A few minutes later, Harrison came running and asking if they could have a snack. He's such a good "bubba" and I'm pretty sure his little sister adores him. Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sweetness!
One morning this week the playroom was very quiet for a few minutes. I've learned that usually quiet for long = trouble. But, this time I peeked in there, very cautious of what I might find, and saw Harrison & Charlotte sitting side by side watching Dora. I stood there for several long minutes smiling to myself before I ran for my camera and snapped a quick fuzzy shot or two. Initially, Harrison had his arm around Charlotte, but I missed that shot. Such sweetness that Harrison got the 2 chairs and put them there for them to sit together.
A few minutes later, Harrison came running and asking if they could have a snack. He's such a good "bubba" and I'm pretty sure his little sister adores him.
A few minutes later, Harrison came running and asking if they could have a snack. He's such a good "bubba" and I'm pretty sure his little sister adores him. 
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
1 On 1 Time
While Harrison is at school 2 days a week, I've been enjoying every moment of my one on on time with Charlotte. I was telling a friend recently that it's amazing how easy having "just" one seems now since I'm so accustomed to doing everything with at least two or sometimes three kiddos in tow. I remember when Madeleine was a baby thinking to myselft how hard it was to go and do things now that I had a little one with me all the time. Now I look back on that time and smile and think how much my vision has changed. And that's not at all to say that having one is simple or easy, I think you just adjust to having two or three and your definition of "busy" changes. :)
So, I'm loving this time with my sweet girl. I had quite a bit of time with Harrison when Madeleine first went to school, but this is the first time that I've been able to spend some time with Charlotte, just the two of us! And, I think she's enjoying having all the attention too! I'm doing a lot of "hometraining" with her during this time -- it's amazing how smooth things go when I can focus all of my attention on her. We've met Matt for lunch and gone to the park and spend hours reading and re-reading her favorite books. I've rocked and rocked her and sung all her favorite songs. And, while she rarely rocks to sleep, there have been times I have rocked long enough she's gone to sleep and I've been able to enjoy those precious moments of holding my sleeping girl.
I took some pictures of our day recently. She helped my reshelve books...and added a few of her own.
We played babydolls. She loves babies -- thankfully we have more than enough to keep her happy. :)
She helped me do some laundry. Harrison is also a big help with this when he's home, but this day it was Charlotte's turn.
And, we ended up with some outside playtime after lunch and before her nap. This girl loves to swing and we spend a lot of time outside on these pretty fall days.
Charlotte usually naps for the last couple of hours that Harrison is at school. I can get so much done during this time! And, I have to admit that I do enjoy having a few hours each week of pure quite in the house. :) I wouldn't want it that way all the time, but few hours each week is almost perfect!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Standing Tall
I came into the living room one day and found Charlotte like this....
After telling her to "get down" she compromised and sat IN the car....
And she was pretty proud of herself for it.
This girl love to climb! It seems like I spend most of my days lifing her down from the couch, chairs, the kitchen table (oh, yes) and anywhere else she can climb. She is so active and goes and goes when she's awake. Maybe that's why she's such an amazing sleeper.
After telling her to "get down" she compromised and sat IN the car....
And she was pretty proud of herself for it.
This girl love to climb! It seems like I spend most of my days lifing her down from the couch, chairs, the kitchen table (oh, yes) and anywhere else she can climb. She is so active and goes and goes when she's awake. Maybe that's why she's such an amazing sleeper. Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Three Peas In a Pod
These day it seems that wherever Madeleine & Harrison happen to be, you can be sure to find Charlotte not far behind them. Sometimes she's bugging the mess out of them, but sometimes, those blissful sometimes, they are all having fun together. One of the few places that they always seem to play well together is outside. We spend a lot of time outside these days. ;)
With all the rain we've had the sandbox has turned to a mud-box. They were happy to play in the water & mud for hours one afternoon. Charlotte was right there in the middle of it all. I love to listen in on what they are saying. They have some amazing imaginations.
Charlotte much prefers the water to the sand. I'm thinking a water table may be in our future. Can't get those hands too messy!
They were all just working away that afternoon. Madeleine was back and forth making the swingset into a "house" complete with "food" and water. They have really enjoyed playing in the treehouse this year. Some days Madeleine & Harrison will disappear up there for most of the afternoon, wrapped up in their own little world. It makes me smile to know that they are sharing those special moments and making memories together.
And, Daddy came home to join us and enjoy some time outside. Charlotte thought he needed to swing too.
This guys will play in the sandbox all day if I'll let him. He just never seems to tire of playing in the sand and dirt. Such a boy, I guess.
With all the rain we've had the sandbox has turned to a mud-box. They were happy to play in the water & mud for hours one afternoon. Charlotte was right there in the middle of it all. I love to listen in on what they are saying. They have some amazing imaginations.
Charlotte much prefers the water to the sand. I'm thinking a water table may be in our future. Can't get those hands too messy!
They were all just working away that afternoon. Madeleine was back and forth making the swingset into a "house" complete with "food" and water. They have really enjoyed playing in the treehouse this year. Some days Madeleine & Harrison will disappear up there for most of the afternoon, wrapped up in their own little world. It makes me smile to know that they are sharing those special moments and making memories together. 
And, Daddy came home to join us and enjoy some time outside. Charlotte thought he needed to swing too.
This guys will play in the sandbox all day if I'll let him. He just never seems to tire of playing in the sand and dirt. Such a boy, I guess.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Diner Daze
One of my biggest goals the past few months has been to work on the kids eating habits. It was actually very easy to eliminate most of the snacking by keeping them busy with other things. I also knew that if I got rid of the snacking they would eat better at mealtimes. Madeleine was easy. On school days she gets home late enough in the afternoon that we don't have time for a snack before dinner. And, she's so hungry that she'll pretty much eat whatever I put in front of her. :)
Harrison was a different story. There were nights that he ate almost nothing on his plate. I can't stand the thought of him going to be hungry (and getting up in the middle of the night wanting to eat) so he always had a big glass of milk with some fruit or yogurt before bed if needed. I know, I'm a softie! We kept encouraging him to try food on his plate and after awhile he did & realized that he likes a lot of new foods! His current favorites are grilled chicken, salad, and broccoli. I think he'd eat grilled chicken every night if I'd make it.
This has also made me wonder: All of the kids ate whatever we gave them as babies/toddlers. I mean, Charlotte will eat anything as long as we are eating it.....except green beans. :) Last night she picked every single one out of her vegetable soup before eating the rest! So, when did that change? Why did that change? Did they develop preferences or did I stop giving them food from our plates? Probably both, I think. So it was time for me to "man up" and undo some of these bad/picky habits.
And, while I wanted the kids to eat what Matt and I are eating, I also wanted to make them open to at least trying new foods. I think our experiment has been quite a success!
Same for Madeleine, with carrots added.
Amost finished! I should have taken a pic of his plate at the end -- all clean!
Harrison was a different story. There were nights that he ate almost nothing on his plate. I can't stand the thought of him going to be hungry (and getting up in the middle of the night wanting to eat) so he always had a big glass of milk with some fruit or yogurt before bed if needed. I know, I'm a softie! We kept encouraging him to try food on his plate and after awhile he did & realized that he likes a lot of new foods! His current favorites are grilled chicken, salad, and broccoli. I think he'd eat grilled chicken every night if I'd make it.
This has also made me wonder: All of the kids ate whatever we gave them as babies/toddlers. I mean, Charlotte will eat anything as long as we are eating it.....except green beans. :) Last night she picked every single one out of her vegetable soup before eating the rest! So, when did that change? Why did that change? Did they develop preferences or did I stop giving them food from our plates? Probably both, I think. So it was time for me to "man up" and undo some of these bad/picky habits.
And, while I wanted the kids to eat what Matt and I are eating, I also wanted to make them open to at least trying new foods. I think our experiment has been quite a success!
Dinnertime -- Grilled Chicken, Broccoli and Rolls.
Same for Madeleine, with carrots added.
Amost finished! I should have taken a pic of his plate at the end -- all clean!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Ten Things to Treasure About Fall
Fall has finally arrived! After a long, hot summer we've been longing for some cool weather. Thankfully, the cool weather arrived a bit before the "official" start of fall this year. After the hottest August on record, I think we may have one of the coolest Septembers. I'm always ready for fall and the changes that season brings. Here's my top 10 list of fall favorites:
*Fires in the fireplace and the smell of fires burning in the cool air.
*Sweater weather.
*Warm soups on cold nights.
*The colors of fall: reds, oranges, greens and yellows.
*Pumpkins all around.
*The changing leaves....looking out our back windows and seeing the mountain full of color.
*Thanksgiving -- my second favorite holiday.
*The cool air, a refreshing break after the hot summer.
*Pumpkin bread and roasting pumpkin seeds.
*My kiddos in their warm snuggly jammies.
Happy Fall!!
*Fires in the fireplace and the smell of fires burning in the cool air.
*Sweater weather.
*Warm soups on cold nights.
*The colors of fall: reds, oranges, greens and yellows.
*Pumpkins all around.
*The changing leaves....looking out our back windows and seeing the mountain full of color.
*Thanksgiving -- my second favorite holiday.
*The cool air, a refreshing break after the hot summer.
*Pumpkin bread and roasting pumpkin seeds.
*My kiddos in their warm snuggly jammies.
Happy Fall!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Day In Our Life: September Edition
I've been wanting to do a post about a day in our life and I think I might make it a monthly thing. One day it will be fun to look back and get a snapshot of our days. I realize no one will probably read this, except maybe the grandparents, but I want to remember what our life is like on a "normal" day.
Monday, September 19th
5am...My alarm went off and I immediately hit the snooze. :) I always "build in" a snooze and that give me time to give myself a pep talk to get up and exercise. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Today, it worked. I got up, changed and hit the ground running. I love this time of day. I'm a total morning person and I love having some solitude before the day begins....I spend my treadmill time thinking about everything from what I'll wear that day, to what we'll have for dinner, to praying for each of my children and their day to letting my mind wake up and watching TV. This is my time. I need this.
6:15 -- 6:45am...Hope off the treadmill and start the coffee. I start a load of laundry and "refluff" the clothes in the dryer....for the 3rd time. I turn on Madeleine's light and snuggle with her to try and get her moving. I open Charlotte's door to let the noises start to wake her up. I make lunches and pack bags.
6:45am -- 7:15am...Harrison wakes up too. I make Madeleine & Matt breakfast. Charlotte gets up and scrounges for food until they leave and she can eat. :)
7:18am...Charlotte, Harrison and I give Madeleine & Matt their usual big send off. I think they get the best send off in the neighborhood. :) Charlotte yells "byebye" in her loudest baby voice and blows kisses. Harrison yells "see you later crocodile" to Matt. It's fun. I love this part of the day!
7:20-8:00am...I get Harrison and Charlotte some breakfast and refill my coffee while cleaning up the kitchen. We sit and eat and talk about our day. Then, I take a quick shower and get ready.
8:00-9:30am...I fold the laundry and start another load of the neverending laundry. I do a quick blog update and check email. I finish up the minutes from our recent PTO meeting start working on our directory forms. Harrison and I play cars and Charlotte plays her favorite grab n' go game with the cars. I really enjoy mornings when we don't have to be anywhere too early.
9:30-10:30...I get Harrison and Charlotte dressed and we head out to mail some letters and run by the bank. Some days, I just need to get out, even for a little bit. :) Harrison gets a sucker at the banks, so it's been a good morning in his eyes.
10:30...Home again. We play a little bit and I fold the next load and start yet another load of laundry (I said it was neverending).
11:00 -- 11:30am...I make lunches. Charlotte is napping much earlier these days, probably because I wake her up at the crack of dawn, so we eat lunch early. Harrison is always counting the minutes until her nap because that's when we build his traintrack. We eat lunch and talk about what kind of traintrack we'll build that day: grey traintrack with Sodor Company (which he pretends is the Dieselworks), Cranky the Crane, Tidmouth Sheds and Misty Island. I talk him out of the bridge because that thing is a nightmare to build around! After lunch, I read to Charlotte and put her down for her nap. She's such an awesome sleeper and goes right to sleep. It's not uncommon for me to check on her and find her in the same position that I layed her down in.
11:30-2:00pm...Harrison and I build our traintrack as well as the must-have trainyard. He plays with it while fold laundry again. :) Then I do my habitual Monday Morning Pickup. Basically, I just pick up the house then I run the vaccum and sweep. It make the house seem clean again and I like starting the week that way. When I'm done, Harrison and I snuggle on the couch and watch Caillou. Then we play trains and work on counting. He's doing great on his counting....I line up mini M&Ms and he can have as many as he can count. :) We also work on his "th" sound which is coming along great thanks to help from our good friend Allison!
2:00 --3:45pm...I hear Miss Charlotte babbling in her room and get her up. We cuddle and read some more. Then we all head outside to play for awhile. It's a nice day and Charlotte is pretty happy in her swing while Harrison alternates between me pushing him on the swing and playing in his muddy sand box. After awhile, we walk around the pond and look at the turtles. Then we head in for a quick drink and snack.
3:45-4:00pm...We head back out to the front yard to wait for Matt and Madeleine to get home. Charlotte and I play with bubbles while Harrison digs in the flowerbeds with his Thomas the Train. We're about to redo the flowerbeds for fall/winter, so he can dig to his heart's content. We see Matt's car and Charlotte helps him "drive" in.
4:00-4:35pm...Give my big girl a hug!!! I miss her like crazy while she's at school! Then I fix Matt a snack while the kids all play in the playroom. Madeleine likes to come home and veg out for the first 30 minutes or so. If I try and get her to do her homework then, she's quick to tell me "mommy, I've been working hard all day. My mind needs to rest!" Can't blame her. :) She usually watches Arthur on TiVo. Matt and I have a chance to catch up about our days.
4:35...Matt heads back out to Harding to teach a class that night. Let the fun begin!
4:35-6:00pm...The kids and I head back outside to play. We do another lap around the pond and see some BIG turtles as well as several baby ones. Charlotte and I come in so I can start dinner. She's very unhappy about this and lets me know it. It's funny how she can go from sweet and shy one minutes to sassy and fit-throwing the next! She stands at the door and cries "weeee" which is her word for swing (because she says "weee" while she's on it -- smart girl!). It's pitiful. Eventually, she gets in her highchair and plays with the measuring spoons and bowls. There were also Yogurt Melts involved in keeping her happy....they're like baby candy for her. :)
6:00pm...The kids come inside and get a bath. I let them take a bath in my tub, which I'm still regretting 2 days later since I can't seem to get all that sand out! But, nights Matt is gone I try and do that since it's easier to keep Charlotte out of the water. I get them both bathed and wash their hair. Madeleine goes first because she can get out and get dressed while I bath Harrison.
6:30pm...I feed Charlotte in the kitchen with me and let Madeleine and Harrison eat at their table in the playroom, which is an extra special treat. Even when Matt's gone I try and have us sit down at the table. They were so hungry and gobbled up their turkeydogs, corn, and applesauce! I managed to get Charlotte bathed while they were eating and the kitchen cleaned up as well.
7:10pm...The beginning of bedtime. They have some milk and I put Charlotte in her bed with some books while I tend to Madeleine & Harrison. I read a chapter to Madeleine from her newest Boxcar Children Book & we make some predictions and talk about the setting which is what they're working on at school now.
7:20pm...Then I brush Harrison's teeth and read 2 Arthur books to him.
7:30pm...He looks at a book while I go in and brush Charlotte's teeth and read a couple of books to her. I rock her and snuggle with her and put her to bed.
7:40pm...I tuck in Harrison, help him with his prayers and sing him a lullabye. This is our nightly ritual and he cannot begin to go to sleep without his lullaby and me rubbing his face. I hope he'll do this for a long time! I love that he needs that each night and I cherish those moments. I give him a kiss after this and he happily rolls over to go to sleep.
7:45pm...Madeleine brushes her teeth and I lay down and snuggle with her for a few moments. I tuck her in.
7:50pm... *sigh* They are all in bed! I finish up cleaning the kitchen and check on the kiddos -- Charlotte & Harrison are asleep already, as usual. Madeleine just takes longer to unwind.
8:00pm...I sit down and answer some more emails. I go over the stuff in Madeleine's Monday Folder and do a little prep work on lunches for Tuesday. I set out Harrison's backpack for preschool and line up lunchboxes on the counter.
8:30pm...So tired! I watch some TV and wait for Matt to call and let me know he's on his way home. I talk to my sister for awhile and check on Madeleine again....she's asleep!
9:45pm....Matt gets home. He fixes himself a bowl of cereal (kitchen's closed for the night!) and we talk about how his class went.
10pm...I head to bed and Matt relaxes and watches some TV. He deserves it after his long day. And, me? I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
Monday, September 19th
5am...My alarm went off and I immediately hit the snooze. :) I always "build in" a snooze and that give me time to give myself a pep talk to get up and exercise. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Today, it worked. I got up, changed and hit the ground running. I love this time of day. I'm a total morning person and I love having some solitude before the day begins....I spend my treadmill time thinking about everything from what I'll wear that day, to what we'll have for dinner, to praying for each of my children and their day to letting my mind wake up and watching TV. This is my time. I need this.
6:15 -- 6:45am...Hope off the treadmill and start the coffee. I start a load of laundry and "refluff" the clothes in the dryer....for the 3rd time. I turn on Madeleine's light and snuggle with her to try and get her moving. I open Charlotte's door to let the noises start to wake her up. I make lunches and pack bags.
6:45am -- 7:15am...Harrison wakes up too. I make Madeleine & Matt breakfast. Charlotte gets up and scrounges for food until they leave and she can eat. :)
7:18am...Charlotte, Harrison and I give Madeleine & Matt their usual big send off. I think they get the best send off in the neighborhood. :) Charlotte yells "byebye" in her loudest baby voice and blows kisses. Harrison yells "see you later crocodile" to Matt. It's fun. I love this part of the day!
7:20-8:00am...I get Harrison and Charlotte some breakfast and refill my coffee while cleaning up the kitchen. We sit and eat and talk about our day. Then, I take a quick shower and get ready.
8:00-9:30am...I fold the laundry and start another load of the neverending laundry. I do a quick blog update and check email. I finish up the minutes from our recent PTO meeting start working on our directory forms. Harrison and I play cars and Charlotte plays her favorite grab n' go game with the cars. I really enjoy mornings when we don't have to be anywhere too early.
9:30-10:30...I get Harrison and Charlotte dressed and we head out to mail some letters and run by the bank. Some days, I just need to get out, even for a little bit. :) Harrison gets a sucker at the banks, so it's been a good morning in his eyes.
10:30...Home again. We play a little bit and I fold the next load and start yet another load of laundry (I said it was neverending).
11:00 -- 11:30am...I make lunches. Charlotte is napping much earlier these days, probably because I wake her up at the crack of dawn, so we eat lunch early. Harrison is always counting the minutes until her nap because that's when we build his traintrack. We eat lunch and talk about what kind of traintrack we'll build that day: grey traintrack with Sodor Company (which he pretends is the Dieselworks), Cranky the Crane, Tidmouth Sheds and Misty Island. I talk him out of the bridge because that thing is a nightmare to build around! After lunch, I read to Charlotte and put her down for her nap. She's such an awesome sleeper and goes right to sleep. It's not uncommon for me to check on her and find her in the same position that I layed her down in.
11:30-2:00pm...Harrison and I build our traintrack as well as the must-have trainyard. He plays with it while fold laundry again. :) Then I do my habitual Monday Morning Pickup. Basically, I just pick up the house then I run the vaccum and sweep. It make the house seem clean again and I like starting the week that way. When I'm done, Harrison and I snuggle on the couch and watch Caillou. Then we play trains and work on counting. He's doing great on his counting....I line up mini M&Ms and he can have as many as he can count. :) We also work on his "th" sound which is coming along great thanks to help from our good friend Allison!
2:00 --3:45pm...I hear Miss Charlotte babbling in her room and get her up. We cuddle and read some more. Then we all head outside to play for awhile. It's a nice day and Charlotte is pretty happy in her swing while Harrison alternates between me pushing him on the swing and playing in his muddy sand box. After awhile, we walk around the pond and look at the turtles. Then we head in for a quick drink and snack.
3:45-4:00pm...We head back out to the front yard to wait for Matt and Madeleine to get home. Charlotte and I play with bubbles while Harrison digs in the flowerbeds with his Thomas the Train. We're about to redo the flowerbeds for fall/winter, so he can dig to his heart's content. We see Matt's car and Charlotte helps him "drive" in.
4:00-4:35pm...Give my big girl a hug!!! I miss her like crazy while she's at school! Then I fix Matt a snack while the kids all play in the playroom. Madeleine likes to come home and veg out for the first 30 minutes or so. If I try and get her to do her homework then, she's quick to tell me "mommy, I've been working hard all day. My mind needs to rest!" Can't blame her. :) She usually watches Arthur on TiVo. Matt and I have a chance to catch up about our days.
4:35...Matt heads back out to Harding to teach a class that night. Let the fun begin!
4:35-6:00pm...The kids and I head back outside to play. We do another lap around the pond and see some BIG turtles as well as several baby ones. Charlotte and I come in so I can start dinner. She's very unhappy about this and lets me know it. It's funny how she can go from sweet and shy one minutes to sassy and fit-throwing the next! She stands at the door and cries "weeee" which is her word for swing (because she says "weee" while she's on it -- smart girl!). It's pitiful. Eventually, she gets in her highchair and plays with the measuring spoons and bowls. There were also Yogurt Melts involved in keeping her happy....they're like baby candy for her. :)
6:00pm...The kids come inside and get a bath. I let them take a bath in my tub, which I'm still regretting 2 days later since I can't seem to get all that sand out! But, nights Matt is gone I try and do that since it's easier to keep Charlotte out of the water. I get them both bathed and wash their hair. Madeleine goes first because she can get out and get dressed while I bath Harrison.
6:30pm...I feed Charlotte in the kitchen with me and let Madeleine and Harrison eat at their table in the playroom, which is an extra special treat. Even when Matt's gone I try and have us sit down at the table. They were so hungry and gobbled up their turkeydogs, corn, and applesauce! I managed to get Charlotte bathed while they were eating and the kitchen cleaned up as well.
7:10pm...The beginning of bedtime. They have some milk and I put Charlotte in her bed with some books while I tend to Madeleine & Harrison. I read a chapter to Madeleine from her newest Boxcar Children Book & we make some predictions and talk about the setting which is what they're working on at school now.
7:20pm...Then I brush Harrison's teeth and read 2 Arthur books to him.
7:30pm...He looks at a book while I go in and brush Charlotte's teeth and read a couple of books to her. I rock her and snuggle with her and put her to bed.
7:40pm...I tuck in Harrison, help him with his prayers and sing him a lullabye. This is our nightly ritual and he cannot begin to go to sleep without his lullaby and me rubbing his face. I hope he'll do this for a long time! I love that he needs that each night and I cherish those moments. I give him a kiss after this and he happily rolls over to go to sleep.
7:45pm...Madeleine brushes her teeth and I lay down and snuggle with her for a few moments. I tuck her in.
7:50pm... *sigh* They are all in bed! I finish up cleaning the kitchen and check on the kiddos -- Charlotte & Harrison are asleep already, as usual. Madeleine just takes longer to unwind.
8:00pm...I sit down and answer some more emails. I go over the stuff in Madeleine's Monday Folder and do a little prep work on lunches for Tuesday. I set out Harrison's backpack for preschool and line up lunchboxes on the counter.
8:30pm...So tired! I watch some TV and wait for Matt to call and let me know he's on his way home. I talk to my sister for awhile and check on Madeleine again....she's asleep!
9:45pm....Matt gets home. He fixes himself a bowl of cereal (kitchen's closed for the night!) and we talk about how his class went.
10pm...I head to bed and Matt relaxes and watches some TV. He deserves it after his long day. And, me? I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
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