James bought me red tulips (my favorite) for Valentine's Day. They were a reminder to me that though winter is making me a bit stir crazy, there is a promise of spring. I should have taken a picture of the tulips yesterday though. I woke up this morning and they were all drooping WAY over the side of the vase. Hmph. I guess they agree with me on this winter thing (or perhaps it was that they had sucked up all of the water in the vase?).
In an effort to cure these winter blahs, I have been trying to get out and about with the kids despite the cold temps. I joined a local Mom's group and through that have found some really neat local activities. We have been attending story hour at Barnes & Noble once a week, at which the kids often do a craft and then, of course, there is the train table that Ryan loves. We have also been introduced to "Johnny Only" (kind of like a local Wiggle). He provides a free show every Friday at Highland Park (inside the gym during the winter months and outside at the pavillion in the summer). He sings, juggles, has puppets, and really gets the kids singing and dancing. Ryan seems to really enjoy it and it has been a great way for me to meet other Moms!
Our search for a church in the Binghamton area continues. We have recently attended Northpointe Church, which is a new church plant in our area. I went by myself the first week, as James was working and my Mom stayed home with the kids. It was kind of nice to be able to sit through an entire service, without wondering about the kids. Ryan had a bad experience with the last church we had attended for a few weeks...they had the WRONG person running the Sunday school class for 3 and 4 year olds...NO PERSONALITY and she really didn't know how to interact with the little ones. I am finding that what I am looking for in a church has drastically changed since I have children. I want a place where my kids will enjoy going to church, where they will have fun while learning about Jesus at the same time. I also want a place where James and I will grow and be challenged in our Faith. Northpointe is VERY new, and they are still trying to get "off the ground", so to speak. It is kind of exciting to think of being part of a church from the beginning. We have had some negative experiences being "newcomers" in some of the churches we have attended (both here and when we were in NC), so perhaps this is an opportunity for us to take those experiences and help to make sure that nobody else has to feel that way coming into a new church? I may be getting ahead of myself here...but just a thought.
In other news...Ella is 7 months now. At her 6 month check-up she was in the 75th percentile for weight (17lbs, 10 1/2 oz) and the 100th percentile for height (28 inches). She is doing well. We have started her on baby food and have gone through all of the fruits and vegetables. I think green beans are the only vegetable that she doesn't really care for. I am taking the introduction of new foods very slowly with her because of the tummy troubles she had as a newborn. I am hoping she will outgrow any sensitivities she had (we think it was from milk/dairy products) and that she will be able to eat a normal diet.
Notice the carrots smeared on the high chair pad...thank goodness for Shout!
Again, I am looking forward to spring and to tackling some of the outdoor projects we hope to get done. We have two more decks to rip out when the weather gets warmer, and we hope to get some landscaping advice for the spot where the pool once sat. We planted some grass seed last fall, and it grew in nicely, but the slope is still too steep and slopes toward our house...not good. And, without the baby bump that sat in front of me last spring/summer, I hope to be able to tackle the flower gardens that surround my house! Lots of work ahead of us, for sure! And with two little ones...HA! Right...
