Motherhood: Not for the Faint of Heart

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. Pictures like the one above may give pregnant women feelings of comfort and serenity but it's not realistic. Mothering small children has lots to do with waste management and little to do with pastel bedding.

Yesterday was one of those waste management days. Like I said, mothering is not for the faint of heart. It is also not for the weak of stomach. Elijah doesn't dirty his diaper on a regular basis. For several days he is so easy, just wetting his diaper. Other days he turns into the poop-o-matic. Oh yeah. Yesterday was a poop-o-matic day. You don't want all the details but I will tell you that I finally gave him a bath after lunch. Not because he had pooped again, but simply because his entire body stunk. He let up after his bath and hasn't dirtied his diaper (or his highchair, or his clothes, or his bed) since yesterday.

Every time Elijah does this I think, "Oh yeah. Several days of not pooping means one day of pooping like crazy." But I forget inbetween. If I had the presence of mind to remember, I would be sure to put him in tee shirts and not onesies and I would not pick him up without checking his back for excess poop from his diaper. Gross!!!

Fearful and Wonderful

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:13-16

We are happy to announce that God is knitting together our fourth baby. God's been working on the baby for about 12 weeks and we expect Him to be finished near the middle of May. We are grateful and humbled by God's tremendous blessings to our little family.

New Favorite Blog

I stumbled upon this blog and it's fabulous. I don't know these people and I'm sure that we will never meet in this lifetime. Still, I think I'm hooked on reading it. This family has 9 children under 9 years old. Check it out at http://www.hishandshisfeettoday.blogspot.com/. Happy reading.

Cranky Day

Elijah is no longer sick. I am so thankful. He ran a fever all weekend. I didn't take him to the doctor since he was sick over the weekend. He wasn't terribly sick: just feverish and congested. He's better today but he is cranky! He's driving me crazy. We had a lovely trip to the grocery store this morning. Well it was lovely if by lovely you mean loud with lots of crying and gnashing of teeth.

Oh well, the oldest and youngest children are now sleeping. Dinner is in the crockpot. The kitchen and living room is clean. Katie and I are going to wipe down the bathrooms and then fold some clothes. Sigh. Just another day in the life of a stay at home mom.

Sick Baby

Elijah is sick. He has been running a fever since 1:00pm today. He is so sad. He just nurses and sleeps. Poor baby. Right now he is asleep in the bed with Jesse so he will take a break from nursing. Earlier he threw up a little. I really think his tummy was just too full from nursing so much. Of course, I want him to nurse so that he will get all the fluids and antibodies that he needs. So that's the update. I don't have any cute pictures of my sick baby to post. He's too sick to photograph.

Days of the Week

Hannah and I have begun homeschooling. This year is a little more structured than last year because she is now preschool age. We are loosely following a preschool curriculum with the intent to prepare her for kindergarten material.

Today I went to the local teachers' store and picked up a wall calendar like you see in elementary schools around the country. I hung it in the dining room for us to review each morning. We will review the days of the week and the date. So, today is Tuesday. We discussed that tomorrow will be Wednesday. Hannah and I have discussed days of the week before so I asked her, "Today is Tuesday so tomorrow is?"

"Threes-day!"

"Threes-day? No, not Threesday."

"But Mama, it's Twos-Day, then Threes-day! Is there a Fours-day?"

At this point I feel like the conversation has digressed. "No, Hannah. After Tuesday is Wednesday."

"Then what?"

"After Wednesday is Thursday."

"Twos-Day, then Ones-day, then Threes-Day? That's crazy!"

"Umm, yeah. Okay. So, what is the date today?"

"Nine!!"

Okay. Sure. I'm going to be totally compentant at this. I can feel it.

Language Barrier

I tend to believe that most parents make certain assumptions regarding their children. We assume that they will eat if they are hungry and sleep if they are tired. We assume that when they are cold they will keep their clothes on. All of these assumptions have been proven false by my children. They often don't eat when hungry, especially if there is something more fun to do. They resist sleep or the same reason that they reject food. There is something more fun to do. Katie would prefer to sit on the bathroom stool in the dark then to lay in her soft bed and sleep. Then of course there is the issue of clothing and the weather. I'm hoping that my daughters will have grown in their thinking and will wear clothes this winter. Katie spent last winter in a windbreaker and tennis shoes and a diaper. That's all. Most of the people at the grocery store thought I was a bad mother but you can read all about that here.

So, although my children prove my assumptions wrong daily, I still make assumptions. I assume it is because I do not have enough brain power to consider all the possible scenarios. I just assume that I know what is likely to occur.

Tonight as we are leaving Perkins (Tuesday is kids eat free night), Hannah looks at me and asks, "What does yeah mean?" I stop, I look at Jesse with this incredulous look.
He asks her, "What does yeah mean? Is that what you said?"
"Uh, huh." She replies.
Surely she knows that yeah and yes are the same word with nearly the same usage, so I say, "You know what it means. You tell me." I say it in a playful tone but she really can't answer me. "Hmmm, I dont' know. What is yeah?"
"Hannah, yeah is yes."
"It is!? I never knew that before!"

Oh, dear. I sort of assumed that my child speaks English. I was wrong.

Actually, this is an interesting issue. Usually if Hannah asks to do an activity I respond in a variety of ways:

Yes (meaning yes and that it is fine)
Sure (yes, what a great idea)
Yeah (yes, but what a pain, I'm trying to do something else right now and this is very bad timing, why do you always what to water paint while I'm cooking dinner and the phone is ringing and your sister is pouring lotion in her hair and the baby has locked himself in the bedroom. Why are you hiding in the kitchen cupboard when you just asked to paint. ugh)

So, really it is no wonder that she doesn't know what yeah means. Yikes. I'll have to work on that.

And the Answer Is:

Katie



Sheesh. I didn't think it would be so easy. Even Katie knew it was her. She ran up to the computer yelling, "Mommy! It's Baby Katie!" Hannah thought it was Elijah.



So why was Baby Katie so distressed?

Well, when your big sister is still a baby, life can be tough!

We took several pictures that morning, before Katie became upset. Here is one of my favorites:

Sweet Babies

Reader Quiz

Which of my children is this this?
Please leave your vote in the comments section. If you can't figure out how to post a comment, send me an email at psalm113.1@gmail.com
Voting starts now and ends Monday evening.

Up Close

Proud of Our Record:

Wannamaker Park

(This above picture is from the Wannamaker Park website. This is not our kids. The camera is out of batteries. I'll post pictures as soon as possible. )

Our family went to Wannamaker Park this year for the annual Fourth of July picnic. We decided to leave Elijah with a babysitter so that Jesse and I could each take one of the girls. We had a great time. Hannah loved the kiddy slides. She went over and over. I even convinced her to go down the kiddy tube slide. It has water jets that speed you down the slide. The first time down she went on my lap but the second time I convinced her to go alone. She is so lightweight that she flipped over going down. She flew into the water sideways at the end of the slide. I was waiting there to catch her. I grabbed her quick but her head went under for a second. Man, she was mad at me!! But she got over it and continued going down the regular kiddy slides. She even went down the tube slide again for Jesse.

Katie was not such a fan of the waterpark. She didn't like the slides and she didn't really like the water. Hmmm... maybe we should have left her with a sitter and brought Elijah! Katie did fine and she didn't complain but she didn't really enjoy it. She did enjoy the picnic. We had hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, soda, and brownies. Katie ate a pretty hefty serving of brownies (it was even heftier because she stole a brownie from one of the Kennedy kids!). Between the brownies and the sodas, she had a good time.

I got to go on one big slide. Jennifer (my friend who was also at the picnic) and I went on a slide early while Jesse fed the girls a morning snack. It was great! I hadn't been on a water slide in 11 years. I was a little concerned that I wouldn't enjoy them anymore. (As you get older, you get dizzy faster and things like water slides and rollercoasters aren't so much fun. It's a medical thing, ask Jennifer. She explained it all to me.) So, I was delighted to know that I still love water slides. Jesse also went on one slide late in the day. It was similar to the Kamakazi slide at Hurricane Harbor. Hannah was really upset that she was too short for the slide, although I don't believe she would have actually went down it. We waited at the bottom for Jesse to come down.

We also played in the wave pool for a while. A wave pool 45 minutes from the beach? Is that weird to anyone else?

Elijah had a great time with his babysitter. He stayed at Bethany's house. Bethany is only 13 but she is going to make a great babysitter. Elijah had a great time. She played with him and changed his diaper. She made him a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch and then she put him down for a nap. He was happy and clean and dry and rested when we returned. Yay! Good babysitters are worth their weight in gold. Of course, Bethany doesn't weigh very much, so maybe she is worth more than her weight in gold.

After the waterpark we picked up Elijah and headed home. We put everyone down for naps, including Jesse. Hannah kept talking in her bed. I went in there and remined her that she needed to be quiet so that Katie could sleep. She replied, "But if I'm quiet, I'll go to sleep too!" That stinker! She never did go to sleep so finally she and I ran to CVS. Going to CVS together is one of our favorite thing to do, just Hannah and I.

Alright, I'm going to end this post for now. Stay tuned to hear about our fireworks adventure.

Tag!

Kristi tagged me on her blog, so here is the fun questionaire. I promise a real blog post is coming soon...

What were you doing 5 years ago?

1. Jesse and I were newly married.

2. Living in the Race Street Apartments.

3. Attending graduate school.

4. Taking Human Sexuality & Therapy and Psychopathology & Family Dysfunction.

5. Going off of birth control.

What are 5 things on your To-Do list today?



1. Prep dinner in the morning. (done)

2. Go to the chiropractor. (done)

3. Fold clean clothes. (not done)

4. Clean house (half done)

5. Obedience training with the girls. (half done)



What are 5 snacks you enjoy?



1. Stoneyfield Farms french vanilla yogurt made with whole milk

2. Homemade chocolate chip cookies

3. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

4. Ice cream

5. Cold pizza

What are 5 things you'd do if you were a Billionaire?

1. Pay off all our debt

2. Buy a nice house in the country

3. Set up nice retirement accounts for my parents and inlaws.

4. Buy my husband his dream car

5. Set up trust funds for my children.



What are 5 of your bad habits?



1. too much time on the computer

2. not taking enough pictures

3. planning but never doing!

4. not picking up after myself

5. procrastination

What are 5 jobs that you've had?

1. Aramark catering

2. Cashier

3. Student Services office assistant

4. Pharmacy assistant

5. One-hour photo



Name 5 places where you have lived



1. Lubbock, TX

2. Benbrook, TX

3. Fort Worth, TX

4. Searcy, AR

5. Summerville, SC


People I want to tag

Oh, I don't care. Tag yourself. If you want to do the questionaire on your own blog, do it. It's fun. Now, off to fold clothes...

What's In a Name?

I copied this from my friend Kristy's blog. It was just too fun to pass up. Enjoy (I know I did)!

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, most recent car):
Lucy Ion

YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Choco Cherry Chacos aka Triple C

YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (favorite color, favorite animal):
Sage Squirrel

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, city where you were born):
Colleen Lubbock

YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name, first two of your first name):
Moo Am

SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Purple Latte

NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers):
Leslie Paul

TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Torres Tunica

CARTOON NAME (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Canteloupe Capris

HIPPIE NAME (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
Weetabix Mimosa

Happy Father's Day!

In honor of Father's Day, here is a post just for my dad.

My first memory of my Dad:

We were living out in the country. I was a very small girl. Mom and I were walking through the house and I was holding her hand. She stopped and said, "Say hi to Daddy." Dad was sitting at his desk reading his Bible, probably preparing for to teach a Bible class. "Hi Daddy" I waved. He said hi to us and returned to his studies.

My most recent memory of my Dad:

Dad took me to the airport at the end of my last trip home. He obtained a vistor's pass so that he could take me to the gate. He held Elijah while I took care of the girls. Elijah spit up all over Dad's clothes. Yuck, especially since he was on his way to work!

Time I was madest at my Dad:

When I was in the second grade I got off the school bus and found Dad cutting down my favorite tree from the front yard. I was really upset. It was a mimosa tree. I loved that tree. In fact, I still love the smell of mimosa trees in full bloom. *sigh*

Funny memory of my Dad:

I was older (either a teen or in college) and Dad was sick with the flu or maybe allergies. The family was home together talking. Dad stopped us and said, "Let's all think of things we can do to make me feel better!"

Good memory of my Dad:

When I was little (5 0r 6) Dad would take us on adventure walks around Mary's Creek. It was scary uncharted territory. Very adventurous!

Great memory of my Dad:

I remember the first time Dad met Jesse. Jesse and I were friends but we were not dating. Jesse was helping me move out of the dorm. Dad and Jesse worked together loading up the van with all my stuff. When we were pulling out of Searcy, Dad said, "Now what was that kid's name?" "Jesse. His name is Jesse." Dad said, "Now, I like Jesse. Jesse is a fine young man." "Good," I answered, "because I'm going to date him." Dad answered back, "I think you should. Jesse, yes I like Jesse a lot." He really went on and on and Dad isn't one to speak his mind openly. I was pleased. Jesse and I were engaged just a few months later.

My proudest memory of my Dad:

Dad spoke at his father's funeral 17 months ago. My dad always been an excellent example of what it means to honor your father and mother. Listening to his talk at Grandad's funeral was the finest display of honor to a parent that I have ever witnessed.

Best family tradition (courtesy of my Dad):

CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT!

Bedtime Prayers

Bedtime is usually a stressful time for me. The kids don't seem to notice, but I am really tired by the end of day. Completing our bedtime routine is a real chore for me most nights. We go potty and brush teeth. We get nighttime pullups for the girls and a diaper for Elijah. Hannah and Elijah get pajamas. Katie refuses them. Everynight. We all go into the girls' room and read three books. We always read one Bible story, one educational story (counting, baby animals, etc.) and one Sandra Boynton book. If you are not familiar with Sandra Boynton, it is time to enter the world of entertaining children's books. She is great. Her books are funny every time and I've read many of her books hundreds of times.

After stories we turn out the lights. Jesse and I take turns saying prayers with the girls and then I sing a few (dozen) songs. Jesse usually says the prayers for each girl but I have been encouraging them to say the prayer themselves. A few months ago, Hannah took a real interest in saying her own prayers. She would mimic a bedtime prayer she learned from the cartoon: Boz the Bear. She would say, "Dear-a God, Thank you ends for Mommy, Daddy, Hannah, Katie, Elijah, and everybody else. Amen" I always remind her, "In Jesus name" She would then repeat, "In Jesus name, Amen." Very sweet. Her interest in the Bible and the Gospel are so encouraging. She loves the story of Jesus dying on the cross and often asks me where Jesus is. I remind her that he has gone to prepare a place for us called Heaven and when it is ready he will come and get us to take us there. In fact, she is a little upset that Brayden got to go to Heaven before the rest of us. She's not sad, she doesn't know to be sad. But she is disappointed that it's not her turn yet. Oh, to have the faith of a little child!!

So, since Hannah has been praying, I decided to encourage Katie to pray outloud. I tell her, "Pray with Mommy." I begin and she repeats after me."

Mommy: Dear God
Katie: Dear God
M: Thank you
K: Ank-ooh
M: for this day
K: day
M: Thank you
K: Ank-ooh
M: for Mommy
K: Mommy
M: for Daddy
K: Daddy
M: Hannah
K: Nanah
M: Katie
K: A-tie!
M: Elijah
K: Ji-jah
M: Thank you
K: Ank-ooh
M: for food
K: ood
M: and drinks
K: water?
M: In Jesus name I pray
K: AMEN!

Good job Katie. This went on for about a week. But Katie is a freespirit. So a few nights ago...

Mommy: Dear God
Katie: Dear God
Mommy: Thank you
Katie: Ank-ooh
M: for Daddy
K: bubbles
M: Mommy
K: bubbles
M: Hannah
K: bubbles
M: Katie
K: A-tie's bubbles?
M: Elijah
K: Ji-JAH!
M: Thank you
K: for bubbles
M: for our home
K: and bubbles
M: In Jesus name I pray
K: AMEN!!
M: Amen. Go to sleep Katie.

A Very Sad Day

This morning I went to the memorial service for this little boy, Brayden. He was the baby son of my friends Michelle and Jake. Michelle and I met when she and her family moved to Summerville one year ago. Michelle attended La Leche League in Summerville and my friend April provided child care for Brayden and his big brother Nathaniel. Brayden drowned on Friday evening in the family's above ground pool.

The memorial service was this morning at the Seacoast Church in Summerville. Several of my friends from La Leche League were there: Sue, Kelly (with her husband and baby Isabella), and Lois (with her baby Rhett). The speakers included the minister from the Seacoast church, Jake's best friend (who is a minister), and Michelle's brother Chuck. The service focused on Brayden's life and the hope we have in Christ. Even so, it was a terribly sad service. They had a slide show of pictures of Brayden. As we watched, most of us wept. Many times during the service, Michelle could be heard crying aloud. I couldn't help but think of Jeremiah 31:15, "A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more." At the end of the service, the minister offered an invitation to any who would like to come forward for prayers, to commit their lives to Christ, or to talk with a minister. Various church members went to the sides to receive those wanting prayers. A band sang a few praise and worship songs. Michelle and Jake went to the side. They stood together and prayed and wept. I sat and cried and read a few verses from Lamentations during the song Forever by Chris Tomblin.

Give thanks to the Lord

Our God and King

His love endures forever

For He is good, He is above all things

His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

With a mighty handand outstretched arm

His love endures forever

For the life that's been reborn

His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

Sing praise, sing praise

Yeah

Forever God is faithful

Forever God is strong

Forever God is with us

ForeverForever
From the rising to the setting sun

His love endures forever

By the grace of God

We will carry on

His love endures forever

Sing praise, sing praise

Sing praise, sing praise

Yeah

Forever God is faithful...

I looked up from my reading and saw that much of the audience was standing and praising God. Michelle's parents stood together near the front with their arms outstretched to God. It was beautiful and sad at the same time. I believe that God will be glorified in Brayden's life and in his death. Even so, the sorrow is so deep.

I came home and spent a lot of time holding my little ones today. They are so very precious.

Blessed be your name, On the road marked with suffering, Though there's pain in the offering, Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out, I turn back to praise, When the darkness closes in, Lord, Still I will say...Blessed be the name of the Lord

A Happy Day

Today is Hannah's fourth birthday. For months she has been telling me, "Four in June, four in June." And here it is. She is finally 4 in June. I tried telling her that her birthday is June 8th, but that was too much information. Hannah has had a nice birthday so far. We went to church this morning. Then we went to Burger King (her pick) for a family lunch. I brought a homemade cake and one birthday present with us. I remembered candles but forgot the matches. Thankfully, a man offered to light the candles for us. (I guess sometimes I am thankful for smokers). She enjoyed her birthday lunch, her cake, and her present very much. We intend to have a friend birthday party in a couple of weeks. We want to wait until Hannah's cast is removed so that we have more party options. We have even considered combining Hannah and Katie's birthday parties. Katie's birthday is in August. Hannah wants a princess party with a princess cake and a princess crown and a jumprope.

The Robot Park

The children and I had a wonderful time visiting my family in Texas during the month of April. We spent time with my Grandmother, my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her husband, and my youngest brother and his wife. I even spent an afternoon with my aunt and uncle. Over all we had a wonderful trip. We took the children to the zoo. That was a huge hit! We visited all my favorite restaurants in Fort Worth. Mmmm. Rosa's Tortilla Factory. *sigh*

One of my favorite places to visit was the Robot Park in Benbrook, TX. Benbrook is just next to Fort Worth, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. My family lived near Benbrook until I was a preteen. The Robot Park was my very favorite park as a little girl. It was awesome. It had swings, slides, a catepillar climby thing, a baby swings, a merry-go-round, and best of all, a robot. Yes: the Robot park was named (at least by my family) for the giant metal robot.

If you look at the picture, you can see a ladder under the robot. You climb the metal ladder up into the robot. The lower level is fun to play inside. My brothers, sister, and I always pretended that we were trapped and would call to our parents to help us. Such fun. When Hannah and Katie climbed up into the lower level, guess what they did. They pretended that were trapped and called to my mom and I for help. So cute.

Once inside the lower level of the robot, you can climb another ladder to the middle level. From here, you can slide down the robot's arm slides. These slides are scary. They are very steep and fast and dark inside. I don't remember the last time I went down them. I did not go down them when I took the girls to the park. I was too scared. No, I'm not kidding.

There was once a ladder leading up to the robot's head. It is very high up there. It was a scary thrill as a kid. The ladder to the robot's head has now been removed and the entrance is sealed up. The metal on the floor of the head level is rusting out. Instead of removing the entire robot, the park people (whoever takes care of parks) opted to remove the ladder, making the robot safe for children for years to come.

It was so special to take my children to this park. I really had a wonderful time with them. All the equipment is the same. The robot, the swings (at least the metal frame, I'm sure the actual seats are not 30 years old), the caterpillar climby thing, the spiral staircase slide, the merry-go-round, the bouncy animals. It's all the same. Very cool. I took a lot of pictures with my mom's camera when she and I went. I hope to get them soon and post them.

The last Friday that I was in Texas my sister and her husband wanted to spend some time with me and the kids. I suggested that we go to the Robot Park, since the kids had enjoyed it so much. Heather and Jimmy agreed, so I met them there. We had a nice time. The kids played on everything. I put Elijah in the babyswing and Jimmy pushed the girls on the merry-go-round. The girls don't usually play on the merry-go-round, but there were not many kids that day so it was fun. Hannah decided to get off the merry-go-round and push it. Another little boy did too. Jimmy stepped out of the way so they could push it together. Hannah ran around the merry-go-round pushing it and laughing. Then she tripped. The little boy was running around also and tripped on top of Hannah. She started screaming like crazy. When he fell on her, it broke her leg. The tibia is broken just above the ankle. The growth plates are fine. She is scheduled to get the cast removed on Wednesday, just 3 days after she turns 4 years old.

Quick Catch-Up

Okay, faithful readers, it's been over a month. Let's do a recap of the Mook's lives:

April 5-12
Jesse's mom came to SC for a visit.

April 15-May 6
I flew to TX with the children to visit my family.

May 7-today
I have been recovering from my trip and trying to get a grip on taking care of three kids and a home.

So, in the past two minutes all three children have gotten up for the day. Hannah is eating cereal, Katie is half-asleep on the couch, and Elijah is crawling around the living room, looking for something to conquer.

I'll write another post at naptime.

Enjoying my Children

At the beginning of April, my mother in law came for a week long visit. A few days after she left I flew to Texas with the children to visit my parents. I have been here in Texas for about 10 days and I have another 10 days before I will return home. All of this vacation time has been a treat. Because I am staying in my parents home, I don't have much housework to do. My kids and I pick up after ourselves, but I am not really keeping the home like I do in South Carolina. I am not cooking or grocery shopping or organizing closets. It is really nice. I have had a lot of time to just enjoy my children. I am surprized to notice how little I enjoy them when we are at home. I am not good about sitting to read during the day or playing hide and seek. Typically I am folding clothes or cleaning up a mess of some sort. Being here is prompting me to really declutter my home so that I don't have to spend so much time cleaning house! I just might go home and get rid of all the stuff we don't use and don't need. It seems silly to reorganize my dresser to fit all my clothes when I don't wear most of my clothes. I'd prefer to just spend some time with my kiddos.

Speaking of my kiddos, they are amazing. I will do individual post on all of them in the next few days. They have all changed and grown so much lately. Kids sometimes mature steadily but other times they take a developmental leap. My kids are leaping!

A Blog Well Written

Hello, my faithful readers! It's good to see you all in blogland. After a two week hiatus, I am ready to begin writing again. It is a personal fault of mine to get extremely excited about a new thing, take blogging for example. First I talk about it, then I research it, then I do it with utter abadon, and then I feel satisfied that I have done a good job and so I quit. This is a real pattern in my life. Two years ago I decided to make Easter dresses for my daughters. I thought about it, talked about it, shopped for patterns online, went to Wal-Mart to check out fabric. I finally purchased fabric and a pattern. I cut the pieces and stitched the dresses. I hand embroided applicaes on the front of each dress. I stayed up half the night on Easter eve completed the dresses. They were fabulous. The girls looked adorable. Everyone at church raved about their cute dresses and then raved again when I confessed that I made them. I felt very satisfied with my work: a job well done. I haven't sewn anything since.

So, when my dear husband reminded me that I have not blogged in over two weeks, I had to evaluate my priorities. Would blogging be like so many of my interests? Would I stop blogging simply because I have learned how to do it? Would my sense of satisfaction at a blog well written cause me to stop posting? I think not. Blogging is on going accomplishment. A good blog is updated regularly and an excellent blog is updated daily. It is time to renew my commitment and interest and blog daily.

Grandma's Here!!

Jesse's mom flew in for the week. He picked her up from the airport this evening. We are so excited to have her. We're looking forward to showing her the sites. I hope to be blogging this week but if I don't, please know that we are busy having a great time with Grandma!

And the Verdict Is...

A few weeks ago I took Katie to the doctor. This is big for me. We are not 'doctor' people. We don't do well baby check ups. We don't do immunizations. We actually don't even do hospital births. Well, we did one time but I didn't like it and vowed to never do it again. Katie was born at a birth center and Elijah was born at home with a midwife. (Yes, it was cool. No, I wasn't scared.)

So, I took Katie to the doctor. She had been acting weird. I realize that many of the readers of this blog have never spent time with Katie, so let me tell you about her. She's two years old, my middle child. She is very high need. She needs to be held, a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I wear her on my back at the grocery store. I carry her on my hip while I cook dinner. She sleeps in my bed every night. She needs a lot of physical touch. I'm okay with that. I don't focus on being fair and giving each of my children that exact same thing. Instead I focus on carefully giving each child what they individually need. Katie needs a lot. I have often wondered if she is not okay. Maybe not healthy like my other two children.

Back to my actual storyline, Katie had been acting weird. She cried for two days straight. Even holding her non-stop did not help the crying. There was nothing visably wrong with her but she was not okay. Maybe a headache? a stomach-ache? low blood sugar? Two year old children can't explain it all, so she just cried. By the third day, I was going crazy. I had to find out what was wrong with her! Jesse and I talked about it. I really believed that she had a food allergy. I had nothing to go on, maybe God was telling me or maybe my mommy-instinct was kicking in. Jesse agreed that we should take her to the doctor to be tested.

The doctor's appointment went great. The doctor is a family practitioner who focuses on natural healing, meaning he's more likely to tell you to eat right and take vitamins than to prescribe the latest drug. He talked to us to a long time (like 45 minutes) about Katie's behavior and my reasons for suspecting a food allergy. He did a finger prick blood test. The results of the test came back today.

And the verdict is:

Chicken.

My two year old is allergic to chicken.

And eggs.

And soybeans.

And milk.

The chicken and eggs tested as severe allergies. Meaning a good mother would not let her have them again.

Soybeans and milk tested as mild but should still be avoided.

So, everyday since she was weaned, she has consumed at least one food that she is allergic to. No wonder she seems a little needy. Poor baby, I'd want to be held all the time too if I was constantly eating foods that made me feel horrible.

Chicken, who in the world is allergic to chicken?!

Excuse me while I freak out.

Give Me Some Money!!

Jesse has the flu. He's going to be fine but he's sick. Last night during evening church, he began to feel bad. By the time we stopped by the pharmacy for oscillococcinum (www.oscillo.com) and picked up a Hot-N-Ready Pizza, he had the flu. He went straight to bed.

So, I fed and bathed the children. I was a little paranoid that they would also get sick. The last thing I need is a house full of sick people. I'm sure I was making a nuisance of myself: Are you okay? Are you tired? Do you feel sick? Are you sure? Poor kids, I'm going to convince them they are sick when they are perfectly healthy. Hannah said she was fine but then changed her mind.

Hannah: I don't feel so good.
Mommy: (trying not to freak out) Really, are you sick?
Hannah: My legs hurt.
Mommy: (oh, no. flu aches and pains) They do?
Hannah: (sitting down) Yeah, they hurt. I can't walk.
Mommy: (pretty sure she's faking it) I'm sure it's not that bad.
Hannah: (still perfectly happy) It is that bad. I can't walk.

She then dramatically throws herself on the floor.

Hannah: I can't walk. Give me some money!

A light bulb clicks in my brain. I go to her, grasp her by both shoulders and proclaim:

"Gold and silver have I none. But what I do have I will freely give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, stand and walk."

Hannah leaps up and jumps on Katie's bed, "I'm healed! I'm healed! Praise Jesus! I can walk again!"

Wow. I'm thinking that Bible class was about Acts 3:1-8.


Acts 3 (if you are not familiar with the story...)

3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

A Crockpot Resolution

I stumbled upon a fun blog today. This woman has resolved to use her crockpot everyday in 2008. She blogs daily regarding her experience. Check it out at www.crockpot365.blogspot.com
I love my crockpot but my family hates soup so I think I am in love with this site.

A Garden for 2008

Here's what you need for your spring garden

Plant Three Rows of Squash:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash criticism
3. Squash indifference

Plant Seven Rows of Peas:
1. Prayer
2. Promptness
3. Perseverance
4. Politeness
5. Preparedness
6. Purity
7. Patience

Plant Seven Heads of Lettuce:
1. Let us be unselfish and loyal
2. Let us be faithful to duty
3. Let us search the scripture
4. Let us not be weary in well doing
5. Let us be obedient in all things
6. Let us be truthful
7. Let us love one another

No Garden is Complete Without Turnips:
1. Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult.
2. Turn up with determination to do your best in God's service.

After planting, May you Grow in Grace and in Knowledge of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18) and may you reap rich results.

Aunt Amanda

Yep, you read it right. I have officially moved into the coveted position of aunt. My sister in law gave birth to a baby girl late Saturday night. Sorry, I don't have express permission to publish their private into online. So, you all will have to wait for pics and stats until I ask my brother. Until then, just call me Aunt Amanda!

Still Here

I am surprized to see that I have not made an entry in a full week. My apologies to my faithful readers. This week has been busy and fun. Here is a quick catch up on our activities:

Friday: Truth Project Bible Study
Saturday: Daniel Island Garage Sale, afternoon at the mall getting Easter presents, Chris and Phyllis stopped by that evening, Jesse went fishing that night
Sunday: Easter Lunch with Earl and Ashley, spent the whole afternoon
Monday: Lunch with the Webster family, spent most of the afternoon at her house
Tuesday: Grocery shopping, lunch with April
Wednesday: Ran errands in the morning, Evening church, ice cream with Tommy and Becky

Notice the large amount of time spent with church friends. I like living in South Carolina for a lot of reasons. My favorite part of our life here is the church. We attend a wonderful church with a great membership. It is great to have friendships with so many people of different ages and life situations. We really are very happy here.

On a different note, yesterday I was brainstorming potential blog ideas. I prefer to write funny articles that are entertaining. I feel like our life just hasn't been funny lately. So, as I am deep in thought regarding our not-so-funny life, I smell something weird. It was dinner. I burned it so bad. I hadn't done that since our first six months of marriage. It was terrible. Then we sat down to eat what we could and I realized the baked potatoes weren't really baked. They were like hot, raw potatoes. It was pretty bad. With a lot of salt and ketchup we were able to eat it. Hannah had cheese for supper. Katie didn't seem to notice the burnt meat and ate three helpings. It's a good thing she ate so much because no one else ate anything. I trashed the leftovers and made cookies when the kids went to bed.

My Fashion Bug

Here is a picture of the outfit Hannah wore to church last night. She picked it all by herself. It is a pale pink tee with a picture of a pony and a floral skirt. Hannah assured me that the tee and skirt matched because the skirt has flowers and the pony has a flower in her hair. Oh, all right. I gave her the choice between a ponytail or a long braid. She selected pigtail. Okay, we can do that.

We have entered into a whole new parenting arena. She looked cute but I'm not sure about this whole picking out her own clothes issue. I'm not sure that my baby girl is that old yet!

No More Naps?

Nap time presents a dilemna for me almost everyday. Eliajh (being a baby) is a great napper. The girls just don't seem tired enough for a nap. They are getting tired as the day progresses but to lay down and sleep is too much. They are not tired after lunch so I usually wait until 3:00 to put them down. Yesterday I decided to just skip naps. I guessed that if we skipped naps the girls would go right to sleep after Bible Class. Here is Katie at 4:00 yesterday afternoon: Asleep on the living room floor!! So she does need naps! Notice the stuffed animal on her head. Before I noticed that Katie was asleep, Hannah was kind enough to decorate Katie with a stuffed dog. So sweet.

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

You haven't lived until you have braved a grocery store with three small children.

I know that many of my readers are now saying quiet prayers of thanks that they have never lived. Cowards, all of you. I frequent the grocery store once a week, sometimes twice of week with all three children in tow. My husband doesn't come. He's working. Somebody's got the fund this operation.

The grocery store excursion usually starts Monday morning at breakfast.
Hannah: "Can I have some more cereal?"
Mommy: "Nope. You ate the last of it. We're going grocery shopping."
Hannah: "Can I have some pretzels."
Mommy: "Nope. They are all gone. We're going grocery shopping."
Hannah: "But I'm hungry."
Mommy: "Then let's go grocery shopping."
Hannah: "I'm too hungry to get dressed."
Mommy: "Then we'd better go buy some food before you starve."

So, we all get ready. I can get ready to walk out in door in 25 minutes. This includes shower, dressed, breakfast, hair done, make-up on, and wallet in hand. The children cannot get themselves ready. So, multiply my 25 minutes by 4 (myself plus 3 kids) and that is 1 hour and 40 minutes. Giving myself another 20 minutes to deal with crying, locating the debit card that Katie has invariably pulled out of my wallet, and to redress anyone who pees on themselves before we actually leave the house, and it will take us just over two hours to get ready to go to the grocery store.

We finally load up and drive away. We frequent Publix. Publix is a chain here in the southern states. The stores are small and clean. They offer a good selection of organic foods and they carry out the groceries for you. That's right: good, old-fashioned baggers. Publix prices are a little higher but it's worth it. I really like shopping at Publix. Up until a months ago the kids did great. No crying. No fussing. They would just eat their complimentary cookie from the bakery and be happy. In the past few weeks, my ability to shop with three children has deteriorated. People used to compliment me on my great kids and my ability to keep it all together. Today wasn't exactly like that.

The crying started before we exited the minivan. I'm not an expert but I'm gonna say that is a bad sign. So, we cry all the way into the store. Once inside, I put Elijah into a baby shopping cart. It has a baby seat that lays back. It looks like a carseat. He get grumpy in the sitting up seat. He's good and probably won't cry the entire time. I calm the girls down and they both opt to ride in the basket. We go to the bakery and get a cookie. So far so good. We get all the dry goods and head toward the milk. Katie freaks out. Hannah starts crying. I don't know what the problem is and I don't care. I calm them down again. "We're almost done. Look at a book. Let's go get some eggs." Then Katie asks to get out. Note to self: Katie does not want out. She wants to be carried. I get Katie out with no intention to carry her. She throws herself on the floor. I put her back in the cart. She kicks Hannah. They are both screaming.

At this point I become very painfully aware of the number of people looking at us. An employee stops me, "Would your girls like some free balloons?" Hmm, let's think. Screaming like a banchee, throwing myself on the floor, and kicking my sister = a BIG RED BALLOON.

We proceed to the checkout without the free balloons. We checkout. The crying subsides. The girls get out of the basket. I pick up Katie and hold Hannah's hand. The bagger looks at me and says, "Are you going to get this or do you want me to help you out?" I look at the cart full of groceries, Elijah in the cart, Katie on my hip, and Hannah standing next to me and I say, "Uh, yeah. We're going to need some help." Sheesh, that's why we go to Publix.

About Me and Not the Kids

Things I Do Not Like to Do

1. Shop for other people
2. Work in the 2 & 3's church nursery
3. Go to Wal-Mart
4. Drop stuff off at Goodwill
5. Feed baby food to babies (mine or anyone else's)
6. Put away laundry
7. Pack lunch for my husband
8. Clean out the fridge
9. Change the sheets
10. Clean out the vacuum

Things I Like to Do

1. Write for my blog
2. Buy clothes
3. Sleep on fresh sheets
4. Play outside with my kids
5. Play with dogs
6. Mop my kitchen
7. Read my friends' blogs
8. Go to Friday night Bible study
9. Scrapbook
10. Research nutrition

Things I Know How to Make (just call me Suzie Homemaker)

1. Crackers
2. Bread
3. Pancakes
4. Pies
5. Chocolate chip cookie bars
6. Pizza
7. Dishwasher Detergent
8. Laundry Soap
9. Toothpaste
10. Plantain Salve

Books that I Enjoyed

1. Nourishing Traditions
2. Created to Be His Helpmeet
3. Don't Make Me Count to Three
4. The Baby Book
5. On the Shores of Silver Lake
6. Total Money Makeover
7. The Man Who Owned Vermont
8. The Last Battle
9. Revolutionary Parenting (ok, I haven't read it. But my friend ordered me a copy and I'm super excited to read it.)
10. The Holy Bible (currently reading the Old Scofield Study Bible, KJV. It's fantastic. I've found that KJV really is the easiest version to read, understand, and remember. Who knew?)

Baby Names that I Liked that We Didn't Use

1. Savannah
2. Brooke
3. Cora
4. Bridget
5. Laura
6. Lucy
7. Carly
8. Daniel
9. Thomas
10. Jeremiah

Elijah's New Haircut

Here is a picture from a plantation near our home. We really do live in the deep south, complete with slave plantations. These are cypress tress. They generally grow in water. Most of the plantations near us have land along a river. The plantations are now tourist attractions. So, come to see us and we'll take you to a plantation.

Busy Weekend

Happy Friday to all of my friends in blogland! Our family has a busy weekend planned. This evening we are going to a home Bible study with a few families from our church. We are doing the series "The Truth Project." It is a series of lessons on the Christian worldview in comparision to a secular worldview. Jesse and I are really enjoying it. The host family hires a group babysitter so the girls get to enjoy playing with their friends. The host family has 5 children. The youngest 3 are girls ages 5, 3, and 7 months. Hannah and Katie enjoy these girls a lot.

Tomorrow we are going to a birthday party for another friend from church, Audrey. Audrey will be turning 3. It is a princess party and all the little girls will wear princess dresses. My girls would be ecstatic if they knew about it! I opted to save myself the craziness and let them know about the party when it is time to get dressed for the party. Thus I save myself from the non-stop questions and confusions. They will have a blast!

So, I hope to blog more this weekend but if not, at least you all know where I am. Love you all.

Tattling

Hannah is beginning to tattle. While I need some advice to stop this behavior, I have to admit that her tattling is very funny. Hannah is no good at tattling and she does it all wrong. I remember being little. The purpose of tattling is to get the other child in trouble. The secondary purpose is to call attention to the fact that I (the tattle-tale) was not involved in the incriminatory behavior.

Hannah doesn't get all this tattle-tale psychology. She just tattles.

Hannah: "Mommy, Katie is wearing her shoes!"
Mommy: "I know, I put them on her."
Hannah: "Mommy, Elijah is in his room!"
Mommy: "I know, I put him there. He's always right where I left him."
Hannah: "Mommy, Katie is too close to the TV!"
Mommy: "Did you ask her to move?"
Hannah: "Mommy, Elijah is chewing on his toy!"
Mommy: "Thanks for the update."
Hannah: "Mommy, Katie is eating a banana."
Mommy: "It's her breakfast Hannah."
Hannah: "Mommy, Katie is talking to me."
Mommy: "Well, she is your sister."
Hannah: "Mommy, Katie said Nah-Nah to me!!"

Saying Nah-Nah has been a huge issue between Katie and Hannah. Katie constantly says it, but only to Hannah. Hannah is constantly taking offense and tattling on Katie. Yesterday, I heard Katie say it again in context. Nah-Nah is Katie-talk for Hannah!!! All this time Hannah has been tattling because Katie is trying to talk to her. Good grief, no wonder Katie doesn't talk very well. Everybody needs some positive reinforcement now and then. So, Hannah has been banned from tattling on Katie when Katie says her name. Well, that's improvement!

Twin Speak

Hannah is very smart, at least too smart for me a lot of the time. She has developed a sort of twin speak, although she doesn't have a twin. Katie has no interest in Hannah's twin speak. Hannah just makes up words when she does not know the English word. She just assumes that I will know this word, since I know all the other words. At first this behavior was so irritating! Why couldn't she just talk like a normal 3 year old? After a lot of anger on my part, Jesse suggested that I just try to learn her language so that I could teach her English. He's so smart. In the past few month I've learned a lot of her language. Some words are simply different then the English ones. Others are for concepts that we just don't have a word for. When she comes up with words that we don't have an equivalent for I just think, I hope God knew what he was doing when he gave me this one!

1. Mommy cereal: shredded wheat
2. Daddy cereal: anything cereal with food coloring
3. our new back garden: the grassy area behind our apartment
4. circle fish sticks: salmon patties
5. Mommy apples: pears
6. bouching: to wear knit pants, particularly ones that look like pajamas (rhymes with couch).ex: I am booching in my new brown pants. I can't go outside! or Mommy, is that lady booching at the grocery store! We can only booch at home.
7. mockie: potato masher.ex: Can I play with this mockie? to which I brilliantly reply, "It's a potato masher. Go ahead."
8. boching: getting on her nerves (rhymes with coach).
9. gouchie: clothing that is too bulky or long to manage easily with the coordination of a 3 year old.ex: (crying and whinning) I can't buckle my carseat! My jacket is gouchie. to which I reply, "Bulky. You need help because your coat is big and bulky." or Help! My shoe is stuck in the gouchie. to which I reply, "Your shoe is caught on your long dress."
10. tookie: anything that is uncomfortable physically. this could be a rock in her shoe, her tee shirt on backwards, her hair in her face, sticky hands, shoes on the wrong feet, her pants twisted, etc, etc. this is an extremely useful word. I don't use the other words, but I use this one.ex: My pants are tookied. or My carseat is tooking me or I have a tookie in my mouth (it was actually a piece of bark. I guess that would cause discomfort).

I am thankful that I listened to Jesse when he told to learn her language. When she uses a new word, I respond, "I don't know that word. What does it mean?" She can usually show me well enough for me to get a working definition of the word in question. Oh well, she'll learn english soon enough. In the meantime, my gouchie is tookied and it's boching me so I'm going to bouch off to bed.

Developmental Differences

Hannah and Katie are only 14 months apart. Because of their closeness in age, I assumed that I could expect Katie to be doing the things that Hannah was doing a year ago. If Hannah learned to put on her own shoes at age 3, Katie would also learn at 3. I was glad to have an easy reference point for various developmental milestones. I was wrong.

Hannah and Katie are so different in their development. In many ways Hannah is ahead of Katie developmentally. This comes as no surprize. I am surprized when Katie is more than a year behind Hannah developmentally. Sometimes I think that she will never learn certain. In other ways, Katie is far ahead of Hannah. It is when I realize that Katie is surpassing Hannah that I am most surprized. Katie is better at somethings than her sister. I knew that the girls would be different and be good at different things. I just didn't expect their differences to be apparent so quickly.

So, here is a summary of developmental discrepancies that I have recently noted.

• Hannah learned her animal sounds at 15 months. Katie learned them at 29 months.
• Hannah began to enjoy having books read to her at 14 months. Katie began tolerating it at 20 months and enjoying it at 23 months.
• Hannah started coloring and painting pictures at 2 1/2. Katie does not like to color pictures.
• Katie started coloring the walls at 18 months. Hannah started coloring the walls today.
• Hannah began wearing her hair in pigtails at 13 months. Katie will not leave her hair in pigtails. I became weary of her ripping her hair out with the ponytail holder so I don't fix Katie's hair anymore.
• Katie enjoys Bible class and goes willingly. Hannah still attends the 2 year old class because "Katie needs me to take care of her." Hannah has no interest in the 3-4 class.
• Katie never took a bottle, not even to bed. Hannah took a bottle until she was almost 3 1/2. She would take one today if I would let her.
• Hannah's hair grew long very quickly. Katie's hair is just now past her shoulders.

I have been thinking a lot about the girls' development because Katie has taken a giant developmental leap. She is using a lot more language then before. I can now understand words like: Hannah, Elijah, baby, elephant, zebra, no thank you, again, more, I'll be back (she yells this as she runs away to play). She has also developed some cute behaviors. She will find objects around the house and bring them to the owner. I'll be cooking dinner and she brings my brush. Before I can take it, she yells "gore gel-come" and runs off. Too funny. So, for all of you grateful blog-readers out there "gore gel-come"!

Elijah's Progress

Elijah is now 6 months old. He was born Aug 20. He has gained an average of one pound per week. He is now over 25 lbs, which is just about right for a 16 mth old. I don't really know where this child came from. Jesse and I are average-short people. Elijah is sitting up great on his own. He's not crawling but he can get on all fours. He is getting to be a lot of fun. After supper, I put him in the tub b/c he was covered in banana. When Katie heard the water running, she ran in and stripped all her clothes off. So, they bathed together. I guess at 6 mths and 2 1/2, that is okay. Elijah didn't mind Katie splashing water on his face. He actually seemed to think it was funny. After the bath, Jesse held him up to the bathroom mirror. He laughed and smiled. He had a good time pressing his hand up to the mirror.

Tomorrow I'll post some pics of his haircut.

Hannah Panics!

Tonight our family attended the church's teacher appreciation dinner. The kids came with us and stayed in the nursery. While we were loading up in the minivan, Hannah requested that Mommy buckle her in her carseat. Jesse told her that would be fine. But, I didn't hear that conversation. So, Jesse buckled Katie and I buckled Elijah and we left for the church building.

When we arrived, I went to unbuckle the girls from the back row. Hannah was not buckled. "Hannah, did you unbuckle your carseat all by yourself?" I asked. She looked bewildered and then realized she had ridden all the way to church unbuckled. That is not safe!! She panicked. She cried and cried! "You didn't buckle me! I'm not safe! I'm hurt! I am hurt! I'm probably bleeding. I don't think I can walk. You'd better carry me to the church building."

Hannah is definitely an overreacter. But, we have taught her the importance of wearing her seatbelt. By the time I carried her into the church building, her dizziness had worn off. When she saw the nursery workers serving pizza and juice boxes, the feeling returned to her legs and she was able to join the other children at the table. Pheww! I'm glad she's a quick healer.

Katie and the Eucerin

Click on this link to get the full story:

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,16185.msg157492.html#msg157492

After you click on it, scroll up to the top and read from the beginning.