Livin and Lovin Mortality

Anyone else out there feel like they spend way too much time being a house keeper and not enough time being a mother? I mean seriously, imagine if you had someone to keep your house clean and you could cuddle up on the sofa with your kids wrapped in your arms, all reading a story together. Or if you choose; paint with them, or throw the football. If you desire a clean home, but can't seem to find a balance between mom time and cleaning time, you have a few options.

#1-constantly clean the house. I wouldn't recommend this one. Although your house will look nice and probably smell pretty decent, your kids will resent you for it and 30 years down the line it will be one of your biggest regrets. 30 years from now do you really want to hear your kids discuss their childhood and say, "I don't remember mom doing anything with us......but at least our house was tidy."

#2-Have the kids clean the house. Not a bad option, if you don't mind them accidentally using the kitchen sponge to clean the toilets, or vice versa. And if you're okay with having pea residue as a permanent fixture around your toilet, go ahead and have them tidy up. It teaches them to work, right?

#3-Get used to having a dirty house. Let's face it, a little dust never killed anyone. Leave the crumbs on the kitchen floor and enjoy finger-painting with your little ones.

We held family home evening the other night and read a story about a girl who converted to the church and was baptized. She said the most important thing she learned was that Jesus loved her. So I told the kids that Jesus showed his love for us by atoning for our sins, making it possible for us to live with our Father in Heaven again one day. Then I asked the kids what we can do to show Jesus our love for Him. Here are their responses:

Ella:

"I will be nice to our kitty Danny and I will fold my arms and I will be nice to everybody and I went for a walk with my friend Ally and there was a shark."

Dax:
"I will hold the baby."

Josh:

"When I get the Melchizedek priesthood when I'm older and Amelie grows up, she will probably get sick because everyone in our family gets sick. So I can give her a blessing with Dad."

Just one of the many moments where I love being a mom.

Josh

I think Josh has some musical talent. It is so fun to hear him play the piano (most of the time. Let's face it, it's kinda loud sometimes and I can't hear myself think.) He takes all the songs he has memorized over the past year and puts them together into a medley. This past week he had the desire to learn the "Charley Brown Song," though I'm not quite sure where he heard it. Since we don;t own the sheet music, Josh promptly grabbed the lap top and headed to you tube. Not only has Josh listened to the song repeatedly, but he also found a man on you tube who teaches you how to play the song as well. Josh would move from lap top, to piano, lap top, to piano back and forth trying to learn the song.

Josh performed his "Wicked Witches of Oz" play last month with his role as the "Grumpy tree." He did great! "How would you like someone picking something off of you?!" (his famous line) He also performed as a member of the Emerald City, and much to Cam's chagrin, was a member of the "tornado" which involved spinning around the stage in a silver sparkly vest.

Josh seems to be a pretty well balanced kid. He loves music, loves the piano and enjoys singing. He also loves sports-especially rock climbing, basketball, and skiing. And he's a smart little dude as well. I mentioned all these things to Cam to which he replies, "Of course he can do all those things. He's an Eggertz."

Daxton

The one thing Daxton excels in is making people laugh. The kid continues to do his bum dance, shaking it from side to side, and has now added the farting sound effects to his act with each step he takes.

At such an early age, he has also developed a deep and intense dislike for church. It begins as soon as the word "Sunday" is mentioned. He whines and complains while getting dressed, while brushing teeth, on the drive over, and refuses to go into class. Last Sunday, after I thought I had successfully dropped him off in his classroom, I soon found out that he escaped into a different classroom and was hiding under the table. He even snuck out during sharing time, telling his teachers he was going to find me, but instead he roamed the halls and was found in the gym. I really hope he outgrows this one.

Ella

Ella is turning into a sweet girl! Who would have thought?! Where Jack and Ella used to butt heads, they are now the best of friends. I was watching Jack and Kenny the other day, and I found Jack and Ella sitting in her room together and Ella was "reading" both of them a story. She is always asking to play with her cousin Jack.

She also loves to help out with the baby, and is always willing to changer her diaper. She keeps asking when the baby can have a bottle, and is frustrated that I am the only one capable of feeding her. She told her grandpa Scott the other day, "One day when I get bigger I will feed my baby from my boo boos."

Amelie

Is it just me or does it seem like you are pregnant for an eternity, then finally the day arrives and out pops the baby (they just "pop" out, right ladies?!) You turn your head for a split second and there is your baby on the floor grabbing at toys and rolling from side to side! It blows my mind how quickly this little bundle is growing up. She is liking her "tummy time" as well, and holds her head up high to look around at the ensuing chaos her brothers and sister bring.

No photo-shop on this one. She just has a big head....

Cameron

Cameron with his mom Holly and sister Erin.

Cam is still enjoying work and doing well. I think just as importantly as liking what you do is liking who you do it with, and Cam is very fortunate to have both of those at Mountain States Networking.

He is putting the ski sales on hold. Trying to work full time and sell skis full time was proving to be a bit too difficult. So he is going to sell off the remainder of his inventory at ski swaps this fall (need some skis?) I'm not quite sure why we felt so good about doing this business endeavor.....when it wasn't so successful. I suppose it was a good learning experience and maybe something will come of it further down the line.

Cindy

Our music class ended this month. It was so fun to meet once a week with my friends that I grew up with and to get to know their kids better. These are pictures of our last class, and unfortunately only 1 friend of the 4 were able to come.

Dax playing the maracas in our "parade":

Ella, still in her pajamas, playing her instrument:

Singing with our puppets. Those are Sara's kids on the left. Micah and Katie:

I am getting excited to spend some summer-fun time with all my kids. I love having them all home together. It's nice when I know exactly what they are doing and who they are doing it with. I like waking up and taking our time about it instead of the hustle and bustle that comes when school is in session. These kids are awesome and for the most part, play so well together. How did I get so lucky?!

I had to include this picture of my father in law playing a game with the grand kids. We were all playing "colored eggs" and Glen was the big bad wolf, trying to catch us. I just love seeing the expression on the cousin's faces. They are loving it!

And finally, a shout out to my little bro. He was called to serve in the Lisbon, Portugal mission. He will do great things (that boy is hilarious.)

Here is a picture of my sis Kelli and bro Cameron with their cakes made by my good friend, Wendy. (Cam's for his mission farewell, and Kelli's for her birthday) Aren't those cakes amazing?! You can visit her cake website here: http://acakegirl.blogspot.com/

Love you Elder Cameron Thredgold! See you in 2 years!

Strut your stuff in that Yellow Hat

Happy Easter!

Is it just me, or do you too wish you had the confidence of the Man in the Yellow Hat? Just look at the way he holds his head high while wearing that yellow get up. Now, I can understand needing to wear the outfit to work (is he a park ranger or something?) but he can pull off that yellow-hat look wherever he goes. To the park, on the farm.....why he even wears that yellow hat to the beach to match his yellow swim suit! (Is it any wonder the man is single?)
Some others have tried the look, but failed miserably. Just look at this poor fellow. Doesn't even come close, does he?

The man in the yellow hat has a style and a sense of self-confidence that I admire. Rock that yellow hat, you go boy.

Joshua

I came downstairs the other morning to find that Josh had built this mega fort. The sign taped on the blanket read: "Welcome, please come inside."

I was picking Josh up from his play practice last Friday, and his good friend Maddie came along with him. While riding back in the car, Maddie says "Josh, your friend Justis kept staring at me."

and Josh repies,"Really? He's in my class at school."

"Yeah, he kept looking at me the entire class."

"I'll ask him on Monday, 'Justis, is Maddie your girlfriend?' And then I'll tell you after school if he thinks you're hot."

WHAT!? Seven years old and already using terms like "girl friend" and "hot." Uggh, it has already started. I have heard from several different people that eight years old is the perfect age for "the talk." I guess it's better to hear it from a parent, while they are still fairly innocent-instead of hearing it from some punk at school who uses graphic terms that not even I have heard of. So, Cam has given me the reigns for this task. Wish me luck,and please offer suggestions if you've done this kind of thing before.

Here is a picture of a cannon ball before we left utah...

and after we arrived in Sunny Las Vegas..



and another in Snow Canyon, St. George. The boy is fond of cannon balls.

Daxton

Daxton's potty humor is off the charts. He will say and do anything, just for a laugh, and most of it involves the word "poop" or a dance he does where he wiggles his behind. He likes to call Josh "poopy-stinky," while wiggling his bum and ending with a high pitched, "I'm crazy!"

It is so interesting to me how different my two boys are. Josh was never into being the 'funny one' when friends were over, but Daxton thrives on it.

Ella

This month has been a cold, rainy one, but Ella has repeatedly come down in her swimsuit after I ask her to get dressed. She asks, "Can we get the trampoline wet?" as it's 40 degrees outside and her pink undies are sticking out from underneath her suit. Hopefully it will warm up soon, as summer is just around the corner.
Rock climbing on St. George's "Chuckwala." Ella definitely rocked her brothers, as they were both completely terrified and she kept climbing higher and higher....

Amelie

My baby girl seems to be getting bigger daily. I already need to rotate her clothes as she has grown out of all her newborn get-ups. She is smiling, cooing, kicking those little legs and chewing on her pudgy little paws. Babies are wonderful.

Cameron

Cam is planning on climbing Mt. Rainer with my brother in law and another friend in a couple weeks. Apparently it is a pretty technical climb, complete with mountaineering equipment (ice-picks and all). I am excited for him, but ask that he ups his life insurance policy before leaving....

Cam has had back problems the last few months, and finally went to a chiropractor/physical therapist the other day. He has a bulging disc that is pinching a nerve, but the doc said after a few treatments, he should be good to go. (Isn't getting older the best?!)

Cindy

I'm not going to lie, I'm tired. Most of it is my own fault. I keep filling my time with tasks that are unnecessary, too much on my platter. So I am going to scale back from here on out. I also need to keep reminding myself that there are more important things in life than a clean/organized house.

The past month of April was a fun one. We were able to travel with Cam to Las Vegas (as he does lots of business there). We left Utah, with a backyard full of snow, and drove six hours to sunshine and warm weather. It was real nice to spend so much fun time with the kids.

A couple weeks later we traveled to Moab as a family and camped out. What a great time! We purchased a pop-up camper trailer from our good friends the Chamberlains, and that little space was just what we needed! It's amazing what a little heat can do when you're trying to sleep and wondering if your little ones are warm enough.

I was also able to get back on my bike and ride "Rockin' A" with my little sister Kelli, and little bro Cameron. It was SO WONDERFUL to ride that trail, to do something active and feel my muscles working again. I can't wait to go back!