February Stuff

It feels like it's been really busy lately, but I'm not sure what with. Lame doctors appointments, scheduling things, getting phones fixed, dryers fixed, feeling a littler under the weather last weekend, etc., etc. The weather has also been GORGEOUS lately, so we've been trying to spend as much time at the park as possible because I know it's going to be too hot all too soon and we'll be switching gears to pool days.

This was a tiny little turtle we played with at the park last week. Ruth was in LOVE and talked about having a pet turtle for several days following.

Some days I am a nice mom and I let my kids paint. Okay, only one kid (the other two were down for naps) and after she spilled the water cups three times I lost it and she hasn't been allowed to paint since. But hey, documentation that it DID happen.

And she painted a portrait of her mother, and I think it's pretty much the most adorable painting ever.

I don't know if these videos work or not but here is Molly and the actions to Popcorn Popping, which is the CUTEST thing ever.

We've also been hitting up the library. Here are my kids acting like they are right at home listening to stories. They love going to the library so much. We haven't been going as regularly lately, probably every two or three weeks, but they certainly remind me!

After library story time on this particular day it was GORGEOUS outside, so we let the kids run around the field/track behind the library. Molly loves swinging on the exercise equipment!

Ruth and Will are still the greatest little friends. They keep each other occupied so well. Which often involves dressing up, which is the cutest.

Her nose!

Sterling got me roses for my birthday (actually Will picked them out and was ADAMANT that Sterling get them for me, which is pretty much the cutest) and we added them to the little bouquet of Valentine flowers I let Ruthie get at the grocery store two weeks ago. Those flowers are going strong!

Molly thoroughly enjoying my birthday cake. 

My kids are growing like crazy so new sandals were in order. (actually, I got these a size big on purpose for Ruthie so they won't fit her for bit, but MATCHING CHACOS! Is there anything CUTER in your LIFE?!?!?!?)

Two hours of shopping, all of our saved-up grocery budget, and three hours of organizing later and TA-DA! All of our expired food is removed (my mom told us we had to have canned fruit because ya know, natural disaster you need some fruit...but we rarely use it, so I replaced it with about six cans and threw the expired stuff out) and new cases are replaced and a new shelf is dedicated to gluten-free foods. This is the first time I've done this without my moms help and who knew but I really CAN rotate my food storage without her help! Not only that I did most of it from memory and I actually know what things we need a case of and what things I just need to buy a few replacements now and again as needed. This cooking meals and meal planning and rotating food storage is starting to sink in...I think. Also, the 5 gallon bucket of rice, two 5 gallon buckets of flour, and a 5 gallon bucket of sugar are all nice and full as well as our container of brown sugar, oatmeal, and a few other things. 

Also the bottom shelf (above the laundry detergent and one five gallon bucket on the right side) that is my joy school/preschool/arts&craft supply cupboard was getting a little CRAZY and it is now neatly back in it's three containers and I actually know where everything is. Oddly enough we DO have a full box of crayons, a new thing of paint, and a full set of markers! YAY! Haha.

 I made a gluten-free cake for my birthday. It was a box of Betty Crocker gluten-free and I have to say, best option we've tried so far. WORLDS easier than trying to make a gluten-free cake from scratch, SO MUCH cheaper than making it from scratch, and turned out just right. While I love homemade, gluten-free is just SO difficult and often not-as-tasty anyway, that I'm turning to boxed options a bit more often.

Will has been singing happy birthday to me ever since. He is awesome.

 And that is the end of the iPhone photos to document our last few days. Tomorrow is Joy School from 10-12, lunch, piano from 1-2 and 3-5. Thursdays are my pull-my-hair-out-but-really-love days. If anyone wants to come visit, it's supposed to be 75 and sunny from now until Tuesday :). 

Sterling had a doctors appointment today. To tell him that he can now have blood work done and an endoscopy to see if it really is celiac. Which is scheduled out in another two months. Sigh, I feel like this is taking forever. The kids also had doctors appointments today. Well, Molly and Will did. Will is still tall and happy as could be that he didn't get any 'pokes' today. Molly is hitting the 15th percentile in weight (her record so far!) haha and following her own little growth curve nicely. She is SCRAPPY and can climb EVERYTHING. Every single ladder, pole, bridge, you name it at the park and she can scramble all over it. I was laughing to myself the other day at the park because she is SO TINY and a dad was watching and stood up and 'spotted' her every time she climbed the ladder. I was thinking to myself "Don't you realize she's climbing it just fine every single time? Wouldn't I be over there helping her if she couldn't do it herself?" I know he was just being kind, but it is funny because she LOOKS like she shouldn't be able to do everything she does. She pulled off two somersaults today and was SO PROUD of herself, it was hilarious! She tried to pull off a headstand like Ruth but when she almost fell off the couch for the third time I started discouraging that (tile is so unforgiving for learning fun stuff). 

We have a gym membership now to the YMCA and the kids BEG me to go because they love the kids zone so much, haha. They let them paint--and I call that a win/win. I get time to myself, they get to paint, I don't have to clean it up, and EVERYONE is happy! They hate leaving and I can't decide how that makes me feel. Worst mom ever that my kids don't want to come home with me? Or best mom for taking them places they enjoy so much? We'll stick with that, haha. 

I also have to note Will's new nickname for Ruthie. "Rupe." He had started calling her "Rupee" and I thought it was SOOOOOOO adorable. You just have to hear it. But now he calls her "Rupe" and it's even cuter. He'll say things like "Hey, Rupe, can I have a crayon?" and I just about DIE inside!!! On talking terms, Molly calls dogs "woof-woof"s and that is also the cutest thing I have ever heard. The other day I was trying to sleep and Sterling was getting ready and Molly (the ever-awake-at-ridiculous-hours-child, which is why I think I was back in bed trying to make up for lost hours) followed him around for FIVE minutes saying "hi!" in this soft, soft voice with this really big 'h' sound. "hi." from Molly. "hi." from Sterling. "hi." from Molly. "hi." from Sterling. It was hilarious. Great way to wake up in the morning. She also still gives me big wet kisses to try to wake me up. Although this morning she bit my shoulder, so ya know. Ya win some, ya lose some.