He Sits

I swear it was just a couple of weeks ago that I sat Ezra on the floor and he would promptly fall over.
And only a few days ago that he could hold him self there for just a bit and then slowly fall over.

Yet here we are,




I can put him on the floor sitting,




and he stays there, no need for pillows,





he can catch himself if he starts fall over and lay down on his belly and continue playing.


Oh, and he can totally pick up that paci and put it right in his mouth too.

Where did my tiny baby go???



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Jumping

Jude is learning to Jump. In case you didn't know, this is a learned skill, it doesn't coma ll that naturally, and I have watched my sweet boy look at Annalee with envy as she hops and jumps around the house.

But it seems, he has finally gotten it...it is now his favorite mode of transportation.

The Belly

This belly can't be denied.

Had to be captured and saved for ever and ever amen.


Saggy diaper and all.




Don't you just want to rub it??




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1st day of 3k

For many reasons that are very personal and significant to me, I am seriously considering homeschooling my babes. It's something I have thought about since before I was married or had children. So I decided to give it a try while Annalee is still young, and if we hate it, then no harm done!
So far, we love it! It has been so much fun and so rewarding for me to watch her learn and be excited about learning something new!


We are working on some review, identifying letters and numbers, counting, etc..plus Jude doesn't know these yet, so it's introducing those to him too!

There's a great website that's free that I am using that has great ideas for topics and aids such as printable sheets. We color and paint and glue, use flash cards, and Annalee has specific computer time where she is learning computer skills and phonics through another awesome website called www.starfall.com .

We have an art day where she is learning about Mosaics and creating them this month. Next month will be Still Life's. We have library day a couple of times a month too.

It's a pretty well known fact around these parts that I'm, well, a little clumsy...

it's not a surprise if I fall going down the back steps or trip of a root in the yard, or hit my head on say a big ole rock on water fall on Ceasars Head...and it's not a surprise for me to drop something, a glass, a gallon of milk that busts all over the drive way (twice!) etc...you get the picture here.

So last night I was home alone with the kiddos after Jay headed to band practice, I was cleaning up the dinner dishes and trying to feed Ezra his sweet potatoes and thinking ahead of all the little things that needed to happen on order to get them all in bed, and I was carrying the bowl with what was left of Ezra's dinner in it to the sink and just as I got there, it started to slip, and I guess because my mind was elsewhere and I just plain wasn't paying attention to what I was doing...I grabbed for it, in an effort to catch it and save it from breaking (I really liked that bowl!) but I was to slow, and my brain didn't catch up with my hands and so the bowl busted and my hands kept traveling down and crashed right into the now shattered bowl...

I knew immediately it was a bad decision...looked down and blood was already running off my hand and into the sink...yikes!

My first thought was "wow that was stupid" and then "how the heck am I going to take care of these kids??" Annalee and Jude both needed jammies and to be put to bed, and Ezra still needed a bottle and to be put to bed as well.

Thankfully my mom was home and able to come to my rescue. Jay came home early from practice and we decided I would survive without stitches although I would probably have a scar on at least one of the fingers...big whoop, way better to me than having them hold these cuts open under running water and then stitch them up...I am such a baby about these things!
We cleaned them and dressed them and I too a 800 mg Motrin and went to bed!

It has been a complete pain to go through my normal routine with half of my right hand bandaged! Ambidextrous I am not!


And they loo pretty groddy too, I took a few pics for those of us that enjoy that ind of thing, and major kudos to my hunny that totally does not enjoy that kind of thing, but has bandaged and rebandaged...now that is love!

These are from today, the butterfly stitches do seem to be helping, especially on the cut on my middle finger.

The Big Slide

Simpsonville has a Labor Day festival... a few rides, some twirly helicopters, swings, somethings that go way up in the air, etc etc...plus yummy food like funnel cake, Italian ice and hot dogs...Plus they have this really BIG slide!
Well Annalee couldn't wait to go down it, so she and Jay paid their 2 tickets and headed up the steps...





She LOOOVED it...thought it was great...




Well, Jude and Ezra and I stood to the side and watched, and the whole time Jude is saying "I wan go!, I wan go!" Over and over...it's a BIG slide...did I mention that?? Plus...Jude does not really seem the type to absolutely love rides. He likes the swing in our back yard now, but hated it when we first put him in it...But guess what..he met the height requirement for riding with a parent...so we thought what the heck? We'll give it a try, afterall, maybe he's moved past those 1 y/o fears now that he's the ripe old age of...oh...1 year and 9 mo's!

So Jay climbed the stairs again this time with Jude in tow...put down their little sack...



See how high they are???


and he actually looked a little excited and happy!




and away they go.


I strategically snapped pictures in hopes of catching one with them in it on the way down...and I did...






This is not the face of someone enjoying the ride...




Poor boy...this made my hear hurt when I saw it...he never cried and even said "weeeeee" after all was said and done, but there is no doubt he did not enjoy it while it was happening...poor little guy...




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Accomplishments, Joy and no But's

Annalee is 3, has been since the end of March, and has absolutely no desire to dress herself...none, zero, zilch, nada...

So today, I had a brilliant idea...let her pick out her own clothes! No restrictions (well, I did say no to Sunday dresses...which was her first choice) but other than that she had free reign. I told her she needed a top and a bottom and underwear.
So after helping her out of her gown, I left the room. Fully expecting her to either not comply at all, and just continue to play in the nude (wouldn't be the first time), or to come crying to me in frustration of getting all the pieces right.

But instead, a few minutes later she came running into my room, fully clothed! Whoo Hoo! This is a huge accomplishment! I was so proud of her, I didn't even offer any constructive criticism as to improvements on her choices or abilities...
I just let her bask in the joy of a job well done...

Even though her pants are pajama pants that are to short for her...and even though her shirt was on inside out and backwards...


Even though they are 2 totally different colors of purple, and I would never put them together as an outfit....


Even though her tag was sticking out right under her chin all day...




We'll tackle those issues another day...today she gets to be joyful and proud of her accomplishment with no "buts"... and so do I.




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