Kids playing

Something has changed or maybe it is just this week but my kids have started being friends :) They are playing imagination games and including each other in their play. It is absolutely amazing to hear and see. I would like to think that it is something we are doing right but it is probably just a fluke, right? haha. We have started the obvious change of Lee being at home with them. Also, we began this button reward system that is also working. They decorated little treasure chests and when we deem appropriate they get a button for doing nice things, being cooperative, having a great day, etc. We can also take a button away for the opposite. So far we have only had to threaten taking a button once from Paisley and twice from Griffin. They are really doing so well with it. Time outs have never worked for us and other forms of punishment are just not our style....positive reinforcement is what we have to work with and it is working!

Meal Planning

We are trying hard to have healthier meals that we can all eat and also save or keep on our budget for food.

This week:

Rotisserie Chicken, rice, and veggies
Leftover chicken made into chicken noodle soup for lunches
Veggie stir fry with egg for protein
homemade pizza (again)
Homemade mac n cheese with two veggies
Pasta with bacon, broccoli, and parmesan with cauliflower on the side

It is HARD to find meals that meet all the requirements above. Any other suggestions? Griffin is not a meat eater although he did try the chicken tonight, announced he did not like it but then happily ate the rest of the food (progress? I hope so). Paisley will eat meat but not ground beef. Lee and probably neither of the kids will eat shrimp. Lee does not like eggs which actually eliminates many of my ideas: breakfast for dinner, quiche, frittatas, etc.

anyhow, I will not lose hope. This will work!!

Last week:
fish fry at home
homemade chicken nuggets and veggies, sweet potatoe fries
homemade pizza dinner with my parents
quesadillas with homemade guacamole
chimichilatas (kids did not care fro this but we loved it and they ate parts of it)

Homemade fish sticks..

They were an even bigger hit than the homemade chicken nuggets. He LOVED them! He ate so much of them that he then said "you gave me too much food. my belly is soooo full." lol. We paired it with baked sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli and cauliflower (or as they call it white broccoli). It was really really tasty!

I am trying to decide when/how to make the step to branching into chicken/fish non fried. lol. I mean, this is still a HUGE step up for this picky eater. He LOVED it. But I of course want to make it even healthier once the taste is in him. I am just slowly trying to open up those taste buds of his.

Any ideas? I know we could bake them but I really think the next step still needs to have a bit of crunch so he will accept it. The way we made them tonight were not bad persay but I know they could be better. I am just beyond thrilled that he has eaten so well this week! we are making some progress finally.

Another week

I am plugging along in life. Everyday or every couple seems to bring a new hurdle. Over the weekend stomach flu. Yesterday my receptionist quit. These are just bumps in the road really but I am feeling beat down right now. I think my scalp is reacting to it all as well...something really bizarre going on there and I am trying to solve the puzzle. I have never had this kind of symptom to stress but I really think it must be what is going on.

The kids went to the dentist yesterday. Griffin did amazing. Paisley refused. It was expected. I wanted to get them in before the insurance runs out. Wow. new life, new reality. Slowly coming to terms with it. We went to friendlys afterwards for lunch. A treat for all of us!

Lee made dinner last night while I wrangled kids to bed. It is so much easier to come home and do that when I know he is exhausted. Oh how the roles have turned. lol. Then we ate dinner in peace and watched the Cavs win!! woot! I slept like a rock but am still tired this a.m.

Now off to my payroll quarterly taxes. hard to believe a third of the year is almost passed. woh.

Spring refuses to stay

I love and hate this time of year. The weather is beautiful and amazing like every 2nd day...the rest of the time it is cold, rainy, and blah. Why? we suffer so much during the winter...can we not have a decent spring? At least we are not needing the air conditioner like my parents discussed in st. louis....don't miss that at all.

Yesterday thankfully was gorgeous!! we were able to spend a lot of the day outside which makes my life so much easier. Outside all morning, home for lunch and quiet time (t.v. shows or playing alone or napping for the youngest), outside all afternoon, home for dinner, bath, and bed. It is a great easy day!! The breeze was blowing, the sun was shining, the kids were running.

I did realize yesterday how spoiled I am with Griffin. He is and always has been mr. independent. This is usually (like 95% of the time) a good thing because he plays well out and about, by himself, etc. At times it gets him into mischief because he explores more than he should without asking for help. Paisley is the one who always needs me out and about. She would rather sit on my lap than run around most of the time and she so easily gets her feelings hurt in a large group. I am hoping to encourage her independent play this year and also hoping she grows into that a bit naturally. It would make adventures much easier.

In other news, Griffin ate chicken for the first time last night. and by the first time I mean he ate REAL chicken, not processed crap chicken for the first time. He helped Lee make homemade chicken nugget bites and then ate them all up! G reported they were not quite as good as Redonalds (haha-not funny) but they were pretty tasty and he ate them all up. He and paisley also ate asparagus! woot. I am hoping this is going to continue with the opening up with the tastes and trying new things. It is not like we serve him gross stuff...lol.

1st day home with dad

My husband is a very involved father so even though today marked their first day home together he has had many days like this before. Today was different because it was earmarked as such and because he made it different...he made a schedule with the kids, they followed through with it, and wow! they were all pretty happy when I arrived home. The dishwasher was running for the third time this week without me having loaded or unloaded it at all. Lee is taking this all pretty seriously...now I am not expecting any of it...but it really is appreciated and making my life so much easier to focus on work!

the schedule is adorable....play time with daddy, snack time, meal times, learning time, movie time, dad-venture time, etc. I can't wait to hear about their days. We also discussed how life can be a bit "simpler" during the weeks and we can do more on the weekends. I am seriously breathing a sigh of relief...what? enjoy the weekend? ha. I cannot wait.

Long Week

I really cannot believe it has been a week since my last post...only a week? wow. It has been a very long week. A good week for us. A not so great week for many around me. A week of reflection, of pain, of death, of suffering...I am ok, so is Lee, so are the kids. But all of this is putting things into perspective and quickly. Lee's grandfather is dying. He has been for awhile now (we all are right?) but I guess it is progressing pretty quickly this week. I plan to pop over there tomorrow and see how he is doing. I realized in talking to Lee tonight that he is the grandfather that I have the most memory with, the most relationship with...I mean, I was raised with three grandpas. My grandpa carroll always made time for family, it was important to him but he was stern and my memories of him barring a few towards the end were quite rigid. My grandpa Larry was my "grandpa" grandpa....he watched football, sat in his easy chair, and was quiet. I loved him very much but a talker he was not. My grandpa Dewitt...great memories but they are few. He loved Wendy's and aquariums and drove with both feet on the pedals of his automatic car (haha). But Chal...well, he has told me the same stories a billion times about many men I don't care about nor did I ever know...but he has been a real presence in my world for the last 12 years. A constant and I have not had that in a grandpa figure for a long time, if ever. So, this is hard.

anyhow, a long week but we are doing ok. taking it all in stride and counting our blessings, looking for the silver lining as often as possible.

Rainy Thursday

The kids are waxing and waning between totally chill and totally bonkers today. I am blaming the weather and allergies. Right now we are all sitting on the couch chilling. I am starving but don't want to disrupt the quiet to feed myself. I mean, they have already eaten but surely when I feed myself they will want to be fed again. lol.

I am hoping to take them swimming this afternoon for family swim. I am also hoping to convince lee to come along. That will likely be the harder part. I don't want to nag. I am trying hard not to nag but I need/want him to come with us.

Life changes

we are going through some major changes over here in the Norris house. It is all good. At least I am thinking of it as all good. This does not mean it is without challenge but we are taking it in stride. My husband is now a stay at home dad and/or children's book author and no longer a marketing manager. what does this mean? well, first a significant pay cut and second a lot more free time :) well, not kid free time but work free time. We are excited and adapting. I will keep you posted.

In the meantime I continue to map out my own personal place in this life. I am forging new relationships with friends....deep, passionate friendships. It is great. I hope to be friends with these ladies for a long time. I still question how it will all pan out as our children age but I really try hard just to enjoy it and not worry. It is lovely feeling a part of something bigger than myself. and my kids dig it too.