RAOK weeks 3, 4, 5, and 6

Playing catch-up as usual. I've been keeping up with my random acts, just not posting them as I should. Oh well. Here we go.

Week 3-

I found these keys in the snow and put them up on the lamp post. I'm not sure who took them, but normally I'd just walk by them and say to myself, "oh no, someone dropped their keys. That stinks for them." This time I picked them up and hopefully the person who dropped them walked by my house again and found them.

Also this week I made an effort to babysit for a friend I know who is trying to exercise more. She wanted to borrow my jogging stroller to push her daughter in, but it's still really cold outside so I told her to just bring her to my house. She did twice, and got to run kid free this week!

Week 4-

In honor of national blondie (or blonde brownie) day on January 22, I took blondies to 2 of my favorite blondes wth nice notes to tell them why I love them. Hopefully they enjoyed it and didn't think I am a weirdo.

Week 5-

Ok, so I admit to being slightly obsessed with National food days. I've got lots of plans this year. Consequently, this week will look very similiar to last week. In honor of National Chocolate Cake day (January 27) I made my best chocolate cake recipe and delivered it to two of my friends who love chocolate cake as much as I do. It was fun for me, hopefully they liked it too:)

Week 6-

This week I'm going with the theme of teaching my kids how to knock and run. Some of my fondest memories as a kid are making a treat, planning the perfect recipient, putting a treat on their doorstep, ringing their doorbell, and tearing down their driveway desperately jumping over bushes and diving behind neighboring cars trying to make it back to the van without getting caught. Every kid should experience the adrenaline rush of this activity. 

I've decided to do the ever loved "ding dong" ditch. Yeah!

The other person we knocked and ran to was a friend who just had a baby. I made her some freezer meals and took her an outfit. This one unfortunately I had to put my name on it. I thought about making it anonymous, but decided if someone dropped food off at my door and I didn't know who it was I might not eat it. No, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't eat it. However, we knocked and ran anyway, just for fun!

Well, that's it! 

Today is today

I've got quite a bit to catch up on, but here's what I've got today. It's Valentines Day and I'm in love. With this...

My breakfast. It's scrambled egg whites and yes, heart shaped bacon! So fun, and yummy!  My boys went nuts over them:) 

We also gave all the boys a heart attack in their rooms. Telling them some of the reasons why we love them was really fun. 

Happy Valentines Day!

I'm the worst mom ever

I took Tiny in for her 6 month check up and it was made clear to me that I'm not doing so hot as a mom. You'd think mother of 5, I'd know how to take care of a baby. I knew she was small, but she's happy. I'd nurse her and she wouldn't cry like she was still hungry. What do babies do when they are hungry? Cry. She doesn't look unhealthy, or sick. I will get to the point. She weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. at birth and at 6 months she's at 12 lbs. 15 oz. Uhhhhhh, I know. Only gaining 5 lbs. 14 oz. in 6 months is NOT GOOD! Not even a pound a month. That put her in the 5th percentile. Have you ever heard of that? Or seen a baby like that? I haven't. Ever! You can guess what happened the second the visit to the doctor was over. I bought formula, baby food, and tons of baby snacks to chunck up that baby. I tried nursing and then offering her a bottle for extra calories for about 2 weeks but found that she didn't have patience to nurse when she could have the free flowing bottle. So I strapped the girls and closed up the skim milk shop. It feels good really. Not having to worry about being the sole food supply. 

Ok, ok I'm done ranting, but you can imagine my shock. She is so cute though. She can hold toys, eat her toes, babble, roll over, and she loves to laugh. Especially with Seth. I don't know what it is about him, but she adores him. He's her favorite brother right now. 

All of her stats at 6 months are:

Weight- 12 lbs. 15 oz. (5%)

Height- 26 in. (50.75%)

Head- 16.3 in. (10.25%)

Jo Jo turns 3

This month my Joshy turned three. We call him the whirling dervish of our house. He is everywhere all the time. He is super stubborn and very independent. He loves to eat candy, carrots, goldfish crackers, milk, fries, and Little Caesers breadsticks.

He refuses to sit for meals, or use the potty, but he is so freaking cute I find myself over looking those annoyances. 

He speaks so well it blows my mind. 

He knows how to work the system. 

If I don't give him what he wants he goes to dad. If Ben says no he heads to Noah. He usually gets it from him, or a suitable compromise. Funny how if he just relaxed and listened to me I would've compromised with him, but he just yells at me. 

At his 3 year check up his stats were: weight- 33 lbs. (50%)

Height- 37 in. (50%)

He's pretty average in his size, but above average in his personality.  We love him so much. Happy birthday Josh!

 

RAOK Week 2

This week I decided to make it simple. I didn't see but one food drive over the holiday season in our neighborhood. Most years I stock up in September and October so I can have a pile to donate. I gave a bunch to our YM/YW annual food drive and hay ride in December, but had some more to spare. So, for my first RAOK this week I donated the rest of my stash to the food pantry.

It wasn't a lot, but hopefully it helps. 

For my second RAOK, I thought about what I would like to receive if someone did something for me. Because I can't afford to give away a trip to Australia I thought I'd go for a fun night in. Our family loves watching movies mostly because you get to eat a big bowl of popcorn. I have a lot of great memories eating popcorn as a kid with my family. We'd take a huge brown paper grocery bag full of popcorn to my cousins house to eat after Sunday dinner every week. I remember fighting to eat the grannies with my dad while we watched the Disney Sunday night movie. We always joke, "you're not a Wilson if you don't LOVE popcorn." So, I decided to share, and hopefully make a good memory for someone else:)

104 acts of kindness

This year I have many goals. I hope to write about them all on this blog because I treat it as my journal. Last year I wasn't so on top of it, but I pledge to do better this year. The one that I am most excited about is my goal to do 2 mindful, but random acts of kindness. That means I'm going to plan my randomness. 52 weeks-2 acts a week= 104 acts of kindness. This being the 7th of January marks the end of week one. I am going to report my acts so that I can keep track of them for myself. My memory isn't good these days. 

1- I left some change and a note on the soda machine at Dick's market. Hopefully the next person who comes to get a drink will be excited and greatful to get a free drink.

2- I went to Iggy's with a friend last Saturday. Our waitress, Jennifer was amazing! She brought us items that weren't on the menu. Always kept our drinks flowing. Offered to-go cups for our drinks and sauces. Who offers to let you take your drink with you? Impressive, I know. She brought us an extra loaf of bread to take home because my friend  told her she loved it. She didn't ask for the bread, Jennifer just brought it out for her. She went way above and beyond so I thought I'd say thanks in a way that only a customer can say thanks to a server. I gave her a large tip. Way more than Ben would be okay with me giving her. (Just kidding Ben, you're not cheap.) big enough to make her smile I hope!

It's been fun so far. My hope is that my kids will see me doing this and want to do it too. No one can ever be too kind.