From leaves to snow

Each day rolls so quickly into the next, the crisp autumn air has given way to the colder weather now.

And before the last leaves have fallen, the first snow has arrived!

Below: Same spot last month...
... when the leaves were falling like crazy, and Vern, with a little help from the boys, had raked them into this big heap!

And yes, this is the kind of "work" Jon's happy to be buried in!

Jon's style -- to do as little as possible in the looooooongest time, is the opposite of mine. So you can imagine the power struggles between us, whenever he drags his feet with even the simplest homework! *sigh*

But this is one of those things, like the other familiar stuff that if he and Ben can just do it without having to put up a fight first, it'll reduce everyone's stress trying to get our act together every day.

Also, because at 3+ months old, Kait is still not napping well, crying to be carried the moment I lay her down, and come bedtime, hasn't stopped me guessing if the last feed will really be the one that'll give us that much coveted one stretch of 3h sleep.

Very pooped, and I may not figure this baby sleep thing out (*waaaaaah!!!*), but do look forward to when these "dark(er)" nights and days will pass! Meanwhile, trying not to overwhelm myself by keeping to the basics more than ever now.

My latest tools of the trade aka sanity aids include:

- A baby carrier...
A lookalike of the ergo one, but at a third of the price, it's not bad. It spreads out the weight better than the sling, and still frees my hands for quick chores and errands, carrying Kait around. I call her my lil 'Roo now!

- Reward charts...
For lack of a better idea, and do share if you have alternatives, we're back to using these to encourage Jon and Ben to do those really basic things expected of them. Such as our morning, afterschool, and bedtime routines, that it shouldn't have to take having baby Kait to realise they haven't grasped =(.

and

- A slow cooker!
Such one-pot wonders do help me get one thing out of the way, with Vern needing to work late more often now. After going with Kait to drive Jon and Ben back, our seemingly straightforward afterschool homework-dinner-bath-bedtime whole works is especially challenging when the boys aren't cooperative, and the baby is wailing for my attention all at the same time.

Left: Our simple turkey breast dinner on Thanksgiving Day. It was my birthday and we'd eaten out the day before. So I made this slow-cooked version (click here for the recipe), with a bit of tweaking based on the reviewers' suggestions. Works well, and especially if you don't need to roast a whole bird in the oven.

Right, and below: Vern, Kait, and I got to join Ben and his classmates and their families, too, for a nice Thanksgiving feast in school.

Thanksgiving Day was a timely reminder for me not to let these rough post-baby moments, and the boys' testing of limits, get in the way of my counting our blessings. And every extra thing we manage each day, by God's grace, is a bonus!

Thank you, old and new friends for your support, and also for reminding me that giving thanks should not be restricted to the thanksgiving season, and that we shouldn't lose sight of the stuff that really matters!

And you know, while my children are still young, I am aware that the baby years, and that precious children's innocence, do go by as fast as the changing of the seasons. Already, celebrating Jon's birthday last month -- back up one post for my belated entry, he tells me his latest ambition is to be a teen!

P.S. Me sitting here doesn't mean I'm on top of things. Far from it! Doing as much as I can, but among other things, there's clutter and more clutter, and clothes and more clothes to iron since Kait's birth that I have not got round to, and meanwhile, ironing them on an entirely needs-basis only. Where got time, not to mention the energy?! I'm neither the Energizer bunny nor Iron Man. And no kidding when I say there's a lot more mess than for what a neatnik I am NOT, I can ordinarily take =(.

But that's the only way. And blogging sparingly, though always love to keep in touch -- because it helps KEEP ME SANE!