Easter Eggs

We colored Easter eggs this year and it was a total success. The boys had a blast, it was super messy, and the end result was lovely.

Update!

Well, I had the most sincere intentions of being more devoted to ye olde blog, but...it didn't happen. So a quick update of the Anderson Family Happenings will have to do for now, and when summer rolls around and I'm back to SAHM, maybe the regular updates will come pouring forth. We'll see.

It was a very static-full spring.

Got to see a joey riding along with his mama at the zoo. If I were a marsupial there's a 100% chance that Eli still wouldn't be ready to leave the pouch.

Man, they're growing.

There it is, folks. The biggest mining truck Cat makes.

Ian loves feeding the chickens at school. It is his favorite job.

So much Charlie and Lola. It's about all we read these days. Thankfully, there are about two zillion Charlie and Lola books. (And they're really cute.)

Check out these studs in their Easter duds.

Ho, hum. I'd forgotten how filthy Ian gets everyday of summer until he sweetly reminded me the other day.

And, the little man is writing quite a bit these days. Here, he made himself a stash of poppy seed muffins.

Spring Time

After one of the coldest winters on record, Spring is finally coming around. Thank you, Spring! 

We worked in the yard Sunday, clearing out flower beds and spreading mulch. It was wonderful, and more importantly, I believe this weather is here to stay. According to the 10 day forecast, which I check more frequently than I take breaths, there will only be ONE measly day in the next ten where the temperatures won't get into at least the 50's. Hallelujah! I need warmer weather and my boys need to be OUTSIDE making messes. I'm done with the inside messes.

I even took a few pictures around the yard to prove that old man winter has FINALLY given up for the year.

These have shot up since Sunday! When we were spreading mulch they were not this tall, and there were no pending blooms.

Tulips are ready to show their pretty little heads.

Oh, the peony bushes! Some of my favorites.

And, alas, this little dude. Poor Eli.

Unfortunately, this guy's daily prescription allergy meds can't keep up with the pollen count right now, so he's quite miserable and agreed to a rare (I'm talking spotting-big-foot-riding-on-a-unicorn-while-drinking-from-the-holy-grail, rare) nap. But, I must say, he looks pretty stinkin' cute snuggled in bed with Teddy and Little Jakey.

Day 17 of 24

Look what I've had stashed in my freezer for over two weeks...

TWO boxes of Thin Mints! One is unopened and the other has one cookie missing, which I had given to Eli to try and he rejected! (Cue the GASP!) I know! What is wrong with this kid?!

This might not be a big deal to some people, but for me this is amazingly stupendous good news. Ordinarily, I would eat those cookies like they were going to turn to dust if they sat in my house for more than a week three days. But this year it's different. Cole and I are chugging our way through our 24 Day Challenge and my commitment has even surprised me!

So, here's a bit of an update on how we're doing, and what we are learning about properly nourishing (<--Cole HATES it when I use that word) our bodies.

:: We have both lost about 7 pounds.

:: I haven't been hungry at all. When you only eat fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbs...you can eat a lot, and I do mean a LOT!

:: We quit eating carbs after 4:00 p.m. This was a suggestion from a friend, and we have both found this is a good plan for us. Cole even coined a term: "carbage." Carbage is a combination of the words "carb" and "garbage" and describes the unnecessary carbohydrates eaten in the Anderson house after 4:00 p.m.

:: Cole had a mid-afternoon crash the other day, and when he looked back at his food for the day he realized he hadn't eaten any complex carbs for lunch. It was the only change from many other days before, and it was the only day he felt tired in the afternoon. Now, he is sure to eat some complex carbs for lunch.

:: I have been going to the gym at 5:00 a.m. three days a week. Dear, lord, I hate getting up that early, but the truth is...if I don't exercise first thing in the morning, I'm not going to exercise. Period. So, I sleep in my gym clothes, get up at 4:45, brush my teeth and hair, and head to the gym with my friend.

:: I'm finding it very easy to make good choices. For instance, the other day I knew I was going to eat fajitas (with no tortillas) for supper. I really wanted some of the guacamole Cole had made to go with my fajitas that night. So, when I was about to choose some pistachios for an afternoon snack, I put them back and had an apple instead since I knew I was going to have a fatty avocado at supper. What choo say, Danielle? Yep. I totally did that.

:: Now that we are a couple of weeks in, my cravings for junk are basically nonexistent. This is pretty major because I could honestly live on pizza and cheese popcorn and be in total heaven. Sure, I'd feel like crap, but it would taste sooooo good.

:: I feel great! I've had so much more energy. I don't drag in the morning (even when I get up at 4:45) and I make it all the way until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. (depending on my wake-up time) feeling pretty good.

:: My arthritic hands and knees are feeling great. My hands aren't loosey-goosey when I wake up, but they are leaps and bounds more flexible than they had been. I can't even hear my right knee "crunch" anymore. My left knee is still crunchy, but not as badly.

:: It takes two. I have had issues with my weight forever. It makes it soooo much easier for me to have Cole committed to making healthy choices as well.

:: Our fridge smells good. This is kind of weird, but when your fridge is full of nothing but fresh produce it smells really, really good.

:: This plan is exactly what I need. I have done Weight Watchers before, and it is not good for me. Weight Watchers advertises that you can still eat what you want and lose weight. And this is true. But, I abused the system. I would eat like a bird for breakfast and lunch, hoarding all my points, and then binge eat at supper. Sure, I would be losing weight, but I wouldn't necessarily be any healthier than before. I had the same bad habits, but I just worked around them instead of trying to eliminate them.

So after 17 days that's where we find ourselves. It's the beginning of what needs to be a large change for me, but it's definitely a great start!

President's Day

I spent President's Day at home with the boys, as always, but we did something a little different on this non-school day. We made an instrument store! Eli got this instrument set for his birthday, and while the volume generated by this toy can be a bit overwhelming, the boys ADORE these instruments. I hear them everyday.

Ian minded the till.

You got to have a lesson and try all of the instruments before you bought them.

Then we set up a uniform store. Eli needed more options at the ready.

Cutest little inadvertent selfie. Ian is fascinated by the camera and taking pictures. He didn't have a clue he was taking his own picture.

Springfield

A while back the boys and I stopped in at Scheels, a sporting goods store, while on a decidedly girly errand...a trip to the scrapbook store. They LOVED it! I must admit, it was a fun time, and they have been dying to go back and show Cole all the cool things you can do at Scheels. So, on Saturday we loaded up and went to Springfield.

That's Cole and the boys in the car level with the second story handrails.

They LOVE the ferris wheel, which I think is pretty impressive considering it's 65 feet tall.

Make me laugh from the top of the ride.

After Scheels we went to the Illinois State Museum. The boys had a good time, and for a free museum it was nice.

And....we ended the day with a picture in front of the capitol building with everyone looking quite surly.

Happy Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day! I was so happy to celebrate it again this year with my three favorite guys. Of course, with Valentine's Day comes valentine cards, and at the boys' school...they MUST be homemade. Nothing store bought. Nothing with licensed or commercial characters. Honestly, I love the parameters, but when you have a kid who hates crafting...valentine making becomes horrific.

Last year Ian fought me every inch of the way when it came time to make valentines for his classmates. I had gotten him rocket shaped cards, planet stamps, and stickers thinking that it would thrill him to his core. It did not. But, we've come a long way in the past year. Behold the difference one year can make...

On the left: a 2014 Valentine. On the right: a 2013 Valentine. Please note that the orange "I" was added this year. For 2013 the valentine was declared complete with nothing more than the blue scribble.

I mean, wow! Last year I couldn't convince him to sign his name because, and I quote, "It makes me too tired." He did write "one piece" of his name, a single letter "I", on ONE valentine last year and then refused to write anymore. This year he wanted to address each individual valentine, which they don't actually do at his school, but I let him address the valentines for his teachers.

Yes, this year Ian was the golden child when it came to valentine making. He did a few every day or two for the weeks leading up Valentine's Day, and it just could not have been easier. This year it was Eli that was the challenge. He refused to work a little at a time, and on the 13th he had yet to complete a valentine.

I went back and forth on what to do...do I let him refuse, resulting in him sitting out of the party while all the other children participate or do I force him to do the work? I could see pros and cons for both approaches, and I eventually settled on the this-is-what-was-assigned-to-you-and-this-is-what-you-WILL-do approach and prepared myself to lock horns for the next THREE AND A HALF HOURS! Yes, three and a half hours to complete 15 valentines. That basically equates to 14 minutes per valentine, with a time breakdown like this...

30 seconds: sticking stickers on the front of the card 

30 seconds: signing "Eli" on the card

14 minutes: screaming, whining, crying, pouting, stomping, rolling on the ground

It was a blast.

The only place he would work on the cards was on the floor, under the dining room table. Didn't bother me a bit. You want to work on the floor? Knock yourself out. You WILL make these cards.

 After a while he became concerned with the quality of his signature and had no problem making multiple attempts to get it right. I was very pleased that at some point he did begin to take pride in his work. If you are going to do something, do it right!

Happy Valentine's Day from the Anderson Family!