Just Pluggin' Along

     Goodness, this multiple children thing is rough stuff. And I can just hear all of you who have more than 2, let alone 5 or 6, laughing at me saying "just wait". All I can say is, God gives each of us exactly what we can handle. No more, but also no less. We are here to learn and grow, and we don't grow if things are too easy. However, He also wants us to ask to come to Him for help, so the "no more than we can handle", yeah, I think there's a second part to the phrase. "...with His help". That's why 'going it alone' doesn't work.  I am certainly learning that these days. We are in the thick of the 'terrible twos' these days, and we're struggling to figure things out. Especially me.
     But there is a lot of cute things too.  On Monday, Jessica was watching her "dog movie". (101 Dalmatians, the animated Disney version) It came to the part where you first meet Cruella DeVil, and find out that she is very interested in the puppies that will be coming soon. Purdy is hiding under the wood stove, and when Pongo goes to comfort her, she is crying (at least her voice sounds like it) and says she wishes they weren't having puppies because she knows Cruella wants them. Jessica then says, in a very concerned/sympathetic voice, "poor dog". It was so cute.
     Then there was also time at the park. On Wednesdays we go visit my Mom and spend the day with her. Well, this past week we decided to go to the park as well. Jessica was very excited to "slide and swing". (though 'swing' sounds a lot like 'beans', I had to translate for my brother when she was telling him about it) Well, we found a park near my Mom's, but it didn't have any swings. We decided to try it anyway. Mom took Jessica to climb all over the playground, and go down some slides, but after a few minutes, Jessica piped up "okay, let's go to the park now." Yes, she said the full sentence, but we thought it was hilarious because obviously, to her, it isn't a park if it doesn't have swings. So we found another one, this time that did have swings, and spend the afternoon there. Jessica had a grand time at this park. She learned how to go down a slide on her belly, (feet first) she used a big-kid swing...

...she climbed a rock wall...

...played with the bark chips, and laughed hysterically while playing "whack-a-mole" with Grandma's fingers. (My mom would stick her fingers though the mesh flooring of the playground, and Jessica would try to get it)
      This week I also made an attempt at sugar-free ice cream, and it actually turned out good! Yay! I really can't have sugar, my body reacts almost as if I'm allergic to it. So, I've been trying to find alternatives to the treats that actually taste good. So far my favorites are the banana bread and pumpkin cookies sweetened with dates, and then, now, my banana chocolate ice cream. There are literally 2 ingredients, bananas and cocoa powder. You take 2 frozen bananas, and start them going in the food processor. It takes a bit of work, both with the processor, and then with a spatula before they start being creamy at all, but then you add the cocoa powder, and keep blending, and they end up just about the right consistency, that of ice cream. Now, for me, the banana flavor was just a bit too strong, so I'm going to modify it a bit. Probably about 1 1/2 bananas and about 1 spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, plus the cocoa. But it makes a nice dark-chocolate/banana flavored ice cream, and its not only not bad for you, it's fruit and cocoa powder (which has wonderful antioxidant properties) so it's actually healthy. But it tastes like its a sweet treat. YAY! Maybe I'm going to end up buying bananas even more than I have normally been.
    Then, the only other thing going on this week is that this weekend is General Conference. That is a televised broadcast in my church where there are 4 2-hour sessions in which the leaders of our church speak to us. I normally look forward to it, and love listening... Yeah... that 2-year-old thing... The irony was not lost on me that a lot of the talks yesterday were about family and loving your children, etc. and I spent a large portion of it getting after/yelling at Jessica. What I heard was good, when I was able to hear much of anything.
     And now for more pictures:

 Here is Jessica showing off her pretty hairstyle after Grandma brushed and did her hair. Goodness, I'm going to need to get some of the pictures of me. My Mom and I looked through them the other day, and she looks exactly like I did, except for the whole hair color thing. Mine used to be even darker than it is now.

 And here is Jacob just looking all cute and cuddly. He still spends the majority of the day asleep, so that's about all I have as far a pictures of him go.

 And here is Jessica accessorizing. Sunglasses, bag, stroller, and she had her shoes on as well. Yeah, no idea where she gets any of that from... *shifty eyes*