Change is hard

Carson's teacher broke her leg in the summer. She has not been back to school yet. Now, Friday is his current teacher Mrs. Ball's last day and the new teacher will take over. 

He got in the car on Wednesday. He was quiet. I said, "Did you have a good day?" He said, " Not really. Mom,  Friday is going to be Mrs. Ball's last day." Then it was quiet again. I looked up and he was sobbing. Poor little boy. I tried to help him see that it was going to be ok. Miss Smith would do a great job. He likes Miss Smith, but there is just that bond with Mrs. Ball.

He told me that at school when he found out that his eyes filled up with water, but none of it fell on his cheeks. He didn't want to be made fun of for crying.

It just breaks my heart that there is something hurting inside him that I can't make better. This is definitely one of those growing pains that mothers experience. It is so hard. There is that quote that says, "Deciding to become a mother is to decided for the rest of your life to have your heart got walking around outside your body." So true. I know this is small in the big picture of life, but is hard, nonetheless. We'll make it, because the only thing constant in life is change! Carson has always been my one that doesn't do well with change...new babies, moving, changing plans...Well, I guess this will be one more step to help him overcome that.

On a different note, the other day I was working on making our blog into a book. I was reading to him about a time he broke my center piece. I think the post was called  "Lessons learned from a 3 year old and an angel mother". Anyway, in it I say how much I love him. I looked down and he was crying. Tears spilling over the edge of his eyes. I said, "Carson, what is the matter?" He said, "I don't know. It just makes me feel really good that you love me that much!" I just hugged and hugged him. That is so cute. Carson, I do love you that much! More than anything in the whole wide world!

Just a few thoughts...

Today in church I looked down at my hands. They  have a few burns on them. My mom always had burns from the oven on her arms. I couldn't understand why that would happen. Now that I have a herd of children to feed AND take care of, I understand. It is not just cooking food. It is cooking food with a baby at your ankles, a toddler needing his bum wiped, a bigger one mad cause his brother won't share, and the oldest not sharing just to hear the brother cry. Add in a little fatigue and that is how burns happen.

I also am having issues with names. I can't ever get the right one out. Logan corrects me all the time. He says, "Mom, you say Luke and Logan." or "Mom, you say Carson and Logan." He never lets it slide. I always hated it as a child that my mom called me Heatherrobertbrandoncourtney. I would just roll my eyes.

Probably the most annoying thing that my mom would do was carry around this big huge purse. It carried around every card ever issued to her or to any of us kids. Then we'd be shopping somewhere and they would need to see her ID. Well, of course she had to dig through all the cards and it was so embarrassing!!! Same thing with change...she would just need 11 cents. And she would find it buried in the bottom of that purse. Well, now I have a purse the size of a small suite case. I am constantly digging for cards and change that is buried under diapers, wipes, Lego men, trains, candy wrappers, and a whole lot of totally random stuff.

As I have grown into a mother of 4, I realize now that I should have been so much nicer to my mom and a whole lot less critical! Even in all my weaknesses, I am trying! HARD! I am figuring out that an unorganized wallet is ok if I have a few minutes to give a hug...or keep one of the boys from running out the door at the grocery store! I know my mom tried hard too. I am forever grateful that she gave me an amazing example of what a mother should be. I have my shameful moments, but overall, I think I am doing ok. I love my family more than anything, and if I start calling Luke Carsonnathanloganluke, it is ok!

The Not So Happy New Year

We had such a fun New Years planned. Our plans were definitely derailed. Our neighbors were moving, so we had a going away party for them. We had about 60 people over for cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. The Shawcroft kids got to our house with their dad and came in saying, "Our mom is home with Kinsley. She just threw up. They will be here in a minute." The party was fun. We had a great time. The party was on Thursday.

Early Saturday morning...more like the middle of the night, Logan started throwing up. It spread like wild fire. All the boys were sick on Saturday. Wilkins were blessing Paige on Sunday. I made all the food for the blessing on Saturday. We sprayed down every hard surface in this house. No one felt good so there was no going to Grandma's for a party. It was so sad. The kids all knew that there cousins were there, but they couldn't go play. Nathan felt good for most of the day. It hit him last. He kept saying, "This is the most boring day ever. I have no brothers to play with. This is not fun." It really was a sad day.

New Years day, I went to church. Robbie stayed home with the boys and we swapped during Sunday school. He had to teach his priesthood lesson. At church, I found out that half of our primary was sick! It didn't all come from our house. This apparently was going around bad in the community. I had been home from church only a few minutes when I started to get sick. Robbie walked in the door and went immediately to the bathroom. And that is how we spent our New Years day! YUCK. By this point the kids were better and just tore our house apart. I didn't even care. The only thing I could think of was, "It can only get better from here!" And it has!

Our chief is gone...

We have been having kind of a sad day at our house. Carson went back to school. Nate and Logan have been following me around all day long saying, "There is nothing to do...We are bored...There is no one to play with..." What they really mean is that they are the Indians and Carson is their chief. With out him here telling them what to play and how to play it makes life a little hard. There are so many things to do. It think it mostly is that neither Nate nor Logan knows what he wants to do. It is just like when Carson started school. There is definitely an adjustment. We MISS our chief! Good thing he is only gone for a couple of hours!

Keep Moving Forward!

Here it has been months since I have blogged. I have a whole lot of catching up to do. It seems like a whole lot of something called LIFE has gotten in the way. Four kids is busy! I will try to go back and catch up on the fun times we have had in the last few months...there have been a lot. For now though, my new motto comes from the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons. They say in their family to "Keep moving forward." That is what I am going to do...not just in the blogging area of my life.

This busy holiday season makes it hard to do certain things...exercise, read, have patience...just to name a few. But, the one thing I have decided is that it is ok if I have only run 3 times in the month of December. I just have to keep moving forward...not worry about the past too much...just learn from it! That is one of the things I love about getting older. I love learning to be more patient and kind with and to myself!

SO, here is to a new year of fun, of adventure, of craziness in the Wayment house! There will be so much to write about. There always is! I hope I can Keep Moving Forward!

A Very Merry Christmas

This year, like our normal tradition, we went to Grandpa Bob's house for Christmas Eve. This is always a fun way to start of the Christmas holiday. We have had good weather and I had all the presents wrapped. This year I did it by myself...no wait...Erica came and wrapped presents with me for a couple of hours. Getting Christmas ready for these four cute little boys is a lot of work, but it is also so much fun!

At my dad's house, the kids watched the Santa tracker on the computer. Grandpa showed them Santa landing in Australia, Germany, Japan, and many other places around the world. That was just magical! We had a nice Christmas puppet show. Marsha had worked hard to make these cute little puppets at a Relief Society meeting. My dad read the script...complete with a high pitched voice for Mary. The kids sang primary songs. I was nominated the leader, but there was no hope for that group. No one could carry a tune. One thing I have learned being primary chorister is that it doesn't matter what you sing like, just sing! So, I was proud of the traditionally nonsinging Jacksons for singing that night. Carson and Nate sang their very best versions of  When Joseph when to Bethlehem and Stars were Gleaming. Robbie said the kids stole the show! We exchanged gifts and then we had to travel back to Rupert.

With no snow on the roads, we got here in record time. One Christmas we drove 35 the entire way home. Nathan was screaming the entire 4 hours we were on the road. It was NOT fun. This year was different. Then it was onto getting ready for Santa to come.

Breakfast casserole...check. Rolls in freezer...check. Cookies out with milk...check. The presents Robbie bought with my dad on Christmas Eve wrapped...check. Our presents under the tree...check. We were ready for Santa and it was only 11:30.

Christmas truly is magical. At 6 am I woke with a start. "He came! Nate HE came! Wake up! Hurry! WOW! I can't believe this!" Carson was so excited. He rushed out with Nate. Robbie and I came running as fast as we could. It was magical. Their faces were priceless. Carson and Nathan both asked Santa for legos and he brought them...and a little more. Our train table broke 2 days before Christmas, but it was on its last leg for a long time. Our Christmas elf, Mr. Peeps, told Santa about the table breaking, so Santa brought us a new one!

We put Legos together for about 45 minutes until Logan woke up. And Robbie couldn't take it, and he woke up Luke! Logan asked Santa for a "red Thomas the Tank Engine named James". He was thrilled. Lukey was still too little to ask for anything, but when he saw that big pile of Legos, he got crazy eyes! He grabbed 2 hands full of Legos and put them strait into his mouth. Nate tried to get them out. Luke spit them out and tried to bite Nathan! That little baby is going to choke on Legos!

This little baby LOVES candy. I was shocked the first time I gave him a whole big candy cane and he ate it all. He only has 6 teeth! My favorite gift I gave this year was the mugs I made for the boys. They all had 3 pictures on them...one baby, one toddler, and one current. It took me hours to look at the pictures and decide. Robbie said I was taking way too long. He said to just pick. It was too hard. I loved them all. It makes me sad to see how fast time is going.

After presents, Robbie's parents came for breakfast. Then it was the huge race to get ready for church. WOW. The primary kids sang. It was so sweet. I love my calling.

That night Jake and Jodi's family came over along with Robbie's parents. We made prime rib. Mmmmm...it was so yummy. We had such a nice day.

It was really special to have Christmas on Sunday. I loved it. I am so thankful for our Savior and all who were involved that sacred night. This Christmas I have often thought of Mary and Joseph and the sacred responsibility they held. What a great mantle they had placed on them. I know that my little boys are not the Savior, but I am responsible for them. It can be overwhelming at times. Just like Mary and Joseph did, I know where I need to turn for help. Heavenly Father knows them best and how to care for them best. I know if I turn to him for help that these little boys will learn the things they need to.

Anyway, it was a very merry Christmas!

Forever Memory Made

There is no one more special in this whole world that my cute little 90 year old grandma. The boys call her Grandma Great, which is very fitting. She is wonderful. For one of our 12 days of Christmas activities, we had her over for dinner. She of course thought the chicken noodle soup was the best thing that she'd eaten. She is so sweet.

Then the boys treated her by singing her songs. I may have bribed them with a dollar, but don't tell her that! Actually, do. She'd get a kick out of it! Logan sang Give Said the Little Stream. Nate sang Stars Were Gleaming. Carson sang When Joseph Went to Bethlehem. She loved it.

We then packed everyone in the car and took her to see all the Christmas lights. For 2 hours we drove. It was delightful. She is always so happy and loves goodness so much. She is so easy to have around and to please. We even took her to my mom's cousin's house (Brent) to see the Nativity that was her father's. Brent displays it in his yard. It was neat. I loved hearing her recall Christmas memories of long ago. She was a little girl and would stay at her Grandma and Grandpa Norton's home. Her Grandpa Norton would always take the kids out to see Santa's sleigh and reindeer tracks. She said it was magical.

We ended the night at Dairy Queen. She got a giant twist cone. It was perfect.

I called her the next day to ask her a quick question. I told her that I wished our evening went on longer. It had gone by too fast. "Oh Courtney," she said, "That is the neat part about our night. We've created a forever memory, and no one can take that away from us."

It is true. It will be a forever memory. I love this dear sweet lady. When I was a little girl I told her that we'd always be best friends. I am pretty confident that is still the case 20 years later. I love you, Grandma!

This picture is of that night. I could tell that she wanted to hold Luke. He is getting quite busy. I picked him up and set him on her lap. He sat still as he could be and just let her hold and kiss him. Sweet baby!