The Smith Family: May 2010

When I got on to start adding my pictures from march, I went to my folders and this was the first March picture I saw!! It really made me laugh because it is a perfect picture of what I am surrounded by every day, but I must say the look on my face is not what is on my face each day, although it should be.

This first week in March, Jordan had to leave town for a week for a school class he was taking. My sweet Mom came here to help for the week while he was gone and I am not so sure she realized what she was signing up for. She came to help and I was going to take full advantage of that, plus some extra side projects I had for her. She is the best and I love her. She was incredibly helpful and it was nice to have my mom to myself.

At the beginning of the week I bought new potties for the boys that looked like frogs to help them have more of a desire to use it. Well, when I came home and the boys saw them, they wanted to use them right away. So, I thought since my mom was her with me all day every day for a week, maybe it was the right time to try potty training them since they seemed ready and willing. Well after about 4 days, they would go on the potty if we reminded them and they at times would have to sit FOREVER, which I am sure is typical, but they were also still having accidents. So I stopped. I knew if they were still having accidents, and I was still having to tell them to go and be there so they didn't get their pee all over that I couldn't keep it up by myself after my Mom left. It was too hard with having my other babies to take care of as well, so, I'll start up again when they are really ready.

Ayden only wanted to pee like this. And I would let him until at one point, he was peeing over his frog potty and all of a sudden he started freaking out and moving all around with poop coming off of his bum and on the floor. So, I stopped letting them do that!

I love this picture of my mom, she is beautiful!

One of the projects I saved for my mom was to make these bed spreads for me. I bought the fabric and everything, but I knew I would not have time to make them. My Mom does such a good job with sewing I figured she could do it better and faster!! She did a great job, I was really excited about them. She is amazing, she stayed up late nights finishing these for me.

Looking at these pictures makes me realize how quickly time is flying by. All my kids have gotten so big, just within a few months and no more winter coats!!!!

This was us trying to take advantage of the weather as it was starting to warm up. I really had cabin fever this last winter.

This is one of my favorite pictures; Ava just seemed like a big girl and part of the gang here. At this moment I could see that even though it is hard with my kids being so close in age, it will be a lot of fun as they get older to watch them interact together. Hopefully more loving for each other than fighting!

The boys love eating outside at the table. One day I brought Ava inside to eat and to make the boys lunch. I told them they could come in, but they wanted to wait. When I got outside they were sitting at the table, they were just sitting there waiting for me to bring them there lunch. It made me laugh. If you know my boys at all, they never just sit, so I knew they must be excited.

Easton's first stroller ride, he did pretty well. But like my other kids the stroller is not his favorite. He still prefers the sling (being held). My other 3 were like that until they were about one year old, then for some reason, they would magically stay in the stroller and they actually liked it.

Some random March moments

Gavin exploring new ways to use his markers

The boys finding new ways to play with there sister

The kids eating their favorite snack, grapes

This was really funny. Jordan has had a really hard time with Easton. I think because of Easton's acid reflux, it has made him very attached to me. It has not been until these last couple of months that he has let Jordan hold him for more than 5 minutes and even rock him to sleep. Before Jordan would hold him and he would just cry. And to rock him to sleep would take him hours to do if I was not home. So, at this moment, Easton was crying and Jordan said "let me try to rock him", so I did and he got him to sleep. All of a sudden Jordan says " Chandra, go get the camera, he let me rock him to sleep!" and then in this next picture, he felt like his was on a roll and he wanted to try and give him a bottle (he won't take them now, but he kind of would at this time) and Easton took the bottle and Jordan wanted me to take a picture of this as well. It was very cute and a moment to remember.