Monday Morning 'Lights?--A Little Late

Thanks to the fact that I was not home most of the weekend and I am dysfunctional and totally dependent on my husband in knowing how to get the pictures from the camera to the computer, I'm a couple of days late on my recap of last week. But, it was a pretty good week, so late is okay!

1. I guess we ate some chocolate at one point (or ten). See? I would forget such important things as eating chocolate if not for Sadie's face to remind me.



2. We had a really fun night at the library. It was Furry Friends Night, and the girls each took a stuffed animal to the library. They chose Monkalicious and Little Pig. The animals got to have a slumber party that night at the library and were picked up the next morning. I heard they did exciting things like learn about the Dewey Decimal System at midnight.

Abigail and Monkalicious listen to Miss Alissa read "Puff, the Magic Dragon."


3. We visited our sweet friend Kylene and her new baby. Oh, and ate at Culvers. No picture, but worth mentioning.




Sadie plays "This Little Piggy" with baby's toes.

4. They had outdoor fun with Papa. We had planned to leave the girls with my mom and dad for the weekend while we were at a conference, but Memaw got sick, so we sequestered her to a corner room and spent some fun in the sun with Papa and his garden.




5. Oh, and Abigail made a summer bucket list. We had better get busy.


Paul is on vacation from work this week, so I think we will have some day trips and maybe even an overnighter somewhere fun! Looking forward to next week's pictures!

Baffled

Sometimes you just have to write a blog for posterity, so you don't forget. And for posterity's sake, I would like to remember that my daughter, Sadie, is a flat-out Stinker.

She has become very independent lately, and is definitely in the stage of wanting to do things herself. She steals the fork and spoon from my hand and will not give it back, no matter how messy the result. She arches her back in protest when it is time to get into her carseat. And if there is anything in general she does not want to do, she immediately crumples into a ball on the floor.

For about a month, she has fought diaper changes by me like crazy. She screams. She cries. She rolls over and puts her little booty up in the air. She crawls away from me. And she is learning that there are consequences for the way she is choosing to act.

But then there is the EASY way. You know what that is? Let Abigail do it.

If we say, "Sadie, do you want Sissy to change your diaper?" she immediately falls down on the floor and throws her little legs up in the air. She grins through the entire diaper change. And Abigail REVELS in the Big Girl-ness of it all. Tonight, Sadie squealed in protest when Paul told her it was time for diaper change and jammies. But then he asked if Abigail could do it, and Sadie squealed in delight.

Abigail did the job, multiple times today, like the little mama that she is, with such pride. Sadie grinned the whole time, either telling us she loves her Sissy, or telling us she is a 15-month-old Stinker. I vote for the latter.

Friday Night 'Lights--6/17/11

Well, hello. Has it been another week already? Besides our one big event yesterday, I'm going to have to think this one through. Ever try to remember what you ate for dinner last night, but have no clue whatsoever? That is kind of the blank I'm drawing this week.

Think, think, think.

1. Last weekend, Sadie had a 3-day fever. A trip to the doctor said it was probably just a little virus, and now she is all better. But this was one poor baby for a while.
(I had a picture of her looking pathetic on the couch, but couldn't find it. So, this was mid-fever, trying to get some fresh air outside.)


2. I found my inner Susie Homemaker. I do this every once in a while...find recipes and crafts and ideas that inspire me. I stumbled upon some really cool blogs this week, and it has boosted my desire to make home a little homier. Homey. Word.
I've made frozen banana pops with melted peanut butter chocolate. And some amazing spaghetti sauce. And pureed and froze my first zucchini of the season, for when the time is right.


3. I weaned Sadie. :( She will be 16 months next week, so I would say we had a good run. I would have been happy to keep going, but I needed to start on some medication to help my rosacea on my face, and I could not take it while nursing. It better be some effective medicine, because once you close that chapter of babyhood, you can't get it back. I have loved being able to feed both of my girls. Sadie occasionally points to her mouth and says, "Eeeh?" and then does the signs for "More, please." And I pretty much want to cry.
We will be okay. I just remind myself that we had to end eventually and pray my face clears up in about 5.7 seconds.

4. Aaaaaaand, we went to Holiday World!!! It was the second time for Paul, the first for all of us girls. We had a wonderful time and it was pretty perfect weather. Paul entered a bunch of contests, determined to get free tickets for our family, and he did!! He and I would love to go back sometime when we can ride all of the big, scary rides. But for yesterday, the carousel was perfect.






5. This was still from Holiday World, but may sincerely be one of my favorite pictures we have. Some day I will show this to them when Sadie steals some of Abigail's clothes without asking.

Friday Night 'Lights--6/10/11

Week 2 of summer highlights....feel free to check out my friend Lindsay's blog!

Summer got it's "official" kick-off this week as we started our Moms and Kids weekly fun. This is something we have done the last few years with ladies from our church...swimming on Tuesdays and McDonald's Playplace on Thursdays.

Aside: One little tip about me. I'm a true...what's the word?....wet blanket when it comes to swimming. I prefer it to be about 90+ degrees, and the water to be about 84. I know and believe in the necessity of sunscreen, but bemoan the application therein. I hate....hate....being splashed in the face. Not because of hair or make-up or anything like that. I just truly hate the feeling of water smacking me in the face. And it annoys me that you cannot just GO swimming. You have to get the cover-ups and the snacks and the ice water and the sunscreen and the floaties and the towels and the hats to cover bald baby heads. And the kids. Don't forget the kids. So yeah, I would say swimming is a weekly sacrifice of love for my kids in the summer. Why? Because THEY LOVE IT.


Sadie discovered her glamorous life.


And blew kisses at Daddy while he mowed.


They splashed in the ISU fountain while Mommy took pictures. It was SO fun!



Oh, and Abigail officially became a Princess this week, thanks to the county fair. She and her buddy Liane waved and blew kisses like pros.


I truly delighted in my daughters this week. Seriously, so many times I just looked at them and felt all googly-eyed and butterflies in my stomach and I'm crazy about them. That is a feeling that can really carry a Mama through a few days.



So, maybe I fell really....really behind on my laundry this week. But I fell totally in love with my family.

Doing Hard Things

Last week, I was getting Abigail some breakfast. Or rather, she was getting her breakfast and I was butting in. Or something like that. I had poured her bowl of cereal, and then she said, "I want to pour on the milk."

Pause. I have a confession to make. I do way too much for Abigail. Not because she wants me to or asks me to, but because it is easier for me. I know things are less likely to get spilled. I know it will happen a lot faster. I know shampoo will be rinsed out better, hair will be brushed smoother, an entire cupful of chocolate syrup will not be dumped into the milk. It just makes my life easier, even though it may not be teaching her all of the independence she should have at age five.

That being said, I don't know if I did it consciously or not, but I went ahead and poured the milk on the cereal. I know I heard her say it, but I just did it anyway.

She said, "MOMMY! I JUST said I wanted to pour the milk!!"

"I know. I don't know why I poured it. I'm sorry."

"You need to let me learn to pour it. I'm learning to do hard things."

I think that sentence may be one of the most profound things that she has said. I said, "Where did you hear that....'doing hard things'.....school?"

Thoughtfully, slowly, she said, "Nooo....I just.....need to learn to do hard things."

Yesterday I had wonderful lunch with my pastor's wife from my growing up years, Barb. I was sharing about a year's worth of catching up with her, the amount of time that had lapsed since our last visit. I was soaking up her experience as a pastor's wife of 40-plus years, and thinking about all that I have to learn still.

I shared the story of what Abigail had said and we had a good laugh. At the same time we both said, "Don't we all need to learn to do the hard things?"

Hopefully I can be better at letting go with Abigail, at letting her figure out how to do things independently. At letting her do the things that are hard to her, even though they are easier to me. What a picture of our own walks in life, in our relationship with Jesus! There are so many things He could do for us, but where would the lesson be? How would we be stronger or better or more mature if our Lord did it for us? Thank you, Lord, for the hard things!

Friday Night 'Lights....On Sunday

My friend Lindsay has started a fun, bloggy thing called "Friday Night 'Lights". I have never watched that football show, though I always hear people RAVE about it. It is what inspired Lindsay, though our "'Lights" are actually summer highlights. It is just a chance to show a weekly recap of the summer fun we've been having with our families. I'm all for posterity, and I'm all for summer fun, so here is my recap of the week! I will include pictures when I can, but some things will not have them. Even though pictures are way more fun.

1. We spent Memorial Day weekend celebrating with college friends and family. And discovered Hebrew National hot dogs, which easily kick every other hot dog's butt.

2. Paul and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. I'm sure next year we will do something big and awesome, but I'd say we dated well this week. And we ate really, really well. The girls even spent one night at Memaw and Papa's, so it was like a getaway in our own house.


Paul shows off the Christina Plate at George's Cafe...our Mediterranean lunch after visiting the farmer's market. Look at that plate of feta cheese. Be still my heart.


I ate George's Specialty...Dolmas, baba ganoush, and hummus. It felt like the right thing to do.


On our anniversary, walking on ISU's campus where it all began. Don't we look like young, fresh college students in love?

3. We played Legos.


Had a Daddy-Daughter car wash.


And learned how to walk in Big Sissy's high heels.



4. Abigail went fishing with her Papa. She learned about "The One That Got Away" and did not think that was very cool.

5. Abigail learned to be thankful for a Sno-Cone.....or you go home without a Sno-Cone.

6. We went swimming as a family, which means it was Officially Hot, because Amy only goes swimming when it is Officially Hot.

What a very fun week it was! I love summer with my family, and I look forward to sharing it with you!