Summer 2014: Reading, Gardening, and Being "Busy"

I am seriously lagging on keeping up with blogging, which really bums me out because I do enjoy writing and it's such a simple way for me to process life and keep a record of what we've been up to.  So...two months later, here I am again.

Our summer hasn't been exceptionally busy, except that it always feels like we're busy.  Why is that?  We're not going on vacation or doing anything that's really outside of our normal routine.  Maybe it's just what happens when your children outnumber you.  I don't know, but I feel like we are non-stop all the time.  I do find that my children tend to nap better if we have something to do outside of the home in the morning, so I try to plan outings at least two or three days a week.  We usually go to the library once a week and alternate between the Bridgewater and Harrisonburg libraries so that we're not at the same place every week.  Ellie and Piper really love going to the library (mostly because they have lots of fun toys...I wish they would get a little more excited about picking out books but I guess we'll get there eventually).  They are also enrolled in the summer reading program, so for every two hours of reading time (me reading to them, since they can't read yet) they get a small prize, such as a coupon for free ice cream or donuts.  Sometimes I want to say, "Where's my prize?  I'm the one reading to them..." but oh well.  I guess my reward is knowing that I'm being a good parent/first educator by reading A LOT...but sometimes mommies need donuts and ice cream, too!  My kids get rewarded for me reading to them, but I suppose it does take some effort on their part to listen to me read.  And you better believe that when we go redeem those donut coupons I'm going to buy a donut for myself.

Speaking of reading, Ellie harasses me pretty much any time I ask her to look at a book.
Ellie: (whiny, frustrated voice) "But MOM, how can I read this?!?!?  I can't READ it yet!!!"
Me: (whiny, frustrated voice) "Just look at the pictures, Ellie!  We're having quiet reading time...I know you can't read yet, but you can look at the pictures and be quiet for 5 minutes!"
Ellie: (increasingly frustrated with me) "MOOOOOMMMMMYYYY, I can't read it!!!"
Me: (increasingly frustrated with her...deeeeep breath) "Okay...let's sound out the letters..."
So then "quiet reading time" doesn't really happen the way I want it to, but obviously this child is so ready to begin learning to read.  She's already read her first real word ("club") by sounding out the individual letters and then putting them together (she was looking at the LEGO Club Magazine, which is a free subscription!).  So my goal for the fall is to start teaching this child how to read.  She already has the basic phonics down, so now I just need to focus on the actual reading part.  I really wasn't quite prepared to start teaching Ellie to read at 4 years old, but I always said that I would wait until she was interested and not push it...it's just that in her case she's ready a bit earlier than I anticipated so now I need to step up to meet her enthusiasm for it.  I was already planning on doing some basic preschool-type stuff with her anyway, since she's not enrolled in a Pre-K program for this coming year and I have a mental list of things I'd like for her to be able to do before she goes into Kindergarten.  There's a list of 71 things your child needs to know before Kindergarten written by a former teacher that I appreciate being able to refer to...and I would say most of the things on that list have more to do with your child's disposition, behavior, and curiosity and not so much the specific, academic tasks (although they're on there, too).

Of course, we also try to plan play dates with friends to keep us busy, and we usually go to the children's museum once every week or two for something extra fun (thank you, Granny, for the membership!).  This is probably bad, but I tend to avoid the playground.  It's just really hot, and I'm always wearing Grace in the Ergo carrier, and I sweat SO bad by the end of it.  I'm basically "pregnant on the outside" (Billy's phrasing) when I wear her.  I love the convenience of it, and Grace especially loves it since she's a snuggler, but it gets overwhelmingly hot sometimes.  So yeah, the playground isn't my favorite.

We planted a garden this year...it's really a container garden, since I didn't want to dig up the ground and all that until I knew if this was something I could actually handle or not.  I've always thought of myself as having a brown thumb...everything dies under my watch, because I'm just really bad about watering and weeding and all that.  I'm lazy.  That's really what it is, so let's just go ahead and call it.  Anyway, I got the crazy idea to try, yet again, to keep something alive...so on Mother's Day weekend we went to Lowe's and bought a few already-established plants, put them in some large pots we found in the garage, and....ta-da!  They are GROWING.  We actually grew something and didn't kill it.  I think I'm still in shock over it.  Well, we did kill one plant, but it was NOT my fault.  We had the pot under the gutter on the garage, and apparently all is not the way it should be there, because anytime it rains water just pours down in that one spot.  So that poor little plant bit the dust pretty early because it just got drowned.  It's probably still my fault, as I should have looked at the area before putting the pot there, but oh well.  The strawberry plant also got hit pretty hard by the water, but I've also heard those are finicky plants anyway.  So, long story short, we've got tomatoes, zucchini, green bell peppers, jalapeños, cayenne peppers, and cucumbers growing like crazy and it's been a lot of fun for me.  So now that I know what is pretty easy to care for, I'd like to do it again next year and plant a real garden (you know, in the ground and all that).  The girls have really enjoyed helping water the garden and checking on the vegetables as they grow....although I think I might be burning them out on cucumbers.

What our produce basket looks like on a daily basis

Grace just turned six months old this past week, so she had her big checkup today.  All is well and she's as healthy as she can be, but of course I went into the appointment worried about one thing or another.  She's been quite demanding about eating and still doesn't sleep great every night (although that's getting better) and I was concerned about her weight gain and whether she was getting enough to eat.  She has gained one pound since her four-month appointment, which caused her to drop to the 10th percentile for weight....so of course I was feeling worried.  But our doctor, God bless her, came into the room and immediately said, "Please don't worry about her weight.  This is just genetics."  Grace went up a percentile in length and her head circumference is right on track, which indicates that her nutrition is fine.  When the doctor asked how much she's nursing (6 times per day) and if she's eating solids (4 ounces in purees twice a day, plus food from my plate sometimes PLUS Cheerios or puffs!) she said that she was getting PLENTY to eat and that she's just a hungry girl.  She reassured me that there was no reason to stop nursing, but to just keep offering solids as much as she wants and that she will be just fine.  She also recommended coconut oil for our thrush problem, which I hope will help.  I just appreciate having a doctor who is kind and listens to my concerns without belittling me or getting overzealous about "treating problems."

This is how I got my writing done today...can you see that she is up on her knees?!?! 

On her knees with her belly off the floor...booty in the air is her favorite way to be!

Well, I guess that's us in a nutshell right now.  To close, I'm posting links to some of my favorite books I've read so far this year (I've been reading a lot this summer, which has been SO nice!).

French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon: I have always desired for our kids to not be super picky eaters, and I would say for the most part they're not, but I'm also curious to see how other people do things.  This book was an interesting perspective on French food culture and, while I don't agree with everything, I thought it had some interesting suggestions and ideas.
The Sexually Confident Wife by Shannon Ethridge:  I hope this isn't too much information, but let me just say that this was a great and helpful book and I would recommend it to any woman who might struggle with sexual confidence within marriage.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear: I have always enjoyed mysteries, and this is the first in a series of 10 that I just loved.  I am also a huge fan of historical fiction...set in the time between WWI and WWII, this book was right up my alley.  If you like strong female characters and history, this one will be a win.
The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch: I've recently discovered that I love reading memoirs so this was a good read.  Obviously I love books (and what book lover hasn't dreamed of opening a book store?) so this one really resonated with me.
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: We think Jim Gaffigan is hilarious, so of course I had to read his book.  Some parts were familiar if you've listened to any of his skits, but I still really enjoyed this one and laughed out loud quite a bit.  Despite the antics of his kids, he loves being a dad and that's always encouraging for those of us in the trenches of parenthood.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: This is the true story of the acquisition and use of HeLa cells, which have been used in all forms of scientific experimentation, and the backstory on Henrietta Lacks' family and how this has impacted them.  This was a sobering story that really made me think about how the pursuit of knowledge can impact everyday people and what those long-term effects on a person's family look like.
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton: Another historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed.  A bit mysterious and creepy; definitely a favorite.
Elephant Trunk Steaks and Other Adventure Stories by Dr. Larry Fogle and Sallie Fogle: This was a fun and eye-opening book for me.  I love reading about missionaries and their stories of how God provides in dire circumstances, but it's also fun to read about their adventures and just the culture shock that might be experienced.  This book was written by Billy's uncle and aunt, so it was especially interesting for me to get to know their history a little better and I was really blessed by their story.  They've also written Termite Meatloaf and Other Adventure Stories, and I think they'll be coming out with a third book sometime in the future.  Can't wait!
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh: This is a coming-of-age story that incorporates the Victorian-era idea that flowers have very particular, emotional meanings.  Heartbreaking, but I love the overarching themes of restoration and reconciliation.  A worthwhile read.