and then we got busy...

Ugh. It has been too long since I posted last. I have a goal of posting every weekend but then we got busy...

You would think that with me turning off the computer during the day the house would be organized, the boys would be clean, and I would be nearly bored. Nope to all accounts :) 

So this is the last 3 weeks summarized into a few photos:

The boys and I went on a field trip to an old west horse ranch outside of Paso Robles but soon after arriving we realized the van went completely dead. We have never had a problem with our van (& haven't since) but it was without a doubt not going to start. C was just a few miles away working so he came up to our rescue. We could've called AAA but he had been contemplating coming with us that morning but decided to work and found this a ready excuse to come after all :) We were glad to have him :)

Soon after S turned 1, he realized not only are those red things in the garden strawberries, he was now tall enough & heavy enough to reach them (the fence is to keep the rabbits out :)). Every day he ventures over & peeks in :)

Speaking of S turning 1, he now has shoes! Many thanks to his Aunts & Uncles: he grabbed his birthday money and bought his first pair :) He's so proud of them!

We had hot weather! For 3 days it was in the low 100s :) I switched their lessons for the week to reflect that: one of the days they enjoyed a frozen treasure hunt (I don't think S was too thrilled with the first touch :) He did enjoy it later on)

Z is on a game spree :) We hadn't even finished eating supper when the cards came out:

and then the next day I came out from putting S to nap and found they started playing all by themselves. They are getting so grown up {tear}.

 I'm not sure how J got them (I can guess, though!), but he came in the house the other day with bug wings so we whipped some magnifiers out to see the textures & colors better. We are such a boy house! :)

I was desperate for a clean van so the boys did their books while I cleaned :)

1st rain day of the season! Yes!

On Thursday we went on another field trip to a 118 year old fruit farm. The rain let up just long enough for us to run out & glean 80 pounds! of apples off the ground and then it started pouring again. We were soaked! It seemed a shame to leave all those beautiful apples behind but now that I still have about 50 pounds left and I'm getting kind of worn out from peeling, cutting, cooking/drying, and figuring out what to do with them, it's probably a good thing we were stopped! :)  We will for sure enjoy eating all the "fruits of our labor" in the months to come!

C is in the backyard right now working on the new coop... should be done soon... hopefully I can blog about the finished project next weekend :) Love ya!

A week in the life: day 1

I happened upon a blog the other day & found it crazy interesting how a family lives in NYC and it got me thinking: 10 years from now I may want to remember what my days looked at this point :)  (there's a chance that I'm wrong & I just want to forget this time- in that case, I won't read this! :)) So I'll be attempting to blog how my week a few days go this week.

So today is Monday & it just happens to be J's 4th birthday! Yay! Now that we're up to speed, let's go! :)

3am- woke up to J being up: he peed the bed but C was already helping him (yay!) so back to sleep I go! (another yay!)
6am- C is up so I guess it's time for me too. S got up soon after for a snack so we chat for a few minutes while I feed S & put him back to bed & C finishes getting ready & then he's off to work. I was hoping to work out this morning but since J is on the couch, I guess I'll just get ready for the day. My room rarely gets cleaned because I'm rarely in it so maybe I need to get stuck in there more often? as it's now clean :)
7:30- I didn't get the chance to put away lights laundry last week ("somehow" they always get forgotten in the dryer) & I know everyone's drawers are currently empty so I guess I'll seize the opportunity & bring the pile into my room to fold & put away what I can.
8am- Our floors squeak & groan & pop horrifically so I've been trying not to move too much but I figured it's 8 o'clock now- if they wake up now, they've gotten sufficient sleep :) I like to start each day on Mint.com checking my funds & balancing the budget. I also like to check for any new emails so I did that until S woke up at 8:30.

8:30- The street cleaner starts making the rounds so S & I move the van across the street & as I'm getting my side of the street ready for the cleaner, Z comes bounding out & still in his lion painted face. We had festivities yesterday at church & he chose to have his face painted like a lion- so cute :) J pops off the couch soon after & all declare starvation. I usually keep it easy for breakfast- chopped eggs & yogurt creations- but today is J's birthday: he needs a pancake with a candle :) There was a little tension & panic & regret for a few minutes as all 3 are crying & whining for breakfast but soon we are enjoying.
10- The boys are a sticky mess so off they go to the bath. I try to clean the bathroom down every time they bathe- if I miss a time, I tend to regret it soon after. With 4 (2 with questionable aim) people and only one toilet, our bathroom gets a lot of traffic!

10:30- S is done bathing so we get some one-on-one chasing time. Monday's load of darks are put into the wash.
11- J & Z are now fighting in the tub- must be time to get them out. (yep! an hour in the tub :)) We chase & wrestle & play for a few minutes but overall, it's time to brush teeth & get ready for the day. J decides it's time to comb my hair which is a new enjoyment for them. Z likes to straighten until not a hair moves & sticks to me the rest of the day, J mainly likes to spray until I'm drenched to my toes & barely touches my hair with a comb.

I've tried twice to put S down for nap but he's fighting it so we all decide it's time for school. Since today is a loud lesson (on Mondays we are learning the recorder), it's probably best S wasn't asleep... We studied David & read some of the songs he wrote and then we "wrote" our own with the recorders. I often wonder what the neighbors think when 3 recorders & a tambourine? are making a racket...
















12- After watching S lay on the floor, I finally just put him in bed. He moaned & groaned for a few minutes but decided to give in. I tried shooing Z & J outside but they declared hunger again so we made left over pancakes into pb & Js and chatted some. I started putting the clothes on the line but Z & J aren't cooperating much. A few disciplinary moments take place & both boys declare they want some more books read to them so we snuggle for a few more minutes. They both sound kind of congested and they aren't the most active today; hope we aren't getting sick.

A few months ago C put up a wire in the kitchen to hang the boys' creations for display but last week a sudden idea came to mind to use it for a calendar of their week instead. I meant to get it all put together during the weekend but weekends never go as planned so I enlisted the boys for help since they were asking for an art project anyway. I've been looking randomly for the days of the week headers but I don't want to spend alot on it so I printed them, the boys colored them, & then I glued them to some old party invites I had in the cabinet. I love it when it all falls together! :)
1pm- S is stirring but I want some quiet time & a small nap so I plop the boys on separate couches with their workbooks & head to my bed. It turned out to be a false alarm but I enjoyed my time reading Power of a Praying Wife anyway :)
1:30- Boys show me the pages they worked on & just keep going with it. I finally finish putting the laundry out!







2:30- S is waking; I am still doing books with Z & J. So studious today! A few more emails and then... hide & seek! S loves hiding with me- we make good partners :)
3- We drive to Culligan Water to fill our bottle and then come home for a walk/run around the blocks. It's beautiful outside & apparently the boys were storing up their energy for this :) J on his Strider & Z on his bike with trainers. He hasn't ridden that in months- it was a little weird to see but I could tell he was trying to balance like he does on the Strider. Pretty cool.

4- It's about time to get serious. Wrap up the day. The boys unload the dishwasher- spoon (sword) fights and all. In fact it got a little carried away & turned into wrestling & eventually J got hurt & mad & it was a crazy hour trying to pick up everything, reload the dishwasher, put away the laundry & keep them from fighting/wrestling/throwing things. It's amazing nothing has been broken yet.




















5- I give J the option of not doing Little Chef today. Maybe you want to watch a show instead? Nope- I want to cook with you, he says. So sweet. *Sigh* Z takes over the computer & J and I put together tomorrow's oatmeal while S tries to remove everything from the kitchen cabinets; successfully spilling the baking soda onto the floor... Once finished, we call Grandpa & Grandma back so J can talk with them and then C comes home bringing a cake & a balloon. We dig into the cake & then go outside to roast hotdogs. It was supposed to be brats but we were too hungry to wait that long :)
8:30- S finally calls it a night.
9- read a new book (100 hungry ants) to the boys and tuck them in. *sigh* I love those boys. I also love tucking them in, closing the door, & having quiet :)

9:40- So now. C is sleeping on the couch. Not snoring yet, though :) The boys are off to dream land. I just finished a plate of rewarmed spaghetti because the hotdog did nothing to combat the cake. The dishwasher (loudest one we've ever heard) is doing it's rhythmic thing and the oven is set to start at 5:30am. Care to join us? :)

Little Chef

It's back! We took a break for a while this summer from everything- schedule, goals, you name it! We just ran in circles chasing our tails it seemed until enough was enough and then last week we returned to our roots. The boys are happier & more content; I'm happier and enjoying the contentment :) 

So now I'm back on a cleaning schedule, school schedule, internet schedule, menu schedule, money schedule- oy! One thing that for sure made it into the menu/school schedule was Little Chef. I choose the supper they help me make but they choose the breakfast we set up for the next day. And while one is in the kitchen, the other gets to play on the computer without having to take turns :) They love it!

On Monday, J helped me make Taco Soup & C's favorite banana/blueberry baked oatmeal.

On Wednesday, Z helped me make chicken tacos & his favorite cranberry maple oatmeal.

I love it! I get one on one with my boys AND I get to pass on my love of being in the kitchen. It's a win-win :)

I want some! I want some!

Chef Z

A new cookbook arrived via Amazon last Friday (http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Like-Dinosaur-Guidebook-Gluten-free/dp/1936608871/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334806004&sr=1-1) & it is sooo fun! Each recipe is kid friendly so I gave it to Z for him to pick out tonight's dinner & he chose 'meatball salad'. He didn't know it at the time, but he was on for making it as well! =] While J took a nap, he made the meatballs

pulled the beets & the lettuce out of the garden
& even took a photo of his supper- he's so funny =] He did great! I think this should be a regular occurrence... =]

a wee GAPS update...

Well, Tuesday night we had a 'meeting of minds' and after being on GAPS for 21 days, we decided to modify our 'diet' a little. I feel great without grains but C feels his best with a little so we've reached a compromise on 1 meal a day with grain. Since, he has had no heartburn :) I have had no energy change & J is {so far} still maintaining a sweet personality (though all of our bm's have altered- TMI??). It has also allowed us to partake in a birthday party & a family dinner without guilt & condemnation :) I have a great respect for the ones I read about that do 100%, no cheating, GAPS lifestyle- especially Cara who's been doing it for 2 yrs now! I am so glad we did this- it forced me to learn, grow, & go towards a healthier lifestyle :)

food, museum, & Sam, oh my! =]

For many months now I've been running across a "diet" that supposedly heals the body- anywhere from allergies to MS to autism. It's called the GAPS diet (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) & it's basically cutting out hard-to-process & also non-nourishing foods (sugar, grains, starches, & uncultured dairy) so the gut can heal & therefore, the body can heal. For all our married years, 7!, my honey hasn't felt good. His ailments have gotten worse & no doc has ever found what the problem is. So at the beginning of this month, 17 days ago, we decided to try this "diet" & see for ourselves if it works. Doing nothing wasn't. So maybe trying a crazy diet would.

I myself started feeling better immediately. My head is clearing, my body wasn't bouncing back after this last C-section & now it feels like it's at least heading that way =], & I do think I have more energy- & it's not the kind that's linked to the morning coffee, either =]

The only thing I've noticed about Z so far is he has alot more energy. Almost hyper energy. But more attentive, too, so it's not the ADD kind =]

J. My sweet J. This year has been rough on the poor guy. I've always heard a child will act how he feels. Well, my J was filled with rage. Not the typical 3 yr old tantrums (we're still getting that) but an outright uncalled-for fury. And soon after starting GAPS, his rage stopped, TYJ! =] He also started pooping regularly & alot (TMI?) =]

Unfortunately, my C hasn't felt good at all. Since day 1 he's been miserable. The only thing I can find for reasoning is that he has alot of die-off (the bad gut flora starving to death) & rebuilding to do. Which, if he's been miserable for 7 yrs, he probably does have a lot of bad bugs.

Anyway, you're probably here for pics of the cuties so let's get on with it, shall we?? =]

I had a hankering for hot chocolate the other night so I found a "legal" recipe & made some up. To help fill up the never-full boys' bellies, we dipped bananas in it. It wasn't the best cocoa I've ever had, but it wasn't the worst either =]

The other day I was reading Peter Pan to the boys & we were saying how silly it was that Wendy was sewing Pan's shadow back on. I asked Z "have you ever lost your shadow before?" & he said "yes!" me: "really??" Z: "at the children's museum in the box with the light"... smart boy =]... & so we went to the museum on Wed & lost our shadows (among other things):

Check out S- such a big boy sitting in his stroller =]

S discovered his toes big time this week. He's been crankier than ever but somehow chewing on his toes has cheered him up most of the time
He's also starting to "play"
And today was an impossible 'Alfalfa' kind of day
I finally made it to WM today & got him a feeder net. Loved it! An apple, mmmm =]
And lastly. A biscuit for supper. But no ordinary biscuit, mind you. It's the only way in all my 31 yrs I have been able to tolerate walnuts. See, this diet has already made me a changed person =]

pumpkin and green beans

Interesting mixture, yes? Well, when my sister was here, we didn't eat them together but it sure seemed like the theme! =] I was blessed to have her visit for a week; we didn't do alot of travel but stayed close to home "relaxing" =]

We had 3 batches of these alone- oh so yummy!

For the pumpkin? We tried a pumpkin oatmeal (a no-go :{ ), pumpkin bars (yum!), & obsessed with dozen of pumpkin recipes =]

Of course, we did have to visit the discovery museum

and get plenty of cuddles and craziness in =]

She is one amazing Auntie and Sister! =]