Sick Once Again?!

In our house recently we have had our share of sickness.  I guess it's just part of having little ones.  Although I thought that home school would help us not get as many sick germs.... so far, not the case. :)  It started with RSV for little Adorable, and I suspect that we all got it though it was just like a cold for the rest of us.  I was crossing my fingers that Handsome would be OK with his asthma... he was good then.  However, a different cold went through all 5 of us, this time triggering Handsome's asthma, a trip to the doctor and with steroids to help him get over it.  Then dad got the flu from work, and yes, it went through all of us, ending with Adorable and me.  I had to wrap Adorable in a towel and hold him, rocking in front of the TV to keep the vomit contained and just change out the towel each time.  That week I totally gave in and TV was on it seems constantly, as I tried to keep the sick child laying down and still by turning on the TV. (A BUNCH of mommy guilt over the hours of TV they watched!)  All done with that we thought we were healthy once again..... umm.... now Handsome and Adorable have a cold.  Adorable a constant runny nose, and Handsome once again a cough and breathing difficulty.  Will we ever be all healthy again?!

Baby Soccer

When I had a sick little one, and a birthday boy to bake a cake for, I realized that Adorable was keeping himself busy playing.  To me it looks like baby soccer.  He kept himself entertained for a good half an hour! 

Another day I again I found him playing the same game with a different toy.  I am LOVING how he can entertain himself.  He likes to do it near me, but still playing by himself.  So cute!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

The kids and I have had fun learning about St. Patrick and some St. Patrick Day traditions, as well as painting pictures of shamrocks.  Today the kids were excited to dress in green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. 

(And just as a note of the simple tender mercies of the Lord.  Just two days ago we were given a cute St. Patrick's Day shirt that fit Handsome.  Sure it was from last year, but what do we care.  Handsome was so excited to wear it today.)

Then it was some Green Eggs and Ham. :)

Yeah, Handsome was not that sure about the whole green eggs and ham thing... he agreed that it tasted fine, but smelled different. :)



Memorization

I believe in memorization.  I can't say exactly what it does, but I really feel that it helps in learning.  As a teacher of 2nd graders, I encouraged my students to memorize a poem every week. 

 Then as Handsome went into Primary (a program in our church for children 18 months to 11 years old) it was natural for me to want to help him learn the months scripture, Article of Faith, and song.  I never force my kids to memorize it, we just say it every day for an entire month and by the end they have it memorized.  This is how Handsome was able to have all 13 articles of Faith memorized when he was a Sunbeam and by default, Gorgeous had them all memorized when she was in nursery. :)

This year I found out about a Charlotte Mason technique where you have a index card file.  You label each divider; daily, even, odd, 1, 2, ...31.  Then after you have mastered one and are ready to start another, you simply move the index card with the quote on it to the next file.  So, say on March 15th, you will recite the one you are doing daily, as well as the one under odd, and the one under the 15.  This way you learn new ones, but don't forget the ones you already learned.  We are doing it and I highly recommend it.  Again, I believe in memorization... I don't know exactly why... but I think it does many good things, especially when my kids are memorizing scriptures.

And of course I am a proud momma when my child decides to stand up in front of primary and recite an article of faith.   And of course as a proud mom I have to post some of the latest things they have learned.

"Take a Picture"

Gorgeous loves to have me take a picture of her.  OK, well, Handsome does too.  They both love to pose... but Gorgeous is the one who figured out that if she poses with Adorable, I'm more likely to take the picture. :)  So, often throughout a day she will sit by him, or pull him to her and declare that I should take a picture.  And Adorable just goes along with it.  And that is how the above picture (along with many others) came about.

He's a Walking!

Adorable is now walking.  It's a tie whether he can get to a place faster by walking or crawling, at times I can see him weigh it in his mind and decided on a method to go.  He LOVES to take my hand and lead me on a walk around the house.  The only down side is the drawers he is getting into... not so much into stuff, but now has a problem of getting his fingers stuck in drawers.

Other cute things he is doing.  He loves to bob his head and sway to music, especially music with a good strong beat.

 He will almost always laugh if you say "boo" and will continue laughing harder and harder the more you do it.  Sometimes when he is not in the mode, he'll do a fake laugh for you when you say "boo".

He LOVES Gorgeous' Lego Princesses.  Gorgeous has three big Lego Cinderella's that he LOVES to carry around and chew on.  I prefer to think of it as him "saving" or "rescuing" the princesses. ;)

And he is such a mommas boy... I can't help it... I LOVE it.  I love to slowly open the bedroom door and watch his face light up when he realizes that it is me behind it.  I love that when I walk in the door he comes right to me and wants to be held.  I love my little boy!

Handsome

I can't believe how big my little boy is getting!  Even though I don't like the time flying by so fast, I have to say I love each and every new stage and am so excited to see where the next year will lead.

Currently his favorite color is: "All the colors in the world."  But if you ask him which is your very, very favorite it is "All of the blue colors."

Favorite toy:  "DJ" the car toy from the movie Cars

Favorite food:  "Mac and cheese, waffles, and pancakes"

This last year he has been big into Harry Potter and Star Wars.  Not because we have let him watch it or read it to him, but because he likes to play the Wii Lego games of Harry Potter and Star Wars.  He still doesn't know who the characters are. :)

He is such a great listener.  When I tell him a fact, or teach him something, he usually picks it up the first time.  Sometimes I will saying something and be surprise he already knows it.  I'll ask where he learned it and he will say from me!  I guess I was just thinking kids needed to hear things a few times to get them down, but not for Handsome. :)

He is also a great big brother and such a gentleman.  I love to see the twinkle in his eye when he decides to run ahead of people and hold open a door for them.  And I love how well he plays with his younger brother and sister.  He is always excited to try and do knew things.  Recently, he was very proud that he could pull a stool over and switch the laundry from our top load washer into our dryer.  He has been such a big helper to me and loves to see others happy from the service he does.

He loves school and LOVES to be around people.  He especially loves playing with friends.  His favorite sports to do are soccer and swimming.

He is such a sweet boy and a joy to have in our family.  I don't know what I would do without my (not so little anymore) Handsome boy!

Airplanes

One thing that Handsome loves to do it make paper airplanes.  He loves to make them and then add color to them.  He had quite a pile of airplanes that I decided to help him string them up and put them up on the wall by his bed.  I thought it was a good way to display all his work.  And he loves it. :)

SUPER

For dinner a couple of nights ago we had Super Nachos, a family favorite.  Then the following conversation occurred;

Gorgeous: (As she held out her plate for a second helping) "Mom I don't think the Super Nachos are very super."

Me: "Well you seem to like them, you ate them all up!"

Gorgeous: "I like them.  But I still don't have any Super powers."