Time for our February 2020 family update! Here’s what last month held for us. Parker turned four and I turned 33!
Happy 4th birthday, Parker!! It’s been so fun to watch you grow and change this year!
Some things I want to remember about Parker from this year:
– His “scribble scrabbles” have turned into lines and circles. He likes to draw little people and has taught himself to write the letters P, H, O, and L. His coloring has improved a lot too!
– He is very independent! He’s learned to button his shirts because he doesn’t want any help getting dressed.
– While I don’t do any formal school with him he always sits in on Hudson’s lessons and has learned a lot just by listening. Sometimes he likes to work on his own workbook (he has some coloring books with colors/shapes/basic counting) and sometimes he just plays there in the room with us.
– He adores Hudson and wants to be with him all the time but will also push back if Hudson tries to boss him around 
– For his birthday supper he picked corn on the cob and watermelon. That’s all we could get him to pick (so we had hamburgers with those as sides).
– He is so expressive and we crack up all the time at the faces he makes and the dramatic way he tells stories. He has a big imagination!
– His favorite things to do/play are building (he’s starting to get into Legos though his fine motor skills aren’t quite there yet), drawing/creating, playing police/military, and playing outside. He loves to be read to – Goodnight Moon is his current favorite book.
– He quit napping sometime during this last year. That was a hard transition (for me more so than for him) but things are better now. He is now able to play quietly during his quiet/rest time (Everly’s nap time) instead of running around and yelling.
– He still wakes up most nights hollering for us to put his covers back on him 
.
– This year when Hudson started CC Parker started going to the childcare offered during CC. This was the first time he’d done something like that alone without Hudson (other than going to class at church, but he’s known those kids and teachers since birth so not quite the same) and he was pretty wary at first but now is very comfortable and enjoys going.
This year has been fun! He has really moved away from the toddler stage and into the little boy stage!
Parker Henry, I love you a million!
Loving my new shorter haircut
Everly 
15 months
I cannot even handle how adorable this girl is. I love her to pieces.
Some notes about her at this age:
Words: she says mommy, daddy, Bible, and yes. Also yesterday Hudson and I heard her twice, clear as day, say “Daddy! Where are you?” which seems crazy to me but Hudson heard it too 
. We think she’s been saying “fuff” as well (for fuffle – the boys’ lovies) She likes to moo like a cow and bark like a dog.
Signs: milk, eat, and all done are the only ones she uses consistently
Favorite foods: blueberries, grapes, strawberries, cheese, beans, applesauce, hashbrowns, green beans, most all soups. She’s definitely pickier than the boys were at this age! Still breastfeeding several times during the day and at least once during the night, usually more.
Sleep: Good other than waking up for milk One nap a day after lunch
Growth: 19.9 pounds (31th percentile), 30.5 inches tall (49th percentile). She needs 12 month clothes now because of her height. But can wear 9 month dresses and such. She’s mostly outgrown size 2 diapers and I’ll move her into 3s when we finish this box. Her cloth diapers are still on the 2nd snap
Other stuff:
– she gets so, so excited when she hears the garage door when Michael comes home from work. It’s adorable
– she loves to eat crayons. If a crayon gets left out within her reach, it’s going into her mouth
– she’s getting a little more independent and not as attached to me – running and playing outside on the playground at CC, sitting in her stroller instead of me having to always hold her, that sort of thing
– she follows the boys around everywhere at home and wants to be right in the middle of them
She is so active and busy and fun! We love you, E!
(She’s wearing one of my old dresses in this picture 
)
She loves to pat the Bible in Bible class!
I made Hudson a tooth fairy pillow since he had his first loose tooth. While I was at it I went ahead and made Parker one too. I used scraps from their baby quilts so their pillows match the quilts on their beds. This was the pattern I used. I think they turned out pretty cute!
The boys are really into playing World War 1 and World War 2 since we learned about them in homeschool. Michael set up the nugget and they played war.
We’re happy that the weather is warm enough (some days) to get outside and play!
Pretending to go camping.
Hudson used his magnatiles to build this cute holder for his school supplies.
Everly still loves to help me unload the dishwasher and now she’s started putting the silverware in the drawer too
Everly has been carrying around the rest of “fuffle” (the second leg and waistband of the pants).
Working out while kids run around me. This action shot of Parker cracked me up!
Sweet siblings!
“I love Mommy, you are a great teacher” – heart melter. I’m so proud of him and his writing!
We got a tiny bit of snow! Not enough to play in but it looked pretty while it was coming down!
I went and got a massage/cupping done as a reward to myself for sticking to eating Trim Healthy Mama. Afterward I got this juice drink at a local juice bar that was recommended by my friend – it looked weird since it was black from the activated charcoal but it actually was delicious!
One evening after the boys were in bed I went upstairs and noticed that their play kitchen was not sitting against the wall like it should be. I went to move it back and saw why it wasn’t in the right spot – when I had asked them to clean up earlier they had piled all the toys behind the kitchen instead of putting them up where they were supposed to go. Kind of funny and kind of infuriating lol.
We had the boys’ joint birthday party. The theme was police since they LOVE police right now.
Decorations around the house
The cake – I was so proud of how it turned out!
While we were at the party Hudson’s tooth finally fell out! Michael had tried to pull it several times with no luck but while Hudson was jumping on the trampoline he felt it in his mouth – it fell out on its own!
Opening presents back at the house.
So excited about the police outfits they got!
Hudson went right to work cutting “hair” with his new playdoh toy.
Another picture of the newly lost tooth!
My Valentines!
Legos rule around here!
Michael had a work trip to Knoxville so the boys and I tagged along. Hudson and I did school in the van on the way there – I love the portability of homeschooling!
And school while we waited for dinner!
Everly had her first french fries and she LOVED them. She wouldn’t eat anything else but fries.
Hotels are…interesting ;) with little ones.
My van battery died in the parking garage of our hotel – that was not very fun!
The kids and I went to a children’s museum/science center in Nashville with my dad. It was really fun! They had some great exhibits!
The boys loved this space ship.
Oh look! A nugget! Everly knew just what to do.
This exhibit was sponsored/provided by TVA so of course we had to check that one out!
Enjoying some black beans at supper
Eating breakfast in our hotel room.
The hardest part of traveling with Michael when he’s working is that we have to check out of the hotel on the last day while he’s still at work or in training, so I have to get everyone checked out and the luggage all packed up. It’s an adventure trying to get it all finagled while also keeping all the kids in tow, but we made it!
Walking around Knoxville. My aunt works in a building that was just a couple of blocks from our hotel so we got to go visit her while were there.
Picnic in the van! We had already checked out of the hotel when it was time for lunch so we hopped in the van (very dark since it was in the parking garage) and ate our lunch in there. Yep, Everly is in her little high chair – it’s the only way to keep her contained!
One thing I like to find when we’re traveling is the public library since that’s a great place to go and kill time if needed. Fortunately there was one right across the street from our hotel so we were able to spend a few hours there while we waited for Michael. Hudson and I did school, then the boys played.
CC community day!
Crazy hair! Michael said she looked like Dobby the house elf.
Making custom Silly Putty
Valentine’s lunch – we didn’t do anything super elaborate but I made pink smoothies and cut cheese into hearts
Hudson loves to help feed Everly! It’s so sweet and so helpful!
My essential rewards order for this month
After she finishes eating breakfast, Everly climbs into Michael’s lap and steals the hashbrowns off his plate.
Watching church from home with some sniffly kiddos
Watching daddy grill
We finally got around to finishing the fossil dig thing the boys got for Christmas then they washed off all their fossils.
Cutting Everly’s peach up for her
Helping Michael pick up sticks in the yard
The boys like to make a “nest” for Everly
Clay dinosaurs
Trying to put Parker’s shoes on
“The duck quacks | cursive
The duck quacks | print
By Hudson”
(and I can’t remember what that last line says – I think it’s “Hudson’s own __________?”
I made some THM approved chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing. They looked good but were actually terrible!
Everly fell asleep at CC.
The boys wanted to bring me breakfast in bed for my birthday. They’re so precious!
Legos legos legos. They spend most of their days up here playing!
Had to wear miss fussy pants on my back so I could get supper fixed
For my birthday dinner we made Doodle Soup
Why does she look so big?!
All pile in mommy and daddy’s bed in the morning!
We went to Barnes and Noble for the boys to use the giftcards they got for their birthdays. Of course as soon as they spotted the Legos they went straight for them! They had a great time picking out what they wanted to buy.
One last thing I want to remember from a Facebook post I shared this month:
742,204.33.
That’s the amount of oils and oil-infused products my oils team purchased in 2019
. Three quarters of a million dollars. That is mind boggling, y’all! 
Do you know that number represents to me?
Over 1,000 families who really love their oils
Over 1,000 homes that have been able to switch their cleaner, soap, shampoo, diaper cream, makeup, toothpaste, deodorant, facewash, mouthwash, laundry soap, dish soap, vitamins, bug spray, sunscreen, cough drops, pain cream, and so so much more to natural alternatives!
Moms like me having confidence in how to safely care for their families.
A lot of people telling a few of their friends about oils and helping them make that switch too.
Friends getting their oils paid for thanks to this business.
A generation of kids growing up with healthier options than the generation(s) before them.
A community of people who have bonded over our common love of oils.
I am so SO thankful!!
(
at Young Living’s St. Maries, Idaho farm on Gold retreat)
And that’s a wrap for February!
The post What’s up with the Kings? | February 2020 family update appeared first on My Chocolate Moments.