Sprinkles, Sales, a Swing, and a Stitch Fix

Today was a pretty good day for Mama Packard.  The TV stayed off most of the day and that's always a good sign.  We woke up with a hankering for pancakes, and I actually had the energy (and arms, Thank you, Anna) to be able to whip some up this morning.  Of course, Penn and Jude insisted on sprinkles in the batter, but if I'm being honest, they are totally better with sprinkles.  We made a pretty good dent on a double batch of 10 grain Bob's Red Mill Pancake Mix, and then we were off to see what treasures our neighbors were parting with today...

Anna got a few pairs of PJ's in the next size up, Penn and Jude got a cup of lemonade for a quarter each, and Pack made out with an old bench for weightlifting and about 100 feet of thick rope for two dollars.  He was stoked.  I thought we were basically paying for their junk.  Little did I know what Pack Daddy had in store.

After about an hour of unsuccessfully trying to sling a string with six or seven washers attached over a very specific spot in the limb of a tree in our yard, he finally headed to Walmart and came back with a sling shot named "The Black Widow."  The sling shot got the washers over the limb in just a couple of tries and then, up went the rope.  I headed inside to make lunch and Pack eventually came in to get me to try out his creation.

Of course I had to try it out...

And spin!

Three's not a crowd on this giant swing!

I know...my husband is super-fun.  He's also super-smart and very conscious of safety issues so I'm really thankful he was able to rig this up for us.  I would have loved this as a kid and truly...I really love it as an adult.  And everything about this swing remind me of why I love my sweet Pack.  He's my most prized possession on this planet!

And as if that wasn't good enough, I had a box waiting on me from Stitch Fix (finally)!  I heard about Stitch Fix through a high school friend (i.e. current awesome mommy blogger/seamstress/teacher/etc) named Jessica who blogged about SF right here.  To summarize what it is, you basically have a personal shopper who sends you five articles of clothing (or accessories) based on your style, size, preferences, and budget (which if you are like me, you don't know, and you figure out by taking their style survey) and you get to try them on, keep what you like, and send back what you don't.  Their fee is $20 (which is well worth it for me to avoid shopping with my three "I-freak-at-the-sight-of-fluorescent-lights" kiddos), but this gets deducted from whatever you decide to keep.  I got some cool stuff, but only decided to keep one thing (or two...no, one...I haven't decided yet).  Anyway, here was what was in my little box:

I loved this shirt, but the asymmetrical hemline made my short torso look shorter.

This black shirt had sheer cutouts in weird places...it wasn't exactly my style.

I loved this oversized sweater, but it was a little TOO oversized for me.

I REALLY REALLY wanted to keep these bangles, but decided to hold out for something more interesting.

I loved everything about this tunic dress and paired with a sweater and leggings, I think it could take me from summer to winter!

Overall, I thought this was a great and unique shopping experience.  Actually picking interesting pieces out is the hardest part of shopping for me and this forced me to try on some styles that I might not normally try.  I definitely plan on getting a second (or third) stitch fix and I think you should too.  It's a win-win for both of us...you get cute clothes and I'll get a $25 credit if you sign up using this link (shameless, I know...):


Oh, and if you do sign up, let me know what you get:)

A memory

Channeling my inner Donna Reed.

After making a peach cobbler and prepping for Eggplant Parmesan for supper today, I was feeling all homemaker-y, so I had the boys (and Anna) dress "neat," as Penn likes to call it, to greet Pack when he got home.  It was pretty fun to play 50's for awhile with the boys and I almost melted when Jude said, "Hello, Fahhder," while using his "neatest manners," but it was still exhausting to do anything in heels and a dress (it's been awhile for me...).  How did Donna Reed do this every day???  Oh yeah...she was FICTIONAL.  Well, I gave it my best shot and we tried to stay in character as long as possible.  Thank goodness Pack took a picture of me with my cuties all dressed up in the heart of our home.  I only wish he had managed to get in this shot too.  I guess we'll have to wait until next time (but I promise that next time, I won't be in heels.

He's almost gone!

I'm having a seriously hard time coming to terms with the fact that Penn is going to start Kindergarten in a month.  Part of me really wants to home-school like I had originally planned, but part of me is also considering finding childcare of Jude and Anna for one or two days each week so I can have some time to myself ("ME time," you know, like time for uninterrupted cleaning, laundry, working out...selfish things like that--haha).  Mostly, I've just been trying not to think about it much, but when I finally flipped the calendar over yesterday, THIS little beauty was staring me in the face:

Kindergarten Supply List

Back in June when I registered Penn for Kindergarten, I taped his supply list to the calendar on August so I wouldn't lose it before tax-free weekend.  I kind of wish I had.

As a mom of school-aged kid, I figure I'm going to be pretty awesome or pretty annoying.  Penn, on the other hand...he's just going to be awesome...I know it.  See for yourself:)

Happy Half, Little Bean!

My banana girl is six months old today. No, that cannot be possible. How is it that these precious baby days are even more fleeting with each additional child?!

Sitting up already {tear}

Oh, but this little girl--my Anna--is so special. She takes my breath away every day and I don't think I'm the only one! She is simply oozing with personality! She makes her brothers feel like comedians. Penn and Jude thrive on Anna's attention lately. And they know their role. I have already given them the "talk" about how God gave Anna two big brothers and their main job is to protect her. They showed me all the tricks they could do to keep the "bad guys" away from their baby sister and they take this role very seriously.  What a sheltered life she will lead!

Bookends.

I, on the other hand, get to be a rock star mom with Anna! Seriously, the girl makes me look like a pro because we can take her anywhere! She cries when she's tired, dirty/wet, teething, or hungry. And speaking of hungry, she just had her first bit of real food one week shy of her six month birthday! About a tablespoon of bananas was on the menu for her initially but we have progressed to homemade brown rice cereal and zucchini since then.

Brown Rice is the best!

She's feeling all kinds of special now that she can pretend to chew. Now we're just waiting on teeth. As you can see, she still has a beautiful gummy smile, but I think that some pearly whites will be making an appearance soon:)

Sweetness!

Pack still smitten with his baby girl, and who can blame him?  She has a fabulous stylist (hehe) and really knows how to work those beautiful eyes to her advantage.  I'm seriously jealous of those blue/green, almond shaped beauties.  I hope they don't cause her too much trouble growing up;)

At this rate, she will never be allowed to date.

The past six months have been so much sweeter with our Anna Hazel.  We think she's the PERFECT addition to our family and  we can't get enough of her little personality that is starting to burst out.  I'm praying that the next six months will slow down a little so I can hold on to my baby girl just a little longer. 

Happy half, Anna Bean!

Random

So, I've been avoiding the blog for a while now because I've been to scatterbrained to think of any one thing to write about.  So here's a little hodgepodge stuff:-)

Sickness.  After recovering from May's round of doctor visits for Jude's broken arm and Penn's stitches, we hit June thinking we were home free.  Wrong.  Jude got sick with strep and Penn followed suit (although he didn't have strep).  Almost exactly one week later, Anna came down with her first illness (which required four doctor visits, a few days of an oral antibiotic, and and one antibiotic injection).  We deduced that she had something viral (probably croup) in addition to something bacterial (which caused her fever to shoot up to 104.5...SCARY).  It was a rough two weeks for me and I thought I would scream if I had to to go to the pediatrician/urgent care office one more time.  I'm singing praises that they are all well now!

Anna is officially five months old now!  She's a little over 15 pounds and absolutely perfect.  I've never had a baby in the 50th percentile for weight and height (Penn and Jude were always "above the 95th percentile" in height and in the 25th percentile for weight).  I really think she might be the easiest baby on the planet!  She tells me when she's hungry (usually by rubbing her face against my chest and pulling at my shirt) and then I nurse.  When she fusses, that my sign that she's wet or dirty and I change her.  I put her to bed awake each night around 8:30 and she normally only wakes up once (at about 4:30 or so).  Then I bring her to my bed and "dream feed" until morning.  We don't even really do a daytime schedule with her because she's just so easy-going.  I'm positive she gets it from me;-)  I'm sure her "easy days" are just helping me to rest up for what's ahead, but I'll take it!

Penn and Jude have been having "disobedience" problems some lately and we've been trying some different discipline methods.  I get so frustrated (especially when Pack is at work or out of town) and I feel like I'm a completely ineffective parent.  Then it hit me suddenly when we were out somewhere.  I might get frustrated when they don't do every single thing that I ask of them, but when push comes to shove, my boys do the right thing for others.  I've seen then being a good friend (even SHARING!!!), listening to other adults, and doing some of the things that I have to nag them about at home.  Even if they aren't perfect (and Anna won't be for long...I have to keep reminding myself), they are learning and it warms my heart when someone tells me that my kids are doing well at something.  I'm going to start making it a point to tell parents (and their kids) when I see their kids doing something right.  That might be just the thing that parent needs to hear to get them through the rest of the day.

And coming up?  Swimming lessons start for Penn and Jude.  We are planning a week-long trip to SC in mid-July.  And Pack turns the big 3-0 in August (and he won't let me throw him a party...BOOOOO!!!).  It's gonna be a fun summer!

A photo lesson on insurance

 May 2012:

Jude: buckle fracture, x-ray, above the elbow splint with sling, waterproof cast

Penn: first filling, fire ant bite reaction, antibiotic and antihistamine, head injury, two stitches

We've met our deductible.

My first baby...

 ...is soooo not a baby anymore.  He's a five-year-old-boy!  I remember when we held Penn on the night of his birth-day and I asked Pack, "What do you think he's going to be like when he's four (I don't know why that age stuck out to me, but I guess I figured that would be the end of baby-hood)?"  "Four" seemed like an eternity from back then, but it came and went faster than I thought it could and that tiny little baby that I held for the first time is now this amazing and unique, FIVE-year-old human being!

One year ago!

The memory he has amazes me!  I can't remember what I wore yesterday but he can tell me what movie we watched when we stayed in a hotel two years ago!  He remembers things sometimes that actually gives me goosebumps because I've long since forgotten them.  Geez...I hope I don't mess him up too bad because I know our little Penn is like an elephant who never forgets!

 

And he's smart too!  I love watching Penn learn new things.  It's amazing to me how he learns.  He just needs to see you do it once and he's got it!  If only he had gotten that from me...  This year, he's learned how to read (a little), write, and tie his shoes, but he's most proud of mastering the Roku Remote.  Pack is always impressed with his early engineering and inventing skills, but we're still waiting on him to perfect his invention that would "keep Mommy from making any new foods anymore."  Nice try.

Penn's first (copied) sentence.  Not bad:)

A cardboard/bubble wrap stable (with LOTS of tape)

Baby Jude idolizes his big brother and does everything that Penn does.  When they have to be separated, Penn always tries to console Jude and make him feel better.  I'm so worried about Jude when Penn starts school...he's going to miss Penn so much!  Luckily, Penn is (almost) always a good example for his little bro.  I couldn't ask for a better "first kid".  His compassionate heart and love for his brother melts my heart. 

Per the usual, Jude is staring at Penn to see what he's doing:)

When Anna came into the family in January, Penn got to stretch his big brother skills a step further.  Now, he not only has to protect Jude, but to protect Anna FROM Jude!  And he takes his job very seriously.  Penn is absolutely smitten with his baby sister and I have a feeling he's going to make life very difficult for anyone who dares to bother his little sister for the rest of her life.

She's safe in his arms:)

Ever since he could talk, Penn would tell anyone that Jac was his best friend.  Jac is also his cousin and they are six months apart.  They couldn't be more different but they love each other dearly and completely exhaust anyone who has to watch them together (if you add Jude and the other cousins into the mix, you can hang up ANY semblance of order).  One day, these two could rule the world...

And they both have an equally good sense of fashion...obviously!

Mostly, Penn spends his time trying to be just like his Daddy.  Truthfully, he's practically his Daddy's twin anyway.  He loves to play with Ninja Turtles and He-Man Toys that belonged to Pack when he was little and he wants to dress the way that Pack dresses now.  Add some steel-toe boots and some inches, and this is his daddy to the T.

Definitely the name-sake:)

For his fifth birthday, we made a last minute trip to SC and had a little Batman party for him at my mom's.  It was a super-tiny party, but he told me it was the exact party he wanted (sweet boy)!  When we got back to VA, we gave him a new bike that actually accommodated for his super-long legs:)  and we let him decide how he wanted to spend "his day."  He picked pankcakes with sprinkles for breakfast, the Children's Museum, Chick-fil-a for lunch, and Red Robin for supper followed by birthday shopping and a yogurt bar.  He also bought sharing presents for him and Jude with his own money.  My stress level was low and my mama heart was happy!

Batman...this kid loves a good costume:)

Birthday Bike

Penn, you are creative, thoughtful, snuggly, inquisitive (Why? Why? Why?), responsible, sneaky and probably (one of) the most fun kids in the world.  I can't help but wonder what you're going to be like in five more years!!!  I am so proud of you and hope you'll always remember that you are loved no matter what and prayed for constantly!  Happy fifth birthday, my sweet little man:)