bouncing balls, banana swirl, and sticker books...

At Syd's  2 year well check our little 23 pound two year old's sleeping habits were discussed.  Let's pause and take a moment and remember...Henry was 20 pounds at 4 months.

okay....pause taken.

The doc was in shock when we shared that her waking hours are so obnoxiously early.  He said if 6 seems do-able than let here deal until 6am.  So we have tried to do this.  And this morning, she woke at 4:35 shouting "Mama!  Daniel. Daddy. Down."  There would be moments of quiet and I would think, "oooo!  maybe she fell back asleep."  And then it would erupt again into a fit of rage, tears of sadness, or clear as bell demands for us to bring her, "Down!"

We let her be until 5:50 and by that point all of us were awake for the day.

Thank you very much Miss Syd.

And that's the way the ball bounces round these parts.

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Yesterday, Henry and I worked on a poster to keep track of our family's UNO game wins.  Last night we battled through our first two games after dinner.  There was joy.  There were moments we discussed good sportsmanship and how not to sound so mean.  And daddy won.  And mama won.  And the boys were left squirming in their "That's not fair" attitude.  Tonight the battle continues.

Family meetings are begged for by our boys.  And there is no reason why I shouldn't be granting this wish they have for family meetings.  Someday I am going to kick myself.  I guess, this is where my funk lies.  So I am getting my act together and refocusing.  Family meetings are about to make a return.  And we are warming up to this with some UNO fun.

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Dinner round these parts has gotten boring too.  Last night I whipped up my cheese stick manicotti.  SERIOUSLY, so yummy and so easy!  To make it a little healthier I threw a layer of fresh spinach on top of the noodles and covered it with cheese.  EVERYONE loved the addition.

It wasn't a huge serving of greens...but it was healthier than last time we made it.

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Yesterday we made Daniel Tiger's banana swirl recipe.  I know, I know...we are taking that show far too seriously.

And here is the moment when Syd realized her cone hit her belly and she got ice cream on her shirt.  The look of "uh oh" shock was directed right at her brother.  

Basically, you cut up a banana and set in freezer for a while.  We left it overnight and it was TOO frozen.  Then you put it a blender or food processor and whip that sucker til it has the consistency of ice cream.  We scooped that frozen baby food in an ice cream cone and both Syd and Henry devoured.  HOW incredibly easy and healthy is that!

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I am ready for spring in so many ways.  I want windows open.  I want to hear the breeze and the leaves.  I am itching for muddy walks in our rain boots.  I am ready to wander the cul de sac so that Henry can run and jump and be a boy without the confining walls of our house.  I am ready to give up the ability to get more things done because hours will be spent standing around outside supervising Sydney puttering in the open air.  I am ready for the sun to hit my face and less crap in our laundry room entry area where the boots are never put away to my liking, the mittens are littering all corners, and the jackets all seem to need to be hung on the same hook - and there for end up on the floor.

I am ready for spring.

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She may wake early but her language is growing so fast.
This is the age where everything sounds like a demand because it comes out proudly in one or two words.

Syd's words:

sap: sit on lap
toff:  turn off
gup: get up

When she builds things with Lego bricks they are "ships."
And she knows how to name her long tinker toy a "sword."
And she has learned her name and refers to herself as Sydney a lot.  "Bu bye, Sydney"  "Sydney eat."

And the boys names have been mastered.  "Mama. Find. Henry."  Picking up Charley yesterday at his after school activity she spotted him in a big crowd and said, "Charey"  And then she spotted his jacket and announced, "Mama. Charey.  Jack.it."

I love it all.  SO MUCH.

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I need to find something healthy to bake with the kids.  When all heck is breaking loose and no one is acting as their best person....well baking seems to bring us all together.  Any ideas...something easy but more healthy than chocolate chip cookies or brownies.

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The other thing that seems to bring everyone to calm are our sticker books.  Each of the kids has a classic photo album and they designate pages to different types of stickers and add to their collections after they receive stickers...or anytime mama whips out a page of some stickers.  Syd loves her sticker book.  REMEMBER, if you have little ones it helps to peel off the extra sticker stuff from the sheet.  It is easier for little fingers to peel off the actual stickers themselves.

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It is Tuesday and more than anything I would like to get out of the house.
But with a 4:35 wake time it is best to probably stay put because nap time should come sooner than later.
I am craving a pizza buffet more than anything in our fridge, but there again, not the best choice for me either.
So today will be about distracting myself from the cravings that aren't in our best interest and embracing the greek yogurt, the leftovers, or the peanut butter sandwich makings.
It will be about being thankful and content settled here in our own germs.
It will be about getting something checked off the to do list while also enjoying the moments where we are all content playing with things we dig out of the toy closet.
And that, my friends, is how the ball bounces over here today.

It's Tuesday....what will you tackle?  What have you tackled lately?