Knox has become grumpy. Okay maybe that’s not exactly the right word for his demeanor…to be specific… he’s “gassy” and the gas is stuck. He is down-right mad about it! (the good news is he has also begun to purposefully smile…which makes up for the screaming rants…kind of).
I brought up the gassy-screaming to my doctor knowing the advice he would give me: Change my diet. And that’s exactly what he advised. UGH!
So although I’ve had some great moments this week, I’ve been saddened by the loss of all things dairy, caffeinated, and chocolatey. =(
1. Gripe Water
I’ve seen this product in the grocery store before but never purchased it for my other kiddos. But desperate times call for desperate measures gripe water! This stuff rocks. When Knox is screaming his head off after eating, I just give him some and within minutes he is smiling (and tooting away!).
2. La Croix Coconut
Given my recent “fast” of all things yummy, I was thrilled my friend introduced me to this drink. I must admit I was skeptical at first. My parents used to drink La Croix…like in the 80s. My memories of it were “Yuck-O”.
That has all changed. Maybe I am desperate for something special to drink…but I LOVE it!! First of all, it’s “healthy.” The only ingredients are sparkling water & natural flavoring (no calories, no extra sweeteners, no chemicals). Second of all, I feel like I’m on a mini-vacation (just need to buy some little umbrellas to put in my glass).
AND I was at Target yesterday and found them on sale! Yippee!
3. Box Bumper Cars
You know your boys are bored when they create games from trash. Here is the latest, post-dinner activity: Box Bumper Cars. I think the picture pretty much sums it up!
4. Personal Cork Boards
While at the zoo with my sister-in-law last week, I got tons of awesome ideas from her. One of her ideas was to create cork boards for each of my boys to display their art. Since it’s become impossible to display all the beautiful creations of 3 boys on one fridge!
I found boards at Walmart for $5 each. I bought little wooden letters and let the boys paint their own. Then just hot glued them on.
5. Water Balloon Battle
Before the crazy tornadoes hit Dallas, we had 90 degree temperatures! So Monday I put swimsuits on all the big boys and sent them outside to play. We dug through our summer water toys hoping to find some water guns…instead we found 100s of water balloons.
These balloons are a pain to fill. It takes awhile to get enough to have a mini-battle…but the boys were patient while I slowly filled a bucket with these “bombs”.
I would say this activity was a highlight of the week for sure. A nice popsicle treat finished the “summer for a day” theme. 
6. Joy Dare
I’ve talked non-stop about Ann Voskamp’s book “One Thousand Gifts”. I received it as a birthday gift a year ago. At the same time I began my gratitude list. In the course of a year I’ve only documented 234 gifts…a decent effort, but not yet a habit.
I’ve heard about Ann’s Joy Dare in 2012…to write down 3 gifts each day for the year. In doing so by the end of the year you would end up with over a 1000 gifts. But I didn’t join in.
Then I saw that she had created a guide for each month. Each day of the month a prompt for 3 things to be grateful for. Should be easy to do, right? Um, wrong. I never took the time to print off the monthly prompts!
This week things changed. I printed off April’s list, placed it in my journal, and kept my journal on the kitchen counter.
It’s amazing! I love talking with the boys about what 3 gifts to look for that day (another suggestion from Ann…how to raise grateful kids). It’s reminding me to open my eyes to what to be grateful for. On the day we got the tornado warning, the prompt for the day was “3 surprising gifts”…quite fitting!
Print off your own Joy Dare list for April: click here
What were some of your favorites this week?
I have a 3week old and He will cry out in pain from gas too! I have tried gripe water but it doesnt seem to keep him satsified very long, so I tried colic calm…it worked for a while too but its black and was staining everything, so now i’m trying probiotic drops and it has been most helpful! He is a little tooter now! LOL
I wanted to ask though, how do you do it all? I have a 20 month old along with my 3 week old and it seems like they both need me at the same time and constantly! Along with being sleep deprived and emotional I feel overwhelmed and our house is a wreck. But then I think of the story of Mary and Martha and I try to focus on what is important. (Mary choosing to listen to Jesus while Martha was overwhelmed with the house and things that didn’t matter.) I see and read your wonderful blog and all four boys and I wonder how do you do it all?
Stevie, thanks for the tip on the probiotic drops! I will most definitely check those out.
As far as your question about “how I do it all?” The answer is: I don’t! I have a lot of help from my husband (he feeds them breakfast & puts them to bed). He also is very clean and frequently does the dishes and unloads the dishwasher. I also have someone who cleans the house 2x a month. I have friends who have been bringing me food. AND who says my house isn’t a mess? (your comment makes me want to take pics of our messes spaces & video a dinner & take a pic of my angry face!).
I would say you actually have it harder with a 20 month old and a 3 week old than I do with 4 kids! My oldest 3 boys can actually do a lot for themselves now and even help out with chores around the house. They can get themselves dressed. The older two go to the bathroom (no diaper changing!). They entertain each other.
I think when I had my 2nd son it was hard b/c my oldest was used to me being his primary play partner. So he expected me to still play with him and i was so busy with the baby. My 2nd and 3rd have never had me all to themselves, so they don’t expect that from me.
Hang in there friend! Each month it will get better and when your 2nd is a 1 year old you will be soooo thankful they are close together in age. Hugs to you. May you get rest during afternoon nap time. May you give yourself grace in the mess.
I just want to say you are so precious! Ipray for you even though we have never met, and we may never meet this side of Heaven. Your words encourage me and your blog is a highlight to my week! You talk about “our calling” and you were def. called to encourage other mothers! Thank you friend! Much love!