Ellie's Post Office

One of the centers in Ellie's class was a post office and she liked it so much, she came home and made her own one afternoon for quiet time.  I volunteered to be a post office worker and got to have an expert lesson in envelope making. (A few days later, Ellie told me that as she was making the envelopes for her post office, she was imagining how she would teach her children someday how to make this kind of envelopes -- so her lesson for me was well rehearsed) I sure love these Ellie creations!

Learning

Owen has just gotten to that fun stage in learning to count where he's figured out the pattern and can count up to 100 with help on the 10's -  '50, 60, 70...' He counted to 101 today (with Mom's help) and was so proud!  

Just thinking about this super fun stage, I thought it would be fun to write down (and remember later) what some of the things each of us is working on learning these days. 

Porter

Porter is learning to sleep... slowly, ever so slowly, with lots of back and forths... yet overall his sleep is getting better and better.  To run (such happy toddler running is as cute as it gets :)  To eat with a fork/spoon (very much like this favorite poem!)  To say so many new words, and  let us know so much more clearly what he wants (we love his fervent nods - yes!  To give some really wonderful hugs!

Owen

Owen is learning all the fun preschool age things - letter names and sounds and numbers and counting and shapes.  To write and draw letters and numbers and pictures. To tell stories - Owen loves to tell detailed stories of "What if...?" To get dressed by himself.  And learning so much from big sister Ellie - she loves to teach this little Owen (like yesterday at snack time as they ate their trail mix: "Owen, I had 4 pink m&m's but I just ate one, so how many do I have now?")

Ellie

Ellie is learning to be such an amazing helper. Dinner prep times have been going so  smoothly lately because while I'll be cooking, Ellie just quietly walks around the kitchen gathering things up, setting the table, and getting out anything she can think of that we might need.  To read more and more - like many things with Ellie, this kind of snuck up on me. When she started kindergarten she was already a great little reader with I Can Read books, etc. But then all of a sudden she was able to read pretty much all of our kid books!  To draw more and more - and I love her drawings so much!  To say hi to friends,  play with friends at recess, and answer questions from grownups (like at the dentist today - "they asked me questions and I told them the answers!")  To cook - Ellie is our official Sunday bread maker.

Landon

Landon is learning so much in Portuguese. He's amazed Jordan and me with how well he can communicate and how much he understands.  To be our expert family pancake maker (and macaroni & cheese maker too!) All the great things he needs to know for school - multiplication and division and fractions and reading and recess soccer playing, etc. To be a great writer. Both in handwriting (with effort :) and in substance - I've been amazed in 3rd grade what excellent writing he's had.  To be such a great big brother and leader to his brothers and sister.

Me

I'm learning to do a few little things with Photoshop -- my favorite two things: I can make a white background transparent, and I can change the color of a solid colored object. Two things I've never been able to do with omnigraffle and always wanted to learn how to do, and now I can!   To figure out daily routines that help things go so much more smoothly (and I finally have the energy to stick with them, hooray!) To eat healthier.  To conjugate verbs in Portuguese (but man, it is hard!) and other Portuguese practice and learning.  To get back into a super daily running routine (hooray!)

Jordan

Jordan is learning to be  a super journal writer (which has helped me to get back to this great habit too).  To be a really exceptional developer and worker.  To be a pro unicycler (with a trip up to the Bonneville trail, over and back down again this week, just for fun during his lunch break!)  To be a great executive secretary and to remember to set up appointments and do all the other little things he needs to do.  To be a great wrestler against all four kids at the same time (tough enough for Landon, careful enough for Porter, silly enough for Owen, gentle enough for Ellie...)

Dance Parties

A few nights ago, Ellie found me in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner - a little worn out and just about ready to put Porter to bed.

"Guess what!" she said, "I have a secret!"  then in a whisper "I asked Dad if we can have a dance party, and he said yes!!"

Jordan always finds the best songs, and these kiddos sure love to dance. I still have a hard time joining in, but I do love to watch these dance parties!

on the road again

I've been running this week -  not much and not fast, but running!

Before Porter was born, I was as strong as I'd ever been and I was running every day (usually just a mile, but every day) - even through the first few months of my pregnancy (!)   And even after I slowed to a quick walk, I was still outside every day on my favorite routes. (A sweet lady who I often passed stopped to chat one day right around my due date and sweetly said "you'll jog yourself right to the delivery room!") It was so exciting to feel so strong and capable and grateful for my healthy body.

Just after Porter was born though I started having some major joint problems and felt like I'd suddenly aged about 50 years (someday I know I'll read that and laugh, though it sure felt true at the time :)  Besides some more intense problems with my hands and arms, my first few quick runs left me feeling for weeks like I'd never run (or maybe even walk normally!) again. Gratefully, ( I can't say even say how grateful I am!)  things have gradually improved, and now I'm just so thrilled to be easing back into this habit that I love so much.

Drawings

 For Christmas last year, I gave Ellie a little 'Learn to Draw' book in her stocking. Her first reaction when she pulled it out was something like this - "Ha, that's funny! I don't need this - I already know how to draw!"

And I just love her drawings. Almost every wall in our house has/had/will have an Ellie original taped up for display. Yesterday I got to purchase (for 5 cents) my choice of pictures from her art studio that she set up during quiet time a few days ago. How I love these little drawings (and their artist!)  brightening up all the parts of our house!

Snow!

We had a great snow storm yesterday with more snow through the night. The kids woke up this morning and bundled themselves all up to run out and play before school, like it was the first day of winter. (Because really it pretty much is our first really snowy day this year!) Jordan got Landon up extra early and they went out for a snowy walk before their scripture study. And I took Owen and Porter out in the stroller later in the morning for my walk (I decided this was the week I was really going to get back into my favorite daily habit, even if it meant a snowy walk/arm workout pushing the stroller)

My favorite part of it all was watching Landon so excited to show Porter the snow. With my rule set that Porter wasn't to go out outside, Landon brought little bits of snow into the garage for him so he could still touch and feel it while technically following the rules. These boys (and Ellie too!)  were so happy for such a fun snow day!

Meal Plan Update

In January, we decided to try a new meal-planning strategy and had great success. February, not so much. There were a few little and big things that threw us off a bit, but the main thing was this -- we didn't write it down. In January I'd scribbled down our daily dinner plan on the bottom of a grocery list, and after a few weeks I rewrote it on a cute printable. But all month it was up on our fridge, easily seen and checked. I didn't realize what an important step that was, but somehow I just never got around to writing down our new plan and so we never really did it! We still ate pretty much the same things but it was back to the more stressful dinner time/what's for dinner  trouble.  This month we're off to a better start though - I have a cute calendar up on the fridge with a week's worth of dinner's scheduled in and ready to rotate.

Here's our plan:
S - Spaghetti
M - Rice & Beans  (w/ our new favorite black bean recipe)
T - Chicken Enchiladas (all made and ready in the freezer)
W - Soup/Grilled Cheese
Th - Stir Fry
F/S - Pizza movie party/Out to eat