Time To...

I really love this time of year. A season for reflecting on our blessings and the things we're most thankful for... the perfect way to get ready to celebrate the birth of Christ during Christmas.

I've been working on my "picture of the day" album and decided to post a few of our families recent happenings. Most of my POTD's lately have been of us just hanging out in our family room. We haven't been doing a whole lot "fun and exciting" things. That's what I love about taking a picture every day. It's just us doing what we do. And that is first on my list of "T H A N K F U L' S" Here's the rest {in no particular order...}

• spending this Thanksgiving in Utah - the first Thanksgiving in 5 years be with our families.
• amoxocilin and fioricet - two drugs that I am very very grateful for right now - thanks to the amoxocilin my sinus infection is on the mend and I can function again. As for the fioricet - it's a migraine killer. Pregnancy has taught me that migraines are NOT just a headache. Thank goodness for medicine that is safe for babies in utero too.
  
• F a m i l y N i g h t - I feel like I am ALWAYS trying to beat the clock: Running errands before school pick up or getting something done before I have to feed the kids (again!). Especially after 3:00 it's a non-stop whirlwind of after-school snacks, homework, dinner, dishes, baths, teeth brushing, and on and on... To fit family night in I try to simplify dinner, even if that means paper plates, on Mondays and focus on a nice, relaxed evening - instead of a rushed one. Our FHE lessons are simple (a scripture story from the gospel art kit and a prayer) and our activities are simple (usually a game). That's why I love Family Night. It's a no-stress night to hang out and forget about the clock for a little while and focus on just being together.
• herbal tea - the perfect way to end the night


• books - the world just isn't right if I don't have a good book to read at night
  
• Landon's "talented and gifted" program and our own at-home incentive programs. I don't know if he really is "GIFTED". He's very very smart. And he's definitely in need of more challenging work than his second grade class is getting. He's been having a bit of a struggle lately because when he finishes his work before the other kids he gets stuck with another worksheet. His mind wonders a lot during class because he "gets" the concepts quicker than a lot of the kids, and then he starts singing to himself or tapping on his desk. So, he's been getting in trouble and,the perfectionist that he is, can't stand to be in trouble. And he shows it by crying, and I get a phone call and it's just been a crazy cycle. FINALLY, a spot opened up in a science based TandG program that isn't just more worksheets and homework. The kids actually get to apply the math and science knowledge they're learning. Once a week Landon gets his "reward" for doing extra homework by getting to go. Along with that, we've implemented some incentive programs at home for good behavior at school that really seem to be working. He hasn't had his name on the board in two and half weeks ( a huge accomplishment, since it was almost daily a month ago). The crying has gotten better, thanks to some parenting techniques I've picked up. And, although he has a bad "cry day" here and there it's really been improving. I'm VERY thankful for this one. {here's the "rubber band car" he made in his special science class}


• getting organized. I finally have my house ALMOST how I want it - as far as organization goes. (decorating, on the other hand...)I have plans for what's not done yet. I feel so much better about it.


• socks, blocks, gloves, old Halloween costumes, and toy cars - I am thankful for the time these things give me. Besides the occasional help with putting something on and a quick, "yep, you did build a big tower!" I can get dishes done, clothes folded, or other 20-30 minute chores done, relatively interruption free. AND, when Austin's at preschool (as in not bothering him!), Zac can pretty much keep himself entertained with just these things the whole two hours so I can usually get a lot done those mornings.
• Mother's intuition. I just had a feeling I needed to get Austin's allergies checked again. I'm glad I did. Of course his peanut allergy is VERY severe but it's escalated to ALL nuts and some legumes, including peas and lentils. Worse, though, is that his M I L K allergy is BACK. Over the past couple months he's been complaining of stomach-aches and his skin is pretty much ALWAYS broken out, also he started drooling again (caused by swelling in the throat). Now we know why. He also has allergies to enviromental things like cats and mold but the worst one is dust. I'm on orders to dust our house twice a week and vacuum at least every other day. So far we don't have to take him off eggs again, so baking will still be easier than before but I am having a hard time finding dairy replacements at the grocery stores here in Mtn. Home...
  


• which brings me to the next one - Boise. Although, I really hate the 45 minute drive to get there (and the other 45 minutes it takes to get home) I'm glad it's there. The places I like to shop best are there plus there are health food stores there that will make it easier for me to feed Austin. This is our POTD on the day he got his allergy test - 30 "pokes" in all.


• Ben and Jerry Ice Cream - it's not just the pregnancy eating. It saved us the other night! I made the most HORRIBLE dinner ever. I don't know what happened but none of us could eat it. I pulled out some canned peaches for nutrition's sake and then we made banana splits with my favorite new flavor of Ben and Jerry's - Cheesecake Brownie. Landon said at least three times, "this is the BEST dinner ever!!" Seriously? Of course ice cream for dinner is the best! (I know I look tired!! I'm tankful for sleep too - hopefully, I'll sleep a little better after this baby is OUT - well, at least eventually)
• candy to bribe the girls in my Young Women's (church) class - it's really the best way to get them to participate.

• And speaking of church - Landon wrote his own part for the primary program last Sunday. SO cute. He asked Cameron where the Word of Wisdom is located in the scriptures, picked out a verse, and talked about it. All on his own. It was a little out of sync with the program but it worked. And he was proud of himself and so were Cameron and I.
  


• Isaac kisses. He loves giving kisses. When he sees me in the morning I get somthered with 'em. He also kisses his favorite things - even the toothpaste (he LOVES toothpaste).
  
• Potty talk - never thought I'd say it but right now I am thankful for potty talk. Usually, I try to put a stop to it. Maybe that's why this worked so well. I've been working with Austin on his reading and the "sounding it out" thing just wasn't sinking in. Finally, I decided to write down potty words: fart, poo, toot, bum, pee. I told him if he could read the word it would make him really happy and I promised him a good laugh. Well, he took me up on it and instead of just guessing what the words were he actually sounded them out. Each time he read a word he laughed hysterically and said, "good one, Mom!" Now, he's more interested in learning to read and he's actually trying. I'm guessing a month or so and he'll be reading his first book on his own.