Thursday, February 28, 2013

Snow time to blog...


 It has been an entire week since I blogged.  Oops.  I just made a super cheesy blog title... oops again :) With a lack of Birthdays or holiday photos I realize I have less to say. I have wanted to blog and thought of posts to blog about but it hasn't happened.  I am going to try to do this blog without moving many photos around as I learned that when I switch the order it tends to distort the photos so you can't zoom in.  Sorry about that for those who like to see the pictures bigger than normal size. I had to transfer the top one to write this up here. 

We have had some really good days and some very rough days.  Through it all, God is faithful.  I will try to tell about the week through the photos below. Again, sorry that they are sometimes out of order.

 Brandon loves to go big whenever he does something.  I so appreciate this about him.  The snow was very sticky, but there was not too much of it.  I sent the boys outside and told them to make a "little" snowman.  T and I watched and Brandon kept making the snowman taller and taller.  By the end of the building it was almost 9 feet tall.  It was quite warm out, and it the snowman only lasted at most an hour before falling down completely.  I think it was a little too tall and lean to withstand the warm rainy weather. 

M: Daddy, how are you going to get that scarf up there?

M: I am REALLY tall now, but I look small next to my big snowman.

M: I don't think I can even see the top!
Before all the snow hit this week the weather was quite warm, warm enough to go on walks 3 days in a row.  T took Ergo naps each time and it was awesome to get out and get moving.



After T choking a couple too many times I remembered the food pouch.  I love these things and am so glad that T does too.  Sadly, M (who never would touch them when he was little) now tries to steal T's every chance he gets.  I may need to buy another one soon.
T: tasty food and no choking... score!

M has gotten REALLY into puzzles the last few weeks.  He was never big on them at all before which was so sad to me since I have a boatload of puzzles.  Finally he is loving them.  T just loves to make a mess, so puzzles are a great hit for each of them.  In the last few weeks he went from no puzzle skills to being able to do several styles of puzzles including the ones not on a board all on his own. 
M: OK T we are in a boat.


The kids have been loving playing peek-a-boo at dinner.  We have been fine with them doing it too, as that is one time when T is not self soothing by rocking or hitting.  We have been battling her almost constantly as she hits herself, swings her head, rocks and does other dangerous repetitive motions. Please pray for her, that she would be soothed by mommy and daddy and not by destructive self soothing. We have found the using the Ergo to get her to sleep at nap and bedtime is the best and safest option for us.
Where did T go?  Peek-A-Boo

Where did M go?  Peek-A-Boo

T: Daddy, I could use a little help here.

Sort of a "Where's M?" photo after a full morning of playing.
  The basement for the win... again!  T loves double pushing, but gets herself into some interesting positions.
T: Look, I can push two at once.

T: Hmm, this wasn't supposed to happen.

T: Maybe I should just lay down and be cute.

(really out of order) T: Yikes, now what?


And now... the BIG SNOW!!!!!  (and more very out of order photos)
M: The snow is eating me up!

M: I want to ride on your back (1 second before knocking T over and not getting to ride on my back)
 I think we got over a foot of VERY heavy snow... I shoveled our front porch yesterday and still feel like an Advil could help my back :)
MAJOR SNOW!!!
Yesterday was a hard day.  There were moments of greatness, but the afternoon/evening was hard... so very hard...
I was trying to figure out when it all went downhill, and I think it was finger painting. 
It started with great joy.  LOTS of snow, a morning play date due to the snow day... and then the afternoon came. 
This is going to be a long story (feel free to skim) . 
I find it funny now, but at the time it was not.
You see, while T is sleeping and M  is awake we try to do something special together.  Often times it is crafting, reading, baking, puzzles, or just cuddling. 
Yesterday M took a very short nap... one of those nap times when I didn't even get my discipleship book done and I heard his little voice beckoning me.  I went upstairs and brought him down and we cuddled. 
I then read him 5 Bible stories and convinced him to do some coloring (not painting) while I finished my Bible Study.  He was game, but when I opened the craft cupboard and he saw the finger paints I knew I was in trouble.  I got them out and we were able to begin when T woke up (way earlier than normal). 
Now I am starting to panic as I was hoping to make beef stew for dinner.  The round steak needed to be cut, carrots, celery, and potatoes chopped and peeled etc.  I decided to give T a special snack (fruit in pouch and real puffs, the kind with sugar) and put her in her highchair.  I let M go to town and I started to peel potatoes. 
Well... M got out of control with the paints... and I peeled 1/4 of ONE potato.   You see I am allergic to puffs so every time I gave more to T I had to wash my hands. 
I was cutting meat so everything she wanted more I had to wash my hands.  The photos below show what was happening with the paint situation.
M: This is amazing.

Can you see how thick the paint is?  Well, just imagine fullish tubes squirted on a paper.
So now he was ready to be done... The smock did not hold back the paint as I had hoped so it was everywhere. 
T needs to be moved in her highchair into the bathroom as we were in there a while. 
Finally, M was clean and in his underwear. 
I put a couple of sweet potatoes in the oven for T.
T is still eating away. 
I put M's Miss Patty Cake DVD on and attempt to chop the rest of the meat for the stew. 
I email back and forth with my discipleship group and we decide to cancel group for the night due to snow. 
I just finish cutting meat and turn the stove on when the phone rings.
One of my incredible small group girls wonders if this is a good time to talk. 
Well, why not, right? 
She says I can call back at a better time, but hey this is life right now...
I put her on speaker and peel and chop etc. 
T is sad about the highchair she has been confined to so  I take her out.
I notice a smell, T has a stinky diaper.
Still talking on the phone I change a nasty diaper and get something for M. 
I notice another smell... my meat is burning...
M's movie is over, but I let him watch the extra song a few times. 
I pray with incredible girl and hang up.
I realize that somehow the bag of puffs is now all over the floor and T is spreading it around... ahh gluten and sugar everywhere...
Daddy comes home to shovel and mommy rejoices... maybe M would like to shovel too. 
I smell something burning...
I take the sweet potatoes out of the oven. 
T is on mommy's back and the stew is finally beginning to cook. 
I breathe. 
M is heading to the house with daddy in tears.  Apparently the snow blower was WAY.TO.LOUD!! 
We all watch as daddy and a friend blow through deep drifts and a pile at the end of the driveway not much shorter than me. 
At about 6:20 I eat with the kids.
Daddy comes in to eat about 6:40. 
The kitchen looks like a bomb went off in it.  The floor is SO sticky from the puff crumbs mixed with drool. 
I decide I need to take a 30 second bathroom break... I have been holding it since about 2:30.
Bedtime battles happen... typical...
Everything is cleaned up and ready for a new day by 10:30... we go to sleep praying for a better tomorrow.

Today was a great day.  We had a playgroup here this morning, productive nap time for kiddos and mama, Justine and the boys came over for a visit in the afternoon (and delivered my Trader Joe's order), easy dinner as it was leftover stew (which was yummy) and easy clean up after.  T went to sleep easily and Brandon (my hero in case you didn't know) rescued me with M so that I could write this blog!!!


T: Yes, I know I could just crawl around the chair, but I like a challenge!

No comments: