Seven Quick Takes

Go visit Jen for more quick takes.

 

~1~

It's been quite a week. I almost hate to write this, but potty training seems to be going alright. Now that  I jinxed myself I'm sure I'll be back next week to tell you about how hard it is!

 

~2~

Ender came down with what we thought was a little cold on Wednesday and woke up Thursday morning with full on sneezing, coughing, runny nose and headache fun. Poor guy. He doesn't handle being sick well- he doesn't really want to lay around even though he's tired and spends most of his time whimpering. So we've watched a lot of Backyardigans and Wallace & Grommit over the last few days and hung out on the couch.

 

~3~

Ezra woke up this morning with that same cold and I can't get him to sit for a moment. Is it possible for a cold to give you even MORE energy or is that just a special bonus for two-year-old boys?

 

~4~

Ezra sat for his two-year-old pictures earlier this week. I know it's September, but I was trying to wait for a day when he didn't have a bump or mark of some kind on his face and that day is apparently long off. So I finally did his pictures and he did a really great job following directions and smiling! I was so impressed with the photographer and how she adapted to Ezra as his patience waned.

 

~5~

Ender and Superman worked last weekend on telling time to the hour since Ender asks "what o'clock is it?" about 80 times a day. I think he's satisfied with that amount of knowledge for now, though I think skip counting is going to need to happen in his near future to prepare for the day when he asks more about the long hand of the clock.

 

~6~

Ezra is stringing more and more words together these days! Right now he's really into possessive's (Bubba's blanket, mama's shoes, etc.) and spends a lot of time naming objects and who they belong to. A few of those phrases have morphed together- he says "minkie" for his blankie now- a combiantion of "my" and "blankie".

My favorite thing that he says is "no blood, no bandaid." I crack up every time he says it because he says it so seriously every time! He pretends to have owies to try to get a bandaid - I'll always give out a kiss for an "owie" but providing 50 bandaids a day would mean having to get a second job just for bandaid buying!

 

~7~

Superman is sitting for his competency tests over the next few weeks in addition to his regular school and work schedule. These are tests in different areas he has to take to qualify for graduation in the spring so he's really nervous about them. I think he can't bring himself to believe that he's almost done and that's part of the pressure for him. I would appreciate prayers for him during this time, and I know Superman would appreciate them even more!

Love the Books

I picked up a pretty eclectic stack at the library this morning:

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter

Letters to a Diminished Church by Dorothy Sayers

One Second After by William R. Forstchen

 

I added Mistress of the Revolution (Catherine Delors) to my finished fiction list the other night and I'll be done with Farmer Boy in the next day or two.

 

I also have a good sized stack of cook books hanging out on my desk- Feeding the Whole Family, Simple Food for Busy Families, and an assortment of crockpot books. I'm determined to find a solution for our dinner time problem.

 

I have a small army of crafting books ordered to be ready to pick up on my next library run. I'm feeling the need for some inspiration. I'm ready to get back to the sewing machine and the knitting needles to make some things.  Inspiring suggestions are welcome. :)

Hypothetical

Yesterday may have been a mommy-ing low point.

 

Allow me to pitch a purely hypothetical situation that may or may not have taken place on a certain Monday.

 

Imagine, if you will, that a purely hypothetical mother one day decided that her two little boys would be okay to play together in a bedroom with toys while she put laundry away less than 5 feet from that bedroom door. And imagine that she looks in to see that they're playing nicely and she thinks it would be okay to do a quick clean up in the bathroom too (also within 5 feet of that door). She checks on them between each little task, and mentally pats herself on the back because these 2 hypothetical little boys are playing so very well AND she's getting some housework done.

 

Now imagine that not even 1 minute has passed after that self-congratulatory moment when the older one yells "Mama, there's poop EVERYWHERE!"

 

A *hypothetical* 2-year-old may have spent a sneaky two minutes pooping in his underwear and then taking said underwear off and spreading poop about the room. He may also have stepped in it and rubbed it all over his shirt.

 

Thank goodness for hypothetical carpet cleaners.

Daybook

 

Outside my window… It is sunny, but cool enough for open windows. Beautiful, beautiful morning. In fact we'll be heading outside in just a few minutes.

 

I am thinking… about how busy life is in these next few weeks and repeating over and over to myself that everything will work out. Superman is swamped with papers and midterm prep on top of his regular work schedule and is also studying for a test that he must pass to graduate. Ender will be four in just three short weeks. Ezra is potty training.

 

I am thankful for… my sister and her special spidey sense that her older sister just might need a cherry limeade.

 

From the learning rooms… This week we're having a circle time of sorts- Ender told me that because there are only three of us that really means it's triangle time since triangles have 3 sides . . . ahem. For our circle triangle time we're each choosing a song to sing, we read a picture book or two and talk about the weather a bit. From there we're doing a bit with new Montessori work and phonics. Both boys are spending a lot of time coloring lately, and Ender is making a lot of mail for grandparents and aunts and uncles.

 

From the kitchen… Not a lot! I'm collecting recipes so that I can make 3 or 4 things to freeze or make ahead on the weekend in peparation for the week. I'd appreciate any suggestions for meals that freeze well!

 

I am wearing… an ankle length red linen skirt that I made a few weeks ago, a black tank top and black sweater over top. 

 

I am creating…  activities for the next few weeks for the boys- a few morning trips to a local orchard, a trip to pick out pumpkins and gourds in October and lots of time outside while the weather is good.

 

I am going… nowhere. AGAIN. I'm still getting used to this schedule and I'm not willing to give up my quiet(ish) mornings at home quite yet. 

 

I am reading… Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

I am hoping… to be able to drive a ways to see a good friend over the weekend. It has been too long.

 

I am hearing… Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Ezra *loves* this show and talks along with it the whole time. He's saying so many things now!

 

Around the house… So far no one has perished in the laundry mountain and I tamed most of it over the weekend. That was quite interesting. Over the summer I fell into the habit of doing laundry just twice a week on two of the days I had off, but now those two extra days off are gone and I really need to do a load each day to stay reasonably on top of things (particularly since I would prefer to do no house cleaning or laundry on Sundays).

 

One of my favorite things… extra sleep.  :)

 

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . I really want to find a few minutes to finish up a few crafty things that have been hanging around and will only take a bit to complete- washcloths need surging (I think I can finish all of them in 30 minutes if I just sit down and do them) and Superman's new pants need to be hemmed. Later in the week I'll be buying fabric for Ender's birthday gifts and getting started on those too!

 

Here is picture thought I am sharing… My almost-4-year-old at about 5 months old- I can't even believe it!