Chipping Away

We've finally tackled a few projects this week that really needed to get done. First, this (really nice, but outdated) old fan has needed to be rewired for at least 6 months. We fried it when we attempted to fix the wiring ourselves, so we've been without lighting over our kitchen table for a while. Now that daylight is a scarce commodity, we decided it was time to do something about it. I called an electrician to look at it, but only one vendor even deals with this brand. And it would have cost a lot.
So we decided to replace it, and it's like a whole new room! I love the new fixture, and especially the fact that our house no longer resembles a cave. And project number two: the mysterious giant crack on our front picture window (we have no idea how it got there in the first place). The window has also been in this hazardous state for the last 6 months or so, and has been getting progressively worse as it's been getting colder. We're finally replacing it! I'm SO excited. All the windows in our house are really old...so old that you can't open them, plus they don't even have screens. So this will give us one spot in the house where we can let fresh air in! Woohoo!And can I just say I'm SO excited for Thanksgiving this year? Paul's entire family is coming out here, and we'll be staying in Nauvoo at the farm that once belonged to Paul's and my shared ancestor (I think we decided that we're 5th or 6th cousins once removed...or something like that).
Today I found this festive pair at Hobby Lobby for 80% off. We didn't have any Thanksgiving decorations to speak of, so I think they're happy to be our first.

Good Friends

This week has been heavenly- in more ways than one. Today was sunny and the temperature was in the low 80's. We took advantage of the nice weather, and winterized the yard. It was so satisfying.
We also got out of the house a lot this week; we went to the Zoo and the Butterfly House and got together with friends. I'm just soaking as much of this in before it turns cold again!
So we didn't have to rely so much on the "schedule" this week since we were out more than usual, but things have been a lot more mellow around our house. I think there's a much clearer understanding of what the limits are, so Benjamin just doesn't push anymore. It's funny how quickly family dynamics can change from stage to stage though. Peter is getting very active and opinionated himself, so I'm sure things won't stay calm for too long!

Benjamin has always done really well with sticker charts, so I made one this week to encourage "Good Friend" behaviors (especially towards Peter). He's of course thrilled when I point out that he made Peter laugh or smile, and he gets another smiley face on his chart. I feel no shame in bribing my children to be friends. Hey, whatever works!

Happy Halloween!

For our ward's trunk-or-treat party, Paul dressed up as Peter Pan's nemesis, a pirate...
...and I was a fire for Benjamin the Fireman to put out.

Benjamin all ready to go trick-or-treating.

Peter, wishing he was in bed.

This was the first time I'd ever gone trick-or-treating to a tipi. It was set up in one of our neighbor's front yards. It even had a little campfire inside! Pretty cool.

Laissez-faire Parenting

I've finally had to confront my own laziness when it comes to parenting. To give you a picture of life as of late, let me first begin by saying that there have been very few October-blue-sky days this month. We've had rain, rain, and more rain, with a few really cold days sprinkled in (this morning, I noticed that our "waterproofed" basement has puddles where the water seeped up through the foundation...nice). So we've been stuck inside a lot, and my resolve to keep movie watching and computer time to a minimum has weakened. Benjamin has been pushing me to see how far I'll go with a lot of other things too. I've had to remind him dozens of times each day not to injure Peter in any way, and simple requests that I make lead to massive meltdowns and temper tantrums. It's been sort of maddening.
This week during preschool, the parents met in a breakout session to learn about discipline. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, and I've already seen huge results. I was the problem.
I decided to go against my nature, and make a schedule. I blocked each hour of the day for an activity, like music/exercise time, scripture time, learning time, creative time, cleaning time, and so forth. And it's worked so far! Benjamin loves the structure, and it's been nice to have the schedule to rely on, and not try to come up with stuff for him to do in the heat of the moment when he just wants to watch another movie. It's taking me a while, but I'm learning...

Costumes

I finished Peter and Benjamin's costumes yesterday! They took way more time than they should have, and didn't end up saving me much money, but it was fun. And I think they turned out pretty well. I figured since I put so much into their costumes this year, I'd get their portraits taken. We've been listening to the original Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie in the car, and thoroughly enjoying it. I find myself remembering that Peter Pan musical (with Mary Martin as Peter Pan) that I thought was so dumb as a kid. 'Hook' also included a lot of the fun details from the book that the Disney cartoon left out.
And no, Benjamin didn't get his wish to be "Benjamin Pan" this year. But he looks pretty happy as a fireman, huh? I even spray painted an old hose for him. Happy (early) Halloween!

Our One-Year-Old

We had a pretty low-key celebration for Peter on his birthday. I made him a pumpkin cake.
It's funny how every one-year-old is different. Benjamin burst into tears when we sang "Happy Birthday" to him on his first birthday, but Peter would not touch his cake. When we lit the candle, Peter waved his hands at it, saying"Bah, bah, bah!" which, interpreted is "hot, hot, hot!" So Benjamin blew it out.
I finally shoved his hand in it to show him what was expected of him. This is how he felt about it.
I guess he's a tidy kid? He hates touching mashed potatoes or getting his hands too messy during mealtime. He's even started demanding a fork.

Peter's personality has just exploded in the past few weeks. Here's a few fun things about him, in no particular order.

• He loves shoes, and he likes to bring me new pairs to put on his feet throughout the day.
• He is an angel when it comes to sleep. I couldn't ask for a sweeter baby.
• He loves raspberries, and will find his way over to our bushes every time he gets outside.
• He enjoys dropping marbles down Benjamin's marble track. He also likes to make car noises while he pushes toy cars around the room.
• He is a snuggler. He lays his head on my chest and gives me nice, long hugs. He also loves to pick stories and come sit on my lap to read them.
• You can tell if he's walking or crawling by listening from the other side of the house to the intensity of the "pat-pats" coming toward you.
• He has a few words that he uses. "Dada," "Pop Pop" (popcorn), "Bang," "Bye-bye" (no mama yet.) He and Benjamin have their own language, where they shriek or growl together in perfect unison.
• He has a great giggle. He was laughing and laughing at the doctor's office today as she jabbed her hands into his torso. Speaking of, he measures at about the 60th% for height, weight and head.
• He has a coy, silly little smile where he sticks his tongue out of the side of his mouth.

Happy Birthday Peter!

It's amazing how fast they grow in that first year of life! We love our Peter Pumpkin!