forward and back, and MORE cookies

Well, I am home from church with the 3 kids this morning while Dave plays guitar at the service.  Jesse has a yucky cough and is a bit warm this morning, and so we had to keep him home from Sunday School. 

Robyn is sleeping, Jesse is a bit under the weather, and Janna is in another one of her diva moods.  After trying to make everyone happy, I felt like I was just making things worse- so left the kids to play in the living room and tackled another cookie recipe and am now blogging.  Somehow they seemed to mellow out once I left them alone.   It’s funny how kids can be like that.  I have found with each of my babies, also, that sometimes after trying and trying to get them asleep or settled from fussiness- just putting them down seems to calm them right down.  Dave and I both like our space, so maybe our kids have picked up on that ;)

Many people have been asking how the kids have been adjusting to baby Robyn as of late.  We have been lucky to still have no jealousy issues- they both ADORE Robyn.   Whenever Robyn cries, Jesse runs over and strokes her face and gently says stuff like, “it’s ok- don’t cry.  I’m right here. You’re alright baby girl.”  If this fails to soothe the baby, Jesse will sometimes sternly yell at me, “ Mom!  Robyn needs milk.  Feed her!”   Janna also loves touching her sister.  Recently, Janna will pull up beside Robyn to read a book.  After flipping through a few pages, she will lift up the pictures to show Robyn a page.  This morning, upon seeing some milk dribble on the baby’s face, Janna RAN to find a cloth to wipe her up. Despite no overt jealousy issues, the kids are feeling the change, and have both responded in classic, but opposite approaches.  Jesse is doing a bit of regression, while Janna is embracing progression.

So, Jesse has decided that being baby-ish is cool.  He wants to wear a diaper all day (which we have declined)  He pretends to spit up foamy spit and asks for us to wipe him up (to which we usually say “disgusting- go get your own Kleenex big boy”)  He also pulls out baby talk, and will ask for help with silly things like, “I can’t get on the couch.” Luckily, this isn’t 24-7 or anything.  We just get little glimpses of it here and there each day.  Maybe if he was our only child we would think it was cute.  But, we have other younger kids to put in diapers, clean spit up, and help onto the couch.  We prefer 3 year old Jesse!  We have been trying to give lots of praise and big boy jobs to encourage this, and hoping it will pass.

Janna, has gone the other way.  Since Robyn was born, it’s like she has realized she is no longer the baby and has progressed in leaps and bounds with certain things.  Her language is growing by a few words each day it seems, she is being way more independent in playing and reading as well.   The other neat thing, is that when I am holding, changing or feeding Robyn, Janna behaves pretty well.  She doesn’t ask to be picked up or whine, and seems content with that.  However- when the baby is down for a nap- Janna is back to being a bit clingy on her off days.  The final thing I wanted to mention was that a few days after Robyn was born, Janna decided that she wanted to potty train!  She ran to the bathroom and said, “PEE! PEE!” while pulling at her pants and pointing at the toilet.  I thought it was funny and took off her things and put her on there.  She beamed!  She didn’t pee, and I really don’t think she is ready.  More importantly, I am NOT ready to put in the effort and energy at this point with her.  Jesse was ONE weekend to potty train because he was fully ready.  She would be much longer- because she isn’t.  She has continued to grab at herself when she is peeing and THEN run and ask to be put on the potty.  If I have a free hand, sometimes I give into her whims.   But- it’s just to encourage her interest in it- not tackle the training.  If it was just Jesse and Janna at this point, I would give it a shot over a week... but really bad timing to decide she wants to use the toilet J

Here she is the other night, doing her thing!

It’s all very interesting to watch!  As I mentioned, while I was letting my kids entertain themselves, I made another bath of GF Christmas cookies.  Yesterday I tackled these cherry chocolate macaroon squares that were really tasty- but today, I was more excited to try some chocolate mint butter cookies, as I love all three of these things.    They are a gluten free classic butter cookie, rolled in turbinado sugar for a bit of added crunch, and a tiny square of Ande’s crème de menth chocolate shoved inside, drizzled in more minty chocolate.    They turned out perfectly delicious.  I love this woman!  She is making gluten free baking much more appealing to me these days.  Here they are!  Thanks for reading. I’m out!