Broccoli

KidWatching

In graduate school I read about a method of child observation called "KidWatching".  It's pretty self-explanatory in that it involves observing children's behavior in a natural setting and recording those observations using various coding techniques.  I absolutely love KidWatching in my own home.  Watching my children play is one of my very favorite things to do, and I learn so much about them when I drop everything and just focus on being in the moment as an observer.

Today I watched as Davis played on a pile of plywood that was stacked in the backyard.  Derek had put a tarp over the pile, and there were lots of puddles on it from the rain we got last night.  I stood and watched as my son splashed and jumped and laughed, testing his physical limits and erupting into fits of laughter each time his little body got sprinkled with the cold water.  Watching my child discover things -- about his body, his environment, about other living things -- is one of the greatest pleasures of being a mother, and the fact that he was having a blast doing it was just icing on the cake.

Cloud Dough

Two posts in one day...wow!  Davis is finishing his supper (he takes foreeeeever to eat!) and Reece is happily splashing Sadie's water out of her bowl, so I thought I'd share a little bit of our afternoon.

This is our second experience with cloud dough; the first was during one of our art days at Cousin Anna's house.  It's so simple, yet so fun.  Eight parts flour to one part oil (any kind--today I used vegetable) and you're done.  Just mix and play!

Glad I used vegetable oil instead of baby oil...probably wouldn't taste as good.

They always play this well together.  Davis always shares his space and toys; Reece stays engaged for at least twenty minutes; Mommy is always patient and energetic; and an entire cup of cloud dough certainly didn't get dumped on Reece's head at any point during the activity...

D's sea turtle

Workin' hard

This stuff feels soooo cool!

An even better one!

Happy boy

Another happy boy

Phone Pictures

Here are a few pictures I just uploaded from my phone.  These are often the best and most up-to-date documentation of our life...

This is several weeks old, but it was a really sweet moment--Davis and Grandaddy making freshly squeezed orange juice together.  A week or so later, Davis and I made lemonade at our house.

Trampoline hair 

Derek and Reece at our friend's engagement party.  Reece took a nap so Daddy got to drink a beer.

The Wilson girls at Lillian and Ken's party

Mommy and Reece at Marbles.  Don't know how I'd manage if I didn't babywear.

Davis and Sawyer cutting up at the mall.  So much fun to watch these two grow up "together".  Their interactions with each other mature as they do.

Hunting for Easter eggs at Anna's house.  

Love watching these two start to play together!

Reece and Elmo trying to figure each other out

Is it spring yet?

I know I shouldn't wish that time would pass any faster, and the truth is, I don't.  I just want spring to begin right now.  We have had more than our share of cooties in this house lately, and I'm ready for some warmer weather, healthy children, and cookin' on the grill.  Poor Reece has a bad cold right now--Davis had it last week--and is just so pitiful.  There's nothing in the world sadder than a sick baby, and especially one who can't even nurse because he's so dang congested.  We're doing all we can (humidifier, saline, booger-getter-outer, pain reliever) but our happy little boy just isn't himself.  Big brother was a trooper last week when he had this stuff, and it barely slowed him down.  Maybe when I get it, he can take care of me!

Valentine's Day

We had a sweet Valentine's Day at the Fox House.  The boys got lots of treats and a few toys, and everyone enjoyed opening their Valentines.  Davis wants us to read his cards to him over and over, and he remembers exactly who gave him each one.  Derek was working first shift last week, so Davis, Reece, and I had a nice little V-Day picnic at the park.

Today it is snowing, and there seems to be some good accumulation happening.  Hopefully we will get to play in it a little more after the boys wake up from their naps...

Everyone's V-Day gifts

Cookies for breakfast?  Sure!

"Chicken-lay" at the park!

It's snowing!

Blessings

Today I could be in a bit of a funk, as I have cleaned up vomit more times than I can count in the past 36 hours.  I feel terrible for my sweet Davis, who seems to be able to catch a stomach virus from a mile away.  I could (and should) be very afraid of the possibility that the rest of us will end up catching this bug.  I could be griping as I put away the mountains of laundry that seem to be accumulating at warp speed...

Instead, I choose to be grateful.  Grateful for the little blessings in life that we often overlook, and grateful for small victories.  Today's small victory:  I found a crayon in the boys' laundry.  Said crayon was discovered before the clothes made the transition to the dryer.  If you've ever attempted to remove melted crayon from clothing or from the inside of a dryer, you might consider this a large victory.

Sick baby