Waiting

My new camera was ordered last week so I have been waiting for it to come not so patiently. There are many things I want to take pictures of! We planted a little garden in pots, I don't know what you would call that...but we are growing tomatoes, jalopenos, cilantro, basil and cucumbers. So far so good, I just hope to get one fruit off of one of the plants and I will consider the garden a success:)

Big Man is going to school tomorrow for Kindergarten Round-up. At the school he is going to next year they invite all of the kids to come to school for one day with the current Kindergarten class to see what it is going to be like. He is SOOO excited. He has had me read him the invitation a couple of times per day that describes what they are going to be doing and he can't wait. We searched for years, basically, to find a good school and I think we found one because they seem to go above and beyond what a typical school does. It is a very small school with only 120 kids from K-8 and they have a teacher and an aide for K. We were wanting a small school with a half-day Kindergarten and everyone there seems so nice. This year they had 11 kids in the K class and they seem to have a lot of fun. We will find out next year if we made a good choice! Me, I am not so excited about having to get him to school on time, but I'm thinking I will be able to talk hubby into taking him at least half the time (love you hubby xoxo!)

Other than that, life is just going. It appears that my neighbors are feaful of the swine flu because it seems that no one is going to school this week. 2 of my neighbors kept their kids home today and another one said they are not going to school tomorrow. They were all over playing at my house today, though, so doesn't that defeat the purpose of isolation. Oh well, I am not exactly worried but I do make my kids wash their hands a little more frequently.

Hopefully I will be able to report back soon with something exciting and some pictures. (And Lise will you please blog about your baby, I want to hear the details and see pictures!!)

4 Months

She loves her stand up toy and will sit in for long periods at a time playing with her toys. She has just recently been able to start grabbing things and trying to mouth them. She has also discovered her hands and will just stare at them and try to eat them. A few weeks ago when she was sick she weighed 15lbs so she may be close to 16lbs all ready. I just got out her 6-9 month clothes as most of her 3-6 month clothes all ready don't fit her!

Yum Yum

She has been acting like she ist still starving after she eats so I have been trying to give her a little cereal in the afternoons. Some days she likes it, other days she doesn't. She doesn't really like taking a bottle either, though, so I'm hopeful that she will begin to eat more food soon!

Grandpa's New Swing

Of course they have to ride it together.
They can't use it like their suppose to either:)

Babywearing

I have decided that I am definitely a babwearing fanatic. I wear my baby at least half of the day and sometimes more. I have people (mostly people I don't know!) telling me all the time that I am spoiling, or smothering my baby, or that it is a bad habit to wear her so much because she will never sleep in her own bed if I don’t lay her down. It really doesn't bother me, though. I just laugh and say that it is my survival tool. She is happy and that is all that matters, and she does sleep wonderfully at night in her own bed.

With Big Man we were very scheduled. He only slept in his bed and I was afraid of spoiling him and holding him too much. That worked well then, but he probably would have been happier if I had worn him! When Big Man was born my hubby and I both were so overwhelmed and exhausted. We did nothing but take care of him and try and keep him happy. It is almost embarrassing to admit, but we actually had a housekeeper come clean for us and we had an extremely small house! Now I wonder what the heck was wrong with me, but I know the problem is you can't hold a baby in one arm and get much done. I did wear him in the Baby Bjorn at times but it was so uncomfortable he would not be in there for long.

Now that I have two older kids I need to have a happy baby that can sleep anywhere when needed, and my wraps are perfect for that. I did a lot of reading on babywearing when I was deciding on a wrap and everything I have read shows that babywearing really is the way to go and I wish I had known about it with the boys. It is so nice to be able to take care of my other kids and clean and cook (if I want to!) and keep the baby happy.

My hubby is afraid we are going to go broke buying wraps and slings and mei tai’s since I am constantly looking them up and making a list of one’s I want. I need one to go with every outfit, though, don’t I?

I Should Be Cleaning

My house is very cluttered, as usual. Instead of cleaning, though, I am swaying back and forth in a chair with my baby that wants to be held close reading blogs. I came across this famous poem and it made me feel a little better about myself so I though I would share:

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Where's My Bailout

I am so sick of people not paying their bills! My neighbors are months behind on their mortgage but they manage to go out to eat every night and today they went and bought a new, huge flat screen t.v. They just assume that the Government is going to help them refinance to get a lower payment if they get behind. It is so frustrating that those who are irresponsible with their spending are the ones who will get a good deal from the Government, not those of us who never go out to eat, have very old televisions and make sure to pay our bills.

Enough ranting for one day, back to watching my $20 estate sale t.v.

Summer Movie Fun At Harkins

The cost of 10 movies: $7

The cost of popcorn and drink at each movie: $11

The fact that hubby will be taking them every week: Priceless!


***I'm not so sure he shares my enthusiasm:) These tickets went very fast last year. Today is the first day of sales so get them while you can!

Anyone Else Gluten Free?

Everyone probably knows someone who has gone on a gluten-free diet for health reasons so pass along the information to the gluten free fair so that they can learn about all of the good and new foods that are available! (click on the flyer for a larger view)

It Just Isn't Fair

I was telling hubby that I weighed myself and have about 15 lbs of baby weight to lose still. He proceeded to tell me that at his physical yesterday he learned he has lost weight and would like to gain 15 pounds as he thinks he is too skinny. Why can't that ever happen to me:) *Sigh*

Boys, Police & Guns

There was a situation in our neighborhood this morning where there was a helicoptor overhead and I saw a few police vehicles drive by. No big deal, I thought, I do live in central Phx and that sort of thing happens occasionally. Then my Dad calls a little while later to tell me that my neighborhood has been blocked off so no one can get in. I think maybe this is a little more serious than I thought and brought the kids inside and we locked up good. They are playing and then they look out the front window to see SWAT looking police officers with their big guns and dogs out front. The kids are so excited and want to go out there and see them. Me, I'm getting a little nervous. Not 10 minutes later the phone rings and it is the police department telling me that there is an emergency situation and that an armed felon is loose in my neighborhood and gave his description and said to watch for him and call police if I see him. Now, I am very nervous. I haven't touched a gun in many years, but I went and got one out just in case. I can hear the boys talking to themselves saying things like: I hope he comes here, I want to see Mom shoot him! Then they would yell at me: There he is, get your gun go get him, Mom! I don't know what it is about boys, but testosterone must start early as well as a love for danger and guns. FYI our guns are put away and we talk to the boys regularly about gun safety:)

Free Museum Passes

I got my first cultural pass this week to the Phoenix Children's Museum. I am always looking for free places to take my kids so I wasn't about to pass this up. I believe every library in the valley has passes to 12 museums that you can check out. I got to the library an hour before it opened and waited in line. It was a good thing I did because all passes were gone within 30 seconds of the library opening. The librarian told me that I am able to check online to see which passes are available and then I know whether or not it is worth it to go wait in line to get the pass. I will definitely be going to get another pass to somewhere else in a couple of weeks.

Finally, A Useable Bathroom

For the last 10 days or so the only major item the bathroom needed was the door put back on. I quit nagging my hubby to do it and finally told him last night that I was not shaving my legs again until the door was on so I could take a bath. Wouldn't you know, my door is on and I was able to take a bath!

Where Has The Week Gone?

I was all excited to have a few days to catch up on my housework while the boys were out of town but my baby had other ideas. She has been so sick with bronchiolitis. She tested negative for RSV but it is a nasty virus just like it. She has been coughing and wheezing with a runny/stuffy nose. It has been horrible as I can't sleep because I'm afraid that she will have problems breathing in the middle of the night. She has had to have a few breathing treatments and just a lot of holding. I thought that she was doing a lot better today, but tonight while we were at Big Man's baseball practice she started coughing and would not stop. She was turning all sorts of colors and was having a hard time catching her breath and for a minute I thought I might have to call an ambulance. She finally coughed up the phlegm that was bothering her and is sleeping peacefully right now. Hopefully tomorrow she will be all better since we have egg dying and cookie decorating for Easter to accomplish!

She has been falling asleep in the high chair every morning during breakfast or while I do dishes. I love to watch her sleep, she is just so cute!

I think she is so used to noise that she falls asleep better listening to the boys than if I put her in bed where it is quiet. I don't care where she sleeps, just as long as she does:) She is still refusing to sleep in her car seat. I'm hoping that will come soon since we are all a little tired of having to listen to her cry in the car when she gets tired!

Up Up And Away

Guess who is going on their first Airplane ride?
They knew they were going to Disneyland, but they didn't know they were going to fly! They don't look excited at all do they:) Their Dad and Grandma are taking them so I get a few days with only a baby and no one to make a mess, Yeah!!

More Baseball

My Dad and I took the kids to the Diamondbacks game today. It was perfect since it was pre-season and not crowded at all.
To make it even funner we took the Light Rail down to the game. The kids thought that was the best part of the day. I really liked the Rail and think we will have to ride it down town again.

No More Training Wheels #2

Little Man has been bugging me to take his training wheels off since Big Man learned to ride a bike. I keep telling him when your 4. Today he was bugging me again and so I said fine, thinking he would keep falling down and have me put them back on. I was wrong! Before I could even get outside to help him he was all ready riding it. Big Man was yelling at me "he is doing it!" I went outside and there he is going across the yard.
He did way better than Big Man did on his first day of riding a bike. I think the tongue sticking out really helps him!

There were a few falls, but no crying yet and no major injuries and he rode it ALL day. He rode up to me this afternoon and said "I told you I could ride without training wheels." Yes you did, maybe someday I will start listening to you:)

It Only Takes A Second

For them to go from painting nicely on paper to this!
They had paint in places that they definitely shouldn't have:)

Firestation

We went out to visit the Firestation and got lucky that the big ladder truck was there visiting. I was told this is just about as big as they come and it was huge!
The kids just hopped right in and put on the earphones and were talking to each other.

Then they saw the regular firetrucks inside as well and had to look around in them as well.

The best fireman ever:) The kids do not want to take off their hats even today. We went to the Farmer's Market this morning and out to lunch and they had them on. Of course all they talk about now is being a fireman someday and using all of their cool tools.