Art

My children love all sorts of art, but H is becoming a great little artist now that he's in school. He has to draw pictures for homework and as a beginning for his writing. Since the first time he did his homework I have pictures that he's drawn that I've kept or taken a picture of so I could remember how quickly his abilities have changed and how his little brain works. Here are some recent pictures he did on last week's homework. All of them make me smile.

1. He is usually asked to draw something that begins with (or sometimes contains) the focus letter. This weeks letter was the "ñ." He chose to draw a unicorn piñata that he'd seen on another page of his homework.

Another page required him to write "tengo" to complete the sentences, read the sentences, and then circle two of them and illustrate.

2. Yo tengo un gato. - He didn't want to draw himself. When I explained that he had to because it meant "I have a cat" he drew himself small and mad because I gave him a cat that was too big.

3. Yo tengo un regalo. - He had to go in depth on this one. He drew the gift (a wheel) and put it in a box in Santa's bag. Then he drew Santa and an elf (while explaining that the elf is small because they are small). After that he drew himself with the present wrapped and then the wheel outside of the box because he had opened it. AWESOME!

4. He loves Wild Kratts. So, he drew himself outside on the back patio as a bat eared fox. I don't think there is anything better than that, except that he drew a really sweet picture of the little girl who was visiting us (the shadow made the picture hard to see because I used my phone) and then made himself smaller than her as a bat eared fox.

W

I think I have an addiction to taking pictures of this boy sleeping. I am fairly certain that after 5.5 months I have more pictures of him sleeping than I do anything else. He is such a happy baby. He loves his brothers, has discovered his toes, rarely stays laying on his belly now that he can roll over, and thoroughly enjoys his food. He has the best smile and is usually willing to flash it at anyone who will look at him. He's growing so quickly...maybe that's why I have so many sleeping pictures, he's so peaceful and unchanging at that time.
Still, I think I need more pictures of him awake; look at that adorable smile.

5 months

W was 5 months old on the 11th of Feb. It is hard to believe time has passed so quickly. As if to make the day more special, he rolled over for the first (second, third, fourth, and fifth) time. He's only gone back to belly, but that's okay. He's growing leaps and bounds.

5 months today

We started food with him at four months. He was ready. So far he's tried pears, apple sauce, sweet potato, squash, and green beans. He doesn't seem to care for the squash, but he still eats it while making faces about it.

Sweet potatoes

He doesn't sleep through the night, but most nights he does pretty well until about 1 or 1:30. He's been going about 6 hours for his first stint during the night and after that it's every 2-3 depending on how well he eats and if I stay awake long enough to put him back in his bed. He's a belly sleeper most definitely and if you try to get him to sleep on his back it either doesn't work or doesn't work for very long.

He has super soft skin. He is a happy, easy baby with an easy going personality. He has three adoring brothers, a smitten mama, and a daddy who loves him dearly. I cannot imagine our lives without him!

Blog Your Heart

So many thoughts running through my head lately, so many thoughts and not enough action. Sometimes Husband reminds me of how action oriented I was when we first met and married. I don't know that he's right. Still, I'll give him that I was much more can do and will do then than I sometimes am now. I'm sure some of that has to do with being overly tired (as much my fault as it is my children's). Even though I may not agree that I was so action oriented, I want that person back. I want to be more like I was in that area.

Housework is not my strength. My mom worked full time and, while my mom wanted a clean house and we did try to keep up with chores, our house was never immaculate. Perhaps that's why it's one of the first things I let slide. Well, that and I hate folding laundry unless it's towels or sheets. Housework is so repetitive...it never ends. Add four boys to that mix and they can undo what I did and more much faster than I can do anything. Not an excuse, just a fact. I want to try harder, and I am, but catching up is difficult. I'll get there some day. Right now I'm thankful that the only dishes left to wash (and they will wait until tomorrow) are pots/pans and tupperware. I'm also thankful for a sister-friend who will help fold my laundry so I don't have to fold as much.

My family is my life, and that's hard. I want me time. I want, and need, time away from my boys to do things I want to do. I need time away to recharge. I most definitely can use a nap most any time of any day. These are things I'm working on too (with the help of Husband). Somehow staying at home can seem more difficult and draining than teaching 35 11/12-yr-olds some days. I can't leave my work at work, it's always with me, and I love it. I wouldn't want to go back to teaching. I love being home. Still, it wears me down.

Because it wears me down, I struggle with my boys sometimes...four boy ages 5, 3, 3, and 5 months is not easy. They are rowdy and loud and aggressive. They fight and argue over who had something first or who has the biggest sandwich (that's mainly a 5-yr-old thing). They all want undivided attention. They are also some of the sweetest boys on earth. They love to cuddle (me, Husband, each other). The older three are so sweet with their baby brother - holding him, hugging him, kissing him, trying to make him laugh. They can be so helpful about picking up or setting the table. Today Husband took the older three to the park and J missed me so much he hugged a woman's leg while saying, "Mama." (This was in direct contrast to the oldest who was singing how happy he was they didn't have to take me to the park with them). They love me and I am a better person because I have them. They deserve the best mama in the world, and I know I fail that daily, but I'm trying. I'm trying to do more with them. I'm trying to focus more on my older three while still giving attention to the youngest. I'm trying to have more hands on things for them to do when weather keeps us inside. I'm trying to remember to take a deep breath, I don't want to be the yeller that sometimes comes out when I'm tired and frustrated and someone just got hurt because they were wrestling after lights were turned out for bedtime.

So many I'm tryings. So many things that require me to change, even if only in small ways that add up to big ways. So many failures that require me to shake them off and start over. I am blessed with a family who loves and forgives me for these short comings. I am blessed with friends and family who support me, several of who are in similar situations in life and struggle with the same things. Life isn't easy, but I'm so glad I am blessed as I am.

**Linking up to Stephanie Howell's blog today. You can go there by clicking on her name or the blog your heart icon at the top. **