Internet

We are having intermittent internet problems.  This makes writing blog posts, making photo books, sending emails extremely annoying- hence my hiatus from my blog (again).  Hopefully (because we are rather cranky when we don't have solid internet) our situation will be corrected soon and I will be back on track- after all, I have Easter pictures, birthday pictures, art work and funny stories to post- just as soon as I can!

So Tired

 Everyn is a very cuddly girl.  She likes to be carried, she likes to be babied and she will sit on people's laps for long periods of time.  Sometimes we read, sometimes she will just sit and suck her fingers and twirl her hair.

She also likes to play.  If I find dolls neatly tucked under a blanket, or a little girl grocery shopping- it is Everyn.  Berean rarely plays dolls or pretend, unless Ever puts her up to it.

Berean leaves her bag or basket somewhere, Ever picks it up and tries to make sure  Bre gets it back- even if it means using one of her 6 or so words to defend the object against another child.

 She has the same tongue protrusion thing as Lincoln, so I imagine speech therapy will be in her future.  She really wants to speak, however, and will actually attempt words, so that may work in her favor.  Lincoln is a more  of a "strong silent type" and even now when he can talk, does not share an abundance of information like some others in the household.

She says "Bre" the most.  Clearly, she idolizes her sister.  They watch the kindle together during screen time, and Ever always holds it.  This surprises me, because most other times Berean calls the shots. 

She will try to say the names of letters and numbers when she plays her matching game, and she really likes to move things around.

 For example, she loved these flowers at the children's museum- planting and unplanting them kept her very amused.

One time I had two bags of canned/bottle groceries, waiting to go downstairs.  She took every can out one by one and lined them all up on the kitchen floor.  Then she put them back in the bags, and then she repeated the scenario. 

She can go potty by herself, and tries to dress herself, but still has trouble with arm holes.  She likes to go on walks in the stroller, but other times she really exerts her independence- getting her own spoons, picking out her clothes etc.

She still sleeps in her crib, and doesn't try to get out.  This surprises us greatly.  The reason it surprises us is because in all other ways, she is an escape artist.

She is exhausting me- I have to be right by her at all times.  If it is not trying to use sharpies or scissors in inappropriate ways (she watches, and takes the boys supplies if they leave them out), it is trying to pull things off the counters.  If it is not pulling things off the counters, it is climbing on the counters to get things out of cabinets.  If it is not climbing on counters, it is attempting to get her own food and pour her own drinks.

If she is not in the kitchen, she is watching for  a door to be unmanned so that she can escape the house. 

We are working on teaching her what she is and is not supposed to do, but we have also been working on action plans- which doors are to remain locked etc, what to do if your sister tries to crawl out the door that you are coming through, how to safely contain Ever until Mom can finishing peeing and arrive on scene.  Stuff like that. 

I have also informed the neighbors, that she is an escape artist, and if they see her out unattended or wandering, that it is absolutely NOT authorized by me. She has not passed the "alone outside" test.

And so you will find me, for the duration of the spring and summer, an independent 2 year old's shadow.  I will be working day and night keeping her safe and out of mischief.  If you want to sign up for a shift, let me know.

Visiting!

A couple of weeks ago the kids and I took a trip with my mom to visit my Grandma Vivian in her nursing home!  It was a long day of traveling, but the kids did pretty well and it was fun to see Grandma.

Berean did great.  She wore a fancy dress and accessories. She danced and sang.  She also said the pledge of allegiance and organized a game throwing the pink ball from Great Uncle to Great Aunt to Great Grandma.

The boys bounced between running around on the helicopter pad, visiting and doing puzzles. They sang one of their Blast Off songs, and Lincoln did a nice job soloing.  He was shaking, he was so nervous, but gathered his courage and sang away!

Everyn kept trying to escape, but she is two and so we forgive her.

I do regret not getting a picture of me with the kids and Great Grandma, but the one here of Grandma Pam and the kids and Great Grandma did turn out pretty well.  Poor Evie.

My Favorite Things

I work in a large hospital and I park in a ramp.  I have to pay for the privilage of parking there, but at least it is connected to the building. I work downtown in a somewhat sketchy area and I do work nights, so I don't complain about the cost too much.

Besides that, it has a stairwell.

Made of concrete block.

Maybe it sounds creepy, maybe it is creepy, but I love the smell of the concrete block stairwell.

I like the smell of rocks and sidewalks after the rain,

but I really love the stairwell.

Like I said, maybe it is creepy.

But I guess a simple pleasure after nights spent trying to keep people alive,  cleaning up relentless amounts of  poop and being yelled at and swore at by confused (or just mean) patients is ok.

Ahh, wet cement.

April Goals!

Spring is always such a crazy time of year around here- so many things coming to an end and also so many new things starting.  Yard work is added to housework and no one wants to do anymore school.  We'll see what happens with the weather and everything else!

Personal/Spiritual

*Finish memorizing James
*Fruit of the Spirit study
*continue Keys for Kids with the kids nightly
*Read Mark with kids
*Read 4 books (2 of them are half done)
*Blog 18 times
*Write Noah and my story

Exercise (this is planned to be a more relaxed month, since my days will not be as routine driven this month as they usually are)

*Barre class
*Run/walk/skate 90 miles
*Swim 2 miles
*1 mile of lunges
*lift weights 10 times
*400 push ups
*7 mile trail run

Home stuff

*Main floor trim
*Clean carpets
*call contractor to discuss addition
*clean out basement
*clean out garage
*implement daily/weekly jobs
*continue with "Mother's helper" days
*get rid of 7 things a day
*seasonal clothes exchange
*wash and put away snowpants/boots/mittens
*Smoke detectors
*oil change Suburban
*Picture deleting
*Scanning
*Deacon's book
*Everyn's book

Social
*Attend bridal shower with work friends
*Race with Noah
*2 day continuing ED class with friend from work
*dates with kids

School
*Deacon's test
*Finish up majority of school for year
*Spring Break!
 
 

March Conclusions

March was a good month, but a little stressful.  We had a Grand Prix deadline, I had 2 incredibly time consuming/emotionally draining weekends at work and all of the early spring stuff kind of came to a head.  When my work weekends are rough, not much else gets done on those weekends and that definitely slows things down around here.  But for what it is worth, this is what I did accomplish...as well as a great many other things :)

Personal Growth/Bible

*read 4 books  (finished 2 and half done with 2 more)
*memorize book of James (1st 2 chapters)
*find my Fruit of the Spirit book and get through week 5
*blog 18 times (clearly did not make this)
*write Noah and My story for the blog (started)
*Potty Train Everyn

Exercise

10 mile run
9 mile run
8 mile run
8 mile run (should have done the 31st but just.could.not after my weekend at work, walked 4 instead)
6 mile run
6 mile run
5 mile run
5 mile run
10 8 min miles at .5 or 1 incline
swim 2 miles
400 push ups
2 miles lunges (1.25)
lift weights 10 times
walk

Home

*buy dishwasher
*trim in kitchen/dining room/entry way (has been started)
*go through kitchen cabinets
*go through dining room cabinets
*clean outside of cabinets
*bring stuff for youth garage sale
*Master Bedroom closet
*Paper sorting
*B's book
*Picture deleting
*scanning
*clean carpets
*oil changes x2 vehicles
School

*standardized tests (Roman and Lincoln done, they forgot to send Deacons, so his aren't done yet)
*spelling/language arts

Social
*B's birthday party
*two outings with friends for me
*dates with kids (B done)
*2 times out with Noah (one done)
*people over x2
*plan out summer activities (did the ones that needed to be done this early)
*Kids and I visit Grandma out of town