March 3rd was my final work event, the rescheduled Education Day. Then on March 11th, we loaded up all the remaining NARI items in the basement and delivered them to the new NARI office. That made it feel very final! Going from working for NARI for 126 hours in January to 66 hours in February and then just 16 in March has been allowing me time to get caught up on some things around the house and really enjoy time with the kids even more. the goal is to tackle one closet or area of the house a week, so I started with reorganizing the office so it is now our home/Derby Remodeling Group office. Not having to pack in work during rest time (if that happens) and during the night, the kids have reaped the benefits of this with extended time at the park, more "yes" responses when they ask me to play with them and some fun "field trips". The day after Easter we took a trip to the zoo with Auntie Courtney and Noah - it was a great day for the zoo! Kalum and I went to the ReStore and shopped for some lights for the reno houses and hit the jackpot with 7 fixtures we needed. The kids and I drove to Lincoln and had lunch with Jeff and his boss, Mark, one Wednesday. The kids liked seeing where Daddy works and of course seeing Daddy and telling him what's new on their minds. And they really enjoyed sharing with Mark (everything that has happened in their life - ever - with a series of "Guess what?" statements from Samara).
Jeff has been working on Monday and Wednesday nights and Saturdays on Derby Remodeling Group tasks and projects. That allows some evenings to be home for dinner and with the kids before they head to bed. I know it's hard to balance family and work life and I hope that we can maintain something that works for him and for the kids. Being present is so important, but you can't be everywhere at once! The kids love coming out to our project homes, so some trips out to Memphis and Eagle may be in order soon.
We did get to take a break from our routine to head to Grand Island on March 12-13th for our nieces Elizabeth's baptism and Leah's birthday party. The kids loved the chance to eat at Raising Canes for dinner, stay at a hotel (swimming and breakfast donuts being the highlight of course) and seeing Kleinschmit's new house. It was a relaxing trip and a chance to spend some time with Jeff's family.
Samara's Moments for the Month:
- March 5th - Samara found her first AND second loose tooth today. She was done eating teddy grahams and told me one of her teeth hurt. I checked and sure enough bottom middle tooth was loose. Then wiggled one next to it and it was too. She is ecstatic to say the least. She has been wiggling them, but warned us all that no one is to bump her chin or teeth because it would knock her loose teeth out to fast! By middle of month, you can see the permanent tooth coming in, so should be out soon.
- She sometimes tells me how she is going to marry kids in her class she she gets older. They had a church choir come sing to their class and she giggled as she told me how she "almost fell in love with one of the boys who was singing". Good grief!! She didn't even talk to him, but, seriously, kid!
- March 18th - She went to kindergarten roundup and loved it. They got to play on the playground, have snack, plant a flower seed and "be a kindergartner" for a couple hours. She only seemed nervous when everyone was in the room waiting for the teachers to come pick up their classes. She said it was loud so she didn't like that part.
- Same day as KG roundup, she can balance on her bike going downhill for a couple driveways! Jeff removed the training wheels and pedals so she could get a feel for balancing. She uses the handbrakes to keep it under control. She's so proud and wants Daddy to put pedals back on so she can ride for real.
- After a family-friendly workout with Aunti Courtney at her gym, Samara informed me of all the moves they did during her workout and how much exercise she got. Then she told me that I "could lose a few pounds" if I went to do workouts at the gym. Gee, thanks kiddo! I decided to take this as an insightful comment, not a directed suggestion. Though I need to get some cardio and toning back in to my routine for sure.
- March 24th - Jeff put the pedals back on her bike and she basically has it down! Ready for a bike ride around the block this next week. She wanted me to video and so I got the camera, then she was super upset because she fell over while I was recording. She wanted me to delete it. After talking to the sobbing kid on way inside, I told her I thought she just might be feeling embarrassed that she fell and we could try again a bit later. She had to cry a bit more on the couch inside. After like 15 minutes (yes, occasional emotional drama, she's a girl!) she says, "I think you're right." I say, about what? Sobbing all over again, "I do feel a bit embarrassed about falling." We talked about trying again, learning to ride includes falling sometimes, etc. then she says she doesn't want me to delete the video. That's my girl!
- Jeff is teaching her some basic Taekwondo moves and she is very interested in learning. Kalum lasted much less time in the home-school taekwondo class than big sister.
- This month he all of a sudden started saying words rhyme with others. We drive by a store, "is that another HyVee?", No, that is Super Saver. Silence, then "that rhymes with light saber!"
- After dinner I was trying to clean up and put leftover enchilada pan in fridge. The lid has been on the counter but I had misplaced it somewhere. I'm looking all over for several minutes thinking I'm going crazy. Kalum walks into the kitchen and he hears me talking to myself saying, "where is the lid to this pan?!" He says, "oh, it's in the living room." Me- It is?! Please show me. "Right there under that table." Well I never would have found it there! At least he's old enough to tell me where he puts things now. And no wonder I think I'm losing my mind sometimes!
- Thinks he's being sneaky when doing something naughty. Has started hiding when doing something he thinks he'll get in trouble for. (During bible study group he sneaked a brownie from counter and hid under the kitchen table to devour it. When I asked what he was doing, he said "nothing" with a stuffed mouth and covered his mouth with his hand.) Other times he'll tell us not to look (so he can do something he's been told not to do.)
- While swinging at the park one day after our weekend stay at Grand Island hotel, I said that the kids were getting so fast that pretty soon they were going to grow up and move away. Samara said not to worry, she would like in a house close by so she could be my neighbor. Kalum said, "I'm gonna live in a hotel when I get big so I can go swimming every day!"
- Loves the hidden picture pages in his kids magazine. Finds that page first and sits there until he finds everything. At least I know a way to entertain him if needed!
- He's been talking understandably for quite a while, but noticed he is talking even more lately. Telling stories, recounting events, giving play by play. As we walk into Menards, Wesson is in cart that Jeff is pushing, Samara riding on side with hand out for Kalum to hold, his other hand in mine. After grabbing Samara's hand, he says, "now we look like we're a family" ha!
- Said his favorite part of the zoo trip was the aquarium. Probably not the bears, since this all took place in 5 minutes...While by the polar bears, Kalum wanders into the cave to view the bears and I have to chase him down, he then stomps in a muddy water puddle and we have to wipe him down with baby wipe, then looking at the sun bears, he decides to stick his head between the bars (I look over and try to get a picture before he gets unstuck - is that bad parenting to want an image to show your husband?) ;) I help him get unstuck (no photo opp, he kind of started to panic), then he starts to walk off with a family, thinking he's by me and I have to go after him as he starts to freak out. Oh boy!
- Five Months old- can roll over to tummy, sit unassisted very briefly, still all smiles, happy to just roll around on the floor, grabbing his feet, stands in the exer-saucer, "talks" which is really quite loud-enough to make you think he's mad but he's just testing out his voice, he's been waking up to eat once at night this week even though his cold is almost gone.
- March 10th - Yesterday was kind of fussy, spit up quite a bit and lots of dirty diapers. Today he seems in a better mood but has really bad diaper rash. Trying extra baths, frequent changes and lots of diaper cream. He even cries when you change his diaper and he usually loves having his diaper changed - poor baby!
- March 11th - Started sucking on right pointer finger (upside down) instead of thumb.
- March 13th - First tooth! Came in during overnight trip to Grand Island
- Mid-March started on baby rice cereal with milk and added bananas - made disgusted face and possibly swallowed some. Hoping he improves on the baby food route and eats more like his sister than his brother.
- Rolled back-tummy-back-tummy! It ended up being a one-time thing and he didn't do that again this month, but soon enough I'm sure.
- March 26th - 2nd tooth is in! Can see his new pearly whites when he smiles. :) And he had homemade avocado baby food today, actually ate about a tablespoon.
- March 28th - First trip to the zoo! Probably enjoyed the aquarium the most because it has interesting ceilings and tunnel he could see from car seat in stroller. He did sit up for a while in stroller, but ended up falling asleep by the end of the visit. Early to bed for him and siblings and not a peep was heard!
- By end of the month he finally ate 2 cubes of avocado baby food. Now we can start on some more new foods next month.
- He also has started shaking his head back and forth when laying down or in car seat. He shakes it quickly from side-to-side then smiles like he just mastered a new trick! (self-taught) This will likely not help the baby bald spot on the back of his head!
Now into April - Spring has sprung!!
