Creating a Love for Lifelong Learning - Ramblings On Our Home Front

Jul. 10, 2008 - Ramblings On Our Home Front

I have stayed rather busy this week doing things for the upcoming school year and finding fun activities to take up our summer. Apparently being outside isn't as appealing to my kids anymore. What's up with that??? Actually, having Jeremiah outside, who's still a crawler, is a big enough challenge to keep me indoors. Being a curious toddler, he likes to play on the cement steps in the back and it makes me so nervous and I get really tired (and sore) from getting up and down to remove him. He thinks it's a big game. I suppose our best time outdoors (w/mommy) is while he is napping. I'll have to remember that for tomorrow.

We've done lots of activities over the last two days. I'll have to show pictures once things get more underway. But we went for a walk just down the block and back and I took pictures of several different kinds of trees and we are going to look them up and learn about them. I got that idea here: Backyard Nature Dot Net. We are also creating a wall in the dining room for our reading progress. Everytime Ben has a book read to him, we will add a circle to his caterpillar/worm. Every time Gabriella completes a chapter book, whether she reads it herself or has it read to her, she gets to hang a butterfly on her wall. I was thinking of even including myself and Jeremiah in somehow. Maybe paint a tree on butcher paper, cut it out and hang it up and add apples to it whenever I finish a book, and for Jeremiah add leaves every time he is read to. Something like that. Hey, I like that idea! Jon can join in if he wants, but he hasn't been doing much reading lately except for textbook reading for school. Come the fall he will be starting a master's program in engineering, if all goes well.

So those are the projects we're working on now. Gabriella is going to be doing a "stepping stone" project that her grandpa got her for her bday and we'll place it in her garden area - kind of show ownership to it. We're going to carve her name into it and she'll decorate it to her liking. That's another project I'll post pics of. It will be included in our Unplugged Project post next week. (The theme is stone)

Saturday we are moving forward with our housewarming party. I know, I think it's crazy to have it, too, but Jon really wants to do it. He doesn't want me doing anything for it, but it's really hard not to! We're looking to have like 40-50 people coming and still need to finish shopping for all the food. Plus, we as a family need food, too, lol. Thankfully we have a 24 hour shopping center. Maybe Jon can take the list tonight and get it all. I know I can't do it with 3 kids and being 9 months preggo - nor can I once he gets home because I'm so wiped.

Ok, I didn't want to turn this into a gripe session. All these preggo things are completely normal - plus I tire out quicker with more children to care for. I don't mind being preggo (except for the morning sickness) - I just wish it didn't come with so much discomfort and fatigue, lol. Speaking of which, this baby has moved around in my belly in ways none of my other ones have. IT'S PAINFUL. It's like she has LESS room then the others because the way she stretches causes her to literally stick out one side of my belly and she looks as if she is trying to escape. She will pretrude a perfect oval out of my belly and it surely hurts. It's kind of neat to watch (at least for me, other's get weirded out by it, lol), but it's still rather painful. It's like she is trying to push her self out the wrong way - through my stomach instead of the normal way, lol.

Anyhoo - tonight I plan to try to relax and work on our "reading wall" (by sitting down and cutting out letters and shapes). Jon is going to be cooking dinner and cleaning for the party. The summer sure has been a challenging one with trying to get the boys to sleep lately - with the time change. Esp. my younger one. He just thinks he can play in bed because it's still light out! We really need some room darkening shades. Late sleepers still wake up early bloomers and are fussy the whole day. That's been hard to cope with. But, we'll figure it all out! Those are just some of our current challenges.

OH! We are weaning Ben from the pacifier. Actually, weaning probably isn't even the word, because we just stopped giving it to him and told him they went bu-bye. He had a little bit of a hard time the first two nights and I have to lay with him for naps (great, let's exchange one habit for another!) But he falls asleep at nap time within like 5 mins. So it's no biggie at the moment. It allows me to take a five minute break. It's harder just trying to "convince" him to take a nap. Last night he hardly fussed at all about the paci. He even said, "Paci is bu-bye", so he knows. We still have two hidden, but do plan to throw them away. I don't know why we haven't yet. Jon said he wanted them on hand for emergencies, but we've come this far (3 nights), there's no way I'm turning back now! After he is comfortable without it, it's Jeremiah's turn. I am already trying to keep it away from him during the day. That's been hard because he's teething and he likes to chew on it. Don't know if I can convince him to chew on something else.

Ok, I think that's it for now. More to come and pictures to follow!

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Jul. 11, 2008 - Busy, busy

Posted by Marja

You've got a lot going on right now. It'll all mellow out some after the baby is born. You know what I do for Noah (who granted is lots older than Benjamin) but I tell him he doesn't have to go to sleep, just rest with his eyes closed for 15 minutes (or 10) I set the kitchen timer (since your laying with him, set it for like an hour in case you drift off) and he falls asleep everytime! I turn it off before it goes off. LOL! But he's always asleep within 5 minutes. Works great for me. Additionally all my kids have to lay in their bed for one hour in the afternoons. They've been ultra busy! Maybe if you guys could swing it pick up a small kiddie pool and use it maybe Thurs. Fri. and Sat. if they get their chores done? They go on sale for lots cheaper this far into the year. My kids aren't as excited about just playing outside as they are older now except to trapase around on their bikes. But between our pool and the bikes my kids are outside more than in, and tired come bedtime. Isobel (girl I tend) fell asleep on her grandma's tile floor at 6:00 the other night. Guess I succeeded in wearing them out! I just read in my chair in the shade while they swim....or as old as my kids are I'll do the dishes where I can see out the window to the yard.

Edited by Marja on Jul. 11, 2008 at 9:33 AM

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Jul. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Kayluray