Friday, February 26, 2021

Zoo Day

Happy $2 Zoo day! Our 3 year tradition. It was little bit chilly, but so worth it because the zoo was not busy at all! Usually we park way in the back of the overflow parking lot, but this time we were in the second row!
Kasen and Tai had quite the debate in the car about whether they wanted to ride on the train or the carousel. Kasen made the good argument that they rode the carousel last time and should ride the train this time, like a pattern, but Tai really wanted the carousel so Kasen agreed. Which worked perfect cause the train wasn't running. 

Kasen thought he was pretty big and brave for not holding onto the pole at all while he rode the carousel.

They were super excited to see the bats this time because we had a discussion about how bats really are real. Kasen loved seeing the snakes this time too. We also got to see a couple scuba divers in with the sea lions!

Thanks for coming with us Grammy, Emma and Keslee!

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

February Fun

Kyle got his new Traeger (with wifi) and this box it came in was so fun! The kids got to color on it and have a little play house. 
Tai has got to come with me on a couple fun breakfast dates this month too. Ashley and I took Cozette to IHOP and then Stephanie and I were going to take EmmaLee to Waffle Love, but she accidentally slept in and missed her birthday breakfast! Haha I'm not upset that I still got to eat Waffle Love though! 
Grandma Forsyth bought Tai a cute new unicorn for Valentine's Day so now she has 2 unicorns both names Uuna. She is really loving unicorns lately. She told me it's because the have RAINBOW HAIR! She is definitely my daughter because any chance she gets she is asking me to tickle her back. Loves having her back rubbed. And asking anyone that visits if they are "sleepovering".

Last week Kasen got to cash in his birthday coupon from Grammy Tammy and go on a super fun date with her. She let him pick where he wanted to go and of course he picked Fat Cats. So they went to play games and win tickets and Grammy even helped him win a couple prizes out of the claw machine. His new favorite buddy to sleep with, Chase from Paw Patrol! He still has to have the soft side of any blanket he uses right on his skin (It's why he doesn't wear pajamas) with his favorite stuffed animals. Even if I use the wrong side of the blanket when we sit on the couch he will ask me to flip it over to the soft side. 
Kasen asked me how to teach him to play Quirkle. The box says that it's for ages 6+ so he's pretty proud of himself for being able to play even though he's 5. I was super impressed with how fast he learned. I wasn't even planning on teaching him about keeping score, but he was all about knowing how many points he had and how to count up his points after each turn. We even help Tai play with us too!
-Their new thing anytime they show each other something is to respond, "That's impressive!"
-I sing the Sid the Science Kid song, "I like my mom. My mom is cool, but now it's time for having fun at school." But my kids have found it to be hilarious that when I sing, "I like my mom..." they respond, "My mom is OLD!" Don't know why it's so funny...
-They also love their playdates at Knox's house. He invites them over maybe once a week and they love to go play for hours.
I finally got to go visit Katey and meet new little baby August! I took her dinner and she took us sledding near their cabin. Kohen even got to ride on the sled with us for the first time. Tai didn't love how fast she was flying down the hill so I had to ride with her so I could make sure we didn't go too fast!
Kyle got to go INSIDE the temple this month to witness his mom get sealed to her parents. The numbers are still too limited to allow the whole family inside so only his siblings got to be there, but we still had our family temple date there later that day.

I had been thinking recently about confidence and self esteem.
Self esteem increases so slowly, but can diminish so easily. So many influences contribute to it, but I am thankful for all the ways that the gospel of Jesus Christ has contributed so beautifully to mine. 
It reminds me that I am a daughter of Heavenly Parents that love me. I am divine royalty. The daughter of a King and Queen. 
I am a child of God. He knows my name and cares about what I care about. He listens when I talk to him, hearing every prayer I pray. He loves all of His children no matter what. I don't ever have to feel alone. 
My life has purpose and I have limitless potential to become. I have intrinsic value and individual worth that can never be diminished. 
I can do hard things.  I can change and improve myself. I am capable. I am enough. To the most powerful being to ever exist, I matter. You matter. We are needed and wanted. Essential. 
I am enough because I am His. I will always be worthy of His love and attention.
God made me and he doesn't make mistakes. He loves me, even "He hath graven thee upon the palms of His hands"
That is everything. 

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Leprosy

Just kidding, Kohen doesn't have leprosy! But man, his poor skin is so dry and red and patchy and flaky and peely and weepy then crusty and rashy and itchy and scaly and scratchy.
We went to his 6 month appointment last Wednesday and the doctor thinks that it is eczema (atopic dermatitis), but that there is a bacterial infection on top of it now too. So he wrote us a prescription for a steroid cream called Triamcinalone and an ointment called Eucrisa. We also spent a couple hours at the hospital on Thursday trying to get one vile of blood to do a food profile, testing for any allergies. They tried both of his arms, but couldn't get any blood so a L&D ultrasound tech came to try his hand and finally got some blood to drip into an open vile, and all over us too!
Friday his prescriptions came in the mail and the one for his face comes with the side effects of "stinging and burning" so he screams for a good 15-20 minutes the 2x a day that we put it on. He had a rough few days, but his skin does seem to be getting better!

 We had friends suggesting so many different things! We have Aquaphor, white petroleum, Vanicream, Eucerin eczema relief cream, hypoallergenic baby oil, Renew, Bag Balm and baby Dove derma care wash. Tubby Todd and Hydrocortisone are still on the list and we super appreciate everyone trying to help us! Our pediatrician also suggested a few more over the counter things we can try.

Today we got the results back from his blood work and it turns out that he does have a milk protein allergy that is making the eczema he also has flare up. No peanut allergy though! They even sent in a prescription for an epipen... Most likely he will grow out of it by age 2, but if I want to keep nursing him then I need to start a dairy free diet. I'm not about to start paying $40 a can for formula, when I can produce milk for free, so dairy free it is. Cue tears for the freezer full of milk I have been pumping for the last 6 months. Now the gestational diabetes seems like a pretty sweet deal. I have to be one of those almond milk people now. $4 a gallon. Like how is dairy free even possible?! No milk, butter, cheese, cream, cream cheese, ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, pizza, ranch dressing, sour cream, my homemade Alfredo Sauce, German pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.  "And No more happiness!" -Brian Regan 
Ugh I hope he grows out of it! I can't imagine maintaining that kind of diet for a lifetime.

Friday, February 12, 2021

Cougar For Valentines

 Remember how I said that we have been shopping for a camping trailer? Well we bought one this week! A 30' 2004 Keystone Cougar WITH 4 bunk beds and a slide out like Kyle and I each wanted. We just happened to be in Payson when the seller posted it and went straight over to look at it and then buy it. And good news, Old Red was able to pull it the whole way home. Kasen kept looking back to let us know, "Cougar is still hooked!" He and Tai are so excited and even have their beds all picked out. Kyle and I spent 4 days getting every vent, cupboard and storage space cleaned out. Sanitized and deodorized. Luckily the bunk covers zip off so we washed those and all the curtains and every wall, window track and door, floor to ceiling. We just need to buy us a new mattress and hire Boss to come clean the carpet and upholstery. So excited for all the memories our family will make in our trailer.

And I just have to brag about myself and Kyle for a sec. In the last year we had a baby, finished our basement and bought a camping trailer all while staying completely out of debt! I don't know too many families of 5, barely making 60K a year that can say that. High fives for us!

This week Kasen had his 100th day of school so they could dress up like a 100 year old that day. Kasen did not want to dress up or even go to school that day! He told me it was because it was weird to him to see old people that little. "Old people are supposed to be tall, not small." Haha I told him he didn't have to dress up but still had to go to school and would still probably have fun just like on pirate day, Halloween or pajama day. He insisted he would just close his eyes the whole day and probably run into the tables and get hurt. Well, he did go and had fun because he got Smarties. He wrote on the $100 paper that if he had $100 dollars he would go to Fat Cats. Yes, he is still talking about Fat Cats.

We also celebrated Valentines Day this week! Tuesday we made heart shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting and heart sprinkles. Which I do strictly for the kids entertainment because honestly sugar cookies are not worth the work. The kids roll the dough into paper thin oblivion and then complain that their cookies are too crunchy! lol Kyle likes sugar cookies, but they are never my first choice.

Growing up my mom would usually do string mazes for us on Valentines Day to find a little Valentine from her so since both Kasen and Tai were in school at the same time yesterday, I did it for them for the first time! 
Kasen got a little frustrated at the beginning, but then he got the hang of it and was having fun. Tai finished first and it only took them about 25 minutes. They followed their strings amazingly!
"Thank you for doing this. I'm having lots of fun." -Kasen
"I want to do it again!" -Tai
Throw back to when Jake and I did a Valentines Day string maze.
Tonight Kyle took me out to dinner at a new place for us, called Dirty Bird. It was good, but I don't know if I care to hurry back. We also stopped at the Chocolate on the way home for a Cazookie. Warm melty cookie with ice cream is my favorite kind of treat!! And Kyle is my favorite spooning partner ;)

And here's a little Valentine's Questionnaire we filled out to get to know us and our love story a little bit, on this the day of love:
1. How’d you guys meet: through a college friend at my Raintree apt
2. First Date: February 8th 2008 we went to McGrath Fishouse and to see Fool's Gold because he lost the bet that he'd wake up to play basketball early one morning so he owed me a date.
3. How long have you been together: 13 years
4. Married: Yes, for 9 years
If yes, what is your proposal story: He proposed the first moment I saw him after coming home from his mission. I thought I was going to his parents house to make welcome home posters for a couple weeks later!
5. Age difference: 6 days
6. Who was interested first: Kyle, after he thought I was a stuck up brat.
7. Who is taller: Him, by 2 inches
8. Who said I love you first: Kyle, the night he came home from backpacking Europe and found out I was home early from Hawaii.
9. Most impatient: Me
10. Most sensitive: Kyle, by far. I don't have a heart. Kyle says I'm still searching for the Wizard.
11. Loudest: KYLE!
12. Most stubborn: ME
13. Falls asleep first: Kyle. He takes minutes. I take hours
14. Cooks better: Depends on what we're cooking. I don't attempt the Treager
15. Better morning person: Kyle
16. Better driver: Kyle has more skill, I mean he is EVO trained... but I'm more cautious. He has been in more accidents, I've probably been pulled over more. Like 14 times or something
17. Most competitive: Kyle. I could not care less about winning
18. Funniest: Kyle, but I'll surprise you sometimes.
19. Where do you eat out most as a couple: We love sushi and Texas Roadhouse
20. Who is more social: Me for sure! Kyle gets social anxiety in big groups. He is more outgoing though.
21. Who is the neat freak: Me. I can't relax unless the house is cleaned up
22. Where was your first kiss: On the couch at Raintree
23. How long did it take to get serious: We decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend right before I moved to Hawaii, so a few months
24. Plans date night: Both
25. Who picks where you go to dinner: Kyle probably picks more because I'm indifferent
26. Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong: Kyle, he's so good to apologize
27. Who wears the pants in the relationship: Both of us?
28. Who has more tattoos: Zero
29. Who sings better: Kyle sings I'm a Child of God to the kids at night pretty good
30. Where is the furthest you’ve traveled together: Hawaii
31. Hogs the remote: Kyle. If he is home then the TV is on. Except in our bedroom because we don't have a TV in there :)
32. Spends the most: Kyle by one million percent
33. Did you go to the same school: High school yes and college yes

Monday, February 8, 2021

Girls

 There are two things I love more than anything in the world: 1. Being with my kids and 2. Not being with my kids. So when I get a girls night I so look forward to it!
I got to get together with my Jr. High friends over the weekend because Cali (Cutler) Warner invited me, Carrie (Jensen) Schippers and Megan (Meacham) Anderson over to her new house in Saratoga Springs. It was a blast!
She made us all homemade chicken and waffles, which I had never tried before. Surprisingly yummy to eat fried chicken with syrup on it... and then we talked and laughed for 9 hours about dove moments, burnt waffles, duck faces, how we used to be excited to chat on AOL instant messenger and forward emails etc. A dove moment is similar to how Megan once raved about Dove shampoo and how good it smells and now all of us still use Dove shampoo! Megan did our nails for us, taught us about the game Pinchy Fisty Flatty Cutty Clawy and we looked at old pictures and yearbooks and the homemade Guess Who game and had so much fun.
Childhood friends just know on such a deeper level because they know all the members of your family and all the trouble you either did get into or could have gotten into, but didn't. We actually didn't get into too much trouble. I never tried drugs or alcohol, never skipped school or snuck out of my house. I didn't even kiss a boy until after high school. But man did we have fun doing things I am surprised that our parents did "let" us do. Like staying at a hotel over spring break in 9th grade, sleeping over at the Provo parade (where a few friends got on the back of some guy's motorcycles), driving around with hot tubs in the backs of trucks and getting pulled over, driving cars without licenses (which Megan did end up wrecking a little bit), toilet papering, sleeping on the football field, camping up AF Canyon in 2 trucks backed up together, etc. There was also a tongue piercing that happened and stealing of salt and pepper shakers from Joe's Crab Shack... Again, not me though. However, I did let Megan both cut my bangs and dye my hair. We would kid nap each other on our birthdays to go to breakfast and have sleepovers most weekends. We went to the basketball games, football games and dances. And of course made a few music videos.  High school was so fun. I love that we can still get together 15 years later like nothing has changed.

Except that dry shampoo is a thing now that I still don't understand. I've never taken a shower and not washed my hair, but the thing now is to go like 7 days without washing your hair cause day 4 is the best hair day... If you are showering anyway why not just wash your hair? I only see using dry shampoo as a desperate necessity when a mom has to go somewhere and didn't even have time to shower. I only shower every other day though. Maybe one day I'll hop on the dry shampoo train and get why everyone I know deems it essential. 

The next night EmmaLee and Stephanie came over for a sister sleepover! We played Wacky 6 and laughed for a bit about how Stephanie identifies as a toaster strudel. She said she wonders sometimes why she is so weird and then hangs out with me and remembers where she gets it from!

Then this morning Ashley and I took Cozette out to IHOP for her birthday too. Tai even shared some strawberry banana pancakes with me.
Love me some girl time. XOXO

Friday, February 5, 2021

Month Six

KOHEN is SIX months old today!

He's found his tongue and likes sticking it out lately.
Only 5 more days until his 6 month well check visit where I will be demanding some answers about his poor skin! It is awful. His cheeks are red and dry and flaky and crusty. He has dry, red patches on his ears, arms, neck and belly as well as 2 big red rings on his head. It's not just cradle cap and he's not just going to grow out of it like the doctors have told me the last 2 times I've asked them about his skin. Kohen scratches his face and head until they bleed then he gets blood on the sleeves of his shirts and all over his sheets.
Besides his leprous skin though, he's doing great! He figured out how to roll over from his belly to his back and has been rolling around all over the front room now. He's also started to roll over in his sleep, to sleep on his stomach. He naps twice during the day and usually still wakes up twice at night to nurse AND has started sucking his thumb. Kyle pulls it right out any time he sees that going on though. He is super ticklish and we all love getting him to laugh and hear his excited squeals.
TAI is still loving preschool and her movement class that is part of it. We have 30 minutes after we drop Kasen and Hank off at school before preschool starts so we play I Spy sometimes and these are her "eye spies" and the Tinkerbell hair she requested. Haha 
-She's also been singing Into the Unknown lyrics, "When are you going to leave me alone?" instead of, "Where are you going? Don't leave me alone!" and for some reason I find it funny. Probably because it's what is running through my mind most of the day...

-This week I thought Tai was telling me that she could see green in my eyes. I asked, "Where do you see green in my eyes?!" She said, "No! GRAY! Right here, and pointed underneath my eyes... So there's that...
-She also loves putting mail in Quinn's mailbox for her. They go back and forth leaving mail for each other and it's so cute. 
-We all had dentist appointments this month (No cavities!) and I love that she and Kasen will both go back to the dentist chairs and get their teeth cleaned all by themselves. Love it.

KASEN has found a new love. Arcade games. He got to play some at Fat Cats with Uncle Ben and has been asking to go back every day since. I told him we could go for his birthday, but that is not soon enough for him. He has his eye on a prize he wants, that he probably needs Ben's piano game skills to win.
-We just went to his parent teacher conferences and he's well above most of the goals they test him for, but also we're happy that his teacher told us that he's good to follow directions and LOVES to write and learn about science subjects. We just need to remind him to use lower case letters when he writes. He brought home his journal he's been working on and the things he draws and writes about are my favorite! His staples, camping, fighting with his light sabers, swimming, fat cats, his friend at school punching his arm and hurting his bone, how I told him that he can't have oranges anymore (because he makes me peel them then doesn't even eat them), his Hot Shot rescue bot and his Kasen Saves Christmas book. He's almost too smart though because he knows that when his time runs out, that we've set for him to play on his tablet, that he can just switch to Tai's profile and use up all of her time too...

-His backpack and shoes were falling apart so Kyle took him shopping and the next day he was so excited to match his new backpack! Not only with his camo shirt, but also his Puma sweatpants cause his backpack is Puma too! Kasen knows all about logos and tells us when he sees them. Like McWendy's. 
-He also went to the ENT because his pediatrician commented on how big his tonsils were. He ended up having to do an at home pulse oximeter sleep test to test his oxygen levels at night, where they concluded that he does have decreased oxygen saturation levels and will be getting surgery next month! He's stoked though cause we told him he can eat all the ice cream he wants.
-Usually Kyle cuts Kasen's hair, but I asked if I could try to learn this time so I cut Kasen's hair for the first time. It wasn't perfect, but using the clippers is fun.
-He and Tai had a whole conversation the other day about how she knows the people at Disneyland are wearing costumes. It was hilarious!
Kasen: No, those are the actual people, because nobody is really that big.
Tai: They stand on top of each other.
Kasen: No, then they would fall and mess stuff up.
-They still both call us Kyle and Amber for the most part. And people still ask us why they do that. Haha
It just doesn't bother me at all so I've never told them not to. I don't even notice it anymore so when people ask I forget that it's weird.
-He loves sleeping with all his stuffed animals around him. His giant dog Tummy Wummy, Snake-O, His beanie baby Erin, Mmmmm elephant, Brownie dog, Superpotomus dinosaur, and Cheetah the King.

KYLE is a shelf making machine. In one weekend he finished Kasen and Tai's bedroom closets, the hall closet shelves and then built shelves all the way around the top of the garage! So we moved our 17 storage totes from our little storage room downstairs onto those shelves and now Kasen's clothes are in his own bedroom instead of Kohen's. Kyle has also been officially vaccinated for the infamous Rona-19.
We just refinanced our house and lowered our monthly payment by $200 and have been shopping for a camping tailer. Which is impossible because every time we message someone who has listed a trailer for sale within 30 minutes they tell us it has sold! Who are all these people willing to send money for a trailer they have never even seen?! We're assuming they are dealers, but whoever they are, we do not like them.

As for me, I am feeling pretty accomplished for taking my kids outside one day last month!
I saw the instagram challenge of 1000hoursoutside and thought is sounded like the coolest goal ever! Then I did the math and realized that is almost 3 hours outside per DAY and how we haven't spent a total of 3 hours outside the entire month... Because it's freezing outside and I have a warm fireplace inside. But the one day we actually had snow we did go sledding. 3 kids in snow gear and out to play all by myself is worth my own pat on the back in my opinion.
I also even took them to coconut cove again and Kohen got to go down a slide for the first time! He seemed pretty indifferent about it, but Kasen and Tai had fun racing us.
It's funny cause I remember back when we only had Kasen thinking how much "work" it was to take him places and feeling overwhelmed, like at restaurants sometimes, but now that we have 3, taking just one kid somewhere is the easiest thing in the world! Having only one kid would seem so easy now. I have no problem taking any one of them at a time anywhere with me. It's the 3 at a time by myself that I try to avoid. It's cool how parents just seem to figure it all out as we go. Mostly. And it all works out and life goes on and life is good. Guess that's why we're made to have families. Cause they the greatest good we eva gonna get.


We stopped at the Payson Temple on Sunday and basked in my little reminder that families can be together forever and how thankful I am for mine. And some other thoughts I'll write about later. 
Happy January!