April 2012

Here are some Random pictures of the boys. Some with their friends on the swing set. One of Jared on the day he figured out how to pump. (it's been so nice that he doesn't need me to push him anymore!) One of Jared on St. Patrick's day. Benny Reading, his favorite hobby. He takes all those board books off the shelf many times each day. And the video is of Benjamin's commonly used phrase, that he started saying t around 10-11 months "Don't do that" a common phrase in our house, which is actually a star wars quote from one of our boys favorite parts, when Yoda is messing with Luke's stuff, before Luke knows he's a Jedi. Now if only I could figure our how to rotate pictures on here.....or change the font color when published so you can read it properly....

Lakeside Paradise

Another fun day at the Lake here at home. Such Happy times with my sweet husband and boys. Michael swinging off the rope and splashing into the water and Jared (2) , saying in an awed whisper "..WOw..Incredible! "...Holding my sweet 6 month old as he sings himself to sleep. Andrew(6) doing handstands under water. Jacob(5) running after tiny toads saying " ...OH..there's Millions! I have to catch them!".....Jared Proud of himself after actually getting all the way in the water today for the first time sayin "Look Mom I'm swimming!" while laying on his belly in 2 inches of water "swimming" ...Happy times. I feel like we have our own private paradise here.

Fun Time

I don't have any pictures, because I need to buy some batteries for my camera, but I had a fun day yesterday, and wanted to share it a little. I needed a little change from the clean and school all day. So we went down to the recently filled lake here on Lakeside Farms. I brought out little table, shade umbrella, and chairs in the back of the truck, along with my boys, sunscreen, some goldfish crackers in baggies, Caprisuns, and some towels. We had a great time. The boys were the insect rescuer team, saving all kings of stranded wooly bear caterpillars, and such hanging onto tall blades of grass. They didn't rescue the little clouds of stranded red ants floating along though. The world could do with a few less of those we thought. They caught and released some frogs, and enjoyed the many dragonflies whizzing by. As did I. But most of all I enjoyed my boys and they're fun adventures they dream up and go on wherever they are.
And Jared trying to do everything they do, trying to race to the water, hands extended behind him for effect (makes him feel like he's going fast I think) then jumping in ankle deep laughing proudly, while his brothers of course jump out much further. (I'm glad he's cautious)
We also were visited by cute cousins, Isa's crew along with little Cammi :). She loved the water too, but was less cautious, she want to just swim out there. : ) She was ready. She's big! and she can't figure out why no one else see's it.
Annette's baby shower was very fun too, I'm excited to see her little Connor, born today!
(I found a picture of a wooly bear caterpillar online to help give a visual of their fun finds)

(note for any confused ones: Isa is my husbands brother Jonathan's wife, Cammi is my husband Michael's sister Elisabeth's almost 2 year old)

My New Life

This was really inspiring for me, made me think of Ivy lots, but also of myself and my own little struggles. I've been having a really hard time with the bad morning sickness and now I've had the flu and my house has turned into something terrible. I feel like I'll never recover, feel like a horrible wife and mother, because I've been slacking so so badly. It's true what she says in her video, hard times really turn you to the lord and bring sacred moments.
I am so inspired by Stephanie Nielson and all she does despite her burns and that everyday life is not easy for her. I've got a lot less to struggle with than she and she is an awesome housekeeper, mom and wife! If she can do it I CAN !! OH I CAN ...I CAN!
I've been reading her blog which I highly recommend http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Clouds are Beautiful

Each day when I go out. There is always a beautiful new scenery waiting for me.
Absolutly beautiful! Some days like beautiful snowy mountain peaks others Grey and moving. Though both I love as much. I love clouds. I love to think about what the weather will be and what kinds of clouds are about and or rolling in. Maybe it's silly .... but something I think about when I don't have to are clouds.
They make driving enjoyable. Andrew tends to enjoy them too, the other day he said " Mom I like the way that those nimbostratus looks in front of all those cumulus." Made me laugh al little ( slightly amazed) And he was very right it was beautiful.
(Pictured is a cumulonimbus)

Well this week has been eventful. Biggest not so wonderful event being my new Bowlfriend ...yeah I'm really really feeling barfy. (I'm pregnant for anyone who may not know, we never really officially announced it or anything.)
Iwas hoping this pregnancy was not going to be hard but I'm feeling pretty close to the Andrew pregnancy days. But I'm better at holding back the sickness from overflowing with mints etc. Biggest problem is any drinks make me really gag. So I'm trying to sip now and then but I'ts hard not to get dehydrated. I need to get some sprite or something to see if that will go down without making me sick. On to cuter sbjects...
Jared's new answer to every question starting 2 days ago is "NO!". Cute for the first little while but getting a tiny bit annoying. I guess he's getting to that age though. He also spends lots of time sweeping and mopping my floors and re stacking cans on the floor from the cubboard.
And the other pictures are of my little mad scientist and his assistant Jacob. They love chemistry class I highly recommend products at http://www.gravitaspublications.com/ they have chemistry curriculum - lessons at every age level, also physics and biology! You can veiw all of the lessons, books, and curriculum online. It's really cool.

Hello everyone, we have the internet again. Yay!!
so anyway Holly's last blog made me want some book recommendations.
I have a hard time picking books to read to my boys, I mean the chapter kind we read a chapter from every night. If i ask librarians they can imagine what one would read from that section to a 4 and 5 year old. I guess parents don't read to their kids much these days... I don't know.
We also read lots of picture books too, but I enjoy having a book and reading a chapter everyday.
So far
This last year we've read: (well I've read to them)
Charlie and the chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
The Minpins
Wolf Story (may have been year before)
James and the Giant Peach(may have been the year before too)
My Fathers Dragon series (we should read again, ..was last year)
Charlottes Web
The Wizard of Oz
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Magicians Nephew
half of the BFG, but they didn't like it so we stopped that one
I'm not super at picking so sometimes we try one out and it doesn't work so i find another.
I believe there are more and I can't remember...

Right now we're reading A Cricket in Times Square
and Andrew's been prodding me to read him Sherlock Holmes....which i think is too old for him but he insists I read it to him. I wonder if he's getting it? I've been kinda avoiding that one and just pulling out the cricket one. He was also insisting I read him, The Time Machine by H.G Wells.....That didn't last long.
He's obsessed with all things scientific and Chemistry oriented. He believes H.G. Wells is a great scientific author, which he may be, i don't know anything about him.
He wants to be a scientist and spends time everyday with his beakers and test tubes in the bathroom (his Laboratory, he says) experimenting with (his chemicals, he says) food coloring.

He Loves the Franny K. Stein book series, which i highy reccommend for young children who read above expectations. He begs to read to me when we've had one from the library. Trouble is he's about read them all. The nice thing about them is well, not only are they about a little girl mad scientist, but they also have a picture on every page.
He's been reading Geronimo Stilton latley but seems to be getting board with those.
So if anyone has reccomendations in either of these groups...... I'd love to hear about them!