Conversations with a two year old

She was in such rare form tonight. So talkative. Rare, not because she's never talkative but because her brother is so talkative she often does not get to say much, but she always has much to say. Tonight her brother is spending the night with his grandparents so she had me all to her coversational self on our drive home.

It started with the bump at the end of the street which they always wait for.

"Where's the bump Mama"

"It was there, didn't you feel it?"

"Just the tiniest bit"

"Just the tiniest bit?"

"Yes, just the tiniest bit."

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"What's that there Mama?"

"Um, a motorcycle."

"No not that. What's that box doing there?"

"Oh, that's a trash bin. People put their trash bags in there."

"I wonder why?"

"So the big trash truck can come and pick up the bags and take them to the landfill."

"Oh, the big stinky truck!"

"Yes."

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"Mama, what else did you get?"

"What else did I get when?"

That one was never finished as she jumped to the next subject.

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At some point I must have said or done something, I can't remember what.

"Mama, don't do it again . . . and if you really want to, don't do it." (sounds like good advise don't you think? I wish I remember what it was, but I was really trying to remember all these things she was saying.)

********************************

"Mama, I really want Granma. I want to stay with her."

"Well, maybe next time you can spend the night."

"Ok, tomorrow."

"Do you want to call Granma when we get home and tell her good night?"

"I do but I'm so tired, I can't do it . . . I want to, but I'm so tired."

And then, once we had pulled into the drive, she came out of the back seat carrying her two babies and said, "Mama, will you hold my things? I'm just too tired. I have a head ache. Pray. Will you pray for my head ache?" (Her "head aches" are anywhere and everywhere on her body. This one was her tummy.)

She just amazes me. She's been listening, storing all these things in her head and now they are all tumbling out. She's growing up so fast!

Slow down little one.

Addiction

62%
Blogging . . . .how addicted are you?

I was accused of being too proud ;) to post my results for the addicted to blogging quiz. In all actuallity, I had not even taken the quiz because I was afraid to know what the results would say about me. So now I have humbled myself, taken the quiz and am trying to post it, but the link isn't copying correctly. It's supposed to say that I'm 62% addicted. Not as bad as I thought!

Late Summer

This isn't anywhere that I know, but how I wish I could visit. I've had this picture in my files for a while because it just takes my breath away.

Get a clue!

I'm told there was a lunar eclipse at 5:15 this morning. I missed it. I was up at 1, 4 and 7 with Annabelle. Actually, I didn't even know to expect the eclipse; but I found out about it after the fact. (Thanks Christine ;) )

I've been wanting to use this picture for awhile, so I thought it would be perfect for today.

Noah wants to leave a clue to what his birthday party will be this year. I think everyone is familiar with Blue's clues, where Blue leaves a paw print on something and everyone tries to put the ideas together. Well, watch my entries for Noah's fingerprint and that will mean that something in that particular entry is a clue. Look for more to come!

Especially for you

I borrowed mom's camera to get some video for you, but never having actually used this feature before, it turned out quite dark and grainy. I need to work with it a little more I guess.

Annabelle noticed her foot last week and yesterday caught it, held it for awhile and then pulled it to her mouth. I think you can see a little of that action on this video. She's also "talking" quite alot these days which is so sweet.

She got a bath first thing this morning and then I started the camera while she was cooing. It captured her reaction to Noah and Bronwen coming down from their beds to say good morning. She gets so excited when they are around. I love it!

I could go for one now

I am 50% Addicted to Coffee

Saturday

Time to get things done today that fell by the wayside during the week. It has rained so much that I feel a dampness in the house even though it was shut up tight and the Air conditioning is on. So the house feels messier than usual.

Noah and Bronwen have been playing quietly in some corner of the house and when they came down, Noah had fixed Bronwen's hair. What is so sweet is that she held still for him.

It's an ordinary Saturday.

Five Months

It's hard to believe, but Annabelle is 5 months

today! She's such a happy baby. Such a joy.

Noah's phone call

I just discovered something new from Blogger! So I thought I would try it out with a flash back from March 15, 2004. You can now just upload video from your computer just like photos. No Utube!

Grow

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11

I was given a pot of herb seeds by one of my piano students quite awhile ago. Earlier this month I decided to finally get them started. Excited by thoughts of pinching fresh herbs while I cooked, I tenderly mixed the soil and covered the little seeds. Then, carefully following the instructions to keep the soil damp, I faithfully watered. Very quickly I was rewarded for these efforts because it was only a day or two or four when these little green heads peeked through the browness. But, quite unfortunately, that is all the further they developed. "Well," I thought, "maybe these few are just eager and sprouted early, I'll just give the rest more time." Sadly the rest never appeared, and even these little sprouts began to fade and die. Probably the seeds were just too old. There must be a lesson in there somewhere, even if it's just about procrastination. I'll let you take what you will from this little lesson.
Have a great weekend!

I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12

Playdough

Bronwen carefully cuts her dough into tiny bits.

Noah's Berry pie

Playdough is such a simple thing, yet such a special treat. I need to get it out more often for them. And not worry about the clean up so much.

Noah, who has always preferred to keep his colors separate, learned the freedom and fun of mixing them today.

Psalm 23

Miracle

Our friends Carlton and Eva have a little baby girl!
Baby Nicole was born on Sunday, August 19. She weighs
3 lbs, 12 oz and has been breathing on her own since her very first breath!
This is a wonderful miracle and an answer to prayer. Eva was able to carry her an extra 3 weeks after her labor first began. Every day counted!
Thank you for your prayers.

Happy Anniversary Jayme and Scott

In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced. ~Robert Sexton

Three years! My how the time has flown. Cheers to you! I love you both.

August 21

Happy Birthday Britt! I hope that today is a wonderful, exciting day for you. Enjoy, and celebrate who you are, for you are a blessing to so very many. I love you!

Over?

Are these the dog days of summer or not?

I'm not complaining, but it's not like any August I can remember.

If April showers bring May flowers . . . what do August floods bring? A Soggy September.

Are things going to heat back up? Is Summer over? Will we enjoy an Indian summer yet?

I think the colors this fall should be brilliant!

What are your thoughts?

Woody and Jesse

As soon as Bronwen woke up this morning, she wanted Woody, the cowboy doll from Toy Story . Woody belongs to Noah and Bronwen has Jesse. Bronwen usually carries Jesse all over the place while Woody usually just sits in the toybox without a second thought from Noah, until today when Bronwen preferred Woody over Jesse. Ok, so that is the usual sibling stuff. But it sets the stage for what happened later. Tonight as we were getting settled in for devotions Bronwen was tucked in with Jesse and Noah with the rediscovered and highly coveted Woody. Noah "walked" Woody over to Annabelle who was in Daddy's lap, and he said, "Hello little miss, do you want to shake my hand?" and he put the doll's hand in Annabelle's. This little action tickled Annabelle so much, she let loose with the cutest belly laugh and kept giggling, looking right at the doll's face. This just encouraged Noah who began pulling the string to make Woody talk. This made Annabelle laugh even harder, and Bronwen, who had just been watching, now started to laugh so hard she couldn't catch her breath. By this time, all five of us were almost rolling with laughter and it took a few minutes to get back into a frame of mind for prayer. But I'm pretty sure that God didn't mind much. Thank you Lord for laughter! Such little things that bring such pleasure.

Have a great Monday morning!

Delicious!

Continuing with the food theme, I made one of my favorites for lunch today. Turkey, cream cheese and granny smith apples on whole wheat. Ohhh, it's so good!
Then add plump, juicy blue berries on the side and snack on popcorn. Delicious!

On a slightly different note, I made dinner for Mandi and Keith et al last night and was privileged to meet little Eli Tate. He is absolutely perfect for all of his tininess. I wish I had thought to bring my camera, but I was just trying to make sure to get the meal to them while it was still hot. Mandi, you look just wonderful! God is so good. The time spent with your family last night was delicious too!

Grocery Shopping

I hate shopping for groceries, but I love the day after when the cupboards and fridge open happily to share their guarded bounty.
Since Annabelle's birth Josh has been a dear and has done much of the foraging for food, or has come with us to help. But I'm starting to get back into the swing of a normal schedule.
When I do go out with my three tots, I hear comments like, "Whoa, you really have your hands full" (not a bad one.) Or, "Well, do you think three is enough?" (can you believe it?) I don't know what makes people feel like making comments like these. Maybe they think they are being cute, or that they really need to say something to make me come to my senses, but if they say this to a mom with three very well behaved mini shoppers, what in the world do they say to the poor frazzled mom with three less than helpful small people in tow? (Sorry about that sentence. Don't try to diagram it.)
Have you ever made a similar comment to a shopping mom with kids? I'm trying to think, and I'm afraid I may have. But I'm sure she had at least 4 helpers. And I'm sure if I had made a similar comment, I was trying to be encouraging. But I will be more careful of what I say in the future.

Lunch

Noah and Bronwen made lunch and set the table today. I think they were a little concerned that we would have anything to eat. I love having them work with me in the kitchen, and I love that they love to. Tomorrow is shopping day and we are really down to the bare bones today. But I did have a few slices of bread left, a stalk of celery and a can of tuna. It was a feast and Bronwen discovered a new love . . . celery with peanut butter! She was just munching away, I had to keep reminding her to eat her sandwich. Noah discovered this new treat a few weeks ago. I'm so happy that they are eating celery!

Confession

Can you guess what I should be doing?

Ok, this picture was an accident. I was trying to take a picture of something out of the window or on the window sill. I can't really remember. But as I was going through some pictures tonight I found this one. Now, this pot has been cleaned and used about 3 times since this picture was taken on the 9th. But there are dishes in the sink now. They are waiting for the clean dishes in the washer to be unloaded and put away so they can be loaded and washed. I've done about eleventeen loads of laundry and the clean clothes are in folded piles on every flat surface in my living room. How do I get so behind? This is what the summer is like for me. We are always going and doing and I seem to never have time to keep up with the house. But we have lots of fun living in the sunshine, feeling the grass or the sand between our toes. Breathing the clean, fresh, hot air. Escaping to the water whenever we can! There will always be time for cleaning later. And so, tonight, I am too tired to do anything but write for awhile and then relax on the couch next to my hubby before retiring to bed for the night.

By the way, is that thunder? Do you realize that the last 4 Tuesdays have been stormy and therefore head achey for me? I know today is Wednesday, but it rained yesterday!

9 weeks

It's that time of year (almost.) I just realized I have only nine weeks until Noah's birthday. Where does the time go? It seems like I just finished Bronwen's party. Here's a glimpse of Birthdays past. He's already put in his request for this year's party so I'm trying to get started ahead of time. Any guesses? I may not tell you if you are correct though.

A day for an Angel

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.

You're not 42 . . . you're 18 with 24 years experience!

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most, live the longest.

Thanks for all of the fun times Ange. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

And so I did. Let it rain that is.
It is amazing to me that I can still feel a trembling fear deep inside when the loudest of thunder claps. Maybe its a fear that my children will be frightened by the sound, but I don't think so. Not completely anyway. In the last few storms that have moved across this area there have been several startling rolls and claps of thunder. They make you jump and leave you with your heart thudding against your chest, wondering if the next will be worse. Ahh, the beauty of a summer storm.

I must confess that my cold has gotten the best of me this morning. We are having a slow, laid back day because of it. Right now Madie is playing the piano quietly and Noah is reading to Annabelle. Bronwen fell asleep while playing at the foot of the stairs earlier, so she is now finishing her nap on my bed. She had gotten up at 6:30 to go to the bathroom and because that is also when the storm began, she could not go back to sleep. She accompanied me downstairs to wait for Madie.

So, it looks like it is going to be an artsy kind of day. All three of my charges are drawing and coloring and playing music and reading, tucked away in various parts of the house.

It's a beautiful day.

W is for

Welcome to our Wednesday. At least three of us have a summer cold. Josh is well and Annabelle appears to be well so far. I thought Bronwen's nose was runny from another tooth pushing its way through her tender gums. But when Noah woke yesterday with a similar post nasal drip I realized it must be a bug. By evening, I had a sore throat. But we are not going to let it get us down. It seems to be a fast moving variety, so today we've already had reading and art. School has not officially begun for us, but I'm trying to get into more of a routine. I'm really hoping that Annabelle will be sleeping through the night completely by the time we start so I will be better rested and more patient for the tasks at hand. At the present she is sleeping from 8pm to about 5am so we're almost there! Of course if I would go to bed before one o'clock, I would probably feel better too.

Warm . . . it is going to be much too warm and humid to go outside today. Noah asked for a picnic outside, but I just can't face the humidity. So I popped popcorn and we had a special lunch inside.

Whale Watching . . .I gave Noah an assignment: to find as many whales as he could. He can search in all of his books and on the internet. So far he says he has found over 200.

Baby

I just missed the phone call because I was putting Annabelle down for her nap. Mandi called to announce the safe arrival of Eli Tate Flatt at 1:20 this morning.

He is 5 lbs, 9 oz. and 18 inches (so tiny!)

Mandi labored until 12:30 but they had to complete the birth by cesarian after all so as to keep both Mommy and baby safe. She asked for continued prayer for her pain and that the levels for her kidneys and liver to come back to normal.

Book worm

In the tradition of her mother (an English major who is doing nothing with her major, but blogging and editing Daddy's school papers) and her older siblings who love to read or be read to, our little Annabelle is getting started on her foray into fine literature. "Find the Duck" . . . doesn't she look intent? She seems to really be enjoying her book.

News

2pm - I received a call from my friends that baby is doing well, but Mommy is having problems. Her kidney and liver function is poor and may be shutting down. She will be having the baby by c-section tonight.

9 pm - I have no news about Mandi and baby . . . other than she was definitely having the cesarian tonight at 8. I'm waiting by the phone to hear how everything went.

10 pm - I called Keith and the cesarian was delayed - maybe indefinitely - Mandi is in labor! They are going to let her try a natural childbirth. This is some good news in the midst of a delicate situation. Keep them in your prayers.

Good bye Mason

I hate good byes. Mason went home with his great grandparents today and will spend the next week camping with them. It was so great to have him. Time is flying by and the kids are growing so quickly. I gathered some pictures of some of his other visits and enjoyed reminiscing.

Noah was really sad when Mason left and Bronwen keeps asking, "Where's Mason?" We'll get back to normal soon and hopefully we'll see Mason again at Christmas.

Too Soon

Another urgent prayer request. My dear friend Mandi is in the hospital with Toxemia at 34 weeks into her pregnancy. Unless there is a miracle, the doctors will deliver her little boy by cesarian tomorrow night around 8 o'clock. Please intercede on her behalf. Pray for her health and for her little guy to be ok. Also pray for her husband and two children as they support her and anticipate the birth. Pray that God will bring them sweet peace.

Family fun night

We enjoyed some fun at Chuck E Cheese's tonight. It has been well over a year, maybe even two since we took Noah there for his first experience. He has often asked to go again when we drive by so we decided that tonight would be the night. It's been long enough and they have completed some remodeling so it was another new experience for him. Mason, a year older, was happy to show Noah the ropes and they dashed around here and there with their pockets full of the tokens that Josh bought them. Bronwen was wowed by it all and a little too timid for most of the toddler rides. But she found a slide and a car in a corner play area that made her very happy.

When it came time to leave, the boys who were sufficiently worn out, did not complain but dutifully followed us out to the car - smiles all over their tanned faces - recalling all that they had just done as if we had not been there to watch them.

I was relieved to get out of the noise of all of those machines, running at full tilt. But it was one of those times when I hardly noticed my own discomfort because of the look in their eyes.

My Mom

Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again. ~Menachem Mendel SchneersonToward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe, 1995

You are my hero, my inspiration, my role model. You help me to be a better person, friend and mother. You challenge me beyond my comfort zone. You exemplify Christ and that in itself is for what I strive. I will be successful if I am half the woman you are.

"10Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. 11Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12She will not hinder him but help him all her life. 17She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. 18She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. 20She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 21She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. 25She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. 26When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. 27She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. 28Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her. 29There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all! 30Charm is deceptive, and beauty is does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise." Proverbs 31:10-31

Happy Birthday Mom.

Just released

I posted some of my draft entries tonight. You might want to take a look back mid to late July. I couldn't sleep even though I am completely exhausted. It's late now, so I think I'll try; I'm off to bed. Sleep well!

Summer days

Merrifield Park Splash pad 2007

Bronwen prefers to have more control over her water fun. She would rather splash in a pool, a puddle, or even a bowl of water.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at John and Christine's, running through the sprinkler with Madelyn and Chloe.

You can't see it, but the wagon was full of water.

After Noah pulled everyone around the yard, the girls were kind enough to give the boys a ride.

Bronwen enjoyed some animal crackers after her nap. Then she played with one of the umbrellas on the deck.

What a full day!