Kids in the Kitchen: Snack Central

One of the easiest, but also most important, ways to prevent meltdowns and bad moods in our house is to make sure that Everett eats plenty and eats often. As he moved through toddlerhood and into preschool age, he's become more capable of getting his own snacks.

Here are a few tips and tricks we use that make the kitchen friendlier for a toddler's or preschooler's use:

1. Make dishes and utensils accessible. We have Everett's dishes in a bottom drawer, for example.
2. Offer a healthy, diverse selection of foods. If you don't have the cookies and junk on hand and readily available, you don't have to tell your child no when he asks.  
3. Dispense snacks like grapes, crackers, or applesauce into small containers so they are ready when needed. (Typically, I would encourage the use of reusable containers, but we're currently in convenience mode with Kellan still being so young...)
4. Precut veggies or buy the mini veggies like baby carrots and include dips in your child's selection. Also, we frequently have hummus or yogurt dip on hand. Young children love to dip and I believe it has helped Everett develop a diverse palate. 
5. Designate a cabinet shelf and refrigerator space for your child's snacks. We have a shelf in a lower cabinet that we assigned to Everett's non-perishable snacks.  He has space on the dairy shelf and in one the produce drawers
6. Involve your child in selecting some of his snacks.  To motivate him to cooperate during grocery trips, Everett is able to choose a couple of his snacks during the trip.

Everett's dishes drawer

Everett size snacks like mini cucumbers, cheese sticks and lil yogurts

Containers filled with grapes and strawberries for Everett to grab.

His snacking cabinet shelf filled with crackers, nuts, and fig bars.

Just a few healthy snack options....

• Granola, granola bars, nut butter balls, trail mix
• Dried and fresh fruit
• Fresh veggies with hummus, yogurt dip or PB
• Yogurt, cheese sticks/cubes, yogurt pops (literally yogurt with a stick in it frozen solid, Everett loves it)
• Crackers, cereal, fig bars, homemade chips
• Mini sandwiches, mini tortilla roll-ups
• (For the sweet tooth) chocolate dipped frozen bananas, mini muffins, healthy cookies

Encourage your kids to combine a couple food groups in their snack to help a well-rounded diet.  For example, have them grab a cheese stick and grapes or veggies and hummus. 

Somethin' Great About #2

One of the best things about having child number two is that you know your efforts will pay off.  I'm feeling this today as I repeatedly lie Kellan down to sleep.

Last night and this morning as he wiggled and fought sleep in the sling, I felt like he was telling me, "Mom, I am so done with sleeping in this thing!" The first time I tried lying down with him and nursing him to sleep this morning he fell asleep within five minutes and slept for 30 minutes.  Not too shabby, I think. The next few times have been harder. He would only sleep for about 15-20 minutes, take longer to put down and wake himself up with hand jerks. So I tried the sling again, but same effect: wiggling and yelling.This last time I wrapped him up in a blanket and nursed him to sleep, again, in about five minutes. Now he's snoozing soundly on the couch....

I remember trying this sort of thing with Everett when he was a baby.  It was a very frustrating process. It seemed to take forever and it felt futile. It took months, if not a year, to lie him down to nap. He is such a socialite, he even craves the company in his sleep. Last week, I was talking to him about trying out his own bed in his own room when we move next month. His reaction was, "But then I won't have anybody to sleep with!" I have to smile and love him for it. He is a great snuggler.

Now with Kellan, he seems to be a different kind of sleeper, and a lot more laid back about his "socializing." He may only be three months old, and will probably change in a lot of ways, but you get a feel for this sort of thing once you've had one child for a while. And to top it off, the process of transitioning him to sleep lying down feels much easier because I know it will pay off in the end. He will sleep more soundly and big brother, Everett, will have more play time with Mommy.

Choosing To Homeschool

Today is Everett's last day of school. Sending him to "preschool" has been a great experience. He loved his teachers, his friends, and the activities. I really appreciated all of that, too. The school has a wonderful philosophy centered around learning through creating and playing. I loved the teachers and the activities he was involved in. I appreciated their gentle discipline and their one on one interactions. All in all, I would recommend his school to everyone. 

I explain all this to ensure that people understand that I don't have a problem with public schooling. I taught in a wonderful school for four years, and within a very good district for five. With the right teachers and teaching methods, a child can achieve a very successful education. I loved school and still do. So it might be confusing as to why we would choose to homeschool Everett. 

Homeschooling wasn't in our original plan. That much is obvious since he has been attending "preschool" for this last year. After teaching in public schools I knew my philosophy on education was different than where I taught.  As Everett approaches school age we have pursued other alternatives: Montessori, language immersion, etc. I looked at homeschooling, too, but wasn't sure of the time it took. So, six months ago you would have heard me saying that homeschooling just wasn't for me. I needed and wanted the time to pursue my own interests.  Yet, as I've struggled to balance time spent on my interests and time spent on the needs of my growing family, I've constantly asked what I am meant to be doing. 

The answer came shortly after Kellan was born. During my babymoon, absorbed in thought and being, I experienced a very peaceful sense of where I was at. I heard from inside that this- this here, with my children, my family- is where I belonged. It felt like an answer to that struggle for balance, and it brought feelings of relief.

A few weeks later, something else called to me to look at homeschooling again. Before I knew it I was reading blogs and books on homeschooling, running into all sorts of synchronized moments when it seemed like fate was putting the subject in front of me. That's all it took for me to realize that this was our path. 

In researching, I have also been able to better articulate why we are choosing to homeschool. Our biggest reason is the opportunity for Everett to lead his own learning experiences. In compulsory schooling, you are told what to learn, when to learn it and how to learn it. At home (or in the community at large) you have the chance to choose what, when, where, why and how to learn what you learn. A child like Everett (who is like most children) with an insatiable appetite for learning grows up understanding that learning is a continual part of life, intricately woven into our daily activities.  

It is not something that only occurs between 8 am and 3 pm, Monday through Friday. It is not something that occurs only within school walls. Creating these limits often has a stifling effect on a child's desire to learn. With the capability of learning whenever he wants about whatever he wants, Everett will be able to explore a wide variety of interests and discover his passion. And then, he won't have to stop pursuing that passion because the teacher was required to switch subjects for the next 30 minutes. He'll be able to experience it for as long as he wants.

Another reason is that we can facilitate Everett's education in a way that is better applied to his life and his passions. Instead of learning largely through books, pencils and worksheets, he'll be learning through hands-on projects and experiences such as building machines, painting theater sets, research projects, creating model airplanes, planting gardens, and shadowing professionals at work. He will learn about our passions, too, as we take time to experience them. Again, he will experience learning as an inseparable part of life.

So, while it may not have been our first inclination to homeschool, between a call from inner spirit and an investigation into what the right choice is for us (not just me) home is where we have landed after all. 

Poster Child for Babywearing

I am proud to say that I have received a lot of compliments lately about Kellan's happy disposition. Both strangers in the grocery store and family members at gatherings are greeted by Kellan hanging out in his sling with either quiet, bright eyes or a big grin. He is a happy boy!

Certainly part of this is his already joyful personality, but I know that a part of this, too, comes from holding him close in our sling for many hours of the day, every day. Who wouldn't be so quick to smile? He's nuzzled next to the safe sound of his mama's beating heart, his every need met within moments.

To be honest, I don't know why someone wouldn't at least try wearing their baby in a sling, especially their second child and beyond. The convenience is enormous. I actually get work accomplished throughout my day. I spend time with Everett because I've got my hands free. I have more time because I'm not constantly rocking him back to sleep for another nap. When he's in the sling he often falls asleep as I go about our day.

I get to take him out of the house easily. I can nurse him where ever we go. I get to pee without putting a car seat down on a nasty public restroom floor. I can eat! I feel connected to him constantly, but not completely spent of energy.  And best of all, I can be sure that when he's smiling it's most often at me and full of that very special my-mommy-is-the-best-love.

To learn more about babywearing, visit the webpages of Attachment Parenting International and Dr. Sear's webpage on this subject.

Happy 7th Anniversary, Hubby of Mine

Sometime last year my mom and I were talking about  why I chose to be with my husband, Erik. I don't remember much about the conversation but that I told her I wanted to be with him because no matter what, I knew that he would always take care of me and the family we created. 

The past several years have been full of a lot of changes and challenges, both on the surface and more deep, intimate challenges. In the last two years we have worked past our biggest challenge yet as a couple.  Our relationship was strained significantly at times, so looking back I am incredibly proud of us. Furthermore, I am incredibly proud of both the ways in which my husband has changed what did not work for him or our family and has not changed what was most important to me: taking care of our family. 

Kellan's birth was my time to shine, but after Kellan's birth it was Erik's turn to shine. I was delighted that my parents were able to witness (as we have been living in their house) how hard he worked to put first his wife, his 3 year old son, and his newborn. He took barely a moment's rest for at least that first week full of caring for the three of us and ignoring most of his own needs. 

In some ways that same care and concern continues as we ease into a life with 2 children.  I feel such love knowing that it will continue... forever and ever, as long as we both shall live. 

Thank you, babe, for everything. 

Facing Loneliness

I didn't think it would happen with the second, but about 8 weeks after Kellan was born, it started creeping in. Loneliness. It's a challenge most stay at home moms face. Even those who go back to work, I imagine, feel this loneliness at some point because it's just a part of motherhood. 

It's not the loneliness that happens when someone doesn't have friends or family around them. It's the loneliness of being absorbed into a life of service to others. You quickly get lost among diaper changes, meal times, play times, daily conflicts, dirty dishes, dirty diapers, dirty bedrooms, dirty.... When you're a mom, you're running a tight ship. You're in charge and taking care of everyone else and suddenly, one day, the feeling emerges and you're wondering who is taking care of you. 

At least in my case it doesn't haunt me through out the day. I usually have great time with my boys, and get together with other moms often. It's usually just there, dwelling under the surface and bubbling up again during those harder days. I know it will pass, and I do my best to allow it to be there, feeling it as a part of motherhood, and allow it to slip away again. 

It's important, after all, to allow yourself to experience the whole. I look at it as a death, sort of. May sound morbid to some of you, but it's true. Death is a part of life, and it's definitely a part of motherhood. A little bit more of the "selfish" me is dying to make room for the ever growing "giving" part. And with it will come the birth of more fulfillment in watching my children and my family grow. 

A Locavore's Family Meal

Welcome to the July Carnival of Natural Parenting: You Are What You Eat
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written about their struggles and successes with healthy eating. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
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Every other Friday (or so) I write a post called Kid's in the Kitchen, in which I share a recipe that I have used with my oldest son, Everett.  They're delicious and (usually) nutritious recipes that are easy to follow for kids and give you a great chance to involve your child in making his meals. Bringing your child into the garden or the market or the grocery store and into the kitchen to prepare his meals empowers him to make healthy, wholesome food choices and expands his palate.

Today, I share a pictures story about my family's last trip to our local Brookside Organic Farmer's Market and preparation of dinner that evening using those fresh finds.  We found some tasty heirloom tomatoes (my favorite are Cherokee Purple), cucumbers and bacon that we combined with lettuce from my brother's garden and some local bread from Farm to Market Bread Company to make tasty BLTs!  Enjoy!

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Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be updated July 13 with all the carnival links.)

• Welcome to Two — All About Food — In case you hadn't heard, there is a conspiracy afoot from the two year olds of the world. Shana at Tales of Minor Interest stumbled onto their newsletter!
• Four Seasons of Eating Locally — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction has pointers for what fresh produce can be found year-round. (@MBJunction)
• Happy Families Can Have More Than One Diet — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now has figured out a way for her family to live happily as vegans and vegetarians with relatives who eat meat. (@DebChitwood)
• My Own Omnivore’s Dilemma — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante prioritizes responsible consumer choices for her family.
• No Gluten — No Cry — Joni Rae at Tales of a Kitchen Witch Momma learned to cook balanced meals when her son's food sensitivities prompted a diet overhaul. (@kitchenwitch)
• Try, Try Again — Stefanie at very very fine has become an enthusiastic consumer of locally grown food.
• CSA — Week 1 — Casey at What Love Is wants her children to know where their food comes from, so she joined a friendly CSA. (@CBerbs)
• Food: Parenting or Homemaking? — Michelle at The Parent Vortex sees food as part of a parent's nurturing role. (@TheParentVortex)
• 5 Tips to Help Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits — If you struggle with healthy eating, helping your child develop healthy habits might be a challenge. Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares five easy tips that will help your kids learn to make good food choices. (@CodeNameMama)
• Family Food: Seeking Balance Between Healthy, Sustainable & Affordable — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings has a whole list of ideas for how she can improve her family's eating, both now and into the future. (@sunfrog)
• Whole Foods in, Wholesome Feelings Out — Jessica at This is Worthwhile has turned her back on the processed, preservative-ridden food of her childhood. (@tisworthwhile)
• When to Splurge on Organic (and When It Is Okay to Skip It) — Becoming Mamas tell you what foods to prioritize when buying pricier organic food, and where you can find it cheaper. (@becomingmamas)
• A Locavore's Family Meal — Acacia at Be Present Mama tells a story in pictures of her family taking a trip to the local organic farmers market and then preparing a summer meal together with their bounty.
• Eat Your Food, or Else — Why should we not bribe a child to eat? TwinToddlersDad from Littlestomaks (Science Driven Real Life Toddler Nutrition) explains. (@TwinToddlersDad)
• Food, Glorious Food! — Luschka at Diary of a First Child describes three easy ways her family has started eating healthier. (@diaryfirstchild)
• Celebrating Food — Mrs Green at Little Green Blog believes in food as medicine and thinks it's worth paying more to keep healthy. (@myzerowaste)
• Oil and Yogurt — What have you been motivated to do with the current oil spill crisis? midnightfeedings has started making her own yogurt. (@midnightfeeding)
• Growth-Spurt Soup (AKA "Beannut Stew") — BeanMa has a special stew to help her baby through growth spurts that keep her up all night. (@thebeanma)
• Why I Love The Real Food Community — Much like many people who follow AP/NP values, Melodie at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! takes the parts of the "real food" philosophy that work for her family and leaves the rest. (@bfmom)
• Feeding a Family of Six — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children gives helpful tips for feeding a family of six.
• Starting Solids at 6 Months — Did your doctor recommend that you give your baby cereal? Sheryl at Little Snowflakes discusses how whole foods are so much healthier (and more delicious) than traditional cereal. (@sheryljesin)
• Am I What I Eat? — Andrea!!! at Ella-Bean & Co. has figured out a way to avoid grocery stores nearly altogether.
• Are We Setting Our Kids Up To Fail? — Megan at Purple Dancing Dahlias found that cutting out the junk also transformed her sons' behavior problems.
• Changing your family's way of eating — Lauren at Hobo Mama has techniques you can try to move your family gradually toward a healthier diet. (@Hobo_Mama)
• Real Food — What kinds of fake foods do you eat? And why?! Lisa C. at My World Edenwild talks about why she chooses real food.
• A Snackaholic’s Food Battle — Julie at Simple Life wants to stop snacking and get into the old ways of cooking from scratch and raising her own food. (@homemakerjulie)
• Food, Not Fight — Summer at Finding Summer doesn't want her kids to grow up like her husband: hating everything green. (@summerm)
• How Do You Eat When You Are out of Town? — Cassie at There's a Pickle In My Life wants some tips on how to eat healthy when you are out of town.
• Carnival of Natural Parenting: Food! — Sybil at Musings of a Milk Maker hopes that by serving her children healthy, balanced meals, they will become accustomed to making good food choices. (@sybilryan)
• There's No Food Like Home's — NavelgazingBajan at Navelgazing revels in the Bajan food of her upbringing. (@BlkWmnDoBF)
• This Mom's Food Journey — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment made a journey from not paying attention to food to growing her own.
• Who Knew Eating Was So Hard? — The challenges involved in changing to healthier eating habits take on a whole new dimension when you have a child who has difficulties eating. kadiera at Our Little Acorn shares her own experiences. (@kadiera)
• Loving Food — Starr at Earth Mama truly believes food is her family's medicine and is willing to spend days preparing it the traditional way.
• Food Mindfulness — Danielle at born.in.japan details how her family spends money on each category of food. (@borninjp)
• Food for Little People — Zoey at Good Goog wants to bless her daughter with happy traditions built around good food. (@zoeyspeak)
• Eat Like a Baby — Have you been told that you should not equate food with love? Kate Wicker at Momopoly shows us why that's not necessarily true. (@Momopoly)
• Food — Deb at Science@Home tries to teach her children three rules to help them eat a healthy diet. (@ScienceMum)
• Healthy Eating Lactose-Free — MamanADroit gives us tips on how to eat healthy if you are lactose intolerant (or just don’t want cow milk). (@MamanADroit)

Kids in the Kitchen: Ice Cream in a Bag and Ice Cream Sandwiches

Nothing says summer quite like ice cream! I swear to you the last two summers I enjoyed a bit of ice cream every day of the season.  This summer I'm not quite so indulgent, but love to whip up a tasty treat at least a couple times a week.



This first recipe, homemade ice cream, is one we participated in at a birthday party in April. The kids loved it, especially when they got to top their ice cream with sundae toppings. Mmmhh! Drooling already!


Ice Cream in a Bag

1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk or half & half
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
6 Tbsp rock salt
1 pint sized plastic bag
1 gallon sized plastic bag
several scoops ice cubes

1. Fill the pint sized bag with the sugar, milk and vanilla and seal it, releasing as much air as possible before closing.
2. Fill gallon sized bag half full with ice. Sprinkle rock salt onto ice then place pint bag on to ice. Allow air into the gallon bag and seal. 
3. Shake for about 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes ice cream. Makes one scoop of ice cream.
4. Open and enjoy! 

This next "recipe" is just a simple way to take either your homemade ice cream or store bought ice cream and make ice cream sandwiches. If you do use your homemade ice cream, freeze for a few hours before using in the sandwiches.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Choice of ice cream
12 small soft homemade or store bought chocolate chip cookies, about the size of Chips Ahoy!
cupcake tin and wrappers
ice cream scoop

1. Line cupcake tin with wrappers. Lay a cookie upside-down on the bottom of each wrapper.
2. Place one scoop of ice cream on top of each cookie.
3. Top the ice cream with another cookie, right-side up. Smoosh together gently. 
4. Freeze for several hours, then enjoy!

You could also roll the sides of the ice cream sandwiches in crushed nuts, sprinkles, etc. before freezing. 

**I've got just one picture today because our camera battery died and we can't find the charger. I thought I was being clever using Everett's kid camera, but apparently it doesn't take very good pictures!

Letter to My Children: Why I Nurse in Public

I haven't been with it enough to have participated in the Carnival of Nursing in Public this week but wanted to give my love and support! Read about the fabulous posts that have been written this week at Code Name: Mama, Baby Dust Diaries, and Hobo Mama. 


My Dearest Boys,

One of the most wonderful privileges of being your mom has been the opportunity to connect with you through breastfeeding. It was one of the greatest choices I could make as a mother, and another has been choosing to nurse you in public. This may seem insignificant, but let me explain why it is significant.




I nurse you in public because it's easiest for us.  There are not extra bottles and cans to weigh down our diaper bag or back pack. There is no extra planning necessary to make sure that you can eat when you may be hungry while we are out. If you are hungry, I can meet your needs immediately.

These reasons are simple ones, though. Conveniences. There are more important reasons...
I nurse you in public so that it is normal to look at breasts as a source of nourishment and love instead of sexual objects. I nurse you in public so that it is normal to feed babies the best food-the perfect food, they can possibly get. I nurse you in public so that it is normal to soothe and pacify babies by breastfeeding. I nurse you in public so that it is normal to comfort toddlers with breastfeeding when they are hurt.  I nurse in public so that it is normal to lull babies to sleep by breastfeeding. I nurse you in public so that it is normal to create a foundation of trust and safety through breastfeeding.

I nurse in public is so that breastfeeding is normal- for you, for your children, for other people's children. Though you don't know this yet, currently, breastfeeding isn't normal, and nursing in public is definitely not. So I proudly nurse you, where ever we go so that someday it will be the norm.

In hopes of your better future,
Mommy

June Library Love

Sally and the Some-Thing
by George O'Connor

A little girl vacationing with her parents goes out to explore and befriends a swampy creature.  They spend their day finding games to play that they both can enjoy.

I loved it because it has a friendly monster and because Sally and the Some-Thing have to work to find games they will both enjoy despite their differences. Everett loved it because it was about a monster.


Horace and Morris Say Cheese (Which Makes Dolores Sneeze!) (Horace and Morris and Dolores)
by James Howe

Three mouse friends love nothing more than eating cheese and do every day until Dolores discovers she is allergic.

Everett loved this book because it was about cheese and we both thought it was silly.





The Scallywags
by David Melling

A pack of wolves wear out their welcome with friends and try to change their messy, rude and crazy ways. Their friends are impressed with this new pack of creatures but miss their old friends after all.

I liked it because it shows it's better to just be yourself and to appreciate others for who they are. Everett loved it because he thought the wolves were funny and crazy.

Pecorino Plays Ball (Anne Schwartz Books)
by Alan Madison

An unusual little boy  has his first little league game and though he doesn't know a thing about baseball, becomes a bit of a hero.

Fabulously clever book from the silly names (Pecorino Sasquatch and Coach Credenza, for example) to the whimsical verbs and descriptions. I loved this book above the others, by far. Everett, of course, loved it because it is about baseball and he thought that Pecorino was funny.

Tuesday's Rollercoaster Ride

Some of you might have noticed that I haven't touched this blog for a week. Most probably haven't, but all the better for these weeks! It's just been one of those summertime weeks that are so filled, even when we are home, we are up to our elbows in activity.

I am truly experiencing the lack of sleep of a multiple child parent. I'm either up late cleaning/doing chores I can't do with the kids/reading, or I'm up super early so that I can run, or both. Either way, I reached my maximum of sleeplessness when I put Everett to bed and fell asleep myself at 8:30 never to get up again, despite any plans I had, until 6:15 this morning.

And I'd leave it at this, but I have a moment while Everett is at school, so I thought I'd share a bit about my crazy Tuesday.

It seemed a perfectly normal day, and started that way, as most of these crazy days do.  They tend to just sneak up on you, ya know? We did a little chores and a little play then went to fertilize and water the gardens before heading to the grocery store. First uphill of the rollercoaster, filled with anticipation and excitement... I filled up the watering can to fertilize the tomatoes and cukes but as I turned off the water, it suddenly started gushing out instead of slowing down. It would not turn off. Down we go! Stomach drops on that first little downhill...

This turned into a mess of running around with a baby in my arms looking for wrenches that didn't fit. Riding the first loop...  Borrowed adjustable wrench from neighbor while he watched Everett play, still didn't work, so had to find water shut off valve. Riding the second loop...It was so conveniently placed inside the wall, only to be accessed by unscrewing a panel that swelled shut and would not budge until I jammed a flathead screwdriver in the corner and tore up the wall a bit, then reinserted the screws a little so I could use a pair of pliers to yank it open all the way.  By the way, this is my parent's house so it was my dad's genius to screw it shut instead of making it open easily. Finally, got it all shut off. No problem that we didn't have water, we were going to the store. Riding the third, coming into a fast coast....

One of Everett's lovely 3 year old behaviors is to, on occasion, make leaving the house incredibly difficult. Of course, like any child, he would prefer to play. I understand this and work with him as best I can. Most of the time a good game, a race or a promise of picking out something for lunch works to get us out the door to the grocery. Not so much today. Uphill, downhill... 10 minutes became at least 30 and when I finally got him, the grocery bags, the milk bottles and a tired Kellan to the door I realized we weren't going anywhere. I suddenly remembered that my keys were in the locked car, left in the pocket of the door after my husband and I both brought our keys when we ate out the night before. Oh. My. God. What a waste of time and stress. Uphill, downhill, this rollercoaster seems a bit creaky and the seat belts are a bit loose. I hope I don't fall off...

Then, Everett started bothering my sister's stuff by the door and I finally sent him to the couch to talk about respecting other people's property. He performed another wonderful 3 year old behavior of blowing up at me and, finally, deciding to bury himself in the couch cushions. Kellan also reached his end to waiting for sleep and started crying,  so as calmly as possible, I sat down on the couch to nurse him to sleep. Here comes another uphill, please make this  a little one....  I started talking to Everett about being careful when he pulled himself out of the cushions so as not to run into us.  Instead, he backs up, turns around and elbows Kellan in the head just hard enough so that he wouldn't hurt him but try to make me mad. Oy! That was a bigger drop than I thought..... It did tick me off, but I tried not to get out of hand. I remained fairly calm and moved to the chair across the couch to address him.

I was determined to turn this day back around, so after a decent talk, I made myself an iced coffee with the end of the 1/2 and 1/2, grabbed a book, and brought us all out to the back yard. Everett played, Kellan fell asleep and I allowed my stress to melt away with the ice in my delicious coffee. Aaahh.... Here we go coasting along and it seems promising, I think the ride is just about over and I'm finally relaxing... Uh-oh, we're starting to climb again...

Soon my sister woke up and came downstairs. I poked around the kitchen to chat and start making lunch. Sneaky rollercoaser. Don't even realize I'm coming to the top of the biggest hill... In the middle of a conversation, I froze. Out the window I spotted Everett standing on one of the chairs squirting bugs spray INTO MY COFFEE.  Downhill! Fast downhill!... "That little *bleep*!" I thought. I wanted to yell, "What do you think you are doing!?" Huge downhill! My stomach is in my throat... Of all the things that could go wrong or that could be difficult to deal with, this topped the cake. Only a parent could understand the true meaning of that blessed coffee.

He, of course, thought this was all funny. Another loop snuck in there just to humor me...The bug spray was all over the chair, his own lemonade, and my coffee. I painted him a lovely picture about a delicious cup of chocolate milk that someone ruins by mixing it with bug spray.  He sort of got my point. Then I chose to focus on the bug spray that he has been told to leave alone many times. I know, by the way, that this is really somewhat my fault since I left to oh-so-tempting bug spray so accessible to him. Never the less, the kid has to learn to leave some things alone, so I told him he had to spend $1.00 of his water gun money on new bug spray. I don't think he'll be bothering it again. Coming to the bottom of the hill...

Most of the day went on like this. After lunch, we walked up to the kid's pool at the park to swim before walking to the chiropractor. Another hill just about as big as the last... I got a call from the dentist explaining that our insurance company has us on a 6 month waiting period to cover Everett's cavities that we will now have to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket to get filled. My stomach is in my throat again, a much bigger hilll than I anticipated... 

We have a nice time at the chiro (everyone gets adjusted), my sister buys me an iced americano, and daddy gets home as we start dinner. A smooth coasting ...  Everett explodes into a crying fest when daddy walks in because we didn't meet him at the bus stop Loops, and more loops...  All is well over dinner and Everett gets snuggle time with daddy at bed as Kellan and I head off to the store at 8:00.  I know it's coming to an end late, but it's getting there....

I realize as I pull into the grocery store that I left my wallet in the diaper bag at home but absolutely need to return to the grocery store no matter what.  Again, sneaky! But that's the last little hill... The ride coasts into home about 9:30 at night. I rush off the ride, unpacking groceries, cleaning up the kitchen and dropping into bed with the rest of the passengers exhausted from our day.