No No Nanette

not over yet

2011-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

I loved summer.

It flew by.

But I think I enjoyed it as much as I could.

(And at the end of everyday I was so very tired that all I could think about was sleeping. So the blog just sat here; undisturbed, but not forgotten because my husband will often remind me how I haven't posted anything lately.)

Even though we started school in the beginning of August, and today begins September, my summer isn't over yet. Our little pool is still up and providing afternoon fun. The grass is still growing like crazy. And there is still some beach in my future. The official first day of Autumn is three weeks away, and I am happy about that.

The baby's arrival is about 100 days away and I am happy about that too. Happy because 100 days means I don't have to wait so very long to meet her, but 100 days also means I have that many more days to finish up all those things that "have" to be done before it's baby-time.

And I do want to catch up on this blog, only because at the beginning of the year when I was posting more regularly I was excitedly planning to have my blog printed out at the end of the year into a book as a sort of family scrapbook, and if I do that now, the book will have some rather large voids even though the year was filled. So here's hoping that I can catch up. Though as I recall, I was hoping to catch up on the blog when I was pregnant with Lizzie too...and that never happened. Oh, well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy every last drop of summer these next weeks provide. Love the sun, the smells, and the fresh veggies while they are still around. I know I will.

up to

2011-06-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

birthdays

summer break

creek dam building with Mom-Mom

Flag Day fun with out-of-town friends

cake

more cake

river wading

Father's Day

Cape May

fresh caught flounder

skee ball

kiddie pool

sunburned shoulders

cleared-off dining room table

good-bye bags of basement trash

belly bump grows

bunk bed collapse

mattress trampoline in the basement

lost tooth

forgetful tooth fairy

cousin fun

new baby teeth

strawberries

van vacuumed

booboo kisses

teeny tiny baby kicks

flip flops everywhere

steaks on the grill

books in the mail

bridesmaid dress fitting

photo shoot with my sister and soon-to-be hubs

bacon pecan waffle with whipped cream and real maple syrup

bean sprouts

cut grass

seeds

front porch evenings

thunderstorms

yard sale treasure

sidewalk chalk

bubbles

fresh paint

family time

fun

happiness

daylight

2011-06-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

I have things to blog about, but unfortunately I am currently being held hostage by my basement.

The terms of release require the disposal of all trash, clutter, and otherwise purposeless junk that I have been storing there for the last four years.

Hopefully I'll be out soon!

end of the year

2011-05-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

I just received my evaluation for Joey's first grade school year:

At bedtime tonight Joey told me, "I used to think reading was boring, but now I think it's amazingly fun."

I'm happy.

cake pops

2011-05-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Joey had a birthday.

So we made a cake.

And then they scooped it out of the pan into a bowl.

Then they crumbled it into crumbs.

Then Joey dumped in almost a whole can of frosting,

and mixed it up until it was nice and squishy.

Then we shaped it into balls,

but then flattened the balls on the top and bottom.

I then sliced some marshmallows into four slices and the kids cut little circles out of them using an icing tip.

Using some melted candy melts, the kids attached the marshmallow rounds to the tops of the cake balls.

Then we dipped the tips of lollipop sticks into the bit of melted candy and inserted them halfway into the pop.

While we waited for the pops to harden in the freezer, we melted a bag of candy melts in a double boiler,

then we dipped the cake pops into the melted candy and twirled and shaked to try to get the candy coating on evenly.

(Note: up until this step, this project is extremely kid-friendly. The dipping and twirling and shaking is not. I had never worked with candy melts and this was hard for me to do. The kids can dip the pops into the melted candy, but it is best for an adult to do the finishing.)

Can you tell what they are yet?

After the candy was nice and dry, it was time to give them faces.

They're Lego heads!

Joey was happy with the results.

All that was left to do was to light the candles,

blow,

and enjoy!

(These turned out nicely because I used the directions I found here. I used icing instead of decorator pens for the faces -- the pens would have been much easier.)

little people live here

2011-05-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

Little people make the house noisy. They fill it up with crumbs. They leave artwork on the refrigerator door and on the wall in the foyer.

And they do things like this:

An interesting discovery I made while turning off the bathroom light before bed that made me smile and enjoy her Katie-ness just a bit more.

There is an even littler little person in this house who discovered she can do things like climb on top of the kids table,

stand on top of stools to see what is out of view,

and climb on top of the kitchen table when she needs to study the nutritional value of a Happy Meal.

(She realized that sadly, the food standards in this household have taken a turn for the worse since my stomach got all weird and icky with the pregnancy. Hopefully we'll be back to normal in a couple weeks.)

And, alas, I am stuck with no clever way to finish this post.

I will blame that on being pregnant too; which, I guess, is the result of a little person living inside of me, so there's my ending after all. :)

So, what have your little people been up to lately?

(update: I just re-read this post at 9:50 and found a typo in each of the first three sentences. Arg! What is wrong with me?!)

learned

2011-05-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Lessons of the first trimester I have been reminded of in these past few weeks:

1. No matter how much of a good idea your weird pregnant appetite tells you it is to eat a big bowl of baked beans for lunch -- it isn't. Ever.

2. Someone will inevitably get the stomach bug while you suffer from morning sickness. Consider each yucky crib sheet change as some bonus supermom points.

3. An awesome husband who takes over cooking dinner, grocery shopping, changing yucky morning diapers, and numerous other household duties is an invaluable asset. Do not take him for granted. Love him, thank him, and promise him you will be normal again...soon.

4. There is no such thing as too much peanut butter and jelly.

5. When you have an opportunity to sit, sit. Sitting is wonderful.

6. When you have the opportunity to sleep, sleep. Sleeping is even better than sitting.

7. Growing a baby is hard work, but it's worth it.

nicknames

2011-05-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

JoeyBear

KatieBug

LizzieBee

KidneyBean

Ok, so the last one needs a little work. I have 7 months to think about it.

ponder

2011-04-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Why is the thing with a thousand choking-hazard-make-a-mess pieces...

...the very thing they want to play with?

good for something

2011-04-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Do you know that first day of summer weather in the spring?

Do you know what that day is good for?

It's good for a picnic at the park

and hanging out.

It's good for showing off how awesome your hair looks blowing in the breeze

and eating soft pretzels.

It's good for discovering how mulch feels

and discovering how mulch tastes.

It's good for showing off

and cooling off.

It's good for making new friends

and finding friendly creatures.

It's good for climbing the highest

and showing that you can do it too.

(and for showing off that awesome cloth diaper rear)

It's a good day to just be a child.

And it's a good day

to take way too many pictures

of some piggy-tails.

"it wasn't me"

2011-04-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

better together

2011-04-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago Adam had a day outing with Joey, so Katie and I had some special "Mommy-Katie" time. In the morning, my mom watched the girls while I kept a commitment at church. Grandmom does much better braids than I do.

After we got home and I put Lizzie to bed, Katie wanted to do crafts together. Katie and Joey do crafts all the time, but they usually do them on their own. We have an abundance of easily accessible supplies at their disposal, so when the mood strikes, they just get out the tape, or glue, or scissors, or beads, or string, or pom-poms, or yarn, or paper, or play-doh, or ribbon and ~~make a mess~~ create beautiful masterpieces.

But for our special "Mommy-Katie" time, Katie wanted me to sit there and do crafty things with her. I love doing crafty things, and I love being with Katie, but I have to admit that it was really hard for me to sit there and focus on our craft, when my brain was thinking about all the laundry and all the picking up and all the dishes I could have been doing while the baby was sleeping and Katie was happily crafting at the kitchen table.

It was hard to stop my never-ending list of things to do in my brain from removing me from the precious girl sitting beside me.

Do you experience this too? Are you thinking of what you could be doing when you have something wonderful to do right in front of you?

Katie needs me for lots of things. But sometimes all she needs is for me to just sit still.

And if I hadn't sat still and done crafts with her, I would never have discovered that I really have some awesome bean-gluing skills.

And you never know when bean-gluing skills are going to come in handy.

fever and dots

2011-04-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Lizzie had a fever Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and today she has spots--

Can you name that illness?

Ding! Ding! Ding!

If you said "Roseola" you are correct!

So that is what I have been doing this week: tending to a fussy girl, helping a fussy girl with high-spiking fevers get back to bed a few times each night, bringing the fussy girl into bed with me so I could get some rest, taking the fussy girl to the doctor yesterday to be sure it wasn't ear infections, and holding a fussy girl who feels much better today but has grown quite fond of the arrangement where I hold her all day.

I'm a little tired. But all the rest of us are healthy, we managed to do schoolwork each day, and at least it is roseola and not leprosy, which is what the kids keep calling it.

There is always something (well, lots of things) to smile about.

(& feel free to share some of your reasons to smile)

and lots more

2011-03-31T17:56:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for

messy hair and dirty chins

floors with inspired messes

catnaps

and so much more.

we'll be dancing

2011-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about Natalie today.

I've been thinking about the day I get to meet her.

My heart already overflowing with the joy of Heaven and seeing Jesus face-to-face...running and wrapping my arms around my daughter...laughing and jumping and crying happy tears...saying "I love you" again and again...singing and dancing for Jesus...singing and dancing together for the Precious One. Glory, Glory!

What a day that will be!

this week

2011-03-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday
was the first time the four and five-year-old Jr. church class met Chester the Chimpanzee. He wears an aqua blue onesie with the letters ch glued to the front. He was a big hit. Bring puppets when you teach this age group and you are guaranteed to be considered a "fun teacher."

Monday
was the first day of spring, with rain and a few snowflakes.
The day started out with a great beginning that too quickly came unravelled by pulling the threads of a health insurance appeal and a trip to the library with two books that didn't have their cds with them. Grrr.

I never got my groove back after that, so I threw in the towel and put on Beauty and the Beast.

After Lizzie woke up from her nap, I plopped her on my bed to watch along with Kate while I worked on some laundry in the next room. Those two little girls were being awfully quiet and when I went to check on them, this is what I found:

Katie told me she was taking care of Lizzie so she wouldn't be afraid of the beast. Lizzie rested there on her sister for quite a while. It was precious.

That moment totally redeemed my failed Monday. That and my husband cleaning up the kitchen and folding laundry when I went out grocery shopping after the kids were in bed.

Tuesday
didn't feel like spring, but we still hit the swings.

Wednesday
it snowed.

It snowed because last week I washed all the snow pants and heavy coats and put away most of the hats and gloves and scarves.

You're welcome.

Thursday

it snowed again.

But the sun came out in the afternoon because Spring realized that the joke was getting old.

Friday
was lunch at McDonald's playland with friends where four little people ran around until they were tired and sweaty, while one very little person walked around enjoying her first playland adventure, and I forgot my camera.

Saturday
was a day. A day that began with waffles, saw a few house projects completed, and produced the best cheeseburger that my grillmaster has ever made. Ever.

(guacamole, watercress, tomato, grilled pineapple, cheddar, juicy beef, bit of mayo, toasted bun)

All the more yummy when served with a side of sillies.

My day actually ends with me eating a bowl of cheerios with banana for a snack while blogging, but I don't think anyone wants to see a picture of that.

In one hour and fifty-four minutes another week begins.
I hope it's a good one.

grace and glory

2011-03-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory:
no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Psalm 84:11,12

I am so thankful that the LORD is my God.
I can trust Him.
He loves me and doesn't make any mistakes. Ever.

Still I struggle.
When I should lean on Him, too often I lean on me.
But I am still blessed. He is merciful.

He gives me grace, day by day, minute by minute.
He protects me. He takes care of me.
The LORD is the sunshine of my life.

He deserves all the glory.
How can I ever praise Him enough?
For all I have, will have, here and forever.

when you give a baby a bowl of yogurt...

2011-03-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

...you get a mess.

A big girl mess.

A "where did all my yogurt go?" mess.

A too cute mess.

A get your cute blueberry-scented self into the tub mess.

unpublished

2011-03-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday all three of my home and garden magazines came in the mail. It was quite a nice afternoon coffee break: perusing through paint colors and wall papers, checking out potted plants full of salad greens, and eyeing up interesting antiques.

Looking around my house, it was hard to not chuckle at the disparity between what I saw around me and what was published on the pages.

The magazines displayed no playrooms as visually stimulating as mine.

No step-by-step instructions on how to make a "crystal" and tissue paper centerpiece.

No kitty-enhanced houseplants.

And not one magazine had any fingerprint-and-dust window coverings.

I have been making attempts to be a better housekeeper lately. There is obviously still room for improvement. Much improvement.

It is my struggle in the never-ending battle between housekeeping and homemaking.

And then you throw homeschooling in the mix...

The difficulty is in finding the balance between having an organized home and making a place for a creativity-filled, relaxed atmosphere, but at the same time not making excuses for my laziness or poor planning.

I can try to make a fresh start and find my style.

But ultimately, this is where life happens.
It will never be perfectly clean, but I want everyone to love living here.

So how about you? Are you clean?
Are you cleaner than me? :)

Do you face the struggle between housekeeping and homemaking, or is it no big deal for you?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

lookin' good

2011-03-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

She has style.

Exactly what kind of style that is has yet to be determined.

life is good, you know

2011-03-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

Today was full of mothering and teaching and reading and cleaning and washing and diaper-changing and cooking.

And swinging.

It was a good day.

4 years ago

2011-03-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

I found this one in the computer hard drive archives.

Go on.

Admit it.

You're laughing.

It gave me a laugh, and I needed one. Today was a tough "just keep swimming" kind of day.

It is fortunate I have some funny looking kids to amuse me.

:D

katie bug

2011-03-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

For her birthday, Kate wanted a ladybug cake with a number 4 candle in it.

I did my best.

I was actually quite pleased. I am not very good at applying smooth icing, but the crazy-huge eyes turned out just the way I wanted them to. It looks like it could be a character on A Bug's Life, and talk with a squeaky, high voice.

Katie specifically asked that the ladybug have bows on her "whiskers."

What she lacks in knowledge of insect anatomy, she made up for in the injestion of artificial food coloring.

Isn't that lovely?

The little ladybug had a strawberry rear, and a chocolate head, also per the birthday girl's request.

Why two flavors?
It makes perfect Katie sense: black head = chocolate cake, red body = strawberry cake.

The ladybug had a delicious demise.

The best part, though, was making Katie happy.

When she first saw the cake in the morning, she was very underwhelmed (which is typical "Katie in the spotlight" behavior). But later in the day she was looking off into space, and I asked her what she was doing.

She replied, "I was just thinking about how much I love my ladybug cake."

That made every minute in the kitchen and every drop of food coloring worth it.

practically empty

2011-03-02T20:41:00.001-08:00

I have no creative juices lately. None. Especially none to blog.

Lately my mind has been filled with the practical.

Like figuring out a plan to really, truly get my house cleaned, even if it is only every two weeks.

And how to make the chore routine run more smoothly with less nagging.

And how to adjust my schedule (which I was getting pretty fond of) to the change Lizzie is making from two naps to one.

And how to be a better friend.

And how to remember to pray for those people who need prayers.

And how to be filled with love and joy so that I don't ever yell at my kids.

And how to make sure I am giving Katie enough time since she is sandwiched between the homeschooler and the baby.

And how to make a ladybug cake.

Well, the last one, once the practical side is all figured out, just may get the creative juices flowing.

And then maybe I will be back with more posts, that may or may not include a photo of a ladybug cake with a 4 candle on it.

Which gets me thinking about how quickly four years goes by.

But that kind of thinking makes me cry, so I'll stop that.

Hope you are having a blessed week.

quick thinking

2011-02-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

So the other day Katie asked me to play dress shop with her.

Dress shop is when she takes a bunch of dresses out of her closet and hangs them on the crib. She is then the owner of the dress shop, helping you find and buy the perfect dress. She loves this game.

I told her she could play, as long as she hung all the dresses up again when she was finished, but that she would have to play with Joey since I was busy with Lizzie right at that moment.

Joey rolled is eyes and muttered something about not wanting to play dress shop, to which Katie replied:
"Fine. I'll play with my invisible friends."

Not knowing she even had any invisible friends, I asked her the names of these playmates.

"Princess, Jessie and...Hairbow."

I have a sneaking suspicion that she may have possibly made up one of those names on the spot.

But the threat of replacement worked, and Joey played dress shop with her after all.

I guess Hairbow had to go find something else to do with her time.

equals

2011-02-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

Today = great

because

Weather = beautiful

Windows = open

Walk at the park = refreshing

Kids = hyper :)

Teaching Joey to use a sewing machine = memorable

The pillow he sewed for Bear = adorable

Washed bedding hung outside = much better smelling than before

Dinner = yummy

Adam = my favorite (grown-up) person to have dinner with

Dishes = done

Tomorrow = Friday with a forecast of more spring weather

Blessings = so very many

staying

2011-02-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

(More of our Disney trip.
I am trying to include things here that I won't have in the photo book I am putting together, so sorry if all this is boring.)

Adam treated the family to a stay at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. It was so lovely. The main building, The Carriage House, and the grounds have an equestrian theme.

(Adam took the kids swimming every night, and they practically had the whole place to themselves.)

In the lobby were these pictures of horses from various animated Disney movies.

I love that special touch. And Bullseye is so cute.

This was our building.

And that was also the warm Florida sunshine. I loved that sunshine. I miss it.

leaving

2011-02-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

We're going to Disney World!!!!

I have a feeling I better get my rest now...

The slowest thirty minutes of their lives

The plane ride went well, in part because the flight wasn't crowded and partly due to the fact that when we want to, we use Lizzie's raisin addiction to our advantage.

Wah..Wah!

Lizzie, shhh.

Wah!

Here. Eat some raisins.

Quiet munching sounds.

If she had three hands, she would use them all to shove the raisins in.

Joey had fun with Daddy's various i devices, while Katie had fun things to do like eat teeny pretzels and sip apple juice out of a tiny straw.

And later, when I refused to give her any more raisins because I am the one that suffers from the mass consumption (gross), Lizzie was enthralled with her Dad's magical power that makes music come out of thin black wires.

flew south

2011-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

We went away last week.

It was wonderful.

It was tiring.

And it was warm.

We enjoyed lots of these:

The kids enjoyed lots of these:

Some posts of the magical fun to come...

snow what

2011-01-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

The table misses grilled steaks on a warm night.

The front walk longs for sidewalk chalk graffiti.

The trailer would like to haul mulch.

The lawn wants to be trampled by neighborhood friends.

The forsythia dreams of happy, yellow blossoms.

I must say, it is hard to be happy with all this cold, snowy weather when even the inanimate objects are discontent.

not so poetic

2011-01-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

silently snow falls
in my home no peace is found
teething baby screams

when red 40 equals greatness

2011-01-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

What does it take to be the world's greatest mom?

The answer is surprising: deprive the children of cereal. Only buy it occasionally, but even then, have a pretty strict ban on any cereal that turns the milk pink.

Then, one Tuesday, tell your son he can pick any cereal he wants when you go grocery shopping. Watch the delight on his face as he chooses sugar coated rings of artificial colors.

Enjoy the pleasure of watching him merrily eat two bowls for an afternoon snack. And then be handed the title of "best mom in the world" from the world's sweetest boy.

Sometimes it really is great to break the "rules."

in blue

2011-01-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

My artist has moved away from the abstract art that defined her early work.

Kate's recent pieces show lots of growth in real scenes and portraits.

The subject of this drawing is so recognizable, it can't possibly be required that the viewer be her mother in order to interpret and enjoy it.

Okay, fine -- in case you don't have a trained eye for Katie-art, I'll fill you in:

(I just read this post 5 hours after posting and had to fix 3 typos. Nice.)

the kitty

2011-01-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Buddy the cat came into our lives in November.

He is a great cat; patient, longsuffering, and loving, with enough spunk to keep him interesting. And by spunk, I mean from ten to eleven o'clock every night he turns into a crazy tiger, and the house is his jungle, and any toes that might be wiggling under a blanket are his prey.

He thought the Christmas tree was the best cat toy EVER.

Most of the time, he is perfect.

All of the time, he is loved.

Sometimes this love may manifest itself as being wrapped in a blanket and taken for a ride in the kiddie shopping cart.

He doesn't seem too upset about it.

(confession: I will have to blog about Buddy from time to time -- what else am I going to do with the photos I take of him?)

I'll show you

2011-01-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

See, I told you she walks.

Oh, yes she does.

What? You don't have a bottle of washer fluid sitting on your kitchen floor?

Oh, yes I do.

step by step

2011-01-19T15:45:00.000-08:00

On January 1st, after hardly staying awake long enough to kiss my love as the new year came in, I was up "celebrating" with Katie and the toilet at three a.m. Lizzie woke up with a mess leftover from the "celebrating" she did in her crib by herself sometime in the night.

After a day of cleaning up sick messes and tending to sick bellies, Adam told me to take a break and get out of the house and go shopping. After just a couple hours out, I came home around the kids' bedtime. I found Adam and all the kids upstairs in Joey's room. Adam avoided eye contact and confessed:

"While you were gone...Lizzie took her first step."

Of course she did! That little stinker waited until I was gone to teach me a lesson about skipping out on her. But before she went to bed, as though sensing my utter disappointment, she took one more little step just for me. All was forgiven. :)

She is so chubby and short, it is just the cutest thing to watch her place each foot down as she makes every shaky, but purposeful step. By January sixth she had put ten of those cute steps in a row. And here we are, only 18 days after her first, and she has figured out how to put a long enough sequence of steps together to walk herself into the bathroom and play in the toilet water.

Baby steps. Baby steps that have opened up a whole new world of adventure.

home boy

2011-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

We are halfway through Joey's first grade year. Academically, Joey is wonderfully average. He would rather play all day than sit down and do school work, but when we do sit down, we are blazing no spectacular homeschool trails; just learning the basics for now, and that is perfectly fine with me.

Everyday I am more and more convinced that academics are just a part of homeschool, and the greater part is that he is home. We are together. He spends his playtime with Katie, investing in a lifelong friendship. Everyday I see little victories in the fighting-quarreling struggles the two have faced. Joey is learning the joys of teamwork, as well as understanding the challenge it is to love by seeking not his own. Lizzie is his joy and delight, and because he is home, he takes her out of the crib some mornings and entertains her all on his own.

His being home means I am his teacher. He read his first "real" book with me. I get to put the "Awesome!" sticker on his math tests and see his enormous smile. It isn't all sunshine and lollipops, and believe me when I say I have considerable shortcomings, and have sometimes been a complete failure. But when I ask for forgiveness, he is always ready to love and forgive. We spend lots of time together, and so far, he isn't tired of me. :)

We are both figuring this out together. I am blessed to have such a sweet boy to learn right along side with. I am blessed and grateful that homeschool is possible in our family.

I love having him home with me.

buzzing about

2011-01-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

If you need to go grocery shopping on the afternoon before snow comes to town because you actually need eggs, milk, and bread (plus your fridge is bare) I have a suggestion for you: let your daughter wear her bumblebee costume to the store. It is hard to be crabby while wrestling your cart through the swarms of shoppers when everyone you pass smiles at your daughter, and then looks at you and smiles as well.

For a moment after she asked if she could wear it out shopping, I wanted to say no, but then realized there was no reason why I should. What did it matter? The only slight hassle was trying to get her booster straps over the shiny, yellow wings when I had to buckle her into the van. A few extra seconds of trouble were worth it for every smile we received. One father even pointed my beautiful bumblebee out to his small daughter, while Katie shyly received the praise.

My cute little bee was also clever. "Ooo, Mommy, we are coming to my favorite section!"
And she then pretended to drink nectar and taste the pollen of all the lovely flowers on display in the floral department. When we were first walking into the store, Joey thought it was a little embarrassing to have a bee shopping with us as he noticed the looks from shoppers that Katie was oblivious to, but by the time she was "tasting" the flowers, he was pretending right along with her.

A friend told me this week that she is looking to put more joy in her life. It is wise to be conscious and purposeful in that pursuit don't you think? Our mother-attitudes can change the mood of our family, whether good or bad.

Maybe sometimes, we miss opportunities of happiness because we say "no" too quickly. I know I have. My happy, little shopping trip showed my that.

Wiser far than human seer,

Yellow breeched philosopher!

Seeing only what is fair,

Sipping only what is sweet...

Leave the chaff and take the wheat

from Ralph Waldo Emerson's The Humble Bee

a couple of flakes

2011-01-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

A snow day morning started with two sets of feet padding their way to the side of my bed. I have a feeling Joey told Katie to wake me up. Tapping my shoulder she said, "Wake up, Mommy! Look outside -- it's a glorious snowstorm!"

It was a beautiful morning, with Lizzie still asleep, but I got up to view the glorious snow that had fallen in the night.

Everything is new and pretty with snow on it.
I wouldn't normally take a picture of my flowering pear tree out front (with Christmas lights still on), but I would with some snow clinging to the branches.

The kids went outside to play right away. I think the only prerequisite was to let mommy have her cup of coffee first. Then they got all "bungled" up and headed out. Some day someone will tell the children that it is bundled not bungled, but it isn't going to me. I just bungle them up when they ask me to.

The swing set was suddenly much more fun and entertaining when covered with snow. Falling down the slide into a heap of snow was cause for great excitement.

Joey just radiates his glee. When he is having fun, he doesn't hide it.

And the pink snow princess? I don't exactly know what she was doing with the snow chunks she was piling up in the fort, and since I took all these photos from inside my kitchen with my zoom lens, I wasn't close enough to ask. But I love that she needed sunglasses to do it.

Lizzie noticed the snow as soon as she looked out the window in the morning, and then she tried to talk to me about it with her baby points, sounds, and nods. When it snowed last time, I got a bowl of snow for Lizzie to inspect when the kids were out. Joey wanted a chance to see her reaction to the snow, so he got a bowl for her this day.

While intrigued, she wanted nothing to do with touching it. It doesn't fit into her baby picture of what is normal in this world and she is fine with the snow staying outside, away from her personal space.

You can't tell in this picture, but she is shaking her head "no" as we would bring the bowl close to her, trying to get her to touch it. Of course, then we all enjoyed watching her shake her head in defiance for a few more rounds before I told the kids to leave her alone.

When the kids came inside from one of the many trips out, I peeled the layers of snow gear off of a rosy cheeked Katie and she told me, "I like playing in the snow. It's like taking a walk with Santa Claus in a dreamland."

I have never taken a walk with Santa Claus in a dreamland, but it sounds pretty good. :)
Too bad I don't have any elves. They could help clean up this:

Because that is how a snow day ends.

model kt3000

2011-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

I walked downstairs this morning and Katie was sitting on the sofa.
Sitting on the sofa with a q-tip in each ear.

Straight-faced, and matter-of-factly she explained, "I'm a robot."

This robot is so good at making play-doh cookies, bothering the cat, emptying the entire contents of the coat closet hat and mitten basket, leaving beads in places where the baby can eat them, and looking perpetually unkept, it can be sure I will never trade it in for a newer, better model.

Returning is such a hassle, and I am pretty sure I lost my receipt.

ornaments of beauty

2011-01-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

Last post about Christmas, I promise.

Our tree was decorated a little differently this year. When it came time to put on the ornaments, I just wasn't "feeling" my usuals, so I decided that the kids and I would be artsy-crafty and make most of the ornament with Christmas fun/homeschool art projects.

The results were interesting, but not exactly beautiful.

But they were full of lots of beads, and glue, and paint.
(Next year I will have to be a little more focused on creating ornaments that are actually pretty.)

Besides the kids' crafty creations, I did hang up all my "Natalie ornaments" from years past. A week before Christmas I still didn't have this year's, so I went out to Hallmark which very often has the one that is just right. They didn't fail me this year either. I knew I had found the perfect ornament when my eyes welled up after spotting it.

Every life leaves something beautiful behind

I use the word beautiful very often when talking about Natalie. Sometimes I wonder if people understand or think me odd. When I first lost her, I wouldn't have understood. I wouldn't have wanted to understand. In the beginning it was hard to think about how God was going to use a stillbirth in my life. I just wanted my baby.

But my loving Father knew how sad I was, and He saw me cry. And my God is a wise God and a Good Shepherd.

Grief and questions turned to hope and faith. Anxiety turned into peace. Tears slowly wained as I rested, comforted, under the shadow of His wings.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them

beauty for ashes,

the oil of joy for mourning,

the garment of praise

for the spirit of heaviness;

that they might be called
trees of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD,
that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3

It is true, Natalie has left behind much beauty. God's lovingkindness, so clearly and tenderly displayed through His word and through His saints is beautiful. The unity and stronger ties created between Adam and me as we grieved and healed together is beautiful. Knowing I have Jesus who not only walked with me through the valley of the shadow of death, but also brought me back to the land of the living is beautiful. That I can share the joy and hope of Heaven with my three children on earth, and they can understand they have a big sister waiting for them there, is beautiful.

Loss is hard. Life is so short. I think of those of you who had a baby this year that was in Heaven before it ever made it to your arms. I think of those of you who lost a beloved parent or grandparent. Maybe some of you lost a brother or sister. Some may be grieving the death of a spouse or child. There may be some who lost an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, a dear friend; there is sadness in many lives, I'm sure. My hope is that in time, you too will be able to see the beauty left behind.

these girls got game

2011-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, my princesses are ready for their picture!"

what will you do this year?

2011-01-06T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about what goals I would like to make for the new year (since it is already the seventh, and I better set my goals soon or January will be over). Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you tell people your resolutions or keep them privately to yourself?

I read this devotional this week about keeping your goals to yourself. It challenged me to consider my motives if/when I do share my goals or resolutions on this blog. Whose thoughts am I really considering when I share my goals? Do I just want to talk about my goals, or am I willing to seriously work at them?

There are so many resolutions I could make: as a child of God, a wife, a mother, a homemaker, homeschooler, friend...
I am so flawed, sometimes resolutions can seem daunting. But change, purpose, direction, and goals are good.

I need to resolve to be resolute in my resolutions. :)
2011 can be a success. I have 358 days left to make it so.

-----------

So, all that being said, I will share one goal (besides to take down my Christmas tree before the end of January).

I want to cook or bake at least one new recipe every week. Maybe two; I can't decide.

It figures that one of my 2011 resolutions has to do with food. I can't help myself -- I just love to eat!

See, here's the deal: I really love cooking and baking, and I am a cookbook lover as well -- I can spend hours just paging through a cookbook, and reading recipes, and dreaming about all the things in the world I have never tasted. But I still find myself in cooking ruts since I can be lazy. I need to stop reading all these recipes and just cook some of them already! So my hope is to stretch and grow my kitchen repertiore (without stretching and growing myself).

My mother-in-law gave me a subscription to Vegetarian Times, and while I am in no way a vegetarian, it is a great resource for cooking outside the steamed broccoli and frozen peas box. On Thursday I cooked up a recipe in the January/February '11 issue for a Baked Leek and Sweet Potato Gratin.

Confession: I have never before in my life ever bought or cooked leeks.
The result: a very yummy, savory application for sweet potatoes.

While I dress them up with mounds of sugar and butter and pecans for holidays, on an everyday basis I just bake sweet potatoes whole and serve with butter or honey. This recipe was very different from the usual and made me buy and try a new veggie. The leeks and garlic in the dish played so well with the sweetness of the potatoes, and I really enjoyed it.
---------

So while I may blog about some of the new recipes I try, I think I will heed the advice in that devotional and acknowledge the wisdom of God's Word and keep the rest of my goals and resolutions to myself. I don't want to let pride or a false sense of accomplishment get in the way of what I need to do. Nor do I want to get any of the glory that belongs to God.

I hope your new year is one of thriving in Him!

in her purple dress

2011-01-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

A darling, purple dress from Grandmom,

and a headband from a clearance rack at Bon-Ton,

and a purple flower pin from a sweet friend,

and a furry cape from our costume bin in the basement, make

one little girl feel so special, all dressed up for the Christmas concert at church.

(I can remember being five years old in the bathroom at church comparing dress-twirl sizes with the other little girls. Can the desire for a twirly dress be in a little girl's genetic code?)

twas the day before Christmas

2011-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

The two weeks before Christmas were filled with the stomach bug, the flu, and other unexpected dilemmas. But I wanted Christmas Eve to be fun. I was hoping to maybe start some family traditions; I think I may have succeeded. The day was filled with two fun activities.

#1: Christmas Cut-out Cookies

We all had a great time mixing and rolling and baking and decorating.
Well, almost all of us.

She sat in her chair and wavered back and forth between looking cute and making a stink that she was stuck in the high chair.

Now here is a picture quiz for you. Look at the photo very closely and tell me what doesn't belong. Can you spot it?

Need a clue?

Yes, you got it! A jar of tomato sauce. But you see, when one leaves her rolling pin at her sister's house from cousin-cinnamon-applesauce-ornaments day, a jar of tomato sauce does belong because how else are you going to roll out the cookie dough?

I love the big brother/little sister dynamic when doing something like this all together. She is always looking to him for cues

or to get a kick out of what silliness he has drummed up

and then, of course, to be just as cool as he is.

Joey is so much fun. He loves projects that include any sort of artsy aspect. Some serious concentration and planning resulted in some real beauties.

And then there was this one by Katie which she entitled, "Worms eating a rocking horse."

Disturbing? Just a little bit. :)

My recommendation for cut-out cookies with small children is a 1:1 adult to child ratio. I did cookies with the kids by myself back in the fall, and lets just say this experience was much more enjoyable. A little less mean mommy, and a bunch more smiles.

We had so much fun together. It was one of those times where you know that the picture in your head can be very different from the reality that occurs, but on this day, the picture and reality were pretty close. The fact that I love artsy stuff was a bonus. As I stood at the counter squeezing green icing out of my make-shift ziploc piping bag, I turned to Adam and told him, "I could do this all day long!" There is a part of my brain that delights in the occasional art outlet.

They weren't glorious works of art, but in my book they were cookie success!

#2: Marshmallow Fight

I think I may have read in a magazine that one family's Chritmas tradition was a marshmallow fight, and I immediately thought now there is a tradition I could enjoy! It was worth every penny of the $1.78 it cost for two bags of marshmallows to delight in the wild rumpus of marshmallow blitzing, tossing, and zinging that filled the house.

And when you don't let your husband know what you have planned, but let your son help you devise how to spring the surprise on Daddy, the fun factor goes up exponentially. I wish someone could have been there to tally how many times I hit Adam in the head that night, because my aim was unusually dead on that evening.

Joey smiled so big during the whole marshmallow frenzy, I think he may have strained some cheek muscles. Katie would gather up a bunch in her arms and sling them all at once in a barrage of marshmallows that didn't hit anybody. Lizzie just did her best to stay calm and figure out why we had all gone crazy. The animals nibbled on marshmallows strew about the house. And I didn't take one picture, because it was one of those times that couldn't be weighted down with photographic desires.

Pure, family fun, and I loved every minute of it.

And what do you do after a marshmallow fight? You find a few marshmallows that don't look too dusty or chewed on and you plop them into mugs of hot cocoa while you watch some Christmas cinema and eat a cookie or two.

And that, my friends, was a really great Christmas Eve.

I love my family. I am so thankful for every one of these splendid people God has given me.
I hope your days with family were filled with laughter and love as well.

walkin' on sunshine

2011-01-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

We all have the stomach bug. Again. So my remaining Christmas posts will be unforgivably late.
Lizzie has not wanted to eat really anything at all, but tonight I made rice cooked in chicken stock instead of water and she liked it and ate a bunch. It made my mommy-heart happy to see her eat. Especially since lately I cannot understand the amount of food this girlie can put away when she is healthy. It's mind-boggling.
I have not had an appetite for days. It is so sad. I love to eat, and my joy has been taken away. :)
Summer is very far away, isn't it? I somehow think that today would have felt better if it was sunny and ninety degrees outside. The cold somehow makes full-body aches worse.
Hope. I have high hopes that tomorrow morning we will all wake up ready to eat eggs, and bacon, and pancakes, and then do school, and merrily sing and laugh and play, and enjoy each other's company, without a fuss to be heard. I have hope.

these are a few of my favorite Christmas things

2010-12-31T11:42:00.001-08:00

If you are ready to be done with anything Christmas, I apologize. A lot of what I blog is for far-away family who can't be with us, and for my husband who likes this digital record of our family happenings. So there might be a few Christmas posts that happen even after the New Year. Sorry if it is just a bit after the fact.

(and Blogger is being very weird and shrinking some of my text, so a second apology if you can't read half of this post.)

If you are still here reading, sit back and have yourself a very merry viewing of some Christmas favorites.

such as polka-dotted, fuzzy bottoms

little girls who think a one dollar Cinderella necklace is one of the BEST presents

Joey's excitement

Daddy love

new toys

(a helicopter for Joey, and for me, a new lens that makes it possible to take photos like this)

a nephew that frees up my hands and lap :)

admiring her Cioci's Christmas sparkles

(Cioci, pronounded CHUH-chee, is Polish for aunt)

love from her soon-to-be-Uncle

moments with Grandmom

(She loves to point out everybody's "pretty.")

little girls waiting patiently

my Dad loving his Lizzie

wrapping paper mayhem

and my most favorite: our little family, all of us, together.

And the proof that, yes, I was indeed there for Christmas. :)

from the inside

2010-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

A snowy Monday means the men shovel

while I stay inside.

A snowy Monday means pink hats are covered with snow

while I'm warm and dry inside.

A snowy Monday means Daddy buries the children in the snow

while I don't get a flake on me.

A snowy Monday means angels visit my deck

while I stay inside with my polka-dotted, fuzzy-footed angel.

A snowy Monday means I get to use my favorite toy to take pictures of my favorite faces

from the inside.

greetings to you

2010-12-25T19:22:00.001-08:00

one whole year

2010-12-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

My little, tiny, baby girl turned one on Tuesday. She wanted nothing to do with opening presents or eating icing-covered, sugary treats. But she is still one. Apparently, lack of birthday enthusiasm does not stop a child from turning a year older. Which is good, because then the reverse would mean extra birthday enthusiasm would age you faster, in which case, Joey would be about 87 by now.

So, she is one; and not walking yet because she wants to wait just like her big brother and sister did, which is fine with me, because her recent fascination with stair climbing is enough to manage. Hmmm, if only they made some sort of gate that fastened to the wall, to keep a baby from going where you don't want them to go...

The journey to two begins, and it is such a fun year. My babies finally sleep through the night sometime in the coming year, as well as learn to walk, and the language explosion is awesome. I like the year from one to two very much. And I like Lizzie very much. Actually, I am quite smitten.

If you knew her, you would understand. She just drips of ooshygooshygooey wonderfulness.

Happy Birthday, Lizzie.

(photo from November and completely unrelated to birthday post. But still cute:) )

this week

2010-12-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

This was one of those weeks that wore me out. The never-ending stomach bug that hit all of us but Adam, plus an additional health drama of my own (everything is okay now) has left me a bit weary.

This was one of those weeks that made me long to hear the calming sound of waves hitting the shore and to smell the salty air.

This was one of those weeks that I would easily trade for the week in November when we took a trip to the beach "just because."

This was one of those weeks where not everything felt quite right.

But it was the week God had just for me. And He loves me, and knows me, and gives me just what I need.

This was one of those weeks that made me glad just to be alive.

from above

2010-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

bedheads

2010-12-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

I love the hair that comes perched upon the bleary-eyed heads that wake up each morning.
There are so many different looks to enjoy:

The mussy-mop.

(do you like the foot peeking out?)

The spiney-pokey.

(that may be a look of slight displeasure at mother shooting his picture first thing in the morning while his mouth is full of breakfast)

And the teased-to-please.

But to be perfectly honest, this is how Katie looks most of the time, not just in the morning.
She is not a well-kept girl. It is not her way. Her mane cannot be tamed!

Lizzie usually gets this mussy mop pulled up into a pebbles-style sometime in the day, but this is basically how her face looks most of the time.

Always smiling and showing of those goofy front teeth of hers.

Morning to night, what a delight.

a fine Saturday

2010-12-12T12:37:00.001-08:00

Any Saturday that starts with Adam taking out the waffle iron and baking up some glorious belgian waffles is a fine Saturday indeed.

But the day also had some train rides around the Christmas tree

and some classic movie viewing.

No, the movie wasn't too loud,

it is just that the witch is much less scary when you cover your ears.

While Adam was getting dinner ready, I went out and got a little shopping done.

And just what did Incredihusband make for dinner?

A wonderfully juicy and super flavorful standing rib roast with a side of asparagus and mashed potatoes. Perfect!

After dinner, we played a game of "Draw and Guess" per Joey's request.

Katie is turning out some great works lately. Can you guess who these two are?

Lizzie doesn't have any drawing skills, but was proud to show off her new standing-unassisted skills.

And put on an over-the-top display of her prize-worthy, chubby cheeks.

Yes, a fine Saturday indeed.

fall fun

2010-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Early November provided some beautiful weather. One particularly beautiful Thursday morning, I decided we just had to go and enjoy the sunshine, and sunshine is better with friends, so I gave a friend a call to see if she wanted to drive on over. Before you know it, we were out enjoying an impromtu ~~playdate~~ field trip on the towpath down by the river.

It was a great day for running and climbing.

The kids had fun exploring and discovering living things in the river.

But the stroller buddies mostly hung out.

With the gorgeous weather, fun for the kids, spending time with a friend who is a great person and homeschool mom, it truly was an idyllic fall day.

the sauce

2010-11-30T17:54:00.001-08:00

Around these parts, cranberry sauce is not a condiment. It is not a little smear of magenta dutifully placed on the side of your plate, but almost considered a sidedish. It rivals gravy as the perfect sauce for a roasted bird. Simple and homemade, with just a bit of sugar to sweeten the tart berries and some orange juice to brighten them.

I use the first of the three recipes found in this post, but I cut the sugar back even further to 1/2 cup and use a bit more orange juice and a little less water. And I don't use the orange peel anymore, because it is one less thing, and I don't miss the flavor at all. So I guess technically, I don't use that recipe, but a version all my own. But I love Smitten Kitchen and why not stop on over and see all the glorious things Deb cooks up.

Speaking of Smitten Kitchen, the other night right before bed, I read her post about sweet corn spoonbread which contains a link to an unbelievably cute photo of her son. While sleeping, I dreamt that I drove into New York City, knew where Deb lived, went to her place, she invited me in, let me hold her son, all which interrupted her baking a mint cake flavored with -- toothpaste. It was very weird. I was pleased when I woke up to find that the toothpaste cake was just a very bad dream.

Anyway, back to the cranberry sauce.
I put Joey and Katie to work making our double batch of sauce for Thanksgiving.

It's nice when your helper is cute.
What is not so nice is realizing how stained your daughter's shirt is in the photo you just posted.

In the fifteen minutes it took to change this

to this

the kids cracked themselves up making funny faces on the side of the pot.

If you haven't ever made your own cranberry sauce, you really should.
It is good to the last, sticky drop.

the pie

2010-11-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

Adam and I enjoy watching Good Eats with Alton Brown. After seeing this episode, Adam decided he was going to make a pumpkin pie with fresh roasted pumpkin this year. I have never been a big fan of pumpkin pie, but Adam really likes it. Since pie from canned pumpkin is the only kind he has ever tasted, he was excited to see how it would compare.

Fortunately, I had two little pie pumpkins sitting on my counter from our garden this year. (My procrastination to roast them up and make muffins with the kids like I said I would paid off. Ahem.)

So Adam roasted,

and scooped,

and pureed.

The interesting twist with this pie was the crust, made from crushed ginger snaps instead of a rolled pie dough.
mmmmm...

The pie was cut and served and tasted

and according to Adam, it is not even "in the same stratosphere" as canned pumpkin-pumpkin pie.

So I guess it is fresh pumpkin pie for our household from now on. And I have a great in-house pastry chef to make it. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~

I made a pecan pie for the first time this year. Yes, tis true-- 32 years old and never made a pecan pie. I am the designated chocolate chip cookie girl when it comes to Thanksgiving, but this year it was fun to make something new. I figured I couldn't go wrong with PW's recipe.

It was awesome! The crust was perfect, and the filling as sickeningly sweet and wonderful as a pecan pie should be.

Joey and Katie helped me make the pie, both crust and filling, and when you make a pecan pie with a three and six-year-old, every bite is that much more enjoyable because of the loving labor involved. :)

Yummyummyyummyum!

the placecards

2010-11-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

WE made these placecards for Thanksgiving. Simple and fun, they were the perfect project for a 6 and 3-year-old to work on together.

(I love this photo of Katie's hands, complete with Buzz Lightyear Band-Aid)

But when we finished there was still paint left, which led to abstract paintings in fall colors.

Can you tell that Joey was enjoying himself?

And then the abstract paintings led to this

and this

and this.

History (studying how corn was important to the Pilgrims), art (painting, cutting, and gluing), handwriting and spelling (writing the names on the cards) all wrapped up in one fun afternoon.

Homeschooling is awesome!

the day

2010-11-27T13:21:00.000-08:00

The day started with snow. Enough sticky, wet snow for Joey to make a snowman in the backyard with the neighbor boys.

I found the drinks out back huddling together to stay warm.

A 20 pound turkey was cooked, carved, and enjoyed.

I forgot to take pictures of Lizzie eating her dinner (which I suppose is what happens with the third child), but later remembered to snap a few while she was snuggling with Mom-Mom,

and Pop-Pop,

and some with her Aunt Sukaina.

We started dinner with a sweet time of sharing specific things we are thankful for in our lives, and ended it with some sweets.

After that we were left with just enough energy to harass the new kitty,

and form a plan of attack for Black Friday shopping.

I was thankful for the opportunity to cook and host Thanksgiving for the third time in my home. I love cooking and baking and the days leading up to Thursday were lots of work, but lots of fun. Thursday was nice and easy since I had so much done ahead of time and because Adam did all the cleaning and tidying that day so all I had to worry about was the food.

It was a really enjoyable day of family and food, and I am truly thankful.

fall again

2010-10-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

It is already October. I really can't believe it. Summer flew by, and here is autumn. Time for cooler weather, sweaters, inappropriate wearing of flip-flops, and spending 30 minutes trying to make your crawling baby sit still so you can get the perfect photo with the pumpkin you cannot believe you grew all by yourself.

( so it isn't perfect, but I was pleased)

And let me just say that two little pumpkin seeds make two really ginormous pumpkin vines. My yard has suffered, but all in the name of homeschooling and watching things grow. It was worth it, as Joey and I have delighted in seeing the vines grow and flower, and produce such magnificently large and orange vegetables. If you have about 200 square feet or so of yard space to spare, I highly recommend you grow some pumpkins.

And if you have 18 months or so to spare, I highly recommend you also grow the much sweeter, less orange variety pictured. :)

so, how's it going?

2010-09-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

What's new?

Nothing much happening here.

Today as I went about my motherly business, about five blog posts were written in my brain, and now that it is 11:27 at night, all I have to say is this:

I love these girls.

Good night everybody!

happy today

2010-09-09T18:42:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for all my babies. I am happy I get to stay home with them.
It is wonderful. It is hard work. Some days, it feels like REALLY hard work. But it is all worth it.
I would never exchange the thrill (and sometimes frustration) of teaching Joey to read for any paycheck. And today I was able to answer Katie's questions about dying and calm her fears, because I was here, I was home. Staying home means I get to see Lizzie wave bye-bye for the first time, not be told about it.

At the end of the day, eveyday, I am very tired. But the thoughts in my head in the two minutes I am lying on my pillow before I zonk out are all the happy, silly, tender, stinky, sticky, drooly, crazy moments I had with my kids that day.

This job of motherhood is time-consuming, thought-consuming, and peace-and-quiet-consuming. I love it in the same moment that it is driving me bananas. But I do love it. And I do love these little people.

They are good little people and they make my life beautiful and weird and wonderful.

you have your good days and your bad days

2010-08-24T19:25:00.001-07:00

This was a good day with Katie:

There was painting and gluing and coloring and fingernail and toenail painting and sidewalk chalk and story time and a two-hour nap. It was full of hugs and love.

It was a very good day.

This, however, was not a good day with Katie:

On this day there was lip gloss on my bedroom carpet and a pint of blueberries on the kitchen floor and purple marker all over her hands and face and ranch dressing smeared all over her hands in an attempt to remove purple marker and a paper shredder mess in the dining room and Sharpee on the kitchen floor.

This day was a little short on hugs. But I still love her. In spite of the naughtiness of it all, you have to admit, a day like that took hard work and a lot of gumption. It almost sounds made up, but I assure you it was very real. Very Katie.

I'll take her, good or bad.

my delicious shrimp

2010-08-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Hello there.

You are my little baby. My tiniest one. What do you think you are doing, learning all these new baby skills?

In the past week:

I found you sitting up in your crib. Your face was a bit perplexed and scared at the position you had gotten yourself into all by yourself.
You grew a tooth. You don't seem too happy about it, but are pleased to rub it on the tip of the sippy cup you've been trying out.
You thrilled Joey when you pulled yourself up to your knees from a sitting position when he was playing with you in the basement. I don't know who was cuter -- you or Joey ecstatically yelling for us to come see your latest feat.

It's like somebody sent you a "grow up" memo and you are taking it seriously.

Don't you know you are my delicious shrimp? You are supposed to stay small for ever.

ship ahoy

2010-08-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

"Isn't this a breakthrough that I'm a sailor? I sail?! I sail now?!"

Well, it wasn't Lake Winnepesaukee, but we went sailing.

We had a great captain.

An enthusiastic first mate.

A cute, blonde deckhand.

And a drooly, little stowaway.

It was like a vacation.

A vacation from my problems.

she drools

2010-08-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

She drools a lot. All the time.

I love her soggy chin.

sister sorting

2010-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kids were getting on each other's nerves a bit, so I came up with a task to keep their hands and minds busy. I put a different colored flash cards on various squares of our patterned carpet in the play room. Then I gave Katie the wooden block bin, and Joey the car bin, and told them to sort their bins by putting the block or car on the corresponding block of carpet.

They busily worked until the task was complete. Joey excitedly came into the kitchen to tell me to come see the finished product. When I walked in the room, I noticed that Lizzie was not sitting where I had placed her by the pink Boppy pillow, so I asked Joey why he had moved her.

With his face all smiles he replied, "See mama, I put her on the pink square!"

weird start

2010-08-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Joey's first grade school year started with a field trip to an organic produce farm. We toured the rows of veggies, held turkey chicks, saw wonderful sixty-year-old tractors, smelled some sweet lemon balm leaves, marveled at what Farmer Russ grows without the use of any pesticides or herbicides, and then went to Sonic for some burgers and a shake.

vacation

2010-07-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from the week that prove it.

trying

2010-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

I am trying to fool around with blogger a bit so I can post bigger photos, and I am also trying to learn how to do a few other things so it might look weird here. Not that they have ever been normal.

Html is a whole new language, and I don't have computer smarts.
I am not sure what smarts I have anymore.
I make really yummy chewy granola bars, so maybe I have granola smarts.
At least you can eat my smarts. No one has ever called html code delicious.

captions

2010-06-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

My monkey uses her feet to play as much as she uses her fingers.

Her never-fail, mouth-wide-open smile.

Thigh crease. Sweet, sweet thigh crease. Perfect spot to nestle my fingers when I hold her.

Concentration.

Liz - reaching out to get the camera. Me - pretending to be a photographer.

just perfect

2010-06-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

May was truly a super month. So many celebrations, milestones, birthdays - lots of good times and joy, joy, joy! Maybe soon I will tell you all about them. Was your May fabulous too?

imagine, if you will

2010-05-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am currently operating under the assumption that if I pretend my dining room and all the mess that lies therein do not exist, then it will cease to be a disaster or my problem. I am going to go about my business without allowing my eyes to linger upon the mountain of books and papers stacked upon the buffet. I will walk through my house without letting my mind get all twisted up in the thoughts of organizing the shelves full of scrapbooking supplies, kid's craft supplies and workbooks. I will check on the progress of the seeds sending up their little sprouts in the light of dining room window without interrogating myself about how it got this way, when will I get to it, or how will I make the room one the helps me instead of sending me into denial.

It will get better. But not today or even this week. So it's Bye-bye reality and a great big hug and warm welcome to my new friend delusion.

Have a great day keeping your house cleaner than mine! :)

elements of a perfect princess photo

2010-04-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

riding the waves

2010-04-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was hard. It was like I was trying to build a sandcastle on the beach, but the waves kept rolling in. Just when I would make a little progress, a wave would distract me, or ruin part of my castle, or wash away my bucket and shovel. Everything I tried to do to stop the waves failed. Yelling, crying, pushing them back did nothing to make it easier for me to build my sand castle. So the day became tiresome and irritating.

Today, there are just as many waves. But I have stopped building my sandcastle. There are lots of different ways to spend my time on this beach. Today I am riding those waves. I figure if the waves are going to keep coming, I may as well enjoy them. Today has not been tiresome or irritating. Today has been nice.

Ahhh, feel the sunshine. Smell the salty air. It's good.

this morning

2010-04-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I was so tired yesterday evening. After successfully getting the kids to bed a little early, it was nine o'clock and I was ready for bed. Sleep came around ten, and this morning I am thankful for the early bedtime, since I was up at 11 p.m. with a little girl who said her belly hurt, so I spread a blanket on the bedroom floor, just in case. At 12:30 I was up with a little girl who missed the blanket, but got the bed and carpet instead (and later me.) A little Oxy-clean, new bedding, some clean jammies, and the little girl was back to sleep.

But then baby girl, who has been so politely only waking up once in the night, has figured out that Mommy comes if you wake up twice or even three times. So we had little visits at 2:40 and 4 a.m. I am contemplating rounding up a copy of Babywise and threatening her with some Dr. Ezzo. I'll do it. I'll let her cry. She won't manipulate me! (Or maybe she will because I'm a big ol' softie when it comes to babies crying.)

So this morning, Dora and Diego are teaching Spanish class. This post has been typed with one hand while I hold the hungry baby who woke me up at 6:40. (It is a good thing I find her utterly sweet and ridiculously cute.) The washing machine is busy cleaning up last night's mess. And I think Proverbs 14:4 is the verse of the day -- Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. I must remember that these little people are smelly, time-consuming, messy, and needy, but the increase of love and joy they bring to my life is worth it. (And since Joey compared me to a mommy cow and Lizzie to my calf the other day, it only fits that much more.)

:-D

Happy Morning to you!

toss or sell

2010-04-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yard sale Saturday.
Down to the basement to conquer Mount Toy Mess.
Lack adequate chocolate to elevate mood.
Cannot rev up on caffeine because of baby.
Must operate on will power alone.
"I will triumph!" is my cry.
(Have white flag just in case.)

my baby

2010-04-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

My baby is so nice.

My baby only wakes me up once in the night.

My baby has chubby thighs.

My baby likes to share her milk with my shoulder.

My baby loves her tongue.

My baby thinks mommy is the best.

My baby gets mad at the toys on the bouncy seat.

My baby is going bald on the sides of her head.

My baby only moves counter-clockwise in her crib.

My baby is my baby.

proper introductions

2010-04-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

"Lizzie, meet fist."
"Fist, meet Lizzie."

Fist doesn't know it yet, but she is about to be assaulted by a toothless, drool-filled mouth.

a little bit of lizzie

2010-04-11T12:45:00.001-07:00

So sorry for the simple posts full of photos of my children, which I am sure I find much more appealing and cute than you do because they are mine, after all. Someday I will write something again.

Please forgive the fact that none of the above photos are in perfect focus. I currently lack the photography skills one needs to take an indoor photo without a flash of a baby in a bouncy seat that is not a little fuzzy. (I am sure that the previous sentence could use a re-write because it could possible read that the bouncy seat is fuzzy, when I was trying to say the photo was fuzzy. See, it is just better if I don't write.)

Happy day to you!

shiver me timbers

2010-04-02T18:47:00.001-07:00

Yo, ho ho and blow the man down, but no need to fear this pirate in my kitchen.

The paper patch scotch-taped to his eye and his ruler sword are giving off a pretty non-threatening vibe.

with ears

2010-03-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Why do I love hats with ears so much? Why do babies look so cute in them? Why do they require much picture-taking?

One day this week we took Lizzie outside for a few pushes on the swing. I didn't manage to get any photos of that, but I did, of course, get a few shots of her face peeking out of the blue hood with ears.

3 months

2010-03-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe this was three months ago. It seems like yesterday.

If Lizzie lives at home for 18 years, I will have 213 more months with her. And I will still probably feel like I just had her yesterday.

on the job

2010-03-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

I wrote about Adam's new job back in July. God has continued to bless abundantly above all we could have ever asked or imagined in the last year. In each and every way, this job has been great; it has been great for our family, a great use of Adam's talents and skills, great opportunities for Adam and his office manager to tell others of Christ, and ultimately a great display of God's love and grace.

Adam has been working hard, but he has had a little help.

The little known secret of Adam's success has been having the right tools to do the job: two laptops, an iPhone, a blackberry, and a baby.

fat baby face

2010-03-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

Don't you wish you could reach through your computer monitor and give those cheeks a squeeze? They are very squishy, believe me.

And did you notice her delicious rubber band wrist?!

I have no one to blame but myself.

opposites

2010-03-12T17:12:00.001-08:00

Peacefully content

Not so peacefully content

morning hair

2010-03-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

baby face

2010-03-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

I took this photo when she was three weeks old. Since she is now ten weeks old, her face is much fatter. Much. But she still crosses her eyes from time to time.

And since I haven't posted anything in two months, I thought this would be a good way to get back to blogging about this little life of mine.

I will try to get some more photos of my little fatty up soon (no promises). Really, I will try my very best.

Hope your day is a happy one!

lotsa love

2010-01-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

Lately there has been lots of this

and this

going on around here.

& I love it.

no more silent nights

2009-12-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

The whole family is happy to be home for Christmas with the best present ever.

Elizabeth Ruth is our special Christmas package. On Monday she was delivered and shared with our loving and rejoicing family. She is beautifully and wonderfully crafted by the finest Creator. There was considerable cost in shipping this seven pound, eleven ounce bundle, but we have decided she is worth every penny. (Which is fortunate considering she is non-refundable.)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights... James 1:7

one week (hopefully)

2009-12-19T12:42:00.001-08:00

and then she'll be kissing some chubby little cheeks!

Crunchy the Snowman

2009-12-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

This year my sister and I had our major caramel corn day again, thanks to a little baby deciding life is better when you are hanging out in your mommy's belly. We also managed to squeeze in a little project with the kids. I saw these cute snowmen in the December Family Fun magazine that I paged through in the waiting room at my OB's office and decided they just had to be made.

They are actually very easy to make, and if you try it yourself, just make sure that after you dip the pretzel in the melted white chocolate, you let it cool down a bit before adding the mini chocolate chip eyes and buttons. If you put them on too soon they will melt and slide and make a scary-looking snowman. This is my nephew Grayson with his two fine-looking finished snowmen.

Katie thought eating was the best part. I thought the best part was when we opened the box of fruit roll-ups for the snowmen scarves and my kids had no idea what they were. Such junk food-deprived children I have, poor things. Don't worry, they got their fill that day.

sure

2009-12-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

Go on, admit it. You knew I wasn't going to produce a single catch-up post. Shame on me.
Baby update: No baby. Doctor check-up today shows that my body and baby seem perfectly happy to be sharing the same space. More waiting and wondering when it will be.
Joey asked me what "labor" was, because he heard me and Daddy talking about it, and thought it was something about that baby. So I explained the work a Mommy goes through as her muscles get ready to get the baby out, and that he would be going to Grandmom's house sometime when I was in labor. He is now whole-heartedly in favor of me going into labor, and was disappointed this morning when he came into the kitchen and saw me drinking my coffee and remarked with a frown, "No labor." While I was walking out of his bedroom after putting him to bed this evening he reassured me with a "Labor. Yes!" while drawing a check mark in the air. I am glad to have Joey rooting for me. :)
I do hope she comes before Christmas, but I will try to be patient and enjoy every bout of hiccups she has until the big day.

getting there

2009-12-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am slowly, slowly, chipping away at my list of things that MUST be done before the baby comes. The reality that much will remain undone is known, but I keep chugging along. Tonight was Wal-Mart. Bleh. Wal-Mart makes my eyes hurt. But I needed a few baby care items, and to scout the toy section for some gifts, and to get a few things that I am just too tired to play the drug-store-game for. One stop, and I am stocked up pretty well.

Then I went across the street to Wegmans which is a much more enjoyable shopping experience, and at 8:15 on a Monday evening is very, very empty. I stocked up on cheap baking supplies and butter, which will be more fuel my very lopsided attempt at stocking my freezer for post-baby. You would think frozen meals would be the way to go, but so far I have gobs of pancakes, a delicious batch of scones, cookie batter, some quick bread, and six pans of stuffing. The stuffing could be considered part of a meal, and my two frozen turkeys could possible count as meals, but I am sure I am going to be really excited to roast a turkey in my sleep deprived state. My brain makes no sense. But what do you expect from a girl who couldn't even figure out 9x6 today without thinking about it for a good nine seconds.

So with some shopping done (but with Christmas shopping still to finish), and the upstairs play/guest room cleaned today, I can cross a few to-do's off the list. But I have so much blogging I feel like I need to catch up on, and on my metal list, that is one thing I want to do. There are fun days from October and November with oh-so-cute photos to go with. I know I don't HAVE to catch up on blogging for all to be right with the world when my baby arrives, it is just that this is kind of my journal, and I like looking back and reading it, and...well, my brain will just somehow feel better if I do.

So, I am going to try to get a few catch up posts up this week. Sorry to be blogging about things from two months ago, but you and I both know you don't come here for extraordinary blogging content. Most of you are my family anyway (some who live very far away), so you probably won't mind one bit.

The rest of you, just consider the title of my blog to be "Ramblings of a Crazy Pregnant Woman" until further notice.

And as always, thanks so much for stopping by!

white

2009-12-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Joey the careful

Katie the cold and crabby

Frosty the celebrating snowman

Mom-mom's hands

2009-12-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

Mom-mom's hands show their love in lots of ways. On this day they showed their love with the application of all types of candies, sprinkles, sugar, frosting, and chocolate chips.

Only love could create beauties such as these:

23 days to go

2009-12-03T18:19:00.001-08:00

Joey takes a lovely belly shot.

one more weird thing

2009-11-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

This pregnancy, if I read a recipe I think I will enjoy, I cannot stop thinking about it until I make it. About a month ago I found a recipe for lemon iced pumpkin cookies, and it bothers me that my can of pumpkin sitting in the pantry has still not become those cookies.

Last Monday I made the recipe for Cranberry Sauce that was in the previous day's Parade magazine because I just had to know how a cranberry sauce with apricot preserves and chopped dried apricots would compare to my other cranberry sauce recipes. I loved it. I actually think it is my new favorite cranberry sauce. Adam loved it too.

I also made Caramel Crispix mix last week, which satisfied my caramel cereal mix curiosity (and stuffed my belly), and today I made Pumpkin Banana Bread that has been on my mind since Thursday. It was from the November o8 issue of the no-longer-published Country Home magazine that I paged through while Joey was working on something for school. The bread was very yummy, and Joey was pleased that it had no nuts. It does not matter how finely I chop walnuts in the food processor, any nut particle at all ruins his quick bread enjoyment.

There is a recipe in last month's Better Home and Garden for Pumpkin Corn Bread that is still haunting me. My lack of masa harina prevents me. I am not sure what else I would make with the remaining masa harina and cannot yet justify its purchase.

But do you see a trend in the type of recipes I must make. Sugar! Sweet! Must bake!

I need to start reading some recipes for salads.

being a princess

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

What is wrong, my darling princess?

It is just so hard to always be so charming, and beautiful, and smiley.

Well, do you think you could perhaps, just look at the camera, without being quite so sullen?

Nice. Thank you, your highness. As always, it was a pleasure photographing you today.

About Bear

2009-11-17T04:05:00.000-08:00

Joey and Bear, March 2008

a conversation between Joey and me last week

"Did I ever tell you who gave Bear to Mommy...how you got him?"

"No."

I know I have, but I tell the story again.

"Aunt Donna gave Bear to Mommy for Natalie, when Natalie was still in my belly, at a special party called a baby shower."

"Oh."

"But then Natalie went to heaven...and Mommy and Daddy were so sad. And we prayed and prayed for God to give us a new baby in my belly, because we missed Natalie so much. And we really hoped we could have a baby that could stay with us, and not go to Heaven so soon."

He looks at me with wide, concerned eyes.

"And then God answered our prayers, and gave Mommy a new baby in her belly."

"That baby was me?"

"Yes, God answered our prayers - you were the answer to our prayers! You were the baby Mommy prayed for. We were so happy!...And then, Mommy let you have Bear, because I didn't think Natalie would mind if I shared her things with you since she was in Heaven."

He pulls Bear in close.

"And now Bear is your very favorite, special friend!"

He hugs Bear tightly, and buries his face in the back of Bear's head.

"I am so glad Jesus gave you to me. I love you so much. I am so glad you are able to love Bear."

"Me too."