Put-ups

Okay, let's try this blogging thing again.

Over the Christmas school break, we've had a little problem with sibling teasing in our house.  I think - now that I'm coming up for air - that so much together time forced all three kids to compete for my attention constantly. This lead to lots of bickering and name-calling.We tried sending them to their rooms, but that just seemed to make them more cranky. We tried a "Love Chart," we even thought about calling them names back (just kidding), but nothing seemed to work.

This morning a good friend who is a teacher told me about her classroom rule for name-calling. For every put-down, you have to deliver two "put-ups" by saying something nice to the person you teased.

That sounded good to me!  I explained the new rules to the kids at breakfast, and almost immediately had a chance to put this rule into action this morning when Aaron called Hannah a dummy.

A: Oh, I forgot (about the new rule). You mean right now?
Me: Yes, right now.
A: But I don't know what to say.
Me: You could tell her you love her. You could think of some things that she's good at.
H, with a big grin: You could say that I'm pretty.
A: I'm not doing this.
Me: Yes you are.
H, with an even bigger grin: You could say that I'm special.
A: Okay, I love you Hannah. I can't think of another one.
Me: Yes, you can.
A, after an awkward pause: You're good at cooking. (Then he cracks a big smile.)
H, beaming: Thank you, Aaron. Would you like one of my gummy bears?

Success!

The story of our Christmas tree, 2014

I don't write often any more, but this is a story that bears telling and remembering.  A few days into December, our family received an invitation from some friends to cut down a Christmas tree from their property. The previous owners had planted dozens of evergreens to sell to nurseries one day, and then never harvested them. Twenty years later, their land is full of some very tall Christmas trees.

On a cold and sunny afternoon, we packed up Aaron, Hannah, a load of winter gear and 12 candy canes, and headed to our friend's house. Everyone climbed into a trailer attached to

A look back: Christmas

Since I posted nothing about Christmas 2012, let's step back and relive some of the magic.

My kids are at the age where Christmas really is magic.  We had some friends over for drinks and appetizers on Christmas Eve, which was a fun way to capture some of that Christmas spirit and burn off some of that anticipatory energy.  The kids went to bed a little late, and Aaron took quite a while to fall asleep.  Luckily, he konked out just before Santa arrived.

Christmas morning, Hannah was first out of bed.  (It had nothing to do with Christmas - she's the first one up at our house everyday.)  She played with her gifts from Santa while we waited for Aaron to get up. (Sleeping in on Christmas morning has been a reoccurring theme for Aaron.  I'm sure someday, I'll miss it. But for the past few years, it's Paul and I waiting downstairs all antsy for him to get up and open presents.)

When Aaron came downstairs, he was awestruck - yes! - and fun was had by all.  Hannah was the most enthusiastic, ripping open everything, including some of Aaron's gifts. She got so excited that she tired herself out and was back in bed for a nap before 10 a.m.

The rest of the day was spent eating, relaxing, playing and talking to family afar - a really perfect way to spend such a special day.

Christmas wrap-up

Okay, it's time to wrap-up the Christmas stuff. See below.



Christmas was a complete joy. We had a house full of friends on Christmas Eve, much good food to share, and a band of kids running around high on holiday glee. (See Aaron in his pirate costume.) We hope to do it again next year.

Christmas morning, Hannah was up first, a good hour or so before her brother. when Aaron finally woke up, he wasn't too sure what this Santa business was all about. He came downstairs and asked for his ritual warm milk before touching a gift. But once he got into it, it was all very exciting. Hannah loved the paper and boxes (of course!) and actually got into unloading her own stocking. BTW, I think one of Aaron's favorite gifts were the M&Ms in his stocking. This guy has his father's sweet tooth, to be sure.

On December 26, my mom and I loaded the kids into the car and headed for Michigan while Paul pulled out the nail gun and got to work laying wood floors on the upper level of our house.

It was fun to see Aaron really interact with all of our relatives this year. We got to spend loads of time with Grandma Great, including racing Aaron's new remote control car all around the assisted living home where she lives. And Aaron spent lots of time playing with cousins - swimming, bowling, air hockey. You name it.

Paul (with the help of a good friend) did an amazing job on the floors and literally finished up as we pulled into the driveway at 10:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve with kids sleeping in the back of the car. We shuttled the kids up to bed and shared a glass of wine on the couch before calling it a night. I think we're both glad that stage of house renovations is over. Whew.

P.S. - The abandoned looking building above is the swim club where I was a lifeguard through high school and college. It's been vacant for a few years, and seems to be another sign of the strife that's riddled Michigan over the past several years. Sad.

P.P.S. - Notice in the Christmas photos that Aaron left Santa cookies, a beer and carrot for the reindeer.

Living room peek

Shall we shift gears to take a peek at the house? I'm kicking myself for not taking better before photos. I'll try to find some this week.

Anyhow we've made the most progres in the living room.







It's feeling much more like our home these days, which is nice.

We hired someone to take out the wall between the former dining room (with the green rug)and the kitchen. You can see the new archway in the last photo. Paul laid all new floors, put up new trim and installed a new light in the old dining room. We've painted the walls and got new rugs. Now we just need the finishing touches - some more seating and storage, photos on the walls, some lamps, etc. My plan is to drag the kids around to antique stores all winter to inject a bit of old character into this place.

Next up is mudroom lockers, which is going to have me feeling SO much more organized. After that we can paint the kitchen, then take a little break. Whew.

And so it goes

The baby is cutting three new teeth all at once, and A is getting over the cold of all colds (think nebulizer treatments and oral steroids - yuck!). But someway, somehow, I will post photos of Christmas today.

Detox attempt

When I was in my twenties, I would do a detox diet once a year or so.  The diet involves eating mostly plant-based foods - whole grains like rice, oats and quinoa; lots of fruits and vegetables; beans and some lean protein. It requires lots of water, no sugar and no caffeine.  It was always a little tough to start, but I felt great afterwards every time I did it.

Fast-forward to yesterday - New Year's Day - I promptly decided I needed to try this again.  I had oatmeal for breakfast with a pear and some herbal tea, lentils and brown rice for lunch, then I promptly fell off the bus.  I was so sleepy (only 4 hours worth the night before thanks to waking kids), and I needed to function through the afternoon.  I promptly made a pot of coffee, and sat down to enjoy a few cups with some leftover Christmas cookies - which left me with the energy to plow through the rest of the day before falling asleep at 8:30 p.m. with the kids. Oh well.  I don't think detox diets are made for people with young kids.  Maybe I'll try again in a few years.

Resolutions and the such

Happy New Year!

I have much to post about our trip to Michigan, progress on the house and Christmas...it's all coming soon.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share a video of the kids playing together - maybe the first time they played on their own. 

I'm going to make a resolution to post at least three times a week all year.  We'll see how that goes.  

My new kitchen

Friendly kid-space number two is a new play kitchen for A.  We got it on sale at Toys R Us last week after returning some Christmas presents - namely a remote-control Bigfoot that solicted tears every time we turned him on.  (He is pretty scary.)

So out with the Bigfoot, in with the kitchen. 

So far, it's bought me lots more work-time in the kitchen (without having the pantry ransacked for raisins and chocolate chips!)  A loves to "cook" along side me, and provides plenty of tastes as he goes - usually eggs and cookies. Success!

Nearly ready and a little tour

Paul and I have spent a lot of time over the past few months getting the house ready for our new little person (who is due in just five weeks!)

Since we decided to stay in our little three-bedroom ranch, there were more projects than just setting up a nursery.  We had to move my office out of the third bedroom, sell and donate a bunch of items we didn't use much, and find a lot of new storage.  I'm happy to say we're almost there!  Just one more weekend, and the nursery should be complete.  (Cue sigh of relief from nesting mother.)  So I thought it'd be fun to take the next few weeks and share some of the projects we've done, and show you what our living space looks like these days.

One of my top priorities was to create spaces where A could be more independent and find interesting things to do while I'm busy with the new little one.  One place is his new craft corner.  I'm a huge fan some of the Montessori philosphies of creating independence, even in toddlers.  I notice A is so much happier if he can decide what he wants to do, then execute (mostly) by himself. 



The table we've had for at least a year.  I got it on craigslist and Paul cut the legs to kid-height.  It's a little shorter than most kid tables, but I love the fact that younger kids can use it too.  The chair is Ikea (again with the legs cut).  And the cabinet is the Ikea Helmer cabinet.  I did a bunch of research, and this was the most affordable, small-space, kid-friendly solution I could find. 

Right now, the craft corner is in the corner of our dining room, but it may slide down closer to my desk by the time we finish furniture-arranging.  (Please ignore the one leftover Christmas decoration!  I'm still trying to find something new for that space.  :)




So far, it's been a huge hit.  A has access to crayons and washable markers, paper and coloring books, some stickers and stamps and play-doh.  Our watercolor paints are also in his craft cabinet, but since he can't get the water yet, I don't worry about those.  The other paints are stored on top of my armoire, and he has to ask to use them.

Here are a few shots of the artist at work:

Toddler dinners revamped

Lately, I've been struggling to get Aaron to sit down at dinner with us.  It seems he's been more interested in playing than eating - that is, until he's really hungry. Then all he wants is a bowl of Cheerios.  Ah, the wonders of toddler nutrition.

Enter this amazing book I got for Christmas (thanks Mom!):  Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods by Cynthia Lair.  It's full of really interesting recipes with great ways to customize them for the little folks in the family.  It has a few great chapters on feeding babies and establishing healthy eating habits among older kids. And it's inspired me to try some new, healthy ingredients - which has been really fun!

My favorite part is that Cynthia Lair doesn't lay on a guilt trip. She encourages families to make changes slowly, so that they'll really stick. And she advocates for communal eating.  In other words, it's healthier for your kid to indulge in cake and ice cream at a birthday party than to worry about it ruining their diets.

So far, we've made a few changes recommended by the book that have really made a difference in our dinners.  I try to include A in some part of the preparation - choosing a tablecloth color, bringing utensils to the table, or helping with some prep work in the kitchen.  He's so much more willing to sit down with us if he feels like he's contributed to the meal. 

I also always make sure there's something on the table that I know he will eat - a bowl of applesauce, a slice of bread with butter, some cantaloupe.  I originally thought this would deter him from eating what I cooked, but it actually keeps him in his chair initially, and when he's finished with what he likes, he'll usually try a few bites of the other offerings. 

The recipes have been fun too!  So far I've made quinoa, which didn't go over that well with A, but was a huge hit with Paul.  Last night we had stir fry using the peanut sauce in the book.  A got to help me make that one.  For his plate, I picked out individual vegetables and some cubed chicken before mixing everything together, then gave him a bowl of peanut sauce for dipping. (Another tip from the book: toddlers aren't crazy about mixed up foods, so separate things when possible.)  He did pretty well with the chicken, mushrooms and carrots on his plate. Next, I'm planning a trip to the Asian grocery store to pick up a few new ingredients - miso, nori strips and some udon noodles.

If you're a mom struggling to inject some nutrition in your family's diet, this is the book for you.

Christmas wrap-up

Are you ready for a really long post about our Christmas celebration this year?  I wanted to write everything down so that A will have a record of his Christmases for years to come. 

Christmas Eve started with the traditional first present - a new outfit for A from Grandma Great.



Unfortunately, someone wasn't too happy about wearing it.



Then it was onto dinner at a new Italian restaurant in town, which was delicious! After dinner, we had a little bit of time to pass, so we came home for some cookies and milk before Christmas Eve mass and had the chance to talk to my extended family in Michigan, who were busy their traditional Christmas Eve celebration.  And some family photos.

A had been feeling a little under the weather, so we had decided to let him stay home from church with Paul. But sure enough, as my mom and I were headed out the door, he decided he wanted to join us. So we all went together. For a two-year-old, he seemed to enjoy the service, even shouting out at one (very quiet) moment, "This is fun!" Luckily, we had some good-humored people sitting around us.

After church, it was a fairly normal bedtime so that Santa would have lots of time to deliver presents.

The next morning, Paul and I were up at 7 or so, had some tea, hung out, set the breakfast table and waited for our little guy to get up.





It wasn't until almost 8 that he finally called out from his room. When went in to get him, we told him that Santa has visited. He was acting very excited - "Santa was here! Santa was here!" - but it was pretty clear he didn't quite get it.

So we headed out to the family room, where a big Thomas the Train set was waiting.

At first A just stared at it, but then he realized it was his and dove into playing with it.



After playing with Santa toys for about an hour, we stopped for a snack, and then it was onto the wrapped presents.



The present opening went on all day. Little Aaron was so excited every time he opened a gift that he had to spend a half-hour playing with it before moving onto the next one. We even saved some presents to open the next day.







We did take a break for a pretty great breakfast, which was one of the highlights of Paul's day.





Then it was back to presents.



Until the house looked like this.



Unfortunately, we don't have many photos of the evening. We made a standing rib roast (which took a long time to cook, but was very delicious.) Then A got a bad earache, which resulted in a perforated ear drum sometime that night. We made it to the doctor the next day, and he recovered quite quickly. Despite our less-than-spectacular ending to the day, it was a really wonderful Christmas.

If you're still reading (I think this is the longest post I've ever written), I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too. And Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas from the Freemantles!

Check out the difference a year makes. Same Santa, a more timid little boy, and Mom not in the photo. :)

Wishing you and yours a magical Christmas!

Hibernating

A slew of illnesses have been working their way through our house, slowing everyone down a little bit.  (Which is, honestly, probably exactly what we needed.)  So we're spending a lot of days like this:

I'll leave you with a new zinger from our little one.

Paul, A and I are dancing around the dining room to some Christmas music.  Paul and I are snapping our fingers. A: "My fingers don't make noise!"

Coffee for lunch?

When I was little, I can very clearly remember my grandma microwaving coffee leftover from the morning to have with her lunch. She would put it in a cup - most likely one adorned with flowers that I had given her the Christmas before - and heat it until it was steaming hot. (It always smelled slightly burnt.) And then she would sit at the kitchen table, with her index finger through the cup's handle, sipping away. It was her break between the chores of the morning and the activity of the afternoon. I thought it was so...grandma-like. And icky.

Guess what I just did? Yes, it makes me laugh. And it's a bit scary, too.

Ho Ho Ho

First, check out what we were doing last night. The last of preparations!

Ry, we missed you!


We're extending the Christmas celebration this year, which began on Sunday with some present-opening. We'll be on the road for Christmas, and we just couldn't fit all of the presents into the car (or bear to lug them 800 miles across the country and back.) Check it out:




http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulandsheri/4202658979/in/photostream/



I wasn't sure how I would feel about opening presents before Christmas, especially for A. I have this tremendous, maybe slightly irrational, urge to provide a very magical Christmas morning for him. But it was actually quite a success. After all of the paper was recycled (and some boxes reused for other presents!), Paul and I stayed up late baking cookies. Paul said, "You know, I really like spreading Christmas out. It means we get to enjoy it all a little a more."

Here, here! Let the celebrations begin!

The things we do for our mothers

A, my mom and I went to visit Santa last night. (As you can see.) A wanted nothing to do with Santa. Every time I tried to pick him up and set him on Santa's lap, he started crying. But my mom thought it would be really cool to get a photo and send it to some of our relatives. So guess who else got to take a picture with Santa? I thought my days of sitting on Santa's lap were over, so this was quite a laugh!

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that I haven't posted an update on A in a long time. So, here you go.

His favorite things are the moment are:
- running down the hallway to his bedroom and then running back to the kitchen for someone to chase him.
- eating bananas, which he calls "ba bas." In fact, when I hand him a banana first thing in the morning, he gives it a nice long hug before letting me peel it.
- playing with his new pop-up toy - you remember the kind with five doors and a different switch on each one? When the animals open, he wants everyone in the room to kiss them. It makes for a pretty slobbery toy.
- kissing the Christmas ornaments on our tree. Big, dramatic, loud kisses.
- anyone's cell phone. We've moved pass the Fisher Price phone. He only wants to real-deal these days.

Things A doesn't like include:
- Santa.
- sitting still to get dressed. (That's where the real cell phone comes in handy. You can do almost anything once he's holding onto one of those.)
- having his face washed at anytime, although it's better if you explain to him first what you're going to do.
- snow boots. He refuses to walk in them. He'll just stand there looking at you like, "What I am supposed to do with these?" and then get on his hands and knees and crawl. We've already sent the first pair back, and we've ordered number two. We can't make it through an Ithaca winter without snow boots!

He's pretty darn cute these days, though. Don't ya think?

PS - I just gave this photo a good look again. Don't I look kind of possessed? It's the teddy bear behind the camera. Mesmerizing.

Christmas...tomorrow?

Oh my gosh. We got one of A's Christmas presents in the mail today, and I seriously don't know if I'm going to be able to wait until Christmas to give it to him. (I mean, I will, but mainly because Paul will not have it any other way.) Can I just show you how cute this thing is?




I wasn't sure this was a good purchase until it arrived today. It's going to be perfect! The three pieces come apart, and they're the perfect size for him to pick up and move around. And they're soooo soft. Like his favorite giraffe! It's going to be a fun year!

Want to see what else is on his list? (I LOVE playing santa.)

- Stacking disks
- Block crayons. (Oh, if you could have seen him coloring today - so proud of himself for making marks on paper. He's going to love these!)
- A drum, of course.
- A little dude to hang with.

I feel like a kid again myself!

5 on Friday: Random Facts from a Sleepy Mom

Does anyone else feel like a zombie on Fridays? Man, I am dying for a cup of coffee, but I don't dare run the coffee grinder while the little guy is sleeping. So forgive me if these don't make sense.

1. I put slices of ginger in broth I made this week, and it was surprisingly yummy.

2. Yesterday was the last day of our CSA box, and I forgot to pick it up. Whoops. I love fresh veggies, but I am kinda done preparing so many of them. Next week, it's frozen peas and carrots for the whole fam.

3. Have you ever put Emergen-C in hot water? It's good. Ask Paul.

4. I am EXCITED for Thanksgiving. Did you know it's my favorite holiday? Hands down.

5. Paul has put a ban on Christmas music in our house until the day after Thanksgiving. I think that's a good idea. One holiday at a time, folks.

Happy weekend.

Ho ho ho

I swear it felt like Christmas morning today, except in reverse. I woke up at 5 a.m. with excited butterflies in my stomach wondering if it was too early to wake up A. In the end, I decided against it (just barely). So I lay there staring at the ceiling, listening to Paul softly snore, and willing the time to pass. I must have fell back asleep eventually, because I awoke to a babbling baby around 6:30 a.m. Heaven! And he's got some new tricks after a weekend of guy-time with daddy. Stay tuned for video of that.

The Skinners were fabuloso, and so ready for their little sprog! Pix as soon as I can get them. Yea for babies!