A Quiet Moment

Sleeping boys= quiet house! Ezra is somewhat better. Thank goodness for antibiotics. The bacterial infection on his face is tremendously better, but he is still really gunky and coughing a ton. It is getting better every day, but it's still kind of gross.



So in my quiet time I updated my 2009 fiction list. You can tell it's been a "stay at home on the couch" kind of week for us since I finished up Farmer Boy, read all of Chains AND all of Little House on the Prairie in one short week!



It's so strange to read through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books again- particularly Farmer Boy. This reading is the first time I've read it since becoming the mother of boys (and first time in at least 10 years) and the emphasis on how happy Almanzo is to have all that time working with his father and the repeated lessons on the value of hard work and the money that comes from it found me nodding my head. My boys are happier the busier they are; they both like to have tasks to accomplish. They run to the kitchen if I ask them to cook with me and being Daddy's helper is a treasured role, even if it's for something as small as taking out the trash.



I remember being a bit astounded at the idea of having my young boys work alongside me during the day when I started to really consider it about a year ago.  All I could think about was the logistics of keeping them close as I cooked and cleaned - won't it take longer? Won't it be harder to have two boys under four trying to work with me?



The "longer" thing is totally true. It *does* take more time. But the "harder" part has been rarely true in my experience the last year. Busy-ness for them equals less fighting over trivial things, fewer toys dumped out for the sheer pleasure of dumping them out (and abandoning them 1.5 seconds later) and actually LESS frustration for me. On the days I've decided to have them play while I do a bit of work I'm constantly interrupted with the "he took that from me/he did something I don't like/I want what he has" complaints. When they are working along with me they have so much fun with the busy-ness that they are rarely in each other's ways.



Their work around the house:

:: Both boys are in love with the spray bottle. Give them a spray bottle of water and a big cloth and they'll wash as many windows as you let them.

:: Ender has a rather particular way that he likes to make his bed. Totally gets that from Superman!

:: Ender is responsible for two jobs- he sorts the silverware for me whenever I empty the dishwasher, and he hunts for stray shoes at the end of the day to put away in the hall closet.

:: Ezra "helps" with dishes frequently. I don't put my pots, pans or cookie sheets in the dishwasher and those make perfect dishes for him to wash- no glass!

:: Ender is ALWAYS willing to sweep the floors in the kitchen and entry. I think he would sweep all day if we had more wood floor to sweep! Ezra tries to sweep, but the broom is just unmanageable for him. I *really* need to get him a broom in his size.

:: Cooking is a big deal. I try to let them mix, stir, and pour as much as I'm able, but nothing on the stove. Ender may be careful enough at this point, but Ezra certainly isn't and he *really* wants to do everything that his brother does. If we could stay in the kitchen making things all day every day I think they would be perfectly content.



On a similar note, I've been hanging around this blog lately and plotting excellent boy adventures.

For the Next Few Days

I'll be . . .

 

:: Giving Ezra his medicine to help his face finally clear up from this infection.

 

:: Hoping Ezra starts to sleep at night again (so that I can too!)

 

:: Trying to catch up on all the housework that has gone neglected since Ezra has been so sick.

 

:: Putting away the 80 gazillion pounds of laundry that is already clean AND folded so that we don't have to keep fishing around for the clothes we need each day.

Daybook

 

Outside my window… Another beautiful morning! September is such a nice month here.

 

I am thinking… that it has been a long few days full of sick boys, sick daddy and now sick Mama. A small respite would be welcome. Ender is on day 6, Ezra on day 5, Daddy on day 4 and I'm on day 3. Ender is mostly better but still coughing, so at least someone is feeling decent around here!

 

I am thankful for… my dad and his kindness in offering his afternoon on Sunday so that I could sleep a bit after being up a few nights in a row.

 

From the learning rooms… Nothing is planned for a few days til we all get better. We're just reading a lot and wiping lots of noses.

 

From the kitchen… Would you laugh if I said I've made a lot of soup in the last few days? It's true. I made a giant pot of chicken soup on Friday that we've been eating off of for the last few days. No one is hungry for much else.

 

I am wearing… comfy pajama pants and a hoodie. So exciting, I know. But the name of the game the past few days has been comfort and if my version of this cold trends the way the boys have, today if not going to be a fun day for me.

 

I am creating…  mittens! Since we've all been laying around quite a bit I'm working on wool mittens for the boys in a green that Ender picked out. I finished one for Ezra on Saturday and most of the other one yesterday- I expect to finish tonight. Then on to Ender's mittens. I'm still searching for a nice toddler hat pattern for this year. :)

 

I am going… to stay home for awhile longer and keep our germs to ourselves.

 

I am reading… Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I bought this copy when I was nearing the end of my pregnancy with Ezra. I tried to get into it then and just couldn't for whatever reason. I tried twice more and couldn't get into it either of those times either. My sisters are begging me to read this book so I'm trying one last time.

 

I am hoping… to make friends with my sewing machine again sometime soon.

 

I am hearing… Laurie Berkner Band. The boys are happy to listen to her, and it's not too maddening for the adults either- WIN!

 

Around the house… There is no evidence of the progress I made last week. It's been an hour-to-hour kind of thing around here for the last 5 days so I've been all about the bare minimum- dishes and just enough laundry to keep us in clothes.

 

One of my favorite things… extra sleep. I hope to have it someday, much like time with my sewing machine.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Kleenex, soup, water . . . plus finishing passport applications, getting to work on Ender's Mama-made birthday gifts, and finishing the mittens I started Saturday.

 

Here is picture thought I am sharing… Sorry no picture today, since that would involve all kinds of shenanigans with the external hard drive. Maybe just a link? In my spare moments I've been cuddling up with this and this.

 

For more Daybook links, visit Peggy.