40 reasons why I like spending my days with my girls August 28, 2008

1. I get to open the bedroom door of the girls after they wake up in the morning and their nap and be nearly tackled! They do this every day and I LOVE IT! It is the highlight of my day!

2. I can read books to my girls when ever they ask (almost).

3. We have many opportunities to talk and converse about important things like God and the Bible.

4. I have to think a lot about God and the Bible so I can give an honest and wise answer to those questions!

5. I catch most of the funny things Sophia says and Ellie tries to say.

6. I catch most of the profound things Sophia says and Ellie imitates Sophia saying.

7. The girls crowding me when Zac calls.

8. Learning contentment with the simple and sometimes difficult things.

9. Eating breakfast with the girls everyday.

10. Eating lunch with the girls everyday.

11. Eating supper with the girls everyday.

12. Having impromptu picnics at the park.

13. Spending my days with princesses and ballerina’s

14. Taking princesses and ballerina’s out shopping.

15. I can teach my girls vitally important things like how to clean so one day I don’t have to.

16. They give me lost of blog fodder.

17. All the cuddles – EVERYDAY!

18. All the giggles – we are a house full of girls – what do you expect?

19. The “sleepovers” we have in the middle of the day where I get to lay down and the girls tell ME stories.

20. The workout – lifting a 35lb and 25lb child multiple times a day is helping me, one lift at at time, at my Proverbs 31 goal of having “strong arms”. Yeah baby.

21. Picking “flowers” during walks or while playing in the back yard.

22. Being around to observe the occasions when my girls cooperate.

23. That my girls are growing up together! They are so close!

24. Seeing how protective Sophia is of Ellie.

25. When I am feeling down they do a great job of cheering me up.

26. I have my own little wake up crew who faithfully wake me up at 6:30am EVERY morning.

27. I have two one little helper who actually cleans up her toys.

28. Our Monday trips to the library.

29. I get LOTS of practice in the virtue of patience.

30. I have seen all of their firsts, and savored every single one!

31. I get to be a kid again and play things like hide and seek!

32. Watching them progress in simple things like coloring and painting! They have both started to LOVE art which excites me so much!

33. The comic relief – everyday! Just today we were talking about how we all missed Daddy and Sophia says “I think Daddy misses himself sometimes”. If I wrote them all down I could fill up a thousand page book.

34. That I have gained a finely tuned sense of trouble – usually picked up by long or short periods of silence.

35. The singing and hopping and running – all at the same time!

36. I get to “catch” Sophia praying or singing about Jesus.

37. Daddy coming home at 5:30 and the girls running to meet him!

38. I have a great God to draw strength from when my feeble body and spirit are weak – and I get to share this with my girls!

39. I am never lonely!

40. That even after all the discipline and imperfections on my part – they still love me!

Where’s Waldo, er, I mean Ellie? August 26, 2008

Every time we go to Marga’s loft/townhouse the girls have so much fun. There is something about having twelve foot ceilings that make being inside a lot of fun. To them, I imagine Marga’s place is like a palace! It is set up like a townhouse but is very loft-like with lots of wide open space, especially downstairs. Ellie has a spot she likes to go to sometimes when we are there and with her being so small and Marga’s place being so spacious sometimes she gets “lost”. So in my attempt to help you feel a little more accomplished today, I am posting this picture of Marga’s sitting area and you have to find Ellie. Don’t feel too accomplished, though, because it really isn’t that hard. If anybody can’t find her let me know, then I won’t feel so silly as I often lose her when she hides in this particular spot. Hint: she’s not on the ceiling fan.

Shelob in our bedroom August 22, 2008

Okay, so it wasn’t really shelob but it might as well have been.

For a day or two Zac and I were feeling spider webs in our bedroom in the morning. No biggie – I thought, it was probably just a little house spider (key word being little). Well the morning we got up to leave for the beach was hectic. I woke up, turned on the light and made the bed. The light cord, I noticed had a strange kink in it about half way down – almost like it was bent at maybe a 70 degree angle at one point. I thought it was strange as it is supposed to hang down straight. I didn’t, however stop to consider what might have made it bend so unnaturally – I had things to do, people to see.

Anywho, Ellie and Sophia made their way into our bedroom where I was finishing up some packing and Sophia says “Mommy, there’s a spider!”. No biggie, I thought – probably just that tiny spider up in the corner of the room. I didn’t see it. “Where Sophia – I don’t see a spider”. She must have thought I was blind because when I finally did spot him I wondered how I ever missed him. He was suspended in the MIDDLE OF THE ROOM! The “bent” cord was because of his web being anchored to it. He was BIG and HAIRY and did I mention BIG!. I screamed. For some reason I don’t have a high pitched girl type scream either – I think it is more of a sesame street monster type of scream – almost a growl. I’m serious. Anyway, Zac didn’t hear me as he was in the shower so me and the girls quickly left the room – and being the resident journalist, I went and grabbed the camera so I could get evidence. I honestly don’t know how I even got a picture because every time Shelob made an appearance on my view finder I wanted to throw my camera across the room. I stood there until Zac got out of the shower-randomly shivering from fright at the thought that he was in our bedroom ALL night and probably for a few days before. I’m still shivering at the thought.

Anywho, without further adieu here is the pic of the animal that almost killed me.

Sorry I had to show you that. I know you didn’t ask for it – I just wanted you to understand my psychosis.

fun activity idea August 20, 2008

So it seems like we are having a similar problem that we had in Iowa – we are constrained to the indoors for most of the day. This time because of the heat index. My girls are not like me in that they don’t love the heat like I do. Most days we stay busy enough though as going out somewhere does not involve scraping car windows, frozen fingers and toes, and icy roads to contend with. Today, though, I needed the girls to be entertained while I prepared a picnic we planned for lunch.

Someone passed along this idea to me and it has worked out so well for us I thought I would pass it along to any interested Moms of toddlers. Basically you just fill your (clean) kitchen sink with water and put little cups, spoons, and toys in it for the kiddos to play in. I always put a towel under both chairs the girls stand on, and also a smaller towel under the feet of the girls so they don’t slip when the inevitable waterfall begins to flow. The kids LOVE this. They are playing with water without getting in trouble! And Moms, if your toddlers won’t drink plain water – they will now. (again make sure the sink is freshly cleaned). So here is a pic of my girls playing in the kitchen sink.

I didn’t put much water in the sink as most of it was bound to end up on the floor. Also, the dresses they were wearing got soaking wet. No biggie. It’s just water. If you are a little OCD just keep telling yourself that. It’s just water. Unless you don’t clean the sink first, then it is just water and a bunch of germs and a little of last night’s supper.

Oh, and if you happen to be fixing a picnic like I was make sure and remove the pan of chicken bones from beside the sink otherwise you may end up with this.

I promise I do feed this child. She doesn’t mind stealing.

In her mind I imagine she thinks she is entitled to anything unattended on the counters, tables . . . floors. She is not at all worried about me. Just look at this – no remorse!

“Hey Momma, wha’s up?”

And you’re not going to believe this one.

Good grief, someone give her another piece of chicken – she’s going for her arm!!! I can’t do it – who would document the whole ordeal! Don’t worry I eventually put the camera down. Her arm is fine(ish).

A day at the zoo! August 19, 2008

This morning we woke up and Sophia was already declaring it to be “not a good day”. Sometimes she says things just to say them, because she repeated this after coming home from a day at the zoo with her sister and dear friend Rachel. She had ice cream too. It was a good day – in terms of toddler days, probably ranks up there with one of the best!

The Birmingham Zoo made a liar out of me because yesterday at the library we were looking at a book about zoo animals I told the girls after they asked that, no, we would not be seeing kangaroo’s at the zoo. Thanks a lot zoo. Way to ruin the illusion that I am indeed omniscient. Much to my dismay and delight, we discovered that there were kangaroo’s. Sorry no pics, but I did get a pic of these somewhat tamed animals.

The kind zoo lady – is that an appropriate title? – offered the girls a touch of the kangaroo hide.

The girls enjoy a snack. Don’t you just love all three of them lined up, all orderly-like.

It was a good moment for me. Most other moments this morning were good but a little stressful as I had to at all times be aware of three very energetic girls wanting to go in all directions at different paces. Sophia being the most, um, energetic. Her and Rachel obviously have very different zoo styles – Sophia racing from one exhibit to the next as if someone were timing her for the best time, Rachel taking observing every feather and whisker. Based on this observation I would say Sophia is going to be an olympic athlete and Rachel an artist or scientist. As for my dear little Ellie she was delighted, as usual, to be right by her Mommy. Every time I start to desire another baby I remember I still have one. I love that kid.

Last of all, Rachel. I just had to include this one because she is just so darn cute drinking her juice with utter conviction and concentration.

It was a good day. Thanks to Leah for lending us Rachel!

Blog Marathon: Post #3, Beach trip August 15, 2008

Thanks to Marga and Martin we got to go on a quick vacation to the beach before the onslaught of Zac’s first year of law school. It was a lot of fun, and very exhausting – in a good way. We made a lot of great memories with the girls. Zac and I also got some time away to walk on the beach and play in the waves. I highly suggest bringing a grandparent or two on every family vacation – they are indispensable. I don’t know if I can ever go without one again.

Ellie loved playing in the sand, but even more she loved laying around, reading and getting some rays.

The condo we were staying at was right on the beach. Here’s Marga and Sophia heading out to explore on the beach.

Sophia and Ellie examining a barnacle encrusted piece of wood.

Me and Zac on the balcony. Notice my exceptionally long left arm. Also notice the chicken wire on the balcony rail. The spaces between the vertical bars were spaced just far enough apart for Ellie to be able to slip through. I just about hyperventilated when we got there. The look of fear on my face was motivation enough for Marga and Martin to immediately venture out to find some chicken wire to secure the balcony. I was one happy Momma after the chicken wire went up.

I love the Ocean. I wish I could give it a big hug.

Blog marathon: Post # 2, Crazy fun! August 15, 2008

Well it has only been three days since Zac has started law school and we are already in a pretty good routine. We all know that routine is a good thing for Moms, for kids – for everyone! There is a catch though. Routine can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be. No, no, no, not at all boring. So, today for our trip to the grocery store we went all out. My girls talk a lot about ballerina’s and princesses. We decided that today was the day to walk the talk. At Publix.

Sophia remembers all the details, and when she is playing pretend Cinderella, she always insists she must have a coach. This particular coach is a very handsome Kia Sedona. The great thing about this one is it will not turn into a pumpkin at midnight and leave us stranded somewhere with a bunch of crazy talking animals.

On our way out to our “coach”:

Shopping for things Princesses and Ballerina’s shop for:

So in the midst of our routine today we had some crazy fun, while picking up some great deals. The craziest thing of all was that barely anyone reacted. I guess we weren’t the first group of ballerina’s and Princesses to drop by today.

Blog Marathon: Post #1, Sarah Hudgins August 15, 2008

I love babies. I LOVE babies. Did I just say that twice. That’s how much I love babies – I will say it twice in a row. When Leah gave birth to little Sarah last Wednesday it took all my strength to wait until Friday to meet her. That is when we planned to go to Birmingham to meet her. I was even up with insomnia one morning at two or three in the morning and contemplated jumping in the car. Well not really, but Leah would have been up with Sarah anyways, so if I did think of doing something so crazy it would have been perfectly acceptable.

Am I the only one that finds holding newborn babies to be therapeutic? Here is a pic of me in therapy.

Thank you Sarah! I honestly had a headache all day and after leaving the Hudgins’s it was gone. Here is a closeup of little Sarah. I had a hard time deciding who she looked like, or what features resembled who. Whatever – she’s beautiful and perfect!

Isn’t she purdy! If it were up to me I would have one of my own in my arms right now.

Since I am up August 5, 2008

Last night I went to sleep at around 9:00pm. Stupid, I know. I am now up for the day at 4:00 am and expect to crash in about two hours – when the rest of the family decides to wake up; usually the time they all stand around looking at me with that hungry pitiful look. Perhaps I should make good use of my time and make some blueberry muffins for breakfast.

Anywho, I have been delinquent at blogging. Thank you Liz for the reminder. I have never read “The Message” translation of the bible, but I imagine the proverbs 31 woman in that translation rises before the sun to blog. So here I am being virtuous!

We have just been enjoying the last days of our summer with Zac. He starts school in a little over a week and we fully expect to be spending a lot of time with just us girls. It is going to be difficult, but God was so merciful to us to give us a great summer together with lots of time to savor as a family.

I haven’t been taking too many pictures lately, but here is one of Ellie.

For those of you who are unaware of the heat here in Alabama there is one word to describe it – scorching. You may then, think that I am a bad mother putting a coat on little Ellie. In my defense it was one of our cooler days here; probably only 85 degrees. Not coat worthy, but it wasn’t really my doing. Well, only partially. I have some clothes set aside for Ellie’s cousin Isabella that she no longer wears. This jacket, that is so precious, was in there and I wanted to try in on Ellie to see if we could possibly get some more wear out of it this fall. She would not take it off. She is strong, possibly more so than me. Don’t worry, though, folks, our air conditioning in our van is industrial.

We will be going to the beach later this week, so there will be lots of blog fodder, I am sure. I hope our tomatoes don’t decide to ripen while we are gone!