Rebuttal

A few days after I posted the Get Real (part 2) post, I came home to a rebuttal. Literally. I was out at Bible study, and when I got home, the supposed-to-be-asleep children came running down to greet me, and to escort me through the freshly cleaned house.

~ the floor had been mopped

~ the playroom had been cleaned

~ the toddler bed was gone (i.e. put away in the attic)

and most importantly, this...

May I remind you that previously, the patio looked like this...

Apparently having your husband read your blog isn't a bad idea, although I promised him I really wasn't trying to make anyone feel guilty...it was just reality. Of course, he did it all in love and good spirit, and so did the children.  So this is my reality--a really awesome family.

Get Real, Part 2

So yesterday, I ranted and raved about women, me included, attempting to challenge us to be more real with each other and to stop putting on airs.  Now that you're feeling guilty about this, lighten up and look at my house this week.  You'll feel much better, believe me.  

yes, there's a griddle, a book of wallpaper samples,
and a roll of paper on the ironing board.  usually there's
a cat there and I have to dust off all his hair before I iron.

the shoe basket on many occasion is filled up to
the top of the table, seriously. it is an actual chore:
empty shoe basket. obviously not this week.

so my washer started spilling forth water yesterday,
 all over the laundry room floor.  nice.

the playroom. yes, there's a jogging stroller in there.
no, i don't jog. no pretentions there. 

yes, there's a bed in there. what, you don't have a bed in your playroom?
so we're behind on putting things in our attic, what's it to ya...

there's always something on the stairs to take up. i'm the one that started that
bad habit--not taking things up right away, but letting them stack up
and taking them all at once. now all my kids do it. time saver, right?

the garage. enough said.
wait, not enough said--yes, there's old tomato plants from the fall hanging from
the ceiling; someone told me to do that to help them ripen.  they've been ripening
there for five months. tomato salad anyone?

the backyard. so before you go getting all dreamy about my lovely gardening
posts, take a good look at what i walk out to. the wood used to be in a neat stack,
but i have kids. who can resist a good stack of wood? the grill never gets covered.
the cover lays nicely in a pile next to it. and yes that's a random chair. not even mine.
used to be on the street for trash until my sister in law rescued it from the
neighbor's yard. and it has a mate. lovely. i knew it'd be stuck in my backyard for
a long time. knew it.

yes, that's a stroller i haven't put back together again, after
it got sprayed by a stray cat, and we had to wash it.
 now it's full of golf balls.
thanks to my father in law, sister in law, and my children.  long story.

Alright, so do you need more? I can post more, really. But maybe you get the idea.

Now go and be real. Seriously.

okay, one more picture for those of you who were craving more...

yes, my babies are messy too. no, i haven't trained him to eat neatly with
a spoon. yes, he throws food, bowls, cups, and utensils.
we're working on it, okay?

Get Real, Part 1

Recently, a dear friend posted a blog about her real life...no pretentiousness or keeping up with Better Homes and Gardens homes; just photos and descriptions of a normal day.  And I loved it, and was challenged to do the same thing here on my blog.  I've realized in recent months that sometimes as women, wives, and mommies what we're not good at is being real with each other.

It seems like we like to pretend that our home life is pretty perfect...that our houses always look like the way it did when you came for dinner last week, or that our children always pick up their toys, no problemo.  We want those on the outside to think we have it all together, even though we don't and we know it.  

Sometimes we even go so far as making new mommies feel like they're doing something wrong because they can't figure out how to shower, dress, clean their house, grind their own wheat, put food on the table, or go to church for that matter, by the time their newborn is 2 weeks old.  And what's the point?  To make ourselves seem to look better (even though it's a deception). We like to appear like Super Mom (who ever came up with that term I'll never know).

And to get more nit-picky about this issue, when was the last time you shared some real struggles you have as a mom or wife with a friend?  Not gripy, complainy issues, but real issues. Issues of normal life that perhaps make you vulnerable, not so Martha Stewart-ish after all.  Have you told a new mom lately about how messy your house was when you had your first baby?  Hmmm..

Well, these are just some thoughts to get you chewing on, and tomorrow I'll post the pictures.  Pictures baring it all, so to speak...

Nostalgia

Sometimes I think back to life as a kid and almost long for that carefree world again.  I look at my own children and envy the freedom they have; the freedom they don't even appreciate; the freedom from bills, paperwork, laundry, meal planning, driving to and fro, and on and on.  They look to me and Luke--we take care of all that stuff.  It's not even on their radar.  That's life for a child.

And even more than that, they have direct access to their parents (hopefully).  When I was young, anytime I needed my mom, she was there.  I'd either crawl into her bed at night for a long chat, or hang out with her in the kitchen and talk. She always had a listening ear, good questions and plenty of wise counsel.  But it was easy, and I know I took it for granted.

Then you grow up, life gets busy, the responsibilities pile up, and all of a sudden that access is gone.  Not truly gone--my mom and I text and call each other all the time.  But now we have to make the extra effort to have time for those good chats; those times when we can share our hearts and encourage each other; those times that used to happen whenever we wanted, but now have to be planned. Babysitters have to be secured, calendars have to be cleared.  That's life for a grown-up.

But when we do make the effort, it's well worth it.  Last weekend we set aside a Saturday and spent close to 5 hours together!  We shopped leisurely, finished conversations (you know, when you have kids, often conversations get started and never finished!), took our time over lunch at our favorite spot, and savored every moment.  Good shopping, good food, and good fellowship.  And the first two just wouldn't be good without the latter, you know what I mean?

It was refreshing, rejuvenating.  I love my mom!  I shared some struggles, and she responded with encouragement.  Always ready to support, even if I want to change some detail in my life drastically.  "Mom, will you be disappointed?"  "Gabby, never.  I will always support your decisions!  I'm so proud of you!"  She's so good at encouraging me and pointing me to God, and I realize what a blessing that is.

Thinking of life as a child is nostalgic.  But I'm thankful that my mom is here, and that she's still just as much involved in my life as she ever was.

Chores in a Box

The notes I got when I came home last night,
after they cleaned the whole house!

This year, I pretty much just blasted past the new year's resolutions list.  Instead, I decided to focus on purposing to make my life and my attitude more pleasing to Christ, in everything. However, there are a few practical things I've been attempting to do differently this year, and in case anyone is interested in the least bit, I thought I'd share.

This last year I hired a house cleaner--we decided it would come out of our homeschooling budget. It was nice in that it freed me up mentally to focus on homeschooling. And while I liked having the entire house cleaned in one day, recently I made the decision to drop that and clean my own house (earth shattering!!!)  For one thing, we are about to start some major remodeling on our house, so saving up for that might be wise.  For another thing, I felt like my children need to be more involved in housekeeping and to stop asking when the "maid" was coming!!!

So, what have I been doing differently?
1) Living with a dirtier house
2) Assigning one chore per day, per child
3) Being soooo thankful when my amazing husband and children decide to clean the house while I'm out for a girls' night (seriously, this happened just last night, and it's not the first time!)

How does it work?
~I simply wrote out on index cards all the chores I could think of, separately, and put them in an order that made sense.  Now my children each pick one a day and sign their name on the back so the next time the other child will do that chore.  These box chores are in addition to the normal tasks they do daily, such as making the bed, clearing the table, emptying the dishwasher, or cleaning up toys.  The box chores include things like dusting, wiping cabinets, cleaning toilets, wiping baseboards, etc. I threw in some cards for me too, so that I have a chore to do each day as well.

What do my children think?
~They jump to it.  It's manageable.  One chore seems like nothing to them, but little do they know they are actually doing more than they've ever done before.

Do they get allowances?
~Yes, when we think about it.  They haven't gotten allowances in like 6 months though!

How's their attitude?
~Yesterday they decided to fight alot as they were doing their normal chore, so I made them chose an extra card.  Nice, now my house is dusted too.  :)

Anyway, my house is never "clean" all at the same time, but it's nice to know that something is clean every day.  And I think it keeps us productive and not lazy. I'm sure many of you are way more creative than I am, but I've tried chore charts and all that and I never can keep up with them.  Simple is better for me.

An Outing

It was raining outside, but we played with umbrellas inside!

The other day, my family of 5 (plus one gramma) went out to lunch at a little casual restaurant nearby.  The atmosphere there is very low key, no servers, seat yourself. Overall, I thought it was a good outing.  No one threw any fits, except for an occasional yell from Landis (normal for a 1 year old, right?), the children stayed in their seats for the most part, and it was fun. Near the end, of course I had to clean Landis like crazy (he's in a very messy eating stage), and my bigger children (inspired by their gramma :) started singing a song (which I quieted immediately), and then we made our way out.

But as we left, we passed a little old couple, and after the man glared at me, he said to his wife, although I heard every word, "Good riddance." Oh my goodness!  Really? I have to admit, I glared back, and then we left.

But it stuck in my head. Is that what people think of my family? Are they really glad when we leave? I know we aren't the quietest bunch, and I am trying to work on manners, but I honestly thought that particular outing was on the good side of the spectrum...Should I be annoyed at the old couple, or at my children?  Or at myself?

But really, I just have to speak truth to my heart in all this and ask myself some questions.  "Why does it bother you so much what other people think?  Are you training your children for the approval of man?"  It's not our goal to please man, but to please God.  "Did your afternoon with the family please God?  Are you training your children for God's glory?" And then think on things that are true.

And so, while I must admit, I am affected by what other people say about my family, in the end, it's what pleases God that matters.

Muffins and Mouros

The Mouros, our dear friends from N.C. Luke and Cameron did their

residency together, and Laura and I were instant friends.

Amidst the flurry of weddings, traveling, and family living with us this summer, we had a few friendly visitors along the way. And when I say a few, there were two nights in particular that come to mind. On those nights we had 20 people sleeping here. Yep. That's not a typo. It's a memory!

So since Naomi and I love to cook together, why not throw 10 more people into the mix? We needed some spice in our life! My dear friend Laura from North Carolina, her husband, 7 lovely children, and a friend came to town in July and needed a place to stay. So I asked Naomi how she'd feel about a whole other family cramming in with us for 2 nights. It went like this, "If you're up for it, I'm up for it. Totally. Let's do it." And we did.

What a delight! Oh my goodness, it was fun (Tiring, yes, but who cares? Sleep is overrated anyway!). The guests arrived a tad early one night, so we threw together 2 dinners, thanks to Naomi and her pizza-making skills. Most of my family and Naomi's slept upstairs, and then we hung a sheet between the playroom and the living room, and stuck 6 kids in there on the floor, and then the parents on the couch in the living room. It really was quite cute peeking in on the children and seeing a row of little bodies all tucked in with every last one of our blankets and pillows. God is so good! It was like the loaves and the fishes. I mean, who has enough bedding to cover up 20 bodies? I don't, but I did. God just made it stretch; seriously.

So what do you feed 13 hungry children for breakfast (not to mention the grown-ups)? Muffins and fruit. Simple. And then make lots of coffee, and get in some really good conversations with the grown ups. It worked, and it was wonderful. I love how God has given me wonderful friends in every place that I've lived; the kind you keep up with no matter where you are (and Laura is now in Michigan!)

So, the next time you're faced with a whole house load of guests, just remember, the more the merrier. And really, it all works out great.

This is one of the muffin recipes we made ahead and served for breakfast...I can't wait to do it again...

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

(from Epicurious.com, with some changes)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour*

1 cup all purpose flour*

* can use all white flour, that's what I did.

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canned solid pumpkin puree

1/2 cup veg. oil

2 eggs

1 cup apple (peeled, cored, and diced)

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1/4 cup chilled butter (1/2 stick)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans to make 18 muffins. Sift first 4 ingredients. Stir sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs in large bowl until well mixed. Mix in dry ingredients and apples. Place equal amounts of batter in muffin tins.

For topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts in small bowl. Cut in butter with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted in middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool.

I remember the first time I ever caught anything with my Dad, and it was on a silvery lake in Pennsylvania, and it was a turtle, of all things! For Amaleah, her first catch was a speckled trout, and my Dad was there next to her to see her through too! This time it was salt-water fishing, which I don't think my Dad and I have ever experienced together before. Unfortunately, this particular weekend on the gulf coast of Texas, the hurricane rains persisted, and there wasn't a dry day at all to fish. So finally we had to just make the best of it and get a little wet for this memorable experience. I'm glad we did! It's so fun to see your children doing their firsts, and as they keep getting older, there are always new "firsts!" I cherish these moments as they come.

In other news, Landis is taking his "first" steps...thus, I'm not blogging much.

*Umm, somehow this got underlined and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to un-underline it...the computer insisted this was underlineable material....

Heads or Tails

Today, the kids pulled out the very-well-used Candy Land game for another day of tournaments. Darcie was here, and I noticed how she flips a coin to get the game started. I've noticed her doing this with my kids in the past, and I always think, "Why don't I remember to do that?" It's practical, diplomatic, peaceable, and not to mention Biblical (you know, along the same lines as casting lots). But I wouldn't expect anything less from her. So here's to flipping a coin!!!

*Notice the blue tape around the edge of the coffee table?

Yeah, that's to protect the wood and finish from Landis's sharp little gnawing teeth...

It's the Little Things

Julia turned 4 just a couple of weeks ago, and by the time the week was over I was (sad to say) glad, because I think all the attention was going to the poor little dear's head! But to finish off the week, the Lord planned a very special little happening in our house...a sweet answer to prayer.

Upon turning 4, Julia (with much eager anticipation) got to rifle through the Birthday treasure chest at church, and came home with the much longed after pink flashlight. Oh the joy! Oh the delight! Oh the light in the dark! She even wanted to sleep with it (and you mommies out there know where that would lead..."I see you Amaleah, can you see me?")

But as all good things sometimes come to an end, the little flashlight was "lost" the very next day, and broke that same little dear's heart. A mommy can take this as an opportunity for lots of little lessons: 1) that's why we need to remember "everything in its place"; 2) all of our material things will pass away and rot, but God's Word lasts forever; or 3) God knows where everything is, so it's not lost to Him, and He cares about even the little things in your life.

Option 3 is the one I chose and here is how the story unfolds...

All through the day Julia wanted to find it, and I kept reminding her to pray about it, and she would not. And all through the day I seriously felt God impressing on me that she would not find it until she prayed for it, and that I needed to encourage her to do this. Near the end of the day, we looked in the van, and I once again asked Julia if she had prayed, because God knows where everything is. "No, but I will now Mommy. Dear Lord, please help me to find my flashlight. In Jesus Name, Amen."

What happened next was about 10 seconds later, I kid you not. We walked inside, I asked her if she had tucked it into any pocket, the "light bulb" went on and she (and all of us girls) ran excitedly to the closet where she pulled out the coat and dug around in the pocket, and pulled out the beloved flash light.

"Julia! God answers prayers! He knew where it was! Thank Him! Thank Him!"

And so we did. I'm not sure who's heart was more encouraged, her's or mine. But no matter. God got the glory! He cares about the details of life, no matter how seemingly insignificant they are, in order that we might see Him and His faithfulness and His control over all things.

Julia and Daddy having a little fun with our iphoto booth!

P.S. The little flashlight is once again "lost."

When Life Converges

Recently, my wonderful husband traveled with my two girls all the way up to Dallas to purchase a mini-van for our growing family. Yes, I said "mini-van." There was a time in my life where I swore I would never buy a mini-van..."It's too conformist, too 'un-cool,' too 'soccer-mom.' " Well, I take all those things back. The time came, and it came with a vengeance. It's funny how you can change your mind on something, and almost not even remember why you felt the other way! For us, it was three kids that put us over the top. One day I borrowed a friend's mini-van, and I was sold, sold, sold! So if you need a shoulder to cry on about moving on to the mini-van stage, come to me, baby!

But, as we all know, not everything is absolutely perfect just because you have great transportation. My first little adventure in this van with my three darling children went something like this:

"Girls, would you like to go to the park this afternoon after the baby wakes up?"

~ "Yay! Yay! Yay!"

"Everybody go potty, get shoes on, and I'll nurse the baby."

All this takes a bit longer than planned, but we're determined and we're doing it. So out the door, into the van, on the road, excited about the lovely weather...

I start looking at the clock...oh my, it's rush hour, oops, why did I decide to go to the park now?...and the park that happens to be located along-side a highway and a very trafficky intersection? Oh well, we're doing it! We merge onto the highway, and creep, creep, creep...

"When are we going to be there?"

"We're in a bit of traffic girls, we'll be there soon..."

Oh great. construction. 15 minutes. 30 minutes...could it really be taking this long? When does the park close? I think at 6, we'll have a little time anyway. 45 minutes (how can it take 45 minutes to get to a park that's 5 minutes away?)

And then imagine the following things all converging upon each other at the very exact same time:

Julia--"I have to go potty."

Amaleah--"No mom, I reallllllly have to go potty" (followed by shrieks, then tears, then sobs..."REALLY!" (ummm, didn't I tell everyone to go potty before we left?)

Landis--scream, scream, scream

Music--"Before the throne..."

(oh finally, the park, OH NO, Park Closed!!!!!!! What do we do? Just go home, play with neighbors)

Traffic--creeping along

Me- (thinking of my sister-in-law Naomi who I know would be awesome in a moment like this), "You can do it! Squeeze those legs together (Julia--"I want to go potty first! Me first!") Hold it! Hold it! We're almost home (sort of), I see the exit (kind of), the cars are moving faster (possibly)...You can do it!" (cheering all the way home)

We did make it. And played with the neighbors. And went to bed, pooped.

Luke and the girls on the Amtrak

Landis Arrives

After much anticipation, and sometimes impatient waiting, our little boy is here, safe and sound. We praise the Lord for a safe delivery and healthy baby. He was born Wednesday, the 23rd and we are home from the hospital now, with the doting sisters hovering all around to admire their new brother...such a novelty, indeed. Of course, that's not to mention the doting parents who keep taking turns to stare at our newest little one. It's hard to believe I'm the mother of 3 now, but so it is, and we are pleased! For more pictures, please see my flickr page; the link is on the sidebar of my blog.

The details: He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz, was 20 3/4 inches long, and super cute...:) I'll make another post about the actual labor and delivery; but I'll just say this, for those of you who have heard through the grapevine that it was super fast and easy, scratch that! But it was good and the Lord gave us a huge blessing, didn't he?

Afternoon Snack Recipe

We recently had an afternoon snack that I thought I'd share with you. It's really not a specific recipe, there's just a few rules you must follow in order for it to work perfectly...

It must include at least one or more of the following:

1) a fruit, such as raspberries or blackberries (mixed with some sugar and poured in a pan)

2) a grain, such as oatmeal (mixed with a few other things and placed over afore mentioned fruit and baked)

3) a dairy product (such as Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream)

All of this must be served with love, and must be followed up by a comment from your oldest daughter like this, "The only reason we're having this for a snack is because Mom's crazy when she's pregnant!"

It's How you Wear It

So this is how my girls arrived at the dinner table last night... And I actually think the younger one started this whole sunglasses thing (although some could blame it on me, and that's fine too!) What in the world is it going to be like with a little boy around the house? I'm so looking forward to it, and so are they! 3 more weeks and counting!

A Little Hoola-Hoop Anyone?

Recently, Amaleah discovered she is quite talented at the hoola-hoop. With a little instruction from the expert, her Aunt Mercy, Amaleah has now taken over the hoola-hooping roll in the family. It's really quite amazing for a 6 year old, because she can go for more than 8 minutes at a time, and has added some new tricks, like jumping on and off the ottoman while maintaining a twirl...Of course Mercy has to keep up with this 6 year old so the competitions are always on over here. The funny thing to me is what Luke said about it all the other day, "This is what your kids learn when they don't play computer games." I thought about it and decided it was probably true. Of course, we do allow a minimal amount of computer time, but it's so minimal that I can't even remember the last time Amaleah was on the computer. And I'm glad. I love the creativity that goes on when minds are not left to be lazy, and the physical exercize that often accompanies it (because we sure aren't outside right now when the average daily temperature is 102.) So, if you want to figure out a way to get your child off the computer, consider adding some hoola-hoops to your indoor games.

(P. S. At my daughter's begging, I did try it, but it's a little hard with a huge belly in the way...and I'm glad I have that excuse.)

Domestic Goddesses

This summer has been like a blast from the past; a blast from my college days. Mercy, Luke's youngest sister, has been spending alot of time with us, and is actually living with us right now as her parents are out of town for a month. With the wonders of Mercy come the wonders of her friend Kelcy. Both have become everyday language for me and my girls, so much so that when Amaleah is beading her necklaces and earrings, it's "this one's for Mommy, this one's for Mercy, and this one's for Kelcy."

So recently these girls decided we should have a "sticky bun" day. Well, in actuality they were cinnamon rolls, but what fun we had. They call themselves the Domestic Goddesses, and of course I'm the tutor. I made the dough, then they came and rolled it out and added all the delicious yumminess (lots of butter and brown sugar), rolled them up, cut them, and baked them...then of course ate them. You know you're working with college students when one of them asks if we can make the dough pink or red or something..."No, we'll just keep it like this..."

I'm not sure what's on the menu next, but I'm hoping it will be soon, because it gives me an excuse to gratify my sweet tooth cravings!

A Poem

I realize I haven't been very good at posting lately, but maybe this poem that I gave to Luke a few weeks ago will help explain things a bit...

A Love Story, by Gabrielle

This story begins with a girl and a guy,
She was quite forward, he was quite shy.
In love they did wed on a cold wintry day,
And off to the city for three years to stay.

Adventures they welcomed, both small and great;
From Dallas to Durham, they moved state to state.
But not without having a little love child,
Gone were the days, carefree and wild.

Oh but who knew of the joys in store,
Of giggles and kisses and diapers galore.
The love they did share with their family of three,
Soon grew to four, and she wasn’t free.

And though you might think that this story thus ends,
That’s where you’re wrong, for it merely just bends.
You see this cute couple strongly believes,
“One love child per city before you do leave.”

And though they are sure this is where they will stay,
Man plans his steps and God guides his way.
He has decided for now that this hive,
Come September perhaps will turn into five...

So there you have it...my computer time has been replaced with couch, cracker, and peppermint time, and I expect it will stay this way for a while. And in case you read the poem and have not a clue what it means, baby #3 is on its way, Lord willing, and I am 8 weeks pregnant due September 26. We covet your prayers!

A Pair of Pants and a Tip

For those of you who have always wondered how to get melted wax off of clothing, read on. I have first hand knowledge. But of course, it comes along with a story.

At our church on Christmas Eve, we have a candlelight service; a worshipful and enjoyable experience, even thrilling, especially for those tots who love fire...(although, even some young adults have been known to count down the minutes until the service, Mercy...) Upon arrival, everyone is handed a little candle, complete with drip protectors, and warnings from the Pastor to make sure not to tip your candle over as you pass the flame (your neighbor who's candle is yet to be lit should dip there's into your flame). So, after choirs sing and the pastor preaches, the lights are turned off, the flame is passed, everyone is aglow (parents are nervous) and Silent Night is sung.

For my Julia (almost 3) this was a very important experience...she wasn't as interested in touching the flame as blowing it out. Sitting atop my brother's lap, she proceeded to blow out his candle (with huge smiles and laughs). Well, my brother, being the bright one that night, went ahead and (against all quiet and subtle expressions from me), tipped his candle over to re-light it on mine. Hmmm, what happens to melted wax when it is tipped? It spills over, onto my pants...(and vainly enough, I had decided to wear my brand new $10 pants from a store that doesn't sell $10 items). Needless to say, my brother (who is a grown adult) will never live this down...

So how might one solve this problem?
1) Lay a brown paper bag on ironing board
2) Place pant leg, wax side down, onto bag
3) Iron over spot, and literally, wa-lah! The wax is gone!

And, make sure your brother isn't allowed to have a candle next year...

Out of the Mouths of Babes

My children never cease to amuse me, so to lighten your mood during this busy and fretful time of year, here are a few of their sayings:

1) Amaleah says, "Mommy, I know why Mary is called the "version" Mary in that song: because there are lots of "versions" of Mary and this "version" is the Mary that had baby Jesus." So try explaining what a "virgin" is to your 5 year old daughter...

2) As our little family was in the car, we passed a car accident. Luke and I were discussing this "car accident," and before we knew it, Julia was repeatedly asking the same question over and over again..."Mommy, the car go poo-poo?" I'm thinking, "what?" and Luke gets it: oh, the "car accident." Accidents, in a little 2 year old's mind, can only mean one thing...

3) Over dinner with my parents, Julia is eating really well and asks, "Can we have that chocolate cake if we eat a good dinner?" (the cake we had eaten a few days before for my dad's birthday). I answer, "No, it's all gone. PaPa ate it all." (I'm kidding about that, of course). The look Julia turned and gave to my Dad was priceless, as was this comment: "That is not kind. You're supposed to share." Girls and their chocolate.
And finally, just a reminder that the computer lingo of today is a huge part of a toddler's vocabulary:

4) Julia says, "When you ask Uncle Kristian 'why?' he just says 'Google it.' "..... Don't we all?

We must have been Kings and Queens

Amaleah discovered a collection of cigar boxes my husband has acquired over the years. He's never really known what he'll do with them, but they stay on (after much prodding from me to purge.) Luke has this tendency to create, albeit eccentrically. Well, in a perfect "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" moment, Amaleah opens them up and asks if she can use them.
Sure, why not. So here they are.

Why didn't I ever think of that? A perfect little traveling desk, complete with paper, pencil, pencil sharpener, stencils, crayons, stickers, etc. She outfitted one for Julia too. All it takes to meet the needs of two prolific artists. The cutest thing about it is that she keeps looking at the cover (an ornate crown) and saying, "You and Daddy must have been kings and queens Mommy, these are so beautiful." I keep wondering if we should decoupage them....