Makeshift Preschool

So some of you know I've been preschooling Mira at home since she is too young to go this year. She is definitely ready. We are at Letter G- I was doing 3 days of each letter but I quickly discovered that she was overly bored spending so much time on each one...so we usually do one or two days now. Today was the first day for G but she already knows the letter, so we'll probably just do this one day. Here she is lacing a big letter G cut out of posterboard.
Here she is cutting out her Gloves that she stamped with Green stamps and will paste on Green paper. She loves today because she LOVES Green.
So I spend a ton of time on the internet finding activities and things to teach her about each letter and such. We are also doing an advent unit right now. Yesterday I made a felt board and we made the stable. We read the first story of Mary and Joseph going to the stable and put them in the barn with the donkey and other animals. Each week we'll build on it. We also made a felt Advent wreath with candles that she gets to put a flame on each week.

With every letter we do some cutting, pasting, stamping, doing puzzles, etc. Today I just focused on the letter and the color Green, but I usually form the day around an animal. For F we did fish and she stamped big F's on a big Fish and little f's on little fish. We also did patterns with little and big fish. Then we glued pompoms on a fish to make him pretty. Every day we do a new letter I do one picture where she usually glues things togethers and colors and put it on the fridge with the words Ff is for Fish! She gets to look at it for a few days until we move on. It seems to be working- when we read she points out the letters she knows to me. F and E are obviously sometimes mixed up!

I am thinking after I get past H or I we'll spend a couple of days just reviewing what we already know. I have actually enjoyed the time because it makes me focus solely on her for at least an hour each day. It's sometimes hard with Griffin always pulling at my leg, but sometimes we do it during his nap. She seems to be thriving on it and really looking forward to the time!

Mira is 3!

Mira is so tired today she finally gave it around 3 and fell asleep sitting up with Brooks. She refused to lay down. We started the day going to church and then came home for pizza and some family.
Here she is with her little cake- the real stuff happens next weekend.
She got this baby center from Casey and Reese. Right now it's the biggest hit!
Getting ready to open it.
She walked into her closet and said, "What IS this?!" It was pretty cute.
Playing memory with the grandmas.
She's had a fun day but I don't think she processed it all because she's so tired. Both the kids and Brooks have bad colds and I think it's caught up with all of them. I'm just hoping I don't get it! I'm a little overwhelmed as I've been working a lot it seems and I have a ton to do. The house is a mess and there are about 8 loads of laundry to do. It's the first Sunday of Advent and I really want to start teaching Mira about Advent this Sunday for preschool. I haven't had time to prepare yet! Oh well. I know it will all work out.

Birthday Surprise Extraordinaire!

G man- so cute. He looks so big here! First some more pics of the kids playing doctor. M giving G a shot- he's making a run for it!
He is pretty good at humoring.
So we painted M's closet for her birthday. She needs a place to play without Griffin bugging her and taking everything. She loves to play with tiny toys, but I just haven't been able to get them for her...until NOW!!! Here we are just getting started. We just painted the back half and are using the front for her clothes. I wanted to do Green because it's her favorite color all the way, but it just was too dark, so I compromised.
Yellow is done!
I stenciled the Alphabet across the top where she could see it. She's learning her letters so fast!
I also did some stenciling at the back of the bookshelves above where there will be books. It's not great, but I think cute.

The finished product minus some toys and babies.
I also have to add her chairs and craft stuff.
She's going to LOVE it!
I am dying for her birthday to get here. I am so excited! I know she's going to love everything!

Albany

We went to Albany today. Got there about 11 and stayed til around 3. Mira is really into playing doctor- she likes to be the patient or the doctor. Here is grandma giving her a shot.
Grandma took the kids to Pamida and got them some toys. G got this stupid dinosaur that roars and walks- he thinks it's hilarious every single time.
Playing some more.
My guy.
Here are some pics from yesterday- vacuuming like every good man should.
Being Mira's patient. He's pretty good about it when she orders him around.

Thanksgiving at Carriage Square

Went to Carriage Square to eat dinner with Grandma Betty last night. The kids had a good time. I got them a couple of new movies for the ride and brought their jammies along. Cousin Max and Mira are about the exact same personality. It was cute.
Someone had a PIT BULL puppy. It was named Dementia. Nice. Why do people think that's ok?
Griffin was a pill- he ate peanut butter crackers and 2 packages of gummies for dinner.
Partners in Crime.


Off to Albany today!

Lovin the weather!

We are loving this weather!! Today we went to the gym and then came home and ate our sonic outside at the table. The kids don't eat much, of course, but we still had a good time! Yay for sunshine!~

The 1/2

So....I went to the Gobbler Grind so that I could run the 5K portion of the race....I had already paid, and so I got a free shirt and such. The course is all the same, so I intended to quit after 3 miles....well, I didn't. I kept going. I ran the half marathon. 13.1 miles. In full. I took my friend Ryanne's advice and every time there was a water station I walked for about 1 min to 90 seconds to give my ankles and knees a break. It proved to help. My ankles and knees didn't act up a bit. My calf and quad muscles, on the other hand, are VERY sore. I can hardly walk and it's only been an hour. Woops. Before today I had never run farther than 8 miles. I feel proud. My total time was 2 hours 19 mins and 20 secs. Pretty respectable if you ask me :)

evening fun

I think I have posted the LEAST amount this month in the entire history of the blog. Sorry! I'll try and do better. Seriously- I haven't taken any pictures. Brooks took these the other night before I got home from work.
Griffin is finally starting to show an interest in books. He will actually sit for you to read to him now!


That's it before the camera batteries died!

Another busy week...

Well here I am again not posting for a week. I am working so much right now that I just don't have time to take pictures, let alone post any. I am just trying to make enough money that Christmas is easy this year and nothing is on credit. Very doable, but it does make life quite busy for these couple of months. Again this week I'll be working 4 days (if everything goes as planned) which doesn't leave much time to spend with the kids. Brooks is out of town this weekend- I had tons of things planned to do around the house and really get caught up, but it's already Saturday night and I don't feel even close. Only one more day off :(. The days just fly by.

I am super excited about M's birthday coming up. Her party will be Dec. 5th (if you want to come). It's more exciting than in years past because she really GETS it. She is looking forward to it and I know she'll truly LOVE some of her presents. In the last 2 years she likes her toys, of course, but toys are toys. THIS year though, is the first year she actually WANTS things- certain things, and it's EXCITING!!! I can't wait to get everything bought and wrapped for her. I was supposed to go to TRUS this weekend and price everything, but we haven't gotten there yet, so we'll see.

Well, I need to get to bed. I'll try and get some pictures taken perhaps tomorrow!

outside fun

Here are just a couple of pics of the kids- M's head is looking stupendous!
I love this kid but he is becoming a TERROR. The terrible two's are in full force.
So I gave in and turned G around today. I feel almost guilty, but he has been awful about getting in his car seat. I thought he'd be excited about it but he didn't care at all. This afternoon the kids and I went to QT and they got their own slushies. They were pretty thrilled.

Unseasonable

Lana and I took the kids to the park today. It's unseasonably warm now that November has come.
We took a picnic lunch which Griffin refused to eat, surprise surprise.

Nice hair, as usual.
My small guy.
Mira's stitches are getting better quickly. The mederma seems to be working well. She's got an awful cough though and it's waking her up at night, which in turn, wakes me up at night. I'm really exhausted. I have started working with Mira on preschoolish things each day. We are doing letters, animals, numbers, shapes, order, coloring, writing, gluing, cutting, etc. My only problem is where to put all of her beautiful creations! She absolutely loves the engagment between us and is constantly begging to do more. We do about 3o mins twice a day. I don't have any idea if what I teach her is appropriate in content or in the way I approach it, but it can't be bad for her and it gives us something to do together.

G was running a fever yesterday but acting fine and seems ok today other than he won't eat at all....not exactly abnormal. He is saying EVERYTHING now. Doctor, sorry, Grandma, grandpa, snack, drink, milk, diaper, etc, etc etc. Anything we suggest he say, he tries it. It's amazing.

I am in a funk. I wonder if some how I'm depressed, but I'm still taking my prozac, so maybe not. I am in good shape although struggling with some injuries as usual. I just get frustrated so easily and am constantly tired- I thought I was supposed to be over the stage of exhaustion now that they are older? I feel behind and often like a failure- my house is never clean enough, organized enough, my kids are never well-behaved enough, my laundry is never done enough, etc, etc, etc. Is this just how it feels to be a mom who works AND runs the household?? I wish that I could stick to some sort of schedule to keep it all done, but it never seems to work. So far, I am successfull in my workouts which keep me somewhat sane. I get REALLY agitated if I can't do that. So often is either the kids or the house- and the kids always win (as they should). It's interesting because lots of times if I can just get up and out of the house I find it so much easier now to take them places and do things with them. If we stay here though, they are so very out of hand. They were terrible at the store the other day too- really for the first time in a long time. They're starting to really play off each other. I wonder why right now I can't seem to get any energy or motivation to do anything at all?

Happy Halloween!

Last week I took the kids to a halloween party at a church- they had a good time and it was fun practice for last night and learning about getting candy and saying Trick or Treat!
Griffy was so stinking cute in his vampire costume.
Mira the good witch.
Then Friday night we went to Mike and Theresa's and carved pumpkins. The kids played around. Griffy was a kitty.
Mira and Delaney made their pumpkins with these "Mr Potato Head" look-alikes for Halloween.
She was proud.
Halloween night- we all dressed up! It was fun! B the pimp, me the pirate wench, G the vampire, and M the witch.
Delaney and Theresa were Super Girl. The kids did GREAT Trick-or-Treating. Griffy really got into it. They have a ton of candy now that we have to ration and hear them scream about not getting to eat all at once.
Some of the houses get really scary- Griffin was suspicious.
Twas a Happy Halloween!