Usually I don't seem to get many really good deals when I'm shopping, but lately I've gotten a couple and been so impressed with myself. On Sunday, we stopped at Kmart for a couple things, and on their clearance racks they had a pair of girls' winter boots for $3 (normally $30). They're about one size bigger than what Accalia is wearing right now, and I just couldn't pass them up. So, I'm really, really hoping Accalia's feet don't grow too much over the summer.

And today our free DVD player arrived in the mail. Well, in reality it probably cost $2 or $3, but I'd say that's pretty good! We got it through FreeDVDS.com The way this works is that you earn enough points for free DVDs or even a DVD player by signing up for various programs, credit cards, etc. I think you could manage to do it for absolutely nothing, but a few of the programs I signed up for charged a $1 non-refundable processing fee. I was okay with that, though, since we can't afford to pay full price for a DVD player right now and it's not something we need. So Cory set it up after supper and after we walked Lucy. Thankfully we had the Spiderman DVD that Cory bought the day it came out (even though we didn't have a DVD player at the time). He's a bit of a fan :)

This morning we went to the library, and there was some sort of group - maybe a preschool class - there for story time. We usually try to avoid those times because Accalia likes to go to the library and have all of the toys to herself :) Sometimes she's in the mood to be social with the other kids, too. Anyway, I was standing a few feet away from all of the activity making copies of the contract I signed for Cole's birth story appearing in the upcoming issue of Pandora's Box Magazine, and by the time I made it over there one of the teachers had apparently invited Accalia to join in. Accalia looked eager and hesitant at the same time, and I sat nearby while she sat with the dozen or so children and listened to a few stories. Then we were all led to the auditorium where we sat and watched a short movie. Accalia sat right up front and started getting a bit restless in the middle. I walked over and explained to her that she had to sit quietly and watch the movie while she was with the group so she didn't disturb anyone. "I'm sorry, Mommy!" When the movie was over, all of the children lined up and started walking out to their bus. I moved alongside Accalia and held out my hand for her. She started to take it and then hesitated, looked around and then grabbed on to my hand - almost as if she had to see if it was okay for her to do it. I asked if she had fun, and she said yes but seemed rather subdued for a while after that and was quite willing to go home then.

I think many of the people who read this blog know of our decision to unschool and allow Accalia to continue to learn without restrictions, but many may not know just how strongly I feel about the school system. And what I saw today really reinforced these beliefs and made me so happy that we won't be turning Accalia over to the care of a stranger in a couple short years. I have to admit I was surprised at how well Accalia sat and followed the directions of the teachers and librarian. "You see, Amy, Accalia does like structure!", I can hear my mother-in-law saying. What I saw that really bothered me is that as soon as Accalia sat down with that group of children it was like a light went off. She put all of her natural exuberance and curiosity on hold in order to listen to this stranger talk to her for a half hour or so. Why would I want to do this to her for eight hours a day five days a week then? Admittedly, there are times at home where I wish she'd sit so passively, but I don't want that to be forced on her the majority of her day. But Amy, you may say, how is she going to learn how to act in settings like that if she doesn't go to school? Well, obviously she did just fine today without the benefit of years and years of classroom instruction.
It just really freaked me out to see Accalia turn into an assembly line kid before my eyes.

Here are some links that I've found very inspiring in my unschooling journey so far:
Unschooling.com
John Taylor Gatto
Holt GWS
John Taylor Gatto's writings

Well, circumstances haven't allowed for me to have my alone time. That's okay, though. Cole had a really rough night. He woke up at 1 a.m and threw up, then was up crying at 2, 3, 3:30, 4 and 4:30. By that time, he was feeling rather warm so I gave him some Advil and both of us slept until 8:30. I hope this cold doesn't develop into something more. He seems okay today but has been sleeping more this afternoon. And now it sounds like Accalia's waking up from her monster nap.

Our exciting family adventure today was to check out the new dollar store in Yankton. And it's actually pretty cool. We had a fun time wandering around.

Goodie, goodie, goodie! Tomorrow Cory is taking both kids - I repeat, both kids - to the library. That means I'll get a half hour at least completely to myself! Wow. That hasn't happened in nearly seven months. I remember when Accalia was around six months and Cory started taking her places for a short time (as long as she was comfortable being away from me), and I spent most of the time sitting in a chair wondering what to do with myself. Here's what I'm going to do tomorrow. I'm going to read the Sunday paper as much or as little as I want. I'm going to sit and play piano. Those are two things that I haven't been able to do without children on or near me since I can't remember.

So, while I'm looking forward to such a frivilous and self-involved thing, I have one cousin somewhere in Iraq (last we heard he was in Kuwait moving that way). Hopefully all is well with him. He's young - maybe 20 now - and became engaged a short time ago. Another cousin is heading to Kuwait in the next few days. Prayers are greatly appreciated for Jonathan and Chris.

Last night Cole fell asleep around 10:30 or so, and I headed upstairs to sleep myself. Cory wasn't ready for bed yet, and Accalia wasn't either thanks to a late nap, but she came upstairs and laid in bed with me and talked a bit. Cole was lying between us, and she started rubbing his head.

Accalia: I like Cole. I like his little head. He has sharp teeth! (she's finally noticed the two teeth that have erupted over the past couple weeks)

Then we started talking about Blue's Clues and the Green Puppy character. It's so nice to be able to talk with your kids about what they're interested in and actually take them seriously and be interested in it yourself. It really irritates me to hear adults speaking to children in such condescending tones. I often wonder when people who don't treat children as actual "real" people decide that the children are old enough now to be "one of them". I do think there are people who don't intentionally try to treat children like that - perhaps they just don't know how to interact with children.

Just rambling, I guess. It really made me feel good last night to know I can enjoy my children as people even when they're young, rather than waiting until they're 18 and ready to leave the house when I realize how much I missed out on.

For the past couple of days, Cole has been showing more of an interest in solid foods. Now, I have even less of a desire to give him anything other than breastmilk than I did with Accalia. Besides the obvious benefits of delaying solids, it's just such a pain compared with lifting up your shirt and that's it! I've been eating nectarines today, yesterday and the day before, and Cole has taken to sharing my fruit snack with me. Eating solids for him, so far, is licking whatever it is. And the really cute thing is that he shivers after he tastes the food. Today he grabbed my water glass from me and was eagerly licking up water, and he was giggling as he did that. What an adventure the world of solid foods is for our little ones! So much experimenting to do.

Accalia has been adding more and more phrases to her sentences. Instead of asking me to "open this", she'll say "open this for me". Does similar things with a lot of her conversing now. She doesn't clearly pronounce some of her letter sounds yet, so I know others have a bit of trouble understanding her sometimes. I'm not concerned, though, and ready to seek out a speech therapist.

I think it's safe to say I started out today in an awful mood. Accalia woke up at 5:30, and that was way too early for me. Cole, fo course, woke up soon after that since it was no longer quiet and peaceful. He fell asleep about an hour later, but Accalia was going strong. Now it's a bit after 1 p.m. and it looks like Accalia may be falling asleep soon.

I was just so cranky, and it didn't help that Accalia came into the office and said she had pooped on the living room floor. She got a bit too busy and didn't make it to the toilet in time. It was just a little bit, but she managed to step in it, so I was cleaning up poopy footprints. But thankfully the next thing Accalia did just put me in a much better mood. Whew! She slathered up her legs with lotion and started putting tissues all over them. I started to groan thinking about the mess I'd have to clean up when Accalia stood up and started waving her arms and saying, "Cluck! Cluck! I'm a chicken!" Now how can you stay in a bad mood when you see such creativity coming from a child?

Accalia's definitely been putting her imagination to work in role playing lately. This morning alone she's not only been a chicken but also a frog and a snake. She's used a mound of pillows to do countless things and used game pieces for everything except what their original purpose was.

Cole is officially a crawler. He's not very steady or fast yet but is definitely crawling. Now it gets interesting as he has ready access to anything Accalia has placed on the ground. I've been talking with Accalia about what will happen now that Cole is crawling, but I don't think it's really sunk in yet.

So, I'm pretty darn tired but can't help but be overwhelmed by sheer joy at how amazing my kids are. Life is good.

I was on the computer yesterday when Accalia came in and handed me a pink carnation from the bouquet of flowers Cory gave me last Friday. She walked over to the middle of the room and started dancing. Then she told me to throw the flower. I wasn't catching on quick enough, but I threw the flower and she started bowing. Then, of course, I realized she had picked it up from her Angelina Ballerina video and had finished her dance recital and wanted the audience acolades. So she heard plenty of clapping, "Bravos" and "Encores" from me.

Yesterday I received a letter from the solider I'm writing to through Operation Military Support. Poor guy doesn't sound too excited to be in the military. That must be hard enough to be in a war when you support it or at least love the military, but to not even want to be in the military? Wow. I don't know much about him yet, but I'm in the process of writing a letter back to him. I'm also going to send him a copy of his favorite magazine. I want to put together a little package of odds and ends to send to him, too.

This is just one of those days where I'm never going to get ahead no matter how hard I try. Both kids slept horribly last night and both woke up with colds. So, I've had two sick, cranky kids today - Accalia more cranky than Cole. They're both sleeping right now, though, so I'm catching up with some LLL work. The ink cartridges for the printer arrived today, so I'm finally able to print off a bunch of stuff! Why, you may ask, don't we just go down to the store and buy some? Cory buys them off of eBay and gets two for $7 or close to that. Much preferable to the $20 we'd spend otherwise on just one.

I think the idea of getting all caught up on laundry today is going out the window. Cole's been throwing up. I don't think he's nauseated. I think he's just choking on the excess mucous he has right now. So, I'm washing bed sheets right now. They needed to be washed any way. I also have to wash my Maya Wrap. Thankfully my friend Sara gave me a Kissaluv sling, so I have an extra sling that I really like - instead of the Nojo I was using before. At least diaper covers are hanging out to dry right now. That just means 3 or 4 more loads of laundry. Woo hoo!

Accalia's been having an awesome week in terms of receiving mail. She's in heaven! Yesterday my friend Heather sent her a card and stickers. She loved that! After she put all of the stickers in their places (a Noah's ark sticker with bunches of animals), she put it on a piece of paper, punched a hole at the top, had me tie a shoe string through in and tried to fly her new kite. Unfortunately it just wasn't windy enough. We'll have to take her kite flying this weekend if the weather cooperates.

And today, Accalia and Cole (and me and Cory!) got a package from my parents with lots of goodies. Accalia got a Winnie the Pooh sticker/coloring book, treats like licorice and Teddy Grahams, and Cole got a book (which Accalia will get more enjoyment out of right now) and new socks. Socks and pjs always seem to be the most needed clothing items. Why is that? Then Cory and I got a bit of cash to treat ourselves to a meal. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Accalia was busy mixing up strange concoctions today. She mixed up dirt and water in a purple bowl. Then she sprinkled in a bit of salt and pepper, mixing that with a toothpick before adding in oatmeal. After that we poured a bit of milk in there before microwaving the mixture for half a minute. She wasn't specific about what it was supposed to be, but it was definitely fun for her.

Accalia's also becoming more and more aware of letters, although she hasn't tried her hand at writing any yet. The other day she asked me to write her name over and over again while she watched intently. Right now she prefers to draw monsters and really happy people.

Accalia just came in and asked me to make a paper airplane. I'm ashamed to admit that I couldn't even remember how! That's awful! It has been a few years, though, so I really did need a refresher. In the process, I found a cool site with instructions for a bunch of paper airplanes:Alex's Paper Airplanes. They're ranked in order of easiest to hardest, too. I started with the easiest, of course!

Oh, I forgot to mention the sweetest thing that Cory did on Friday. The kids and I came home from Mitchell and there was a vase of flowers waiting for me - the seventh anniversary of our first kiss. Aww! I didn't remember :)

How sad to think of the U.S. soldiers who have died so far, especially those who were captured and killed by Iraqi soldiers today. I certainly hope this war serves a purpose.

Other than the constant, depressing war coverage, it's a beautiful spring day here. Lots of firsts for us, too. This morning Cory set up the clothesline, so I was able to hang up diapers for the first time since last summer. I love how white they become! Cory's setting up the swing set right now, and Accalia can barely contain her excitement.

We also went out to the lake today so Accalia could play on the toys there. It was a bit cool and windy near the lake, though, so Cole and I waited in the van for the majority of the time. It's fun to watch how outgoing Accalia has become around other kids. She used to be so shy. Today when a boy and girl came up to the toys, Accalia said, "Hi! I'm Accalia!"

Yesterday was a rather rough day for Accalia. We went for our weekly outing to McDonalds so Accalia can play in the playland (thankfully the weather is turning nicer now she we can just go to a park), and she got hurt when she was on the slide with a few other kids. One mother came up to me and said a little boy just shoved her face down. I have no idea which kid it was, though. Accalia was crying and screaming about her hand. We came home and Accalia seemed to be feeling better, but she woke up from her nap crying and screaming. Cory finally got it out of her that her hand hurt. We couldn't tell that anything was wrong, but Accalia was definitely favoring it. So we took her to the convenient care clinic where they x-rayed her hand. The doctor couldn't see any breaks, although he did say to bring her in on Monday if it was still really bothering her since breaks on growth plates sometimes show up after a few days. She's keeping her hand wrapped up in an Ace bandage right now - a little inconvenient since it was her left hand that was injured and she's left handed, but she's doing well. Last night it seemed she woke up almost every hour crying about her hand, but she doesn't want to take any medicine except for homeopathic arnica. She says that's helping a lot, though, and this morning she said her hand felt much better. Guess we just have to keep watching.

Today I was off to Mitchell with the kids to visit my friends while Cory took the day off and stayed at home. I think he had a good time - touched up paint in few places - and we definitely had a good time hanging out with everyone today.

I think I'm going to search for some kids' yoga videos. Accalia saw pictures of some pregnant women doing yoga and was really excited by it. I've wanted to start practicing yoga for the longest time but just haven't gotten around to it. I'd say we could check a video out from our library, but our library's a bit of a joke when it comes to subjects such as yoga :)

Okay, quick vent about the Dixie Chicks and many peoples' responses to statements made by their lead singer. It really, really bothers me that people living in a democracy and supporting a war that supposedly will help bring about some of these democratic freedoms to other people get so upset when someone expresses an opinion that they don't necessarily agree with! Okay, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one of the best parts of living in a democracy the ability to have differing opinions and be allowed to express them? And yes, it's also a person's right to say they will boycott something because they don't agree with the person or product. But to say that a person is un-American because they criticize the President select? That's just ridiculous. There's nothing un-American about disagreeing with Bush's war policy. I am really, really disappointed in Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, though. I'm disappointed because she first took a stand on the war and then apologized and basically retracted her earlier statement because of the public outcry.

This afternoon I had just put Cole down on the bed to nap when Lucy started barking at the mail carrier. Cole woke up at that point, and as I was lying on the bed with him and Accalia, I said, "Maybe we should just get rid of Lucy." I expected Accalia to protest, but she said, "Yeah, let's put her out back." I said, "No, I mean give her to another family and we'd never see her again." Accalia said, "Okay! Let's get a new puppy - one that doesn't bark!" LOL!

We seriously do love and enjoy our dog - at least most of the time - in case any of you were wondering.

Cory just headed up to bed. Early night for him. Accalia's watching her Angelina Ballerina video and dancing along. Just a moment ago, she was practicing her leaps by jumping over Cole as he played on the floor. He tired of that and is not nursing.

Earlier today:
Accalia (pointing to a puddle of liquid on the floor): That's not pee, Mommy. I pee in the toilet!

And a bittersweet discovery this evening: Cole's first tooth is popping through! I saw a white speck on his bottom gum and then felt the little nub poking through. Waah! He's too little to have a tooth! I know I'm going to miss those toothless grins terribly.

I've been really busy today with my ACLA work. I received my first two applications and recommendations, so I've been getting the initial letter and packet I send ready to mail. Even though it takes a bit of time, I really enjoy it. I'm supposed to have two more applications heading my way soon, too.

Another day. Another park. This time we went to a small park across the street from the hospital where Accalia was born. We fed the ducks and geese and ran around and played. There were more parents there today that are just making me feel like an amazingly good parent! Accalia was on the merry go round with two other kids, and the older boy asked his dad to push the merry go round. The dad just said no and kept standing there. Uh, okay. And the mom just stood there, too. I pushed them around for a minute before the boy decided he wanted to do it.

Oh, and the highlight of my day took place at the park. I ran into my old hair stylist, Virginia! I'm sure most of you are thinking that my life is pretty dull if this was a highlight. I have been looking for someone to do my hair like she does ever since we moved away from Yankton in Sept. 2000! When we moved back, the place she had been at was closed, and I didn't bother calling around to find out if she was any place else. I'm so excited! She recognized me before I even saw her, and she was so excited, too. Now doesn't that make a person feel good? She even remembered Accalia's name, which I thought was impressive. She even told me that she remembers exactly how to cut my hair. I can't wait to make my next appointment!

We were at the park today, and a father there with two children - probably around 9 or 10 - was hurrying them along to go home. They were standing behind the bench where I was sitting and nursing Cole, and I heard the dad reprimanding one of the kids for getting something at the playground dirty. The child said, "I didn't mean to! I didn't know that would happen." The dad replied, "I know you didn't know that would happen, but you should and that's what the problem is." Huh? If that isn't the most idiotic thing I've ever heard aside from some choice words of certain politicians. I felt like turning around and saying, "Excuse me. If this is something your child is supposed to know and apparently doesn't, why haven't you talked with her about it? And why are you getting upset with her? It's not like we have a master list of things we should absolutely know."

I just hope that I've made it clear to Accalia and will continue to do so to always question what you hear. It doesn't matter if the person is an adult or a doctor or anyone! And I certainly hope that if I ever say something like that father said to his child, that Accalia will call me on it.

Accalia crashed early tonight, and I was actually able to put Cole up in bed for a while after she fell asleep. What a weird feeling to be sitting downstairs without any children in my arms or near me. It was really nice just to sit and read for a bit. Right now I'm reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". I've never used the Fertility Awareness Method (almost exactly like Natural Family Planning), but I am this time around. This book is definitely a must read for every woman. This is something I will be passing along to Accalia once she's ready to read it.

Oh, Cole has started doing the most annoying thing while he nurses. He'll tweak my elbow with his finger. Better than twiddling nipples, I guess :)

Today was a beautiful day - upper 60s, sunny, light wind. If only the entire summer were like this.. Actually, I wouldn't mind a few hot days so a dip in the lake would feel especially good.

Cory's on call this weekend, so he was gone in the morning. For a while now, Saturday lunches have been spent at McDonald's. Obviously not for the food, but so Accalia can run amuck in the playland with all the other kids. Since the warmer weather is heading our way, I think we need to change that to picnics out at the lake with Accalia running amuck. That sounds much, much nicer.

This afternoon we were able to play outside a lot. I was able to put Cole down for a short time while he napped, and Cory started to lay down for a nap before Cole woke up. In the mean time, Accalia and I went outside to play. We unearthed her tricycle from out of the depths of the shed and took that for a few spins around the front of the house. Then, when the boys were awake, we took Lucy out for a walk along the trail at a nearby creek. That was all built while we were living in Mitchell, so this was our first time on it. It was so nice seeing all these people out walking, biking, roller blading, etc. We didn't see nearly so many people outside in Mitchell as we do in Yankton. I think part of that is due to the great trails and outdoor activities here.

Some big sister talk:

Accalia: (as Cole reached for her food) Oh, oh Cole! You're too little. Suck on my toe! (which Cole promptly did).

A childhood friend of Cory's, Eric, and his girlfriend, Janeen, have a site that showcases their talents: Shadow Phoenix Studios. Many of their interests are way out of the realm of my knowledge, but both are talented. I wish them the best of luck!

Today I was googling sites on frugal living in my newly renewed desire to help us at least live from paycheck to paycheck. Many of these sites have information about homesteading, too, which is something I've always fancied. I know my view of it is pretty darn romanticized after reading too many Little House On The Prairie books, but one day my dream is to at least live on a little bit of land and try to subsist more independently than we currently do. Someday.

For now I can live vicariously through the people who maintain these sites:
Natural Family Home
Homestead.org
Little Country Village

Wow! Elizabeth Smart has been found alive!

Yesterday we went to Mitchell to visit my friend Sara and her two daughters. Claire is nearly three weeks old. The last time I saw them was the day after she was born. It's always so much fun to see how quickly newborns change in the early weeks and months. And hearing those little kitty mews as she nurses is just terribly sweet. Thankfully I have no baby urges. LOL! Cole, at six months, is still plenty baby for me :)

Yesterday we offered Cole solids for the first time. I couldn't tell if this was a growth spurt or he was actually ready, and he was displaying so many signs of readiness that I decided I didn't want him to keep hankering after solids if that's what he really wanted. I gave him little bits of banana that he grabbed right away and brought to his mouth but didn't actually try them. So I gave him a few Cheerios, and he grabbed those and just threw them. Yay! I'm so happy that he doesn't want solids yet! LOL! I was starting to feel guilty that he really did want them and I just wasn't going to give him any yet, but now I know he doesn't want any at this point.

Accalia's favorite response to anyone right now if we hestitate to say yes or if we tell her we don't want her to get hurt (ex. sliding down the stairs on the beanbag) is "Don't worry. It's okay."

I'm just obsessing over one song lately. Do you ever get that way where you can listen to it over and over again? This time it's "Break Your Heart" from the Bare Naked Ladies "Rock Spectacle" CD. You can listen for yourself here: Rock Spectacle. Just click on the Music link at the top of the page, then click on the "Rock Spectacle" album to get to the tracks. It's a live album, and usually I'm not too thrilled by them. I love this one, though! And "Break Your Heart" is one of those songs that just gives me chills when I hear it. And the bonus to this group is that most of their music is pretty bouncy, so it's very entertaining for babies who happen to be in the sling while the music is playing.

Cory's parents left this morning. At first Accalia was in a bad mood knowing they were leaving, but she soon recovered and spent half the day building things with her various blocks and legos. Cole has just been completely out of sorts lately. I think he has about a million things going on right now. As I've mentioned before, there's the crawling thing and the nap thing. And there's a bit of separation anxiety, too. I can't tell yet, but he's either going through a growth spurt or he's wanting solids. If he's still so fussy in a few days, I think we're going to see if he's interested in food. I'm really glad we've made it to six months at least with exclusive breastfeeding. The way he was grabbing for things early on, I thought he'd want solids much sooner At any rate, the only place he seems to be perfectly content is in the sling.

So the house is in relatively good shape thanks to our visitors and life is pretty good despite the fact that I think we're officially dirt poor. I'm just going with that since it's not a good sign when you don't know if you'll have enough money to buy groceries - or at least as many as you really need. Despite the fact that we don't have much money and have a mountain of debt, I feel really blessed for all of the things that we do have. And how could you not when you have an amazingly supportive, funny, intelligent husband and two incredible children who remind you every day of what's important.

Cory's upstairs right now reading to Accalia. As he went up the stairs, he said, "One of us will be falling asleep!" Hopefully I don't see Accalia coming back down the stairs. Cole is falling asleep right now for most likely a late evening nap. Shoot. I hope I'm not up until midnight. Tomorrow we're going to visit my friend Sara and her two kids, including two-week-old Claire. Yay! A little, itty bitty baby to hold :)

It's a very peaceful house right now. Cory and his mom ran to the grocery store. Cory's dad is reading. Cole is asleep in bed, and Accalia's having a blast with all of this single child attention. She's loved having Cory's parents here - always does. She gets book after book read to her without a little brother grabbing at the pages or wiggling around all over. Last night she gave us a dance recital - blasting her music, changing her clothes a number of times, and even turning off the lights at one point so we could get the full effect - or something. LOL!

I'm beginning to think Cole is trying to cut out one of his naps. He usually naps three times a day, and lately he's been holding out on his evening nap too long. That means we're up how late until he's tired again. Last night we went to bed around midnight, and that's just too late for me :)

What drives me nuts and at the same time is very funny is when Accalia is trying to wake up Cole but acting totally oblivious to the fact. That's what's happening right now. I'm at the computer while Cole is nursing/sleeping. Accalia goes over to the piano, which is located right next to the computer, and starts playing. She keeps looking over at Cole until she sees movement and runs over: "Cole! You're awake!" This seems to happen more frequently as Cole gets older and more fun for Accalia to hang out with and play.

My LLL meeting this morning was canceled because of the cold and snow. Bummer. Cory's parents will be here in an hour or so.

Check out this site: Goddess in the Groove. Neat!

Both kids are napping right now, so I'm getting a bit of downtime. There really are a bunch of things I need to do - mostly cleaning - but I'm just being lazy. Cory's parents are coming tomorrow, so it would be nice to have a fairly clean house for them. I have to say that it's looking fairly good right now, although some people would probably be aghast that I think that. LOL!

Don't you ever go through periods where you just feel like all of the housework you do is pointless? It seems that no matter how on top you are with laundry or dishes or picking up toys, the instant you turn around there are more clothes to wash or dishes to load in the dishwasher or puzzle pieces to put away. I don't expect that time just stand still so I won't have any work to do, but it would be nice! It does get a little discouraging at times to think you just have to do the same thing over and over again. But at the same time, I feel so blessed that I have these things to do. That I'm here at home with my children and am able to do a load of laundry at noon rather than rushing home from work and fitting that in sometime between preparing supper and reading bedtime stories. And it helps me to know that each time I do one of these ever constant household chores I'm showing Cory and the kids how much I care about them to do this for us and our house. Of course I could do it a bit more often ;)

Tomorrow I'm going to my first LLL meeting in much too long a time. Looking forward to it!

I just got up this morning and both kids are still asleep in bed. I don't think that's ever happened! The last time I remember getting up all by myself in the morning was before Cole was here. This is so strange! Lucy even noticed a difference and wanted tons of attention poured on her since I had no child in my arms or at my side.

Cory stayed at home yesterday - decided to use one of his sick days. He was doing a lot of stuff on the computer - and rightly so since he doesn't get a chance during the week usually - and that pushed my time back. And when I finally got a chance to do a few things, I was so exhausted that I just went to bed.

Oh, truely disgusting Accalia moment: Thankfully Cory dealt with it! Accalia was upstairs using the bathroom, and apparently there was no toilet paper nearby. So, she decide to use her fingers to try to wipe. Eew! Needless to say, Cory wasn't too excited about cleaning up poop from a variety of body parts.

Accalia was so excited yesterday because she and Cole got a package in the mail from their auntie Heather. Accalia loves getting mail. Every day she asks, "Did I get a package?" Heather sent an outfit for each of the kids, and Accalia just fell in love with the dress she received. Cole was more interested in trying to put the packaging in his mouth, but perhaps one day he'll appreciate clothes.

At this point, I really want Cole to figure out crawling. He wants to be on the ground when he's in my arms, and then he gets so frustrated on the ground because he can't go forward. Today I put him on the kitchen floor, and he scooted all the way back through the dining room into the living room. He looked thoroughly confused, too.

What's really cute is that Cole will wave and say "hi" when someone comes into the room. So, of course, Cory, Accalia and I start waving our arms up and down and saying "hi" in goofy voices whenever we see him after leaving a room. He just loves it and could stand there forever doing that. I'm almost positive he said "mama" the other day, but it's not something he's said since.

My involvement in La Leche League is really picking up. I've been a Leader for a year now, but I've never had a Group of my own to lead due to our rather frequent moves. I still don't know whether we'll be in Yankton long enough for me to start up a Group, but about 20 minutes away in Hartington, NE, is a Leader and Group. Karen and I talked quite a bit today. There's a meeting coming up Saturday - the first one I'll have attended in a long, long time. I'm really looking forward to that and to helping out with the Group. It sounds as if there are a few moms around in the area who have an interest in LLL, so maybe I'll be able to start up a network and even make some local friends.

I'm also almost finished with my ACLA orientation. I'm really excited to actually work with real Applicants and Leaders. Of course that means I'll be even busier, but it's hard to be discouraged when it's something you truly love and believe in. Now what would be even better is if all of this weren't volunteer and I could be making money! LOL!

We woke up this morning to a few inches of fluffy white snow. I really hope this is the last snow of the season. Not that we've had much at all, but I'm ready for spring! Cory had a rough commute to work. He almost went into the ditch once and then had to avoid running into a semi that pulled out in front of him. Needless to say, Cory's greeting to the truck driver was less than friendly.

Accalia and I have been very domestic this morning - at least by our standards :) I actually got the laundry started right away, so I'm managing to stay caught up with it. Accalia wanted to "make something" and started getting out bowls and spoons, so we tried out a new brownie recipe. It smells really good and it's chocolate, so I'm sure I'll like it. Then Accalia decided to wash all of her play dishes. I remember how much fun it was to play with water in the sink while my mom washed dishes or did other things in the kitchen. I always thought how much fun it would be to "get" to do dishes. LOL! Accalia misses out on some of that since we have a dishwasher, but occasionally she finds it fun to help us load the dishwasher.

Okay, better cut this short. Accalia has decided she wants a bubble bath. And I hear water running!

Cole is six months old today! Wow. It's hard to believe he's that old already! We went to the doctor for his six-month checkup, which, since we aren't vaccinating him, means it's basically a chance for him to get weighed and measured. Cole is 17 lbs. 8 oz. and 28 inches long. He doesn't weigh as much as we thought he would, but it turns out he is a very long boy. Cory wants both Accalia and Cole to have my body type - tall and slender - rather than his - more stocky.

Oh, and today Cole sat up unassisted for a few seconds! Whenever I put him down on the ground, he automatically tries to go into a sitting position and then promptly tumbles over. He's getting up on his hands and knees and rocking back and forth like crazy, but he can't get that forward motion figured out. He ends up going backwards and then gets extremely frustrated because he's ever farther away from whatever object he wanted.

Last night we watched "Signs". I've heard that a lot of people didn't like the ending, which basically means they didn't like the message of the movie. WARNING: I'm going to be discussing the end of this movie, so if you haven't seen it and don't want it spoiled, stop reading!

So Graham (Mel Gibson) left the ministry because he lost his faith after his wife died in a tragic accident. Now he, his brother and his two kids are trying to survive a hostile alien attack that is signalled by crop circles that appear in his corn field and all over the world. Throughout the movie, Graham makes comments about not wasting any more time with prayer and otherwise displaying his bitterness because he feels abandoned by the god that let his wife die. Okay, so in the end they survive the alien attack and his son is brought back from the brink of death. Graham tearfully exclaims "Someone saved you", and the last scene shows Graham putting his clergy clothes back on. So obviously his faith has been restored by all of the events that occured throughout the movie.

I guess I'm not sure why so many people disliked the message. Was it just the movie in general? Was it that extraterrestrials were portrayed as hostile? Was it because Graham's faith was restored and he believed that God had saved them all? Maybe it's because I'm Christian and believe in God that I'm having a hard time grasping what's so horrible about that message. Any ideas?