Our Weekend with the Kids

I picked the kids up from daycare on Friday and they filled me in on the last month of their little lives as we drove to the grocery store. They talk about Halloween and singing songs in class and how grandma and grandpa are looking for jobs. Both of their grandparents are now unemployed. The children still go to daycare every day and Natalie goes to school so hopefully that will give them time to find a job, but everyone knows it's tough out there right now.

We bought groceries and some items that "came all the way from the ocean to find our bellies". I REALLY had been craving seafood so I was trying to get the kids warmed up to the idea. I made a crab quiche for lunch on Saturday and Nathan loved it. Natalie, not so much. I have them taste everything once, but with items like that I do give them other options. I made fried catfish Sunday and the baby loved it. He ate literally at least a 1/2 cup of it.

The baby had a horrible rash on his belly and when I talked to Grandma on Friday she said it wasn't contagious, but then Grandpa called me on Sunday saying it was contagious. Luckily I don't think that Farmie and I got it and I'm in the habit of using gloves when I put on diaper cream, any topical ointment and changing poopie diapers.

Natalie loves helping me cook and she helped with each meal in some way and we baked cupcakes on Sunday. Nathan went on a ride with Farmie in the Ranger and had a great time.

The best part about having the kids are times like when the baby falls asleep in my lap on the couch, when he tries to put his brother's winter glove on his head, when I'm holding him while eating dinner and accidently drop a bite of food and he grabs it and tries to feed it to me. Natalie's efforts to make me proud make it easy to encourage her and give her praise. Nathan needs more patience than I thought I had, but when he tells me he loves me I remember why I give him the extra few seconds on each task and the guidance he needs.