Saturday with the kids

Today was a divide-and-conquer Saturday in the Bartle household.  Garry made poofy pancakes for breakfast while the kids and I got ready for the day.  Then he took Zach and Gavin to Gavin's basketball game.  Gavin made his first basket, was a superstar rebounder, and lined up nicely for team pictures at the end.  Then Garry and the boys worked hard to clean up the house.

While they were busy doing those things, I drove Tyler, Kate, and Lexi to the Denver Temple for a ward activity.  We took a guided tour of the temple grounds and learned a lot.  Our guide explained the sacred ordinances performed inside of temples, including baptisms for the dead, which children can begin doing at age 12.  We also learned about the Primary children who raised money for some beautiful benches, the blue spruce trees that Gordon B. Hinckley donated for the landscape, and the structural patterns that remind patrons about line-upon-line gospel learning.  Our tour guide reminded us that "you are never lost when you can see the temple."  We really had a lovely hour there with our fellow ward members, even if we were missing half the family.

On the way home, we met my friend Melanie and her boys in the parking lot of PF Chang's.  Five minutes together just wasn't enough, but we did get a picture to prove that we were in the same place at the same time.  Matt and Sam were really making us laugh.

Garry took four kids to the park for a little while upon our return, and then he took Zach to his basketball game.

Zach also scored for the first time (and second!).  He is still learning the ins and outs of basketball, but he definitely likes the sport and it's fun to watch him play.  At home I tried to rest, but since Gavin and Lexi didn't nap today, that didn't really work.  So I tried to sew doll clothes while Kate slept, but then she woke up, and that didn't really work.  I am continually reminded that anything beyond basic survival is out of my league right now.  I'm not sure why I keep trying.

Miss Kate started showing symptoms of a cold this afternoon.  She is sneezing and snorting and coughing a lot.  It's so tragic!  My sweet little baby is sick.  I'm still overwhelmed with her feeding situation.  Hopefully with some lab results and another weight check next week we'll have more answers and can make a long-term plan. I do think she is growing, though.  An informal hop on the scale said she weighed 10 pounds yesterday.  I hope that's accurate!

Then came a few more memorable moments from our Saturday with the kids:

Gavin: Why are your toenails red?

Heidi: Because I finally painted them.

Gavin: I want red toenails!

Heidi: Sorry, painted toenails are just for girls.

Gavin: But I want to be a girl!

Heidi: Really? Why? Just for the toenails?

Gavin: I want to have little girls!

Heidi: When you're a dad, you might have little girls.

Gavin: When I get married, can I be a girl?

*

Tyler: What are we having for dinner?

Heidi: I dunno.  What do you want?  Wait.  Let me rephrase.  Tyler, what do you want to complain about?  Lexi, what do you want to throw on the floor?

[silence]

We had toaster waffles.

*

While kids were supposed to be in the bathroom brushing their teeth, I heard some giggling.  I decided to peek into the bathroom.  I found Lexi holding her toothbrush in the stream of urine Gavin was producing in front of the toilet.  Ewwwww.......

*

Finally, the kids went to sleep.  Gavin and Tyler were especially thrilled to sleep in their newly-re-bunked beds.

And so ends another week at our house.