That Wriggling Spider and more

Today the kids and I had song time sitting on the "Veggi Tale" pillowcases I made for our song times. We used the spider attached to an elastic, a cloth fly on a ribbon and three small stuffed old ladies to sing.... yes, "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly." I plan on making all the animals and my own version of a puppet old lady with the big mouth to swallow all the animals. The kids love bouncing that "wriggling, jiggling, tickling spider" around and flying the fly. My baby loves eating the 3 inch stuffed dolls as we sing. Afterwards the spider is passed to another children as we sing, "Insie Winsie Spider" (british version of the melody, changes the part for the sun so it is slightly different but so much better), and some Sweedish versions where the text is put to We Will Rock You music, then another swedish spider song sprung from the Insie Winsie Spider but to another popular old melody. The kids each get a song to bounce the spider. We often sing more songs than we did today, but we kind of had a melt down when I was adimant that the "Bamse Spiders" could not lay down kicking feet in the air if we were so close to each other. The child in question refused to move away to do the kicking. That was sad. But all things considered I think that we have a good thing going with the music time and hopefully the good times will be remembered.

I am trying to give more hugs and empathy and personal interaction....
So today, we went on to bundle all of us up to go outside. It was so sunny that we just had to get out. It was only a breeze today... So it was worth it. Joseph and I worked on pruning our apple trees. Isak worked on his climbing skills (so did Joseph when he wasn't trying to cut with the japan saw.) The girls sat in the stroller till Ella got up. But she soon decided she needed a better hat. She went in to get one and while inside decided that she would rather stay in with the warmth. Joseph took several turns around the yard with the stroller. Isak found an old Mallet and the boys wanted to hammer everything..... Ok to their play house. No to the hen house. (It is empty, but we don't need to make a mess of everything.) And no we aren't moving the ladder from the trees so you can climb up to the playhouse roof and hammer there.

Rebekah got to sit in a swing for the first time. And loved it of course.

By this time my toes were really feeling the cold so we came in. I made dinner and we ate well. Then after dinner the kids all helped clear and wipe the table. (I was impressed!) and we painted the bird feeder we got for Christmas. It looks.... well it is the kids project. They loved doing it and the middle kids even traded in their 10 bedtime minutes with mommy so they could paint a little longer. Tomorrow we will put it up. And hopefully get some more pruning done. Time is running out for that, but anything I do is better than has been done for several years. :)

Isak just woke up and came down to the bathroom. After he was done he started crying about not finding Teddy. I am glad Teddy has travelled with our family since Celest and Korey gave him to Isak when he was a few month old. It is something that has connected all the parts of our family's life. Every time Isak starts to seem to be growing out of teddy I feel a tug of sadness. But I guess he hasn't passed this stage yet. After searching two rooms I found him in a third. A tuck in bed (with his feet tucked into the Grandma afghan) a hug and a kiss and from me and Isak, Teddy in arms is ready to sleep. Speaking of sleep. I think I should do that too. So I have energy to give the hugs, spend the time and get a little done around here. (I will try to add pictures when it doesn't steel more from my rapidly vanishing sleep time.)

"Taking time for each other is the key to harmony in the home." -Presiden Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2010 Nov General Conference)