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. **

Scary

Our world is scary. I know this. It isn't surprising news. I imagine that 50 years ago people were saying the same thing. Perhaps is wasn't because there were school shootings or terrorist attacks, but there was still violence. Last week that violence hit home. The small town where my parents and Husband's parents live had a school shooting. Add to that the knowledge that my mother-in-law works at that school. When I first got the message about the shooting I sent it on to Husband. After another notification from a different family member a few minutes later I looked it up on the internet to see what information I could find out. There were two people injured. That made me feel better in relation to my mother-in-law being ok (and she is, we got world a little later in the afternoon saying she was). The reports on what happened trickled in throughout the day and the next. There was a teacher and another adult who helped talk the student with the gun down and those men deserve credit for their part in what went on. The teachers and staff went into lock down mode to help keep students safe and that is great. I won't go into my views on gun control because I don't want to get into a debate with anyone (I find it doesn't often help and this situation hasn't changed them). The whole point of this post is to say that something I've experienced backlash of as an American has finally affected me more personally. As Husband picked H up from school I thought about H being in school. The small town our parents live in is not a place I would ever have imagined would make it's way into the news because of a school shooting. I don't ever want my sons to experience anything like that, either in their own school or in a nearby school, but I don't control the world. I've thought about keeping him home and homeschooling him, but I think that might drive both of us insane. His safety is my priority, and right now I think he is plenty safe at his school. That might change, and then so will his mode of education. I had hoped to get all these thoughts out on Thursday, and that didn't happen. Despite this reminder of the scary parts of life, life did go on. I had children to take care of, meals to prepare, bath times and bedtimes to enforce. There was vacuuming and dishes, laundry and toy pick-up, hugs and cuddles, discipline and fun to be had over the last four days. When I got the first text I was in disbelief, that was followed by a need to talk to Husband and worry for my mother-in-law. I didn't like the not knowing. Even in all of that, life went on. The twins wanted snacks and to ride their bikes. W wanted to nurse and be held and to play and sleep. I'm not sure where I'm going with all of these thoughts, but I wanted to get them down. I suppose that I've come/returned to the conclusion that our world is scary but life continues on. I fear for the future my children will have, but life continues on and we will make the best of it that we can.

Random ramblings

I am rocking a tired baby who is fighting it as best he can. G is napping. H and J are not, and today I've decided not to force it. I anticipated having our friends three children here already and I was too busy cleaning up to force nap. I am happy to say that dinner is nearly ready to go. Knowing I would have three extra little ones tonight I prepped it all earlier. Why can't I be this organized every day?! Maybe I'm better today because it seems the only way with seven littles between the ages of 3 months and 5 years. I find I'm still smiling as I think about our family night last night. Everything worked together to make it awesome for our boys: eat at restaurant, play with silly putty while waiting for food, get an individual milkshake instead of sharing, watch TV and cuddle with Daddy on couch, hang out talking and reading books in bedroom before lights out. Yes, they went to bed late, but it was worth it. There were moments that weren't so awesome sprinkled in there, but this is what stands out and what I want to remember. It's also what I'd like to kind of recreate tonight: a perfectly wonderful evening with friends, playing and having fun.

Dinner

I am no Martha Stewart or Susie Homemaker. It would be nice, especially if I got paid to do it, but I'm not. I can cook. I'm better at baking. I know how to follow a recipe. I can clean...sometimes I do clean. Anyway, back on topic, earlier this week I felt like I could be a Martha Stewart or Susie Homemaker.

1. I made a dish that is ridiculously easy, but it called for ingredients I don't generally have on hand, so I made my own. I felt awesome. The dish is Italian Cream Cheese Chicken (thank you, Pinterest). Four ingredients and a crock pot, how can one go wrong. I'm a little strange (and addicted) so I usually have cream cheese on hand. Cream of chicken soup and Italian dressing seasoning, not so much (again, I'm strange). So, I made my own cream of chicken soup and my own Italian dressing seasoning. It was awesome. Here are my tips if you do this:
- cream of chicken soup is easy to make and it smells delicious, why buy it
- in the seasoning mix, use garlic powder (I did) and don't use the 2 tbsp of salt (I used 1 tbsp and it was too much)

2. I made freezer meals. What, I was thinking ahead, bought lots of chicken and chicken sausage, and actually did what I was thinking of. It's true and I'm super excited. I made 6 meals (huge, we'll have leftovers I'm sure) and some spaghetti sauce (two quart bags worth). I still have one more meal to make, but there is currently no room in my freezer. It doesn't require meat, so I plan on doing it a little later. Here are the links to the recipes I used along with how I altered them in any way. I can't tell you if they taste good yet, but soon...very soon!

Loving My Nest
- Bean Stew - haven't made but plan on doing soon
- Sausage and Bean Supper - the sausages aren't pre-cooked, just in their casings. When it's done cooking I'll cut the sausage up (I meant to take it out of the casing so it would cook and the crumble when stirred but I got in a hurry).
- Spaghetti Sauce - I dumped everything in the crock pot (sausage not cooked, would probably brown it first next time) and used pureed tomatoes (about 10), diced tomatoes (about 5), and spices to make my own spaghetti sauce instead of using store bought. The idea for which spices came from here. I also added in some oregano.

6 cents
- Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches - pineapple was on sale so I cut up one whole fresh pineapple and I didn't add the chicken broth, I'll do that when I throw it in the crock pot

Stacy Makes Cents
- Chicken Fajitas - I've made this before and it's yummy. Again, I didn't add the stock, I'll add 1-2 cans (I use more than she calls for) when I put it in the crock pot.

Crepes of Wrath
- Shredded Chicken Chili - I didn't change anything. I did just as it says. :)

Ring Around the Rosies - She has some awesome tips as well.
- Sausage and Peppers - I halved the recipe.

Get Crocked
- Sausage, Potatoes, and Green Beans - I left the sausage uncooked and in it's casing. I'll just cut them up when everything is done cooking.

We Pass the Time of Day to Forget How Time Passes
- Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup - I haven't done this one yet, but I think it would be good to do. I'd only put what is mentioned in Step 1 of the directions into the bag.