Nate's first sewing lesson

To kick off our summer (yes, Nate is done with school! Woo hoo!) and our unofficial entry into the world of homeschooling, Nate and I completed his first sewing project today: a cover for his homeschooling binder. He picked the fabric last week, and today we made a paper pattern for how we wanted the cover to end up, measured the pattern, and then added for seam allowance to get our measurements for cutting the fabric.




This was a perfect first project, since it involved just one piece of fabric cut into a rectangle. First I had Nate sit with me and help guide the fabric while I ran the machine. Then it was his turn.




Here he is in action:



Not bad! ;)

Becoming a big boy

Until yesterday, of the three "transition from baby to kid" events most kids go through (going from crib to bed, giving up the pacifier, and potty training), Levi had only completed one. But yesterday, when the kids were at Ray and Colleen's house while I was at work, he took a nap without his pacifier (because I hadn't brought it). I figured yesterday was as good a time as any to lose the pacis for good... much to Levi's chagrin. He loves his pacis and takes really good, long naps when he has them. But alas, they really mess up kids' teeth. So last night I stayed in the bed with him while he whimpered himself to sleep (so pathetic!), but he slept fine. This morning, I surprised the kids with a small "big boy celebration"--chocolate pancakes.




I found this chocolate hazelnut butter (similar to Nutella) the kids can have, so I spread it on their pancakes (and on Lucy's GFCFSF waffle) for a special treat.

Levi is still not impressed with the change and would much rather keep the "baby" moniker along with his pacifiers. (He also has the same attitude about potty training vs. diapers, by the way.) But if he's like the other kids, the disappointment will pass pretty quickly. :)

Two anniversaries

Jon and I celebrated 9 years married yesterday! He took me to Trabuco Oaks, a steakhouse with tons of unpretentious atmosphere and really good food. They are famous for "no ties allowed." Jon wore an old tie so he could add it to the thousands of ties adorning the walls and ceiling.




We ate a great dinner and enjoyed some time just the two of us.

Here's the only pic of both of us (taken with Jon's phone):



This is also another cool anniversary of sorts: my 1,000th blog post. One thousand--whoa! I think it's appropriate that my 1,000th post would be about Jon and me, not about the children, not about school or homeschooling or some semi-temporary stage in our lives. Because our marriage is the common thread that has run through everything, the foundation for our family life (based on Christ). I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, who loves me, understands me, and provides balance for me. I love you, Jon!

Super cute

"In this Picture me and God are Playing tag."

What we could do tomorrow

Nate's note to us tonight:



Dear Mom and Dad.
I've benn thinking we can go to Vrgina tomorow
Your choice
If you guys say no then I would be sad
But if you guys say yes I would be happy.
Love Nate V.

Levi last night

Checking in/Lucy's doc appointment

I hate when I go a whole week without posting. Sorry, Nannie. :)

I have to report about Lucy's appointment with Dr. Abell last week. Dr. Abell is a naturopathic doctor, and I took Lucy to him to talk about her sensory sensitivity and what we might be able to do about it naturally. He spent a good hour with us, going over her history and explaining some of his methods of treatment. In the end, he believed she would benefit from going gluten-free and casein-free (he didn't add soy to the list though)! There has to be some genetic component there, obviously, if the diet has so greatly helped Nate and may help Lucy too. Funny how, if those substances (gluten and casein) affect our kids, the effects manifest themselves differently in each child. Nate doesn't really have any of the sensory issues Lucy has. So anyway, Lucy has now been on the diet for a week. I'm giving it at least a few weeks before I decide whether I think it's helping or not (but here's a guess: I think it is!). Dr. Abell also gave us a probiotic for her (helps with digestion) and some homeopathic drops to use for a couple of months (to aid in digestion too). This doctor believes that many neurological problems and nervous system issues are tied to the gut/digestion--and I agree.

Cute dress

I like this dress of Lucy's, though she rarely wears it (too tight). She humored me with a photo shoot on Sunday.

Wedgits

Nate has been having fun with his birthday presents--new Legos and Wedgits. (As an aside, Wedgits have been a great toy for us. Even very young kids can stack them without frustration, and Nate is still entertained by them because they have "design cards" for ideas and they can make complex designs.) One afternoon I let him take his own pictures.

A deep question

Lucy has been asking the cutest, deepest questions about God and heaven lately. This week, she asked how God made the moon, and I told her an answer that included that God is all-powerful, and He could make anything by just thinking it. She then asked, "Mama, did God make hisself?"

Too busy

Sometimes, a boy's life is just too busy to add one more thing.

Cute pic

This is from last Sunday before church, when the kids were playing Angry Birds with Jon.

Vegetable love

This is why I love doing a CSA.

Today's lunch (to go) supplied almost exclusively by my third CSA delivery:



(Tomatoes from Trader Joe's. Almonds added later.)

Tonight's dinner is stirfry that will include our CSA bok choy and green onions. So fun!

Nate is 6

Happy birthday, 6 year old!

Nate had a GREAT time at his party last night. I always love the enthusiasm with which he thanks each person for their gift when he opens it. He gets so excited about each thing--it's so cute.

Spring break

We've had a great week here, not doing too much of anything! Jon stayed home for part of the day on Monday, which was a special treat (even if he wasn't feeling too good).

We also had a picnic at Castle Park:




Spent a couple of hours at the pool:




And today we went to the Great Park hoping to ride the orange balloon (though Nate already vowed not to ride it).



But it was too windy today, which meant no balloon ride. We rode the free carousel instead.




Nate and Lucy rode it again, while Levi preferred to snack:

Lucyisms

Yesterday, as we were driving home from the pool, an ice cream truck pulled up next to us. Lucy exclaimed, "Mama! It's a... it's a... a candy bus!!!"

Then last night, she remembered the time I took her to get a pedicure. "Mama, do you remember when we both went to the painting store? We should go there again together."

Lucy's room

Lucy got a mini room makeover this past week.

New bed, quilt, and pillow.





New sign for her play kitchen.





Rearranged wall decor (locations picked by Lucy, again)



My favorite part is still the dress quilts. :)

Why Nate was made for homeschooling

Nate has been doing this for the past few days, completely unprompted.

Something I've been trying to ignore: Hospitality toward those who need it most

I'm not a naturally hospitable person. I like to be alone. I don't like inviting extra work. But the Lord has been showing me in quite overt ways that I need to fix my attitude in this area.

Our neighbors one building down have one son, who is Levi's age. From what I can tell, they don't have many/any friends, and they are a bit... strange. The dad, who is really nice (and talkative), has a long beard and long hair and at one point had his truck covered in at least 100 bumper stickers (he took many off; there are probably a dozen now). The mom is a high school teacher, and she is just kind of weird. She says whatever is on her mind--often something rude. She walks onto our front patio and even into our house uninvited and lets her son do the same. Whenever she sees that the kids and I have come out to go on a walk, get the mail, or ride bikes, they come out too. I have a very hard time liking this woman and find myself ducking my head or hurrying inside to avoid her.

But the thing is... I know she is just lonely. I know she is not a believer. I know how I should act toward her--but I just don't want to. That is my fault.

This post hits the nail on the head. God is pointedly showing me someone who needs love and attention--things that I can give. I really don't want to give them, but that is no excuse!

Writing all of this out is a way to hold myself accountable: now I have to be intentional toward this girl. First on the list: inviting them to dinner. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bunk bed

I mentioned we got the new bunk bed. I love it! It looks great in Nate's room. Last night was Levi's first night out of a crib. He did GREAT, sleeping even later than usual this morning. :) Nate also loved sleeping on the top bunk. Today's nap time was the real test for Levi. He got up a few times but did finally fall asleep:



I love that sweet boy!

Levi-ism

We bought a bunk bed and mattresses for the boys on Craigslist today. (I'm so excited!) When Jon was bringing one of the mattresses in, Levi exclaimed, "Whoa, that's a big pillow!"

A "spirited child"

Lucy has gone back into a fussing-about-every-outfit-and-every-car-ride funk. I thought maybe it would just be a day or two thing, but last night Jon and I realized that it started back this way right at her birthday. That's two weeks ago, so it officially doesn't qualify as just a small step backward.

Oh, those weeks that she was doing great were so wonderful! They were a glimpse into what life could be like--life without someone screaming all day. Life without my stress level at 99.99% capacity.

I've been telling myself that my mood and my behavior should not depend on her mood or behavior. I know it in my brain, but I just can't seem to make it happen.

It's hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel knowing that we've been dealing with this sort of stuff for 2 and a half years already!

Levi's new name

After watching the video again, I realize why he wasn't answering some of my questions: he thought I didn't want him eating those Rice Chex (because I had stopped him from eating one at the beginning of the video so he would say his name). I think that's also why he was turning the other way. Too funny.

Daddy is the best

Spin-a-slam + follow the leader = happy children

First lost tooth

Nate lost his first tooth today! I don't know why I'm so excited about it... I know this happens to every kid. I guess I just think it's extremely cute and such a "big kid" step. He's excited about the tooth fairy (although I'm surprised he isn't scared) and already wrote a note to her to tape to the bag his tooth is in.

The note reads, "Tooth Fairy In this bag is my tooth. Love Nate Varela."

He asked if he would see the tooth fairy, and I said no--she comes when we're asleep. He asked why, and I told him she is shy. So last night, after he was asleep, I found another note on his floor: "Tooth Fairy Don't be shy Love Nate Varela."

Who knew?

Talking to a fellow GFCFSF mom while on the women's retreat, I found out something I had never known: eggs contain soy. Nearly all chickens are fed a heavily soy-based diet, and it is present in their eggs, especially the yolk. How incredibly annoying! I was comforted a bit when I thought about how much egg Nate eats: not that much. I use 4 egg whites in his pancake mix--but that isn't bad since the soy is present in the yolks. He doesn't eat much straight/plain egg. Levi, on the other hand, eats a soft-boiled egg nearly every morning at breakfast (I was determined to get him to like them!).

I did some searching online and found some soy-free eggs, and the price is about the same as the soy-free eggs at Whole Foods (i.e., quite expensive). I might end up ordering my eggs online if I can't keep up with making it up to Whole Foods often enough (it isn't very close and is kind of a hassle to get to). I sure wish we lived somewhere where I could keep my own egg-producing chickens like Hallie!

Getting the mail

Going to get the mail is usually an hour-long adventure around here. It's just one building down the street, but there are sticks to be found, leaves to be swatted, holes to be dug, dirt to be flung, bikes to be ridden, high heels to be clicked.