What I've Been Doing (Lego Storage Story, Part 1)

(Lego Storage Story, Part 2)
(Lego Storage Story, Part 3)


It occurred to me recently that, up until December, I had been nursing or pregnant for about three and a half years in a row. Now, anyone who knows us knows that we were and are thrilled to have been able to have our sweet kiddos, and that nursing was an uphill battle but we're very thankful to have been able to do that also. So, don't hear me complaining...but three and a half years is a long time! I do think I had about a month off in the middle, but if I recall correctly (it's a bit fuzzy) we were hosting out-of-town company, a first birthday party, a baby shower, and a wedding at our home during that month. Seriously! And both our fathers were in the hospital during the birthday party. During one particular year of the three and a half year period, we were blessed with five nieces (including two sets of twins) but also had to say goodbye to my dad when he lost his battle with cancer. These are just little snippets of the events we experienced...all during the time I was pregnant or nursing. It's been very full.

I hadn't realized how much had been taken out of me during this time - physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally...you name it. In a way, I feel like I'm coming out of a fog. I'm way behind in almost every area of my life. (I'm not behind with the kids...they have a way of making sure that I stay caught up feeding, clothing, and paying attention to them. :) ) So, what do I do? I get inspired and start tackling everything at once. There are so many things around here that have needed to be done for years but that I have not touched. I probably should just work on catching up on laundry, or cleaning a bathroom or two, but instead I decide I need to sort and organize the world. The house is probably in worse shape than before!

In the meantime, sweet Jonathan has been growing up and growing in his passion for building with Legos. His collection has been growing, too. Over time, we have gradually been storing/organizing them by function in those Sterilite plastic drawer sets that you can get at Target or Wal-Mart. (You know, categories like bricks, wheels, guys, flat pieces, slanty pieces, etc.) It worked great except for getting him to put them away. And as Jonathan's collection has grown, the number of sub-categories has grown, too, making them even harder to sort and put in their drawers.

Also, we've been using this table in the playroom.

It was a hand-me-down to me in 1997 when I had no furniture of my own, and I've been thankful for it. But right now, we seem to be outgrowing it. It doesn't store anything, the younger kids like to try to climb on it, and Benjamin likes to lift it up. (!) I was hoping to replace it with something more functional.

On Pinterest, my sister-in-law alerted me to this blog post, and I began to be inspired.

Jeff and I decided to help Jonathan to sort his Legos by color on a trial basis, just in random plastic containers we had in the kitchen. He was reluctant at first, but ended up really liking it. He was able to give shape to his ideas more easily, and we were able to help him clean up more quickly.

To be continued...

Telling Time

I just passed by Jonathan and Grace's room - I'm about to get them up for the day - and I was able to eavesdrop on their morning chat while their door is closed.  He was explaining to her the difference between an analog and digital clock, telling her that it's easier to tell time on a digital clock, and that he's going to teach her to know the time on a digital clock first.  He asked her if she wanted to learn some different hours this morning.

I'm getting close to switching their rooms, so that Grace has her own and Benjamin is in with Jonathan, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.  Jonathan is excited to have Benjamin in his room, but I think Grace and Jonathan are really going to miss each other when they are separated.

A Visit from Great Grandma

My grandma came over for a visit early last week and got to spend some time with two of her great-grandchildren. She always brings treasures...usually at least one book, and sometimes a dress or two for Grace, all picked up at a yard sale or thrift shop.

Here is Grace wearing the pants she started out wearing, and adding on one of the little dresses that my grandma brought over for her. Never mind that it's February - she wanted to go sleeveless! And she's holding animal cookies, which are quite a treat around here. (Not from a thrift shop, though. :) )

Grandma also brought over this old, empty planner, which she thought Grace would enjoy coloring in. She was right, and Benjamin has also enjoyed examining it and sucking on it. And yes, he really does drool that much.

You can see that my kids love their great grandma!

Sweet Handprints

A dear friend of mine (you know who you are, my friend!) has made a tradition of sending handprint kits to my kids on their first birthdays. The first two things I love about this are 1) we have been friends long enough to have traditions, and 2) I have enough kids that this gift has become a tradition.

The handprint kit has a tin for each of the kiddo's first five years. I generally don't get the handprint done on the birthday, but I figure a month late is OK...right? :) Here are the one-year-old handprints for the kids: Jonathan, Grace, and Benjamin.

It's hard to take a picture of something white, so I hope you can see it. The main difference I see between the three is that Jonathan's hand was so slim, and that Benjamin tried to grab the plaster. He was really mad that I took it away from him. (See the how the index finger dug in?) If I remember correctly, Jonathan and Grace were pretty mad to touch it in the first place, but not Benjamin. He is all about texture and feeling things.

I'm thankful to be able to enjoy each of my kids and soak in their milestones as they come.

Use Your Imagination...

It's a goldfish!

Up to No Good

Goodbye, Exersaucer! Off to the Attic...

Playing the Piano

And...A Gracie Story

If you've ever had a kid in elementary school, or if you have ever been a kid in elementary school, you've probably heard the song "Jingle Bells" sung with these lyrics:

Jingle bells, Batman smells,

Robin laid an egg...

If you've heard it, I know I don't need to type the rest. Jonathan learned these lyrics from a little girl in his class in December and we've heard them daily ever since.

So, yesterday, Grace spontaneously broke into song:

Jingle bells, that man smells,

Robin laid an egg!

Batmobile lost its wheel

And Joker ran to the bathroom!

We cracked up! And she really did not appreciate us laughing at her. But it was really funny.

From One Lefty To Another

These are from January 15. We thought it was a good time to introduce Grace to tee ball, and who better to teach her the finer points of left-handed hitting than her left-handed brother?

Yes, that's a flying ball in the foreground...she hit one!

And here's a yet-unconfirmed lefty. He has been displaying some left-handed tendencies, though...we'll see what happens!

I'm using 62% of this blog's capacity, so at some point I'll need to start a new one. Perhaps I should go reserve three lefties.blogspot.com, just in case? Oops, it's not available.

Anyway, if you'd like a little Benjamin news, he recently cut tooth #5 and #6, which were both molars. Yep, he just has those four front teeth and decided molars needed to be next. Perhaps that's why he's been so cranky. He is continuing to go the nontraditional route with his order of teeth...