Toddler time: sorting bears

Today I pulled out our counting bears and cups for Little Man to play with. He was so cute to watch as he really concentrated to put each bear where in the right cup. We are trying to work on colors with him. He did really well with the bears to help him practice. I thought I'd show a few pictures of him sorting and counting.

He is getting so big. He loves to "do school" with his brothers. These bears are great. I found them on Amazon awhile back. Even Isaac still loves them. We use them to make patterns, add and subtract, and play lots of sorting and counting games.

Spring cleaning: Bathroom

I know it isn't officially spring yet, but I am starting my cleaning a little early. I tackled the bathroom first. I think I start there because it is small and easy. Then I have one room finished and I can move down my list. Downside, I'm pretty sure this is the room that stays clean the shortest time. Here is a run down of what I did:

Wipe down top of shower, fixtures, and clean shower and tub.
Throw away any gross bath toys (we had a lot of nasty ones). Wash the keepers.
Check all shampoos and soaps. Condense if possible ( I had two of the same conditioner in there!). Throw away empty bottles, replace razors, and replace soaps if needed. 
Launder rugs, shower curtain, and hand towels.
Scrub toilet and surrounding floor.
Clean mirror.
Polish fixtures.
Disinfect doorknobs and lightswitches.
Remove everything from shelves and dust "pretties" and dust shelves.
Clean counters.
Wash out sink.
Pull everything out from under the sink.
Wipe down empty vanity and pipes.
Organize anything that is out of place.
Throw away any trash.
I found some items to put in my garage sale box.
I bought a little bin at the dollar store to keep girl products tidy. 
Sweep and mop floor on hands and knees (Don't forget baseboards).
Wipe down doors.
Put rugs, curtains, and towels back up.

YAY, for a clean room. I think the living room is up next. Maybe by summer I will actually have spring cleaned my whole house. 

Changing it up

I'm not sure if this is normal, but I love to rearrange my house. It drives my hubby crazy. I can't help it. I blame my mom. I remember coming home from school as a kid and the whole living room would have been switched. She couldn't stand for something to look the same too long. My grandma did it too. Maybe it is genetic.

 I LOVE when the look of something changes. Usually, it is only little things. You know, moving picture frames, Rearranging knick knacks, maybe switching where throw rugs go. Sometimes, though, I throw my poor family for a curve. Like the other day. I switched the cupboard the glasses are in. I love it. It is so much more efficient. It is closer to the plates, the fridge, the dishwasher. It just makes sense to have them there. Oh, but my guys are all thrown off. They go for a cup and now they see crackers. Little man wants milk and he is angry when I got to the "wrong" cupboard.

I know it drives them crazy. I have done this to my boys several times. They wake up from nap and their toys are in new bins. Or their desks are in a different setting. I will move their rooms around or organize their clothes from closets to dressers. I am just trying to find what works best. The truth is what works best changes depending on where we are as a family. Sometimes we need room for bottles other times we don't. Sometimes we need a shelf for baby toys sometimes we need it for legos.

So, am I weird? Does anyone else like to constantly change things up?

Six

Six years ago today my world changed forever.

Six years ago at 4:22am I became your mommy. You were so precious. You were such a good baby. 

You are such a joy to your daddy and I. You make us laugh, you make us proud. You are such a big boy now. 

It has been so much fun watching you grow. You are smart, helpful, and kind. You love your friends. You love to learn. You love to take care of your brothers. 

Today you are six. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. I am so thankful that God chose to let me be your mommy. I'm so thankful that I get a front row seat to the young man you are becoming. I love how much you love life. I love listening to your plans. I love your passion and energy. You make each day fun and interesting. You look so much like your handsome daddy. You have your mommy's craziness. You are such a good buddy and such a great brother. I love your love for others. I love your excitement. You are my little soccer player. You are so fast. You love the wii. I love watching you play. I love watching you grow. I love you. 

Happy Birthday to my very big boy!

I love you because...

 You are my baby. You love me so hard. You are just as cute and precious as could be. You are so funny. You make us laugh all the time. You are obedient. You are kind. You love your brothers. You are an artist. You wear your blankie like a cape. You have an entourage of stuffed animals. You will not be left behind. You eat your vegetables first. You love to brush your teeth. You are so such a snuggler. You can almost always get me to give in. Your little voice is adorable. You are my little man.

 Life would be so much less exciting with out you. You fight EVERY bad guy. You change clothes 50 times a day. You are my big helper. You keep us all on our toes. You are such a good brother. You love to talk about Jesus. You are crazy smart. You cuddle me every morning. You have an opinion, and you aren't afraid to share it. You are so stubborn. You are so good at building legos. You love doing school. You are so sweet. You are such a big boy. You have a strong sense of justice. You love to dress up. You are full of life and energy. You are adorable. You are my Bubba boy.

 You ooze energy. You love life. You have "crazy hair". You love your friends so much. You are a great soccer player. You can't wait for your sister, and talk about her all the time. You talk about everything you think about. It is so fun to hear how you are processing things. You are such a big help. You are so smart, and you love history. You love learning about Jesus and memorizing Bible verses. You love animals, and you know more animal facts than me. You get so excited. You are becoming a young man that I am so proud of.

You are my hero. You are more patient than anyone I know. You are kind and loving and compassionate. You make me laugh. You are always warm. You are super hot. You work harder than anyone I know. You love Christ and lead your family toward him. You are there for your friends. You are the best daddy ever. You are a servant. You are a leader. You are strong. You maintain a level head when I am going nuts. You are my best friend, my soul mate, and my husband.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Toddler Time: Fun with rice

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and cheap way to occupy a toddler on a cold day rice is a great way to go. Little man loves playing in our rice bin. Seriously all it is is rice and a small rubbermaid cup. I threw some coins in it this time. I have put other counters for him to find as well. He will seriously stay happy forever with this. It helps us get some big kid school done with the tv off. I am trying to keep the electronic babysitter to a minimum. We have a little junkie on our hands...

Oh my golly...

So I ran across this site the other day while wasting time on facebook. And Holy COW it is so funny. I just wanted to share with any one else who homeschools, likes to laugh, or likes the dude in the picture. I am so guilty of "the phone call".