Well BUSY and fabulous… as always! 3 birthday boys, Chinese New Year AND Valentine’s Day. Not to mention it is also Nana’s birthday month. I think February has ALWAYS kept us hopping. We tend to not do a huge celebration for Valentine’s Day but we do send out quite a few Valentines. Chinese New Year is always a bit of a big deal. We clean the house, wear new shirts (usually self decorated) and eat special foods. Although we will ALWAYS miss our friends back home who made Chinese New Year so special.

We celebrated Emanuel turning 10. Double digits it is!!!

And made our very own igloo.

It was Emanuel’s turn for a workbook completion.

The boys were very grateful for their lovely birthday gifts from all sorts of loving friends and family.

With treats for the girls. Thanks Gammie!

After all, the twins are now 12!!! Where has the time gone? Next year — TEENAGERS.

We had fun with the Schwartz family.

Swam our hearts out.

And in the world of crochet – a heart scarf I gifted to a sweet friend as a pick me up.

Hung out with the Novaks (gotta celebrate with our friends on those birthdays).

Had the guys over for game night.

Raced cars with the scouts… Not only Emanuel this year! 

I got in sewing time of course – I made a jellyfish mobile for the girls’ room and for a friend back home – a hat that has a likeness to a hat on a certain Sci Fi series. 

So a happy belated Valentine’s Day… etc… to everyone! 

…And then something came up… and our plans went out the window for today… BUT it is worth it when the “thing” is a call from a contract who wants Ken to do something new on top of the current agreement for more money… well we don’t complain (at least not too loudly). One step closer to paying off another debt… or maybe even getting myself that Cricut the van put on the backburner. Who knows.

So we spent the day at home, the tutu was picked up and the kids kept relatively busy. Emanuel spent a nice amount of time dead silent downstairs on their computer.  Always a bonus when he can find something to do with himself that is quiet!!

Emanuel on the computer

The twins have worked some more on their word search for their wolves lapbook, done some of their Chinese New Year print outs and Zander got in some workbook time. This time there were two print outs from Enchanted Learning. One a mini book and the other a matching of the zodiac animals. The plan for tomorrow is to actually work on near completion of the wolves lapbook as we are finally heading to the zoo for the drop in program on Sunday.

Zander and Trinity working on the review workbook

There are quite a few things in my life I am sure of: my sewing, my love for my family, my marriage. And then there are things I am not so much scared of as feel… timid about. And tomorrow I have to face one of those things. The girls are headed to their new pediatrician. Don’t get me wrong, I am VERY pro doctor. But a horrible experience with a formula obsessed doctor and our Trinity has me nervous. He was belittling and determined to diminish the importance of our decision to be a bottle free family. We proved him wrong with our addition of solids but the damage toy own confidence remains. A big part of me is angry that he simply would not listen. I talked to other professionals, I did my homework and he still talked like we were idiots. I raised preemie twins who you would never guess now were born at just over three pounds. But I was a moron in his eyes, or at least that is how he came across. Our children all are petite, especially as infants. But my worries always fall in people refusing to see that pattern.

I have to admit I am taking a bit of the cowards way out, Ken and I have discussed it and agree that it would be best if I didn’t go to the appointment. This is actually a much easier way to go about it as if I DO go so do ALL the kids, which means containing all 5 of our kids first in the waiting room and then later in the examination room. So Ken will be taking the girls on his own while I spend the afternoon on that lapbook I was mentioning with the boys. I will breastfeed Miss Echo before he leaves and pack a little container of her cereal and some water in the diaper bag in case of a lengthy wait at the doctor’s. Ken feels  that my worries are unfounded but as the breastfeeding mother I have to admit the previous doctor’s callous dealing with us felt like a personal attack. Breastfeeding is one of the greatest gifts I can give my children and it often feels like medical many practitioners no longer see it the same way.

So tonight I plan on finishing the stitch I posted an image of last night and maybe starting one from the zombie kit I got from my sister in law. The kids went to bed at a pretty decent time after our first family game night – a new game they got from their Aunty Yoyo and Uncle Jon using Play Doh. We will have to work on it as we are not completely up on all the rules. The goal is to have every Tuesday night be game night with the kids – IF they behave appropriately!

Gavin (Zander red)

I just can’t believe how quickly the week has gone by! Now hopefully by Monday we will be all ready to head off to the conservatory to see that new feature pyramid display. Fingers crossed!

Asleep