A Family Update

I think sometimes I forget that I have friends and family who actually read this blog and like hearing about what my family is up to.  I just hardly feel like I have time for blogging anymore, and for some reason I try to make more of my posts about small houses than about family and I need to stop that.  I think it's backlash from being so frustrated at the small house movement and the seeming lack of families with children in it.
Okay, stepping off the soap box now.
Igloo has been working his tail off in the back yard now that the monsoons have let up.  Everything looks so much better!  We have 3 new garden beds and he's making some smaller ones for the kids too.  Work is up and down.  He has one coworker his age (the rest are almost retirement age) who is leaving for 3 months for army reserve stuff and I think it has him down.  We're both upset because of politics that are eliminating a job so his boss can't move up which means the promotion they've been dangling in front of him for 2 years isn't going to happen.  But he still loves what he does and the people he works with.  Still, I may start browsing job listings for him.  You know, for funsies.
I am....busy.  Now that the kitchen is painted it's mostly with homeschooling.  I wanted to do it over the summer and make sure this is really what we want to do next year so we've been finding our groove.  Thursday we watched a yellow spider on it's orb web for 20 minutes for science class. :)  I am really enjoying it and never knew this side of myself until now.  I really love to teach and just BE with my kids.  I never thought I had it in me, but I do and it's awesome!
I'm also building a chicken coop.  That part is less awesome.  I have been browsing plans for months and found one I like.  I cut the studs and...it's just too big!  It is!  Maybe we should only have 3 hens instead of 6, I don't know, but I want it cut in half and every time I go out and look at it I just get really grumpy!  So for now it's just the studs framing it.  But I need to make a decision soon.
Jack is now in Tae Kwon Do and really enjoying it.  The more I watch, the more I think this is something for older kids, but it's fun to watch him be so serious about it.  The young ones just aren't that coordinated yet!  He's really excited for swimming lessons in a week.  I haven't made up my mind about extracurricular activities yet.  Some of them are so darn expensive! (I'm talking to you tae kwon do) and I don't know if I see the point at such a young age, except maybe with music or dance.  Any thoughts?




Munchkin is ALIVE.  This child is seriously fun to watch.  She is just happy to be alive.  Sometimes I think I'll lose it when she gets really hyper, but I'm really working on catching myself and trying to stay calm to help her calm down.  It's so hard to not just react to your kids!  She loves to play dress ups and pretend. She gets really into it too.  She wont answer to her own name, only if you call her by whatever she's pretending.  Lately it's Dr. Who. :)
One of these days I'll have to take a picture of her art work.  Apparently she's really good.  It's kind of weird to see her drawings next to other kids' in her church class.  I kind of think she's better than Jack.  Sorry Jack.  Maybe stick with science for now.
Tumbleweed is walking like a pro.  She loves her brother and tolerates her sister.  She also only tolerates goat's milk.  I'm about ready to put chocolate syrup in it just to get her to drink it!  Kid needs to put on some weight!  She just turned one but I haven't taken her in for her checkup yet.  Partly because school just ended and it felt a little crazy and partly because I'm lazy.
I'm hating being off milk, but she's doing a lot better and thankfully sleeping better than ever before.   She still has some bad tummy pains so I'm not sure if there's something else she needs out of her diet or if it's from me sneaking cookies.  She also reacts to cold we've learned.  Igloo isn't too happy about that since he till has dreams of dragging us off to Alaska.  Maybe Phoenix will have to do, right Mandy?
She's a very somber child.  I'm still trying to figure her out.  She loves to play and be silly, like all kids, but she just seems so sensitive to a lot of things.  She loves to swing.  It's an instant calmer for her and I wish I had known it earlier.
So anyway, that's a general update on us. :)  Hopefully I'll find a good rhythm with homeschooling and have some more time to garden, sew, and of course blog!

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