30 July 2009

Ernie too! Ernie too!


After posting Dru and Evlyn, I felt "Ernie too" needed some blog time. His eyes continue to change, they look like they may end up brown - or hazel - but the blue is getting less and less every day! I just love this series!
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Happy!

this was the start of estrogen fest 2009. She was so happy to be rid of her brothers for a couple weeks! She was happy to have them back, too.
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29 July 2009

Silly Dru




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more on how to make kids eat healthy

I do love plating food in a fun way to entice the kiddos to eat it. Dru asked for Fish fillets tonight. So that's what we had.
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Babygirl: 4 mos already!

such a bright future ahead
this is such a Gene look !
remember rock em sock em robots? Apparently Ev does!
It has a neck!! <3
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27 July 2009

healthy eating habits

I was prompted to write this when I saw something about obesity and rising healthcare costs associated with it.

How do I get my kids to eat well and make good choices? I offer them good choices. When I offer them something to drink, I offer water or milk. They get juice rarely. It's a treat, not a given. When I offer a snack, it's "carrots or apples, guys?" Not "cookies or ice cream." At dinner time, there are no chicken nuggets to be found around our house. Not on the dinner table, not in the freezer, not in my shopping basket. Ordering in is a once ever 2 weeks, maybe, kind of thing.

My kids don't overeat and they don't load up on sugar. They eat sensibly, they enjoy their food, and it's healthy too.

When they aren't eating, they're playing. Inside or outside- running around til they are out of breath. You know, good old fashioned exercise? Because I'm home alone, the kids go for walks with me, too. So 4 times a week or so, they go on a big long walk. Of course the baby is in the bjorn and the 2 yo is in a stroller - but they are getting into a routine that will last them a lifetime. They know it's part of a routine to exercise.

What happens to my kids once they've left the house is their business. All I can hope is that by learning good choices at home they will make better choices in life. I know the big one has already started on a good path. In kindergarten, he would come home and tell me that he chose mac n cheese, because the other choice was corn dogs. "and I would never choose one of those, mommy!"

RIGHT BACK AT IT! (my 3 monsters)

I joined a mommy site and posted this. Liked it so much I thought I'd post it here.

my 3 kids are all home with me again. This has been one dilly of a year. 2 major surgeries, one of which was supposed to happen last year at this time ... when we found out that the other one might happen. Got my gallbladder out a few weeks ago - last year we found out we were expecting #3 when dressed and ready to be wheeled down to surgery. No surprise I had a pretty brutal 3rd pregnancy when I heard the condition my liver and gallbladder were in! (I've been putting that surgery off for years, serves me right!)

My parents were here to help me with recovery; my husband works out of state 4d a week, and I've been getting back to work slowly since March when the baby came. She was the other surgery. At 42 with preE and gestational diabetes that was not well-controlled, a 10+ lb baby wasn't exactly what I thought I could push out after God only knows how many weeks of sleep-deprivation. She ended up being 11 lb 4 oz. Glad I didn't have the illusion of needing some sort of badge of honor. I guess I got over that with my second, a 10 pounder, who I DID push, with no epidural.

Both of the boys are now back here - the estrogen fest is over. The baby is happy to have her brothers back, but can't quite understand why mommy isn't at her beck and call 24x7. Hmmm... I've explained to each of them that they can have 30% of my attention. Mommy needs the other 10%. They don't seem to understand this concept. sometimes you don't know how little time you have to yourself until you get some!! Thanks, Mom and Dad. The last two weeks have been fantastic.

I bought a rug for the baby's room, and it came on a big spindle. Think in terms of the middle of a paper towel (or TP) roll. Like that but bigger. I've decided to keep it, have the boys color the piece of paper attached to it, then attach the whole thing to a box and call it a pirate ship. Little one was sleeping in the pirate ship last night during dinner. He gave up lobster tails and artichokes to sleep in this box. It was hilarious.

I'll post pics of little man in his box a little later.