That first splinter

We all remember the fright of that first wood splinter poking out of a little finger or hand after a full day of play.  My big girl has become quite concerned about any sort of ailment lately.  Even the smallest bruise or scrape has her mind spinning.  When she discovered a splinter in her hand the other evening she became so panicked.  This picture describes the scene perfectly:  Dad with the tweezers, Uncle #1 holding the hand steady, Uncle #2 holding the flashlight and the little girl looking on with a sweet mixture of fright and delight (I know she loved all the attention she received from her doting uncles and father).  I look at it and have to laugh and this dramatic moment.

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Peeking out a snowy window

Our big guy loves the snow.  He sat outside all morning and was happier than I have seen him in months.

We enjoyed peeking out our snowy windows at our big boy today.

Wishing for Snow

There seems to be a chance of snow in our area this evening.  With this exciting information, we dreamed and talked about snow all day.  There is something so magical about little snow-globes with people inside.  As we sat shaking our snow-globes, we pondered what real snow might be like.  In our area, snowfall is rare.  We are wishing and hoping for a beautiful white snowfall tonight.

Warm and Cozy: Baked Apples Part II

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Have you ever heard of They Draw and They Cook?  It is a wonderful little blog where people submit drawings and illustrations of their recipes.  I love perusing the unique recipes and illustrations.  Wouldn't this be a great way to cook with your kids?  Anyway, after making baked apples a few weeks ago, I have been looking for other variations of this sweet treat.  I ran across this recipe today and thought it sounded great--especially on a cold night.

The luxury of breakfast...

Since having kids, breakfast is no longer a slow and relaxing start to my day.  It seems like a constant rush of getting everyone what they need, refilling drinks, fetching vitamins, cleaning sticky hands and having a few sips of my never-hot coffee in between.  Don't get me wrong, I love serving my children healthy food that will jumpstart their day, but I do miss the luxury of a long, slow breakfast.

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of enjoying a breakfast out...yes, out!  I only had one child with me and it was glorious.  I was able to dine with a friend who also brought her little one.  Even though we spend a lot of our time chasing and appeasing our children, we actually ate a warm breakfast and drank hot coffee!  What a luxury.

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I hope you enjoy some longer and slower breakfasts during this cold snap!

Along with a birthday comes a well-check...

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Whew!  We did it. {It took the whole family}  

After 4 pokes, a trip to the potty, hearing beeps in our ears, reading a chart, feeling a tight cuff on our arm, answering many questions and telling a few stories, we made it out of the doctor's office alive.

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Yes, we had the dreaded well-check today for my big girl.  It was a BIG one to say the least.

It is so hard to explain to a young child why an immunization is a good thing.  We have been reading this book and it really does a good job of going over what a well-check is.  It also talks about why an immunization is needed to keep you healthy.  Thank you Stan and Jan!

We absolutely love our pediatrician's office.  It is the perfect mix of experienced doctors, kind pediatric nurses (you know, the older ones that seem like a mother to the whole family) and a friendly atmosphere.  Normally our visits there are quite pleasant but today it was just horrible.

You see, this is the visit where they get the child ready for mainstream schooling.  They take many tests to make sure the child is healthy for school.  Our poor girl did great during all of it but as soon as we stepped out the back door of the office she broke down into uncontrollable sobbing.  Her feelings were so hurt.  A trip to her favorite sorbetto shop and restaurant didn't even begin to erase the memories of today.  Poor kid...

Thankfully the doctor reassured her that she wouldn't need any more pokes until she was a teenager.  {Thank heavens!}

On a side note:  It was neat to see my girl interact with our pediatrician.  She was anxious to tell him about stubbing her toe, the foods she eats, alphabet, numbers, colors and more.  The independence of the child was definitely at the fore-front of this visit.  I just ordered this cute chore chart to promote some more independence and responsibility at home.