Randomness on a Thursday...

The sun is shining again.  We've had lots of rain and everything is so soggy.  But I'm grateful we don't have to deal with drought conditions like other areas of the country.  Just have to wait a couple of days for the yard to dry out! 

~♪~

Anna has begun throwing fits.  I'm usually pretty good at getting her out of them if I catch her fast enough.  She understands a great deal and can be calmed down with an appropriate word or two.  If I don't catch her in time, though, she makes this terrible face with her mouth wide open in a silent scream and her eyes all screwed shut tight.  Sometimes there are tears.  Sometimes not.  And then there's nothing for her but to wait it out and probably nurse her.  Usually it seems to happen because I can't figure out what she wants.  Or because what she wants is to grab a knife off the counter or swing from the chandelier or something equally dangerous.  (Though secretly, I think swinging from the chandelier might be fun....Shh!  Don't tell my little ones!)

~♫~

I have a sticky spot on the back of my shoulder where Sarah kissed me this morning during our pancake breakfast.  :)  And nope: I'm not changing my shirt!  There's nothing in this world I'd rather have than loving children and a sticky shirt.

~♪~

I have plants all over the place.  Stuff under my grow lights getting ready to be planted out this coming week, containers out on the back deck that I planted earlier this month, flowers from the store that need a home which were given to me by my children and husband for Mother's Day and my birthday.  Now that the rain has left us for a little while, I can probably sneak some time to go out and actually plant them all!  I didn't do much in the way of edible plants this year, though I did do my usual herbs and some very tasty cherry tomatoes.  Pretty much everything else (oh, and carrots.  I love home grown carrots) is just pretty :)   I don't usually allow myself pretty flowers because I expend my energy on the edible stuff.  This year, I've kind of gone exactly the opposite way.  Maybe my garden will be better next year for the break....

~♫~

We're planning a big trip this year which will require more time away from home than we've ever done before.  That means lots of extra planning.  But it also means lots of extra visiting with people we love and miss!  We'll be heading down to Sam's mom (Kissie Gramma) in Myrtle Beach and then out to Kentucky to visit my dear sister on her little farm.  I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this trip. 

~♪~

Just a couple more weeks and the kids will be finished with first grade.  Actually, they are already finished in every subject but history.  Somehow, that subject got a little left behind.  Not that we didn't study history this year, it just seems we dawdled over each topic.  Which is good, and I won't push for us to finish the book by the end of June but I will make it more of a daily priority so we can make sure we fit in as much as we can.  The kids get reading time in bed at night now, and they often choose stories about the people we've read about in our history lessons as their leisure reading.  Stuff like that always makes me feel like I'm actually doing an okay job at this whole schooling thing! 

~♫~

People keep asking me when I'm going to ween Anna.  True, she's 20 months old now.  And I know many people who work at weening their babies around the year mark.  But I think that comes from the convention of weening them off formula and bottles around 12 months and less from any real wisdom about breast feeding.  Of course you want your baby off formula as soon as possible.  It's crazy expensive.  And bottles are terrible for their little teeth.  But nursing has no such down sides.  And Anna shows no signs of wanting to give it up.

Sarah, my only other real breast feeding experience, weened herself at 11 months because I had to be away for a few days.  When I came back, she nursed once and then never wanted it again!  Anna is an entirely different experience.  I have no problem letting her take the lead.  If she's not ready, I won't push it.

She is looking towards potty training, though.  :)  She often tells me "Potty Momma?"  (I love that she calls me Momma most of the time!) One time she was insistent, but I thought she wanted to play in there so I told her no.  What a missed opportunity.  Ah well.  She sits on a potty seat on the toilet all the time but hasn't done anything there yet.  She grunts and groans and pretends, though, so I have hope that she'll play her way to getting the job done. 

~♪~

Thanks for checking in!  Talk to you soon.  :) And thanks, Jennie, for the cute "idea separation" idea!  I love it :)