Wordless Wednesday (almost)

Is anything more precious than a napping child snuggled up on your bed with all your pillows?  [especially when they are so adept at causing 'confusion and delay']

1st day of School

E "officially" started school on Tuesday, September 4th with the rest of the Michigan public schools.  However, my little school girl didn't head to the local public school.  We set up school right here at home.

She was so excited to get started that morning.  But, a late night from visiting friends over Labor Day got our day off to a slow start.  Then, C had a few drops of blood in his diaper when I pulled off his night diaper...so a trip to the dr with a subsequent trip to the hospital to drop off a urine sample took up our morning.  By lunch, my poor little school girl was beside herself because she just wanted to go to 'school'.  {Thankfully nothing was really wrong with C.}

Once lunch was over and C was down for a nap, we got busy with kindergarten business and all was well.  We did a little craft, some writing, some reading...and satisfied the craving for learning of my oldest learner.

The day didn't start out so smoothly but the afternoon went pretty smoothly.

I got feeling pretty puny as the afternoon wore on.  So, Jut fed the kids supper while I rested.  When I came back downstairs, everyone was outside.  The olders were riding their bikes and having a good time until X got going a bit too fast, lost control, hit our neighbors car and tried to take a chunk out of the sidewalk with his mouth.  I thought that he was going to lose a tooth for certain.  His tooth was bleeding, his mouth was bleeding, his lip was bleeding.  I'm so thankful Jut was home to deal with all the blood.  This mom doesn't do very well with large amounts of blood...especially when teeth are involved...{although, I have gotten better with practice}.  He ended our day with a very swollen lip and mouth.  Poor guy.  But, it didn't slow him down too much and a month later, he's back to riding as fast as he can down the sidewalk.

Thankfully, the rest of the week went much more smoothly for everyone.  Although, I am learning that balancing homeschooling on top of everything else around here is challenging...but we are managing.

11 Months

C is 11 months old!  Only 30 days until he turns 1!  Crazy.  My baby is becoming less and less of a baby all the time.  He's getting more sounds.  He has a definite screech for the cat.  I can always tell when he's spotted Pumpkin.  He's waving 'bye bye'.  He'll stand a few seconds independently.  He'll walk holding on to your hands.  He's cruising a bit inside of the crib but I haven't caught him doing it with the furniture yet.  A toddler he is rapidly becoming and leaving the baby stage behind.

Morning naps only occur once or twice a week...he's never still...nursing is winding down...he wants 'real' toys and not baby ones...he's eating more 'real' food....I'll miss my baby but I love watching my toddler grow and learn.

Tooth #7 finally popped two days ago.  The second tooth on the bottom left finally erupted.  I keep holding my breath for more since he popped 4 in June and hasn't popped one since, but he may just get one in this time around.  I can feel the bumps in the back where his molars are going to come in...oh the joys of more teeth.

He stands all the time.  His reach is growing daily.  He loves seeing what he can knock off the table, tv stand, etc.  He can't see up there but he can feel and knock it down.

Climbing is another favorite past-time.  He climbs up the stairs any chance he gets.  He climbs on top of the kids' picnic table.  He climbs to the top of the step stool in the kitchen to mess with things on the table.  Up, up and away he goes.  He keeps me on my toes.

He discovered the joys of the toilet bowl this month.  He can smell the open toilet lid and away he goes to play in the water.  Oh the wonder of exploring the world.

"Track 29, Can We Go One More Time"

I've been singing that ditty from the commercial from when I was a child all summer to the kids.  Last spring I ran across an ad for Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.  I just knew my kids would LOVE it...my pioneer-loving girl and train-obsessed boy...the best of both worlds for them.  So, we've talked about it and talked about it and talked about it.  June flew by with vacation and Jut traveling.  July was gone in the blink of an eye with camp and who knows what else.  August started with VBS and the fair, and then I realized Jut was starting school in a week and we still hadn't made it to our 'fun' summer destination.

So, last week, we packed up the kiddos to discover the adventure of Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.  First off, it looked like rain.  We needed to move quickly in the morning.  However, we didn't really look up directions very closely because we figured there would be signs.  Without possessing a smart phone, that was a mistake.  Took us a good half hour extra in poor navigation and there was another 20 minute delay due to a potty break.  I was fit to be tied by the time we got there.  The sky looked ominous.  I didn't think it was going to go well.

Thankfully, I was mistaken.  We got splattered on and had a pretty strong 'breeze' throughout our picnic lunch but otherwise, it really was a perfect day...not too hot, not too sunny, not too breezy (minus lunch), and not crowded.  We had fun exploring Crossroads Village until 2 and then we took the train.  (Note:  Our camera had almost no battery life...so almost all the pics are from the train.)

We were a bit worried that X would not like the train because of the noise.  He wanted nothing to do with the grist mill...for that matter he hides from my dad's diesel truck because its too noisy.  When we'd watch the train go by, he'd cover his ears.    But, when it was time to ride the train, he was all about it!  We picked our coach...the fourth one back with cushy seats.  When the train blew its whistle (it was a diesel engine), he'd cover his ears but keep his eyes glued outside the window.  Within 5 minutes, he'd even stopped covering his ears.  He was mesmerized.  It was fun to watch.  E really enjoyed the train ride too.  She was almost as excited as X to ride the train.  Jut and I enjoyed the 40-minute time to sit and not have to contain children.  It wasn't a smooth ride but it jostled C right to sleep for his afternoon nap.  It worked out perfectly.  Plus, the hardest rain fell while we were on the train ride.  Perfect.

Afterwards, we explored more of Crossroads Village.  E was dressed up in her 'Laura' dress and enjoyed the comments from all the dressed up 'staff'.  She was hilarious.  Next year I'll have to keep an eye out for 'pioneer days'...E wants to go back and go to school in the schoolhouse like Laura and Mary.

The only thing that distracted from our experience was that they were getting ready for a Day Out with Thomas.  So, some of the buildings were closed in preparation...but the kids loved seeing 'Thomas' stuff everywhere so it really didn't bother them.  We stayed until closing because we were having so much fun.  It was a really good time.

I bought some freshly ground flour from the grist mill and made regular bread and zuchinni bread with it.   It was delicious.

E is all excited to go back for Halloween and ride the train and go trick or treating through the village.  She'll be very disappointed if that doesn't pan out.  So, we shall see what happens.

10 months already!

C is 10 months...just two months shy of the big age 1!  Time goes by crazy fast.

There isn't too much different between this month and last month.  He's standing more and pulling up to his feet on more and more things.  He loves getting up on his knees and 'finding' things on the couch or chair or whatever else.  Once he gets better at pulling himself up on his feet, we are all in trouble and will have to find other places to 'hid' our stuff.  He has finally figured out how to go up the stairs...the gates are back up in the house. 

I wrote he crawled fast last month...that was nothing.  The kid flies around on those knees.  He loves exploring and popping out of places that you didn't realize that he'd ventured into...like the office.  Our house has a circle path and he always has the biggest smile on his face when he pops out of the office or the closet.

C is self-feeding more and more...zucchini bread is his favorite right now.  He loves that stuff.

We've had to get a table out for the older two to keep their toys on because they do not appreciate C destroying all their creations.  C loves 'playing' with them and their toys...they don't particularly like sharing however.

Last week, he was 21 lbs 13 ozs and he's already taller than X was at a year old.  The dr was a bit concerned developmentally because I hadn't noticed him doing some things...picking things up with his index finger and thumb, clapping, etc, but when we got home, he started doing all of them.  I guess he just had to be told to do them...or his mom needed to pay more attention.

He is LOUD!  He thinks that he needs to be louder than the 'olders'.  My house just keeps getting louder and louder.  He likes to jabber too.  He LOVES jabbering at the cat...or any other animal.   However, Pumpkin doesn't appreciate him so much.  P bit C earlier this month and now C generally keeps a safe distance between him and P and doesn't pull out any more clumps of fur from the poor old cat.

C got to experience Crossroads Villiage and Huckleberry Railroad thos month.  The train ride put him to sleep but otherwise he generally enjoyed his time there.

It has been a fun month!

Blueberries, Blueberries, Blueberries

A pickin' we will go...
A pickin' we will go...
High ho the dairy-o...A pickin' we will go

We have been blueberry picking crazies the last three weeks.  The first morning as I piled the kids in the car I thought that I was crazy and that we'd never last in the berry patch.  I was wrong!  The kids and I picked for almost 2.5 hours and came home with over 12.5 lbs of berries (Mom and I had gone the previous Saturday and I had only picked about 8.5 lbs).  E wasn't ready to leave.  She wanted to 'harvest more for the winter.'  I love my little pioneer girl!

I decided to try my second venture after the first went so smoothly.  We only picked for about 2 hours and cleared about 11.5 lbs.  The kids again did phenomenal!  E and X began by picking but soon wandered down the rows in the patch looking for 'big' ones, or they played explorers scouting between the bushes closer to me.  C either slept in the Moby wrap or played on the ground eating whatever he could put in his mouth.  He was a dirty little boy by the time we were finished.

The third excursion wasn't quite so successful.  G'ma went with us.  They put us in a different area of the patch that wasn't shady.  The kids got hot quickly.  The berries were very sweet but they weren't super big and so the kids didn't enjoy picking them as much.  Plus, it wasn't as overgrown and there wasn't as many places to explore.  We only grossed about 7 lbs, but it was still fun to pick with G'ma

Ready to leave the patch...maybe he had been ready for awhile

E with her 'pioneer' tin pail to pick berries

C hanging out in the Moby and picking his own berries

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Color Run GR "The Happiest 5K on the Planet"

I completed my first 5K today...I finally joined the 5K fad.  Although, I will admit that I didn't run.  We just walked.  I generally don't think running looks very fun or enjoyable.  However, I will agree that the Color Run does appear to be 'the happiest 5K on the planet'.  I didn't see anyone looking miserable today.  Everyone was having a good time.  It almost makes me want to train to run a 'real' 5K.

Purple Color Station #1

My journey to completing a 5K started with my sister that decided I needed to do this Color Run with her.  After giving it some thought, I decided I'd buy the shoes and do some training.  However, I discovered the cost of the Color Run and did not complete any training due to the hot temps this summer.  Consequently, I didn't sign up for the Color Run.

Stacey posted a couple things last week about the race on my fb wall and a friend of mine saw it.  She then offered me her spot in the Run.  My sister hurt her Achilles tendon and needed to walk instead of run.  So, I was able to walk with my sister in our first Color Run and my first 5K.

Cloud of pink from Color Station #3

I was a bit leery when I learned that I would be walking with 10,998 of my closest friends in this Run.  I thought the crowds would be crazy.  However, I was very surprised.  It was busy, but it was really fun.  The people watching was amazing.  The costumes...angels, brides, tutus, fairies, colorful knee socks, crazy headbands, the dancing, the general craziness of 11,000 people in a small area was fun to absorb.

I left my house at 5:26 to meet my sister at 6:45 in GR.  We then drove to downtown.  Snagged a parking spot and headed to the race area.  Thankfully, Stacey picked up our race packets on Friday and so we just joined the racers.  We ended up in Wave 2 and left the starting gates around 8:05.  We averaged about a 15-minute mile.  It was a good time and we had lots of good time to chat throughout our walk.

We finished our 5K, took some pictures and then headed to Breton Village for a stop at the Omelet Shoppe...yum.  I consumed all the calories I had just burned.  But, it was good!  I was home in time to pick everyone up from church.  Fun times!