currently...

a random lunch this week... so fun to meet daddy for lunch in the middle of the day!

daddy got the kids valentines and m&m's with stamps on them.  such a sweet man!  

(oh, and i got roses!!!)

more of lunch.  both kids voted to sit next to daddy...

cue angels singing!  this is my new favorite thing.  i bought the frame this morning at a garage sale for $5. i am going to paint it, but just haven't gotten to the store yet.  the charts are from here.  she has a ton of cute printables.  one is a manners chart and one is chores.  and i am using a dry erase marker on the glass. i think i am going to get two markers, one blue, one pink and use it for both kids.  

i got SO SICK of the whining this week.  SO. INCREDIBLY. SICK.  so, i started with the manners chart.  mostly for the yes/no ma'am.  (i am okay with "mom".)  it worked so well.  and, i have been wanting to start a chore chart with nora.  i think i might eventually change some of the "chores".  like, i want nora to vacuum.  so, that might go in place of the toothbrushing...  we'll see. 

it has, for the last few days at least, had nora responding so sweetly.  she doesn't want a mark taken away for a bad response.  and she keeps track of her "checks" when we are out!!  and, she has even started "making appeals".  (my parents always said that we could make appeals after the correct response... ie...  "michelle, go clean your room".  

"yes mom, but can i make an appeal?"

"okay"

"can i finish the end of this tv show before i go do it?"

it gives the kid a way to explain their actions without having a bad response.  so often, i am realizing, i don't realize that my kids are right in the middle of something when i ask.  or why they are asking for something that i say "no" to.  it's so helpful!  

saying "goodnight"...  

his sad eye this week.  (the right one... it looks better in this pic!)  not sure what happened....  it's not strep, and the doc said his eye looks okay.  they pulled a MASSIVE amount of ear wax out of his ear, however!

christopher's new toy...  HEAVEN!!!  i got breakfast made TWICE this week, friday and saturday, without holding him!!  HEAVEN!!!  (although, james might enjoy the toy more than c does so far!!)

my sweet, handsome man!!  gosh, i love this kid!!!

sleepy baby...

my strawberry bread.  that didn't stay together when i tried to flip it out of the pan...  

our green smoothie today... but with the strawberries i added....  it's a little more brown.  

currently...  my house is clean!  even the floors!!!  (and, cleaning mode wife did not come to visit today... david specifically requested that the house get clean without her!!)  a friend is in port today en route home.  so we are having him and some other friends over for dinner!  

i am not feeling overwhelmed by three.  currently i think the transition to two was harder.  i think a HUGE part of it is my kids ages...  nora was 20 months when james was born.  she was still a BABY!  and the kids are SUCH. HUGE. HELPS!  i am so thankful....  they love their brother and have been really good... (except for the whining when i make them clean up their toys... heaven forbid THEY clean up what they play with!)

christopher is sleeping well.  some nights.  and not well others.  i am working hard to get some type of schedule started, for my sanity!  and, keep him awake for a little bit during the day, so that he sleeps at night!  but, for the most part, he is a good sleeper.  some of this, i think, is the cold his siblings shared with him...