Update

It has been a little while since I posted so I will try to remember what has happened. I am feeling better, although I still have a cough every now and then. We played Wii Bowling for FHE a few weeks ago. I bowled a 226! Six strikes in a row! I just wish I could do that in real bowling. I finally was able to replace my black boots. They were in really bad shape. I bought my new ones on Nov. 3rd, exactly four years from the day that I bought my old ones. It was definitely time! I stayed home with Reagan on Veteran's Day because she threw up doing the night. She felt fine in the morning, so I took her with me to the Veteran's Day assembly at John's school. Keith and his father were both going to be there to be recognized with other veteran's from the area. I am so glad I was able to go. It was very good and emotional. I ran out of leave at the end of October, so I am working late on Thursdays and planning to work part days over the Thanksgiving holiday and most days over Christmas break to make up for hours that I still have to take off. Hopefully next year will be better and I can actually take some more time off at Christmas. The first year after having a baby is always more difficult for me to get my hours in. I haven't written much about my kids yet on this blog, so I thought I would give an update on how they are doing and what they are up to. First off, I love being a mother and cherish every moment that I am with them! I am very thankful for my three wonderful and adorable children!

John is really enjoying being in cub scouts now that he is eight. He has earned his Bobcat and is working on his Wolf. I have enjoyed attending his pack meetings each month and seeing him participate. He did an awesome job in the primary program today. His primary teacher told him that he should be in a children's singing group. I agree. John and I like to play games together. It is nice to have someone to play with. We have a good time. We also like to put puzzles together occasionally. Lately we have started playing catch in the living room with a miniature soft basketball and football. It is a lot of fun and I think it has really helped his throwing and catching skills (by the way, I am proud of the fact that I do not throw like a girl). Reagan and Riley sometimes join in as well. Riley mostly slobbers on the balls though. One of John's favorite things to do is to try and scare me. He fails most of the time, but sometimes he gets me pretty good. I think it is fun too. I get to scare him as well. John told me today that he wants to write a short novel. He said it would be a fairy tale mystery. He earned his Squire certificate at school for earning 100 points from reading and taking quizzes. He is doing great! I have started teaching him piano on Tuesday nights. I am sure if he ever gets a real piano teacher, they will probably curse me because I haven't taught him correct technique. Oh well, I am doing the best I can. Since we bought the piano from Keith's parents earlier this year, I have really enjoyed getting to play the piano more. This past week we bought a desk for John's room from one of our neighbors. He got an art kit for his birthday and has really enjoyed making home-made cards and gifts for birthdays. We figured it would be easier for him with a desk. It looks really nice in his room. John is still working on eating all of the candy from Halloween. I guess we should be thankful we have made it last this long.

Reagan is really into princesses right now. We got her two princess dress up outfits for her birthday and she got a Sleeping Beauty Barbie from her friend. That is her favorite movie to watch. She isn't potty trained yet, although that is mostly mine and Keith's fault for not putting forth the extra effort. We need to get it done soon though. We reward her with candy and a sticker when she does use the toilet, but they don't seem to be good enough incentives. Reagan is pretty assertive and sometimes bossy. I think that is great though. I always thought I would have to teach my daughter how to be assertive. Keith and I don't know where our kids get their personalities because we certainly weren't that way when we were kids. Reagan is at the age when she takes everything literally and only knows one meaning of a word. She will say the funniest things in response to things we say that she doesn't understand. My favorite is when Keith told John that he was free to choose. Reagan told Keith that John wasn't free, that he was eight. It took me a little while to realize that she thought Keith was telling John that he was three. She can't say "three" so she says "free." It was pretty funny. She calls me Mama and I love it. It sounds so cute when she says it.

Riley spends most of his time at home on my hip. I have pretty much figured out how to do most things while holding him. I just need an arm of steel! I don't mind too much though, he feels so good to hold and I love kissing his chubby cheeks! He was taking up to six steps at a time until Oct. 22nd when Keith called me at work to tell me he walked from the couch to the TV. He is all over the place now. I don't bother going to Sunday School anymore because he is so active and talkative. Once the three year olds move into Primary in January, I will probably start hanging out in Nursery with him until March when he turns 18 months. He is also a dare devil and a thrill seeker. He likes to climb and stand on things he shouldn't. He is the only child we have had that isn't scared of the vacuum at a young age. In fact he really likes it! He follows it around when we vacuum. One time when I turned it off he started to cry. When he was 11 months old, we tried him on regular formula, but after a week of diarrhea we started him on a formula where the milk protein is partially broken down. It seems to have worked well and is not as expensive as the completely broken down milk protein formula. Now that he will be 14 months this week, we are ready to try him on milk to see how he does. Riley was able to get his first dose of H1N1 flu vaccine, so that just leaves me that hasn't gotten it.

We were supposed to have Thanksgiving dinner with my parents this year, but since I need to work, we decided to host it at our house instead. I will work Thursday morning, then have Keith's parents over for Thanksgiving dinner in the late afternoon. I am pretty excited! It's our first Thanksgiving dinner at our house. My parents will have Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house. I will work again Friday morning, then we will go to my parent's for the weekend.