8 Weeks Sleep

Ruth slept 9 hours last night. It felt great!

She's been mostly sleeping through the night since about 5 weeks, but with a slight touch of a cold this past week we've been up early, between 4 and 6, before we go to sleep for a little longer.

There's no reason to complain, we are rested, happy and in love.

Swimming

Elinore has invented a new game she loves to play, especially on our bed.  She's swimming.  She will pile up a blanket or just leave the bed as is and she'll stand up and jump on the bed falling while she does.  That is the splash!  Then she'll move her arms and swim, swim, swim!  If her brothers are around she'll say she's sinking and they'll come be the lifeguards to get her. 

Christmas Day 2014

As usual the boys woke up by 7 on Christmas day.  We were fortunate though in they were so excited to play with their Zoomer robots from Christmas Eve they managed to wait until 8 or so when Elinore woke up, so we didn't have to wake her up, and so mom and dad could get a little bit more sleep.  Then we took care of the dog and some minor mornings things and headed to the living room for some Christmas fun.

Christmas gift opening in our house usually takes a few hours.  We started just after 8 I think and wrapped up around 11.  We hand out a gift and watch them open it; then it's some playing and some assembly if needed before the next one.  We've never really forced it on the kids this way, they just enjoy checking their stuff out and playing with it!  We gather trash as we go so we don't loose anything and they really get to enjoy their gifts.  We try not to do a ton of gifts, but I think every year we have a few more than I expected.  This year I think we found a good balance!

Once we finished at 11, the kids got dressed, ate a snack and played some more while I showered to head to my mother-in-laws house.  We were the first ones there at her house.  They were eating at 2, and we arrived about 1 after the hour drive out to her place.  We had a lovely time there.  We were able to share gifts with her before everyone else came.  Their gift opening is much more chaotic!  It's all handed out when anyone wants and opened immediately.  I often don't know what the kids got until the next day when we unpack everything from the car, which means I usually have no idea who gave it to them either!  We had a great time there though, and everyone was enjoying meeting Ruth!  Other than grandma, no one from his side of the family had met her yet.  :)  Keith won the awesome gift award there because he got the miter saw he'd been envying for months now!

His brother gave it to him.  We've been borrowing his brothers for a couple months now.  He'd told Keith before Christmas he needed it back to make a few cuts for something at his house then he could have it back.  Here that was just a ploy all along for him to get his saw and Keith to take his own home!

One of Keith's childhood friends stopped by for awhile after most of the family had gone too.  My mother-in-law had run into him in her work at Wal-Mart one day and invited him over since he didn't have plans for the day.  He and his son came over and they all caught up on things over the years until we had to leave.  We were to be in Canton at the boys mom's Christmas gathering at their Great Aunt's house around 6.  Their Great Aunt and Uncle are always very welcoming and we stay for a few hours for them to see their family and exchange gifts with the brother sister, mom and her husband.  They'll get a gift from their Grandma and Great Grandma usually too.  They enjoy it, and it's good for them to see their family too.

Then it's time for the hour drive back home to unload a loaded up car!  While we may not be so extravagant, gifts for 6 people and all 6 of those people take up a lot of room in our min-van! 

A New Start

I read an article today that mentioned it was Monday and an opportunity for a new start.  That is something we hear so often, especially this time of year with it being January and all.  It got me thinking, why do we insist on starting something new or changing our view at the beginning of a year, month or week?  Even a day?  We all have the ability to change what we're doing or how we view something at every moment during the day. 

I know I sometimes fall into this trap with certain things, but I'm trying to get better about it with other things.  My pitfalls of starting at the beginning of a week center around my working out especially.  I struggle to start something like that in the middle of the week.

I'm making an effort though to make changes around other things when I recognize a need.  So many things I see that need a new start have to do with the way I think about things or see things or my attitude.  I'm really trying to pray and focus on changing it when I see a need or sometimes when someone else points out a need, often my husband!  It's something I want me kids to see in me as they grow up.  None of us are perfect, and I want them to see changes in my attitude or behavior so that they know they have the power to do the same thing.

I recently read an article online or several parenting quotes for various things, and a few of them stuck with me.  So much that I've printed them out and hope to put them on index cards around my house as reminders.  A couple of my favorites are listed below:

• The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.  - Peggy O'Mara
• A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to. - Robert Brault
• Children have never been very good a listening to their elders, but they have enver failed to imitate them.  - James Baldwin

 These have really been impacting my thoughts on parenting over the weekend and today, and hopefully for the better for my children.

And one last quote that summarzies so much about what I believe and how our family lives.

•  Being a mother is an attitude, not a biological relation.  - Robert A Heinlein

Baby Blessings

I just finished reading this book.  It was gifted to be after Ruth was born by a dear friend.  I really enjoyed the book.  It was a simple read and easy to pick up and put down with the hectic life of motherhood of 4.  It was full of scripture and interpretations of scripture that were constantly turning me back to my faith and the true reason we are here, to be children of God.  The messages were meaningful and hit home for me through so many of the pages. 

It was an excellent gift and something I'd consider giving to another new mom. 

Boy

For the last couple weeks Elinore has taken to calling me boy.  Well, not just me, but lots of us in the house.  It just so happens that with me, it's wrong!  I keep trying to correct her and tell her I'm a girl, but she just says yes and goes on with a "thank you boy!"  I don't know how long this phase will last, but for now, I guess boy it is. 

Christmas Eve 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.  I was so grateful to have had everything shopped for and wrapped long before thanksgiving was here, except for a few loose ends.  It made the month more relaxing and let us enjoy the transition to a family of 6 with Ruth's arrival!

As usual, we spent Christmas Eve afternoon at my parents house with both of them, my brother and his girlfriend. 

We had sandwiches for a meal this year since everyone but me had to work that morning!  Keith made cream chicken and mom made bbq beef.  We had deviled eggs, macaroni salad, party potatoes, vegetables and pie to go with it.  We ate together and conversation was good.  We talked about poultry houses for a large portion of the meal as my brother had just been to a farm with a few, and I work with them at work for insurance purposes.  We wrapped up the meal and cleaned up and headed to the couches for gift opening time!  The kids tore through theirs first, but us adults waited and opened ours.  At my family's Christmas we take turns so everyone can see who gets what gift and who it came from.  I like it that way, I was raised that way, and I think it helps us appreciate more and better enjoy our time with family.  The boys got Minecraft books they've been wanting for some time and the each got a Zoomer from Carly, they're super excited about them!  My big gift was a new dehumidifier for our basement, and Keith got a giant wreath to hang on our front porch next year.  He's been wanting one for a couple years now.  We gave my mom Lennox china this year to match her set.  And we collectively went together to get my Dad a new plotter for the office. 

After we finished our family gathering, we headed to our church for our Christmas Eve service.  This is one of my favorite services of the year.  The sanctuary is beautiful, it's dark, there's candle light, and it's a very moving experience.  This year, Keith, Ruth and I played Joseph, Mary and Jesus.  It consisted of us sitting in the front of the sanctuary during the candlelight part of the service while everyone sang Silent Night.  It was a great experience.

Although, Elinore wasn't a fan of us being up front away from her.  She was crying and carrying on for my mom.  So much so that one of the ladies next to us up front in the choir, who also happens to be one of Elinore's favorite people, when a got her to come sit with her. 

Then we headed home to put out cookies and milk for Santa and rest up for the next day!