"Sorry mama"

Gabriella is our little mischief maker.  She likes to get into things and doesn't think much about the consequences.  After all, she is only three so I'll give her that to her credit.  =)  The other day she coerced daddy into getting down both her and Hunter's piggy banks.  Bank that they've had since their baby showers (i.e. before they were born.)  

Gabriella was playing "This is the way the lady rides, the lady rides, the lady rides..." with her piggy bank bouncing up and down on her knees sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.  She knows this song very well because I sing it all the time with Kolea- it's her favorite game...  Anyhow, that piggy bank was not so balanced and fell off Gabriella's knees and crashed onto the hardwood.  Surprisingly she wasn't very upset about it but she could tell that I wasn't too happy and said "sorry mama." It was kind of cute- cute until an hour later when she was playing with Hunter's piggy bank in the very same spot and did the very same thing!  WHAT??  So here is the picture of Hunter's broken bank (he was pretty mad when she apologized) and the money bag on the stairs was sitting there from Ella's broken bank.

So what's the moral of the story?  Put away breakable things!  And don't be too surprised when 3 yr olds do the inevitable.  I am grateful that I didn't freak out- as I have a tendency to do.  My parents through their lives (and constant reminders) have taught me a valuable lesson: most everything can be replaced.  It may not be very convenient but it's just material.  If you can't take it with you [when you die], it's not worth getting worked up over.  

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And then there is our sweet Kolea who is now seven months old!  She is sitting so well and plays with her toys.  She is such a content child and loves it when Hunter and Gabriella play with her.  She doesn't like it when they maul her so much- but the hugs and kisses are great.  =)

The following pics are a progression of Kolea's discovery...

Oooohhh what have we here?  A bright green disk!

Hmmm, what does it do?  I think I like this...

Mmmmmm!  I do like this!  

Onto the next toy!

Some Thoughts

I was thinking that I ought to make this (my blog) more of an on-line journal.  The blogs that are the most interesting to read are those that really put their heart and soul into whatever is being blogged about- as most of you already do.  I feel like I'm just beginning to catch the vision.  Is it because I don't have anything interesting to say?  Or that nothing exciting ever happens?  No that can't be it - I'm a mom of three.  Exciting and interesting things happen every day!  However, I realized that I simply don't remember very many of these remarkable incidents because I am in fact a mom who seems to be losing more than her fair share of brain cells on a daily basis due to this most beloved and coveted "job."

As a mom I can tell you what each of my children like to eat, watch, play, wear, etc.  What their playtime habits, bath time habits, dirty habits (like using a finger instead of a tissue- yuck) etc.  I can also tell anyone our daily routine, what's in the diaper bag at any given time, what game to play next, when someone needs a hug, or some discipline, etc.  How do I do and know all of this stuff when usually I can't remember the funny story from yesterday.  Why is that?  It bugs!

Every once in a while I am allowed a glimpse of the bigger picture.  I know my purpose.  I know what I am to teach my children.  And I know that my children love me.  I also know that these thoughts all seem disjointed, but that's OK.  After all this is my blog, these are my thoughts.

A few weeks ago Hunter began telling me that he loved me multiple times a day, like other than at night or before going off to pre-school.  He would be in the middle of playing something, stop and say "mommy, I love you."  This happens so many times a day now that even Gabriella has caught on.  She will climb up on my lap and say the same thing.  What a precious gift.  

Whenever we have a day where a child is crying and whining and upset about something that is non-monumental I will ask that child "Are you having a bad day?"  I usually get an affirmative response, but then my child knows that I am sympathetic to their mood and we can move on with our day...  Well last week we were at Disneyland for Spring Break.  Hunter went on Soarin' with his aunties and uncles and had a great time- it was the first ride of the day and "[he] wasn't even scared!"  He sat down on a bench to wait while Ryan and I took our turn on the ride and Hunter suddenly started crying.  He apparently poked is eyeball really hard with his fingernail.  How that happened?  I have no idea, but it did and it really hurt him.  I was trying to comfort him and he couldn't be consoled.  Hunter looked up into my eyes with big tears in his and said "I'm having a bad day."  It was a moment where my heart broke in two.  You know that saying in the scriptures "my heart was full."  I had that kind of a moment.  It was so full of love for this little child who was in pain.  I wanted to take it away from him and couldn't.  The day wore on and he slept for the next 2-3 hours in the stroller that we'd rented for him.  We think that he had scratched his eyeball pretty badly- he couldn't even open his eye without crying.  We were at Disneyland for heaven's sake!  But Hunter seemed to be down for the count.  Ryan finally gave him a blessing.  A quiet, reverent blessing of healing in the middle of Disneyland.  The Lord answers our humble prayers and will bless his little children who are so full of faith.  Hunter was healed  almost immediately.  He opened his eyes and was ready to go on rides!  He also wanted to head straight for the Indiana Jones ride where he could get a sweet eye patch (which at that point he didn't need anymore.)  We are so lucky- is that even the right word? to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  To have a knowledge of it and call upon his name at any given time or place.  And I am blessed - that is the word- to have married a man who is a worthy Priesthood holder.  Someone who can act with the power of God and heal a hurting child.  

So I may have a crappy memory and deal with the daily grind of motherhood, but it is my life and I know I am blessed.  What is important is my testimony of the Savior.  That is what gets me from here to there, from there to here, it will get me anywhere.  Had to throw in some Dr. Seuss.  I'm a mom and that is what's on the brain. 

Spring Break in San Diego

We normally go to Orlando Florida to Disney World each Spring Break with Ryan's family.  This year we chose to go to San Diego since Ryan's sister and her husband are currently living there attending school.  We stayed in a beach house in Encinitas (just north of San Diego) and this was the view from the back patio.  We were on a cliff!  

Gabriella always finds flowers fascinating- even when they are found among the potted plants.  Oops!
Mom Hitz and I spent some time on Sunday afternoon shelling the peas for dinner that evening.  I felt almost "country."  =)
Sunday evening, I found Gabriella outside looking at the view with her tia Lexie (auntie.)  She was already in her Barbie pajamas before the sun had set.  She loves them!
I turned around and found Hunter pulling faces at Kolea and Dad Hitz.  Then he demonstrated for me.  What a lovely child.  =)
Ryan and Kolea were enjoying the sea breeze.
Here is my own little mermaid.  She was so excited to be buried.  The few times we went onto the beach (b/c it was chilly most of the time) she wanted to be buried in the sand.  Let's just say I did lots of laundry during the week.
I loved this picture of Hunter as he was walking along with stick in hand.  All the innocence of a 5 year old.
This was at SEA LIFE Adventure next to Lego Land (which happened to be closed.)  We love marine life and had a great time exploring the depths of California's waters!
This dome was inside one of the fish tanks!  Yes, those are real fish you see.  Kind of cool!

DISNEYLAND!!

What is a day at Disneyland without bingeing on as much cotton candy as you possibly can??  I think we bought 5 or 6 cotton candies that day.  Hehehehe- I'm as bad as the kids!

Daddy and tio David (uncle) are helping out with feeding the baby while mommy took a turn on the Indiana Jones ride.  It was the best!  I love that ride...
Post Disneyland dinner (@ 8:30 pm.)  IN & OUT BURGER!
Gabriella opted out of In & Out Burger.  I suppose shoving a burger down a sleeping child's throat isn't a good idea.  She fell asleep within 5 minutes of leaving Disneyland.
Here is my sweet family in Encinitas at some gardens on the grounds of a Realization Temple.  The gardens were beautiful and very peaceful- well at least I'm sure they were peaceful for those that didn't have small children running around.   =)
This was my favorite sunset picture that I took.  The west coast rocks.

6 Months and Counting

Kolea is now 6 months old.  I took a few fun pictures of her to show where she is at in her development.  First off- she is sitting up so well!  

Next as you can see, she has found her toes.  Mmmm, yummy!
She has found her favorite playmate in herself!  She loves looking in the mirror.
Here she is with her great G'ma Danielson.  Trying new foods!  Just kidding.  We were actually teasing her and I took that candy away a split second later.  But man, she is fast!
And here is my sweet baby again discovering mommy behind the camera.

Hawaii can wait...

So as many of you may know, we've been contemplating a move to Hawaii.  After much time and energy, and research and praying and temple attendance...  we've decided that it's not right for us right now.  So our last trip there (two weeks ago) was more of a learning experience than a "fun" experience.  However, we did get a few fun pictures along the way...

Baby Kolea is the only one of our three children that got to come along.  And this is of course because she is my breast friend.  Oh did I really say that?  Yes, yes I did.  =)  

This is the view from the restaurant where we were eating lunch one day - it was literally over the water and so beautiful.  It was also during this lunch that I saw two whales!!
Here is the Kona temple.  Like all temples, it is beautiful.  But this sits up overlooking the ocean.  It's so cool.
Getting friendly with the locals.  This little gecko was visiting us during dinner.  He's so tiny!