Inspired from a post on the parenting board I visit, here’s a glimpse into a day in our life.

Laundry #1

Kids playing while I’m getting breakfast together

Nursing my babe

Elizabeth sharing breakfast with Santa Pooh

Settling Ben in…

So I can eat breakfast

Load the dishwasher and run it

Take out the trash

Laundry #2

Pack the diaper bag (I LOVE my new bag!!!!)

Diaper change & putting clothes on

Everyone ready?

Am I back in the Midwest?

Washington?

Nope, its Hawaii, afterall. *sigh*

hmmm, I wonder what the speed limit is?

Oops!

A little respite from the unceasing chatter

There’s my turn

Stop #1–Hawaiian McDonald’s

Stop #2–Christian bookstore at the North Shore to pick up a children’s devotional and a Christian parenting book for the church’s library (I have BIG problems with the ones that are already in there).

Stop #3–Natural food store for some Burt’s Bees apricot oil, Bac-out laundry treatment, yummy & cheap organic garlic and some organic fruit (selection at the commissary is terrible)

Diaper change #5

(Not sure what happened to the afternoon pictures but they were nothing exciting–nap, a little Noggin for E, more nursing Ben and cleaning for me.)

Dinner. (Jim wasn’t home and I was tired.)

Another load of laundry.

We weren’t home all day, where did the dishes come from?!

*sigh* another load of the dishwasher

Sleeping baby

Bedtime snack…

And a little shopping for the money burning a hole in my Paypal account.

Locking up.

Home sweet home.

I’ve been working on redoing my wardrobe.  I’m making good progress on the pants department but I’m stuck on shirts.  I’m going to hit Ross’s & the outlets this week but I’d also like to do some online shopping.  Anyone want to share their favorite online stores?  I’m looking for casual shirts that aren’t T-shirt/knit.  I’d prefer things that aren’t stretchy.  Shirts that look more put together than T-shirts but don’t look out of place with a pair of capris at the playground.  So much in the stores are skin-tight, made for someone half my age, have spaghetti straps, cut so they show my stretch marks, cut so low they are a visible reminder to Ben that its time to eat, have glitter or sparkles on them, are in loud & obnoxious colors.

I enjoy shopping, I really do.  I just hate that a) I don’t know how to REALLY dress my body and b) I can never find what I want.

Surprising Jim & I and her Awanas teachers, Elizabeth said her four verses tonight earning her vest! I really didn’t think she’d tell them since she will barely talk away from us. At the end of the evening, all the kids gather on the back lanai to receive awards. When she came walking out with her vest on, she looked SO big. When we walked up to get her afterwards, she was jumping up and down (surprise, surprise!!) and was so excited to show me her vest. Her four were “God loved us and sent his son” (their key verse), “Jesus loves me” (their motto), “all have sinned” and “”While we were sinners, Christ died for us.” She memorized them much more easily than I thought she would. She really enjoys Awanas and I know she’ll be sad when they let out for the summer.

*sigh* Where does the time go?? How can my baby be big enough to be saying Bible verses?? Probably goes the same place my mom is thinking “How can my baby have a baby big enough to say Bible verses?” I don’t like this growing up thing.

We had about a month where she was having crazy sleep issues (I think I blogged about that) which meant crazy behavior. I think that’s over now, thankfully! She’s sleeping until 6:30-7ish every day. Afternoon behavior has gone back to normal 3.5 year old. Who knew I’d ever be thankful for her normal 3.5 year old behavior??!!?

Her speech continues to improve. Her vocabulary grows at an exponential rate, it seems. Her apraxia continues to be an issue and I really expect we’ll have to get speech therapy through our medical center come the fall. She is completing more words but she probably only says the full word for 20%, if that.

We had little doubt that she would love having a baby brother. And she hasn’t let us down there! If she could spend her entire day holding him, she would. She wants to know what he’s doing at all moments of the day. And she has eagle ears for his crying. She’ll hear him even before he’s crying sometimes.

She’s getting close to outgrowing her car seat, so I’m ordering her a new one tonight. Its the new Graco Nautilus and I am so excited to get it! She can stay 5pt harnessed until 65lbs which is more than 30lbs away! She can then use it as a high-back booster to 57″/100lbs. I’ve spent months debating which seat to choose and I’ve decided just to go with this one. I hope its here when we get back from our trip to Indiana.

I left early last week for my LLL meeting (held at the library on base) and stocked up on some books.  I haven’t been to the library for a stack of books since early last fall.  It was wonderful!  I got three fiction books and two non-fiction.  I’ve been busy reading all weekend.

A belated thank you to Amy–the aquaphor idea helped!  We still battle a rash but Aquaphor has been the best of the options we’ve tried.

The Mole is coming back!!  I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!  I loved the first two seasons. Then the third season was a bad celebrity edition.  It got interrupted by 9/11 coverage and never resumed the rest of the season.  It was early in the reality TV game show phenomenon and didn’t have manufactured drama in it.  And it made me use my brain to really think.  I hope they stuck with what made it so good.  If they pull the manufactured drama into it, I’ll be terribly disappointed.  Anderson Cooper was the original host and was fabulous.  I hope they found someone just as good.

Church was really nice today.  They hold Easter service at a park down the street.  Its nestled among several apartment buildings and many from the buildings, who don’t come to the church, came down for service and lunch.  They didn’t have care for the kids, so E was with us the entire time.  That is the first time in a really long time she stayed with us for the whole service.  Jim had to take her back for a few minutes and she didn’t do the best job of sitting entirely still/being entirely quiet but she really did well.  We sat in the back, so we’d be able to vacate quickly if we needed.  Starting next week they are going to two services.  The first will be a family-oriented service and the second will be the usual (kids welcome but children’s church available).  I’d like to get her into service with me more but I know she also loves to be with the other kids.  So I’m not sure which we’ll do.

Sleep problems with E continue but in a new development.  Four weeks ago she began waking at 5:30-6:15.  Every day.  :yawn:  If her body adjusted to this okay, I would be tired but I’d deal.  But her body can’t take it!  Early to rise isn’t causing her to go to bed any earlier (7ish).  And it isn’t causing her to sleep any better at night (up 2-5 times).  She cries from early morning on that she’s tired.  By 2-3 each day, my fairly compliant child becomes monster child and usually gets carted upstairs to cool down where she often ends up crying until she’s fast asleep (which then messes with night even more).  I have NO idea how to deal with it.  Its not time change (we don’t change here).  No disruptions to her schedule.  No change in the amount of activity she gets or outside time she gets.  No change to her diet.   And its only getting worse.  When she wakes up, she either lays in bed or gets up and plays quietly.  Neither makes a difference in the rest of her day.  If I could find some way to get her to sleep later, go to bed earlier and/or sleep through the night (the one I’d choose!!), I think she’d be fine.  Her body just needs that extra 1-2 hours of sleep SO badly.

The rest of the album can be viewed here.  I have a few new albums also posted here.

Elizabeth

Benjamin

Elizabeth & I

My *wonderful* clothesline & my new haircut