Times Are Changing

Things that are different around here:

1. Emilia has started talking and signing more often these days. Her vocabulary has increased from the. most. important. word. ever. (mama) to also include:
dada
bubba (what she calls the boys)
side (for outside)
ah guh (for all done)
boo-boo (one name for both cats)
nana
hi and hello
bye bye
uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-oooooooooh

and these are the anmial noises she's included in her speech repertoire:
moo
baaa
woof
meow
oink
(elephant trumpeting) *very cute...you really must witness this one in person




2. We have our first ever real garden this year. I am sooo excited about it! Perhaps even a bit obsessed because I check it several times a day! So far we have planted: cucumbers, potatoes, sugar snap peas, snow peas, broccoli, carrots, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, several kinds of tomoatoes and peppers, squash, zucchini, 2 types of corn, parsley, oregano, basil (italian, lemon and lime), sage, fennel, and a surprise peach tree! We planted 2 pear tress, too, but they aren't going to have any fruit this year. We are also going to plant several kinds of melons and pumpkins. I am soooo excited about it!

3. Josiah has really taken off with reading and has started reading books and magazine articles on his own. I love it! I love that he loves to read because that is something I have always very much enjoyed but honestly it's also kinda nice to not have to read all of the books that all three kids want read. That sounds terrible and I do still read to him, but at least some of it he can do on his own now...like when he wants to read more about bugs and spiders!



4. John got promoted at work (that's the good news) and now works from 10 - 7 (that's the not so good news). We're all still adjusting to the new schedule. I'm not sure any of us are big fans of the new hours, but John is liking his new position and the people he is working with. I've been struggling to find the motivation to make dinner with this new schedule because Micah doesn't eat much of anything these days and John isn't here and it seems like a whole lot of time and energy to spend on making dinner just for me and Josiah...I'm hoping to figure this out soon because the end of the day is crazy enough without a dinner dilemma.

5. I have apparently outlived my immunity to poison ivy and have spent the last week and a half trying to not scratch my skin off. I must have gotten into some nasty stuff this last time because I have it all over and I'm wishing I had kept my immunity for little longer. Oh, who am I kidding? I wish I had kept it forever.

6. I chopped all my hair off last weekend. I'd been growing it out for a while and just got up the nerve to cut it over the weekend. The kids all seem to like it--even Emilia. I thought she might not like the change, but after running her hands through it a few times after I got home, she hasn't seemed to notice the difference at all.



7. I think Emilia is trying to switch to just one nap a day. She still takes 2 sometimes, so every day is sort of up in the air as to what kind of a schedule we are going to have. I always LOVE times like this. HA! It's so hard to do anything or plan doctors appointments or anything else because I never know what the day is going to be like. Hopefully she'll sort it all out sooner rather than later.

8. Micah is still growing his hair out. It's almost long enough that he can keep it out of his eyes, but he doesn't like having it tucked behind his ears, so that makes keeping it back pretty difficult! I don't know how long he'll grow it. He used to say he wanted to grow it as long as Mommy's (before I cut mine) so this may go on for awhile. I've gotten lots of mixed reactions to him growing his hair out. I've had several people say, "You're not going to let him do that, are you?" I'm thinking, why not? It's just hair! I heard him trying to talk Josiah into growing his hair out the other day. And then he drew a picture of Josiah "when he's older" and he had long hair "because his hair will be bigger when he is bigger." :) hee-hee I thought that was really cute!



That's all for now! Happy Hump Day!