Honey has a birthday!

On the 9th, our middle child turned the big 0-5!  Hard to believe that this sweet, funny, pretty, silly, imaginative, stylish girl is already so big.

 The donuts HAD to have sprinkles, of course.

Honey requested a princess layer cake--soon there was a competition between Speedy (left) and Princess (right) to draw the prototype.  This was a lot of color and tip-changing for frosting for me!

We didn't have anywhere to be all day, so Snuggle-bug proclaimed a PJ day for herself.  Honey wanted to play Memory.  We've had sickies on her last two birthdays, so we were so thankful that everyone was healthy this year!  Honey had been counting down for her birthday, and could hardly wait the last day or two for the big day to arrive!

One of the only sprinklings of snow of the year!  Honey "knew it would snow on my birthday, because it ALWAYS snows on my birthday."  The kids had to go 'play' in it, of course--which was more like puddle-stomping than playing in the snow--it was VERY wet snow.

Honey requested party hats, and was very excited about her special birthday hat.  Snuggle-bug was indignant that she could not have streamers on her hat.

Ooh, polish.  :)  She was also excited about a 'stuffed animal horse,' pink and purple fishing pole, Bible bag, coloring book, jewelry box to decorate, books, a booklight, and more.

It is going to be fun to see how Honey grows over the coming year!  She loves to make people laugh, loves to take care of Lil Sugar, loves to sing and play and imagine and draw and play with the big(ger) kids outside.  She has her 'space' all set up in the bottom bunk with lots of animal friends and her reading lamp.  She HATES broccoli.  She loves Wednesdays, because we go to FOG (Families of God) and Awana!


We love you, beautiful girl!  We pray that you will choose to love God and follow His ways all your days.

(On the 3rd, Honey had the privilege of helping with the winter homecoming crowning at the high school where Hubby teaches.  She was a little nervous, but was excited to dress up and see the girls in their pretty dresses.  She did a great job!)

Easy barrette hanger

Honey helped me make this for Princess for Christmas--a padded baby hanger we've had forever, plus some ribbon and a needle and thread.  I stitched the ribbon to the hanger on the backside, then tied knots down the ribbon, to keep larger barrettes from sliding all the way down.  It's hanging on the wall, but could easily hang in the closet or on the back of the bathroom door.  So nice to have a place for these barrettes!

Read on!

I just finished a great book...about books!  (yes, I guess I am a nerd.)  But really, I was staying up at night to read it and could hardly put it down!  It is called Read for the Heart: Whole Books for Wholehearted Families by Sarah Clarkson.  It is written from a Christian worldview, so I was expecting lists of wholesome books to read my kids.  I also got a little bit of research, thrown in with a whole bunch of love of reading!  There are different genres listed, including books to introduce your kids to classical music and composers, art and artists, poetry, history, fantasy, classics, award-winners, nature, spiritual development and more.  I don't homeschool, but with these book recommendations, I think I would have a good start!  I was thrilled to see many books that we already own (from gifts, garage sales, or goodwill) in the book, plus I'm excited to see which ones the library has, and which ones I can shop for!


I also recently read Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson (the mother of the author above).  It is SO good.  Another one that I didn't want to read too fast because I didn't want it to be over!  Just a very gentle, biblical, inspiring perspective on motherhood.  I will be reading it again!  Sally mentions exposing your children to beautiful music, art, etc., and I had no idea where to start, because I'm not very educated in those areas.  Then I read Sarah's book, and now I know where to look for resources on music and art!  Yahoo!  A great quote from the book, regarding composers, art, and exposing your children to what God has made, and how that makes Him more personal and real to them: "...and He has also inspired the creative work of men and women through the ages who sought to respond to the beauty they saw around them with beauty of their own."  I love that!  I couldn't really articulate why things inspire me to create, but that's it!


~~~~~~~
There's been a lot of pretending going on--this is a 'game' (everything is a game--they ask each other if they want to play 'that polly pocket game' that 'house game', or in this case, 'that anaconda game')


The little ones have been having so much fun that when I tell them it's time to pick up the big kids from school--they whine and don't want to leave, and Snuggle-bug even starts suggesting (by name!) other people I could call to pick the kids up so she won't have to leave her 'game.'  Funny!

This animal Go Fish has gotten very popular, as well.  'Narwhal' is now in the common vocabulary of my 3-year-old.  :)

And this is our michelin-tire marshmallow baby...

Cookies, and Gingerbread, and Trees, Oh My!

We finally got our Christmas tree on Dec. 16!  The kids were excited as we packed into the car.

 Lil Sugar was especially thrilled as we selected a tree and watched Hubby cut it down.

I was especially thrilled as we drove home with the tree hanging out of the trunk of the car.


You have never seen a tree get decorated so fast--I could barely keep up getting boxes of ornaments out!

The majority of ornaments on the tree were of the non-breakable variety--some glass ones were displayed elsewhere:

The little girls helped me put out these pretty purple ones--we had fun doing some different things with them. 

This picture was classic for us--Speedy's mismatched socks; trying to get Lil Sugar to quit crying; trying to just get Snuggle-bug to just be in the same room as the others.

I purchased a clearance mini gingerbread village last year.  I don't know if it started out edible, but Hubby had to use a hacksaw to get the pieces apart.

Honey was eating little candy balls about as fast as she could, but also meticulously lined the roof of her house with lines of little circle candies.

 They had fun, but really they were more interested in eating than decorating.

Princess' house

Speedy's house

the finished tree

Sprinkles are interesting...the kids always clamor to put sprinkles on the cookies, but then they only eat the ones that have frosting.  Except Honey, she is really a sprinkle connoisseur.

Princess really, really wanted to make postonia shaped cookies (i.e., poinsettia) and I finally found our 'sun' cookie cutter to use.  I was out of red food coloring, though, so what we ended up with looked kind of maroon.  If the sprinkles hadn't been used up, we may have put some yellowish sprinkles in the center.  (Actually, I just thought of that now, but will make a note to self for next year!)

Change is the only thing that stays the same

On just figuring out what motivates your toddler/gets your baby to sleep/interests your child/works for discipline-and then someone grows up and it changes:


"...I try to think of it as a growth spurt. It is like all my children have a growth spurt at the same time and develop new needs...This is only a problem when Mom doesn't have a growth spurt herself...
You know those pain scales at the hospital, where they rate your pain from one to ten? Well, pretend that you are screaming, 'Thirteen, thirteen! Fifteen!' What that should tell you is that it is time to restart the whole thing, stop screaming, and just deal with the fact that this is now the new 'one.' Start over, and accept the new 'normal.'"
--Rachel Jankovic, Loving the Little Years

Perspective

"If I had only one child, these sorts of excited inquiries into 'Whatcha doin'?' followed by the 'Can I help you, Mama?' would be received with an enthusiastic and loving welcome.  


But when there is a whole chorus of voices and a whole army of chairs moving into the kitchen, bringing out the enthusiastic welcome is a lot harder.  I have to adapt.  It is not their problem. Individually they are being precious and curious and excited.  As their mother, I am responsible to see them individually, even when they are presenting themselves to me en masse."


--Rachel Jankovic, Loving the Little Years

9 months

Lil Sugar is 9 months old already!  She is clapping, trying to move, and wailing and flailing when she thinks she is 'stuck' somewhere.  

Here is her snorty face--a good view of those 2 bottom teeth!

Lil Sugar is still getting plenty of attention around here.  She is up to 23 lbs, 7 oz.  She will sometimes sleep up to 7 hours at night, but she is still an early bird and starts being active and making noise around 6 am many days.

Christmas This & That

I'll admit it-my blog needs some focus.  But, here's to delayed and out of order posting.

We are working our way through the alphabet at home--Honey and Snuggle-bug are quick to tell me which letter we need to make a craft for next, but they don't like to practice writing the letters very much.  For 'E,' we did Evergreen--painted with pine branches (a very messy and short-lived experiment!) 

 and made wreaths by cutting out the middle of paper plates and gluing on buttons.

'F' was Flower (poinsettia, to be exact).

 'G' was Gift--Jesus is God's gift to us.  We tried a little watercolor resist, to make the baby stand out inside the gift outline.  Eh.

'H' was Holly, but I don't think I took a picture.  I made a leaf shape by cutting up a sponge, but it was difficult to use.  The berries were made with round sponge brushes I already had.

Yummy Family Faves

Peanut Butter Snack Mix
Melt 1/4 c margarine, 1/3 c PB and 2T brown sugar on stove.
Stir well. Pour over 7c of bite size cereals and mix well.
Bake on cookie sheet 45 min or so at 250 degrees.
Let cool on wax paper. Add m&m's and raisins, if desired.

CORNFLAKE TREATS 
½ c light corn syrup
¾ c sugar
½ c peanuts (optional)
¾ c peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla
2 c cereal (we often add more)


Mix corn syrup and sugar in large saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until mixture comes to full boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts, peanut butter, and vanilla until well mixed. Fold in cereal flakes until completely covered. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on waxed paper. Refrigerate 5 min. or longer before serving. Serve at room temperature. Makes about 30.

YEASTED WAFFLES 

1 ¾ c milk
8 Tbsp butter or margarine, cut into 8 pieces
2 c flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp instant yeast
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract


Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over med-low until butter is melted. Cool until warm to touch. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Whisk eggs and vanilla until combined, then add to batter and whisk until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours. (or less, it just gives it time to rise). Heat waffle iron. Whisk batter to recombine. Bake according to waffle iron instructions. Makes four 9-in squares or seven 7-in round waffles.

Homemade Play-Do & Wipes

I'm finally getting around to posting my favorite homemade play-do recipe! I think it's so much easier to clean up than the boughten stuff. It's a fun color and smell, too! Halving this recipe makes enough for my 2 older kiddos to play with.


Kool-Aid Play-do
2-1/2 c flour
1 c salt
2 pkg unsweetened kool-aid
3 tsp veg. oil
2 c water


1. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.
2. In saucepan, bring water to boil. Turn off heat and add oil.
3. Pour oil and water mixture into bowl of dry ingredients. Blend and knead until well mixed. (It will be hot!)


We usually keep ours in a margarine tub in the fridge for months. 


Homemade Baby Wipes
Cut a roll of paper towels in half to make 2 short rolls. (I like Bounty select-a-size)
For a container, I use a round wipes container that the cheap wipes come in--I've had it for 4 years, I think!


2 c water
1-1/2 tsp rubbing alcohol
1 Tbsp baby shampoo
2 Tbsp baby oil


Mix together in container; remove center tube from paper towels; put lid on and turn upside down for a few minutes to get an even soak.


You can tweak the amounts of ingredients, depending on how wet, soapy, etc. you prefer your wipes.

Eureka!

No, I didn't find my Loving the Little Years book by Rachel Jankovic that I purchased in September.  It is still AWOL, apparently along with some school portraits and other things I can't find.  My sister gave me a new copy for Christmas, though, so I put it in a safe spot by my bed and started reading it immediately so I wouldn't have the chance to lose it again!  It is one of those books I made myself read slowly, limiting to a chapter or 2 per night--because I didn't want the book to be over!  It is funny, relates right to where I'm at in life, and it really makes you think about your attitude, heart and actions toward your children.

I've had the book sitting by the computer so I could share some quotes from it, and 2-3 of my kids at different times have said, 'Hey, mom, you found that book you were looking for!' or something to that effect.  You see, I had promised whoever found it a special treat!  And shown them pictures of the cover online.  I guess they are paying attention sometimes!

In one chapter, Rachel talks about the repetition of motherhood, like telling people to stop doing things all day long.  She goes on to describe a report of a day like this as being bad, bad, bad, everyone was ugly, we flunked today, etc, etc.

"Imagine you give a report like this to your husband at the end of the day while collapsed on the couch making tired faces.  Then imagine that he asks in his unhelpful way if you were spanking for it.  (Don't pretend you haven't had a conversation like this some time--I know all about it!)  Usually the answer would be not really, or very little.  Because when you come right down to it, you know exactly who needs to be spanked, and it is you.  Because if you are the teacher and none of the students are succeeding, you need to be doing a better job.  You need to think of new ways to explain the lessons.  Change up the terminology a bit.  Give some illustrations."


I was laughing and feeling convicted at the same time!  I really enjoyed this book, and it is changing my outlook on things.  I'll share more quotes later...