There will always be a next step

Life it seems is a series of goals short and long term.  Our family has been working through goals in the past 4 months, some of us doing better then others. My goal was to paint more , and I have :).  The next step will be to try to sell some paintings. There will always be a next step with rewards along the way.  Mark has repainted the entire basement, ripped out the carpet and replaced the floor with a easy to clean laminate.  Sarah has been working on spelling her name correctly (sometimes she writes it completely backwards ), Nathan has been working on learning how to type, Hannah has learned to sleep in a single bed instead of a crib, and Abby has done the best of all. Abby has learned how to pee and poop on the potty , then on the big toilet, and is now working on not sucking her thumb during the day.

Toilet training Abby has been difficult to say the least. There were a lot of exhausting days where I was glad to finally put a diaper on her. I think I gave up at least twice. I hope we never forget the day we were jumping and cheering in the kitchen after Abby had finally pooped in her potty rather then the playroom downstairs. As the accidents became less common the celebrations also became less. One afternoon she hulled the downstairs potty up to the dining room to show us her poop. Mark and I gave Abby a "that's nice dear comment".  Abby set the potty down and looked at it, she shrugged her shoulder and said "that's too heavy for me to carry downstairs by my self" and proceeded to go downstairs without the potty....she didn't get that far.
 One day I heard a "BALEY ATE MY POOP!" from the bathroom. Mark and I gave each other a horrified look. Abby came out of the bathroom and I asked her why she didn't stop him or tell me he was .....eating her poop. Abby's eyes where getting bigger by the second and with some hand wringing she replied "Well.....I just wanted ....to watch him ate that".  I could just picture Baley enjoying his "snack" with a fascinated Abby watching closely.  

With Nathan and Sarah in school , it seems like we have double the germs at home. This past winter has been steeped in colds  and the flu (or several variations of it) we were even all treated for strep throat. Even now I am trying to keep my eyes open while typing this.  Hannah was sick yesterday and has been getting out of bed frequently during the night. It seems like the kids take turns getting sick , I take care of them, and then I get the grand finale of it when everyone else feels better.   I guess we will be fighting viruses for a few more years yet , as Abby goes to kindergarten this fall and Hannah starts the following year. Maybe we will have super strong immune systems once the youngest learns that sneezing everywhere and wiping your nose on your sleeve or your mom's pants are not good ideas.

Hannah has been targeting the flour bag recently (the past few months).  We buy flour from Costco so the bag is large and difficult to move around. Hannah gravitates toward flour , she throws it all over the floor and tracks it through the house. I put it on the counter (taking up a lot of space) but she simply gets a chair and ALWAYS finds a way in that blasted bag of flour somehow. She will also do the same thing with sugar or baking soda ...sigh....maybe she will be a good cook when she gets bigger? I am so tired of cleaning up flour.  I'm starting to hear my words come out of Hannah's mouth. I will hear her say something like "..kidding me?" or "Look at that!" (referring to an accomplishment) , and I will wonder where she learned those phrases until I remember that I say them. Speaking is done thoughtlessly , effortlessly and it surprises me to learn that someone is listening to my speech , considering it , and repeating it.

Nathan and Sarah are both still mostly enjoying school.  I love watching and listening to them develop.  Sarah has several friends , even a boyfriend? Nathan has one friend he talks about.  Sarah and Nathan visit at recess and say hi to each other when passing in the hallways.  They come home with tons of paper projects and stories and art projects. Sometimes I'm afraid for them, while watching the news or reading articles written on the prevalence of bullying and sexual abuse.  I have to remember that we gave all of our children to God and I need to follow His leading in raising them not my personal anxieties. It's hard to see the big picture sometimes. When I am painting , often Mark will not truly see what I am so excited about until the painting is almost complete. I'm reminded of the verse in Psalms "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" - a lamp to my feet , not a spot light or even a strong flash light to see ahead, just enough light to see where your feet are walking :).

I think any front landing area would remain crowded with this crowd getting ready :)

Lip balm belongs on your face obviously 

Easter eggs and missing teeth :)