Too many toys

I think I got too many new toys for Christmas this year. My husband spoiled me with as laptop, smart phone, and a kinect for the family. Then my mom (and dad) got me a Silhouette SD. And I haven't had time to play with them all.

The kids got lots of puzzles and Veggie Tales dvds. I feel spoiled compared to them, but they are happy and don't know better...

Typed on smart phone...

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Santa and Some Randomness

Yeah, so I have post ideas, and then I just never open the Dashboard to write them. I get sidetracked with the kids, and don't comment on blogs as well (but rest assured I still read every post in my Google Reader and open most of them thinking I will comment later). Here is one topic I have been thinking about:

I am glad we haven't done the Santa thing. Reading and seeing things on Facebook makes me really glad we don't want the pictures of the kids with the jolly man. The lines. The grumpy Santas. The kids scared of the big man. Yeah, I don't think it is worth it. Now, there are some good pics of kids with Santa too. But, they are not the majority!

So why haven't we done Santa? Well, there was no way AJU5 would have had a picture with Santa before her first Christmas as she got home from the hospital 4 days before and was still on oxygen. Plus, it wasn't even on my radar that year, as I was still recovering from all the insanity that was her birth.

Then there is the whole lying/hiding/being secretive thing. I just don't think it is worth it. I want the kids to actually thank the person who got them things - and you can't really thank Santa... Okay, you could write a thank you card, but it isn't the same. And I am not great at being secretive anyways, so it would be difficult for me.

And then there is the part where we don't go all out at Christmas anyways. With their birthdays so close to Christmas, we only get them a few things. They get enough toys from family that they don't need more and won't really appreciate it, especially at this age.

And then at this age,t hey don't get it anyways really. AJU5 has been watching Saint Nicholas - the Veggie Tales version - a lot lately. Maybe she has a little idea that there is a person called Santa now. But, before that show she was completely clueless. She saw a few Santa decorations, and she thought they were Noah (since she has a few Noah books and a Noah Little People set). It would be a battle to get her to completely understand Santa even at 3, so it is just easier.

Now I just have to remember not to ruin it for my nephews that still believe. Last year I almost blew it because I was telling my sister how the kids only got a few things from us, including the things in the stockings. Luckily the boys weren't listening closely...

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Present (Yesterday)

I Survived!

I don't know how military wives do it. DH was gone for almost a full week, and I was so ready for him to be home!

He left last Sunday from church, and he got back around 6pm on Saturday. And some how I survived the week with both kids. AJU5 asked where Daddy every day. She actually does this during the week too, but she did it a little more frequently (normally it is just when she gets up, and she will tell me where he is). Of course AJU6 can't talk much, so I don't know how much he noticed.

Luckily it was a fairly busy week. Monday I had to pick up exams and grade them. Tuesday I had to drop them back off at campus so they could be mailed to the students. Wednesday I got a call from the neighbor inviting us to a cookie exchange on Friday. We also had church that night. Thursday was our normal walk and then Cubbies at night. Friday, we went to a Christmas Corral (the Pumpkin Stand transformed), then to the cookie exchange (minus Amos who I left with a friend), and then dinner at the friends'. That was 9 hours away from home - minus a quick run to the potty and grabbing of cookies. Saturday was our church's Christmas potluck, so we were gone for about 4 or so hours as well. Between Friday and Saturday, I bakes two double batches of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and a batch of butter rolls. I also had to make to morning trips to the store as we were out of oatmeal, Crisco, and butter before it was all done. Luckily the "bribe" of cookie making made it easy to get AJU5 out of the house.

I also got one 22 page mini scrapbook album done for my MIL and got all my shopping for the niece, nephews, and husband done. Now I just have a TINY bit for the kids (AJU6 socks and AJU5 tights or leggings) left, plus my mom and sister. Not too bad!

This week will be crazy too. Tomorrow is AJU5's birthday, Thursday I am in charge of Cubbies craft and snack, Finals are this week, and Saturday is the kids' birthday party. So, if you don't hear from me - don't worry!

Maybe I won't Scrapbook This, as He Might Kill Me Later

I am referring to AJU6 and his current "room."

On our road trip, he became a TERRIBLE sleeper again - up every 2 hours. I thought it might be the dog, who slept right outside their window most nights. Or it might be teething. But, after over a week of not getting more than 2 hours of sleep in a row, I decided we needed to try a little CIO. But, I couldn't have him waking AJU5, as that would be worse as she would want to sleep with us (which means I get kicked all night).

I knew the guest bedroom wasn't a great idea because the one other time we let him cry for more than a couple of minutes he woke his sister in the next room. The office wouldn't be much better, as the distance to her would be about the same. And of course our room wasn't an option. Downstairs wasn't a good idea because he would be woken up by AJU1 when he goes to work in the morning - before 6am. So, there was one option - their bathroom.

Luckily the bathroom is big enough for the pack-n-play plus access to the bathtub, both sinks, and the drawers. The potty isn't accessible, but it is rarely used anyways since AJU5 prefers the downstairs bathroom for some reason (probably because that is where we trained her). We started Tuesday night. He woke around 8;15, and screamed for a while. Since we weren't in bed yet, I got him and tried to get him to sleep. I also offered him his cup. But, he just screamed. So, before too long, I put him back in bed and he fell asleep within a few minutes. He slept for 3 hours at a time, and I was "happy."

Wednesday night AJU1 watches him while I go to church (and AJU5 comes with me now). So, when he cried when I got home (well, a little after that), I did let him nurse since he didn't have that option before going to bed. He nursed well, and then he slept for about 4 hours at a time. I was happier than the night before.

Last night he did okay. He didn't wake when I got home (from Awana with AJU5), so when he woke about 4 hours after going to bed, he was definitely thirsty/hungry. After that, he slept for about 3 hours at a time. At one point I realized AJU1 didn't change him before bed, which might have been why he was waking so much (very soggy diaper!). Also, he didn't have jammies on, so his legs were a little cold. But still, it was better than the every 2 hours he had done before. AND!!! he slept in until 7 (he had been up by 6 most of the week, beating his sister up).

Tonight he went to bed early - before 6. Four hours later, and he is still asleep. He did get two shots today (MMR and PCV), so he was tired and fussy this afternoon. I dosed him with Tylenol before he went down, and I have Advil ready if he needs it tonight. Hopefully it will be another night of good sleep.

I don't expect him to sleep 10+ hours at night for a few more months. AJU5 was definitely older before she did it regularly. But, I will be happy as long as I don't have to get up more than twice a night! Oh, and there has been very little CIO it turns out. I am just afraid to put them back in the same room right now... maybe a week before Christmas we will try again.

What We Have Been Up To

We left for the inlaws on Friday, Nov. 19. We left around 11 am, and drove about 11 hours. Then, Saturday, we had "6" hours left (except there was snow, so it was about 7 hours plus we stopped for about 2 hours at family for lunch - you get the picture). We stayed until Saturday (the 27th). We did the same driving - 11 hours the first day and 6 the second - and again there was snow.

The kids did fairly well in the car. We quickly realized AJU5 could actually hold it when there wasn't a potty to stop at. We just rationed her drinking, and we didn't have to stop too much for her. AJU6 had a few fussy times, but in general he was happy sitting next to me in his car seat.

While we were at the inlaws, the kids got to play in the snow a tiny bit. It was VERY cold (below 0 on morning, and it never got over 32), so we didn't stay out long. But, I think they enjoyed it a little bit. The snow was too dry to do much with it though.

Of course we celebrated Thanksgiving while we were there. None of the "extras" came, so there were only 10 of us. AJU5 fell asleep in my lap just before dinner was served, but she woke up before everyone was done (and dessert was served). AJU6 went down for a nap before dessert was over. It was "fun" trying to deal with their nap needs for sure.

Thanksgiving night we let AJU6 have his cake. We knew Friday would be crazy, and since he was born on Thanksgiving, we thought it was appropriate. I baked a banana cake, cut it in the shape of a tractor (with two extra square cakes for the kids), and then frosted with cream cheese frosting. It looked okay and tasted pretty good. We gave AJU6 his square whole, and he picked it up and destroyed the frosting. Then, we cut it, and he ate some. He definitely made a mess and consumed some of it!

The inlaws got the kids a tricycle for birthdays/Christmas, so we let them see that Thanksgiving too. AJU5 was in love, and AJU6 enjoyed it too, even after he hurt himself on the trailer hitch and drew blood. It will be a hit for years to come at their place I bet, as AJU5 can't totally reach the pedals at the shortest seat setting and the uncles enjoyed "riding" it too.

Since then I have been trying to keep my head above water. The term is drawing to a close, so I have had work work to do. Then there is AJU5's actual birthday and their party. Oh, and Christmas cards and Christmas shopping. It is a busy time of year for us!

Big FAIL!

So, I haven't blogged in almost a week. And I was supposed to blog daily.

Life just got busy. I couldn't think of what to review Friday morning, and then I didn't get online again until Saturday night. Since then, I have only been on for short periods until today. I blame Thanksgiving and AJU6's birthday. It just has made the end of the month too busy to keep up. Maybe next year.

I haven't read any of your blogs either. Maybe in little bit I can read some. But, I may not get to commenting. Too much to do before tomorrow when we celebrate AJU6's birthday AND Thanksgiving - all in one...

Thankful Thursday - Medical Advances

Probably about 6 or 7 years ago I was diagnosed with keratoconus. At first, there wasn't anything big about it. I just needed lenses for astigmatism. Then, probably about 4 years ago, we tried a hard lens in my left eye. It was (and is) the worse eye, and disposable contacts couldn't get me to 20/20. But, I couldn't handle the lens. I couldn't stop blinking even to open my eye and see if it worked with the lens. So, I just dealt with slightly impaired vision in that eye (with both eyes I could see just fine). Then, recently I started noticing I couldn't see well out of my left eye even with my contact in. Glasses made me see slightly better, but it was still not good. So, at my appointment in September, I mentioned it (not that they wouldn't have figured it out though). It turns out the cornea has gotten worse - to the point normal disposables can't do much of anything. So, I have to deal with a hard lens.

Luckily, there are now hybrid lenses. They aren't as easy or comfortable as disposables, but I can at least wear it for a few hours without any problem. If I keep them in for a long time, my eye gets dry. This is why a week ago I had such a hard time getting my lens out. I live where there is little humidity, so that doesn't help. I am hoping to get used to the new lens over the next few weeks so I can wear it full time. But, until then, I do a mix of old contact, glasses, and new lens. It works.

I know in the future cornea transplant is likely. I am still in my thirties, and with how bad my left eye has gotten in less then 10 years, I am fairly certain at some point it will bulge too much even where a hybrid lens. And that is when I will have to have surgery. But, if you read about the surgery, it is a year before your eye totally recovers. So, I want to be done having kids for sure. And I don't think that will be an issue. I hope/pray/believe it will be at least 10 years before it gets that bad.

Have you been thankful for medical advances for yourself or loved ones? Share!

Wordless Wednesday - Spinning!

Topic Tuesday - Traveling

My husband and I had to laugh at our friends and how the do road trips. Let's just say they are different than us.

AJU1 and I both grew up taking long road trips. We learned to get in the car and go. We don't stop for long meals. We try to minimize our stops by getting food and gas at the same exit (if not same parking lot). We rarely have to make extra potty stops (well, before we had a potty trained child). So, if the GPS says we will be there in 10 hours, we will be there in about 10 hours. We make up for our few stops with our driving about 5 miles per hour over the speed limit.

Our friends are different. They stopped and had a 2 hour dinner before leaving town because they tried to leave at rush hour. Then, they stopped on the other side of our town for breakfast - which lasted an hour. Now, they claim they didn't want to wake us (because it was 6am) and they were hungry. But if it would have been us we would have either just went to and grab and go place or texted/called (and as you may know, we don't sleep past 6 because our kids don't let us). On their way home, they planned to stop again for at least an hour for lunch.

How do you travel? Do you rush to your destination or make lots of stops?

We know our next trip will be a little different with AJU5 potty trained, but we still are going to conserve stops as best as possible. And maybe when the kids are school-aged we will start stopping at landmarks along the way (when they can appreciate them)...

Munchkin Monday - Fuss Alert!

Today has been a day of fuss. AJU5 has fussed when she hasn't gotten her way. AJU6 has fussed because he hasn't felt great. And I wanted to fuss because I didn't get much time to breathe.

AJU5 was over-stimulated this weekend I think. We didn't give into her every whim, but she got to play so much that she didn't need to ask for much. Daddy was home to play with her when she wanted him to. I didn't have to balance two children and keep them from attacking each other. So, she did not like having to play on her own. She didn't like that AJU6 was taking my attention or attacking her. So she threw tantrums. And she doesn't get over it quickly.

AJU6 had belly issues last night. And I think he was still getting over it today. So, he was very clingy. And food - a normal love and "pacifier" - wasn't wanted. So, it meant I had to hold him or listen to him cry. And it was a long day as a result.

But, they are both in bed now. AJU6 seems to be asleep, and AJU5 probably is "reading" before she sleeps. And they are sharing a room without much fuss still. So, all is not lost.

Hopefully tomorrow will be less fussy!

Sweet Sunday

So, last week I talked about my favorite edible sweets. Today I will talk about my sweet boy.

AJU6 loves to snuggle. He will bury his head into your chest when you pick him up. He seeks out cuddles regularly. We even wants them from people other than mommy and daddy. He walks to an older lady in our church and asks to be picked up. Once she picks him up, he just cuddles right into her.

Now, of course he doesn't want to cuddle forever. He has to go, go, go a lot of the time. But, he does love to be with us in our arms.

I don't remember AJU5 being that snuggly at this age. Now she wants to sit with me and watch shows, etc. But, I don't think she was as snuggly as a 1 year old.

Oh, and on that note. I can't believe that in 12 days AJU6 will be a year old and in 1 month AJU5 will be 3 years old. How did the get that old???

Silly Saturday

Yesterday we took the kids to Target for a quick trip. The two 2 year olds were in one shopping cart, each with a wooden toy helicopter from the $1 bin. Those two played and pushed and laughed and giggled for over 30 minutes. It was funny to watch them play. Of course there were a few moments of "get him/her off of me" but those never lasted long. I pushed them all over the store playing and giggling. It was a hoot to watch.

I can't wait to see these four kids grow up. L is 4 months younger than AJU5, and D is 7 months younger than AJU6. As long as the military doesn't send our friends overseas again, I have a feeling the kids will be closer than they are to their cousins (who live just as far or farther away).

Product Review Friday - Dapper Snappers

If you have skinny kids like me, you probably have a hard time keeping their pants up. You can find adjustable waist pants sometimes, but they aren't always the easiest to get. And they normally cost more. Oh, and I don't find them as often in shorts. So, there are things called Dapper Snappers. If the pants have belt loops, these "belts" will help keep the bottoms up. They snap over two belt loops (one on each side) and are elastic. There are 3 adjustments, so you can cinch in a few different amounts. So far they are working on one pair of pants for AJU5.

"Luckily" AJU5 can still fit into some 18M pants and most of her others are knit (i.e. lots f elastic), but she has a few shorts she couldn't wear after potty training because she was to skinny. That is the main reason I bought them. And I know they will work for many years - as I don't think either kid will be chubby (it just isn't in the genes around here). So, I will get more use out of them later too.

There are also supposedly similar things out there with alligator clips on the ends too. These would work for knit pants, but luckily we don't have a problem with those.

Okay... that was pretty bad writing. Oh well. It is what you get today as I dn't know if I will get another chance to write :)

Thankful Thursday (A Few Hours Late)

I am definitely thankful for friends. We have friends our ours in town for the weekend, and it is great to spend time with them. The daddy in the family basically lived with use for about 6 months almost 4 years ago. Since then, they have been stationed in the UK for three years and are now back in the States. We saw them in July on our road trip, but before that we had only seen them once in over three years.

They have two kids close in age to ours (4 and 7 months younger than our two), so it will be fun to watch them grow up together. AJU5 and the older boy already have had a blast playing together. AJU6 has tried to play with the 4.5 mo, but that little guy is nt sure about AJU6 - probably because he is fairly defenseless!

And of course I am thankful for my other friends. There are those in town that I love to talk to. We share our hard times and our blessings together. We unload our burdens on each other, and they are lifted up in prayer. I don't know what I would do without them.

And of course there are my blogging friends that I love tp "talk" to. We get to share the silly and little things in life with each other - and there is normally at least someone who can sympathize with during the crazy times of motherhood.

And as to why this is late: I got a new contact for my left eye this week. It is a hybrid lens meaning there is a hard contact wrapped in a soft contact. It definitely is taking time to get used to. Last night I went to take it out, and it was stuck. It took a long time, and by the end of it my left eye was on fire and I had a headache. So I took Advil. On an empty stomach. That led to almost throwing up. So, I just went to bed!

Word Wednesday - Sleep

Ahh, what sleep will do for you!

Last night was an adventure. We put both kids in the same room for the first time. AJU6 went down just fine, but then AJU5 woke him up protesting the removal of her dress (in another room). So, we got him up while we got AJU5 to bed. Then, we went back to bed about 20 minutes later (after dirtying a diaper), and AJU5 was still awake but quiet. It took AJU6 a few minutes of fuss,a nd he was out (fuss is not his mad cry, it is just him complaining). He woke up twice through the night (like he has the past three nights), and both slept until 5:30ish this morning. It was wonderful to sleep in almost a full hour more. It is also nice to have the guest bedroom available since we have company coming tomorrow morning.

Now here is to praying we have another good night tonight!

Topic Tuesday - Daylight Savings Time

I will make this short.

I hate it.

I am tired.

AJU5 has been the first one up the last two days - at 4:45 am.

Goodnight.

Munchkin Monday

Hi there! It is AJU5 writing today. Mommy thought I should update you on a few things from my perspective.

First, I find it very annoying that Mommy and Daddy make me take my dresses off. They make me look pretty! I wish I could wear them all the time. But, they say I have to wear jammies to bed. And sometimes they make me take them off because they got dirty. I don't mind them being dirty - I still look pretty in them! Oh, and some times Mommy says I have to put a shirt or pants on under them. I hate that too. I want to just wear my dress! I love my blue one, and my red one, and my pink one. The others I don't care for. They don't have ties on the front and back...

Also, I no longer were diapers at all. Well, at least almost never. Mommy puts them on me every once in a while if I drink a lot before bed. But, normally I get to wear my undies with no diaper (I insist on keeping the undies on even if I am wearing a diaper). This is because I almost never wet my bed. If I have an accident at night, I normally am out of bed before I can't hold it any more. So, Mommy just has to help me change clothes.

Well, I think that is about it. Time to go watch a show before bed. Have a good night!

Sweet Sunday

What is your favorite sweet? I have a few, as I can rarely pass up sweets.

1. Ice Cream. I love Blue Bell ones with vanilla ice cream and them some chocolate "embellishments" like candy. Happy Tracks is one of those, but there are others (and they rotate the flavors each month to keep you guessing and trying new ones).
2. Chocolate Candy. I love the ones with caramel in them, or toffee. I am not a fan on fruit in mine those. Cadbury makes fingers, and those are GREAT! I love all three flavors (white, milk, and dark). And of course I also like the "standard" ones - Twix, Butterfinger, Reeses and KitKats are the best of those.
3. Cookies. Of course I go to the chocolate variety. Well, not completely chocolate (although I wouldn't pass one of those up). I like the ones with chips/chunks. I make oatmeal chocolate chip for my husband, and I normally eat way too many of those!

What are your favorites?

Silly Saturday

Yesterday we were outside playing before dinner. AJU5 took the little push car up the hill for a ride down (as usual), and then got bored. She wanted her "button" - the motorized four wheeler my parents got her last year for her birthday. So, we got it out. But, AJU6 took the opportunity to take the push car for a spin. He pushed it all the way up the hill, and then we let him ride down. And he did it again. Then, he tried to push the car down the hill. Unfortunately, they ended badly with a bump/scrape on the head. Luckily he got his hands down first, and then tumbled head first. But, once he had a little snuggle, he was ready to go again. By this point, AJU5 was driving her four wheeler around. AJU1 was trying to teach her to turn at the end of the sidewalk area and come back on the grass. It was taking lots of coaching, but eventually she got it. So, AJU6 decided to copy his sister - he tried to push his car in the grass. He didn't get very far though. Then AJU5 drove her vehicle to the door (after AJU1 tried to tell her to turn to go back for nother loop). At this point, AJU6 was in my arms, abandoning the car after not being able to push it through the grass. He saw the four wheeler "available" and tried to jump out of my arms. I told AJU1 he wanted to ride. AJU1 didn't believe him. But, I put him down, and he crawled/toddled over to it and tried to climb on. AJU1 took him for a loop, and he was ready to get down (tired and hungry I think). He almost is big enough to climb off on his own - if only his little feet would move a little easier when turning to get off.

Okay... that might not have been that silly. But, I am tired. AJU6 was up at 10, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30. At 2:30 I was done, so AJU1 tried to get him back to sleep. After a few failed attempts, we decided to just let him cry it out. It took almost an hour from AJU1s last attempt until he was completely out. And of course all that screaming woke AJU5 up. So, she came and joined us in our bed, using me as a kicking bag part of the night (well, morning since it was 4am when she joined us). But, they both let us stay in bed until 7 this morning, and we "get" another hour tonight. Hopefully he will do better tonight. At almost a year old, he shouldn't be waking every hour or two at night. I could deal with one or two wakings, but the every hour is not cool. So, we aren't going to allow it. But it is hard to listen to him cry. AJU1 tried to rock him to sleep. He rocked for about 20 minutes, and he was completely out. But, as soon as he put him in bed, he was awake and crying again in minutes. I tried nursing, but that only gave us 30 minutes. And I don't feel comfortable co-sleeping because he moves a lot (and might crawl out of bed). So, we are somewhat stuck with the cry-it-out method even if he screams...

Project Review Friday - Mimi the Sardine Bibs

AJU6, as you might guess, is not a clean eater. And a regular bib just didn't cut it for him. First, most of them are velcro, and he is strong enough to pull them off. Second, his sleeves got MESSY, and I would have to change him anyways. So, I knew I needed to get some new bibs for him. I had used his sister's sleeveless bib with pocket a few times on him, and the pocket really helped keep his lap and the chair cleaner. So, when I saw these on BabySteals, I snatched a pair. And they have worked great - well, as long as I put them on him.

First, they have a tie closure. This takes a tiny bit more time to fasten, but it means he can't take it off. Second, the sleeves work great. Occasionally the cuff of his shirt gets slightly soiled, but I am working on remembering to roll or pull them up a little before he eats. Then, there is the pocket that keeps the mess off the chair and floor - a big plus for me! And they do clean easy - I can rinse them off if they are bad, and I throw them in the laundry about once a month to get really clean.

Supposedly IKEA has a similar bib, but there aren't any around here. I haven't seen anything like these at Babies R Us, Target, or Wal-Mart, so I was willing to pay a little extra for these. I am normally not huge on all the green things (which is why these are more expensive), but I do understand why that raises the price.

Overall, I think it was a good buy. It is definitely saving some laundry. It will come in handy when we travel and don't want to bring a ton of clothes. And they are big enough for AJU5 if she would let me put them on her, so I know we have a long time before he outgrows them. Oh, and it might come in real handy for his birthday with cake!

Thankful Thursday - The Kids

I am definitely thankful for my kids. There are definitely times where I wish I could get a "day off" from them, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. And it is funny since neither of them was planned. God definitely knew better.

I also thank God for the one we lost almost two years ago. It is hard to believe that at about this point two years ago we found out we were pregnant again. Then I saw the baby on ultrasound 23 months ago, and about 22 months ago the baby wasn't with us any more. But, God had a better plan - for AJU6. Although I sometimes wonder what would have been with Junior #2, I know without losing him we wouldn't have AJU6. And I am definitely thankful for AJU6.

So, what am I thankful for? I love the hugs and cuddles and snuggles. I love that AJU5 wants me to sit with her and sleep with her some times. I love watching her sing and dance and just learn. I love watching AJU6 toddle around. I love watching him giggle and crack up - he has a great smile and laugh. I love seeing the look of accomplishment on his face when he does something. I am even thankful for their tantrums and fussiness - as they are times when I can grow and reflect as a parent.

Are we done? I don't think so. I have a feeling there will be a #3 before too long. We aren't big on preventing pregnancies for a variety of reasons, so it is bound to happen. I would prefer to wait until at least summer if not fall to get pregnant again though. I don't want another holiday baby. And I want to be "free" to visit family this summer. But, we had a little "scare" when my cycle was 48 days, as compared to the 33 days before (only three cycles since AJU6 was born). I was very close to testing when Aunt Flo finally arrived on Halloween.

Wordless Wednesday - Little Pumpkins

And for comparison - AJU5 two years ago...

Topic Tuesday - Voting

I think voting is a right, but I also think it is a duty. It isn't something we should take lightly. Before going to the voting location, I think people should at least see what they are going to be voting for. The big races are easy. It is almost impossible not to know who is running for congress in your area. The same goes for the governor races this year and the president other years. But there are other things on the ballot that I think people should study before voting.

Where we live, we vote on judges. It is a retain/don't retain vote for each judge. Of course the average person has no clue about any of these people. Luckily, there is a group that polls the people regularly at the court house (attorneys, court workers, etc), interviews the judges, and then makes recommendations. They then publish the results with their suggested vote. The first year we voted here we had no clue how to vote, but now we make sure to read the report and remember who to vote to not retain.

Then there are the bond measures. Normally we vote no for all of them. Although I know places like the community college I work at would use the extra money well, I don't think the increase to our taxes is necessary. The money for the bonds can only be used on capital improvements, and that is not the place where money is needed (with severe budget cuts everywhere else because our state can't balance a budget to save their lives). Also, we are for limited government, so that plays a roll in our decision to vote no on all of those. But, it normally doesn't matter. They almost always pass because people don't think about the fact that they are going to be paying for these projects via taxes... (and it is evident that this is not even publicized based on advertisements I have seen - it is shown as the groups getting money and not as a tax vote).

And lastly, there are the state amendments. These are the hardest some times because of the wording. It would be very easy to think you are voting one way and in actuality vote another way. And the wording on the ballot is only part of the amendment. So, this is another spot where at least a little research is necessary. There was one measure on our ballot this year that I wasn't 100% sure about even after a little study. It was about government appointees and who was eligible. I could see the pros and cons to both sides of the measure, and I just voted with my gut. But, it is definitely something I wish I had studied even more.

Did you read up on the ballot before voting? Do you print out a sample ballot and fill it out first? Do you vote early? Or do you not vote...

NaBloMoPo Day 1 - Munchkin Monday

Today is the first day of November. And November is National (Na) Blog (Blo) Posting (Po) Month. The idea is to post every day for the month. I did it two years ago on both blogs. Last year I didn't even try because I know with AJU6's birth it would be almost impossible. This year, I am trying again, at least on this blog. My other blog (well, that is attached to this account) should be posted on some this month hopefully, but I don't think I can get 60 posts done this month with two kids.

As for the kids, they are a handful now. AJU6 hates sitting in the shopping carts. At places like Target, I often let him stand in the main part since we do a lot of stopping and looking. I let him down last week once, and he went all over the place. It was crazy1 He even crawled on the lowers shelf of a display. Luckily we don't do that shopping too often. At this age, AJU5 loved to push the cart (since she wasn't walking independently), so it wasn't so hard. AJU6 of course has no desire to even stay with me. At Costco, I normally leave him in his infant seat so he can't escape...

AJU5 is better, but the girl has to go potties ALL THE TIME! There are days she will go 5 times in three hours. So, of course I have had to find the potty in most stores already. Living in this town for 8 years, I think I might have visited a couple of the restrooms at stores once or twice, but that is it... Luckily she is basically completely trained now. We still put a training pant on her at night just to be careful, but she wasn't used it in a week.

Hopefully I can get a post done each day. Tomorrow is Topic Tuesday - and I think I will post about voting in general. We will see...

Growing Up

AJU6 turned 11 months old yesterday. That is right - in 30 days he will be one year old. In 29 days, he will get his first taste of cake (on Thanksgiving when family is already gathered together). And today, he got to go to the dentist for the first time - even before his big sister ever saw one!

Behind his two front teeth, it was black. Since his teeth are fairly thin, you could see the black through the teeth some times. A few weeks ago, I took him to his doctor because we were a little worried. Those same two teeth are shorter than the others, so we thought there might be a real problem. The pediatrician had no idea what it was. So, she recommended we take him to a pediatric dentist. And today was the day of the appointment.

And guess what - the blackness was almost 100% gone this morning. Maybe it was the waffles he has been engulfing the past week (he can eat a whole flax waffle plus some fruit at breakfast each day). Maybe it was the brushing I did (fairly vigorously) before we left. But it was gone. Luckily, the dentist had seen it before. It is some sort of staining, and probably caused by a bacteria. There is no known cause, although environment and genetics may play a part since siblings tend to have it. It can be scraped off, but it isn't dangerous at all. And his front two baby teeth are just short - nothing to worry about there.

The dentist office is pretty fun. They have a play area that AJU5 loves. They have a dog (the older partner's) that just roams the office freely. The cleaning stations are open, and the procedure areas are in glassed rooms so they don't look like closets or jails. So, I scheduled AJU5 for her first appointment. Hopefully seeing AJU6 "go through the motions" today will help. She wasn't too sure about having to stop playing so the dentist could see us. But, I did let her play after, so I think that helped. And she saw the dog (which really does just roam free) and got a toy, so she was content when we left.

How old were your kids when they first went to the dentist? Do you use a pediatric dentist or just a family practice?

We were going to just do the family practice, but 11 months old I think is too young to go to one of those. So, we are now on the pediatric route...

Behavior and Skillz

First for some AJU5 stuff:

The last three weeks I have taken her to AWANA without AJU6 (who has stayed home with Daddy). The first week was terrible. I had to remove her and punish her at least a handful of times. Last week was great - no punishment/removal. And this week there was only one removal. Now, she is definitely not comfortable with me leaving her yet, but she at least knows what is expected of her. She cried when I didn't follow her immediately last night (as I was wrangling another Cubbie from under a chair), but she participated in everything. I think it is helping that she is getting to know the workers/leaders and the kids in her group. They now rotate with the same group of kids every night, and her group is a hoot. There are three girls and five boys (I think - if I am not missing anyone), and they are an interesting mix. You have the extreme shy, the extremely outgoing, the young and adventurous, and the well-behaved.

It took AJU5 3 weeks to say her verse. And she still didn't say it all. She was supposed to saw "And Jesus increased in wisdom" (Luke 2:52). She got "increased in wisdom - Luke 2:11" (after I said and). But, the leader gave her credit. I don't know why she refused to say Jesus. She says it in Jesus Loves Me... And in other songs... Oh well.

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Now on to AJU6:
The boy is walking. He can take over 20 steps in a row (with some squatting to play with with toys in the middle). He is "resorting" to walking more and more each day. Now I just need to find him some not-crazy-expensive shoes! He is currently about a size 3, but I am afraid he will grow right after I buy shoes. So, I don't want to spend over $15. Hopefully I can find something so he doesn't ruin socks (or have his feet turn black from store floors that need to be cleaned). He is starting to have a real personality, and I think he is about to actually say some words. He has made sounds like momma and dada ones or twice, so maybe soon he will say his first real word!

Pumpkin Stand

We have gone to a local pumpkin stand twice now. The first time we went with friends (ended up being a group of 13 kids and 4 parents), and today we went alone. And I think the kids had a blast both times. This pumpkin stand is put on by a local youth horse ranch that runs off of donations/fundraisers. The pumpkin stand is a big deal for them because of the funds it brings in. But - it is still FREE! Now, it is about 30 minutes away from us (the only downside), but it has been worth the drive so far.

The first time we spent a lot of time at the tractors/horses. They are right next to each other, so with the large group there was enough room to play. AJU5 at first wanted to ride, but when it was her turn she got scared (which did not surprise me). But, I was happy to get the one picture of her near the horse, and she later petted another one (while I held her). Hopefully she won't be afraid of animals in the near future so I can sign her up to go out the the actual ranch.

There was also a lot of time spent both times at the duck races. They set up handpumps and ramps to send rubber ducks down slides (half pieces of pipe). Of course AJU5 loves ducks, so this was a big hit for her. AJU6 just wanted to eat a duck...

Today we also spent a good deal of time in the corn box. It is like a sandbox, but instead of sand there is dried corn (i.e. feed corn). Both kids love playing in the corn, although they were a little dusty by the end.

So far we have bought four small pumpkins - and I hope to get AJU5 to color them with permanent markers. Then I want to give them to members of our church that can't make it to services, as a way to cheer them up. We will see if that happens though...

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NaBloPoMo - Are you up for it? I think I am going to give it a try. I have the following ideas for each day fo the week:
Product Review Friday
Silly Saturday (something silly from the past)
Sweet Sunday (recipe or a sweet action)
Munchkin Monday (baby blogging or something about them at least)
Topic Tuesday (more controversial topics, etc)
Word(less) Wednesday (either just pictures or a post about a specific word)
Thankful Thursday

A First

So, I know most of the people that still read this blog are also friends on FB, but I want to add a little to my story about AJU5 cutting her hair (and re-post the picture).

It started Monday morning when I trimmed her hair before pictures that morning. I did the long part first thing in the morning while she watched a show. Then, I trimmed the bangs just before we left - after she was dresses and had her hair in pigtails. Both times I got out the scissors, she wanted a turn, but I informed her it was a mommy-only job.

That afternoon, she wanted to use scissors to cut after I cut something. I reminded her to not cut her hair, and she was content cutting paper. About 30 minutes later, she came to me with the hair scissors that I had put in the middle of the table downstairs. She sat in my lap, and I hadn't noticed anything. Then, I noticed one of her pigtails had a funny piece sticking out of it. I pulled a little, and a chunk of hair came out - only held in my gravity and the pigtail before. Then I noticed the bangs - all trimmed. It took a long time to get her to tell me where the rest of the "trimmed" hair was, but I did find another chunk down stairs.

Luckily, there are only two small patches and then the bangs that she got. The two patches are very close to her (very thin layer) of bangs, so it will look normal very soon. Until then, there will be no pulling her hair up. When her hair is down, I don't think it is that noticeable. But, when it is up, the two patches and bangs are a lot more noticeable. Unfortunately, she isn't as cute with her hair down because it is very thin and hence flies everywhere. Oh well. Maybe in a month...

Before

After

Oh What a Night...

I left AJU6 with AJU1 instead of taking him to Cubbies tonight with AJU5. My goal was to work on training AJU5 to sit, listen, and participate. Now that AJU6 is very mobile, it is hard to corral him and AJU5. Only having one is definitely easier, but we have a long way to go! AJU5 has a hard time going from play to listening. Add a very short nap (30 minutes vs. the normal 1.5-2.5 hours), and it was a struggle tonight. I had to remove her from teh room many times to discipline her. And she refused to say her verse. But, I think tonight was a learning experience for her - and hopefully next week will be better.

One thing I need to let go of is the external praise I want her to get. I need to become "fine" with her not getting her stickers and patches for saying her verses. It is not what matters. What matters is that she is learning the verses and learning about God. If she doesn't want to say the verse to the leaders, I need to learn to not force it too much. Hopefully seeing others with the "rewards" will motivate her if she wants them.

I hope AJU6 was good for AJU1. I know he was asleep when I left, woke up a little later, and was asleep again when I got home. AJU1 did not change his diaper - claiming he didn't know he was wet - before putting him back to sleep. I think he is just out of practice... I thought it was common sense that you changed a kid's diaper before putting them down for the night! And I even left him 3 velcro pocket diapers to use - the ones that are like disposables when it comes to putting them on. Oh well. AJU5 woke him up with her tantrum about having to put on jammies anyways, so I changed him, fed him, and got him back to sleep.

I wonder if next week will be more adventurous?

Association

Walking home from the park:

Me: AJU5, watch where you are walking there is doggie stinky.
AJU5 looks at me and is completely confused.
Me: AJU5, you are almost stepping in doggie stinky.
AJU5 finally looks down and sees it.

Closer to home - after seeing a dog:
AJU5: Puppy went stinky. Puppy needs to go potty.
Me: Most dogs don't use potties. They just go in the grass, and normally their mommy or daddy cleans up after them.
AJU5 (after seeing another dog): Puppy needs to go stinky. Mommy and daddy clean up.


Now she thinks all dogs need to go to the bathroom... Maybe I shouldn't have even gone in that direction and just moved her...

On the Move

AJU6, at 10 months 1 day, took his first steps last Monday. Since then, he has increased to 5-6 steps in a row before falling down. The boy is definitely going to beat his sister to the independent walking stage, since she didn't get there until 13-14 months.

He has also learned to clap and has started to use it to get our attention. If he is done eating and has started to exit his chair, he claps half the time to "inform" us of his accomplishment.

It is fun to watch him grow. He is definitely doing things differently than his sister, and I bet part of it is because he has a role model. The other part is that he is boy.

AJU5 is a hoot these days too. She was "performing" for her daddy last night - singing songs for him to record. Her two favorites right now are ABCs and the Cubbies song. Now if only she would sing the Cubbies song at Cubbies class...

Sleep hasn't improved much. AJU6 can't have too much diary or his belly gets upset. And he doesn't like meat, so his diet is fruits, veggies, and starches mostly (and bm). None of these things really fill him up. So, Luckily he gets that one big stretch of sleep at night OR does 3 hours stretches. So, I am not a complete zombie.

Well, this post just went completely random... Maybe next time I can stick to my title :)

Yawn!

Between my two kids - I am tired! AJU5 has become an early bird most days. I am lucky to get to stay in bed past 6:30. This morning, she arrived at our bed around 5am - before AJU1 got up for the day. And, shortly after he left for work, she demanded I get out of bed too. It wasn't even 6am... Luckily her routine is to watch a show in the morning. So, twice this week I have gotten to snooze while she watches Veggie Tales "with me."

Then, you add AJU6 and his terrible sleeping. At 10 months old, he still wakes 3 times a night to nurse. The first two are on about 2 to 2.5 hour increments. Then, he sleeps for about 4 hours and then until he is woken up (or around 7am if AJU5 is actually quiet). I so wish he would sleep better. But, crying it out doesn't seem to be an option. Sometimes I let him fuss for a few minutes while I try to convince myself it isn't him I hear. But, he just gets louder. And, he throws all of his pacifiers out of his bed. So, his main comfort items are not available if he were to give up and try to go to sleep.

So, last night I thought I would try a little formula. Since the smallest "dosage" you can do with the powder is 2 ounces, that is what I tried. And guess what - he refused it! He took a few sips at his first two feedings, but he only drank 1 ounce total. Some of it may have been that it was cold (since I used the filtered water from the fridge). So, tonight I am going to try again. I am also going to try mixing a little bm in to see if that helps. I tried giving him the bottle, then letting him nurse, then when he was ready to switch sides, I tried the bottle again. But, by the second feeding, he was having none of it. And since he is really nursing, not just seeking comfort, I think he is actually hungry. Ugh! Hopefully by 15 months he will be sleeping through the night...

At least yhey both take decent naps right now so I can get a veg period each day!

Helicopter...

Last night I realized at times I am a helicopter parent. And I am not a huge fan of it.

I am totally not a helicopter parent when we are at home or with close friends. But I am when we are not in our norm. Cubbies is one of those places - and even then it is only in certain situations.

I don't helicopter during play time. I do little to no helicoptering during craft. But, other times I am right there with her making sure she "performs" as she should. Some of it is justified - she is younger than all the others by up to 2+ years (Cubbies is for Pre-K, so a few just turned 5, but most are 3 or 4). She is shy and hasn't had a lot of "social school" time. So, if I am not there, she may not do as asked. If I am not there for a few parts of the night (story, opening, etc), she will scream and cry. So, those are times I need to be there still. Luckily, she is getting used to the way things work, and she is starting to not fight me. But, if they loose her attention, she melts...

Then there is book time when they need to say their verses. I think she is warming up to the leader a little, but he was gone last night. And she is one of two kids using a different Bible version that the rest, so I don't want them to confuse her/think she isn't saying it right. So, I helicopter. My goal, now that I have realized it, is to back away a little and see what happens. I want to wait until she doesn't respond to them to step in and help. Hopefully that will work next week...

And I think some of it is that I want to show people what she can do. She is doing the "extra credit" mainly because she is good at memorizing verses. She still has the one memorized back in August at the front of her brain (and will tell it to us all the time). So, having her recite three "old" verses isn't a problem. The second half of the extra credit is sometimes a challenge because it is putting the week's lesson into action/making it tangible. Some concepts are harder for her, but I think without even trying, she would get less than she does with our sometimes-half-completed attempts.

So, there you go. That is how Cubbies is going. The end...

Searching for an Answer

AJU6 has had some not-so=pretty diapers lately. And now, I am searching for an answer! Is it the yogurt I started feeding him? Is it the cheese he has started eating (and loving)? Is it because he is nursing more lately?

Ugh! It isn't fun. And using cloth diapers is a mixed blessing in this case. I may have not noticed the change in the diapers as much if we were using disposables. It isn't diarrhea, but instead just more like infant poo. With the cloth diapers, I am having to rinse them off instead of just "dropping" the dirty into the toilet like I had been able to. And of course rinsing isn't that much fun.

So, now i have limited AJU6's diet a lot. He is going to eat cheerios, organic animal crackers, banana, and possibly some peas and corn until he is 'back to normal" (with the standard nursing on demand). Hopefully he will be "back to normal" soon. Hopefully it is just too much diary or teething that is causing him to be a little grumpier than normal...

An Update - From AJU5

You might remember that I posted my to-dos for this year way back in January. I thought I would let you know where I am on those:

• Learn my letters and numbers.
  The letters are DONE! I know them all, and I can even say what sound most of them make. Mommy and Daddy also say I am starting to sound out some words. On the number side of things, I am a little slower. I can count things fairly well, but I don't know all of my numbers just yet. I do know some of them though.

• Learn to use the potty.
  Done! I still wear diapers at night, but I rarely have an accident these days (except at night when I am sleeping). And, if I do have an accident, it is in the bathroom. I even made it to the state fair without an accident!
  
  
• Sleep in my big girl bed all the time.
  Done Again! Well, I occasionally sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed, especially for naps, but I don't sleep in a baby bed (crib) at all.
  
  
• Take swimming lessons.
  Nope. Didn't happen. Mommy said I am too clingy to try this past summer. But, we did get to swim some, and I liked that. Next summer I will do swim lessons though!
  
  
• Visit Grandpa's farm and Grampy's lake.
  Well, I got to go to Grandpa's farm this summer, but we didn't go to Grampy's lake. Something about a feud between some of Mommy's family, so she didn't want to try to go. But, we will be there before the new year. I just won't get to actually swim in the lake until next summer. But, Grandpa's farm was fun - I got to "ride" on a bunch of tractors and play with water.

So, I am almost there on my to-do list. Maybe I should work on a new one...

9 Years Ago

Nine years ago, I got up just like normal. I started the day just like normal. I walked to school. I taught my first class of the day (as a graduate student). I went to my second class directly from the first class and was greeted with what I thought was a weird question:
"Are we having class today?"

I had no clue what had happened. It all started minutes before my first class. So, none of us in that room had any idea. I had to ask the students to explainw hat had happened, and even then I really didn't complete grasp what had gone on.

We went through the second class fairly quickly, and I let them go early and returned to the building where my office was. I talked to the other grad students with offices near me, and I learned a little more. Then we headed upstairs to the main office for our department and saw some of it on the TV. Then it truly hit me what had happened and what was going on.

I don't think I will ever forget that day. Just like our grandparents probably won't forget Pearl Harbor, many of us have 9/11. But, I wonder how much the events of that day have really changed our country. I wonder how much that day really changed each one of us. For some people, I don't think it changed them at all. For others, it is a huge change. And, there are those like me who were changed some but not too much because it didn't "hit" close to home.

What about you?

Product Review Friday - PlaySet

After MONTHS of searching, and looking, and waiting, and looking, and researching and ... we finally bought a playset for the back yard. We knew we wanted wood with three swing spots, a slide, and a few climbing options. That was the easy part. The hard part was finding what we wanted in stock at a reasonable price. First we considered one brand that turned out to be EXPENSIVE - twice the price for a similar system. That brand is probably the best built, but we didn't think it was worth that price (they have some systems that cost more than an average new SUV...).

Then we found something we liked on Sam's Club's website that was out of stock. They said they would be back in at the beginning of June (or end of May - I don't remember). By the time they were back in stock, we realized it was 2x4 construction - something we didn't like. So, we started looking again. Then we found one we liked at Costco.com. But, by the time we decided to buy it, it was out of stock. We waited, contacted both the manufacturer and Costco, and finally gave up because it didn't look like it would be back in stock this year. So, the search continued. We found two that we liked - one at Home Depot and one at Costco - next. Then we spent some time laying them out in our yard, talking, and finally we were close to a final decision. AJU1 looked at them again online, and the one at Costco was no longer on sale (but still available). The one at Home Depot was now on sale, and it was the one we were leaning to anyways. So, we bought it.

It is a Gorilla playset, and we think it is just fine for our yard. The wood isn't perfect, but we knew that was likely (after reading reviews of every playset in the $1500 price range, we knew what to expect). It went together fairly easily, and the kids like it. AJU5 is happy with it, and AJU6 even likes some parts too.

The biggest hits for AJU5 are the swing, wheel, and telescope. She refuses to slide, but she will try everything else. AJU6 likes to play in the fort part and occasionally likes the slide. We got him a swing (LittleTykes), and he isn't sure about it. But, AJU5 likes it (we can swing her really high in it). Hopefully the playset will grow with them and will be something they can explore ON THEIR OWN before too long :)

Wordless Wednesday - Approved!

Dinner Adventures

Part 1: "Conversation" between AJU6 and I
Me: AJU6, you need to eat your (green) beans before I give you more potato.
AJU6: Picks up beans and "eats" them.
Me; Give him more potato (and chicken).
AJU6: Eats some more, but not everything.

Later, I go to clean his chair,and I find the beans, uneaten, at the bottom. I hope this is not a sign of things to come...

Part 2: AJU5
I hear AJU5 mumble something, so I turn to look at her (she is sitting next to me), and I notice she is turning around in her chair. I think she is getting down, but then I look closer - her eyes are shut! She is asleep at the dinner table for the first time ever. And it wasn't even 6 (she normally goes to bed around 8). I was able to carry her to bed, put a diaper on her, and tuck her in without waking up. She later cried a little, but she was still asleep. Hopefully morning won't come too early...

Cubbie!

AJU5 is now a Cubbie in Awana. Awana is a Christian scout-type program that focuses on Scripture memory, and begins with 2-year olds. We decided to skip the 2 year old class (Puggles) with AJU5, and move her to the preschool class (Cubbies) because we plan on starting kindergarten with her when she is 4.5. Last night, the Cubbies who completed the first two weeks got their vests and books. AJU5 had to memorize three (shortened) verses and the Cubbies motto. I am surprised at how easily she learned the verses. I just had to repeat them a bunch of times during the week, and before too long she could repeat them to me. Plus, it is helping me learn verses too :)

She still isn't used to the format of Awana though. The group she is in starts with play time while everyone arrives. Then, they do a big group time with a puppet story, Bible story, and song. After that,t hey rotate through three stations - book/snack, craft, and game. The hardest thing for AJU5 is she doesn't always want to leave one activity - especially the play time with the play kitchen. Also, it ends right beofre her bedtime, so the closing time at the very end can be a struggle too. But, I think she is getting more and more comfortable with it. And, it doesn't hurt that her best friend is also in the class with her (and we make sure they are in the same rotation group). She was a little sad when her friends little brother (a very close second on the best friend status) didn't get to go with them this week. He is a Puggle, and he had to go to his class!

This morning the first thing she asked AJU1 for was her book and vest. She asked for them before juice, milk, and morning snack even. So, hopefully next Thursday will run even smoother for her!

Verses:
1 John 4:10 - God lvoed us and sent His Son.
Romans 3:23 - All have sinned.
Romans 5;8 - While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

Cubbies Motto; Jesus loves me.

Wow!

Let's just say AJU5 surprised me this morning - and last night.

First, she went to bed without a fight - something we had been dealing with for a week or two. Then she stayed in bed even though her door wasn't shut and just played until she fell asleep. We heard her singing the Awana Cubbie song at one point.

Then, I heard her this morning playing in her room. Then I heard AJU6 whine a little bit. The next thing I knew I heard them both laughing. She had gone to his room and was playing with him. It was a lot better way to wake than two screaming kids!

Next, once she came to get me, I noticed she had on different pants than she went to bed with. She had taken her pants off with the diaper inside (I knew she COULD do that), and then put on undies and different pants. Normally I have to ask her to change in the morning after her shows.

This little girl is growing up, and part of me is happy. But, then I miss my baby at times too...

I guess someone made a mistake

AJU6 is now 9 months old, and he is as active as can be. He can stand on his own, and just this weekend figured out how to push a toy around while standing. I wouldn't not be surprised if he was truly walking before a year.

At his check-up, he weighed 15 lbs 11.25 oz and was 27 inches long. I didn't look at the growth chart too quickly, but whoever plotted it must have been wrong. Our pediatrician said he was 25th percentile in weight and 10th in height. But, he weighs less than his sister did at 9 months, and she was 10th percentile in weight! I checked online, and it shows him less than 5th percentile. Part of me wonders if the number they wrote on our paper is wrong, as he doesn't look that skinny. It actually looks like he is a little chubbier than he was at 6 months. But I don't know. He is healthy and that is all that matters.

He isn't a talker just yet, but either was his sister. Neither of them waved, but I think it is more because we aren't wavers around here. I often wonder why that is always one of the milestones they ask about - I bet kids in other parts of the world don't wave either. But again I know he understands us and he is communicating in his own way. You should see how he reacts when he sees his crackers! He is definitely telling us that is what he wants.

Enough of the rambling. It is just one of those kind of days. First day of the Fall term, stayed up too late last night, and have been busy all day... But, all is good :)

Wordless Wednesday - Friday Evening "Activity"

Puddles, and More Puddles

Yesterday AJU5 decided she wanted to wear undies like Mommy. I took this as a sign she was ready to try potty training again, especially since she fought putting on a diaper for a good 30 minutes. So, she got undies for about 2 hours yesterday before we had to leave to go somewhere. And, there were accidents of course. Luckily AJU1 "caught" the big accident and cleaned it up.

This morning she wanted undies again (she actually had to be forced into a diaper to leave yesterday and at bedtime). So, I went with it. After four puddles and no success (and one heavily used diaper at nap time), I was about to give up. I posted on Facebook asking for ideas. AJU5 knew when she had to go. She would just dribble a tiny bit on her undies and let me know. We would sit on the potty, and nothing would happen. Repeat one more time, and then there would be ahuge puddle about 15 minutes after the second attempt. Clearly the problem was actually using the potty - not knowing that she needed to go. One friend suggested trying to have her sit on the potty while watching a show and drinking Gatorade. I gave it a try. After about an hour, she went. Then, about 45 minutes later, there was another puddle - luckily that one was outside in the grass so I didn't have to clean it up.

So, we will try again tomorrow. We will start with the potty/drink/show combo first thing in the morning. Then, we will probably try another suggestion - coloring while sitting on the potty - later. We have tried books with no results, but it might be that I am just not patient enough (20-30 minutes of reading kids books can wear me out, especially when AJU6 wants to play). Hopefully she figure it out. She really wants her trike - the current carrot for potty training.

Product Review Friday - Personal Financial Software

We started using MS Money shortly after we got married. In almost 8 years, it became very easy to use, and it was user friendly (as long as you are used to Microsoft at least). Then, about a year or so ago, they stopped selling it. My husband tried to adjust something on the version we had, it we lost the ability to download our transactions from our banking companies - about a year before this would have happened otherwise. So, we had to switch. Basically, the only option out there is Quicken, so he ordered that.

We aren't huge fans of it. It is harder to reconcile the transactions. You can't easily see the number of transactions needing to be reconciled per account. It does download the transactions "well," and it tracks our spending like we want. We don't have a set budget, so that isn't important to us. Maybe if we had a strict budget it would be a better program...

*We are fortunate at this point to have surplus each month after paying our bills, groceries, tithe, and depositing a set amount in savings. That remainder then is currently being used mostly for the backyard "remodeling" which is making our credit card bleed (well, until we pay it off each month). So, in a sense we have a budget, but because we have the surplus, we don't have to stress over it or even worry about it at all.


** I know have another blog for my cloth diapering journey. If you want the url, let me know. I am using my name there (but not the kids), so I won't link to it here.

Glad That is Over

Last February I found a lump in my right breast. It felt like a cyst - and I thought there was a very good chance it was just acne (I have had ones similar a little closer to the surface before). A week or so later, AJU6 was conceived. Then, I found out I was pregnant, and it felt like it was getting bigger. So, I mentioned it to my OB/Gyn at my first appointment, and she sent me to get a breast ultrasound. She said it felt like a fibroid, but she wanted to make sure. I then of course Google fibroid and determined it was likely. The ultrasound again showed it was likely a fibroid, but it wasn't 100% certain. So, they said to come back in 3 months. Well, fibroids tend to grow with hormones related to pregnancy. So, 3 months later it was larger. That was a year ago. They decided to have me come back in 6 months - after AJU6 was born - to see what it had done. By then it was slightly smaller than it had been last August, but it was still there and fairly large. So, I got to go back this month. It is still there, but it is drastically smaller. So, that is enough evidence for them that it is just a fibroid (breastfeeding = enough hormones to allow it to still live). That means I don't have to go back to that place for 8 years (when I turn 40 for my first mammogram) or if I feel it growing again.

I didn't share it with many people because at first I wasn't ready to share the pregnancy. So, I couldn't really share the fibroid since it was most likely related. Then, I just didn't. But, before every ultrasound I would get slightly nervous. Luckily it is over. I am glad that fear is gone...

Let the Whining... I Mean Weaning Begin

I decided to "force" the pacifier weaning on Saturday. AJU5 has gotten WAY too whiny about her pacifiers, so I knew it was time. With VBS over, I was ready to take the "plunge." We had friends suggest (via my husband) cutting the tip off of the pacifier a little bit at a time until they didn't want it any more. So I tried it Saturday night before she went to bed. Well, I guess I cut too much off. She has not wanted that pacifier since that night...

She woke a few times Saturday night/Sunday morning, and finally around 5:30, I gave her a different pacifier so I could get a little more sleep. Sunday at church, I offered her the cut one, and she refused it. She fell asleep in the pew without it - snuggled up next to me. Sunday night, she told me it was broken, and when I gave it to her, she threw it. I had to lay down with her in the middle of the night to get her back to sleep, but she didn't want a pacifier.

Yesterday's nap was a challenge. She refused to go down at her normal time. Then, around 3pm, while I was busy folding clothes, she fell asleep in our bed. There were more cries out of her during her nap than normal, but she was completely pacifier free. Last night she didn't even ask for her "other" pacifiers like she did at the failed nap time. She wanted me to lay with her for a while, but eventually she went to sleep on her own. AND!!! she didn't wake us up last night with her crying. So, I think the weaning (for her) is over.

I also started keeping AJU6's pacifier in his bed unless we are leaving the house. He seems okay with this. We do occasionally have to get it out about an hour before bed time, but that is it. We have tried putting him down an hour earlier, and he refuses. He wants to snuggle and be held before bed, and he wants his pacifier then too. And, I am okay with that. Hopefully he will be easier to break of the bedtime habit than AJU5. But, only time will tell...

Is It Nap Time Yet?

This week is killing me! VBS is a lot of work. We are averaging 34 kids with under 10 adult helpers and under 10 teen helpers. Oh, and I am not counting AJU6 in those 34 kids...

Add to that a teething infant who is waking every few hours at night, and you have one tired mommy. (The boy has cute 3 teeth in less than a month, and a fourth one is coming soon)

Luckily VBS is going well. We had a great family night yesterday at church, and the kids are enjoying the whole experience. Games have been hit or miss, but that is mainly due to heat (middle group - too hot and tired to play much by their turn) and age (youngest group). Lunch has been a huge hit, and the crafts have gone well. I haven't seen much of the lesson (since there are secluded for maximum attention), but supposedly that has been going well too.

One more day... I can make it...

Famous.. Sort Of...

I had a blog post "published" on a bigger site!
http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/2010/08/ready-for-anything.html
This is the site run by the owner of the cloth diaper store I have bought from (twice). Checked it out if you would like!

Splish Splash

How is it that months ago both my kids hated baths and now they yearn for them? And how did my daughter who would SCREAM when I turned the shower head on (even if she wasn't in the tub) become a girl who ASKED to take a shower with me?

AJU6 got upset one night because he didn't get a bath. He was asleep through most of AJU5s bath before church Wednesday night, so I just rinsed him off (there was a little frozen yogurt incident at Costco - both kids were a little sticky). He let me know he wanted into the tub to play too. He cried until we were out of the bathroom and on our way out the door.

AJU5 now asks for a bath at least once a day. If AJU6 is awake, she asks for him to take a bath with her. But, she also enjoys the alone bath time because then she can "paint" the tub with an old tooth brush and body wash.

Our outdoor little pool isn't getting as much use though - I think because it is so hot outside most days. I know I would rather be inside than out! And I am not crazy enough to try to take the kids to the real pool these days (alone). So, the bath has to do...

Getting Ready

Next week is our church's VBS. So, I am working on getting the kids on a good schedule for that - and it hasn't been easy. Sunday went great - AJU5 took a late nap and we had no issues. Monday was okay - a little fight to get her to actually nap after 1pm once I had pushed her passed the normal 11 or 12 - but it worked.

Then came Tuesday...

AJU1 is on a different work schedule this week because of a class he is taking at work. He now leaves just before 7am and gets home around 6pm. Well, AJU5 started to fuss at 5:30am, and he let her out of bed. So, at 6:30 when she normally gets up, she had already had her two morning shows - the shows I count on to wake up, get a shower, and check my work things (plus Facebook and Google Reader of course). To top it off, she bawled when he left because she thought he would be home all day (like the weekend). She fell asleep on our walk - in an uncomfortable position at that - long before her normal nap. She did take a nap later in the day, but it still wasn't fun.

That night she didn't sleep well. I finally realized it was because she was cold at 5am - and I had already had to comfort her twice before then. She did sleep until almost 7 - just early enough to see daddy and bawl when he left. Luckily she napped well around 12:30.

Today has been okay. Nap at 1ish, etc. Luckily AJU6 FINALLY got with the picture and napped some while she napped. The lack of simul-nap was killing me! That, and having to deal with the kids for 1-2 more waking hours by myself... at the cranky/needy hours...

Lets see if this works for next week...

SLACKER!

I have been slacking on my posting. And I will blame it on three things:

1. The kids. They are active as ever and rarely do I get time to just sit at the computer and write (other than the items below).
2. Work. It is the busy time in the summer term. Almost finals, lts to grade/deal with, etc. So, this is taking most of my free time away from the kids.
3. ScrapbookSteals. They have a weekly sccrapbook challenge wehre they give you a layout and you create a page (or two). I am loving this, but again it is taking away from my computer time. But, maybe I will finish our honeymoon album before our 10th anniversary in two years (and hopefully our dating album too).

A little update on the kids:

• AJU5 still has no interest in potty training. I tried to get her to use the potty yesterday, and she was not happy about that at all (i.e. force was required to get her to sit). So, maybe in a few weeks we will try again.
• AJU6 is in love with his spoons. He crawls all over the house with one or two spoons in his hands. It does make finding him easier (if he is downstairs).
• AJU6 keeps trying to give me a heart attack by crawling to the edge of our stairs. He thinks it is funny - I don't. (No gate because it would mean a very unhappy AJU5 and because it would be a pain to install)
• AJU5 has returned to liking baths. Some days she is requesting two. If I was more adventurous, we might go to a public pool. But, two kids, alone, doesn't sound too fun :)

Maybe next week I will do better at blogging...

July Trip 2010 - Part 3

The third part of the adventure was a VBS for a Native American chapter that our church has run the past 7 or 8 years. This was my third time going, and I have enjoyed it each year. I love seeing the kids learn about God and enjoy the activities we have for them. I would show more pictures, but I decided not to post ones with other kids in them.

This leg was just the kids an I - AJU1 had to return to work. Luckily I did have help from the rest of our "mission" team with the kids when I needed it. AJU6 was passed around a lot at dinners. It was really cute seeing the male teens wanting to hold him! They were great wtih him too. As long as he didn't see me, he was happy with whoever was willing to hold him.

Each day we would get up fairly early and have breakfast at the hotel. Then, sometime between 8;30 and 9:00 we would leave for VBS (the teens and most adults left around 8). VBS ran from 10-12 (ish) each day. This year we were outside teh whole time as they were remodeling the chapter house. This meant AJU6 was stuck attached to some adult/teen ALL the time. I tried to put him down a few times,a nd he crawled right off the blanket to the dirt. And then he picked up rocks and tried to eat them. After a few attempts to get him to stop, I gave up. Luckily I had a carrier for him with me...

AJU5 did okay with her class. Some times she behaved, and other times she wanted me. But, that was to be expected. She loved the craft time the most, and finally on the last day participated in the music. I hope she does even better at our church VBS in a few weeks!

In the afternoons we went swimming at the hotel pool. AJU5 did not like her swimsuit/flotation device combo that much, but I was very thankful for it. It meant I didn't have to watch her like a hawk. If she stepped off the steps, she wouldn't go under compeltely - if she relaxed she had no issues whatsoever. Some days she was adventurous - jumping off the side of the pool without hands, floating near the steps on her own, etc. Other days she wouldn't leave the top step without me. AJU6 liked the water too - he even fell asleep in the pool one day!

The hardest part was sleeping. AJU6 cut his upper two teeth while we were there, so he wasn't a happy camper. Since I couldn't "lock" AJU5 in a room by herself, it was hard to get her to fall asleep too. Some nights she was up until 10:30. The latest we slept in was 7am. Each day both kids would fall asleep on the way back to the hotel, but they would wake up once I got them out of the van. I tried to get them to sleep/nap before swimming, but it never worked. Luckily, the both took naps from 3ish until I woke them for dinner.

I wan't wait until next year - I already miss the kids out there!

The kids and i at Wednesday evening service.

AJU5 and I at the missionaries' house at sunset (ignore the wrinkled skort - I was too lazy to iron it)

I will let you interpret this one yourself...

AJU5 with bubbles at VBS.

July Trip 2010 - Part 2

From the in-laws, we traveled to see some friends. We hadn't seen them in almost three years since they were stationed over seas with the military. The last time we saw them, both families were pregnant with their first child. Now we each have two. We were there for just over two days, and since their youngest was only 3 weeks old, we didn't do too much. We went to a park with a spray area on Friday and then just hung out on Saturday (well, the guys went window shopping for electronics, but the kids and moms stayed home). AJU5 and AJU6 loved playing with different toys, so all was good. It was really fun to see AJU5 interact with their 2 year old (4 months younger than her). Those two were a hoot! And since our friends now live within a days drive, I bet we will be seeing more of each other for sure!

AJU1 with AJU5 and Boy leaving the restaurant.

AJU6 on a trike.

AJU5 and AJU6 checking out Boy's toys before he got up on Friday.

AJU6 and boy at the spray area (AJU5 barely got near the water).