Friday, December 18, 2009
Happy Birthday Sweet Amy!
I am WAY behind when it comes to posting pictures and updates. Here's Amy's birthday from almost 3 months ago.
Amy is such a special part of our family. She is so funny, and has a quick smile almost all the time. We adore her hair; it matches her personality--wild and crazy and spontaneous. She loves to dance and sing, play dress-up, catch, and board games. She is incredibly intelligent, and has an amazing sense of humor for such a little girl. She'll be a Sunbeam in Primary in January, and I can't believe how fast these 3 years have gone. I'm glad we'll have many, many more.
Amy is such a special part of our family. She is so funny, and has a quick smile almost all the time. We adore her hair; it matches her personality--wild and crazy and spontaneous. She loves to dance and sing, play dress-up, catch, and board games. She is incredibly intelligent, and has an amazing sense of humor for such a little girl. She'll be a Sunbeam in Primary in January, and I can't believe how fast these 3 years have gone. I'm glad we'll have many, many more.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Christmas Traditions
One of my favorite things about Christmas is the tradition my mom started several years ago. The tradition is that we do something different every year. We've never done Chanukah or Kwanzaa, but every year we choose a different country and we decorate the house with the decorations of that country, we prepare native foods, and we find a couple of Christmas traditions from that country and participate in that. We've celebrated in several country's ways...probably the most memorable have been Sweden and Mexico.
This year, I am SUPER excited because my brother and his girlfriend chose this year's country: Italy. Italy is very special to our family. My maternal grandfather was born in Udine--way up in the northeastern part of the boot. We have many family recipes that were passed down, and we enjoy cooking and eating them on a regular basis. I think all of us would love to go and see where my grandfather grew up, and experience the culture there.
ANYWAY, my mom and I did a lot of research about decorations, food, and traditions, and I must say...the house looks BEAUTIFUL. There is meaning in each and every detail. The tree is decorated with silver and white ornaments that belonged to my grandmother.
The Tree
We put together a ceppo (pronounced: chep-po--the Italian version of a Christmas tree), and it turned out great! The bottom shelf is the nativity (which belonged to my grandparents), symbolizing the Gifts of God. The middle shelf is a bowl of fruits and vegetables, symbolizing the Gifts of the Earth. The top shelf has small wrapped gifts, symbolizing the Gifts of Man. And finally, the star on the very top represents the Star of Bethlehem.
Our Ceppo
We learned about La Befana, the old witch, who comes to the homes of Italy, instead of Santa Claus. The legend of La Befana says that the three wise men came to her home asking her where to find the Christ child. They invited her to go along with them to find Him, but she was too busy cleaning her home and did not go. Since then, she roams the Earth on Christmas Eve, in search of the Baby Jesus, and leaves gifts for the children.
Another fun tradition we are going to do this year is the "Urn of Fate". It's an urn filled with small, wrapped gifts that have meaning for the coming year. It's just for fun...there's no religious significance or seriousness to it at all.
And the food will be delicious. Trust me. With all of the great cooks that will be under one roof, none of us will go hungry or lose weight. More coming soon...especially pictures of my darling girls.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Miss Sadie is 1 Year Old Today!
It has been an amazing year.
8 lbs. 2 oz. & 20 3/4 in.
21 lbs. 8 oz. & 30 in.Happy Birthday, Beautiful Girl.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Big Sadie News!
Sadie's 1st birthday is coming up this week. I thought it would be a good time to write down all of the things she does already. (Walking isn't one of them!) So here's a list of all her mad skills:
- says "cat", "bath", and "dad" (not "mama", though)
- waves hello and good-bye
- is officially switched over to whole milk
- can drink from a straw (seriously!)
- LOVES meat--she's a big-time carnivore
- can stand independently and walk along the furniture
- knows what to do with Duplo blocks (and no, it's not eating them!)
- does not like to be put in the carseat
- is gentle with the cat and dog
- when mom and dad aren't available, her next favorite person is Uncle Ben
As I think of more, I'll add them to this list. She's an amazing 1 year old--full of smiles, mostly happy, and those big blue eyes get her lots of attention!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I have gone to more performances this year than I ever have in the past, and I love it. It really makes Christmas a special time. I wanted to share where I (and others) have gone (so far):
Last Wednesday, I took the girls to the Holden Evening Prayer service. I love it, and I wanted Lucy to experience it as well since she is beginning to read. The melodies are so pretty; the words are so simple. It's an excellent piece, and I wish everyone had the opportunity to participate the Holden Prayer service. Here's a link to some audio samples. Samples 13-18 is the prayer service. Isn't it soothing and moving as well?
Then on Thursday night, my mom and I went to see the Seattle Men's Chorus' holiday concert. It was AWESOME! We loved it so much, we're going to see them again in the spring. They did a wide variety of music--there were a couple of Chanukah songs, a couple of songs featured a beatboxer, and there was even a Bollywood-style piece that was a lot of fun. They also dedicated the Kyrie from the mass Lux Aeterna to the four fallen Lakewood police officers. It was very moving. I especially loved the sign language interpreter for the show. That was a performance in and of itself. It was artistic, and emotional, and passionate. Simply BEAUTIFUL.
Last Saturday night, my parents and I went to see the Adelphian Chorus...they're the student choir at the University of Puget Sound. Their performance was phenomenal as well. I love to listen to college groups because they do a lot of stuff that you wouldn't normally hear from a professional group. The entire performance was about light...and they performed pieces from all over the world. I enjoyed the three Latvian carols, and the African piece. They did one piece that was called "Winter Solstice Ritual 1"...very contemporary, and featured a chantress. The choir's harmony and blend was really excellent, but I guess I didn't really get the part of the chantress. It made me giggle. My mom called their choice of music "ballsy", and I have to agree with her. It takes major cajones to put something like that on the program. But they did it, and they did it well. Kudos to them.
Monday night David and I took our three girls, and our niece to a free percussion concert. Lucy was creeped out by the noise, Sadie was a wiggle-worm, and Aiyanna never stopped talking, but Amy was enthralled. I think the driving rhythm, the dynamics, and the combination of instruments really spoke to her on a very deep level. It was amazing to see my ball of never-ending energy sit still for almost an hour for something other than the TV. We left at intermission, but I will definitely take the kids to the next free concert that comes up. I want to expose them to as much culture as possible when they're young so that they feel comfortable with all kinds of music and art and they want to go see events other than rock concerts.
Tonight, we were able to attend the "Singing Christmas Tree" performance at Life Center church. Someone we know had extra tickets, and offered them to us, and we decided to take her up on it. In years past, my brother has played French Horn in the orchestra, and he lovingly refers to this show as "Tacky Christ-fest!" I have to say that he is right. It's pretty cheesy. It's not sacreligious in any way, but they have this HUGE tree (a multi-level platform) that is filled with people, and they sing, and the lights on the tree are choreographed to the music, and there were a couple of hip-hop numbers (fortunately, they weren't sacred carols), and it was a mix of Praise The Lord sacred tunes and the commercialized Santa stuff. I'm not sorry I went, but I do have to contend that my brother is right. Any group that performs "O Holy Night" in the style of The Three Tenors and a drum beat in the background automatically gets the "Tacky Christ-fest!" award in my book. (That said, the three guys who sang had really nice blend and balance and I rather enjoyed it.) I was quite thrilled with the live animals on stage for the Nativity recreation, and the costumes and lighting and orchestra were extremely impressive. I have to give props to this church for putting this shindig together year after year, and for the high-end sound and light equipment they use, and the obvious amount of preparation that the cast and crew and musicians put in. There wasn't a single delay or mistake from anyone that I could tell. It really is an amazing show.
Well, that's it for now, but there's nothing like going to hear a Christmas concert (or five) to really get into the spirit of the holidays.
More soon...updates on the kiddies and pictures too!
Last Wednesday, I took the girls to the Holden Evening Prayer service. I love it, and I wanted Lucy to experience it as well since she is beginning to read. The melodies are so pretty; the words are so simple. It's an excellent piece, and I wish everyone had the opportunity to participate the Holden Prayer service. Here's a link to some audio samples. Samples 13-18 is the prayer service. Isn't it soothing and moving as well?
Then on Thursday night, my mom and I went to see the Seattle Men's Chorus' holiday concert. It was AWESOME! We loved it so much, we're going to see them again in the spring. They did a wide variety of music--there were a couple of Chanukah songs, a couple of songs featured a beatboxer, and there was even a Bollywood-style piece that was a lot of fun. They also dedicated the Kyrie from the mass Lux Aeterna to the four fallen Lakewood police officers. It was very moving. I especially loved the sign language interpreter for the show. That was a performance in and of itself. It was artistic, and emotional, and passionate. Simply BEAUTIFUL.
Last Saturday night, my parents and I went to see the Adelphian Chorus...they're the student choir at the University of Puget Sound. Their performance was phenomenal as well. I love to listen to college groups because they do a lot of stuff that you wouldn't normally hear from a professional group. The entire performance was about light...and they performed pieces from all over the world. I enjoyed the three Latvian carols, and the African piece. They did one piece that was called "Winter Solstice Ritual 1"...very contemporary, and featured a chantress. The choir's harmony and blend was really excellent, but I guess I didn't really get the part of the chantress. It made me giggle. My mom called their choice of music "ballsy", and I have to agree with her. It takes major cajones to put something like that on the program. But they did it, and they did it well. Kudos to them.
Monday night David and I took our three girls, and our niece to a free percussion concert. Lucy was creeped out by the noise, Sadie was a wiggle-worm, and Aiyanna never stopped talking, but Amy was enthralled. I think the driving rhythm, the dynamics, and the combination of instruments really spoke to her on a very deep level. It was amazing to see my ball of never-ending energy sit still for almost an hour for something other than the TV. We left at intermission, but I will definitely take the kids to the next free concert that comes up. I want to expose them to as much culture as possible when they're young so that they feel comfortable with all kinds of music and art and they want to go see events other than rock concerts.
Tonight, we were able to attend the "Singing Christmas Tree" performance at Life Center church. Someone we know had extra tickets, and offered them to us, and we decided to take her up on it. In years past, my brother has played French Horn in the orchestra, and he lovingly refers to this show as "Tacky Christ-fest!" I have to say that he is right. It's pretty cheesy. It's not sacreligious in any way, but they have this HUGE tree (a multi-level platform) that is filled with people, and they sing, and the lights on the tree are choreographed to the music, and there were a couple of hip-hop numbers (fortunately, they weren't sacred carols), and it was a mix of Praise The Lord sacred tunes and the commercialized Santa stuff. I'm not sorry I went, but I do have to contend that my brother is right. Any group that performs "O Holy Night" in the style of The Three Tenors and a drum beat in the background automatically gets the "Tacky Christ-fest!" award in my book. (That said, the three guys who sang had really nice blend and balance and I rather enjoyed it.) I was quite thrilled with the live animals on stage for the Nativity recreation, and the costumes and lighting and orchestra were extremely impressive. I have to give props to this church for putting this shindig together year after year, and for the high-end sound and light equipment they use, and the obvious amount of preparation that the cast and crew and musicians put in. There wasn't a single delay or mistake from anyone that I could tell. It really is an amazing show.
Well, that's it for now, but there's nothing like going to hear a Christmas concert (or five) to really get into the spirit of the holidays.
More soon...updates on the kiddies and pictures too!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Week in Review--Nov. 14 - 21
Well, I missed posting last week's review, but in fairness, I think it was a pretty lackluster week. Not much happened, and if it did, it was so fleeting I don't even remember it. We had a few pretty cool highlights this week though!
Last Saturday, my mom and I headed up to IKEA. I love that place. I wish I had some tiny European apartment that I could fill up with all of the cool things I see at IKEA. From kitchen cabinets to pull-out sofas, I could really make the place look awesome. I don't really want to live in Europe, I just want to decorate with stuff from IKEA.
Every time I walk into the bathroom in this house, I think, "This room needs some paint, a towel bar or two, better light fixtures, and some more efficient storage. And the toilet seat doesn't really fit anyone's bottom." (No offense to the bathroom in question.) To me, the way the bathroom is laid out, and the shower surround that is already there would lend itself very well to the "hotel luxe" style. I have a beautiful vision in my head of how it could look. But honestly, if I tried to recreate this on my own, it would end up looking more like the airport Ho-Jo than The Plaza.
But I digress.
Sunday was hectic, as usual, and we arrived for church about half an hour late. It worked out well though, because the entire 3 hours just seemed to fly right by. My Sharing Time went well, and was well received by all the kids. Lucy was asked to give a talk the following Sunday (the 22nd), and Amy jumped in a huge puddle, and then cried, "My dress is WET!"
Monday morning Amy was supposed to have had an appointment for her 2nd H1N1 vaccine dose. We arrived on time, and I was told that the office called on Friday to cancel Amy's appointment because they didn't have enough vaccines to give the 2nd doses to any of their patients. "Okay, fine. So do you have the regular flu vaccine available, because you guys didn't have that one in October when she was here for her check-up." Well, fortunately, they did. And they were even able to give Sadie her second flu vaccine shot. As far as the swine flu vaccine issue, apparently my 2 older girls are partially covered. Sadie is not at all because they don't have the H1N1 injection available. "Maybe next week." I was told. Yeah, no thanks. I should have gone with my original gut feeling and skipped out on that one. What a hoax.
Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur...I don't even remember those two days. On Thursday, David and I woke up bright and early at 5 AM (meaning, I jumped up at 5, and had to nudge-nudge-nudge-push David out of bed) to get ready for his apprenticeship exam for Puget Sound Energy up in Bellevue. He left at 5:30 to get there in time to register at 7. We'll find out his results in a month. He has another exam with Bonneville Power on December 5th in Portland (and has to register at the same time--7AM), so we booked him a room in Beaverton for the night before. Thank you, Priceline, for finding a $25 room! (Plus almost $11 in extra fees...oh well!) It's one of those extended-stay hotels, where they only clean the room every 7 days regardless of how many people sleep in there in any given 7-day period. (I think that's how it works.) I told David, "At the very least, PLEASE remember to ask for some fresh towels! Better yet, take your own. And take your own pillow."
On Friday, Lucy received the Kiwanis Terrific Kids award. She was one of three in her class, and her teacher said she gave Lucy the award because Lucy is her special helper. I must say, she is helpful at home too! I think getting this award made Lucy feel really good about herself.
Today was Saturday again, and we took the girls on a bike ride this morning, then I went out to lunch with my mom (Engine House, I LOVE YOU). Stayed inside the rest of the day because it was chilly and sprinkling off and on. Tonight I had to go out for more Amy milk (read: lactose-free), and found a cute dress for her for Christmas...it was only $3.24!
Now, I am off to bed. Sunday morning comes way too early, and it's back to the grind. Pictures coming soon!
Last Saturday, my mom and I headed up to IKEA. I love that place. I wish I had some tiny European apartment that I could fill up with all of the cool things I see at IKEA. From kitchen cabinets to pull-out sofas, I could really make the place look awesome. I don't really want to live in Europe, I just want to decorate with stuff from IKEA.
Every time I walk into the bathroom in this house, I think, "This room needs some paint, a towel bar or two, better light fixtures, and some more efficient storage. And the toilet seat doesn't really fit anyone's bottom." (No offense to the bathroom in question.) To me, the way the bathroom is laid out, and the shower surround that is already there would lend itself very well to the "hotel luxe" style. I have a beautiful vision in my head of how it could look. But honestly, if I tried to recreate this on my own, it would end up looking more like the airport Ho-Jo than The Plaza.
But I digress.
Sunday was hectic, as usual, and we arrived for church about half an hour late. It worked out well though, because the entire 3 hours just seemed to fly right by. My Sharing Time went well, and was well received by all the kids. Lucy was asked to give a talk the following Sunday (the 22nd), and Amy jumped in a huge puddle, and then cried, "My dress is WET!"
Monday morning Amy was supposed to have had an appointment for her 2nd H1N1 vaccine dose. We arrived on time, and I was told that the office called on Friday to cancel Amy's appointment because they didn't have enough vaccines to give the 2nd doses to any of their patients. "Okay, fine. So do you have the regular flu vaccine available, because you guys didn't have that one in October when she was here for her check-up." Well, fortunately, they did. And they were even able to give Sadie her second flu vaccine shot. As far as the swine flu vaccine issue, apparently my 2 older girls are partially covered. Sadie is not at all because they don't have the H1N1 injection available. "Maybe next week." I was told. Yeah, no thanks. I should have gone with my original gut feeling and skipped out on that one. What a hoax.
Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur...I don't even remember those two days. On Thursday, David and I woke up bright and early at 5 AM (meaning, I jumped up at 5, and had to nudge-nudge-nudge-push David out of bed) to get ready for his apprenticeship exam for Puget Sound Energy up in Bellevue. He left at 5:30 to get there in time to register at 7. We'll find out his results in a month. He has another exam with Bonneville Power on December 5th in Portland (and has to register at the same time--7AM), so we booked him a room in Beaverton for the night before. Thank you, Priceline, for finding a $25 room! (Plus almost $11 in extra fees...oh well!) It's one of those extended-stay hotels, where they only clean the room every 7 days regardless of how many people sleep in there in any given 7-day period. (I think that's how it works.) I told David, "At the very least, PLEASE remember to ask for some fresh towels! Better yet, take your own. And take your own pillow."
On Friday, Lucy received the Kiwanis Terrific Kids award. She was one of three in her class, and her teacher said she gave Lucy the award because Lucy is her special helper. I must say, she is helpful at home too! I think getting this award made Lucy feel really good about herself.
Today was Saturday again, and we took the girls on a bike ride this morning, then I went out to lunch with my mom (Engine House, I LOVE YOU). Stayed inside the rest of the day because it was chilly and sprinkling off and on. Tonight I had to go out for more Amy milk (read: lactose-free), and found a cute dress for her for Christmas...it was only $3.24!
Now, I am off to bed. Sunday morning comes way too early, and it's back to the grind. Pictures coming soon!
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Week In Review
I'm trying something new here, and hoping I can post at least once a week. Since David works most Friday and/or Saturday nights, I can probably get something written after the kids go to bed. So here goes!
This week seemed to go by really fast. On Monday I volunteered in Lucy's classroom in the afternoon. This is the second week I've gone, and I really enjoy it. There are some really nice kids in her class. The teacher has had me work with them on number recognition to 31, and the sight words from their reading lessons. There are a couple of kids that crack me up when I bring them out in the hall to work with them. One kid, if he doesn't know the answer just guesses. It goes something like this:
Me: (holds up a number flash card)
Kid: 57?
Me: No, it's 13. Good try. (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 35?
Me: Uh, no, it's 27. You're close! (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 18?
Me: Yes! Good job! You've got it! (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 18?
Me: Well, no, this is 30.
Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur. My sister ended up with the flu, so on Wednesday I spent most of the morning in the car. How "soccer mom" of me, huh? After all of our morning stuff, I got Lucy to school, took my sister's little girl to preschool, went to my sister's house, picked up her prescription, dropped it off at the pharmacy, went to Target to pick up stuff for her, stuff for me, and stuff for my mom, went back to the pharmacy, picked up her medicine, went home for about half an hour, got back in the car, dropped off my sister's meds and her Target stuff, picked up her little girl from preschool, came home, made lunch for everyone, and got them all down for naps by 1:00. I am superwoman! I spent the rest of the day catching up on laundry, dishes, and other housework, and that night we went down to visit David's parents for the evening. We came home, got the girls to bed, and I managed to catch about 2 minutes of whatever it was we turned on before I fell asleep. Even though I felt like I accomplished a lot, I'm glad every day isn't quite like that.
Thursday night David and I got to go out on a real date! No kids with us, no waiting until they go to bed before we leave, no calling home to check on them. Gramma and Grampa P are AWESOME. We checked out this cute little burger place, and we will definitely be going back. Everything is a la carte, but the prices aren't outrageous, and the burgers were fabulous. Every possible topping you could ever want to put on a burger is available, and all free of charge. The fries were hand cut, and twice fried. YUM. Then we went to see "Where The Wild Things Are". I thought it would be more appropriate for kids, but I was way wrong on that. I'm glad we didn't take Lucy. It was a little dark for my taste, and I ended up feeling weird after it was over. David did too, I think, because we got home and into bed and he said, "Let's watch something funny."
That brings us to Friday night, and I'm sitting here typing this and listening to the rain pattering on the roof. What a soothing sound. Tomorrow morning, my mom and I are headed over to the Celtic Festival at St. Andrews church. I love celtic music (the ancient stuff...not Enya, or whatever her name is), and I know there will be food. I am all about the food. Then in the afternoon, Lucy and I are headed to the practice for the Primary program on Sunday.
Life seems much more exciting when I take the time to write it down. Even mentioning that I am caught up on laundry...washed, folded, AND put away, I might add, is very interesting. To me, anyway. For now, I'll end here, and curl up under the covers with the book I'm currently reading: "Raising Demons" by Shirley Jackson.
Goodnight!
This week seemed to go by really fast. On Monday I volunteered in Lucy's classroom in the afternoon. This is the second week I've gone, and I really enjoy it. There are some really nice kids in her class. The teacher has had me work with them on number recognition to 31, and the sight words from their reading lessons. There are a couple of kids that crack me up when I bring them out in the hall to work with them. One kid, if he doesn't know the answer just guesses. It goes something like this:
Me: (holds up a number flash card)
Kid: 57?
Me: No, it's 13. Good try. (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 35?
Me: Uh, no, it's 27. You're close! (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 18?
Me: Yes! Good job! You've got it! (holds up next flash card)
Kid: 18?
Me: Well, no, this is 30.
Tuesday and Wednesday were a blur. My sister ended up with the flu, so on Wednesday I spent most of the morning in the car. How "soccer mom" of me, huh? After all of our morning stuff, I got Lucy to school, took my sister's little girl to preschool, went to my sister's house, picked up her prescription, dropped it off at the pharmacy, went to Target to pick up stuff for her, stuff for me, and stuff for my mom, went back to the pharmacy, picked up her medicine, went home for about half an hour, got back in the car, dropped off my sister's meds and her Target stuff, picked up her little girl from preschool, came home, made lunch for everyone, and got them all down for naps by 1:00. I am superwoman! I spent the rest of the day catching up on laundry, dishes, and other housework, and that night we went down to visit David's parents for the evening. We came home, got the girls to bed, and I managed to catch about 2 minutes of whatever it was we turned on before I fell asleep. Even though I felt like I accomplished a lot, I'm glad every day isn't quite like that.
Thursday night David and I got to go out on a real date! No kids with us, no waiting until they go to bed before we leave, no calling home to check on them. Gramma and Grampa P are AWESOME. We checked out this cute little burger place, and we will definitely be going back. Everything is a la carte, but the prices aren't outrageous, and the burgers were fabulous. Every possible topping you could ever want to put on a burger is available, and all free of charge. The fries were hand cut, and twice fried. YUM. Then we went to see "Where The Wild Things Are". I thought it would be more appropriate for kids, but I was way wrong on that. I'm glad we didn't take Lucy. It was a little dark for my taste, and I ended up feeling weird after it was over. David did too, I think, because we got home and into bed and he said, "Let's watch something funny."
That brings us to Friday night, and I'm sitting here typing this and listening to the rain pattering on the roof. What a soothing sound. Tomorrow morning, my mom and I are headed over to the Celtic Festival at St. Andrews church. I love celtic music (the ancient stuff...not Enya, or whatever her name is), and I know there will be food. I am all about the food. Then in the afternoon, Lucy and I are headed to the practice for the Primary program on Sunday.
Life seems much more exciting when I take the time to write it down. Even mentioning that I am caught up on laundry...washed, folded, AND put away, I might add, is very interesting. To me, anyway. For now, I'll end here, and curl up under the covers with the book I'm currently reading: "Raising Demons" by Shirley Jackson.
Goodnight!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
And Now...PICTURES!
I have a very small window of time in which to post some pictures. Sorry, but there are no explanations, dates, wheres, whens, or anything else. Enjoy the pictures anyway!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Another Long Awaited Update
Life gets lived whether I document it or not, but I still wish I was better at keeping track of all the cute things the kids do and say. At least I make an effort, right?
Lucy is doing really well in Kindergarten. It's a long day for her (8:55 to 3:30), and I know she is exhausted when she comes home. Even still, every week she brings home a stellar progress report, and she is reading up a storm! She's awesome at sounding out words, as well as just knowing what the words are. It's cute to watch her figure out how to spell something by stretching the word out and listening to the letter sounds. Most of the time the word is lacking vowels, and occasionally a consonant or two, but the words are readable!
As the weather gets colder, I sometimes wish that I had her in ballet or swimming or gymnastics at the YMCA. But at the same time, I want her to be able to come home, veg on the couch, play with the toys she never has much time to play with, read, and anything else she wants to do. I don't think a 5 year old needs to be running from one thing to the next all the time. Frankly, I don't think ANY kid needs to be doing that. So I'm letting myself off the hook on the extracurricular activities.
I am also noticing a lot of attitude and sometimes outright disrespect from Lucy. This makes me sad. I know she is kind and respectful at school and church, and I really like that I don't have to worry if she'll say something rude in either situation. But darn it, how come I don't get to reap some of the work I put into teaching her how to be?! If I stop to think about it, she has good moments at home. But she is adamant about not being told what to do (sorry, Lucy, you're 5, and someone in your life with ALWAYS be telling you what to do), and she can be very demanding and short with me (to which I respond with "You're not allowed to talk to me that way."). Other than that, I don't know what else to do. Yelling back doesn't help, and I don't really like spanking (and I think she's a little old for that). I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hope like crazy that it sticks. She is just so intelligent, and the intelligent ones are always difficult. I remind myself of that as often as I can, and I hope I'm smart enough to keep up with her.
The Amynator is up next. She is SO much fun and SO much work! She has her moments, but for the most part it's a blast being with her. It was getting a little difficult to keep it together before Lucy started school, but now we have lots of time together. She is almost completely toilet trained...now if I could get her to wear underpants and not pee through them, it would make my day!
Amy is right at that age where I can tell her to say all kinds of things and she just repeats them without thinking about it. I tell her to say, "I am SO cute." and show her how to bat her eyelashes, and she's such a ham about it. And she's such a smartie! She already has many skills that most kids don't get until they're 4, and she just turned 3 a month ago. I'm not surprised, though. She's been able to pedal a tricycle long before she turned 2, and has been talking longer than she's been walking (or running, in her case).
One thing I have noticed about her is that she doesn't quite get the subtleties of language. For example, the other day she opened the door to go out to the car so we could go to the store and I said, "Amy, we're not ready to leave yet." To Lucy at 3, what I said meant "Mom wants me to come in and close the door.", but Amy doesn't seem to have the ability to infer meaning from what I say. Instead she just kept the door open and started to go outside until I told her to come in and close it. It is hard for me to be so direct, but I'm learning pretty quickly that she needs a different way than what worked so well with Lucy. She definitely has a very different learning style (that's a nice way of putting it), and it keeps me on my toes trying to keep up with her. I should be a size 6 with all of the running after her and cleaning up after her I do on a daily basis, but I need a lot of chocolate, ice cream, and cookies in order to deal. It's either food or therapy, and if there's food involved, it's always an easy choice.
Finally, Sadie. What a love bug! In fact "Bug" has become her nickname. There's all sorts of variations: Sadie-bug, Bugs, Buggy, there are infinite possibilities. She is crawling all over the place (and has been for awhile), and I cannot wait until she can walk. I am constantly washing her hands or worrying about how long its been since I washed her hands, and I find that I just have to let it go and just make sure those hands are clean when she eats. But having her walking will be blissful!
She is so alert and aware of what is going on around her and wants to be involved in everything. She loves to take baths (especially with her sisters), and if we are eating, she'll pitch a fit if there's nothing on her tray. She loves cucumbers, cheese, yogurt, crackers, chicken, spaghetti with meat sauce, carrots, pears, scrambled eggs, applesauce, rice, pudding, and just about anything else we put in front of her. Hopefully she keep this up!
I have to say that she is a bit of a klutz. Yesterday she hit her head twice, both times pretty hard, and as a result of hit #2, has a lovely bruise down the left side of her face. She's done a few other bone-headed things, but it's nice that she is #3, because otherwise I think I'd be much more uptight about it. By now, when she falls or runs into something or gets caught somewhere, I just pick her up, brush her off, and say, "I think you're gonna be just fine!"
Sadie just loves the attention of her sisters, cousin Yaya, and Uncle Ben. She loves to sit by them, play next to them, and follow them around. And seeing Ben and Sadie together is so darling. Whenever Ben sees Sadie, he calls out, "SADIE-BUG!" and picks her up and swings her around or dances with her. She is quite put out when it's over. It's really very sweet.
Well, I'm hoping to have a chance to post some pictures tomorrow...not just Halloween costume pictures, but also some that I've had ready to go for a few weeks, and just haven't sat down long enough to upload them onto the blog. I'm just trying to enjoy the girls while they're young, and try to raise them correctly. If nothing else, as Michelle Pfeiffer once said, "Like all parents, my husband and I just do the best we can, hold our breath, and hope we've set aside enough money for our kids' therapy."
Gina
Lucy is doing really well in Kindergarten. It's a long day for her (8:55 to 3:30), and I know she is exhausted when she comes home. Even still, every week she brings home a stellar progress report, and she is reading up a storm! She's awesome at sounding out words, as well as just knowing what the words are. It's cute to watch her figure out how to spell something by stretching the word out and listening to the letter sounds. Most of the time the word is lacking vowels, and occasionally a consonant or two, but the words are readable!
As the weather gets colder, I sometimes wish that I had her in ballet or swimming or gymnastics at the YMCA. But at the same time, I want her to be able to come home, veg on the couch, play with the toys she never has much time to play with, read, and anything else she wants to do. I don't think a 5 year old needs to be running from one thing to the next all the time. Frankly, I don't think ANY kid needs to be doing that. So I'm letting myself off the hook on the extracurricular activities.
I am also noticing a lot of attitude and sometimes outright disrespect from Lucy. This makes me sad. I know she is kind and respectful at school and church, and I really like that I don't have to worry if she'll say something rude in either situation. But darn it, how come I don't get to reap some of the work I put into teaching her how to be?! If I stop to think about it, she has good moments at home. But she is adamant about not being told what to do (sorry, Lucy, you're 5, and someone in your life with ALWAYS be telling you what to do), and she can be very demanding and short with me (to which I respond with "You're not allowed to talk to me that way."). Other than that, I don't know what else to do. Yelling back doesn't help, and I don't really like spanking (and I think she's a little old for that). I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hope like crazy that it sticks. She is just so intelligent, and the intelligent ones are always difficult. I remind myself of that as often as I can, and I hope I'm smart enough to keep up with her.
The Amynator is up next. She is SO much fun and SO much work! She has her moments, but for the most part it's a blast being with her. It was getting a little difficult to keep it together before Lucy started school, but now we have lots of time together. She is almost completely toilet trained...now if I could get her to wear underpants and not pee through them, it would make my day!
Amy is right at that age where I can tell her to say all kinds of things and she just repeats them without thinking about it. I tell her to say, "I am SO cute." and show her how to bat her eyelashes, and she's such a ham about it. And she's such a smartie! She already has many skills that most kids don't get until they're 4, and she just turned 3 a month ago. I'm not surprised, though. She's been able to pedal a tricycle long before she turned 2, and has been talking longer than she's been walking (or running, in her case).
One thing I have noticed about her is that she doesn't quite get the subtleties of language. For example, the other day she opened the door to go out to the car so we could go to the store and I said, "Amy, we're not ready to leave yet." To Lucy at 3, what I said meant "Mom wants me to come in and close the door.", but Amy doesn't seem to have the ability to infer meaning from what I say. Instead she just kept the door open and started to go outside until I told her to come in and close it. It is hard for me to be so direct, but I'm learning pretty quickly that she needs a different way than what worked so well with Lucy. She definitely has a very different learning style (that's a nice way of putting it), and it keeps me on my toes trying to keep up with her. I should be a size 6 with all of the running after her and cleaning up after her I do on a daily basis, but I need a lot of chocolate, ice cream, and cookies in order to deal. It's either food or therapy, and if there's food involved, it's always an easy choice.
Finally, Sadie. What a love bug! In fact "Bug" has become her nickname. There's all sorts of variations: Sadie-bug, Bugs, Buggy, there are infinite possibilities. She is crawling all over the place (and has been for awhile), and I cannot wait until she can walk. I am constantly washing her hands or worrying about how long its been since I washed her hands, and I find that I just have to let it go and just make sure those hands are clean when she eats. But having her walking will be blissful!
She is so alert and aware of what is going on around her and wants to be involved in everything. She loves to take baths (especially with her sisters), and if we are eating, she'll pitch a fit if there's nothing on her tray. She loves cucumbers, cheese, yogurt, crackers, chicken, spaghetti with meat sauce, carrots, pears, scrambled eggs, applesauce, rice, pudding, and just about anything else we put in front of her. Hopefully she keep this up!
I have to say that she is a bit of a klutz. Yesterday she hit her head twice, both times pretty hard, and as a result of hit #2, has a lovely bruise down the left side of her face. She's done a few other bone-headed things, but it's nice that she is #3, because otherwise I think I'd be much more uptight about it. By now, when she falls or runs into something or gets caught somewhere, I just pick her up, brush her off, and say, "I think you're gonna be just fine!"
Sadie just loves the attention of her sisters, cousin Yaya, and Uncle Ben. She loves to sit by them, play next to them, and follow them around. And seeing Ben and Sadie together is so darling. Whenever Ben sees Sadie, he calls out, "SADIE-BUG!" and picks her up and swings her around or dances with her. She is quite put out when it's over. It's really very sweet.
Well, I'm hoping to have a chance to post some pictures tomorrow...not just Halloween costume pictures, but also some that I've had ready to go for a few weeks, and just haven't sat down long enough to upload them onto the blog. I'm just trying to enjoy the girls while they're young, and try to raise them correctly. If nothing else, as Michelle Pfeiffer once said, "Like all parents, my husband and I just do the best we can, hold our breath, and hope we've set aside enough money for our kids' therapy."
Gina
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
New Pictures Coming!
Good news! I was able to get the pictures from the camera to the computer. Unfortunately, I have other work that needs to be done, so I'm hoping to get some new pictures posted by tomorrow. Here's a little preview to tide you over.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
It's Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Today is Stake Conference. For those who aren't familiar with the terminology, Stake Conference is a twice-a-year meeting of several local congregations. There is no Sunday school, no children's meeting...it's 2 hours of hymns and speakers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not denigrating Stake Conference. I've been to several in my life, and each one has been uplifting, inspiring, spiritual, and motivational. But these 4 things are hard to experience when you've got children.
I find that most Sundays I spend my time at church focused on keeping my children quiet so that other people can hear the speakers and sing the hymns and feel uplifted, inspired, spiritual, and motivated. I'm not sure I've actually heard an entire church meeting since February 2004. I usually hear snippets of what's going on: "I'm so grateful BYU won the game yesterday!", "And my neighbor replied, I've had problems with raccoons too.", "So I reached for the tire iron, and...". Can you understand now why I get very little out of church?
Nevertheless, I am able to maintain some control because on a regular Sunday I can use this line: "Do you want to go to your class after this?...(wait for the inevitable "yes" response)..."Okay, then let's color/read/play quietly right now." It works time after time after time.
At Stake Conference, however, I have no leverage. I am reduced to making empty threats such as, "Stop coloring on the chairs...stop coloring on the chairs... stop...coloring...on...the...chairs...or I'll take you to the parking lot!" Which is where the kids would rather be anyway, so it's a win-win as far as they're concerned.
And so as parents, we made an executive family decision awhile ago. We won't be attending too many (read: none) Stake Conferences at least until after Sadie turns 3. By then, Amy will be 5 and Lucy will be 7, and old enough to entertain themselves quietly, and hopefully catch a word or two of what's going on. In the meantime, Stake Conference Sundays for us mean taking our kids to a wonderful Lutheran church where the people are friendly and loving, and having the kids attend Sunday school there.
I think this is important because I want my kids to know firsthand that even people who don't attend our church love Jesus, and have the same dedication to God and their families as we do. I want them to feel uplifted, inspired, spiritual, motivated, and comfortable wherever they may be worshipping. And I absolutely LOVE the protestant church calendar. (This is one thing I wish the LDS church incorporated...there's something magical and wonderful and spiritual about the Advent, Epiphany, and Lenten seasons--not just Easter and Christmas.)
But I digress...the point is, we take the kids somewhere else occasionally because they still learn something about Jesus, they get to broaden their horizons by experiencing another religion that has many of the same beliefs we do, and there's usually juice and cookies afterward. Now THAT is what I consider a win-win.
I find that most Sundays I spend my time at church focused on keeping my children quiet so that other people can hear the speakers and sing the hymns and feel uplifted, inspired, spiritual, and motivated. I'm not sure I've actually heard an entire church meeting since February 2004. I usually hear snippets of what's going on: "I'm so grateful BYU won the game yesterday!", "And my neighbor replied, I've had problems with raccoons too.", "So I reached for the tire iron, and...". Can you understand now why I get very little out of church?
Nevertheless, I am able to maintain some control because on a regular Sunday I can use this line: "Do you want to go to your class after this?...(wait for the inevitable "yes" response)..."Okay, then let's color/read/play quietly right now." It works time after time after time.
At Stake Conference, however, I have no leverage. I am reduced to making empty threats such as, "Stop coloring on the chairs...stop coloring on the chairs... stop...coloring...on...the...chairs...or I'll take you to the parking lot!" Which is where the kids would rather be anyway, so it's a win-win as far as they're concerned.
And so as parents, we made an executive family decision awhile ago. We won't be attending too many (read: none) Stake Conferences at least until after Sadie turns 3. By then, Amy will be 5 and Lucy will be 7, and old enough to entertain themselves quietly, and hopefully catch a word or two of what's going on. In the meantime, Stake Conference Sundays for us mean taking our kids to a wonderful Lutheran church where the people are friendly and loving, and having the kids attend Sunday school there.
I think this is important because I want my kids to know firsthand that even people who don't attend our church love Jesus, and have the same dedication to God and their families as we do. I want them to feel uplifted, inspired, spiritual, motivated, and comfortable wherever they may be worshipping. And I absolutely LOVE the protestant church calendar. (This is one thing I wish the LDS church incorporated...there's something magical and wonderful and spiritual about the Advent, Epiphany, and Lenten seasons--not just Easter and Christmas.)
But I digress...the point is, we take the kids somewhere else occasionally because they still learn something about Jesus, they get to broaden their horizons by experiencing another religion that has many of the same beliefs we do, and there's usually juice and cookies afterward. Now THAT is what I consider a win-win.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
First Day of School!
Today was Lucy's first day of Kindergarten. I am still trying to accept that she's old enough to be in school. Where did the time go? It seems like just a couple of years ago that we brought her home from the hospital and said, "Now what?"
Last night, the school had a BBQ and invited the students and parents to come and meet the teacher, see the classroom, turn in supplies, etc. And even after we did all of that, it still didn't hit me that Lucy was actually in Kindergarten.
This morning, we woke up, got ready, and headed off to school. The parents were invited to stay with the Kindergarteners for about 25 minutes, or until they were settled (whichever came soonest). Lucy was a little teary-eyed, and kept saying, "Good-bye, Mom! Don't go!" and one of the school staff came in and sat down with her. I took it as my cue to exit, so I gave Lucy a hug, told her I loved her, and walked out the door.
As I was walking back to the car, I think it all finally sank in. Lucy is in Kindergarten...today is the first day of her long school career. From now on, she won't just be learning what I'm teaching her. From now on, I have to trust someone else with her education and safety. From now on, I have no control over who she plays with on the playground, talks to in the lunchroom, or sits next to in the classroom between the hours of 9 AM and 3:30 PM. From now on, I won't always be there when she falls off the monkey bars (like she did today). Letting go is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
Fortunately for me, I had an extremely active almost-3-year-old, and a miserable teething little one waiting for me at home. Otherwise, I think I would have wandered around all day long saying to myself, "Now what?"
At 3 PM, David and I loaded the 2 littler ones into the double jogger, and set off for the school to pick up Lucy. She was happy. Her teacher said she had a great day, and didn't cry at all after I left. She recited the days of the week for the entire class, and enjoyed playing outside. When I asked Lucy if she had a good day, she said, "No. It wasn't good--it was AWESOME! I can't wait to come again tomorrow."
There are pictures to share, and Lucy's thoughts to record, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Check back very soon to hear about all the wonderful and exciting things that are happening in Kindergarten, and see the pictures I took of her first day of school.
Last night, the school had a BBQ and invited the students and parents to come and meet the teacher, see the classroom, turn in supplies, etc. And even after we did all of that, it still didn't hit me that Lucy was actually in Kindergarten.
This morning, we woke up, got ready, and headed off to school. The parents were invited to stay with the Kindergarteners for about 25 minutes, or until they were settled (whichever came soonest). Lucy was a little teary-eyed, and kept saying, "Good-bye, Mom! Don't go!" and one of the school staff came in and sat down with her. I took it as my cue to exit, so I gave Lucy a hug, told her I loved her, and walked out the door.
As I was walking back to the car, I think it all finally sank in. Lucy is in Kindergarten...today is the first day of her long school career. From now on, she won't just be learning what I'm teaching her. From now on, I have to trust someone else with her education and safety. From now on, I have no control over who she plays with on the playground, talks to in the lunchroom, or sits next to in the classroom between the hours of 9 AM and 3:30 PM. From now on, I won't always be there when she falls off the monkey bars (like she did today). Letting go is a lot harder than I thought it would be.
Fortunately for me, I had an extremely active almost-3-year-old, and a miserable teething little one waiting for me at home. Otherwise, I think I would have wandered around all day long saying to myself, "Now what?"
At 3 PM, David and I loaded the 2 littler ones into the double jogger, and set off for the school to pick up Lucy. She was happy. Her teacher said she had a great day, and didn't cry at all after I left. She recited the days of the week for the entire class, and enjoyed playing outside. When I asked Lucy if she had a good day, she said, "No. It wasn't good--it was AWESOME! I can't wait to come again tomorrow."
There are pictures to share, and Lucy's thoughts to record, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Check back very soon to hear about all the wonderful and exciting things that are happening in Kindergarten, and see the pictures I took of her first day of school.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Haircuts!
I asked Lucy about a week ago if she would like a haircut before school started, and would she like me to do it, or would she rather I take her to have someone else trim it. She thought for a minute and replied, "Would you be hurt if I wanted the groomer to cut it?" The groomer? Can you tell there's a dog living with us? I think her hair turned out really cute, and "the groomer" was a nice stylist named Pat who was great with kids.
And of course, Amy had to get in on the haircutting action, and I'm glad she did because now her curls are even bouncier! Don't ask me why she's got weird looks on her face for the pictures. It seems to be her thing lately.
W
And of course, Amy had to get in on the haircutting action, and I'm glad she did because now her curls are even bouncier! Don't ask me why she's got weird looks on her face for the pictures. It seems to be her thing lately.
W
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
10 Sure-Fire Signs That You're A Mom
1. You no longer discreetly excuse yourself to use the bathroom. You find yourself announcing, "I have to go potty." to whoever is in the room.
2. You have a strong opinion on which company makes the most absorbent diaper. (It's Huggies.)
3. You're an expert on important baby matters, such as the right time to start solids, how to correctly assemble and use a safety gate, and measuring the right dose of Tylenol for every age and weight.
4. You are more than willing to share your labor and delivery stories, bottle or breastfeeding issues, and post-partum woes with anyone who'll listen.
5. You know what the words "Boppy", "Bumbo", and "Medela" refer to.
6. You also know that there are several types of diaper rash, and how to treat each type.
7. You've tossed out perfectly good underwear that was worn for less than 10 minutes, because you realize there are some things in life that NO ONE should have to deal with.
8. You've called your mom, a friend, a friend's mom, etc. and left a message on their answering machine that simply says, "Help me."
9. You are more than happy to go to the store with your child who is wearing last year's Halloween costume if it means avoiding a large-scale tantrum.
10. You don't put much thought into what you wear when you go out, because when the kids look darling, it says more about you than the mustard stain on your left boob.
2. You have a strong opinion on which company makes the most absorbent diaper. (It's Huggies.)
3. You're an expert on important baby matters, such as the right time to start solids, how to correctly assemble and use a safety gate, and measuring the right dose of Tylenol for every age and weight.
4. You are more than willing to share your labor and delivery stories, bottle or breastfeeding issues, and post-partum woes with anyone who'll listen.
5. You know what the words "Boppy", "Bumbo", and "Medela" refer to.
6. You also know that there are several types of diaper rash, and how to treat each type.
7. You've tossed out perfectly good underwear that was worn for less than 10 minutes, because you realize there are some things in life that NO ONE should have to deal with.
8. You've called your mom, a friend, a friend's mom, etc. and left a message on their answering machine that simply says, "Help me."
9. You are more than happy to go to the store with your child who is wearing last year's Halloween costume if it means avoiding a large-scale tantrum.
10. You don't put much thought into what you wear when you go out, because when the kids look darling, it says more about you than the mustard stain on your left boob.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Pictures--FINALLY!
So I had a chance to sit down for a few minutes to post a few photos of the girls. I must apologize--these pictures are in no particular order, on account of a fussing Sadie on my lap, and other children who are constantly bothering me with pesky requests like, "Can I have breakfast NOW? I'm STARVING!!!". This is the best I can do under these circumstances, people!
More soon. (As in next month...let's be real here.)
More soon. (As in next month...let's be real here.)
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