January 10

Well...I took some pictures today but none of them really turned out great so no pictures today!

We overslept a little this morning (which means we slept past 7 - which is very late for us!) so we rushed around and got everyone fed and Caden ready for school.  Cass usually meets a guy every Tuesday morning and they didn't meet this week so he was able to take Caden to school!  Bates slept all morning and I put puzzles together, snuggled and watched Mickey Mouse with Calder.  I don't usually take the WHOLE morning to just play and not get anything done around the house or run errands but today I did and I can tell he was happy about that :)  After all, isn't that what being a Mom is all about???

We got ready and picked Caden up then had to run to Publix to grab a few things for dinner.  It was pouring down rain so I grabbed my umbrella and carried Bates and the umbrella and the boys walked slowing under it with me!  When we got in the store, Calder ran into a table of rice krispy treats and fudge and they ALL fell on the floor!  (that is the first time something like that has happened since I've had kids of my own!)  He felt so bad and I could tell on his face it was totally an accident!  We helped pick them up, he apologized to the manager then continued our shopping.  On our way out, Calder fell flat on his belly in a big puddle in the middle of the road and was soaking wet!  He stripped down as soon as he got in the car and rode home in his undies :)  (I'm sure that made him happy because he does not like to wear clothes!)

During naptime, I tried a new skillet Chicken Pot Pie from the January Southern Living.  I try to not eat or serve food with preservatives in them (which doesn't always happen, but I do try hard) and this recipe didn't have cream of chicken, etc.  It had fresh vegetables and the sauce in it was homeade!  Calder didn't care for it but Bates ate more than he's had in weeks!  He loved it!!!  We will definitely be making it again...and it's what's for dinner tomorrow night after church :)

We played tonight, Bates had 2 mini popsicles (which he LOVES to eat because he can hold it himself) and the big boys had one, too!  Bates cracks us up because he just starts dancing out of nowhere!  He crawls towards the kitchen saying, "cookie"..point to what he wants and says, "dat", tells anyone who gives him food "thank you" through sign language and picks up on the more, thank you and all done better than the other two ever did!  He is actually very easy to communicate with these days!  It is amazing to see what all they can understand before they can even really talk well!

Before bed tonight, I sat down to work with Caden on his Bob books.  I've pulled these out several times and been frustrated so it's been a while since I got them out.  Tonight, he read book one and two without ANY help on the first try!!!  He was so excited and kept saying, ":I can read!!!"  I was proud of him!  He said he is going to get up in the morning and sit on the sofa and read.  A friend sent me these books when Caden was a little younger to work with him on reading and they are FANTASTIC!!!  I can't wait to read more with him tomorrow!

Tonight, after we said our prayers, sang a song and gave hugs and kisses, we thought they may actually go to sleep.  Calder has a very hard time going to sleep and he's always worried about when we are going to check on him.  I wish I could figure out a way to help him just go to sleep!  On his second trip in our room, we heard:
When are you coming to check on us?  When can I share a room with Bates?  How will you move the bed in there?  What tools will Daddy have to use?  I mean, really, what tools will he have to use?  How many tools?

I was actually cracking up inside.  He makes me laugh so much and it is so hard to stay serious and send him back to his room.  The thing is, if we let him sleep on our bed, he will go to sleep in about 5 minutes and we just have to carry him back but I don't want to get in a habit of that!

Caden is having a little surgery on his mouth in the morning.  It isn't a big deal and it will help the gap in his front teeth (that bothers him so much) close up when his adult teeth come in.  They will use gas and he gets VERY nervous about stuff like this so we're praying that his nerves will be ok in the morning!  Please say a little prayer for him if you read this before 10:00 tomorrow!

**On a side note, we are SERIOUSLY considering homeschool in the Fall but I am so nervous about it.  I've been talking to people off and on for a couple of years about it.  There are two good co-ops here but I don't know how to choose the right curriculum, if I'm capable of homeschooling, the time commitment and all the tiny little details that I might be missing.  SO, if you have any insight on homeschool, feel free to comment or email me with suggestions!  I'm open to hearing anything!!!  marybethbrannan@aol.com