Betsy's Birthday!

Malachi has a onesie with monkeys and bananas on it, and Caleb loves it, and says he wants one.   I told Travis about it, and he ordered and sent Caleb this shirt with monkeys and bananas on it.  He loves it!.  He wouldn't take it off for two days, and then finally allowed me to wash it, since it was so dirty.  

Betsy opening her presents

Samuel wrapped up in his daddy quilt

Betsy with her Daddy pillow

Austin with her Daddy pillow

Betsy with her new umbrella

Betsy and her caterpillar cake

I dropped my mom off at the airport Wednesday afternoon.  I cried when she left, and felt emotional the rest of the day.  She was such an amazing help, I'm so grateful she was able to come.  Dinner that night consisted of Caleb dropping his full cup of milk, and it splashing everyone at the table, and his plate of food into a swamp. Next Samuel knocked a big bottle of ranch over, it landed on the edge of a plate, flinging salad all over, getting lots of it stuck in the girls hair. As I am trying to clean up while holding the baby, his foot knocks a big glass of water over, soaking the both of us. It was a mess, but we made it through.  I'm sure we looked pretty hilarious, covered in milk, salad, and soaking wet.  We all changed our clothes, and I finally got everything cleaned up, everything takes a lot longer, when you have a tiny baby.  Thursday I went to a playgroup in the morning, and had a good time, but Caleb didn't want to leave, and made things difficult, but one of the other ladies finally helped me get him and Malachi loaded up in the car.  We had to drive over and pick up some quilts, and blankets for the kids, that the YMCA makes for kids with deployed parents, with their pictures on it.  We finally got over to the place to pick them up and went inside.  They wouldn't let me pick up the quilts and blankets without showing my a copy of Travis' orders, so we left empty handed.  I drove home, praying Caleb and Malachi would fall asleep so that I could take a nap when we got home.  The night before, Caleb woke up 5 times, and Malachi woke up about that many times too, and all at different times.  Both when Daddy left and Grandma, Caleb woke up a lot during the night for a while, he is always traumatized when someone he loves leaves.  He told me "mom it's hard, daddy and grandma are gone. "  He keeps talking about grandma and says he needs her, and misses her, and wants her to come back "tomorrow".  So anyway, I was exhausted.  I got home and transferred Caleb to the couch, and took Malachi upstairs with me.  I laid down and started to fall asleep, than Malachi woke up, I fed him and got him back to sleep again.  I tried to go back to sleep, than the phone rang (I need to remember to turn it off when I want a nap).  Then Malachi woke up again, then the kids got home from school.  So no nap for me.  Friday morning I made Betsy's caterpillar cake, then I went back to the YMCA and was able to get the quilts this time, and went to the grocery store to get some whipping cream, to make Betsy's ice cream.  I wrapped her presents, and had them ready on the couch for her, when she got home from school.  She loved all her presents, and all the kids loved their pillows and quilts with Daddy's and their pictures all over them.  We had cake and ice cream, then ordered pizza for dinner, and picked up the movie "Brave" and watched it for her birthday.  She was able to talk to her daddy for a little while then went to bed. Joseph was supposed to be at football practice, but instead he sat in front of the school for 2  hours and read his book.  I picked up Travis' mom from the airport about 10pm, while my friend stayed home with the sleeping kids.  I was so tired, I fell right to sleep after getting back home.  Saturday morning Joseph was supposed to go on a scout hike, so I got him all packed up, and made him a lunch, and sent him over to his friend that was supposed to give him a ride.  He came back, saying his friend wasn't going, he had football practice.   That meant that Joseph had football practice too, so I told him to go to football practice instead.  I got the girls ready, and took them to a "home alone" class that I signed them up for, that teaches them what to do when they are left home alone.  When I got back, Joseph was there, and looked upset and said he isn't going to do football anymore.  I took him over to the "home alone" class, and had him join his sisters.  I was really exhausted, so I asked my mother-in-law to take Samuel and Caleb to the park so I could take a nap.  Travis called and I talked to him a little while, and cried.  Lack of sleep, makes me very emotional, than I was able to nap for an hour.  We made it through the rest of the day, and everyone finished their chores except Joseph.  Travis's mom took Betsy shopping for her birthday, and she got some new clothes, and toys, and had a good time with her Grandma.  Today I went to church for the first time since Malachi was born.  Austin had trouble behaving during sacrament meeting, but everyone else did pretty good.  I spent all of Sunday School feeding and changing Malachi, but got to attend most of Relief Society, it was very nice.