Logan - April 2012

It's the 19th.  The other day your dad asked if I had written your letter yet, and when I said I hadn't he said, "You know, someday you are going to wish you had written more."  That is very, very true, but right now I am happy with the fact that each month since you were 15 months old you have a letter from your mama (and very occasionally, dad).  Seeing as how you are coming up on 5 years (60 months) old, I'd say that is quite the accomplishment, and I'm okay with being a slacker and blaming our busy lives for your short (and often late) letters.

I snapped another quick picture of you heading into your school this month.  I feel like I never do this moment justice though when I take a picture.  Having the camera ready and telling you to wave isn't as awesome as when  you turn around on your own and blow me a kiss and yell, "Love ya mom!"  I guess it is something though.

You continue to LOVE your brother.  L-O-V-E.  I had no idea you would be this enamored with him.  I thought it would be Tessa wanting to love on a baby, but boy was I big time wrong.  In fact, you would do anything to be able to be with him, including changing a diaper!  I had to help you out with the logistics a bit (tabs in the back, etc.), but you did a great job.  I still have to get after you quite often during the day to give Ty some space because woah, you can be a lot to take in, but it really is sweet to see, and I hope you continue to enjoy having him around when you both are older.

Dad got to bring Smokey Bear to your preschool class this month, and you were pretty excited.  You figured out (or a classmate told you) that Smokey is really a person inside a suit.  I'm not sure if it was that knowledge or just the fact that you are getting older, but you were definitely more comfortable with him this year.  I think you like having your dad come to your class because your chest was pretty puffed up and you had a proud look on your face the whole time he was there.  It was pretty dang cute.

You've been dying to start a fire in our backyard with some of the dead weeds we had laying around from last summer, and finally dad broke down when he was outside dragging the yard with the fourwheeler.  It was just a tiny little thing with hardly any flame, but you didn't care.  Also, that shirt is your "Mater shirt," and ever since Grandma H. gave it to you it has been your favorite.  You are forever asking me if I have washed it yet, and I know the second it comes out of the dryer you will have it on.  You wear it even when it is too hot outside for long sleeves, so for Easter this year I tried to one-up grandma and got you an Angry Birds shirt (I try not to buy the "character" shirts, but seeing how much you loved your Mater shirt made me cave I guess). I don't think it is quite as big of a hit as the Mater shirt, but you were still pretty excited to see it in your basket.

Speaking of Easter, the Easter bunny spoiled you and Tess 3 times this year!  The weekend before actual Easter was conference Sunday, and dad left on a detail to New Mexico right before, so the rest of us went to G&G Hillier's house for the weekend.  We had ham and funeral potatoes for dinner and an Easter egg hunt afterwards.  It was a good time, and we even got to spend Sunday night there too since it was spring break and you didn't have school.

The next weekend we were supposed to go camping, but with dad gone you just went up to G&G Veater's house a day earlier than normal to hang out with them and dye Easter eggs.  The next day Ty and I came out, and we went out to Kodachrome with the Pollock side of the family.  You and Quade ended up watching us hide the Easter candy in our usual spot, so you knew it wasn't the Easter bunny, but that didn't keep you from having a blast looking for it.  You got your usual haul (we aren't sure how to get the Grandmas who don't have grandkids there to stop bringing 10 bags of candy a piece...), and you had a good time sliding down the yellow rocks on your butt just like your dad and uncles used to do.

Whew!  So that has been our month.  We've got you all signed up for t-ball, which starts this weekend, and KINDERGARTEN!  I can't believe I am going to have a kindergartner.  I asked Ms. April if I should request a certain teacher for you next year whose personality or teaching style would work the best for you, and she gave you a great compliment when she said, "With a kid as well rounded as Logan you really don't need to worry."  I'm so proud of you bud.  You have learned so much this year in school.  The other day in Primary I was conducting and you were assigned to read the scripture, and you did!  You read pretty much the whole thing without help, and i had more than one person comment to me afterwards about what a good job you had done reading.  I love it.  I hope you never lose your love of learning and READING!.  It is so, SO important.  We have so many fun things to do this summer with t-ball, preschool graduation, swimming lessons, the pool, the park, the river, birthday parties, camping, reunions, and I can't wait, but I also can't wait to see how you do when you start kindergarten in August.

I love you bud and am so proud of you,
Mom

Tessa - April 2012

Your letter is 11 days late because my computer was being fixed and all the pictures went with it.  And yes, it has been gone that entire time...

I told this story in Logan's letter, but since you were the one who ended up covered in lipstick, I better share it in yours.  One night while your dad was gone and I thought I had successfully gotten everyone to bed you came into my room where I was working.  It was dark so I couldn't tell what you had all over your face, but you told me that Logan had drawn on you.  I thought it was marker until I got closer and saw that it was lipstick!  The two of you had been playing in the bathroom and found an old, OLD lipstick of mine and decided to color on it.  Now that it has been a few weeks and I was able to (mostly) successfully get the lipstick out of the carpet and off the walls, doors, etc., it is funny.  But oh, that night it was NOT funny.  Your head was stained pink for at least a week.  I can't believe you let Logan do that!

Ty gets more than his fair share of pictures taken lately, but that's just how it goes with baby.  That doesn't mean you don't jump in front of the camera almost every chance you get though.  This is just a picture of you being silly one day when I had the camera out.  Spoiler alert for next month:  Those bangs aren't long anymore!  I didn't want to cut them even though they were always in your face and made you look homeless, but grandma Hillier finally convinced me to, and you look really cute.  As always, I wish I would have done it sooner.

Daddy was gone for training for week this month, and we were all excited to see him when he finally got home.  I was smart enough to pull out my camera and caught your little reunion with him.  I think this will always be one of my favorites!

And we took one of daddy and kids one morning before he went to work.  I took two pictures, and the funny thing is you are making the exact same face in both of them!

Another picture just hanging out with mom, probably one day while Logan was at school and Ty was asleep.  I love when you ask "Mommy will you PLAY with me?"  I try so hard to always make time to play even for just a few minutes, but it seems like that time is when I am playing catch up with work or housework.  I don't want to waste this time with you though.

The other night I was feeling particularly sentimental as I was laying in bed next to you trying to get you to go to sleep.  This was our conversation...
Me: Tess, will you always talk to me?  Even when you are big?
You:  Yes...
Me:  About boys?
You:  Yes....
Me:  About your friends?
You:  Yes!................................And food?

I laughed pretty hard.  I love how much you love me right now.  It is a pretty big ego boost for this momma who is starting to feel old and moldy, so please keep your promise and talk to me about whatever you want!

Another thing I wrote down for this month happened while you were playing in the bath one night.  My hair has started to fall out again after the pregnancy, and you found a piece of it in the tub.  You got excited and said, "Mom look!  It's my pet snake!"  You played with that piece of hair the whole time and made sure I got it out for you when it was time to get in bed.  By the time I had gotten you out, dried off, dressed, and in bed though we had lost your pet snake along the way.   You were looking all over for it, and while you weren't looking I pulled another piece out and put it on your pillow because you wanted your pet to sleep right by you.  You really are such a silly little thing, and I absolutely love it.

The other day I was talking to a friend about how big (or not in her case) we get during pregnancy.  I remembered that your dad happened to take these pictures the day Ty was born, so I had him send them to me.  This was literally 4 hours before Ty was born, and we were all sitting on the floor rolling the basketball to each other (me cringing through contractions...), and you and Logan decided to see what you would look like with the big belly look.

Oh little miss I do love you so much.  You are definitely not the baby in the family anymore, but I'm going to hold on to the time I've got with you home with me with all I can.

Love you sis,
Momma

Tyson - March 2012 - 3 months

Oh buddy, I'm long on pictures, short on time this month, so I'll probably cheat and do a short letter today.  Life seems busy lately!  You are getting more and more fun every day.  You are starting to seem more like a baby than a newborn, and that is a lot more fun for everyone.  I love newborns (my newborns, other people's newborns still scare the crap out of me), but I also don't really miss it all that much when you turn into this cute little loveable, less breakable, baby.  You could snuggle a bit more though kid.  If someone puts you up on their shoulder to snuggle the first thing you do is lift your head up and try to ram your nose into their shoulder until they get the point that you do NOT want to be held that way.  You want to see and you don't want to cuddle.  You still wake up twice at night, and sometimes I will stay up a few minutes after you have finished eating and fallen asleep just to hold you and cuddle you since you won't let me during the day and you put yourself to sleep in your crib.  There's something to be said for the bad habit of rocking your baby to sleep, but I'm not going to complain that you go to sleep on your own I guess.

So, that being said, I have lots to do while you take a little snooze and Logan and Tess are actually playing nicely together in the toy room.  Here are some pictures (or 30), because you, my child, are the most adorable thing I've ever laid eyes on.

Your dad was out of town over our anniversary, and the other 2 kids went to Grandma and Grandpa Veater's house for the weekend, so it was just me and you for a few days.  I think we enjoyed our 1 on 1 time! (This also might be your first picture other than your blessing where you aren't wearing pajamas!)

See, adorable.  A-DOR-A-BLE.

This is right before you ate...

...and this is right after.  You are a Veater boy.  Don't mess when you're hungry.

Another post-eating picture.  It's not quite the drunken look I want to try to get a picture of, but it's close...

Streeeeetching after a nap...

Tummy time.  You hate it.  I hate to make you do it.  Maybe I'm trying to keep you from getting stronger so you won't roll over, crawl, walk any sooner than I'm ready for?

See, you pretty much always have my phone in your face taking pictures of you (did you know that once upon a time phones were stuck to the wall, with a cord, and were only used to CALL people?).  Your dad loves to pretend to sneeze at you because it makes you laugh.  Those laughs are little and not very common just yet, but that's one thing I look forward to in the next month.  I can't wait to have a house full of baby giggles again.

Love you Moose (I called you that today and liked it.  Maybe it will stick?),
Mom

Logan - March 2012

Oh Logan, Logan, Logan.  Today I heard "I hate you" at least 3 or 4 times, and that was a mild day compared to yesterday!  To say you've been a bit of a challenge for me lately is an understatement.  The funny thing about you is that you are such a good kid normally so when you decide to go all crazy town on me it catches me off guard.  I know that part of it is probably still adjusting to me needing to give extra attention to Ty and not being able to do what you want me to do when you want me to do it, but holy moly boy, let's get past this stage already - it's exhausting!

Bantam wrestling started in the last month, and I debated whether or not to sign you up.  I finally decided that I wouldn't since you didn't seem too interested and sign ups were going on when your dad was out of town ;)  It wasn't that I didn't want you to wrestle, I just knew that your dad was going to be out of town off and on and the thought of hauling you to practices a couple times a week plus tournaments was a little daunting - especially since you weren't exactly jumping at the opportunity.  Well, your dad decided to take you to practice one day and after that you were excited about it.  You wouldn't warm up with them, but when you saw that you could wrestle your buddy Kasthon Kabonic you had a good time.  The next practice, though, I had to take you, and it didn't go so well.  I had Ty with us, the wrestling room was crowded, and you would NOT get out on the mats with other boys to warm up.  I was so confused because you seemed so excited!  Then when they paired off to start to wrestle and you realized you were going to be paired up with someone taller than Kashton, it was a no go.  I took you out of there kicking and screaming (who was kicking and who was screaming?), and that was that.  We went to Quade Man's tournament in Hurricane that weekend, and I'm pretty sure that solidified your decision to not wrestle.  I'm with you buddy.  In the end your dad and I decided we would try again next year if you wanted to.  We want you to try new things buddy, but if you don't like them - no sweat!  We just want you to TRY.  I know I've told you this in letters before, but don't be afraid of trying new things just because you might look stupid or might not know as much as the next person.  We're just proud of you for trying! (and looking very much forward to t-ball this year!)

Since the time change a couple days ago you and Tessa have been running the show at night.  I know it is so hard to go to bed on time when it is still light on time, but I was determined to have you go to bed at least by 7:30 by the end of this week.  By that time of the day my fuse is so short I NEED the two of you to be in bed so I don't blow up, so it really is in your best interest too!  Well last night I thought I had you 2 all straightened out.  I let you stay up and play together in Tessa's room until 8 (8!) and then told you to go to your room and get in bed and go to sleep.  I went to our room to work and about 20 minutes later Tessa walked in.  I could tell something was all over her and thought it was marker and started to laugh in spite of being upset she was still awake.  Then she said, "Logan colored all over me!"  Sure enough  you guys had been in the bathroom and dug out an old lipstick from seriously probably 10 years ago (I think the last time I used it was Halloween my freshman year in college - who knows why I still had it!), and you had colored all over Tessa's face and HAIR.  In the process you got dark red lipstick all over her floor, a book, the door, the walls, and actually I'm still finding places where there are smudges of lipstick.

I was LIVID.  I very firmly made it known that the 2 of you were in DEEP trouble and there would be no TV all day the next day, etc.  Ha.  I hate it when I do that.  You finally both fell asleep some time after 9, and I got a good laugh when I looked in on you and saw you reading this...

Yep, that's Tessa's princess book.  I had to get another shot to be sure we would always know this was indeed a princess book...

Awesome.  After scrubbing lipstick out of the carpet for 30 minutes, I definitely needed that smile!

So this morning I woke you both up at 5:30 a.m. (that was 4:30 a.m. just a few days ago!), and told you to go play since you couldn't watch TV.  It was a LONG day, but after school, the park flying kites (run Logan, run!), a breakdown where you asked me to let you live with Kashton's mom and then begging for forgiveness as I started packing your overnight bag, and some more time outside (to get a break from me, you said), you and Tessa are now both asleep and have been since 7:20 p.m.  Success?  I think so.

Another bright spot in the day?  Your teacher came out to the car today as I pulled in to pick you up to tell me that she thought you were the student who had made the most improvement in your handwriting this year AND that you are reading really well.  The handwriting I was a little surprised about (start at 2 o'clock Logan,  2-O-CLOCK!), but I have been so impressed with your reading.  In fact, you read your whole book tonight all by yourself with only a little bit of help on the word "much."  I am so, SO proud of you and how well you continue to do in school.

With all your "I hate you"s and wanting to live with a "nicer" mommy, I know you love me, and it is so sweet to feel a love like the love a little boy gives his momma.  Thanks for that buddy.

 I love you too,

Mom

Tessa - March 2012

 Oh Tessa Sue, I'm actually drawing a blank on anything that we've done in the last month that is exciting enough to write about.  A lot of the time it seems like Groundhog Day around here.  We get up, we eat breakfast, get everyone ready (most days...), watch cartoons, eat lunch, take Logan to school, play while he's gone, pick Logan up, play when we get home, eat dinner, play, and then prayers and bed.  The routine doesn't change too much, but I guess that isn't a bad thing.

It seems like most of the pictures I download onto the computer lately are of Tyson, but I did find a few that I had taken of you.  This has got to be one of my favorites.  I can see this being one that I like to show future boyfriends.  The look on your face along with your bed head just cracks me up.

 We actually got that mop of hair cut the other day.  You, me, and Tyson ended up in Hurricane at the last minute on a Saturday, and the only place open was the little salon at Walmart.  We had to wait 15 minutes or so, so we wandered around the store for a few minutes.  You were walking along behind me when all of a sudden you yelled my name to get my attention.  When I turned around to find out what was wrong you looked behind you and said, "I think I lost my haircut!"  I guess I need to get your hair cut more often if you are almost 3 and still a little confused about what a haircut is.  Later that night I got the scissors out to try to straighten up the back of your hair a bit.  Well the next day I came out of my room because I heard you playing with the scissors.  There on the floor were 3 or 4 little chunks of hair.  Luckily you must have done a pretty good job with the placement of your cuts because I still can't find where all that hair came from!  Stupidly I just took the scissors away and put them back in the drawer.  Later I walked into the toy room to see that you and Logan had cut the hair of almost every doll and horse you own.  Now the scissors are on top of the fridge...

Oddly enough one of the other pictures I have from this month is you making more mischief.  After we send you and Logan to bed your dad and I can usually hear the two of you playing in your room for a while before you fall asleep.  A few weeks ago you ended up with a gray marker in your room to color with, and when I went in to check on you this is what I found...

It's a bad picture, I know, I know, but there is gray marker all over your hands and on your face and a big spot right next to your mouth.  This was a Saturday night, and I had just gotten you out of the bath before bed so we would have an easier time getting you ready for church early the next morning.  So much for that...  Your dad and I tried to sound mad when we found you because you had not only colored on yourself but on the book of princess stories he bought for you and also all over your sheets, but eventually I had to leave the room because I was cracking up.  You were making the saddest face, and with the marker all over it it was just too much for me to take.  Your dad held it together long enough to give you a little lecture, but we laughed pretty good after you were back in you room in bed.

One of my favorite things about you right now is the way you speak.  I know I need to start correcting you when you say things wrong so you will learn, but I love to hear you say yous instead of yours or theys instead of they.  The other night it was your turn to say the prayer and I was trying to help you.  Normally your standard prayer is "Heavenly Father, bless the food, Jesus Christ, Amen.  It doesn't matter if it is the dinner prayer, family home evening prayer, or nighttime prayer - that is the prayer you say.  So this night I was helping you say some different things and I whispered in your ear to say than you for the gospel.  Well you tried your best, but it came out, "thank you for the gospital."  So much for trying to teach Logan to be reverent during prayers because it was all your dad and I could do to make it through the rest of that one without laughing out loud.

You are such a fun-loving, happy girl, and I love to watch you play.  You could play all day with your horses and your "pet shops."  You still love to jump off things, but since that time you hurt your foot you haven't been as crazy.  You and Logan also like to spin around until you are dizzy and fall over and/or give mom a heart attack because you get too close to a wall or the TV stand.  You are so much fun.

I hope you still have a goofy, funny side by the time you are old enough to read these letters. You are such a pretty girl, but honestly I think your personality is your #1 feature by far.

Love you sissy,

Mom

Tyson - February 2012 - 2 Months

Well let's start with your stats from your doctor's appointment shall we?  I knew you were getting chunky, and we were all excited to how big you would be at your appointment.  I was a dork and made your appointment 2 weeks after my 6-week appointment - so you were 8 weeks old but not exactly 2 months old.  I'm pretty sure that's the only reason you weren't right up there in the 90th percentile for weight like Logan was.  Anyway, you weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds and 2 ounces, which was 70th percentile and 23 inches long, which is the 50th percentile.  You're definitely a bit of a chunk, and I love it.  No offense to your skinny sister, but I LOVE chunky babies.

On February 12 your dad blessed you in our ward here in Kanab.  Both your grandpas plus all 3 of your uncles were there to stand in the circle as well, and your dad gave you an awesome blessing.  I know he spent a lot of time thinking about some of the things he wanted to say, and it really was just perfect.  As your mom I may not give you the blessing when you are a baby, but I can hope that you will feel the blessings that you have around you, particularly an immediate family and extended family who love you as well as the opportunity to grow up in the gospel.  I hope you take advantage of these things and rely on them as you grow up.  Your dad, grandpas, and uncles are great examples of worthy priesthood holders, and I hope you and Logan realize how blessed you are to have so many great men in your lives.

Chillin in your tie after your blessing.  I'll post pictures in your cute little blessing outfit 

that Aunt Lisa took later.

Other than your blessing this month has been pretty relaxed.  You've been spending your days eating, sleeping, and growing.  You've started to give smiles a little bit more freely - but no one gets them as easy as your dad.  I don't know if you just get tired of looking at my mug day and night, but all your dad has to do is get close to you and start talking, and your face nearly splits in half with big gummy grin.  I may be a bit jealous - but any time any of us can get one of those smiles the whole house goes crazy.  Logan and Tess can usually coax a smile out of you occasionally too.

Logan doing his best to get you to smile.

You weren't sleeping that great around the beginning of the month, but you have gotten better since a friend lent me a book and I finally figured out I was letting you get overtired more often than not.  Now we've got you on an eat, awake, sleep... routine that is working much better for us, and most of the time I just need to put you in your crib with the white noise machine on and maybe your mobile and you go to sleep pretty quickly.  Now, if only we could get a few more nights with longer stretches between feedings I wouldn't have a complaint in the world.  You really have been a good baby, and I can't complain much at all really.

This is a bit of a grumpy face during a bath, but I must have caught it just wrong.  You LOVE your baths, especially when I pour some water on your toes.  The bath is where I got some of your first smiles...

In the months before you were born I remember wondering from time to time why we had gotten pregnant when things were in a good routine with the four of us.  Now I can't imagine why we wouldn't want to have such a fun little person in our house to liven things up!  For a while after you were born I felt really overwhelmed with trying to take care of your brother and sister, cook, clean, work, and take care of you, but I feel like I'm getting on top of things now, and I am so grateful that you are a part of this chaos.

Love you Ty,
Mom

Logan - February 2012

Well life seems to have slowed down a little bit for us in the last month, and I have spent the last couple days wondering what I would write about.  You don't change every day like you used to and how Tyson now does.  You don't say as many ridiculous things as you used to and as Tessa now does, but as I got looking through the pictures I have for this month I realized that doesn't mean I don't have anything interesting to say about you anymore.

You are a really good big brother to Ty.  When Tess was born you obviously had your nose cut off a little more than with Ty.  Now you're used to not being the only one and have quite enjoyed the fact that Tyson is a boy like you.  You love to bring up the fact that the girls are outnumbered in our family now.  Holding Ty  has gotten a little old for you in the past few weeks.  You'd rather find any cool toy you can think of and put it right in his face (mom's fault for telling you he can't see very well far away) and explaining to him what it is and why it is so cool.  You love when he is awake and always ask me if he has "wide open eyes."  Apparently sleeping babies aren't as sweet to big boys as they are to their moms.  If he ever fusses or starts to cry you are immediately be his side singing something along the lines of, "Baby Ty don't cry.  Don't cry, baby Ty!" which sometimes works, and sometimes makes it worse.  It is sweet to see how much you love him though.  You were so excited the other day when I let you "babysit" him in the front room while I went to my bathroom to put my makeup on.  I checked on you more often than you noticed, and you did a great job keeping him company.

You are also a pretty good big brother to Tess too.  A lot of times now you two are able to play for half an hour or more together without fighting!  I cringe when I go into the playroom after one of these long sessions of playing together, but the mess is worth it!  The other day when your dad was out of town I heard  you and Tessa talking together early in the morning.  It's normal for you to be up early but not so much for Tess.  I found you two snuggled up in Tessa's bed chatting away.  It was pretty cute.  You told me she woke up and was crying so you went in there with her.  I'm not sure if that is the case or not (you've become quite the fibber lately...), but in any case Tess seemed happy to have you there.

And you've always been a really good son.  Here you are helping dad blow out the candles on his birthday pie (31!).  

And between preschool, grandma, and just randomly making Valentines yourself, I think your dad and I have gotten about 10 Valentines a piece from you.  Just last night you brought this one out to us.  It had two hearts that you had drawn on the outside (no easy feat!), and this message on the inside.

It's a little hard to read, but from what I can tell it says, "I Lav Yue Mome and Dad Fom Logan."  I LOVE it. It is by far my favorite Valentine yet because I can tell you tried so hard to figure out how to spell the words, and you did a good job!  For your class we had to write the names of the kids in your class on their Valentines as well as your name in the "From" spot.  Oh boy.  That was quite the task, and it took us about 4 days to do.  I keep trying to remember you are only 4 and obviously aren't going to be perfect at writing your letters, but you've done so well in everything that you've ever tried to do that it is hard for me to see you being sloppy!

The other day after your dad came home from a week of training he took you outside to play a little t-ball.  He was SO excited because you have become a lot more interested in it and would actually listen to what he was trying to teach you.  I think you had a blast too and are probably more excited for t-ball this spring than you were last year.  I'm excited to see how you do this year too!

Now all this gushing about how you're a great brother and kid doesn't mean you don't have your 4-year-old fit-throwing moments.  You do.  Quite often.  But you get over things quick and are usually quick to forgive me and your dad for getting after you a little too often too.  I guess even though you aren't a sweet little baby or a dorky 2-year-old anymore we will still keep you, because you are an awesome 4-year-old who is stubborn and lovable all at once.

Love,
Your first "Balentine"