Is It Naptime Yet

I’m waiting for Eden to fall asleep so I can get in the shower. I don’t want her coming out while I’m in the shower, so I’m waiting.
We’re having our date night tonight, so I really need her to take a nap so she’s not too grumpy for the sitter, but I guess she’s just too excited to go to sleep knowing she’s going to Britta’s house to be babysat.

Anyways yesterday I had an awkward experience.

One of the missionaries and a high priest from our ward came to just ‘visit’ with Jon.

I heard the doorbell and saw it was an elder so I told Jon and he went back to our bedroom.

I opened the door to say hello and pardon myself from not inviting them in because my husband was in the back and is not a participating member of the church .( I also wanted to see why they were there before I invited them in. ) They didn’t seem to have any purpose for the visit so I was a little stand offish.

The elder said he had heard that he, meaning Jon, had gone on a mission and asked where. I told him and then he asked if he had any interesting stories. I couldn’t remember any off the top of my head, after all they are not my stories and we don’t reminisce on Jon’s mission very much, even before he left the church.

So the Elder asked if he could talk with Jon just to speak with someone who had been back East.  (I’m guessing he might be from back East, though I didn’t ask.)

I had to decline and tell him that my husband doesn’t speak with the elders.
And he persisted.
And I declined.
So he gave up.

I felt kinda bad, but not really. Jon supports me in letting the home teachers come by, but they’re here to talk to me, so it doesn’t matter that he’s in the back.

Plus as Jon put it, if a person is representing the church he’s not wanting to talk to them. He’s not wanting to “befriended” by those who see a duty in bringing him back to the church or who would have a duty to bring him back to church.

Part of me is slightly annoyed at who decided to have the elder come by because I know that it’s no use and it put me in an awkward situation. Granted it is Jon putting me in an awkward situation because he’s not the one turning the elders down, but we didn’t know the purpose of the visit.
(I  wasn’t sure if they were tracking, until I opened the door and saw his companion was an high priest, and I didn’t know if they were just in the neighborhood and wanting to remind me to me a good member missionary and wondering if there was anyone they could contact etc.)

I suppose this is bound to happen, but it’s just awkward trying to have a husband distance himself from a religion you’re actively participating in.

It makes me feel isolated, though I know he also feels isolated.

Anyways, Eden’s obviously not going to take a nap, especially since she’s on the couch watching PBS so I should go shower to be pretty for our date. After all a night at home watching Chicago is something to dress up for.
(We spent a lot last month on our anniversary so we’re being cheap so we can even out the budget.)

Friday the 21st.

The girls loved dying eggs at Grandma Harvey’s house. Unfortunately I was the only one there so I only got the following two pictures.

Eden patiently waiting to begin dying eggs.

I was patient and let Lilah handle getting eggs out of the cups.

After dying eggs we were off to Aunt Carolyn’s work for their Easter Party.

They decorated cupcakes and made bunny ears plus had an egg hunt.

Eden

Lilah

Sunday the 23rd- Easter Morning

I had the gate up so the girls would come into our room to get us up and so I could get pictures.

Coming out Easter morning.

Yes that is Eden’s hair sticking up in the back. I think she could be a who from Dr. Suess.

Checking out the merchandise.

What they saw. (Hello Kitty was my accidental theme.)

Here’s a short video of their reactions.

The sunglasses.

Jon took some pictures before church, but while they were watching TV.

They turned and gave him the same smile at the exact moment.

After Church

Waiting to get started on our backyard egg hunt.

Let the fun begin!

(Please ignore the messy backyard in the following pictures and video.)

I told them they could find 8 eggs each, in which I had miss counted and they could find 9 eggs each.

Another video.

The final kill.

Later that day.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa Harvey’s for another egg hunt with some of the cousins and to have dinner.

Eden finding a real egg.

Katy and Lilah hunting for eggs.

Katy, Eden, Lilah, Adrienne, and Howie.

Well, we’ve been a little busy here at the Blake house.

Friday we dyed eggs with my mother. Then we went to an Easter party/ egg hunt at Carolyn’s work, then we went to Kohl’s.

Saturday Lilah had a stake primary activity from 10-11. Then we went to Rawlin’s house to finish dry walling the hall closet. Jon did all the work and I sat around taking short naps and keeping the girls happy.

Sunday was Easter. Easter Sunday is always so busy.

Monday…um…I don’t remember Monday at this moment, but I’m pretty sure I was gone for the morning doing something.

Tuesday we had a park activity to plan the next few months for Lilah’s preschool class. I went to the temple to pick up garments, then to the park, then to Target to spend too much money, then  to Payless.  ( Two stores and I still couldn’t find shoes I liked for Eden in her size, or at a reasonable price in her size.) Then I had an enrichment that evening, in which I was on the committee and had to be there early.

Today. Ick, I want a nap.

I had my oil changed in my car this morning, then to my moms where I vacuumed the car out and let the girls play, but mostly to pick up ingredients so I can make 350 truffles for my cousin’s wedding which is coming up.
Then we picked up birth control at my doctor’s office.

Lilah asked why I don’t want to have a baby. I told her they’re too expensive. (Especially after my day of shopping yesterday.)

Now I’m home and I’m just so tired.

I have some cute pictures from Easter, but I’ve just been to busy to get them ready to post.

So there you go Shauntae. I’ll try to get some pictures up tomorrow afternoon. I have to go take a nap, then dishes, laundry, dinner, more dishes…. The chores are never done.

Earlier today our neighbor from next door came by to ask for another neighbor boy’s glove that had been tossed over into our side yard.

This sparked the girls interest to play outside so I had them put on their shoes and I brought some side-walk chalk out for them to play with.

We had about 4 neighbor girls playing outside with them all writing on our driveway/ front yard.

At one point I brought out the diaper wipes to clean up Eden. She was enjoying laying on the drive way and her legs had turned black since our drive way is very dirty.

The other girls were wanting to clean off their hands so I obliged them to the wipes a couple of times.

One neighbor girl would write with the chalk and want a wipe, and then write with the chalk and want a wipe. After 3 or 4 wipes I cut her off and kept telling her to go wash her hands, or ask her mom. She’s about 3 turning 4 and speaks very little English due to not being in school, so I’m sure she had no idea what I was saying, especially since she kept coming back.

She also kept coming into the house, and I would ask her to stay outside, but she continued to walk inside. I didn’t mind, but since her mother and I don’t know one another, except the few words we shared last week, I wanted to keep her outside.

Earlier Lilah wanted them to come in, so I had the oldest daughter ask if they could come inside to play. She came back grinning and saying yes, but I was pretty sure she was lying. I asked her to have her mom come talk to me, and she then revealed her mom had said no.
I wasn’t surprised, since she hasn’t been inside my house and at the moment was with another neighbor inside.

Eden was being a little daring and going outside our driveway, but I think she was mostly following the example of the older kids who would walk slightly into the street and back to their house next store. I threaten that she’d have to come inside if she went farther then our drive way, so she then stayed where she was suppose to. (She knows not to go into the street but she was testing the boundaries by being on the edge of the sidewalk and into the gutter.)

I think the girls had lots of fun. We had three Hispanic neighbor girls, about 5, 5, and 3 then one girl who is the granddaughter to the people across the street and I think is around 3 or 4.
Our drive way is covered in pictures, the ABC’s, and the name of one neighbor girls. We also have maybe 1/4 of the chalk we had left.

Saturday our ward did an Easter egg hunt.

Lilah had been dying to go since we’ve heard about it and was so excited.

They had the kids 2 and under go first, but their eggs were just tossed on the floor in the middle of a room. They did turn off the lights so they had to use the flashlights. Eden enjoyed it, but I kept thinking she was three, and not still two.

Then they had the 3-7 or so age go out into the building. Lilah actually was just hitting up the eggs that were left from the little kids in the middle of the floor, but I convinced her to go into the hall way. They each had a maximum number of eggs and I had to keep taking eggs out of Eden’s basket as she found more than her share during Lilah’s egg hunt.

They had ostrich eggs, that had been drained, hidden around the building and Britta’s dad found her one. At the end those who found the ostrich eggs got to choose a prize.

Their was also a pinata, but that was for the older kids to hit that may not have found a lot of eggs.

Waiting for the fun to begin.

Britta, Lilah, and Eden. Lilah totally reminds me of her cousin Katy because that is totally a stance and smile Katy gives.

Eden.

Showing off their baskets.

It was a crazy, but fun, night. I have too much Easter candy already, and we have one more egg hunt to go. I think I’ll reuse the candy.

The eggs we hide will probably contain some raisins and coins, like last years. The girls love raisins and coins.

When does the candy stop? I don’t have to ever buy candy because it seems like we always have some form the previous holiday.

Second part to our Easter fun.

Yesterday, or Tuesday, we had Sam and Britta over for lunch and making cookies. The girls had a blast and Eden was obsessed with the flour.

Cutting out cookies.

Eden loved playing in the flour container.

Britta was being bashful.

She called the egg cut out a rotten egg.

Frosting the cookies.

Britta liked a lot of frosting on her cookies.

Reaping their reward.

I had the girls wear their green shirts today.

Take one.

Take two.

Take three.

I’ve been at my BIL Rawlin’s house helping him organize and put up dry wall so I am exhausted and have basically been gone all day.

Day Light Savings is kicking my butt. I’m so tired all the time. I could really use a nap right now, but I’m afraid if I go to sleep I’m not going to wake up till Jon gets home and then I’ll have nothing made for dinner and the sink will still be full of dishes.

That’s Lilah’s new 2 dollar word. ( It’s just sounds so funny coming out of her mouth.)

“Jack doesn’t always cooperate” ( Jack is Andrea and Brien’s Jack Russel.)

“I’m being good and cooperating.”

I have to say I am loving all the comments.

I love, love, LOVE comments.

I will admit I’m not always the best at commenting.

I am trying to get better but I’m usually checking several blogs at a time, with bloglines, and I don’t always comment because I’m waiting to see what is on the next blog for me to read. (I’m totally addicted to blogging.)

My resolution is to be better at commenting, though don’t expect it on every post.

So if you love me comment.

If you’re a lurker that reads this and I know you and you have a blog linked on someones site that I know, chances are I read your blog because of bloglines, and if you want the comment love, leave a comment.

If your family hates me because of some mix up earlier on that I’ve apologized for, I’ll comment in a code name, like uh… Goofy Mama, or whatever you want so you can feel the love and your family doesn’t dislike me for still loving you and your blog.
Remember I approve all comments that are published so if you don’t want it published just state that and I can just look at it and not approve it, but I love the comment love.

We live in a very Spanish, Mexican, Latino, or whatever you want to call it, neighborhood it makes it easier at times to decline door to door solicitation but on the other hand it makes it harder to get to know you’re neighbors.

Our neighbors that are to the East of us have three little girls and the mother stays home. The oldest, I just learned, is in preschool 3 days a week, and missed entering kindergarten this year because her birthday is in October, and then the next two girls are 3 and 1.

Eden is in love with the neighbor girls. She wants to always say hi if she hears they’re outside or if they’re outside as we leave or come home. She’s said hello for a while but the wanting to socialize and talk to them for longer periods of time started  a couple weeks ago when the oldest was playing with her while Jon was outside doing whatever, Eden realized she found a friend and now wants to see her whenever she can.

The one delima is I had never spoken to the mom and didn’t know how much English the mother knew. Today I talked to her and she knows a little, but not much. She joked that I needed to learn Spanish and she needed to learn English. She will be taking a class soon at the community center she said, or at least that’s what I got, and she invited us to come use their pool if the girls ever wanted to come over. Though I think she may have meant swings, but they could have a small pool back there.

Anyways, I’m thinking I should try to learn some Spanish, so I can hopefully understand her a little more or help her find the English words. Also if the girls are going to play together a little they won’t be able to understand the other girls easily, and I should make an effort to help them.

I do feel happy that the barrier has been broken. We’ve always said hello and waved, but never really spoken.

It happened because I had our front door open to cooler air and Eden saw the girls outside. Unfortunately they were leaving, and not just playing, so by the time she got her sandals to me and on they were in the car. When they returned Eden and Lilah were both for going  outside and saying hello, so I talked to the mom, or Hortencia, and explain how my girls love to say hi. The oldest daughter invited the girls to play in her house but I declined, one because the mom hadn’t offered and I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable and two because it was Eden’s nap time.
Lilah is set on us picking a time to play with the girls. She wants to play on their swings that she can see from our backyard.

It’s nice to get to know your neighbors a little more. Even if there wasn’t a language barrier I’d probably be shy and it just gave me a good excuse to not know them well.  Now, with friendly girls, they leave me little choice but to meet new people.

Jon made this video of Eden and me with the two pictures.

He’s pretty strange like that, and he worked so hard, though he said it was snap, and it only took him about 2 hours of interrupted time for dinner and taking care of girls while I ran an errand.