Today I was busy doing something in the office for a few minutes. Joshua found a plastic cup and said he wanted water. I told him I could get him some in a few minutes when I was finished. Next thing I know, he comes back into the office with the cup half-full of water and he proceeds to drink it. Luckily, I checked and it was a nice frigid temperature and he had just learned how to open the fridge himself and get some water from there, and he didn't drink from some other not-so-potable options around the house!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Independence
Child's Prayer
While I was cleaning up and re-organizing Joshua's toys (see previous post) I paused, kneeling on the rug, to think of what to do next. Next thing I know, Joshua is next to me on his knees, folding his arms and saying, with mumbles interspersed:
"Mommy daddy big boat today, mom, dad, boat, water, home, rocking horse, rocking chair, light, Jesus Christ, AMEN!"
It was the first time he has said more than just "Mumblemumble Jesus Christ, AMEN!" and it was super cute.
N.b.: We just got home from a cruise and we told him we were going to be on a big boat and printed out pictures of airplanes, hotels, boats, and us to play with while we were gone, so that's on his mind a lot right now. I'll post about the cruise at some point.
Toys
I am currently working on cleaning up and re-organizing Joshua's toys after the mayhem of house-guests for a month. I didn't really bother putting them away correctly while Joshua's cousins were here. It was hard enough just consolidating them in one area of the room they happened to be in. I bought some new boxes that fit the shelves and underneath the bed better and I combined some categoriess for better ease of clean-up. Here are the old vs. new categories (in list format for easy skimming or skipping if you don't care to read them):
Old -
Duplos (train set)
Duplos (blocks and people)
Cars (from the pixar movies)
Cars (all the others)
Stuffed animals box
Stuffed animals shelf
Fisher price set to play with
Other fisher price sets
Mega blocks
Train box
Other toys box
Other toys shelf (large toys)
Extra large toys around the room (rocking horse, rocking chair, box house)
Books shelf
Board books shelf
(You can really see the redundancy and unnecessary hassle added to clean-up, huh?)
New -
Duplos
Cars
Stuffed animals (one giant one will still need to be on the shelf or something)
Fisher price toys
Mega blocks
Train box
Other toys box
Other toys shelf (large toys)
Extra large toys around room (minus the box house which got taken to recycling today after a diarrhea incident today -- it was time anyway)
Books shelf
Board books shelf
Now the goal is to only have one box open at a time. I might make an allowance of two boxes open if there are friends or cousins over to play. I'll post pictures once I'm done putting everything away. I was actually posting this because of a cute thing that happened while I was cleaning, but then I got to blahblahblahing about toys, so there will be a second post about that.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Kids
Did you notice that the last two posts didn't have a single mention of Joshua, or the amazingly cute things that he does? Or the rip-my-hair-out things he does? I'm really trying harder to not be "that person" who ONLY talks about her child...to whoever will listen...or whoever has ears...or eyes to read about it...or is in my vicinity. I annoy myself as the words are coming out, but I just. can't. stop. them. I'm with Joshua almost 24/7. You be around something/someone for almost 24/7 and not talk about it/them! It's time to diversify my conversation skills. (no, that's not an announcement, you people who always think everything is a hint to an announcement...sheesh ;))
Well, this post is all the things I held back in the other two posts. (I was going to clean my house, but here I go blogging again...you see what you've forced me to!? yeah, you know who you are...)
The last week or so I've been around a LOT of kids. Usually, I admit, I'm not a huge fan of kids after about an hour. It's like that little meme going around that says something like "Kids are like farts, you don't mind your own, but others' are unbearable." It's true. When your kids are acting up, it's just another day for you, but when others' kids are acting up, sometimes you can't help but think, to put it gently, "Man! Why is their kid like that!?" Admit it, you do it, too.
The other day I watched up to 5 kids between about 2 and 3 years old on and off for basically the whole day. I was exhausted! I really don't know how some people can run daycares in their homes. They are saints. I know at least one of my blog readers runs a daycare...you are a saint.
After that day I was really thinking that I'd go insane if I had to do that again. Then I did it for a little while the next day, too. I was just plumb tuckered out.
I'm sitting here thinking about those days fondly though. Yes, kids can be a pain, and yes, during meals you have to tell them all, individually, one right-after-the-other to sit back in their chair, no don't dump your food out, go away Monkey! (our dog...yes, we aim to confuse), sit back down, stop kicking each other, no feet on the table, eat your food, take a big bite, let me scrape that yogurt off your chin again, no, no painting with the yogurt, do you want more ketchup?, oh, you don't want cereal anymore you want me to scramble some eggs, you have to wait for me to help you, i'm cooking some eggs, you're all done with your hot dog? you want some cheese?, leave your bib on, wait til you're done chewing those 10 hot dog pieces before you put 10 more in, let me wipe your face and hands before you go play,........etc... x 5.
But, it's all worth the fun times you have. When they hold hands running down the driveway. when they try to trace each other with chalk on the sidewalk, when they "help" you dig out weeds, when they get around to sharing a toy nicely, when they laugh their heads off at Monkey chasing bubbles (you would, too, it's hilarious, I'll have to post a video), all the little hugs and kisses, when they try on each others' shoes...on the wrong feet. All the insanity of children is so worth having them around to brighten your day with their smiles and laughter.
Well, this post is all the things I held back in the other two posts. (I was going to clean my house, but here I go blogging again...you see what you've forced me to!? yeah, you know who you are...)
The last week or so I've been around a LOT of kids. Usually, I admit, I'm not a huge fan of kids after about an hour. It's like that little meme going around that says something like "Kids are like farts, you don't mind your own, but others' are unbearable." It's true. When your kids are acting up, it's just another day for you, but when others' kids are acting up, sometimes you can't help but think, to put it gently, "Man! Why is their kid like that!?" Admit it, you do it, too.
The other day I watched up to 5 kids between about 2 and 3 years old on and off for basically the whole day. I was exhausted! I really don't know how some people can run daycares in their homes. They are saints. I know at least one of my blog readers runs a daycare...you are a saint.
After that day I was really thinking that I'd go insane if I had to do that again. Then I did it for a little while the next day, too. I was just plumb tuckered out.
I'm sitting here thinking about those days fondly though. Yes, kids can be a pain, and yes, during meals you have to tell them all, individually, one right-after-the-other to sit back in their chair, no don't dump your food out, go away Monkey! (our dog...yes, we aim to confuse), sit back down, stop kicking each other, no feet on the table, eat your food, take a big bite, let me scrape that yogurt off your chin again, no, no painting with the yogurt, do you want more ketchup?, oh, you don't want cereal anymore you want me to scramble some eggs, you have to wait for me to help you, i'm cooking some eggs, you're all done with your hot dog? you want some cheese?, leave your bib on, wait til you're done chewing those 10 hot dog pieces before you put 10 more in, let me wipe your face and hands before you go play,........etc... x 5.
But, it's all worth the fun times you have. When they hold hands running down the driveway. when they try to trace each other with chalk on the sidewalk, when they "help" you dig out weeds, when they get around to sharing a toy nicely, when they laugh their heads off at Monkey chasing bubbles (you would, too, it's hilarious, I'll have to post a video), all the little hugs and kisses, when they try on each others' shoes...on the wrong feet. All the insanity of children is so worth having them around to brighten your day with their smiles and laughter.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Chocolate
While we're on a junk food topic, let me tell you how I feel about chocolate. It's so yummy. I pretty much like all of it. It all has it's purpose in life.
Hot cocoa- for warming you up in the winter, esp. while ice skating
Hershey's chocolate bars - not terribly good plain, but perfect for s'mores
Semi-sweet Chips - cookies, sprinkled on just about any sweet, especially the miniature chips
Milka - to eat plain, usually the whole bar in one sitting. I used to buy the giant bars with raisins and nuts in them when I lived in Vienna, and that'd basically be my lunch. No wonder I gained weight there. ;)
Lindt - melt in your mouth delicious
Dark - to really get the chocolate kick
c. Milk - to drink down when it's too warm for hot chocolate.
Milk c. - creamy and just good. not my favorite in cookies though.
Mint infused - yum
Peanut butter with c. - who ever thought of this combo should be given a medal. pb cups, pb eggs at easter, pb & nutella, oh yummy.
Nutella - while we're on the topic, most things nutella goes on is just a vehicle to move the nutella from the jar into your mouth. I also would eat jars of this in Vienna. I'm not really wondering why I gained weight there.
Hazelnut - See also, Nutella. It's just great at accenting the chocolate flavor.
I'm sure I could go on, but that's just what came to my head as I sat down to write this. I'm currently making my way through Joshua's Easter candy.
Hot cocoa- for warming you up in the winter, esp. while ice skating
Hershey's chocolate bars - not terribly good plain, but perfect for s'mores
Semi-sweet Chips - cookies, sprinkled on just about any sweet, especially the miniature chips
Milka - to eat plain, usually the whole bar in one sitting. I used to buy the giant bars with raisins and nuts in them when I lived in Vienna, and that'd basically be my lunch. No wonder I gained weight there. ;)
Lindt - melt in your mouth delicious
Dark - to really get the chocolate kick
c. Milk - to drink down when it's too warm for hot chocolate.
Milk c. - creamy and just good. not my favorite in cookies though.
Mint infused - yum
Peanut butter with c. - who ever thought of this combo should be given a medal. pb cups, pb eggs at easter, pb & nutella, oh yummy.
Nutella - while we're on the topic, most things nutella goes on is just a vehicle to move the nutella from the jar into your mouth. I also would eat jars of this in Vienna. I'm not really wondering why I gained weight there.
Hazelnut - See also, Nutella. It's just great at accenting the chocolate flavor.
I'm sure I could go on, but that's just what came to my head as I sat down to write this. I'm currently making my way through Joshua's Easter candy.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
No Title Fits...except now Pepsi does.
Several people have gotten after me for not blogging more, so here are a few more random tidbits:
When I was a sophomore in college, they came out with this delicious stuff called Pepsi with Lime, or some such name. It was absolutely delicious. Most days I'd come home for lunch and make a big pot of 3-cheese macaroni & cheese (Kraft brand, of course) and eat half of the box with a nice big glass of Lime Pepsi. Then I would usually take a nap for a few hours, and later, eat the second half of the box for dinner. I know, I was super healthy. I wonder why I got tonsilitis my sophomore year of college, maybe it's because I needed more vitamins. Now every time I have macaroni and cheese, whether it's the 3-cheese, or regular, or spirals, or sponge bob, or monster's university style (we really don't eat it all that often, I just usually get 2 of each when I get more and that's what's offered right now at the store - except they didn't have 3-cheese, which is my favorite. mean.) I always crave Pepsi ala Lime. They don't make it anymore!...except in diet, which is nastycrap. A couple months ago, Dave wanted me to get him a small bottle to take lemon juice with him to work to put in his water so he wouldn't drink as much soda (the water at his work is ikke laekker). While shopping for a bottle (little juice bottle? little soda bottle? little water bottle?), I decided, duh, I should just get him a little lemon juice bottle that he can re-fill with our costco jugs of lemon juice instead of finding the perfect little bottle to hold lemon juice...they make the lemon juice bottles perfect for lemon juice already! While in the lemon juice aisle (yes we have a whole aisle for lemon juice here, we love lemons here...when life gives you lemons...nonotreally) I saw a little bottle of LIME juice! *ding!* I could make my own pepsi con lima. So I do. I just did, and I drank it. Yum.
I don't drink pepsi with mac & cheese any more really, because, like I said, I don't make it as much as I used to (which was really almost every day). Now I drink it more when I need the go-getting it gives me to get a ton of chores done. It really helps me focus for some reason. For example, when I started writing this post, my mind was jumping from one topic to the next and just connecting the dots like crazy and so I couldn't fit a title on here, but now it's really just about Pepsi, which is delicious.
When I was a sophomore in college, they came out with this delicious stuff called Pepsi with Lime, or some such name. It was absolutely delicious. Most days I'd come home for lunch and make a big pot of 3-cheese macaroni & cheese (Kraft brand, of course) and eat half of the box with a nice big glass of Lime Pepsi. Then I would usually take a nap for a few hours, and later, eat the second half of the box for dinner. I know, I was super healthy. I wonder why I got tonsilitis my sophomore year of college, maybe it's because I needed more vitamins. Now every time I have macaroni and cheese, whether it's the 3-cheese, or regular, or spirals, or sponge bob, or monster's university style (we really don't eat it all that often, I just usually get 2 of each when I get more and that's what's offered right now at the store - except they didn't have 3-cheese, which is my favorite. mean.) I always crave Pepsi ala Lime. They don't make it anymore!...except in diet, which is nastycrap. A couple months ago, Dave wanted me to get him a small bottle to take lemon juice with him to work to put in his water so he wouldn't drink as much soda (the water at his work is ikke laekker). While shopping for a bottle (little juice bottle? little soda bottle? little water bottle?), I decided, duh, I should just get him a little lemon juice bottle that he can re-fill with our costco jugs of lemon juice instead of finding the perfect little bottle to hold lemon juice...they make the lemon juice bottles perfect for lemon juice already! While in the lemon juice aisle (yes we have a whole aisle for lemon juice here, we love lemons here...when life gives you lemons...nonotreally) I saw a little bottle of LIME juice! *ding!* I could make my own pepsi con lima. So I do. I just did, and I drank it. Yum.
I don't drink pepsi with mac & cheese any more really, because, like I said, I don't make it as much as I used to (which was really almost every day). Now I drink it more when I need the go-getting it gives me to get a ton of chores done. It really helps me focus for some reason. For example, when I started writing this post, my mind was jumping from one topic to the next and just connecting the dots like crazy and so I couldn't fit a title on here, but now it's really just about Pepsi, which is delicious.
For Carrie:
My busy day:
Tried to sleep in since we all went to bed late...I think we got up at 9am, which is about an extra hour.
Slow-poked through feeding and dressing joshua, making whole wheat pancakes, eating said pancakes, getting into work clothes to garden in.
Started leveling castle stones for front flower garden.
Showered and went to a baby shower (see what I did there with the words?)
Left said shower early and went to frigid, out-door birthday party for nephew
Left for naptime but remembered I was going to go pick up some shelves I found on a facebook yardsale group, went home to get cash, realized I left my phone with the shelf address on it at birthday party, got phone, got shelves, tried to keep joshua awake in his carseat this whole time, and failed for literally 2 seconds.
Fought with Joshua about naptime for about an hour and was finally victorious.
Finished loading and started the dishwasher.
Chelsea had finished laying the castle stone for me while I was gone so...
Changed back into work clothes and transported dirt from pile in the road to new garden for the next hour or so. (Didn't ask Daniel to help because he had been rock climbing all morning and I figured he needed rest for his arms.)
Finished the new garden right before it started "raining" (cold, spit, wind).
Cleaned up all the million toy shovels and chalk and chairs and buckets littering our front lawn from our garden helpers this week (5 toddlers)
Daniel and joshua packed into the car
Picked up Alex, dropped off diaper bag to Ceightie, went to dinner with all siblings.
Went home and did laundry, skyped with parents, and sewed some stuff for my sewing job.
Pjs, teeth, bed. (Remembering now that I was hungry before I brushed my teeth, but I guess it's too late now!)
Here's the picture of the flower bed (sorry it's crappy, for some reason blogger uploads a very crappy version of pictures from my phone...there's a better version on fb and instagram.)
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