Wow I'm bad at this. 
I had all these great plans to be so productive with only one at home... and that has even been a process. 
The first full week of school I just didnt feel great.  Not really sick, but just not feeling good and being slow at everything I did.  Finished off that week with a real cold.  Jesse got one that was just about 24 hours for him so he assured me I will feel better the next day.  I had more energy for sure, but still couldnt breathe well, etc.  It's been a week and I'm reminded again that I take longer to get over minor illnesses than anyone else I know.
Then the kids had off school so we had a play date with some friends.  And while the kids played, I 'worked' because my friends are so nice and are helping me get back into doing that.  But then I also had some others over to 'work' again 2 days later- so I had to keep up with what was clean (though the house still looked better the first time), etc, etc. I did get a couple projects done- clean out the fridge and the dry sink- good for the big picture, but not anything super noticeable yet.
Tomorrow I HAVE to get things done.  Because this house is a MESS.  Driving even me crazy!

So a few days ago- Wednesday maybe? Tristan had skipped a nap and so was getting overly tired by the time dinner was finished and was asking to go to bed.  He kept saying he was "Almost tired".  hehe. So I thought I would take him up and get him showered and in bed before I even started with the others. For some reason he thought the shower was going to be colder than it was and didnt want to get all the way in- even though he already was- and slipped and hit his face on the side of the tub.  You know how when you bend your finger nail back and it leaves a super painful line where it bent?  Yeah- he did that TO HIS NOSE.  And it didnt even bleed.  He cried for a long time, but he did let me clean him up and get him dressed.  Some Tylenol and some ice (just to hold on to because he HATES to put coldness on injuries)  and he was okay to go to bed.  Kind of stuffed up the next day, but looked way better than I was expecting.  It's still bruised and was kind of sad when I washed his face tonight and forgot about it, but it's definitely healing and he can breathe with no problems.
With all his head and face injuries, I really REALLY hope he still looks normal by the time he gets to school. 

Speaking of school.  Life has been an adjustment for sure, but we're getting used to it.  It's relatively quiet around here during the day and then 3:50 comes and it's kind of hectic until bedtime.  Alex has more homework this year- and not much of it seems to be things he can do on his own yet.  Danica hasnt had any yet (well, one project), but I always have things I need to do for her (fold up her rest blanket because she (says she) cant, empty her folder, take care of her snack/lunch box, etc), plus all the same stuff for Alex, too.  I'm not complaining, it's just double the work I had the last 2 years.  And they get off the bus later this year so there is less time for fun, too. Most of the fun is after dinner, when it's getting colder and darker... and that's only if we have dinner on time.  Typing this out seems a lot sadder than in real life.  Boo.
Anyways.  I was going to say that Danica has been happier the last few weeks than she has her entire life... at least for more than a day or 2.  Over all she is listening better and being nicer.  Definitely not 100%- she still likes to beat on her brothers and throw fits sometimes, but not like before.  This morning she was the first one completely ready to go for church- and before most of us even started getting ready.  She listened while we were out and then rested the best when we got home.  And then was the first one ready to go back to church tonight.  Maybe she is FINALLY realizing that being pleasant over-all and listening will get her much happier reactions than her previous behavior?  I dont know, but I like it!
Alex totally loves school.  He has since day 1 of Kindergarten, so it doesnt surprise me at all.  He seemed to just slip right back into the routine of it all like it was nothing.. which makes life easier for me anyways, but I think is also really helping Danica get used to it, too.  He's always motivated to get his homework done because he knows he cant watch tv or play on the computer until it is... even if those things dont even happen sometimes.  Some days, I have to beg him to take a break when he gets home because I'm not ready for all that yet!

 Ok.  I thought about posting this without any pictures.  And I think Jesse is making it so I can get to pictures from any computer, but I cant yet, SO... I dont have any recent ones on here.  But we need something right?

These are super old, but at least they're something.  And to give whoever actually reads this a glimpse of what I'm working with over here. ;)

Accountability

Not like the serious kind where you have to do something major to slowly better yourself and report to another person doing the same.  But the kind where my sister posts on her blog and then makes me do it, too.

So.  I'm on the wrong computer to put pictures on here right now and I'm insanely tired, so this wont be long.  But I will give a little list of ideas I have going to write about.

First.  Tomorrow is Kindergarten Orientation with Danica.  She's nervous because she has no idea what it will be like.  I'm more nervous for Thursday- the first fay of school.  But I'm also glad that she is actually using words to tell me about her feelings. I would like to say 'instead of just acting out and throwing tantrums' but they are still happening.  But using words is progress.  I am freaking out about sending my baby girl to school.  After a little experiment with Alex a few years ago, I had a VERY clear signs that we were not meant to home school ever (and it was because we couldn't afford preschool but also lived in a town with the worst public schools I could imagine living near).  So I am totally at peace with idea of sending my kids to school in general.  But.  I do not love them growing up and I am never ready for major milestones.  Especially school.
So.  Hopefully around Thursday I will finally have pictures of my midgets to post.  And then how the first day went.  Kindergarten and second grade! Ahhhh!!

Second.  Sometime in the near future I want to do a real post for each kid.  I had great plans to do one for their birthdays, but it's hard to blog in the summer.  The first half, I spent any evening I could out in the garden weeding, etc.  And then when it started getting darker again, I was just doing other things I guess. I don't even know.  But.  (Third)  my goal is to post more while it's cool out.  Because I can get more things done during the day if I don't always need to be outside.  And not that I'm always doing things outside, but I just want us to be outside as much as we can when the weather is cooperating.

Fourth. The posts I have in my head (besides the ones about the kids) are about the not-so-normal things I do.  How many people do you know that don't use their dryers?  I know one other.  How I make my own [insert hygiene/cleaning product here].  Thanks to Pinterest, I've actually used a few real recipes for meals.  So I could probably share some of those.  I'm not a 'foodie' but I do LOVE food.  And I can cook.. though it's not always amazing.  Also- I'm going to start canning.  Which I've never done before but want to do lots of.  So that will be an adventure that will definitely need to be recorded.

Fifth.  In order to be able to go to MOPs this year, I had to agree on a To-Do list of projects that need to be done (and are doable by myself).  Which is slightly annoying, yes, but at the same time, I'm glad to have the motivation to get things done that I would normally not be motivated to do- no matter how badly I know they need to be done.  So.  There will be some before and afters of those things.  I'm a terrible housekeeper, so it's hard to get past just what needs to be done sometimes.  But I'm determined to be productive this school year!

Sixth.  I know this is all new and I don't know how many people will read it.  And very few people know how things really go around here, but I would love to have a random question to answer at least sometimes.  So.  If you think of anything you would like to know- ask!  in the comments or on Facebook and I'll do my best to answer.  Because that is always fun. 

Well that was longer than I thought.  Lucky you! 

The Intro

To start a new blog when I have already failed at it is not going to be easy. But I've decided that the crazy can no longer be contained. So here we go!

The idea for this came up a while ago and I started my into but never finished it because I didn't have any pictures to post yet.  Well I'm still the worst at that, but I have time right now to get this going, so I thought I would update the intro that I have and go with it. 

First. There are 3 short people that live here that I'm sure will regularly make an appearance.
Alex is 7 and just finished first grade. He is super outgoing and kind of a genius (though thankfully not prodigy level). He talks as much as I do, but has the love of nerdness and reading like his dad. He played baseball this year and loved every second of it.  I'm super excited to have him home this summer.
The second is our only girl, Danica.  She's a spunky one. I take a little offense when people say her attitude comes from her red hair ;). Can people be diagnosed as bipolar when they are 4 and a half? She sings when she's happy and it warms my heart. She has food allergies (some severe, but some outgrown) and living with that will surely make it's way onto here. She started out at 3 lb 3.5 ounces but is a giant in our home. She LOVES dirt and flowers and all things outside.
Our #3 is Tristan. He is 2 and a half and has yet to figure out how to contain his excitement for simply being alive.  He's obsessed with the people he loves, but is the shy one around those he doesn't know well. He is hilarious and destructive and thinks he's my shadow.
The husband, Jesse, is funny and big and keeps me grounded. He supports my crazy experiments as long as I don't make him do them, too. And sometimes he doesn't initially support them, but once he's more used to it, prefers 'my' way of doing it. He's from Michigan- we met in college.  Aww.  He is super smart and is underpaid to work on famous people's computers all day.
I grew up next door to where we live now. I aim to glorify God in everything I do. I often fail, but it's always my goal.

Family comes first (under God) no matter what.

While I'm always working on ways to make life healthier and more natural, I don't want to get so far into it that I cant enjoy other food. I. LOVE. FOOD. I love to eat out. I love church group dinners and family dinners and having people over that I don't want to scare away by being overly healthy. I love carbs. I have self-control issues with chocolate. Seriously. But I also love my juicer and the garden and eating as many fresh foods as I can.

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So now.  It's the middle of July and we don't have central air.  Most of the time I don't even care.  I apologize if I see you in real life and I'm a hot sweaty mess, but most of the time I don't even notice until people I don't see every day are around.
I've decided that people notice the heat more when they complain about it.  Once you start complaining, you also focus on the thing that is making you unhappy.  Get over it and eventually you wont notice it as much.
That being said.  I do have to make sure that the kids stay hydrated.  Especially Alex.  He randomly get overheated and throws up.  Most of the time he doesn't say anything about being hot until he starts getting sick from it.   He's been pretty good lately about drinking a ton of water- I don't know if he is consciously trying to avoid getting sick, or if he's just learning to listen to his body better.  Either way, I like this way better.  :)

Last year, we planted a garden and I was pretty good about keeping it weeded until we went on vacation in August when there was a bunch of rain (that started with a storm that hit about 20 minutes into our trip (I drove through it) and knocked the power out here for 4 days or something- we totally missed that part!) and then it got super overgrown.  So.  Trying to avoid that this year, we took our vacation early.  (Also because we had a wedding to go to in Michigan so we just did it all at the same time.)  Except it rained a whole bunch and my garden got overgrown AGAIN.  So most nights after the kids are in bed, I go out and weed until it's dark.  Sometimes it's 15 minutes, if I get the kids in bed 'on time' I get almost an hour.  You can definitely tell where I've worked and what I haven't gotten to yet.  It's embarrassing, but I'm working on it.
Weeding gives me time to be quiet.  I'm not good at being quiet.  And I'm not usually good at being alone.  But I know it's good for me sometimes.  I love summer evenings and I kind of love dirt, so to go out there by myself and sit in the dirt and sing in my head or think about thing that are going on or pray is a perfect way to unwind from my day.  I think it's one of the reasons I love having a garden so much.


I think that's a good start on things.  A lot of my point in this blog is keep our far-away family and friends updated on life.  But we are always making new friends- even far-away one- so I guess this can be a little get-to-know-us thing, too.  Plus, I like sharing about the new things I learn and do.  Especially when 'normal' people think it's crazy.  hehe
And I will do my best at keeping up with this!  Please be patient with me though!