library day

Today was a crazy day.  I took Lauren and Kate to the library for story time and they were in rare form.  Neither one wanted to sit while the librarian was reading the books! When I got Kate restrained sitting quietly on my lap, Lauren started crawling around and being distracting.  Oh, the joy!  

So I did what any good mom would do....I pretended I didn't know either of them. :)

When we left the library (with new books for Lauren and myself) Lauren was upset because she told me she "tan't go home mommy!"  Too bad, so sad.  It was time for lunch and I was done trying to "shush" 2 squealing girls in the library for one more minute.  

After lunch, Kate was out like a light in the pack and play, and Lauren spent day #3 of "non-napping nap time" reading books to her stuffed animals.  At least she had some new material to entertain them with, thanks to our crazy library trip. :)

On a quick soapbox sidenote, I have to just ask something.  Does anyone else know that it is rude to make comments about people that you don't even know?  For example, I had a woman (who I have never seen before) take one look at Lauren and Kate at the library today and say, "you must babysit her."  (referring to Kate).  Now, I was gracious and said, "yes, I do."  But I could have said, "no, they just have different baby daddies."  


Or what if they really were sisters and one looked just like the mom and the other looked just like dad.  I mean, that happens.  Just because one is blonde with blue eyes and the other has brown hair and brown eyes, doesn't mean it's unheard of, right?!

I have also had someone tell me recently (after questioning the age difference in Lauren and Kate), "wow, you had them close together!" Only for me to clarify that they were not, in fact, sisters.  However, they are a year and one day apart, is that not doable?  I think that it is.

There are other "no-no's" I think that all women should abide by as well.  You should never ask a woman if she is pregnant (this has not happened to me, but I've seen it happen to a friend!)  unless they are CLEARLY pregnant, or bring it up first (as in, they say, "oh, my back is hurting so much from this pregnancy?!)  And by CLEARLY pregnant, I mean 8+ months and waddling.  But maybe not even then; there could be some women out there who have some extra pounds in their middle and also waddle.  Who knows?  

It's just not nice, ladies! Don't you agree? :)  

Ok, off of my soapbox for today.  And if I have blogged about this before, just ignore me!

Onto something completely unrelated.....

I really can't stop listening to this song.  I hear it on the radio, we sing it at church, and I play it several times a day! I think the words are awesome and so true! Have you heard it?

a sad goodbye

Today I'm afraid we are saying "goodbye" to Lauren's nap. 

 This is day #2 of not napping for her!  I put her in her room at 1:30 and then went about my business of emptying the dishwasher, loading it again, doing some laundry, etc, etc.  Then I realized I could hear a very little, high-pitched voice coming from somewhere.  I went over to Lauren's bedroom door, and sure enough, I could hear her having a good old time in her room when she was supposed to be napping!

I opened her door and reminder her (again!) that Baby Kate was napping and that if she didn't want to sleep, it was fine, but she needed to have some "quiet time" in her room until I came to get her.  She said "otay, can you come get me mommy?"  :)  Smart girl.  

I told her I would come get her in a little while and that she should just have some quiet time until then.  

What was I thinking?  Those instructions were entirely too vague for a 2 year old!

I didn't check on her again, because I had some things to get done before there were children running under my feet again.  

An hour later, I went in to tell her she could get up and this is what I saw (love that my camera takes pretty good pictures, it comes in handy!)

Again, she is on the Dora couch instead of her bed.  The potty in the background?  She had drug that out of her bathroom and used it to stand on the turn on her bedroom light!  Then she had all the babies and animals out of her bed again as an audience- and apparently they were not only having a book club meeting, but there was also some sort of tea party going on!

I really couldn't help but laugh! (and take a picture, of course!)  

I realized that we were going to have to have an in-depth discussion on the meaning of "quiet time" before tomorrow's nap.  I helped her clean up all the toys and then we sat down and had a snack together while Kate was still sleeping and it was nice.  It's hard for me to believe that this sweet baby of mine will be 3 this year! The time is going by way too quickly!

After Kate's dad picked her up, I decided to let Lauren "help" me with a few more things around the house.  She stood by the dryer and I handed her each piece of clothing from the washer to throw in the dryer.  Then I let her "look" for white clothes and put them in the washer.  (YES, this took forever, but she loved it and I realized this was a teachable moment for sure!)

Then I sat her up on the dryer so she could help pour in the detergent and watch the washing machine fill up.  She was amazed and told me, "it's like a swimming pool."  Oh, dear.  Now I will have to make sure she doesn't try to go swimming in it!

Then we went to the kitchen where I needed to put away all the silverware that we wash by hand, since our apartment dishwasher has no basket.  (not complaining, at least there is a dishwasher!!)

Lauren went to get her little pink stool from her bathroom and she stood on it to help.  I showed her where the forks and big spoons and "baby" spoons go. (her words, not mine).  Then she put away her plastic forks and spoons in the little cups I keep them in.  These were great sorting activities that I never really thought about!  Yay for practical life experiences! :)

That is something funny about Lauren.  Instead of saying "little" to describe something,

 she says "baby".

 In a sweet, little, baby voice! 

It's kinda hilarious!  

Today we were on our way to Target and there is a car dealership

 right at the light where we turn into Target.  

Out front, was a brand new one of these.

From the back seat, Lauren yells, "MOMMY! Yook out your window! There's a very yiddle geen car!" 

I say, "yes, Lauren, I see the green car" (and try not to laugh).

She says "aw, it's so tute (cute)... it's yike a yiddle baby!"  (said in a squeaky baby voice).

At that point I can't help but laugh! Where does she come up with this stuff?

She tells me, "I yub it" "I yub that yiddle geen car!"

I proceed to tell her that I love it, too, but that we are very blessed to have the car that we have and we won't be getting a new one anytime soon.  (Plus, I don't think even half of Jason's body will fit in one of those "yiddle geen cars" that she loves so much!!)

She says, "otay, mommy, you so siddy (silly)."  

:)

NOT sleeping

Yesterday, Lauren ASKED to take a nap at 12:30.

  Today, not so much.  

She went to bed around 1, and all I could hear for an hour and a half was talking, singing, and more talking! I went in twice to remind her that Kate was sleeping, but Lauren was wide awake.  

Finally, at 2:15 (I needed a break, what can  I say?)  I went in to tell her she could come out of her room, since she wasn't sleeping anyway, and this is what I saw.  

Now, when she went to bed at 1, I put Lauren in HER bed (you can see it in the background).  She had gotten out of bed, unfolded her Dora couch, pulled all her animals and pillows out of her bed and onto the couch and then helped herself to a basket of books, which she had been reading LOUDLY to her audience of stuffed animals and babies.  

Well, if she wasn't sleeping, at least she was doing something educational! :)

Jason has asked me about cutting out her nap, and pushing her bedtime up a little (she usually goes to bed between 8 and 8:30).  I just don't know, because normally (and today was not normal), if she doesn't take a nap, she is GRUMPY about 4:30 or 5, and there is no way I'm letting her nap then!

Plus, I need some time to my self for an hour or so in the afternoon, so I have thought about just letting her stay in her room and have quiet time, (such as reading to her animals) so I can have a break and get a few things done.  

Anyone else with 2.5 year olds dropping their naps about this time?  Just curious!  I have several friends whose kids are older than Lauren and they still take naps everyday!

Monday, Monday

Today finally feels like the first day of the New Year to me.  

Why? 

Because Jason went back to work today, and we are back to babysitting Kate, and Lauren is back on her schedule...and all is right with the world! :)

We spent the day inside, and I promise that I picked Lauren's new kitchen toys up no less than 5 times.  Finally Lauren explained that they were having a "picnic"! Oh, so that's why every dish and piece of play food that she owns was in the middle of her bedroom floor.  Why didn't I think of that?

In a moment of desperation, I pulled some file folder games out of the my stash of teaching supplies that I have from my pre-Lauren days.  Some of them were too hard, being made for Prek and K, but I had a few that were color and shape matching and she was so excited!

Her favorite was this "Farm Animal Matching" game- you match the heads and tails to make an animal from the farm.  She looooooved it and we had to play about 10 times.

notice the tongue out in concentration? :)

Just in case anyone is wondering, the pieces came from here.

I am seeing a lot of these types of games in our future, because it is just too cold to get out and do much at this time of year!

Happy New Year!

2010 has come and gone! Does anyone else feel like it flew by?!  

We celebrated New Year's Eve at home- just Jason, Lauren and me!  Jason and I watched Eclipse (he hadn't seen it yet, so I coerced him). We could barely stay awake! And then when the ball dropped at midnight, we pried our eyes open for a kiss and to "PRAY in the New Year"- a tradition we've had since we've been married.  

 I got to sleep in on New Year's Day, and Jason got up to begin preparing his New Year's day meal. ( I say  "his", because I never ate these foods on New Year's Day until we were married!) 

He made black eye peas, corn bread, collard greens (that were so good!) and homemade chicken strips (fingers?)  I contributed with some homemade potato salad, which Lauren loved!

Here is my plate:

And here is Jason's: 

Clearly, he hasn't quite started working on portion control! :)

Today we went to church and Lauren was soooo excited to see "her boys and durls" (as she calls them) in her  little class.  We didn't get to attend our church any Sundays in December, because we were traveling!

We are so happy to be a part of Owensboro Christian Church and believe God is going to do a lot of great things this year though the church!

Today's message was on living a transformed life. Pastor Rick read Romans 12  "offer your bodies as a living sacrifices..."  and he said something so profound this morning; I wanted to share:

  He said that "the problem with living sacrifices is that they can crawl off the altar."  

Wow.

When the New Year rolls around, we say: "this is it God! This is the year that I am going to___________"(fill in the blank with your commitment to God!)

But then a few days later, we have crawled off that altar and have to get back on it!

Although we are human, and born with a sin nature; we should aspire to live lives that are holy and pleasing to God- for this is our spiritual act of worship!

One of my favorite verses:

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland."

~Isaiah 43:18-19

And here is a picture of Lauren after church this morning,

 just because I love her sweet little face! :)

Happy New Year!!

back in the saddle

Ok, I am sort of ashamed to admit that my last post was on November 3.  That means I unintentionally took an almost 2 month-long blogging hiatus.  

See, for me, blogging is sort of a discipline.  I enjoy it, and I do it to record memories for my family; but it's one of those things that I have to MAKE time for.  I don't just wake up in the morning ready to blog.  And for me, the longer I don't do something, the easier it is to not do it.  Does that make sense?  Like exercising.  The more I avoid my treadmill, the easier it is to just plop onto the couch and watch "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" instead of exercising.  

(side note: WHY is it that those girls are famous?)

Anyway, so here I am, almost 2 months later, getting back into the saddle of blogging.  I hope blog more frequently.  We'll see!

In fact, I am thinking of making one of my New Year's Resolutions to blog everyday.  It will be fun to see just how long that lasts.  

Probably about as long as it takes me to refrain from eating cookies after the New Year! :)

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Happy 2011!

haircut

I am so behind on blogging, it's not even funny! It just seems like blogging has not been a priority for me lately, but I need to make it more of one! :)

A few weeks ago, Lauren got her first "real" haircut.  We had taken her to have a couple of trims, and Jason had even trimmed her bangs at home twice, because he hates them hanging in her eyes! 

But this time, we let them cut off most of the "mullet."

A few before pictures.  Doing the "Pebbles" hairstyle was the only way to see her eyes! 

 And from the side....

Here is Lauren AFTER.... yay! Much better!!

And from the side....

 And from the back.... still doesn't lay down completely flat.  She has some waves even if they cut off most of the curls! :(

 Posin' for mama....and looking way to grown up!