SLEEP

Sleep was great this past month. She didn't have any bad dreams at all.

EATING

Eating is good and pretty non-eventful. We had a spell while on vacation where she "wasn't hungry" at meal times and then begging for food shortly after the meal was over. We reminded her the time to eat was mealtimes and we didn't allow the "I'm full" at meals for a bit. We typically are fine with the kids deciding when they are full, but she needed to just eat what was available at the meals so she wasn't asking for food at other times. We aren't a "grazing" type anyway, but especially while on vacation and not home with food all around us, it was important for her to eat what she needed at meals. We did of course have snacks while we were out and about, but this was 10-15 minutes later proclaiming she was starving.

EMOTIONS
Brinley was quite the emotional four year old. This is a common age to be emotional; Kaitlyn was the same way, while Brayden and McKenna weren't extra emotional at that age. Kaitlyn snapped out of it at five. Brinley has eased out of it. She has slowly become less and less emotional over time. I think things have eased up even more in the last month or two. I wonder if she is one with just "big emotions" and might be more emotional than your typical person. Time will tell. Here is a post on helping your child work through emotions.

HOMEWORK

I had a reader request to know more about when the kids do school work at home in the schedules, so I will address it with each child individually. We have half-day Kindergarten around here, so Brinley is able to easily get her homework done after school. Our routine is to get home, eat lunch, and then do homework right away. I don't like putting homework off until later because I never think of it again. I know some people like to give significant time between getting home and homework time, and I understand their reasoning, but we have always done homework right away for all kids, no matter what grade they are in. 

Of all of my children right now, Brinley has the most homework. I think that is in part due to the fact that we are a state with half-day Kindergarten in a nation of full-day teaching requirements. So some things simply need to be sent home. It is also largely because my older kids get homework done at school during their down time, and Kindergarteners just don't have down time--again, half-day issue (by the way, I LOVE half-day Kindy. I am not upset it is half-day in the least). 

We are able to get homework done well before any other activities need to take place, even on days she has early activities.

EXTRA CURRICULARS

This is what Brinley is doing outside of school. She is doing more than she will be able to do when she moves to full day next year, just logistically. It gets hard to fit everyone's things in after school, but right now, I am able to do most of her things while the older kids are at school.

• Swimming lessons: She had 1-2 this month. She had a little break before that, and her first time going back, she was super nervous. But she did great and was excited after that. We have found Brinley does much better with lessons if no one else is in the building with her. We literally leave her with the teacher. 
• Gymnastics: She really likes gymnastics and is really loving it! She is progressing. She does little tricks at home. I don't see her ever going anywhere beyond "for fun," but I see so much value in what it is helping her to do at this point.
• Dance: dance is great! She loves her dance teachers. We have started talking about what she can and can't do next year, and right now she is saying she wants to do gymnastics over dance. So she likes it, but likes other things better. 
• Piano: Piano is great. She loves the piano, can read notes well for her age, and can play by ear quite well. A funny thing with the kids is they all want to play more advanced songs (of course). They want to play what Brayden plays. So Brinley literally is picking out by ear his recital song. HA! 
• Musical: The musical ended during this time. She had a lot of fun with it!

I love a family vacation. Traveling has always been one of my favorite things to do. While a lot of people get bored in a car for long hours, I get a thrill seeing the different landscapes as you drive mile after mile. I always said when I was younger that I would love to live in a different area of the world for 4-12 months at a time to get a feel for what it is like there. That sounded fun before I had kids; now I of course prefer stability and sending my kids to school, so we travel. We didn't always travel long distances. When my family as a whole was a younger family, we traveled close to home and for shorter spurts--more "long-weekends" than full vacations. I don't regret that; it was the best for our family of nappers and littles at the time and we still had a lot of fun.

Now that my family as a whole is in the middle stage of raising kids life, we are in full-on travel mode. We have a list of destinations we want to hit before Brayden, our oldest, graduates high school (only five years folks!). We are taking full advantage and getting our travel on. 

Prepping for a trip is not easy, and let's be real, for most families, the bulk of the burden lands on mom. Mom plans the trip, mom preps the pets and house to be left, mom packs her stuff, mom packs her own stuff, and mom answers dad's 65 questions while he packs his own stuff. Not to discount the stress or efforts dads put in to a trip, but in most cases, mom puts the most effort into prepping for a trip. 

All of this added burden (for fun, but a burden all the same) to everyday life can lead you to feeling stressed and extra grumpy. My husband and I both really strive to stay as patient as possible as we prep for a trip. We don't want vacations to be dreaded because it means mom and dad go into major grump mode. 

One of the best ways to stay calm and collected is to have a plan for how to prep and plan for the trip. Here is my method for planning the perfect family vacation. 

The first thing you need to do when planning a family vacation is to decide where to go and when to go. I really like having a master list of places we would like to go. We always decide at the end of one trip what our next one will be. Consider things like how far away it is, how expensive-ish it would be and how that would fit in with your budget, and how your kids would handle it at their ages. Not all places are great for kids at all ages. For example, on our someday list is Washington D.C. This is a very far away destination for us, so it is a once in a lifetime type of trip. We plan to wait until Brayden is a senior before we go there. There is a lot of walking involved and we want our kids old enough to be able to physically handle that. We also want them as old as possible to hopefully appreciate what is there. 

Once you know your location, get some date options. Look up online great times to travel to the location. What is a less busy time of year? Those will be less expensive and less crowded. Look at the weather at the different times of year you are considering. Be sure to consider school dates and work needs when considering your travel dates. 

We plan to go to Florida next year. We wanted to go over spring break, but once I started researching, I soon realized Florida has spring break the same time we did...it was literally twice as expensive to book lodging as other times of year we could go. So we are looking at other date options. 

How will you get there? Drive? Fly? Where will you stay? Rent a home? Hotel? All-inclusive? Where will you go? 

Figure out how far in advance you need to book things. You can shop around and find better deals the earlier you start booking. If you are going to a show or game of some sort, you can get better seats if you buy tickets earlier. Google best times to fly. Search for things in an "incognito" window so the Internet doesn't remember you are looking. Flight prices in particular will jump if you forget this step. 

We love to stay somewhere with at least a little mini fridge so we can pack lunches when possible. We don't like eating out for every single meal, plus it saves money to pack food. We typically try to eat out no more than once each day, and try to do less if possible. 

Decide where you will be eating meals, and then plan what they will be and where you will eat them. 

Also, in planning your food, don't forget to have some snacks planned. Kids are much more pleasant if they aren't hungry, and often when traveling, you are moving around more and kids can get quite hungry. 

If we are not flying, I like to make food ahead of time to take with us. I will boil some eggs to have as snacks. I will bake some banana bread. It is a great way to use up food that would otherwise go bad and have some yummy snacks for your trip. 

Taking a vacation with the money pre-saved makes the trip a thousand times more enjoyable. I love buying things ahead of time as I can to spread out the expenses. I always estimate how much the entire trip will cost and figure out how to save for the trip so that while we are on the trip, it is all paid for and the money is there to cover what isn't already paid for so we can just enjoy the trip without worrying about going into debt. 

Make a packing list for each person so you can check things off as you pack. I try to pack light, but I also want everything we need. I always pack 1-2 extra pairs of underwear and socks per person just in case something happens. I even make a packing list for my husband so he can just consult it instead of asking me what he needs to pack and if there is anything else he needs. Be sure you think through your activities and that you have what you need to do them. I mentally walk through each day so I don't forget anything. Check the weather of where you are going and have plans for inclement weather happening. What will you need if it rains or snows? Do you have what you need for the sun? What is the climate like? Is it more humid? Are there lots of bugs (and bug spray needed)?

If you like to have a fresh hair-cut or you want your nails done, make sure you make the appointments with enough time. If you need to see a doctor for any reason (certain vaccinations, clearance, medications, etc.) be sure to schedule with enough notice. 

There are a variety of things you need to prep at home before you go. I always like to put a hold on my mail. You can go here to set up your own mail hold. If you have pets, find someone to take care of them while you are gone. We always get a neighbor. You might need to board your pet at the vet or a boarding place. If you have plants or a garden going, you will want to make sure you have someone lined up to water those things if needed. 

Let your work colleagues know when you will be gone. Arrange for your responsibilities to be covered while you are gone. If your child is in daycare, let them know. If your child will miss school, talk to the teacher ahead of time. They will often gather up work your child will miss so he/she can do it ahead of time. If your child is in dance, music lessons, or a sport, be sure to let those in charge know your child will be missing. 

It is also smart to tell neighbors you trust that you will be leaving and your dates. It can help them keep an eye on your house and know if they see things going on that something isn't right. It is also smart to let your family or close friends know when you are going, how long you will be there, and how you will be traveling. That way if something happens, someone knows you aren't where you should be. 

In the last couple of days before you leave, make sure your electronics are ready to go. If you plan to take a Kindle, make sure the movies and books you want on the device are loaded. Make sure your devices are charged fully. 

If you will be driving at all for your vacation, clean your vehicle out. Check the fluids and the tire pressure. Get the oil changed if it is due. Fill up with gas. Be prepared and ready to go.

Just before you leave, there are some things you will ideally do. One is clean up a bit. I love coming home to a clean house and it is so nice to not have a mess on top of the mess you bring home. You will have unpacking and laundry to take care of. 

If you have the time, clean your refrigerator out in the few days before you leave. You can get food out that is bad or about to go bad. It is also wise to empty all garbages just before you leave so you don't have anything in the house rotting and/or stinking up the place. 

Check the windows and doors and make sure all are locked. Do a walk through and make sure the lights are all off and the electronics are unplugged. Turn down or up the thermostat (depending on the time of year). Before you leave, give your pets and/or plants one last check/feeding/watering.

Ultimate Vacation Planning and Packing Checklist

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How to get your twins to play independently each day. This is great for giving twins some time alone. 

Creative Ways to Choose the Perfect Baby Name. Ten different ways to choose the best name for your baby.

Choosing a name for a baby is a bit responsibility. This is sadly a responsibility that some parents utterly drop the ball on (like...the lady who named her child Vagina. Don't worry, it is pronounced Vageena. You can't make this stuff up!). You worry about your baby's name being the right fit, sounding good with the last name, and having nice nick-names. You want the name to be good for a baby, child, AND an adult. You may want a popular name or an uncommon name. You then have the issues of having to disassociate yourself with other people you have known with names (good luck, teachers!). If you name after family, will you hurt feelings of other family? The list goes on. Add to that the fact that there are two parents naming this baby and not one...it is a wonder any of us have names at all. A name stays with you for your entire life, so it is completely reasonable to take it seriously. 

We took it seriously when we named our children, but some names just came to us while others were difficult. Kaitlyn was a name we both loved before we were even ever pregnant with Brayden. We knew that would be the name of our first daughter. It was set and decided.

Then our oldest was a boy. I wanted a name chosen quickly--I hated calling the baby "baby" and wanted a name to call him. We had a hard time choosing a boy name. My husband played football and therefore knew a lot of guys who were basically jerks. He remembers their locker room talk and he didn’t want his son being like many of those people. It took FOREVER to find a name he was okay with. I finally told him that he had to disassociate himself from names. Every gets some veto names, yes. There are some names I just couldn't do. He had literally never known a Brayden, so in the end, it worked out. We chose the spelling of Brayden because it means "brave" while Braden means "from the wide valley."

Braxston is the baby boy we lost at 20 weeks. My husband chose his name because the strongest reality my husband had to the baby at the time was my constant contractions. 

When Kaitlyn came along, we already knew our first girl name. When Kaitlyn was a newborn, we were at the zoo and heard a mom call out, “McKenna!” We looked at each other and knew that would be the name of our next daughter. 

When McKenna was a baby, I was helping in Brayden’s kindergarten class. I was prepping stuff for the Christmas program and checking off names in the afternoon class (Brayden was in morning class). I came to the name “Brynlee”. I had the thought, “If I have another girl, that will be her name.” And I did! 

All of our children are named after family for middle names.

Hannah shared:

"Anna comes from the name Hannah which In the bible God blessed Hannah with a child when she had none. Also Hannah is my name and Lise comes from the name Elizabeth whom God also blessed with a child. This name is special to me because I suffered an ectopic pregnancy as my first pregnancy and God blessed me with Annalise. I found this name and my husband loved it."

Emily shared: 

"My first 2 are girls and I already had names that I loved...so we went with those and my husband didn't care too much. I'm pregnant with our third which we just found out is a boy...I have no names, so I'm letting my husband pick"

Candice shared:

"If it was a girl my husband got to name her and vice versa....we named our son "Frank" after my Grandpa...my hubby hated t at first but its growing on him :)...to be fair tho...i hated his pick for a girl (lylith) lol"

Lauren shared:

"I got to pick a boy name and my husband picked a girl name, and we ended up having a boy.

Carrie shared:

"We decided that I would name girls and he would name boys, but we both had Veto power."

Peruse the Social Security Website

Name After Family/Friends

"My husband's lifetime best friend (who became mine as well) passed away a few weeks before we found out. There was no doubt we were gonna name our baby after him, whether a boy or girl. We had a boy and I truly believe our best friend is his Guardian Angel."

Name After Meaningful Locations

Be Open to Random Inspiration

Her sister’s name we struggled with for months! We eventually settled on Emilie."

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Babywise and parenting posts, information, and helps

It is time for spring break! We will be having some fun as a family this week and so I will be taking the week off. Follow me on Instagram for updates. You can also get inside information by subscribing to my newsletter. 

While I am gone, I have linked some great oldies for you. These are from June of 2012. Click on the image to read the post. 

Remedies for an Upset Tummy

Isolation

I require the sick child to stay in bed until everyone has left for school. During the getting ready for school time, I encourage sleep as I just discussed. Once kids have gone to school. the sick one can move to the family room if he/she would like. We bring the sick child's own blankets and pillow so the germs stay with the child. I spread a blanket out under the sick child so if any throw up makes it past the bowl, it hopefully lands on the blanket and not on the couch. 

Wash Everything

Hand-washing is obvious. We all wash hands frequently. Once the sick child is better, I wash all of his/her blankets and pillows along with any others that may be carrying the germs. I wash anything I think needs to be sanitized, and I do it on the sanitize cycle. I will go around with some Lysol wipes (affiliate link) to clean up door knobs, remotes, and whatever else may need to be de-germified. I can't always stop the spread of the germs; we are often contagious before we even know we are sick. But preventing even just one person from getting a stomach bug is WELL WORTH the effort I put in to trying to prevent it from spreading.

Related Sickness Posts:

• 4 Essential Oil Diffuser Perks {Friday Finds}
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• Surviving a Cold
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