hello, sunshine!

I am happy to have some energy today.  And for the sun!

Yesterday, I was sooooo sluggish.  It seriously felt like an extreme feat just to climb the stairs (which I seemed to have to do A LOT yesterday, or maybe I just noticed more?).  For some reason, my leg muscles were extremely tired and I just could not wake up.  Perhaps because I didn't sleep well, and then was up early that morning with the kids.  And it was kind of rainy and dreary out (although, I won't lie, I enjoyed the rainy day being cozy at home, except that the kids were a little stir crazy).  Either way, I was so happy when Jeremy got home and even happier when I got in bed that night.  I was tired.  Also could have been because I made 12 pints of applesauce from the apples we picked on our old tree and canned them (which I have never done before).  Glad I did it, but PHEW, it was a bit of work.

So, I have been on a mostly gluten free/dairy free diet.  Our family has actually been totally dairy free now (at home) for two months.  I have had eggs and other grains, but then we started limiting our grains too, because of some other research I have been doing.  I have been feeling amazing, but I still feel like I have a long way to go to figure out a good balance...but I was craving some bread real bad the other night.  So, I texted Jeremy while he was at work and said, "LETS GO OUT!" and we went to Panera.  Shea and Hailey split a grilled cheese sandwich, and we got a demi-loaf and a bowl of brocolli cheddar soup to share.  And a huge cookie.  Oh my, what a splurge this was for us.  And we enjoyed it THOROUGHLY.  Going out has become such a special occasion now, that Shea is incredibly well behaved and extremely grateful and sweet. Of course I ruined my diet, but it was one of the most enjoyable family dates we have had.  Not sure if it had anything to do with my energy level the other day or not, but it was sure worth it.  I always have to remind myself that although we are trying to eat what we eat intentionally, we really are not trying to live forever, and people are so much more important than what we eat, which makes it that much more enjoyable when we eat something we don't normally, and especially when we share it with others.  I have just become so obsessed with it, because of the time I am blessed with right now.

Today was our second week at Preschool.  I went and prepared most of what we were doing the night before, but then right when we got in bed I received a message saying that another mom was joining us with her daughter.  I wasn't expecting them to show up for a few weeks, so I was thankful when another child didn't come because I didn't have to prepare an extra set of our activities for her!

It's fun, but always a little interesting to figure out the details.  There is one boy, Thor, he is a JOY to have in the classroom.  He is eating up every moment and loves being in school.  Then there is the new little girl, Lucy.  She reminds me a lot of Hailey, only older.  Very independent and able to do a lot for her age.  She is just young, but she does a pretty good job of paying attention.  And then, there is Donavon.  It took only one week for him to get comfortable and say "no" to everything and start talking back to me.  Shea and him do not get along.  At all.  Donavon hit or kicked Shea about 4 times today.  Now, I know every kid does this, so it's not like that is impossible or unexpected to deal with.  I was really glad to see that Shea didn't hit back, though.  He did yell at the top of his lungs, so the next step will be learning to use words or just walking away, but not hitting back was a huge step.  I even saw him about to hit and then quickly pull his arm back and stop himself.  I guess its about going in stages to eventually have him able to solve conflicts on his own without my intervention.

I talked to Donavon's mom, and I am going to start a "happy heart" chart next week, where they earn stickers for their good behavior, and I will probably be a little more strict about "talking out" in circle time.  It is a little tricky with all the mom's there.  Communication is so important, because I don't always know how much they WANT me to discipline or if they want to jump in.

Shea actually does pretty well during school, other than having a fit about sharing every once in a while (but I find that if I offer a reasonable solution, things usually resolve themselves quickly).  Hailey is all over the place!  Last week my MIL watched her, but she wasn't around this week, so Hailey was just constantly wanting to be a part of everything.  She wants to do school, too!  Its cute, but distracting, and hard for the other moms to help because she is one head-strong girl and knows how to use her voice.

Anyway, I'm glad we do it, and I'm glad I'm home now for the week.

And now, of course, pictures!  These are Hailey heavy today.  Can't get enough of this girl and the crazy fun stage she is in!  Shea also, seems to be maturing a lot lately.  He is still hyper at times, but he is also becoming much more self-controlled and sensitive lately.  Last night, we sat on the couch and he told me ALL about the wife he is "asking God to make for him".  Oh girls, I wish I could have captured that moment in a bottle to open whenever he does something that upsets me.  It was precious.  He had so many details and he just wanted to keep telling me all about it.  I hope I can always have such wonderful, open communication with my children.

Hailey at breakfast.  This girl LOVES to eat.  She loves to sit and take her time and eat every single last bite of her food.  It is so fun to have her at the table with us.  She teaches us to slow down.

 I'll put the rest "after the jump"!

We went to Chuck E Cheese for a birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and this girl loved the rides.  She is obsessed with riding toys, so it didn't surprise me.

Shea and Donavon on a ride at Chuck E Cheese.  They got along fine in this environment, ha.

my homemade almond milk!  I stopped buying it at the store, because they put SO many additives in it.  This is our favorite milk alternative, so I was really happy when I found out how to make it.  Turns out it is super easy to make, about the same price, and I think much tastier!  I just have to plan ahead, because you have to soak the almonds for 24 hours before making it.

my silly girl playing outside while we picked apples at our old house.

we have our nightly ritual of making a pot of tea to share (I started making my own loose mix which I buy from the bulk section of our local grocery store - they have a ton to choose from.  I do chamomile, licorice root, berry hibiscus, and tangerine ginger all together.  with a spoonful of honey - so good!)

and a couple of shots of my tattoo so you can see it better.  I love it.  It's funny though, none of my friends or family have said anything about it.  Maybe they haven't really noticed it, since I wear long sleeves a lot lately, but at first I was kind of worried about what they would say...maybe that's why they haven't said anything? ha.

And here is Hailey at her new table.  She is obsessed with sitting in chairs WITH a hat on.  Have I told you about this?  If she asks for a hat, I put one on her.  Then she asks to be in her chair.  And if she sits in her chair, she immediately asks for a hat.  I have no idea where she got the idea that she must wear a hat in a chair.  Maybe I put a hat on her once when she was sitting down.   She is also a major daredevil.  Her favorite thing to do now is climb on top of the table and stand on it.  Like any responsible parent, I took pictures of her doing something dangerous.