I had very few photos to organize and collage for the month of November! Fortunately, it's not because I am still feeling terrible, as I am actually starting to feel more like myself, as long as I stick to my safe foods. I do believe the lack of photos is an indicator of all of the products I made this past month for the Holiday Season at Harding Honey. I usually try to stay on top of my inventory so that I only have to make one or two items a week, but because I was so sick the last couple of months, I definitely fell behind! I made up for it in November though, and it is nice to be back. Here I am below, getting help making beeswax candles. All three of my girls helped cut paper to mod podge onto the lids, and they also helped put wicks in all of the jars and stuck on stickers for the labels.
My kids had never used mod podge before and so were excited to try it out. By the time we were done with 50 or so candle lids, Lucy told me she would be good if she never saw mod podge again. Fortunately, she hasn't grown tired of color coordinating the supplies for the floral crowns that I make. This past month I made her methodically show me how she came to her color conclusions and after realizing that her choices were spot on - both methodically and just playing it by eye - I have decided that color coordinating is her job from here on out, or as long as she enjoys doing it at least!
We have been struggling with listening, efficiency and general good moods at bedtime and again in the morning. It takes way too long for them to go to bed, resulting in going to bed too late which is not remedied by any sleeping in the next morning. In fact, they get up even earlier. Mostly Violet is the main challenge, but all three of them have issues with this. I am trying out the theory that they are not physically worn out enough at bedtime, and so I have been doing my best to get them out for a brisk walk with lots of intermittent jogging to tire them out. It has helped some. On days when we just don't make it outside for our walk, Will does a good job turning all three levels of our house into an obstacle course which includes the mini trampoline in our basement, the ride-on bouncy balls in our living room and two sets of stairs.
I miss the warmer weather already. Even if I send them to play outside, it is for a half hour here, or an hour there, not the all day outside play of warmer weather. The girls are squirrely and rambunctious and an annoyance to each other and I think even themselves by the time dinner rolls around. We have done lots of stories, games, puzzles and movie nights but again, I would trade it all for those warm summer nights! Photos in clockwise order from top left below: Will reading to the girls, me snuggling a cranky Violet who went to bed too late and got up too early and won't take a nap, Emma and Violet soaking their feet while they watch TV, Emma and Violet channeling their energy into yoga in the living room with a kids yoga DVD, the aftermath of some great snowflake creations, Violet making a "pat-er-en" out of math manipulatives, and Lucy drawing while relaxing on the couch.
All three kids enjoy cooking with us in the kitchen. I have to be honest and say that Will is much better at involving them in meal prep than I am.
Violet, who used to be our least picky eater has now become the pickiest eater. Besides bedtime and wake time, this causes me the most stress in our day. Between my minimal eating list and each kid's list of what they refuse to eat, I feel like a short order cook. Lucy has graduated from picky eating (thank goodness I have this light at the end of the tunnel proof) and doesn't give me any grief but between Emma and Violet, it is exhausting sometimes to work so hard to make healthy foods in the kitchen only to be met by rude manners and then the subsequent follow through on consequences on my part, which also result in cranky kids because they leave the table still hungry. It is a lose lose situation until they are on the other side of this phase. Some days I am able to pull off meals (a combo of various leftovers from the fridge) that everyone will find something to eat from, and other days I play the odds of being mentally strong enough to deal with their crankiness when there is nothing on the table that they would prefer to eat. And don't even get me started on when I am convinced by them to give them a simple snack - it is reminiscent of the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". I am mentally prepared for the prep, clean-up and feeding of three meals a day, but the work that "simple" snacks cause me always takes me by such disappointed surprise!
Our activities this past month included ballet, piano, nature club, swim class and yoga class. Violet participates in yoga class with her sisters and still loves it. In the photos below, from top left in clockwise order: Lucy and Emma on the far right at ballet class, Violet playing under some chairs while Lucy and Emma are in their piano lessons, Violet pouting at nature class, Emma enjoying nature class, Lucy making a leaf craft at nature class, and finally, Violet joining in on Emma's piano lesson.
Our Baby T 5 is wiggling more and more in my belly, and this past month the girls were able to feel her move from the outside. Will also put together the bunk bed that was given to us by a friend who no longer needed it. The bunk bed was an extra long twin, and the girls bedroom only would fit regular twin length, so Will was able to cut it down and make it work with a few extra pieces ordered from the manufacturer of the bunk bed. It was a very cost-effective gift from our friend to make room for our newest baby girl arriving this march. Will said he was just going to set up the bunk bed in the girls room to make sure it fits, and then take it down, as he knew I wanted to wait as long as possible to integrate Violet into Lucy and Emma's room. Of course we all know that as soon as that bunk bed was up, the timeline was no longer in my hands and Violet moved in that very night. Which I guess is also making sense for the current bedtime and wake time struggles we are having.
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