Beached Whale

Yes, folks, I am at the beached whale stage of pregnancy: I have no energy and don't want to do anything. I haven't even turned on my computer for days. I have decided not to go out in public unless absolutely necessary. I'm getting tired of all the bug-eyed stares and people asking if I'm going into labor. Although I know people have good intentions, it's getting old. However, there are other things to write about.

Elisa working on the computer, just like Mom.

A few weeks ago we went to a Pow Wow, but arrived just as they were taking a break. We milled about, bought a few things from the vendors, and left before the activities reconvened for the evening. Dominic and I were too tired and/or sick to stay longer. I didn't even take pictures. The boys each got a balloon sword, which they really enjoyed. Lisy got a balloon dog, which she eventually popped. At first she was sad, but when Dominic pointed out that she could throw it away in a trash can, she was happy again. Ah, the simplicity of childhood.

Easter was low-key. Again, no pictures. Friday night we realized Easter was in 2 days; it just snuck up on us. So on Saturday I found our baskets and bought the candy and toys (I kept it simple). Let me just say that the day before Easter at Walmart is a madhouse. I hard boiled the eggs, but we never got around to dyeing them; no one cared. I was a bit nervous about dropping off the kids at nursery and primary. Who thought that stuffing kids with candy and sending them off to church was a good idea? But apparently all the children were in sugar-induced comas and not bouncing off the walls like I feared.

Samuel and Benjamin. Luckily this is a 1-story house.

Last weekend Devin and Maran came for a visit. The activities we planned didn't pan out, but it was still a good weekend. Our kids were very happy to see Courtney again. Dominic and I played with the baby while the new parents went on a couple of dates; a win-win situation.

Benjamin and Lisy are getting along better now than ever before. They actually play and laugh together. Though there is still a bit of animosity between them, mostly when Benjamin is trying to stop Lisy from breaking a rule. When Benjamin plays too rough and hurts her, Lisy comes crying to me and says, "Min Min did it." A minute later she'll be fine and runs off to play with him again.

Benjamin, Elisa and Samuel with the 3-D glasses from the "Monsters vs. Aliens" movie.

Samuel is outgoing and easily makes new friends. But he still tells me he wants to move back to Ogden. I couldn't figure out why until last night. We went to an Elder's Quorum BBQ (I didn't have to cook!) and watched him play. He kept trying to join the big group of kids, running around with them and playing along. They never included him. Eventually one girl left the group and played with him, and they had fun together. Darn, I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it again. Back in Ogden Sammy had a lot of friends from the very beginning. I realize now that he is probably lonely. He gets along great with his siblings, but he's a social butterfly without a social outlet. Although he never needed it before, I think I need to set up playdates for him.