Day 897: More Swimming

The kids had their second day of swim lessons this morning.  We bit the bullet and signed them up for private lessons this time.

SO worth it.

Watching them today (with Grandma and Grandpa) was a Joyful Moment.  I think they've already made more progress in two private lessons than they ever did in their group classes.

And it was clearly a much greater workout for them.  So cute.

Then we did an abbreviated yoga class because my parents had to leave for my dad's parents' anniversary celebration.  And saying goodbye was not a Joyful Moment, but it certainly helps to know that my mama will be back in a couple weeks to help out with the arrival of Darling A.

And then we spent the rest of the day returning to normal life.  As much as we've loved all of our company, it's kind of nice getting back to our routine.

Wishing you all Joyful moments that are SO worth it!

Day 896: Showin' Off

Today was so much more relaxed than yesterday.  I don't need to tell you how much of a Joyful Moment that was.

But the culminating event was a private recital tonight at my home.

This is the only participant who would smile for the camera.

They both played several of the pieces they're proficient at.  It was mainly Sweet P's gig.  You may recall that she finished Book 1 in the Suzuki books back in late December/early January.  She's been working on perfecting the pieces and performed them tonight.

All of them.

It was amazing.  I am SO proud of her.  And it was such a Joyful Moment to watch her.  And Little M.  Who was a at least cooperative for that part.

And again grateful to the amazing instructor.  We love her.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with cooperative smilers!

Day 895: Bedroom Complete!

Well, probably complete-ish.

But my mom and I (okay, pretty much my mom) sewed pillow cases for the body pillows on our bed today.  HH and I had been unable to find covers in a color that matched the rest of the room.  And I knew my mom would be more than up to the task.  They look so great!  And I am happy.  My back was hurting so I was less than helpful, so a great big thanks to my mama for making them for us.

Now I need to get another "after" picture, so you can see the lamps too.  They're pretty.

We also had more Joyful Moments just hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa.  And they came to yoga with me this morning.  I'm not sure if that was a Joyful Moment for them, or not. (c:  But they want to go back on Thursday, so it must have been okay.

We had the whole clan for Little M's violin lesson this morning.  That was kind of crowded, but certainly fun.

And then we split in half to watch the kids at TaeKwonDo.  More good times.  Joyful Moment times.

And a fun game to end this long and busy day.

Joyful Moments galore.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments galore!

Day 894: Memoriable Day

Actually, we didn't really do anything major.  It was a pretty chill day.

But we got to hang out with my parents and that made it great.

My mom helped me pick out some fabrics for a couple projects and totally loving the fabrics was a definite Joyful Moment.

My dad fixed our grill (which we didn't know was broken when I got the ribs all rubbed and ready to go).  Turning off the oven and going to back to Plan A (grilled ribs) was a big Joyful Moment, too.

And watching a whole lot of this going on was probably the best Joyful Moment.  It's seriously so great to watch my dad play with my children.  It just makes my heart smile.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make your heart smile!

Day 893: Brevity

Uncle left this morning.  That was a Sad Moment.  We've enjoyed his company (I've really enjoyed all of his help!) so much.

My parents arrived tonight.  That was a Joyful Joyful Joyful Moment!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments x three!

Day 892: Insanity

Today was crazy.

Fortunately, HH and Uncle let me sneak away to get in some good yoga at the gym while they dealt with all the madness at home.  That was a blessed blessed Joyful Moment.

After the extra boys left, we took Little M to a birthday party and dropped HH and Uncle off to donate blood.  HH gets a little woozy around blood draws and has never donated before.  I was so proud with him after it was all said and done and he was quite pleased with having donated.  Joyful Moment for us both there.

But the day's events took longer than anticipated, so instead of grilling ribs for dinner, we ended up going out.  Which was more than chaotic.  Baby B was in a terrible very bad no good mood, having had a messed up nap time and was just on the rampage.  He finally calmed down when the waiter brought him some fries and a cookie.  Healthy foods r' us.

Things were just starting go well when he put his hand on my plate and accidentally tipped the whole thing into my lap.

I was wearing my favorite shirt.

Favorite Shirt now has stains and some grease on it.

I should have ordered a salad.

I got sad.  Probably more sad than I should have, but let's be honest--I only have about 5 shirts left that fit me.  Two of those are comfortable.  And only one of those do a feel really cute in.

Wanna guess which of the 5 got potentially ruined tonight?

So, this was not a Joyful Moment.  But, after we had returned home and were getting the kids ready for bed, Baby B came up to me (I was laying on the couch kind of moping) and said,


"Mommy, wha' happen?"


"My shirt got messy and I'm a little sad."


"You liddo sad?"


"Yeah."


"You cwyin'?"


"No, just sad."


Then he briefly thought this over before reaching over and stroking my hair.

"I be sof' wi' you hay (hair)."


Then he looked at me and as he scooted away said, "Love yuuuuuu," in such a sweet, soft, little voice.


And I'll be honest--even in my sadness, it was a Joyful Moment.  Amazing to me to see such gentle compassion in one so young.

And then we played more games tonight and I perked up a bit and it was more Joyful Moments, fortunately.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and gentle compassion during the not-so-joyful moments!

Day 891: Zoo Time

Well, there isn't exactly a ton to do around here, so we took Uncle to the zoo today.  After tricking him into joining me in spin class.  It was his first time, which is always rough, but he did really well.

Much better than the 8+ prego lady next to him...

The kids had a blast being at the zoo and sharing it with their uncle.  I was very grateful he was there because I got sick half way through and he did such a great job taking care of them.  It was a Joyful Moment all hanging out together, for sure!

Then we were joined by some extra boys as it was our turn to watch the kids of our friends who watched our kids when we had our weekend of fun a few weeks ago.

That was pretty much complete chaos, really.  But HH and Uncle managed most of it.

More Joyful Moments playing games with Uncle and HH tonight after all of the kids were in bed.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and an extra set of hands around to help out when you get sick!

Day 890: 1st Grade Lunch

We (Uncle included) met Sweet P for lunch at school today.  Last day of 1st Grade!  I can't believe how quickly she's growing up!  She was so thrilled and proud to have her family there.  It was really fun to do that for her.  Definitely a Joyful Moment.

And of course, every Joyful Moment is made better when it involves sandwiches from Jimmy John's--which this one did.

And then their Uncle went out and played soccer with them.  I will definitely have to include the photo when I have my computer again.  It was pretty funny watching him play with about 20 little 1st Graders.

I'm so proud of my Sweet P for yet another great year of school.  We got her final report card today.  And, of course, it was fantastic Joyful Moment.  We're so blessed to have her, especially as our oldest.  She is so great.

Wishing you all fantastic Joyful Moments!

Day 859: Our Most Frequent Guest

That would be HH's brother.  He's been going to a school located on the other side of us.  So, he stop in for a visit every time he leaves, or returns home.  It's been nice.

We're very proud of him for graduating (MBA), but we're a little sad because he will no longer have occasion to stop by.

However, we are very much enjoying his visit now!

He met us at a baseball game tonight (photo will have to come later b/c our guest room doubles as my computer room and HH's computer doesn't make it as easy to upload my photos.  Or, even to post my posts.

So, I'll keep this brief.  The arrival of this super fun uncle was the Joyful Moment for everyone here!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that everyone can agree on!

Day 858: Linus

I really really wanted to get in on the Spring Cleaning action, but felt much too tired at the time.

Fortunately, the combination of increased nesting and a string of house guests has somehow provided me with the energy.  Or at least, bouts of energy.   Followed by bouts of not being able to get off the couch... but that's not what this is about.

Today's accomplishment was finally shampooing the carpets.  Only, I got out of this one.  My dear HH did the whole thing.  How lucky am I?

Just knowing how much dirt and yuckiness are no longer in my carpet is a Joyful Moment every time I think about it.

And watching my new little Linus-in-the-Making has been a bit of a funny Joyful Moment the past few days as well.  Only his is a sheet instead of a blanket.  It's a super worn out sheet that I put on his bed back when he was so sick for weeks on end mid-winter.  With all the nastiness he had coming out of him, I didn't want to ruin a good sheet.  But then he became quite attached to this sheet.  See what he's doing?  He has to do that while he sleeps.  And nicer, thicker sheets just don't allow it.  So, we kept this one on his bed, but it was so thin it finally ripped.  So, I pulled it off and before I could dispose of it, he began dragging it around everywhere.

And I realized this is his "lovie".  Like it or not, this sheet is here to stay.

At least it's easy to wash.

Then, tonight as we were tucking her into bed, Sweet P told HH and I of her idea to give a copy of the Book of Mormon to one of her good friends before school lets out for the summer.  She thought of this completely on her own.  And it was most certainly a Joyful Moment to hear it.  To know that she is learning to appreciate this special book and wants to share that with someone else she cares about.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are easy to wash!

Day 857: More Normal

Today was another good day.  Where I felt like a "normal" human being, for the most part.  Well, as normal as one can get with a watermelon in place of where one's belly used to be.

My yoga instructor is out of town, which is always kind of sad and disappointing.  So, imagine my Joyful Moment when I arrived and learned that one of my good friends was today's sub.  And she did great!  It was a really nice class--exactly what I needed.

Then I learned that Sweet P ran a mile in 8:25 at school this morning.  Being the proud, running mama I am that was a Joyful Moment for me for sure!

And then the owner of the violin shop in town told me he wasn't going to charge me anything for the extra month that we've kept Little M's violin (past the end of our year rental).  He knew in advance that we'd be returning it late--I didn't want to bump him up to the next size just before all of these recitals.  But, our original agreement had included a late fee.  Being told that any sort of fee is waived is always a Joyful Moment.

Helping Little M prepare and then deliver a great Family Home Evening lesson tonight (on Choosing the Right) was another Joyful Moment.

And then a sweet little heart-to-heart with Sweet P right at bed time.  Another Joyful Moment.

And, of course, being just one month away from my due date is yet another exciting Joyful Moment!

Wishing you all exciting Joyful Moments!

Day 856: Another Graduation

Tonight was the annual Suzuki Graduation Recital.

This year Sweet P and Little M both got to participate.  They are both in this photo.  Good luck finding them.  It was kind of frustrating to watch Sweet P get pushed further and further back as each round of newer violinists joined the fray.

But they sounded beautiful and it was definitely a good experience for them both.

And a Joyful Moment for the proud parents.

Not so much of a Joyful Moment for Baby B, though.  He was more than a little restless.  Poor HH ended up having to chase him all over the back as I tried to get photos and video.

For the record, I offered HH the documentary job--he chose toddler-chasing.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments where you get to stay front and center!

Day 855: Good Day

Finally... right?

We started things off with some nice yoga and then I headed straight to a baby shower.  Where I enjoyed chatting with some good friends.  And I'm not going to lie... it was also a Joyful Moment to get a bunch of compliments for the baby cupcakes I made and to see them quickly disappear.

Then HH and I had a midday that was both relaxing and productive.  Always a Joyful Moment.

And dinner and fun at the park before it started pouring rain that evening.  More Joyful Moments... mixed in with some less than Joyful ones, but we won't go there.

This was my good day, right?

Wishing you all good days and a yummy baby cupcake, or two!

Day 854: Hosed

Although HH's parents had a long drive ahead of them, they were kind enough to stay long enough for his dad to help out with a little sprinkler repair work.

Baby B wasted no time in getting down to help Grandpa in the mud.  "I helping!"


We had more Joyful Moments hanging out with them this morning until it was time for them to go.  But it was so sweet to hear Baby B call out to them as they left, "Love you, Gamma!"  He apparently believes that Gamma and Gampa are one and the same and only refers to them as "Gamma".


And then Baby B took a 4 hour nap.  And HH offered to take the kids to their rehearsal for the next violin recital.

And that was a Joyful Moment to have a little time to myself.

Baby B woke up just in time to help me bake some mini cupcakes for a baby shower tomorrow morning. He really wanted to eat all of the batter (and really, so did I), but I told him he had to wait.  So, he kept repeating, like a mantra, "You hafta wait."


Seriously, so cute.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that you don't hafta wait too long for!

Day 853: It's Always Fun When Grandpa Comes

And Grandma, too!

HH's parents stopped by for a quick trip on their way to see one of HH's brothers graduate from business school.  We shared a yummy dinner out with them, full of Joyful Moments and good food.

And then we came home and they had fun playing with Grandma's iphone.

I was so pleased to see how quickly my shy little Baby B warmed up to his grandparents, since he rarely sees them.  And they all had more fun having Grandma record them and then watching the videos.  The laughter got ridiculously loud!  It was hard to put an end to it and send them to bed.  They didn't make it there until about 9:30, though!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with ridiculously loud laughing!

Day 852: Consider the Lilies

I'm starting to think it might be time to hang up my running shoes.  At least until after Darling A arrives.  I ran this morning and it was just kind of a lot of pain all day after.  But, I'm not sure I'm ready to quite just yet...

The good news is, tonight I ran a couple of quick errands while Sweet P was at TaeKwonDo.  The second one was to a garden center where I didn't find what I was looking for, but I walked right past these lily plants.  On sale!

We have been struggling to decide what to do with the boring, ugly rock beds on either side of our house.  I decided that just a few of these would work out great.  They in no way fill the space, but it's a start.  And planting them tonight was a very satisfying Joyful Moment for me.  There is something about growing things that always seems to create joy.  Our vegetable garden is doing pretty well, too and that makes me happy every day!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and some growth!

Day 851: Women, Women, Women!

Okay--name that movie!

So, today was still not my best.  In fact, at one point this afternoon I had 8 children at my house and things were more than a little stressful on more than one occasion.

But we survived.

And I finally called my mama.  I didn't talk to her on Mother's Day because I didn't want to spoil her day and I knew my rotten mood wouldn't make for a very pleasant conversation.  Plus, I just wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone.

But, I've really been wanting to call her lately because I knew I'd feel better if I did.  I just was trying to wait until I was in a decent mood.  Tonight I gave up on that and called her anyway.  And she's so wonderful, she didn't mind hearing all about my grumpies.

And I did feel much better after talking to her.  I have a wonderfully amazing mama.  It was definitely a Joyful Moment.

Later on, I met up with a friend for some frozen yogurt and some pregnancy chatter.  She's going to have her first baby a few weeks after Darling A is due.  Even though I was still struggling a bit when I headed out, it was really nice chatting with her.  She is another wonderful person in my life and I don't feel the need to pretend with her quite as much as I do with some people.  And we haven't had time to really talk and hang out for a while now, so it was very much a Joyful Moment to do so tonight.

And there's nothing like telling the war stories of three different labors and deliveries to get ones mind off of the current woes.

Eating delicious frozen yogurt at the same time helps.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with some wonderfully amazing women of your own!

Day 850: Reparations

In an effort to assuage yesterday's awfulness, HH brought these home for me tonight.  A pretty little bouquet.  And it was a Joyful Moment to see his thoughtfulness.

Today was one of those days that wasn't entirely bad.  Baby B was actually on pretty good behavior and was mostly just a cute little boy today.  Which was a source of multiple Joyful Moments.

And I checked several items off of my to-do list.  Big items.  Leaving me feeling satisfied and Joyful Moment-ified.

Wishing you all Joyful Moment-ifying Moments!

Day 849: Let's Pretend

That today was not Mother's Day.

Because it was really not my best Mother's Day ever.  Mainly, just because I've been feeling like such a lousy mom lately.

But, I guess we can't completely pretend because I wouldn't have had my Joyful Moment if not for Mother's Day.  The kids were given one of those questionnaires to see how well they know me.  On a side note, Little M thinks I weigh 5 pounds.  And, apparently, they already know how much my life revolves around food because several of their answers had to do with my cooking and baking.

But, at the end it said, "My mom really loves..."  And Sweet P's response was "us, and also she loves church."

One of, if not the, worst fear I've experienced as I've lost myself to the Depression so much throughout this pregnancy is how it has effected my children.  I feel that I must seem like a horrible angry monster to them the majority of the time, a lifeless blob part of the time, and just a weeping mess the rest of the time.

But somehow, despite of all of that, Sweet P at least still recognizes what is truly important to me.  I could not have wished for a better answer from her.  Truly, what I want most for them to know is how much I love them and how much I love the gospel of Jesus Christ."

So, in the midst of a day full of awfulness, there was this one glimmer of hope that maybe I haven't completely ruined things with my children.  Maybe they do still see my true intentions underneath all of the mess.

I hope so.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that bring you hope!

Day 848: This Makes My Ears Happy

It's Spring Recital time again!  I can't believe how quickly the time flies.

Honestly, I think this was they best they've ever done.  It was beautiful.  Definitely a Joyful Moment.

And the recital was significantly shorter than all past recitals.  Not that I don't just love listening to all of the other children play... but, this was a Joyful Moment for me too.

Here they are with their amazing and sweet instructor.  Have I mentioned that we love her?  We do.  That is what those riciculous smiles on my kids' faces say.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make your ears happy!

Day 847: Moms, Daughters, and Ice Cream

I typed up a post yesterday.  But it ended up being so painful and raw, I couldn't finish it.  I may publish it some day down the road, but right now it is much too personal and close to home.  I try to be honest and open here, but I do have some limits, I guess.

But, in an effort to avoid yet another in a series of truly horrible days, I vowed to keep my interaction with the kids positive today--no matter what they did or said.  That doesn't mean I gave into their every whim, or let them get away with inappropriate behavior.  I just tried to focus on compliments and keep the discipline brief and impersonal.

And today went much better.

Plus, I was able to finally finish up the items I've been crafting for my mom and mother-in-law for Mother's Day and made some great progress on a project for a friend.  Always a Joyful Moment.

Tonight we had another activity for the women in my church congregation.  Only, this time we decided to invite the daughters along, too.  There just so happened to be a Fathers and Sons camp out going on this evening as well.

So, we got the boys all packed up and on their way and then Sweet P and I headed to dinner.  She received a free meal from Applebee's for doing her last race and that was where she wanted to go.  It was fun hanging out and dining just the two of us.  We had some nice chats.  Turns out, no one really wants to play with those bossy girls in her class any more, so she's happy to have her old friends back again.

Then we headed over to set up for the Ice Cream Social event.  Another mom was in charge of the decorations and she made it look absolutely adorable.  We had a photo booth, complete with dress ups, a craft table to decorate a frame to put the photos in, and a letter-writing table to write a note to a mom or friend.

And, of course, we had an ice cream table.  With toppings.

We had the best turnout we've had so far and everyone seemed to have a truly wonderful time.  At the end, three moms in very different situations spoke in turn about their experiences, thoughts, and feelings on motherhood.  It was so perfect.

Joyful Moments the whole night through.

And on the way home, Sweet P and I stopped to pick up some yummies for breakfast.  She held my hand the whole time.

Tonight was very needed for us both, I think.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are just what you need.

Day 845: Graduate

Today was Little M's preschool program/graduation.

It was adorable.

Of course, he was the only one who kept his hands firmly stuck in his pockets, rather than doing all the actions to the songs.  But he knew every word.  And it was a Joyful Moment watching him and all of his friends perform.

His cute class.  Can you spot his sweet smile?

Baby B's Joyful Moment were the side-by-side bowls of Cheetos and Oreos during the class picnic.  Orange fingers and a black-cookie face.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are so exciting you don't care what it does to your skin!

Day 844: Second Helpings

Today was awful.  Just awful.  I am not going to survive the antics of my boys if they continue this way.

But for dinner I made asparagus quiche (with purple asparagus from the CSA!).

For the first time in a long time, there were no complaints.  Not one.  And everyone had at least two helpings.  That hasn't happened in, oh, about forever.

Unless we're having mac n' cheese, or hot dogs.

It was ridiculously nice.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are so nice it's ridiculous!

Day 843: What Do You Do? You Swim...

That's applicable on so many levels right now.

But tonight we did, quite literally, swim.  For Family Home Evening.

The kids have been wanting to go for ages.  I have not been wanting to go for ages.  I know many pregnant women love swimming.  I despise it while pregnant.

Fortunately, Baby B was content to just sit on the wall next to me for the majority of the time.  That was a Joyful Moment.

The older two had an absolute blast exploring all over the pool with HH.  A Joyful Moment to watch.

And then we picked up some gourmet licorice on the way home because I was craving it.  And that was a Joyful Moment for us all.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and gourmet licorice!

Day 842: Early

Getting ready for church is always pretty chaotic and crazy.  It just is.

But this morning, things went pretty smoothly.

And we got to church five minutes early.  Not five minutes late.  Not just barely on time.  FIVE minutes EARLY.

That's a big deal.

And there was a moment of peace, just sitting there listening to prelude music.

Joyful Moment.

And then Baby B spent the remainder of the meeting pelting those around us with anything and everything he could get his hands on.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that last longer than just a moment!

Day 841: Fun Run

Every year the city does a couple little races for elementary age children.  Last year Sweet P asked her daddy to accompany her on both and at the time, requested that I run with her this year.

I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep up because my pace has slowed drastically, but she's been running 10 minute miles in practice and that I can do.

Here we are pre-race.   Can you even recognize Sweet P?  My little girl who hasn't let me touch her hair in a couple of years has suddenly fallen in love with the pony tail and asks for it every day.  So cute.

We had to run with the 3rd and 4th grade boys because she really wanted to attend the baptism of a good friend later that morning.

This was a delight to me because I was already concerned about how much a pregnant lady would stick out.  Running with a bunch of boys was just icing on the cake.

Sweet P was a little nervous about it, too because they were all older.

So, at the start of the race she took off!  I was worried for a bit because we hadn't talked about what to do in the event of being separated and I didn't know how I could maintain the pace she was going (slightly more than 8 minutes per mile--I had my lovely Garmin to help me keep track of the distance and pace).  But my motherly worry kicked in and I was able to just run faster until she slowed her pace a bit and then it wasn't bad.

We ended up finishing at 9:03.  A whole minute less than her usual pace!  I was pretty proud of her.  And doing this together was definitely a Joyful Moment.  And one I really needed in a weekend quite sparse of Joyful Moments.

We cut it pretty close in making it to the friend's baptism on time, but just made it.  And that was a Joyful Moment to support her in making such a big and wonderful decision.  Plus, Sweet P is less than a year away from her own baptism, so I was happy to have her there.

Then we had more craziness at home until it was time for me to head to a friend's baby shower.  I hadn't had time to sit down and eat lunch, or even get a drink since we'd left the house early this morning, so the shower with a nacho bar and lots of good friends was a much needed break and Joyful Moment for me.  And on the way there I made a quick phone call to my mom and surprised myself by completely breaking down.  But getting some motherly love and advice was a Joyful Moment and helped me to put on a smile for all of those friends.  And it was a note to myself that I would be able to pull out of this most recent slump because making that phone call went against everything my depression was making me feel.

Then it was hurry home and head off to the temple.  Which (in keeping with today's theme) we barely made it to on time, but we made it.  And even though I was in about the worst mood ever and therefore did not get as much out of it as usual, it was good to make another step in the right direction.

So, long, hectic, crazy day.  It was full of great things and should have been a wonderful day.  But it wasn't.

Fortunately, there were still a few Joyful Moments that were just gifts on a day like this.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments when you need them most!

Day 840: Tantrums

Today was a challenge.

My boys always seem so in tune with my feelings and energy level and have this innate ability to act out even worse on my bad days.

It's probably just because I'm not as present as a mom and it's their way for seeking attention, but it makes things rough.

And that was today.

Little M has been whining and complaining lately over everything I do--even when I try to do something extra or fun (i.e. make some fresh strawberry limeade for dinner).  It's been completely deflating for my motivation as a mother.  I know I shouldn't take the criticism of a 5-year old to heart... but, I do.

Anyway, so today's Joyful Moment was found early when I bumped into a couple friends at the gym and enjoyed a nice chat with them as they are preparing for a marathon this weekend.  I'm so proud of them in all of their hard work and excited for their accomplishment.

And I'm grateful to be fortunate in my friendships.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and some positive feedback!

Day 839: Last Day

As it has been mentioned before, I'm sure most of you know that I volunteered in Sweet P's classroom this school year.  Most weeks I was able to actually work directly with Sweet P in her advanced reading group.  It was fun to be with her and interact with her in a new way, but there were one or two kids in the group who made it challenging every week.

And my patience has just gotten thinner as this pregnancy goes on.

So, today was my last day because we have conflicts for the few remaining Thursdays.  And today's Joyful Moment was kind of two-fold.

One part is joy in reflecting over the past year and the opportunity to do something that I know has been very meaningful and significant to Sweet P.

The other part (sad to say) is being done and never having to deal with one child in particular again.  Is that horrible?

Blame the pregnancy hormones.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and an ever-present excuse for any of your shortcomings!

Day 838: I Singin'

Baby B has taken to announcing whatever activity his is currently doing.

"Mommy!  I eatin'!"


"Mommy!  I runnin'!"


"Mommy!  I dancin'!"


"Mommy!  I cwyin'."

That last one is sad.  But you get the idea.

The not-at-all-biased mommy in me thinks it is positively adorable.

Today, right after HH got home, we were talking and then paused to listen to our Baby B singin':

"Twinkle twinkle littow star..."

Beyond precious.

And then while we waited at Little M's taekwondo class, he was playing with some pretzels and began singing, "Toniiiight we ah young, so!"  over and over again.

Beyond precious.

And both of those were Joyful Moments for me.

Just before bed Little M found Baby B's favorite book, Five Little Monkeys.  It's been missing for a few weeks.  So, this discovery was a Joyful Moment for Baby B.  And it turned into one for me when he allowed me to brush his teeth without any fight because I showed him the picture of the five little monkeys brushing their teeth.

Thank you, little monkeys.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments when you're proud to announce to anyone near by what it is you are doing because it's so awesome!

Day 837: Fresh Baked

Happy May Day!  Or, Happy Lei Day!

That's for my mom.  She used to always sing this song, "May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii..."  And I think that every year on May 1st.

I made a couple more batches of strawberry jam yesterday.  Now, I think I have 20+ in my freezer.

But I don't really believe in store bought bread.  Too many ingredients.  And it can be time consuming to find a loaf sans high fructose corn syrup.

I usually just make my own, but (shocker) I've been a little on the tired side lately and haven't felt like it.

But all of that jam has been calling to me.  So, today the boys and I made bread.  My favorite ancient grains bread.  I LOVE that recipe.

Eating it at dinner tonight with strawberry freezer jam was most definitely a Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that leave your tummies satisfied and happy!