Girls' Seattle Trip!

After a week of Keith being gone, I decided to hit the road with my mom and get out with the girls. (Actually, we had planned for months to go overnight to visit my cousin Mary, in celebration of a couple big birthdays, and it just happened to fall right after Keith got home from his training week.)
My mom and I headed out in the a.m. and got to Seattle before noon on Saturday. Our bed & breakfast was really cute and charming, and it was even decorated for Christmas! We got all settled in our room, and it seemed as if we were all along in the house! (That was proven wrong later, but not in a bad way.)
We met up with Mary and found a fun sandwich place for lunch. It was called Homegrown, and it was a great organic soup/salad/sandwich place with delicious food. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. After browsing around in some shops (we were in the Capitol Hill area, which was super fun & felt very much like a "locals" neighborhood), we went to check out Mary's cute little studio apartment. She has it decorated very cute for Christmas, with lots of antique decorations and twinkling lights. She made some delicious french press coffee, and we enjoyed some Christmas treats while we were discussing the hot topic of a dinner place. After only an hour of hemming & hawing, we finally landed on an Italian restaurant that served homemade pasta. It was a great choice, and we loved the atmosphere at "La Spiga." That evening we went back to the bed & breakfast for a game of Bananagrams, we laughed our way through some stories from years gone by, and we just generally had a wonderful evening!
The next day mom & I went to the other house (part of the same bed & breakfast property) for our breakfast, where we met some of the other people staying at the place. We had found out the night before that "our" house was actually full (meaning that all three rooms were occupied), and then at breakfast we met the few people that were at the other house. We had a really nice visit with another mom & daughter (also celebrating a 30th birthday), and a couple other single women. Mom even got some contact info from a gal who lives in Singapore, as she & my dad are hoping to visit there next fall. Networking at a Bed & Breakfast--who knew?! The breakfast was delicious, and we were fully satisfied with our stay.
After a wonderful sunny walk and one last coffee excursion, we figured it was time to head back home. Mom and I still managed one trip to Starbucks on the way out of town--you just can't have enough coffee on a girl's weekend with Barb, Mary & Heather!--and then we had a good drive home with lots of sum-up visiting and talking. Keith wonders what I can find to talk about with my mom as often as I talk with her on the phone and in person, but there's always more to say--and inevitably we forget something! I'm glad we have a good relationship where we can (and want to) spend a few days in a row together during the week and then still head out of town together overnight. So fun!
Anyway, we had a wonderful trip and it was a fun celebration of my 30th birthday (in January) and mom's 60th birthday (this last October). :)

A Week of Single Parenting=Not the Most Fun Ever.

A couple weeks ago, Keith had to go to a work training in California. We knew it was going to happen, but originally it was supposed to be in January. In mid-November, his boss asked him if he could swing it to go in the first week of December. While I wasn't looking forward to him going at all, I knew I would be delaying the inevitable if we waited until January. The days leading up to the departure passed with the knowledge that he'd be gone for almost an entire week--from a Sunday evening to a Friday evening. Eek!
After dropping him off at the airport (I was proud of myself that I didn't cry!), we headed home and started our week. Monday was extremely tiring and I remember feeling like "How am I going to get through this?!" "How do military wives do it?!" With some good perspective switches and lots of prayer/grace from the Lord, we got through that day and continued through the week.
The rest of the week is honestly sort of a blur, but I know that the days were long & it was hard not to have any sort of relief from my sweet husband each evening. Even if Keith is helping with youth group after work or something, I still know he'll eventually be home to be a listening ear, to offer a hug, and to generally keep me company! When he's gone overnight, there is new meaning to the phrase that being a parent is a 24-7 job!

I did have help, though, and I was so thankful for that! I know what I need when it comes to Keith being gone overnight, and that involves sleepovers and reinforcements. Monday & Tuesday night, our friend Hannah stayed overnight, and Wed-Fri the girls and I bunked at my mom & dad's. My mom and I always enjoy this type of opportunity, and we've agreed that we could totally get on board with a multi-generational household. (Keith may have something to say about that, but my mom & I are all ready!) ;)

By the time Keith got home on Friday night, I was definitely counting down the hours & minutes. Hannah was so excited that she threw up...(well, she was car sick, but I like to think it was excitement. Fortunately, I managed to get at least her head out of the car, so there wasn't a huge nasty mess waiting for Keith.) :)

Anyway, I was reminded again what a supportive, involved, loving, and patient father & husband Keith is, and what an impact he makes on our daily lives. I love my husband! :)

In Which I Remember To Be Flexible

(Yes, Afton, I am stealing one of your blog post title types. Sorry, but I couldn't come up with anything else.) :)

Yesterday Gemma and I were heading out of the church parking lot after dropping Hannah off at preschool. It had been a good morning, and Gemma & I were headed to New Seasons to meet up with Angela for a browse through their skincare/makeup section. I was really looking forward to spending some time with Angela, exploring some new fun face stuff, and possibly enjoying a peppermint mocha (because during the Christmas season, you just never know when you might end up at Starbucks.) I had just told Gemma we were going to see Auntie Angela, and she replied happily "Ah-ya," after which she promptly coughed & threw up all over herself and her car seat. (No offense, Angela!)
I was sort of flabbergasted for a minute, and continued trying to drive out of the lot while comforting Gemma & attempting to catch some of the...stuff...in Hannah's sweatshirt (the only thing I could find!) :( After she was done, I sat there trying to figure out what to do. We were a good 20 minutes away from home, but rather than strip Gemma down on a cold day, I figured it would be better to just get home. Riding in a puke-smelly car is not fun for a few seconds, let alone almost a half hour, but Gemma was a real sport! She seemed in good spirits and didn't even cry! She is such a go-with-it girl, and I certainly learned a lesson in that from her yesterday.
I called Angela and gave her the bad news, all the while mentally trying to figure out what to do about having to come get Hannah after preschool. Since it's a bit of a drive, I wasn't sure how Gemma would be doing, nor did I think I could even get her carseat cleaned up in the two hours I'd have at home. I ended up calling my mom (what a good grandma!) and asking her to pick up Hannah. She was happy to do it, and they had a fun little trip to Target to look at Christmas shoes on the way home. She was thrilled!
Gemma was fine the rest of the day and today, besides just being a little pale & obviously tired. I don't know what it was, although something similar happened with her this summer, and I wondered then (& still wonder) if it was somehow related to teething. I don't know. The point is, I'm certainly glad she is feeling better, and that none of us have come down with anything. I had just been thinking to myself--not 24 hours earlier, when my friend Lisa was telling a tale of vomit--that "we haven't had any stomach bugs in quite a while, thankfully!" Well, I'm not going to say "that's what I get," or anything, because I don't believe in "tempting fate," but I am guessing that it was just God's way of reminding me to be flexible in this ever-changing role of motherhood. Only He knows what is going to happen each day, and only in surrendering to HIS plan will I not become frustrated & irritated at these disruptions that could really end up being important lessons or blessings. The rest of my afternoon was actually really quiet and nice, as Gemma napped for a good two hours while I listened to Christmas music, drank tea, and read a book. By the time Hannah got home, Keith was also home and we all were in good moods, glad to be together.

Thanksgiving & Black Friday!

Well, it's been a very busy week, but lots of fun! Keith took some extra vacation, so he was off Wed through today. It has been so nice having him around, and the girls love playing with their Daddy. Even when he's just out in the garage cleaning or doing a project, they love to be out there with him because it's something new & exciting! It's going to be hard having him go back to work tomorrow, but we are SO thankful that this year he is working at a job he enjoys! In general, we were truly counting our blessings on Thanksgiving this year--jobs for our whole (even extended) family, health, provision for some much-needed appliance replacements, a delicious meal, fun shopping excursions on Black Friday and Saturday, and the joy of having family nearby to celebrate these wonderful holidays! God is so good!

We hosted Thanksgiving this year, which meant we had 18 people at our house (including our family of four.) I think it was a success, as everyone seemed full & satisfied after dinner. :) This was our second time hosting the big group, and we decided that really, it's not too hectic until that last hour, when you're trying to juggle the turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and mashed potatoes on one stovetop/oven. :) It all got done, though, and Dad got here in time to help with gravy, Grandma looking over his shoulder, as in many years past! We had everyone here except Senia, my aunt Marilyn, and my uncle Robert (sniff!) While it wasn't quite the same without them, we thought of them lots & ate some extra stuffing & pie for them. ;) After everyone left, Keith, the girls, and I all laid on our bed and stared at the wall for a few minutes. We had some little snacks before the putting the girls to bed, and then it was down to business: looking over the Black Friday ads and watching "Christmas Vacation," as is our tradition on Thanksgiving night. It was a good way to end the day, and we just barely made it through the movie without dropping into bed exhausted!

The next morning, Mary and I headed out for our shopping trip at 6:45. We definitely decided that the advantage of stores opening even earlier this year (midnight for most places!) is that by the time we got there, most of the lines were very reasonable. I still made out with some good deals, and although Mary was bummed not to get some iPod speakers, we both mostly like just being out to celebrate the official start of Christmas--armed with our old-school Amy Grant Christmas albums. We also got our socks at the Fred Meyer sale, in spite of getting there a couple hours after they had opened--there were PLENTY to choose from.
We also went to the mall, and it was fun seeing the shoppers with their treasures, although not quite heading home yet...! The craziest places there were the shoe departments at Macy's and JC Penney's, where they had some good boot sales. The lines just to get a certain size were out of the department! Definitely not worth it to me. :)

Friday night Mary spent the night and we watched "Mixed Nuts," again barely making it before falling asleep on the couches. Haha. I guess that shows we're getting older...after all, I am nearing 30...
Anyway, Saturday we woke up more leisurely and headed to the annual Prairie Bazaar. Mary and I were laughing at the fact that when we were younger and just starting to shop on our own, we would spend half the day at that bazaar, wandering around & looking at every little thing, determining the perfect purchase we wanted to make with our few dollars of allowance or babysitting money. Now we can get through the whole thing in just over an hour, and that's including some "revisiting" time. It's very nostalgic and memorable to be back there, though, even if we only spend an hour there! :)

That was about it for our shopping, and then I had Melissa over for a Christmas tea (meaning, I put the tea in my Christmas teapot for the first time this year!) The rest of the day was spent relaxing and hanging out with Keith, since we hadn't really seen much of each other the previous couple days!

Today we had a restful afternoon after church this morning and a quick stop at New Seasons to check out their new location here in Vancouver! Exciting--it is a super fun place, and I can't wait to spend a little more time browsing their skincare & makeup area. :)

Most importantly of all of these activities, to me, is that the day after Thanksgiving starts the joyful anticipation and celebration of Christ's birth. I absolutely love the Christmas season, and I am so excited to be listening to non-stop Christmas music on both secular & Christian stations alike, as they all are playing songs about our Savior! What a joy to hear "O Holy Night" on stations that otherwise would not mention the Lord. It really is "the most wonderful time of the year!!" (That's my ringtone, of course.)

Merry Christmas!!

Night Time Potty Training...training who, exactly?

The other day Keith informed me that we were down to one pull-up. Suddenly feeling very stingy and annoyed at the money we are spending on pull-ups (let alone the fact that pee-soaked pull-ups just do NOT smell good--sorry to be graphic, folks, but it's true), I decided we should bite the bullet and try to work with Hannah on night time potty training. The first night, we talked with Hannah about what we were planning, trying to make it sound really exciting and "big girl"-ish. We limited liquids, woke her up before we went to bed, and then woke her up one more time in the early morning. After all that, we were pleasantly surprised to find her dry in the morning, even in spite of her sleeping later than usual (I thought this was due to the fact that she wasn't sleeping in her own urine, a fact that would later prove to be untrue.) Hooray! We did it! The night-time potty training was successful! And after only one night! That day my friend Marisa and her girls came over to play, and Marisa encouraged me by saying that her daughter never wet the bed after that first night! Wow! Okay! (You can tell by the exclamation marks that this was good news to me.)
The next night we followed a similar routine, although in attempting to get Hannah to use the toilet in the middle of the night, she resisted & complained that she didn't have to go. This turned into a pretty loud fight as Keith tried to sit her on the toilet anyway. I guess it makes sense that she might be frustrated, as I later read in a book on potty training "few adults would appreciate being dragged out of bed, plunked dazed and blinking on the commode, and commanded to excrete" (Alison Mack, Toilet Learning, pg. 56.) Okay, fair enough. But later that night, when Keith tried again, Hannah was soaked. Oddly enough, this did not wake her up! (Hence, the disproving of my earlier theory.) This has happened two more nights in a row now, and I'm starting to wonder if it's true that (like daytime potty-training) kids will potty train at night when they're ready. Hmmm...but I really don't want to buy any more pull-ups.
Again, I ask: Who will really be trained when/if we complete this process at this point?

I don't have time to answer that--I need to do the bedding laundry for the millionth time and set some hourly alarms for tonight.

Gemma's Fetish

Today I decided I better write about this so I don't forget about it years later. :) Every so often, when she thinks we're not looking, Gemma likes to go into the room where we keep the dog & cat food, (or directly to the filled bowls) and she will munch on a piece or two. After seeing her do this the first time and assuming she'd get that it was yucky, I figured the problem would solve itself. Funny thing is, she's still doing it!
Now, though, she knows she's not supposed to eat their food (you know, because she's a HUMAN), so she's gotten clever. She'll go in there acting like she's just checking on something, or to "feed the animals." Instead, I find her stuffing a mouthful of dog chow in her cheeks!
Today I watched her casually walk over to Buddy's dish and sneak a piece into her mouth. Since I saw her, I waited until she walked away (presumably to go eat her snack in private) and then I said "Gemma, what do you have?" She looked right at me, with her mouth full and was about to run away when I said "Spit it out." She then reluctantly spit it into my hand, looking pretty discouraged that she'd been caught.
I think that's pretty gross, but I guess looking back at the fetish Hannah started at this age, "gross" is a relative term. (If you missed it, I'm sure it's in the archives somewhere, probably titled "Poop Party")

Trick-or-Treating

Well, another Halloween has come and gone, and both girls really seemed to enjoy the evening. The day started off fairly quiet in the morning, and then Hannah headed off to preschool. I ran a bunch of errands with Gemma, and she & I managed to get in on a few treats throughout the various stores--including a yummy dark chocolate mini-bar from Whole Foods, which I was delighted by! :) Now that's a good trick-or-treating spot!
After that, we picked up Hannah, who had already had a couple treats at school (and the sugar rush begins...) Due to some bad planning on my part (and thinking "everyone will have wands & crowns for sale!"), we had to make a couple stops on the way home to try & find a wand & crown for Hannah's Princess Presto costume. (This is a character from the PBS show "Super Why," and her "power" is spelling. She dresses all in purple--and Hannah had her purple flower girl dress, so it was almost complete, minus the accessories.) Wouldn't you know it that I could not find a crown/wand set (purple or otherwise) at any store?! We finally found a couple things that worked at Party City, although they were definitely Disney princess-themed, and the crown Hannah ended up choosing was glitzy, gold, and it said "Angel" on it. Ah well, nothing that a little purple ribbon couldn't fix.


By the way, that's her "princess smile".

We then went home to pick up Keith and got in the car again (poor Gemma had been in that car seat off and on all day!) to head to my parents' house. They have been asking to go trick-or-treating with the girls since Hannah was born, so we figured it was high time we did so! Mom had made a delicious chili dinner, so we all enjoyed that, while getting up & down occasionally to answer the door & pass out candy.
Here are the trick-or-treaters ready to go out:


It was really fun & funny to see the girls' reactions and comments while making the rounds of my parents' block. Hannah knows the drill, so she'd run up to the door and wait there, insisting that "my sister's coming" if someone opened the door prematurely. If they didn't open the door, she'd stand up there singing and dancing around until Gemma could make her way up the driveway. At that point, to speed her along, we'd say "Where's Hannah?" and Gemma would say "Anna, 'ate!" (Hannah, wait!) :)
Obviously, in that ladybug costume, it was a little tricky for Gemma to hurry, but she held her own! Anytime someone offered to hold her hand or her treat container (which, by the way, was mine from childhood--a McDonald's relic that I probably got from my grandparents), she quickly said "No!" (She definitely got the hang of the treat thing. Every time she'd see more candy being put in her bucket, she would say "Ohhhhh!")

By the time we'd gone around the block--which only ended up being around 15 houses that had their lights on, Gemma was running out of steam, her earlier noises being reduced to a low hum (her sleepy song, as my mom calls it) all the while walking around sort of zombie-like in this huge costume. It was pretty comical! :) Hannah was going strong, but even she was starting to say "Let's go home!" (I think she wanted to get into her stash!)

Obviously, we would not have needed to go any farther, as this was what they looked like sorting through their candy:


You can't see it, but Hannah's bag was/is also full.

We all had a fun night, and I know Mom & Dad thoroughly enjoyed watching the evening unfold. Uncle Erik was also there, and that was an extra special "treat!" :) Now on to the "real" holiday season....Woo-hoo!!!

Preschool Pumpkin Patch Predicaments

I realize "predicament" is probably a little strong for the subject, but I had to stick to the alliteration! :)
Today was Hannah's first field trip, and we got to go to a pumpkin patch that we've never been to! The weather was gorgeous, with temps probably in the 70s; in fact, all of us were hot and the kids were all red-faced. :) Amazing in October! One lady said that last year it was cold and rainy at this time--and even last WEEK could have been like that. Crazy.
Anyway, we met up with the teachers there, (Hannah rushed over to see her teacher as soon as she spotted her, she gave her a big hug, and then held her hand until we got going. So cute!) and proceeded to the animal area. Lots of farm animals to pet and feed--Gemma had a blast with that, too, and she makes the funniest pig noise. It sounds more like a grunt than an "oink."


Gemma really liked the animals, and Hannah was running from place to place, saying "Mommy, look at this!" She was very excited to be there with her friends and her teacher! :)

Next stop were the hay tunnels. This only made me a tad nervous, as I imagined Gemma getting lost in the middle of it somewhere, but when I saw a larger dad fit through to go after someone, I figured it would be okay. :) Both girls ran right over and started burrowing through the hay bales. Hannah's class took a really cute picture together.



Hannah and a friend checking out the hay tunnels before deciding that Yes, it was safe to go through! :)


Here's my brave girl! :) I was so proud of her going through there with the big kids!

After the hay tunnels, we loaded up onto the hay truck, and sat on the hay bales, pulling hay from our shoes & shirts. Notice a theme here?


Once we got into the pumpkin patch, we had a great time finding just the right pumpkin, and it was fun seeing Hannah run around with one of her friends. She was quite picky about it, so that was funny to watch. She found a really good one, and then it was time to load up again. Before we got on the hay ride, I suddenly felt this piercing pinch on my elbow. After seeing wasps & bees everywhere, and seeing one of the little boys screaming in pain, I knew I'd gotten stung. Fortunately, I'm not allergic or anything, but that thing HURT! It's still sort of sore, which is kind of amazing that a little tiny insect can cause that much pain.





At any rate, we then got back to the main part of the farm and the kids had a blast using a well to pump water to wash their pumpkins. Years ago, who would have thought that something like that would be fun for kids nowadays?



Hannah had a great time, and it was fun to watch her enjoy her very first field trip!

Date night

Last Friday night Keith and I got to go on a long-awaited date night. SO nice! My parents offered to watch the girls and keep them overnight, so we had over twelve hours of date time...some of which was spent...SLEEPING! (Sheesh, where are your minds?!) ;)
Anywhoo, after dropping the girls off while I got ready (so nice to take a shower, dress and do my makeup/hair in peace), Keith came home & we headed out. I didn't know where we were going, so I was happily surprised to see we were going to a restaurant called Salty's, which is right on the river. The atmosphere of the place is formal, but still feels like you could be there in jeans. Does that make sense? Linens on the tables, candles, the servers are dressed in black. etc. Very posh and adult. :) We even ordered an appetizer, which was a bruschetta platter (SO yummy--chevre, roasted hazelnut topping, sauteed local mushrooms, and roasted garlic & onions.) We cleaned that plate right up! For dinner, Keith had trout and I had cioppino. (sp?) It was the traditional seafood stew in a tomato base and it was DELICIOUS!! The funniest thing about that was that when the gal brought it over (not our server), she set it down and politely asked "Would you like me to tie your bib on?" I thought: "Bib...?" Not wanting to seem uncouth, I of course said yes, and then proceeded to eat with my bib on for the rest of the meal. I also had those weird tong-looking things on a plate, but I think they accidentally brought both items to me, thinking I was having lobster or something...? Anyway, that was weird, but fortunately, Keith still wanted to gaze at me across the table with a bib on. :)
For dessert we shared a white chocolate cake, which was very tasty. I haven't been eating much (if any) dairy in the last month and a half, trying to figure out if it bothers my face or health. At any rate, at the dessert point, I did have to indulge a bit, but I was pretty good the rest of the meal! It's amazing that a person still has choices without cheese in everything. ;)
All in all, the night was perfect, including (unbeknownst to Keith) a live jazz trio! When's the next date night, honey?? :)

Interesting place to hang out

Today after I got dressed & put my face on, I couldn't find Hannah anywhere. I had asked her to get dressed because she had preschool this afternoon. (In my mind, I knew we had lots of time before we needed to leave, but I wanted to be prepared for those last minute things that come up.) After calling for her a few times and looking in every room of the house, I realized the door to the garage was wide open. Upon going into the garage I saw the light on in the car and I found Hannah, sitting quietly in her BUCKLED car seat, dressed with shoes on and everything! She was patiently sitting there "snuffing" her froggie, and even when I explained it would be two HOURS before it was time to leave, she insisted she'd want to stay in there. She said, "I thought we were going to be a little late!" I said that she could stay in there, but that it would be about the same amount of time as a whole movie before we'd leave. To that she responded, "Could you bring me a snack, then?" I said that Gemma & I would be having a snack in the house if she wanted to join us. She decided that would be a worthwhile reason for getting out of the car...at least for a few minutes.

She is so funny! :)

A Very Quiet Weekend

This weekend, I am home alone! Agghhhhhh!!!! (Picture hands on my face, an open mouth, and wide eyes.) Keith decided to take the girls to see his parents this weekend because Patrick had surgery last week & he wanted to help them out a bit. Since I was supposed to sing at church tomorrow, I figured I would stay home & enjoy a weekend by myself to hang out with friends, get some reading done, and catch up on sleep! Sounds great, right? Well unfortunately, my weekend got off to a little bit of a rough start because I came down with a cold yesterday & was dealing with that all day, while also trying to get the stuff ready for the trip, go grocery shopping, and keep the girls from getting totally bored at home while I stared into space on the couch. :) Keith ended up not getting home as early as he thought he would, so by the time he did roll in, I was actually looking forward to some time to myself!
After they left, the silence in the house was kind of overwhelming. It's really strange to go from constant noise to complete quiet, and I was a little surprised! Fortunately, I had a plan for that evening--to have dinner with my friend Melissa--so I was able to take a non-interrupted shower, curl my hair, and put my makeup on for as long as I wanted. Later Melissa & I went out to eat and had a lovely dinner & visit. Although my voice was pretty hoarse by this point, it was still really a fun evening, and it was nice to have something to do. Although I didn't sleep too well (I never do when Keith is gone, and the cold didn't help), I woke up when I wanted to, which was a good feeling. My voice is still really hoarse today, so I'm bummed that I won't be singing at church tomorrow. :( The good news is that I can still worship Him, even without a voice! My friend Kim said today that the one person we can talk to without a voice is our God, and that is a huge comfort!
I spent most of today in my pj's and robe, which wasn't my original intention, but I just didn't have the energy or the need to get dressed. (Sometimes those little luxuries are the ones that feel the nicest on a weekend like this!) Throughout the day I felt so strange to be sitting at the computer or watching TV without having to worry about Hannah or Gemma. All day I've felt like I heard one of them, and I keep thinking "I should be doing something..." It's amazing how ingrained my role as a mother & wife is at this point, after almost 7 years of marriage and 4+ years of parenthood!
Tonight I was going to hang out with my friend Angela, but since I've got this nasty cold, she didn't want to risk it. I don't blame her, but I was bummed to not be able to hang out. I had a few moments of loneliness and sadness, at which point I called Keith and promptly started crying. I was definitely feeling sorry for myself, and generally wondering why I had decided to stay home after all! The thing is, I know God had a plan for this weekend, and I am trusting this is what He wanted for me...quietness, rest, and the option to NOT do anything! After I got off the phone with Keith, I headed to Trader Joe's to get a few more groceries I didn't get yesterday. Well, as I told Keith later, shopping at Trader Joe's is my kind of therapy shopping, and it would be dangerous for me to go there a lot in a blue mood. :) I got lots of snacks, and I picked out a yummy salad & some sushi for my dinner. (I went really low-key & easy for food this weekend, which has been super enjoyable! I may not have felt great, but at least I didn't have to cook!)
Tonight I'm watching some episodes of The Office, relaxing in my pj's (again!), and I plan to go to bed somewhat early tonight. Since I haven't slept that well the last few nights and some of my stuffiness is finally starting to wear off, I'm hoping I can make up for some sleep tonight!
Overall, I think it's been an okay weekend. It hasn't been exactly what I had planned or anticipated, but God works in those moments when we think we know the plan. :) In my bible study homework this week, we're learning about the sovereignty of God, and I am really clinging to that promise this weekend!
Anyway, that's how it's been so far. I still plan to go to church tomorrow, and even if I can't sing, I will still be worshiping!
When Keith and the girls get home, I look forward to hearing about their weekend with Grandma & Grandpa, and I want to really focus on the fact that although it has been nice to have some peace & quiet this weekend, it will be so great to hear their talk and laughter tomorrow! :)

And so it begins...

Man, Hannah just entered preschool, and the fund raising has already started! Crazy! We're only three weeks into school, and we've already hit up the grandparents & aunts/uncles for cash. ;)
I did realize during the actually fund-seeking, though, that most of that (especially at this age) is the parents' responsibility. Hannah's first request for sponsors went something like this: "Grandma, do you want to help me with something? You give me money for it." By the time she was on her last sponsorship phone call, she was able to say "Grandma (another one), would you like to sponsor me for a run? We are raising money for my school and you have to guess how many laps I'm going to run. You can mail it to me by putting it in your mailbox and the mail person will come & bring it to my mailbox. My mail box is black. So how much do you want to give me?" :)
The event was a Fund Run, and it was actually super cute. They had a balloon bridge for the starting line (that Gemma was obsessed with), and little coarse markers & everything! Here are some pics of the big race:

(This is Hannah's class, minus only one student, I believe. We love this school!)


Good form, determined face, pacing herself.


She was loving it: the exercise, the crowd, the wind in her face, the crowd...

I thought it was really well done, especially for a small, private school. All the kids seemed to have a good time, except for a couple that seemed overwhelmed by the emotions of finishing the race. :) Good way to encourage fund raising--exercise, parent involvement, and good, clean fun!

The Haircut

The other night Hannah asked to cut some "hair" for herself, which simply means cutting off a piece of some multi-colored yarn to pretend it is Rapunzel hair. For awhile after she saw "Tangled," she dragged around a long piece of yarn and pulled stuff up the stairs, attached it to her own hair, threw it down from the couch to have us grab onto it, etc. She hadn't done it in awhile, so I figured it would give her something to do. When she asked if she could cut it herself, I thought "Okay, Heather, this is an opportunity to show that you trust her and believe in her. She can do this!" She started cutting piece after piece of the yarn, and was simply enjoying cutting, so I figured it would be okay to leave the room. Oops. Now, the pictures REALLY don't do it justice, but Hannah most certainly has a mullet (something I haven't seen on her since she was about 2 and barely had hair growing in!) It's reminiscent of Senia's PURPOSEFUL mullet from elementary school...still funny today!

You can kind of see the shorter pieces on the side there.


I love how in this one she strikes a pose that makes her look so confident & stylish that she could model the mullet...and look good! :)

Fortunately, I was able to (kind of) just laugh about this, and hopefully the mullet will soften and/or I'll be able to get her in somewhere to get her hair evened out a bit. The sad part is that her hair has just been getting long enough to get into one ponytail without any stray hairs...and now...sniff. I think I was more upset than she was. ;) At any rate, it wasn't the first time, and it probably won't be the last time, but it's an experience worth mentioning. :)

Weekend at the Beach

Well, this was almost two weeks ago, but I felt like I should post about a very momentous occasion that happened! We went on our first overnight vacation with friends! While that may not sound like something that should make the blog, I found it to be very exciting because I always used to dream about having vacations with families. We used to do that as a family when my dad and some of his buddies would go fishing, and I always loved it. I have so many wonderful memories of riding bikes on trails, singing camp songs (yes, we did that!), and roasting s'mores over the camp fire. I can't believe all of us kids were allowed to go gallavanting throughout the entire campground, although I bet if I drove through there now, it would seem much smaller than it appeared to us at the time. We thought we were big shots, getting to ride around without our parents. :)
Anyway, I digress...our most recent trip to Seaside, Oregon was lots of fun with two of my closest friends and their families. We rented a great house with all the ammenities for cooking, playing games & making ourselves at home. Amazingly, two of the three four-year-olds slept in the basement by themselves (one of whom was my very own daughter!), which turned out to be a great hangout spot for the kids when they were being too loud.
Although the weather wasn't super on Saturday or Sunday, we managed to get out to the beach on Friday evening while it was still sunny. That evening, after a lovely dinner in Cannon Beach, my friend Sara & I got to take a brisk walk on the beach, sans kids! I think in that 15 minute walk we managed to get more talking done than we usually do during three playdates!
Here's one of my beach babies!


And my other one:


Saturday we spent the day enjoying everyone being together, and the gals got out for some shopping & walking.

It wasn't until I looked at this picture that I realized (after 3 years of being friends with these two ladies) I am taller than BOTH of them! I mean, I knew I was taller than Angela (sorry, Ang, it's just obvious), but I didn't know I was taller than Sara. No wonder Angela calls me "Amazon."
Saturday night we played games and talked a lot--again, it's nice to have conversations that can continue for a straight 10 or 15 minutes!
Sunday we still had lots of time to play and enjoy time together; a couple of the dads & kiddos even got out on the beach one more time. Us gals also had a pedicure party on the landing of the upstairs of the house--it was really fun, and for some reason, just a memory I'm going to cherish!

Note: Yes, I realized that Gemma was playing with dangerous, chemically-laden nail polish remove, and no, I'm not really painting Hannah's nails. (Keith's rule is that she needs to be "older" before she does any of that.)

Our meals throughout the weekend were so yummy, prepared by Sara, Dave, and Angela. Somehow Keith and I got out of making any kind of official meal for the weekend, but we weren't complaining! The house seemed to be perfect for our size of group, and we all were comfortable enough to be sharing bathrooms, living space, etc, and still managed to want to hang out the next night at Angela's surprise birthday party! :)


Here's a pic of the house:

Note the blue sky; although very picturesque, we didn't see it the rest of the weekend! :)

All in all, it was a great weekend, and we're already talking about next year's trip!

...And suddenly, it's Fall!

I have to say, typing those words in the subject line was not as hard as I might have thought. Today, after a few days of cool, overcast weather & the threat of rain lingering in the air, it finally rained. I've actually been looking forward to a good cleansing rain lately, especially earlier this week & last week when the smoke from wildfires seemed to be hanging heavily in our air. So when I saw a few sprinkles on the windshield this afternoon, I got a little happy! My excitement progressed as I drove around noticing the MANY fallen/brightly colored leaves, the signs for Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and the distinct Fall chill in the air. Although it didn't really start raining until evening, you could feel it coming on, and something about it made me want to curl up with a blanket, a hot beverage, and a glowing candle next to me! Even though the real rain started right after Keith & I set out on a walk with the girls, I wasn't that bothered. I guess after enjoying these last few weeks of warm, 80-degree days, I am just ready for Fall! It's a good thing, because here it comes!

I know part of my excitement and happiness is related to a new season of Women's Bible Study that starts up at church next week. I love Fall season of Bible Study because everyone comes ready to gear up and get started, and with the studies we're doing, it's a good idea to gear up! (The book of Daniel, by Beth Moore; and Experiencing God--the life-changing study I did over the summer!) I'm really looking forward to beginning again. :)

Even now, as I glance outside, it's almost completely dark. Amazing how fast all of that changes, and yet each season & moment is so perfectly created & timed by our Creator. It's a wonderful reminder to see those seasonal differences!

I hope everyone can enjoy something special about this season, and that you can take time to bask in the wonder of Fall!

Another day of Preschool begins...

Well, today is Hannah's second day of preschool, and I'm really excited to make it more productive/less tiring for us this time around. Maybe those two phrases seem paradoxical, but in my mind, I can picture how it will all work out. :) The day is shaping up to be fun but not too crazy, so that's a good thing!
This morning my dear friend Elizabeth welcomed her second child into the world, and I am SO excited for her. I was on pins & needles yesterday waiting for the call, and I finally had to go to bed without knowing if/when she'd had the baby yet! What about my needs, huh? ;) J/k, Elizabeth, I know you had more important things to do...Anyway, I am hoping we get a chance to see her & her new baby girl at some point today.
After/before that, Hannah will go to preschool again. She asked on Tuesday when she would get to go again, and to a young busy girl like Hannah, two days probably seems like an eternity! Plus, today they have dance, so she is EXTRA excited. She was hoping she would get to wear her ballerina outfit, but I said maybe just a dress. ;)
While Hannah is at preschool, I get to hang out with two more of my favorite women of Grace--Janice & Jessica--while we do some prep work for Fall Bible Study time...which is just around the corner!! (Yay!) That should be a nice way to keep myself & Gemma busy during the preschool hours, since Jessica practically lives around the corner from the church!
Later we'll head home and have a low-key evening, since Keith will be at worship rehearsal until after bedtime. Sounds like a good day to me...with the added benefit of sunshine, I know it will be great!

Since I didn't really post anything about Tuesday after Hannah was done with school, I should fill you in. She seemed to have lots of fun, and the teacher assured me she did great. As we were leaving the parking lot, we spotted Daddy's work truck. He had come to youth group early so that he could meet us and take us out for ice cream in celebration of Hannah's first day! We had a good time, and both girls had the mandatory ice cream rings around their mouths.
Trying to get Hannah to share stories about the first day was a little difficult, as she was already giving us the typical answers of "Nothing," "I don't know." (Really?! At four?!) We finally heard a few things while she was talking to her Grandma's on the phone (at separate times.) She REALLY likes Spanish, and they did some sort of handprint/paint project, which I'm sure she loved! They also played Follow the Leader and sang a Good-bye song as each student left for the day. (You know the one, "Good-bye Hannah, Good-bye Hannah, Good-bye Hannah, we had a lot of fun..." Sing along!) :)
All in all, that first day went well, and Hannah seems excited about going back, which is always a good sign.

Now on to day two, and all the fun that will bring...

First Day of School!

This morning, in preparation for the big day, we took the traditional front-door-picture of the first day, and Hannah was definitely in the mood for posing, if not for smiling. It will be a good personality shot to show her in later years. Just getting her to be in the picture took some convincing, so I took what I got! :)

Later Gemma and I dropped Hannah off at her first day of preschool this afternoon, and none of us even cried! I admit I got a bit of a lump in my throat when it came to actually saying good-bye, but the hard/good part is that Hannah didn't seem to mind or notice that I was even leaving! She was busy with her very first classroom job, which was helping her teacher pass out some coloring pages.


*Note: She's not actually picking her nose there, even though it looks like it. :)

Once I got out into the parking lot, I took some deep breaths and headed home. Another mom from church saw me and asked if it was my first preschool drop-off. She cheered for me, and that made me well up even more! Fortunately I had Gemma there to squeeze and focus on while I gathered my emotions. :) I'm totally not against crying, but I thought I'd rather not lose it in the parking lot, with all the classrooms facing me.

Already I'm learning some things I'll do differently on Mondays & Tuesdays, primarily, I will not try to run errands before preschool. I wasn't planning on doing that, but when the girls and I were all ready by 9:45, I figured why waste the morning? Well, I got my answer around noon when Hannah said "I'm tired," and looked like she could drop off to sleep any moment. She rested in the car for a few minutes until it was time to go into the school, and then she started to liven back up.
On Thursdays, I'll have bible study at the church (which is where the preschool is located, conveniently) and so Hannah will end up being "on campus" all day, even though she won't be in her class that whole time.
The other problem is figuring out a time for Gemma to nap. In retrospect, I should have let Gemma nap here from 10-noon, and then she & I could have done our errands later in the afternoon while Hannah was at school. Somehow I was figuring that if I got the errands done in the morning, I'd end up with more time to myself by afternoon. Probably a selfish reason, and the selfishness did not pay off! Haha.

Anyway, I'm proud of Hannah for jumping right into this preschool day without any reservations or problems, as I've heard the story many times of how I cried/screamed for many days when I first started going to preschool. I guess I can be thankful for that difference between Hannah & I! :)

We'll see what this first week brings, and all that Hannah has to say about it. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my time with Gemma as I sip my decaf coffee and munch on whole wheat fig bars (a real treat for me!) :) Hope everyone else has a great back to school/first day of school week!

Our Weekend

Last weekend we went to Washtucna for some family time with Keith's parents and two of his siblings. It was a wonderful time, and we thoroughly enjoyed the 100+ degree weather every day (I'm not joking, both Keith & I are heat-lovers!) We ended up leaving Thursday afternoon instead of Friday morning, which worked out great to have two full days there. Keith had taken Friday off, and when he found out he was getting home early on Thursday, we figured it was a great opportunity to get out of dodge!
Friday we ended up doing some things are the house (& town) while Patrick & Theresa were at work, which kept us busy. Hannah and I cleaned around the house for the company, since we surprised Mom & Dad St.Hilaire by showing up a day early! Keith mowed a couple lawns in town for Patrick, which allowed Patrick to come right home after work. It felt good to stay busy, and we even managed to walk down to the school to visit Theresa, receptionist-extroidinaire! Hannah had fun showing us "her" preschool classroom, coat hook, and lunch room from when she went to preschool there for a week in the spring.
The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out & talking with the family, eating good food, playing games, watching movies, playing in the backyard, and swimming at the city pool A LOT. Hannah went to a garage sale with Grandma, Aunt Julie, Uncle Adam and Cousin Ruger, and she made out with a whole bundle of stuff for a whopping $2--which included, among other things, 4 independent, non-matching princess dress-up shoes. Gotta love garage sales!
Saturday I had planned a little celebration for Keith's graduation from the apprenticeship, and I asked everyone to say a few words about Keith and how awesome he is. :) Keith doesn't like this kind of attention, but I know it's important and good for men to be affirmed with words, so I wanted to do it anyway! He was okay with it, and he was smiling the whole time. ;) We had a delicious BBQ dinner with lots of salads and sides and finished off with pumpkin and chocolate creme pies from Costco. Yum!
We left on Sunday, after a weekend that sped by way too fast. Keith and I are already looking forward to Patrick & Theresa's visit in late October, as we get to host THEM and do some fun things while they're here!
We love our families!!

(No pictures to show, since I forgot most of the weekend. :(

One week!

All of a sudden this afternoon, I realized that a week from today (a little later than right this moment), I will be picking Hannah up from her first day of preschool! I suddenly got a wave of sadness as I realized all that entails. So many of those parenting "letting go" moments really begin as kids enter school, and I am guessing each one is a little harder as we say good-bye to our children stepping through the preschool doors, getting on the school bus, entering junior high, riding in cars with other kids, graduating, going to college--ahhhh! Hannah's whole childhood is passing right in front of my eyes!
I guess that's why people always say "You blink, and your child is grown up!" Recently I heard that time seems to speed up after five. I already feel like the last four years have flown by, so I can only imagine what will come next.
This is one of those times where I have to stop and write down how I'm feeling (which is why I'm taking a moment to step away, even though Hannah is painting and Gemma is trying to climb in the laundry basket) because I know that someday I'm going to want to look back and read these posts & remember the joys of having young children. While there are frustrating, challenging days for sure, I want to think back on these early years with gratitude and fondness, knowing God's hand was firmly holding our days.
In one week, I will drop off my firstborn at preschool, and for those three hours, I won't get to hear every conversation, see her interaction with her peers & teacher, or watch her engage in the various activities so common in preschool. I will wonder how it's going, what she's learning, and if she likes it. When she gets home, I will be so excited to hear all about the day, and I know she will have lots to talk about. I pray that this can be the case no matter how old she gets or how long she has been in school. May our lines of communication always be open, no matter the time or distance!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

It's amazing how different your days can be as a mom to two young children! Yesterday was a tough one for me, and Hannah's behavior was all over the place. I ended up feeling very frustrated and was struggling to see a bright point in the day--besides the end of it! ;) I decided not to post anything specific about it yesterday because I figured I'd just be all emotional and negative. At any rate, I found myself at a loss for how to respond to all of the tantrums, sassy tones, disobedience and general lack of respect. It felt like no matter what I did, Hannah refused to obey! By the time Keith got home, we talked about some possible options and prayed together--probably the best thing to do!!
Today, although we didn't have any plans, we have had a great day already! The morning was spent hanging out at home, watching a little PBS, and I was able to do a bunch of much-needed e-mailing. After Gemma woke up (she's my late riser, most mornings finally making some noise around 9:30 or 10!) we decided to head out for some blackberry picking, which Hannah loves. (Just before that, Keith came by and brought me a drink from Starbucks! What a guy, huh? He even remembered that I'm staying away from dairy--another story--, so he got me a soy vanilla latte! I was so pleased, and I was beaming the whole morning because he takes such good care of me! :)
While picking our berries, Hannah did not get a single blackberry in her bucket, but boy did she have fun! Gemma was patient and willing to just sit in the stroller, provided we brought her a blackberry every so often. I snapped a picture on my phone, but I don't have a way to post it here--or if I do, I don't know how...Anyway, both girls enjoyed the outing and were covered in blackberry juice by the time we were done!
When we got home, we had lunch and then both girls went down for nap/quiet time. Now I'm sitting here on the computer, wondering how two days could be SO different. I'm actually trying to think of what to do while they're in their rooms, since I already did all my e-mailing this morning! (Don't tell anyone...I'm sure I could come up with some chores to do, but I just don't want to!)
Anyway, it's been a good day, and I just found out Keith will be home earlier than he expected, so it's going to end well too! :)
Thank you, Lord, for these days!

My Man

Last Friday, I got a text from my friend Lisa, encouraging me to read a daily devotional that we both get. I tend to read them if I'm grabbed by the first line or two, since I spend my morning quiet time going through my Experiencing God homework, but she said this one was worth my time, so I finally got to reading it this weekend. At the same time, I was finishing out a book series by Karen Kingsbury that deals with a lot of relationship issues & pitfalls, as well as the ways to combat those problem areas. I was extremely convicted and challenged by both sources, and it made me think God was trying to get my attention!
The subject was about lifting up & encouraging our husbands verbally so that they know we have confidence and trust in their leadership within our homes. As I read the book, I was reminded that while men are born to be leaders, it is really the wife's job to ENCOURAGE that leadership by speaking life & love into her husband's role. The author of the devotional (Tracie Miles) also mentioned this little tidbit that really got me shifting in my seat:

"Along the way I subconsciously created a measuring stick of expectations for whether my husband actually deserved my love and respect."

Wow, huh?! How often do my unrealistic expectations of Keith cause me to speak angry, frustrated, or sarcastic words that ultimately make him feel as if he's let me down? Instead, both authors suggested forgiving easily, speaking encouragement, and serving your spouse as just some of the ways to combat those initial selfish responses. I am really trying to pray through that each day so that when Keith gets home (and whenever I talk to--or even text--him throughout the day), God helps me tame my tongue and instead places compliments, praises, and TRUTH for Keith.

He's doing such a great thing by allowing me to stay home with our girls, and I need to remind him how much I appreciate him for that, and for everything else he does for me & our family!
I would encourage you to join me in this challenge, as I think the more women can re-claim the role spoken of in Proverbs 31, the better off our marriages, our families, and our communities will be!

A Gorgeous Day at the Lake!

Last weekend, we met up with my parents at Yale Lake in Cougar, WA for our annual (sometimes less than annual) water-skiing day. We love getting out on the boat, and since both Keith & I enjoy skiing, we take advantage of it when we can! The weather was GORGEOUS, with full sun & heat from the get-go. God certainly blessed us with a wonderful day, and we took every opportunity to jump in the lake, ski, and swim around with the girls. (The water was 70, which is almost unheard of for that lake! We've braved temps way closer to the 60 degree point!)
It was Gemma's first time on the boat, since we didn't get out last summer, and she seemed to enjoy it/be relaxed enough to be put to sleep:

At one point during the day, I noticed that she had fallen asleep with a chip still in her hand. I guess she was holding onto it for comfort, since she didn't actually eat it.

Hannah really had fun on the boat, and due to a little apprehension about safety (not sure where she gets that...), she obeyed the rules about sitting while the boat is moving and always keeping a life vest on! :) When Keith and I were skiing, she preferred to sit with her back to us because it made her nervous when we fell. It makes me wonder what the years will bring as far as her desire to get in and do the skiing herself.


Hannah did enjoy jumping into the water from the boat, and she was excited about being able to float on her back by herself since she's just been learning about that in swim lessons!


We spent a little bit of time on the shore, but not much--just long enough for the guys to take short naps and to attempt to put Gemma down for a longer nap in her porta-crib. That did not happen, but she was pretty happy all day in spite of only having a couple short naps while the boat was moving!
Hannah liked exploring the swimming hole and digging in the sand:


It was a great day, and I hope we can go out more next summer!

An evening at the river!

Keith surprised us all and got home at noon today, which was a blessing for me on a day where none of those "parenting methods" seemed to be helpful. :) Hannah was so excited to see Keith's truck that she started tearing up, about which she remarked: "Sometimes I cry when I'm happy!" She was awe-struck about that, but it is something she will definitely need to understand if she is going to be a woman in this family!
In addition to BOTH girls taking naps this afternoon (which I somehow can allow for Hannah when I know Keith will be home at night to field the stalling tactics...), Keith also tackled the huge task of digging/sawing up a maple tree in our front yard. The roots were starting to affect our water pipes, and he's been wanting to take it out for a while. After that, Keith came in and announced that we needed to go to the river. (Keith's favorite place to swim is any running/rushing fresh water!) Seeing as both girls were still sleeping, Keith did the obvious and took a nap himself. Once everyone was awake (and Mommy had plenty of time to do some reading & bible study prep), we headed down to the Washougal River. It was a nice evening for it, and although we ended up on the shady side, it was nice not to have to worry about sunscreen & sun hats! Both girls had fun and enjoyed the water & the fresh air. Keith and I both dunked ourselves a couple times, and generally we all felt good about the time there!


Hannah looks a bit mischievous here, but I think she's just enjoying the feeling of wet sand in her hands! :)


I love Gemma's expression in this picture--so excited and full of wonderment.

A Gift

Last Saturday, we had planned on going to the Fair with the girls, but after doing a budget review, we decided it might not be the best choice. I was pretty bummed about it, and as lame as that may sound, that's just how I felt. :) The Fair is a tradition in our family, and I have so many memories of going with my family as a child, with friends in high school, with my nannying charges, with Keith after we were newly married, and then with our own children. Just walking in brings back thoughts of animals, (how can it not, with the smells wafting around??) Dairy Wives milkshakes, Fair food, rides that make you excited and sick at the same time...but are still worth it, and of course, the commercial building (where you will have so many people vying for your attention that you have to make the excuse that you're headed straight for the bathroom.) This is why, on Friday night, I had some time with God to surrender my feelings of frustration and disappointment. No judging, people! We all have our "thing(s)." Anyway, after praying through things, I felt a lot of peace, knowing that God would provide my comfort & contentment.
Saturday morning we got up and started doing chores around the house (because what better way to replace a day of fun than with a day of chores?!) I was checking our accounts online to balance everything out, and I noticed something strange--the automatic deposit of Keith's Monday paycheck was already in our account! Logically, there was no reason for this--Monday was not a holiday, the payday didn't fall on a Sunday (and even if it had, the deposit would have come through on Friday.), and it is AUTOMATIC, so it couldn't have been user error! Our only explanation was that God was giving our family a gift--something that maybe wouldn't seem important or that big of a deal to others, but that was great news to us. We knew it was our "go-ahead" from the Lord, encouraging us even in activity like this. I found such joy in knowing that God cared about this for me, and that He enabled us to do it when we couldn't see any way to go on our own. God is so amazing! I love that He loves us so much that He cares about the details!
The Fair was wonderful, with all of the aforementioned activities. Hannah was super excited when we told her we were going to the fair, and we took the bus as we'd done in years past.


Hannah and I went on one ride together, which she thoroughly enjoyed, giggling hysterically the entire time. I giggled for about the first 5 times around, and then I started feeling...the nausea. Fortunately, those rides do not last long, so after 5 or 6 more times around, the ride was over and I wobbled & swayed to the exit. Here's one of the more fun points:


The girls both seemed to enjoy the animals the best, as they each talked to, pointed at, and touched most of them. Gemma walked a fair amount, too, which was different than last year when she rode in the Moby and slept the majority of the time! :)

This goat was particularly friendly, jumping up on the gate every time a new person came to visit. (Not sure what I'm doing with my mouth there--probably trying to imitate how goats chew, which I find fascinating. :)) Also, note Gemma's overalls--I may have prompted that...

Here's Hannah trying to let the goats out. (Seriously--they should have locks on those; I was picturing a goat stampede...)

Note the boots--those were Hannah's choice, with NO prompting from me. How did she know those would fit right in?!

The best picture came during lunch time, when Keith decided on something special for him & the girls to share:

That is a whole turkey leg, slow-roasted in hickory. It was SO good, and other than a few bites that I took, Keith and the girls finished it off to the bone. I bet that thing weighed at least a pound! You should have seen some of the looks Hannah got when she was chowing down (especially before Keith was sitting next to her and was obviously sharing.)

While waiting for Keith to get back from the Dairy Wives counter, we found this bouncy house in the kid's area. Again, this was one of the highlights for Hannah--and us--as it was free and she could go in as many times as she wanted!


All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon at the Fair, and both girls slept VERY hard that night. It was great to see the joy on their faces as they experienced another great year! Until next year...

A confession

Yesterday morning during my "Experiencing God" study, I was convicted in a big way! In my previous posts about child-rearing and learning how to raise Hannah & Gemma, I realized that I was talking a lot about MY experiences, MY struggles, MY triumphs, when in actuality, those are GOD'S! The advantage of following the one true Lord is that He bears the burdens for us...as soon as we surrender them. In retrospect of the last week or two, I see that only in letting go of Hannah & Gemma and asking for Holy Spirit wisdom to come upon me as I parent, do I end each day feeling fulfilled and positive. (Now, lest you think I'm a Pollyana parent, and that every day is happy & joyful, regardless of the behavior from my children, let me stop you right there! There are certainly days where I am on the verge of tears for a great deal of it, and things just don't seem to be working out--yesterday had some of those moments, in fact. But at the end of the day, if I can go to bed knowing God had His way in our home and He ultimately wins, I have peace! And that is something no parenting book--besides the Bible--can give you.)
I'll quote the passage from Experiencing God that got me feeling all "shifty."

"If you are obedient, God will accomplish wonderful things through you. You will need to be careful that any testimony about what God has done gives glory only to Him. Pride may cause you to want to recount your EXPERIENCE because it makes you feel special. You will want to declare the wonderful deeds of the Lord, but you must avoid any sense of pride. Therefore, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:31)."
(Emphasis mine.)

I think this is a very easy mistake to make--as I said; I did it, even while crediting the Lord with His power and ability! The thing is, God allows these struggles so that we have no choice but to lean on Him and watch Him work through us to accomplish mighty works. That way, when God does something huge--in our finances, in our children, in our testimony--He gets the glory, not us!

I just couldn't resist!

This is a quick post to show you the adorable nature of kids' shoes. Yesterday, Gemma started wearing my favorite shoes of Hannah's--I think you'll be able to see why--and I think they are so sweet, and there is something so cute about mini adult items. Also, tennis shoes on early walkers are so fun because they make them look so sporty and ready to run! :)

Here's one picture of both girls, and I'm not sure what to say about Hannah's headband, except that she must have thought to keep with the hippy trend the she started with the shirt...

See--even Gemma is in awe of her adorable shoes! :)

Slowly but surely

Hannah and I have had a pretty good week, and I think there could be lots of factors involved. First of all, I am making it a priority to pray for her every morning. For a while now, I've been going in both girls' rooms at night to pray over them--mostly that they would know the Lord, that their dreams are sweet, and that they would be healthy, happy girls now & into their adult lives--and just this week I've really begun to commit to praying for Hannah before she wakes up. I know this is helping my days go better, and I think it's putting me in the right mindset, realizing that I can do ALL things through Christ...including parent a strong-willed child! :) God is giving me the strength and endurance...and dare I say...patience (eek!) to show Hannah the authoritative role the Lord has given me with my children. (As He gives to all parents.)
Second, I'm putting some suggestions into play that I'm reading about in the two books I mentioned earlier this week ("Love & Logic" and "Growing Kid's God's Way".) I'm finding that by giving Hannah as many choices as possible, she's much less likely to balk at the choices I need to make. One of my favorite parts about this process is that the book suggests giving the child 10 seconds to choose...after that, guess who gets to decide? :) It makes it so that Hannah has responsibility, but that choice time does not end up being a stall tactic! In "Growing Kid's God's Way," it talks about reminding kids constantly that they are loved, even while having a consequence. While this has always been in my mind, it reminds me to take the time to have that conversation with Hannah before, during & after each disciplinary action. In this way, I'm striving to model the amazing love that our Heavenly Father shows each of His children, and that is a very important character trait of God that I want my children to grasp.
Third, I know that many of you are praying for my journey as a mother, and that is so precious to me. :) I need to remind myself of that as I'm having some of my more difficult days with my children; that there are other mothers around me who are at various stages in their parenting journey, praying right along with me!
Fourth, I am really limiting Hannah's TV time. I've decided to go back to our earlier plan of making movies a special treat--not even necessarily a reward for specific good behavior, but more of a random positive reinforcement (I know there's a word for that, those of you who have taken child psych--variable reinforcement??) At any rate, I don't think Hannah has watched a movie once this week, and I'm limiting her morning TV (PBS) to one hour, if that.
Fifth, with the exception of today, I am spending very little time on the computer while Hannah is awake. This means that my personal time on e-mail, blogs, etc is reduced quite a bit, but I feel like it's worth the sacrifice when I see the rewards of Hannah's better behavior! :) Today was an example of the Love & Logic choice-making, where she didn't decide in 10 seconds, so I made the choice for her. A little biased on my end?? Maybe...but sometimes Mom just needs a few minutes of quiet time, regardless of the day. The rest of the week, we've passed the time during Gemma's nap with fort-making, store-playing, and book-reading. Surprisingly, I find it very enjoyable! (That probably sounds bad, but when thinking about nap time/quiet time in the house, I imagine being able to sit down with a good book, watch some videos on YouTube, write some e-mails, check my blog, etc. What this change in routine requires is an adjustment in my thinking about quiet time--that instead, I can look forward to having time with my oldest child to play a game, imagine something, read longer books, and simply be together! Incidentally, that whole "adjustment in thinking" has become forefront in my mind as I've done these last couple weeks of homework from the Experiencing God study. I'm going to say again: everyone should do that study at some point! It is amazing!)
At any rate, I know Hannah's behavior could be contributed to ALL of these factors, and I'm just going to keep at it while it's going well! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this stage of childhood as well, so tell me what you think about these (or other) strategies. :)
Thanks for reading this long post...I wasn't planning on it being quite this wordy, but once I get going, it's hard to stop! ;)

The parenting journey continues...(I guess it never really ends...)

I want to preface this post with the comment that although it may come across sounding somewhat negative about Hannah's behavior, I actually see some positive changes already, and my heartfelt prayer is that when Hannah is a well-adjusted, God-fearing teenager (and adult) who has strong values and morals, she can look back at posts like these and realize just how far she has grown & developed.
Lately I've been back to feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by this stage of Hannah's development. Her tantrums are "back" in full swing, and we're not even giving her much (if any) sugar! It's interesting to write this because my friend Lisa has experienced similar behavior from her little guy lately, who is just six months younger than Hannah. You would think that the sunny, beautiful weather would decrease the amounts of tantrums & difficult behavior because the kiddos get to run around, be free, and feel the wonderful effects of Vitamin D. This does not appear to be the case.
Saturday was a particularly bad day, and by afternoon I wound up "running away"...to the back deck...where I promptly dissolved into tears over the frustration of dealing with Hannah's tantrums, disobedience and disrespectful tone. I can't even really pinpoint a specific event or reason, but all I remember is feeling like the day was spiraling down, down, down, until I finally felt completely defeated & discouraged with 1) my parenting ability and 2) Hannah's behavior, since I had begun to feel like it was getting better in the last couple weeks!
Now, please don't worry about my own safety (or Hannah's, for that matter), because I am doing SO much better today. In fact, after having a good cry on the back deck and soaking in the sunshine (thank you, Lord, for sunny days--it truly makes everything better!), I was able to come back inside, regroup, and have a good little talk with Hannah about why I was crying. She was very sweet when she realized I was crying, and asking in her gentlest voice "Mommy, are you okay? Why are you crying?" When I told her I was feeling sad because she wasn't obeying me, she said "It's okay, Honey. After I'm done with my quiet time, I'll come down and talk to you ." :) (Ironically, she was in quiet time because of her aforementioned behavior, and it was during her quiet time that she acted the most reasonable, kind, and compassionate toward me.)
After having such a hard day, I went right to the Lord and asked Him to help me figure out what to do! I am trying to turn to Him first when I have such difficult days, and that does help immensely. On Sunday at church, my sweet friend Kim told me she & her daughter were committing to praying for Hannah. That was such an answer to prayer because partly I just need to know people are on my "team," praying for me on my behalf & keeping Hannah bathed in prayer.
Now that a few days have gone by, I've also pulled out some other resources that I've been meaning to look into. One is "Growing Kids God's Way," which is an older but tried-and-true approach to, well, raising kid's God's way. ;) I like the principles I've read so far, even just in the introduction, and it addresses the issue of respect for adults that tends to get lost in today's world, where the "Mister and Missus" titles have all but disappeared from kids' vocabularies. Of course it goes into much more than just that, but I think ultimately, that is part of the problem with "kids today"--they've lost respect for their elders. (Man, that makes me sound like some old grandma. But obviously, kids didn't just lose that respect on their own; they've been trained by...well, guess who?) Oops--hope I'm not opening a big can of worms here...
The other is the Love & Logic book and CD's. Another dear friend, Sara, actually teaches that course to parents, so I'm heading straight to the experts! ;) I've watched her incorporate the ideas of Love & Logic into her own parenting, and I've seen the benefits, so I'm willing to try it. The thing I really like about L&L, as I'll call it, is that it encourages choices for kids where it's okay for them to choose! (For example, the one I've been using today is: "Do you want to leave the park now or in five minutes?") It's not necessarily letting them choose anything different than what you are already planning; more about letting them feel some control, when in actuality, they are not. Haha--that sounds more devious than I meant it to...
Anyway, I'll be interested to see where this next chapter takes us, both literally and figuratively! Since Hannah starts preschool in about a month (eek!), I would really like to get a handle on some of these behaviors so that every morning or non-preschool day is not a big fight. :)
In spite of the days that get me on my knees (which certainly isn't a bad thing), I know Hannah is one smart cookie, and that she has a lot going for her. She is funny, sweet, and imaginative, and she says the cutest things. Tonight she whispered "You are my special mommy and I love you very much." (We were trading secrets before bed.) I love it when she says her bedtime prayers, and that she is always asking questions about how the world works. She loves to talk on the phone to anyone, and she can carry on quite the conversation--all while walking around the room & gesturing like any adult! :) She is loving to her little sister, and she gives great hugs & hello's when anyone comes home after being gone even a half hour. Overall, I know she is a precious little girl, and I marvel at how big she is looking. (I know, too, that that will not stop.) Here's a quick picture that I took of Hannah today, just because she looked so old. I'll leave you with that, and please be praying for me as I work on this mommy thing. :)