Baby food and other ramblings

So I'm a bit embarrassed that I haven't made my own baby food for my first 3 kids.  Had I realized how easy and quick it was I would have never invested so much moolah in Gerber.  Holy smokes, I spent like 3 dollars and have a TON of food.  For $3 I would have gotten, what, like 3 containers of Gerber food?!?  Needless to say, I have made peas, yams, and pears for my sweet, growing babe.  I have some carrots and beans to do up next.  I cooked everything to make it soft, pureed in the blender, and put in ice cube trays to freeze.  Then you pop them out and put them in a ziplock bag and you just remove however many cubes you need to microwave them.  Wah-lah!  Loving it!

Porter is beyond cute.  He has learned to push up and will push out and scoot himself backwards on his tummy.  His core is getting a little stronger but still does not like to sit on his own.  Too wiggly.  Our neighbor dropped off their little exersaucer and P loves it.  This is a pic from the first time he sat in it. 

He kept knocking his head on the little spin toy trying to get his face right next to the mirror.  Sooo cute.  He also adores his feet and LOVES to eat them.  

I have to quickly remove his socks if I feed him cause he takes a bite of food and likes to wash it down with this toes.  If I don't take off the socks I end up with colored toes on them.  He is a mello, sweet boy.  

His brothers just love him to pieces.  The other day Oliver was watching Curious George while I was making lunch or dinner or something.  I had left Porter downstairs with him playing on the ground.  When I went downstairs to get him this is what I found.  

Sometimes brothers gotta watch Curious George together.  He's also finally starting to coo more and more.  Brandt has said it is his favorite age when the baby will wake up in the morning and just talk to themselves.  Porter is there.  However, he also has his brother in there so I hear giggling a bunch of mornings.  Oliver will wake him up (and I get really grumpy about that) but then O will climb in his crib and play with him and he laughs and laughs.  I am really trying to be calm mother and let the kids be kids more and not harp on them as much so that there is happiness and playfulness abounding in our home.  I feel my children's childhood slipping away and it makes me weep.  It is such an inside struggle clinging to their "littleness" while anticipating the adventures and excitement of growing up.  Ah, being a parent is hard.  I have come to realize this more and more as the dynamic of our family is morphing into something new.  I wouldn't change it but it is definitely hard.

In response to my previous post, I am very proud of my Charlie for trying to correct his bad habit of saying some words that are not allowed in our home.  He let it slip the next morning and started to cry when I caught him because he wants so badly to be good.  We said a quick prayer before he went to school asking for help to remember to say only good words.  When he came home he was so proud that he hadn't said it and had used a more appropriate exclamation instead of the other word.  I too, am proud of him.  He really struggles with the perfection he wants to obtain.  He is wiser than his years.  He asks tough questions that I never thought I'd be addressing with a 6 year old.  He struggles being happy.  I assume it is because of him wanting to have everything be perfect, himself included.  It is tough for me as him mommy to teach him what it means to be happy.  Teach him to find joy in serving others.  Teach him to have patience in learning.  Teach him to be kind to others and brave to find friends that will love him for his quirkiness.  I am indeed grateful that he has Dylan.  I think it was planned all along for those two to come to earth together so that they could help one another.  They have other friends but they know that they always have that buddy there, too.  I'm so very happy about that.  I love when my boys are getting along and playing so well.  It warms my heart.  I have the best little boys around.  I gotta remember to enjoy them being little cause it is quickly slipping away. 

Please stay little...

Today Charlie was saying a bad word.  This is a day that I knew would come but dreaded.  I hate that my little birds are leaving the nest and learning things that I would rather them not learn.  Maybe he learned from TV?  Either way, no bueno.  I threatened soap and I think he's afraid.  That's my parenting method.  Instill the fear and hopefully they'll behave cause they think that my wrath is worse.  Ha!  Who ever thought that sweet, quiet Andrea would be scary?

On a positive note, Brandt had the day off.  Cousins came to play.  Dinner was brought to me.  It was beautiful out today with sunshine and like 40 degrees (so hot, right?).  Porter has been sleeping all through the night pretty regularly (and I know I just cursed it).  Lots to be grateful for.

Out with the old, and bring in NOTHING new

I am trying to purge around these parts.  I saw a great quote tonight that I thought was perfect.  It says:
Clean out your closets.
Clean out your mind.
Clean out your life.
You don't have to take it all with you in 2015.
If it doesn't serve you, let it go.

I have a room in my house, affectionately called my "crap room."  It houses my sewing machine, my fabric, books, ironing board, filing cabinets, yarn, printer and cartridges, and anything else that doesn't have a place anywhere else in my home.  It technically should be my "craft room," but it has morphed into the "crap room."  It has to go.  I'm sick of it.  Brandt can't stand it and I'm finally there, too.  I worked a little bit in there today and it feels good.  I only wish I had more time to spend on it.  Little bit here, little bit there is all I can do.  I'll eventually get there.

The boys today spent a good portion of their day outside sledding.  They've created two slides in our front yard, because why would you want to do it in our backyard.  Their slides take them down our whole lawn and they end up in the road.  I yelled at them to create a barricade so they won't slide into the road.  I helped them build one and then it pretty much turned into a jump...into the road.  I don't know.  I figure at least they're playing well together, outside, and haven't died yet.  I think tomorrow the rule is they have to fall off their sled at the sidewalk.  I don't want them run over.

Happy New Year! 2015

It is a new year and time for a new approach. I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I NEED to be a more frequent visitor to my little journal here.  I am going to try to find two seconds each night to record something each day.  Maybe a novel, maybe a quote from the littles.  I have made it through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Eve.  I was lucky enough to host my families annual Christmas Eve party at our house.  We rotate through the children and it was our year.  Made some delicious brisket, cowboy potatoes, veggies, so good hot cocoa, cheesecake, etc.  It was a good night.  Christmas Day was snowy and magical.  My children are at the PERFECT age for the magic.  I am so blessed and so lucky.  Then last night I hosted, yet again, our annual New Years Eve fondue and fireworks party.  Was a great party, good food, fun company, etc.  I wasn't feeling 100% but today I feel a little better after a afternoon nap and a relaxing day with my family.  Last year I caught the flu after the party so I'm grateful that I'm feeling much better today.  I think the hustle and bustle of the holiday season leaves me a little weaker so I need to not try to be superwoman and conquer the world.

This year I am going to work on my balance.  Balance of my family, friends, church, children activities, hubby time, drea time, etc.  I also want to rid the guilt. I'm not going to feel guilty for other peoples expectations of myself.  I'm not going to feel guilty for not being able to do it all.  Between Brandt's and my obligations of our family with 4 small children, two large church callings, a large extended family, and work to provide for our needs we have felt spread too thin.  Hard to find happiness with that and we need to bring it back in and re-group.  What that looks like, not sure, but we will try to figure it out day by day.  It is the first day of a new year and I am going to try my darndest to have 365 days of really great days.  I'm off to a good start.  One great day down, 364 more to go.

On a side note, Brandt has taught Porter a new trick.  Oooohhh-ing.  Look at those lips.  I could just kiss them.