For the Love of……… (April 2016)
The days are going so fast! I feel like I just wrote the March version of our very first For the Love of……. a monthly series dedicated to keeping you updated on our comings and goings 🙂
Note: For the purposes of the Internet – our daughter is “Ladybug,” our eldest son is “Owl,” and our youngest is “Guppy.” Please respect our wishes and refer to them as such if you comment on the blog, Facebook, or any other social media channel – thanks folks!!!
For the love of……..Take 2
Family and Friends
Quick News
Grandma had surgery earlier this month to remove skin masses, one of which was cancerous. She has come through surgery beautifully and the kids have even left her bandages alone……for the most part. The most inconvenient mass was on the tip of her nose. We appreciate all prayers for her continued, speedy recovery.
We lost yet another pet this month; our cat Walta, the oldest of the bunch. I got most of our animals in veterinary school and knew that many of them would age and likely pass away at the same time. I NEVER counted on having two young children full of questions when that happened. I’m somewhat afraid I am desensitizing the kids to pet death almost as though they’ve watched too much sad TV. The ongoing pet death has been such a constant happening in our home recently. The animals that remain are also old and at least two have known issues. Sigh.
We FINALLY found a contractor to do the renovations on this house. Wayne and I are relieved beyond all reason! We have the entire outside of the house, car port, screened in porch, old koi pond, two bathrooms, and a kitchen that are going to get some much needed TLC.
Simple Pleasures
The weather in East Tennessee has been INCREDIBLE! The temperatures have warmed, but the humidity hasn’t caught up yet. We have spent tons of time outside enjoying everything except for the occasional allergy flare up! Most recently Wayne decided it was time to teach the kids how to properly roll down a hill. Right after church. In their Sunday clothes. 🙂 They had a blast!
All About Daddy
My kids are blessed with an amazing father. He provides, he loves, and he carries them away amid tons of laughter. There are tons of photos of Daddy and the kids, but this is my favorite of the month. Ladybug and Owl couldn’t be happier to be kidnapped by Daddy.
We spent a few days of the month feeling pretty rotten. This meant lots of snuggle time. And kisses for Daddy from our little Ladybug!
I Bribed Him For This Kiss
A really smart person once wrote the days are long, but the years are short in reference to parenting. They weren’t kidding. My kids are growing like weeds and yet, some days bedtime feels eons away. On this particular day all was right with the world and I was able to convince Owl to stop all the crazy running around that comes with being a two year old and give me a kiss. I’ll treasure it always.
I bribed him with a dandelion. LOL
Guppy is 5 Months Old
Our little Guppy turned five months old this month! He is going to be ready to start eating some “first foods” in just two short weeks. As much as I love being able to breastfeed this munchkin, I’m pretty excited to start sharing the responsibility for some of his calories with others.
He’s doing a great job of sitting up on his own and reaching for things. He rolls from front to back ALL the time. He has zero interest in crawling, which I’m totally OK with……since both his older siblings were mobile early. Take your time little man! Take your time!
Our Multi-Generational Home
This is my absolute favorite picture of Grandma this month. Ladybug was doing some Dance n’ Beats and Grandma joined. See her in the background? She’s a rock star 🙂
Lizard
The kids got up, close, and personal with a little lizard in the backyard. I think it’s a blue tailed skink. They were thrilled……well, until it started to move. It ran right towards little Owl, who clearly thought it was the end of him. Poor little dude. He survived and they are still hunting lizards and trying to feed them wild strawberries………..
Family Posts for April
Grateful Flowers – A Family Gratitude Activity
Fledglings
Toddler, Baby, Preschooler, Phatman
The kids and I have been busy working through our Mother Goose Time preschool curriculum again this month. Thank you so much to everyone who reads the posts and especially those of you who share them and comment on them. We are very blessed to be able to share our experiences with Mother Goose Time in exchange for the curriculum and we appreciate your support.
Fledgling Posts for March
Bubbles, Boats, and Floats (Sneak Peek) with Mother Goose Time
Art of Learning with Visual Arts – Mother Goose Time Topic Post
One Big Change, Lots More Fun – Preschool Art
Dancing with Bees and Butterflies – Dance ‘n Beats
10 Yummy Ways to Encourage Kids in the Kitchen With Bananas
So You Want to Be a Veterinarian? – An Elementary Guide to Veterinary Medicine for Career Day
All About Bees and Food – A Day With Mother Goose Time
Faith
Ladybug and I have been working through the Easter Story with Experience God!
Faith Posts for March
3 Easy Ways To Teach Preschoolers About the Power of Prayer
Fun
I’m incredibly grateful for the warm weather and all the time we’ve been able to spend outside. The kids have had multiple field trips to the park, many long walks, and quick trips to various playgrounds around town.
The adults are watching “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” on Netflix. It’s soooo good. The series was originally on AMC. If you watch it, make you sure you take note of the early submarine in the opening where the character is using a “bike pedal” method to move through the water. Apparently those really exist!! Freaky!!! The sub looks a little like the image below:
Here’s a quick snippet about the show if you are interested.
A Revolutionary War-era drama based on the same-named Alexander Rose novel, the series goes beyond the battlefront to a conflict involving everyday men and women, taking place in a cryptic world of double agents, covert operations and code-breaking. It revolves around Abe Woodhull, a young farmer torn between loyalty to his Tory background and respect for those who fight for the Patriot cause. Living on British-occupied Long Island, Abe joins a group of his childhood friends to form what becomes known as the Culper Ring, a spy network charged with sniffing out British military strategy. Under the direction of Gen. Washington, Abe and his fellow agents help turn the war to the Continentals’ favor, and their daring efforts ultimately serve as the foundation for modern espionage.
My Books
I continue to work my way through the Modern Mrs. Darcy book challenge and am finishing up Stephen King’s “On Writing.” It’s an amazing book and I highly recommend it even if you aren’t a fan of his horror writing. I’ve never been so entertained by a book that covers traditionally laborious topics like grammar before, but he manages it and offers fantastic examples. This book might get an entire post, I’m enjoying it so much…..we shall see. Oh, if only there was more time in the day…….
Mom’s Book Nook
I’m also really enjoying my online Book Club.
I’ve become the newest co-host! Let me know if you are interested in joining us! We announce a new book the first Monday of the month and discuss it online as part of a Facebook Group on the last Monday of the month at 9 PM EST. For May we will be discussing the book on the last Tuesday of the month (May 31st) in honor of labor day.
Next month’s pick is Summer Secrets by Jane Green. I’ve read Jane Green’s books before and have always found her entertaining if a little sensational. Summer Secrets promises to be a fantastic guilty pleasure read just in time for summer!
The book for this past month was “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children.” The book is entirely based off of these odd historical photos the author found from historical collectors. The book is apparently intended for young adults – I didn’t know this when I started reading, but I do recommend it for teenagers and adults. It would make a good family book club pick for family’s with older kids. One of the complaints of reviewers of the book is that the main character (a teenage boy) is too sophisticated. Not true! There are some very smart and very sophisticated teenagers out there and I think lots of avid readers would be able to relate to him. I know I could!
Fun Posts for March
Meet the New Co-Host of Mom’s Book Nook – ME!
How To Encourage Imaginative Play With “Where My Feet Go” {Giveaway!} – I got to giveaway 3 copies of this picture book!
Freestyle
I created a new hashtag on my Instagram account to make it possible to quickly share all the wonderful kid books we are uncovering as we read! The kids are apparently as book addicted as I am 🙂 Hurray!
If you are on Instagram and head to my account you’ll see the tag #booksbeforebreakfast
Every morning the kids and I select a book, sometimes two books to read before we get our day started. It helps keep the peace while we make breakfast and limits the grumpiness of the morning…… One of my children, you are free to guess which one wakes up rough almost every morning……..
I give credit for this idea to Cait @ My Little Poppies my newest blog obsession. She has tons of great book suggestions on her Instagram account as well – she uses the hashtag #coffeeandbooks
Favorite Freelance Assignment of the Month
Cat Exercise: Do You Really Need to Exercise Your Cat? Sorry Phatman Phil! LOL
Fabulous Finds that are saving my life this month
- Strawberry Tom’s Toothpaste – My kids will actually brush with this fluoride toothpaste.
- This no batteries required peg stacking kit is a new favorite for the kids.
- My daughter loves using this battery operated sharpener for her colored pencils!
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What is your family up to this month???
Love to you all!
