My good friend Ashley who lived in Jersey at the same time as us was in Utah for her sister’s graduation, so we got to spend some time with them at the end of April! If you remember, the last time they came, they all got really sick and it was incredibly disappointing for all of us; so this trip really made up for it! Eva and Brooks were best friends immediately again and played so well together. Brooks would copy everything Eva did and she loved it. We went to the mall one evening, and those two were running ahead while we pushed our little boys in the strollers. It was major deja vu since in Jersey/NYC, we’d push our kids in the stroller together every day… but now we have two more sweet kids in the mix! Thanks for coming, friend! Come back soon (and stay forever pleeeeeez!)
We had a neighborhood playgroup Easter Egg hunt one morning before Easter and it was a hit! We did some Easter crafts first, then hunter for the eggs, and of course enjoyed the spoils of our hunt (as seen below with devouring all the chocolate from his eggs). We love this neighborhood so much!
I’m pretty sure I have ten farm posts on here because we go so often, but I can’t NOT document these photos or this trip. First off, there were tons of baby animals, which I loved. And second, look how sweet Eva is here petting those baby goats! Melt my heart. Third, Finn was so scared that night. The animals, we’ve noticed, are so much noisier in the evenings. And Finn, although he talks a lot of talk about animals, apparently when they make noises, he is actually not the fan he pretends to be. He was a nervous wreck the whole night, excluding when looking at the (quiet) bunnies. Isn’t that toothy grin so adorable? I thought he looked so much like a Swainhart baby here! And yes, he wore Eva’s puppy purse around the whole night. We love that farm so much!
https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png00Katiehttps://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.pngKatie2017-05-22 14:00:332017-05-21 16:13:33Farm Country
Finn had his 18 month check up a month or so ago and we learned is in the 97th percentile. I literally asked what happens if his weight goes about the 100th percentile and we had a good laugh. But his height (I think it’s the 60%) has increased as well, so the doctor said he’s just a big boy and it’s fine!Oh, and the funny thing is, Finn had been sick a week before this and I felt like he was losing his chub a little bit. Then when we found out he weighs over 30 pounds, I realized it’s all relative hah! The bigger, the better, I think! Love this hunk!
Since we were married, TJ’s parents have had a little Easter party with his siblings and then the grandkids. Here’s our first one with the grandkids:
The kids first decorated picture frames with their Christ photo and then did an Easter egg hunt. Finn clearly was thrilled to be a part of the group photo. He did decorate his frame though and put a sticker heart right on Jesus’ chest. So, that was pretty cute. Here’s a video of our day!
We had a really nice Easter at church and then had our neighbors over for dinner. We took some photos before church, just like last year so I did a little side-by-side comparison of how Finn has changed in one year. Kind of crazy! Finn did not want to take photos with me, apparently. So, you’ll see that in the mix. And then you’ll see my table for Easter. Nothing fancy, but the napkins and napkin holders were my Grandmother’s, my sister just gave them to me. It was really special to use them. She loved throwing events/parties/dinners and I like to think I got that from her. Hope you all had a great Easter!
https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png00Katiehttps://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.pngKatie2017-05-21 15:31:532017-05-21 15:35:10Easter Day
I kind of have put blogging on the back burner recently but since I use this as my journal, I really need to catch up! We had to stay at home from church today because we’re not feeling too hot and want to be 100% for Eva’s graduation tomorrow, so I thought I’d use the time to get caught up here! But we have been good! Very busy but using each warm day for fun adventures, even if that just means getting out the water table. TJ went out of town a few times in the past month, which always has its trials but I’m so glad he’s doing well at work and really enjoys what he is doing. And tomorrow is our 7 year anniversary, if you can believe it! So, life is good and I’m grateful!
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the sweet messages and tips on how to handle the hard days of motherhood! I really appreciated it! Today has already been so much better. I feel like the biggest thing I need to remember is to be patient with my kids, even though it can be so hard. And take a breath before I react!
I actually wrote this post last week but forgot to publish it. It kind of goes along with everything that’s been going on…
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Last week the kids were driving me crazy, for whatever reason. It was about 5 pm and we needed to get out. I didn’t know where, but I knew it needed to happen. So, I threw them in the car and we ran around the outlets for an hour. It cheered us all up and was exactly what the doctor ordered.
It reminded me of five years ago when I first went to NYC. TJ was interning there for the summer and I got to visit him with TJ’s parents for a few days. Each morning Eva would be so grumpy in the hotel room and we’d think it was going to be a hard day exploring the city with her. But surprisingly, once we got out, she was so happy! Sometimes that’s all our kids (and ourselves) need.
I feel like I’m usually pretty good about this, but when I get out of the habit or if the kids have been sick for awhile, it’s always hard to get back in the swing of it. TJ and I talk about this a lot, in fact. Outings with kids always seems like a lot of work, and oftentimes it reallyis tons of work. But it breaks up the monotonous part of life and we never regret it after it’s over!
When we moved to NYC, I was determined to get out immediately and get to know the city. I wanted to show Eva all that NYC had to offer and take advantage of that amazing city. We spent countless afternoons seeing children’s exhibits or going to new parks, even though Eva was young and probably wouldn’t remember it forever. But that was okay… it was just about getting out! If we would have stayed in our little apartment because it was inconvenient to push the stroller through the city or push our way into the subway, we would have gone crazy. So, for as much work as it was at times, it did so much for me mentally to just get out of the house!
Here in Utah, I’ve wanted to do the same thing with my kids. I want to show them all that Utah has to offer. I guess that’s why I started that Exploring Utah with Kids thing last summer. I wanted an excuse to get out of my house with my kids and try new hikes and parks. It’s so easy to get in the normal routine at home. Who needs the extra work, sometimes you think, right? But when we do get out, it’s so good for us and for our kids.
Then there are days where we just need to be lazy, and that’s okay. But when you need a change of pace, load up the kids and get out the house for an hour! Aaaaaand if you want a buddy, call me cause we’re always up for it!
https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png00Katiehttps://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.pngKatie2017-04-24 16:12:352017-04-24 16:13:20When in doubt, get out.
I’ve been having a hard week or two with Eva. I use my blog as my journal, and I’m hoping that one day I’ll read this and remember how this was just a bump in the road. I’m also writing this in hopes maybe someone out there has gone through the same thing with their kid and can tell me IT’S JUST A PHASE. YOU’RE DOING GREAT. LIFE WILL GET BACK TO NORMAL. SYLYB!
You know how when you have a baby and they’re teething, and all of a sudden one day they’re completely different? Finn is this way right now. Suddenly, my happy sweet boy who typically is so easy, cries all the time, and I’m like, what’s going on??? Why is he being so awful? Then I feel a new tooth in his mouth and I realize there’s a reason for the hard day. Well, it’s just like that. Except Eva isn’t teething so I have no idea what’s going on. I want to blame it on a growth spurt. Is that still a thing that affects their behavior when they’re five? I need to get my parenting books out.
Well, today was the worst day we’ve had so far with all this going on. And it definitely will go down in the top five hardest days that I have ever had as a parent. I don’t want to talk about the details, I just want to forget them and move on.
Part of me is thinking, what is going on with her? Where did my Eva go? But the other part is thinking, I literally failed as a mom today. And I know we all say that casually from time to time. But no. Today I failed.
Before church, in the middle of one of the tantrums that seemed to never end, I went to my room and fell to my knees just pleading for help. Pleading for patience. Pleading to become the mom my kids deserve. I was able to calm down and eventually get Eva to calm down so we could make it to church, but later tonight, it all happened again. But now she is in bed for the night and I feel emotionally spent. Checked out. Overwhelmed with guilt. Thinking of how I acted, how I reacted, how I wish I would have acted.
I was watching some Mormon Messages tonight once I put the kids to sleep and I came across one about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and all that she went through. I can’t imagine the burden she must have felt as a mom. Although Jesus was perfect, I’m guessing that when he was a young child, Mary most likely had many days of feeling like the way I’m feeling right now. She probably felt even worse because she knew of His divine calling. And I guess that’s the hard part, though, we know of our children’s potential. I know my children were born in this time for a reason. They are to be strong, resilient, and righteous. And I’ve got to do all that I can while they’re growing up to lead them in the right way. Am I doing all that I can? Am I doing my best? Am I setting a good example myself? We can only take it a day at a time, right? But tomorrow I’m going to be better, because they deserve it.
Being a mom is hard. If it’s not teething, it’s tantrums. If it’s not tantrums, it’s teenagers… I’m sure this will never end as long as I’m a mother, but I just hope that I can handle it better in the future. I want to feel accomplished and strong at the end of the day. So wish me luck. And please, any tips are so appreciated!
https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png00Katiehttps://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.pngKatie2017-04-23 20:46:302017-04-23 22:47:03Let's Forget the Bad
https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png00Katiehttps://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.pngKatie2017-04-02 09:00:272017-03-30 19:12:43Wrapping Up March
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