It rained this weekend though - and Brent returned home from a meeting in the evening on Friday which stole a number of hours we'd usually have to catch up on our week. So on Saturday, we were all a little out of sorts and tired in addition to the rainy weather. Everett's teething is driving my poor boy up the wall. He actually chases things to chew - pouncing on his own hands even in his sleep.
With no teeth in sight just yet, I needed to find some relief other than teething tablets, frozen wash cloths and comfort nursing. Enter amber necklace:
(comes complete with a happ(ier) baby)
that also sleeps soundly:
I kid you not - it helps - and fast!
********(feel free to google the medicinal properties of amber)
On Sunday, we played hookey from church (forgive me, the idea of heading out in torrential rain to wrangle kids for an hour just wasn't giving me the get up and go I needed) and instead spent the day doing some hands on family cooking.
We made crackers as a snack - super easy, very good and a whole lot cheaper than $4 a box! Also, the dough is dairy / egg free so safe to eat and doesn't stick to things like Play Doh. (winner winner)
For dinner, I made a batch of pizza dough and let ML and D make their own pizzas. They had so much fun - not just deciding what to eat, but how to eat it. They actually ate ALL they made!
Their toppings of choice are worth mentioning by they way:
David: sauce, seasoned ground sirloin, fresh tomatoes and provolone cheese. David usually eats one to two small tomatoes a day.
ML: sauce and mushrooms. Yes. (no cheese) Mary Louise currently eats about 2 pounds of mushrooms per week - typically sauteed with garlic or cooked into a soup or stew - she hates cheese and any visible butter.
They had a great time cooking and playing with the different dough. People, I have finally found a groove with age 3 (I think...heck it only took me 6 months for goodness sake). Attention spans have lengthened and interests are evolving. I love it. (and happy Momma = happy kids right?)
We went to a Montessori style Music and Movement class (very) early this morning.
Perhaps the most beautiful thing happening right now between Mary Louise and David is their budding personality differences. Ok - they aren't budding - they've been there since they barely had arm buds on the first ultrasounds - but they are becoming more and more defined and I'm having a grand time working with them and offering tools to help them grow in comfort and navigate their own skins. (realizing the previous sentence breaks all sorts of grammar rules...)
The class was so much fun! Mary Louise immediately took to it all - introducing herself loudly and even hugging the teacher at the end. We sang, we danced, we moved. I sat with them and had Everett in his carrier - he slept...through the whole thing. Mary Louise almost didn't even need me there. Each time the teacher would start a new song, she would barely wait for note number 2 before trying to join! She spent much of the time standing in the middle of the circle with one other little girl participating to the max!
David hung back with me. He would look to me for encouragement and reassurance and once or twice whispered, "I can do anything" while smiling. He loved the props the teacher used - a sheer scarf and some shakers. Though he didn't take part verbally very often, he did dance and clap in a very subdues manner. I never know how much he takes in until later: on the way home, that sweet boy didn't stop talking once and told me about the entire class - every song, every move, every clap - and asked to do it again "uh mor doh" (tomorrow).
The atmosphere of the class is beyond relaxed and is somehow appropriate for ages 18 months through 4 years of age. Pretty amazing (if you ask me) to accommodate that age range all in the same classroom.
Back to the weekend:
We played dress up (again):
and jumped on Halloween mats:
and kicked a ball:
(David loves his ball):
and Everett worked on his tripod sitting:
but didn't really appreciate encouragement:
We had a bit of fun with blocks (and apparently lost some clothing between here and there):
and there was much stomping in puddles when the rain finally took a short break:
(yes, we march down the road scantily clad as well)
and in the end, more water was in their boots than in the puddles
before going in for the night, we checked on our urban crops:
Beans:
Eggplant:
bell peppers:
**************
Believe it or not, we've been on a project and activity run as of late - today we also trekked to the teacher supply store and, among other things, got some window markers:
After getting over their shock that I was asking them to actually draw ON the house, I think they had a pretty good time.
xo,
Heather
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