we've been taking it easy

Our schedule has been relaxing and I've been enjoying this stage of life so much. We don't have anything setting our schedule (e.g. going to school) and we get to decide what our days look like. Our days are filled with makeshift tents, reading books, naps, building blocks, coloring, potty breaks, play-doh, snacks, magna-doodles, love, pj's all day, cuddling, and of course cleaning the house somewhere in there.

I've been impressed at how well the kids have continued to play together since we've been couped up this whole month. We only get out 1-2 times per week because there has been snow or crazy-below-zero temps. We've had some play-dates when the weather has allowed for it.

If you were a fly on our wall you would never guess that it's winter outside. Our house is a sunny 75 and based on my kids clothing choice they look every bit of sunny 75. Ari refuses to wear anything else but shorts...and Evangeline anything but summer dresses. If Ari starts the spring off with a tan already, you will know why. Who says you need to be outdoors in order to get some sun? Not this kid.

Selah on the other hand looks every bit like it's winter because she doesn't get to have an opinion yet. :)

If he ever gets cold in the house he still refuses to put on any clothes. Why would he do that when he has a nice warm vent to stand on? Seriously, who's kid is that? You will find me with several layers on even in the middle of summer. I like to be warm.

Ari helped her make a cradle for her babies. They are such good friends.

He also helped get her a snack while I was feeding the baby. She no longer sits in this chair but decided she was going to since I wasn't there to object. She climbed right in and Ari served her. Good friends. Big helper. So independent.

Ari continues to be such a big helper with Selah too. He is her biggest cheerleader and gets excited when she starts to do new things. He will belly laugh from the silly things she does and wants to hold her or carry her around ALL the time. We will continue to enjoy the peaceful days of January because I have a feeling February is going to get busy.

the crazy weather and then some

We have had more snow this winter season than I can remember. And it's only the middle of January!

But with the snow comes hot chocolate, fires in the fireplace, and sledding with friends!

My mom stayed with Selah while I adventured out to see what the sledding hill was all about. I went down twice and that was all I needed to know that side of the hill wasn't for me. (It was the only side with snow on it...and it was scary!) But the older kids had a blast. It was so slippery it was hard climbing back up it.

Some friends of ours came with their sweet baby and sister pictured above. The baby was in a snug bunny suit and Evangeline kept asking to "see the bunny". She still talks about how Reagan was a bunny.

Not more than a day later it began to snow. And snow. And snow. Church was even closed! So we ventured with some friends to a church down the road from us. Then realized after service started that they stream online! Welcome to perks of a mega-church. I had no idea! Next time church is cancelled I think we will go that route. :) After a few hours of euchre our friends decided to travel home before they got snowed in at our house. They almost didn't make it out of our cul-de-sac! We ended up with 11 inches and then was followed by an arctic blast with record low temps at a high of -10 and a low of -44. Eek! Indianapolis shut down for Monday and AJ didn't have to work. Yay! But then the roads were terrible so the kids and I didn't leave our house for 6 days!

After a busy December we've enjoyed the slower pace of not having a full calendar. Which has been convenient with the weather we've had. I've been more diligent with Ari's school and it has been exciting to see him progress in reading and math. Some days he will tell me he's not any good (what is 

it with kids and low self-esteem?), but then other days I catch him reading books to his sister and cousin without any prompting.

Spending extra time at home has also encouraged this little one to explore every crack in the house. She is EVERYWHERE. And in EVERYTHING. She doesn't spend much time in the exersaucer anymore because she has figured out that spending time under the kitchen table is more rewarding. I thought I kept a pretty clean house before but I'm finding myself sweeping about twice as much as I used to. 

She also keeps me busy with feeding her. Some days I think that's all I get done. I should start putting that on my To Do List so I can mark it off 10 times and still feel like I got something accomplished. Either I'm fishing out food from her mouth that she's not supposed to have (ahem-from the kitchen floor) or I'm nursing her or feeding her. She is always eating. If I just got done feeding her and finally get around to eating something myself, she is right there voicing her opinion that she would like some as well. Never mind that I just spent half an hour shoveling food in her mouth. If I'm eating something, she wants it too. Sometimes I find myself hiding food from her and sneaking in bites as she's preoccupied with something else. "Closet Eater" has a whole new meaning now.

Did I mention though how stinking cute she is? I can't help myself.

So a month ago we decorated sugar cookies with our dear friends...and somehow the pictures never made it's way into a post. They had a blast. Seriously, best of friends.

And I've had a blast braiding hair for the past couple of weeks. She requests it almost every day and I can't deny that I revel in the fact that she willingly asks for her hair to be done, nails painted, or spends time picking out a dress to wear. I don't push the fancy stuff but she sits so still that I have no reason to say no. :)

the last of December

The last week of December was jam-packed it was hard to keep up on all of our activities. My niece had her 4th birthday and my kids loaded up on marshmallow fondant.

Ari is nutty as usual and this picture reminds me that I still need to trim his hair. *sigh*

The kids sang at the Christmas Eve service and I caught Ari actually doing the motions. Progress! (Although us parents were giggling at the fact that Ari and Evan probably made a pact with each other not to mumble a single word.) Maybe next year, right?

Christmas Eve was fantastic. We stopped at our friends house for dinner after the service, then they came to our house for a sleepover, parents included! Which translates to us all staying up way past our bedtime, eating lots of sugary goodness, and playing games.

I think we ended up with a whopping 5 hours of sleep, but it was totally worth it.

Christmas morning was full of pj's, the Christmas story, the last ornament for the countdown, coffee, yummy breakfast, friends, thankful hearts, and love. Oh, and goofballs.

These kids seriously love each other to pieces. And I do too.

We made it over to my brothers for lunch. Don't be fooled by the type of weather we had on Christmas Day from the outfit Ari is wearing. He begged and pleaded with us to let him wear shorts and a t-shirt. It doesn't matter how cold it is...all he wears is shorts. So we packed him some shorts to wear inside. Merry Christmas kid.

I'm seeing guitar lessons in the near future. Anyone know how to play? Because I sure don't.

And oh boy did my grandma know how to speak her love language. A knitted princess crown. 

We almost made it through the holidays sick-free, but Ari came down with a fever for a few days over New Year's so we did not partake in many festivities that week. We were thankful that it wasn't another round of strep!

10 months

This past month has been a busy one for Selah Bear. At the beginning of 9 months, the Bigs were trying to show her how to crawl.

Then a few weeks in she got the hang of it. But along with the crawling came lots of other tricks!

Her new favorite hobby is getting in to the cabinet.

Or the dishwasher.

She's a fast one and zooms from one room to the other.

We've graduated from baths in the sink to the actual tub. Surprisingly she hasn't tried to crawl around in the tub...yet.

She is trying out more and more foods. So far she eats anything put in front of her, even meat! This was a shocker for me because the other two would have nothing to do with meat for a long time.

She is still sportin' two teeth. Can't see any new ones coming in just yet.

She will sit up on her knees when resting from crawling. She gets so proud of herself and will clap!

It didn't take long for her to figure out how to pull up on things either. Not only do I find myself grabbing things off the floor so she can't get them...I'm now clearing off the couch, ottoman, and tables! How is this possible?!

We've had a strange few weeks with her waking up several times throughout the night and not knowing what to do to get her to stop crying. Let me tell you...she is a LOUD crier. AJ's always a trooper and helps out a lot so we both aren't completely losing our minds by the morning. Last night proved much better so we will see if sleeping through the night will last. 

 Her favorite word is DA-DA-DA. She still twists her tongue around all the time, blows raspberry's, and makes clicking noises with her tongue. She keeps me on my toes CONSTANTLY since she will put anything small and unusual in her mouth. The first week that she crawled I remember fishing out a sticker, carpet, and even silly putty (that she got out of an egg!) If there is a speck of dirt on the ground, she will find it. I thought I was doing a decent job of keeping a clean house, but I've been learning that things that look clean from my height look much different than when crawling around on the ground! 

We are enjoying her fun-loving personality and seeing how she interacts with her siblings. They are learning how to handle a mobile baby who likes to play with the toys they are playing with. I've heard a lot of "No Selah!" but then followed with "Here you go Selah!"