Spring Break in Logan with Kids

We actually spent Spring Break in Logan this year.....traveling with 4 kids, and one of them being a 9 week old, did not sound fun to me and Matt did not want us to go alone either. So we decided to stay in Logan and make the best of it. It was actually alot of fun, except for the crappy weather and Casen getting sick. The first weekend of spring break, before our WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD headed south to St. George, we had the Thompson cousins over, Reygan and Ryley, for a sleepover. They kids had a fun Friday night and Saturday....going in the hot tub, watching movies in the theatre room, and just playing in the basement. Then my sister and her 4 kids, came up from California and stayed for about 2 days, from Tuesday night to Thursday afternoon. My kids kept asking me for 2 days before they got here, a million times, HOW MANY MORE HOURS TILL THEY GET HERE? They don't get to see each other that much anymore, since their family moved to CA. They played great for 2 days and my sister Steph and I got to visit. The weather was cold, so the kids could not play outside much, but they still played really good in the basement. They also watched movies in the theatre room and went in the hot tub. My sister and I just wanted to visit and relax and did not attempt to take the kids anywhere. 8 kids is alot of work...trying to keep track of them somewhere, so we just vegged and got caught up. It was hard to see my sister go. Since we are so busy with our kids and our lives, we do not get to talk to each other on the phone as much as we would like to. It was fun to see our kids play together so well and I was glad that they all got to meet Crew. Steph was really helpful with Crew too. Then Thursday, I was a BEAR. I found out that morning that my mom was not going to be able to come up with my dad to visit and I was cleaning all day, trying to get ready for our second set of relatives coming to visit. I was very cranky all day. So about my mom...she was hospitalized Saturday night, with heart palpatations and MAJOR hot flashes. She thought she was having a heart attack or stroke or panic attack or something. So after several days in the hospital and many tests later, they are working on her blood pressure and her potassium levels. So she was really weak and nervous to leave home and her doctor advised her not to. So when my dad called that morning and told me she was not coming, I was heart broken. I think I cried on and off all day. Everything kept setting me off and everytime I sat down to feed Crew, I would start to cry. He is so cute and I was so sad that my mom was not going to get to see him. My dad did tell me he was still coming and so that helped. But I hate not having my parents close by to see my babies grow up. I seriously felt like a little kid that day who had had XMas taken away from them. That is how sad I was. I think my prego hormones are still lingering because I was a mess all day. So my dad and my sister Em did come up Thursday night at 1:30 in the morning (I guess early Friday morning). And I was so excited. So while they were here, it seriously snowed for 3 days straight and did not ever let up. That was really making me depressed. I am so ready to get outside and for soccer season to start and to get away from winter. So we ended up staying inside alot and the snow did ruin some of our plans. Friday we ran a few errands...one of them being Hobby Lobby to get crafts. My kids love doing crafts with Aunt Emmy. And we talked my dad into going because he wanted to get a pic of Hobby Lobby for my mom...her favorite store. We always tease her about it. We ran around to a few other stores Em and I wanted to go to. Then that night, we ordered Mexican take-out, and my Aunt Marsha and Uncle Jack came over to see my dad and baby Crew. So we had a good visit with them, until Casen got a fever and started throwing up everywhere. That kind of put a damper on the weekend for me....taking care of a fevering baby and cleaning up throw up is terrible. But at least I had help from Em and my dad to hold Crew while I took care of Casen. (He was sick till Sunday afternoon). Sucked. Then Saturday and Sunday, we watched movies, sat around and talked and ate, went in the hot tub again, and just enjoyed the baby. Em and dad got to hold him alot. I can tell Em is ready for a baby. It was sweet to see her holding him alot and helping me with him alot. The kids did some crafts with Em and played games with EM. She also made us a sweet ice cream treat Saturday night. And Em and I watched Burlesque too. I also watched it with Steph while she was here. LOVE that movie. Oh and I helped the kids make a BLOG of their own....I can't tell if this was a good idea yet...because so far they are needing alot of my help and it is time I don't really have. So it was hard to see dad and Em go today, but it was so good to have them here. And now I have to wait until June to see them again (Corey's baptism and Crew's blessing). I did want to mention one thing too that I always notice when my dad is around and that I admire and love about him. He is such a great person. He always notices when something is needed. While he was here, he offered to hold Crew while I had to deal with another child or make dinner, etc. And he also is so helpful with cleaning up after meals...always offering to help with dishes and clean-up. I don't know if his mother taught him well or if it is MY MOM, his wife who taught him well. But I love that about him. I already miss him. Hope the kids had a fun spring break. But I am ready for them to go back to school. I stayed up way too late this last week and need to get caught up on some sleep and clean my house. And I really wish the snow would melt and spring would get here. I am so over this cold weather! Thompson Cousins

Thurston Cousins

Crew- 9 weeks, almost 10 weeks

My sick little boy Casen

Sore booty from pooping so much..

Feeling better...

Movie Time...

My Little Chunk

I need to take some more pics of my little chunk. I took him in Wednesday for his 8 week appt and he is a chunk. I am so proud. He was 12 lbs. 10.5 oz. which was 75 %. And his height was 23 1/2 inches, which was 75 % too. I was so excited. He is going to be a chunk like Cade was. Cade's nickname, given to him by his Grandpa Norm was "Lunch," when he was a baby. And I think Crew will be given the nickname "Lunch #2." I think that Crew and Cade have my genes and Corey and Casen are all Thompson, because they were both very petite and did not gain weight very good. It was funny too because when they were weighing him, at the Dr.'s he peed all over the scale and the wall and then when I took him back in the room to change him and put a diaper on him, he peed again all over the bed. I had to use his blanket to stop the pee. Anyway, he also got some shots too at his appt. because I do get very worried about meningitis and the Whopping Cough. I normally do not give them that many shots at once, but he is chubby and healthy, so I went ahead and did it. He has been a little cranky since then, but not bad. He sure was pissed though and sad when they gave him the shot. I felt bad for him. I can't believe he is already 8 weeks. He is still a great baby and pretty easy and I am adjusting to 4 kids. Ya know, I don't really know that you ever adjust. It is always hard. I have my good days and my hard days. Taking 4 kids to the ortho today was hard, but afterwards we got to go to the park and watch Cade's soccer practice because it was a warm day and that was the good part of my day.....hard getting 4 kids in and out of the car, but the park was what they needed and the warmer weather was what I needed. Crew was funny too....it was like his first time out of his carseat, outside, in the sun , and I think he loved it. And I got thinking that I do not know that I could handle 5 kids, at least not anytime soon. It would be very hard. I think to myself that 4 kids under the age of 8 is tough, but there are moms out there who are doing 4 kids under the age of 4 and I think they must go nuts. I need the help[ of my older 2 or I could not do it. In fact, if I have to go to the store before Matt gets home, I have to wait and take Cade because I have Casen and Crew in the cart and no room for groceries, so Cade is my cart pusher. I make him feel so proud that I could never do it without him. He is my little helper. Love my kids!

My Chunky Lil' Monkey

This is my almost 8 week old chunky little monkey. These pics are more true to what he looks like. I love him. He is such a good baby. He loves to eat, but not anymore than my other kids. He just gains weight better, kinda like Cade did. Corey and Casen must have been more Thompson because they were my little runts. And Cade and Crew are more alike, must be Maughan, cause they gain weight at a rapid rate. He sure is growing up and we are enjoying every minute of it. 4 kids is not so bad. There are certain times where I want to pull my hair out....like getting ready for school with a hungry baby and bedtime with a hungry baby. We are still learning to juggle that. And I think the whole "I am not the baby anymore" is finally hitting Casen. He is throwing some CRAZY AWESOME fits that really wear on my nerves and I feel like he is whining and crying all day long. So I am trying to pay more attention to him, but it is hard to balance it all out. He also want to be one of the big kids, which is hard too. One of these days, we will have it all figured out! I don't know how some moms have ALL their kids so close together. I have a few close together (4 under the age of 8) and I am pulling my hair out at certain hours of the day.

But I can't believe my little munchkin Crew is growing up so fast. My parents are coming out in 1.5 weeks and I am so excited. We decided to fly them out because it was cheaper and easier than me trying to take all 4 kids on an airplane, not to mention keeping them healthy. (My kids have all been sick this week, some of them having strep throat. So annoying! )So my mom gets to see him again and my dad gets to see him for the first time. I can't wait! He really has changed alot. It will be a short weekend, but still fun and special!

Corey & Hip Hop

This weekend Corey did an awesome hip hop camp with her cousins. The dancers that taught the classes were awesome. They are teachers from LA who have choreographed alot of the celebrities. Corey learned 3 short dances and she did really good. I was very impressed with how well she learned them and how on count she was. They were the coolest dances she has ever learned. In fact, in her favorite dance, I would say that Corey was BUCK. (Isn't that what they say on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?) She really got into it. I enjoyed going and watching her performances. I was really side-tracked by the teachers dancing though cause they were so good. (I would post a video, but last time I tried that, it never worked after hours of trying. Not worth it. Just take my word for it.)

Weekend With The Boys

This weekend, Corey spent Friday night and Saturday with her twin cousins having a sleepover and attending a dance camp, so we decided we had to do something a little fun with the boys...mainly for Cade's sake because he was bored and sad. He really does not know what to do when Corey is gone for that long. He really misses her.

First we let the boys play outside for awhile because my kids have the worst case of Cabin Fever ever and we are just waiting for it to warm up. They love to be outside and are craving spring. Then we went out to eat at Cafe Rio and afterwards took the boys over to Sub Zero for some ice cream. And when we got home, Matt decided to take the boys out in the hot tub. And to top the night off, to make it a perfect night for Cade, after the kids bath, Cade got to have a sippy cup of chocolate milk, in bed, watching a movie and falling asleep.

It is really weird not having Corey around. It is a weird feeling to have only boys. I am not use to it. I love my Corey, but there was no whining and no fighting between Corey and Cade while she was gone. Cade was still teasing Casen and I had to break up the occassional fight there, but it was kind of a nice break. I need that one girl. I felt a little out of place being the only girl.

And I also included a few pics of Crew at 6-7 weeks. He sure is following in his brother Cade's footsteps...he is chunking right up. And these pics add like 10 lbs. too. So freakin funny! He is almost 12 lbs. already. I love it. Casen never gained weight, so it is such a relief that he is gaining.

St. Pattys Day Fun

I usually don't do anything fun for St. Patricks Day, but Corey came home from school on this Leprechaun kick. So I decided to try and be a fun mom and do something creative. Since I am not creative, I found some ideas off of facebook, while I was checking my mail, at 10:00 PM, the night before. So I hurried and threw this together. A little leprechaun visited us and brought us breakfast....Lucky Charms and green milk. It was fun and the kids enjoyed it. They also did alot of fun stuff at school....little activities and parties. Teachers really are great to let the kids enjoy these days! And Corey was so excited because her Aunt Lynley made her the same dress as her twin cousins, so they could be triplets for the day. They all wore the same outfit and their hair the same way! She loved it!