Gpers

It's one of those mornings.  You know, the mornings where you can hardly get out of bed.  It's a sleeping kind of day, and if it'd been up to me, we would've slept all day.  Alas, Ira's in school and Ruby's not real fond of spending the entire day in her crib, so up and at 'em we are.  And the title of this post?  Well, that's what happens when you try to type "flowers" and your fingers would rather be in bed still...

Anyway, this past weekend, I added 12 more plants to my perennial flower bed that I started this year.  I have never been one to do well with keeping flowers alive (I like to say that I have a black thumb.)  But the front of our house was in desperate need of something, and after devouring the book "Prairie Lands" from my Mother-in-Law, I decided to make a go of planting prairie-friendly perennials.  Boy, did I pick the year to start a flower garden!  Luckily, thanks to these awesome soaker hoses (and a nice deep well) we were able to keep everything except one plant alive (which is pretty good considering I planted 34ish plants in May.)

The garden now includes: 3 Mums, 3 Salvia, 3 Rosebushes (already there), 1 Butterfly bush that is not there anymore, 2 Blanket Flower, 5 Garden Phlox, 3 Aster, 4 Black-eyed Susans, 3 Stella de Oro day lilies, 3 Purple Coneflower, 3 Sedum, 1 (beautiful) Russian Sage, 7 liatris spicata, 5 Yarrow, and 5 coreopsis.  I cannot wait to see it grow and spread from year to year.  This first year wasn't too impressive flower-wise, but that's normal with perennials, and I was pretty much thrilled with the fact that they stayed alive all summer (perennials are an INVESTMENT!)  I still need to find something to replace the Butterfly Bush with.  I may just replace it with Russian Sage because I love how it looks so much (it's the fuzzy purple at the far end of the garden in the pic below.)  The honeybees and butterflies LOVE it (seriously, the plant buzzes when you walk past)  and it's just such a pretty color and texture.  (Look at me talking like an actual gardener! he he he)

Here are some pics of the garden that I took this morning while it was RAINING!!!  I liked the first pic because all the flowers that I planted are in focus, but I had to include the second one too because I love how only the roses are in focus.

New Toys

Ira and Ruby were both excited this past weekend when Andy brought home some "new" old toys that he had when he was growing up.  Among them was a wooden farm set complete with tractor, animals, silos, and fences.  The kids have been having a lot of fun playing with them, and I know it's special to Andy to see them playing with toys that he enjoyed so much growing up.

Notice who (what) is driving the tractor?  That's Ruby for 'ya!

Homecoming

My college had homecoming festivities this weekend.  We've always wanted to attend in the past, but have had other commitments.  Finally, this year, we didn't have anything else going on.  So we decided to go.  Part of the festivities was a coloring contest for kids 0-5 and 6-10.  I printed out the page for Ira on Thursday and he was pretty excited about coloring his picture so that it would "come to life."  (After, that is, he got over his fear that he might not win... seriously.... we're talking tears and everything...I told him to sit in his room and think about it for awhile, about if he was going to be that devastated if he didn't win, that maybe he just shouldn't do it at all, that he'd have to decide if it was worth it to him.  He sat in there about 3 minutes and came out calmed down and had decided he was going to color it and he was going to win.)

Homecoming at my college is awesome and SO family friendly.  First off, it's in the late afternoon, which works great for parents of kiddos who still take naps.  Secondly, everything was FREE!  From the parade (where we collected at least a half gallon of candy,) to the carnival (with inflatable rides and carnival games and prizes,) to the tailgate dinner, it was all free.  Ira turned in his coloring sheet and scoped out the competition, and I've got to say, his page did look really awesome.  I was under the impression that they were announcing the winner at halftime of the football game, which we had decided not to go to (because it did cost money.) 

We watched the game for awhile from behind the chain-link fence, and were getting around to go when a couple of alums walked out and asked if we wanted their alumni passes to go to the game.  Hooray!  So we ended up going in right around the end of the first quarter.  After we walked in, the Alumni Director walked past us and said excitedly, "Hey did you hear the announcement?"  I wasn't sure what she was talking about, so I said, "No, what?"  And she said that Ira WON the coloring contest!!!  He was absolutely, positively elated.  It was so adorable, and I was so proud of and happy for him.  We ended up staying through half-time and then headed home because Ruby was ready for bed.   The kids both fell fast asleep on the way home and slept like rocks all night.  It was a WONDERFUL day and I hope to return to Homecoming for many years to come! 

Here's a pic of Ira with his fun prize!

Broke

Good GRIEF!  In the last 15 days at our house we have broken glass 4, yes that was FOUR times.  

When my sister and her fam was over two Fridays ago, Ira accidentally tipped a glass over on the bar and it shattered.  (That was fun to clean up with 4 kiddos 5 and under.) 

Last Sunday, as I was getting plates out of the cabinet, one slipped out under the stack I got out and hit the counter top and shattered.  Mind you, it was Corelle, which I thought was supposed to be durable (we knocked one off the half-wall in our apartment and it fell a whole story down and hit the linoleum at the bottom of the stairs and it didn't break.)  Apparently it's not durable enough to hit a counter top two feet below the cabinet...

Yesterday, as I was making my grocery list, somehow (I'm still not sure, b/c Ira was across the room and Ruby was 3 feet away from it) my big tri-fold 9 frame picture stand got knocked over and crashed to the ground (thank GOODNESS not on anyone) and two of the frames of glass shattered.  All over the carpet.  And toys. And Andy wasn't home yet.  Ugh...

Then this morning as Ruby was finishing up her breakfast (cheerios, one and a half scrambled eggs, and a big piece of toast) she knocked the Corelle plate she was using off of the bar and onto the floor.  And guess what?  It SHATTERED too!  We don't often give her Corelle plates to use, but you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow... she'll be back to using her plastic plates.

So basically what I'm saying is, if you plan on coming over to our house, make sure to wear shoes... and bring your own dishes to eat off of, 'cause we're getting down to slim-pickings here!

Photo of the Day

Recently, I've been thinking about this blog.  I really do like to blog.  It's just I am not very good at getting to it each day.  I think it just seems daunting to me.  But I do want to do it, because I think it's a great way to document/"scrapbook" our days.  I read this article, and although Evernote sounds like a great site, I just really don't want to ADD anything else, so I'm going to try something new.  I'm going to try posting a "photo of the day" several times a week (I'd say every day, but I doubt I'll be that consistent) with a brief description/explanation for the photo.  

Ready?  Set?  GO!

I have been scrubbing our floors on my hands and knees since I ran out of Swiffer WetJet Refills, knowing that I'd seen a tutorial at one point for making them out of cloth diapers.  Well, finally today I'd had enough so I got my Gerber prefolds out of our storage room (previously used as burp cloths) and went after it!  I originally made one using this tutorial but was disappointed with how it fit.  Plus, there was a lot of waste (one diaper made one cover.)  So I decided to just make my own up and was able to get two covers out of one diaper!  Hooray!  (If you're interested, I basically just cut the diaper in half, made a 12"x5.5" rectangle, used the excess to make the little pockets for the sides 5.5"x2.75", then used a zig-zag/straight stitch combo to make sure it didn't fray.)  I haven't used it yet, but I'm getting ready to.  EDIT: I just finished using it and it worked GREAT!  Possibly even better than the stupid disposable ones at picking up dust/dirt in the edges/corners of the room.  I used the one from the flitterbug website that I had cut down smaller length-wise but not width-wise and I'm glad I made the widths on mine narrower, it doesn't slide around as much, potentially covering the spray nozzle.  My hopes are that I can use one of them for major cleaning and the other two each night during the week just with water on them to maintain the floor (which would be a MAJOR improvement over the once every six weeks whether it needs it or not situation we have going on right now (kidding...sort of...)  It might even be a great chore for Ira...

Take care!

School Days

As many of you know, Ira started Kindergarten this year.  Here are my reflections on the subject in general.

When I found out last year that Kindergarten would be all day for Ira, I cried for days.  Seriously.  But then over the course of the year, things changed.  I still wholeheartedly believe that it's ridiculous for kindergarten. to be an all day affair.  I think that 5 year olds would be much better off if they had a half day of school and a half day of play.  But over the course of the last year, I became comfortable with the fact that come August, Ira would be in school all day.  And at some point during the summer, I started to look forward to school starting.

Because you know what, Ira was R.E.A.D.Y.  He was "bored" (my words not his) at home.  It was like no matter how much I did (and I'll admit, I could have tried harder), I couldn't keep him content.  He would read in his room for an hour and a half each day (sometimes more), but then the rest of the day, he just wanted something to do - something to sink his teeth (and by teeth I mean brain) into.  So yes, I began to look forward to him being able to have that constant mental stimulation that school would provide.  And the structure too.

You see, Ira is the opposite of me.  I like it when my days are completely unplanned, unfettered.  We don't have a schedule.  A routine certainly, but our days are pretty "free-spirited."  Well, in reflecting about it, I came to realize that Ira is a schedule kind of dude.  He likes to have something to do all day and thrives in structure and schedule.  (Seriously is he my kid? - Don't get me wrong, it's not that I can't perform in a scheduled, structured environment, it's just that naturally that would not be my first choice.)  So, school is truly the perfect fit for him.

Now back to his first day of school... We double-checked all of his supplies the day before and then went bowling (his favorite thing to do) before going out to dinner at Olive Garden.  It was a nice good-bye to summer.  We also made up a schedule (gasp! me?!  I know...) for school mornings to make sure that we had plenty of time and didn't feel rushed in the mornings (I hate feeling rushed.)  So, I woke him at 6:50 and he was quite cheery and excited for the day.  Then the trips to the bathroom began.   

You see, the week before school started Ira got really really sick (sicker than I'd ever seen in 5+ years) (a trip to the ER, bloodwork, bloody stools, a CT scan, (concerned about appendicitis), and 4 days of 103 fever, we find out it was just a bug... a nasty nasty bug.)  Even a week later, Ira was still complaining of his waist hurting (his bowels I'm sure) and still had diarrhea.  He was in so much pain that morning that I wasn't positive I should send him to school.  But I took a chance guessing that once he got to school it would take his mind off of it - which thankfully I was right about.

So back to trying to eat breakfast that first morning.  Ira probably had to get up and go to the bathroom 7 times.  He didn't even finish his breakfast, and I only got halfway through "Oh the Places You'll Go."  We hardly had time to take pictures before heading out the door at 7:45.  Yeesh, and I said I hated rushing...

However, Ira's spirit wasn't dampened by the whole thing and he had a WONDERFUL first day of school.  I didn't even cry (surprised even myself there.)  He came out of school with the hugest smile on his face and couldn't wait to tell me all about his day.  It was wonderful to see him so happy and excited.  I am truly excited for him.  And it's amazing how much time I feel like I have during the day now.  I love having one on one time with Ruby.  It's so nice to have time during the day to myself too.  I've gotten a lot done around the house lately!  And it's fun to go pick him up each afternoon and hear how his day went.  My little boy is growing up and I couldn't be more proud!

And, lest you think I would subject you to an entire post without pictures.  Here are his pictures from the first day of school!

Seriously, could he look any more excited/proud?!

 With sissy...sort of...

 At his desk.

 Finding his name on the SmartBoard.

Crazy for this girl

Ruby has not always been the easiest kiddo to take care of.  She cried a lot when she was a baby.  She wanted held a lot, but only wanted me to hold her.  From very early on, she wanted to go to bed at a time that even bar-hopping college students would find unreasonable.  She didn't like her car seat.  She didn't like diaper changes.  She didn't sleep well at night.  And she had crazy sensitivity issues with a number of foods.  She did always nurse well (and fast,) so I guess she had that going for her.  But she was not what anyone would describe as a "happy baby."  You know, "oh what a happy little baby you have there."  "She's just so easy going," etc.  HA!  I don't think anyone ever uttered those words about Ruby.  Probably because she gave anyone other than mamma the good 'ole stink eye (see nearly every picture of her from her first many months of life.) 

Like I said, not an easy baby.  It was a good reminder for me that love is a choice not just a feeling.  (Sometimes the last thing I wanted to do was nurse her/get up with her/hold her for the thousandth time)  It also made me appreciate the love that our Heavenly Father has for us (whiny, complainy sinners.)

Really though, this post wasn't meant to be philosophical, I just couldn't help reflecting on how far we've come when I sat down to write.  Because now, Ruby is a pretty stinkin' easy toddler.  She loves both sets of grandparents and doesn't even cry when we leave her with them for babysitting.  She has such a great and easy routine.  She is an excellent sleeper.  She goes to bed SO easily.  She eats well, does well in the car, and has an incredible vocabulary (like, if I were to take a guess, I would say that at 18 months she probably says around two hundred words as well as about a dozen signs)  She sings songs and says rhymes (5 little monkeys jumping on the bed.)  She loves LOVES ice cream  She plays well by herself. And has the cutest, funniest personality.  She is constantly doing things that make me smile and crack me up!  And she is just the happiest little girl so much of the time, so I just wanted to take a post to celebrate the sweet and silly little girl she is becoming.

Here's a glimpse into that silly sweet personality:

 Ruby LOVES the Little People school bus.  On any given day, I see balls, binkies, baby wipes, or batmans riding in the bus.

 She really REALLY wanted to ride the bus one day.  So much so that she was crying while trying to cram her head through the door so that she could get in.

Laughing while mommy was trying to take a picture

 I was going through our clothes for fall/winter the other day.  Ruby kept bringing me clothes to put on her and this is the outfit she ended up in.

 There was apparently something really hilarious about eating tzatziki.

 This is how I found her after a nap one day.  She had pulled her shirt over her head but her arms were still in it so it looked like a shawl.

 She pushes her baby, (or her duck, doll, batmobile, stuff from the recycling bin) really fast in her stroller.

 Here she was trying to climb in her highchair so she could play with the buckles. 

 I see you!

So yeah, praise God for this sweet, silly, (and smelly at the moment!) little girl!