It has been a fun week around town and around our house. Check out some of the recent happenings.
Reading before bed
One of the great things about having 5 kids is that it gives them all plenty of opportunities to interact, provide, and care for each other. Last night, after I read to the kids, I had to go lay Rose down. When I came back to say goodnight to Mari & Lucia I found them sitting on the floor, reading a book together. What a great time and what a special relationship!
The Return of Playgarden
After a year’s hiatus last year, Susan’s Playgarden program is back in action. It is fun to have the energy back in the house, a return to a familiar routine, and Lucia loves having more friends around.
Home Work
This weekend, and over the past couple of weeks, our work around the house has continued. We started with the bathrooms by installing a new toilet that we got from toiletable.com. Then Susan painted the front door and we cleaned the garage and the storage room. This weekend we tackled more projects, including using some of the kids’ watercolor paintings as wallpaper, painting part of the basement, and Elliot and I built an addition on to the playset. All of this work has come about because of several factors, including Rose being older, Susan’s program starting again, and school starting soon.
The garage
Ever wonder what our garage looks like by the end of the summer?
Evening Walk
With the nice weather and younger kids, we have been going on many evening walks this summer after dinner. It is a nice way to get outside. The older kids usually come, Lu walks and rides in the stroller, and Rose likes to ride in the stroller. It seems like we took some time off from this former habit, with our younger kids are again at the sweet-spot for this endeavor.
Evening Walk
Last night the little girls and I went out for a walk while Susan painted the bathroom. Lucia loves to stop at the Little Free Library down the street and find some good books to read.
Andy: Week 2
This week Andy visited us again, while Cat was at work. It was a fun week, with plenty of games, paper airplanes, and shenanigary.
Changes in Rose
Rose has been changing a lot lately and I wanted to record it before I forget. She is 14 months now, and seems much more aware. She recognizes her name with high frequency and she knows the kids’ names. She still doesn’t say much other than uh-oh (when she drops something), but she is talking a lot more and every now and then will say the inflection of the appropriate word, like “hello” or “thank you.”
She has been eating like a beast lately. She wants to eat everything, except mango and olives. She loves meat, especially lunch meat. She will sit at the table, in her highchair, as long as the rest of the family and eats nearly all of the foods we eat.
She is still a very consistent sleeper, sleeping on the same schedule as the rest of the kids, with one or two naps during the day.
She is waving more, as well. She waves ‘bye’ and sometimes waves when someone arrives.
She loves to give high-fives.
Oftentimes at meals, when we are nearly done, she will put her hands behind her head and give a fake sigh. I then do the same and we go back and forth doing this a few times. It is fun, but leaves her hair a mess.
Mari says that’s everything!
Bathroom Update
The bathroom project is nearly complete. All that is left to do is hang the new towel rack for all of the kids’ towels.
Bathroom
Over the past week we have begun the process of updating the bathtub in the kids’ bathroom. We ripped out the old, cultured marble tub and are replacing it with a white tub and subway tiles. At this point the tub is in, the tile is up and grouted, and we are waiting to seal & caulk before we can use it. We are also going to repaint the walls & replace the vanity.
Rainy Day Fun
Yesterday was the first day in that we didn’t go to the pool, but the kids still managed to get soaked.