The wheels are always turning...

Conner has the flu. He's thrown up five times today but the most recent was over five hours ago so I'm really hoping he's going to feel better tomorrow. Of course he also hasn't eaten anything since the one slice of toast he had for breakfast. So maybe tomorrow will still be terrible. Nathan, being the wonderful father he is, will sleep with him tonight and keep a close watch. I hate when my kids are sick. Hate it, hate it! Conner had pneumonia & RSV at 15 months old and ever since then when he gets sick, it hits him hard. And it always has us on pins & needles until the fever passes. So here's to hoping tomorrow he'll wake up feeling better. And that I can actually catch up on all the laundry waiting for me.

Biruk & Landon spent the day buddied up together since they had strict orders to not stick their face near Conner's for fear of them getting sick as well. They are funny to watch together. The way they get laughing or watching them eat a meal together. Sometimes it's joint play but other times they just sit and play side by side. At one point Landon was flipping through books while Biruk worked through three different puzzles. Biruk has a gift. He can whip through puzzles like nothing I've ever seen. And I couldn't be happier because I love putting puzzles together. He's been tackling the 24-30 piece puzzles and it's so fascinating to watch him. He picks up a piece, studdies it, and then proceeds to pair it up with another. And another. I never knew he had such attention to detail until now. Tonight we sat on the floor and put together a larger puzzle. I am hoping for many more nights of puzzles with the little guy.

Nathan & I have been tackling all sorts of projects. The biggest is the bed for our room. We got our inspiration from Knock Off Wood (farmhouse bed) and we were set on making that one until I read on the comments section about someone using 2 old doors for the headboard & footboard. So that's just what we did. I found 2 old doors on craigslist for $20/piece and we brought them home and I stripped off the old paint (most likely full of lead - oh joy). I eventually exhausted myself off the task and let them sit in the garage. Then the kids & I took a spontaneous trip back to Indiana and Nathan surprised me by building the bed. Fast forward to this weekend when I finally primed & have started to paint them. Hopefully I can reveal them soon!

My sister (with five kids) will soon be moving from Texas to Michigan. I finally live near a sibling and she's moving away (boohoo) so I'm trying to soak up as much time with her and the kids as I can before they move. So this past week we went down and visited some parks and enjoyed our time together. I will be sad to see them go!

Meanwhile, Ethiopia has been heavy on the heart. And every time I sit down to blog about it I can't get the words out. It feels so personal & too private to write about. And I'm struggling with how to help? How to make a difference? Where to give? Thinking of ways we can do without so someone else can live with.... I've got an Ethiopia Jar started so every time I want to spend $ I can instead throw it in the jar. One of the easiest ways to give is when I'm tempted to eat out instead of making dinner. But I have other areas I'm going to try to save on so the pot can continue to get bigger. More on that later...

Being healthy. It's always on my mind and I'm hoping to become more efficient at making meals that are healthy & quick. I need to do the whole cooking on Saturday or Sunday for that weeks meals. It's a work in progress and for me it's been baby steps over the years. I eat less candy, buy less process foods, eat more fruits & vegetables, etc.

We started homeschooling last week. It was so much fun. All three of the boys hopped up on the barstools and I gave them all of their sheets to work on. Conner is working on his writing & reading & art. Biruk & Landon are doing little preschool sheets (Abc's, 123's) and I should be able to teach them together. I look forward to becoming more creative, organized, scheduled and regular with it!

So that pretty much sums up this weeks journal entry. I'm assuming the few readers I have remaining are my family so I've turned this blog into more a diary of my life. I know one day this will all be a distant blur so I'd better hold onto as many memories as I can.