Easter

I am done being pregnant during holidays. It makes me feel like a slacker for not doing more crafts and activities with the kids but dang am I tired. Luckily for the kids that meant I dragged Johann into preparations this year and told him if he didn't go shopping with me for the kids' Easter stuff, it just might not happen. 

So Saturday morning the kids were happy with their surprises from the Easter bunny:

 Thea was invariably the first on the scene.

Henry finally came-to and joined us

Their Easter buckets aren't shaped well for fitting much in so pretty much everything they got except a few eggs with candy and a bag of cheetos (they always want cheetos but they get everywhere so I decided it'd be a welcome treat in their baskets) is out on the couch. 

They had fun going through their stuff, Dorothea had fun sneaking an egg at 7am and then we got ready for the day.

We were originally going to the Simonds' for Easter day but plans changed so we headed down Saturday after Thea's nap to spend some time there. 

I took a rink-a-dink dye packet and a few hard boiled eggs and the kids all got to dye two eggs. 

They had fun, but it was a little difficult keeping Thea and Apollo from dying their entire hands.

Afterwards the cousins all played outside, in the cars with the toys etc. It's nice that Thea has a cousin just her age to play with and Henry doesn't mind being the big cousin most of the time.  Later we all went to dinner then we headed back home.

Sunday morning the kids donned their new Easter outfits and I attempted pictures. Thea was SO grumpy that morning and I couldn't get her hair really done or get her to take a picture.

Henry let me snap one of him probably after I made some kind of threat...maybe to take away his Skylanders sticker book...

Even with Johann's morning meetings being canceled for Easter, the kids still weren't having it.

They are becoming more and more allied against  the parents and think it's hilarious to thwart our plans...

We tried, we failed, but at least they'll have photographic evidence for why I end up nuts when I'm older.

Finally we took off for church and had a good meeting for the most part. Poor Johann got stuck with Thea outside of sacrament meeting for half of the talks because she was still not having it but that meant I got to listen more fully and I enjoyed them. My brother who is in our ward now, spoke about Christ's resurrection and how he took the time to visit those two disciples on the road to emmaus and how when he ministered to the Nephites he also did so one by one and showed us what he did was an individual and personal sacrifice and gift to each of us. 

In YW we talked about the apostasy and restoration. I have to admit I was fairly grumpy when we left for church, I'm grateful I was able to be much more calm and feel more gratitude for my Savior as I heard the talks and lesson and leave with a better spirit.  

 After church the Simonds' came here and we all had a nice lunch/dinner prepared by my mom. Thea and Apollo had a good time showing off the old cell phones they found in one of the toy bins to grandpa and just getting into whatever they could.
It was nice to visit and be around our families and I think that despite a few hiccups we were able to have a nice Easter and remember our Savior's sacrifice and resurrection. Henry, however, still has a bit to learn because despite explaining to him that resurrected bodies are perfect, he still thinks he might be able to beat Jesus in a race. Maybe by next year...

Baby Simonds 3.0

Tomorrow I'll be 31 weeks which means only 8 more until baby Simonds 3.0 arrives! In some ways it seems a while a way but in others it seems like there is no way it could happen so soon.

I had a check up today, baby is head down and if you can make out his little nose towards the center of the picture you might be able to tell that baby already has chub on his face--he's measuring at 12 inches from head to bum and weighs about 4lbs!

The docs thought Henry would be about 8lbs but they didn't do an ultrasound, it was just by feel and he ended up at 7lbs 14 oz at a week over and Thea was 7lbs 7.6 oz a week early. But my guess is we will in fact have a little chunker but if there is ever a time in life that being chunky is adorable, it's when you're a baby and I'm already caesarean anyway so I won't have to worry about pushing a bigger baby out.

I finally washed my first load of baby laundry, order a few more clothes where Henry's stash was lacking and we ordered the car seat. I picked up some baby hangers and a little pack of newborn diapers (when I smelled them at the store I almost started crying-thanks hormones!) on Saturday so at least now I feel like if for some reason he comes early we can cover for a few days just fine.

Now we've just got to get bedding down and set up the swing, bassinet/rocker and that type of stuff.

31 weeks down, 8 to go! =)

The Big News This Week

Henry *finally* lost a tooth.

He's been pretty sad that everyone else in his class is loosing their teeth.

So when he woke up and noticed a wiggly bottom center right tooth, he was pretty stoked. It took a few days then Wednesday morning it fell right out.

Now Henry is a tooth shorter and a dollar richer. He couldn't be happier. 

Spring Break III

Here are the odds and ends of the Spring Breaks: 

The weekend before Johann's break my brother came from NorCal to visit for the weekend. 

The kids love having visitors!

He got here on 3.14 and treated us to In-n-Out and pie...mmm. Poor Johann was sick that night though so he stayed home and tried to recoup quickly so he wouldn't spend his whole break sick.

Saturday we hung out and then went down the hill to a Japanese place called Gyu Kaku where you cook your food at the table for my oldest brothers birthday. I think next time we'll go without the kids, but neither managed to get burned-phew.

 Thea was on the opposite side of the table from Henry and when the food was all done cooking and most of the eating was done we let her go over to see him and she hugged the heck out of him.

 We strolled around victoria gardens and got some treats as well before heading back home.
Sunday we went to church and then it was time for Uncle to head back. It was nice to see him and I think he and Thea were finally able to bond. She still asks for "Uncle Jakob" every once and a while.

One of the highlights of spring break for Thea was having daddy home. I came back after dropping Henry at school one morning to her in bed with part of a breakfast burrito and daddy's phone. She was in heaven.

We also took a trip to Ikea to get some furniture for the playroom and Thea loved being able to run around and not be confined to the cart like she usually is when it's just me with her at a store.

 She loooves her daddy. 

It was nice to be able to give her both our attention the times Henry was at school, she's never really gotten that and she soaked it up.

Then sadly, daddy went back to work and we had to fend fun for ourselves, and do it more cheaply since we had had a big week while daddy was home.

 Henry has been saying he wants to grow his hair out but then got jealous when he saw daddy got his hair cut and said he wanted it cut after all.

 So one day was getting a haircut and getting to go to McDonalds for lunch and play on the play set there.

Then on Wednesday I was helping drive young women out to Riverside to use up some groupons for ice skating the last presidency had gotten but weren't able to use. Thankfully the president said it was fine to bring Henry and I enlisted some of the girls to be his skate slaves since I wouldn't be able to with the baby brewing and all. Thea got to stay home and have a day with Grammy.

 He had a look of pure delight the entire time and the girls and other leaders were so helpful and kind to him. He now says ice skating is his favorite sport.

Not much could top ice skating for Henry's week off but we did manage to get to the park on Friday with a friend and both kids had a good time doing that.

Now that all our spring breaking is over, I'm a little sad. Vacationing is definitely more fun than not! Since summer will be transition with the new baby here, I'll just have to look forward to Christmas break!  

Spring Breaking II

Part II of our SD trip was to the Zoo. We figured the exhibits were what we came for for Henry and Thea hadn't been to the zoo since she was close to 6 months. 

We had breakfast at a nearby Waffle House that had good Yelp reviews and I can see why people like it, it felt like we were eating somewhere from 40 years ago, but I'm not sure we'd go back. Henry and Thea loved it though, Henry mostly because he got to draw a vampire waffle and give it to them to put up. 

 Proud of his Waffle House sticker

Henry has been to the zoo so many times I thought it'd be good to give him and activity to do while there and printed a little zoo passport for him to fill out while we were there. He loved it for the first half of the day, then got tired and didn't do too much more on it. 

 When he was first really into it, recording information about the Caiman from the zoo worker. It was so cute to watch him 'interview' him. 

 Lots of Koalas out that morning. 

Thea spent the bulk of the time looking at the animals and waving to them and saying "Hi, (insert animals name)!!!"

 It was a cool day so lots of animals were out and we got to see them very closely like this hugenormous rhino. 

 This camel was angry, disgusting and hilarious. 

 Elephant Odyessy 

 Taking a little break and playing. Henry and two other boys got up some game together and when they were running and chasing each other Dorothea was running behind yelling and shaking her head, "No, no, no!" 

Feeling part of an elephant's tusk. It was so heavy!

Skytram

After our ride we saw a couple more animals then stopped and had lunch and prepared to see the next half of the park.

 They had a helicopter for the kids to try out in between exhibits. 

Where the kids and Johann had the privilege of  seeing a monkey barf into his hand then eat it...glad I missed it, for sure. 

 For the last leg and when we took our guided bus tour, Thea was conked out. 

We woke her up to make one last stop at the petting zoo. 

We ended the day there by letting them play on the playground they have next to the petting zoo in hope of wearing them out for the car ride home. We left the park, put them in their pjs, grabbed some dinner on the way and headed back home. Henry fell asleep pretty quickly but Thea held out until the last half hour of the drive.

We had such a fun time and hopefully we'll still be able to go on a few little trips here and there once little one is born and we are out numbered. It was a quick trip but I think we made the most out of our less than 48 hour visit and am so glad we decided to go!