Tuppence a Bag: March 2017

Abby practicing letters

Hello, friends. I'm so sad that this is my first time posting on here in months. "Catch up on blog" makes it on my To Do list every week, if not every day, but you can see how well that is working out for me. When I'm drowning in laundry, dirty dishes, an empty pantry, stinky diapers, and the ever-daunting task of actually getting us moved in to our new house, blogging is one item that is easy to always get pushed to the next day. And then tomorrow never comes. What I really need is a solid four hours of uninterrupted time where I could just push through this, catch up on everything, and get a fresh start. But really, as long as I'm wishing for four hours of uninterrupted time, I might as well be wishing for a week to myself. And a million dollars.

SO.

I have [temporarily] given up on the idea of catching up. My goal for tonight is to just give a quick snapshot of what's going on right now. Maybe I'll go back two-ish weeks. I just want to record some fun things that have been happening lately.

Hmm. Where to begin? Really can't spend much time deliberating over this...

The things kids do to entertain themselves...

Let's start by talking about how we've made it through this winter. It's been a pretty mild winter, lots of days in the mid-60s. I don't have to tell you that this is AWESOME. I tend to struggle in the winter. I just want to cozy up with a book and never leave the house, but that is a terrible plan when you have two little kids. The great curse of winter weather is that it takes well over half an hour to get the kids dressed warm enough to go outside, and then the kids last outside for about ten minutes. And then we have a pile of coats/mittens/hats/scarves next to the door that never seem to go away until the next time we try to go outside, and then we're magically missing one of each mitten and spend the next hour trying to find them. So I consider it a real treat when these warm days come along and we can just step outside without having to worry about frostbite.

One day we're outside in short sleeves, enjoying beautiful sun...

The next day Abby is catching snowflakes

But I'm a mom, and mom's always have to worry, even when things are perfect. So here I was, with a perfectly mild winter, wishing my kids could enjoy a really good snowstorm. Just one! And then, like magic, our one really good snowstorm arrived last week. We did all the works - a giant snowman, a snowball fight, snow angels, shoveling out the neighbors (don't tell my kids that's work because they think it's the most fabulous task around), and even tried snow paint for the first time. And then I was done, and it all melted away. It was great! Let's try for that again next year, shall we?

Snow paint

This is what Thomas thinks of playing in snow

I had also prepped myself for some long winter days spent indoors, so we've had our fair share of fun indoor activities. Abby is working on an alphabet scrapbook, which is great for practicing scissors and glueing and writing, as well as letter recognition. When Thomas is napping, Abby and I often get out the watercolors and paint together. Santa brought our family this cool color-in playhouse, and Abby and I have spent many hours painting it. We also practice writing letters on the chalkboard, molding play dough, baking, reading books, painting nails, playing Memory, putting together puzzles, and doing chores together. She is such a good little helper. She loves making her bed, sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor, cooking, watering the houseplants, and folding laundry. Also, a few weeks ago we started reading Little House in the Big Woods together - one of my favorites. She pulled it off the shelf and asked to read it, and I obliged just to humor her. I thought she would be totally bored within minutes, but she has endured and asks for it before bed on most nights. That's been a fun treat to share with her.

Scrapbooking

Sometimes we just cuddle in Mama's bed and watch the snow fall

The snowman Abby built before the big snowstorm came

Wearing Dad's coat. Are you warm enough now, Abigail?

Making a tissue paper rainbow for St Patrick's Day

Building a "castle"

Dollhouse family having a tea party

Thomas, bless his heart, has rounded a corner and is suddenly such a pleasant child. He is fifteen months old now, active, cheerful, eager, and busy. And he is SLEEPING!!!!! I can't put my excitement into words. He takes either one or two naps a day, ranging anywhere from an hour and fifteen minutes to three hours, and he almost always sleeps around eleven hours at night. It is a blessing on so many levels - first of all because he is so much happier and doesn't need to be held for hours at a time while screaming in my face, but also because it has given me and Abby some much-needed one-on-one time. Now we have this special time every day while he naps, and when he wakes up we're all ready to be together again. He is also eating great. He loves to be outside and kind-of hangs out around the door until I get the message. And also - I don't really know how to put this in words - but it's like he suddenly understands us so much better now. I can say something like, "Go get your shoes" or "Say bye-bye to Daddy", and he will actually do it now. I feel like he's way behind on that developmentally, but I think it's helping that he is getting the sleep he needs.

Two kids, two riding toys, two sippy cups

Using the computer mouse like a phone

Comfortable, son?

Oh, that reminds me. In January we decided to wean Abigail from her naps. I knew she wasn't quite ready for it yet, but we had reached the most ridiculous routine with her, and her bedtimes were getting pushed back later and later as a result. There was one night when Jacob and I actually went to bed before she had fallen asleep. That was the last straw for us. The next day we kept her up from her nap, and we haven't had her nap since then. There are days when she falls asleep while I'm putting Thomas down, but she is mostly nap-free. And that is fabulous because [insert choir singing Hallelujah] that means that both kids are usually asleep for the night by 7:30, and I once again have my evenings back. It is amazing!!!

I spent the longest five minutes of my life searching for Abigail a couple of weeks ago after I put Thomas down for a nap. I kept calling her, looking all over the house, was wondering if it was possible that someone had come inside and kidnapped her. Finally I found her in the corner of her room, asleep, behind a chair.

(I can hear you now saying, If your kids are asleep by 7:30, why are you having such a difficult time keeping up with chores and blogging? And to you person thinking that, I say, "Be quiet.")

But I digress.

One more wonderful thing I want to say about Thomas is that he is now enjoying books. I don't know what was going on with him, but he has hated books ever since he was a newborn. I would pull out a book and he would start screaming. What newborn does that?!?!? If you know me at all you know that I LOVE to read, and it is very important to me to pass that love on to my children. Abby obviously requires very little encouragement, but I could not figure out what to do about Thomas. I tried all sorts of things. Finally I concluded that he just didn't like books, and I would fight that battle when he was a little older. But then, just a few days ago, he brought me a book out of his room, opened it up, and pointed out all the illustrations while babbling away in baby language. I was shocked and didn't dare think anything of it. Later that day, while I was reading to Abby before bed, Thomas brought Jacob a book and actually sat there and listened while Jacob read it to him. It was a miracle! I have tentatively showed him more and more books since then, and he really is genuinely interested in pointing to things in the pictures. It's a start, anyway. I am so relieved.

Also going on this winter, Jacob and I have made it a point to go "hiking" on Tuesday mornings because he goes in to work late that day. We bundle up the kids and drive a little ways and set out to explore our new home. Our favorite spot is the C&O Canal towpath from the Brunswick, MD location, which is a ten minute drive from our house. It is good to get outside and breath fresh air, even if it is freezing air.

A couple of weeks ago Jacob took Abigail on a Daddy-Daughter date hosted by our church. She loved getting dressed up for the occasion, stayed out late dancing, won the "Best Dressed" award (it was the crown that did it), and came home exhilarated. I had to be the bad guy and insist that she take the crown out before going to bed. She didn't understand why she couldn't go on a date with Daddy every night.

She's wearing a crown and sparkle shoes, he's wearing a hat and Star Wars tie. Classy couple.

And speaking of dates, it was one of my New Year's resolutions to go on more dates with Jacob. Last weekend we hired a babysitter for the first time since June, then went out for dinner and contra-dancing. If you aren't familiar with contra-dancing, let me just say that it is one of my most favorite things ever. I am tickled pink that we have found a place close to us that hosts contra-dancing every month. It will be a monthly event for us.

Speaking of monthly events, here is Jacob writing our first mortgage check.

I have also started clogging again! There is a team close to me that teaches classes (in a barn!!!), and I attended my first class last week. I'm not sure yet where I am in my commitment - I would love to join the team, but even I have to admit that this is not the most opportune time in my life - but I am loving just wearing my clogging shoes again.

Well, I think that's about it. Tune in next time for updates about our February trip to Utah, our Christmas, and even what we did last summer! (Oh man, I am behind!) But this is enough for now.

(Except for a Grand Finale of photos)