eventful

We've had a few fun events lately.  Last Thursday was Crazy Hair/Clothes Day at school.  I gave Caleb and Logan mohawks and sprayed their hair blue!  They also had fun digging through some of my old dress up clothes (I had just a few things that boys could wear).  In the evening was a celebration banquet for school that we very much enjoyed.

Saturday afternoon we went to a missions fundraising carnival at church.  Games, magic show, ice cream, balloon animals, prizes...  Caleb used some of his own money to buy a few raffle tickets and won a new light saber!  He had just been saying that he wanted another one because he broke his old one.

Sunday morning we had a very nice Easter service at church, and then dinner at my parent's house with part of my family.

Today was Camoflage/Animal Print Day at school, so Caleb and Logan were excited to dress up in their camo stuff.  And, to celebrate the end of Reading Month they had ice cream at the end of the day and I was able to go help serve.  It was for all the elementary and it was fun to see all the kids.  The boys are going to have to up their game if they want to win any prizes for reading next year!

I believe it was last week Caleb and Logan got report cards sent home.  We are so proud of the reports we get!  Both behaviorally and academically they are doing well.  Sometimes we struggle with the homework, but due to attitudes (Logan) not abilities.  Thankfully I don't think he acts that way at school, I sure hope not anyways.

Jackson has been gradually doing better sleeping!!!  There was quite a stretch there that he was doing bad at night again, but for the most part he's being doing well.  The last two nights he's woken up once, but in comparison that's not too bad.  And, he's generally been taking at least once decent nap a day.  He just seems so big now!  Definitely not a little baby anymore.  He loves watching what's going on, he bee-bops around in his jumper, he "talks" a whole bunch, and I can carry him on my hip.  It does seem like his spitting-up has gotten worse, so that kinda stinks, but oh well.  Not like we haven't dealt with that before!

sick

In regards to my last post, it took Caleb the rest of the week to recover from the sickness.  :(  Logan bounced back pretty quick and was able to go back to school on Wednesday.  Mike did end up getting sick as well, but Jackson and I stayed healthy.  Phew!  I was sick in bed this past Friday, but it wasn't the same thing and thankfully passed fairly quickly.  We thought the Friday before was Mike's last Friday off for the winter, but we're both so glad he ended up having that day off yet.

We've still been able to lay pretty low and not do much, and it's been WONDERFUL.  I know I've said it before, but after the crazy 2015 we had we are really, really enjoying just being together as a family and not doing too much.  It's not that we don't do anything, we just try to be choosy and not get over-committed.  :)  Last Wednesday my friend Jen came over for an early supper (she teaches an evening class at WMU in GR), and then we were able to have Mike's mom and stepdad over for dessert to hear about their recent trip to Kenya.

Saturday morning Mike and I were able to attend a producer's event at Byron Center Meats.  It was really interesting, got us talking about the beef business, and thanks to my bro and sis-in-law taking the kids we were able to do that and have a few hours to ourselves afterwards (which we spent driving to three different Meijer's tracking down a pair of work boots for Mike...but, hey, when you have four small children, time together is time together!).

Caleb has been eating A LOT lately.  Like, third and fourth helpings of stuff.  I'm sure this is only a foreshadowing of the teenage years.  He is not allowed to grow out of his clothes before the end of the school year!!  

Logan has been getting more and more interested in art activities.  Drawing, coloring, cutting out shapes, etc.  It's fun to see what he does and hear the story behind his pictures.

Levi is still my sweetie pie, but sometimes Mike and I refer to him as Mr. Bossy Boss Man or something of the like.  He seems to think he knows best on various things.  He's always got a solution or explanation, and likes to micromanage.  :)  He still takes a good afternoon nap (and clearly needs it if it gets skipped), and goes to bed fine at night.  He's had a harder time waking up to go pick up Caleb and Logan from school.  :(

Jackson.  Oh, my little baby, Jackson.  What can I say?  My most challenging baby, yet he smiles at me and I just melt and forgot all the troubles.  Today he's actually napping decent, but I'm worried he might be coming down with something.  In the last week he had a couple good nights, but otherwise it's been 2-6x/night that he wakes up...  Not cool.  He doesn't need to eat, but cries and cries until I put the pacifier back in and re-swaddle.  He generally doesn't nap all that great, unless it's a school day and he'll be nice and sound asleep when I have to get him up to load him in his car seat to go pick up Caleb and Logan...  I just can't seem to get in a real regular routine with him, and that's a real struggle for me, but I'm doing my best to try and be flexible.  :)  Jackson loves his jumper, and he loves his big brothers.  He seems pretty strong, and when laying on his back will often try to sit up - just looks like he's doing crunches.  :)

It still seems crazy that we lifted our house and dug a basement.  And, I still think over the headaches and money, and wonder whether it was worth it, and then I listen to Mike playing a rousing game of balloon volleyball or freeze tag with the boys down there while I feed Jackson upstairs and I know it was.  :)

wash

We have been very blessed in that our children have always had great Sunday School teachers.  Levi is nearing the end of his time in the 2's & 3's class, and he has such a sweet and very devoted teacher, Miss Stephanie.  She does all sorts of activities to get the kids engaged in that week's lesson.  Yesterday the story was Mary pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet, and they talked about ways to show love.  Each child was sent home with a small vial of "perfume" (water) in a special little box - Levi poured it on my feet and it was just the sweetest, cutest thing.  It was cold, and he had to refill in between feet, but it was pretty neat.  :)

Three out of the four boys are sick.  Fever and coughing.  Logan came down with it yesterday, so he didn't go to school at all today; and I got a call at lunchtime to come get Caleb.  Their first school absence!  Levi woke up with it this morning as well.  Jackson had his 4 month visit to the doctor this morning.  He's healthy and growing!  He is 15 lb 9 oz, which is 49th percentile; and 27" long, which is 98th percentile!!  :)  He did get a few shots today, and took them like a champ.  Stopped crying pretty quickly.

Caleb and Logan don't have school anyways tomorrow, so hopefully one more day to recover and kick this bug will be enough so that they can go back to school on Wednesday!

marching on

Last Friday Caleb and Logan had a friend from school over for the day so that his mom could take his older siblings skiing.  Since the three of them together make up half of the boys in the Kindergarten class, I figured we might as well invite the others over for a while as well.  So, one of the other boys was able to make it and come for a couple hours.  So glad we got some snow and they could play outside!  They had a blast sledding behind the tractor and exploring in the woods.  

This past Monday, right after school, we split for Frankenmuth to spend the night at Zehnder's and play at their indoor waterpark.  (This trip is very much looked forward to and talked about for the entire year.)  It went well with the six of us, but I am glad we did only one night.  :)  Sleeping arrangements were Caleb and Logan on the pull-out couch.  Mike and Levi in one bed, me in another, and Jackson in a portacrib right next to me.  In the waterpark was a little challenging since they totally outnumber us, but we just had to trust that Caleb and Logan have vastly improved in their swimming, and that there are lots of lifeguards watching.  It started snowing like crazy on Tuesday, and our drive home took TWICE as long as it should have.  I was very relieved when we arrived home safe and sound.

Yesterday Jackson hit the 4 month mark!  For all the squawking and fussing he does he's a super smiley guy, and that smile melts my heart every time.  He hasn't been sleeping the best overnight, but I haven't had to actually feed him in the night, just get up and give him his pacifier.  So, not great but could be worse.  He's still not a good napper.  I keep holding out hope...  Last week I had some luck getting him to sleep in his car seat - he would do his usual 30 minutes or so in his crib, then when he would wake up I would put him in his car seat, rock him for a while and he'd eventually fall back asleep for a while.  Hasn't been working anymore, though.  This afternoon I didn't have anything real pressing to do, so I just snuggled him so that he would get a nap in.  Love doing that when I can, but obviously I can't do that all the time so he's got to learn how to nap in his crib!  Doing my best to be flexible and go with the flow, but it's really hard for me to not know what kind of schedule to expect each day.  :)  He eats 5 or 6 times a day.  I suppose I'll probably start some cereal soon.  Jackson loves to watch his brothers.  I wonder what kind of trouble he's going to get into with them...  Most of the time, if I'm within range, his eyes are glued on me.  I love it!  He's pretty vocal, and I just love baby noises!  It's a little sad that he's growing so fast, but it's so much fun having him become more interactive.  He's wearing 6 month sized clothes, but some of them are getting tight.  

I certainly have my 'days', but I am crazy about my boys and am loving my role as 'mom' more than ever!