All good things must come to end...

Since January I have babysat for a wonderful family! The parents are work from home parents, and they have a little daughter, Claudia, whom is 5 days older than my little Madelyn. It has been a great job, and fun experience. Claudia's mom, Candace, and I have become great friends through this working relationship. It really worked out great for both of us! Candace had in-home childcare, so she could spend time with her daughter on and off throughout the day, and nurse her when need be. For me, I got to be an at home mom to my kids (just not in my home), get paid to watch Claudia, and have playtime for my kids with another child. Claudia, Madelyn and Caleb have become great friends. It is so precious to see the kids interact with one another! I am going to miss being over at their home, and having our kids have weekly play times together. Due to the baby coming, and not knowing how the dynamics of having 3 little ones home, we are taking a break from what we currently do. Candace and her family are heading out tomorrow for their 2 week family Christmas traveling. So, we decided that it is a good time to end the babysitting until we can see how things go once our baby is here. I will be driving them to the airport tomorrow for a farewell, and to help them out. Candace is so sweet, she doesn't want to replace me or find other childcare. So, she is talking me into babysitting Claudia at our house 2 or 3 days a week for about 4 hours in the morning, once I feel up to it. I know it would be great to help them out, keep the friendship between the kids strong, but we will just have to see how it all goes. I know I just didn't want to bundle up my kids, especially a newborn, and take them out in the MN chill of winter. We shall see how it goes. I will miss them greatly, and I know my kids are going to miss their little friend Claudia, but we will FOR SURE keep up the relationships. I will have to take some pictures tomorrow so I can show you the pictures of the kids together.

I had the ebee geebees today...

I was babysitting today, and most days we go out on the screened in deck to get fresh air. I love being out there with the kids, because they can get outdoor air, hear the birds, and they are in an area that they can't take off to the road. Well, today we were out there during Caleb's nap. We were waiting for him to be done with his nap so we could go out to the kiddy pool. So, the girls and I were playing along, when I got an itch on my skin. What is that? I thought...a teeny, tiny bug. But, there are more bugs crawling on me...another, and another...WOWEE...they are all over me! My arms were crawling with teeny, tiny bugs, and my legs. Well, then I was itching all over, because I just think they are all over me by now! Where did they come from, and why are they here?
Yesterday, Nathaniel was out there reading his book. He likes to sit out there where it is quiet to read. He came in and told me there were little bugs on his arms...all over. He said he felt gross. So, I told him to jump in the lake when we got home, or to shower. I really didn't think it was a big deal. Well, now I know how he felt! I really didn't believe him, and I am sure that was evident in my response to him yesterday. So, after I picked him up from his friend's house this afternoon, I owed him an apology.

Anyway, after I came inside with the girls (after discovering the bugs), Claudia went to say hi to her mom in her office. I went over to her and told her about the bugs. She asked me if I checked the girls, and I told her I just came in, and that was what I was going to do next. Sure enough, they had them crawling all over them, too! All over their diapers, even...OH NASTY!
So, I gave the girls a bath, and they loved that time in there. I really don't know many kids, actually none, that don't like bath time. They giggled, and splashed. Claudia loves to stand in the tub, I found out. I washed their hair, and made "styles" with their hair in the shampoo. (Did I have a camera? Oh no...) Claudia sure giggled when I had Maddie's hair sticking straight up in a point (like Alfalfa) on the top of her head.

I told Claudia's dad about the bugs, and he went out and sprayed all the cushions on the furniture out there. Then, he went under the porch to see if he could find anything. There was a nest up under there. He thought maybe there was a dead bird in there. I think he took it down. We don't know what the bugs were, and may never know...but let me tell you, I would be perfectly happy to not let another one come near me or the kids again! I hope there aren't any side effects from the commotion today, and I hope they are all gone now!

So Tired

I think the baby must be growing a lot these days. I have been so very tired this week. I have been more nauseated with this baby, too. All the signs, I am thankful for. I know that things are progressing normally with the tiredness and feeling a bit sick. Last night, I really didn't feel well, but I am thankful that I got to bed a little earlier. Yesterday, it worked out that Caleb and Claudia took a nap at the same time. Then, Nathaniel was reading on the couch, and I sat there with Madelyn. Lo and behold, Maddie fell asleep, and I got to take about a 20-30 minute snooze. It was great! I hope to have a few more of those kind of days this week! I am so thankful that I am back to babysitting. It is great to see Claudia and Candace again. The kids are so happy to be together, too. Today, Nathaniel got to spend the day with his friend while I babysat. He was so excited to go over there. I want him to enjoy his summer, too, and I know if he went with me babysitting everyday, that wouldn't be so fun for him. I think I am going to try my best to book a "play date" for him once a week.

Sunshine! Pictues!

Here are the pictures from our walk on Monday. Madelyn feel asleep first, leaning on Caleb. Then, through the walk, Caleb leaned his head over on his little sister's head, and fell asleep himself. It was the sweetest thing.
I am happy that my kiddos are little enough to sit together in the front of the stroller. While babysitting, I really should have a triple stroller, but at $300, that is stretching my wallet too far. So, this is the way we roll with Claudia in the back, for now. I may have to check a bit more into those triple strollers for next year.
Caleb was completely exhausted! I took Madelyn out (when she woke up), and Caleb just leaned forward and was non-coherent.

Sunshine!

Today was a gorgeous day! I love Spring! The birds were singing, and the smells outside were glorious! I babysat today, and I took the kiddos out for a 3 mile walk. It was great to be outside again! I took them for a walk last week (the one nice day out) and I was looking forward to that today. Instead of carrying Madelyn in my wrap, like last week, I put her in the front of the stroller with Caleb. So, I had 2 kiddos in the front seat, and Claudia in the second seat. I really need a triple stroller! It would make life so much easier! They are super expensive, though. It was so sweet during the walk, because Madelyn was so incredibly tired. She leaned over and rested her tiny head on her brother. Caleb put his head down on her and kissed her. He was snuggling her, too. I really wish I had a camcorder to record that. It was beyond precious. Then, Maddie fell asleep. We kept on walking, and Caleb was getting sleepy. He put his head down on the arm rest, and I let him know he could put his head back. I told him he didn't need to go to sleep, and that it is just more comfortable. Then, he was out. During this time frame, Claudia kept trying to turn around and get up. I don't have straps in my stroller, so, I took my coat and tied her in. At first she did not like that, but she got over it. Then, she was starting to fuss and cry, so I kind of rocked the stroller back and forth while walking. This got her giggling, and then she drifted off....just before home. So, she was up. Then, Maddie was up (short nap), and Caleb stayed sleeping as I lugged him inside and on to the bed.

I was happy to get outside and enjoy the sunshine today! After work, I picked up Nathaniel and his friend. Then, we went home to have supper. I had a loss at Weight Watchers tonight, so I was happy about that.

Now I am tired, so I should go to bed. Good night~ More reviews and contests this week~stay tuned!

Today:

Today was a great day! The little kids and I went to babysit Claudia. The kids were busy today. I am trying to teach them how to do the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Claudia thinks it is great, and she grins from ear to ear. She is so cute! Candace had bought the Baby Signing Time gift set, and the kids love them! When you sign the sign for baby, Claudia goes to the TV, opens the doors on the Entertainment Center, and turns on the TV. It is really funny. It is really amazing how those little kids (13 months) and Caleb (almost 3) have picked up the signs so fast!
After work, I picked up Nathaniel from school, and we went to Wal-Mart. I had to pick up a new curling iron (mine wouldn't even heat up this morning) and a few other essentials. We had to get some bubbles per Caleb's request. Yesterday, I had the kids outside when we got home from babysitting and we wrote all over our sidewalks and front steps with chalk.

It was Madelyn's first time with chalk, and she thought it was a blast! She even wrote on the step so carefully. She only tried eating the chalk twice. She realized it wasn't very tasty, so she learned not to keep trying it.

They were so dirty, but they sure had fun! Madelyn's pants were so colorful! She really doesn't care much for her hands to get dirty. I think that is so funny!
The bubbles we had from last summer weren't very good. They kept popping even before they left the wand. So, Caleb asked if we can get more.

So, I picked up Mega Wand (sword) wands for Nathaniel and Caleb, and a little Panda Bear bubble kit for Madelyn. Then, we walked by the kites. Caleb has been asking about a kite since February. I told him (at that time) that spring will come, and we can fly kites. I only mentioned that once, but he has got a superior memory, because he never forgot that statement. It really is astonishing to me and Terry at what he remembers.

Caleb got a Buzz Lightyear kite (currently his top favorite character in Toy Story~currently is all-time favorite movie) and Nathaniel got a really cool looking dragonfly with a tail. He picked that out himself. He loves bugs and frogs...etc. There was a frog one, but he chose the dragonfly.

Tonight we went to look at a little Geo Metro for a commuter car. Terry drives 45 minutes to work and 45 min. home everyday. We also drive Nathaniel 90 minutes one way every other weekend, so we needed a little car with good gas mileage. We got the car, and I think it will be a good fit for our family. There are a few minor fixes, but Terry is sure he can fix whatever is needed. He is so great at figuring out things and knowing what needs to be done. I am so thankful that he is resourceful!

We miss our friend!

Since my kid's have been so sick lately, we have missed a lot of work with babysitting. Claudia is such a little honey pie, and we miss playing with her. Caleb asks everyday if we are going to Claudia's house now. I will post some pictures of our day over at her house, so you can see what we do!
They usually always play so well together...really!
This is Miss Claudia...she is such a cutie pie!
This is Caleb's shop where I buy Ice Cream and cheeseburgers from him!
The girls are putting on (play) lipstick, combing their hair, and chatting on the phone.
We miss you Claudia, we hope to see you soon!

From the weekend...and random things to get you up-to-date:

We had a great weekend. It was so fun to see family! Friday night we got up to see Terry's Mom and Grandma about 8:30 PM. We visited for awhile, and then went to bed. Saturday morning we lounged around. That was so nice, because I rarely do that much anymore. We had a late breakfast. Then, we went outside to play with the kids. We decided to go on a walk, and that ended up being about 4 1/2 miles long! The weather was so nice, and the walk was very fun. Madelyn slept most of it, and Caleb had a nap, too. We walked in the woods, and there was a dirt road. We also walked along the river, and it was so relaxing (even though it was exercise). Lena was with us, and she got a great walk in too. She was just as pooped out as we were when we got home. We ate supper/lunch when we got back, then went to a movie that night. We went to see, "Horton hears a Who" with Terry's nephews, his mom, our kids, and our sister-in-law. It was a great movie! I think the animation was great! The only thing I really didn't care for was they used the name boob in reference to one of the Who's a couple of times...like to call him a name. Other than that, I think it was a fantastic movie! Nathaniel said it was one that we have to own. :) After we got home, it was about 9:15 PM, and Terry gave Caleb a bath. Terry's mom watched the kids, and we went to get Terry's sister (about 35 minutes away). We picked her up and met her boyfriend. We were going to go out for coffee, but it was too late, and we were tired.
Sunday, we got up early, and got ready. Terry and I went out for breakfast, then met everyone at church. We were pretty tired, and Terry even nodded off to sleep a few times in church. I really think the weather had something to do with it, though. We were blasted with cold MN chill and more snow on Sunday. Actually it snowed really hard and really big flakes! After church, we had lunch. Then, the kids looked high and low for plastic eggs. We celebrated our Easter late because we were home bound over Easter with sick kids. We didn't get to color eggs over the weekend, because we ran out of time. So, we will probably color eggs tonight.
On the drive home, it was slick in a few spots, and the visibility was bad for the first 45 minutes-hour. We also had our van door jammed somewhat open. It was a bit freaky, and it was also a little loud. We gave Terry's sister a ride home, then we decided to drive around Mille Lacs Lake. The drive was so pretty and scenic (yes, even with the snowy yuck). That night, we just did some laundry and relaxed. Terry did find the culprit to the door being jammed, a McDonald's toy was stuck in the side. So, all is good now. :)
Monday, we didn't make it to babysitting, because Nathaniel stayed home from school with a sore throat and ear pain. I had a terrible headache, too. (Which is why I didn't put anything on my blog). I did make it to my stamp club last night, and that was fun. I got to see my friend Naomi, too, because she came for a visit. Late last night, at about midnight, Caleb woke up with a terrible cough. We gave him cough meds and got him back to bed. This morning he woke up with a fever, cough, sneezing and a runny nose. So, yippee, we get to deal with more sickness. I wish I could buy an immunity bubble for my kiddos. Know where I could get one? I am sure he got it at church Sunday, or something that his cousins had. I know 2 of the nephews had runny noses, and their little one always has a terrible cough. I am not sure why, but he seems sick a lot. Poor little guy.
So, being Tuesday, we are home bound once again. I feel frustrated today, because my kids are sick again, and I can't help my friend out with babysitting Claudia! Grrr....

Tough Day

Today just seemed like it was a challenging day. I got to work at 9:30 AM, so it was a little earlier. Claudia just went down for a nap, so I just had some time with Caleb and Madelyn. Claudia woke up at 10:50. Just before she got up, the smoke detector started beeping...low battery. I think, for some reason, this started the stress. It really wasn't stressful, it was just one of those annoyances. We had a great time, Caleb, Claudia, Madelyn and I...until lunch. Lunch can be a challenging time...especially when I am going solo. I really don't mind feeding the girls and Caleb, but it is definitely work. Between trying to get everyone fed all at the same time, and making sure Claudia keeps the rubber mat that her food is on, attached to the counter...and keeping Hannah (the dog) from snatching food off of Madelyn or Caleb's plate~ Needless to say, I about want to pull my hair out some days. Madelyn and Claudia are at the age where they want to feed themselves, and the floor, without much help from anyone else. Caleb is a picky eater these days, so to get him to sit down to eat a good helping, is a challenge all in it's own category. After lunch, which I didn't clean up until 2:30, the kid's were all getting a bit cranky, and it was very colorful in my two children. Madelyn woke up this morning at 5:00 AM, so she started the day off really early. She had only one nap this morning at about 8:15-9:00 in the high chair. So, she was crabby, and Caleb was crying over pretty much everything. While doing the rounds of diaper changes, Claudia trying to take a bite out of Madelyn's hand. I am not sure how Candace would like me to handle this one, but yes, Claudia is taking a fancy to biting. Then, I got Caleb to lay down~ and after shutting the door, 5 minutes of crying later, he was quietly sleeping. Claudia and Maddie just had the crying issues then and got irritable when the other one walked next to them. Finally, the doorbell rang, and the Baby Signing Time videos arrived that Candace ordered. So, we sat down and watched those.
Claudia then had a very gross diaper...it was pretty much diarrhea. I have a poop phobia, so this helped the stress of my day. I change the diapers because of necessity, not that I want to.
Caleb woke from his nap a crab, so that was another bonus! *Grrr....
Madelyn had all of a 20 minute afternoon nap, so she was a pleasant baby when we were getting ready for supper....NOT!
Anyway...I am over my negative day. As the saying goes, "Tomorrow is a new day...with no mistakes in it~yet" That is a quote from Anne of Avonlea, which is one of my favorite movies!
Tomorrow night, I am going to visit my dear friend, Randi...and we are going to be kid free for the night. I will wear the hat of Sarah, instead of mom for just one night. After the last few weeks we have had....trust me, I am really looking forward to it!

Baby's First Moves: A Product review

Our family is all about music and singing! That is one of the reasons I was really excited to watch our Baby Einstein: Baby's First Moves DVD!
I really liked watching this with Madelyn, Caleb and Claudia (the little girl I babysit). The kids had so much fun watching the little puppets, and the kids dance, crawl, walk, jump...and many other moves. Madelyn loved when the baby's and puppets did things like reach up, and play peek-a-boo. She giggled a few times through out the movie. Caleb loves doing what the puppets and kids did. He really likes the song, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands." He loved doing the actions with the kids on the DVD. Madelyn, Caleb and Claudia clapped their hands with the kids and puppets when they did.
I like that I can do these movements with the kids as the little ones on the DVD help lead. It really is fun to see how the kids interact with using their milestones: crawling, walking, jumping, and dancing. I really enjoy that these DVD's have real children and babies in them. Kids love looking at other children and mimicking them. I think this DVD was well made and is exceptional. I enjoy the classical music in these movies, too, which include: Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart.
You can buy your Baby's first moves here: http://www.babyeinstein.com/
**Celebrates babies' discoveries of movement**
**Encourages use of developing motor skills**
DVD Features: *Repeat play *Language tracks (Spanish, French and English) *Discovery cards *Let's pretend * Puppet shows *Move with me *Toy chest * About Little Einsteins (Available in French and English only)
Thank you Mom Central for sponsoring this review!

A few days off duty....

Well, not entirely. I am still a mom, still a "home maker", and still a wife. I still have my daily responsibilities, but I am off work the rest of the week. Claudia, her Mom and Grandma are on a business trip for the rest of the week. I hope they have a nice time, and get some good memories (amidst the work). Claudia is getting her upper teeth, both of them, so she is feeling some bad pains right now. I feel so bad for her. It is so hard when they are little, and they don't understand. I will greatly miss her this week. She is such a little darling.

What am I going to do with 4 days at home? Well, I would like to think that some organizing can get done. I know I have some blogging to catch up on (but that isn't so easy with the kids around). Hence, I lose much sleep at night. I am really getting the urge to decorate and make Caleb/Maddie's room more fun. I am tired of looking at plain white walls. I am sure Caleb would appreciate something on his walls, too. I need to be frugal, and crafty. So, what do I do? What is affordable, and eye catching? I love what Candace did with Claudia's room, and it is easy looking, too...I should think about something along those lines. This week I also need to make some cards. That I can do with the kids playing with their toys. Our basement is set up nice for free play. Sometimes kids need to play alone.

I do have one, no 3, appointments on Wednesday. 3 of my friends are entrusting me with their locks. Yes, I am going to be cutting, coloring, and putting a style to their hair. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have cut the hair of 2 of my friend's hair already once before, so that I am OK with. I am glad that they trust me to "experiment" on them. I make sure they know that they are free to go to the Salon afterward (and they may have to). It won't hurt my feelings if they need to do that. I have only cut my boy's hair (Terry, Nathaniel and Caleb), Terry's sister, Lisa, and Jeannie. I have always had the desire to work with hair since I was a teen. Someday, as my goal, I will attend beauty school. I am just waiting until I am done having kids, and they are old enough.

Some information, and a case of being Delirious~

I love my new "job" watching little miss Claudia. I get to bring Caleb and Madelyn over to Claudia's home and play with them for about 5 hours a day. I get to remain an "at-home momma," just not in my home. It is a great deal for both Claudia's parents and me. Claudia's parents work from home, so they get to see her anytime, too. So, all around it is super! Plus, Claudia's mom, Candace, and I are getting to know each other. I would for sure call her a friend. Her and I share many of the same values and beliefs. It is so wonderful and refreshing spending my day at their home.

Claudia and Madelyn are only a few days apart. It is amazing to see the three little ones (Claudia, Caleb and Madelyn) interact with one another. They sure have fun! Caleb loves to show off for Claudia, and she gets a kick out of watching him. I will have to get some pictures posted from our days...

This is kind of weird, but funny too....

The other night, during the middle of the night, (like about 2:30 AM) I woke up and said, "Where is Claudia?" I guess I said it two more times, while half sitting up in bed. Terry said, "She is probably at home where she belongs." I am sure Terry was a little weirded out by that, but we laughed about it the next day. I guess even in my sleep I am thinking and concerned about that little cutie patootie! I thought it was pretty funny when I thought about it the other day. I forgot to tell Candace, so I will have to remember to tell her....(grin)