Catching You Up...

The past month has been a busy one chez EcoMeg, which accounts for the sparse posts here on the blog.  Here's what I've been up to...

In mid-January, I started potty training my toddler.  This turned out to be remarkably easy.  He got the hang of it within 3 days and we were done.  Within three weeks, he no longer wanted to wear diapers at night, either, so we are officially completely done with diapers.

Around that same time, my toddler and I battled sinus infections.  Mine didn't respond to the first antibiotic, so I had to go on a double dose of amoxicillin.  Big, elephant pills.  Unpleasant all the way around.

I had a visit from my Dad in late January, which was super.  I wish he lived closer.  My kids ask about him every day.  He is their favorite person!

My toddler started Montessori the first week of February, 3 mornings a week.  He lasted one week before sinking into a huge case of separation anxiety - despite being in the same class as my older son, who adores his teacher.  He also started swim classes and gymnastics classes, which, given the aforementioned separation anxiety, have not been as fun as they should be.  But we are taking it slowly and I'm not pushing the Montessori.  I know if I take a gentle approach he'll come back around to the idea.  He really enjoyed the first week and attending there was his motivation for potty training.

My older son is thriving at school, in gymnastics and has a renewed interest in reading and writing.  He is 5 and a half and we've been plowing through the Beast Quest series.  Great books for a boy his age!  He also started faith education this past Sunday afternoon, which of course means we actually have to go to church every Sunday - something we've avoided since the toddler just runs wild through the service.  But the little guy needs to learn to sit nicely, so we're committed now to attending each Sunday.

Meanwhile, I've been planning springtime for my garden:

For my organic lawn, I've sprayed all of the existing weeds with 20% vinegar to eliminate them (kills them dead in 4 hours - be careful where you spray because it will kill whatever vegetation it touches!).  Then I bought bags of corn meal gluten (to prevent future weeds) and dry molasses (encourages beneficial microbes), which I'll distribute with my spreader once we get past the precipitation later this week.  I'll water them in to make sure they get into the soil.  Then, I'm done with that for a little while.  Once the Bermuda grass emerges from hibernation in a month or two, I'll put down some organic fertilizer.

I've been mulling an organic vegetable container garden for some time and I'll launch seedlings indoors in the next two weeks.  I plan to grow zucchini, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onion and peppers.  My boys are very excited about this (I'm hoping this excitement translates into more veggie consumption!).  I'll keep you posted on how I go about it.  I decided to go with a container garden since my neighbors use chemicals on their lawns and I don't want my veggies contaminated by runoff, despite my own efforts in maintaining an organic yard.

As for fruits, I will plant two different apple trees and a pear tree up on a slope that will minimize neighbors' runoff.  I would love to try growing bananas since we consume so many of them.  We will grow strawberries indoors in a pretty planter.

To support all of this activity, I'll start composting in the next two weeks.  More on that later!

So that's what we've been up to lately.  When things calm down around here and I get some more quiet time, I'll post more often.

Stay warm!

I'm Having A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I borrowed that title from one of my favorite children's books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  I'm being dramatic.  Obviously, I am completely blessed and have no reason in the world to complain.  At all.  But sometimes a person just gets frustrated and has to let it out.  Mind if I dump on you?  Thanks!

So, my toddler work up at 5:30 a.m. for the third day in a row and refused to go back to bed.  So I was up at 5:30 a.m. for the third day in a row.  I am not a morning person.  "Get me another juice!"  "I don't want a fresh diaper!" "But I want to put my foot on your belly!"  "Get me that toy!" "I don't want that toy!  Get me another toy!"  "I don't want to read that book!" "I don't want to get down!"  "I don't want to be quiet!"

As soon as the 5 year old woke up at 7 a.m., they proceeded to play every dangerous game known to man.  Example:  "The Big Jump Game."  This involves climbing up the jungle gym we have in our playroom and jumping off of the highest point.  My toddler is two and broke his leg in a playground accident last January.  Needless to say, I am unenthusiastic about this game.

My 5 year old asked for porridge for breakfast two times, so I made porridge with raisins, honey and bananas (yum!).  While both of them insisted on "helping" (code for spilling everything, trying to pull things out of the refrigerator, running over my toes with a scooter, and climbing up on the counter every five seconds).

Once it was on the table, the 5 year old crossed his arms over his chest and insisted he wanted something else.  I finally resorted to telling the story of the hungry children in Africa.  He still refused to eat it.

"Husband!!!" I yelled.  It was 8:45 a.m. by now, and I'd been up since 5:30 a.m. while he slept peacefully.  It was time for him to take over.  Seriously.  Right then. That very second.  Grumbling, he obliged.

I finally realized that the 5 year old probably just needed a solid cuddle, so I scooped him up, reminded him how much I love him and that we'd simply had a hard morning.  This worked and he ate his porridge.

Then the toddler ran out of the bathroom without his diaper.  Thankfully, it was only #1.  He decided he wanted to wear big boy underpants (we keep a drawer of them in the bathroom in case the spirit moves him to potty train).

I sat down at the table with a cup of coffee and started to poke around my blog, catch up on some other blogs.  This was the first time I'd sat down all morning.  "Mommy, get me that!"  "Mommy, this toy needs a new battery!"  The two kids began to tease each other and soon the toddler was shouting at the 5 year old.  I looked at my husband.

It is now 10:45 a.m. and I am sitting on the floor of the bathroom with my lap top, door locked.  I have put my husband in charge.  The toddler is yelling "Mom! Mom! Mom!" outside the door.  I am waiting for my husband to tell me the toddler had a pee pee accident.
 
Sigh.

I'm sure plenty of Moms have similar mornings.  Even in Australia.

Mo Willems, One of Our Favorite Children's Book Authors

How long does it take for a book to be considered a classic?  For Mo Willems' books, not long at all.

Our favorite Willems books are Leonardo, the Terrible Monster, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus.   We read them all regularly.

The illustrations are charming, hip and funny,  and the stories are touching.  Each one carries unique, meaningful messages that are valuable for your children to hear, and each is as entertaining for the adult reader as it is for the child listener/reader.  My children never tire of them, and neither do I.