Umizoomi Celebrations

Eli celebrated his 4th birthday this past weekend and with our vacation coming up tomorrow I knew I needed to get this post up! Eli's actual birthday fell on a Thursday this year so he took some cookies to school and Hailey and I made him some brownies while he was gone. I really tried to involve Hailey in special ways knowing that there was potential for some jealousy. She did really well all weekend. When she heard the birds chirping outside our window on his birthday she said, "Listen mommy. The birdies are singing happy birthday to Eli!" So sweet.

My parents came into town on Friday to celebrate with us and we decided to take Eli to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant to eat. I initially thought he would like the rice and chicken (though I was wrong), but I also knew he would enjoy the entertainment regardless (and I was right!). We had a great meal and enjoyed watching the kids take it all in. Isaac slept most of the meal which was also a treat.

I love that our kids get excited about silly TV shows and characters. I recently read a mom's blog who was talking about how she dresses her little boy. She mentioned avoiding t-shirts that have characters like Thomas the Train and Lightning McQueen on it. To be honest, it never previously occurred to me that it might not be "cool" to buy those things for my kids. It is what they love! Some of the party themes they ask for would certainly fall into the category of tacky to some as well, but I think it is so fun to see them get excited about things that they like. They are only little once, and I'm sure before I know it Team Umizoomi will no longer be as exciting. :)

During the month following Isaac's birth, I felt like I was walking around with my eyelids propped open and TV initially seemed the best solution to managing Eli and Hailey. I realized with time that Eli was struggling more with attentiveness and obedience after watching TV for a few hours and that he was much better on days with less TV. So, I cut them back to 1/2 hr. in the mornings while I make lunch and sometimes 1/2 hr. at night while I am getting dinner ready. I honestly may scale it back even more now that they are used to it and ask for it less. Saturday mornings are an exception. :) The show they love to watch in the morning every day is Team Umizoomi. We just stumbled across it a few months ago and they quickly became hooked. It is a math show on Nick Jr. and really educational. So, when it was time to start thinking about a birthday theme. Team Umizoomi was the only request.

The only problem was that there is NOTHING in production to buy for a birthday related to this show! I googled it one day and found several printable things through Nick Jr.'s website and some plans they gave for a birthday party. It looked simple enough. I also found a few blogs where people had recently planned an Umizoomi party that were helpful. In the end, Eli thought this party was the greatest thing ever so I won't complain too much about how much time it took. However, I will make sure next time I plan a birthday party that I can just buy some plates and few decorations to hang from the ceiling. It will certainly save me a color ink cartridge (or two)!

Here is a link to the stuff I made in case any one is brave enough to do it after the warning I issued. ;)

There were color pages I printed out from the Nick Jr. website to make a poster of Bot, Milli, and Geo. Eli helped me with this project which was really fun. I unfortunately couldn't find a good place to hang them at the park where we had Eli's party so I improvised.

I ordered a plain 1/2 sheet cake from Sam's and placed this icing sheet on top that I had ordered off eBay. It turned out really cute and I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy it was.

Nick Jr. also had a print out for an iron-on transfer for a t-shirt so I decided to do those for party favors. I bought t-shirts in a bulk pack in two sizes and then bought the iron on sheets from Target. They get pretty crinkled with washes and probably won't last very long, but Eli and Hailey like them alot.

It rained the entire week leading up to Eli's party and the temperature really dropped the day before. We actually had snow flurries the night before! I just couldn't believe it was snowing this late in April. I think the weather has been a little crazy in lots of places in the country this month. So, although it wasn't raining (or snowing!) it was pretty darn cold for an outdoor party. Like 42 degrees cold. We were so used to having cook-outs in Wichita for Eli's previous birthdays that it didn't really occur to me that it might be too cold to be outside. The kids were running around playing so much that I think the parents were colder than they were.

I made sure the kids wore those homemade party hats. Ha!

 Before my parents left we had to show them Eli's new bike! He was so excited to get a big boy bike. He likes to pedal really fast which makes me nervous. Marc said he has a new running partner. :)

No time to proof read this because it is time to finish packing! Hopefully, I will get some posts up after vacation.

Easter 2013

I love how teachable our kids are at this age. Hailey loves reading bible stories, but Eli is actually learning them and retelling them back to us! That made this Easter so special for Marc and me as we were able to enjoy time with the kids reading through their children's bible and teaching them all about Jesus' life and death. I am amazed by the depth at which Eli was comprehending it all. (Lately, we have enjoyed reading The Jesus Storybook Bible and Family Time Bible with the kids. We took a break from The New Children's Bible because it was a little too much for our kids' attention spans and had few pictures.)

This Easter was quite different for us from our Easter last year. Last year, for a week leading up to Easter, we had a sheep bleating in a pen in our front yard (which ended up being slaughtered for Easter dinner) and we were sweating in the hot temperatures of Galmi, Niger while we were serving at a missions hospital there. We think about our time there often and are so glad to have many pictures to look back on!

FLASHBACK to Easter in Niger 2012

This picture cracks me up! Marc said it reminds him of the picture of the farmer and his wife with the pitch fork. You know the one, right???

Eli finding an egg in front of the (ahem) empty sheep pen. :)

Hailey has changed so much over the past year.

 Easter dinner with all our Galmi friends

Now to Easter 2013...

Marc's mom color-coordinated eggs and buckets so that all the grandchildren got the same amount during their egg hunt. It worked out really well and Eli was a sweet brother to help Hailey find all of her purple eggs. It was a very windy day!

 Digging into the treasures :)

 I hope that your Easter was a blessed time with family and friends and that you enjoyed reflecting on who Jesus is and all that He has done for each of us.

This Change is Good

I really don't expect blogging to be a big part of my life for quite awhile, but I will try to keep you updated with pictures! We are continuing to adjust and adapt our lives so that we are not just managing, but really thriving. I have recently felt some desires to recommit myself to this new "job" I have being home with these sweet little ones and to create a schedule for us to keep our days intentional and purposeful. I have also ordered some educational curriculum to do with Hailey and Eli to help challenge their little brains. I am really excited and thankful that God has given me this conviction to spend more quality time with the kids. It is easy to get consumed with the laundry, cleaning, cooking and the lures of social media like Facebook. Today, we had a great start. I will try to update more in a month or two once things are more routine for us, but I am feeling refreshed after seeing what one intentional day can do for all of us. :)

My phone is always loaded with pictures these days. I wish I had more pictures taken on my nice camera, but the moments seem to come and go too quickly for me to run and get it and my phone is always within reach.

Aunt Stacey gave Hailey some of her company's kid friendly nail polish in her favorite color so we had to try it out. You can check out Piggy Paint HERE!

 Isaac had his first blow-out!!! Many more to come I'm sure.:)

I can't tell you how much these two already love each other. I can tell Isaac recognizes Eli's voice. He quits crying immediately when Eli talks to him and turns his little head in the direction of his big brother's voice. They are going to be good friends.

Isaac took his first bottle at five weeks and did really well. I gave Eli and Hailey both a turn in giving it to him. This bottle was the test run the day before Marc gave me an entire morning away from the kids. The time away was so therapeutic! I ate breakfast at Panera and lunch at Chick-fil-A and then shopped around a bit. It was a treat to get waited on and to not have to prepare anyone else's food. Marc did well juggling all three kids by himself, but he had a new appreciation for me when I got home. :)

Some pictures of Isaac remind me so much of Eli at this age. This is one of them.

 Enjoying some snuggle time while the big kids nap.

This little guy is filling out! He is around 12 pounds I think. He is down to just one feed per night and that usually comes 6-7 hrs. after his bedtime feed which is AWESOME!

 Big eyes just like Eli and daddy

 The Princess and Knight of our castle.

Feeling beyond blessed these days, and continually humbled.

February catch-up

It seems that every time I sit down to type up a blog post I get sidetracked trying to catch-up on all the other blogs I like to read that I have neglected over the past month. And then, just when I feel caught up and ready to type my own post, someone needs me and I close the computer. So goes life these days. :) We are loving our sweet new addition. It is really hard for me to remember life without Isaac. Maybe those are my post-pregnancy hormones making me sentimental and cliche or my lack of sleep making my memory foggy. Probably a combination of the two. Regardless, Isaac has filled our home with more joy, smiles, and laughter and we are so grateful to have him join this family.

Isaac is now one month old and proving himself to be an easy going baby much like our other two. We are loosely following the Babywise schedule like we did with Eli and Hailey and he has taken to it like a champ. He is consistently taking 2 hr. naps in his crib during the day which frees me up to spend time with the other two kids and maintain the house. He is going 4-5 hrs. at night between feeds. While I know this method does not work for everyone, it has made our kids so happy as infants because they are well rested and the eat-play-sleep cycle seems so natural to them. The effects of establishing good sleep patterns early on have carried into their toddler years as well. Eli and Hailey rarely protest going down for nap or bed when it is time. Hailey actually put herself down for a nap the other day when I was nursing Isaac! She had finished her lunch and asked me if it was nap time. When I told her "yes" she went to the potty and then went and got into her bed. By the time I was free to check on her, she was already asleep. :)

Life with three kids under four has not been much different than having only two. Eli and Hailey are at a very busy stage so Isaac doesn't put much more demand on the pace we already had going. I'm sure things will change once he doesn't sleep all the time. :) The biggest struggle for me is trying to figure in the tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I used to tackle these things each day while the kids slept, but now all I do is sleep as well when the kids are down. :) I'm not sure where my blood counts are, but I know I am still anemic and certainly not getting a full night of rest. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, the fatigue will subside and I will get a bit of a routine again. For now my "to do" list keeps growing and I am TOTALLY ok with that. I am just enjoying where God has me right now and trying to be faithful to the things he has given me.

I do hope to backtrack a few posts in the next few days and catch up on some pictures and memories that we made in this first month with Isaac, but for now, I will throw in a few random pictures from our life lately.

 Eli made a George Washington wig at school during President's Week. We thought this was hilarious!

One month of age for our kids always means baby acne and hair loss :)

 Trying to get that head up during tummy time.

Hailey is really doing great with Isaac. She loves holding him and helping me change diapers.

 Eli loves doctoring all his stuffed animals.

 Still our one and only princess. :)