Violet Hot and Cold at 25 Months

This past month with Violet has been quite challenging.  We believe it is the rising temperatures and humidity outside combined with her new age of two and her trouble with sleep.  Her tantrums and mood swings have been epic to say the least, and I have turned several heads when I've sprayed her in the face with the mister bottle during a melt down.  It finally occurred to me that it probably doesn't look good when I spray a screaming toddler in the face with a water bottle, much like a pet owner would spray a misbehaving cat.  Because I don't feel like defending my parenting to complete strangers, I now mist myself as close as possible to Violet, so she still benefits from the second hand spray and hopefully now I'm only being judged for her lack of clothes in public.  It is kind of hurtful when mostly elderly people tell me to my face that I need to get that poor baby some clothes before she freezes to death.  If only they knew the stress and anxiety that went into what she is currently wearing/not wearing.  Here she is below, trying to catch a breeze with Will.

When Violet becomes overheated, it becomes a vicious downward spiral as she communicates her discomfort through screaming, which then causes her to overheat even more.  When all other cooling methods have failed, I put her in a cool bath and she calms down very quick.  It is such a relief to have her sweet personality come back and it breaks my heart to see her lose herself when she overheats.  People with the same challenges Violet has keep telling me that it will get easier in a couple of years when she knows how to manage her own temperature better and I keep reminding myself that if we can make it through the toddler years we will be okay.  The tough thing is, that if we are playing outside she is so happy, even when it is warm.  It's almost like her core body temperature raises slowly, over a period of time and once it hits a certain point - probably when the rest of us start sweating - she starts becoming more and more irritable until there is nothing to do except douse her in cool water.

Violet loves swinging and now that the weather is warmer, we have realized that her swing is in full sun.  The other day I told her no when she wanted to swing because it was too hot.  She got upset and kept crying and whining about swinging that I finally agreed and put her in the swing.  A couple of minutes later she became lethargic and I pulled her out of the swing and drenched her shirt in water.  I feel like in a couple of years I won't have to fight her to keep her from overheating.

 I just hope the rest of the world won't be distracted by Violet's mood when she is hot, and can see the girl that I see - the one who loves to help me...

 ...and is super silly and loves to entertain an audience with her antics.  In the below pictures from clockwise order starting at the top: Violet turned two lap desks over to make a bed out of the bean bag bottoms, Violet telling me, "Look Mama T., I up down!" and finally, Violet telling me to look at her hands while we were driving in the car.  Fortunately I found it funny as it is a giant pain to have to put her shoes and socks back on each time we need to get out of the car while running errands.  However, unlike when her sisters were her age and I made them walk without shoes and socks if they took them off, I never will reprimand Violet for taking clothes off as I feel like that is the first step in managing her own body temperature.

Violet still has the most varied appetite out of her sisters, and appreciates foods that are soft, unless the food is chocolate of course.  She still doesn't have any bottom molars and struggles with raw veggies and apples.

Violet speaks in full sentences now and it is such a cute thing for us to hear - especially if we understand what she is saying.  Usually if I can't make out what she is saying, Lucy and Emma are ready interpreters.  Some of her favorite phrases this past month include:

-"Help me Mama T."
-"What's this Mama T.?"
-"That scared me!" in response to almost getting hurt or hearing a loud noise.
-"Too spicey!" describes any food she doesn't like, even if it is just something she has to spit out because she can't chew it.

She also likes to whisper-talk stories, which I find highly endearing.  And yes, she refers to me as Mama T.

Violet loves playing house and setting up various little cozy corners for her and her baby dolls.

 In fact, Violet's favorite thing to do is to play mommy with her baby dolls.  She got a new baby doll for her birthday to match the ones that Lucy and Emma play with and I'm sad to report that the new baby doll has replaced her little Rosie baby doll that she has slept with since she was just a couple of months old.  Maybe the larger sized doll feels better to cuddle, but either way, I am sad to see her love of Rosie come to an end.

Besides her new doll named Kayla from her birthday, she has also found my favorite doll from when I was a kid named Babsie (or as Will refers to her as The Albino Princess - reason number 234 why we wouldn't have been friends as kids).  It is crazy to me to see Babsie come back to life through the love of Violet and I feel such amazing gratitude that my most beloved childhood toy has a new life again with my real-life baby.  Here Violet is below, playing with her two favorite baby dolls.

Violet really is a sweetie when the temperature is cooler and the humidity is low.  Oh, and when everyone gives her what she wants immediately, without hesitation.  A toddler that doesn't sweat - such a difficult combo!  Even still, I love her with all of my heart and can't imagine life without her, no matter how exhausting our life right now may be.  Here she is below, smelling lilacs, picking flowers and watering our garden.

 When Lucy and Emma were struggling with toddlerhood tantrums I read them the book, "I Love You Through and Through" where it says, "I love your happy side, I love your sad side, I love your silly side, and your MAD side."  I think I need to add a page for Violet that says, "I love your cool side and your HOT side, I love you through and through, yesterday, today and tomorrow too!"

April

We kicked off our crazy busy month of April with a fun Pizza Showdown with our Aunt and Uncle.  There were four pizzas from four different pizzerias and we had to decide which one tasted the very best.  Interestingly enough, once all of our favorites were together in one place, there was one clear winner.  After our pizza showdown, we played a rowdy game of hide and seek.  Emma won with her hiding spot right next to where we were counting!  She stayed quiet and hidden for a really long time as we searched the house three times over, and still couldn't find her!  We ended our foodie party with a brownie pizza, decorated by the kids.

The Pizza Showdown was a great way to start off Will's spring break.  We played with the idea of going somewhere for spring break, but decided to have a stay-cation instead.  Here are the girls below, starving after waiting for almost an hour to get a table at the local brunch place.  I ordered the s'more pancakes, as s'mores are one of my favorite foods.  I left feeling sick, and realized that I was no longer a kid and am now unable to eat pure sure with sugar drizzled and sprinkled on top as a meal.  I knew I was in trouble when Emma offered me a piece of her bacon saying, "Mom, it looks like you could use some protein with that."

We also visited the Science Center down town with friends and had a great day.

I made soap with a friend while her kids hung out and taught my kids how to make and fly paper airplanes.  It was fun to show my friend how to make soap, while watching the shyness wear off between the kids - her boys, older than my girls - all playing, laughing and being crazy together.  Soap Making, Spring Break style!

We took care of a lot of items on our to-do list in between walks, bike rides, and ice cream stops.  Will installed the built-in shelf we had picked up from Shipshewana before Christmas.  The entire project was started and completed in one day.  I was amazed, and it really turned out great.  If I would have known it would have been that painless, I would have let him tear up my kitchen sooner.

I spent a lot of time over the break making products for my honey business.  Besides me making lip balms, soaps and salves, there were lots of trips to the post office, and lots of research online for packaging materials, ingredients and pricing.

Spring break ended with a wedding shower for my sister-in-law to be.  She flew up from Florida and the girls and I had so much fun visiting with family and one of my favorite parts was the game, Pin the Mustache on the Groom.  As my brother stayed home in Florida, it was a fair game.

Our baby chicks are almost full-grown chickens now, although Lucy pointed out they still make cheep cheep sounds, so they are like teenagers.  Our older hens are still laying eggs like their lives depended on it.

This is the first month this year that we were able to harvest something other than eggs from our yard!  Below are the first crops of dandelions and violets, to be used in salves, soaps and lip balms as well as our first crop of asparagus.  Harvesting from my yard, especially when my kids participate and it is the first of the season is always such a happy and exciting event.

 Charlie fits right in with our producer lifestyle, and also is excited to harvest from our yard.  He surprised himself the other night when he caught a bat.  Sadly, he didn't prefer the taste and we had to dispose of it.  In the bottom picture he is watching us play in the yard.  If we go around a corner, he runs after us and settles down nearby again to watch us.  I think he is part dog and I love him so much, even though petting him is a sure-fire way for me to break out in hives.

 The girls and I attended the opening week of our local zoo's new penguin exhibit and enjoyed a picnic dinner afterward.  I have to be honest and say that it was far too crowded for my liking but it sure beat staying at home while Will worked late.

 We've had lots of fun with friends this past month...

 ...and enjoyed a homeschool group trip to Curious George the Musical at a local theater, as well as a homeschool open skate.  It was the girls first time roller skating and even Violet skated!  Lucy skated the longest with the help of a friend but by the end of the afternoon, my back was hurting so much from stooping over to help Violet.  In the top left-hand picture below, Violet was taking a break with a friend, while singing along to Fight Song by Rachel Platten at the top of her lungs.

We enjoyed a mid-morning week day hike with my parents and sister and loved seeing the ducks but especially all of the spring flowers in the woods, just starting to bloom.

 Plays, roller skating and hikes are all perks of homeschooling.  Downsides include motivating your children to get their work done so that we can go do the fun things.  Emma is still pretty excited to do schoolwork but Lucy drags her feet and is the queen of procrastination when it comes to reading and handwriting.  I've decided to try a new tactic of only telling Lucy one time to do something and if she doesn't finish, we don't delay the next subject, but continue to the next items.  If she has unfinished work, she can't play or watch TV until she finishes.  It may not be working great for Lucy, but it is working great for me, as it puts me in a bad mood when I feel the need to hound her to focus.  I set the timer now, and my day is no longer held up by her procrastination.  With homeschooling, if you are motivated, you have the opportunity to complete your schoolwork and then have plenty of time in the day left over.  I hope someday soon Lucy realizes this.

 Not to mention that the weather has been beautiful, and the sooner schoolwork is complete, the sooner we can get outside and enjoy the day!  Here we are, in the great outdoors.  In the top, left-hand picture below is how Lucy plays with sidewalk chalk - instead of drawing, she mixes chalk colors.

 We have already enjoyed many meals outside but especially dinners, as it is easier with two adults to bring stuff outside.  But oh, the joy of not having to sweep up all of the crumbs after!  Lately after dinner we have been going for walks where Violet rides in the stroller or her push-along-trike and Lucy and Emma ride their bikes.  Lucy and Emma do a great job listening and following our safety rules and I am loving this new phase of walks with the family.  Will and I can now pick up the pace and feel like we are getting a good workout as we walk fast enough to keep up with the bikes.  In the below picture, we are taking a break from our walk/bike ride to explore a field of white violets.  In the bottom picture Will is waiting patiently while his girls revel in the violets.

 Both Emma and Lucy celebrated birthdays this past month and have been enjoying all of the treats and presents that come along with turning another year older.

And even though my oldest girl is now seven, she still needs mama snuggles every day and I am so glad.  Emma promises me that she will give me snuggles even when she is a grown up.

Will never says it, but I think he enjoys snuggles with his girls too.

Violet is Two!

Violet has been telling us for weeks now that she is going to be two on her birthday.  She also loves counting to two and says things like, "One, two babies!" or, "One, two shoes!"  Even better, "One, two chocolates!"  She would live off of chocolate I think if she could.  Below is the wrapper from a chocolate she ate at her new Aunt Beth's wedding shower.  As if getting a foil wrapper that says "Stay up until the sun rises" isn't enough, she got "One, two wrappers" that said the exact same thing.  

Our cutie loves to play with her baby dolls but loves even more to play with her sisters' dolls.  Here she is below, in clockwise order from the top left: "drawing", holding Lucy's baby dolls, licking chocolate frosting off of the floor on Lucy's birthday, and setting up play with her sisters' Barbies in the kitchen while I cook.

Here is my silly girl caught licking the Himalayan Salt Lamp in the living room.  Most times I catch her licking her finger, then swiping the lamp with the wet finger, and then licking her wet, salty finger.  This time she didn't have time for such dainty salt licking.

As I write this post, it is occurring to me that perhaps Violet has a deficiency in magnesium and salt?  Hence all of the chocolate eating and salt licking?  Or she just takes after me, as I do love chocolate and pink Himalayan salt.  Here she is below getting her hair cut for the very first time by Will's cousin.  She was so proud to have her hair cut just like her older sisters and me!

Violet woke up on her birthday, and thanks to her sisters setting the example in the previous three weeks, she sat up in bed and said, "ViVi presents?"  So we got ready for the day and headed downstairs to open up presents.

This was the birthday that all of Violet's dreams came true.  She finally got her own baby doll and doll carrier to match the ones Lucy and Emma have that she has been coveting.  She refers to this new baby as her "daughter" and when I asked what the baby's name was, without hesitation she told me "Ella" - which happens to be the name of one of her sister's dolls that Violet always wants to play with.  She also got her own piggy bank, her own "big-eyed" stuffed animal, her own apple tree to earn apples on just like her big sisters, and her own Barbie storage box, complete with Barbies handed down from Lucy and Emma.  Now she has all of her own stuff, and hopefully the fighting will lessen.  I can dream at least.

After Violet opened her presents we headed to the local cider mill and had donuts, cider and sausage that we had fried up before we left - all of which was Violet's own request.  As we were eating our breakfast at a nearby picnic table, I saw my parents and sister walking into the cider mill and waved them over.  They may frequent the cider mill even more than we do, and we all exchanged sheepish grins as we acknowledged that perhaps we should form a support group for people like us.  The weather was overcast and looked like it was about to rain so the fact that we were the only people at the cider mill that day was already a testament to our love for cider and donuts.  As if to prove our need for help, a forklift drove past us, carrying a heavy load of Frying Oil and 50 pound bags of Sugar.  Knowing that donuts aren't health food is one thing, but seeing the ingredients truck by you on a giant fork lift are as close to a health intervention as you can get.  In all our years at the cider mill, we had never actually seen the ingredients.  And just when we thought our reality check couldn't get worse, another fork lift trotted by us carrying a load of giant bags of Cake Mix.  My sister's horrified reaction sums up our rude awakening so perfectly - "You mean they aren't made from scratch?"

After our picnic breakfast we said good bye to my parents and sister and headed down the trail for a nice, spring hike.  Violet walked most of the way by herself but by the end requested for "daddy's shoulders" and then eventually her stroller.

We came home and Will set about the business of turning Violet's carseat forward facing.  She finally meets all of the recommendations for weight, height and age.  By switching Violet's carseat from rear-facing to forward facing we had to rearrange Lucy and Emma's seats as well.  The back seat of our sedan is like a master level Tetris game but our incentive to win this round is to buy more time before we need to buy a bigger car.  Will worked it all out, and now Emma is in the middle seat and Lucy and Violet are on either side.  We went for a joy ride once all of the seats were back in and the uncovered food crumbs and cheerios were vacuumed up.  Violet was beside herself with happiness at all of the new sights.  Lucy however was cranky because she did not like being moved from the middle seat to the door seat.  She has since come around to the idea but now Will and I are having doubts as the pecking order has been proved once again, showing that Emma is NOT a head chicken by any means and is now being harassed by BOTH sisters.

 We passed by our friends' house on our joy ride, and luck was on our side when we saw them playing outside.  After a quick hello and Violet showing off her new seat arrangement, we headed home.  Violet played for the rest of the day with her new baby doll, also known as her daughter, Ella.

We measured Violet on the growth chart and she clocked in at exactly one inch taller than Lucy was at age 2, and two inches taller than Emma was at age 2.  Yup, Emma has neither size nor personality on her side for head chicken status.

I had made a double batch of chocolate cupcakes for Lucy's birthday and froze half of them for Violet's birthday.  Because of this, all I had to do was make frosting and the girls were excited to lick the beaters and the bowl.  

It rained on and off all day on Violet's birthday, but that was okay by us.  Violet got an umbrella from Grandma T. for her birthday, so after dinner we headed out for an umbrella walk.

 Lucy and Emma had rain jackets from a friend, and I found some rain boots that fit Violet in our hand-me-down shoe bin in the basement and even a pair for Emma too.  The girls enjoyed free-style splashing in puddles and a little bit into our rain walk we noticed that Charlie had come along too.  Since Charlie didn't have rain boots, a rain coat or an umbrella, he started getting super whiney and Will ended up carrying him for the majority of the trip home.

Violet had a great birthday and she is so proud to be two now!  The past two years have challenged all that we thought we were capable of, and Violet has shown us that although we would have chosen an easier path for her if given the chance, she is up for the challenge.  ViVi, you have been a joy and a gift to us and we are so proud that you are a member of our family!  We love you baby girl!

Happy 7th Birthday Lucy!

We celebrated Lucy's seventh birthday today.  She had the menu planned months in advance, and had finalized her gift wish list for several weeks at least.  Fortunately for Lucy, after a few minor reality checks (yes, you can plan the menu, but no, you can't force people to eat it), Lucy's wishes were attainable.  She got everything she had hoped for, as well as a few surprises too.  Here she is below, excited to open her presents, first thing in the morning.  She received Friends Legos - a Lego cupcake cafe from Will and I and a Lego art studio from Emma, a "big-eyed stuffed animal elephant with no spots", fashion plates, books, a robe, an insect net and a flower pressing kit.  She even got her requested brand of birthday card - a Rifle Paper Company card from not only us, but from Aunt Jane as well (who didn't know Lucy's specific request, and it turns out picked the very card Lucy wanted).

We had a busy day planned, but Lucy still found time to build both Lego sets.

Lucy and Emma had their yoga class in the morning, and then after lunch we headed to Legoland, where we had scored a coupon from a friend on Monday that expired at the end of the week.  Talk about perfect timing - as the weather was forecasted to be chilly and rainy, and the girls had been wanting to go to the new Legoland for several months now.  Thanks to the coupon, we got our tickets half off, and enjoyed the afternoon amongst Legos.  Violet felt the need to hug every Lego character she met, and we watched a 4D Lego movie as well.  My favorite part was seeing the Lego replicas of downtown Detroit, and I think Lucy and Emma's favorite part was when we said they could fill a small bucket up with Lego pieces in the Lego store afterward.

The day was busier than we would normally prefer, however Lucy seemed happy with the day's activities.  Will and I spent the night before prepping the food for the day since we were going to be so busy on her birthday.  Breakfast was bacon fried the night before and donuts from the local cider mill, enjoyed at home because it was raining.  Lunch was our favorite sandwich shop after yoga class and dinner was a baked sandwich that I was able to make the night before and heat up with one of her favorite soups - Alphabet and Veggie - that I had premade as well.  

 For dessert I had made chocolate cupcakes the night before, and just had to make the frosting on her birthday.  Lucy's request was chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting with strawberries on top.  After searching three grocery stores and finding no strawberries anywhere, we settled on dye-free sprinkles.

Creating birthday magic is exhausting, and I am sipping chamomile tea while soaking my feet as I type this.  Lucy's appreciation and excitement throughout the day made everything worth it though.  She has become our most stable and even-tempered child, which I never thought I'd see the day of!  Sometimes I will look at her and ask, "Are you the only sane child I have?" while chaos ensues around us and we share a laugh.  She loves listening to adult conversation, and is the second mom in the house, which is both a blessing and a curse.  She can step up to the plate when I need help, but other times drives her sisters crazy with her bossiness.  She reminds me so much of me when I was a kid and I have to really watch that I am not overly hard on her as I see the traits in herself that I am less than proud of in myself.  At times I will be sarcastically telling her that the Academy Award for Best Dramatic RePlay goes to Lucy and Will laughs and says she learned it from watching me.  Lucy continues to amaze me with her creativity and her ability to see beauty in the most hidden places.  Everything she touches she can't help but arrange into an artistic composition and I don't even think she realizes that she is creating art with everyday objects most times.  Her humor and sarcasm are really developing and it's so nice to be caught off guard with her humor.  I find her company delightful (as long as we aren't doing reading lessons for schoolwork), and I love singing girl-power songs with her at the top of our off-key lungs.  She's at the point now where I can ask her for fashion advice, technology help, and she even braided my hair the other day.  As much as I could cry if I think too long about how my rainbow baby is now seven, I have to remind myself that everything is going to be okay because I have the pleasure of watching her grow up, and for that I will be forever grateful.

 Lucy grew just over two inches this past year, and has grown by leaps and bounds in every other aspect of her life.  Lucy, we are so proud of you and so happy that Luke was right when he told me in a dream that I would have a healthy baby girl named Lucy!  Today marks seven years of having the sparkle back in my eye - and it's all thanks to you, showing me how to be a mom to a baby on earth.  Happy Birthday Lucy Anne!

Emma's 5th Birthday

Five years ago today, our sweet Emma was born.  It's not easy being the middle sister, but she manages with humor and energy.  She is the most laid back of the sister trio, and will go with the flow most of the time.  When she has had her fill however, she will let you know with hysterics and whine-talking.  This is actually very effective, as Lucy and Violet usually drop whatever they were upsetting Emma with, and work hard to make her crazy crying stop.  Emma is usually shy with adults, but can jump into any kid situation without hesitation and makes new "best" friends wherever she goes.  A fun time with Emma usually includes joyfully running around with all of your might for no apparent purpose other than the sheer joy of exuding youthful energy.  She is small for her age and works twice as hard to keep up with her peers and her older sister.  Emma's bike may be half the size of Lucy's, but she has no problem pumping her pedals twice as hard to keep up with Lucy.  To watch her feet pumping in a blur is truly amazing.  Emma still holds the title of my most cuddly kid, and I love to sneak in cuddles (Violet gets very jealous) whenever I can with Emma.  She has this talent of curling up and snuggling you so that you feel like she is a warm little kitten purring in your arms.

For months both Lucy and Emma have been listing what they want to eat on their birthdays.  Will and I find this really odd - don't most kids list the gifts they want, not the food they want to eat?  A good friend of mine pointed out that when we celebrate Luke's birthday there are no presents - only food, so perhaps that is what they think birthdays are all about?  I think she may be right.  It does make me feel better about the role that food plays in our lives!

We had a wonderful, sunny and warm day for Emma's birthday which dawned bright and early.  We opened presents first thing...

...Emma got Barbie clothes for her Ken doll named Kevin, a Calico Critter kitten and an astronomy Lego set all from Lucy.  She got the game Trouble, a big-eyed stuffed animal kitty, airplane Lego set, a fashion drawing set, books and a robe from Will and I.  After presents we headed out to breakfast at the local cider mill which happens to be open for a Spring pressing just long enough for all three of the girls birthdays.  We brought bacon that Will fried up before we left because in Emma's meal-planning she decided that we should have some protein with our donuts and cider.  I was mildly embarrassed when I unwrapped the bacon at the cider mill, but I just kept telling myself that people were not judging us - they were just jealous.  I mean, I would be jealous if I saw someone eating extra-crispy bacon.

 After our well-balanced breakfast, we hit the trail by the cider mill for a nice, sunny morning walk by the river.  When we came home, Emma helped me make her birthday brownies.  Keep in mind that for weeks she told us that rice crispy treats were on the menu, then a couple of days ago she changed her mind to chocolate cake, and then yesterday it morphed into brownies with icing and this morning she interchanged rice crispy treats with brownies several times.  In the end, she settled on iced brownies and pretty much made them herself with a little help from me.  Emma loves baking, and loves eating what she has baked just as much.  She decorated the cake with homemade chocolate icing and chocolate snow caps.

After the cake was made, Emma built all of her new Lego sets, created various fashion plate drawings with her new kit, and then played a family game of Trouble while Violet napped.  Things did not end well, as Will won the game and Emma just couldn't handle that.  To cheer her up, Will tried measuring her at the growth chart upside down.

When that didn't work, Emma curled up under a blanket and found her center again by reading her new Berenstain Bear books.  Once the sparkle returned to her eyes, we measured her on the growth chart.  She grew two inches since her last birthday and is about an inch and a half shorter than Lucy when Lucy was 5.  It's still a fair game however as to who will end up the tallest as last year, Emma was taller than Lucy was when they were 4.

We had mac and cheese with apples for lunch, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside.  When dinner time rolled around, we took a bike ride to our favorite sandwich shop.  I felt Luke's presence with us all day, and believe that ray of sunshine coming down on us is symbolic of him sharing his sister's birthday with us.

 We parked the girls bikes outside the sandwich shop and enjoyed a yummy dinner together.

 We played some more outside when we got back home, and then headed inside for some chocolate iced brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream.

We had a wonderful day, and I am so grateful to celebrate with my favorite people on earth and in heaven.

Emma, you are a treasured member of our family and we love your energy, your smile and your sweet, sensitive spirit!  Happy Birthday Ma!