Friends

For whatever reason, I'm feeling particularly grateful tonight for friends.  I have some of the best around.  They bless my life just by existing and I'm so, so grateful that our lives not only crossed paths, but have become intertwined.

Homemade

In an effort to have more control over the amount of sugar and salt my kids take in, I spent the weekend making homemade granola, granola bars, trail mix, chicken broth, and muffins.  The granola recipe needs to be tweaked before it'll be a hit for breakfast, but it made great granola bars.  Basically I just made Rice Krispie treats but with granola instead of Rice Krispies, and I added mini dark chocolate chips and the kids love them!  I also hid healthy things in my muffins, like carrots, and bananas, and blueberries, and bran flakes (not all in the same muffin). My freezer is now stocked with quick, healthy things for Anthon to grab when he's making his own lunch (I know, he's amazing). I also packaged snacks from the store (like pretzels) into appropriate portions, cut cheese and put it in baggies, cut up veggies and put them in baggies, and made a snack bucket (for Anthon to use for his lunches) and a "free snacks" drawer in the fridge that the kids can raid whenever they want (fruits and veggies only).

                                                                                                            

I'm also trying to be more creative about Anthon's lunches since even the best kids can get tired of PB&Js day in and day out, so I bought little containers to send salad in (one of Anthon's favorite things), and fruit, and whatever else comes to mind.  For his lunch tomorrow he's having a tortilla roll-up, with cream cheese, ham, lettuce and tomato, a homemade granola bar, an apple, and organic fruit leather (that last one's a bit extravagant, admittedly; we'll see how long it lasts), with V8 fusion juice in his thermos--(no juice boxes for this boy, he wants to do his part to help the planet).

Hmph.  I think I'm feeling a bit smug!

...and a little child shall lead them.

I am NOT good at mornings.  Rolling out of bed in time to get Anthon off to school is about the best I've ever done...until lately.

I was getting tired of telling the kids every night what they needed to get done before bedtime, and it finally occurred to me that if I gave them a list that they could understand, and a deadline, that, with proper motivation, they would probably get it done without me having to remind them.  So, I made them each a chart (each of their charts is different, which was another recent realization--why make their charts the same when they each have different capabilities?  Anthon can read, for instance, but Erilyn can't.) and told them I'd be sitting on the couch ready to read stories at 7:30 and if their bedtime stuff was done, they could join me.  If not, then no stories for the night. Fortunately, the possibility of no stories was motivation enough for them and bedtimes have been a DREAM.

Their charts...

I also gave them morning stuff to do.  And they're supposed to have it done before 7:00, which is when we're supposed to have family scriptures, and before they can eat breakfast at 7:15.  I presented this to them on Monday, as part of family night and even though I told them we wouldn't be starting it until Tuesday, they both did their bedtime charts on their own.  The first day, Tuesday, I rolled out of bed at 7:15 prepared to skip family scriptures again for the sake of time (it's easy to do when you're not immediately accountable to anyone; the kids are..er...were...unaware that this is supposed to be family scripture time) and met Anthon in the hallway.  He was dressed, pjs put away, bed made, prayers said, backpack ready, even teeth brushed, and was looking at me expectantly.  He said, "Are we having family scriptures?"  ?!?!  Oh right...I put it on his chart.  What am I supposed to say to that?  No? Well, I couldn't.  And to my credit (I'd like to think), I took his cue as an opportunity and we had family scriptures and family prayer that morning.  True, Anthon ate toast in the car for breakfast, but he was happy to do so, and I felt good about starting his day in a good way.

(I love the way Erilyn makes her bed--she did this all on her own before I had a chance to teach her anything!)

 (I made Anthon a blanket that matches his night table and a rug he has, but he loves this dinosaur blanket that Kirk used as a kid. I can't get him to use anything else!)

All week long, he was finished with everything he was supposed to do by 7:00am, in time for family scriptures, and we had a great week.  Even Erilyn made her bed all by herself every morning.  She stacks all her stuffed animals by her pillow...so cute!  It brought me to tears the other day thinking of how my children have lead me to be a better mother.  It is they who remind me of what's important.  They have taken the responsibilities I've given them seriously and fulfilled them all beautifully all week long and in so doing have encouraged me to take mine seriously and fulfill them.  I am so grateful for their example and to see them grow and learn.  It is a joy I never dreamed of but one I enjoy fully.

My baby is coughing again.

Not the same dry, can't get a breath-in coughs that he had with pertussis, and that landed him in the PICU a few months ago, but still. It breaks my heart to hear him coughing. Again. I think it might be croup. Poor kid. He's doing alright, though, and he has his 6 month check up on Thursday so I've decided not to panic unless he has trouble breathing.
He's a trooper, though. Always smiling at me and blowing raspberries. Kirk thinks his spitting is funny. Anthon and Erilyn think it's hilarious how often he sticks his tongue out and spits at them. I think it's....wet. He's always wet!
He's a very content baby. Happy to just be wherever and do whatever. He does love his jumper toy though, and he's getting to be quite a rigorous jumper. It's so cute to watch him go at it with a big ol' grin on his face.
I just love his chubby little legs and bum and I can't get enough of his chubby little cheeks. I ache for him to stay this age forever. I just love it. I'm trying to soak it in and enjoy it, but already I can see him getting bigger. He's days away from being able to roll all the way over and that alone changes everything.
Those cheeks are calling...

I love that Anthon and Erilyn both go to sleep on the floor by their doors so they can look down the hallway at each other.

Holiday Highlights

1. Erilyn getting "busy" by twirling in her new ballet skirt jammies.
2. Long, lazy days.
3. Snow!
4. Sweet baby kisses.
5. Our family New Year's Eve party where the kids stayed up until 12:30am with us playing games and watching The Sound of Music.
6. Listening to Anthon and Erilyn sing "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" all day today.
7. Watching funny Youtube videos with the kids.
8. Watching Erilyn win at the keep-the-spoon-on-your-nose-the-longest contest and seeing how excited she was about it.
9. Watching Erilyn win at Silly Kitty, where everyone tries to make you laugh and you have to keep a straight face.  She is really good at keeping a straight face.  She can give Kirk a run for his money, and that's saying something.
10. Catching up on Friday Night Lights episodes.  It's a surprisingly good show.  Some of the best writing I've seen in a looooong time.

Happy 2010!

God loves me after all.

I dreamed of a white Christmas, and look what happened! It snowed!

Santa's snack plate,the note he left the kids and the tree.

Christmas jammies.

From December

Our sorry little gingerbread houses with runny icing. My kids are good sports. Although it's not too hard to have a good attitude about making a project where Mom says you can have as much candy as you want.

This is what we spend our days doing. Poor kid. I think he's getting used to it.

Notice Erilyn's "necklace." It's the net to our little basketball hoop. Anthon takes things apart, and Erilyn makes them into jewelry. Cooperation in action.

Anthon's class Christmas party.

Gettin' me some baby kisses.

Good job, Erilyn!

Reading with Daddy.

At an ice skating show. Erilyn LOVED it. And now asks constantly if she can have ice skates for Christrum.

Anthon "singing" with the primary at the ward Christmas party.

I love Tanner's face in this picture.