Tricks of the Trade

I know all parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents have their own 'tricks of the trade' when it comes to dealing with kiddos, so I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of my favorite... and maybe pick up some of yours in return.

Problem: Fighting in the car. Whining in the car. Crying in the car. basically being in the car.
Solution: I got this one from teaching Joy School- I turn the radio to the local classical station and tell the girls to close their eyes, listen to the music, and tell me what the song is about. It's interesting to hear what they come up with- Teah's stories are about trolls, fairies, witches, people tip-toe-ing, waterfalls, etc. Very creative. Havi's are similar- fairies, etc. But she came up with one yesterday that made me laugh: "that was a squirrel tooting!" I don't know how long before they outgrow this, but for ages 5 and 3, it's fantastic.

Problem: Bedtime. Talking and getting up after I put them down.
Solution: After stories, prayers, hugs, kisses, etc. I tell them they have to lay very still, and I sprinkle fairy dust (there's always a magical supply in my pocket, the invisible kind) over them. If they hold still and are quiet, this fairy dust will help them have good dreams, but if they move or talk, it disappears. Bam. Two sleeping girls.

Now, who has a solution for getting them to clean their room??

Come Back, Jill!

Whenever Aunt Jill comes to visit from Pittsburgh, the girls go to the airport with Grandma and Grandpa, they look for Jill's plane, and ta-da! Fun Aunt Jill comes! Then when it's time to go, Jill gets back on the plane and is gone. And I have two sad little girls.
Well, in the mind of 3 year old Havi, Jill is on every airplane we see in the sky. So if you're out and you hear a little someone screaming at the top of her lungs, "Come back, Jill!!!!", look up. There's an airplane somewhere in her vision.

How many more days, now, Jill??? Can't wait for you and Chan to get here!

Reality Check

My apologies to anyone out there who's avoided this blog lately due to all the cheesiness. Reading through some recent posts, I've been on a gag inducing roll lately... I'm lost for an explanation. I don't take back what I said, it was sincere, but there's more to life these days than rainbows and lollipops.

Exhibit A: This is what a 3 year old looks like after a traumatic experience. Church was over on Eden's blessing day and LeRoy, Eden and I joined the train of vehicles driving to our house for a meal. On the way out I said to LeRoy, "We're missing 2 kids." We figured Teah was going with Grandma San, and sadly, that's as far as we got before we were distracted. Once home, we were getting ready to bless the food when the phone rang.

me: "Hello?"

1st Counselor (the one who announced to the ward the Montaño family would be blessing their daughter, Edna): "Hello Sister Montaño. I don't mean to alarm you, I realize you have a lot of people at your house, but your daughter is here at the church."

me: "Oh, I'll be right there!" Aaaah!

I drove to the church and found poor little Havi. Drama queen that she is, she ran into my arms crying. I guess she'd been using a bench as a table to color her pretty picture (kneeling down and out of sight) when she noticed the chapel was empty. She got up and ran to the door, but it was too late.

She has since recovered.

By the way, when LeRoy was blessing Eden, I heard Havi singing, "moving my hips like ya..." She had Mylie on the brain.

The other night, I asked her if she was ready to say prayers before going to bed, and she simply didn't want to. Teah told her she would break Jesus' heart if she didn't say her prayers. Ever since, her prayers have gone like this: "... please bless I won't break Jesus' heart. Please bless I won't make mommy sad. Please bless I won't make Heavenly Father sad..." Poor kid. I'd better start saving for her therapy.

Exhibit B: My child laborer. The other morning, the girls had finished their breakfast and were on to doing chores... the dreaded emptying of the dishwasher. I sat down to have some breakfast, and I overheard this:

Teah: It's like we're her servants.

Havi: I know.

Here's a picture of my 'servant' doing the babysitting for me.

Well, I'd better go see how I can torture Eden tonight.

What Day Is Today?

Look at these two. Two of the best things in my life.
We blessed Eden in church today (if there was any confusion, she IS still Eden, not Edna as some may have thought). A baby blessing day is one of those occasions where I pause and think about all I've been blessed with in my life, and I must say, 'my cup runneth over'. Three dolls for daughters (if I do say so myself), one selfless, hardworking, entertaining, strong in so many ways, handsome, loving husband who is the key to this wonderful life I feel so blessed to have.

Here's to you, Eden, on your blessing day, you were an angel.
And here's to you, LeRoy, on your birthday. Happy Birthday.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,
Holly

Indians, Pirates and Ghosts... oh my

Here are our Halloween pictures. Havi was a scary pirate (rrr, matey). Teah was Tigerlily, just beautiful. And Edee pie was the cutest little ghost you've ever seen.

Any fans of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse out there?? "Oh toooodles!"


With my mom (gypsy) and dad (Waldo from Provo- blue instead of the usual 'where's waldo' red).

Four weeks later

Twins?
Teah and Havi got "Super Sister" capes when Eden was born.

She's happy to see Grandpa!

Still not too sure about bathtime.

9.9.09

Nine has always been a good number...

but last Wednesday it took on a whole new meaning. Sweet little Eden Kona Montaño was born on September 9, 2009 at 2:00pm. She weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20 inches long. Everyone's doing great, Teah and Havi are happy big sisters who can't get enough of Eden. I'm feeling good, and LeRoy's taking awesome care of all of us. Who could ask for more? I feel so blessed!

First day of Kindergarten

Talk about mixed emotions! Part of me thinks it's some form of cruel and unusual punishment to send your oldest to Kindergarten when you're 9 (going on 29) months pregnant, 1.4 weeks away from giving birth. At the same time, I do like the idea of one less voice in the house requesting this and that. I know she'll love going to school and learning, playing, making friends, and I know she'll be wonderful at all of it. It's not that I can't believe I'm old enough to have a kid in school, I'm fine with my age. I'm fine with her being 5.

So why do my eyes keep watering? {sniffle}.

Here's why. Change, good or bad, is never easy, and that's part of it- a lot of change happening in a short period of time, but I think the hardest part is knowing that she's going to get 'owies', or hurt feelings, or just go in those quiet moods, and I'm not going to be there to hold her until it's all better. That's the part of having my Kindergartener grow up that I struggle with. That's life, right?

Well, here she is, loving life as a Kindergartener.

Teah wanted to wear her dress with flowers and brown leggings, and her sandals from Aunt Jill. She wanted her hair in pig tails with a 'headband braid'.

She found her spot at her table, and got busy writing her name.

Her teacher, Mrs. Law, had them fill in these posters, and I loved Teah's answers and artwork. When she grows up she initially put 'a doctor', but after a couple WSU volleyball games, she had to cross out doctor and put (no, not a volleyball player, heaven forbid.) 'a cheerleader'.

I guess it's NOT okay to have your little sister in your pictures on your big day. Teah wouldn't smile if Havi was near.

Finishing touches

My Aunt cut this vinyl for me, a quote from "Away in a Manger" I've always loved and wanted to do something with for a baby, so here it is. I'm so excited, it really is so fun to have a nursery!

Lime green, deep red, baby pink and dark brown... NURSERY?!

It is still a work in progress, but it's almost done. I said I needed a project, right? Well, this nursery was the perfect thing to spark a little creativity. It was a lot of fun to design and do all these little projects, and it's turned into a room I'm so excited for baby to live in!

Oh, and here's the 37 week belly shot... it looks a LOT bigger from my view.

m*ink

Announcing a new blog!

http://minkdesigns.blogspot.com/

I thought it might be fun to try designing Christmas (and invitations, announcements, etc.) cards this year. So, what better way to start than with a blog, right? Anyway, here it is, check it out if you get a chance!

Feeling Patriotic?

July is probably my favorite month. I love summer. I love the 4th. I love the U.S.A. I love summer nights. I love that Utah gives you a 'bonus' holiday on the 24th. I love all the birthday people this month (havi, kelsy, grandpa). I love peach/nectarine season. I love celebrating being married to Mr. Wonderful on the 21st (happy 9th anniversary, leroy!) I love vacations. I love road trips.

Teah learned a new song on our most recent road trip through Yellowstone and Island Park.

She's 3!

Our little Havi is now 3 years old! This morning she came and laid by me in bed, and I waited a little while before I broke the news to her that it's her birthday (she was being so cute, just wanting to lay there and hold hands). Well, I told her and, if you know Havi, you can imagine the excitement that instantly appeared. "I get to wear my 3 shirt?!" "Are there balloons?!" Yes, Havi, yes. We came out to the kitchen and she put on her 3 shirt and ooh-ed and aww-ed over the balloons.
This little girl brings so much joy to our family. She's a fun sister for Teah, I love listening to them play {babies, puppies, tents, princesses, Hannah Montana, dancing, you name it} together.
With Havi, there is no small deal. Everything is AMAZING or TERRIBLE or LIFE THREATENING or OUTSTANDING in some way. Every bug she sees brings a squeal... I can't tell you how many rolly-pollies she's loved to death. Poor bugs. Havi has a funny sense of being able to recognize circumstances. When I need a little extra cuddle, I can count on her. She's thankful for the cutest things- we'd be leaving church and she'd say, "Thanks for nursery, mommy! Thanks for church!" or the other day when Jayme took her to the aquarium she said as they were leaving, "Thanks, Jayme, for the fishes!". I love listening to her watch her favorite TV show- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because she always participates- "Oh toooodles!". Few things make her more excited than knowing she gets to play with her extended family- she loves going to Grandma San's, especially when there are cousins there to play with, and whenever we pull up at Grandma Karyn's, Havi lets me know (with growing excitement in her voice) who's there by the cars that are parked out front {Jayme! Grandma! Grandpa! Kelsy! Bailey! Ellie!...by now she's running inside yelling "hello!?"}.
We are so happy that Havi's a part of our family. She continues to be our 'little sparkler'. LOVE THAT GIRL!

Dear Havi,
We love you past the stars in the sky!
Love, Mommy, Daddy and Teah

Book Club Slacker

It was probably about two or three years ago that my book club decided to read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, and let me tell you, this is one FAT book. 1462 pages to be exact. My King James version of the Holy Bible has 1590 pages, for comparison. Anyway. It is a great read, great story, very different from the movie, I recommend the condensed version to anyone (I'm pretty sure there's a condensed version). Back when I was supposed to read this, I got about a quarter of the way through before the book found its way to the bottom of my reading pile and was forgotten. I started it again last January off and on, and am about 900 pages into it. He's a crafty man, that Edmond Dantes.

My point in mentioning this book is that I've found one of my all time favorite quotes on pages 183-184. A little background- If you've seen the movie, you may recall the Priest who Dantes meets in prison. The priest is an incredibly intelligent man who educates Dantes as they work together to escape prison. In the book, his name is Abbe Faria. Here's the passage- a conversation between the two of them:

"'What are you thinking of?' asked the abbe smilingly...
...'I was reflecting, in the first place,' replied Dantes, 'upon the enormous degree of intelligence and ability you must have employed to reach the high perfection to which you have attained;-- if you thus surpass all mankind while but a prisoner, what would you not have accomplished free?'
'Possibly nothing at all;-- the overflow of my brain would probably, in a state of freedom, have evaporated in a thousand follies; it needs trouble and difficulty and danger to hollow out various mysterious and hidden mines of human intelligence. Pressure is required, you know, to ignite powder: captivity has collected into one single focus all the floating faculties of my mind; they have come into close contact in the narrow space in which they have been wedged, and you are well aware that from the collision of clouds electricity is produced-- from electricity comes the lightning, from whose flash we have light amid our greatest darkness.'"

I often used to wonder why it is that when life's going smoothly, no real stresses, only a couple things on the to-do list for the day, I have a hard time getting anything done. But when there are a million things to do, zero time to do them, and the weight of the world is on my shoulders, I turn into Superwoman and do all I need and then some. This quote offers the perfect explanation. Last year when we were building this house, following a tight budget, working like crazy to get out of debt, shuffling kids between babysitters, living in tight quarters, reffing 4 nights a week, making sure everything was okay with the banks, training for a marathon, making sure subcontractors were being treated fairly, juggling multiple church callings, basically when life was stressful, I accomplished so much every day. At the time I remember thinking, "Dang, when all this is over, I'm going to be able to do so much with all my free time!" Now that I'm there, I've "arrived", goals met, stresses alleviated, I've never felt lazier. Weird how that works, huh? I think I'll take on projects and creative type stuff to create a little stress, but I'll always remember this lesson: 'Pressure is required'. When trials come from now on, it'll be easier to be thankful for them if I can remember that there are some 'hidden mines of human intelligence' Heavenly Father's trying to bring to surface.
The end. (phew, I don't know how Dumas kept going for 1460 more pages, this ramble about did me in!)

Father's Day

Teah and Havi are the luckiest girls to have LeRoy for their dad.

Why? We thought of several reasons this morning...

1- he plays hide and seek and duck duck goose with them
2- when it's a daddy/daughter night, he lets them stay up late and eat treats
3- he takes them for blanket rides on the wood floor, and when it's bumpy he stops... eventually
4- the girls know to listen to him the FIRST time
5- he sets a good example in being kind to others
6- he doesn't hold back showing how much he loves them
7- he fixes stuff (anything and everything)

And we're just scratching the surface!

Happy Father's Day to the Man in our lives. We love you, LeRoy!
Love,
Holly, Teah, Havi, and princess #3

Definitely a Fan

Sitting here, folding clothes, watching the recorded American Idol from last night, all I can say is Adam Lambert is A. MAZ. ING. I've been a fan of his ever since either junior or senior year when he was the lead in the Secret Garden at MCHS. He was an amazing singer then, and he's come a long way since high school. Go Adam!! Sundevil Pride!!

It's a...

GIRL!!!! Yes, people, we are having another girl. Waiting to find out sounded fun, until I realized I actually get to do a nursery for this baby. We are so excited! Teah and Havi can't wait to hold their little sister.

Where are the mute buttons on 2 year olds?

If I knew where Havi's mute button was, I promise I wouldn't abuse it! I would save it for situations that seem to be happening lately when we're out in public...

Example 1: We pass someone with dark skin and she in her -anything but quiet- voice she says, "Her face is brown!" I try to help the situation by saying, "Yes, isn't she pretty?". Luckily people are out of ear shot when she talks about how they need to go wash their face.

Example 2: As you read this, consider what's eye-level to a 2 1/2 year old walking in a crowd. Randomly she'll let me know when we pass by someone with a large rear end. In that l o u d, squeaky, distinct, hard to miss voice she'll say, "She has a big bum!". How do I save that situation?!

April 23rd

Our little ball of sweetness turns 5 today...

Happy birthday Teah!

She's lucky enough to share her birthday with her Grandpa Montaño... we sure miss him- Happy Birthday LeRoy Sr.!

Just a week ago

First: Fly to Pittsburgh to pick up Jill.
Next: Hershey, PA. Tour of the factory by some cows, lunch at the Hershey Pantry... yum.
Then on to Philadelphia (FYI, if you take a wrong turn looking for Independence Hall it's not hard to end up in New Jersey).
Here's our group (Kelsy behind the camera) in downtown Philly, walking around Independence Hall and the liberty bell museum.
Jill and me taking on Rocky's training routine.

Next stop... NEW YORK CITY!!! We walked out of our hotel and on the right was the GERSHWIN THEATRE where we'd be seeing WICKED on that unforgettable Saturday night.

We arrived Saturday morning, and let me tell you, having a day completely dedicated to shopping and eating is an awesome way to do NYC. If it wasn't raining, I probably would have spent a lot more money that day, so it's probably a good thing we got soaked.

Wicked was unbelieveable. What a great show. I've had the sound track running non-stop ever since.

Easter Sunday morning we got up and went to church in the Manhattan Temple building, then walked through Central Park. I loved Central Park, everything was blooming, the sun was shining, it was really really pretty. Afterward we had a delicious brunch at Josephina's- a cute little place just around the corner from the church, then took a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'm editing this trip for blogging purposes, because if I included every detail it'd be a really l o n g post. These are just a few pictures of some highlights- and if I'd taken a picture of my sandwich on Saturday, that would be on here as a highlight for sure... mmmm.

Overall, this was a five-star trip with my mom and sisters. I love my family!!!!

To Peek Or Not To Peek

Pregnancies 1&2:
Physically- Pretty easy. Normal soreness at the end, but not enough to stop me from playing some volleyball the week before I had Havi. A little more tired than usual.
Morning sickness- none. Slightly upset stomach when empty.
Cravings- anything sweet. That's not a pregnancy thing, though. Nothing too outstanding.
Aversions- nope.
Emotionally- yeah, they got to me. I sobbed (not just a sniffle or two) through King Kong when I was expecting Havi.

Pregnancy 3 (up to now, 16 weeks):
Physically- I'm so tired. My poor family is having to make do with a 50% mom lately. I'm already sore in the belly area.
Morning sickness- ugh. It's finally subsiding, but still shows it's ugliness once a week or so. Better than everyday like it was.
Cravings- tomato based foods. Spaghetti (normally not crazy about). Pickles. Cheese. Red meat... this was weird because I've been off red meat since I had Havi. Back on now.
Aversions- sweets. They made my stomach hurt and are starting to give me heartburn. Does this stop me from eating sweets? Heavens no.
Emotionally- Still affected. I got choked up listening to a Taylor Swift song this morning.

So... my curious side wants to know if the differences in this pregnancy have to do with a different gender, or is it just because my body is 3 years older than the last time I was pregnant. Hmmm. We went to an appointment today, and if the kid had cooperated we could have seen and satisfy that curiosity. I was looking forward to it, and so was LeRoy. But the kid was very modest and we couldn't tell. Now I'm thinking it's kind of fun to wonder, and I'll just let us all wonder until September. LeRoy isn't 100% on board with this idea, but I'll figure out a way to convince him (he's a sucker for back tickles). So, if you're curious, sorry! We'll find out on his/her birthday!

Tales of the Tattlers

If all the moms collaborated to put together a book/collection of the best tattles our kids came up with, I think we'd have some entertaining reading material. Their best attempts to get each other in trouble... simply trying to bug each other... the 'sure fire' ones they know will work... oh, the chapters we could write. My first entry in this collection, and the tattle that inspired this post, came from Teah. Here you go:

(she came prepped with her most disgusted face and voice) "Mom, Havi just pulled down her pants and tooted, and it really stinks!"

Ah, Havi, we'll have to show you some other ways of trying to impress people before we take you out in public...

Speaking of the devils, here they are in their cute headbands Aunt Kelsy made for them.

Does it ever end?

Isn't it the worst when you have to scrape ice in the morning? I must say- here's a piece of ocean front property I will pass on.

Craving Sunshine

If I'd have any cravings so far this pregnancy, I'd have to put SUNSHINE on the top of that list. It makes it very convenient that my good friend Becky and her family live in the Phoenix area, so I decided to go pay them a visit. The girls and I made the road trip with no problems... well, Havi threw up once, but that was about it.

Teah was on the look out for a cactus, and she saw plenty. We had to stop once so she could get out and touch one- she was actually scared. Havi was fearless enough to fall... she almost landed on one, but only landed next to it where the pokey things got all over her hands and knees.

Becky and Steve let us stay with them and their cute little family. They have Jaxton who is the same age as Havi. He's such a sweet little (but not really little) boy. Teah would have brought their little Makaelyn (7 months) home with us... I wouldn't have minded that one bit, she's such a good baby. It was fun to spend time with Becky, I wish she was closer and we could hang out more!

The girls loved being able to go to the park... in shorts and tanks. We had plenty of good food (In n Out, Oreganos... mmmmm). Then it was back in the car to drive home. Teah and I played a game on the magna-doodle where we tried guessing what word the other was writing. Teah guessed all mine (fat, cat, hat, etc.) and she had some good ones for me to guess- I had to take pictures of some of my favorites. Can you guess them?

(Mountain and Nail Polish)