What's going on?

Hi, friends! Been a long time, again. I don't understand why I sometimes feel such a sense of writer's block when I come out here. One person shared that it is hard to get back into but if I just keep on posting it will get easier again. And I really do want to be more regular with my updates. My hope is someday to turn this blog into some sort of book and share it with the kids as the story of when they were growing up...or, more likely, read it to myself as a way of remembering their early years.

I also don't want every post to just be a catch up post, but I fear that this one needs to be since it has been months! Here are the highlights for the kids:

Kaleb is just about three and a half, he is talking in complete paragraphs, making up his own stories now, and gets a big kick out of substituting words where they don't make sense. For example "donut" and "cheerio" will make random appearances in his stories, and he cracks himself up with that. His sense of humor is growing and it is amazing to watch the things that he finds funny. He has a y-bike scooter that he is getting really good on. I like watching him ride it and seeing him sink down a bit into a better center of gravity, shifting his body weight around to steer it, and then playing with different balancing acts when he is stopped. I watch him now and wonder if he will someday be in the X-Games or something like that, and I'll be there watching him and remembering these early spring days on his little green scooter in the driveway. That's how my brain works, I see the kids do something and think "Someday I'll look back on this as the start of ...." whatever I might imagine up at that moment. I wonder if others do this or if it is just another element of my weirdness?

Jacob has had his first word, his first step, and has weaned himself from nursing...and he did all three of those on the same day! It was April 19, we were home together because day care was closed that day for teacher training. While Kaleb was napping, Jacob and I were playing in the liviing room. He picked up a ball and held it out to me and announced "BALL!" Hurray! First word and I was here to see it! An hour later he was holding on to the coffee table when he let go and took his first steps to try and walk to me. YES! First steps and I was there to see them! That night before bed I went to nurse him and he turned away and looked at the spot on his nightstand where I sometimes would put a bottle for him. That was a happy and a sad. Happy because it meant I had that much more of my independence and freedom back. Sad because, well, because he is my baby and this meant I am done breast feeding now. Most likely forever. But, happy outweighed the sad, because seriously, that is a lot of freedom back for me. No more worrying about what I eat or when I drink, or if/when I have caffeine. No more pump or nursing pads. But, I digress. Jacob still prefers crawling as his mode of transport, although just this morning he was really cruising around the house holding on to different things.

Since my last post, I attended a class called Apothecary Basics, which was all about using plants and herbs for medicine. Before attending the class I had read Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series. In it the main character, Ayla, is a medicine woman and she was always gathering plants to make tea and broth to take care of people. Have I mentioned I'm the biggest dork in the world?? So, went to this class with my friend Angie and we are both hooked. I've been playing with different tea formulas and making all kiinds of different homemade stuff. I've made bubble bath for the kids, bug spray, cleaining solution, and diaper rash cream so far. It is so fun to me to read up on what different plants do and then learn how I can make my own products! Our next adventure is to take a class on foraging and start learning how to identify plants by sight in the wild. I've already harvested some dandelion root from my backyard, cleaned it, and used it in the tea blend I make for Kyle. That is just so much fun to me!

Okay, going to consider this caught up for now. And I sincerely hope to see you all again very very soon in a future post!