Our Valentine is FIVE!

Matthew celebrated his fifth birthday on Valentine’s Day! Really, what's not to love about having your birthday on Valentine’s day? He got to go to preschool and have a big party and then in the afternoon we had a few of his friends come over for a SIMPLE Valentine/Birthday party. In the evening we had homemade mac and cheese and he opened family presents. Other than the potty training torture we were still going through with Lucy, it was a great day!

Seth left for work before Matthew woke up but he left this behind for him! Seth’s biscuits are Matthew’s favorite breakfast! (Matthew had already grabbed a “T” when I took the picture).

This was our attempt to merge pirates and Valentines together!!

                             

The lemon/chocolate cake was really good! Most of the kids opted for the Sam’s Club leftover valentine cupcakes so there was a ton left over.

He was excited about his new computer. Lucy received a baby laptop computer for Christmas and it quickly became Matthew’s favorite toy, now he has his very own to enjoy!

We love this kid and are grateful he is part of our family.  Matthew is a child of extreme emotions. I have been led to read a few different parenting books to help navigate this boy but thankfully with his stubbornness we also have a very eager boy who wants to help anybody around him who is in distress. He has a wonderful sense of humor  and a great imagination. His misses his brother throughout the day but stays busy with blocks, Trios, plastic animals, Krinkles, trains, and (above all), empty cardboard boxes. That’s right, he LOVES empty boxes and any time we receive a package his eyes light up in anticipation of what he is going to create with the box. He loves going to preschool with Mrs. Boyle and has a copious appetite. Happy FIFTH Birthday Matthew!  

I’m a nag…

Have you ever woken up one morning and realized you were a BIG nag??  Ever since January my kids seemed to be listening less and less and I was yelling/nagging more and more. I was constantly telling/reminding them of every step that needed to happen in their life (brush, floss, etc.). A friend told me how she had made picture charts for her kids of all the “stuff” they needed to do every morning and evening so I decided to go with that (after a failing attempt at a sticker chart). This is what I came up with for each of them:

I laminated them and have them hanging on hooks outside of their room with an expo marker (they put a little check under each picture when the task is completed). Now all I say is, “Go check your chart”!  It’s worked well, not perfect, but I nag less and they are flossing regularly. They both have become pretty good at making their beds as well.  The best part is, there is NO reward; they just have to do it! I guess the little check mark they get to make under each picture gets them excited but that’s it. Matthew even asked what he “got” if he got all of his chart checked off and we had a great conversation about how these are things he’s going to have to do every day for the rest of his life so it’s probably best he get used to it now. I think we also talked a little about all the “natural” rewards he got for completing each chore as well.

Matthew’s midday line is also really good for me because I would often lose the routine in the afternoon (dang internet)and nothing productive would happen(reading time, lunch time, learning time, play time-which is when I get my stuff done).

So, the charts don’t end with them. I stumbled upon a mom chore chart on Pinterest and instantly new this could really work for me. I was feeling so overwhelmed with all the “little things” that weren’t getting done that often times I wouldn't do anything. With a baby on the way I finally had the motivation to get my life in order as well.  Here is what I came up with:

It took a few weeks to work out all the kinks (and it looks NOTHING like the example I found on Pinterest) but it’s great. Things like “dusting” are finally happening in this house! The best part is, I don’t feel like I’m doing any more work than I was doing before. Before this I was still trying to do ALL the laundry in one day which really destroyed whatever day it was that I decided to do it. Now it’s not such a big deal because I only do one or two loads every couple of days.

I am realistic, and this honeymoon phase with the charts could end at any moment but I hope they keep their magic!

Fun in the Tucson Sun! (2-3-12)

 

I have been blessed with wonderful friends in my life!  Mandy, Natalie, and I all live in different states so when we started talking about a little reunion, Arizona in February seemed liked the perfect destination and time. I was around 30 weeks pregnant and still feeling good.  The flight was heavenly! I checked my bag because I could (thank you southwest) and only had to keep track of myself and my purse! I missed my kids but I did not miss flying with kids.  I landed at the Tucson airport (little) on a BRIGHT Thursday morning and rendezvoused with Mandy shortly after getting my luggage (did I mention it’s a little airport). I was giddy to run outside and soak up the sun; I even unzipped my luggage and put on my sandals while waiting for Natalie. Natalie,“the hostess with the mostess,” as she should be referred to, picked us up and we made a quick first stop at In-an-Out. I sadly passed on the burger but the shake was tasty.

It was great to see where she was living and her beautiful new home! I actually LOVED Tucson and the desert landscape. It was wonderful to be back in open spaces with mountain skylines  and dry air!!

So what did we do? We talked, walked, shopped, and ate!! I’m not sure how it happened but I think we ended up going to three different Targets on four different occasions. We also were set on picking up the four tier chocolate cake from Costco, but they were all out of them when we stopped by. No worries, we indulged in their supper ice-cream dipped in chocolate and nuts (one of the best things I have ever eaten). I just might be switching to Costco (from Sams) because of this heavenly treat!

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve had great Mexican food. The Guadalajara Grill filled the need! They have a salsa lady who comes around and makes you fresh salsa while you watch!

The night before we flew out, another friend from Ann Arbor who lives on the other side of Tucson (it’s a really spread out city) stopped by for dinner and Costco chocolate cake (we ended up going back for it). It was fun to see Katie and her grown up kids. I vividly remember when Marissa was born shortly after we all moved to Ann Arbor, she’s now in FIRST GRADE. All the kids had a blast playing, I wish I could have magically transported mine to join in the fun.

Later that evening we made a mad dash to the Tucson Mall so I could pick up some shirts from DownEast! The mall was a bit farther away than I expected and it was HUGE! We ended up having to run for it so we could get there just minutes before closing. I was excited to save on shipping but in retrospect I should have paid the shipping and saved all the effort.  Earlier that day we stopped by the Loft for jean shopping (not for me) but I did find a clearance sweater that I can where now and when I’m not pregnant. 

I’m so grateful I was able to have this little weekend get-away. The kids had a great time with Seth and I believe his comment of, “you definitely have it a lot harder by staying home every day than I do going to work,” summed up his experience…

Natalie was an amazing host and was preparing delicious food for us around the clock. Even the “Salmonella Salad” was great and none of us got sick which was even better

Thanks ladies, I can’t wait for our next get-away!