the parent orientation with the meet the teacher night and took Kendall with me. As you can see from the picture above Kendall was so excited to meet her teacher this week before school started.

(Taryn can't stand not to be in the pictures.)

On the morning of her first day of preschool she was a little shy, which is her true nature. She still did great on her first day of preschool. She loved that they had Play Doe out when she first came in. I'm one of those bad Mom's that only let my kids have Play Doe outside on nice days when I'm in a great mood, which doesn't happen often.

On Wednesday after the first day of school Kendall was a little disappointed that preschool isn't everyday. But Tuesday and Thursday is enough time away for me. She'll grow up soon enough.

9 months is not forever

As any women knows who has been pregnant, even though it is a beautiful experience, it is still uncomfortable and difficult to get things done. I want to enjoy this more but all day while I'm taking care of the kids and the house, all I think is, "This will be some much easier when I'm not pregnant!" So here is a little list of things that I hate doing while pregnant. (Actually I don't enjoy doing these things in general, but they are particularly hard to do while carrying around an extra 50 lbs.)

-Cleaning the hard wood floors. (Our hardwood floors have not been mopped since my Mom was here the first of August. Yuck!)

-Cleaning the bathrooms. Not only is it hard to bend over to clean the toilets, floors and shower, but this smells and overall grossness of the room makes me want to throw up.

-The wash! Never ending cycle of clothes! And the more kids we have the more wash!

-Okay just cleaning the house in general is painful and stinks! I can't bend or I want to throw up or pee my pants! There you have it!

-Changing diapers and for that matter helping the kids dress themselves. I love my kids.

-Baths! Thank heavens Garrett can do his own and helps me with the sisters, but I still have to wash their hair and body or go through a whole bottle of shampoo in one bath. I do love my big boy who takes care of himself completely!

-Driving! I love to get out but it hurts me to sit in the car.

-Seating in church for three hours. Not be to gross but by the end of Relief Society, I feel like I'm sitting on my baby's head, and that's not good. Only to go home, fix dinner and entertain the kids for the next eight hours with wholesome activities like Scooby Doo. I'm a bad mom.

-Sleeping! Although I spend the whole day waiting for the night so that I can rest, by the time I do hit the bed my feet are throbbing and swollen, and the heartburn has kicking in so I miserable. Then I have to force myself to stop thinking about all the things I didn't get done in the day because I move so slow go to sleep. Once I do get myself to sleep, I'm up every two hours going to the bathroom or with aches and pains of being so HUGE! Not to mention the nights when I'm just up for no good reason, watch infomercials or staring at the computer.

-Crying! Yes, like most pregnant women I cry or over-react to everything. My sweet Garrett has spend the summer asking me, "Are you crying because you are happy or sad, Mom?" I always answer happy because I don't think he would understand I'm crying for no good reason at all. Ah, hormones! A neccesary evil of pregnancy.

Is anyone really listening?

Every night at bedtime, we read from a chapter book, like The Magic Tree House series, then we read one or two chapters from the scriptures just to get your kids use to hearing the verbiage of the scriptures and to bore them to sleep. During the chapter book it's hard to get the kids to stay quiet long enough to read. They either want to retell you, what you just read, or ask what something means. But during the scriptures they space off or fall asleep in the first two minutes. Works like a charm!
But one night, I was reading from the D &C where is says, "And if any people shall rise against this people, that thine anger be kindled against them," Then I read the next two lines, Kendall, who had her eyes closed and I thought was asleep, stopped me.
"Mom"
"Yes, Kendall"
"You said my name in the scriptures"
With a chuckle, "Yes, I did"
Dead serious "Why?"
Insert my definition of "kindled"
Then she smiles, "Oh, Thanks Mom"

I continue reading from the scriptures. Thinking both the kids are asleep. Two minutes later, Garrett mutters.
"Mom"
"Yes, Garrett"
"Is the word Garrett in the scriptures?"
Laughing once again, "No, I don't think so"
"Mom, Garrett means fighting spear, and they fight in the scriptures, so I'm in em"
"Sure, go to sleep"

My little Co-pay Baby

I've come to realize that the third child has to keep up with the other two. In their little mind they are five years old, the same as the other two, but their little one year old body is not able to preform all the tasks that their head thinks they should try. The end result is tears, blood, bruises, a trips to the Doctor and a co-pay. Taryn makes me grateful for insurance co-pays, because I'm sure the co-pay is much cheaper then the full bill.

Let me back up, one of my kids favorite games is hide and seek in the house. Taryn of course joins right in and finds her own hiding places, which are usually the curtains or the hall closet. Her only give away is her toes are always sticking out. (See picture below) I love those toes. So you can imagine my sadness when two weeks ago I heard a bang, scream and tears. Garrett came running upstairs to tell me that the bar stool had fallen on Taryn as she was getting down off the counter and then off the stool. Yes, I'm the world's best mother, who watches my kids all the time, so that they are perfectly safe at every moment.

Anyways, I ran downstairs to find two of those cute little toes swollen with the toenails slanted vertical and not horizontal to the toe. I called Keith, who told me to call the Warners, for advice. The poor Warners get bugged by us so much, but I don't know what I'd do without them. They suggested I go in to the Doctor because it sounded like there was a hemorrhage behind the toenail that was building up pressure, plus I don't have it in me to cut off the toenail so that I didn't ripe.

Off the the Pediatrician we go. The Doctor said was exactly what happened to her toe. They numbed the toe, then popped the blood blister under the toenail, wrapped it up and told me to go home and wait for the nail to fall off. Nice!

My sweet Garrett comforted Taryn my reading books to her on the sofa. Her favorite thing to do. These two are buddies!

Garrett's B-day

This year Garret enjoyed many Birthday celebrations. On the Saturday before his Birthday, Keith and I decided that a Wii would be great for him. So we panned out the money for the biggest birthday present ever. We decided that we'd let him open it the day before (Sunday) so that Keith could have the whole afternoon to teach him how to use it.

Garrett LOVES it and can't wait till Dad gets home every night so they can play Lego Star War together. So far it's not consume to much of his time, but we only let him play the one game.

On Monday for his Birthday, we let him open Grandma Hatch's Star Wars Lego set, which keep him occupied for the next three days putting it together. Huge thanks to Grandma for that present that everyone enjoyed.

For the next two week I tried to arrange a Birthday party with his friends but being 9 months pregnant, and school starting I just never found the right time. So we decided to take him to Chucky Cheese, make cupcakes and call it good. Next year Buddy we'll have a big party. We love you!

6 Things I love about Garrett

6. He's a HUGE help to me. Over the past year he has become very independent and self sufficient, which was hard for me to let go but a blessing with a new baby coming. He's great about helping with responsibilities (chores), mostly because he has learned that playtime or craft time are easier to negotiate when he pitches in without complaint. Also he is a great help with the sisters, he's good about reading a book to the girls, even when Taryn wants to reread the same book five times. He's so good about keeping an eye on the girls when every ones outside without me, which is a big relief to me. And he loves the responsibility of being in charge of the girls while I'm in the shower. Garrett, thanks for making everything easier for Mom.
5. Garrett is all about the fun! He gets this trait from me. Everyone is a potential new friend and a good time can be made anywhere. He has great social skills. Recently as we have had the Merchants and the Walkers over more, who both have girls Garrett's age, noticed that Garrett is a much different boy around girls rather then his boy buddies. With boys he is silly, louder, fun loving and rough, but around girls he's a calm, quiet, easy going, pleaser. Whatever he's "girl" friends want, he is quick a oblige. He is going to be a great husband, just like his father.

4. That adorable face of his. I've always thought he is so cute but some how he gets more handsome every year, once again, just like his father. I can't wait to see what he' ll look like as a teenager and an adult. He's sweet and handsome, a combination the ladies are not going to know how to resist him. I also love his big boxy Jones' hands and feet.
3. I love that he loves to snuggle and hug. I know this won't last but for now I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Having snuggle time with me is a priority to Garrett. Few things make him happier then laying on my bed watching Scooby Doe and snuggling.

2. Even though he wants a brother so bad, he LOVES his sisters and is a GREAT big brother. Right now his favorite distraction for them is to play owner and doggies. Obviously, he plays the owner, who send them on errands to fetch needed toys. He's so sweet to always tell them how pretty they look in their dress up clothes. He is a great example for his sisters, and loves to teach them new things. The girls are so blessed to have Garrett to watch over them and follow his example in life.
1 He has a strong and sweet testimony of Jesus Christ and He's plan for Garrett. I have to give credit to the Christian school Garrett attended last year, Garrett knows his Bible stories, and is mindful of what pleases Heavenly Father and what doesn't because of his school experience. They read and talked about a Bible story everyday from The Children's Bible, Timeless Stories for Children. Garrett has memorized all 100 stories so that he can "read" or retell every story in "his" bible to his sisters. He can even tell you the moral of each story. We also read to him from the Book of Mormon every night, and I 'm amazed at how much he know takes in.
Garrett has always been a tender heart too. This he inherited from his father. He wants to please and is quick to apologize when he does wrong.

I am so proud of the boy he is turning into and know that Heavenly Father is too.

We LOVE you Garrett!

Baby Thumblina

As soon as we found out that we were having a girl, we started to put names on the table for review by the family. Keith of course throw out his favorites that he has been throwing on the table since Garrett, Taylor, and Reagan. Both good names but not the names that I want to be calling out in my house.

So I started thinking about family names we could use. I love my Grandma Lena, my Dad's mom, but Lena seems like a old fashion name. So I thought about the kids favorite Barbie video, Fairtopia, the Fair's name is Alina.

I mentioned this to Kendall, who thought this was a great idea, but to make it even better she like Thumblina.

So if you ask Kendall what the new baby's name is, she'd say, "Thumblina Weece"

I like Reece too!

I doubt if this baby is going to have anything small and Thumblina like about her, but we still like the name.

Outer Banks

This was our third annual trip to the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We love to go to the bottom of Hatteras Island to a little dive hotel that is right on the beach. Being that I've been HUGE and pregnant two out of the three times we have been there, being close to the beach is a must.

Also for some strange reason, I only took pictures with disposable cameras. Therefore our picture are sad. And yet for some reason this post is a picture overload.

This year the Merchant's and the Warner's joined us for the fun on the beach. Our kids loved having their Merchant friends to play with on the beach. Mike's fishing skills were a hit with the kids.

Jeffery Merchant better start worrying, because I'm afraid that my son has a crush on his daughter.

Garrett and Mia had so much fun in the surf. They would hold hands, look for shells, Garrett tried to teach her to boogie board, and just splash around. They were so much fun to watch play together.

Odd to think that in just eight or nine years though it they won't be just playing together but flirting. Strange how age change how we interact with one and other.

This was also Garrett year to learn to boogie board. He could not get enough of it. Every other year, he liked the beach but wanted to go to the pool just as much but this year he never wanted to leave the surf. He didn't even want to build a sand castle or be buried.

Keith also took him out beyond where the waves break to snorkel and dive for shells. I think he was a bit amazed that there were fish so close to where he was swimming. Keith quickly realized that there was also jelly fish out there. Keith got stunging a few time but Garrett didn't. Oddly even I went away quite quick and wasn't that painful to Keith. He's no wimp!

Here's Garrett riding a wave all with way in just in time to take out his sister.

The kids were fascinated by Mike fishing in the ocean and actually catching fish.

Kendall and Maggie had so much fun chasing the waves or the waves chasing them, and collecting shells.

Taryn wasn't so much into the waves and salty water this year, so she spend most of her time collecting shells and making Sand Pies.

Taryn really enjoyed the swimming pool and playing around the hotel. But I love these pictures of her on the beach.

I applied too much sunscreen on face so she looks like a ghost.