Introducing Josiah Grant

I know I don't update often - children grow and get busier, and husbands settle into school and get even busier, and moms try to keep up with the mountains of laundry. ;-)

But today, a miracle came into this world and he should be introduced to you!

This is Josiah Grant.  All 8lbs/8oz and 21.5" of baby boy.

He's gorgeous.

Daddy is in love.

Big brother and sister are in love.

So is Momma, but Momma isn't as photogenic as everyone else.

Happy 4th of July!

Back to Wisconsin

We got to go back to Wisconsin for Christmas!

The kids made a gingerbread house at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

They ate more than they actually put on the house though.  Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?!

Two days before we arrived, there was a blizzard.  The kids were so happy to see snow!  Uncle David took them sledding.

Miriam couldn't walk. :-)

Cardboard Boxes Are Fun!

We still had an empty box sitting around from moving.

It was turned into a rocket ship!!

Halloween at the Mall

Bloomington's mall hosts a Safe Trick or Treat sponsored by WTIU (the PBS station here) where children can go to the various stores and get candy, stickers, or other treats.  It's also just about the only place children around here can wear their costumes without coats and mittens!

Benjamin wanted to be a bat.  A black bat.  A blackest, blackest, black bat.  Since I was making his bat wings, I had tried to encourage him to choose a sparkly black fabric so that it would increase his visibility for Trick or Treating (our neighborhood does it at night), but he wasn't going to have it.  So I made a simple black cape out of fleece fabric so that I didn't have to worry about hemming and made it a little large so that it can be used in play for years to come.

Miriam wanted to be a whale, but I just couldn't wrap my head around how to create a whale costume! However, she's pretty easy to sway to an easier costume, as long as it involves a dress and glitter.  So, I put together this tutu for her.  She couldn't wait for me to finish it, so when I'm not so exhausted one night after bedtime, I'll add some more tulle strips to make it fuller.  The butterfly wings are from last year's Halloween when she was too little to walk our route and I put her in a back carry in our Boba 3G.  When I asked her what she was, she said, "I'm a butterfly! I'm a princess! I'm a Miriam!"

As I mentioned above, WTIU was a sponsor for the Safe Trick or Treating.  Super Why and Princess Pea were there!  Benjamin was so afraid of them that he disappeared behind my back, and if I hadn't felt the death grip of a 3 year old on my pants legs, I probably would have thought I lost him!  Miriam, however, was so excited to meet a princess!!

We had to tear her away.  You could tell Princess Pea was starting to get a little uncomfortable. ;-)

How Tall Are We?

I've always loved the idea of marking the height of our growing children on the walls in our home.  However, we move and expect to move a lot, and I don't think I could bear to leave the marks on the wall behind.

I saw a suggestion to use an old plank of wood to hang on the wall and mark heights onto that.  Then, when you leave that home, you can take the plank of wood with you.  I thought it was a beautiful idea!

However, I generally don't have old wood laying around, and I don't have a saw to easy cut through a tossed aside piece of wood.  So searching the internet, I found people who sold pre-marked wooden growth charts for, on average, $75...a bit above my available budget.

So yesterday, I took the bull by the horns, packed the kids in the van, and headed to Lowes.  They have pre-cut wood, you know.  And wood stain to make the wood look weathered and worn.  And hangers. I knew all this, but for some reason I thought it would be a lot more expensive than it was.  As it turned out, the wood, the stain, and the hangers, as well as vinyl numbers and a foam brush, cost less than $25.

This is a 1x6x6 pinewood board stained with one coat of Rustoleum's Provincial stain (don't skimp on the wood - this is a "hang in your house until you die" type of piece, beautiful wood matters).  I marked out the dashes with permanent marker for every inch, making the 6" and 12" marks longer.  I carefully cut out the black 2" vinyl numbers (they came on a white background) and stuck them on.  Then I hung the board 6" off the ground (the marks go from 6" to 6'6" - hoping Benjamin doesn't end up a giant!).

The children's heights are marked in colored permanent marker.  I can go back to their medical records and pull their heights to mark on the board.  And this board can go with us wherever we live!

Time for new hats

Miriam's winter hat from last year met an unfortunate demise in an incident involving a hungry cat.  We don't talk about it much.

Her new hat had a rough start.  I first cast on with a green yarn, but then realized it would just make her look jaundiced, so I ripped it out.  I decided to use a natural colored yarn and figure out a color later, since I could also dye a natural yarn.  This yarn is a natural oatmeal color, and while knitting, I was really disappointed with it.

Until it was done!  Now I absolutely love it, and she does as well!

Unfortunately, it's now 80ºF outside, and no one really needs a hat just yet...

I guess they were hungry...

A little over a week ago, we discovered that Miriam is allergic to soy.  Soy tends to find it's way into every processed or pre-made food you can buy at the grocery store.  So, I make our own sandwich bread now.

I made this loaf before I went to bed last night and let it cool on the counter.  It was still there in the morning, and then I turned my back.

They couldn't keep their teeth off of it while I tried to scramble to put it away.

She's TWO already!

Miriam turned two years old today!

We celebrated with some Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting.  (Amazing, by the way!)

Miriam has an interesting way to eat cupcakes.

Look how much she's grown!

Smithsonian Free Museum Day

Every year, the Smithsonian Institute joins together with museums across the country to offer a free admission day the last Saturday in September.  This year, we went to the Rhythm! Museum in Indianapolis.  It's a hands-on percussion discovery center.  Really, what could possibly go awry with letting 2 preschoolers in a room full of drums?! :-)

They had a sound proofed room with a full drum set.  You could try out what it sounded like in various performance spaces from as small and dead as a practice room to as large and lively as a cathedral.

Miriam had more fun in the larger part of the museum that was filled with examples on the science of sound.

And before we left, Chris and the kids got to participate in an ethnic drum circle!

Miriam can be quite contrary

Chris and I often comment that our kids just think we're daft.  Miriam obviously thinks we have no idea what we're talking about when it comes to naming shapes.

We made it!

Moving is always an ordeal.  Always.

Before packing, you look around and think, "I don't have that much stuff to pack.  It can wait."

During packing, you think, "Wow, glad I started now!  I have more stuff than I thought I did!"

Upon unloading the truck, you think, "Where the hell did all this crap come from!?"

I thought it would be easier to make the 6 hour drive with the kids during the night so they could sleep and I could drive straight through.  Even so, it wasn't a smooth drive, and it took us 10.5 hours to get to Bloomington.  I would not like to know how the trip would have went during daylight hours!!

Our new home! It's a side-by-side townhouse.

I took the toy room packed in the van so the kids could have their very own room ready while the rest of the move happened.

The train table all set up for proper chugging.

You don't even want to see the rest of the house right now.  When we're set up properly, I'll give you a tour!