I don't think I have any pictures to share. I've been really bad about taking pics ever since we moved to Valley...Not sure why. But I saw that Ruth posted, and she always inspires me....
Winter's been very long here. It's been too cold to go outside much, but it's warming up this week. Most of the snow is gone and Cedar is starting her winter shed. She is a dog and dogs live outside. That is my opinion. She didn't agree with that today, til I made her see my point of view. She's not yipping at me anymore and my freshly cleaned floors that the kids helped with will stay clean for another few hours before dark. I can't wait til we don't live in town anymore.
Baby is coming in less than a month, and I'm starting to feel the crunch time. Why does nesting syndrom make you want to bake dozens of loaves of bread and scrub places in your house you have never even seen before? The store 5 blocks away sells bread and who cares if the house is a little dirty? The baby sure won't care if the food is homemade or if the house is clean. I'm so excited to start my weekly visits to Fargo next week! (Can I drip it with any more sarcasm?) I've been a poor patient this pregnancy, skipping appointments for any type of so called bad weather, but I suppose now that it's getting nicer out I won't have that excuse. Even with missing some appointments, the baby is still growing (not too big by the way), still kicking, and looking just fine on the ultrasounds. We're looking forward to having a little baby again. And I'm looking forward to fitting in smaller spaces and clothes again. The corner by the stove and fridge gets a little tight when the kids want to help me or watch me cook.:)
Jerry has been acting like he's two, even though he isn't yet. He wants to do everything himself and he gets mad when I don't understand him or do what he wants right away. He also enjoys playing with things found in the garbage and he still has the nasty habit of putting things in his mouth (my houseplants are strategically placed, not for the best sunlight, but so the soil is out of reach). I have started to harness his wanting to do everything himself into doing chores though. He likes to help put his folded clothes away in his dresser, help put away clean dishes, throw anything away in the garbage (though sometimes he forgets what he's supposed to do if I'm not standing over him and takes something else out). He is talking a lot, but I'm usually the only one who can decifer what he's saying. Josh and John are getting better at it though. He is super nice to anyone who is sad and gives them a hug. He likes to wave bye to Dad and anyone else who is leaving (like the neighbor yesterday when we were outside playing:). He just started to sleep with Johnny in the big boy bed and is doing really well. I'm very relieved. Now we can use the crib for the baby and I don't think there will be too much to fight with at nap or bed time. He still can't get in or out of the big bed by himself (without a chair), so he just calls for Mom and waits to get out of bed when he wakes up.
Lu Lu is Lu Lu. I feel bad I don't have much to say about her. I guess she's that middle child who is easy to forget. My cousin Ben always used to complain about being forgotten because he was the middle child. I never understood why, since he had the type of personality that you could never forget. She still likes to wear dresses, but isn't in them every single day. She has an interesting taste for clothes. Today she is wearing leggings and long sleeves, a vikings cheer dress, with a play skirt underneath...Pretty exhotic. We aren't leaving home today. She likes to look pretty and walks around with a sort of hip swagger when she's wearing something that she thinks looks "so pretty.":) (I gotta say it is pretty cute.) She likes to color and go the the library and family art hour. Her bestest best friend is cousin Addy. Anytime they are together, they are connected at the hip. She loves to play with her kitchen toys and baby's. She surpised me this morning and was playing really nice with Jeremiah. He was giving her block pieces saying "Go" for here you go. and She was building them into a tower. I hope the sharing with Jerry continues to improve:).
Johnny is my big boy. We've been doing school off and on, while I try to figure out how I'll structure real school in the fall. I just keep it in the back of my mind that I will continue to figure out the structure part and hopefully it'll all be in place by next August so we can start real school then. And I won't be so haphazard about it. He's working on learning his letters and numbers. We haven't gotten very far only letter d and number 4, but he picks it up really fast. He puts things together before I tell him. It's really neat to watch him learn and discover things. Lu does school with him, but is pretty content to just color and trace letters and numbers, which is fine with me. At least she's good during school (Jerry starts out coloring good, then starts to eat crayons, then he crumples his paper up and starts to eat it...Then he just sits locked in his high chair til we're done. He usually doesn't complain too much.) We've been going to the library for checking out books and some activities with other preschoolers. There are a couple boys Johnny's age that he likes to play with. Johnny likes to help me around the house. He always likes learning how to do new chores. I started chore charts for the kids this week for a chance to earn money on the chores John doesn't like doing (like folding clothes). I have some pretty strict rules though on the money earning, so he hasn't gotten his money everyday this week but it's helped chores go more smoothly. Johnny loves being Jerry's big brother and always wants to sleep with him at naptime, now that they share a bed. Haven't let that happen yet. I'm not sure either would sleep, and I need my naptime then.
All of the kids are rooting for the baby to be a girl, Josh wants a boy, and at this point I'm indifferent. I just hope no one is disappointed. (more so the kids. I don't think Josh will be.:) I suppose they'll get over it if it's a boy:).
I better go. The kids are getting a little crazy for being indoors. I should get them outside before someone gets hurt. Not that playing on ice and cement is safer than hard wood floor...Oh well, soon enough it'll be spring time with green grass.
Jerry is singing, waiting for me to get him out of bed. Pretty cute.:)
