Fancy Nancy

The kids were invited to Taya and Siennas Fancy Nancy Birthday Party! I think this was the first time the kids really ever dressed up and they loved it. I really want to start getting them some really good dress ups. I love this first picture, I could not get them to smile, so it looks like one of those old fashioned serious photos. Wes loved his moustache and really wanted to wear Mae's boa, which she was scared of. The kids had cupcakes and got to read Fancy Nancy and watched a crazy thunder and lightning storm out the window with trees falling and crazy winds blowing.

More of the Best

I have the best kids. I love them, and the last few weeks they have been so good. They play well together, sleep well everyday for their naps, go down really well every night for bed, sleep in in the mornings, eat the meals I make them, and kiss their growing baby sister all the time. Wes genuinely thanks me for almost every meal I make and Mae melts my heart with her sweet hugs and kisses.

There is a bird nest about six inches away from our window and a mommy bird has been sitting on her nest for the past month or so, I have been wondering if there was really any eggs in it. Today they hatched and the kids have been so interested in watching her and looking for the babies. Finally this afternoon the mother bird left to get food and the kids could see the baby birds poking their heads out with their mouths open. Wes was really concerned and interested in the baby birds, the mother bird finally came back to feed her babies and Wes got really excited and said "Mom, it makes my heart happy when the mommy bird is here". I love Wes.

This is one of my new favorite pictures of Wes, John took of him last week, it makes me smile.

Splash

A hot humid day is much better when there is water involved.

The Best

This year my goals started out being about temporal things, like food storage etc, then we decided to move every few months and live out of boxes. Not going to work for gathering and saving food storage or planting a garden. So my goals have changed and I have been really focused on finding the best for my family. I want us to always be surrounded by the best ideas, things, and habits. I want my children to learn to be discerning when they make choices and know why they chose them.

I started by eliminating tv and movies for the kids, they really are not the best activities for the kids to be spending their time on. And guess what, it makes a big difference in their mood, obedience, and their thought processes. It really wasn't that hard either. It is so fun to see what the kids come up with together when they have to be creative and find something fun to do. I also organized two bins in the hall closet full of activities like play doh, moon sand, coloring, painting, magnets etc. They love being able to pick an activity out of the bin and it is so much better for their brains. We have also been spending a lot more time outside, granted it is summer now but I try to make an effort to let them play outside for a good amount of time everyday. Having a playground right outside the door really helps. (I should say that the kids still sometimes watch movies when friends come over or when I'm gone and John lets them watch one.)

I read Simplicity Parenting over the last couple weeks, by far my favorite parenting/child raising book I have read, I really recommend it. Almost every concept in the book I had been contemplating before reading it and now I am so glad to have reason and research to back up my previous thoughts. It really helps you remove all the excess things in your children's lives so that they are left with the opportunities to really learn and grow like children should. We went through our toys and got rid of a bunch of them, keeping only the things that stimulate and encourage imagination. It is so nice to have only a handful of toys for them to clean up and they have an easier time choosing and sharing what they have. They also seem to get involved in deeper play with fewer toys, I love it.

It is so liberating to simplify possessions and habits and to learn to live with less. It really feels good. I cant wait to get home to all of our things in storage the get rid of most of it . . . not really but probably a lot of toys, books, and clothes will go, and all those things we have been saving because someday we might possibly use them. I don't want to think about, spend time on, or spend money to store those things.

Also, Im pretty sure the longer Mae's hair gets the curlier it gets. Check out these ringlets, my goodness.

Funny Girl

I couldn't have laughed harder at these pictures of Mae. We told the kids they could have a vitamin if they sat on the blanket for a picture, Mae was so excited, the kids seriously love vitamins.

Swimming!

Can you tell the kids love the pool? Mae could spend most of the day in the pool, she just jumps right in, Wes however loves it but is pretty cautious and nervous sometimes. It's fun to watch him get more confident, he swam to John the other day and jumped in by himself (with floaties on), we were so proud of him! And here is a picture of my growing baby belly so far, I'm halfway there!

Daddy Time

We decided to spend the morning at the driving range and bring the kids hoping we didn't get kicked out. Wes wanted to golf with John so bad. It was fun to be able to spend time with John doing something fun outside!




Wes looks a lot like John in this picture right?

Dirt

We got out in the heat and planted tomatoes and basil, it was super hot but the kids just loved playing and planting in the dirt. I have been using the fresh basil almost every other day, it grows so fast and tastes so good!