Table Manners

I know they are still really young, but I feel as though our dinner table is more like a barnyard than a place for us to bond as a family. I, personally, don't like having to correct the children all throughout our meal...I get serious heartburn. So this led me to a brilliant idea: Set up the kids' table in the kitchen and allow them to run their own dinner. When Matt was working late this week, I made pancakes for the children and told them that they would be "dining alone this evening". They set their own table, complete with silverware. I filled a pitcher with water and allowed them to pour their own drinks. It was so beautiful. I loved watching them. Sarah was the queen of the tea party, of course. She even spoke with a British accent. So funny. I allowed Joseph to have a butter knife, and he took such a long time to cut his pancakes precisely that he had a meltdown: he was so hungry, but it had to be done a certain way and he had to be the one to do it. I just soaked in the moment. Tommy was my independent angel. He wanted to be just like the big kids, so he held his fork properly and asked Sarah about the weather. Nate was so confused, but he enjoyed the show. He had a front row seat and LOOOOOOVED when the water spilled all over the table and floor. I have never heard him giggle like that!

Dinner took 45 minutes (an accomplishment because the children can usually only stay in their seats for about 12 minutes...max.) and by the time they were done they were all laughing so hard that they didn't even realize that they had done their own dishes and mopped the floor with all the water that spilled! Matt and I had a peaceful dinner alone that night. I felt so strange not having the kids at the table with us that I started to cut Matt's hamburger into bite-size pieces. I missed the kids, but maybe once a week we will give this a try. It was really nice being able to chew and swallow.

Bathing

Uncle Peter loving on our Nate (and Nate loving on Uncle Peter). Every time Peter would call Nathan his pet name, Nom-Nom, Nathan would go crazy!

Check out our Michelin Man! Love the arms. Love the face. Love everything. It is so nice to have someone else bathe Nathan. Not only do I get a break from the "splash zone", but this view is AMAZING! *Happy Sigh*

Practicing

Sarah LOOOOOOOOVES to babysit for me. While I was cleaning the walls (where did all those fingerprints come from?) the other day, Sarah "watched" Nathan. She got out all the hats, mittens and scarves and dressed him up for an imaginary snow storm. I witnessed the whole episode, and I don't know if I have ever laughed so hard in my life. The walls didn't get cleaned...the afternoon turned into a photo shoot. Here are a couple pictures of my ultra-prepared babysitter and her poor brother. Note Nathan's drool spot (blasted teething) because his bib had been turned around to make a cape!

Uncle Mark

This week, while I was down and out with strep, Mark came to the rescue. I didn't even ask for his help...he showed up on my doorstep with a smile on his face! He babysat, read books to our babies, taught school, did his own school and forced me to nap. He had endless amounts of energy and entertained the children to their hearts' delight! Thank you so much, Markie, for being the Knight in Shining Armor for all 6 of us! And many thanks to the professors of the Schwalm Home Study program for allowing this to be a week full of service projects!

Lessons

This morning was productive. It isn't even 9am and Sarah has completed her school for the day. Is it because she has truly completed all her work? No. Mommy just needs some time to digest the lesson we learned this morning:

Mommy: "Okay Sarah, now you understand the Holy Trinity. Like Saint Patrick showed the people of Ireland with a clover that there are Three Persons in One God."

Sarah: "RIGHT!!! Kind of like poison ivy!"

Mommy (super confused): "Ummmm..."

Sarah (super confident): "Leaves of three, let it be!"

Mommy (trying not to laugh): "Recess!!!!"

Oh, So Tired

When Matt and I were first married, we slept on a twin size air mattress. This is really funny to me now, six years later. As a wedding gift, we received our entire bedroom set...mattress and all. (Thanks Gumma and Gumba!) I never thought we needed a king size bed because we liked eachother, but we HAD to get a mattress to fit the frame! Initially, I thought I would use the other half of the bed for storage, but during my pregnancy with Sarah I discovered how valuable all that extra space was. Now, I LOVE our bed! And when we have to share with the children, all six of us fit comfortably, with room to spare!

We are not getting enough sleep. Mr. Teething Nate has decided that he would like to eat all night long. It's comforting for him. And Mommy never says no. (Why is it so hard to say no? Because he is sooooooo beautiful. And edible. And he might just say my name one of these days and make EVERYTHING worth the effort!) Okay, so the other kids hear Nathan having the time of his life all night long with Mom and Dad and they just can't miss out. These pictures were taken at 4am.

Nathan, paying for it, later that day.

Remember when?

It is strange to think about, but I remember when the dining room table was a log cabin in the middle of the forest. I remember when the best forts were made of couch cushions and blankets. I remember when snow was really ice cream and I could build my own city (to live in by myself) out of Marble Works, Legos, Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. During these snowy days, I have been paying close attention to my babies and their AMAZING imaginations. Maybe it runs in their blood. Maybe it is a coincidence. But they play a lot of the same things that I did when I was young. Yesterday I got down on the floor with Joseph, in his aircraft carrier under the table, and allowed myself to be swept away. It was delicious! There were trains on his aircraft carrier. And SANTA CLAUS!!!! Oh, and some planes...but only because it wouldn't have been an aircraft carrier without them.

I have to appreciate every, single moment. Someday my floor will be uncluttered. I won't be the giant who endangers innocent trains when I walk by. I won't be the Abominable Snow Monster in the North Pole. This is a reminder to myself to slow down, get down on the floor, and lower down my expectations...life is complicated enough.