So, Jackson's napping hasn't been quite as intense as the first week of summer break, but he's still sleeping very well and I can't complain. He has been quite a handful when awake, so his time spent in bed is extra important. :) This is only a phase, this is only a phase, this is only a phase... We've had a couple biting incidents this week, let's hope that's not a hard behavior to conquer. We may have another strong-willed little boy on our hands, which I realize can end up being an awesome thing later on in life, but, Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to help shape him into a GODLY strong-willed man with proper respect for authority! No pressure.
A couple weeks ago I was able to help my dad pour a little concrete. That was a blast from the past! It was fun to have my older three with me, and they handled it pretty well. The farm is so different from when I was their age that it's hard to share my experiences with them - they don't get to milk cows, feed calves, chop corn, etc. - but pouring cement was a way to share a bit of my childhood with them. We also baled hay in the field behind our house last week, and that's another activity that I like sharing with my kids. It's very different from when I was a kid, but at least they get the general idea. :)
Two weekends ago Mike and I got a lot of work done on the outside of the house. He had been able to fix the roofline in the house where the chimney used to be, so I wanted to paint the old siding that was underneath the chimney, just as a temporary fix until we can replace the siding a few years down the road. So, before that we powerwashed the house. Amazing!! What a huge difference in made. I knew the house was dingy in a few spots, but once we got started I realized how bad it was and it looks SO. MUCH. BETTER. to have it done! It was a beautiful Friday night and Mike had a lift from work, which helped tremendously. Took me a *little* while to get comfortable on the lift (and I still don't know that I could call it "comfortable"). It was definitely an exercise in trust in our marriage. :) Lets just say Mike's more confident in the lift because he has used it a lot at work, and when they're using it at work, he an his co-worker like to mess around getting the thing swaying and even trying to get one wheel off the ground. I am NOT a fan of such behavior. :) Anyways, the next day I went up in the lift to paint the siding and it looks much better. Clearly just a temporary fix, but for it being on the back side of the house where few people see it, I'm happy with how it looks.
That weekend I also got my tomatoes and peppers planted in the garden. I got some fun plants this year and am excited to see how they turn out! We're trying yet another method for supporting our tomatoes, really hope this way works. We took the no-till approach in the garden this year, it will be interesting to see if there's any difference. Last week I was able to get everything else planted (sunflowers, zucchini, beans, cucumbers, cabbage, dill, radishes...), and put hay down for weed control. We made a trip as a family to Countryside Greenhouse to find the rest of what I needed. What a place! The strawberries I planted last year really took off and multiplied, and right now we are harvesting berries like crazy! All the boys love the strawberries, and it's fun having them help pick and be excited about it. Last night Jackson was in the garden while Logan and I were picking, and he was just popping them in his mouth like crazy! I could hardly keep up with taking the tops off for him. :)
Last week we started doing some biking with the family, and we are thoroughly enjoying it! We're really hoping Mike has enough energy for it still after harvest starts. :) One night he took the boys by himself while I was getting my hair done, and we've gone all together a couple times since. Caleb, Logan, and Levi can all ride bike great, and we have a seat for Jackson so we don't have to mess with a trailer or anything. I'd love to be able to take the boys biking during the day, but I don't have a way to take them all in the van. I knew last summer already that Logan was close to outgrowing his bike, so I finally broke down and found him one at Love, INC. It's really a pretty nice bike, he loves it, and it's needed just a little fixing.
Jackson has been getting better with talking, and that is one thing that is just so fun about this age. He's pretty clear about asking for Daddy, and he'll even do this super cute thing where he holds up his hands and is like, "Where go?" He also says "doggy", "ball", and "mom". He kinda says "please" while signing, and he'll say "da-da" in a certain tone for "all done". He has gotten into the habit of setting his pacifier on his crib after I change his diaper to save it for the next bedtime. And he likes to bring his diaper to the trash and clap for himself after he's taken care of it. :) A week or two ago we moved his booster seat up to the dining table rather than using his tray anymore. When he finishes he likes to hand me his plate, fork, and cup to clear off the table. Did I mention he is our Little Dipper? Cracks us up. He likes to dip is food - ketchup, ranch, yogurt, guacamole...whatever. Pretty cute how he does it. I love watching my kids really concentrate on something.
Friday afternoon we had Boden and Heidi over, and the kids played so nice. And Saturday we were able to make it up to the cottage - it was very windy, but without the wind we would have been baking! Monday was Mike's birthday, and were were able to have a couple treats for him. A cinnamon roll and ice cream treats brought to work, pudding after supper (Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken!), and I think I even included an almond patty in his lunch even though I would have rather kept it for myself. ;) (I know my mom gave me two of those with the intention that we'd each have one, so I couldn't in good conscience keep it for myself, even though he wouldn't really miss it...)
The last two weeks on Tuesday mornings we've had a summer Bible study. It's just four weeks total, and I have to miss a week, but something is better than nothing! It's been great to get together and discuss the book we're going through, I do so much better with my study when I'm part of a group.
Right now the big three are outside beating the heat with the neighbor boys that they've become friends with. Yesterday they brought over a water balloon launcher, today a slip and slide. I love it!
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