More on Eating your Veggies!

We are slowly making progress toward our goal of healthier eating. I am learning that what I cook and what I allow into the house makes a huge impact on that. Of course the kids don't want to eat healthy when there is the offer of chicken nuggets every meal. I am learning that one of the keys to healthy eating is to purge the house of unhealthy alternatives. If the only foods in the house are healthy, the kids are eventually going to come around and start enjoying healthier foods. It also works the same for the adults in the house!!! The only other option is hunger and with my 3 growing kids that option folds pretty fast! I have proof of this very theory tonight!! (we do still have Easter candy in the house--I must admit) The kiddos came home as usual,begging for some of their Easter candy. I held firm and offered them yogurt and fruit as their only choice for a snack. After an afternoon of playing outside they were quite hungry when it was time for supper. To my delight our dinner of grilled fish and veggies was a great hit. S and E both told me the "chicken" was delicious!!! We ARE making progress!!!

Eat your Veggies!

After not having a veggie garden for several years, I have decided to get the kids involved in planting a garden this year. I read somewhere that kids will be more likely to eat fresh vegetables if they are involved in the growing process! We will see! M was very excited today to help me get some seeds started. Most of the veggies like peppers and tomatoes we will grow from starter plants, but I thought is would be neat for the kids to at least do the seeds to be involved in the process from start to finish. Z pitched in and built me a frame to do a raised bed. I am hoping to get one started and then add another bed when the weather warms up. A garden is quite challenging in our yard because the only flat space is right in the middle of the Bermuda grass. Although I wouldn't mind a garden in the middle of the front yard... I don't think my neighbors would like it too much. I think we have found a spot that will do in the back yard, now if the deer will just leave it alone...

Catching Up

Wow! It is hard to believe it is the middle of March. Time is flying and although the snowy winter has been fun, we are definitely ready for spring. I just wish the weather would cooperate.

E has started Tee-ball--oops, I better not let him know I called it that. He is quick to correct everyone and tell them he is playing baseball, not tee-ball. They are actually doing a mix of both. The coach gives each kid five pitches and then if they don't hit the ball they hit it off the tee. I am anxious to see how his batting skills will be. Z is coaching, so he has some new added pressure of pitching to the kids!

S is busy playing with cousins and friends. She has been to spend the night parties the last two weekends. She is loving gymnastics and is also doing Road Runners. We are just starting the realize the hectic schedules of having little ones involved in lots of activities. Z and I are running in two different directions on Mondays and seem to have activities almost every day of the week. We are going to see how things go. I really wanted S to pick between gymnastics and Road Runners, but she absolutely did not want to give up gymnastics and really wanted to do Road Runners too. I actually love Road Runners because it is such great cardiac exercise for the kids, so we will see how she balances doing both...

M is busy just being her independent self. She is growing and changing so much. She has found a great educational computer game that her brother and sister actually play, starfall.com. She has been determined to play it by herself. Except for an occasional hang up with pop ups on the computer, she is pretty independent with it. She has mastered the use of the mouse. I don't think I even let S on the computer until she was about five. I guess there is something to be said about having an older brother and sister and wanting to be just like them.

Oh and just an update, although I must admit I haven't had much success with E and M and the finger sucking, the habit appliance that S is wearing has been 100% successful in helping her quit the finger sucking. She has handled it like a champ, and has really adjusted quite well!

Now if we can just please get some warm weather!!! I am ready for play dates in the park, bike rides, camping trips...all the fun spring stuff!

Snow pictures 2010

It started snowing when Z and I were both at work. Mary played in the snow on Friday and helped the kids make huge snowmen. I was glad it lasted through Saturday so Z and I could go out and play too!

Eating snow cream!
All dressed to play in the snow

We even managed to get a family shot!

This playground sure looks different

Four inches is pretty deep when you are short!

I always love how pretty the snow is on the bushes

Never got the pictures from the 1st snow/ice in Jan. Thought I better hurry and post these because we might have some more snow tomorrow. Are we sure this is GA?

Detox

If you don't hear from us on Wed February 17th, 2010--we will be in detox. Assuming we all come through this detox, we will be back in touch asap!!!!

If you have been around my kids any length of time (ok, maybe only close friends and family for S) you will catch onto the fact that they all suck their fingers. Each a little different from the other, but not thumbs, not blankets, not pacifiers-- but fingers. I have no idea why they all do this maybe we should sign up for a research study...anyway, the habit has continued for S into now development of permanent teeth. As you can imagine this has done quite a number on her bite and alignment of her jaw and teeth. After unsuccessfully trying rewards, incentives, manicures, bitter nail polish, and constant nagging we have finally come to the realization that our efforts are futile. We are now going for the big price tag deterrent called a "habit guard".
She will be getting this appliance on Wednesday Feb, 17th. Along with a fancy price tag, it will come complete with prongs that will stick her fingers when she tries to put them in her mouth. I am sure it will also stick her tongue when she tries to talk, make it difficult to eat, and just be quite annoying altogether. I am anticipating A LOT of drama as she adjusts to the habit guard. In support of S and her new appliance (and our pocket book for the future)I have made the decision to try and stop the finger sucking habit for all the kids. The younger ones will have the bitter polish--I am hoping that will be incentive enough for them??? I figure they should all try and stop together, just like for a smoker or drinker--when trying to stop the habit it is difficult to be around those who partake in the habit...so I figure if they all try and stop together, maybe they will all be more successful!

Maybe we should consider Celebrate Recovery?

Anyway, there may be a grumpy crew in the Ardis household for a couple of days while we are detoxing--Mom and Dad included!!! I will keep an update of our progress, maybe within a couple of weeks fingers sucking will be a thing of the past!!!

Play Days!

It is nice to finally be through the rush of the holidays. We have finally had some time to just stay home and play!!! The kids made this train out of boxes that we had some furniture in. (Later they took these boxes and slid down the stairs--we nearly went to the ER!-- that's a whole other story!!!!!

Four, no Five Christmases

Christmas at Grandmama Mary and Grandaddy Steve's

Christmas with MeMe and PawPaw

Christmas at Nana and PawPaws

Christmas at home

Christmas with Grandmama Martha and Grandaddy Bill

??????

Sorry no pictures, I thought I took some but I think I deleted them today when I cleared my memory card!

I can't believe Christmas 2009 has come and gone and I am here looking back on the memories. We had a wonderful Christmas with lots of friends and family. Zach and I are extremely blessed both have large families that mostly live close by, but at Christmas time this means lots of celebrating, lots of opening gifts, lots of eating, and lots of family time. All is great, but sometimes when you have all that in 1 or 2 days it gets quite overwhelming. I especially cringe when I hear comments from my kids after about 3 sessions of present opening..."is this all there is?, I wanted...." or asking to open presents the minute we walk into someone's house. I know they are just kids, I just hope some of the real meaning of Christmas is seeping in too!!! This year we attempted to spread things out a bit and I think it really helped! We had a great time visiting with all of our family and just spending time celebrating the birth of Christ together.