Friday, October 9, 2015

7 Quick Takes Friday

1.


Comparing the Lauer babies at about one month old, I think #1 and #4 look alike, #2 and #3 look alike, and #5 has his own look.

2. 

One morning, the two older kids woke up particularly early and I heard them scurry downstairs talking about a Surprise for Mama. I lay in bed for an entire half hour, still resting, and wondering with happiness if they were doing their schoolwork or cleaning something (apparently service is my love language). When I came down, I discovered that their surprise was painting pictures for me (words of affirmation?), which involved changing my neat school room, ready to go for the morning, into an artist's chaotic den of genius, with paper strewn everywhere and paint smears galore. I had two ways to react and I decided to be grateful.

3.

Bonus Reading: "9 Ways to Entertain Your Toddler Without Using a Smartphone" is a fantastic resource of ideas. I use techniques like this all the time in restaurants, waiting rooms, and lobbies--and they're not just for toddlers, but for much older kids too!

4.

Thomas is old enough that I have to consult the calendar to count how many weeks . . . 11-1/2 weeks old now! He is starting to show me some predictability of naps and bedtime, about which I'm very grateful.

He wakes up between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. and one predictable nap is at 9:00 a.m. I usually do morning school time with him napping in my sling.

Napping during morning spelling

His afternoon routine of sleep and wake time is a blur to me, I don't know any pattern he has because I don't have time to pay attention to it. But I do note that he tends to fall asleep for a nap around 4:00, so I try to make sure I get him asleep in his swing at that time so I can make dinner hands-free.

The next milestone I note is that he falls asleep between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., usually for the night at that point. Then he just wakes overnight to nurse, I don't know how many times, I don't count.

5. 

Bonus Reading: "The Insomniac's Guide to Homeschooling at Night" gave me food for thought concerning our night owl, Mary Genevieve. I have to say that it makes me uncomfortable to consider letting a child live quite a schedule so askew from the rest of the family, but this does make me consider with interest letting (encouraging) Mary to do her independent school work for the next day between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. when she's usually awake anyway. Either she's lying in her bed, wide awake, because we make her be there, or she's happily in the school room by herself drawing pictures or writing a story because we let her.

6.


A sneak peak at a free opportunity the children were given to perform one song each on the Horowitz piano and have it professionally recorded . . . , We won't receive the videos for a couple of weeks, I'm told. (And, yes, I really am a scatterbrained-enough mama that I forgot to take a picture of John.)





7.


I just booked a plane ticket for Baby Thomas and I to go somewhere for four days later in November . . . and I am excited!

See 7 Quick Takes Friday at This Ain't the Lyceum!

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