Hats and kids, shake and mix well

This is Linus and Chloe and their new friend, our next door neighbor.

They moved in about 2 years after we did, and had this darling baby girl. I didn't see her all that often and I somehow had it in my head that she was still a baby, even though she wasn't that much younger than Linus. Well suddenly at the end of this summer the kids discovered each other and there's been no separating them when we are outside playing in the backyard (our yards connect, kinda). Linus would go run to the front of their house and watch them whenever they were getting ready to leave. One day I heard him waving at them and yelling "BYE!!! SEE YOU LATER!! I LOVE YOU!!!" Anyway, the first time they started playing with each other, they all held hands and ran back and forth across a little hill between our yards over and over, laughing and shrieking with delight. It was like they were long lost friends getting together again.
Anyway, we were all playing out back while I was taking pictures of a new hat I made for my blog/shop and they all wanted pictures of themselves in the hat. I obliged. They were so eager, how could I say no?

That's a stink face if I've ever seen one.

Chloe and Linus were being so weird and she just kept giving me these sweet smiles. Such a treasure, I love having her over. Hopefully my kids won't teach her all their bad habbits...
Oh so posh, Chloe. Always the drama mama...
PS- I'm opening up my TV Time discussion on facebook, join me there to give me your input! :-)

TV time

From all you experienced mothers I draw so much from: I need your input.
Studies say no more than an hour of TV a day for kids.

My questions: is NO TV better than that or does it matter?
Currently my kids watch a 25 minute show or two a day in the morning on Netflix, usually so I can shower and/or finish dishes or get some other chore done before our day is completely started. There are others in this house *coughCRAIGcough* who think this is too much. That really, any TV is too much. Now, I am in no way defending my position here- I'm at a point now where it may be beneficial for us to let go of the TV and move on with life. I don't want my kids attached to it, and I know for certain there have been times where they've had too much TV when I was pregnant and/or at low points in my "working mommy" routine (it was really a crutch, I was weak, I admit it).
Now, we've rotated through shows that I feel are more educational. I'm not saying that a TV can replace education, however, media can be a powerful tool as well, if used in the right way. Currently they've watched Pinky-Dinky Doo, Word World, Sid the Science Kid, and for fun sometimes Backyardigans or Busytown Mysteries. A lot of times I talk to them when the show is over what the episode was about and try to connect that at times to what is going on in our day. I don't always sit with them through the whole episode (like when I'm showering, obviously, it's a babysitting tool in that case- I know that's a no-no, but it is what it is right now).
So, what do you think? Tell me your honest opinion. Is there anything that says no TV makes a big difference from a little TV? Obviously I need to do a little more research on my own as well, but sometimes the "mom-to-mom" gems I receive from you all are more beneficial to me than that.
Cheerio

I could complain...

But I won't.
Let's just say the last week or so with the kids has been a little rough. Not on my part, I must say I've held together magnificently under the pressure, but with nuts-o sleeping schedules the kids have suddenly adopted (bedtime routine was just...not good, I'll leave it at that), it's been challenging.
However, under it all there has been this constant river of "feel-goodness". I am blessed, let me just say that, and I am grateful for it. Being at home is no picnic, but it is wonderful. I've had a couple kids I've watched at home here and there for other families and I have loved it- even when once a lamp got knocked over by a weeping, wailing, and gnashing child who was having a hard time being consoled, and the glass shattered all over my carpet, and then every child in my house was weeping, wailing, and gnashing and I felt like joining them, I didn't. I was grateful. I was laughing. I was at home. I am at home. I hesitate saying that, because I know when I read blogs of other Moms who were able to do this, I envied them when they gushed about it while I was working, and here I am gushing, but I decided that was my problem, not theirs, this really is the best job in the world and I am blessed to have it.
Things I have been thankful for:

• Telling my children the stories of Jesus, which they now ask me to tell them almost everyday. It really really warms my heart that they genuinely want to know about him, they ask me why he had to die almost everyday, and rejoice when we talk about his resurrection over and over again like I'm telling it for the first time each time. Lovely lovely lovely.
  
• We all went to Craig's hockey game last week. Before we left, I was talking to Craig's dad about the next day's schedule since Grandma Ellingson is out helping the newest addition to the family in Yuma and I was helping fill in some gaps here and there, and when I told him I was going to the hockey game he asked, "Do you need us to watch the kids tonight so you can go?" and I said "Nope, we're all going, thanks!" When I was working, I was not readily excited to handle all three kids in public situations easily, so the fact that that wasn't even a concern to me filled me with pride. And the kids melted down at the rink and I was able to reign them back in and it was great!
  
• When I now ask Linus to "do me a quick favor" and he replies, "Yep, I can!"
• When I see Chloe actually learning things I've been teaching her in our preschool lessons every day. Those lessons are some of my most cherished moments with her.
  
• When Odell lays her head on my should every time I pick her up for a hug, and she says "Mmmmm!" like she's getting a really good squeeze out of it. None of my other kids cuddled at her age, it's just about the sweetest thing I've ever experienced.
  
• My kids dancing. I don't upload videos all that often, but I felt like this one was worth preserving. By the way, we've listened to this song a lot lately.
  

I especially love it when Linus takes off his sunglasses so he can really get into it. This probably isn't as funny to everyone else as it is to me, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it any less. :-)

Friday night in DENBERRR!!!!

Our kids have no distance perception whatsoever. Or time for that matter. Events that were yesterday happened "last year". Things that happened a few days ago were "just a minute ago". And when we're going to DenBER (Denver) to see Grandma and Grandpa John, it's almost impossible for them to understand the "they live in Denver, no they're house is not Denver, see those big buildings? That's Denver, but they don't live in the buildings...the buildings are in Denver and so is Grandma and Grandpa's house, Denver is a place just like Windsor, etc, etc." Linus got so confused that yesterday while at Grandma's house he started calling from downstairs, "Den-ber? Den-ber!! Den-ber where are you??? Grandma Den-ber, come downstairs wiss us!"
If we all just lived on the same cul-desac that would make life so much easier.
Oh wait...

Here are a couple of pictures from our adventures. After long deliberation and going back and forth, I finally decided that Linus would probably be just fine if we went to the Denver Art Museum with he and Chloe. Chloe, I knew wouldn't be an issue, but Linus's attention span just doesn't last that long if a lot of tactile and moving, interesting things aren't going on...and it helps if food is involved, most of which don't happen at an Art Museum. So I debated and debated and debated, and I really don't know why I worried so much about it because....
I was wrong and he was sort of a terror after the first half hour (we didn't stay much longer than that). Although we did get these really neat backpacks that you can check out that bring you to a certain spot in the museum and have you do an activity based on what is going on in that particular exhibit. He held on till we got to the craft at the end when we had to color, and then his attention went out the door and suddenly landed on all these cool looking things in reachable distance. I managed to catch him before he touched most of the things we looked at (he had a problem staying behind "the line"). It's just a good thing that the security people weren't always looking our direction. Also, thank you Grandma for taking pictures, I left my camera in the car by accident.


But I'm glad I took him, because he needs to be exposed to cultural things like museums, I can't lock him up forever, and it wasn't completely awful, he did seem to have fun. (PS- every first Saturday of the month is free admission at the Denver Art Museum, if you have children than longer attention spans than Linus, I totally recommend going, they have lots of fun things for kids to do there!) The rest of the day was filled with good food and pool time (weeks of awfully hot record setting weather in Colorado and then the day we go to Grandma's pool and it's barely 70 out. Story of our life...the kids and Daddy swam anyway, I opted out. Although Craig made sure to soak me a couple of times anyway). We also celebrated Odell's birthday the night before with a really yummy chocolate cake and a few gifts, plus looking at the neat things Grandma brought home from Israel.

She was chomping on a piece of corn all evening and wouldn't let it go, not even while swinging. Note to self- corn on the cob is a safe, occupying piece of wonderfullness that will be used for nutrition and entertainment in the future...
We love Aunt Rose. ("aunt", not "ant")
Chloe, being a great older sister and pushing baby Odell. Odell still chomping on the corn. Hopefully that's not bad for her teeth...
Beautiful Grandma and Beautiful Baby. :-)
Chomp Chomp.


Lookout, the shark is going to get you!


Here it comes!!

Here is Linus flying in the pool. I won't show you the picture of Chloe doing the same. I was behind her when her bathing suit bottom started falling off during the toss. That's one to show her first date I'm sure, though. :-)


Tomorrow is Labor Day. Look for parade pictures and other outdoor fun in the future. :-)