Lucy and Peter jan 2012

So it's about time I journal about Lucy and Peter. So much has been going on, trips, doctors, developments and therapies, so I'm going to try to sum it up.

Lucy will be 3 in 3 months. So crazy!

She is still getting free speech therapy and hopefully will qualify for free pre-school(her evaluation is mar 12). She is saying so much more than she ever has and interacts a lot more. I remember my mom telling me that when I was 2ish I was in the kitchen with my family and they were telling jokes, and she looked over at me and I smiled and giggled because I had understood the joke. Lucy is just like that. She gets humor, she tells jokes, plays pranks and tries to trick us all of the time. The looks she gives us are priceless.

Lucy also likes to terrorize her little brother Peter and TJ-the little boy we babysit. She has been a little angel in my life and I can't wait to see more of how she grows and develops. Dancing and singing take up about 90% of her day, she turns everything into a song. Even sitting on the potty or a mouth fool of food, whatever she is telling us ends up in an original song:)

Lucy can't get enough of exercise, outdoorsy everything and just wrestling on the carpet. We go swimming a lot, walks, rock climbing the park, sliding, biking, jumping, running, twirling, trampoline, etc. She asks to go swimming almost every day, and luckily we bought a pass to the coolest rec center pool ever where she can't get enough of the lazy river and it's strong current.

She absolutely loves princesses and wearing dresses everyday!

Lucy's favorite food's include guacamole, avocados, cheese, popcorn, gogurt, popcicles, pizza, chicken, spaghetti noodles, frozen yogurt, lasagna, scrambled and boiled eggs, quesadillas, fish sticks, chocolate pudding, cucumbers x 10, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries and Smoothies

She loves watching, Cinderella, Poppy Cat, Chloe's Closet, Mickey Mouse Club, Max and Ruby, Caillou, Finding Nemo and Charlie and Lola

Her new favorite thing to do is kneel down and pray(I didn't know if that would ever happened, but it just clicked one day) Peter likes to copy her. She wears the same dress for days at a time and loves to get "princess hair" ponytails and braids. Lucy is very helpful and throws away diapers and cleans up now just beautifully.

She is Potty Training, maybe she will have it down by the time her birthday comes. She loves to go outside and spray water everywhere, and I sure love sending her outside the back to play. Lucy always asks Peter if he wants to go outside and play with her. I'm excited for warmer weather to go back to the zoo, for now we have a pass to the Denver Children's Museum-COOL PLACE!

Some of her famous phrases are:

"Phew, that was close" "Mommy, I poopy" "Peter, want play outside" "Mommy, I all done, no tired" "I princess, Peter princess, mommy princess" "I beautiful" "come on mommy, HURRY!" "It's really really...(fill in the blank) "hmm, well....okay" "ok mommy" "whoa careful" "come on mommy, let's go!"-even if we aren't going anywhere and of course calling Evan by name:)

Peter is such a sweetie pie and so much more sensitive than Lucy ever was. That's okay, I hear it will make him a strong and kind man:)

Peter loves to cuddle. He carries his blanket with him like Linus and kind of makes a makes a cool noise with his mouth. He took a pacifier for only a month, so I think it's a similar comforting mechanism. He also puts his arms to his mouth to make the same sound. If you'r not watching he might come up and bite you, but really wants to chew on your clothes.

Peter has been doing free gross motor therapy which has taught him to crawl, walk, eat better and balance. They are graduating him from that therapy to speech therapy and a little more feeding therapy. He had slipped in the tub in October, November time, and has been tramatized since. But, after several times to the pool, he is better and loves it again.

He loves playing outside and trying to imitate Lucy in everything. He likes lots of praise and companionship. Trains, cars, dinosaurs, and Mickey Mouse are his favorite. He loves to try to eat by himself but after a few bites wants some help.

He gets jokes and funny situations, gets scared by scary and sad stuff-like the shark chase on Finding Nemo. He squeezes his eyes and scrunches up his face and blindely walks towards what he wants, sometimes peeking, and giggles about it. He hugs the best hugs and is just the most loving boy I know.

Peter has been cleared for everything with his head(from surgery) and lungs and everything! YAY

He loves to wrestle Lucy, sneak up behind her and flip her hair, tackle her and play "Daddy monster" with Lucy and Evan. Peter is adventurous and is learning his abilities and limits. One day he will be bigger than Lucy and pay her back for all the torment and teasing:) Good thing for now he is sweet and loves to hug and kiss. What a cutie!

They are the cutest ever!

Humbling

So along with my last post, I'm trying to work on me and become better. I'm trying to stay out of things I shouldn't be involved in, even though it means I can't be the kind of friend people think I should. This has not been an easy feat.

This past week has been crazy, difficult, etc. Towards the end of the week there was something that could have de-railed me from what I am working on, so I did what I could with it and moved on. Because of my choice I was challenged with what type of a person I am and was given a guilt trip of manipulation. I didn't appreciate that, I was doing my best to stay out of things I shouldn't be involved with, and I was criticized for it.

I didn't handle that well, had my little break down and later asked Evan for a priesthood blessing. I wasn't surprised by what I was instructed. I was told that my Heavenly Father loves me and that I shouldn't stress or worry over the trivial things that don't matter and that I should love all. Pray to love my neighbors, friends, family, extended family, everybody.

This is a good reminder and instruction. Evan and I have been trying to work on praying for those who are rude and just not kind to us. I guess this means I need to step up what I am doing and really strive to love more. I know by following this council I will be better able to handle difficult situations and not get so emotional or affected by the choices of others.

I used to think that showing love meant coming to the rescue, solving issues etc. But I think it shows more love to let people fall and let them lean on our Heavenly Father rather than taking the easy way out. I am so glad I have Evan to lean on and work as a partner with him. He is such a great example of love. He is my absolute best friend.

So, if you have good ways of how to love more, I would love it. Scriptures, experiences, guidelines, etc.

I saw this and loved it:

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt ^alove the Lord thy God with all thy ^bheart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy ^cmind.

38 This is the first and great ^acommandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt ^alove thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the ^alaw and the prophets.

36

On a different note, Peter and Lucy are growing up so quickly...here's a sneak peak:)

Fighting the Battle

I'm pretty sure I am in a battle with my kitchen and dishes. I don't know what it is, but if I don't get that initial load done in the morning, the rest of the day is shot. I just watch the pile grow taller and taller and taller. As if I didn't already think the handful of dishes seemed overbearing I just let the pile grow taller and taller and taller until it is sometimes 4 days later. Seriously, why have I not invested in more paper plates by now!

So, when I get to talk to uplifting people like my sisters, they give me hope, that maybe, just maybe I can get my dishes done. Easy right, open dishwasher, unload, load, repeat. And if I get those done then I could probably wash the counters, sweep the floors, vacuum, pick up toys, pay bills, make phone calls, return emails, shower-I know right, shower, what a concept-check the mail and maybe even get dressed by the time Evan gets home. Sometimes their motivation works. Sometimes I decide it's better to give the dishes some alone time and leave the house. Costco, the park and other fun things seem WAY more urgent than the dishes.

I think that I get so overwhelmed sometimes, because I feel people's eyes, words and judgements on me. When did I become THAT person, that cared what others thought. I know right, letting people's words, manipulations, judgements get to me. Well, I was wrong to let family, friends, strangers and my own insecurities get to me. How could I have let my guard down. I have a husband and two children who need me to be me, rather than the Hilary that is the people pleaser.

So, since August 2011, I cut a few people, unnecessary responsibilities, etc out of my life. It wasn't overnight, I am still working on it, it's a process. But I wanted to come up and out of the clutter of judgements, instructions, guilt trips manipulations, etc and become myself again. Surround myself with uplifting people and circumstances. I quite like myself and want my children and husband to live with the real me, instead of the trying to make everyone, in-laws, people I don't know, acquaintances, etc happy. It's a hard choice to decide yourself and family over anything else, but it just has to be.

Most of the accomplished, happy, successful people I know are where they are because they put their priorities in order, walked hand in hand with the Lord and didn't let Satan discourage them with trivial things which seem huge or become huge. So I am taking my life back. No one else can have it.

Baby steps, right? So, I'm starting the rebuilding process. Little by little I will regain who I am and become more of who I should be. I'm excited, and while it will be hard to cut lots of blur out of my life, it will be worth it to keep on the path Heavenly Father wants for me and my family:)

So, I continue to work on me. It feels great! No, I won't fit the mold of where people think I should be, but that's ok. I am on this journey, I am not on the journey with the peanut gallery. This is a process. I strongly believe in the idea that time heals all things, and works things out how they should. And since everything is in the Lord's timing, I better make sure I am keeping in line with my Heavenly Father so that this can be easier than it is harder.