Thank you Lord, for another year

It is hard to believe a year ago in the yard L could not even sit up, today she climbed the ladder to go down the slide. What a difference a year makes.

Christmas at the Aquarium

Monday we went to the aquarium in Atlanta for Christmas with Mom and Dad. It was really great fun and the aquarium was amazing but there were way too many people there. It was a bit overwhelming. The kids loved it. They were very entertained by the variety of things we saw. The alligators, beluga whales, whale sharks and manta rays seemed to top the list. They also loved the 4D movie. It was a really nice day to spend all together. We did think it strange that L only wants to be held at home and did not want to be held there at all.

Sunday ride

Sunday we all went to church, ate lunch, napped and played outside. The highlight of the day for me was a family bike ride to see the horses about 1 mile from our house. It was a gorgeous day and I was so proud of Ek and H for riding that far, even past a dog loose in the yard. H thought it was a bit too far but it was worth it.

Saturday

Saturday we had a very peaceful day. Mom and Dad were here and we had such fun playing while we were awaiting the arrival of Ben and family. I think we played outside for about 5 hours. Over the course of the day Ek played beauty parlor, puzzle museum, school, chef while cooking with dirt, gas attendant (her prices must be high, business looks slow), used car lot, tea party and dress up. L enjoyed the tea party.

Cooking skills

I've seen my share of cooking shows, but never one that speaks reality to my life... I've never seen anyone zest a lemon with a one year old on their hip.

L is asleep in computer room. Can't blog

Unsupervised H #4

In the last few days, H has been caught... eating an ice cream sandwich under the dining room table, standing over an angel with a broken wing, coloring on the wall in my bedroom, coloring on the sheets in my bedroom, washing my bathroom with lotion and tonight, while we were finishing up supper and Ek was clearing our plates and L was coloring mostly on paper, H was missing... He was found behind the closed door of my bedroom under the bed with his feet hanging out eating candy. I mean really. Mom was trying to get information and he asked why he needed to tell her, 'because I'm your grandmother.' his reply, 'you're not my grandmother, i have a grandma, you're my mopsey.' good argument, H. Anyway, discipline, crying, hugs, apology. And I'm thinking, what am I going to do when he is a teenager? Oh yeah, that's why we are working on these things now. Pray for me.

Thankful

Today was a very nice Christmas Day. God gave me a great gift of seeing some glimpses into my kids hearts that just make me smile. When we were opening gifts, the first all opened their new ride on toys, then L opened her new baby doll. I was a bit nervous to see how Ek would react, if she would be jealous in any way, but she was quite the opposite, she rushed right upstairs to get a baby bed for the baby and a bottle. She didn't even think to go and get hers until she opened her next gift which was new clothes for her baby to match, the look on her face was priceless, total excitement. By the end of the day I realized Ek thinks L needs a bit of help with hers, the two babies stayed close under mama Ek's watchful eye the rest of the day. But L was quite excited about her, when she first got her, she hugged her so tight and gave her lots of kisses, it made me a bit crazy happy.

The next highlight was our birthday party. We had a ball coloring the driveway, and blowing bubbles, but we all agreed one of the best parts of the day was sending our balloons into the sky to Jesus. Some days I do wish we could just float up there to him, Ek even spoke to that as we watched them. (Please don't miss Ek's outfit, like you could, as if she didn't have some beautiful new clothes to wear, she deceided to keep on the last outfit from her lunch entertainment fashion show, she kept this on for the rest of the day.)

My other highlight was prayer, Ek prayed "Thank you Jesus Christ our Lord who was born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. I hope you have a Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas."

They of course loved opening gifts this morning and rushed right up to say 'thank you' impromptu. And we just loved being home together, a quiet day. It was wonderful to have Grady and Emma Jean with us and Dave. We had an amazing lunch and and a great afternoon playing outside in the 70 degree weather. And we can't wait for the other half of the family to arrive beginning tomorrow. Oh and I loved J getting me new earings, he thought of me :)

It is an amazing, inexpressible thing to be able to celebrate love and humility. Giving with everything. It is just too amazing. If I didn't believe it, I wouldn't. Boy that doesn't make sense, but its true. Jesus putting on the flesh of a man, to bring us love, forgiveness, hope, peace... wow, its much more that just simple, busy celebration, it truly is a lifestyle, but so nice to have a season to think of it, to think on it long and well, and to make sure to tell those around us, I love you and I think of you and I think of Him too.

Triple sad

I'm sorry but I am a bit disappointed tonight. sigh. L and Ek threw up all evening. L threw up in the car while we were jumping off the dead battery to go to the extended family Christmas Eve dinner. We went anyway because who knows what can cause a one time yuck. So then while we are there Ek says she doesn't feel good and falls asleep in my lap. yeah, then I was a bit worried. She arouses to open her gift and while we are opening it, she throws up all over the kitchen. We change into pjs and leave. L throws up in the car on the way home. Ek throws up again when we get into Dublin. Soooo, here I am, almost midnight and instead of last minute wrapping and tree trimming, I am staying up to get a second load of laundry going. Sick kids are always make me sad. Sick kids on Christmas Eve, double sad, maybe triple. L won't have on her matching pjs to her new Bitty Baby in the morning. That is unless I get them in the dryer before 6... I hope we are done throwing up.

for my 3 to learn about the wise 3

Ek is very excited for the morning. I debated for several years over how to tie in some spiritual significance to Christmas stockings, but just couldn't come up with much. She expressed her disappointment in this several weeks ago and I was determined to figure out how we could do this well. Well I'm not sure if it will go well, but I'm giving it my best shot. I made wise men traveling pouches to hand on their bed. I told ek that while she was sleeping and the stars where out, a prize would go into the pouch for her to find in the morning. Tomorrow morning it will be snacks for the wise men's journey. And since we travel on Christmas Eve, its appropriate. So there will be tangerines, pecans, fruit snacks and goldfish in her pouch in the morning. Then tomorrow night, they will hang them again and Christmas morning they will find gifts like Jesus got, gold rolos ( i said 'like' very loosely) and sweet smelling soaps and lotions. We have planned a birthday party for Jesus in the driveway, complete with balloons, bubbles, sidewalk chalk to write happy birthday in blue per ek's suggestion because that is what he wears, and dancing, singing and playing. I am quite excited, ek is very excited. Then the day after Christmas they will receive in their pouches a toy to remind them of the joy of being in His presence. We'll see! I hope it unfolds well and the excitement remains, and truth is learned. And I hope I don't fall asleep before they do and forget!

ahhhh

I just finished my cup of milk to wash down just one more peice of a Rachel cookie and I am just glowing a bit over my day. It was a sweet day. I awoke next to my H at mom and dads. Played all morning with Tim, Jeni, Sarah and Timothy. Back to Dublin. Cooked all afternoon. Played all evening with friends. Just a fun, happy day. I am so truly grateful for friends and family. I know it is said all the time that is what the holidays are about and today it was. great day.

My mama

I'm not sure if one day we will look back and see that it was a phase or if we will look back and see that it is where it all began, but... L does not like to share me. HA! Several examples- I help in the church nursery with her class and she does not want me to hold anyone, in my lap, in my arms, anywhere. If they are crying, if they are happy, if I am handing them to their mother, not at all. So really I'm not much help there because if I hold anyone, L cries so then someone else needs to hold her. Its comical. Several weeks ago, H was upset, I was holding him, thus L was upset, its a almost daily occurrence, then I sat on the couch with him, he was comforted and sat up on my knees, L came around us, crawled onto the couch and crawled in front of H and threw herself on my chest. It was great, H didn't mind too much- thankfully, and I didn't mind at all.

Unsupervised H #3

This morning I had one load of laundry to fold before I could go outside and play, wait who is the rule maker here?, anyway, so I laid the boundaries of where the kids could play where I could hear them with the door open while I folded in the kitchen. You guessed it, moments later L was crying. "H, what happened?" H, "I don't know... I think I may have pushed her." grrrrr. Discipline. Ok, back to laundry, quickly quickly. Moments later, Ek, "mommy come look!" yikes, running to the door. And this is what I see. ahhh, that's better.

right?

The Santa conversations have really stepped up in my house, actually mostly in my car. It is quite obvious where the starter is... Ek was asking today, 'but mommy, Santa is coming to town, right?' Where have I heard that? Oh yeah, its a song. sigh. 'he brings gifts to town, right?' I tried to explain that he was a kind man who did give gifts, and now his stories remind us to give kind gifts to everyone just like Jesus came for everyone. It was quite comical to keep hearing her say, 'but he is coming to town, right?' no. It was also comical how actively H was listening, he was trying so hard to figure it all out too. Maybe this will be our biggest questioning year. Then I made the mistake of asking what she wanted mommy and daddy to give her for Christmas. Her reply was a doll that really poops, eats and talks. uh-oh. That wasn't on her list a month ago.

H's Christmas Program

H the cow sang with courage and confidence

but his favorite part was the audience of family and friends and

his tail.

Sleep, what sleep?

I was so glad to hear my mom say the other day that when she put B and I to bed as children she was 'done' for the day. I am usually also 'done' by this time, if not before!, and I consider her a great mom so maybe there is hope for me. So I'd like to report some of the sleeping drama from the last several weeks. I wrote yesterday about H, but there has just been a lot lately. Several weeks ago J and I came home from a Christmas party to find the babysitters report that Ek and H had fallen asleep together in Ek's bed. Ek reported the next morning that they did not talk at all, they just went right to sleep. Ek spent 1 night in H's room followed by 4 nights in L's room. I wrote about her rubbing L's head to get her to go to sleep. Then this weekend while mom and dad were here, Ek slept in H's room Friday night and H woke her up with the light on while looking for his paci... then Sunday morning L tried to wake her up at 5:41, she was so excited to see Ek in her room that she was saying in her sweet high pitched voice, "Kate, Emkate, Hi Kate, Kate, etc." I got L out of there to let Ek sleep, rocked her for 45 minutes and she fell back asleep for 15 minutes. Tonight Ek tried to convince us and L to sleep in the pink baby bed in her room that the mattress is the size of a standard pillow. She even went and got her lovies, ba (paci) and blanket. L did humor Ek for about a minute with her feet hanging off the side before she got up and started walking for her room. Then Ek tried to convince us that H could sleep there. We consented that H could sleep in the bed with her. I told them to face away from each other, snuggle with their animals and go to sleep. 'Whhyyy?' they asked. 'We could snuggle with each other.' 'Ok,' John and I said with smiles. We'll see. I told Ek that when her Cinderella clock said 8:10, they need to go to sleep. I was noticing that H was all in blues and yellows while Ek was a blur of pink and purple, how does that happen? Anyway, I rejoice that they all like each other so much right now. And I document it here. Don't worry, I'll give a sleep update when I have one. Good think we started early.
The update ;) Ek came down after 30 minutes and said H was not whispering, he was talking and she couldn't sleep. H came down 10 minutes after that saying he couldn't find tiny elephant. J took him to his bed. They were asleep in their own beds within 5 minutes. I'm so glad they wanted to snuggle though. :)

Unsupervised H #2

Do I really need to supervise him while he is sleeping?!? Last night while I was blogging, I heard J tell H several times to get into bed. He tried, really. Then L was crying. I heard J head upstairs to check, crying cease, crying begin again with new gusto. J arrived in the computer room to tell me this, deep breath, H was in L's bed, that means he woke her up, with all his animals and all the lights on. WHAT?! Tis true. sigh. J returned H to bed after giving him a spanking, rocked L and put her back to bed to cry for a minute before giving up and going back to sleep. Upon asking him 'why, H, why?' this morning his reply was "because I like her." Oh, H.

My Cherub

Here she is! This picture was taken back stage during intermission just before she went on stage for the final performance. She is standing in front of the backdrop with her candle. She was just beautiful, all the gold glowed and made her look so radiant. I was just struck again and again with tears in my eyes. I guess I just felt like it was like playing a championship game. It is one of those special things in life that doesn't just come along all the time. I was so grateful she was a part of it. I kept telling J that it is not just a dance recital. Although I got teary all through her dance recital last year too. This is such a team effort. Everyone is disciplined and trained to do their part in the production. Every part is important. I was so amazed that the girls were not nervous, not a single one had to be pushed on stage, their were no tears from fright. The knew their role and they did it. It was really something to see. I guess that is how life needs to be to. We need to accept God's plan for our life and get out there with confidence and go. I was so proud of her and so happy for her.

I volunteered to be back stage with her. We had the cherubs and mice who were also the snow queen attendants as seen in these pictures and the sugar plum attendants. So we had 22 little girls ages 3-6 to dress and take care of and get to the stage on time and keep their hair done and feed (man these little girls could eat!) and entertain and apply lip gloss and keep clean and take potty. It was a bit exhausting! But wonderful. There is no where else I wanted to be for the 2 performances I was not in the audience. Ek loved for me to hold her hand while walking over and really until she went on stage. Last year she was very nervous of the mouse king but this year she got to see her with and without her mouse head on and I think she thought that was quite impressive. It was so neat to be back stage. To see everything going on and all the activity and to see at the same time the amazing dances with big smiles performing for the audience. I loved it.
There were definitely new little friendships made, the fun of being together. They looked so big in their buns and makeup and way to big dressed all in white. I tried not to think about it!

Here we were lining them up for a hair check (really a hairspray reapplication) and lip gloss check, so silly I know.

Ek was star struck by "Clara." She actually is our back door neighbor but we do not ever see her because of the privacy fence. We sometimes hear her. Ek said we should have her over sometime to ride bikes! This was Ek's favorite picture from the weekend. This was also during intermission just before we went on. Clara was in Ek's scene.

EK had so much fun knowing Blake was a part of this too. Even though they didn't see each other all the time, they would just give big hugs and just loved to know the other was around. 2 of Ek's classmates and favorite friends were mice. They were really too cute for words. Oh we just loved them! And they had a great dance too. Our only 3 year old cherub was continually begging to be a mouse, we would be getting the mice ready, they were first and she would come over and say "Can I please be a mouse tonight?" If she wasn't adorably cute, it might have been annoying, but it wasn't, at all.

Ek was also very blessed to have a huge audience. Not to mention us but all the grandparents and her uncle Dave and cousins and several friends including Kardyn who she first went to the Nutcracker with, maybe one day we'll get her on stage too. She even got some tulip lollipops from a little boy in her class, she was very impressed with that, she couldn't believe a boy gave her a gift. She loved both of her flowers, her new shirts, her snow globe and her nutcracker. I guess Christmas came early. We kept trying to emphasize that she had accomplished something and we were so pleased with her. What a great weekend. What a great girl. What a great God to bless us with amazing people around us and amazing opportunities. I am grateful to Him. Romans 11:36 And I do pray Ek is more ready for the next thing in her life because of this opportunity.

H's impression

H was so excited to see his sister in the Nutcracker. After running off a bit of steam before we found our seats. I guess the "we" needs a abit of expansion. J was supposed to come with me and H but unfortunately several people made poor choices that lead to their ophthalmologist being pulled away from his family to repair their eyes in the office and operating room, soooo J and mom swapped tickets. And thankfully J got to come to the show on Sat night. whew. Back to H... we found our seats and H was ready. He was so excited. He did not move the entire first half. He was mesmerized by the whole thing. Did not move or say a peek until intermission. This is H I'm talking about. Then he said, when they closed the curtain, "I want to see EK!"Awww. I explained she would be first out after the break. And she was. She was beautiful. I can't even begin to express how many times I got tears in my eyes. but that is another post. H was just a waving at Ek and so disappointed that she didn't wave back. awww. He did not say another work until 20 minutes later when he told me he wanted to see her again. He started to get a bit restless with about 5 dances to go. And with 3 dances to go he fell asleep. And slept until I woke him up about 2 hours later. I'm proud of my H for supporting his sister so well. Way to go H.

Tomorrow!

The curtain goes up tomorrow at 2 ready or not. I do think Ek is ready. I think this has been a great experience for her. She has learned important lessons including how to "smile and listen." She has been around some different people and it is always interesting to see how she adjusts. Rehersal has been a bit tiring this week, she said she almost feel asleep in Chapel at school. oops. Tonight I didn't know if she would make it through dress rehersal, they practiced the final bow twice and she was almost in tears after the first, but when it was time she hopped to it. I hope tomorrow is fun and she is gaining more and more confidence in who God has made her to be. And I hope she makes some great memories, not everyone gets to be a part of "The Nutcracker."

More chocolate for L

Tara made chocolate covered rice krispie treats for the party the other night. I tried to take the chocolate top off for L to eat one... L did not think that was a good idea. Tara captured her eating it. I think she might like chocolate.

Conversations with H while riding in the car:

H: Mommy, we're gonna sing the mountain song at my program at school.
Me: "Go tell it on the mountain?"
H: Yeah, we're gonna sing "go tell it on the mountain."
Me: Wow H, that's going to be great.
H: Thanks.

While pouring down terrible rain, H: Mommy, it sure is a beautiful day outside.
Me: laughing too hard to respond.

Unsupervised H

Tonight Tara and I hosted a neighborhood Christmas party. It was great, everyone seemed to have a nice time. Tara and I agreed that we all love to belong to something and tonight it just felt nice to belong to our neighborhood. I do pray we are beginning to build relationships that will bless God. We had a lot to do in preparation, so here goes:

Yesterday after decorating the tree (which went really well, ie nothing was broken!!),

(is it me or is Ek doing the 'bend and snap?')

We made Red velvet cupcakes. After we made them, H and L were a bit fussy also know as tired. So I set H up on the couch to watch a cartoon and L and I went to the playroom to play, aka get her to stop crying. Ek was sitting at the counter playing a game with the cupcakes in front of her cooling. About 30 minutes later, the cartoon was over, L was not crying anymore, so we returned to the Living room. Ek tells me H has eaten a cupcake. I walk over to the kitchen to find he has eaten part of NINE cupcakes. What in the world? I will ponder that for a long time. I showed them to him tonight when they were at the party with frosting and sprinkles and asked him if he wished he had waited, he said yes. I mean really, NINE? Oh, H. But Dr. Dobson says I deserve it, he says that if you leave boys unsupervised you had better be ready to deal with the consequences. Yeah. I get it.

This morning L helped me dip pretzels into chocolate. I'll let the picture speak for this one.

I love my kids.