a "consequence" that actually worked!!

One magical day when my older girls were about 4 and 6, they discovered that they could have an opinion about the foods they ate. Since that moment they have become ridiculously picky eaters. Leah, for the most part, has pulled out of that phase and will eat most anything or will at least try it. Naomi, however is a different story. She won't eat 90% of what I cook. Her saving grace is that she WILL eat any fruit or veggie raw, but no cooked veggies, only frozen...and i mean with ice crystals on it. If the ice crystals melt, she won't eat it. Naomi will not eat rice, or potatoes. The only meat she likes is chicken and anything else is "disgusting".

I am used to Naomi's comments about my cooking, but Leah surprised me last week when I served a dinner of chicken and green peppers etc. Leah looked at it and said in a very teenager-ish voice, "This is dinner? Really?"

That didn't sit very well with me. So for a consequence, she got dinner duty for a week. I told her I wanted her to understand how much effort went into cooking a meal so she was in charge of coming up with the menu and cooking it. Of course I helped with running the stove etc. but for the most part, she was on her own.

She did a great job and loved it! We had waffles and pizza and grilled cheese. I don't remember the other meals, but she read the recipes and cooked them up all the while sounding a bit too much like me with comments such as, "Stop eating snacks I'm making dinner." and "I spent a lot of time making this meal and it's rude to say it's disgusting." Well, now she knows how it feels and has been VERY generous with her compliments ever since.

Green Thumb / Black Thumb

It has become apparent to me that Leah has inherited her Grandma Ingrid's amazing ability to make anything grow. Naomi, I fear, has inherited my amazing ability to kill anything green or living.

I mentioned in a previous post that while I was snoozing one afternoon, I apparently gave Leah permission to plant some potatoes. She got baking potatoes out of the cupboard, dug a hole in the back yard and plopped them in. I now have five large, beautiful potato plants growing in my yard. Anything she plants, grows.

Naomi planted a bean seed at school and brought it home barely sprouted. We transplanted it into a small container. It's been warmer lately, so I put it outside to get some sunshine. Naomi came home from school and frantically demanded to know where her bean plant was. I told her I put it outside. "NO!!!!" she panicked, "Don't put it outside! It will rain on it and my plant will die!" I see she has my gardening intuition. Yikes!

Down by the bay

I just wanted to post this little video to show off my singing skills (muffled laughter) and Heidi's speaking skills. Together we are nothing short of amazing. :)

Gypsies

Lars has just passed his cumulative exams which means he has technically passed all his courses for his master's degree. I can't say I was too nervous about it since he has a cumulative GPA of 3.98. Lars will still be teaching all his classes at the high school the remainder of the school year as well as putting together a second 70 page work study sample. That is due June 1st. It will be a relief not to have any more formal assignments, but then starts the stress of joining the "real world". You know, when people actually expect you to contribute to society and donate money to the local fire department. We're already several months into the job searching process. The challenging thing about finding a teaching position in Oregon (beside the fact that there just aren't any) is that they often don't come available until July or August.

After much discussion, we have decided to also look overseas. We're looking at everything and everywhere. It's been fun to explore the different parts of the world on line and I really really hope we can do so in person. I never moved growing up, but as soon as I graduated from High School I've been a bit of a gypsy wandering all over the states. In fact, we've lived here for two years and that is the LONGEST we've ever been in one house. I'm getting antsy to go.

I do have mixed feelings about it since the girls are so comfortable here and we have the most amazing friends and support group. I would miss them tons and tons, but we can always come back...right? I just feel like the girls are all still at ages where they will transition and adapt easily. I'm just looking for an adventure!

Chatter

Little miss Heidi is just chattering away. Every day she copies more words and often surprises me. She calls her sisters by name, E-a (Leah), me-me (Naomi), and yaya (Emilia). Of course Heidi can say mama and dada, also bird, dog, cat, cheese, please, shoes, inside, outside, cookie, bite, some, baby, beans, horse, NO, open, by-by, new diaper, blankie, see ya, and probably more that I'm forgetting. Heidi will put words together, like "thank you Daddy" and "new diaper" any time she messes in hers. If we ask her, "Where are your boogies?" she'll stick her finger up her nose and say "EWWWWWW!" (Classy, I know. It's just so funny)

She understands everything and follows directions. She'll throw things away when asked...and just for fun. Heidi sucks her left thumb and carries around her pink blankie. She won't sleep without it. Heidi has a very happy temperament. She still prefers Lars or myself over anyone else, but is becoming comfortable at other people's houses.

Heidi LOVES her sisters! If one of them is gone, she will run up and down the hall way banging on doors yelling their name. She often cries when Leah and Naomi leave in the morning for school and is VERY happy when they come home. Heidi is such a joy. She is loved and spoiled to pieces. This is just a little movie of Leah, Naomi and Heidi playing together.

Now I Remember

So I knew there was something I neglected to put on here. I don't know how I could have possibly forgotten, the girls sing this ALL the time! Leah got chosen to sing a special part in the school play. "We all have the makings of joy in our hearts. Just find the right ingredients right from the very start." She practiced a million times every day. Naomi and Yaya sing it all the time now too. And I'm not going to lie, I catch myself singing it absentmindedly as well. It just kind of STICKS in your brain and you can't...get...it...out!!! With that introduction, here's Leah's 15 seconds of fame. She did great! (Leah is on the far right of the screen.)

road trip

I have NO idea where the girls came up with this, but any time we are in the car and they see a bridge, or an overpass, the start yelling, "CAVITY BRIDGE!" Then everyone in the car has to close their mouths, and clap their hands over their lips. If you don't do it, that means you got a cavity. It makes road trips quite interesting.

Huh?

Leah to Yaya
"Yaya? Why are you acting like a human witch doctor?"