Another Post I Couldn't Think of a Clever Title For

Hello!

We've missed a few weeks. Here's a quick update with one picture at the end. I'll put up more later when I'm not so tired.

Matt spent last week at Scout Camp. It was a loooooongs 5 days for him. I told him to think of Scouts as a college course labeled, "Patience 101" and Scout Camp was his final. I think he passed with maybe a B-. All the boys were still alive at the end of the week though, so I'll give him extra credit points for that. Today he was officially released *insert huge sigh of relief on my part* so we will have a short break before deployment stuff begins. Just to summarize: Scouts is an important program. We are incredibly happy Matt is released.

We are also still trying to figure out all of the if/when/where's of Matt's upcoming deployment. And let me tell you, it is truly frustrating to have no idea of the if/when/where's of your husband for nine months. Sort of makes things hard to plan. We'll let you know as soon as we do... 

I have been very busy with Primary lately. We had a teacher in-service today, so I spent a lot of time over the week getting things together for that and making sure everything is in place for when this baby comes. I love the kids in Primary. They are awesome. But I am trying to pass my own "Patience 101" course with some of the leaders I work with. We are all going to make it though...I hope. I also just found out today at Ward Council that we will be in charge of games and prizes at the Pioneer Day Picnic on July 21st. Yes, just days before I deliver. Doing potato sack races. In 101* weather. Patience, patience, patience.

Last night I hosted a baby shower for my good friend Sarah, who is due with a little girl only two weeks before me. It turned out really good and it was fun to get to see some pink stuff around this house. I am starting to feel a little outnumbered with all these boys around. Matt took Bennett to the movie theater during the shower and said he did really well watching the whole thing and eating his body weight in popcorn.

Bennett is hilarious. His greatest ambition lately is to become nothing more than a dancing chipmunk. He believes with all of his heart that this dream will come true when he "grows up," but then he will turn back into a little boy so Mommy doesn't miss him too much. So thoughtful of him.

He also put me in time-out the other day. I had pushed him (trust me, it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds) and he was extremely offended by my actions. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Bennett, I'm sorry I pushed you. Mommy made a bad choice, and I'm sorry.

Bennett: OK, but you need to go to timeout. You go sit on my bed until I come to get you.

(I thought this was a fair enough consequence, since it really isn't OK to push and I would have issued the same punishment to him. That, and the fact that I was curious to see what his view of timeout was. So I sat on his bed for approximately 30 seconds before he came in, very serious, and sat down next to me.)

Bennett: Mommy, we need to talk. Why are you in timeout?

Me: Because I pushed you, and I'm sorry.

Bennett (looking deep into my eyes): Mommy, you know I love you?

Me: Yes

Bennett: I just want you to make good choices. We DO NOT push, remember? Remember when Aspen pushed me? And we had to go home? She made a bad choice like you. We DO NOT push.

Me: Yes, I remember. And you're right. I'm so sorry I pushed you. Can I try again?

Bennett: You know I love you?

Me: Yes, Bennett. I know you love me. And I love you, too.

Bennett: OK, you can try again.

Me: Thanks Bennett.

I cannot describe to you how happy this conversation made me. It was one of those parenting moments when you feel like all your hard work is paying off and at least something is sinking in. Of course, then he got power hungry and tried to make me stay on the bed for like, 20 more minutes. But the first part was good :)

And speaking of Bennett's bed--While Matt was at Scout Camp I entertained myself by spending as much money as possible (my favorite pastime). This resulted in Bennett acquiring a real big boy bed last weekend, and it is super DUPER cute!! It is a BEAUTIFUL solid wood sleigh bed that matches our own Queen sized sleigh bed, and also matches Bennett's little toddler sleigh bed (so on the off chance we ever all have to share a room we will coordinate). And I got it for a steal off Craig's List. I also found discounted Pottery Barn bedding to put on it that matches his room to a T, and I am one happy Momma! Bennett is in love as well. He looks so small and so grown up all at the same time when he is sleeping in that thing. It is very bitter-sweet.

Last Sunday our big boy developed a cold, and by Thursday it had turned into a raging ear infection, so that was no fun. However, Bennett absolutely adores going to the doctor and taking medicine (weird, I know) so it was a good experience for him overall with only one night of painful crying, which we soothed by watching Alvin and the Chipmunks at 11:00 at night. Another one for the Good Parenting book we are writing.

    

Baby Boy #2 is growing up a storm. Which is great, because it means he is running out of room to flail around in there and I am feeling much less bruised. However, we are starting to get a little worried that he may be getting TOO big. My diabetes isn't being controlled as well as we'd like with just the diet alone, and I am thinking they are going to put me on tablets or insulin if I can't get it under control. Ahhhh! I really, really hope not. I have an appointment tomorrow, so I'll find out then. On that same note, I had at least three sisters in my ward tell me at different times this week how excited they were for me because I could deliver any day now. Uh...try a month, ladies. But that wasn't as bad as the sister who told me (in complete seriousness) she couldn't wait to meet my twins. Thank you.

And in other news, remember our baby birds I told you about? And how cute they were on our porch, and how much fun we were having teaching Bennett about nature? Well, "nature" crawled right up there and ate those poor little guys out of their nest for breakfast one morning. Matt did manage to save about half of our birdies from the 3.5 foot long snake by chopping it with his machete, Rambo style. But Bula and her husband must have decided after this incident that they weren't in the safest neighborhood, and they took the remaining babies and flew away. I didn't even know they could do that, but they did, and now we have no baby birds to watch. Bennett was asleep when all of the drama unfolded, but we told him the truth about things when he woke up and he was very accepting of it all. We also had another "run away!" snake drill later that day.

Oh! And Bennett can swim now! We took him to swimming lessons again this year, not really to learn to swim, as much as to learn to follow instructions and have fun in the water. But on the last day of the two week course, Bennett just suddenly jumped off the step and sunk to the bottom like a rock. I was a little freaked out, as was the lifeguard on duty who immediately jumped in to pull him out. But when he surfaced, Bennett wasn't out of breath at all, and he calmly explained to the lifeguard, "I was just swimming under the water like a fish. You know, I can do that!" I wasn't so sure. Bennett, apparently, was sure, and he promptly jumped off the step again...and sunk like a rock again. Right before I was about to signal the lifeguard to rescue my child for the second time in two minutes, Bennett started moving his arms and legs and actually swimming under the water! Like, for real! And the kid can hold his breath for a long time, too. After that he was under the water the rest of the time and loving every minute of it. He has to take breaks where he stands up, breaths, and then goes back under, but as long as he can touch where he is, he really can swim quite well. The only thing is, he keeps his eyes totally wide open the entire time he is down there, and he looks up at the surface while he does. So it's super creepy-looking. But hey, whatever! We will be spending lots of time in the water this summer. 
    

Probably watching Alvin and the Chipmunks