Journal: the new school year

TODAY

Out my window: Windy and warm, but overall the weather has been really mild. The light is slantier and the days are getting shorter.  I can tell Fall is coming.

Around the house: It is quiet around here.  I had no idea adjusting to having the two big kids in school (even though Kolbe is only half day) would be such a big deal.  But it is really quiet around here.  I think I already said that.  I will continue below...

 

The kiddos:

Gemma has had her best start to a school year yet.  She actually had to miss her first day because she had pink eye, so that was a pretty big deal.  I think it actually ended up being more traumatic for me than it was for her, but we weathered it and she is settling in and seems to really like her teacher and is getting along well with the kids in her class.  She LOVES having Kolbe at school with her, she is in full-on big sister mode.  The last two years, Aaron walked her in every day and sat with her until her class walked by because she didn't want to go in the "kiddie holding pen".  This year, she won't even let Aaron walk in the building with them. Once they get to the sidewalk they say goodbye to him, and she walks Kolbe into the building and drops him off in his designated location and then walks herself to the place where second grade waits.  She really likes her teacher and homework has been a relatively painless event each day.  I am so grateful.  We had some really rough first semesters the past two years, and this year seems to be starting off in a much more positive direction.  Providentially, on the first day of school our neighbor gave us a really nice, sturdy child size table/desk that fits in her bedroom perfectly.

Kolbe likes school a lot.  Lunch and recess are his favorites (and we have lifted all food restrictions for him when out and about and he has been doing just fine with that! YAY!!).  I believe school will be a bit more academically challenging for him than it is for Gemma, but he seems to be keeping up and he feels like such a big kid going to school every day.  He loves to talk to me about things that happen at school too, which is exciting because Gemma really never says much and I have learned to just not press the issue with her and simply let her talk if she feels like it.  The irony is that Gemma is my louder, more bubbly kid, and Kolbe is my quiet one.  Oh well, I'll take it.  There are 17 in his kindergarten class, and I'm so glad he has the same teacher that Gemma did.  

I was worried that having to get two up and around in the mornings would mean we would need to get the kids up even earlier.  Gemma got up at 6:30 in kdg and actually had to move back to 6:15 in 1st due to some chronic breakfast table piddling issues.  This year after a few days of 6:15 and way too much extra time on our hands the kids have been getting up at 6:25 and that is giving us more than plenty time!  I think they both enjoy having a sibling doing the same thing they are (if that makes sense).

In other news, we found out today that Kolbe's ruptured ear drum is completely healed!!

Clement is having a harder time adjusting to the change in routine than anyone (well, I may be giving him a run for his money).  Part if it I am sure is that he is #three and going through all those fun things that #three year olds do, but he just seems a little off without the other two around in the mornings.  He plays really well by himself though, it is cute to see him get so engrossed in toys and other activities completely on his own, something he's never really gotten the chance to do before.

All three kids have been getting along together and playing together so nicely.  It just makes my heart happy and our days so much more pleasant.

In the kitchen: 

This week: lasagna and sauteed summer squash/zucchini; crispy chicken salads; shredded Mexican chicken soft tacos; some sort of pasta, squash and shrimp or chicken fettuccini-type dish tomorrow night I think and still trying to figure out what we're going to have tonight.

Next week: homemade pizza; chicken and twice baked potatoes; beef stew; cod?; I will fill in more blanks later in the week.

Learning:  Just keeping up with school routines and homework and such.  So far the homework seems very manageable for both (Gemma's good attitude has helped this immensely). I will say, I am glad that Kolbe is half-day and we can tackle his homework when he gets home (he needs quite a bit of help/direction), and then I can give Gemma some time (it's not so much help that she needs as it is attention) when she gets home.

Reading: We have enjoyed the Jamela books so much this summer. They are just adorable picture books.  I don't know if it is because they are written and illustrated by the same person, but there is just something really great about them.  Kolbe checked out the audio book Count on Culebra for maybe the fourth? time this week.  It's fun, and the accents just make the audio version.  Finished The Middle Moffat and started Rufus M this morning.  The breakfast table, after our saint/Bible reading, seems to be the best time for family read-alouds currently.  We have some dedicated time for picture books before bed.  Gemma and I are reading The Year of Miss Agnes at bedtime as well. I got each of the olders a book for the first day of school.  Kolbe's was Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes (the Pete illustrations just crack me up).  His speech teacher introduced us to Pete and Kolbe has really liked him ever since.  For Gemma I got Little Nellie of Holy God, which I thought was very appropos for her big second grade year.  It is a beautiful story that we've read together numerous times, and I think she even read it on her own once or twice.  I am excited to begin a few other First Communion preparation books with her in the coming months.  The kids both had their first trips to the school library this week.  I am so glad they have that opportunity.  Gemma got a Magic Treehouse book and she actually started reading it on her own (this is big for her, she still hasn't gotten into chapter books independently).  We'll see if she perseveres, it's due next Wednesday.

Watching: MLB.

Bringing me joy: My kids, they are so awesome.  A bit more time in the evenings with hubby now that said children's bedtime is earlier.  Watching baseball with said hubby.  Nicer weather.

Thinking about: Trust, surrender, forgiveness. Oh my.

Pictures to share:  

Gemma helping Kolbe get ready on his first day of school.  She was so helpful, and so sad she didn't get to go.  She has been such a sweet big sister to him this past week.

Traditional front door pictures.

Together.

My little eater

My Kolbe boy loves to eat. Here he is chowing down on some beef/venison and veggie soup. I sure think he's a handsome little dude. Messy, but handsome.

Cheerios!

The other night Gemma and I were eating dinner, and Kolbe was in the highchair and had eaten some of his dinner but seemed to need something to occupy him while we ate, so I figured I'd just toss a few (stale, oops) cheerios on his tray to keep him entertained. Entertained? Holy cow! The boy devoured them. And three more handfuls after that! A little more eager to try them than his sis was at that age. I took some video (yup, the whole software disconnect is still on the "to-do" list...) and also some still pics. He was soooo cute, very serious about it; he picked them up one by one with his little fingers, put them in his mouth, and then "chewed" them with his gums. It was adorable! He's getting to be such a big boy.

Oatmeal

I made Kolbe some oatmeal this past week and he really liked it. Thought I'd post the directions here.

Grind oatmeal (not quick oats...we get the old-fashioned organic rolled oats in bulk from the local health food store for a very reasonable price) in a food processor until it's the consistency of flour.

Boil 3 cups of water in a saucepan on the stove.

Slowly pour 1 cup ground oats into boiling water while whisking briskly.

Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking frequently (like 3-4 times).

Is great mixed with bananans or apples (or any other fruit I'm sure, those are just the ones we've tried thus far). I also thinned it out a bit with some breastmilk, as it's a bit thick. He did really well with the chunkier texture though. If you wanted it smoother, just add a bit of water and send it through the processor again after it cools.

Freezes well in ice cube trays, store cubes in ziploc bag in freezer.

And as an aside, we keep this ground oat-flour on hand in a canister on our counter and I substitute it for some of the flour in many recipes (waffles, pancakes, pizza crust, you get the idea). Works great.

Banananas

Kolbe has been enjoying banananas (yep, that's how I spell it) ever since he tried his first bite of food. He has been eating everything he's tried (except water, weird) so well I thought I'd see how he did with some small chunks of bananana on his tray. They were very entertaining for him, although they never made it to his mouth (by his doing anyways). Seriously?! He puts everything else in his mouth! Silly boy. ;-D He did great with them though when I put the little chunks in his mouth. And did well with some mushed up chunks of squash at my in-law's last night. Next up in the pureed department is chicken (prepping that is on the "to do" list today) and probably apples after that.

Sweet siblings III

As I mentioned in my last post, Kolbe has been enjoying his food immensely. Gemma asked to feed him the other morning and she really did a great job! I took some video, and really should figure out how to use the software to take it off my camera and then post it on here. Maybe soon. For now you will have to be happy with the still photos.
Very sweet. Then she read him some Nursery Rhymes before his nap. Such a good sissy.
While we're on the subject of Gemma and feeding Kolbe, I thought I'd share a Gemma-funny from the other night. I was sitting in the chair feeding Kolbe in his highchair and she kept poking her head up under the arm I was feeding him with so she could get right in on the action. Sweet as it was, it was getting reallllly old after about the seventeenth time of knocking food off of his spoon and making me miss his mouth all-together, so I physically moved her aside and told her that it was sweet that she wanted to help, but I needed some space and could she go do, I don't remember what, some random project I came up with. Well, so later on that evening she was playing with her baby-doll, and I came up beside her and she said very sweetly, "mama, I'm feedin' my baby, I need some space." They really do repeat whatever they hear!

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes ended up being next in line for Mr. Kolbe. These actually evoked some funny faces, but I wasn't really able to capture any of those on camera. Bummer. He liked them alright though and I did get some cute pics.
New trick, blowing raspberries!
He seems to be enjoying his food so much that I think we'll start giving it to him twice a day instead of just in the evenings.

Yummy avocado

I was honestly hoping for some of those funny baby faces when he tried the avocado, and I really figured we'd get them being it has such a different taste than anything he's used to (namely breastmilk and banana). But he seemed to realllllly enjoy it, maybe even more-so than the bananas and rice. I will admit, it's a very pleasant taste, but I was quite tickled to see my little guy enjoy it so much!

Eating boy

Kolbe has really taken off with his eating. The past several nights he has eaten a cube-and-a-half of brown rice cereal mixed with half a banana. WOW! He is still nursing well also, for which I am grateful. I think we are going to try avocado next and probably sweet potatoes after that and of course some apples in time for Fall. We're all having fun with this new phase.

Feed me, mama (sporting his new One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish bib)!
Playing with his spoon after he devoured his whole bowl of food. He is quite the eager eater.

Homemade brown-rice cereal

Here are the instructions for making homemade rice-cereal (mentioned in my last post).

• Take 1/4 cup of dry, uncooked brown rice (I used long grain, but short grain would work fine as well) and put it in a coffee grinder (you can use a food processor, but from what I've read a coffee grinder or spice grinder will give you a finer end product)
  
• Pulverize it on the highest speed until it is a fine powder (you can't get it too fine)
• Bring 1 cup of water to a boil on the stove
  
• Add rice powder, turn burner down to low
  
• Immediately after adding powder to water stir vigorously with a whisk
• Put lid on and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring quite frequently
• Remove from heat and cool a bit, then run it through a food processor to really make it smooth (it was still a little lumpy before running through the processor, that's why I added this step)
  

It can be stored in the fridge for a few days, and freezes nicely in ice-cube trays for longer storage. We mixed Kolbe's with some mashed bananas. Since he's used to mama's milk - and that's pretty sweet - we thought this would help make a nice transition to the world of "big-people" food. I think this will be great to mix with other fruits and veggies as we broaden his repertoire in the coming months as well; a healthy way to add some good carbs and fiber, and a bit of protein too, to any dish. I'm looking forward to Kolbe's "food journey". I am approaching it much differently than I did Gemma's (my dear practice child). Ahhhhh you live, you learn.

Kolbe - 7 months

Kolbe is seven months!!! Hard to believe another month has gone by. He is doing well, although I think he's hit a little rough patch either due to teething (still just has the two teeth) or possibly a bit of a virus (he's had a fever on and off for a few days now) or who knows what. Those kiddos sure like to keep a momma guessing! His sleep has definitely been more interrupted and restless and he is a little fussy at times. He has spent more time lately sleeping (and awake) in "the honey" (mei tai carrier) snuggled next to me during the day, and spends more time sleeping with Aaron and me at night than in his crib. He still goes down in his crib around 8-9PM, but after his first waking (sometimes as early as 10:30 or 11) he usually joins us, and it's iffy whether he makes it back to the crib or not. I'm sure this time will pass soon enough and I'll be left wondering where my snuggly baby went. He has started sitting up a little more on his own, although still not well enough to leave his side for very long. I did feel comfortable leaving him long enough to snap a picture though!! He does better if he has a toy he's holding or focusing on. He has spent more time in the stroller and really seems to like the outdoors. Much as I like wearing him, in this 100+ degree weather that just gets a little warm for both of us! We go to the park more days than not, and he's always happy hanging out in the stroller or being held and watching his sissy. One of these days very soon he'll get to give the baby-swing a try!

Several days before turning seven months, Kolbe got his first taste of people-food (besides the bite he took out of the church bulletin a few weeks ago...) Anyways, he seemed to be wanting to nurse a little more often lately, and since he's sitting up well and all, I figured we'd give it a whirl. I made him some homemade brown-rice cereal (I'll do a post on the recipe in the near future, it was fun and easy!) and mixed it with a bit of pureed banana and some breastmilk. I wouldn't say he was terribly excited by it, but he didn't seem to dislike it either. He ate a good 6-8 bites and seemed to enjoy it alright. He even grabbed at the spoon while I was feeding him and tried to shove it in his mouth all on his own. He liked it well enough to open up for more. Messy. (note to self, buy bib) This food business is pretty cool. Such a big boy. He hasn't had anymore since that first little try. With his fever I decided he was probably better off just nursing as frequently as possible. We'll try more sometime soon I'm sure, and I'll be sure to update here as he tries new things (if for no other reason, than so I can have a record of it) ;-D

And here's the obligatory couch pic! Still not feeling 100% poor guy.