Congratulations to LiEr, the winner of my Bamboo Leg Huggers giveaway!
January ended with a week of sickness reminiscent of the virus Emma and Johnny had for the entire month of August last year. I took them to the doctor on day three this time around, but they still weren’t able to do anything. We’ll be going back this week (as soon as I get an appointment) since they aren’t much better than they were a week ago. Last week was a bit of a nightmare, with all three children crying miserably for large parts of each day and me wracking my brain with ideas of new ways to distract them from their misery. I’ve never been more grateful for baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring. I even resorted to Barney, whose voice irritates me but who sends Emma into a trance that I typically find alarming but was grateful for as an alternative to misery. I am extremely grateful I am for my children’s good health the vast majority of the time.
We had a lot of fun during the first part of January, and so I was able make reasonable progress on my goals for the month. I had dinner on the table for the kids at (roughly) 5pm most evenings. They were much happier on the nights when that happened, so it’s definitely something I want to continue. We exceeded my donation goal, with Emma even agreeing to give away a few toys she actually liked instead of offering to simply give away more of Johnny’s and Lily’s toys. Emma played around with reading games and exercises, but she wasn’t interested in actually learning to read in a studied fashion. I’m in no rush for her to read, so we’ll take things at her pace.
I am happy to report that we made a LOT of progress on playing gently with Lily, although I caught both Emma and Johnny trying to pick her up on their own. It helps that Lily is getting more interactive every day, and so Emma and Johnny are learning that her laughter is much more rewarding than her tears.
Goals for February (based off of my annual target areas of health, peace, education, gratitude, and charity, which you can read more about here):
- Keep a rotating list of five possible dinner options. This is my alternative to a planned menu. If I make one thing, I have to add a new fifth item to the list – and I have to have all of the ingredients for all five dinners in the house. I like the greater flexibility of this option over a daily planned menu, since sometimes I plan to make one thing but the kids are too high-maintenance for it to work. I’m not allowed to include frozen pizza, which I like to keep on hand as my emergency back-up dinner. Here are my first dinner ideas: lasagna, chicken soup with alphabet noodles, burritos, chili with rice, and black bean soup. Have a favorite recipe you think we’d like? Please share! Target areas: health and peace.
- Do something fun for Valentine’s Day (set the standard high in terms of doing stuff for Mike last year). Our local mother’s club is planning to deliver valentines at the local nursing home, so hopefully my kids are healthy in time for that. Target areas: gratitude and charity.
- Keep a list of at least five activities the kids can choose from of things to do with me. Like the dinner options list, I have to have all the materials set up for all five activities, and I want to rotate activities in and out. Some starter activities: play piano/violin (Emma and Johnny both have violins, which they love to play most un-melodiously), build with pattern blocks, play with the spelling puzzles I picked up at Costco on Saturday (Incidentally, did you know that Costco sells products through Amazon? Their products are cheaper through their actual site, though), play “Guess what Mama is trying to make with play dough”, and pick out one of the new kitchen science experiments from the fabulous comments on this post. Target areas: education and peace.
- Plan and celebrate Emma’s birthday. I’m hoping to get lots of ideas from Emma on what she wants to do for her birthday and how to plan fun activities for her friends. Any great fourth birthday party ideas that will work inside a small house on a cold day? Please do let me know? Target areas: gratitude.
- Have a (home) photoshoot of Lily on her six-month birthday. I can’t believe she turns six months old this week! Target areas: gratitude
What are you hoping to achieve this month?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
For Emma’s party check out Skip to my Lou’s blog. She always seems to have some neat DIY party ideas. I love that you are targeting gratitude for her birthday. I bet she would love picking out thank you cards or making them herself.
.-= MamaRuck´s last blog ..Snow Day =-.
I love the ideas of the rotating dinner ideas and kids activities. My meal planning is somewhat similar. I make a chart for the week with all my ideas but just make what I feel like each night. I have so much more success since I’ve become more flexible.
How miserable for you and your little ones! Praying they all get back to 100% soon.
Your meal list sounds like one of our winter menu plans. Mmmmmmm! We also make a hamburger beef stroganoff that is a winter staple in our house. Let me know if you’d like the recipe.
.-= Elisa | blissfulE´s last blog ..Child Basic Resuscitation :: DRABCD =-.
Such a sweet picture! I think you are amazing to set these monthly goals with three small children. Good for you! :)
.-= sunnymama´s last blog ..Batik Frog Wall Hanging GIVEAWAY =-.
Your goals are so impressive. What got you started on the method you use?
.-= lynn´s last blog ..Feed Me Books Friday (Favorite Children’s Books) =-.
I am so sorry the kids are sick! Oh, I feel you on this one! I hope they are well so very soon.
OK, you cannot keep posting such awesome goals and achievements on here each month. I feel so inadequate at what I’ve accomplished when I read this stuff. Seriously, you are amazing!
What have I accomplished this month? Honestly, I don’t even know. It’s been so impossibly hard to get back into the swing of things since Jesse and I don’t even know exactly why.
For this month, honestly, I just want to accomplish cooking at least 3 times a week (yes, I know that sounds miserably pathetic), exercising 5 times a week–I’ve averaged three the past two months and I want MORE, and keep myself sane most days. OH, and make sure we don’t run out of clean clothes and towels (there was actually one week we all had to use the same bath towel b/c of this–pathetic!) before I get around to washing them again.
Now, go feel super about yourself because you are:-), and sorry I left such an epistle:-)!
.-= susana´s last blog ..Groundhog’s Day Fun in the Kitchen =-.
I’m so sorry the kids are sick. I can’t imagine having 3 sick little ones at one time… my heart goes out to you. I can’t believe you can keep your sense of humor about it! Do you like crockpot recipes? I have some good ones I can email to you. I’m sure I can find some other simple and tasty meals too, because simple is what we do around here on a regular basis. Right now my brain is blanking out, so I’ll have to check the recipe box and email you. You are doing such a great job of thinking through your goals and then setting up ways of actually achieving them. You are doing a great job, and you are always an inspiration to me (honestly). Thank you! I’ll keep the kiddos in my prayers.
hope everyone is feeling better. Noah and I have been sick here most of the month too. Love reading your reviews and goals.
.-= Beverly´s last blog ..Friday Class Room #8- Music =-.
I am so sorry that the kids have been sick again. Your goals for February sound awesome. We usually try to plan our week of dinners in advance, but it doesn’t always work well. I like your idea of having 5 rotating meals. Because of work and other commitments, I really like crockpot meals – it’s so hands off while it’s set up.
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..January Review and Plans for February =-.
This month I am hoping to get back on track with my reading the bible in 90 days. I’m also hoping to do a good job on my sew along (like not rush to do it at the last minute!)
As for the kids, my goal is to have all their work box stuff put together on the weekend to make the weekdays easier :)
.-= Andrea @ The Train To Crazy´s last blog ..Clothing Sew Along: Week 1 =-.
I’m sorry the kids are sick. It must be so hard to have more than one child sick at the same time! I can’t imagine!
Love your goals. I need to think of something inexpensive and creative for Dave for Valentine’s. It’s always fun for me to plan something.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Bloggography Week 2: ISO =-.
We scrapped plans to have a friend birthday party for Abby this year, as the timing was too hectic (too soon after the holidays!) and I wasn’t sure how to navigate the politics of preschool invitations. But my rough plan was a princess party, with “princess prep” stations for painting nails, putting on lip gloss (Burt’s Bees sells highly colored glosses that wouldn’t be full of artificial junk) and making tiaras (I was just going to do construction paper with “jewels” to glue on) and wands. Maybe not a party that would work if boys were included, but just an idea (since each activity would not require a lot of space or running around!)
.-= Kara´s last blog ..Black Bean and Millet Burgers =-.
Wow! Lily’s six months old already? That happened amazingly fast.
Hope Emma’s birthday goes well. I had two friends over for my 4th b’day, I remember it well. We had grilled cheese and chocolate cake and colored in coloring books. Birthdays just aren’t that simple anymore are they?
Good luck with your goals this month!
.-= Amber Liddle´s last blog ..It’s a Crab-tastic Day at the Liddles! =-.