David, Molly, Annika, Benson: December 2014

Email excerpts:

11/3: I spend a lot of time sitting around since I don't feel great a lot of the day. I read two decent size novels last week. I don't think I've ever read that much in my life. It was fun. But I would rather feel good than have lots of time to read. I should be feeling better in 4 or 5 weeks.

Annika loved Halloween. She wore a cute tutu with her butterfly wings to our Halloween playgroup. But they both wore their monkey costumes when papi took them trick or treating to a few houses in our neighborhood. Then dena came and picked up Annika to go trick or treating with Ellie and her cousins. Dena said she and one boy were the only ones out of like 6 kids who would go to the house with scary decorations and real people dressed as zombies. She was very focused on getting that candy! Both kids loved handing out candy to kids who came to the door. We had a lot come. I don't like trick or treaters. One more reason why it would be nice to live in the country.
Benson pretty much has his binky and blanket all day since I've been pregnant. It keeps him happy. I hope it isn't too hard to break that habit.
Last week I heard Annika talking to her "friends" in her room. I went in to see what she was doing and she said "mom! Do you see all these people?" Kinda scary:) she talks all day long. Mostly to her imaginary friends. A few weeks ago she announced that "Ini's mother married her sister and then they got baptized." She has quite an imagination.
My favorite thing benson says right now is "thank you". It sounds like "sssk sou". I ask him to say thank you all the time.

11/10: I think I'm over the worst of pregnancy sickness. Hallelujah. I still feel sick in the morning for a few hours. But I feel ok the rest of the day. I even made dinner a few times last week.
I have felt the baby move a few times already. It's a sweet and reassuring feeling.
Yesterday, Annika "helped" her nursery leader, Melissa, say a prayer. I was down there with benson. First Annika said "what do you do with your arms?" :) my two favorite lines of the prayer were "bless Jesus that he won't know us when we do naughty things" and "bless our friends to not get too much lotion". It was pretty cute.
When benson is looking for his binky of blanket, which he has most of the day, he walks around saying "uh oh." I think this started from him saying "uh oh" when he threw his binky or blanket out of his crib when he was supposed to be going to sleep. Now it's what he says whenever he can't find them.

11/17: It's been freezing here. Benson is adjusting to staying inside better than I anticipated. He still wanted to go out all the time for a few weeks. But now, he rarely brings me his shoes or stands by the door begging to go play outside. It's a good thing he has a sister to play with inside.
We had our primary program yesterday. I sat up there with the kids and Annika wanted to sit with me. She sat on my lap and did great. She went down to the front of the stand with all the sunbeams for a few of the songs. She is a sweet and cute little girl.
Benson will officially be a nursery boy in 2 weeks! I hope he does all right. I bring him down there every Sunday during 3rd hour after I'm done with my primary duties. :) I stay with him. But hopefully it's helping him get used to the leaders and kids. And Annika will be with him for December before she moves on to sunbeams. Crazy!

11/24: We haven't had any snow yet. But it's been in the 30s for a few weeks. We had a few days of rain last week. Annika is super excited for it to "ho" (snow). She struggles with the "sn" sound. She has been loving the Christmas lights and decorations people are starting to put up. We will get our tree out on Friday.
We just made play dough and now I'm laying on the couch, zapped of energy for the next little bit. I get worn out fast when I'm pregnant. I'm very glad that I'm not working right now. It's not easy to take care of two kids. But it's nice to be able to wear sweats and eat snacks all day :)
Yesterday, I woke up with sinus pressure and a headache. So benson and I stayed home from church and watched Anne of green gables. Benson fell asleep on my lap after about an hour. It was very sweet. We had a lovely morning of cuddles and I just love that movie.
David took the day off because of a dentist appt. It was nice to have him home this morning. He started coaching bball last week and we missed him. He had late practice last week from 5:45-7:45. So he didn't see the kids more than an hour and a half each day. And our sink was clogged so he was working on that when he was home for a few days. We are very grateful that it's thanksgiving break and we can be home with daddy more this week. He also has early practice from 3:30-5:30 so that will be nice.

12/1: We had a fun thanksgiving at Glenn and Kathy's. Heather and Nathan, Rebecca, and Adam and emilee came. We ate a lot of meals out there over the long weekend. I brought green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. The kids had fun with their cousins. Annika had a potty accident every time we went out there. She is doing better now. Potty training seems to be never ending. Maybe by kindergarten she will have it down.
Benson is officially a nursery boy! The leaders said he cried on and off the whole time. But that's pretty normal from my experience in nursery. Hopefully he gets the hang of it by the time Annika is out of there. I really enjoyed being able to do my calling and go to part of Sunday school without the benson boy.
Annika's newest potty chart is a batman symbol and says "pee in the toilet!" All her idea.
David has his first bball game this weekend. He is enjoying coaching. But we are missing seeing him at home more.