Happy Belated B-Day to Alan

Amelia's birthday note to Daddy last week. :)

Evelyn's Breakfast Prayer

"Dear God, thank you for this breakfast. Thank you that we have healthy milk from healthy, local cows. Amen."

Hee hee. I admit pride in the cow statement...however, my pride should probably be in the fact that she's praying. :)

"REALLY, Mom?!?"

This picture, taken at the Science Center, captures a bit of the attitude Evelyn had when she responded to me in the car yesterday.

On our way to church we pulled up next to our friends' teenagers on their way, too. Our girls were thrilled to give me the blow-by-blow about what the teens were wearing and doing as we shared the road.

At one point I said, "I wish we had puppets. You guys could give them a puppet show," thinking I'd follow up with the story of how my brother and I used to while away road trip hours entertaining the folks behind us. We'd constantly ask Mom and Dad, "Are they smiling? Do they see us? Did they laugh??"

But before I got to my childhood story, Evelyn replied, "REALLY, Mom? You would WANT us to distract our friends while they're DRIVING?!? Our FRIENDS?!? Why would you WANT us to do THAT?"

My apologies to the hundreds of distracted drivers across the miles of US highway during the 1970's.

Amelia's new exclamation

"What in the holy maraca??"

We'll probably not encourage its use, but it made us laugh.

This is another VA Beach Christmas picture. We were going to a Starbucks (where the girls posted themselves as Door-women, saying, "Welcome to Starbucks" or "Have a good day!") and outside a little shop Amelia posed as "a statue."

We've been playing "the statue game" since San Francisco 2009. They freeze in position and I notice "the most beautiful/adorable/lovely statue of a little girl I've ever seen, how I wishI had a real one just like it." Then my wish comes true. :)

Just Dance 3

I just lost to a 7 year old. With a 5 year old commentator: "Mommy!!!" (laugh laugh laugh) "You have to move your FEET, Mommy, your FEET!" (laugh laugh laugh) "Now your bottom is going up and down and up and down!" (laugh laugh laugh)

Matt and Becky knew just how good this was going to be when they gave their very generous Christmas gift to all of us. We've been honoring them by playing it pretty much every day. :)

"Everybody dance now!"

Aspirations & Motivations

While Evelyn had a play date with a friend this afternoon, I took Amelia to Dunkin' Donuts to have some special time together. While she was eating her ice cream cone (she INSISTED that she wanted ice cream--and I said yes.:), I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. In the past, she's wanted to be a teacher, but today, she replied, "A doctor."

"Really? What makes you want to be a doctor?"

"Money."

Hmmmmm....my five year old...hmmmmm....I'll be re-reading I Timothy 6 this weekend...

Thank you, Alan!

He figured out how to get my posting back to normal. It makes no difference on how it LOOKS, but wow does it make a difference while posting. And besides fixing my blog ailments, Alan cooked a batch of great cookies this week...AND cleaned up the kitchen afterwards. Yes. A good man.

So today I took the girls for a play date to my friend, Janie's house. Amelia and her son, George, were classmates in pre-school. Amelia was IN LOVE with Janie's youngest, Maggie, who is one. Amelia was carrying her around relentlessly, and I said to her, "Amelia, if Maggie starts to cry or wiggle to get down, what should you do?"

Her reply? (Right in front of Janie, of course,)"Drop her."

Those are such great parental moments. Fortunately Janie has a good sense of humor. And a mother of four. I think she'll still invite us back.

Out of Uniform

A few weeks ago Evelyn's class won the boxtop-collection contest at school and earned an out-of-dress-code day. What did she choose to wear? A Christmas dress, complete with sparkly shoes. When I asked her sensitively if she thought anyone might tease her for wearing a Christmas dress in October, she replied confidently, "No!" Then, holding up her sleeve, she continued, "I'll just let them feel my fur!"

Then I took pictures of both girls heading out the door to school. These are days to cherish and remember!

Shopping Stories

(Yes, I got the itch to switch the blog's look--still trying to decide if I like it. I may switch around some more before deciding. Feel free to weigh in.)

In my recent mad dash for Ravens shirts, I'd originally planned to go to the mall (before I decided to go with my Emergency Shopping Contact List.) So after making our purchases at Target, we headed over--they love riding the escalators, throwing coins in the fountain, and the newest thing was discovering "the little room" at the entrance to the Hollister store.

We strolled the mall, looking at storefronts and commenting. "That store sells clothes. That one sells computers, and that one sells jewelry." Etc. As we moved past Victoria's Secret, I said nonchalantly, "That store sells pretty underwear."

Amelia stared at the large ads along the store's frontage and then added blandly, "They sell boobies, too."

If only.

Still Climbing Walls

Funny how I never have to say, "Hey kids! Look at this! I'll bet you could climb this wall!" They found this one at the school we can walk to from our house.

Tonight on our way to AWANA, the girls were lamenting that we don't have room in our car to bring friends with us. I said maybe we should pray for a bigger car, and Evelyn said, "Yeah! Like a van!"

And Amelia said, "Or a limousine."

Can't you see it? Pulling up to AWANA Tuesday night in a limo and un-buckling fourteen five to seven year olds from their booster seats...

How to explain?

Evelyn's most recent question:

"Mommy, what does it mean when someone says, 'Do you want a piece of me?'"

(How 'bout our carpet of pink petals? The ornamental cherry trees were two giant pink puff-balls in front of our house last week. It's one of our favorite signs of spring, and whenever I'm tempted to bemoan how short-lived they always are, I'm reminded that the amount of time we end up vacuuming them out of our house is short lived, too.)

Heaven

Two days ago we were reading Amelia's AWANA book, and the focus was heaven. The little reading started with a list of questions, such as "Do you think there will be bee stings in heaven? Do you think you'll have friends in heaven? etc." As I read through the list and the girls answered the questions, Evelyn suddenly smiled and said, "Do you think we will pee pee and poo poo in heaven?"

It only went downhill after that. But it did make me wonder....

For the love of Mommy

These are the things that get you as a parent. Small acts of BIG love, and one experiences waves of overwhelming warmth as children express themselves.

I was getting ready in the bathroom when Evelyn presented me with this card. (I know it looks like I'm "the nuts" person she knows, but she assured me it says "the NICEST" person she knows. Perhaps both apply.) Of course, I had that warm, mushy, melting heart feeling and I picked her up and held her close, reveling in a precious, mother-daughter moment.

As we stood there with our cheeks pressed together. smiling at our reflection in the bathroom mirror, Evelyn grinned warmly and whispered reverently, "Mommy?" I stared at our faces, filled with love, awaiting her next comment.

"Can I have another donut?"

Honestly, I love that she thinks of me and donuts in the same emotional, warm, expressive moment. :)

Soundtrack of Life

This week our girls are in RVR's Day Camp w/three friends from church and a neighbor, and the four moms are taking turns making the commute. The following is a compilation of lines I heard while driving six kids between the ages of four & six during two hour-long segments. I wish I could remember more, it was so incredibly entertaining. If it seems heavily weighted on my friend's son, Ryan, it's because he was riding shotgun and he is one of those kids who enjoys conversing w/adults.

Imagine these snippets being said while the songs from "Enchanted" are playing, followed by a Disney mix:

Ryan: A lot of girls at school like me. They try to kiss me.

Me: Wow--you're a popular guy.

Ryan: My mom says I should save my kisses for my wife.

Me: Your mom is wise.

Evelyn: MOM!! Caleb is BOTHERING me!!

Ryan: I know my times tables.

Me: Caleb, is that true? (Caleb nods.)

Evelyn: He keeps hitting me with his elbow!

Caleb: She's sucking her thumb.

Ryan: I can divide, too. Three divided by two is one and a half.

Me: Caleb, is she bumping you or making noise while she's sucking her thumb?

Caleb: No. It just bothers me. She shouldn't be sucking her thumb.

Ryan: Are you listening to me?

Me: Just a minute, Ryan. Caleb, Evelyn IS a little old to be sucking her thumb. We'll let her suck her thumb every OTHER song on the CD, ok? Did you hear that, Evelyn? (She nods, scowling.)

Amelia: Can somebody hand me my blanket?

Brian: I don't know how big my head is.

Josh: My head is 10 miles.

Ryan: (singing in a little boy falsetto) Sing a happy working song...I watched this movie once at Hamiltopia when I was sick.

Me: I really like this movie.

Brian: How do you draw a house?

Ryan: I can draw a really GOOD house!

Me: Maybe you should become an architect.

Ryan: What's that?

Me: An architect is someone who designs buildings and houses.

Ryan: Oh. Well, I wouldn't be good at that. I have a hard time drawing steps and doorknobs.

Josh: Obi Wan does NOT have two light sabers.

Caleb: I'm just PRETENDING he has two light sabers.

Ryan: Bikini Bottom Jail.

Josh: It's Ryan's song playing! Ryan's song! ("Kiss the Girl" from Little Mermaid has begun. Ryan is smiling. Josh is Ryan's younger brother.)

Me: What did you just say, Ryan?

Ryan: (Grinning) "Bikini Bottom Jail." It's from Spongebob. (Then, turning around, but still grinning) JOSH! This is NOT my song!!

Caleb: Can you change it?

Me: The song should be called "Kiss the Guy," since the girls at school try to kiss you.

Evelyn: MOM! It's not "Kiss the GUY," it's "Kiss the GIRL!" "Kiss the GIRL," "Kiss the GIRL!!"

Caleb: (Hands over his ears) Can you PLEASE change the song? I don't like it.

Me: Ok. Ryan, can you change the song? Not everyone likes it. (Ryan skips to the next song.)

There was SO much more, but I can't remember it all and I don't want to start fictionalizing. Let's just say that I will MISS this soundtrack today, even though I've been so grateful to the other moms for sharing the driving.

Indigestion inspires Inspiration

Overheard in the back seat yesterday: Amelia sang her own lyrics to the tune of "Jesus Loves the Little Children."

I am burping all the ti-ime
I am burping all the time!
I am burping all the time, I am burping all the time,
I am burping, I am burping all the time.


The pictures have nothing to do w/the song. I just stuck them here because we love the hand-me-down chiminea from Aunt Barbara & Uncle Diego. And I love the pics of the girls. We discovered that mini-marshmallows toast in a very toddler-friendly time span, & the smoke keeps the insects at bay.

We awoke this morning to...

...Evelyn's enthusiastic voice at 6-twenty-something a.m. saying, "Daddy!! We turned on channel (they've always called T.V. "channel") and there's a cooking show on and you won't believe what they're cooking--PIGS and BLANKETS!!"

Amelia's Sound Effects

As if we weren't having trouble enough squelching the humor of the real thing. I think she made herself lightheaded.

Happy Mothers' Day Card

Evelyn made one for me at school and couldn't wait to give it to me. It was so sweet to see her excitement. There was this lovely picture of her, Amelia, and me on the front (which she drew, surrounding us with flowers and sunshine, of course), and on the inside was glued a typed message that said she was going to list her "gifts" to me. Below that, she'd obviously dictated the gifts to her teacher:

My gifts to Mommy:
1. I will help her wash dishes.
2. I will help Meme clean up her messes.
3. I will help Mommy clean up the mess in HER room.

I actually had to ask Evelyn if she meant cleaning up the mess in HER room--but no, she meant the mess in MY room, which is now common knowledge to her classroom's staff. Humility, humility...

Life as a blur

It's all going to be gone a lot sooner than I know. The good, the bad, the ugly, and all the stuff I just adore beyond belief about having these two little people living here with us.

Last night we were saying Psalm 23 together at bedtime. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..."

Evelyn interrupts suddenly with, "Mommy, what does 'I shall not want' mean?"

Pausing, I answer, "It means that the Lord promises to fill the desires of our hearts with Himself."

She's still mulling over the "He promises to fill the desires of our hearts" part, and she queries, "So...that means if I ask God for a house and I really want a house, God will --POOF--give me a house?"

Flower Child

Yesterday, in Evelyn's book bag a craft came home where the students filled in the blank at the end of the following sentences:

"'Come follow Me,' said Jesus. Evelyn will follow Jesus to __________."

Where will Evelyn follow Jesus? To the flowers.